Entropia News: Controlled Mobs

Creating a "stationary" mech graphic inside a game is one thing, designing a fully functioning user feature in the game is another, and that's where Cyrene brought their creative ability utilizing CE2 to present a "real" concept to MA that was actually a user feature, rather than a decoration.

Yes, the idea of mechs has been around a long time, and they have been successfully used in other games ... I used to have a couple of them in Anarchy Online and loved it, so it was exciting when the Cyrene devs went the distance and decided to bring us something new.

 

My point is that you and other "anti-MA/Calypso" people are exaggerating the issue. Yes, Calypso probably gets a priority sometimes, but what company don't prioritize their biggest customer? Calypso have about 80-85 % the players, MA would be stupid not to prioritize and keep those players happy. You can't always hide the shortcomings of other planets behind some "It's all MA fault".

 

This is one of the main problem, you always talking about Calypso as "a competitor". Yes, there is competition between the planets, but it's very wrong when you are so focused on this. EU is one game, so the planet partners should focus more on bringing on more players to EU instead of worrying about Calypso and what they do and not do.

 

Ok, Interesting. So then treasure hunting was added to all PP but maybe they are not able to use it for two years or that this was a requested system that MA created for Arkadia and doesn't fall under the same contact rules?

 

BS. I have mainly played on Arkadia since they launched, I own some CLD, I have never tried to suggest to players they should go to Calypso instead. I also never have heard any other player on Arkadia trying to recruit players to Calypso. But I also understand I players want to try Calypso, because it bigger.

And saying that the problem is "cap on amount of content" is..... laughable. The problem is that the other planet partners are small and don't have much resources to make all the development that could be made to improve things.

 

Is this thread about controlled mobs... Or did I miss something?
Anyway, I think this could be an excellent addition to the game. It will give some people a chance to test their skills against something that is human controlled rather then AI!

 

You do understand that that are a PR picture and they are not actually all working with the Cyrene project? Because if they did they have done a very crappy job. Mindstar had a short carrier on Cyrene and fast out again, probably because the project was downsized. It still on some kind of beta stage or something like that.

 

I think it can me a nice tool in events. What i wonder about is how it actually work. Do the controller move and control it from a first person view or to they move it and see it from a third person view? Does it work on flying mobs? It would be cool if it was in first person mode, you see what the mob see. If it work with flying mobs it could be used as "scouts"

 

@Nor Alien ... yes, this thread is about controlled mobs, but what I absolutely enjoy and appreciate about EP is that contributions to any type of discussion can lead to valuable other contributions that have the potential for enlightening us all. I love the freedom that EP affords us in doing so, because it expands our understanding of the bigger picture and how it all fits into our own game of play, and how decision making by the developers definitely has an effect on us in more ways than good. Some just choose to ignore or dismiss the value of such, but again, it's their choice to accept or not accept what can be presented as FACT and not speculation or personal opinion.

I've said myself that the controlled mobs might end up being a good thing depending on how the feature is used by MA and the PPs, or even if it should expand into a feature that the players can use, so I'm not knocking it whatsoever, nor that good things haven't been delivered to us at the hands of MA and PPs.

However, I know first-hand from experience and from the mouths of developers (in print and otherwise) the challenges and hurdles that must be overcome in order to achieve some semblance of success with visions, and just how stifling and usurped their efforts are at the hands of others.

Here are some FACTS for you ...

• I was invited to join the Cyrene Writing Team by Ed Robles III (CEO) on July 15, 2011
• I was scheduled not only to write Chronicles and character development of the characters that already existed in the storyline, but work on other projects like graphic novels, text content for an Xbox game, 3 movies that Ed still has in mind, work full-time as their Editor, other projects, and was even invited to be the Editor of his Father's 2nd book
• Unfortunately, within a year, very little "official" writing was done due to a high level of demands on Ed's time with development and the challenges they faced, which I am not allowed to disclose
• Ed and I worked in tandem with regard to story arc and character development, and we worked extremely well together ... it bothered him that he didn't have more time available
• After a year with such limited time on his part, and me being restricted with an Official Avatar, it absolutely pained me to resign my position on July 16, 2012, but Ed and I didn't close the door
• Peter is right ... Cyrene has a shitload of content ready to be released, but there is a restriction on the amount of content that PP's can deliver each VU
• Ed's Grandfather and Father founded and own Creative Kingdoms International, and besides Ed's full-time development staff with Digital Scryers, he has up to 60+ skilled and very talented individuals he can choose from at times when he needs them to help with Cyrene development, so ... the quality is there, finished development is there, but restrictions and delays with systems has prevented Ed from delivering a host of great stuff that is sitting in the queue
• And another FACT is ... the Cyrene project has never been downsized
• Peter is also right about PPs needing a certain level of population before some of the systems are available to them (including adding apts and shops), and I happen to agree with Peter that this prohibits PPs from fully realizing their vision and innovative aspirations for their planet
• Restricting PPs in this and other ways, but allowing the continued favoritism of Calypso in more ways than you can imagine (FACT), basically reduces the competing factor, and definitely adds an element of struggle for other PPs
• It is also a FACT that ideas have been stolen by MA and Calypso where a PP has been told no, and the idea shows up on Calypso, but also to the degree where something was mentioned publicly that inspired getting attorneys involved, so ...
• If you want to continue thinking MA and Calypso are squeaky clean and they have the right to treat other PPs as they do, then you are only walking blind and fooling yourself

I'm coming up on my 9 year anniversary with EU (Apr 2nd), and I have led a privileged virtual life with MS9 as a media entity, not only with my network of connections over the years (much like some EP staff), but also as an official member of a PP team. This journey allowed me to gain information from the inside (openly) that I could share with the community in order to bring a different perspective when it came to development and the relationship between the developers and players through my writing (same as some EP staff).

Entropia Planets has been (and continues to be) a great facilitator with respect to many of my efforts, and I am grateful, but ... I can also say that in the process of working closely with some of them, they have incredible investigative and news reporting skills that have brought information to this community that absolutely sheds more light on what is happening than one would normally be privileged to know.

The year I spent as an official with Cyrene absolutely opened my eyes, and gave me an understanding of the bigger picture that most don't have access to, and are only able to speculate about things based on bits and pieces of information that never tell the whole story. I also became very close with a few others in very prominent positions over the last several years, and learned "first-hand" some very disturbing truths, and as such, there is no way in hell I would ever accept that PPs are treated fairly.

I share, not with speculation, not with second-guessing, or even personal opinion, but with FACT as much as I can reveal without posting actual conversations in print, or sharing other documentation that I have. If you choose to dismiss it, then you have the right to continue accepting what is fed to you blindly and make your way accordingly, but ...

To discount the FACT that there are some of us who actually know what the hell is going on behind the scenes is making a choice to live in fantasyland, rather than giving some thought to what you and other players have already experienced through the actions of the developers. It's not just about MA, but there are others involved in development in one capacity or another within our universe that have done harm to other developers (even to MA), as well as players. However, it seems that players complain about it for a bit and it eventually gets lost in the muck and mire of other things that distract focus.

I have been very open about sharing FACTS as much as I can without blowing the door off the virtual vault, as well as what my personal opinions are. I believe I have distinguished between the two, and have said many times over that I don't hate this universe. I love the concept, the potential, and I don't think MA has done everything wrong or bad. They just continue to make some really poor management decisions, and they also allow their favoritism with Calypso, as well as certain players (yes, that is a FACT as well) to cloud not only their development judgment, but also their fairness as it relates to PPs and players.

There's a huge discrepancy in this area, and as Peter stated, the PPs are absolutely restricted with regard to their actions and what they can reveal or share. They are not allowed to talk about other PPs openly, and they are absolutely not allowed to talk about MindArk ... good or bad, other than the usual diplomatic responses should players ask questions. That's why certain websites are stifled or controlled, and Planet Toulan has now joined those ranks due to its hosting partner.

Think and believe what you will, but there are many who have no issue whatsoever sharing their analysis and evaluation of what they have experienced over the years, even those who haven't been around as long as some of us have. That has to have some value, and if some continue to dismiss this kind of information, then they have only themselves to answer to when it doesn't go so well.

 

Yes you have "inside information" from Cyrene because you have worked their and some of you have good contact with them still today. But you can't claim to have "the big picture" because you have not worked at the MA office and now everything what is going on. You can't know every fact of why MA do things. somethings could look like a bad choice from your view, but if you had all the facts maybe it was a necessary choice for MA to do.

Also, I have never claimed that the restriction about the amount of content release was not restricted, but I pretty sure that is not the main problem for Cyrene.

 

I agree that they should have clear rules what they be allowed and not allowed do to. Dropping loot for a random player do take is a bit questionable, they should have restriction and rules on how to handle loot they get. The controlling functions should not be overused, but mostly used in special events. But it's a new feature so I guess they like to test it and play around a bit with it.

 

Apparently you gloss over information that is provided because it clearly implies that the sources are not all from one person or PP, and no one can know every move or decision that MA makes accept MA, but ... it appears that you use that general come-back as a valid argument without considering the information that has been provided to you and the rest of the community.

You basically called valid and credible sources liars, and these valid and credible sources are people that work at MA, PPs, and associates that have shared solid information that absolutely supports what is being presented by myself and others. You are now grasping at straws and winging it because you've taken up a defensive posture and are in a state of defending just to defend, rather than even considering the plausibility of information that has been shared.

And just for the record, in almost 9 years, it wasn't only Cyrene officials I interacted with, which is what it seems that you are implying, and is far from the truth. I get it though, you don't want to accept that anything is flawed, or that things we bring to the community's attention actually happen, but rest assured it does, and will continue to happen.

However, if you choose to look the other way and make excuses for those things that are clearly not in the best interest of PPs or players, then that is your choice, but I would appreciate it if you would stop calling us liars (in so many words) for what we share, it's not appreciated.