Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Breakfast Report
Page 1 of 4
Jenden
Sat Apr 23, 2005 11:52 am
#1
Ok, just got back from the breakfast; Rogue_5, blixtev, Pex, Green_Marine, Tiggs, and Hoolio were in attendance. I didn't really get a chance to have a whole lot of conversation with the Dev's (time was very tight for the event), but I did manage to get some questions answered in the general Q&A (had a nice 2 hour Q&A session). Here are the ones I have off the top of my head (paraphrased since I didn't write anything down).
On the issue of a shift away from a player driven economy:
The response here wasn't really what we would have found ideal, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it could be either. Basically they are looking for things that give players a reason to do quests, and really the only "reward" that means anything is loot. Unfortunately, this tends to cut crafters out. However, they are just working on getting some quest rewards in, then they are going to focus on strengthening the player based economy further.
On the issue of our many droid bugs/problems:
They have a Dev (can't remember which one for the life of me) currently working on droids, so things are definately out of the "yea we'll look into that phase" and into the "working on it" phase. Couldn't really get any more specific information out of that.
On the issue of crafters getting slaughtered in the CU (you guys are gonna like this one):
They didn't have a solid solution down yet (which makes me think that most likely it will come out sometime shortly after the upgrade/expansion), however they are actively working on it. The current line of thought on it is to give the job of protecting crafters to higher end combat droids. Its not set in stone... but needless to say I'm going to be pushing that one with all my might.
If I think of anything else I'll add it here. JavelinCatcher was there as well, so he may remember something I missed.
On the issue of a shift away from a player driven economy:
The response here wasn't really what we would have found ideal, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it could be either. Basically they are looking for things that give players a reason to do quests, and really the only "reward" that means anything is loot. Unfortunately, this tends to cut crafters out. However, they are just working on getting some quest rewards in, then they are going to focus on strengthening the player based economy further.
On the issue of our many droid bugs/problems:
They have a Dev (can't remember which one for the life of me) currently working on droids, so things are definately out of the "yea we'll look into that phase" and into the "working on it" phase. Couldn't really get any more specific information out of that.
On the issue of crafters getting slaughtered in the CU (you guys are gonna like this one):
They didn't have a solid solution down yet (which makes me think that most likely it will come out sometime shortly after the upgrade/expansion), however they are actively working on it. The current line of thought on it is to give the job of protecting crafters to higher end combat droids. Its not set in stone... but needless to say I'm going to be pushing that one with all my might.
If I think of anything else I'll add it here. JavelinCatcher was there as well, so he may remember something I missed.
Straker_Atrella
Sat Apr 23, 2005 1:00 pm
#2
Jenden, can you also ask about how the crafting formulas are different on TC then live.
Also just to point something out, if droids are suppossed to protect us, then guard needs to work.
Thx for the updates btw man.
Message Edited by Straker_Atrella on 04-23-2005 01:00 PM
MrWizzard
Sat Apr 23, 2005 1:00 pm
#3
/drool
Yes, thanks a ton for keeping our concerns alive.
I'm just happy to hear that droids are actually being thought of and worked on in this new plan they have going on. I mean, an ounce of this kind of news could go miles to prevent upset players!!
I applaud the fact that they acknowledge the need for rewards, while trying to keep elements of a player based economy alive (I just hope they can pull it off).
I have to pass on my thanks, as I've noticed two things lately. I cant tell when exactly these two problems were fixed, but they were sometime during the short break I took for a quarter to finish school.
1) My #1 bug as a crafter was fixed when I no longer get Internal Manufacturing Errors on my factories. I ran a few full loads and even managed to fill my output hopper (with 100 crates) and still no error.
2) My crated surgical droids' item storage modules work (I hadnt checked this in a while, but I made them about a year and a half ago, but finding out they work makes me quite happy)
I may have to lean away from 'considering leaving'
Well, my next move is to create a character on test center so I can leave my feedback for the new UI (I dont like how its going to look like the other MMOs -- that I dont play for specifically that reason, they look too "cartoonish")
I had planned on doing it after testing our galaxy's conversion issues, but thats not going to happen.
Keep up the good work!
Yes, thanks a ton for keeping our concerns alive.
I'm just happy to hear that droids are actually being thought of and worked on in this new plan they have going on. I mean, an ounce of this kind of news could go miles to prevent upset players!!
I applaud the fact that they acknowledge the need for rewards, while trying to keep elements of a player based economy alive (I just hope they can pull it off).
I have to pass on my thanks, as I've noticed two things lately. I cant tell when exactly these two problems were fixed, but they were sometime during the short break I took for a quarter to finish school.
1) My #1 bug as a crafter was fixed when I no longer get Internal Manufacturing Errors on my factories. I ran a few full loads and even managed to fill my output hopper (with 100 crates) and still no error.
2) My crated surgical droids' item storage modules work (I hadnt checked this in a while, but I made them about a year and a half ago, but finding out they work makes me quite happy)
I may have to lean away from 'considering leaving'
Well, my next move is to create a character on test center so I can leave my feedback for the new UI (I dont like how its going to look like the other MMOs -- that I dont play for specifically that reason, they look too "cartoonish")
I had planned on doing it after testing our galaxy's conversion issues, but thats not going to happen.
Keep up the good work!
Message Edited by MrWizzard on 04-23-2005 01:09 PM
Jenden
Sat Apr 23, 2005 1:07 pm
#4
Straker_Atrella wrote:Jenden, can you also ask about how the crafting formulas are different on TC then live.Also just to point something out, if droids are suppossed to protect us, then guard needs to work.Thx for the updates btw man.Message Edited by Straker_Atrella on 04-23-2005 01:00 PM
Well, breakfast is over (was over when I had posted this) and a number of the devs have already gotten on a plane back. I think some of them were staying (Pex was there earlier, so he may have been staying, Rogue_5 was actually on vacation and only "officially" there for the breakfast, so he's probably stillwondering about the convention, but I am to cheap/poor to pay to get into the main thing so I'm back to sending my emails and making my posts. It is a question I've asked though.
Fishbreath
Sat Apr 23, 2005 1:30 pm
#5
Jenden wrote:
On the issue of crafters getting slaughtered in the CU (you guys are gonna like this one):
They didn't have a solid solution down yet (which makes me think that most likely it will come out sometime shortly after the upgrade/expansion), however they are actively working on it. The current line of thought on it is to give the job of protecting crafters to higher end combat droids. Its not set in stone... but needless to say I'm going to be pushing that one with all my might.
They didn't have a solid solution down yet (which makes me think that most likely it will come out sometime shortly after the upgrade/expansion), however they are actively working on it. The current line of thought on it is to give the job of protecting crafters to higher end combat droids. Its not set in stone... but needless to say I'm going to be pushing that one with all my might.
This would, for me, alleviate my biggest concern over the CU.
Being a non-combatant the PvP rules and changes don't affect me.....however, the change in the PvE enviroment does, especially in the wilderness where most harvesters are.......having higher-end combat droids would be a big help.....especially if it could be tied to ones own combat rating....the less combat skill one has,(a pure crafter with NO combat skill),the better combat rated droid they could call.......have a higher combat rating (like a DE/Pistoleer, etc) limit the combat rating for a droid they can call.....so as to not mess with the "balance"......Keep pushing Jenden, maybe the "squeaky wheel" does get the grease.
TheRealTK421
Sat Apr 23, 2005 2:44 pm
#6
I'd call this answer...
Jenden wrote:
On the issue of crafters getting slaughtered in the CU (you guys are gonna like this one):
They didn't have a solid solution down yet (which makes me think that most likely it will come out sometime shortly after the upgrade/expansion), however they are actively working on it. The current line of thought on it is to give the job of protecting crafters to higher end combat droids. Its not set in stone... but needless to say I'm going to be pushing that one with all my might.
If I think of anything else I'll add it here. JavelinCatcher was there as well, so he may remember something I missed.
"Tell them something they'll like to hear (and will 'swallow')..."
My reply would be:
"So....you're saying that crafter types will have to pick up the Droid Commander profession that you'll be creating to do this so that we don't have 'free checkers' being given out.....
...........right?"
/bow
Respectfully,
Message Edited by TheRealTK421 on 04-23-2005 02:44 PM
Jenden
Sat Apr 23, 2005 2:57 pm
#7
lol, I may have pulled that one if TH was there... as it is though I actually do believe they're looking into it. They know they need to do something to give crafters a chance, might as well kill two birds with one stone and make it combat droids. There are a couple ways they could do it without the 'free checkers' scenario. Making some kind of "bodyguard" module that allowed your droid to jump in front of attacks for you (but have very little if any offensive capabilities and mess with xp/looting rights) would probably do the trick. Something that crafter's could use for protection, but wouldn't really give them any useful combat skills.
AudioOrgana
Sat Apr 23, 2005 5:06 pm
#9
I really wouldn't put a lot of weight into TH's "free checkers" statements from over a year ago.
1) The actual Dev team has changed, and let's not forget - TH and the like are NOT Devs, they are "community managers" - they have nothing to do with decisions, they just have to present them to us. As we all know TH has been "mistaken" before when saying something he assumes and not what he knows.
2) Besides, at this point, with all the contradictory decisions made, I don't think you can count on what TH said six days ago, let alone six months or a year ago.
That said, I wouldn't put any weight into what happened today either. They obviously don't know how they ruined the entire business aspect of SWG with the McDonalds-style vendor search, or, more likely, they DO know and just don't give a crap in their quest to make this EQ.
I would have had MUCH less of a problem had Cybernetics been simply a new addition on it's own that we didn't directly deal with (still think it's silly, but I would have understood), HOWEVER, combined with all the OTHER negative crafting changes, it's just another slap-slap-slap.
Crafters, doctors, merchants, and entertainers once mattered in SWG, now we are seen as more of an inconvenience/annoyance than anything else. Piss poor decision by the "new" Dev team - because we were some of the most loyal players they will ever have. I bet those noobs coming in to play EQ with Star Wars skin will last a couple of months before they move on - and when the backbone of the game (players like us) are no where to be found when that happens they'll really be up the creek.
AO
1) The actual Dev team has changed, and let's not forget - TH and the like are NOT Devs, they are "community managers" - they have nothing to do with decisions, they just have to present them to us. As we all know TH has been "mistaken" before when saying something he assumes and not what he knows.
2) Besides, at this point, with all the contradictory decisions made, I don't think you can count on what TH said six days ago, let alone six months or a year ago.
That said, I wouldn't put any weight into what happened today either. They obviously don't know how they ruined the entire business aspect of SWG with the McDonalds-style vendor search, or, more likely, they DO know and just don't give a crap in their quest to make this EQ.
I would have had MUCH less of a problem had Cybernetics been simply a new addition on it's own that we didn't directly deal with (still think it's silly, but I would have understood), HOWEVER, combined with all the OTHER negative crafting changes, it's just another slap-slap-slap.
Crafters, doctors, merchants, and entertainers once mattered in SWG, now we are seen as more of an inconvenience/annoyance than anything else. Piss poor decision by the "new" Dev team - because we were some of the most loyal players they will ever have. I bet those noobs coming in to play EQ with Star Wars skin will last a couple of months before they move on - and when the backbone of the game (players like us) are no where to be found when that happens they'll really be up the creek.
AO
Jenden
Sat Apr 23, 2005 5:15 pm
#10
I don't know... I got the comment about them going back and working to improve and strengthen the player economy from Green_Marine, and all of the work I've seen from him in the past shows him to be a pretty good (and straight forward) guy who really does know what's going on.
AudioOrgana
Sat Apr 23, 2005 5:59 pm
#11
Jenden wrote:
I don't know... I got the comment about them going back and working to improve and strengthen the player economy from Green_Marine, and all of the work I've seen from him in the past shows him to be a pretty good (and straight forward) guy who really does know what's going on.
LOL, is this the same Green Marine that has been promising he's been working on the Smugglers since 2003?
I'm sure you know more about him than I do, but all I've ever seen out of him when it comes to things regarding profession issues this is talk-talk and results fail to materialize in game. I do realize that this is likely due to management decisions out of his control, but I just don't hold this "awe" of him that others seem to instill.
I don't start to believe anything until I see it in patch notes, and then I don't really believe it until I actually see it working in-game.
That's not cynicism, that's experience. Unfortunately.
AO
Fishbreath
Sat Apr 23, 2005 7:29 pm
#12
AO wrote:
I don't start to believe anything until I see it in patch notes, and then I don't really believe it until I actually see it working in-game.
I've spent alot of time reading the forums lately, not just MY professions, and not just MY galaxy.......I've come to a similar conclusion.
Dev notes, press releases and the like have rarely, if ever,painted a picture for what actually happens when something goes "live".......everything I read now, I take with a "grain of salt"........it makes for an "entertaining" read.......as far as I'm concerned it's all opinion, conjecture, and wishes.
When it's all said and done, nothing really matters until it goes "live", because no one knows what will finally make it to "live".
MrWizzard
Sat Apr 23, 2005 7:39 pm
#13
AudioOrgana wrote:
Jenden wrote:
I don't know... I got the comment about them going back and working to improve and strengthen the player economy from Green_Marine, and all of the work I've seen from him in the past shows him to be a pretty good (and straight forward) guy who really does know what's going on.
LOL, is this the same Green Marine that has been promising he's been working on the Smugglers since 2003?
I'm sure you know more about him than I do, but all I've ever seen out of him when it comes to things regarding profession issues this is talk-talk and results fail to materialize in game. I do realize that this is likely due to management decisions out of his control, but I just don't hold this "awe" of him that others seem to instill.
I don't start to believe anything until I see it in patch notes, and then I don't really believe it until I actually see it working in-game.
That's not cynicism, that's experience. Unfortunately.
AO
I have to speak up for him here. My main character was a Scout/Ranger when I started playing this game, and I came to find, that while I enjoyed it, we were useless. That was about the time I got a second account and started DE (you may notice a pattern here=P).
He worked with us rangers and greatly improved the profession. So he can do great work, I've seen it before.
Page 1 of 4