Burnout During Early Creation?

ArchivedUser

Recently, in my current MMO its extremely common to grt burned out on content regularly. Be it between patches or at the end/start of an expansion.

This has led me to my first concern for Ashes when it hits market. Its been said that when the game launches there will br civilizations. Buy as players interact with the world towns and cities will start to grow. This could take weeka or months.

My concern is on new players that runs in a similar vein as survival sims like Ark or Conan Exiles. Once people experience whats there initially they drop out pretty quick. Besides the opportunity or promise of influencing the world, will there be a smaller short term hook from the beginning to keep peoppe around for a longer term payoff?

ArchivedUser

I think the constantly changing (over the period of months, mind you) landscape of the nodes will create a very interesting push/pull feel to the world, like the highs and lows of a tide. World events have the capability of wiping nodes, which may feel bad in a way, but could pave the way for a new ascension of another civilization.

As for a short term hook, who knows? 

ArchivedUser

Right, Krojak.

When we arrive there are no civilizations. Players have to build the cities.
It takes a couple of months to build a Metropolis.

Ashes is a world of meaningful conflict, so, we will be destroying villages and towns and cities in addition to sieging Metropolises. And that will change the narratives of the world - generating new quests and events and mobs.

Also, keep in mind, LBR_KALLO, that there will be political conflict within towns and cities and Metropolises. New narratives an quests and mobs are also generated when specific buildings are built. Destroying the building and building a different one, generates new narratives.

If the devs can actually drop in new content every 3-4 months, like they say they will, we'll be getting new content when we've barely scratched the surface of the new content.

Remember that ashes is not a static world.

ArchivedUser

@Dygzis totally right.

Between new content patches, constant ever changing environments, AND player created commerce, battle, and intrigue, I doubt anyone will be bored any time soon.

ArchivedUser

LBR_KALLO      

     "My concern is on new players that runs in a similar vein as survival sims like Ark or Conan Exiles. Once people experience whats there initially they drop out pretty quick. Besides the opportunity or promise of influencing the world, will there be a smaller short term hook from the beginning to keep peoppe around for a longer term payoff? "


I believe that will depend on what a person wants out of a game.  For someone who wants "fast and furious", immediate gratification and everything handed to them then no they won't find what they want.  This is not a survival game like Ark where new players don't have a chance to be safe even logging out.  Ashes is about working together even with the help of solo players to build and maintain a new world.  Dungeons and Boss npc's won't appear unless certain goals are met in the world.  Nothing is static.  The world changes as even the location of mines change  as the players actions and decisions change.

What do you consider and short term hook?  

There's a boney skeleton warrior wandering around these forums who could possible hook new players with a shake of his boney finger.........................

CylverRayne
(SilverRain)

ArchivedUser

@CylverRayne Good question, my premise was very vague. Firstly, I definetly dont want instant gratification. Final Fantasy XIV currently caters to every player and obessed with making sure everyone gets everything. Not what I want, we need to work fot oir rewards.

I suppose its just hard to visualize what players will do on Day 1. Kill wild life til a trading outpost pops up? Just grind our levels up until an npc appears with a quest? Players will influence the narrative but it still has to start somewhere.

I suppose the curosity lies in how does that start? What form does it take?

ArchivedUser

You  called

ArchivedUser

Speak of the devil!    errrrr.... of his advocate!

ArchivedUser

Depth. Depth of content is what people are looking for. I've heard Steven talk about "risk vs reward" and how players will need to put in work for stuff. This is what keeps people fresh and playing, having to work, not just getting items handed to them. 

ArchivedUser

LBR_KALLO said:

@CylverRayne Players will influence the narrative but it still has to start somewhere.

I suppose the curosity lies in how does that start? What form does it take?

The narrative starts with us coming through the Divine Gateways and building villages and towns.

ArchivedUser

Dygz said:

LBR_KALLO said:

@CylverRayne Players will influence the narrative but it still has to start somewhere.

I suppose the curosity lies in how does that start? What form does it take?

The narrative starts with us coming through the Divine Gateways and building villages and towns.

 The taking that first cautious step into the unknown.........

ArchivedUser

I have to be careful about burn out since I play pretty hard. I dally around a lot in beta's testing out a lot of different avatars and trying very hard to break the game. I do this more at the lower levels to mid levels though I try not to reach any crazy caps. Then I normally back off the game about a month before release to do things like get my life in order.  
Then I play a ton when the game is released assuming the servers work and all that. When I get bored I make an alt. If the game designers start making lists of all that will be put in 'after the game releases' because they have to release the game before it is is ready I might not play much after release. 

ArchivedUser

I think and hope that due to the nature of Ashes and the idea of it evolving over time depending on the actions of the population that people won't get burned out so quick.  There will be those who try to rush through and build their communities but in the same sense there maybe another guild or alliance lurking and waiting to tear it down.  Hopefully it will be an ongoing process with many twists and surprises as we unlock things.

Some will want to race to the end. But what is the end?

ArchivedUser

I'm an Explorer.
In Ashes, there should always be new stuff to explore as villages change into cities (what will those mansions look like??) And as people expand and decorate their freeholds.

Burnout shouldn't really be possible for me because the narrative of the world should be ongoing as opposed to hitting an endgame wall.

ArchivedUser

@LBR_KALLO Seasons I'd the first obvious short term hook, once a week (maybe two if we can persuade them longer) you'll get new content that's not accessible at other times.

There are likely going to be hidden things that remain un-discovered for years... So I doubt that you'll have discovered everything that quickly.

Then as the nodes develop you've got new content...
And if you're really getting bored, roll an alts on different servers for access to worlds that have followed a completely different story/decision line.


Is this going to be enough?