Mobile Apps, Real-Time notifications, Offline Interactions

ArchivedUser

First I'd like to say that I'm excitedly anticipating this game. I believe it will succeed because of this: People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it. This isn't just a game to Intrepid. This is the culmination of a life's work. This is the chance for seasoned professionals in the industry, to make a game they've dreamed of for years. They have passion behind this, it's not a bunch of nerds trying to make money (okay, maybe to an extent), it's a group of dedicated gamers making the game that they've always wanted to play.

With that being said, I know this is something that would be a long time away, but I would LOVE to have a mobile app for this game. (World of Warcraft had one for the auction house I believe.) With how the caravan system works, maybe that won't work, but what about for all of the governmental decisions and updates that officials will have in the metropolis? Handling issues and upgrades in real time would be a god-send. Also, being able to chat, post events, and do other things in my guild while offline would be helpful. Notifications for your metropolis being attacked would be handy too, as well as other world events. 

I'd rather not log off for a day, and log back on to find my metropolis in ashes and my guild in disarray. This will be they kind of game you HAVE to be up to date on, and a mobile app, even one you pay for (since casual players won't really care), would be perfect. 

What does everyone else think??

(And as a side note, I really hope we have deep, complex U.I. customization settings - or at least interpid-designed add-ons/plug-ins for U.I, quest tracking, updates, etc.)

ArchivedUser

I think I just read something about sieges taking up to 5 days (scaling up with town level) of preparation before the siege "event" actually happens. So waking up to find your metropolis in ashes probably wont happen unless you take an extended break from the game. Maybe I misread?

ArchivedUser

ahhhdrian said:

I think I just read something about sieges taking up to 5 days (scaling up with town level) of preparation before the siege "event" actually happens. So waking up to find your metropolis in ashes probably wont happen unless you take an extended break from the game. Maybe I misread?

I still have digging to do in here, so I hadn't read that. You're probably right, but what do you think of the idea as a whole aside from that? I also think being able to craft while offline would be helpful

ArchivedUser

They have stated that notifications may appear down the line but are not a priority in the current development plan. They have been intentionally cagey about how much of the API they will allow outside programs to access to cut down on the problems letting it into the wild will cause. There is indeed a long siege declaration period based on node level planned, so unless you plan on only logging on once a week, coming back to your stuff being burned down while you had no idea a siege was coming is limited. The full loot, burn stuff down while someone is offline mechanics of games like Ark, Conan, and DnL are mitigated by this. People just can't wander up and burn a city down. And without a successful siege of the node city, they don't get the 2 hour window to attack freeholds in the countryside.

ArchivedUser

@StrangeSinner I want to say that I also heard/read somewhere that IS was opposed to the idea of offline crafting or skill leveling. I believe I read that they want more of an immersive and involved experience when it comes to crafting. And IMO I think its a good idea to keep the crafting systems personal and immersive. Don't you think it would remove from the high fantasy immersive feeling that they are trying to reach for if they allowed us to just click a button and afk for a 3 hour wank sesh while we level? XD
 
I don't think having an outside monitoring type app would be a bad idea at all, but we could just use friends or guildies for that haha XD. And I feel like using friends/guildies is much more immersive and true to the vision. Just my opinion tho! 

Also, I can't fucking wait for this game lol.

ArchivedUser

Being able to craft offline or level skills removes the risk from the reward.
Imo both of these things should have to be done online in the world.

I think a mobile version of the game, to some degree, would be cool once the game was up and going.

I think being able to chat offline with players online could be cool, but I am sure there is an advantage to this I am not seeing that could allow for unsavory player actions.

I know you will be able to hire an NPC to run your store but I don't think they can while you are offline but I could be wrong. If they can run the shop while you are logged out, having a live feed of what they are doing could be fun (but would probably get boring quick).

Manipulating your character offline or via an app that allows some sort of disconnect from all of Verra, imo would be bad. Any removal of risk with heightened chance at reward should be avoided.

ArchivedUser

Azathoth said:

Being able to craft offline or level skills removes the risk from the reward.
Imo both of these things should have to be done online in the world.

I think a mobile version of the game, to some degree, would be cool once the game was up and going.

I think being able to chat offline with players online could be cool, but I am sure there is an advantage to this I am not seeing that could allow for unsavory player actions.

I know you will be able to hire an NPC to run your store but I don't think they can while you are offline but I could be wrong. If they can run the shop while you are logged out, having a live feed of what they are doing could be fun (but would probably get boring quick).

Manipulating your character offline or via an app that allows some sort of disconnect from all of Verra, imo would be bad. Any removal of risk with heightened chance at reward should be avoided.

I can completely understand what you're saying. My main concern, is that (I'm currently playing LOTRO until Ashes Beta) i spent literally 4 HOURS the other day, just smelting damn copper. I was sitting at my keyboard, unable to move, buy/sell, mail, trade, or do ANYTHING else, until I was done. What risks am I removing by being able to have my NPC do it for me (which could increase risk if your house can be raided), or being able to smelt it from an app? If anything, I'm removing the risk at falling asleep at my computer due to boredom. I'm not trying to remove anything from the experience, I'm trying to increase the time I can spend going out and gaining experience and loot. Besides, every. single. mmorpg. that I have EVER played, has an NPC that is standing next to the forge and is CONSTANTLY. SMELTING. ORES. Why can't I just pay him to smelt mine?? Why is that so much to ask?!? lol

ArchivedUser

we don't know much about the crafting right now so all we know it may not work that way

ArchivedUser

If your character lives in a city their home can't be raided, but it can be destroyed do a de-leveling event in the node if your home was level dependent. So if you brought a room when the node hit level 3 (I think for housing, could be off) but the node de-leveled to 2 I think the home disappears. You do however get a blueprint of the layout and can auto load the layout or place any prior furniture you purchased/built when you find another home, even in a different node.

Your freehold can be destroyed, but I don't think you lose resources when it is. I could be wrong their too, USE can probably clarify without having to look into it. Either way same as the room, you keep your layout and can load that stuff in a new one.

Paying an NPC to smith I would be down with, but if that is possible there is no need to allow that to occur when you are offline. Paying another player would be even better, it would be an exchange of currency, the player smelting would increase their skill, and you could do all the fun stuff you do while it's happening. Another player could even do it while you are offline!
*this could be a budding industry*

Smith-ing for yourself offline increases that skill (or I would think it would) which would be a reward for doing it, but without any associated risk (i.e. being ruthlessly ganked in town just cause). Then the gatherers want to do it and caravans and so on...

As for spending 4 hours smelting copper in LotR, I am unfamiliar with the game but believe that would have been an option, not something you had to do. If you have to do that, then that game is severely flawed and I am glad I never wasted my time with it.

ArchivedUser

All the stuff @Azathoth outlined above is correct. Until we know more about how crafting works we have no idea how grindy it will be. All we have are their statements of "Grind is bad, we hate the grind, there will be no grind.", but this was more in response to questing than crafting. The only way outlined so far that you would lose resources due to a freehold being "poofed" due to a node delevel is if your freehold had come under actual attack during the window after a successful siege when that is possible and someone had looted it. People who successfully raid a freehold in that situation will be able to take a percentage of gathered resources you have stored there. (not items, dungeon loot, decorations, or gold).
My guess (speculation, not confirmed) is that you will need to actively craft, refine, and other actions that require you to be at the keyboard. For things like smelting you will most likely have a "Smelt all" option that you can click then wander away for your 4 hours it you had that amount of ore to process, not active click each single process. If what they have stated for their vision of crafting and gathering comes true, that would be a very rare occurrence. Games that you may have played like WOW in the past where you need to change 10,000 copper ore into 2000 copper bars to make 500 copper swords to level your crafting is not what they plan on doing.

ArchivedUser

@StrangeSinner Well they have stated that there is the option to hire npc's so they are open to the idea of making stuff be stream lined. Right now it is too early to tell. I hope that they start pumping out blogs around fall of all their features that are pretty much finalized and not rough ideas like they doing right now.

ArchivedUser

 I would like a app on the phone that shows me notification of the guild/events/world events/happenings etc.

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