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Originally Posted by r.gun From what I've heard the new Thestra revamp is really a step in the right direction for VG. Apparently a lot of the newbie quests are quite well done, and the new cities/areas look great. |
It seems that the Thestra revamp is a continuation of a trend that began with the goblin/orc starting areas, which, from what I understand, blew every other starting area out of the water as far as content, completion and dare I say, "fun".
Once again, the impression I get from the design style of this game is that it is being built by adding layer upon layer over the entire stretch of canvas (see my previous post regarding the "Bob Ross" analogy). Each layer drastically improves sections that already have a solid foundation, and at the same time lays foundations where there aren't any yet, and strengthens foundations that are still "barebones".
I'm sure one of the reasons for this approach is due to the sheer size of the world (big ass canvas to cover). Another reason is probably because of how
fluid they are attempting to make the world. What I mean by this is that the land flows very logically and smoothly together. It doesn't
feel at all like a bunch of zones that were crafted separately and then strung together. You can literally see miles into the distance- 3 or 4 zones ahead of where you are (on a side note there are actually mobs in game so big that they can be seen from zones apart). What's more you can go to just about any place you can see. And my point is, because of this, I imagine you kinda have to lay everything out at first in a very raw and basic form, having just the basic identity of the land-type you want, then go over it with a layer of detail, then another, then another, adding more and more content and polish, but adding it in a very even and spread out way.
Honestly, in many ways the game is a very different game than it was a mere month ago, and I bet that in a month it will be very different than it is now. This trend will probably continue every few weeks until launch. I really doubt the people that were in beta 2 or even beta 3 and gave up playing will even recognize much of the game (except the sky and the music) by launch. Most areas retain a certain "feel" that they had before new layers are added, but the improvements that have occurred so far in many areas are really quite remarkable.
