The old starter islands

[Antonath]

Ok, so I haven't been in-game for ages, and I haven't created an alt in, well, ever. But I believe the tutorial island and starter isles were consolidated so that there's only one now.

So, I have an idea for the old islands. How about using them for plots and lairs? All the infrastructure's there - ports, pads, consigners and pawnbrokers, even trainers. They'd make wonderful player communities. Heck, there's even tier 1 resources available for construction, and mobs to kill for entertainment.

Lairs would be easier, as they don't "fill up" the island, just take advantage of cliffs and the like. Biped housing would have to be placed carefully, to make sure it didn't spoil the landscape, but there's loads of open areas near the towns, and open fields in other places.

I for one would love a lair by the New Vassarak waterfalls - I "grew up" on that island, and the lake, dragon statues, waterfalls and surrounding area have always been one of my favourite places in Istaria. When lairs went live, I went and checked for one there, even though no training-isle lairs were announced

So what do people think - good idea, bad idea?

Antonath

[awdz]

Lovely idea if they do not have other plans already for those islands. At one point (waaay back) I thought I read somewhere that they were going to become something else, but I do not know exactly what.

[Takora Drakan]

The old abadonned training islands would make beautiful plot and lair communities

[Fridlekh]

Umm, weren't most of them sunk back into the ocean? Or was that just planned and never implemented?

My memory is fuzzy these days.

[Zexoin]

Umm, weren't most of them sunk back into the ocean? Or was that just planned and never implemented?

My memory is fuzzy these days.

Well we have someone on Order who's still attuned to the old training island and provide us with Boom! spells So they still exist.

[Antonath]

Umm, weren't most of them sunk back into the ocean? Or was that just planned and never implemented?

My memory is fuzzy these days.

Then we attach ropes to every Dragon on the server and lift them back up again

It'd be a pity if they've been sunk. I always got the feeling whoever made them had put a lot of effort into "their" islands.

Antonath

[Ivy]

really love that idea

[LaughingOtter]

Well we have someone on Order who's still attuned to the old training island and provide us with Boom! spells So they still exist.

That would be one of the tutorial Spirit Isles. I think there are six of them or so, all identical. They are all still out there. I have an alt attuned to one of them so I can get tutorial sandstone & flax too.

It's just not Istaria without Jaunty Hats!

Anyway, I've never really explored one of the Spirit Isles, but as I recall, they aren't very big and have very little open space. The other three starter islands (New Brommel, etc.) would indeed make nice communities. Or nice adventuring areas, for that matter. It would be nice to see them in use again, for whatever reason, instead of being empty.

[Sigi]

Nice idea! I also grew up at New Vasserak and I would love a plot there

[Zexoin]

I forgot to say that it's a great idea

[Ivy]

it even wouldnt be a bad thing to have very few lairs or plots on the actual active starter island too, might be interesting to give those newbies a clue that there is something more in the game ..

[Steelclaw]

Are we talking about the old starter islands (spirit island?) where new players first land, or are we talking about the three infrequently-visited training islands?

[Takora Drakan]

I think we're mostly talking about New Brommel, Vassak and uhmm forgot the name... you know the 3 islands that are abadonned because new trismus got all the content.

I think they are to nice and beautiful to get nuked away, just make plots and lairs there please

[Guaran]

The old starter islands aren't empty of anything really except players. Mobs all still spawn. Rather than gutting them for use as lair communities (which you know would be what happens, lesser aradoth has never been the same since they "revamped" it), just add New islands for lairs. This of course is only needed IF, after the plot reclaims, there is a shortage of lairs. Which I do not think will be the case.

I like the old islands the way they are and would vote against radical changes. Putting them back to use somehow I think would be good. Perhaps they should be saved in case the game ever gets a larger community and New Trismus becomes crowded.

Or, they could add quests to kill the named mobs on those islands. New players would then be encouraged to visit and explore them. I grew up on New Vassarak and did some hunting on New Koraleia as well up in the snow until about level 20 hatchie. Quests could start on new tris from normal trainers, and send them over to the other islands to hunt down named etc. New Vassaracks blighted zone is the best of the 4 imho.

But convert them to housing? No. Don't go wrecking some of the few really nice places the game still has.

[Steelclaw]

But convert them to housing? No. Don't go wrecking some of the few really nice places the game still has.

I'll second that. (If we're talking about the training islands) They'd be better places for low (or mid) level content rather than another housing project.

[LOVWYRM]

yeah- make it a nature sanctuary

might be good for Istaria`s ecology:-))

a place to visit with our youngers:-))

[AmonGwareth]

Please don't worry that the islands (New Vassarak, New Koraelia, New Brommel) will be removed. I think they are probably some of the most well done and gorgeous areas in the game and i have no desire to destroy them.

Now, as for what will be done with them I don't know. We've discussed many possibilities including making them into quest areas with individual stories, into adventure zones of some sort, and so forth.

Nevertheless, I wanted to let you know that they have not been forgotten. They are just lower on the priority list of things to work on given our resources.

[Zexoin]

Please don't worry that the islands (New Vassarak, New Koraelia, New Brommel) will be removed. I think they are probably some of the most well done and gorgeous areas in the game and i have no desire to destroy them.

Now, as for what will be done with them I don't know. We've discussed many possibilities including making them into quest areas with individual stories, into adventure zones of some sort, and so forth.

Nevertheless, I wanted to let you know that they have not been forgotten. They are just lower on the priority list of things to work on given our resources.

Well, if you're not sure about what to do with those islands, why not ask players what they think ? Maybe open a new thread where everyone could post their own suggestions about what to do with them, then discuss what is possible and what is not, what is interesting and what is not. Would be great of we players could choose what to do with a part of our world

[GalemThawn]

We've discussed many possibilities including making them into quest areas with individual stories...

Well, if you're not sure about what to do with those islands, why not ask players what they think ? Maybe open a new thread where everyone could post their own suggestions about what to do with them, then discuss what is possible and what is not, what is interesting and what is not. Would be great of we players could choose what to do with a part of our world

How about a contest for indepth, multi-layered, multi-threaded, quest content ideas.
Involve your resources of writers out here and let them come up with fresh ideas. You then take those ideas, evolve and change them to your own. Even outlines of quests and stories would likely help (unless you get too much material to go over).

[AmonGwareth]

That would be a great idea once we're ready to work on them. But when I say they are low on the list... Heh... better to underpromise/overdeliver, remember? I have no plans for them at this time. Too many other things to work on.

But feel free to continue discussing what you'd like to see. I just wanted to let you know our stance on it.