An open letter to the game owners

[sidusar]

Well, the whole purpose of the event is that the Kitin do in fact prevent us from going about our normal routine. That's the whole point of an invasion. If the Kitin just invade some backwater region that nobody cares to go to anyways, that could hardly be presented as a real credible threat to hominkind.

But, the purpose is also to then use this fact ("damnit, we can't do anything with all these kitin around!") to rally the entire server population into working together to wipe those kitin off the surface of Atys as quickly and efficiently as possible. Vets and newbies alike. That's what creates the immensely fun atmosphere of all working together towards the goal of the event.

And they've failed in this second part for, far as I can see, three reasons (in increasing importance):

1. People can still do other things than fighting off the invasion. Treks are still being held, or at least being attempted. People are still foraging mats, just in less areas. Armies are still gathering to take out Exterminators, and people are still hunting KotD for titles. All of which they're doing instead of pushing the kitin back.
2. They've failed to "rally" the people together to wipe the kitin out. There's been no speech from the leaders, not even an RP forum announcement that the kitin are invading and need to be pushed back. They were just suddenly dumped on us with no word whatsoever. A lot of people wouldn't even know how to decrease those "Kitin left around the camp" bars, because it was never explained.
3. The messing around with %-rates during the first part of the event made it clear we've no real effect on those bars anyways. The event will run for it's set amount of time and then end, no matter what we do. So the players are just getting what they can out of the event while it lasts, rather than futily attempting to end it quicker.

I think the only way to salvage this anymore is if Dexton showed up at a Fyros Exterminator battle, lead the entire army there all the way through SC slaughtering all the KotD in the way, and showed that actually decreasing the "Kitin left around the camp Scorched Corridor" by 30% in just an hour.

[acridiel]

[*]They've failed to "rally" the people together to wipe the kitin out. There's been no speech from the leaders, not even an RP forum announcement that the kitin are invading and need to be pushed back. They were just suddenly dumped on us with no word whatsoever. A lot of people wouldn't even know how to decrease those "Kitin left around the camp" bars, because it was never explained.

I think the only way to salvage this anymore is if Dexton showed up at a Fyros Exterminator battle, lead the entire army there all the way through SC slaughtering all the KotD in the way, and showed that actually decreasing the "Kitin left around the camp Scorched Corridor" by 30% in just an hour.

Uhm,... either you missed something, or it´s still coming on Arispotle, but on Aniro and Leanon the leaders of the people did exactly that on Saturday.

I´ve got video-proof, that I will piece together once this whole Kitin Mess is over. Battling the Bugs beside King Yrkanis was realy, realy inspiring.
At last to me.

Besides that, we´ve got exactly the same problems on Leanon as you.
People complaining, of not being able to play their usual routine game and refusing to team up against the kintin, preferring to battle alone, dying a lot and getting frustrated.
It´s a mystery to me, why people are so adamantly against teaming up to do something about this.

Must be something "human" it seems... *sigh*

CU
Acridiel

[thlau]

There is much valid mentioned by the original poster, and it expresses my fears about this event.

Everyone level 50+ is forced to participate in the event, as they need access to the former yellow regions to find mobs and raw materials to improve their skills. I see several issues with this.
Level 100 mobs are hard to fight for a level 50 group, especially if you have to fight them in groups of 3 minimum. And to be honest, the level 100 Kidinak, Kinrey, and Kipucka are no fun for a group with general equipment, and that doesn't mean that I think that Kincher, Kipesta, and Kirosta are much more fun.

In addition to that there is no transparency in what needs to be done to fight of the kitins. I have a slight idea what might be necessary to do, but that approach would not really make any sense to me. But maybe a question: How many homins know that there are missions to do that involves the exploration of areas on Atys and delivering reports of the findings to the Surveillance camps?

That taunt doesn't work as one may expect is another problem. The only way I found to taunt of a Kitin of the Depth from its intended target is to move between the Kitin and the target.

[thlau]

Uhm,... either you missed something, or it´s still coming on Arispotle, but on Aniro and Leanon the leaders of the people did exactly that on Saturday.

Then maybe I missed the announcement too, but so I assume we had non on Arispotle. The number of Kitins increased from Thursday to Saturday, so life became hard for new comer teams, without information what is going on.

[inifuss]

... and I told myself (and Gil) I would not post anymore until after the event...

My Frustrations About the Event:

1. Communication: The communication, to our server at least, has been nil since the initial event about the tower construction. The small blurb in the RP forum explaining the delivery % increases was entirely too late and should have been announced first and then implemented in the game if there was not going to be a mini-event in game. As far as this new objective we have received no information, perhaps something is forthcoming, at the very least a post in the RP forum should have been made.

2. RP forums: Where exactly is our event (RP) team from Ryzom? The few of us who do RP and use the RP forums might as well continue to just RP in game only.

3. Participants: I find it ironic that 30(ish) people will come together to get a title but MAYBE 5 people will work together to help reach the event objectives. I have organized digs/dlvys and encouraged others to do so since this event first started but find very little participation outside of guilds workin on their own. I personally am very greatful for those guilds and for the few that band together to reach the event goals; however, we need more, especially in this phase of the event. We NEED the newbs, we need mats from q10 - q210 - everyone CAN participate to help in this event, no matter your level. Yes, for q60+ mats you will need to be in a team and the more people the better. Just because you are a "vet" or a "newb" does not mean that you are exclusive nor excluded from all levels of participation in this event, but it does mean that we need to work together at all those levels.

4. Kitins: The event phases and the gradual(ish) increase of kitins over the event is good in theory but not quite as practical in application. There have been some good suggestions for this in the future, have roaming kitins, leave some areas accessible for those homins who need a break from the event or wish to not participate (though I personally think those who do not participate at all are missing an integral part of the game).

What Excites Me About the Event:

1. Grinding: The break from the everyday grind is great! I can work on skill levels anytime there is not an event going on, events do not happen everyday! I enjoy not grinding away at some skill and the break from our normal routine has been welcome. I have leveled about 15 harvest levels just from working on the event - and I HATE grinding that dig skill - but this sure has made it palatable for me. We can be successful in our endeavors and the more we get done now the quicker our success will come (and the quicker the event will come to its climax and the quicker you can get back to your grind/routine).

2. Teaming: Working together with other homins and making new friends. Working together on a common cause is a great relationship builder for both RP's and non-RP's. If you see a TRUDGE team being formed, join them - or make your own team (TRUDGE or otherwise) if one is not going on.

3. Variety: The different things that are requred for the event gives everyone a chance to help out. Digging q10 - q210, delivery runs, grinding for titles (hunting), means that whatever it is you like to do in Ryzom can be used. Even the crafters are needed as our gear is destroyed on our quest to meet the objectives of the event (looking for 250 LA atm).

4. Knowledge Skill: This event has forced me to break away from what I normally do and I have learned so much more about Atys by working on these events. We have had to learn to work as teams, locate mission materials we would otherwise normally ignore and in lands we are unaccostumed to, determine best ways to kill those nasty kitins, figure out the best routes to take for delivery runs, determine what missions actually decrease the kitin threat (the new mats/parcels dlvy btw), how to get a world trek completed with all these kitins in our paths, etc.

Like others before me, I challenge YOU to team up with strangers, help out in a land not your own if you are able, join others in the goal of meeting our objective of pushing the kitin back into the depths of Atys where they belong!

*hugz, luvz, n cookies*
Inifuss
TRUDGE Volunteer

[sidusar]

I find it ironic that 30(ish) people will come together to get a title but MAYBE 5 people will work together to help reach the event objectives.

Well, that's another problem with the event: the objectives aren't really set up to be suitable for large groups. I've enjoyed doing them in groups of 3-4, but any larger just becomes inefficient. Digging a mission mat with that many diggers just depletes the area and forces everyone to wait. Delivery runs are best done on mounts, which doesn't leave much room for grouping either. And trying to hunt KotD with 20 people just ensues in a lot of chaos.

Also, the invasion being in all 4 lands simultaneously spreads all the participants out, further discouraging large groups. Killing the Exterminators is at least something that the entire server population can join together to do.

[inifuss]

I can tell you have not attended one of the TRUDGE teams When we do have more than one team available we send them to a different digsite. Not everyone in the team is digging for mats at the same time. We have CP'rs, node poppers, diggers and guards and have found this to be very efficient. Thus far we have never had to wait for mats due to depletion; however each area we have been digging at has had more than one source, so that may be why. So, if 30+ people showed up there would be teams at various sites doing various jobs and rotating out as needed, which in effect would get more mats to the NPC quicker and then when we make the delivery run, we would have sufficient materials to be delivered. Just to think 30+ deliveries at one time *eyes glaze over* and think what we could do if we all did concentrate in one area at a time!

*entices everyone with cookies*
Ini

[sidusar]

Admittedly I haven't, no. I was working mostly on the Fyros towers, and once those were done they did their boost-thingy which made me lose interest in doing any of the others. I agree it'd be awesome if we could get everyone to work on the same one region for just a few days and perhaps actually complete that region in a short amount of time, though.

[bf649ztp]

Weird case of Deja Vous here. The exact same complaints came up the first time they flipped the switch for the KoTD event. Most complained they couldn't play as normal, some said it's an EVENT enjoy it while it lasts and some other odd people said it was quite realistic and if you happened to be travelling down the road for some supreme mats why shouldn't a pile of blue monsters jump you on the way...immerse yourselves dammit!

It'll end soon and everyone will be wondering where the hell all the kitin invasions have gone to. Ahh do I sound old and bitter? I don't mean to I think it's quite funny really

Kodel