Foul! Just "awarded" a potion and denied it at the same time!
Keybounce
Posts: 474 ✭✭✭
This is a bad game design decision.
I just completed a trace, and got a potion as a reward.
Except ... I didn't.
I'm told I'm full, and my only choice is to spend gold to expand my inventory, or lose out.
*** At no other time is my ability to get a reward from the game limited by my capacity ***
During the first 5 levels or so, the gameplay advancement rate is crazy fast. You get massive over supply of spell energy, etc -- to the point that you might think this sort of thing is the norm, and when you start to run out later the game feels like it has changed.
But ...
Daily +15 energy? Can push you over.
Daily +1 potion? Can push you over.
Rewards from events? Can push you over.
** EVERYTHING ** else that the game gives can push you over.
(Well ... ok, visiting an inn or greenhouse while full will be a waste. But you could check that, and it's only a 5 minute penalty. I'm ** Still Upset ** at the greenhouse penalty, sheesh.)
This?
I'm not given an opportunity to use a potion to make room.
I'm not given the overflow like everything else.
** I'm being "forced" to spend gold or lose out. **
This takes all the * fun * out of the event / special happening.
This results, not in players enjoying "Ohh, look what I just earned", but rather dislike at "GRR, look what I just lost".
This is ** BAD GAME DESIGN **
This needs to change, and FAST.
This will leave players upset at your game, which is the last thing you want.
Comments
@Keybounce I get what you’re saying, but it’s been this way since the beginning of the game, and we’re all still here playing. In all seriousness though, it is frustrating when you lose out on that free potion. But it’s free, not necessarily earned for completing a task or walking off a portkey. So I didn’t earn that potion.
It's a legitimate complaint. I usually let out an annoyed sigh when I lose out on a free potion drop from an encounter because my potion vault is already full. Still, I never get that upset about it. I mean, it's just a game. I didn't really lose anything. It'll be fine.
It doesn't seem like a bad design to me. It's pretty straight forward. Your vault has a max capacity. If it's full, you can't add more stuff. Simple.
There are some scenarios where you don't lose out despite having a full vault. Rewards from portkeys, daily assignments, and daily treasure are a few that'll add to your potions or ingredients vaults even if you're already maxed out. When it comes to other parts of the game though, like interacting with confoundables, inns, or greenhouses, players are expected to manage their inventory effectively, which includes saving room for unexpected items. It might feel frustrating or unfair at first, but this is just another one of those things you'll get better at after playing for a while.
It was much worse when portkey rewards wouldn't overflow. I got into the habit of clearing space before opening a portkey for fear of losing something valuable, and it took a bit to break that habit once overflow was permitted. Unfortunately not everything overflows so getting into the habit of checking space or at least keeping an eye on it before engaging a foe would definitely be good form. I see it as a way of encouraging me to be aware of my surroundings at all times.
It doesn't seem like a bad design to me. It's pretty straight forward. Your vault has a max capacity. If it's full, you can't add more stuff. Simple.
Except that rule doesn't apply as a rule.
Remember, you earn LOTS of stuff, going massively over capacity during beginning game play.
You can, daily, go over with daily rewards.
And, there is no warning until "Opps, you blew it". No potion count warning when you are full. There is a warning count for your spell energy, and you can see when you are over full.
There is no option besides "Waste". No choice to use one to make room.
I wasn't even really aware that this was a thing -- two of you have said this is an ongoing issue -- and I thought this was having to do with this new event and the bonus potions we were told to expect from the news article.
From my perspective, the strict vault capacity only applies as a rule to things where you do, in fact, have a choice. I don't share your perspective in not having a choice. You insist there's no choice once you've already engaged a greenhouse, an inn, or a confoundable, which is technically true. However, if you back up in time a few moments, you made the choice to engage without first verifying you have room in your vault for item drops. Therefore, your argument sounds to me like you shouldn't have to be responsible for that choice.
** I'm being "forced" to spend gold or lose out. **
Not true. Engaging is your decision. Checking your vault capacity first is on you, not the game developers.
Still, having said all that, I'm totally cool with the idea of allowing random strong exstimulo potion drops from encounters to go beyond vault capacity. Like @ZookiTabooki mentioned, this wasn't the case with portkeys at first, but then they changed it. So, if the @HPWUTeam is reading this thread, maybe they'll agree it's a good idea.
Compared to other games the starter inventory space in WU is incredibly low across the board and in my opinion it's clearly just a cash grab.
@UnaVida tons of us on here have played the game without spending money and have leveled up a lot. I disagree that it’s a “cash grab.” I feel like when people say that, they just don’t put the effort into the game.
I've played my share of free games and to me it felt like Welcome to Harry Potter! So where's your wallet? 🤣
I bought an initial upgrade pack but after that I have upgraded using in game gold only as well. It's definitely made the game more rewarding.
I mean Niantic obviously has to make money on it. But you can easily get through the game without paying a dime.