Please do not kill climbing..

@Katrina Bekers, I'd love to debate that in detail, but I won't do it here because I feel it would distract from my main point - which is that because of the change (no matter how one likes to call it), the game feels less interesting, less fun, and (last but not least) much less "real" (immersive). It also largely kills scouting/investigating the terrain from higher elevation -- something that in real life would be quite a self-evident and reasonable thing to do.

OK maybe I'll debate just one minor detail -- those"limits of the physics" that you mentioned.

That realistic limits still do not apply anyway (for example one can still leap off a high building without getting a single scratch if one just keeps walking against the wall) is perhaps not even relevant, and further I do agree wholeheartedly that climbing straight stone walls like a squirrel indeed feels more like a bug than a feature. The same applies to tall trees (yes many of them were quite climbable too, all the way to the top, and indeed felt more like a bug despite the fun factor).

However I think the "limits of physics" argument stops holding water when coming to situations where there clearly is enough leverage, and I think quite many Novia rock formations satisfy that condition with flying colours -- I climbed tens if not hundreds of them and leverage certainly mattered, a lot. I also think I could have climbed many of them in real life as well, and I'm not a climber nor in top physical condition.

The fact that "the fire was put out incorrectly" (i.e. from a technical perspective an utterly wrong game mechanism was used) is almost beside the point, because it (from the player's perspective) actually felt more real and more immersive, even despite the odd "climbing by jumping" mechanism. The present "fixed" state feels way more odd and unrealistic. It makes me play the game thinking of game mechanics, instead of thinking about my character inside a narrative.

The current "limits of physics" in the game dictate that an avatar in top condition simply won't be able to get up right from the spot shown in the screenshot. I'd like to know, is this really what you call "fixed"?

Spoiler: The limits of physics

"Hmm, I suppose I'm not supposed to go up there."

 

Limits of physics or limited physics.

Before, the physics was being broken. Now the physics is limiting. What we had in the past was allowing people to circumvent barriers. Things like control points are moot if people could fly when the control point is designed without flying.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say climbing, as an ability, would be a future release addition.

 

From a "realism" point of view, while I don't see how someone in a full plate armour could climb even the smallest pile of rocks, I also don't see why someone in just some leather trousers and an empty backpack shouldn't be able to.

From a "game" point of view, I reckon it is important to have barriers, but it's only fun when people can come up with creative ways to circumvent them.
Heavy armour: walk through.
Roguish: sneak through.
Lightweight: climb around.

If the only way through is to fight, well, that's a missed opportunity.

 

Climbing something as simple as a ladder is an animation nightmare. I'd hate to see the detail required to make climbing look smooth for any and every surface that should be climbable (for immersion sake)

 

yes, and the amount of animations still required to complete is daunting as it is.

 

I'm sure that if we never had that bug, NOBODY would be missing it. It was not immersive at all - skyrocketing up a surface smooth as a mirror in full plate armor? Seriously?

Oh, I fully expect that also avoiding falling damage by wall hugging will be fixed.

About your screenshot: that rock can be climbed right now; use the small ledge on your right with a power jump. You know, those things that should be IMPOSSIBLE to do with a full chain armor, if one cares for immersion...

 

Im still able to climb rock formations in most scenes, but I also ussed to climb to the top of the lady statue in ardoris where other could not so... some limiting is good.

I would prefer a crafted pathfinding experience opposed to a forced/clipped/glitched way.
But yea im not expecting to see that kinda stuff till episode 2-3

 

I have to assume this was directed to me because of the "your screenshot" reference. Other than that I do not get the feeling that is was actually my message that was read. That "climbing straight stone walls like a squirrel" is roughly equivalent to "skyrocketing up a surface smooth as a mirror" and I did say "indeed feels more like a bug than a feature". So that makes me wonder, which of my claims does that "Seriously?" refer to. Everyone knows that armor does not currently matter at all, therefore what one is wearing is not actually relevant to this bug or its "fix" - lack if immersion that e.g. tumbling or climbing in full plate brings is quite true but also quite a separate matter. Therefore it would not have been any more convincing if I had demonstrated failure to climb naked or in cloth/leather. And yes, the ledge - but I could have simply walked the other side of the rock - there is an almost stair-like structure in there, but that is utterly beside the point. Which is that a person in decent condition (like the avatar supposedly is) should be able to climb from right there. A real full chain armor weighs about 25-35kg, is flexible and has the weight distributed pretty evenly, so even in real life it would not make climbing one's own height impossible. "Power jumps" do not exist in real life so that comparison is meaningless.

Katrina, I do not think it is fruitful to continue this conversation any further. Anything worth saying appears to have already been said.

 

Theres a few voices here @helm , that like to argue in extremes and generalize every opportunity they get.

It makes them feel bigger because they're "defending" the devs... heh. If I was a dev myself I would have told them "stop doing that, no thank you" a long, LONG time ago.

These people will argue against people using the term immersion then turn around and say climbing is against immersion, there is no purpose nor function to these comments other than limiting people's imagination and fun.

True evil in other words, because it does reach much further than the computer screen.

 

I understand the invisible Time Bandits barrier preventing us from falling off the map, or into the edges where there is nothing to explore, but rock climbing exploration is fun

 

*eye*

 

HAH I see a spaceship!

 

Indeed !

 

AGREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I've experimented a bit and I think this issue is really important.

I cannot climb ANYTHING anymore, I died 4 times due to a few feet fall (not a real fall just going down a hill), I keep getting huge damage for falling less than a feet even on steps sometimes.

This is really bad, please put it back the way it was before.

I hit a good dozen invisible walls in an hour, this is getting ridiculous, like other games that I dislike very un-ultima like, no exploration.

Yet, I can jump over a fence ? Makes no sense...

 

Again with the thought-limiting and imagination crushing "technical issues"... its VERY easy nowadays especially with unity 5 to make smooth skeleton articulated based animations, who cares if they are not perfect.

I know I did it myself with 3 different engines, you can even use paths and degrees to stick to surfaces, other games have done it, if it was me working on the models you'd find a much livelier world. Perhaps other people like you think its a pain to do but its just because they don't really like their job.

 

On a different note... I'd accept high falling damage (and I wear heavy armor) for heavy armor, but it should be minimal for light armor and cloth.

I wonder if theres any plan to add durability loss for going in water for cheap metal plate armor and chainmail but a knight shouldn't be able to go for a swim, just sayin

 

i flipping HATE invisible walls. give me a cliff face with a big middle finger carved into it and a caption that says "this means you, thuri!" instead.

ok, not that carved into it - but a real obstacle instead of some mystical hand pushing you back..

 

If it is technically possible for the devs to display a spectacular view from the top of a tower or a statue, it doesn't make sense to prevent players from enjoying it.

I have never been able to climb well in the game, and never could reach places that others can. I don't know if it is my system setup or my own lack of coordination, but I would love to see a climbing skill tree that would end up enabling an avatar to scale even smooth walls.