While some eat cake, others may leave the party

[LeoLionxxx]

From most recent release notes:

NEW: A feature that allows you to purchase and immediately consume a Siberys Spirit Cake with Astral Shards when you die is now available: just click on the “Revive” button that appears near the Quest Objective panel when you die. Naturally, this feature is not usable in Raids.

I am not fond of this new feature, but not because it is one I will never use - that's fine, some like it, some will pay for the convenience and that's fine - but my concern is that it will it will be a detergent for new players just joining the game.


Low level newbie, starting out on Korthose. You have your first death experience in an ice jet while playing 'Stopping the Sahuagin'.

"Oh (excrement), I died "

You see this nice button that says 'revive'.

"Hmm. That sounds like what I want to do" *Click*

'Pay X Astral Shards to buy a cake' (IDK, I haven't seen it in-game yet)

"Hmm. I don't have enough of those. I wonder how I obtain them." *Release and re-enter or whatever*

As you then go through the game you learn that the only way to get these Astral shards is by buying them in the DDO store.

"Well (excrement). I see the option to do things with these ASs every time I die or open a chest, yet I can only use them if I pay. it's like they're grabbing for my money, and that is not something I like."


And that is where the new player might be lost.
When I first started DDO, around when U9 came out, one of the things that attracted me to the game was the prospect that by earning TP through favor, I could theoretically obtain all the content without paying a dime! While I have subsequently spend money on the XPack pre-orders and gaining premium status, It was a refreshing way to approach this MMO; the most cash-grabby thing that I experienced during my initiation period was the quest with the bottle of rum - an understandable feature that taught how to use the store.

When the player is being introduced to a game is when they are in the state of Limbo as to if they will commit to it or not, and this addition (and i'll say it: how ASs as a whole are presented at current) make it seem like they are a necessity to playing the game, something they may not stick around long enough to learn is false. They may see it just as a blatant cash grab - not the most attractive thing in the world.

What I propose is not removing ASs - too much time and coding has been put into it, plus they are a feature that some do use. What I would urge to be reconsidered is how the AS system is portrayed and revealed to new players. Further down the road they can make the decision

"Oh (excrement), I really wanted that sword. I know, I'll try re-rolling the loot and see if that gets it!"

and be happy with it.

[Memnir]

I find the philosophy of this change to be questionable at best.
Might as well add a sound to dying that sounds like a cash register "Cha-Ching!"ing.

[LeoLionxxx]

While on the topic of new player reception, I might as well also give voice on moving of the free lesser heart of wood newly created characters receive:

As of current, all new newly created characters will receive a free lesser heart of wood when they wash up on the Korthose shore; this was added as a replacement for free LR Krutz would give gave before he retired. While this was a good 'quick' solution, I'm thinking this would also be a deterrent for new players learning and joining the game because of what the heart sais to them when they find it in their inventory, that being:

"You most likely screwed up your toon. Re-roll him/her/it".

This makes the game seem elitist and like if you don't know what you're doing you won't have a good time.


Thus, it might be a good idea to move the free heart somewhere else again. Perhaps stick it in the toon's bank; Have an NPC give it; maybe Lockmania (The dragonmark lady) could give it; basically anywhere that keeps it out of the hands of the absolute newbie player that doesn't yet know how great a game this can be.

[sephiroth1084]

Have to agree.

Assuming that Turbine isn't just trying to insinuate the Pay-to-Play stuff more, as they have been, the reasoning behind this change could be due to data indicating that many players who die, get frustrated and leave may have stayed it they knew they could spend money in the store to revive themselves, but didn't know about the items?

On the other hand, for those people who are inclined to purchase cakes and use them, being able to do so without having to jump through all the Turbine Store hoops would probably be nice.

Still, I expect to see a lot of threads from players complaining that they died, hit the buy and use cake button, and died again almost immediately (unsaid: because they didn't take the time to ensure that they were in a safe place before making the purchase), and then requesting that Turbine have the cakes grants a short-duration damage shield or something, to prevent such a thing from happening, because that kind of solution would be easier than thinking...and we couldn't even really be annoyed with them, because the whole mentally would have been generated and fostered by Turbine.


Personally, if this change is in response to some indication that players 1) don't know about the cakes, and 2) would be buying and using them if they did, I think there are better ways to go about it. Even just adding a blurb to the death/release window about being able to purchase resurrection cakes in the store.

[redspecter23]

I think if the notation is done well, then I don't have an issue with this change. As mentioned, it's little more than a small annoyance to vets that can just decline it. New players may get the wrong impression if it's not mentioned clearly that releasing from the dungeon is a viable alternative. Yes you can spend money to rez right now, but if you don't mind, you can release to your bind point and come back into the dungeon and either start fresh or continue with an xp reentry penalty if you are back within 5 minutes. New players might not know that releasing is an option. They die, see a notation asking for money to continue and they log off and don't bother to come back. That's my fear if it's not implemented well.

I'm happy to have another use for my AS. I don't typically have many TP to spare on cakes, but I keep a small stockpile of AS that I wouldn't mind using on a cake if I died solo in an important quest. Now we just have to convince Turbine to sell Otto's Boxes as well as epic and iconic hearts for AS and I'll have a real reason to start selling more stuff on the shard exchange again.

[PsychoBlonde]

I see it as a positive because the DDO store goes down or stops working sometimes and you can't buy always buy a cake when you want one.

I mean, seriously, if the mere existence of a prompt was enough to drive new players away they'd quit the game on the first screen which contains prompts to buy the Hall of Heroes AND more character slots. Then comes character generation with prompts to buy races and classes. Loading screens that prompt you to buy expansions. There are PLENTY of prompts to buy stuff. I'm sure the new players appreciate the assumption that they're too dumb to tell the difference between "you CAN buy this" and "you HAVE to buy this", though.

There's a little introduction to the DDO store and cakes in Korthos already via that Old Sully's Grog quest thing, since you're pretty much guaranteed to hit the "OMG YOU GOT 5 FAVOR HERE'S SOME FREE POINTS!" thing almost immediately. The DDO store is probably the LEAST confusing feature of the game.

[Qhualor]

does the "revive" button only appear when you die?

if its always there, is it grayed out so you cant use it while alive?

how big or how much space on the screen is it?

what if I accidentally hit the button and didn't mean to? is there a warning message first?

a screenshot would be quite helpful.

all I gotta say about it is nickel and dime and not surprised.

on the free lesser heart, that's actually a great idea. sometimes new players don't realize they messed up their character until they get past low level and don't want to wait until 20 to TR, if that's what they want to do, or don't want to re-roll. its a common thing to happen and I can understand not wanting to go all the way back to level 1 on a re-rolled character when they like their character, have some loot they like so not have to try and get it back again or whatever.

[knightgf]

This sucks, get rid of it!

'Nuff said.

[Ungood]

I bet they are a great money maker, and if they are then Kudos to Turbine. But personally I have hated the idea and the introduction of Astral Shards into the game since they were suggested, and I have not grown to like them over the course of time.

As such I know I am the wrong person to ask if things like this are good ideas or not.

[Pandir]

Has anyone tried it yet ? Is there a confirmation button when using it ? I would only see it as problematic if ithere isn't one, like it used to be with the chest rerolls.
I doubt it turns new players more off than the other store implementation stuff they have done, like the astral shard display,the dice roll stuff or the chest reroll.

[DrakeFury]

Some will use it, and some won't. Don't care if it's there, just as long as it has confirmation on astral shard spending to prevent accidents

[Sokól]

I think if the notation is done well, then I don't have an issue with this change. As mentioned, it's little more than a small annoyance to vets that can just decline it. New players may get the wrong impression if it's not mentioned clearly that releasing from the dungeon is a viable alternative. Yes you can spend money to rez right now, but if you don't mind, you can release to your bind point and come back into the dungeon and either start fresh or continue with an xp reentry penalty if you are back within 5 minutes. New players might not know that releasing is an option. They die, see a notation asking for money to continue and they log off and don't bother to come back. That's my fear if it's not implemented well.

I'm happy to have another use for my AS. I don't typically have many TP to spare on cakes, but I keep a small stockpile of AS that I wouldn't mind using on a cake if I died solo in an important quest. Now we just have to convince Turbine to sell Otto's Boxes as well as epic and iconic hearts for AS and I'll have a real reason to start selling more stuff on the shard exchange again.

I agree with this^^

I think if the notation is done well and new players start with enough astral shards to hit the revive button once or twice, some just might really like the ASAH "game", I have seen many players that the real game for them is the ASAH!

[Wizza]

In a video shown by Teth and Jibcutter, you can see the new dialogue:

You might see images about the new raid in this video, be warned.

http://www.twitch.tv/jibcutter/c/3684916

44:20


Not sure if it the option is the same as it shown in the above video but it really doesn't bother me if it's so.

What does bother me is the fact that, in the "following ways" to Resurrect, the DDO Store method is cited TWICE but not even a word about Resurrection shrines. So lame.