Game Development: Prelude

[smileyguy4you]

very basic concept of hard caps vs soft caps.....this game has used soft caps until the suggested change to hard caps. If you need me to define it further than that theres no need discussing game changes with you. Many games use soft caps in various ways and in various degrees of scale once you reach the soft cap, THIS game is an example of a soft cap on stats up until this point

[Vaku]

These changes definitely represent a step in the right direction, to address issues of game balance, customer finance, and player retention.

In a thread from W7, that I unfortunately didn't save, I argued for a Stat Cap, but that the cap should also be paired with Stat Decay.

There must be Stat Decay, apart character death, to ensure players remain driven to improve their characters to a realizable and balanced goal.

Have you both considered introducing a natural Stat Decay to character stats?


I am hesitant to promote a Stat Decay for items / crops / etc, but I would at least say its worth considering the ways in which those can all be destroyed and stolen.


If you look at a game like Life is Feudal, they have a very low stat cap (100 is far too low. Psychologically, you're not getting the wow-factor of achieving high numbers), and the stat decay is VERY minute, and only upon death. This leads to a very stagnant system, where characters and objects become stockpiled at a maximum quality. Rather than people feeling driven to do more, they disperse. This may be due to their current world being very small, and dozens of other factors, but I doubt it. For me, as a crafter, it becomes a very dull experience, knowing that everything you create is 100% great.


If ever you increase the cap, my only suggestion would be, with the proposed payment system, is keep the ratios close between Free / Verified / and Subscribed.

[Ethan]

I think stat caps are good. I even think the values they are at now are fine.

1. If farming is capped at 200 + EQ, it will make trading for the best natural resources more important than just offsetting it with really high Q crops.

2. If there is a soft cap to how strong a fighter can be, it will create a more level playing field.

3. There is no content that requires more than 125~ stats, except maybe mining on level 5. However with 200 str and Q100+ Bear cape, talisman, thanes, etc. you will still have around 350~ str.

4. The stat caps will make characters much more EQ/Item dependent, which will promote more trade.

5. Less alting, you can have a more all round crafter.

6. Not having to worry about the shitty curio system when you hit your cap.

[smileyguy4you]

soft caps on stat gain and skill gain are essential there should not be hard caps there is not enough end game development to keep people interested otherwise IMO

[spawningmink]

if soft caps are put in im gone along with many others

[Kaios]

if soft caps are put in im gone along with many others

I don't think you even understand the difference

[smileyguy4you]

if soft caps are put in im gone along with many others

the game already has soft caps, it gets MUCH harder to raise a stat as it gets higher and the benefit for raising it gets less and less

[spawningmink]

if soft caps are put in im gone along with many others

the game already has soft caps, it gets MUCH harder to raise a stat as it gets higher and the benefit for raising it gets less and less

yes but it doesnt just stop
this game is now pay to win

[smileyguy4you]

if soft caps are put in im gone along with many others

the game already has soft caps, it gets MUCH harder to raise a stat as it gets higher and the benefit for raising it gets less and less

yes but it doesnt just stop
this game is now pay to win

that would be a hard cap....which is what we are ....argu...discussing

i hold that if they want to take time out of the pay system it should be tiered skill hard caps but subs should have no hard cap just the same soft caps, maybe adjusted to be harsher but still.

thats not pay to win

[smileyguy4you]

calling the suggested system pay to win is pretty sad.

If there wasn't the Metal patch quality insanity, most people would not even be near q 100, yes some were and would be, but overall player base no way.

so think about it, you can play with the new system, unlimited time for free till you start capping things at 50, then you can verify and play for the one time fee till you start capping things at q 125! think about how long that would take you if qualities were not artificially inflated via the ore/coal/stone node quality patch, for alot of people that would be well over half a year of play if not a year of play with a one time fee AND when and if you reach that cap you can sub and go all the way to 200 quality. That is the system they suggest it is VERY far from pay to win.

I just wish the sub had soft caps instead of a hard cap at around 200. This allows for the hardcore player to grind slightly better than 200 (over months and months of work) and keeps them busy and entertained.

qualities this world were artificially inflated, the time it would take to normally reach the caps stated will take alot of time and my guess is that most people complaining about the tiered caps wouldn't reach the 125 cap before the world reset again. Yes there are those pros out that that will get to the high qualities quickly via their various methods, but general player base will take a long time. All im saying is to keep those hardcore players happy a soft cap will appease them longer than a hard cap, i wouldn't say it will guarantee to keep them happy, but it will allow for time to develop other content as opposed to a hard cap.