Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two Phase II testing is currently taking place 5+ days each week. More information about testing schedule can be found here
If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
Alpha Two Phase II testing is currently taking place 5+ days each week. More information about testing schedule can be found here
If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
Comments
Gardens with butterflies? .... but what about all those wonderfull corpsefilled mines deep under ground, with their musty, stale air and the beautifull rustic ambiance?
Also like lakes at the foot of a mountain
Even if this is an mmo it would kinda hurt the atmosphere to see a bunch of players everywhere in there all the time.
Speaking of atmosphere; sounds play a big role for me. Such as rain on the leaves, cracking branches, birds and insects, Deep white noise (look it up on yt) etc.
What I dont like are Vulcanic landscapes if all you see is lava and ashes. A Vulcan in the middle of a jungle or something would look sick tho.
Snow plains
Actually Water biomes in general.
I know everyone hates anything that has to do with water in video games but well made waterlevels/biomes are usually among the most beautiful and memorizable places in games and water allows for extremly intresting mechanics (and sights)
Dont really have anything "least favorable" tho.
I like when biomes standout for having obstacles or surprises and modes of navigation not found elsewhere that break up the monotony of travel when not on a main road. For example things like being able to slide downhill or worrying about walking on thin ice in an arctic region or a sky/mountainous area playing with a falling/gliding mechanic as both a means of quick transportation and the risk of falling to death..
I dislike areas that are flat, boring, empty, repetitive, and that impart a feeling of placelessness or just exist between spread out destinations (thats what roads have an important purpose for and putting a few trees between point A and B does not make it more interesting than a path). I don't like two-dimensional or homogeneous areas like plains or deserts unless they are littered with points of interest such as ruins, camps, or caves. Even a city can be boring when its possible to get turned around in it because all of its buildings or rooms within the building look the same.
Obviously it is impossible to litter shortcuts, landmarks, traps/environmental hazards, and enemy ambushes throughout every square inch of a vast land, but a little variety and novelty can give the illusion of a more dynamic world.
but for real, please no empty deserts. I don't want to be able to turn around 360 degrees and see nothing but empty sand. Other than actually being empty, the only thing worse than a place looking empty is to look empty and boring.
As for my favorite biome it is usually high fantasy forests filled with strange flora and fauna although your underworld is looking mighty fine with all that pretty bioluminescent stuff.
Wouldn't want to live/spend a lot of time in
I don't think any biome "just needs to go away." Even the less popular ones have their place.
2) Swampy wetlands where the sinkholes swallow groups whole, and quicksand pits suck at your feet. Where tall reeds grow from stagnant pools of water, and huge willow trees bow low, and dry ground is a rarity. Where midges, no-see-ums, mosquitoes, and crawlers thrive, and frogs, snakes, eels, and slithering fish dart around unexpectedly, and where wisps lead the unwary and uninformed to their watery doom.
3) Wide, deep, and swift rivers, with rocky rapids, sudden waterfalls, submerged rocks, and the occasional small tree covered island spotting its length as it meanders its way to the sea. To wide for any bridge, the only way to cross is by boat or to chance the rapids where the water is swift and shallow, but one slip and the current drags you far down river.
4) Corruption infested wilds, where nature has turned on itself and the very landscape is a deadly morass of carnivorous plants and hostile, corrupt, wild life. Where the long dead civilization of the past lay buried by the ancient death-throes of Verra when the corruption was at its height of its strength and the dark side of nature was fully released. Corruption the burbles and bursts in gory displays of nature gone wrong, and the echoes of the corruptions lure call out still to those who venture to close to its chaotic borders.
But I also like to see all of the variety that different biomes offer how they transition from one to the other. I enjoy seeing the diversity both in the creatures and the terrain. I do hope that many resources will be only found in certain environments and seasons as we will have seasonal change. Will be nice to see just how seasons change the environments and the evolving of the world its self as we the player have our effect.
Another biome, if it can even be called one, is the "dead" planets in swtor. There are two planets in SWTOR that are absent of any life or even the force and they are the closest thing you get to the void or death in that game, and walking through both those worlds actually felt like you where on a planet that was dead and crumbling.
What I don't like is arid/dry zones where it's just bland. If used in moderation it's fine. But if that area is immense, no.
What I have had enough of: plains. Nothing to look at, nothing to explore. Just...quaint, and nothing else really. Fine for a safe area, but no fun to have in large doses.
I like ruins inside of nature fortress, where there is a maze inside of it
I like something that looks there is a riddle behind it, whatever it is i
Honorable mention to forests with giant trees.
On the flipside, plains are kinda, well, plain and boring, unless there's a lot of things built on them (farms, homesteads, marketplace, etc.)
I don't like deserts. Deserts are often monotonous trudges through monotonous terrain with monotonous color and monotonous heat. They can be implemented well and fun, Breath of the Wild does desert well and while RuneScape's deserts aren't fun, they are interesting. ESO does deserts bad.
I also like exploring alien landscapes, though not inhabiting them. The best examples are the Cyclopean Haunt
A familiar yet not forest where the land feels like a creature alive that you've unknowingly waltzed into the jowls of. Everything, even the goddamn walls, are trying to kill you here, with inhabitants designed to kill over survive.
A cave at first glance, the low hanging, claustrophobic ceiling and seemingly flesh red walls give you the distinct impression you're inside something. And very unwelcome.
I like biomes that transition, there's no hard edges! In fact, I wrote a doc about it contemporary to pre-prototype EverQuest Next: http://reesehollandgames.com/feature-concept-documents/7-biomes-biodiversity/
Least favorite are rocky crags like pillars that stand out in ways that look alien and deformed. Lava pouring like waterfalls(really makes no sense).
1. Fantasy Bio luminescent Within a thick dark forest. Glowing butterflies would be a must.
2. Caves with water and vegetation in them. But also bodies of water within the cave that reflect light, Creating water light reflections around the cave.
3. Dense jungle islands with waterfalls and large beaches. Populated with frogs and lizards and giant snails.
Not a huge fan of.
Anything plain. a Plain desert, a plain winter area, a plain plain. big open empty spaces in places that can still contain some kinds of vegetation and animal life are just so boring.
Forest biomes on their own are good, but their surroundings are also important. Giant cliffs separating the elevation of forests can make them seem much larger and provide outstanding views if done right. Clearings, lakes and rivers can add a lot of variety and alleviate monotony. Also pairing forests with other biomes, such as calm and peaceful snowy areas, comforting beachsides, and eerie and unsettling underground caverns, can enhance the feel of them manyfold.
On the other hand I am not a big fan of deserts. I think they are a bit too bland.
Second place for me, tho its not a BIOM ,are closed in buildings like dungeons or ruins. They just feel cosy.
Third are small islands in the middle of the ocean.
Hating on DESERTS and plain places without anything to see. If i could i would remove them from any game
-You will need a lot of events, caves under the sand, different type of sands, part of rock, oasis, sand cities,...
I dont like anything related to lava, cinder ,ash or a swamp.
Underwater (caves underwater that open up to an above water underground Atlantis style area)
Snow
Oasis's that nomadic tribes highly prioritise
Mountains
Giant waterfalls that have secret passages that are highly difficult to locate
Proper sized rivers (Im talking that are wide and run to the ocean though the Nile is a wicked example to use when designing a river/ would make a cool wetlands area)
Oceans but with dynamic weather i have two points i want to go with this
First everyone loves crystal clear water but have it like realistic by having either reefs or islands further out
Second storms are a must like big ones that make you question why your a sailor.
Lake cities i mean cities in the middle of a lake
Ruins in any place are amazing when there is lots of lore to discover (I could explore ruins of ancient civilisations all day)
Ancient temples that have been abandoned are cool to
I think there needs to be variation. Everything from deserts to arctic climate is mandatory and the shift between them needs to be gradual. The important part is that they feel "full" or alive. Everything is important but if you are gonna do deserts, do not make it empty.
My favourite in fact is arctic and deserts because of the extreme enviroment it provides. This opens up interesting gameplay options. Deserts and blizzards should give small debuffs because of the extreme weather.
Nothing in this regard is more interesting than leaving your warm (or cool), cozy base and venturing out in a blizzard or desert tempest. It just feels epic.