Getting hold of the game or expansions in English

[IainC]

We are aware that there are problems in some English speaking territories with getting hold of the game or it's expansions. These problems have been brought to the attention of our marketing team and we hope that they will be resolved soon.
In the meantime, you can order the game online in a foreign language from a company that will ship internationally (such as Alapage and then change the client language after you have installed it. We appreciate that this is not an ideal solution but it is the best workaround in the meantime.
Changing the client language is very straightforward, all you need to do is install as normal and then delete the 'language' folder in your install directory. Then, open the file 'update.dat' using any text editing software such as Word or Notepad and change the word 'french' or 'german' to 'english' in both URLs. Save the file and then connect to the game as normal. You will download a very small patch (approximately 50k) but after that your foreign version of DAoC will be in English.

 

[Draylor]

These problems have been brought to the attention of our marketting team and we hope that they will be resolved soon.

Same problem has existed since 2 weeks after the initial release: 2.5 years ago.

We've heard the 'itll be resolved soon' answer before: it usually means 'wait for the next expansion when stores will get fresh stock' which simply isnt good enough.

 

[Thorarin]

Actually the patch is a little bigger, since it redownloads some of the bitmaps that make up the user interface.
Still nothing even a telephone modem user can't handle though.

 

[Killswitch]

Requiel,

I'm sure there's a good reason, but I've never really heard it mentioned. Lots of people who want to buy the game already have a copy of the disks and manuals and want a second account OR know someone who plays the game.

Why not sell the all-in-one TOA CD-Keys on www.camelot-europe.com? You already have the billing infrastructure in place to take money. Hell, the game has been going for a long time now, you could even make the install packages available for download, or send CDs to people who buy a CD key (no manuals, no packaging, just a few CDs and a TOA key).

I'm sure this would solve the problem for pretty much everyone and save GOA a load of cash from marketing, packaging and distribution that could be spend on putting a faster 386 in Excal (joke, but the lag the last coupla days has been a bit much).

Like I said, I'm sure there's a reason this won't work or can't be done, but it would be nice to know what it is

 

[IainC]

Requiel,

I'm sure there's a good reason, but I've never really heard it mentioned. Lots of people who want to buy the game already have a copy of the disks and manuals and want a second account OR know someone who plays the game.

Why not sell the all-in-one TOA CD-Keys on www.camelot-europe.com? You already have the billing infrastructure in place to take money. Hell, the game has been going for a long time now, you could even make the install packages available for download, or send CDs to people who buy a CD key (no manuals, no packaging, just a few CDs and a TOA key).

I'm sure this would solve the problem for pretty much everyone and save GOA a load of cash from marketing, packaging and distribution that could be spend on putting a faster 386 in Excal (joke, but the lag the last coupla days has been a bit much).

Like I said, I'm sure there's a reason this won't work or can't be done, but it would be nice to know what it is

It is something we have considered and are looking into however the reasons it hasn't happened yet are mainly legal rather than technical. If we start distributing the game ourselves then we are essentially going into competition with our distributors and our current contracts don't allow that.
As an example, at the Leipzig Games Convention recently, the German team were giving away NF installation CDs with the NF client on it. They were only allowed to give away 50 or so because otherwise it would be in breach of an arrangement we have with a German games magazine to distribute them. Sounds silly, but this is how such things work when you're talking about big companies.

 

[Case]

Shouldn't really cause an issue in th UK since you don't seem to have any distributors here

 

[frogster]

Perhaps your distributors could do with the competion?. Might wake them up a bit. Ive lost count of the number of "Where can i buy DAoC/ToA?" posts in the newbie/technical help section. If people want to buy the game they should just have to type it in on google, go to the site and buy it. Not have to search for 3 hours and/or post on forums to get hold of it from some obscure little backstreet shop in the suburbs of Timbucktoo.

 

[Fafnir]

It is something we have considered and are looking into however the reasons it hasn't happened yet are mainly legal rather than technical. If we start distributing the game ourselves then we are essentially going into competition with our distributors and our current contracts don't allow that.

Perhaps look into if they live up to their part of the current contracts since its not the easiest thing to get hold of the game. I was looking for a new account to give to my brother to try the euro servers. But the shops that previously stocked the game had runned out of copies and their suppliers could not give any answer when they where able to supply new copies.

And who are responsible for the marketing GOA or your distributors? I dont think i would have know of the game unless my brother had not played on the US server in beta and at release while he lived in the US.

 

[Alan]

Shouldn't really cause an issue in th UK since you don't seem to have any distributors here

So sad but true, only managed to buy one copy of the game from a shop and that was on first release, all online stores appear to be out of stock and no expected delivery date.

How can we even promote the game to friends if they cant buy it.

 

[Awarkle]

ill distribute for goa if you like

everyone gets a nice blank gold cd and a photocopied manual ahhh like those times you got a tape from your friends

btw joke


although i could probbly handle distribution better than goas suppliers with 1 cd burner

 

[Ballard]

3 months ago GAME had copies of the 'complete' DAOC. Classic + SI + TOA for £29 in the UK. Thats where i got my copy from. From one of the center city branches in leeds. I did have to look around for a while to find it tho... maybe 5-6 different stores till I found it. I think an online ordering system would be the best solution to this shortage.

 

[Case]

I get teh impression GOA don't want more money TBH as said previously they could easy make loads of money by actually having the game available.

Currently on an average night there`s around 12k german`s 8k French and 3.5k UK online :/

And the UK has a far higher player base that gets involved in mmorpg`s apparently (according to surveys so could be wrong) what a sad state of affairs.

I know at 4 or 5 people over the last 6 months who looked for a game to play I told them to try DAOC and they ended up elsewhere because they couldn`t buy it.

 

[Ballard]

I get teh impression GOA don't want more money TBH as said previously they could easy make loads of money by actually having the game available.

Currently on an average night there`s around 12k german`s 8k French and 3.5k UK online :/

And the UK has a far higher player base that gets involved in mmorpg`s apparently (according to surveys so could be wrong) what a sad state of affairs.

I know at 4 or 5 people over the last 6 months who looked for a game to play I told them to try DAOC and they ended up elsewhere because they couldn`t buy it.

3.5K from the UK on an average night?? No way.. maybe half that I would guess. Remeber a lot of people on excalibur are from other english speaking countries. DAOC is an old game and its not doing bad considering. I would think rather it is surprising that the french and german servers have so many players, but this is most likely because it is one of the few mmorpgs that is translated for them.

 

[Alan]

I joined DAOC on advice from a friend already playing.

Ive managed to get three other friends playing through word of mouth

In the last two years, seen no advertisment, no reviews, no press and no copies of the game in retail stores, no wonder the UK dont have many players.

but take note, i havent been actively looking for marketing - im sure its there somewhere, hidden

 

[Alan]

I know at 4 or 5 people over the last 6 months who looked for a game to play I told them to try DAOC and they ended up elsewhere because they couldn`t buy it.

Only place one of my friends could get DAOC from was 2nd hand !!! what a sad state of play, you cant buy or trade accounts - but you cant buy the game ? so what are you to do...... this was about 6 motnhs ago - surely hope its changed now.

 

[kparton]

Play.com

http://www.play.com/play247.asp?page=title&r=PC&title=156876


Out of stock at the mo, but I ordered mine 3 days ago and received it this morning.

 

[Lolle]

first off if you have contract with companys who dist copies of the game
why dont GOA sue the freaking idiots for not selling the game then ?

maybe a torch in the marketing staff as is some solotions !!?? it´s over 2,5 years and the game is practical invinsible ?? in the market..

Stop drink so much at lunch time maybe some thing get done at the office ??

 

[Fafnir]

Bleh saw the swedish dist. was CDON on the new site lastnight, they really suck, used the 3 times to see if they got any better, first time they had 1 month delivery on stocked items, next time took 36 days because the items was out of stock, 3rd time only took 3 weeks but 1 item was missing and that took another 5 days to come to my door. Never again. www.webhallen.se is alot better. And saw they got a few instock now aswell.

 

[Devaster]

Im almost 100% sure that if, Goa wont work with any distribution companys and just offer daoc clients for download and sell online activation+si+toa keys (Like NCSoft doin with lineage or city of heroes etc) they would sold already much more keys and had a bigger customers database, wich = more money + less problems.

 

[Mairghead]

Im almost 100% sure that if, Goa wont work with any distribution companys and just offer daoc clients for download and sell online activation+si+toa keys (Like NCSoft doin with lineage or city of heroes etc) they would sold already much more keys and had a bigger customers database, wich = more money + less problems.

They've already said that they can't do that, due to legal agreements with their distributors.

 

[Ctuchik]

Bleh saw the swedish dist. was CDON on the new site lastnight, they really suck, used the 3 times to see if they got any better, first time they had 1 month delivery on stocked items, next time took 36 days because the items was out of stock, 3rd time only took 3 weeks but 1 item was missing and that took another 5 days to come to my door. Never again. www.webhallen.se is alot better. And saw they got a few instock now aswell.

webhallen almost always have copys in stock.. only swedish online store ive found that acually try to have it... and is also very fast in delivery.. i usually get my orders the next day (if i order before 3 PM)

but yeah, GOA sould have a serious talk with their supplyers, as they dont really seem to live up to their part of the contract (acually have copys in stock) i forced my local gameshop to get a few copys and they went sold in about a month.. so theres still a market for it...

 

[Funkybunny]

who cares about daoc anymore? GuildWars, MxO and Wow is coming!

 

[Xajorkith]

Thanks kparton!

http://www.play.com/play247.asp?page=title&r=PC&title=156876

Just got two copies from the above, they still have stock, dirt cheap too at £12.99, (and Swallow games wanted 24.99 per copy!).

 

[Ballard]

Play.com also have DAOC + SI + TOA 'platinum edition' for £17.99 if your not just looking for the expansions. It is in stock.

 

[Narzeja]

DAOC + SI + TOA 'platinum edition' for £17.99 if your not just looking for the expansions

OMG thats cheap

 

[Mojo]

OMG thats cheap

Yeah well cheap, so cheap i got myself another 2 packs :< dunno what the hell im going to do with them tho, maybe pass them on when we have a drought, give them to some rl mates or even use them myself (god help me)

 

[Ballard]

Yeah paid £34 for the complete DAOC 6 months ago.. and now its £17.99 and also includes a new frontiers CD.

Whatever you do DONT use the links on the DAOC European website... they link to amazon who charge way too much.

 

[Maleg]

It is something we have considered and are looking into however the reasons it hasn't happened yet are mainly legal rather than technical. If we start distributing the game ourselves then we are essentially going into competition with our distributors and our current contracts don't allow that.

Given the performance of your distributors I'd say you (GOA) have very good cause to get rid of them. Given how Catacombs may attract fresh players to the game it would be great if GOA had other arrangements in place by the Euro release. If not I fear the population on the English GOA DAoC servers will dwindle and eventually will only support a single server which would be bad for both the remaining player base and GOA.

 

[SilentBen]

who cares about daoc anymore? GuildWars, MxO and Wow is coming!

Do you work for GOAs distributors?

It is a crying shame that this game is so overlooked, I've tried plenty of the big name MMOGs and DAoC just has something that they don't and pulls me back in................ don't know what it is but it's sure not new players

 

[Esselinithia]

It is something we have considered and are looking into however the reasons it hasn't happened yet are mainly legal rather than technical. If we start distributing the game ourselves then we are essentially going into competition with our distributors and our current contracts don't allow that.
As an example, at the Leipzig Games Convention recently, the German team were giving away NF installation CDs with the NF client on it. They were only allowed to give away 50 or so because otherwise it would be in breach of an arrangement we have with a German games magazine to distribute them. Sounds silly, but this is how such things work when you're talking about big companies.

I see, but I still say, not having access to the game, missing server types, etc. makes daoc europe look bad. No reviews, no help for many fan sites, no news, etc. how do you expect the people at stures know daoc doesn't run out after a month, if you don't help majority of new fan sites? Checked the links section at the new page, and hoped you do your best and search for the better sites on the net. I think the camelot auto besitary site is certainly one of the best sites, yet it is left out. It is good, since you can send info about it to reviewers, etc.

I think you would double the amount of players with advertisement, actually selling the game in each and every european country, selling cards that can be used to pay subscribtion without credit card, helping fansites and linking to them.

Know why Mythic makes new expansions and doesn't call NF just 1.70? because new frontiers means new title, new title can be announced, and you can give it to distributors, if daoc gets a new package has NF client on CD and you send to distributors with a line that says: you can sell it from 16th of november, because that is the time when NF comes out they would sell it. I think there would be need for a nice version that comes on DVD. For new players. Mythic have a 7 day trial, why GOA.COM doesn't have the trial?

Starting a "new" server type (Roleplay, Cooperative, or one of your own variants from the poll) would be a new release as well, and good reason for new box art and claiming the game is all new.

Using stores specializing in RPG products as a backup distribution channel would help. Also if you would have a link where new distributors can join the team.