I figure it would be a good idea, so the developers can know how the server feels... Luckly i don't have almost no negative things to say.
The setting seems fresh when on Mistlocke's side. The new areas are, imo a a bit unecesarily long for walking, particulary thouse of the woods near Mistlocke, once you reach the desert, swamp or whatever that corrects itself due to encounters with enemies.
Speaking of wich, this are very well done. I had complained in the past that in the wilds you'd either find
a) A single enemy that killed the party or
b) A group of enemies a wisdom based bard dual-wielding clubs could kill easily.
That's no longer the case. The encounters i've found offer a good challenge for an unbuffed party. I also note the absence of a "If you get a low roll you die" enemy encounter. I like that absence. Not sure how lower level PCs feel this though, i did see 4 players dead when i logged as my alt. I think it might be a little tough for new PCs, but then again, the main roads are completly safe, so i'd say it's fine.
Everything feels new on mistlocke's side. I'm going to have fun exploring the new areas for a while. This areas are very well done eye-candywise btw.
When in the "old" areas, i feel like i was playing an EFU sequel. Wich is great IMO, reminds me a bit of bajo tooie. I also get nervous, they do give the "danger" feeling. I love the fact that the new quests are so accesible. They are not really hidden so one can find them easily (save for the granary one). I worry players might spam the closest ones though, as they are not overly dificult and are rewarding and fun.
Anyway, that's it for me. I love the changes in general!
I love the areas of old are now infested. Gives a feeling that it IS the apocalypse. I do wonder though: How long does it take for the Withering to take someone? Do we know roughly how many Withering points we've progressed?
Either way, I love the system (though I do feel there should be a way to do some small reversals, nothing huge, mind, just little bits to help extend characters), or ways to resist it.
You can hotkey a diagnose withering player tool, to examine yourself or others to determine how far along you are. It takes an extremely long time, and probably no one is even remotely close to getting out of even the first stage.
There are plenty of temporary cures available IG.
Thank you for your feedback, please keep it coming.
I feel like PCs coming from Chapter 2 should have had more a gauntlet to run transitioning to Chapter 3, though I might just be reminiscent of The Way. I would have thought their withering to progress faster, or started at a higher value.
Chapter 3 is of course amazing thus far and I am excited for what is to come.
QuoteI feel like PCs coming from Chapter 2 should have had more a gauntlet to run transitioning to Chapter 3
The Pass to Rabbanatha is actually supposed to be full of dangerous mist monsters but due to a bug they cause too much lag in that area so consequently have been disabled until we fix it. As a result I guess PCs are having a much easier time of it!
When I walked in there, there were like 5 bodies piled on top of each other. I'm guessing the Mist transitions will be badass after they are fixed. I still felt pretty on edge walking through though.
I'm not sure we need the goblin assassins spawning on the bridge.
Quote from: derflaro;244078I feel like PCs coming from Chapter 2 should have had more a gauntlet to run transitioning to Chapter 3, though I might just be reminiscent of The Way. I would have thought their withering to progress faster, or started at a higher value.
Chapter 3 is of course amazing thus far and I am excited for what is to come.
I don't know what Chapter 1 to Chapter 2 was like, but some players were on for way too many hours, during the final days without the shield. Some of those fights were utterly brutal.
For the old timers who were on a lot, how did that stack up to The Way?
The lead in from 1 to 2 was largely the same in terms of length and difficulty, however in the transition from 1 to 2, you had to go up the Way which was difficult and arduous, where as 2 to 3 was relatively easy by comparison. That's what he is referring to.
So, as far as comparing it to the way, the way killed as many PC's as the end plot did. <_<
I love the new setting, one suggestion might be to vary the animal spawns outside Mistlocke in the woods a little. It seems only birds and deer spawn there, with boars and such apparently totally absent.
Would have vastly preferred a total wipe, or some kind of extreme survival event reminscient of the Way for PCs going from EFU:A->EFU:M.
Otherwise, its all excellent. The areas, the overall logistics of travel, the secrets and mysteries, the lack of substantial bugs...everything is amazing.
Well done.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_neU2mR_Rtm4/SRCbHjWXACI/AAAAAAAAAnY/Ffc5tGyiljs/s400/quimby.jpg)
I love the Mayor of Mistlocke.
Vote Quimbly.
Quote from: you axed for it;244119Would have vastly preferred a total wipe, or some kind of extreme survival event reminscient of the Way for PCs going from EFU:A->EFU:M.
Otherwise, its all excellent. The areas, the overall logistics of travel, the secrets and mysteries, the lack of substantial bugs...everything is amazing.
Well done.
You were free to fight those Nightrisers at the end.
I would have preferred a wipe too.
Haha, its funny that there should have been Mist monsters as well, I know I personally lost a solid three well equipped characters to that horrible horrible Mist Road... though two are due to my own stupidity and one to a bug.
I really like seeing the some of the old NPC's carry over. it makes it feel like a continuation other than a whole new server.
ALSO MAJOR PROPS to whoever designed the travel through time thing, I think I enjoyed that more than DM l3wt
I am inclined to agree with Black Tophat. The Dream sequence was legen-wait for it, hope you're not lactose intolerant-dary!
Quote from: Semli;244086When I walked in there, there were like 5 bodies piled on top of each other. I'm guessing the Mist transitions will be badass after they are fixed. I still felt pretty on edge walking through though.
Yep... I loved the voices coming from the mist... wonderfully eerie for a newly awakened Sleeper already in a state of confusion.
Quote from: Barber;244110I don't know what Chapter 1 to Chapter 2 was like, but some players were on for way too many hours, during the final days without the shield. Some of those fights were utterly brutal.
For the old timers who were on a lot, how did that stack up to The Way?
50 people attempted to get to the surface and about 8 managed to make it. The transition to chapter 3 is no comparison, its like comparing the fat rat quest to Coral Cove, or orcs 2 if all the berzerkers were replaced with chosen of gathmar.
So, harder, right Naga?
Personally I felt like the final events of 2 were our bataan deathmarch, and I remind you that harder doesn't equal better.
I think I would have preferred a vault wipe, or at least something more difficult than a script taking 80% of potions and most of your gold. I see a lot of the old PCs being rather inactive while the new ones are off exploring, questing, and building relationships with other characters. Whether that's from the script crippling them, the lack of knowledge on where to go, or whatever else I don't know.
One of the greatest things I've noticed is the new starting method. I like that you can purchase more to begin the game and aren't forced to run in circles around the city delivering shit to accomplish the same thing. I think the intro provides a great bit of lore and history right at the start yet keeps it basic enough for even new players to hop right in.
Overall I think it's a fantastic change. The few things I would suggest are -
http://www.escapefromundeath.com/forums/showthread.php?p=244216#post244216
Quote from: VanillaPudding;244214I think I would have preferred a vault wipe, or at least something more difficult than a script taking 80% of potions and most of your gold. I see a lot of the old PCs being rather inactive while the new ones are off exploring, questing, and building relationships with other characters. Whether that's from the script crippling them, the lack of knowledge on where to go, or whatever else I don't know.
On the contrary, I am having more fun than in a long, long while with an old character in the new setting. If you continue with a PC, it's because you genuinely feel you have something cool to achieve with them; Otherwise, this is the perfect opportunity to try something new, after all. I'm glad there wasn't a wipe.
What's so neat about continuing with an old PC is that you are in the unique position of possessing old knowledge that makes the new knowledge you can seek all the more interesting. You have first-hand experienced things that even now continue to evolve; You know about the legends and history of the isle and can apply this knowledge to continuously further their progress. You don't have to start off new and clueless about the lots of very awesome knowledge assembled during the last chapter, which ties in with everything going on at the moment; especially not with some of the more lore-savvy fellows around to keep the history alive. A lot of new blood is great, but having some old profiles around still is very neat, in my opinion.
As for general stuff, it's awesome! It really feels like the server has a new spark of energy; I wasn't around for the transition between EfU and EfU:A, so what it reminds me of is mostly back when the server started. So much new stuff to dig into! I know for sure I am revitalized, at least.
Yeah, I'm glad that old PCs weren't totally screwed, but instead there were a lot of opportunities for permadeath if you made the wrong IC decisions. Your character could make their own choice on how to respond to the Apocalypse. They could be a hero, run for the hills, hide in the temple etc. In comparison, the Way was a single do or die, mechanically challenging gauntlet run needing no small amount of luck. After Alvin died during High Noon on the Enclave, I was worried that no way would my new PC be able to amass the levels and supplies for a meatgrinder like the Way. Instead, it was RP decisions, not mechanics that let Aorli live. The fact that a mix of character levels and ages actually survived rather than just a few veteran/powergamer PCs makes a nice mix of old and new in the new setting.
Being able to respawn on old PCs means there's going to me more of a staggered transition from Chapter 2 to 3, with old PCs being willing to take risks to continue their story. I'd disagree with VP. There's plenty of Chapter 2 PCs taking the intiative, in fact a good half of the chars organising stuff on the forums are from Chapter 2 I think.
I personally thought it was a fantastic ending and that it is a fascinating new beginning. I am thankful for the opportunity to achieve some final closure with Camille; this way, she may either find new purpose and life or simply 'fade away' if she doesn't find one. (Or burn out, hopefully. It's better to burn out than to fade away.)
I had rather expected Camille to die during the end of chapter two -- it was not only brutal and wearying fights with little in the way of resupply, it was also personally demoralising (ICly, that is!) Keeping up her spirits and showing a brave face to people around her to keep their spirits up as well was a major effort. I agree with Waffle that the last days were in a sense our death march; so many people died permanently and it was brutal on the survivors.
Looking forward to more in chapter 3!
I loved the ending, it was unexpected and certainly entertaining. The last week was a struggle, surviving on the bare minimal resources just hoping to make it through from fight to fight.
The tension and fear could be felt in the temple when the final event was coming. When howland announced chapter 3, the shock was plain for everyone to see.
As for the new chapter, well its amazing.
The fact that everyone is now so close together, and not separated by huge factions and settlements is only a good thing in my eyes. It means more day to day interactions, more conflict.
The two trading houses, being supported by dm's. But recruitment handled by pc's is an amazing addition. It gives the vibe of Montague and Capulet houses in Romeo and Juliet.
The server is jam packed with new mysteries, and the player count these days shows just how much people are loving it.
Rock on efu, i cant wait to see whats in store for us.
I've been keeping my mouth shut about this for a long time, so I just wanted to say that I'm really glad EfU:A is finally over. I never really felt like it measured up to the mystery and dramatic tension of the Underdark. It just seemed incomplete somehow.
Mistlocke, on the other hand, fills that void completely. It feels like this is how the server was meant to be in the first place. I love it.
Vault wipe should have happened, as all it is is the old characters hanging around eachother. Mighta been cool if maybe 2 or 3 old characters returned, but not basically the whole playerbase.
Edit:
Oh and I also think the town needs to be bigger, and have a somewhat "Dodgey" area like v1 and 2 had. IE: Lower and Docks
The issue of returning PCs is surely always a controversial one, and one in which people will never agree upon. The truth is that in a month it will hardly matter, but last time we had mass death and enforced retirement a lot of perfectly good players (often more casual players) really had a rough time with and some left to never return.
I am personally pretty happy with the Dimensions of Mistlocke, and the Old Stones as a somewhat dodgier place. I personally have no interest in trying to blindly copy and imitate "Lower" again and again. We all liked it in Sanctuary, but our towns should feel different and be different.
It's fine. Just play.
If you wanted a wipe, you had ample oportunities to retire your PCs. There was the diluvian thing, Capitan Roose or wahtever fleeing-fleet. A whole lot of PCs died to the risers in the last weekend. I too would have liked a large perma-death event at the end that forcefully several of the PCs at the temple. And to be honest to a degree i reject not having made a new character... but my whole objective was to get my main PC to live, so...
ShadowCharlatan, you perfectly summed up my feelings regarding the nobility system vs elections. Dead on. And yeah, fuck Kingsman's.
Playing it over the last few days, I'm seeing parallels with a lot of things I missed from the Underdark. The clear feeling of danger when outside the town. The more PC-driven political system. The obvious looming threats on the island. There never felt like there was anything on Ymph that measured up to Traensyr, the Illithids and the Beholders, but now we have Lotheri and H'bala, two major villains with their own areas of control. The Mist Paths too add a lot of atmosphere, making travelling the island less routine. It's going to make Ymph feel a lot bigger.
I tried to do the fat rat quest but the fat rat must have escaped in the mist too. :/
Otherwise this is bloody fantastic. The start for a new character is.... freaking phenomenal.
The general atmosphere is all I was missing from Sanctuary, and more. The perfect choice, I feel.
That the DM team managed to create so much, all in secrecy and all parallel to maintaining the very much still awesome EFU:A, is just incredible. I can't wait to see more of this.
Looking forward to continuing the story. I was not expecting Chapter 3 to pop up like this.
As usual, thanks for all the hard work DM team.
EFUM looks really cool to me, I look forward to returning as a player and joining in the fun.
I love the new setting, it's re-kindled my interest in EfU and desire to play. It feels much more mysterious and adventure-y.
I've mostly played nature-based characters in EfU:A primarily because every time I made a town-based PC I just couldn't get into it, basically for all the reasons ShadowCharletan outlined...Dealing with the town politics and factions in EfU:A actually made me feel tired and oddly it all just felt too much like real life to me...I play this game for the fantasy and adventure part!
Anyway the point is, in addition to feeling re-inspired within team nature and my current PC, I'm also already excitedly brainstorming new concepts all of which are town-based PC's which is new for me. Yay EfU for keeping it fresh and thank you for all the hard work that the builders and writers and DMs have obviously put into the place! It's a really fabulous project and I hope it keeps going so I can play it when I'm all old and stooped :D
Played thru the end to the new EFUM. Amazeing transition. Pretty seamless, and as for a guantlet, I see the Pass of Rabantha(sp?) more of darwininan evolutinary walk. The pass on the first few hours of the change over was littered with corpses! Almost all, folks recognized from the last stand in the Temple.
Playing EFUM now from a new char perspective..it is even more amazing.
(IF you are bored, or char from efua is now feeling a bit stale, highly recommend this)
Perhaps should change my login to efumfanboi instead.