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Messages - GreyWinda

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General Discussion / Re: New Dryken Plane - thoughts and discussion
« on: January 15, 2026, 10:42:30 am »
Hello again! :innocent:
I.

In the light of the recent stream preliminary review, I would like to add a few words and on topic, that is I too was ‘stuck’ in the Dryken plane after I had returned on my “fresh-start” character. It was #4 from the OP, - ‘This mini-scene seemed particularly difficult to trigger.” Yes, I was a bit embarrassed to admit that. I am guessing it is fixed now. Yet I raised the topic to say, I had then used discord search and unfortunately not the help channel to get some hints/ clues/ help. Had I not used either (or not known), I do not know, if one of the reasons for investing in my new character (now my main) had stayed the way it did/ doing now.

Again my suggestion is to highlight either or both of these (help channel and as such discord) to new players, in steam page or upon entering the game world. It may not only help a new player, but maybe even ‘connect’ them to the rest of the community.


II.
I would also like to add that I used to avoid RP-ing back in the day, -not only because of the English language as a barrier, or my temperament back then ... but the idea not to hamper the natural flow of others who excel in it, by just being there as a dummy. I still try to do it the least ‘disturbing’ ways with respect to others (even when I’m quite unsuccessful in my eyes), and yet in-spite of my own ‘preconceptions’ and/or lack of suave in it, I appreciate it a lot, - be it meeting a stranger on the road or the weekly ‘events’.


In fact, I look forward to the weekly events … and not for the stuffs/ rewards off, of it, but the story, intrigues, … and for the rest of us (almost all)! And again I humbly suggest to add some link or mention of it somewhere, - be it this: https://www.planeshift.it/calendar/ or maybe even this: https://www.reddit.com/r/planeshiftrpg/.

Speaking of links, given we have no so-called “road maps”, maybe there could be a mention of the current stream themes and/or if possible, an organization of the say past YouTube steams a tad better.

Say, like ‘Theme: Fishing overhaul with mini-game’; “Theme: planting flowers and harvest”, “Theme: Building of the Dwarven City”… and so on (maybe for a few days/ year there be a secret Theme: Talad in game, from Events, to QnA to One-claw head-smashing!)! I mention these simply because, even if I had not ‘stuck’ with the game, I would be awe-stuck with all the efforts and passion that has gone into all the streams as a testimony to the dedication of the Dev!

III.
Lastly, all these perhaps assume that the sever may handle the population growth without issues. Well, maybe that will be a situation to be ‘fixed’ when it would arise. After all, I do think Talad acknowledged it over discord following an inquiry from Velora.

As an analogy, the so-called Drake equation (a misnomer), tries to estimates the probability or the likelihood of ‘intelligent’ ‘civilizations’ out there, based on some priors or factors … and in a similar way, out of all the players that may play PSU, to those that may then pass through the Dryken Plane (without them dying in frustrations), to those that makes it to the Plaza (without further issues), to those that then gets on with it (and figures the ‘fun’ out of it), to those that remains (hook, line and sinker: all in), … to lastly those that make it ‘meaningful’ in whatsoever way(s) -exploring game mechanics, to RP to bug hunting (or all) or maybe even joins the team, - this last set I think is rather very slim in percentage. Isn’t this 'last' set we all are mostly looking for, rather than say the last unfortunate case of ‘Menro’, who tried and left? 

To rephrase, maybe it is like the Parable of the Sower,- that what will be will be, yet isn’t it also true that in no way the parable says that in our case we ought not to do more for the newcomer (the seed) but rather the better that we can, with a few simple and/ or necessary changes?


Hoping for the better, -including a better steam release, - I leave the discussions to the wizened ones among you all. :sorcerer:

Thank you for your time, once more.

-GW/ FN.
 
 
 

2
General Discussion / Re: New Dryken Plane - thoughts and discussion
« on: January 15, 2026, 05:45:36 am »
Hello everyone! :flowers:


Well, I wanted to post this in discord and that too following the last Dev meeting or QnA (11th Jan), and on this particular topic. I also wanted to do this,- especially so now – given we are due for an upcoming steam release.

I am here, however so as make it a bit more presentable than it is usually possible in discord (TLDR and all). To keep it simple, I would simply like to add a few words towards my first impressions, on this topic, - as I have returned to PS, after a long hiatus.

Part I:

First of all, I’d like to mention that I do like the thrust of the suggestions from both Gonger and Daevaorn here, - “we do not get a second chance for a good first impression” and that “’the Dryken Plane return in the form of a quest at a later point,”, respectively. [I have only heard about Mentia’s puzzle, so maybe something akin to that, as Daevaorn possibly hinted of or say once you are either adept in all/some ways of magic or master in one, or even without such prerequisite but as a choice but at a later date- at one’s leisure, could be much meaningful.]

Yet, given such a change or transformation may not be easily implementable (may bring in more known/ unknown issues to address), that is as in case the Dryken Plane introduction remains, so as aforementioned I would like to add a few suggestions:


1> Let the scenes that trigger NOT override and trigger the next scene (say, if a player is accidentally running) till the scene is played in full?
[This part is fixed as tested a couple of days back: overlap in loop, or cut while another scene is already playing. In other words, let the scenes DO NOT LOOP or play together (both audio and text) over one another. It is/ could be very jarring even to a new player.]


Also, if a player runs accidentally to return to the same scene trigger, - the audio accompanying text starts quite immediately from the beginning, - and that sometimes causes an echo/ overlap: maybe this could be looked into, too, though this only happens the first time after the scene triggers (i.e. the window for such a trigger is small).

An alternative approach could be to “immobilize” the player (like a cut-scene) and let the scene play over with both the audio and text in sync. Maybe even do it in the intended order, and not the ad hoc ‘proximity trigger’.


2> In the second ‘island’ there is an audio without any scene (afaik, it used to trigger in the empty room besides the dwarf with four bunk-beds), “After a long day exploring … Stop snoring!”, -maybe this could be looked into, like made into another scene (in the empty building next).
 
3> Lastly, maybe give players a “small note”, after successfully completing the full scene of an island, (say like the Dermorian poem called "Spreading Roots" that you get from Aerayau Strongwill). It could even show the “intended order” of the events that just transpired [something akin to what Gonger has tried with the above screenshots].

Also, if possible, maybe introduce this “note” with some extra lore (or link to, say, https://www.planeshift.it/Settings) which a player can read later, if so desired … as well as keeping the doorway open to return here someday, down the line.



Part II:


This brings to my last remark which to be honest is rather subjective, that is as far as first impressions go the plane was a bit gloomy (like the death realm gloomy) to my taste. Herein I partially agree with Mohonin’s suggestion that maybe, maybe - “the new player will get a choice in the start”, whether to bypass this or not, for the time being.

But again speaking honestly these could be minor issues and I am hopeful that the place will get better as time passes. Still, given it may not be feasible, I would like to add my last suggestion for consideration, and especially so before the upcoming steam release.


The idea is from last Dev meeting (Jan 11th) as mentioned before.

It is a request to add or highlight of the fact, -
 
  • be it on the Steam page, game description, or
  • be in in the Character creation or the Dryken plane intro, or
  • be in once you have made it to the Hydlaa Plaza,
that,
1) that PS is strongly RP-oriented, and more important
2) that PS is FULLY Free to Play (FFP), [Gonger’s idea from discord], or
add anything but of a similar nature.


Maybe this could be achieved with a popup in-game, that you need to click to get on with.  Say like, "The game is RP- heavy and bug-laden but is a work in progress and where yours patience maybe tested but if you choose to maybe you can help too to make a better game (could link http://hydlaaplaza.com/PlaneShift/flyspray/ here, as such)", etc.


I am asking to add these kinds of highlight, since in a recent stream Talad had mentioned that ‘our’ game is an anomaly, … an anomaly in the Matrix.

It is as such to not to preach to the choir (those who will read and make through the plane to the plaza alright), but those who may not even give the depth or the labour of passion, of the game even a chance. It is for them, maybe / kindly consider some such (passive/ interactive) addition?

Ofc, one may say 'good riddance to 'em all but well, who knows what if they had stuck a bit more and they too then had 'become one of us', all because we had stretched - at least, tried, - a bit more? 


To precis, the part where a player if chooses, could help the game with bug hunting to donation, imho, could really be added/ highlighted (as an USP) to the game and especially so with its FFP aspect.


In 2023, even Massively-op get some (or most or all?) of it right, and so maybe we can do it again!
https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/03/the-game-archaeologist-planeshift-the-poster-child-of-open-source-mmos


Once again, irrespective of ‘che sara, sara’, I wish all the very best for the upcoming steam release and thank you for your time! :surrender:
-GW/ FN.

[Goes to hide under the wall, for the wall above!]

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