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Phedre_D
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What is up with MMO developers these days? Don't they know that the most important aspect of any MMO is social interaction? And with social interaction I don't mean fighting together, because time has taught that most players like to solo. No, I mean chatting. The first thing I would make sure as developer is a way to make sure all players can easily interact with each other.
DDO thought that everybody wanted to use actual speech. RF Online decided that 2/3 of all words had to come out as ^%$*^*#. Vanguard and LOTRO fortunately sort of managed to make it work, and are therefore still around. But then came Tabula Rasa. It has the worst UI of all MMO's I have ever seen. I thought their stupidity could not be outdone.
But when I look at the screenie lani posted (see here) I think PotBS managed to outdo even that. What were they thinking? I feel so sad now. I honestly think that unless they fix that very, very soon this game is doomed before it is even released. Why would anybody pay a monthly fee for a game that is basically a single player game?
***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***
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| 12/14/07 07:35 |
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Feanaro Anwarun
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Posts: 69
Joined: 11/12/2005
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Yep, There is quite a lot of fuss going on about that. Not only the chat interface being.. well.. Crap. People are also complaining that there is very little player interaction needed. You can do almost anything on your own. However, A lot of players haven't quite figured out the Economy in this game and thats where a lot of player cooperation is needed. Sure, you can just put your stuff on the auction house. But in order to, for example, have your own succesfull shipyard. You really need to work together with other players. Cause building a ship needs a lot of resources, buying all those at the normal AH prices is very hard and if you do manage, your eventually finished ship will have to cost way to much for another player to buy in order for you to make a bit of a profit. So stuff like shipyards need to be operated in societies (guilds). And FLS has said from the start that societies play a big part in the game, and are quite frankly necessary at later stages in the game.
So there is a good amount of player interaction, and chatting. But you really have to look for it in a Society. :)
But.. The Chat interface is still rubbish. It needs some work else its really gonna scare people away.
Check out Pirates of the Burning Sea... Yarr! We got some interestin stuff goin on!
Always enjoyed the credibility titles here on GameAmp? Help us with your suggestions for some funny or awesome titles over here at PotBS!
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| 12/14/07 08:38 |
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lani
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Posts: 570
Joined: 09/08/2005
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Actually, despite the fact you can't hide this chat-box, I find it more palatable than the one in Tabula Rasa. Mostly because I can ignore this one. TR's was too much in your face.
Besides who in his right mind makes a chat-box that fills one-sixteenth of your screen then places it at the top?
Anyway, there's several things in PotBS that really need "polishing" and then some. The User Interface is one, the dark-brown text on light brown backdrop has too little contrast and is often hard to read. Henchmen AI, could do with being implemented.
The Network Layer could do with a ton of improvement. Remember how in Anarchy Online your smooth running game would all but grind to a halt every time you ran into more than 5 players at a time? Well, playing this game will bring back fond memories...
I've been playing the game all afternoon, and while there's fun to be had (I'm slowly getting a grasp on sailing/fighting) being in town is a real pain. Your avatar walks clunky, so does everyone else. Encountering players drastically effects your performance (from 60 fps to 6 in half a second...) and the outside lighting, especially hat-rim shadows stinks. Inside a building, it's 10 times better for some reason. Melee combat could do with something to make it exciting rather than a bother.
I keep comparing this game to Sid Meier's Pirates! and so far I think Meier's is winning. But, I haven't gotten into the Economy yet and I'm willing to give them some slack.
And no, there wasn't an enemy to my rear, at least not for the next 100 yards.
***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***
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| 12/14/07 09:43 |
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Drucila
Posts: 47
Joined: 08/23/2006
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I do find Tabula Rasa's chat function crappier than PotBS. But you can resize the chat box in the interface options, or at least you used to be able to. Also if you turn your text font size down in chat it will put more on the screen. Though I think the setup is strange and I wish it were more the size of the ones on CoX, GW or WoW.
Dru
edit - PS Lani totally 10 for that series of screenies, was funny. I feel your pain, i think they need to work on the NPC grouping.
***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***
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| 12/14/07 15:10 |
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lani
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Thanks Dru :-)
In all fairness, the AI for these henchmen is made for boarding, where there's 6 of them, 6 of the enemy and randomly swining at targets is all that's required.
SO far it's only one mission where they follow you around on shore like this. Their unreliability was all that made it challenging though.
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| 12/15/07 04:57 |
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Feanaro Anwarun
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At higher level you do get skills to command them on your target.. and some other stuff.. That might help a bit. :P
I guess the French dont have that mission, or i just missed it, or its a privateer quest.. Anyway, I havent had hench with me yet :) Well, outside of boarding anyway.
Check out Pirates of the Burning Sea... Yarr! We got some interestin stuff goin on!
Always enjoyed the credibility titles here on GameAmp? Help us with your suggestions for some funny or awesome titles over here at PotBS!
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| 12/15/07 07:25 |
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MasterSaji
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Attack target is a god send with the allied NPCs, if you don't use it, they either sit there sipping tea or swing once and never swing again.
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| 12/15/07 19:43 |
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lani
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Hmmmm. I just have "Push On" and "Hold the Line" 'Skills', no "Attack Target". When does it become available and for whom?
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| 12/16/07 09:07 |
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Feanaro Anwarun
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For everyone as far as i know.. Might be from lvl 10 or 15? Well, after a certain level anyway. :)
Check out Pirates of the Burning Sea... Yarr! We got some interestin stuff goin on!
Always enjoyed the credibility titles here on GameAmp? Help us with your suggestions for some funny or awesome titles over here at PotBS!
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| 12/16/07 12:02 |
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lani
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Posts: 570
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Well, Shelaugh's 11 or 12 now. So I guess it's 15 :-)
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| 12/16/07 12:20 |
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