State of the Game: Producer's Letter April 2016

[Serancha]

Sounds good, thank you.

Just a reminder, we don't need mythic / arcane items that are 100+ damage more than the legendaries of the same level. This trend has been proven a failure, both due to the stated effect on the power curve, and in being the cause of the large wealth gap we saw in seasons 6 and 7. If you use a more reasonable power difference between rarities, then you can spread the increase amongst all the new gear, rather than having weapons totally OP and armour + jewelry all lower stats than previous items.

Moderation is the key here. This would allow all players to at least be party-able, rather than making mythic and arcane mandatory to have anyone willing to run with you.

[Niixed]

Loot Distribution:

We’d like to inject a lot more loot into the system, and have it be available via a wide array of mechanisms, including farming, crafting, and chests. Starting tomorrow we’ll put a set in the game that can be gained through a combination of crafting, boss drops, and chests. Future loot will also be obtainable via a variety of means.

I'm thrilled to hear that there will be a variety of mechanisms to obtain gear. It will keep things more interesting and spice up Arlorian life.

G, are any communications and guild improvements on the horizon? Guild functions are still rudimentary and we still don't have an inbox!

[Jasper Golden]

Howdy folks!

We’ve had some great discussions with you over the last couple of weeks about the state of the game, and I’m here to tell you about some of our conclusions and efforts that will be arising as a result. Special thanks to Carapace and STS-Vroom for helping me wrap my head around all of this.

Gear Progression:

The #1 request players have is more power. The challenge here is we need to progress power in a measured and predictable fashion. The main times we can release more powerful gear is around level cap raises. In the past we have released some extremely powerful items (Arcane Ring, Planar Pendent) as well as bumped items up in power without raising the level cap (Glintstone items over Halloween and Winter, for example). The problem here is that the best items in the game started to exceed a normal power curve. Our recent round of items have attempted to correct this and recover some headroom. This is why the latest Mythic and Arcane items have not felt as powerful. We feel that the curve has been restored to normality and we can start releasing more powerful items as the level cap raises again. You’ll start to see this with the release of Level 52-56 items coming up very soon.

Loot Distribution:

We’d like to inject a lot more loot into the system, and have it be available via a wide array of mechanisms, including farming, crafting, and chests. Starting tomorrow we’ll put a set in the game that can be gained through a combination of crafting, boss drops, and chests. Future loot will also be obtainable via a variety of means.

Better Drops from Bosses:

We’re making some changes to the loot tables that will allow bosses to drop Mythics and Arcanes. Previously they would only drop chests that may or may not contain these items. The rate of drop will be very low, but expect to see bosses dropping better items in the near future.

Original and Better Looking Stuff:

A large request is for less recolors, so we’re bringing back some of the old art team to help crank out more new and unique items for you. Expect to see this starting as soon as our next push later this week.

Inventory Management:

As the game has aged, the inventory system has been strained with more and more items. Stacking has been discussed many times, unfortunately it is a rather large effort due to the way we have architected the database. A shorter-term solution is on the way though. We are working on a mass-liquidate function, which will sell all of a specific class and rarity of items (example, all common necklaces). Expect to see this very soon.

Game Balance:

PvP: This is such a hot button with the community, and extremely difficult to objectively look at, but we want to take some steps here as well. You are probably aware that we nerf PvE damage in PvP. In typical Cinco-loco style, my partner wants to conduct an experiment this weekend where all class-specific PvP nerfs are removed. This weekend will be a free-for-all, we look forward to seeing how it shakes out!

PvE: This is a little more quantifiable, and we’ll be taking a bit of time to run analytics on kills, deaths, , damage, mitigated and dealt, etc.

We’re also planning on making some changes that make it easier for Warriors to hold aggro. More on this as it develops.

Party System:

We’re making some loot changes that will increase gold and pot drops for full parties. More as this develops.

Scaling Elites:

We’re considering this. Our challenge is that we need to populate them with items that make it worthwhile. One of the systems we are talking about is a Boss Bounty system, that will randomly roll up a series of bosses to kill, with appropriate rewards. More on this as it develops.

Leaderboards:

We’re examining which of these work and which do not. We may remove some of them and attempt to better police the ones that tend to have controversial participants. More on this as it develops.

New Skills:

We’re going to table this for now until we get a better handle on Game Balance.

Bottom line is that we are committed to reinvigorating this game. Expect to see many things happening very quickly, starting with later this week. We really appreciate the open dialog we have with you and look forward to your thoughts on these things, as well as other things you would like to see.

Best,

-

Thanks u for trying to make the game better for us ty

[wangkj]

Long live AL!!!!!!! Ty justg

[thekragle]

G - I am more than satisfied with your plans moving forward, in fact I'm thrilled! Thank you for listening and creating the forum for us to vent and throw out our ideas. The changes you have planned will most definately help us stay happy.

[erikdg]

Thx for listening to the community

[Avaree]

Producer's letter woke me up! Thumbs up

What about the skill upgrade in shadow veil, "shadow absorption" the 15% damage buff doesn't work as intended. Will this be fixed ?

Thanks for listening to the community!

[Zylx]

In my eyes, combat fluidity is the only issue with the gameplay. Seeing a release of new sound effects in combat opens up a slew of possibilities of revolutionizing combat fluidity, implementation of combos, stylish animations, and tactical skill. Sure you can release new gear and new maps. But at the end of the day, the gameplay is what keeps players playing.

After three years of playing, taking breaks, and playing again, i was under the impression that the ideal way to promote the game would be to release new things, yet my lack of interest has recently shown me that what the game actually needs is new gameplay. A person can only enthusiastically play a game for a certain amount of time before they have to push themselves to play. The gameplay grows dull and repetitive, despite the constant release of new items and maps.

I know im only one person, and my suggestion may be nullified by my retirement, but i know that there are several players out there that feel the same way. AL is a kid's game in my eyes. It lacks the "awe" that one would get from bigger mmos and its slow and foreseeable growth has given me the impression that the developer has also lost some interest in it.

AL has been a somewhat regretful part of my life. I wish i never played and i wish i never cared. But i do. I had fun when i first played, but i really dont like what it's become. I'm sorry for this pessimistic post gary, but this is how i feel towards the game. I loathe the thought of giving the game anymore chances in its current state.

As ive said before, the only saving grace for the game is something to revolutionize the gameplay. Something to refresh the game and make it seem like something new. Combat is the core of the game, and it has never seen anything new.

[Mdy]

Hmm. Will you turn off PVP kill count for the free-for-all weekend?

I'd agree for this, more people will enjoy to test out the removal of specific nerf issues in PvP arena..i meant tbh to say it'd not be a sort of exploitation for any classes.

Sent from my ASUS_T00J using Tapatalk

[Justg]

I'd agree for this, more people will enjoy to test out the removal of specific nerf issues in PvP arena..i meant tbh to say it'd not be a sort of exploitation for any classes.

Cool, we'll turn off PvP kill and death counters for this.

[Justg]

In my eyes, combat fluidity is the only issue with the gameplay. Seeing a release of new sound effects in combat opens up a slew of possibilities of revolutionizing combat fluidity, implementation of combos, stylish animations, and tactical skill. Sure you can release new gear and new maps. But at the end of the day, the gameplay is what keeps players playing.

After three years of playing, taking breaks, and playing again, i was under the impression that the ideal way to promote the game would be to release new things, yet my lack of interest has recently shown me that what the game actually needs is new gameplay. A person can only enthusiastically play a game for a certain amount of time before they have to push themselves to play. The gameplay grows dull and repetitive, despite the constant release of new items and maps.

I know im only one person, and my suggestion may be nullified by my retirement, but i know that there are several players out there that feel the same way. AL is a kid's game in my eyes. It lacks the "awe" that one would get from bigger mmos and its slow and foreseeable growth has given me the impression that the developer has also lost some interest in it.

AL has been a somewhat regretful part of my life. I wish i never played and i wish i never cared. But i do. I had fun when i first played, but i really dont like what it's become. I'm sorry for this pessimistic post gary, but this is how i feel towards the game. I loathe the thought of giving the game anymore chances in its current state.

As ive said before, the only saving grace for the game is something to revolutionize the gameplay. Something to refresh the game and make it seem like something new. Combat is the core of the game, and it has never seen anything new.

Respectfully, I disagree. Combat fluidity is not the major issue, the game's economy and loot distribution mechanisms are much wider-reaching problems. I get that you want your specific fixes, but we are going to address what we perceive to be the bigger issues first.

[Justg]

So do you mean that rogues will get Their armor and damage back and not receive kills? How about other classes ?

We're exploring a larger game balance effort. The first step for this is removing the existing class-specific nerfs that we calculate behind the scenes in PvP. This does not mean we are undoing any other balance efforts (including the controversial Rogue armor and damage ones) at this point.

We're also temporarily turning off PvP Kill and Death counts so people can go at it and let us know how it goes.

[Ticklish]

We're exploring a larger game balance effort. The first step for this is removing the existing class-specific nerfs that we calculate behind the scenes in PvP. This does not mean we are undoing any other balance efforts (including the controversial Rogue armor and damage ones) at this point.

We're also temporarily turning off PvP Kill and Death counts so people can go at it and let us know how it goes.

Hi, I think people are expecting more details which specific nerfs you are removing for the weekend. For rogues, does this mean they get back both damage and armor? Will mage clocks root people? Ice freeze? Thank you for turning off KDR for this period. It would be most fair to everyone.

[Visiting]

As far as class specific nerfs being removed, does this apply to Frost Bolt, Traps, and other skills that don't fully work in PVP?

[Asron9]

Won't the "Liquidate item of class" function alleviate some of this stress?

thaks a lot justG

[Vixenne]

Very excited for the incoming and future updates Thank you!!

[Zylx]

Respectfully, I disagree. Combat fluidity is not the major issue, the game's economy and loot distribution mechanisms are much wider-reaching problems. I get that you want your specific fixes, but we are going to address what we perceive to be the bigger issues first.

Respectfully, i disagree with that. Everyone ive talked to agrees with me. Sure, you can release new gear, you can change how things are looted, you can improve loot tables and give rewards, but the fun of the game isnt in getting things, its in the journey you take to get them.

People who dont farm for hours on end to get something aren't "lazy" as many players deem them as. They're just bored and dont have enough desire to do it. This is a game, not a full-time job. It shouldnt feel like work for people to keep up, but it does. AL's gameplay is too simple and has not changed in the past 3 and a half years, its like repeatedly going in and killing everything in Hyrule Castle in the original Legend of Zelda 5 hours a day for 3 years straight. How long would you last?

I do somewhat agree that there should always be something to look for and expand on. But gameplay should also always be refreshed with new and invigorating features every once in a while to keep the game playing new and keep the old players happy.

[thekragle]

Respectfully, i disagree with that. Everyone ive talked to agrees with me. Sure, you can release new gear, you can change how things are looted, you can improve loot tables and give rewards, but the fun of the game isnt in getting things, its in the journey you take to get them.

People who dont farm for hours on end to get something aren't "lazy" as many players deem them as. They're just bored and dont have enough desire to do it. This is a game, not a full-time job. It shouldnt feel like work for people to keep up, but it does. AL's gameplay is too simple and has not changed in the past 3 and a half years, its like repeatedly going in and killing everything in Hyrule Castle in the original Legend of Zelda 5 hours a day for 3 years straight. How long would you last?

I do somewhat agree that there should always be something to look for and expand on. But gameplay should also always be refreshed with new and invigorating features every once in a while to keep the game playing new and keep the old players happy.

Um, no, everyone I know and the forums would agree that getting stuff and making money/gold so you can buy more stuff is the main thing, not the gameplay mechanics. Now sure, new storylines and options for in game play is always well recieved and desired but it is not the primary focus of this game for 90% of current players.

[Zylx]

Um, no, everyone I know and the forums would agree that getting stuff and making money/gold so you can buy more stuff is the main thing, not the gameplay mechanics. Now sure, new storylines and options for in game play is always well recieved and desired but it is not the primary focus of this game for 90% of current players.

You cant speak on behalf of a whole community. Besides, you seem to have forgotten this is a game. Sure, go and get those things. Get as much gold as you can. How fun would the game be if you had everything? I'm eager to see how successful this game is a year from now

[latoz]

Yay PVProgues dmage boooom!