Life is Feudal Official Forum

[Jezbelle]

So, as we know, this game varies in the aspect that it does not have conventional PVE, or end-game content.

What will players turn to once they have the best gear? Would they even risk fighting if they know there is nothing left for them to gain by it?

Players are often very practical, and building/land-grabbing/& politics might not be enough of a concrete end-game to sustain them for years and years to come if they already have all the best gear. Unless....

My idea:

Offer an incentive for being in "higher" politics, and for controlling more land than your opponents.

For instance, if one's toon gained some sort of skill-point increase (maybe 'landlord' as a new skill?) or luck bonus when they controlled more lands/had more influence in their kingdom. That way LIF becomes a lot like Game of Thrones! Everyone vying for the top seats in the most powerful guilds. The more land a guild has, the higher the bonus it dishes out to its members, with the highest ranked players receiving the largest percentages. But, the more guild members, the more the bonus has to be split between them.

So now there is this whole spectrum, finding the right balance between an efficient, smaller army, while still controlling more land. This would also encourage guilds to recruit "better" players, and look for quality over quantity, which will help prevent guilds from becoming grotesquely large/powerful through mass-recruiting, and encourage players to make their own, smaller guilds. If a player is an insignificant pawn in a larger guild (even with a lot of land) and receiving few bonuses, and sees he has no future in getting promoted, he will be motivated to create his own guild or join a smaller one that might even offer him a leadership position, in which he will then probably immediately receive higher bonuses already, and more if his guild is successful.

The end game CAN be POLITICS.

[Arrakis]

This game is all about politics, expanding kingdoms and massive wars. There is no really such thing as 'end game', this term applies to games where there is max. character level. In such games you reach max level, get best equipment and go for pvp, because end game content is all about pvp. Here in Life is Feudal you can respec your character indefinetely, switch professions, classes, be a part of growing kingdom that is conquering more and more land, turning towns and cities into vassals etc. What you described, game being GoT-like is already there.

[Jezbelle]

Here in Life is Feudal you can respec your character indefinetely, switch professions, classes, be a part of growing kingdom that is conquering more and more land, turning towns and cities into vassals etc. What you described, game being GoT-like is already there.

Yes, but like I said, these activities lack incentive. Without being able to better one's character further, I feel as though these activities you describe will not keep a player playing the game for years and years.

All I am saying is to offer an additional incentive, in this case a skill or combat bonus for being in a higher political standing/or for controlling more lands.

[Touchmee]

Getting to the point where you have the highest skills etc and best gear could take a year, i know the skill curve gets really tough at higher levels.

[Jezbelle]

Getting to the point where you have the highest skills etc and best gear could take a year, i know the skill curve gets really tough at higher levels.

Yes, but a year is nothing. This game needs a final "hook" to keep players playing for 10 years! Like WoW.

I am offering a very good way to do that.

I'm sure you guys know that people will continue playing 'FOREVER' if they can just continue to improve their character microscopically... if they can make it just a LITTLE better than everyone else's. Because land-ownership can be an ephemeral thing, while also hard to win more of, this is a great device in that respect.

[Touchmee]

Getting to the point where you have the highest skills etc and best gear could take a year, i know the skill curve gets really tough at higher levels.

Yes, but a year is nothing. This game needs a final "hook" to keep players playing for 10 years! Like WoW.

I am offering a very good way to do that.

I'm sure you guys know that people will continue playing 'FOREVER' if they can just continue to improve their character microscopically... if they can make it just a LITTLE better than everyone else's.

I agree with you, there will need to be something at that stage to keep people playing and a game of thrones like power battle would probably do that among other things.

[Jezbelle]

Everyone please re-read the original post if you read this within the first 30 minutes of posting. I have modified it into a more streamlined approach.

[Saxxon]

These nasty smelling little things called human beings with their greed, lust and desires will keep the pot roiling for years.

[Siegbert]

I for once am happy if I could just engage myself in combat most of the time.
In Persistent World mod for M&B being in war with other factions is exciting but once there is peace I don't know what to do with myself so I just leave. But that may be because changing classes in PW comes with costs and I'm not willing to pay anything just to do something different from what I just did.

In LiF I hope the player war dynamics are intriguing enough to keep me there for a long time (if the combat system feels satisfying that is). Otherwise politics will kick in at some point, I'm sure and I'm looking forward to that.
As a quite casual player I don't know if I'm having so much part in that though.

[Grimfest]

My 2 cents;

By controlling territory you already have a bonus, safer access to surrounding resources and the security of other members that will naturally roam the area.

Also, about discouraging Zerg guilds. I actually like them and I don't feel people should be punished for being new or lesser skilled players.

From a competitive stand point I love being out numbered and the thrill of being the underdog goes far behind me. They even made a movie portraying it, "300." Plus, it provides much needed protection for players as they learn the game and allows them to build friendships that will eventually allow them to break off and start there own clans. I cant think of any Zerg clans that had all the best players on the server as members. Other then the ones that just thought they were better then they were. Darkfall1 comes to mind with this statement.

I am a leader in real life I don't have time to be a Leader in a fictional game at least not to some glorious degree, and I don't feel I should be punished for it, by giving bonuses to players beyond the resource and safety control they already have gained, just because of the time they have to play.

I have some more thoughts on this, however I don't know enough about the game to confidently speak on the rest of my 2 cents

[Lukepop]

2 cents ( )

I think that zerg clans would not be good. Guilds should be kingdoms with vassal states. War and General politics should be subtle manouvering not ZERG RUUUSH!

[Grimfest]

2 cents ( )

I think that zerg clans would not be good. Guilds should be kingdoms with vassal states. War and General politics should be subtle manouvering not ZERG RUUUSH!

Fair enough, however, even if they didn't want zerg guilds in the game, giving bonuses to others as the original poster suggests is not the way to do it, they should limit the number of clan members allowed for each type of organization.

[Arrakis]

Jezbelle, do you really think people will just create such great kingdoms in such short time? It will take long months of hard work every single day to achieve something remotely close to what we are talking about if not longer, to reach that state where maximum area for the kingdom has been claimed, where everything has been built and where hundreds if not thousands of people are gathered under one banner... Do you really think one year is enough to built something like that considering all the technical aspects of the game and it's boundries? Also considering the fact that sieges will take place that may be a major setback and a lot will have to be rebuilt while probably some people may leave when facing a great failure.

People will want to achieve something, they will want to have a powerful kingdoms of their own. Also remember, kingdoms raise and fall, new emerge, others are forgotten, nothing will be set in stone here, there will be always someone better, there will be always #1 there and people will fight for that position on top, for the power, for riches and other things they will crave.

So really, there is no need for some black scenarios, while political games and wars will go on for months and years people will have a lot things to do, and everything will be in constant move. People will have a lot of attractions here, there are so many possibilities for every single player here that it will take more than enough time for them to uncover it all and even more to get what they want.

As for bonuses, as Grimfest said, having control over resources, over hundreds of people, having big empire surrounded by thick walls and towers, being able to rule over so much, THAT is the 'bonus' that many will want to get, nothing more is needed there.

Once game is released... the race will start, and it will take a long time before one kingdom will overcome the others and ultimate ruler will make it reach it's apex.

[Paskiboy]

What I consider to be an important question here in terms of the "endning" is whether all land after a certain amount of time will be claimed, terraformed, ploughed, built on, destroyed, or dug up, or not.

[Wigster600]

Get to the top, make LIF Illuminati and pull the strings for everything in the background.

[Grimfest]

Get to the top, make LIF Illuminati and pull the strings for everything in the background.

That's sort of already in place, Bobik has a clan, HoE so Ive read. Hes pull'n the strings as we speak /heal Bobik /Give Bobik Godmode /Give Bobik Greatsword of 1 hit wonder /Give Bobik shit because I don't know him but I like him.

[Jezbelle]

Revised a little.

I still think this is a winning idea. Haven't heard a strong argument against it, only wishful thinking.

As for bonuses, as Grimfest said, having control over resources, over hundreds of people, having big empire surrounded by thick walls and towers, being able to rule over so much, THAT is the 'bonus' that many will want to get, nothing more is needed there.

Arrakis, I would have to wholeheartedly disagree. EVENTUALLY, it is not enough. For me, and for you, maybe it could last us. But the average player who plays this game... often he is not as motivated to "rule" for "rulings sake", or not as immersed by the lore/rivalries between kingdoms, and he just quits when he achieves the strongest character available. If there are no tangible bonuses for land-holding/or better ranks in political hierarchies, i fear we will lose membership faster over the years than how we could otherwise maintain it.

What exactly is the downside of this idea? There is none. Only positives.

[Thokan]

The mechanics required for a good end game is already there. You can claim land, and you can war other guilds over their lands. There is a system for alliances, declaring war and even vassals.

Do not vye to put in hindering game mechanics to no avail. There is freedom and endless possibilities in spartan game mechanics.

Let the meta game do what the meta game does best.

[Lothar16]

The end game is crap!!!

[Arrakis]

The end game is crap!!!

Yeah, very interesting - That's why end game in well known form does not exist in LiF.

[Grimfest]

With games like these, end game is hardly the issue.

Population would be the killer of this game far before lack of end game features. If you have a kingdom and there is no one to defend it against, you will leave. It wont matter what mechanics there are in place for "fun factor."

As much as they might hate the direct comparison, this game is closest to Darkfall and Mortal online. What killed darkfall1? Population. You cant say lack of end game there, as people would leave far before reaching endgame. As for mortal online, its such small time at this point, they would be better off starting mortal2, like darkfall did, but with darkfall2, people had already lost faith in the company. They ask yourself why is WoW so successful. End game keeps ppl coming back, but its the Social aspect of the game that makes it so massive. This is the next great hope. If they figure out how to bring population and keep it, the game will thrive even with current features.

[SirWinston]

I agree on the WoW point.

People keep coming back to WoW even today not only because they release new dungeons and equipment, but mainly because you KNOW there are 10 f*cking million people playing this game and no matter what server you're on there will always be active guilds and new comrades to play with.

Crowds attract people, that's why player retention will be VITAL for Life is Feudal in the first six months after release.

[Thokan]

People defected from DF and MO cause of faulty mechaincs i.e it being a faulty game.