Community answers - part 1

[AkodoReign]

Ok you've answered all questions but one. When do we get a pet pathing fix. If this is not possible Could you please have the developers look into making all the bot lines transferable. aka wardriod transferance. My engi has been collecting dust for 2 months now and i still cant play him. Cos get your crat droid out run acouple missions using only it to complete them. then report your findings to Fc on how the rest of us live.

If Transferance lines were reworked to make them armor suits for the engi (not to pretend to be ma's). Then alot of us higher-high level engineers could find homes in teams and level. only casting bots for such things as boss rooms etc.

Thanks for the responce cos, or cz. you have truely impressed me this time.

[Cz]

Pet pathing is on our list.

But, as said in another thread, please stay on topic. If you need to make sure we have an issue on our list, send us an e-mail or a private message. If people keep posting off-topic in every thread we make, I'll have to consider limiting posting in this forum, or at least these threads.

Thank you.

[___________Evilspork]

"We want your feedback! Gimme gimme gimme!"

"Sorry, your feedback is offtopic. Go away."

[Darkbane]

Once we get threads here that will allow these things to be discussed on-topic, I'll 'edit' out any off topic stuff from my posts and put into the appropriate thread. Hope some of the others can do the same, clear up these threads a bit, and put your thoughts somewhere they will be more likely to be read - two birds with one stone.

But keep it up Cz, your doing great

[____________Greystar]

Originally posted by Cz
This is almost a deja-vu of what happened in the first bulletin board wipe (server operator killing the AO boards instead of the Midgard ones, and we had no backup), only this time the lack of backup was by choice, because we didn't view those data to be as sensitive as the new ones.

Hehe that is funny, but what I don't quite get is why you don't use some sort of DLT system to backup the servers every other day ?

I'll see what info I can get on this, but let me just say that what many people percieve as a memory leak - namely that AO uses a lot of memory - is intended to a certain point. As long as you have memory available, AO will not purge textures and such, but keep them in memory for faster access. That is not a leak, but it will greatly decrease the resources available for other programs as long as you run AO (and a while after you end AO, until the memory is fully released again).

That's not correct, AO even eats it's own resources, depending on your amount of RAM which prolongs the inevitable end, AO will crash or become unbearingly slow after you zone several times. ADD: at least under Windows 98 and most likely Windows ME

Yes, we are adding level restrictions, but this does not turn it completely around. You still need skill, and though I am not sure what is most common, I believe at least some of the nanos are made so that you reach the level requirement before possibly getting to the skill requirements. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Not quite right but close, you should read the post of your Nano designer, only Nanos 14.6+ will have skill requirements higher than you can reach by the level required to cast the spell, not the 14.4 nanos

[_______________Sjoko]

Originally posted by Tetra

Don't be insulting... the guy crossed the line but don't drop down to his level.

If he can't handle a joke, too bad.

Here's a little timeline for you...

Don't even bother, go to the soldier forum and you'll see the same thing.

[Tetra]

Originally posted by Sjoko

Don't even bother, go to the soldier forum and you'll see the same thing. [/B]

while I hate to drag the thread off topic... no... you really wont see the same thing since soldiers are not currently slated as the focus for the next patch. Also you neglected to explain how having the wrong inits on a weapon is a "good thing"

[_______________Sjoko]

Originally posted by Tetra


while I hate to drag the thread off topic... no... you really wont see the same thing since soldiers are not currently slated as the focus for the next patch. Also you neglected to explain how having the wrong inits on a weapon is a "good thing"

No it doesn't state what next patch is about _yet_ but if you read the soldier thread you see the following:
Here are the major areas that the Soldiers will receive buffs in:
Assault Rifle (only soldiers will be getting AR buffs)
SMG (slightly worse than the fixer's SMG buff)
Rifle (slightly behind the agent's rifle buffs)
Ranged Energy (only solders will be getting RE buffs)
Fling Shot (equal best with adventurers)
Burst (best)
Full Auto (only soldiers will be getting FA buffs)
Multi-Ranged (equal second best)
Grenade (second best buff)
Heavy Weapons (best buff)

Now it doesn't say we're getting it next patch, but we have that promise. And it might as well be the next patch, we don't know that.

On your BBI, it doesn't really matter wether it uses melee, physcial or ranged init. All of those skills are blue to you, BUT (and here's the point), even blue skills have different costs and according to a skill calculator I have having melee init will cost less than using ranged init. I hope that explains it well enough.

[Tetra]

Originally posted by Sjoko


No it doesn't state what next patch is about _yet_ but if you read the soldier thread you see the following:

NT's are slated for 14.6 last I heard. the difference between your example and what happened with Advents is in your example soldiers were told that they are getting things in the future and that it was being worked on, with advents we were told we were getting X Y and Z in 14.4... in fact we had known for multiple patches that we were slated for 14.4 because of the numerous times that advents had been moved back.

Now it doesn't say we're getting it next patch, but we have that promise. And it might as well be the next patch, we don't know that.

You don't know anything, you don't know when your getting these buffs, you don't know what patch your scheduled for, you don't know any of the details on those things, you simply know you are getting things at some point in the future.

On your BBI, it doesn't really matter wether it uses melee, physcial or ranged init. All of those skills are blue to you, BUT (and here's the point), even blue skills have different costs and according to a skill calculator I have having melee init will cost less than using ranged init. I hope that explains it well enough.

Actually it makes a big difference, an advent who uses ranged weapons logically uses ranged init for their weapons. Just because melee init may be cheaper than ranged init on a point for point level doesnt mean it's cheaper when you have XXX points of melee init already for other weapons, nor does it make any sense to put points in melee init when it's something that's supposed to be fixed

[_______________Sjoko]

Originally posted by Tetra

NT's are slated for 14.6 last I heard. the difference between your example and what happened with Advents is in your example soldiers were told that they are getting things in the future and that it was being worked on, with advents we were told we were getting X Y and Z in 14.4... in fact we had known for multiple patches that we were slated for 14.4 because of the numerous times that advents had been moved back.

Well soldiers haven't gotten any responses after these promises so like I said who knows, besides FC.

You don't know anything, you don't know when your getting these buffs, you don't know what patch your scheduled for, you don't know any of the details on those things, you simply know you are getting things at some point in the future.

Yes, and that's what I said, but something needs to be done with the soldier & NT profession, and we the soldiers are hoping to push FC into giving us at least something useful in the next patch.

Actually it makes a big difference, an advent who uses ranged weapons logically uses ranged init for their weapons. Just because melee init may be cheaper than ranged init on a point for point level doesnt mean it's cheaper when you have XXX points of melee init already for other weapons, nor does it make any sense to put points in melee init when it's something that's supposed to be fixed

As long as you _know_ that the gun is using melee init atm, it doesn't matter. If you have XXX points in melee init already, I don't understand what's the big deal as long as you probably have to reset the skill anyway. If you ask me it would however be a better choice for advents to ask that all your weapons uses melee init.

There are many things that are supposedly fixed in this game, but many things aren't. Advents got their attention, didn't you? If it matters that much if a gun uses melee init (same with nova flow mark I - http://auno.org/aodb.php?t=ag&cmd=view&id=158962) for you at the moment, there are plenty of pistols to choose from until til get it fixed. Nobody uses Mark I yet, because of this, it's a fairly decen't weapon but the melee init makes it slow for soldiers at least.

As I see it advents now bathe in advents self only weapons, and if that one weapon is ruining your day so much just find another weapon.

If you want to discuss this further I suggest you send a mail to bugs@funcom.com and ask if bunny is there and send them your thoughts :P (yeah another joke, ha ha)

[__________LostBoyJim]

Originally posted by Sjoko

He're we have a perfect example of an adventurer who just recently got lots of good stuff. What does he do.. He goes right here and whine about it. That's all I've heard from adventurers the last couple of months. Now you got some nice nanos and items. Back off and let someone else who sorely needs a fix for their profession to get something.

As a soldier I'm the one who should whine about my weapons not being as good as a lousy pistol. So be quiet!

And to be completely honest, hadn't you found out that BBI was using melee init you probably wouldn't have noticed it at all. Before you go all haywire you should thank FC for making that gun use melee init, cause melee init seems to mean more than ranged init.

And because they haven't changed it doesn't mean that Czeffyr went to the devs and said "hey guys, I know this moron on the boards, whatever you do, don't change the BBI faithful gun from using melee into ranged init yet, let them bleed first, muhahaha". It means something else, (hopefully) more important issues gets fixed first. And it's not a 5 minute fix, first you have to plan it, you have to take the servers down and create a patch to fix the item database. Now if you could do that in 5 minutes, I'm impressed.

Try and show some understanding and not just think of yourself ?

Actually, I'm pretty happy with what the ADVs got. The BBI is just an example of "really really simple" fixes that haven't been made. It an issues that easily illustarted with FunCom ignoring it's beta testers or not having good database managers. As for the "5 minute fix" comment, if they don't have existing tools that can easily add, delete, or edit items in the existing database for the next micro-rollout, then they deserve to be mocked.

I agree whole-heartedly with you on the soldier issue. Your guns, which take 4-5 skills to use, should be head and shoulders above a 2-skill pistol or a shotgun.

To be honest, while the adventurers did get a lot of "nano-lovin", the most important thing they got was BALANCED WEAPONS. On the Melee side the Sol Executioner has really changed the role of the adventurer for the better. Similarly, the new SMGs are helping to make Fixers relavent to play. Enforcers have always been a good choice. Why? Not their nanos, but their good weapons.

Honest question here: Do soldiers really need more nanos, or do they just need weapons that balance well against other class' weapons? I speak specifically to the Shotgun here, but in general, your weapons should stack up higher than they do against every other class' in the game.

Oh, and yes I do have a sense of humor. It seems that going off the deep end is sometime the only way to get FunCom's attention (and I got personal love from Cz, woot). If I couldn't take the heat, I'd stay out of the forums (or some such).

[Get]LostBoy
jim

[_______________Sjoko]

Originally posted by LostBoyJim


Actually, I'm pretty happy with what the ADVs got. The BBI is just an example of "really really simple" fixes that haven't been made. It an issues that easily illustarted with FunCom ignoring it's beta testers or not having good database managers. As for the "5 minute fix" comment, if they don't have existing tools that can easily add, delete, or edit items in the existing database for the next micro-rollout, then they deserve to be mocked.

I agree whole-heartedly with you on the soldier issue. Your guns, which take 4-5 skills to use, should be head and shoulders above a 2-skill pistol or a shotgun.

To be honest, while the adventurers did get a lot of "nano-lovin", the most important thing they got was BALANCED WEAPONS. On the Melee side the Sol Executioner has really changed the role of the adventurer for the better. Similarly, the new SMGs are helping to make Fixers relavent to play. Enforcers have always been a good choice. Why? Not their nanos, but their good weapons.

Honest question here: Do soldiers really need more nanos, or do they just need weapons that balance well against other class' weapons? I speak specifically to the Shotgun here, but in general, your weapons should stack up higher than they do against every other class' in the game.

Oh, and yes I do have a sense of humor. It seems that going off the deep end is sometime the only way to get FunCom's attention (and I got personal love from Cz, woot). If I couldn't take the heat, I'd stay out of the forums (or some such).

[Get]LostBoy
jim

First off, a database fix isn't just that easy. Since the database is on both client and server you have to patch both. In order to do that just for one thing they left out takes time. They will fix it, but we don't know when. (Isn't that how it is always?)

I'm glad you didn't take my comment the wrong way there It was really no harm intended.

What soldiers need is a tough a very tough question. I'd say we need both. We need a pletora of alternatives in arms, I want to be able to swich damagetype. One way to fix it is to give us nanos that changes the damage types. Another way is maybe to give us ammo that are soldier only and that changes damage output randomly.

A soldier also need something in combat, I'm not sure what it is, but something that will make it a choice to put up mk or leave it be. Something to use on our enemies and maybe something to use on self. Self only ranged crit buff, maybe or a weapon skills inoperable type of nano. Make the opponent unable to use their weapons maybe ? "All your weaponskills are belong to me", a short drain that gives the soldier all the weaponskills of his opponent for a minute sounds funny, but who knows, it might be uber or it might just be cool.

And about the last statement yes, I agree to certain extent.

Well anyways I'm way off topic, but the bottom line, I created my char to be a killing machine and that's not how I feel my profession is today, in both pvm and pvp.

[_______________Tatsu]

What if FC created a series of multiple weapons that could only be created, not found as loot or mission reward. Bear with me and let me explain.

The created weapons could have the high requirements that soldiers are used to. It is a must that they must actually be worthwhile damage-wise when compared to other weapons. The high requirements restricts other classes from using it, so FC shouldn't put a Soldier only restriction. Honestly, I'd like to see a Doc with Ranged Energy, Burst, Fling, Full Auto, and Rifle (don't kill me for the reqs, I've never used a soldier so I don't know ranged weapons skills). That should please the soldiers if they're finally doing the damage they were meant to do and possess the power they were meant to have.

The great thing about this is, it gives another reason to be a trader again and it should help the AO economy. The weaponsmithing skill will actually have a use and it will be sought after. The Chemical Mausser was a great example, but they didn't make it worth the money and effort many people put into it. If all the soldiers were looking for these weapons to be made, however, traders (and other professions that wish to raise weaponsmithing) would have another source of income.

This is just an idea that just popped into my head as I was reading this thread. There are probably a few things wrong with it (IE. the cost to create the weapons was MORE than what people can sell them for). But if refined, it could become a reasonable option. Just my two credits. ^_^

[_______________Sjoko]

Originally posted by Tatsu
What if FC created a series of multiple weapons that could only be created, not found as loot or mission reward. Bear with me and let me explain.

The created weapons could have the high requirements that soldiers are used to. It is a must that they must actually be worthwhile damage-wise when compared to other weapons. The high requirements restricts other classes from using it, so FC shouldn't put a Soldier only restriction. Honestly, I'd like to see a Doc with Ranged Energy, Burst, Fling, Full Auto, and Rifle (don't kill me for the reqs, I've never used a soldier so I don't know ranged weapons skills). That should please the soldiers if they're finally doing the damage they were meant to do and possess the power they were meant to have.

The great thing about this is, it gives another reason to be a trader again and it should help the AO economy. The weaponsmithing skill will actually have a use and it will be sought after. The Chemical Mausser was a great example, but they didn't make it worth the money and effort many people put into it. If all the soldiers were looking for these weapons to be made, however, traders (and other professions that wish to raise weaponsmithing) would have another source of income.

This is just an idea that just popped into my head as I was reading this thread. There are probably a few things wrong with it (IE. the cost to create the weapons was MORE than what people can sell them for). But if refined, it could become a reasonable option. Just my two credits. ^_^

I agree with you, the best weapons should be custom made and made by players. My girlfriend started an engineer just to be able to do that. But it turned out to be more work than its worth and you can't make all weapons.

For instance let's take the suppressor, let's say you could hack that, which means you open something in the department. If you use a screwdriver you could maybe take out some parts and put in some others and voilla you have a light suppressor. Or you can add and make it into a custom heavy suppressor. And you can tweak some more and maybe it'll be a medium suppressor.

It would be nice if you could do that with every weapon, change, modify and add parts and even build from scratch. To make the best weapon based on range, speed, requirements and which specials.

But yes this has actually been one of my dreams to get a customizable weapon.

The sad part is that FC removed reverse engineering from the beta. It would have been such a cool skill to play with. But now I think FC could do the same with break & entry skill. And maybe have a disassembly tool which uses breaking and entry.

[Sheffy]

Originally posted by HidaReign
Thanks for the responce cos, or cz. you have truely impressed me this time.

Took the words right out of my mouth. When someone pasted the URL to a thread titled "Community answers..." I nearly fainted.

I truly did not expect this kind of Funcom feedback to its playerbase (I've been here since launch and haven't seen it until now). I'm beyond impressed, borderline elated. I just hope this continues from patch to patch, and does not die off like the Daily Updates.

Thumbs up, Cz/Cosmik!

--Tsk

[Gearbox]

Originally posted by JaydeStargunner


2) "Not as skill based" = Not Skill Based.

Sorry. With level/title caps already in place, putting "pessimistic" level reqs on nanos removes the purpose of skills.

Yes. Skills are there. They make a wonderful thing to play around with in your spare time, and are fun to look at. They just don't matter much.

Skills are in the game inasmuch as you cannot be good at every skill in the game simultaneously. That is all. Skills are a limiter right now, NOT an enabler.

When you remove the skill-based advantages of breeds (Nanomage = pointless) and buffs (forget about MP's and Traders) skills are just there to make sure you aren't proficient in everything at the same time. This is NOT a skill-based situation in the spirit of a true skill-based game.

Skills should allow you to EXCEL at certain things, not simply USE certain things at the PREDETERMINED threshold. That is the key difference. Most of the higher-level nanos with level reqs are just as easy for an Atrox to use as a Nanomage. The few extra points Nanomages get via dibble-down are basically worthless, while the Atrox's 75% higher HP makes a Nanomage basically pointless as a race.

Couldn't have said it better, Jayde. That is precisely the problem. If level is *a* limiting factor, it is by default *the* limiting factor.

[Cambist]

I'll try that wacky on-topic stuff..

"Funcom hates camping!"
Good.. Not as much as me, though. I don't give a damn how uber MkII or Shoulderpads are. If I have to stand in line, especially with Omni I can't shoot, I'm not going to do it again. It causes players to harass each other and generally brings out the worst behaviour in everyone. *Thinks back to the very brief Smuggler charm war*

Story and events on Rubi-Ka 2
I think everyone can empathize with not wanting to crash every time there's an event. I liked the storytelling and plot advancement, but ran like hell if I heard there was an event. Zones crashed too often.

Listening to players
Yeah, there's a lot of morons you wouldn't want to listen to. I've worked customer service before. They're not always right.. If you ever get more than 80% or more of your paying customers agreeing to something, though. It should make you think strongly about listening to them.

Forum archives
Don't care especially.. Stop deleting posts and we'll have less to complain about on that end. I know you're tired of complaints.

Memory leak
Yeah, talk to those coders.. There's a memory leak. That's why AO consumes more and more resources until it crashes.

Storyline
Make it not crash me and I'll be thrilled to death with this. Rather enjoyed the ARK events up until the zone crashing parts.

Quality vs quantity
Fair enough... At least get the professionals answers more often, though. They're your smaller focus group and should post less inane comments. And tell your developers to write stuff again. Otherwise we can't quote them out of context and be snotty jerks about.. Oh wait.. Well ask them to write stuff again so we know the direction the game is going.

Answered and unanswered questions lists
K.. So, really vauge non-information. I'll take that as a you'll get back to us when there's something to talk about.

Skill or level based?
Already a ton of posts on this. I don't like the level reqs especially either. People paid for a game with a skill based system. My favorite thing about the game was character building and individuality created from the skill system. This decreases the individuality.

[Sean-Roach]

Okay, I'd rather do other things right now, than read the whole thread, so I'm putting that off, but.

As far as feedback, here's a cheap fix. Rig the message boards with an extra "viewed # times" box that only increments when one of your developers, GM's, moderators, or similar reads it to the end. Not necessarily the end at the point a person's viewing it, but to the end when _A_ FC person saw it.

We'd know we're being heard, even if we didn't get answers.

Alternately, you can give all FC people a common "membership". One that all GM's, Developers, Designers, Etc., can sign in under. Then they can simply post under that whenever they've viewed a thread to it's then end. Sort of a your concerns have been noted.

Feel good's cheap, after all.

[Cz]

Having other threads to check up on, and wanting to keep the new questions concentrated, I now more or less leave this one with a final post.

Tatsu, I think some weapons can only be found as "almost completed" and require a bit of trade skill use to become the final weapon. Adding the issue to my list, and will bring it up with the designer(s) doing trade skills.

Sean Roach, the BB software is licenced, not our own, but I can check whether we can hack something in.

---

Ok, off for this time. Not closing the thread, but if yo have anything you absolutely want us to read (and that is on-topic), use the latest Community answers thread.

Thank you.

[Cz]

By "latest thread" I meant of the ones numbered (like "part 1" and "part 2"), not the topic specific ones (like "level reqs"). Please leave the topic specific ones on-topic.

My fault.