Lost Vale

'Gated' also includes compulsory pvp zones, or anything that compels you to be something - it's not only about 'difficult' areas. We're also now seeing 'alignment' or karma gated places too, we need to be cautious about having too many of these things.

 

If you are are a player who isn't going to reach really high levels, there's no incentive to go there, no matter what the xp or pretty stuff that drops might be. I'm not suggesting we don't have any 'gated' areas, but we need to watch that we do not get too many.

 

So I'm going to guess that for offline mode, the combat will be scaled accordingly, or Companions / pets / summoned creatures will actually help for this "group" content that "requires the cooperation of other people". Because as it is, they are less than worthless if they're intended to make up the difference for offline mode.

 

Actually, I'm going to have to disagree, again. We need more PvP zones and alignment restricted areas as but there needs to be compelling reasons to go to both. However, before we have more "gated" areas as you like to refer to them, there need to be reasons to go to both. But, I'm curious, what places do you think are gated off to anyone based on their virtue score? I've encountered no such place.

 

The brigand airship thingy should be virture score gated.

 

As far as I know it isn't. I have a black shroud and was able to get on. My guildy has a white shroud and was able to get on.

 

Said it should. Afaik that was the plan. Maybe they didn't impliment it yet. or maybe it's a wrong assumption i share with a couple of ppl.
Disclaimer: i don't mind gated instances.

 

Then I'd misunderstood, since the description of the Jack of Diamonds was "This flying “den of thieves” never lands, but sometimes allows those with poor reputation to board via smaller balloon shuttles found near the docks of Aerie, Brittany Alleys, Blood Bay, Graff Island, and the city of Mud." Seems that is not actually the case.

Clearly we don't agree on that, which is fine As a non-pvper though, I keep being reminded that some parts of the world, I will never see - which seems ridiculous, since they are perfectly able to instance areas based on you being in solo, friends or multiplayer and it's not that hard to make the instances for the non-pvpers not have the 'special loot items' that the pvp folks can get to. To me, that's just wrong - in a game that's aiming for a really long lifespan, if you try push people to do something they don't enjoy you slowly degrade their enthusiasm and involvement, and lose their support in the end. I keep noticing people asking for more 'incentive' to pvp, and to me that's a sure sign that it's not enough fun - but the real, long term solution to it being 'not enough fun' is not to bribe people into it, because then you just end up having to increase the bribe as folks get used to the current one. If the reason to go there is not 'to have fun' but 'to get stuff others can't' - there's a problem at the heart of the 'solution'. The only reason to go anywhere should be you enjoy what you experience when you go there, whether that's the design and look of the place, the unique things it might offer, and what you can do there - if the enjoyable thing is the pvp fight, and that's available everywhere, forcing it to be certain places is not right - there should be places where pvp is more FUN, certainly - but not a requirement to even get in. But I think I'll ask @Berek if he can split off this part of the conversation since we're drifting off the 'Lost Vale' topic.

 

@Aurelius Silverson The Jack of Diamonds may be intended for "bad virtue" folks. Perhaps it isn't implemented yet?

Personally, I do almost everything in the game. I tame, mine, craft, murder other players, help new players, so on... So, the more of everything there is, the more there is for a variety of people. Going into a PvP zone isn't a big deal. I'd be happy to give you a tour of any zone you like. Will we get attacked? Maybe, is it a big deal? Nah, it really isn't. Leave your valuables at home and it's even less of a big deal. You don't lose XP to PvP deaths and if you have nothing valuable on you, then you literally have nothing to lose. Hell, you might even find PvP to be fun. It's not a full loot system like UO was. It's pretty forgiving once you kind of get into it. Additionally, there are far more PvE zones than there are PvP. The bulk of the existing content really caters to non-PvPers. So, no offense, but you really don't have anything to complain about. I get where you're coming from though. I just have a different approach.

As for the Lost Vale topic. I was kind of trying to understand why this even came up for the Lost Vale? Is the Lost Vale intended to be some sort of "gated" content? I thought it was just a new PvE zone. If it is gated, then we're on topic

 

Think we got here because I was responding to @Cryodacry suggesting this be another 'high level encounter' area, which is something I think of as a 'gate' to entry, alongside the PvP, perhaps virtue, and any other sort of 'requirement' to simply visit somewhere - which I think needs to be done sometimes for sure, but the amount of areas that are in that category need assessing very cautiously indeed, as the perceived effect of them is often more than their raw proportion might suggest at first sight.

And I appreciate your offer, and I also do most of the things in the game (usually badly, but I do them)- but pvp has zero appeal to me, I disliked it in all the games I have ever played bar one, Dark Age of Camelot, where it had an actual point and an effect on the status of the realm you were part of. As a 'competition' between people, it has absolutely no appeal at all, not because of losing stuff, or xp - simply because it's just not my idea of fun all. And yes, I have tried it.... repeatedly, in almost 20 years of mmos I want it to be fun for the folks who enjoy it, but it's not for me ....

 

I also think your calling high level content as gated is a bit wrong. High level content is easily do able with multiple low levels in a group. My point is that there are VERY few locations that one can aspire to go to. Once you hit level 90 which is Extremely easy btw, You are able to hunt in these high level zones. Now the number of zones in this game that are high level is so limited. I am sorry but there are 3 high level zones in the game with a couple high level pockets in maybe 2 more zones. Comparatively speaking there are close to 25 R5 scenes across the world and a ton of R5 dungeons / mines. There is so much Contention for the high level hunting spots that there are not nearly enough to go around. The health of the game is going to require more high level hunting areas ... I am sorry if you don't agree. I will agree that there needs to be more R7-8 areas also. But those are not high level. The issue is that for 80% of the population who don't PVP there are only 2 high level zones. These zones are getting increasingly more crowded every week. Every week you end up with a new group of hotshots that do not want to respect camping rules which digress into pissing matches. There is Contention for good xp spots that is healthy then there is the fact that there are too few that it breads un-healthy game habits like Kill Stealing camps away. This is why EVL ( Smoken, Uncle Sven, Jaine?)

As for your saying that high level content is gated ? maybe you should have something to look forward to ??? Where are the areas that should encourage grouping ? The vale should be a high level area.... no questions about it.

 

@Vas Corp Por Are there "astronomical alignments" that open the gate to Lost Vale as previously described? Or is it simply the second of the month?

Not asking for a spoiler, just to know whether or not it involves astronomical alignments.

 

well.. the month is lunar based? so yes to both? no spoilers?

 

https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-lost-vale.111052/

Still working on it.

 

???
Isn't it supposed to be simple?
I thought it simply was once per Novian month?
Where 1 Novian day = 1 earth hour.
So every 28h cycle?

Or am I missing something?

 

Probably not. But Vas Corp Por just said/implied there is more to it. Based on that, it happens monthly, when the moon aligns with... something at midnight of the second day? (Or he's just making that up to keep us running in circles.)

Or, to explain it slightly better:

Effectively, yes, every 28 earth hours, at midnight of the second day of the month (that is, as the first day turns into the second) is all you need to know. It's being implied, however, that something else is occurring at midnight on the second of every month that is the cause of the Lost Vale opening.

 

It’s a riddle shrouded in mystery wrapped in an enig... y’all figured it out already

 

Well, thanks for the confirmation! I can stop taking screencaps of the sky everytime it opens.

 

So if the portal is based on a timer, then what if the location was dynamic / based on celestial events at that time? Or just rotate through different locations on Novia? This might encourage more exploration to the different regions and even benefit the economy of the surrounding towns due to increased traffic in the area?

Also, consider increasing the portal opening to 2 hours...