A new players impression of the deck system

Mac's deck building tips. Skills that you definitely need when you need them, those get locked. Things like stances, shields, buffs, heals.

The easy button deck. One of my favorite deck styles is the 9 locked, 14 glyph unlocked all in one spot deck, I call it the easy button deck. I will give an example of it. 1- dash locked, 2-ice field locked, 3- 5 earthquakes 5 discharge 4 death fields all unlocked all in one spot, 4-death field locked, 5- fortify defenses locked, 6-soothing rain locked, 7-deflect locked, 8-death shield or shield of ice locked, 9- defensive stance locked and 10- chaotic feedback locked. This is an example of an aoe deck without any stacking. As you can see, all your offensive abilities go in one spot so once your buffed, your just hitting one key, unless a buff runs out or is about to run out, you just cast it again.

The 5 stack one skill deck. I will give an example with my stack ring of fire aoe deck. 1- dash locked, 2- ice field locked, 3- 5 fireballs 5 death fields 1 earthquake, 4- 5 ring of fire, 5- 5 ring of fire, 6-soothing rain locked, 7-deflect locked, 8-death shield or shield of ice locked, 9- defensive stance locked and 10- chaotic feedback locked. Similar to the easy button deck, but you stack the ring of fire when you see both spots have it up.

The one skill pounder or trainer deck. 1- dash locked, 2- 5 obsidian arrows, 3- 5 obsidian arrows 5 chain lightning 5 lightning bolt 1 mind lock, 4- 5 lightning bolt, 5-mind lock or healing touch locked, 6-soothing rain locked, 7-deflect locked, 8-death shield or shield of ice locked, 9- defensive stance locked and 10- shield of air locked. This deck takes a bit of skill to get it rolling, as you have to stack from spot 3 onto spot 2 and 4 the right skills and mind lock if skills 2 and 4 are going to drop. Once you have spots 2 and 4 all 5 stacked though, it becomes easy button pretty much, just firing the same skill, and the one mind lock to keep everything locked. If your mind lock is level 110 or so, you can just have the locked mind lock and use one other skill instead.

 

I don't use R key now at all, just press the appropriate keys together, ie: 1+2 etc, no R is needed nowadays and makes it much easier.

One thing i have noticed with games is if my my monitor is to big and I'm to close i cant see all of the screen without moving my head, so i have always stuck with a 22 inch monitor where i can see everything without having to move my head at all to see things on the screen and find it helps a lot with cursory glances at the hotbar etc.

 

Card combat is great.....

 

I do the same (I actually remapped the R key to auto attack). I use a 37" monitor, so there's definitely some of that going on. It's not too bad once I acclimate to a deck, but as soon I make a significant change, my eyes are spending a lot of time on the hotbar again. For guys who make a specific deck for each encounter, it must take forever to acclimate to that.

 

I think it's biggest problem is the combat's pacing; it's too fast.

Slow down the shooting and the swinging and make each attack have more impact and we'll have less of a twitchy, run-around-in-circles combat system. It's an RPG, so long as it's not so slow that it becomes turn-based, people will enjoy it.

Hell, I might be able to take the time to read what the monsters are saying.

 

I agree 100%

 

Very interesting idea. May actually enhance the appreciation of what the skill or combo does and make combat more intense and tactical. Gotta be worth a look?

 

The deck system is the one topic that keeps popping up pretty regularly so I guess it is definitely a deal-breaker for some players.

Let us face it, at this stage of the game, combat is not very exciting part of SOTA. It does involve some strategy building your deck though, but combat itself is not varied.
I tried to adapt and I still hope this will click with me someday. I prefer different playstyle - I have many years of EQ2 playing Wizard so this is how my most recent (2 years dated though) hotkey setup looks like:



These are hard-earned spells, abilities and potions - why shouldn't I be able to utilize them all?

1. Different players and/or classes require different levels of micro-management during combat. For some players 2 hotkeys is enough, for others 50 is a bare minimum.
2. Deck system forces me to watch cards all the time during combat. Combat is boring enough, but watching cards being dealt to me quickly becomes a chore.

So why don't they implement "choose your playstyle" system instead? You mant to hack'n'slash with your mouse? Okay, You want to experience SOTA in a Quake-like combat mode? Here you are. Do you like randomness of the deck system? As you please. Want 10 x 10 hotkeys on your screen? You got it.

And you know what? I believe players will utilize the system offering most versatile, enjoyable and immersing way to play. No strings attached.

 

Wow that's impressive. I also played EQ2 for perhaps a year and a half and so many other mmo and single players to mention. I still visit it once in a while , well or I will once I re-download it on my new computer that is. Hmmm well why are you constantly watching your deck? There is really no need, just set it up for yourself. I have major bludgeons hits on my first 4 slots, then ranged like ice arrow, fire arrow, obsidian arrow on 5, buffs and some misc on 6, heals on 7 etc. I know where my stuff is. I don't need to watch my deck. I find the deck system fun and different and constantly improving. I play healer quite often and I watch the players, true the targeting system is such a downfall to healers and just in general, but the dev team does know this and it will be fixed as we go along. And I now do like the combat system very much at first I did not see how it could be good, but it is improving release by release and targeting will too.

 

Okay, I agree with you, but I also fully understand those who tell us of their frustration with this system (let's say I am in the middle - I am not too happy but not too frustrated yet).

I can see how this system is good: if ever Portalarium dreams about moving SOTA to mobile platform (a logical next step if you want to command the game market and insure your income) then this simple 10-hotkey'd interface is immediately mobile-friendly.

But there is a trick here. Basically SOTA forces you to go with random deck, because locked glyphs cost more to cast and they have initial cooldown (very inconvenient, believe me!) So yeah, you can put copies of the same glyph into the same slot so you don't have to watch what you pop each time it's ready, but what is the reason not to lock it then?

Does this feature mean more income for Portalarium? I doubt it because some players would not be able to adapt to the concept of being penalized for playstyle they are most comfortable with.

One of the reasons for randomness of the deck system is to make PVP combat less predictable because some of the "winning combos" won't be available in every fight and initial locked glyph cooldown is a sure death. I can see no immediate effect on PVE encounters because you can choose the moment you engage and initial cooldown basically serves as an added pre-fight delay. So this deck system mostly effects PVP combat (definitely not the main feature of SOTA). I wonder if there are possible changes coming this way... A game which can be experienced with different playstyles would be truly revolutionary.

 

I do lock some things. When I heal I definitely have resurrect locked and a copy of heals locked, buffs I let rotate but make sure I have copies of what I need most randomized. I also avoid doing dmg while healing since it lessens healing ability and I always eat food to improve the situation. Everyone has their own idea of what they would like to see. I am always learning to work with this system and changes and fixes that continue to come our way and that for me is the exciting part. I want to learn to heal better and to watch my focus and to need to change up and try different things. I like that challenge. So everyone feels like they feel . I know others make points are valid and valuable so we don't miss things in making the system better and the game better too. . So of course thank you for caring enough to provide your feedback.

 

Path of least resistance: players tend to choose the most effective way to do things even if it's the most destructive to their own enjoyment of the game.

In your most recent post, you said:

So even you're practicing the path of least resistance. The option is there for you yet you decide opt for a different method because you concluded that it's more efficient.

The reason to not lock it is to manually control how often you get to draw the glyph while you can still control exactly where it's going to pop up on your bar. I can effectively put 3 glyphs of the same skill on one button, and shuffle it with another glyph with a different skill... and you get no cooldowns.

I do believe they removed the extra cost of locked skills, though.

It's already trying to do that and a good amount of us believes that they're loosing focus because of this.

 

I think the SOTA deck system is (as far as MMO's go), strange, unique and intriguing. It seems purposeful, as with SOTA in principle, to break the mold of current cut and paste MMOs. That aside, I actually enjoy and appreciate the deck system for PVE, especially at higher skill levels, as it provides choices and rewards for 'getting it right'. I haven't yet tried Mob-Boss killing in balanced Groups or PVP as the game currently lags too much for me and is feature incomplete, but I would expect some complaints with the open deck style in these situations as its undeniable that one spends a lot of time looking at the deck and this results in being static and less attentive and dynamic as to what's going on around you.

That said, I've watched vids of magic users in PVP and they seem pretty cool with the system, maybe its melee that's the challenge in PVP with the open deck or maybe its just experience and capability?. However, high level melee characters could use a fixed deck in PVP and Boss battles if they get good heals and buffs. Those that can multi-task, use KB combo's move and fight and drink tea - I bow to you anyway.

 

I prefer both. I have some locked glyphs and some unlocked glyphs.

 

I assume that at 160 you would get a sixth glyph. I'm not sure if 160 is achievable though.

 

I just want to point out that unless you engage in PvP, it's not a competition.

 

Or compete in the economy.. or crafting.. or anything involed in ownership of property.
Its all a competition.

You got that house deed because you worked for it. That lot was taken because i beat you to it. Your stuff isnt selling because i got more of it quicker and can sell for less. That farm spot was filled because i can run it quicker.

Bascially the only way that is true is if your play offline single player =)

 

i.. actually never considerd this before in SOTA but i think i agree.
Make a movement debuff based on dmg (so assisns are viable and poisons in PVP make sense )
.. slow the pacing of the game so PVP isnt 3 casts dead lol..

the PVE would need to be better for this tho,

 

I got that deed because I ether bought it or entered a raffle.

I picked my lot based on factors other than just selling stuff to other players.

I have no desire to turn this game into a second job.

SPO.

If you really feel that you have to compete with other players rather than just having fun then... enjoy.

 

He was first in Parrots Roost even though he could have picked any NPC town at that point, and then he goes and takes a part of the island still uninhabited with a number of lots. I think he acts as he says, which is a rare quality and even rarer to be making choices not based on gaining an edge in any form of play.