Forums » General
The IRC bot will still be operation, I assume. Simply monitor #vrelay; if there are people online who want to play with you, they will talk on 100. If they'd rather no one know they're on, they won't. It's quite simple, really.
I'm very glad to see that the active players list link has been removed, and I hope to see the complete removal of the list in the near future.
I'm very glad to see that the active players list link has been removed, and I hope to see the complete removal of the list in the near future.
I think the next obvious step to increased immersion is to ban the bots.
I'm only aware of two potential drawbacks to the active players page:
1. People might *not* log in because the people they want to play with are *not* online; if too many people do that, nobody ever logs in.
2. People might run statistical algorithms aimed at guessing alts.
As for an active buddies page, I think that would be better than nothing, but I'm nearly as interested in knowing about enemies online as friends. I don't know if my position is a common one or not though. The IRC bot does sometimes provide part of what I want here, but I think we're better off with the active players list than without. I'm inclined to think the people who want it removed are a small, but very vocal minority.
1. People might *not* log in because the people they want to play with are *not* online; if too many people do that, nobody ever logs in.
2. People might run statistical algorithms aimed at guessing alts.
As for an active buddies page, I think that would be better than nothing, but I'm nearly as interested in knowing about enemies online as friends. I don't know if my position is a common one or not though. The IRC bot does sometimes provide part of what I want here, but I think we're better off with the active players list than without. I'm inclined to think the people who want it removed are a small, but very vocal minority.
well this blows.
I'm far too lazy to use the apl to keep track of alts, but i use it to decide whether or not to even bother logging in. I foresee my activity dropping like the Hindenburg.
I think it was merely done to hide the recently shrinking activity levels.
I'm far too lazy to use the apl to keep track of alts, but i use it to decide whether or not to even bother logging in. I foresee my activity dropping like the Hindenburg.
I think it was merely done to hide the recently shrinking activity levels.
The people who post on the messageboard, at all, are a vocal minority. That does not detract from the fact that the alt-finding criticisms are legitimate. It also makes it easier to specifically target certain individuals, which has also happened in the past.
No, it was not done to hide recently dropping blah blah whatever. I have promised to remove the active players list for years, there are umpteen threads on here about it (going back at least to 2004), and I finally got around to doing some website updates. This is most definitely not a sudden and unforeseen change. Here's one of the more recent threads requesting it in Sept of 2009, and it's clearly not all pirates (don't revive that thread).
As always, I am open to feedback and alternate solutions. I've said we can offer an alternative for tracking buddy activity. We'll also post a graph showing general population trends, so it'll still be apparent enough when a ton of people are online. Just saying that it "blows" is not useful to the conversation.
No, it was not done to hide recently dropping blah blah whatever. I have promised to remove the active players list for years, there are umpteen threads on here about it (going back at least to 2004), and I finally got around to doing some website updates. This is most definitely not a sudden and unforeseen change. Here's one of the more recent threads requesting it in Sept of 2009, and it's clearly not all pirates (don't revive that thread).
As always, I am open to feedback and alternate solutions. I've said we can offer an alternative for tracking buddy activity. We'll also post a graph showing general population trends, so it'll still be apparent enough when a ton of people are online. Just saying that it "blows" is not useful to the conversation.
I like knowing how many people are online but mostly only because I'm curious. Buddy tracking would be nice for me too.
It blows.
I don't see how removing the active players list can be seen as a negative. It makes alt checking much harder (if not nearly impossible), it makes people LOG IN to see who's around, and it keeps people from targeting specific individuals (or avoiding them) impossible.
If you're in a guild, you can still see which of your friends are online, and buddy info via website will also further facilitate finding your friends.
There isn't any negative to increasing immersion.Now if we could please boot the fucking IRC bot, the success would be complete...
If you're in a guild, you can still see which of your friends are online, and buddy info via website will also further facilitate finding your friends.
There isn't any negative to increasing immersion.Now if we could please boot the fucking IRC bot, the success would be complete...
What I'm looking forward to most will be having people not know that I'm about if I decide to run quiet when hunting. Of course, I won't know what/who I'm looking for, so it balances nicely.
In the thread incarnate linked, there was a lot of support for a temporary removal and revisiting of the issue a month later. I think the net effect would be a reduced average number of players online after the first week or so, but I might be completely wrong on that.
Well of course, the number of players should still be available... then also the buddy/guild thing would let you know when your friends are online... zak, do you just want to avoid us? Why do you need to know what specific enemy players are on?
I like this.
I like ShankTank's idea of showing the number of players online. Also the idea of having an active buddylist on the website. I'm not particularly partial either way, though. Fun update :).
You misunderstand, ShankTank. I don't want to avoid you. I want to hunt you.
[quote PA's Kettle]
Making everybody else miserable is not playing either...
You play your way and I will mine.
[/quote]
Come now, I don't make _everyone_ miserable, just you. And do not get me wrong, prospecting is fun, even I did it when mining was released, but actual mining is, well, sitting still hoping some 'rat don't find you and blast you. Go play Excel! Oh well, lets not derail the thread with obviously personal attacks.
If I do not want you to know I am online, then you should not know I am online, it is that simple. Many of my alts were busted by use of the APL. I've busted many an alt via use of the APL also. This can only be a good thing. Imagine the mmosite promo, newb gets offered a key, newb goes to website to register his free key, but notices the APL, decides to check that out before he proceeds, see's 10 people online and laughs...
Sure, no doubt short term effects will be harsh, but there are other options. With time this seriously can only be a good thing, for both pirates and none pirates. New and old, I'm just glad Guild had the balls to make the change.
Making everybody else miserable is not playing either...
You play your way and I will mine.
[/quote]
Come now, I don't make _everyone_ miserable, just you. And do not get me wrong, prospecting is fun, even I did it when mining was released, but actual mining is, well, sitting still hoping some 'rat don't find you and blast you. Go play Excel! Oh well, lets not derail the thread with obviously personal attacks.
If I do not want you to know I am online, then you should not know I am online, it is that simple. Many of my alts were busted by use of the APL. I've busted many an alt via use of the APL also. This can only be a good thing. Imagine the mmosite promo, newb gets offered a key, newb goes to website to register his free key, but notices the APL, decides to check that out before he proceeds, see's 10 people online and laughs...
Sure, no doubt short term effects will be harsh, but there are other options. With time this seriously can only be a good thing, for both pirates and none pirates. New and old, I'm just glad Guild had the balls to make the change.
could there be some way the player guilds page could show which guilds have players online and how many? I'm not asking for individual players to be named. But it would be nice to know in advance their are X number of pirates or X number of traders online. The buddies online thing would be nice too.
Oh, look at this! The devs do something so now everyone is bitching about everything. STFU or stay on topic. Please, thanks.
OH, and I like idea of being able to see which buddies are online.
OH, and I like idea of being able to see which buddies are online.
god will all you people grow a pair there is no other mmo in the world that gives you an APL at least not any one that I have played. Just list the number of people on and if people still bitch do it by faction but jesus christ running into someone is hard enough in this game when you know they are on its not like this is going to get magically easier for pirates to find traders because space is huge herp derp.
oh and ish if you want to know if CHRN is online just log in and wait for a new to start crying over 100 about how he just got asploded problem solved.
oh and ish if you want to know if CHRN is online just log in and wait for a new to start crying over 100 about how he just got asploded problem solved.
I wasnt bitchin - /msg irc active also needs to go go go!
Disregarding the couple of rude comments I posted and deleted earlier, this should be interesting. When do you expect to have the active players page fully unavailable? Until then removing the menu option was really just a vain gesture.
I have no opinion either way. I don't think its going to accomplish the immersion and surprise encounters that seem to be expected, at least no more so than having it up allows for. I also don't think the loss of it is the end of the world. Edit: I meant to put something on the plus side here, but nothing really came to mind since I don't believe this is an 'impact' change.
The only difference I will experience is that I periodically decide to log on based on who else is on. I also often choose which char I want to play based on who is on. I'm not going to be more inclined towards flying an XC through grey though.
I have no opinion either way. I don't think its going to accomplish the immersion and surprise encounters that seem to be expected, at least no more so than having it up allows for. I also don't think the loss of it is the end of the world. Edit: I meant to put something on the plus side here, but nothing really came to mind since I don't believe this is an 'impact' change.
The only difference I will experience is that I periodically decide to log on based on who else is on. I also often choose which char I want to play based on who is on. I'm not going to be more inclined towards flying an XC through grey though.