We're being discouraged from interacting with each other in multiplayer

I disagree with just about every conclusion in your post.

1. The option for single player is essential in any functional RPG
2. The fact that you can also play multiplayer is a great addition, but it should not interfere with the ability of the player to follow the story line.
3. Here the two modes are integrated from the start, and that is not going to change.
4. it would be better to come up with targeted suggestions to help ease any negative impacts that the single/multi duality may have on specific chosen play styles - rather than wield a big, blunt hammer trying to smash single/multi economic interaction or even trying to eliminate an entire mode of play.

1 - why?
2 - why do you assume the MMO function does "interfere" with any RPG element?
3 - that's your conclusion. Certainly, if the devs were to agree with my line of reasoning and disagree with your bald conclusions it would change. Or I suppose they could sail the ship right at the iceberg and damn the torpedos. That would be bad.
4 - why? If the idea itself is a bad one - and I say it is - then why would tweaking a bad idea be a good idea? I say it would be better to scrap the link, and then some. You don't like the idea, but I firmly believe I'm right.

I guess we'll see when the history of this game is written. Will it be remembered like UO was - as an amazing accomplishment? Or will it be looked back on as a very small niche game dictated to be such by its very design? I say the latter is very likely under the current ruleset.

 

If you want links I still have a ton of them lined up for you.. but the sourced of quote was irrelevant to your meaning so I wanted to avoid derailing the thread with a link war that I didn't think you would appreciate anyway. So I will PM them instead if that will make you happy and thank you not to presume to know my motives which you have completely taken the wrong way I might add.

 

ok guys, lets agree to disagree and get back to the topic?

 

Ravicus is right. Agree to disagree and move on.

 

I won't go into depth, but my quick response is

1. In a role playing game, the player is the hero. He or she is the centre of the universe. That illusion is shattered the moment you have a dozen other players lined up at the same quest giver. Many quests involve puzzles or other challenges - it should not be possible to take a free ride on the efforts of others in these situations. A quest may require the defeat of a particular NPC to progress. This will be thwarted if others keep killing the NPC before you get the chance (possibly deliberately). There are many other examples that illustrate why the option for single player is essential in any functional RPG, but I don't have all day.
2. See above.
3. Refer to Kickstarter campaign and commitments made.
4. Follows on from 3.

 

Are you crazy Drocis? There's social interaction and roleplay going on all the time! I'm +10 GMT and I still find people everywhere to interact with, but its when I'm scurrying around the towns doing stuff. I don't sit somewhere and wait for it to come to me (although sometimes it does if I'm at a skill trainer or on my lot in OH). Wander around, find some people, say hi, ask how their day is going - be nice and people will interact with you

Sure when I'm in the mines chipping away I don't see anyone, but that's when guild or party chat comes in handy for finding people to talk to. Most of the time I'm in game I'm in a party with my friends so even while I'm doing something solo I can talk with them.

But back to social RP, this is what happened just on Saturday morning US time... you run into Kingsport to pick up some ankhs to put on your vendor. You see @Varrus Caius and Sand and have a chat with them while you play a game of jumping on the roof of the boarded up building. Then you head to Owls Head to stock up your vendor and find @Amber Raine and @Sindariya using the crafting tables on your lot, so you have a chat with them while you stock your vendor. @Kacey happens by and he's found some new songs he wants to share with you, so while you're smelting your hard-won silver from the mines he serenades you on his lute. @Woftam and @SeleneNoctua come on the air, so you run over to Selene's lot and summon a spider in the midst of their dancing to cause some mayhem. They say hi and eek appropriately at the spider, but are busy with their radio show so you join a party with your guildmates to play "where's Baldo?" The first few clues are too cryptic to give you any ideas so you continue smelting and hanging out with Amber and Kacey (Riya has gone off to do something else, perhaps sleep?) After a few clues from Selene on the location of Baldo you have an idea so quietly excuse yourself, then go haring off to South Celestis Wetlands, find the statue you remember but no sign of Baldo. You kill some wolves in frustration. Word comes in that @Net has found him, so you ask if you can zone to see North Brightbone Forest, an area you haven't visited in ages. Net shows you around some ruins there, and then takes you to the statue, ducking between archer bandits that want to skewer you. Ahhh this statue looks just like the clues on the radio! You and Net do some fishing to celebrate his victory...

This could be you, @Baron Drocis Fondorlatos! You just have to have an open mind and not attack everyone in sight, see?

 

I appreciate the reply, but none of those really support the proposition they're offered for. Your no. 1/2 (which is really just 1) is a matter of personal preference only. I love online MMRPGs. I can be as immersed with other real people around as in a single player RPG. Different strokes and all that. Your 3/4 (which is really just 3) amounts to nothing more than "trust me on this." What specific promise was made in KS that require the devs to march on with SPO even if they decide it's a bad idea?

 

There are.. two channels to choose from.. That is how you realize no one will hear it? This is an interesting conclusion. Because there are two channels to choose from on *That* radio... no one else is listening? And thank you quite kindly for the vote of confidence that we have no listeners on a station that has promoted the hole in the ground called Rats Nest for quite some time now. Way to prove why you good Sir, may not have anyone around you.

Right.... it *does* encourage people to deal with one another and be aware of one another... so this...

could be your biggest problem.. *You* have chosen to *not* go out there and interact with people. Instead shutting yourself behind a door to a tavern that many no longer visit. Instead of heading out into the wide world built up all around you, where you can meet various people on a daily basis.

I can not go anywhere without bumping into at least a handful of people which will eventually end up causing me to forget what my original plans were. Not a single day goes by that I am not interacting with someone, in one manner or another.

And do not even start your thinking of "Well your Amber, your this and your that"... Yes, I am. Yet, I had to bust my ass to get that! .. I went *out* and met people, I introduced myself, I helped every one and everywhere. I have built something from nothing, instead of sitting behind a closed door and whining about no one being in this tiny square box when there is a huge world around me.

This was already addressed. You also need to get off your tuskus and go out of your small box and you'll find it! Hell even EMBER, and she is as abrassive as they get, has people that she can wander into and terrorize. They seem to enjoy it so I let her do it several times a week now

Absolutely not! These are 1) great tools to be able to quickly jet from place to place 2) Already been stated that they will not last forever and are only there for a .. what is that? oh yes PRE ALPHA GAME PLAY!

Perhaps You Sir.. need to "really think twice" about how your "thinking" this game is on a social level! It is not a matter of how it is built, the way it is built is fine. The way a person thinks, is not.

Ultima Online had runes to zip from place to place. World of Warcraft had griffons, Everquest 2 had griffons, I could have that list go on. Yet, the similarity in all of them? They all had things to get you swiftly from one place to another, and they *all* had RP! and interaction!

Do you see what you did here? Force... Force? Players to RP? -- RP should not ever be forced, RP is something that should be as natural as breathing. Open the door Drocis, get out of your box, and look around the vast world around you! And for goodness sakes get out of single player mode if you want to be in a multiplayer world.

I for one love the community, it is vast and it is close. Some of the better friends I have met have been in the past 2 years, some of the closest family I have were from the past 2 years. This world is vast, it is no longer restricted to simply Owl's Head -- That was the first couple releases. Get out there and see the world! You may be surprised!

 

Amber is having a bad day, don't take it personally Drocis. Which I know because I talk to her every day! I don't even like multiplayer games, but SotA has such a great community I'm on a real-name basis with a good 100+ people from here.

If I can take one thing from Amber's rant and build on it. This game doesn't adapt to suit you, you adapt to suit it. Go out, find where things are happening and join in. No one will come play "your way" unless you invite them to and show them the fun in it. If you are unable to adapt yourself to the game you're playing, I'd suggest you set up a time and start a weekly RP PvP event. I can help you put it on the calendar and try to get some people along. Be aware that weekly events can take time to build, but have hope! Explore Novia has 10-15 people along every week now, and its at 5:30am NBT!

Would you try to RP a starship captain in WoW? Would you try to PvP in Ultima 6?

In summary, play the game that is presented to you, not another game that's in your head. Just enjoy the game for what it is

 

I really like your post royal. You are a true good guy player. I just want to say though that yes we have a great community. I do not think though that the community at large represents the larger community of backers. There are some 57K backers and some 20-50 people posting feedback. Many people are sitting in the sidelines just waiting. I do agree that we should all be optimistic but we should also look outside the box that we are in thinking we are the only people going to play this game. Its all roses and comfy now, but the game will not sustain itself on 50 people.

 

Absolutely my dear friend, but those of us that are in the game now, providing feedback to the devs, either through the forums or via bug reports and in-game chats with them, will potentially be the leaders of the community when the game goes 'live' by virtue of knowing what we're doing, being able to help new players (@WrathPhoenix or @Themo Lock anyone?) and having set up systems and tested ideas. @Winfield and @Violation have been heavily invested longer than I, and are both super-smart and know how to build their respective communities, test the features that appeal most to them, and provide incalculably valuable feedback to the developers, which influences the direction of the game. Those on the sidelines that haven't logged the hours will be listened to, but maybe not so much as those that have put the amount of love in that those guys have?

I know your time is limited, but I love seeing you online more now that the ground is freezing up up there in the frozen wastes... you live in Icewind Dale right? Great to see more of Drocis in the game too, he has so much feedback to give <edited out objectionable content - sorry I hurt your feelings!>

 

Thank you sir, I enjoy seening you also!

 

I got tagged... boom... #appears

*drops his bottles and potions as he appears*

oop...

*vanishes in a cloud of colorful smoke before he can finish his words leaving a pile of clothing behind*

 

Oh no! There's a nekkid Violation running around out there somewhere!

*hides your kids, hides your wives, hides your husbands*

 

I didn't read your entire reply yet Amber - just this part. Sorry you're having a bad day.

I wasn't saying that Avatar's Radio didn't have listeners. I was saying that people couldn't hear the music in the tavern or in the streets or anywhere unless they personally turned on the radio in the tavern.

I'm a financial supporter and listener of Avatar's Radio. I'm surprised that my comments and feedback would invoke such a response. I'll come back and read this again later. Again, sorry you're having a bad day.

 

This is something that a few people keep saying. I think the devs know the truth about this, and each time this narrative gets spread (without facts to back it up) it makes those who spread the lie that much more unbelievable.

I'm disappointed that some people can't argue their points and they have to instead make up stories about me that amount to no more than a personal attack. You don't know how much I play or don't play the game. Just because you personally don't see me in the game doesn't mean I'm not observing. In this very OP I'm literally saying that the scene was empty.

royalsexy....think about this for just a moment, please. How would you feel if everytime you had a suggestion I said "Well that's all well and good but since I never see royalsexy in game he doesn't know what he's talking about." or "That's nice that you give feedback but since my experience is different than yours you don't really have a clue"?

Do you understand how wrong this is? Your siloed group of friends might play the game very differently than I do, it doesn't make my point of view wrong or my feedback wrong. It just makes them different.

Let the devs decide who's right and wrong for the good of the community. If you, or others, are approaching my feedback as if I can't possibly be right because "you're supposed to play the game like THIS!" and "you need to play with US" then you're not giving me an opportunity to provide an opposite point of view. That's not going to help this game get better.

 

I'm so sorry, I in no way meant to make you feel you were being attacked. I've not seen you in game until just recently, so based it on that. Of course you're in a vastly different timezone to me. Please read the rest of my post, and don't dwell on that throwaway comment. Would you like me to delete it?

 

I really appreciate your reply. I don't care if you delete it or not. I care more about what happens going forward.

You're far from the only person to make that comment and from my point of view it's an attack meant to discredit ANYTHING I ever say. The truth of the matter is that I actually play the game quite a bit, but because I'm not interested in going to a lot of events and I'm always grinding, I rarely see people. I also occasionally play the game in SPO because it's easier to avoid other players that might be competing for the same resources that I am.

I totally understand that people may not like my ideas, or may not agree with my feedback, and that's perfectly OK! What I wish some people in general would do is stop attacking me (my playing time or playing style) and instead argue their own point of view.

For example: Perfectly ok to say "I love grinding and I hope they keep everything the way it is!" or "I love progression and would be upset if it were easier." That's fine, that's probably a good thing for the devs to hear and consider. I just hope that maybe people will read this and understand that regardless of your point of view, my personal playing habits have nothing to do with this conversation. My experiences are MINE, and this forum is supposed to be a place where I can provide feedback about those experiences.

 

The most important point I wanted to make is that I want you to play the game as it is. There's plenty of people around, go find 'em

 

I know you are, which is why the wording seemed to be completely off the wall and returned with such a response. The "hole in the ground" comment - was from how you describe it in the advert we play regularily. The rest - was posted from the persona of Ember....

Even on the forums.. we can RP.. was my exact position to be honest. Even out here on the forums, we can bring RP, it is not it coming to you. It is what you make it