Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two testing is currently taking place five days each week. More information about Phase II and Phase III 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 testing is currently taking place five days each week. More information about Phase II and Phase III 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.
Phase 3 New Player Experience on the PTR
coffeetreetea
Member, Alpha Two
The new player experience for the Halfling/Orc starting zone feels really mixed. Because the is the entry point for new players to the game it is critical to make this experience easy to follow as well as rewarding. I want to start with the good and then cover the gaps.
What is working
The player's first experience when they land is having a quest giver calling them over. This is great design, but so many elements are missing to guide the player through this first cave. Perhaps successive quests, or some game design that always points them the right way. Glowing bugs or mushrooms perhaps that are different colors in different parts of the caverns (yes I know there are differential enemies, but this is pretty consistent). It is pretty easy to gt going in a circle.
What is working
- The number of quests that are given is awesome
- The enemy challenge level seems just about right
- Love the little caches of goodies
- As a new player finding your way around is pretty challenging. There isn't enough in the way of directions
- No minimap that helps you navigate the cave
- At night time the cave is nearly impossible to navigate on top of being hard to navigate anyway either need racial darkvision or some sort of torch
- Just lighting in general sun shining in places during the day so bright that there is no way to see where you are going while walking on a ledge
- Swim through the bottom of the water and be unable to get back up to the water in areas
- The quests are marked ish, but there is no clear so what to them everything points you to bonfire
The player's first experience when they land is having a quest giver calling them over. This is great design, but so many elements are missing to guide the player through this first cave. Perhaps successive quests, or some game design that always points them the right way. Glowing bugs or mushrooms perhaps that are different colors in different parts of the caverns (yes I know there are differential enemies, but this is pretty consistent). It is pretty easy to gt going in a circle.
1
Comments
I believe you are talking about the Anvils which is the Dwarven starting area as the orc/ elf/ and tulnar are not in yet.
In the PTR announcements on the discord they have been stating that the Anvils are not quite ready yet meaning I think they are still working on the polishing touches before they ask us to focus testing there.
Like you, I did also test that area because well, curiosity killed the cat haha, but I saw it come into having more quests to do this last iteration than the first time I entered into it and that was about a week or so apart.
I experienced many of the things you are pointing out here but I think its far from ready for us to focus, all great points though!