Letter from the Game Director – June 2008

[Autohead]

Okay, I think I can speak for most of the community when I say we would have much more preferred to get an eta on the new engine rather than anything else mentioned in the letter.

I don't know why you are so afraid to give us more detailed information, the "E" in "ETA" means "ESTIMATED"...not "EXACT!"

[Berinda]

When are these paid points going to be credited to accounts? Because I either have more PPs than I should at the moment - last time I checked I had 550 and now it's reporting 700, and it should be at 600 because of my last payment - or you guys instead replaced the number of paid points instead of simply adding to it.

[Silirrion]

When are these paid points going to be credited to accounts? Because I either have more PPs than I should at the moment - last time I checked I had 550 and now it's reporting 700, and it should be at 600 because of my last payment - or you guys instead replaced the number of paid points instead of simply adding to it.

The points haven't been added yet, and won't be until sometime during tomorrow / over the weekend. So any existing discrepancy should be take up with the support team at account@anarchy-online.com

[Berinda]

Thanks

[-Ruken-]

Although I really am a bit disappointed with the new engine not being released. I have to say I'm more interested in the story then I ever have been (thats saying alot). The 700 paid points was really nice I think. Thanks funcom. You basically said "Happy Birthday! heres a flying vehicle and a bunch of new social clothes!". One of the best moves I've seen you guys take in a while. Kudos.

[porter]

I remember the launch seven years ago, I was trying and trying and trying to log in but simply could not squeeze through until the next day which is why Porter will be seven on Saturday not Friday :/

I had a Celeron 300MHz and Voodoo Banshee, the computer had less RAM than graphics cards have nowadays. I guess I am lucky though, all my hardware updates ever since have been AO compatible Therefore I am actually quite happy to see that raid interface thing mentioned here again, although the new graphics engine by the end of the year would be nice, too...

[gergiskoo]

Will the Booster Pack be buyable with the PP system?

[ingiss]

Happy Days

[Silirrion]

Will the Booster Pack be buyable with the PP system?

That's the plan, the final decision lies with our sales and marketing folks and not us in production so it might change, but I think it's likely we will offer that as an option yes.

[Tazalanche]

Thanks for the information Sil. I too am excited to see what will happen with the game over the next 6+ months, as we are provided with new content and lead up to the new engine's release.

The current prize sponsor has me a little confused though. While I appreciate the possibility to win a "prize" from them through this promotion, there is no clear information on the specifications of the "first place prize" computer.
1st Prize

Custom Anarchy Online Gaming PC System from GameRigs, including:
GameRigs Aluminum ATX Case with custom artwork
Intel Core™ 2 processor
NVIDIA GeForce® graphics card
Crucial Ballistix™ memory
NEC Accusync 24" LCD Display
Razer Lycosa™ gaming keyboard
Razer DeathAdder™ gaming mouse
GameRigs "Anarchy Online" BattleMat™
Lifetime account of Anarchy Online with all expansions
Jobe Deluxe Apartment
Leet Pet
What are the processor, video card, RAM, audio, hard drive, optical drive, etc. specs?

The biggest confusion with GameRigs is that there is no way to get pricing for anything on their site, aside from 3 set computers of "Estimated Selling Price", much less to purchase anything from them. I would think that they would use this promotion as an opportunity to actually sell their products to the influx of potential customers. I know I would personally be interested in buying AO themed products similar to what they are offering as prizes in the contest.

This is the same reason why the "normal sponsor", IBuyPower, has not received my business. When they first became a sponsor, I was excited to get some AO themed products, but there was nothing available. Today, there is still nothing available, yet they have an advertisement on the main site stating "Official provider for custom AO PCs and laptops". When you click on that link and go to their site, their only reference to AO is to have the game client installed for free on some systems. A process that I can do myself for "free" by going to this site, then downloading/installing it.

Can someone get the PR &/or marketing departments involved with these oversights please?

[Nobody]

Most things sound great that's planned for AO's future, but some things not so much... for instance(d):

With a new tool like this the key stage will be the user feedback and making sure it’s a fitting tool for the intended purpose. With it will also come a change to some of the existing playfields to make them into true raid instances that bind to the raid group and allow players to take on these challenges on their own timetable and schedule. The first playfields to be converted in this manner will be the first three alien playfields. We are also looking into the viability of instancing Pandemonium, but no promises there just yet. We would like to make that playfield a raid instance but it’s also a more complicated set-up that might mean we have a few challenges to overcome to convert it.

While this sounds great on paper, but put into practice and well, we start to face a serious problem. AO's small population that's still here can't exactly fit everyone into such a scenario, what this means basically is once again only the biggest orgs will have enough people and resources to pull off these raids anytime they feel like, the rest of will just have to get in line, and already people face waiting days/weeks/months for a group that's doing their specific quest. Unlike with the current system where everyone can go in at once, with this idea your giving a few people the power to pick an entire raid force through favoritsm. This also means the complete destruction of current raid point systems and raid bots.

HOWEVER I will say this, on a positive note this makes more loot available to more people all at once, no more waiting long period of time for uber items, (and of much less value). if the change applies to all raid zones (tara too?), well, you get the idea... But I still tend to think instanced playfields like Conan is based on, isn't going to work well for such a small population of players, and even smaller among those who can do it...

The next big content addition will be the 18.0 update that will take the form of a new Booster Pack for the game. This pack will contain a story driven set of playfields in the Outzones of Rubi-Ka that continues the alien, Xan and Dustbrigade storylines and starts to reveal some of the long held secrets of Rubi-Ka. What is the relationship of the aliens to Rubi-Ka? Exactly how do the ancient Xan relate to the planet itself and what have the Dust Brigade got to do with it all?

Ah so there WILL be new pf's opening in the future , at the cost of, $30.00 I'm guessing? The story to expand sounds great, but how about a little something new or getting back to old unfinished storylines? (Ross, Marlin, etc.) Or maybe tag those in on a branch off somewhere.

Lastly, but by no means least, we are still working on the render engine upgrade. As I also mentioned in the previous letter we are currently in a lengthy part of the process where we are stripping out the old engine entirely and integrating a new one, and testing that all the game’s key features still work! The development continues to be good, though, and we will be sure to keep you all up to date as we progress. It’s quite a formidable task and we won’t rush it out.

The new engine sounds great, glad to finally hear something new about it, but the rushing it out part, you said the same thing about Conan and look what happened

[rustinel]

About making the booster pack available for Paid Points:

That's the plan, the final decision lies with our sales and marketing folks and not us in production so it might change, but I think it's likely we will offer that as an option yes.

Sweeeet!

Make it 1500 thx...I will have change for a new hat

[Nanofox1]

That's the plan, the final decision lies with our sales and marketing folks and not us in production so it might change, but I think it's likely we will offer that as an option yes.

Just to clear things up, we cannot directly buy the booster pack, like we do with subscriptions and previous expansions, but we instead need purchase Paid Points and use those.


Would that be correct?

[Wakizaka]

Just to clear things up, we cannot directly buy the booster pack, like we do with subscriptions and previous expansions, but we instead need purchase Paid Points and use those.


Would that be correct?

Just convert the money you would of paid for the expansion to buy paid points and buy it...

[Chrys]

700 paid points - does this include points for froobs as well?

[trousers]

I say the Booster needs to be directly buyable like all other expansions (SL and AI) and Boosters (NW and LE). If they make the booster 1500PP folks who have not amassed points will need to spend $20 to gain 2000PP to buy the $15 product.

[Groogh]

Crap! I thought I was done with this game.

[macattack]

SHHHUUUSSSSHHHH..... that FC accounting have figured that out

I for one am thrilled to see the new PFs on RK open up. BUT--:> I SEVERELY hope any new questlines they incorporate (specifically individual lines such as ado brain) for an individual item... are quest that should be Individual based...(surprisingly enough) on level. My gripe with the ado brain is the level of effort needed to accomplish this questline, for an in lvl 132 item. I am glad to see the supplementing quest rewards in that line also follow that lvl range, but in order to complete it? I do not see very many 132-ish people (not even teams that range) killing the Muddy Dryad, or the guy in the pit/mine. My 149 NT needed 210+ support and I am now waiting for more support for the muddy dryad. Yes the items are coveted by everyone, but the reqs to GAIN the item outweigh the use. (sorry my 2 cent rant as I feel this is also partially relevant to the PEN questline as well... but ado is a stronger delta as me and 5 other 140-158ish toons couldn't put Muddy down)

Alright.. rant mode off... COOL... can't wait for the new rendering engine... still online for "later this year" as you (SIL) said in an earlier directors note?

Happily gam'n since 2005 (not as old as some of you farts in-game... but probably older IRL

[agentgimpy]

Okay, I think I can speak for most of the community when I say we would have much more preferred to get an eta on the new engine rather than anything else mentioned in the letter.

I don't know why you are so afraid to give us more detailed information, the "E" in "ETA" means "ESTIMATED"...not "EXACT!"

I believe the ETA was clear.

1. 17.10 (head explodes) in a few months.(sept-nov)

2. 18.0 Booster pack, likely a few months after 17.10 hits live.(Jan-feb?)

3. "Lastly, but by no means least.." the new render engine. Given the amount of work it must entail and the likley problems it will incur your not likely to see the new engine until summer '09 if at all.















shhh, I'm trying to use reverse psychology.

[macattack]

Agentgimpy.. incorrect on the rendering part.

Sil stated: "...The render engine upgrade is coming along nicely and we are still hoping that we will be able to launch it later this year." in this POST

and again above: "...The development continues to be good..."

Now to ME, that means: "we are on course" unless Sil corrects me, I am looking forward "to launch it later this year."