I've spent a lot of time playing with the Odyssey expansion. This is the most time I have put into the test server and the most time I have put into trying to 'help' Eve on the level of presenting input with features.
I find it funny that my most anticipated feature, the one that I thought I would spend the most time agonizing over, Tags4Sec is the one that caused the least worry. I played with it, focused on a few points but in general ran it past the people who are interested, we gave it our group blessing and now we can only wait to see how the tags themselves determinate into the game. I know several people in holding patterns waiting for it. They are to tired to drag their sec up anymore and floating on the edge of burn out with this a bright hope in the future.
Having found myself descending into snarky attacks and irritation on the forums and with the expansion just under five days away, I guess I'm done. I've lost my ability to keep my posts positive and neutral. With this effort of working on the test server I've learned my limitations. My temper will eventually fray and my self control drift away as it succumbs to frustration. I don't have anything left to say that hasn't been said. I've reached the point where I am arguing in circles that will not end. So it is time to stop. I had removed myself from active participation on the Eve Online forums almost nine months ago now. Now it is time to wait and see how the launch goes for the general game that does not go to the test server or spend their time in the feedback threads or even on the forums themselves.
Some changes and info to hacking and scanning. I'm pulling from the dev posts and adding the links.
On the forums, the threads are full of negatives. Negative feedback is hard to swallow when that is all that you are going to get. However, when it is a change of this type, negative feedback is what you are most going to get because we are trying to find what is wrong and make it right so that the game itself balances into fun.
I don't mind the scanning system changes. I just want them to replace the functionality of the old system. I'm disappointed by the changes in the skills but it is all stuff that I can live with. I've taken to leaving my scanner on when on SiSi and I love the constant movement in space. I actually feel that flying in space, looking around, and jumping are all more fluid and cohesive and immersive with the scanning overlay and the jump effects. I feel more inside of a game.
Under all the thrashing and gnashing of teeth, the biggest concerns lay in the place of things being completed now vs being completed in the future. The Unified Inventory is the best example of this. It came out in a state that CCP felt was finished and functional. The player based moaned and thrashed and proved that it was not. They worked and worked and worked at it and now it contains the old functionality plus new functionality. I now use the tree and the ability to have separate windows to rapid fire move, sort, look for, and organize things like I was never able to before. It is now good but it took a while to become good.
All of these issues we are having with the current changes will probably be resolved by the winter with updates and additions and renewed depth. However, people want it done when it first comes out and that does not appear to be how changes like this are going to happen. I am going to believe that the scanning system will regain some more of its depth and flexibility I also believe that the entire hacking game will become something more interesting as it expands. It just won't be on June 4th.
June 4th is the day for change. It will also be a day of screaming.
I've contributed. I've found a few bugs. Pointed at a few things. Had some things heard. Had others ignored. Now I'm going to dust my hands and wait and see how the launch goes. To bad that I work on Tuesday and will miss the start.
I find it funny that my most anticipated feature, the one that I thought I would spend the most time agonizing over, Tags4Sec is the one that caused the least worry. I played with it, focused on a few points but in general ran it past the people who are interested, we gave it our group blessing and now we can only wait to see how the tags themselves determinate into the game. I know several people in holding patterns waiting for it. They are to tired to drag their sec up anymore and floating on the edge of burn out with this a bright hope in the future.
Having found myself descending into snarky attacks and irritation on the forums and with the expansion just under five days away, I guess I'm done. I've lost my ability to keep my posts positive and neutral. With this effort of working on the test server I've learned my limitations. My temper will eventually fray and my self control drift away as it succumbs to frustration. I don't have anything left to say that hasn't been said. I've reached the point where I am arguing in circles that will not end. So it is time to stop. I had removed myself from active participation on the Eve Online forums almost nine months ago now. Now it is time to wait and see how the launch goes for the general game that does not go to the test server or spend their time in the feedback threads or even on the forums themselves.
Some changes and info to hacking and scanning. I'm pulling from the dev posts and adding the links.
- NPCs will no longer spawn on a failed hack attempt. They are still chasing down all of the sites with this but that is the end outcome. The damage from failed hacks is not so large that it will instapop a T1 frigate I do not think. However, tanking these ships is going to be interesting due to the general lack of slots.
- In the future we may see more of this type of mini-game in other areas of Eve.
- Cans have been slowed down, making them easier to catch.
- Crimewatch applies to the cans which means a suspect flag for stealing them in high sec.
- The can names have meaning now instead of just having names for the sake of names.
- In the future they want the success of hacking and the scatter of the cans to link together, rewarding you for hacking it the first time or maybe for hacking it quickly?
- Scattered cans from a successful hack will not show in the over view and this will not become an option.
- For those who can figure it out, the game has some type of strategy to it.
- However that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of randomness to it.
- Can Icon Colors: Green means grab, yellow means you're busy, white means to far.
- Deactivating probes will not cause them to auto recall. This allows some functionality for leaving probes in space.
- T1 exploration frigates will get a +5 Bonus for virus coherency(?) basically a hacking bonus. T2 CovOps frigates will get a +10 bonus. The T3 bonus is +10 Virus strength
On the forums, the threads are full of negatives. Negative feedback is hard to swallow when that is all that you are going to get. However, when it is a change of this type, negative feedback is what you are most going to get because we are trying to find what is wrong and make it right so that the game itself balances into fun.
I don't mind the scanning system changes. I just want them to replace the functionality of the old system. I'm disappointed by the changes in the skills but it is all stuff that I can live with. I've taken to leaving my scanner on when on SiSi and I love the constant movement in space. I actually feel that flying in space, looking around, and jumping are all more fluid and cohesive and immersive with the scanning overlay and the jump effects. I feel more inside of a game.
Under all the thrashing and gnashing of teeth, the biggest concerns lay in the place of things being completed now vs being completed in the future. The Unified Inventory is the best example of this. It came out in a state that CCP felt was finished and functional. The player based moaned and thrashed and proved that it was not. They worked and worked and worked at it and now it contains the old functionality plus new functionality. I now use the tree and the ability to have separate windows to rapid fire move, sort, look for, and organize things like I was never able to before. It is now good but it took a while to become good.
All of these issues we are having with the current changes will probably be resolved by the winter with updates and additions and renewed depth. However, people want it done when it first comes out and that does not appear to be how changes like this are going to happen. I am going to believe that the scanning system will regain some more of its depth and flexibility I also believe that the entire hacking game will become something more interesting as it expands. It just won't be on June 4th.
June 4th is the day for change. It will also be a day of screaming.
I've contributed. I've found a few bugs. Pointed at a few things. Had some things heard. Had others ignored. Now I'm going to dust my hands and wait and see how the launch goes. To bad that I work on Tuesday and will miss the start.
I think I should get on the same boat. Things are still changing daily on SiSi and I am not sure what to think of this rollercoaster ride.
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