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Release 67 Instructions

Discussion in 'Announcements' started by DarkStarr, Jun 26, 2019.

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  1. Alley Oop

    Alley Oop Bug Hunter Bug Moderator

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  2. Vladamir Begemot

    Vladamir Begemot Avatar

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    Yaaaay! I always wanted to do it, but the non-rolling ball discouraged me. This is going to be amazing!
     
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  3. Cora Cuz'avich

    Cora Cuz'avich Avatar

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    Doesn't list them all, but most of 'em.
     
  4. Arcanoxer

    Arcanoxer Avatar

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    Can you please explain why it's so importent to "major overhaul" the NUE/Outskirts for the 3th time?
    The recapture email campaign was not a success, i get it. But how do you draw conclusions about the NUE?
    The majority of returning players outleveld the Outskirts a long time ago.

    I think returning players are more keen to new content instead of old re-revamped.
     
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2019
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  5. Anpu

    Anpu Avatar

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    Interesting. What exact number is that? Can you let us know.
     
  6. Arcanoxer

    Arcanoxer Avatar

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    I obivously have no exact numbers, but the Outskirts are literally the first scene (tier 1) after the tutorial.
     
  7. dayero

    dayero Avatar

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    I don't have exact numbers either, but I strongly agree on this one.
    I believe I am pretty much right in the middle of their target audience. I am currently inactive and have 100+ hours but way less than most here on the forums and defnitely a casual player. I regularly check back on the game and even though I have several chars, most of them with very few hours of playtime, there is rarely anything in the new releases that makes me wanna come back.

    Examples:

    - The outskirts scenes were already the best content, but i am past them with all 5 chars I have.
    - crafting specs and gm stuff: will never get there, way out of my league.
    - new bosses, seasonal bosses: highest adv level is 70, also way out of my league
    - pvp improvements and scenes: also way out of my league
    - player dungeon: not casual at all, way too much granite needed afaik. looks like a grindfest.

    For me more casual midlevel content would do it. like longer, fleshed out side quests. or daily / random quests. more varied and interesting random encounters. also crafting content that isn't so grindy and doesnt put you in competition with people that invested like 5000+ hours. crafting quests for example, like quests from an npc guild or a quest chain to help rebuild a burned down village or a bridge etc.

    instead it's always level 1 content or level 100+ content.

    on a side note, the new xp pool system kinda ruined 3 out of my 5 chars that share an account. I don't think I will play them anymore, it just took away any sense of progression on any individual char.
     
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  8. Movaro

    Movaro Avatar

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    It will be interesting to see if the pet damage skill helps improve the heals of the water elemental for me. I hope that will be the case as I am sure a lot of us use her for the heals more than anything else hehe.
     
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  9. Cora Cuz'avich

    Cora Cuz'avich Avatar

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    I suspect not. Chris just nerfed the water elemental's heals a couple releases ago. She might last a bit longer in combat, though.
     
  10. Browncoat Jayson

    Browncoat Jayson Legend of the Hearth

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    Seeings as their metrics show most new players didn't even finish the Isle of Storms, much less the tutorial, and the Outskirts are STILL the best zones for actual content (unless you like grinding Upper Tears, I guess), they probably are focusing where the most bang for their buck is. Those are the ones they most need to recapture (and retain, when new players start as well). Folks who are 20+ hours in already know the basics, and either are finished with the Outskirts and don't need handholding, or will also appreciate any tweaks they get there.

    If they want to recapture those of us with 250+ hours in, there would be fixes to other systems (grouping/raids, attenuation, pvp, etc.) I'm still playing offline until there is some way to get FPO back as I was sold, so I tend to hit the Outskirts every month or so when I roll a different character.
     
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  11. Kelly O'Shay

    Kelly O'Shay Avatar

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    I was looking forward to agriculture with fertilizer. Guess I'll have to wait.

    I was looking forward to exploring the new lands. Guess I'll have to wait.
     
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  12. Elwyn

    Elwyn Avatar

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    With a gustball, wouldn't that be a "PUFF PUFF" golf course?
     
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  13. Sentinel2

    Sentinel2 Avatar

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    Avatar Golf Course?

    I wonder how popular that would be next to Avatar fishing?

    Golfing. Hmmm... I could go for that. :)
     
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  14. Barugon

    Barugon Avatar

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    Yes! I like this name better. :)
     
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  15. Humbert_Humbert

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    Just because they quit on the first zone doesn’t mean it is that particular zone with the issue. Look into the combat, movement, UI, etc.
     
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  16. Cordelayne

    Cordelayne Bug Hunter

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    So I just logged in, eagerly hoping that I would be able to clear one of my row lots to make room for a little garden, only to be met with bitter disappointment. Open row lots sadly didn't seem to make it into this release. I know many of my fellow avatars are excited about this release, and for that I am happy, but I feel let down yet again.

    I know, I sound like a broken record and many of you probably think, "Oh Cordelayne, just go away!", which is fair. I complain more than I praise nowadays; understandably grating on some. However, I would not be doing justice to myself and other like minded avatars if I simply stayed silent.

    As many of you know and some wish to forget, I am a consummate advocate for the development of the story, its lore and the often touted quest overhaul. When at @DarkStarr first discussed the quest overhaul, I was elated and believed emphatically that we were headed for a brighter, better, New Britannia. When it didn't transpire I thought, "It's ok, they'll get to it; besides there's Episode 2." Yet time passed, development continued and we got...fishing! "Ok!" I thought, "No big deal. I guess some folks would rather fish virtually rather than in real life and that is cool! Each their own. Despite what an absolute waste of time I might think it is." So time kept doing what it does best...it passed. Offices were relinquished, Twitch streams got implemented, CEO's became Creative Directors and Tech Lords...CEO's.

    Needless to say, at this point I felt beyond discouraged and to some extent; disenfranchised. What happened to the story rich, lore filled game I had been hearing about for all these years? Once again, I shrugged and thought to myself, "Well if there is no overhaul and Episode 2 is a long time coming, at least it will be fun when Row lots can be opened up and I can make a little garden in Northwood." Release 66 passed, no open row lots. Now it's release 67 and still no open row lots...I mean...really!? Not even a mention of what is going on with this? It's truly exasperating. Admittedly, not being a developer I don't know how hard it is to implement this change but to me it seems minor and yet was passed over once again. Come on! I've little hope for a quest overhaul, even less hope for an actual Episode 2; at least give this avatar his little garden!

    In closing I would simply add that I have a lot of respect for the developers and what they are trying to achieve given limited resources. There is no doubt that @Chris is hustling and trying to make things happen. I just wish some of that hustle and a little bit of those resources were spent more on the story/quests; or at a minimum, opening up row lots for an old man's little garden. :)
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2019
  17. Cora Cuz'avich

    Cora Cuz'avich Avatar

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    I agree. Crafting spec has been delayed and delayed, and now what is rumored to be coming for it (if ever) is not very good. It's another band-aid, and one that's already half peeled off. I'm not at a point of selling off my assets, but I'm down to playing only once a week for a few hours, and even then it has more to do with rent upkeep than actually having fun. I've stopped spending new cash money on the game, because I no longer wish to subsidize my disappointment. I'm probably going to take a few months off. The game just isn't fun.
     
  18. Godra

    Godra Avatar

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    Took the words right out of my mouth!!!

    I am really not doing much Online and been playing mainly Offline. I don't like to group up, I don't want to join a large guild, I would rather play in a co-op setting instead of online or just go it solo. I am tired of the MMO games and tired of grinding all the time. I love the lore, story and game itself. However, it's just starting to lose my interest because I don't have much to do that I can do on my own.
     
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  19. redfish

    redfish Avatar

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    I'd add that if we are talking about new characters and not just inactive characters, I don't think many people are going go through and download the game, then try it out, and finally give up just because the NUE could be better. Its just not how players think. Players will put up with a lot of things if they think your core game is appealing enough.

    And yea, I do think the NUE can be better, but generally speaking its the 'User Experience' not just the 'New User Experience' that needs improvement, since there are much bigger issues around gameplay that would influence whether players will be drawn into the game than whether the Outskirts scenes are brushed up a bit. As well as issues of whether players feel the devs are delivering the game they pledged for. What made people like Ultima? What made people pledge at Kickstarter? Those are questions they should be answering. And generally agree with @dayero in that on many areas I feel the devs think they're addressing issues the large base of players care about, when they're really just addressing issues a few players care about.

    But, you know, where those scenes can be improved, I don't have anything against them doing that, either.
     
  20. Duke Ezekiel Cooper

    Duke Ezekiel Cooper Avatar

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    Probably a dumbass question, but I'll risk it...

    How the hell do we check out this Free Cam Mode in POT's and dungeons?
     
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