Weren’t these suppose to be sold and exclusive for early backers back in time?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Debcool, Jun 8, 2019.

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  1. Burzmali

    Burzmali Avatar

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    So how many lots were available in major cities that new players could access a week after release? I know Soltown, Ardoris, Solania, Britannia, Britinnia Alleys, Owl's Head and Bremen were all 100% full, I checked.
     
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  2. Mylady ‘Gin Gin Darlin

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    What article was this Time Lord? I tried a quick google search and the results where just player complaints.
     
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  3. Time Lord

    Time Lord Avatar

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    Just one recent example... begins around 37:00
    One of the more noteworthy player comments listed under the video review:
    Shroud of the Avatar review - Really ? "This makes it unlikely that new players have a shot at aquiring wealth or even just a land deed '' - I play Shroud of the Avatar and i feel like you did a review of the game based on what you read online from a few disgruntled players . New players can aquire a FREE row land deed just by doing few starter quests in the starter areas ... they also can aquire a FREE village deed by completing the main questline , they can use those deeds to move into one of the hundreds towns available ...as for aquiring wealth its like any other game the more you play the more you aquire . '' AT this point its safe to say the game wont survive very long " - They announced work started on episode 2 with new land masses ..stronger creatures ..and more ... so what are you talking about ? Could they use more players , more income..sure and theyre working really hard to improve the game every month towards that goal ...as for the steam reviews you showed SOTA has Mixed reviews ..ive seen more popular games with worst reviews on steam . Anyway i invite players to try the game and make their own judgements ...
    If you define major cities as those initially produced by Portalarium, then you are totally disregarding that there are few differences between those and player owned towns. To stick with that misleading often echoed narrative is nothing more than mincing words, because there are many major cities much more well traveled and shopped by many that are player owned.

    I never shop Brittany or any other Portalarium town, because there's so many more that offer more. If you're still shopping in NPC towns, then you're missing allot of gold that could have been more easily better serviced through player owned towns where real people will stock their vendor with whatever you need, of better quality and at much lower pricing.

    If you're looking for more appeal than lower pricing on higher quality abundant goods, then just wait till I get the Lava Lakes installed in one of my own underground player owned towns for some very upbeat interesting fishing adventures.

    [​IMG]
    ~TL~
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2019
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  4. Mylady ‘Gin Gin Darlin

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    That’s not what I’d consider a gaming journalist. That’s just a game reviewer which is in no way the same thing imo.

    When you said gaming journalist I thought you meant an article on MMORPG, MassivelyOP or PCGamer, not a YouTube reviewer. If it was a big youtube channel like IGN or Eurogamer I’d be more concerned.
     
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  5. Time Lord

    Time Lord Avatar

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    That YouYube video I presented had almost twice the views and twice the subscribers as PCGamer Magazine and was quoting Forbes (cherry picking actually, to support his own negative views which are very unsubstantiated ).
    Over 100,000+ people have seen that video so far this year. IGN and Eurogamer spam industry gaming trailers and have few videos that ever go over 100,000 views in their video's entire lifetime.

    I'm not saying that your view is wrong, I'm just saying that when advertisements and journalistic reviews are sited as proof of something, that in my view, the age of the video and number of views matters just as much as the distribution numbers of any gaming industry magazine. The numbers of views, that's what's more concerning to me.

    YouTube is the dominant news source for gaming everywhere in the world.

    Our game needs another round of pledges to be able to be purchased, because that's what works... and then there's YouTube, because it can reach those potential new players in order to offer it.
    ~Time Lord~
     
  6. Mylady ‘Gin Gin Darlin

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    Though I agree some parts of NerdSlayers review of SotA is pretty unsubstantiated, I don’t agree that he’s anything to worry over. Viewers of that particular video have already picked apart and faulted him on other games covered in that same video, so it’s not just SotA. So it’s clear he hasn’t done a good job of covering his subjects in an unbiased fashion. He’s more likely to be called out for those mistakes so it’s hardly anything to cry over in terms of any bad press he is giving SotA.

    I also have to disagree that PCGamer or IGN channels “spam industry gaming trailers”. They have plenty of news and coverage as well as trailers. Such things can be seen as a positive or negative depending on how they cover a particular game. Imagine how much free advertising SotA could get if just one of those gave the game a glowing review. But also visa versa if they gave a bad review. None of us want that.

    And you simply can’t compare the stats that way. NS is really not as popular as your making him out to be.

    See the stats between NS, PCGAMER AND IGN.
    Overall NS can’t keep up with the other two.

    That’s not including the fact that both PCGamer and IGN also have a website and a magazine as well as social media.

    NerdSlayer only has social media and Patreon in addition to his YouTube channel.

    And I haven’t noted the other gaming news sources yet for further comparison.

    At the end of the day if one of the major game news outlets gave Shroud bad press, that would most likely be more damaging then NS could accomplish in his 100k + views video you referred to. Especially when most popular game news companies copy the headlines from each other and mirror their information on all their platforms. That’s news. Not one gamer fans sloppy review on his YouTube channel.

    I highly doubt that. Gaming news is also highly available on the internet on various websites, streaming sites, and social media platforms. As well as conventions, game shops, magazines, and television. Saying Youtube is the dominant news source for gaming is unfounded and unproven.

    If your referring to Kickstarter, Port hasn’t even been able to fully realise and complete its first Kickstarter pledges, which has lost a lot of trust from fans in the past. What makes you think a second round would be successful? How will Port be able to advertise that new KS to make sure they get the most out of it? With the distrust in the past, how can they prove they deserve another chance? Don’t get me wrong, it would be great if another round of KS would work.

    If your not referring to Kickstarter then I apologise, and please do elaborate as to what sort of pledges your then referring to?

    But Port already uses YouTube. Here are their stats. They use twitch too as we all know. Fans also use both. What would change to bring in any more new players then they already have/are?
     
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  7. Time Lord

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    @Mylady ‘Gin Gin Darlin , I'm happy you have a deeply held opinion, yet it's just not my own opinion of our game due to the many more negative reviews, unchecked by effective counter advertising efforts. I think YouTube is the dominant media which Portalarium didn't fully embrace which hurt our game's visibility through other YouTuber's misrepresentations of what SOTA has to offer. Once YouTuber videos begin stacking up against anything without a counter operation for damage control and promoting the product, their combined effectiveness is often disregarded at any product's peril.
    :rolleyes: It doesn't have to be your opinion, but it is my own.

    I don't think SOTA needs another Kickstarter, I think they need to be selling new pledge styled bundles. Pledge bundles were very successful for our game well after Kickstarter.
    You came to SOTA a few months after I did, "didn't you like pledge bundles back then?" I know I did and I still think such pledge bundles could be sold. There's been much negative press criticism which began and continues because other lesser pledge bundles are not available.

    ~We need a Vault of "New" Pledge Reward Bundles~

    :rolleyes: Certainly feel free to disagree, but those are my opinions and they don't have to be your own.
    ~Time Lord~
     
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  8. Vladamir Begemot

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    Step 1: when someone shows you that 75 % of your audience doesn't like your acoustics (dialog box) because it is really hard and unpleasant to hear (read) the story, take the two weeks and fix the problem.

    A story based game with a poor window into the story will ALWAYS be an off Broadway play, if it's lucky, because presentation matters.
     
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  9. Mylady ‘Gin Gin Darlin

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    What counter advertising efforts?

    Back then I did yes, but I wouldn’t invest in any new ones now. Unfortunately for myself I put what money I had back then into the horse package stretch goal, which I’m doubtful I’ll ever actually see become a reality.

    But back to what you where saying regarding pledge bundles, I agree it might be a good idea to have some starter low cost bundles for new players. Maybe throw some freebies in there to incentivise new players too.

    However I don’t think the negative press is only focused on lack of pledge bundles. It was more the fact real money and time has to be sunk into the game to such a large extent, and that the game still has many bugs/issues.

    @Vladamir Begemot highlighted the issues with UI/dialogue as well as with new players leaving at the start. IMO those are the sort of things Port should be investing time in fixing not creating more pledge bundles.

    Of course it’s all been said before. Really it’s up to Port to turn the game around to move from negative reviews to positive reviews. They have to read what the negative reviews are saying are weak points and work on those problem areas.

    Well :rolleyes: just my opinion, doesn’t :rolleyes: have to be your opinion, but you seem to like to roll :rolleyes: your eyes :rolleyes: a lot like your dismissive and don’t actually :rolleyes: feel I have an opinion. :rolleyes:

    But that’s just my opinion right? o_O
     
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  10. Time Lord

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    We all came into our game at about the same time and I'm sure you can remember the many pages of other suggestions that could have helped our dialog box :p But like so many other issues where 75% more and less on many issues didn't seem to phase the road our game took. It's still one of the most horrible things, but not horrible enough to have caused us to quit, yet I'm sure there's many who did quit while having that on their list of reasons.
    :rolleyes: Yes, I agree that is your opinion :D ... though I will say that I use the rolly, oops, confused and sad eyes to point at things rather than for them to provide any silent comment. I like'em :D

    There seems more passion about our game because we bought the pledge bundles, a passion that seems to keep us here even though some of us point to what disgusts us as being the reasons others shouldn't play our game. It seems we hold our own game's potential new gaming audience hostage driving them away from our game until our demands are met.

    I know I remain in our game without ever selling a single item that I've ever purchased because I do think there are good hidden reasons for our developer's seemingly game developing madness. I think we had a great game as of E-1 which was ready to develop other things into and E-2 seems well underway in adding more exciting content. I've heard as recently as a few months ago Chris speak very confidently that there will come a time when our horses will ride and I can remember Richard speaking about building pvp siege areas from about a year ago... and again, "quite confidently". ;) I believe these to be true!

    :rolleyes: Of all the things I mentioned above (see the eyes pointing upward), much of what we will see developed in our game is confidently coming to pass, yet any more that we may hope for, will depend on funding and funding depends on our game's amount of players. So, I'm not one to drive players away with any "I didn't get my way, so they shouldn't play our game" things (and there's allot I didn't get my way with!), I do have issues with our game's direction in some things, but I'm certainly not on any doomsday march into our future about any of it. They are all just minor points of irritation. Yet somehow, having spent so much into our game (which I could sell for almost the same price as I bought all of it for in our RMT. Maybe 1/2 as much if I wish for a quick sale) somehow having spent so much causes me to be very passionate to know all the truths and dispel all the fictions I see being touted as facts.

    There's great quality in gaming design here. I'm very happy with Unity Graphics. I think our graphics look like they are from a Marvel Comic, which to me seems far better than any "closer to reality graphics".
    I think our game shot themselves in the foot not having a much larger YouTube presence early on, because now it's an echo chamber of disgruntled "I didn't get my way" passionate ex-players who's comments will be seen there on YouTube and echoed into every ear until those echoes fade from lack of recent views or be replaced by more positive reviews that center on our game's achievements in design excellence.

    I just think it's insane to strangle our game while still playing our game :D I have issues and I voice my issues always. I think there's many small reasons some players come and then leave. We are free to play, which means our doors are always open. Had we had this plan from the first of our gaming development, then we wouldn't have so many of these bad reviews from ex very passionate premium paid players who feel they had been mislead, when in actuality, they and indeed "we" players were never Portalarium development board members, as any Kickstarter may lead the naive to have believed they were as players. Player input is one thing, but because of the kickstarter and pledges we felt as if we were full board members. Our SOTA would have ceased to be a Richard Garriott game had popular demand taken his place as it's creative director.

    Throughout our game's development history, popular opinion has always been "taken under consideration", but never held as creative directing law.
    We have a gaming industry legendary Portalarium team of gaming greatness and only they know our true future direction and I'd like to provide them more funding.

    Sure there's great ideas from we players, but Portalarium's aim has always been very well planned by they themselves. I may not know their excuses for not following any particular player's advise or opinion poll, but I do know they know what they're doing and doing it well.

    :oops:~Time Lord~:D
    <Just a player who's never been a Portalarium employee, has almost no influence on the game and with no reason for anyone to think that Time Lord's opinion actually matters>:p
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2019
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  11. Arkah EMPstrike

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    If anyone is curious about dev direction currently:

    Their focus right now is on improving loot and end-game content, new user experience, and quest polishing. These were/are the biggest gripes current and new players giving feedback have been having. They also are prioritizing easy-to-tweak stuff along the way.

    For what's easy to do and what's not would depend on how many tech guys, world builders, art guys, etc.

    I think UI would fall into the category of Art Guy. So who's an art guy? Also tech guy for implementation I guess
     
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  12. Burzmali

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    That isn't called focusing, that's around half the game. And given that combat is meh at best and playing barbie's fantasy dollhouse is the best revenue stream, I question even those priorities...
     
  13. Arkah EMPstrike

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    I call it focusing. Prioritizing also works.

    Now they are moving into crafting, which is also a big point of feedback from the player base.

    They also got a note in there where they are working on special GM skill effects that has been delayed, but shows they are responding to the feedback on that point as well.
     
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  14. Time Lord

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    I was looking around this past week at other games and their combat and I couldn't find any combat that wasn't "meh at best" in the same genre o_O So I found myself asking, "what's better in combat, what combat is more entertaining?" Most all games had different skill trees which was interesting, but how long would any other skill tree keep me interested? became the next question I was asking myself.
    I don't think Barbie looks as entertaining as one of my more flamboyant characters named "Tooth Fairy", so I do give obvious high marks for sota in that category, though I still want more, but there's no more to be had in other games.

    Taking both of these together, my last week's investigations lead me to observe that one or the other (combat entertainment and customizing fashion) there seems to be a give and take between them. The more swirling <fidget spinner> visual combat styled games and games with more intricate skill trees seemed to provide less visual customization in character <Barbie> styling.

    First Person Shooter game criticisms seem to be creeping into describing Medieval genre in describing combat excitability. I find that gaming criticisms can be somewhat like listening to or reading what junkies would be saying or writing about cocaine or heroin in abundance o_O They'd always want more of something and everything in everything, but be very dissatisfied with a little of everything in any one thing.

    It's less likely that I would run into characters that look the exact same as any of my characters here in sota <Barbie Accomplished>, sota's card combat seems to be the limiting factor in skill trees. It's truly different yet still familiar within the genre. Other games of "nicely done but limited character style" seem to have an edge in visual combat character flipping twisting and turning in combat, but they do seem further from reality than sota, that is to say... "deeper into fantasy than sota" in combat visuals.

    All placed in a bucket, I didn't see anything within the past week in either of these categories that caused me to think I had playtime longevity in any within the same genre as sota that surpassed sota in either description of combat and character style, other than different skill trees which seemed to offer more variety, yet less styling. They all seemed lacking in something, yet having more of something else.

    That's what kept my wallet in my pocket and in sota while in searching for new games this week.

    I'd rather grind here until I see something that would truly hold my interest longer than sota has... "within the genre, that is" o_O Within the past year, WW2Online had me for a while, Planetside had me for a shorter while, strategy, world builders and simulators took some of my time, "but nothing attracted me within sota's genre to make me want to play it more than I want to play sota".

    Under attack crack value is low within sota's genre.
    ~Time Lord~
     
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  15. macnlos

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    I tried my best to support this game and did on both YouTube and Twitch. The hard part about building a channel is that you have to be authentic and fair with your opinions. The turning point for this game was the “Go Live”. After being delayed over and over, the “Released” product was obviously not finished. By marking it released I had to start judging it as a finished product. It wasn’t. It still isn’t. <=== This is why we are at where we are at with this game.
     
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  16. Time Lord

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    I mostly agree that this new way of funding and developing a game is strange. I wish we had more kickstarter history in funding games to fall back on to see exactly where we are at. But where I find my own self, "is still here" for lack of seeing anything better for my gaming dollar within it's genre. The rest of the crowd funded Medieval games are comparable to sota, but not anything that's caused me to change my sota gaming habit.
    Maybe the genre is beginning to be not so popular as before. I know that here in Asia the hack and slash games don't have the Barbie dress-up characterization and housing sota has. They tend to like the more fidget spinner styled combat graphics and tournament styled hack and slash games.
    ~TL~
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2019
  17. Elwyn

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    Fidget spinner combat... I'm going to have to use that term somewhere. It seems like some of those Korean games have absurdly large spinning VFX on almost every attack, so I'm going to get some use out of it.
    Yes, that's sort of the design, it's a classless game, but what you pick for your combat bar is essentially like a custom class that you have chosen. I will admit that it took me many months to get used to it back in pre-persistence.
    Spoiler alert: it will never be "finished". They intend to keep adding new stuff as long as they keep getting enough money to keep the doors open.
     
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  18. Burzmali

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    I'm not sure what you mean by this. SotA's combat is about on par with Morrowind's, it's stiff, animations are a luxury, and it resolves down to either taking turns swinging at each other if melee focused or running around to Yakety Sax if ranged. It lacks the fluidity, impact, and encourages the player to stare at their combat bar instead of the combat. Sure it could be worst, but compared to other games 3rd person fantasy medieval combat, it is meh at best. Comparing it to other MMORPGs only might give a more favorable rating, but it still isn't lighting up the charts.
     
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  19. Time Lord

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    One of the interesting contrasts that's rarely linked now, yet was back in early Kickstarter days within the gaming media, is that at one time, Star Citizen was #1 in crowd funding while SOTA was #2. Now SC is still in unreleased Alpha with no release date in sight, while SOTA has been playable throughout it's Alpha and taking all the media heat that Star Citizen is still avoiding. Star Citizen is still #1 in media hype, while sota is #1 in playability between the two.

    What crowd funded Kickstarter is? We may as well be saying that Bethesda Softworks LLC with it's corporate funding makes games on equal par when it comes to SOTA combat, yet beats SOTA on many other levels, "because Bethesda Softworks LLC has 100's of millions of dollars more than Portalarium" o_O

    It's then fair to say that corporations make better games than any crowd funded can, yet they could never make such games on a crowd funded budget. So, using corporate charts as something to place crowd funded games on in measuring success, still remains the way we judge games and thus "big brother" will always win and crowd funded games will always be seen as the lesser for it, due to little brother never measuring up to big brother's funding levels.

    It's what's in any company's development wallet that truly matters.

    :rolleyes:~Time Lord~
     
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  20. Vladamir Begemot

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    I think most of the problem is the first part of what you wrote. Clunky animations will make everything feel worse. I don't agree we are just whacking, you can weave in a lot of strategy

    But it's still going to look clunky, and presentation is half the battle.
     
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