David Simmonds Interview Discussion

[SpikeBlack]

Listened to part of the interview, finally nice to hear someone from MA without tongue on cheak.

From the answer to the adverts question, it sounds like we should all leave our avatars infront of the ad screens for a few hours to help increase the loot

- finished listening to the interview

I have to disagree with David regarding the purchase of games, I play through a game and if its good then I'll play it again, sometimes several times. Often I find other options or ways to do things and take different approach to it.

I recently played through a few that over 8 years old. I generally buy games that I have a reasonable idea that I'll probably play again.

 

[chielsen]

I believe this is the first time MA has actually confirmed that skills and (most) items can travel across the planets. This was never clear and IMO it's a big thing.
This means the planets will be really intergrated and introductions of new planets (and playerbase) can have a huge impact on the economy.

 

[Ludvig|MindArk]

I believe this is the first time MA has actually confirmed that skills and (most) items can travel across the planets. This was never clear and IMO it's a big thing.
This means the planets will be really intergrated and introductions of new planets (and playerbase) can have a huge impact on the economy.

yes that was great to know

 

[aridash]

I believe this is the first time MA has actually confirmed that skills and (most) items can travel across the planets. This was never clear and IMO it's a big thing.
This means the planets will be really intergrated and introductions of new planets (and playerbase) can have a huge impact on the economy.

we need a transcript and this is why. i did not hear that. it was said that there was one economy across all worlds, and explicitly mentioned that items and content would be different. nothing either way was said of skills specifically. or did i miss it? regards the "integration", that seems to me to be only as integrated as the partner planet wishes to be. as long as they share underlying economic systems, they might be potentially very different and not integrated, which may make their ecomonic impact negligable.

EDIT: found the bit... regarding moving between planets you will be "able to take your avatar, skills and majority of items". this doesnt mean the skills will necessarily be usfull on the other planet, especially given the emphasis that each planet will be diverse and unique. or in other words we still dont know and wont until we step onto the planets .

 

[chielsen]

Well they really can't say, well here is your new bubblegun and non of your skills are useful. You would have multiple similar skills etc. I seriously doubt MA has so much creativity to think of tons of new weapons were skills like weapons handling or serendipity don't apply.
Atleast your agility should play a role, but that's not chippable..

 

[Trina Xenophage]

Wow that was a really decent interview. Altho he could /would not answer some things posed to him there was still enough information to get me excited about where they maybe / are going with EU.

It was truely great to hear something different then the regurgitated propaganda RCE this RCE that bla bla we are so great bla bla.

More information and contact with us (Eu community) like this would probably set some of our mindsets to something other then us against the evil robber barrons that lack of communication in the past has made for them.

Big +rep to both Red and David for comming together on this in a positive way and not another commercial.

 

[Wollongong]

I agree a transcript is needed. I understand the thing about wanting traffic to euradio.com, so just chuck it on there... it is REALLY hard to follow this conversation due to the "static"... and if English is not your firs tlanguage, it becomes even harder...

so yeah, please, a transcript...

I heard something about individual planets... but did this mean everyone can get there planets..? I heard some other bits (something about some Kingdom... Evangalists...????) which I totally didn't get... yes, some text really would help...

edit:
question:
wth is that about "your money is safe in EU" if the EULA clearly states it is not...?

 

[Mikass]

I agree a transcript is needed. I understand the thing about wanting traffic to euradio.com, so just chuck it on there... it is REALLY hard to follow this conversation due to the "static"... and if English is not your firs tlanguage, it becomes even harder...

so yeah, please, a transcript...

I heard something about individual planets... but did this mean everyone can get there planets..? I heard some other bits (something about some Kingdom... Evangalists...????) which I totally didn't get... yes, some text really would help...

edit:
question:
wth is that about "your money is safe in EU" if the EULA clearly states it is not...?

David was referring to John Bates, Entropia evangelist. Said he was approached by people from Creative Kingdom at some public event.

 

[Mikass]

we need a transcript and this is why. i did not hear that. it was said that there was one economy across all worlds, and explicitly mentioned that items and content would be different. nothing either way was said of skills specifically. or did i miss it? regards the "integration", that seems to me to be only as integrated as the partner planet wishes to be. as long as they share underlying economic systems, they might be potentially very different and not integrated, which may make their ecomonic impact negligable.

EDIT: found the bit... regarding moving between planets you will be "able to take your avatar, skills and majority of items". this doesnt mean the skills will necessarily be usfull on the other planet, especially given the emphasis that each planet will be diverse and unique. or in other words we still dont know and wont until we step onto the planets .

David said most items if not all and skills will be useful on the other planets. Most interesting aspect... will MA balance manager control the drop rate of items on the other planets or will the planet owner control that. What if other planet owners decide to drop ML45, Doa foe `n such at decent rates?

 

[Midori Fairlona]

Well they really can't say, well here is your new bubblegun and non of your skills are useful. You would have multiple similar skills etc. I seriously doubt MA has so much creativity to think of tons of new weapons were skills like weapons handling or serendipity don't apply.
Atleast your agility should play a role, but that's not chippable..

From earlier press releases, MA has revealed that most of the creativity and development for the new planets is coming from the partner companies. MA supply the developer tools and the links into the existing Entropia Universe and the Partner company uses the tools to build a planet within the parameters that MA has set them. The only real limits to the diversity of the new planets are the creativity of the new companies and the flexibility of whatever parameters MA has set for them.

edit:
question:
wth is that about "your money is safe in EU" if the EULA clearly states it is not...?

Actually, your PED is very safe. The EULA is only there to provide legal protection for MA in case any of us do something stupid. The principle of Entropia is that you can deposit and withdraw money any time you want and if MA were to block that they would see a rapid collapse of the EU economy. However, a blanket guarantee that, "We will pay out to everyone that has the PEDs at the time of withdrawal" is an open invitation to scammers where the current system is in reality, "We will pay out to everyone that has the PEDs but who hasn't breached the EULA through scamming or fraudulent activities."

 

[ZeMag]

David said most items if not all and skills will be useful on the other planets. Most interesting aspect... will MA balance manager control the drop rate of items on the other planets or will the planet owner control that. What if other planet owners decide to drop ML45, Doa foe `n such at decent rates?

I may be wrong, since MA didn't tell us nothing about this yet, but I think:
1) each new planet will have its own items, even if you can take yours there, that doesn't mean they drop there
2) MA can probably also block items from other planets out, so if you get huge weapons from another planet and come to MA planet to bring mobs to their knees, you may find out that that weapon can't be used there or that its stats are adjusted to the planet

Then again, what do I know...

 

[Dion Red Strike]

I may be wrong, since MA didn't tell us nothing about this yet, but I think:
1) each new planet will have its own items, even if you can take yours there, that doesn't mean they drop there
2) MA can probably also block items from other planets out, so if you get huge weapons from another planet and come to MA planet to bring mobs to their knees, you may find out that that weapon can't be used there or that its stats are adjusted to the planet

Then again, what do I know...

I think you hit the nail on the head...

Think of the range of finders on CND.... or the range of the aggro of mobs

 

[SpikeBlack]

We're assuming that the new planet will operate in a completely different way, I'm assuming the opposite.

The overall system (provided we can actually move between planets) will have to be interopable, an existing weapon will work in exactly the same way on any other planet as it does on Calypso. We'll probably just end up getting any new things renamed with slightly altered graphics, new mobs with a slightly different environment.

If any avatar changes were requested or possible on the new planet then it will have to be global across the whole of EU, unless we have to change loader when we travel to them. If it won't be possible for some things to be transported between planets then it could end up be a dissentive to travel between them. Who will want to get fully kitted out leaving a planet only to find themselves naked on the down ramp from a spaceship because none of their stuff is allowed.

 

[Dion Red Strike]

We're assuming that the new planet will operate in a completely different way, I'm assuming the opposite.

The overall system (provided we can actually move between planets) will have to be interopable, an existing weapon will work in exactly the same way on any other planet as it does on Calypso. We'll probably just end up getting any new things renamed with slightly altered graphics, new mobs with a slightly different environment.

If any avatar changes were requested or possible on the new planet then it will have to be global across the whole of EU, unless we have to change loader when we travel to them. If it won't be possible for some things to be transported between planets then it could end up be a dissentive to travel between them. Who will want to get fully kitted out leaving a planet only to find themselves naked on the down ramp from a spaceship because none of their stuff is allowed.

I agree but I disagree.... I think you'll be able to use your stuff, but, it will be less/more effective on other planets...

For example, maybe on the Chinese education planet, all weapons are disabled (Can you say airport customs?), but on the CK planet, weapons stats are halfed (because of gravity or something). Maybe the CK planet weapons will be transportable back to Calypso, but they decay twice as fast on Calypso...

Just guessing mind you, but I wouldn't doubt that the agreement is something like that...

 

[kingjoe1974]

Thank you for taking the time.

 

[Ludvig|MindArk]

I agree but I disagree.... I think you'll be able to use your stuff, but, it will be less/more effective on other planets...

For example, maybe on the Chinese education planet, all weapons are disabled (Can you say airport customs?), but on the CK planet, weapons stats are halfed (because of gravity or something). Maybe the CK planet weapons will be transportable back to Calypso, but they decay twice as fast on Calypso...

Just guessing mind you, but I wouldn't doubt that the agreement is something like that...

Hm sounds smart

I think that the weapons should be turned in to officials on education/shopping planets lol... that would be the most realistic (unless there is something to shoot lol) and then you get them back when going

 

[aridash]

We're assuming that the new planet will operate in a completely different way, I'm assuming the opposite.

The overall system (provided we can actually move between planets) will have to be interopable, an existing weapon will work in exactly the same way on any other planet as it does on Calypso. We'll probably just end up getting any new things renamed with slightly altered graphics, new mobs with a slightly different environment.

I thought it was quite clear that the partner planets have to be different, provide something more than simply another calypso - David explicitly said as much. A weapon might work as it does, but will the mobs? will the environment? will you even be able to mine for ex? or have to buy/craft towers to pump up materials from known deposits?

...Who will want to get fully kitted out leaving a planet only to find themselves naked on the down ramp from a spaceship because none of their stuff is allowed.

theres two way it can go, one where items are restricted upon entry to a planet. or it could simply be your items are no use, maybe you have burn/penetration resistant mobs, so you have to acquire acid damage weapons on the new planet. rifle skills would still be usefull, but you are back to 0HA until you build up acid weapon tech skills. Or on say a pirate "planet" (ie narrow hieght space lanes with space craft) rifle, defence and general skills count for zero, its down to actual rl skills to shot down pirate mobs from your craft, while you gain new skills in space flight that allow you more maneuverability, faster movment better weapons tracking ability. think of a game, think how it could be reengineered into EU world. the only real known constants will be the Ped and the existance of your avatar.

at least, thats the scope.

 

[Wistrel]

Great interview.

It really made a difference having the interviewer being a player who can pick up on relevant points dynamically and that the questions were hand picked from the community to get rid of the daft ones that can't be answered. I appreciate it was worth trying a few anyhow

Interesting about the MA avatars. I was certainly under the impression that not all MA avatars were the guys in blue coats but were among us secretly. Can't remember where I read it but thought the deal was that the employees had to register their avatars with the company and could deposit but not withdraw which makes sense.

hmm.... unemployed right now, wonder how I'd look in one of those blue and white coats

 

[Violet]

Finally got round listening to the whole interview. Some interesting answers some not so, but all round what we would expect MA to share with us.

I would suggest using teamspeak or another voice system rather than the phone. It was hard to understand David at times due to the electronic noise.

Overall, good stuff, and look forward to the next interview.

 

[Sirhc]

i felt by the way he answered the Advert question that he made a slip up and gave more info away than he was comfortable with and then whey you asked him for clarification he backed away, but the comment about actually looking at adverts helps your loot is deff interesting

I have to listen to this interview later on after I download an A/C and start crafting full time while staring at the ad screen hmmmm if the amount of time you stare at the ad screen directly affects your loots I think I need to carry an ad screen with me and set it up while I hunt and mine.

Now I can see people using bots to stare at ad screens while they watch a movie just to increase loot or have a better chance at ad sponsored loot. Yeah MA just what you need a lot of people standing around doing nothing taking up bandwidth and causing lag isnt that what costs you money?

*puts tinfoil hat on* no wonder we have such big ATHs in crafting *slowly pulls tinfoil hat off* hehehe jk

oops forgot to tag this post with the joking *sarcasm rant* tag

 

[aridash]

regards the ads, to me what was indicated was that more view increase the amount paid by the advertiser. since ad revenue does not go into average loot but is added to the Hof/ATH bonus pool, it doesnt do an individual any good to sit and stare at the video. it just means some noober hunter/miner/crafter will get a 10k drop rather than a 5k (or what ever)

 

[Xandra]

Hi,

sry, but as not native english speaker I understood exactly nothing and closed after about 20 secs. Audio quality is horrible, not helping me. Btw, I don't have any problems conversating with most drunken scots or texans in RL, so it really is the most poor audio quality.

This was done over cell phone, right? I'd really like a transcript, otherwise I cannot REP the interviewers.

Have fun!

 

[RazorFire]

good interview and interesting stuff

 

[Doer]

After listening to this interview...

I have to conclude that talk radio is the perfect venue for MA "communication".

Thanks for preparing this, Red. I let it loop while i was hunting and was still picking out things i'd missed the third time through, so i can sympathize with the nonnative English speakers.

I really don't feel like i learned much from it that i didn't know. That's the biggest problem with generic questions with no follow-up, such as is encouraged by us submitting questions to you. I don't know a good way to solve that problem and recognize that there is limited depth to what they can answer, but i didn't feel like my question was very well answered. I know about sandbox2 and such, but i was referring more to the business side of their plans for integrating 3rd-party content -- the aspect i thought David would know more about.

Anyway, the good thing about this format is that there will be more to come from others, so thanks again for your initiative.

 

[Dion Red Strike]

I have to conclude that talk radio is the perfect venue for MA "communication".

Thanks for preparing this, Red. I let it loop while i was hunting and was still picking out things i'd missed the third time through, so i can sympathize with the nonnative English speakers.

lol, I've listened to is 2 dozen times now and still pick out things I didn't hear previously.. and I'm the one that interviewed him! Note that I was asleep for the interview, the voice you heard was that of my zombie counterpart

 

[Sirhc]

lol, I've listened to is 2 dozen times now and still pick out things I didn't hear previously.. and I'm the one that interviewed him! Note that I was asleep for the interview, the voice you heard was that of my zombie counterpart

Its OK Dion we all get a bit giddy when MA representatives talk to us.............err or its that wicked smart Jedi mind trick they use I don't think they are called Mindark for nothing

 

[Savek]

Hi,

sry, but as not native english speaker I understood exactly nothing and closed after about 20 secs. Audio quality is horrible, not helping me. Btw, I don't have any problems conversating with most drunken scots or texans in RL, so it really is the most poor audio quality.

This was done over cell phone, right? I'd really like a transcript, otherwise I cannot REP the interviewers.

Have fun!

Oh god.... how did us Texans end up on the same speaking level as Drunken Scotts? Oh the Humanity!

 

[Uni]

BUMP
any chance someone working on transcript? i really dont understand

tnx in advance

 

[dj.]

Btw, I don't have any problems conversating with most drunken scots or texans in RL, so it really is the most poor audio quality.

OMG!! I think I just pee'd myself from laughing

 

[Kydde]

Sooo.... I missed this one, any chance of getting a copy or anyway you can relisten to it?