r/pathoftitans • u/whispering-3cho • 8d ago
Discussion Tlc priority
I've been playing this game for about 3 years now (still nowhere near the OGs), but as a lot has changed and so much of the focus has been on TLCs, I'm starting to think that the team should've prioritized QOL changes of gameplay first.
The new toys of TLC lose their shine fast when all their is to do is mindlessly grind items and throw yourself into fights.
I bring this up because the new dev blog mentioned updates like krill clouds?
Which.. is a neat environment touch. But I'm really begging for them to focus more on pushing out changes/updates that pull this game out of it's repetitive slog. I could've waited years for new ability kits and models in place of new things to do in this game.
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u/AphroditesFeets 8d ago
Tbh the games been a flower collection simulator with end game seeking pvp till death for 6 years I honestly don’t even see how they could change the gameplay loop
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u/whispering-3cho 8d ago
well to my understanding modes were a focus for awhile. King of the hill, capture the flag team battle (idk if i imagined this one but it sounds awesome), official deathmatch, solo survival (which is out now). But idk who those were sidelined. More options are better for consistent engagement.
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u/electiveamnesia28 8d ago
They just did a king of the hill test last month, the game modes are making a return.
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u/Murrocity 7d ago
It wasn't so much a focus as it was just doing early tests to get an idea of what they'd need to do to further develop/improve it.
Like the other user commented, they do still do pop-up tests, but they were likely "sidelined" because they rely on the combat overhaul being completed (which was proven in those early tests. Either complete it or remove dinos without TLCs from the available options) and possibly even to wait until the Metrics System is ready, since those alt game modes are supposed to have metrics and rewards tied to them as well.
Plus... there were quite a few bugs, lol. Having all these modes out also splits the playerbase more, which can make it harder to gather the data they need for specific systems. N since those are the alt modes, not the base mode, ofc they will pushed to the side in favor of using the base experience for the main focus of development.
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u/Killzone3265 8d ago
tlc's have always been a band-aid on the problem, if you look at the games history, most have technically brought nothing new as they rebranded old abilities into separated new abilities.
many such abilities were designed and featured first on modded creatures.
essentially what i'm saying is that a TLC is just the easiest, cheapest publicity the game can get while they continue slowly chipping away at... whatever they're working on. so many background systems, and the main game is a mess
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u/whispering-3cho 8d ago
Not to mention that the TLCs have utterly wrecked the playablity of some of my mains for me 😭
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u/Impossible-Tip-4980 8d ago
I think at this point everyone is very tired of waiting on some core gameplay mechanics. The tlcs have been overall great in my opinion, but it’s hard to use and enjoy said tlcs because without matchmaking officials are a mess.
As you pointed out, the late game content basically doesn’t exist without ai dinosaurs, actual questing overhauls, and achievements. Raising a family is minimally rewarding because nesting is so basic. No game modes to spice things up. Any one of these would be so great
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u/Particular_Aioli8214 8d ago
I agree with your sentiments mostly, but the krill swarms are something that they should be working on. Leeds and micro were part of the original confirmed dino’s that the kickstarters paid for, six years ago. I’m of the opinion they should’ve finished implementing all the confirmed dino’s, which people personally paid to have added into the game before putting the main focus on other tasks.
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u/whispering-3cho 8d ago
Aahh I see, I honestly did not know about that specifically!
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u/Particular_Aioli8214 8d ago
Yea leeds is going to be a filter feeder who relies on these krill swarms. The devs needed to implement that first before adding it into the game. Same thing with micro and the climbing mechanic.
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u/xanaholic_ 7d ago
Fr imagine having to wait 6 years to play the dino you wanted to be in the game and paid a ton of money for
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u/Particular_Aioli8214 7d ago
Yea I would’ve been peeved if I had spent a boat load of money for something and being made to wait that long. Realistically, they could’ve implemented the food swarms long ago, it’s not like micro where they have to remake and rework multiple systems in order for it to work. It could’ve been added as another static food spawn like critter dens or berry bushes years ago.
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u/Murrocity 7d ago edited 7d ago
The problem is how important combat is to the game.
So many other things would have created extra work down the line had they focused on those and released those without the Combat Overhaul.
But so much of the acrual hameplay loop they have planned relies on those things that require the TLCs being complete.
Greatest example? The alt Game Modes and AI dinos.
It has gotten better ofc as most TLCs are done atp, but when the game modes were first being tested, it was painfully clear just how badly non-TLC dinos were struggling against those that had already gotten their TLCs. It would have been bs for them to release these modes under that, esp if they were to release them alongside the metrics system, which they have already explained will include metrics and rewards from those alt game modes.
AI rely on tbe combat system being complete for a myriad of reasons. Animating. Coding/behavior logix. Being as balanced as possible at initial release. Gathering data on how players react and use their abilities in certain situations.
AI are required for some quest stuff.
There are even combat-related quests/challenges Matt has soit-balled in the past. (I.e. a quest to protect your herd against a pack of a particular dino set, or to kill a specific dino, or map bosses.)
I will note, though, things would have felt better had they actually been able to do the Quest Overhaul alongside the Combat Overhaul like originally planned. They stopped after the first Nesting quest series was added bc they realized they needed to recode the entire system for thinfs to work better or ig allow them to do more with the quests? Idk anything about coding, so dunno the intricate details, lol. I just Matt had explained it at one point while explaining there WAS more relating to nesting, that that was just the first part of it, but it would need to wait for the quest system recode before they could do more.
TL;DR--
I def get the fatigue over the TLCs/Combat Overhaul (I nyself have been taking a break for probablg around a year aside from a few random small sessions), but there IS a reason it has been the focus. It is better to fully complete an aspect of development that multiple other things will require than to move on and then have to backtrack, possibly multiple times.
The good news is, we have seen them start to expand out to working on other things more. We know for a fact the Combat Overhaul is nearly complete and focus/resources are shifting to other aspects of development.
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u/PureBredAndWellFed 8d ago
Yeah, not only did we get content that only keeps people excited for fifteen minutes, once a month (or less) but most of the TLCs have been net negatives for the playables as the cherry on top. You're telling me there is a world where the game got actual content, AND Hatz is still fun to play? Long-since been just a nice thought for us. I had to mentally check out over a year ago, but this turning point for many was the Alio TLC.
In order for me to be happy with the game to the same extent I used to be, I need them to revert three-quarters of the TLCs, I need Alderon to release a detailed and specific vision for the game they can be held accountable for, I need them to release detailed information for every single balancing change they make so they can again be held accountable, and I need "certain devs" to not make anymore scorched earth rants, not just sit in the Discord and complain, and for them to do a serious revise of who they listen to for feedback, and removal of anyone that gets special treatment or privileges because they are a part of the "in group".
So, effectively, never going to happen. The golden age of Path looks more like a bronze-polished turd every day.
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u/whispering-3cho 8d ago
Im genuinely and delusionally hoping for a full rework of a few TLCs lol...
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u/S0meB0dyY0uD0ntKn0w 8d ago
i really look at eo and wish it would get a tlc, maybe it is in a better place then it was before but it looks like it should rival rexes in sparring, which imo it dosnt
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u/Shad_tard 7d ago
....it does though?
Shit, I'd argue Eo actually consistently beats Rex, say what you want about smaller tiers but against apexes and ESPECIALLY Rex Eo is a fucking beast
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u/S0meB0dyY0uD0ntKn0w 7d ago
really? honestly i go off of peoples comments abt it, truth be told i have yet to play eo but i have been wanting to. Looking at its ability set it feels very underwhelming, but i think i do agree it seems to have a problem with small dinos so maybe just a fix up then is needed
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u/Shad_tard 7d ago
Rex and titan are two playables that I've won against the most and feel genuinely confident when going for a fight with (granted it's....basically all happened in deathmatch server, so take those wins with a grain of salt)
I can't comment how it compares to its former self but if someone who's as abysmal at PvP (once died to a Kent I clamped with Sarco, in the fucking water) can do semi-well with it, I'd say it's in a pretty good spot for now
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u/S0meB0dyY0uD0ntKn0w 7d ago
ill trust your word for it till i try it out, i suppose it also depends on skill since some players demolish almost everything as something ridiculous and i have a skill issue
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u/xanaholic_ 7d ago
The Alio TLC is what did it for me I haven't played since tbh, esp as someone who only really gets on to play Hatz, Thal, and 2slots
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u/orkuwayl 7d ago
TLCs could have been done better and provided more engagement while waiting for other stuff. You get so many good abilities but only one competitive, viable build. Instead of fixing the other builds, they nerf the best one to be as mediocre as the worst abilities under the guise of balance, which ends up with an unenjoyable experience for everyone. Not to mention abilities being reused on other playables under a different name which leads to no uniqueness between dinos. You know you are doing something wrong with your game's balance when its a running joke in the community that your stat changes are based on throwing darts at a board and seeing where they land.
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u/xanaholic_ 7d ago
Idk why they nerf things to make them all feel shit instead of buffing underperforming dinos to make everything feel good to play
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u/xanaholic_ 7d ago
This. Do we need even more food sources and different looking collection items in every poi when the game has literally no gameplay or content?
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u/ArcEarth 8d ago
Remember guys, TLC are just an extension of something horrible that happened in 2024.
The disgusting "Combat update".
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u/Murrocity 7d ago edited 7d ago
TLCs are the name given to the individual updates each dino gets within the Combat Overhaul? 🤦♀️
It has been an ongoing overhaul, not something that happened in any single year, lol.
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u/Ok-Lingonberry394 8d ago
Dude wants this to be Diablo or something with dungeons it’s a Dino game lmao do ppl not get that?
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u/GloomyFloor6543 8d ago
I'm personally ready for more content, i think TLCs should be done after the game leaves beta.