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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.
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.
Recommendations for Questing in Ashes
AloudSound
Member, Alpha Two
Hello everyone,
As steven says, I must first preface this saying I know everything we see is WIP, placeholder and stands to improve over time.
I am in for A2 i have not played any prior testing phases so this is my first experience playing ashes over the past 3 weekends.
My recommendation for questing in ashes:
1. Separate all quests into three categories: Story Quests, Node Quests, and Profession Quests. Create three tabs in the quest log for each type.
2. Remove the 3 different commission boards in nodes, replace with 1 commission board for node quests only. Allow the mayor of the node to set the quests on the board.
3. Allow profession quests to be given by crafting / gathering profession npcs and only allow people who are leveling those professions access their professions quests. (Miners quest to mine, gatherers quest to pick herbs etc.). Apprentice gathers should be able to access more difficult and more rewarding quests. If a node builds a smithy for example they are aware that the advancement of that profession would unlock more advanced quests for their gatherers.
4. Improve the tracking UI on screen. I think it would be great if it auto updated based on the last thing I made progress towards. I also think you should be able to pin quests to the top of the tracker so they remain static. If I'm out in the world grinding trees or rocks Id like to see how the last thing I gathered has progressed in my quest.
5. Main quests should be limited to only a few at a time and i think the direction provided in the questing livestream was correct. This post is not really going to address main story arc quests because we are not there yet.
6. Finally, and for my last suggestion, dont call node quests and profession quests "quests". Call them "jobs" or "mandates" or anything else. Allow the narrative story "quests" to use that word exclusively.
This is just my take, thank you for making a great game.
-Aloudsound
As steven says, I must first preface this saying I know everything we see is WIP, placeholder and stands to improve over time.
I am in for A2 i have not played any prior testing phases so this is my first experience playing ashes over the past 3 weekends.
My recommendation for questing in ashes:
1. Separate all quests into three categories: Story Quests, Node Quests, and Profession Quests. Create three tabs in the quest log for each type.
2. Remove the 3 different commission boards in nodes, replace with 1 commission board for node quests only. Allow the mayor of the node to set the quests on the board.
3. Allow profession quests to be given by crafting / gathering profession npcs and only allow people who are leveling those professions access their professions quests. (Miners quest to mine, gatherers quest to pick herbs etc.). Apprentice gathers should be able to access more difficult and more rewarding quests. If a node builds a smithy for example they are aware that the advancement of that profession would unlock more advanced quests for their gatherers.
4. Improve the tracking UI on screen. I think it would be great if it auto updated based on the last thing I made progress towards. I also think you should be able to pin quests to the top of the tracker so they remain static. If I'm out in the world grinding trees or rocks Id like to see how the last thing I gathered has progressed in my quest.
5. Main quests should be limited to only a few at a time and i think the direction provided in the questing livestream was correct. This post is not really going to address main story arc quests because we are not there yet.
6. Finally, and for my last suggestion, dont call node quests and profession quests "quests". Call them "jobs" or "mandates" or anything else. Allow the narrative story "quests" to use that word exclusively.
This is just my take, thank you for making a great game.
-Aloudsound
Once more unto the breach, dear friends
3
Comments
Also, another experience I enjoy is the mild randomization of some component of the reward, with at least some small chance for it to stand out in some way (usually just being better).
I think this is worth the devs' time for certain types of Roleplayers. My example for this:
I got a Contract in Purelight Tower to help a Goblin, the contract description was 'a mage telling me that they wanted someone to help their friend'. The reward was better than usual (not incredible on the face of it, but better than most), a 'chance bag' that normally gives more, higher level contracts.
This time, it gave me an Epic Wand. At the time, I sorta-needed one. So I now have a memory/RP/feeling of 'This retired(?) mage saw that my Wand wasn't as good as one of their old ones, and handed it down to me for helping their friend'.
Devs who do little things like that, are the architects of these types of feelings.