I really like the game and wanted to put down some thoughts and suggestions since the devs are looking for feedback. Hopefully one or two of the ideas will prove to be helpful, if nothing else it might show that there is passion out there for what Moon Studios is doing and the art they are making.
1. In-game Feedback options
Being as there is no built-in option to send feedback directly to the team in an Early Access game I wanted to do this write up. For starters, I think Wicked would benefit immensely from a means of submitting feedback and bug reporting within the game itself. Believe it or not, not too many people want to bother with a website forum, me included. With the recent drama, it seems most of the discourse is occurring through third party means (Steam, Twitter, Discord, etc..) and resulting in unfortunate consequences to the longevity and overall direction of the game moving toward launch. Most players, me included, would feel like we are actually helping to shape the game if there were options to put down our thoughts and opinions WHILE PLAYING THE GAME. Most devs reasoning for Early Access (outside of profit) is to get player feedback to shape the game, yet invest little resources to obtain said player feedback. Bug report buttons, feedback menus, and surveys should all be required systems of Early Access games in general. It is very possible if players had this outlet to vent their viewpoints they wouldn’t resort to “Review-bombing” on steam.
2. Food
Problem:
The new hunger system that was implemented with the Breach update set out to solve a problem and, unfortunately, some others have cropped up as a result. With the previous system, having cooldowns on food caused players to stall out fights, in contrast, the new system causes players to do the opposite. Having the ability to use FIVE food items in every encounter creates a bad psychological game-play loop, encouraging wasting resources and playing poorly. Instead of treating food as a precious commodity it is now a spammable waste that creates a vicious loop. “I eat because I’m unhappy and I’m unhappy because I eat.” I’m not sure how players are supposed to reconcile using five food in every encounter with being forced to farm enough food to use five in every encounter. No wonder people are complaining about grinding resources.
Suggestion:
Go back to the cooldown system with some key changes. Cooking food needs to be a progression system. The more meals you make, of a specific type, the better it becomes. (Example: Mushroom Soup heals for X amount and has a 10 second cooldown. Once you have made 10 Mushroom Soups your culinary proficiency increases in making it. You can now make a two star mushroom soup. Two star soup now heals for X+10 and has a 9 second cooldown. This would go on until a perfect Mushroom Soup, potentially with unique properties (halved required resources, buffs, etc..) has been made AKA five-star soup. Way to go, Gordon!) This solves a couple issues. Reverting to the cooldown system slows wasteful habits and allows players time to sit back and learn the fight. It also gives a boon to struggling players by passively making them stronger. The more food you eat, the more you need to cook, the more food is cooked the better it gets and the less you feel like gathering resources is a waste of time. A five-star Mushroom soup might just be enough to clear that next pesky hurdle.
3. Fast Travel
Problem:
Only being able to move back and forth between the city and the last whisper you were at creates a feeling of wasted time and fatigue for some players. A sentiment I do not share, but I will offer a solution anyway.
Suggestion:
Allow fast traveling to any whisper only from main cities and homes. Sort of a “greater whisper” option. Also, only allow fast travel to areas that have not been affected by the “ALIVE” or “PESTILENCE” systems. This way, players are not missing important world changes and will be an indicator when new content is available as they no longer have jurisdiction there.
4. Bows
Problem:
Bows using focus forces a melee/ranged weaving style of gameplay that players find limiting.
Suggestion:
Bows continue to use focus, but now expands the “charged shot” function currently in the game. You can still shoot the bow by holding L1/LB and tapping square/X and will cost 10 focus, nothing changes here. The expanded charged shot will be done by holding L1/LB and HOLDING square/X, but will instead root you in place for the duration of the animation and will now grant focus when it hits its target. Essentially, low/no movement fully charged shots that hit a target would build focus and quick mobile shots would spend focus. This lowers mobility which opens you up to being hit without having to redesign enemy AI too much. Players can now live their full-ranged build fantasy, but to maximize damage you would still encourage weaving.
5. ARPG vs Survival
Problem:
Players come into this game expecting the loaded term “ARPG” to mean this is like Diablo or PoE. Fuel has been thrown on this fire with devs marketing this game as “redefining the ARPG genre”, setting false expectations amongst traditional ARPG fans.
Suggestion:
This is not an ARPG. Not as modernly used anyway. I see this game’s future as a survival game. Along the lines of Valheim and V-Rising. These games do not get difficulty accusations because there is a set expectation of preparing for the next encounter and is actively part of the fun. This game is missing a key feature of survival games; Multiplayer. Once the game becomes about doing things for each other and not for yourself, a collaborative effort, the “time-wasting, tedious and difficult” elements of the game become obstacles for you and your team to overcome. All that to say, stop marketing the game as an ARPG first and instead as a holistically unique experience with cooperative survival, souls-like and ARPG elements.
6. Proficiency system
Problem:
Cooking, lumberjacking, digging, mining, farming and fishing need more than minigames to make them interesting.
Suggestion:
These systems are all heavily inspired by the survival genre and thus need to be treated as an integral feature and not as an after-thought in an ARPG. Similar to the suggestion above with cooking, expand the idea to all of the professions. Cutting a tree will result in experience/proficiency being gained that culminates in rewards such as increased speed, yield, durability, granting access to the next stage of tools, chance for rare drops (Example: Small chance for a rare “Wood Splinter” dagger to drop while chopping a tree, you catch a “Goldfish” while fishing that vendors for a pretty penny or rare gems dropping from mining) and emergent gameplay (Example: Fishing can rarely snag a sea monster boss resulting in a fight for your life or digging may cause you to fall through the ground creating a new access point to an area). All this together shifts the player’s perspective from grinding resources to obtaining progression.
7. Utility Runes vs Cerim Abilities
Problem:
Certain runes feel like a necessity for gameplay as Thomas has expressed. He suggested making these runes “utility runes” attached to the R2 button. I think calling them utility runes causes unnecessary confusion.
Suggestion:
Great idea, just call them Cerim abilities/powers instead. This adds to the lore of the Cerim and makes a clear distinction between runes and abilities.
P.S. I don’t plan on responding to any replies. Just like the game and dropping my viewpoint.
