TerraDraconis

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Here's his accredited work

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So we have Castle to thank for Master of Orion 3?

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It couldn't be his fault, look he worked on Lost Vikings.


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I love Lost Vikings.

In fact, of the games I remember that he's worked on, the only stinker is MOO3, and most are fondly remembered. The biggest problem on the list is his lack of accomplishments since 2005. That's the main problem with working on an MMO, I guess. It just doesn't pad your resume with games.

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Even MOO3 had alot of good points. I think it is more that it got redesigned one to many times and so carried far to much extra baggage. I have MOO3 and still play it occasionally but I'll admit to playing MOO2 more. Still it wasn't all bad and I don't think I would blame the dev team for it failing. They made it into a moderatly functional game from what I suspect was a disaster.

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Thing I am most interested in is the branching dialog tech.

It would be great if some missions (particularly villain side) allowed you to make some choices and see it effect the mission completion and contact dialog

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I fully expect to see this for new villain content. Unfortunately I expect that existing content will take time to be redone. Hopefully not to much time though, this is one of the problems on red side. The very static nature of the missions and that the player generally doesn't have any choices they can make. I expect that this could make red side more successfulf if they can go back and redo the missions.

I would love it if they could at least revisit one contact each issue. More than that would be delightful but if even one contact and their missions per issue could be fixed this would be good.

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Ah good branching dialog, this hopefully also means contacts can now use different dialog with you depending on if your a hero or villain. That should fix issues that some people have with cooperative zones.

It also means several missions I looked at back in COV beta could actually have branches. Look at the kidnap/rescue so and so. You get offered verbally to let them go for a fee but never actually get the chance. Or if instead of rescuing them what if you could turn them over to someone else... heh. this is a good tool in the developers arsonal.

This announcement is full of gooey FREEM goodness.

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The ad company Double Fusion will have no clue if you saw there ad or not. All they will ever get is a count that last night 400,000 people logged in and 150,000 of them had ads turned off. Thats all the reporting info that will go back to them.

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Incorrect. There will be a way to see if someone was in place to view the ad. Mostly, if you are within X feet of it.

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Ok, how will they do this? Are you talking about the software mentioned on Double Fusions web page? Ie the software they aren't using?

Your claim doesn't match anything said by the devs, they have actually stated that their will be no reporting on how many people saw ad X. So again where do you get this?

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Rather wish there was a definitive answer re: the interactivity of the ads...

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They have answered this, I forget if it was a redname post or the interview but anyway ... The ads will not be interactive. Ie you can't click through etc. They are just billboards.

The ad company Double Fusion will have no clue if you saw there ad or not. All they will ever get is a count that last night 400,000 people logged in and 150,000 of them had ads turned off. Thats all the reporting info that will go back to them.

The software people are reading about on Double Fusion's website is something that they offer to companies as a turn key soluton to putting ads in. The company doesn't have to use their solution and in this case NCNC is using their own system for providing and displaying the ads. They are not using Double Fusions system.

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Never heard of tracking cookies, or spyware? Where have you been?



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They have already stated that they will not have any of that. Reading comprehension is your friend.

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No, don't you get it? We opt-outers are "whiners" and are "mentally ill" and wear "tinfoil hats".

Aren't we?

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Err no. Opting out fine. No body has a problem with you opting out. Frankly we could care less if you opt out. But we do care about your running in circles screaming the sky is falling over this.

Note: You and your are generic in the above comment.

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How is Double Fusion going to track player exposure to their ads? I assume the player character needs to be at least within rendering distance of the bill board. Will it take into account what direction the player character is facing? Will it register the exposure instance and/or the length of exposure? I've played the "paid to surf" game a bit (was late getting in on the big hand outs, though) and am willing to park my character facing a bill board (if one happens to be near) while I take my bio breaks.

Frankly, if the art for the ads were done to fit and blend into the theme of the game, I wouldn't mind them around. I'd just prefer that they not be made to really stick out like, for example, being extra bright.

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Been answered by someone around here.

Double Fusion isn't going to be able to track player exposure to their ads. All they will have is the raw number of players with Ads turned on versus number of players with ads turned off. They will not have any idea how many people actually saw an ad.

From what I can tell when the zone is loaded and the billboard created it will pull the skin for the billboard from an ad directory instead of the in game art pack. If you have ads turned off then you will see the in game art pack. Further it appears that it will probably update when the launcher is running. So if before 7:00 PM a billboard was for Coca-Cola and after 7:00 PM it switched to 7up all those who logged in before 7:00 PM would see the coke ads and all those who logged in after 7:00 PM would be seeing 7up ads.

There is no interactive feedback to the ad company or the advertiser. Essentially all NCSoft is selling is billboard space in game not a banner ad spot.

Heh, you got me, I was thinking well I'll have to see but I'm not sure about this one. Then I realized what day it is.

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Slows have zero effect on the ability of the ability of the Brute to continue to attack to build fury.

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Incorrect, a brute has 2 seperate and distinct methods of generating fury.

1. Every attack launched by a brute generates some fury. This is why short quick attacks are often favored by brutes and alot use brawl.

2. Every attack launched at a brute generates some fury. The attack doesn't need to hit them just needs to target them. If you have enough foes on you they can help push your fury up all that much faster than you can do all by yourself.

It is the second class of fury generation that is impacted by slows. If every thing you do causes more slowing effect then you get less fury.

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didnt they also have storm for corr in closed beta i remember someone mentioning it?

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No there was no storm villain side in the closed beta. The only sets removed and replaced where Ice Melee and Ice Armor.

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Players that actually tested ice armor and ice melee proved that the sets were perfectly capable of generating fury.



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Actually no, they sucked for generating fury in COV closed beta. That is why they where replaced before the closed beta ever went open. I know I played with them and they sucked.

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Very nice, glad to see the changes and really appreciate you telling us.

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Neither Mystic nor Magickal nor any other sort of enchanted Origin has the slightest impact on this game. None, zip, zero, null, void.


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Sure they do, they give me the apprentice charm and an affinity for the Blackwand. Also they directly effect my perception of my character. They may have no benefit for you but well that is just you.

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All the powers look exactly the same; none of the backstories you will ever write will differentiate your characters from any other.


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This is a failure of perception really not a failure of the game. It also isn't a a failure of my magical origin characters. They are certainly different than the tech or science origin ones.

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So why all the excitement over this? If there is Story to be found here, it's only for the Devs and their characters. None of our magickal characters---because we have none.


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Because it is fun.

No really it is fun and allows me to have storylines suited to my characters origins. Just because you don't care about it doesn't mean I don't find it cool and fun.

Oh and you have no magical characters. I on the other hand have about 80% of my characters who are magical.

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At best, this entire scenario = new badges. Possibly a few more accolades---which, due to the hard code, have no magickal aspects whatsoever. Certainly no viable benefits. All of this has the same impact, IMO, as the entire Rikti raids we've had to endure: an annoyance on my way to the next farming mish.

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I see your problem if all you see as fun is farming than there is nothing really other than a new farm that can be added that you would enjoy. So I'll enjoy my new content you can go farm to your hearts content in your old farm.

Oh and you can skip all the arcane salvage the new zone and arcs will have it is after all by your own declaration not important to you.

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I wouldn't read too much into the "L" in "lost". Someone may have done that on accident since they use the cap version so much.

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I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss that capital "L"... to quote Paragonwiki and their article on the Midnight Squad: "The Midnight Squad became a prime target for Rikti assassins, and the group's main headquarters was destroyed in a fusion bomb blast. Many of its more heroic sorcerers were captured in battle and are still missing to this day, presumed dead. "

We all know from the current arcs and the LGTF what the Rikti do to people they "capture".

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Hero 1 anyone?

First everyone should read this entry ParagonWiki - Midnight Squad. I'll wait while you do.

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Ok, hopefully you actually read up on the Midnight Squad. Now a few thoughts based on reading up on them. First I suspect they may very well find the villains of the Rogue Isle's useful. Note that they started as a shadowy group of scholars and mystics meeting and talking about magic. Then they were drawn into heroics by The Dream Doctor and they battled the Circle of Thorns. This doesn't mean all of the members where squeaky clean or that The Dream Doctor wouldn't have over looked those shadowy aspects to fight the Circle.

In the 1980's the squad started becoming more secretive, maybe one of the reasons has to do with this issue. Again retreating to the shadows. In the shadows sometimes the difference between a hero and villain isn't all that much. I can well see them recruiting help where they can get it if the threat is enough.

Moving on to the Rikti war note that the Rikti targeted the squad with assassins and apparently captured many of the more heroic sorcerers of the squad during the battle that saw the headquarters destroyed by a fusion bomb. If you notice they are missing and presumed dead. Hero 1 anyone? Lost anyone? Rikti Mages anyone?

We are told that today while a handful of heroes remain active in the squad it primarily acts as a research resource. They may be turning their attention more to mentoring new mages and sorcerers than in fighting themselves. Note I don't say new heroes.

Known active members:

Tammy Arcanus - Numina
Ross Coldwell - Darkvine (deceased)
John Knox - Crimson Fist
Percy Winkley

Known researchers:

Buck Salinger - contact in Croatoa
Edgar Torvald - Murdered by the circle of Thorns regularly.
Hinckley Rasmussen - contact in Talos Island
Nathen Crane - Murdered by the Carnival of Shadows regularly.

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They are clearly testing this to see what the response is, my VALID response if hell no. Don't defend mediocrity! It doesn't help you or the game. If this pack had something worth the price that would be one thing - this is a costume and three emotes.
All I said was I won't be buying it and IF this becomes a trend, I won't continue to subscribe as I have done for 3+ years. I'm neither a whiner or a hater. My feelings are just as valid as yours. Of course, if you are 12 you won't understand that, if you're a day over 12 get over yourself.

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But see my feelings that the pack is cool and that I'm happy to buy it is just as valid.

See I liked and I bought it and I likely would buy more and think they where cool. This is just as valid of an emotional reaction.

Do I think it would have been better priced at $5.00? Yes, but $9.99 wasn't out of my reach for something I don't mind buying.

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I agree that you view is valid. The only reason I am posting an argument is because I think that if it does continue then free updates will suffer and the pay-per-pack will excalate in what they have.

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If I was worried that free updates where threatened I would be concerned but I expect that the occasional pack like this one will come out in addition to the regular free updates. So I'm not expecting the free updates and costume parts etc to suffer for it.

I think I would be more concerned if the valantines pack had contained some substantial power. Then I might be concerned that new power development would go towards pay packs. Fluff on the other claw I'm not so worried about.

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They are clearly testing this to see what the response is, my VALID response if hell no. Don't defend mediocrity! It doesn't help you or the game. If this pack had something worth the price that would be one thing - this is a costume and three emotes.
All I said was I won't be buying it and IF this becomes a trend, I won't continue to subscribe as I have done for 3+ years. I'm neither a whiner or a hater. My feelings are just as valid as yours. Of course, if you are 12 you won't understand that, if you're a day over 12 get over yourself.

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But see my feelings that the pack is cool and that I'm happy to buy it is just as valid.

See I liked and I bought it and I likely would buy more and think they where cool. This is just as valid of an emotional reaction.

Do I think it would have been better priced at $5.00? Yes, but $9.99 wasn't out of my reach for something I don't mind buying.

To quote Gord. "Doors on the left."

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Ten dolloars is a days worth of meals. not lunch money. If your the sort of person who routinely flushes ten dollar bills down the toilet then your not the kind of person resonable people can relate to anyway.



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I typically spend $6.65 for coffee and a bagle in the morning. Then if I didn't bring a sandwitch anywhere from $3.50 - $10.00 for lunch, and if supper is in the offering again about $6.00 - $15.00 for lunch depending on where I eat. I can of course save on some of this depending on if I bring my own lunch and where I eat but eating out isn't cheap.

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I just want him to add a cummerbund. My kingdom for a cummerbund! D:


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A cummerbund would be nice. Wouldn't have minded a string tie either.

Now I will grant you that your right the $5 price would perhaps have been a better price point for the pack. More people would grab it. As it is I won't bother for my second account. I wanted it for the male tux, but now that I've seen the female tux I have a character concept starting to play around in the back of my mind.

Instantantly on the live servers and a delay on the test server... forget how long there. Mind you after buying it you need to go back to account management and apply the code to your account.

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The thing is Nethergoat I'm not to worried at this point because this patch just out is so very nice and full of good content. I'll give them a costume and emote sales pack if they continue to put out patches and issues as good as they have.