Development Cycle Archive
Thread: In-Concept Open Discussion (Week Ending 3-22-04)
lund0529
Mon Mar 15, 2004 12:13 pm
#66
SpeerRedow wrote:
Ideas to improve server latency and to ease database usage/storage:
1) There have been many ideas to raise the stack values on crates and stackable items such as resources. This can help with database issues, for example: lets say you have 1000 units of item X in one or more crates. If the max stack is 1000, you have 1 entry in the database for it, with all its attributes. If max size is 40, you now have 25 entries for what could be considered the same exact thing. That repeats the same attributes (stats, names, locations, etc) 25 times. Doesn't that waste storage? Access time? Although this is a very small example, if extrapolated to all the servers and tested, I would think there would be a lot of memory saved.
How about allowing things like loot items stack? I have 9 identical krayt tissues, but instead of one stack of 9, I have 9 individual items.
JimTanis
Mon Mar 15, 2004 12:15 pm
#67
I am a master weaponsmith on Scylla. I added these to another thread but seem good as in concept as well.:
1) Experimentation skill tapes are probably too rare and command crazy prices of about 1 million per point (10 million to get one experimentation point). I have all the tapes I need...but wow the prices are crazy...the tapes are too rare.
2) I enjoy the fact that smiths can differentiate themselves through diligent efforts collecting rare resources and learning all they can abou their craft. I'm not sure that this change will enhance this or not? Savy smiths can even focus on a few weapon types to please their customers. Keep this ability strong and vibrant in the game! Resource shifts and rare resources that don't spawn often, and varried qualites keep things interesting.
3) In making weapons, the number one important area for experimentaiton seems to be damage/speed. Until those are maxed, it is a waste to put them into any other attribute. The changes per experimentaiton point to the other attributes are very minor. This is especially true for HAM and Range. One would never create a schematic without maxing out the damage/speed bars. Why spend experimentation 2 points to reduce HAM by 2 to 4 when you could reduce the speed by .3 and add 20 damage? Perhaps some changes to allow special DOT type of attacks or adding other skills to the gun (freeze monster for 10 seconds, knock down, slow monster, etc.) could be added via special components or experiementation.
4) Changes that make it such that I have to wait for a random roll of an amazing success to make a good item seem useless. I will just have to waste more time making schematics waiting for the roll of a random number. This is dull and becomes a waste of valuable time. It will become like making powerups....just a matter of dull time waiting for the right random combination of items to come up. No skill here....no fun here....just time wasted. I can't impact the results...I just have to wait...grind...hope...zzzzzzzz.
5) If one must be strongly subject to the random rolls of quality, then give us ways to *greatly* improve our odds of great and amazing successes. Perhaps some form of skill tape (more readily avialble via a quest or something...not another 10 million dollar loot item). Give us food and spices to enhance our craft (there are some now).Havecrafting stations and tools that when well made make a real improvement in our skills (I don't know that I've ever seen proof that better quality tools and crafting stations make any difference in the process). Create an environment where a dilligent smith can use high quality tools, food and spices, special clothing from a quest, etc., smith level (bonus as master etc.) to create an environment where great and amazing successes are the norm and fails and average success are rare. These changes should be easily apparent to the smith such that they can see the bonuses and understand their impact. Perhaps a fun quest could exist to get lights and tools to improve your chances. These types of items should be in enough supply though such that a new crazy market for 10 million dollar items in NOT created. These items should be obtainable by all smiths.In the real world atrue master of a craft can take many steps to control the outcome of his craft. Let us do that in game.
JimmTanis Master Weaponsmith
SpeerRedow
Mon Mar 15, 2004 12:21 pm
#68
lund0529 wrote:
SpeerRedow wrote:
Ideas to improve server latency and to ease database usage/storage:
1) There have been many ideas to raise the stack values on crates and stackable items such as resources. This can help with database issues, for example: lets say you have 1000 units of item X in one or more crates. If the max stack is 1000, you have 1 entry in the database for it, with all its attributes. If max size is 40, you now have 25 entries for what could be considered the same exact thing. That repeats the same attributes (stats, names, locations, etc) 25 times. Doesn't that waste storage? Access time? Although this is a very small example, if extrapolated to all the servers and tested, I would think there would be a lot of memory saved.
How about allowing things like loot items stack? I have 9 identical krayt tissues, but instead of one stack of 9, I have 9 individual items.
Now if only a Dev would tell us if this is possible, feasible, and would help server/database performance
Phazorn
Mon Mar 15, 2004 12:23 pm
#69
the AoE multiple hi on a single target bug really needs fixing. this bug allows 6 digit damage against mobs, common in the front of the G-cave. it also allows tremendous damage in pvp
here is a screenie if you arnt familiar
http://home.bellsouth.net/coDataImages/p/Groups/183/183089/folders/128279/947897AoEbug.JPG
probably not in-concept but dont really see anyone bringing this alot of attention
Ravenedge
Mon Mar 15, 2004 12:27 pm
#70
I dunno if anyone has suggested this or not. I think one of the things we can all agree on is the lack of feel of the "Empire" in the daily lives on everyone. Why not create a sales tax for any purchases made. It doesn't have to be extreme. But enough to give us the impression that the Empire is there and in control. I know we have a problem with the economy and people are complaining about some of the money sinks in the game. Well, to take this one step further, say the sales tax is 1%. If the system can add up all the sales tax collected on a server each week, month or whatever time frame that could reasonably be established, then why not have the Empire contribute part of that earnings to Imperial aligned cities for maintenence and upgrades? It would give Imperial cities incentive to be Imperial, and be one of the drawbacks for being Rebel. Afterall, they shouldn't be supported at all by the government they are trying to overthrow. Its just an idea, but I think something along these lines is exactly what the game is missing. We need a bit more reality to make this whole conflict convincing, and make us feel we are part of something larger.
EvoBeck
Mon Mar 15, 2004 12:31 pm
#71
Would it be possible to have a major release where the main overall theme is fixing everything thats currently broken.
I understand people are screaming for new content, and some new items, however, I believe the vast majority would be willing to play the current game if all the major and minor bugs were fixed.
In my experience, I don't know anyone willing to quit this game because of defense stacking, the economy/crafting, bleeds, etc.
The only reason I ever hear that people leave this game for, are all the bugs, some of which have been around for nearly a year, and are simple to fix.
I personally want to stick with this game, and there is so much to currently do, but the bugs make it a nuicance. For instance my main goal is to have a set of RIS armor that is actually quite capable. I held off making it until the stat shift was fixed. Now that is fixed and they have a new set of vulnerabilites which may or may not be a bug. Furthermore, the RIS components are going to be heavily affected by the upcoming change to crafting.
I would have been extremely happy if all they did was fix the stat shift and just leave it the way it was.
Even as an accomplished jedi, I would prefer the bugs be fixed before a new jedi system is implimented. Once again if the current bugs in the profession were fixed, it would be much more playable and enjoyable.
I understand the need to balance, as I have been a developer of other games before as a hobby. Sometimes the interest of the player has to take a backseat for the better of the long run game.
However, I feel that players are much, much more willing to accept balance changes and new items, when what they currently have is working fully.
This game does have a bug list that I am quite sure could fill an entire release, and I understand that a certain amount of resource is dedicated to those fixes. I propose though that for an entire publish, 100% resource is dedicated to making the current game work simply by only fixing the bugs. This is the greatest thing you can do for the dedicated fan base that really wants this game to succeed.
MayRee
Mon Mar 15, 2004 12:35 pm
#72
How about a "Create a Dungeon/Quest contest"... To enter you would create a story line and some details about the dungeon/quest following the approved guidelines. We could have 3-5dungeon/quest finalists that would be chosen by the devs (or theirfellow associates)so that theycan make sure that they dungeon/quest ideas can bedeveloped for the game.The community can then vote on the best idea.The devs could then take the general idea for the dungeon/quest (of coursethey could put their own spin on it) to make it work and putthe dungeon/questin game in an upcoming publish. This would be a great way to get the community involved in a positive way in the design of the game and people would love to see their own
idea actually put in the game.
This could be an ongoing monthly contest and multiple people could win over time.
What do you think?
MayRee Shen-Ku
Master Tailor
Dantoo City, Lowca
ElrohirSoR
Mon Mar 15, 2004 12:36 pm
#73
Please fix heavy weapons SEA as they currently do not work on either the LLC for bounty hunters or any of the heavy weapons for commando.
Kane_Firestalker
Mon Mar 15, 2004 12:37 pm
#74
TH: has there been any word on fixing the Debris Piles so that they can only be looted by someone who is actually playing the game? IE: Borgle Bat Cave on Rori. Same thing every day, everyone and their brother circling around the piles with an AFK macro program running.
lund0529
Mon Mar 15, 2004 12:38 pm
#75
Crystals from the source...?
It seems to me that force crystals shouldn't be loot only items. Why is it that you can find them on a low-level thug, but not in the ground? If you added items as random sample events, you could allow for Jedi to get crystals without having to kill thousands of NPCs to get one.
You could also put things in there that are just random finds, artifacts, just anything that might be buried. Maybe a crystal is more likely to be found when sampling gemstones? I can snag items fishing, why not find them while sampling or maybe foraging?
This would also cut down on kill-stealing and camping of static NPC spawns in cities too.
Pearls could go the same way... maybe only on Tat? Maybe only near the krayt graveyard? With all those bones, there must be a pearl or two out there in the sand...
imn4life
Mon Mar 15, 2004 12:47 pm
#76
AFK Dancer/Musician fix:
have a pop-up like surveying (the afk sample fix). Make the text what you wish but give an option; 1) ignore and continue dancing/playing music, 2) attempt feat. If option 2 is chosen there is an XP bonus involved.
Antilles98
Mon Mar 15, 2004 12:52 pm
#77
Can some time please be focused on fixing long term exploits and bugs? And why is so much effort being placed on the Jedi class, when there are older professions which deserve some attention (Pikemen for example).
Please fix the Combat Medic exploit of having a range of 80meters.
Please fix exploits regarding base destruction and timer reset.
Please fix clone/full stomach issue.
Thank you.
Please fix the Combat Medic exploit of having a range of 80meters.
Please fix exploits regarding base destruction and timer reset.
Please fix clone/full stomach issue.
Thank you.
DarkFreak
Mon Mar 15, 2004 2:03 pm
#78
I have an idea to help with the HAM/Specials situation. How about the addition of a fourth bar, kind of like the jedi's Force bar, just for the use of specials? Each special move would have a base points cost, and each weapon's encumbrance, which would would change so that each weapon only has one encumbrance value, would add to that base cost. As you go up the skill tree, the specials become more and more encumbering/expensive. Once the bar runs out, you can't useany specialsuntil it replenishes itself.
For example : HealthShot1 would cost 25 points + 25 points for using the FWG5, HealthShot2 would cost 50 points + 25 points for using the FWG5.
The Specials Bar could be capped and not part of stat migrations. However, there could be additional foods or spices that could increase the bar or lower the overall specials costs by a certain percentage. The Specials Bar would also be un-healable. It would only be refilled over time or with the possible use of food or spice. This would make lower encumbrance weapons much more valuable. It would also solve some of the problems we all face. People could no longer get buffed and spam the specialls of extremely high damage weapons, which would force people to depend a little more on strategy instead of, "haha i've got a better buff and weapon than you do". The balacing of the specials cost and the refresh rate could be worked out in testing.
I feel that this would be an excellent balancing solution. It would put most everyone on a level playing field when it comes to using specials. The only down side I see is that it would end the tumbling for healing that medics/doctors use to level up.