First Impressions

[enderandrew]

Well, I'm running on my work laptop at the moment, which isn't much of a machine, but i can't access the game through my home ISP yet.

Problems:

• The game won't run for me in fullscreen.  Yes, I will be submitting a bug with details about my computer and configuration.
• The cursor flickers constantly, and sometimes doesn't appear at all.  I can't right-click on items if there is no cursor.
• Many times I right click on an item over and over again, and never get the pop-up to select items.  For instance, I ran into an NPC named Zak that I wanted to examine, except I couldn't.  Close by Zac, there was a monster I was going to foolishly attempt to attack (somewhat out of boredom, even though it likely would have resulted in my death) but right-clicking on repeatedly, I couldn't get any options for attack.
• I found a location (I will include this in a bug report but not the full details here where they can be exploited) where I was slightly above a creature in height.  The creature was a clacker, and not very tall.  I could attack it with impunity, and it couldn't attack back.
• I can adjust the control scheme, which is nice, and I need to do.  However the defaults are problematic.  Several times when I'm attempting to chat with someone, I accidentally touch my touchpad, which registers a click, and I'm no longer typing, and then I hit the spacebar and jump to my death.  Both times I died, it was because I was attempting to talk.
• There are times where I attempt to pull up a window with my inventory, or stats, and the window is empty.  It just doesn't load my items or stats.  I leave it for a few minutes, and it never pulls up the data.  I can close the window and try again later, where it eventually pulls the data.
• Mining seems very problematic.  I've been trying to mine since I started the game.  Several days later, I get my first piece or ore.  I'm only up to two lumps of coal.  I face rocks in a spot that was recommended to me for coal mining, and constantly I'm told there is no good place to dig.  Finally I found a rock it will let me dig, and I am unsuccessful for about 30 minutes, and that is with a skill of 3.  Experience progression is also really slow.  The weird thing is that I killed rats for a little while in the tutorial and racked up 25 progression points within minutes, but mining has taken me an hour to get 1 progression point.  So if I want to train mining, then it doesn't make sense to mine.   Killing rats makes me a better miner.
• In any other MMO I've ever played, you can start enjoying the game early on.  I want to play a miner in Planeshift, but every NPC I ask about mining or directions can't help me, including the Blacksmith who in theory, deals with miners.  I know this is a community game somewhat in alpha status, but NPCs are also few and far between.  There is little in the way of information to go on, and it took me probably 2+ hours before someone in game directed me to a place where I could mine, and then several more hours before I was able to mine, and that has been exceedingly unsuccessful so far, and I'm not even sure I can get back at this point to smelt the ore.  In a game that is supposed to focus on roleplay, the only thing it seemed I could jump into quickly was combat.
• I thought it was pretty audacious to launch a volunteer MMO with so many races, but when I go to create a character, most don't have any models, and the races that have models have precisely one, with no real customization.  I seriously considered uninstalling before I ever played the game.  This is a huge turn-off for me.  You should attempt to recruit some more modelers/texture-artists.
• The camera system is less-than stellar.
• There are very few objects in the world you can interact with in any way.  The game features crafting, but it is somewhat minimally implemented so far.  I really love how UO the day it launched allowed you to shear sheep, making cloth, cook food, make clothes, smith, etc.
• I kept getting stuck repeatedly on ladders, and on the grates in the death realm.  I think it is because I'm playing a Dwarf, because taller characters didn't seem to fall into the grate work.

Stuff I liked:

• Character creation.  I had some leftover CP I'd like to be able to spend manually, but I really like the story-based character creation.
• I like the concept of the magic system, except my character has 0 mana, and I'm not sure I will be able to cast magic.
• The community seems very small, but the people I've met so far have been very friendly, and I like the concept of a very RP-centric game.
• Writing a client/server framework is no small feat, and there is a playable game to enjoy here, though it seems like I could more enjoyment with less effort playing something like Kingdom of Loathing.
• I like many of the concepts.  I'm going to keep with the game for a little while, and if I enjoy it, I may volunteer myself.
• There are several options with the camera.  So when the camera wasn't behaving well, I could switch it.  I like choice.
• Native Linux client, including a 64-bit client.  This makes me very happy.
• Many of the skills I see planned are the sort of features I'd like to see.

Even though I had issues, the game is clearly marketed as a work in progress.  I am grateful for the work everyone puts into the project.  And I will continue to give it a chance.

[Caarrie]

there are known issues about many of the things you have mentioned, please search the forum AND the bug tracker before making reports or they will be closed as dups if they are already known. Also issues like your touch pad clicking is an issue with your system or the ability to click outside a widget to "disable" it. Also if you can be more detailed on some things you dont like maybe changes can be made in the future. Also there are MANY action locations ingame which you can "interact" with to learn more about the world, but they are not apparent that you can examine them you have to find that part out for yourself.

[Mordraugion]

Thanks for a good indepth analysis, while a lot of your points are being worked on its always nice to hear a newcomers viewpoint.

Caarrie has mentioned the bug tracker here http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/flyspray so please do add any bugs you find here, after searching for duplicates of course

As for Artists we are constantly searching for good ones and in fact for members for all departments if you feel up to it look here http://www.planeshift.it/recruitment.html

One last thing please feel free to join us on irc.freenode.net #planeshift for a chat

[enderandrew]

I'm waiting for a code from Flyspray.  I will try to search for existing bugs before opening any new ones.  There are some good modelers/artists I know in the Morrowind and Oblivion scene.  I might try to recommend Planeshift to them and see if they're interested in helping out.

[zanzibar]

This thread should be used as the example of how to provide feedback.

[enderandrew]

http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/flyspray/index.php?do=details&task_id=2815
http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/flyspray/index.php?do=details&task_id=2816
http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/flyspray/index.php?do=details&task_id=2817

I'm trying to figure out what terms I should use to search for possible existing bugs about the windows not displaying info correctly, or get getting the right-click menus at times.  But then again, I'm not sure I could recreate the bug scenario either, so I'll wait on those.

http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/flyspray/index.php?do=details&task_id=1643

That bug already existed, so I just added a comment.

I also wanted to clarify on the magic system, what I really liked was how the six schools worked in conjunction with each other, and opposed to each other.  I liked combining glyphs with research.  I didn't focus on magic in character creation (which shows in me having 0 mana) for this character, but it does seem like a really nice system.  Kudos to whomever drew that up!

[Caarrie]

http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/flyspray/index.php?do=details&task_id=2817

closed as duplicate of http://hydlaaplaza.com/flyspray/index.php?do=details&task_id=1896

[enderandrew]

I do not believe it is the same issue.  One was already close to the ledge, and I was able to attack it without moving myself.  I didn't run away.  I saw it attempt to attack the entire time.  It displayed an attack animation, and I believe it said in game that the clacker could not reach me.  That is different from a clacker giving up on attacking because I moved away.

[Caarrie]

it is a very well known issue that the npcclient has issues with npcs not attacking back, it could all go back to one specific bug so for now i will leave that closed till it can be determined that it is a seperate bug.

[Lanarel]

I agree that this is not a duplicate. However I do not think it is a bug either. They are just easy prey . It makes them just one step up from rats on your way to animals that actually give some loot or experience, so the exploit is minor. THere are two ways to fix this problem:
1. do not put clackers there.
2. change the map.
Both seem a bit drastic for this small advantage to the few players who can finally kill more than a rat, but get killed by a clacker in one byte.

p.s. I do appreciate you taking the time to write down things that you think are wrong. If you feel bugs are closed for the wrong reason (as this one was), feel free to request it to be re-opened. I (as test team leader) will review those, and would have re-opened this one if I would not think it should be closed anway

[zanzibar]

Both seem a bit drastic for this small advantage to the few players who can finally kill more than a rat, but get killed by a clacker in one byte.

This argument could be applied to a few things though... I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying it's not entirely consistent with what devs have said in the (probably now distant) past.

[enderandrew]

I wanted to add a few more items to the category of things I like now that I've been playing a bit longer.

* The Death Realm has a very nice atmosphere to it.  Well done.
* I really like the music.  I took it for granted because I wasn't paying as much attention at first, but the music is rather nice and comparable with most commercial games.
* It takes a while to get a hang for what to ask the NPCs and how to really get them talking, but some of the NPCs are pretty entertaining, and they seem unique.  I especially like how even the guards are individuals, where as in many commercial RPGs, they use a generic "guard" NPC.
* Crosh is especially entertaining.