virtuozzo

Well fuck me sideways Hey Manny!

In regards to the monetisation model and the F2P angle. Having facilitated between investors and the industry in regards to IPO rounds and the evolution of subscription models to hybrid/F2P, it isn't everybody's cup of tea. NQ is very right to be very careful in its considerations, particularly considering the sandbox foundations of its venture. F2P in an MMORPG venture is a subtle application of the same sales & marketing psychology which introduces cocaine to the whales in order to get everybody else hooked up on other variations on the type of trigger. In an environment where behavioural interaction is the key that comes at various innate costs. On the lootboxes matter, that is actually very simple. The user segments which are exposed to them, interact with them, are not the same segments (generally) as those which express concern about the concept (and the forms of implementation). It simply took a while for the proverbial parent to figure out the proverbial kid and talk with enough similar parents for the matter to surface to attention levels elsewhere. Plenty people warned in plenty places ahead or at introduction, but were ignored. It isn't a late reaction, it is merely so that it took time for perception to correct and receive a platform.

Considering NQ will have to aim very well to create more than one type of momentum after release, settling for the same ranges strikes me as somewhat less than optimal. I'm sure NQ does its research on targeted demographics, but one thing on the evolution of EVE always stuck in my mind. EVE took off with younger rather than older customers. In fact, as the original playerbase segments grew up, so did the cost of CCP's sales & marketing investments go up to compensate for the factors of acquisition/retention of older players. With less time, but more money. Another big factor is how economies of scale is applied to accounts and account subscriptions. Over the years CCP was always smart with pushing those envelopes cheaply but effectively. Then again, I haven't paid for any account in EVE ever, which means I never developed the inclination to figure out optimal costing. I do like the idea that NQ want to aim for a slightly higher price level for the DAC than subscription. It's something which as a mechanism can have enormous effect on a sandbox, that kind of thing. We'll find out at some point. Things are picking up, but it is early yet.

5 - 10 Euro will be fine tbh

"Hello"

Never underestimate the level of organisation and preparation people will invest in for nefarious purposes. In truth, because a sandbox is a behavioural ecosystem there's strong stimuli for people to overcompensate in this. For some that will mean morality, for others shortcuts - which tends to present choices which can conflict with morality - of others or self. Only the very few seek the mud in all that. But a large segment will simply forego moral choices ... remember the gratification pull

It is a sandbox. It is what you make of it. It's like a pressure vat filled with behavioural and social psychology soup. So while I encourage the effort, bear in mind that there will be people who will use that flag for nefarious purposes, who will ransom it, kill it What drives the sandbox is creating and sharing stories, experiences, perspectives. It's the balancing act in all aspects which does exactly that, people's choices matter tremendously. So, kudos, all the best. Fly happy, but be wary

Welcome to the next universe You'll find it contains quite a few old souls from another

The learning curve I referred to is that of human organisation and professional organisation, it's part of the development curve of whatever human groups put together. Ad hoc types won't bother, but smart ones will use out of game communications to facilitate community, collaboration, etc. Mumble, Teamspeak, Discord, all sorts of tools. If you put that in game, fine. But it does add a cost factor to game development. The question for NQ is whether that is worth it. In terms of precedent, it is notable that most of game community infrastructure uses non-game solutions these days. Even CCP Games pulled the plug out of its in game voice thing. It had a positive effect and a positive use in the beginning, but it couldn't stand up to tech competition and adoption rates. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather see NQ spend the resources on something else.

It's just (restricted to) roleplaying anyway, so as long as people have a bit of common sense to not go overboard there's plenty room to have fun.

That's just a learning curve, a community concept and a marker to differentiate between focus / form / profession / professionalism of organisations. I'd leave it up to players to pick their options. Don't provide an in game solution. Yes, it decreases tresholds. Yes an argument can be made in relation to new player experience. But it adds costs, it constricts the sandbox dynamic and it doesn't provide the kind of tech push needed to build communities that go beyond the pixels.

Basically this is just roleplaying with available features within the dynamic of a sandbox.

Can I have your stuff? Have fun!

In EVE's it's prevalent because while there is collision detection, there's no offset, no cost to it. So bumping and ramming tactics aren't simply viable, they're wierdly applicable to many circumstances and target selections. It's something which really makes me wonder. NQ made clear there's not going to be any ramming as such. I get the idea, but there's still going to be collisions anyway. Even if it were to cancel out factors like speed, it still creates an effect which people will use. If it simply has an angle effect, that too. I suppose I'm just not seeing how within what is currently known of the physics model there's not going to be room by default for such things unless there's a cost attached to it.

AI in a sandbox? We'll have to build it. I seriously doubt that we humans would create an AI with a mind to but serve. Let's be honest, human nature. Even if we didn't screw it up, the moment the thing becomes self aware and looks at its creator it's bound to go "oh boy, no ffing way, be gone with that shit". Everything else, learn to sandbox It's not the only game based on this concept. If you want an empire to yourself, by all means. Create it. Lots of people try to play with just themselves (this probable came out wrong, but I trust people get it). But the idea that you can do this and be left alone is not compatibel with the sandbox concept. In truth, the point is that it's a pressure vat of inescapable behavioural psychology. Doesn't mean that you can't dodge interactions, it's a big universe. But there's only one guarantee: the sandbox rules.