Looking Ahead: Larger Maps + Reincarnation

[Peter]

In future versions and maps, we know that we will see much more area to explore and much greater distances between villages.

Currently, it is possible to travel from one side of the map to the other in, at most, three game sessions, and most likely less if you can avoid stopping.

If, as the development duo have suggested, an infinite map is created, then it would be possible for any group to just spend a week with a cartful of food traveling outward and settling there. In fact, such a thing sounds like more fun than you can shake a stick at.

If that becomes popular, then what we will see, I think, is a dense bundle of newb (not noob) settlements around the ring or rings and scattered around the larger world, many strong local settlements, surrounded by deep wilderness. This will not only be fitting to the setting, but also good for game design, as the wilderness will make invasion by other players challenging but not impossible, and for those only interested in bothering other players, they'll spend more time finding a target than actually annoying them.

While all of this is great, and appears to be planned in some sense or annother, I was considering what would happen if a member of a village distant from the nearest ring where to die, and then reincarnate. While there is some merit in saying that this reincarnee should simply have to tough out the hike, I'd like to suggest that one should remain a member of your village after death, and possibly reincarnate at the village totem. This would reflect, in an abstract way, something like a family line. This is especially useful when you consider that villages are usually played by people who are friends outside of the game- why have them split up for possibly days of travel?

Alternatively, a village could build a small ring themselves, perhaps out of boulders from basements, that would act as a village-only ring.

[sami1337]

I am really looking forward to it. But there's some things that could be implemented that would make it a much nicer experience.

[theTrav]

I think J&L mentioned that they were considering allowing villages to set their Totems as public spawn points.
Making them kin/village only spawn points doesn't sound far off from that.

The biggest thing I'm worried about happening after the map reset, is over-dispersion. I could easily see bottleneck moving so far out that they're impractical to visit, and all other established settlements doing the same. Then having them steadily decline in numbers until they are ghost towns, and having new players starting near the public ring have no option but to do it all themselves.


Personally I'm a fan of the idea of people not actually spreading out after the reset, but setting up right on top of the ring and having their own fenced off houses as part of an UBER CITY.

I think that's probably a pipe dream though

[kobnach]

The biggest thing I'm worried about happening after the map reset, is over-dispersion. I could easily see bottleneck moving so far out that they're impractical to visit, and all other established settlements doing the same. Then having them steadily decline in numbers until they are ghost towns, and having new players starting near the public ring have no option but to do it all themselves.

Personally I'm a fan of the idea of people not actually spreading out after the reset, but setting up right on top of the ring and having their own fenced off houses as part of an UBER CITY.

I think that's probably a pipe dream though

I think much depends on how unpleasant people find it to be next to others. At this point, there are advantages to being near others - trade, mutual support, etc. - and some severe disadvantages - excess civilization, griefing, clear cutting, theft, murder, assault.

My plans for after the map reset are to move far and fast, in the hopes of settling in an area with good hunting - that won't immediately be over settled and/or clear cut and/or plugged up with large walled towns and giant-sized claims. I was pretty happy living with only a couple of friendly neighbours, as a newb, and didn't join a larger group until mutual defence made it necessary. Sure, I had lots more neighbours, living within ring one, but I didn't trade with very many of them. So if I wind up all alone in the big woods, well, I'll cope. If I wind up as part of a pair, one active nature and one active industry, I'll cope better. It won't be perfect, but it's where the game mechanics are leading.

Put another way - if people don't want isolation and distance, then make there be more advantages to living near strangers, and fewer disadvantages. The devs can have the biggest effect here, by changing the game mechanics - but everyone can have a small effect by making their playing style more or less neighbour friendly.

[sami1337]

I think J&L mentioned that they were considering allowing villages to set their Totems as public spawn points.
Making them kin/village only spawn points doesn't sound far off from that.

The biggest thing I'm worried about happening after the map reset, is over-dispersion. I could easily see bottleneck moving so far out that they're impractical to visit, and all other established settlements doing the same. Then having them steadily decline in numbers until they are ghost towns, and having new players starting near the public ring have no option but to do it all themselves.


Personally I'm a fan of the idea of people not actually spreading out after the reset, but setting up right on top of the ring and having their own fenced off houses as part of an UBER CITY.

I think that's probably a pipe dream though

I don't think it will be a problem if newbies spawn right in the middle of towns.
I certainly will want to move atleast past the edge of the map now. There's no point in visiting other towns as noone wants to trade anyway. And there is no economy.
Plus something that could happing is the civilisation happens around those towns far away in the deep wilderness acting as a RoB on it's own.