Verily, the bards will tell the tale of those valiant knights who went on to storm the castle, forsooth! Or something.
We showed up fresh for the meetings. There was one item on the agenda and that was to solve the non-vanity microtransactions. We went on over the messages, the historical and recent posts, we went over the intentions behind the words, past and present, we tried to tackle the problem in broad terms, in precise examples, eventually settled on leaving the easy stuff aside and attacking the problem by the middle (the grey areas).
We discussed the merits of precise (as in contractual) statements as opposed to vaguer statements. We discussed the definition of words. It wasn't easy. But we understood our mutual stances and worked from there.
Then we worked on the statements that each (the CSM and CCP) would publish following this summit separately then compared notes. Upon doing so, a 2 hour discussion flared up on an agreement we had met yesterday where one of the party was not in agreement anymore. Except it turned out they were and what each meant was not what the other meant. All in all, we all finished and agreed on the respective statements and went through with them.
Those statements are being translated, rereviewed and published most likely today.
There are always caveats when we can't talk about absolutes in such a tense situation. But I would advise the reader not to nitpick too much the wording.
I take the fact that CCP and the CSM argued so much over the definition of words and the statements in general as a sign they mean what they say.
The result is positive to me and I get out of the summit satisfied that I have done my job correctly, even though some things didn't go as far as I would have wanted (or as soon), but progress has definitely been made and the statements as they are stand on their own and it is my personal impression that this should restore a situation where we can finally start shooting one another again.
It is less important, but in addition to these things, we were shown parts of the next Eve marketing campaign (looks great), and received some surprising and welcome news as to the directions and progress several teams had made with their projects.
I am still in transit back from Iceland, and couldn't post yesterday due to hotel internet malfunction, but I'll be back home in a few hours.
If the devblog gets published and you have questions, I will log into Eve and here and on eve-o etc right as soon as I'm back home, so don't hesitate to ask questions.
Edit: while the released blog doesn't specifically address it: the player economy will not be circumvented. a painted/remodeled ship bought in the NeX store will require the regular version to be provided as well as AURUM.
I see the DevBlog.
ReplyDeleteIt addresses "gold ammo" and "ships with different statistics" but it does not appear to address "ships with the same statistics, but circumvent the current player-run economy".
For example, will there ever be an option to buy, from any non-player run market, a ship identical in stats to ones sold on the player market, but instead bought for cash?
My fear is that there will be a cash option to avoid the player run economy, thus avoiding the minerals, construction skills, manufacturing slots, and everything else that goes in to the manufacture of an item in the game, and simply "buy it for cash", thus cutting every manufacturer out of the market.
Was this addressed and omitted, am I missing it, or was it forgotten?
Joel, the statement is quite clear. NeX will only be for vanity items only. That means no ships - no gold ammo etc. There will not be spawned ships for NeX.
ReplyDeleteOne could argue that "vanity items" includes "ships of equal statistics but with a different paint/model", or "turrets of equivalent statistics but a different projectile style", etc. They're the same as other in-game items, statistics wise, but different in appearance. Thus, "vanity only" but still circumventing the player economy.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the one known planned "paint job" (Scorpion, I believe?) appears to require the consumption of one in-game Scorpion to obtain is reassuring, but I'm a mite paranoid.