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bastanold

Alpha Tester
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Everything posted by bastanold

  1. I understand the need to keep botting in check. EVE has shown what's possible when bots run awry. On the other hand, it's a weak argument that an MMO will have so many players it will rarely feel empty. This is an MMO of space, and just like EVE it's going to be one shard. There are some really lonely places in EVE to be sure even with tens of thousands of players. DU will definitely be an empty place for many players. Aside from large battles, I'm guessing the norm could be 1-15 people average on any occupied local grid. Having NPCs that are bound to a player's active login could be a way to limit the huge effect of botting. I can think of a few ways to market the NPC idea. Besides, players are going to want PvE at some level even if it's just picking off odd pirates. You could limit all activity to players but in a space MMO that could likely break the immersion due to lack of numbers or complexity. One way to look at NPC is as personally assigned or group assigned. A person logs into DU and can activate their NPCs as crew or assistants or whatever. An org hires NPCs and they can all be active so long as one eligible org member is logged in. Maybe an org can assign a 'subsistence' crew/staff to keep a very basic operation running but make sure there are costs to having NPCs. I don't want it to turn into a means of making a botting empire like some players in EVE have done, but it's a little daunting to imagine a space MMO with nothing going on if there's no player behind it. Not even EVE does that and it's very player driven. DU will be treading on new ground for sure in that respect. Just ideas that aren't well thought out, but ideas.
  2. For all the infinite space of Dual Universe, one has to reflect on mmo player activity. The reason many people play MMO's is to play with others especially in groups. Even among those not within groups the allure of a market dictates distance of operation. Some may very well head out as explorers, but given the need for content--and in variety at that--most players will find it advantageous to be reasonably close to everybody else. If it does turn out that Dual Universe is 'infinite' I'll be very excited to see how the ebb and flow of player residency in that universe shifts. Will we find 'ghost towns' from a decade ago? Will membership be wide enough that some groups become widely separated? What will this do to each player culture in terms of political, economical and military? Interesting stuff to be sure.
  3. Yeah, the idea is for those briliant unknowns that invariably spring up from players from time to time. My own thinking on it is if NQ find the player proposal a good one and it doesn't stray too much from the list of class/objects coded into the game, then NQ would provide a formula for researching it. This formula would comprise of time periods, success rolls if necessary, materials required and prototype stages, as well as whatever else NQ deemed necessary. It would not be easy and simple. I assumed all this, of course, but it makes more sense to spell it out here. The reason I leave out examples is because this sort of thing always comes from 'left field' and conventional ideas would be handled the usual way (conventional research of known devices as part of the game). These would not be conventional ideas. They would be excellent or brilliant ones. Hence, rare.
  4. NQ would yea or nay the proposals like you point out. No sense making a variation on a given theme. But if EVE has taught me anything it's that you never know what sort of things players can come up with that is revolutionary or original. Hence, WOR. I don't expect it to be implemented much but when it is the reason is one NQ agrees with. So, the final decision would be with them. No harm done. And I'm not going to assume I know how they feel about the idea presented. That's for NQ to decide, right? Right.
  5. I was remembering the old paper and pencil RPG games and how some of them had mechanics for researching technology and inventions. There was a difficulty level that had to be determined from the rulebook's outline and what followed was a series of rolls over a set amount of time. The tech or device would be completed after all the rolls had been successful through all the steps. How could that work in DU? Well, Novaquark would have a team/person who would evaluate player proposals for research or invention. Interesting(and possible) submissions would be reviewed by the Novaquark team in terms of code and game impact. If the item could be added with an existing class/object and the idea added to gameplay in an interesting way, the proposal would be approved and the player would be given the requirements to successfully research the tech/device. That player would own the recipe as well which could end up being quite lucrative in-game. Granted, this means of open ended research in the game might be a rare occurrence, but knowing that there were things out there that could be player-designed would add to the whole voxel-building theme.
  6. SC's money and DU's dev team. Sounds good to me.
  7. Any player can institute a DU religion. They're great to add justification to just about any policy including murder and mayhem. I want to destroy all life in the galaxy? Found an org based on a DU religion! Works every time.
  8. Sure, space is infinite, but space is governed by the laws of physics and largely expressed within 3-dimensions as well as time. Thus, locality and proximity will have meaning in terms of interaction among players and their subsequent orgs. You are certainly free to go off to distant systems(when the opportunity presents itself) but be aware that your prosperity or success will only be a great as your capacity to build and develop.
  9. American here and I'm fine with metric. In fact, it was about 4C this morning in Seattle and ended up around 11C by the time I was off work. We could really use a little 20C heat around here.
  10. Got no problem with non-regenerating resources. That leaves the decision of what to do with the player. The only other thing is I'd also make sure that asteroids were just as lucrative(if not more) as mining a planet. Planets have gravity wells too, which should mean something in terms of payload and thrust and fuel. This way players have more content too. An org decides whether they really need to mine the crap out of a 'pretty' planet. NQ adds animals and that only adds more content with which to weigh ones decision. Maybe an org gets so attached to a habitable planet they put policy that limits planetary exploitation. Maybe it turns into a causus belli when another org decides to 'deface' a planet in a system with a perfectly good asteroid belt. But planets are not all equal. Some are little more than really big rock, others have a smidgen of atmo and a few are habitable gems between the black. A tangential would be to mine gases from gas giants. Off the top of my head would be ships that are designed to 'skim' off the surface of gas giants to collect various gases to be processed into fuel or whatnot.
  11. Klatu, there was some discussion about tractor beams and targeting to disable systems as well. Engaging other ships while in warp (ala ST) is another possibility but would likely require an environment/interface different from normal space.
  12. The context of all this is to provide content. Definitely. In EVE I can choose to take the long route on a haul that keeps me in very safe space. Still requires some situational awareness for suicide gankers at gates, but mostly safe so long as I stay on my toes. But what if I want, or need, to shave some time going from point A to B? Or what if safe space is not a good place for my character at the moment? Then it means taking the dubious route. Faster, but far from safe. If I pull it off it's a rush beating the odds. If I get nailed by pirates or otherwise hostile forces, well, I'll wake up in a clone and start putting the pieces together again. Either way it was an event that far surpassed a mindless journey. On the other hand, there are days I don't want to have to worry about all this and so I'll do whatever it takes to keep it safe, including blowing it off for the moment in hopes the situation improves. It all depends, but knowing I have those kinds of choices is all the difference in the world called EVE. Wouldn't want it any other way in Dual Universe.
  13. We could have devices that are deployed that induce a large mass signature. It would be like a manufactured mini black hole in effect. Any ship traveling near enough to it--especially via wormhole or warped space--would be severely impacted by it, resulting in the ship dropping out of its 'FTL' travel. Any ships around it in normal space would react to it the same way a car reacts to going down a hill. It will be a gravity well basically. A powered ship can work its way out of it, but should power be lost and such a ship goes adrift, it'll explode or be 'totalled' prior to it reaching the device at center. I prefer exploded as it cleans up the 'what happens if a ship actually hits the device' scenario.
  14. I would say that a game like Dual Universe should actually start with less than more. Put enough in there for the basics of survival gameplay: research, crafting, exploration, conflict and communication. See where the players go and adjust the field to comply with that direction. NQ would be wise to etch in stone those qualities it sees as essential to their vision of the game, then let the game loose. With an ear to the ground on emergent player gameplay development and a defined list of what the game is meant to be, NQ will have a model of success already proven by EVE Online. From what I've heard JC say in his numerous videos this is already the direction NQ have chosen. Therefore, I believe this game and its future is currently in good hands.
  15. From what I've read on NQ's propulsion schemes for Dual Universe, it looks like they'll have similar propulsion types as EVE Online. There will be a basic maneuver drive/s, a warp drive to more quickly traverse a star system and then an interstellar drive either depending on an external gate or installed internally in a ship. The interstellar drive types are not going to be available at first, and it won't be an issue with initial game play being focused on exploring Alioth then its system. What will have more significance are the forms of propulsion within a system. Combat may be possible while warping from one system location to another but I'm betting it probably won't be. That leaves basic maneuver speeds for combat with warp being the means of absolutely disengaging from combat. Of course, with a higher basic velocity(in EVE this is modified with the use of an 'afterburner' or 'microwarpdrive') a ship can eventually disengage from combat as well. Personally, when it comes to disengagement I'd be more inclined to handling this area with devices or methods that are specialized rather than the norm. For example, any device that can tractor another ship should be specialized with some requirements that require compromise. Maybe allow tractor beams but make it only as effective as the ship's mass the tractor beam is mounted on. Or allow weapons to target specific systems on a ship in order to either bring them offline or damage them outright. This would be cool because it would require a response in terms of repair from the affected ship's crew, adding more elements to game play. The same thing for devices that might dampen a target ship's propulsion drives.
  16. There are a few directions for space combat that NQ can choose to go. Ships in space could have weapons that have severe limitations to range and/or tracking resulting in combat up close and personal at velocities that are relatively mild. Sort of a fighter pilot scenario or with less maneuverable ships like 18th century sea battles. Conversely, weaponry could be longer ranged and deadly resulting in ships flying under very high velocity and following trajectories that provide for quick passes at the enemy ship/fleet. Anything slower would only insure the destruction of most combatants under overpowering firepower over too long a time of exposure. This sort of combat would be much like knights charging at one another for a pass, weapons fire in the limited 'window' of opportunity, then each side assesses damage and decides on another pass or whether to retreat. Maybe not as visceral as the former example but one taking more consideration into firepower placement and keen examination of approach vectors, not to mention overall fleet formations. There are other models to choose from, of course, but one aspect of space combat I'm most curious about has to do with leaving the combat engagement. In other games there have been a mix of methods addressing this. In some games it's been possible to target a ship's specific systems and thereby knock it out. The odds of success are usually not high, and overall damage is usually light, but the impact it can have on a ship can be huge. For example, a ship targets an enemy ship's warp capability. The odds aren't very good but if the system is damaged, that ship's going nowhere and may easily be boarded. Other games incorporate technology that jams or suppresses another ship's systems especially propulsion systems. Such games end up using this technology to a great deal to insure battles come to a fiery conclusion. Instances are tractor beams and warp disruptors and web scramblers. I'm curious to see what degree Dual Universe 'pins' players in space combat. It can be an outright jam as noted above or left as a choice to leave that requires a large amount of energy to do and puts the ship in jeopardy(low shields, no active weapons, etc). Lots of ways to do this and looking forward to seeing what NQ have in store.
  17. Completely up with the idea of offering not only complete 'cloak' as well as various means of reducing ones sensor 'signature.' The former should be penalized somehow, such as large power requirement or a large reduction in sensory functionality. Given that the technology is being developed now should insure it exists in this future setting. I don't know that the energy requirement should increase exponentially given that a meta-material is essentially a skin and the volume being masked is merely 'behind' it. Still, I'm sure an explanation could be found to explain it. Edited: on the other hand the equation for determining the surface of a sphere is 4(pi)r^2, so it would be exponential. Nevermind
  18. I agree with yamamushi on the subject of multi-boxing. EVE has it arranged pretty well now, though that only happened relatively recently when they decided to finally bring the hammer down on programmatically-assisted key & mouse input across several sessions.
  19. I liked the old PLEX system in EVE. It allowed people with RL money to make up for the lose of game time due to working to make that money. Then, those with fewer funds but more time on their hands could purchase these PLEX with currency earned in-game. I bought PLEX from time to time in addition to paying a subscription for those times I really wanted a ship or other equipment but hadn't put in the time to accrue in-game currency. Knowing that doing so was insuring someone who played the game a lot was able to keep on playing was a nice incentive too. Very win-win.
  20. In EVE it's believed that at least half the population, if not more, are alts. You get three slots with one account and only one of them can skill up at any one time for payment of that account. If you want more than one slot skilling up, you pay for it. Or, you sub more than one account. A lot of people in EVE have 2 or more accounts. I know one guy that has 10 paid accounts but that's a bit extreme. Does this bother anyone in EVE? Not really. Most people make alts to cover skills not handled by their main. I have two accounts (6 slots) and of those slots 2 are used and the rest make up corporations I formed to provide a 'place' for my main and 'main' alt to be as the situation requires. Consider a 'tax break' maneuver of sorts. Many corps in EVE explicitly state whether alts are acceptable as applicants and it is possible to determine the characters of a given account through the API and such. At the worst an active corporaton will purge inactive members from time to time, so players with little used alts will lose their membership. Corporations filled with alts often are used by losec pirates to provide a 'cover' their own alts so that all of them can be 'blued' or ID'ed as friendly as a group yet not be officially connected to said pirates. I mean, someone has to haul that loot into more secure (and patrolled) space, right? There are uses for it definitely.
  21. Heh, I certainly don't think Reavers will be a bad thing for Dual Universe. That's some serious content by players for players. Given what's at stake, it'll have more impact than it does in EVE. That's saying something too. In DU if the Reavers get you the only thing you'll have left is what resurrects in an RN and whatever you stowed away behind an arkshield. It will be brutal at times ... and epic. DU is going to redefine the space MMO. Some days it'll be Space Engineer meets DayZ, other days Minecraft on solo. You'll never know what you're going to get on a given day. It's going to redefine tears and what it means to be a pirate and reaver and on the flip side, an alliance and coalition. I suspect an alliance/coalition in DU could see a lot more activity and develop a more 'benign' relationship between the wolves and the carebears given that everything out there will have to be built by players. Less of the warbands of EVE and more the Roman Legion with it's daily construction of a fort and consistent concern for fortification and structures.
  22. Agreed, Falstaf. Everyone who plays is immortal. Bounty will be a reputation achievement much like in EVE with certain pirates.
  23. It's not as simple as that, LynkxDev. There will be automation involved but it will still be an endeavor to manufacture: http://dualuniverse.gamepedia.com/Builder_Guide And we are still talking about anything capable of being destroyed.
  24. In Dual Universe, just about anything players use will have been designed and constructed by players. Aside from the Arkship and the odd ‘relic’ if it’s something players use, it’s also something players made from scratch. Literally. No magic box for placing materials in then pressing a button and Poof! a hovercraft sits before you. Making stuff in Dual Universe will take time, more than a few people, materials and a bit of focus on the tasks at hand. Not to mention the design work needed to figure what needs building and the best way to go about it. For new designs this may result in the development of prototypes for testing and refinement. It all results in significant effort and thought for creating the items and equipment and structures we intend on using. In time, and after experiencing sufficient loss, the things players go to lengths to create will take on a value beyond their utility. A person will think twice before doing away with an item, given what it took to bring the item into existence. This will only increase, likely exponentially, for larger structures like buildings, stations and large vehicles. The investment deepens as an organization grows and prospers through those creations. That value will translate into wars as well. Organizations will seek to oust the owners of a given property rather than destroy it. Wars of ownership will be more prevalent than wars of destruction. Wars can even resolve with a treaty following a form of payment to the ousted owners in exchange for a transfer of ownership. The alternative would be complete destruction of said property, so cutting one's losses would likely take precedence. Only in the most prejudiced wars would annihilation be uniformly on the agenda. That brings me to those players we have seen who only want to watch the world burn. This type of player will certainly get to do that in Dual Universe, a place where everything out there is built by players and therefore is vulnerable. I’m pretty sure they will be a minority, but of that percentage those players will have absolutely nothing to lose. Stations and ships will have their uses for them but only as a means to an ends. Once their usefulness is ended, these world burners will destroy it. Because of that they will be unlike the vast majority of players in Dual Universe who see the enduring value of what is made. For the sake of this discussion I’ll call these world burners ‘Reavers,’ using Firefly terminology. I suspect if the Reavers in Dual Universe become too numerous that there will be wars against them and they’ll be pretty hard fought struggles. At stake will be literally everything out there not behind a perma-shield. That could actually become a historically significant event in Dual Universe. It could also turn cyclical. In any case it’s something to think about.
  25. Putting this here since what I'm suggesting is more an effect than anything else. Basically, a planet in the habitable zone of a dwarf star like TRAPPIST. It's tidally locked and therefore has highly diverse climates including a high wind interface between the darkside and light. Visible like is 200% diminished on the light side however though heat is the same as here on Earth. That would be interesting.
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