Universal Orb needs to be removed

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Elrond, Dec 14, 2019.

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  1. Drilikath

    Drilikath Avatar

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    I know what happened. They drove away all the people that really wanted to help. Only people left are the ones that no matter what you say , they are right. We are wrong. The game needs this that and the other now....
     
  2. Sulaene Moon

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    Not sure what that means but ok
     
  3. Jackrabbit

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    It means that all the people who used to hang out in newbie areas to help new players, no longer play the game and that the few that are left are so intensely filled with red kool-aid that they are of little or no actual help at all.

    At least, that's what I took it to mean.
     
  4. Sulaene Moon

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    But what does it have to do with a price of chat?
     
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  5. Jackrabbit

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    I think it was more of an evidence as to why removing impediments to new players being able to access world chat was necessary. Remove the need for universal orbs altogether, give all players access to full chat, to make it easier from the beginning for new players to ask questions and get answers. Many new players (are there many?) might not realize that they need an additional item in order to be a part of the universal chat. Someone could spend a cpl of weeks frustratingly trying to learn without knowing that help could only be a chat question away. So, in summary, new players need quick easy access to universal chat to ask questions because all the friendly helpful people who used to hang out looking for them don't seem to be around anymore. Not so much of a pricing issue, but a, do away with it completely issue.

    Again, just my opinion and interpretation.
     
  6. Scanphor

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    I agree with the OP - the alternative would be, as others have said, to have a 'new players' chat
     
  7. Alleine Dragonfyre

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    I think the orb thing is terribly silly as well. I guess a compromise would be Hospitaller chat but its a solution to a problem that shouldn't exist in the first place.

    You can't really call the game "free" if you force new people to pay to communicate in a massively MULTIPLAYER online roleplaying game.

    Other free games don't do this, why do we? Who do think is going to deluge us with chat spam anyway? People said we were doomed when Universal chat became a thing and that never happened either.
     
  8. evillego6

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    Probably the same sort of people (or more likely, bots) that deluged us with spam that necessitated the forum purchase to post requirement.
     
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  9. Sulaene Moon

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    All the other games I play don't require an orb to talk in chat or purchase to post on the forums and they have no issue with spam. Looks more like money grab than to solve any spam.
     
  10. Earl Atogrim von Draken

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    You haven't been here in the beginning so you slip of tongue shall be forgiven. But let me tell you the spam reached incredibel amounts.
    The issue is that the games you play can afford dozens if not hundrets of GMs that can take care of moderation.
    SotA can't. Hence, this solution. If you can come up with a better idea, let's hear it.
     
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  11. kaeshiva

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    I don't think that selling orbs is the point.

    Once the game went free to play, it comes far too easy for throwaway accounts to be created - accounts which in other games with no restrictions on chat, end up spamming websites all day, among other things, or used to bypass block/ignore features in order to harass others, etc. The orb's purpose is to prevent such behavior or, at least slow it down. It was not needed when there was still a price tag on the game. There's no way to differentiate whether any given account is a legit new player, or Sir Spamalot's 8th account.

    That being said, it is a significant barrier to new players figuring out what is going on, and while there are players who frequent starting areas and stand by to help new folks, this coverage is far from complete. What's more likely, is the new player will either be frustrated by not being able to talk, balk at the fact that they must PAY to talk, and if they aren't completely put off the game by that point, will resort to asking questions on the forum or discord which have no "pay" requirements. Again we end up in a situation where the game mechanics are forcing you to TAB OUT OF THE GAME to find information (or wait through a slog mechanic ) which just...should never happen. (Looking at you, NPC schedules, *shake fist*).

    Universal chat hasn't been a thing for very long. Many players were opposed to it being added AT ALL, because of concerns over the level of toxicity, trolling, "barrens chat", etc that it would bring to the game. Its been baby steps all the way.

    So here's the dilemma:

    Even with the purchasing of orbs, I've seen universal get pretty bad. We really need a moderator. People simply can't/wont behave.
    If we get moderators, there's really no need for the orbs anymore.
    Moderator cover for all timezones would have a cost, unless they relied on volunteers / players with accounts in good standing with long service time, but even then you'd have to mod the moderators to make sure no abuses of power occur. Its not a simple problem, and almost any solution is going to require the investment of dev time on something that is policing the game rather than developing it.

    I wish I had a better solution. The question becomes is removing the orbs to give new players (and bots, and spammers, and goldsellers) access to the chat, worth the hassles that will come with it? This question has been asked before. I can only assume that, the powers that be have assessed the situation and the fact that the orbs still exist is the answer.
     
  12. Sulaene Moon

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    I don't remember which game it was but after a certain amount of game time played you had universal chat unlocked.

    While I might not haven been here at the "beginning" I can say that new games are prime for that type of spam. While SotA has been playable for almost 6 years now it might not be an issue any longer. The only thing to do is try, but if you want to keep charging for something that is free in 99% of other games than cool.

    I'm not sure what "slip of tongue shall be forgiven" means, not translated in my native language. Please explain.
     
  13. Earl Atogrim von Draken

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    Nope. Nvm. Just messing around and stuff.

    Sounds valid. Might work out. @Chris
     
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  14. kaeshiva

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    One other suggestion I've seen is that the orb, and the chat channels, become obtainable/visible once the new player reaches a certain stage in the new player quest progression.
    This would remove the stigma of "pay to chat" but require that a certain amount of time investment on the player's part occur to get access.
    Similar to @Sulaene Moon 's suggestion above, but isn't just time-based but rather, player needs to complete say, the first outskirts.
    This makes sense, because you'd open up 'universal chat' at the same time that you stepped on Novia for the first time, (assuming you took the boat straight from solace bridge to the outskirts).
     
  15. Shift

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    With a game with such a tiny population doesn't really need to worry about gold spammers. They can just do what other mmos like wow do and make it so that someone gets muted after a certain amount of people place that person on ignore.
     
  16. Earl Atogrim von Draken

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    You would be surprised.
     
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  17. Lars vonDrachental

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    I personally would love it if the orb would not just work in your inventory but also if used as decoration. This way the devs and avatars could put some orbs into the world and as long as you are in a specific range around the orb you can use it e.g. in taverns…sadly this would not prevent misuse.

    Reading about it I guess that a requirement of ingame progress might be enough to sort out most of the unwanted chat users…maybe this unlocking could even happen in different steps. So to say you are unlocking channels bound to a specific topic e.g. you unlock one chat-channel after completing the starting scene (e.g. help chat) and another chat is unlocked after owning your first deed (e.g. trade chat) and so on. Each "unlocking" is creating (once) a new chat tab for the channel and is highlighting it somehow until you clicked on it to take a look.
    The current global chat might have to stay as it is and still require the orb...as removing a "I had paid for it" possibility might unnecessarily upset some avatars.
     
  18. Sentinel2

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    Maybe have something they can click on to select a chat channel.

    I just realized that was an option in ESO other day. Clicked on the corner chat when I realized there were a bunch of channels I had available. Or I could use the / and the name of a channel to chat in.

    Clicking while wasn't obvious in ESO, made is easier to navigate the channels I had available.

    Oh and there was no orb requirements for me to ask dumb questions :)
     
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  19. Proteus Tempest

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    Since the beginning there was no "in concrete" system in my opinion.

    We had the promise of a orb for the nobles channel

    we had local and zone for free and I think that was it unless I am forgetting one.

    The orb idea stuck to create the universal channel and I guess the trade channel came in for free.

    A mismatched kinda system but not impossible to change.

    Here's my idea

    Reworking the chat system


    It had occurred to me one day that the chat system in many games was a deity like power granting it’s user the ability to communicate with people throughout a world with parties, guilds and even the world of players itself.


    It is one thing that can break immersion with a player that is solo, deep into a dungeon and lonely and scared as can be but with a simple chat app built into the game that person can find companionship when they should be nervous with hand shaking fear upon their mouse and keyboards.


    Simply handing a player a variety of chat channels is taking away literal fun and adventure when it could be giving the players something to do just working to build a communication platform for themselves in game while managing the communications platform during game play.


    I have an idea….. You thought I would eventually get to a point so…..


    Let a low level spell that is given to the player be that communications platform.


    At the start of a characters existence they are given or find a spell that when used will open a chat channel. This will be more along the lines of telepathy.



    Local chat would be free as players would be speaking normally.


    Zone chat would be to anyone in the zone and would have a focus over time applied to it as well


    Whisper would be a telepathic communication to one person alone and would cost a minimal amount of focus over time to keep it going.


    Guild chat would be with a whole guild which would be a group of people small to large and incur a focus over time cost that would be even more than whisper.


    Noble chat is for those that have the orb as per the original backer’s pledges at no cost on focus.


    Universe chat would be to all that had that magic channel open and would incur a larger focus over time applied.


    Trade would work in the same fashion with some amount of “F.O.T” applied to the player.


    Managing the channel system will be in control of the player.


    Being a thing of magic the spell itself could be countered by other spells to keep the communications broken so a player is truly alone in a dungeon or area thus creating immersion for the player.


    Possibly, a players desire to have communications in a place with countermeasure magic could be countered by increasing the amount of focus over time which could be detrimental later when a player needs that focus to fight or use utility spells.



    It’s the complete opposite of what games do which is to give it all away for free but this system could very well turn into a quest just finding the variables to the spell or upgrading a spell to allow more channels to be made.
     
  20. GMDavros

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    I vote noob-chat channel. Great place for them to meet others who can help and people of similar level to adventure with.

    Fenris
     
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