Catering to one over another ?

[FabricSoftener]

We do play darkfall, and are in the Rebel Alliance. Just like SSR came over, we're interested in what this game has to offer as well. Terraforming is a huge game changer and I love that its in here, and the crafting system is just beyond amazing. We're very into construction and politics and making friends and all, but we do want to fight people we don't like, or just for the hell of it.

We love this game.
We love the features.
We love the potential.

And we want to defend ourselves, our interests, and own more land, and we love to do that by the sword.

and I understand that. I just notice that many seem to be getting on this game explictly and only for pvp as if they are looking for some hard core pvp action or something and I just wonder if they understand what they are getting into.
Now given the trillion different armor options and contruction possibilities clearly around protecting villages I have no doubt pvp will exist in the game but its also clear its not the main focus of the game. if it were he would have made a combat engine first, not an extensive world building crafting engine first. Additionally given that he has decided to 're-do' the combat engine 'perhaps in the style of mount and blade' should give people two clues. One, the combat engine was second thought, not first, and second mount and blade is not going to be re-created in a week.

[otomotopia]

and I understand that. I just notice that many seem to be getting on this game explictly and only for pvp as if they are looking for some hard core pvp action or something and I just wonder if they understand what they are getting into.
Now given the trillion different armor options and contruction possibilities clearly around protecting villages I have no doubt pvp will exist in the game but its also clear its not the main focus of the game. if it were he would have made a combat engine first, not an extensive world building crafting engine first. Additionally given that he has decided to 're-do' the combat engine 'perhaps in the style of mount and blade' should give people two clues. One, the combat engine was second thought, not first, and second mount and blade is not going to be re-created in a week.

And I understand (most) of that. I really dislike the people who think that full loot PvP is the central reason to play. I for one think that it is a good system, but I understand and love the crafting and terraforming and gathering aspects equaly to eachother and to PvP. In that regard, I fully support what you're saying.

However, I would mention that he views combat a nessesity to get right, and more importantly IMPROVE. He also did this at the behest of the community, because it is incredibly better then the mess we have going on here. Besides Shadowboxing, that is. That's friggin cool.

But the animation and design of combat was changed, and not left flapping in the wind. And the world building and crafting was put in first, yes, because that is an incredibly important feature of the game. All of this is true.

But I don't think the timing of it means much in terms of importance. Of course he worked on that first, because that's what would break the hardest and its how 'the game' starts. You don't raid people until that's done either way, unless you're griefing or stupid. Probably both. But the metagame matters as well. Wars will start because people will scavange on other's claims. I will want to fight someone over land rights. And I want to back it up by actually TAKING their land from them.

Now that crafting works and terraforming doesn't break the world, the next stop is the inter-player systems, including diplomacy and concurrant war. It isn't an after thought, but it is on the to-do list.

[Larsa]

... I have no doubt pvp will exist in the game but its also clear its not the main focus of the game. ...

If you publish a game that has FFA PvP full loot as feature you get players that like FFA PvP full loot, no matter whether that was the intention of the developers or not.

I would wish for a sandbox MMORPG without FFA PvP full loot, but sadly, such a game does not exist. (On a sidenote, I also believe that the considerable commercial success of EVE has a lot to do with it's rather large practically safe zones.)

[FPrime]

We do need a way to make sure solo players cant hog land from large tribes, but also so that they can stay protected. I suggest making starter tools non-lootable and non-tradeable, that way, solo players can find a nice quiet spot where they would like to settle, put some baskets down, travel around, skilling up, and a few days in can place their homestead without the worry of being killed and having everything taken. This would also take away that annoying "exploit" where people just create multiple characters and trade off the tools. Really takes away the survival aspect IMO.

Great post.

I had been thinking of that too as a solution to the "all tools" exploit but you point out another good reason to consider it. If players won't be able to claim land to get safety right away without joining a tribe it becomes an even more attractive solution.

One detail I would add is that any starter items left in the world (packs on the ground or contents of any container) should disappear when the character who they belong to is deleted (which you probably intended but it wasn't specifically mentioned here).

I think a lot of players who have come to rely on that exploit (or plan on griefing noobs) may resist this idea but really it won't affect much after the first couple of days. I am not asking for total safety from pvp or anything but I don't think new characters (new players or alts) should be a resource that's harvested.

[Tehralph]

Great post.

I had been thinking of that too as a solution to the "all tools" exploit but you point out another good reason to consider it. If players won't be able to claim land to get safety right away without joining a tribe it becomes an even more attractive solution.

One detail I would add is that any starter items left in the world (packs on the ground or contents of any container) should disappear when the character who they belong to is deleted (which you probably intended but it wasn't specifically mentioned here).

I think a lot of players who have come to rely on that exploit (or plan on griefing noobs) may resist this idea but really it won't affect much after the first couple of days. I am not asking for total safety from pvp or anything but I don't think new characters (new players or alts) should be a resource that's harvested.

Thank you for agreeing with me.

[bruisie159]

Yes, this is what I'd like to do, if I can. The announced solution is to prepare everyone in case I don't have time. There are many things that need to be dealt with right now.

The main issue is not simply a solo totem claiming a lot of land. With the reduced land claim that should be ok. The main issue is other griefing tactics that have come to my attention.

You seem to focus on how all these solo players are just here to grief the tribes (ive never seen any evidence of this) but by implementing this idea a few days before launch you are griefing every single solo player that paid good money for the game.

[otomotopia]

It's not griefing the tribes, its taking up the good land that the tribes should be owning. Say there's a hundred solo players, and 40 tribal players. The tribal players become 4 tribes. the 4 tribes own four spots. The 100 players own 100 spots.

Is loosing 4 plots too much to ask?

[bruisie159]

missing the point completly its the fact that solo players will have to wait "a few days" to be able to fully enjoy the game. Judging by the history of this game nothing ever happens anywhere near on time as promised so i should think a few days will mostly likely be a few weeks at least. Our so called 2 week head start for pre order has already been reduced by 4 days due to yet another delay and this will delay it even further.

[Saorlan]

Why would you limit the beginning for solo players like this?

I have paid my preorder just like EVERYONE else has, as a matter of fact there are a lot of solo players that have been here since you turned on the servers and to find out a week before the prelude you are telling us we can't play like everyone else?

In my opinion this is a crappy way to treat the solo players!!!

No I totally agree that a solo player can not create a totem. Solo players are just that - Solo.

They can own a homestead or the such like but not a totem - they are for tribes and last time I looked one man was not a tribe.

[bruisie159]

No I totally agree that a solo player can not create a totem. Solo players are just that - Solo.

They can own a homestead or the such like but not a totem - they are for tribes and last time I looked one man was not a tribe.

missing the point again, i dont think many solo players would be annoyed if homesteads were available from friday just like a tribes totem is.