Q&A Thread - The Next Chapter

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Exciting to see all these new planets popping up.
There is thread about cost to travel between planets but can you throw some highlights on what am I paying 40ped for each way between planets?
 
When will the first content release VU in this year for calypso happen?
IIRC it was promised that the hangar system would be partialy restored in this VU. To what extend?
Will hangars and their spaceships be officially tradeable then? Could you please give more information about how the full system is going to work?
Will the teleporting between planets allways be available?
Will every planet ( including Michael) bring additional hangars which serve as launching platforms for their pilots?

What happened to the Harbinger event? I mean it never had a conclusion? Will it have one soon? What about our diplomas?
How about some skill bonus event again?
Will we a new migration event soon?

Well that's it for now. :yup:
 
Questions:

1) How many full time staff will there be working on Planet Calypso?
2) How many staff on planet michael?
3) In the development of Calypso what do you plan to develop?
4) In which order will these parts of calypso be developed?
5) Have FPC submitted a reworked Landgrab idea to MA? if not when do you plan on doing this? Do we get a say in how Landgrab could be reworked?
6) Will players on planet michael be encouraged to visit planet calypso? if so how?
7) When is planet michael expected to launch? (a rough figure will do we know it may be delayed further than the date given)?
8) How will planet michael impact planet calypso?
9) SEE VW have plans/ideas to develop a number of planets per year will those also be developed by SEE Digital studios?
10) If yes to Q 9 then how do you plan on maintaining development of existing planets? e.g. planet calypso?


I'l write some more questions later

Edit:
11) Who is ultimately in charge now? Martin Biallas aka SEE or Marco aka "old FPC"?
12) Will this forum now be for all planets mainted by SDS? or just Calypso and other SEE planets get separate forums?
13) Will all the $6 million gained from the sale of FPC be used for marketing? if not where would remaining monies be used?
14) Is it wise to spend millions marketing Calypso only to see majority of new players leave as well as old due to customer dissatisfaction?
15) How do you plan on addressing customer dissatisfaction e.g. perceived bad loot by many players? perceived high cost to play game? and most importantly lack of communication with players...
16) Are there any plans to improve communication between SDS and calypso players?
17) What is the average cost to play this game now? (we had a figure for this many years ago - many players think it's changed)
 
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Will you also be developing the Universal Monsters planet?
 
When will SEE have a comment about Calypso and what their plans are to continue the story line and development of 'our' planet? (I say our because I didn't want to say mine, although I will always reside on Calypso!!)
Thanks! :]
 
mjet.jpg
 
Does this mean that queries will be replied to now?
How do we contact SEE regarding commerical opportunites?
Has thought been given to having members help with suggestions and ideas?
Is it really a good idea to open new planets when Calypso, the first planet is so underdeveloped?
Could a Beta testing area maybe be set aside (or planet) where we can help iron out bugs before implementation and maybe get some items, etc for helping?
I would like to see a LOT more interaction between owners and customers, not just as forum posts but meaningful dialogue. Is this likely?
 
What is the timeline for the fixes to be put in on the problems that already exist?

- taming - when is it coming back?
- hangers - when are they coming back online?
- n00b club - is it back in game? If not why was it on the auction the other day? What is eta on fix for that?

Estate Bugs
- booths not working - what's the eta on when they will work again in Omegaton, Foma-Fortuna, and elsewhere?

- items in estates over max limit in mall shops and other locations - For previous examples see https://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/forums/showthread.php?203531-The-estate-bug-is-NOT-FIXED-YET... That problem, especially in mall is causing lag for some.

The estate bugs on booths and shops have been going on since first week in December or so... and so far all support has told us is there is no eta on the fix... Is that still the case? If so, why? When the fixes do come will there be some sort of compensation (maybe add free item slots or shopkeepers or something) for those of us who are long term estate owners and have put up with useless booths for many months (in mid-February it'll be approximately half a year of useless booths since vu 10 came around, even if it was not a full 6 months in a row.. !!!). I hate to sound like a bugger on this but I read sometime that a few years back when there were problems with booths that were then located at Hadesheim that had some problems, when the problems were fixed the estate owners affected got free shopkeepers...

===
Here's an interesting read from long, long ago... 2008...
https://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/forums/showthread.php?124918-B-Shopkeepers-5k#post1514504

Found out yesterday Hades Booth owners got FREE shopkeepers on the VU to compensate for the booth bug. Should mean ~20 new shopkeepers in game.
===

These estate bugs came in to place around the time the Deer Mall shops were put on auction by estate broker and that Medusa content was being added to the game but not completely released yet, and are extremely similar to the problems that existed with estates right after vu 10 came out when the problems lasted about a quarter of a year (from Sept - Dec, 2009). Can you explain why these bugs came, and more importantly promise us that they won't come back when new content like Medusa is added later, because the timing seems to indicate that the bugs are related to the developer tools that create new continents, etc.?

When will old stuff like the "Build your future here," signs at Omegaton West Habitat, and various other old landmarks be re-added?

Estate Development
- When will the estates that no participants have owned yet (some houses on Treasure Island, some shops at Omegaton, etc.) be put on the market? If there is no eta, why are they there making the place look like a ghost town? No, I'm not talking about stuff that's been sold off and just not claimed... I'm talking about the places that exist that no avatar has owned yet, and which did not have estate terminals until some time in 2010 I think... some of the estate terminals actually give error messages if you try to look at them. I think this sort of non-participant owned estate is in all the buildings at Omegaton other then the Delta Tower!... That's a lot of real estate, some of which is visible from the TP that no one is using!



- Any chance you can remove all the non-participant owned parts of Amethera, putting all existing LAs closer together since the population of Calypso shrunk/will shrink when a lot of avatars headed to other planets?... why not divide it all up so that every square foot of land is owned instead of little bits here and there spread far apart?... like a real world continent where the borders of all the lands are right next to one another, not scattered all over the place - then put new content on the outer borders to the north/south or something... or on new islands like Medusa. It seems really odd to let so many estates that exist already, which people already have money tied up in, be forgotten about when focus is on new stuff like Medusa... like Micheal, etc. The people that have invested in the past are likely to invest in the future, but only if you don't irritate them too much by completely ignoring them and their assets ...

- Is it guaranteed that big yearly sales like Medusa will happen going forward? Medusa's lower then expected sale price seems to possibly have some impact on the real estate prices in all parts of the game. That's perhaps something the balancing manager should play a bigger role in helping control (maybe instructing the estate broker to put higher start bids on future auctions?)?... If there is no limit on the rate of new content being added, there is limitless supply, and that causes big issues in the demand side of the real cash economy... (almost like printing funny money and throwing it in to the real world economy on some level)

- Is the idea to put the "opportunities" to upgrade estates in game through a terminal or npc instead of just in p2p trades with estate broker going to be put in game as it's been hinted at for a year or two now? Will these "upgraded" places have any indicators of the upgrades in auctions, etc. so that it's easy to see which places have the upgrades when bidding? Is there any chance this system will work in a way that allows the "upgrade" to be moved to other estates after being used (like an attachment to the deed or something)

- Will the idea that keeps popping up in the suggestions subforum to put items in shops on an shop directory tab or something in the auction ever be implemented? It could bring more income to SEE|FPC|MA through transport fees possible if it's set up so that instant delivery costs some transport fee... if the transport fee is not added, just have it listed what shop estate the items are in and what price so that avatars not wishing to pay the fee can pick it up in the shop directly.

Oh, and why, oh why have you not sent a carpenter and landscape designer to the beta tower at Omegaton yet? I am glad the sand trap was removed, but the forest is still there, and upside down booth too...







Stuff like that makes the game look pretty unprofessional, and like estates don't matter much to you folks...

Here's what it used to look like before sand trap removal.


Advertising and such...
Any plans on going for a superbowl ad? I think those go for about a million, and you got 6.. ;) Viral advertising of Superbowl ads is enormous.

Should we be looking for ads in trade magazines, gaming mags, etc.?
Will we be seeing a Planet Calypso CD on the cd cover of various gaming mags produced by companies like Future Publishing? http://www.futureplc.com/

Will you folks look in to working with real world companies to do various advertising stuff IRL?
Rocktropia has Jango alliance I think?... Now SEE joined with FPC will have Micheal. Seems like a big opportunity to do stuff like sell real life Micheal Jackson cds, tee shirts, postors, Neverland tickets IRL, etc. through the trade terminal, make it show up in loot, etc. .. maybe work with itunes for downloadable mp3s in loot? Maybe join the mtv tribes advertising alliance?

Lots of possibilities... What's the plans on making those possibilities realities? I think at least one guy on the forums here was doing like paper cut outs of some gun in game, another was making some stuff with a 3d printer... any chance on using some of that to do stuff like entering the toy market? Maybe find some comic book writers and enter the comic market too? One guy was trying to start a pen and paper rpg of pre vu 10... why not work real pen and paper rpg in to the system since it would not be all that hard to do I think if you use a system that already exists like d20.

Will Hanne get some new hires under her to help her moderate the forums and work closely with support team to get problems fixed faster and with a faster response time then in the past?

Loot
Can we finally get "no looters" removed from the game completely since blazers/novas already are here, and even if it was a bug, some were able to pull sweat out of the ground when mining... ?!?...

Security/etc.
Will there be more of a focus on removing alt/second avatars and shared avatars from in the game?!? This problem is likely to get worse as more planets come in to play... https://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/...econd-avatar&p=2648422&viewfull=1#post2648422 . ( Nobody's got proof but some claim Qetesh is Akoz?!? If it is true, why did you let the Medusa Head sale go through to someone who is using multiple avatars?... just stating the obvious and asking about it because you've said in the past that "all avatars are equal"... If it's not true, why not explain it so that this rumor can be put to rest as quite a few have claimed it in various threads)

Future ideas and expansions...
When will the rest of the Vehicles Blueprint book exist, you know, the part where the UL vehicles come in to play?

Can you moonwalk?!? Do you have a video?!? ;) :)
 
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Does this mean you now have a budget for some serious advertising?

Rgds

Ace
 
1.) Why did MA split into MA & FPC and why and how did SEE buy FPC ?

2.) Will this be the official Michael Jackson Forum ?

3.) If not, will you be the official community manager regarding the MJ forum ?

4.) Would you like to be the official community manager for a MJ planet ?

5.) Do you really think we need a MJ planet in here ? (seriously)

6.) Is SEE like MA ?

7.) Robot factory, thorio temple, beverages, food packs, vehicles of the 80s, huge mindforce update, taming, ahh the egg, build your own robot, work for other players in a factory, gigantic CND sports stadium (which would have to be renamed ofc), harvesting, meat extractor, hadesheim, argonaut-rituals, handgrenades, facial emotes, sit down, create towns, fix minopolis, love of detail, points of interest, feffoid traders, CE2totheMAX, etc. etc. etc.
 
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Will you , Hanne etc all be renaming yourself to Marco|SEE, Hanne|SEE in due course?


Will www.planetcalypsoforum.com be also changing name ?


Can you increase the default forum inbox size? (worth a try) ;)
 
The more levels there are between a customer and the manufacturer the greater the chance for the developer to be out of touch with the user.

2 years ago there was MA (the developer) and us (the players.)

1 year ago there was MA, FPC, and us.

This year there will be MA, SEE, FPC, and the player.


IMO - the number of levels is going the wrong way.
 
Firstly, Thank you MARCO for setting up this thread. I look forward to the answers. Looks like most people has asked what I want to know so I wont repeat the same questions.

But,

Q1: How much time does the design team have available to fix things like texture issues, bugs like when you cant place items on pedestals, shop bugs etc. I assume they are busy creating new planets, but I would be good if they could fix a few issues that have been ongoing for 6-12 months. Is there someone who has a dedicated day to fixing the little things?

Eg: I have been asking the design team to fix the "Grey" Ninja High Jacket X Black (M) for near on 6 months. It should be black like the Ninja Hood Jacket X Black (M) but it isn't. All they need to do is re-apply/tweek the black setting on the High jacket.



Q2: Will items from Planet Michael be restricted to Planet Michael? I guess to preserve the integrity and storyline of Planet Calypso as a Sci-Fi world.

Cheers
Bjorn
 
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The more levels there are between a customer and the manufacturer the greater the chance for the developer to be out of touch with the user.

2 years ago there was MA (the developer) and us (the players.)

1 year ago there was MA, FPC, and us.

This year there will be MA, SEE, FPC, and the player.


IMO - the number of levels is going the wrong way.

"First Planet Company has been rebranded as SEE Digital Studios"

There are no additional "levels".
 
  • Will you fix the myriad of bugs in Calypso first or concentrate on developing new content? Is there a timeline for these issues to be addressed?
  • Will the acquiring of FPC by SEE mean disassociation with the urgency to which serious gameplay mechanics issues (team size limit, missing gameplay modules, server lag, caching leaks) are forwarded to MA and therefore addressed?
  • Will the ownership of both planets make Planet Michael and Planet Calypso free to travel + trade across planets?
  • What will be Planet Michael's main focus, in terms of skilling; mission objectives; intended audience; architecture (landmass, city); investment opportunities?
  • What will be Planet Calypso's main focus in terms of mission objectives; intended audience; architectural content; (landmass, mob spawn); storyline?
  • Will there be more communication with the end user (via forums, bulletin or email) to keep them updated on the future of development of both planets, due to the increased number of staff working on both?
  • Will this extra manpower be used to develop the suggestions outlined by end users in the survey conducted a couple of months ago?
  • Will the storyline of Calypso be actively developed, or will it remain a once-a-year novelty as before?
 
"First Planet Company has been rebranded as SEE Digital Studios"

There are no additional "levels".

I am thrilled that SEE Virtual Worlds (SEE VW) have gained the rights to Planet Calypso. First Planet Company has been rebranded as SEE Digital Studios and is now the development leg of SEE WV.

You will have MA doing the platform. SEE managing the planet. FPC|SEE developing the planet.

That's another level.
 
Beacons and possibility of "leveling out loot"?

Thank you,
hotei
 
Firstly, Thank you MARCO for setting up this thread. I look forward to the answers. Looks like most people has asked what I want to know so I wont repeat the same questions.

But,

Q1: How much time does the design team have available to fix things like texture issues, bugs like when you cant place items on pedestals, shop bugs etc. I assume they are busy creating new planets, but I would be good if they could fix a few issues that have been ongoing for 6-12 months. Is there someone who has a dedicated day to fixing the little things?

Eg: I have been asking the design team to fix the "Grey" Ninja High Jacket X Black (M) for near on 6 months. It should be black like the Ninja Hood Jacket X Black (M) but it isn't. All they need to do is re-apply/tweek the black setting on the High jacket.



Q2: Will items from Planet Michael be restricted to Planet Michael? I guess to preserve the integrity and storyline of Planet Calypso as a Sci-Fi world.

Cheers
Bjorn

Oh.. furniture... forgot about that in last post... when will they make it so we can use the top part of the tron towers again?
 
A lot of specific questions here, which is great, bit I have some general ones...

What is the plan for Calypso? Does SEE plan to make it the great place it can be or will it stay an ok, but only 1/3 finished planet?

I see the planets like Planet Michael and the Universal planet as 'micro planets' which are fun to visit, but don't really have their own economy, storyline, etc and Calypso as being the flagship planet for SEE. Is this close? If not then what will the others be? Will they take development energy away from Calypso?

Unless Calypso is going to be the planet all others wish they could be then I don't see any reason to do any of the "micro-planets". Do one thing and get it right. Then and only then should you move forward to other projects.
 
Lol For once i dont have any qeustions..

Well heres one..

Will thier ever be some sort of Entertainment(Sports, Ingame Arcades, Etc)

One more

Would a Player Be able to Submit or invest in New Additions to the game (like Vehicles or Weapons)
 
will the video I was asked to help record ever be released and a neato prize given like I was told all that time ago?

-.-
 
Two simple questions and one hard one:
  1. Are there any plans to have a more traditional marketing campaigns, specifically television advertisements, on the scale of other major studios such as Blizzard, EA, and Ubisoft? Or do you not consider yourselves in the same league?
  2. What pressure can you exert on MindArk to improve the deposit options for North Americans? At the local supermarket and pharmacy, there are racks of pre-paid cards, half of which are for bricks-and-mortar retailers, and the other half are for online services such as Microsoft Live, Habbo Hotel, and others that I cannot remember. Surely having a specific Entropia-Universe deposit card would be a win-win for both MindArk and the end-user...?
  3. Where's the LOOT?
 
Any questions I could ask at this time can only be answered by actions, so I'll simply wait and OBSERVE what happens over the next year or so.

Best luck. I hope you do well w/ Calypso. :)
 
1. TAMING - time line when it is coming back, some comments on the system and whether FPC sees it as a major integrated system in game, or just a side show novelty
2. Road map for 2011 and 2012, one that you ACTUALLY plan to stick to
3. Concrete plan to attract a growing stream of new participants into the universe - is there one and if so what is it
4. Tiering speeds - have you intended for the process to be this slow and painful, and is there a possibility this will be adjusted
5. Mission system - are there plans for meaningful sequential quests that are more than find a point or a killed mobs counter
6. Farming - will this line of gameplay potentially be introduced and integrated (possibly with taming on food or other stuff)
7. Mini land areas - will this become an option, especially in conjunction with farming where it may be possible to buy small plots
8. Builder profession - would it be possible to build a dwelling this is a tie in to mini land areas as well
 
Are there any plans to rework the auction interface and add things like a filter to show only items from selected planets?

Some time ago it was stated that reducing / getting rid of no loot mobs was being looked into, is this still the case or is the current system of mostly no looters to remain? (Not asking for more loot in total, just spread it out and smooth out the highs / lows a bit)

There have been several suggestions for increasing new player retainment, from increased uses for sweat (1 sweat/ click on component BPs) to a noob only auction with a reduced minimum fee so smaller stacks are easier to sell. Are any of these suggestions being considered or is SEE / FPC happy with current retention rates?

What are current new player retention rates?

A while back it was mentioned that some mobs were being looked at for reintroduction. Are we ever going to see Kerberos or Umbranoids reintroduced?


Many years ago you stated that MA generated it's income by taking a portion of item decay. This has recently become a debated issue again since so many changes have taken place in EU. Can you comment on this subject?


Thankyou for taking the time to answer our questions.
 
Two simple questions and one hard one:
  1. Are there any plans to have a more traditional marketing campaigns, specifically television advertisements, on the scale of other major studios such as Blizzard, EA, and Ubisoft? Or do you not consider yourselves in the same league?
  2. What pressure can you exert on MindArk to improve the deposit options for North Americans? At the local supermarket and pharmacy, there are racks of pre-paid cards, half of which are for bricks-and-mortar retailers, and the other half are for online services such as Microsoft Live, Habbo Hotel, and others that I cannot remember. Surely having a specific Entropia-Universe deposit card would be a win-win for both MindArk and the end-user...?
  3. Where's the LOOT?

There was the "PED-Certificate" in 2005/2006/2007...it died in 2008...and got revived in 2010...I dont get it...

ped_certificates.jpg


 
1) If SEE goes bankrupt, our avatars will be terminated?
2) If we choose to move to another planet, our avatars will still be linked to Calypso?
3) When we deposit or withdraw, we affect Calypso in any way?
4) When we are active in game and use game mechanics, generating costs, do we help more SEE or MindArk?
5) If our avatar moves on another planet, SEE will have any benefits from our activity there?
6) How do you plan to address the avatars involved in developing other planets and having knowledge of graphics created for future, knowledge of event mobs and released new lands on their planets? Can they still be equal players with all of us and have properties and businesses on Calypso or whatever the new name may be??
7) Is is possible to convince MA to make the loot system more average loot oriented at least in some parts of the game, and have it Casino like in a limited number of activities? Or even better, remove Casino like and huge variances all together...


I probably have more... but that is all for now.


Edit:


You like this website?
http://www.seeglobalentertainment.com/
 
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