Venom Guild Post (LONG POST)

[Synozeer]

Great post. I agree on a lot of points. People say it's "just" a mobile MMO, but it's really not - it's on the iPad, and that's a gaming platform like no other. There's nothing stopping this game from being more in depth with its game mechanics. I like the game, but I know if the class structure and stats system stays as basic as it is now, I'm going to lose interest with the game (as I've already started to). I've been talking about how we need a better hit point system for a week or two and I think this is the first thing that really needs to be revamped. With that base change, it paves the way for all the other changes.

[SlipperyJim]

All this just seems way to overly complicated for a mobile MMO. And I especially dislike all the restrictions on builds and armor. Ugh, I would hate PL if it were like this.

Minus the "hate" part, I agree with Banned. Y'all are way overthinking a game that you play on your phone. Part of PL's charm is the casual gameplay. I already have a full-time job. I don't need (or want) PL to become a second job.

Trading Optimization

- To reduce the hassle of initiating a trade with someone in a populated town, we should be given like a pop-up box to accept or decline the trade. The current system is a hassle since we have to find out who initiated the trade with us, try to find then, and tap them, switch to trade tab in order to accept the trade. Another idea is that we can simply just tap the message ("Sally wants to trade with you") to go straight to the trade screen.

I like this idea. All of your other ideas ... I don't like. As previously stated, PL is a simple game. Your changes would undo a lot of that simplicity, which would make PL less enjoyable for me.

[Xanthia]

Minus the "hate" part, I agree with Banned. Y'all are way overthinking a game that you play on your phone. Part of PL's charm is the casual gameplay. I already have a full-time job. I don't need (or want) PL to become a second job.


I like this idea. All of your other ideas ... I don't like. As previously stated, PL is a simple game. Your changes would undo a lot of that simplicity, which would make PL less enjoyable for me.

Why would changing the game for the better make you play it more? Basically you are saying that if they changed the game so they it could be more in-depth that it would require you to play more. You don't have to play it more than casual..it's all preference I am just saying this game is going to lose a LOT of interest if they do not change things...and very quickly, this game is far to easy and needs a lot more content added. I love what the DEV's have done so far, but they need to make huge changes to the system to produce more playability and more content.

SlipperyJim - this does not mean that you have to play it more, it will just be more in-depth so that the players who do play this a lot more than we should will have something to do. Perfect example (In Venom we have about 5 players with 3 characters all 35 and all full pinks, also when our top 5 players get together in PvP we have yet to be beaten and we have never won by less than 10 deaths.) What else is there to do....socialize, nah it gets really boring, so we make posts like this to improve the overall game play for everyone, however again we are not saying that you have to play it any more.

[SlipperyJim]

Why would changing the game for the better make you play it more? Basically you are saying that if they changed the game so they it could be more in-depth that it would require you to play more. You don't have to play it more than casual..it's all preference I am just saying this game is going to lose a LOT of interest if they do not change things...and very quickly, this game is far to easy and needs a lot more content added. I love what the DEV's have done so far, but they need to make huge changes to the system to produce more playability and more content.

Perhaps I did not explain myself clearly. It's not so much the time commitment -- although that's part of it -- it's the overall commitment to the game. If PL becomes more complex, it will require a greater commitment to play.

To take one of your suggestions as an example: Crafting. If the Devs implement a full-featured crafting system into the game, I'll have basically two choices. I'll either need to start crafting myself (adding more commitment to the game), or I'll need to crank up my farming and pay others to craft for me (adding more commitment to the game). Either way, my commitment to the game will probably have to increase. I don't want that. I don't want to worry about how to make my items, and I don't want to pay other people to make my items. I just want to kill a boss and get the item.

I strongly disagree with your predictions of doom and gloom for PL. Your thesis seems to be that the Devs need to add more of everything. My counterpoint to your thesis is that PL started as a fairly simple game, and it's become quite popular as such. To use an analogy, your "laundry list" of suggestions seems a bit like someone saying that Checkers is doomed because of its simplicity. "Unless each checker gets an upgrade path, customization, and the ability to craft new checkers ... everyone will quit playing!" Well, no. Checkers is a simple game, and that simplicity is part of its popularity. The rules are really simple. The strategies can get a little tricky, but nearly anyone can sit down with a set of checkers & a board to play a game. In a similar way, I believe that part of PL's popularity is its simplicity. People who normally shun MMOs (like me) can pick up their iDevices, download the PL app, and start slaying mobs in very little time. It's quick, easy, and fun.

While I respect the (obvious) level of work that Venom put into this list of suggestions, I don't want most of them to be implemented. I think that we really want different games. You want PL to be more complex. I want it to stay at (or near) the current level of simplicity. It will be interesting to see which way the Devs go....

As an aside, y'all have looked at the planned additions to the game:
http://www.spacetimestudios.com/show...lease-Schedule

When I look at that schedule, it looks pretty chock-full to me. My tolerance for complexity will already be a bit stretched. So let's see how the planned additions work before we start requesting more stuff.

[Ogediah]

I just want to kill a boss and get the item.

Thats not an MMO. That's a Co-op hack and slash game.

So let's see how the planned additions work before we start requesting more stuff.

I dont agree with everything in this "review", but I think there are some good points made. There was alot of complexity in what was posted and could be confusing for some. Why do you think there is a suggestion and feedback forum?

Exactly. If I wanted any of this stuff, I would just quit PL and play EQ (which I dislike) or WoW.

I'd love to see you boot up WoW on your iphone.

The reason I disagree with almost all of is because of the memory it can take up.

How many other games will you really be playing after this? Thats a terrible reason. I don't how anyone can take you seriously anyways... I mean you stole your parents credit card and spent 1 thousand dollars on gold.

[Banned]

Thats not an MMO. That's a Co-op hack and slash game.




I dont agree with everything in this "review", but I think there are some good points made. There was alot of complexity in what was posted and could be confusing for some. Why do you think there is a suggestion and feedback forum?



I'd love to see you boot up WoW on your iphone.



How many other games will you really be playing after this? Thats a terrible reason. I don't how anyone can take you seriously anyways... I mean you stole your parents credit card and spent 1 thousand dollars on gold.

You will be able to play WoW on the iPhone once Onlive comes around.

[SlipperyJim]

Thats not an MMO. That's a Co-op hack and slash game.

I think you took my quote out of context. You quoted me as saying:

I just want to kill a boss and get the item.

However, that statement was made in the larger context of crafting. I don't want my entire PL experience to be limited to "kill boss, get lewtz". As you wrote, that would basically be co-op hack and slash. Co-op hack and slash can be fun, but PL can be a little more than that. However, I don't want PL to be an economics simulator, a blacksmith simulator, or a weaving simulator. I don't like crafting very much. It's very hard to balance, and it adds a high level of either complexity or tedium (possibly both) to every game in which I've seen it done.

I don't object to other MMO aspects. In fact, I'm quite excited by the Devs' plans for increased character customization. I'm hoping that my bear can change his fur color, my chicken can get a crest, and my elf can tailor her wardrobe a bit. As long as I don't have to dive into some crazy crafting system to do it....

I dont agree with everything in this "review", but I think there are some good points made. There was alot of complexity in what was posted and could be confusing for some. Why do you think there is a suggestion and feedback forum?

Oh, I'm not disputing Venom's right to post their suggestions here. As you wrote, this forum has a purpose, and the Venom Guild's post is within the guidelines of that purpose. They made (numerous) suggestions for the Devs to consider. I'm not disputing their right to do so.

I'm simply disagreeing with the content of those suggestions. If I understand correctly, this forum is not just for people to post suggestions, but also for people to debate those suggestions. Since I disagree with most of Venom's ideas, I am joining the debate.

[Xanthia]

However, that statement was made in the larger context of crafting. I don't want my entire PL experience to be limited to "kill boss, get lewtz". As you wrote, that would basically be co-op hack and slash. Co-op hack and slash can be fun, but PL can be a little more than that. However, I don't want PL to be an economics simulator, a blacksmith simulator, or a weaving simulator. I don't like crafting very much. It's very hard to balance, and it adds a high level of either complexity or tedium (possibly both) to every game in which I've seen it done.

Crafting does not have to be a bad thing, this will still enable you to have all the items that all the crafters have you will just have to buy them, like go to the auction house and purchase them, and they will be competitive prices Obviously because a lot of players LOVE to craft. So, don't look at it so negative look at it as a way to allow you to have more things in game and allow you character to embrace the crafting system without having to craft.

[Ogediah]

I'm simply disagreeing with the content of those suggestions. If I understand correctly, this forum is not just for people to post suggestions, but also for people to debate those suggestions. Since I disagree with most of Venom's ideas, I am joining the debate.

You now provided some answer's. You did not debate before, you simply shut down OP and then said we shouldn't be making anymore suggestions until the devs "todo list" is complete.