Lost Desert

[Void]

I think the location could use some tweaking.

I understand that this was designed as a deathtrap, the problem is - it isn't a fun deathtrap.

You just get stuck and wander around forever, because apparently connections get shuffled every 5 minutes or so. I also recall encountering people who got stuck there for a week. IRL week.

I think it would be a good idea to place some planar sources at "central" locations.

The traps seem to be over the top too. Getting stuck in sand has reflex DC of 35, which seems to be quite high.

[Baron Saturday]

The sand traps are really easy to avoid once you realize that they are all placed on a specific geographic feature. I wouldn't want to see a bunch of portal sources in it - It is, after all, supposed to be a place that you regret entering unprepared. I'm pretty sure that there's a sign near the entrance that warns about entering the lost desert, even.

That said, there are some things that I'd like to see changed:

- The final dungeon area having a portal source in it would be neato.

- The timer on the sandstorms could stand to be tuned down. There's one specific area with only two accessible exits, and I have gotten trapped there SO MANY TIMES. (The one with the transition that leads to the final dungeon.)

- It would be great if transitions excluded themselves from the pool of random destinations.

- Nomad Slingers. The LOS on these guys is crazy long. They start aggroing you from half a map away and it makes getting past the Nomad compound a nightmare.

EDIT: Add portal lenses to the lost caravan? Might beg the question of why they aren't lensing out, but maybe they don't want to leave their caravan behind?

[Void]

There are at least two locations where a portal source would be quite logical. I've seen each of them few dozen times by now.

From the other thread:

I've been wandering around for 2 hours, and encountered person who got stuck there for an IRL week. I think I encountered "exit" transition only once and I spawned on the wrong side of it, so city exit was not reachable.

There reason why it is not a good design is because experience is not fun. So making a mistake neither quickly kills you nor puts you into challenging/interesting situation.

[Baron Saturday]

The city exit is in a 4-way area where you can always reach the exit transition. I know the area you're talking about, though, the one that's split in two - that's the one I get stuck on.

Personally, I'd consider a portal in the flower dungeon area or the ruined city with the creepy fixtures and djinn or whatever they were.

[Void]

Alright. I got out.

Here are the main issues with the area, I think:

• It is not obvious that there are ANY fixed transitions in the area. That gives impression of playing a roulette, or "roll 7 on d100 to win". Would be nice to have IC/IG information that there are points that stay on the same spot.
• The "sandstorm" can lock player in one location. This happens when transition loop around, and is more likely to happen when an area has 3 transitions total.
• Trap DCs. I think I understand what people were trying to do there, but effect of "Getting stuck in sand" is simply too long, and character can walk half way across the map before it wears off.

[liver and bones]

The biggest thing that irks me is the end dungeon is really, really lackluster for what it could be.

From what I've experienced it's:

• Two, small zones
• Not many mobs to earn XP off
• One chest, one rich vein
• Desert flower creates cool RP, but only once and nothing more

That big headache for nothing.

[Void]

The biggest thing that irks me is the end dungeon is really, really lackluster for what it could be.

From what I've experienced it's:

• Two, small zones
• Not many mobs to earn XP off
• One chest, one rich vein
• Desert flower creates cool RP, but only once and nothing more

That big headache for nothing.

That one npc did not accept the flower, by the way. I'm not sure if I did something wrong. Or if there had to be more than one flower.

[Poolbrain]

Nothing stopping anyone from putting up signs in the desert to help lost travelers

[Void]

Nothing stopping anyone from putting up signs in the desert to help lost travelers

"The exit to sibayad is north from here, I swear!"

I'm not chaotic evil enough for this kind of stuff.

[Gnarh]

I feel like a bit of a broken record at the moment - but for IG problems, it's best to look for IG solutions.

1. Don't go wandering in a desert without a portal lens.
2. There's multiple chests - you just aren't finding them.
3. The slingers are a challenge of the area. If your character doesn't ask another PC for advice before going into a new area, well, it's a reasonable assumption you'll come to a sticky end wandering around alone. If you character knows about the challenges, then they'll prepare accordingly.
4. There's actually a way to navigate the desert. It's not completely random - but I know that as a player. Does my character know that? Depends on if they've spent enough time in there to figure it out.

Personally, I've been RP'ing in this area with different characters since it was released. It's pretty much my favorite place on the server, so I'd respectfully ask the Dev's to leave it be... with one exception... There's a particular path that goes from an UD Dungeon to next a particular castle - I've always thought thematically that path should come out at the central dungeon in the desert - particularly now that Treadstone Locks is a thing and an appropriate point for respawn.

[Cortex]

The only thing that could do with fixing is so you don't get stuck in an area if all transitions are blocked off, that can be up to 12 minutes of waiting.

[Void]

I feel like a bit of a broken record at the moment - but for IG problems, it's best to look for IG solutions.

1. Don't go wandering in a desert without a portal lens.

That kind of advice doesn't work when you're already in the desert without a lens.
"How do I get out? Don't go there to begin with!"

There doesn't seem to be a good IG solution for being stuck in the desert. My char could wander there for a LONG time, most likely nearly indefinitely - like many IRL months. Suicide by monster is an option, of course, but that's very likely to be an OOC action and not a good IC response.

[With The Sky Below My Feet]

Honestly, you're exaggerating the severeness of walking into the Lost Desert.

Unless you're not paying any attention to your surroundings, being stuck in the desert for "days" or even "a week irl" is so unlikely that it gets in the range of being impossible.

If you're stuck there without a lense and really want to get out, do the logical thing: Save resources, stop fighting every spawn and just keep using transitions, while looking out for the exit area (i.e., IC, search for the right path). The exit area is not that difficult to recognise.

The only thing that deserves fixing is what Cortex wrote, sometimes it happens that all transitions are blocked. That gets boring real fast.

[Void]

Honestly, you're exaggerating the severeness of walking into the Lost Desert.

Nope.

Unless you're not paying any attention to your surroundings, being stuck in the desert for "days" or even "a week irl" is so unlikely that it gets in the range of being impossible.

I've been randomly pm ed before by a guy asking how to get out. According to his words, he was wandering around for roguhly IRL week, accumulating gold from kills, and unable to get out. Advice I gave him at that time wasn't good, though.

As I said, the issue is the limbo state, where the location can't kill you and you can't leave. This part isn't fun.

[With The Sky Below My Feet]

Nope.

There have always been people that are unhappy with randomised transitions.

These threads come up now and then.

They're always exaggerating.

As I said, the issue is the limbo state, where the location can't kill you and you can't leave. This part isn't fun.

You can get out. Just not immediatly. If you're unlucky, it takes 30 minutes, and if you're really unlucky, perhaps an hour, but that's where it ends

Unless you're not paying any attention to your surroundings

[Void]

Nope.

There have always been people that are unhappy with randomised transitions.

These threads come up now and then.

They're always exaggerating.

(-_-)
Dude, cut it out.

You aren't some wisened old sage that knows everything, sees everything and can read minds over the internet.

People aren't exaggerating. They tell how it feels. To them. They're right by default.

You can get out. Just not immediatly. If you're unlucky, it takes 30 minutes, and if you're really unlucky, perhaps an hour, but that's where

but that's where you're wrong, since for my char it took 2 hours this time around. I actually clocked it.

[MissEvelyn]

I'd have to agree with the assessment that you shouldn't go there in the first place if you're not prepared.
Like someone stated, if it's an IG problem, create an IG solution. Put a sign right before the entrance to the Lost Desert that promises travelers will get lost and possibly die from thirst/hunger/exhaustion or madness or wild beasts. That way, others won't have to go through what you did.

Or spread leaflets on message boards about the desert. Or pay Town Criers to spread your message. As someone once said, the sky is the limit.

[perek586]

Nope.

There have always been people that are unhappy with randomised transitions.

These threads come up now and then.

They're always exaggerating.

As I said, the issue is the limbo state, where the location can't kill you and you can't leave. This part isn't fun.

You can get out. Just not immediatly. If you're unlucky, it takes 30 minutes, and if you're really unlucky, perhaps an hour, but that's where it ends

Unless you're not paying any attention to your surroundings

I was stuck for four hours last week lol. Ran to exits as often as i could, never got to the exit area

[Void]

I'd have to agree with the assessment that you shouldn't go there in the first place if you're not prepared.
Like someone stated, if it's an IG problem, create an IG solution. Put a sign right before the entrance to the Lost Desert that promises travelers will get lost and possibly die from thirst/hunger/exhaustion or madness or wild beasts. That way, others won't have to go through what you did.

Or spread leaflets on message boards about the desert. Or pay Town Criers to spread your message. As someone once said, the sky is the limit.

You're asking people to act out of character. Not every char cares about others to the point of setting sign and hiring criers.

Also, that is not a solution to an IG problem.

IG problem : "you're lost in the desert without portal lens".
IG solution: "wander randomly till you hit exit area or die".
You can't place signs at the entrance, when you're lost and don't know where the entrance is.
It is also fairly hard to die from thirst/hunger in there.

Reason for feedback: "The desert can't kill you and you end up wandering around for hours, which is not fun".

[Kasrith]

I have to agree I got really frustrated with this desert. I had my -teleport but no portal to go to. I wandered around for nearly 4 IRL hours unable to make heads or tails of the place. Sure, if you already know what to look for then finding the exit area might not be difficult. But I ended up accidentally wandering into the lost desert while fighting orcs.

My view is that limbo state also. Nothing in there was going to kill me. I had enough food and drink on me that it would have taken weeks to run out. I came across the caravan countless times. I eventually was summoned out by someone looking for me. But while it might have been fun the first 30 minutes to an hour being lost... being lost for four hours with no end in sight and nothing to really challenge me other than the -random, I was not having fun.

Now that I am out I will probably never visit that area again, IC or OOC, for any reason or on any character. It's just too frustrating to have to deal with.

[-XXX-]

It has aways been my personal opinion that the downsides of the randomized transitions greatly outweigh their upsides.
Namely: token nod towards "immersion" vs. horrendous NPE that forces you to pointlessly waste time that could be better spent doing something more worthwhile (punching yourself would probably classify in this case as well)

[BegoneThoth]

I'm glad places exist that you can get lost in.

Think it adds to the experience of the 'lost desert.'

[Seven Sons of Sin]

What's exactly the problem with the IG solution of "wander the lost freaking desert until you die"?

10/10 game design to me. Pretty sure there are IG warnings about that desert before you get to it.

edit: My definition of fun, and your definition of fun are different. I love the Lost Desert because its soul crushing. Why are we wanting to change this area because that's not your kind of fun? Arelith has forever prided itself on having a myriad of ways to "have fun." Stating that you somehow know what is TRULY fun undermines my definition of fun, so you can't come stroll in here asking for change because you somehow proclaim that your grievances are somehow universal.

It's how you start to think your opinions are the opinion.

[JediMindTrix]

The Lost Desert and The Abyss have more in common with being stuck in the "On The Road" map when taking a caravan before the staff put a transition in there then with any dungeon, city, or uncivilized area I've explored that I've considered fun.

[MissEvelyn]

What's exactly the problem with the IG solution of "wander the lost freaking desert until you die"?

10/10 game design to me. Pretty sure there are IG warnings about that desert before you get to it.

edit: My definition of fun, and your definition of fun are different. I love the Lost Desert because its soul crushing. Why are we wanting to change this area because that's not your kind of fun? Arelith has forever prided itself on having a myriad of ways to "have fun." Stating that you somehow know what is TRULY fun undermines my definition of fun, so you can't come stroll in here asking for change because you somehow proclaim that your grievances are somehow universal.

It's how you start to think your opinions are the opinion.

+1
To add to this, Arelith has tons of areas, and how many of them are Lost Desert style? I'm sure we can count those on one or two handfuls out of hundreds and hundreds of wilderness areas. Not every area is going to be one we like. Example: I absolutely hate the Tundra areas on Skal. If you think the Lost Desert is bad, you don't know what it's like to truly get lost by navigating a group of areas so large that even the mini-map scrolls.
And yet, Skal wouldn't be Skal without the Tundra.