6 Months to a New EU

I have come up with a 6-month plan for MA to completely improve the Entropia Universe and guarantee at least a 200% increase in deposits and decay activity.

NOTE: this has nothing to do w/ yesterday's FPC VU, and all action under my plan is done (I believe) entirely on the MA side.

For 6-months, MA programmers should stick to this basic schedule:

• 2 months: Work only on fixing bugs
• 1 month: Work only on finalizing the initial ROCKtropia economy
• 3 months: Work only on Reimplementing old systems

That's it. Simple. However, I'll go over each part in more detail just in case there's any misunderstanding.

2 months: Work only on fixing bugs
For these 2 months, all programmers would do nothing but comb through support cases and code to remove/fix as many reported bugs as possible. All VUs coming during this time will be strictly bug fixes. Nothing new. Nothing old. Simply improved.

• the stuck left arm bug
• the radar bug
• the inventory jump bug
• technicians labeled auctioneers
• icon problems
• etc

The bug fixes should come before anything, as they would adversely affect the following two projects should this part be skipped.


1 month: Work only on finalizing the initial ROCKtropia economy
RT is missing items and BPs that will finalize its initial economy. As it stands atm, too many items looted there is completely useless. Thus, far less potential players are playing on RT than there should be. It should only take 1 month of dedicated work to bring out the initial BPs, and items that will finish the initial economy cycle on that planet. It will be very close to the initial economy of Calypso years ago. Looted items from hunting, but other items in hunting and mining will be used in crafting other items hunters and miners will also use.


3 months: Work only on Reimplementing old systems
After tons of bug are fixed, and RT has a true economy set up, it's time to work on rebuilding the systems that used to be ingame, but are currently missing

• taming
• beacons
• masks
• etc.

There's a lot of work here, so I'm giving you fully 1/2 of the allotted time for this schedule. However I think if done right, this should be enough time to properly reimplement these activities back into the Calypso economy.




And that's that folks. If this program were followed, I personally feel that the activity rate of both current planets will be drastically increased, to the benefit of MA and the planet companies.


Please note this program says nothing about any complaints about "poor loot" or anything like that. If you wish to complain about how bad your last hunting run was or something, please do it in another thread. Do not pollute this thread with that stuff. This is all about improving game play and entertainment value.

If you agree with this program, please send a support case, pointing them to this thread.

If you disagree, please explain how you think this schedule can be improved.

Thank you for your support.

The first 3 points should be done..
I'm crying out for some market and gameplay stability.. do those and maybe a bit more then let the game and it's players rest a bit

Agree with you, they should make EU stable and bugfree first, and from there expand it further (with keeping the stable and bugfree system intact). Now i have the feeling they just focus on expanding.

JohnCapital said:

1 month: Work only on finalizing the initial ROCKtropia economy
RT is missing items and BPs that will finalize its initial economy. As it stands atm, too many items looted there is completely useless. Thus, far less potential players are playing on RT than there should be. It should only take 1 month of dedicated work to bring out the initial BPs, and items that will finish the initial economy cycle on that planet. It will be very close to the initial economy of Calypso years ago. Looted items from hunting, but other items in hunting and mining will be used in crafting other items hunters and miners will also use.

Click to expand...

I agree the RT economy needs a boost, the way it is now it's never going to work. But i'm not sure if this is a MA of a RT issue, although i think they should work together on this (they should already have thought of it before launch imo)

They definitely need to fix game-killing bugs such as the radar, and the fact that rockets STILL (since they nerfed the AoE distance of rockets) can't be used on big mobs since the mob's center is too far from the outside for it to do full effect.

Hmm I don't relay have any problems with bugs or missing systems or Planet Calypso losing its magic. With the last few VU updates of EU and Calypso I now love the game even more then before. EU Is evolving at at a rapid pace new systems are coming online that I have been waiting for sins the start and even more will be possible soon. I'm happy about the new systems and don't rely care about the wasteful systems like Pets / Masks and would much rather take the beacon cash and go hunt drones for longer then actually using the beacon.

RockTopia is as far as I'm concerned a completely different MMO and I doubt that I will ever go there even if someone is willing to pay for my TP fees and besides MA creates the system PC and RT run on and not the content. So you can scratch that part out of your "stuff for MA to do". Think of MA as the law of Physics and FPC / Neverdie as inventors. FPC / ND cant invent anything that breaks the laws of Physics and Physics being Physics can not create only govern what can happen / be done.

Sorry for the tamers out there but Pets is the one system I wish they totally reinvent or scrap for ever as it was the single most annoying frackedup thing about the game. Things started out good with pets but then totally got out of hand during the last stages of pre VU10 with pets just standing around advertising with insanely long names spoiling the entire experience at certain locations like Swamp camp.

All in all I feel MA / FPC is going the right direction. This just feels like another whiny thread where all the cry babies will end up.

nevermind...

Seems a reasonable schedule, however by delaying the old systems by 3 months that'd mean they'd not implement any of the missing old systems before year end, which was their original goal.

I have faith we will see one old system back by the year end still.

JC for President!

Not kidding either.

I hope this thread has the effect of causing embarrassment where it is very rightly due. Stating the obvious is sometimes neccessary in order to get things done.

I agree with your thread but the cynic in me thinks ma (fpc?) makes a plan and sticks to it for better or worse. I think they got their eggs in so many baskets and they don't know how to prioritize projects properly. They will never admit it but its painfully obvious.

kosmos

Agreed. Also there's the bug where you use the mouse wheel to scroll from 1st to 3rd person and back repeatedly during a hunt/swunt/sweat and you have to refocus the camera so that your head is looking forwards instead of up in the air or down at the ground.

couldn't have said it better. JC, beautifully written, very eloquent and to the point. SUpport case sent in support of this idea/program.

I just think the "work only on" approach can't just work.

I assume there are teams at MindArk working on different things at the same time, every one specialized in one task at a time. You cant block ongoing works this way and turn everybody on something else.

But.

Bug fixing is a critical step. MindArk can't delay bugfixing to "next update", when we don't even know when this will happen. So ok, take your time in introducing (back) old features, but bug fixing release should be AT LEAST weekly.

Fix a bug, two, and release. Dont wait the next version for fixing harsh thing like the radar thing. Community will be happy nevertheless to see that - while things still miss - things are getting better and better.

Just my two cents.

NB: I just wonder why we continue to suggest/whisper to MindArk, while they don't miss an opportunity to show us that they dont listen...

JohnCapital said:

[...]

Click to expand...

This won't work. I'm sorry to say this, but that usually doesn't work in any company that has a ... *drumroll* marketing department:

• they are all visionaries (i.e., visionary handicapped)
• they did the acceptance tests in their proving grounds and know what people want (technicians usually need to rework or "bend" their easy-to-use prototypes to comply with the stupidity specified by the you-know-who)
• they follow their own storyline (doesn't have anything to do with the in-game storyline of EU)
• they want to see new stuff before yesterday
• new stuff makes their eyes moist (sort of a mental wank)
• they don't care about bugs. Bugs are things that are fixed while implementing their next vision.
• they are the ones who are liked by the board (technicians usually are substitutable overpaid morons who need to be told everything and/or don't do anything that requires skills)
• technicians in general have no clue
• ...

I'm sure that parts of the development department (yep, the ones who get forwarded our support cases) actually are on our side and shake their heads because of some decisions made.

As a matter of fact, if you work on a project that is published and used by many people, you end up having RL friends who know what you are doing and also use the product. Then you have to explain why certain things work as bad as they do. They normally don't fully believe that it's not your fault. Then it's a matter of your own reputation whether or not that friend is your friend any longer (there was an interesting thread about reputation a while ago. Anyway, OT now).

I'm sorry if this is kind of a rant. However, it's a compilation of my personal experience and hearsay.

JohnCapital said:

[*]1 month: Work only on finalizing the initial ROCKtropia economy

Click to expand...

Surely that is purely ND's problem, since the framework for blueprints etc already exists, and you would think that all that has to be done is for the new item meshes/ideas to be forwarded to MA, so that knocks 1 month off the schedule, FPC has been doing a lot recently, maybe it's time for ND studios to do the same if their economy doesn't work.

Good plan, but you forgot something.

After your plan they need to do another round of bug fixing.

After implementing updated systems etc there will be new bugs.




Regards,
Ion

Hear, Hear! Sounds way to sensible! You are giving those without a plan....a plan.
Either way, I agree with your program. I hope MA read this thread.

The communism had the 5 year plan, Capital(ism?) have a 6 month plan

I think MA can sometimes be tied by cooperation deals with third parties. Like the voice chat, when you are MA you don't tell the company Ericsson "we must wait with the development a month because we need to fix some other stuff first.". And i think the vehicles have been a priority because that is one of the big things that many players and probably planet partners realy want. The gateway was a priority too i guess. Well, hopefully all bugs and stuff will be fixed before too long.

To increase deposits and activity there is a much simpler and quicker way, (not saying they do not need to reimplement everything jc said but...)

Advertise...............!

Rgds

Ace

reaffecting some coder to help other coder usually leads to even slower developement and increase in bug...

You can not go with "now everyone will work on this things"....

anyway , main problem now , is not really all those missing feature ; or those "rare" bug ...its new player that we need...

Where all those millon chinese that was supose to popup 2 year ago ?
Why MA dont try to make more advert , and pay for it with their money...i see millon advert for free game , and things like EVE IMVU...

during that time , MA turn EU less and less in MORPG and more to a SLlike...
Is it really good to lose the EU spirit to copy the most boring part of SL...
If some people do envoy the SL things , let them go there and have fun...but copy just some part of concurent will not really make you get new customer , and will puch away those bieliving in the old EU...

Why MA copy the chating and those stuff , when EU econ omic game and we still dont have a good wallet balance system that show all our trade for exemple...

bass said:

I just think the "work only on" approach can't just work.

I assume there are teams at MindArk working on different things at the same time, every one specialized in one task at a time. You cant block ongoing works this way and turn everybody on something else.

But.

Bug fixing is a critical step. MindArk can't delay bugfixing to "next update", when we don't even know when this will happen. So ok, take your time in introducing (back) old features, but bug fixing release should be AT LEAST weekly.

Fix a bug, two, and release. Dont wait the next version for fixing harsh thing like the radar thing. Community will be happy nevertheless to see that - while things still miss - things are getting better and better.

Just my two cents.

NB: I just wonder why we continue to suggest/whisper to MindArk, while they don't miss an opportunity to show us that they dont listen...

Click to expand...

Was about to write the same thing, atleast the first rows, good point there
Rapido

JohnCapital said:

guarantee at least a 200% increase in deposits and decay activity.

Click to expand...

So you will pay the difference between the real increase/decrease and the guaranteed 200%? Or are we talking about some other kind of guarantee?

Allthough the post was kinda sensible, the OP evaluates things by comparing his deposits and the entertainment value he gains and there's no real risk involved.

I know shit and me telling what MindArk should do is [insert something witty here].

Now you admit it:

Couple posts I gotta respond to.

bass said:

I assume there are teams at MindArk working on different things at the same time, every one specialized in one task at a time. You cant block ongoing works this way and turn everybody on something else.

Click to expand...

Etopia said:

reaffecting some coder to help other coder usually leads to even slower developement and increase in bug...

You can not go with "now everyone will work on this things"....

Click to expand...

These points might make sense to me if I believed that the coders who fix bugs are different from the coders who make things to begin with.

I have no idea how big MA's coding/programming staff are, but I'm very certain they don't have some coders sitting around who's only job is to fix bugs. If that were the case, I'd expect that entire team to be fired for incompetence.

If we have to be more accurate, I would say that the coders responsible for the portions of the game where the bugs occur should be given the 1-month assignment to clean up their part.

Nooba said:

Surely that is purely ND's problem, since the framework for blueprints etc already exists, and you would think that all that has to be done is for the new item meshes/ideas to be forwarded to MA, so that knocks 1 month off the schedule, FPC has been doing a lot recently, maybe it's time for ND studios to do the same if their economy doesn't work.

Click to expand...

Do you really think that ND and his crew spent that time developing RT and somehow forgot to get around to figuring out the initial economy? My educated guess is that the Planet Partners send their loot design specs into MA, and then wait for them to finish making them. Case in point the Pitbull. FPC had to send in the specs for its BP, etc. to MA and wait for them to finish OKing it and allow them to put it into the game.

If any of the RT economy problem is indeed due to RT and not MA, then of course the proper blame should go where appropriate. However, I'm quite willing to bet that MA is not blameless in this issue.

Atlan Leticron said:

Good plan, but you forgot something.

After your plan they need to do another round of bug fixing.

Click to expand...

Yes sir. You're quite right. However, 1st thing's first. We can't worry about the 2nd round of bug fixes until after the 1st is completed.

kalanen said:

So you will pay the difference between the real increase/decrease and the guaranteed 200%? Or are we talking about some other kind of guarantee?

Allthough the post was kinda sensible, the OP evaluates things by comparing his deposits and the entertainment value he gains and there's no real risk involved.

I know shit and me telling what MindArk should do is [insert something witty here].

Now you admit it:

Click to expand...

I might be willing to cover any amount under the 200% increase, if MA were willing to reward me with anything that was over the 200% mark

Yes, I'm kidding. You are correct, I have no way of backing up my "guarantee". My idea is based simply on spending way too much time hearing/reading what other players are saying, and watching what's been going on for the past few years. Whether they listen or not is, of course, another detail.

But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

..................................................

JohnCapital said:

Do you really think that ND and his crew spent that time developing RT and somehow forgot to get around to figuring out the initial economy?

Click to expand...

Considering the length of time and obvious effort put into the naming of mobs/resources, my personal opinion on that would be YES.

And on a related note, FPC advertised their new vehicle, has ND advertised new BP's and items to craft, since we all know ND is not shy of the occasional advertising stunt, and I could see no mention in the news section of the RT website.

Who could forget SPACE PIRATES.

We know that the team of programmers at MA is tiny compared to that of a normal games company. The big studios have more people to playtest than MA employee.

Remember when they used to pull updates before deployment because the QA team actually had a say

We have a live system, they write it we playtest it for them and we pay for the privilege

If you're not happy quit depositing and join the ranks of people who already have because MA won't or aren't listening to the players because all they listen to is the $

Sorry if this sounds a little annoyed but after 12 months of bugs and promises, another 12 of no updates before that my hope and patience is running out.

SpikeBlack said:

We know that the team of programmers at MA is tiny compared to that of a normal games company. The big studios have more people to playtest than MA employee.

Remember when they used to pull updates before deployment because the QA team actually had a say

We have a live system, they write it we playtest it for them and we pay for the privilege

If you're not happy quit depositing and join the ranks of people who already have because MA won't or aren't listening to the players because all they listen to is the $

Sorry if this sounds a little annoyed but after 12 months of bugs and promises, another 12 of no updates before that my hope and patience is running out.

Click to expand...

I think you should check how many people there is in MA close concurent , and what is MA employer...
Some year ago SL and EVE had even less people than MA...
Main diference was , the top 10 in other compagny are out from coding , design , creation compagny and all made school related to those activities , MA top 10 was economist ,and PR people...

go now check what compagny have the most player , most profit,and biggest man power...

the old excuse " MA is small compagny , they dont have much people"...never was a so good one , but its total false now...
true you can not compare MA to blizzard , but there is tons of game compagny around with same or lower man power than MA , and they manage a way better work qualitie...
even if , i must admit , since VU 10 MA/FPC tend to have a better work than in past , they are still very long and slow to fix some bug or come with new things...
Dont forget vehicle is delivered with engine... MA didnt really had big work on that...

and personally , i would prefer see MA work on some MMORPG profession like farmer , lumberjack , fishing , taming...than se them make 3D chat or some other SL copy things they seems to want to do.

I hope to see beacon misson with area that change like in the old diablo 1...
they could also work a bit on AI...EU AI is ... hummm , how to say...the shamest AI i have ever see...Dune 2 on atari had a way way better AI...

kalanen said:

So you will pay the difference between the real increase/decrease and the guaranteed 200%? Or are we talking about some other kind of guarantee?

Allthough the post was kinda sensible, the OP evaluates things by comparing his deposits and the entertainment value he gains and there's no real risk involved.

I know shit and me telling what MindArk should do is [insert something witty here].

Now you admit it:

Click to expand...

for my part, I guarantee that if MA fix the bugs in game and add the old systems back, then I will deposit again, until then I guarantee I won't.

Just want to acknowledge that it seems the left arm bug is vastly improved and wanted to say thanks. It's a great start and hoping to watch many bugs disappear.

EDIT:
I was wrong

JohnCapital said:

Just want to acknowledge that it seems the left arm bug is vastly improved and wanted to say thanks. It's a great start and hoping to watch many bugs disappear.

Click to expand...

Turns out I was wrong.