Pantheon is in development and there are many things we don't know yet - if there will be something or how will it work. But there are some things that we do know. In this topic I want to address more or less "known" features - whether it was direct statement, part of the debate or loosely thrown words from the devs. So whether it's colored mana, certain abilities or something else - bring it on. As for me I'd really like to be able to create multiple alts without the need to delete previous ones - I hope the number of char slots will match the number of available classes - even if it means buying additional slots in the cash shop. I know that some of us will use the second account provided to increase the number of available slots and to multibox, but I really like to have everything in one account and play with other players rather than multibox.
Roads add a +10 to travel speed.
I hate that roads are just a different color of grass in MMO's. Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted had this programed into the game and it was awesome. I loved running on roads just to move a slight bit faster evern if it wasn't a straight line. Took me though a lot of interesting spots.
Known features: environmental effects and nifty things to imbue/put on/paint on/consume on armor or pieces of armor to adapt to those environmental effects to the point of mixing and matching, i.e. all fire acclimation/resist, or fire aclimation on feet, atmosphere resist on head and cold acclimation on hands that you need to wield the frozen sword of tundra, while standing in the mouth of the volcano at the highest mountain where the air is thin and hard to breathe to split the phoenix eggs and keep them cool so they don't burn and become full fledged phoenix's.
No cash shops
free trial up to level 10, I thik this should have class option- to choose other classes, but when account is solidified, then character slots extremely limited. They have stated the game will be Dark souls hard enough that multiboxing will be almost impossible- so make friends, alot of them- that will depend on you being your class, your ONE class and playing it well like you;ve played it for as long as you've been playing, when you are on.
things to change: Outlook on merchandise i.e. mugs, cloth maps, keychains, T-shirts, enameled pins, plushies, poster art (give a cut to artists?), general Con type fan stuff.
Some of these answers seem less than fully responsive to the question. The OP didn't ask what we would like most to see in Pantheon. The OP asked us to pick things we don't like from features that have been at least tentatively stated we *will* see in Pantheon.
The following are among the design decisions I disagree with. Note that there are many more design decisions I do agree with and I think VR has done a great job (tries for more fanboi points) but they cannot possibly please all of us on every decision. Heck they cannot possibly please all of us on *any* decision.
1. Lack of dedicated solo content. Even without quests and plot lines designed for solo play they can still have soloable mobs in some parts of the zones. Giving xp and loot poor enough that it isn't worth a group's time or effort but giving someone that logs on for an hour and wants something to kill something to do. Without having to find groups of mobs 10 levels below their own.
2. Allowing training. Killing other players on a pve server should not be possible simply by running mobs over to them and flopping or dying. This is just *wrong*. The mobs should return to their spawn points as in the overwhelming majority of MMOs I have played.
3. Having no instances. Having *few* instances is the right decision. But given the clear benefit to using instancing to reduce very temporary overcrowding (e.g. at release or when a new zone is added), to facilitate player housing when that is added, to help tell stories with FFXIV type cutscenes occasionally, to prevent *critical* encounters from being perma-camped by griefers or aggressive players/guilds etc. I think the stated decison that "instances are intrinsically bad" is simply wrong.
Visionary Realms public stance on multi-boxing, to be opposed rather than in favor of.
Or
Confirmation of an optional server rule set that does not permit multi-boxing, via required unique CC + AVS + GeoIP + Authenticator App, per login, at launch.
Or
Confirmation that billing names cannot ever change on accounts, and that they must pass an immediate AVS check if the credit card number and/or billing address ever changes.
I’ll be playing with you on the No Multi-box server Vjek, though I hope it’s also the RP server and not the hardcore no QoL tools server but also not the easy fast travel, linked banks, linked auction house server. Of those options though the no multi-box is the most important to me.
What I would change is the focus on Named items vs Item Templates (with optional unique skins and flavor text for story reasons). It may sound subtle but Named Items leads to massive mudflation and it is much easier for over/under powered items to make it into the system as each item is hand crafted. If everything follows a point buy creation template that can then be utilized by crafters to duplicate the function if not the exact form then the system becomes much more open and balanced. Much of the spawn camping drama evaporates if the function of all items can be duplicated by crafters if given the right ingredients.
I would like to change it so that /loc isn't in the game. It's not a make or break issue, but I feel like it's low hanging fruit. Going old school by having no maps but keeping your gps on hand...
edit: I also agree with Kittik, but might want to take that a bit further. Having all sorts of run speed multipliers for various terrain types. Maybe have some racial disparities.
Grayel said:Dynamic scaling of content so that older zones and content remain relevant.
Terrible idea and completely anti-RPG in every way imaginable...
As for what to change, the concept of different but equal at primary role for different classes. There is no way they can balance that along with different non-primary tool-kits even if they manage to get the balance right on the primary role.
Zyellinia said:Grayel said:Dynamic scaling of content so that older zones and content remain relevant.
Terrible idea and completely anti-RPG in every way imaginable...
As for what to change, the concept of different but equal at primary role for different classes. There is no way they can balance that along with different non-primary tool-kits even if they manage to get the balance right on the primary role.
Okay, thanks for the feedback...
RPG, role-playing game: assuming the role of a character in a fictional setting, in this case a magical, fantasy fiction.
So please help me understand how dynamic scaling is anti-RPG In every possible way.
((As soon as the OP said he was in favor of something with a "cash shop" I consider any point they might make invalid.))
You don't mean this literally, of course. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. At least with stopped analog clocks. But I agree that anyone who wants a cash shop is certainly far indeed from the mainstream here.
But in fairness to the OP I think it is just a misuse of the term cash shop.
The reference is to selling additional character slots which many subscription games with no microtransactions have done almost from the beginning.
We may approve or disapprove of games selling character slots, name changes, race chages, gender changes, server transfers and the like on their websites but to almost all of us "cash shop" means most obviously an in-game store selling items to be used in-game. Some would use the term more broadly to include a website market that sells items to be used in-game. Even if just cosmetics.
Although we tell ourselves that being given these precise items in exchange for paying cash for pledges is not *quite* the same thing.
Direlord's plate and spiked shield could be good but I don't think it's planned.
One thing I would like is to give mana to Direlord, paladin and Ranger, like it was in EQ. However I would like them to generate and consume this ressource differently than pure caster. With active generation allowing for spell weaving, but not to the point it's either pointless or too limited.
One thing I consider currently broken, is the fact the Paladin can heal out of combat for no cost of ressource, making him a restless fighter and able to patch up his group and ease a lot of downtime for his healer. I'm all for the paladin beeing able to patch heal and ease the corners, but making his ressource for it irrelevant is not a solution to me. It will be as problematic on pvp servers where you know if a paladin got away, he will get back full life in less than a minute while you might be still low on life and mana, and it won't hinder his ability to attack.
Overall, I simply like than magic comes from mana, for every class.
@Dorotea - Instances: To be fair I think they said that there may be some instances associated with storytelling or class/character-defining quests. And I'm ok with that. I'd prefer that the scope of instancing be well defined in those guidelines and be strictly adhered to.
@Grayel - I've never heard them say that content would be locked to require a specific group size. Tuned to a specific group size of a certain level, yes. But not locked out by the number of party members. They have repeatedly said, however, that they are wholly on board with the notion of emergent gameplay; meaning that if you can find a way to do what was designed for 6 players with only 4 players, and you're not exploiting, have at it.
Personally I don't like the idea of scaling gear according to player level. That I would change.
I wish they would consider adding a battle royal mode, maybe a yearly event. lol, seriously I would play it.
I hope after VR gets the main game down they would be willing to try different games(?) within the world of Pantheon. It can be lore based, whether that is a card game, battle royal, endless wave survival, etc) To me its another way to meet new people and shake the daily ritual up.