I like honest posts like this, and we for sure needed an update...
Thank you.
If AO is 'cash-flow' positive now with its' current playerbase, I would think you would have a huge carrot available to wave in front of upper mgmt to get more ppl/resources assigned to getting the new engine/starter experience out the door and the subscriber base boosted.
Profession rebalance - some things are ok to implement early, like runspeed changes. Some stuff, like the radical changes to Advie morphs/role, really needs to be moved to the back of the line. We've had professions operating as they are for over a decade, and such big changes should only be addressed when the full attention of the Dev team can be applied there and after the engine et al, is out.
Starter training - played with it, needs lots and lots of work - 1st time a new char I rolled has died at lvl 1 (gobbled up by a chain of cleaning bots) in like 8 years.
.
Dagget
President,
Venice Academy
Actually, after reading over again the parts about 'public beta', I'm wondering if that means there will be a 'beta' client that users will be able to use to connect to the 'live' server and play, just with the caveats mentioned such as helmetless (headless?) chars, etc...
.
Dagget
President,
Venice Academy
Awikun 220/70/30 Ranged adv - my Main that I hardly ever log
Awisha 220/70/30 Shade - Can solo 95% of all bosses
Cratawi 200/70/30 Crat - S7/DR Solo farmer
Awiken 220/70/30 Eng - Pvm Eng
Nukiwa 200/70/30 NT - almost forgotten (awaiting retwink)
Awidoc 200/70/30 Doc - 200 fun pvp twink
Awix 200/70/30 Fix - 200 fun pvp twink
Awienf 220/70/30 Enf - tanked every single boss (and still lives)
Soldawi 220/70/30 Sol - Pvm Sold
Awima 150/xx/xx Ma - best S10 MA farmer
Doctorawi 220/70/30 - Pvm Doc
Awienfo 200/70/30 - Atrox with Pande red belt and 2xQL300 hammers
Macierewicz 220/70/30 - Pvm Crat
Zlakobieta 220/70/30 - max complit +top tradeskiller
NEXT YEAR NEXT YEAR NEXT YEAR NEXT YEAR NEXT YEAR NEXT YEAR NEXT YEAR NEXT YEAR NEXT YEAR NEXT YEAR NEXT YEAR NEXT YEAR AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Still, thanks for letting me know I should not continue in hoping for a playable new engine in 2012. I think a few muscles may have just relaxed.
Thanks for the update. It cleared some things up such as list of priorities. So keep them coming
First on-topic post in an update thread:
Since you are possibly leaving the profession rebalancing until the end, will there be tweaks to existing balance problems? MR, Enfo 1he/1hb, and MPs come to mind instantly, drawing other shadowy thoughts with them.
How extensive (if they happen) will these early balance tweaks be? Can you mention any example of anything the team agrees needs changing?
When, honestly, (if they happen) will these tweaks happen?
So I am pleased to say we have a series of internal milestones left to meet, but if all goes according to plan we should be able to get something in the hands of players early next year.
I'm sorry but we have heard this since 2007 "by the end of summer for sure," , "no surely before the new year 2008,2009.2010,2011...." the boy who cried wolf.... no one believes you any longer.
the entire game could have been remade in this time, textures, engine,.... everything.......... AO2 probably would have been awesome..
what if the hokey pokey?...is what its all about
I AM BORED!!!!
Capnsfix, Capncaveman, Denamari, Monkeylips, and boatloads of others
Insanity inc. still waiting on our in game strait jacket
This, thank god GW2 is my new addiction, and that is made by a company that actually cares about players. Sugesstiong for ao team: Stop making those updates/reports and do what Sil did, post patch notes after patch and thats it. Then we will get real sense of progress (slacking).
SOON™coming back...
Neosh 220/20 Shade | Neokirurg 220/21 Doc crit setup | Neoc 216/18 Crat
Shades are really invisible (from FC point of view)
Patterns/symbs SALE ----- Refined imps SALE
While AO is "cash-flow positive," its cash flow potential is certainly dwarfed by TSW and even Conan, so it probably won't get more love.
Probably testlive - it is out there for use and already in place. Just no one uses it. A new engine preview sure would get that place alive and kicking.
Ruffixx, 220/30/66 Omni Opifex Fixer
Pugilius, 206/30/49 Omni Opifex MA
Blessedbrawl, 200/0 Omni Froob Opifex MA
Medor, 199/23/42 Neutral Solitus Doctor
Vindicius, 189/20/46 Omni Atrox Enforcer
Evilrilius, 100/10 Omni Nano MP - Foremans Killing Machine
Proud General of Obsidian Order
AO is cash-flow positive for sure. But a significant question is what is the ROI on projects for AO. Unfortunately, that's where things get tricky. For an old game like AO, cash flow is very difficult to increase. So investment made to AO is limited by a cash flow that might be slowly decreasing (or increasing). Perhaps the prolonged development cycle is indicative of just how low AO's cash flow truly is. While the game itself is in no immediate danger of being cancelled (surely by now, AO's net ROI is positive), there's also very little hope for a dramatic increase in support.
At least, if I'm running FC, that's how I would prioritize distribution of organizational resources. The majority of my resources would be dedicated to finding the next hit. Game development nowadays is becoming more and more like pharmaceutical and biotech industries: lots of projects, of which only a selected few become steady streams of income.
Ilikethongs (220/21 Atrox Enforcer)
Antithongs (220/22 Atrox Soldier)
Thesocialist (220/12 Solitus Bureaucrat)
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So has there been any word on what will happen in order to address accounts that have more then the current allotment of character slots once the servers are merged?
Gaveup 220/30/80 Smg
"public beta"? i asume that means we get only 1 client, and not option for new or old.
And for all u haters, FC already did some rebalance changes to certain proffesions that have high priority, MP pets etc
Last edited by orochi3; Sep 2nd, 2012 at 07:00:18.
Garden keys can be bought from the key locked garden vendor in case you have deleted your key.
You're talking about pets that last forever? That's an easy change and barely worthy of mention. It's also a convenience change, that has no bearing on balance. We were told there would be new TL7 pets, and that pets would scale with your character. 3.5 years ago. That dream is only a reality for 161-219 crats.
New Engine - Announced: June 2007 ETA: Soon™ I'm speechless (June 2015)
Rebalancing - Announced: January 2009 ETA: December 21, 2012 Started! (April 2015)
New TL7 Pets - Announced: March 2009 ETA: Uh...
AS Changes - Announced: July 2009 ETA: TBA
Parry/Riposte - Announced: October 2009 ETA: ??? Did it! (April 2015)
Perk Changes - Announced: October 2009 ETA: Right after server merge Started! (April 2015)
Breed Change - Announced: November 2009 ETA: Hell freezing They did it!!! (Oct 2012)
Beta Server - Announced: January 2010 ETA: Pigs Flying Did it! (Feb 2014)
Go back to page 2 and read vhab's posts. He addresses your question.
Edit for posterity....I added the emphasis below. (Speaking to the conspiracy theorists out there) And, seriously, if this isn't clear, if you somehow think this means the number of slots will be reduced, then there is no help for you.
Last edited by Gorathon; Sep 2nd, 2012 at 09:08:22.
Ghosts of Rimor
Gorastopr 220 MA Doctor :: No pew pew. Thwack thwack.
Goratinkr TL5 OT Hurler Factotum Engineer :: Bringin' the thunder since 2008.
Scrubup 100 Bow Doctor :: Will she ever get out of perk reset? Stay tuned!
Ghosts of Atlantean
Unda TL7 MA Engineer :: Crying for more crit.
Measles LVL1 Pistol Doctor :: It takes 2 stims to self the Expertises.