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Q4 2018 Schedule Update

Discussion in 'Announcements' started by DarkStarr, Sep 26, 2018.

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  1. Anpu

    Anpu Avatar

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    You can however still get your Shroud and house. That part of the quest system still works just fine.
     
  2. Vladamir Begemot

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    Conjecture here, but my guess is because it's not just addressing it, it's an major overhaul.

    Sometimes you need to limp along on the weak but functional engine, and focus on a bunch of the easy to fix problems on your 60,000 item long task.

    Then, after having fixed/added/polished a bunch of low hanging fruit, thus immensely improving the experience, you look at the real tough problem and give it another go.

    And that probably winds up taking many many months. This is not going to be a 2 month fix, or a 3 month addition, it's going to take a long time.

    I wouldn't be surprised if they have a Critical Path list for the new quest system that has redesign work happening already. It may be going on over the course of months before the visible work starts to appear.
     
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  3. mystarr

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    Unfortunately the quest overhaul will be a major system change. Even if they start working on it in Jan 2019 it will probably be months before it is done followed by months of buggy crap as they convert all of the old quests into the new system.

    Of course the longer they wait to start, the longer it will be before SotA has a worthwhile quest system (core functionality that many people expect from a new game they are trying out.)

    I know it will be a long overhaul, but that just makes it all the more important to have already started on it 6 months ago, instead of three months from now, maybe....

    I love this game and want to see it succeed, but I have to admit it worries me that they haven't already overhauled the quest system.
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2018
  4. Leinad Laurelwreath

    Leinad Laurelwreath Avatar

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    There was a time when this dev team actually changed priorities and added/removed/changed features when there was enough people complaining... maybe this time has passed? We'll see

    • Point to @mystarr It'll be LONG before we see this overhaul (they have done nothing, @Vladamir Begemot but a list of complaints and suggestions) and this team has a story of delays and over-optimistic estimations.
    • Also, all effort in NUE and Tutorials will be wasted time, since the quest system will still keep new players away for a long time. First quests, later NUE should be the right order.

    This should have its own thread and a proper explanation (wall of texts welcome) about the expected scope of this overhaul (really EP1 quests wilil be rewritten?) and the reason of its low priority. Overcommunication is always welcome!
     
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  5. Vladamir Begemot

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    I disagree with your assessments, other than yes, quest overhaul needs time.

    There's no point in overhauling the quest system before increasing player retention longer than the first hour or two.
     
  6. Brewton

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    So players only come for the first hour or two? Perhaps a new quest system would extend it past an hour or two.
     
  7. Leinad Laurelwreath

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    So, yeah, @Vladamir Begemot, do you think it makes any benefit keeping those players for three hours and make them leave the next day?

    Player retention would be:
    1. Ok i like and/or understand the mechanics (1st two hours)
    2. Let's see what can i do now and what this game is about... ok the story/quests/dialog (ARRGGGHHH!! BYE!!!)
    Unless you mean you want new players to keep playing for two hours so the refund option in Steam is unavailable? But i guess you don't mean that...
     
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  8. Anpu

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    The current quest system works just fine, I’ve been slowly going through all if them from time to time. Some still are currently broken, but that’s only a few (like the mirror one, but I know why they stopped fixing that one, because they are redesigning the Outskirts).

    I think the main issue people are complaining about are just the stuck journal entries.
     
  9. Mykll

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    They can't sell a fixed journal on the cash shop. They can sell decoration though. So that comes first.
     
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  10. Leinad Laurelwreath

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    Fixing the journal it's just bugfixing, of course they can't sell that.

    With a proper quest system overhaul, players could make their own quests and sell exclusive items as rewards or as tools to create those quests, I believe the dungeons are a first step to this. There are a lot of possiblities, even for the cash shop.

    I can't see no reason to delay that feature, sincerely @DarkStarr
     
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  11. majoria70

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    Could we please get a new thread guys to discuss the upcoming quest system and ideas please? We don't know the plans yet and we don't even know that old quests will be included in this update. The new quest system may be coming to affect new quests limited to what is coming with Episode 2 content, but who knows. I say take it to it's own thread. I am enjoying puttering on the current quest system and look forward to the future of this game and seeing what will be.
     
  12. Paladin Michael

    Paladin Michael Bug Hunter

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    Redesigning the Outskirts? For what reason? They are fine. (Beside broken questparts, I think most of them in Bloodriver Outskirts).
    I only read about two changes:
    - The intro to teach game functions will be separated, so the starter scenes can focus on story.
    - A small change to Solace Bridge ...

    I hope, until end of year the remaining few broken quests / journal entries / compass information will be polished. So Episode 1 content is 100% playable :)

    So work on ALL Episode 2 content can start January 2019 ...
     
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  13. Paladin Michael

    Paladin Michael Bug Hunter

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    Well, not until Episode 2 is finished for launch ;) Consider that Episode 2 starts like Episode 1 with early access :)

    But you're right: End of next year we should see, where the horse is running ...
    I would say: If we can't see it until June/July 2019, someone sent the horse in the wrong direction. I don't think this will happen ;)
    The game changes and improvements from January until now are really good.
     
  14. Anpu

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    @Paladin Michael they want the Outskirts to be more story focused, and not tutorial areas. I actually like that. There will be separate tutorial areas.
     
  15. Paladin Michael

    Paladin Michael Bug Hunter

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    Yes, that's what I heard, too. The tutorial part will be separated so focus in Outskirts is on story. That's very good :)
     
  16. KnightFalz

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    It is a small team that must concurrently keep many plates spinning on many poles. It is reasonable to expect, and I suspect quite necessary, that they must be ready to swap to whichever of those plates are wobbling most at the time (from their perspective) so as they don't all come crashing down.

    If you were wanting smooth, predictable, and orderly development you came looking in the wrong place. You'll find that kind of thing in massive games that have been out for a decade or so that are provided by similarly massive companies that have a massive amount of personnel and other resources at their disposal, and even then it is haphazard at best.

    Flexibility and adaptability in this development process will instead be key, and those that don't want to be consistently disappointed would benefit from tempering their expectations accordingly.
     
  17. Gorthyn

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    Except this game isn't under development it has been released. The issue is that core systems should have been long sorted rather than all the fluff we have instead.
     
  18. Brewton

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    The developers say it’s consistently under development and new exciting improvements add-one are coming each and every month. It’s just not in the way most games progress and develop.
     
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  19. Gorthyn

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    Yes but again - priorities....
     
  20. Leinad Laurelwreath

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    Thanks for the effort, i was here day 1 minute 1 in the KS, i think i know how this works. ;)
     
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