Needed Changes Before Release

[WarrenOne]

Obviously in recent posts and releases, the game is focusing on preparing the game for release. There are many additions that could definitely be added or changes to correct after release, there are some that I believe NQ should absolutely not do after a release as without them, the release is likely to fail. The first on the list is to redefine the pillars of the game as there are new features that really changed how to even talk about them in the game. I believe the easiest way to categorize the players is in the following sections: Mining/Harvesting, Building, Fighting, Transport/Missions, Scripting, Industry, and Admin/Management. Below are the absolute necessities for each before release.

 

Mining/Harvesting

 

As is, the system is alright. However, I recently saw a suggestion that may be way more appealing to the community over passive mining and the change would have to be made before release as it would be too game-changing to be made post-release. The idea of passive mining has lead to massive acquisition of ores that honestly seemed too easy. The reason people mined by digging so much even though it was monotonous is that there was a reward right away for the grind. The current mini game seems very boring since there's no real reward in front of you minus the little bit of surface ore. What could be a good system is have a mining unit bring the ore to the surface (either the surface rocks or what would be nice is just the surface ore we used to have when a node was above ground so no tunnels) and have each 'calibration' yield a few thousand liters and then go into a cooldown period. No passive mining but rather you use the mining unit to gather a large amount. This brings some of the active effort back to acquiring resources instead of clicking a few buttons and then waiting. Whatever the rebalancing or change may be to make planetary mining better, it has to be final before release

 

Building

 

Blueprints: If we're going to have a wipe (I'm not getting into that argument here) then for the blueprints to be put down, we need a way for structures to snap to an existing structure on the ground. I don't know why we don't already have this as there are many multi-core structures that people cant share because you cant align blueprints with each other. If this is not added before a wipe, say goodbye to a good amount of the content creators. Also a recommendation: add this feature soon and reemphasize that blueprints will stay even with a wipe. There seems to have been a lack of awareness of this.

 

Energy Management: If you're going to add this, add it before release or else it will restructure everything people already built. Don't do this after a release and then screw up how people began building the officially released version of the universe. Also my personal opinion is this system should apply to ships to encourage specialization like a real ship would have to (energy to operate weapons is a thing), apply to anti-gravity generators (this is basic physics that something like that should consume SOME type of energy), and apply to industry machines (seriously we should have to use energy to run machines this is a basic concept).

 

Element Destruction: we need this back once the game is stable. People keep taking sides on this over one very easily detachable issue: loss of ownership. People saying how bad the element destruction was and how it should never be done again said it because people lost their entire ship on game glitches. Just remove that part. Elements should have lives and then be able to be broken down into some of the parts based on the amount of lives maybe. The problem was the core destruction from environmental damage should not have caused you to lose your ship permanently. I don't understand why it would be so difficult to separate PVP from PVE damage to a core in it's ability to lose ownership. I get it would take some time to code for the conditionals but if the core's single life is destroyed from PVE damage, it should be replaceable instead of dropping ownership on PVE damage. If it really is that impossible, then just allow for PVE element lives on all the other elements like the wings and adjustors. Maybe the number of lives may need adjustment on them and maybe different numbers on different elements, but I see no reason to not put back in wing replacement mechanics after being broken over ten times. Maybe things like large engines would have more lives since its a more durable element than say an extra small wing. It could be an equation based on element mass that determines how many times it can be repaired. Now an outstanding bonus that might have to wait if it's reasonable to implement is to either repair "damaged" elements with scrap, but "broken" elements or maybe just ones with no lives would require some of its parts to restore like consuming pipes to restore an engine. That would be amazing for game balancing with industry and finally give use to parts instead of just the final product.

 

Core Sizes: Recently we heard about how XL cores could cause some issues with people just having too much data in a single area. I think this actually highlights a small flaw in the current core limit system. The idea is to limit the amount of data a single player/organization can be taking up. As it stands now, if someone has 100 construct slots available, it doesn't matter if they are 100 XS constructs or 100 L constructs. This seems to defeat the purpose since 100 L constructs is 512 times the amount of data as 100 XS constructs. This means 100 L constructs has the space of 51,200 XS constructs. I suggest to better handle the needed data limits, switch to a system of construct points of either "XS=1, S=2, M=3, L=4, XL=5" or "XS=1, S=8, M=64, L=512, XL=4096" and then have construct point limits. This would allow better balancing for XL cores and the current core sizes.

 

Purple Honeycomb. This is personal. The fact that I still cant build with purple plastics or purple polished/galvanized steel disappoints me every time I log on.

 

Fighting

 

Balancing can always be adjusted after release. Weapon nerfs/buffs happen all the time to healthy games. What absolutely needs to be decided (even if not implemented) before release is territory warfare. Implementing it can happen after release if really necessary, but players have to know where they should plan to build. The safe zone was obviously created for that reason. If there are plans to add planetary warfare on say Lacobus, players need to know that before building their lives on Lacobus at release. A simple statement saying "the safe zones around planets outside the main safe zone (Alioth-Madis-Thades) will not remain long term" would prevent players from quitting when they learn their home base will no longer be safe even after release. 

 

Transport/Missions

 

Missions: We just need more variations that were talked about long ago. We really need the bounty system before release as this would be many players' reason for playing. Maybe even a taxi service as part of it too. There have been other ideas floated in those discussion threads but we definitely need more types of missions to keep players playing at release. Also for the love of Aphelia we need to be able to use parcels with RDMS and not have to be a Legate of an organization to ship a package. I should be able to send a "letter" to my friend without owning my friend's house. 

 

Warp: We need to ability to add public warp beacons to our list in our map menu. This is the only way for player/organization constructs in space to form when the game is released. We can't require a player to waste an organization slot just to be able to visit an organization's space construct with a warp beacon. Also please give us the ability to block the "stop warp" function. With the original Lua API we could remove the "alt+j" key's ability to stop warp but for obvious PVP exploit reasons that may be an issue to control the "stop warp" function. There must be someway we can remove a player's ability to drop out of warp in PVP space on our ships if we so choose. "Trust your player" is not a good enough mechanic. We should have control over their ability to do that since we would be able to block a person's use of systems in the real world without just "trusting them to not hit that button." 

 

Scripting

 

Additions can be made post-release, but what we need beforehand is a way to sell scripts for people to put on their own constructs. For example, if I made a shield control system/interface, I can't sell it to someone to put on their ship without them being able to copy and paste it for free afterwards. The only way to keep it protected is to sell them a whole ship with the interface installed with DRM enabled for the entire construct. They can't put it on their own already existing ship with protection enabled on just my script. Just add DRM flagging in the actual element of a programming board when putting it into an inventory and trading it. It's already in blueprints. 

 

Industry

 

Fix "balancing" mistake that was made. Obviously the idea of an endless amount of machines making screws was something that needed to be fixed, but the wrong side was adjusted. The "idea" (schematic) of making a screw is very easy and simple. In the real world, the hard part is acquiring a machine that can actually make the screws. In this example, it should be the metalwork industry unit that is the bottleneck point, not the specific screw. Having a machine to make screws should be difficult, but not to then simply reprogram the machine to make a frame instead or another added cost for a second machine you already have to be able to make screws. I'm open to how this would be implemented. My idea is have the  machines cost more to make and then have your character "learn" to make screws. This could be through talents, a separate passive learning que, or some sort of mini game for each tier of each part/element. This could even apply to the current familiar schematic system only you buy one schematic that stays in the avatar's memory bank to start a machine with that schematic loaded. Then once your character learns how to make uncommon screws, they can make it in any machine since they have the knowledge. 

 

Admin/Management

 

We need in game and external communication. It really doesn't seem too hard to implement since systems already exist for hundreds of other server based programs not just games. We need a way to leave a message for someone in game. Some sort of mailbox to send a message to a player that's not online the exact second we are. Also a system where an email can be sent to someone with in game notifications such as when something is under attack or a construct of theirs is about to be abandoned. I can already see how many players would hold back from playing or building out in space and taking risks because someone would have to be online 24/7 to monitor if their space station is under attack. Could be a simple menu under the organization/person for "notifications" where you can see a list of constructs and check boxes of what you want notifications for on the individual constructs: one for when targeted (meaning it's been discovered), one for when attacked, one for when destroyed, and one for when abandoned by IAR or parking/construct number limits. Players have quit this game before due to lack of info on what's going on with their stuff in game and there needs to be a solution before release.

 

Things that can wait until after release because they wouldn't turn players away:

 

More Lua screen functions

More Lua APIs

Skin stores?

More star systems/planets

In-game events like earlier

Pets

Potential farming/food for buffs

New voxel textures

XL cores existence (see building for new limit system though)

L and XL elements that don't already exist (ie engines/wings)

Construct deconstruction/packing

Player market pods

Playing sounds through lua

Holograms?

Visual FX

[Gillwin]

There is one thing that i think would be fun to add after release.  So if you do the silly mini mining game it would then give you a chance (small %) that a higher tier ore will come to surface.  It could just be a small amount of the higher tier.  Or in the future you could also get a chance to bring up a gems which could be used to craft some sort of luxury item or needed to purchase certain items. This would at least give a good reason to do the silly game instead of just clicking past it.

 

[Aaron Cain]

good points, first and foremost most important thing to do to also stop exploits and people cheating the system:

 

Kill All NPC missions

[sHuRuLuNi]

Main Pillars of DU:

Exploration: the game is "ready for release" yet its first of the main pillars is COMPLETELY MISSING. There is nothing to explore, because there is nothing to see worth your time or effort. Barren wasteland, nothing to find, no aliens, no ancient civilizations, no real artifact, no unique planetary features worth exploring. Move along.

Building: so-so ... the question is why though? There is no purpose behind building anything really (besides maybe ships) because there is no system dependency. You can build a fake garden out of plastics but you don't NEED to build it, because there are no dependent game mechanics tied to it. So you are wasting time and energy for something that is completely pointless and nothing will change whether you build it or not, nothing will be risked, nothing will be gained. Also, it's fake so nothing will grow in it. Move along.

Economy: lol

RPG: wait, what? Ooohhh so that's what the end of this acronym ("MMORPG") stands for .... I see. Well, nothing to see here, move along.

PvP: another lol ... or wait! Maybe, you know, if you had built a garden which happens to be in that specific spot of land with its unique features, and the only place known where the produce is 900% higher than anywhere else, thus making that garden extremely sought after, so you have to defend it with everything you got, because some players might try to attack you and occupy your land where this garden is ...... oh, I forgot again, there is nothing of the sort here. Move along.

Social: Ha!
 

 

 

After 8 years, the game is now ready for release.

[LeeFall]

"Playing sounds through lua" You can already do this, for a while now... Also elements damaged in PVP still tick down lives.

Edited June 30, 2022 by LeeFall

[Lethys]

Avatar vs avatar when?

[Walter]

18 hours ago, WarrenOne said:

Warp: We need to ability to add public warp beacons to our list in our map menu. This is the only way for player/organization constructs in space to form when the game is released. We can't require a player to waste an organization slot just to be able to visit an organization's space construct with a warp beacon. Also please give us the ability to block the "stop warp" function. With the original Lua API we could remove the "alt+j" key's ability to stop warp but for obvious PVP exploit reasons that may be an issue to control the "stop warp" function. There must be someway we can remove a player's ability to drop out of warp in PVP space on our ships if we so choose. "Trust your player" is not a good enough mechanic. We should have control over their ability to do that since we would be able to block a person's use of systems in the real world without just "trusting them to not hit that button." 

This is 100% intentional by NQ and for every PvP player one of the most fun things to do to jump on an unexpected target. It is great and should stay

[Yoarii]

12 hours ago, Walter said:

This is 100% intentional by NQ and for every PvP player one of the most fun things to do to jump on an unexpected target. It is great and should stay

What he's asking for is an ability to prevent ships you own from stopping warp while in pvp space, isn't that right @WarrenOne ?

[Mncdk1]

Performance optimizations.

[Maliciouss1]

well a fuel hub has been promised ......and would fix some of the current weight ratio nastiness

 

[Aaron Cain]

Missing:

A reason to actually play, there is no risk and there is no reward, there is nothing to gain and there is a missing social interaction.

Nothing to explore, building serves no purpose, you can fly a ship but flying itself also serves no gain, there is no economy to actually be great at and we can continue this.

 

The selling point was to rebuild civilization but all the characteristics of civilization are missing or the goals of one.

If organizations could own massive land masses and actually create countries on it with set borders and reasons to actually build and maintain them it would be a start but there is no need or gain from it. At this point there is not even a use for territorial warfare. even a simple digital game of risk is more rewarding because you can win it. DU has no gains or losses, no leadership boards on the count of economy or land owned or whatever. There is no research or discovery, no exploration or extra planets or moons you can monopolize by finding.

 

the initial idea was great but most points in there are missing what makes building civilization a bust.  Mostly because peoples vision on the size of this build civilization are much bigger then NQ's  mine start at atleast 100 hexes per organization with building cities of the size of a hex. And to build ships in size and capasity as for example the Battlestar galactica, everything else is minor and not close to getting to the rebuilding civilization.