some suggestions

[anonimas]

I must say I do enjoy Istaria. And I thought about some updates. Some may be cosmetics, some may require complete revamp, but it's up to the Virtrium to decide (or delete this topic...).

Battle
1. Double-weapons option. Present situation: if I am warrior, I may wield melee weapon and shield (or no shield). Suggestion: let me wield two melee weapons. If player choose to wield two melee weapons, pros are: bonus to melee attack avoidance, additional chance to hit, any special attack done automatically by the best weapon; cons are: no range attack blocking/dodging, since you can't hit arrow with your sword, no magic attack blocking/dodging (since you can't hit magic with the sword) and problems with magic use (either temporaly unequip both weapons or be unable to use it). Such situation may be good if player fights melee-attacking mobs that typically do not use magic.

2. Battlestaff. Well, that's something taken from old "Master of Magic" PC game. The idea is there may exist staves loaded with certain combat spells. Of course, usable by magic users (druids, mages, clerics...) only (i.e. warrior could not use it). After using all "charged" spells player would be forced to recharge.

3.[warning:may be my wrong opinion]: revamp monsters. So far, I am having...difficulties while fighting some monster who is even a bit lower than me. Example: level 61 Cleric with up-to-date armor and weapon (jewellery only is out-dated) versus level 56-57 wolf. If one to one, Cleric has a little chance; if 2:1 - dead Cleric. Another example: fighting one-to-one with level 48 Granite golem and level 37-38 Automatron. Both does the same amount of damage to level 61 player. I do realise there may be random numbers etc., but it's a bit...unfair, I think.

4. No dead harvesting: if player is harvesting resources from fallen monster, the nearest monster would always come to deal with "tomb raider".

5. Assault on towns. Saw this concept in another (Russian one) MMORPG. The idea is: sometimes monster decide to attack town. The level of monsters correspond to the town level (i.e. town where all quests are for 20-30 lvls, would be attacked by a mix of 20-30 level monsters).If players defend their town - it's ok, gained xp, trophies. If not - random building is destroyed and players have to contribute resources to it.

Quests
1. Named monster means quest. Starting from Pebble, ending with SoG. It is no very difficult to write some lines and offer some reward.

2.Quest line. That's what I would encourage to do. I do like Vandus line quests (which is repeated by me third time...), they are different from boring grinding (kill 50 flies, kill 150 Tomb Guards, kill 100 skulks, kill 90 automatrons...). Please, make quest lines so that player would have to visit different towns and do some actions: you finish one phase, you are given second and so untill the last.

3. Player's choice. I have said in post before and would repeat it again. I think it is a good idea to let player choose. Example: player (P) arrives at camp. He mets NPCs, call them A and B (presuming player talks to them first):
A: Oh brave [adventure], you have arrived in time! Evil Chickens are besieging us, please kill their leader and bring his CHicken King Ring so [NPC in Dalimond] could make a magic barrier!
B: Do not listen to him, [adventure], the magic of the ring is need for [region] Milita! Bring the ring to me!
The player sees in his quest window:
-Slain Evil Chicken King 0/1
-Bring Evil Chicken King's Ring to [NPC in Dalimond] 0/1
OR
-Bring Evil Chicken King's Ring to [B]

If player chooses first option, he may be given another quest line, say, "Investigate Chicken ring", this time without choices, but would be ignored by that region's militia. If player choose second option, he may be given quest line "Supply militia with magic crystals", but NPC in Dalimond will ignore him. Therefore, player may choose: for example, option 1 is more for crafting experience, while option 2 is more for combat experience. Alternatively, choice may dictate different rewards. Example: players finds Ring and is offered to give to Mage, to Sergeant or to Oddities Broker. Mage will give crafting xp, Sergeant - combat xp, and Broker - money only. Example 2: while killing Golems, player finds "very rare Golem crown" and message: if you deliver this Crown to NPC in Tazoon within 10 minutes, you will get a reward, otherwise the crown will disappear (and could not be sold within these 10 minutes).

4. Medium-level crafting quests. So far, I found them to be lacking. Exception - Valley of repose where player may choose between Crafting and Battle. What if some such quests are introduced? Some may be for formulas, like "To get Journeyman Big Bloody All-Killing Axe formula,craft 200 Cobalt bars for me", some may be for techniques or experience points.

5. Lost NPCs. Some NPCs are lost as player overgrows the level and - goodbye NPC. I suggest (in case multi-choice is approved) that all NPCs would be re-usable. Example with that Chicken Ring, if player chooses to go to Dalimond. Player is sent to...New trismus to ask local militia for advice and they may send to some encampment near Kion. It is just a way to make these NPCs usable again.

6. Things visible when they should be. Example: I was searching for Gregory the Traitor and (my hurry to blame!) missed one camp. Run into gregory Camp instead, killed Gregory...and found quest is not over. Surprise...Therefore, suggestion: if quest A requires player to ask 5 guards and only the fifth guard would reveal Gregory's location - Gregory's location should not be visible to player untill he talks to 5 guards.

Crafting
No serious complaints there as almost everything is ok. Some notes:
1. Please make some resources less-guarded (like granite that is guarded by Nickel or Granite golems, or Cobalt that is guarded by Cobalt or Mithrill golems). I do not ask to remove protection, just to make a bit safier...
2. Please allow jewellery (rings etc) to be socketed. Now only necklace (if I am not wring) may be socketed, but in reality I can wear crystal in a ring etc.
3. The main: please, make adding resources to the building easier! Now it is a pain - I have to calculate where there is a corner for the building? What if it would enough to just come near to the building and add resources without calculating corners? I was thinking on alternative - some 'magic gateway' at some corner of the plot so that anyone could put resources for structure without even seing a structure. As for me, any of these improvements would oe of great help.

That's for the begining. Please do not criticise too harsh...

[Raptress]

4. No dead harvesting: if player is harvesting resources from fallen monster, the nearest monster would always come to deal with "tomb raider".

This would only serve to make me not harvest from golems at all. They already feel like they yield even less than a regular resource node, meaning I only end up harvesting them if they aggro onto me while I'm going at a node. If harvesting a dead golem that I killed just to stop hearing it swing at me meant I got more on me, I'd just leave it.

5. Assault on towns.

This has been suggested numerous times in the past. It's a fun idea in theory, but in practice it'd most likely mean that every attackable town on Order or Blight ended up ruined.

Quests
1. Named monster means quest. Starting from Pebble, ending with SoG. It is no very difficult to write some lines and offer some reward.
2.Quest line.
4. Medium-level crafting quests.

More quests are always agreeable to me. ^^

I would like to see crafting quests return in some capacity too.. It's kind of nice to be doing something other than purely grinding sometimes. I thought that Guran the Blacksmith's long list of quests that rewarded the player with a pretty substantial amount of coin was a good thing.

I'd like to see more of that, though it may be of benefit to design repeatable crafting quests rather than one-time quests. Crafting takes a long time to level, even moreso if you're turning in your creations and not deconning them. At high levels, it's probably not beyond reality to assume that a player could go through a long list of quests without gaining a single level, unless the exp reward was bumped pretty high up.

Crafting quests would also be very helpful in providing an income to players that prefer to craft. As it is, adventuring is where all the money is.

Once I leave NT as a dragon, for example, I can easily just go from that point to 100 DCRA and not see a single copper more than I left NT with unless I want to trade efficient leveling for cash, something adventurers do not have to do. Even then, the cash isn't very good since pawnbrokers work the way they do.

3. Player's choice.

Just so you know, there are already some quests in the game that require the player to choose between two different quest lines. These are fine so long as there aren't too many of them (takes dev time to make two quests like this, but a player will only actually get content equal to one quest) and the rewards, if they differ, are clear to the player, which Istaria has a hard time being able to show. Players are disappointed if they later find out they would have liked the reward of the other quest line better.

5. Lost NPCs.
6. Things visible when they should be.

These are probably just not possible with Istaria's engine. They sound to me as if you're looking for a phasing system akin to WoW, and I have no doubts that Istaria is incapable of pulling that off.

Besides which, I and I'm sure many other players do quests far below our characters' levels for various reasons. I'd be annoyed if I missed out on quests because I outleveled them and the NPC is just gone or something. I also don't really see why you seem to be under the impression the NPC has to lose low-level functionality to gain new functionality.. it's not as if the devs couldn't have Pratt on NT be part of a T6 quest.

[anonimas]

Thanks for the reply.
I have to explain some things:
*Player's choice. There are some quests I can choose from (be it Valey of Repose alone: craft a lot or fight a lot and the reward is the same). I want more choice. Hints on reward may be in text:

A: Oh brave [adventure], you have arrived in time! Evil Chickens are besieging us, please kill their leader and bring his CHicken King Ring so [NPC in Dalimond] could make a magic barrier, [NPC in Dalimond] would surely reward you for [crafting] efforts!
B: Do not listen to him, [adventure], the magic of the ring is need for [region] Milita! Bring the ring to me and I will see that you, as a [adventurer] are rewarded!
The player sees in his quest window:
-Slain Evil Chicken King 0/1
-Bring Evil Chicken King's Ring to [NPC in Dalimond] 0/1
OR
-Bring Evil Chicken King's Ring to (B)

*Lost NPC. Well, I had in mind that Pratt may (and in fact - must) be involved in high level quests. Example with monster (let it be Big Bloody Undead, level 99). Storyline:
1. Speak with [high level character in Imperial outpost]. The character remember there is some bloody undead. But more help is required. Since Pratt of NT trained all the Gifted since the begining of the Empire - go to Pratt and try to obtain the name of the creature.
2. Pratt in fact does remember there was some undead ravaging [teritory] long ago anf that abomination was called Big Bloody Undead. To gain more information, a visit to Sslanis militia is required as only their [magic using NPC] can provide with the location
3. Sslanis remembers: yes, our race fought that evil long long ago. Location is given, but finally instruction must be obtained at some camp near that location.
4. Camp near location.High level NPC gives a bit detailed description and wishes good luck.

So, all the "out-levelled" NPCs may be brought into life again giving quests or even giving rewards for high level players. That was what I meant.

*Things player should not see. Well, if Istaria engine does not allow it - maybe it allows renaming? So that Gregory's camp would be visible as "Bandit camp", henchmen would be "bandits" and Gregory would be "The Bandit"? After player obtains info about Traitor in the Midst and has spoken to all outposts - the camp would be normal Gregory camp with henchmen and Gregory himself. After player finishes the quest - the camp may be visible as Gregory camp. So the idea was -player should not be given hints beforehand. Maybe I was wrong there, I just thought it was not fun for me to discover Gregory's camp by accident.

*Assault on towns. Looks like I went wrong there. What if they just deploy some "Lesser Blight Anchor" - correspoding to town level and deploying monsters of town level? Annoyed players would be forced to cooperate and destroy.
---

One more suggestion to Quests:
please introduce group quests. I mean quest thay would require to form a group and do specific task. First I thought it was up to me to bring 10 friends and raid Skulk village to slain their leader. Well then...it came clear I had to slain 10 skulks...
So, "group quest" may be like:
1. Get a group of at least 3 friends 1/3
2. Kill 10 Skulks in Skulk village 0/10
3. obtain Rare Artifact

[Raptress]

Hints on reward may be in text

Hints aren't enough though. The quest-reward tech kits used to have descriptions that merely hinted at what they did, and this caused a lot of annoyance amongst the player base. Those tech kits have now been changed to show exactly what they do. Like using tech kits, quests can be only be done once. Players like to be sure what they're getting into, rather than regret what they cannot undo.

*Lost NPC.
So, all the "out-levelled" NPCs may be brought into life again giving quests or even giving rewards for high level players. That was what I meant.

So you just meant having lower level NPCs be used in higher level quests? It sort of sounded like you wanted NPCs to just disappear as a player got too high in level for their quests, which is something I would oppose.

*Things player should not see. Well, if Istaria engine does not allow it - maybe it allows renaming?

I don't think that Istaria can really do something like that. That would basically amount to Istaria being able to display a mob as one name to one player and another name to a different player, which I just don't see being possible.

I do think that I've seen quests that will spawn a creature at a certain point, at a certain location. Perhaps that functionality might achieve something similar to what you're looking for, e.g., Gregory only gets spawned once you've defeated the bandits or whatever.

*Assault on towns. Looks like I went wrong there. What if they just deploy some "Lesser Blight Anchor" - correspoding to town level and deploying monsters of town level? Annoyed players would be forced to cooperate and destroy.

It's still a fine line between fun and annoying. If it gets to the point where players are only defending the town because they're annoyed with the mobs, then I think that's a failure.

1. Get a group of at least 3 friends 1/3

Please, no. Even if you want to group, it's hard to find one (at least on Order and probably Blight). Having quests or mobs that are more easily done in a group is fine, but forcing upon the player an arbitrary number of people they must group with is not a good idea to me. All I see happening with it is that all "enforced grouping" quests will be skipped by the majority of players.

[anonimas]

So you just meant having lower level NPCs be used in higher level quests? It sort of sounded like you wanted NPCs to just disappear as a player got too high in level for their quests, which is something I would oppose.

Yes, I did mean precisely that. I do not want and never wanted peacefull NPCs to disappear. I don't want NT to look deserted with consigner and pawnbroker only. Contrary - I want them (lower tier peacefull NPCs) to appear in high level quests or even giving rewards for them.

Hints aren't enough though. The quest-reward tech kits used to have descriptions that merely hinted at what they did, and this caused a lot of annoyance amongst the player base. Those tech kits have now been changed to show exactly what they do. Like using tech kits, quests can be only be done once. Players like to be sure what they're getting into, rather than regret what they cannot undo.

Well, it is possible to do in some other ways. Example: player slains Giant Killer Chicken King and gets Chicken Ring. Automatically in quest window player gets text:
"Bring ring to Dalimond NPC [name] top get 200 crafting xp
OR
Bring ring to Dalimond Militia Liftenant to get 200 adventure xp
OR
Bring ring to Rhahool to get 20 silver coins".
I am not sure about other players as I am a newbie here, but personally I would like choices, even with hints (like "this path gives combat xp and this path gives crafting xp").

Groups: some quests do suggest that enemies are tough and player should think about bringing friends. Think about Gregory, undead camp near Heart, or "Defender of NT" or even raiding Skulk village near Dalimond. All those quests advice bringing friends. If I was in Virtrium team, I would risk to make one quest (for example, Skulk village) to be team-only. Sooner or later player would form a group or join a group - so such quest may teach how to do this. And as for me in Order (I am on Universal Soldiers chat) it is not a problem to find someone who would go with me. When I needed support with 2 quests (too many undead on my Cleric character) - I got support from two our Dragons and we exterminated anything in our path. I failed to do that quests alone (aggro of enemies caused almost instant death for me). Therefore - revamping one existing quest may be an option (the same Skulk village, maybe decreasing number of group to 2). Another solution - introduce as a training quest in NT: create a group of, say, 3 members; promote at least 1 to group leaders; kill [some] weaker skeletons. Reward - some high for NT combat experience.

I would also think about crafting groups: they may be needed for crafters to advance.

[Raptress]

A tutorial quest just to demonstrate how grouping works sounds fine, so long as it's stand alone. I'm heavily opposed to enforced grouping as a whole, sorry.

[Draeconis]

3.[warning:may be my wrong opinion]: revamp monsters. So far, I am having...difficulties while fighting some monster who is even a bit lower than me. Example: level 61 Cleric with up-to-date armor and weapon (jewellery only is out-dated) versus level 56-57 wolf. If one to one, Cleric has a little chance; if 2:1 - dead Cleric. Another example: fighting one-to-one with level 48 Granite golem and level 37-38 Automatron. Both does the same amount of damage to level 61 player. I do realise there may be random numbers etc., but it's a bit...unfair, I think.

I can sympathize, and completely agree, that a lot mobs are overpowered. But a Cleric is not a fighter class. They play a support role primarily. You don't mention if you have any other schools that would lend melee and/or casting abilities, so I'm assuming your character is Cleric only. Pick up Warrior to 20, then go Paladin. When in Paladin school, you'll lose the ability to cast the Health line spells, but you'll still have Revitalizes and Instant Heal, and a lot more damage output.

[anonimas]

<offtopic>I am level 41 Warrior and level 61 Cleric. These are all my adventure schools. But still, it is weird level 25 or 37 monster manages to hit me the same amount damage as level 47 Granite golem. </offtopic>

Besides, to the multiclassing. What I found a bit disturbing is "the lost points". If I am Warrior 41 and switch to Cleric - I won't get real training points untill I reach level 62 in Cleric school. Well, this forces (at least me) to choose only one school, somehow manage it to level; 100 and then back to previous school.
Solution may be found in, let us say, connection s between schools. Example: melee class (warrior) , ranged class (scout), magic class (cleric, mage). So, if I pick up Warrior and later decide to switch to Paladin, from paladin to Berserker - I get training points in the old way. But if I switch from Warrior to Mage - maybe it would be wise to let training points flow since the begining (or, if that is considered like cheating - at 50% rate, 6 instead of 12 untill reached the level of the highest combat school).

[Draeconis]

You can use Buy Back Points to balance your skills out. The amount available is based on your level, and they regenerate over time. If memory serves, it takes about a week for Buy Backs to regenerate to max, capping out at 300 for a level 100.

[AmonGwareth]

There are many higher level quests that take you back to earlier tiers. They don't do it much at all in Tiers 1 and 2, but in Tier5 and 6 quests they do often take you all around the world to various NPCs.

[Raptress]

Besides, to the multiclassing. What I found a bit disturbing is "the lost points".

You don't lose any training points. It's just that only get them once per level - no matter what class you earned that level with. You only get 100 levels worth of training points, in other words. No more, no less.

[anonimas]

Me again with some suggestions (since it is little reason to open a new topic):

1. Please make level 100 a Top Level. Since lvl.101 requires some 1 trillion xp points, it is almost impossible to achieve. Not sure about other players, but I would be satisfied knowing that I have reached the top and there is nothing more (in that school) to achieve.

2. Would it be possible to add more Mithril veins? As far as I know, there are some in Aughundell mines (very far from smelter/anvil, no silos) and near the Mithril Anvil (not too far from smelter/anvil, no public silos).

3. Monster trophy drops. It looks like some monster trophy drops (Marble golems, for example) have been decreased. Some monsters already are greedy not only for trophies, but even for components (Mithrill golems). Question: would it be possible to return Marble golems to their previous drop rate and increase a bit components/trophy drops by Mithrill golems?

[meepsa]

Anonimas, there IS no level 101, it's just a visual, I'm pretty sure the exp that you gather while on level 100 resets over time anyhow.

[AmonGwareth]

1. Please make level 100 a Top Level. Since lvl.101 requires some 1 trillion xp points, it is almost impossible to achieve. Not sure about other players, but I would be satisfied knowing that I have reached the top and there is nothing more (in that school) to achieve.

Meepsa is correct, there is no level 101. You could gain a trillion xp and never reach it.

2. Would it be possible to add more Mithril veins? As far as I know, there are some in Aughundell mines (very far from smelter/anvil, no silos) and near the Mithril Anvil (not too far from smelter/anvil, no public silos).

Sorry, there are plenty of sources for mithril in the game already. Have you looked in mithril canyon? You can get resources not only from veins but from the golems there too. Or check Saritova or on Drakul.

3. Monster trophy drops. It looks like some monster trophy drops (Marble golems, for example) have been decreased. Some monsters already are greedy not only for trophies, but even for components (Mithrill golems). Question: would it be possible to return Marble golems to their previous drop rate and increase a bit components/trophy drops by Mithrill golems?

No can do, they are well balanced now.

[C`gan]

Crafting
No serious complaints there as almost everything is ok. Some notes:
1. Please make some resources less-guarded (like granite that is guarded by Nickel or Granite golems, or Cobalt that is guarded by Cobalt or Mithrill golems). I do not ask to remove protection, just to make a bit safier...
2. Please allow jewellery (rings etc) to be socketed. Now only necklace (if I am not wring) may be socketed, but in reality I can wear crystal in a ring etc.
3. The main: please, make adding resources to the building easier! Now it is a pain - I have to calculate where there is a corner for the building? What if it would enough to just come near to the building and add resources without calculating corners? I was thinking on alternative - some 'magic gateway' at some corner of the plot so that anyone could put resources for structure without even seing a structure. As for me, any of these improvements would oe of great help.

1. Granite is unguarded in the Upper Aughundell Mine, complete with both machines. Cobalt is unguarded in Char, north of Dralk. All resources actually do have unguarded spots to collect them. The trick is exploring to find them.

2. Jewelry sockets on things other than necklaces are likely not going to happen since dragons don't have equivalent spots to wear more jewelry crystals.

3. Corner of a building? When you select a scaffolding, you see a selection. Where you place the resources is actually at the center of the selection, not a corner. This is ESPECIALLY true of the ivy archways. It can be very daunting to find the right spot on them unless you select the unbuilt model, crawl through the ropes, and stand directly in the middle. Some structures have a larger build footprint than others (for instance a small tree versus an ore refinery). However, the radius from the center is approximately a number of meters out from the center. For most structures, this means you can be at the edge of the scaffolding. Now, when it comes to flooring, there's some toss up on where to place. Some flooring pieces use the center. Some use a single point in a corner. Unfortunately, that's the best possible solution so the flooring units may be placed under structures on the plot.

[Velea]

All flooring pieces at this point should use a corner, not the center. If you find any which do use the center, it is a bug and should please be reported.

Also, the range at which you can be from the footprint (which is what the client is actually looking at) was increased significantly two patches ago, just as an FYI.