Friday with Means - November 26th, 2010 - Spreadsheet Assault

Back on topic for this week's FwM (item shop/Funcom points discussions were in the FwM threads over the last few weeks before this thread)...

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Originally Posted by Means

Thank you to everyone who has been patient with us this week and last as we have tried to smooth out some issues that have arisen from the replacement of the input system. It isn't quite there yet...but it is certainly getting closer. A change of this magnitude was always going to come in with a few growing pains...but gaining binding functionality for customization is definitely worth it as it had been a long time requested feature. So not perfect yet...but we aren't done with it yet.

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PLEASE get the changes to the input system corrected soon. As it is now, the slightest typo takes 10 times longer to correct.

For example, in order to stay with the semi-standard with other programs, ctrl arrow should skip words... like it did before these changes.

There is no need to reinvent the wheel when we just needed a new set of tires.

Thank you.

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Originally Posted by Tazalanche

For example, in order to stay with the semi-standard with other programs, ctrl arrow should skip words... like it did before these changes.

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It does, but you need to hold down the Alt key as well unfortunately...

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Originally Posted by Pomidor

~Add XP Buff for player usable only in team.~
How it would work? Player buys nanoprogram and actuivates it as an aura. Each member which receives aura (must be in team, must be in range, lets say 20m) will boost XP for caster by 3%.
So total boost by doing team will get more by 15%. Usable only on RK.
I belive, this would fairly inscreased activity on many areas on RK, would make others want to team for certain assigments and encurage to get full team :)

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MEH, wouldn't solve alot ... I would just team with myself, like I always do. Like any vet that levels like that does.

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Originally Posted by Siyra

Honestly, I think most of you are just overreacting; there's far to many overbearing "zomg AO will dai!!!1!1!!" ...

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Where did I say the game was dying and was busy making gloom and doom reports? I didn't, you did though. I'm saying while it will make producing more alts easier it does at the same time frustrate other players causing them to leave as some have or not join as they don't like to play games with items shops. So while they may compensate for the loss of pay players financially it doesn't really help get or keep people in the game which is what we really need. Combining servers to up the population of a server can only go so far, especially when there's just two left now and some have chars and play on both.

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Originally Posted by Siyra

Here's a simple solution to not letting the shop destroy the game:

DON'T USE IT

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Here's the thing though, my using it or not using it doesn't mean anything. It existing does. At this point if some golden age of AO doesn't open up after I've given a chance for the rebalance to settle in I think I'll just cancel my accounts and go as for one thing I don't like item shops in a game I play. I know there are others that feel the same.

People before we saw all the stuff currently offered were going on how "oh no, people can buy social sets of armour I worked to get, that's awful as my accomplishments are trashed!" I couldn't care less about some elitists that gripe that they have this stuff they won't ever use but have in their social tab to show off. Although when they do actually start selling stuff that matters and people will use, at any price, then I care.

No matter how much they may charge, we know some will make use of it as people can be really stupid with their money. No matter how broke and over extended they are with no real income coming in they still have to get that shiny new something that costs a good bit anyhow. I just don't like a game that directly gives people stuff that enhances the performance of a char for real money.

Before we saw the kind of stuff that was in the items shop I was down playing it since we hadn't seen the items yet and we had been told before how we won't be able to buy power with money. Now I see that stance has changed and I don't like it, I know there are others that don't like it either, that's it.

Also where have I ever said I'm the majority? Who knows, I might be, but I never said anything of the sort. The only one going on about a majority and making wild accusations is you. I was just stating my thoughts and how I know some also think the same on that matter.

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Originally Posted by PhoenixOfAges

Where did I say the game was dying and was busy making gloom and doom reports?

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Originally Posted by Siyra

(Generic response)
Honestly, I think most of you are just overreacting; there's far to many overbearing "zomg AO will dai!!!1!1!!"

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Read the part in brackets rather then just quote one part and assume things.

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Originally Posted by PhoenixOfAges

Here's the thing though, my using it or not using it doesn't mean anything. It existing does.

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How'd you come up with that one? The game dies simply because it exists? If nobody ever used it; if 100% of the population current and future never uses the store the game still dies simply because it exists?

That's a load of bull****.

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Originally Posted by Obtena

MEH, wouldn't solve alot ... I would just team with myself, like I always do. Like any vet that levels like that does.

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Depends on what mechanics It would work. My proposal was not precised to much, so I take my chance to make it clear.

- Buff would work RK only (that means no /heck kite plz)
- Buff would work Indoors
(this particular setup would not have huge impact on /afk lvling in TOTW, since not many level there already that have SL)
- Buff would be team aura which refresh every 1 minute
(this would make things though to take aride 2 chars /follow in Team Missions and locations which use lift or have huge add chance , a.k.a Foremans)
- Buff would have range up to 15m, which would also did not work well for /afkers /followers, since every stuck could cause not landing in Teammate NCU's, thus player with buff would not get benefit.

Also, I belive, that Not every (or if any!) player with veteran acc. would buy 3 or more buffs for all his toons to dual/triple log just to lvl 3 chars at a time faster, since adantage from buff is only for the char, which casted it.

Besides, I dont belive you would just dual log to get extra 3% XP buff on RK.

My suggesion fits FC trend to sell faster lvling and bonds my ideas of encuraging Teaming Veterans like me, which Enjoy RK/TM/Dungeons and like play the game, with new-playerbase (on froob accounts) and new to the game which like StoryLine and Rubi-Ka. In both cases, it would create more opportunity for both player kinds to enjoy game.

And if this would enchance teaming by 10% from current state, I am more then sure its worth it.

The color scheme in the docs hurts my eyes :'(

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Don't use it

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As long as people can be independent from it, sure. They said they wouldn't sell power...yet they did.

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Originally Posted by Lletah

As long as people can be independent from it, sure. They said they wouldn't sell power...yet they did.

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You can get VP & token in other ways, thus you are independent of the shop.

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Originally Posted by Gridpain

VP, hence, ofab... Call VP loot or currency, it doesn't matter much.

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Oh that free armor.

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Originally Posted by Mastablasta

Oh that free armor.

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No more "free" than any other armor in game.

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Originally Posted by Mastablasta

Oh that free armor.

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If you consider OFAB free, what, exactly, isn't free then ?

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Originally Posted by Demoder

You can get VP & token in other ways, thus you are independent of the shop.

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You can get AI combine sets, BoC, symbs, etc .. in other ways, yet you dont see those in the shop, do you ?

How is it different ?

The difference is simple ... FC decided VP is shoploot and other things aren't. Why does anyone think it needs to be more complex than that? I mean, are you looking for FC to spill their logic out for you why VP is in the shop? I think it's pretty easy to figure out ... people want VP for armor, they don't want to PVP for it so FC is giving them the option to pay for it. Seems logical to me.

I don't like Items Shops... Call it childhood trauma. But what FC did is rather harmless, some will use it and some will not. Just like with credit sellers, exploiters, bad in-game manners or griefers.

Also, since I see it's just the same 8-13 people arguing it's bad, I'd say FC's plan worked out and their projections were valid enough which just underlines that they don't want to kill their own game (DOH!!).

This means that most people (with a working forums account) are either not bother by the shop, they consider it a minor inconvenience (provided FC doesn't overstep itself by selling AI armor, BoCs or ACDC type of items), they are gonna use it after a fashion or are downright ignoring it and could care less about it.

And then we get to a very few people that for which almost all change is doom and gloom and which generally are vocal on the forums. Not everyone sees doom and gloom in everything, but the percentage is usually the same and their behavior is somewhat similar and is usually based on "I know better" thought pattern.

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Originally Posted by Obtena

I think it's pretty easy to figure out ... people want VP for armor, they don't want to PVP for it so FC is giving them the option to pay for it. Seems logical to me.

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To me it seems like a slap in the face! We've been asking for alternative PVM method of gaining VP's for years. Instead we get: "gief us moar moneyzzz!" (This game's subscription fee is already very high compared to the newer games in the market, and on top of that the € = $ pricing makes it even more expensive for us who are forced to pay in euros).

We never wanted the easy way out with real cash. We're ready to work for it. But LE missions don't quite cut it. It takes ages to get enough VP for special edition stuff+ring. While on BS it''s very easy but ultimate boredom if you don't like pvp at all like me.

Easiest fix would've been some VP reward at the end of LE missions instead of those stupid clumps that account next to nothing if there's more than one teammember looting them. Not to mention the fact that if you stay behind your team looting those stupid clumps, you'll probably end up kicked from team rather quickly.

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Originally Posted by Khlin

Also, since I see it's just the same 8-13 people arguing it's bad, I'd say FC's plan worked out and their projections were valid enough which just underlines that they don't want to kill their own game (DOH!!).

This means that most people (with a working forums account) are either not bother by the shop, they consider it a minor inconvenience (provided FC doesn't overstep itself by selling AI armor, BoCs or ACDC type of items), they are gonna use it after a fashion or are downright ignoring it and could care less about it.

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Or they already cancelled their accounts and don't care anymore.

I'm not really against the shop though. Just the fact that they ARE indeed selling power through it (as well as indirectly credits) 'cause ofab IS in fact very good armour for leveling folks, and almost every profession have a few must have parts of ofab even in twink and pvp setups.

If they only sell social stuff and xp stims and other convenience items, it's ok. But VP and tokens are too much. And the worst part of selling VP is (atleast for me) the fact that they are now directly saying: "Hey, if you dont like PVP, you have to give us more money!!" instead of fixing the LE missions or introducing other PVM method of gaining VP.

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Originally Posted by Gridpain

You can get AI combine sets, BoC, symbs, etc .. in other ways, yet you dont see those in the shop, do you ?

How is it different ?

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My point exactly.... They might as well sell that too... Makes no difference to me.

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Originally Posted by Gridpain

If you consider OFAB free, what, exactly, isn't free then ?

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Everything else, pretty much.

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Originally Posted by Aeliniyah

To me it seems like a slap in the face! We've been asking for alternative PVM method of gaining VP's for years. Instead we get: "gief us moar moneyzzz!" (This game's subscription fee is already very high compared to the newer games in the market, and on top of that the € = $ pricing makes it even more expensive for us who are forced to pay in euros).

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Yes, this is what I don't like either, but US people have limited NW expansion, so they don't have to pay them so much.
They know that VPs and tokens are the most wanted stuff for everyone so it is the best way how to make even more money without effort to make pvm(LE missions-more vps) or pvp(BS-merged rk1&rk2 BSs, new maps, hallo!, mixed sides) interesting, which really aren't.
It is sad, when players know about game more than their owners.

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Originally Posted by Mastablasta

Everything else, pretty much.

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then .. what did yo uactualy buy ? your account or what ?