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I think the best part of the Livestream was the reveal about constellations. Constellations will tie in the importance of religious lore to min-max your character when it comes to whatever buffs the constellations end up giving players.
However, I am worried about one thing. Every time Intrepid resets the constellation locations, there will be a server discord that tells everyone the exact place they need to go to get a specific buff. That exploration gameplay won't exist. Instead of searching for constellations to provide your character with that edge over others, it will be a quick chore that everyone on the server does as a daily, weekly, or however often Intrepid resets that timer.
I would rather not have constellations just be a chore for me, but something that if I'm better at doing than others, I can excel at. How is that possible in this day and age of online game guides and community collaboration? Here's how.
As someone quickly noted to me about constellations, you can see a similar night sky as someone else over a large distance, which would make it odd that constellations are quickly disappearing just from moving over a couple of nodes. So rather than have it so that you need to find a clear sky in order to obtain constellation buffs, I propose that these constellations are viewable from any point on the map with a clear view of the sky. How then will players excel at stargazing?
Make it so that the stars are highlighted and connected only when you are in a specific area. That specific area is the precise location where the religious blessing, that divine starlight, is at its strongest. It would be the only place where you would receive a buff. But, that location isn't determined merely by server RNG each week. The location where your constellation buffs are acquired is different between each individual player. Now, there won't be a map on discord telling you how to run your constellation weeklies. We'd be forcing each individual player to follow a specific exploration gameplay loop that only works for their character.
And that would have a problem when it comes to group play. If every individual player has different locations they have to go to, then there's no benefit to grouping up to do this gameplay. So, it can't simply be a solo activity. Therefore, make constellations family specific.
How should Intrepid make Constellation Exploration fun then? Let's say your family member wants a specific constellation buff. You can then go exploring for that buff by staring at the stars. Intrepid could throw in a little mini-game here if they want, maybe a prayer or just having your cursor connect some stars together to make a constellation, but that's not necessary. Once you've completed your stargazing, the stars highlight and point you in the direction you need to go. You go in that direction for a bit, and then you stargaze again, and the server tells you where to go next. You do this process until you finally end up in the area with divine starlight that gives you buffs. You obtain that constellation buff and can let your family members know the location where they can collect that same buff. That Stargazing Spot lasts for a week, two weeks, maybe less, however long Intrepid wants, and then the spots reset and you have to explore all over again.
How does one get better at star-gazing? I can think of a couple of ways. First, a Vekian Stargazing social organization that you can be a member of and progress through. You wouldn't have to be a Vek to be a member of the social organization, just that its NPCs would primarily be Vek. Second, grouping up with family members while stargazing would give you more precise locations or shorter distances to travel in order to complete a specific constellation. Third, be Vek. That can be the Vek's utility, racial bonus. And then you can pair that with having better mounts to get to specific locations, being better at jumping puzzles to get to the tops of mountains and certain areas, etc. Now you can be a great stargazer compared to others, and provide your family with buffs that cement your place in that family.
I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on how stargazing could work!
However, I am worried about one thing. Every time Intrepid resets the constellation locations, there will be a server discord that tells everyone the exact place they need to go to get a specific buff. That exploration gameplay won't exist. Instead of searching for constellations to provide your character with that edge over others, it will be a quick chore that everyone on the server does as a daily, weekly, or however often Intrepid resets that timer.
I would rather not have constellations just be a chore for me, but something that if I'm better at doing than others, I can excel at. How is that possible in this day and age of online game guides and community collaboration? Here's how.
As someone quickly noted to me about constellations, you can see a similar night sky as someone else over a large distance, which would make it odd that constellations are quickly disappearing just from moving over a couple of nodes. So rather than have it so that you need to find a clear sky in order to obtain constellation buffs, I propose that these constellations are viewable from any point on the map with a clear view of the sky. How then will players excel at stargazing?
Make it so that the stars are highlighted and connected only when you are in a specific area. That specific area is the precise location where the religious blessing, that divine starlight, is at its strongest. It would be the only place where you would receive a buff. But, that location isn't determined merely by server RNG each week. The location where your constellation buffs are acquired is different between each individual player. Now, there won't be a map on discord telling you how to run your constellation weeklies. We'd be forcing each individual player to follow a specific exploration gameplay loop that only works for their character.
And that would have a problem when it comes to group play. If every individual player has different locations they have to go to, then there's no benefit to grouping up to do this gameplay. So, it can't simply be a solo activity. Therefore, make constellations family specific.
How should Intrepid make Constellation Exploration fun then? Let's say your family member wants a specific constellation buff. You can then go exploring for that buff by staring at the stars. Intrepid could throw in a little mini-game here if they want, maybe a prayer or just having your cursor connect some stars together to make a constellation, but that's not necessary. Once you've completed your stargazing, the stars highlight and point you in the direction you need to go. You go in that direction for a bit, and then you stargaze again, and the server tells you where to go next. You do this process until you finally end up in the area with divine starlight that gives you buffs. You obtain that constellation buff and can let your family members know the location where they can collect that same buff. That Stargazing Spot lasts for a week, two weeks, maybe less, however long Intrepid wants, and then the spots reset and you have to explore all over again.
How does one get better at star-gazing? I can think of a couple of ways. First, a Vekian Stargazing social organization that you can be a member of and progress through. You wouldn't have to be a Vek to be a member of the social organization, just that its NPCs would primarily be Vek. Second, grouping up with family members while stargazing would give you more precise locations or shorter distances to travel in order to complete a specific constellation. Third, be Vek. That can be the Vek's utility, racial bonus. And then you can pair that with having better mounts to get to specific locations, being better at jumping puzzles to get to the tops of mountains and certain areas, etc. Now you can be a great stargazer compared to others, and provide your family with buffs that cement your place in that family.
I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on how stargazing could work!