KoA: Reckoning - Answers from the Team
- Thread starter Dhruin
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For some reason I have a lot of "hope" attached to this title...I normally don't subscribe to hype and try to keep expectations managed, which normally leads to a satisfied game experience (though that still doesn't work for all games) But I've inadvertently attached quite a bit of excitement and hope here based on all I've read and the videos I've seen.
"Looks" like it will be an amazing game
"Looks" like it will be an amazing game
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Dynamic drops (more health potions when you're running low) sounds interesting - probably other games do it as well, but nice to hear it talked about so openly.
I'm getting a slight dungeon siege vibe though.. think it's going to be fun, but might be a little.. removed.
I'm getting a slight dungeon siege vibe though.. think it's going to be fun, but might be a little.. removed.
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I posted a concern about the loot system knowing what we're using and dropping loot accordingly, that perhaps that would lead to an unrewarding system where the game tailors all the loot to our specific build. I then got a response from a developer which said:
You are absolutely right. The player wants loot that is appropriate for their level and build, but if that's all the player ever gets, loot becomes much less rewarding. We've balanced the loot system in Reckoning with this in mind. Here are some other heuristics I've used when balancing loot:
It's cool to get something that you can't use... yet. Loot is a great way to cultivate the "just ten more minutes!" mindset in the player. Sometimes dropping loot that is right outside the player's level range is a great way to keep them playing. Merchants in Reckoning are stocked with this in mind. When you visit a new merchant, you will probably be able to afford and use most of their stock, but there are also several choice items that you'll need to save up for.
Min-maxing is bad. We never conditionalize loot based on the frequency you use particular items. You're not going to get more sword drops if you use your sword all the time. It sounds good on paper to set it up this way, but once the "power players" figure out that you can get better swords by cutting a lot, the game quickly devolves into grinding of the worst sort.
I don't need 99 lock picks! Some commonly looted items we conditionalize based on how many of that item the player has in their inventory. These are mostly items like potions and lock picks that the player will want to have in their inventory all the time. If you're running low on the item, we bump the drop chance a little. If you've got way too many, we lower the drop chance.
A mage with a sword?! Sweet! Reckoning's player advancement systems are set up so that you can build the character you want to play, even if it doesn't fit traditional RPG archetypes. We want to encourage experimentation with different builds and weapon combinations. To this end, the loot system weights certain equipment types based on the destiny you have chosen, but never so strongly that it will control your play style.
And:
We adjust drop rates like this only for common consumable items that you'll have several of in your inventory most the time, like common potions and lock picks. The loot system doesn't, for example, adjust the drop rate of swords when you have too many in your inventory. Hoard away!
Then, another dev chimed in and said this:
If we hadn't told you about this, you most like would not have noticed, it's that subtle. In fact in my most recent playthrough i was complaining about my crappy luck in not getting more Staves and Chakrams since I was playing a mage build. None of these systems that tailor loot to your being able to use it are heavy handed.
EDIT
And like Will has said it's so subtle that apparently I don't know how the system really works!
You are absolutely right. The player wants loot that is appropriate for their level and build, but if that's all the player ever gets, loot becomes much less rewarding. We've balanced the loot system in Reckoning with this in mind. Here are some other heuristics I've used when balancing loot:
It's cool to get something that you can't use... yet. Loot is a great way to cultivate the "just ten more minutes!" mindset in the player. Sometimes dropping loot that is right outside the player's level range is a great way to keep them playing. Merchants in Reckoning are stocked with this in mind. When you visit a new merchant, you will probably be able to afford and use most of their stock, but there are also several choice items that you'll need to save up for.
Min-maxing is bad. We never conditionalize loot based on the frequency you use particular items. You're not going to get more sword drops if you use your sword all the time. It sounds good on paper to set it up this way, but once the "power players" figure out that you can get better swords by cutting a lot, the game quickly devolves into grinding of the worst sort.
I don't need 99 lock picks! Some commonly looted items we conditionalize based on how many of that item the player has in their inventory. These are mostly items like potions and lock picks that the player will want to have in their inventory all the time. If you're running low on the item, we bump the drop chance a little. If you've got way too many, we lower the drop chance.
A mage with a sword?! Sweet! Reckoning's player advancement systems are set up so that you can build the character you want to play, even if it doesn't fit traditional RPG archetypes. We want to encourage experimentation with different builds and weapon combinations. To this end, the loot system weights certain equipment types based on the destiny you have chosen, but never so strongly that it will control your play style.
And:
We adjust drop rates like this only for common consumable items that you'll have several of in your inventory most the time, like common potions and lock picks. The loot system doesn't, for example, adjust the drop rate of swords when you have too many in your inventory. Hoard away!
Then, another dev chimed in and said this:
If we hadn't told you about this, you most like would not have noticed, it's that subtle. In fact in my most recent playthrough i was complaining about my crappy luck in not getting more Staves and Chakrams since I was playing a mage build. None of these systems that tailor loot to your being able to use it are heavy handed.
EDIT
And like Will has said it's so subtle that apparently I don't know how the system really works!
I haven´t paid much attention to this game so I may be wrong, but from what I´ve seen the game seems first and foremost very derivative.
Almost as if the whole game is built as a collection of cool bits from other games put together. A lot of engineering instead of creative process.
Even if I´m right, that doesn´t mean it´ll be automatically a bad game, since the kind of rich on features experience it seems to strive to provide may be fun even if the features themselves are derivative, if they´re put together well.
Still, can´t shake a feeling this kind of melting pot development approach will lead to a game which in the name of breadth spreads itself too thin and ends up severely lacking in depth department.
The dual wielding system, for example, seems to be lacking just from the answer in OT, since, at least if I understand it correctly, players can´t have one weapon in the right hand and a different one in the left, the only way to have a weapon in both hands is to find a dual wield designated pair. It´s also quite funny how the interviewee later sidesteps the question with supposedly unique primary/secondary weapon system.
Also, hopefully the suffix/prefix system for random loot will deliver similar level of hilarity as it did in Dragon Knight Saga.
Anyway, I´ll probably keep my eye on it since there´s some chance the amount of features alone will make it a fun game.
Almost as if the whole game is built as a collection of cool bits from other games put together. A lot of engineering instead of creative process.
Even if I´m right, that doesn´t mean it´ll be automatically a bad game, since the kind of rich on features experience it seems to strive to provide may be fun even if the features themselves are derivative, if they´re put together well.
Still, can´t shake a feeling this kind of melting pot development approach will lead to a game which in the name of breadth spreads itself too thin and ends up severely lacking in depth department.
The dual wielding system, for example, seems to be lacking just from the answer in OT, since, at least if I understand it correctly, players can´t have one weapon in the right hand and a different one in the left, the only way to have a weapon in both hands is to find a dual wield designated pair. It´s also quite funny how the interviewee later sidesteps the question with supposedly unique primary/secondary weapon system.
Also, hopefully the suffix/prefix system for random loot will deliver similar level of hilarity as it did in Dragon Knight Saga
.Anyway, I´ll probably keep my eye on it since there´s some chance the amount of features alone will make it a fun game.
Last edited:
Thing?
Chakram aren't things, they are awesome weapons. They are just not popular, unless you live in Asia.
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