updating character creation

(Since I don't play the classic client, my comments will specifically reference the enhanced client only.)

In general, character creation works well.  It is a bit primitive, but in general it does what it needs to do.  However, some information provided is out of date, and the mechanics can be confusing.

* Choosing a race provides out of date information, primarily due to all players having been upgraded to the Styggian Abyss Expansion with the release of Eternal Journey.
  1. Human: "The Mondain's Legacy Expansion Pack is required to gain these abilities."
  2. Elf: "The Mondain's Legacy Expansion Pack is required to create a character of this race."
  3. Gargoyle: "The Stygian Abyss Expansion Pack is required to create a character of this race."
* Choosing a profession is clunky and provides inadequate information.  I suggest
  1. the named profession box be labeled something like "Starter Templates"  Provide a note that any character template can eventually evolve to anything else.  The character won't be stuck as a warrior forever.
  2. two buttons at the bottom of this box, [Starter] and [Custom].  It defaults to Starter mode, with the stats and skills modified by choosing a profession just as is done now.  Custom mode would provide a note letting the player know that new character quest is only available to characters using a starter template.
  3. Add "Quick skill gain quest (not) available" to the text box describing each skill.  Suggest that questless skills receive extra skill points.  (My habit nowadays is to provide 40 points to two questless skills and 10 points each to two others.  I typically choose those for resources like regs, since the quest-available skills can be bought to 40 anyway.)
* Appearance box could certainly use an update.  At a minimum, larger variety of skin tones and hair colors would be much appreciated.

* The whole Location selection has been useless for years if not a decade.  If your character will always end up in New Haven, why pretend there is a choice?  Disable and not show this page at all, or delete it entirely if you decide never to again provide this option.

Once the created character shows up in New Haven, there are several issues.
  1. At the end of the new player quest, a rune titled "The Darkness" is given, with a suggestion that the player return when he has gained significant skills.  This rune doesn't seem to work nowadays.  Either fix it or eliminate this follow-up quest.  It is unpleasant to work up to something, and then find out that the promised challenge is denied you.
  2. Others have long suggested, and I agree, that more "quick skill gain" quests need to be available.  Notable gaps include all bardic skills, taming, animal lore, and even tailoring.  (Did the designing team run out of time after building quests for blacksmithing and tinkering?) Throwing and mysticism are the newest missing quest skills.  It is about time they be added.
  3. Characters of the Gargoyle race are forced to start in New Haven, where most of the rewards for skill gain quests are useless to them.  They cannot use any of the armor or weapons provided as rewards.  How hard would it be to offer Gargoyles a reward item they can actually use?
  4. The reward for the bushido skill gain quest is a blessed, two handed sword called "The Dragon's Tail".  However, not all samurai are swordsmen.  Add to it the "Best weapon skill" attribute.  Also, to follow up item #3, Gargoyles should be rewarded an equivalent Gargoyle sword.
Rock (formerly Imperterritus VXt, Baja)

Comments

  • TheoTheo Posts: 184
    All good suggestions.  Forget the new quests - just give alacrity like skill gains to all skills up to 50.  Why should I have to be on the quest? Why can't I gain heal/anat/weapon skill fast at the same time?  

    Also why not start a character on a mount?  Using half of my 1k starting gold for a mount is NOT cool.  There is LITERALLY no one making money taming horses.  So just give one away to new players.  Let them move around. 

  • TimStTimSt Posts: 1,853
    I have never had problems with having my newly created characters land in the locations I have selected.  Which is usually Britain.  I have created over 60 characters across multiple shards without issue.
  • RockRock Posts: 567
    @TimSt Oops!  You are absolutely correct.  New characters can choose their starting city.  I did not realize that those colored blobs were there to select a city.

    @Theo I don't mind the quick skill gain quests.  You can be on multiple ones at the same time; I think I've had up to 9 at once.  The trick is you have to buy all your skill levels up to 40 first.  Once you accept a skill gain quest, you can no longer purchase skill levels.  If you did things in the wrong order, then the solution is bothersome and non-intuitive.  First, all skill gain quests must be dropped, which is a very clunky process.  Plus inexperienced players won't be sure if they can get the quests again.  (They can.) Then the missed skill(s) need to be bought up to 40.  Finally, all the quest givers must be asked again for their quests.

    Regarding mounts, I'm probably unusual in that I don't want one to start out.  Plus, since I thought I had to create all my characters in New Haven, the quick escort missions are numerous, at 500 gp a pop.  So buying a horse would not be a problem even if I wanted one.
    Rock (formerly Imperterritus VXt, Baja)
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