Monthly Development Update: March 2012

[MajorOutage]

I think the point here is...look at everything FC has done to make PvP 'more accessible'...and look at how those zones now sit empty 90% of the time....

[Louderer789]

Have you and/or FC considered that maybe some of their customers do not enjoy PvP?

Clearly FC has considered this, as evidenced by their successful campaign to decouple PVP reward from PVP participation, thus obviating their only truly inclusive PVP content in years.

Perhaps even most of them ... otherwise it would be easy to keep BS running.

Between the hemorrhaging population, removal of unique reward, and lack of any new maps or game modes, it can hardly be seen as surprising.

And where does it say that if a player prefers PvM they are a 'cupcake'?

EULA, I'm pretty sure at least.

[MassDebater]

Have you and/or FC considered that maybe some of their customers do not enjoy PvP? Perhaps even most of them ... otherwise it would be easy to keep BS running.

And where does it say that if a player prefers PvM they are a 'cupcake'?

Kinnik

So theres an instance. It contains one alien monster.

It doesn't drop any loot. It is incredibly strong and you probably only live 50% of the time. When you kill it you get one alien kill added to your AI kill counter.

It requires 6 people of both sides (or neuts to make the balance).

When you enter it wipes your entire NCU.

If you leave before the monster is dead you get a 10minute lockout from the instance.

How often do you do this instance?

[chiliedogson]

So theres an instance. It contains one alien monster.

It doesn't drop any loot. It is incredibly strong and you probably only live 50% of the time. When you kill it you get one alien kill added to your AI kill counter.

It requires 6 people of both sides (or neuts to make the balance).

When you enter it wipes your entire NCU.

If you leave before the monster is dead you get a 10minute lockout from the instance.

How often do you do this instance?

Very interested at what PF this is

[Psikie]

So theres an instance. It contains one alien monster.

It doesn't drop any loot. It is incredibly strong and you probably only live 50% of the time. When you kill it you get one alien kill added to your AI kill counter.

It requires 6 people of both sides (or neuts to make the balance).

When you enter it wipes your entire NCU.

If you leave before the monster is dead you get a 10minute lockout from the instance.

How often do you do this instance?

HAHAHAHA perfect analogy

[Deemure]

As astounding as it might be, there are quite a few people who play that do not participate in pvp. Fc has gone to great lengths, some even say extreme lengths to make the pvp fanatics happy at the expense of the rest of the game. It has not just been notum wars, battle stations, more tower fields, changeing zones to more 5% and 25% areas, it has also been responding to the constant whinning of the pvp croud to try to force the unwilling into pvp. Reducing flags times, capping damage, liiming self cast levels for nanos (but not to have the same nano cast on you or course), reductions of vp for LE missions to force people into battle stations, virtually every patch since sl has taken significant steps to increase the pvp aspects and "encourage," no force, people into pvp. Since this pattern was initiated, the population in the game has dropped, the harder they force, the faster the drop. Most of these changes have quite negatively impacted the rest of the game. Perhaps the trend could be reduced by adding more content to the game and expanding the play experience rather than continuing to make changes to satisy a small, but exceeding vocal, group of players who constantly whine about not enough pvp.

I would think that in a game as potentially complex as this has plenty of room for all types of players.

[docleanne]

would like to see some new profs made also maybe make sec42 (clan/omni/neut must* ) so it involves everyone kinda sucky when u only get 1 side doing it if that most of time never happens just think it would be more fun if everyone joined together for a big raid seen as it doesnt run that much maybe put more hacker ice in sectors too for city raids also better drop rates on my supple bots take illari gen out of game other thing would be maybe add bots to s28-35-13 gens too just me being greedy hehe

[Dragocze]

As astounding as it might be, there are quite a few people who play that do not participate in pvp. Fc has gone to great lengths, some even say extreme lengths to make the pvp fanatics happy at the expense of the rest of the game. It has not just been notum wars, battle stations, more tower fields, changeing zones to more 5% and 25% areas, it has also been responding to the constant whinning of the pvp croud to try to force the unwilling into pvp. Reducing flags times, capping damage, liiming self cast levels for nanos (but not to have the same nano cast on you or course), reductions of vp for LE missions to force people into battle stations, virtually every patch since sl has taken significant steps to increase the pvp aspects and "encourage," no force, people into pvp. Since this pattern was initiated, the population in the game has dropped, the harder they force, the faster the drop. Most of these changes have quite negatively impacted the rest of the game. Perhaps the trend could be reduced by adding more content to the game and expanding the play experience rather than continuing to make changes to satisy a small, but exceeding vocal, group of players who constantly whine about not enough pvp.

I would think that in a game as potentially complex as this has plenty of room for all types of players.

I sometimes feels like there are 5% pvp players, that makes 95% of whine on the forum. But this is not only AO problem. Fortunately they have Balance Discussion forum. So it is possible to breath freely now. About pvp, it is just smallest part of the game for me. I like to go once a week to tnet, but I don't like forcing people into pvp in the battle station style. FC seems to believe, that they can put everyone into BS and everyone will be happily doing pvp 24/7. So they don't have to invest into new content anymore.

[Liwa]

I was re-reading Lindelu's comments in the March monthly update about the new starter area and I don't see any mention of when we can expect this on live servers. I was sure it was planned for the next update with the new market system, but now I can't find where I saw that mentioned.

Anyone know where she mentioned ETA for new start-up area?

Thanks,

Kinnik

[Cogline]

I'm PvM and proud of it! Y'hear me? Proud! Seriously though. If you go by the forum buzz you'd think everyone does PvP but play the game you'll notice it's mostly PvM. Will To Fight: empty. Hope Bar: empty. Any time I do that Killing The Competition daily it's just me on my own in 0% gas waiting for another Rogue Notum Miner to spawn. When I'm trying to camp a certain drop in TOTW or Foremans however it's more manic than the January Sales.

[Ilaliya]

I was re-reading Lindelu's comments in the March monthly update about the new starter area and I don't see any mention of when we can expect this on live servers. I was sure it was planned for the next update with the new market system, but now I can't find where I saw that mentioned.

Anyone know where she mentioned ETA for new start-up area?

Thanks,

Kinnik

We haven't announced a date yet. But, it's the next big thing after the update containing the new market system.

[drainbamage]

Is there even a vague estimate on when we will see the meat of the rebalance/systems update/whatever

[Lheann]

Is there even a vague estimate on when we will see the meat of the rebalance/systems update/whatever

Sometime between now and the day after it is released.

[Krattonomic]

wheres aprils news letter? and interesting things in this one

[Spartanx9]

wheres aprils news letter? and interesting things in this one

at the end of the month

[MassDebater]

As astounding as it might be, there are quite a few people who play that do not participate in pvm. Fc has gone to great lengths, some even say extreme lengths to make the pvm fanatics happy at the expense of the rest of the game. It has not just been instanced pande, instanced apfs, collector, daily missions, it has also been responding to the constant whinning of the pvm croud to try to force the unwilling into pvm. Reducing respawn times, nerfing mob damage, limiting the level range you can enter dungeon, decreasing item drop rate to force people into instances, virtually every patch since sl has taken significant steps to increase the pvm aspects and "encourage," no force, people into pvm. Since this pattern was initiated, the population in the game has dropped, the harder they force, the faster the drop. Most of these changes have quite negatively impacted the rest of the game. Perhaps the trend could be reduced by adding more content to the game and expanding the play experience rather than continuing to make changes to satisy a small, but exceeding vocal, group of players who constantly whine about not enough pvm.

I would think that in a game as potentially complex as this has plenty of room for all types of players.

I agree.

[MassDebater]

I'm PvP and proud of it! Y'hear me? Proud! Seriously though. If you go by the forum buzz you'd think everyone does PvM but play the game you'll notice it's mostly PvP. Subway: empty. Pen Mishes: empty. Any time I do that Biomare elite daily it's just me on my own waiting for another security guard to spawn. When I'm trying to kill a certain person in Bor or OA however it's more manic than the January Sales.

Yeah agreed

[Arlancor]

I would strongly suggest to not have a 2 week expiy date for the mails.. I dont want to stress to get my money.

[Amickson]

Yeah agreed

Quoting someone's post, then edit the quote without any sign of editing (even common "edited for you", etc.), is extreme bad forum behavior. Such posts really need attention of forum moderator.

[Gridpain]

As astounding as it might be, there are quite a few people who play that do not participate in pvp. Fc has gone to great lengths, some even say extreme lengths to make the pvp fanatics happy at the expense of the rest of the game. It has not just been notum wars, battle stations, more tower fields, changeing zones to more 5% and 25% areas, it has also been responding to the constant whinning of the pvp croud to try to force the unwilling into pvp. Reducing flags times, capping damage, liiming self cast levels for nanos (but not to have the same nano cast on you or course), reductions of vp for LE missions to force people into battle stations, virtually every patch since sl has taken significant steps to increase the pvp aspects and "encourage," no force, people into pvp. Since this pattern was initiated, the population in the game has dropped, the harder they force, the faster the drop. Most of these changes have quite negatively impacted the rest of the game. Perhaps the trend could be reduced by adding more content to the game and expanding the play experience rather than continuing to make changes to satisy a small, but exceeding vocal, group of players who constantly whine about not enough pvp.

I would think that in a game as potentially complex as this has plenty of room for all types of players.

How does "PvP damage formula" affect PvM ?

And what is this story of LE mish VP nerfed ?? They were actually bumped quite a lot, and aliens there nerfed a lot several month ago so that "PvMers" could get VP from a PvM activity...

But guess what ? "PvMers" dont do LE mish ... "they" dont even know the VP was bumped, or that mobs that used to be very hard there are now cute puppies... because "they" prefer go in BS and get VP by hidding and sending hate tells and whining on forum. Because ... it's EASIER !