That build is ontop of the standard build 12.1(full) - just so its all clear.
Any remarks i make are not intended to offend any work of any of the modders - i'm just going to post things as they occur to me, and am perfectly willing to be shown the error of my ways. So nothing that might appear here is meant to be taken personaly - i'm just trying to help make PotC a better <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sailr.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="
" border="0" alt="sailr.gif" />
I've joind the bug traker thing and just having pre-build13 as a bug reporting option is ok for this latest beta right?
I must admit i dont have much expereince with using such a site, so what i'll probably do is post all the things that occur to me here while playtesting, and make distinctions between things that i think are bugs and things that might just be balance issues of features that might be in need of relooking at. Please feel free to join in with your bugs/suggestions/replies etc.
When i'm sure something is a bug i can then put it on the bugtracker site <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="
" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
I'll head the issues diferently, so i can keep a better track of whats really bugs or not. I think these categories should cover most things:
gameplay - this is refering to a part of the game that could do with a better solution?
bug - hopefuly a real bug
graphic - a graphical issue
sound - a sound/music issue
dialogue - a text/dialogue issue
Quest - a quest related issue
Interface - an interface issue
I will combine options when needed, so a bug/graphic title will focus the attention to that' and where i can a possible suggestion for a solution.
Everything below is in addition to the already mentioned issues(like all nations neutral etc).
7/10/06(old Beta3 - not latest)
<b>1. Gameplay:</b> from game start with just 2 points on leadership, its very easy as a level 1 or 2 character to haggle the price of recruited officers down when hireing them - <b>suggest</b> a way to limit the amount of attempts player can have to haggle with them(maybe set to players level+1? level 1 = 2 haggle attempts?)
<b>2. Bug/gameplay:</b> The dialogue automenu that opens after an Officer is recruited is not really needed - it also causes a weird glitch if you recruit someone from the upper floor of a tavern, as you have this discussion while that Officer is not present(they are always downstairs) - <b>suggest</b> not auto opening that dialogue. the players first option is to exchange items most likely anyway.
<b>3. Bug/graphic:</b> On a few occasions i was left with a gunpowder graphic(for pistols etc) in my item inventory while not actualy having any left - when i go into a store it displays that i have 0 of gunpowder.
<b>4. Gameplay:</b> The issue of Officers personal money - various options have been talked about, i think a simple low limit of cash on a recruitable officer would solve the problem. <b>suggest</b> keep recruitable officers personal money to 1000 and under - a more detailed system could be worked on for a later build.
<b>5. Bug/graphic:</b> Cash on an Officer(when in the exchange screen) sometimes shown with 7 zeros after the amount. e.g 6368.0000000
<b>6. Gameplay:</b> If a player hires then fires an Officer the Officer should dislike the player(at the moment they have cordial/friendly remarks) and possbily cause a reduction in players reputation/and/or other negative effect . This would help stop players recruiting an officer to simply take their items and then dismissing them.
<b>7. Graphic:</b> minor - come up with a not so real player pic for Captain James Norrington(even though it is a cool pic) so it fits in better with ohter char portraits. <b>suggest</b> maybe chuck that pic in photoshop and run a filter?
<b>8. Bug/graphic:</b> missing portrait of 'Beatrice'(name of hireable officer diferent - but model of char is Beatrice from AoP) character when in dialogue mode in tavern - graphic appears fine in passenger list when recruited, just not present in initial dialgue.
<b>9. Gameplay:</b> Noticed you can get a few high ranking Officers at game start for very cheap(hireing price starts at only 2000) e.g. my level 5 carpenter with repair skill of 8(+sailing 4). As a recruitable officer for a level 1 or 2 player they are maybe too good and too cheap(especialy as you can haggle them right down)? <b>suggest</b> either a limit on high level Officers to recruit at game start(say max 1-2 levels above player?) and/or increaseing initial hireing cost significantly(each level of officer = +1000 hireing cost to base)?
<b>10. Gameplay:</b> Hardly get female Officers to recruit now - i found 1 out of 20 candidates at game start. probably better than beta(2) where nearly every other Officer was a female 'tough', but for those that want to have 1 or 2 female officers at game start maybe look at making them a little more common? This seemed to apply to Doctors also?
<b>FIXED</b> in latest Beta(3) - atleast if it wasn't just bad luck that first time through the old beta3?
<b>11. Bug?:</b> In storm mode(storm screen when sailing) only my character and my gunner seemed to be gaing experience - only those two chars had their xp reported in the text update thing in the top left of the screen. I had all 3 officers in crew positions(a navigator and a carpenter) - but only the gunner + myself were mentioned. I even switched Officers around in the passenger list but it made no difference.
<b>Resolved</b> - all active officers do get xp, even if not updated as such on screen during storm.
<b>12. Bug:</b> During a tavern brawl - the Officer(recruitable) that had been sitting downsairs spawned a replica of himself that stood in the middle of the table he was sitting at. both existed, just duplicates.
TO DUPLICATE BUG: try saving and reloading within the tavern and pay close attention to the npcs inside.
Thats all i've got so far but i agree with others comments that so far this Beta3 is the best of the betas so far as i can tell, but i think we still need to do a fair bit of testing/work before build13 is good to go.
09/10/06(old Beta3 - not latest)
<b>13. Gameplay/suggest:</b> reduce amount of xp gained when trying to pick a lock - does it always give xp to your officers as well, or is that just if you have 'shared experience' picked as a character trait? should only go to 'lock picker'(unless using shared xp trait).
<b>14. Gameplay/suggest:</b> when picking locks in peoples houses+you are discovered(resident attacks you) you should lose some reputation.
<b>15. bug/sound:</b> when transitioning from 3D sailing mode to mini-map sailing mode you always get the "land Ahoy!" speech - even if in the middle of the ocean with no land present - i dont think it used to do this?
<b>16. Dialogue/suggest:</b> The players response to Simon Hanpool in GreenFord tavern seems too harsh/mad in the opening conversation. He(Simon) compliments the player of looking distinguished and you only have the option to critise his ability to run his tavern! a good way to gaurantee you will get the watered down(and spat in) rum imho! maybe tone down the harsh player dialogue for that bit?
<b>17. Bug/Quest:</b> During the 'liberate Oxbay' Quest, you can get an issue where you cant get access to the greenford Tavern when escorting the ship with english troops from Redmond to Greenford. I arrived at night, having lost my crew to starvation on the way, and could not recruit anymore crew(tavern shut). I then couldn't sail anywhere to carry on with the quest + had to reload.
<b>18. Bug/Dialogue:</b> Directions to Grey Rock Beach(for the mission mentioned above in No:17) are wrong now that we have a differnt map and orientation of the islands. The contact you meet on the dock says "travel North East out of the bay and head North around the Island" - this should now be "travel North West out of the bay and head South around the island"
<b>19. Bug/CTD!</b> During brawl with french troops comeing to arrest Tobias in Oxbay Tavern(during liberate Oxbay questline). happend when one of the two double spawned tavern npcs got killed in cross fire. So i think this is an issue with npc's spawning copies of themselves in the tavern sections.
<b>20. CTD!</b> Trying to flee Oxbay on the french ship that has been bribed to switch sides and sail to redmond during the closing part of the 'liberate Oxbay' quest line. From the point where you find yourself under fire from the fort i've had three CTDs during my attempts to escape, all at seemingly different and random points(one during using spyglass and scrolling view around/one after recieving a volley of cannon fire from the fort+ ships/one simply turning my ship to get a better breeze - i had nearly escaped on this one...grrrr).
Wondering if it could be to do with the neutality of all sides now? as it seemed random if the other local french ships would be red in my radar and attack me or remain grey and neutral?
<b>21. Interface</b> when in 3D sailing mode and you enter any of the rather cool new ship screens like Captains Cabin/Crew Deck/Cargo Deck, return key brings up a little options menu with icons of legs(fast travel), Sea(back to top deck and 3D sailing mode) and doorway - doorway icon does nothing?
<b>22. Graphic/minor</b> the New exit from Greenford to the path to Oxbay uses a graphic with a large church/mansion visable just behind the wall after the exit. This is the exit from Greenford so only jungle is actualy on the other side of the wall - is there another graphic we can use for that?
<b>23. bug/gameplay</b> Injured crew dont regenerate health when not in your active party - so you can sail for months and they will never heal untill back on land and part of your party.
<b>24. minor/very minor:</b> in About Build>Credits>"List of build 13 modders include:" - Screwface is listed twice, once after Pieter, and once after Captain August.
Also i note in "Other people" category a little further down, there is the name Child of Thor - i think thats me, although its a bit weird cause it was a name i used to use over at Apolyton.net(where i helped in the old days with the Call To Power II modding project), and i wasn't aware i also used that name here if i did it must have been the very first time i came here - oh and what did i do anyway to appear in the mod credits??
<b>25. super minor/graphic:</b> When in the starting tutorial the map on the desk in the cabin shows the old PotC map - not the current one, like i said super minor! Along those lines it would be nice if the tutorial sectons cabin matched with the players ship cabin(now we have those excellent different cabins) - again super minor issue maybe worth noting?
<b>26. Bug:</b>Not finding bandages or cautarisation kits so far in my game, either in random loot or in stores. thats with a character between levels 1 and 4, and i explore eveywhere and everything!
<b>27. Bug/gameplay:</b>Never find either bullets or gunpowder on dead enemies?
<b>28. Graphic/minor:</b> when in walking mode(yes i do like to actualy walk sometimes when on land <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> ) as opposed to running mode - i notice the Officers in your party often 'clip' into the range of your following camera view - they can sometimes get in the way of the view. Is it possible to make your party members stay behind the set camera distance to stop this happening?
<b>29. bug?/Gameplay:</b> Where do you sell: blunderbuss/grenade/poison weapons+items etc? i would like to sell some.
<b>30. bug?/text:</b> in a busy port(8 ships) while in 3D sailing i had two ships(of different class and type) both have the same name. The weird thing was the name was in russian i think "ImmortalitN" - where the last N was a russian character with an accent above it. It didnt effect anything that i could tell - but it was odd seeing two different ships with the same slightly odd name?
Any remarks i make are not intended to offend any work of any of the modders - i'm just going to post things as they occur to me, and am perfectly willing to be shown the error of my ways. So nothing that might appear here is meant to be taken personaly - i'm just trying to help make PotC a better <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sailr.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="
" border="0" alt="sailr.gif" />I've joind the bug traker thing and just having pre-build13 as a bug reporting option is ok for this latest beta right?
I must admit i dont have much expereince with using such a site, so what i'll probably do is post all the things that occur to me here while playtesting, and make distinctions between things that i think are bugs and things that might just be balance issues of features that might be in need of relooking at. Please feel free to join in with your bugs/suggestions/replies etc.
When i'm sure something is a bug i can then put it on the bugtracker site <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="
" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />I'll head the issues diferently, so i can keep a better track of whats really bugs or not. I think these categories should cover most things:
gameplay - this is refering to a part of the game that could do with a better solution?
bug - hopefuly a real bug
graphic - a graphical issue
sound - a sound/music issue
dialogue - a text/dialogue issue
Quest - a quest related issue
Interface - an interface issue
I will combine options when needed, so a bug/graphic title will focus the attention to that' and where i can a possible suggestion for a solution.
Everything below is in addition to the already mentioned issues(like all nations neutral etc).
7/10/06(old Beta3 - not latest)
<b>1. Gameplay:</b> from game start with just 2 points on leadership, its very easy as a level 1 or 2 character to haggle the price of recruited officers down when hireing them - <b>suggest</b> a way to limit the amount of attempts player can have to haggle with them(maybe set to players level+1? level 1 = 2 haggle attempts?)
<b>2. Bug/gameplay:</b> The dialogue automenu that opens after an Officer is recruited is not really needed - it also causes a weird glitch if you recruit someone from the upper floor of a tavern, as you have this discussion while that Officer is not present(they are always downstairs) - <b>suggest</b> not auto opening that dialogue. the players first option is to exchange items most likely anyway.
<b>3. Bug/graphic:</b> On a few occasions i was left with a gunpowder graphic(for pistols etc) in my item inventory while not actualy having any left - when i go into a store it displays that i have 0 of gunpowder.
<b>4. Gameplay:</b> The issue of Officers personal money - various options have been talked about, i think a simple low limit of cash on a recruitable officer would solve the problem. <b>suggest</b> keep recruitable officers personal money to 1000 and under - a more detailed system could be worked on for a later build.
<b>5. Bug/graphic:</b> Cash on an Officer(when in the exchange screen) sometimes shown with 7 zeros after the amount. e.g 6368.0000000
<b>6. Gameplay:</b> If a player hires then fires an Officer the Officer should dislike the player(at the moment they have cordial/friendly remarks) and possbily cause a reduction in players reputation/and/or other negative effect . This would help stop players recruiting an officer to simply take their items and then dismissing them.
<b>7. Graphic:</b> minor - come up with a not so real player pic for Captain James Norrington(even though it is a cool pic) so it fits in better with ohter char portraits. <b>suggest</b> maybe chuck that pic in photoshop and run a filter?
<b>8. Bug/graphic:</b> missing portrait of 'Beatrice'(name of hireable officer diferent - but model of char is Beatrice from AoP) character when in dialogue mode in tavern - graphic appears fine in passenger list when recruited, just not present in initial dialgue.
<b>9. Gameplay:</b> Noticed you can get a few high ranking Officers at game start for very cheap(hireing price starts at only 2000) e.g. my level 5 carpenter with repair skill of 8(+sailing 4). As a recruitable officer for a level 1 or 2 player they are maybe too good and too cheap(especialy as you can haggle them right down)? <b>suggest</b> either a limit on high level Officers to recruit at game start(say max 1-2 levels above player?) and/or increaseing initial hireing cost significantly(each level of officer = +1000 hireing cost to base)?
<b>10. Gameplay:</b> Hardly get female Officers to recruit now - i found 1 out of 20 candidates at game start. probably better than beta(2) where nearly every other Officer was a female 'tough', but for those that want to have 1 or 2 female officers at game start maybe look at making them a little more common? This seemed to apply to Doctors also?
<b>FIXED</b> in latest Beta(3) - atleast if it wasn't just bad luck that first time through the old beta3?
<b>11. Bug?:</b> In storm mode(storm screen when sailing) only my character and my gunner seemed to be gaing experience - only those two chars had their xp reported in the text update thing in the top left of the screen. I had all 3 officers in crew positions(a navigator and a carpenter) - but only the gunner + myself were mentioned. I even switched Officers around in the passenger list but it made no difference.
<b>Resolved</b> - all active officers do get xp, even if not updated as such on screen during storm.
<b>12. Bug:</b> During a tavern brawl - the Officer(recruitable) that had been sitting downsairs spawned a replica of himself that stood in the middle of the table he was sitting at. both existed, just duplicates.
TO DUPLICATE BUG: try saving and reloading within the tavern and pay close attention to the npcs inside.
Thats all i've got so far but i agree with others comments that so far this Beta3 is the best of the betas so far as i can tell, but i think we still need to do a fair bit of testing/work before build13 is good to go.
09/10/06(old Beta3 - not latest)
<b>13. Gameplay/suggest:</b> reduce amount of xp gained when trying to pick a lock - does it always give xp to your officers as well, or is that just if you have 'shared experience' picked as a character trait? should only go to 'lock picker'(unless using shared xp trait).
<b>14. Gameplay/suggest:</b> when picking locks in peoples houses+you are discovered(resident attacks you) you should lose some reputation.
<b>15. bug/sound:</b> when transitioning from 3D sailing mode to mini-map sailing mode you always get the "land Ahoy!" speech - even if in the middle of the ocean with no land present - i dont think it used to do this?
<b>16. Dialogue/suggest:</b> The players response to Simon Hanpool in GreenFord tavern seems too harsh/mad in the opening conversation. He(Simon) compliments the player of looking distinguished and you only have the option to critise his ability to run his tavern! a good way to gaurantee you will get the watered down(and spat in) rum imho! maybe tone down the harsh player dialogue for that bit?
<b>17. Bug/Quest:</b> During the 'liberate Oxbay' Quest, you can get an issue where you cant get access to the greenford Tavern when escorting the ship with english troops from Redmond to Greenford. I arrived at night, having lost my crew to starvation on the way, and could not recruit anymore crew(tavern shut). I then couldn't sail anywhere to carry on with the quest + had to reload.
<b>18. Bug/Dialogue:</b> Directions to Grey Rock Beach(for the mission mentioned above in No:17) are wrong now that we have a differnt map and orientation of the islands. The contact you meet on the dock says "travel North East out of the bay and head North around the Island" - this should now be "travel North West out of the bay and head South around the island"
<b>19. Bug/CTD!</b> During brawl with french troops comeing to arrest Tobias in Oxbay Tavern(during liberate Oxbay questline). happend when one of the two double spawned tavern npcs got killed in cross fire. So i think this is an issue with npc's spawning copies of themselves in the tavern sections.
<b>20. CTD!</b> Trying to flee Oxbay on the french ship that has been bribed to switch sides and sail to redmond during the closing part of the 'liberate Oxbay' quest line. From the point where you find yourself under fire from the fort i've had three CTDs during my attempts to escape, all at seemingly different and random points(one during using spyglass and scrolling view around/one after recieving a volley of cannon fire from the fort+ ships/one simply turning my ship to get a better breeze - i had nearly escaped on this one...grrrr).
Wondering if it could be to do with the neutality of all sides now? as it seemed random if the other local french ships would be red in my radar and attack me or remain grey and neutral?
<b>21. Interface</b> when in 3D sailing mode and you enter any of the rather cool new ship screens like Captains Cabin/Crew Deck/Cargo Deck, return key brings up a little options menu with icons of legs(fast travel), Sea(back to top deck and 3D sailing mode) and doorway - doorway icon does nothing?
<b>22. Graphic/minor</b> the New exit from Greenford to the path to Oxbay uses a graphic with a large church/mansion visable just behind the wall after the exit. This is the exit from Greenford so only jungle is actualy on the other side of the wall - is there another graphic we can use for that?
<b>23. bug/gameplay</b> Injured crew dont regenerate health when not in your active party - so you can sail for months and they will never heal untill back on land and part of your party.
<b>24. minor/very minor:</b> in About Build>Credits>"List of build 13 modders include:" - Screwface is listed twice, once after Pieter, and once after Captain August.
Also i note in "Other people" category a little further down, there is the name Child of Thor - i think thats me, although its a bit weird cause it was a name i used to use over at Apolyton.net(where i helped in the old days with the Call To Power II modding project), and i wasn't aware i also used that name here if i did it must have been the very first time i came here - oh and what did i do anyway to appear in the mod credits??
<b>25. super minor/graphic:</b> When in the starting tutorial the map on the desk in the cabin shows the old PotC map - not the current one, like i said super minor! Along those lines it would be nice if the tutorial sectons cabin matched with the players ship cabin(now we have those excellent different cabins) - again super minor issue maybe worth noting?
<b>26. Bug:</b>Not finding bandages or cautarisation kits so far in my game, either in random loot or in stores. thats with a character between levels 1 and 4, and i explore eveywhere and everything!
<b>27. Bug/gameplay:</b>Never find either bullets or gunpowder on dead enemies?
<b>28. Graphic/minor:</b> when in walking mode(yes i do like to actualy walk sometimes when on land <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="
" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> ) as opposed to running mode - i notice the Officers in your party often 'clip' into the range of your following camera view - they can sometimes get in the way of the view. Is it possible to make your party members stay behind the set camera distance to stop this happening?<b>29. bug?/Gameplay:</b> Where do you sell: blunderbuss/grenade/poison weapons+items etc? i would like to sell some.
<b>30. bug?/text:</b> in a busy port(8 ships) while in 3D sailing i had two ships(of different class and type) both have the same name. The weird thing was the name was in russian i think "ImmortalitN" - where the last N was a russian character with an accent above it. It didnt effect anything that i could tell - but it was odd seeing two different ships with the same slightly odd name?
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