Friday with Means - November 20th, 2009 - Nanomage says "Wut?"

[agentgimpy]

What about an endgame toon full of breed specifc nodrops?

The breed swap is easy, swapping all the gear will be the pain in the back-side.

PS, what's with all the suggestions on how much to charge for a ONE TIME ONLY FREE breed change? Maybe Means cares to explain this.

[Hacre]

What about an endgame toon full of breed specifc nodrops?

The breed swap is easy, swapping all the gear will be the pain in the back-side.

"full" of? Such as?

As for wearables that are breed specific they just need a playshift check added.

[Tyfowler]

Can we get flame-retardant teletubby costume in game plx?

and a big ol, hell-yes to breed change.

[meatybtz]

I really really do not want to harp on the texturing issues but I feel its such a game breaker. I dont want to do it in PMs because I think the community as a whole can comment on my comments its a better and healthier thing.

Ok...
THe Normal/bump mapping that is being used in the new graphics engine is to be frank utterly horrible. I can say this again because I watched the still alive HD again just to confirm the problem.

32 seconds into the video wit the transient (time laps) shadows shows the proper way the cobble stone texture should look. Flat fitted stones with a depression between them with relativly flat upper surfaces. Now I want you to compaire that with what you have in the Tir Screen Shots..since they use the same texture.

Still Alive also showed a massive FQGR, full quality ground radius. So you had no odd LODing of your textures visible or if it did it.. it was smooth enough to be unnoticable in the HD version (not the youtube one.. the other one).

I think maybe why I harp on this is that AOs history is replete with "lack of polish" and here, now, we have that chance .. to change it all as part of the NWO Means is bringing to AO.. we just CANNOT let this go the way of the past. We need a clean break with the troubles and trials of before if we really are going ot enter a new era of AO. The dreamworld engine is crawling and clawing its way towards what Ogre was already. I think you guys will get there. I just want to ever be the voice of.. Please, lets do it right this time. From the Macroscopic to the microscopic.

[Technogen]

All of this is a pointless post since Flaptoot and MstrBstrd know this already.

Seriously, see above, they havn't even remotely touched the textures for the engine displays. Both of these guys have a great deal experience with doing textures both in this game and others.

[meatybtz]

Seriously, see above, they havn't even remotely touched the textures for the engine displays. Both of these guys have a great deal experience with doing textures both in this game and others.

except... why is it they had it right before? Textures are not engine unique (unless you got some wierd ass engine that requires a proprietary format).

SO your post is just silly since at one point they had maps that at least looked correct. Where did they go? We are quite free to press a point if it is done in an encouraging manner. Where did the correct maps go?

[Technogen]

SO your post is just silly since at one point they had maps that at least looked correct. Where did they go? We are quite free to press a point if it is done in an encouraging manner. Where did the correct maps go?

Removed everything in my other post just because it can be summed up to this.

There is no mapping in these renders, every texture map is created by the engine not by the art team.

[Ruffixx]

I think it should cost something like 14.99 dollars or something like that. Similar to monthly subscription fee. Its cheap enough to pay for if you need/want to change breed. At least for me it is. This fee should give every character on that account 1 breed change though. I don't think its fair to ask for 14.99 dollars PER character if people wish to change breed on 5 alts for example. (This is 14.99 in paid points)

Level 1-14 = 3m.
Level 15-49 = 30m.
Level 50-99 = 60m.
Level 100-149 = 100m.
Level 150-189 = 150m.
Level 190-205 = 200m.
Level 206-220 = 250m.

I like this scale for ingame creds (if not even more top heavy on 150-189 through 220 ending in say 450-500m at 206-220), but if a paid point option to allow one change per toon on an account, I think a round $20 would suffice.

[Crowena]

I think it should cost something like 14.99 dollars or something like that. Similar to monthly subscription fee. Its cheap enough to pay for if you need/want to change breed. At least for me it is. This fee should give every character on that account 1 breed change though.

I disagree. I think it should be per character, not per account. Also I would use paid points instead of cash so you are not forced to use (much) cash if you have used your points sparingly. So 1000-1500 paid points per breed change per character.

Level 1-14 = 3m.
Level 15-49 = 30m.
Level 50-99 = 60m.
Level 100-149 = 100m.
Level 150-189 = 150m.
Level 190-205 = 200m.
Level 206-220 = 250m.

I mostly agree with the credit prices except that I would raise it to 500M for anyone 200+ especially since they are giving already one change for free. My reasoning is that for a lot of professions there are benefits to level using one profession but at 200+ you start to reach skills, nanos and perks that change the "ideal" breed to something else. I think people should pay for the luxury of being able to level using one breed and then play the end game with another.

[Snoopdooog]

Atrox Online >.<

[Towerblock]

Hrm. One change might be interesting, but multiple ones?

[foulbat]

Breed perks are currently not "trivial" buffs of little value...it really matters what breed you choose in terms of building your character. The team and I believe that this is part of what makes AO fun...the choice and determination to try out alternate setups to try and push the boundaries of what is possible.

agree

In a sci-fi world why shouldn't breed change be an option?...this is also likely to be an option heading into the future for AO.

woot?

first u say breed choose matters

and ...turn around and say breed change "every time" would be available in future?

so...if breed change is available "every time" ....the first breed choose wouldn't matter

cmon means

(plz don't delete my post, I've said this already and someone deleted it...but why?)

[Xkeeper]

such a stupid idea.... no more to say about it....

[Soule]

Level 1-14 = 3m.
Level 15-49 = 30m.
Level 50-99 = 60m.
Level 100-149 = 100m.
Level 150-189 = 150m.
Level 190-205 = 200m.
Level 206-220 = 250m.

Thats some good ingame pricing. Wouldn't pay more than 5$ US to breed change unless it was a totally messed up unplayable mess

[Ulltima]

Loving this idea of breed changes.

As far as a paid points price for a breed change, I wouldn't pay more than 1000 points ($10 USD) for it per character.

For everyone who says they want a profession change... I don't think that will happen. That's what alts are for, IMO.

[Towerblock]

If I came down to a vote, I'd be very much against Prof re-rolling for PP. That would just be so far out of the box its not even remotely funny.

I'd also like to put this one piece of info out there for Means and company. I respect so much the hard work you guys are putting out there, only to be sanitized by flames from various members of the community. I would however, speak on caution. Some changes here and there are very nice. But, too much change is a bad thing. You can take identity away from certain things, that are perceived by various players. Some might even say they are game breaking. This game has seen so much slow evolution, I can totally understand why we have as many naysayers as we do. Comfortability aside, some of the changes were quite necessary, and I wont argue against them. However, speeding up the evolution to the point where we debate every week the validity of changes, I hope it has an expiration date. You potentially can kill something you've attempted to save. I know this from experience. Don't paint yourselves in a corner. You'd make me a sad panda.

[Ceenah2]

Wait.... Can we change weight too?

[Wrangeline]

I take it that when we select a new breed for our character, we are brought to that morning star space station and the character creation area to select how our character should look like? Or do we just get a random look that we have to change with plastic surgery?

[NoGoal]

I bet it will be inside the plastic surgery room but with a breed menu added. And you'll have to be stripped.

[Wrangeline]

I bet it will be inside the plastic surgery room but with a breed menu added. And you'll have to be stripped.

Yeah probably