Char progression and player engagement

[Vaku]

Unlimited progression gets in the way of other content. When you don't have to worry about keeping up with the Joneses you can take a week or two for just doing a large construction project, or taking a tour of the world, and not worry about wrecking your FEP/LP income. I for one know that I hated worrying about curios and good food while I was working on leveling the town.

I have to agree, not worrying about your FEP / LP income is a very nice feeling — either because you're very well off, or because you've reached a stat goal you've set....


What I've done every world was set a goal for my character development—usually something with a low threshold, like, "Have enough STR, AGI, UA to melee a boar."

From there, I'd explore the world and build up stuff. I'd make designs, run experiments, and do some hobbyist urban planning.
For me, I've always felt freed up to experience other aspects of the game, that most never will, for their fear of other people outstating them astronomically.

It's a bit of a shame that the competitive stat game makes people a little neurotic about their safety.

I'm predicting that what people will do upon reaching their cap, is going to look a lot like what I've been doing every world:
They're going just branch out and enjoy other aspects of the game.

Those aspects are going to be:
PvP
Building a Hermitage
Building a Village
Creating Cool Designs
Awesome Terraforming Projects
Perfecting an Industry
Making a Business

Where I expect to see a decline:
Farming for the table — from my own experience of neglecting FEP and Stat gain, after reaching my goal, if I wasn't playing to benefit someone else, I would not farm. I think farming is a HUGE part of this game, and should not be impacted by this cap. I absolutely believe there should be a cap, but also STAT DECAY. Without incoming hungry hearthlings, farming will stop. There is no doubt about that.



I'd like to hear about the activities of other people who have, at one point or another, stopped caring about their stat gain, and what that meant for them with their playstyle and interactions.

[stya]

Unlimited progression gets in the way of other content. When you don't have to worry about keeping up with the Joneses you can take a week or two for just doing a large construction project, or taking a tour of the world, and not worry about wrecking your FEP/LP income. I for one know that I hated worrying about curios and good food while I was working on leveling the town.

I have to agree, not worrying about your FEP / LP income is a very nice feeling — either because you're very well off, or because you've reached a stat goal you've set....


What I've done every world was set a goal for my character development—usually something with a low threshold, like, "Have enough STR, AGI, UA to melee a boar."

From there, I'd explore the world and build up stuff. I'd make designs, run experiments, and do some hobbyist urban planning.
For me, I've always felt freed up to experience other aspects of the game, that most never will, for their fear of other people outstating them astronomically.

It's a bit of a shame that the competitive stat game makes people a little neurotic about their safety.

I'm predicting that what people will do upon reaching their cap, is going to look a lot like what I've been doing every world:
They're going just branch out and enjoy other aspects of the game.

Those aspects are going to be:
PvP
Building a Hermitage
Building a Village
Creating Cool Designs
Awesome Terraforming Projects
Perfecting an Industry
Making a Business

Where I expect to see a decline:
Farming for the table — from my own experience of neglecting FEP and Stat gain, after reaching my goal, if I wasn't playing to benefit someone else, I would not farm. I think farming is a HUGE part of this game, and should not be impacted by this cap. I absolutely believe there should be a cap, but also STAT DECAY. Without incoming hungry hearthlings, farming will stop. There is no doubt about that.

I'd like to hear about the activities of other people who have, at one point or another, stopped caring about their stat gain, and what that meant for them with their playstyle and interactions.

Derping around on forum, trying to find nice people to play with, trolling people in game (could be called griefing but without scents and without real damage), exploration (a few people have that as main activity). I even guided some new players from spawn area to our village, chatting along the way with them and giving some advices (~2h trip before charterstone update), I guess that counts as teacher/taxi/guide occupation. Also some players (not me) tried to make video guides about hnh.

[overtyped]

Unlimited progression gets in the way of other content. When you don't have to worry about keeping up with the Joneses you can take a week or two for just doing a large construction project, or taking a tour of the world, and not worry about wrecking your FEP/LP income. I for one know that I hated worrying about curios and good food while I was working on leveling the town.

I have to agree, not worrying about your FEP / LP income is a very nice feeling — either because you're very well off, or because you've reached a stat goal you've set....


What I've done every world was set a goal for my character development—usually something with a low threshold, like, "Have enough STR, AGI, UA to melee a boar."

From there, I'd explore the world and build up stuff. I'd make designs, run experiments, and do some hobbyist urban planning.
For me, I've always felt freed up to experience other aspects of the game, that most never will, for their fear of other people outstating them astronomically.

It's a bit of a shame that the competitive stat game makes people a little neurotic about their safety.

I'm predicting that what people will do upon reaching their cap, is going to look a lot like what I've been doing every world:
They're going just branch out and enjoy other aspects of the game.

Those aspects are going to be:
PvP
Building a Hermitage
Building a Village
Creating Cool Designs
Awesome Terraforming Projects
Perfecting an Industry
Making a Business

Where I expect to see a decline:
Farming for the table — from my own experience of neglecting FEP and Stat gain, after reaching my goal, if I wasn't playing to benefit someone else, I would not farm. I think farming is a HUGE part of this game, and should not be impacted by this cap. I absolutely believe there should be a cap, but also STAT DECAY. Without incoming hungry hearthlings, farming will stop. There is no doubt about that.



I'd like to hear about the activities of other people who have, at one point or another, stopped caring about their stat gain, and what that meant for them with their playstyle and interactions.

There is no such thing as stopping stat gain, I don't like the new systems stat cap, but I am willing to see it through.

[MagicManICT]

My opinion has been that it isn't the lack of caps that has been the issue, but rather the ease at which a person can grind out very large stats in a relatively short period of time. Palibashers show up about six weeks in usually. In w3 when you could bash in brick walls, I think it took about six months if I remember the history correctly (that's around 5500 STR). I think more could be done by balancing mid and late game foods and curios more to combat excessive stats than putting in artificial caps.

[venatorvenator]

I don't think caps are a problem in themselves, but they sure become one when you have no other means to create an emotional attachment to your character. That's why I mentioned progression features that don't have anything to do with stats:

Old age, dynasty and heritage, char customization, personal achievements and awards etc have been suggested before

These could be implemented interdependently. For example, after reaching the 200 cap, you keep playing with that character to receive achievements/traits (this counts as late game content). Achievements/traits are demanding "quests" that are easy to do, but take a long time and RNG, so you can only attempt a few during your char's life - because he grows old. When he dies, his spawn inherits some of those achievements/traits (which could also grant minor bonuses). And so the wheel go on.