Curse

none · Jun 04, 2005, 10:29 AM // 10:29

I've been playing at least 5h a day since release now (completed it with 2 different chars), and every once in a while noted down things that I don't like, or that could be improved in some way. There are quite a few suggestions that already have been mentioned here, but since threads disappear into the depths of the forums way fast, you probably can't mention them too often.

Overall, this game is great. It's definitely the best game I've played for years, but some little improvements would make it even better:

1. Language Districts (Europe)

I like the new language districts, because they make it easier if you're looking for a English/French/German/whatever group. However, there are some outposts or missions where this doesn't make sense, because there simply aren't enough ppl around to support 5 different language districts. Right now, it's a pain for those that try to complete the game and are stuck with like 4-5 players in every language district for the mission they want to start.

Possible solution: Change the system language districts are created. Every town/outpost starts at 1 instance - so all languages in the same district. Once there are enough ppl to create a 2nd instance, divide the outpost into the different language districts, because then there will hopefully be enough players to support at least the major languages. Large towns like LA or Ascalon would be divided into several districts this way, whereas small outposts like Abbaddon's Mouth or Camp Rankor would have only one district.

2. Guild Capes - toggleable

Guild Capes look great. Or rather: Guild Capes can look great. Depends on the colours of your armor, the design of your armor, etc. For every 3 chars on which a GC looks good, there are at least 2 on which it just looks silly or ugly. My monk doesn't wear a real chest piece, but ascetics armor, so the GC kinda hovers a few inches above his chest, which makes it look ridiculous. And even if it doesn't look outright ugly, if you have 50+ ppl in a guild, you can't please everyone with the design of your cape. It's great and useful for PvP, but it doesn't matter much for PvE.

Easy solution: Make it so that guild capes can be (easily) toggled on and off. Just like you would change an armor piece.

3. Runes - Stackable

There are quite a few runes in this game. And while you try to unlock/find what you need, you come across lots of them. Not once, not twice, but many many times. Unfortunately, runes don't stack, so they take up lots and lots of inventory space. At times, I had a whole mule character bumped up with runes in every single inventory slot - until I gave them away for free in Ascalon, because there are more things to store apart from runes.

Partial solution: Runes of the exact same type should stack.

4. Energy Bar

This has been mentioned many times over, so I'll just repeat it: Please add an energy bar for party members (and for party members only, not for mobs, and not for opponents in PvP).

5. Region Change

Now I've read that there are no reworks of the current system planned for the near future, but maybe this is something to think about. A friend of mine changed his region from Europe to America to Europe to America to Europe to America ... and is since been stuck. In the answers that have been given by customer support, there's only one reason that really explains why you would want to limit the number of regions changes: To prevent the ladder from being ruined because some players (or guilds) switch between Europe & America every other day.

Possible solution: Set the maximum number of area changes to 3 (or maybe 2). Every month, add 1 to the current amount of allowed region changes (as long as it doesn't exceed the maximum, of course). Players wouldn't be stuck forever in one region, but they couldn't play happy region-hopping either. To prevent ppl from exploiting that system at the end of the month, add a minimum of 5 days you have to spend in whatever region you are currently in, before you can switch again.

6. Rune² - Energy Runes

At the moment, every class has a very limited choice of runes available. Except for warriors, everyone only has those runes, that add to their attributes, plus the general vigor runes.

Possible add-on: Make a counterpart for vigor runes available - general energy runes,that can be used by everyone. Those would be useful for every class, even warriors, because with lower energy regen, they should be happy about every point they can add to their pool. Energy runes - of course - should add only very few points, e.g. Minor +3, Major +5, Superior +7. If you make it more than that, add the usual drawback (-50, -75 health).

7. Questlog - Completed Quests

When reading reviews of the game, I always read about 'there are not many quests' or 'the focus is on PvP, but PvE lacks', etc. I wonder what games those testers played. Because I know I've completed so many quests that I couldn't remember one tenth of them. Unfortunately, there is no way to check if you've made a certain quest or not.

Best solution: Add a second category to the questlog that shows all quests you have completed so far (on this character). This would also help answering questions like 'where did you get that skill', because I just can't keep in mind all quest rewards or skills I bought at trainers (since trainers now always have their skills, but they are marked as 'known' if you have them, this would further make it more comfortable).

8. Infusing Armor, 15p armor

Everyone who has done Iron Mines of Moladune more than 3 times, knows that it's a pain to run through that mission, just to get your next part of armor infused. It might be bearable, for the first 5 times, because you're eager to progress through the game - and infusing makes it so much easier. Yes, there are options to infuse later in the game, but why bother with high damage for another 2 missions, if you can infuse your armor right away? It really gets annoying, once you update your armor, or maybe buy alternate parts (e.g. new scalp design, so you can wear whatever fits best to your current build). I've done more than a dozen infuse runs now. 5 for every piece of my original armor. 5 for every piece of the citadel armor. and another 3 for different scalp designs I use. Add to that, that I've have get everything infused. Because at the first time, I didn't know about the seer. And when I started infusing afterwards, infuse runs weren't invented yet. Probably because you never had 8 players in your group anyway, and running with 3-5 is quite risky.

Possible improvements: Make armor bought at the citadel or the grotto infused. Those are already darn expensive and require alot of time to get the materials/money, no need to add another set of annoying infuse runs to everyones CV. And if you're already at it, make changes to the infuse system. Make the side quest harder, so that you can't run through it, but allow 3 pieces to be infused. And in Ring of Fire, make infusing a bit easier.

9. Mission Design - Thunderhead Keep

Thunderhead Keep is quite difficult, according to some ppl. However, I think that's not so much a problem, because you don't even need a perfect party, just a good one, to get it done in the first run. What really bothers me about the mission, is the last part, where you have to defend TK. You're basically sitting their for ages, and have no idea how long it's gonna take. That might add to the atmosphere, and keep everyone excited and active, but it's a pain in the ... if you have to go afk, or just want to go to bed, etc. A mission is easily ruined, if someone drops out because he doesn't know how long this will continue, and he has to get up in less than 5 hours.

Easy solution: Add a timer to the last part, that counts down the minutes and seconds until Confessor Dorian is coming for the gate.

10. Mission Design - Ring of Fire & Abbaddon's Mouth

I don't know who invented those missions, but they seem to come from the same mind. Both missions have long and short ways to get to the goal. And both times, the long way is in no way easier than the short way (and of course, it's the longer way). Basically, both ways are at the same difficult - there's just one difference. If you do the long way (in both missions) you die after half an hour, if you do the short way, you die at once. Under both circumstances you start over, but if you went the long way, you wasted alot of time and energy. I've done both ways for both missions, and in the current design, I wouldn't ever want to go the long way again, because the risk of dying is alot bigger, and the advantages are little to none at all. In Ring of Fire, you still have to fight most of the Mursaat/Jade, and just don't have to fight the seals (but you get the bonus mission for free, if you do the short way). In Abbadon's Mouth, you don't have to fight 2 Mursaat/Jade bosses, if you go the long way - not that much a difficulty, and you can actually skip them even if you're doing the short way (they're spawn pattern is way to strong, so that they move back to their original positions too fast).

Congratz if you've continued reading till here and I'm looking forward to reading your comments

Kiru Malkav · Jun 04, 2005, 02:39 PM // 14:39

1) I actually think that the lack of people in the english speaking districts is probably down to the fact that most people from England moved onto the American server almost immediatly, just because the game is that much more frustrating when you can't understand your fellow players. Maybe some players will move back, although having joined a guild in the american servers I'm kinda indecisive of what I'll do. I don't think that they should merge the languages again, but I think keeping a list of contacts for missions will help you here.

2) Hell yes, I think everyone would like this. I see no reason why they haven't had a togglable guild cape or cape slot anyway.

3) I'm not really sure about this the way you've put it forward, as I'm not a big rune hoarder, but I do think that every item of the same type and same stats should be stackable. For example the salvagable armour that you get from most creatures should be stackable.

4) Yes, I like this idea too, but please god change the way the party window looks before you do that. It already takes up far too much of my screen and feels bulky and unwieldy, and adding energy totals on to that without changing how it looks first will be horrible. I think it would be nice to make it like the chat window, so you could see a simple info view with maybe the lines, names and numbers, but can be expanded for a clickable monk friendly interface.

5) I don't really understand why they did this at all. It's just been really annoying for me as an English speaking European. Do I stay in the Euro servers where I don't understand anyone and can't form a group easily, or do I join the American servers and feel a bit odd. And I don't like that that big choice isn't easily changable, that one day I might be stuck. Making ladders and things non terratorial would be fantastic, and would solve this problem completly from what I know of it.

6) I'd go with this, seems cool. Maybe one that gives you -75 health and a +1 energy regen or something. Or even -x energy for regen. Or maybe some more class specific runes, like I think warriors get absorbtion, maybe rangers could get evade or speed, and mesmers get energy regen or something.

7) Yes, again I don't see a reason against this. Also maybe a way of organising quests my region where you got them from. So I could see all the quests from LA or something.

8) You should complete the mission once, and then after that you just pay or see an npc in a town. Infusion is stupid. For example he gives you an infusion recipe and the infusion item, and you give it to an npc at the next town, and suddenly they can infuse things for you.

9) Timer would be nice, we breezed through this mission (hint, get the healer to talk to the damn king) but we were sitting around twiddling our thumbs wondering when the last attack was going to come.

10) I think I've only done one of these, but I see where you're coming from. Maybe the way that they tell you not to take (The short way) could be insta death, omg, supperior players/guild based teams need only apply, kind of things. I mean if it's the short way, then you'll soon realise how badly you're dying and learn not to go that way again, so it won't spoil it (Afterall, you were warned).

I like reading some of the suggestions people post here, I hope they get implemented