Summer Expansion - Incarna

[eldaec]

Heard this went live today. Doom?

So far just a massive performance hit (seemingly affecting EVE Online as well as the Vampire tech demo). Launch day went well by recent standards.

[eldaec]

15 fucking USD FOR A GOD DAMN PRETEND SHIRT?   

Don't miss the monacle that costs 4 plex. 

Utilmately it is other people's money spent on something that doen't appear in EVE online (except in the character portrait) so I'm fine with this except regarding how much dev and management attention it is eating.


Did they put in the RMT scorpions in the end? I haven't checked. Having the system create spaceships for real money is only thing that particularly irritated me.

[tgr]

What the fuck? Last I checked, monocles should cost 3 AUR or something. Either something got fucked up, or they've upped the conversion rate a lot.

[eldaec]

Things on the test server are always far far cheaper than live.

Charging 3 AUR for a thing, when AUR are only about 100k isk each, would have been pointless.

[Kageru]

There's about 5 items of clothing total in the cash shop. And most of them follow the aesthetic of the clothes in the character builder and are very plain. Apparently they had more on Sisi (which yes, had "test" prices) which they plan to roll out as once a week additions. Cheapest item is about 1/3 of plex (plain boots), a skirt is 1 plex, the monocle is 3 and a bit PLEX... which is pretty surreal.

I don't know that I've ever seen a MMO developer shoot themselves in the foot quite this efficiently. And the boards are on fire with the developers hiding, all very entertaining.

[tgr]

Things on the test server are always far far cheaper than live.

Charging 3 AUR for a thing, when AUR are only about 100k isk each, would have been pointless.

3 AUR for a monocle which can and will be destroyed is fine. Still a bit on the expensive side in my book, since it's about the price of a rifter (which I would've thought would require more materials and manufacturing expertise), but when it costs more than my fucking carrier (which I still haven't used because I was training up for triage; now I need to fit it up), I'll call it "over the fucking top".

[Numtini]

Even by my low expectations, this is a dud. The avatar reminds me of Uru. It's completely lifeless and movement is painfully sluggish.

But at least they nerfed jump bridges. I understand their vast network guarantees the NC would have dominated nulsec for all time otherwise.

[Setanta]

Even by my low expectations, this is a dud. The avatar reminds me of Uru. It's completely lifeless and movement is painfully sluggish.

This ^^^

I always saw my ships as my avatar - I want to see them rather than a lifeless, badly rendered blow up doll in a 10x10 room.

TBH their tech doesn't bode well for their Vampire MMO and I think it's the straw that will lead to me unsubbing as I've just been logging for skill training again.

The question is "why was it so hard to implement hanger OR CQ as an option?"

CCP is not Blizzard. Blizzard can piss off 500 thou to 1 million subscribers with Cataclysm and bloody-minded decisions and still have 10 mill more. CCP doesn't have that luxury and should be doing all they can to keep their existing clientele happy.

[Kageru]

It makes me wonder more about Dust. If their code foundation makes fairly powerful PC's chug while rendering a tiny room (captains closet) it should be interesting to see it trying to do 32x32 battlefields on a PS3.

[luckton]

It makes me wonder more about Dust. If their code foundation makes fairly powerful PC's chug while rendering a tiny room (captains closet) it should be interesting to see it trying to do 32x32 battlefields on a PS3.

Maybe they'll be the first to really unlock the PS3's Cell potential?   

[Numtini]

I've always been an ultimate skeptic on the subject of Incarna. I think it plays to what people say they want from Eve (avatars), but not what they mean (a game that is about avatars, not spaceships). But even if I wanted to drink the Mittani's cool aid and go for Incarna as an idea, I can't even imagine what CCP is thinking rolling something out that is just that horrible in implementation.

The tech is really pathetic, and the avatars blow EQ2 out of the water on the uncanny valley. But it goes beyond that. Just really simple obvious game design 101 things like "everyone bumps into the coffee table, don't put a coffee table there" or "there is not enough room in the CQ to actually zoom out, game spaces need to be bigger than real life spaces to account for the camera."

[Mrbloodworth]

I want to see them rather than a lifeless, badly rendered blow up doll in a 10x10 room.

Wow, what magical rendering game have you been playing. lol.

[Comstar]

That's an April Fool's right? In game clothing, which only I can view, but not actually because the room is too small and dark to do so...costs more than my real life clothes?!?

I was thinking of coming back next week. Now I think I might just wait for SWTOR.

[Modern Angel]

So, as someone who's not playing EVE and is mostly just interested in how this tech relates to the WoD MMO, can people elaborate on why the tech side of things is so awful? I need gory details. Also, have they publicly said that this roll out is related to the WoD?

[tmp]

That's an April Fool's right? In game clothing, which only I can view, but not actually because the room is too small and dark to do so...costs more than my real life clothes?!?

"There’s probably some awful joke here about how Eve players spend so much time at their PCs they don’t actually need real clothes"

[Morfiend]

So, as someone who's not playing EVE and is mostly just interested in how this tech relates to the WoD MMO, can people elaborate on why the tech side of things is so awful? I need gory details. Also, have they publicly said that this roll out is related to the WoD?

The model graphics are really lifeless, and the skin texture is pretty bad. Lighting is all sorts of wrong and plays oddly on the characters face. While I havent had any problems, a lot of people are reporting horrible performance in the CQ (captains quarters) even with pretty high end systems. The overriding theme is "if they cant make a 10x10 room with one character model run well, what hope have they of making a full mmo engine".

[tmp]

Incidentally, do i interpret these screenshots wrong, or is there even no option to preview your $60 monocle on your avatar before you buy it?

[Numtini]

First, there's a noticeable "loading" screen that wasn't there before.

I didn't check the frame rates, but they seem fine. But when moving, control is very sluggish. There's a noticeable lag between when I press a key and when something happens and when I let up on a key and when the avatar stops doing something. This makes navigating, even in the 15' square box, pretty difficult.

As I said earlier, the environment isn't designed well. It's too small without extra space to account for the camera, so as you turn, it zooms in on your avie and you can't zoom out until you turn. There's also some kind of coffee table thing in the middle of the room and it gets in the way of moving anywhere--you bump into it and your legs just keep moving but you don't turn aside or go up on it. And when you turn or do anything else, your avatar stays bolt upright at a 90' angle with the floor and a straight spine.

That's what I noticed in the two minutes this morning before it restarted. It's all I really need to see to be honest.

[Mrbloodworth]

Incidentally, do i interpret these screenshots wrong, or is there even no option to preview your $60 monocle on your avatar before you buy it?

I thought that stuff was bought with in game currency.

[tmp]

I thought that stuff was bought with in game currency.

It can be, but plex can also be bought for regular money. That's how it enters the system in the first place iirc.

[eldaec]

Cash given to ccp creates 'plex', an in game item in your character inventory. Plex can only be created by giving cash to ccp, though once a plex is created it becomes an in game item tradable like any other.

Characters can sell plex on the market, through contracts or in a direct trade for isk or space junk. If you are in Space Monkey's Alliance you can buy thousands of dollars worth, load them into a Kestrel and lose them all hilariously in pvp on the Jita undock.

Characters can consume plex in game to extend account time or create Aurum (a new currency, not to be confused with isk).

Aurum is used to buy pointless shit from the RMT store. All pointless shit originates from the store, it can't enter the economy through any other route.

Pointless shit can then be traded to other players for isk or other space junk, and can also be lost as a result of internet space combat like any other item in game.

[tmp]

Pointless shit can then be traded to other players for isk or other space junk, and can also be lost as a result of internet space combat like any other item in game.

Wait wait wait, i naively presumed these being cosmetic items they're permanent acquisition, but it being EVE... does it mean if you blow up the internet spaceship with someone wearing a monocle (and pod them) they need to buy another one for the new clone, like the implants etc?

If so, then wow... these prices... just wow  

[JWIV]

Pointless shit can then be traded to other players for isk or other space junk, and can also be lost as a result of internet space combat like any other item in game.

Wait wait wait, i naively presumed these being cosmetic items they're permanent acquisition, but it being EVE... does it mean if you blow up the internet spaceship with someone wearing a monocle (and pod them) they need to buy another one for the new clone, like the implants etc?

If so, then wow... these prices... just wow  

Yes and yes.   

[Stabs]

Clothing that is worn is indestructible, it's just if you carry it around in your cargo hold and get blown up. There's no reason to do so ever but you know someone will. It's like portable plexes.

[eldaec]

Afaik pointless shit you are actually wearing gets transferred to your medical clone when you die, however, it can still be more expensive than you think, because pointless shit does not carry over when jump cloning.

You need an additional monocle for each of your jump clones.

[Mrbloodworth]

ISK is the main in-game currency. PLEX originate from Game Time Codes (GTCs), which can be purchased as an alternative to paying a monthly subscription. 1 GTC can be broken up into 2 PLEX, which can then be sold on the in-game market for ISK, and used by the people who buy them to extend their game time as an alternative to paying a subscription fee. PLEX aren't new. The new currency is called Aurum. Basically, in addition to using PLEX to extend game time, you can now convert PLEX to Aurum, which is then used to buy these vanity items.

People are butthurt because the vanity items are expensive right now, but CCP has stated that they are trying to ease in the new Aurum market in order to make sure that the entire in-game economy doesn't suffer adverse effects. If they charged too little for the vanity items right out of the gate, there would likely be a buying frenzy on PLEX as people try to take advantage of the new Aurum market, which would skyrocket PLEX prices and basically screw over anybody who relies on PLEX to extend their game time. Suddenly realizing you have to pay a couple hundred million ISK more than you're used to in order to play for another month could result in a lot of people leaving the game.

They'll probably reduce the prices of the vanity items to something more reasonable once the market settles and they're sure they haven't utterly destroyed the in-game economy. In the meantime, leave it to morons to bitch about something that causes zero change in the functionality of the game and which they aren't required to take part in.

That explanation sounds reasonable to me. Taken from here.

[luckton]

I agree...this whole 'dress my captain' thing for RMT is silly.  I thought this game was about blowing shit up?

[tmp]

People are butthurt because the vanity items are expensive right now, but CCP has stated that they are trying to ease in the new Aurum market in order to make sure that the entire in-game economy doesn't suffer adverse effects. If they charged too little for the vanity items right out of the gate, there would likely be a buying frenzy on PLEX as people try to take advantage of the new Aurum market, which would skyrocket PLEX prices and basically screw over anybody who relies on PLEX to extend their game time. Suddenly realizing you have to pay a couple hundred million ISK more than you're used to in order to play for another month could result in a lot of people leaving the game.

That explanation sounds reasonable to me. Taken from here.

As long as we ignore it apparently didn't work out quite as they thought it would.

As PLEX can be bought from other players for ISK, however, most players will not be spending their own cash on these items. PLEX prices have already spiked to over 400 million each

charging more doesn't really stop people who's been sitting on billions of game cash, and higher item prices mean they need more of the PLEX things to get their another currency. Ultimately driving the demand and prices along with it up just the same.

[Morfiend]

I agree...this whole 'dress my captain' thing for RMT is silly.  I thought this game was about blowing shit up?

Im pretty sure its actually about how much $$ you can lose by getting blown up with shit in your hold.

[Morfiend]

As long as we ignore it apparently didn't work out quite as they thought it would.

As PLEX can be bought from other players for ISK, however, most players will not be spending their own cash on these items. PLEX prices have already spiked to over 400 million each

charging more doesn't really stop people who's been sitting on billions of game cash, and higher item prices mean they need more of the PLEX things to get their another currency. Ultimately driving the demand and prices along with it up just the same.

I think that was just a little mini spike. From what I can see average prices are already about 2 mil lower today than they where on Monday. Holding around 380 mil, down from 382-384mil.

[Cadaverine]

Poked my head in today to update my skill queue, and to check out the changes.  I didn't have any noticeable performance issues, and I may be alone in this, but I thought my avatar looked just fine.  Mind you, I still prefer my original avatar's look over the new one, but oh well.

My main gripe was with movement.  I'm used to normal WASD movement, so the whole swing the camera and right click to change direction thing was counter-intuitive to me  Also, not being able to move faster than a leisurely stroll was a bit off-putting.  I understand them adding it to test the systems for the WoD game, and it's sorta cool in some aspects, but I don't really think it adds anything to the game overall.

[tgr]

Plexes were around 400, crashed to 370 after the AUR prices were revealed, and has now returned to an almost normal of 391.2m.

[Morfiend]

My main gripe was with movement.  I'm used to normal WASD movement, so the whole swing the camera and right click to change direction thing was counter-intuitive to me.

Use left button to mouse look, not right button. Its stupid, but thats what it is.

[Sparky]

Haven't bothered downloading the patch yet as I'm dreading being forced to make an avatar for the Captain's Closet.  Having way more fun riding the dramawave on Kugu, Eve-o and Failheap than playing could possibly be.  Latest bomb is some leaked CCP document where they pontificate on new and exciting ways to wrestle in more microtransactions so you can sub while you sub.  Lots of skeptics on Eve-O but CSM Seleene seems to think it's real and recalls seeing something similar during his free trip to Iceland.  

edit: oh bums, fixed link

[eldaec]

You suck at links.

http://www.evenews24.com/2011/06/22/greed-is-good-purportedly-leaked-internal-bulletin-shows-ccps-refreshing-new-direction/