Roadmap 2017 - Second Semester

[Adrian]

Hello everyone!

As you already know, during June we were focused on fixing bugs, but also on the reorganization of the remaining of the year.

We have a small update ready that we will be launching tomorrow with a few fixes, but most important of all is the fact that our bur reporting tool is now up to date, thanks to our QA team and testing volunteers. Before June it was very outdated and with a lot of bugs pending to be confirmed (which takes time but leaves them closer to be solved). Now we're ready to face the rest of the year and crush them little by little.

Also, we already have the Roadmap for the second semester of the year. Learning from the previous ones and the Action Plan that ended with the anniversary event, we decided to change the methodology, in which there will be no estimated dates or any order at all. The priority for the stages will be applied on the fly and there is also the possibility that we add something new if necessary.

Flexibility is what gave us best results and the nonexistence of promises as well. What's important is to make steps ahead. We're closer to have strong foundations on which we can build and polish. Yes, there's still a lot to do. What matters is to keep on moving.

For this remaining half of the year we will take on the following issues:

- Daily rewards
Reward players for entering frequently to the game. It's important that the loyalty to the game is rewarded properly and a bit more for those that are with us for a long time.

- Clans
It's been a long time with this debt to the community, about one of the most important features of the game and key to the retention of players and to avoid monotony.

- War in the Initiation Zone
The Squid Island will play an important role in retention and exposing the best side of the game in the first levels giving a preview of what the War Zone conflict will be. We are not making the most of this zone and through simple objectives we can make the players contribute to the conflict between the realms and make clear that the effort of getting there will pay off. These objectives will be coordinated by NPCs to avoid, in case it's necessary, sensations of imbalance or emptiness.

- Battlezones Matchmaking
Having the instances ready, we will continue with what we still owe to this feature: a revamp of the Matchmaking system. This will avoid wasting time to enter, minimizing the occasions where players abandon the queue and giving more and clearer information about what's going on. They will be accessible with Parties of a fixed number of players and with some restrictions to avoid cases such as entering with all members of the same class, etc.

- Quests and realm tasks
Get deeper on the lore of the game filling the gaps in the highest levels with necessary quests not only to get faster to war, but also to finish the stories that still have no ending. Also revamp the Realm Tasks for them to be easier to choose and have better an challenging objectives.

- Invasions
Ready for the second stage, in which the Realm Wall will not be as important as the objectives inside the realm. Gradually the challenge will rise and the need of the enemy or defender to coordinate will be of utmost importance. And the cherry of the pie: making all players from both realms to be able to be involved, whatever the level.

- Recurring events
Create events that can be activated when it's thought appropriate by the GMs in order to maintain the activity of the world as stable as possible. Currently this is done manually but the intention is to get to have clear interfaces, immediate delivery of prizes and relevant information in real-time.

- Enhancements to commerce
Expand the features of the Auction House to enhance its use. Allow the use of other currencies and give more options for a safer commerce. Give options to lend items to avoid confusion between users.

Ongoing tasks:
Balance.
Bugfixing.
Events.

These three issues can be taken care of in any or all of the stages whenever it's deemed necessary.

Currently we're already working on Daily Rewards because we believe that the patience you have with us must be rewarded as soon as possible.

We're eager to read your comments!

[schachteana]

I know this isn't supposed to be a submit-your-suggestions-thread, but just these things:

- Battlezones Matchmaking
[...] a revamp of the Matchmaking system.

Please, do consider adding cross-server battlezone servers (I know you said you didnt want to). I don't think you realize how epic this would be.

Expand the features of the Auction House to enhance its use.

An alternative to clicking through every single category (which takes aaages), like a "latest" or "expiring" tab ( :?: ), would be very helpful.

Allow the use of other currencies

so, basically, you gave up on making gold valuable again?

this all sounds pretty solid, good luck.

btw what about the 500 old threads in the suggestions subforums? I dont really think anybody will ever seriously read through all of them?

[Hollow-Ichigo]

The hole in leveling from 37-60 needs to be made less frustrating. Apart from that, fixing TDM and clan ranks would be nice.

Everything else is a plus

[Vadhir]

It is just as Ichi said, although I would say from level 35 to 55 or 50. Almost no mobs to grind with from 35 to 50, and I said mobs because to grind in war... there is no war, it works in Ra, but not in Haven.
You finally realized what I told you about dates, and even when we already know you will not finish all those things this year, at least we will not be waiting in specific dates (not been pessimistic but realistic)
By the way... do we have GM and/or GCs in Haven? I know I have not been playing lately, but even before leaving I had not seen a GM or GC in quite a lot of time. And I don't mean Leily, she is not "from" Haven.
Anyhow, good luck with it. I'lol be visiting it once in a while.

[Kimahri_Ronso]

Adjusting quests and realm tasks won't be enough.

You're forgetting about the amount of mobs, their spawn rate, the quality of drops. Also, if players willing to lv up by war then they won't get any new gear at all, you need to modify the quest rewards as well!

Rewards for logging in is cool, but you don't plan to add solo missions for lv 60?
If no event running and no war either, the log-in reward will be useless... Or there will be constant events?

[Tenel_Ka]

Originally Posted by Adrian

- Enhancements to commerce
Expand the features of the Auction House to enhance its use. Allow the use of other currencies and give more options for a safer commerce. Give options to lend items to avoid confusion between users.

I hope this doesn't mean that crafted weapons and crafting materials will remain non-tradeable. It's ridiculous that both players have to go to Auction House instead of trading directly.

And will this game's outdated graphics ever be improved?

[Sentan]

I agree with leveling... it's the biggest issue of this game atm. Also drop rate is still damn low.

It's important that the loyalty to the game is rewarded properly and a bit more for those that are with us for a long time.

What about achievements?

Would be nice to see all useless spell reworked. Few months ago you did good step towards that then you stopped fixing spells (most of them come from main class skill trees).

My old suggestions:

• Daily Login Rewards
• Ideas for useless spells
• New Warmaster skills

Good luck

[saumya]

Originally Posted by Vadhir

It is just as Ichi said, although I would say from level 35 to 55 or 50. Almost no mobs to grind with from 35 to 50, and I said mobs because to grind in war... there is no war, it works in Ra, but not in Haven.
You finally realized what I told you about dates, and even when we already know you will not finish all those things this year, at least we will not be waiting in specific dates (not been pessimistic but realistic)
By the way... do we have GM and/or GCs in Haven? I know I have not been playing lately, but even before leaving I had not seen a GM or GC in quite a lot of time. And I don't mean Leily, she is not "from" Haven.
Anyhow, good luck with it. I'lol be visiting it once in a while.

RIP gc's and gm's. The last one i saw online was 2 weeks ago in alsius, last one in ignis or syris ive seen online was longer. It is extremely sad that they asked for new gc's and gm's last month only to make 3 more gc's that dont even log in anymore. ITS THE SAME with every gc, they do not log in actively. Those last gc's that were made dont log in daily either, they should seriously rethink about gc's and make SOME that can log in daily or at least be more active.

Also, what part of this have you thought for haven?

[_Enio_]

Sounds great and reasonable!

[kowocki]

Originally Posted by Vadhir

It is just as Ichi said, although I would say from level 35 to 55 or 50. Almost no mobs to grind with from 35 to 50

Originally Posted by Kimahri_Ronso

Adjusting quests and realm tasks won't be enough.

You're forgetting about the amount of mobs, their spawn rate, the quality of drops. Also, if players willing to lv up by war then they won't get any new gear at all, you need to modify the quest rewards as well!

-Realm tasks need update for far too long.

-To solve lvling gap a change to exp curve seems to be most reasonable: 1.000.000 exp for lvl 50 is more then enough to learn game mechanic plus get to war lvl status (suggested by war master tasks being available from lvl 50) just by doing existing quests plus few realm tasks. This should result in better players retention-seriously we need new blood not attracting old timers who will always dislike sth and leave negative feedback cause "you know when i played RO in 2010..."). Anyway in case of haven this game has far too much content for lvl 60 that affect war and fun on haven.

Fixing lvling is one thing, battle performance of lvls 50-54 is another thing. This will require a review of armour/weapons stats to diminish the gap between lvl 50 and 60.

Maybe lvl 50 should have same armour stats as lvl 55+? Elite armour already has one advantage -> it weight nothing compared to the lvl 50 armor set on any class.

Lvls 60 has advantage now of: more ap, more damage, higher hp/mana/attribute stats, more discipline and power points; later also wm powers and jewellery. I think some of these should be cut or available earlier like get discipline points till 50, power points till 55 and attributes till 60. Maybe do wm armour and jewellery lvl 55? There are so many possibilities and there were so many threads with suggestions.

The last things this game needs are another instances or "dungeons" that will split server population like TDM. It works fine on ra but on haven for ages it was big issue when some players randomly quit fort war and affect the rest of battle group (especially when low population or they blong to crucial class).

Even bigger split is dragon raid when sometimes it ends in dragon party doing the lizard while enemy realm invades cause there is hardly anybody left to defend.

SUM UP:

-give up the low lvl instances, dungeons etc. as they wont pay off

-cut the way to lvl 50 (war=fun!)-> especially lvl 40-49

these wont affect your income as 90% of grind is at lvl 50+ so you wont loose your exp booster income (contrary your income will rise as more players will stay in game enjoing war and when bored then doing grind)

My personal experience to this game:
-started before lvl 60 update, war was balanced for lower lvls and both grind, hunting and war were fun.

-after lvl 60 update it was fun, cause all started from lvl 50 and raced to 60, even later there were not somany lvl 60 players not to mention war masters compared to player population lvl 55 or lower

-now we have hardly any new blood and most ppl i chat at inner zone are either ppl from ra bored of massive zergs there or old haven player grinding XXX toon cause boredoom.

this game has great potential but yu just jump from one update to another and often you miss/forget to update some game parts-lvling update is best example:

-higer lvl mobs at war zone-> cool

-updated quests lvl 1-37-> very good

but you forget about lvls 40-50 and realm tasks for all lvls-> there are tons of tasks where mobs or loot given by them dont exist anymore and its frustrating to any player to get through them (like ealier it was not tedious)