Coming Soon: Arx, After the Reckoning
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edit: eh, I didn't read your post well enough!
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@Pyrephox said in Coming Soon: Arx, After the Reckoning:
Right now, there's not a lot of...coherence? Across mechanics, which means that you're learning a lot of completely unique and separate mechanical systems that nonetheless are using the same resources and stats, but not necessarily in the same or predictable ways.
I completely agree, actually. I'm profoundly unsatisfied with how disconnected the various systems are - they only have the most tenuous of connections with one another since each were just created to satisfy different requirements, and it's something I've spent quite a lot of time thinking about. The task system I'm very unhappy with currently (it only marginally fulfills some of the purposes it was created for, but is needlessly complicated and onerous, while completely failing to fulfill other roles envisioned for it), so I definitely want to change it significantly, but I don't think I have the luxury of doing that for some time, unfortunately.
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@Tehom Fix chest locks.
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@Tehom said in Coming Soon: Arx, After the Reckoning:
@Pyrephox said in Coming Soon: Arx, After the Reckoning:
Right now, there's not a lot of...coherence? Across mechanics, which means that you're learning a lot of completely unique and separate mechanical systems that nonetheless are using the same resources and stats, but not necessarily in the same or predictable ways.
I completely agree, actually. I'm profoundly unsatisfied with how disconnected the various systems are - they only have the most tenuous of connections with one another since each were just created to satisfy different requirements, and it's something I've spent quite a lot of time thinking about. The task system I'm very unhappy with currently (it only marginally fulfills some of the purposes it was created for, but is needlessly complicated and onerous, while completely failing to fulfill other roles envisioned for it), so I definitely want to change it significantly, but I don't think I have the luxury of doing that for some time, unfortunately.
I give you major kudos for being honest about that! And, really, I don't envy anyone the task of trying to build a game system while people are currently playing the game, especially with the numbers Arx is pulling at the moment, much less put in revisions.
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I just wanna say that I find the way staff has responded to here - about the tasks system and before that in general - pretty encouraging. You guys seem both open to constructive feedback while also having some core goals you want to pursue even if they aren't exactly what every rando wants. It's cool to see. This is definitely on my radar to play if I ever come up with inspiration for a character.
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@Three-Eyed-Crow They're also amazingly approachable on-game too. Any reasonable request is fulfilled speedily. It's amazing.
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@Kanye-Qwest said in Coming Soon: Arx, After the Reckoning:
@Songtress We have a rule that we won't create a whole new house for just one CG, so to make one requires at least two people trying to CG into it. With the Velenosa faction, we had one fairly big house CG in. At least one!
<_< sorry
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@Roz said in Coming Soon: Arx, After the Reckoning:
@Kanye-Qwest said in Coming Soon: Arx, After the Reckoning:
@Songtress We have a rule that we won't create a whole new house for just one CG, so to make one requires at least two people trying to CG into it. With the Velenosa faction, we had one fairly big house CG in. At least one!
<_< sorry
SORRY NOT SORRY
and for something more useful, I think it's easy to feel left behind right now in Alpha because honestly, we aren't sure where we are heading. I think things will become more clear in beta about what the actual use of all these things will be going forward.
I often have the feeling like, oh no everyone is so far ahead! But-- Ahead of what? What is the goal? How are we going to get to effect it? We'll know in time, is my personal opinion. YMMV, ofc.
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In reply to +tasks, I will do a task if I know I won't be super active in RP during a week and have more RL stuff going on. I will focus on a couple of people and RP a task with them. Most of the time though I have just been focusing on RP an story and it hasn't seemed to affect my character much at all.
I do feel +tasks is still cumbersome in design but when you fill out all the parts you need to fill out in +support, it seems to make sense. Plus with +support there's a section for rumors that goes up on the webpage and every one loves reading rumors and crap like that for future RP inspiration.
I love the game, I love the RP I have found in Arx, I love the people oocly. I wish I could finish my family house but that will happen sooner or later. There's no real rush to anything at the moment which is very different from other games I've played in the past so it is a refreshing change of pace.
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I am not at all sorry to have CGed into Velesona fealty because I love my character and his family and everything about everything.
My only fear for this game really is that y'all are going to get run over and burnt out because there's so much awesome here and how do you sustain??
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@saosmash Vicodin and alcohol.
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@saosmash Burnout is always a serious concern, especially with a small staff. There's often an enthusiasm and energy dip right after you finish a project, too. I wonder if that'll happen when beta starts (or ends?) and if there's a plan B just in case.
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Apostate doesn't burn out. I am definitely currently on Vicodin.
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@Pyrephox said in Coming Soon: Arx, After the Reckoning:
My feeling is that tasks are designed the wrong way around. Right now you do stuff to get resources. I wonder if it wouldn't work better and be more intuitive if you spent resources to do meaningful stuff.
I might, if I were redesigning it, do away with silver income for people above a certain social strata. Instead, they'd get an automatic salary of social, economic, and military resources each week based on the total resources of the house/organization that represents how much of that house's resources that they, on their own authority, can bring to bear. Tasks, then, would be meaningful activities that require resources to accomplish, and once accomplished, would have some significant effect. Default tasks for noble houses might be Land Improvement (improve econ resources of the house), Play the Game (improve social resources), Military Training (improve mil resources), Trade War (reduce economic resources of the target House/Organization), Character Assassination (reduce social resources of the target House), Sabotage (reduce military resources of the target House), plus a few tasks devoted to whatever phase the game is currently in - right now, for example, it might be Calm the Commons or Rouse the Commons (increase or decrease civil unrest in a House's territory) that could have consequences for specific houses or organizations. Task thresholds would be large enough that people would have to get other PCs to support their Tasks, but without the current restriction on 'cannot be of the primary organization as the task', so if all the Velenosas want to spend their resources on making their House bigger, better regarded, and militarily powerful, they can, although it reduces their ability to be able to wheel and deal in the short term with other Houses, which means others could form an alliance against their interests.
This please.
I think the problem with tasks is how unthematic it is. It feels very much like a weird mini-game inserted into the overall game rather than a fluid part of it. It is as if Bioware had had a game of Tetris pop up now and then in the middle of Dragon Age. Or maybe a better comparison is the diplomacy system in Oblivion. Pyrephox's suggestion might help reconnect the mini-game to the theme and overall game.
On another note, I am enjoying the investigation system so far. Not that I am using it to spy on people at all. <.< >.>
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My main issue with the tasks system is that it may very much devolve into a 'play by report' scenario that anyone with Star Trek MUSHing experience will know all too well.
He/Him
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@Tinuviel said in Coming Soon: Arx, After the Reckoning:
My main issue with the tasks system is that it may very much devolve into a 'play by report' scenario that anyone with Star Trek MUSHing experience will know all too well.
I don't really see anything wrong with "play by report."
I would be irritated if "play by report" was required, as it was in those Star Trek MUSH days.
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I really wish the helpfiles were more intuitive. Most of the helpfiles list the command and each switch, but doesn't really break down what each switch does. I feel like most of the helpfiles are written for people who are well acquainted with a code-heavy game and just need reminders, as opposed to someone entirely new to the necessity of all of these details. Or maybe I'm looking in the wrong place, but if that's the case there doesn't seem to be much natural direction in where to look for the information. Two examples:
The helpfile for @cal (events) indicate you need to set a "finesse" level for the event. I sort of cobbled together the idea that okay, finesse is basically the amount of money and level of effort you put into it, but I have yet to find any real definition of what each category really is in terms of RP, and only the faintest notion that there's some kind of prestige gain for hosting said event.
The helpfile for startgear doesn't really explain what the expectation is for what to create, or really give any parameters for a "recipe". Are there pre-set notions or categories for what a recipe entails? Are there suggestions or examples for startgear objects everyone should have?
I'm having a hard time not feeling like everyone thinks I'm an idiot because I'm constantly asking questions on how to do things (which admittedly is a self-driven sensation).
"If you stand for nothing Burr, what will you fall for?"
-- Hamilton: An American Musical -
Startgear was a thing we threw in for alpha so people could get weapons/armor or a fancy hat (if that's what is important to their char) without needing to wait for PC crafters to hit the grid. It predates our stores code, and I honestly think store obsolete it a bit, but I'm happy to let people keep using it if that's what they prefer. So there's no school supply shopping list. Startgear was enough money to get a normal steel armor outfit and one standard steel weapon. You don't have to do that if you don't think you'll need coded protection immediately. You could use it to make a special bauble or item of clothing that figures in your char's background, or you could just cash in the money and start saving up for star iron. Whatever suits you!
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@Cupcake said in Coming Soon: Arx, After the Reckoning:
I really wish the helpfiles were more intuitive. Most of the helpfiles list the command and each switch, but doesn't really break down what each switch does.
When I played I had a hell of a time learning how to do basic things from the help files alone, but since it was in beta there was only so much I let it be an issue. For example gear was a huge thing for me - it was really not clear at all how you got it in the first place, including starting equipment, then figuring out how big a difference item tiers made in your effectiveness was also pretty vague... which was before I realised my nobleman was broke (and had to get a big loan
).Stuff like that should be up front and centre since it's so fundamental, but until the game is officially open I don't know if it can be fairly criticised for it.
- He who takes offense when not intended is a fool. He who takes offense when intended is a greater fool.
