Urgent Need to Fix the Leaderboards in Brighter Shores

[Lekzz]

Before I begin, I recognise that it has been said that the developers are aware of the issue and are "working on it", but the way that it was dismissed in last nights podcast with Tel as well as Sam's admission he was choosing to "ignore the question" has necessitated this post. It is an affront to the most dedicated in this community who are investing a huge amount of time and effort into this game and it needs prioritising now. Working leaderboards are a requirement of getting out of early access and this has been ticked on the home screen. They are NOT fit for purpose.

I want to raise a concern that has been bothering me and many other competitive players in the Brighter Shores community. As it stands, the leaderboards are far from being a true representation of the best players in the game. The current system allows players to opt-out of being included on the leaderboards, which seriously undermines the integrity of the entire competitive ranking system.

As competitive players, we work hard, strategize, and spend countless hours improving our skills, all with the goal of earning a spot at the top. However, allowing players to opt out creates a system where the rankings are not a true reflection of who is truly excelling in the game. This not only diminishes the value of the leaderboards but also discourages players from striving for higher rankings when the system itself isn't fully reliable.

It's worth mentioning that it's the competitive players who are helping to drive the game's popularity. We are the ones who are promoting the game to friends, creating content, and convincing others to join the community. Yet, it feels like the current issues with the leaderboards are not being prioritized by the developers, despite how much they matter to the core of the game's competitive scene.

The leaderboards are supposed to be a place where the most dedicated and skilled players are celebrated. Right now, they're not doing justice to that goal. It's high time that the developers address this issue and restore the integrity of the competitive scene. Fixing this would not only improve the experience for players who care about the rankings, but it would also show that the team values and listens to the competitive community that is helping grow the game.

I urge the Brighter Shores team to take this concern seriously and make the necessary changes to ensure that the leaderboards are accurate and reflective of true competitive achievement. The community deserves better, and the game's future relies on us feeling that our efforts are being recognised in a fair and transparent way.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this. A solution seems so simple and that's half the reason we're so exasperated by this situation. Simply make opt out permanent, as there is no reason to opt in and out other than to steal an unsportsmanlike competitive advantage, or include opt outers on the leaderboards and asterisk out their names for privacy. It really is that simple, and it can be fixed in hours rather than days.

[Sean]

+1

[Sean]

Some of the most dedicated players will get very demotivated if they miss out on top 20 because of this, after investing 500+ hours. Fix ASAP

[Lekzz]

Its even worse that that. Our current rank 1's might not even be rank 1. They think they are but someone else could have got 500 earlier and are waiting to opt in untill they get the zone leaderboards. Total level would be hard not to notice as they run around with the level on their heads. Rank 1 skills though, well could be anyone. So the people with 500 cant even enjoy their position.

[Sean]

Originally posted by Lekzz:

Its even worse that that. Our current rank 1's might not even be rank 1. They think they are but someone else could have got 500 earlier and are waiting to opt in untill they get the zone leaderboards. Total level would be hard not to notice as they run around with the level on their heads. Rank 1 skills though, well could be anyone. So the people with 500 cant even enjoy their position.

Ikr - rank 17 guard lv 500 - who knows if i'll keep front page

[Variation]

at this point i already cancelled my sub so whatever. idk how this wasn't fixed within the week leaderboards were launched.

[Ratsplat]

I stopped caring the moment I realized I've been playing the game incorrectly when it comes to racing. So now, I am just simply going to play the game. What they really need now is content. Leaderboards are just fluff. A lot more things are a much higher priority. I already know my true rank is like 20 or something.

[weirdee]

I don't really know how hard you're reading into all this, but if the answer of them changing the leaderboard so that all of the spots that have anonymous players will filled and them not answering the same question again later when they've already answered the question is not going to create a new answer for you if you ask every single week.

[T2DAK]

The players with no life = leaderboards lol

[76561199807423748]

It's high up on our 'To-Do' list. Just be patient!

[Greb]

Originally posted by Samuel:

It's high up on our 'To-Do' list. Just be patient!

Wow this must be one of those happy-sad feelings I've been told about

I'll know my true ranking :)

I'll know my true ranking :(

Well it's more like excitement and anxiety but you get the idea

[Sean]

Originally posted by Samuel:

It's high up on our 'To-Do' list. Just be patient!

Thanks for the response! Appreciate it.

[Sailor Thot]

I hit top 50 fishing recently after starting at around rank 350. I get anxious progressing more and more because I never know when I'm gonna get bumped out and have to sweat double as hard. I wish people could just be anonymous and still on the board, because right now it's just fake in the end.

[Variation]

still waiting.

[Lekzz]

Originally posted by Middlemoor:

It would be really nice to see all these issues fixed for players who really care about the leaderboards but I am not sure I agree that it's the number one pressing issue that some people are making it out to be. Becoming fixated on your score in an Early Access is a choice, although I can see how some of this situation is flawed. Just trying to remind you that people racing to be on top of the leaderboards probably represent a very small minority of the total game's population.

Having said that, if the issue isn't fixed soon it's sure to upset some of those high level, dedicated players who usually drive a certain degree of excitement and community within these games.

No-one has claimed it's the number 1 most pressing issue. So I'm not sure where you're getting that from my post. It also makes no sense that you specified that were focusing on leaderboards during "Early Access". Early Access is irrelevant as the scores are not getting reset so these are the highscores forever, until skills are expanded if they decide to raise the level cap. It's also a little deeper that just caring out our scores as I stated in my original post.

The leaderboards being implemented is one of the requirement for leaving early access. That box is now ticked on the homepage of Brighter Shores. The issue is that this has not been implemented. It is a bare bones, not fit for purpose and inaccurate leaderboard that lacks any integrity or reliability. The fact they have said "Yep, that's it done, lets tick it off the checklist" sets a horrible precedent that they are willing to rush incomplete features to push the game our of "Early Access". Either fix them, or change the tick to a cross and admit the feature is not correctly or fully implemented yet.

As for your point that the competitive players are a tiny minority of active players, thats not strictly true. The game is so small at the moment that these people not only are much more of a % of the active player base, but they're also the ones that are helping to drive the enthusiasm of the game.

Finally, I'd agree with you more if the fix wasn't simply a 10 minute job. It really is as simple as making opt out permanent. There we go. I've just fixed the leaderboards in under 10 minutes. The worry is that they are dragging their feet on this and it feel like something a little more sinister

[Fogmoz]

Ah yes, the top sweats trying to max everything before the game is done, then complaining it’s not finished, and fighting against the changes being made are really driving the enthusiasm for the game…