Friday, March 22, 2013

Summary of March 22nd SotA chat log with RG and CS

Thanks to AndiZ27582 for the leg work in summarizing. 


Chris Spears' comments:
- So yes, PVP is not completely open BUT yes, you will be able to enable PVP at will though turning it off will take some time 
- AND there will be quests that require you to go PVP to take
-Those PVP quests will give you a reward if you survive and complete them and others, even those not on a quest, a reward for killing you
- Because we are going to have significant itemization, we do not plan on having full looting
- We have our own ideas for PVP stuff but I think how "carebear" we make it will be somewhat based on feedback. Because we're letting people just play with friends, we can't enforce full open PVP
- PVP will be meaningful and PVP is honestly the cheapest content known to developers! Trust me when I say we are spending time on it
- Yes, and how to make PVP both enjoyable for "grey shard" types but also not let it ruin the game for the much larger "carebear" types
- Lordy, I'll have a 3 page house update posted within the hour!
- Also, for those who are hard core PK'ers, we are discussing making some guilds flaggable as full PVP, all the time
- So PK'ers only need to join a PK guild and battle other PK guilds
- What we can't allow is for PK'ers to grief and slaughter new players as they enter the game, especially if they are really more interested in the story line aspects
- We'll either have a full post or a video chat session on PVP before the end of the campaign. We have LOTS of ideas that are all implementable but it is such a divisive issue, we're scared to talk about it much until we get more player feedback
- Richard and Tracy have been hammering on the story and details and new fiction all week. Been pretty inspiring seeing them work together so well on stuff
- I recorded a video on our classless system, brief overview of skills, and how our system allows players to take on multiple roles on the fly
- I've mentioned that it has a bit of a card game feeling element to it that adds a lot of strategy both in planning before entering combat and also during combat. Also, don't think Magic or other CCG when I say card mechanics, think Dominion
- a large pledge backed out because we still have not released house details. :/
- 18 months till the final game but we'll have stuff in people's hands before the end of 2013
- I have a video of Richard talking about how he came up with the Gypsy questions. Very powerful and interesting. I'm going to try and get that up this weekend. Also will require user feedback on the video! and no, I'm no Richard in the videos
- And by "Chris gets right to the details" what you really means is Chris blabs about stuff that is supposed to be secret! =p
- I think we decided we just didn't have the staff to cover PAX East during the KS. =(
- We should have more to show later this year and will attend more shows. Right now we have playable prototype stuff but it mostly has programmer quality art in it and, as we saw from our early feedback, fans don't like my art.
- Richard and others will be at GDC in a few weeks
- (about the prototype graphics): Which is why we switched back to what all KS seem to do and threw up some pretty concept art
- Should have said "Prototype with programmer art!"
- BTW, some of my levels are still on the front page!https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/000/429/485/11485b71960df4f48f8ce5bc475f997a_large.png… is mine =)
- It was really just a test to see how curved sewer walls, moving water, fire based lights in dark scenes, and some other stuff worked
- our artists would disagree on my art not being that bad. =p
- (on Population in Cities): we've already started investigating several solutions to get more visible in key areas, like cities through hosted microinstances on Amazon.
- It will definitely be enough to make the city feel full
- More just worried about stuff like, "HEY, Lord British is coming to town, join us for a party!"
- and then half the people can't get to him
- Vendors at houses yes. There will also be a bazaar for those without a house but it will take a % cut
- KS houses will have no % rake on the vendors, post KS they will probably take a small rake, maybe 10% vs 30% for bazaar.
- Bazaars will also only sell goods added in that town/city/village
- Intentionally done that way so people can create their own profits by going to towns with low prices, buying and reselling locally
- So the document will explain it all but what you are actually buying that is super rare is a property deed, the right to build a house somewhere. Houses will be expensive but the value is in the property deed.
- Deeds allow you to claim an open lot. House comes free with the deed but once you claim a lot it is yours till you give it up
- Once you claim the lot, you can sell the house to build something different if you choose for your own personal tastes
- the reason for the deed system is so you can move your house to another town if you choose. So if we open up a cool new area, you will be able to go there and move your house there. It will take a bit to transfer
- No, KS deeds and the vendor that comes with them are free for life
- All pretty simple really. We put the value in the deed because we realize people like to swap houses!
- The KS property deed will always be rent free even if you move it to another town or trade it to another player!
- to move your house you go to the empty lot you want and move the deed. You claim the new one before the old one is released. No fear of getting stuck out int he cold. Also, only selling as many property deeds as we have open spots
- we'll have a PVP/PK update before the end. I think most people will have options to play in the style they want
- we'll open a store post kickstarter and will have some way to get most of the stuff on KS but no guarantee we'll have everything and KS will be your cheapest option
- before the end of the KS we should have any and all this type information I occasionally spill represented in some official update.
- Deeds will come with a choice of probably 3 starter homes which vary based on the level of the property deed
- part of my reason for chatting with people here is it is a little more loose and I can get feedback from people before we put it in bold letters for everyone to see
- we'll get more stuff answered officially. Our plan was to roll out stuff over the month and build some suspense but I think people are so pumped that they are rage quitting over not getting answers. We'll keep pushing updates
- I'll try to get in here at least an hour a day for the rest of the campaign and also make it a scheduled time each day.
- final game not till late 2014 but we expect to have early versions of the game in people's hands by the end of 2013 for feedback and testing
- known and we have plans so PK's and non-PK's will be happy
- we have an economy expert who will be focusing on making sure it is all balanced. Designer who was responsible for Wizard101 and a number of noteworthy social games
- Guys, I'm also going to have go shortly but I'm having Firelotus schedule a few 1 hour chat sessions that we will publicize in advance so you can know when to stop in and harrass me
- Also, we'll get this Housing update out now and try to get yet another FUN update out tonight
- Todays video will be from Rick and B, two of our designers


Lord British's comments:
- We are working hard to craft a POWERFUL solo player story...
- Yes, we will soon launch THIS site, which will go on after KS, and have new options on it, that KS does not allow, details TBD. (about Paypal and another pledging site aside Kickstarter)
- Story: While we/I already had a strong "base" story, I desperately needed help from a story crafter like Tracy Hickman... we have been working most every afternoon detailing the 1st game.
- Story: I feel the best Ultima stories I wrote when working with Warren Spector, as he is also a better story teller than me. While then, and now the story is still under my clear leadership, Warren and now Tracy are invaluable!
- Andi - good idea! (to my question, if Tracy Hickman can do some videos, explaining the world and story, too =) )
- Belief System: yes, we will have virtues... the exact words I use, for virtues you all know is still in debate. Clearly I do not want to cross any legal lines, but the virtues words are also clearly public domain... so... let me figure out how to do it... but fear not, you will know it!
- Radar, arrows etc. You make a good point, we all added radar and arrows to mitigate the pain of early games.... but I still think it has gone to far to the simple side. We will all work togtehr to craft the right level of player aids and not destroy the sense of exploration and discovery.
- A housing video is going up this afternoon. basically yes, to what you asked: you can upgrade your house, and you can move it to another city. Also in single player.
- Smack - A system of "clues" when you need them, perhaps at a cost or recharge, is fine, if we need it, just don't destroy the sense of exploration.
- Honestly, its too early to see all the polishing details we have yet to implement, much less refine, but we have done this many times. We know the target pretty clearly, we know how to get there pretty confidently. The biggest new ideas, like our blended multiplayer - solo gameplay is what we need to prove to ourselves and you. I believe it will work, but we can always split them if needed.
- PVP is obviously an important AND contentious area. We think we have a plan that keeps beginners from being ganked, but encourages PVP in a way that feels risky and rewarding to both sides. We want neither extreme of gank the noob, nor opt in PVP flags which are no fun either.
- What do you think about LB being immortal? Should i purposefully always be open to attack?
- My team is advising me not to take the bait on chatting about killing children... =)
- I would love to see a town called Skara Brae!
- We have PVP threads on the forums, we will continue to collect data there. I know it will be tricky, but I think we have the basis of a plan, and will present it when we think its at least one level of bullet proof.
- Andi - I agree. (about my statement, that killing Lord British should never be a quest, but stay an easteregg =) )
- Crafting - there are the basics, which I can describe, then the "advanced" we are still working on....
- Crafting: start with a "recipe" that has a list of needs such as: a craftying station (forge), tools (tongs and gloves), skills (level 3 sword making), consumed ingredients (ore, coal, ash, silver). Then a "process" to make it...
- Crafting "Process": we are sill working this out... but we would like there to be more of a process, the process will be either simple to begin with and expand in the live game, or we will add it in our stretch goals. But '"eventually" we would like to get to at least a minecraft level of process, and perhaps mini game like actions, but we are still discussing short and long term plans for this.
- Magic: Not much has been said about magic! Like crafting this system is in early planning. But, it will likely have: Consumed Reagents, words of power or Logos "Vas Flam", etc. the details of execution, TBD
- Friends! I have another video interview I must run off too, but Fire Lotus is going to schedule me some known visit times. See you again soon. THANKS for your support. We do really work for YOU! We are listening, we will make you proud!
- Bye!

Chris came back a little later on and also stated:
- Back, but only for a minute! 
- Lordy, we will probably not have schematics for houses before the end of kickstarter. We have a fair number of house types already but I don't think they are well balanced. We will also keep rolling out new houses, just like we roll out new instances 
- @IpkeeZ, if we end up going with the "PVP guild" option for PK'ers, we will likely also add some type of house break in option as well. Likely not a ship thing but it has already come up in discussions for the "Grey Shard" types. 
- Instanced house options have been discussed but it was lower priority since you'll have access to a bank 
- @Lordy, we have a mostly finished village that we put together just to try and get a solid grasp of how much space is enough but not too much. Might have a screen shot of it but it is intentionally kind of boring 
- Walls will not stop local chat so you can run a house of ill repute but the neighbors might complain... 
- We'll release something on crafting and farming at some point. Still a point of contention but I'm hoping farming will not be a skill but just something you do. So you can find an elderberry that restores mana when eaten. Using it leaves you an elderberry seed. You can take that and plant it and get another set of elderberries the next day. I'm still fighting for that idea. Wish me luck 
- @Rune_74, Story is the one topic I don't touch. I'm in on the conversations but not even daring to think about revealing anything until Richard and Tracy say more! 
- @Vyrinor, current design has 5 major gathering categories and 5 major crafting areas. Farming was one that kind of didn't match with the others in terms of how it worked so I was proposing doing something fun with it that gets people coming back daily. I curse you for comparing it to Farmville but yes, same psychology 
- @Fifty, current expectation is that advancement in adventure skills will not interfere with advancement in craft skills. Richard is a big fan of one player, one character. The combat system allows people to solo or pick a party role so we haven't quite found a reason to allow multiple character yet. 
- And current expectation is you get 1 online character and as many offline characters as you want 
- @Tekkamansoul, traveling is pretty quick and safe with the dual scale map if you stick to the roads and don't travel at night! The "faster travel" thing has come up but will likely wait till we expand our world even more 
- and as you probably saw from some of the sketches, there is a "Lunar Rift" type thing that will allow you to move quickly between some key areas 
- Ok, you guys are sucking me in! I'll get Firelotus to schedule some official chat time with people. 
- Need to get back to work making a game and cleaning up some more updates!

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