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.
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
4
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.
1 - that the quest indicator change color once it is completed (Like the text become green). I often find out I've completed a board request after I'm back to town and thinking of checking it out. It could also be nice that the hub display for quest start highlighting completed quest as well.
2 - Dynamic quest display, the game has some of the weirdest questing I've seen at this point. It's as if it was meant to spread you around the map rather then actually giving you any help. It would be nice if the quest display inside your hub could automatically stop displaying quest from which you are too far, or quest which level are too low for you to be interested in.
3 - Level display for quest - not sure if that one is in, but since the reward are bad at this point, and that most quest make you travel throughout the world. It would be nice if their was an indicator helping you know which level you should be in order to complete the task.