Starting location for RPers, Crafters, Merchants, Dancers, Decorators, Acrobats, etc

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Vladamir Begemot, Oct 11, 2017.

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  1. Vladamir Begemot

    Vladamir Begemot Avatar

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    I just realized (for the second time, I am pretty sure I suggested this before) that for a bunch of people the "Game of SotA" has very little smiting.

    The whole "Socializer" subset of gamers have a very big hurdle to overcome by being started with hours of combat.

    Dump them in a populated town with a bunch of leaves and fireworks and an "Attention Zone, here is a new Socialier!" and let them get started on their actual path instead of the typical smash thing path they may eventually (mostly) abandon.
     
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  2. Andartianna

    Andartianna Avatar

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    It would also be cool if there was some sort of Oracle chat bot that appeared when large groups of players gather and interacted together and with the bot and it rewarded social experience which let you unlock community titles such as Socialier.....
     
  3. Spoon

    Spoon Avatar

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    Yea, we had this type of discussions early on.

    The old thought from the players was that if the gypsy oracle asked you about your interests then everyone could get a starting kit with such gear/items in it.
    However the dev reply was a firm no since that would lead to multiple tutorials and multiple starting scenarios. Where they wanted only 3.



    However with the changes we have seen in the last year then I'd say it is time we brought this up for real again.

    We now have the longer text popups which is part of the tutorial so re-using those in more creative ways would be reachable.


    So what if instead of the gypsy Oracle angle why not have simply have such as part of the "rewards" in the Outskirts scenes?

    As in some of the starter quests could give you a "kit" token which you can trade with a "kit" merchant, kinda like the crown merchants.
    Where you'd get to pick kits giving you (non-trade) objects that guide you with a specific interest.
    Say that you could get 2-3 such tokens per outskirt.

    For instance:

    Author
    Gives a dozen Blank Papers, some Blank Books, plus a few Blank Books with different nice covers like the LB shield.
    With a tip book using the tutorial texts on custom books.

    Alchemist
    Gives some reagents, a handful of Empty Flasks and an alchemy recipe for some potion. With a tip book on where to find Alchemy Stations in the three paths.

    Socialite
    Gives some emotes and a tip book on how to use emotes and the different forms of communication.

    Trader
    Gives some merc and a tip book with the tutorial texts for Public Vendors and Trade interface.

    Pyrotechnician
    Gives some firework, some Exploding Potions, a recipe for Exploding Potions and a tip book on how fireworks work.

    Musician
    Gives some instrument, some music notes, a few Blank Music Sheets and a tip book with the tutorial text for how music works + the Player instruction section on how to create ABC.

    Carpenter
    Gives a trunk recipe, some wood boards, some creosote and a tip book for that.


    etc
     
  4. Lars vonDrachental

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    I think it would be difficult to differentiate for a bot if there is someone really talking or just babbling…and if you unlock rewards that way there should be also rewards for the opposite strategy like “lone wolf” if you do not socialized in any kind of way for at least 24 hours. ;)

    But honestly I do not know if something should be achievable that way. I would prefer if you couldn't unlock everything once and have it forever…I would like some kind of mechanic that is a constant challenge if you want to keep something special.
    We may need more titles for everyone achievable by quests or something similar...but additionally some special ones just for a certain time.
    E.g. visiting an official celebration for at least 1h you unlock the title “Party Animal” for the next 14 days, hosting a feast that is official announced and visited by more than X avatars you unlock “Event Organizer” as title for the next 30 days, greeting a dev ingame at 5 different day a week unlocks the title “Bootlicker” for the next 7 days,…
    But maybe not just titles also other rewards could be handled that way like items or even lots you just get for a certain time. I think e.g. renting a lot for free in a special location from the devs for 3 months could be a sufficient reward for exorbitant efforts. (E.g. your very own room in LB castle.) For smaller efforts their could be granted a special banner, a exceptional robe or a rare pet that "simply" disapears if a set time is over.

    @Vladamir Begemot
    I think creating some more paths is at least currently not achievable and e.g. just dumping them in a town isn’t enough. Even if there are some avatars around it is not guaranteed that they will interact with the newcomer.
     
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2017
  5. Vladamir Begemot

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    They can't tutorialize this or gamify the start (or much of any of the experience) for social or sandbox gamers.

    They just need the framework (which exists in towns) and to start doing "stuff" and meeting people.

    This type of players need to get swept up and carried off by other players, so they can begin the socializing and the sandboxing.

    Lets reverse it. Imagine if you were here for the combat and the leveling and the quests, and you were forced to sit at a table and Role Play with some other players for 5 hours before you got to do that? Would you keep playing past minute 33? No, you would be gone.
     
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  6. Alleine Dragonfyre

    Alleine Dragonfyre Avatar

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    I think adding "Social Skills" for folks that love RP would help with this as well. If they do get dropped into a town and have the means to develop those skills, I truly believe our towns and Inns would be populated all the time. An example one kind of Social Skill system would be my number one wish list item: Music and Dance a Levelled Skill That Provides Hours-Long Buffs
     
  7. Spoon

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    I'd say that "socializing" and "sandboxing" are a venn diagram, so they are not necessarily the same type of players. Where yes the social folks would need to meet other players - but the "Sandbox" folks wouldn't necessarily want to.


    Here I'd disagree.

    You can definitely gamify the start by giving Social players
    -direct link to Discord and forums
    -activate Zone chat
    -instruction on how chat use Whisper and Local and Zone
    -instruction on how to add Friends and Teleport scroll to friend
    -Bind them to the closest populated area depending on path
    -some extra scrolls to utilize that

    With that social players would have a field day.
     
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  8. Vladamir Begemot

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    Ok, I stand corrected, you are totally right.
     
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  9. Stundorn

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    I just see game mechanics that drive people apart instead of connected them.
    And the Idea just supports this separatation imho.
    It would be better imho to create a setting where all people would have more overlap and interaction than to grant evebody their super special Individualism.
    Also it sounds a little bit like giving alms to them because they dont "work".
    Hell, if i RP and an Oracle pops up, it would be immersionbreaking as hell, o also dont know why i want that beeing rewarded or seen as something what need achievements.

    Make social Hubs where dancing and talking skills buff people or create buff songs for bards etc...
    That connects the socializers with the pve/p players.
    It creates an environment where people of all different playstyles interact.
    But it seems they dont want dependencies within players.
    This game drives people apart more than every other sandbox game i know.
    And not because decay let people avoid grouping, but because there are less interconnections between players necessary and the power gap of people makes it hard to have fun together, true for pve and ofc for pvp.
    It's just about limitless growing and working on skills or getting achievements.
    And the Idea, sorry Vladamir, like your Ideas very often, Shows that sone think roleplayers or socializers need achievements and rewards to.
    Well i can just speak for myself, but i dont care and it would feel artificially constructed.
    But i'm sure some like it and i'm also sure that the achievers will also get these titles and achievements although they state they hate dancing parties.

    Sorry, to me it's the wrong direction.
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2017
  10. majoria70

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    It's not as much that achievements are a direction. They are something for everyone like a reward system that rewards exploring while you do other things. If while out and about rping you climb to the highest mountain and get credit for climbing the highest mountain and you continue on your rping way. It's not going to interfere in someone's playstyle. Perhaps we have a language barrier;)
     
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  11. Vladamir Begemot

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    Let me restate it in one sentence:

    5 hours of combat before getting players into a social environment is not the way to keep social gamers or crafters.

    (Yes, players can leave the outskirts the moment they get there, but they don't know it. I suppose if I were standing there and asking people "RP/crafting or combat? Oh, Crafting? Come with me then, you can come back and do this later when you get bored, but this location isn't for you until then" it would have the same effect.)
     
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