Preparing for the next year of COGG

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Rias
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Preparing for the next year of COGG

Post by Rias »

It's been an exhausting year for me in our delightful real world, with obstacles that had to be overcome and plans that had be adjusted (and new ones to be made in the wake of old ones that didn't pan out). It caused more than a few things in COGG to draw out longer than intended, but despite it all I think we've made some good progress! We've got Mistral Lake, and the NPCs of both our major towns are getting out there and seen by their residents, which is good for making the world feel real. We've also had some amazing player-initiated events! There's usually a bit of a lull after Octum, and particularly around Christmas as staff and players alike tend to take a breather and recharge the batteries for a bit while tending to all the holiday goings-on in the real world.

With this year's trials overcome and the holiday season nearly wrapped up, I'm looking forward to the next plans for COGG! I'm excited to continue with the various NPCs I've been able to introduce recently and to further explore the relations that have formed between them and various player characters. I'm also setting up the next stages for certain event lines that have gone cold for a while.

Maybe the thing I'm most excited to tackle next is Societies, and using them to give player characters an increased sense of purpose and motivation in the world of COGG and the many things that need to be done in it to keep the Lost Lands from becoming the Lost Cause Lands. My first-ups are the Wyrvardn, Tse Gaiyan, and the Harbingers - all groups that have strong and clear foundational motivations that can be easily built upon and advertised to potential members. The Anti-Nethrim Society is going through some feel and design intent fluctuations. I have no idea what anyone is talking about regarding a super secret shady-but-not-assassins society but that does sound very cool if it were to exist and I would definitely have all sorts of plans and maybe even have some stuff already put in place for it if it really existed because I can't help it, I love that type of stuff. And the Monster Hunters society should be a pretty easy setup as they have a fairly simple goal while also being something that it seems like a lot of people would love to go all in on. We'll likely see all of the above mentioned rolled out at about the same time, but very minimal to start, and be further developed in phases over time. I'd hate to release any particular one that's significantly more developed than the others and then have people join it solely because it seems like it's the most developed, rather than being a thing their characters are interested in.

Additionally, I want to dive into Primalists next, class-wise. They need some stuff that is 100% their own and not just class bonuses to existing abilities that are available to all druids. And likely Rogues and Treasure Hunters (and continue the debate of whether they should be merged as a class). And Warlocks because while they have some solid abilities already, they are just way too much fun to work on abilities for and there's so much already established from The Other Game to pull in and implement here while further cementing the relationship between the Qamar-trained Warlocks and Rook Parlour. I love Rook Parlour. They need more of a presence. And I love sorcery stuff in general. Sorcery and the nether were literally the very first concepts around which this entire fictional world were based.

That isn't to say I plan to neglect the other classes - they all need fleshing out, and I'm itching to just throw out a ton of abilities in general. And may even hunker down on a ton of Boring Bonus Abilities that anyone can pick up, along with tiers, to use up those ability slots until more interesting stuff comes out. Ways to tune and refine characters mechanically. Minmaxing at the expense of all else is frustrating, yes, but tuning and tweaking the numbers can be a lot of fun and I'm happy to accommodate some of that within reason.

Another thing I'm excited about and actually working on at the moment is content. New areas, new resources to work with, and importing so many of those areas from CLOK that haven't been yet. (Remember that one treehouse? It's just been placed in the same equivalent area!) After CLOK's shutdown, every time we port an area back in over here on COGG it's like feeling a little piece of my soul be restored. It's hokey, but it's true.

Of course, we'll also have the faction conflict ramp up. I'll say again that this is something we will feel out as we go, and if it does seem like having the factions being so hostile is an overall objectively bad thing for the game, we can course-correct and find a compromise, a middle ground, and alternative, a reversal - whatever feels right as we observe how things pan out.

So! Lots of exciting plans and potential for the next year of COGG. I've mentioned what's at the fore of my mind up above - is there anything you all would like to see particular attention given to?
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Laroremas
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Re: Preparing for the next year of COGG

Post by Laroremas »

Societies: big +1
Boring Bonus Abilities: big +1

Can't really complain about the present direction and so I have nothing to really provide beyond keep up the good work, because the amount of depth added from a year ago to now is pretty impressive
Gorth
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Re: Preparing for the next year of COGG

Post by Gorth »

While societies were my main thing when playing a rather aimless character like Maya, I've currently got enough moving part in character things going on that I have a vague sense of purpose without them. That isn't to say that I won't squea like a Delphine when I get my precious Wervardn, of course, so I'm super excited to see how that pans out.

Other than that, most of my developmental hopes go towards having more variety, and finally getting to that covetted point where we have a bunch of abilities that means most builds are just a little bit different, at least. I'm hoping that we soon get to see some reforms in combat, preferably to even out the affectiveness of certain stealth strategies, stagger, armor soaks and damage type inconsistancies before the faction conflicts really kick off to direct CVC levels.

In game, I'm excited to see some storylines continue, but I'm very much excited to see the older ones in particular. I know we have a good handful of older players who have had things start, or have been working on things for a long time, and I'd love to see them get there deliverance, and to allow me to butt in on there story and go 'Hahehaha, this is my story, now!' and laugh evily while stealing the show.

Most importantly, though, give me some riversteel. That's what truely important, this year. I feel left out. /pout

P.S. Keep it up, GMs. You're the lifeblood, truely. We'd be killing each other in an empty sandbox without you all. <3 <3 <3
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artus
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Re: Preparing for the next year of COGG

Post by artus »

Yay, nostalgia! Love you!

Societies definitely, and abilities. We have too little choices that 30 abils pretty much cover them all with even more leftovers we don't know what to use on because there's no more. Would love more of that.

But all in all, it doesn't matter in the end. You awesome people keep the game running and players smiling all day long. That's more than enough to be thankful for.
Frisbee
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Re: Preparing for the next year of COGG

Post by Frisbee »

This has been a wonderful year, and the end of it strangely almost coincides with the conclusion of one year of me playing the character I've got the closest to. Before I make any comments at all about the next, THANK YOU, to everyone -- the players, the staff, our amazing developer, for making this past year as awesome as it has been.

Now, mostly to reiterate others' points.

Would love to see more abilities to pick from, especially in the adventurer-y department. Tse Gaiyan and Wyrvardn? Yes please! More individual story arcs? Absolutely! One other thing I'd love to see is slightly more information on Parr, mainly because I fear for the day that I'm going to be asked about my character's home island and give out a name that couldn't be. Also, I know a lot of folks are excited for plate armour, but I also know that needs a lot of balancing out before it can fully be brought forth.

That's it from me, have a pat on the back for all your efforts in 2022, and here is to an even better 2023.
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tulpa
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Re: Preparing for the next year of COGG

Post by tulpa »

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas for where we're headed, Rias.

My characters are quite solitary at the moment. I've lacked the time, energy and confidence to contribute meaningfully to RP events as much as I'd like, especially player-run occasions. Perhaps some of Yves' anxiety is rubbing off on me! But the NPC interactions I've been lucky to witness have really got me excited about the world. I'm so pleased to hear there's renewed focus on getting them out there, and that it's been an enjoyable process. I look forward to seeing where they lead us next.

The much-anticipated Primalist piñata will surely drag me out of hibernation, too!

As for other hopes and prayers, I would be excited to see Pottery get some love. The kilns must feed.

A prospective happy new annum to all of COGG's contributors and community. ✨
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Karjus
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Re: Preparing for the next year of COGG

Post by Karjus »

Definitely a different game from what it was at the beginning of the year.

I'm obviously excited to see some Harbinger stuff come around, I think it's just going to be fun to actually play a "believer" so to speak. Definitely curious to see how they differ in comparison to the Aranas-themed sample we've seen.

Also looking forward to seeing more Dominion stuff, and whatever happens there. Whether it's CvC focused or more on the peripheral as previous stuff.

To echo Gorth a little though, I selfishly still want to see full plate/armor chink rework in regards to combat options as well as a stagger rework.
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Lexx416
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Re: Preparing for the next year of COGG

Post by Lexx416 »

Even if I don't play a Primalist, I think I'm most excited to see what they end up getting to make them stand out (and I was considering rolling up a new character, and now I'm leaning towards playing a Primalist dang it). And I'm interested to see how the different societies end up working out. I'm not sure if I'll really have the playtime to delve into a Society, or if any of them would really fit my main very well, but I'm excited to see how they help drive people's actions and stories.

Things I'd like to see the most (personally) though, would include a rework to stagger like Karjus and Gorth mentioned, more Bushcrafty things to do, and most importantly an Adventurer Guild guild hall.
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Teri
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Re: Preparing for the next year of COGG

Post by Teri »

Many thumbs up on all of that and especially rogue/TH stuff and minor abilities. Things I would like to see myself. Stagger rework is my top pick, then more to locksmithing, increased loot tables of some form for lockboxes/coffers and for the contents of higher difficulty ones. Loot of variety that might be lighter than riln for the sake of encumbrance. Loot that is particularly of a consumable form would be neat, either crafted into something else, or used up like quivering bowstrings.
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artus
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Re: Preparing for the next year of COGG

Post by artus »

I don't know if I'm the only one siding with the idea of merging rogue and th as one. Sometimes people don't know where to stand and possibly don't want to stand where there are shades surrounding their name. It also gives rogues more things to do other than oh hey, I'm born to get your money.

And forgot to mention in my previous post: helpfile for races without one pleasy pleasy? I can't remember which else has no helpfile but Fasa definitely doesn't have one.
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