[A2.1.3 Feedback] Summary and random thoughts about a lovely Alpha

[Kralith]

Just to say, my Curve of Excitement is still raising
So most things i said for A2-1 is still a thing.

For the actual test i want to add some things i was encounting the few days we could play.

Some issues at Building:

• Sleep position at Fire place. You need to position yourself or use Cooking first to go to a position that is valid for resting. Chosing Resting first don't trigger a path to the Fireplace. But i noticed, the Fireplace got the right collision control now. Well done guys.

• I got no move option on structures in houses. Some even just with a destroy option (Simple Bed, Bench).
  Same happened on one Chest -> see next point:

• A Leather Chest got not accessible (not clickable) when built outside. A relog did not help, but a day later, after login it is at least destroyable.
  Maybe because it is not supposed to be builded outside?
  After todays Patch i got accessibility, but no move option.

• In this phase we just had 3 Spawnpoints and the housing spots was fast taken and much people had to run very far away to get a free spot.
  I think that was a bit annoying for some people, since they need a plot to test all the nice stuff, like enchanting.
  Spawnpoints of new player would be surely helpful to be dynamically, based on the still taken spots.
  But Prometheus already said, they will change that system a bit next test. I am curious how it will work, if there is no need to get fast an own house, because you will have a public Startertown to use.

• If you want to build your structure in your favourite place, you just got 3 view of them. There is one rotation of a blueprint missing.

Creature related problems and ideas

• For first we have some weird spawner behaviour. There are more creatures spawning as it is supposed to be. I got some spawner next to my house that had two animals instead of just one as it was at the first day. Someone could even reproduce the spawnbug.

• Loot Permissions are a new thing, compared to the last test in A2.1.1 and .2.
  Sometimes the permission for Loot and even the KP and Knowledge Unlock for them don't trigger, even you made definetivly damage to the Creature.
  Don't know if it is the test for grouping up feature and intended, but it feels right now a bit random if you get KP or not. It does not matter if you got the first hit, it still can be you are not valid for that kill.

• Casting line of sight is a big thing for the fights. You can't get an Attack Symbol to make skills valid to perform them.
  If you have people in front, you technically can't see the target, so it is kind of realistic. But it will be frustrating, since you will not be able to tell your group not to stay in front of the Creature, so that all are able to click it.

• There is a need for a detailled Aggro System. For now you can easily reset Creatures, what makes fighting abusing possible, because animals not even regenerate that much, but you can shoot them, go out of range, follow them, when they run back and rince repeat.
  Also fights in Groups are also easy this way, since you can't take over Aggro, the one who have it just can kite them the whole time, as long you are not strong enough to tank them.
  I would like to see in future Aggro Management. If i overheal, i get Aggro, if i get out the hot Boom-Skills as a firemage, i get the aggro, or if i am a good tank, i can attract all these creatures to leave my supporter alone.

Some QoL related things

• Chat Auto Scrolling is very annoying, if the chat scrolls out fast and you try to read something somebody answered to you or had a question. Please insert a function, where you can deactivate the Autoscroll and add instead a "Show newest/to Bottom" Button.

• For finding someones Claim, it would be nice to see the Claim Owner.

• For now we have to drag&drop all items between the different inventories (Character Inventory, Chests, Crafting Stations, Loot), it would be nice to have later on a Shift Click for moving Items between inventories.

• Also stack dividing would be nice, to be able just to take a part of a material. I saw some games, where you took a stack to your mouse and place with each right click a single piece of the stack to the new inventory space. I would like to see this kind of stack dividing here.

• Walls hide some of their parts, when you are inside, to be able to see all structures in a house. But the walls are still there and the mouse position don't perform any action for things thats behind. Would be nice if the client interpret a hidden house wall as non existent for the mouse check, so that structures behind become clickable. Since we can't turn the camera, it is sometimes hard to get them.

• There we come to an old question about changing camera view. I know, you said, it will not be possible. But all your structures are 3D, so i would be glad if you probably will think about to implement camera turning on 4 positions like 90° each turn.
  That would make it way better for fighting behind big structures and also solve the problem with targetting Enemies.

• Arcanist have no shoes till first Leather is made. Should have some simple cloth/wooden shoes for the Starter Outfit. Give us shoes from start!

• The things that are pointed out by Einhar are quite interesting and i had them on my list too. Its mostly about Repairing, Variety and a Dev Timeline. Answered there my concerns to this topics.

• There is just one missing sound left. Hitting a Stone Boulder with a Hammer does not make a sound.

Some things i love

• Rapids at River! Just it, when i saw it first time!
• The graphical update made the area looking more plastic, more contrast, more living. Not sure how to describe, but i like it
• Sound Implementation already gets me every time. Please never change this sound that comes from the side where the sounds happens. I like that very much.
• I was stepping in a bit into Enchanting and i really like this kind of crafting. You are able to combine and also to satisfy your collectors heart. It gives much divertisity to the Crafting.
• Also at this "just using different materials on same receipe" for a craft to make better Equipment. Just love this. We don't need tousands of receipes, we just need knowledge on which materials we can do specific kind of weapon/clothes. I know how to make a shoe, but i can make a better shoe with other materials that i have to discover first. Just sugar, keep this crafting system, thats a good one.

Some things i wish to see
I saw the Knowledge System for Skills and Creatures.
I would like to see Knowlegde and unlocking Receipes for the other stuff we discover, like cooking receipes for Plants. Or Maybe for the Housing stuff too.
Like collecting much Potatoes to learn how to make Potato Chips.
Are there plans for to have this kind of Knowledge too?

Surely i wish much more things, but before coming out for my personal wishes, i really want to see, how you get your idea of the game to a real working one.
So my wishes will be small, as long i see you are on the line on your great vision.
crosses always my fingers for you to be able to let your vision comes true!
You are on a very good way.
We got a very nice Alpha and it makes hungry for more

[Jimbolini]

As usual an excellent write up.

I will add a few of us tested PVP for 2 hours on each other and had a great time. (Stun is too powerful)

I personally had a harvesting bug in the NW part of the map. Several items would not harvest, generally in the North Mountains and slightly east.

some slight hitching near the deeper parts of rivers, but nothing game breaking.

One chat channel made it hard as previously mentioned. (With it being a true Global channel, there were many languages spoken)

The addition of non package players helped and hurt. Many of the same questions were asked and answered every few minutes. (Maybe a quick link can be added, or something to save typing over and over)

Overall a good test and created a ton of excitement I believe.

My system had a continuous 40-50 fps with low MS.

[Kralith]

@Jimbolini said in [A2.1.3 Feedback] Summary and random thoughts about a lovely Alpha:

As usual an excellent write up.

Well, i took me out of the PVP Fun with you and just watched you at @Oxfurd s Stream, while i was forming something out of my notes. So i was in good mood and with inspriration

I personally had a harvesting bug in the NW part of the map. Several items would not harvest, generally in the North Mountains and slightly east.

As for Harvesting, i got some weird behaviour too, but had not enough time to dive deeper in it and try to proof it.
I had sometimes just 1 Branch at several Trees, but was not sure, if they maybe regenerate now partially one by one or if just many people was just picking up a part and leaved one in it.
Some Plants was sometimes not directly lootable. I had sometimes to wait at the Reccource to be able to click it. Usually after some seconds.
Later i noticed, that i can't click anything for a while after a fight, like if you are flagged as "in fight" where you are limited in your interactions with the environment.
But as said, i got not enough time to discover it deeper.

One chat channel made it hard as previously mentioned. (With it being a true Global channel, there were many languages spoken)

I guess we will get several chats once the Party/Guild/Town features are implemented.
It is not really important now, that we have it in Alpha available.
It would help, when all tester agree, that anything that isn't english is okay, as long it does not get a small talk character. As long we just have one chat, we need to take care to each other
But it will be a need for the Release for sure.
I saw my actual game Boundless at its Release and the chatsystem wasn't ready.
That caused many many problems to communicate with people ingame and caused a massive player drop after short while.

The addition of non package players helped and hurt. Many of the same questions were asked and answered every few minutes. (Maybe a quick link can be added, or something to save typing over and over)

Thats sadly something we need to stand.
No matter if there would be links, they will ask.

I will give you much next time.

[PeachMcD]

WOW! KUDOs and lotsa FP to @Kralith for this kind of helpful posting. I am so happy to see that this game has community members so thoughtful AND devs who listen.

Want to esp +1 this:
@Kralith said in [A2.1.3 Feedback] Summary and random thoughts about a lovely Alpha:

Chat Auto Scrolling is very annoying, if the chat scrolls out fast and you try to read something somebody answered to you or had a question. Please insert a function, where you can deactivate the Autoscroll and add instead a "Show newest/to Bottom" Button.

I've played games that had less-than-functional chat programs and the constant bitching about it is NOT something you devs want to deal with, I promise. I am happy to see that we already have both local and global chat options, and looking forward to the guild, group, and private msg functions.

Thanks to all who are working so hard to make this a great game.