Keep some mystery for launch

I think you should keep some thing hidden during the test phases or atleast till very last beta which should be short to keep the game fresh on release

Some ideas to achieve this.

- jumble the node types, nodes in the test servers wont line up with how they are on release so a scientific one during the test phase would become a commercial one on release for example, this leave to discovery during release aswell as hindering people planning out there day 1 plan with there node choices.

- internally test some of the high end content/world bosses/dungeons so dont add them to the test but only on release so people cant get the mechanic down pre release to womp them down super quickly on release. this would take a few run though on developers team to make sure there mechanic work properly but should be achievable, might not be an issue with node system making different things spawn

- Hide some high end crafting recipes especially if there drops recipes, simply remove some of the high end recipes off the loot table will achieve this

- hide some freehold (from my understanding this are spots people can claim in the world i could be wrong) Would be nice if you couldnt find the one u want in alpha and be like im gonna claim this asap on release kinda thing if some are hidden people might look more for them.

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Caww

Nice, maybe some rapid successive content updates over the first 6 months so even the alpha/beta players will be surprised, if its possible

Karthos

Problem is with hiding something during the testing phases, it doesn't get tested.

Not testing a dungeon or raid means that when the game releases, the test is actually on the live server. Hiding aspects of the crafting systems keeps the kinks from getting worked out. Hiding locations from player housing COULD work, but you can put your freehold anywhere in the node ZOI of a State 3node as long as it's not too close to a road, dungeon, spawn or other freeholds. Also some terrain limits as well. So there aren't really "assigned" places.

Having your live launch as THE test for your game mechanics and systems is a bad move.

I'll refer you to New World's launch for more information on how well that works.

Goalid

Karthos wrote: »

Problem is with hiding something during the testing phases, it doesn't get tested.

Not testing a dungeon or raid means that when the game releases, the test is actually on the live server. Hiding aspects of the crafting systems keeps the kinks from getting worked out. Hiding locations from player housing COULD work, but you can put your freehold anywhere in the node ZOI of a State 3node as long as it's not too close to a road, dungeon, spawn or other freeholds. Also some terrain limits as well. So there aren't really "assigned" places.

Having your live launch as THE test for your game mechanics and systems is a bad move.

I'll refer you to New World's launch for more information on how well that works.

On the contrary, New World's problems happened despite its extensive betas and alphas. Everyone could know everything about the game before it launched. Ashes should just do what they think requires public testing, and do the rest privately. How much that is we can't really know.

Shoelid

Goalid wrote: »

Karthos wrote: »

Problem is with hiding something during the testing phases, it doesn't get tested.

Not testing a dungeon or raid means that when the game releases, the test is actually on the live server. Hiding aspects of the crafting systems keeps the kinks from getting worked out. Hiding locations from player housing COULD work, but you can put your freehold anywhere in the node ZOI of a State 3node as long as it's not too close to a road, dungeon, spawn or other freeholds. Also some terrain limits as well. So there aren't really "assigned" places.

Having your live launch as THE test for your game mechanics and systems is a bad move.

I'll refer you to New World's launch for more information on how well that works.

On the contrary, New World's problems happened despite its extensive betas and alphas. Everyone could know everything about the game before it launched. Ashes should just do what they think requires public testing, and do the rest privately. How much that is we can't really know.

Yep. One could even argue that many of its problems happened because of the extensive testing.

Karthos wrote: »

Problem is with hiding something during the testing phases, it doesn't get tested.

Not testing a dungeon or raid means that when the game releases, the test is actually on the live server. Hiding aspects of the crafting systems keeps the kinks from getting worked out. Hiding locations from player housing COULD work, but you can put your freehold anywhere in the node ZOI of a State 3node as long as it's not too close to a road, dungeon, spawn or other freeholds. Also some terrain limits as well. So there aren't really "assigned" places.

Having your live launch as THE test for your game mechanics and systems is a bad move.

I'll refer you to New World's launch for more information on how well that works.

Honestly, I think enough communication about glitches in the first months of the game would clear those issues up. I'd imagine that if Intrepid says "Because we didn't publicly test most endgame content, we will focus on quick bugfixes on a weekly basis", people would be pretty much OK with it. Besides, with the way that Steven's talked about wanting to keep things a surprise, and being willing to pay for in-game moderators, he'd probably be willing to pay for in-house testing too.

akabear

Nowadays, within a very short time there will not be a sod unturned within the game that is not then posted by numerous streamers on youtube or equivalent and there will be limited mystery to find or solve left.

That being said, a great selling point for this game will be the dynamics of what node progression and player impact will bring, so how to do clips hopefully only become with limited use.

Veeshan

Karthos wrote: »

Problem is with hiding something during the testing phases, it doesn't get tested.

Not testing a dungeon or raid means that when the game releases, the test is actually on the live server. Hiding aspects of the crafting systems keeps the kinks from getting worked out. Hiding locations from player housing COULD work, but you can put your freehold anywhere in the node ZOI of a State 3node as long as it's not too close to a road, dungeon, spawn or other freeholds. Also some terrain limits as well. So there aren't really "assigned" places.

Having your live launch as THE test for your game mechanics and systems is a bad move.

I'll refer you to New World's launch for more information on how well that works.

you internally test it doesnt take long to do a boss fight using the devs for example same thing with crafting recipes devs can spawn them and try them out, also you can have recipes drop off any mob during test and then put them on proper loot tables afterwards so they be in game but where to aquire them wouldnt

yes there some risk to not testing everything however they never did open testing in the old days most of it was internal there wasnt realy beta testing till after WoW at some point when people relised they could sell access to beta/alpha

knowing everything before the game even comes out takes alot of the magic out of the world

Veeshan

Goalid wrote: »

Karthos wrote: »

Problem is with hiding something during the testing phases, it doesn't get tested.

Not testing a dungeon or raid means that when the game releases, the test is actually on the live server. Hiding aspects of the crafting systems keeps the kinks from getting worked out. Hiding locations from player housing COULD work, but you can put your freehold anywhere in the node ZOI of a State 3node as long as it's not too close to a road, dungeon, spawn or other freeholds. Also some terrain limits as well. So there aren't really "assigned" places.

Having your live launch as THE test for your game mechanics and systems is a bad move.

I'll refer you to New World's launch for more information on how well that works.

On the contrary, New World's problems happened despite its extensive betas and alphas. Everyone could know everything about the game before it launched. Ashes should just do what they think requires public testing, and do the rest privately. How much that is we can't really know.

I think testing thing is where new world went horrably wrong with there game discussion as well. The pivotal change from there vision with open world pvp with backlash from some players on the forums (Happy people dont tend to complain on the forums so its a bad way to do things since 40% of player may be complaining but 60^ might like it for example but only the 40% complain)

Games pre wow never had public alpha's/beta its only hmm 10-15 or years where it alpha and beta became a thing when corporationrelise they could use it for marketing/selling access for more profit and most of those were bnasicly completed gasmes tryiong to double dip on the money. Those games arguable release in better stats than the current games :P

Balrog21

We are only getting one side of the map for Beta as well. Which side, we don't know.
Even so, hate to say it, but this industry is a cut throat business. With what little Steven has let out of the bag there are plenty of games now using the same tag lines and jargon Steven and the team are using. So I can respect them wanting to keep certain things underwrap for as long as possible.

Veeshan

Balrog21 wrote: »

We are only getting one side of the map for Beta as well. Which side, we don't know.
Even so, hate to say it, but this industry is a cut throat business. With what little Steven has let out of the bag there are plenty of games now using the same tag lines and jargon Steven and the team are using. So I can respect them wanting to keep certain things underwrap for as long as possible.

I would suspect the west island since they did show off the reword riverlands and thing which i beleive is the green grassy lake area in the south middle part of the world map we have. We also seen some lava field too which i suspect would be north part of the western island. Human stuff also tend to get done first in development since being humans thats what we know so the art is usualy easier to come up with since you can look at whats already been done in the past and mix it up a little.
So it makes sense we get western island from what we seen.

RazThemun

Certainly need some mystery... however if you are going to be doing testing and charging for packs then you need to show to some degree where people's money is going... no one wants to give hundreds of dollars to then be left in the dark. So updates show there is still progress being made. I do hope they don't show all zones though so there is plenty to explore... Even if they do keep things pretty close to chest though it won't matter. Within days or weeks streamers and you tube creators will have so much content out that people can just watch that anyways without figuring things out for themselves.... just the way the online world is now.

Happymeal2415

Balrog21 wrote: »

We are only getting one side of the map for Beta as well. Which side, we don't know.
Even so, hate to say it, but this industry is a cut throat business. With what little Steven has let out of the bag there are plenty of games now using the same tag lines and jargon Steven and the team are using. So I can respect them wanting to keep certain things underwrap for as long as possible.

I'm pretty sure he said alpha 2 will start with half the map. By the end of alpha 2 we will have the full map

AidanKD

I know that when it comes to things like Models i.e. weapons/armour etc, Steven has said on a more recent-ish dev stream (maybe Jan?) - that he acknowledged people's want to see more "in game achievable" stuff but doesn't want to give it all away, so there will 100% be elements of the game which will remain something discoverable.

But I also agree that system wise we want to test as much as we physically can.

TheDarkSorcerer

You can have a closed beta with NDA form of not releasing any content on YT/Twitch, social pages. I would want as much as possible being tested.

Vaknar

We plan on keeping some content, especially lore, under wraps for the sake of surprise, mystery, and fun!

Open development can be bittersweet in the sense that, while we get to show off all this cool stuff as we complete it, it also means there may not be heaps of mystery and surprise. So it's all about balance so we can maintain that element when the time for release comes, but still show off all the cool things we make as we make em'!

For example, nodes won't be in their final locations during some of the testing phases. ( ͡^ ‿‿ ͡^)

Goatrek

This has been a big fear of mine. Having to choose between being at a launch disadvantage or absorbing as much info as possible and ruin what otherwise preferably would be a time of discovery and surprise for the playerbase.

Same thing if they put out all the future patches and new content on non-NDA test servers so release day(s) lose excitement and mystery.

akabear

I hope that the dynamics of nodes etc, extend so far that the game understanding becomes server dependent with server nuances, thereby creating a degree of redundancy in micro content creater / youtuber "how to do" information and more emphasis on discovery and playing to learn how to do.

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