DevTracker

[Grummz]

I think this is a post about the website more than an anti-waifu thread. We always said there would be waifus and husbandos in Em8ER. The website is going to completely change just prior to KS to focus much more on game features.

Meanwhile, since we've had the current site, it is not harming us, but the opposite. We went from 10k signups to doubling to over 20k signup in 1/3rd the time it took to reach the first 10k. Quite emphatically, the current site is not harming us, and can wait until we get to KS for the revamp, which will focus much more on gamplay.

People want dev updates, but putting together those videos takes away from the dev team. Having a guest artist create skins for Omniframes, Mounts, AIs and Female and male characters does not.

There is no miss-prioritization of resources here. Making skin concept art takes zero time away from development.

Development videos DO take time away. We would have to stop making stuff and spend 1-2 days making and editing a video on a dev update. This is why we do regular chief chats instead, such as the one at 5pm.

Hope that clears it up. I agree that the main website needs more game focus prior to KS and will be completely revamped by then.

 

[Ronyn]

Greetings Reapers!

This Thursday Grummz and I will be hosting a Chief Chat! Join us, and bring your most pressing Em-8ER questions!
There will be raffles and Q & A time with Grummz!


***DATE: Thursday, April 23, 2020*** ***TIME: 5:00 pm (PDT)***
***CHECK BELOW FOR THE CHIEF CHAT TIME IN OTHER TIME ZONES:***

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New York, USA Thu, Apr 23, 2020 at 20:00 EDT
Minneapolis, USA Thu, Apr 23, 2020 at 19:00 CDT
Salt Lake City, USA Thu, Apr 23, 2020 at 18:00 MDT
Uruguay, South America Thu, Apr 23, 2020 at 21:00 UYT
London, United Kingdom Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 01:00 BST
Berlin, Germany Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 02:00 CEST
Zürich, Switzerland Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 02:00 CEST
Helsinki, Finland Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 03:00 EEST
Moscow, Russia Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 03:00 MSK
Dubai, United Arab Emirates Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 04:00 GST
New Delhi, India Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 05:30 IST
Beijing, China Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 08:00 CST
Tokyo, Japan Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 09:00 JST
Sydney, Australia Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 10:00 AEST
Auckland, New Zealand Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 12:00 NZST

 

[Ronyn]

Greetings Reapers!
This Thursday Grummz and I will be hosting a Chief Chat.
Join us, and bring all your best Em-8ER questions.
There will be raffles and Q & A time with Grummz.
Maybe even a few other surprises. Come and find out!

***DATE: Thursday, April 9, 2020***
***TIME: 11:00 am (PDT)***


***CHECK BELOW FOR THE CHIEF CHAT TIME IN OTHER TIME ZONES:***
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New York, USA Thu April 9, 2020 at 2:00 pm EDT
Minneapolis, USA Thu April 9, 2020 at 1:00 pm CDT
Salt Lake City, USA Thu April 9, 2020 at 12:00 noon
MDT Uruguay, South America Thu April 9, 2020 at 3:00 pm UYT
London, United Kingdom Thu April 9, 2020 at 7:00 pm BST
Berlin, Germany Thu April 9, 2020 at 8:00 pm CEST
Zürich, Switzerland Thu April 9, 2020 at 8:00 pm CEST
Helsinki, Finland Thu April 9, 2020 at 9:00 pm EEST
Moscow, Russia Thu April 9, 2020 at 9:00 pm MSK
Dubai, United Arab Emirates Thu April 9, 2020 at 10:00 pm GST
New Delhi, India Thu April 9, 2020 at 11:30 pm IST
Beijing, China Fri April 10, 2020 at 2:00 am CST
Tokyo, Japan Fri April 10, 2020 at 3:00 am JST
Sydney, Australia Fri April 10, 2020 at 4:00 am AEST
Auckland, New Zealand Fri April 10, 2020 at 6:00 am NZST

 

[Ronyn]

There is still quite a bit to be revealed on this subject, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

I feels to me adding a Negative Frustration mechanic to a game that is in large part a SKILL BASED SHOOTER is not going to help make it a great game. I completely understand that Em8er will have crafting as a major component and everything crafted will slowly break down, become less effective over time/use. I hope the Devs can find another way to tie this to the war in general besides a mechanic that punishes players for no fault of their own in a game that relies heavily on SKILL.

I want you to keep two things in mind.

1: You keep stressing the point of "Punishing the player through no fault of their own". .... I hear your concern on that but..well...Here is the thing
Exactly HOW the gear will take durability damage has not been revealed. It would not be wise to assume that there won't be a skill based component to it. As I mentioned before, in some games, like WOW for example, durability loss is a consequence of death, it doesn't just happen by itself. Em-8er may well use a system similar to that.
Or, for another example, armored core. Where the player had to pay more for repairs based on how much damage was taken to the mech. There are several ways to add a skill component to the concept of maintenance. Do not assume that "through no fault of their own" is applicable here on Em-8er.

2: As others have pointed out, and as you know...Durability loss and gear effectiveness loss is not permanent. Gear can be repaired. Depending on how hard it is to keep in in good repair, it may not be that hard to maintain for the average player.

Let me add that this system is EXTREMELY different than when firefall had the mechanic of permanent gear loss due to breakage. Suggesting that peoples concerns about firefalls old durability system (permanent breakage that is not a common system in MMO's) apply to em-8ers durability loss and repair (a relatively common system in MMO's) is not logical. In one system you need to repair your gear using common currency, in the other system you have to go recreate it with exactly the same rare materials you used previously to make it. These are not equatable durability systems.

EAT YOUR DAMN VEDGIES!!!!!

I just want to be super clear on this right here..
We are not using the "eat your vegetables" philosophy here on Em-8er.
There were many aspects of firefalls crafting systems and gameplay loop that we intent to retain and built upon. However, we are coming at it from a very different stance than suggesting that as long as we give you stuff you enjoy doing that you will just have to deal with stuff you don't because it is allegedly good for the game.
Sure, the game will challenge you, enemies will kick you in the teeth, and there will be things to keep up and maintain... but every decision is made with the hopes that it will increase your overall gameplay experience.

 

[Ronyn]

11. At low durability gear becomes nerfed (no permanent durability loss/breakage). They can be repaired using any resource (no necessity for the original resource used to craft the item). All resources can be converted into a Common Exchange. This can be used to repair anything in the game.



Didn't hear this during the Chief Chat..
Just a warning- I regularly cruise Steam to find new games to play and read a lot of reviews. VERY MANY negative reviews from games that have crafting mention variations on the above stated mechanic being suggested for Em-8ER.
Players have written that grinding to level up and craft gear then having to grind just to keep it up to par felt like a predatory mobile game feature. (Their words not mine)

I personally stay away from games built around grinding just to keep weapons/gear working to the level that your original grinding got them to.

Firefall was a joy to spend hours Thumping and crafting because the reward was always going on an upwards scale- you craft it you own it- no worries about it nerfing or falling apart. The work/reward balance was a 100% positive feeling. If you implement degenerating gear mechanics the feeling of WORK starts to out way the feeling of REWARD.
I do hope the Devs rethink this as there doesnt seem to be any positive reason to have it except to grind more and I think it will only diminish the feeling of achievement in THMP/crafting in the first place. And if it is implemented I do hope it is in a way where it works without noticing. the nefing . Meaning a VERY SLOW gradual breakage period.

I totally understand your concern with how durability works. I can assure you that how good or bad this feels is based primarily on how it is tuned. How much durability loss verses how much resource is gained. That is to say, it shouldn't feel like a "grind" to keep your gear working, so much as just something you have to be aware of.

For what it's worth, even World of Warcraft has a durability system where your gear takes damage and, if durability is allowed to reach zero, the gear will stop working. To repair gear is as simple as paying to have it fixed. In most cases, it's not a particular problem for folks to keep their gear in perfect working order, though it does make folks care a bit more about getting into a long cycle of deaths as that can start to get expensive. One might say that it's not so much a source of grind as it is just something that makes players respect death just enough to not put themselves in a position where they will die every 2 minutes for an hour.
Now obviously EM-8er isn't World of Warcraft, I bring up this contrast only to show that a similar durability system is used in the biggest MMO in the world, which suggests that players can accept it if it's done properly.


Also you mentioned how firefalls durability worked. To clarify the history on that: Firefall went through many iterations. There was a time in firefall where gear had durability, and there wasn't even a way to fully repair that damage, when durability reached zero the gear would permanently break. Completely break, as in the gear no longer existed. The player then had to completely replace that piece of gear. It was an extremely controversial thing in Firefall. To this day some hate it, some love it, and some didnt care either way. At any rate, Grummz decided very early on not to go in that direction for Em-8er.