1 Reply by Hulk_Hogue

(112 replies, posted in Balancing)

My experience comes from about three weeks of play before the EP patch, and now about a week with it. 


Before this patch, I personally found it difficult to keep myself motivated enough to keep playing.  Veteran players had such a vast lead from the EP mechanic that it seemed like it would take months or years to be anything more than another blip on the radar and an easy kill.  It was completely out of my control how quickly I could progress in this game.

Within a few weeks of starting, I was able to personally acquire commonplace mechs that would take me months to actually be able to use.  That proportionally large time scale (compared to other modern games) mixed with the general chat having about 15 max and only myself during off hours led me to think this game's population was going below an irrecoverable threshold. 


HOWEVER

With the patch, I'm no longer hindered by a game mechanic out of my control.  If I need to gain experience to man a robot or use a part, I can obtain it through active or passive gameplay.  Logging in every three days is now the MINIMUM amount of effort put in for the MINIMUM amount of EP. 

That, mixed with the sale, has put general chat population with a low of around 25 and a high of 70 on good days.  More people are IN the game, both actively and passively.  Conversations can be had, help can be given, and fights can commence (and are).

As for the AFK mining solution.. it's easy to spot a solution.  Check the killboards and you'll notice I'm at the top by killing unarmed enemy players that I didn't even need to give chase to because they thought that liquid farming on beta/gamma islands was a good idea.  While it might not be an honorable tactic, it's a check that players can put in place to force Alpha (reduced EP) AFK mining and make others question if it's truly a good idea to attempt it without protection.  Already, I have seen an increase of miners on said beta islands protecting themselves with their allies.


Overall, this mechanic has more than doubled the noticeable population and has lead to new and exciting opportunities for new players to hopefully give the vets a run for their money, a previously unobtainable concept. 

(Reminder, research trees are still needing to be grinded, so this is definitely not as big of a boost to new players as most suspect).

Go to forum: Balancing

2 Reply by Hulk_Hogue

(5 replies, posted in Bugs)

I had this issue when I first started, and it seemed to fix itself in time or with closing the client.  Still, it happens right after leaving the tutorial.

Go to forum: Bugs

3 Reply by Hulk_Hogue

(3 replies, posted in Feature discussion and requests)

Rolafen Azec wrote:

"teamplates" sprang to my mind licence plates with the corp logo on them. That could be cool too.

I second this.  And/or the ability to put your corp's colors on your mech, but not so much that you can't identify what they are.

Go to forum: Feature discussion and requests

4 Reply by Hulk_Hogue

(15 replies, posted in General discussion)

I do a fair amount of trade in the Bazaar, and have been harvesting within the area for the past couple days, as well.    Rolafen is the only other person I've seen on the island, and I've only been threatened by roaming NPC's. 

He's distanced enough from the other bases that the expansion isn't troubling anyone.

All is well.  Thanks again, Rolafen!

Go to forum: General discussion

5 Reply by Hulk_Hogue

(36 replies, posted in Q & A)

Race Drones wrote:
Hulk_Hogue wrote:

... no dangers to being on the unprotected islands besides NPC's, ...

When you think nobody is watching you, you're wrong !.

You mean that PHM proximity sensor I've walked past a couple times a day?

It's been so safe that I've repeatedly risked all my money repeatedly running trade through there.  tongue

Go to forum: Q & A

6 Reply by Hulk_Hogue

(36 replies, posted in Q & A)

I'm a newer player who's walked into this game having no experience in EVE or any MMO sandbox game, besides the generic MMORPG's of old.  I don't know this game's politics, what it used to be, etc.  Blank slate.

I'm astounded by the amount of content and thought in each step of the process regarding this game.  Each portion is fleshed out just as much as it needs to be, with multiple options to go about it.  It seems everything in place is there.

There's just nobody to do the fun things.

I've seen little to no terraforming or player creation, no dangers to being on the unprotected islands besides NPC's, nothing exciting happening.

Maybe, just maybe, the population is so dismal because, at the end of the day, the goals that make this game enticing aren't being presented.  The question I've found myself asking have been "Why should I play this game if there won't be anything to do with the resources, funds, and gadgets I've obtained?"

I admit, I have not joined a corporation yet.  I honestly don't know which I'd like to get into.  But, what I do know is that I find myself believing that only a populated, active player-base in a corporation is what will keep me going in this game.  I hope I can find that, because this game has drawn me in like no other MMO before.

I think that, if we care about the survival and status of this game's population, we, the players, should try to do something about that.  WE should make it exciting and thrilling.

Go to forum: Q & A