Feedback Playtest 20 december

[coral lynx]

Ill try to keep this one shorter then previous feedback (i hope) most of the previously stability test still holds up, and also previously mentioned feedback/bugs,

also this playtest i have only played in duo's and i think 1-2 solo's

In this feedback ill talk about the following things(most of it has overlap with one another)

Ill talk mostly about my viewpoints on solo vs duo and Experienced Player / New player Experience combined and starting the game
and a little about wasd

In current state i think solo mode is in a weird position when you start out the game
-For both experienced and new players i think solo mode is hard to progress through
for experienced people i think starting out with zero gear (and zero progression) the map changes(making progress slower with more gates and having to deal with mobs more) + loot nerf to first map(able to get to the bigger loot chests + i think nerfed gear in the bigger void mobs) makes it less appealing for me to play the game in solo mode

For new player solo i can't speak from their point of view but from the small talks i have had + seeing messages) i think the current PvE mobs are a little on the tough side. which i agree with. atm the game feels like a dark souls kind of vibe damage and mob placement wise where one mistake means its over. I know the game is suppose to be a hard game and im fine myself with difficulty in games but i think its important to have a more friendly new player environment. Also adding in on PvP to the mix of the already difficult game is a little to much i think.

In current version i don't see myself play solo's much i do need to do more testing in solo with gear above like 20/30 but if i would see a reason to go in there it would be the following:
-Doing specific challenges
-Getting specific materials (drill/pickaxe/flower) (since duo/team nerf in material gain is nerfed)
-Maybe bosses? (still not sure how to feel about bosses having same health in solo and duo mode) but easier to farm for experienced player in solo

Duo mode:
i think for both experienced and new players duo mode is in a decent/ better state

For both new and experienced players :

While the duo mode adds more mobs to area's which can be overwhelming having that partner with you and both having aoe or damaging a mob togheter makes the progression through the map more doable.

there are some features in the game that exist but is never mentioned or shown in information which are handy to have players know about it (and also adds an element to the game i enjoy) (will ask if its a bug or intended and report it in bug reports if it is a bug/missing feature)

For experienced players:
i like the progression here more while the first map i think feels the same loot wise for solo as duo (nerf for gathering in duo ) the buff in the second map to loot is good the only downside of the second map currently is portal placement/map design so of the times i have been there only one person can escape as either there is only one portal or the portal is inside of the boss. and the map being blocked by doors + guarded makes exploring for new portals in the endphase not really possible

Also the second map got changed and progressing through the map felt better this time around compared to previous times. (and yet i still wonder why that weird spot i have shown you guys multiple times still exists i neeed to know

For new players:
I can't really tell how it is having 2 new players in current version in the game i think most points of solo will also translate to duo but adding the difficulty of reduced healing pots for one of the two. i think adding a healing pot so both can have 2 might help a little for new player experience. (if your new and reading this first of all thank you and second of all would like to hear your input about your experience)

in the playtest i played with 2 new people and we had a good time (or atleast i did i think they did aswell) and they did adept and learned the game better i think but still the common deaths (and also some because of me going to fast) happend. but i think having that other person with you makes you more okey with it happening.PVP
i can't speak much of but i think during this test there were more encounters with people and were most of the time kill on sight compared to previous test. i think it has to do with the 'missing feature' but i think experiencing the game with others having ways to communicate with your ally aswell as enemy is what i enjoy in this game. So while the basics are there i hope to see it staying / more multiplayer things

On a small note when it comes to nerfs:

i don't remember if crafting got more expensive or the nerf in duo/team mode materials or combination of both but might need a small tweak (able to get grey gear a little easier not sure if necissarily needed for green/blue/purple as i haven't gotten there yet)

So for what i think is important key to take away from my talk:
-more forgiving PvE
-better new player experience (tutorial or like map specific for beginner players?)
-making dragonvault more escapable for both members
-changes to loot