Letter from the Game Director: 14 January 2008

[Redbar]

In that menu where you select which title to show, will it be possible to select "no title"?

I mean, people don't need to know who to title farm anymore so there's no harm to it, and since you can't defarm it'd be the only way to get rid of your (visible) title.

[Odov]

We did try and implement a 'grace period' but it just proved difficult with the game engine and there were technical complications that proved difficult to get around.

In terms of buffs we did consider it (not allowing any outside buffs), but felt that overall, using buffs is such an integral way of tweaking, especially in PVP, that it was better that the duel system allowed players to prepare buffs before the duel. We couldn't do both, so we went for the option that we felt was most in keeping with the way that people who enjoy that type of PVP usually play.

"so we went for the option that we felt was most in keeping with the way that people who enjoy that type of PVP usually play."

Sill.. You need to stop saying this. That is actually the opposite "way" 90% of respectable PvPers at all levels duel. A duel with OSBs is Borealis flag PvP - not a duel. I hope you reconsider, this kills the duel system for lower levels. Twinking NCU/logging blockers/hots/gsf @ lvl 15 != twinking good equips and playing with your own characters tool set.




Also big bump for killing the japanese solo titles.. How does that fit in?

[Moonsorrow]

I would rather like to see different title names - ranking for each proffesion...

[Hacre]

"
A duel without OSBs is Borealis flag PvP - not a duel.

I think you mean with

[Mekh]

In that menu where you select which title to show, will it be possible to select "no title"?

I mean, people don't need to know who to title farm anymore so there's no harm to it, and since you can't defarm it'd be the only way to get rid of your (visible) title.

WTB optional title of "CBA"....

[Odov]

I think you mean with

LOL oops, fixed <3




But another thing that bothers me.. Part of the edge of end-game PvP is losing your title.. I can't see the fun in titles if you can never ever lose them. Having a high title now will pretty much mean you PvP'd enough to grind it out. Whether it took you 7 days cause you are good at killing people, or 7 months because you're crap.. What's the point?

[Maeventura]

nidan, yodan, shodan, etc are indeed martial arts terms. I personally dislike seeing such terms on other but MA profs like others already mentioned.

@Mahdi007: You got title for solo pvp, team pvp and duels. 3 different ways to pvp, and three different titles you may want or not to defend. That means you always could loose a title in one of the three types of pvp.

[Silirrion]

"so we went for the option that we felt was most in keeping with the way that people who enjoy that type of PVP usually play."

Sill.. You need to stop saying this. That is actually the opposite "way" 90% of respectable PvPers at all levels duel. A duel with OSBs is Borealis flag PvP - not a duel. I hope you reconsider, this kills the duel system for lower levels. Twinking NCU/logging blockers/hots/gsf @ lvl 15 != twinking good equips and playing with your own characters tool set.

Yes, of course I can qualify that with 'what we thought the most people enjoy', it's always a judgement call and we have to make those base on what we think will work best in keeping with what the majority of people will find fun.

In this case, when presented with a choice we opted for the 'with buffs' style as we feel that it fits with the above. We fully understand and appreciate the other point of view in this instance and if we could have included both easily we would have. It's something that might be more possible with a little time later down the line, but for now we had to make a choice and we went for the one that we felt would be more fun for more people.

[Zeylenne]

Another fix that is urgently needed is for the towers itself.

They need more hp, bigger AR, more damage and better defences.

All players have received large boosts to offence and defence.

To see a filled Q200 base fall within 3-5 minutes is... very strange...

Even a base filled with Q300 turrets will loose all the towers within 30 minutes + the attack on the CT itself.

[Scotty]

Wow this changes look coolish I can't wait.

I especially love changes to the /afk while on BS.

Just disable 'the inspect' function

[Mavritanic]

how FC be fix OS planting by lowLevel chars? if it not be changed all new TW changes be useless. We just be use duallogged for planting.

Fixers and engs anti-OS-auras is fun idea, but it be very good reason to big blobbing (and all old troubles will back).

[tehacidbaron]

The new addition to the engineer profession makes me frustrated.

It seems my fun time now is turning into more work time, we also complained and if i would say complained alot it would be an understatement that we want an active role after the extension on the blocker line, yet now it appears a future addition will follow that trend, which sadly makes me wonder why i picked this class as it seems to be a very passive profession besides performing my 'duties'.

Which is warp, block and now place jammer, after that i'm done besides if i need to repeat it or run back from reclaim.

Will this monstrosity of a jammer tower come atleast with increase offense or defense for the engineer specificly? I am not talking about the increase defense versus orbital strikes everyone gets specificly what the engineer gets as it cannot be denied we'll become an even more priority target, we might even surpas the doctor profession.

I know this is just a fix for NW and not an improvement for anything else, yet i would do like to see some improvement on the caster side and no AC's won't do as those are capped thus that won't be an improvement.

[Chrys]

Yes, of course I can qualify that with 'what we thought the most people enjoy', it's always a judgement call and we have to make those base on what we think will work best in keeping with what the majority of people will find fun.

In this case, when presented with a choice we opted for the 'with buffs' style as we feel that it fits with the above. We fully understand and appreciate the other point of view in this instance and if we could have included both easily we would have. It's something that might be more possible with a little time later down the line, but for now we had to make a choice and we went for the one that we felt would be more fun for more people.

In that case, I suggest an additional, "Hardcore Duel" mode, which wipes your NCU then gives you 3 minutes of grace to buff up before you fight (and separate titles for that ofc).

P.S. And it would be cool if the duel beacon acted like a vincinity buffing station for players during the grace like the decon room on BS

[Csavarkulcs]

In that case, I suggest an additional, "Hardcore Duel" mode, which wipes your NCU then gives you 3 minutes of grace to buff up before you fight (and separate titles for that ofc).

We did try and implement a 'grace period' but it just proved difficult with the game engine and there were technical complications that proved difficult to get around.

In terms of buffs we did consider it (not allowing any outside buffs), but felt that overall, using buffs is such an integral way of tweaking, especially in PVP, that it was better that the duel system allowed players to prepare buffs before the duel. We couldn't do both, so we went for the option that we felt was most in keeping with the way that people who enjoy that type of PVP usually play.

Sil already rejected that on page 3...

[Redbar]

nidan, yodan, shodan, etc are indeed martial arts terms. I personally dislike seeing such terms on other but MA profs like others already mentioned.

I just think they should have picked a cooler martial art. Like maegashira 7 through 1, komosubi, sekiwake, and ozeki.

[Abalz]

If 2 players of the same faction are dueling, will AOE things like auras, or a docs battlegroup heals affect the person you are fighting? Seems silly a crats aura boosts his opponent, or a docs heals heal his opponent, etc.

I would think so, they seemed to figured out how to get Nuetrals not to be tabbed by the side that they choose in BS, I would bet they apply something to that affect to same side duelers.

[Mekh]

In that case, I suggest an additional, "Hardcore Duel" mode, which wipes your NCU then gives you 3 minutes of grace to buff up before you fight (and separate titles for that ofc).

P.S. And it would be cool if the duel beacon acted like a vincinity buffing station for players during the grace like the decon room on BS

I think more time for switching to Arithmetic armor, Phulaks, Com.relay, Necromancer cloak and whatever is needed...
I know that I would need more time for my keeper in order to self some decent buffs, regain nano between buffs of which 4 of them pretty much empties my maxed nanopool (Including 4gem nano Aruls)....
After all that I have to get my "Fighting" armor, weapons and armor back on again... (and some people claim there's no downside to trox.... lol)

Would be no issue for my Doc tho.... with Doc I think 1 minute would be more than enough....

Maybe "Hardcore duel" should wipe your NCU, then open a new confirmation window saying "Ready for combat?", with yes and no options.
Until clicked the Duel beacon works like buffing station on BS and you can not recieve outside buffs..
When clicked there's a 5 or 10 second counter after which you are open to attack.
In case one participant answers no, the Duel beacon are cancelled, and neither can attack the other.


An entirely different option might be to warp participants of a "hardcore duel" to mini version of BS, where only the two participants are present ofc.... This should work as they already have the mechanics in place for BS.
Just need more adequate time for buffing up...

[Chrys]

Sil already rejected that on page 3...

Ya but if the beacon acts as a buffing station, then even without grace it'd be impossible to kill anyone since it heals at like 40k/sec so that would work as a "grace" too. As long as there's some way to tell when the buffing station stops running...

Edit: Heck, give it a temp blockers/coon/hot buff to both players and it would ensure no one can try anything funny

[ukn0wme]

wonder how many busg wil be in "new duels" since almoust all that is "borrowed from WoW" is buggy

http://wow-europe.com/en/info/basics/duels.html

nice try FC thx god the PVP titles are not from wow

[ukn0wme]

and pls don't let lvl 1 duel lvlv 220 will be a big LOL around subway