Irth Online Wrap Report - Part 2

Another great challenge was to find and isolate bugs. We would put something in game and find out given situation a, b, c and d, while doing x, y and sometimes z, bad things happen, weeks after we put the feature in. Another problem we would encounter is that a player would find a bug and we could not duplicate it. We couldn't tolerate ongoing bugs in the game, so we started a focus group of testers. These are some of the greatest people you would ever want to meet, and it has been our great fortune to have them. Therefore, now, before anyone gets new content our focus group tests the dickens out of it. They give us an opportunity to correct any issue before a patch goes out. They make us look much better than we really are, and we will forever be in their debt.

Persistence is the key to any successful venture, and that we have plenty of. We haven't even finished what we want to do with a tenth of the map. It will only get better and better.

Well, I really have to be redundant here. One great decision was to decrease the size of the map. If we hadn't done so we would have nine-tenths of the world undecorated and lacking content. We reduced its size so that players could find content with relative ease. If we hadn't done this, it could have been disastrous; one big empty world. Yikes!

Another great decision was to put in a tutorial on an isolated island. When players start, they have an opportunity to learn the basic functions of the game in a PvP-free zone. Originally, we were starting players without the tutorial, and to understand the game, they would have to read through the manual. Players don't want to do that. They want to refer to it when needed. They want to learn how to play by playing. So, we created a means for them to do so in a very safe environment. The monsters in the tutorial won't even attack you unless you attack them first.

Players have an opportunity to learn the quest system, learn how the economy works and how to interact with other players and NPCs. They learn basic combat and Magery. They have an opportunity to sample many crafting professions. Players can stay in the tutorial for as long as they like. They do not have to leave until they are totally comfortable. Tutorial Island is like a mini-Irth that is totally safe. Players can let their guard down and relax there. They can learn the game at their own pace. They will know that everyone else there is exactly like them, new and learning. When they are ready to join Irth's real world, they can be totally confident and prepared. If we hadn't done this, new player comfort levels would have been adversely affected.

Another great decision, possibly the greatest we ever made, was to let the beta testers in on the inside track. To let them see and know everything as we were doing it. I'm sure we lost a lot of potential players because some people do a beta thinking it's a finished game, and if it's not, they trash it. But the people who saw the potential of Irth, and recognized their importance to us, stuck around. They helped mold the game. They gave us encouragement and, from time to time, a good spanking. They have extraordinary insight. We have been so lucky to have them with us. If we hadn't been so open and honest with them, the community would not have developed into the best on the planet. And it really is. And I might add, no game can be a great game without a great community. Irth has the best, and because of this, its potential is enormous.

Key Strengths

Community. I can't say enough about them. What other company has a user base that says, "I have an idea, take it it's yours." "I have time to help you, what do you need?" "I wrote a manual in my spare time, do you want to use it?" "Let me research weaving for you and I'll show you what I find." "I've re-balanced armor, what do you think?" At this point, you know why I feel this way.

Crafting. The most extravagant crafting system in any game, and it's still not finished. It will continue getting better and better. If you like playing games and need more than combat, Irth is for you. You can develop multiple crafting professions, become an expert in many fields, and never reach its end.

Persistence. We will not stop refining this game. It is our addiction. We have become obsessed by it. Persistence is the key to any successful venture, and that we have plenty of. We haven't even finished what we want to do with a tenth of the map. It will only get better and better.

Areas for Improvement

I could probably list a few, and so please realize that my feelings in this area might differ at any given time. Right now, I would have to say one is quests. We are not using the quest system to its full advantage. The ones now are the basic learning type that introduce players to the environment, teach crafting, go out and kill something, go and find something, blah, blah, blah. In depth storyline quests need to be implemented, and we have tons of ideas for them that need implementation soon.

The economy. We want an economy in which the players dictate supply and demand as well as value. Unfortunately, we can't just give it to them. It is a weaning process, and at some level, we will always be involved. But if we were to do it again from scratch, we would have to do it differently. To make a very long and boring dialogue shorter and less boring, the system was quasi-hard coded for a player economy with limited ability for direct database edits. The economy code would work perfectly now if it was an entire player-based system, but since the player base is not ready for it yet, it must be manipulated by us until they are, which is a great deal of effort and not time well spent. We need to re-work it. Hopefully, by the time you post this article, it will have already been revised.