Lake Kindred comments and suggestions

[marshmallowcreampie]

So if this game was event-only, I wouldn't really have much to say. But since it's intended to be a permanent feature, well, I've got some criticisms and suggestions for changes that would keep me interested in the long-term.

Pros: The artwork of the game is nice and the animation for the Kindreds are cute. The Kins also have cool designs. I do appreciate that more free features are being added to the site, and so long as updates are frequent enough, I do think this game has potential to give people more to do and get them more involved on the site, again, without requiring cash. I could see users playing to earn items and gold.

Cons: Okay... Due to gameplay similarities, I'll be using Pokemon as an example as how to do things right. I'm not saying the game should be changed to be more like Pokemon in every aspect, I'm just using it as an example.

The game lacks strategy. You just hit the attack or magic buttons, and there's not much difference between Kin. When given multiple Kin of the same level, there's not really much reason to pick one over the other. When it came time to pick out my starter, I first went onto the forums to see if there was a list of pros and cons for each one. But the topic was never brought up, so I just picked the one I thought was cutest. I played the game and realized it didn't really matter anyway. The egg drop rate in the game is low, so my Leafkit was level 4 or 5 by the time I got my first one. Since there's little difference between Kin, I haven't had much reason to train my Willocroak much, and it's not like you can switch to another Kin when the one you chose loses a battle. Since stamina replenishes quickly (not to mention the potions have a decent drop rate) there's little motivation, outside of items, to have a team of multiple Kin.

Now, compare to Pokemon. That game has a type system, moves affect the opponent differently depending on types. You're encouraged to have a team of multiple Pokemon because any single 'mon is going to be at a disadvantage against others. Even if the only Pokemon available to catch are at a much lower level and don't have many good attacks, it's worth it to capture them and train them because it's going to help you later on. If nothing else, when your Pokemon faints in battle, you can switch to another one.

So, more strategy in this game. Maybe Kindreds could all have exclusive moves and abilities that would give them an advantage over its teammates and opponents. I know that all Kindreds do have exclusive skills, but the differences aren't really big enough to justify all the grinding needed to get my Lucky or my Aerling caught up to my Leafkit.

Another complaint I have is the whole egg system. For one, it seems a bit pointless to have us wait to get to use them. Second, this is going back to an earlier point, they all hatch at level one. Because eggs have such a low drop rate, by the time most people get their first one, their starter will already be leveled up a little bit. Outside of going for the items, why would I want to spend so much time training up a level 1 Kin? It would be preferable if there was some way to obtain higher level Kin, like if eggs hatched at whatever level you beat the Kin at. It would also help deal with the team and training issue. If I obtained a Kin that was a similar level to my Leafkit, I would be more inclined to alternate. But as it stands, training one to level 13 would take way too much time to be worth it.

Speaking of eggs, can we have some way to get rid of Kin that we don't want? I have like, three extra Oppososaurs. It would be nice if we could sell the eggs, or at least release them back into the wild. I'm not really sure why we can't sell them, at first I figured it was so people can't buy their way through the game, but we can still sell potions, and those Ally level up ones give a much bigger advantage so it's not that.

Finally, status effects are a bit overpowered. Unless the opponent is FAR weaker, paralysis and sleep are usually a death sentence. Even if we can't attack, it would be nice if we could still use potions.

[Nights Owl]

I agree with this completely, but with how little they seem to be actually doing to the game since the SCAS Members got to have a go at it, it doesn't seem like many gameplay changes are going to happen, and if they do, it'll take forever.

Honestly, right now, it seems like a way to get people to buy more GaiaCash to get their a** ton of new RIGs, Kindred, and Paws Skins. rolleyes

[Jade]

I'll be honest in my assessment of the game, because it's supposed to be a permanent feature. As it stands right now, the game is nothing short of a boring grindfest. There's nothing really challenging about it, and it's not all-together that rewarding. I've been playing for a few days and its ability to keep my interest has been incredibly low -- I've made it halfway through level five, but I'm unsure if I even want to keep going. For me, these are the pros and cons of what I've seen come from the game so far:

PROS:

Cute kins, and some cute graphics. Also, the penny rewards are a couple extra pennies (1-10K is comparable to being given a penny in today's Gaia economy) in the pocket of a Gaian. Not too much gold to adversely affect the economy right away on a large scale. Kudos there.

CONS:

There's no sound, whatsoever. It's silent, and it makes the game that much more unappealing. Sound effects, some background music... anything. There's nothing there to stimulate me while I'm playing the game. Perhaps include some of zOMGs old tracks, or something from the days of Monster Galaxy.

Gameplay:

There's really nothing to the gameplay that's overly exciting. You get a starter kin (with no information as to how the kins are different other than aesthetic), and then it's essentially a game of 'click the magic and attack buttons'. There's little else to it. No strategy, no need to think about something before you do it. Just click, click, click until the enemy is dead. There's nothing enticing about it and it's just going to lead me to getting bored and restless with it pretty quick.

Also, skills. When do you get those? I'm halfway to level six and still haven't gotten any. If you have to grind half the event away before you even get a single skill, that's pretty boring too.

Eggs:

Why are they so rare? Why does it give you an egg you've already got a kin for? Granted, I'm level 5 and haven't received any eggs yet. Still, it shouldn't be quite this difficult to get eggs so you can have some variety to your kins. Using the same kin over and over again is fine, but if you know the option is there to get more kins, and you can't go after them yourself, it's a little frustrating and leads to the overall lackluster feel of the game. On top of that, when an egg hatches at level one, and your other kin(s) are levels above it, there's really no incentive to level up the new hatchlings. It takes you back to the same click, click, clickety click all over again. A long, tedious, and boring grindfest. Make obtaining eggs/other kins easier to do, or at least when you get an egg, it should hatch at the level your current kin is at (or a level below). Nothing says useless egg like a level gap of 13 or something.

Rewards:

Honestly, the rewards for beating a round are pretty horrid. I've pulled mostly 1-3K gold for rewards every time. Every now and again you'll get a potion or an alchemy ingredient, but that's about it. There's not much incentive to keep playing when the prizes are so paltry they're just not worth it. On top of that, when you finally do get a level up box (level 5 box), and you open it thinking there'll be something cool inside for your avatar... it's a slap in the face to get.... a potion. Granted, I'm well aware it's a RIG box, but that doesn't make it any better. The time spent grinding to level 5 was awarded with an attack potion. That just makes the time I spent leveling to get a box that could contain an item completely.... worthless. It's best to leave the potions out of the boxes, or give an option to choose between items for your avatar, or items for the game. Avatar > Game.

Suggestions:

Based on what I like and dislike about the game and the need for improvement, here's a few things I propose;

First and foremost. Variety. Give us some variety. Some interaction with NPCs or something. Make us fight a mutated Peath, Carl, something. There could be a storyline for why you're fighting these warped versions of others. It's more variety than what there is right now. Leafkits, Lucky cats, Willocroak frog things... it keeps recycling them over and over again and it's kind of boring battling the same kins at different levels. Spice it up from time to time. Perhaps throw a human against you and have our kins battle it out. A PVP aspect (without naming usernames if you're worried about animosity between players) could be cool too. Sprucing it up in general might give the game the kind of facelift it needs to ascend from a boring grindfest to something able to keep attention for more than five minutes at a time.

Grinding. This game is a huge grindfest and that's really all it is. There's no exploration of anywhere, no cool perks to find. There's literally nothing to the game except clicking a couple of buttons and grinding your way through the same background, same kins, same everything. It's repetitive and in the worst of ways. Add some more backgrounds, some different fighting animations... something. Perhaps even including a 'day and night' feature for the backgrounds, featuring the same background at different times of the day would be cool. On that note, maybe the time of day can either boost, or hinder your kin in battle. Echoes might do better at night, versus a Leafkit who might do better in day settings. A little variation could go a long way.

Prizes. There needs to be better prizes for this. Specifically, more prizes that are useful outside of the game. Having primary stand-alone prizes makes it pretty boring to keep going. zOMG was entertaining because of the way it incorporated other parts of the site, and that the things you did in the game gave you numerous rewards towards your avatar on the site. Lake Kindred doesn't really do that for you. It gives eensy amounts of gold, or throws an alchemy ingredient or two at you. Granted, it drops rare things like RIGs, but the rarity on them is so... well, rare, it's hardly worth it. I suggest dropping things like GoFusion charms, Gold shop items, and the occasional RIG fail item of old. Things that don't have to be super spectacular, or even hindering to the economy, but things that will actually make it enjoyable to keep fighting enemies. Heck, even toss out some pieces you have to collect for a bigger prize. For example, fragments of GoFusion charms. You could gather fragments of the charms, then have to fuse them together in GoFusion to make a full charm.

Overall, the game is a cute idea, and I give credit that a lot of people really seem to like it. However, there are a lot that don't. It needs mega improvement to keep me wanting to play it. As it is right now, it really seems pretty much a boring, unappealing grindfest.

[Ewui]

♡ Haven't even gotten a single egg yet and already almost at level 6. cat_gonk

[Cein Suki]

That kickstarter Donation prices..... nope I am done with this event. I am not dropping 300bil on something that is half finished..

[Whispers of Delusion]

While I agree completely with you,
I don't think Lake Kindred should be compared to Pokémon.
Compared to Pokémon most of the pet battle games will look horrible.
Pokémon is created by a company that makes Gaia Inc. look like a grain of dust.
They have the funding, the staff, the time and the experience.
Not to mention it has had the opportunity to grow and be perfected in the last, what, 20 years?
Like I said, the game needs improvement and you are spot on,
but I think your statement can be made without comparing
a game that's only a few days old to the pioneer of pet battle games.

Unfortunately the game feels like it was a rushed job.
It lacks a lot and is bugged from beginning to end.
Gamebreaking bugs.
I haven't even had the opportunity to properly try it out myself,
because 90% of the time I can't click on anything.

[Nyadriel]

Whispers of Delusion

While I agree completely with you,
I don't think Lake Kindred should be compared to Pokémon.
Compared to Pokémon most of the pet battle games will look horrible.
Pokémon is created by a company that makes Gaia Inc. look like a grain of dust.
They have the funding, the staff, the time and the experience.
Not to mention it has had the opportunity to grow and be perfected in the last, what, 20 years?
Like I said, the game needs improvement and you are spot on,
but I think your statement can be made without comparing
a game that's only a few days old to the pioneer of pet battle games.

Unfortunately the game feels like it was a rushed job.
It lacks a lot and is bugged from beginning to end.
Gamebreaking bugs.
I haven't even had the opportunity to properly try it out myself,
because 90% of the time I can't click on anything.

You and some others seem to have this problem. But it may be on your end or something. bandwidth and all of that other technical nonsense. (feels sorry for people on dial-up)

[Gorath Tsu]

Jaded Jellyfish

I'll be honest in my assessment of the game, because it's supposed to be a permanent feature. As it stands right now, the game is nothing short of a boring grindfest.

I have to agree with everything that was said in this post. The game is boring, plain and simple. Fighting in the game is dreadfully boring, there's little to do, and the lack of sound makes it even worse. Sound at least can make things moderately more enjoyable but to have the game completely silent? Really? I can't see how it would have been hard to toss in some background music and some attack sounds. Easy.

I do notice that some kin seem to have slightly different stats than others. Besides the attack and HP, my Willocroak misses 70% of the time and combined with how weak it is it doesn't make it very enjoyable to try to level up when it spends most of its time with 0 HP.

The rewards certainly are crap, too. All I've gotten so far are portions and a few partly amounts of gold. Winning 1,000 gold isn't worth the effort, not in this economy. Where are the avatar items? Where are the things that I can actually show off? And for that matter, giving out RIGs as prizes for an event is never a good idea. I was hoping Gaia would have learned their lesson after the last time they had an event that gave out RIGs as prizes, but I guess not. I don't want to waste all of my time leveling up my kin for a small chance to win an avatar item... I want to level up and be guaranteed that avatar item for my time and effort. Spending all that time leveling up just to get some crappy item from a RIG isn't worth it and is just plain disappointing. Why would I want to play a game where I feel disappointed?

Besides that, I really have no motivation for leveling up my kin. I get nothing interesting for leveling them up, it doesn't feel like much progress is being made, they don't feel like they get much stronger when they do level up, nothing interesting happens... And heck, leveling up is just frustrating because of how long it takes. Leveling up is not only a grind but an extremely slow and tedious grind. (Though I'm sure that Gaia will be introducing EXP bonus potions sooner or later that give you double or tripe EXP from battle victories, and the potions will cost real money or cost billions of gold.)

This game needs a lot of work, there's no doubt about it. It feels rushed and unfinished and, going by Gaia's track record so far, even after the event is over and if the game stays, it will remain unfinished forever.

As for the kickstarter... Yeah, that's not happening. I don't even have 15 billion gold, but even if I did I wouldn't be spending it on a chance at getting a special kin. Hell, I wouldn't spend that much even if I was guaranteed to get that special kin. No way. Enough of these insane kickstarters. Yeesh.

[404NoLongerExists]

1000% this

This game has a lot of potential but it feels extremely rushed and ill-thought out.
A huge turnoff for me is the amount of time it takes to level up, and as stated, the battle system itself is an absolute bore.

I get the game just came out, but I feel some simple things have been over-looked.

Some simple things to improve the game drastically could be:
- Sound.
- Kin Variation in terms of abilities, weaknesses, and advantages.
- Make it even a little faster to level up.

If any of these were implemented I'd be willing to overlook everything else and may be more inclined to give more attention to the game.

[Cashmina]

My only feedback for this game is, fix it because i can't play, it let me pick a kin and thats about it

[Whispers of Delusion]

Nyadriel

Whispers of Delusion

While I agree completely with you,
I don't think Lake Kindred should be compared to Pokémon.
Compared to Pokémon most of the pet battle games will look horrible.
Pokémon is created by a company that makes Gaia Inc. look like a grain of dust.
They have the funding, the staff, the time and the experience.
Not to mention it has had the opportunity to grow and be perfected in the last, what, 20 years?
Like I said, the game needs improvement and you are spot on,
but I think your statement can be made without comparing
a game that's only a few days old to the pioneer of pet battle games.

Unfortunately the game feels like it was a rushed job.
It lacks a lot and is bugged from beginning to end.
Gamebreaking bugs.
I haven't even had the opportunity to properly try it out myself,
because 90% of the time I can't click on anything.

You and some others seem to have this problem. But it may be on your end or something. bandwidth and all of that other technical nonsense. (feels sorry for people on dial-up)

I checked a few pages in the bug reports thread to see if it could have been my OS/My browser but there was too much variation and that clearly wasn't the problem.
Then I checked if my browser was up to date and if I missed any other updates that could've caused it. There I found nothing either.
After that I tried a different browser, here the game works perfectly.
Unfortunately I am very hesitant to use that browser because of the extended way I personalized the browser I usually use and get frustrated that the other browser isn't. This means it's not my internet connection either and seems to be related to my browser.
Now I don't really mind because I've noticed that at the start of the game you already have to start grinding stage 1, unless I'm doing something very wrong.

[Azalea Star]

That EXP rate for kins needs to go up. Drastically up. I use a potion whenever possible, and with only needing to grind for half the EXP I'm still /bored/, but at least it feels a bit less like chipping at a mountain with a tiny chisel.

[marshmallowcreampie]

Gorath Tsu

Jaded Jellyfish

I'll be honest in my assessment of the game, because it's supposed to be a permanent feature. As it stands right now, the game is nothing short of a boring grindfest.

I have to agree with everything that was said in this post. The game is boring, plain and simple. Fighting in the game is dreadfully boring, there's little to do, and the lack of sound makes it even worse. Sound at least can make things moderately more enjoyable but to have the game completely silent? Really? I can't see how it would have been hard to toss in some background music and some attack sounds. Easy.

I do notice that some kin seem to have slightly different stats than others. Besides the attack and HP, my Willocroak misses 70% of the time and combined with how weak it is it doesn't make it very enjoyable to try to level up when it spends most of its time with 0 HP.

The rewards certainly are crap, too. All I've gotten so far are portions and a few partly amounts of gold. Winning 1,000 gold isn't worth the effort, not in this economy. Where are the avatar items? Where are the things that I can actually show off? And for that matter, giving out RIGs as prizes for an event is never a good idea. I was hoping Gaia would have learned their lesson after the last time they had an event that gave out RIGs as prizes, but I guess not. I don't want to waste all of my time leveling up my kin for a small chance to win an avatar item... I want to level up and be guaranteed that avatar item for my time and effort. Spending all that time leveling up just to get some crappy item from a RIG isn't worth it and is just plain disappointing. Why would I want to play a game where I feel disappointed?

When you level up Kin, there actually is a set level when you get the companion item, but it does take a while to grind levels. Anyway, I agree, there would be more motivation to play if the rewards were better. The only reason I'm playing now is so I can capture Stagony (which is gonna take forever, if I catch it at all) and level it enough to get the item.

[Beccamorto]

Got up to level 6 and I'm already getting tired of the game. It's just too repetitive and lacks any real game play fun.

I've only gotten one egg and it's not even something interesting and there's no way to set it free. I'd rather get an egg of mystery origin and have it set to be any random kin no matter what dropped it, rather than something useless, or that has already been gotten, with a choice of keeping it or releasing it once it's hatched.

There's no real exploring, just small stars to click on that jump start a battle, the battle scene's are completely stationary. The battle rewards are just as bad, minute amounts of gold, alchemy/old rig items, and the only useful thing that pops up sporadically are the potions and those come with conditions of how/when they can be used.

No P2P interaction, no real interaction with the kin. It's just fight them, let them sleep, wake them and repeat over and over again.

I've just about completely lost interest in the game only 2 days in. I just hope more can be done with it to give it more life before it becomes a total fail.