How do you feel about the land rush? Would an alternative lot distribution option be viable?

I don't think that's quite right. Many are participating to escape the cruel and unfair real life - not to participate in this cruel and unfair life inside the game again. The whole discussion about the land rush is more and more disgusting - as it is the hazzle about a part of the game many won't reach and lose interest in SotA quickly.

Selling housing only via pledges will leave a big part of the community without a place except the bank-accounts. That's because whenever you get the ingame-gold to buy a lot most of them will be taken and the rest is so far away that is not interesting to get there. Listen to a veteran of the Trammel-landrush: many ppl left or were disappointed for not getting the part of the land they fevered for months. And this will happen again. I know it is the modern concept to sell in advance and then hand out the service to the players (no monthly fee anymore). But this may be a bad concept. A fee and included instanced housing (like DAoC or LotRO) would bypass the upcoming troubles. But now it's too late - the train is up and running. Nevertheless there should be a plan B ...

 

Speaking for myself, the thought of buying/selling player property was never even on my radar when I first heard about Shroud, and throughout the development, it has never peaked my interest. I accept it's a part of the design by the Devs for better or worse (their game, after all), but it's not something I personally agree with or enjoy. We may live in a capitalist society in RL; I prefer not to partake of its excesses in a fantasy entertainment setting.

 

never said that wasn't gonna happen. in fact i applaud that players can elect to use in-game funds as opposed to real money, for almost everything. i kinda wish it was for everything though. fact is, it is still a business and some rules apply weather folks like it or not.

don't need to. i was there.

as i've said already several times, i'm not participating "Because, Reasons" and that is one of them. all of those reasons are mine, and i wish not to proselytize them, because i want every backer with deeds to make their own decision here. i'm not arguing against the idea, because it has merit and has a fairly high value of 'fun' for others. if it CAN be done right, i HOPE it is. yet another experiment port is doing for the gaming industry - as i've supported the others to date, i don't see how i should not support this one, even with my misgivings.

and that is their choice to make. i however make a different choice - i can not believe that a business will entirely divorce the two with a clean break. i do not think it is possible. life, and even the entire entertainment industry is based on one single idea: conflict sells. anyone who believes otherwise is deluding themselves. and again, that is their choice to make.

it is not my cup of tea either. hence "Because, Reasons".

the part that got me riled up here was how people are claiming is is unfair and getting butthurt about it all. quit complaining and enjoy the entertainment folks.

 

When you mix RL monies with it, people tend to get protective and sometimes weird about things that then will affect their investment and any perceived returns.

I agree, the whole idea of "fair" is more than a little skewed on all sides, since the intent has been pretty clear for speculation to happen. It's only going to be as fair as the Devs decide and want it to be, and the market will then decide for itself after the rush.

 

Ok - call it a bad design-decision. How many have backed the game including a lot so far? Is the number in any way comparable to other rpgs who are in business for years now? Some say now: No need. But on the contrary. Constant game devs need money to go on or development will stall. Seen so often in the last 20 years. Even one of Richards games 'tabula rasa' went this way. I could ignore the development but many ppl have waited for this special game now for so long ... I don't want it to see flop because of the "fun of few".

 

nor do i - some small things, however, need to change in the western world of gaming, as they are causing the industry to stagnate here - they work fairly well on the eastern front, but here in the west we just can't be spoon fed crap anymore.

so many small things in this game are going against the current grain of the industry, and i really hope they take off because it can certainly help to re-empower the gamers/customers, so the big ugly corporate monsters don't turn us into mindless drones like they'd prefer..

 

There's nothing wrong with niche gaming. Hell, going offtopic a bit, but that's one of the things that got crowdfunding going so strong was for developers to make THEIR stuff, without having to worry as much about whether or not it fit the corporate mindset.

I'm personally not going to sweat and worry about the housing stuff until the final wipe and rush are done, so we can actually see how it pans out. There's too many unknowns and unforeseen conditions to occur yet, and I think people are going more stir-crazy just having to wait for the clock to run down at this point. It's like being a kid at Christmas being told to wait to open presents until July

 

i agree, there is nothing wrong with niche gaming, but this isn't really a niche game like i thought it was going to be at first. it isn't a bad thing, and i think swaying away from the niche market was a smart move for the longevity of the project overall. i'm certainly glad some of the nichieness has stayed though. certainly gives it personality.

 

I have a place in a small village and in a area I like so am hoping to stay there, in fact I feel I am pretty safe. I did not care for the land rush in UO but always had a house. Never could afford a castle

 

Everyone should have to use their highest level deed first during priority placement.

Then allow people to claim lower level lots with their deed if they wish. But irrevocably make that deed of the lower tier.

Someone with a castle deed, knowing they have a castle lot reserved in a PoT can use their castle deed to claim a valuable village lot if they wish, but their castle deed permanently becomes a village deed.


Then everyone is getting what they have paid for.

 

"a valuable village lot" - amusing, really, that you simply assume it holds more value than anything in a player owned town, and speak of it as fact.

all lots are only as valuable as the person who claims it, believes them to be.

here's an example: for me, all lots regardless of size, have zero intrinsic value to me if they are in a player run or npc town.
here's a second example: any lot in my pot, has real value to me, even those that are reserved for others.
here's another example: for anyone who hates pots, for whatever reason they have, any pot lot has zero intrinsic value to them.

none of those examples are factual, however every single one is a truth.

moral of the story: do not assume that one lot has actual value over another. it is all perception and speculation. demanding something in return, for this entire situation is ludicrous.

 

Here's my feeling about land rush:

Speculating about the speculators who are speculating about lots in the speculation that they can grab one in their preferred location and sell it later for a speculated profit is the kind of speculation that hurts my brain and gives me the dumb.

 

There is entirely too much speculation in the previous post.

 

There will be enough LOTS for everyone with a house to find a spot, several times over. Every house +30% will have a lot in either an NPC or PRT. Then you add on the THOUSANDS of lots available in POTs.

Say you decide to live in a POT and the POT owner kicks you out. Who cares? Move your stuff to another POT and inform everyone of your troubles.

There is no shortage of lots. There is a shortage of perceived good lots. Perception is in the eye of the beholder and what is valued today very likely will be garbage tomorrow.

My predictions, almost no one will be happy with the lot they receive due to jealousy. Everyone will get a lot and there will be a huge number of free lots. A lot of excessive drama when reality is any plan will have loop holes and people taking advantage of the system.

Ultimately those to blame for any problems during this land rush are not the Developers, rather US the gamers. So lets settle down and just make the most of a bad situation. Enough effort has been spent on this topic. Lets move forward and put this upcoming disaster behind us.

 

I'm going to be very please with both of my lots. I was just playing on them.

 

Nuh uh!

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for good connections and stable servers. It's probably going to be a madhouse on the land rush day

 

Which day of the month is "Land Rush Day"?

My opportunity comes some 9 days after the beginning of THE LAND RUSH!!! and by the time my opportunity begins, slightly less than 300 people will have already had their opportunity.

People seem to be expecting madness... if the servers can't handle the number of people that will be 'rushing' at any given time, we're all in very serious trouble.

 

I'm thinking more as people are logging in, getting to their spots, clicking to see who can put the lot down first. I remember the UO housing rushes on a few servers, it was somewhat crazy. The staggered approach will hopefully make it less hectic, but I imagine there will be folks keeping minute by minute updates on what lots are still available where

 

A whole lot of people are going to have to drink a lot of coffee, and possibly make use of some more potent stimulants, to maintain that level of engagement for a month.

 

I would like to see 25% of lots given out before the rush to the guys who started donations started this and only one lot per account. this removes a lot of the rush and can look good to the backers . and 10% held for players after the rush this gives players a chance to get good spots even if there unlucky in finding a place at that time. just a thought . ps I'm not a kick start backer so I'm with the lower rush so this wount help me but I think its a good way t0 go 35% clamed before the rush