Forums » General
Hopefully we're releasing this tomorrow, so time is of the essence!
As always, you can get to the test server by putting "test:" before your username, when you log in. We'll try to get the test server's database updated soon, but for now you'll either need to have had an account for some time, or be in the PCC.
The new missions have the same requirements, and are available at the same places as the current Border Skirmish (you need combat 3 and to sign up with the military). They're currently called "fighter", "small", "medium", and "Border Skirmish" (large- essentially the same thing we've had for a while).
Please keep replies to this thread on the subject of bugs, as that's all I'll have time to deal with for the next couple days.
As always, you can get to the test server by putting "test:" before your username, when you log in. We'll try to get the test server's database updated soon, but for now you'll either need to have had an account for some time, or be in the PCC.
The new missions have the same requirements, and are available at the same places as the current Border Skirmish (you need combat 3 and to sign up with the military). They're currently called "fighter", "small", "medium", and "Border Skirmish" (large- essentially the same thing we've had for a while).
Please keep replies to this thread on the subject of bugs, as that's all I'll have time to deal with for the next couple days.
Took a small mission. Here's some things I saw:
The tridents sat about 5000m away from each other -- well out of weapons range. That means that they were only reload-and-repair bases, and didn't actually engage each other. Not sure if that was your intent or not.
Reload/repair was not free, which was lame.
AI fighters were still stupid. Rags tried to sit about 10m away from the capship and fire off their weapons. Which would be okay, except they sat right in front of turrets, so got off, like, 3 shots.
The tridents sat about 5000m away from each other -- well out of weapons range. That means that they were only reload-and-repair bases, and didn't actually engage each other. Not sure if that was your intent or not.
Reload/repair was not free, which was lame.
AI fighters were still stupid. Rags tried to sit about 10m away from the capship and fire off their weapons. Which would be okay, except they sat right in front of turrets, so got off, like, 3 shots.
I didn't have any problems with the missions. Except that small got pretty boring afer while.. 200 kills is a lot without respawning cap ships.
I'm camping from may til october so at the moment m configuration s a little different:
Macbook, no mouse, satellite internet. so im slightly handicapped but i still checked te missions out, quite impressive where you intend to go, liked the rag bombers chasing me around, not often you get spammed by an npc
I wont comment on lag or shot issues as I know the test server is one computer trying to run the world plus i myself a have been lagged but the general concept and functionality was nice. Look forward to seeing it in Pro
Macbook, no mouse, satellite internet. so im slightly handicapped but i still checked te missions out, quite impressive where you intend to go, liked the rag bombers chasing me around, not often you get spammed by an npc
I wont comment on lag or shot issues as I know the test server is one computer trying to run the world plus i myself a have been lagged but the general concept and functionality was nice. Look forward to seeing it in Pro
I have tried to reach the test server by putting test before my log in name and have gotten a log in incorrect message so perhaps the data base does not have my account. I will try again this afternoon and take the missions then if I can.
I agree with roguelazer's comment about reload/repair not being free (this will drain people's money VERY quickly).
In the small mission I can understand the Tridents just sitting there, being reload/repair bases - but maybe respawning dead Tridents after a time would be a good idea? The side that loses their Trident is put at a big disadvantage and as spuck said, the mission does drag on, so respawning Tridents could help here as well.
As for the medium mission, the beginning is very symmetric - both Teradons go after the opponent's Trident, which results in both Tridents dying literally seconds apart. Then both Teradons go after the Constellations - although here the Itani Constellation died, whereas the Serco one somehow evaded the Itani Teradon's shots.
Eventually the Teradons ended up shooting at each other, drifting far far away from the battle. I also noticed the Teradons have stronger shields that regenerate much faster than normally - I think even 4 or 5 people in spamrags would have much trouble bringing Teradon's shields down.
I'm not sure it's a good idea, because assuming that Teradons will be able to hit their targets, the Tridents and Constellations will die pretty quickly and then drift off shooting each other. Players will have nowhere to reload/repair, except when a new Trident pops in - but when it does, it will immediately go after the enemy Teradon, which in turn will kill the Trident pretty quickly. I didn't wait until the end of the mission, but during the 30 minutes or so I haven't seen another Constellation appear. I think leaving the Teradon's shields as they are now on the production server would be a good move here.
The NPC Ragnaroks could fire their missiles from a distance (at least 500 m?) - as they are now, as roguelazer said, they die very quickly and there's no reason to chase them even if the ship they're attacking has no shields.
EDIT: The thing with Teradon shields applies to the "full" Border Skirmish as well - it's almost impossible to kill one, even with several of your side's capships and your Teradon firing at it.
Also, the capships ram each other a lot.
In the small mission I can understand the Tridents just sitting there, being reload/repair bases - but maybe respawning dead Tridents after a time would be a good idea? The side that loses their Trident is put at a big disadvantage and as spuck said, the mission does drag on, so respawning Tridents could help here as well.
As for the medium mission, the beginning is very symmetric - both Teradons go after the opponent's Trident, which results in both Tridents dying literally seconds apart. Then both Teradons go after the Constellations - although here the Itani Constellation died, whereas the Serco one somehow evaded the Itani Teradon's shots.
Eventually the Teradons ended up shooting at each other, drifting far far away from the battle. I also noticed the Teradons have stronger shields that regenerate much faster than normally - I think even 4 or 5 people in spamrags would have much trouble bringing Teradon's shields down.
I'm not sure it's a good idea, because assuming that Teradons will be able to hit their targets, the Tridents and Constellations will die pretty quickly and then drift off shooting each other. Players will have nowhere to reload/repair, except when a new Trident pops in - but when it does, it will immediately go after the enemy Teradon, which in turn will kill the Trident pretty quickly. I didn't wait until the end of the mission, but during the 30 minutes or so I haven't seen another Constellation appear. I think leaving the Teradon's shields as they are now on the production server would be a good move here.
The NPC Ragnaroks could fire their missiles from a distance (at least 500 m?) - as they are now, as roguelazer said, they die very quickly and there's no reason to chase them even if the ship they're attacking has no shields.
EDIT: The thing with Teradon shields applies to the "full" Border Skirmish as well - it's almost impossible to kill one, even with several of your side's capships and your Teradon firing at it.
Also, the capships ram each other a lot.
I just fixed the repair/reload/replacement subsidy, and a problem with one side's capships not respawning. From reports above, it seems like you guys aren't seeing them respawn at all. To clarify, the capships, other than the HAC and the Teradon in the medium-scale skirmish, should respawn like this:
* Teradon: Respawns a random time between 8 and 12 minutes after death.
* Constellation: Respawn of 16-22 minutes after death.
* Trident: Respawn of 4 to 6 minutes after death.
* Fighter craft: Respawn of 20-60 seconds.
If they're not, in your testing, please let me know.
Also, the mission names are now "Dogfight", "Small Skirmish", "Medium Skirmish", "Large Skirmish" and the weekly "Border Battle". (naming suggestions welcome, but make another thread please)
* Teradon: Respawns a random time between 8 and 12 minutes after death.
* Constellation: Respawn of 16-22 minutes after death.
* Trident: Respawn of 4 to 6 minutes after death.
* Fighter craft: Respawn of 20-60 seconds.
If they're not, in your testing, please let me know.
Also, the mission names are now "Dogfight", "Small Skirmish", "Medium Skirmish", "Large Skirmish" and the weekly "Border Battle". (naming suggestions welcome, but make another thread please)
I could be wrong, but I think during my missions the cap ships only respawned after the one on both sides died.
There's some random variation in build-time now, so I think it was a coincidence. I just tested a small mission and killed one trident; it respawned in about 5 minutes.
I just tried a small skirmish. Things went great until I got killed then the server immediately kicked me off. I relogged and the mission showed up as interrupted.
Hmm- weird- I restarted a few minutes ago, but I dont think there was enough time between me checking who was on, warning the person I did see, and then killing the server, for you to log on, take a mission and die. Do you know what time exactly it was, and/or which sector?
If I recall correctly it was in P-14, I was playing as Morpheus. I'll get back on and see if it happens again.
Heh. You're the one I warned- you said "ok" or something- did you get kicked shortly after that? ;)
Edit: Nope, turns out it's a real problem. If anyone else encounters it, please post the time and sector here.
Edit: Nope, turns out it's a real problem. If anyone else encounters it, please post the time and sector here.
did some tests, i wanted to stay longer but got called away, anyways both small/medium i seem to get kicked from the server if anything kills me. The bots in the medium seem rather dumb, looks like they dodge other npc's shots but not mine they just shoot at me. Can i ask why empty sectors and not asteroid sectors?
Basic checks like +200 combat and when u kill a bot then a number drops off of the hud from the amount of bots remaining seem fine.
Should be back in around an hour to have another test
Basic checks like +200 combat and when u kill a bot then a number drops off of the hud from the amount of bots remaining seem fine.
Should be back in around an hour to have another test
just seen your edit, well time was in between 23:00 and 23:17 GMT and places were deneb p13 and p14
The kicking-on-death bug is fixed now (thanks ray).
On test server after you die during a BS mission the ship you buy back is free - but its equips aren't. Also, you get the message that the total cost of purchase was as much as you'd pay for a ship + equips, but you get charged only for the equips.
The capship behavior still needs work. Teradons and Connies like to line up nose to nose and fly off into space by themselves without firing a shot.
Fighter skirmish: Someone logeed off and in the end of the battle their stat shows as Undefined instead of their name.
shade color on the navmap is way to dark, should be a lower transparency %, say 30-50% so you can see the image on the sector. Current look over powers the background image.