Ask your Producer: April 2013

Jacen

I think this may have been answered in a previous thread, and I know you said earlier that the staff isn't looking at designing new classes, currently, but how open are you to accepting a Dark Knight (lol batman) or Dark Priest class designed by a player and receiving sufficient approval/tweaking by the forums?

Naisar

Those both exist already.

Kresslack

Jacen said:

I think this may have been answered in a previous thread, and I know you said earlier that the staff isn't looking at designing new classes, currently, but how open are you to accepting a Dark Knight (lol batman) or Dark Priest class designed by a player and receiving sufficient approval/tweaking by the forums?

Infernal/Apostate.

Eld

Kresslack said:

Jacen said:

I think this may have been answered in a previous thread, and I know you said earlier that the staff isn't looking at designing new classes, currently, but how open are you to accepting a Dark Knight (lol batman) or Dark Priest class designed by a player and receiving sufficient approval/tweaking by the forums?

Infernal/Apostate.

Presumably he meant Dark as in factionally aligned with Twilight/Hashan/etc, as opposed to Evil.

Silas

Tecton already said new classes aren't part of the factional upheaval. I could make a couple of inferences on what might happen based on what's happening in Targ, though.

Jacen

Kresslack said:

Infernal/Apostate.

I didn't realize that anyone would take Dark to be a synonym for Evil.

Silas said:

Tecton already said new classes aren't part of the factional upheaval. I could make a couple of inferences on what might happen based on what's happening in Targ, though.

Sure, but there's a difference between the staff designing a new class, and a player doing 75% if the work. The staff might judge other things to have a higher priority, but should a player do a significant portion of the work, the might be happy to implement it.

Besides, any factional overhaul to Hashan, without the addition of classes, will only weaken our laughable military might as it is, because I imagine that the factional overhaul would separate us further from Ashtan/Chaos, and drag the few Occultists we have away ( or force them to change class).

Tecton

Penwize said:

Any chance we can see more alternative item types for various artefacts?  Like, for example, dex pants instead of dex boots? 
Or, more interestingly, any chance for a customisation option to pick the type of item, at some reasonable price?

Maybe some time in the future, no immediate plans.

Tecton

Silas said:

What's generally more likely to be implemented, an idea posted on forums or one filed in-game with the IDEA command? Also, any plans to run through The List anytime soon to implement a few more of the ideas on there? It's been good to see the greatly increased implementation of ideas, but more are always welcome. ETA: ty 4 targ love, so good to see you're all willing to experiment on cool new org features with us.

1) They're both evaluated equally, the only difference being that you may get Cardan saying it's listed on the forums.

2) Have you not seen Cardan's past 10 or so announce posts? We'll keep plugging away, but idea input is >> code output!

Tecton

Achimrst said:

When you use the Example ------>DATE 22 Aeguary 624 <----Example. Which time zone does the time show?

It uses GMT/UTC - which is what all dates and times are given in. If you use CONFIG TIMEZONE, you should be able to see what it is in your local time as well.

Tecton

Jacen said:

Kresslack said:

Infernal/Apostate.

I didn't realize that anyone would take Dark to be a synonym for Evil.

Silas said:

Tecton already said new classes aren't part of the factional upheaval. I could make a couple of inferences on what might happen based on what's happening in Targ, though.

Sure, but there's a difference between the staff designing a new class, and a player doing 75% if the work. The staff might judge other things to have a higher priority, but should a player do a significant portion of the work, the might be happy to implement it.

Besides, any factional overhaul to Hashan, without the addition of classes, will only weaken our laughable military might as it is, because I imagine that the factional overhaul would separate us further from Ashtan/Chaos, and drag the few Occultists we have away ( or force them to change class).

To be honest, the messages and flavour are a very small part of the actual class design, there is a far-higher time sink in the development and balance of the mechanics alongside the other classes. 

In regards to the original question, we're probably not going to do any more God/faction-specific classes, while they're thematically cool, they've got a very limited appeal/accessibility outside the faction they're tied to. I imagine going forth, most, if not all new classes will be something that is available to everyone.

Tesha

How possible/likely are flavor-text changes? Specifically the voicecraft song 'solo' randomly suggests "chaotic powers"

You invoke chaotic powers in a dark solo, draining away some of the essential magic of Shunsui.

I am not sure if it would be better to idea this or how to handle it in-game, there is no Bard connection to chaos. I just do not want Deucalion to burn me.

Marwhan

Are there new classes being released in Achaea? I got an e-mail saying something about new classes but it ended up self destructing like some james bond stuff and I can't find it.. unless it was just all a dream and if so I need A.A... really bad..

Kenway

Do Hammers of Forging work -better- if you own the one you're using?

I've been forging rapiers for the past two or three days using borrowed Hammers and I've yet to get above 215.

If that's about normal for a Hammer then I now have so much more respect for people who consistently turn out awesome weapons and armour.

That's a lot of forging.

Daklore

Kenway said:

Do Hammers of Forging work -better- if you own the one you're using?

I've been forging rapiers for the past two or three days using borrowed Hammers and I've yet to get above 215.

If that's about normal for a Hammer then I now have so much more respect for people who consistently turn out awesome weapons and armour.

That's a lot of forging.

They work the same, but remember, they don't increase your odds of awesome. They increase your odds of the extremes. You cut down the number of forges(this can be observed by taking a low count item, forging it without a hammer, then forging the same with a borrowed hammer, count the number of hits, with hammer should be half). Each hit without a hammer is worth 0 or 2, each hit with a hammer is worth 0 or 4. From what I've been told.

Hammer doesn't increase your quality, just the chances of hitting the extremes. Both high and low.

Edit: Because I don't always fully read things. I'm guilty of skimming...

Tesha

No, owning it would not have any change on its performance. Forging is just kind of... well... anyways, I have not heard of any rapier over 235 being forged in a really long time.

Kenway

Tesha said:

No, owning it would not have any change on its performance. Forging is just kind of... well... anyways, I have not heard of any rapier over 235 being forged in a really long time.

247. Like... idk IRL month ago?

Kresslack

Kenway said:

Tesha said:

No, owning it would not have any change on its performance. Forging is just kind of... well... anyways, I have not heard of any rapier over 235 being forged in a really long time.

247. Like... idk IRL month ago?

I have 2 245's that are really old that I'm currently using. Unfortunately, they're not far from decaying

edit: the forum smileys are stupid.

Naisar

Combat question, may not be the place but it's baffled me for awhile.

What's the reason for disallowing Sylvans & Priests from being able to knock prone in conjunction with breaking a limb?  Priests can do it with a workaround by using an envenomed weapon, but it's thematically awful because they have to use a mundane weapon instead of their spiritual maces.  Sylvans flat out can't, which in conjunction with the fact that they can only break limbs one at a time (and slowly) makes shield tattoos disproportionately effective against them.  I'm sure you'll take a look again during the current class balance review, I ask because combatants of both classes have mentioned it several times and it's gotten consistently denied.  It's always seemed reasonable to me so I'm just curious as to why.

Thanks for your time.

Anaidiana

Will the silver tokens ever be returning to: 

a) shop of wonders?

b) shiptrades?

Tecton

Tesha said:

How possible/likely are flavor-text changes? Specifically the voicecraft song 'solo' randomly suggests "chaotic powers"

You invoke chaotic powers in a dark solo, draining away some of the essential magic of Shunsui.

I am not sure if it would be better to idea this or how to handle it in-game, there is no Bard connection to chaos. I just do not want Deucalion to burn me.

It is possible to change a flavour messages, feel free to classlead it next round! I'm pretty sure you're safe from divine wrath because of the flavour text of an ability.

Tecton

Naisar said:

Combat question, may not be the place but it's baffled me for awhile.

What's the reason for disallowing Sylvans & Priests from being able to knock prone in conjunction with breaking a limb?  Priests can do it with a workaround by using an envenomed weapon, but it's thematically awful because they have to use a mundane weapon instead of their spiritual maces.  Sylvans flat out can't, which in conjunction with the fact that they can only break limbs one at a time (and slowly) makes shield tattoos disproportionately effective against them.  I'm sure you'll take a look again during the current class balance review, I ask because combatants of both classes have mentioned it several times and it's gotten consistently denied.  It's always seemed reasonable to me so I'm just curious as to why.

Thanks for your time.

Something we'll take a look at this classlead round, when we're spending a lot more time on each class.

Tecton

Anaidiana said:

Will the silver tokens ever be returning to: 

a) shop of wonders?

b) shiptrades?

Maybe, no definite plans either way!

Kresslack

This is a question brought about as the result of a recent discussion about Astralform/Blackwind. It seems, based on the confirmation of a few different people, that Eye sigils don't work on Astralform/Blackwind?

If this is the case, is there a chance this could be looked at to work more like Phase, which gives everyone the ability to negate the ability instead of just a select couple of classes that use Flash?

Tecton

Kresslack said:

This is a question brought about as the result of a recent discussion about Astralform/Blackwind. It seems, based on the confirmation of a few different people, that Eye sigils don't work on Astralform/Blackwind?

If this is the case, is there a chance this could be looked at to work more like Phase, which gives everyone the ability to negate the ability instead of just a select couple of classes that use Flash?

No plans to make eye sigils work against AF/BW'ed players, no. In additions to FLASH being moved to a staff power for grove users, we've also changed the way cleansing/piety rites work so that they'll always strip AF and BW if they're up. So that's at 4 classes that can quickly and reliably remove them.

Blujixapug

Are there any sources in fiction or otherwise that you're influenced by in developing this game? eg. Tolkien, Indiana Jones, Batman.

This one is subjective, but I feel that there's a lack of meaningful competitive, group-scale, organisation-focused activities in the game. Due to their frequency, intended participants, consequences, or nature, Icons, shrines, ships, CTFs, arena and world games, and raids variously fail to fill this void. Would you agree? If so, do you have any plans for changes or additions in this area? Was this something you hoped the changes to city raids would address? We've heard for a while of intended changes to shrines - is this something those changes are planned to address?

Sidonia

Tecton said:
No plans to make eye sigils work against AF/BW'ed players, no. In additions to FLASH being moved to a staff power for grove users, we've also changed the way cleansing/piety rites work so that they'll always strip AF and BW if they're up. So that's at 4 classes that can quickly and reliably remove them.

None of which are available to Ashtan, Hashan or Mhaldor, which is increasingly relevant after the dissolution of Team Red.

I suppose it's not that big of a deal, and I think eye sigils would be a massive downgrade to AF/BW, but I'd like if there was SOME counter to it for those factions.

Mannimar

If @Penwize continues to hunt at the average rate that he does... how long will it take him to reach level 200 and break Achaea again?

EDIT: I am genuinely curious...

Kyriella

Any idea when hiring may open for new guides again?

Trevize

Jacen said:

I think this may have been answered in a previous thread, and I know you said earlier that the staff isn't looking at designing new classes, currently, but how open are you to accepting a Dark Knight (lol batman) or Dark Priest class designed by a player and receiving sufficient approval/tweaking by the forums?

I've always seen shaman, and to a lesser extent runewarden, as potentials for the role.

Iocun

Josoul said:

2 have you ever considered expanding the Thousandth Door to places that new players cannot or are not likely to have access, like the Iron Alehouse, the Moon (and other killrooms like Storm of Eternity/Bad Luck Burrow if there are more), the Grotto of butterflies, Chenubian wings rooms, as they are added in the game? and since we are at it, in a less serious note, why not some more islands exits?

I'd absolutely hate that, because it would dumb down exploration quite a lot. Currently, accessing different sort of restricted places requires different approaches, or mixtures of approaches. And depending on how you lay out your character, some may always be entirely inaccessible to you. If it was possible to reach all those places by simply going through the thousandth door over and over, that would remove all this versatility and need for player interaction in favour of just a single mechanic, which is extremely easy to use. It's exactly the allure of exploration that there are quite a few places that are extremely hard to reach (or perhaps even impossible) and that there may be some creativity and a lot of patience involved in order to get to a few of those.