Why static orefields?

[Spode]

Greetings,

I posted this in an other thread but what asked to post it here also as some seemed to like the idea:

Why not make actual use of the "explorer" classes, so they actually can be halfproud of their names.

1. Remove static fields, except for certain places that should have them like Arduinne gas planet (name?)

2. Add asteroidspawning at any possible coordinate, either as fields or singels. This means you would have to work for the ores and would equal out the situation a bit. This way all miners could have a better chance of finding some ores rather than some getting most.

3. Increase higher level oreamount.

4. Give PS some kind of warping skill or similar to equal things out (JE and TS already have theirs) as exploring would actually be one of the key things. Maybe not a must, but would be nice

5. Bring back some of the oldschool miningprojects.

6. Last but not least, BRING BACK POPROID MOBS (This seems to be under work already so I assume it can be neglected)

Let the flamewars start

[Lot]

It's probably impractical to add random spawning fields. It wouldn't truly be random anyway -- more like a list of possible locations in the "void" areas in each sector at which fields could be allowed to spawn. There are secret fields that wait be discovered -- I just wish they each had a navigation marker to make returning to them easier (or may a bookmarking addition?).

Removing static fields would be bad -- having to search for fields would eventually become a boring chore (remember it's meant to be a game and games are meant to be fun). There is still the fun of finding a hidden field that you can choose to keep secret or share the location with friends. Having both fixed location and hidden fields provides something for everyone.

Yes, sentinels are the race being left behind in terms of mobility.

TS has null factor field to let them travel in to gravity wells and shears with impunity. JE has navigation 7 that in theory allows them to travel through gravity wells (technically yet to be proven to work or even made to work properly). Sentinels have nothing and yet they're supposed to explorers too! I would suggest something like [b]Gravitic Propulsion[/b] which gives benefits similar to the other explorers and allows sentinels to travel anywhere.

Can't argue about ore density -- the decimation that was done to fields was a travesty and badly done.

[Spode]

true, if kept both static and random there is something for all.

But I don't see why it would be impractical and why fields can't spawn where there are not static objects from before? Most fields today are not in void areas.

What about small fields with nice ores/hulks in them that despawn and respawn somewhere else if not touched?

What about killing the "meteors" and get a roid field there from the debris. Might be a bad idea as there are only a few of them ingame = camped areas?

Just throwing out ideas to change the minging into something not so static and easy.

[Terrell [BT]]

I like the idea of a mixture of static and non-static orefields. Would be nice if the ones that could respawn in random locations would be a little more lucrative than the static fields of the same level, on average. We'd also need to have the orefield guardians to be able to spawn at possible spawn points when the field spawned, while not being there when the field isn't spawned.

[snotty]

1. Remove static fields, except for certain places that should have them like Arduinne gas planet (name?)
IMHO most mining markers are not filled yet although every server restart its a surprise for me to see what new fields are added. Work in progress it seems and i think those need to be filled for eg new players. Removing them doesnt make sense to me.

2. Add asteroidspawning at any possible coordinate
Hard to do and i think this needs to worked out more. What about the field guards and the pop roid mobs?. I would not like to see a field spawn at the F7 coordinates with guards and all. Probably needs a black/white list per sector for possible spawn coordinates and the possible sectors a field can spawn in (else every roid field ends up in mars alpha where it cant be mined).

3. Increase higher level oreamount.
Dunno if the lvl9 roid field bug is fixed yet(the one that spawned lvl10 roids). I think that was the main reason to remove lvl9 fields.

5. Bring back some of the oldschool miningprojects.
Prolly work in progress, the loony mining project (for the ss8) has a complete description somewhere in this forum. I have no idea about the order in wich the different game features are being implemented and what the priorities are. The mars projects were story line related and can only be brought back when the v'rix are ready to return.

[Kyp [LDEV]]

Probably could but the simple truth is first we're headed to the baseline (live) where possible, cool changes come next as needed.

Admittedly, we do a few here and there now but mostly we're trying to hold off on new changes until we're into the next phase.

[Terrell [BT]]

[quote name='Kyp' timestamp='1315430451' post='45862']
Probably could but the simple truth is first we're headed to the baseline (live) where possible, cool changes come next as needed.

Admittedly, we do a few here and there now but mostly we're trying to hold off on new changes until we're into the next phase.
[/quote]

Fair enough. Another good reason to look forward to Alpha.

Just out of curiosity, is such a change possible with the existing client? Whether it's a full random, or whether it's areas that have to be somehow made "eligible" for a field to spawn there, while the random element is does this field spawn in "eligible" location X, or does it go to Y or some other location?

[Kyp [LDEV]]

So far as I recall we can spawn anything pretty much anywhere as long as its a valid coordinate, mobs, planets.. pretty much all sector objects are more or less teh same as far as the client cares.

So yes, we should be able to spawn them anywhere.

[Terrell [BT]]

Cool, thanks for your reply.

[Tienbau]

I did implement a dynamic content richness system whereby unused orefields got better with time and used ones gradually deteriorated.

It didn't work out at all well!! I removed it quite quickly. I think anything like this needs to take a LONG time for even small changes to happen, I have re-thought it and have a much more interesting system.

Course there have to be hints for the staple orefields when they dry out - like say you arrive at an orefield and there's a grizzled old miner ship comes up to you and some guy with a Boggeril accent tells you the party's moved on and where everyone headed. Maybe he's after some duct tape or something like that.

[Tyran]

If you are going to add orefields to areas away from navpoints that require freewarping, can you fix the auto level hotkey?

It is under the controls menu and does not seem to work while it is pretty important for freewarping especially now that the sector height has be raised to something like 20k-25k.

Also, as an alternative or addition to making freqently looted orefields less interesting for ores, can you make them more dangerous to collect from?

More ore guardians goes a long way into making a field less attractive. Also it can help create a need for miner escorts, something which has rarely been exploited in EnB and is actually a very cool form of grouping.

[rhobix]

[quote name='Tienbau' timestamp='1315473528' post='45882']
Course there have to be hints for the staple orefields when they dry out - like say you arrive at an orefield and there's a grizzled old miner ship comes up to you and some guy with a Boggeril accent tells you the party's moved on and where everyone headed. Maybe he's after some duct tape or something like that.
[/quote]
More miner cargo manifests may work. They need to be rare though, and the hint should be hidden on the Net-7 database to make the information on them ristricted. If hulks ever gets in as rare spawns in ordinary ore fields, I would suggest sticking them in those with a low drop rate.

[Tienbau]

[quote name='Tyran' timestamp='1315478853' post='45886']
Also, as an alternative or addition to making freqently looted orefields less interesting for ores, can you make them more dangerous to collect from?
[/quote]

that's a really good idea. I like that more than changing the ore frequency/level/count.

It'd be interesting to see areas that are over-mined start to get really dangerous. Gas clouds in Glenn, I'm looking at you.


I might have a look at the auto level thinggie at some point, but only once I've done the poprock mods and this too.

[Terrell [BT]]

[quote name='Knix' timestamp='1315478920' post='45887']
More miner cargo manifests may work. They need to be rare though, and the hint should be hidden on the Net-7 database to make the information on them ristricted. If hulks ever gets in as rare spawns in ordinary ore fields, I would suggest sticking them in those with a low drop rate.
[/quote]

They could also drop from belters. Would also be nice to find more members in the "rockbiter" family of organic mobs guarding orefields. They make sense as orefield guardians, since rockbiters would consider explorers to be taking their food.

Edit: Will there be new mining projects in EMU that weren't in Live? Would be a nice addition at some point in the future. MCP was great, so were missions based on mining, but large scale projects with good rewards, for turning in large amounts of specific ores, would be a nice thing. Multiple ones to be looking for ore for even better.

[Spode]

Very nice, that will spice up the mining a bit.

Is it possible (maybe not worthwhile codingwise?) in a distant future to have somkind of accelerator gates or possbily some kind of teleport portal or even wormhole that could be activated by the miningclasses with some ore/device/skill/whatever that would take you to a seperate area. This area would have difficult guardians but would have some really nice asteroids in them. This so some firepower and healers must be brought in to be able to mine the field. Look at it as somekind of "mining-raid" where some extra firepower is needed.

Maybe some nice drops from the guardians for the explorer/mining class that would use some special refined/regular ores that can only be aquired in these areas to make it interesting.

Not sure how this would be tied to the storyline, one option is of course V´rix, would be fun to see something else though.

Rip it apart!

[Tienbau]

hehe, a mining raid, that would be awesome!

[rabidkiller]

[quote name='Tienbau' timestamp='1315541122' post='45926']
Gas clouds in Glenn, I'm looking at you.
[/quote]


its not those gas clouds fault they are in just about the only spot anywhere with more than 8 possibly 10 things to mine in one area

[Kyp [LDEV]]

[quote name='Tienbau' timestamp='1315551750' post='45932']
hehe, a mining raid, that would be awesome!
[/quote]

actually have a sorta something worked up for that, remind me the next time we chat and I'll 'splain.

[Spode]

This is sounding even more promising

[Tienbau]

[quote name='rabidcajun' timestamp='1315580873' post='45937']
its not those gas clouds fault they are in just about the only spot anywhere with more than 8 possibly 10 things to mine in one area [i]that's within 2 minutes drive from Friendship 7[/i]
[/quote]

There, fixed