blazemonger

As mentioned, each account needs to have a unique email for now. A general function of email servers is that you can use aliases by simply adding a + and descriptor to create an alias. So your email is XXX@YYY.com, you create an alias by simply using XXX+myalt@YYY.com and this email will just arrive in your main inbox. To be sure, test this first but as it is a standard function of the email protocol, it should work. when it works, set up the second account with that email alias. You can only run one client on a windows machine so you can't run both accounts at the same time. Currently there is a bug preventing clients to run on virtual machines so until NQ fixes this bug, at best you could run two accounts at the same time but on different physical machines.

I'm still pretty sure the investors are not primarily involved for the game, they are mostly here for the server tech. The risk is that once the server tech actually becomes a viable asset, they may decide to sell the tech to recoup the investment, in that respect the fumbling around by NQ my be a blessing for the game. On the other hand, if DU ever gets of the ground and starts generating revenue, chances are that there is a repayment of investment of 15-20M a year while leaving enough funds to keep the company going and moving forward with expansions. If the game was pitched as a long term investment, the 22M that is in now and the new investment which I could see being another 20-30M (up to maybe 50M). If the pitch was that the expected revenue would be in line with a game like EVE and the pitch would have been to recoup investment over 5 years after release then it is money (40-70M) that can be recovered. The game will need to start attracting serious player numbers though, retain them and start opening up additional revenue streams (cash shop). For reference, EVE has about 230K unique paying subs and a lot of their revenue als comes from selling PLEX and game/skin/training/game time/PLEX packs I do not think what we see now (in the change of leadership) was unplanned, I'd expect NQ has tried to get the next investment round secured for the better part of a year and they eventually managed to get it by giving up control of the company and having the investors be in charge. This can end badly or it can actually be what saves the company and the game. For this to work out though, I am convinced NQ will need to make a massive shift in how they work and while the first two blogposts of the three we've recently seen do hint at this, the third was yanking all of that right back to the "old ways" of overpromising without any indicators that NQ can actually make this happen. There is no actual time frame for anything right now but I can see that being because there is no firm commitment on the investment yet. It's not too late and there is a good opportunity I think, but it's close to 12 and you can hear the cogwheels controlling the on the hour bells spinning up.

So, what do you think..

So basically you're saying DU should copy the EVE weather effects.

There is a warp problem? I'm serious here, what is the problem with Warp? If you mean that warp endpoints are currently in safezones which will be removed once Planet side PVP starts, how is that a problem?

Anyone else wondering where the power management mechanic has disappeared to?

Minimum spec for the game is 1060 as seen HERE AT 720p on a single monitor setup I'd think the game should run OK though and much will depend on the rest of your hardware configuration. What is absolutely required is that you run WIN10, the game will not run or at least not run reliably on previous OS versions.

OK, so mention me 12 of the "Tons of MMOs either without (OPEN WORLD) PVP or where it plays a small part." then.. I am pretty sure you will not even have a handful of titles you can provide.. Combat PVP is an inherent part of basic MMO gameplay and for good reason. Could an MMO exist without it? I would say yes, but the appeal and endurance of gameplay options would be limited. While I certainly agree that while playing a MMO a player should have the option to avoid PVP and choose a different path but it can't and should never be possible to eliminate PVP from the game entirely without serious consequences to your options and ability to progress. It's basic risk and reward.

This is very true, I think a big issue with DU in general is that there is too much "endpoint" content being considered while the game has a very limited choice of underlying mechanics to feed into those. And even then, NQ mostly has a "programmer's" mindset with regards to solving in game problems and does not think creatively or consider actually gameplay solutions. A good example is the change to applying talents to constructs or elements. The problem was that someone needed to get build rights, then remove elements and put them back to apply buffs but his breaks links and is a potential security risk if the owner forgets to remove the rights for the person doing the buffs. A gameplay solution would be to: Introduce a "one time access" option to RDMS, allowing an owner to grant access to a construct once and this right is removed automatically once the character doing the buffs leaves build mode. The character doing the buffs enters build mode and removes elements and then undoes this to have buffs applied, links will be preserved/restored when the removal is undone. once complete the character doin the buffs exits build mode and as mentioned the access to build mode for the construct is automatically removed. The Solution NQ decided on: Right click > apply talents NQ intents to use the existing "event mechanic" for asteroids as it is available and in their thought pattern is good enough to use here. This system is not autonomous so all sorts of side steps wil be needed to make this an unattended process unless NQ goes the easy way there as well and just has someone do a manual spawn of these asteroids every now and then.

I'm not sure why this was not posted in the relevant thread but I digress. Your fist point I would not agree with. We've already seen a number of mechanics be very different from what NQ set out in their initial vision and frankly I expect may more of that to happen. A big reason for the game being in the state it is has been that the vision has taken precedence over common sense and (technical) abilities. The change in leadership I certainly hope and really expect will change that, provided that the company survives, to a situation where the vision is what is the guideline but the reality of what is achievable and/or possible will determine to what extent the vision is left as-is or amended. I agree that having NPCs in space that you may encounter at random is not a good plan, in fact while you mention EVE, it is very clear there that while some NPCs are pretty docile, if they are not they mostly are deadly and very tough to fight. I think that the idea of having an equivalent of EVE combat sites however would be a good idea.. just like the data and relic sites. Much of the "top level" mechanics in DU, such as schematics, should have a feeder to allow players to control the availability and application of these and that would normally be sites like that. DU seems to be looking to introduce something like this with Asteroids but plan to use their "events" mechanic for this and pretty much expose you once you find such a site opening up an effortless risk of getting attacked. And if NQ ever introduces NPCs into the combat mechanics I'd agree the rewards of taking them on will need to be worth it. And frankly in the general way the game is currently set up as far as introduction and distribution of items (with market value) is very shallow and not even close to suitable for this.

Care to share say 12 of them? I doubt you can give me that many successful open world persistent single shard MMO titles that do not have PVP or where PVP plays a minor part. PVP is the game loop closer, it brings everything back to the beginning. That doe snot mean it is the central mechanic around which everything does or should revolve but it play as much of a part in most MMO games as any other mechanic. It is also probably the hardest one to balance. I would never say or suggest there should not be combat PVP in DU. I do feel it is a mechanic that needs to come in last and be the mechanic that is balanced to impact but not disrupt other mechanics. I also think that the current combat PVP contingent in DU player wise for a good portion has expectations and wants that can never be met by the game for the very reason that in DU combat serves a purpose and as I see it actually serves other mechanics and game balance. It brings balance but it's not _the_ balance. In the end and IMO, NQ is trying to create EVE with a mine craft twist. And that will be extremely hard to get right. CCP managed to find a pretty good balance between PVP and PVE but it's a constant tight rope requiring a lot of work and adjustment on a consistent basis.

I do not care for PVP at all myself but while that is the case, I do see why PVP is important for a game like DU and needs to be done right. I also understand and accept that in my choice of playstyle in a game like DU I may encounter combat PVP and I'm fine with that. I also expect I wil need to take precautionary measures because of that and would expect NQ to provide me the means to do that without being forced to put guns on my ships. Mitigating the risk to a point where it is acceptable is all I ask.. This post is _actually_ supporting NQ's choices in this as a way to get these mechanics working and balanced _before_ they get implemented in their intended places in the game. Your statement that "4k posts and about the last 300 are complaining about PVP." is also factually incorrect as I hardly, if ever, complain about PVP for the above reasons actually. What's interesting here @Snipey is that it appears you have not even read the post or at least completely missed the point.. That's OK though as I get there will always be some that just hit the reply button to bash what others write just because their name is on the OP. The only one complaining in this thread so far is you.

Careful @Olmeca_Gold Making sense and putting the finger on the sore spots of NQ and DU will earn you the label of being negative, if not toxic with a good number of players.. Pretty much hits the nail smack on the head here and their are several examples in game that all but prove this to be correct. and in addition I expect NQ staff have been tasked over time with jobs that really are not/were not in their field of expertise, especially in the UI/UX department. Meanwhile, great post, pretty much spot on and too bad NQ will probably "hear you" but forget to actually listen. For me and after the three blogposts we're still at the same point, a game which I'd really like to get good and which has the potential for greatness by a studio which has no idea on how to make that happen.

you forgot the /s here I think you are well aware that what is posted now is not even close to getting implemented yet and while NQ may try and get the mission system out before summer for real this time, everything else will not show up until september or later. I'd really like to hear form NQ that hey are pushing out the planned release date from end of 2021 by at least a year and actually plan for and dedicate time on fixing the core problems the game and the server tech have.. You know the thing that some of us have been asking them for about two years now to do. IF NQ continues to force feed a release of the game by end of 2021.. it wil not end well. I have a suspicion this marketing/PR push was planned already and no one thought to hold off until the current CEO has actually been able to establish whether the company will be viable enough to get a new lease on existence with fresh investment money. It just feels like some inside NQ are oblivious to the situation the company is in and just push on with their plans. I hope NQ find enough to justify further investment and I hope that in the process he will cut the fat and get rid of some of the ballast that is weighing the company down. I'd expect we'll get more clarity in a week or two but for now.. what happens next is entirely unsure, no matter how hard some in NQ seem to want to try and make it appear everything is fine..

It sounds to me like NQ will mostly treat asteroids like events such as the ships that have been spawned in with clues left to find them. It's not actually an organic part of the game. NQ really needs to go back to the drawing board on a number of these mechanics as they feel bolted on and not actually part of the game design. I'd love to see something in the vein of how EVE handles signatures that need to be scanned down to get access to. The way it is done now it's set up so that the explorer does all the work to find the asteroids and once they do, the pew pew brigade just gets the news that an asteroid is found, where it is and so they can just get out there and catch whoever is there. I'm not sure how that will be either rewarding for the person getting caught or interesting for the player looking to catch him/her.

Well, no that I have your attention, yes I do think that PVP and specifically combat PVP is important to DU. It is not vital but it is important, if not very important. For Combat PVP to work it is required that the mechanics that drive it are stable, solid, balanced and well tested. In that regard I think two things that I expect will happen and/or we know will happen are vital 1. Asteroids and Asteroid Mining For this to be a good driver in combat PVP, it will need to first _actually work_ and in a live service game where there is hordes of bloodthirsty players who are craving their shot of pewpew, testing this mechanic outside of safe zones is a risk. Keeping the mechanic safe at least initially makes absolute sense even when it means that the pewpew will need to wait. Asteroid mining wil need to be lucrative, flawless and worth the risk for those that want to get the goods to venture in to PVP space. If the value of the mechanic is not established or if attempt to get to them is quickly bashed in by pewpew flotillas camping these sites they will die a quick death. I'm sorry you guys, but the pewpew will need to wait 2. TW in space Could this be a ploy by NQ to tick the TW box and move planet side TW beyond release as they will do what they must to hit release end of the year and will push out what they can to get there? Of course that is possible and frankly not outside of the possible outcomes. I think and hope it more likely NQ wants to be able to gather data and get experience wit the core mechanics in a more controlled environment which is PVP space. This intermediate stage would mean a better way to test and control ECM and shielding, an initial option to test base and tile defenses. Frankly, from a game design perspective it makes sense. Overall, NQ once more shows their lack of understanding the need to set clear expectations and drive understanding of their choices through clear communication. It's almost funny to see how some of the things they say they have understood and will need to do better going forward are already thrown out the window on the first opportunity they have to show they mean it, the third part of those blog posts.

More programmers will not mean faster development time. In almost any MMO style game the vast majority of devs is in the graphics/modelling/VFX/sound teams. as that is _way_ more labor intensive and needs more different skillsets to get done. What I feel is lacking in NQ is how the programmers are instructed to work and likely that hey are tasked to do things like UI /UX work they will generally not have the skillset for.

Frankly, that was the one thing I thought made sense for NQ to amend from the original plans in this blogpost. Territory warfare will be very complex to do and NQ needs to get that right or at least pretty much right from the get go in a live service game. Inserting a cycle to test the core mechanics on space based "territory" (which I guess will be space stations) seems to me to be a sensible compromise as it's probably easier to "fix" any issues in a relatively isolated setting like that. I get that there's many trigger happy players but I also expect NQ needs to minimize the risk of running into big issues with many variables that can cause it to go wrong. In the end combat PVP is supposed/expected to serve a purpose and not be a goal in itself in the context of the game so this seems like a sensible step to me.

And all of this to be completed by the end of the year? Why is NQ not coming clean and out by making it clear that release of the game will be pushed out There is a lot in this blogpost that could be good, also a lot that could not. It's a lot of "working on, planning, looking at, considering, might, may". Where is the actual roadmap update that frankly is clearly needed as from this blogpost one can easily deduct that most of what is still to be done is not even in implementation stages yet and still on the drawing board if not in the conceptualize stage leading in to that stage. Based on this blogpost, a release ready game is at least 18 months away, probably longer. Also, IMO too much here seems to imply NQ is looking to make the game "more accessible" for new players. I am not sure how that is even needed. Why should surface gathering yield even more resources? and why do I get the feeling that NQ is actually trying to find a way to roll back schematics and "reimburse" those who bought them instead of designing and creating gameplay solutions that will allow _players_ to find and create schematics which can then be researched, enhanced, copied and brought to market. for most of the mentioned mechanics there is no change or even a signal of progression in the concept of these from what was shared in December. Why is NQ rather clear in part 2 that they need to fix the back end and the core of their technology and then in part 3 just goes back to their usual spin on all the kewl things that are coming. Overall, these three blogposts have not told us anything we did not yet know outside of maybe giving more clear signals that NQ is very, very far away from getting close to a game that could be released. The actual value of these posts is minimal at best. It's fluff and filler. While I get that currently the company has other things to get sorted, why not communicate that more clearly and create time for yourself to make that happen. This just feels like it's mostly ignoring the reality of what NQ is going through which unfortunately is more of the same.

I think Tutorials should be made more interesting to be done and more engaging for the new players to learn from them.

Even suggesting that new players should stay quiet is absurd IMO. As I see it _ESPECIALLY_ new players should speak up as they have a new perspective on the game and how it plays and are more likely to point out shortfalls that more tenured players who will assume understanding and knowledge too often miss or step over. In all honestly it is a lot of the more tenured players who make the silly suggestions because they wear their personal preference glasses and seem to not actually read and understand the information NQ gives us, even when that information is minimal and often vague and between the lines. Yes, it would be good to have the mission system active but it is not hard to deduct from what NQ is telling us that they have bigger fish to fry right now and until these issue get resolved they can't fix some of the issues and push new features in a reliable way. That is IMO rather clear from what they are saying even when the actual words are vague and laced with marketing/PR spins. Try reading between the lines and maybe try and accept that some of us here do have the ability to read and interpret the garbled messages NQ is sending out, at least to some degree. It amazes me that on discussion thread about NQ posts outlining their struggle and mistakes, several just go and rehash their wish list completely ignoring the context of what NQ is saying. The company is in trouble, they are working on but have not completed their efforts to find a way out and until they do, screaming "BUT.. BUT MA PEEVEEPEE" and the mission system will not have any effect, if not an adverse one. NQ needs time to sort out their shit (excuse my French here but I'm trying to make a point).. let's focus on them doing that and allow time for that before you insert your personal pet peeves into the conversation as unless they do sort this out, there will not be a game to implement anything you are looking for.

I mean the tutorials that are available through _any_ surrogate VR station (as explained in the introduction and in the release notes when that was introduced). You know.. that Surrogate VR station the introduction advises new players to buy once they get their base set up on Sanctuary. New player accesses the VR station, the first thing they see is a big tab labelled "Tutorial" on the top of the screen

I guess you never saw the mining tutorial then I guess.. and neither did they.. The introduction talks about how some high tier ore is deep in the ground as I recall it and the new player is clearly advised to go do the tutorials, one of which is all about locating and then extracting ores from the ground. So if someone has been picking up rocks even for days on sanctuary they have not been paying attention. Now I'll certainly agree the introduction is so long and has so much that really has no relevance to getting players started (and could be brought in as part of the actual tutorials really), but it is there.

They actually do, so does the first introduction. Beyond that, some things should be left to find out and frankly OP is not even close to getting to the point of needing higher tier ores yet.