If video killed the radio star what have POTs done to SOTA?

The dose make the poison.

 

With the limited number of players willing to contribute to testing knowing everything will be wiped again, Owl's head has become the defacto economic Hub, for now.
It's public vendor always has the most stuff, and it's stuff usually sells fairly quickly.

There are lots of people that are just plain burned out after 3+ years since the kickstarter and are taking a break until the final wipe so that they get to keep their skills, and lots, decorations, and inventory.
Mostly what you see playing right now are people working on the power leveling techniques for post wipe, people scouting for prime vendor locations, people testing gathering skills, money making techniques, etc.
So that they have the resources for any rares that people drop on the public merchant after wipe, or can get their crafter to high levels to setup shop, and start building a name for themselves.

 

I feel your concern...

I imagine there are many pot owners like myself who don't have the spare time to devote to building out our pots prior to having a persistent world. Then, there may be some, like myself who haven't fully decided which direction we're going to go with our pots. Various changes to the game itself can and do impact thoughts on this. Fact is.... if I just want to put down my own lot and raise some crops and admire my large front yard well.. that too is my prerogative.
TBH, I would ideally like to have a small group of artisan types who wanna live in peace and make a modest living along with a few .. like maybe 5 or 6) folks who just want a place to call home that isn't dense packed.

I am in no rush..

I am hoping this turns out to be a great game...IF it is, then over time I'll hopefully encounter people who have similar goals and would want to be my neighbors.

 

No sorry, too many variables and uncertainity on those figures.

There are 300+ POTs, each with its own lot split - that often changes from day to day.

It'd be a inhuman deed to keep track of every POT lot count. There are database queries for that - but I don't think I'll have access to Portalarium DB any time soon...

 

Will shall see but I agree, it is a great feature but the point I am trying to make is basic economics - you do not flood a speculative market with real estate or you will end up with one man towns and ghettos.

The other issue is large guilds buying up swaths of prime town land, leaving lots empty so no one else can claim them as a strategy to pull traffic to their towns.

 

The game will be what we make it. If we make it a place for snark, skepticism, and outrage, then that's what it will be. It's far from perfect, there are certainly warts and imperfections, but there's so much potential if we continue to try.

My POT will not be a place that's manipulated for greed, it will not be a place that is built up only to make a profit. There are a lot of challenges ahead, and I don't even know what to expect sometimes. But I'm going to try to do the right thing and build something special. I can't control what other people do, I can only attempt to create while others (including people that don't even own POTs themselves) spent their time destroying.

 

Aye. The same for me, Your Excellency. I would differ from what you've written by removing only one word.

 

I'm afraid I am going to have to Katrina because you're absolutely right! Never have I been more dubious over the future of SOTA than the last few weeks. Here's to holding out hope!

 

Infinitely

 

Or infinity...and beyond!

 

A

Indeed... A lot of trial and error is going on with townships, housing and economy and it's cool that we have a chance to do so...

 

Here is my opinion. Whatever we think of the current situation, it will all change dramatically when the ability to rent rooms is introduced. Conceptually there is little difference between a player paying rent to another player, and a player paying tax to Portalarium. In both cases if you don't pay up you get booted out. There is also little difference between a rented room and a home and lot deed. Both provide ample storage. Lot deeds will remain rare, satisfying a long standing commitment from Portalarium, but accommodation could become quite commonplace. Those who thought to get rich by renting out places to live may be disappointed, as there will be plenty of supply.

 

This thread topic seems to assume that the game rises or falls on Town lot populations.

I'd humbly point out that if that if populating towns is the only fun to be had we are in big trouble.

Fortunately there a number of other brilliant features in the game people will have fun with.

Not everyone plays for life on the POT. I think it's hard to evaluate SOTA just on that.

 

I agree, except it's been the past months for me. I keep looking for the main systems to be more complete, more real content added, stability, and fun to be added. I know polish comes near the end in developments. I'm still patiently waiting and hoping it gets better so that I can start recommending it to people.

 

Who am I kidding Ice Queen? We both know I love SOTA too much to ever give up.

My gripe isn't with the lack of content or stability as it is with the recent introduction of COTO. I get it, from a purely capitalistic, "gotta keep the lights on" perspective I understand why they did it. In fact, in many ways it can make things easier, but in my experience anything worthwhile and truly valued never comes easy. Plus, I just can't shake the P2W feel that they give me...I dunno...verdict is still out for me on that front. THANKFULLY, our community and the social aspects of SOTA are what I truly love and are what so amazing about the game!

 

And we got too much money in it to give up right? We're in it for the long haul.

 

Money? What is this money that you speak of? I only deal in Crowns of the Obsidians!

 

Ive been jumping around looking at how other games do things, and we are far from P2W... FAR, and here is why.
Effort - How port has it set up, no matter what you buy, you have to put in effort to reap anything from it.

Deed/lots - These have been around for a while, they can give you the ability to make money via farming/vendor. But you actualy have to buy the mats and grow the stuff or go out a gather/kill for the vendor, you have to put in effort. Owning a home doesnt = insta gold.

COTO's - These can repair your gear or get you a small buff. But you still have to go and get the gear, ether gathering or crafting or saving up enough to buy.
having crowns doesnt = winning, it = maintaining.

Now if you look at other games (lets take some competition examples) like Black Desert. Black desert and shroud share ATON of systems, even down to camera and targeting functions, its all there.

Now they have a cash shop too where u can buy costumes and such. But on their costumes you get stuff like +fishing skill/x5 swimming speed or +Luck underwear. Noting the drops in that game are random % based, if you buy the luck+ gear you get better drop rates off bosses and stuff, and the fish costume u can buy makes you swim faster than the 1st boat you get, so most people just go for the costume.

Those are P2W cuz it requires 0 effort to get the benefits of it and theres nothing better ingame.

 

Deeds/Lots: Although, with renting, you get paid by players just for letting them use parts of your house or lot. Very little 'work' involved, if you're using a tax-free lot to rent out. As the only tax-free versions are obtainable through real-money transactions, this could be seen as pay-to-win. Some people might even be planning to grab entire lots during the land rush, and rather than selling them, just renting the lots to players who want to live in prime locations.. hmm, at least this practice would ensure the prime lot locations are 'active' if people are renting them..

COTO's: With COTO's, people can just buy and sell them using vendors to make gold in game.. not much 'work' there either, considering many people have obtained 'tax-free vendors' (again, only obtained through real-cash payments).

You make some great points, I just wanted to elaborate a bit on these two. ;-D

 

What I want to know is.. if player owned towns are the video to SotA's radio drama.. how many people these days prefer listening to radio dramas over watching a movie?