Shroud of the Avatar Comments from other Gaming Sites.

To my mind the story is the least developed aspect of the game so far, especially proportionate to what is expected on release. We've seen a lot added in just a couple of months but it doesn't surprise me that little is being said about it yet.
And as Katrina pointed out, those who are more interested in the MMO than the story side may be more likely to comment, probably you find more of them on particular sites/forums etc.

 

So the single player mode is just the story and nothing else?

 

I kid , I kid - sorry couldn't resist

 

In single player offline you won't see any evidence of other players at all.

In single player online you will see player owned houses, player vendors, POTs, player crafted items, etc. You will be able to buy goods made by other players, and sell goods to them. You just won't see any other players.

 

You misunderstood me.
Nearly every time someone mentions the single player mode people here mention the story. What about all of the other features that make a single player RPG great?
Take a look at the Witcher 3. If you add other players would it be an MMORPG? I don't think so. There are fundamental differences between a single player RPG and a MMORPG. You cannot just add other players for a single player RPG to suddenly become a MMORPG. And you cannot just remove other players for a MMORPG to suddenly be a single player RPG...
The same with SotA. Just by adding a story and removing the other players this will not be a true single player RPG. But no one seems to be talking about that. All people mention about the single player is the story.
But would World of Warcraft be a true single player RPG if all of the other players would be removed?

 

If Spoon quotes me without a like showing up i am always prepared for arguments crushing me unable to counter them.

Grin

If you wan't to proove you are the best gamer - never join a guild , do not ask any friend for help, only pay 45 dollars and become the richest player in SotA.

 

...or I was too eager to respond and missed hitting the like button...

 

Ok I'll bite, what other games (I'm assuming these are crowdfunded,) and how is their housing system implemented ? Pics of those player houses too please - I'm honestly curious

 

I kind of see it more like Money Vs Time.

I also take the view that if you want to go and play The Sims then you are probably in the wrong place.

 

I get pretty frustrated at first from some of the posts, but then I stop and look at it from someone who is not interested in Pre-Alpha-ing any game (like many of my guild and friends) and I realize that I do not have a solid answer for them when if comes to renting or owning land in Shroud if you don't Pledge (or Add-on).

While the Devs state there will be a path in game to purchase lots (without RL Cash involved), they also state those lots will be handled in a limited fashion. Perhaps this means they will be throttled in some way, or have a secondary requirement besides in-game gold that has to be achieved in time, but either way I cannot with a clear conscious say "Sure, it's going to be OK to not buy this on the add-on store". I just simply don't know if all the current backers with large backer bonuses (like me) will be able to control that limited market making it difficult to start fresh in the world with no land.

There has been the talk of renting rooms or lots, but that tech is still months away (can't imagine renting appearing before in-game tax of property) and unfortunately by the time the details appear, November 2nd will have passed and prices increased (or pledge bonuses expired).

I do understand the phased approach to development this project has, and that each iteration brings us closer to the final plan. Also I understand that "plan" itself of that housing/renting system changes as we see how performance and technology advances in each release.

Still, with actual information being vague on exactly WHAT will need to be done in order to purchase with in-game gold, and potential players seeing lots getting sold out (village) and PoT Overworld spots no longer available, it is very easy to see, and rightly expect a certain level of pessimism as to what will be available come launch to those who chose to wait until the release to play. More-so even if they simply only want to buy the base game.

In the end though, the truth is, those who backed and backed early, and even more-so those who pledged high at any time, have a solid, and undeniable advantage over those starting the game with base package. The fact that the land is finite, and only one person can hold that specific land at any one time DOES make a difference. The fact that those of us who got that advantage did so with RL money and not time invested in the game is a major turn off to some people. It is what it is, from an economic standpoint there CAN BE a clear advantage to buying in. Does it make me a better player, a more tactical player, or one with level advantage... no. However there *IS* a bump in the curve with the storage, founder armor perks etc that make things easier to start. From an economic standpoint the curve is even greater.

I guess my bottom line point to all my above dribble is, even though there will be a WAY to gain land via in-game methods, by the time an average player gets to that point, what won't be gobbled up by the backers and large guilds? I am sure that is the million dollar question and why the Devs are limiting/gating the lots in some way. Still, to the outsider seeing not much more then the Cash Store, without other details, I can see where the comments are coming from.

 

What MMO has better housing than what is planned and mostly implemented for Shroud? Please tell...

 

Game developers just can't win. Make housing common you have instanced housing, people complain about instances. Make housing common and not instanced people complain the entire landscape is filled with housing. Make housing noninstanced and rare people complain they can't get housing.

Rare and not instanced is the most realistic and best option for all. Housing has value and desire.

Lucky I am not an MMO game developer. Would be bolts of lighting up everyones ass at least hourly.

 

What sets Shroud apart is the control over other players one can buy in the cash shop, in the form of PoTs. We will be starting out with a player controlled feudal tenant system the very day it launches.

Many who are looking into the game thinking about buying, this will be the game breaker, especially if they are more into the mmo aspect rather then single player game.

 

How is this different form any other mmo? Every MMO I have experienced has a form of feudal tenant systems. They are called guilds, corps, orgs, and far too frequently determine where, when, and how everyone enjoys the content.

Archeage had non instanced housing that was "rare" where bots, cheaters, and large guilds controlled Everything.

There is no perfect system. What we have is the best option. Tell your friends to buy now, or prepare to grind or pay someone later a lot more. If Shroud is as fun of a game, as I suspect, and the pathetic stagnant state of the MMO genre continues plenty of people will come.

 

There is more lots than deeds.
There is enough lots for everyone outside of POTs.
You will never be forced to place your lot in a POT.
You can move at any time and bring all your stuff with you.

Thus any resemblance to a feudal tenant system is invalid outside of consensual role playing.

 

Finally Spoon is "wrong" in a way. POT owners buying up deeds in bulk might force someone to live in their POT if they want access to the deed. Notice how the village deeds sold out seemingly overnight?

 

Starr said they are promising enough lots in NPCs and PRTs to cover all guaranteed deeds. No one is forced to live in a POT.

 

I thought we were an autonomous collective. Or maybe an anarcho-syndicalist commune.

 

Finally? While I might be wrong less frequently at the rate I'm posting it's gotta accumulate anyway. I just cover my tracks well. Moo magic seems to work in the forum as well...


But like I said to you elsewhere the village deeds were not bought in bulk. It was just how it appeared since Pottalarium don't update the X of Y stats often enough. So you had to count the remainder by using the fake purchase method. (You can se this on the Town lots right now if you wish.) Then when they were below roughly 15 several individuals panicked and bought some.
It was not a coordinated effort.

Now if people bought lot deeds to rent out housing later then it does not matter where that housing is. Even if they are in NPC towns they would control the deed. So being in a POT or NPC town wouldn't change the underlying security of renting.
While if they trade you the deed then you can pack up and leave at any time. So again doesn't matter where it was.

Now if some illuminati cabal of POT owners would buy the rest of the lots in bulk to rent out. Then it's easy to count the pledge deeds and realize that the addon store deeds is in a minority and that such a market could easily be offset by ordinary non-POT owning pledgers.

On top of that you are missing the altruism of a big bulk of the owners. If such a cabal of illuminati pot owners would appear there are plenty of other owners which would gleefully undermine such by offering for free or cheap what the others are trying to charge dearly for. The majority of POT owners after all wants a more successful game and to have fun.

So I don't think my statement above was false in the way you suggest.

 

I'm interested in this idea.

So, if I want to control some other player, I just need to buy a POT, and magically, a certain amount of other avatars are forced to live in my town, and be subject to my wishes and whims and quirks and caprices, without any way to get out of my ironfisted will over them?

It sounds weirdly compelling...