by
Vlandddd
» 12 Apr 2020, 21:43
For the future of this game. The devs should pay a greater attention to new players. Which is not my case.
They are the future of LiF. If it’s not enjoyable at the beginning of their journey, the rate of people dropping the game is always going to be high. With that being said, here are a few changes that could reverse this rate and untangle the potential of LiF.
- Increase loading speed on every single task performed by a player (e.g cutting boards, sowing, mining, collecting, carrying logs on your back ...). Doing this, lowering the quantity of inputs for a certain construction won’t be much necessary. Although, I would still consider revising the input’s quantities for all constructions and furnitures.
- Being solo or with a small group shouldn’t be a such disadvantage in LiF. Those should be able to seek protection in the woods, caves, and other places. Not everyone wants to be in a guild with 10 or more players and nor should be forced towards that. They should be able to claim a piece of land anywhere with a small group and maintain it accordingly. Doing that, their guild shouldn’t be displayed on the minimap. There is so much gameplay that can be created for this target group (e.g ambush, theft, smuggling...). Also, lots of new items and construction could be developed for them (e.g tree house, underground structures, cave structures, hidden structures). And if they don’t want to be criminals, they should be able seek protection under someone’s territory (e.g country, kingdom) who may be offering a piece of land. This feature is actual possible right now. However there are no incentives by doing, nor a easy friendly interface that links those who are offering and those who are seeking a protected piece of land. As new players and small groups learn and enjoy the game, they will grow into bigger guilds or join them.
- Get rid of the minimap. Let’s be honest, the existing minimap is terrible. Life is feudal, and there shouldn’t be a GPS in the first place. This is a great opportunity to create new gameplay. Perhaps adding maps into the game and/or a new skill for it. Not having a minimap would protect small groups. Perhaps once you find a gold mine, you should have to map the location so you can remember how to get there. You should map where are the nearby guilds, resources... Valuable maps should be something that you want to hold on or sell for a higher price. People should learn the land around them and get familiar with it.
- Alignment is such a hold back in this game. I know you want to encourage players to be nice and discourage griefing, but life is feudal and everyone should be treated equal. If a player decide to be a criminal because he doesn’t have a big group, he shouldn’t be penalize so much. The fact that you lose skills points when you die it’s too much. You are already losing your loot; no needed to penalize yours skills. If a criminal dies, it should be like any other player. Perhaps you could use the alignment for a higher chance of keeping your loot when you die or crafting a better quality item. On the other hand a negative alignment would give you a buffer on criminal stuff..
- Criminal gameplay could be increased. Perhaps if a player or a group is causing trouble to nearby guilds, they should be placed in a wanted list. Guilds or kings, should be able to put a reward on people’s head when they are acting too criminal. This will create a new set of gameplay. Perhaps once you captured a criminal you should be able to drag them to the guild who was offering the prize. If they die, you should be able to bring their heads instead as a proof. In this gameplay, a another brand new set of items can be created (e.g cages, handcuffs, rope, beheading devices..)
- Another important part of the medieval ages is the transportation of wealth. Guilds should have to carry their wealth in order to sacrifice for supporting points. This will create awesome gameplay for all players. Including criminals waiting in the woods to ambush a convoy heading to sell their coins. Also, kingdoms should go pick up their taxes from their vassals instead of an automatic system.
- With that being said, instead of protectores areas, there should be a NPC area (like a castle) where player have to bring their wealth to be able to sell it to the crown. These areas, should be placed around the map so you don’t need to travel insane distances. Trading post should be changed in this case. I don’t think you should be able to sell to the crown without even leaving your lands. On the other hand, solo players can use this areas to buy provision, seek some sort of help from NPCs, or wait for their next victim outside the castle’s walls. These areas should be a great place for guilds to post recruitment ads, wanted players, or even a meeting with other guilds to discuss diplomacy. How about a tavern that folks can meet and socialize?
- Adding different races for horses, deers, cows... each animal race with a distinguished characteristic. This is a technically easy feature to be added that could enhance player’s experience (e.g white cow, Arabian horses, red dear, mule dear....)
- Adding pasture for animals. This is a must! It’s pretty lame not able to see your animals acting like animals. Cows should be able to stay outside, pigs should be able to stay within a certain area, chickens should be wondering around your base or kept in a coop. All those things should be either good or bad for your animals. Huge potential for enhancing the animal gameplay.
- Adding back archers on horses. But also adding some limitations to prevent exploitation (e.g difficult to aim, in order to reload the horse must be stopped, higher skills to be able to use, not able to shot while moving...)
- Adding huge dense wood areas so players can live and hide in the woods. During the medieval ages, the majority of Europe was covered by trees. This was an abundant resource and so should be in the game. Players should be scared to go into the woods unless they know the area very well.
- Since we talked about having large forest areas. I believe trees should reflowering naturally in those wood areas. Perhaps, these trees should grown faster to maintain forest cover.
- Caves should be part of the game as well. Not only to mining, but also to establish a base or a home. This goes hand to hand with enhancing solo or small groups gameplay.
-Enhance animal AI in the game. This is something that LiF lacks so much. It would be cool to see a pack of wolfs acting like a pack of Wolf. The sound associated with these animals should be used to alert players of their proximity. As opposed to ambient sounds that don’t mean anything. A bear should be acting like a bear, in the sense of if you see one, most likely he already saw or smelled you. Perhaps hunting a dear should be an excited experience and difficult as well. Deers should outrun horses and players. Animals should be harder to find, unless you look in the right area (e.g river bank...) There are so much to be improved in this sense.
- Adding rivers, pounds and more lakes into the map. The fact there is not a single river in the map, it’s insane. Bodies of water are essential for the creation of communities. It’s well known that any major civilization in the past was established near a body of water.
- Adding more roles for big guilds (e.g tax collector, executioner...)
- Buildings and items should not decay as fast as it is in the game. This should be revised to make the game less grindy and more playable. I have people that created a forge, in the same day, the forge was broken. It shouldn’t be like that. The durability of items shouldn’t decrease this fast. Honestly, this is such a bummer in the game.
- Private claims shouldn’t exist as it is right now. You should be able to claim a land anywhere. The fact that you can only claim a land on protectores areas it is ridiculous. It’s like a PvE gameplay within a PvP world. It’s does not make sense! If you don’t want to risk losing everything you should play a private server. This is LiF. And if you want to build your own little home, you should be able to seek a piece of land on a guild’s territory. If they are charging too much tax for protection, you should be able to move to another territory that charges less tax. This goes back to what I mentioned before about an easy and friendly interface to link those seeking for a safe piece of land, and those who are offering it. Doing that it would create a small villages outside a guild’s castle walls. Exactly as it was during the medieval times.
But if you don’t want to be paying taxes for a guild so you can be protected, you may choose to go live hidden somewhere.
- As part of convoy and transportation gameplay, the devs should add clothes to horses and wagons. Perhaps adding new wagons that could carry 2-3 players. Or wagons that can carry a prisoner. It would be really awesome to see you guild colors displayed on your convoys, horses...
- A NA & South America server needed back again.
Bottom line is, they game should be easy to play and hard to master.
.....or you will only destroy the comunity
