My Comments

[Guest nude0007]

I have been trying to get to the point I can post for a couple of months, but it never happens, so I am leaving my comments here.

 

I have been playing Eternal Lands for a week or so now and have mixed feelings about the game. Even now, I can have a bit of fun harvesting and selling or killing small animals, but I live in fear that some monser will come along and kill me easily and I'll lose my hard earned items.

 

Let's back up a bit. Downloading the game is easy. Adding the sound pack is also. Starting up and creating a character is also easy, but that comes from having few choices. Once in the game, controls are fairly easy to learn and use, though the camera rotate notoriously doesn't stop on a dime, so I end up not quite with the angle I want. If you turn on the games full abilites, it is quite detailed and lovely, although characters and animals move rather stiffly. Animations for attacking, for instance seem to be lumped

together on the character. Whether I have a weapon or not, the character kicks, karate kicks, punches, then uses he weapon

I have (or haven't got). However, it IS just at beta stage, so I can forgive that for now.

 

When you kill something, a "bag" opens up with items found on the body. It automatically opens your inventory also, which takes up almost half the screen, so if you have more foes or quarry around, it gets in the way. I would prefer if the bag and inventory remained shut until I chose to open the bag, or have a system like some other games where items are represented by objects on the ground and clicking on them either pulled up a list for you to pick from (including pick all), or you could pick through the objects until you found wht you wanted and drop the rest. In either case, items would be automatically deposited into your inventory until it is full. Due to the fact that polygons are at a premium online, I am sure that the list idea would be more appropriate. Harvesting also has no real animation to it yet, but again, I can forgive that in a beta version.

 

The real problem I have is that the game is very complicated for no apparent reason. Instead of being able to select an attribute to work on, like defensive fighting or offensive fighting, everyting is so tied to other attributes that it is almost impossible to determine what is affecting what. When using "pick points" (points used to enhance certain attributes, it is often hard to tell just what effect a "purchase" will have. Levelling seems to have little significance, since after levelling up many times and buying attributes to nhance my character, I still can fight only a few small animals.

 

I tried harvesting, but the money you get from harvesting flowers and vegetables is small compared to what is needed to get anywhere in the game. So I figure I might turn my attention to manufacturing items, thereby making money and having fun

providing stuff to other players. I decided I would make health potions, as is suggested early on. I gathered 2 of the 3

ingredients without too much trouble, then I needed quartz. I found that, assuming you could find any, you had to have

leather gloves to harvest it. No store carries them, so I was forced to ask other players for them. I got lucky and got

some pretty quick, but I bet that WAS luck. I go to where some quartz is and am quickly told that I need a point in

"inorganic nexus" to harvest that. I manage to level up enough to do that, then I go back and it says I need to have

studied a book on crystal mining to do it. I did some reading on one of the web sites and found that there would be

several books I had to read and many THOUSANDS of gold spent just to harvest the crystal!!!! And as far as I know, it

may not sell for even a single gold! (there's no way to find out)

 

Also, relying on the "Newbie Help" channel is NOT working. I have asked for a bit of help several times and most of the time

gotten no response at all. One person refused to help me because they were predjudiced against my color! Fun at my

expense, perhaps, but I really needed help, not to be the butt of a private joke I didn't even get to laugh at. But when

someone did help me, they were very nice and helpful. A BIG thanks to those people!

 

What I would like to see:

1. all types of stores on at least every other map, and every store carrying the same items.

 

2. a re-think of the pricing structure. Some items should cost a lot, but I can't see going from a few coins for rabbit

parts to thousands for a hat, or the materials to make dye. Certainly for items of power, but not for everyday

items. That goes for the books also (or especially so). the first few books should not cost so much, and some don't,

but the prices take a wild jump from 50, 100, 150, 200 to 5000! Now, if the book was some esoteric learning, or something

that gives the buyer a huge advantage in the game, I'd see it, but quite often it is just another level of learning.

 

3. the point system for stats and levelling seems unecessarily complicated. When I get a pick point it is hard to

figure out where to put it, since the attributes affect such a wide range of stats. why not have strength just affect

strength, etc.? I have only played (intensely) for a couple of weeks, and already I can't seem to level up enough to

get any more pick points. This goes back to the great disparity between lower level and higher level. there doesn't seem to

be much middle ground.

 

4. I have seen several other games that make the same assumption you seem to make, that not having a clue as to where to go

or what to do is somehow fun. it is NOT! It is hard enough to accomplish your goals in the game without not even knowing where

to go to get components, or even what components you need. Sure, there is a lot of extraneous info on a couple of sites,

but that means spending hours reading through it to find what you need or want. There is still nothing I have found that

says : to make this, you need to do this and this and have this level, etc.. You get some clue on the El-Cel site (great

site, btw), but nothing specific. There should be a way in game to find out at least a brief description of what you need

to do certain things. Like I should be able to go to any magic store and they wold tell me what I need to cast a certain

spell. Or a potion store would tell me what I need to make a certain potion. Again, I realize that this may come later,

as this is a beta game, but I think it is so crucial, it must be mentioned.

 

5. it seems especially odd that Whitestone should have a Gargoyle wandering about at night. It seems that there should be at

least one map a low level character could function in without worrying about being stomped, especially since we cannot run

away.

 

6. finally, I spent what little money I could scrape up in two weeks to buy steel chain armor, and a steel sword, but it didn't seem to make a bit of difference! I still got my clock cleaned by the first real monster that came along. Coupling this with the fact that when I died I lost all the armor (I got lucky and got back to it and recovered it all) means that it isn't even worth buying if I could lose it

in an instant. SOME people will return your "death bag", but others won't even mention it. It took me most of my time to

earn enough money for those two items, and now I am affraid to even sue them because I could lose them. It took me too long to

get them to have them taken away, and I understand that items can be damaged, perhaps permanently as well, so what's the

point?

 

Oh, 7. It would be nice if there were an icon above the compass to show day or night. I have trouble telling. I do keep

my gamma up real high, because I have trouble seeing, but I don't think I should be penalized for that choice. It would be

easy to make and would probably be welcomed by many.

 

AMAZINGLY, despite a lack of appropriate chr battle animations and all the things I mentioned here, the game is STILL fun to

play. It has a LOT going for it. IF it had a little more balance as I mention here, it would STOMP the competition!

 

Thanks for listening!

[McLane]

hi, I can't help but comment on your comment:

though the camera rotate notoriously doesn't stop on a dime, so I end up not quite with the angle I want.

I rotate the camera by pressing the middle mouse button (mapped that to my thumb-button on my mouse) and just "push" the mouse into the direction i want the camera to move, releasing the button that very moment I give the push. The moment the camera reaches the angle I want, I just press the button again and it stops moving. Takes some practice but works for me perfectly.

It automatically opens your inventory also, which takes up almost half the screen

While I'm hunting down some animals/monsters, I have the inventory open all the time but move it almost "out of sight" into the left screen, leaving only a small part for me to remove it back when I need it. That way it doesn't pop up all the time nor does it cover any important part of the gamescreen.

I needed quartz. I found that, assuming you could find any, you had to have

leather gloves to harvest it.

nope, you need a pickaxe, every gen-store ingame sells those for 15gc

Also, relying on the "Newbie Help" channel is NOT working. I have asked for a bit of help several times and most of the time

gotten no response at all.

That is because those people who answer questions there do so voluntarily during their free time without getting paid for. We don't have many of those so sometimes you need to be patient.

1. all types of stores on at least every other map, and every store carrying the same items.

That will NEVER happen, the different NPC are at different locations for a reason (e.g. get people to explore other maps to find them or make some stuff "hard to get")

4. I have seen several other games that make the same assumption you seem to make, that not having a clue as to where to go

or what to do is somehow fun. it is NOT!

First of all, you get clues. Review your questlog Second of all, there ARE people enjoying the wandering around and searching for stuff, they explore and discover. Those who don't want to do that in EL are free to do so with google.

5. it seems especially odd that Whitestone should have a Gargoyle wandering about at night. It seems that there should be at

least one map a low level character could function in without worrying about being stomped, especially since we cannot run

away.

There is: Desert Pines and (during daytime): White Stone come to my mind at first. Just check whether it's day or night.

6. finally, I spent what little money I could scrape up in two weeks to buy steel chain armor, and a steel sword, but it didn't seem to make a bit of difference! I still got my clock cleaned by the first real monster that came along.

Of course you can't kill the high level monsters just because you got some armor. But you will last longer against animals/monsters you barely have a chance against while wearing nothing, try those first (I don't know your levels so can't suggest any monster/animal now).

Coupling this with the fact that when I died I lost all the armor (I got lucky and got back to it and recovered it all) means that it isn't even worth buying if I could lose it in an instant.

You can carry a rostogol stone with you. If you die, you lose the stone but keep all other stuff in inventory. Also, there is an item called "disengagement ring". While in a fight, use that ring and the fight is aborted and your opponent freezes for ~5 seconds (so run ehrm walk away).

Oh, 7. It would be nice if there were an icon above the compass to show day or night. I have trouble telling.

Daytime*: 00:30 until 03:30

Nighttime*: 03:30 until 00:30 (next day)

* All times are ingame times.

Also, the analog clock in the lower right corner is separated into a light "daytime" (right) and dark "nighttime" (left) area. To be 100% sure you can activate a digital clock in options -> HUD and you can also let the game warn you about sunrise/sunset (options->chat->time warnings).

 

Summary: I think you didn't explore the game well enough (especially the possibilities of the options AND the encyclopedia).

"There should be a way in game to find out at least a brief description of what you need

to do certain things."

yep, it's ALL in the encyc (the button at the bottom marked with a "?").

 

I hope you give EL another try after reading through the encyc and checking the options.

and: "have been trying to get to the point I can post for a couple of months, but it never happens"

that's what this part of forum actually is for: request to get an account approved, just go for it with a little post (don't forget to give them (the mods) the name you used for registration) in this thread: http://www.eternal-lands.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=40319

 

Enjoy the game

 

McLane

 

P.S.: Had to put the last quote into "..." because (wtf?) the forum only allows a certain number of quotes.

 

edit: added the link to registration thread

Edited April 10, 2008 by McLane

[Aislinn]

1. Your account was not approved because your email was never validated. When you register, there are instructions that are on that registration page as well. Also you might want to rethink your name choice. Post in the pinned registration thread when you have completed all of the steps.

2. I agree with McLane, sounds like you didn't read the forums or main site info, or your ingame encyclopedia information. Everything you mentioned is either covered in your ingame encyclopedia/help window or in these forums (as in "will never happen but has been discussed"). My advice to you is to learn more and play more and above all read more.

3. Locking this thread. When your new forum account is approved, you can post your issues in the appropriate sections. Until then, there is lots of reading for you to do