Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
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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.
Will this game allow modding?
I am an avid WoW player and the one big reason I could never get hooked on another game for long was always due to the lack of UI customizations they offer. A lot of game tend to make their UI very stylelized with frames and background art that fit the game's theme but most just feel cluttered and clunky imo. I haven't seen any MMO that offers more than one templates for their UI on default, and honestly even if they do it still wouldn't be as satisfying as being able to assemble a completely unique interface that put things exactly where you want them with a skin you picked out of the 30 other options you could go with if you ever got bored of the current one.
One addon/feature I'm really hoping to see in game would be something along the lines of weakauras. Since this game will be (partially?) tab targeted, I'm guessing there will be similar mechanics like having to track buff/debuff timer or be aware of certain enemy casts/actions. Hopefully this game's combat system would be as skill based as it is in WoW (which I genuinely think offers the best PvE experience) that sometimes requires you to reapply a buff/debuff down to the very last half second in order to maximize your damage output, something that would be real difficult to do without a time tracker you could make from scratch with weakaura.This is just a small example of what such a feature could do to enhance gameplay, and the point I'm trying to get across is pretty simple: without allowing players to play with precision to reach their full potential, it advocates a spammy sort of gameplay (I'm looking at you GW2).
Other than combat, allowing player modding could also make the game appear more appealing to the people that like to make money in game. Although I'm no expert and only use the auction house for very basic functions, I do know there are a full suite of addons (namely trade skill master) that are there to help you sort out your wares and play the market. I've heard there wont be a global auction house in AoC but I'm quite certain people will have a need with this game's heavy emphasis on trading, specially if a stock market system was implemented in game.
Not to mention those little quality of life UI like auto-repair, sell junk, faster looting...etc just make the game so much better.
Tl:dr allowing player modding could add so much to this game.
Hopefully this would be heard and considered by the devs.
One addon/feature I'm really hoping to see in game would be something along the lines of weakauras. Since this game will be (partially?) tab targeted, I'm guessing there will be similar mechanics like having to track buff/debuff timer or be aware of certain enemy casts/actions. Hopefully this game's combat system would be as skill based as it is in WoW (which I genuinely think offers the best PvE experience) that sometimes requires you to reapply a buff/debuff down to the very last half second in order to maximize your damage output, something that would be real difficult to do without a time tracker you could make from scratch with weakaura.This is just a small example of what such a feature could do to enhance gameplay, and the point I'm trying to get across is pretty simple: without allowing players to play with precision to reach their full potential, it advocates a spammy sort of gameplay (I'm looking at you GW2).
Other than combat, allowing player modding could also make the game appear more appealing to the people that like to make money in game. Although I'm no expert and only use the auction house for very basic functions, I do know there are a full suite of addons (namely trade skill master) that are there to help you sort out your wares and play the market. I've heard there wont be a global auction house in AoC but I'm quite certain people will have a need with this game's heavy emphasis on trading, specially if a stock market system was implemented in game.
Not to mention those little quality of life UI like auto-repair, sell junk, faster looting...etc just make the game so much better.
Tl:dr allowing player modding could add so much to this game.
Hopefully this would be heard and considered by the devs.
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Comments
I genuinely hope Intrepid blocks the ability for player created scripts to play the game for them. Mods that read information directly from the client and react at inhuman computer speeds for combat, auction house, and other functions effectively break the game taking away contributions of individual player ability, variety of viable tactics, and inevitably open the door to botting abuse. Being able to clearly see a combat cue is one thing, having a mod that can detect a cue and automatically launch the corresponding counter or opportunity attack is botting. A mod that detects the cooldown status of an ability and auto-reapplies it or that determines the most mana efficient heal and autocasts it is the same kind of botting. The computer is directing the character, not the player.
They talk about will mods be allowed during the May 15th live stream at the 49 minute mark. Sounds like they're generally against non-UI mods.
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/144118985
No to: pretty much everything else
$0.02
Part of this is so they do not have the games files open to data crawling and people releasing item and game information before players have a change to experience it first hand.
When questioned about the UI they said it would be very customizable - good news for us and we need to keep on top of that during the games development. I for one would like complete control of all Modules/Windows for positioning, scaling and re-sizing and the ability to hide items I don't need. Having the advance ability to color and skin the UI would be even better.
I also think that once they start working on the UI and base modules (Action Bars, Chat Windows, Mini Map, Inventory Windows, etc.) we should then let them know any optional information bars or windows we would like to have access to so the community can "vote" on what they would like. Of course these modules would be optional for players but built in to the game and managed by the Development Team.
Maddstone
As others have stated, the devs are against mod addon's, because of the potential of "optional" mods turning into "necessary" mods. I played WoW, and can remember countless times before entering a raid/dungeon, the leader asking players if they had "so and so" mod
(s), and if they didn't, get it quick, or drop. Or, someone doing recounts of dps/hps, during/at the end, and using the results to stroke their epeen, while pointing out flaws in others. Those same meters were used to kick players who weren't "up to snuff".
Mods have become, for the most part, elitist tools, that make the game more about "efficient speed running", and less about human trial and error, and just having fun. Imo they're toxic, lazy way of playing, and would be glad to see the devs stand by their stance of not allowing modding.
Whatever happened to using your own human perception to read what's happening before you, and act accordingly. Now, it's all about having timers, meters, tables, etc etc. I'm all about working smarter, not harder, but there has to be a balance. You have a brain. Use it, or lose it.
No to: pretty much everything else
$0.02
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Make that a total of $0.04
As for the damage meter stroking people's epeen as you put it? I mean doesnt people play a game to progress forward? What other clearer way is there than seeing your total damage/healing output grow as you gain better and more gear? Arrogent people will be acting like elitists no matter what game it is and how it was played. With or without the addon, I can warrent you they will be acting the same way.
Ps - I get people def fun differently, so to each his own. But from my vantage point, people are way too stressed and serious, and mods feed this mentality if they get out of hand, imo.
You are correct that elitist, and players with toxic attitudes, will be a part of the mmo scene, regardless of mods. That's an unfortunate truth. However, my point was that allowing mods, such as the one's I described, brings with it a certain mentality which further increases said toxicity, given what those mods tend to bring out in people.
And, if an encounter goes wrong, are mods the only way to determine what went wrong? What happened to actual communication? Party/raid members detailing what they experienced during the fight, noting areas of concern, coming up with solutions, then tackling the fight again. Is that too much to ask?
Also, why the automatic assumption that someone who fails to live up to what someone believes they should be doing, and doesn't, is lazy? People aren't perfect. As stated before, instead of mods just being optional tools, they quickly become must haves for advancement, increasing in importance the higher lvl the content is.
It's a game, not a spreadsheet. Take a break, and enjoy it.