I'll chip in...

Discussion in 'New Player Experience Feedback' started by Volkang, Feb 16, 2018.

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  1. Volkang

    Volkang Avatar

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    After a couple days' hard play, I do have a few impressions, but this early on that's all they are. Nice graphics, reasonably smooth at this point, nicely varied landscape and such; actually the good impressions would require a book to fill, so, on to helpful critique. 1) A 40 'slot' (30) default bank is simply unusable with such a large item catalogue; buying extras is ok by me, but the default is just too small. 2) Fishing is...a little too frustrating. 3) Early resources not animal based, namely wood and ore, cotton and such, are just too hard to come by; some respawn/node count tweaking might be in order especially as the user base grows. 4) Butchering and cooking in the field would be nice at least as a weight saver, like we used to do with ore(s) and wood in UO . 5) The focus penalty for rapid-fire use is cool, but the overall costs and/or the unbuffed regen are slightly high; the higher costs (since we are in a desperate hurry, lol) could use a cast time reduction, maybe? That's enough for now, as it's late here and my brain hurts, but overall impression is that greatness is evident, and will live up to expectations. (But those expectations must be known to be met, right?) Great job so far!
     
  2. Elgarion

    Elgarion Dev Emeritus Dev Emeritus

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    Hi there :)

    I didn’t realize the default bank size was so small. I woulda guessed 100 if someone asked me.

    Curious, What thing(s) made you frustrated with fishing?
     
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  3. Vladamir Begemot

    Vladamir Begemot Avatar

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    :eek: You have Rapid Shot already? Whoazaaaah!
     
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  4. Kara Brae

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    It is so nice to have feedback from new players. The small default number of bank slots does make it necessary to purchase more slots. I've done that numerous times (only with in-game gold of course). Some beginner areas have more resources than others. Even at an intermediate level, I still frequently visit Kingsroad to mine sulfurous ash and can't resist taking the cotton, trees and ore while I'm there. By the time I have finished running around the scene, the Ash has respawned, so I could stay there forever if it weren't so boring :)

    It would be nice to be able to process raw materials in the wild. Luckily there are an abundance of Player-Owned-Towns everywhere that have crafting areas and vendors to sell loot to right by the entrance. I've learned which are the best and drop by to reduce weight when I'm far from my home base. NCP towns are often less convenient, with crafting areas far from the entrance.
     
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  5. majoria70

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    Thanks for providing feedback. Also really what many players find out early is that very few people rely on the banking system. So many of us offer free rooms or low rent to players since the rental system cane in game a few releases ago. We can all give tenant status to any door in our inns for players or houses. This makes it so you can place chests, decorate, and hang armor, etc on your walls. With tenant status I cannot open your chests or move or take any of your items and they would go to your bank if your permission ever ended so no worries about your items. Anytime if you would like a room hit me up in game or here. I am always happy to help. Then you can just get on with playing the game ;)
     
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  6. Time Lord

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    :rolleyes: Great feedback and insights to what is needed Avatar @Volkang :)
    A way of minimal existence is truly needed. The "instance" of a camp site is missing, which would be a place to cook from in the field. I would like to see such a minimal game-play become a meaningful yet attainable and sustainable life style for our players who wish for such a challenging SOTA lifestyle. Our friend @majoria70 is quite right about the ease of a friendly room being always available from many hosts. Our game does take away a player's feel or wish for independence in this way, which is something a well thought out and well programmed "camping instance" could provide for those wishing of such a play style.

    That camping instance seems like such a simple thing that we should overcome with ease, yet is not on any "to do list" that I've ever seen o_O which seems strange to me given it's strait forward simplicity, desirability and a truly honest need of it :confused: Remain Bold Avatar Volkang! ~Time Lord~;)
     
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  7. Volkang

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    With so many materials, in so many stages of production, needed in so many different quantities, for so many skills, to say nothing of a cute deco item for later and parts of an intricate item just one short of completion...ya, just not enough. Yes, I bought a couple, and at the current price most certainly will buy more, because, lets face it, no number will ever be enough (eventually) AND DON'T TRY TO DENY IT! Fishing? Well, the timer is way, way, too long; the percentages are meaningless, unless you just assume they all mean zero; too much non-fish stuff; moving makes no apparent difference....lol, just as frustrating as real-life fishing but with no pay-off. I intend to keep trying for a short while more, but not a lot of patience left for it. @Kara Brae, THAT is my idea of a day spent farming, but haven't hit the stride yet. To be followed by a day of crafting, to be followed by a day of consuming all that production, slobber, rinse, repeat til death. UO pretty much spoiled me for life I guess. Well, back to the grind to find out if I'm wrong or need more work.
     
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  8. LiquidBlaze

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    @Volkang You sound like you could benefit more from an apartment, it will solve all of those problems instantly, I'm willing to bet you will get multiple offers for free.
     
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  9. Volkang

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    @LiquidBlaze , most likely! I do not want to come off as being negative, as the game has awesomeness dripping all over it, but I'd like to experience things from the standpoint of a dispassionate newbie off the street. One chance to make a good first impression, and all. If I just wandered in to New Brit one day, would I have enough fun, surmountable challenge, interaction, etc, to make me stay? Just a few days in, of course, but if I didn't have any history with the UO, Wing Commander, Tabula Rasa, etc community, would I stay? I'm going to, of course, but would a cold turkey? Dunno, but that's how I'm approaching it; that was our commitment to Richard, wasn't it?
     
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  10. Volkang

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    Night cycle ridiculously long. Once I get settled in to a town/region that suits me, an option to transfer bank contents would be great, even as a paid service. Fishing still sucks.
     
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  11. Tamsen

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    I was also going to suggest King's Road, on the island of High Vale. Instead, I'll add that Solace Bridge is also a good place for a "youngster" to gather resources, with nothing to bother you but the occasional low level zombie. There are even oyster beds on the river bank near the bridge, and those are hard to find in the wild. They are best harvested at night for a greater yield.

    All the "outskirts" areas (Solace Bridge Outskirts, Highvale Outskirts, Blood River Outskirts) are low level and fairly resource-heavy. In the Perennial Coast area, East Perennial Trail is Tier 2, and pretty good for trees.

    Welcome to New Britannia.
     
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  12. Volkang

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    I will try to find them, ty much!
     
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  13. Volkang

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    Is Resolute ever NOT under siege?
     
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  14. Tamsen

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    This link will take you to the world map. I should have included it in my previous post. https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/map/
    Type the name of the city/town/zone you want to find and the map will show you where it is.

    The map also exists as a mini-map in the game. You might have to go into Settings and set up a keybind for it. I use both the in-game map and the browser map I linked to, because the browser map allows you to search, and even edit it with your own points of interest and brief notes, viewable only by you.

    Yeah, good luck going to Resolute or Ardoris or a lot of other places when they're not under seige. LOL. There's always one route through the seige that is "safer" than having to fight y0ur way through. Or, just run straight through knowing that if you die, you can keep on running to the other side as a ghost. If you're low level, you'll take no penalty for dying.

    Feel free to add me to your friend list.

    Happy Hunting.
     
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  15. Volkang

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    I'm not swayed by graphics, to be honest I was actually HOPING for another top-down 2D with all that gorgeous original UO art, but I have to say that having graphics this nice running this smoothly is impressive. Just had to get that out, sry.
     
  16. Volkang

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    Day whateveritis, first impressions haven't changed. Materials too scarce and vendor-bought requirements like wax, coal, and such are far, far, far, far, far too expensive considering how hard gold is to come by; night too long, fishing still sucks. Combat system seems to be pretty well thought out but feels like focus costs are too high and regen seems too low, but that could just be because I suck. Time to get back to it...
     
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  17. Alley Oop

    Alley Oop Bug Hunter Bug Moderator

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    eat food? doesn't have to be crafted, some of the baked good on npcs last for 20 minutes at a time

    edit: or mutton stew from bartenders
     
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2018
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  18. Volkang

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    Aye. I'm a totally shameless buff whore in every game I play, but as a total noob I'm trying to play like one. With materials so hard to come by I can't yet make any, and I can't afford to buy any, so I want to get the whole noob experience and report on it. Don't know if we've lost any of that by this time, but for the game to survive and thrive it's just fine polish to report. If it isn't helping or worthwhile, please someone just say so and I'll shut up!
     
  19. majoria70

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    @Volkang. You can get free buffs from devotionals. They last 9 hours. Also you can eat food you find like apples etc to see what buffs they have. Don't forget to talk to the Oracle every day for 500 gold and XP. Click on 'test' and say yes or no to the question of the day. For example my answer is yes-to courage question, yes to love, no to truth question.

    If you hover your mouse over towns either pots or Npc on the map you can tell if they have devotionals and Oracle's etc in them. You have to jump in the shrines water to get the buff and you can have 2 at one time as with 2 foods. Now you may know this already but just in case;) I rarely leave town without buffs.
     
  20. Numa

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    Check out every new town or city on the overland map and talk to the town crier to get 100gp (only once). Visit the Oracle confirmatory everyday and ask the Oracle to 'test' you. She will ask if you're faithful to the Path of Truth/Love/Courage. If you give the right answer that's 500gp. Enjoy and welcome to SOTA! :)
     
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