Release 52 Post Draft: Feedback Please

So trying to think a bit more on the meta level for the first read-through. As such I checked the standard texts first.

• Please read this entire message, as well as the linked instructions and known issues.

I'd suggest capitalization when referring to specific documents so that they stand out from descriptive text.

• Please read this entire message, as well as the linked Player Instructions and Known Issues.

Also there is an issue where you say "instructions", the file name says "Published Player Instructions", the button in the game says "Help", while the actual document's header says "Player Guide". That generates a lot of unnecessary confusion and is such a minor thing to fix through consistent naming. Where I would propose that they should all be referring to "Player Instructions". Why such consistency matter more and more nowadays is because we use the exact terms in search engines, so inconsistency can lead to players not finding the info when doing searches in the forums and on the web etc.
(A side note here and a pet peeve of mine is all the mistakes/omissions in the Player Instructions where we were told we'd get an opportunity 'later' to give feedback to that in a similar manner as we give you feedback here - I would very much recommend doing that ASAP since your Player Instructions are currently not on par and it would have been nice to have such a review before launch. Oh and please don't say "Report as bugs" since I've a less than 20% hit rate on such bug reports actually being fixed in the Player Instructions so that is clearly not an effective way of correcting/adding things.)

• Release 52 access for everyone begins this

With the current rules of QA and trials then what that is referring to is something which used to be true but which isn't as relevant anymore, how about a change to something more like:

• Release XX goes live on YY.

• Before offering feedback and/or reporting a bug we kindly ask that you read this this message, and the linked instructions and known issues to convey the current game state.

Double this, double and. Plus some minor suggestions like capitalization for specific documents.
Another thought that struck me was that you never refer to the patch notes, so thought that might be prudent to add somewhere and thought it might fit here.

• Before giving feedback and/or reporting a bug we kindly ask that you read this whole message, the linked Player Instructions and the Known Issues to get up to date on the current game state. To keep up to date please check out the Patch Notes.

• Plain Text: The original plan for the Release deliverables from the Quarterly update. We intentionally preserve the original text so that our backers can compare plan versus actuals

So for new players they wouldn't know about the quarterly updates, so maybe want to add a link there.
Also here again you refer to one thing "Quarterly update" but the post and site article are "Q1 2018 Schedule Update", while the pic says "Q1 2018 Update". Here again I'd advocate consistency, where my suggestion would be: in the generic "Quarterly Update" and in the specific "Quarterly Update Q1 2018", this again to optimize user use of search engines.
A thought is that now with trials and such things not all users are 'backers', so don't know if you wanted to still refer to users that way or if you wanted to add "backers and players" or something.
Then you are using "deliverables" and "actuals" which are terminology used in gaming but who are not in the dictionary, so don't know if you want to keep that or change to a more common terminology.

• Plain Text: The original plan for the release deliveries from the Quarterly Update. We intentionally preserve the original text so that our backers and players can compare our plan versus actual deliveries in the release.

Then you have this whole section which you might want to cut out and write something else in its place:

So, now that it is clear what you can expect, we should also be as clear about what you should NOT expect:

• Performance:
• Visual Quality: With the upgrade to Volumetric lighting, visual quality should be greatly improved! With that said, efforts to improve visual quality are ongoing. We will continue to iterate on these until we have highly competitive visuals.
• Pledge Rewards: Pledge Rewards that have been built and have tech to support them are in the game; all other rewards are awaiting either content creation or tech support. You can find an updated list of these items in the known issues.

​

I would advice cutting out that section, make a new sentence for pledge rewards and just end with the:

Pledge Rewards: For details on the current state of Pledge reward deliveries please read the Known Issues.

<INSERT MESSAGE ABOUT POST LAUNCH UPDATES, Q2 UPDATE COMING SOON>

Here are links to the Player Instructions and the Known Issues. Thank you again for your continued support. This is truly the most amazing community we have ever worked with, and we are proud to be on this journey with you.​

Have a nice weekend

 

Companion of Truth: Ariel Rosehaven. One of Novia's most learned scholars, Ariel has been walking the path of Truth longer than many have been alive. Not one for being kept in the confines of a library, she will think nothing of taking up her quarterstaff and a bindle bundle filled with a few of her beloved books and going to test in the field what others are content to merely argue about from safe confines.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bindle

 

• Custom Image Submission: Players who wish to submit a custom image instead of using the device generator can do so, but please note that the image must look like traditional heraldry and it will be reviewed before appearing in the game acceptance so there will be a delay before it appears in the game.

Unnecessary duplication of "in the game".

 

• Blessing of Acquisition: Gives a 50% learning speed boost. (Like the potion, but 1/6th the effect).

Might be worth spelling out what that is as I, for one, was unaware of said potion and have no idea what it does.

 

• Blessing of Magic Tolerance: +20 resistance and -10 attunement to sun, moon, life, death. (Playerswill be less effective with these spells BUT will have a net 15 point boost to these resistances.)

Needs a space added.

 

I haven't seen any mention of the changes to gathering Survey VFX.

 

No, but plants now like flash like a light from underneath... i was wondering about bugging that

 

add "pork meat from boar" and "squirrel meat" to new recipes section

 

@DarkStarr
I think this has been mentioned already:

Shouldn't that be Phuulz Me Once?

 

I've been wondering about this for ages...

 

daylight now

too many confines. make the first "cloistered in"?

remove second locations

is this going to work if you completed the quest in such a way that she won't talk to you any more?

the banker automatons in old-style prts?

all those dashes should be commas
two apostrophes

space

 

"Charge" is used twice in the same sentence; consider "the air is crisp with electricity..."

I think "strip mine" should be two words in this situation.

Will this also make guards stop putting away their torch when emoting at you? This happens a lot in places like Ferig's Battle Camp, where there are lots of guards. (I've bugged it before, just wondering if this fixed it, and if so, should it be noted here.)

Is this simply the ability to continue unlearning a skill, or something that needs to be done at a trainer to completely remove the skill as though you had never learned it?

This wording makes it seem like the Obsidian Lich might also appear in place of a Malefic Lich, however I beleive it will only appear in the once location beneath the Quel Shardfall. In that case, I'd remove the highlighted text.

Should these two emotes say something like "This emote can be earned via a sidequest (see Side Quests section above)."

I realize you are still working on this, but here is the text that was used in Release 25:

You could probably just change this to "This month, we provided an asset pack containing the Cabalists, another that contained the various Wild Boars, and a third containing Norgard guards and barbarians."

 

fixed

 

fixed

 

fixed

 

fixed

 

add valiant warden to combat section

 

fixed

 

Is the 100% unlearn going to be gone? There is no mention of this in the notes.