Why does 2016 still feel like 2013 around here...?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Canterbury, Dec 2, 2016.

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  1. Canterbury

    Canterbury Avatar

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    At the 27 minute mark of the telethon video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLYsyud4lUaY0BpMkkrWshLpEc25jBc-3d&v=MtdU7IxrBGo ) a question is asked along the lines of, can we tell the devs what systems we like in other games, such as combat, for them to look at.

    The response is enthusiastic. Yes, absolutely! That would be awesome! After all, if stuff has been done a certain way for 20 years and works, of course Port would like to look at that! I'm paraphrasing here, but you can watch the video to see that I'm not making any of this up. Infact, please do go and watch the video.

    Now... I really, honestly, don't know where to begin with this.

    If this was early doors, back in 2013, and the devs were having a video Q&A, this would absolutely be the kind of question I'd like to have seen asked... and absolutely the kind of response I'd like to have seen be made... both in terms of the openness and the enthusiasm in general for this kind of thing.

    However, it's not 2013 anymore, it's 2016. Indeed, it's almost 2017...

    The game is persistent. I know that doesn't have the same connotations for some people than others, however, this game is "live". Whether you consider it launched or not is up to you. But the undeniable fact here with us in the room is that the game has advanced quite some way. It's not 2013 anymore.

    So I'm left wondering whether the devs are now on autopilot and if someone asks a question like this, "Sure! Absolutely!" is just a standard response now, whether it means anything or not. Or whether we really are at a point where everything is still up for grabs, like combat, and huge changes might still be afoot.

    It's a conundrum for me in one major way. Namely, I don't think the game is very good at all and even if I can imagine quite a bit of spit and polish on how it looks now, I still don't think it's a very good game. For me, the thought that everything is still up for grabs is kind of appealing in some way. It's hopeful.

    But at the same time, I've watched on for years at this point... watched money being raised again and again and again and again... saw more novelty clothing items and emotes than I needed in a lifetime... and I truly think that, several years on, things should be a lot better than, "What ideas do you have, folks?"

    Does anyone else feel that way? That you wish the game was different, yet at this point in development, the game should be very definitely one thing, and running with that, so people can make the determination, 1) Yes, I like this or 2) No, I don't like this... and we could all just get on with our lives?
     
    Last edited: Dec 2, 2016
  2. craftymethod

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    I dream of a near seamless open world, npc's understand what "time" means, (and can actually hold a convincing conversation)

    The towns are bustling with npcs just waiting for a dragon to come down and make them scatter, weather and clouds that are modeled around a sphere and are dynamic with the seasons (kites ftw)

    Boats can be taken to the open ocean, with spray coming over the bow and not see the water glitching so you can see it inside the boat like every other boat game,

    Atmospheric sound that rivals Wow, and the ability to atempt to get wood from almost any tree in the game.

    Oh and a game that tricks us in doing some real world community science.

    Ahhh the sweetNess of such dreams.
     
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  3. Boris Mondragon

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    I share your dream crafty of a boat taken to the open ocean, to be more specific a pirate ship firing on other ships if in a guild war. It is one of the few reasons I am sticking around.
     
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  4. craftymethod

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    I'm the meantime I'll be playing blackwake soon. Fire the cannons!
     
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  5. Ashlynn [Pax]

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    I know how you feel but I am beyond analysing specifics at this point and I don't believe my opinion matters much anyway. Right now I'm just watching how things unfold. I still see some promising progress in some areas, while many things make me shake my head. A lot of things I guess.

    I haven't sold my backer pledge nor will I - I backed to bring this game to life. I always knew it might not be what I wanted. I feel it would be... I dunno - not quite right to try and claw that back. I also still have hopes that things will work out in the long term. That is why I still check in. But if it doesn't I have plenty of other things to play. And I will still drop by to say hello to old friends from time to time.

    I still wish this game and the developers all the best. I don't believe they set out to disappoint people like me. It is just how things end up sometimes. (but you know, give me dark souls combat and all is forgiven - I'll grind for CotA in open PvP all day... =P)
     
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  6. Canterbury

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    It sounds like we're on basically the same page. I just don't know if I should be packing up the wagon and moving on, or whether comments like on the video suggest a lot can still change -- even though that seems illogical to me.
     
  7. DancingShade

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    A lot of cool things (like boats we can sail in) are in part 2 because the team wanted to avoid scope creep preventing the episode 1 deliverables being put into the builds or core systems being worked on. I know exactly how you feel as I'd like those awesome things too!

    But we'll get them, eventually. Once episode 1 is sorted there will be a lot more freedom of scope for the team to add in more things people would like in order to improve the game.
     
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  8. mercster

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    Actually, I think you're a tad off base here. Community participation is going to grow from this point on, not shrink.

    For the last few years they have been hard at work on the foundations, the "systems" layer of the game, upon which all the subtleties and detail will be laid. It is now, when the intricacies are being worked out, when balance is happening, where players will have more to influence. And if these ideas come from other games, so be it.

    Try doing what they ask for...? :) Suggest ways that other games solve problems you see, and it might be constructive.
     
  9. Canterbury

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    I understand what you are saying... and why you believe that... but if someone points out a system that is utterly brilliant and not present in SotA, the question is whether a massive change could/would be made to accommodate it.

    Which comes back to what I was saying... is the game still as malleable as the video suggests? On one hand that could be a strength. On the other hand it's a weakness. Part of me thinks the game should know its own mind by now.
     
  10. Birko

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    David Bowie died, and world standards are sadly reduced.
     
  11. mercster

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    Well, no...at this point a huge system that is brilliant that requires massive change is probably not in the cards. Those decisions were made a long time ago. I'm saying that what IS to be done now (the polishing, balancing, adding onto systems already in place) have a lot of room for player input, moreso even than before.
     
  12. Parson Barr

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    This is important to understand I think. When you plan a huge building you definitely have some leeway on the internals. You can shift rooms, repurpose spaces, run new services, but you can't necessarily change the base structure or how the elevators work after a certain point. Sometimes a retrofit isn't possible or practical.

    This game will always be iterative. That's the way of games going forward I think. I don't expect it to remain the same since they obviously plan to be here for another few episodes. Some of these great ideas might simply be long term goals.

    They let us in from the very beginning and I'm having a ball watching.
     
  13. Canterbury

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    Which is the whole point of the thread. The question and comment in the telethon sort of leads the viewer to believe that sort of thing could still be possible, which I see as illogical, and why I'm querying it :)
     
  14. Weins201

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    Been saying this to them at least 4 months before it happen, and they still "test" stuff out in the game that has a lasting affects. Last night in Ulfheim is a perfect example of what a developer should NEVER do - turn on game speed up for some players, it did not affect a lot of players sooooooooo (oh and forgot) - WEAK.

    Y E S - I have spent a good deal of money on a game that did not have one mention of how much crap is being done for PvP - I even bought a POT, which will never be made as it was sold (pick from a template) and tools are coming - but it will be after a whole new fresh built NPC / PVP town is not only built designed but has special mechanics added in to allow for housing to be won? Not to mention that targeting is still not fixed or working the way it should but . . .

    but this is how it is because you already paid them so you can walk away or try as you are to make a valid strong all be it negatively objective post.

    BTW this is the second well done and thought out post questioning what is going on . . . . .(not by me)
     
  15. Canterbury

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    Cheers, I appreciate the comment. Truly, I'm quite interested in what the comment on the video means... how deep it runs... basically, how far they'd actually take it. I have my own thoughts, of course.
     
  16. 2112Starman

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    yes, the game itself is now kinda in "milk" mode for the devs since they probably have enough money rolling in to sustain this size.

    How can you tell?

    All 2016 they talked about its official release by the end of the year. Over the past 2ish months, it started with a squeak and now its a low murmur that release would be 1Q 2017 and Ive even heard signals now that it will be later. Look at the game yourself and you know we will be lucky to see it roll out in 2017.

    They key is that in their "transparency" they completely forgot to be transparent about release date. There has been absolutely no discussion anywhere about why release dates are being pushed back. All you hear is "well, we will do that before release in early 2017".

    To be honest, they have a what 30 person team and other then some care-bear fluffy 3D stuff created for sale, what real meaty content have we seen created in the last quarter?

    Maybe I see this and you may not because I am a computer person and have been a programmer and spent 5 years building a NeverWinterNights persistent world on my own that serviced over 200,000 players in its life. I, by myself fee like I create content faster then this 30 person team at times.

    To much partying going on with the dev team now if you ask me.
     
  17. Beaumaris

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    I wouldn't put too much stock in answers like that.

    Clearly a number of shots were involved....
     
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  18. 2112Starman

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    yes, the dev's were all drunk off their buttox's with 3 hours left in the telethon, lots and lots of shots involved.
     
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  19. Rada Torment

    Rada Torment Community Ambassador (ES)

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    Actually for me 2016-17 does not feel like 2013. The game, the community, the development.. all these things have been improved. I like what Portalarium is doing with the game, their vision of the game and how they interact with the community.

    One of the things I have learned in the past 20 years of online gaming; learn to enjoy the journey and stop thinking about what is coming in the future. No one of us knows what is coming. Developers can not even guess how the game will looks in two or three years.

    Try to have fun playing, and if you can't feel that, stop playing, be patient and play anything else.
     
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2016
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  20. Bubonic

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    I've never really been OK with that. The lack of professionalism in those hangouts is what led me to stop watching quite a while ago.
     
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