Sunday, June 26, 2011

Light at the end of the tunnel?

It seems CCP has heard our complaints, partially at least...

CCP Zulu's latest devblog goes on in a better direction than the previous one...

While it doesn't fully address our concern, and what it does address does not do so to the extent we would want, it is apparent our message has been heard and CCP is willing to engage (again) in constructive dialog.

It may have been the case that CCPers were under pressure from top management to "stay the course" and our recent demonstrations/cancellations/posts/shooting at structures started to raise some alarms.

Either way, we've been summoned to Iceland on very short notice. Frankly I don't see the point, we could convey mostly the same thing with the skype conversations we've been having non-stop. However there's genuine added value to being present face to face when engaging in conflictual dialog, so that may be that, and also the people we are having skype conversations with may not be the same...

I just hope they don't hope they're going to change our minds by getting us some dinner or something, but I doubt that's what they plan. We've had enough interactions in the past for them to know I, for one, do not shy away from strong words when they are necessary and cannot be bought of. Considering the tone of this last message and the discussions we've had over the past days, I expect something productive to come out of it. We'll see... To recap, my position is this:

1) I don't want gold ammo, ships for $, +10% damage implants or any other form of "pay2win". I'm fine with t-shirts, ship paint jobs, corp logos on ships & outposts, that kind of non competitive thing. I want CCP to stick with that stance.

2) I want NeX price to be altered, ideally between the $2 and $5 price range for the vast majority of the items so that everyone can participate, as opposed to the to 10% richest plebs. I don't mind $150 monocles as long as everyone can participate to a significant degree.

3) I want commitment that the option not to load CQ stay in place until such time as the performance for docking & loading station environment becomes acceptable (read: 20 seconds on my machine, subjective criteria, I know :p)

4) I want clarifications on the $99 program so that fansites are not milked if they manage to recoup even the slightest bit of their cost through ads.

This is what I'll be going to Iceland with, as well as the reasons for those things. Should there be anything more to add, be sure to contact me or one of the other CSM delegates.

I'll definitely keep you posted.

17 comments:

  1. I realise it's way down the list of things that are messed up, but you might want to ask them why the female clothing is all twice the price of its male clothing counterpart.

    I realise they're trying to bring a 'high street' feel to the vanity store but does it really have to mirror real fashion so closely that I have to pay more just for having a female character?

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  2. What about PLEX for remaps? We know that CCP had plans for this (http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=815) so that kinda contradicts Zulu's statement in the recent devblog.

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  3. If it's not decorative, I don't want it in the NEX.

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  4. Smallprint to EULA where they state, that if non vanity items appear to cash store, players who cancel subs will get refunds from their remaining gametime and plexes in their hangar.

    That would be promise.

    Obviously we not gonna get one like that, but anything less than clear promise stating that "there is no and WILL NOT BE any plans to bring non vanity items to nex market" will not do.

    Milk that out from them and I might actually resub to EvE Online. Thank you.

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  5. Thanks for the work and good luck next weekend!

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  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  7. Apart from what you've already brought up i'd like for there to be a option when in space to either enter station or dock. You know you right click in space, go to the station your intrested then click dock.

    I'd like there to be an enter station option there. If i pick the Dock option i can spin my ship and do stuff the old way. If i pick enter station i can enter CQ and then WIS when that comes out.

    The reason i want this to be a permanent feature is i just can't see CCP keeping the old user interace for doing stuff. When there going to spend a fortune building a new one with CQ. Now i dont know about anyone else but i sure as hell dont want to be running (or walking FFS) around a station to talk to an agent, or wondering around to find some station service i want to use. You get what i mean i want to dock do my what i need to as fast as possible and then be on my way.

    Someone in the CSM made a brilliant point in the eve radio podcast. If you want me to use walking in stations. Put somthing truely unique in there. Dont go making what i used to do much harder and take longer because i have to walk around a station.

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  8. lol ive just been talking to some players and we want a pony thread just one thread where we can post pictures of ponys just for the lulz.

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  9. We also want my little ponies added to the vanity store. As in i buy a pony and it appears on my desk in CQ.

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  10. I have to say after reading the latest devblog I went from utter despair, to being cautiously hopeful. To reiterate what Grey has already mentioned nothing short of an inviolable guarantee, regarding NEX and pay to win, will assuage the fears of the community.

    I think Dierdra Vaal's (http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=1536065&page=108#3217) and Tippia's (http://eve.beyondreality.se/NeXCQResponse.html) comments on the situation best summarise the general situation and sentiments of the community - which I'm sure you've read already, but just in case.

    I am also very glad to see the inclusion of the $99 license as a key issue, so easily overlooked with the recent wave of emorage on the forums.

    All I can really say is best of luck, and make sure CCP know that they can't wait this out or explain the current situation away.

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  11. "I don't want gold ammo, ships for $, +10% damage implants or any other form of "pay2win". I'm fine with t-shirts, ship paint jobs, corp logos on ships & outposts, that kind of non competitive thing. I want CCP to stick with that stance."

    Get a promise on this, now and future. Otherwise it's meaningless. "We do not currently have any plans to" means nothing.

    Good luck.

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  12. CCP need to make a revenue stream for Dust after initial purchase. Try to make it clear to them that any "pay to win" options included for Dust will likely feed back to EVE. The existing PLEX should be the only RMT that affects gameplay allowed in either game. Vanity items for either or both games are fine - but make them affordable.

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  13. My alt accounts remained un-subbed and I will run my main character off of ISK.

    In other words - like Hilmar - i will judge CCP by their actions, not what they say ;-)

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  14. Comment to your point #3 regarding CQ.
    Just having the option not to load station environment is one thing. This expansion was all about immersion, and forcing pilots to leave their pods every time they dock, regardless of the reason or the duration they stay docked completely and utterly shatters all levels of immersion. The option to not load station environment has been present in eve for as long as I can remember, and yes I do want that to remain forever.

    BUT... What we need here is docking to the regular old fassion station hangar and the, when we find it appropriate, we can disembark and go to quarters.

    Instead of forcing everyone to eighter use the quarters or "showing us the door", CCP should inmplement incentives for us to want to disembark. Give CQ some abilities you can't do from the ship (while not removing existing functionality from the old hangar)... This can be things like letting you talk to and accept missions from agents that are not in the same station, but mabye within a range of a few jumps. That alone would be a good enough incentive for me to use CQ an like it... Just putting out techincal issues as a reason for being able to not use CQ is wrong, cause there is as I mention, an important gameplay reason as well... CCP must stay true to the backstory and not bypass it for convenience and Aurum

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  15. "However I let my frustration take charge of me, fueled by emotions that had built up due to a breach of trust we at CCP have been experiencing over the past few days. I know that sounds ironic considering those are the exact same feelings you have been having towards CCP.

    For that I am sorry."


    I'd say the same pretty much applies to Helicity and the other person that got banned. If Zulu can get away with his initial blog with the "Whoops, sorry, I was bit mad" line, you think the same would/should apply to Helicity and the other person(s) that got banned during this entire thing because their temper got the best of them ?

    P.S. Enjoy dinner :)

    Best of luck,

    Lock out

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  16. Be sure to counter the PLEX argument. Many players seem to feel that PLEXing a new shiny ship is the same as poofing it out of nowhere, though this is not the case. PLEXing a ship only gets the buyer the isk for the ship, minerals were still acquired, the ship still built and the modules still built, the ship plays a role in the EVE economy, even though the buyer's roll is limited. PLEX behaves like an economic transfer in the game, Person A buys the PLEX in RL, sells it to Person B who then buys it for ISK which he grinded for and contributed to the economy with. In effect, PLEX lets you play with someone else's chunk of the economy, instead of bypassing the game economy entirely.

    - Islador, CEO of FEL0N & EVE Vegas Presenter (Transitioning to 0.0)

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  17. Hey there Meissa good luck with tomorrow - you've problem seen them anyway but could you please took over these threads and raise the issues at the meeting if possible. all the best and good luck - we're counting on you!

    http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=1541703

    http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=1538210

    Jade Constantine

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