issue 27 Focused Feedback: City Zone Adjustments

[Troo]

43 minutes ago, Cobalt Arachne said:

Not sure what this is referring to, in Fort Trident/The Crucible all of those have minimap waypoints.

Except for Quartermasters, which aren't in those zones yet, but will be added next patch alongside tailors in those zones, as well as an update making all Facemaker/Icon tailors able to change body types instead of just the ones labeled surgeons.

 

Is there anything to explain what is in the facility to the player on the ground if they close the mini map or inadvertently turn of some mini map options?

[Cobalt Arachne]

4 minutes ago, Troo said:

Is there anything to explain what is in the facility to the player on the ground if they close the mini map or inadvertently turn of some mini map options?

Not a bad thought... Good suggestion!

I'll add an Arachnos/Freedom Corp greeter by the doors who can be clicked and will explain what the facility is and what how it works/can be used for.

[Troo]

1 minute ago, Cobalt Arachne said:

Not a bad thought... Good suggestion!

I'll add an Arachnos/Freedom Corp greeter by the doors who can be clicked and will explain what the facility is and what how it works/can be used for.

 

If that is easy to do, I think that's the type of simple instruction/help folks are looking for at low level.

[Cobalt Arachne]

46 minutes ago, Generator said:

Well, given that I was looking for it in Mercy, I suspect that would've been much harder to find.  😄

 

Thanks a ton.

Actually, next patch the door to The Crucible will be in Mercy Island! So you can rejoice in it being far easier to find/access soon! 😉

[Excraft]

On 7/12/2022 at 3:50 PM, Vanden said:

Completely new players won't get so easily roped into farms, and will therefore experience more of the actual game.

 

I just don't see this as a problem as there aren't really all that many new players coming in from what I can see.  That's just my opinion.  Reducing lag in the starting zones makes much more sense than this excuse.

 

On 7/14/2022 at 2:07 PM, Cobalt Arachne said:

You mean the supergroup bases that new players won't know exist and cannot access at all until/unless somebody tells them about it + provides an access code?

 

Why not add something to help promote all these very cool community built bases in game to all these new players instead?

[Doc_Scorpion]

1 hour ago, Cobalt Arachne said:

I'll add an Arachnos/Freedom Corp greeter by the doors who can be clicked and will explain what the facility is and what how it works/can be used for.

Might have to be a long term goal, but adding it to the Shining Stars arc might also be a good idea.  (It's a pseudo tutorial anyhow...)

[Perma-Newbie]

1 hour ago, Cobalt Arachne said:

Actually, next patch the door to The Crucible will be in Mercy Island! So you can rejoice in it being far easier to find/access soon! 😉
 

To clarify, when you say "next patch" do you mean the next build of Page 4 or do you mean a future Page 5?  I've seen lots of people reference "the next patch" and I want to confirm they mean "this page, a new build".

 

Thanks for the efforts so far!

[Cobalt Arachne]

1 minute ago, MadCow99 said:

To clarify, when you say "next patch" do you mean the next build of Page 4 or do you mean a future Page 5?

Next build of Page 4.

[Cobalt Arachne]

3 hours ago, Excraft said:

 

Why not add something to help promote all these very cool community built bases in game to all these new players instead?

It's not really the Development Team's place to promote player-made content, especially when that content differs between each server and the owner's of said content could cut off all access to it for everyone if they felt like it, making it a tough candidate for any kind of 'patched-in and permanent' type of promotion.

If you're interested in seeing more SG base spotlights, that'd be something to suggest to the Homecoming/GM Team who manage community events/affairs.

[Troo]

  The Crucible, music notes maybe more nightclub appropriate?

[Excraft]

21 minutes ago, Cobalt Arachne said:

It's not really the development team's place to promote player-made content, especially when that content differs between each server and the owner's of said content could cut off all access to it for everyone if they felt like it, making it a tough candidate for any kind of 'patched-in and permanent' type of promotion.

 

You are promoting it.  You've held base building competitions and select Dev Choice story arcs in the AE.  I get that content is different on each server.  Just thought something to point people in the direction of forum threads or other info that would help people find them.  Some players sunk quite a lot of work into them to make these bases available for the specifically for the public at large.  A few even have very cool bases used for specific themed events like the Halloween base.  Just seems a real shame to provide a disincentive to explore these.

[gameboy1234]

Aside somewhat, but on my system a lot of the game is really dark  Arachnos bases and The Crucible in particular look like someone forgot to turn the lights on.  Could we look at making The Crucible a bit brighter?  I think turning up the ambient light so everything gets a bit more visible would help.  If it's suppose to get more use I think it would help if players could find their way around easier.   Dark atmosphere is nice but player usability -- what is called "affordance" -- is more important imo.

[Cobalt Arachne]

1 hour ago, Excraft said:

 

You are promoting it.  You've held base building competitions and select Dev Choice story arcs in the AE.  I get that content is different on each server.  Just thought something to point people in the direction of forum threads or other info that would help people find them.  Some players sunk quite a lot of work into them to make these bases available for the specifically for the public at large.  A few even have very cool bases used for specific themed events like the Halloween base.  Just seems a real shame to provide a disincentive to explore these.

Just to clarify, the Development Team doesn't manage Homecoming's promotions or events, we just work on updates to the game. It's the GM Team that manages community affairs, moderation, promotions, contests, and events. Despite their being called "Developer's Choice" the judging and awarding of those AE arcs is handled independently by the GM Team, not the Development Team.

[Excraft]

8 minutes ago, Cobalt Arachne said:

Just to clarify, the development team doesn't manage Homecoming's promotions or events, we just work on updates to the game. It's the GM team that manages community affairs, moderation, promotions, contests, and events. Despite their being called "Developer's Choice" the judging and awarding of those AE arcs is handled independently by the GM team, not the development team.

 

So you're all the "Homecoming Team" without being the "Homecoming Team".... k.  Understood I guess.

[Cobalt Arachne]

1 hour ago, Excraft said:

 

So you're all the "Homecoming Team" without being the "Homecoming Team".... k.  Understood I guess.

Not trying to be deceptive or confusing; There's three branches under the Homecoming banner in nutshell:
The Development Team, we have cyan forum names and we work on new updates to the game, fixing bugs, adding features.
The GM Team, they have orange (Lead GMs) or blue forum names and moderate player/community affairs, promotions, and running contests.
The Homecoming Team, they have yellow forum names and oversee Homecoming as a whole; Things like running the game servers, handling finances, and managing the coordination of the two other teams.

I hope that clears things up!

[TygerDarkstorm]

48 minutes ago, Cobalt Arachne said:

Not trying to be deceptive or confusing; There's three branches under the Homecoming banner in nutshell:
The Development Team, we have cyan forum names and we work on new updates to the game, fixing bugs, adding features.
The GM Team, they have orange forum names and moderate player/community affairs, promotions, and running contests.
The Homecoming Team, they have yellow forum names and oversee Homecoming as a whole; Things like running the game servers, handling finances, and managing the coordination of the two other teams.

I hope that clears things up!

There's also GMs with blue names on the forums.

[Cobalt Arachne]

3 minutes ago, TygerDarkstorm said:

There's also GMs with blue names on the forums.

Oh yeah! Forgot about that, the Lead GMs have orange names, normal GMs have blue names, thanks for the reminder haha!

[Jacke]

5 hours ago, KaizenSoze said:

You would think [the Crucible] would be in Mercy, but...

 

THIS!  IS!  REDSIDE!!!

 

All things are different and not where you think they'd be. 🙂   Except the Crucible is moving to Mercy Island for Page 4 Build 2.

Edited July 15, 2022 by Jacke

[Oubliette_Red]

18 hours ago, Troo said:

 

I, *shudders*, sort of agree with @ShardWarrior. 😉

 

Could Fort Trident also include a super group registrar or a 'make-your-own-base' NPC which provides some info and directions to the super group registrar?

It seems to have almost everything else..

 

 

 

Might be easier to just point someone to City Hall registrar.

 

[Troo]

12 hours ago, Troo said:

  The Crucible, music notes maybe more nightclub appropriate?

 

music notes are coming out of the teleporter, in the animation.

[Techwright]

Love the Fort modifications overall!

 

1. Thanks for moving BABs in there as a trainer.  I always thought the poor fellow was given a rather redundant position (and in a corner at that) after the fall of Galaxy.  I personally think he should replace Castle, but this is a fine new position.  (And yes, I went to confirm that he also occupies his corner spot still.  The man gets around.

 

2. The P2W vendor in the Fort is much appreciated, however, might I suggest locating him in a tad more obvious location.  At the moment, it feels just a little like an easter egg hunt.  

2b. The Super Inspiration vendor is also appreciated.  Won't have to dial up the O-portal to go see Luna each time now.  Likewise the empowerment buff vendor and the crafting tables are great additions.

 

3. Is there some reason I've missed as to why the sub doesn't go to Peregrine Island?  I'd have thought that would be a natural.

 

4. I saw the note about soon moving the door to the west face of the building.  That's good.  I noticed though that the "secret entrance", that original rock-faced entrance down by the pond is sealed.  Any reason it cannot be opened as an alternate route in?  City Hall, for example, has a back door that when used leads straight into the front entrance.  Besides just the fun of a "secret entrance" it would be slightly more convenient for those start-up characters working on the west side of Atlas to access the base, just like that City Hall back door is a convenience rather than going around front.

 

5.  I'd like to add my vote for more dialog from all the NPC FreedomCorp employees.  Might I suggest possibilities:

• a write-in? I'm sure we have some very talent writers among us. Have players submit dialog and developers choose the best bits to put in?  You could do it via private submission so that its new and fresh to everyone when it premiers in play. 
• You could add dialog that provides useful insight to new players, perhaps dialog similar to the screen change dialog that now goes so fast across the screen that it is barely read. 
• Add dialog which would fill in lore details about FreedomCorp or perhaps that of groups or characters on their "radar" for players to overhear.
• Maybe even get @Bionic_Flea to write witty "I'm here to help" dialog.  😉

6. Please consider adding a vault access, preferably need the crafting tables.

7. Similar to #6, I realize the Fort couldn't have storage shelves like a traditional base would, but maybe an exchange shelf?  Leave one-take one salvage, possibly based on the player trade window tools? I could then sort through salvage in hopes of finding what I need, but would have to give up a piece to acquire what I want.  It would have to be of the same color-rank of course.

8. Could there be a Day Job badge added to Fort Trident?

9. Are the security rank limits on the portals really necessary?  If this is to be a base for the base-less, sort of, then I point to the portals in the standard bases where there is no "age restriction".  Perhaps an advisory with option to back out for lower ranks would be a good alternative?  That way, if someone is taking a lower-ranked 'toon to team with friends in a higher ranked zone, he'll be warned, but can still use the portal to Numina, for example, to go meet up with a team in Founder's Falls.

[Doc_Scorpion]

27 minutes ago, Techwright said:

Is there some reason I've missed as to why the sub doesn't go to Peregrine Island?  I'd have thought that would be a natural.

My guess would be there's no non-ferry sea access to Peregrine.

[Excraft]

19 hours ago, Cobalt Arachne said:

Not trying to be deceptive or confusing; There's three branches under the Homecoming banner in nutshell:
The Development Team, we have cyan forum names and we work on new updates to the game, fixing bugs, adding features.
The GM Team, they have orange (Lead GMs) or blue forum names and moderate player/community affairs, promotions, and running contests.
The Homecoming Team, they have yellow forum names and oversee Homecoming as a whole; Things like running the game servers, handling finances, and managing the coordination of the two other teams.

I hope that clears things up!

 

Oh I wasn't thinking you were being deceptive or confusing.  I understood you just fine.  I get that you all have control over different things.  My point was that regardless of what team you're on, people will still view you as representing Homecoming.  Sorry if that wasn't clear on my part.  No harm done.

 

I still think it would be nice to try and tie into some of the very cool open bases out there somehow.   Something for you all to chew on.

[Cobalt Arachne]

1 hour ago, Techwright said:

2. The P2W vendor in the Fort is much appreciated, however, might I suggest locating him in a tad more obvious location.  At the moment, it feels just a little like an easter egg hunt.  

I don't think that's going to be an issue, he's on the zone's minimap and with a store icon. Players should be using maps until they've memorized where things are. 👍
 

1 hour ago, Techwright said:

6. Please consider adding a vault access, preferably need the crafting tables.

Everyone has vault access everywhere at all times now, check the top left of your Salvage window. It's been that way for a while if I recall. 👀 I could add one, but it'd just be for visual transparency.
 

1 hour ago, Techwright said:

7. Similar to #6, I realize the Fort couldn't have storage shelves like a traditional base would, but maybe an exchange shelf?

Already looked into that and it is not possible. SG base maps are formatted differently than zone maps and can't store item data like that so it would not function if added to Fort Trident.

 

1 hour ago, Techwright said:

9. Are the security rank limits on the portals really necessary?

I was instructed to add them by the lead devs to prevent a brand new player from wandering into Fort Trident and one-way teleporting themselves to Founders Falls and being stranded in a zone filled with +35 enemies. 😱

[gameboy1234]

On 7/12/2022 at 11:19 AM, The Curator said:

or by completing Act II of the Shining Stars tutorial mission arcs.

 

While I think the Freedom Force TFs unlocking Fort Trident is fine probably the way most players will do it (Positron counts right?), Shining Stars has always been a bit of a dud with players.  Any thoughts on revamping these missions?  I recall the animations and the way the AI works in these missions to be darn weird.  Buggy even.  Maybe collect some ideas from players about which sections need updating the most.