Game Feedback. Things that bring customers and balance combat.

First of all, we are in pre alpha. Things still can change. There are many things that could be implemeted in this game that could bring more people in. Maybe many people back that have left. Over the last 2.5 years of me being here there are only a handful of people that have stayed.
What I would suggest is:
1. A class system. We could have a class for people to identify with, would be good for role play and they still could make the Avatars choices according to the virtues. This has already been started by accepting the elf stretch goal. Also by the teletype that we have in game that shows Richards affinity to D&D. There could be other playable races like Kobald, Satyr, or faun.
2. Hard choices when making your build. No one should master everything. If you choose a skill tree, the opposite tree should be locked out.
3. Reputation system akin to UO. Many people loved the glorious lord/dread lord titles. It worked great for RP reasons.
4. Alternate healing methods: Bandages/herbal kits/potions (with affinity)/injection kits
5. A bounty system that you could hunt down people and get rewards. ( works in conjunction with the Reputation system.)

These are a few things off the top of my head. Feel free to add more to the list.

 

1) No. And beware the distinction between race and class.
2) No. The Avatar may (and did) master everything. Ever heard of the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom? Its front glyph is depicted in my forum picture, and it's the very testimony of such mastery. Even skill decay irks me the wrong way.
3) No opinion.
4) Yes - but I guess it's been already acknowledged as "in the works".
5) I'd say yes, but I'm sooooooo wary of anything that can be exploited *so* easily. Player-issued bounties are the paramount of exploitation. So no.

 

1. I love the idea of being rewarded for specializing. I think attuning trees was a step in the right direction for rewarding focus on a tree. I have no problem with being able to choose a class, or just build your character in the form of a class...like I always choose 1-2 magic trees. I wish there were more range spells in the ice tree. (kinda how fire is) Hey...races? Dwarves should be part of our choices. I always play at least 1 dwarf and will make a dwarf even if he's a human

2. Yes. I used to be of the mind-set no caps. But honestly, I have always liked to specialize my combat. Being able to choose a limited amount of skills would make for a more interesting character ... plus my spells should have more power if I focus on them... Plus, I hate decay.

3. Yes! I loved the reputation system. Was fun to add a title to my character...and it also made me more careful about getting myself killed!

4. YES! Bandaids are a must. I don't want my mage to cast heal...mages don't heal they do damage. Clerics heal. Druids Heal. Mages damage. Bandaids are my choice of heal. I love the idea of injections too...Gotta be careful with them or you could become an addict oooooh...

5. Yep...Bounties would be good for PvP...hope that happens too.

 

That is! Keep the heal tree for mages and create some "everyday" styles to heal. But we asked many times for this, and I am not sure if that is in their "must do" list.

 

1. Don't agree. I like the Classless system. Classes can emerge from a classless system, but not the other way around.
2. Maybe straight locking is a bit over the top... But i want class choices to have a meaning and a repercussion (the way attunement works it's something i like, for instance). Masters
3. Lots of people wants to experience the sense of conflict Blue vs Red brought, and that's what i'd like to see here in a consensual environment. Reputation system may help reinforcing it, but i don't see the point without the conflict first.
4. Many times yes. Either that or balance combat so the rest of defensive mechanic have the same weight as healing (with the extra perk of being able to heal others). Imo the game improved in that aspect; i use some defensive skills that allows me to avoid the occasional hits i take while kiting, but i also use healing touch. Against some foes it gives so much edge.
5. That also works towards the sense of conflict so i'm in for it as well.

 

I also like the classless system, so I must disagree on that point.

Point 4 is more to my liking. I'd be all in favour of alternative healing methods, the more the better. I mean we do have potions now, but that's pretty much about it

 

1. I strongly disagree. I greatly prefer classless systems where you have more fine grained control over the exact direction of your character. Class-based games, people are carbon copies. They have the exact same build and the exact same rotation. That is boring and combat ends up becoming all about gear.
2. Right now there is affinity in the magic schools and you can't master everything because you don't have the XP to get to 100 in everything.
3. I believe they're discussed reputation several times. It seems like it is already planned.
4. I like healing items. But we already have potions as well as spells. I imagine cooked/crafted foods will tie into this as well.
5. I really wanted a bounty system as well. I'd like to see if for NPCs (procedural quest generation) as well as player placed bounties.

 

Yes please

 

Regarding a class system. It's too late to make that change, imo. So instead of fighting upstream on that, I think a better way to "fix" the current classless system is to stop giving so much power to skills trained at level 1. For example the light spell, do you really need to train up on that? Or the summoning skills, if all you want is a tank then do you really need to put more energy into training past level 1? Stealth, you're already invisible, so what's the point of training more?

The problem with the current system is that it's very easy to get ALL of the skills, it's very hard to train SOME of the skills up to the level where you're competitive in PVP. That's why many people have tons of skills that they use but don't really train. This has a negative impact on roleplaying in that none of the skills or spells ever seem rare. Everyone is a hybrid of some kind and that stinks.

 

I disagree with a forced class system, but right now I think magic is too easy for melee users, and I think there should be a type of boundary between the two skillsets. People here reading the forums probably know my suggestion: I'd argue for low-tier magic being tied to reagents, reagents unique to each school of magic, and staffs to reduce reagent use for a specific school of magic. That would create a cost to magic for melee users, though not prohibitive.

On the other hand, I'd also like the devs to make deck swapping smoother. Where there is no clear boundary between magic and melee, the boundary between ranged and hand-to-hand is too thick imo. I think switching in the middle of combat should be interruptible, requiring you to find a safe space, but you should be able to do it while moving -- though maybe taking longer while moving -- and the time should be filled with the animation of the weapon swap and not some animation of your avatar being constipated.

@Ravicus: We have potions, though. The way to make them useful is by giving a cost to heal spells, plus slowing down auto-heal greatly. IMO.

 

Could make people have different builds if you actually had a hard time casting in plate and not provide the work arounds (skills, regs, min/max armor pieces).

Make regs available without breaking the bank.

Make regs decrease fizzle, but if you have no fizzle to decrease then you get a stronger spell instead with more crit chance.

 

Keep in mind that regs are available for free in the wild. I know I personally don't have a problem finding them, though some are harder to get than others.

 

They need to be broken down into smaller units and have those units be used when a spell is cast.

You can't possibly flower pick enough to support a full dungeon run or compendium run or even a modest day hunting.

 

Oh I think you can. The ability of players to harvest reagents through farming is also going to help quite a bit. Don't forget that the NPC's are really setting the ceiling price of reagents, the players will eventually start to undercut that number.

Most of the spells don't even require reagents at all, and the ones that do have a chance of not using them up.

 

(1) I actually am very happy there is no class system....

(2) I think the way it is now might work.. as long as other 'unused' skills go down... the soft cap might be good.

(3) I enjoyed the reputation system too.

(4) Absolutely.. I hate it when people call me a mage or a wizard when I'm a healer... I do miss being a cleric and using plate armor and my
trusty 1H mace and shield.

(5) I think bounties would be fabulous... maybe a 'murder's bounty would make it so you could kill them ANYWHERE regardless of whether or not they are currently flagged PVP... that would be SO GOOD!