Friday with Means - June 19th, 2009 - AO Complexity

[PhoenixOfAges]

Are parry and riposte ever going to get some love?

You mean a function other than only as requirements to wear/use some things. Would be nice and I guess it's possible that it may be in there with the other changes to special we have been told are coming. Some sort of yes, no, maybe response would be appreciated but compare to a host of other things I'd say is lower on the list of things of significance.

Would be nice to hear that all this work is geared toward L1 to L220 and not just endgame. Quite a few people have talked about that lately. Would love a response.

I agree but all these core changes like to specials and perks should adjust things at all levels, not just 220. Be interesting to see what the game is like this time next year.

I reactivated just to ask this:

As far as I know people can still post while their account is inactive.

Speaking of. Can someone take some time to "FIX" LE Missions? You know perhaps scale them a "tiny f'kin bit better?".

He did mention LE missions some time a while back in a list of things he didn't specifically mention but were supposedly on the table to change from what I remember. Some sort of guess as to when some sort of changes could be expected and maybe how extensively they will be changed would be nice though.

Yes, you all are on the right track lately, but it will take years from my guestimate to fix all the things Sil(Iwasagimp)incOPshiz broke, desecrated and all but defecated on in his time as Game Director.

It seems that you like a number of others seem to think LE was Sil's doing. At the time of the launch of LE and for some months after he was just the community manager. After he took over Sil didn't touch much of anything in regards to LE though, which I found very annoying. The big thing Sil did was add all those new SL and DB instances and the stuff that went with them like GTH and so on that people have been complaining about since they were added. There was some good things like the social tab, I think he started the instancing move with APFs and paid points is kinda nice but I think he tried to add too much without taking the time to adjust it all properly.

[Lektronik]

The aimedshot / full auto nerf patch is going to be GLORIOUS


I cant wait

You got a statement from means saying that he's going to nerf AS/FA? All I've seen are "changes are coming" and a change doesn't necessarily mean a nerf. But please show me a "nerfing AS/FA" statement if he did in-fact post one. Seriously.

[Dangerbot]

You got a statement from means saying that he's going to nerf AS/FA? All I've seen are "changes are coming" and a change doesn't necessarily mean a nerf. But please show me a "nerfing AS/FA" statement if he did in-fact post one. Seriously.

Well.

Since AS and FA are perfect right now, the only possible way they could change is to be nerfed down.

Its a logical assumption.

[Lektronik]

Well.

Since AS and FA are perfect right now, the only possible way they could change is to be nerfed down.

Its a logical assumption.

If they were perfect, they wouldn't need changing. They most certainly aren't OP. It's just that certain professions that have them, shouldn't....which would indicate the need for a profession nerf, not an AS/FA nerf.

[Solstiare]

After waiting for Genele to leave the room and lowering her desk an mind-screwing 4 cm.

One of the Top 10 Pranks EVAR

That is up there with saran-wrapping the toilet and feeding everyone bran cereal and coffee

[krumpfwild]

/me says make AS requirement "when crawling only" except for agents

Or make it require 3 secs to aim/fire when pressing button (once again except for midgets)

No i dont play agent

[Warhead]

I agree with desp, it's a shame that the team doesn't know what game they are balacing.
Are you ppl sure u played the game you're working on already?
seriously, this friday with means is really not funny.
And next time if u want to say something that really matters to the players, try not to show them that you don't even know the game you are building...
I hope that Friday with Means like this won't repeat, it just a shame ...
Anyway, keep on the good work with instancing things

Aww look at this snotty wish-wash here. In case you missed it (though, I didnt think he needed to point it out), Means created a good deal of the code that lets you play this game - probably ong before you even started playing it.

[lazarus]

I for one wouldn't mind getting a slower but harder FA, say capped at 25sec but doing up to 60% etc etc etc.. Especially with adjustments to healing around the corner -.^

LOL...!!! yeah that is like not losing anything at all, well your will get a MUCH more powerful alpha.

but yeah I do look forward to the healdelta nerf!! (oh your forgot about that one? haha)

[Aethyrguard]

OK Means and co., you have a **** ****ing ass ton of explaining to do. S&D nerf? What is the compensation?

What new immediately with this patch changes are coming to counter balance this un-needed, undeserving, uncalled for ****ing retarded change?

Is Street Samurai going to suddenly become "un-useless"? As of this moment my faith is hanging by a thread.

If your goal is to balance enforcers and keepers separately by making the reaver perkline extinct you best update those patch notes, this friday with means, oh hell front page of your website with your plans. Word of this change is spreading fast and even non keepers think it is retarded. So splain me the plan lucy.

[Xephonics]

Has anyone read if they are going to keep a legacy client, or do they just plan on killing half their customers with mega system reqs on the new client? (refering to the new client, since they say it will use an engine a generation above AoC's)

[makerofnoise]

Oh so as I understand now, Fixers are going to get 500 FA buff and then like... 1 patch later FA is going to be nerfed? I dont like it, I dont like it one bit.
Also, you lied Means.
- Adjustments made to Fixer perk lines.

Adjustment made to 1 perk action, this is it. Unless devs are going to fix on fixers more.

[Wrangeline]

Has anyone read if they are going to keep a legacy client, or do they just plan on killing half their customers with mega system reqs on the new client? (refering to the new client, since they say it will use an engine a generation above AoC's)

A generation above aoc? Nah.

The system reqs will not be anywhere close to those of AoC even. AoC is built from the ground up to take full advantage of todays hardware and that engine. AO will not strive for that kind of graphics as it would mean a full recreation of AO.

For all we know, you may even see better performance on your PC after the engine update in AO. The current engine we are using now isn't very effective.

[Iceness1]

Attempt Two:

Dual-logged I tried again. No invite.

Facepalm Two: Two players is not enough. Had a coder check. 4 Players are required. Crap.

Attempt Three

Macrosun and I run an attack..both of us Dual logged.

Facepalm Three: Genele laughed at us and mentioned we all needed to be on the General's hatelist to get an invite. Possibly 10 seconds after the death of the General.

After waiting for Genele to leave the room and lowering her desk an mind-screwing 4 cm.

Laff

[Maeventura]

OK Means and co., you have a **** ****ing ass ton of explaining to do. S&D nerf? What is the compensation?

What new immediately with this patch changes are coming to counter balance this un-needed, undeserving, uncalled for ****ing retarded change?

Is Street Samurai going to suddenly become "un-useless"? As of this moment my faith is hanging by a thread.

If your goal is to balance enforcers and keepers separately by making the reaver perkline extinct you best update those patch notes, this friday with means, oh hell front page of your website with your plans. Word of this change is spreading fast and even non keepers think it is retarded. So splain me the plan lucy.

SnD is from the Reaver perkline, which is shared between enfoes and kippurs.

Street Samurai is kippur only.

And yeah, seen the nerf myself and I find it sad.

[Klodovik]

OK Means and co., you have a **** ****ing ass ton of explaining to do. S&D nerf? What is the compensation?

What new immediately with this patch changes are coming to counter balance this un-needed, undeserving, uncalled for ****ing retarded change?

Is Street Samurai going to suddenly become "un-useless"? As of this moment my faith is hanging by a thread.

If your goal is to balance enforcers and keepers separately by making the reaver perkline extinct you best update those patch notes, this friday with means, oh hell front page of your website with your plans. Word of this change is spreading fast and even non keepers think it is retarded. So splain me the plan lucy.

Actually, it looks like kippur cries weren't all in vain. Now you finally gonna have enough free perk points to perk Spatial Displacement.

[Venori]

Has anyone read if they are going to keep a legacy client, or do they just plan on killing half their customers with mega system reqs on the new client? (refering to the new client, since they say it will use an engine a generation above AoC's)

To be honest it's on you to upgrade, not on the game developers to maintain support for entirely obsolete "hardware". My cell phone is more advanced and powerful than your PC I bet.

It's quite difficult to develop a game that maintains equal performance for both pre-industrial-age computers and modern computers. Additionally the price of modern hardware has fallen so far that it's inconceivable to not upgrade. Video cards for $21, entire PC systems (with monitors!) for $350. Upgrade already, stop trying to hold the rest of us back. Stop making the devs have to develop two drastically different and non compatible games just since you have an old PC.

[Rktim]

LOL...!!! yeah that is like not losing anything at all, well your will get a MUCH more powerful alpha.

but yeah I do look forward to the healdelta nerf!! (oh your forgot about that one? haha)

Naaaaaaaaaa, diddnt forget, more thinking that 60% FA would lead to grater alpha potentional and less of people outhealing you... Besides.. if you do 60% every 22sec (i took 25 in my example simply because its more then 22 ) HD is actually less of a problem for you then if you do 30% every 11sec

[glitterdust]

Has anyone read if they are going to keep a legacy client, or do they just plan on killing half their customers with mega system reqs on the new client? (refering to the new client, since they say it will use an engine a generation above AoC's)

Hardware doesn't last forever and purchasing replacement parts for legacy hardware quickly becomes MORE expensive than upgrading to a new rig. Case in point.

Price out:
A 2GB kit (2x1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM (PC 3200)

against:

A 4GB kit (2x2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM 1066 (PC2 8500)

While your at it let's use me as an example...how much will finding a replacement to my processor cost me?
Socket 939 Athlon FX-60 (probably find used on ebay..and I know it would have been clocked already)

vs my buying a new Quad core processor from AMD or Intel?

Finding a replacement board to support my processor if that gives out?

I can probably just buy off the shelf for the same price as all those parts (used) and get better performance (right after I splurge another $100 on a vid card that can handle AoC).

When someone's ancient Pentium MMX 200Mhz dies, what is the cost and effort to get that part?

Just upgrade. Are you people running around in armor you looted in subway at level 150+ as well?

Can't wait for Annarina to come along :P

[vadagget]

Has anyone read if they are going to keep a legacy client, or do they just plan on killing half their customers with mega system reqs on the new client? (refering to the new client, since they say it will use an engine a generation above AoC's)

The requirements for running AO on DreamWorld can be expected to be vastly lower than AoC needs. As well, if they set up the enable/disable options well, then even an old $25 PCI card should give you at least as good performance as you get now, and probably a bit better overall(with most new 'eye candy' turned off). Another helpful trend is that recently, the video card mfgrs have started putting out fairly high end processors on inexpensive PCI-based video cards, usable in darn near any PC made since AO launched. You won't get the high thruput of textures from system memory-to-video memory you get with PCIe (or AGP) but a card with 512 mb onboard video can hold a lot of AO textures at once.


I do think the Linux/mac Emulator crowd may get a cold shoulder, though, with the new engine.

[Vhax]

I do think the Linux/mac Emulator crowd may get a cold shoulder, though, with the new engine.

Tell the Wine/Cadega folk to fix their stuff.