Forums » General

VO 1.8.69

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Apr 26, 2009 peytros link
so like i think there is a bug in the newb sectors cause i jumped in and died before i even shot one lowly newby i repeated the process three times and to no avail some super turret thing kept hitting me. sadly now i must resort to only newb killing in the best training ground in vo, sedina b8
Apr 26, 2009 PaKettle link
Its not a bug peytros.... its a feature Incarnate created just for you personally.....You should be proud
Apr 26, 2009 peytros link
was this really just for me!?!??! logs or it didn't happen
Apr 26, 2009 incarnate link
Heh, I may have mentioned you as an example, Peytros, but it was planned for a long time before you :).

Also, I would have split off the whole newbie thing into some sort of instanced "simulator", except that would have required more development time. I'm doing the best that I can for the game in the shortest period possible. There's a lot left to do, a lot of totally-screwy faction rules and further tuning of weapons and defenses (I didn't even make the beam turrets, nor am I sure how "utterly safe" they'll be once shielded capships are available to the populace). But generally, I think we're moving in the right direction.. letting people get a handle on basic flight in strong safety (training sector), learn the fundamental game in mild safety (capitol systems), expand their knowledge in questionable safety (nation space), and then pursue most of the "actual game" in zero safety (grayspace). That's what I outlined in the FF/Faction thread a long time ago, and that's what I'm still pursuing. All things are still fluid, nothing is cast in stone, but the general trajectory isn't too far off the mark. Most of the interesting future gameplay (player owned stations, dynamic warfare, privateering and letters of marque, piracy, lucrative trading and mining, crafting / manufacturing) will take place in grayspace. Which, as I've said previously, will eventually expand to more systems, but probably not for awhile yet.

If people want to get upset over some mild protections popping up, your call. The fact is, the "universe" you have grown accustomed to is going to change, and Nation space is going to be more like "training wheels", or a place for those who wish to trade or mine at a low income rate.. but with a reduced chance of combat. All the "interesting" is going to the outer territories, or the interaction between the two (smuggling, passing Nation border guards with stealth equip, etc).
Apr 26, 2009 zamzx zik link
Word to the future- If a capital ship makes it to the newbie sector, then it should be able to have a chance. Aren't the national borders going to become much more like... borders?
Apr 26, 2009 Dr. Lecter link
If what you've just implemented is "mild" I'd sure love to know just what could be done to make it stronger.

And whether you made them beam turrets is irrelevant--it would have been more upfront if you had. You've torqued the gauss and missle turrets up to such a retardedly high level of effectiveness that they are no different than the beam turrets--they just take a second more to impact your hull.
Apr 26, 2009 peytros link
you can't dodge capital gauss turrets lecter? i think something may be wrong with you cause the only turrets that where ever a problem where the super missles but those aren't impossible to get around.
Apr 26, 2009 Dr. Lecter link
Gauss that catches, after being fired from hundreds of Km behind, a ship moving at 225 . . . is just retarded. No idea if the WH gauss and the capital gauss are the same or not, though.
Apr 26, 2009 peytros link
mmm lecter I haven't had that problem you are having with the wh gauss turrets the only thing that moves around that fast is the super stingrays or whatever they are
Apr 27, 2009 ruby too link
While the training missions are great for new players they really get to be a bore for more advanced players who are trying to start a new alt. Isn’t there some way to just bypass the whole tedious process?

And what’s up with not allowing the new player/alt out of the training area until the pass mission III? I can see not letting bad guys in but not letting the trainees out? Are they prisoners?
Apr 27, 2009 Kierky link
@ruby too:

I have an alt and I passed the missions very quickly.
No, they are not prisoners, they are undertaking lessons on how to pilot a ship!
It's almost like life, "you can't take on challenges you aren't qualified to undertake, otherwise something bad might happen".
Apr 27, 2009 ruby too link
I have a few alts and it is getting REALLY boring having to go through the same stuff time and time again.

There are different ways that people can appreciate VO and one of my ways is starting alts, working them up to a set point, killing them off and starting again. I learn a lot about "leveling up," as well as get to experience the mission trees more than once. A whole lot of work went into their development and many are so well put together that they are worth a return visit.

I also get to experience the joys an adventures of the lower levels, which I think we often rush through too fast.

I believe that all this has made me a better mentor besides simply being fun. That said I have flown one heck of a lot of training missions and "flight tests" and would like to skip all that from now on if that would be all right.

People should be free to play as they like and if someone wants to venture out unprepared we might think that they are making a mistake, but it should be their mistake to make.

VO is a great game, and never so much so as when it gives us more, rather than fewer, choices.
Apr 27, 2009 missioncreek2 link
Well said ruby too.

How much more attractive is trading in gray now?

Is TGFT flocking to odia now?
Apr 27, 2009 Aticephyr link
People should be free to play as they like and if someone wants to venture out unprepared we might think that they are making a mistake, but it should be their mistake to make.
eeeehhhhh... newbies on 100 are annoying enough as is without them being able to skip the tutorials. I'll let you take another set of tutorials for 10 min before I am bombarded with newbies who know NOTHING.
Apr 27, 2009 incarnate link
And whether you made them beam turrets is irrelevant--it would have been more upfront if you had. You've torqued the gauss and missle turrets up to such a retardedly high level of effectiveness that they are no different than the beam turrets--they just take a second more to impact your hull.

There is no way that that is your logical position, Lecter. I can avoid the freakin' gauss turrets, and as Peytros says, the missile ones aren't impassible either. Beam turrets are instant-kill. Plus, I've repeatedly stated that we're going to make more mechanics for stealthily passing borders and things.. there's no point to such mechanics without a valid threat in the first place. Until we add those mechanics, feel free to be annoyed, but don't try to tell me the Capitol turrets are just as dangerous as the Beam turrets.

Look, everyone, I welcome feedback on turrets and defenses in a constructive post on Suggestions. Nothing in this game has ever been cast in stone, these last beam turrets are no exception. I told Ray to "make them hardcore" and then went off to do some marketing work for the game. I'm expecting another influx of newbies before long, and yes, I would like some additional defenses for them. Originally I just used the missile turrets, but I received quite a bit of player input saying that those were too weak, and it was possible to fly through, pop some newbies, and escape.. without any real risk. So, yes, we dropped in beam turrets. I didn't personally test them prior to release, and I have no problem with toning them down a little, but I will keep the training-sector defenses quite vigilant. Frankly, it is far easier to start with a really strong defense, and tone it down to a reasonable level, than it is to go the other way around. So I really don't see this is as a subject worthy of much drama.

For everyone complaining about lengthened newbie periods, give me a freaking break. We all created a bunch of newbie characters on Friday, explicitly to test the new features and make sure all the tutorials worked with the new defense mechanics and so on. It takes like two minutes to pass through all of that and get out to the capitol system. In fact, it's probably shorter than it was before, it just requires an extra jump. I played through it several times, it requires launching, docking, and clicking ok a bunch of times, and you're out of there.

Lastly, I am doing what I believe is best for the game as a whole. I have no expectations of popularity for the choices I'm making. Pirates are pissed that they can't sack capitols as easily. Traders are pissed that their routes are now favoring gray space where they're at risk to pirates. Miners will be pissed when I re-assort all the minerals and put the more valuable patches in grayspace. Some people are apparently unhappy that totally-raw newbies now have greater protection. Guess what: our newbie turnover rate has been absolutely terrible, in part because of griefing that takes place before they've even figured out how to fly. So, yes, I'm damn sure going to prevent that if I can, and you can call it a "safe place" or a "simulator" or whatever you want to.. it is necessary for the continued health of this game, and the company that makes it. The last one is a critical point, I have made a number of changes to create a more gradual danger experience from the starting game out to the intended endgame. I really don't think this will make your game experiences any worse, and will eventually make it a lot better once everything is in place (relative danger has lots of uses, like actual smuggling). But most importantly, it yields a greater chance of INCREASING THE USERBASE, and thus improving the health of the company making the game. Yes, much of what we need is just more "content", we know that, we're trying to do that too, but a lot of our losses are just due to newbie-frustration at a very hostile environment without sufficient time to acclimate. If I can give them a whole.. hour or so, to gain a little insight? I don't think that's a bad thing.

So, please, I do welcome feedback, but try to keep it constructive, and put it in the proper place on the Suggestions forum.
Apr 27, 2009 bull350 link
I think the noob area is a great idea. Having played many, many online games, being killed repeatedly by someone with all the high end eqipment while you are still trying to learn the mechanics of the game is frustrating at best and for most causes them to leave the game before they get started.

So there are 3 sectors that you can't pop noobs in, big hairy deal. You want more people to come out into grey so you can pirate and you want to lessen the influx of new players by hitting the noob area? Makes sense to me...
Apr 27, 2009 toshiro link
Yay update. I'll log on, then.
Apr 30, 2009 LeberMac link
Umm.... yay update?

Shit why is everyone in here so pissy?
Apr 30, 2009 Aticephyr link
hey, don't lump us all in with the grouches!
yay updates :D
May 01, 2009 Whistler link
Yay update!