What happened to FF?

[DARKB1KE]

My apologies.....it wasn't actually meant to be an advert. I was trying to express that FireFall had really inspired me to write my first scifi book. My friend and I went to play it the other day and found we couldn't get the code to get back in....so much for being a founder.

Ember is the new place to hang out and you're always welcome, when you're not writing and need a break!
I know I kinda gave you a hard time in the FF forums but I totally understand, everyone's gotta make a living!

 

[TankHunter678]

My apologies.....it wasn't actually meant to be an advert. I was trying to express that FireFall had really inspired me to write my first scifi book. My friend and I went to play it the other day and found we couldn't get the code to get back in....so much for being a founder.

The secondary authentication server was shut down.

It was discovered on the firefall forums that using the Steam version of the game allows you to bypass it.

Oh and do not bother with sending a ticket in. There are no rangers anymore. Any shenanigans caused by bugs will never be fixed. The last 2 rangers were fired same time the last CM Faded Pez was.

 

[Beemann]

I think it's important to remember that FF had issues long before The9 came in. It was a large-scale project where many components were not handled particularly efficiently. It was a project where several classes and massive core systems needed several revamps because the initial design made the grave but all too common mistake of taking shit out of X and putting it in FireFall's totally different gameplay system. Several sites and many people who had been following the game were starting to doubt it would even come out in a presentable state, given the length of development and the need for overhauls, massive amounts of optimization and the pitfalls of working with an unsupported, customized engine

These things would have been manageable if FF was in the spot HiRez was/is in, where Erez can and will fund the everloving shit out of pet projects and allow them to grow into something more successful (which he's 1/3 on but SMITE's been doing fantastic). Unfortunately that wasn't the case, and Red5's backer summoning black magic was used to bring forth an especially bad investor for the project they wanted to build.

 

[Pandagnome]

Towards the Ember project a quote i felt made sense

"To remain indifferent to the challenges we face is indefensible. If the goal is noble, whether or not it is realized within our lifetime is largely irrelevant. What we must do therefore is to strive and persevere and never give up"

Dalai Lama XIV

 

[Squid Boss]

Dis... happened..

 

[Daynen]

While Firefall did have clear problems and major hurdles to overcome and the mistakes made were clear, even to those with no concept of the challenge of game development, it still didn't deserve it's fate. It was an ambitious game, a pioneer in a world of lazy, fat, entitled settlers who just wanted their piece of the same pie that had been reduced to crumbs years ago.

Sure, there were things wrong with it. It was a standout game that dared to buck every trend it possibly could--how could there NOT be anything wrong with it? Problems come with unknown territory; it should have been something embraced instead of derided for not following formula.

I secretly knew the end was nigh when I saw the launch patch. so many sacrifices and concessions just to remove that beta tag...a standard-issue leveling system with gated gear and zones, more bullet spongy enemies than ever...and job boards. Damn those job boards.

A short time later and OH! Would you look at that? Gone. Dead and buried. Somebody better get the phone...

...because I F*%&ing CALLED IT!

 

[NanoTechnician]

Hi all,
I was an avid fan of Firefall and noticed that it was shutdown. In fact, I wrote a book called "Battleframe" that had it's original inspiration from the game. So what happened to FireFall and is this going be the new FireFall?

Whizzbang

A new Firefall or a Firefall that we thought what was going to be other than how it evolved into something that nobody wanted to play. For me, it was when jetball became depreciated and the shift away from eSports type game.

I loved exploring in the FF universe, but that universe was quite small and relied on static maps with static AI responses and how the shift in technology in both of these fields have moved forward, it became doubly stale.

 

[DARKB1KE]

and job boards. Damn those job boards.

What about them did you not like?

 

[NanoTechnician]

What about them did you not like?

Ha, those Job Boards... I liked it if they had them in these information kiosks instead

 

[Daynen]

I didn't like that job boards led the game closer to the cookie-cutter trend of standard MMO's. Were they good for the game? maybe. Did players like them? Somewhat. The thing I enjoyed about them was that we got to hear more variety of voices and see some different mission concepts, but in the end I felt it led us backwards a step or two. It just didn't feel like it was what Firefall needed.

Also, enraged shoutout to jobs that shouldn't have existed. One involved your frame catching a virus that put you on a death timer and you were meant to stand in an area, killing enemies as they appeared until one dropped a mission item. This was on a RANDOM DROP CHANCE. Can you guess why I was pissed?

Yup. That's right. I was in a rhino, laying down fire, instantly killing everything that appeared and waiting for new spawns for five minutes straight; I had over a hundred kills and no drop. Automatic Death and mission fail.

THIS KIND OF GAME DESIGN IS NOT OKAY AND IN FACT SHOULD BE A FEDERAL CRIME. TO ALL THOSE WHO DESIGN GAMES--NEVER LET THIS SITUATION HAPPEN OR I WILL FIND YOU.

 

[SomeUnregPunk]

...NEVER LET THIS SITUATION HAPPEN OR I WILL FIND YOU.

hmm... then did you find the person or people that was responsible for that screw up? If so... what did you do them?

 

[DARKB1KE]

I didn't like that job boards led the game closer to the cookie-cutter trend of standard MMO's. Were they good for the game? maybe. Did players like them? Somewhat. The thing I enjoyed about them was that we got to hear more variety of voices and see some different mission concepts, but in the end I felt it led us backwards a step or two. It just didn't feel like it was what Firefall needed.

Also, enraged shoutout to jobs that shouldn't have existed. One involved your frame catching a virus that put you on a death timer and you were meant to stand in an area, killing enemies as they appeared until one dropped a mission item. This was on a RANDOM DROP CHANCE. Can you guess why I was pissed?

Yup. That's right. I was in a rhino, laying down fire, instantly killing everything that appeared and waiting for new spawns for five minutes straight; I had over a hundred kills and no drop. Automatic Death and mission fail.

THIS KIND OF GAME DESIGN IS NOT OKAY AND IN FACT SHOULD BE A FEDERAL CRIME. TO ALL THOSE WHO DESIGN GAMES--NEVER LET THIS SITUATION HAPPEN OR I WILL FIND YOU.

Oh I see, thanks for expanding on that more.

Yeah, job boards were introduced I believe because people got into game and were like "what do i do?"
Kinda sad that games need that much hand-holding and people can't just go explore and learn on their own, or find their own fun. That's what I liked about early beta was that everything was new, you had to learn how to use certain items and craft things on your own.

I don't remember that SIN hack mission or it having a death timer on it, guess I played a different one.

 

[NanoTechnician]

Also, enraged shoutout to jobs that shouldn't have existed. One involved your frame catching a virus that put you on a death timer and you were meant to stand in an area, killing enemies as they appeared until one dropped a mission item. This was on a RANDOM DROP CHANCE. Can you guess why I was pissed?

Yup. That's right. I was in a rhino, laying down fire, instantly killing everything that appeared and waiting for new spawns for five minutes straight; I had over a hundred kills and no drop. Automatic Death and mission fail.

Actually you're on to something. How about player missions based on your MEK-A's abilities, so if you like the meat shield aspect the missions should also reflect that type. If you like reconnaissance your missions should respond to that type/playstyle. Of course missions that are the storyline can be kept as that, perhaps you can select the type as an option before the mission starts.

 

[Squid Boss]

I didn't like that job boards led the game closer to the cookie-cutter trend of standard MMO's. Were they good for the game? maybe. Did players like them? Somewhat. The thing I enjoyed about them was that we got to hear more variety of voices and see some different mission concepts, but in the end I felt it led us backwards a step or two. It just didn't feel like it was what Firefall needed.

Also, enraged shoutout to jobs that shouldn't have existed. One involved your frame catching a virus that put you on a death timer and you were meant to stand in an area, killing enemies as they appeared until one dropped a mission item. This was on a RANDOM DROP CHANCE. Can you guess why I was pissed?

Yup. That's right. I was in a rhino, laying down fire, instantly killing everything that appeared and waiting for new spawns for five minutes straight; I had over a hundred kills and no drop. Automatic Death and mission fail.

THIS KIND OF GAME DESIGN IS NOT OKAY AND IN FACT SHOULD BE A FEDERAL CRIME. TO ALL THOSE WHO DESIGN GAMES--NEVER LET THIS SITUATION HAPPEN OR I WILL FIND YOU.

Job Boards were mishandled IMO.

Should have not been as static as they were and should have popped up as events out in the respective area with the possibility of being found in various locations. Also allowed each area to have specific ones dropped in specific places to give story to an area. It wasn't a bad idea to have these things but it was over the top "Generic Quest Hub" slapped in.

I wouldn't mind seeing a random ! on the map, or whatever would be the visual prompt in Ember, that would direct a player to an event or possibly a story telling sequence of jobs or missions relevant to the area you've wandered into. It should be found via exploration, even if repetitive since that comes with the online persistent world, but it should be treated more like a survival game than a quest driven MMO, since we are in fact wandering an alien landscape very much trying to survive it and explore it and map it... and control it.

 

[Vladplaya]

Job Boards were mishandled IMO.

Should have not been as static as they were and should have popped up as events out in the respective area with the possibility of being found in various locations. Also allowed each area to have specific ones dropped in specific places to give story to an area. It wasn't a bad idea to have these things but it was over the top "Generic Quest Hub" slapped in.

I wouldn't mind seeing a random ! on the map, or whatever would be the visual prompt in Ember, that would direct a player to an event or possibly a story telling sequence of jobs or missions relevant to the area you've wandered into. It should be found via exploration, even if repetitive since that comes with the online persistent world, but it should be treated more like a survival game than a quest driven MMO, since we are in fact wandering an alien landscape very much trying to survive it and explore it and map it... and control it.

I am not sure when you have started playing FireFall, but it actually use to work just like you described it. Random events were spread across the world, and you could either look for them on your world map, or just wonder around and stumble into them. It was so much fun!

The job board was just really boring idea, even below a typical mmo where you at least can talk to some cool npc or something.

 

[Squid Boss]

I am not sure when you have started playing FireFall, but it actually use to work just like you described it. Random events were spread across the world, and you could either look for them on your world map, or just wonder around and stumble into them. It was so much!

The job board was just really boring idea, even below a typical mmo where you at least can talk to some cool npc or something.

I was there for that. Been around since spending XP on the tree. Though I was more meaning that take the content that was in the job boards and was in the quests when launch hit and instead that should have been used with how events spawned randomly in the world pre-launch patch.

So, if you had 5 jobs on a board around Shanty Town, you'd instead run into them randomly. If they were story for Shanty Town you'd find them in Shanty or on perhaps a roaming NPC and not just some static board.

 

[SomeUnregPunk]

So, if you had 5 jobs on a board around Shanty Town, you'd instead run into them randomly. If they were story for Shanty Town you'd find them in Shanty or on perhaps a roaming NPC and not just some static board.

except for the random part, that's how quests were done when Red5 dropped that FF 2.0 ( or 1.5 or whatever crap number they decided on)

One of the good things on the update was the addition of all the glider races that would bring players back to town they started the mission. If they weren't so buggy and few.

 

[Wraithbane]

What about them did you not like?

Loading...Loading...Loading... ^^

 

[Squid Boss]

except for the random part, that's how quests were done when Red5 dropped that FF 2.0 ( or 1.5 or whatever crap number they decided on)

One of the good things on the update was the addition of all the glider races that would bring players back to town they started the mission. If they weren't so buggy and few.

I am saying take the jobs off the job board and make them random encounters or wandering NPC triggers.

They shouldn't have been on job boards.

 

[Daevic]

I agree the job boards were not needed. I always thought that the dynamic missions were the best part of the game. Also I was hoping that more would happen with that, for example entering an area and you just get a mission telling you to do something because you stumbled across a bandit cache or a strange transmission. something that wasnt even on the map, something that would peak my interest.

Job boards felt so static. Probably doesnt make a whole lot of sense does it.