A collection of (Nevrax's) Xavier and Jessica's recent responses

[marct]

This is my effort to make everyone aware of the posts and feedback from Nevrax regarding your concerns. I have omitted a few of Xaviers recent posts as they do not really pertain to this.


For Future Reference, Use this link to reach all of Jessica's recent posts and this link to reach all of Xavier's recent posts.

No input from me for or against the folks that are expressing their concerns just as Jessica has stated, form your opinions and post them clearly and will make modifications on the fly to things they can (i.e. game mechanics allow) They have shown this with the patch to EP2 functionality, and through as Jessica notes, a last minute change in Story line that we do not know about. I do not believe you want them to post spoilers on everything to come.

Hoping this helps, (because it was a bunch of work)

Noin.

In the players leaving thread.

To a limited degree I agree with you but it remains disappointing that no amount of RP or opinion, whether IC or OOC, whether at official or unofficial events, will make the blindest bit of difference to the steamroller of plot.

That is profoundly unsatisfying.

You know, this just plain isn't true and you know it. You and I had a long talk about a lot of these issues at the last IRL. If we didn't care, would we listen and make adjustments, bith short and loing term? Would we take polls and do things differently than before? Would we even bother to comment here?

As you know - or should know, since you bill yourself as a professional designer - you can't turn around software in development 180 degrees in mid-stream. The development timelines are too long and there are too many dependancies. What we have done is deliver as much information as we can upfront and get player comments and suggestions, so that we have at least a reasonable assurance that we're headed in the right direction. That doesn't mean the content will always please everyone or that we won't make mistakes. What it does mean is that we communicate and learn. It is a process.

As noted in another thread, we meet every day to discuss the progress of EP2, discuss the comments we see on this board and make what adjustments we can/are possible (given the nature of code), and also make notes about what types of content to do - and NOT to do - in the future. For that matter, our event team makes adjustments on the fly, during events, depending on the will of the players. For example, an event trigger set to go off Sunday was cancelled by the EM because the players wanted to take the event in a different direction, one that required the EMs to be flexible and go with it. It also required us, on Monday, to do some furious work behind the scenes to take that on-the-fly change into account going forward. I don't know how that could be any more responsive to the wishes of the players, or allow the players to have more control, than to allow them to dictate how a scenario proceeds to a result and change the whole nature of EP2 as a result.

It is perfectly OK to not like the content you see here; I'd be the last person to claim we were perfect. However, we don't 'steamroller' the plot, nor do we turn a deaf ear to players.

From the EP2 Poll thread.

Specific comments/reasons on what you liked or didn't like about the events so far is very helpful to us; we're meeting daily here to discuss the comments we see on all the forums (French, English and German) and also the comments of the event managers, so we can make adjustments where possible.

And, we want to learn as much as possible from you so, going forward, we do events and episodes more to everyone's tastes, as well. It is a learning process, in that sense. No, we're not experiementing on you, just doing what a good business does; listen to the customer and make adjustments.

-Jess

Global Faction PvP Notes:

What is "the other content"? (my long term view of Ryzom ends at Chapter III) ]

Apart from R2 which is already in developement for several months, we have currently quite a lot of discussions on this topic internally; there are a lot of things we want to do, but we have to decide what we'll do first.

--
Xavier.

We are loosing players due to the heavy handed PvP-Content linking, and the complete neglect of the possibility of a faction that has nothing to do with either Kami or Karavan.
The Nevarax Solution? MORE PVP!

We are perfectly aware that PvP isn't something which will be interesting for everyone. However, we can only do one thing at a time: the focus of Chapter III is clearly on PvP, to provide the gameplay basis of the storylined war, and provide content for those willing to engage into PvP.

Our goal is not to convert Ryzom into a PvP-only game, and we won't only add PvP content in the future - it only reflects the short-term actuality of Ryzom.

--
Xavier.

On an EP2 Feedback I am leaving thread

I'm happy to wait on a rework but when there is an immediate, compromise solution available, I cannot understand the reluctance. Range could be so much fun. Range would attract many gamers to a new style of play and a whole new strategy concept.

As said in the past (I think it was in a Q&A - not 100% sure though), increasing the weight limit or decreasing the weight of ammo seems like an easy solution, but it would quickly make range fighting too powerful, as you don't have the casting time and range limitations of offensive magic. If we do it and end up with an overpowered range fighting, it would do little for the overall balance of the game.

We're still willing to rebalance range fighting in the future - but when we'll do it, we want to do it well.

--
Xavier.

Episode 2 Poll thread.

So what to the players get who don't like PvP?

If really PvP isn't your cup of tea, leave it alone. We're working to make it enjoyable by the maximum number of people, as the war is a necessary part of the story, but it would be delusional to think we will succeed to make something everybody would enjoy.

The same thing could be said of every major feature that can be added to the game.

And what rewards are there for those who decide to be neutral in the kami vs kara conflict? (other then the warm fuzzy feeling of being deprived of any dev lubbin and forced to live a life on the side line of the ongoing story of Atys?

If you are talking about 'neutrality' on a character and roleplay basis, they will be able to get the same rewards as the other players.

--
Xavier.

Oh GREAT!
So the neutrals and non-PvP-ers can go roleplay!
Yeehaa! First we wait 2 weekends with speeches and nothing to do, and when at last episode 2 go life, the people who do not like PvP are told do some more roleplaying?

No, I'm talking about neutral characters in the Kami vs Karavan war - the characters who don't want to follow one of the two factions, not the players who do not like PvP.

--
Xavier.

It's all about PvP no way to get anything out of it without PvP. Where's the neutral option?

The neutral position will be integrated in Episode 2; it won't be specific gameplay, but on a roleplay point of view neutrals will get specific instructions.

Little room for advanced strategies. Game mechanics promote nuking everything that moves from a distant. There are no faction channels to organise bigger groups...

The PvP system has just been revamped; one of the important goals for Episode 2 is to discover new PvP strategies for the new system. Also, we've noticed that a lot of characters still wear old-fashioned jewelry, which gives an advantage to casters...

It will take time to figure out what's the best options in PvP; the first evening, everyone rushes the new land and switch to berserk mode; it should change in the upcoming days and weeks.

And, as Jessica said, we'll be watching to fine-tune the PvP system and the Episode 2 elements to fix issues if necessary. Of course, we won't add major features (Machieltje, mount combats would certainly be cool, but that's a whole new feature you're asking for, not tuning), but if there are things we can do to improve the experience, we'll work on it.

--
Xavier.

[kostika]

Nive work Noin. That's actually very helpful as even I missed a couple of those posts.

[vinnyq]

Wow, I certainly missed all those posts. Thanks marct!

[grimjim]

Helpful, but alas, none of them especially say anything.

[lennie12]

Yes I agree! nice work! i would very much appreciate it if you kept it up to date... But that is allot of work I know

Once again thank you for the thread

[lennie12]

Helpful, but alas, none of them especially say anything.

Well they do say something.. That they are a aware of the situation and concerned about it.

Maby that is not all we hoped for but it is better then nothing.

And this thread will help allot of ppl finding the precious few responses from the dev team

[asyne]

Good work Noin. Seeing a thread that's trying to clarify rather than complain is certainly a sight for my sore eyes.

It certainly helps put into clear terms that Episode 2 is simply a large block of PvP content, not a shift to PvP. Considering the overall lack of PvP (large-scale or otherwise) in Ryzom pre-Ep2, and how none of the pre-Ep2 content was taken away or blocked, it's more of allowing those who are interested in PvP to go at it in their own area. Like a quarantine, but fun for everyone.

[grimjim]

Good work Noin. Seeing a thread that's trying to clarify rather than complain is certainly a sight for my sore eyes.

It certainly helps put into clear terms that Episode 2 is simply a large block of PvP content, not a shift to PvP. Considering the overall lack of PvP (large-scale or otherwise) in Ryzom pre-Ep2, and how none of the pre-Ep2 content was taken away or blocked, it's more of allowing those who are interested in PvP to go at it in their own area. Like a quarantine, but fun for everyone.

Ep2 may be a single prolonged event, which will end, but look at the other two PvP related announcements.

[headcach]

...the focus of Chapter III is clearly on PvP...

[Edit: Since this post I was pointed at the roadmap, which might indicate a more promising timeline to Chapter IV]

Erg. I completely missed that post. Considering it has taken a year to get to II, I guess that means it'll be two years until IV -- the next non-PvP focused update. Although it further reinforces that cancelling my account was the right decision, it is depressing. It also means that my characters may not exist anymore by the time I reinstate my account two years from now...

[sx4rlet]

Erg. I completely missed that post. Considering it has taken a year to get to II, I guess that means it'll be two years until IV -- the next non-PvP focused update. Although it further reinforces that cancelling my account was the right decision, it is depressing. It also means that my characters may not exist anymore by the time I reinstate my account two years from now...

BINGO!

That is the way I read it too, although I even checked the roadmap from nevrax to check on the time. Chapter 2, which started at the end of februari, is almost finished and Chapter 3 will start with Outposts at the end of november. So with a bit of luck, 'only' half a year to wait for chapter 4....