Anarchy Online: AO's new Game Director speak out!

Present

Funcom takes great pride in Shadowlands and are very pleased that so
many have joined Shadowlands since the launch in September. We have been
looking at internal goals and the massive amounts of player feedback and
have been hard at work to make the tweaks and adjustments needed to
further improve the world. As I write this, the 15.2 upgrade is going
out on the live servers and among the many improvements you will find:[list]
[*] Traveling has been improved by adding several new entry and exit
points for gardens and sanctuaries in the lower-level playfields in
Shadowlands.
[*] Due to many requests a reload button for any weapon(s) you may
wield has been added.
[*] A major emphasis was put on fixing issues with existing quests and
improving functionality of the overall game play to provide for a more
enjoyable game experience for everyone.
[*] Over 200 additional improvements were made in this substantial
upgrade.

The Near Future

It is important to note that Shadowlands is different than Rubi-Ka by
design. Shadowlands is more linear and is meant to pose different and
unique challenges from the original Anarchy Online. All the great
feedback received from players and testers is being closely examined and
my next priority is to consider this information and how it may blend
with our design. Among the top concerns I am exploring at this time are
spawn rates, item drop rates, faction and game balance issues. The goal
is to increase the pace of game play while reducing "camping" and "time
sinks" without compromising the intended and unique challenges of
Shadowlands.

The Vision

What is in store for the world of Anarchy Online in the future? It is
our goal to bring the game, and ultimately the players, to new levels of
entertainment. It is my vision to stay loyal to the Science Fiction
theme and the original concept of AO as a social and fast paced action
game filled with creative adventure, beautiful graphics and an ambience
like no other game. We continue to develop new tools and enhance the
social atmosphere and while this process moves forward, we have already
initiated work on the next expansion pack. It's too early to go into
details on this, however it will focus on the social aspects and I am
confident that the next expansion will please most players whether they
are new to AO or they have been loyal since the beginning.

I wish to thank every AO player for the feedback, ideas, suggestions,
support and patience. I am especially grateful for the feedback provided
by testers and players that has enabled us to quickly see areas in need
of attention. The community of AO has been absolutely tremendous and it
is this unparalleled enthusiasm and dedication that drives us to excel.

I will continue to take all of this feedback into account and work
towards merging these wishes with our design whenever it is feasible.
I hope to see you all on Rubi-Ka and Shadowlands in the near future.

Sincerely,
Marius
Anarchy Online Game Director