10-03-2025, 11:07 PM
This topic has been on my mind for quite sometime, and while I do love to RP in this game, the flaws appear to be growing a bit bigger each week. Before I go into each topic I'm not here to offend people, insult anyone or cause problems. This is purely from my perspective, whether I'm right or wrong, these are mostly my feelings laced with some facts I've seen over the months. Don't berate anyone in this thread, as I want this to be constructive and proper. I will try to loosely have 'solutions' for each point.
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Updates
The first problem is the lack of updates, I know there's a new one mentioned but I still feel this will take some large time to fully be finished. The last major update we got was nearly a year ago during the Halloween Update of 2024. There hasn't been much since in regards to updates aside from minor spell additions and some reworks to classes! It's been some snacks and crumbs throughout the year, and mostly this isn't too much of a point except for one thing.
I'd just ask for more updates, and clarity on what's being updated. There's been a lot of shadow changes that make people not realize certain things. (Shadow changes also bad.)
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Tactical
I've heard a lot of things about tactical, and how people like it or don't like it. It's genuinely splitting the community I believe with many people thinking it's a good idea and will make combat 'more fair', or others thinking it will ruin the game and they'll stop playing. I've heard both sides, and seen people say they will outright quit. It seems like a controversial addition really. Me personally? I like the idea of it, and hope it succeeds! My only concern is that so much effort is being put into this new mode that may not even be used, or accepted by the community widely. I feel this may be wasted resources, and a flop outright. I hope it's not but it might be. I get that it wont be necessary in E4, but who's to say E5?
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I don't have a solution for this, it's a new system being added that seems controversial, people like the old combat system and it truly is unique! But it really is furthest from RP-game combat one can get.
Applications
Recent addition, it's sad to see applications will no longer be as transparent. This is something I personally debated about in early E4, vouching for application clarity and responses. Every single player liked being able to bump and responded to soon after, and getting constructive feed back on why their apps were denied. It was genuinely awesome! It's not awesome when you're sitting there for half a month to a month in the dark, and not getting any response after in some cases you put 2-3 months of time into dev.
I would say return the ask of 'bump tickets' but have them be limited to 2 weeks minimum instead of 1. But if an appmin thinks that's too much, then I understand! I know it's hard being an appmin so having some more clarity on the process would be telling.
Powercreep
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Updates
The first problem is the lack of updates, I know there's a new one mentioned but I still feel this will take some large time to fully be finished. The last major update we got was nearly a year ago during the Halloween Update of 2024. There hasn't been much since in regards to updates aside from minor spell additions and some reworks to classes! It's been some snacks and crumbs throughout the year, and mostly this isn't too much of a point except for one thing.
I'd just ask for more updates, and clarity on what's being updated. There's been a lot of shadow changes that make people not realize certain things. (Shadow changes also bad.)
Space
Tactical
I've heard a lot of things about tactical, and how people like it or don't like it. It's genuinely splitting the community I believe with many people thinking it's a good idea and will make combat 'more fair', or others thinking it will ruin the game and they'll stop playing. I've heard both sides, and seen people say they will outright quit. It seems like a controversial addition really. Me personally? I like the idea of it, and hope it succeeds! My only concern is that so much effort is being put into this new mode that may not even be used, or accepted by the community widely. I feel this may be wasted resources, and a flop outright. I hope it's not but it might be. I get that it wont be necessary in E4, but who's to say E5?
Space
I don't have a solution for this, it's a new system being added that seems controversial, people like the old combat system and it truly is unique! But it really is furthest from RP-game combat one can get.
Applications
Recent addition, it's sad to see applications will no longer be as transparent. This is something I personally debated about in early E4, vouching for application clarity and responses. Every single player liked being able to bump and responded to soon after, and getting constructive feed back on why their apps were denied. It was genuinely awesome! It's not awesome when you're sitting there for half a month to a month in the dark, and not getting any response after in some cases you put 2-3 months of time into dev.
I would say return the ask of 'bump tickets' but have them be limited to 2 weeks minimum instead of 1. But if an appmin thinks that's too much, then I understand! I know it's hard being an appmin so having some more clarity on the process would be telling.
Powercreep
I think this is one of the biggest offenders I've seen as of late, powercreep has never been this bad in an Eternia game as far as I'm aware. Signatures are getting really common, there's insane weapons floating around with 100+ power. We have uniques upon uniques with just raw stats. This is outlandishly crazy and is really splitting the players into two common places. Those born in wealth, and those outside of it. Why spawn as a new character any more when you can just take...
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Spawns/Role Hooks/Etc
Spawns/Role Hooks/Etc
This is a personal gripe of mine. These role hooks are kinda crazy stupid. What happened to the growth of characters? Why do we even have an RPL system if everyone is just spawning at 180+? Spawn-a-Solider is the weakest offender but so many people will still take this, get their nifty little arcanium unique and play. Are simple starts not so much a thing?
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I'm going to list more recent examples, this isn't to target anyone but just show how absurd spawns have become.
The Dreadmane Pact - Arcanium Weapon + Mythical Stance on Spawn, 180 RPL.
Heralds of Finality - Unique Weapon + Potential Sig Without Application, 200 RPL.
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Solution to both Powercreep and Role Hooks? I think fluff needs more value, or funny custom abilities tied to the weapon. Of course there's people who chase said things, but it's pretty clear stats, head starts and such are becoming a thing over fluff and development. I don't like this direction personally, and I see the positives to having these hooks too as it ensures your arc/city/whatever else gets filled in, but it becomes this weird disadvantage feeling. Why start a new character from scratch when everyone around you is getting mega boosted at spawn?
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Solution to both Powercreep and Role Hooks? I think fluff needs more value, or funny custom abilities tied to the weapon. Of course there's people who chase said things, but it's pretty clear stats, head starts and such are becoming a thing over fluff and development. I don't like this direction personally, and I see the positives to having these hooks too as it ensures your arc/city/whatever else gets filled in, but it becomes this weird disadvantage feeling. Why start a new character from scratch when everyone around you is getting mega boosted at spawn?
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Game State
I'd like to reiterate the start entirely before I get into this section. I've opinions that people wont like.
The game was stagnant for a lot of the year, with not much happening. It was a rehash of 'fel' vs everyone with some other mixes here and there. Eventually though that ended and things are turning out more political and diplomatic. Factions v Factions are a fresh of breath air, however I think how it's being currently done is extremely forced and unnatural.
Aetius is an absurdly strong faction, and to the people outside they appear to be boosted dare I say. This isn't to discredit their IC efforts, I truly do not know! But the appearance to quite a few people is it's unfair. I believe things are unfair right now, given spawns, uniques given away and benefits, alongside powerful classes tied mostly to Aetius. (of course every faction has 1 sorcerer or so by now.)
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I can't help but feel the concept of domain wasn't for 'higher stakes' but instead to kill off older PCs, as they've lived 'too long'. That has been the use of it I personally feel for quite sometime now, and that domain is a poorly designed ability.
Right now the current wars feel shoehorned, forced and unfair. A far cry from what I personally felt earlier during the older days of E4, 2023-2024. Furthermore with most of the points listed above, the game is volatile, and unbalanced. There will always be answered to solve everything, I understand that but as apps can take 1+ month depending on certain things? That answer may become outdated, or null even. Mentioning even they too can of course apply for things. Which I find concerning as the owner of the game is heavily involved with this faction. I'm not saying fact here, but it does paint a bad light to see so many with signatures, multiple stacked on each other on top of the given uniques where as other longer established characters have struggled cause they're 'too powerful'.
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As another note I'd like to mention the suddenly large amount of extremely rare, niche and powerful roles that have come into existence from fluff means. The things that should be once in a life time are becoming common.
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The gamestate is a tough one to solve, while some suggest wipes and other suggest letting something naturally flow, I believe both have their positives and negatives. I ultimately would almost suggest a mass rebalance of weapons/armors so that these OP uniques aren't as strong.
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Conclusion
I wanted to make this post about how I felt in regards to certain things and what others might be feeling. Not everyone will agree, and many will disagree I suspect but I was hoping these points could be looked over and we all come up with something to help improve the game overall as a whole. Maybe I am entirely wrong, or not. A discussion is valued always.