A Helping Hand <<Systems Development>>

[Itzal 0]

Hello players of Aincrad!  I wanted to set this little thread up as a way to better the communication between developers and the community, and for you guys to help us find flaws in the current system, come up with new ideas, or ways to improve the current systems!  Please note that we're looking for constructive criticism, not complaining.  In addition, we won't be able to please everyone, but we will do what we can to make everything balanced and fun for as many people as we can.  Things for system include:

- Rules and Tutorials
- Levels and Tiers
- Skills and Mods
- Gear and Enhancements
- Crafting and Professions
- Combat and Actions
- Monsters and Bosses
- Dungeons and Labyrinths
- Familiars
- PvP and Tournaments
- Quests and Events

Please remember that these are strictly systems with nothing to do with lore, specific bosses or quests, floors, etc.  If you have any questions, ideas, thoughts, or corrections please feel free to either comment below, or talk with me in private messages on either the Forums or on Discord!

[Macradon 0]

The only real problem I have with the site as of now is how long it takes us to get further up the floors, and that's not something we can do a lot about with the system.

I don't really know what can be done, but there's always room for improvement.

[Baldur 0]

My two biggest things where I think things need to improve are:

1) Familiars - I know I spoke with you at length about this, but they're basically equipment you spend SP in. Now I don't necessarily have a problem with players spending SP to gain another equipment slot, but I do have a problem with familiars. Right now, -everyone- has them, and if you don't, it's cause you don't have the SP, or you haven't finished the quest yet. It is a MUST HAVE and anything like that, especially something as immersion breaking as everyone having semi-sentient pets follow them around is really counter to the setting and feel of SAO.

As I mentioned before, I think this would be a GREAT place to put the support skills. First Aid, Sharpen, Energize, these would all be great actions to tie into the familiar system, so that rather than being equipment, they would take an action to do one of these other actions, and it fits within the theme of the show, and gets rid of the whole thing where players are playing badminton with balls of light to heal/energize people.

2) Dungeons and Labyrinths - These are two areas where I think the site is missing out on a huge opportunity.Dungeons are a stable of MMOs, and the Labyrinths are a key piece of what frontline players do in the show and light novels, yet here, Dungeons are something completely generic and random, and labyrinths are basically skipped all together.

You could keep the mechanic of finding the dungeons, and the rewards for completing one the same, but give each floor a unique (or two) dungeon to be discovered. Just going for a thematic change, maybe giving it a small bit of storyline to explore, would go a long way towards giving each floor a personality.

The labyrinths are much the same. The frontliners spend so much time exploring the labyrinth. It is such a huge part of the show, but we completely skip it here. Or we leave it up with the players to gloss over it. This is a chance to challenge the front line, both as us players behind the keyboard, and as characters in universe. Each labyrinth could have its own unique challenges to over-come. There could be special mobs inside of it, that have mechanics that maybe teach or help prepare you for the boss fight. Exploring it could be fun and interesting, rather than just a formality. It could also bring in players who aren't necessarily interested in, or ready yet, for the "big" boss fight.

3) Story - I know a lot of people have mentioned having story as something we want to SAO, but focusing everything on just going from boss fight to boss fight from event boss, to event boss is not how you get story, nor how you keep players who are interested in the story. There is a natural mystery baked into the tower of SAO. A supremely powerful wizard went out into the world, then cut out 10KM radius disks from the world, and then floated them above one another. Each floor isn't it's own dimension, but a section of the same world. They lost contact with one another, kingdoms collapsed, only the elves have a way to communicate between floors without the players activating the stairs and the teleporters. Each floor has become it's own thriving ecosystem since it was cut off. There are so many great story nuggets to mine in SAO that get glossed over because it isn't getting the best new sword, or a consumable for the floor boss fight. I think we should take a step back, put a level cap on, and let players have fun exploring the floors. Give each floor a character. The time between boss fights will be longer, yes, but if we fill that time in with fun things to do, then it won't matter. RPing will become richer.

[Itzal 0]

@Macradon  I also agree with the boss situation and we are working on it.  As you've already pointed out, it's rather difficult as it has to do with a great many different factors.  Therefore whether it will be satisfactory when finished or not is uncertain.  If you have any ideas however feel free to let me know.

@Baldur

1 - We are working on the development of familiars and are planning to increase the use of role playing familiars.  Also know that they won't be treated like pieces of gear.  We've already got far in the project, we just need to finish it really.  It probably won't be released until 3.0 is however.

2 - I was assigned to Dungeons a while before this thread, and I appreciate that someone else feels the same about dungeons as I had.  Rest assured the dungeons will not all be generic or random, and will encourage role play.  Actually we have a testing thread in the staff section to make sure nothing is boring, tedious, too difficult or weak, etc.

     As for the Labyrinths I see your point, and am already coming up with an idea or two that could work, especially with the idea of searching the labyrinth like you suggested. 

2 - I definitely agree with this Baldur, and I'll say that we were planning to create a plot team, separate from development or psts.  However we've been lacking people who are actually active or suitable for the job.  As for the floor lore, that is more of Jomei's work rather than mine so you'll want to post that in the Floor Development thread.  Though I do agree and will make sure he hears what you've had to say.