My failed expectations on SOtA.

First of all sorry for the poor/wrong English you might encounter in this post.

Secondly if you like the project to a level of fanboyism and you can't stand criticisms you might not read this post.

In the following text I do not want to insult or discredit the work of Portalarium or be sarcastic, this is just the opinion of "someone" that its sure from a minority of people that aren't getting satisfied, I won't say I'm the only one since i met several people in chat and i have a close friend who is getting very disappointed on what SOtA is becoming.

This is my first post and maybe its going to be the last thread i make in this forum, but I feel I have the need and right to post this here since I backed the game and I can give my opinion on what my feelings are.

Even if this post gets removed for not praising what this project is becoming or just because its the forum rules or whatsoever I will take my time to write this down.

I am from the amount of people that pledged/backed (whatever you want to call it) SOtA on Kickstarter, when i saw that LB was going to make another game and they claimed that it would be the "next" Ultima/UO I invested my cash to help them make a game that we all long awaited. Now i regret that i didn't backed another project which name i won't say just to not start a taste fight over here since its not my purpose.

Days passed and I was very happy that the project achieved its goal, but then I started to see that after the Kickstarter campaign they started to keep the pledge thing and even created a store to get more cash for the project, so i felt like, OK I’ve never seen that before after a kickstarter campaign but maybe they need the cash.

Then I noticed that they where using Unity which I have nothing against them but all the 3d graphics I’ve seen so far with it look all kind of prefab to my noob eyes, something that might not happen with other lets say more used and "professional" engines (once again i don't want to throw names here), but HEY! its not all about the graphics for me, not at all, its all about a good gameplay/music and an overall atmosphere, I still love the isometric UO graphics for example...

As someone that is not very social I didn't enjoy all that "pen of the avatar" and loads of community feedback, contests etc etc, but I can plenty understand that A LOT of people love that and they like participating in the project and i think its good that you all have fun with that, watching Garriot and company talk for hours and whoever won the prizes they where giving, CONGRATS!

But I started to change my mind and start feeling that I totally wasted my cash when i saw that everything was very social oriented all the housing stuff etc, sure UO had that but it was the peak of the iceberg of something more deeper and was totally a side part of the game and not the main goal. Some people told me that this is what people wanted in the forums etc to be done firstly.

But... why do all the releases except the last one talk mostly about bousing and crafting? If you read thru the releases it says clearly that all the combat/questing etc is part of the RELEASE 4, so does that mean that SOtA is striking to be a MMO to have lots of fun with your friends in your highly decorated house with 1-2 touches of an actual rpg? Maybe I'm dumb but it seems that way around. Which is maybe what people want, but that's not what you expect when they tell you they are making a new Ultima game, come on, Ultima its more than that.

Once i tried the release 1 i clearly knew that i totally lost my game, some people told me it was very early to say that but nothing in that game catches me, the overall atmosphere was let say, not of my taste and quite generic, and it completely didn't remembered me to the Ultima series, except for the GUI that looks very Ultima 9 i must say.

Then without expectations on getting a refund i noticed that indeed you can't get your cash back, something that plenty of famous companies have done to people that i know (i won't mention the company names because i don't want to insult or discredit Portalarium).

Something i learned is that, I will never back a project again for what it looks like or what they say its going to be and just wait until everything is finished and I can play after release demo or a 14 day pass, or just see a few gameplay footage. And ofc my hopes on getting something that merely resembles to Ultima ends here or at least I know I'm not going to find that into SOtA.

Once again I want to apologize if someone in Portalarium feel like I’ve discredited their work etc.

Eon.

 

You know what? I praise the way you stated your feelings in a respectful manner. There have been several people that haven't liked the way things are going, but they've been quite rude. This post, on the other hand, seems honest and respectful, and I appreciate that.

I'll just say that even though a lot of what has been presented to the public is oriented toward the social version of the game, there is always the solo mode, which many of us intend to play. Even if you don't ever spend another penny on this game, I hope you are pleasantly surprised when you actually get to play the full game. I hope you at least give it a try.

 

Hello.

Personally i feel that it was a well written post, and it is without flame , and you want to make it sound constructive.

However, and this might just be me, You totally lost me.
I do not have a single clue what you are so dissapointed with.
Is it due to lack of Fighting so far in the single test we have had? it will come!
Is the because of the housing and Crafting? Both were core elements of UO, just as PvP was a core element.
Why havnt we talking about roleplaying, about the social aspects that should be there in an ROLEPLAYINGGAME?

You need to buld the core of the game before you go into the deeper things ( as Fighting and fight mechanics ) , and that is what they are doing right now.

I do not want to flame you, or be overall negative, but i don't really see the point of your thread unless you point out things that you feel should be different, and how they should have approached it.

Please remember that this is ALPHA, Release 2 (almost) , and the game is FAR from complete. I suggest you hang in there, and wait for the juicy stuff that YOU want to do. in Sota there will be stuff going on for EVERYONE.

Personally im HAPPY about the housing and crafting focus, is something you don't see in ANY other game except UO. And that is what makes this different ( and much closer to UO ).

Once again, hang in there, And im sure you will be surprised !

 

Not sure what you're disappointed about. It sounds like the game you want is very much what they're planning.

 

You have valid points to a certain extent, and huge kudos for doing so politely (too many haven't). However... they have been brought up multiple times, and the answer is mostly the same - the things you are talking about missing WILL be there! Remember that these are not game releases, not even developed public betas, they are pre-alpha systems tests. It is only a few quickly deployable systems - such as character creation and housing - that have been implemented so far. More systems will come online with each pre-alpha release over the next few months.

I would just ask you to wait to judge whether you wasted your money or not until all systems are online, after pre-alpha release 4 in March.

 

Eon, you have some very good points but R1 is not even a tech demo yet. You raise great points but they probably won't have even a fraction of what you're looking to evaluate until R4. Quite a bit of the discussion is just speculation right now.

PS: your English is better than mine. It embarrasses me that you feel a need to apologize for it.

 

So lets see, I get it that some things you have see so far in a PRE ALPHA game my not be all polished and up to par with your expectations, but i do think it is a little unfair to let those be your deciding factors on "quitting" the project. You say you back the game from the very start and just like the rest of us, you do have a voice and can help direct the development of this game but yet you chose not too. Instead you post ONE single post about your discuss and decide to quit. In my opinion, why even post this at all. You ask about crafting and housing and why there is so much talk about it, what would you like us to talk about? Combat? Questing? I also don't get where you think that this is a social game when there is a single player mode.

 

Eon, as many before me have said already, well done on keeping your post civil.
Now I wont bore you with repeating what everyone before me has said about how this is a pre-alpha version of the client. Instead I will tell you this:

Ok so you wasted you money. You can't get a refund. You might as well stick around to see how is the game's development evolving and if you find it lacking in some aspect, voice your concern in the same manner you did in this (your very first thread AND post).

I believe you wont be disappointed in the end. Just hung in there mate and check in frequently.

PS: No Im not Eon.

 

As others mentioned you should consider that the pre-alpha had very specific purposes from the developers side. Two of them were:

* Test the conversation system and allow them to gather examples of things players say
* Showcase and test the housing system and housing decoration.

As a pre-alpha, the "game" is nowhere near fearture complete and I would not be surprized if the impression changes completely.
I have previously done alpha (not even pre-alpha) testing where so many things changed I would not even call the final product the same game, and at least most features where in the game in those cases...

* Content removed by Moderator ~ Contained moderated content: Quote

 

Welcome to the forums, eon!

Sorry to hear that you're disappointed in what you think this game is turning out to be. Unfortunately, I don't think you are correct in some of your assumptions. But so far you haven't seen the game. Nobody has. What we've seen are parts of the core system in bits and pieces, slowly coming together over time. If you're still reading this, I highly encourage you to check out the following.

What is Shroud of the Article - Kickstarter site
Virtues Hangout of the Avatar - video here, transcript here
Shroud of the Avatar Story Hour with Richard and Tracy - video here, transcript here
Shroud of the Avatar Dev Chat with Richard and Tracy - video here, transcript here
Story Sneak Peaks all in one post

Just remember, they are giving us an entire single player offline epic RPG. And if you want to take it online, the story gets even better as they are designing a rich and complex multiplayer story RPG that's going to blow us all away (seriously, watch the videos or read the transcripts above). Ignoring that, go play in the sandbox they're creating, with all of those other wonderful optional things like housing and crafting and fishing and guilds and yes, PvP.

I highly recommend everyone watch those videos, especially Story Hour.

 

Thanks for the feedback ... I think you have valid points concerning the "feel" of the game ... right now the game does not have that "look" or unique aspect that can serve as an identifier to anyone that plays the game. However it's early in the development process.

Housing is getting a lot of attention at the moment because the Dev team are concentrating on building the land; game play will come we just have to be patient ... graphically speaking I am a little concerned but I am much more interested in game play / functionality / immersion / exploration than graphics.

Personally I would like for SoTA to create a world that is unique and not like any other than we have seen before - what would make it unique I think has a lot to do with the selective multiplayer function of the game ... it will allow you to explore in private and still allow you (when you are ready) to join the masses ... it will allow for the intimate experience that many RPG fans are looking for with the added benefits of having a "living economy/world" around you ... this feature could be in your face or in the background ... the great thing is that it will be up to you.

I have been disappointed many times by games that look amazing but make me walk a tunnel the entire time, games that have boxes/doors/cabinets I can't interact with ... furniture that can only be placed in a designated area ... unrealistic game play mechanics ... worlds that I can't explore or simply don't feel alive.

I happen to feel that SoTA can provide these game aspects that I've been looking for and so far it appears that they are heading in the right direction ... They are cognizant of the desire from the player base for a sandbox feel AND RPG experience of the Ultima Series

Again I think you have valid concerns if what you are trying to describe is the "feel" of the game at the moment ... thanks for sharing

 

I think the Original Poster hasn't been keeping up with what's going on. All the things he is asking for is the plan for this game. Maybe the hangout that Lord British gives this week could include a little recap of the scope of the project.

It wouldn't hurt to give a little reminder like the talks he gave during kickstarter that explains what the game is going to be like when it's finished. Just like he were explaining it to people who have no idea what the project is about to remind people that the game isn't just about houses and a social forum.

 

The story hour video does not work for some reason. And Im an audio-type. Is there any other version of it posted anywhere?

 

In UO atleast for me, housing was a side thing you could do (not gonna deny that crafting was a core) but then when they added the custom houses and more deco it became more "core" still a lot of people just had it to stock up things, craft or just a refugee if you where a red rather than just using is to build your doll house.

housing and crafting focus, is something you don't see in ANY other game except UO -> Not really, ok UO might have been the first mmo to use them but if you watch other old school mmo's you might see it aswell, for example Dark Age of Camelot had both crafting and housing, EverQuest has housing (well that's tricky since they added it a few years ago) and crafting and honestly and a long etc.

This is what a friend just sended me via mail while we where discusing about SOtA and i couldn't agree more with him:

"Sometimes it feels like Ultima's & Lord British name were just used for marketing purposes. The game has basically nothing to do with Ultima yet we see the "from Ultima Online's creator Lord British" phrase everywhere. Yet in no way this can be considered an oldschool / PvP / open world, then why insist so much on mentioning a past that's gone? Everquest's dialog style with NPCs or references to the avatar just aren't enough, we don't even know how death is going to work and after all this social friendly stuff we've seen until now I highly doubt you'll drop anything when killed. Basically all the information we have pictures this as a medieval-sandboxy 'The Sims'."

Btw thanks for your kind words.

 

I 100% agree with you, comrade.
This letter could have been written by me in fact...accept you are better at the English than me, and nobody would have praised me for being respectful.

 

Richard Garriott IS Lord British and he IS the creator of Ultima Online, so that much isnt a lie. Now you (and your friend) must understand that this isnt Ultima Online 2 (which was cancelled long time ago, btw) but a game as close to Ultima Online as it gets. Yes they are talking more about housing, yes they are talking more about crafting. Thats because that the focus of the first two testing releases. Game testing has that. After those two have their core sorted out more features will begin to be designed like combat, death system, guild warfare (which is mentioned in kickstart) and all the goodies. Just be patient. October isn't that far off.

 

ok now you're beginning to sound like somebody who wants to start out polite but might have come in here to stir things up. You only have 2 posts.

Your first post was a polite criticism. However after receiving all these responses you refuse to debate or express any real points of dispute, nor did you attempt to listen to anybody's encouragement.

This leads me to believe this guy here is trolling, and I respectfully ask others to forget trying to encourage him or explain anything to him because he doesn't seem to care what people say because he has his mind set.

 

Well the cool thing about this game is the options to do whatever you want will be there. If you want to play alone offline go for it. If you want to play online alone it's there.

Housing was a big part of UO in that it was unique and non-instanced...a fun way to sell your wares and shop for things. You could decorate as you saw fit and store many items in your house with again was unique. You could sit in your chairs, something very few mmo's have...

I am pretty much a loner in my gameplay and hate dungeon crawls and raids and all those things and this game will allow for us to play loner style play if we desire.

The reason it's being advertised as a Lord British game is because it has deep story and awesome innovation that Lord British games offered in the past...Not just in UO, but in the old offline games. UO was probably the most popular, so it's a good way to let people remember that one...and yes the depth was there too (until RG was out and it all changed to normal MMO style games)...

Yes, it can work as the midevil sims too, or you can not even have a house if you want. This game will allow for the gameplay you want which is what makes it so innovative and genious! Wow, you can play alone just exploring and discovering the story and fighting...or you can stay in your house and craft, or garden or fish...All different play styles are included in this EPIC game!

The graphics you are seeing are pre alpha release graphics...Hmmm to me they are better than most games I have played...but that's me...I love the style of them...and they are not by any means finished...that was just a test for us not to view a product that is even 1/2 finished...kind of amazing to me

BTW welcome to the forums...Hope you can express yourself fully...that's why we are here! We are helping to make the game we will love for many years!

 

For everyone that is telling me to wait and keep track of the game I will but not with the same eyes or expectations , and for the ones that think I haven't its not 100% true.

-I might not have been writing in the forum but i've readed a lot of threads

-I might not have watched all the pen of the avatar or Garriot videos regarding SOtA

But I certainly read the updates and I read the video-recaps at http://forsakenvirtues.com/ since i don't have the patience to watch 1-2 hours and I think it goes right to what I want to know.

 

You're right, there are a lot of important things we don't know. I get smacked for talking about taking people's heads and it is still a mystery about whether or not Open Loot PVP will be possible. There are tons of conversations about it but I really doubt we'll know anything concrete until this spring. I'm hoping that you'll stick around in the community also so that you can keep reminding the staff that this stuff is important (not my collection of heads but rather PVP things and other unsafe topics.)

Are you hoping for something that plays like Ultima or something that plays like Ultima Online? This game is intended to be "Richard Garriot's dream RPG." Unfortunately that doesn't mean it will be "Eon's dream RPG" and most unfortunate of all it won't be "3devious' dream RPG" either. (All of you mumbling "Thank God!" can burn in Lavastorm! lol.) I'm just hoping that it will be close enough. I can't promise you that the game will be what you're looking for but maybe getting involved might make it worth $45 to you.