So, About the "Neutral Neck Item Imbalance"

[Xootch]

Thank you for confirming what I said, the gap did indeed get bigger with Xan. I appreciate your support.

so we agree that this gap needs widened to extends it was supposed to be? I'm terribly sorry, i misread your op...you're not asking for a better neck item for neutroals, you're asking for a better neck item for sided people, to rebalance the neck boost neutrals got with dust boards?

Go on, i'm listening!

ps. in before leetah can say: top piorities? detaunts for agents!

[Lazy]

Well, here's what Means said back in Feb 2009:



Let me don my flame suit. (You know it's never good when a Producer utters those words!)

So first off, we are all aware there is a bit of a big-picture "neutral question." Meaning that basically it's a side-but-not. The "neutral question" comes up from time-to-time in meetings, and especially when the NPE was getting designed. Developers on AO have a wide variety of opinions on the subject, and nothing specifically has been decided about neutrals. Nothing has been decided because we don't really have time to address this issue right now; we just had to make sure the NPE was designed in such away that it could be easily tweaked to accommodate all likely outcomes.

Secondly, and just to get this out of the way, Means didn't mention specifically "neutral neck items." He just said vaguely that he would work something out to address a balance issue. On the third page of a "Friday With Means."

So thirdly, lets just say when I joined AO there were a lot of promises (or perceived promises) on the table. It takes less than 30 seconds to write a post saying that "we'll address X" or "we'll do X" but it also takes anywhere from days to weeks to years to deliver on X from when work starts to when it gets patched out. If we were working on all outstanding promises made in the last 11 years of AO -- all in parallel -- we would never get anything done. Ever. If you want to hold the development team to every single one of these, we would be completely paralysed. In fact, it is my firm belief that what the game needs right now is lazer-focus on our top priorities.

So, what are our top priorities? As I've said before, they are: Engine, Server Merge, NPE... followed by profession rebalance... followed probably by (and don't take this as a promise, because things can change) some ground-work in preparation for the next booster/expansion. I suspect we'll take a look at neutrals if we end up expanding upon PvP, purely for PvP balance reasons. Not a promise, just what I foresee happening.

oh oh oh oh oh can i quote myself quoting means last time this exact thread popped up?

http://forums.anarchyonline.com/show...44&postcount=7

[Notcrattey]

snip

Yup, because making neutrals equivalent in standing to the factions is extremely difficult.

It's also extremely easy to explain why neutrals would be balanced with these factions RP-wise.

[Gatester]

You continue to make these types of comments "And I have to explain again...god this is tiring lol." which is an attempt at looking superior - its childish. I would also say that to the other person that responded to you in similar manner - was childish as well but that is between you two.

Actually the explaining thing is my fault. My style of writing is generally the problem and it is annoying because I have to re-type things I say because it makes sense to me but fails to convey what I want to say properly.

It is ****ing annoying that I cannot be perfectly understood lol. I try not to blame others for it but it is irritating and I have a low tolerance for this type of thing. Hence, I hope people do not take what I say personally, I rarely do from others.

You did respond to me with with a dictionary-type post and by twisting the conversation. I never said neuts couldn't PVP/BS (just the opposite) but that is not really the point of the power discussion, so I just went ...

I thought for sure I directed that one to Lazy only, and I when I re-checked the thread I was fairly certain only Lazy insinuated this. You just mentioned that neutrals have no penalties but no one does outside player created ones.

Question for you - do you support a Blue/Red type BS system that removes faction completely? I ask because it would change the game's intent of Clan v Omni - but it would probably make the BS run more often, probably be more fun for some because people could side with folks that havent been able to - but should the game be changed in that respect just to make the BS run?

Honestly, I would rather BS remained Clan vs Omni, as the current problems are mostly due to population, but that the BS interface itself was more player friendly. There are a great deal of suggestions to improve the BS sign-up and design that have nothing to do with faction and would actually help BS more than a red vs blue system.

Imagine being able to see how many players on each side were signed up for every BS level range on the LFT window, and then being able to easily sign-up for BS from the LFT window itself. Suggestions like that are what fix things, red vs blue is just another band-aid fix.

[Utopian]

Actually the explaining thing is my fault. My style of writing is generally the problem and it is annoying because I have to re-type things I say because it makes sense to me but fails to convey what I want to say properly.

It is ****ing annoying that I cannot be perfectly understood lol. I try not to blame others for it but it is irritating and I have a low tolerance for this type of thing. Hence, I hope people do not take what I say personally, I rarely do from others.



I thought for sure I directed that one to Lazy only, and I when I re-checked the thread I was fairly certain only Lazy insinuated this. You just mentioned that neutrals have no penalties but no one does outside player created ones.



Honestly, I would rather BS remained Clan vs Omni, as the current problems are mostly due to population, but that the BS interface itself was more player friendly. There are a great deal of suggestions to improve the BS sign-up and design that have nothing to do with faction and would actually help BS more than a red vs blue system.

Imagine being able to see how many players on each side were signed up for every BS level range on the LFT window, and then being able to easily sign-up for BS from the LFT window itself. Suggestions like that are what fix things, red vs blue is just another band-aid fix.

Ah, no issue for me personally and I appreciate your honesty.

For the BS - I agree with you.

Although I do see where Red/Blue could be fun. But that would change the basic premise of the game and so then whats next? There have been too many changes that mudded the difference with Clan/Omni already and I would prefer to see more differences (not less) - force folks to make a choice and know the consequences.

As for Neuts - I feel the same way, not against changes per se, just need to be done in context of the whole game and if that can be done then do it.

[Anarrina]

Closing this since we can all rewrite the arguments on both sides in our sleep. Also because its completely off top here, its being moved.