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View Full Version : Auto-leveling: pros and cons



Rot
12-04-2013, 03:42 AM
The auto-leveling system was implemented a while ago and had been used by most of the new players (mostly because they don't know what it is and how to deactivate it). Auto-leveling helps you distribute your stat points and skill points without you being aware of what's happening. New players can deactivate this system by going into your Avatar page. Sitting here in which your "Update stats" button should be is this big fat "Disable auto-leveling".

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This system, like any other, has its very own pros and cons. I would assume that more experienced players would notice the rapid increase in the amount of scatter bears (bears who don't know how to tank and take aggro), mages that do no damage and birds who are in charge of dying. I would say that this auto-leveling system has indirectly worsened this problem. But before we get too pessimistic, let's look on the bright side.

Pros

Auto-leveling system had helped new players by distributing their stat points and skill points for them. Players who don't know the basic game mechanics often find new skills popping out in their Skills map. This had doubtlessly saved a lot of new players' time. That's about all that's good about the system.

Cons

1. Players don't get to understand how the game works.

With the implementation of the auto-leveling system, players are no longer required to the Avatar page and Skills page to distribute the points they get from leveling. They no longer need to learn the functions of the game menu. This will result in confusion and possibly frustration as they could not find what they're looking for. After some time they will eventually leave the game because they do not understand a single thing about the game.

2. As briefly mentioned above, new players don't know what their skills do.

Each time after leveling, the auto-leveling system automatically distributes your skill points into either a new skill you've just learnt or an old skill. If you happen to learn a new skill (one skill each at Lv2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22), the system distributes the points you've earned into it. After a monster around you dies (either killed by you or your teammates), the skill will just pop out in your skill map. Smart players who understand the basic game mechanics will visit the skills page just to read the description of each skill they have. But for new players who know nothing, they'll just simply spam their skills mindlessly, without knowing what they're actually doing.

The auto-leveling system had indirectly caused a catastrophe. L1-50s are filled with people who don't know what they're doing. How far do you think they'll go? Imagine a party full of these unfortunate victims of the system in Sewers/any other campaigns after that. Do you think they can clear the dungeon? Yes, it's not impossible, but it's gonna be a real hard time for them. Imagine you being in a party which consists of you and other 4 who are mindlessly running here and there, how many deaths can you earn in a single dungeon? Who's gonna help them? Many don't know about the existence of a forum! :O

How to solve this..

The solution is pretty simple. In my humble opinion, the tutorial should be improved to help the new players understand the game menu and how it works. Bring them on a short tour through each page of the game menu and briefly explain what the page does. Enable a setting in the game which allows people who have at least 2 characters to disable the tutorial so that they don't have to go through things they've already known. Also, I don't see how the auto-leveling system helps at anything other than to save time. I would suggest that we remove the system, and implement another system which teaches new players when to use each skills and what each attribute actually does. This can undoubtedly help new players to understand the game better.

Thoughts?

-Rot

Skillless
12-04-2013, 04:22 AM
Before auto leveling there were many toons that never added any attribut points or distributet point evenly between int/dex/str. I'd say todays skill spammers are more of a problem than that as the triple specs got stuck around level 20 as they couldn't kill anything with their inferior gear. Auto skilled players do reach end game now. If you you see mages that cast revive very frequently just check their skill rotation. I've seen a handful of level 70+ mages always casting frost-light-heal-revive-fire-... and so on. They just use their skills in the order they got them popping up automaticly.

I like your solution of improving the tutorial. Adding class specific content to the tutorial would help a lot too I think. But it can't be too much as a new player wants to play and not to read ;)
Maybe show a skill tutorial at level 22 when they have unlocked all skills. And maybe offer a free respect at level 40 as by then they should know what skills they use and want...

Rot
12-04-2013, 05:03 AM
Before auto leveling there were many toons that never added any attribut points or distributet point evenly between int/dex/str. I'd say todays skill spammers are more of a problem than that as the triple specs got stuck around level 20 as they couldn't kill anything with their inferior gear. Auto skilled players do reach end game now. If you you see mages that cast revive very frequently just check their skill rotation. I've seen a handful of level 70+ mages always casting frost-light-heal-revive-fire-... and so on. They just use their skills in the order they got them popping up automaticly.

I like your solution of improving the tutorial. Adding class specific content to the tutorial would help a lot too I think. But it can't be too much as a new player wants to play and not to read ;)
Maybe show a skill tutorial at level 22 when they have unlocked all skills. And maybe offer a free respect at level 40 as by then they should know what skills they use and want...

It won't be easy to get through Balefort and Fathom unless there's a 50+ with them if they don't know what their skills do..
Yeah free respecs would be great.

VVake
12-05-2013, 02:52 PM
Sounds like a great idea :)

IGN Storm
12-05-2013, 11:41 PM
Agreed. There needs to be a much more in depth tutorial that can be I guess "reused" as you progress so you can review the key points. Maybe even a proper guide on how to use your class or how to use the CS.

TheGodQueen
12-07-2013, 02:28 AM
Think stg should make the auto lvling system better, like make everyone a war class so they wont die as much.

Skillless
12-07-2013, 03:53 AM
Think stg should make the auto lvling system better, like make everyone a war class so they wont die as much.

PL with only str toons? That's a depressing vision for me

TerryDarc
02-03-2015, 12:49 PM
Thanks a bunch! I never understood why I couldn't distribute my skill points before. I'd point out that the system threatens you, that if you turn off Auto-Leveling, you can never go back. Don't know why but I'm pretty sure I'll disable it and get to fine tune my fox in spite of that threat.

Huskybird
02-03-2015, 01:05 PM
Thanks for sharing. This really helped me. I'm glad I read your thread. I will share with all my friends.

AppleNoob
02-03-2015, 05:52 PM
Thanks a bunch! I never understood why I couldn't distribute my skill points before. I'd point out that the system threatens you, that if you turn off Auto-Leveling, you can never go back. Don't know why but I'm pretty sure I'll disable it and get to fine tune my fox in spite of that threat.

Necro necro necro