Tuco
I got Tuco'd!
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Crowfall
- Thread starter Kharza-kzad_sl
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Guest, it's time once again for the massively important and exciting FoH Asshat Tournament!
Go here and give us your nominations!Who's been the biggest Asshat in the last year? Give us your worst ones!
Tuco
I got Tuco'd!
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That's cause there's as much facts about CF out there to talk about as there are stories of us hooking up with her.
Vitality
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Post from Thomas on new player barrier of entry:
by ThomasB 8 hours ago in forum News & Announcements in 04/09/15 - Skill Training Faq + Behind The Scenes With The Artists!
We have been talking about the "new" player problem for many, many months now. (As an aside I find it interesting how this problem doesn't gain much traction in level based games, either because it's accepted new players will die in 1 hit and it's their fault for not leveling up as fast as possible, or they are placed into level bracketed battlegrounds where low and behold they get 1 hit killed from people with twinked out characters. Anyways...) We equate the problem to an Easter Egg hunt, where all the kids are let loose at the same time.(terrible idea) Inevitably the youngest kids get stepped on by the 5-8 year olds and the only thing preventing the 10 years olds from pushing over all the other kids and taking all the eggs is their parents are parents watching.
Because we have a skill based game we can't let the kids go after the eggs in waves. We also don't have parents watching. So we need to give the toddlers some help. We have some ideas what we can do and will play with them when we get to that phase of testing if the base package isn't enough.
A toddler in Crowfall does have a lot going for them. We have a goal of a flattish power curve, so they shouldn't get 1 shot by an older player. Most classes have some form of active Block, Dodge, or an attack with an iframe in it. Toddlers should start with a full kit of powers (not an empty tray). Hopefully they can contribute quickly. Action combat elements tend to help and hinder all equally. (It's pretty common to see max level people not knowing how to use iframe attacks and blocks)
I've seen a few comments on customization and skill caps. Through a mix of advantages, archetype, promotion, disciplines a character will have their skill caps. See the Centaur Polearm example. I'm hoping we have tons of advantages, several promotions, and lots of disciplines when we finish building. This means within an archetype we should see lots of variety. Because the campaigns require so many different activities, going "full damage" in all disciplines may be a poor choice if your team falls behind in the resource/materials race for equipment and structure protection and you were "that guy" who wouldn't give up a discipline slot for a gathering discipline. It might be useful if you ambush another team who is out gathering, but you can't rely on that and the walls need materials now!
Hope it helps to see what we are thinking!
by ThomasB 8 hours ago in forum News & Announcements in 04/09/15 - Skill Training Faq + Behind The Scenes With The Artists!
We have been talking about the "new" player problem for many, many months now. (As an aside I find it interesting how this problem doesn't gain much traction in level based games, either because it's accepted new players will die in 1 hit and it's their fault for not leveling up as fast as possible, or they are placed into level bracketed battlegrounds where low and behold they get 1 hit killed from people with twinked out characters. Anyways...) We equate the problem to an Easter Egg hunt, where all the kids are let loose at the same time.(terrible idea) Inevitably the youngest kids get stepped on by the 5-8 year olds and the only thing preventing the 10 years olds from pushing over all the other kids and taking all the eggs is their parents are parents watching.
Because we have a skill based game we can't let the kids go after the eggs in waves. We also don't have parents watching. So we need to give the toddlers some help. We have some ideas what we can do and will play with them when we get to that phase of testing if the base package isn't enough.
A toddler in Crowfall does have a lot going for them. We have a goal of a flattish power curve, so they shouldn't get 1 shot by an older player. Most classes have some form of active Block, Dodge, or an attack with an iframe in it. Toddlers should start with a full kit of powers (not an empty tray). Hopefully they can contribute quickly. Action combat elements tend to help and hinder all equally. (It's pretty common to see max level people not knowing how to use iframe attacks and blocks)
I've seen a few comments on customization and skill caps. Through a mix of advantages, archetype, promotion, disciplines a character will have their skill caps. See the Centaur Polearm example. I'm hoping we have tons of advantages, several promotions, and lots of disciplines when we finish building. This means within an archetype we should see lots of variety. Because the campaigns require so many different activities, going "full damage" in all disciplines may be a poor choice if your team falls behind in the resource/materials race for equipment and structure protection and you were "that guy" who wouldn't give up a discipline slot for a gathering discipline. It might be useful if you ambush another team who is out gathering, but you can't rely on that and the walls need materials now!
Hope it helps to see what we are thinking!
To be fair, she has zero definition in her arms and maybe a little flab there. That's a sign that when she hits 30 she will be easy 200 pounds. The good news is she is still plow worthy now and better then looking at two old dudes talk about projects they made 10 years ago.
Arden
Blackwing Lair Raider
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Tuco
I got Tuco'd!
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Another update from Todd on people who haven't backed yet:
JToddColeman
Creative Director
ArtCraft Developer
143 posts
Posted Today, 02:58 PM
By the way, folks, great thread (I wish that I had thought of it!)
For those who are waiting for more info:
- some of these details will come, and make some of you happy.
- some of these details will come, and make some of you unhappy.
- some of you will not find enough information for your liking.
Which is understandable, but I'm not sure that I can do much about it. We are being as open as we can be, and will continue to do so -- but if you're waiting for a 200 page game design document, that's not going to happen.
At the end of the day, a kickstarter is a leap of faith. I'll let you in on an industry secret, though: following ANY game before launch is a leap of faith. Kickstarter projects just talk about it more openly.
Game development is as much "art" as "craft" (see what I did, there?) ... The details always emerge over time.
I am a firm believer that you can't build game in a design document. You build a game by building a game. Design documents are fantastic (and we have many) but the purpose is to codify the vision, capture ideas and to build a plan... but if you think that plan WON'T change after you've started? You're kidding yourself.
At the beginning of a project, you know the general vector that you want to head in. This is the "vision" of the game. (At least, you SHOULD know the vision! If you don't know what the vision is, AND what the vision isn't, STOP until you do!)
With a vision in hand, like a map to the New World, you set sail. You don't wait for a map that doesn't exist. You don't even have the food stores to make it. You take the leap knowing that you will figure it out.
I have seen projects wait until they have a fully designed project on paper, with hundreds and hundreds of pages of design documentation, and they either never ship -- or scrap the documents and rewrite them completely, prior to launch.
In our case, we have a vision that I feel is unquestionably fertile ground for innovation. We have a high-level architecture that is a fantastic foundation, and a design architecture that lends itself to an unprecedented level of flexibility and iteration. We have collected a motley crew that has as much experience as any other team on the planet.
...but the details aren't all in focus, yet. No team has done this before, so it will take some exploration. As the fog of war pulls back, we'll have to course correct. The deeper we go, the more we will know and the better decisions we can make.
Effectively, backing us means that you are joining us on this adventure. You want to stand on the deck of the ship with us, cutting through the fog to see what's out there. It could be a city of gold! It could be dragons! (I'm hoping for mermaids, personally.)
Whatever is out there, we're going to find out. Not by talking about it. Not by waiting. Not by watching other people do it first.
We'll find out by doing it. That's the call to adventure.
If you want to wait, that's fine. I get it. No shame in waiting... but, to stretch my analogy to the limit, it just means that while we are on this adventure, you'll be back at shore hoping that WE find the New World and come back to get you.
It's understandable position to take. It's just not for me.
Todd
ACE
Creative Director
ArtCraft Developer
143 posts
Posted Today, 02:58 PM
By the way, folks, great thread (I wish that I had thought of it!)
For those who are waiting for more info:
- some of these details will come, and make some of you happy.
- some of these details will come, and make some of you unhappy.
- some of you will not find enough information for your liking.
Which is understandable, but I'm not sure that I can do much about it. We are being as open as we can be, and will continue to do so -- but if you're waiting for a 200 page game design document, that's not going to happen.
At the end of the day, a kickstarter is a leap of faith. I'll let you in on an industry secret, though: following ANY game before launch is a leap of faith. Kickstarter projects just talk about it more openly.
Game development is as much "art" as "craft" (see what I did, there?) ... The details always emerge over time.
I am a firm believer that you can't build game in a design document. You build a game by building a game. Design documents are fantastic (and we have many) but the purpose is to codify the vision, capture ideas and to build a plan... but if you think that plan WON'T change after you've started? You're kidding yourself.
At the beginning of a project, you know the general vector that you want to head in. This is the "vision" of the game. (At least, you SHOULD know the vision! If you don't know what the vision is, AND what the vision isn't, STOP until you do!)
With a vision in hand, like a map to the New World, you set sail. You don't wait for a map that doesn't exist. You don't even have the food stores to make it. You take the leap knowing that you will figure it out.
I have seen projects wait until they have a fully designed project on paper, with hundreds and hundreds of pages of design documentation, and they either never ship -- or scrap the documents and rewrite them completely, prior to launch.
In our case, we have a vision that I feel is unquestionably fertile ground for innovation. We have a high-level architecture that is a fantastic foundation, and a design architecture that lends itself to an unprecedented level of flexibility and iteration. We have collected a motley crew that has as much experience as any other team on the planet.
...but the details aren't all in focus, yet. No team has done this before, so it will take some exploration. As the fog of war pulls back, we'll have to course correct. The deeper we go, the more we will know and the better decisions we can make.
Effectively, backing us means that you are joining us on this adventure. You want to stand on the deck of the ship with us, cutting through the fog to see what's out there. It could be a city of gold! It could be dragons! (I'm hoping for mermaids, personally.)
Whatever is out there, we're going to find out. Not by talking about it. Not by waiting. Not by watching other people do it first.
We'll find out by doing it. That's the call to adventure.
If you want to wait, that's fine. I get it. No shame in waiting... but, to stretch my analogy to the limit, it just means that while we are on this adventure, you'll be back at shore hoping that WE find the New World and come back to get you.
It's understandable position to take. It's just not for me.
Todd
ACE
Vitality
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Who knows man, they're on the fence on a lot of key gameplay topics. Telegraphs, Weighted Combat and Property protection are my guess.
I imagine a lot of people will get extra salty if they find out there's no peacetime or property invulnerability in dregs or something.
They're talking like there might be... but who knows. Bloodstone tree is a faction locked concept at this stage.
Teekay hasn't stopped yammering yet on his crusade to make the EK be more than a place for artcraft to monetize.
I suspect he will be very salty.
I suspect he will be very salty.
Vitality
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Update on Overseas payment issues:
We will open the US later this week for PayPal.
We will not open PayPal in North America while the overseas folks have access to the early bird specials. This would incentivize people to move their US pledges from Kickstarter to PayPal.
Letting the overseas folks who had no way to pay us prior to PayPal get a chance at the early bird specials is something we wanted to do, but not at the expense of having people move pledges away from Kickstarter in North America.
I apologize to those that missed early birds in North America due to payment issues with Kickstarter, but we have no control over their billing methods or system.
There is no way to make everyone happy, and we are trying to be as fair as we can be under the constraints we have.
Gordon Walton
We will open the US later this week for PayPal.
We will not open PayPal in North America while the overseas folks have access to the early bird specials. This would incentivize people to move their US pledges from Kickstarter to PayPal.
Letting the overseas folks who had no way to pay us prior to PayPal get a chance at the early bird specials is something we wanted to do, but not at the expense of having people move pledges away from Kickstarter in North America.
I apologize to those that missed early birds in North America due to payment issues with Kickstarter, but we have no control over their billing methods or system.
There is no way to make everyone happy, and we are trying to be as fair as we can be under the constraints we have.
Gordon Walton
Big Flex
Fitness Fascist
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Tuco
I got Tuco'd!
- 47,372
- 80,778
Vitality
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At my age I have watched enough chicks go from hottie to fatty. I know the signs
Vitality
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I ain't hatin on the googly moogly.At my age I have watched enough chicks go from hottie to fatty. I know the signs
Vitality
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From Tully on combat:
Almost everything you see regarding combat wont be in the final game. This is us testing animation rigs and general server / client hits.
We're still designing the archetype abilities and are currently in the middle of combat RnD. The actual combat, and how classes behave will be entirely different. (The knight won't be dodge rolling, for example... he has a shield. He should use it)
I know it's really hard to look at things with an open mind, but we're still knee deep in development and this is just a very early first pass to help our other systems move along.
-----
Todd on KS videos:
More video coming soon.... but, to be completely clear:
Crowfall is NOT finished. It is in early development. We are, in fact, asking you to buy into an idea instead of a finished game. That's the point of us kickstarting the project.
I don't want anyone to think they are buying a finished game!
Todd
Almost everything you see regarding combat wont be in the final game. This is us testing animation rigs and general server / client hits.
We're still designing the archetype abilities and are currently in the middle of combat RnD. The actual combat, and how classes behave will be entirely different. (The knight won't be dodge rolling, for example... he has a shield. He should use it)
I know it's really hard to look at things with an open mind, but we're still knee deep in development and this is just a very early first pass to help our other systems move along.
-----
Todd on KS videos:
More video coming soon.... but, to be completely clear:
Crowfall is NOT finished. It is in early development. We are, in fact, asking you to buy into an idea instead of a finished game. That's the point of us kickstarting the project.
I don't want anyone to think they are buying a finished game!
Todd