As we inch ever closer to November 4th, I can't help but listen to the promises those running for office throw out, looking for yet one more supporter. It's not unlike the public relations game that is MMO development. Players are told what we want to hear, but, as in real life, the truth is that implementation is much harder than originally planned and old "features" are buried under new ones.

I'd like to say I've become immune to both politicians and developers, but the truth is, I'm a sucker for hearing what I want. Who isn't?!

Often we become hooked on games during the development stage, hearing all the great things developers have planned. Let's face it, everyone dreams big! Who doesn't want a developer who will reach for the stars? But when you're handed only the moon it's hard not to be disappointed in the delivery, no matter how fabulous it is.

I remember following EverQuest II from the early days of its development. One of their early features was a family experience system. You chose the members of your "house" and then shared experience with them when they were offline.

The system was intended to allow those who played more to garner experience for those who were not able to be online as often as their friends. Theoretically, it would have kept friends closer together in levels and grouping options than they would otherwise have been.

The system was scrapped when it was discovered it just wouldn't work as intended (how's that for a catch phrase?). Why was the system removed?

Was it because the family experience system was flawed? Was it too easy to take advantage of? Was it simply that it was too hard to implement with the time and requirements given? It really doesn't matter.

All I know is that a system that made me want to play EQ2 from the beginning was removed from the game. Regardless, I was already emotionally invested, not to mention the time I had spent learning about the game and volunteering for a community site, I bought and played the game at launch anyway.

Do I blame the fact they tried but I wasn't hooked? Not at all. I'd most likely have left even with that system implemented, but I'd most likely not have even tried the game had it not been an intended feature!

But how can developers not offer the best? How can we expect them not to reach for what they think will make the best game ever? We can't. They know what they want to see done, but sometimes doing it is not an option.

When this happens though, why are developers, like politicians, surprised at the backlash of frustration and the feelings of being lied to and misled?

The outpouring of grief and frustration (the death threats are a little much folks) from players who've made these games their hobby, and not just a pastime, are natural and should be expected.

In the meantime we're stuck with the same old storylines, the same old upgrades to our weapons of might. Sometimes we might get a cool new feature, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Even when something we've been told is coming is delivered, it doesn't take us long to look to the next best thing on the horizon without really enjoying the good stuff we have now!

The only other answer would be for the developers to tell you the truth. Can you imagine this from a politician?

Taxes are going to go up, there will be fighting that we'll become involved in and deporting millions of people is a logistical nightmare so get over it! Or would you rather hear that they'll try their best to cope with these issues, and lay out a plan to combat them even knowing in the back of their mind that it really isn't very likely to work out that way?

It's the same position we put developers in. With an unlimited budget, schedule and talent pool, any programming task can be accomplished. When you find a studio that has that, I'm sure the entire MMO development community will flock to it like a warrior to an enemy's challenge!

Developers have learned the art of fast talk! It's their job to get you interested in their project. It's in their best interest to hook you before there's even a product to really speak of. It's a tricky business though, and don't they know it!

We've all heard the hype! Often, we choose to believe it, even knowing better.

• "Influence the storyline!" means the NPC gives you different responses based on race. Of course, after a launch day bug the code is removed and only re-implemented after the first expansion, a year later.
• "No more kill 10 rats quests!" either means you have to kill 100 of them, or rats have been replaced by hamsters (followed shortly by a "Kill 100 Hamsters" quest!).
• "Transform the world!" means instanced housing, or instanced raids. Heaven forbid players actually change the world they pay for!
• "We hate gold sellers!" means there's not a single MMO studio that doesn't have an impressive budget for combating the issue. What do you want, magic?
• "Not based on a fantasy setting" means no one will know how to role play in your world and will be completely lost when it comes to picking names.

Studios no longer use the word 'promise'; they use the word "planned". Sometimes they even use the words "in testing" and then blame QA when it doesn't get passed through. You just know the Quality Assurance guys become suicidal when they see expansion(s) content come through and it's not even close to what was promised (sorry, inferred).

Sometimes, the game itself doesn't live up to what was 'prominferred'. Let's take, for example, Vanguard. Now,

everyone should know the game was a total and complete disaster at launch. Yes, some folks had fun and ran the game with no issues. The other 99% of us are scarred for life.

Now that Sony Online Entertainment has taken over the game, great changes have been made. Except that now that the game has gone through massive transformation and is much improved, the new developers encouraging words ring on deaf ears through no fault of their own.

This is much like a fallen political leader looking to regain respect and position. It's hard to make people listen when they've heard it all before.

Another example is Star Wars MMOs. With this week's announcement of the Star Wars Old Republic MMO, from BioWare, some of us look back at our previous Star Wars MMO and we cry. That's not to say that there aren't some great possibilities there, but didn't we already do this once?

Other games such as Lord of the Rings Online (previously Middle Earth Online) and Star Trek Online have (or had) been in development across multiple studios, and many, many years. The constant updates, claiming that the game truly will someday launch, make players think the MMO they're waiting for is actually vaporware.

But even the most skeptical among us want to believe the studio CEO when he stands up and says "This MMO is coming, and it will rock!" Truly, cheers go up across the interwebs when we hear something we want to hear. But let that CEO announce a bankruptcy, a change in features or a delay in the game and the cynical side of all of us surfaces.

I encourage developers to reach for the stars, offer the players what you think you can do! Excite us! Players, let the developer of your favorite games know what you like and don't like. It's always our world, never theirs!

Warriors and Druids, rats and hamsters alike - I encourage you to support your favorite MMO with a hearty vote of logging in and killing those who oppose you, may they be two footed or four, dragon or space ship! Remember don't swap horses in midstream; you won't be able to remount.

Becky "Tovin" Simpson
Senior Editor, ZAM Network