blundertwink

There is something very, very wrong with the dev pace at NQ.

We shall see...

someone shat in his cornflakes this morning.

TLDR at the bottom.

YOU may think that pvp is the GOLDEN ticket but there are far more things that they could do (and IMO, should do)  first before introducing PVP considering this engine is really not up to the task.

removal of ALL BOTS:  ore purchasers and schematics.
Replace schematics with org research. research the schematics and horde or sell them.
PROPER Tech tree with proper tiers that need to be studied AND USED to unlock. (Cyberpunk's xp system is great).
Automated defensive structures, domes, forcefields, fortifications ala every single shooting since the 80.
Energy generation and consumption and recycling, reclaiming.
WATER as a resource needed for industry
importing water to arid planets like Madis/moons.
OIL wells for energy and plastics production.
realistic resource distribution and extraction rates,
Proper resources and farming
Farming wood and other biological materials from trees and animals, not coal.
Or grow them in reactors/vats.
Tier Zero materials for land buildings like concrete, masonry etc.
Proper terrain forming tools with undo like in core building.
Requiring energy/time cool downs for local res nodes to function forcing players who repeatedly die back to earlier res nodes, further away.
 
 
NOW we have valuable resources that need to be gathered and pooled, we have real reason for conflict and PVP.
Once this is in place, remove the safe zones and allow air / air-ground PVP.

Before any of this is in place, PVP is just grandstanding/ganking/willie waving and roleplaying. It has zero strategic value as currently implemented.


TL;DR: PVP isn't the golden ticket, it is the icing on the cake, IMO

Sounds like you're the one being the snowflake, screaming about how things aren't going your way so everyone else needs to leave.
 
you want to bash cancel culture....then demand everyone goes away because you don't like what they're saying. Sounds like you want to cancel everyone you don't agree with to me. 
 
how about providing some real evidence about why you think DU is on track?
 
you know...making an actual argument instead of screaming at a bunch of internet strangers, demanding they respect your tantrum and leave...? 

Feature-complete doesn't mean "no more features left to add", it means "are all the features are present for a complete product". 
 
DU hasn't made progress on that front, and NQ as a developer has never made a game before, so we only have their track record over the past 6 years to judge. 
 
Six years is a long time to not get to a point of feature completion, even with DU's ambitious slate of features. I would fully understand if NQ needed a whole year (or two!) to optimize and fix bugs...but they need to that on top of finishing huge, complex features for the game to be complete. 
 
IMO, the general pessimism here has nothing to do with a lack of patience...but the belief that even if NQ had another 6 years, they wouldn't be able to finish the game as it was presented in their adverts. 

Sounds like you're the one being the snowflake, screaming about how things aren't going your way so everyone else needs to leave.
 
you want to bash cancel culture....then demand everyone goes away because you don't like what they're saying. Sounds like you want to cancel everyone you don't agree with to me. 
 
how about providing some real evidence about why you think DU is on track?
 
you know...making an actual argument instead of screaming at a bunch of internet strangers, demanding they respect your tantrum and leave...? 

Automated? In what way is the forum automated? 
 
Also...if she is leaving the company, she is likely finishing out the week, so could still have forum access. 
0.23 was bizarre move motivated more by JC's arrogance and pride than a real game design or business rationale -- don't get me wrong, industry was getting a little crazy, but people were having fun.
 
Instantly flipping the off switch on all those factories is a textbook "bad idea" in game development.
 
Beyond the specifics of 0.23, I think it was symptomatic of NQ's lack of experience and their arrogant leadership that couldn't be bothered to understand the game from a player's perspective. The only perspective that ever mattered was JC and his weird "ready player one" roleplaying. 
 
So I don't think NQ has "given up" on the community -- I think they never really cared to begin with. DU was always an expression of vanity and pride for its founder -- who was always going to do his own thing no matter how many voices in the community (or in his own damn company!) told him otherwise.
 
That won't ever change, 0.23 just made it more obvious. 
 
If you think DU's issues are obvious to us, they're even more obvious to the devs doing the work and vast majority of NQ's staff...hence the high turnover, low morale, and glacial pace of dev. 

Gutted, you did a brilliant job, including the many times you warned me.  Hope you are going on to great things.

So....whining about whining is fine, but don't whine about the game because that's boring...?
 
why would i post something in game...? so it'll get seen by even less people...?
 
this idea that NQ somehow hasn't been given a fair chance is not founded in reality -- they squandered the last six years of dev and refused to empower a real game designer, instead listening to the dude that has never even worked in game dev, never mind leading the design for a complex MMO. 
 
don't like the complaining? think it's boring? "hey, if you're not having fun, complaining about stuff is not very useful, so...." 
 
personally, I find the newspapers boring...i mean you did a whole issue about comparing dick sizes...but i just shrug and don't read those threads. Not really a problem, is it? 

Automated? In what way is the forum automated? 
 
Also...if she is leaving the company, she is likely finishing out the week, so could still have forum access. 
0.23 was bizarre move motivated more by JC's arrogance and pride than a real game design or business rationale -- don't get me wrong, industry was getting a little crazy, but people were having fun.
 
Instantly flipping the off switch on all those factories is a textbook "bad idea" in game development.
 
Beyond the specifics of 0.23, I think it was symptomatic of NQ's lack of experience and their arrogant leadership that couldn't be bothered to understand the game from a player's perspective. The only perspective that ever mattered was JC and his weird "ready player one" roleplaying. 
 
So I don't think NQ has "given up" on the community -- I think they never really cared to begin with. DU was always an expression of vanity and pride for its founder -- who was always going to do his own thing no matter how many voices in the community (or in his own damn company!) told him otherwise.
 
That won't ever change, 0.23 just made it more obvious. 
 
If you think DU's issues are obvious to us, they're even more obvious to the devs doing the work and vast majority of NQ's staff...hence the high turnover, low morale, and glacial pace of dev. 

Automated? In what way is the forum automated? 
 
Also...if she is leaving the company, she is likely finishing out the week, so could still have forum access. 
0.23 was bizarre move motivated more by JC's arrogance and pride than a real game design or business rationale -- don't get me wrong, industry was getting a little crazy, but people were having fun.
 
Instantly flipping the off switch on all those factories is a textbook "bad idea" in game development.
 
Beyond the specifics of 0.23, I think it was symptomatic of NQ's lack of experience and their arrogant leadership that couldn't be bothered to understand the game from a player's perspective. The only perspective that ever mattered was JC and his weird "ready player one" roleplaying. 
 
So I don't think NQ has "given up" on the community -- I think they never really cared to begin with. DU was always an expression of vanity and pride for its founder -- who was always going to do his own thing no matter how many voices in the community (or in his own damn company!) told him otherwise.
 
That won't ever change, 0.23 just made it more obvious. 
 
If you think DU's issues are obvious to us, they're even more obvious to the devs doing the work and vast majority of NQ's staff...hence the high turnover, low morale, and glacial pace of dev. 

Automated? In what way is the forum automated? 
 
Also...if she is leaving the company, she is likely finishing out the week, so could still have forum access. 
0.23 was bizarre move motivated more by JC's arrogance and pride than a real game design or business rationale -- don't get me wrong, industry was getting a little crazy, but people were having fun.
 
Instantly flipping the off switch on all those factories is a textbook "bad idea" in game development.
 
Beyond the specifics of 0.23, I think it was symptomatic of NQ's lack of experience and their arrogant leadership that couldn't be bothered to understand the game from a player's perspective. The only perspective that ever mattered was JC and his weird "ready player one" roleplaying. 
 
So I don't think NQ has "given up" on the community -- I think they never really cared to begin with. DU was always an expression of vanity and pride for its founder -- who was always going to do his own thing no matter how many voices in the community (or in his own damn company!) told him otherwise.
 
That won't ever change, 0.23 just made it more obvious. 
 
If you think DU's issues are obvious to us, they're even more obvious to the devs doing the work and vast majority of NQ's staff...hence the high turnover, low morale, and glacial pace of dev. 

Naunet was the epitome of self control and diplomacy when dealing with a nest of vipers such as we are. Full respect deserved form the community and I hope that future employers know how lucky they are.

i don't blame anyone for giving up at this stage -- i think a lot of people working at NQ are waiting for the layoffs rather than quitting.
 
it's pretty obvious even from the outside that the tech is a complete mess and even the game's design is barely half-baked. 
 
I mean....they had one high-profile hire, Hrafnkell Oskarsson (Eve's original designer). He left or was let go after about 8 months. In his last 20 years of professional life, he's always spent at least 2 years at any company...NQ is the only exception. 
 
not exactly a great sign when your best talent no longer believes in the project or can't get along with its leadership. 

i don't blame anyone for giving up at this stage -- i think a lot of people working at NQ are waiting for the layoffs rather than quitting.
 
it's pretty obvious even from the outside that the tech is a complete mess and even the game's design is barely half-baked. 
 
I mean....they had one high-profile hire, Hrafnkell Oskarsson (Eve's original designer). He left or was let go after about 8 months. In his last 20 years of professional life, he's always spent at least 2 years at any company...NQ is the only exception. 
 
not exactly a great sign when your best talent no longer believes in the project or can't get along with its leadership. 

I've had just about enough with DU, Naunet leaving is just another cannonball to NQ's face.

And so, Statues of Naunet will be erected all over the Arkship circle.
I'm reaching out to everyone with a tile touching the big purple arkship circle, or very close to it. Want access to a few key permissions on your tile:

Deploy Core unit on construct
Deploy dynamic core unit on territory
Deploy Item
Deploy Overlap building zone
Deploy static core unit on territory 

Set the perms for SpiceRub, and send me coords to the Territory in question.
 
Statue in question, 2 L cores tall.




Looking to put as many down as I can, will work to create a sparse circle around the Arkship and then continue to fill in the gaps.

Before you ask, no I will not be giving out free copies of the statue.

Will probably be able to finish this before the servers go down. ta x
 

i don't blame anyone for giving up at this stage -- i think a lot of people working at NQ are waiting for the layoffs rather than quitting.
 
it's pretty obvious even from the outside that the tech is a complete mess and even the game's design is barely half-baked. 
 
I mean....they had one high-profile hire, Hrafnkell Oskarsson (Eve's original designer). He left or was let go after about 8 months. In his last 20 years of professional life, he's always spent at least 2 years at any company...NQ is the only exception. 
 
not exactly a great sign when your best talent no longer believes in the project or can't get along with its leadership. 

I'm very sensitive, and yes....my feelings were hurt! APOLOGY NEEDED!!! (written, official apology, not just some 'I'm sorry'...I am the president after all!)
 

Not interested in self-styled leaders stroking their... egos.
 
when I make ships, they all have all the mod cons like kitchens, toilets, bedrooms etc. 
 
ive made hotels, offices, restaurants and other completely unnecessary things that make the place feel more real. 
 
that’s the extent of my roleplaying. Certainly wouldn’t root for anyone who just comes along and declares themselves a leader.  

looks like it has some real features we need: 
https://untappd.com/b/fair-state-brewing-cooperative-double-universe/3444040

okay let's not pretend having NPCs or AI in a game is some sort of mind-bender. 
 
it's a standard pillar of game dev...AI is present in virtually every game developed, MMO or otherwise. 
 
i think there's misunderstanding about what "run in client" actually means in the context of AI.
 
physics happen in clients, that's normal -- servers just do sanity checks and syncs. that doesn't mean each NPC needs its own clients -- because those NPCs only need to care about real physics when they are being perceived by players...at which point they exist in each player's client. 
 
this is already how it works when you perceive other players -- those meshes that exist in your client are independent of the meshes that exist in every other client -- synced with the server, but still separate universes technically. And yes DU handles them as meshes, not voxels. 
 
your game is handling those meshes as if they were local just to your client. 
 
that's why there's things like rubber-banding or "skipping" -- because slight variations exist and your client realizes that a given object is "actually" somewhere else. Even basic movement is usually done through LERPs -- interpolated movement that exists in each client that loads an object, not just your machine -- so when I say "go forward" it has an illusion of smooth movement. 
 
the game already has to validate physics on the server -- otherwise there's nothing to stop a rogue client from throwing the server nonsense data and skipping across the universe. 
 
the game already has solved this issues in the context of multiplayer -- each player that you see on your machine is not just "using data from another client", it's using data from a server and running on your client the same as an AI would. It actually just has one more "hop" -- instead of the server feeding each client sync data to update their local data, it comes directly from the server. 
 
Multiplayer programming can be complicated.
 
i probably made about zero sense here, but despite not knowing every facet of DU's dev, I feel headless clients would be far more complex than traditional AI. 
 
they did stress tests on headless clients is because in the context of stress tests it wouldn't make any sense otherwise 

look at it from a different angle: how will DU fill the (many) gaps in design left by a lack of NPCs? 

current answer: "no clue" 
 
"players do everything" is currently a vague aspiration, not a design -- it's an attractive, novel pitch...but one with no real plan behind it. 
 
IMO to fit with the civilization sandbox theme, AI would make the most sense as belonging to orgs. 
 
There's pirate NPCs, hauler NPCs, etc. 
 
Blowing up an AI wouldn't necessarily be mindless grinds -- you'd piss off the owners. Even PVE players would have to pick enemies. It wouldn't diminish groups like Boo, it would turn them into sprawling space 'rats feared like the plague. 
 
Builders would have a large role building AI constructs and NPCs would have a central role in civilization building. Industry would be needed to replace and repair destroyed constructs. Some areas might start to feel more secure thanks to patrols, without safe zone madness. 
 
considering JC has a PhD in AI, i don't understand why NPCs were never part of the design.
 
NPCs could be such an incredible asset for the concept of civilization building...but instead we have this vague plan for "players must do everything" -- which has no actual game design rationale or plan behind it. It's different for the sake of different but has become more of a liability than an asset in terms of design. 

Only fix I've found was to play Valheim. Lol... but no seriously... it still won't launch. I've given up.

My sources say that NQ doesn't have any plans for the near future or the far future.
 
They only have plans with a medium future, which to them means 2-3 months. 
wtf blaze you're such an optimist today. everything okay? 

And they say I am always negative around here.. I mean c'mon.. seriously..