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To Improve Earth and beyond, What would they be? (Please be specific)

 

 

 

Hello all, many of you know my from a while back when i was helping on the development team with graphics (or trying to at least). For those unaware i left for medical school, but in the past few months have decided to get another degree in programing, and now i am starting my own gaming corporation. I had thought about offering a large sum (30-50m) to Ea Games for EaB to create another EaB (Eab2) But at this point it seems like wasted money. Many of you have seen me carrying on conversations in chat in game about how to improve EaB; This is how you can help. Please note, I am taking this very seriously, and i have started to talk to my friends, and Dev team to produce a new game. I will give you fill in's on it in time (Hopefully the Moderator staff, or david has no objections to this). 

 

Let me know what you think.

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Hmm, 3 improvements:

 

#1.  More ways to level up explore for non-exploration professions.  The explorer classes would be able to do these things too, for the most part, but explorers would remain the only profession capable of mining.   This will come at least in part, as the storyline progresses and more sectors/systems are added to the game.  An increase in the amount of explore XP awarded for the successful analysis of components or other equipment.  A few turn ins, in various locations, that give explore XP only.  The NPCs that accept said turn ins, would do a check against your explore level, before accepting the turn in, and if your EL is too low, relative to the turn in, the NPC would tell you to come back when your EL is higher.  This is so a player with a high level character, can't farm the L9 turn in drops, for their low level characters.    The Jenquai could accept them at Jove's Fury, Prasad Station, and Yasuragi.  They'd be mixed into the various mobs' loot tables appropriate to mob's level.  Removing the credit reward for explore jobs, in favor of more XP would work too.

 

#2.  More variety of endgame weapons, for all race/profession combinations.  These weapons would be alternatives to "entry level" L8 & L9 weapons.  These weapons would be nice enough that traders would seek the prints, and common enough to be mass produced.  They would not be so nice, as to remove demand for the really awesome weapons.  Their stats in terms of damage, energy use, range, etc. would be in the neighborhood of the Pitbulls, Archos, and Zets.  They would have buffs commonly available to the race that would normally use them.   Some would be race restricted, profession restricted, or both.  Some of the L8 versions would be usable by all with the appropriate weapon skill.

 

#3.  More things that are specifically profession or race tailored, in the forms of missions or projects, with nice rewards for doing so.  Mining missions/projects comparable to the MCP & the Lyle missions in E&B Origins for the explorers, missions comparable to the Zach mission from E&B Origins for traders and something for the warriors.  Rewards for such projects, missions would be comparable to the effort required, but could take one or more of the following forms. 

 

  1. Experience (Trade, Explore, Combat, or some combination of those)
  2. Faction
  3. Equipment given (player is given a piece of equipment, like Zeke's Solar Sail in EnB Origins.)
  4. Access to vendors you don't start with access to (missions in Ishaun & Charon Cloister do this)
  5. Recipes for equipment (Zach gave this as a reward, MCP did to for some items)
  6. Passes to a vendor for equipment (Heal the Maelstrom missions from E&B Origins would be an example, as would MCP)

 

In some cases, the missions, projects may be restricted to specific race, profession, or both.  This would result in some recipes that you'd have to go to specific races, professions or both for.   A potential example would be a mission that rewards a device print, but only a Terran Scout could take it.  The resulting device, would be something that if you wanted a you'd have to get a Scout to sell it for you.  (This would mean that each profession would ultimately have a few nice prints that only they could make.  The traders would go first, the explorers next, and the warriors last.)

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1. A reevaluation of all items, there are so many devices, weapons, reactors, engines, etc that are just absurd... These need to be reviewed, rethought and tweaked into something useful or removed.

2. More customization to avatars and ships... If we are blowing open the possibilities It would be nice to have more variety in those areas.

3. (Dream option here) a New client, something the Devs can modify and update to allow more advancement in the game graphics, feel and operation.

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#1) As Terrell said, more ways to earn Explore XP. And honestly, I don't think the current idea of finite Exploration experience works very well. Yes, you CAN do tours, and you CAN do Explore jobs, but should you NEED to do those things? Would you appreciate only being able to earn Combat XP if you were grouped with other players, killing something that player has never killed before, or doing Combat jobs?

 

I would like to see the exploration part of this game be fleshed out to the same degree as combat. I don't know exactly what to suggest for that, but that's only because I have too many ideas. The essential nature of exploration is to avoid a group of guardians while you perform a task located in a specific area. Visiting nav points works that way, and so does mining. It's basically a non-combat way of dealing with a group of MOBs, or the loot that those MOBs drop.

 

#2) I don't hear as much call for this, but I think it goes hand in hand with more ways to earn Explore XP. And that's more ways to earn Trade XP. I think most people either hate Trade Runs, or are fine with them as they are, and expect to get most of their Trade XP from loot. That's not the potential I saw in a game where 1/3 of the classes were traders. What I would LIKE to see is a fully dynamic trade system, where you go to a given starbase, you investigate what goods are available, you decide on a location to transport those goods to, choose those goods which are in highest demand at that station, and then you take them there and sell them at a profit. Something like Elite.

 

Of course, that's not likely to be popular with the majority of shoot-em-up players, and probably not suited to either the game environment (due to the layout of gates) or efficient use of its servers, but I'd still like to see something better than what we've got. It has always seemed to me like we've got 1/3 of a game here; there was a potential for the other 2/3, but it never appeared. And now that we have three more classes in that 2/3, we probably should try and flesh them out a bit.

 

#3) Eh, I'm not going to suggest a #3. #s 1 and 2 will probably be major undertakings all by themselves. :D

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We had a discussion about the classes, One of the things i really feel strongly upon, Is that the classes are benefiting a race / faction in a specific way; this set way would create the focal point of the race more around the aspect they wish to do (in the case of eaB, its more Combat, Trading, Or exploration). It seems that exploration has been tailored in EaB To be more mining, and all the classes have been tailored for building, A few things i have issues with.

 

with the above said, I am really not happy with the feel of how the three races focus on these aspects (All three of them) and I want to focus more on individual leveling systems, and then tailor the classes more around the conceptual idea that they have only 1 exp bar to work on, and the access (level unlocks) for the skills will be gained differently based on that class. For example, If there is a warrior class, and a trader class, the warrior might unlock level 2 shields, at level 2, but the trader will unlock level 2 shields at level 3 of 4, where as the trader will unlock engine 2 at level 2, and the warrior at 3 and 4.

 

On top of this, the level is singular, In other words, instea of all classes having Combat, Trade, Exploration, They would have Combat (universal) + Profession based bar (Conquest, Trading, Mining, Building).

 

Combat in this case is a universal thing, all ships should engage in it, however the way the warrior classes will excel in this aspect is they will gain a unique exp bar, That is for Conquest. Conquest will break down into two sections, The first is PvE - Faction / Racial wars, Where the player is fighting Vox for example, and taking (or taking back) territory the npc's have captured, On the (Other) PvP Side, the players engage in war for conquest of the sector under their race, and for their corporation. In this aspect, PvP Exists, But only Clan vs Clan, and not Clan vs individual. Its through this system, No individual will engage in pvp out side of a personal /Flagging option It simply wont exist. Its Like EaB with a hint of Conquer the system System of Pvp.

 

I'd Take this even further, and make it so that corporations have to "flag" Themselves, Thus making all of the PvP Optional. If a corporate leader flags his corporation, all members will need to agree, or disagree to it. If they disagree they do not get flagged, however they will not beable to participate, Conquest of systems for a corporation requires flag, So in this case, there is Absolutely no Forced PvP, however if the people flag, and stay flagged as a pvp corporation, they can be attacked anywhere (possibly at any time).

 

I may take it a step further, and offer a unique benefit to corporations that always have flag on (even make a charge up-buff) Something like increased Exp, and loot (credit) income.

 

 

These style of design I think is exceptional for the classes. We are currently talking about ways to engage the miners, explorers, and traders much like the above Warrior class (it happens that combat is the easiest).

 

 

On the side note, we are looking at some new innovative ways to mine, that are extremely fun, but impossible to macro-mine (sorry we are anti-gold farmer), as well as ways to make trading less static, and more dynamic (as always, suggestions are great).

 

 

Lastly, Exploration is a tad tricky, The only way i can think of making this dynamic, and unique is to get the exploration ships to go in the vox area (through some special type of stealth technology, similar to that of which seven of 9's parents did to the borg; a stealth tech, not cloaking based). Once in their area, they would analyze, or explore to discover new things, secrets, technologies etc, but would be dangerous and risky the further you travel in.

 

Exploration of finding nav-points is also a good way to do it, but i am kind of worried about this style of layout for a solar system, and i am curious to see if there is a better way to design this.

 

When i look at exploration, the neatest thing to me is to fly out into the middle of nowhere, and discover a nebula, That seems like loads of fun! and whats even better is when you sell its coordinates to a miner to harvest those special unique gases in it! this can be done through an auto-generation script, that generates unique clouds of gas out there in empty space for explorers to find.

Edited by Talar
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On the note of technologies.

 

I also feel to, that the technologies in the game are watered down, and  redundantly  endless, However if i was to release a game like EaB It would work on the principle of selling new technologies, or new classes as its form of income (it is a  business  after all) And would be required as such to make it free to play. I dont support Pay-to-win games, But i support  Business  models like that of league of legends, free to play, and you pay for  convenience  rather then power, So the games systems, Specifically technologies, and races would be based around this. For this reason, the amount of moduels would likely be high, (something near to the game) but for the general no paying customer, I'd dumb it down from the EaB's Current level to about 2 items of each type (Weapons, shield etc) for each race.

 

Another issue on this point is that i feel that weapons themselves are lacking real diversity. just putting different stats (damage, speed, reload times) is not a way to diversify weapons from one race to another, it the way to diversify them with in a race. If you truely want a unique feel to each technology, you need to make each race have different things, For example i am looking at the following

 

If i was making EaB 2 (IE i owned EAB and was able use the races, and to name it such) I'd do it like this

Projan:

Weapons would Reduce shield Regeneration

 

Jenqui

Weapons would Penetrate Shielding 

 

Terran

Weapons would slow targets

 

 

Shielding

 

 

Projan:

Shields Would have damage reduction (resistance) built in

 

Jenqui

Shields Would have Additional Regeneration

 

Terran

Shields Would give Additional Speed to ships

 

Engines

 

 

Projan:

Engines would grant additional reactor power

 

Jenqui

Engines would grant reduced signature

 

Terran

Engines would grant additional speed

 

Reactors

 

 

Projan:

Reactors would Improve shield resistance

 

Jenqui

Reactors would grant reduced warp costs, and faster cooldown

 

Terran

Reactors would Be smaller Thus improve cargo space and grant more warpspeed

Edited by Talar
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I'd like to see a MOB list in the DB - what actually exists. Not necessarily where they exist.

I'd like to supplement that with a drop record of what these MOBs might drop.  I find it very frustrating looking for stuff that might never drop.

 

I'd be very pleased if some of the other systems were opened - Roc/Ardus/Der Tod/Maelstroms/New systems.

 

More interesting missions/unique rewards/zeke/new bosses/raids.

 

(and our own client)

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I will say that while the original E&B design of only allowing the Explorer classes to mine was a bit of a problematic choice (as it eliminated what was probably intended to be the primary means of earning Explore XP and relegated it to a secondary status for balance reasons) I also think it was a mistake to allow all classes to build. What the Warrior classes needed to build was AMMUNITION, not weapons, and other than the issue of finding space for another skill slot, it probably should have been a separate skill. Of course, since Terrans as a race excel at Trade, giving their Warriors an additional build skill did make sense. Giving Explorers and only Explorers the ability to build Reactors appears to have been a happy side effect of the race concept.

 

As I mentioned in the other thread, I believe the dominance of the economy by Traders was not a fault of the Trader design, but of the economy design. If I had felt like opening that can of worms, that would have been my #3. :)

 

I'm not sure I like the idea of excluding certain races from certain classes. Typically in an MMORPG a race may be excluded from a few classes, but never more than half of them. If you're saying that all three races should have all classes, that's fine, but if only Terrans can be Traders and only Progen can be Warriors that limits your choices a great deal. (And also cripples the ability to put together a balanced team of one race)

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1. Immersion
2. A dynamic economy of trade and its supplimental partner mining.
3. Wider variety in character customization, class/role specialization OR focus and role-playing interaction with the story metaplot a la Choose Your Own Adventure. Sandbox worldbuilding. Cats love it.

My wishlist live on th lap of Santa's Helper in the hangar of NET-7 SOL, this the Pakkrat.
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Three things:

  1. A dynamic economy with an economic interface that copies/mimics/works just like EVE online's. What do I mean by that?
    1. I'd say go full monty with it, everything in the game must be built unless it is a drop-only, non-manufacturable item. Vendors, as we know them, will be gone and replaced with a market hub, where people will list their ores, which others will then buy and make components with, and those will be re-listed and used to build items.
    2. This also means separating out the star bases from being universally linked, to being local points in space. The market will and SHOULD vary from station to station. Keeping them 'even-ish' will be the job of the trader classes.
    3. A solution to the explore XP problem: Trade runs done with normal trade goods only give trade XP. Trade runs done with other items (comps, weps, shields, etc) bought low and sold high at another station, give both trade *and* explore XP
    4. A small (1-2%) transaction tax on every buy or sell transaction on the market will go a long way to keeping inflation in check.
  2. Free-to-play game model with character customization being the thing sold. I would go so far as to say create a tool similar to the Steam Workshop where community players can make money creating skins people want in game, and you profit sharing in-game purchases with them. Seriously, Riot makes boatloads of cash selling nothing but skins as the only items which can *only* be purchased with real world money.
    1. To micro-transaction nay-sayers: He won't have the dedicated fanbase of EVE, nor the training model. WoW is only popular because of its size. His game will be more in line with LoL and World of Tanks than a traditional MMO, so he'd best optimize his business model to that angle.
    2. An alternative to this is, if you go for the traditional subscription model, allow game-time to be purchased with in-game currency ala EVE. The game time cards, at some point, must be bought with real-world money, but can be made into an in-game item and bought and sold on the market like everything else.
  3. To keep players playing you need an un-winnable game. EVE can't be won, LoL can't be won, WoW certainly can be, hence their constant cycle of expansions. The end-game mechanics need to be changed so the game cannot be won, and there's a reason to worry about how pretty your character is, or how much style you do something with. At this point, I'm scratching my head as to how, but this *must* be done or you will fail.

On one final note, you talk with a lot of bravado, but you seem more like scumbag steve in personality terms. Someone who honestly has a 50m line of credit tends to be a LOT more mature than you act. I'm not going to call you a liar because it's entirely possible you've spoken only the truth, but understand that perception is huge, and people perceive you as an annoying brat, not a realistic businessman.

 

You talk about dollar amounts, but you don't seem to comprehend that EA is well aware we are here. They have chosen not to care. Your money won't change that. Learning what happens with our donation money might. Does any dev ever see a payout from it? Unreported income come tax-time? If you were really interested in shutting this place down, threaten to hire private investigators to follow the U.S. based devs (yea, Zack gets to be free and german. meh). That's an actual threat.

 

Moreover, among all your ranting and raving, I've seen nothing about how you plan to run the company. No vision, no goals, nothing. You don't have the mentality of a CEO or any form of leader I've ever encountered. Perhaps it is simply your digital persona (lots of the CEO types struggle at online interaction, so if this were the case with you, it wouldn't surprise me). But again, if you want to be taken seriously, talk about what you have done and thought about in terms of business models, operational theory, timetables, disaster recovery, continuity...on and on. Business is complex, show you have an understanding of it.

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:On one final note, you talk with a lot of bravado

 

 

I talk a lot of reason, for example, there is no reason to have terran beam weapons in the game if they are going to be USED.

 

Someone who honestly has a 50m line of credit tends to be a LOT more mature than you act. I'm not going to call you a liar because it's entirely possible you've spoken only the truth, but understand that perception is huge, and people perceive you as an annoying brat, not a realistic businessman.

 

 

I am launching a game in 4 months (projected) that will produce 400-600m a year, already started production of the following game, 50 million is a joke, Much like random ants like you.

 

 

You talk about dollar amounts, but you don't seem to comprehend that EA is well aware we are here. They have chosen not to care. Your money won't change that. Learning what happens with our donation money might. Does any dev ever see a payout from it? Unreported income come tax-time? If you were really interested in shutting this place down, threaten to hire private investigators to follow the U.S. based devs (yea, Zack gets to be free and german. meh). That's an actual threat.

 

if i wanted to shut this game down i'd call up EA games and tell them about the source code editing, Check mate game over.

 

 

Moreover, among all your ranting and raving, I've seen nothing about how you plan to run the company. No vision, no goals, nothing. You don't have the mentality of a CEO or any form of leader I've ever encountered. Perhaps it is simply your digital persona (lots of the CEO types struggle at online interaction, so if this were the case with you, it wouldn't surprise me). But again, if you want to be taken seriously, talk about what you have done and thought about in terms of business models, operational theory, timetables, disaster recovery, continuity...on and on. Business is complex, show you have an understanding of it.

 

 

Like you do going from thread to thread to attack me? Give me a break, your picking the wrong fight dude. You don't attack people for coming to a game and trying to help out. Just equally is how you don't attack someone who is asking players for opinions to get a better scope of how people feel. That is not Endless "Bravado' Its trying to fix the game. 

 

At the end of the day the simple truth is this, I came to help this game, and i am offering to develop a new game for the player base here, You can reject that, Thats fine I don't need you to develop a game, I have a dev team i pay for that.

 

 

All your ranting and endless stupidity on a buisiness model when we all know this game cant make money only shows the level of stupidity and bullshit coming out of your mouth

and incase that line was not clear enough for you

 

QQ MORE ABOUT ME SAYING YOUR JOKE OF A CLAN SHOULD NOT RAID FOR A FEW MONTHS, Tool

Edited by Talar
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I gave you what you asked for, 3 things, and some criticism on your projected personality, making note that I could be misinterpreting things. The criticism you responded to...quite poorly. I will not devolve this into personal attacks. You have my words. Use them, or ignore them, at your leisure.

Edited by Lanzo
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...You don't attack people for coming to a game and trying to help out. ...

How about a donation or two?  

 

It's sort of hard for me to take someone seriously that says they have projected an annual gross? income of 400-600 mil and can't spare a minimal $5.00 US to help THIS game out, 

 

 

Just saying.......

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No point in wasting money on a game that is dying out, With people that are just repeating the same cycle (which in the normal world we call insanity). This game will never get fixed with its current addresses, It needs a radical approach to revitalize it, That includes improving the content in the game now, not running through hoops to try to find new additions, fact is until you get more coders (at the very least) there is no logical way the game will ever produce content to satisfy the population.

 

The best move for the game now is to fix level 150, and advertise, with any hope you will find a few more coders out there willing to help, and thats when you add content to the game.

Let people find content in helping the new population, rather then ways of exploiting them for guild drama, and forum battles, Its utter nonsense, and i gather from conversations iv

already had with 3 staff members that the people are on their ends of helping.

 

 

 

If the game gets fixed, we can sit down and talk about buying some serious hardware, and going somewhere with the game, in the mean time if i am going to spend money on this game, it will be offers to EA Games for Rights on the game, for the sole purpose of 1. Shutting the game down due to douch-bags, and (or) 2. Creating Enb2 (Because all logic says starting a new game makes hell of a lot more sense).

Edited by Talar
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