Dev Roadmap - To Release & Beyond
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Hi, fellow gamer and MMO enthusiast!
We are aware you've wanted a proper roadmap for a while, and we apologize for having you wait for so long. Here it finally comes, packed with a lot of updates, several already under development and coming this month!
Click to read the announcement
Excited for the release? Let us know what you think, as always! Cheers!
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Lots of good things in here:
Better tutorial that includes horse taming and imbuing.
Better legendary summoning system.
Player minion summoned mobs!I recognize the need for a
wipenew server but question if this is not premature considering that the farming and city upkeep systems are still only partially complete.
I worry that without a fully fleshed out farming and city upkeep system we will quickly get to crop excess again which will undermine the impact of raids and any future crop/upkeep/city rank systems which are implemented later.
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The response to the new pvp rule set being that good players are now god tier farmers is accurate in my opinion. They can farm mobs/resources wherever whenever they want with no consequences. As most all the content and grind of the game is part of farming mobs and resources there is no real reason to not play good.
The suggestion of having good players only do 50% damage to mobs would need to be implemented in order for there to be any interest in playing neutral, and even that might not be sufficient as large guilds can still exploit the good loop hole and profit greatly.
We already have one Terra, don't make all continents Terra.
Once upon a time the idea for Terra and evil characters was one that the characters could go there but only for a limited time after which they would be kicked out.
I suggest that if you really want to have good players have this level of insane protection and consequence free action then limit their time in Aerhen/Tartarus to one hour after which they get booted out.
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even with the new pvp zones with better resources all that will change is that guilds will buy a house plot near the pvp zone and guard carts from the zone to the plot then have good players transport the goods from the plot to the town thus reducing the amount of content.
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re: Fresh Server
So... I'm not excited by this change, but I understand the logic used in coming to it. To be honest, I always expected a new server at release - though I thought it would be to better support a new region rather than for the reasons given. The concern that I have is this: Since your primary reason for this new server is in concern for new players, how do current (and future "current") players know that you wont repeat this decision in the future? Leaving a trail of "old" servers in your wake? Your current plan does nothing to make people feel better about this and I really think you, the Devs, need to answer/address it.
On the topic of Fresh Servers I have two suggestions.
1 - Convert the game into something more akin to the "seasonal" style seen in many ARPGs. Maintain Genesis as the long term/permanent server and every so often (6 months?) spin up a new "fresh start" server. Then merge the current fresh start server's characters/items into Genesis. By doing this you continually provide new and returning players with a fresh/equal environment to "catch up" to the mature game environment and you also prevent the feel of regulating older players to an old/abandoned server.
Make it clear, right from the start, that Genesis (or other "permanent" servers when they are needed) will always be the long term environment and that new players should always expect to be joining Genesis. In fact, getting strong enough and experienced enough to join Genesis should probably be the ultimate goal.
Make it clear, right from the start, that the fresh start servers are for newer players or players that want to experience the "rush" of a fresh start scenario (which is a big draw for many seasonal players).
I'm sure people will not like this idea, but I think it does a very good job of addressing the problems that Dynamight have said they are concerned with and also those that the current, long term, players have given with "new servers" in general. Be very open about the nature of the servers and the purpose of fresh start servers. Do not give anyone an opening to complain that they didn't know.
2- (This suggestion could be made in tandem with the above suggestion, but, I think, should be added regardless.) Immediately upon release, allow transfers to Genesis for anyone with all of their items/exp/whatever you can figure out how to transfer. (Clearly letting people know that these are one way and non-reversable.) I view this as an incentive to keep people playing on Genesis and have them try and recruit/draw players into a "matured" game environment.
Edit: I see no special reason to have "seasonal" themes or bonuses for the fresh start server (as you would see in ARPGs). They were just given as a reference point. I suppose you could incorporate PvP events into these, but I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about that aspect.
re: Store and VIP
It's not clear, does having VIP mean you have it on all available servers for the same time/duration? (I would assume yes, but you should probably say so given that you're going with multiple servers now.)
re: New PvP Rules
I am most sad that "3 worlds" concept is being abandoned before it was even completed with the addition of Tartaros. (Which is why I always harped about wanting Tartaros added.) You may be right that the concept failed and would have continued to fail even after Tartaros was added, but we'll never know, and I think that is a shame.
I have no strong feelings about the newly announced rules, except that I think PvP focused players will continue to be unsatisfied in the current game state. The success or failure of these new rules hinge on how quickly you can get the additional PvP centric systems added. I would agree that these are a massive priority now.
(At some time in the much, much, much distant future, when all the core systems and locations are completed, I wouldn't mind seeing a new server spun up based on the original "3 worlds" ruleset, just to see how it would fair.)
re: God Trials
Seem good.
re: tutorial overhaul
My only comment here is that I would remove any "tutorial only" KP or make it very, very, very, clear that there was turorial only KP and that people would miss out on it if they did not get the KP before they left. (I know the current amount is essentially "trivial," but if you're remaking the tutorial anyway, address this issue.
re: Summons
Summons HYPE. I knew bothing Jacopo every few months would pay off. The only immediate comment I have is that I hope the talent tree will be updated to better support this new style of summons (not that I ever considered totems as summons). I have other questions and concerns, but I'll wait until I see more about them before asking.
re: Q3/4
Alliances & Seasons: PvP stuff should be a priority. Good stuff here.
City Progression: I'm glad you went the bonus route. I wont go deep into this topic until it comes up specfically, but I favour each city having custom/changing bonuses of some kind. If each city is the same or could give the same, then you lessen the potential political tension between players/guilds. In my head, it would be better if people wanted a specific city location and not just anything they could get. Then players have to make a choice between what they have and what they percieve as being better. You want that "best" spot? You're going to have to fight for it (physically or politically).
New Races: Less important than new PvP stuff, but I'd like to see these much sooner than later (unless you're going to offer race changes in the shop - which might not be a terrible idea given the recent changes, rebalancing, and new pvp rules).
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Congrats!!!!! Cheers!
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Access Pack
Thank you for the detailed update on the access pack changes. Ensuring that current players feel valued and new players find the pricing reasonable will be crucial for maintaining a strong community.
Full Release
It’s exciting to hear that Fractured Online is nearing its full release! Setting a specific date for late June or early July gives everyone something to look forward to. However, I have some concerns regarding the content available for players. The world currently feels somewhat static, and it could greatly benefit from additional features that make PvE encounters more engaging and vibrant.
While world bosses are a great start, and are currently in the game enhancing their mechanics to be more complex and rewarding could make these encounters more exciting. Adding multi-phase fights with unique mechanics for each phase, environmental hazards, and requiring specific strategies for different roles (such as tanks, healers, and DPS) could create a more immersive and challenging experience.
Here are a few recommendations for enjoyable PvE aspects:
Dynamic Events:
Implement dynamic events that occur randomly throughout the world. These could include invasions by powerful enemy factions, natural disasters that players must work together to overcome, or escort missions where players protect NPC caravans from ambushes. These dynamic events could even be tied to monster invasions of cities and forts. Perhaps mobs can have alignment as well which would pit players against monsters against players; kind of like a pvmp experience? For example, a bunch of Treants (Good alignment) are attempting to siege a fort controlled by Skeletons (Evil alignment).. players of the respective alignment to work together with their monster-aligned team mate to overthrow the other.Environmental Challenges:
Create environmental challenges such as puzzles, hidden treasures, and traps that players can discover and solve. These can provide valuable rewards and lore about the game world, adding depth to the exploration experience. Lava fields spew lava onto the world at random but toward players etc.Open World Mini-Dungeons:
While full dungeons are planned for later, consider using hotspots that current exist on the map as a dynamic spawning zone when there are more than X players present to spawn unique encounters or roaming encounters. These can be shorter, more focused PvE challenges that groups of players can tackle for rewards.Resource Nodes and Gathering Challenges:
Enhance gathering by adding rare abundant resource nodes or clusters that require teamwork to access or defend against waves of enemies when folks start to collect them.By incorporating these elements, you can create a more dynamic and immersive world that encourages players to engage with the environment and each other. This will help keep the game world feeling alive and vibrant, making Fractured Online a more compelling experience for both new and veteran players.
Fresh Server
The decision to launch a new server alongside the current one is indeed a tough call. However, your reasoning is sound, especially regarding the need for a fresh start for many players and the current server's economic issues. The rewards for existing players on Genesis are a nice touch and will hopefully ease the transition. The team should be VERY careful with how this is articulated and should have a townhall to allow players to air their concerns. At best you turn some players to your side. It's worth trying this approach.
Store & VIP
It’s great to hear that the Store & VIP patch is almost ready. The features being added sound like they will enhance the gameplay experience. I’m particularly excited about the mount skins and armor recolors, which will allow for more personalization.
New PvP Rules
Changing the PvP rules is a bold move, but it seems necessary given the issues you’ve highlighted. Ensuring that PvE players can enjoy the game without unwanted PvP encounters while still providing opportunities for PvP engagement in designated areas is a balanced approach. I’m curious to see these changes in action and their success with the current playerbase is indeed tied to communicating with existing players who prefer the pvp-type experience.
What happens with current fort mechanics/siege mechanics? How are cities on Terra and Aerhen going to be flipped? Are they at risk of invasion?
God Trials
The introduction of God Trials sounds like an innovative way to balance PvE and PvP content. Providing powerful incentives in specific areas should help manage player expectations and encourage participation in both gameplay styles. The different types of trials and their rewards add a nice layer of depth. I'm actually looking forward to this.
Tutorial Overhaul
An overhaul of the tutorial is always welcome. Our guild was completely lost when we starting playing and it took about a month for us to figure out a path forward with the mechanics of the game. Making it more engaging and rewarding will help new players get a better start and feel more invested in the game. The new quests and expanded tutorial island sound like great additions.
Summons
Introducing summoning to the game is an exciting development. The variety of creatures and their specific abilities will add a lot of strategic depth to gameplay. I’m looking forward to experimenting with different summon combinations and seeing how they impact combat and exploration.
Alliances & Seasons
Focusing on guild alliances and competitive seasons post-launch is a smart move. It will give players long-term goals and foster a sense of community and competition. The idea of permanent representation in the game for season winners is particularly appealing.
City Progression
Enhancing city progression with meaningful bonuses is a fantastic idea. I’m glad to see that player feedback will be considered in deciding the exact implementation. Allowing governors to choose bonuses could add a lot of strategic variety and personalization to city management.This is a much larger feature that needs to be implemented sooner rather than later simply because cities require so much upkeep. There needs to be a reason for them to exist. As they currently exist we didn't really see significant value-add.
New Playable Races
The introduction of new playable races is always an exciting update. The Shadow Demons, Udoadra, and Nheedra sound intriguing, and I’m eager to learn more about their unique traits and abilities. This addition should bring fresh dynamics to the game. Please keep in mind that new races should take a back seat to content. We didn't see Demons have the desired effect on population.
2025
The roadmap for 2025 looks very promising! Procedural dungeons and asteroids with territory control sound like excellent end-game content. The idea of player character transformations is also intriguing; need to better understand the details here. I appreciate the commitment to keeping the community involved in decision-making about future content, especially regarding the re-envisioning of Tartaros.
Cheers,
Padre
<Merry Men>
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FreshServer
The population is very small and dividing it into 2 servers seems like a bad idea to me, unless it is possible to transfer characters through servers.New PvP Rules
I think it's a very good idea to divide pve and pvp players.
The most played MMOs do not force players to fight with other players.
But players who want to do pvp should have some bonus for taking the risk of losing their inventory (example 20% more gold)
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To have two seperate servers in a game this small is utterly moronic.
An mmo can and should have multiple servers. But its obviously supposed to be totally seamless to the player.
Either merge the two to keep progress, or drop the current and wipe, starting over. Leaving 5 people playing on the current server, while would be nice and quiet, would be even more boring than the current lack of any real, meaningful content.
Bravo though on finally seeing the light on the good cant be pvped. I was only saying that for frickin months. and predicted the death knell of this game as a consequence.
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@DarthJafo said in Dev Roadmap - To Release & Beyond:
To have two seperate servers in a game this small is utterly moronic.
An mmo can and should have multiple servers. But its obviously supposed to be totally seamless to the player.
Either merge the two to keep progress, or drop the current and wipe, starting over. Leaving 5 people playing on the current server, while would be nice and quiet, would be even more boring than the current lack of any real, meaningful content.
Bravo though on finally seeing the light on the good cant be pvped. I was only saying that for frickin months. and predicted the death knell of this game as a consequence.
What's moronic is taking a game personally, and then, when you have 0 game design experience calling out the devs while being disrespectful in forums. We used to call this flaming back in the day.
Second, you don't know what you're talking about regarding balance or recruitment.
If the game takes off well, this is the only way to appease new customers as one world will become full and server resources/server load will cause desync and issues with lag if they do not scale up. With a small team this can prove impossible in a short amount of time.
In other words, unless you have a million dollars lying around somewhere, it IS INDEED the right choice, providing there is incentive for player recruitment and numbers go high on launch.
TLDR: Kid has no idea what he's talking about and is just here to flame. Yours truly - A AAA Game designer and consultant.
