First impressions

[Volkbrecht]

To start this off: even though the game is rather simple, the atmosphere has something about it that keeps me hooked, nice work! There are a few things missing, though, mainly in terms of comfort:

First, a journal for the quests. Self-explainatory.

Second, the inventory is too small. When you divide up the items into stuff one will likely need during the game and random loot for selling, then the inventory basically has just three "free" slots. Considering the drops I've seen so far, that can't even be solved by a chest. If you don't want to increase the number of slots in the inventory, maybe take things that all players always will carry anyway, like gold, torches, crystals, out of the regular backpack and put them somewhere else. Also, make keys quest items, maybe? (On the plus side, I like that loot doesn't vanish even when leaving a zone, that's nice).

Third, melee combat in this game doesn't feel good, it's like one can't "win", in terms of figuring out moves to avoid getting hit. If that was possible, a lot less healing items would be required. Personally, I think players would feel better "winning", or developing "skill", than having a balanced supply of regeneration.

Fourth, the skilltree requires some tooltips. The price for the skill points is relatively high, so it would be kinda nice to know what the skills actually do and how much a skill will get better upon improvement.

Fifth, it would be nice to have some sort of indication of a monster's hitpoints and roughly the amount of hitpoint loss upon being hit. Just so that one can know when it's time to run away and come back later.

I'll probably come back here later, but for now those are my initial ideas of "necessary" improvement I have after the first couple hours of playing.

[animalmagic]

Its like a Browser game

[STALSKY]

Originally posted by Volkbrecht:

To start this off: even though the game is rather simple, the atmosphere has something about it that keeps me hooked, nice work! There are a few things missing, though, mainly in terms of comfort:

First, a journal for the quests. Self-explainatory.

Second, the inventory is too small. When you divide up the items into stuff one will likely need during the game and random loot for selling, then the inventory basically has just three "free" slots. Considering the drops I've seen so far, that can't even be solved by a chest. If you don't want to increase the number of slots in the inventory, maybe take things that all players always will carry anyway, like gold, torches, crystals, out of the regular backpack and put them somewhere else. Also, make keys quest items, maybe? (On the plus side, I like that loot doesn't vanish even when leaving a zone, that's nice).

Third, melee combat in this game doesn't feel good, it's like one can't "win", in terms of figuring out moves to avoid getting hit. If that was possible, a lot less healing items would be required. Personally, I think players would feel better "winning", or developing "skill", than having a balanced supply of regeneration.

Fourth, the skilltree requires some tooltips. The price for the skill points is relatively high, so it would be kinda nice to know what the skills actually do and how much a skill will get better upon improvement.

Fifth, it would be nice to have some sort of indication of a monster's hitpoints and roughly the amount of hitpoint loss upon being hit. Just so that one can know when it's time to run away and come back later.

I'll probably come back here later, but for now those are my initial ideas of "necessary" improvement I have after the first couple hours of playing.

Thank you for the detailed feedback! It helps us to make game better!

[Volkbrecht]

As threatened, another annoying complaint: the torch-thing.

The idea itself isn't so bad, but the execution still feels subpar.

First, I don't know if this is intended, but when I move while trying to light a torch, my torch is used up, so I cannot do it again if that was the only one I had.

Second, logic wise: why do I need to use torches to light a torch that is already standig there? Either make it a torch-holder or give us something like a tinderbox.

Third, having to worry about the supply of something that in theory is supplied by the game in unlimited quantity (you can always sell more rocks from easy dungeons to buy the torch-parts) is not a good game design idea. It basically means that the player has to do repetitive work in order to supply himself with stuff before he can really enjoy the game. To fix that, either raise the drop-rate of torches in such a way that a player will always have more than enough torches when in a dungeon. Or, see point two, have the miser give the hero a tinderbox instead of a torch to light the light in the tutorial area.

[Rabid Urko]

Part of the idea of the game is to use torches tactically as most mobs react to the light, being able to light any torch whenever you want will remove the tactical aspect.

I think you are nit picking that it is a torch you carry to light another torch rather than a tinderbox.
IE:- In reality you can use a match to light a candle but you can also use another candle to light a new candle.

[Volkbrecht]

With regard to the tactical thing, yes and no. This game is clearly a game for kids, and kids don't think a lot, they navigate more along emotions. Just listen inside yourself what you feel when you do the torch-thing and the light goes on inside the dark cave, together with the little save-symbol. That is positive reenforcement. Instead, when you want to light the torch, but you can't, and have to keep staring at the dark screen, that is the opposite of that. Too much of the latter and people, especially kids, start to dislike games. And since it's a game, they don't even care enough to think about why.

During the last two years, a lot of fun books have been written about how and why that happens, neuropsychology being the current fad in pop-science literature. And clearly, that knowledge is present in the gaming industry. MMOs have replaced MMORPGs, because there's no leveling and gear grinding, just log on and play. And even in the MMORPGs, that sort of preparative work has been reduced more and more, for good reasons.

[Rabid Urko]

Originally posted by Volkbrecht:

With regard to the tactical thing, yes and no. This game is clearly a game for kids, and kids don't think a lot, they navigate more along emotions. Just listen inside yourself what you feel when you do the torch-thing and the light goes on inside the dark cave, together with the little save-symbol. That is positive reenforcement. Instead, when you want to light the torch, but you can't, and have to keep staring at the dark screen, that is the opposite of that. Too much of the latter and people, especially kids, start to dislike games. And since it's a game, they don't even care enough to think about why.

During the last two years, a lot of fun books have been written about how and why that happens, neuropsychology being the current fad in pop-science literature. And clearly, that knowledge is present in the gaming industry. MMOs have replaced MMORPGs, because there's no leveling and gear grinding, just log on and play. And even in the MMORPGs, that sort of preparative work has been reduced more and more, for good reasons.

A game for kids ? because there isnt any mega dark elements or gore ? Im 52 and i like playing it as much as i do any other game i own. (mixed bag)
I also think you are not giving enough credit to the intellect of most gaming kids nowadays.

[Volkbrecht]

@RabidUrko: when you play a game like that at 52 that says more about yourself than the game ;) No offence, I'm 37 and the same applies to me. Also, I'm not saying kids are dumb, just that for them playing is still a rather, well, playful process. If a game has spots where the design doesn't feel round or there's annoying spots, they won't put up with that for long, why would they? There's tons of F2P-computer games out there.

Which brings me to my list of today's complaints:

One, the locked chests in the camp. It would be nice if the keys for those (also for the locked door) were available in the camp somehow. So far, I have not seen the keys dropping randomly, and in the dungeon where one can get them, there is always exactly the one silver key for the one door you need to go through. So one could either follow through with the dungeon, or stop in the middle of it to trade the dungeon-loot against the camp-loot, which is normally not a good deal.

Two, dungeon size. To fit with todays tastes, I'd say any map or dungeon should not take more than 15 to 20 minutes to finish, 30 mins at the most. The crystal cave is definitely too big already.

Three, spells. At lvl12 I could not yet try out Speed and Poison Cloud. Round Kick feels good the way it is, also the Protection Aura. Power Strike, Fireball and Lightning strike look nice, but are fiddly to aim, what with the preset distance and the need for the exact angle. Idk if this game is to appear on consoles, so my suggestion might not make sense, but while we have the mouse-cursor in play, couldn't we use that to aim the spell? Freeze I like a lot, although due to the bugs I can't say if it is balanced well. Tornado definitely is not balanced well the way it is. I had it at level 3 when I tested it, and that's kind of shooting a sitting duck. Maybe add a bigger knockback, so monsters need longer time before they stumble back into the effect. or increase damage, but add the effect of the light-circle, so that they won't keep walking into it repeatedly. Being able to stand inside the tornado unharmed and wait for cooldowns to refresh is already very strong,

Four, the longer I play, the more I feel that the toon is a bit small for the size of the screen. I have no clue about art and design, that's just the way it feels to me personally.

[Rabid Urko]

It says i am a varied gamer, i play Doom and plenty of gore type games yet can get the same buzz off this.
I dont play Quest Hunter with the view i am playing a kids game, i view it as a game i like playing. I also watch plenty of horror films yet can get as much enjoyment from them as watching a wildlife documentary.
Ill leave this thread at that. :)