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Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Elements of Discovery built into game
ArchivedUser
Guest
Playing pen and paper rpgs and computer Mmorpgs, its quite exciting when you find a treasure chest or locked treasure chest out in the world, some games handle this feature well, while others totally miss the mark.
I would love to see a tiered system incorporated for this maybe tiers 1-4 and can be applied to other things also
depending on the area of where the chest is found and how hard it was to discover apply loot tier tables 1-4 and pack the chests accordingly. World of warcraft bombed on this. You're in a raid dungeon or open world dungeon, all of a sudden you discover a treasure chest. "Woo Hoo" and to your surprise it had a hunk of bread worth 2 copper and 2 random herbs worth 1 silver were inside. =( Make it exciting and worth while to the player.
Dead adventurers can be found throughout fantasy worlds . You have found the remains of a famous, not so famous or unknown adventuring company . Again make the rewards worth while.
looting graves or tombs as well, can add interesting and exciting rewards to the player. Cash, magic items, items that form into other items, treasure maps and scrolls that send players on quests that can be mundane or legendary.
Please feel free to add. =)
I would love to see a tiered system incorporated for this maybe tiers 1-4 and can be applied to other things also
depending on the area of where the chest is found and how hard it was to discover apply loot tier tables 1-4 and pack the chests accordingly. World of warcraft bombed on this. You're in a raid dungeon or open world dungeon, all of a sudden you discover a treasure chest. "Woo Hoo" and to your surprise it had a hunk of bread worth 2 copper and 2 random herbs worth 1 silver were inside. =( Make it exciting and worth while to the player.
Dead adventurers can be found throughout fantasy worlds . You have found the remains of a famous, not so famous or unknown adventuring company . Again make the rewards worth while.
looting graves or tombs as well, can add interesting and exciting rewards to the player. Cash, magic items, items that form into other items, treasure maps and scrolls that send players on quests that can be mundane or legendary.
Please feel free to add. =)
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Comments
That kind of discovery would be so unique and a fresh edition :)
Smeagol found the One Ring while fishing in a stream... and look where that took him, and how it influenced the world :)
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<strong>This right here</strong>, is more or less the only downside to modern gaming.
You can't discover anything anymore, and have it be unique :( Im not saying make exclusive content for the first person that finds it, just make it damn though to find, so people have the choice whether to share it or not...
i love discovering things for the first time like locations or treasure etc, sadly the thrill of doing so is lost when anyone can just go on the web and find how to get things like hunting for that unique title or item is kinda lost when the whole server found it via the web. hopefully Ashes has a system in-game that will randomly put “easter eggs” that people will have to hunt for.
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<strong>This right here</strong>, is more or less the only downside to modern gaming.
You can’t discover anything anymore, and have it be unique ? Im not saying make exclusive content for the first person that finds it, just make it damn though to find, so people have the choice whether to share it or not…
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Yep, all of that!
Not only should there be content that is *hard* to find... it should ideally start as little, apparently insignificant clues that might only reveal something if you're paying attention (and working with others) and even then, only leading to one part of a larger, longer-term puzzle... !
One way to leverage this kind of thing is to make it "social" not unlike how Elite us rolling with their alien stuff right now. Even thought it's initially one person ending up with the discovery, the events that follow involve everyone.
I don't even mind a discovery being found by one person (because again, it's rarely just this "discovery" that is the ultimate find) because it means the world is bigger than me, and to that end, it makes it feel all the more real and chock-full of possibility!
Here's a quote I like from one of the developers of Revival (IMO, the absolute best design for an evolving virtual world game!) that says it best:
<blockquote><strong>"Rather than exclamation points and waypoints, when playing Revival, it is rumor and lost tales that combine to reveal the milestones that will point the way to fortune and fame."</strong></blockquote>
Only when specific things are done in sequence does and event occur.
The problem, as noted is, word spreads.
The solution, is to mix up the 'differentiating' requirements.
eg, class specific, race specific, attribute specific, skill unlock specific.
Then you may well find out how someone else got the uber sword of reckoning....but you will never get it no matter how hard you try.
Is it broken ? No
Is it tailored ? Yes
So it requires that 'everyone' is unique in some way.
By having tiers of uniqueness, you can define how repeatable finding something will be.
I mentioned this in another post, but it could be something like this:
<em>You're out doing a raid and you find a random key, no name only called "key" in your inventory. (would best if you could look/inspect it in some way).
You notice a small symbol on the key.
One day out gathering you notice the same symbol on a rock, and when you get close theres a tiny back spot under the symbol.
*Pulls out key and holds it close, and the rock opens!*</em>
You might find treasure inside, a dungeon, an old magical anvil, a patch of rare mushrooms etc. etc. You simply find something, maybe it's special, maybe its not. It's all part of the adventure :)
Something I've been thinking about is the idea of a "town record" -- sort of like a central codex that is stored at the town hall/local government. Players could (optional) report their findings... and other players could research these records to see if anything matches or is a clue to something they've found. Perhaps you have the left side to a locket - did someone else find the right half? Check the town records!
Then, work with that player to see what happens when you put them together... :)
Something I’ve been thinking about is the idea of a “town record” — sort of like a central codex that is stored at the town hall/local government. Players could (optional) report their findings… and other players could research these records to see if anything matches or is a clue to something they’ve found. Perhaps you have the left side to a locket – did someone else find the right half? Check the town records!
Then, work with that player to see what happens when you put them together… <img alt="?" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2/svg/1f642.svg" />
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I believe that would be called a library :) Or atleast that would make sense from my perspective. But Imma make a post a thread about this and some other idea that ties into it. :)
Something I’ve been thinking about is the idea of a “town record” — sort of like a central codex that is stored at the town hall/local government. Players could (optional) report their findings… and other players could research these records to see if anything matches or is a clue to something they’ve found. Perhaps you have the left side to a locket – did someone else find the right half? Check the town records!
Then, work with that player to see what happens when you put them together… ?
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Hell yes.
Lost and found section.
But that might be a parallel to the science/discovery aspect anyway ?
Scenario.
Lost & Found section is node universal.
Someone else in another node may have found something you want.
They may not even know what it does or how its used (that kind of info may require exploration and adventure).
Do you trade ?
Do your fight ?
Do you team up ?
Do you manipulate a 3rd party for the interacions ?
This also leads to the inevitable requirement for both relics/artefacts but also books of knowledge/manuals about such things. Maybe even the realisation multiple components and explorations are required.
I believe that would be called a library <img alt="?" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2/svg/1f642.svg" /> Or atleast that would make sense from my perspective. But Imma make a post a thread about this and some other idea that ties into it. <img alt="?" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2/svg/1f642.svg" />
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Done made <a href="https://www.ashesofcreation.com/forums/topic/townnode-building-library/">this post</a>. It seems some sort of information system is needed, kinda like you mention @Rune_Relic:
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This also leads to the inevitable requirement for both relics/artefacts but also books of knowledge/manuals about such things. Maybe even the realisation multiple components and explorations are required.
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Which I'm thinking could be like the idea I mention in that thread, it's basicly bit of ideas piece'd together from different posts/threads :)
I replied on your new thread. ;)
I am horrible at jumping puzzles, I just can't jump (T_T) I always need a friend who is a mesmer for GW2 or use special engineering items in WoW to get to places lol.
Please if you make jumping puzzles, let us build ropes, grappling hooks and other gadgets so the jumping impaired can access these cool places!
Oh and one last thing, please let us build underwater breathing items, I am aquaphobic and hate seeing my breath bar get low.
[...]
<em>You notice a small symbol on the key.
One day out gathering you notice the same symbol on a rock, and when you get close theres a tiny back spot under the symbol.
*Pulls out key and holds it close, and the rock opens!*</em>
You might find treasure inside, a dungeon, an old magical anvil, a patch of rare mushrooms etc. etc. You simply find something, maybe it’s special, maybe its not. It’s all part of the adventure [...]
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That is an awesome idea. I like the aspect, "you simply find a random object and don't know what to make of it!"
Here my little addition, by taking some of your ideas :P Yeah, I am that shameless >:D
Example:
You find a certain key or stone or object, anything really, with strange engravings. The item's discription should maybe also say something like, "This item should be brought to your Local NPC for identification!"
You bring the object to the Lord Protector / City Lord / Major / King (An NPC with power). Your item, or let's say the symbol, gets registred. You can now ask the City Lord for more information.
Two, nah, three possibilites:
- He says that it's just a simple key and it can be sold to the merchant, nothing special
- He could tell you more about the object you thought you had found. The existence of a strange stone with strange engravings left by the ancestors of the Elder Dragon, but he doesn't know the details
- Or, with ladyluck on your side, you found the real deal. The Elder Dragon's kidney stone
<strong>What now you ask?</strong>
Of course you ask him for more information.. The City Lord now talks about several items existing in the world which might or might not be connected with eachother.
<strong>Who has given information to the City Lord? </strong>
My idea would be that another player has maybe dropped a special tablet stating:
<em>"Young hero, there are a total of three Stone Tablets. The Elder Dragon was an ancient creature. Men killed his youngest son. Driven by fury, he set his ancestral planes on fire. Turmoil and Choas ruled the planes... "</em> // The other parts are missing, Who might this Elder Dragon be?
The stone tablet is the first of the four 'ingredients' to trigger the Event <em>The Vault of the Dammned</em>. The Vault might be a little Dungeon or a treasury or I don't know, anything really.
<strong>So, what is next?</strong>
My suggestion would be that your findings will be - maybe - announced via a World message or here on the Forum. Since both key and the first puzzle-piece has been found, players might try to find the other missing pieces. Or there might be someone who was too lazy bringing his tablet to the City Lord.
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After some time everything will be brought together. And the Event will officially start.. The whole spectacle can maybe last for several days.
That of course does not exclude other findings. There might have been other puzzle-pieces found already by other players. So it's more of an incorporation of the community and not so much,
"Hey boys, I just found this and that - look at my video entering / opening the chest, and that's it!"
That would be, sorry for saying it, forced. Just a very 'random' encounter transformed into something special..
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I would rather see my above stated 'idea' over a simple chest. After maybe one month all the chest spawn places will be known by very much all of us. There won't be any magic left.
But via my idea, Devs have a little space. They can effect the drop rates or even give us hints which bosses are more likely to drop certain 'event precursors'. We might go several weeks wihout finding anything related to the special item or we might find everything in two days.
There might even be a day when everything is found but the treasury was already hoarded. That might be frustrating but it makes everything so much more engaging and suspensful. Neither will be know for what these strange objects are used for nor how to use them (or to say in which context). There might even be a player who threw the last ingredient away..
That woule be something I would call a "Living / Progressing World"!
Your thoughts?
~ Zention
Pretty much sums up what we are all approximately aiming at I think.
Yeah, I am that shameless >:D
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Nothing new here ;)
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The Elder Dragon’s kidney stone
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*Drops stone in disgust*
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My suggestion would be that your findings will be – maybe – announced via a World message or here on the Forum. Since both key and the first puzzle-piece has been found, players might try to find the other missing pieces. Or there might be someone who was too lazy bringing his tablet to the City Lord.
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I hate global messages, can we instead have a kid stand in the market place and sell newspapers + yell for a few days after every finding? (Also add it to the library, <a href="https://www.ashesofcreation.com/forums/topic/townnode-building-library/">see my post here</a>)
Otherwise solid ideas about the "additive knowlegde system" (yes I just named it, even though I didnt make it :) ).
Ye Olde town Cryer for system wide messages ?
Awesome.
Maybe that little meseenger boy runs up and says...'you're being kicked in 5 minutes mate.....alright'.
Maybe that cute little messenger bird lands on your shoulder.....and pecks you in the eye.
Just before crapping on you and flying off.