[PROPOSAL] - "Should I Play/What is Istaria?" - Video

[Racktor]

Hello again all, I feel like I've made quite a few threads lately. I hope that's not a problem.

I was just mucking around on my hatchling Kailyr when a thought occurred to me. I don't think I've ever seen any real 'reviews' or overviews of Istaria except for one that was pretty good, but it only ever showed the biped side and the beginning tutorials which, honestly, don't do much for the game's image. (The tuts that is) There is a LOT of content they didn't address, and I really want to get what Istaria really is out there, beyond the instant "roflstomped by a gruok lawl ragequit".

I can't say I'd be unbiased myself, though I'm composing a list of pros and cons - I want to make a video just showing the game from an older player's eyes, explaining what it is, the limits of the system, and pros and cons. Unfortunately, I don't have a lvl 100 biped at all, craft nor adventure. I do have 5 ancients, only, so I can't show the biped aspect well. Might bug a friend to borrow theirs, but would need words of the community to help otherwise!

My youtube channel has 79 subscribers, most of whom I have no idea if they actually even watch me. My videos range from 200 views ("Tomorrow", most recent) to 14,000 views ("Adult Dragon Flight Demonstration on Istaria"). So I'm not huge in any way, but still, it's an idea! It's just something to help greet new players to show them what they're getting into and what they can look forward to, as well as showing what the game offers to potential new players.

So tell me if this is a good idea or if I should just not bother. And if it's a valid idea, please give me things I can mention!

Also, I wrote this 16 minutes past my bedtime and I'm about to facecomputer, and I lost my train of thought. So sorry if I sound really.... cluttered or scatterbrained.

[Dracillion]

Not sure where the retention is with new players. Only reason I bothered with coming back to this game was because I played it originally when it was Horizons years ago but had to quit due to school. Wouldn't have known it still existed if it wasn't for a friend of mine who played with me receiving an email promo for the game.

He was absolutely turned off from playing this game again. He played during beta and was the one who introduced me to the game. He played up until about a month after I quit and hasn't touched it since (he too thought the game was gone).

It's difficult to determine where the retention is. It seems anyone that sticks around have played this game before at some point years ago. I've tried getting new people to hop on but after their trial is up, they dump it and move on. To me it's at the same stage as other games of its generation where the player base is comprised of vets, and little to no influx of new players. This game in particular seems to attract dragon players, but the content is lacking overall, and once you hit the few 100's they need and cap off, there is not much to do. Bipeds are a little longer, but 278 is achievable within a couple months as is 234... so again, it's trivial. Besides bosses that requires group effort, there is no end game content.

All in all, I'd say make a video of the content you enjoy most. The areas in game that you like, the mobs, whatever. I don't think a promotional video will be worth the time if your hope is to draw a crowd. They're already out there. No one is coming.

[Racktor]

I didn't directly mean to draw a crowd - my intent really is just to say what Istaria is beyond the first few moments of the game with the tutorial, which is usually where some people quit. There are new players joining the game, from what I've seen, and some that stick around - te community isn't all vets.

I'm not trying to do a promotional video, I just want to explain the game ^^

[Tondargaet_Glit]

Think a video show-casing the parts of Istaria that you really enjoy would be great, Racktor. And, I'm one of the "newer" players who's stuck around (working on my 5th month now). I'd mention the community, especially on Order (never been on Chaos, so, can't speak to that)...might be small, but, it's the friendliest and most helpful I've run across anywhere. Also, this Forum and several of the "help and information" sites that are out there...

[Shoebuckle]

(...) Only reason I bothered with coming back to this game was because I played it originally when it was Horizons years ago (...)

*raises hand*

This sounds similar to my story.

In my case, I played during '04 and '05 - after becoming bored/burned out/fed up with EverQuest, and while trying to decide if I wanted to give EQII a try (which I eventually did.)

I loved playing H:EoI, and I still enjoy playing I:CotG (almost) just as much - but if I wasn't a returning player I wouldn't be here past the two week trial.

It's a Ghost Town now. I was aghast when I realized there are only 3 consigners now, and then saw how very little they have to offer (compared to the old days).

Also, 'Back in the Day,' there were *many* more mobs wandering the roads - they were *everywhere*. (Heh, I've got an old screenshot lying around somewhere of an Avatar mob - Agony? Pain? - fighting with an NPC guard in Morning Light, which was little more than roadways and empty plots back then.)

It was nigh on to impossible to travel between cities (on foot) without having to fight, run like hell, or die (usually all three). Now, except for wolves, most of the road patrolling mobs (mostly blighted undead, iirc) are gone.

Anyway, what sticks in my craw most with this game is the lack of client stability - which is the *exact* same thing that ultimately drove me away 5 new computers and 4 operating systems ago.

I crash to my desktop every 3rd or 4th recall or teleport or so - just like I did almost a decade ago. (If I avoid recalling and teleporting, I still crash without warning, only not as often. I used to think this was due to a memory leak. I still do.)

And (even deserted) Tazoon, Kion, and Sslanis (to name just a few) are still horribly laggy. I get upwards of 50 fps (and sometimes more) elsewhere, but I'm down to under 20 in these places.

Another thing that I find incredibly annoying is how, after logging out (or crashing), my character's bank and personal inventories are always jumbled up when I return to the game. This too is something I remember from days of yore. (I don't recall if there was a fix or a workaround for this back then - I just know it happened then and that it still happens now.)

These are problems that I never experienced with any other MMO that I've played - except when I played Horizons: Empire of Istaria.

But these are issues that would definitely drive away a two week trial subscriber, in my view. (And they contributed mightily to my decision to stick with Free Access and its single human character restriction this time around.)

I'm not complaining (for FREE, who has a right to complain?), and I'm definitely not trying to put the game down - if I didn't think Istaria was worth playing, I wouldn't be playing it now - but no matter how many people you might succeed in attracting (via YouTube channels or by any other means), I believe that (largely because of the problems I mentioned - which is why I mentioned them) player retention will remain a central issue in terms of this game's future growth and success.

[Darkwing_Duck]

My highest biped`s level 50 scout. but if that`s plenty high, I`d be happy yo help! though I myself am still learning the tricks, and trades of playing a biped. XD sure love my little ssliky though

though I agree with Shoebuckle the game`s stability`s always been an issue. and those dreaded graphics glitches have spread worldwide. I used to only get them in Genevia (sandstone bluffs) and Nuthala sandstone field now every major city my graphics go wonky. At least I havn`t froze up my video card in a long time *crosses talons* Game crashes are common, especialy when the Istaria.exe file decided to freeze up. I do think that`s the biggest reason most new players stick around their trial, then leave. That and simple impatience to get a hatchling to adult.
MMO player of today almost purely consist of power levelers. It`s like the world`s gotten into a competition to see who can get to end game faster. then they play Istaria, and realize it`s an MMO designed to take your time, and enjoy the game.

when it comes to playing a biped vs. a dragon, Bipeds are more grindey when it comes to dragons. bipeds have less quests in accordance to their active school or race where every 10 levels dragons have a full set of ability quests. (biggest reason I tend to stick to dragons) If there were more school based quests available to bipeds, that might attract more players to play them.

[hallucin8]

I'm not sure how off topic this is, seems a few comments so far tell of their experiences, to which I would first like to make a comment to those unfortunate souls. As one of the lucky one's who has played for a decade or more now, I have been very fortunate it would seem, that I have not had the unpleasant experiences you have described. So I must insist, contact support via the ticket system. Get the problems documented, be part of the solution please, for everyone's sake, not just your own! Keep the comments coming though, as they probably help Rack decide what can go into the vidz as well as other things that may not have been obvious at first.

As for your idea Rack, I'm all for it. I would politely ask you to consider your approach to mentioning cons. I only say this, as some of the cons may become irrelevant, i.e. bug fixes, so we don't want to give the impression that these things are not addressed. I say this more so because anyone watching doesn't have the same background knowledge we do regarding our fantastic country, Istaria. Also, if they are presented as stand-alone comments/vidz, then there really is no context, which might make it sound far more of an issue than it might be.

Pros (and Cons) are great, really helps nail down what is on offer, and what is not. Personally, I think just focus on what you really enjoy doing, what gets you to login. That way you can present the setting and then mention cons or things you don't personally enjoy about particular situations or circumstances. I have no idea what you might present as a con, so please keep in mind that it may not seem that way to all players

I hope you have fun making your videos I have a disgustingly multi-classed ped, but not rating 278 (~250ish), but I don't enjoy the crafting, ever... regardless, I have delved into it on both ped and dragon, so if I can be of assistance, don't hesitate to ask!

[Dracillion]

*raises hand*

This sounds similar to my story.

In my case, I played during '04 and '05 - after becoming bored/burned out/fed up with EverQuest, and while trying to decide if I wanted to give EQII a try (which I eventually did.)

I loved playing H:EoI, and I still enjoy playing I:CotG (almost) just as much - but if I wasn't a returning player I wouldn't be here past the two week trial.

It's a Ghost Town now. I was aghast when I realized there are only 3 consigners now, and then saw how very little they have to offer (compared to the old days).

Also, 'Back in the Day,' there were *many* more mobs wandering the roads - they were *everywhere*. (Heh, I've got an old screenshot lying around somewhere of an Avatar mob - Agony? Pain? - fighting with an NPC guard in Morning Light, which was little more than roadways and empty plots back then.)

It was nigh on to impossible to travel between cities (on foot) without having to fight, run like hell, or die (usually all three). Now, except for wolves, most of the road patrolling mobs (mostly blighted undead, iirc) are gone.

Anyway, what sticks in my craw most with this game is the lack of client stability - which is the *exact* same thing that ultimately drove me away 5 new computers and 4 operating systems ago.

I crash to my desktop every 3rd or 4th recall or teleport or so - just like I did almost a decade ago. (If I avoid recalling and teleporting, I still crash without warning, only not as often. I used to think this was due to a memory leak. I still do.)

And (even deserted) Tazoon, Kion, and Sslanis (to name just a few) are still horribly laggy. I get upwards of 50 fps (and sometimes more) elsewhere, but I'm down to under 20 in these places.

Another thing that I find incredibly annoying is how, after logging out (or crashing), my character's bank and personal inventories are always jumbled up when I return to the game. This too is something I remember from days of yore. (I don't recall if there was a fix or a workaround for this back then - I just know it happened then and that it still happens now.)

These are problems that I never experienced with any other MMO that I've played - except when I played Horizons: Empire of Istaria.

But these are issues that would definitely drive away a two week trial subscriber, in my view. (And they contributed mightily to my decision to stick with Free Access and its single human character restriction this time around.)

I'm not complaining (for FREE, who has a right to complain?), and I'm definitely not trying to put the game down - if I didn't think Istaria was worth playing, I wouldn't be playing it now - but no matter how many people you might succeed in attracting (via YouTube channels or by any other means), I believe that (largely because of the problems I mentioned - which is why I mentioned them) player retention will remain a central issue in terms of this game's future growth and success.

Yeah. An issue that recently made me take an indefinite leave was with mobs not spawning. It seemed ever since that update where they required attunement to Acul (iirc, that town that you crossed the bridge to Morning Light) there has been nothing but spawn problems (starting with those sand crabs you need for that attunement on the beach). Unfortunately it made some weeks unplayable as all I have left to do are trophies, but when mobs are buggy or not spawning completely, that makes progression literally impossible.

Also, something that your post reminded me of: guards and NPC activity in general. At one point, you had a lot more interaction from NPCs, such as patrolling, "guarding", and even chat and emotes. Things are so hindered resource wise anymore it seems that literally to have anything moving besides PC's would cause the server to crash (facetious). A new player seeing this would probably think, why do these guards even exist anymore if they serve no purpose? To make matters worse, to add new NPC's apparently others must be sent to the Forbidden Zone.

It's a bummer.

[Dracillion]

One thing I would definitely cover in the video are the unique aspects of the game. The crafting system is immense and is just awesome. The adventuring side isn't too far off either, with so many possibilities and play styles (lol). Nonetheless, it has a little bit of everything for everyone and the way both compliment one another is extraordinary. The lore is great too, for those that take the time to read it, especially on some older content and some of the epic quests.

All in all, it has its gems to those whom are patient enough to experience them!

[Shoebuckle]

(...) The crafting system is immense and is just awesome. (...)

You hit the nail right on the ol' noggin here. I spent the vast majority of my time in EQ becoming a tradeskill bum, and enjoying every minute of it (and it was really very grueling in those days too).

And in EQII I became even more hardcore as a tradeskiller, as that system was much more robust than the one which preceded it.

But in almost 15 years of online gaming (and I've spent time with at least 4 other MMO's besides these), I've never seen a crafting system (or setup) that comes even remotely close (in terms of depth, scope, detail, and balance) to the one here in Istaria.

I especially love crafting in this game, and I would strenuously advise any aspiring Istarian videographers to include a good look at the tradeskill/crafting side of things if they're looking to attract new players.

[Racktor]

Forgot about this topic for a bit. ^^;

To clarify, by cons I mean things that most likely will not be fixed in the future without any sort of kickstarter or heavy funding - i.e. the engine's limitations, graphics, etc. Not current bugs like using a purifying spell removes the crystalshaper crystal's effects. :P

But of course I will go into the crafting system. It's a vital part of Istaria and an enjoyed aspect by some. ^^

I may try and record the voice part of this tonight if I have time.

[Yildar]

I've been pondering something since this thread was first started...

First, I'm all for this. After being gone for a long time (since when the server merges were first announced), coming back has been truly delightful. I had forgotten how complex - not complicated, but rich and vibrant - the crafting system is. And I am a crafting bum.

But let's assume that a few new people bite on this video - which they will, I have no doubt! Dated graphics, meh. Who cares when you have such a robust and inter-related craft system, where you literally make nearly everything you use or wear! Compare this to WoW, where by the time you get the comps to make those really cool items... you're already wearing better and all you can do is make crap for your alts. When I first came back and wrapped up the tutorial, got into NT, and started leveling up... I realized two key things that were going to have major impact on my happiness in game:
1. The game does not have a "crafting for dummies" site. There are tons of resources out there but you really have to do some probing and digging to understand how crafting works and how the different skills interlock and relate to each other. I got really frustrated when I tinkered up some cargo clothes (which I remembered from before) but then went back to outfitter and *wait what do you mean I don't get any experience for deconstructing anymore!!!!* So back to the websites to figure out just how I messed up... and until you research the salvage skill, you really don't have a clue what you did. So now I know. If I could just find a training salvage awl! Since I can't, I just need to level everything else past 250 and use my bronze one to cap my salvage and manually decon.
2. With as small a population as we have... you can't rely on the player economy to make your fortune (like you could "way back when"). So giving someone a good idea of where to start to get enough money to buy your forms/techs to start skill would be helpful. I was lucky, Rengaw graciously gave me some silver to start - which has been incredibly helpful (and once I have my plot paid for, you're getting your silver back with interest Rengaw!).

I guess what I'm saying is that I'd love to see a follow-up to your Intro video with a real basic "getting started: crafting for dummies" vid - just show some simple crafting - "here I am in NT, starting out as a level 3 outfitter. I'm heading down the path to meet my new trainer, who has a quest for me! I need to craft 5 cloth belts. Oh look, he gave me some starting equipment and the cloth belt formula. Here I'm scribing the formula, here's me making flax spools, here's the belts, here's the turn in - and here's 500 copper!"

I just think something like that would help someone who was trying the game for the first time. Once they've done some crafting and gotten a few levels, they'll be more likely to stick around long enough to do the digging needed to find the gems. But they need some immediate "dings" for self-gratification to encourage them to put in a little effort. At least that's my opinion.

And best of luck with the vid! Labors of love are ALWAYS worth the time invested!!!