Friday with Means - February 5th, 2010 - Epeen Epreserved

[erozc]

As for OST. Since the tank is stationary and able to tank a whole bunch of mobs, making them lose control of the mobs is practically impossible.

It is not. There are legit game mechanisms that make mobs lose aggro and/or wipe hatelist. However, this was not what I meant in the spirit of the post, but I thought that misconception should be rectified anyway.

[Wrangeline]

Some work has already been done on a new area...it isn't a new BS map (though we do want to make changes there). It is open all the time, will not require a queue and will give VP for participation. We are not focusing on it at the moment as we are trying to complete a few other things first. This is not going to be out as soon as we would like.

This sounds veeery interesting and cool. I hope it makes it ingame and that it turns out to be as cool as I imagine it to be

[PhoenixOfAges]

Some work has already been done on a new area...it isn't a new BS map (though we do want to make changes there). It is open all the time, will not require a queue and will give VP for participation. We are not focusing on it at the moment as we are trying to complete a few other things first. This is not going to be out as soon as we would like.

Is that really wise? PvP content more than any other is having population problems and often can't get two types in the same lvl range running at the same time well if at all. Rather than helping it seems the best way to kill in game PvP content is to add more so the few players interested in it are so split between them all none of them work properly.

People against more non-BS VP always claim it will kill BSs (both of them, since only two run to some extent). Well one or more PvP arenas in the same lvl range as existing BSs that have no queue, are always open and with no queue likely have no min number requirements sounds like a sure fire way of killing BSs which have those limitations.

In the past you seemed unaware that many to most tower battles outside of TL7 ones are often one to a few players bashing on towers with few to no players coming to fight back. It may be best to look over what really happens in game more before adding additional content of that type.

[NoGoal]

Some work has already been done on a new area...it isn't a new BS map (though we do want to make changes there). It is open all the time, will not require a queue and will give VP for participation. We are not focusing on it at the moment as we are trying to complete a few other things first. This is not going to be out as soon as we would like.

Please, don't make it clan vs omnis.

[Means]

Question:So...is durable bandages (LE proc) ever gonna get insta-recharge? last i checked it still isn't.
Question:Will there ever be Ultimate Ofab armor?? Penultimate being the final step is just....odd...
I know i had other questions...but can't think of them atm.

Durable Bandages:
Fixed it now. Thanks for the tip.

Penultimate:
I wish this was the Penultimate question. I never liked the name either. We will change the name from "Penultimate" to "Haxx11101" in the next update.

Seriously though...an "finished" upgraded OFAB was something we intended a long time ago...I think we still have a name for it. I don't know when we might get to this though.

[Means]

Questions? Oh yes! I have some.

1) When is a "balance beta" server (FWM 15.1.) going to be set up?

2) NT profession is going to be turned upside down, we know we will lose almost all current nukes. Would it be possible to release little bit more information on what NTs are going to have? We are staring at blank paper named "NT profession after rebalancing", we would really appriciate some examples of new nukes/nanoweaving examples in development.

3) I dont know when rebalancing is going to hit live, but there are several "elephants in room" like GTH, BR etc. Would it be possible to tone these things down before rebalancing is done? Why keep people frustrated when you can tone them down in one small patch? Does really reducing GTH duration to 15s (for example) require long extensive testing and a lot of human resources?

4) /assist in PVP. Are you planning to change something about it? Maybe removing it entirely from PVP? Or just limiting it to team? Mass PVP would be so much more fun without /assist.

5) I forgot my 5th question .

1. Hopefully soon. I can't promise what will be on it at first.

2. We are still fighting about this...it is a pretty heated debate. When we know so will you...if we can't agree it isn't ready for everyone to fight about yet.

3. GTH etc have already been adjusted more than once. Not doing it now is not about time allotment but about not splitting our focus. There are many individual issues that are more important to one person than another...if we stopped to "quick fix" them all we would never make any progress. I'm afraid we will just have to wait. It will get done when we adjust all the other nanos at the same time.

4. No plans to selectively remove assist at the moment. All games pretty much have this functionality. The fact that it is used so efficiently in AO isn't a reason to remove it. Anyway...this is a larger argument.

5. I gave you days to remember it. This was the only reason I have been waiting to answer these questions. :P

[Means]

I'm seeing a bit of questioning as to timeline on the rebalancing too.

The last documents on the Balance Discussion forums date to Nov 14th, and I don't think I was even a professional then.

The questions then are:

Are there any plans to put up new perk documentation for review or will this be sort of the rough sketch going into the Beta Server you announced a few weeks back? I recall a lot of screaming about this and that perkline when the docs were put up.


Another is since there's a tenative target date for the server transfers, is there a tenative target date for the Beta Server you've previously discussed? I know a lot is on the developer's plate at this point and those who aren't busy howling for the new engine are instead howling for the profession rebalancing instead.

More documentation will come when it is ready. I hope the new server is ready before the documentation.

[Means]

Completely surprising no one:

Grand Theft Humidity?

Has the team made any progress as to taking feedback and drawing a guideline for an adjustment to this nano?

It is likely this will be a two part adjustment.

1. Local cooldown to make sure that this can not be chain-casted on a single target.

2. Shortened duration in keeping with the rest of the debuffs in pvp.

A great deal of drama still exists surrounding this nano compared to the actual effect it has on pvp...but it will be adjusted *again* in the balance update.

[Technogen]

f5 f5 f5 f5 f5

[Graftmage]

A great deal of drama still exists surrounding this nano compared to the actual effect it has on pvp...

Eh, try PvP on 220 NT or doc, when there's trader on BS. GTH effect is a show stopper for these two profs.

[PhoenixOfAges]

f5 f5 f5 f5 f5

Does your F5 key even still say F5 on it any more or do you just know it's the F5 key as it's the only one between your F4 and F6 keys?

[Means]

Given that I dont recall ever seeing an answer to this one, ill ask.

When the new engine arrives, will you be keeping the existing client and running it in parallel?

There will be a period where we are running both clients for testing purposes...but when stability and performance are stable it will be only one client going forward. Maintaining two clients would be difficult and we are hoping to keep the requirements far enough down that this will be a performance increase for most players....that being said, those running 6 year old hardware will likely have to upgrade. A good excuse we hope

When those specifications are available we will share them immediately.

[Means]

Lol nice.

P.S. Means you need to get a calendar that shows years not months!!!

I will not know what year it is until March. Much like I don't know what day it is until Wednesday.

[Technogen]

Eh, try PvP on 220 NT or doc, when there's trader on BS. GTH effect is a show stopper for these two profs.

BS viral scanners remove GTH and Biodome armor has resistances to it. I'm not saying its not a strong nano but there are existing counters for it. *granted you must be on the BS to use them and not in combat.*

[Means]

Question:

Can you please add sex change to plastic surgeon? I've been waiting longer than some most posters here have been playing . This seems like pretty easy change. I know you said its coming with the rebalance but why not just throw it in the next update and you can have sex change for a small fee????

Anyway looking forward to dialy missions. Thanks for the update...still wondering what pizza in Norway tastes like....does it have whale peperoni?

The code for Breed change/sex change are kind of tied together in the balance update...moving "part of it" is messy and not easy. You are going to have to wait for "the chop"...sorry. At least this is a certainty we know works. Yay for that.

[Means]

Question:

Can you please add sex change to plastic surgeon? I've been waiting longer than some most posters here have been playing . This seems like pretty easy change. I know you said its coming with the rebalance but why not just throw it in the next update and you can have sex change for a small fee????

Anyway looking forward to dialy missions. Thanks for the update...still wondering what pizza in Norway tastes like....does it have whale peperoni?

Forgot your second question...no Whale. Moose maybe...but no whale.

[Technogen]

Does your F5 key even still say F5 on it any more or do you just know it's the F5 key as it's the only one between your F4 and F6 keys?

Nah my netbook's keys are new enough that its not warn off yet, and my desktop's keys dont have paint on them but the letters are a clear area in the plastic with a light behind them.

[Artona]

Possibly asked and/or answered before; but after the rebalance/engine upgrades do you plan on doing a 're-launch' or advertising. In my nerd circles I mention 'Anarchy Online' and get blank stares.

[Graftmage]

BS viral scanners remove GTH and Biodome armor has resistances to it. I'm not saying its not a strong nano but there are existing counters for it. *granted you must be on the BS to use them and not in combat.*

Eh, 20% GTH resist one can get does not change a thing. Out of combat you say? /me presses q on you.
Not to mention 2 minutes of sitting refilling nano every time you somehow manage to escape.
Also, BS is not only place where you pvp. On tara or towers, if you get GTH, you're useless.

[Technogen]

Eh, 20% GTH resist one can get does not change a thing. Out of combat you say? /me presses q on you.
Not to mention 2 minutes of sitting refilling nano every time you somehow manage to escape.
Also, BS is not only place where you pvp. On tara or towers, if you get GTH, you're useless.

I did not say it was a flawless answer, I even said IN my response that there are limited areas for it and that GTH is a strong nano and needs to be reworked.