http://wiki.cleftofdimensions.net/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Kolem 2026-04-25T23:47:41Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.39.3 http://wiki.cleftofdimensions.net/index.php?title=Apr_2018:Booster_Tower&diff=2087 2018-04-27T05:54:06Z

<p>Kolem: </p> <hr /> <div>Area of the Month for March 2018 is [[Booster_Tower|Booster Tower]]!<br /> <br /> A template format for your review is below; click 'edit' at the top of the page, copy-pasta from the &lt;nowiki&gt;----&lt;/nowiki&gt; to the next &lt;nowiki&gt;----&lt;/nowiki&gt;, and fill in the gaps!<br /> <br /> ('''''Yes,''''' a wiki account is required to edit the page and therefore post your review, but take heart: The wiki is hosted by the Cleft itself, not a third party!<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: You!(Class/Level)'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): '''<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: X/10'''<br /> <br /> How does the area's room descriptions(descs) work for you? Do they give you a good idea of the area? Do things that stand out in the desc and NEED explanation GET that, either from flavor text(extra-descs) or NPCs in the room or anything?<br /> <br /> What about mobiles(mobs) and their descriptions? Can you get a decent mental image of who or what this NPC/monster is? Do they respond when you talk or interact with them?<br /> <br /> Some areas have interact-able objects like fountains. Do they stack up well also?<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: X/10 (OR N/A)'''<br /> <br /> (NOTE: combat will be most accurately gauged when your character is in the area's suggested level range.)<br /> <br /> If this area has combat, how does it feel? Does anything jump as horribly overpowered and impossible to deal with? What about the flipside, anything far too easy to beat? <br /> <br /> Are purchased or rewarded items at the appropriate strength levels? Is the effort required to obtain rewarded items reflected in their usefulness (or uniqueness and fancifulness)<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: X/10'''<br /> <br /> Why would you suggest someone come to this area?<br /> Is it just a good place to grind experience(lots of mobs)?<br /> Does the area provide a chunk of good gold and loot?<br /> <br /> What about the quests? Does this area's quests feel properly done, or is there some part of it that you feel needs work?<br /> <br /> For towns, are the shops good? Any other non-combative attraction for the area?<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Connections: X/10 '''<br /> <br /> How easily and well does this area connect to its nearby areas?<br /> Does it make sense thematically to be connected to the areas it is?<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> Any comments you'd like to make that you don't feel apply to the other sections can go here!<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Scribble(Knight/16)'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): 4/1/2018'''<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 4/10'''<br /> <br /> The descriptions of the mobs are short and sweet, which is fine. They describe them rather well, but just somewhat unimaginatively. The Snifits all share a description except for one, describing them as Booster's &quot;three main toadies&quot; even though there is a fourth. This fourth one is also a shopkeeper, but looking at him still reveals his condition as if he were killable.<br /> <br /> The room descriptions are easy to ignore and very short. A few are even one sentence. The room you are sent to after taking the trip there refers to the event that sent you there, even though it's possible to leave from this room and then go back through it normally, obviously not having arrived there the same way as you did initially. There are very few things in the room descriptions to look at and nothing in them is ever important, every important interactable object and mob being plainly visible in the room.<br /> <br /> While reading the descriptions does help mildly paint a picture of the area, the tower is more or less a free for all killing spree zone without much to look at. The only location within this area that is actually interesting to read is the Marrymore Province, but it lacks extra descriptions. On that note, extra descriptions are highly lacking and the ones that *do* exist do not add much more to the area.<br /> <br /> This is somewhat an important note as, being a very popular, easily accessible area that nearly every newbie will visit, it does not help adjust them to the fact that reading room descriptions is typically very important in the Cleft. Though, arguably, completing the quests would still be very hard to do without reading the descriptions of the mobs involved.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: 8/10'''<br /> <br /> The balance here is good, in regards to mobs. There are large numbers of killable mobs all around the tower, ranging from 15 to 19. All of the named mobs, with sparse few exceptions, are killable and much higher level, however they are only so much more difficult than the regular mobs, except for a few (the Apprentice for example is rather tough). My character is perhaps slightly more well geared than your typical newbie, though these mobs will be harder for some classes than for others, as well. At level 17 (I leveled while writing this) I'm able to kill the level 25 mobs here, as long as I'm paying attention. For a lower level area, perhaps this is okay. The trash mobs are of varying difficulty and introduce some new status effects to new players, which is important, though annoying. <br /> <br /> For instance, I've just been not killing Orb Users because I can't re-equip my shield after using shield slam due to being blinded. This is just annoying and not really a huge issue. Bob-Ombs are probably the weakest enemies, but will explode for no experience if not killed quickly, which is a neat mechanic, teaching new players that not all fights will be so cut and dry.<br /> <br /> The items available here are decently balanced, though the level requirement for certain quest rewards is worth some discussion, mentioned below. The actual strength of these items is probably fine.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 7/10'''<br /> <br /> Booster Tower is obviously a hotspot for leveling and it's suggested quite frequently already. Its location is incredibly convenient, much closer to Truce than other similar leveled areas, and a useful spot for much longer than others. It's a good leveling spot for first life characters and newbies from its starting level (depending on the skill and class of the player, possibly earlier), though it tends to lose its steam quite a few levels before its suggested ending level range.<br /> <br /> There are useful pieces of gear, here, from quests or otherwise, that are typical standard fare for your general player. Some of the quest rewards are not useable until the very last level of the range of the tower. Even for a first life character, the quests are not difficult to complete before level 25, even *far* before 25, potentially teaching newbies the hard way that items will poof from your inventory if they are 10 levels out of reach. By the time you can actually use them, you probably won't even be in Booster Tower anymore.<br /> <br /> The &quot;main&quot; quest (the one with the most steps) is not too hard to follow and figure out, although considering its main mechanic is giving items to NPCs, it's unfortunate that some of the NPCs may keep these quest items when they are the incorrect recipient. There is inconsistency here, as some NPCs WILL give back wrong items and others will not. It's not clear if this is intentional, but if so, it's not really a great sort of 'difficulty modifier' in my opinion, and moreso just annoying.<br /> <br /> It's also worth questioning if it's worth preserving the situation within this quest where the final turn in item is a potentially useful item for certain classes to keep, while the final reward would be bad for those classes. It's possible to do the quest over again, but that would insist that if the final reward is not good for your class, you basically just do it again, while other people would not have to. I'm not sure this is a great mechanic, personally.<br /> <br /> One of the quests can be cheesed (I won't explain how publicly!) really easily, while another requires an item that requires level 20 to wear, but the reward requires level 25 to use. The item also doesn't *necessarily* require combat to acquire, so the jump in level requirements is potentially super annoying. Basically if you complete it as soon as you are able, you'll still have an unusable item in your inventory for five levels before you even know if it's worth the space to keep it.<br /> <br /> These level requirements for the quest rewards is the only thing I would really think to take a second look at, if only for the fact that Booster Tower - despite being level 16-25 - becomes less useful and will typically be finished significantly before its final level of 25, even by newbies, as has been demonstrated recently.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Connections: 5/10 '''<br /> <br /> This is one of the most easily accessible, mob-dense areas for low level leveling in the game for a Truce start. Thematically, Booster Tower is questionable in its location. It's just a short walk from Truce, between there and Rocket Town. The entrance to the tower itself implies the tower is somewhat unpleasant looking, saying that the door has been broken down. For an area openly displayed between two neat and orderly towns, this seems like something that may be of interest to be addressed by the authorities. Maybe it's mentioned and I just haven't seen it.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> '''Player:''' Aludra(Wizard/8)<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s)''': 04/06/2018<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Descriptions''': 5/10<br /> <br /> The area itself is fairly decent. Some rooms have much shorter descriptions than others, but the environment is rather same-y all in all. Especially in the source material. There are only so many ways to say 'big ugly marble chessboard room.' I wouldn't mind seeing some colour pops though, just to highlight some of the more interesting things. There aren't really any extra descriptions of note other than the TV near the top. Cute, but not inspiring.<br /> <br /> Most of the mobs have strange formatting and linebreaks. Snifit 1 for example:<br /> <br /> He wears a grey coat over his whole body, a black belt, and a black gas <br /> mask covering his face. He is one of Booster's three main toadies and loves<br /> to catch beetles and eat cake. <br /> <br /> And, of course, a Spookum: <br /> <br /> Spookums are the same height and wear the same mask as Snifits, but their<br /> rank is lower and their robes are blue rather than grey. They came to<br /> become Snifits under Booster's training, but he only wants four. <br /> <br /> They all seem to be written under a very short linewrap. I'm not going to paste every single mob description, but there are a lot of them with this issue.<br /> <br /> Other than that, they're all nice and concise and give a good idea of what you're dealing with.<br /> <br /> As for area objects, such as the toy chest and therein, these objects suffer the same linewrap issue. One of the trains are barely described at all. Player-ownable objects (such as the balloons) have equally lackluster notes. Some colour pops would be great there too.<br /> <br /> All in all, the writing is decent, but it's lacking in content. Jazz it up!<br /> <br /> '''Balance''': 7/10 (OR N/A)<br /> <br /> The chain chomps are probably the most difficult thing here to fight. Disproportionately so, given their relative level.<br /> <br /> Fireballs are definitely the weakest, and their level/xp are true to that. Would be neat if they were more in line with the rest of the area.<br /> <br /> Second to fireballs, bombs are definitely probably the weakest. I just wish they didn't cease to give you XP if they delete themselves via explosion. If they survived that with 1hp, I'd be a lot happier. <br /> <br /> <br /> I wish the rewards were more consistently leveled though. Equipment and items you can get here range from 15 to 45. By level 25, there are definitely way better places to be and much better items to use. At least the level 45 item isn't terrible. It's very easy to lose track of though, especially at a lower level where it will disappear and you'll forget about it entirely.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions''': 7/10<br /> <br /> There's basically no reason not to come to this area if you're starting out on the Truce side. It's easily located, it's packed to the gills with things to kills. The money drops aren't too bad for the level. There are plenty of little hidden treasures you can acquire if you know what to do. And, most importantly, you can do the beetle hunting minigame and rack up all kinds of dosh if you're bored.<br /> <br /> The main questline here is pretty slick. It takes a little bit of trial and error, but once you get rolling, it's hard to stop!<br /> <br /> There are three shops. None of which have any weapons or armor, but you can get some useful goodies here, if you know where to use them!<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Connections''': 10/10<br /> <br /> It connects Truce, Rocket Town and Rabite forest. Or, I'm assuming. I've never found the key to the locked back door. But I'm assuming! If the door does go where I think it was, it's a quick trip through Booster's Tower to get to Neko's Cabin, which backdoors into Guardia Castle. Pretty handy shortcut, if true. But where's the key? This might be a Thief Only scenario.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> All in all, this area is a great springboard into the teen-levels, and further adventure. At least one of the rewards is good for all levels. I just wish it were more visual.<br /> ----<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Player: Kaze(Warrior/10ish, Theif 10-15)'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): April 1st for the Warrior, April 15th for the Thief'''<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 7/10'''<br /> <br /> I like the descriptions as a rule. It's good. Many of the rooms are pretty bland. One common issue is that the names are the primary way to get a feel for relative height short of mapping, not the descriptions.<br /> <br /> The rooms that are noteworthy locations are pretty well described. That includes the entryway, Thomp's room, Booster's room, and Marymore... Dodo, etc. The knifey dude is pretty much the only interesting feature of his room.<br /> <br /> Most of the puzzles are in the descriptions, fair dinkum. This is good. Some level of hand holding is appropriate such an early stage, even, so the clarity is welcome.<br /> <br /> Mobs are pretty descriptive and have a jovial feel. None stood out as particularly bad, but a few were especially good. Valentina's rich trailer-trash vibe was readily apparent. The train's animation played in my head.<br /> <br /> '''Balance: 9/10 (OR N/A)'''<br /> <br /> Fire vulnerability is NASTY in the tower. <br /> <br /> The Bob-ombs seem overpowered for their level. You need DPS to drop them. The boom is devastating or deadly at the low end of the level. (If you have the HP to survive, I suspect they are much easier. Warrior handled them much lower than thief, say) Still, if you ''have'' enough, they are otherwise a bit easy. They are pretty binary that way. Going into the tower at level, I'd recommend most steer clear. On your way out, waste them for the exp.<br /> <br /> Orb users can also be deadly, especially to the fire vulnerable, but their tricks mostly seem challenging to me, not unfair. They blind and hit hard, yet are a bit fragile. I think they're well balanced for level.<br /> <br /> Spookums are pretty fair, given they act as a pretty solid entry requirement. Must be this big to enter. They are pretty much average, Maybe a touch weak, but given their company, that's far from a bad thing.<br /> <br /> Chomps are tough little cookies at level. Got to use dirty tricks or resources to fight them until about mid level. They are fairly easy to avoid and, frankly, used quite well. <br /> <br /> The bosses are a bit of a ramp, as expected and desired. The only one that really seems out of range is Val. Especially if you have the wrong vulnerabilities, she's realy good at smacking a low level character around. It generally wise to come back to finish her off.<br /> <br /> Item rewards range from about what you'd purchase to nice for the level. Clown Gloves are really nice for their level. Otherwise things tend to be a bit light.<br /> <br /> All in all, this is pretty much my standard for combat balance. It's one of the best zones, that way.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 9/10'''<br /> <br /> It's got fun and amusing little secrets. It's got challenging MOBs. It's got some decent EQ. If you like MUDs, it's for you. <br /> <br /> Loot isn't much of a draw, though the shops are. Gold is decent.<br /> <br /> Quests are average. They mostly aren't hard. The Chain Chomp thing is pretty obscure. The Sniffits are humerous but the rewards are pretty pointless. Marymore is cool looking but one of its quest elements is tricky to even spot, much less solve. <br /> <br /> A few more scattered hints are in order. Given the nature of the area, that's probably best solved in other zones, predominantly, but some on site would be good, too.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Connections: 7/10 '''<br /> <br /> ''Why'' it's where it is isn't clear, but it does link to its surroundings in a rational way. Really ought to have a bit more description on the road, though. A tower that big would be visible from quite a ways off.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> It's my favorite low-level area. <br /> <br /> A clever way across the fireball floor without an encounter would be welcome, as would some more flavor in the interstitial floors.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Kolem (Playing as Belle, L. 8-13 Moogle Geomancer, with various others; also Paisley, L~10 thief)'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): 4/26/2918'''<br /> <br /> As is standard with my reviews, all sections begin with five points. Consistent positives or excellent examples gain points; consistent negatives lose points or half points. Here we go!<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 5/10'''<br /> <br /> Oh, Booster tower. You hold a special place in my heart, but you show your age in a lotta places. One of them is the near-dearth of extra look descriptions--the only ones there are for interactables, as well as a single T.V. On the bright side, all monsters in the tower respond to talking, and spookums and snifits aside, seem to be desced decently. I was gonna ding this area half a point for lack of extra descriptions, but it doesn't really IMPEDE the player--it just feels like a missed opportunity, especially given the bonkers nature of the source material. I'll give it functional marks, but this is an area for improvement.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: 5/10'''<br /> <br /> This is a hard one, and I feel like it's one of Booster Tower's high points--and low points. The real problem I have with the zone is that, outside of the boss enemies and quest items, there aren't any real 'drops' to speak of in the tower. Spookums, Bob-ombs, Orb Users, Chain Chomps, and Remo Cons don't appear to have any drops whatsoever, and the boss rewards are either high-end of the range or storebought at the very lowest end of the scale (as is the case with Valentia's drops). <br /> <br /> On the other hand, I have nothing but praises to sing ABOUT those mobs. Booster Tower's mobs--the ones above, before we get to the bosses--all have interesting, engaging combat tricks. Analyze reveals that chain chomps have a random major weapon resistance, making melee classes have to think and plan, while Bob-Ombs will severely punish, say, a caster who bungles a few spells (this happened to me more than once). Orb users introduce low level blind and fire attacks into the mix, while Remo Cons inflict the Curse ailment, which can lead to real problems. Coupled with the levels you might attempt the tower being the introduction to the necro mechanics, these monsters are incredible teaching moments. Which leads us to...<br /> <br /> The bosses. They can and WILL thrash players who are much too low level to challenge them, with powerful attacks. One sore point is the Apprentice miniboss, who can come off as a nasty surprise the first time you encounter them, and is probably single handedly responsible for most of the new player deaths in the tower. Fireballs are also fairly obnoxious, but much less challenging than just about everybody else in the zone. Some sort of trick mechanic to switch them 'off' for a bit might be cool, similar to the trick for the chain chomps and spookum at the doorway. Maybe a minor in-room puzzle? Booster can call for help, and Valentia has powerful spells for the level. <br /> <br /> Another sore spot is the items--not just the lack thereof from the main common monsters, but the boss drops, as well, and those items gleaned through quests and mini-quests. They're all over the scale, swinging wildly from cheap but usable to high level and very useful, with levels that don't really quite suit their placement. The Balloons item, wands, and rod in particular in this zone are all handy to have, but have caveats--whether they be rot-death, high level, or simply hidden in a multi-level quest with a slightly obscure (but fun!) beginning. I kinda wish it was possible to expand the entry point to the quest, just because I enjoy it personally.<br /> <br /> All in all: Plus one full point for dynamic, interesting monsters that have multiple approaches to fights, minus one half for a lack of drops, and minus another half for the swinginess of item level and placement--it's items that hold this zone back, and that's a pity, because the combats here are genuinely a blast. (Hah!)<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 7/10'''<br /> <br /> Hmm. While Booster Tower has solid experience payouts, the treasures--once you know what is here--are pretty useful, even though their levels are skewed. Additionally, there's at least one major item for a tie in quest later. I wish there were more to recommend here, especially in Marrymore--it's just big enough and themed enough with enough facilities to suggest expanding it to a mini-town, like Monstro Town or Medina. It'd really add some zing to the tower! There are also some mini-quests available in other areas that tie here, and a little lateral thinking can net you an nice piece of equipment. I can award one point for that--the distinctive items that are here are pretty fun, but I wish there was more reward for the lower end challenges here. See the Suggestions section for more. <br /> <br /> Additionally, the Beetle-catching minigame--and the hidden quest given by it--is really fun, but as others have pointed out, the mobs in the tower don't return items. I'll award another half point to the beetle game, and I wish there was more to do with it. There's also a minigame miniboss, which is always nice to see! I'll award it another point for that.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Connections: 5/10 '''<br /> <br /> Booster tower itself has been worked on, off and on, by different builders for several years. This sorta patchwork addition is fine, but the surrounding environments--truce and Rocket town--refer to it only sparsely. It might be nice if it being obnoxious and visible played into more areas.<br /> <br /> Ultimately, it only has two exits, and one of them is locked by default. Which is... ehhhn. I wish there was more to Marrymore, and I wish there were more connections to external zones--it feels like the sort of place a Cannon Travel guy would totally make an installation on a balcony, or something. <br /> <br /> Five points for a functional, easy connection to one of the starting towns, but it could always stand to be improved.<br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> Woof. What do I even say here? Booster's tower is practically a fixture of my time in the cleft, and it really sold me on the kind of lateral-thinking fighting on your feet that comes more into play as you fight later monsters. I love the flavor of the enemies here, but the tower itself could use a lot of touch ups. <br /> <br /> FINAL AVERAGE: Out of four categories, average score is '''5.5'''.<br /> <br /> SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT:<br /> <br /> *Rebalance item levels and flags and grant minor loot drops to the lower end monsters. One suggestion that sticks out in my mind is a hunk of Cosmo Brimstone as an uncommon drop from bob-ombs, regardless of if they explode or not--one gold treasures are decent enough for the level, and it would reward players with crafting components that they could feasibly use to start poking the crafting shops. It would also be thematically consistent with the bob-omb recipe sold in cosmo canyon.<br /> <br /> *Touch up room, mob, and extra descriptions. For being such a gaudy place, Booster Tower uses criminally little color--the portraits are begging for ascii art or at least extra descriptions, along with loads of other spots it'd be easy to add more un-style.<br /> <br /> *Expand the beetle minigame! Yes this is silly and dumb and unnecessary but I love it, and I wish more beetle-based enemies yielded special rewards / there were more variants of beetle / a beetle box event item. Shush don't judge me.<br /> <br /> *Add additional resources to Marrymore. It has a fountain and even benches--expanding it into a minitown would reward adventurous players, and would be a great spot for 'toys' and the like to be sold in the future.<br /> <br /> *Give more external clues about the way to bypass the guard / get various prizes / bypass the chomps with the use of a logically fitting item.<br /> <br /> <br /> ----</div>

Kolem http://wiki.cleftofdimensions.net/index.php?title=Mar_2018:_Chocobo_Forest&diff=2060 2018-03-24T07:06:54Z

<p>Kolem: </p> <hr /> <div>Area of the Month for March 2018 is [[Chocobo_Forest|Chocobo Forest]]!<br /> <br /> A template format for your review is below; click 'edit' at the top of the page, copy-pasta from the &lt;nowiki&gt;----&lt;/nowiki&gt; to the next &lt;nowiki&gt;----&lt;/nowiki&gt;, and fill in the gaps!<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: You!(Class/Level)'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): '''<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: X/10'''<br /> <br /> How does the area's room descriptions(descs) work for you? Do they give you a good idea of the area? Do things that stand out in the desc and NEED explanation GET that, either from flavor text(extra-descs) or NPCs in the room or anything?<br /> <br /> What about mobiles(mobs) and their descriptions? Can you get a decent mental image of who or what this NPC/monster is? Do they respond when you talk or interact with them?<br /> <br /> Some areas have interact-able objects like fountains. Do they stack up well also?<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: X/10 (OR N/A)'''<br /> <br /> (NOTE: combat will be most accurately gauged when your character is in the area's suggested level range.)<br /> <br /> If this area has combat, how does it feel? Does anything jump as horribly overpowered and impossible to deal with? What about the flipside, anything far too easy to beat? <br /> <br /> Are purchased or rewarded items at the appropriate strength levels? Is the effort required to obtain rewarded items reflected in their usefulness (or uniqueness and fancifulness)<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: X/10'''<br /> <br /> Why would you suggest someone come to this area?<br /> Is it just a good place to grind experience(lots of mobs)?<br /> Does the area provide a chunk of good gold and loot?<br /> <br /> What about the quests? Does this area's quests feel properly done, or is there some part of it that you feel needs work?<br /> <br /> For towns, are the shops good? Any other non-combative attraction for the area?<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Connections: X/10 '''<br /> <br /> How easily and well does this area connect to its nearby areas?<br /> Does it make sense thematically to be connected to the areas it is?<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> Any comments you'd like to make that you don't feel apply to the other sections can go here!<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Player: Kaze (Ninja L50)''' - Token'd<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): 3/2/2018'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 7/10'''<br /> <br /> The general navigation worked to a point. The descriptions were were generally serviceable.<br /> The description when you pop the box is one of the better ones, but I don't like that it's a weird special room that teleports you around. (More on that later)<br /> <br /> One thing that isn't clear from the descriptions is any sort of progression from place to place. Forest becomes rocky. Go up and you're on a hill or in the sky. It's rather abrupt, really. The layout is probably part of that issue. <br /> <br /> The descriptions of the chocobo are pretty good. I can tell which each is, readily. I'm not convinced someone who hadn't played as much FF as I would, but such tend not to stick around that long, so... eh?<br /> <br /> Chocobo should either spook and run/fight or react with curiosity when you talk to them. They tend to be portrayed as quite friendly, which doesn't come through. Maybe that's intentional. Dunno.<br /> <br /> The nooks are suggested in the descriptions, so that seems fair. The cave is rather vague.<br /> <br /> The biggest thing that seemed off, though was the inability to ride Boco or one of the others. What a gyp!<br /> <br /> '''Balance: 7/10 (OR N/A)'''<br /> <br /> The chocobo are pretty straightforward foes. (Some teamwork would ramp up the difficulty tremendously, as would inserting a white one should you do so.) <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 4/10'''<br /> <br /> Honestly, mostly this zone is accessible exp. While they are giving good experience and you can drop them, the zone is a goldmine. Otherwise, it's not all that great. The gold chocobo feather was less than exciting. Note that part of that is the difficulty in obtaining Float status. If you could snag such things while there was exp to be had, it wouldn't seem so lackluster but you'd have less reason to return. The Sky Armor pet I now have is... interesting, but not very useful.<br /> <br /> Now, I say all this knowing that I haven't gotten into the cave, yet. (I was going to experiment with trying to get the red chocobo to cast comet on the boulder, but I haven't come up with a good way to do so.)<br /> <br /> Okay: The fact that completing a leg of the quest leads to a special smoky room and then forces you to exit back to the clearing is irritating because that sleep thing. When you wake you can easily abandon a vehicle in the void. It's not too hard to avoid, if you're thinking about it, but I don't like it.<br /> <br /> I'd like there to be more quests, honestly. A quest to set up safer spots for nesting might be interesting. If there's going to be a free pet available, why not a chocobo buddy that's one of those fancy ones that levels and, thus, scales? Apparently, there is code in place to do that, so even if not a mount, (which, obviously, would be cool) at least a battle buddy could be a nice touch. A quest one-shot flag would make this something to be very careful of. (opening up the possibility of one or more resurrection quests) I'm seeing this as a difficult quest, though possibly more on the mind than the body. Don't know; kinda spit-balling. Some spirit of the forest could need something done to fix stuff for Big Bird's cousins.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Connections: 4/10'''<br /> <br /> It's not hard to find but it's certainly out of the way. I have no idea what the thematic reason for its placement was. It actually seems like something that might fit better between Viorar and Truce, whether north of the Veldt or more southerly.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Aludra???(Gambler/100)''' - Token'd<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): 03/04/2018'''<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 8/10'''<br /> <br /> The room descriptions aren't too short, nor are they too long to the point where it's a bother to read them. The different sections of the area are color coded in the short description, which is a nice touch. It really helps to remind you which part of the area you're in at a glance. <br /> <br /> The mobs themselves are all described fairly decently except for Mene, the moogle. It isn't badly written so much as it's more backstory than appearance. A little jarring compared to the rest of the zone. The color in his name also makes me spell it wrong constantly. Although this could be contributed to my font as well.<br /> <br /> The hidden objects and other looktraps are also quite nice. Plenty of secrets if you know where to look.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: 7/10 (OR N/A)'''<br /> <br /> The combat in the area is fairly engaging. The enemies use a variety of different abilities, which is only natural given the nature of different coloured chocobos. Some of the enemies drop wands that help out. The merchant in the area sells a few goodies as well. Though those are mostly used to access the rest of the zone. Aside from the boss of the zone, the enemies themselves aren't too rough. The only exception to this is the boss, and depending on your level, the Sky Armours. They can be a little mean if you're there kind of early. There's not much aggro to deal with. It's just too bad the zone is lacking in actual mobs. It's kind of deserted.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 10/10'''<br /> <br /> The main reason I'd come to this zone is for the quests. They're short, fun, and the rewards are very nice. It's worth a trip just to check them out, even if you're out of range for the forest itself.<br /> <br /> The secondary reason? Taming chocobos. They make great pets and each colour offers a different utility - though Red would be my favorite, as it's a berserker with a lot to offer. <br /> <br /> Like I mentioned previously, there aren't very many mobs to kill. Maybe ten enemies in the entire area, assuming you can swim and/or fly, and then you have to wait for a repop.<br /> <br /> But again, like I mentioned before, the enemies drop some feathers - wands - which prove to be fairly useful if you remember to use them. It's just too bad you can't buy them in the shop.<br /> <br /> '''Connections: 2/10 '''<br /> <br /> There's only one place this really connects to, and that's the road outside of Wutai. The plus side, is it's super quick and easy to get to whether you're coming from the pier or walking through Truce Canyon. You don't even have to worry about recall scrolls because it's such a short distance. It's just a shame there isn't an area beyond it. <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> Great zone, very iconic. Easily one of my favorite areas when I was a lower level. Just wish it was more populated. Throw out some chocobo eaters and some extra chocobos or something, you know?<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: RedMage(Wizard/26)''' - Token'd<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): 3/15/18'''<br /> <br /> Under Descriptions, I will list all of the typos/bad Engrish I've encountered while minimizing potential spoilers. I'll be posting only partial room descriptions to point these things out. Attractions has some problems too. Some of my comments are maked by ((parenthesis)).<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions/Problems: 1/10'''<br /> <br /> *Guardia - Forest Trail<br /> <br /> with colorful drawings etches onto the beams. <br /> ((*etched))<br /> <br /> &gt;look drawing<br /> Some time ago, someone lightly carved into the fence and colored it in with pastel. Tiny drawings depict stick figure people smiling and holding hands with large birds.<br /> ((So chocobos have hands apparently.))<br /> <br /> *Chocobo Forest - Entrance<br /> <br /> The sounds of the various creatures that normally populate a forest die out here, <br /> than in your average woodland area. <br /> ((Who's average woodland area, mine? I thought one of the cardinal rules of building was to never use 'you'. This is the cleft of dimensions where nothing is normal or average.))<br /> <br /> *Chocobo Forest - Chocobo Path<br /> <br /> The trail is difficult to see from the path through the myriad trees, but once accessed it becomes easily navigable. <br /> ((*myriad of trees.))<br /> <br /> *Chocobo Forest - Central Clearing<br /> <br /> their hue is an odd white green unlike any other in the forest. <br /> ((*blend of white and green))<br /> <br /> *Breeder's Courtyard<br /> The two paths from the north and northwest collide here, coalescing into<br /> a trail leading to the east. <br /> (] Exits: north east south [)<br /> ((Where's the northwest?))<br /> <br /> *Outside Chocobo Breeder's Farm<br /> Lacking a door, the building to the east is more of a barn than a proper<br /> (] Exits: north [east] [)<br /> ((Huh, I thought the building to the east was lacking a door.))<br /> <br /> &gt;talk breeder<br /> You think 'Do you have any work needs doing?'<br /> ((*Do you have any work that needs doing?))<br /> You think 'I've got the feathers you wanted!'<br /> ((This line showed up the first time I talked to him then mysteriously disappeared the second time, strange.))<br /> <br /> *Breeder's Barn<br /> still full of that smell which tends to fill any barn.<br /> ((What if I've never been to a barn?))<br /> <br /> though occasionally they have discarded tools of the trade tossed inside.<br /> ((What trade? What are these tools? What do they do? Can I use them for anything?))<br /> <br /> *Chocobo Forest - Riverside Path<br /> creatures drinking from the water. A river crossing made up of solid white<br /> ((Why can't I drink the water? Other rooms describe it as being pristine and pure.))<br /> <br /> *Chocobo Mountain - Cliff Wall<br /> ((A mob in this room has a &quot;is in perfect condition.&quot; line when it shouldn't.))<br /> <br /> *Choco Falls - East Side<br /> The river that the waterfall creates flows gently to the norhtwest,<br /> ((*northwest.))<br /> <br /> *Top of the Cliff<br /> A small alcove set agains the side of the mountain, accessible only by climbing from the plateua below.<br /> ((*against, *plateau.))<br /> <br /> *Stepping Stones<br /> To the south you can spy a waterfall at its origin.<br /> ((There's that you again.))<br /> <br /> *Singed Forest<br /> woods, aside from the occasional reslilent tree proving too stubborn to die. The cause of the devestation is made strikingly clear from the constant<br /> ((The only thing that's strikingly clear are these typos. *resilient, *devastation.))<br /> patrol of crimson fowl, their sharp determined glare speaks volumes of their disdain for anyone who would intrude upon their sacred ground. <br /> ((What crimson fowl?))<br /> <br /> *Chocobo Trail<br /> To the northwest you can spot a large clearing surrounded by thick brush and large rock formations. To the east the trail widens, and you can hear the faint sound of running water in the distance. <br /> ((I should start a 'you' counter.))<br /> <br /> *Chocobo Lake: Shallow Water<br /> The creatures in this lake live in a peculiar casual harmony, the chocobos acting as both predator and proector, another sign of their strange but astonishing intelligence.<br /> ((Their intelligence is so astonishing that they have become the legendary proectors of the forest. *protector))<br /> <br /> *While in ??? foggy rooms<br /> Looking around you see:<br /> This doesn't matter probably? , right here.<br /> ((GUESS AGAIN MOTHERWARKER!))<br /> <br /> *Cumulus Ridge<br /> Comfortable and sturdy, it provides an excellent place to lean against or sit for a spell without fear of falling to the ground below.<br /> ((So why is there no furniture to rest on?))<br /> <br /> *Chocobo Forest - Chocobo Paradise <br /> <br /> (] Exits: sw [)<br /> A shimmering golden chocobo observes you sagely.<br /> Choco is sitting here.<br /> Choco is sitting here.<br /> An enormous, rotund chocobo occupies a throne here, endlessly devouring a pile of food next to him.<br /> ((Choco look, it's your long lost twin brothers! I wonder how many Chocos we'll get in here before a despawn prog is put in.))<br /> <br /> Throne extra desc<br /> At the side of the throne sits a giant pile of food of every type and variety.<br /> ((Why not just list some greens?))<br /> <br /> *Fat Chocobo's ?????<br /> seals off any hope of escape. <br /> ((Divine recall is reserved for those of lower levels than you. - GUESS AGAIN MOTHERCLUCKER! Huh, deja vu.))<br /> is lined with a series of protusions which should allow safe descent;*<br /> ((Not that anything has had any extra descriptions in this zone, but it'd be nice to know what those protusions are that I can climb down. Erm, I mean *protrusions.))<br /> <br /> *Post-Dislodge Quest<br /> Fatty C says 'Redmage &quot;Redmage&quot;'<br /> ((I heard you the first time.))<br /> <br /> *After Recalling with Choco present at any time<br /> ((So nice of Choco to wait for me if I recall while he's following and return later. That can get messy fast if people keep abandoning their Chocos and nothing is there to despawn them.))<br /> <br /> *Chocobos going past the boulder<br /> ((Hey wouldn't it be nice if the only red chocobo in the entire zone wandered past the boulder where no one who's done the quests yet could get to it to attempt to grind for red chocobo feathers? That can totally happen.))<br /> <br /> pecks you hard on the forehead! ( (39))<br /> That'll yeach ya!<br /> ((That sure did yeach me.)<br /> <br /> ((Post-Mene Quest Choco no longer seems to be afraid of fighting. It can now be a useless follower, yay!))<br /> <br /> *Yellow chocobo description<br /> spark of intelligence missing from its chicken cousin,<br /> ((Since when were chocobos related to chickens?))<br /> <br /> *Red chocobo description<br /> Its blazing crimson feathers designate it as a rare, but aggressive, breed of chocobo, with a oooked beak a similar but darker color. <br /> ((Wow, even with copy/pasted descriptions, he still managed to type oooked.))<br /> Its eyes are aggressively dominant and intelligent, and there is a spark of great power, barely held in check. <br /> ((I don't understand this sentence. Are its eyes holding back sparks of great power? With great power comes great aggressive dominance and intelligence?))<br /> <br /> *Aspik description<br /> Its body is extremely weak and vulnerable to physical attack, and its sole tendril fares poorly in combat. In order to survive the Aspik has developed a natural defense in the form of an extremely high voltage current, which it can generate at will. <br /> ((Hey thanks, now I don't have to read an analysis scroll!))<br /> <br /> *Mene the Moogle's description<br /> All other ways, however, Mene stands alone. An outcast from his moogle brethren, he identifies more with his best friend Choco than anyone from his own race. Alone together, they travel to find their place in the world.<br /> ((Well I'm glad I got to know Mene better just by looking at him.))<br /> <br /> *Choco's description<br /> Choco is no different; though smaller than most and strangley distant from his choco brethren. Choco is particuarly gifted in his intellect, especially in his ability to determine a person's worth. A shy bird, Choco's only friend is a moogle named Mene. Alone together, they travel to find their place in the world. <br /> ((Well I'm glad I got to know choco better just by looking at him. Huh, deja vu. *strangely, *particularly))<br /> <br /> ''In summary: Most of the room descriptions are okay, typos can be fixed, but they are lacking severely in extra descriptions. There are many instances of capitalized improper nouns and the hidden areas are really easy to find (found them all before I was even tasked to). What really drags this score down are the mob descriptions. There is a lot of copy and pasting across the different chocobos as well as background elements in some parts, which don't belong in a mob's description. This area is also lacking in furniture/fountains/fishing spots/mining spots, all the things that make a zone interesting.''<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: 7/10'''<br /> <br /> While I have a bit more HP/Mana than most Wizards at my level, my armor was 100's across and I had vulnerability to Pierce, which EVERYTHING here uses. Despite these drawbacks I didn't have much trouble fighting anything. Red Chocobos could pull me down pretty quickly if I failed enough casts. They're also resistant to mental for some reason, so watch out Dancers! The other mobs had reasonable resistances/vulnerabilities and their combat progs certainly filled them with some life.<br /> <br /> The main problem here is that there's BARELY any chocobos to fight. This ties into the quest mentioned below, so if these reviews are to accomplish anything, Chocobo Forest needs more spawns. A lot of spawns. Maybe even a few other critters from the source material (or from the cleft. Chocobos are Pokemon, aren't they? Look how they evolve into new colors! Someone should CATCH THEM ALL!).<br /> <br /> Oh yeah, no mobs reward any money, at all. That's most likely a bug so I won't subtract any points, but it certainly needs to be addressed.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions/Problems: 0/10'''<br /> *Loot<br /> The Sky Armor now follows you.<br /> ((Oh, uh...ok. Thanks? Wait, your name is SKY ARMOR and you can't fly? How are you even..nevermind. Nice lack of teleport prog there, too.))<br /> [*SAY*] The Sky Armor 'I can wear equipment in these locations:'<br /> [*SAY*] The Sky Armor 'Hold, float, and light.'<br /> [*SAY*] The Sky Armor 'I have 4 damroll 6 hitroll 0 magroll. My average damage is 22.'<br /> [*SAY*] The Sky Armor 'My armor modifies damage by 105 / 105 / 105 / 105 percent. I have 0 Saves.'<br /> ((Well aren't you a keeper. No wonder you were free.))<br /> <br /> Chocobo Wing(L32) is uh...semi-mediocre. Garbage as a shield since its -AC is worse than a L10 shield and there are better ways to get Haste. A +Dex shield with proper AC would probably be better.<br /> <br /> The Dislodge Quest Reward isn't clear about what level you have to be to use it. I'm L31 now and I still can't use it properly.<br /> <br /> ''-Quest Issues-''<br /> *Mene Quest<br /> Mene says 'But...this place is way too big, and there's dangers all around. Sad to say, but I'm simply of no help to choco in this situation...'<br /> ((I left all the capitalized non-proper nouns alone in the room descriptions, but I think Mene owes his buddy a capital C at the very least. Mene's dialogue is very uh, interestingly spaced out by the way.))<br /> You think, &quot;No thanks.&quot;<br /> ((This option literally does nothing.))<br /> Mene takes a moment to catch his breath<br /> ((Hey Mene finally decided to do an emote instead of spamming say, too bad he forgot his period.))<br /> <br /> ((Mene seems to enjoy copy and pasting parts of his dialogue between quest sessions. Choco definately enjoys copy and pasting throughout when QINFO happens.))<br /> <br /> Mene says 'I guess I'll have to forgo a life in the lap of luxury...but hey, at least I can always pay for food from that Chinese Delivery place.'<br /> ((Not for long!))<br /> You say 'I lost my [QINFO ITEM], can I have another?'<br /> Mene says 'Sure! Here you go! '<br /> (10) [QINFO ITEM] is here.<br /> ((Miiight want to add melt_drop to those suckers. Too bad I'm not L30 yet, I'd totally max Artifice here.))<br /> <br /> Mene says 'Sorry, looks like your party's a little too full, Choco's really shy.'<br /> ((I know other zones use pet mechanics, but does Chocobo Forest really -need- one? You can't even order Choco to do anything let alone get in a battle with it. Well Sky Armor, it's been nice while it lasted. ...You uh..you can go home now. You know, wander on home? HOME! Shoo!...or you can just stay at Mene, that's fine too.))<br /> <br /> ((A mob post-Mene Quest has a description that describes the outcome of Mene Quest when you look at it. Spoilers!))<br /> <br /> *Chocobo Breeder Quest<br /> ((Chocobo Breeder Turn-in didn't remove the black and blue feathers from my inventory. Free items!))<br /> <br /> *Dislodging Quest<br /> ((This is handled pretty messily. Can't go into detail because it's qinfo, but anyone is welcome to message me in private if they want the details as to why I say that. I'll just sum it up as 'It can be progged better.' It's also level locked.))<br /> *Fat Chocobo<br /> Fatty C says 'Well, well, well, what do we have here? QINFO, I haven't had one of those in ages! '<br /> ((I always wanted to call the Fat Chocobo Fatty C and make fat jokes about it.))<br /> *Dislodge Quest Boss<br /> ((Um...it's really hard to talk about this without breaking QINFO rules. Just like above, anyone is free to ask me in private if they want a detailed opinion. But it's really BAD. On-kill dialogue makes NO sense and it is a very immature way to implement a very notable boss from its source material.))<br /> <br /> ''Summary: The quests are boring and unimaginative. There is no immersion, there is no reason why you should care about anyone or anything in this zone. There were so many ways the quests here could have been better and more clefty and the finale is just downright immature. There are not enough mobs to support the fetch quest or its other level locks. The quest rewards aren't worth the effort either.''<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Connections: 1/1'''<br /> <br /> Chocobo Forest fits where it's been connected to. What else is there to say? It does its job on this front. 1/1.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> *Breeder's Courtyard<br /> It definitely smells like chocobo here, for all the wrong reasons. <br /> ((Well I did keep saying this was a shitty area, seems the zone itself agrees.))<br /> <br /> *Chocobo Breeder Quest<br /> ((This quest is awful. You need to turn in items dropped by mobs in the area, which there are very, VERY few of.))<br /> <br /> *Chocobo Lake: Shallow Water<br /> This rather shallow section of the lake butts up against a high wall of rock and earth, making land access impossible.<br /> ((Well that's just an excuse to put the word butt in the description. I guess this area really is ass.))<br /> <br /> *Chocobo Lagoon<br /> The walls sparkle with occasional gems, but are otherwise bare and smooth. <br /> ((I want those gems. Why can't I mine them?))<br /> <br /> Redmage's group:<br /> [ 0 Mob] Choco 501/ 501 hp 0/ 0 mana 100/ 100 mv 0 xp<br /> [26 Wiz] Redmage 505/ 505 hp 593/ 593 mana 490/ 490 mv 59017 xp<br /> ((I feel like Choco should just ride me.))<br /> <br /> You are in Chocobo Forest. Have you:<br /> - Talked to the friend of a Chocobo?<br /> - Discovered the truth behind the legend?<br /> - Dislodged an obstruction?<br /> - Finished a stupid fetch quest?<br /> ((I guess even the zone acknowledges one of its quests is stupid.))<br /> <br /> ''Final Observation: It looked like Ademisk was pretty good with the combat from the source material and I wouldn't mind seeing him in charge of designing possible action heavy events in the future. Just leave the creativity to someone else.''<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Poochie(Geomancer/27)''' - Token'd<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): 3/16/18'''<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 6/10'''<br /> <br /> Some of the room descriptions are somewhat clunky and awkward to read. There are several spelling and grammatical errors sprinkled throughout as well. Some sentences are fragments entirely, while others lack or misuse certain types of punctuation. One room in the float section of the area is particularly clunky with multiple errors. Some rooms may need to be entirely rewritten to fix these types of problems.<br /> <br /> Aside from logistics, the descriptions are adequate on a room by room basis. The area is set up in different types of terrains, somewhat quartered off from each other, which makes reading through them interesting. The rooms linking the different terrains describe their transitions adequately for some areas, but not so much for others, specifically the forest into mountain sector. It's mentioned, but easily overlooked.<br /> <br /> In the Scorched Forest quadrant of the area, three of the rooms suddenly lack the &quot;Chocobo Forest&quot; title. They become one phrase titles in the default room name color. If this is intended, it's somewhat odd and makes it feel somewhat disjointed.<br /> <br /> The chocobos are fancifully described for the most part, with one exception - the first sentence appears copy-pasted and simply altered for colored adjectives of each chocobo. The black chocobo's description is disjointed, as it starts off describing them as 'standing' on their legs and ends with clarification that they are in fact floating. It's also clear they are floating from the fact that they are only in the float area. The copy-pasting of the first sentence is likely to blame for this inconsistency, as all the other chocobos begin with the same 'standing' sentence. <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: 6/10'''<br /> <br /> The yellow chocobos in the beginning of the area are rather easy. The red chocobos are slightly dangerous, especially for a caster with their use of bash. This would make sense, since the yellow ones are 25 and the red ones are 30. The problem I see with this specifically is that it's not like there is a large amount of progress to make between the beginning of the area and the &quot;end&quot;. Additionally, there are only 2-3 (that I could tell) of each chocobo type and not many other mobs. An entire five level difference in this area seems somewhat broad considering it's mostly quest focused. In order to not be highly threatened by the higher level mobs in this area, you have to level elsewhere and come back at the high-end of the level range, more or less, unless you're a remorter or of a particular class.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 4/10'''<br /> <br /> The 'first' quest has a strange set-up, where when you go into the room you can't actually begin the quest until you 'come back later'. I'm not sure if this is just as simple as leaving and re-entering the room immediately, as I actually did go out and read some more room descriptions and what not at that point. Mene abrutly speaks with you, and then says that he is busy if you speak with him afterwards.<br /> <br /> You are required to dismiss your pet to begin this quest, which is never something people are excited about. It also is likely entirely unecessary, especially because Mene explicitly states that Choco will not engage in combat. There is no benefit to having Choco be your actual pet rather than simply follow you.<br /> <br /> The area lists one of its own quests as &quot;a stupid fetch quest&quot; and it is unfortunately right on the money. This collection quest requires a drop from one of each of the chocobo types, of which, as mentioned, there are only 2-3 reset into the area at a time. Even doing this passively while working on the other quests may not net you all of the items and it could easily be incomplete by the time you're done everything else. There is nothing else to do except leave the area and wait for it to repop, come back, and hope - or just not do the 'final' quest.<br /> <br /> The other aspects of the quests are adequate, if unexpected.<br /> <br /> There are some pets here, which may be enticing for some, but unfortunately they lack some of the normal, expected functions of most pets. They also don't despawn on dismissal. There are some interesting quest rewards and there is a useful item for a relatively low level, readily available. There are too few mobs here with no other similar level areas nearby where it could be considered a pit stop to kill everything and then move on to somewhere else. <br /> <br /> I would recommend it if someone were specifically looking for something that they could find here, but probably not for leveling purposes.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Connections: 3/10 '''<br /> <br /> Chocobo Forest sort of pops out of nowhere and doesn't seem to have any connection to the area around it. Logistically, it's easy to find and not too far for its level range. It is, however, the end of the line for anything else in that direction, which feels odd for some reason. <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> Despite several rooms clearly describing forests and trees, there was only a default level of overgrowth in one such room that I attempted to fight in. In reference to Mene's speech when you enter the room, the extra spaces between output lines is annoying. There don't need to be extra spaces for any reason, and anyone with compact off is going to be spammed by it.<br /> <br /> Of note, if you do happen to die in the swim or float areas, you either need assistance to retrieve your corpse or you have to necro your corpse, unless you can float or swim naturally.<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Alyse Wizard/39 no remort<br /> <br /> '''Review Date: March 2018'''<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Descriptions 1/10'''<br /> <br /> While some things can certainly be overlooked, it is hard to ignore the abundance of issues in Chocobo Forest with the writing. It is littered with typos, awkward grammatical errors, bland and lacking in substance, minimal with extra descriptions, as well as full of useless repetitive ideas used in order to make the rooms appear more fleshed out at first glance out than they actually are. Sometimes they are even unclear in what idea they are trying to portray as some of the writing can allow for misinterpretation. There are even inconsistencies between the room descriptions and the exits.<br /> <br /> The room descriptions sometimes talk about the mobs that are in the area rather than the scenery and provide information that the player may not or should not know. For example many times it assumes that the player entering knows about chocobos, sometimes referring to their calls, signs, and smells but giving no description to exactly what any of those are like. While we can assume many of our players might have some familiarity with games we can't assume they have knowledge of all the content within the cleft or remember everything about the games they played, even when it comes to popular titles.<br /> <br /> More than once you can encounter places described as 'serene' or 'grimdark' which basically tell the player how they should be feeling about the area when time could be better spent setting the stage to show these things. 'You' also makes an appearance here more than once. This would be fine if the player was reading a Choose Your Own Adventure book, but it doesn't belong in a room description for a MUD. The area description should have no control over the player and should not be addressing the player in any way.<br /> <br /> NPCs when spoken to have weird random spacing in their dialogue and bombard the player with repetitive says for just about every single sentence with nothing like even a sigh, pause, or smile to break it up. When looked at, players are presented with their back story, or in the case of the chocobo's descriptions a copied and pasted description with no difference or variation aside from the bird's color.<br /> <br /> The only positive about the descriptions is that the use of color in some places is done well. Particularly when you are in a place obscured by fog.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance 6/10'''<br /> <br /> Hopefully any pets the player has are not important to them or difficult to get because in order to do half the quests in this area they will have to be dismissed. This also goes for the pets you gain from the area itself as the Flying Armor will sometimes make itself the player's pet rather than attacking the player.<br /> <br /> The mobs seem to be decently balanced, and each are slightly different from one another as far as attacks go. The green chocobos assist each other which came as a surprise, and the red ones were appropriately aggressive by comparison to the others (even though getting slapped by stars seemed kind of silly for an attack).<br /> <br /> There isn't a whole lot to fight here though, making the place feel kind of empty and devoid of life. Save for the Aspik and the flying armor, the only things moving about the area are chocobos and they are not very plentiful in number, having only two mobs of each type wandering through each sub area. It is not a good place to level because of it. It makes it a pain when trying to collect a specific drop and produces a problem for players who enter the area at the minimum level requirement as some of the items in the area are level locked. Many will have to venture elsewhere or else deal with a slow and drawn out level grind.<br /> <br /> The area's final 'boss' really wasn't much of a boss. It did nothing to attack or defend itself for most rounds of fighting. While it eventually cast rainbow before it died it basically just amounted to the player hacking at it until it is out of hp making it no real challenge or threat.<br /> <br /> For the area's level, the reward for the last quest on the list is passable, but not particularly exciting. The reward in completing Choco's quest and dealing with the obstruction is either not working correctly, is not well explained, or has a ridiculous level requirement (I am 9 levels past the maximum level recommended for the area and still unable to use it).<br /> <br /> Players entering this area better hope they brought some money with them for the shop because the mobs here are sparse and do not drop any amount of gold or silver when they are killed. This isn't a huge issue though, as Wutai and its bank is just around the corner and easy enough to go back to when a player needs funds.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions 2/10'''<br /> <br /> There are also a lot of missed opportunities to add features such as mining, fishing or mini games to make the area more fun to explore. Especially since there is a lot of waiting involved in the area.<br /> <br /> *Talked to the friend of a Chocobo?<br /> <br /> There is not much to comment on about this quest as it just involves finding and talking to an NPC. It is simple enough, and not uncommon to see goals like this in some areas. You will have to wait before continuing on to the next quest on the list however. And while waiting for a quest isn't so bad, forcing the player to wait is used a bit too much in this area.<br /> <br /> *Discovered the truth behind the legend?<br /> <br /> This quest is a repetitive, dull game of hot and cold. While the idea itself isn't bad it wasn't very well executed. The quest goes as follows;<br /> <br /> Talk to Mene and take Choco → Enter a special room→ Talk to Choco → wait → exit room → wait again → Repeat<br /> <br /> The repetition wouldn't be so bad if there was some variation in the text. For example, Mene reacts by having to catch his breath and saying the exact same thing every time the player returns. While it is understandable the moogle could be startled by the appearance of the player and Choco suddenly appearing the first time, it doesn't make as much sense the 3rd or 4th time it happens. By then Mene should be expecting it to happen by that point.<br /> <br /> The waiting is also a bit annoying with the frequency in which it happens. Not only do you have to wait on Choco after finding each chest, but you have to wait again for Mene to talk to him regarding his new abilities. As mentioned in the Balance portion of the review, there really isn't a whole lot of things to do in the area during this downtime, and there is no indication as to just how long the downtime is.<br /> <br /> Part of what makes this quest so boring and tedious is a lack of variation when it comes to finding the locations of the treasure. All save for one can be found in rooms hidden only by extra descriptions. And by the time players get to this quest (Particularly those used to looking for hidden things in descriptions) they have likely already found all of these spots negating the need to even play the mini game with Choco in the first place. It isn't a far jump in logic to assume hidden places that have nothing in them are connected with finding the treasure chests for this quest.<br /> <br /> Some variation could go a long way and provide players with a little more challenge as they work their way through this quest. For example instead of only leaving the treasure in a hidden room (or completely out in the open at the end of the route as the last one is) What about putting them behind a puzzle, or placed at a seemingly random spot along the path that the player has walked past a dozen times? There is no increase in difficulty or challenge in locating them and it is the the same gimmick every time. The only obstacle getting in the way of the player is the wait time and traveling from point A to point B.<br /> <br /> *Dislodged an obstruction?<br /> <br /> Something tells me there needs to be a talk about maturity. While Chocobo Forest's other quests are bland with room for improvement, this one just ends up being flat out juvenile and inappropriate. The fat jokes, the boss's death line of “I'm a pretty princess, dammit!”, and the matter of both the player and reward being defecated from a bird's ass really isn't in the spirit of the source material. It's degrading to the player. Hopefully no one going through this part of the quest wanted to leave it with any degree of dignity. The only suggestion that can be made here is to just get rid of the entire thing.<br /> <br /> *Finished a stupid fetch quest?<br /> <br /> When an area calls its own quest stupid, it is basically telling the player they are not in for anything fun. You are basically required to collect feathers from different types of chocobo which may or may not be so easy to do as there are only 2 of each chocobo type and the drop is random. It is not particularly exciting or interesting.<br /> <br /> There are a lot of ways the 'Collect 20 Bear Asses' trope could be avoided. A possible way to make the quest more engaging and maybe a little less frustrating to players who just have poor luck would be to make obtaining the feathers more of a puzzle. Maybe each type of chocobo needs something and the player has to figure out how to help them in order to get the feather. It would even potentially make use of the breeder's hut and shop and maybe open up the possibilities in adding features to the surroundings.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Connections 4/10'''<br /> <br /> The location is not the best nor the worst. It can be found roughly in a spot of similar leveled locations but at the same time it could go somewhere else if it needed and nothing would be lost. The only reference it makes in relation to its place in the world is a description mentioning Wutai in the distance. While it is tucked away in the corner of the continent, making it a little more hidden would be more fitting to the original content. It feels like an optional area.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> I do not know why this area was linked. Even now after a number of immortals have combed through it and fixed things it still looks like a mess. Maybe it is less so than when first introduced to the players, but it is still a place I would consider low in quality and not one I would recommend unless an overhaul was done for the entire thing.<br /> <br /> Though not as demanding of attention as the balance or the mechanics, descriptions are an important part of the game. And that was one of my biggest disappointments here. Descriptions create a setting and tone for the player as they venture through each of the zones as well as provide important clues for the quests and puzzles they are to solve. They are what give the area life and personality. Most MUDs out there do not use their descriptions they way the Cleft does. It is something that the game prides itself upon when comparing it to other games out there so this is why the writing for an area should never be overlooked, its typos never brushed aside, and its inaccuracies and other flaws ignored.<br /> <br /> It is understandable to find a hiccup or two within an area and overlook something. But there are just so many problems here with the writing that it lessens the experience. It is kind of embarrassing to present this area to future players who might see these and develop an impression on the game and what is acceptable building standards based on them.<br /> <br /> There is potential to improve on it and make it a decent and even interesting. I am not suggesting it is so bad that it cannot be salvaged. It felt like there were a lot of missed opportunities to do something neat with the place. Rewrite and edit a large chunk of the descriptions, add more things to look at and see, clean up the weird quirks in the dialogue, add more mobs and this area, and completely drop everything beyond the boulder and would not be so bad. While it has improved since its first release, it still needs a lot of work and attention. <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Player: Kolem (Various, primarily Playback L. 22 Dancer)'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): 3/23/18 '''<br /> <br /> Well, here we go. I haven't been looking forward to this, but sometimes that just means it's more necessary. Having read through the other reviews, I am going to do my best to focus on suggestions for improvement in areas that have not been extensively covered already, and thanks everyone for tackling this particular zone. It always stinks when a less than stellar area is up for review, because I have a harder time being negative than positive. But Chocobo Forest seems to fall into a contentious area: A lot of effort has gone into improving it already, and some are so frustrated they suggest just wiping it entirely. I don't feel that's quite needed, here; this is no Zork or old-version Lelanol. But I'll discuss this further in the personal section.<br /> <br /> As always, I begin each category at Five, with generalized positives and negatives swaying the score higher or lower as needed. Exceptionally poor or wonderful examples may merit points on their own.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 4/10'''<br /> <br /> <br /> There have been countless detailed descriptions of the many issues with the descriptions in prior reviews. In order to avoid beating a zombie horse, I will say that most descriptions are technically functional but poorly implemented. There are very few look commands other than those utilized to hide specific areas, and since there are no non-consequential look commands, the area feels very hollow and the areas are easily discovered. I am going to ding one point for general poor implementation, but I have seen (much, much) worse.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: 3/10 '''<br /> <br /> <br /> Here is where I start to feel like the real problems of the Chocobo Forest come in to play, and as previous reviews have not really gone into extreme depth with the issues here, it's where I'm going to be focusing a fair bit of my attention.<br /> <br /> -Let's start with the items. Specifically, the lack thereof, and the imbalance on the items that exist in the zone. (This will tie in to the Attractions section shortly.) One of the primary quests in this location is to kill chocobos until at least three drop specific items--feathers corresponding to the color of chocobo in question. Given the low numbers of those mobs present and the general disapproval of the quest on Kill X Mob quests to start wish, this is an issue in and of itself. But the real issue I'm taking with this is that for some reason the dropped items are all one shot wands-and NONE of them are on level. Two are below, and one is above. It's straight up baffling. Additionally, the one store sells held items that grant either swim or float. You can get one of the two nearby if you're investigative, but by level twenty, the player will have had plenty of opportunities to get swim vehicles or equipment regardless of starting town. Purchasing float in any equipment slot is NICE, technically, but held is a very competitive spot--giving up a shield, weapon, or other bonus, to say nothing of two handed weapons. The quest reward items are also underwhelming, with one exception (which I will discuss in Attractions). Dead Peppers are ripe for change, as well; there is no reason not to make them an interesting pill and not unique.<br /> <br /> -Moving on from the items, let's discuss the early-zone mobs. Playing as a level twenty two dancer, defeating yellow, red, and green chocobos was fairly effortless. I recall Sky Armor being rough, and I grasp WHY these mobs are so weak, but there are other problems: Their low drop rate, the fact that they apparently award half experience if that, and complete lack of money, for starters. Aspiks were also a complete breeze. Given the nature of the farming quest this is particularly egregious. Even the reward for collecting all the feathers is outshone in general by various consumables obtainable elsewhere.<br /> <br /> Starting at 5 points:<br /> <br /> -1 for all items being level inappropriate<br /> -1 for mobs which are not built to challenge on-level players<br /> <br /> The boss and sky armors, as I recall, are somewhat rough; but gated behind float.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 5/10'''<br /> <br /> <br /> This is something of a difficult call. The upshot of the final portion of the quest here is that you can obtain any one of the chocobos as a pet--and they are surprisingly decent pets, for the level they are. However, players will need to be a higher level than the pets to obtain them, and there is considerable competition for the Pet / Companion slot as it is. They all lack wander-home progs, as well. I go into some alternatives in the closing section, but alone--as fun as flavorful having a Chocobo is, and as nice as them all having 'moves' are is, alone that can't balance the consequences of the rest of the zone. I will give the zone credit for attempting it, though. Chocobo forest is a terrible place to grind; with few monsters to challenge and fewer rewards. The one shop could use considerable tweaking. Additionally, it feels like the Item you get as a result of defeating the boss ought to have better implementation outside of its zone of origin. There are definite missed possibilities here.<br /> <br /> Beginning at five points:<br /> -plus one and a half points for an attempt at a full pet subcategory, which must have took concerted effort to pull off<br /> -Minus half a point for poor implementation of said mobs as pets<br /> -Minus one for the complete lack of valuable treasure, experience, and other rewards from the zone apropos to level<br /> <br /> Final score of this category is Five: It is *tolerable*, in this area, but any number of small or large adjustments or additions could really improve matters.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Connections: 2.5/10 '''<br /> <br /> <br /> Oh. Oh dear. The issue with Chocobo forest is this:<br /> <br /> Chocobo Forest has all of one connection point. None of its items have major or minor consequences outside, even though in all fairness it seems like its quest item is the exact sort of item that could or should have small easter eggs or benefits used outside of its initial introduction. While its foresty introduction fits OKAY I GUESS with the outside, the complete mishmash of areas it itself is means it could technically be linked any sort of place, and I try to not give extra credit for bare minimums. This is a pity, but I would suggest focusing on improving the rest of the areas first--it has enough need for retools and improvement that improving linkage can take a back seat. This is a pity, as I go into in the personal section.<br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> Whoof. Just... whoof. The problem with Chocobo forest is that the effort is SHOWING. There is a very hard=pressed debate currently over whether to nuke or improve the zone, since there has been a lot of effort into the zone already to improve it from its initial drop into the cleft, and it sounds like those improvements have started to take hold. I am never in favor of a complete gutting of a zone unless it is completely beyond the pale, and I do not think Chocobo Forest as it is now is in that territory. <br /> <br /> It just needs several passes and improvements. That probably isn't anything the imms want to hear, but there are opportunities inherent to Chocobo Forest that it would be criminal not to take advantage of.<br /> <br /> FINAL SCORE:<br /> <br /> Averaging four categories, Chocobo Forest gets an approximate '''3.5 / 10''' -- a score that is not beyond reach, but speaks out for significant need for improvements. <br /> <br /> Therefore in the interest of working toward a better, brighter cleft and Chocobo Forest, I will make some suggestions for improvement, from the least to most effort intensive on the part of the imms.<br /> <br /> --An Item and fetch quest Rebalance and reconsideration.<br /> There is no reason to gate the Fetch reward as it is. In fact, it is generally a lackluster item. I would suggest Chocobos 'disappear'--<br /> leaving a feather behind in their haste to escape. Whether these feathers remain wands or not is still up for evaluation; certainly some level<br /> or spell adjustment is needed. I would suggest changing them from mediocre protective or offensive spells to utility items, if this avenue is <br /> taken.<br /> <br /> --General redescing mobs and areas in a more cohesive, collective fashion. No one likes to do this, but the zone does need it. Refer to other reviews for specific trouble spots.<br /> <br /> --Reevaluating mob drop rates, spawn frequencies, and rewards.<br /> <br /> Now for some tougher suggestions:<br /> <br /> --Reevaluate whether Chocobos should be pets. There are two broad categories of idea I have for these birds, owing to their origin: One, if these mobs are to continue to exist as is, append a &quot;ranch quest&quot; to the end of the current questline wherein Caught chocobos follow you into a 'ranch' type area, where they will mill about and offer to follow the player not as a pet but a follower. Given the approximate level of the zone, it is a fantastic opportunity to teach players the mechanics of followers that are not pets. Refer to the Runaway Five for similar examples of this; this would mean fetching a chocobo and ensuring it stay with you via Gather wands or scrolls, which could be sold here, could be fantastic training for certain late-game rewards. Given the relatively low strength of individual chocobos, this is unlikely to break anything in any major way. Alternatively, a reward of an reusable cooldown event Chocobo Call for temporary assistance from a random bird would be a cool, flavorful addition that would be considerably more compact and random enough to be engaging. <br /> <br /> The second idea is that, for each breed of Chocobo caught and returned, the player could have a transport to a specific nearby location in the <br /> cleft corresponding to the Chocobos in question: Mandala for Green Chocobo, for instance; Rocket Town for Yellow Chocobo, etc. This would improve both the area's linkage and attractions, and it could be expanded through the use of the major quest reward to chocobos present outside this zone, such as the Chocobos on Luon Highway--a quick way to hop back to viorar if your recall was not set there--or the Kakkara Desert chocobo.<br /> <br /> I know this is a bit of an ask, but Chocobo forest is too nice a source material to waste, imo. Given the diverse nature of the cleft, it's no shock seeing these creatures find a place in it.<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> [[Category:Area of the Month|*]]</div>

Kolem http://wiki.cleftofdimensions.net/index.php?title=Feb_2018:_Viorar&diff=2006 2018-02-27T13:10:59Z

<p>Kolem: </p> <hr /> <div>Area of the Month for February 2018 is [[Viorar]]!<br /> <br /> A template format for your review is below; click 'edit' at the top of the page, copy-pasta from the &lt;nowiki&gt;----&lt;/nowiki&gt; to the next &lt;nowiki&gt;----&lt;/nowiki&gt;, and fill in the gaps!<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: You!(Class/Level)'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): '''<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: X/10'''<br /> <br /> How does the area's room descriptions(descs) work for you? Do they give you a good idea of the area? Do things that stand out in the desc and NEED explanation GET that, either from flavor text(extra-descs) or NPCs in the room or anything?<br /> <br /> What about mobiles(mobs) and their descriptions? Can you get a decent mental image of who or what this NPC/monster is? Do they respond when you talk or interact with them?<br /> <br /> Some areas have interact-able objects like fountains. Do they stack up well also?<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: X/10 (OR N/A)'''<br /> <br /> (NOTE: combat will be most accurately gauged when your character is in the area's suggested level range.)<br /> <br /> If this area has combat, how does it feel? Does anything jump as horribly overpowered and impossible to deal with? What about the flipside, anything far too easy to beat? <br /> <br /> Are purchased or rewarded items at the appropriate strength levels? Is the effort required to obtain rewarded items reflected in their usefulness (or uniqueness and fancifulness)<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: X/10'''<br /> <br /> Why would you suggest someone come to this area?<br /> Is it just a good place to grind experience(lots of mobs)?<br /> Does the area provide a chunk of good gold and loot?<br /> <br /> What about the quests? Does this area's quests feel properly done, or is there some part of it that you feel needs work?<br /> <br /> For towns, are the shops good? Any other non-combative attraction for the area?<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Connections: X/10 '''<br /> <br /> How easily and well does this area connect to its nearby areas?<br /> Does it make sense thematically to be connected to the areas it is?<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> Any comments you'd like to make that you don't feel apply to the other sections can go here!<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Player: Bree (as Wylynn, level 4 Geomancer)''' - Token'd<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): 02/05/2018'''<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 7/10'''<br /> <br /> Just about all of Viorar's descriptions are vivid and atmospheric, from rooms to objects to NPCs. They can sometimes be on the longer side, which might discourage some new players, and there are cases where the level of detail gets a little ridiculous (seriously, look at Roy the next chance you get). For the most part, though, they're very well thought out and paint a decent picture of the city and characters. The color of the text, of course, adds dramatically to the atmosphere and the feel of the area.<br /> <br /> My biggest complaint is a big lack of extra descriptions. They're abundant in a few rooms, like the south gate, but most are devoid of any level of detail beyond the base room description. So while the overall picture is clear, the minor details are seriously lacking. Rooms will frequently mention specific objects, and nine times out of ten, you won't be able to look at it. This is especially disappointing for things like windows overlooking the ocean, or...the entire vista point. Even a short or reused extra description would be worlds better than nothing. <br /> <br /> I think it's also worth mentioning that the way the city is laid out basically condenses all of the major points of interest into a few areas, leaving some parts of the city feeling pretty bare. I actually think this helps the atmosphere in a way - a bustling metropolis would have a much different feel to it, and it wouldn't really fit as well. That said, it takes away from it a little that they're empty of EVERYTHING, even extra descriptions. <br /> <br /> '''Balance: N/A'''<br /> <br /> I'm not aware of any combat.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 8/10'''<br /> <br /> Viorar has all of the basics - fountain, bank, morgue, shops, etc. Besides that, though, the shops are actually fairly varied, offering a few crafting materials, a larger selection of food, a store dedicated to selling lights, and even a pet store. Weapons and armor sets are offered up to level 10, but there are some extra pieces in a couple of the shops that help add some variety. <br /> <br /> I admittedly haven't done all of the quests, but the ones that I have done have been pretty fun and involved. The only problem here is that they're definitely not newbie friendly. Some of the outlying areas help compensate for that, and there is the temp agency to help point beginners in the right direction, but I can't help but feel like most beginners would end up lost and confused.<br /> <br /> The most important feature of Viorar, in my opinion, is Etansel Library. The books within contain essential backstory, some interesting (if largely outdated) information on items and spells, an atlas, so on. Thing is...it hasn't had any new submissions since 2013, and I honestly have no idea when it was last updated. Etensel is a very cool feature that is in need of some serious love.<br /> <br /> '''Linkage: 6/10'''<br /> <br /> To the north, Viorar has quick access to several very cool areas by way of Zigolis Swamp and Faron Woods - namely Behemoth's Skull, Midnight Garens and Carnival Night Zone.<br /> The docks in the west similarly provide access to a bunch of areas - three islands that connect exclusively (I think) to Viorar, Gold City, the S.S. Zelbess (and by extension Truce), and even the Red Rose and PvP arena.<br /> To the south lies the absurdly long Luon Highway, which puts Viorar pretty far from anything else in the south.<br /> In the east, you've got Bequerel Mines and Chimp Caverns. While those do link to the eastern part of Fa'Diel, it's by no means quick or convenient.<br /> <br /> All in all, despite having pretty much exclusive access to several very cool areas, its location isolates it from just about everything else on the continent. Thematically, I think that seclusion actually fits in well with the feel of the city - cold, dark, and lonely. The surrounding areas also tie into the theme very well, generally providing a darker, more serious alternative to many areas on the east end of the continent. <br /> <br /> '''Personal:'''<br /> <br /> It's no secret that I've always loved Viorar. It's a beautiful and unique city with a lot of potential to get even better. I really enjoy browsing the library, and I can't help but imagine how great it'd be with more material. The city is also a good hub for exploring some of my favorite areas. I think all it needs is some touching up to make it a really great area. <br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Player: Aludra!(Gambler/49)''' - Token'd<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): 02/24/18'''<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 8/10'''<br /> <br /> Compared to several other areas, this place is a diamond. It's not flawless, but it has its facets. Plenty of highlighting for important things. The rooms themselves seem to have a color theme based on the type of environment. The rooms have mostly unique names, so getting lost inside the city isn't too big a deal. The mobiles all have charm and panache and individuality, from the way they react to their actual descriptions and inventories.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: N/A'''<br /> <br /> I was way, way out of league for this zone by time I showed up. I didn't really do much combat as a result. But there are some cool things for sale I would have love to have found early on. Seems like there's reasons to go back at a lot of levels.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 9/10'''<br /> <br /> Huge change of pace from what I've been seeing. I don't remember seeing very many enemies in the town itself. Like I mentioned before though, there's a lot of cool treasure in the shops that I haven't seen anywhere else. And Merlee's there! I couldn't afford her Blessings, but they sound pretty cool. <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Connections: 5/10 '''<br /> <br /> I kept getting lost in the swamp. I'm not ultra familiar with the surrounding zones, but it looks like there's plenty of variety to find and conquer.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> Honestly, if there were some sort of express line between here and Truce, I'd like the place a lot more. Supposedly there's a boat that bridges the two areas, but it's infrequent and the airship takes a month and a half so it's easier to walk through aggro-infested areas. Overall though, I really like the layout of the area and the individual charm. If I hadn't been warned away from it at chargen as a 'zone for experienced players,' I might have preferred it to Truce.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Player: Kolem (Playing as Paisley, L.5 Thief)'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date: 2/24/2018-2/26/2019'''<br /> <br /> &quot;I can't wait for you to eviscerate Viorar!&quot; -- Ageatii<br /> <br /> So, Viorar. The nighttime gem of Fa'diel, this will be be my second review of the city. As the first has been lost to time (and a forum deletion), it will be nice to review the city again and evaluate what, if anything, has changed over my time and years away. As Viorar is aimed more toward an intermediate player than Truce is, I will do my best to bear this intent in mind when evaluating the zone overall. Viorar is a city of surprising highs, though as all cities do it has its problems--and I might occasionally compare and contrast it to Truce, but I am going to do my best to remain objective as a reviewer. Additionally, I had some delays due to personal illness and wiki eating my work in progress, so I am resorting to the much slower and more reliable method of backing up my review and analysis on notepad. I am going to give special dispensation to various elements of the town, but I will explain these in their relevant sections. I should also state the disclaimer that I am in no way familiar with its source material, unlike Truce. Also, I acknowledge that Viorar is much, much, MUCH larger than Truce--it took me actual hours on hours to do the research for this evaluation. Here we go!<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 6.5/10'''<br /> <br /> Perhaps surprising no one, I immediately tripped over an elephant in the room when writing this review. With that in mind, please bear in mind that for the purposes of the following analysis, '''I will not be including Etansel Library'''--the entire purpose of Etansel Library is its look descriptions, while I was trying to do my best to evaluate the surrounding area (e.g. streets, parks, roads of Viorar). With that said, refer to the &quot;attractions&quot; section for my discussion of the library proper. I hope this compromise suits everyone, and it took me a bit to come up with. <br /> <br /> I am giving extra dispensation to this category, this time. I admit it is for a very personal reason, because, with the exception of the Library proper, '''Viorar has always felt a little empty to me'''--oh, there are many shops, and all the beginning town basics, but here I am referring specifically to the extra descriptions that are or are not in the area's streets, avenues, parks, et cetera. However, because I distrust my memory and acknowledge that my perspective is completely subjective, I '''performed a room by room survey''' of Viorar Proper (excluding the Library of Etansel), with the intent of scouring each and every room for extra descriptions--whether concealing extra goodies, as Truce does, or simply for the purposes of rewarding the curious and look-minded. The results are as follows:<br /> <br /> Of '''50''' total rooms walked, '''29''' have observable extra Descriptions that I was able to discover after effort. From this, we can take away the fact that there are '''21''' Rooms lacking extra details. Additionally, most extra descriptions were utilitarian in nature: Things like signs, for example, or map chunks, and I noticed that some were copy and pastes. I was particularly saddened by the lack of any such rewards at Vista Point and Luminescence Park, which seem like obvious choices for fleshing out extra details. A shortlist of other possible suggestions for look chances include but are not limited to:<br /> <br /> --Merlee's Painting<br /> <br /> --Any shop (most seem to lack any extra descs)<br /> <br /> --Vista Point and Luminescence Park<br /> <br /> --The pier which references the ocean but does not allow you to look at it, or any related thing<br /> <br /> --Correcting 'chimey' near the Forge <br /> <br /> Additionally, I noticed in my review that Morning Moon Alley seemed to be crafted with more regard to extra descriptions than some other areas. Is it perhaps newer?<br /> <br /> I would be remiss in discussing only the negatives, though. There is clear and serious effort put into the non-extra descriptions of each streetway and alley in Viorar, with the whole zone having a very distinctive feel that is distinct from just about anywhere else in the Cleft--the closest thing I can think of in terms of coloring would be Carnival Night Zone, and that's saying something. The tone is also very, very different. I do wish there was more diversity in the creatures who are present in Viorar; besides the one Matengui Policeman and the Shady Magikoopa, Leon, and Baobaba's shop, I can't think of anyone 'out and about' in Viorar the way they are in Truce. Perhaps this is merely an atmospheric difference.<br /> <br /> I also acknowledge the sheer enormity of the task involved with brushing Viorar over. It is a huge, huge zone, and a much bigger project than Truce is. <br /> <br /> The final score for this area, beginning at the base of Five: Minus one for extensive underuse of the Look command, but a full plus two for consistency of full descriptions. Riddel's balcony view is worth another half point on its own, for a final score of '''6.5''': A healthy score, well above average, but with distinct room for improvement.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: 8/10'''<br /> <br /> &quot;What!&quot; I hear you exclaim, &quot;But this is a starter town and has NO combat, not even two like Truce! How can you give it a Balance score?&quot; Now, bear with me, please. This is an area I want to credit Viorar in, in that it has all the traditional starter services (Mage, Necromancer, Banker et all) but also several shops and services '''very well suited to the intermediate player'''. Notably, many of these fall under 'attractions', but compared with Truce's general-purpose outfitters which are highly dense, Viorar offers:<br /> <br /> -Low level gear more suited to the magically inclined<br /> <br /> -A listing of implemented crafting treasures and locations they are used<br /> <br /> -Various unique and exotic consumable items which are specialized and not suited for all players but extremely useful for the curious<br /> <br /> With these additional features in mind, Viorar gets a full '''three bonus points''' and a Ranking in the Balance Category for being '''well tailored to the curious and experimental in its shops''', which is something very nice to see, as well as expected of the intermediate player the zone is described as geared toward.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 8/10'''<br /> <br /> And now it's time to discuss that Elephant I mentioned before: Etansel Library is an INCREDIBLE resource. It gives hints and references to quests all over the world, and welcomes player submissions. It has a fantastic feeling, and is deliciously rich in ideas and seeds for quests as close as Viorar and as far as distant space. Alone--just by itself, for the sheer effort and tenacity it must have taken--it is worth three entire points, and would be a shoo in to make any city, anywhere, worth visiting. But it is not the only attraction in Viorar; there are also many, many shops. There's Hector, who offers a different variety of wands than Akahana of Truce; Mummy Seeker, which is practically a hook for quests in the form of crafting itself, and Potions from Baobaba as well as a variety of resources throughout the many stores of the Viorar streets... which is not to say that this area is perfect in this regard.<br /> <br /> Although Viorar earns '''three full points from the Library''' and another '''full point from its varied and vibrant shop lists''', it has limited attractions outside of the two categories of 'information' and 'things to buy'. Contrast truce, with its fishing, minigames, and thicker quest list, and this lack of variety hurts it a bit and keeps it from a perfect score. The Library is a fantastic, intense addition, full of high quality hooks, but variety is the spice of life. Final score: Eight of ten--very above average, hurt slightly for lack of diversity. If I could give suggestions for improvements, some intermediate-skill quests, akin to Forde's, would be appreciated--these could expect more from the player, as well as a willingness to experiment and push out into the wilderness. Additionally, it might be nice to fish in the river in Morning Moon Alley, or a further development of the mysterious circumstances of the Lighthouse. There are many possibilities--the area outside of town on route to the mine shop seems particularly like it has room for development.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Linkage: 10/10'''<br /> <br /> Now for some really good news. Viorar has '''improved by leaps and bounds since my last review''', now having three major exits with a shortcut available to those who go the extra mile, as well as its very own airship station and ferries! From the town itself, it is possible to go north or south to Zigolis Swamp or Luon Highway, as well as there being a ferry to Destiny Island--three full newbie areas, much as Truce possesses. There are also connections to Bequerel Mines, a level 11-15 area, as well as connecting to Joel Island, itself a challenging and intriguing area for those level sixteen to twenty-five. The Zelbess makes port here, allowing level sixteen players who regret their life choices to come to Truce (or simply who wish to get there without traversing the major pathways of greater Fa'diel and Guardia, and who can blame them). Players have direct connection to Cactuar Island and Gold City by Ferry, giving surprising ease of access to areas which are high in level, but for the piece de resistance, the '''Airship in town goes directly to Murkyur Mountains''' if you can catch it--a level 70+ area which is massive in challenge for the more casual player. Viorar is something of an inverted case from Truce, in that while Truce's areas have grown to envelop it, like a heart, there has been a deliberate effort in this case to develop Viorar itself to be more connected. While I wish the areas surrounding the city had more interconnectivity, the way Truce's surroundings do, this is not the fault of Viorar itself. Every effort has clearly been given here, and so Viorar deserves Top Marks--well done! An assured improvement.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> I try to be somewhat objective in my reviews. I can't claim to be perfect, of course. Viorar is a stunning city, with loads of untapped potential. It has grown tremendously by becoming more accessible to various areas, though there is still room for it to grow. Notably, I don't think there is a single thing about the city that should be taken away--everything I can think of are additions to a city that has already seen serious and deliberate improvement over the past several years. It is my sincere wish that it continues to grow and improve as it has over the past years, with new and exciting developments to match its improved station as a central location in Fa'diel. Having said that, the stores being closed for longer periods does irk me, at times. Artificial wait times always do. <br /> <br /> Suggestions for improvements:<br /> <br /> --Consider adding extra descriptions to more zones which lack them, particularly scenic locations such as the Park and Vista, as well as in shops<br /> <br /> --Consider additional attractions outside of the Library and shops, such as interact-able things within the city streets themselves, as well as in the immediate vicinity (the area near the Mining shop seems especially ripe for development)<br /> <br /> --Regarding the library, why not implement the call for books within the library itself? I do not know if players are aware they can submit stuff<br /> <br /> --Balance tweak: I suggest moving activated charcoal from Baobaba's boat to the Reckless Abandon; it is too useful and low level an item to bar behind a 1pm opening time<br /> <br /> --The zone as a whole seems to lack NPC diversity; this might be intentional or not compared to truce's moogles and hylians and saiyans and whatevertheheck Norstein Bekkler is. Esper? Floower is a good start, but there is almost no one on the street, which makes it feel kind of empty'<br /> <br /> --Obtuse nitpick: fix the &quot;chimey&quot; typo<br /> <br /> <br /> Other suggestions may come to me as events warrant, but for now, I have spent far too long on this already.<br /> <br /> <br /> FINAL SCORE: Across four categories, Viorar earns an average score of '''8.25''', an impressive and suitable score for a starting town. There is clearly room for improvement here, and unlike with Truce I have a specific understanding and lens as to what I would suggest, but the highs and effort that have clearly been put into this area set it apart from many others. I only hope that it continues to improve, grow, and thrive.<br /> <br /> --Kolem / Pix / Mazarti / Ivan /toomanyothersreally<br /> ----<br /> [[Category:Area of the Month|*]]</div>

Kolem http://wiki.cleftofdimensions.net/index.php?title=Jan_2018:_Truce&diff=1987 2018-02-01T15:25:39Z

<p>Kolem: /* Jan 2018: Truce */</p> <hr /> <div>== Jan 2018: Truce ==<br /> <br /> *''The actual article for this area is [[Truce]]''<br /> <br /> '''Builder: All'''<br /> <br /> '''Source: Chrono Trigger'''<br /> <br /> ----<br /> Player: Osgard<br /> <br /> Review Date: 12-17-17<br /> <br /> Descriptions 9/10<br /> Each room in Truce is described in a clear and concise manner, without leaving anything to the imagination; it's quite easy to visualize the town, even if you've never played its source material. <br /> <br /> <br /> Balance 7/10<br /> Truce has a variety of things to do, and they also encourage players to explore the surrounding areas while rewarding them. As for actual difficulty of the location, it's fairly low, as it should be. It's the perfect location for players to ease into the world. My only complaint is that some of the items that are rewarded for quest completion don't match the level that I personally would do the quest at. <br /> <br /> <br /> Attractions 8/10<br /> There's a lot to do in Truce, and even after nearly reaching my evolution there's still stuff I haven't done yet. Plus, there's something for everyone; puzzles, fetch quests, and just regular old &quot;go here and kill this guy&quot; quests. Overall, much more fleshed out than some other areas. <br /> <br /> <br /> Connections 7/10<br /> Truce's climate is fairly accurate. There's not a lot to say here. It's mild, presumably due to the fact that you've got such diverse biomes surrounding it. <br /> <br /> <br /> Personal 7/10<br /> <br /> I don't have many issues with Truce, and it seems to be a fairly popular area given it's a hub town. Overall a great place to jump in to the game, or just hang out with other people. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Nagol'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date: 1/26/2018'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 9/10'''<br /> The town of Truce is described in just the right amount of detail, enough to hook and engage the player with the locale while not being too detailed to jumble up the important details with text fluff. Extra descriptions are used quite a bit in this area, often to award the observant player with either something neat or a good joke.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: 9/10'''<br /> With the exception of Gato, there's not really much to fight in Truce. But when I give Truce a 9 out of 10 what I mean is that all of the items, weapons, and armor have a purpose. The equipment upgrades are a tad bland but it is the early game so that's a none issue, and Pandora's shop offers a nice selection of various stat-changing armor for low level characters so that's a plus. There are multiple tiers of food, lights, and other utility items that give you exactly what you're paying for them. Apples are a very low cost food but don't fill you for long, while jerky cost a fair deal more and lasts much longer.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 10/10'''<br /> Truce has a surprising amount of content for what you'd expect from a starter town, it's not some dinky little village but a sprawling medium-sized city. It has the whole cast of shops and services you would normally need, as well a few extras. There's a pet shop that introduces the concept of pets to new players, and there's even a book in Truce that teaches players about Slime taming (which is another for of pet that the player can acquire). There are a few quest that test your ability to navigate the areas surrounding Truce and complete certain objectives, or demand you to use your attentiveness to details to find the more hidden nooks and crannys of the town. This doesn't even mention the Tent of Horrors, which are a collection of puzzles and minigames that can even be challenging for those adept with the game.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Linkage: 9/10'''<br /> Truce fits into the world wonderfully in regards to the areas surrounding it. This is partly due to Truce being the area with the most lore behind it in the game, all of the areas directly surrounding it are tied to it's backstory and overall feel. This easily gives this spot on the Cleft the most area cohesion that no other group of areas has matched quite yet. The northern and southern exits lead you on the paths to the various reaches of the Cleft, while the western exit and the port to the east give you access to smaller collections of areas.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal: 9/10'''<br /> Truce to me is one of the best towns in the Cleft, the way it was adapted to a more focused and MMO-friendly town from the source material of Chrono Trigger was handled expertly. This is the town where people will go to idle around the fountain, and this was the RP capital of the Cleft back when Rp was very prevalent on the Cleft itself. Overall I give this place a solid and well earned A+ rating; there is nothing that needs to be changed or fixed about this area, but anything new added to it would be a welcome addition.<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Deim'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions''': Good, concise and to the point, whilest key words in them, lead to Extra Descs more often then not, allowing inquisitive Newbies to get into the habit of looking for extra descs and thus Clues.<br /> <br /> '''Balance''': For a starter town, it offers what it needs, while the few things not offered, are in close-by towns, actually encouraging a little light exploration. Quests offered initially are encouragement to explore the surrounding areas, while there are a very few, tie ins with later areas back to Truce. That last one, is a nice touch and we could use more quests like that, find a MacGuffin somewhere else return it to Truce, to re-enforce the Hub like nature of Truce.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions''': Its got a good set of starter quests, shops work. Could maybe use a few more varied mini-games to tie in further to the Chrono Trigger fair, but on the other, what it has works well. <br /> <br /> '''Linkage''': As a hub, its well centered for Guardia, though personally, I find the West Gate could use more expansion, feeling somewhat dead-ended ending so quickly with Rocket-Town; its NWern expansion being shared with the North-gate. The port ferries are good, it being a small transit point more then a big port itself.<br /> <br /> '''Personal''': As a high remorter, I dont use many of the Truce services, so it feels somewhat redundant beyond a point to pass through, but given its meant as a starter town, that makes sense. Maybe add in some items with the new Remort Tags, to keep it relevant to higher players aswell.<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Jacen'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions''': Being familiar with Chrono Trigger, Truce is a fun place to explore. Each<br /> room is described well, and while it is nice to know the game, knowledge of the source game<br /> is not required to succeed in it. That being said, there are plenty of changes, quests and<br /> events to keep it interesting. Even now, years later, I am still noticing things I did not pick<br /> up on my first play through.<br /> <br /> '''Balance''': Truce definitely feels slanted towards the lower level characters, which as a<br /> starter town, it should. The equipment is good enough to get you started, and support you<br /> through the beginning levels; however you quickly outgrow it and must explore elsewhere<br /> to find better items. There remain, however, a number of items that remain useful<br /> (especially because of the convenience) until late levels.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions''': There are many things to do in Truce… and I have to admit most of which I<br /> have not done, or it has been far too long since I have done them and am too old to<br /> remember. I do remember spending hours in the area looking around and finding the<br /> quests and seeing what all is to be done.<br /> <br /> '''Linkage''': Truce feels very connected to the world around it. With numerous trails, ships,<br /> and the occasional portal, it never feels too far to head to most areas of the Cleft. My only<br /> complaint is I would like to see an airship port in Truce, or a ferry to Viorar, to help fill in<br /> the few dead spots.<br /> <br /> '''Personal''': This has always been my starter town. Even my alts that start in Viorar end up<br /> at the Truce Fountain by the end of the day. All in all a 9+/10.<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Coeurl'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date: 1/31/18'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions 10/10'''<br /> <br /> Pretty much every keyword expect to be able to look at, you can look at. Lots of humor integrated in descriptions, which is my favorite way to describe things on the Cleft. There's actually a ton of stuff to look at and some of it leads to secret rooms that I would have completely overlooked otherwise. It's pretty fun to explore!<br /> <br /> '''Balance 10???/10'''<br /> <br /> I JUST BARELY beat Gato as a level 1 dancer. Without training or practicing anything or changing my gear. That's probably fine. Like, even if he kills you, which is probably only remotely possible if you're under level 10, you keep your stuff, so it's nbd. Is there even anything else you can fight in Truce? Probably not. Not that there needs to be.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions 7/10'''<br /> <br /> Right off the bat as a newbie you get stuck with community service! This is probably good because we can't assume everyone who checks out the Cleft has any idea what the fuck to do in a MUD so having the option of a little guidance is nice. The policeman's dialogue even highlights the map command for you if you aren't using Tuna. Neato! <br /> <br /> There are a fair number of shops which is nice.<br /> <br /> The dockside of things feels a little sparse. There's probably room for more buildings or NPCs there. Maybe not entirely necessary because we don't want newbies to be flooded with too much information? But it is a thought. There's room for expansion there, anyway.<br /> <br /> I hate the lightbulb puzzle. But that's just me.<br /> <br /> '''Connections 5/10'''<br /> <br /> Why is scroll of recall in the tent of medicines instead of magic where the other scrolls are?<br /> <br /> The guard stations and housing aren't really on the map. I wouldn't think this was a big issue if this was anything other than Truce, but I think Truce's map needs to be complete other than intentionally secret areas.<br /> <br /> Housing can probably be left off actually.<br /> <br /> '''Personal 8/10'''<br /> <br /> It's Truce!! It's from one of my favorite games. Anyone with taste loves Truce.<br /> <br /> Needs a minigame that awards you cats though. Lots and lots of cats. You can never have too many cats.<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Kolem (As Paisley, L. 5 thief)'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): 1/31/2018 - 2/01/2018'''<br /> <br /> So let's freakin' do this. Truce. Why not? It's more or less everyone's introduction to the cleft, so evaluating its current strengths and weaknesses frankly might be useful for guidance for future areas, or points of contrast. Truce is possibly the most central location in the entire game, and it takes considerable effort to change your recall from Truce, presuming you start there (as most players do.) As always with my reviews, I have a ten point scale starting at five for functional design. I deduct points from that five for issues, with serious problems worth entire points, and grant additional points for consistency or extra effort in design. Do not expect me to hand out high scores or start there; conversely, a low score (as opposed to a NONscore) points to significant issues with explicit examples.<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 8/10'''<br /> <br /> Why such a high score, and why for Truce? There are longer, more detailed descriptions all over the cleft. There are rooms which paint an entire canvas, really dragging you into their location. But we need to consider intent in Truce, not just technical writing. As I said above, this is a new player's introduction to the cleft. Several extra descriptions and talk prompts are oriented around teaching a first time player various commands and interactions. Considering that, the brevity involved here is a positive. However, for players more willing to experiment and really try out the commands they learn here and in the NES tutorial (More on that later), there are hidden things all over Truce. Nearly every single room has at least a hidden humorous extra description, which is lovely, and many rooms have hidden rewards if you're willing to really check EVERYTHING. Sure, some of these are mostly valuable to brand new players, but that's who the area should be geared to in the first place.<br /> <br /> All in all, base five points, no overt negatives; plus two for consistent rewarding of the look command, plus another one for humor and consistent tone. I find it hard to criticize Truce's descriptions, but I also find it hard to offer suggestions for improvements! This zone is very well balanced. I do think some areas are a bit brief in description, but I have been in truce so long it's hard to find fault with that, and it's helpful to not overwhelm new players.<br /> <br /> '''Balance: N/A'''<br /> <br /> There is exactly one obvious combat mob in Truce. I forgot he existed before this review, which is embarrassing, but on exploring town fresh, I have to credit the zone for making the homage to Gato memorable and positive. Additionally, he is easy enough to defeat at even level one that his presence in a beginning zone is ideal. As far as non-combat balance is concerned, refer to the Attractions section.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 10/10'''<br /> <br /> Whoo boy. Where do I start? At five, I think. Yes. Truce should not get special treatment out of fondness. Having said that, this zone introduces players to the game with a minor quest that has three possible outcomes, as well as repeatable minor rewards. This area has seven listed quests, as well as five or six additional unlisted tasks for those who are really willing to dig deep. Considering the small size of the zone, this means Truce is possibly one of the most things-to-do dense zones in the entire Cleft. This alone would be enough to bump up the score several points. However, Truce also has one of the most convenient, diverse set of stores of any settlement in the Cleft: a full *Three* armor shops, a flavor item shop (Itinerant trader; also used in some crafting), a weapon shop, passage to the battle arena, a fishing spot, access to four basic ferries as well as the Zelbess, three shops for food / drink /sundry items (trader, fritz, the bar), an inn with a Jacuzzi, a bank, a potion / pill shop, a wand shop and quest item shop geared especially for those level twenty and lower, and a fun (if very frustrating) pair of minigames, and a few quest links for much higher players in the mid thirties to low forties. Barring some extremely minor tidying up, there is more to do in Truce than there is in almost any zone in the cleft, including some which are several times its size. This is to say nothing of the NES tutorial.<br /> <br /> Starting at five points, I grant two for the NES mini tutorial sub-zone--which almost merits its own entire review, but balled into Truce covers many of the more obscure commands, meshing it well with truce overall--and easily three points for the huge number of quests, chores, and adventures tied in to and around Truce. The only real issue with Truce is that at the high levels, you might have more specialized needs, but that's not Truce's fault, and by that point you will very definitely have found other suppliers. On the flip side of this coin, it is entirely possible (given enough inventory space) to prepare for major expeditions of any level in Truce, if you are willing to purchase consumables in more level-appropriate shops. Truce holds a special place in my heart as a Cleft player, but I have tried to not let that obscure my analysis of the attractions it offers. Luckily, Truce maintains its carnival atmosphere from the source material, and there are very, VERY few rooms in the entire town where there ISN'T something to do. The few suggestions I have are extremely minor, and do not impact enjoy-ability of the area as a whole. <br /> <br /> '''Linkage: 8/10 '''<br /> <br /> Starting at a basic five points, Truce has in effect four major exits: North, South, West, and the Docks. It is hard to determine exactly what score to give Truce; since it is the heart of so many player experiences. However, looking at the city objectively, it has:<br /> <br /> --The level inapplicable Arena<br /> <br /> --At the docks, links to Wutai (10), Alfador (25), Shrike (35), Kakkara (50), and the Zelbess (an alternate passage to Viorar for the patient.)<br /> <br /> --At the south gate, passage to the newbie area G. Fields, as well as Crysta and the mountain pass with adjoining areas<br /> <br /> --at the north gate, passage to newbie area Truce Canyon, as well as Cosmo Canyon, the Lete, ect.<br /> <br /> --At the west gate, passage by Booster Tower, Rabite Forest, and Rocket town and adjoining areas.<br /> <br /> Many of these subareas link to each other in ways that make the area around Truce feel very fleshed out and geographically consistent, and while Truce itself has only a minor role in this, it is hard to deny that Truce is the heartbeat of the general Guardia Region. The surrounding zones have organically grown out and interconnected through various building projects over the years, and the huge variety of level offers something for the first entire half of the level list. Rather than giving Truce full credit for this, though, I think I can only award three points for being essentially a thoroughfare with many destinations, rather than one long road with a beginning and end. I have no suggestions for improvements in this department.<br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> Truce is an old friend. I have walked their cobbles and sandy beaches many, many times. However, every time I make myself stop and really pay attention to them, from Leene's bell to the cobbles in the street, I am reminded of just how much love and care went into building and improving Truce over the many, many years it has seen people play through it.<br /> <br /> Truce is an absolute treasure.<br /> <br /> Some (minor) ideas for improvements:<br /> --Many of the items Pandora sells are listed as 'trash'. I would suggest changing them to Armor or Jewelry as appropriate for consistency's sake.<br /> (otherwise, her shop selling gear good only for MV is a very nice differentiation that i appreciate even at level 5)<br /> --What's the deal with the monkey and the bell? I never could figure this one out.<br /> <br /> Final average: 8.6 (repeating) / 10, with three categories represented.<br /> Truce is a fine, fine area with a lot more going on than it looks like at a casual glance.<br /> ----<br /> <br /> [[Category:Area of the Month]]</div>

Kolem http://wiki.cleftofdimensions.net/index.php?title=Jan_2018:_Truce&diff=1986 2018-02-01T15:25:09Z

<p>Kolem: /* Jan 2018: Truce */</p> <hr /> <div>== Jan 2018: Truce ==<br /> <br /> *''The actual article for this area is [[Truce]]''<br /> <br /> '''Builder: All'''<br /> <br /> '''Source: Chrono Trigger'''<br /> <br /> ----<br /> Player: Osgard<br /> <br /> Review Date: 12-17-17<br /> <br /> Descriptions 9/10<br /> Each room in Truce is described in a clear and concise manner, without leaving anything to the imagination; it's quite easy to visualize the town, even if you've never played its source material. <br /> <br /> <br /> Balance 7/10<br /> Truce has a variety of things to do, and they also encourage players to explore the surrounding areas while rewarding them. As for actual difficulty of the location, it's fairly low, as it should be. It's the perfect location for players to ease into the world. My only complaint is that some of the items that are rewarded for quest completion don't match the level that I personally would do the quest at. <br /> <br /> <br /> Attractions 8/10<br /> There's a lot to do in Truce, and even after nearly reaching my evolution there's still stuff I haven't done yet. Plus, there's something for everyone; puzzles, fetch quests, and just regular old &quot;go here and kill this guy&quot; quests. Overall, much more fleshed out than some other areas. <br /> <br /> <br /> Connections 7/10<br /> Truce's climate is fairly accurate. There's not a lot to say here. It's mild, presumably due to the fact that you've got such diverse biomes surrounding it. <br /> <br /> <br /> Personal 7/10<br /> <br /> I don't have many issues with Truce, and it seems to be a fairly popular area given it's a hub town. Overall a great place to jump in to the game, or just hang out with other people. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Nagol'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date: 1/26/2018'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 9/10'''<br /> The town of Truce is described in just the right amount of detail, enough to hook and engage the player with the locale while not being too detailed to jumble up the important details with text fluff. Extra descriptions are used quite a bit in this area, often to award the observant player with either something neat or a good joke.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: 9/10'''<br /> With the exception of Gato, there's not really much to fight in Truce. But when I give Truce a 9 out of 10 what I mean is that all of the items, weapons, and armor have a purpose. The equipment upgrades are a tad bland but it is the early game so that's a none issue, and Pandora's shop offers a nice selection of various stat-changing armor for low level characters so that's a plus. There are multiple tiers of food, lights, and other utility items that give you exactly what you're paying for them. Apples are a very low cost food but don't fill you for long, while jerky cost a fair deal more and lasts much longer.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 10/10'''<br /> Truce has a surprising amount of content for what you'd expect from a starter town, it's not some dinky little village but a sprawling medium-sized city. It has the whole cast of shops and services you would normally need, as well a few extras. There's a pet shop that introduces the concept of pets to new players, and there's even a book in Truce that teaches players about Slime taming (which is another for of pet that the player can acquire). There are a few quest that test your ability to navigate the areas surrounding Truce and complete certain objectives, or demand you to use your attentiveness to details to find the more hidden nooks and crannys of the town. This doesn't even mention the Tent of Horrors, which are a collection of puzzles and minigames that can even be challenging for those adept with the game.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Linkage: 9/10'''<br /> Truce fits into the world wonderfully in regards to the areas surrounding it. This is partly due to Truce being the area with the most lore behind it in the game, all of the areas directly surrounding it are tied to it's backstory and overall feel. This easily gives this spot on the Cleft the most area cohesion that no other group of areas has matched quite yet. The northern and southern exits lead you on the paths to the various reaches of the Cleft, while the western exit and the port to the east give you access to smaller collections of areas.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal: 9/10'''<br /> Truce to me is one of the best towns in the Cleft, the way it was adapted to a more focused and MMO-friendly town from the source material of Chrono Trigger was handled expertly. This is the town where people will go to idle around the fountain, and this was the RP capital of the Cleft back when Rp was very prevalent on the Cleft itself. Overall I give this place a solid and well earned A+ rating; there is nothing that needs to be changed or fixed about this area, but anything new added to it would be a welcome addition.<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Deim'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions''': Good, concise and to the point, whilest key words in them, lead to Extra Descs more often then not, allowing inquisitive Newbies to get into the habit of looking for extra descs and thus Clues.<br /> <br /> '''Balance''': For a starter town, it offers what it needs, while the few things not offered, are in close-by towns, actually encouraging a little light exploration. Quests offered initially are encouragement to explore the surrounding areas, while there are a very few, tie ins with later areas back to Truce. That last one, is a nice touch and we could use more quests like that, find a MacGuffin somewhere else return it to Truce, to re-enforce the Hub like nature of Truce.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions''': Its got a good set of starter quests, shops work. Could maybe use a few more varied mini-games to tie in further to the Chrono Trigger fair, but on the other, what it has works well. <br /> <br /> '''Linkage''': As a hub, its well centered for Guardia, though personally, I find the West Gate could use more expansion, feeling somewhat dead-ended ending so quickly with Rocket-Town; its NWern expansion being shared with the North-gate. The port ferries are good, it being a small transit point more then a big port itself.<br /> <br /> '''Personal''': As a high remorter, I dont use many of the Truce services, so it feels somewhat redundant beyond a point to pass through, but given its meant as a starter town, that makes sense. Maybe add in some items with the new Remort Tags, to keep it relevant to higher players aswell.<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Jacen'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions''': Being familiar with Chrono Trigger, Truce is a fun place to explore. Each<br /> room is described well, and while it is nice to know the game, knowledge of the source game<br /> is not required to succeed in it. That being said, there are plenty of changes, quests and<br /> events to keep it interesting. Even now, years later, I am still noticing things I did not pick<br /> up on my first play through.<br /> <br /> '''Balance''': Truce definitely feels slanted towards the lower level characters, which as a<br /> starter town, it should. The equipment is good enough to get you started, and support you<br /> through the beginning levels; however you quickly outgrow it and must explore elsewhere<br /> to find better items. There remain, however, a number of items that remain useful<br /> (especially because of the convenience) until late levels.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions''': There are many things to do in Truce… and I have to admit most of which I<br /> have not done, or it has been far too long since I have done them and am too old to<br /> remember. I do remember spending hours in the area looking around and finding the<br /> quests and seeing what all is to be done.<br /> <br /> '''Linkage''': Truce feels very connected to the world around it. With numerous trails, ships,<br /> and the occasional portal, it never feels too far to head to most areas of the Cleft. My only<br /> complaint is I would like to see an airship port in Truce, or a ferry to Viorar, to help fill in<br /> the few dead spots.<br /> <br /> '''Personal''': This has always been my starter town. Even my alts that start in Viorar end up<br /> at the Truce Fountain by the end of the day. All in all a 9+/10.<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Coeurl'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date: 1/31/18'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions 10/10'''<br /> <br /> Pretty much every keyword expect to be able to look at, you can look at. Lots of humor integrated in descriptions, which is my favorite way to describe things on the Cleft. There's actually a ton of stuff to look at and some of it leads to secret rooms that I would have completely overlooked otherwise. It's pretty fun to explore!<br /> <br /> '''Balance 10???/10'''<br /> <br /> I JUST BARELY beat Gato as a level 1 dancer. Without training or practicing anything or changing my gear. That's probably fine. Like, even if he kills you, which is probably only remotely possible if you're under level 10, you keep your stuff, so it's nbd. Is there even anything else you can fight in Truce? Probably not. Not that there needs to be.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions 7/10'''<br /> <br /> Right off the bat as a newbie you get stuck with community service! This is probably good because we can't assume everyone who checks out the Cleft has any idea what the fuck to do in a MUD so having the option of a little guidance is nice. The policeman's dialogue even highlights the map command for you if you aren't using Tuna. Neato! <br /> <br /> There are a fair number of shops which is nice.<br /> <br /> The dockside of things feels a little sparse. There's probably room for more buildings or NPCs there. Maybe not entirely necessary because we don't want newbies to be flooded with too much information? But it is a thought. There's room for expansion there, anyway.<br /> <br /> I hate the lightbulb puzzle. But that's just me.<br /> <br /> '''Connections 5/10'''<br /> <br /> Why is scroll of recall in the tent of medicines instead of magic where the other scrolls are?<br /> <br /> The guard stations and housing aren't really on the map. I wouldn't think this was a big issue if this was anything other than Truce, but I think Truce's map needs to be complete other than intentionally secret areas.<br /> <br /> Housing can probably be left off actually.<br /> <br /> '''Personal 8/10'''<br /> <br /> It's Truce!! It's from one of my favorite games. Anyone with taste loves Truce.<br /> <br /> Needs a minigame that awards you cats though. Lots and lots of cats. You can never have too many cats.<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Kolem (As Paisley, L. 5 thief)'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): 1/31/2018 - 2/01/2018'''<br /> <br /> So let's freakin' do this. Truce. Why not? It's more or less everyone's introduction to the cleft, so evaluating its current strengths and weaknesses frankly might be useful for guidance for future areas, or points of contrast. Truce is possibly the most central location in the entire game, and it takes considerable effort to change your recall from Truce, presuming you start there (as most players do.) As always with my reviews, I have a ten point scale starting at five for functional design. I deduct points from that five for issues, with serious problems worth entire points, and grant additional points for consistency or extra effort in design. Do not expect me to hand out high scores or start there; conversely, a low score (as opposed to a NONscore) points to significant issues with explicit examples.<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 8/10'''<br /> <br /> Why such a high score, and why for Truce? There are longer, more detailed descriptions all over the cleft. There are rooms which paint an entire canvas, really dragging you into their location. But we need to consider intent in Truce, not just technical writing. As I said above, this is a new player's introduction to the cleft. Several extra descriptions and talk prompts are oriented around teaching a first time player various commands and interactions. Considering that, the brevity involved here is a positive. However, for players more willing to experiment and really try out the commands they learn here and in the NES tutorial (More on that later), there are hidden things all over Truce. Nearly every single room has at least a hidden humorous extra description, which is lovely, and many rooms have hidden rewards if you're willing to really check EVERYTHING. Sure, some of these are mostly valuable to brand new players, but that's who the area should be geared to in the first place.<br /> <br /> All in all, base five points, no overt negatives; plus two for consistent rewarding of the look command, plus another one for humor and consistent tone. I find it hard to criticize Truce's descriptions, but I also find it hard to offer suggestions for improvements! This zone is very well balanced. I do think some areas are a bit brief in description, but I have been in truce so long it's hard to find fault with that, and it's helpful to not overwhelm new players.<br /> <br /> '''Balance: N/A'''<br /> <br /> There is exactly one obvious combat mob in Truce. I forgot he existed before this review, which is embarrassing, but on exploring town fresh, I have to credit the zone for making the homage to Gato memorable and positive. Additionally, he is easy enough to defeat at even level one that his presence in a beginning zone is ideal. As far as non-combat balance is concerned, refer to the Attractions section.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 10/10'''<br /> <br /> Whoo boy. Where do I start? At five, I think. Yes. Truce should not get special treatment out of fondness. Having said that, this zone introduces players to the game with a minor quest that has three possible outcomes, as well as repeatable minor rewards. This area has seven listed quests, as well as five or six additional unlisted tasks for those who are really willing to dig deep. Considering the small size of the zone, this means Truce is possibly one of the most things-to-do dense zones in the entire Cleft. This alone would be enough to bump up the score several points. However, Truce also has one of the most convenient, diverse set of stores of any settlement in the Cleft: a full *Three* armor shops, a flavor item shop (Itinerant trader; also used in some crafting), a weapon shop, passage to the battle arena, a fishing spot, access to four basic ferries as well as the Zelbess, three shops for food / drink /sundry items (trader, fritz, the bar), an inn with a Jacuzzi, a bank, a potion / pill shop, a wand shop and quest item shop geared especially for those level twenty and lower, and a fun (if very frustrating) pair of minigames, and a few quest links for much higher players in the mid thirties to low forties. Barring some extremely minor tidying up, there is more to do in Truce than there is in almost any zone in the cleft, including some which are several times its size. This is to say nothing of the NES tutorial.<br /> <br /> Starting at five points, I grant two for the NES mini tutorial sub-zone--which almost merits its own entire review, but balled into Truce covers many of the more obscure commands, meshing it well with truce overall--and easily three points for the huge number of quests, chores, and adventures tied in to and around Truce. The only real issue with Truce is that at the high levels, you might have more specialized needs, but that's not Truce's fault, and by that point you will very definitely have found other suppliers. On the flip side of this coin, it is entirely possible (given enough inventory space) to prepare for major expeditions of any level in Truce, if you are willing to purchase consumables in more level-appropriate shops. Truce holds a special place in my heart as a Cleft player, but I have tried to not let that obscure my analysis of the attractions it offers. Luckily, Truce maintains its carnival atmosphere from the source material, and there are very, VERY few rooms in the entire town where there ISN'T something to do. The few suggestions I have are extremely minor, and do not impact enjoy-ability of the area as a whole. <br /> <br /> '''Linkage: 8/10 '''<br /> <br /> Starting at a basic five points, Truce has in effect four major exits: North, South, West, and the Docks. It is hard to determine exactly what score to give Truce; since it is the heart of so many player experiences. However, looking at the city objectively, it has:<br /> --The level inapplicable Arena<br /> --At the docks, links to Wutai (10), Alfador (25), Shrike (35), Kakkara (50), and the Zelbess (an alternate passage to Viorar for the patient.)<br /> <br /> --At the south gate, passage to the newbie area G. Fields, as well as Crysta and the mountain pass with adjoining areas<br /> <br /> --at the north gate, passage to newbie area Truce Canyon, as well as Cosmo Canyon, the Lete, ect.<br /> <br /> --At the west gate, passage by Booster Tower, Rabite Forest, and Rocket town and adjoining areas.<br /> <br /> Many of these subareas link to each other in ways that make the area around Truce feel very fleshed out and geographically consistent, and while Truce itself has only a minor role in this, it is hard to deny that Truce is the heartbeat of the general Guardia Region. The surrounding zones have organically grown out and interconnected through various building projects over the years, and the huge variety of level offers something for the first entire half of the level list. Rather than giving Truce full credit for this, though, I think I can only award three points for being essentially a thoroughfare with many destinations, rather than one long road with a beginning and end. I have no suggestions for improvements in this department.<br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> Truce is an old friend. I have walked their cobbles and sandy beaches many, many times. However, every time I make myself stop and really pay attention to them, from Leene's bell to the cobbles in the street, I am reminded of just how much love and care went into building and improving Truce over the many, many years it has seen people play through it.<br /> <br /> Truce is an absolute treasure.<br /> <br /> Some (minor) ideas for improvements:<br /> --Many of the items Pandora sells are listed as 'trash'. I would suggest changing them to Armor or Jewelry as appropriate for consistency's sake.<br /> (otherwise, her shop selling gear good only for MV is a very nice differentiation that i appreciate even at level 5)<br /> --What's the deal with the monkey and the bell? I never could figure this one out.<br /> <br /> Final average: 8.6 (repeating) / 10, with three categories represented.<br /> Truce is a fine, fine area with a lot more going on than it looks like at a casual glance.<br /> ----<br /> <br /> [[Category:Area of the Month]]</div>

Kolem http://wiki.cleftofdimensions.net/index.php?title=Jan_2018:_Truce&diff=1985 2018-02-01T14:27:55Z

<p>Kolem: /* Jan 2018: Truce */</p> <hr /> <div>== Jan 2018: Truce ==<br /> <br /> *''The actual article for this area is [[Truce]]''<br /> <br /> '''Builder: All'''<br /> <br /> '''Source: Chrono Trigger'''<br /> <br /> ----<br /> Player: Osgard<br /> <br /> Review Date: 12-17-17<br /> <br /> Descriptions 9/10<br /> Each room in Truce is described in a clear and concise manner, without leaving anything to the imagination; it's quite easy to visualize the town, even if you've never played its source material. <br /> <br /> <br /> Balance 7/10<br /> Truce has a variety of things to do, and they also encourage players to explore the surrounding areas while rewarding them. As for actual difficulty of the location, it's fairly low, as it should be. It's the perfect location for players to ease into the world. My only complaint is that some of the items that are rewarded for quest completion don't match the level that I personally would do the quest at. <br /> <br /> <br /> Attractions 8/10<br /> There's a lot to do in Truce, and even after nearly reaching my evolution there's still stuff I haven't done yet. Plus, there's something for everyone; puzzles, fetch quests, and just regular old &quot;go here and kill this guy&quot; quests. Overall, much more fleshed out than some other areas. <br /> <br /> <br /> Connections 7/10<br /> Truce's climate is fairly accurate. There's not a lot to say here. It's mild, presumably due to the fact that you've got such diverse biomes surrounding it. <br /> <br /> <br /> Personal 7/10<br /> <br /> I don't have many issues with Truce, and it seems to be a fairly popular area given it's a hub town. Overall a great place to jump in to the game, or just hang out with other people. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Nagol'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date: 1/26/2018'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 9/10'''<br /> The town of Truce is described in just the right amount of detail, enough to hook and engage the player with the locale while not being too detailed to jumble up the important details with text fluff. Extra descriptions are used quite a bit in this area, often to award the observant player with either something neat or a good joke.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: 9/10'''<br /> With the exception of Gato, there's not really much to fight in Truce. But when I give Truce a 9 out of 10 what I mean is that all of the items, weapons, and armor have a purpose. The equipment upgrades are a tad bland but it is the early game so that's a none issue, and Pandora's shop offers a nice selection of various stat-changing armor for low level characters so that's a plus. There are multiple tiers of food, lights, and other utility items that give you exactly what you're paying for them. Apples are a very low cost food but don't fill you for long, while jerky cost a fair deal more and lasts much longer.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 10/10'''<br /> Truce has a surprising amount of content for what you'd expect from a starter town, it's not some dinky little village but a sprawling medium-sized city. It has the whole cast of shops and services you would normally need, as well a few extras. There's a pet shop that introduces the concept of pets to new players, and there's even a book in Truce that teaches players about Slime taming (which is another for of pet that the player can acquire). There are a few quest that test your ability to navigate the areas surrounding Truce and complete certain objectives, or demand you to use your attentiveness to details to find the more hidden nooks and crannys of the town. This doesn't even mention the Tent of Horrors, which are a collection of puzzles and minigames that can even be challenging for those adept with the game.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Linkage: 9/10'''<br /> Truce fits into the world wonderfully in regards to the areas surrounding it. This is partly due to Truce being the area with the most lore behind it in the game, all of the areas directly surrounding it are tied to it's backstory and overall feel. This easily gives this spot on the Cleft the most area cohesion that no other group of areas has matched quite yet. The northern and southern exits lead you on the paths to the various reaches of the Cleft, while the western exit and the port to the east give you access to smaller collections of areas.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal: 9/10'''<br /> Truce to me is one of the best towns in the Cleft, the way it was adapted to a more focused and MMO-friendly town from the source material of Chrono Trigger was handled expertly. This is the town where people will go to idle around the fountain, and this was the RP capital of the Cleft back when Rp was very prevalent on the Cleft itself. Overall I give this place a solid and well earned A+ rating; there is nothing that needs to be changed or fixed about this area, but anything new added to it would be a welcome addition.<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Deim'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions''': Good, concise and to the point, whilest key words in them, lead to Extra Descs more often then not, allowing inquisitive Newbies to get into the habit of looking for extra descs and thus Clues.<br /> <br /> '''Balance''': For a starter town, it offers what it needs, while the few things not offered, are in close-by towns, actually encouraging a little light exploration. Quests offered initially are encouragement to explore the surrounding areas, while there are a very few, tie ins with later areas back to Truce. That last one, is a nice touch and we could use more quests like that, find a MacGuffin somewhere else return it to Truce, to re-enforce the Hub like nature of Truce.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions''': Its got a good set of starter quests, shops work. Could maybe use a few more varied mini-games to tie in further to the Chrono Trigger fair, but on the other, what it has works well. <br /> <br /> '''Linkage''': As a hub, its well centered for Guardia, though personally, I find the West Gate could use more expansion, feeling somewhat dead-ended ending so quickly with Rocket-Town; its NWern expansion being shared with the North-gate. The port ferries are good, it being a small transit point more then a big port itself.<br /> <br /> '''Personal''': As a high remorter, I dont use many of the Truce services, so it feels somewhat redundant beyond a point to pass through, but given its meant as a starter town, that makes sense. Maybe add in some items with the new Remort Tags, to keep it relevant to higher players aswell.<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Jacen'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions''': Being familiar with Chrono Trigger, Truce is a fun place to explore. Each<br /> room is described well, and while it is nice to know the game, knowledge of the source game<br /> is not required to succeed in it. That being said, there are plenty of changes, quests and<br /> events to keep it interesting. Even now, years later, I am still noticing things I did not pick<br /> up on my first play through.<br /> <br /> '''Balance''': Truce definitely feels slanted towards the lower level characters, which as a<br /> starter town, it should. The equipment is good enough to get you started, and support you<br /> through the beginning levels; however you quickly outgrow it and must explore elsewhere<br /> to find better items. There remain, however, a number of items that remain useful<br /> (especially because of the convenience) until late levels.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions''': There are many things to do in Truce… and I have to admit most of which I<br /> have not done, or it has been far too long since I have done them and am too old to<br /> remember. I do remember spending hours in the area looking around and finding the<br /> quests and seeing what all is to be done.<br /> <br /> '''Linkage''': Truce feels very connected to the world around it. With numerous trails, ships,<br /> and the occasional portal, it never feels too far to head to most areas of the Cleft. My only<br /> complaint is I would like to see an airship port in Truce, or a ferry to Viorar, to help fill in<br /> the few dead spots.<br /> <br /> '''Personal''': This has always been my starter town. Even my alts that start in Viorar end up<br /> at the Truce Fountain by the end of the day. All in all a 9+/10.<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Coeurl'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date: 1/31/18'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions 10/10'''<br /> <br /> Pretty much every keyword expect to be able to look at, you can look at. Lots of humor integrated in descriptions, which is my favorite way to describe things on the Cleft. There's actually a ton of stuff to look at and some of it leads to secret rooms that I would have completely overlooked otherwise. It's pretty fun to explore!<br /> <br /> '''Balance 10???/10'''<br /> <br /> I JUST BARELY beat Gato as a level 1 dancer. Without training or practicing anything or changing my gear. That's probably fine. Like, even if he kills you, which is probably only remotely possible if you're under level 10, you keep your stuff, so it's nbd. Is there even anything else you can fight in Truce? Probably not. Not that there needs to be.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions 7/10'''<br /> <br /> Right off the bat as a newbie you get stuck with community service! This is probably good because we can't assume everyone who checks out the Cleft has any idea what the fuck to do in a MUD so having the option of a little guidance is nice. The policeman's dialogue even highlights the map command for you if you aren't using Tuna. Neato! <br /> <br /> There are a fair number of shops which is nice.<br /> <br /> The dockside of things feels a little sparse. There's probably room for more buildings or NPCs there. Maybe not entirely necessary because we don't want newbies to be flooded with too much information? But it is a thought. There's room for expansion there, anyway.<br /> <br /> I hate the lightbulb puzzle. But that's just me.<br /> <br /> '''Connections 5/10'''<br /> <br /> Why is scroll of recall in the tent of medicines instead of magic where the other scrolls are?<br /> <br /> The guard stations and housing aren't really on the map. I wouldn't think this was a big issue if this was anything other than Truce, but I think Truce's map needs to be complete other than intentionally secret areas.<br /> <br /> Housing can probably be left off actually.<br /> <br /> '''Personal 8/10'''<br /> <br /> It's Truce!! It's from one of my favorite games. Anyone with taste loves Truce.<br /> <br /> Needs a minigame that awards you cats though. Lots and lots of cats. You can never have too many cats.<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Kolem (As Paisley, L. 5 thief)'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): 1/31/2018 - 2/01/2018'''<br /> <br /> So let's freakin' do this. Truce. Why not? It's more or less everyone's introduction to the cleft, so evaluating its current strengths and weaknesses frankly might be useful for guidance for future areas, or points of contrast. Truce is possibly the most central location in the entire game, and it takes considerable effort to change your recall from Truce, presuming you start there (as most players do.) As always with my reviews, I have a ten point scale starting at five for functional design. I deduct points from that five for issues, with serious problems worth entire points, and grant additional points for consistency or extra effort in design. Do not expect me to hand out high scores or start there; conversely, a low score (as opposed to a NONscore) points to significant issues with explicit examples.<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 8/10'''<br /> <br /> Why such a high score, and why for Truce? There are longer, more detailed descriptions all over the cleft. There are rooms which paint an entire canvas, really dragging you into their location. But we need to consider intent in Truce, not just technical writing. As I said above, this is a new player's introduction to the cleft. Several extra descriptions and talk prompts are oriented around teaching a first time player various commands and interactions. Considering that, the brevity involved here is a positive. However, for players more willing to experiment and really try out the commands they learn here and in the NES tutorial (More on that later), there are hidden things all over Truce. Nearly every single room has at least a hidden humorous extra description, which is lovely, and many rooms have hidden rewards if you're willing to really check EVERYTHING. Sure, some of these are mostly valuable to brand new players, but that's who the area should be geared to in the first place.<br /> <br /> All in all, base five points, no overt negatives; plus two for consistent rewarding of the look command, plus another one for humor and consistent tone. I find it hard to criticize Truce's descriptions, but I also find it hard to offer suggestions for improvements! This zone is very well balanced. I do think some areas are a bit brief in description, but I have been in truce so long it's hard to find fault with that, and it's helpful to not overwhelm new players.<br /> <br /> '''Balance: N/A'''<br /> <br /> There is exactly one obvious combat mob in Truce. I forgot he existed before this review, which is embarrassing, but on exploring town fresh, I have to credit the zone for making the homage to Gato memorable and positive. Additionally, he is easy enough to defeat at even level one that his presence in a beginning zone is ideal. As far as non-combat balance is concerned, refer to the Attractions section.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 10/10'''<br /> <br /> Whoo boy. Where do I start? At five, I think. Yes. Truce should not get special treatment out of fondness. Having said that, this zone introduces players to the game with a minor quest that has three possible outcomes, as well as repeatable minor rewards. This area has seven listed quests, as well as five or six additional unlisted tasks for those who are really willing to dig deep. Considering the small size of the zone, this means Truce is possibly one of the most things-to-do dense zones in the entire Cleft. This alone would be enough to bump up the score several points. However, Truce also has one of the most convenient, diverse set of stores of any settlement in the Cleft: a full *Three* armor shops, a flavor item shop (Itinerant trader; also used in some crafting), a weapon shop, passage to the battle arena, a fishing spot, access to four basic ferries as well as the Zelbess, three shops for food / drink /sundry items (trader, fritz, the bar), an inn with a Jacuzzi, a bank, a potion / pill shop, a wand shop and quest item shop geared especially for those level twenty and lower, and a fun (if very frustrating) pair of minigames, and a few quest links for much higher players in the mid thirties to low forties. Barring some extremely minor tidying up, there is more to do in Truce than there is in almost any zone in the cleft, including some which are several times its size. This is to say nothing of the NES tutorial.<br /> <br /> Starting at five points, I grant two for the NES mini tutorial sub-zone--which almost merits its own entire review, but balled into Truce covers many of the more obscure commands, meshing it well with truce overall--and easily three points for the huge number of quests, chores, and adventures tied in to and around Truce. The only real issue with Truce is that at the high levels, you might have more specialized needs, but that's not Truce's fault, and by that point you will very definitely have found other suppliers. On the flip side of this coin, it is entirely possible (given enough inventory space) to prepare for major expeditions of any level in Truce, if you are willing to purchase consumables in more level-appropriate shops. Truce holds a special place in my heart as a Cleft player, but I have tried to not let that obscure my analysis of the attractions it offers. Luckily, Truce maintains its carnival atmosphere from the source material, and there are very, VERY few rooms in the entire town where there ISN'T something to do. The few suggestions I have are extremely minor, and do not impact enjoy-ability of the area as a whole. <br /> <br /> '''Linkage: 8/10 '''<br /> <br /> Starting at a basic five points, Truce has in effect four major exits: North, South, West, and the Docks. It is hard to determine exactly what score to give Truce; since it is the heart of so many player experiences. However, looking at the city objectively, it has:<br /> --The level inapplicable Arena<br /> --At the docks, links to Wutai (10), Alfador (25), Shrike (35), Kakkara (50), and the Zelbess (an alternate passage to Viorar for the patient.)<br /> --At the south gate, passage to the newbie area G. Fields, as well as Crysta and the mountain pass with adjoining areas<br /> --at the north gate, passage to newbie area Truce Canyon, as well as Cosmo Canyon, the Lete, ect.<br /> --At the west gate, passage by Booster Tower, Rabite Forest, and Rocket town and adjoining areas.<br /> <br /> Many of these subareas link to each other in ways that make the area around Truce feel very fleshed out and geographically consistent, and while Truce itself has only a minor role in this, it is hard to deny that Truce is the heartbeat of the general Guardia Region. The surrounding zones have organically grown out and interconnected through various building projects over the years, and the huge variety of level offers something for the first entire half of the level list. Rather than giving Truce full credit for this, though, I think I can only award three points for being essentially a thoroughfare with many destinations, rather than one long road with a beginning and end. I have no suggestions for improvements in this department.<br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> <br /> Truce is an old friend. I have walked their cobbles and sandy beaches many, many times. However, every time I make myself stop and really pay attention to them, from Leene's bell to the cobbles in the street, I am reminded of just how much love and care went into building and improving Truce over the many, many years it has seen people play through it.<br /> <br /> Truce is an absolute treasure.<br /> <br /> Some (minor) ideas for improvements:<br /> --Many of the items Pandora sells are listed as 'trash'. I would suggest changing them to Armor or Jewelry as appropriate for consistency's sake.<br /> (otherwise, her shop selling gear good only for MV is a very nice differentiation that i appreciate even at level 5)<br /> --What's the deal with the monkey and the bell? I never could figure this one out.<br /> <br /> Final average: 8.6 (repeating) / 10, with three categories represented.<br /> Truce is a fine, fine area with a lot more going on than it looks like at a casual glance.<br /> ----<br /> <br /> [[Category:Area of the Month]]</div>

Kolem http://wiki.cleftofdimensions.net/index.php?title=Jan_2018:_Truce&diff=1984 2018-02-01T14:22:03Z

<p>Kolem: /* Jan 2018: Truce */</p> <hr /> <div>== Jan 2018: Truce ==<br /> <br /> *''The actual article for this area is [[Truce]]''<br /> <br /> '''Builder: All'''<br /> <br /> '''Source: Chrono Trigger'''<br /> <br /> ----<br /> Player: Osgard<br /> <br /> Review Date: 12-17-17<br /> <br /> Descriptions 9/10<br /> Each room in Truce is described in a clear and concise manner, without leaving anything to the imagination; it's quite easy to visualize the town, even if you've never played its source material. <br /> <br /> <br /> Balance 7/10<br /> Truce has a variety of things to do, and they also encourage players to explore the surrounding areas while rewarding them. As for actual difficulty of the location, it's fairly low, as it should be. It's the perfect location for players to ease into the world. My only complaint is that some of the items that are rewarded for quest completion don't match the level that I personally would do the quest at. <br /> <br /> <br /> Attractions 8/10<br /> There's a lot to do in Truce, and even after nearly reaching my evolution there's still stuff I haven't done yet. Plus, there's something for everyone; puzzles, fetch quests, and just regular old &quot;go here and kill this guy&quot; quests. Overall, much more fleshed out than some other areas. <br /> <br /> <br /> Connections 7/10<br /> Truce's climate is fairly accurate. There's not a lot to say here. It's mild, presumably due to the fact that you've got such diverse biomes surrounding it. <br /> <br /> <br /> Personal 7/10<br /> <br /> I don't have many issues with Truce, and it seems to be a fairly popular area given it's a hub town. Overall a great place to jump in to the game, or just hang out with other people. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Nagol'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date: 1/26/2018'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 9/10'''<br /> The town of Truce is described in just the right amount of detail, enough to hook and engage the player with the locale while not being too detailed to jumble up the important details with text fluff. Extra descriptions are used quite a bit in this area, often to award the observant player with either something neat or a good joke.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: 9/10'''<br /> With the exception of Gato, there's not really much to fight in Truce. But when I give Truce a 9 out of 10 what I mean is that all of the items, weapons, and armor have a purpose. The equipment upgrades are a tad bland but it is the early game so that's a none issue, and Pandora's shop offers a nice selection of various stat-changing armor for low level characters so that's a plus. There are multiple tiers of food, lights, and other utility items that give you exactly what you're paying for them. Apples are a very low cost food but don't fill you for long, while jerky cost a fair deal more and lasts much longer.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 10/10'''<br /> Truce has a surprising amount of content for what you'd expect from a starter town, it's not some dinky little village but a sprawling medium-sized city. It has the whole cast of shops and services you would normally need, as well a few extras. There's a pet shop that introduces the concept of pets to new players, and there's even a book in Truce that teaches players about Slime taming (which is another for of pet that the player can acquire). There are a few quest that test your ability to navigate the areas surrounding Truce and complete certain objectives, or demand you to use your attentiveness to details to find the more hidden nooks and crannys of the town. This doesn't even mention the Tent of Horrors, which are a collection of puzzles and minigames that can even be challenging for those adept with the game.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Linkage: 9/10'''<br /> Truce fits into the world wonderfully in regards to the areas surrounding it. This is partly due to Truce being the area with the most lore behind it in the game, all of the areas directly surrounding it are tied to it's backstory and overall feel. This easily gives this spot on the Cleft the most area cohesion that no other group of areas has matched quite yet. The northern and southern exits lead you on the paths to the various reaches of the Cleft, while the western exit and the port to the east give you access to smaller collections of areas.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal: 9/10'''<br /> Truce to me is one of the best towns in the Cleft, the way it was adapted to a more focused and MMO-friendly town from the source material of Chrono Trigger was handled expertly. This is the town where people will go to idle around the fountain, and this was the RP capital of the Cleft back when Rp was very prevalent on the Cleft itself. Overall I give this place a solid and well earned A+ rating; there is nothing that needs to be changed or fixed about this area, but anything new added to it would be a welcome addition.<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Deim'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions''': Good, concise and to the point, whilest key words in them, lead to Extra Descs more often then not, allowing inquisitive Newbies to get into the habit of looking for extra descs and thus Clues.<br /> <br /> '''Balance''': For a starter town, it offers what it needs, while the few things not offered, are in close-by towns, actually encouraging a little light exploration. Quests offered initially are encouragement to explore the surrounding areas, while there are a very few, tie ins with later areas back to Truce. That last one, is a nice touch and we could use more quests like that, find a MacGuffin somewhere else return it to Truce, to re-enforce the Hub like nature of Truce.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions''': Its got a good set of starter quests, shops work. Could maybe use a few more varied mini-games to tie in further to the Chrono Trigger fair, but on the other, what it has works well. <br /> <br /> '''Linkage''': As a hub, its well centered for Guardia, though personally, I find the West Gate could use more expansion, feeling somewhat dead-ended ending so quickly with Rocket-Town; its NWern expansion being shared with the North-gate. The port ferries are good, it being a small transit point more then a big port itself.<br /> <br /> '''Personal''': As a high remorter, I dont use many of the Truce services, so it feels somewhat redundant beyond a point to pass through, but given its meant as a starter town, that makes sense. Maybe add in some items with the new Remort Tags, to keep it relevant to higher players aswell.<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Jacen'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions''': Being familiar with Chrono Trigger, Truce is a fun place to explore. Each<br /> room is described well, and while it is nice to know the game, knowledge of the source game<br /> is not required to succeed in it. That being said, there are plenty of changes, quests and<br /> events to keep it interesting. Even now, years later, I am still noticing things I did not pick<br /> up on my first play through.<br /> <br /> '''Balance''': Truce definitely feels slanted towards the lower level characters, which as a<br /> starter town, it should. The equipment is good enough to get you started, and support you<br /> through the beginning levels; however you quickly outgrow it and must explore elsewhere<br /> to find better items. There remain, however, a number of items that remain useful<br /> (especially because of the convenience) until late levels.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions''': There are many things to do in Truce… and I have to admit most of which I<br /> have not done, or it has been far too long since I have done them and am too old to<br /> remember. I do remember spending hours in the area looking around and finding the<br /> quests and seeing what all is to be done.<br /> <br /> '''Linkage''': Truce feels very connected to the world around it. With numerous trails, ships,<br /> and the occasional portal, it never feels too far to head to most areas of the Cleft. My only<br /> complaint is I would like to see an airship port in Truce, or a ferry to Viorar, to help fill in<br /> the few dead spots.<br /> <br /> '''Personal''': This has always been my starter town. Even my alts that start in Viorar end up<br /> at the Truce Fountain by the end of the day. All in all a 9+/10.<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Coeurl'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date: 1/31/18'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions 10/10'''<br /> <br /> Pretty much every keyword expect to be able to look at, you can look at. Lots of humor integrated in descriptions, which is my favorite way to describe things on the Cleft. There's actually a ton of stuff to look at and some of it leads to secret rooms that I would have completely overlooked otherwise. It's pretty fun to explore!<br /> <br /> '''Balance 10???/10'''<br /> <br /> I JUST BARELY beat Gato as a level 1 dancer. Without training or practicing anything or changing my gear. That's probably fine. Like, even if he kills you, which is probably only remotely possible if you're under level 10, you keep your stuff, so it's nbd. Is there even anything else you can fight in Truce? Probably not. Not that there needs to be.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions 7/10'''<br /> <br /> Right off the bat as a newbie you get stuck with community service! This is probably good because we can't assume everyone who checks out the Cleft has any idea what the fuck to do in a MUD so having the option of a little guidance is nice. The policeman's dialogue even highlights the map command for you if you aren't using Tuna. Neato! <br /> <br /> There are a fair number of shops which is nice.<br /> <br /> The dockside of things feels a little sparse. There's probably room for more buildings or NPCs there. Maybe not entirely necessary because we don't want newbies to be flooded with too much information? But it is a thought. There's room for expansion there, anyway.<br /> <br /> I hate the lightbulb puzzle. But that's just me.<br /> <br /> '''Connections 5/10'''<br /> <br /> Why is scroll of recall in the tent of medicines instead of magic where the other scrolls are?<br /> <br /> The guard stations and housing aren't really on the map. I wouldn't think this was a big issue if this was anything other than Truce, but I think Truce's map needs to be complete other than intentionally secret areas.<br /> <br /> Housing can probably be left off actually.<br /> <br /> '''Personal 8/10'''<br /> <br /> It's Truce!! It's from one of my favorite games. Anyone with taste loves Truce.<br /> <br /> Needs a minigame that awards you cats though. Lots and lots of cats. You can never have too many cats.<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Kolem (As Paisley, L. 5 thief)'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date(s): 1/31/2018 - 2/01/2018'''<br /> <br /> So let's freakin' do this. Truce. Why not? It's more or less everyone's introduction to the cleft, so evaluating its current strengths and weaknesses frankly might be useful for guidance for future areas, or points of contrast. Truce is possibly the most central location in the entire game, and it takes considerable effort to change your recall from Truce, presuming you start there (as most players do.) As always with my reviews, I have a ten point scale starting at five for functional design. I deduct points from that five for issues, with serious problems worth entire points, and grant additional points for consistency or extra effort in design. Do not expect me to hand out high scores or start there; conversely, a low score (as opposed to a NONscore) points to significant issues with explicit examples.<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 8/10'''<br /> Why such a high score, and why for Truce? There are longer, more detailed descriptions all over the cleft. There are rooms which paint an entire canvas, really dragging you into their location. But we need to consider intent in Truce, not just technical writing. As I said above, this is a new player's introduction to the cleft. Several extra descriptions and talk prompts are oriented around teaching a first time player various commands and interactions. Considering that, the brevity involved here is a positive. However, for players more willing to experiment and really try out the commands they learn here and in the NES tutorial (More on that later), there are hidden things all over Truce. Nearly every single room has at least a hidden humorous extra description, which is lovely, and many rooms have hidden rewards if you're willing to really check EVERYTHING. Sure, some of these are mostly valuable to brand new players, but that's who the area should be geared to in the first place.<br /> <br /> All in all, base five points, no overt negatives; plus two for consistent rewarding of the look command, plus another one for humor and consistent tone. I find it hard to criticize Truce's descriptions, but I also find it hard to offer suggestions for improvements! This zone is very well balanced. I do think some areas are a bit brief in description, but I have been in truce so long it's hard to find fault with that, and it's helpful to not overwhelm new players.<br /> <br /> '''Balance: N/A'''<br /> There is exactly one obvious combat mob in Truce. I forgot he existed before this review, which is embarrassing, but on exploring town fresh, I have to credit the zone for making the homage to Gato memorable and positive. Additionally, he is easy enough to defeat at even level one that his presence in a beginning zone is ideal. As far as non-combat balance is concerned, refer to the Attractions section.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 10/10'''<br /> Whoo boy. Where do I start? At five, I think. Yes. Truce should not get special treatment out of fondness. Having said that, this zone introduces players to the game with a minor quest that has three possible outcomes, as well as repeatable minor rewards. This area has seven listed quests, as well as five or six additional unlisted tasks for those who are really willing to dig deep. Considering the small size of the zone, this means Truce is possibly one of the most things-to-do dense zones in the entire Cleft. This alone would be enough to bump up the score several points. However, Truce also has one of the most convenient, diverse set of stores of any settlement in the Cleft: a full *Three* armor shops, a flavor item shop (Itinerant trader; also used in some crafting), a weapon shop, passage to the battle arena, a fishing spot, access to four basic ferries as well as the Zelbess, three shops for food / drink /sundry items (trader, fritz, the bar), an inn with a Jacuzzi, a bank, a potion / pill shop, a wand shop and quest item shop geared especially for those level twenty and lower, and a fun (if very frustrating) pair of minigames, and a few quest links for much higher players in the mid thirties to low forties. Barring some extremely minor tidying up, there is more to do in Truce than there is in almost any zone in the cleft, including some which are several times its size. This is to say nothing of the NES tutorial.<br /> <br /> Starting at five points, I grant two for the NES mini tutorial sub-zone--which almost merits its own entire review, but balled into Truce covers many of the more obscure commands, meshing it well with truce overall--and easily three points for the huge number of quests, chores, and adventures tied in to and around Truce. The only real issue with Truce is that at the high levels, you might have more specialized needs, but that's not Truce's fault, and by that point you will very definitely have found other suppliers. On the flip side of this coin, it is entirely possible (given enough inventory space) to prepare for major expeditions of any level in Truce, if you are willing to purchase consumables in more level-appropriate shops. Truce holds a special place in my heart as a Cleft player, but I have tried to not let that obscure my analysis of the attractions it offers. Luckily, Truce maintains its carnival atmosphere from the source material, and there are very, VERY few rooms in the entire town where there ISN'T something to do. The few suggestions I have are extremely minor, and do not impact enjoy-ability of the area as a whole. <br /> <br /> '''Linkage: 8/10 '''<br /> <br /> Starting at a basic five points, Truce has in effect four major exits: North, South, West, and the Docks. It is hard to determine exactly what score to give Truce; since it is the heart of so many player experiences. However, looking at the city objectively, it has:<br /> --The level inapplicable Arena<br /> --At the docks, links to Wutai (10), Alfador (25), Shrike (35), Kakkara (50), and the Zelbess (an alternate passage to Viorar for the patient.)<br /> --At the south gate, passage to the newbie area G. Fields, as well as Crysta and the mountain pass with adjoining areas<br /> --at the north gate, passage to newbie area Truce Canyon, as well as Cosmo Canyon, the Lete, ect.<br /> --At the west gate, passage by Booster Tower, Rabite Forest, and Rocket town and adjoining areas.<br /> <br /> Many of these subareas link to each other in ways that make the area around Truce feel very fleshed out and geographically consistent, and while Truce itself has only a minor role in this, it is hard to deny that Truce is the heartbeat of the general Guardia Region. The surrounding zones have organically grown out and interconnected through various building projects over the years, and the huge variety of level offers something for the first entire half of the level list. Rather than giving Truce full credit for this, though, I think I can only award three points for being essentially a thoroughfare with many destinations, rather than one long road with a beginning and end. I have no suggestions for improvements in this department.<br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> Truce is an old friend. I have walked their cobbles and sandy beaches many, many times. However, every time I make myself stop and really pay attention to them, from Leene's bell to the cobbles in the street, I am reminded of just how much love and care went into building and improving Truce over the many, many years it has seen people play through it.<br /> <br /> Truce is an absolute treasure.<br /> <br /> Some (minor) ideas for improvements:<br /> --Many of the items Pandora sells are listed as 'trash'. I would suggest changing them to Armor or Jewelry as appropriate for consistency's sake.<br /> (otherwise, her shop selling gear good only for MV is a very nice differentiation that i appreciate even at level 5)<br /> --What's the deal with the monkey and the bell? I never could figure this one out.<br /> <br /> Final average: 8.6 (repeating) / 10, with three categories represented.<br /> Truce is a fine, fine area with a lot more going on than it looks like at a casual glance.<br /> ----<br /> <br /> [[Category:Area of the Month]]</div>

Kolem http://wiki.cleftofdimensions.net/index.php?title=Jan_2018:_Truce&diff=1983 2018-02-01T14:19:44Z

<p>Kolem: /* Jan 2018: Truce */</p> <hr /> <div>== Jan 2018: Truce ==<br /> <br /> *''The actual article for this area is [[Truce]]''<br /> <br /> '''Builder: All'''<br /> <br /> '''Source: Chrono Trigger'''<br /> <br /> ----<br /> Player: Osgard<br /> <br /> Review Date: 12-17-17<br /> <br /> Descriptions 9/10<br /> Each room in Truce is described in a clear and concise manner, without leaving anything to the imagination; it's quite easy to visualize the town, even if you've never played its source material. <br /> <br /> <br /> Balance 7/10<br /> Truce has a variety of things to do, and they also encourage players to explore the surrounding areas while rewarding them. As for actual difficulty of the location, it's fairly low, as it should be. It's the perfect location for players to ease into the world. My only complaint is that some of the items that are rewarded for quest completion don't match the level that I personally would do the quest at. <br /> <br /> <br /> Attractions 8/10<br /> There's a lot to do in Truce, and even after nearly reaching my evolution there's still stuff I haven't done yet. Plus, there's something for everyone; puzzles, fetch quests, and just regular old &quot;go here and kill this guy&quot; quests. Overall, much more fleshed out than some other areas. <br /> <br /> <br /> Connections 7/10<br /> Truce's climate is fairly accurate. There's not a lot to say here. It's mild, presumably due to the fact that you've got such diverse biomes surrounding it. <br /> <br /> <br /> Personal 7/10<br /> <br /> I don't have many issues with Truce, and it seems to be a fairly popular area given it's a hub town. Overall a great place to jump in to the game, or just hang out with other people. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Nagol'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date: 1/26/2018'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 9/10'''<br /> The town of Truce is described in just the right amount of detail, enough to hook and engage the player with the locale while not being too detailed to jumble up the important details with text fluff. Extra descriptions are used quite a bit in this area, often to award the observant player with either something neat or a good joke.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: 9/10'''<br /> With the exception of Gato, there's not really much to fight in Truce. But when I give Truce a 9 out of 10 what I mean is that all of the items, weapons, and armor have a purpose. The equipment upgrades are a tad bland but it is the early game so that's a none issue, and Pandora's shop offers a nice selection of various stat-changing armor for low level characters so that's a plus. There are multiple tiers of food, lights, and other utility items that give you exactly what you're paying for them. Apples are a very low cost food but don't fill you for long, while jerky cost a fair deal more and lasts much longer.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 10/10'''<br /> Truce has a surprising amount of content for what you'd expect from a starter town, it's not some dinky little village but a sprawling medium-sized city. It has the whole cast of shops and services you would normally need, as well a few extras. There's a pet shop that introduces the concept of pets to new players, and there's even a book in Truce that teaches players about Slime taming (which is another for of pet that the player can acquire). There are a few quest that test your ability to navigate the areas surrounding Truce and complete certain objectives, or demand you to use your attentiveness to details to find the more hidden nooks and crannys of the town. This doesn't even mention the Tent of Horrors, which are a collection of puzzles and minigames that can even be challenging for those adept with the game.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Linkage: 9/10'''<br /> Truce fits into the world wonderfully in regards to the areas surrounding it. This is partly due to Truce being the area with the most lore behind it in the game, all of the areas directly surrounding it are tied to it's backstory and overall feel. This easily gives this spot on the Cleft the most area cohesion that no other group of areas has matched quite yet. The northern and southern exits lead you on the paths to the various reaches of the Cleft, while the western exit and the port to the east give you access to smaller collections of areas.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal: 9/10'''<br /> Truce to me is one of the best towns in the Cleft, the way it was adapted to a more focused and MMO-friendly town from the source material of Chrono Trigger was handled expertly. This is the town where people will go to idle around the fountain, and this was the RP capital of the Cleft back when Rp was very prevalent on the Cleft itself. Overall I give this place a solid and well earned A+ rating; there is nothing that needs to be changed or fixed about this area, but anything new added to it would be a welcome addition.<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Deim'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions''': Good, concise and to the point, whilest key words in them, lead to Extra Descs more often then not, allowing inquisitive Newbies to get into the habit of looking for extra descs and thus Clues.<br /> <br /> '''Balance''': For a starter town, it offers what it needs, while the few things not offered, are in close-by towns, actually encouraging a little light exploration. Quests offered initially are encouragement to explore the surrounding areas, while there are a very few, tie ins with later areas back to Truce. That last one, is a nice touch and we could use more quests like that, find a MacGuffin somewhere else return it to Truce, to re-enforce the Hub like nature of Truce.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions''': Its got a good set of starter quests, shops work. Could maybe use a few more varied mini-games to tie in further to the Chrono Trigger fair, but on the other, what it has works well. <br /> <br /> '''Linkage''': As a hub, its well centered for Guardia, though personally, I find the West Gate could use more expansion, feeling somewhat dead-ended ending so quickly with Rocket-Town; its NWern expansion being shared with the North-gate. The port ferries are good, it being a small transit point more then a big port itself.<br /> <br /> '''Personal''': As a high remorter, I dont use many of the Truce services, so it feels somewhat redundant beyond a point to pass through, but given its meant as a starter town, that makes sense. Maybe add in some items with the new Remort Tags, to keep it relevant to higher players aswell.<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Jacen'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions''': Being familiar with Chrono Trigger, Truce is a fun place to explore. Each<br /> room is described well, and while it is nice to know the game, knowledge of the source game<br /> is not required to succeed in it. That being said, there are plenty of changes, quests and<br /> events to keep it interesting. Even now, years later, I am still noticing things I did not pick<br /> up on my first play through.<br /> <br /> '''Balance''': Truce definitely feels slanted towards the lower level characters, which as a<br /> starter town, it should. The equipment is good enough to get you started, and support you<br /> through the beginning levels; however you quickly outgrow it and must explore elsewhere<br /> to find better items. There remain, however, a number of items that remain useful<br /> (especially because of the convenience) until late levels.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions''': There are many things to do in Truce… and I have to admit most of which I<br /> have not done, or it has been far too long since I have done them and am too old to<br /> remember. I do remember spending hours in the area looking around and finding the<br /> quests and seeing what all is to be done.<br /> <br /> '''Linkage''': Truce feels very connected to the world around it. With numerous trails, ships,<br /> and the occasional portal, it never feels too far to head to most areas of the Cleft. My only<br /> complaint is I would like to see an airship port in Truce, or a ferry to Viorar, to help fill in<br /> the few dead spots.<br /> <br /> '''Personal''': This has always been my starter town. Even my alts that start in Viorar end up<br /> at the Truce Fountain by the end of the day. All in all a 9+/10.<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Coeurl'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date: 1/31/18'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions 10/10'''<br /> <br /> Pretty much every keyword expect to be able to look at, you can look at. Lots of humor integrated in descriptions, which is my favorite way to describe things on the Cleft. There's actually a ton of stuff to look at and some of it leads to secret rooms that I would have completely overlooked otherwise. It's pretty fun to explore!<br /> <br /> '''Balance 10???/10'''<br /> <br /> I JUST BARELY beat Gato as a level 1 dancer. Without training or practicing anything or changing my gear. That's probably fine. Like, even if he kills you, which is probably only remotely possible if you're under level 10, you keep your stuff, so it's nbd. Is there even anything else you can fight in Truce? Probably not. Not that there needs to be.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions 7/10'''<br /> <br /> Right off the bat as a newbie you get stuck with community service! This is probably good because we can't assume everyone who checks out the Cleft has any idea what the fuck to do in a MUD so having the option of a little guidance is nice. The policeman's dialogue even highlights the map command for you if you aren't using Tuna. Neato! <br /> <br /> There are a fair number of shops which is nice.<br /> <br /> The dockside of things feels a little sparse. There's probably room for more buildings or NPCs there. Maybe not entirely necessary because we don't want newbies to be flooded with too much information? But it is a thought. There's room for expansion there, anyway.<br /> <br /> I hate the lightbulb puzzle. But that's just me.<br /> <br /> '''Connections 5/10'''<br /> <br /> Why is scroll of recall in the tent of medicines instead of magic where the other scrolls are?<br /> <br /> The guard stations and housing aren't really on the map. I wouldn't think this was a big issue if this was anything other than Truce, but I think Truce's map needs to be complete other than intentionally secret areas.<br /> <br /> Housing can probably be left off actually.<br /> <br /> '''Personal 8/10'''<br /> <br /> It's Truce!! It's from one of my favorite games. Anyone with taste loves Truce.<br /> <br /> Needs a minigame that awards you cats though. Lots and lots of cats. You can never have too many cats.<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Kolem (As Paisley, L. 5 thief)'''<br /> <br /> <br /> So let's freakin' do this. Truce. Why not? It's more or less everyone's introduction to the cleft, so evaluating its current strengths and weaknesses frankly might be useful for guidance for future areas, or points of contrast. Truce is possibly the most central location in the entire game, and it takes considerable effort to change your recall from Truce, presuming you start there (as most players do.) As always with my reviews, I have a ten point scale starting at five for functional design. I deduct points from that five for issues, with serious problems worth entire points, and grant additional points for consistency or extra effort in design. Do not expect me to hand out high scores or start there; conversely, a low score (as opposed to a NONscore) points to significant issues with explicit examples.<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 8/10'''<br /> Why such a high score, and why for Truce? There are longer, more detailed descriptions all over the cleft. There are rooms which paint an entire canvas, really dragging you into their location. But we need to consider intent in Truce, not just technical writing. As I said above, this is a new player's introduction to the cleft. Several extra descriptions and talk prompts are oriented around teaching a first time player various commands and interactions. Considering that, the brevity involved here is a positive. However, for players more willing to experiment and really try out the commands they learn here and in the NES tutorial (More on that later), there are hidden things all over Truce. Nearly every single room has at least a hidden humorous extra description, which is lovely, and many rooms have hidden rewards if you're willing to really check EVERYTHING. Sure, some of these are mostly valuable to brand new players, but that's who the area should be geared to in the first place.<br /> <br /> All in all, base five points, no overt negatives; plus two for consistent rewarding of the look command, plus another one for humor and consistent tone. I find it hard to criticize Truce's descriptions, but I also find it hard to offer suggestions for improvements! This zone is very well balanced. I do think some areas are a bit brief in description, but I have been in truce so long it's hard to find fault with that, and it's helpful to not overwhelm new players.<br /> <br /> '''Balance: N/A'''<br /> There is exactly one obvious combat mob in Truce. I forgot he existed before this review, which is embarrassing, but on exploring town fresh, I have to credit the zone for making the homage to Gato memorable and positive. Additionally, he is easy enough to defeat at even level one that his presence in a beginning zone is ideal. As far as non-combat balance is concerned, refer to the Attractions section.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 10/10'''<br /> Whoo boy. Where do I start? At five, I think. Yes. Truce should not get special treatment out of fondness. Having said that, this zone introduces players to the game with a minor quest that has three possible outcomes, as well as repeatable minor rewards. This area has seven listed quests, as well as five or six additional unlisted tasks for those who are really willing to dig deep. Considering the small size of the zone, this means Truce is possibly one of the most things-to-do dense zones in the entire Cleft. This alone would be enough to bump up the score several points. However, Truce also has one of the most convenient, diverse set of stores of any settlement in the Cleft: a full *Three* armor shops, a flavor item shop (Itinerant trader; also used in some crafting), a weapon shop, passage to the battle arena, a fishing spot, access to four basic ferries as well as the Zelbess, three shops for food / drink /sundry items (trader, fritz, the bar), an inn with a Jacuzzi, a bank, a potion / pill shop, a wand shop and quest item shop geared especially for those level twenty and lower, and a fun (if very frustrating) pair of minigames, and a few quest links for much higher players in the mid thirties to low forties. Barring some extremely minor tidying up, there is more to do in Truce than there is in almost any zone in the cleft, including some which are several times its size. This is to say nothing of the NES tutorial.<br /> <br /> Starting at five points, I grant two for the NES mini tutorial sub-zone--which almost merits its own entire review, but balled into Truce covers many of the more obscure commands, meshing it well with truce overall--and easily three points for the huge number of quests, chores, and adventures tied in to and around Truce. The only real issue with Truce is that at the high levels, you might have more specialized needs, but that's not Truce's fault, and by that point you will very definitely have found other suppliers. On the flip side of this coin, it is entirely possible (given enough inventory space) to prepare for major expeditions of any level in Truce, if you are willing to purchase consumables in more level-appropriate shops. Truce holds a special place in my heart as a Cleft player, but I have tried to not let that obscure my analysis of the attractions it offers. Luckily, Truce maintains its carnival atmosphere from the source material, and there are very, VERY few rooms in the entire town where there ISN'T something to do. The few suggestions I have are extremely minor, and do not impact enjoy-ability of the area as a whole. <br /> <br /> '''Linkage: 8/10 '''<br /> <br /> Starting at a basic five points, Truce has in effect four major exits: North, South, West, and the Docks. It is hard to determine exactly what score to give Truce; since it is the heart of so many player experiences. However, looking at the city objectively, it has:<br /> --The level inapplicable Arena<br /> --At the docks, links to Wutai (10), Alfador (25), Shrike (35), Kakkara (50), and the Zelbess (an alternate passage to Viorar for the patient.)<br /> --At the south gate, passage to the newbie area G. Fields, as well as Crysta and the mountain pass with adjoining areas<br /> --at the north gate, passage to newbie area Truce Canyon, as well as Cosmo Canyon, the Lete, ect.<br /> --At the west gate, passage by Booster Tower, Rabite Forest, and Rocket town and adjoining areas.<br /> <br /> Many of these subareas link to each other in ways that make the area around Truce feel very fleshed out and geographically consistent, and while Truce itself has only a minor role in this, it is hard to deny that Truce is the heartbeat of the general Guardia Region. The surrounding zones have organically grown out and interconnected through various building projects over the years, and the huge variety of level offers something for the first entire half of the level list. Rather than giving Truce full credit for this, though, I think I can only award three points for being essentially a thoroughfare with many destinations, rather than one long road with a beginning and end. I have no suggestions for improvements in this department.<br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> Truce is an old friend. I have walked their cobbles and sandy beaches many, many times. However, every time I make myself stop and really pay attention to them, from Leene's bell to the cobbles in the street, I am reminded of just how much love and care went into building and improving Truce over the many, many years it has seen people play through it.<br /> <br /> Truce is an absolute treasure.<br /> <br /> Some (minor) ideas for improvements:<br /> --Many of the items Pandora sells are listed as 'trash'. I would suggest changing them to Armor or Jewelry as appropriate for consistency's sake.<br /> (otherwise, her shop selling gear good only for MV is a very nice differentiation that i appreciate even at level 5)<br /> --What's the deal with the monkey and the bell? I never could figure this one out.<br /> <br /> Final average: 8.6 (repeating) / 10, with three categories represented.<br /> Truce is a fine, fine area with a lot more going on than it looks like at a casual glance.<br /> ----<br /> <br /> [[Category:Area of the Month]]</div>

Kolem http://wiki.cleftofdimensions.net/index.php?title=Jan_2018:_Truce&diff=1982 2018-02-01T14:19:09Z

<p>Kolem: /* Jan 2018: Truce */</p> <hr /> <div>== Jan 2018: Truce ==<br /> <br /> *''The actual article for this area is [[Truce]]''<br /> <br /> '''Builder: All'''<br /> <br /> '''Source: Chrono Trigger'''<br /> <br /> ----<br /> Player: Osgard<br /> <br /> Review Date: 12-17-17<br /> <br /> Descriptions 9/10<br /> Each room in Truce is described in a clear and concise manner, without leaving anything to the imagination; it's quite easy to visualize the town, even if you've never played its source material. <br /> <br /> <br /> Balance 7/10<br /> Truce has a variety of things to do, and they also encourage players to explore the surrounding areas while rewarding them. As for actual difficulty of the location, it's fairly low, as it should be. It's the perfect location for players to ease into the world. My only complaint is that some of the items that are rewarded for quest completion don't match the level that I personally would do the quest at. <br /> <br /> <br /> Attractions 8/10<br /> There's a lot to do in Truce, and even after nearly reaching my evolution there's still stuff I haven't done yet. Plus, there's something for everyone; puzzles, fetch quests, and just regular old &quot;go here and kill this guy&quot; quests. Overall, much more fleshed out than some other areas. <br /> <br /> <br /> Connections 7/10<br /> Truce's climate is fairly accurate. There's not a lot to say here. It's mild, presumably due to the fact that you've got such diverse biomes surrounding it. <br /> <br /> <br /> Personal 7/10<br /> <br /> I don't have many issues with Truce, and it seems to be a fairly popular area given it's a hub town. Overall a great place to jump in to the game, or just hang out with other people. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Nagol'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date: 1/26/2018'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 9/10'''<br /> The town of Truce is described in just the right amount of detail, enough to hook and engage the player with the locale while not being too detailed to jumble up the important details with text fluff. Extra descriptions are used quite a bit in this area, often to award the observant player with either something neat or a good joke.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Balance: 9/10'''<br /> With the exception of Gato, there's not really much to fight in Truce. But when I give Truce a 9 out of 10 what I mean is that all of the items, weapons, and armor have a purpose. The equipment upgrades are a tad bland but it is the early game so that's a none issue, and Pandora's shop offers a nice selection of various stat-changing armor for low level characters so that's a plus. There are multiple tiers of food, lights, and other utility items that give you exactly what you're paying for them. Apples are a very low cost food but don't fill you for long, while jerky cost a fair deal more and lasts much longer.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 10/10'''<br /> Truce has a surprising amount of content for what you'd expect from a starter town, it's not some dinky little village but a sprawling medium-sized city. It has the whole cast of shops and services you would normally need, as well a few extras. There's a pet shop that introduces the concept of pets to new players, and there's even a book in Truce that teaches players about Slime taming (which is another for of pet that the player can acquire). There are a few quest that test your ability to navigate the areas surrounding Truce and complete certain objectives, or demand you to use your attentiveness to details to find the more hidden nooks and crannys of the town. This doesn't even mention the Tent of Horrors, which are a collection of puzzles and minigames that can even be challenging for those adept with the game.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Linkage: 9/10'''<br /> Truce fits into the world wonderfully in regards to the areas surrounding it. This is partly due to Truce being the area with the most lore behind it in the game, all of the areas directly surrounding it are tied to it's backstory and overall feel. This easily gives this spot on the Cleft the most area cohesion that no other group of areas has matched quite yet. The northern and southern exits lead you on the paths to the various reaches of the Cleft, while the western exit and the port to the east give you access to smaller collections of areas.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Personal: 9/10'''<br /> Truce to me is one of the best towns in the Cleft, the way it was adapted to a more focused and MMO-friendly town from the source material of Chrono Trigger was handled expertly. This is the town where people will go to idle around the fountain, and this was the RP capital of the Cleft back when Rp was very prevalent on the Cleft itself. Overall I give this place a solid and well earned A+ rating; there is nothing that needs to be changed or fixed about this area, but anything new added to it would be a welcome addition.<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Deim'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions''': Good, concise and to the point, whilest key words in them, lead to Extra Descs more often then not, allowing inquisitive Newbies to get into the habit of looking for extra descs and thus Clues.<br /> <br /> '''Balance''': For a starter town, it offers what it needs, while the few things not offered, are in close-by towns, actually encouraging a little light exploration. Quests offered initially are encouragement to explore the surrounding areas, while there are a very few, tie ins with later areas back to Truce. That last one, is a nice touch and we could use more quests like that, find a MacGuffin somewhere else return it to Truce, to re-enforce the Hub like nature of Truce.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions''': Its got a good set of starter quests, shops work. Could maybe use a few more varied mini-games to tie in further to the Chrono Trigger fair, but on the other, what it has works well. <br /> <br /> '''Linkage''': As a hub, its well centered for Guardia, though personally, I find the West Gate could use more expansion, feeling somewhat dead-ended ending so quickly with Rocket-Town; its NWern expansion being shared with the North-gate. The port ferries are good, it being a small transit point more then a big port itself.<br /> <br /> '''Personal''': As a high remorter, I dont use many of the Truce services, so it feels somewhat redundant beyond a point to pass through, but given its meant as a starter town, that makes sense. Maybe add in some items with the new Remort Tags, to keep it relevant to higher players aswell.<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Jacen'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions''': Being familiar with Chrono Trigger, Truce is a fun place to explore. Each<br /> room is described well, and while it is nice to know the game, knowledge of the source game<br /> is not required to succeed in it. That being said, there are plenty of changes, quests and<br /> events to keep it interesting. Even now, years later, I am still noticing things I did not pick<br /> up on my first play through.<br /> <br /> '''Balance''': Truce definitely feels slanted towards the lower level characters, which as a<br /> starter town, it should. The equipment is good enough to get you started, and support you<br /> through the beginning levels; however you quickly outgrow it and must explore elsewhere<br /> to find better items. There remain, however, a number of items that remain useful<br /> (especially because of the convenience) until late levels.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions''': There are many things to do in Truce… and I have to admit most of which I<br /> have not done, or it has been far too long since I have done them and am too old to<br /> remember. I do remember spending hours in the area looking around and finding the<br /> quests and seeing what all is to be done.<br /> <br /> '''Linkage''': Truce feels very connected to the world around it. With numerous trails, ships,<br /> and the occasional portal, it never feels too far to head to most areas of the Cleft. My only<br /> complaint is I would like to see an airship port in Truce, or a ferry to Viorar, to help fill in<br /> the few dead spots.<br /> <br /> '''Personal''': This has always been my starter town. Even my alts that start in Viorar end up<br /> at the Truce Fountain by the end of the day. All in all a 9+/10.<br /> <br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Coeurl'''<br /> <br /> '''Review Date: 1/31/18'''<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions 10/10'''<br /> <br /> Pretty much every keyword expect to be able to look at, you can look at. Lots of humor integrated in descriptions, which is my favorite way to describe things on the Cleft. There's actually a ton of stuff to look at and some of it leads to secret rooms that I would have completely overlooked otherwise. It's pretty fun to explore!<br /> <br /> '''Balance 10???/10'''<br /> <br /> I JUST BARELY beat Gato as a level 1 dancer. Without training or practicing anything or changing my gear. That's probably fine. Like, even if he kills you, which is probably only remotely possible if you're under level 10, you keep your stuff, so it's nbd. Is there even anything else you can fight in Truce? Probably not. Not that there needs to be.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions 7/10'''<br /> <br /> Right off the bat as a newbie you get stuck with community service! This is probably good because we can't assume everyone who checks out the Cleft has any idea what the fuck to do in a MUD so having the option of a little guidance is nice. The policeman's dialogue even highlights the map command for you if you aren't using Tuna. Neato! <br /> <br /> There are a fair number of shops which is nice.<br /> <br /> The dockside of things feels a little sparse. There's probably room for more buildings or NPCs there. Maybe not entirely necessary because we don't want newbies to be flooded with too much information? But it is a thought. There's room for expansion there, anyway.<br /> <br /> I hate the lightbulb puzzle. But that's just me.<br /> <br /> '''Connections 5/10'''<br /> <br /> Why is scroll of recall in the tent of medicines instead of magic where the other scrolls are?<br /> <br /> The guard stations and housing aren't really on the map. I wouldn't think this was a big issue if this was anything other than Truce, but I think Truce's map needs to be complete other than intentionally secret areas.<br /> <br /> Housing can probably be left off actually.<br /> <br /> '''Personal 8/10'''<br /> <br /> It's Truce!! It's from one of my favorite games. Anyone with taste loves Truce.<br /> <br /> Needs a minigame that awards you cats though. Lots and lots of cats. You can never have too many cats.<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> '''Player: Kolem (As Paisley, L. 5 thief)'''<br /> <br /> <br /> So let's freakin' do this. Truce. Why not? It's more or less everyone's introduction to the cleft, so evaluating its current strengths and weaknesses frankly might be useful for guidance for future areas, or points of contrast. Truce is possibly the most central location in the entire game, and it takes considerable effort to change your recall from Truce, presuming you start there (as most players do.) As always with my reviews, I have a ten point scale starting at five for functional design. I deduct points from that five for issues, with serious problems worth entire points, and grant additional points for consistency or extra effort in design. Do not expect me to hand out high scores or start there; conversely, a low score (as opposed to a NONscore) points to significant issues with explicit examples.<br /> <br /> '''Descriptions: 8/10'''<br /> Why such a high score, and why for Truce? There are longer, more detailed descriptions all over the cleft. There are rooms which paint an entire canvas, really dragging you into their location. But we need to consider intent in Truce, not just technical writing. As I said above, this is a new player's introduction to the cleft. Several extra descriptions and talk prompts are oriented around teaching a first time player various commands and interactions. Considering that, the brevity involved here is a positive. However, for players more willing to experiment and really try out the commands they learn here and in the NES tutorial (More on that later), there are hidden things all over Truce. Nearly every single room has at least a hidden humorous extra description, which is lovely, and many rooms have hidden rewards if you're willing to really check EVERYTHING. Sure, some of these are mostly valuable to brand new players, but that's who the area should be geared to in the first place.<br /> <br /> All in all, base five points, no overt negatives; plus two for consistent rewarding of the look command, plus another one for humor and consistent tone. I find it hard to criticize Truce's descriptions, but I also find it hard to offer suggestions for improvements! This zone is very well balanced. I do think some areas are a bit brief in description, but I have been in truce so long it's hard to find fault with that, and it's helpful to not overwhelm new players.<br /> <br /> '''Balance: N/A'''<br /> There is exactly one obvious combat mob in Truce. I forgot he existed before this review, which is embarrassing, but on exploring town fresh, I have to credit the zone for making the homage to Gato memorable and positive. Additionally, he is easy enough to defeat at even level one that his presence in a beginning zone is ideal. As far as non-combat balance is concerned, refer to the Attractions section.<br /> <br /> '''Attractions: 10/10'''<br /> Whoo boy. Where do I start? At five, I think. Yes. Truce should not get special treatment out of fondness. Having said that, this zone introduces players to the game with a minor quest that has three possible outcomes, as well as repeatable minor rewards. This area has seven listed quests, as well as five or six additional unlisted tasks for those who are really willing to dig deep. Considering the small size of the zone, this means Truce is possibly one of the most things-to-do dense zones in the entire Cleft. This alone would be enough to bump up the score several points. However, Truce also has one of the most convenient, diverse set of stores of any settlement in the Cleft: a full *Three* armor shops, a flavor item shop (Itinerant trader; also used in some crafting), a weapon shop, passage to the battle arena, a fishing spot, access to four basic ferries as well as the Zelbess, three shops for food / drink /sundry items (trader, fritz, the bar), an inn with a Jacuzzi, a bank, a potion / pill shop, a wand shop and quest item shop geared especially for those level twenty and lower, and a fun (if very frustrating) pair of minigames, and a few quest links for much higher players in the mid thirties to low forties. Barring some extremely minor tidying up, there is more to do in Truce than there is in almost any zone in the cleft, including some which are several times its size. This is to say nothing of the NES tutorial.<br /> <br /> Starting at five points, I grant two for the NES mini tutorial sub-zone--which almost merits its own entire review, but balled into Truce covers many of the more obscure commands, meshing it well with truce overall--and easily three points for the huge number of quests, chores, and adventures tied in to and around Truce. The only real issue with Truce is that at the high levels, you might have more specialized needs, but that's not Truce's fault, and by that point you will very definitely have found other suppliers. On the flip side of this coin, it is entirely possible (given enough inventory space) to prepare for major expeditions of any level in Truce, if you are willing to purchase consumables in more level-appropriate shops. Truce holds a special place in my heart as a Cleft player, but I have tried to not let that obscure my analysis of the attractions it offers. Luckily, Truce maintains its carnival atmosphere from the source material, and there are very, VERY few rooms in the entire town where there ISN'T something to do. The few suggestions I have are extremely minor, and do not impact enjoy-ability of the area as a whole. <br /> <br /> '''Linkage: 8/10 '''<br /> <br /> Starting at a basic five points, Truce has in effect four major exits: North, South, West, and the Docks. It is hard to determine exactly what score to give Truce; since it is the heart of so many player experiences. However, looking at the city objectively, it has:<br /> --The level inapplicable Arena<br /> --At the docks, links to Wutai (10), Alfador (25), Shrike (35), Kakkara (50), and the Zelbess (an alternate passage to Viorar for the patient.)<br /> --At the south gate, passage to the newbie area G. Fields, as well as Crysta and the mountain pass with adjoining areas<br /> --at the north gate, passage to newbie area Truce Canyon, as well as Cosmo Canyon, the Lete, ect.<br /> --At the west gate, passage by Booster Tower, Rabite Forest, and Rocket town and adjoining areas.<br /> <br /> Many of these subareas link to each other in ways that make the area around Truce feel very fleshed out and geographically consistent, and while Truce itself has only a minor role in this, it is hard to deny that Truce is the heartbeat of the general Guardia Region. The surrounding zones have organically grown out and interconnected through various building projects over the years, and the huge variety of level offers something for the first entire half of the level list. Rather than giving Truce full credit for this, though, I think I can only award three points for being essentially a thoroughfare with many destinations, rather than one long road with a beginning and end. I have no suggestions for improvements in this department.<br /> <br /> '''Personal'''<br /> Truce is an old friend. I have walked their cobbles and sandy beaches many, many times. However, every time I make myself stop and really pay attention to them, from Leene's bell to the cobbles in the street, I am reminded of just how much love and care went into building and improving Truce over the many, many years it has seen people play through it.<br /> <br /> Truce is an absolute treasure.<br /> <br /> Some (minor) ideas for improvements:<br /> --Many of the items Pandora sells are listed as 'trash'. I would suggest changing them to Armor or Jewelry as appropriate for consistency's sake.<br /> (otherwise, her shop selling gear good only for MV is a very nice differentiation that i appreciate even at level 5)<br /> --What's the deal with the monkey and the bell? I never could figure this one out.<br /> <br /> Final average: 8.6 (repeating) / 10, with three categories represented.<br /> Truce is a fine, fine area with a lot more going on than it looks like at a casual glance.<br /> <br /> [[Category:Area of the Month]]</div>

Kolem http://wiki.cleftofdimensions.net/index.php?title=Kolem&diff=256 2012-05-15T01:34:22Z

<p>Kolem: </p> <hr /> <div>{{CharacterBio | color = #33cc33 | picture = kolem.jpg | name = Kolem | age = ???| race = Koopa | affiliation = None | status = SINGLE! | caption = Artist's creative interpretation}}<br /> <br /> == '''Appearance and Behavior''' ==<br /> <br /> A [[Koopa]] whose appearance is somewhat primitive, Kolem's shell is defaced with several scars and bitemarks that predate its entrance into the Cleft. Kolem has been spotted in [[Truce]], [[Crysta]], [[Viorar]], [[Gold City]], [[Todo]], [[Shrike]], and has a known dwelling in [[Mongrelia]]. It has even been spotted in remote outposts like [[Fort Walla Walla]]-- it almost never seems to stay in one place for long, operating on a survivalist style of living.<br /> <br /> Kolem is extremely nonagressive when it comes to wild animals, and has been observed communicating with them through an unknown means, but avoids military confrontation at almost any cost.<br /> <br /> == '''Known Affiliations''' ==<br /> <br /> Kolem is not overtly affiliated with any military, political, religious, or monetary organizations. Its history prior to entrance into the Cleft is not generally known, and it has never spoken actively about its past. However, it has been spotted befriending wild animals, and some of the less civilized creatures of the Cleft.<br /> <br /> Kolem has been seen contracting and summoning fairies and odd, staff-like living creatures known as Orb Users, with whom it seems to share some sort of bond--conversation between Kolem and the creatures it calls up is commonplace, if not understood.<br /> <br /> == '''Personality''' ==<br /> <br /> Kolem is a remarkably passive creature, far more likely to seek a means of bypassing a creature than attacking it--even going to the lengths of hypnotizing, taming, or downright seducing items that it needs away rather than fight over them. It abjectly refuses to assault innocent and intelligent people--shambling creatures, however, and those who see the Koopa as easy prey soon learn the distinction between weakness and restraint. Military organizations, such as the Goa Empire, also appear to make Kolem lose its natural empathy for others and become more aggressive. In the presence of other Koopas, Kolem fades back and calls as little attention to itself as possible--so much so that a Koopa who presses Kolem for company often finds themselves alone or fled.<br /> <br /> [[Category:Player Characters]]</div>

Kolem http://wiki.cleftofdimensions.net/index.php?title=Mazarti&diff=650 2011-02-16T19:45:26Z

<p>Kolem: </p> <hr /> <div>{{CharacterBio | color = #A00 | picture = Mazarti.png | name = Mazarti | age = Too young to know better (probably) | race = Moogle | affiliation = [[New Luberia]] | status = Alive | caption = Pickpocket - NL}}<br /> == '''Appearance and Beha--''' ==<br /> <br /> Huh? No way. That's so dry! What a bore! C'mon, don't you know anything?<br /> <br /> == '''Makeup''' ==<br /> <br /> That's more like it! I usually wear standard moogle-sized jester stuff. I'm not crazy about the eye-stripe deal, but I guess it's tradition. I usually skip it anyway, though! I love bright colors and flashy looks, and if I had the money, I'd totally wear costumes! Life's too boring to wear stupid stuff like tunics and jeans and all that bland washed-out junk. Give me a chocobo suit--cruelty free please--or a jester costume, something in bright reds or yellows or really super light blue! I gotta stand out, you know?! Life's too short and so am I!<br /> <br /> == '''Acts and Gigs''' ==<br /> <br /> I get paid by the people who watch my acts. I never take much, promise! And I like to sort out things. But if I see one more stupid &quot;PUSH THE BLOCK&quot; puzzle I'm just gonna cry! So uninspired, you know?! It's so much more fun to race the door and roll under it. Oh! Oh, I'm a juggler and a street performer. I know how to juggle balls, clubs, and knives, but I'm not really strong enough for stuff like chainsaws. I like to juggle flaming clubs, though--it's a good way to keep warm on those colder nights in the Viorar streets! Give me a city over a swamp any day, kupo. Oh, and the other week, I found something GREAT--it's like a bicycle but with just one wheel! I'm gonna practice riding it until I can juggle and ride all through the town--what a draw!<br /> <br /> == '''Personal Favorites''' ==<br /> <br /> I love mixers and sharing drinks. I like to dance, but not that stuffy kind the guys in the caves do. You gotta get close, kupo, so close that the fur tickles them! ...Not that mine would. I keep it clean and soft, just the way it should be. It's hard to find a place to wash my stuff that won't bleed the colors, but who cares? I like to party, I like to juggle, I like to do fun stuff, and really what else matters? I'm just a moogle, ya know.<br /> <br /> I like miss Mordy. She's clever, but I haven't seen her in a while. She's nice, too. The Big Guy I haven't seen lately either. I wonder where everybody got too? Oh well. If they're gone, they're boring, so I'm going out. Speaking of boring, this is. Bye!<br /> <br /> <br /> &quot;This diminutive moogle is a heavy-hitting, hard-drinking son of a bitch with gold fever, a silver tongue, and a lead pipe.&quot; --Benamas<br /> <br /> {{Stub}}<br /> [[Category:Player Characters]]</div>

Kolem