SPO and SP Offline

Do that Ristra. Your side IS important, Captain Jack assumes that you are a player in Shroud of the Avatar and not just a dev shell account, so that really does make your side important especially to us the other players.

Captain Jack just cannot understand why you might want to just sit in the middle, watch everyone poke each other and stoke that fire.

With respect, Captain Jack would like to see your ideas from a players prespective and not from from a mediator's prespective. Captain Jack thinks that would be ultimatly more valuable to the community. Let the devs do the dirty dirty middle ground work.

 

Probably a similar viewpoint as mine, right now people aren't actually railing against something. They're just railing against the possibility of something they think might be happening (or not happening) some time in the future.

The thing that I have yet to see is anyone say just what these single-player mechanics that aren't going to exist in multi-player are? I mean there was talk of Companions but there's absolutely no reason you couldn't have companions adventuring with you in multi-player as well.

 

This thread isn't just about companions Just an example: we don't like this mmo-style chat window.

I agree. And I don't understand such behavior, because a clarification would be good for all.

 

In addition for all the people who criticize our questions and the existence of this thread: did you the same - a few months ago - when people complaint that PvP was scheduled too late for them? I think you didn't. So let us our freedom to argue our concerns!

 

Yeah I really don't like the chat window either... the overhead text is often way too fast too... wheres my old schoolness :'(

 

One such functionality is the completeness of the world map.
Roaming encounters are a must, camp screens, companion and/or spectre of lord british chats, and yes boats and other methods of transportation are a must.
I'm only worried because they delegated horses and boats to the stretch goal store (a move which may well mean it will never get noticed or implemented for quite a while). While at first excited I quickly realized what it would mean.

Dialogue revamp is something else. The core is fine, the problem is that when first implemented, there was only SPO and almost no other feedback in the window. On a full server it's a bit ridiculous especially if you're new and can't set up proper chat tabs. But then you're admitting npc dialogue is nothing more than chat, which is something else we want to avoid. Discoverable, clickable keywords (hopefully in a list) and a pop up window as suggested elsewhere should be perfect.

And seriously, look at Old Republic companions. Not the crafting stuff, but everything else is just about perfect.

 

Companions were done incredibly well in SWTOR.

I just don't see that level being done here. Stuff like that takes a lot of time and money. They were integrated really well throughout the whole world.

I also agree the overland map, if implemented correctly could really add to the game.

For instance: Weather that is the same on the map as in the hex(vusualy indicated), random encounters(not just monsters), ability to do camp sites etc....

That would assay some of my concerns to be honest.

 

I just don't see the unity engine (no matter how highly customized) being able to provide this level of intricacy (I hope I'm wrong).

 

Poor (artists/developers/engineers) blame their tools. It is (hardly) ever the tools.

It is the plan, the resources, the time and the implementation.

Unity provides a solid ECS, and also has a solid graphics engine. The business logic can be whatever you want.

Which means to say: Unity can provide whatever level of interactivity you desire, it merely takes a plan, resources and people to implement it in your given time frame.

 

Yeah, I agree. Unity shouldn't be an issue with adding things to the overall map...that would be independant code added to teh engine by the team...

What really would be an issue though is will they have enough time to implement all of that?

 

Well - I doubt the game is being released this year - so I think they have the time and I'm a little concerned about that

 

I would say they were done far better in Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age and Ultima itself

 

Too bad those werent MMOs.
We need to think about implementation in a massively multiplayer context.

Also keep in mind most of the cost of TOR was graphics and voice acting. Would be much easier to implement in Shroud and guess what? They can add and change dialogue without needing to pay a voice actor to rerecord it!

 

Conceptualize companions in an MMO?

I say nay, conceptualize them in an RPG/sandbox

 

Yes...you are right...but I was thinking of how they handled it in a MMO environment.

Really, the more I think about it the more important the overland map really is to making this game world feel real. They need to have a lot of interaction...and small things like graphical flourishes to make it interesting. Not just some mechanical interface.

That's really one of the areas the game needs some polish...it needs some character to it's interfaces in general.

 

The last I heard on this is that it may be released in the spring 2015. However, IMO, even this release date may be too soon and I hope that they will push this to a later date.

 

Why?

I'm not being a contrarian here - Nor am I being a pessimist ... but waiting too long to release - for a game like this will severely hurt this title

I also don't think its ok to say we are doing A at this time and then not meet your self determine deadline - it's not a good thing in my eyes (from a project management perspective)

I understand not realising because its not done - but what changed along the way? Has this been relayed to the folks that backed this game? - has there been a change in direction of the project? / that now will extend the longevity of the completion of the first episode to spring 2015? (and please understand that I'm all for this game)

These are all fair questions - I'm not being inflammatory.

I'm simply asking these question primarily because this game was not sold to anyone (at kickstarter) as an MMO

(and you gals/guys know what I mean by MMO - at least the folks who have been here awhile : for the new avatars - hint; its not simply its definition but what MMO's have become in the past 5-8 years)

 

I think this thread is going off topic - let's get back onto discussing how we need more focus on quest based stuff, story mechanics etc

 

its not off topic (its still MMO related)

But Ok - so what about those companions and UI with an RPG feel ... and making a magic system that has roots / and grounded in a more involved game

OK now we are back on topic

 

So, I just watched the Cooking Hangout. I find it disconcerting the level of thought and detail going into cooking and nutrition, when compared to systems that, for me, are FAR more important. We can't get any detailed information about companions, but we're breaking down food into thousands of ingredients each with a specific and different effect.

It just seems like as the game evolves, I see more and more focus on the things that I don't care about or actively dislike, while the things that are super important to me, such as single player systems mentioned previously and dynamic companions are pushed away and ignored. Some things, like character portraits, have been confirmed as not happening. I hate to be so negative, but I just don't see us getting anything close to the game I expected. Which is not a betrayal or anything, they were MY expectations and not necessarily things that were promised or implied. But it's still very disappointing.