Easy-peasy. Thread is for gratuitous praise for things you think the Starmourn Admin, your/other faction leaders, or just rando players did that deserves it!
I'll start! Starmourn has a lot more non-standard sexuality/romance options than I was expecting from an IRE game. Non-binary as a gender option for gendered species, a race completely without gender, non-plural marriages, races that explicitly don't 'do' monogamy, the fact that they're called "Dynasties" and not "Families" to allow for non-familial relationships (even if they're mechanically basically just families).
I love the variety in the classes while still having classes have clearly defined themes and such.
I love that Scatterhome seems to be just as much of a chaotic masterpiece of idiocy and wonderment that we've been arguing in FT about what Scatterhome even is for about a week now.
My friends can vouch for my undying hatred of IRE games, the credit model, the PVE model, the inherent toxic power structures that come about as a result of the above, and so on and so on.
I was pressured into trying things out here by a diehard fan who had to hem and haw for quite a while to get me to agree to try it.
I love the tongue-in-cheek and very accessible feel of a lot of the game. It's lost the haughtiness and impenetrability of games like Aetolia and Imperian and instead greets you at the door with a shot of whiskey, a mug of hot cocoa and a greeting full of sarcasm and profanity.
The way the game defies IRE veteran expectations. I kept wondering what I was gonna do about bullets, but it turned out I didn't need any. I was worried about flying so far from my home sector before I realized my ship didn't need fuel. I kept wondering how I was gonna afford food, then I realized I wasn't getting hungry or thirsty. I hunted for four hours straight and it occurred to me that I had no endurance or willpower to worry about. At every point where my experience with the other games had me expecting something to be a pain in the ass, Starmourn's like "nah, it's cool, we're not worried about it."
The hilariously campy dialogue in the level 5 main quest. "Boy, I sure do love my possessions! If someone were to take my things, they'd have a fight on their hands!"
The Subnet of Litharge. This is, hands-down, the creepiest area I've ever encountered in an IRE game. Sure, Aetolia has a forest made of elf corpses, but that's old hat. Being literal kilometers beneath the surface of the planet, stuck in this old, fetid labyrinth of an ancient and abandoned city, with no light, full of drug addicts and mutants, every room describing how there's barely even any air. And don't get me started on the reservoir. I got actual chills.
I keep going AFK to get coffee every time I die, only to be surprised that I'm alive when I get back. The death sequence is so short.
Speaking of defying IRE pains-in-the-ass: we can learn as many lessons as we want? And the lesson takes about four seconds? Holy shit!
Despite it being gold drops with more steps, finding and selling junk feels so much more satisfying than the old method. I like the risk in having your stuff stolen when you die, too.
Incredibly quick turnaround on important code/balance/QoL issues. You really get the sense the staff are just busting ass to get this game shipshape.
The community in the Celestine Ascendancy. I made a mistake, choosing Scatterhome as my first faction. I think it could be good, but it has some serious growing pains. It and I were not a good fit. CA is welcoming and comparatively very peaceful.
There's something really thematically soothing about idling in your ship while it's docked at a space station.
Starmourn isn't perfect, and it's not as if there aren't problems (it's open beta after all), but so far this game has been a great example of what happens when an IRE MUD embraces the last two decades of gaming. It's just plain fun. Once the emoting system is fixed I feel comfortable saying this will probably be my new home.
The way the game defies IRE veteran expectations. I kept wondering what I was gonna do about bullets, but it turned out I didn't need any. I was worried about flying so far from my home sector before I realized my ship didn't need fuel. I kept wondering how I was gonna afford food, then I realized I wasn't getting hungry or thirsty. I hunted for four hours straight and it occurred to me that I had no endurance or willpower to worry about. At every point where my experience with the other games had me expecting something to be a pain in the ass, Starmourn's like "nah, it's cool, we're not worried about it."
You put into words exactly something I was having trouble articulating.
I like character customization stuff. Not having to pay for basic things like how you walk in and walk out of a room.
Also going through the beginning quests and thinking in the back of my mind how much gold I'd need before I'd have a ship to visit space, then all the sudden I have my own ship.
So many quality of life items that are just free. Like CONFIG DEATHSIGHT ON. Right now I have starts in my eyes, and everything is shiny and new, but I feel like I'm visiting someone's home admiring all their things and they are like "Oh you like that, here you go, it's yours!"
I haven't even gotten to the point where I have to mess with it much, but just conceptually, wetwiring!
The entire mess of afflictions and cures in Achaea made my soul hurt. I don't have to buy, carry, and manage 14 different vials, I don't need an interdimensional walk-in closet to store 1400 different herbs, I'm not mysteriously juggling and smoking pipes in the heat of combat, and most of all, I don't need an operating system's worth of triggers and highlights to manage it all.
Despite the horrible state of bashing choices at the higher levels, I REALLY love the leveling model in Starmourn. In other IRE games you can get the first eighty levels in a solid weekend then it takes months to get the last few and it is infuriating that you just don't feel any progression for so long. In Starmourn the grind is spread out between the levels so while there is still a serious time investment needed, you can feel your progress throughout the entire process.
I also am in love with the gear system. Being able to upgrade individual pieces as you level is a great addition to the game and makes the grind to end game a little more fun. The elation of upgrading your piece by 10 levels is great!
I know this has been voiced many times, but I want to say it again - thank you @Tecton and team. You've been on the ball about almost every issue the players have had, and have been extremely vigilant in watching for issues here in the forums, in game through ISSUE and BUG, and even (bless your heart) in the Discord, while still allowing for proper discussion as long as it was there to be had. You're all doing an amazing job and it shows.
I submitted a bug after I finished a quest but wasn't given a completion/reward, and then started idling while I bemoaned my great misfortune. Approximately 10 minutes later the quest was completed for me and the bug listed as fixed.
Belated thanks to @Eukelade for making the final hours of the last year by fixing the main quest I was stuck on. And three continued cheers for the whole game for running this whole show so well.
I really like a lot of the conversations people have been having in the forums lately. A lot of good ideas shared and a lot of valid points brought up.
Bug #3938 has been resolved as part of a merged bug with the following message: Char.Afflictions.List will now be sent when you `diag`, and Char.Defences.List will now be sent when you use `def`. You can use BUG 3938 at any time to see this information again.
My PoV: Maruna stomps her foot down on the shrunken form of Ronin Sa'rogue with a cruel smirk. Viscera and gore splatter out from underfoot as he is crushed under the pressure.
Their PoV: Maruna stomps her foot down on your miniaturized form, and in spite of your efforts to fend off the attack, your weakened body offers little resistance. The last thing you see before everything goes black is your torso exploding under the pressure, sending your innards flying out of your body in a splatter of blood and ichor.
This is disgusting and I love it. I wish heartbreaker wasn't so horribly bland.
Comments
I love that Scatterhome seems to be just as much of a chaotic masterpiece of idiocy and wonderment that we've been arguing in FT about what Scatterhome even is for about a week now.
I was pressured into trying things out here by a diehard fan who had to hem and haw for quite a while to get me to agree to try it.
I'm glad I did.
Congrats on winning the arm wrestling contest!
- The way the game defies IRE veteran expectations. I kept wondering what I was gonna do about bullets, but it turned out I didn't need any. I was worried about flying so far from my home sector before I realized my ship didn't need fuel. I kept wondering how I was gonna afford food, then I realized I wasn't getting hungry or thirsty. I hunted for four hours straight and it occurred to me that I had no endurance or willpower to worry about. At every point where my experience with the other games had me expecting something to be a pain in the ass, Starmourn's like "nah, it's cool, we're not worried about it."
- The hilariously campy dialogue in the level 5 main quest. "Boy, I sure do love my possessions! If someone were to take my things, they'd have a fight on their hands!"
- The Subnet of Litharge. This is, hands-down, the creepiest area I've ever encountered in an IRE game. Sure, Aetolia has a forest made of elf corpses, but that's old hat. Being literal kilometers beneath the surface of the planet, stuck in this old, fetid labyrinth of an ancient and abandoned city, with no light, full of drug addicts and mutants, every room describing how there's barely even any air. And don't get me started on the reservoir. I got actual chills.
- I keep going AFK to get coffee every time I die, only to be surprised that I'm alive when I get back. The death sequence is so short.
- Speaking of defying IRE pains-in-the-ass: we can learn as many lessons as we want? And the lesson takes about four seconds? Holy shit!
- Despite it being gold drops with more steps, finding and selling junk feels so much more satisfying than the old method. I like the risk in having your stuff stolen when you die, too.
- Incredibly quick turnaround on important code/balance/QoL issues. You really get the sense the staff are just busting ass to get this game shipshape.
- The community in the Celestine Ascendancy. I made a mistake, choosing Scatterhome as my first faction. I think it could be good, but it has some serious growing pains. It and I were not a good fit. CA is welcoming and comparatively very peaceful.
- There's something really thematically soothing about idling in your ship while it's docked at a space station.
Starmourn isn't perfect, and it's not as if there aren't problems (it's open beta after all), but so far this game has been a great example of what happens when an IRE MUD embraces the last two decades of gaming. It's just plain fun. Once the emoting system is fixed I feel comfortable saying this will probably be my new home.I like character customization stuff. Not having to pay for basic things like how you walk in and walk out of a room.
Also going through the beginning quests and thinking in the back of my mind how much gold I'd need before I'd have a ship to visit space, then all the sudden I have my own ship.
So many quality of life items that are just free. Like CONFIG DEATHSIGHT ON. Right now I have starts in my eyes, and everything is shiny and new, but I feel like I'm visiting someone's home admiring all their things and they are like "Oh you like that, here you go, it's yours!"
I'm having a great time.
The entire mess of afflictions and cures in Achaea made my soul hurt. I don't have to buy, carry, and manage 14 different vials, I don't need an interdimensional walk-in closet to store 1400 different herbs, I'm not mysteriously juggling and smoking pipes in the heat of combat, and most of all, I don't need an operating system's worth of triggers and highlights to manage it all.
I also am in love with the gear system. Being able to upgrade individual pieces as you level is a great addition to the game and makes the grind to end game a little more fun. The elation of upgrading your piece by 10 levels is great!
Their PoV: Maruna stomps her foot down on your miniaturized form, and in spite of your efforts to fend off the attack, your weakened body offers little resistance. The last thing you see before everything goes black is your torso exploding under the pressure, sending your innards flying out of your body in a splatter of blood and ichor.
This is disgusting and I love it. I wish heartbreaker wasn't so horribly bland.
Written by: Oryx
Date: Monday, January 7th, 2019
Addressed to:
The LANDMARKS command now displays landmarks for the entire celestial body, rather than just the immediate local area.
Landmarks have been added to the capitals of each racial homeworld.