Dismiss Notice
This Section is READ ONLY - All Posts Are Archived

HIGHLY recommended changes ASAP (Updated 5/17)

Discussion in 'Release 41 Feedback Forum' started by Paulie Walnuts, May 11, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Paulie Walnuts

    Paulie Walnuts Avatar

    Messages:
    286
    Likes Received:
    1,149
    Trophy Points:
    40
    Gender:
    Male
    First impressions mean a lot. I just made a visitor account to get the new user experience and I have some suggestions that I would encourage you to look at as soon as possible to avoid new player frustrations.

    I'll start with the problems.

    Main starting quests:
    Alpha Wolf quest is bugged and causes a lot of confusion and wandering around. Even more confusion for new players trying to get their head around the game in general. It looks like this is a known bug and has been reported.

    Catching Salmon for Kinsey quest can't be accomplished until you figure out how to unlock the utility bar to drop the fishing skill into. Figuring out how to unlock the utility bar was like trying to find a needle in a haystack with the way that the chat system works right now, not to mention I had to learn from another player who said they spent hours on Youtube watching videos until they figured it out. For a new player who wouldn't know there's a second bar to be unlocked, I can't imagine they would even have a clue to get it on their own.

    As a "veteran" player I'm still not out of the outskirts after over an hour trying to figure out how to even past the first 2 quests. I couldn't imagine how lost I would be right now if I were new to the game.

    Here's my suggestions, though I know it's not just a simple fix:

    Have the second hotbar easier to obtain until the the NPC chat windows are working properly because it's causing problems for the main starter quest right off the hop that you need it for. Or figure out how to make the fishing quest come after you get the non combat bar, or make fishing usable without a non combat bar.

    Also, need to figure out how to make the alpha wolf quest able to be finished without having to jump through a bunch of hoops (like searching the forums).

    Without being able to do these quests, these new players are technically stuck and frustrated before they even get started.

    Now for the positives.

    (Update) 5/17: First, The Solace Bridge outskirts is a beautiful area. As far as a new player experience, it's leaps and bounds better than when I first started playing. Overall I think it's a great area to start and get your bearings.

    @Lord British I can definitely see where having the new players wait until they figure out how to get their utility bar and deck assortment makes sense. The minor issue I still see with that currently is that the fishing quest does require the non combat bar. So in a weird way, you're still forcing the players to try to figure out how to get the bar before they may be ready for it.

    I have noticed with the wolf quest, that it may be more user error than a bug. Without blatantly spoiling anything, know that patience is a virtue.

    Hopefully the data that's being collected is giving you guys everything you need to make great decisions going forward. Including this post and responses :))

    Cheers!
     
    Last edited: May 17, 2017
  2. Vladamir Begemot

    Vladamir Begemot Avatar

    Messages:
    6,194
    Likes Received:
    12,076
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Gender:
    Male
    Yes, a thousand times yes. This is why we literally need someone standing there telling the new players how to get their hot bar at a minimum, 24/7. It's an emergency.

    Metrics about retention and such mean nothing when this is broken, and we already know about it.

    I am traveling or I'd take a shift. Might be able to next week if I get a laptop running.
     
    Virial, Salix and Paulie Walnuts like this.
  3. Lord_Darkmoon

    Lord_Darkmoon Avatar

    Messages:
    4,350
    Likes Received:
    14,680
    Trophy Points:
    153
    I actually don't understand why we need to obtain this hotbar at all. We get it right at the beginning of the game and we don't have to do anything to get it, except for buying it. What if I don't obtain all of those "enhanced" features?
    It is quite confusing. Maybe there should be more explanation to it.

    And yes, the quests... the weakest part of the game and somehow it doesn't get better. They are the bane of SotA...
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2017
  4. Innascual Inch

    Innascual Inch Avatar

    Messages:
    311
    Likes Received:
    694
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Personally I hate quests. They are what makes mmos theme parks.

    I got started in sota just before R32 and my NPE was figuring out how the game worked and exploring.

    That was just like vanilla UO in 97, and I loved it.

    My advise to devs is be careful about putting in too many theme park rides during the NPE or you'll kill the uniqueness of the game, and this will look just like every other mmo out there. YAWN
     
  5. skeggy Media

    skeggy Media Avatar

    Messages:
    706
    Likes Received:
    820
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    UK or in-game crossroads
    the fishing quest could be helped if there is a fishing vendor selling worms as there are not enough clay deposits if to many people are on the same quest and the spawn rate for salmon should also be increased as it is a tutorial.also prompting the player where to get the next quest and when it is time to leave the instance.

    I have done a video tutorial for any player who needs any help

    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw9-ukIjQVaQbm9Zz0d1xuKiqUdNRNFaZ
     
    Stundorn and Paulie Walnuts like this.
  6. Duke Gréagóir

    Duke Gréagóir Legend of the Hearth

    Messages:
    5,676
    Likes Received:
    11,810
    Trophy Points:
    165
    Location:
    Dara Brae
    Tamsen and Paulie Walnuts like this.
  7. 2112Starman

    2112Starman Avatar

    Messages:
    3,613
    Likes Received:
    7,989
    Trophy Points:
    165
    ok... so you saying this will tick a *lot* of people off just saying it.

    The game was designed as a kinda mix of Ultima and UO. There are a lot of "Ultima" players here who have pledged to the game to get quests. Quests are going to be a part of the game, especially single player. I dont really know how someone can make a stand that there should be no quests, UO is like literally the only game in history that does not have quests. Besides the fact that this game is not even mechanically like UO, having no quests just leads to grinding. Most people want more quests to help alleviate grinding.
     
  8. Browncoat Jayson

    Browncoat Jayson Legend of the Hearth

    Messages:
    6,334
    Likes Received:
    14,098
    Trophy Points:
    153
    I agree. I wonder, tho, why we start with the the toolbars we have now.

    We start with the combat bar, with a single combat glyph on it. However, we also start with auto-attack only enabled, so while its *nice* to have that glyph, it isn't really *required*.

    We don't start with the utility bar. This is the one where things like Healing Touch (or better yet, a Bandage skill!) would be perfect for new users, and leads directly in to non-combat uses, like this quest.

    Can we swap the bars that we start with? Drop the combat bar until you unlock decks, since its essentially empty until then anyway. Show the utility bar, and have useful skills on it by default. (My preference would also be to drop all combat skills but weapon proficiency until you train them, since you can't use them yet. Give new players some more starting xp so they can choose their own path.)
     
  9. Duke Gréagóir

    Duke Gréagóir Legend of the Hearth

    Messages:
    5,676
    Likes Received:
    11,810
    Trophy Points:
    165
    Location:
    Dara Brae
    FYI : Age of Shadows brought quests to Ultima Online. The real Ultima Online. Griselda the Hag was a popular one.
     
    Sir_Michael likes this.
  10. Lord_Darkmoon

    Lord_Darkmoon Avatar

    Messages:
    4,350
    Likes Received:
    14,680
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Wasn't this the quest in which you had to collect materials from different monsters? A typical kill x monsters to retrieve x amounts of materials quest? And this was popular??? ;)
     
  11. Duke Gréagóir

    Duke Gréagóir Legend of the Hearth

    Messages:
    5,676
    Likes Received:
    11,810
    Trophy Points:
    165
    Location:
    Dara Brae
    @Lord_Darkmoon Yes. EA started out with the Wow type of quests. You gotta start somewhere.
     
  12. Lord British

    Lord British Lord British SOTA Developer

    Messages:
    349
    Likes Received:
    6,712
    Trophy Points:
    80
    Great feedback here. The new outskirts maps and the quests in them of course are very new. Many of you are playing them even before I get the chance, as I have been testing other areas. On this one now. Will look for these issues and ideas. But, there WILL be new user experience quests to teach UI & game systems. You will not HAVE to play the whole plot, but you will be required to do the early ones to be sure you can handle and understand how the game works in general. I think you should start with one "generic" bar for as long as you need it, until you are ready for 2 bars.

    THANKS!
    - Richard
     
  13. Elwyn

    Elwyn Avatar

    Messages:
    3,617
    Likes Received:
    4,783
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    The good news is that there actually is a vendor selling worms in that area. The bad news is he's the alchemist back by the cemetery.
     
    Paulie Walnuts likes this.
  14. majoria70

    majoria70 Avatar

    Messages:
    10,347
    Likes Received:
    24,869
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    United States
    If there was an Inn in the area to teach the player a bit about Deco and housing as well that would be a plus side, and if we got rested bonus for logging out in beds/sleeping, camps etc that would really be fantastic. :)

    edited
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2017
    Sir_Michael and Bubonic like this.
  15. Innascual Inch

    Innascual Inch Avatar

    Messages:
    311
    Likes Received:
    694
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Uh, no. I didn't say don't include any quests. Read what i wrote again. And yes, this game is very similar in mechanics to UO.
     
  16. Vladamir Begemot

    Vladamir Begemot Avatar

    Messages:
    6,194
    Likes Received:
    12,076
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Gender:
    Male
    That's what I thought you said too, rereading it I see you simply hate them, but aren't saying take them all out. :D
     
    Sir_Michael and Innascual Inch like this.
  17. Paulie Walnuts

    Paulie Walnuts Avatar

    Messages:
    286
    Likes Received:
    1,149
    Trophy Points:
    40
    Gender:
    Male
    We will be here until the free play ends as much as we can! Feel free to join us or take a shift! No spoilers though, promise :)

    [​IMG]
     
  18. Vladamir Begemot

    Vladamir Begemot Avatar

    Messages:
    6,194
    Likes Received:
    12,076
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Gender:
    Male
    Awesome @Paulie Walnuts thank you! I will be at a friend's house who has SotA, this Thursday. I'll step in while he's at work.
     
    Paulie Walnuts likes this.
  19. Innascual Inch

    Innascual Inch Avatar

    Messages:
    311
    Likes Received:
    694
    Trophy Points:
    43
    I hate the unimaginative "go kill 10 wolves" type quests that mmo's have been stuck on since Everquest.
     
    Sir_Michael and Vladamir Begemot like this.
  20. Vladamir Begemot

    Vladamir Begemot Avatar

    Messages:
    6,194
    Likes Received:
    12,076
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Gender:
    Male
    Agreed! Although at this point I'd take anything in most of the scenes.
     
    Sir_Michael, Hazard and majoria70 like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.