Monthly Development Update – Dec 3rd 2012

[Ravenneyez]

Q: Where is that moving grass we saw in one of the videos two years ago?

Bump! Exactly, where is the moving grass from 2 years ago?

[Gorathon]

Note to apologists: parroting that the grass is not present does not address the question of why it's missing.

[Ilaliya]

Note to apologists: parroting that the grass is not present does not address the question of why it's missing.

Grass is missing in those screenshots because the engine is in development, and the client I was using to take the screenshots didn't have it in. Why wasn't it in that build? Because there is a world of difference between getting something "to work in the engine" in the strict technical sense, and getting that thing generally added to a playable client that is a releasable product... so that it works everywhere and anywhere. Macrosun has been working his particular brand of coder-magic on it, but as I said it wasn't in the build I was using... mainly because I hadn't prioritized it until this week. There were more important things to do.

The question was: "Where is that moving grass we saw in one of the videos two years ago?". I wasn't here two years ago, so I can't really answer that. But if you are talking about the 10th anniversary video, I just re-watched that and grass wasn't working.

[Phixalicious]

Grass is missing in those screenshots because the engine is in development, and the client I was using to take the screenshots didn't have it in. Why wasn't it in that build? Because there is a world of difference between getting something "to work in the engine" in the strict technical sense, and getting that thing generally added to a playable client that is a releasable product... so that it works everywhere and anywhere. Macrosun has been working his particular brand of coder-magic on it, but as I said it wasn't in the build I was using... mainly because I hadn't prioritized it until this week. There were more important things to do.

The question was: "Where is that moving grass we saw in one of the videos two years ago?". I wasn't here two years ago, so I can't really answer that. But if you are talking about the 10th anniversary video, I just re-watched that and grass wasn't working.

It was three years ago, not the 10th Anniversary video. Grass was working, parting and waving as Means passed through it.

http://forums.anarchyonline.com/showthread.php?t=566406

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2WQB74W6_4

[Ilaliya]

It was three years ago, not the 10th Anniversary video. Grass was working, parting and waving as Means passed through it.

http://forums.anarchyonline.com/showthread.php?t=566406

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2WQB74W6_4

Yeah, that looks like Dreamworld grass. This is one of those things where it was technically working "in the engine" but not "in any sort of playable game client." It was a tech-test. My personal philosophy is not to release small clips of proof-of-concept features before they are fully implemented and working in game. So it's not like we're going backwards, but rather that I have a higher bar for what I'm willing to call "real." Take that as you will.

[Dagget]

As far as the sky goes, the animations (moving clouds etc) are fine, the two weak points are the false horizon, and the low res star backdrop. The backdrop you can probably replace with some freely available starfield clip, such as produced by Hubble. False horizon needs fixing asap after 1st engine iteration is out.

And when will any more of the new starter experience be available for digestion and denigration on testlive? The little bit that was there (the shuttle) was not an encouraging start. Personally, I have no problem with the current char creation process up to the point the shuttle lands somewhere - that is where more meaty training content has always been needed. The presented pics of the headless dancing profession models so far released looks like labor-intensive rework of the part of the process that is neither broken, nor in need of a rework.

.

[Neosh1]

It was three years ago, not the 10th Anniversary video. Grass was working, parting and waving as Means passed through it.

http://forums.anarchyonline.com/showthread.php?t=566406

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2WQB74W6_4

Thank you for saving me some time searching that.

[Ekarona]

High crass plus some liveforms on RK, hmm that interesting. Also what about bodies will grass go around them? Or trough them?

[Swifttech]

I hope they make the new character good tho cuz this actualy looks epic

[Notcrattey]

Can we get a screenshot in Uturn Canyon's forest?

[Gorathon]

Yeah, that looks like Dreamworld grass. This is one of those things where it was technically working "in the engine" but not "in any sort of playable game client." It was a tech-test. My personal philosophy is not to release small clips of proof-of-concept features before they are fully implemented and working in game. So it's not like we're going backwards, but rather that I have a higher bar for what I'm willing to call "real." Take that as you will.

A sufficient answer, indeed. Thanks!

[Neosh1]

Another Q: is you marketing team ready to tell the world about those big changes when they come? (engine/rebalance)

[MachSchau]

Well, after everything I will just be happy that people will be able to play AO on new machines. With steam+engine and a deep level of mechanics I think people just joining will be more inclined to stay.

[Bluecheeze]

Keep up the good work guys!

Really, the progress is incredible.

I'm only learning in college about what you're doing right now (5th year), pursuing a degree in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics and a focus in Graphics.

Gosh I wish I could see all the ins and outs. I have such a passion for this game.
You guys keep doing what you do Really, great work.

There was one issue that I didn't see covered though.
PvP Titles! Re-implementing the old system?
Also looting the people you killed, but I guess we'll let the PvMers have that one

That was one of my favorite components of this game in that the PvP was unlike any other game I had played.

Any chance the Rebalance / New Player Experience will include some change regarding titles?

[Byste]

Another Q: is you marketing team ready to tell the world about those big changes when they come? (engine/rebalance)

Marketing has been going on, as can be seen in this thread.

[Darkripper]

That's not worthy of being called marketing...
That was a sporadic "marketingish" publication

Adopt the same marketing strategies as TSW, that should be much more effective.

[Byste]

I was happy with it at the time, and I was happy when they made their preview video. I don't see why that would be the end of it - marketing hasn't forgotten how to do their job I think :P

[Ilaliya]

I was happy with it at the time, and I was happy when they made their preview video. I don't see why that would be the end of it - marketing hasn't forgotten how to do their job I think :P

The video was to improve visibility of the engine upgrade (and visibility that we're working on it) to the MMO community in general... and this includes all the AO players who aren't as active as they used to be, or simply aren't on the AO forums. For MMOs in general, players who read the forums are a small fraction of the playerbase, and players who actually post are an even smaller fraction of that. Players have different levels of involvement... speaking personally, the only MMO I've played where I was active on the official forums (and I've played a lot of MMOs) was Shadowbane. Most of the time, it's just about checking the forums for the patch notes while waiting for a patch to download. The reality is that's the common situation.

Most MMO players I talk to day-to-day outside of work have either played AO (and talk about it as their first love) or have heard of AO and say something like "Several of my friends talk about AO nostalgically, I really should check it out sometime." So there are a lot of players out there who aren't the "hardcore AO forum crowd" that are anticipating a playable client with the new engine. They've heard about it, they're waiting for it, but they don't care too much about the details.

Keeping that in mind, the screenshots and updates that I post (such as this thread) are really just for you guys. I spend a lot of my time communicating with what is in actuality a tiny fraction of the active playerbase because you guys care; and it's good that you care. And I think AO players who are active on the forums want to keep tabs on the progress in a much finer detail.

So, the next big marketing push for the engine will probably coincide with when we have an externally playable beta client where we are happy enough with it to get everyone to come check it out. There might be a press preview slightly beforehand, but we're talking about the same time-frame. And we will make in-game videos; heck, I'm sure you guys will make your own videos (either positive or negative) depending on how good it is. So we need to make sure it's good and we're very clear about the expectations; what's working and what isn't in yet.

[Tyfowler]

Most MMO players I talk to day-to-day outside of work have either played AO (and talk about it as their first love) or have heard of AO and say something like "Several of my friends talk about AO nostalgically, I really should check it out sometime." So there are a lot of players out there who aren't the "hardcore AO forum crowd" that are anticipating a playable client with the new engine. They've heard about it, they're waiting for it, but they don't care too much about the details.

AO...my first love...after playing this MMO, It is really hard for me to pick up another because everything is spoon fed to you in other MMOs. I tried TSW, AoC, Warcraft, and GW, GW2.

They are all the same. AO is challenging, makes you work for what you want.

[sundri]

It will sure be nice not to be using an engine based on dx7 anymore.. lol...after waiting 7 years of hearing early next year and seeing 2 games released that had amazing graphics ( tho these games failed )....I will believe when I see.. ( sorry ).
I believe AO is probably the best games FC ever made and maybe one of the best games made ever... it shines in the story and the skill trees... I am very very very happy that FC is doing this finally ( one hopes its true ).

Fingers crossed......