Hey.
What are your opinions on over-world exploration?
I would like to know whether people are you for or against it? I've always seen it as something that holds a lot of potential but is disregarded .
Although I would be more appreciative if I received a reason/explanation for chosen opinion, a simple sentence will also do.
Thanks.
I would like it, the first few levels of the game offer gorgeous angles and a very beautiful environment.
Yes, I have always wanted this. On the other hand, what's important is not that we get new over-land levels. What's important is that we get new levels of any kind.
Yea Holy-Nightmare brings up a good point, the overworld's aesthetic is quite charming. I'd love to see a new set of levels that features it prominently, kind of like we got with those missions a while back, but more permanent. Like in the arcade / anywhere people go frequently.
I agree with Holy-Nightmare and Fehzor. I also believe the first few missions to be very good looking, my favourites in fact, but for some strange reason, we don't see any more missions like those.
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@Fehzor - I meant this as just during missions. Although, it is true that if one went exploring on the overworld, they most likely would not be able to see weapon stations and such for a while. Unless portable ones were invented (not carried by knights themselves).
In any case, I think that having things to do would not be much of a problem at all. Considering the core has been reached and discovered to be closed, it would be a good idea for the Spiral Order to explore the overworld.
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@Bopp - Yes, this is true. However, I believe that the overworld explorations could add a good change of environment to the game. Plus, it would broaden the possibility of new types of quests.
Spoiler alert!
Considering the core has been reached and discovered to be closed, it would be a good idea for the Spiral Order to explore the overworld.
Well I mean, we do go into the core and all that in 10-2 missions. Do-stuff wise we're trying to keep it closed now that we've discovered whats inside of it, which kind of argues the same point you're getting at anyways.
Spoiler end!
Overworld's only problem is that, lore-wise, enemies and our weapons get stronger the closer to the core we are because of the core's influence on our gear. Overworld... Things aren't as hard, but if you throw tier 3 enemies at us, they will genuinely take a while to kill because you're attacking D19-28 enemies with depth 0 weapons.
Overworld would be nice to have as a sort of social environment similar to Haven. It would also be super cool if we could see all the knights completing the "Crossing the Chasm" mission! ... Even though that likely wouldn't happen, I can dream!
But overworld done right could be interesting if there were various elevators scattered around the environment. These elevators could also be on a separate rotation, and perhaps hold more dangerous enemies or depths the further from haven it is.
Bottom line, it would be pretty, probably laggy, a lot of fun, a social area, and another kind of hub. It would be fun for sure, but it'd need to serve some sort of purpose. There's potential, but first we need to have a reason to stay in Haven instead of descending to the core for another go at it.
@Fangel
Actually, they've already put us on the "overworld", just with tier 3 values assigned. Remember that training the rookies mission? What about Grinchlin Mountain? Those are above ground, tier 3, no problems.
Is Jigsaw Valley also above-ground? Is Aurora Isles? You can find bushes growing at depth 26. Somehow there's a ton of light, and plants photosynthesizing, deep within Cradle.
Jigsaw Valley and Aurora Isles are definitely not above-ground. On high graphics it's clear that the "sun" and "moon" are on mechanical tracks. Parma also mentions how artificial the world feels, even with grass and such (Royal Jelly Palace Recon Module to be exact).
@Bopp comment below
Mah bad. That's what I get for skimming the thread.
In case it wasn't clear from how I worded post #8, I agree with Traevelliath that all of these places are underground.
@Bopp - If my memory serves me correctly, these are all contained in capsule-like chambers which move around the Clockworks. Perhaps the large amount artificial light in the clockworks is what allows plants to grow.
The fact that most of the missions are underground doesn't exclude the other fact that there are some which are above ground, which is what I would like more of. The Grinchlin Mountain is one which also seems to be on the overworld but I wouldn't put my bet on it. The first mission in which we meet Rhendon, Crossing the Chasm is also one. That one even shows that Gremlins can and do come above ground. The Rescue Camp shows that skeletons are also come above ground. The new rookie mission shows other monsters too and, as Fehzor said, it's on the overworld.
Since this is the case, I would honestly like knights to begin expeditions out of Haven and learn more about the surface world that the landed on, not only what's beneath.
@Fangel - In any case, for now, I would rather not have a different area other than Haven on the overworld. Perhaps, a small camp (Like the rescue camp at the start of the game) would do, with strictly no AH. I can still imagine that being worth while, just quite small. Overworld missions would be a fun change and I guess a new safe-area could come as a 'reward' of that later on.
Yes, because the sun is not shining on the Clockworks, it must be filled with artificial light. Again, this was supposed to be implied in post #8. Maybe I should stop phrasing my statements as questions for the sake of gentleness.
Overworld levels we've had are still technically in the clockworks game-wise, as you still go down elevators to go to the surface in Breaking in the Recruits from the mission lobby. Its appearance is just on the surface.
A playable overworld =/= D24 that's pretending to be the surface. Overworld would be a completely new playstyle. If we had a D28 overworld, it'll unbalance stuff at the beginning and balance it at the end if the further you go if tier 3 enemies are further away. It's just... Ehhh.
@Fangel - Not exactly. The mission 'A New Threat' takes place in Haven. In that mission, when you go into the lab, you are on depth 9. You don't go on/down an elevator to get into the lab but it still says depth 9.
I'm guessing that depth may also be used as a scale for difficulty and therefore does not always represent the actual depth on which the mission takes place on.
I mean I kind of like the idea of traveling to a place to do a thing, but the problem is that we really don't have many things to do and that it's nicer to just have it all on the same panel.. which is why people complain whenever there isn't a pet food machine directly in their face, or when they have to leave a run to apply heat crystals during a boss. I'd much rather have an arcade expansion since that used to (and still could) house all of what there would be in an overworld anyway, but changes all the time and doesn't destroy my neato panel of being able to do anything instantly.
It's also worth mentioning that at one point during beta, Moorcraft and Emberlight functioned identically to Haven but for tier 2 and tier 3 players respectively.