First question: Do you work for funcom? If the answer is yes, it'd be awesome.

The reason I ask is because I have another question that you might be able to help me out with. I just resubscribed to the game and am loving it. It has changed drastically since release. However, I cannot understand why funcom refuses to add a new starting zone! This is one of the biggest drawbacks for any player in ANY mmo when they make alts. They have to do the same content over and over. Does funcom not realize that is a massive turnoff?

Why not with the Rise of the Godslayer do they add a new beginning area that people can choose from. It would be an absolutely amazing addition and if it is the same quality as tortage, then holy crap will I love to play through something like that again, just with a different story this time.

I believe he just handles AoC on MMORPG.

Originally posted by GPrestige

First question: Do you work for funcom? If the answer is yes, it'd be awesome.

The reason I ask is because I have another question that you might be able to help me out with. I just resubscribed to the game and am loving it. It has changed drastically since release. However, I cannot understand why funcom refuses to add a new starting zone! This is one of the biggest drawbacks for any player in ANY mmo when they make alts. They have to do the same content over and over. Does funcom not realize that is a massive turnoff?

 

Why not with the Rise of the Godslayer do they add a new beginning area that people can choose from. It would be an absolutely amazing addition and if it is the same quality as tortage, then holy crap will I love to play through something like that again, just with a different story this time.

 

HAHA i agree,this is the one area i eluded to right away when i gave a review of AOC.The entire game is pretty good,with very few flaws,it was the extreme linear feel that lost it for me.It really feels like a single player game turned into a MMORPG.

Originally posted by Wizardry

Originally posted by GPrestige

First question: Do you work for funcom? If the answer is yes, it'd be awesome.

The reason I ask is because I have another question that you might be able to help me out with. I just resubscribed to the game and am loving it. It has changed drastically since release. However, I cannot understand why funcom refuses to add a new starting zone! This is one of the biggest drawbacks for any player in ANY mmo when they make alts. They have to do the same content over and over. Does funcom not realize that is a massive turnoff?

 

Why not with the Rise of the Godslayer do they add a new beginning area that people can choose from. It would be an absolutely amazing addition and if it is the same quality as tortage, then holy crap will I love to play through something like that again, just with a different story this time.

 

HAHA i agree,this is the one area i eluded to right away when i gave a review of AOC.The entire game is pretty good,with very few flaws,it was the extreme linear feel that lost it for me.It really feels like a single player game turned into a MMORPG.

I only got a 60 DT so I don't know everything, but, I never really felt like it was linear.

Originally posted by GPrestige

First question: Do you work for funcom? If the answer is yes, it'd be awesome.

The reason I ask is because I have another question that you might be able to help me out with. I just resubscribed to the game and am loving it. It has changed drastically since release. However, I cannot understand why funcom refuses to add a new starting zone! This is one of the biggest drawbacks for any player in ANY mmo when they make alts. They have to do the same content over and over. Does funcom not realize that is a massive turnoff?

 

Why not with the Rise of the Godslayer do they add a new beginning area that people can choose from. It would be an absolutely amazing addition and if it is the same quality as tortage, then holy crap will I love to play through something like that again, just with a different story this time.

 

Its already been stated a new starting zone will be included with Rise of the Godslayer...

I didnt mind Tortage, actually I liked it a lot. It was a fun way to spend 20 levels and I liked how it was different based on what archtype you were. I moreso hated having to do the damn beach over and over.

Originally posted by marinrider

Originally posted by GPrestige

First question: Do you work for funcom? If the answer is yes, it'd be awesome.

The reason I ask is because I have another question that you might be able to help me out with. I just resubscribed to the game and am loving it. It has changed drastically since release. However, I cannot understand why funcom refuses to add a new starting zone! This is one of the biggest drawbacks for any player in ANY mmo when they make alts. They have to do the same content over and over. Does funcom not realize that is a massive turnoff?

 

Why not with the Rise of the Godslayer do they add a new beginning area that people can choose from. It would be an absolutely amazing addition and if it is the same quality as tortage, then holy crap will I love to play through something like that again, just with a different story this time.

 

 

Its already been stated a new starting zone will be included with Rise of the Godslayer...

http://riseofthegodslayer.com/   --->   FAQ   --->   Can I use my existing characters in the expansion?

Yes, depending on your character's level. 'Rise of the Godslayer' contain a large amount of new content for high-level characters, but will also introduce content for characters at lower levels. The expansion will also introduce a new character race - the Khitan - and there will be new content for those characters after they leave Tortage.

Unless I'm reading it wrong...

Will there be a new race and what content will be available to new characters?

Yes, players will be able to create a Khitan character. The Khitan race will play through Tortage Island as all new arrivals in Hyboria do (but veteran players may notice a few changes here and there as the east has opened up), but when they leave Tortage they will return to their homeland in Khitai and be able to explore a large new region built specifically for players leaving Tortage to introduce them to the eastern lands and start to reveal some of the secrets of these new lands. While players won't be able to actually get past the great wall until they are much higher in level they will be able to play through this low level content in their own homeland.

...............

Originally posted by GPrestige

Originally posted by marinrider

Originally posted by GPrestige

First question: Do you work for funcom? If the answer is yes, it'd be awesome.

The reason I ask is because I have another question that you might be able to help me out with. I just resubscribed to the game and am loving it. It has changed drastically since release. However, I cannot understand why funcom refuses to add a new starting zone! This is one of the biggest drawbacks for any player in ANY mmo when they make alts. They have to do the same content over and over. Does funcom not realize that is a massive turnoff?

 

Why not with the Rise of the Godslayer do they add a new beginning area that people can choose from. It would be an absolutely amazing addition and if it is the same quality as tortage, then holy crap will I love to play through something like that again, just with a different story this time.

 

 

Its already been stated a new starting zone will be included with Rise of the Godslayer...

 

 

http://riseofthegodslayer.com/   --->   FAQ   --->   Can I use my existing characters in the expansion?

Yes, depending on your character's level. 'Rise of the Godslayer' contain a large amount of new content for high-level characters, but will also introduce content for characters at lower levels. The expansion will also introduce a new character race - the Khitan - and there will be new content for those characters after they leave Tortage.

 

Unless I'm reading it wrong...

Yes that reads like they're referring to the starter area as the place AFTER Tortage.

Originally posted by GPrestige

First question: Do you work for funcom? If the answer is yes, it'd be awesome.

The reason I ask is because I have another question that you might be able to help me out with. I just resubscribed to the game and am loving it. It has changed drastically since release. However, I cannot understand why funcom refuses to add a new starting zone! This is one of the biggest drawbacks for any player in ANY mmo when they make alts. They have to do the same content over and over. Does funcom not realize that is a massive turnoff?

 

Why not with the Rise of the Godslayer do they add a new beginning area that people can choose from. It would be an absolutely amazing addition and if it is the same quality as tortage, then holy crap will I love to play through something like that again, just with a different story this time.

 

Hi there, first up I do not work for Funcom no, nor mmorpg.com. I volunteer for Funcom as an Advocate, and here too at mmorpg.com as guest writer neither positions are paid or rewarded with things like paid subs. I like to test the game, mingle with the community, garner interests and pass on feedback.

You and me both share the same thoughts on the starter area. The bad news is right now when the expansion comes it looks like people will have to do Tortage and then probably boat their way out of there to Khitai from which the expac will start from level 20 and up with new content from this level.

I really hope that Joel Bylos a nice Austrialian guy who I believe is the product guy for the expansion reads this and revisits the idea with Craig for the inclusion of a new starter area for the expansion.

I remember being at FC HQ in Norway in Jan 2008 meeting the devs (Joel included) but especially remembering talking with the world builders and concept guys. Initially in beta Tortage starter was extremeley narrow. You couldn't go much left or right to begin with and through community feedback leading up to launch they widened it quite a bit from what it was going to be. I watched a guy working on spreading the beach out, positioning trees and adding coves and so on.

Joel is a pretty good lore buff too. He was responsible for a lot of quests, dialogue and camera angles in the cut scenes.

What we need ideally is another starter area for the main game. And a new one for the expansion. I can't think of a bigger turn off than having to do Tortage again (even though looking at maybe 2days of play) just to get to the khitai experience. That will be a bummer when the expansion releases and will just make it a race with new people being caught up in that rush too.

The problem is what level of priority in the grand scheme of things does this weigh in at? There is a production timeline to try and stick to which includes other content inclusions to consider. With not having a starter zone for the expansion focus can be put in other area's. What is setting Funcom back is that they need to give themselves more flexibility to be able to incorporate things like this, instead of sometimes perceived outlook that "we have a starting area already, it is well crafted, work and will suffice". I have seen the change before in having something and improvements made and then releasing it, capability is definately there.

They need to get outside the box a bit and put themselves in the players shoes a little more ( I know they do quite a bit already). The point is Tortage can be as polished all it wants to be, but the result is still the same after 5 goes. It is something you want to move on from asap because the impression is created on the player via the content itself that there are bigger and better things to come. Therefore the player wants those experiences asap. This would be the first stumbling block to an expansion the need to go through one more time, thus giving quite a few people that negative initial experience, and unwittlingly cancelling out good from it.

I am in the crowd that appreciates Tortage for what it is. The experience, the single to multiplayer part, the voice acting it is all excellent but it really does not have much re-play-ability after a few goes.

I guess a good question would be; would you rather have the polish at later levels and more content there, or take the devs from that and create a new starting area. The reality is we should be able to have both, but at the same time there are business constraints and deadlines to consider. Not to mention if you pull others from the live game and updates inbetween to focus on a starting area, how impactful is that going to be? It is quite indepth when you think about and I don't think decisions like this are easy to make.

We don't have all the pieces because we don't do this for a living and are not the people with these metrics at hand.

We are part of an important piece though in letting FC know what we would like to see and have.

I think working more with the community in this area and the steps that FC has taken so far are awesome. I appreciate the suspense of what is to come but at the same time engaging with the players suits all our needs at the end of the day.

You know I have some lore thoughts for a new starting area, maybe we should create a thread with some ideas in for inspiration...

I suspect they may indeed have right now a bunch of new quests for Tortage to do to get you to Khitai on the drawing board.