NetEase Games, developer of the freshly released and increasingly popular free-to-play MMO Once Human, is already stoking controversy among the player base with its recent reveal of how the game's seasons system will work.
In a blog post on the Once Human website, NetEase Games outlined its seasonal plans for the game, explaining that every six weeks, a new season will offer players a "new start" with fresh content and scenarios to tackle with fellow players in different parts of the shared in-game world:
The season format also offers a "replay" or "new start" gaming experience, allowing you to rectify any regrets from the previous season or embark on a brand-new gaming journey. Additionally, the season system will lower the barrier for friends with different game progress to embark on new season journeys together.
NetEase Games, Blog Post, July 9th, 2024
While your character level and exploration progress will indeed reset at the start of each season, NetEase assured players that all other progress (like the in-game building system and resource collection) will transfer over:
The introduction of seasons aims to provide a fairer, more relaxed, and freer gaming experience for all players. Your progress in each season will be preserved (including collected weapon blueprints, constructed territorial homes, and memories of fighting alongside friends), and after completing a season, your items will be transferred to Eternaland, a personal world of your own, allowing for limitless imagination and creativity.
NetEase Games, Blog Post, July 9th, 2024
Despite these assurances, players on Once Human's subreddit were quick to voice concerns about the developer's seasonal plan, worrying that the game's player base would plummet if all players' hard survival work building their bases and gathering materials and loot simply vanishes every six weeks.
These concerns are entirely valid based on my experience playing the game thus far. There is definitely a grind involved here, like in most modern online survival games (hell...in most modern games, period), meaning there is a great sense of pride (and time) involved in constructing homes and bases. It's natural players want some sort of assurance their hard work doesn't go to waste.
Suffice it to say, the outcry caused NetEase Games to double down on their claims that all important progress will transfer over to each new season in Once Human. A deeper explanatory post on Discord lists every aspect of your progress that will carry over, accounting for the crucial things like House Blueprints, currency, main and side story progress, and more.
We are aware that many players are concerned that their in-game progress will be reset in 6 weeks, but we are here to reassure you that this will NOT happen! We value the time and effort you put into this game, so the items and gear you have obtained from the seasonal scenario will be retained in various ways...After a House Blueprint is saved, you can reconstruct the building at any time (if advanced materials are not available, basic materials will be used in building instead). Main story and side story task progress [will carry over] (for the tasks you've already completed, you can accept more streamlined versions of them in the new season but still get all the rewards)
NetEase Games, Update About Seasons, July 11th, 2024
I feel pretty satisfied with NetEase's explanations here and honestly think that these seasonal updates will be similar to regular battle pass season wipes one experiences in any competitive online FPS nowadays. I do hope that NetEase sticks to its word, though, and fully respects the grinding and time players are putting into Once Human.
After all, if you're going to sign off your blog posts with "Wherever we are, we stand together," you better hope there's still an active and dedicated player base standing behind your game.
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Published: Jul 11, 2024 11:37 am