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Node Finder


Xelkos

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Please create a Node Finder for us Explorer types that are fairly new to the game or having a time trying to find nodes. Node Lists are not always helpful, more hit & miss.

A Node Finder would help keep the aggravation down and minimize calls in General/New Players chat when an Explorer class has searched and not getting any or minimal results.

The idea is like this:

  • Explorer types in what type of material they are looking for, or level of materials.
  • Node Finder searches and brings back a random sector, or sectors
  • Node Finder also displayed the closest known have and/or coordinates to find such fields.

Seems simple enough, and would assist in teaching Explorers where the common or hidden fields are located.

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Providing the Node Finder was approved and it did not violate any rules, am guess it could be like a separate program that runs within the game.

Not sure if there is a node tracker program that can show previous mined areas onto the current map or not. Other games have had node & quest overlays that could be used - with an ability to add custom points of interest entered on the current map. Those were save on the client's machine.
Everquest 2 had a node tracker, though I ended up using EQ2Maps. Nodes for crafting in EQ2 coincided with the current map level, so there was not much of an issue in finding crafting nodes.

Here in Earth and Beyond nodes are all over the place, making a newly returned player or new player's task in finding certain node fields a daunting task. Veteran players know where the hidden fields are, though not many are quick to share them.

Edited by Xelkos
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the problem I would have with this is the fact that certain fields are so well known (including their spawn times) that by the time anyone gets around to them they're gone.  As an example a certain lvl 8-9 hulk field in BBW at coordinates *hack, cough, belch, loud fart* I had seen in passing before I was able to mine that lvl, but now that I'm able to mine them finding them was next to impossible because it seemed every Tom, Dick and Harry knew and camped the location.  Yes, I've found it and managed to mine the location twice, but most times it's gone, I don't complain I just move on to the next location.  Supposedly there's a lvl 9 field at Einherjar Research Platform in Niff, but I've NEVER found it because people would camp until they figured out the spawn timer.  There's a field in *belch* sector, however, that contains lvl 6-8 hulks that few people know about and is rarely mined.  If a node finder was implemented, my little field (and I do mean little, there's usually only 3-5 hulks there) would never be there for me when I get off work because everyone and their brother would be handed the location on a silver platter.

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Warrior classes: *PLENTY* of stuff for them to do...

 

Trader classes: Builders of all items at most levels are *ALWAYS* in demand...

 

Explorer classes..: Weeell... Once they've explored the Galaxy, it's pretty much just a life of penury mining ores to feed the voracious appetites of ammo and component builders. 

 

Not an "Explorer" class so much as a "Miner" class.

 

However... If some or all ore fields spawned in random locations following a server restart... *THEN* there would be a requirement for genuine Explorers to actually explore.

 

How those individual Explorers would then feel about publicising the results of their personal efforts would be up to them.

 

Any kind of ore-field/node-mapping system or service would utterly negate the concept of an Explorer Class, reducing them to a mere proletariat of miners, existing solely to feed the petit-bourgeoisie Trader Class, all in service to the Warrior Aristocracy.

 

Explorers of the Galaxy have the right to retain the surplus value created by their own labour and skills. A mandated revelation of key resource points would be just another example of the exploitation of the mass Working Class by self-serving Capitalists!!

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I would have to agree with Stoop and Holyman. Explorers rarely want to give up their special fields they find.

If you need a certain ore you can ask in market and usually get an answer where to find it.

There is also some basic ore location info on the wiki.

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I too will have to agree with Sloop / Holy / Stevinium. Explore on your own. I for one will not give some of my HONEY HOLES, there for me too know and for you I hope not to find out.

 

 

 

EXPLORE, EXPLORE, EXPLORE.  I will not do the work for you. One hint, free warp is your friend in finding the sweet spot. Good luck Xelkos on your ventures.

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Here is my contribution to the conversation.

 

I got this link from another thread on this board, but I'll be danged if I can find it now.

 

Anyhow, while this isnt' EXACTLY what you were looking for, it does in fact give you a sector to look in ...

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pQkS7nJyl_ojDy5-LmWCXmH9ka4ebud-0G8BN5JEntw/edit?pli=1#gid=1

 

My 2 cents you can leave any change due in the tin can by the door ;)

 

Fly Safe

 

-Alurra

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  Did not realize that people actually camp fields and their spawn times. This is a game – right? Gosh, hope there aren't bots in EnB too.

 

  If ever I was able to understand code I could probably write my own overlay program for personal use. Will resort to making copies of maps, entering coordinates & rough locations, and save hard copies. For now a spreadsheet would be easier to record coordinates of node fields.

 

  Was supposed to of been a helpful idea..., though did not realize there would be that many implications. Thanks for the input. Change is probably not welcome here. :ph34r:


PS: Thanks yet again, Alurra. You roxxors!

PPS: Had found another ores list that I was trying to use. Was more miss than hit when it came to the Chili-Popper mission. Swear every mineral I was after only existed in maybe 1 to 3 an hour. Then someone suggested some other areas that I had thought were much higher in levels from the original EnB days.
  Was weird to find Black Tazeron in the Asteroid Belts... ABB if I recall.

Edited by Xelkos
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Xelkos, I guess some could make a bot for that, not sure as it is to many 101100101 for me. I have never use one and never will. I explore all over. hidden ore fields people tend to keep to them self's. As had been said before if you ask you will get an answer as to where to find the ore your looking for. As for the re-spawn time on ore fields they are all about the same 10min to 1hr. The longer they are up the bigger the clear field bonus you get, that's the part I like. The goggle doc Alurra put up is a good one to print out, I have made a copy on may computer and wright my own Cord's on it so I can go back to the honey holes I have found just encase I forget.

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The original purpose of Pop rocks was as a deterrent against bots.

I think to create a add on to the client, we would require the client code. Last I heard the floppy disks containing that data were formatted for Sims, burned, shredded or some other horrid thing.
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  Was supposed to of been a helpful idea..., though did not realize there would be that many implications. Thanks for the input. Change is probably not welcome here. :ph34r:

You're thinking and trying to help improve the game, can't fault you for that.  This idea may work for individuals keeping track of their own finds, but the second it gets shared it becomes everyone's and, sadly, there are people who'll take advantage of it without helping others (a part of this community I've always loved is the people helping others)

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I've sadi it in another thread, but I'll brief it up here:

Bring back the hulk fields in the ore fields like days of old! Don't have a "hulk field" on a timer, have hulks appear in ore fields so the hulk campers, can't. The only hulk fields to be a "field", be around obvious high risk dynamics like the drone complex, or a gravity sheer, around the controller or a RD camp. The "hulks" are the remains of other travelers that met misfortune in that hazardous space.

 

Hulks to be adjusted:

Have a adjusted odds of a successful mining of the hulk. Currently you pull the hulk and that's it. Back in live, there was always a chance it went Kaboom! When it did there was a 50/50 chance on if the result was a good/bad buff. The loot from them were weighted towards ores, not gear in ore fields..who after all would be in a field and get capped... a warrior? A miner gets popped, so the loot should be weighted towards raw ore (stacks) and miner gear, then most likely would be a trader getting popped, so the loot should then be refined ores (stacks) and trader gear. The least likely hulk would be from a warriior, so then the hulk would have warrior gear and ammo (stacks).

 

As to the node finder idea, it would have to be real carefully implimented, if you had a node finder that told you what there was to find, and were to find it...what would be the point of exploring or having high scan rate or low sig ect?

 

If it was to go in, I woiuld do it like this: A npc type scattered a few places in the universe that deals in "rumors", they could tell you what sectors have been "rumored" to have a type and level of ore. This could give you a pointer were you could find the ore sector wise, but still make the player have to work to find it and run any risks etc. I think the old ore kiosks from live might be repurposed that way, the npc being as information dealer rather than a ore dealer.

 

For those not aware of the old ore dealers: there is a current model in a alpha proxima station......go explore! :)  But there were some around, there was one in VT and I think N7..been so long i can't remember where they all were.

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For those not aware of the old ore dealers: there is a current model in a alpha proxima station......go explore! :)  But there were some around, there was one in VT and I think N7..been so long i can't remember where they all were.

In VT, yes I remember one there.  Also the one you are thinking of I believe was in Joves, rather than N7.  I believe they had green banners with a white outline of a girdle cut gemstone on it.

 

I don't remember any others, but there may have been.  Anyone else have memories of Live?

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  • 2 months later...

Matt, the rumor thing is a pretty interesting idea.  As an addon to the idea, sometimes the rumors are true, sometimes not.

Maybe a faction driven thing..or level of bribe thing would increase the odds, I mean retail space in a station don't come cheap..the rumor merchant got's bills to pay and mouths to feed :)

 

oooh oohh..idea! On the galactic map each system has a faction affiliation, have somewhere in ea sphere of influence a kiosk "rumor" vendor in a station, have the npc affiliated with those factions be more accurate in his rumors (with a bad rumor chance still possible) as you get better rep with them, worse rumors the more you are hated. By all means have a fee, not too prohibitive, perhaps a sliding scale for rep and level of ore info, this would let the low level miners ease in and not get ripped off, but as they get bigger credits shouldn't be so hard to come by.

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Would something that just states XYZ ores can be found in ZYX Sectors be sufficient or too revealing?  That way you still have to explore the sector and if its already been plucked well keep checking, everything can be had in game with some time and effort.

 

 

As for hulks, they we're meant to be destroyed ship wreckages.  Rarely was anything of value found within them, but alas there was some rare items to behold.  As far as the randomness or timer or whatever you wish to refer to it as you have to think of it as such.

 

Draw a circle on a piece of paper, the paper represents your sector, the circle represents your ore/hulk field, the circle has a few variants that can define the spread pattern lets call it circle/square/scatter patterns.  Now that defined circle holds your parameters for what lies within your circle (hulk/ore field) you populate the list with assets (ores/gases/hulks) level based objects.  Now you have a defined pool of those level based items kept within a database table that the random generator pulls from and those are controlled with percentages (and the code/algorithm).  There really isn't much randomization outside of that other than the percentages of what item from that defined list populates those circles with.  The game is simple and not as advanced like a modernized game that utilizes procedural generation to create a sector/zone and things within it with randomization as apposed to static.  E&B is very static and simplistic (draw back of the game design from what 15 years ago?) she's old and holding up given the circumstances.

 

Now weather or not the DEVs have the ability drastically manipulate the code base I dunno, I would guess not so much.

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I don't think you will get any Dev to take the time for the coding for this as it would take a fair amount of Nostalgia out.

 Explorers are just that - Explorers.

 

Could it be done with out tampering with the Game Engine ?, probably, will it ever happen ? probably not.

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Wow, that was an old post then all of a sudden it gets talked about in the past week? Already got it that the farmers, who think they are getting rich off an nearly extinct game, don't want competition. Last time I was playing had heard about players/bots that would log in a spot and farm it clean, vanish, repeat. So they don't want it. Figured that was the end of it.

Thought the idea died and was buried. Kept getting comments about it the past week. Not sure why it got attention again.

Haven't been in the game much due to working two jobs and playing Guild War 2. Done figured player cooperation here was non-existent when I asked for help about the Pumpkin Chunkers. Only log in once in a while. Miss the game, exploring, and what not, but some things a person cannot do solo. Unable to dual box anymore and connection has gotten even more unstable.

So, please, lock this topic and move on. Don't think I have the powers to delete the post or I would have long ago.

Now if them oft-farmed (on the clock) asteroid fields would go volatile once in a while, and when one blew up the entire field would too - killing those farmers... that would be entertaining. Have asteroids with a 1% chance of being farmed, with a 99% chance to go BOOM!

I am a believer/gamer that deals in variety. Stuff that doesn't change gets old, fast.

Fly safe, and may your next asteroid hold a surprise inside!

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I have to agree with most of the points people have made. Like MOB drops, a lot of the 'fun' is finding what you are looking for through your own efforts.  People are generally helpful if you are looking for particular minerals - just ask in New Players or General.

 

If we had a node finder then of course all of the best places would be known and swamped.

 

This spreadsheet is about as far as I'd want to go, narrowing down your search to a particular sector. And keep notes.  I have forgotten more than I should.  I have a folder with maps printed out with all sorts of interesting X's marked.

 

I'd suggest fitting up with the best scan aids (strap a JD with a telescopium on your wing) and fly a grid pattern through every system methodically. Yes it takes time but you will find surprises.  Even in the smallest systems. You will be amazed just how big some of these systems are.  Once you have found YOUR hidden hulk fields and sources of grail water you would probably want to keep the info to yourself and your friends?

 

If you have the explorer gene then you will likely have the hoarder gene too. My tip is to have warehouse toons in several locations.  Trade to them to get the XP and then use the account vault to store it on several component and ore stores.  You never know when an ore will suddenly become important. I rarely sell any of my ores in the station, apart from gas in Glenn.

By the time you have leveled the 3 explorer types to 150 you should have a good stock of most things.

I think the explorer classes see more of the game.  Fact - they do, with greater scan and the ability to peek into roids and hulks. Go explore!

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From time to time, as the devs see fit, they can likely move the fields in any given sector.  Ideally it would not be announced when they do so.  I don't think there should be an "easy mode" to find orefields, that defeats the point of putting them off the beaten path.

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