Getting sucked into "encounter" scenes on the world map...

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Barugon, Apr 14, 2018.

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  1. Sannio

    Sannio Lead Quest and Level Designer Moderator SOTA Developer

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    You shouldn't get dragged into a random encounter when you enter the overworld. You should have a few seconds of "immunity" during which time you can safely spawn in and run away from (or toward) any NPCs. You'll know you the immunity effect is active by the colorful swirly effect on your character that goes away a few seconds after you spawn into any scene. If you're getting pulled into an encounter while you have that immunity, or if your immunity is running out while you're loading in, then that sounds like a bug.
     
  2. Anpu

    Anpu Avatar

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    I still am curious how the different tiers work. I had assumed the terrain the player is standing on will then load the different tier levels. Roads are Tier 2 etc.... but I’ve been standing quite clearly on a road, but a higher tier area is loaded.... though it may be different for each type of overland creature.
     
  3. majoria70

    majoria70 Avatar

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    Couldn't encounters say you have successfully completed them or give a progress report of some kind? It seems too vague. The reason you are there is why? and did I do it right is what I hear form some new players. This happens too often that the game does not give feedback to what's happening and why. No ding sound that you have gotten something special or done something. Please can we get better notifications for our efforts?
     
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  4. Sannio

    Sannio Lead Quest and Level Designer Moderator SOTA Developer

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    The older style of encounters (still used by skeletons and bandits and some others) has all enemies as Tier 2 except for plains (no road) encounter, which had enemies that are tier 5. There are no waves or quest-givers in these.

    The new multi-wave encounters start with tier 2 and tier 3 enemies, but by engaging them (defeating some amount of that first wave) you can draw out a second wave of high-tier (maybe several tier 5, but possibly tier 10+) enemies.

    I should probably have also mentioned we have a couple of one-off encounters without enemies, like the one with Kurt who teaches the /spin emote.
     
  5. Anpu

    Anpu Avatar

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    Thanks Sannio!!

    Dang, haven’t stumbled upon Kurt yet. I’ll probably find him eventually.
     
  6. golruul

    golruul Avatar

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    FYI, in case you didn't know, once you complete the turn-in, you can't ever do it again for that turn-in NPC. So the repeatable quest has a small finite amount of times you can complete them (less than 20 I think total?).

    For instance, turning in the pilgrim thing to the altruist monk in Brittany Fields means you can no longer turn it in there ever again.

    It would be (much, much) better if these types of quests are truly repeatable and have a chance of giving the equipment each time. This, plus some token 1k xp + 500 gold or something, would be enough encouragement for me to actually do the encounters.
     
  7. Sannio

    Sannio Lead Quest and Level Designer Moderator SOTA Developer

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    I'm hesitant to add in special scene-wide broadcasts or in-chat messages to random encounters, if that's what you mean. Especially since random encounter don't have any overt goal, except maybe the obvious ones: kill and loot, if that's your choice.

    To contrast this with sieges: They have actual scene-wide goals that need to be fulfilled in order for success ("defeat the siege") to be tracked. It wasn't clear enough what was required or changing, so we added scene-wide messaging. Also, the new Compendium of Pain and Suffering has scene-wide broadcasts, but we were able to do it in a way that remains immersive and feels right.

    My goal is for us to continue adding simple wave battles in hotspots like random encounters, big enemy camps, puzzle completion area, etc. They'll become less of a vague exception and more of the normal expectation.
     
  8. Sannio

    Sannio Lead Quest and Level Designer Moderator SOTA Developer

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    You should be able to turn those quests in with the same NPC you did before. If you can't, then that's a bug and I'd appreciate you reporting so we can look into it.

    However, while you will still be rewarded, they'll only give you that truth/love/courage armor once (the first time you do the quest).
     
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  9. Alley Oop

    Alley Oop Bug Hunter Bug Moderator

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    when will we see the return of shandy chapman?
     
  10. majoria70

    majoria70 Avatar

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    In the beginning when we were getting encounters they were said they would have a purpose such as a dying man sitting next to a wagon gives you a quest to avenge him or get a stolen item for him etc.

    I have heard several complaints about completion notices being lost in the chat window and other notifications. This I would like to see fixed one day in some way. Also to me completion 'sound' notices are missing from this game. I have a friend not playing sota and when something special happens a sound goes off. We don't have those in this game. Also I do know the way to work around not seeing things in the chat windows and how to pull them out to customize them so that is not what I'm talking about.
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2018
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  11. Mischievous Dragon

    Mischievous Dragon Riparian Reaper

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    Getting sucked into encounter scenes on the world map SUCKS. That feature definitely needs more iterations because it is annoying players at the moment.
     
  12. Sannio

    Sannio Lead Quest and Level Designer Moderator SOTA Developer

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    I am honestly surprised each time someone mentions Mr Chapman. Does he actually have fans?
     
  13. Alley Oop

    Alley Oop Bug Hunter Bug Moderator

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    well, he wasn't usually a pleasant surprise when he was a surprise, but encounters are roving now.
     
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  14. Browncoat Jayson

    Browncoat Jayson Legend of the Hearth

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    He had a unique merchant inventory, when there wasn't a lot of variety. Wandering merchants were something a lot of us were hoping to see more of (along with gypsies, mercenaries, etc), since they were even shown in the prototype for Kickstarter.

    So yeah, Shandy Chapman has some fans.
     
  15. Sannio

    Sannio Lead Quest and Level Designer Moderator SOTA Developer

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    OK, I'm convinced. I made a Jira task for myself to re-add Shandy Chapman's random encounter back into the game. I don't know when that will happen, but it's now officially on "the list."
     
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  16. Lord Blackthorne

    Lord Blackthorne Avatar

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    Without incentive to stay in the scene, they are just an annoyance and side-track.

    That's why people run around them to avoid them because they have places to be.

    If, however, there was some cool aspect to them - some story advancing thing or some random-chance for a rare loot drop, etc... now that would be cool.

    Perhaps per random encounter you engage you have a chance to collect 1 of 10 paper scraps that when reassembled, provide a special quest which gives a special reward. Something neat like that.

    Again, players need incentive.
     
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  17. sarbonn

    sarbonn Avatar

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    I've done quite a few of these encounters, and the only guy who ever showed up was a guy representing the SPCA, stating that I've killed more than my limit of wild animals for the month and now I'd have to pay a fine. Stupid bureaucrats and their rules!
     
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  18. Lord Blackthorne

    Lord Blackthorne Avatar

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    Themed encounters per area type would also be cool. Near mines, you find yourself in a situation where you need to make a moral decision - battle through the mine to save someone from it collapsing for virtue's sake, or let the mine collapse in favor of collecting gold/items some bandits would otherwise get away with. Timed, moral decisions. Cool!

    And make the virtue one worthwhile too. Otherwise, that mine will collapse every time! ;-)
     
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  19. LoneStranger

    LoneStranger Avatar

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    "You catch a whiff of something new."
    "You feel a shift in the wind.
    "You hear something rustling in the distance."
    "A certain calmness falls upon you."
    "You hear the birds beginning to happily chirp."
     
  20. Alley Oop

    Alley Oop Bug Hunter Bug Moderator

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    https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/monk-quest.107347/

    (this is not the only report.)

    to my knowledge, bounty slips work and ecology surveys work (though there are several reports from people saying the aerie one doesn't, i think they were just trying the wrong one within aerie), it's just the prayer cards that only allows one per location.
     
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