RuneScape Forum Archive | (F2P) QoL Improvements v2

Oct

2013

Rikornak

Posts: 9,169 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

WateryBlue said :
I honestly think f2p should stay how it is. If you want developers to give you content then you have to contribute it's only fair. Jagex does alot of work to expand this game beyond it's bounds. If you are f2p and you are wanting more it's not hard to get a bond in game or pay the very very veryyyy fair cost for a month of members.

F2p was only supposed to be a taste of a game that is vast in content to motivate membership sales. F2p is a privilege.

No offence, but if you had read the preamble, you would know that a good part of this thread is about improving the low and lower medium (members also can be this and that is why a couple of those suggestions solely are targeting them additionally) levelled experience (which certainly isn't even closely as bad anymore as it for instance was a couple of years ago) and the transition into p2p (which actually can be a bit bumpy).

If a new player is starting this game (as a free player) and feels like it sucks he certainly won't try and become a member and rather just quit.

Actual content additions are very secondary and I personally would highly prefer if those were done in the current natural borders - rather than opening up parts of the game world and bumping in random fences to restrict all players in order to prevent free players exploring - we have had those long enough. Improvements: Tooltip / (F2P) QoL v2
Quick Fixes: Invention

30-Apr-2020 06:11:32 - Last edited on 30-Apr-2020 07:07:36 by Rikornak

Seasons Past

Posts: 559 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Here are my thoughts regarding the Void Knights’ Outpost, the Crafting Guild, Entrana, and Zanaris.

Void Knights’ Outpost

I agree that non-members should be given access to the Void Knights’ Outpost and the minigames located there, including the ability to obtain Void Knight equipment as a reward from the minigames. Non-members currently lack a reliable way to obtain hybrid armor above tier-1 Pathfinder armor, as the only alternatives are Dragonstone armor, Ghosthunter equipment, and warpriest equipment.

Another benefit would be that the squire who provides transportation to the Void Knights’ Outpost would no longer be a potential source of frustration for non-members, as the squire would become a F2P NPC.

Regarding Conquest, the combat level requirement (55) may not be desirable if the minigame is made F2P. The requirement isn’t relevant to the gameplay of Conquest and would likely prove to limit participation in the minigame. Also, I think that Conquest would need to be graphically updated so as not to make a poor impression on newer players. Spirit of Forinthry ~ Runecrafting: Magic Armour ~ F2P Extensions ~ Dragon Slayer improvements ~ New Player Experience

03-May-2020 19:37:03

Seasons Past

Posts: 559 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Crafting Guild

I support the addition of a second door leading to the cow enclosure, as this would allow players to more easily reach the cows. I also support the relocation of the sheep near the Makeover Mage so that players would be able to shear sheep from within the Crafting Guild.

The addition of gem rocks would make sense. This would pair well with an update to make silver jewelry available to non-members. A sand pit would also be a reasonable addition. As the Crafting Guild borders the coast, a source of sand could easily be integrated into the environment. Small mounds of sand could be added to the peninsula, allowing players to fill buckets with sand.

I believe that seaweed already spawns on the peninsula, so I don’t think that spawns of soda ash would be needed. However, I would suggest replacing the seaweed spawns with an inexhaustible source of seaweed, as collecting from the spawns is very inefficient. The new source of seaweed would be a feature in the environment and would allow players to gather seaweed continuously until their inventories had been filled.

I agree that buckets should be sold at the Crafting Guild if a source of sand is introduced. However, I think that the Almost Master Crafters should be removed and all supplies should be sold by the Master Crafter. In an area as small as the Crafting Guild, the Almost Master Crafters are likely to get in the way of players, and I don’t feel that they offer enough value to offset the negative effects.

I like the idea of adding a ranking system to the Crafting Guild along with associated benefits. In my opinion, all skill-related guilds should be updated in such a way. In order for this plan to be most effective, I think that skill level requirements for access to each guild should be removed. This change would allow guilds to serve as intuitive starting points for their respective skills, providing crucial structure for new players. Spirit of Forinthry ~ Runecrafting: Magic Armour ~ F2P Extensions ~ Dragon Slayer improvements ~ New Player Experience

03-May-2020 19:39:14

Seasons Past

Posts: 559 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Entrana and Zanaris

I agree that non-members should be able to craft cosmic and law runes. I don’t see the harm in allowing such players to access Entrana and Zanaris, provided that the latter is graphically reworked and that enough of the content associated with each area is accessible.

The only thing I wasn’t sure about was what the ideal source of willow branches for non-members should be. I would suggest updating an NPC, such as Wyson the Gardener, to provide willow branches in exchange for small favors. I feel that this would be a more seamless way to incorporate willow branches into the F2P game than adding the item to monster drop tables. Spirit of Forinthry ~ Runecrafting: Magic Armour ~ F2P Extensions ~ Dragon Slayer improvements ~ New Player Experience

03-May-2020 19:40:31

Oct

2013

Rikornak

Posts: 9,169 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Thanks a lot for your input, I'll go for it one by one:

Void Knights:

- Totally agreed that the combat level requirement for Conquest is nowadays an unnecessary restriction
- I think when I played it a while ago also the camera was broken (but I can recall they fixed it at some point)
- Graphics could help, but they're not as bad as Tolna for instance (the difference between RSHD and pre-HD content is huge)

Crafting Guild:

I was a tad bit disappointed when they already had taken the time to revamp the guild (albeit just for a time limited promotion), but just reworked it in a way for it to remain dead after said promotion ended.

- The Peninsula spawns Snape Grass on p2p worlds, not Seaweed. Entrana would have a couple of Seaweed spawns available, but that's not really feasible for mass production - especially considering that a bank chest would only be in the clan camp. Free players most likely wouldn't create their glass within the guild, but rather in lumbridge (or edgeville at a later point).
- I maybe wouldn't introduce infinite seaweed spawns, but rather nets like in the Piscatoris Fishing Colony and locating two or three of them in the animal pen. Issue this way would probably that the guild should have a range as well so you could make your soda ash.
- Globally using a ranking system rather than the level requirements certainly would be a good choice (albeit needing a level for a good guild certainly doesn't hurt - but they really need a distinct role for that). Could generally be something that could be added to all guilds eventually since a lot of them just are dead content in RS3. Ideally alongside with a rework to it. But then it shouldn't be as punishing to existing players as the one in the farming guild was - Archaeology was significantly better implemented, since you're rising in ranks by doing activities related to that skill and completing it, rather than just grinding out xp over xp. Improvements: Tooltip / (F2P) QoL v2
Quick Fixes: Invention

04-May-2020 06:33:26 - Last edited on 04-May-2020 06:40:22 by Rikornak

Oct

2013

Rikornak

Posts: 9,169 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

- I guess the Almost Master Crafters are an relic from RSC (at which only one player could talk to any given NPC at a time), but seeing them to be reworked for the guild revamp (alongside unique dialogue), I wouldn't really want to see them removed. Are they so much of an issue?

Entrana & Zanaris

- Generally the plan is that free players would be able to use the facilities available (unless there is a good reason for something to be locked behind membership (i.e. imp minigame in zanaris) or it would work as an incentive (i.e. cosmic altar shortcuts in zanaris)
- I think drops are the easiest implementation (with a plus of giving some creatures more value), the best one would be fixing the farming level up table and allowing players to plant willow at level 20. I am not super fond of those trading minigames, since those deals easily end up as dead content Improvements: Tooltip / (F2P) QoL v2
Quick Fixes: Invention

04-May-2020 06:36:50 - Last edited on 05-May-2020 06:05:41 by Rikornak

Seasons Past

Posts: 559 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Thanks for your response. Here are some more of my thoughts:

Crafting Guild

I agree that item spawns would not be ideal as a source of seaweed. I wasn’t aware of the function of the seaweed nets in Piscatoris, but those seem to be more like what I had in mind.

My issue with the Almost Master Crafters relates to design philosophy. In general, I think that gameplay functionality should be achieved with as few features as possible.

My reasoning is that a minimalist strategy would prevent and limit the incidence of clutter in comparison to a more laissez-faire approach. Many parts of the game world, especially F2P-accessible areas, are very crowded. This congestion has negative effects on immersion, aesthetics, and new player retention, thus compromising the overall quality of the game.

Ultimately I find that the Almost Master Crafters are not an effective use of the space in the Crafting Guild, especially given the recent additions to the guild. I don’t find that the NPCs are necessary, as the Master Crafter could sell Crafting supplies instead.

Entrana and Zanaris

With regard to the willow branches used during An Enlightened Journey quest, I see what you mean about running errands for an NPC being dead content. My goal was to suggest a source of willow branches that would make sense while avoiding the barrier of RNG.

Maybe the player wouldn’t have to perform tasks for the NPC but would instead be able exchange certain items. Players can already do this with mole claws and skin in exchange for bird’s nests, although the required items would obviously have to be easy for beginning and intermediate players to obtain.

Alternatively, the quest could be updated so that it would no longer require the player to obtain willow branches. Spirit of Forinthry ~ Runecrafting: Magic Armour ~ F2P Extensions ~ Dragon Slayer improvements ~ New Player Experience

05-May-2020 13:44:46

Oct

2013

Rikornak

Posts: 9,169 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

As I said - originally having multiple master crafters was solely to enable multiple players to interact with them at once. I am a bit twisted with this - it's a RPG after all, so a guild only consisting of the guild master would feel a tad bit weird (since those almost master crafters would at least contribute unique dialogue now), but I certainly would agree with you from a gameplay perspective alone. Maybe they could be spread out more instead? One into the animal pen and another one into the mine? I really would prefer if something more would be made out of them, rather than getting rid off.

Enlightened journey requires 20 Firemaking, 30 Farming (unsure if this is an 'hard' requirement - a lot of old quests can be started without actually fulfilling the requirements and since farming is not actually used in the balloon construction it would rather be a recommendation to come along branches) and 36 crafting - so it certainly already is a quest for a tad bit more progressed players.

I certainly wouldn't remove the branches since those are used in the creation of the balloon basket - but we need a way (apart from trading, since this isn't an option for IM) to come along those. Something like a Catablepon shouldn't that much of an issue, I guess? Improvements: Tooltip / (F2P) QoL v2
Quick Fixes: Invention

07-May-2020 06:52:09

Seasons Past

Posts: 559 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The Crafting Guild probably would seem a bit empty if the Master Crafter was the only NPC other than the cows. Having multiple NPCs for the player to interact with could potentially lend a quality of realism to the guild.

I like the idea for the human NPCs to be spread out so that they aren’t crowding the central area. It would make sense for the tanner on the upper level of the guild to be moved to the ground level, near the cows. One of the Almost Master Crafters could then be moved upstairs. Another useful change would be if the human NPCs were updated to be stationary, as this would reduce the potential for misclicks.

Also, it would be nice if the Almost Master Crafters were given a more realistic name, such as “Crafting Assistant,” or “Journeyman.” I understand that the current name of the NPCs is meant to be humorous, but it kind of breaks the immersion for me.

On a separate note, how do you feel about the inventor’s workbench? I feel that the workbench doesn’t really belong in the Crafting Guild, as it’s a members-only feature that isn’t related to the Crafting skill. It seems like the workbench was added in an attempt to make the Crafting Guild more attractive to high-level players during the Master Crafting event, without much consideration of whether the workbench would be appropriate for the guild. Spirit of Forinthry ~ Runecrafting: Magic Armour ~ F2P Extensions ~ Dragon Slayer improvements ~ New Player Experience

09-May-2020 16:47:27

Seasons Past

Posts: 559 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

As for An Enlightened Journey, allowing players to obtain willow branches through combat would certainly give non-members a method for obtaining the branches without the Grand Exchange. The main disadvantages of this approach are that it would require players to engage in combat and to rely on the RNG of monster drop tables.

Given the unpredictable nature of monster drops and the fact that each player must obtain 12 willow branches for the quest, it would be advantageous for the branches to be dropped by low-level monsters. However, combat isn’t really meant to be a focus of the quest, so I think that a non-combat source of the branches would be more appropriate. Spirit of Forinthry ~ Runecrafting: Magic Armour ~ F2P Extensions ~ Dragon Slayer improvements ~ New Player Experience

09-May-2020 16:49:27

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(F2P) QoL Improvements v2