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

**Means**

Even in my flame retardant teletubby costume I felt the heat from the conversations related to the release of the "first version" of the breed perks last week. I know you guys might find this surprising...but this is a "good" thing. The community is involved, passionate and commited to helping us get this right and I have every confidence that we will get these changes to where they need to go...there was NO chance that those documents were ever going to be implemented in their first-version state...good feedback from ALL our experts is needed. I'm glad I can count on you guys.

That being said a "key" piece of information has been missing with respect the breed perks. 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. Reducing the breed specific perks to irrelevancy would be removing fun from pretty much everyone in the game...nobody wants that. So, the ONLY fair option if we are going to make even SMALL adjustments to breed related actions is to allow everyone to make that important decision again should they so desire.

When these changes are eventually ironed out and they go live EVERYONE will have the opportunity to change breed once (and the sex of your character if you like) for free. This is the only fair way to handle this issue. It is also important to note that when this area is done it should be a very tough decision as we hope to make all breeds a viable choice...and removing abilities from breeds is not the route we intend to take on the way to evening the playfield.

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.

lazarus

First

im all good with breed be a not "trivial" buffing, but they need to be balanced anyway.

But this is so mindblowing good news (the breed change!) FINALLY I can get my gimp soli keeper into the light, the Atrox light! THANKS!

wobots

second then

*ehum*

Sex change ftw! Also, I was hoping to be the first on RK1 to...uhm..."use the new screenshot system".

mozaix

omg

3'rd >,<

**Obtena**

LAST

/thread

BTW ... breed change ... awesome. I had faith it could be done and it was a reasonable request of the community. Though I seem quite cynical of the FC dev staff at times, i'm tending towards thinking you guys are doing things with us in mind more and more often. My general outlook towards FC is more positive these days. Keep up the good work.

Unfortunately, I don't think Meaties is a good name for an Atrox enfo if I decide to make the switch. Namechange too please?

Frostsongr

Games are supposed to be fun and not a chore. Changes like this will create more fun instead of having to reroll. Looking forward to more "fun" instead of work.

Only funny thing I see is people rerolling with names that don't fit their new breed. Like Atroxnt.

Anyways... Cool stuff!

kenbutsu

The option for a one-time breed (and gender?) change is welcome news

Btw, will Macrosun also get a flame-retardant teletubby costume?

Omutb

Quote:

Originally Posted by Means

there was NO chance that those documents were ever going to be implemented in their first-version state

Always a mistake to assume that people understand this, even if you had spelt it out in 100ft burning letters they would still be frothing and ranting.

nakper

first page omg!

majere

10th!!!
First page!!!

On topic:
I like your message up there, Means.
And I like how much you guys actually listen to the forums.
The fact that we will be offered free breed change is something I defo will take advantage of.

Akchosen

thats all information for this FWM?

does DNW still exist?

Cratapapy

!! change breed !
Pretty fun, my character will become a transexual, yeahhh

Nanostratege

yay breed change

Fekal

Quote:

Originally Posted by Means

Fixers

We have been having discussions regardling the larger changes required to return fixers to what makes them special and hope to include the fixer community in these discussions in the very near future. We all want to see the fast moving hacker/slicer type class working the way it should and standing apart from the other choices....what makes fixers special seems to have been lost along the way...we need to find it again and bring it back.

So?

Eseb

Quote:

Originally Posted by Means

When these changes are eventually ironed out and they go live EVERYONE will have the opportunity to change breed once (and the sex of your character if you like) for free.

Could the breed and sex changes be separate, please? I might want to just change the secks of one toon which has no impact on gameplay and then decide to change breed later.

**shadowgod**

posted!

nakper

and what about a female atrox? whats wrong with that?

TheMekon

On the matter of stating that a breed change will be an option, I am fully in support of this, I am sure that there are some of us that will leap on the chance to adjust a few failed experiments.

For once, a good move I say

Hacre

Damn First Page for once.

Good news on the breed change. The Nanomage perks still need adjusting though otherwise every NT will probably reroll Nanomage overnight.

**Mekh**

WOW!
Nice FwM... Breed change ftw!

Looking forward to see what's ahead... With the exception of my growing fear that you are working on discontinuing what I call the neutral faction.