How is the game these days? Is it worth a revisit?

[ChubbiChibbai]

I picked this up at launch. Loved the art style. Played a fair bit but eventually drifted onto other stuff because it sounded like large updates were in the works.

I just came back to it last night. The first thing i notice is that the whole intro of the game has completely changed? So i'm just working my way through that.

Not sure how i feel about the new tutorial / intro segment. The previous iteration seemed a lot clearer to me - where you went into a few different lands to do different tasks.

With this new one i'm just one one small-ish sized island?

How much of this do i need to get through to get back into the meat of the game.

Also with all the new updates does this game feel like its finally worth investing some time into?

Again. I love the concept and visuals. I previously stopped because i wanted to wait until the game was more complete to avoid wasted time on a restart. Do people currently playing feel like this current game state is where its worth trying again or is there anything else down the line that is coming that would be a better jumping in point?

[🕹️Mr.Griffin]

Originally posted by info:

Originally posted by -=Mr. Griffin=-:

They said in their last Q&A that they want all of the content to be soloable to not exclude the more introverted players.

And this is the problem! I cannot understand what is wrong with just keeping the game at its pace. Everything had to be dumbed down for the masses! It's insane that like 10% of the player base is catered to, and they will most likely jump to the next game once they finish it. They will never roll a second character, never play with other people, and never invite their friends. Yet, the companies seem to do their bidding... Strange, but yeah, it happens...

your statement is a non-sequitur

making sure people can solo all the content has nothing to do with dumbing things down. the game was designed as a forced-always-online forced multiplayer nonsense game that would have died instantly.

being able to solo something does not necessarily mean it is easier or has less depth.

look at New World or many MMOs these days: the #1 reason why people quit is forced multiplayer in dungeons and raids. instead of making challenging dungeons in e.g. New World, they made extremely easy dungeons for groups that take like 5 minutes to complete but can't be done by anyone playing solo for multiple reasons, including group mechanics.

that's what killed New World for me (or was one major factor).

dumbing down crafting or combat systems would no doubt be a mistake, but this sounds more like adjusting the numbers from quests to the number of participants or something similar.

They can do, whatever they please

But look at what is standing here !!!
((( look at New World or many MMOs these days: the #1 reason why people quit is forced multiplayer in dungeons and raids. instead of making challenging dungeons in e.g. New World, they made extremely easy dungeons for groups that take like 5 minutes to complete but can't be done by anyone playing solo for multiple reasons, including group mechanics. ))) <---- you've said everything i told you before just with other words !!!

Now here is the kicker!
Why play an MMO if you want to play solo?
This is why every new MMO goes to waste and making an MMO is no longer viable.

People these days want to do daily quests and grind all day with endless progression, but no one wants to play with anyone anymore.
Everybody is too full of themselves, or so jealous about other people getting loot !!! And that they don't get anything for their time spent. ( Yes you get something, your having fun no ? ) They all just prefer to play solo?!

Strange people with even stranger mindsets are playing games these days.
And yes, I am a boomer, so I just play to have fun! Something that is lacking in 60% of the games that came out between 2020 and 2025. The only place where I have to prove myself, to shine, is in real life, with my family, friends and at work! Gaming is to enjoy myself with my friends and just have some laughs and kicks!

A question you have to ask yourselves now is, if it's so focused on single player, why did they remove the overpowered weapons from the game?

[🕹️Mr.Griffin]

And then there is this fact...

A study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences found that people who use social media more frequently are more likely to exhibit narcissistic traits, such as a sense of entitlement and a need for admiration.

It's important to note that these studies don't necessarily mean that all people are becoming more jealous or narcissistic, but they do suggest that there may be some societal factors that are contributing to these trends.

This trend is often attributed to factors like social media, which can create pressure to present a perfect image and can lead to feelings of inadequacy and jealousy when comparing oneself to others.

(( Here are some of the key findings of the study: ))

People who use social media more frequently tend to have higher levels of narcissism.
The more time people spend on social media, the more likely they are to exhibit narcissistic traits.

People who are more active on social media are more likely to show signs of entitlement and a need for admiration.

The study suggests that social media may be contributing to the rise of narcissism in society by creating a platform for people to constantly seek attention and validation from others.

It's worth noting that not all social media use is inherently negative, and that there are many positive aspects to social media as well. However, it's important to be aware of the potential risks and to use social media in a healthy and balanced way.

Jealousy can be a driving factor for players who want to be the best or have the most achievements. When they see other players succeeding, it can create feelings of envy and a desire to outdo them.

Narcissism can manifest in players who want to be seen as leaders or the center of attention. They may crave admiration and validation from other players and may become upset or lash out if they don't receive it.

Narcissistic players may also become jealous of other players who receive more attention or admiration than they do.

Jealousy and narcissism can lead to toxic behavior in gaming, such as bullying, harassment, and cheating.

Players who are jealous or narcissistic may be more likely to engage in these behaviors to gain an advantage or to put down other players.

(( Reasons why making a game too easy can be problematic: ))

Boredom: If a game is too easy, players may become bored and lose interest. They may feel like there's no reason to keep playing if there's no challenge or sense of progression.

Lack of motivation: Players may also lack motivation to continue playing if the game is too easy. They may feel like there's no point in putting in the effort to improve their skills or unlock new content.

Lack of satisfaction: Finally, players may feel less satisfied with their accomplishments if the game is too easy. They may feel like their victories are hollow if they didn't have to work hard to achieve them.

Well that was the End of it for Today... Good night
Peace

But no one cares...

[ChubbiChibbai]

Originally posted by -=Mr. Griffin=-:

The only place where I have to prove myself, to shine, is in real life, with my family, friends and at work! Gaming is to enjoy myself with my friends and just have some laughs and kicks!

Here here. Very good comment

[GrailQuest]

Originally posted by -=Mr. Griffin=-:

Now here is the kicker!
Why play an MMO if you want to play solo?
This is why every new MMO goes to waste and making an MMO is no longer viable.

Every new MMO "goes to waste" because there are too many idiots you don't want to play with. More and more people are even just turning off general chat in MMOs because it's worse than Twitter.

Realistically in any multiplayer or co-op game, people just play with their friends or guildmates if they can find a guild with decent and reasonable people.
If they can't, or if those friends aren't on at the moment, they play solo. They don't want to play with the randos in pugs and what not because more than likely that random will be an idiot or troll.
So they get stuck if everything requires a group. You log on when you are able to play but discover you can't unless you roll the dice with whether you get some unbearable random through matchmaking or your LFM post in general chat attracts trolls. So what to do except log off? Why spend your leisure time being frustrated by others? And your time becomes way too controlled by the schedule of your friends and guild.

TFD is an example of a co-op game where people don't want to play with the majority of the player base. Because nowadays randos are
- often using OP characters so you often literally don't get a chance to do anything
- hoping someone else is using an OP character so they just show up and do nothing, either follow along leeching or outright AFK and collect loot
- they don't want to learn and do mechanics so your 4-man raid is doomed at the start when the boss has any meaningful mechanic that needs to be handled

People do want to play an MMO to not play solo, but the amount of not-idiots out there means really they are just looking for a live service game that will have ongoing updates which makes it a good investment (compared to a once and done single player game) and a good place to settle down and spend a lot of time accumulating stuff and having your repetitive gameplay actually work toward something.
This is realistically what most people are playing live service games for -- not the multiplayer or co-op or social aspect but the continuing updates.

A great example of an MMO that is making the right systems decisions is SWTOR. You can do so much solo so you can play whenever you want without relying on others. The group stuff is not mandatory -- almost all the time you can get the drops another way even if you have to buy it off the auction house.
Because of the environment that doesn't turn away people if they do want to play solo, there is time to find a decent guild and try the group stuff with good people. Instead of just logging off because there's nothing you can do alone.
The game of course has a lot of idiots and trolls and toxic chat, but you can just turn that all off and still play the game, still enjoy the regular cadence of updates.

[🕹️Mr.Griffin]

Everything you just posted reinforces my point even more. my dear GrailQuest.

I can feel the tension in your writing and the annoyance you must feel while playing those games. But that's just it there are trolls and toxic people in every game; just ignore them.

However, that doesn't mean you can't try to play with random people (in my case, it doesn't happen often because we have a large group, but it does happen). When I join a random group, I usually ask for a Discord link or give them my Discord, and once we start talking, most people act very friendly. And if they don't want to use voice chat—sometimes that happens; shy people exist just give them a chance or maybe someone else can vouch for them.

But if you go around assuming that everybody is a troll or toxic, it won't get you anywhere. And that's where the problem lies today: ego and the inability to let go of it. It's okay to mess up once in a while—for me or for other people—it can happen. You might be having an off day or not feeling 100%, or maybe there are some other issues.

But in my case, I would rather play with random people than alone. And yes, sometimes I meet toxic people, but that's just how it has become. If we trust each other more, the fun will come back. On my Minecraft servers, which would sometimes hold over 60 people at peak times (and I know there are bigger servers), no one ever broke or stole one block from someone else (not counting the occasional hacker that flew in, bombed the map to pieces, and logged back out).

The same goes for League of Legends, a game known for its disgusting toxic behavior. I only ever had toxic people on the enemy teams, but almost never on my team. Why? Because of Discord, Skype, or internal voice chat systems any game allows. Once you can talk to people, they usually calm down a lot (not always, but 60-80% of the time). And that's what it's all about. The same goes for any other game just give them a hand, and maybe they will be more accepting of your actions.

It's important to remember that not everyone in online games is toxic or a troll. Giving people a chance, communicating through voice chat, and fostering trust within a gaming community can create a more positive and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. By embracing open-minded state and putting our egos aside, You and so many other people can rediscover the fun in gaming that we all seek.

let's not forget that gaming is ultimately about having fun and making friends. While loot, stats, and game status may come and go as we move from one game to another, And the friendships we forge can sometimes last a lifetime!!

[GrailQuest]

Originally posted by -=Mr. Griffin=-:

Everything you just posted reinforces my point even more. my dear GrailQuest.

I can feel the tension in your writing and the annoyance you must feel while playing those games. But that's just it there are trolls and toxic people in every game; just ignore them.

...

Once you can talk to people, they usually calm down a lot (not always, but 60-80% of the time). And that's what it's all about. The same goes for any other game just give them a hand, and maybe they will be more accepting of your actions.

You are welcome to waste your valuable leisure time play therapist and blocking players.
And no, you can't simply "ignore them". You don't even do that, you spend your timie playing therapist talking to them. I log onto a game to play a game, not "calm people down" or whatever.
And what do you even do with an AFKer?

Even someone turning off general chat does not mean they are "just ignored", instead it means they have forced that person out of a core multiplayer space.

I just want to play a game. Increasingly that means turning off genchat and doing solo activities.
If an online game can't let me do enough of this, to spend my leisure time enjoyably doing the activities that I choose instead of dealing with people, I'm just going to find another.
I'm not going to work that hard to have an enjoyable time playing a game.

[🕹️Mr.Griffin]

Originally posted by GrailQuest:

Originally posted by -=Mr. Griffin=-:

Everything you just posted reinforces my point even more. my dear GrailQuest.

I can feel the tension in your writing and the annoyance you must feel while playing those games. But that's just it there are trolls and toxic people in every game; just ignore them. .

You are welcome to waste your valuable leisure time play therapist and blocking players.
And no, you can't simply "ignore them". You don't even do that, you spend your timie playing therapist talking to them. I log onto a game to play a game, not "calm people down" or whatever.
And what do you even do with an AFKer?

Even someone turning off general chat does not mean they are "just ignored", instead it means they have forced that person out of a core multiplayer space.

I just want to play a game. Increasingly that means turning off genchat and doing solo activities.
If an online game can't let me do enough of this, to spend my leisure time enjoyably doing the activities that I choose instead of dealing with people, I'm just going to find another.
I'm not going to work that hard to have an enjoyable time playing a game.

First of all, I always speak my mind, and I never feel like I'm doing or giving therapy.
It's more like advice!!!
And they can always do whatever they like with it. Blocking players seldom happens.

Just know this: "♥♥♥♥ happens, and there's nothing you can do about it."As for so called AFKers", well, it depends on your own time frame and patience, of course, or who it is you're waiting for.

I didn't say it would be the play style you could adapt to, but many people can do it.
Some other people just are to far gone.

Some people have drifted too far off the path to find their way to enjoyment.
They tend to blame everything on someone else or try to place everything inside a different box. When that happens, I either say it's hopeless or that those people need to start looking for a relaxing green patch of nature in real life.

And if I ever played a game with that mindset, I would stop playing games altogether and focus on my other hobbies, of which I have quite a few.

So balance your free time and stay positive, playing games and in real life.
Being stressed all the time is a very unhealthy position to be in, and most people don't realize that, they are often pushed into acting this way because of ignorance or by loving to play victim mentality.

Stay safe, be happy, and good luck. This is my last entry on this post since it's completely not on the subject of the post anymore. Ciao

[johnnyzampano]

Good lord im not reading all this you guys should just play the game instead of spending so long typing out jank no one with a brain is going to read. I just want to know: is the game worth trying as a solo player?

I don't know anything about it except it launched in a bad state.

[🕹️Mr.Griffin]

Originally posted by johnnyzampano:

Good lord im not reading all this you guys should just play the game instead of spending so long typing out jank no one with a brain is going to read. I just want to know: is the game worth trying as a solo player?

I don't know anything about it except it launched in a bad state.

I do play games, but when I'm not gaming or doing things in real life, I am working on my typing skills on forums for lost games like this one. We type all this stuff because we care! And if you don't want to understand it, then why do you react to us at all? If you want peaceful conversations of ignorance, join the Nightingale Discord servers. That is where all the followers (Yes People) are.

People on Steam are the ones who speak their mind. Some people are more vocal than others, but most of them have very valid points. So, go to Discord if you want to be shielded from all these comments.

Also, if the developers update stuff and implement new features without even fixing problems that have been there since day one, it's very infuriating. Moreover, the lack of communication is horrendous in this game. Even a simple "yes" or "no" answer seems to be too much for the developers to provide.

On top of all that, they said in their last vlog video that we could ask them any questions we wanted. We did ask many questions, but we had zero replies absolutely none at all.

Not here or on the Discord...

It's rude and sad.

[Sabertom]

Originally posted by johnnyzampano:

Good lord im not reading all this you guys should just play the game instead of spending so long typing out jank no one with a brain is going to read. I just want to know: is the game worth trying as a solo player?

I don't know anything about it except it launched in a bad state.

Short answer: Yes, it is. The game is mainly designed for solo play

[Neon Ninja]

Originally posted by Sabertom:

Originally posted by johnnyzampano:

Good lord im not reading all this you guys should just play the game instead of spending so long typing out jank no one with a brain is going to read. I just want to know: is the game worth trying as a solo player?

I don't know anything about it except it launched in a bad state.

Short answer: Yes, it is. The game is mainly designed for solo play

And it is already a great game that with the right decisions will become one of the best indie games ever made.

[Neon Ninja]

Originally posted by -=Mr. Griffin=-:

Originally posted by johnnyzampano:

Good lord im not reading all this you guys should just play the game instead of spending so long typing out jank no one with a brain is going to read. I just want to know: is the game worth trying as a solo player?

I don't know anything about it except it launched in a bad state.

I do play games, but when I'm not gaming or doing things in real life, I am working on my typing skills on forums for lost games like this one. We type all this stuff because we care! And if you don't want to understand it, then why do you react to us at all? If you want peaceful conversations of ignorance, join the Nightingale Discord servers. That is where all the followers (Yes People) are.

People on Steam are the ones who speak their mind. Some people are more vocal than others, but most of them have very valid points. So, go to Discord if you want to be shielded from all these comments.

Also, if the developers update stuff and implement new features without even fixing problems that have been there since day one, it's very infuriating. Moreover, the lack of communication is horrendous in this game. Even a simple "yes" or "no" answer seems to be too much for the developers to provide.

On top of all that, they said in their last vlog video that we could ask them any questions we wanted. We did ask many questions, but we had zero replies absolutely none at all.

Not here or on the Discord...

It's rude and sad.

You spend your time on here "practicing your typewriting skills on forums discussing lost games like this one that have lost their way"? Really? Are you freaking serious? I mean I do believe the part about typewriting skills because of the crazy amount of words you are typing. But referring to this game as lost like you have all the solutions is gag inducing. This game has a lot going for it. They have made mistakes along the way, but I am confident that they will continue working at a diligent pace to get this video game in a place that makes it one of the best indie games ever made. I mean it wasn't long ago that player numbers were down to 200 or less at any given time and now they have been consistently over 1300 since the last update anyway.

[🕹️Mr.Griffin]

Originally posted by Neon Ninja:

Originally posted by -=Mr. Griffin=-:

I do play games, but when I'm not gaming or doing things in real life, I am working on my typing skills on forums for lost games like this one. We type all this stuff because we care! And if you don't want to understand it, then why do you react to us at all? If you want peaceful conversations of ignorance, join the Nightingale Discord servers. That is where all the followers (Yes People) are.

People on Steam are the ones who speak their mind. Some people are more vocal than others, but most of them have very valid points. So, go to Discord if you want to be shielded from all these comments.

Also, if the developers update stuff and implement new features without even fixing problems that have been there since day one, it's very infuriating. Moreover, the lack of communication is horrendous in this game. Even a simple "yes" or "no" answer seems to be too much for the developers to provide.

On top of all that, they said in their last vlog video that we could ask them any questions we wanted. We did ask many questions, but we had zero replies absolutely none at all.

Not here or on the Discord...

It's rude and sad.

You spend your time on here "practicing your typewriting skills on forums discussing lost games like this one that have lost their way"? Really? Are you freaking serious? I mean I do believe the part about typewriting skills because of the crazy amount of words you are typing. But referring to this game as lost like you have all the solutions is gag inducing. This game has a lot going for it. They have made mistakes along the way, but I am confident that they will continue working at a diligent pace to get this video game in a place that makes it one of the best indie games ever made. I mean it wasn't long ago that player numbers were down to 200 or less at any given time and now they have been consistently over 1300 since the last update anyway.

Yes, mistakes were made, and yes, the player base did increase as the reviews mentioned. I don't want to bring down the game or the work that the developers are doing, and I hope they may thrive for many years to come. However, we not just me feel like the product has diverted too much from its original path, which is a solid fact now.

That being said, in many of my posts, I have stated that even though I may not personally like the changes, they are still good for the game. But that doesn't mean I have to like the change in direction. I was here from Day 1, like most people, and the game was pretty fun for us back then. However, everything that initially attracted me and made me spend money on the game is no longer there.


Just like you are defending the game because you like it (and yes, you are entitled to your opinion), I am defending the old values of the game, particularly the survival aspect (not the handholding part). So, for you, I will summarize the things I don't like about the game:

1. Handholding (needs to be a toggle)
2. Starvation doesn't kill you (needs to be a toggle)
3. Rare or epic monster or node spawns (needs to be a slider, not everyone can play 12
hours to find the nodes or rare monsters to harvest just to create 1 part)
4. Animation needs work - simple things like doors that open and close, basic facial
animations, better frames and animations for combat and idle movements so they feel
less sluggish
5. Needs more mechanical play to the game - they removed the umbrella dash and many
other ways to boost our speed around the map, so traveling across the map feels
slower, and we have to spend more time walking around, which isn't fun
6. More creature spawns - my god, this game either has no enemies or hordes of them,
it's so weird (put it on a slider for people that like hordes of enemies)
7. Building is limited and annoying - why? It's mostly offline now anyway, REMOVE it.
8. The game is mostly played offline or in solo online sessions, bring the people back from
Discord to the Watch and Nightingale City, hopefully in the future, so it can be a bustling
quest hub and a place where you can actually find people to group with.

There are some more points here and there, but yeah, those are the main ones. Now you have a clearer vision of why I am doing this. If a developer would come and provide some clarity on my questions, it would be very nice and bring me loads of joy and peace, and this would all go away. And yes, I do not care if it's good or bad news, I am just entitled to know the direction in which the game is heading. If it's not the path I like, so be it, I had a good time playing the game for about 150ish hours and got my money's worth.

So thank you for noticing me and my cries for help. I salute you.

[Cythal]

Now that I see so many wall of text, though well paragraphed, and seems well written on a quick skim through, I shudder at the thought of others when I do write the same. Apologies for not spending time reading through it all. Bored.

Yes! Sometimes bored with this game, sometimes not. Referring to the OP ...

Tried the new Boss Rush. My opinion. It is a resource grind and a place to test out your builds then aim for T6 Infusions which combine two stats in varying ways. The name of the infusion will tell you what build it is aimed for. Arcanist Infusion is Stamina and Magic, while Spellshot is Ranged and Magic.

I wish they went the other way, where exploration into realms nets you the recipe to craft these anytime but with very expensive and rare materials. Then you can then go into Boss Rush to test your character in battle. But oh well.

[Hunkulees]

Hell is other people. Multiplayer with randos, doubly so. I'm all for solo content. Toxic people emboldened by the anonymity of being online are killing multiplayer games, not introverts

If more and more people are choosing to play solo, or in closed lobbies with friends only, that speaks to the environment that online gaming is becoming, and the urge to escape it. Blaming it on the people who are choosing to avoid the toxic environment, is like blaming the headache instead of the tumor causing it