Positive Question for you all

I agree the mail system is wonderful. If we had in game sent mail we could look at it would be perfect but I will take it as it is. I really don't consider too much completed. Fishing-Will it ever be? It is a grind for goods but reasons to continue are still missing. Contests are now great to be able to have but still we are missing in game achievements and daily progressive quests to continue to do anything. Daily quests that give better rewards for completing them more days.

Cooking and brewery never got completed. Cooking was going to be so interesting in this game. There were big dreams by Richard Gariott for it. Too bad we didn't get the funding for lots of extras.

I would say yes to housing being completed but only almost. ***Ability to lock down an item like a book shelf so you can remove books with out dragging the whole bookcase.*** This continues to plague and frustrate us. *** Let us right click an item to pick up and let us lock the da** thing down please.*** The permission system could use another few passes too.

I'm sorry but I can't say anything is totally complete other than our mail system and almost complete housing system still missing permission options and ability to lock down and pick up items with a right click. More loot does not make anything complete, more grindability does not make it complete, more xp does not make it complete. It is the feel of doing something, the satisfaction you get from the achievement of doing it. Little details are so important.

 

I would say the deck system is my favourite thing and is complete.

Yes new combat changes to skills, new skills, new combos may happen. This will be continuous throughout the lifetime of the game. The fundamental mechanics of how you invoke those skills however is complete.

Some new UI features have been requested but the mechanics of how it works are complete and working to my mind.

Regards
Spung

 

What I like and feel complete...

Combat - No, not feel complete and it is not fun. Combat neither encourage group cooperation (no skills to taunt or control monsters) and fighting is often so messy and fast that everyone is for themselves.
Skills - No. not feel complete and is not fun at all. Many skills have no purpose, most magic schools does not work alone.
Crafting - My god NO. Whole crafting system is sooo grindy and boring as can be. Random bonuses from Master work and Enchanting have make me scream out of frustration sooo many MANY times.
Graphics - No way. Some areas are okay. But still many places graphics look weird and unfinished.
Sound - No. Most areas are almost completely avoid of any ambient sounds. Same goes with skills, weapons, monsters. Game feel like you play it in sound insulated closet most of the times.
Monsters - No, too few monsters, monster types and most monsters/opponents behave and feel all the same. There is no difference of monsters at night or day either.
Traveling - No, traveling in world map is uninteresting and tiresome. Add undeveloped encounter system and traveling is mostly monotonous experience at best.
Encounters - Heh, no. Encounters are utterly unfinished and after few encounters you have seen them all.
Dungeons - Definitely no. Many dungeons are barely finished in design, look and purpose. K’rul have design and some idea what it suppose to be. Raise and Fall are mostly empty and beg you question what those places suppose to be.
Loot/items - Uuurrgh No. Loot is one of most over looked feature in this game. Why the hell everyone carry plows and laboratory equipment? Obsidian knight and bandit both give you that same rusty sword. My immersion *sob*...don't die now.
Artifacts - YES! Lol just joking, no. 95% artifacts have no functional purpose to use anywhere. Neither none of the artifacts deepen the lore and understanding of the game world. Who made them and why is never even hinted.
Housing - Noope. Some houses may look nice but general outlay of rooms and stairways are many times just absolutely horrible.
Quest system - There is quest system?

Soo what I like? Ummm game have a lot pf potential that keep me hooked. But these days I doubt with current management it never become real.

 

I like how the housing/rewards setup is. Its very nice to relax and experiment with items without being scared about losing items you forget to lock down or something. If you forget to pay taxes on a lot, the items can be found in the bank, etc.

I also like the PVP setup - Hear me out! It really dampens toxicity.

 

Honestly, and this isn't a slight to the devs, but the only system that seems to be finished and working correctly and consistently is the pipeline for acquiring assets and turning them into in-game objects. I'm not fond of the practice of Port endlessly hawking asset flips, but the pipeline they are using to turn them around is quite solid, their output hasn't even fallen much with the head count reduction. There are many titles I can think of that would be an order of magnitude better if they were able to integrate new assets as efficiently as Port.

 

@Burzmali and @Stealth2 - totally get your answers but not what I’m after. I’m about to do a final video and it’s pretty negative. So negative that I’m actually looking for anything positive that I missed. There are some bright spots but they are clouded by all the of other stuff. I could record a rip them to shred video in 20m but that isn’t my style.

You too @Snakyy

Thanks!

 

Housing and decos. I think this is the most impressive sota´s feature...

I like the combat and crafting but i can´t say those systems are polished enought, maybe in the future.

 

I'm sorry to see you go to the 'dark side'.
I've always enjoyed your videos in the past.

But... thanks for being a part of the game.

 

Well the complete part is what's hanginge up from writing a whole bunch of things. Dynamic lights are fantastic but there are several that don't work. If you want a summary video those should absolutely be mentioned even though several lights don't work.

Speaking of which day night cycles with shadows is one that I could say is done and great..

How about just taking a couple months off instead?

 

Mounted heads and seasonal bosses

 

@macnlos, you've documented much about this game and i feel your videos will serve as a historic snapshot of sota early on. i trust you to speak your mind, freely, about the game.

personally, i think there is no denying that the current state is, overall, unfinished. as always, there are changes on the horizon that could help or hurt the future state. time will tell. i can find no system without need for improvement. i also cannot point to a single system that is static. given the limitations this team has, i'm satisfied with the progress of improvements being made.

i do hope your "final" video will have at least some comment on the communities here. the community has had more involvement (for better or worse),the any other game i have come across. i have lots of fun playing and watching this thing being built. bit, it is the community that keeps me here.

p.s.
i will also hold out hope that your "final" video will not be your last.

 

I think Housing and Deco are ok along with combat but feel more is needed in other areas.

1) Character appearance - needs a lot of work and in its present bland state will turn away many of those we want to keep when they try SOTA out for free.

2)Functional guild wars, ability to set battle areas, loot parameters and battle time lenght.

3) Hard caps, set it at 160 max per skill and increase by 10 in each successive expansion.

4) Portalarium support for monthly events like the one led by Cerus from Travian in October 2018.

5) And finally how about an end game. It ties in with Guild Battles with politics, drama, treachery, control of rich areas. Why grind for no end game. Ship to Ship and Ship to Shore battles as well. Why bother to PVP to loot two items one of the probably being trash.

The pirate is here to start Sh!! Not to decorate.

R/Boris/El Pirata/Black Sails Forever.

 

I bet you're looking forward to the new pirate outfits though! I know I am.

 

Brother, if the new hats are indication of what is to come we are in trouble. Boris is not missing an eye , hand and fortunately no other important parts “Grins”. I think we need to have a word with Damon to give us a non patch non hook version quick. R/Boris

 

Lol good point. I guess it's the "Old grizzled pirate clothes" that are the first wave.

 

The "classless" skill system is great. Being able to mix up skills and apply different strategies to different situations adds an interesting twist to combat.

Fast travel is pretty much perfect right now, and allows friends and strangers to group very easily. Being able to jump into content with people quickly is really important, and the teleport to friend and teleport to zone scrolls work great at that (the fact that teleport to zone pulls your party along is fantastic). It may seem like a small thing, but lowering the friction of getting friends (and potential new friends) in the same content together is a big deal.

 

Instruments are done except for that bug that makes you sometimes not hear.

 

Done??:
Cooking (though there could be a few more recipes), Butchery, maybe Fishing

Not requiring me to compete against anyone but myself. Self paced gaming.
Love the no "hand holding" and exploration based system. Yes, I know it is not finished, but the idea is great.

 

I’m not going to put out a video that just says the game is total crap. I’m just going to point out the good and bad, and attempt to do it in a manner that doesn’t paint me as hater or as a fanboy. It is why I asked this question.

 

I like the progression system. It's pretty close to what I want. I like housing. Playable instruments and other interactivities are fun. It's easy to find and play with friends. Lots of social emotes. Overworld map is easy to use and low level people aren't trapped on one side of a mountain pass anymore.