Friday With Means - November 14th, 2008

[Means]

After a week largely wasted with a fantastic combined flu-food poisoning episode there is not a great deal of new activity on my end to share. It has not been a good two weeks. I am still dizzy...and not in a good way. Next time I am down in the south of Sweden we'll have to arrange some kind of meet up. It would be great to catch up with some of you in your own hometowns...sorry I missed the chance this time.

I think it is a great idea to have some kind of Q&A part of this weekly post...I'm hoping Famine will help me get it started. Please post your questions for next week in this thread...and I'll make sure we get it in.

The Booster:

Combined Combined Combined Combined is NOT part of the booster and never was. Please stop picketing my house...my dog doesn't like it. "Items in the DB rip are not necessarily part of the etc etc."

Items/Loot 100% in this booster will be deck slot item upgrades, Spirits and Symbiant upgrades. Many placeholders are already in place..and again should not be taken as the final versions until it is live. There will also be some "artifacts" of mysterious use...but no details on that yet. I also wouldn't want to spoil the surprise too much. Fear and Knockback pvp additions will be included in the VP vendors at the same time as the Booster...but will not be booster dependant for use. Profession specific pvp toolset additions are not going to be available only to those who purchase the booster.

Thanks to all who have taken the time to help us test the code aspect of the booster. Mighty Macrosun was able to nail down and fix several serious issues this week that we hope to ship to test dimensions early next week. Next week should also include the first playfield for testing "Neretva Canyon"...and hopefully more.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Colin "Means" Cragg

[Klodovik]

Please post your questions for next week in this thread...and I'll make sure we get it in.

Okies. I'll be the first one (did anyone doubt it?).

2 hour MP attack pets, when?

[Means]

okies. I'll be the first one (did anyone doubt it?).

2 hour mp attack pets, when?

18.0

[Klodovik]

18.0

Wow. Thanks.

[Autohead]

So are shades finally getting QL 280-300 Spirits?

[egadsrk2]

Few questions. Some of them very much on peoples minds:

If the combined combined combined combined combined armour is not intended for the booster; was it intended for anything and if it was intended for anything; what was it intended for and was it ever meant to be obtained by players? Also if it wasnt intended for anything, why was it made at all? Seems like a gross misallocation of resources. Finally, since you know the playerbase grabs hold of the DB rip five minutes after it goes on testlive, was these items making it into a place where we can see them simply an accident?

Because if it was a joke, damn man. That's straight up twisted. A lot of people were in a panic. Now true, many of these folks need to re-adjust their priorities in life, but no reason to exploit the knee jerk reaction for giggles.

Personally I'd like to be able to completely forget about six-layer combined armour. Many of us would heave a great sigh of relief if we never encountered these armours again in any way shape or form. Although I was personally looking forward to changing my soldiers four pieces of QL300 CC into six-layer, to avoid hotswapping Nano/Combat huds. As they are not a right click hotswap, and thus vaguely irritating. And yes, I'd outlay up to 4 billion credits and 60 perk resets (30 up, 30 down) reset to avoid a vague inconvenience.

[Biggysmallz]

Finally new FPable nanos for agents?

(I'm not gonna steal Lupus's question, we all know what it is )

[rimbe]

Combined Combined Combined Combined is NOT part of the booster and never was. Please stop picketing my house...my dog doesn't like it. "Items in the DB rip are not necessarily part of the etc etc."

Me likes the part about no quadruple Combined armors.

Sorry to hear that you are having a bad time Means!

[tokrika]

Means: go to "Polet" and ask for "gammel dansk". It should fix your flu faster than you can say achoo, and it will scare you enough to never ever get sick again.

[Mastablasta]

Veteran Canyon? O.o

[egadsrk2]

Veteran Canyon? O.o

Wouldn't have gotten that one on my own. Your anagram powers are beyond all comprehension.

[Jick]

So are shades finally getting QL 280-300 Spirits?

Gief plz pritty plz

[Autohead]

Gief plz pritty plz

Yeah, if they are finally putting in the spirits shades should have got 4 years ago I might actually have to dust off my TL7 shade.

[Megasis]

The Booster:

Combined Combined Combined Combined is NOT part of the booster and never was. Please stop picketing my house...my dog doesn't like it. "Items in the DB rip are not necessarily part of the etc etc."

Its there in the DB. What are the plans with this armor? Is this a future booster pack? is this added to sector 42? will this be part of city raiding?

[shadowgod]

Its there in the DB. What are the plans with this armor? Is this a future booster pack? is this added to sector 42? will this be part of city raiding?

now that i think of it, with the insane stats... maybe this line of armor is something for testlive only. something people can use without having to resort to requesting a ToM buff.

[Racatti]

Items/Loot 100% in this booster will be deck slot item upgrades, Spirits and Symbiant upgrades.

Give DBrip alrdy!

[Harios]

Awesome to see some Q&A in the next upcoming fridays!

My questions:

- I'm really looking forward to the playfields but will they require the same amount of organisation (regarding gathering people) as the DB quests and instances?
Because currently it is very very hard to gather people to do the things you need. Examples are DB quests, Instances, apfs, etc.

- Is there any eta on the engine and how is it progressing?
Sorry for asking this over and over but I'm just very excited about this

- Will the booster include more than new content? Or is this booster mainly focused on the new playfields?
Would be awesome if there were more perks, lvls to gain!

- Enforcer specific (sorry folks ), will you be looking into the blunt perklines in the near future?
Many enforcers would LOVE to see something like that happening because everyone being 2he gets so boring. It's by far the best option and with all the new hp added even 2he perks aren't that effective anymore.

That's all I can think of right now..

[Engesis]

I was hoping 3xCombined would make it, free from changing armor back anf forward just to buff the pets with the evul nanos.. The curent deck stuffs/NCUs from DB rip, doesnt seem that interesting imo, but hope the new symb/spirits will be more interesting.
But, any idea yet how much the booster will cost? And will all the new instances/playfields and its loot be requiring to have the booster pack to enter/use?
And Means, whats up with all your ducks? Preparing for the ducks to conquer the world? At least several on "Friday with Means" on main site. Guess we'll be seeing more of them

[ninor]

Still am wondering about global research. So please Famine, take it into the Q&A for next week ;9

Oh and hope you get better soon Means...

[Maeventura]

Uhm.

From what I recall, boosterpacks weren't supposed to make people stronger than those who only went for expansions.

Hence the hoverboards and hoverbikes and such and the veteran shop.

All were meant not to imbalance the gameplay.

Now you say some of the better goods will only be available through boosterpacks?

Not whining, just surprised of the change of attitude towards boosterpacks.