Are there any plans to boost the game?

For now, yes, but just wait for a low pressure system to move through and then we should begin to see some condensation.

 

I recently started playing, well replaying Baldur's Gate, the enhanced edition. They tweaked some things in the interface which was desperately needed for modern hardware and changing sensibilities with regards to how game interfaces have matured over the past few decades... but even with those changes, the nostalgia is only holding me so much. It's still clunky, it's very dated and while there's a compelling story and fun voice work...

If they whipped the whole story up in a modern engine, with far superior controls, 3D that could be looked at in Iso, first person or over the shoulder and did some kind of hybrid action/strategy... I would prefer to play that game, hands down.

There's less of an "action" element to SotA, it feels much more like Ultima and Ultima Online than any other games that I have played in some time as well. Yeah, there are nuances and differences due to the skill trees and glyphs, but that's just a natural evolution of game play mechanics. I would imagine that if we continued to see more Ultima games released in the past two decades, what we have with SotA today, would be somewhere around what Ultima would have evolved into, over time.

More processing power, more memory, games with piles of options and things to level all over the marketplace? A hypothetical continuing UO series would have to to evolved a bit and may have gone to somewhere between Dragon's Age and the Ultima we used to know with regards to interface and options.

Change happens, the dragons of the past are in the past. Time to slay new dragons.

 

During my time in the game (only 800 hours) I asked other gamers and MMO fans what they thought of the game. No one had heard of it, even Ultima enthusiasts. They would ask me if it was any good. I did not know what to say. It was awkward.

 

Agree with this and the orher posts relating to the new player experience; it is just too messy.
A brief introduction to movement and interaction mechanics, then new players are dunped into the main game world, no guidence on how general game mechanics work, few (if any) other players around, and an array of expensive player owned homes demonstrating the wealth of the biggest backers.
This is not a pleasant experience.
I believe new players should initially be in a truly seperate, safe, starting area with restricted access. This area should have introductary quests which explain the wider game mechanics, how combat, decks, gathering, and crafting work, and the principal of the xp pools.
Think a version of UO's Haven.

The first thing people see should absolutely not be the great wealth divide of private homes.

 

So what did you end up saying? How did they react? Man, what a Cliff hanger.

 

Couldnt agree more. New players must not be made to feel inferior to high early backers (myself included).
Theres got to be achievable goals to work towards, people want what they see.

COTO should play a greater role in the game, it would encourage purchase if more things could be purchased direcrly with them, or more easily with them. Why not have an interface coto shop, available anywhere - given they are purchased for real money its not as if having physical vendors adds RP value???

 

Because most don't use Steam for SotA. It's just a fact. The game was out way before it was available on Steam as well, so most of the original backers and early pledgers were using the regular version of the game.

 

SotA is da best!! The End.

 

Agian.. confirmed... 30% use steam.

Its the largest gaming platform and essentially just being on it is advertising for Sota they will strugglr to get anywhere else.

It should be one of their top concerns and priorities to be a game competitively and presented postively on.

 

you can point them to the Free Trial... they can try it and judge it for themselves...

 

I actually did that once; pointed someome to a free trial on Steam. Of course it didn't exist... they didn't bother in the end.

Some people cant be bothered with individual launchers just to try something. At least if its on Steam they can start the download and play something else very easily.

Port need to make the game easy to access for a trial.

 

I agree. And they should scrutinize the marketing material more carefully.

For example, in the latest Release 55 video trailer, they included scenes with a lot of choppiness, making it look like a bad 90's game:

1. 00:44 - 00:45 (avatar running)
2. 01:04 - 01:08 (a mix of some very choppy fight scenes)

http://www.jeuxonline.info/video/14477/bande-annonce-mise-jour-55-shroud-of-the-avatar

 

The latest video is a laugh. Shows the player avatar running through an empty Novia. I mean completely empty, doesn't even meet one single other player. Makes the game look worse than the reviews. Unless of course they are trying to advertise SOTA as a solo offline experience, which probably only 1% of people play it like that?

 

I agree.
Sota iMo isnt a BAD game.. it just isnt an RG game.. and they fail to understand they need to highlight strengths.. and fix weaknesses of it JUST to get it up to par.

 

All in all I'm gonna walk away from SoTA with a positive experience, I truly love the lore of Ultima and this game has been really fun and definitely captured some of that for me and extended the nostalgia.

I loved the experience to own property and even I enjoyed the crazy grinding for a bit as well.

And I like crafting and hanging out in my town.

They just needed a more savvy marketing and social media presence early on, less heavy handed moderation in the forums from like, 8 different mods I've been moderated by over the years now, all with vastly different styles (Berek was the only good one)
and also the graphics needed to be better quicker, the game got a bad rep and I can't even convince long time Ultima aficionados to play the game anymore let alone casuals.

It is what it is, I'm gonna ride it out as long as it lasts.

 

I'm so glad someone finally asked this question:

I like:

Being able to log in whenever I want and work on whatever I want without feeling pressure to hurry up and finish it, to be on par with everyone else
Having a lot of things to do besides grind and pvp.
Leading my guild with my amazing guildmates and friends, and working with them on projects.
Meeting new people.
Collaborating with other guilds.
Guild hunts, parties, events, fundraisers, contests.
Roleplaying different characters, like my little goblin girl.
I do like grinding every once in a while if I need a break from guild stuff and need ore or beetles.
I like exploring new places and revisiting old ones.
I like the telethons and contributing money to the game, I would pay a monthly fee for it but telethons give us some cool items, I mean star wars themed items??? what other game has done something like that?!
I like seeing things get better in the game, because they do.
I am enjoying the new release since I logged in tonight.
I like that the devs DO listen to us, and are listening to our good and bad opinions.
I run a costume vendor, and don't make a lot of gold for it, but I do sell a lot from it. It's just cheap stuff. I like costumes and we have more and more items to use.
I like decorating, and organizing my stuff from time to time.

There is a lot about this game that someone can appreciate, it's a lot of little things and some big things. Just because there are some who are still unsure about this game, doesn't mean it's going to fail. It just means things need addressing, and I do believe that they are. What you are seeing here in the threads is a lot of the same complaints being said again and again. Valid they may be and they DO need to be said. But it's time to learn from the mistakes of the past and move forward. That is how you progress.

 

In some situations that's true. In a situation, however, where the game is only freshly launched and its jettisoned half its staff, I think the hard questions need to be asked. Hiding them under the carpet is over.

 

Hi can you clarify and elaborate on this please? I really just want a better understanding of what sorts of design decisions would be in conflict with RMT that would otherwise make this game better. Thanks!

 

I also like many of the things about this game that others have mentioned, but there’s one thing that nobody has said yet which I like!

The SotA Music!!
​

My favorite track/tune is the one that is played in Novia Market i think.. (or was it Britt Mart?)
sorry, i’m not at home so cannot confirm..

I can listen to it all day, and it makes me happy while playing the game. lol

 

I think the music is the best part of the game...