Print Page - What would make the game sky-rocket again?

Game & Forum Discussion => Game Discussion => Topic started by: Saba on November 20, 2019, 07:25:52 pm

Title: What would make the game sky-rocket again?
Post by: Saba on November 20, 2019, 07:25:52 pm

Whenever I see Feralheart I can't help but compare it to other games. Out-dated is what this game is at the moment. It no longer attracts people to join in large amounts. Don't get me wrong, I love this game and the people we have here. But this game simply no longer looks as good. There may be people who will argue on this and that is understandable. This is solely my own opinion. C:

Graphics and the way the game is coded is the problem for the most part. Luckily, with coding we will cope eventually as very dedicated people popped up recently C:
What we could do is replacing default meshes. Character models might be a little tricky but stuff like rocks and foliage wouldn't be too much of a problem. But with that comes a question. What style should we use in the future? Realistic or cartoonish? A poll could be made on the forum and people could voice their opinions. Depending on the results, the game could take steps forward. With new meshes, the game will keep it's purpose but could look better.

Once we get past the coding stuff, game could experience major changes which would be beneficial. This of course takes a lot of time so we would have to be very patient.
Game also desperately needs promotion if it's to survive for years to come. No one can change my mind on that. What once used to be 300 people is now about 83.

Also, while I understand it's for the safety reasons, having to log in on the page itself is pretty annoying. One will rethink their choice to play due to that.

Title: Re: What would make the game sky-rocket again?
Post by: Oddonelynx on November 20, 2019, 08:35:27 pm

Hm, nice ideas!

Title: Re: What would make the game sky-rocket again?
Post by: BirdieBeep on November 20, 2019, 09:51:54 pm

You do bring up good concerns and ideas, as far as I know, the next update will address these issues with FH being outdated for today's standards.

Title: Re: What would make the game sky-rocket again?
Post by: wolfsquad on November 20, 2019, 10:49:33 pm

I don't have much to add, just this:

"What style should we use in the future? Realistic or cartoonish?"
I'm not sure how difficult it'd be to achieve this, but I'm interested in there being a mixture of this.
That way, we get the best of both worlds, right?

Title: Re: What would make the game sky-rocket again?
Post by: Valar.Morghulis on November 20, 2019, 10:53:41 pm

I do think Feral Heart is heading towards a more realistic approach as far as the graphics go. Doesn't mean this will take away the fantasy of Feral Heart and other unnatural aspects of the game. I'm hoping to see some new fantasy/mythical maps in the future, similarly to old Sky's Rim and Temple of Dreams maps. Feral Heart always had that side and it was never meant to be only a realistic animal multiplayer game. Hopefully if there is an update, where Feral Heart will get the hd, modern look and feel to it, it will still feel like Feral Heart and that that won't take away all the good aspects that this game has and had, and what made it stand out from IT servers in the past. Having a new, high quality and more realistic look to it, with many more features in the future, will definitely attract new audiences who will stick around for longer, just like we did when we first heard about Feral Heart, when it still had old maps and only so many features, without any ''real'' updates to the s.c. and the game. Having that available now, gives a lot more freedom and brings everyone's hopes up higher when thinking of the future development of the game.

Title: Re: What would make the game sky-rocket again?
Post by: ungodlycoyote on November 20, 2019, 11:24:32 pm

Guys, don't forget that the dev team post spoilers and tidbits about new stuff coming to fh on the discord server, feral neighborhood!
https://discord.gg/jMUuCxd (https://discord.gg/jMUuCxd)

Title: Re: What would make the game sky-rocket again?
Post by: Morqque on November 21, 2019, 02:39:44 am

trust me - we've got a lot of sneak peaks that'll get you excited for the future ;)

Title: Re: What would make the game sky-rocket again?
Post by: Kuri on November 21, 2019, 08:04:53 am

Realistic or cartoonish? Why not both!
It had it's roots in both.

Log in page? Yuck, but maybe it'll be redundant next patch, i wouldn't know.

As for promotion, i can only guess that social media would play a role in that. Probably combined with user made creations (I've tried making comics as an example, arty people could do similar things & they might gain traction & people would be like "What is that?" and find the game that way)

Title: Re: What would make the game sky-rocket again?
Post by: Saba on November 21, 2019, 09:22:26 am

Thanks, everyone! I also imagine the future updates heading more towards something in-between the styles. Also, I joined the discord server. Words can't explain how much I love the spoilers <3 Keep it up everyone!

Title: Re: What would make the game sky-rocket again?
Post by: Ellen11v on November 21, 2019, 07:27:15 pm

I just hope the next update will be the a bomb <3

Title: Re: What would make the game sky-rocket again?
Post by: angelre0702 on December 03, 2019, 11:58:44 pm

Honestly I think it comes down to futurity updates.

The game has lost its appeal in the way of attracting a new generation of players that are used to flashy, next gen games & MMO's. What I describe FH as now is a 3D chat landscape with animals that I used to play as a kid. Don't bite me for saying it, but in my opinion the new maps jarred some of the older players from returning and what I feel once was FH is almost completely gone.

Nostalgia was something that kept drawing people back - I believe that there could've been a better way to attract new players while simultaneously pampering the old as well. Without those ties, whether they be in specific locations or overall maps, there's nothing that brings the bulk back in. Sure, the character models and overall the interface are the same, but for me at least, there's nothing to keep coming back to. There was a richness and a history to the older maps, with designated areas and nostalgia tied to them, so I've always felt a bit sketchy about the update that changed all of that.

Not to say the effort wasn't admirable and ultimately appreciated, though. The new maps are much more lively and detailed than the last, made lovingly by talented creators. But nonetheless.

Specifically regarding futurity though.

FeralHeart doesn't stand up to any new MMO's of its kind and I'll bet will be replaced majorly by the upcoming Furthest Reach, the only challenger (besides Cereal Soup, which was a bug disaster of its own) of a game like this. It's also driven by Impressive World designer Riven, who if I recall has been working on FR for some time and looks ethereal comparatively.

The game needs updates, not just in the ways of marking additions and color options and sliders - although they ARE high contributions from unpaid staffers and xSpirit, which the playerbase hasn't simply known since KovLKD left - it needs meat. Engine updates. Graphics overhauls. Animations. The introduction of questing. Hunting. NPC's. It needs to be more than a chat RP server which is dwindling down numbers by the month in order to compete.

I understand that this is nearly impossible for a game such as this that is run by a short amount of staff and recently has just admitted the ownership of the source code, and ADDITION to the fact that they aren't paid, but that's what it's going to take to keep it running for the next five years.

FeralHeart is insanely community based. I understand that. I also understand that a lot of the old timers - including ME, circa 2011 - refuse to acknowledge that Feralheart is DYING, and don't want change. It's easy to let nostalgia cloud. It's easy to say that FeralHeart doesn't need to compete.

But in a few years, once more options are available, because they will be, FeralHeart will be the ghost town of a MMORPG that peaked in 2013 but didn't blossom.

Futurity is the make or break of most games, now. Feralheart isn't excluded.

DISCLAIMER:
A special thank you to xSpirit and the staff team who are now putting in loads of work into rejuvenating the game. I understand this takes time, and am not frustrated with the lack of rushing updates - I'm just reporting on the past few years and what I as a player have observed since 2011.