Suggestion to save Ryzom
Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 3:22 pm
fact: Ryzom is dying.
It will take a while, because people (like me) love this game and see it's potential, but it's happening. Current game mechanics and development history have put this game in a place where the player base cannot grow, and thus, can only shrink. The devs need to be asking themselves would a player recomend this game to a friend, and why. Well.. the answer is no, and here's why.
Regardless of whether you enjoy the new game elements of it, Patch 1 creates a huge gap in the player base. You have those who started before patch 1, and are high level, and those who started after patch 1, and will never catch up to the former. Add into this the current item degrading code whereby adding a lower level player to a higher level group is disasterous, and you have people thinking "Even if my friend would enjoy this game, we would never be able to play together". Every healthy (growing) mmo has followed a pattern of making it easier to level as time progresses to allow new players to assimilate into the current player base and not end up as second class citizens. To that end here's what i suggest:
1. Rework the degrading code to something that makes some kind of sense. ie. You get hit in the foot, your shoe may take damage. You cast a spell, your gloves may take damage. etc.. Removing the level checks altogether would be the right way imo because stats cap out what items you can use, but under -NO- circumstance penalize players for grouping lower level members.
2. Rework the new creature damage tables. Ramp it linearly so that a level 1 creature does the same damage as it did pre patch 1, a level 200+ creature does full post patch 1 damage, and a 100 splits the difference. With the lowered hp tables this will make it easier for newer players up to a point, be more challenging for the bulk of the current player base (compared to pre patch 1) without being overkill, and slow down the higher levels..as i think was the patches intent.
3. Allow everyone access to the ATS. Your current policy makes alot of players feel like they don't have a voice in what happens to the game, this is a bad thing.
Currently 2 friends of mine who also think this game has huge potential haven't bought it because of Nevrax policies and patching history. They don't have the free time to give every new game a whirl like I do, but they take my recommendations as gospel
I sincerely hope the next patch is for the players, especially the ones we haven't met yet.
It will take a while, because people (like me) love this game and see it's potential, but it's happening. Current game mechanics and development history have put this game in a place where the player base cannot grow, and thus, can only shrink. The devs need to be asking themselves would a player recomend this game to a friend, and why. Well.. the answer is no, and here's why.
Regardless of whether you enjoy the new game elements of it, Patch 1 creates a huge gap in the player base. You have those who started before patch 1, and are high level, and those who started after patch 1, and will never catch up to the former. Add into this the current item degrading code whereby adding a lower level player to a higher level group is disasterous, and you have people thinking "Even if my friend would enjoy this game, we would never be able to play together". Every healthy (growing) mmo has followed a pattern of making it easier to level as time progresses to allow new players to assimilate into the current player base and not end up as second class citizens. To that end here's what i suggest:
1. Rework the degrading code to something that makes some kind of sense. ie. You get hit in the foot, your shoe may take damage. You cast a spell, your gloves may take damage. etc.. Removing the level checks altogether would be the right way imo because stats cap out what items you can use, but under -NO- circumstance penalize players for grouping lower level members.
2. Rework the new creature damage tables. Ramp it linearly so that a level 1 creature does the same damage as it did pre patch 1, a level 200+ creature does full post patch 1 damage, and a 100 splits the difference. With the lowered hp tables this will make it easier for newer players up to a point, be more challenging for the bulk of the current player base (compared to pre patch 1) without being overkill, and slow down the higher levels..as i think was the patches intent.
3. Allow everyone access to the ATS. Your current policy makes alot of players feel like they don't have a voice in what happens to the game, this is a bad thing.
Currently 2 friends of mine who also think this game has huge potential haven't bought it because of Nevrax policies and patching history. They don't have the free time to give every new game a whirl like I do, but they take my recommendations as gospel
I sincerely hope the next patch is for the players, especially the ones we haven't met yet.