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General feedback from a returning beta player

Feedback

Hello Notorious Studios,

I played your game in the early beta, when it was still called Legacy: Steel & Sorcery. After some time I stopped, mainly because class balance felt weak and player feedback hardly had any visible effect. With the recent update I came back and I’m enjoying the game again. It is clearly in a better state now.

At the same time the Steam numbers are still low for an online title, often only a few hundred players at daily peak. That is a real risk for the future of the game. From that point of view, here is my feedback:

  1. Marketing and positioning
    Calling Eldegarde a “mini MMO” feels wrong. It is not a small version of WoW and it does not need to be. At its core it is a fantasy extraction game with its own identity. I would present it clearly as that: a fantasy extraction title with distinctive classes, magic and a run based structure that can stand next to games like Dark and Darker or ARC Raiders. The store page and other communication should focus on this angle instead of the mini MMO label.

  2. Free to play entry
    Please think about a model where players can start for free and important features are unlocked by buying the full game. For a small, niche game a lower barrier to entry makes it much easier to bring in new players and fill lobbies.

  3. Class balance, especially PvP
    Class balance still feels uneven in PvP and it comes up again and again in streams and discussions. Players need to feel that their class is a solid choice if they put time into it. Class balance should stay a clear priority in future patches.

  4. UI and menus for town, vendors and workbenches
    Town, vendors and crafting are harder to read than they have to be. Many functions sit in sub menus and basic things are easy to miss. As one example, it took me several hours to notice that I could unlock the forge with gold instead of special materials. Core progression options like that should be obvious in the interface and clearly marked. A simpler and more direct layout for town and workbenches would help.

  5. In game text chat
    The game needs an in game text chat. Not everyone wants to talk to strangers on voice and not everyone is comfortable speaking English. A simple text chat for party, lobby and maybe a general channel would make it easier to coordinate and would make the game feel less empty.

I still like the basic idea behind Eldegarde and see potential in it. With clearer positioning, an easier entry, stronger class balance, better menus and a working text chat, the game has a better chance to grow and keep its players. I hope you will take this into account when planning the next steps for Eldegarde.

Posted by sarokan_20888 ·
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  • sarokan_20888

    •

    Feb 25

    PS: On top of that, there are a few other points that stand out to me and could be improved:

    • Gear brackets: This issue already existed back when I played the earlier version of Eldegarde under its old name. It was one of the reasons I stopped back then, because weaker or ungeared players were constantly farmed by heavily geared players on the same maps. Unfortunately I still do not see any real gear brackets or matchmaking today that prevent new or low geared players from being farmed by players with much better gear. This needs to change. It is disappointing that this problem has still not been addressed in a consistent way.

    • More PvE content for the current direction: With the rebrand to Eldegarde and the stronger focus on PvE, the game should offer more PvE content that keeps people busy over time. More dungeons, events, boss variations and long term goals that are not only about PvP would fit this direction.

    • Timegating of the Mor’thog boss: Mor’thog is one of the main highlights of the game. Locking him behind a strict weekly limit feels unnecessary. Players should be able to fight him when they actually have time to play. Either remove the weekly lock or add a way to earn extra keys in game. Being restricted to one key per week removes a lot of potential fun and feels like players are being controlled instead of trusted. It should be the players’ decision whether they want to engage with that boss or not. In the end, what keeps the game alive is what players actually enjoy doing.

    • Bugs and polish: There are still visible bugs and rough edges in important systems. Putting more focus on stability, clarity and on fixing well known issues would improve confidence in the game.

    • Progression and fantasy extraction identity: Progression and future content should clearly support what Eldegarde really is, a fantasy extraction game and not a mini MMO. The clearer the game leans into that identity, the easier it is to explain to new players why it is different and worth investing time into.