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The Potbs learning curve - its not easy mode!
DJXeon
Member UncommonPosts: 553
Ok there are ingame tutorials that describe only the very basic gameplay concepts that are adequate to get you started.
That said you are then left to trip up on the many pitfalls that can catch you out like:
Class skills the best , worst & useless
Commendation & pennant rewards
Trade faction - how to gain or lose it
Ship fittings & refits (where to obtain them)
Warehouse prices quickly esculate to 50,000 dbls +
In addition to hull patches always carry:
Mast & sail braces essential for protection from PVP gankers (as they nearly always attack from rear with dismantling shot to down your sails leaving you a sitting duck)
-------------------------------------------------------------
All this takes time to learn & unless you are prepared to also work the ingame economy Potbs will not work for you.
You have been warned this is not easy mode WOW but many will enjoy the game if they take the time to learn it.
Comments
i am about to quit on this game. Sad cuz i like it but its 2 hard. I got NO idea what to do.
I got 3 missions as a Pirat.
1 to kill 8 Ships and i got no idea where they are and another 1 to find 2 neckleses. which i still dont know where they are cuz they dont hint or anything.
so i went looking for the 8 ships and i cant find squat. 2hr of time wasted.
DCUO Podcast @ http://dcuopodcast.podbean.com/
Or iTunes DCUO
yer i think the FLS devs take too many things for granted - even the nation HQ's are not clearly marked on the ingame map.
Other things like the masses of low value loot that needs to be collected for the port junk dealer missions is like watching paint dry - completely off putting & nearly useless. They expect us to spend hours to find out simple things like where to turn it all in - not much polish yet.
in my opinion all the worthless loot & skills need to be removed & more help on missions where to find things.
Some urgent work is needed to simplify the easy tasks - many more ingame help & pop up messages are needed to be incorporated before the game is finished.
yer i think the FLS devs take too many things for granted - even the nation HQ's are not clearly marked on the ingame map.
Other things like the masses of low value loot that needs to be collected for the port junk dealer missions is like watching paint dry - completely off putting & nearly useless. They expect us to spend hours to find out simple things like where to turn it all in - not much polish yet.
in my opinion all the worthless loot & skills need to be removed & more help on missions where to find things.
Some urgent work is needed to simplify the easy tasks - many more ingame help & pop up messages are needed to be incorporated before the game is finished.
AMEN to that. i am gona quit until i here that its fixed. cuz i am a casual gamer and i dont have tons of time to learn. i play like 1-2hr a night. thats it. a total of 5-6hr a week if that.DCUO Podcast @ http://dcuopodcast.podbean.com/
Or iTunes DCUO
Challenges can be okay but learning curves I don't know so much if I can tolerate. "Easy to learn but tough to master" has always been a route I think worked.
If they would have included a decent manual that would've been nice.
For all that is holy this is what the manual contains:
You have the epilepsy warning and then the table of contents with introduction. Pages 2-15 actually pertain to the game. 16 and to the end are credits, a plug...err advertisement for the guide, and the EULA.
That's it! If you're going to make a game like POTBS then for all that is well make a worthy manual to it. They didn't even explain that you might need to stop at another port to retrieve your goods if you bought them from a port you weren't in at the time but was purchasable cause it was linked in the region. Not to mention the retrieve button at all.
Not everyone can spend every minute in the cotton picking game pressing F1. Not to mention eyes can use a break from the screen sometimes.
AC2 Player RIP Final Death Jan 31st 2017
Refugee of Auberean
Refugee of Dereth
actually, I thought PotBS quite easy to start. Never looked at the manual, just logged in and started playing.
First time I did the tutorial it was a bit confusing, especially the swordfighting. But the second time I had to use my sword, i picked it up quite fast.
If missions are too hard, if you have to fight 8 ships for example, then you started the wrong mission, picked up a group mission, or didnt read what you had to do. (For example, running a blockade needs you to get in the harbor, not to kill all ships that start shooting at you.)
The same for the collection of necklaces. Necklaced (or stone masks, etc) are loot you get from plundering ships, but not all ships drop them. The rarer the material it is made from (gold, silver, jade, stone...) the harder they are to get.
[insert hysterical laughter here]
sorry, i had to giggle a bit at that topic in the potbs-subforum. You may understand why if you consider what game i am currently playing. *g*
Keep up the good work, potbs. I like you.
This game is damn too easy... its so easy taht you have a switch in-game to make it ven easier... I got to level 16 not needing anything but doing exactly the same thing... (take-down-crew-board-kill-captain)... Not to mention the laughable avatar combat. The most difficult thing about the ame was the wind, which you perceive, if not a retard, in the first hours of the game. No skills to worry about, all came with the levels, all skills are self explainatory and pretty straight in what they do... nothing like EvE or SWG,,, Its really a very easy little thing.. And boring as hell...
I just played the last 13 days of someone's initial purchase.... he bagged it after 2 weeks. Gave me the game, his acct and remaining time.
Who cares about easy made. Where is fun mode?
I was tempted to subscribe, seeing as I didn't actually have to buy the game, but, it is not to be. The game hasn't over come a lot of things I didn't like about beta, and it is still weak in many areas. Too much repetitive game play, poor avatar/ground combat, etc.etc., there have been a bunch of threads about what isn't good.
I did witness the PvP gank squads and the jacked up economy (which people were hyping during beta and shouting down anyone that had any complaints/concerns). These are happening. I took part in 3 port battles, fun, but faction numbers are so jacked, that if there are too many of a particular faction on a particular server, there is no way to overcome it.
PvE was still too repetitive, and the PvP gank squads take the fun out of PvP for a lot of people. I hate invisible walls.
I can't bring myself to pay $15/mo for this game, not worth it for me.
To me the learning curve is a selling point; there is a lot to get into in this game. But for marketing purposes I do think they should have packaged the game with a killer manual and sold it more as a MMO-strategy game.
I think the Civ 4 crowd is going to like this game more than the WoW crowd.
I'm level 27; so I've seen a lot of combat. My first evening was exceptionally frustrating for several reasons. But, the combat was interesting enough that I stuck with it. About a month after purchase, I still really enjoy the game and combat. I've only been ganked once PVP style but learned from my mistakes and intend to be a much better player next time.
I'm enjoying building the structures and getting into economic development.
Really, I can't wait to get home from work so I can play some more
. And I do look forward to PvP combat as soon as I can get this economic stuff situated.
Yes, a good manual would have done WONDERS for the game. I had to google to realize that San Juan is the spanish capital. Wow that is QUITE a hike from our starting location. And mastering avatar combat has been a long road (far longer than mastering ship combat).
Regarding crafting, I found this site VERY helpful:
http://potbs.craftershaven.net/outfittingcalculator.php?id=1622
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon.
In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit
Okay, the learning curve of this game is complete easy mode. Read for a few minutes, or even asking a question to someone in game has high yield of answers. There is very little that takes much "effort" to learn. Mastering of some of the finer points of the game, from economics to some of the group combat is not quite easy mode due to the difference in peoples play styles. Leveling is incredibly far too easy, but with the premise and style of the game, that actually works (If you understand the way the game system works) But yeah, to be concise. Learning curve = Easy mode. Mastering curve = not quite easy mode. Title of thread = Epic Fail.
The only epic failure here is the failure to actually read what the OP had to say.
The game mechanics of combat are quite simple to pick up, yes. What's missing is exactly what's listed in the first post, which is information. Anyone who has really played the game knows full well that the same questions are asked over and over again. Why? Because people are stupid? Not at all. It's because there are just a lot of holes in the information provided to the player.
New players come out of the tutorials with a basic idea of how ship combat, boarding and avatar combat work. The economy tutorial is pretty thorough. But what about the unique attributes of their given profession? In the priate channel the most commonly asked questions go in a progression like this:
How do I capture a ship?
Can I turn a captured ship into a deed?
How do I scavenge?
Which missions are the "class" missions?
Of course I'm not opposed to people asking. But you have to wonder why it's necessary when you're talking about the basic mechanics of the profession.
The game needs class-specific tutorials. It also needs a more informative mission log. What level is this mission? Which ones are important class missions? Currently there's no way to tell.
That's really all people are asking for and I fail to see the problem with their request.
Amen and pass the ammuniion!
What's the best fighting style? Is one question I heard constantly. They could've had the manual saying dirty fighting has AOE in it. Stuff like that.
Anyway.
That's what I wanted to say with my bit about the lacking instruction manual but you have made it so much more clearer. Bravo.
AC2 Player RIP Final Death Jan 31st 2017
Refugee of Auberean
Refugee of Dereth
IMHO, I don't think any MMO is all that "difficult" (to include EVE, EVE is complex but not difficult) but a few definetely are more complex then others. This one seems to have a little of a personality disorder however. It tries to sort of hold your hand with its levels and progressive missions but the world itself has a very nice sandboxy open-ended scope. IF they would have ditched the level structure, this game probably would have been on the level of EVE. But as it stands, it is a nice addition for more complex gameplay.It does need some polishing up and the tutorial s*cks but its certainly more interesting and challenging then games like WoW, Crashguard, LotR or (insert generic fanasty title)