The prison and the island are fine as they are. A prison which is actually a horrendous concentration camp on a very dangerous island that use to be Braccus Rex laboratory for abominations and horrors - is a good starting setup. But they need some tweaks to be more believable in those roles. Nothing big or drastic though.
The game is not difficult at all right now, and its especially not that difficult that you have to have traders inside a prison selling high level items. I never said they should sell complete garbage, so Stabbey, try to not put words in my mouth. As a rule of thumb, if i dont say something its a good bet i dont actually mean it.
The traders can sell items appropriate for that area and resources for crafting - thus enabling the players to make their own better weapons appropriate for the very start of the game. Which would be very fitting for a PRISON. Any other higher level loot can be easily found by fighting for it, stealing it, getting it from the guards in a few different ways.
Thats what you are supposed to do in a bloody prison. I would rather have a some appropriate small sub quests about it then to get equipment by shopping sprees as if its a normal town and the situation is all dandy.
My point of four major "funny prison features" is that the prison is already pretty easy and lax in several major ways so there is no need to make it even worse by having traders selling loads of weapons and equipment. The feel and the atmosphere of the place would be better if there was a bit stronger sense of adversity and scarcity about it .
Its not like we are meant to spend a lot of time there anyway, we have several easy ways out but if the place is too easy in addition to all that it destroys the plot starting setup and makes the gameplay worse too.
Im not suggesting any kind of actual serious prison simulation. Or that it should be made punishingly difficult. No need for such nonsense extremes. I just want this pretense to be a little bit more believable then it is right now. Because right now the whole thing is actually ridiculous.
I hope this is only because its still an alpha/beta of the game and that the devs are planning to remove at least that extra convenience.
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As for the underground arena fighting club, they are some kind of a cult. So as a cult it would be a bit more believable and much more appropriate to find them somewhere else rather then inside a bloody prison.
If it was just some NPCs fighting bareknuckled amongst themselves that would be one thing, but a whole underground cult full of high level NPCs and high level gear? And they can remove the collars that easily too?
While being so numerous and well equipped they could annihilate the magisters easily.
The fact we can use magic without any problem only makes the situation even worse. Whether the Source is very different then magic or not, or what actually attracts the void creatures is a whole discussion for itself. I bet no void creatures jump at you once you get the collar off and start using "void spells" which are actually normal spells we had in the previous game.
The collars should stay at least until we are out of the prison. And its too easy to get them off in the Seakers camp too. All it takes is some ordinary NPC snapping the fingers.
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Your refusal of a very easy and quick addition for that elf prisoner and judge Orivund situation doesnt make any sense to me. The question why cant you liberate other prisoners is there regardless of that situation. If its not bothering you usually then it should not be an issue here where the exit is very close - in that same room basically. This way the players would at least have a sense of saving somebody. And she at least has a better understanding of what is actually going on, unlike the prisoners outside of the Fort.
My suggestion makes sense for that situation and it would be easy to do.
While leaving her to just cover in fear forever does nothing. Stealthing in and teleporting her away before she can be turned into a silent monk, then killing the judge and the guards requires some minimal closure and resolution.
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I was just going to suggest the guards inside the prison should be higher level. That would make their control more believable and prevent players from killing all of them at the very start of the game.
We are not meant to spend a lot of time in the prison itself, but we are supposed to spend some time there at the start and get introduced to the basics of the plot and the overall atmosphere and situation.
Thats precisely why it is important for this beginning of the game to be done in better ways.
In a plot and narrative as they are - the correct feel and the atmosphere are very important.
The player actions and options, the very gameplay we create is a crucial part of the story and so whatever options we have cannot be ridiculous or too easy - in a story that is trying not to be ridiculous and too easy.
