Andor's Trail

What's the idea of having roving gangs of Feyguard stealing all my (637) bonemeal potions!?!? This is not a feature but rather a nasty punishment that has made me stop playing the game completely. Why make such a thing occur, do you want to alienate every player?

Because Lord Geomyr has banned their use. Hence they are illegal to possess.

It really just requires a change of strategy. Go back a little to an earlier savegame, and stash most of your bonemeal. Maybe is several places. Also note that the patrol only appears in a limited number of places. Once you know where they are, they are not much of a problem. You just save before going there, and if they appear you can reload (unless you are playing with limited lives of course, in which case more strategy is required).

Still a seriously flawed idea, not what I would call worth waisting time and effort to add to the game. Does anyone care what the players may think about an added pitfall like this? Why not just secretly turn on permdeath without warning for anyone wearing boots, or create a random pit in the normally clear roads that cannot be escsped?!?! These gangs of Feyguard aren't a clever idea, they are just a rotten annoyance that make travel in the game an even more tedious chore, and rather than creating more opportunities for strategy and fun it adds a new layer of frustration to what is supposed to be a game designed for enjoyment not an adventure in masochism.

This is a deal breaker for me, the game is already far too grinding, and travel is tedious enough without pointless detours. I realize from past experience in discussions here that the designers of this game are not open to constructive criticism, and that once a bad thing is introduced into the game it is defended regardless of anyone else's input about it, but someone in the team must know feedback can be a good thing keeping players happy rather than making them walk away feeling insulted and frustrated. Games are meant to be fun, not ever increasing devices for torture and frustration...

A.T. it's a game of actions and consequences and ramifications for those decisions. You help somebod in need, you get rewarded. You hurt somebody and you have the potential of being punished for it. You break the law you get punished.

I'm sorry you feel this way but this was my idea and I think it's a really good one. It adds a tremendous amount of depth and risk for the player. they can no longer just walk around the world with an illegal substance in their bag without fear of being caught. And that's just a little bit more of a challenge to the game.

We are open to criticism. We read about it here. we respond to it here. We welcome it. I've been here as a player for 9 years and as a contributor for less than 8 months. I have seen players come and go some with great ideas some with not such great ideas. The great ideas that fit with the game get added. Ideas that seem great at the time But proves to be not a good idea have been modified or removed. But the Bonemeal Patrol will not be one of them.

Even in the very earliest days of this game players were told bonemeal was illegal. So nobody can say they did not know that. There was an obvious, fundamental, problem though. Having bonemeal had no consequences, so "illegal" meant nothing. Consequences were always intended, and now they have been implemented. It's safe to assume that the bonemeal patrol will not be the only consequence.

Go without bonemeal. You can do it. I have 2 bonemeal-free characters.

Or maybe some shadowy person observed this scene with an approving smile...

I see your frustration. And our goal is to let people enjoy the game. That's why we added the patrol to make it more exciting.

For long time players there is a warning in the whats-new section. Do you or others have a suggestion how we could change the patrol?

Yes, make it more harsh. Bonemeal is illegal. Taking them away is ok for the first encounter as a warning.
2nd catch, it should have more consequences, like throwing you in prison and taking away all your equiped armor and weapons and jewelry.
You may decide whether it is retrievable (via a quest) or not.
But I am all for consequences, and as you rightfully pointed out:it was illegal all along.

If you steal a jogurth in a store, don't be surprised to be habded over to the cops for shop lifting...