The original poll is at viewtopic.php?f=12&t=20898
This is a simple boolean dillema which plagues me and I would like knowing if I'm right or wrong, at least in my mind.
Both are NOT mutually exclusive, but you cannot have two priorities. Even because that makes no sense at all. To have two priorities we would need to have a team at least twice as big as it currently is and share people to both, and that is unrealistic, so lets ignore it.
Quantity
Means maximizing quests, maps, monsters, items, levels, etc. available to players.
- Between polishing an already existing quest and writing a new one, writing a new one will be preferred.
Means to only advance to the next quest once the current quest has been polished, fully tested, etc.
The game will end up significantly smaller, but with way less bugs. Polishing usually takes up about 30%~50% of the time needed to write a new quest, so expect the game to be at least half of the current size.
Also, it is a bit more fun to write new things than polish existing things, so it may be less than half.
- Between polishing an already existing quest and writing a new one, polishing existing ones should be preferred.
Map-Centric
What should come first, the chicken or the egg? Obviously the chicken, we have mammals who eat eggs like probably you. What a silly question
In a map-centric approach, the first thing to be added are maps. Everything else is added to give support to the maps.
Draw a map. Assign monsters to the map. Give levels to the players so they can fight the monsters. Give equipment to the players so they can match levels. Add placeholder NPCs to the towns. Give quests to NPCs.
In this priority order.
- Consistency Control: Maps need monsters, monsters need levels, levels needs equips.
In a quest-centric approach, the first thing to be added is the player main quest storyline.
The main quest moves to a new town, then the town map is added.
Town is now bland, so NPCs are added to town. NPCs need sidequests and equips to sell, so they follow. More equips and sidequests means higher player levels, which demands stronger monsters to be added on surrounding towns.
In this priority order.
- Consistency Control: Main Storyline need maps, maps need monsters, monsters need levels, levels needs equips.
I don't see the point on this.
Well, in a nutshell:
- Quantity (Map-Centric) - Pretty much TMW right now: An open world, with loose ends and a lot of areas which are fully equipped but you'll never have to visit them, because the quest which will send you to them will only come later. Oh, and a lot of bugs, too.
- Quantity (Quest-Centric) - "Open world" is dropped in favor of main storyline. The world will be capped by the main storyline. It might make more sense while playing, at the cost of some player freedom. ie. The storyline leading to Artis comes first, so only once you finish everything you had to do on Artis, Hurnscald will be added.
- Quality (Map-Centric) - I don't think anyone in the team currently have this view, but it appears when you put all on a table. It tends to collapse itself, because you tend to add content too slowly, resulting in bland maps and a bland gameplay. So it'll eventually shift away in any of the other directions.
- Quality (Quest-Centric) - Pretty much Evol Online. Drasil Island exists because Nard, and only once it was fully tested and polished, Artis was added. The storyline leading to Artis comes first, so only once you finish everything you had to do on Artis, and Artis has been mastered, Hurnscald will be added, then finished, then mastered, before moving to Tulimshar.
Some context (DRAMA):