1 person found this review helpful
3
9
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Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 34.7 hrs on record (33.5 hrs at review time)
Posted: 30 Sep, 2020 @ 11:10am
Updated: 27 Nov, 2020 @ 4:00pm

Early Access Review
Devs took my advice, I am preserving my negative review below, but am changing my review to positive until I play enough to make a new review.


I hope my feedback is constructive, and though its pretty negative, know that its only because I see so much potential in this game, and did have slightly more fun than I had frustration. Every update adds a bad idea because of a commitment to keep old bad ideas. The game has great potential, and is a fun concept, but developer judgement thus far is leading me to give up hope for the game ever improving for now. The game requires notoriety (keeping the same party for several hours of play for good loot) This is a bad idea. They made it so more difficulties are available to get better loot, but even on impossible the game is easy and gives loot that is crap for my level. They got rid of knowing what tier of loot you would get after spending half an hour playing, bad idea. Then they added bots, so the dwindling player base could find a party, or make a party that didn't leave and reset the stupid notoriety idea, but guess what, it includes a terrible idea, bots leave the party and reset notoriety after every level, making them useless. Bad ideas compound upon each other out of some weird blinding hubris keeping them from throwing it out that I cannot understand. Think things through with your games, and throw out trash ideas if you cannot fix them. Adding more characters with samey skills isn't drawing anyone back in. Fix the game's basic poorly thought out elements (especially notoriety, burn this horrible idea in a fire) and maybe I'll want to play it again someday.
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Developer response:
Joost  [developer] Posted: 30 Sep, 2020 @ 12:35pm
Hi LukeBu, Joost here, one of the devs behind Blightbound. Thanks for sharing your detailed review, laying out the problems with the notoriety system. We agree with the problems you mention and are discussing what to do with it. We haven't decided what exactly to do with the notoriety system yet: maybe remove it like you suggest, or maybe a serious overhaul of how it works, but something needs to be done.
12 Comments
Maadcow 30 Oct, 2020 @ 7:08am 
I remember the first time i saw this game being advertised shortly after its release and thought after watching a trailer that it looked soo neat. Once i started to read the negative reviews i decided to hold off due to trouble finding random people to play with, and no ai/bots to fill in was concerning.

After reading your review regarding notoriety problems and ai that quits after every level, i shall keep an eye out and hope one day they fix it. Bots that quit after every level? Thank you for your review of the game and the issues you brought up. With a little luck, perhaps the devs can make this game playable.
WingofTech 18 Oct, 2020 @ 12:33pm 
Thanks for giving the community the feedback it needs Joost. And thank you LukeBu for the insightful review. :]
Alice ❀ 17 Oct, 2020 @ 8:55pm 
I was crazy for a game like this to play with my brothers, but... I think it's not good yet. Thanks.
BunBun 11 Oct, 2020 @ 3:29pm 
I'm not going to get the game based on this review. I am "following" it tho.

If the dev is listening...

Any tying of meta-gaming mechanics to in-game rewards will always end poorly. IOW, using "time played" to boost game loot. May as well have a system that gives you a bonus item everytime you start the game, in decreasing the value or usefulness with each subsequent start within 24 hours. Sound arbitrary? The effect seems to be the same thing.

The mistake here is DIRECTLY tying this system to mechanics that makes the game playable later one. It sounds to me that the game gets' exceedingly difficult without the advanced loot from these rewards.

I understand wanting to make the game different from the Equipment Quest problem that Diablo-likes usually have. But this doesn't sound like the solution in any way.

Because if this is a multiplayer problem, I rarely play MP, especially with randoms because people suck. How does this shake out for SP players?
Freaky 5 Oct, 2020 @ 8:30am 
Here's a bundle of ideas.

Make notoriety bound to a certain party and let it be permanent. So you get a separate notoriety for each unique group you assemble. Make the perks unique by giving perks unique to the challenges the group defeated. This gives a soft pull to keeping a group to grind up notoriety. Make it only rise when you are victorious. This allows you to play with multiple groups and get unique perks for each composition.

It should allow for short play sessions to add up to a group that keeps formation over the long run.
It would also allow forming other groups to allow flexibility between players since some might have more time to play than others and this will vary over time.
I gives you another way to progress.
Exaelitus 4 Oct, 2020 @ 11:05pm 
" Changing notoriety takes work. It should be something that improves the game somehow. Making it less annoying is only progress if it is working towards something good. " - LukeBu

Very much THIS! I suggest just removing it, and adding some unrelated feature in its place that makes the game better!
LukeBu 3 Oct, 2020 @ 10:34pm 
@Drizzle Changing notoriety takes work. It should be something that improves the game somehow. Making it less annoying is only progress if it is working towards something good. Brainstorming always has the chance to create or inspire solutions though. I totally agree with the party dropping idea, but this system was designed to discourage party dropping anyway, so it still leaves me wondering why we need to have notoriety at the moment.
Drizzle 3 Oct, 2020 @ 3:51pm 
Notoriety could be tied to the session time, and tied to the individual characters allowing for people to drop in and out of the party, or for the party to completely reform. Alternatively, Notoriety could endure for a set period, such as 24 hours, 72 hours, ect.
notCyke 3 Oct, 2020 @ 9:20am 
A dev reply on a constructive negative comment is encouraging.

I'll be looking to see if you update your review in future, LukeBu.
LukeBu 2 Oct, 2020 @ 7:21pm 
I hope to delete this review and make it positive someday.