Dev Diary #171 Crafting improvements
Hey there, fellow ylanders.
We are currently finalizing a patch that will fix some things that have popped up since we‘ve released update 1.6 and are fully focusing on version 1.7 so it seems like a good time to start discussing some of the features (or changes) we are currently working on.
One of the things we would like to address in the next update is crafting recipes and how you learn these. We already have a huge number of items you can craft in the games (and, as promised, will be adding recipes for more existing objects based on your feedback). Right now there are over 2000 recipes in the game - which is quite a lot.
Being able to craft so many things is good, but working with so many recipes is not an easy task... and neither is learning them. In the past players used to learn those gradually based on some relationships between the objects they crafted and those unknown to them. This, however, wasn't working very well, so currently, the players have access to all the recipes right from the beginning. Even though they are divided into categories, finding what can be crafted can be quite painstaking and not fun at all. Also, and that‘s actually the most important thing, there‘s no fun in uncovering new recipes, no awarding those that deserve it.
To improve this game part we plan to do the following:
* dramatically reduce the number of recipes available right from the start. We will divide all the recipes into two categories - let‘s call them „core“ and „fun“. The core ones (mostly things needed to progress through the game) you will know right from the start. The rest (the absolute majority) you will uncover during your travels. So those, who explore, will have more interesting clothes, prettier houses, finer statues.
* group some entities even further, so instead of 20+ hay building blocks blocking (pun intended) what you see in the list you will see one „hay building blocks“ group
* do some UX tweaks to existing UI
We believe this change will have a major impact on gameplay. The exploration will feel much more rewarding, players‘ clothing and housing will be highly differentiated. This is also the reason why we won‘t let players choose when starting a new Exploration game whether they already know all the recipes - we want the world to feel real and plan to add the possibility of sharing the recipes with others. That's it for today and we will talk to you again in a week. Until then, as always, stay healthy and classy, ylanders!
We believe this change will have a major impact on gameplay. The exploration will feel much more rewarding, players‘ clothing and housing will be highly differentiated. This is also the reason why we won‘t let players choose when starting a new Exploration game whether they already know all the recipes - we want the world to feel real and plan to add the possibility of sharing the recipes with others. That's it for today and we will talk to you again in a week. Until then, as always, stay healthy and classy, ylanders!
In principle, I think your considerations are very good, but I would still like to get rid of some concerns.
As I keep reading now that the game should be made more difficult, with more fighting and attacks, today you are talking about more travel. That, too, is to be welcomed in principle.
Now, however, I am one of those players who would rather have it a little more comfortable. I place a lot of value on building and designing, although I am inclined to traveling, but rather averse to fighting. It would be a shame if they couldn't trust players like that in the future. Perhaps it is possible for you to create a balance, I am thinking, for example, of trading opportunities in which one can then earn or negotiate many of these items through diligence (for example agriculture or forestry). This would add another component to the game as well. Unfortunately, today's trading system does not yet reflect this.
Sorry for my bad english.
As I keep reading now that the game should be made more difficult, with more fighting and attacks, today you are talking about more travel. That, too, is to be welcomed in principle.
Now, however, I am one of those players who would rather have it a little more comfortable. I place a lot of value on building and designing, although I am inclined to traveling, but rather averse to fighting. It would be a shame if they couldn't trust players like that in the future. Perhaps it is possible for you to create a balance, I am thinking, for example, of trading opportunities in which one can then earn or negotiate many of these items through diligence (for example agriculture or forestry). This would add another component to the game as well. Unfortunately, today's trading system does not yet reflect this.
Sorry for my bad english.
