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IDProjectCategoryLast Update
0004643Valley 1Gameplay IdeaOct 24, 2011 10:28 pm
ReporterFallingStar Assigned ToChris_McElligottPark  
Status resolvedResolutionfixed 
Product Version0.519 
Fixed in Version0.530 
Summary0004643: Minor Exp activity for new players?
DescriptionI was testing out new worlds with the new mechanics, and as an experienced player didn't have too many troubles getting through the first few levels, but I probably would have been in a bad place if I was a new player.

No crafting books makes the player have to kill a fair number of boss type enemies before hitting level 2 (which may not be 100% clear until the player uses a lot of their early potion/scroll stash). The marauders who used to be easy pickings probably can't be done until level 2-3 at best. Farming pots in houses can be tough, and probably not the thing you want to focus on when starting. I doubt a starter player can do shadow bats on level 1 (though it is doable - could do chunk level 2 reliably with starter spells at civ 1 but takes knowledge of auto targeting and some mechanics).

Anyways, before new players argue that the early game is super hard, thought I'd mention that some low level exp activity might be needed, or perhaps a special increased seeding of tier 1 jade/ sapphire dust in chunk level 1-2 homes to reduce a bit of the need to grind and get people over the hump to civ 2, at which point self regulation of difficulty becomes much easier.
TagsNo tags attached.
Internal WeightFix ASAP

Activities

Chris_McElligottPark

Oct 6, 2011 8:36 pm

administrator   ~0016012

Yeah, there's the idea of having minor EXP drops in maze rooms already, and so on.

I also really need to get something better going on in the ice age buildings in general, to aid in the difficulty curve there -- right now all the ice age buildings are rather pointless, which is the worst sort of thing to be starting new players out with. I really need to get some special benefits in those types of buildings in general, to make the experience feel better, I think.

Jerebaldo1

Oct 6, 2011 8:41 pm

reporter   ~0016016

Ahh yes, exp drops, a greater chance of getting gem dust, and at least 2 item spawns would encourage more maze exploration.

I also feel that starting at level 2 would work well with the new scaling.

Chris_McElligottPark

Oct 6, 2011 8:46 pm

administrator   ~0016017

Yeah, I've been really tempted to start the players at a higher level so that they can play down in levels if they want to, as well. Keith and I have talked about that more than a little, and my feeling is that there are many other games that start you out as something like level 9, even -- I forget what level you start at in FF6, but I'm pretty sure it's not 1.

Of course, then a lot of the early stuff you can unlock gets thrown off, and so does the trial limit, and so on. All that can be adjusted, but in a lot of respects it would be easier just to make the first 4 levels or so get progressively harder. So maybe level 1 enemies are 80% less attack/health than usual, and level 2 enemies are 60% less, level 3 40% less, level 4 20% less, and that's it.

Then players get eased into things if they choose to adventure in those really lower levels versus playing up higher, and that can be tweaked more easily than just starting the player at a higher level.

Chris_McElligottPark

Oct 24, 2011 10:28 pm

administrator   ~0017087

* Added in new "Experience Points Containers."
** These are the first major source of EXP beyond just killing bosses, and they essentially reward those who want to explore rather than fight.
** At the moment, at same-level chunk to the civ level, it takes just about 100 of these containers to get from one civ level to the next. At +10 levels it takes about 75 of them, and in between is a gradient between 100 and 75.
** At -10 levels it takes more than 10,000 of them to level up, so there's really no sense in farming low-level regions. Playing one region down will only make it take 125, and two regions down makes it take about 167 containers. And it goes up exponentially from there.

* Inside buildings is the only place to find Experience Point Containers at the moment.
** These seed far away from doors, switches, and other experience point containers. They are denser in maze-type rooms, and in fact a single large maze can contain dozens of them. Most interior rooms contain none at all, but when a hallway or similar has a dead end or other long passage that would otherwise be pointless, you'll find these there.
** Note that vents and the normal interior goodie drops don't impact where these containers can show up.
** Anyway, at long last this gives a suitable reward for the maze rooms; it's something we've been planning since before beta, but we'd just never gotten around to it yet.

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
Oct 6, 2011 8:34 pm FallingStar New Issue
Oct 6, 2011 8:36 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0016012
Oct 6, 2011 8:36 pm Chris_McElligottPark Internal Weight => Fix ASAP
Oct 6, 2011 8:36 pm Chris_McElligottPark Assigned To => Chris_McElligottPark
Oct 6, 2011 8:36 pm Chris_McElligottPark Status new => confirmed
Oct 6, 2011 8:41 pm Jerebaldo1 Note Added: 0016016
Oct 6, 2011 8:46 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0016017
Oct 24, 2011 10:28 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0017087
Oct 24, 2011 10:28 pm Chris_McElligottPark Status confirmed => resolved
Oct 24, 2011 10:28 pm Chris_McElligottPark Fixed in Version => 0.530
Oct 24, 2011 10:28 pm Chris_McElligottPark Resolution open => fixed
Apr 14, 2014 9:30 am Chris_McElligottPark Category Suggestion - Gameplay => Gameplay Idea