n3rfed

SAYONARA

I'm heading off in...oooh, 30 minutes...for Japan. I'll be gone for 2 weeks, so it's spawn camping time for this blog until that time is up.

Maybe I'll actually get the time to write some useful thoughts down for once.

Naaahhh.

I SENSE A GREAT DISTURBANCE

Krones was quick enough to lift some supposed Star Wars: Galaxies primetime server populations before they were deleted into the dark depths of Al Gore.

ID: 24 - Name: Europe-Infinity - IP: 195.33.138.101 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0334
ID: 23 - Name: Europe-FarStar - IP: 195.33.138.75 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0133
ID: 22 - Name: Europe-Chimaera - IP: 195.33.138.41 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0331

ID: 1C - Name: Shadowfire - IP: 199.108.197.130 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0518
ID: 1B - Name: Wanderhome - IP: 199.108.197.103 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0462
ID: 1A - Name: Tarquinas - IP: 199.108.197.87 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0456
ID: 19 - Name: Starsider - IP: 199.108.197.50 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0414
ID: 13 - Name: Tempest - IP: 199.108.7.148 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0457
ID: 12 - Name: Valcyn - IP: 199.108.7.111 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0455
ID: 11 - Name: Sunrunner - IP: 199.108.7.73 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0493
ID: 10 - Name: Scylla - IP: 199.108.7.50 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0457
ID: 0F - Name: Naritus - IP: 199.108.8.137 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0496
ID: 0E - Name: Kettemoor - IP: 199.108.8.117 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0522
ID: 0D - Name: Intrepid - IP: 199.108.6.178 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0456
ID: 0C - Name: Flurry - IP: 199.108.6.133 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0473
ID: 0B - Name: Radiant - IP: 199.108.198.70 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0266
ID: 0A - Name: Lowca - IP: 199.108.198.36 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0227
ID: 09 - Name: Kauri - IP: 199.108.196.178 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0245
ID: 08 - Name: Gorath - IP: 199.108.196.131 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0271
ID: 07 - Name: Eclipse - IP: 199.108.196.101 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0397
ID: 06 - Name: Chilastra - IP: 199.108.196.84 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0357
ID: 05 - Name: Bloodfin - IP: 199.108.196.40 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0441
ID: 04 - Name: Corbantis - IP: 199.108.6.105 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0460
ID: 03 - Name: Ahazi - IP: 199.108.6.79 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0520
ID: 02 - Name: Bria - IP: 199.108.6.53 - PortA: 44463 - PortB: 44462 - Population: 0722

My calculator of +5 Solar Powered estimates the total concurrent primetime playerbase at 10,363.

So, if these numbers are indeed true and represent a viable indication of the SWG active subscriber base, let's have a little comparison.

Dark Age of Camelot, a game older than SWG and that which has no big name license attached to it in order to help it sell more units, has a primetime audience of somewhere around 26,000. When I checked at 6am, a time definitely not prime and which occured just before I started writing this post, 9,776 Albions were zerging 1 Hibernian.

Eve Online, a sci-fi MMO which allows it, at least loosely, to be compared to SWG and that has found it's own niche in the market, topped 22,000 players concurrently online earlier this year. On the same shard, nonetheless. Just this month Eve also reached 100,000 subscribers, a very applaudable acheivement when we look back at its beginnings, and which should allow Eve to keep its PCU consistently at that level. Those numbers are no fluke.

And then we have SWG. A game backed by both a huge MMO developer and a giant movie/entertainment business. A game that at its inception had an army on its payroll and still commands a hefty employee roster. A game, that by all rights of its name, should have more than 10, 363 concurrent players. A game that was identified to contain gameplay that let the side down, and thus was changed dramatically last year. A game that told its players, observers and the media that these changes were going to turn the game around, were absolutely needed because they were the. best. ever, and that would strengthen the game for the time to come - regardless of how many veteran players were lost to the churn as a result of this monstrous metamorphosis. A game that wouldn't focus on just surviving and then improving its position by making smart, careful changes (as Eve has done) but instead would take the fight to the big boys.

"People within the company feel so much pride in this game that they want it to beat the crap out of World of Warcraft...with the changes we're making in Galaxies, I think we're headed in the right direction."

If this number of 10,363 is an improvement, as it was aiming to be and as has been touted as being achieved, congratulations. Really. But if I had ever seen the PCU numbers pre-NGE, I would have cringed. Perhaps that's what the suits did indeed do. Hence this seemingly rash decision to go ahead with the game-wide sweeping changes.

Honestly, I think the numbers have dropped since the pre-NGE days. Sure, there may have been a spate of 10-day trials. But chances are those people will have left along with the scorned veterans that were considered a necessary casualty.

Honestly, and sadly, I think some heads will begin to roll soon, if not tumbling already.

HELL NO, THEY WON'T GO

A follow-up to the follow-up on Blizzard's crusade for banning things before they happen.

Interestingly enough, the letter mentions that Blizzard has already started to cave on this issue, withdrawing their citation against Sara Andrews for alleged violation of WoW harassment policies. According to the letter, an e-mail from “Thor Biafore,” the head of Blizzard’s customer service worldwide, acknowledges that the action taken against Ms. Andrews was based on an “unfortunate interpretation” of Blizzard’s current policies.

I'm seriously toying with the idea of setting up my own legal service in the next MMO I log onto. There's business in them thar hills. I'm not certified? No problem. I'll create the bar association as well.

EQII PVP FIGHTS BACK

The EQII PvP ruleset has been updated with new information that includes this;

Coin and Item Loot

 In the event of an honorable death, players will drop a percentage of their coin into a chest that can be looted by anyone who gained rewards for the kill (or the player who died if they make it back to the chest in time).

Additionally, there is a chance that players will drop a single item from their non-equipped inventory upon death. These items are of Treasured quality and lower, and cannot be Attuned or No-Trade.

(I already hear the mating calls of Zek refugees) And this;

At first, you will not be able to attack any player that cons grey to you unless they attack you first. However, as players travel farther from the city walls, the level range for valid targets increases:

• Nektulos, Thundering Steppes: You may attack players up to 10 levels below you
• Enchanted Lands, Orcish Wastes: You may attack players up to 12 levels below you
• Lavastorm, Everfrost, Feerrott, Rivervale: You may attack players up to 14 levels below you
• Desert of Flames: You may attack all players
• Kingdom of Sky: You may attack all players

Note: While the valid range of players you can kill does increase, the rewards will only be granted for players within the default +/- 8 level range.

The honor levels were also tweaked...;

How Rewards are Determined

Rewards for engaging in and triumphantly winning a PvP conflict vary depending on how the kill took place. Rewards and definitions for kill types follow.

Honorable Kills: Any kill of the opposing alignment that was engaged while the target had greater then 50% health. All players that generate at least one point of hate with the victim while the victim’s health is above the honorable kill threshold will be eligible to receive rewards, including experience, status, faction, and the ability to loot item or coin dropped by the other player.

Neutral Kills: Any kill of the opposing alignment that was engaged while the target had greater then 20% health. Neutral kills result in moderate faction gain.

Dishonorable Kills: Any kill of the opposing alignment that was first engaged while the target had less than 20% health. Dishonorable kills result in a loss of faction with both your alignment and the opposing city’s. Losing enough faction will cause you to fall out of favor with your alignment, and will restrict or remove any access to the rewards system.

Note: Dishonorable/Neutral status will be removed if the victim’s health goes above the specified thresholds during the course of the fight.

...and some other changes have been made.

PvP Mechanics & Communication
/duel will no longer function across alignments. Sorry, but the Queen and Lucan will not allow any friendly fighting to take place.

Combat
Stealth, Invisibility and Feign Death effects cast during combat will force anyone targeting you to lose their target.

A character that would normally be invisible or stealthed to you will appear with a shadowy outline if within a specified range (currently 20m instead of 30m).

Healing or casting beneficial spells on players who are currently hated by another player in PvP combat will open the caster up as a valid target regardless of the level ranges involved.

Kudos for taking some advice and addressing issues with who gets honor when more than one person attacks a target at different health levels. You've managed to scratch my PvP itch a little more. Best go clean your hands.

BLIZZARD WINS THE 2006 DODGEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN A WALKOVER

GamesIndustry.biz attempts to pin down Blizzard with questions about European login problems, Asian discrimination in WoW, and the recent uproar over players advertising GLBT guilds. GamesIndustry.biz is told that only the login issues may be commented on due to the employees answering the questions being responsible for the technical side of things.

So why is it half the answers given are non-technical and out of their self-described area of speciality?

THIS POST IS ONLY 60% COMPLETE

Because I'm too busy trying to finish up two design documents by the end of the week, I have no reason to comment when Aggro pretty much says it all.

BACK IN MY DAY, I HAD TO YELL INTO THE PHONE SO I COULD CONNECT TO THE INTERNETS

For those new kids on the virtual block, a brief subjective history.

Damn whippersnappers.

I WONDER IF THESE ACT AS AN INDICATOR FOR THE OSCARS

Um, whatever.

Looks like Eve Online won the King of the Comments Hill award though.

Edit: Thread going on over at Lum's.

"SAFE FOR WORK. AS LONG AS YOU WORK IN A BROTHEL." PART DEUXXX

We've all seen the websites that rate and discuss escorts. Yes, even you in the middle there, looking nonchalantly at his shoes.  With virtual worlds evolving to mirror their real counterparts in a number of scaringly exciting ways, it was only a matter of time until someone started a site that rated virtual escorts.

Like now.

A good service and all, I'm sure, but some people seem to be conspicuously missing.

TONIGHT, ON A VERY SPECIAL N3RFED...

This week's Update #19 gave us a hint of impending kicks to the curb for the current betrayal quest functionality in EQII:

City Betrayal
- The city betrayal quests currently remain as they were. These quests will be changing significantly in a future update.

And what a good thing that is. The betrayal quest is needlessly limted to people within certain level ranges (why can't I betray at level 18 or 19? Or even have a level tailored event at level 8 for that matter?) and consists of a buttload of catassing (how the hell does killing 500 orcs or gnolls prove someone's loyalty?). In short, it seems to have been designed around the notion that players will feel they have achieved a character-defining event by throwing them at tedious kill tasks.

Now, in reply to my betrayal bug encounter yesterday, we can see some of the forces behind this brewing alteration at work. Scott "Hi! Don't Ask Me About That Damned Betrayal Thing" Hartsman, EQII Senior Producer, wrote in to say:

And if you would've waited TEN MINUTES!...until after the time of your post, It would have been fixed.

This is why data-gated advancement is the root of all evil, and that whole method of betrayal is going the hell away just as soon as we can get it out of there.

Yeah, but you see, I played and was defeated by that bug alot more than ten minutes before I wrote that post, and I doubt I was the player that had to wait the longest for a fix. Still, I'll work on my telepathy so I know next time to wait out that ten minutes.

P.S. Not that having that bug out there was anything less than a massive cluster.  Three different things had to fail to make that happen, and I'm only just now starting to cool off about it, including at myself.

Aww man, all is forgiven. I was mad, you were mad. I still love you.

In a manly way, of course.