I highly enjoy the talent and creativity to what was created originally. Let me breathe some inspiration.

The problem with vacancy is that buying and questing are linear; they eventually end. The warp spots result in centralizing the game and sending the illusion everything else is separate. There needs to be infinite function; then robust content can flourish around it.

The original boots should be evolved and offer function; not only visual or gimmick. Walk on water for a few seconds, hover over water, opposite boots are good for.sparring so highlight that, let splash boots water crops by the stables and make farming, so on. Boots colors should only be changed by boots, not as a clothing color choice.

Places should offer "addictive" components and challenges that require tools to get there, places that require time investment and reuse. Make boots tradable; you can buy one but can only carry one. Now the shop has infinite replay. Bars need function. The sky chapel could be moved to the cathedral; I originally stuck it there for fun then it inspired Destiny, and really it's strange to have portals warping to the sky outside of temples.

Follow this concept throughout the whole world.

If bomies come back, there needs to be a station in Destiny and players should not just morph; it needs to be a race: A commitment and love; home warp space for bomies can be Destiny. Then swamp town and desert become lamdscape for shell creatures and the game takes on a character. Boots should especially serve bomies.

Too much "get and go", morphs, choices etc. result in a flimsy, superficial experience of player killing, collecting, and showing off. Graal needs to embrace limitation and isolate choices to encourage personality rather than fleeting expression.

Clothes change at the drop of a hat, hats change, heads, shields, sword images, horse images. There's no restriction or sanctity.

Really, Graal: Bomy Moon should be merged with classic. When purpose and reuse become sacred, the game will flourish. But having spaces with temporary purpose, mild visual changes, and common use has no longterm purpose.

Every town should offer a very particular infinite purpose. The roadways are all too straight; most of Graal was made by amateurs and so a lot of details need sorted out still.

A lot of the old heads and bodies, shields, etc. need removed and revamped. We seriously let a lot of junk get through. Graphics need to be harmonized in one style (the new one).

Otherwise very good job. Keep up the great work!  

Posted by antago

I highly enjoy the talent and creativity to what was created originally. Let me breathe some inspiration.

The problem with vacancy is that buying and questing are linear; they eventually end. The warp spots result in centralizing the game and sending the illusion everything else is separate. There needs to be infinite function; then robust content can flourish around it.

The original boots should be evolved and offer function; not only visual or gimmick. Walk on water for a few seconds, hover over water, opposite boots are good for.sparring so highlight that, let splash boots water crops by the stables and make farming, so on. Boots colors should only be changed by boots, not as a clothing color choice.

Places should offer "addictive" components and challenges that require tools to get there, places that require time investment and reuse. Make boots tradable; you can buy one but can only carry one. Now the shop has infinite replay. Bars need function. The sky chapel could be moved to the cathedral; I originally stuck it there for fun then it inspired Destiny, and really it's strange to have portals warping to the sky outside of temples.

Follow this concept throughout the whole world.

If bomies come back, there needs to be a station in Destiny and players should not just morph; it needs to be a race: A commitment and love; home warp space for bomies can be Destiny. Then swamp town and desert become lamdscape for shell creatures and the game takes on a character. Boots should especially serve bomies.

Too much "get and go", morphs, choices etc. result in a flimsy, superficial experience of player killing, collecting, and showing off. Graal needs to embrace limitation and isolate choices to encourage personality rather than fleeting expression.

Clothes change at the drop of a hat, hats change, heads, shields, sword images, horse images. There's no restriction or sanctity.

Really, Graal: Bomy Moon should be merged with classic. When purpose and reuse become sacred, the game will flourish. But having spaces with temporary purpose, mild visual changes, and common use has no longterm purpose.

Every town should offer a very particular infinite purpose. The roadways are all too straight; most of Graal was made by amateurs and so a lot of details need sorted out still.

A lot of the old heads and bodies, shields, etc. need removed and revamped. We seriously let a lot of junk get through. Graphics need to be harmonized in one style (the new one).

Otherwise very good job. Keep up the great work!

I really appreciate you taking the time(considering who you are) to check out the content and offer your opinion.

I'll be honest, Classic isn't entirely what it used to be and I don't think that's really a bad thing. Graal is a business now and profits need to be made, and the best way to do this is to capitalize on the cosmetic aspects--at least if we want to keep the server fair. I'm not saying Classic is, or should be dumbed down, but we have to try to make decisions on what should and should not be cosmetic while still offering, to the best of our ability, fun content.

We're very aware of the sort of direction we need to make for keeping the server playable. This is one of the reasons we have tried to steer away from very deep quests so far(we know that it's time consuming to make a large dungeon for example, that will only be played once), and instead are exploring other options. Making the core questing aspect of the server something that will keep players coming back is a very large endeavor, and one we're taking seriously. We taking recurring content deep into consideration whenever we design things like Destiny to try to keep it from dying a few weeks after release. These are the reasons things like Crab Chance, Mercator's Maps, and Hat Stalls were created.

However, we do want to keep adding content that encourages players to explore and actually enjoy the world. We can't make everything infinite and replayable, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have value to the players. It's a very fickle game of balancing finite vs replayable content.

Bomies were only intended to be a homage to you and your content, and an easter egg more than anything. All in all, we try very hard to add new content that is refreshing and fun to play while still honoring the old content to the best of our ability--after all for many of us it's the content we played and want to retain.  

I adore the cosmetic aspect. My point is that if makes spots reusable, it encourages players to strategize and express their selves via gameplay and not just aesthetics. That is, if players can only have a trident instead of a sword, be a bomy instead of a person, work for money instead of just collect it slashing weeds, carry one boot at a time from the shop, their horse has special powers, etc. Without being too limiting like a hardcore RPG, then the original charm of achieving and BECOMING rather than merely APPEARING will return. It's your choice  

Posted by antago

I adore the cosmetic aspect. My point is that if makes spots reusable, it encourages players to strategize and express their selves via gameplay and not just aesthetics. That is, if players can only have a trident instead of a sword, be a bomy instead of a person, work for money instead of just collect it slashing weeds, carry one boot at a time from the shop, their horse has special powers, etc. Without being too limiting like a hardcore RPG, then the original charm of achieving and BECOMING rather than merely APPEARING will return. It's your choice

The only problem is that it encourages asymmetric gameplay; I.E players who have just started are met with other players who have gained resources that establish a higher advantage in contrast to newer players. Having a mount that could run faster than other mounts of average would have a bad impact because of its ramifications. This is very unappealing.. I personally even hate that some mounts can fly over water and other mounts cant. I agree though that there should be more ways to earn gralats, and there are; diving, killing baddies, selling loot, etc--- but there should be more ways to actually earn it. Like Dusty said, this has become a business. Players shouldn't have to pay for things that enable advantages over other players, instead they should be able to buy aesthetic items.

Say Fung si Yan just started out playing Graal; not even an hour to his name. He walks into a PK-enabled zone and gets bombarded by all the imbalanced player-gameplay and situates himself as 'behind' other players, would he be discouraged from playing?
In this generation's MMO standards, yes. Think about it; most players are not even teenagers! Some even no older than 4! I'd be frustrated if I kept being killed and had no clue to what I could do to prevent that.
That's why every sword is the same, but a different skin.
Arrows same, different skin.
List goes on and on.

Zodiac would be a personal example. It's old, OLD OLD--- 'The Stone Age [of Graal,]' I just join, seems like a neat server... I walk out of the spawn and i'm instakilled. I don't even know what killed me?! Was it magic? Did they have 'Noob Killer Magic' level 56? Heck how'd I know?! I JUST joined!
Everyone else...-- completed all the quests, obtained every item, and have maxed out their perks/skill levels.
And i'm immediately met with asymmetric gameplay that influences me to just quit. I have literally no motivation to actually play through the game now? Would take FOREVER to manage to be able to confront those players again. And why should I? I could easily download another app that is more friendly to new players. In retrospect, What would be the point of giving it a chance? Why should I spend my time trying to level up.. and for WHAT?! What would I gain out of it? Nothing.
It's just stupid, and most younger players rather play something where they would have equal seniority to other players.

We're trying to present an appealing game for all ages instead of an unbalanced system of progress and superiority.
And the Bomies in Destiny were a homage to your concepts, we're not introducing potential revolving gameplay and ramifications around them into iClassic.  

I remember making Xor promise me that he wouldn't have the names of any towns changed after snowtown dropped. Glad he honored his promise.  

Posted by DarkKnight

I remember making Xor promise me that he wouldn't have the names of any towns changed after snowtown dropped. Glad he honored his promise.

Or did he ;)  

Posted by Mount

The only problem is that it encourages asymmetric gameplay; I.E players who have just started are met with other players who have gained resources that establish a higher advantage in contrast to newer players. Having a mount that could run faster than other mounts of average would have a bad impact because of its ramifications. This is very unappealing.. I personally even hate that some mounts can fly over water and other mounts cant. I agree though that there should be more ways to earn gralats, and there are; diving, killing baddies, selling loot, etc--- but there should be more ways to actually earn it. Like Dusty said, this has become a business. Players shouldn't have to pay for things that enable advantages over other players, instead they should be able to buy aesthetic items.

Say Fung si Yan just started out playing Graal; not even an hour to his name. He walks into a PK-enabled zone and gets bombarded by all the imbalanced player-gameplay and situates himself as 'behind' other players, would he be discouraged from playing?
In this generation's MMO standards, yes. Think about it; most players are not even teenagers! Some even no older than 4! I'd be frustrated if I kept being killed and had no clue to what I could do to prevent that.
That's why every sword is the same, but a different skin.
Arrows same, different skin.
List goes on and on.

Zodiac would be a personal example. It's old, OLD OLD--- 'The Stone Age [of Graal,]' I just join, seems like a neat server... I walk out of the spawn and i'm instakilled. I don't even know what killed me?! Was it magic? Did they have 'Noob Killer Magic' level 56? Heck how'd I know?! I JUST joined!
Everyone else...-- completed all the quests, obtained every item, and have maxed out their perks/skill levels.
And i'm immediately met with asymmetric gameplay that influences me to just quit. I have literally no motivation to actually play through the game now? Would take FOREVER to manage to be able to confront those players again. And why should I? I could easily download another app that is more friendly to new players. In retrospect, What would be the point of giving it a chance? Why should I spend my time trying to level up.. and for WHAT?! What would I gain out of it? Nothing.
It's just stupid, and most younger players rather play something where they would have equal seniority to other players.

We're trying to present an appealing game for all ages instead of an unbalanced system of progress and superiority.
And the Bomies in Destiny were a homage to your concepts, we're not introducing potential revolving gameplay and ramifications around them into iClassic.

Please listen. I'm unsure where communication is getting lost here.

I did not advocate leveling up or superiority, only choices and one alternative race. Items do different things not necessarily more damage. I have a big vision but I won't expect you to see it

I hate level-up games. I hate games that become all about leveling up, numbers, and drastic achievements. I don't like too many races either.

Reread my posts. Find balance. Give reusable purpose. Dusty explained the bomy and business thing; I have been in business and marketing for 15 years, I don't need to be told things twice or educated about Graal's business believe me. I helped build the first pay-server and my ideas launched P2P (including the NPC Server). I have given you golden advice, you can take it or leave it.

Right now I can sign on and basically I have little reason to come back after a month except for vanity.

When Graal first came out, it was exciting to find elusive clothing racks, swords, etc. You don't have to go back to that extreme, just expand upon the idea using the traditional palette  

The server is the body and the players are the blood; the heart is always congested because there is no use to travel abroad, and players see the congestion and the vacancy and quickly know where to stay to socialize. Make the boots exchangeable; make the trident and sword exchangeable somewhere; make different gloves that pick up different items and a shop to exchange them with important fun areas that are blocked by different items including throughout various main passageways; put unstick me points in each town and relative calculations to promote realism and reduce centralizing the cast of the server; let players exchange various items at various shops for different items that do equally different things; make sure all towns have a bed somewhere for refilling; let players exchange bodies and shields and stuff at different points (maybe, I know it's radical); once you create movement, the players will fall in love with their own travels and places—and the exchange points have to be unique and not every kind available in every town. Until there is movement, without going into superiority: which do I prefer this moment, the trident, the Axe, the sword, the hammer (they each do different things), which boots do I want or need right now, which shield (maybe shields that mirror things, deflect, can be swung, are bigger but heavier, etc.) ... The game's heart will remain collapsed and so will the player's heart. Make them dance ... Make the heart beat and the blood flow. I'd throw in a second playable race to toggle from (players get two "profiles") just to add depth, diversity, and a second entirely different gameplay experience.

As long as players are able to toggle any and all items at anytime, anywhere, you have failed. Swords (different types with different swing patterns and functions, not just looks or damage points unless it has a disadvantage), shields, gloves, boots, capes, belts, shirts ... Any basic item. Exchange points. Make me need to visit these places again and again to use different types of items for a while.

"Collect-em-all" is the death of movement, including economically. It's not just about obtaining, but dancing (moving back and forth throughout the world).

And a less congested game will be more popular, lag less, etc.

It might be even smart to make players collect map pieces to see the whole map ... Make them explore from the get-go. They can see names but clouds cover places not mapped. Give bigger use to the mercatory.

Just little stuff. Nothing crazy. I'd love to see clothes come back as racks throughout the game so I have to travel to play dress up forever, maybe request and reexplore dungeons and towers to access them ... Pay for some ... Quests designed specifically to get some .. Achieve certain items or use different boots and gloves to get to some ... Then every expression of the players take a little bit of work, and everyone would always be moving making the whole world meaningful and the heart more sacred and less clustered, and give some extra oomf and pride to the expressions of clothes, heads, shields, items, etc. You have to make them travel to access (change) the things they love or they'll sit in Graal city, PK for a minute and get bored.

That being said, the "exchange points" for items and vanity items can be anything; maybe a quest, a shop, a salesman, a house. Make them replay quests to change items and costumes. Put secret spots everywhere with different exchange items (in quests, houses, fields).

A man can dream.

... I realize it will most likely never happen, because players have spent real money on stuff. It's the solution, it was the solution then and it is now; it may have to be used sparingly at first. Anyway, again, I realize it may never happen.

Also warpzones should only be proximity unstick me zones. Just to clarify. Warp rings ruin the adventure  

Moving on. I miss gerudo village where the mace was. Top left. The gardens by Supernick Spar Arena (before that ugly building showed up). The spaceship. The original Graal castle. The dark woods. The mines. Pachuka's levels (copyright dispute; maybe he forgives and let you use it). Yoshi city (rename to Dino then). Kaos' cave. Bruges' villa (where Pegasus boots should be found). The birds that flew around the server and could be called with a flute. The old simplified ying-yang and GUI graphics & grass, the sanctuary by Graal castle.

What about the big barefoot guy who needed boots to take you down "over the mountain"? The white Graal?

Azrael or Pachuka used to throw the leafy floor tiles and it would kill everyone in the room. Pachuka had some weird objects he threw ... Including the black Graal that came later. Killed everyone. They would throw random full-level bomb parties blowing everyone up in the room. Evil duo ;)  

Posted by antago

The server is the body and the players are the blood; the heart is always congested because there is no use to travel abroad, and players see the congestion and the vacancy and quickly know where to stay to socialize. Make the boots exchangeable; make the trident and sword exchangeable somewhere; make different gloves that pick up different items and a shop to exchange them with important fun areas that are blocked by different items including throughout various main passageways; put unstick me points in each town and relative calculations to promote realism and reduce centralizing the cast of the server; let players exchange various items at various shops for different items that do equally different things; make sure all towns have a bed somewhere for refilling; let players exchange bodies and shields and stuff at different points (maybe, I know it's radical); once you create movement, the players will fall in love with their own travels and places—and the exchange points have to be unique and not every kind available in every town. Until there is movement, without going into superiority: which do I prefer this moment, the trident, the Axe, the sword, the hammer (they each do different things), which boots do I want or need right now, which shield (maybe shields that mirror things, deflect, can be swung, are bigger but heavier, etc.) ... The game's heart will remain collapsed and so will the player's heart. Make them dance ... Make the heart beat and the blood flow. I'd throw in a second playable race to toggle from (players get two "profiles") just to add depth, diversity, and a second entirely different gameplay experience.

As long as players are able to toggle any and all items at anytime, anywhere, you have failed. Swords (different types with different swing patterns and functions, not just looks or damage points unless it has a disadvantage), shields, gloves, boots, capes, belts, shirts ... Any basic item. Exchange points. Make me need to visit these places again and again to use different types of items for a while.

"Collect-em-all" is the death of movement, including economically. It's not just about obtaining, but dancing (moving back and forth throughout the world).

And a less congested game will be more popular, lag less, etc.

It might be even smart to make players collect map pieces to see the whole map ... Make them explore from the get-go. They can see names but clouds cover places not mapped. Give bigger use to the mercatory.

Just little stuff. Nothing crazy. I'd love to see clothes come back as racks throughout the game so I have to travel to play dress up forever, maybe request and reexplore dungeons and towers to access them ... Pay for some ... Quests designed specifically to get some .. Achieve certain items or use different boots and gloves to get to some ... Then every expression of the players take a little bit of work, and everyone would always be moving making the whole world meaningful and the heart more sacred and less clustered, and give some extra oomf and pride to the expressions of clothes, heads, shields, items, etc. You have to make them travel to access (change) the things they love or they'll sit in Graal city, PK for a minute and get bored.

That being said, the "exchange points" for items and vanity items can be anything; maybe a quest, a shop, a salesman, a house. Make them replay quests to change items and costumes. Put secret spots everywhere with different exchange items (in quests, houses, fields).

A man can dream.

... I realize it will most likely never happen, because players have spent real money on stuff. It's the solution, it was the solution then and it is now; it may have to be used sparingly at first. Anyway, again, I realize it may never happen.

Also warpzones should only be proximity unstick me zones. Just to clarify. Warp rings ruin the adventure

I like the way you think. Obviously not everything you've said is realistic, given where the game is now. But I love the overall concept you're trying to pitch. I love tons of your ideas.

I just love the overall idea of putting more emphasis on travelling to different areas of the map in order to obtain and use different items/weapons. Perhaps coupling this concept with an increasing gralat fee that resets daily (much like how the cartographer currently functions) would be a good idea as well. Thus limiting the amount of times you can switch between certain things (that may provide too much of an advantage if able to be switched freely without charge) per day.

I think the recent addition of the maps with the release of Destiny was a great idea and is a step in the right direction, as it encourages players to explore (the only issue is that there's a finite number of hats/morphs to collect from this, as of now).

Exploration is and always has been my favourite part of Graal. Exploring the world as a noob was so much fun. And quitting for almost 2 years and coming back, I got to almost relive that experience. I agree there needs to be more incentive for players to re-visit different areas. However, I wouldn't expect (nor would I want) current gameplay elements to be drastically changed. I don't want to lose anything in my inventory, nor do I want character customization to change from the way it current functions. However, I think there's still a LOT that can be added, and infused in such a way that encourages movement and adds a level of depth, while still keeping the game "balanced" in the way that Classic has always been (in its current incarnation, anyway).  

I had this idea to add a hunter NPC into the game. He'll give you small hunting jobs, such as "Kill 5 snakes, 3 bats, and 3 blobs" for a small amount of gralats, or for more gralats "Kill a bomb rat or flaming blob" etc. He'll give you the corresponding amount of gralats if you talk to him again after you complete each quest. This could also be used as a daily quest. I think this would be a good incentive to get players to visit all areas of the map more often.  

Posted by Brick

I had this idea to add a hunter NPC into the game. He'll give you small hunting jobs, such as "Kill 5 snakes, 3 bats, and 3 blobs" for a small amount of gralats, or for more gralats "Kill a bomb rat or flaming blob" etc. He'll give you the corresponding amount of gralats if you talk to him again after you complete each quest. This could also be used as a daily quest. I think this would be a good incentive to get players to visit all areas of the map more often.

This would be a great idea, but maybe change the "gralats" to new items that he gives you to sell to other NPC's(they give you money) it would do the same thing but makes players visit areas even more.  

I'm a huge fan of the Crab Chance!

Babord would be nice and villagy  

Imagine if unix just allowed iclassic to take the adventures quests 'as everything uploaded to graal is graal's' and then all that could be blended into iclassic, then, then the community would actually be bit happier with production. (Ik its time consuming but why haven't you guys just set aside a team to do that stuff and another team to do the other stuff thats usually only few hats etc)
p.s. I don't see any of the stuff done 'make players/I want to come back'? the community itself is only reason many stay.