Friday with Means – September 24th, 2010 – Questions and Answers

[Frubaliscious]

Dear Meanypants!

I still want to know where my paycheck from Omni Tek is! as far as I know this is a company, and myself and many others have been doing the dirty work for them killing clans everyday...so like, pay up! gotta be some advantage to being an OT employee...right? oO

[Ydernola]

This thread could be from 2009 and no one would notice.

[Negs]

I have the deepest respect for you, but that comment is just... well, totally off...
You do not support people retreating from the conflict due to the risk of "flip-flopping" between sides, yet the active participants of the conflict clan/omni are free to "flip-flop" whenever they feel like it?

It's probably already done by now, but let me point you towards this link to part of the existing story line :

Source: http://www.anarchy-online.com/wsp/an...&table=CONTENT

If anything everyone should be allowed to go neutral whenever they feel like it, if they no longer wish to be part of the conflict between clan/omni.

Switching freely between clan and Omni makes WAY less sense than any clan/omni switching to neutral...

Hate to be "that guy" ... BUT QFT!!!!!!

[Dagget]

As noted elsewhere, from a roleplay point of view, Clan or Omni turning neutral should be allowed. I do think such a thing should be allowed - even up to level 220, but as a one-time change only with no possibility to thereafter go back to Clan or Omni. I also think Swapping between Clan/Omni should have a -much- steeper penalty as well as a finite limit on how many times you can swap (like 2). Allowing these sorts of faction changes should not significantly impact Tower War balance.

Of course, any player that changes from Clan/Omni to neutral shoud have their combat capabilities disabled anytime they are standing on 25%/5% tower land. They can come and stand off the property and give support (think Red Cross) but should never again be able to engage in the direct combat on tower land. This would fit with the storyline description as it is listed, too.

[thombgun10]

I’m not a huge roleplayer but from a story perspective it has always felt absurd that you could return to being neutral after taking a side in the conflict. This would be used to flip-flop between sides and we would definitely see a “bandwagon” effect in Notum Wars. From a technical perspective it also plays havoc with player faction levels. I have no plans for implementing Sided-Neutral changes.

By this reasoning it should then not be possible to turn clan - omni either personally i think that would make up way more of the "flip flop bandwagon" then turning neutral would.
Besides was there not a storyline part that neutrals did not use to excist but clan / omni resigned from their position to turn neutral?

Neutrals do not really have many notum wars towers and i doubt seriously people would give up sided benefits so they could have "neutral" towers.

[Sama]

If he means fiscal Q1, then it could be April, March, July, September, or possibly January >.<

Actually, scratch that. FC's fiscal year begins in May (lifted from the Q1 report). So this year could be before January, could also be by April.

Also, major LOL at the RP crowd coming out of the woodworks to lay down the law. Sic him boys!

meh in context its reads q1 of the calendar year which would be Jan-April.

[PhoenixOfAges]

Level locking is bad…using by skill is good.

If level locks are bad why are the Pand protection rings getting their lvl locks changed to a higher lvl req?

[Valerija666]

Why not keep DNW "German server" as a hardcore play in AO, as if u die ur toon is dead all items gone toon etc. I think that would get many tryouts and a fun way to try skills in otherways

[Autohead]

If level locks are bad why are the Pand protection rings getting their lvl locks changed to a higher lvl req?

This.

[Obtena]

If level locks are bad why are the Pand protection rings getting their lvl locks changed to a higher lvl req?

IIRC, HHAB already has a level lock on it no? So this is a moot question. They aren't good, but he didn't say that items with locks should have them removed either.

[Mpfha]

Resigning from Clan/Omni to Neutral: The storyline doesn't explain it, but I'm sure it could. For example:
As Neutrals gained in numbers and popularity, both sides were afraid of losing even more of their working/fighting force to "neutrality". This concern soon overcame fear of ICC retribution.
Omni-Tek simply updated their contracts to mandate employees to leave the planet once they resign or retire. The only way to avoid this clause was to defect to Clan side.
Clans never had much love for their own who turned Neutrals. They were viewed as cowards, little less than traitors. After Omni-Tek made their step, Clans soon followed suit: The Council of Truth swore revenge on any Clanner who joins the Neutrals from that moment on. This meant that the only way to leave Clans would be leaving the planet altogether or defecting to Omni side - Omni-Tek, to keep up the image of the benevolent caretaker, made sure to hold out a welcoming hand for any Clanners willing to give up the fight, which included protecting them from their former comrades.
There's nothing either side could do to keep new arrivals from becoming Neutral though. Under ICC control, the shuttleport for new colonists quickly became a "neutral haven". ICC made it clear that everyone can settle on the planet; joining Omni or Clan had to be a colonist's individual choice. Both OT and the CoT sent their own recruiters to the ICC Shuttleport and made sure to hand out plenty of propaganda (including anti-Neutral propaganda) and some sided SWAG to everyone who shows interest in joining their clause. Their tactic was effective - only a fraction of new arrivals leave the shuttleport without signing up to either side. The planet's Neutral population remains quite small to this day.

[Autohead]

It's not about whether or not it has a level lock, it's about why they would change it to 201+ when they already undid the BS level range that was going to make it a problem.

[Escapegoat]

No neut application form makes me a very sad panda

[Scabadus]

This week work is focusing on getting the sky, clouds and all those twinkly stars working. The atmospherics in AO are daunting but it needs to be there for the game to retain its unique feel. When that is done work will begin on handling the multiple ocean volumes that exist in many places…for a desert planet Rubi-Ka sure has a LOT of water.

In all honesty, that sounds way more advanced than what I was expecting from the new engine. Hmm, at the end of the day it's just a shiny wallpaper and it's the rebalencing that's importent but... to hell with it: hurray for shinies!

[Omutb]

If level locks are bad why are the Pand protection rings getting their lvl locks changed to a higher lvl req?

Because Atroxes are thick and would never equip an HHaB with higher skill requirements

[Ekarona]

Why not keep DNW "German server" as a hardcore play in AO, as if u die ur toon is dead all items gone toon etc. I think that would get many tryouts and a fun way to try skills in otherways

Test sever is for trying skills, DNW if kept could be first fully wiped and then restarted... So everything starts from 0, lot of free cities and quite intresting economy. Would provide new kind of challenge for people. No ready market with tons of items or nanos, no free creds all nanos would need to be rolled after certain point. I might be intrest in that kind of server also cred farming would be hard work before hitting hi-lvls...

[Mekh]

Resigning from Clan/Omni to Neutral: The storyline doesn't explain it, but I'm sure it could.

http://www.anarchy-online.com/wsp/an...&table=CONTENT

[Tazalanche]

Thank you for taking the time to answer all of those questions Means. You have provided a lot of information that many of us have been frustrated over not getting any information about for quite some time... to the point that I was unsure if I would be renewing my annual subscription when it is due in less than a month. Unless something insanely stupid happens in AO over the next 3 weeks, I will definitely be renewing my annual subscription.

Fair warning, & I'm sure many others will feel the same way, after so many years of that engine carrot arriving Soon™, if it is pushed back to Q2 2011 (or later), I'm done.

Another important aspect of the development that needs to be mentioned is that both new AND old versions of the client will be supported…meaning that ideally nobody will be shut-out the day we launch the new engine due to not having a strong enough machine. Making the new client support two sets of data has definitely accounted for some of the extra time that has been spent developing this change.

So there will be 3 clients, or will anyone on the current small client need to replace it with the large client before Armageddon arrives, err... I mean new engine release day?

[Nosgoth]

Here's what I did think when I read Means' post about the 2 different clients:

1. The client with the new engine. We profit from all DX9 shinies and 10+ years of development done by the people at FC. As time goes buy, this client will profit even more from the optimization done to the engine, while those changes are a lot easier to integrate because AoC, TSW and AO will be on a nearly equal level when it comes to graphics engine.

2. The old client. Not as shiny as the new one, but even with DX7, it does and will profit from optimizations done to the engine. This doesn't mean an overall better look, but some reasonable progress when it comes to performance. The old client won't be further developed and optimized by a special "old client development team", but will profit from tweaks and changes to the new engine, which was originally based on this old version. FC and the AO development team do not invest in upgrades to the old engine, but profit from upgrades to the new engine, which are transferable to the old one easily. In other words, they're getting the best performance they can get out of DX7 for free.

DNW for hardcore server (as if it wasn't for a long time ^^)!

Change to neutrals please! Neutral got some advantages over sideds, but make them kinda equal to the other sides equip-wise. Would love to see a BS running with A=Omni, B=Clan and C=Neutral (as it was intended, in my opinion)!

[Woodnote]

I would support a resignation form. They would have to kill your faction back to zero and put a 6 month nano that would not allow you to choose a side. You would also have to be naked to do it. (insert joke here)

Story Line

It was 5:45 am as a blurry eyed Caighil wandered through the predawn light seeking redemption. He had not slept that night, or for that matter, many nights. He was about to turn his back on his friends, family and his life. The war was getting to him, and he could no longer support Omni and what they stood for. He wanted peace. He wanted to change allegiances. After years of fighting the Clan, he had come to realize that in the end they were no different then the Omni. Seeking plunder from their foe controlling the poor and needy for their own gains.

He had meet John Graham in The Cup, doing a job handing out Pamphlets. John must have seen Caighil's dissatisfaction and befriended him. Their get togethers continued over the next few months and when John was satisfied that he could trust Caighil, and was sure that he was a candidate he broached the subject with him.

"Caighil, we're friends right?"
"Absolutely, whats on your mind John?"
"I have something to ask you, but I need to know that I can trust you. Can I trust you?"
"Yes. What is it?"
"If you could leave the Omni, would you?"
"You mean go Clan?? Never!!"
"No, not clan."
"What ... are you talking about?"
"Neutral my friend, come join me!"
"It can not be done. How?"
"Science. We sedate the subject, and implant a device that runs a nano to makes you forget your allegiances. Basically we reset you belief systems. This nano runs for 6 months. Ethically speaking we could not make you always stay with us or we are no different from the Clan or the Omni."
"So after 6 months, I can choose to go back or stay."
"That is correct. Any sided armor or items will also be rendered useless as we require you to be naked to complete the process."
"John, I will need to think about this. I will get in touch with you within the week."
"Thank you Caighil, and good luck."

7am

Caighil lay naked on the table with 2 doctors standing over him. They were injecting him with an anesthetic. As he slept, the surgery took place. When the surgery was complete, the Doctor walked to the Computer Terminal and pressed his finger to the screen, hitting the activate button.

"Hostile Nano 'Emerge to Freedom' has been run in Caighil's NCU. All Faction = 0. Side = Neutral."

To be continued


I am not a writer, so excuse the lameness. Just trying to make it fit into the story line.

Nice read. I think that this would be a great idea.