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The nitpick thread

Discussion in 'Release 5 Feedback' started by redfish, Apr 25, 2014.

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  1. redfish

    redfish Avatar

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    I wanted to create a thread for minor nits, things that aren't obvious as features that just aren't implemented yet, or things that seem to only be the way they are for the purpose of the tests. I'm guessing these are things that the devs may have thought about, but also may not have. In every case, these might not be things that are important and urgent to be changed, but are things to think about, anyway.

    So to start, and I'll add more if I think of anything.

    -- Skeletons have no reason to carry gold on their persons. So the developers decided to make loots from animals realistic, and not have them drop gold or other items. But what is a skeleton going to carry gold for? So he can stop by the local market and buy some fruits and vegetables? The undead really have no reason to carry gold. Its understandable that they may guard some gold stash, in case some necromancer raised them from the dead for that purpose. But on their person, it seems a bit funny.

    -- It's not clear how skeleton mages can exist. I understand the concept of a liche; the soul of a powerful necromancer is inhabiting the corpse, and this lets him channel his great powers through the corpse's body. But how is a normal skeleton going to be able to say the words of power and incantations necessary to invoke a spell? Skeletons can't vocalize, and if there's no source of inner power, like a liche has, this leaves them incapable. How is he going to mix reagents, given that skeletons are rather mindless? Its believable that a skeleton preserves some combat skill, but understanding how to mix reagents for magic when they need a spell I think supposes some independent agency. The closest I can imagine for a skeleton mage to work is for the skeleton to use a staff or wand that is charged for him. But its not clear how staves and wands actually work, and whether they need some life energy (mana) from the caster. So this doesn't fully make sense either. I just don't "get" the concept of skeleton mages.

    -- The gate towers and bridges at Owl's head have windows but no entrance, and no portcullis. Just look at the entry gate to Owl's Head. Two towers, and each tower has windows in the top, wooded section, and a bridge that connects them, with the bridge having windows. How do you get into the towers, and how do you get into the bridge? Its not clear. If they can't be entered, what point do the windows serve, and what point does the whole gate serve, since there's no portcullis? I guess it could serve as a sort of "triumphal arch" of sorts to make the town look better. But it serves no practical purpose otherwise.
     
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  2. Margard

    Margard Avatar

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    Why do skeletons have mohawks? - I like it I think its cool but it does make me wonder
     
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  3. Browncoat Jayson

    Browncoat Jayson Legend of the Hearth

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    If skeletons are not purely mindless, like most games make them, and retain some portion of their thoughts and individuality, then it makes sense both for them to hold gold (connection to their former life, collect for resurrection, or just greed), and how mages might exist. It's actually makes them more tragic enemies.
     
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  4. Margard

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    Nice
     
  5. redfish

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    They're still not going to use the gold.. and its still not clear how they actually use the magic. Even supposing they have a mind, by what means is the magic used?
     
  6. redfish

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    This is something I was already kidding Lum about, so they know about this... but its funny how you can't use your Heal spell on Winslow.. you have to get him healing herbs for an elixir.
     
  7. Margard

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    I do like the little hood they wear :D stylish

    Maybe they were covetous in their former lives - in a game of virtues that may flow into the lore
     
  8. Mugly Wumple

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    I have no use for my stylish 'do, but I pay my hairdresser to maintain it, nonetheless.
     
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  9. redfish

    redfish Avatar

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    I'm also kind of wondering about how skeletons stay on fire when you hit them with a fireball.

    I mean, flaming skeletons are pretty cool. And I understand that bones can burn and turn to char. But, I've never seen old, hardened bones that were lit on fire and sustaining the fire.
     
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  10. Mishri

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    I figured they have gold from satchels that were on their corpses when they died. And everything loves to horde gold.

    Depends on how magic works. Is there an incantation required? Is it merely a force of will? how much willpower do skeletons have. Are the skeletons animated or trapped souls? Lots of questions, not many answers. Can the skeletons speak like in some fantasy settings? (Whatever power moves their bones is the same power they use to move air to create the sounds we recognize as speech).

    oh, and bones can burn.
     
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  11. redfish

    redfish Avatar

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    @Mishri, yea they burn , but when they're hard and dry do they sustain a fire?

    Then they have gold from satchels, but still all of their clothes are missing and they only have fragments of armor.
     
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  12. Mishri

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    the stuck the satchel in their skull and affixed it with chewing gum once their strap broke then :D or its attached to their shield, or under their pauldrons or wherever else you might hide your precious gold from the other greedy skeletons who love only to see blood and gold.
     
  13. Browncoat Jayson

    Browncoat Jayson Legend of the Hearth

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    Well, not specifically. There are lots of miserly people who don't use their money either, but they have it. /shrug.

    Also, we don't know how *humans* use magic, so its hard to say how skeletons do. My guess would be that the skeleton's mind somehow forms an etheric impression, which would be why you can find ectoplasm on their corpse. Traditionally, ectoplasm would be the residue of a more incorporeal undead, such as a ghost, so having its presence might be telling. Thats how I would go, were I writing the lore behind it.
     
  14. mike11

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    -incoming harsh feedback-

    1. stone work is crumby on quite a few tiles
    2. animations for characters are blocky
    3. most player dolls look like stuffed toys
    4. overland map is laughable and not even close to as good as any ultima 1-7
    5. chat is of a completely atypical MMO style
    6. journal and spell book and crafting books are weak in design (what design)some monsters look like stuffed animals
    7. wizards homes look like willy wonka homes
    8. some of the player music is awful
    9. game loading and zoning has been consisently bad for many people
    10. City layouts and world areas are completely not impressive (players on the forums could design areas 100* better)
    11. overall the engine barely seems capable of running a game like this (a online multiplayer RPG)
    12. character creation is weak
    13. no player portraits
     
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  15. redfish

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    @mike11,

    Those aren't exactly nitpicks, they're just complaints :) :) :)
     
  16. Razimus

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    Not every container is a container, some are non functioning decorations, some explode upon double clicking, few are usable which is the exact opposite of ultima vii 1&2 viii & UO, if this game is attempting to copy the style of ultima ix that would be a mistake, just because u9 was 3d it doesn't make it a good choice when u7 & UO were much superior in quality when it comes to containers
     
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  17. Gubbles

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    I figure the dead were once living, and in some cases are buried with gold. Or, maybe the skeleton killed a living human, and robbed them of their gold -- if only to carry it as a reminder of what the world was once like for them. Perhaps more of a reactionary response than a voluntary one.

    I'm kind of questioning how these skeletons are animated to begin with. I mean, how do they walk around and wield a weapon without the help of muscles. It's completely unnatural. In all truth, they should just be a pile of bones 6ft under that we dig up to take their loot. :) I bet we can dream up some lore around the idea that skeleton mages exist in some capacity.


    EDIT: I must admit I don't know a lot about RPG lore, so perhaps my ideas are too wild and crazy.
     
  18. redfish

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    @Tarsin,

    Yea... I don't know, I just feel that its coming up with an excuse for skeletons to keep gold on them, instead of just doing the more logical thing, and having them not carry gold.

    And you're right, in theory, magic use by skeletons could be explained depending on how magic works in the world. But it can't quite be just the same reason that they're animated, there has to be something extra there. And just at that point, I don't know if its not an just an excuse for skeletons to have magic :)
     
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  19. Gubbles

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    @redfish,

    Yeah, actually thinking about the gold thing again -- logistically its not even clear where they would hold it. They'd have to have a bag slung over their shoulder, or lose the use of one of their hands just to hold some coins. The latter doesn't really make sense, and I don't think I noticed any skeletons with bags.
     
  20. redfish

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    Who knows; maybe we'll find out that there's a skeleton society and these aren't normal fantasy skeletons, and are more like a skeleton race :)

    Just pointing out weird things that stuck out for me.
     
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