What Do Decorators Want?

Simple enough: A living, breathing Ultima-successor game world.

If the team continues to focus on that strength, the game will continue to improve. More deco is fun but isn't the full monte.

 

Check this out:
https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/corven-trailer.163794/

 

Really? Because it seems most of the goofier things are subscriber/login rewards. Certainly, I have never directly paid for a single fluffy goofball item, and yet I have a trunk full of them labeled "Ugly Crap."

I think (and maybe I'm wrong) most people who subscribe either want to support the game, and would do so regardless what the rewards were, subscribe to get the rewards whatever they are just to have all the pixels, or do it for the cheap crowns. If we started getting armor and weapon patterns instead of bunny slippers, I don't think it would change the number of people who sub.

While I would prefer these things were not in the game at all, doing them only as crown store items would be preferable to subscriber rewards. At least then the world will be less full of snowmen and leprechaun hats, and more full of cool looking bows and furniture and armors.

And even when they do exist, maybe make them a little more world-appropriate? If the bunny slippers were made from rough burlap with button eyes or something, they probably wouldn't be that bad. THAT is a humorous real-world reference, rather than a garish monstrosity.

 

And also, to be clear: when I describe these items as ugly, I don't mean they are poorly made or are in and of themselves ugly, but that they are ugly in the context of this world. If I wanted bunny slippers, those are some damn fine slippers. I'm not in any way trashing the work Damon puts into this stuff, I just think his talents are being misused.

 

NPC cities/Towns that are not made with the same technology as POT's.. Having thousands of loadable/movable objects eating the performance of my machine. Maybe one day... I can walk there without gpu overheating.

That is all I want..

 

Brother it is about decorating. Want to see this pirate’s version of decorating a warship? Come to Rock Ridge and take s look. Feel free to bring some ladies to try out the dance poles on the extended tavern counter located on the bottom deck and do tip
the guards to allow you safe passage on and off the ship or you may find yourself on either the pillory or plank. “Grins”. R/Boris/El Pirata

 

Exactly! The months that I've subscribed, most of the subscriber rewards have all gone straight to my vendor, and most of those are still sitting there. A few have gone into a chest in case I might want to use them some day, but several others I've seriously considered destroying because someone else using it on the lot next to me would be even worse than keeping it locked up in a chest. And most of the free login rewards are either still sitting in my rewards window or, if I was stupid enough to claim one to test it out, sitting undestroyable cluttering up my bank. I was thrilled to see last month's plant; it was the first since last summer that I'd actually use.

Most people like free stuff. I like free stuff. And if someone really really wants that thematically inappropriate item enough to spend crowns on it, I may roll my eyes at them but I'm not gonna fault Portnip for taking their money.

It's when the thematically out-of-place stuff (or performance-hit stuff like mannequins) is handed out like candy as login rewards or as stream prizes that I start thinking the new-deco dev time is really being misdirected. There are plenty of people who aren't going to spend money on decorating stuff, but if you give them a freebie, they'll throw it in their front yard just because they can, because hey, it was free and immersiveness isn't something they care about. Having that freebie isn't going to make them more or less likely to spend money, because deco isn't what they're here for. But it might well make the decorator next door to them LESS likely to spend money, because it mars the overall ambiance and makes it harder to enjoy being here, harder to create the kind of environment we're going for.

With login rewards especially, the devs have a great opportunity to deepen the cultural cohesiveness of the world by helping players participate in those cultures with appropriately themed everyday items. Especially if you pull from the content that's already in the game but not yet player-usable; who's going to complain about a freebie not being new-from-scratch? (Well, okay, there's always someone who will complain about anything, but you get my point.) If the devs must spend time on non-immersive stuff, at least save it for when you know it will make the game more money, don't just hand it out free to all your potential customers so that they don't have to spend money on it.

 

I concur. All pirate ships should have dancing poles.

 

Besides the ever current failure of some of the most useful player deco items , light emitting cloaks and helms not working after they have been salvaged and patterns applied to good gear this is a known issue that has been around and fixed a few times there is a litany of things that just seem to be ignored. I know it is a low priority because it was paid for so long ago... Otherwise we would be playing a different game now. Meh! This makes me lose faith in the Devs that overlook the original intent of the reward items as if well we just don't care. Like the Eldemann Birdbath... But hey here is a Heritage Blackbird for those of you that don't believe anything you buy or earn should be worth something.

1. Resources not being a stack able deco item (this would make things better in many ways, Crafting areas would be much easier to deco and work if you have it all in the same spot for display)
2. POT Castle walls that can not have anything on them (give a little like 1 light 1 item every few walls to keep load balance)
3. POT Teleporters that can have some deco on them... (It was nice that the stairs got fixed after their release but no deco when they look like they need it...) I bought the non Heritage no others.
4. Blocks for building on lots that can be used without needing a physics degree in conceptual quantum physics.
5. Dry dock ships? Lets get some ships that work... Fishing tournaments, treasure maps... What is a sextant?
6. How about a dynamic Lot marker that doesn't block out all deco laterally from it on your lot?
7. Plate Armor... Has not been touched... My bad... Darth Vader was that last new Plate Armor upgrade... (Isn't that better for Star Citizen?) I actually started playing that again since then. thx
8. Heritage... What can I say... I do not get this concept. How is it ok to sell a Heritage item without an alternate that cost more? I will pay more for non heritage but I will not buy Heretic items even with the new Heretic resale system. Let me buy it with the resale price added...
9. How about lighting dyes?
10. Dye Tubs with color mixing?

Ok ranting now but REALLY? I will stop mainly because I really do not believe this will ever be heard or considered in any meaningful way other then player feedback.
Don't get me started on the combat system.. loot... oh and stun got a new fix... Don't use it.
I know I am being a negative Nelly but hey these are all issues that have been and look to be the future of what is to come. I pay my subscriptions to support the game not for cheep COTOS or frivolous content... Every month I wonder why I don't reconsider and conclude that there might be a light at the end of the tunnel.
This game is where I invested my time and money for a reason. I hope it was a good investment... but am weary due to... How it is and has been... I get that there is a ton of crap code and BS that has been inherited by the Great Lord British Long Stars... but they are gone lets get it back on it. Lets Make SOTA Great.... Please