Answers from FWM November 11th, 2011 Questions

[Means]

Have you and the whole AO team been considering unique / nodrop tags on items where they make no sense to have them removed from those items?

Yes we have and I'm certain we'll see more items lose those tags in the future.

[Means]

Why did you feel the need of professionals when you had no intention to listening to them? (referring to the engie document and a few others I have talked to). Needed someone to take the blame?

We have been very happy with the cooperation we have received from most of the professionals and most of the collaboration has been quite successful. I don't think anyone is going to blame the professionals for changes we end up making. I don't think anyone ever thought every profession would be happy with every change we felt we needed to make.

[Means]

When you put tradeable items in the items store that provide power/great benefit to players (i.e. Victory Points and Token Packages) did you foresee that players would start to use these items as a way of "buying credits" (using real life money to purchase from the item store and then selling them in-game for credits)? If so, why put these types of items in game as they are? If not, any plans to fix such things?

We absolutely saw that this would happen...and if we are all completely honest we know it was happening already. People were purchasing credits from third party companies..at significant risk I might add...and using these purchased credits to buy the tokens and VP items they wanted. I also see this as a way for people who will NOT give us real-life money to obtain these items. Either way nothing for sale in the store offers up advantage to end-game characters that is not available through normal gameplay mechanics.

[Means]

I linked in a PM to you in Kintaii a suggestion for new lowbie weapons found in the Subway based on the CoH model with damages inline with exisitng decent (not uber) weapon choices for the level range. Of course no word from anyone makes wonder if you read it.

I read it. I also read this. I agree that early game weapon choices need vast improvement.

[Means]

I have long complained about "Disable XP Gain" being one the stupidest moves FC ever made. So what are the chances that FC will remove this option and return AO to game that you are always progressing?

There is no chance we will remove that option. Twinking is a significant part of AO and the mechanics existed before to allow people to remain at the same level. People "messing up" and leveling by mistake before was not making anyone happy either.

[Means]

Assuming you knew (had to...) what 90% of the questions would be, why didn't you just go ahead with the preemptive strike and provide the answers?

There is a big difference between telling people what you *think* they want an answer to and actually listening to what their concerns are. I was also interested in the 10% of what I might not have assumed..and there have been some surprises in this bunch.

[Means]

Regarding the new engine, has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?

Exactly, we make sword stone for keeper and pull they do it and excalibur come out. have no make stone to for sword we make sword box for sword to put sword in for sword.

[Means]

Prediction: Means won't get around to answering until next Friday. This way he can be as lazy as possible with 2 different FWM. Very smart.

This qualifies as lazy??