It's not just "Tooltips" that could use clarification and/or "adjustments"

I think I'll let this loading screen "tip" speak for itself......

 

What's the issue with this tip? Sorry, I'm not sure I see where the issue is with this one.

 

The phrase, "gain experience", could be changed to, "increase". That better states what happens. It depends how much you want to expose/ explain.

 

seems correct to me as is?

 

I got a issue about that, not specifically about the description but the application in game... I just added Ranged Defense as a shield skill... you would think it would improve whenever the game determines you've used your shield against a ranged attack, but instead it just improves whenever you use your shield passively at all, even in close combat. That seems inconsistent from how you improve other skills in the game. I don't know if this was an oversight or what.

Anyway, the text in the tip is just literally copying what it says in the Skills window for most passive skills; there, it distinguishes passive skills from active skills, which are said to only increase when that one specific skill is used, while because a passive skill can't be used directly, the game speaks of "relevant skills."

I think this is an "OK" description for those who know the game, though I think it can be confusing to new users, particularly out of context from the Skills window, like as a loading screen tip. It raises the immediate question of "what is relevant?" and "why doesn't the skill raise itself?"

Technically, you can argue that whenever a passive skill is being activated in the game, its being "used", so you don't need to distinguish passive from active skills and speak of "relevant skills", but I do get the intent. You do have one skill at least, Safe Fall, which is more specific because you don't have any other skills related to it, so it just says that it improves when "...you take damage from falling." That does make me wonder why they don't just use more specific language in each instance. Like for Blades passives "This skill will gain experience each time you use a blade" You go into the Crafting section and the skills there are all passive and yet the text speaks of "relevant skills" being used. What are the relevant skills being used when mining? It seems there's only one skill, and that's mining. It seems like that should read "This skill will gain experience each time you practice mining" or something like that.

As for the loading screen tooltip, apart from the language, on some level I'm not sure why it exists at all. Either a player has been introduced properly to the skills window or not. And the tutorial in the beginning of the game should introduce him to the skills window. Then, any time after the tutorial, when the player is most likely to see the tip (because how many loading screens do you have before you pass the tutorial?), its useless. But a lot of the loading screen tips are like this. They give you information the game should have already taught you by then.

 

I don't think it's on the screen long enough to matter.

 

I can see how this phrase would confuse new players. Let me remind everyone here that SotA's leveling system is quite unusual (and interesting as well).

For those who didn't get the potential source of confusion, let me explain:
You'll never, ever gain experience by using a skill that is set to training. This action will consume XP from the pool instead.

 

But your skill will gain experience, as it will increase in levels, or the green bar underneath will increase in size.

That's what I read, skill will gain exp, not player.

 

Yes, but it may be misleading for new players nonetheless.

 

A player who hasn't read the instructions, the actual instructions, is even less likely to speed read what is in our loading screens, as if training a deslexic to read.

I think these flashes of tips, are in need of more quips of humor, or unsolved mystery than they are any instructions to be taken quite so seriously.

Kudos for subject matter FrostII ~TL~

 

Despite my computer being fairly fast, it takes more than 10 seconds to load any scene in the game, which is more than enough to read through a simple phrase like that.

 

I guess the question is, how should it actually be worded?

 

...that fits in a tooltip.

 

I hear where you're coming from with that, but I think our game comes off as technical way too much instead of something to laugh while playing.

BTW I hope everyone notices all the new players suddenly showing up in game tonight.

 

I would love some humor in the loading screens as well.
I find it amusing when I read "Loading to your doom".

PS: I hope your prediction is good, because new players are essential for a healthy and long standing MMO.

 

I'm a bit surprised that no one has noticed the "error" in that scene-loading "tip".

Again, the "tip" says:

What it leaves out is not only important but necessary to define "which" skills it refers to - Innate skills !
What it should say ( for both accuracy and clarity ) would be something like:

A skill classified as "Innate" will raise............
or
An "Innate" skill will raise........

Without that single, very important word "Innate", the "tip" is not only incorrect but misleading to any new player raising skills.

 

no, not incorrect. an active skill gains experience every time a relevant skill is used. it just so happens that there's only one relevant skill.

 

The fact that it appears to be misleading or contravercial to any one our long lived supporting friends, is enough for me to say we need to revisit what we would better like for our players to see while they stare ... err... umm... enjoy all our loading screen's wonderful art works.

~TL~

 

Sorry, @Alley Oop , your statement is not correct.
An INNATE skill gains experience every time a relevant ACTIVE skill is used - and, for many INNATES, there are often multiple relevant (active) skills.

 

Read her statement again, it's correct.