I just started this game a couple weeks ago and it’s been really addicting! My impression is positive so far, but my suggestion is to make it easier for new players to find their way around.
My first confusion when I finished following all the pop-up tooltips and breeding together my first two progens was: how do I get more dragons!? I figured that the core aspect of the game – collecting and breeding more dragons – would be in some special obvious spot. I checked the map because maybe it was like Pokemon where you had to find them out in the wild, but the map doesn’t actually let you travel, its more of just a description of the areas. I thought maybe it would be in the fairgrounds, like how Neopets had a central city where there were activities to do, but it turns out it was a tab in the auction house. I found it somewhat anticlimactic for a game that started out with a strong lore element, although I suppose most breeding games are like this. I still think it could be more prominent. Maybe have the dragons be the first page of the auction, or maybe have them be a separate area altogether that is away from the item auction. Maybe provide some lore as to why all these hatchlings and dragons are being traded away for treasure, like how the other daily events have lore stories (e.g. Crim is a hoarder, Tomo is trying to record down knowledge, etc).
A lot of the game mechanics are also not obvious to new players unless they happen to stumble upon them, like the scrying workshop and the den expansion quests. I just discovered today, after two weeks, that there are quests associated with bonding with specific familiars! I never figured that out before because I was just relying on the waystone to give me the links for the dailies, so I never checked out the main trading post page. I only found it because I was looking through the game database of familiars and one of them mentioned the quests.
The active forum community and the very generous veteran players are what really kept me coming back though. I sometimes think the forums is the REAL game, where people are running raffles and hatcheries. I don’t think I would have figured out half of what to do without them. Thanks guys!
I just started this game a couple weeks ago and it’s been really addicting! My impression is positive so far, but my suggestion is to make it easier for new players to find their way around.
My first confusion when I finished following all the pop-up tooltips and breeding together my first two progens was: how do I get more dragons!? I figured that the core aspect of the game – collecting and breeding more dragons – would be in some special obvious spot. I checked the map because maybe it was like Pokemon where you had to find them out in the wild, but the map doesn’t actually let you travel, its more of just a description of the areas. I thought maybe it would be in the fairgrounds, like how Neopets had a central city where there were activities to do, but it turns out it was a tab in the auction house. I found it somewhat anticlimactic for a game that started out with a strong lore element, although I suppose most breeding games are like this. I still think it could be more prominent. Maybe have the dragons be the first page of the auction, or maybe have them be a separate area altogether that is away from the item auction. Maybe provide some lore as to why all these hatchlings and dragons are being traded away for treasure, like how the other daily events have lore stories (e.g. Crim is a hoarder, Tomo is trying to record down knowledge, etc).
A lot of the game mechanics are also not obvious to new players unless they happen to stumble upon them, like the scrying workshop and the den expansion quests. I just discovered today, after two weeks, that there are quests associated with bonding with specific familiars! I never figured that out before because I was just relying on the waystone to give me the links for the dailies, so I never checked out the main trading post page. I only found it because I was looking through the game database of familiars and one of them mentioned the quests.
The active forum community and the very generous veteran players are what really kept me coming back though. I sometimes think the forums is the REAL game, where people are running raffles and hatcheries. I don’t think I would have figured out half of what to do without them. Thanks guys!
Eh, I'm partial about this. On the other hand, it would be great if there would be more information about eg. dominance on the encyclopedia but I also find it good the game leaves space for exploration and learning through trial and error. I feel it also helps towards building the community, instead of everyone just minding their own game (not to say that would be a wrong way to enjoy fr either).
Eh, I'm partial about this. On the other hand, it would be great if there would be more information about eg. dominance on the encyclopedia but I also find it good the game leaves space for exploration and learning through trial and error. I feel it also helps towards building the community, instead of everyone just minding their own game (not to say that would be a wrong way to enjoy fr either).
Ooh, I'm green from unicellular algae-- oh wait, is it actually of envy?
I agree that the Encyclopedia needs to be updated with new mechanics and such (fiona is really new, so that is why there isn't necessarily a lot on her. She was literally just added), and that there needs to be better player tutorials, and less reliance on player run guides.
However, there is only so much that a site can do, if the players themselves aren't going to click around the site and check things out. Just singling you out because you mentioned it: you said you only clicked on the waystone to give you 'daily' tasks, instead of going to each page, but if you had went to fiona's page, and looked at the feats, it tells you that you need to get to certain bonding levels with certain familiars.
The way stone is good (would be even better if it could be tailored to the users specific needs), but it is for dailies, as mentioned. There should be some element of exploration, especially for newer players, needed, and I have found that, of a lot of sites, FR is one that the mechanics tend to either be self explanatory or they have the explanations already on the pages themselves so that players who stumble across them can find out what they just stumbled across.
I do agree that the new tutorial for dragons and such needs reworking, to let players know about the various ways to find new dragons and just have more indepth explanations (or update the encyclopedia to have a 'tutorial' section for the mechanics and dragons and direct to that for more indepth knowledge). So I do support this suggestion.
But, stumbling across new areas to explore is part of pretty much any new site, and as long as those new areas have nice explanations of what they are and what to do, I am fine with that.
I agree that the Encyclopedia needs to be updated with new mechanics and such (fiona is really new, so that is why there isn't necessarily a lot on her. She was literally just added), and that there needs to be better player tutorials, and less reliance on player run guides.
However, there is only so much that a site can do, if the players themselves aren't going to click around the site and check things out. Just singling you out because you mentioned it: you said you only clicked on the waystone to give you 'daily' tasks, instead of going to each page, but if you had went to fiona's page, and looked at the feats, it tells you that you need to get to certain bonding levels with certain familiars.
The way stone is good (would be even better if it could be tailored to the users specific needs), but it is for dailies, as mentioned. There should be some element of exploration, especially for newer players, needed, and I have found that, of a lot of sites, FR is one that the mechanics tend to either be self explanatory or they have the explanations already on the pages themselves so that players who stumble across them can find out what they just stumbled across.
I do agree that the new tutorial for dragons and such needs reworking, to let players know about the various ways to find new dragons and just have more indepth explanations (or update the encyclopedia to have a 'tutorial' section for the mechanics and dragons and direct to that for more indepth knowledge). So I do support this suggestion.
But, stumbling across new areas to explore is part of pretty much any new site, and as long as those new areas have nice explanations of what they are and what to do, I am fine with that.
I completely agree, I think this site is quite confusing for new players. For example, the marketplace, trading post, auction house, and crossroads names are easily interchangable (especially trading post and crossroads.. doesn't the name trading post make more sense to be a place where you trade dragons? I mean I get that the NPCs are trading their wares there but some of them aren't even doing that, I mean there's tomo who just asks you questions). It does make for nice community though, to help figure all this stuff out. I must say, it would be really cool to travel around the map and find flight specific NPCs in each area. Finding dragons in the wild sort of IS a thing with the coliseum and it's eggs, but it's rare and I don't think new players understand how valuable G1s are when they get one.
I completely agree, I think this site is quite confusing for new players. For example, the marketplace, trading post, auction house, and crossroads names are easily interchangable (especially trading post and crossroads.. doesn't the name trading post make more sense to be a place where you trade dragons? I mean I get that the NPCs are trading their wares there but some of them aren't even doing that, I mean there's tomo who just asks you questions). It does make for nice community though, to help figure all this stuff out. I must say, it would be really cool to travel around the map and find flight specific NPCs in each area. Finding dragons in the wild sort of IS a thing with the coliseum and it's eggs, but it's rare and I don't think new players understand how valuable G1s are when they get one.
[quote name="Avalitor" date="2020-04-14 19:50:47" ]
I found it somewhat anticlimactic for a game that started out with a strong lore element, although I suppose most breeding games are like this. I still think it could be more prominent. Maybe have the dragons be the first page of the auction, or maybe have them be a separate area altogether that is away from the item auction. Maybe provide some lore as to why all these hatchlings and dragons are being traded away for treasure, like how the other daily events have lore stories (e.g. Crim is a hoarder, Tomo is trying to record down knowledge, etc).
[/quote]
Just addressing this, because I think Jemadar's thoughts are pretty close to mine re: game mechanics, but the devs have stated that while the AH is a gameplay mechanic necessity it is [i]not[/i] canon and will never be canon or have lore— because it's not what's really happening.
Edited to remove a bunch of game mechanics jargon because I don't think I was being particularly clear, but basically, I was just trying to explain why it needs to exist but also be outside of lore and failing a lot.
I will say instead that the main difference between FR and Neopets or Pokémon is that in Neopets or Pokémon or most pet sites, you the player exist in the game: you're the pokémon trainer, for instance, and you're the one making decisions. In Flight Rising, we-the-players don't exist: the dragons are sapient beings making decisions for themselves in game lore, but we're the ones making decisions for them outside it, which is why there's a necessary disconnect with game mechanics for things that determine what a dragon is doing once they leave your lair.
Avalitor wrote on 2020-04-14 19:50:47:
I found it somewhat anticlimactic for a game that started out with a strong lore element, although I suppose most breeding games are like this. I still think it could be more prominent. Maybe have the dragons be the first page of the auction, or maybe have them be a separate area altogether that is away from the item auction. Maybe provide some lore as to why all these hatchlings and dragons are being traded away for treasure, like how the other daily events have lore stories (e.g. Crim is a hoarder, Tomo is trying to record down knowledge, etc).
Just addressing this, because I think Jemadar's thoughts are pretty close to mine re: game mechanics, but the devs have stated that while the AH is a gameplay mechanic necessity it is
not canon and will never be canon or have lore— because it's not what's really happening.
Edited to remove a bunch of game mechanics jargon because I don't think I was being particularly clear, but basically, I was just trying to explain why it needs to exist but also be outside of lore and failing a lot.
I will say instead that the main difference between FR and Neopets or Pokémon is that in Neopets or Pokémon or most pet sites, you the player exist in the game: you're the pokémon trainer, for instance, and you're the one making decisions. In Flight Rising, we-the-players don't exist: the dragons are sapient beings making decisions for themselves in game lore, but we're the ones making decisions for them outside it, which is why there's a necessary disconnect with game mechanics for things that determine what a dragon is doing once they leave your lair.
[quote name="skarpetky" date="2020-04-15 09:25:52" ]
I completely agree, I think this site is quite confusing for new players. For example, the marketplace, trading post, auction house, and crossroads names are easily interchangable (especially trading post and crossroads.. doesn't the name trading post make more sense to be a place where you trade dragons? I mean I get that the NPCs are trading their wares there but some of them aren't even doing that, I mean there's tomo who just asks you questions). It does make for nice community though, to help figure all this stuff out. I must say, it would be really cool to travel around the map and find flight specific NPCs in each area. Finding dragons in the wild sort of IS a thing with the coliseum and it's eggs, but it's rare and I don't think new players understand how valuable G1s are when they get one.
[/quote]
You really need to think in terms of the dragons, not a player. We, the players, are not existed in-game. We are more like the god-voice of the lair we own and not the 'owner' of some dragon pets. In other words, "trading post" is a place where dragons go to trade their wares, and "crossroad" used to be dragon-trading only and it's a crossroad for the life of the dragon that's 'leaving' your lair. It makes perfect sense.
There's no canon value to a g1 than any other generations. It's a player-applied value. Yes the egg is valuable, a good G1 is valuable, but they are both worth very little to the site itself. Since their values are determined by players and not a site mechanism, it shouldn't be included in the site tutorials.
I do agree a lot of the tutorial parts should be updated to include the new changes, but I do not agree the site needs to hold the new players' hands and guide them through every aspects of the game. I thought the first thing when you started playing a new game is to click everything and see where they lead you? Then if some of the pages are confusing, the first place to go wouldn't it be the forum Guide section and utilize the 'search' function? It is fixed and working now. Or am I being old-school and the younger players no longer do their own exploring anymore?
skarpetky wrote on 2020-04-15 09:25:52:
I completely agree, I think this site is quite confusing for new players. For example, the marketplace, trading post, auction house, and crossroads names are easily interchangable (especially trading post and crossroads.. doesn't the name trading post make more sense to be a place where you trade dragons? I mean I get that the NPCs are trading their wares there but some of them aren't even doing that, I mean there's tomo who just asks you questions). It does make for nice community though, to help figure all this stuff out. I must say, it would be really cool to travel around the map and find flight specific NPCs in each area. Finding dragons in the wild sort of IS a thing with the coliseum and it's eggs, but it's rare and I don't think new players understand how valuable G1s are when they get one.
You really need to think in terms of the dragons, not a player. We, the players, are not existed in-game. We are more like the god-voice of the lair we own and not the 'owner' of some dragon pets. In other words, "trading post" is a place where dragons go to trade their wares, and "crossroad" used to be dragon-trading only and it's a crossroad for the life of the dragon that's 'leaving' your lair. It makes perfect sense.
There's no canon value to a g1 than any other generations. It's a player-applied value. Yes the egg is valuable, a good G1 is valuable, but they are both worth very little to the site itself. Since their values are determined by players and not a site mechanism, it shouldn't be included in the site tutorials.
I do agree a lot of the tutorial parts should be updated to include the new changes, but I do not agree the site needs to hold the new players' hands and guide them through every aspects of the game. I thought the first thing when you started playing a new game is to click everything and see where they lead you? Then if some of the pages are confusing, the first place to go wouldn't it be the forum Guide section and utilize the 'search' function? It is fixed and working now. Or am I being old-school and the younger players no longer do their own exploring anymore?
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hat17 I never said nothin about adding to tutorials (especially that g1s are valuable? This tidbit was just a side note of my response to the OP's part about wanting to "find dragons in the wild", just mentioning that technically you can do that already. I wasn't complaining about anything). I get that crossroads and trading post have lore reasons for being called that, but that doesn't negate the fact that as a new player it's confusing to remember which one is which. I am sure they can find a name that makes sense lore wise and also doesn't make people go ?????. I don't want tutorials to be hand-holdy either, that's stupid, I just think that the game's many tabs on the side could be structured in a way that is more logical.
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hat17 I never said nothin about adding to tutorials (especially that g1s are valuable? This tidbit was just a side note of my response to the OP's part about wanting to "find dragons in the wild", just mentioning that technically you can do that already. I wasn't complaining about anything). I get that crossroads and trading post have lore reasons for being called that, but that doesn't negate the fact that as a new player it's confusing to remember which one is which. I am sure they can find a name that makes sense lore wise and also doesn't make people go ?????. I don't want tutorials to be hand-holdy either, that's stupid, I just think that the game's many tabs on the side could be structured in a way that is more logical.
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skarpetky
Only the first paragraph of my respond was directed to your response. The second part you did mention that new players won't know the 'value' of a g1 or an egg when they stumble across one, and I just said to the site they are not as valuable as players said they are.
The rest is more directed to OP and other supports. Sorry if it looks confusing.
edit:
Just trying to add a bit about the terms FR used can be confusing. I guess being a non-English speaker (well, not my first language anyway), it's probably easier for us to not associate an in-game term with what they would mean in real life, because we do not have that term and its meanings printed in our mind already. We just need to click through every link and see what they are, and that's not confusing.
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skarpetky
Only the first paragraph of my respond was directed to your response. The second part you did mention that new players won't know the 'value' of a g1 or an egg when they stumble across one, and I just said to the site they are not as valuable as players said they are.
The rest is more directed to OP and other supports. Sorry if it looks confusing.
edit:
Just trying to add a bit about the terms FR used can be confusing. I guess being a non-English speaker (well, not my first language anyway), it's probably easier for us to not associate an in-game term with what they would mean in real life, because we do not have that term and its meanings printed in our mind already. We just need to click through every link and see what they are, and that's not confusing.
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hat17 Ah I see, nevermind the points that responded to those other paragraphs then, sorry about that!
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hat17 Ah I see, nevermind the points that responded to those other paragraphs then, sorry about that!
No support. While I agree a lot of things are confusing, (the auction house has absolutely nothing to do with auctioning???) everyone I know, including me, got around just fine. I would go as far as to say that having not a lot of guidance helps new players by encouraging them to explore the site on their own.
No support. While I agree a lot of things are confusing, (the auction house has absolutely nothing to do with auctioning???) everyone I know, including me, got around just fine. I would go as far as to say that having not a lot of guidance helps new players by encouraging them to explore the site on their own.
