Crowfall | Making Combat & Customization Both Challenging & Entertaining | MMORPG

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Crowfall | Making Combat & Customization Both Challenging & Entertaining | MMORPG

With nearly 95,000 registered players, 23,000 backers and nearly $6 million in funding, it’s safe to say that Crowfall has come a long way since their Kickstarter ended in March. Attracting players and raising funds are always two of the larger challenges that indie studios, like ArtCraft Entertainment, will face. The more important challenge, however, is the following through and making a good game!

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JamesGoblin

Almost 100k registered (in pre-Alpha!), that's...kinda promising PS Couple weeks ago (C&C stream chat) I asked Thomas when will CF add Goblins, and he answered "But what exactly would that archetype add, that we don't already have?" But...but...Goblins! <3<3 Needless to say, I spent the rest of that evening lying on my bed and staring at the ceiling...in shock and disbelief...o,O

Kilrain

The number of players registered for testing has zero bearing on the quality of the game itself, just the hype ...

Gilgamer

Kilrain said:

The number of players registered for testing has zero bearing on the quality of the game itself, just the hype ...

Unless some of those registered players pass into the realm of paying backers before launch. Additional funding doesn't necessarily translate into additional quality, but it doesn't hurt.

Franciscourant

Hunger dome 1.0 combat was pretty fun, can't wait to see what we will get in 1.1. Nice to see the number of backers and registered accounts steadily growing.

BahamutKaiser

Kilrain said:

The number of players registered for testing has zero bearing on the quality of the game itself, just the hype ...

Absolutes are so wise >.>

Wizardry

Combat is where my heart is in games,so i would have liked to hear more on the combat than simply we have a hotbar and can load out different abilities.

Not sure i like using the term loadout,makes it sound like loading computer code rather than a class learning skills and abilities.

How does one learn these skills and abilities for example would have been a nice start. Also since the whole discussion was basically com,bat and FUN,nothing was mentioned as to how it will be fun in this game?

Slapshot1188

Glad to see the focus on combat. Combat is the basis of the game. You need a firm foundation to build on. If that sucks, the game crumbles.

Slapshot1188

BahamutKaiser said:

Kilrain said:

The number of players registered for testing has zero bearing on the quality of the game itself, just the hype ...

Absolutes are so wise >.>

Sometime when you say 1 does not equal 7 you are correct. This is such a case.

time007

everytime MMORPG does one of these articles the hype train levels up

danwest58

Just hype. Wait until people find out that there is full body looting when this game launches and less than a few thousand people will be playing it.

Slapshot1188

danwest58 said:

Just hype. Wait until people find out that there is full body looting when this game launches and less than a few thousand people will be playing it.

HI!  Not sure if you are being sarcastic or seriously stating that... sometimes it is hard to tell if someone is being funny or just not understanding.  So:

YES there is full looting ON SOME SERVER RULE SETS.  
NO there is no looting ON OTHER RULE SETS

So it would seem that someone who does not want to play in a full loot rule set would just choose a different one.  Why would you state otherwise?  Am I missing something?

Gyrus

Slapshot1188 said:

danwest58 said:

Just hype. Wait until people find out that there is full body looting when this game launches and less than a few thousand people will be playing it.

....

YES there is full looting ON SOME SERVER RULE SETS.  
NO there is no looting ON OTHER RULE SETS

So it would seem that someone who does not want to play in a full loot rule set would just choose a different one.  Why would you state otherwise?  Am I missing something?

I watched this game from the beginning because J.Todd Coleman is IMHO no fool and one of the better Game Devs out there.

That said, some of the things said about this game (apparent design choices) really concern me.

PvPers (or rather the people that claim on forums they are PvPers) claim they want a lot of things in a hardcore game.  Yet, when put to the test, experience shows most 'hardcore PvPers' simply don't have the stomach for it.
90% will be gone within 3 months.

My prediction is that the Full Loot servers will be abandoned (maybe one kept just for the odd few people - but it won't be economic) and the other rule sets will drift toward far more forgiving rulesets.

Slapshot1188

Gyrus said:

Slapshot1188 said:

danwest58 said:

Just hype. Wait until people find out that there is full body looting when this game launches and less than a few thousand people will be playing it.

....

YES there is full looting ON SOME SERVER RULE SETS.  
NO there is no looting ON OTHER RULE SETS

So it would seem that someone who does not want to play in a full loot rule set would just choose a different one.  Why would you state otherwise?  Am I missing something?

I watched this game from the beginning because J.Todd Coleman is IMHO no fool and one of the better Game Devs out there.

That said, some of the things said about this game (apparent design choices) really concern me.

PvPers (or rather the people that claim on forums they are PvPers) claim they want a lot of things in a hardcore game.  Yet, when put to the test, experience shows most 'hardcore PvPers' simply don't have the stomach for it.
90% will be gone within 3 months.

My prediction is that the Full Loot servers will be abandoned (maybe one kept just for the odd few people - but it won't be economic) and the other rule sets will drift toward far more forgiving rulesets.

Could be.  Guess we will see next year.  Personally I hope they all thrive so everyone has a ruleset they like!

Franciscourant

Kilrain said:

The number of players registered for testing has zero bearing on the quality of the game itself, just the hype ...

I guess the higher the number of players registered, the greater the chance to have many people giving feedbacks, suggesting new ideas, finding bugs, becoming backers, sharing the word, etc.

The number of testers registered surely has an impact on the way the game is developed as well as the quality of the MMO title at launch, especially in crowdfunding projects.

Gyrus

courant101 said:

Kilrain said:

The number of players registered for testing has zero bearing on the quality of the game itself, just the hype ...

I guess the higher the number of players registered, the greater the chance to have many people giving feedbacks, suggesting new ideas, finding bugs, becoming backers, sharing the word, etc.

The number of testers registered surely has an impact on the way the game is developed as well as the quality of the MMO title at launch, especially in crowdfunding projects.

No.  I agree with Kilrain.

In my experience 99% of 'testers' these days are just in it for the free game, the head start and the prestige of 'being in the alpha / beta'.  Many give little to no constructive feedback or even report any bugs.
Some only say anything when there is a possibility they might lose their character at retail release.

As a practical example - in 2008 I was let into the 'pre release' for Pirates of the Burning Sea two weeks prior to release.
The economics tutorial was still breakable.  I know because I actually tested (broke it) then retested it (broke it again) and reported it.
So, after months of supposed 'testing' FLS still had no feedback from their 'testers' that the tutorial had issues.

Frankly, what I would like to see, if developers insist on using anonymous gamers as 'testers' is a two - four week turnover.  That is - every two-four weeks select the testers who have demonstrated their worth (by reporting and providing worthwhile feedback) and dump the rest.  That might encourage some actual feedback and improve the quality of the games.

TacticalZombeh

Gyrus said:

Slapshot1188 said:

danwest58 said:

Just hype. Wait until people find out that there is full body looting when this game launches and less than a few thousand people will be playing it.

....

YES there is full looting ON SOME SERVER RULE SETS.  
NO there is no looting ON OTHER RULE SETS

So it would seem that someone who does not want to play in a full loot rule set would just choose a different one.  Why would you state otherwise?  Am I missing something?

I watched this game from the beginning because J.Todd Coleman is IMHO no fool and one of the better Game Devs out there.

That said, some of the things said about this game (apparent design choices) really concern me.

PvPers (or rather the people that claim on forums they are PvPers) claim they want a lot of things in a hardcore game.  Yet, when put to the test, experience shows most 'hardcore PvPers' simply don't have the stomach for it.
90% will be gone within 3 months.

My prediction is that the Full Loot servers will be abandoned (maybe one kept just for the odd few people - but it won't be economic) and the other rule sets will drift toward far more forgiving rulesets.

This is one of the reasons I'm optimistic about the game.

If there are servers/rulesets that are not popular, then as those worlds/campaigns end and other worlds open, the rulesets can be tweaked or changed completely to ones that are more popular.

Snoepie

i dont see this game becoming a player skilled combat experience.. when they use soft targeting like tera online or wildstar.. This whole game and intrest is based on hype alone atm.. Wanne be true skillbased? show me server side projectiles calculations then it might get intresting

Franciscourant

Gyrus said:

No.  I agree with Kilrain.

In my experience 99% of 'testers' these days are just in it for the free game, the head start and the prestige of 'being in the alpha / beta'.  Many give little to no constructive feedback or even report any bugs. [...]

In the first phase of test that lasted about a month, more than 2,000 replies were posted in the Crowfall Test sub-forum, on top of all the in-game feedback given to the developers and the multiple suggestion threads created during this period.

A lot of Crowfall testers are helpful and really care about the development of the game, and I'm pretty sure that it will have an impact on the quality of the game.

Combat module 1.1 tests begin soon, more backers are invited and we should get even more feedback and suggestions from the testers.

Franciscourant

Snoepie said:

i dont see this game becoming a player skilled combat experience.. when they use soft targeting like tera online or wildstar.. This whole game and intrest is based on hype alone atm.. Wanne be true skillbased? show me server side projectiles calculations then it might get intresting

I'm not aware of any "soft targeting" being used in Crowfall. The magical ranged DPS currently playable in the test, the Confessor, is using free aim, and I'm pretty sure the Ranger that is coming soon also uses free aim powers and attacks.

As for the server side projectiles calculation, ACE wrote : "We are trying to do something that hasn't been done before -- a server-authoritative MMO architecture with full physics simulation -- and that can make some areas of development extremely challenging."

Also, from the Physics FAQ : "We use a real-world gravity system where objects have mass and that mass corresponds to what you would expect from every day experience..." "...the system affects everything in the world." "DO PROJECTILES USE PHYSICS? Yes they do."

vadio123

well crowfall and camelout unchained its my bet to be my next mmmo 
I hope both can succed that 

Gyrus

vadio123 said:

well crowfall and camelout unchained its my bet to be my next mmmo 
I hope both can succed that 

Between the two my money is still on Crowfall.

Coleman is by far the better designer and project manager.

Why do I say that?  Wizard 101.

You might say that Wizard 101 is a totally different project (and it is) but what it did show was a clear design plan and focus.  It was very clear from the beginning (I mean the beta) that the KingsIsle team had a clear vision and planned customer demographic and would not allow themselves to suffer from endless project creep.

My big concern for Crowfall is that RvR & PvP is a much tougher customer base.  I think the vision is there - I just don't know if it can be successfully applied?

Nevardlrow

Just another instanced, lobby, single/multiplayer hybrid crap game that nobody ever asked for. Next...

Franciscourant

Nevardlrow said:

Just another instanced, lobby, single/multiplayer hybrid crap game that nobody ever asked for. Next...

The worlds in Crowfall are seamless, continent-sized with thousands of players in the same environment. Each world has a unique map and unique ruleset. Happily there's no plan for instances, single player mode or lobby as far as I know.

I expect Crowfall to offer the kind of gaming experience that PvPers will really enjoy, especially former Shadowbane, DaoC and Darkfall players.

madazz

I have never wanted to see a game fail. But the way these Devs look and behave makes me want this to just bomb. They make videos for tiny, miniscule little updates. The videos are made using backer money. They even hired on (2) video people just to make those little ads using backer money. Yet, they don't even have enough money. They even have a lay-away program. Usually I am all "Let everyone have their own game", but I want this one to go away. I even hate the look of their knight. He looks like he has such a whiney bitch face. All this is coming from someone who was hardcore DaoC and Darkfall player.

Nevardlrow

courant101 said:

Nevardlrow said:

Just another instanced, lobby, single/multiplayer hybrid crap game that nobody ever asked for. Next...

The worlds in Crowfall are seamless, continent-sized with thousands of players in the same environment. Each world has a unique map and unique ruleset. Happily there's no plan for instances, single player mode or lobby as far as I know.

I expect Crowfall to offer the kind of gaming experience that PvPers will really enjoy, especially former Shadowbane, DaoC and Darkfall players.

Huh? Are you not aware of the Eternal Kingdoms? They are like WoW's garrisons on steroids. A great way to break up a real world where everybody is hanging out somewhere in a parallel universe. LAME