Bring back Coast South of Candlekeep!

[zan5bar]

So is there any plans to create detours between the existing areas? I really liked when there was an option to travel from FAI to Nashkel via two different routes. But now when some areas were removed that option (I guess) was taken away. I really hate the idea that we only have the tradeway, and few paths from the tradeway that lead to dead ends. If the answer to the detour question is no, then I would really recommend creating some kind of caravan system between the places.

[chad878262]

So is there any plans to create detours between the existing areas? I really liked when there was an option to travel from FAI to Nashkel via two different routes. But now when some areas were removed that option (I guess) was taken away. I really hate the idea that we only have the tradeway, and few paths from the tradeway that lead to dead ends. If the answer to the detour question is no, then I would really recommend creating some kind of caravan system between the places.

I think this question has been answered. Not exactly the same question, but the answer stands that it's possible new area's will go in. It is a process, the first step was successful since 9+ hours between resets are back (AWESOME, by the way!), but there is probably a lot more to do before adding new area's, such as understanding the best way to build new area's while having minimal impact on the server and where the most 'bang for the buck' those area's provide.

So is the entire back-way from BG to Nashkel gone, then?

Are there any areas that allow foraging, especially for bait, now that the east river map was removed?

Are new areas replacing these, especially the one in the OP, being a relatively necessary leveling area?

I realize this will never be a democracy, but how were these areas chosen? It seems to me that if areas are to be cut they could be less impactful to the majority if UD areas were removed, or unused guild areas, or some of DM only maps.

DM maps were already removed in the first cut--Almost half of them. They've already made all the sacrifice I can feasibly ask them to make if we plan to keep any DM maps at all.

We can try to add some foraging spots to other places, but the areas were chosen based on too many factors to feasibly even try to explain at this point, and definitely not based on "the most used maps are the ones that get kept." Factors included a handful of internal discussions regarding how many players would be disenfranchised the least by the removal of a given map, what effected the ease of leveling the least, which maps were needless because everything on them can be moved to other places, and the list goes on.

At the end of the day I had to weigh feedback from multiple dozens of different sources and just had to pretty much use that feedback to wing the decision and do what I thought was best. One thing I've learned about this issue after spending the last months preparing is that there's no one that agrees on anything about which maps are the most important ones to keep. For every group that wants one map removed there's another group of players who feel like it's literally the worst map you could possibly remove from the game.

We were able to turn the reset timer back up to 9 hours thanks to the stability this trim has provided the module and we've been 16 hours total now without a crash of any kind. Once we get all the transitions reworked and everything finalized we can focus on what is missing as a result and how we can work that in at other places.

As an example, the lighthouse, the boat, and the cave from the Coast South of CK can just be added to a small beach at the bottom of the Lion's Way map and provide literally exactly the same function that the entire coastal map did (minus the Fire Beetles, which can again, be put literally anywhere in the entire module).

The Chionthar river map was taken out in favor of keeping the newer map with the wolves/bandits and the goblin ruins because it's the de facto "level 1" hunting ground now if your starting PC isn't strong enough to go straight to the graveyard and because all the map served to do was provide a means to travel between areas that are actually relevant. The one exception is that occasionally people will use area as a secluded place to RP in the wilderness, and again, this can be accomplished with the addition of small spawn-free forested areas added to Uldoon's Trail or even the Goblin Ruin map, rather than having a big huge empty space to facilitate the RP of 2 (or a small group) players.

Though I get where you're coming from with the foraging spots, as this adds to the RP of characters who live in the wild as opposed to an urban setting, and we will definitely try to work these and some alchemy spots into another map instead (perhaps the river area leading up into Ulgoth's Beard?).

[zan5bar]

Thanks for the recap Chad. Detours can be made without adding new areas; by modifying slightly the existing ones and linking different areas together. Sometimes modification isn’t even needed. E.g. in case of the example I mentioned earlier the dead-end transition in Doron Amar could be linked to Uldoon Trail, and from Uldoon Trail there could be an area transition to the Halflings (would that make sense location / direction-wise?). These kinds of changes would give more travelling options to characters, and probably enhance roleplaying.

[Endelyon]

All those existing dead-end transitions have been rerouted to hopefully now all lead places as of the update this morning. Boats will now also drop you off on the Lion's Way if you'd like, but the trip is currently one-way.

[zan5bar]

It seems I was too hasty with my posting. Well done!

[7threalm]

did the cave get moved somewhere at least?

[Nyeleni]

The cave with the lizardmen? Yup. Look for it at the old transition.

[7threalm]

no the hide out cave that was on the coast

[mrm3ntalist]

did the cave get moved somewhere at least?

No it didnt

[Endelyon]

LISA and Stonebar are re-purposing the cave and the lighthouse for use on the Lion's Way map instead. I can't speak for when they'll have it finished but I saw some screenshots and it looks pretty good so far, so we should see it in an update soon.

[aaron22]

yea a bit of trouble for the orc kind.

with beetle to bears its 1-3 and well is 1-3 also. the northern trade is 5 and the burrow is 6. bugbears are 7. but that is where it gets a bit complicated. where i used to be able to go south and bypass BG and FAI. i cannot because the gnolls there are too high level. near epic. so i am stuck looking at hobgoblins are too high level and i cannot do much with the animals around dragonspear. the water cave in bugbear area is level 14 and the fields of dead are at least that high.

so after level 7 i have a possible unforeseen problem (for me). there where i am killing bugbears for a long time due to a CL gap.

[Glowfire]

yea a bit of trouble for the orc kind.

with beetle to bears its 1-3 and well is 1-3 also. the northern trade is 5 and the burrow is 6. bugbears are 7. but that is where it gets a bit complicated. where i used to be able to go south and bypass BG and FAI. i cannot because the gnolls there are too high level. near epic. so i am stuck looking at hobgoblins are too high level and i cannot do much with the animals around dragonspear. the water cave in bugbear area is level 14 and the fields of dead are at least that high.

so after level 7 i have a possible unforeseen problem (for me). there where i am killing bugbears for a long time due to a CL gap.

Might be able to get to Darkhold and use that caravan to get to the Upperdark and use the zones there.

[aaron22]

Might be able to get to Darkhold and use that caravan to get to the Upperdark and use the zones there.

ok. i should have added at the end..... while maintaining a surface presence.

[7threalm]

Also you can take the orc tunnels to the upperdark