Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
Profit for Time Spent is NOT Balanced
warmastr
Member, Alpha Two
in Artisanship
I just spent 20 minutes fishing. I caught 13 Bluegill, 2 Uncommon Bluegill, 7 Largemouth Bass, and 1 Rare Bass. That seems adequate to me.
In checking out what to do with the fish, I spent 5 minutes converting 5 of the bluegill to fillets for a cost of 30 copper. I then turned around and sold those to the cooking vendor for 40 copper. I spent 5 minutes to make 10 copper.
The issue is the time to convert the bluegill to fillets. Why does it take 5 minutes for 5 of them? I saw it was 1 minute for a single fillet, and then expected a time discount to fillet more fish. For a 10 copper profit, those fillets need to be coming every 30 seconds. Even a minute for 5 of them, but 5 minutes for 5 fillets for 10 copper? No thanks, not worth it when I sold the other 8 instantly for 40 copper.
In checking out what to do with the fish, I spent 5 minutes converting 5 of the bluegill to fillets for a cost of 30 copper. I then turned around and sold those to the cooking vendor for 40 copper. I spent 5 minutes to make 10 copper.
The issue is the time to convert the bluegill to fillets. Why does it take 5 minutes for 5 of them? I saw it was 1 minute for a single fillet, and then expected a time discount to fillet more fish. For a 10 copper profit, those fillets need to be coming every 30 seconds. Even a minute for 5 of them, but 5 minutes for 5 fillets for 10 copper? No thanks, not worth it when I sold the other 8 instantly for 40 copper.
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Comments
For me the whole system needs to go back to the drawing boards. It looks like they designed the system based on what the game needs, instead of trying to make it enjoyable. I know people are saying "Wait for a market", but I don't think that will make things any better. At this level everyone can do everything. Why sell anything, except the final product.
The positives:
1. Professions that produce consumables are pretty much OK. Alchemy etc.
2. Making hunting not be based on mobs, and making it another gathering type thing is the right move.
3. Gathering mechanics in general are fine.
4. Conceptually the way the professions intertwine and what makes what, is fine, no problem.
5. Drops from mobs, that go into the professions, seem fine also.
The negatives:
1. Certain materials are way too scarce for starting out professions like copper. You can spend several hours just looking for enough common copper to make tools. There isn't even enough to test with. It isn't even worth testing at this point. I don't understand why "Common" quality materials are not common. Cant see what the fear is.
2. A lot of gathering spots are guarded by random high-level mobs, or hordes of mobs that even if you can pick your way through, will catch you on a respawn. It is very very dangerous gathering solo, particularly once you get into the nodes. It looks like you intend people to gather in groups. If that is what you are attempting, then please give that up ASAP. It wont work. There are too many better things to do when you have a group. Having to waste a group on gathering just increases the investment. Gathering is something we do, when we don't have a group. The risk/reward of gathering is really skewed.
3. Why is everyone having to do their own processing? If I gather copper ore, and drop it off at a processor, pay me in copper fragments for my ore instantly, at a % of the ore yield. Either, alter the % paid to the gatherer based on how much of that material is waiting to be gathered or stop taking that material once a certain amount is waiting to be processed. It takes way to much time to gather up all the stuff you need for processing to do it yourself. You end up carrying way too much stuff around, just increasing the death risk.
4. The quantities of uncommon and rarer materials are way too low. I get why this is necessary at higher levels, but you need to suck people into the system. The rats in the maze need lots of treats at the start, to get them to behave the way you them to! It takes way too long to "Get the set" in order to craft a rare item.
Suggestions:
1. Have to make the production line far faster and more efficient. It has to take less time. I think paying the gatherers up-front with a % of the output, is one solution. But the time investment in general is too high. On top of the gathering risk, it really kills the fun in artisanship. I think the duping exploitation was partly caused by this.
2. Cant use processing time as a tool to limit supply. Given that you can cheat and limit gathering, rarity and yields, unlike real life, I just don't see the need for the fixed rate slow processing, when you have a better tool.
3. Gathering, and end production should be the bottlenecks. You should be able to craft an entire set of common gear overnight. If you want to craft rare stuff or better, it should be only 1 overnight. Who cares if common products are mass produced? They are supposed to be common. Gatherers get their thrill when they pick up the item or loot it. Crafters get their thrill when they "Get the Set" and have everything they need. They don't mind waiting for the actual item. Processing, unless it provides an alternative to gathering, is just work.
4. Increase the (fuel?) cost of processing and crafting so that levelling by making worthless items is very (time) costly, but possible.
I think everything is there, and capable of being fun, but the working parts are just really badly tuned, and I think you put in some player time operations that shouldn't be necessary. But I think you have just demonstrated that with gathering rarity you can grind things to a halt even without processing times being extended. Having to have 2/3/4 ingredients at the same level of rarity to process/craft instead of 1, slows things up more than enough.
I think you guys can math this, when you get the time, and the data, but you won't get much data right now because it is really unfun, and people are forcing themselves to do it.