Real Content or Eye Candy?

[thoreau]

Words from Marco Behrmann,
Director of Community Relations
2005-11-29

Hello all! 2005 has been a great year for Project Entropia and MindArk PE AB. 2006 looks even better! There are so many exciting things we have in stock for next year:

The team expands. The expansion from 2005 continues, with experienced new staff members coming, in every area of the company from programming, marketing, support and graphics. I really look forward to the massive increase to the graphics department, which will be almost tripled in size.

I wonder what the focus will be?

I have just learned that in my other game socities have shared storage. Based on your ranking you have access to different banks in that storage. So, a new society member has access only to 1 bank of storage - a long time member has access to 4 banks of storage.

In my other game running speed has just been increased. Will this issue be revisited? Wasn’t we told that slowing the running speed will reduce lag? Has lag been reduced? How can one game increase running speed without affected lag while another one can’t?

Will crafting be reworked? Can we have something that is more than drag-drop-and click? Why is hunting so involved while crafting has no intellectual component to it? Why is it possible for crafters to play the game and skill craft and not pay for decay? No hunter can exist without decay. No miner can exist without decay. Why can a crafter?

With the additional staff can the withdraw process be streamlined? I don’t want to hear this ‘secure’ stuff. Many other online games and casinos make it possible to have your money in 3-5 days. Why should PE be different?

Can the new codewriters add code that will tell the hunter when there is a ‘missed shot.’ This will help to know if lag is affecting hunting in a given area.

How about a few very simple quests from those NPC’s that are standing around doing nothing? Maybe the NPC at Billy’s can say, ‘I wish I had the time to explore but alas I must watch the ring. If you visit all the teleporters in this world and return to me and share your experiences I will reward you with one level in agility.’ This type of very simple quest can really add to the experience of the new player.

Day/Night/Weather?

Knock me off my feet with something. Add some content to PE that no one has thought of before. Add a karma system - where every time you kill a player you get negative karma. Every time you heal someone you get positive karma. Make karma affect the type of item looted. Make it so the avatar ages. Earthquakes. Global Disasters. Do something that no one has done before.

Now I am no stranger to neg rep but I don’t care about social control. Some will say that I’m whining but what is more true is that I’m simply not a fan boy. These are real issues that needs to be addressed. Will MA focus on advertising, marketing, and graphics or will they look at the actually game-play issues and address those?

You vote with your PEDs.

[NDaleramai]

+Rep!

I like some of the ideas, like the weather and day / night.

Some of the other ideas might take a bit of refining, such as the karma system affecting what you can loot, but hey, it always takes an idea as a starting point.

Still, good points, and hopefully MA will address them. I for one would like to see some fixes and additions to the game itself, a little advertising (to maybe help with loot?), but also some modifications to the graphics engine.

[Euhura]

I like some of your ideas. Not all of them, but overall, good thoughts. +rep:tiphat:

[Hally]

Great ideas just one problem MA are really proud of themselves and dont listen much

[Jane_QPO_Doe]

Like the ideas!! +rep

ps found this;

cerrani: When will there be days and nights, and what changes will depend on this ? For example, will you see some mobs only at night ?
Marco: Hopefully before the end of the year. The current cycle will influence mobs and other areas.

Date: March 18, 2003

source: http://www.stratics.com/content/portals/entropia/content/community/hocs/hoc031803b.php

[McCormick]

Yup that was 2003 haha :laugh:

@Hally :dunce:

[Euhura]

[QUOTE=Jane QPO Doe]
Like the ideas!! +rep
http://www.stratics.com/content/portals/entropia/content/community/hocs/hoc031803b.php
[/QUOTE]
This was also there.[b]

cerrani[/b]: What are your plans for quest implementation?
Marco: They are on the ToDo-list. We aim for two areas - participant based tools for designing quests as well as the old “random mission” generators.
+rep for finding this!!:thumbup:

[Jane_QPO_Doe]

Yes you can read some intresting things, promises from MA :laugh:

[McCormick]

…and we all know things can take just a couple of hours…or decades… :laugh:

[Morg]

quite good ideas

though from my experiences it seems that making things look better have a higher priority than making things work correctly.

…Making the Robots look pretty and NOT fixing the bug allowing them to shoot thru walls and hills and other SOLID objects is kinda like putting icing on crap and calling it a cake. This and other REVENUE generating “bugs” just dont seem to have much priority when it comes time to add code.

[Euhura]

MMMMMMMMMM Crap cake!!!:drool:

[Peanuts]

[QUOTE=thoreau]
I wonder what the focus will be?

I have just learned that in my other game socities have shared storage. Based on your ranking you have access to different banks in that storage. So, a new society member has access only to 1 bank of storage - a long time member has access to 4 banks of storage.
[/quote]

I like this idea. Another idea could be different banks in storage based on rank level in your society. Usually the higher in rank someone is in their soc, the more trusted they are.

@thoreau

In my other game running speed has just been increased. Will this issue be revisited? Wasn’t we told that slowing the running speed will reduce lag? Has lag been reduced? How can one game increase running speed without affected lag while another one can’t?

Running speeds have been cut back to what they use to be. It really sucks that I can’t outrun a Maffoid or Feffoid even.

@thoreau

Will crafting be reworked? Can we have something that is more than drag-drop-and click? Why is hunting so involved while crafting has no intellectual component to it? Why is it possible for crafters to play the game and skill craft and not pay for decay? No hunter can exist without decay. No miner can exist without decay. Why can a crafter?

Good point. I never thought of that, but it makes sense.

@thoreau

With the additional staff can the withdraw process be streamlined? I don’t want to hear this ‘secure’ stuff. Many other online games and casinos make it possible to have your money in 3-5 days. Why should PE be different?

I dont want to sound negative, but I think MA does it on purpose with the long waiting period. It is of my opinion that MA does this to discourage people from withdrawing. I think they wait until the person gives up waiting and tells MA to not bother sending their money back.

@thoreau

Can the new codewriters add code that will tell the hunter when there is a ‘missed shot.’ This will help to know if lag is affecting hunting in a given area.

How about a few very simple quests from those NPC’s that are standing around doing nothing? Maybe the NPC at Billy’s can say, ‘I wish I had the time to explore but alas I must watch the ring. If you visit all the teleporters in this world and return to me and share your experiences I will reward you with one level in agility.’ This type of very simple quest can really add to the experience of the new player.

A simple quest like this would be a cool idea. It would also give the newcomer something else to do besides sweating, and would encourage them to seek out all the TP’s in Calypso.

@thoreau

Day/Night/Weather?

Knock me off my feet with something. Add some content to PE that no one has thought of before. Add a karma system - where every time you kill a player you get negative karma. Every time you heal someone you get positive karma. Make karma affect the type of item looted. Make it so the avatar ages. Earthquakes. Global Disasters. Do something that no one has done before.

Again, I don’t want to sound negative, but it is of my opinion that the only time MA will add something new is if they can make money from it. MA is a business and we are their customers, and their goal is to make their customers spend their money.

@thoreau

Now I am no stranger to neg rep but I don’t care about social control. Some will say that I’m whining but what is more true is that I’m simply not a fan boy. These are real issues that needs to be addressed. Will MA focus on advertising, marketing, and graphics or will they look at the actually game-play issues and address those?

You vote with your PEDs.

+rep for an awesome post.

[Dash_Smashing]

just cause you all started posting things from the 2003 hoc.. some more excerpts.

@HoC

Stirling|SMC: When can we expect to see other ‘continents’?
Marco: Once Eudoria feels too crowded

Sibuk|Lagnooblar: How much are vehicles or a plot of land expected to cost?
Marco: I have no clue yet. It depns on make and functions.

Twigmeier: Will avatars be able to sit and lie down, crouch, etc.?
Marco: Yes. Sitting down will be a requirement for logging off later on, for instance.

Jindujun: We voted on the matter of spacetravel a while ago, will there be spacetravel in the future?
Marco: Oh yes. And space combat. And asteroid mining operations. And space stations. And…

TheKingpin|GAS: Right now, there’s only about 2 species that can give a older player troubles. When will tougher monsters be implemented? Perhaps some that take a group of people to take down.
Marco: Overall, a lot of focus will go into the advancement of veterans. More and more creatures, as well as blueprints and crafting for better and better items.

TheKingpin|GAS: Will crafters be able to stamp their names on their creations?
Marco: Yes. It will also have a direct numerical feedback to the maker (ie. If an avatar uses maker A’s item, maker A will see a benefit of this (may it be skills or fame)).

pretty much all of those have been addressed. =)

I only left the last one in because it would be neat. Buzz would have a full ‘rep’/fame bar..

[MindBuster]

Keep in mind that a dev team consist of several teams, some are programmers, they make the content and bugfixes, then there are the graphics team, making all the eye candy.

Making more eye candy in PE doesnt stop the development of content/bug fixes, they are two different teams.

MindArk hiring some skilled graphics artists, 3D modellers just makes the game look better, the artists prolly dunno much about programming.

Atleast that’s how it is in most software houses (game devs).

[kalanen]

[QUOTE=MindBuster]
MindArk hiring some skilled graphics artists, 3D modellers just makes the game look better, the artists prolly dunno much about programming.
[/QUOTE]

There was a thread (some time ago) MA buying some bulk models from turbosquid.com and that IMO is right direction of doing things better. Agreed, that PE needs some non functional details to spice the enviroment up, but modelling every detail inhouse woud be waste of my few peds.

I say 1. bug fixes (usability included here), 2a. concept art (things ATM are too basic), 2b code optimization. 3. model optimization

[Ardorj]

You have some good ideas! I espessially like the day/night and weather idea. I have given this some thought myself:
When it becomes night different creatures should roam the lands. I see a foul like more like a nightcrawler then one that walks openly in the sun. Other creatures, like Atrox search for food day and nights and only sleep a couple of hours.
Then next thing that would be cool is to have the radar disabled. This gives a whole new dimension to hunting and mining. Not knowing what lurks in the trees and might attack you any second. This would also give is the need of nex items like flashlights, nightvisions or devices that pick of sounds from the creatures.
The problem is how long will this cycle be? The same as here on earth (MA time) isn’t a good idea, because then people would only see the light or dark. Maybe two/three days of daylight and then one day darkness.

About the weather idea: When we have different weather like rain, snow, wind and a hot burning sun we should protect us against the envirement. Something like a raincoat, umbrella, sunblocking lotion and who knows what more.
Also we would be hindered by the weather. You don’t just run at the same speed in a snowstorm then you do now. It would also be fun to see footprints in the mud or snow.
:umn: :wise: :umn: