Welcome Back To Solace Bridge!

Discussion in 'New Player Experience Feedback' started by Lum the Mad, Jun 17, 2016.

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  1. Lum the Mad

    Lum the Mad Developer Emeritus Dev Emeritus

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    As part of next release, we're completely redoing the Solace Bridge sequence of the Path of Love tutorial. Since this may be relevant to the interests of this forum, here's what we have implemented (@Attenwood and crew just started killing my hopes and dreams with it today):

    - No more help windows with text

    Players tend to ignore them and turn them off, and with the new reticle system they're difficult to interact with. We are keeping them post-tutorial for R31 but will continue to evaluate them.

    - Help is IN YOUR FACE

    Here's an example of what you see instead:

    [​IMG]

    (why yes, that is a child, why do you ask)

    We'll instead have context-sensitive hints, of no more than a line or two, that appear onscreen when necessary. (These also go to your chat window as a system message in case you miss them.)

    - No more target dummy

    Instead, it makes more sense to practice combat on, you know, things that try to kill you. So we've ramped up the number of undead on Solace Bridge (from 4 to 12ish), and have them be more active. You get context-sensitive hints for moving and firing your new bow as you move down the bridge.

    - Wait, 12 undead, as a new player? What?

    Well, you have help. Edvard no longer just magically clones himself - instead he will fight alongside you (well, ahead of you - he tanks and could probably take on the bridge by himself since having him die during the tutorial would be rude) and accompanies you to the other side where you meet him previously. (He also gives you 250 arrows to start out with, so no more scavenging around for enough arrows to just finish the scene with)

    - But Lum, I don't WANT to use a bow!

    That's fine. As mentioned earlier, we've placed a weapon rack in the scene so you can select whatever starting weapon you 'd like (sword, polearm, mace, and shield). You don't start with any skills for them but if you know you wanted them anyway it's probably not a concern. You are still prompted to use a bow and have basic skills for them.

    - What about that kid, anyway?

    As part of making the scene in general more interesting/have more to do, we've introduced a brief quest where Charlotte Gray (the child in Solace Bridge) now must be saved from the battle by you. You can decline to do so, or get her killed, and all of these choices will have appopriate consequences.

    We look forward to see your reaction to this moving forward, since much of it is directly based on your feedback!
     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2016
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  2. enderandrew

    enderandrew Legend of the Hearth

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    All great changes! I hope the actual virtues in question are relevant in the revamped starting scenes.

    Can we also revisit the Quincy/Emily quest? I love how hidden the chest is, and I'd love to see that remain an exploration reward, but I don't like having it tied to a starting quest for a new player. Also, it doesn't make sense that someone would loot his body only to leave the items in a chest. And it is odd that you can get the items in the tutorial and then again in the chest later. And it is odd to have a tutorial pop-up telling you that looting friendly bodies is bad, and then tie that into a quest where you were expected to have looted a friendly body.
     
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  3. Spoon

    Spoon Avatar

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    So could we get an early QA build so we can give feedback on this?

    Nudge nudge.
     
  4. Lum the Mad

    Lum the Mad Developer Emeritus Dev Emeritus

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    - We no longer penalize you for looting bodies, and the popup no longer happens.

    - You have to loot Quincy's body to progress. Instead of the bow (which you now get after crossing the gate), you need to have a key to open the gate, which is on Quincy's body (you are explicity prompted via help pop-up to check his body for the key)

    - We will probably be removing the anachronistic loot in the chest since now you can always go through the initial Solace Bridge battle scene with any character regardless of starting point.
     
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  5. Lum the Mad

    Lum the Mad Developer Emeritus Dev Emeritus

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    It's not ready for prime time yet.
     
  6. enderandrew

    enderandrew Legend of the Hearth

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    Great news all around!

    That chest can remain and perhaps you can add a note somewhere in the scene or world that a smuggler left items there. Maybe someone hid items there as they were fleeing Solace Bridge in the attack. That could be a virtue test. Return the items to a refugee in Soltown (who can't afford to repay your kindness) or keep them for your own greed.
     
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  7. Lum the Mad

    Lum the Mad Developer Emeritus Dev Emeritus

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    Soltown is having new quests added this release that directly reflect on this.
     
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  8. Golem Dragon

    Golem Dragon Avatar

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    some of the issues with this scene and ties to Soltown will be good to have fixed and other stuff improved. I look forward to it.
     
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  9. Brass Knuckles

    Brass Knuckles Avatar

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    Oh shes so dead !


    And I love the new direction.
     
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  10. Stryker Sparhawk

    Stryker Sparhawk Avatar

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    If she is killed, does she show up later as a zombie?
     
  11. enderandrew

    enderandrew Legend of the Hearth

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    :eek: I'll save her!
     
  12. Stryker Sparhawk

    Stryker Sparhawk Avatar

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    I'd like to think of it as a role reprisal or a question answered, "does being killed by the actions of an avatar put an end to the cycle of undeath?"
     
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  13. enderandrew

    enderandrew Legend of the Hearth

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    It appears in this setting, undead are created by necromancy (specifically by Obsidian necromancers). The zombies spread disease, but it isn't a plague creating more zombies that I can tell.
     
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  14. Brass Knuckles

    Brass Knuckles Avatar

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    Turned out to be a bit dark for my consience.. hit the delete on that one anyways ..
     
  15. Spoon

    Spoon Avatar

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    What always bothered me about Solace Bridge was that if you got on top of the battlements you'd find the Shelf with the vials, jars and such.
    But all of them are placeholder items with no purpose.
    Meaning that the explorer is not rewarded for the effort.

    While if that had been Empty Bottles or such things, they could at least be used later in a crafting recipe.


    Instead I like things that has a purpose.
    Another example is the Sickle which is great since it has a purpose, but right next to it is a 'Standing Shovel' IIRC, which is only useful as decoration and nothing else.

    Also a pumpkin patch without pumpkins???? Why?
    That would be an excellent way to showcase gathering right away for the explorer.
     
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  16. Jack Knyfe

    Jack Knyfe Avatar

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    PSST.... @Violation Clauth ...
     
  17. redfish

    redfish Avatar

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    Can we cast Resurrect on her if we have it? If not, why not?
     
  18. Gabriel Nightshadow

    Gabriel Nightshadow Avatar

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    These changes certainly make the Solace Bridge sequence a lot more exciting for a new player :D, and I look forward to having Edvard (who apparently must be a pretty buff scholar now...:eek:) fighting alongside me ;)


    Hmm...it would be even more interesting if Charlotte were to walk or run towards :eek: the undead on the bridge instead of behaving logically and staying behind you o_O Just a thought... :rolleyes:
     
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  19. GreyMouser Skye

    GreyMouser Skye Avatar

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    I love the new look of the help. The only thing wrong in that picture is the chat window itself, but I have hopes that it will be polished before release.
     
  20. Violation Clauth

    Violation Clauth Avatar

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    This really is the Forsaken virtues episode...
     
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