You keep beringing this up like it means something. It doesn't. None of those games are even remotely as complex as this one. Hell, this game is more complex than 98% of the big name AAA companies titles whose average development time is 5-7 years. You just keep bringing up this strawman argument because it makes you seem like you're making a point, but you aren't. You're just comparing apples to oranges and getting bananas as a result. Go tape it to a wall somewhere.
You guys keep acting like you're playing with a finished product. Or that you previously played a finished product. You aren't, so stop pretending you are.
Your terribly overused "it's EA"-litany does not apply, Sylent. It's besides the point.
I addressed this but you chose to ignore it-- I suppose to work on your bolded size 5 text.
Yours and Bob's premise is flat out wrong. Progression wasn't just completely and suddenly changed with no warning at A17 causing a problematic situation where they are now scrambling from square one.
A11 LBD tool crafting was introduced
A12 tool crafting was tweaked but still mainly LBD
A13 skills were added and were a point system. LBD crafting expanded.
A14 perks were added to the skills. Skills were changed to LBD. LBD crafting continued.
A15 LBD crafting cut.
A16 Skills could either be purchased or grinded. Perks remained points only
A17 LBD Skills cut. Perks expanded and Attributes added-- All points based
A18 Refinement of the system
A19 Further refinement of the system
A20 Further refinement of the system
A21 Further refinement of the system.
It seems clear to me that LBD rose and then diminished over a few alphas. It also appears that they have plenty of time still to refine before gold hits. I know you're clinging to your rumor that you heard but conservatively I don't see the game going gold before Summer of 2021. They still have time to do the fine tuning that is required, worry not. There is nothing problematic here.
Well are you talking about when they added perks way back in Alpha 13? I mean I've seen the perk Miner 69 (for example) on my character progression screen for years and years. It and many other perks didn't blink into existence suddenly with A17 to replace LBD. For a long time point based perks and LBD skills and LBD crafting existed together. As far as "tweaking it back and forth" I'm not sure what you mean. A18 is still central xp point system for perks and governed by attributes just like A17 was. There was some rebalancing done but not much. A19 will see more balancing done and more perks added because every weapon will have 3 tiers and some of the non-combat perks are being reduced to only 3 steps. But A19 will remain the same system we have right now. A20 and A21 will see minor refinements but no major changes.
so....
No they aren't. Kubikus. No they aren't.
Definitely not square one. Point based perks have been in the game since A13. They aren't brand new. All that got cut was the skills which were point based even before they became LBD and then became point based and LBD at the same time. Really, all the dithering and back and forth tweaking happened during the time when LBD was part of the player progression system. Since A17 the system has remained solid with just refinement changes.
So no problem. Not even kinda a problem. Steam Charts show higher support than ever before-- at least that is how the devs see it. Plus we have at least a year ahead for polishing and refinement so regardless of what 98% of other games are doing or not doing this game is on a good track. It is being updated regularly. The devs are sharing information. It is being played more and more consistently than ever before. Really, these "problems" are exactly what the other 98% of the games would LOVE to have.
The player progression system has settled after several alphas of being heavily developed stretching all the way back to Alpha 11 when we all started for the very first time to grind stone axes trying to get that quality up. Now there is PLENTY of time to refine and polish it.
I just don't see an argument here, Roland. *shrugs* Simple as that. You're once more in your "must... defend... the company..."-mode, looking for hairs to split and angles to counter valid criticism. It's boring.
Progression is a core element. Is that true? Yes.
It was redesigned in A17, from LBD to perks. Is that true? Yes.
Now it has to be balanced and fine tuned. Is that true? Yes.
You say no? lol
You've become incapable to have an actual discussion. You see any criticism as an act of high treason and go straight into Terminator mode. Ask a psychologist about your avatar, they can explain everything. Your only objective is to refute all criticism.
I guess you've done your job, as I'm tired of you.
Edit: The problem with how you handle criticism is in your attitude. You think that any criticism is an attack on the game and the company. It isn't. What all this really is 99.9% of the time, is a bunch of video game nerds chatting. Then someone says "man, the constant redesigns are dragging development out to eternity, it's so effin annoying". And up you show with "oh, but it is not constant, oh but it is not eternity, so - ha ha! - I've just proven that everything you said is totally wrong and everything about the game is totally great!"
And with your tireless dedication to do that, you're wearing every single individual who dares to criticise the game down. Next time I see you saying something I would normally respond to? I'll think twice.
To your point and only your point: I think you are over worrying. The player progression system is finished other than polishing and balancing. I've studied the Alpha 19 system and it is basically the same as the Alpha 18 system other than including the new weapons and balancing the economy of it. They aren't making any more major changes to the Character Progression System.
Dude, but they, as you obviously can't deny, did. And if they weren't redsigning core features all the time the game could'v already been finished. These redesigns - of very questionable relevance and quality, btw - are dragging out the development process. It's really not heresy to mention that.
