Commando Archive

And I feel it is time to look back on what has been accomplishedand what we have learned about the CURB in the last 7 months. And frankly looking back i am very disappointed in the progress and the contiunal delays.

7 months ago, We were told that they were delaying the CURB until after JTL launched. This caused such an uproar that TH posted this on 21 July 2004:

****************************************************************************************************************

*****************************************************************************************************************

Well guess what didn't happen. The PR machine of SOE killed the idea of talking about anything but JTL including the Friday Feature about roles for professions (Which is 6 months late) until afterJTL. And while we were waiting for JTL to launch, we had Blackman say

***************************************************************************************************************

Yeah, all the guys who are happy with everything are playing the game. They aren't spending their time sending you guys letters or posting on the forums

****************************************************************************************************************

As if to add insult to injury, we are forced to endure an steam of JTL FF even after JTL LAUNCHED. There was a brief moment of euphoia when TH posted that the SandBox would start in "a few weeks". We all hoped that it would start before Thanksgiving. But it was not to be. AND the JTL PR machine continues to spew JTL info at us. Then we are told, more info and alpha would start in January. It is a 3 month delay but we accepted it. We are told the delays are because they are implementing Testers suggestions.

In january, we did get one FF about the CURB, Ironicly six months to the day of posting that the "docs" would be posted in two weeks.

So what did he say:

******************************************************************************************************************

In the combat upgrade we have decided to alter the interaction between weapons and armor to provide some interesting tactical choices. To accomplish this end we have added several new features to weapons and armor. The primary change seen in weapons is the removal of the armor piercing system and addition of an energy level setting on a player's weapon. This energy level plays a very significant role when used against the various armor types. Below is a new chart illustrating the new energy levels:
Energy Level Value Mode Mode 1 - Standard Damage Mode 2 - Coherent Damage Mode 3 - Focused EnergyRanged Mode Type Pulse-Wave Coherent Bolts Focused BeamMelee Mode Type Hand-to-Hand Standard Vibration High Intensity

Armor Types: None - Provides no additional damage mitigation Reconnaissance - Designed to disperse focused energy (mode 3), but weak against standard damage types (mode 1). Battle - A general purpose style of armor that is not as good as either of the extremes against specific damage types but which has a lesser weakness. Assault - Hardened armor designed to protect against standard damage (mode 1). Its drawback is that it is weak against focused energy damage types (mode 3).

The new types are General Protection and Specific Protections. General protection will range from 0 to 6,000. The general protection of armor will be the baseline stat that reflects how much absorption armor can take against all incoming damage. The Specific Protections will be broken out into familiar damage types of kinetic, acid, heat and so on that ranges from -1200 to +1200.

Rather than reducing both drain and regeneration stats, it will now only reduce the relevant drain stat. We have also added four new hindrance types that will be mitigated by various profession skills

********************************************************************************************************************

That all the NEW info that was posted. And while i think i like what i am reading, it doesn't really mean anything until it is tested.

Last week, SOETyrant said that the sandbox would start in a few weeks.

An last week, we got the WORST FF about the Revamp, basicly we just got a list of weapons, no other INFO.

So in concusion, in the last 7 months we have gotten an endless steam of delays and excuses AND ONE FF with some info that means nothing untill we see the weapons doc and it is tested in ALPHA. After almost 5 months of "SandBox will/can start anytime now", there has been no observable progress.

So when do you think we will see progress??

Frankly, I don't think alpha will start till march. WHY? Because we are halfway though FEB and they are still saying "in a few weeks".

And my prediction of eitehr a May 19 or June 24 Live Date is becoming more and more likely.

Thing I want to know: Do people really think the CURB will make the game fun? Sure it will be nice to play with new weapons armor and abilities, but if the "content" is the same, then we willhave the same problems then as we do now. Nothing to do but PvP when you complete a template. PvP probably still will be unimaginative. But I will hold final comments till I see it live.

RIEN - Master Commando
"We are the guys skilled with all ranged weapons. They should let us act like it"

Later today (im hoping...still getting acclaimated to everything, and gotta do a nice big review of our issues) Ill be posting an outline of what I have planned to do as correspondent and give some insight what Ill be doing over the next week or so...as well as a "Commando Concerns, possibilities, and requests" ranging from the CURB, Immediate, and Future stuff for commando. I already got some great stuff down, and will be looking to add new items to my list as well as not to get a rehash of all of our longstanding issues that are already stickied.

Stay tuned...

--Stern Synex-- --Master Commando-- --IDI Forces----Proud Commando of 42 Months-- --Last Commando Correspondent--
We fear no enemy...we are the few, the proud, and the brave. We are, Commando!
Pyro Games

RIEN - Master Commando
"We are the guys skilled with all ranged weapons. They should let us act like it"

As several of us have been saying all along, this it not about coding changes this is all about marketing and this all about Episode 3. Sandbox will start at very end of Feb at the earliest but most likely begining of March. Towards the end of March it will move to closed BETA and then into open Beta mid April. The only question now is if they will release right beofre the move release at the same time or right after. I'd say it will goto live within a few days of the Movie release.

The part that is the most insulting is not the delays its the fact that they haveknown since October what they were doing with this and KNow this very day and yet refuse to be honest with the customers about what they are doing. And to those who have batteld me on this point sinec the seond week of November saying I had know idea what I was talking about and that the sandbox will start any day maybe you'll undertsnad it when this goes live in May. Its a shame that string-out method with impelmented but what can you say its worked for them. They have not paid the price for doing it so nothing will chnage. Any future huge products expect more of the same.