Friday with Means - January 23rd, 2009

[Doctorhyde]

While you are busy with cities, could you also fix advantages being randomly down or up in some areas when CC is either full or below 10%? Same when you ld, if you relog immediately without waiting for the counter to get to 0, contracts/city will be down and you'll have to relog/zone.

Just to give you an example, I had city advantages down inside apf yesterday, I zone to 35 and they are up. Team disband, I'm teleported outside 35 with advs up, I zone back into 35 and they are down. Team disband again and I get warped back outside right into 35 fence (oh yeah another 'bug' to fix).

While I'm sure they're aware of the issue still, since its one of the better known game suggestions threads, bump for reminding Macrosun about it while he's looking at the code

PS. Thanks for finally addressing the city situation. Big thanks. As in I'm nearly ready to bear that child thanks.

[Dagget]

Good to see instanced cities in motion. It will be good to have cities available to any org at the prices set by AO, not some other players. Will the instances cities be set up in previously closed zones, like Plains of Salt or The Spur and will they be set up in clusters to allow chain raids w/o changing instances?

As for the issue of player shops, I realize it would be another big code rework but a mail system would readily solve that problem.

[Doctorhyde]

As for the issue of player shops, I realize it would be another big code rework but a mail system would readily solve that problem.

Yep, but I think they're using playershops as a way to retain some value in the current uninstanced cities.

I agree though, a GMS interface with mail capabilities would be a damned fine thing.

[PingBong]

Certain professions currently need more attention than others. We will be conducting a thorough profession review early this year, sharing our findings and acting on them in an upcoming profession "tweak" patch.

While your doing that i please focus on tweaking player effort vs reward because things like 1 button -> 30% hp removed or 1 button -> target nanopool removed are what piss off people the most and are the cause of most "complaints" (read bitching). Most non-idiot players dont mind being beaten by a player with superior skill or gear but do mind being owned by over powered toolset (regardless of how this particular tool balances the profession as a whole).

[Mikenche]

Ah, does that mean RK1-RK3 will be merged in the near future?

Otherwise it wouldn't really make sense to implement such a system, esp. because there are more than enough empty cities available. And the argument, that small orgs couldn't affort cities doesn't really count, because the cities prices could just be reduced.

Please show me an empty city spot on RK2 so that I may buy it. Last time I checked, they were all taken and people were asking several billions for even small spots. Small orgs certainly don't have that kind of money.

[MajorOutage]

Macrosun has taken it upon himself to create the instanced cities that have been long requested by the player base. This will be difficult...but he feels he is making good progress. The instanced nature of these playfields will make it impossible to have player owned shops...but the city bonuses and alien attacks should now be available to everyone. This is a long way from completion but at least work has begun on this issue that has been with us for a long time. "Normal" cities will still retain value due to their size and their player shops...but more AI content will now be available to all. I'm hoping we can also grant fr00b access to the org HQ's at the same time.

Will there even be different sizes and layouts? If so, will there be any way to 'preview' your new city plot before purchase?


Perhaps a rework of the market system should be added to the agenda following this, also.

Yep, but I think they're using playershops as a way to retain some value in the current uninstanced cities.

The fact they physically exist somewhere is value enough, I'd think. Still no chance I'd consider selling mine, even with it having one of the highest rent fees on the planet.

[Neista]

Well i must confess to some Mean delight at seeing the City Farmers getting shut down hard. For a long time a solution has been needed to the selfish people who hoard multiple cities to farm bots, this one seems elegant and timely.

I guess some people are going to be trying to shift some low-priced real estate pretty soon :-p

Yay for Means and Macrosun!

[harkness]

Also, Means, any update on the ETA of instanced Pande? (And pretty please add 1-2 shade spirits to instanced TNH drop tables!)

[madrid]

Also, Means, any update on the ETA of instanced Pande? (And pretty please add 1-2 shade spirits to instanced TNH drop tables!)

Bump, and please do something to make pande a little more challenging if you will instance it.

[Lollersk8tes]

Instanced Cities:

Macrosun has taken it upon himself to create the instanced cities that have been long requested by the player base. This will be difficult...but he feels he is making good progress. The instanced nature of these playfields will make it impossible to have player owned shops...but the city bonuses and alien attacks should now be available to everyone. This is a long way from completion but at least work has begun on this issue that has been with us for a long time. "Normal" cities will still retain value due to their size and their player shops...but more AI content will now be available to all. I'm hoping we can also grant fr00b access to the org HQ's at the same time.

Sell your AI Armor now whilst prices are good

This will make farming even easier. More plots = more cities a player can own = no waiting between farm raids. Can bounce between instanced cities since there's not enough physical plots to do it currently.

Nice help to small orgs, nice help for farmers to farm.

[Mekh]

Sell your AI Armor now whilst prices are good

This will make farming even easier. More plots = more cities a player can own = no waiting between farm raids. Can bounce between instanced cities since there's not enough physical plots to do it currently.

Nice help to small orgs, nice help for farmers to farm.

Unless a nano is placed in the NCU with a timer on those attanding the raid... to prevent starting a new raid immidiately after

[Doctorhyde]

Bump, and please do something to make pande a little more challenging if you will instance it.

Being limited to 1 RI will add some challenge.

Finding people who are available (ie, don't have a raidlock) at the same time you are available will add some challenge.

Breaking up the monotony would be nice, but rebalancing the mobs, at this point, wouldn't be such a great idea imo. I would like to see new mobs, and maybe random spawn points for them, but the playfield is large enough (assuming you're going to Beast) that small groups don't need it to be harder.

One thing that could work for some challenge without blatantly adding HP/AR/etc to mobs would be to unroot the Zod bosses and put them on patrol, wandering between the current zod spots.

[Dancingrage]

I think the instanced cities is a brilliant idea, way overdue and will save tons of grief all around, and let everyone get in on the action as they see fit, as well as provide smaller orgs the benefit of their own AI city.

I'm naturally curious to see how the implementation is going to happen as well as when so I can provide feedback but I will simply have to wait a bit longer. Heck no, what's the rough time frame Macrosun's shooting for to have this up on test to fool around with? I've already got 1000s of questions about how this should wind up working out and the best answer is to go and see for myself.

As for looking over professions for balancing soon, that's a wonderful idea too. I'll be sure to flood the poor MP professionals with lots of ideas for how to retune the prof.

[Brampfine]

First fix the bugged Alien pathing into the player citys, better change it with a kind of "Laser Tagging Device" to set the own landing place for the Alien ship into the city´s.......sometime spawns the aliens on the roof of the HQ or they warped from the ship to the CC or runs over tree´s.
Do this before u copy some long known bugged city´s into some dimensions.
Increase the drop of ql300 virral serum for city buildings on all aipf´s and add it to the City AI´s on the ship.
Then increase the bot drop´s.......over 70 spawns without any bot is not ok and i am not alone with this drop problem.
Never allow any fr00b to enter any AI building !!! this is only for PAY user !!! they have Notum Wars for free and they can have a cheap 5$ SL ACC
For what pay i am 17,20€ ? for AI´s without drop ? no combined armor after one year !! some PvP grind with some pvp titel farming gank teams on the BS for VP to buy Lost Eden Armor....
Remove the nerf debuff form NPC into the Tier 2 Dungeons
Increase the insignia drop rate´s in all SL zones.
Open some RK Zones Rome west, between PW-TIR, Mort-Avalon.......
Before instancing City´s do it with Pande.
Give Tarasque her old HP back.
........

[Nuclearsmeg]

Sell your AI Armor now whilst prices are good

This will make farming even easier. More plots = more cities a player can own = no waiting between farm raids. Can bounce between instanced cities since there's not enough physical plots to do it currently.

Nice help to small orgs, nice help for farmers to farm.

Should see an initial spike in prices maybe as new people get drops they can sell for cash, but after a while one would think bot/armor prices would drop substantially. That would/could make it cost prohibitive for people who only generate income from lead bots to continue to hold virtual cities.

Will be interesting to see.

[Gunfytr]

Most non-idiot players dont mind being beaten by a player with superior skill or gear but do mind being owned by over powered toolset (regardless of how this particular tool balances the profession as a whole).

qft

[Avari]

I'll be in Copenhagen again this weekend and the Skåne area. Thanks for all the Danes and Swedes who made last weekend so much fun. If anyone gets the chance to go to the Copenhagen Zoo it is fantastic...I haven't had that much fun in a long time. I'll be there again this Sunday so we can see the Elephants we missed last time.

I can recommend paying a visit to the Tycho Brahe Planetarium on Gl. Kongevej at the lakes or if you have kids (which the visit to zoo indicates) the Experimentirum in Hellerup too

Otherwise nice with another round of updates - the FwM is greatly appreciated.

[Xaun]

Instanced Cities:

Macrosun has taken it upon himself to create the instanced cities that have been long requested by the player base. This will be difficult...but he feels he is making good progress. The instanced nature of these playfields will make it impossible to have player owned shops...but the city bonuses and alien attacks should now be available to everyone. This is a long way from completion but at least work has begun on this issue that has been with us for a long time. "Normal" cities will still retain value due to their size and their player shops...but more AI content will now be available to all. I'm hoping we can also grant fr00b access to the org HQ's at the same time.

This is ftw.. finally someone taking this bull by the horns. I love it.

[sultryvoltron]

. ..

Instanced Cities:

Macrosun has taken it upon himself to create the instanced cities that have been long requested by the player base. This will be difficult...but he feels he is making good progress. The instanced nature of these playfields will make it impossible to have player owned shops...but the city bonuses and alien attacks should now be available to everyone. This is a long way from completion but at least work has begun on this issue that has been with us for a long time. "Normal" cities will still retain value due to their size and their player shops...but more AI content will now be available to all. I'm hoping we can also grant fr00b access to the org HQ's at the same time.

. . .

So I take it this means new zones will be opened up on RK ala Coast of Peace and Tranquility?

Also, it seems like these new "cities" will be just buff plots and raid starters?

Either way, I think not including shops is a really good idea to protect people's investments in real cities. Instanced cities will also allow people to farm money to buy real cities .
The whole way you're going about it atm seems like its full of win!

[Kepitimer]

The Mines idea is great, now wtb a PvP weapon please, using weps from almost 4 years ago is getting quite boring.