Experiment Build, Beta for COOP
(Skipped prologue.)
FeedBack (FB), Bug/Giltch (BG), Comment (C)
C#1 “General Writer self-introduction on my playstyle and game experience.”
-I joined Early Access (EA) for No rest for the Wicked (NRFTW) during the “The Breach Refined/Hotfix 6” and have 4 playthroughs with the last being on hard difficulty. I joined the experimental build so I can continue to provide feedback, and bug reports to help this game develop and reach 1.0 which can achieve the goal of the studio with assistance of the EA players. This feedback is on a private realm due to the short time frame for the beta (though now extended) but the ideology of the co-op being on close friends and the time matching to play consistently with those players lead me to decide to contribute to the experimental build beta for the full update as an solo player. I hope with the extended window I may find some player to join in the CO-OP gameplay but as a solo realm allowed me to stop and type my thoughts as I played and reflect on game changes without slowing the game for others. I enjoyed the experiment build and look forward to future updates, especially to bringing friends for the update for NRFTW Together. I hope my feedback can contribute constructively to the discretion of the developers.
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FB#1: Resource gathering now has the stamina circle to assist getting perfect hit. This provides a visual reference for achieving the perfect hit rather than purely watching the character animation and pressing on hit of resource.
I find the gauge makes it easier to get the perfect hit though my eyes now are always grabbed by the gauge over the character swing, which this game’s animations I’ve enjoyed and delighted in the nuances in the small details such as the variance in the swings.
The gauge doesn’t prevent the player from using the animation and triggering based on hit but the addition of the gauge for resource harvesting ultimately was a good addition.
-Fishing now has perfect window, nice. Items drop from fishing and digging is another nice value.
-Added animation for cooking soup at campfires is cool detail.
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FB#2: Parry rebound to block tap, hold for block.
-Adding to the expected volcano of criticism, every player has their own opinion and thoughts. I know the CEO has communicated that the freeing of the previous button (for controllers) was the goal for this change which there are plans for. I don’t personally know what this button is for (maybe shield and off-hand runes button I guess) to which the change combines of parry and block makes sense on paper.
When I initially used it with a shield the input makes sense, indirectly blocking attacks for benefit or detriment based on situation. I had to learn to parry again, and the system does work in practice.
I experienced when I changed to 2-handed weapons that the limited window for the parry registering and the parry input getting dropped became immediately apparent and frequently experienced the dropped parry by missing the release window for the tap being inputted vice an “on press” input.
I would like to note that 2-handed weapons can’t block so the change to tap is not required to save a button/key for 2-handed weapons, which changing to an on press L1 (for most controllers) would be only required.
Can we have editable parry for both one hand and two-handed weapons separate?
I will exclude keyboard from button/key freeing since they have key real estate (plenty of keys for binding which was not the contributor for the change).
In current experiment version, options to rebind parry and change tap, hold, or on press are not available.
-Speaking directly, I don’t like the parry change. I need to parry earlier to compensate for the longer action to engage parry to game registration of parry input. The chance that I don’t release the button fast enough leads to an “eaten” parry that is frustrating, what happened to the parry as I get hit when I know I released the parry button (it didn’t register for being slightly too long for an “tap”).
We need an option to key bind the parry, (for input on press, hold, or tap) which the player and solve the button issue.
I realize after community discussion the freeing of the button for controller was probably for getting a button for accessing runes for future shields and off-hand weapons. This makes sense but I still don’t like a parry that can be lost by input timing, not by initiation.
Elden Ring got around this issue by A) only on shield prioritized over right hand B) two-handing the one-handed main weapon to use its weapon art. Obviously NRFTW uses Runes that are more complicated than Elden Ring, so this problem is the result of more complex character options.
I don’t have an answer for this problem and understand Moon’s intentions to walk towards a scenario where we get runes for off-hand weapons is great. However, I don’t know how to get parry feeling good in this change, and I don’t have a good answer for it. Maybe HOLD R1+R2 for off hand runes, keeping old binding intact? At least give players all the key-bind and options and we in theory can help solve the problem ourselves.
It’s just a complex problem, and everyone has they’re on preference. I would like a gun to shoot on the squeeze of the trigger, not on tap with tap being in a small window or the gun doesn’t fire if not quick enough.
-Update may have added keybinds, but still wanted to communicate opening thoughts before it.
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FB#3: Noted attack input queue changed from live build. It appears the queue of attacks (combo) is harder to perform in experimental build. It feels like input queue for attack combos is tighter which sometimes my combos don’t blend easily (ex: basic attack, basic attack, basic attack proceeding each other).
-Previous “breach” version did have end of combo wanting to attack queue complete easier. I don’t know if I am articulating this fully, but it just feels different. This may be also based on beta and refinement phase of experimental version contributing to this.
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FB#4: -Armor now has a stamina regen modifier, typically negative. This stat varies per type of gear, not sure still of significance of gear and doesn’t vary based on enchantments or gems. Maybe this will make more sense to me if I ask the more experienced community.
-Armor doesn’t show resistance stats, still have facets and enchants that boost them but can’t see what current value is and only can see total on stats menu. Why did we remove visibility of this, I assume to reduce armor size UI. If its important enough to boost should see value being made.
-Facets added for more diversity and critical hit chance, awesome.
I would like an option to add facet to one that doesn’t, also re-roll facet.
-Armor has more enchant options, reroll for embers changed. More enchants are welcomed and of course happy to see. I don’t have enough playtime to understand and comment on all of the new things like barrier and enchant power, which I will have to check with the community to figure out.
-Limits enchant re-rolls, opinions from everyone inbound. I know the goal of the studio is to make powerful weapons feel earned and rewarding, but I am not sure about this change. It could also just be seen as just time gate for a good or desired build.
This system and the old system have the same issue that I am pushed into, wanted to check an spreadsheet for the enchants available and limits of the combinations. Not all enchants and combo of enchants occur on all weapons and gear types so wasting of embers will happen and re-appearing of an enchant though another hasn’t shown up yet contribute to this.
This always led to wasting of embers, even if you knew what you wanted and that the combo existed! Now having limit rolls makes me not even want to roll because I may end off with worse enchants for my desire build.
I know we may get an “void ember” to remove enchants and start over without maxed re-rolls trashing a weapon. On current system, there is a high chance of needing multiple weapons to get a good roll, which I guess by design in loot driven games.
The CEO wants us not to have to always be on wikis to play the game which with the compendium is greatly welcomed and appreciated. However, the enchanting system and limits of enchanting combos and re-roll system pushes players into them to save resources and time. I know, players optimize the fun out of a game. I would recommend considering time for fun verses time being respected is an tightrope.
I guess this elevates gem usage. Also because the percentages for gems are the same regardless of gear level while progressing through the game.
-Level based enchanting. If I am understanding enchanting on level that now lower level gear has lower enchanting percentage vice higher level gear with higher percentage enchants. An issue or trap I want to highlight is for a player is finding an preferred armor set and weapon early and wants to use it the whole game. Which would be resource intensive and may handicap them by design conflicting with that idea of playing.
Players should be equipping loadouts with newer gear dropped for the level jump in gear and that enchanting weapons early aren’t as powerful as later ones. In this, your final gear should be leveled to full, then enchanted to have maximum enchants, compared to gear enchanted low level that don’t grow in enchant percentages as they upgrade (unless I’m mis-informed on this). This will save them upgrading resources or not holding them back waiting for these resources to drop. I heard some comments from the beta that for CO-OP this is also harder since 4 players are using the same loot pool (4 builds drawing from same resource drops, unless that was buffed to compensate for number of players which I don’t know is so or not).
I just want to draw attention to the potential for players to fall into this trap, which maybe this is an self-correcting issue when the player feels that game design push back but I wanted to ensure that it should be communicated. Not sure how to project or warn player of this but wanted to highlight it.
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FB#5: New enemy attacks/behaviors. Enemies use more elemental weapons. This is welcomed and adds diversity to enemies and fights.
-Enemy fire damage, the duration of DOT to the play feels really long (at least early levels). Not mad they give us fire damage, just once you’re on fire it lasts a long time.
-Most humanoid and giant enemies are now backstabbing capable. I welcome this for majority of enemies. Enemies have an attack to punish lingering too long behind them which is good.
-I favored any enemy the size of the player can be backstabbed, which happened and feels good in combat.
-Giant enemies I’m more mixed on for threat presence that is reduced by this change. Though multiplier has more enemies and higher difficulty which the added option is warranted to support player capabilities.
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FB#6: Many UI updates for menus and symbols added, majority are nice and pleasing to see.
-Still have no place to look up active affects, buffs on your character. Recommend on stat menu somewhere showing active buffs/active effects (positive and negative) named in stat menu so we can figure out what the effect is. Ex. Sleeping in bed/petting pet buffs health, but not sure where it is defined what it is, such as HP max raised.
-Speaking of bed and pet buff, could that timer activate once we enter combat instead of start timing in Sacrament?
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FB#7: Weapon variety significant larger early game, lower-level versions of previously level gated weapons found an early game, cool.
-Venders have significantly greater variety of weapons and change daily, cool.
-Recommend in Marin Woods Settlement that smith get a updated weapon list and rotation for sale daily. It feels like it is not even worth checking him even if you go to settlement for late game gear resources that are for sale and trade from vendors.
Possibly having all vendors in Marin Woods have better rotations since late game resource sales are reason to go there.
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FB#8: New training dummies in Sacrament, with an active attacking dummy, nice.
-Maybe add an instance or scenario where dummies could also “die” momentarily to allow testing of kill based enchants.
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FB#9: Advance status affect combos are welcomed. I don’t have as much to comment for needing more time to give better feedback, but happy attention is given.
-Bleed added, I like addition but sounds like fire damage but more limited. I’m sure attention is being tracked and will develop in time.
I need more time for feedback on the implementation of it.
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FB#10: Scribe table, fantastic. This heavily adds to gameplay, progression, and loot chase. It makes it possible by RNG to jump to something desired and system as an whole in the game is welcomed.
-Recommend when displaying weapons that the associated rune be display.
-Recommend on armor display that option to minimize then expand UI for armor so we can see the expanded thumbnail that is behind the UI. Appreciate so many armor sets!
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FB#11: Sacrament project upgrade requirements rebalanced. Significant more spruce blanks noted, and general refined iron. Though it slows some progression, I feel this is still achieved reasonably and was still rewarding. The scribe table pulling recipes into it does slow the machine/chest/home progression and project timeline, but I felt it was the correct move. Every decision to pursue machines was rewarding and decisive to progressing projects and resources that though made progression longer made more significant on each step. I felt the breach had a linear progression, and the scribe table makes it more dynamic in contribution to the vendor projects.
-Would recommend that all refineries at vendors had title matching the level of refinery they are “study forge” vice “forge” so understanding of level is always stated. Obviously new displays of time for refining will show that in comparison (like that addition), but will help player understand when comparing to player home refineries.
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FB#12: Pulse Health Rune was based on feeling and what other community members suggested was nerfed or reduced in scaling. I know that the presence of this Rune is mainly an option as healing with the primary bulk healing based on meal along with their buffs.
Ensuring the player doesn’t rely on the heal pulse as a crutch and encouraging the value of food and awareness of the hunger limit compliments the difficulty of gameplay.
The usage of focus of health was always balanced well by choosing health over damage output and focus only from offense feeds gameplay well. Now the rune needs like 2-3 pulses to fully heal the player. I need to verify if an build with heal boosting gear may return it to a scaling like “the breach”, which I couldn’t roll on enchants in my limit run.
Though I am not as happy with this change I find the change appropriate and understand the intentions. There is no gem in the game that I am aware of that boost health effects (other than regain able health) so enchants are harder to help boost this rune affect if desired.
I will still use the rune when my health is half to three quarters full to “band aid” quickly from hits and eat from more than that which is likely the desired design. Specifically, the Rune value higher out of combat then in combat may be healthier for combat difficulty without nullifying its worth while keeping food relevant for not just buffs.
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FB#13: General combat difficulty bar raised. My last playthrough for “the breach” was on hard, which was enjoyable challenging, but I did feel that when the CEO said he wanted the bar of difficulty to slightly raise I could understand that.
I played my run of experiential on normal based for time, which the difficulty based on totally changed, updates, and tweaks were felt. I didn’t get stonewalled in any fight, but general difficulty was raised in this build on purely solo gameplay.
I’ve heard in the previous versions of NRFTW it has been too easy and too hard to which these likely swings in the middle. I feel they hit an good spot for the slow, deliberate gameplay giving reward and consequence.
FB#14: When I look to craft consumable items, they always look expensive. Expensive to point I’m discouraged from using them. (Specifically bombs). It feels like you need end game resource stockpile to want to use them regularly.
I know there’s the enchant for bombs, which I guess if exalted buffed then could feel better but waiting to end game to enjoy bombs seems odd.
Could we craft like (3 total) bombs to make the cost more effective?
-I use repair power, and vials of armor/stamina/focus because they are frequent drops to support using and not feel wasteful using.