1 Topic by Petteri Petraaja (edited by Petteri Petraaja 2010-12-29 11:56:57)

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Topic: How can we Yarrr?

Few questions to DEVs regarding lore and backstory.

Quoted parts taken from the PO website.

However, the training of Agents is a very long and costly process. Those who fit the strict criteria and genuinely wish to work for the Project Perpetuum have to join the infrastructure of the organization. Their job is to control the colonies that lie 87,000 light-years away.

Both neurointegration and the remote controlled colonization are strictly supervised processes by the Megacorporations for a reason: they have no intentions of sharing financial and technological gains.

Why would the Syndicate train Agents (long and costly process) and let them fight against each other instead of concentrating on the conquest of Nia? Why would they let agents create corporations whose ideals have nothing to do with the Syndicate and Project Perpetuum?

The expansion is further facilitated by the long-standing war between certain groups within the alien species. By applying the principle “divide and rule”, the earthly forces have so far been successful in playing off the war parties against each other.

Could you elaborate on the ”divide and rule” and how it is actually done? What kind of trolling is applied to them so that they fight each other instead of uniting to fight the invaders from another world. Apparently we are able to communicate with them?

The Syndicate denies the information that the Earth-Nia connection can be cracked and some Agents are connecting to the Perpetuum Project this way to avoid local authorities and to gain independence from the Syndicate.

Local authorities? Would these hackers (if they exist) be connecting from outside the space station? Are there plans to implement in-game content regarding these outsiders?

Just that if you want to play a pirate or do anything against the rules (I guess "rules" being something lile: ”do stuff to help project perpetuum and do not do stuff that harms it”) of project perpetuum couldn't and wouldn't they just shut off your access to bases and at the very least remove the syndicate protection so you can be blown to bits.

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Re: How can we Yarrr?

The fluff is just that, fluffy.
Honestly though, the storyline works but the details are awful. However it's a game. If it makes you feel better just ignore the fluffy fluffy and just accept you're someone else in the universe controlling the robot remotely.

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3 Reply by Gobla (edited by Gobla 2010-12-29 12:28:56)

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Re: How can we Yarrr?

I'd say depending on your actions in-game you're either a syndicate agent ( you're in a starter corp or a peaceful alpha corp and only kill people on the beta isles that attack you first ) or you're on of these hackers from outside ( you're in a NBSI corp on the beta isles and actively hunt and kill other agents for personal gain )

If you switch corps then it can be said that back on earth you were contacted by your new corp and convinced to either leave the perpetuum project ( promises of personal wealth and power etc. ) or rejoin the perpetuum project ( your hacking crimes forgotten in return for information on the crackers. )

On Nia itself it likely won't make much difference. The hacks can be assumed to be so advanced that there's no way to distinguish between a real perpetuum project agent and a hacker agent.

Most of this is behind the scenes and more for RP. And if you RP then I'm sure you can use your imagination to make a likely explanation that makes sense.

As for the divide and rule. From what I understand earth is using the perpetuum project to siphon energy from Nia to make up for shortages at home. If perpetuum agents in one faction's bots attack another faction then it will likely cause war. While in war the Nians will hopefully not pay too much attention when their terminals suddenly seem to reroute a lot of energy to an unknown source. Likely they'll assume that their enemies are draining their power and thus remain oblivious to the presence of perpetuum agents among them and the Syndicate.

*Insert really awesome sig here*
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Re: How can we Yarrr?

I think they're trying to set up a wild west frontier. Agree that the lore could do with a bit of tweaking.

"...playing a game is the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles."
Bernard Suits, 1978
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Re: How can we Yarrr?

I just read the 2nd part from this guy.

Devs, maybe you can muster some nic to hire him to do some official writing for the game!

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Re: How can we Yarrr?

This is how I pictured it.

The player created corps are groups of agents that have hacked into the Nia connection and are exploiting the planets resources for themselves (freedom fighters) working against the big corporations.

These corps are now working against the mega corporations/corps and other players corporations.

YARR! yarr


But yeah the lore needs some real love.....

John 3:16 - Timothy 2:23
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Re: How can we Yarrr?

Microsoft was a wild success because it succeeded in creating an ecosystem - the Windows ecosystem - harvesting a share (via network effects and API lock-in) of the success of many smaller, faster moving, more innovative companies. Apple created ecosystems too, and many cell phone companies imitated that success, creating app stores to try to create ecosystems of their own. One of WoW's successful innovations was creating an ecosystem of UI add-ons.

A 21st-century denizen might be mildly surprised at the megacorps' strategies, but even back then, the largest and most cutting edge corporations were moving toward ecosystem creation strategies rather than direct employer-employee control. The megacorps want the human presence on Nia to feel a strong sense of ownership and they want it well able to defend itself from internal and external threats. They retain an iron lock on the wormhole, which is where they will rake in their share of the resulting ecosystem's wealth.

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Re: How can we Yarrr?

Huh. Cant you just play a pew pew game and kill others? Its pvp loot game with player based economy. I dont even know a thing about storyline. All I care is my heart going boom boom when I blow up someone.

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Re: How can we Yarrr?

Blaster wrote:

Huh. Cant you just play a pew pew game and kill others? Its pvp loot game with player based economy. I dont even know a thing about storyline. All I care is my heart going boom boom when I blow up someone.

Half of the game area  is non-pvp where vast majority of players currently roam around in Sequers. So I would not call it just pvp loot game with player based economy.

You are not alone in not knowing a thing about storyline. I would guess majority of players don't know and don't care about lore. However there are also players who do care and pay attention to it.

Imho the issue here is that a decent lore basically just requires writing a text that should be mostly if not fully coherent with the content of the game. Having a decent or better still, well written lore, will not in any way lessen the booming of your heart when you blow up someone and I doubt the lines of Sequers will be affected either. Only if you happen to be allergic to roleplayers you can make a decent case against well written lore.

Well written lore -> Roleplayers get the lore they desire/require. DEVs won't mind the few extra subs that the good lore attracts (make it excellent with evolving storyline and it won't be just few extra subs that would be attracted). PvPers will get easy kills. (rpers are easy and even desirable kills right?). And I believe you don't even have to be a roleplayer to be able to enjoy a well written lore.

And all this by relatively little effort. Of course the better you want the lore to be the more effort it requires and at some point it begins to require professional level talent/skill, but a decent base would be a good start.  Nothing to lose but plenty to gain.

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Re: How can we Yarrr?

Petteri Petraaja wrote:

I just read the 2nd part from this guy.

Devs, maybe you can muster some nic to hire him to do some official writing for the game!

That is just ridiculously flattering. Thank you! XD

Actually, I have done contract writing before, though for $ rather than NIC. tongue But I'm sure the devs already have their own people lined up for that kind of thing!