Update on the MMO Gaming Network/EP - Future plans & financial investment (WIP)

Time to drop an intentions bomb, this one doesn't blow up in a bad way though :)

It is a happy love bomb



Hi,

In lue of speaking to a few people, I thought I would make this announcement as to make my intentions clear on the future of the MMO Gaming Network and its possible integration with EP forums. First and foremost I still need to speak to Peter (Admin) here on EP Forums properly about this ... so some things may change.

I currently own the domains www.mmogamingnetwork.com & www.mmogamingnetwork.net which had at one stage quite a few (~50) mature gamers involved with the service. Unfortunately due to spam bots and numerous other things occuring in my real life. Namely the heart attack I recently had and am still recovering from ....

Link > http://www.entropiaplanets.com/threads/its-alive.11337/

It had to be closed down.

I was going to host my own service/forums/TS3 etc though I am now thinking of investing heavily into this forum service (Entropia Planets Forum) with Peter to help develop the 'Other Misc Gaming' area of this forum in an attempt to breathe new life in to the forum as a multi-gaming-platform forum along with bringing (hopefully) many new participants over time to the service.

I know that I am very much anti MindArk and their money guzzling game Entropia Universe at this time as I have said in a previous post on this forum ....

Link to Post # 70 > http://www.entropiaplanets.com/thre...w-eu-should-have-been.11411/page-4#post-68457

... And will be for a few years to come. After so much money spent on Entropia as 'paid for entertainment', I feel very let down and burned in not getting anywhere near my money worth in entertainment value.

I will however make a commitment to do my best not to rubbish Entropia (too much) over time but instead will demonstrate that there is a lot of fun to be had in other games. (Thanks Tesla for your guidance on this, I really do appreciate it). It is not a guarantee however as sometimes I do need to vent at how fucked up the development process, direction, management and all the rest is at MindArk with Entropia Universe to date.

It has overly sickened me to no end the EPIC! level they have achieved in destroying (Fucking trashing totally to be more honest about it) the potential and good will of the "Real Cash Economy" concept which I was a very strong believer in at one point (Many years ago) - Which is 'partly' why you see me as an angry poster in general sometimes.

That all aside:

What I am looking to do initially is invest a couple of thousand USD into getting some services installed down the track here on EP and will help pay for an upgraded server/service to handle the increased forum participant population over time.

Peter and his helpful Mods here will be in charge in every respect! I will simply be financially backing some of the services on offer with little input as to the running of the forums. I will moreso be involved in working on the development and integration of 'some' of the services on offer to participants of Entropia Planets Forum pertaining to the 'Misc Other Games' area primarily.

I just wanted to make the above point clear as I have seen the controversy of what happens when intentions like these are not clearly stated in full.

Anyhow, what I have planned eventually is to get services up and running for several of the games on offer thus far:

1. Teamspeak 3, 250 GPL-NFP user licensed service.
(I own such a license already which can be transferred I believe from the MGN)
2. Planet Explorers - Dedicated multiplayer server supporting hundreds of simultaneous users.
3. Star Citizen dedicated server once properly released supporting many hundreds of users.
4. Support for ESO/Neverwinter/Etc style games as required - Own forum areas under Misc Games.
5. And a few other smaller ideas in the works - So yes, more to come in time :)

6. Open to suggestions from others as to what they would like to see as long as the cost is reasonable.

I am looking to invest a couple of thousand a year ($3K, maybe $4K USD) to have these installed and maintained.

Peter has been very busy IRL with work and with the bub, so there is no rush on this going ahead.
Some things to properly discuss and think about first, proper implementation is necessary.
Hopefully I will have the MMOgamingnetwork domains rediverted to EP Forums at some point.

Open community discusiion:

All comments, suggestions, feedback welcomed ... both positive and negative ofc.
You would not believe how thick ones skin grows after a heart attack.

Keep in mind this is not to empower the Entropia side of the forums (Note: If it has that effect, awesome, that is a bonus), but with the goal in mind of growing this forum as a multi-gaming platform for Entropians & others from other global locations to come to and enjoy a break away when they want on their own terms, playing the games they choose to play within a friendly and supportive gaming environment.

A sancturary if you will for Entropian & new global gaming friends and community members alike.

Cheers,
V.

 

Games to be supported thus far with more to come in time.
(Once reviewed and their worthiness as an addition to EP Forums is assessed)

Associated threads/areas of forum:

Elder Scrolls Online (Added) @ http://www.entropiaplanets.com/forum/the-elder-scrolls.266/

Star Citizen (WIP) @ http://www.entropiaplanets.com/threads/star-citizen-wip-review-development-direction-progress.11463/

Planet Explorers (WIP) @ http://www.entropiaplanets.com/threads/planet-explorers-how-eu-should-have-been.11411/

Neverwinter (WIP) @ http://www.entropiaplanets.com/thre...some-break-away-game-come-join-the-crew.9239/

Some others of interest, investigating, more development work needed:

X-Rebirth (Watching developments over time) @ http://www.entropiaplanets.com/threads/x-rebirth.9485/

More to come in time.

 

Hey MindStar,

Firstly, thankyou for such an honest reply. I really appreciate it, you don't beat around the bush like so many would with such matters. In this respect, I will do the same in return. (Hopefully)

Bear with me, I am a little worn out from such an intense day of doing things and am replying to you on the fly ... Off the top of my head and heart.

I was starting to worry a little that people were scared off this idea for some reason.
Your reply has given me a few things to think about of course.

I did have some good feedback from one of the staff members of EntropiaPlanets so far who like yourself is very keen on the idea, yet had like yourself again a few buts attached about the others involved mostly.

This is understandable when there is more than one involved as we are not mind readers after all.

To be honest, I did not realise that Peter had divided it up this way. That was new news to me and may possibly put a spanner in the works if there is tension amongst the ranks in making this a smooth integration.

I am highly against the scared little girl syndrome that Planet Calypso Forums (Jason Petersen as forum owner) follows with his ruleset of no other game discussions, posts, links etc other than about Entropia Universe and the Nazi-over-moderation of Jason's staff to the point of having requested my account be permanently deactivated there for these reasons alone.

I really can't stand those clowns in clown suits and their parade at PCF, especially after having put up with the rules Nazi dictatorship on PCF for so many years as both Viperstrike and prior as Lavawalker as my first avatar in Entropia Universe.



The mentality and the modus operandi at Planet Calypso Forums and Jason's other forum, Entropia Forum both of where the MindArk developers post shows the fear MindArk management and certain others have with a game which I strongly believe has passed its day and is currently grabbing at short straws to bring new people in the door and even shorter straws to hold onto the current players cashcows it has. (retention).


I do have a disturbing gut feeling though that Peter (The original creator of this forum Entropia Planets) is rapidly losing interest in this forum due to its basis on Entropia Universe from his posting style, content and from some other elements which I won't go into. Never the less, as much as he does his best to hide it, there are just some of us that know him too well in this respect.

It is sad, because the man and his wife (Lykke) were so very extremely passionate about starting and maintaining Entropia Planets in the beginning, as were you too if I remember right in helping them get off the ground initially with the forum (and Magazine later on).

That sort of passion should not be left to die in such a way.

I do know things do get in the way like work, new baby etc .... Yet that does not mean the passion that is part of the very soul of the forum needs to not be there ... reduced capacity yes, but not gone with the flame put out.

Again another gut feeling, but the forum would surely die after the departure of such passionate, resourceful and inspirational people; and I don't even need to be psychic to say this with certainty.

I have known Lykke and yourself MindStar a very long time, and Peter almost as long. I met Peter in his cheeker days lol through the Church of Lootius and Lykke as Lavawalker way back when :)

Anyway all that aside, what I was hoping to do is to reinspire such passionate people to stay onboard and stick with it ... Even if it is in a greatly reduced capacity .... delegate so to speak as required and get others to help grow the forums in a way which is more expansive to include other game titles - single player, mmos and multiplayer/coop as to create a more sharing and caring, vibrant and supportive gaming environment overall.

Keeping to one game/mmo is very stagnating long term, we know this as a fact with all the other mmos that have been out there to date, they die out once the next big thing hits the market ...

eg. Advanced graphic engines, mechanics for combat, creature AI .... An intensely captivating and well connected storyline and the list goes on.

I am sorry to say, Entropia Universe shows no future promise in any of the above small list of areas I have mentioned thus far and the developers and management as an integrated team producing an end product for their clients are laughable. There direction of development is circular and there ability to produce something that partially works and is Q.A (Quality Assured) tested non-existent ...

I can't seem to get the image of whirling dervishes out of my head playing to a broken record version of "You spin me right round baby right round like a broken record baby, round round" ...

The continued future development direction and mentality of MindArk
(Chipmonk version naturally sounds a bit more normal for Entropia)

Sad but true ...

After 7 years, this being my 8th in Entropia Universe, it is the same shit time after time, the developers at MindArk are still working out how to put back that first radio they received as a kid and failing to do so in an Epic! way ... Looks are there, they get the box holding the electronics back together, yet it doesn't pick up any channels or produce sound most of the time ....

And when it does produce sound after several attempts at fixing it revision x.x.x.1 on a channel they get working, you can't change channels let alone change bands (AM/FM) for a change to keep you entertained.

Anyway I really am getting offtrack, even though what has been mentioned so far is important.

Fact remains and I believe as solid as stone, yet as dynamic as water and gas that Entropia Universe will slowly fizz out and no one will care when the time comes, other than the big investors into the game with a lot to lose and the gamblers with an addiction problem stuck in evolving past the hope of winning a jackpot on the next mob (or 10,000 mobs) they may kill - Though the gamblers may just move back to poker machines/casinos.

It is a very sad sickness to see ingame, but you see it all around you, many are star struck (and hyped) with this mentality and sickness in Entropia Universe unfortunately that they will make money and/or are making money all the time and rarely lose, always being ahead and will post in amazing ways to legitamise their actions, deposit amounts, involvement and outcomes be they good or bad ... even reason with other players and people outside of the scope of Entropia Universe till they are blue in the face and the 5th season has passed;

I used to be one of these people at one point in time, so speak with first hand knowledge and experience on this point;

And there is no 5th season, I say this as they go to that extent to ensure they feel justified in what they are doing is right, no matter how bad the odds are including but not limited to ithe impact financially on their wallet, mentally & emotionally on their psyche's health and spiritually in progressing on their path in life.

Again I am getting off-track, however having been a victim of the Entropia Universe designed system, its lures, hooks, hypes and cons over the many years I have been involved, I found it to truely be a sickening experience and very damaging one at that, both socially & psychologically.

I think you would know what I talk of MindStar having been involved in studying psychology. I will admit this area is not my forte, but I am lucky enough to have enough wit, will power and thanks to MindArk's contribution of damaging both the game and RCE concept to the degree they have achieved .... I have been able to release myself from Entropia Universe's suffocating grasp in all the above mentioned respects.

Anyway BACK ON TOPIC!

About Entropia Planets Forum ....

I was hoping to reinspire, rekindle and empower the passions and soul of those who first endeavoured to setup this forum for the reasons they did ... which I can state for fact was not for Entropia Universe in any respect deep down, I was there, I watched and listened to both Lykke & Peter with keen interest throughout most the process over time before its creation.

Entropia Universe was only the vehicle/content/medium used to produce this forum. It was never the reasons behind what drove and powered it from thought through to conceptualisation and then to its final creation.

Know this ....

There are others out there like myself ... Who may have one side that has been displayed for many years in Entropia Universe (In most cases we all look like bad apples) but who are actually very passionate, intelligent, creative and dedicated people who are gamers.

For example ... How much shit did you get from various people over the years MindStar when your interest in Entropia Universe started to fade/dwindle ... yet look at your immense creativity, passion and dedication when writing about something. It is EPIC! to say the least.

This is all part of the sickness that is part of being involved in the Entropia Universe community for a period of time, especially as long as we all were for many years, the LURE, the HYPE, the CON and finally the HOOK ... Once your not one of us, your one against us, .... and we will destroy your reputation if we can, however we can type syndrome to belittle any future damage you may try to do to Entropia Universe.

Tesla is another example ....
McCormmick ...
And the many other passionate avid gamers we lost over the years .... Must I go on ?

Tesla said in this post to me ... And I quote:

Tesla and I had a nice PM discussion afterward too. He opened my eyes just that little bit further to show me that I was letting my anger over MindArk and their game Entropia Universe destroy in effect the enjoyment of what I was doing and trying to achieve with and in other games.

This I was very appreciative of. It was good to have someone as a point of reference on such things and to make you realise where you were at. Especially with Tesla having been in a similar boat and knowing what I am experiencing having been at the point I am at, prior.

People are so blind in many respects, maybe it is just not time yet for them to awaken.
They remain in the "Eyes Wide Shut" state, letting MindArk use them, financially and in many other ways.

On a final note:

It is upto the owner/co-owners of this forum, I most likely won't bother with other avenues like the ning service as I have looked at such options as that prior to doing it myself with www.phpbb.com and various other addons, like the Teamspeak 3 Non for Profit license etc which is easy enough to setup myself but to maintain + play games + review games + do research + RL responsibilities of running a household at this time would become too difficult.

I may be retired from work for life, but having had the heart attack, I am not as energetic as I once was.

Hope that wall of text makes some sort of connected sense lol.

Cheers,
Viper.

PS. It is safe to read it now, draft has had its final edit. R3

 

Cheers and thanks for a great reply MindStar :)

I am overly tired now being past 1am at the moment. I got up at 4am as well.
I would love to keep this convo alive and will continue to chat.

However must take my leave for now to sleep.

Also thanks Tesla for your reply too. Much appreciated.

A note to anyone else out there, please feel free to leave your comments, suggestions, views ...
Well anything really as long as it is on topic somewhat.

I believe all would like to hear what others have to say, be you a fan, foe, vet, new ... doesn't matter.

Thanks and good night for now,
VIper/Andrew

 

Steam - Monria, Greenlit: I am going to watch carefully how things develop on steam with Monria and Entropia Universe. Interesting times ahead. I hope too many do not get burned in the end.

Link > http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/comments/204570488

 

The honest review I made on steam in comment form at this time is about the Entropia Universe RCE platform in general.

Not all is as it seems, people are lured into the RCE concept without knowing the majority of the facts about Entropia Universe and MindArk's "dynamic version" of the Real Cash Economy (RCE) concept.

I do expect MindArk and potentially the owners/content development team for the Moon estate Monria to get stuck into me and rubbish me to some extent as MindArk have done with many others in the past. However like MindStar, I will keep true to my experiences and passion for gaming with reviews on the games I play, including Entropia Universe - And they are just that, another game review.

If the STEAM userbase heeds my warning, then good, I achieved my goal which is ...
That steam users will at least do their research first on Entropia Universe and then make up their own minds about getting involved with Entropia Universe and MindArk's dynamic version of the RCE concept.

As the saying goes: You can lead a horse to water .... But you can't force the horse to drink.

I hope not too many steamers get burned;

Steamers are mostly passionate gamers after all, not walking accountants and economic analysts. Within that population, many probably like the occassional gamble out at the club or casino on a night out. My fear is greatest for these people as it puts the same technology, sensory stimulation and financial outcomes at their fingertips - Actually worse as poker machines at least by law have a guaranteed rate of return where Entropia Universe doesn't and is "NOT" regulated by any governing authority what-so-ever.

 

I have spent the time to read all of Mikass, and Qetesh (aka Akoz Modified Power), etc posts on steam, most of them are very misleading ... Vague enough to be somewhat correct .... However not facts.

I agree with you Tesla, it is sad to see they have hyped Entropia Universe and just goes to show what I wrote about in Post # 4 which was done on the fly as a genuine in the spirit of the moment, honest and faithful reply to MindStar.

With the time I have been involved with STEAM, I have seen them make a few mistakes, but my gut is telling me this will be one of their ... well I guess we must wait and see how it pans out.

 

Excuse me ?
You are so full of OzTwo! Not feeling well maybe ?

I posted one other game picture on PCF in the last several months ..
It is still under my profile there, go have a look.
It had all references removed to any other game and no game was mentioned in the post.
Link > http://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/gallery/browseimages.php?do=member&imageuser=44997

You may also see many of the pictures of the many dozens of new players whom I have helped out with a starter pack recently in Entropia too if you care to browse and pay attention to detail :)

Example, pack # 54 > http://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=289257&catid=member&imageuser=44997

Anyway the picture which was Nazi moderated out of one of my posts was posted in response to 'Star Mercury', in that I had laughed so hard at his comment posted on PCF about rubbing a monkey's belly in Entropia which would poop out coins, that I fell off the new staircase platform I had built at the time.

I requested the ban from PCF for life, it had nothing to do with your fantasy of requesting me to be banned or about me cooling down, WTF?!; I smell creative and entertaining

And the rest of what you mentioned about talking about many games is just bull as I was only playing the one other game at the time, planet explorers.

All other games being mentioned have always and I mean always been posted in their correct and rightful categories on this forum, under misc other games.

There is no way I am going to be joining the nazi crew at PCF (owner & mods), that is why I requested the ban in the first place lol

And you being a well known fanboy of Entropia as I was previously for many years, your response proves my point on what I posted above in response to MS9 in post # 4. Feel free to keep spinning about any of my forum activities, but be warned, it may come back to haunt you in a very damaging way at an unexpected time style.

 

To: OzTwo,

I am by no means here to damage Entropia in an extreme way, more to bring awareness in getting people to do their research in getting involved with Entropia Universe and their "Dynamic" version of the Real Cash Economy concept properly. (That is if you understood my posting on STEAM about Entropia Universe which Monria is a part of).

It is ultimately the individuals right to make their own choice and minds up.

Yes my experience is a damaging one which holds true for many others gamers who have since moved on.

Maybe my own experiences compounded and reinforced with the many dozens of others I am compiling to be published and released at a later date will make MindArk consider a few things about the Entropia Universe designed system and make a few changes in time to come, hopefully for the better.

Anyway, here is what I said in another thread;

Link, see Post # 25 > http://www.entropiaplanets.com/threads/what-are-we-waiting-for.11475/

Quote=Viperstrike
-------------------------
No need for us to fight over Entropia,

We all have our individual tastes, preferences and attached luck with certain things in life.

Entropia is just one of those things, for some its ok, for others, well ...

Like I said, it is not all bad, but it is tainted in my eyes, maybe not yours, my gambling luck was not enough for undertaking any activity in Entropia which required substancial amounts of money at the level of gameplay I enjoy play at;

So I have joined the tens of thousands of others who have a distaste after so many years caught up within Entropia's suffocating grip coming out somewhat unscathed financially, however moreso scathed on other levels.

I am just lucky that it has not impacted my life as badly as the many tens of thousands who have gone down this path before me. I guess that is where my luck has come into play, having the money to spare to do crazy shit like play Entropia as paid for entertainment.

In the end, the journey is one that is part of life and living life, it brings us to a new level of growth and understanding about ourselves and others and the mundane physical world's traps and pitfalls in life ...
eg. Money/finances and our attachment to and lust for more (greed/gluttony/exploitation of others financially/etc)
-------------------

 

Sorry to hear about your internal/personal issues with dealing with my posts on other games, being that they are in the correct and rightful areas ("Misc Other Games & Game Reviews").

Kind of sad that such a FANSITE and one of the main ones at that for all the planets in ENtropia Universe has so very few posts about Entropia Universe in any respect.

In other words, NOT MY FUCKING PROBLEM >

They are posted in their rightful and correctly allocated forum areas on Entropia Planets.

Deal with it and stop trying to trash my thread with lies, conspiracies and utter bullshit because you are having a hard time dealing/struggling with your own inner deamons regarding Entropia Universe vs other games.

I will share this with you OS/2 a redundant operating system at best, even though it was one of my favourites back in the day .... from PM with reference to the convo and group of people it involves, removed;

I have nothing to hide as I have been doing this for more than 18 months now and have only filled up 14% of the total space available to me, for reasons like MindStar and her time capsule, will not entirely share right now.

My warning to you OS/2 is, don't spin shit about me, my forum activity, be it here or on other forums/twitch/etc as it may just reflect back on you in the future in a bad and damaging way.

I am not a bad/evil/dark spirited person, but "Hell knows no fury, when people discredit my genuine attempts to help others and honest/faithful reviews that are correctly placed".

Insight time for you OzTwo .. OS/2 .. Whatever!