Friday with Means - November 21, 2008

[Melinea]

The old and more varied loot items should be dropping again on Noob Isle...twinking rings, bracers, Alien Weapons etc in 18.0. Implants will not be dropping as they can be easily obtained once off the island. I also feel that they added unneccesary complexity for new players to the island..especially considering there was never anywhere to actually "use" them.(No surgery clinic)

I also liked the shuttle crash sequence..I was the voice of the "captain"...so personally I really wanted that to stay as it made me laugh every time I heard it. It would be great to find a way to reintroduce it..without reintroducing the drop-off I mentioned before that saw a significant nunber of players logging off in playfields before the Island and never progressing to level 4+...something that significantly improved with the removal of the Arrival Hall and the Shuttle. Perhaps we'll find a way to reintroduce the story NPCs without having to reintroduce the hall...I'll be looking for time for this.

Anyways, loot is back. I hope this is a step in the right direction.

Guess I can't bug you about this once a week anymore...

[vaskin]

fix RI (sold antiCH nano pls) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sultryvoltron]

Two questions about the update.

1) What do you mean by "Agents FP others nanos"? Do you mean that agents will get more of the old RK nanos unlocked, or that agents will be able to FP some of the new pvp fear/knockback nanos?

2) This is more of a suggestion than a question: Can Soldier Full Auto and Agent Aimedshot get knockback? It kinda makes sense, and would be worth a shot imo, with much testing on testlive of course :P (Sorry MPs and Advys, haven't come up with any good idea for you yet.)

[Glarawyn]

Will Pistol Adventurers ever get an end game weapon setup that requires skills that are balanced vs. the weapon skill requirements given to other professions? Adventurers without a doubt have the highest Multi-Ranged (and Multi-Melee) skills in the game, but our current end game Pistol setup only requires 800 Multi-Ranged. Compared to other dual wielding professions:

Adventurers without a doubt have the best Multi Ranged Skill in the game, but the Jobe Explorer Personal Pistol only requires 800 Multi Ranged. An Adventurer can easily get 800 multi ranged without a single IP point spent in Multi Ranged.

• Melee Adventurers: 1649 Multi-Melee for QL300 Ofab Mongoose Mk 6
• Enforcers: 1649 Multi-Melee for QL300 Ofab Panther Mk 6/Ofab Mongoose Mk 6
• Fixers: 1474 Multi-Ranged for QL300 OFAB Hawk - MK5
• Doctors: 1500 Multi-Ranged for Doc pistols
• Shades: 1649 Multi Melee for Improved Hacked Medi-Blade
• MAs: 1550 Multi-Melee for Dreadloch Shen Sticks

[egadsrk2]

Crats! 1550 to put their DBFA on (assuming mainhand Peregrine 6.)

Okay fine. Not many crats do this. But some have, and more are, as the patch cycles tick on. The ones who don't care a bout swapping a craphander every few minutes.

[Boinky]

• Engies: 801 Multi-Melee for dual-wielded Hazangerine Bear Claw

[Lupusceleri]

EOE ftl, no nano init. Also what Hyperium (I think) said.

Again... it's a ranged advy issue, not a melee advy issue. Bug FC for a fix long enough, or IPR to melee, or bake some cookies, but stop telling me stuff about ranged advies when I'm obviously talking about melee ones.

Balanced or not, it would nevertheless be nice to hear that 'lovechild professions x, y, z, ö are not receiving any new toys'.

That'd be nice though, aye.. ;]

[Gothy]

Martial Artist - Single Target Fears
Engineer - AOE Knockback Mines
Fixer - Fear Immunity - NCU Cleanser
Agent - FP other's nanos
Trader - Single Target Shotgun Knockback
Crat - AOE Fears
Enforcer - Knockback Stun and Single Target Fears
Doctor - Fear Removal from Friendly Targets
Nanotech - AOE Knockback
Keeper - Fear Immunity Aura

Didn't read the several pages of the thread so I apologize if I'm simply repeating someone else but..

WTH do Advies get? More specifically ranged ones? Kinda sucks for the four singular professions who don't get anything but get to be kicked in the @ss by all this new stuff. Two of them (Shades, (ranged)Advs) really don't need anymore negative aspects of pvp for them. Soldiers and MPs can live, I guess.

[Omutb]

WTH do Advies get? More specifically ranged ones?

A kicking by the other professions?

[Omutb]

I R 3 year old nooblet, see above correction.

Ohhh, very slowly and whilst losing half the team to frostbite.

[PhoenixOfAges]

Perhaps we'll find a way to reintroduce the story NPCs without having to reintroduce the hall...I'll be looking for time for this.

Should be able to stick some of them in the area around most of the other island NPCs near the door to the whom-pah room. Another thought is to add a third start location option at the end of character creation.

Start Location: RK (island) - SL - Arrival Hall

Add:
Maybe mention that the arrival hall provides more story info while the island gets you going right away. Some were "lost" as they were too lazy or unwilling to talk to NPCs and closed their chat windows immediately as they wanted to go out right away to fight something. Like the people that didn't know that you should be swimming to shore like the nurse said rather than out to sea. Course that could be a sort of Darwinian test to see if they should be playing the game or should stick to something easier like watching TV or not.


Getting the more varied loot back will be nice though.

[Freor]

So.. Means.. Any chance of a comment on the NW situation?

Would really like to hear FC's (especially Means') comment on this. You can't seriously think after two years that it's working as intended

[NoGoal]

Adventurers without a doubt have the best Multi Ranged Skill in the game, but the Jobe Explorer Personal Pistol only requires 800 Multi Ranged. An Adventurer can easily get 800 multi ranged without a single IP point spent in Multi Ranged.

Not that I disagree with you but JEPP isn't end game weapon. The fact that you use it at 220 doesn't make it an end game weapon. I could argue that fixers don't need to put IPs in MR either. Onehander and BigBurger are 724 and 804 MR.

[Troxxor]

First off, thanks Means for the continued excellent level of info & feedback

I'm liking that some stuff is still kept under your hat though... too many spoilers ftl!

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you & the team come up with

<3 surprises!... & <3 christmas, just because!

<snip>

Q - Old entrance hall back to game, yes or no?

Never. This area of the game represented a huge drop-off point for new players.

<snip>

Sorry, I would be too busy running up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and doing the Rocky dance.

Colin "Means" Cragg
Game Director

The 1st part of that was a real surprise to me, the second part less so Lol though I pictured you more as a Rocky Horror kinda guy rather than Rocky Balboa!

Some were "lost" as they were too lazy or unwilling to talk to NPCs and closed their chat windows immediately as they wanted to go out right away to fight something. Like the people that didn't know that you should be swimming to shore like the nurse said rather than out to sea. Course that could be a sort of Darwinian test to see if they should be playing the game or should stick to something easier like watching TV or not.

You may have hit the nail on the head there. Maybe the option to skip some story & get straight to the action would suit some ppl.

Echoing your sentiments Pheonix, I think it's great that AO doesn't try to spoon feed it's players too much... generally if a player does something wrong there's consequence.

That said, at the moment the n00b experience is just disjointed

Long post of ideas for n00b experience... Basically give us a logic flow (please) & a profession based story starting at char creation & going on tl2 (& possibly beyond)

I think what we all want is a smooth & polished introduction... but once orientated, not necessarily a total walk in the park. Personally I love a challenge, it's why I play AO and I think that's the view of most ppl who stick with it.

New players should imo be given expectations of what is to come, so we keep the right ones & the ones we do lose were never destined to be long term subscribers anyway.

It strikes me that most of this community really love AO (FC employees + players alike) & with the introduction of the new engine we're all hoping it'll breathe new life into the game. But also I'm worried that a less than great experience for new players will mean the new engine will be less effective at this than it could be

The old and more varied loot items should be dropping again on Noob Isle...twinking rings, bracers, Alien Weapons etc in 18.0.

Thank you

I also liked the shuttle crash sequence..I was the voice of the "captain"...so personally I really wanted that to stay as it made me laugh every time I heard it. It would be great to find a way to reintroduce it..

Lol I wondered who that was .... Can I be the ship's #1?

Perhaps we'll find a way to reintroduce the story NPCs without having to reintroduce the hall...I'll be looking for time for this.

Anyways, loot is back. I hope this is a step in the right direction.

Certainly is imo, cheers!

Apologies for another long post... you guys have so much to read! >.<

I guess if I have one question for you Means, in light of the community's concern, will the n00b areas be updated significantly or were you thinking something more cosmetic? As implied by:

Perhaps we'll find a way to reintroduce the story NPCs without having to reintroduce the hall...

[macattack]

Do you keep statistics on the current playing toons? Do you know how many of each prof play consistently? Do you know how many advys are melee vs range? That kind of thing. People can whine all they want on forums and say so and so needs nerf/help but the real answer of who needs work/nerfs lies in the number of a particular prof that is being played. Few traders running around means they need help. Many sols means that prof is fine or op. Few range advys means they need help. You get the idea.

And a trader who logs in for 4 minutes to ts shouldnt count the same as a sol who plays 2 hours a day.

that's all my trader does now... no point in lvling to 220 to get his ubah jokers

[flyinguns]

Dear Means,


Where is the ranged advys pvp option we asked for year o_0 ?, let me guess , you are still thinking about it.
Don't think anymore, you're not good at that .
I will give you all the things :just go on suggestion forum, type ranged advies in search tab and you will have like 50 suggestions created during 5 f****** years of whinning and begging!

thx you in advance

With love

flyinguns








Ps: Dear meles advies ,


bwahahahahah at least you will taste how we all suffered during this 7-5 years now it's your turn to be gimped, bwahahaha and be kicked by doctor mwahahhahaah

you deserved that,

bwahahhah again,

flyinguns


Yeah i'm a bit violent but i'm tired to whine, beg and asking politely, it's obvious you don't listen to us with that attitude, so don't get mad i'm more than you and i have good reason

KtHXBye

[SSK]

Q: When ranged advys will be banned from forums and rolling ranged advy option removed?

Some still need to catch up with that 'nerfed' state.

[flyinguns]

Q: Bou hou hou i'm tired to see Ranged Advy crying and beging till the beginning of Anarchy online snif snif

When will this story end ?.

I'm tired too,i want to stop to ask and ask andask again ,to start to troll each post XD(even if it's funnny, i understand you now rac ) .

but you know that the only thing left. That not my fault if i'm persevering.

but you are right , funcom better have to do something or remove ranged advy.

[Klodovik]

but you are right , funcom better have to do something or remove ranged advy.

They already did something, I hereby suggest you try out - Melee trox advie.

[flyinguns]

They already did something, I hereby suggest you try out - Melee trox advie.

I want an official event , when we will all drop ours pistols.

I want to stop to hope .

I want funcom to have the ball to say it openly


that waht i wan't, not another slap in the face or insinuation