Rough Edges & Concerns

[sesune]

Hey there Its me again

There has been several discussions in the past and within time-to-time. We all know that Nevrax for a small company is doing their best and everything they can within their power. Some of them are even working out of their payroll to reserve and cover as much as funds possible.

Here is some suggestions to improve the current imbalance. They are not worded to be negative - just facts and suggestions from a friendly young developer.

Rough Edges & Concerns

Firstly we should understand that changing the New Player's Experience does only so much. Nevrax has lot of 'false advertising' which they may have failed to notice.

Official Media - Most of the videos, screenshots etc.. are out dated and are from the days of beta more or less. Majority of potential new player's first action is to go through the official teasers and screenshots. Right now there is only so much left in game from the days of beta but there are several new things. Sure there are player made ones but shouldnt the official ones still be re-done and show all the new and current things? Outposts, factions and more? Especially the spells animations has changed so much from those teasers.

NPE & RoS - The rewarding concept, it totally stands apart from the actual game. There are no such rewards for completing tasks in the mainlands.. dappers - yes, items - no.. Additionally named items? "Frost Touch" and more? While its good there is a better way to present this. Read the improvements section below.

Then there is level up rewarding on completion of the tasks. While this is out-off-feel from the mainlands ...its not really that harmful, I think.

Goo manifested creatures. Introducing Goo creatures on the starter lands and not restore them in the mainlands seems odd. That in it self is wrong, poor Goo creatures put in cages for so long, how cruel! Aw release them, please. Take me instead.. oh..um nevermind..ahem... er..you see when a player buys a subscription and goes to the mainlands they expect to see better content than that in the "Lands to Explore" map. The mainlands are the best but consider how a birthday cake will be without its icing? Here is the same thing - goo manifested lands with no goo creatures.

Faction embassies, this for one is a nice touch but in the main lands there are merely altars and few of the faction powers staying around, no glittering no eye-catching elements at all regarding this. You see, if we are going to be so elaborate in just a starting land then at least the temples in the mainlands should be surrounded with their respective elements. I recall my brother mentioning there being some faction elements in the 'old land dig site's or FvF zones. But now they are reduced to small boxed sections of the A'something Woods. *sigh*

So what can we do to improve all of this after the release of upcoming Ryzom Ring? Well here are my thoughts, feel free to express yours on this and lets all discuss and give Nevrax all the support they need.

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Concerning the NPE missions and rewards. In my opinion Level Rewarding in the starting lands are not that bad, considering lower levels its also easy to level up by training and these tasks and missions can simply be considered as a gain of experience in the field they are learning at that point. But it should be informed that this does not happen in higher levels or in mainlands once they have a basic understanding in the field that they are learning. About the rewards its best to reward the homin some money and ask them to go and buy - say a Magic Amplifier from the merchant but this would not be a default NPC item. The item does not have to be named, it can be just as same from the mainlands - but have the stats and such. The homin may or may not buy this, but its entirely up to them. Gives more choice and still ties in with the original Atys life. If they are determined to learn they will go and buy the item in question.

Duel requests without consent. Seriously in the starting lands everyone should be well informed that its impolite in engaging combat with fellow homin without talking or even introducing themselves. Just a night or two before I have been showered with over twenty duel requests, yes I counted them, and on my decline ...rude remarks like that I was afraid I will be beaten or somewhat was pierced in to me. Ryzom is not meant to be such a game. But I always am a calm and well mannered person and managed to convert at least five of then from their rude behavior - believe it or not, many do know how to be social, just are lazy to follow through.

In the mainlands after the release of R2

- all the missions and rites should be re-done and tweaked up a bit. New eloborate rites will be challenging for everyone and a proper reward of actions, spells, items or exceptional - limited weapons crafted by a talented master crafters will even be a nice touch. (its much better and realistic than a local named amp rewards like in starter camps...really ^^'). Its all good and we'll all enjoy them as long as this doesn't turn in to a quest based game.

- Goo creatures should be re-introduced, you brought them to the new starter lands now you have to do the same on the mainlands. I'm sure everyone feels the same way too. And don't forget the example of the cake and icing I used earlier

o..well i think some of the things will be balanced..well what do you guys think?

- Sesune

[acridiel]

Very good *thumbsup*

Acridiel

[ichigono]

*bump for some dev love*

[simiant]

As a new player (signed in last night for the first time) I think the quests that are being givin are helpful in sorting out just how things work.. I haven't done any non-tutorial type quests there, if there are any, but the ones from the 4 skill trees sure made a difference.

Duel requests seem to be pretty standard on most mmorpg start locations I found, mostly from bored younger people I gather? Anyway, in the 4 hours I played yesterday I didnt get 1 duel request, so eh, could be a non-problem already.

I'm a concerned over the collision detection mechanism.. not being able to walk through a gap that could fit 3-4 of my side to side seems odd.. but eh, walking around it only takes a few moments longer... What would be nice is jumping lol.. especially when you are at a fence and want to get on the other side. But eh again walking around can work, if someone longer.

[deathyec]

I'm a new player myself, and just wanted to chime in and say in the 2 days I've been playing so far, I haven't received a single duel request yet.

It does help that the frequent posts like this about the mainland not being like the newbie island are helpful. I know that I have based my expectations not on the quests or such that I'm experiencing now, but rather on my enjoyment of the game system itself.

I am expecting to sign up when I have wrung the newb zone dry of its content and potential.

[d29565]

Very Very good post Sesune.
The main problem with a duel, is that some players with duel you, and not rez. It happened to my noob avi on the island. ---How Rude.---

I would very much like to see the Goo creatures returned, because that would add more missions that I can do for fame. (There are missions to kill goo creatures on the mainland, but no goo creatures!)

And I too think the kami and karavan "camps" on the mainland would look a lot nicer if they were "spiced up" like they are on the NPE. The Kami camp there is so sparkily, I love running through there

[motan]

I disagree to the "false advertisement" statement. The quests on the island are a tutorial. Once they are finished, the player experience is very much the same as on the mainland - except that life on the mainland is so much better.

On the other hand, I totally agree that granting items as a reward is a bad idea. Ryzom has a player-driven economy, the only quest items should be crafting mats.
Besides, since the reward equipment is pretty good, many prospective crafters may feel discouraged. Also, combatants feel little incentive to try other types of weapons.
Finally, 90% of the people look exactly the same, wearing combinations of the reward clothes.

[simiant]

Oh yes.. well having spent some time playing eq2, where for instance the cloth armor set is pretty useless to bother crafting because mission rewards give better stuff, as well as drops.. such things really turned away people from being tailors.. Give money/mats, sure, can never get enough, but make people work for their ubergear, either by making it themselves, or by making the social connections to have someone else make it.. that is a lot more interesting :]

[kostika]

I disagree that the items given in the tutorial missions is a bad thing. The items you get are needed for doing later missions to complete the tutorial. The items aren't uber and they help the person continue to learn. These items make it very solo friendly til a person can get to know a few people and find friendson the island to team with for the bigger later tutorial missions.

Otherwise very nice post Sesune. Nicely thought out and said.

[pugmak]

I tend to agree that the giving of items as mission awards creates a set of expectations in the truely new player that wont be met on the mainland. This is a potential problem but only time will really tell.

I do feel that choice mats should be made available on newbie island because that enhances the training for the young diggers and helps young crafters develop pride in their workmanship.

I start up lots of /tell convos with newbies and one of the more constant questions goes something like this "why bother with crafting?" "why should I learn to craft? no one buys the stuff I make and the missions give out better stuff anyway."

I do enjoy the NPE and I do also enjoy the missions but less for the toys and more for the sense of getting something done for a purpose rather than just simply speed grinding.

The mission toys smack a bit of capitulation to the concept of quest driven game play and "phat lewtz" ideology of mmo development.

IMHO, if a game world is going to have a "player made" economy then it needs to be top down, bottom up, side to side and all the way around, from beginning to end, start to finish, "player made" economy.

Trying to hybridize now will either create further rifts in the player community and thereby diminish your subscription base or marginalize the player crafters and thereby diminsh your subscription base.

If you want to create a quest driven "phat lewtz" game world then it would be better to make a seperate world or server to host that. You cant expect any success in attempting to hybridize such mutually exclusive economy structures.