Originally Posted by Lar
You're seeing the development process live with early access so inconsistencies happen as a result of the creative process which involves a lot of iteration. They are indeed not supposed to be treated as prisoners at that stage - though for all practical purposes they are. In subsequent updates you shouldn't find the word prisoner anymore.

As for the weapons - we are still debating that. We know it is an inconsistency but it breaks the tutorial flow if we get you to the equipment screen too fast.


The thing is, my character and everyone else actually are treated like prisoners and abductees.

Lohse (havent tried others yet) wakes up being shackled to a slab and some experimental instruments. (A skull is the first thing you see, eh?) And the rest of the opening situation clearly shows you have been taken by force and kept by force. Even if you can walk around - its a ship so you have nowhere to go anyway. You are under complete control of Magister in such a situation.

Its the situation that makes one a prisoner, not a word.

Just removing the word prisoners may seem like an easy fix, but it wont make the situation any different. And it can be said its a pretty cheap trick, even though you probably wont have that many people complaining.

Depends if you want to rely only on such consumers of your game or you want to make it better anyway, for your own and story-game sake. Those wont complain if its better either.

If you would want to do it differently and preserve the severity and atmosphere of situation there is an easy way to do it. Just let everyone wake up without weapons and wander like that around that first level of the ship.

After Wandigo blows everything up there are three dead magisters right there in that room who can have some basic weapons on them, several more dead Magister bodies in the rest of the hold, and all those on the next level up, plus some containers. Thats plenty of places where you can put every basic kind of weapon so any build can find whats good for them.

I almost overburdened myself with different items i picked up through tutorial (i looted everything that was not nailed down) so why not have a few basic, cheapest weapons among them too.

That way you keep the severity of situation as it is, as it should be, which strengthens the story internal coherence and atmosphere of the introduction without any crude removal of words or any problems with the flow of tutorial.

If the aim is to not show inventory and equipment too fast... thats a good way to do it. Otherwise i dont understand what that sentence at the end of the reply means.

Its often said how games in general have bad stories and how they can never be like books and blah, blah, blah.
It is because other matters take precedence over internal coherence of the story, like tutorial flow, or some mechanics or specific schlock moment instead of the story basics dictating such gameplay features in specific places where it would be expected and reasonable. Which would then all flow together much better. IF the story is good, of course, which this one seems to be.

This atleast is one example where an easy solution is possible.

I wish that the whole "against our will" forced imprisonment - abduction was also presented more strongly in fort Joy, as i said before in a few posts. That can be done without any drastic changes too. Basically: remove most weapons, spell books and armor from traders. Have them trade in cheapest items only and crafting materials, but give better equipment through small sub quests or tasks you do for NPCs and magisters there. It would strengthen the opening act of the game and make the flow of advancement through the story and gameplay more synchronous.

Also, when you get to the Fort Joy one of the magisters can tell you they will let you carry basic weapons around in a way which makes it clear they are not worried about that because they are so much stronger and better equipped.
That would make that whole schtick a little bit better or plausible.

Anyway,

I like the new intro into the story a lot. Very well done.
It leaves a strong impression, established a certain atmosphere and introduces the story very well.
Havent noticed anything especially bad or any bugs with it.

I would like to get this garlic, if you dont mind:
[Linked Image]
I like garlic... and its just hanging there...

And you can make this room a small armory, just lock both doors, make them impossible to lockpick that early or bash from the side where Ifan and a Magister are (make magisters turn hostile and kill you) and put the key to it on the body of some dead magister after Wandigo kills them, so the players can find weapons there only after that event plays out. Maybe a basic helmet or something similar too. A good moment to show equipping tutorial too.

The body of the captain on deck should have at least one better item on it, because when i get there its surrounded by fire which requires some kind of effort to get to it - so it should have little something as reward. From three-four times i tried only once there was something there... and i think it was a lemon. Cmann, im going through fire to get it.
And its a capn. They are supposed to be rich buggers.

- I like that there is a few situation with some reactivity and options.

- I like how the companions are introduced.

- Im not sure about reaching the escape boat and then getting the choice of going back down to get the rest of the team... especially because it doesnt seem to have any big consequence but is simply cosmetic.

And if i do get down and rescue them - i get knocked out just before getting into the escape boat? (which has no consequence) But if i choose to escape then there is no problem? Seems a bit hamfisted for no good reason.
Especially with the Kraken right there watching all that.

- Btw, congratulations for design of the the Kraken. Finally not some overblown octopus or a squid. Whoever did it it was a very good idea to add some deep ocean fish features to it. Very fitting.

Maybe instead make it necessary to get back and rescue everyone sooner, just before you get to the upper deck so when everyone gets up to the deck then you have one more fight with much more voidwoken spawning all around and you escape under fire, while everything falls apart around you.

Then everything just falls apart as you all jump into the escape boat and you wake up on the beach. (Kraken pulls the whole ship under and so doesnt waste time on you and the other survivors)

- I think i figured out the black cat.

- Very nice to see that resurrection spells now have a very limited range. At least some balance for such super power.

- Very nice to see we can now craft many items together. I would add at least one or two recipe books to the tutorial on the boat and make sure traders have some in fort Joy and few more can be found early around the fort. Have them as reward from NPCs too for doing stuff for them. Or just talking to them and being nice or whatever.

- When i get Ifan and Red Prince and tell them i want them to be a warrior and a ranger specifically they still start as hybrid builds. Red prince gets a point in warfare and geomancy, Ifan in Hunter and piromancy. I like that setup for Ifan but not for Red Prince.

I havent checked if i can choose specific hybrid builds that way, but it would be nice.

- In that fight Ifan also tends to use "marked shot" (or something similar... cant remember right now) skill and usually he also hits one of the other peaceful NPCs around there, which makes everyone turn hostile so then him and Eloise start slaughtering the whole camp. Might wanna change that into some other skill.