Kurock

Why solo in an MMO? Are they missing the point? Are they just doing it wrong?
 
This GDC 2011 talk discusses the notion, presenting 10 types of loners and how they could be addressed in an MMO.
 
 
How relevant are these 10 types of loner in Dual Universe?
 
1) New Kid In Town
A new player, fresh off the arkship. Full of hopes and dreams but have no connections and have no idea how to proceed.
Some believe getting organizations to recruit them as fast as possible is the answer but is that really the best way? Overly aggressive advertising puts some people off and others first want to get a handle on the game before they even think of joining an organization.
 
2) The Daria
To this type of player, other players are tragic. A joke. To this player, others are content to be watched with a side of popcorn.
There are already plenty of opportunities to watch others, for example, at events. Just show up. Bring your own popcorn.
 
3) The Sociopath
Sometimes called a griefer, this player type likes to watch everyone burn.  
The smart ones will stay within the rules (barely), while the not-so-smart ones will feel the ban hammer. Moving on.
 
4) Mr Lunch At His Desk
Those with little time, playing in the few breaks they have; like during lunch or after the kids are asleep.
Some activities will simply take too long for this type of player, but as long as there are viable and reliable workarounds (like taking a DUber) this type of play is possible.
 
5) The Introvert
Talking to people is scary and this type of player doesn't want to ask anyone else for anything.
The sandbox nature of DU means that unlike some other MMOs, players are not forced to do anything if they don't want to. Players don't need to do anything at all if they so choose.
 
6) The Adrift
Groups break up. Organizations will dissolve and some players will be kicked out of groups for various reasons. These are players that really don't mind the social interactions but find themselves without a group. Sometimes this sours the players outlook on the game as a whole and they leave game.
Alliances between similar organizations will help a player find a place they are comfortable in the unfortunate event of a liquidation. 
 
7) The Unworthy
These are the players that don't know whether they are "good enough".
DU: This is more of a problem in a hard leveling system. In DU, every hand is valuable.
 
8) The Vacationer
The players of this type want to take a break, be it from organization responsibilities or to do something different.
Three characters per Dual Universe account may provide a player with a level of anonymity if they so choose. Or they can take their main character to relax in a specially built resort on that tropical island planet.
 
9) The Commitment Phobic
The commitment phobic have been burned by organization drama or by joining an incompatible organization. Or this type of player believes others are idiots.
Joining an organization is a commitment, some bigger than others. Joining a voice chat shows a level of commitment, which is why (among other reasons) many organizations require a voice chat interview.
 
10) The Garbo
No, he is not calling this type of player garbage. These types of players, like Greta Garbo, just want to be left alone.
 
 
In Dual Universe, everything is player run. If an item can be bought at a market it's because players collected the required ores, built it and put it up for sale. Besides going full hermit, a solo player will still need to interact with other players, even if it is indirectly.
 
Can a player play Dual Universe solo? Yes.
Will that solo player be able to control a vast empire that includes huge fleets and multiple planets? No.
 
Do you agree? Disagree?  Or is this talk old and no longer applicable if it ever was? Like, comment and subscribe.
What? This isn't the YouTubes? Just DU it anyway.

Hi everyone!
 
With the Alpha 3 deployment around the corner and the RDMS implementation, we had to make significant changes in the background by connecting organizations data available on the Community Portal to the organizations data that will be available in-game. As it is a "Work in Progress", the Community Portal will switch in "Read Only" mode for the time being, to limit the probability of technical issues.
 
During this transitional period, All management actions for the organizations will be done in-game.
You will also note that the number of legates per organizations isn't displayed anymore.
We are aware the situation isn't ideal, but it's a temporary and necessary step.
 
Update: Wednesday, January 22th, 16:15 UTC
 
What's the current situation?
To be clear:
- Posting/Editing News have been deactivated on the Community Portal.
- It will still be possible to post/edit News on the Community Portal through the in-game User Interface (assuming you have the proper rights to do such thing).
- Posting/Editing News will remain in a minimal state for the time being (only simple text. HTML code for formating options and image insertion will came back later).
- Posting/Editing News directly through the Community Portal should come back at a later stage.
- The "Join Organization / Accept application" feature remains active.
- The applications pending before the maintenance today should still be there after.
- Features such promoting or demoting a member will now exclusively in-game (as the process may now involve other game mechanics).
- Displaying the number of legates on the Organization Ranking page has been deactivated (as an intermediary step of the coming changes in the future).
 
What's coming in the future?
(please keep in mind that the features described below are work in progress and might change before their release)
 
Organization Ranking by the number of Active Members.
As the Community Portal will evolve, we plan to display the number "Active Members" and the number "Honorary Members" for each organization in the future.
The Organization Ranking will be done by the number of Active Members in decreasing order.
 
What will be "Active Members" and "Honorary Members"?
"Honorary Members" accounts will be accounts that have joined an organization on the Community Portal but haven't access to the game.
"Active Members" accounts will be accounts that have joined an organization on the Community Portal and have access to the game.
Accounts joining an organization directly in-game will be automatically validated as "Active Members" in an organization.
Only "Active Members" will be eligible to legate status, as most organization management actions will be only possible in-game.
 
Why planning this?
This is planned for two reasons:
1) To give a better visibility for newcomers regarding the activity potential of each organization (which can impact the decision of joining one organization or another).
2) To discourage unfair practices such as creating ghost accounts and making them join an org to inflate artificially its size (and get undeserved visibility).
 
Best Regards,
The Novaquark Team.
 

Manually datamined from the community page. Pledge status, join date and similar information can be viewed there. But of course you can't see past activities, especially players joining and leaving organizations, so the second infographic only shows players that joined and stayed.

Since nobody asked, here's some impregnated data!
 

Since nobody asked, here's some important data!
 

Don't forget to remember to read this ~4000 word short story about The Forgotten.
 
The Forgotten.pdf
The Forgotten.docx

This contest submission is a continuation from my previous Novawrimo entry: That Bright Dawn. 'Feels Like Pain' is much shorter and I hope to do more stories like this in the future. 
I can only hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. 
 
Kind regards, 
Vyz.
 
FeelsLikePain.pdf

You already are part of the community.  Welcome.
 
There is a bit of frustration stemming from the NDA. It does enhance the perception that those with packs are *in* and those without aren’t.
This is cemented with the fact that only backers can create organizations. (This used to be open to all, but was abused so it was changed to what we have today.)
 
So what can be done?
Discord and Forums (the non-NDA parts) are open for anyone. Throw down your thoughts and have a chat (like you DU)
To create an organization without owning a pack you would have to either team up with someone with a pack or create your  organizations discord server or both.
 
The NDA is being lifted later this year and with Beta access to the game will be much simpler/easier with all the beta keys floating around.
 
Hope this helps.

Don't forget to remember to read this ~4000 word short story about The Forgotten.
 
The Forgotten.pdf
The Forgotten.docx

Don't forget to remember to read this ~4000 word short story about The Forgotten.
 
The Forgotten.pdf
The Forgotten.docx

Don't forget to remember to read this ~4000 word short story about The Forgotten.
 
The Forgotten.pdf
The Forgotten.docx

Don't forget to remember to read this ~4000 word short story about The Forgotten.
 
The Forgotten.pdf
The Forgotten.docx

Hi everyone!

The NovaWriMo Contest is back!

What is NovaWriMo?
 
For those who don't know what this is about, here's a quick explanation: NovaWriMo is a writing contest inspired by "National Novel Writing Month" (NaNoWriMo), which usually starts in November and lasts for roughly one month. NovaWriMo is a very similar contest, but with a twist; the writing contest is related to Dual Universe, and it's not strictly tied to the month of November.
 
2019 Theme:

Pre-Alpha, Alpha, and Beta phases of Dual Universe are also part of the game lore! 
How’s that possible? Simple; it represents virtual simulations run by Aphelia while all the colonists are still deep in their cryogenic sleep during their interstellar travel. Quite similar to the virtual simulation in the film ‘The Matrix’, except that the colonists are aware of it, understand that it’s a temporary situation, and that they will walk out of it at some point (the official release). They don’t have steel pikes plugged into their brains either! 

Special Rules for this theme:
The contender can write anything about what his character (or his organization) is doing during the Alpha phase, or what he will do once upcoming features are officially announced on the roadmap will be implemented in game. In that second case, we would advise to wait until the updated roadmap is released (which should happen very soon). That's the reason why we made the Contest duration slightly longer this time, so you don't have to worry about rushing your story. 
  The contender can write about conflicts, however, it should only involve fictional opponents/organizations, not real players or organizations run by real players (to avoid any disagreement between the players mentioned about how the narrative direction is going)
  It should be clear with the rules mentioned above but in order to confirm it clearly: No alien creatures should be involved in the story.  
Lore sources for reference:

The Official Dual Universe Lore Bible
The short story written by Alain Damasio
The mods of the novel by Alain Damasio mentioned in the beginning of this post, some info here and here too
The Backstory Page of the official website  
Some more recent information.
(If you spot an inconsistency between the different sources, the Official Lore Bible should be considered authoritative).
 
Writing Rules:
The text should have a word count between 3,000 and 5,000 words. The contest starts today, Friday November 29th, 23:00 UTC. It will end on Monday January 13th, 23:00 UTC. The story should be on the chosen theme (see above). You must submit your text in the form of a PDF file and you must attach it to a dedicated topic (with the tag [NovaWrimo2019] in the title) you created in the "Novaquark Archives" forum section. The PDF file must not exceed 500 kb in size. You must also send your file in Word or .txt format to both NQ-Nomad and NQ-Nyzaltar to be eligible. You can do so by private message on the forum. By submitting a fanfiction with the tag [NovaWrimo2019] in the topic title, the poster will explicitly cede author rights to Novaquark. While these texts won't be sold in any form, they may be used (fully or partially) as promotional materials or in marketing campaigns for Dual Universe. For more information, please read our "Terms of Use" and our EULA. You also must accept and respect the legal conditions bound to your Dual Universe account (the aforementioned game's EULA, but also the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and NDA if relevant). Your submission must be written in English. Physical violence should be limited (No gore or similar things).  Verbal violence and cursing is tolerated but should be limited and not gratuitous. Explicit sexual content isn't allowed. Hate speech toward specific people, ethnic groups, or religions isn't allowed. A non-native English writer can seek help from a native English speaker to polish the text in English. The native English speaker must be aware that it can help only on a volunteer basis: he won't be eligible for any reward. If a non-native English writer seeks help from a native English speaker, he/she must submit the complete text before proofreading. Once his/her text is proofread, he/she will have to keep both pre-proofread and post-proofread versions of the text available on the forum. If several people collaborate on a story, please be aware that only the individual submitting the entry on the forum will be eligible to win any prizes or awards. We will not have group prizes available.  Because the juries are completely different, a participant may win a Novaquark prize and the Community prize. You may submit multiple entries, however, you may only win one Novaquark prize. If an entry does not meet all of the requirements for eligibility (text size not observing the word count, missing the deadline by a few days, etc.), the author won't be considered as eligible for the Novaquark and the Community prizes. However, it may still be considered as a participant to the contest. It will be up to the Novaquark team to decide on a case by case basis.  Late entries will not be eligible for either the Novaquark or Community prizes, but will still be considered as participants.  A gentle reminder, rather than a rule; please consider the reading comfort of your future readers by formatting your text in a way that makes it easily readable (make sure to put some space between your paragraphs, etc.)
  Winners:
There will be three winners selected by the Novaquark team. There will be one winner selected by the Community (Community members will vote for their favorite story).  
Prizes:
Novaquark 1st Prize: 3 Beta Keys + In-game title "NovaWriMo 2019 Winner: Gold" Novaquark 2nd Prize: 2 Beta Keys + In-game title "NovaWriMo 2019 Winner: Silver" Novaquark 3rd Prize: 1 Beta Key + In-game title "NovaWriMo 2019 Winner: Bronze" Community Prize: In-game title "Famous Writer".  
Good luck everyone!

Best Regards,
The Novaquark Team.

Dear Noveans,
 
NovaWriMo is back this year, with a new theme!
You can find the complete rules here, and ask your questions (if you have any) in the same topic !
 
Best Regards,
The Novaquark Team.

"Astral Scribe". I like it, it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it ?
 
But I remain fond of the term "Librarian", for reasons...
 
... 40.000 reasons roughly.
 
DICE Race was very nice but this needs your attention. Let's walk together.

(Update: November 12th, 2019: detailing the content that will be released before the end of the year)

Dear Community, 
 
We heard your feedback regarding our communication that wasn't as regular during the past months than it was before, in addition of a few miscommunication incidents. That's why we decided to plan several events to catch up and address that topic before the end of the year:
 
For those who have questions (or concerns) about Dual Universe or Novaquark, we've just opened a dedicated thread here (as many questions may be related to subjects under NDA, and we can't check beforehand, we had to put the forum thread in a section under NDA. If you're not a backer and you have questions on topics that aren't under NDA, feel free to contact NQ-Nomad and/or NQ-Nyzaltar by private message on the forum, and they wil transmit them to the team). No question is taboo. Although we can't promise to give a clear and detailed answer for each question, we will try our best to reply as much as we can.
  Here is the content related to communication we plan to release before the end of the year:
- a video presenting the updated roadmap.
- a Dev Diary video showing the recent progress on the game development
- a PodCast where we will try to answer the most pressing matters (based on the questions posted in the dedicated thread).
- an AMA event where we will try to answer to the remaining questions.
- a Kickstarter update.
  We can't give specific dates for all of this content yet, but all will be released before the end of the year.
 
Best Regards,
The Novaquark Team.

Gambling games, games of chance, slot machines, even in-game games of skill. All these can (and should) be created by players.
 
The role of DICE is a gaming commission to ensure that these games are safe for both the player and the house. This includes, among others, that the house has a fair payout and that a player can't walk away with all the quanta without playing the game as intended.  
 
If anyone has any more questions or suggestions, feel free to drop me a DM or join the DICE discord. 

Hi everyone! 
 
We are going to deploy a brand new Authentication Bot - developed entirely by Novaquark - on Discord in the coming weeks to simplify the life to new backers in the Community, as well as facilitating the work of the Discord volunteer Discord Moderators. The news is important for both new comers and veteran community members, as authentication to NDA Discord sections will change drastically! 

You can find the complete news here.

Don't hesitate to give your feedback in this forum thread, below this forum post!
All feedback is welcome!
 
Best Regards,
The Novaquark Team.

While the other suggestions are good, this one is golden.  Added. Also it answers Lethys's question to an extent.

If people want to play alone I see no issue with that. That playing alone has consequences to the effect that some activities may be hard or not possible for you? Yes but that is a choice you make. What I could not accept is solo players crying over how they can't do stuff on their own because of it.
 
Same is true the other way around for me, you can be of the opinion that solo play is not good but dismissing it as a play style or demeaning those who choose to play alone is unacceptable as well. 
 
This is a sandbox, everyone can do and play however they like as long as they stay within the TOS as set out by NQ.

I remember a past survey on here that showed around half plan to play DU solo, at least for a time. There is something appealing about being a Han Solo type, just taking care of yourself and adventuring. It is more interesting encountering real players as a solo player than NPCs in a single player game. In Eve I was a member of orgs, part of a huge alliance, and solo played a bit, all were enjoyable.

Why solo in an MMO? Are they missing the point? Are they just doing it wrong?
 
This GDC 2011 talk discusses the notion, presenting 10 types of loners and how they could be addressed in an MMO.
 
 
How relevant are these 10 types of loner in Dual Universe?
 
1) New Kid In Town
A new player, fresh off the arkship. Full of hopes and dreams but have no connections and have no idea how to proceed.
Some believe getting organizations to recruit them as fast as possible is the answer but is that really the best way? Overly aggressive advertising puts some people off and others first want to get a handle on the game before they even think of joining an organization.
 
2) The Daria
To this type of player, other players are tragic. A joke. To this player, others are content to be watched with a side of popcorn.
There are already plenty of opportunities to watch others, for example, at events. Just show up. Bring your own popcorn.
 
3) The Sociopath
Sometimes called a griefer, this player type likes to watch everyone burn.  
The smart ones will stay within the rules (barely), while the not-so-smart ones will feel the ban hammer. Moving on.
 
4) Mr Lunch At His Desk
Those with little time, playing in the few breaks they have; like during lunch or after the kids are asleep.
Some activities will simply take too long for this type of player, but as long as there are viable and reliable workarounds (like taking a DUber) this type of play is possible.
 
5) The Introvert
Talking to people is scary and this type of player doesn't want to ask anyone else for anything.
The sandbox nature of DU means that unlike some other MMOs, players are not forced to do anything if they don't want to. Players don't need to do anything at all if they so choose.
 
6) The Adrift
Groups break up. Organizations will dissolve and some players will be kicked out of groups for various reasons. These are players that really don't mind the social interactions but find themselves without a group. Sometimes this sours the players outlook on the game as a whole and they leave game.
Alliances between similar organizations will help a player find a place they are comfortable in the unfortunate event of a liquidation. 
 
7) The Unworthy
These are the players that don't know whether they are "good enough".
DU: This is more of a problem in a hard leveling system. In DU, every hand is valuable.
 
8) The Vacationer
The players of this type want to take a break, be it from organization responsibilities or to do something different.
Three characters per Dual Universe account may provide a player with a level of anonymity if they so choose. Or they can take their main character to relax in a specially built resort on that tropical island planet.
 
9) The Commitment Phobic
The commitment phobic have been burned by organization drama or by joining an incompatible organization. Or this type of player believes others are idiots.
Joining an organization is a commitment, some bigger than others. Joining a voice chat shows a level of commitment, which is why (among other reasons) many organizations require a voice chat interview.
 
10) The Garbo
No, he is not calling this type of player garbage. These types of players, like Greta Garbo, just want to be left alone.
 
 
In Dual Universe, everything is player run. If an item can be bought at a market it's because players collected the required ores, built it and put it up for sale. Besides going full hermit, a solo player will still need to interact with other players, even if it is indirectly.
 
Can a player play Dual Universe solo? Yes.
Will that solo player be able to control a vast empire that includes huge fleets and multiple planets? No.
 
Do you agree? Disagree?  Or is this talk old and no longer applicable if it ever was? Like, comment and subscribe.
What? This isn't the YouTubes? Just DU it anyway.

Why solo in an MMO? Are they missing the point? Are they just doing it wrong?
 
This GDC 2011 talk discusses the notion, presenting 10 types of loners and how they could be addressed in an MMO.
 
 
How relevant are these 10 types of loner in Dual Universe?
 
1) New Kid In Town
A new player, fresh off the arkship. Full of hopes and dreams but have no connections and have no idea how to proceed.
Some believe getting organizations to recruit them as fast as possible is the answer but is that really the best way? Overly aggressive advertising puts some people off and others first want to get a handle on the game before they even think of joining an organization.
 
2) The Daria
To this type of player, other players are tragic. A joke. To this player, others are content to be watched with a side of popcorn.
There are already plenty of opportunities to watch others, for example, at events. Just show up. Bring your own popcorn.
 
3) The Sociopath
Sometimes called a griefer, this player type likes to watch everyone burn.  
The smart ones will stay within the rules (barely), while the not-so-smart ones will feel the ban hammer. Moving on.
 
4) Mr Lunch At His Desk
Those with little time, playing in the few breaks they have; like during lunch or after the kids are asleep.
Some activities will simply take too long for this type of player, but as long as there are viable and reliable workarounds (like taking a DUber) this type of play is possible.
 
5) The Introvert
Talking to people is scary and this type of player doesn't want to ask anyone else for anything.
The sandbox nature of DU means that unlike some other MMOs, players are not forced to do anything if they don't want to. Players don't need to do anything at all if they so choose.
 
6) The Adrift
Groups break up. Organizations will dissolve and some players will be kicked out of groups for various reasons. These are players that really don't mind the social interactions but find themselves without a group. Sometimes this sours the players outlook on the game as a whole and they leave game.
Alliances between similar organizations will help a player find a place they are comfortable in the unfortunate event of a liquidation. 
 
7) The Unworthy
These are the players that don't know whether they are "good enough".
DU: This is more of a problem in a hard leveling system. In DU, every hand is valuable.
 
8) The Vacationer
The players of this type want to take a break, be it from organization responsibilities or to do something different.
Three characters per Dual Universe account may provide a player with a level of anonymity if they so choose. Or they can take their main character to relax in a specially built resort on that tropical island planet.
 
9) The Commitment Phobic
The commitment phobic have been burned by organization drama or by joining an incompatible organization. Or this type of player believes others are idiots.
Joining an organization is a commitment, some bigger than others. Joining a voice chat shows a level of commitment, which is why (among other reasons) many organizations require a voice chat interview.
 
10) The Garbo
No, he is not calling this type of player garbage. These types of players, like Greta Garbo, just want to be left alone.
 
 
In Dual Universe, everything is player run. If an item can be bought at a market it's because players collected the required ores, built it and put it up for sale. Besides going full hermit, a solo player will still need to interact with other players, even if it is indirectly.
 
Can a player play Dual Universe solo? Yes.
Will that solo player be able to control a vast empire that includes huge fleets and multiple planets? No.
 
Do you agree? Disagree?  Or is this talk old and no longer applicable if it ever was? Like, comment and subscribe.
What? This isn't the YouTubes? Just DU it anyway.

3 years, time flies !
 
Interesting game of No-U going on right now on the Portal, let's keep our eyes on the ball while in other, non-disclosed dimensions, some people cut pieces into pieces with pieces.
 
Fascinating.

For those that are not on any of the many DU discord servers
 

 
Go give it a like here: https://community.dualthegame.com/organization/robotechcorp