Questions for the players

[VeryWiiTee]

Enforcer Dezgard!

Can you two keep it civilized!?.. I know I hardly can but anyway..

There is no need for a system. Just the simple action of letting an opposing force destroy the expansion totem. (We're not talking log destruction or stump destruction. We're talking hit point destruction.) It is just a matter of adding hitpoints to an object.
And I got to agree with MrDDT. Combat is dead because there is no incentive to fight over resources that are common. We need some resources that gives better crafted items, but also are scarce in an area where totems can be destroyed and control of the area fought for. That alone would add quite a lot of content to the game for people -not- seeking to craft/build/terraform through the entire game.

[Book]

Interesting thread. Content? hmm.

Didn't get a chance to read every word, skimmed a lot, so sorry if some of this is repetitive.
I'll throw a big ole' IMHO out now so I don't have to repeat it later.

Revenants: Didn't use to like the idea. I thought it was kind of meh, overdone in an apocalypse context. Having seen the screenshots, I like how they're represented though. To me, I don't much enjoy individualized PvP so something like revenants would give a chance for PvE combat with maybe a small loot. This is different than animals, as I would rather fight animals just as self-defense or a resource need rather than fulfilling a wish to fight something.

Large-scale, cooperative PvP: This can't really be just "created", but it's the kind of PvP I was looking forward to when I bought the game. Again, I don't like the individualized PvP at all. Maybe the occasional robber or something, I'll deal with that, but I get more excited about being a peon in an army and the thrill of a well executed battle plan.
That's why I enjoy games like BC2, I'm always in a squad, like support roles or spotting for my team. In WoW PvP (take it easy, just to make a point), same idea, I like it best when a team is working together.
People who know more about developing than I do will have input on how to make it happen. I'm just saying that's what I like.

New Lands? I would personally rather see totem decay on the current land, even rapid decay. I'm not currently active which means I would likely lose my stuff, but I'm ok with that. I think it's better for the game to have that happen than to use the land expansion prematurely. Save that for when more is polished and the population truly calls for expansion. Don't expand until you have the resources to start working on the next expansion.

Survival: This is a big one for me. It may sound like SimWorld to some, sorry, just stating my opinion without wanting to knock yours.
The need for Comfort (shelter, heat, etc.), Thirst, Hunger, etc. was a huge draw for me from the beginning. Even if it doesn't have a tremendous effect at the moment, I always used to take care of those needs from a make-believe standpoint. The content is already there, just not necessarily on, and is one part of this world I like. It's not a buff, it doesn't add temporary stats, it's a survival simulation and I take that with me when going on a hike. Since this game, I look for water sources, where I'd build a lean-to, evidence of animals, etc. I like that a lot. More focus on individual survival would be great. Kind of a Jeremiah Johnson Simulation.

Make it worthwhile to know this:
http://www.equipped.org/fm21-76.htm

ps. I'd like to thank Dub for the editorial idea of bold titles.

[Jadzia]

Can you two keep it civilized!?.. I know I hardly can but anyway..

There is no need for a system. Just the simple action of letting an opposing force destroy the expansion totem. (We're not talking log destruction or stump destruction. We're talking hit point destruction.) It is just a matter of adding hitpoints to an object.
And I got to agree with MrDDT. Combat is dead because there is no incentive to fight over resources that are common. We need some resources that gives better crafted items, but also are scarce in an area where totems can be destroyed and control of the area fought for. That alone would add quite a lot of content to the game for people -not- seeking to craft/build/terraform through the entire game.

I agree that we need rare resources. And we need areas where totems can be destroyed....WHEN totems can be destroyed. Till then dedicating an area to destroyable totems (while they are not even in game ) is a waste.

I really don't believe it would be so simple as to add hitpoints to totems. Perhaps that would work for expansion totems but not for tribe totems. There are no gates in game, tribes wouldn't be able to protect their area 24/7. The system needs a lot of balancing and planning.

Thats why I said that they should add rare resource hubs, which players can fight over. Not the ownership of the resource, but the ability to gather it. It doesn't need any new system, so its a quick fix to have something to fight for.

We don't even know how expansion totems will work. Will other players be able to gather on another tribe's expanded area ? Will they be able to open containers there and steal ? Or the only difference will be that its not a safe zone ?

[MrDDT]

I agree that we need rare resources. And we need areas where totems can be destroyed....WHEN totems can be destroyed. Till then dedicating an area to destroyable totems (while they are not even in game ) is a waste.

I really don't believe it would be so simple as to add hitpoints to totems. Perhaps that would work for expansion totems but not for tribe totems. There are no gates in game, tribes wouldn't be able to protect their area 24/7. The system needs a lot of balancing and planning.

Thats why I said that they should add rare resource hubs, which players can fight over. Not the ownership of the resource, but the ability to gather it. It doesn't need any new system, so its a quick fix to have something to fight for.

We don't even know how expansion totems will work. Will other players be able to gather on another tribe's expanded area ? Will they be able to open containers there and steal ? Or the only difference will be that its not a safe zone ?

Using your own thoughts in this, right now we cant do that at all either because combat is broken. So adding a new system would need to be done either way. Adding HP to a contested totem is very very easy thing to do, its not needing a whole system for it. Why would it need to be protected 24/7? In your own system it wont be protected 24/7.

You are thinking like these totems are totems going to be now, where people build them up. People can choose to build them up, but they will know what they are getting into.

We dont know a lot of stuff. That doesnt mean we want more safe totem areas in this new push back of the mist. We have tons of room for that already.

[Jadzia]

Using your own thoughts in this, right now we cant do that at all either because combat is broken. So adding a new system would need to be done either way. Adding HP to a contested totem is very very easy thing to do, its not needing a whole system for it. Why would it need to be protected 24/7? In your own system it wont be protected 24/7.

You are thinking like these totems are totems going to be now, where people build them up. People can choose to build them up, but they will know what they are getting into.

We dont know a lot of stuff. That doesnt mean we want more safe totem areas in this new push back of the mist. We have tons of room for that already.

It would be nice if you talked for yourself...or are you referring to yourself as 'we' ? Its kind of confusing. I don't remember the playerbase electing you as their spokesman. You assume that your opinion is everyone's opinion, which is very clearly wrong.

The combat system is already in work. I agree, it has to be completed first, till then we can't even talk about combat. Another point not to dedicate the new zones for contest.
Adding a siege system is a very different question.

Who will build in an area where there is no way to protect his territory when he is offline, and his totem can simply be destroyed by running there and hitting it ? If you meant expansion totem that may work, but in that case there is no reason not to allow safe tribe totems to be placed in the new area (not on the rare resources).

We don't have tons of room. Every land was taken on the first day after launch when the population was very high, and these totems are still there. There are no good free spots in the game.

[xyberviri]

Enforcer Dezgard!

I really hope if/when a skill cap is implented a hard total skill cap is put in above that soft cap so that you can't have more than X number of skill points in Everything.

Furthermore your stats need to come into play when skill caps come in, like if your 10 dex and 10 int you should not be able to raise your crafting skills very high.

[Dubanka]

Dude no Offense but your part of the problem, nobody said oh, Go out on Grind as many crafting skills as possible so you can get those extra skill points to dump into a combat skill line so you can be OP when your pvp another player..... all the power gamers kinda figured that out on there own.

I really hope if/when a skill cap is implented a hard total skill cap is put in above that soft cap so that you can't have more than X number of skill points in Everything.

Furthermore your stats need to come into play when skill caps come in, like if your 10 dex and 10 int you should not be able to raise your crafting skills very high.

yeah i would have liked the system better without the leveling...skill based period would be the way to go. And you are correct, your stats should definitely impact your max skill level on any given ability...i mean should you really be able to be a master tool crafter with 10 dex? i'd think not.

There are no good free spots in the game.

The simple answer to this is totem decay...not territorial expansion. more world without more players just makes an emptier world.

If you meant expansion totem that may work, but in that case there is no reason not to allow safe tribe totems to be placed in the new area (not on the rare resources).

If there is a rare resource in the zone, very simply, you should only be able to place a destructible expansion totem in that zone. Why? It is an unfair advantage for someone to have an invuln safe zone in close proximity to a competive resource.

It would be nice if you talked for yourself...or are you referring to yourself as 'we' ? Its kind of confusing. I don't remember the playerbase electing you as their spokesman. You assume that your opinion is everyone's opinion, which is very clearly wrong.

/hiss that wasn't very constructive.

[Jadzia]

The simple answer to this is totem decay...not territorial expansion. more world without more players just makes an emptier world.

It would be nice...but Xsyon said totem decay won't be in for a while, and even when he implement it it will take like 6 months or more. If he added it now and it took like 2 weeks to decay a totem of an unsubscribed player then it could help.

If there is a rare resource in the zone, very simply, you should only be able to place a destructible expansion totem in that zone. Why? It is an unfair advantage for someone to have an invuln safe zone in close proximity to a competive resource.

Thats why I said not to allow to place a safe totem on rare resources or not even close to it.

/hiss that wasn't very constructive.

Yeah....but true :)

[xyberviri]

Personally i would like to see more tools to create content in the game, I can't make dungeons for other players to go into, we can't dig caves, We can't create spawns for Mobs, we cant lure animals/mobs, we can't make our money we just find it by scavaging and its currently infinite in and very little out. There is also a bunch of resources at this time that are very easy to get, which kills trade, even then you can't transport items to other cities, There is really no reward for building a large city other than just ooo Wow effect.

If there is a way to crowd source content generation then it would greatly help.

In SWG players can make Quests, these quests have triggers and spawns and stuff that appears, theres also stories and the abiltiy to rate the player created quest. I doubt that would be possible here.

Also i think that Unfortunatly the Sandbox needs some themepark rides for the players that dont want to change the world:

What i would like to see is the Zombies taking over abandoned homesteads, Ie you leave, your totem decays and instead of it just going poof some zombies move in and take it over, then you could kill them to get rid of the totem which would keep them from coming back.

[Book]

It would be nice...but Xsyon said totem decay won't be in for a while, and even when he implement it it will take like 6 months or more. If he added it now and it took like 2 weeks to decay a totem of an unsubscribed player then it could help.

What i would like to see is the Zombies taking over abandoned homesteads, Ie you leave, your totem decays and instead of it just going poof some zombies move in and take it over, then you could kill them to get rid of the totem which would keep them from coming back.

Yup. Free up land, pretty much recycling content. Might tweak it up to a month instead of two weeks, just to make it one full payment cycle. I'd also make it retroactive though. Any account that's been unsubscribed a month goes into the revenant phase immediately. Send emails to every account you have in your database announcing the new and exciting revenant incursions and consequences, no surprises.

Xyber's idea means that while it's unfortunate you're losing a customer, the loss of that customer increases the likelihood of others staying as they're getting more content.

I presume Xsyon is coming from the hopes of getting those customers back by keeping their stuff around but... I'm not sure that would be the determining factor. Allow people coming back to rejoin with anything they had on them. They can always make arrangements to keep things at a friend's, or a storage business, if they're just taking a break and think they might come back.

I recently went back to Eve for a bit and some of my stuff was so old, I either couldn't remember what it was, or it was just irrelevant at this point. Glad to have my cash and maybe a couple of ships... but those arrangements shouldn't require a non-customer to have a 6 month hold on land over an actively paying customer.