Entropia News: State-of-the-Universe-Address-2016

In short :


-MindArk continues to expand and invest

- MindArk invested considerable resources

-Client crashes reduced by 70%

-Marketing efforts worked as expected

- Development of Planet Cyrene also saw a strong focus on content

- Toulan, saw respectable progress in terms of uniquely-themed content

- Later in the year, we will turn our primary focus to the development of content and systems for space

- Planned update for land plot and lumbering system

-Goldcard system is planned to be replaced by 2 factor auth system (mobile)

-Compet beta within the next few weeks

Read again, and keep in mind, this is the State of Universe 2016...

 

Harvesting and Resource Gathering: http://www.planetcalypso.com/guides/professions-activities/harvesting/
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The resource gathering system allow Avatars to harvest natural resources that can be used as raw materials in the crafting of more advanced materials. The harvested natural resources have a guaranteed TT value and can be traded on the Entropia markets.
The first phase of the harvesting system features wood harvesting. Trees containing wood resources, e.g. planks and wood shavings can be found in certain parts of the terrain so knowledge of the local environment will allow one to locate these valuable resources more easily.
//

- Later in the year, we will turn our primary focus to decide what to do with TT value of all other resources.
lol?

 

Very nice...i hope that happen in 2016 and not in 2026...

Faceof is Dynamic...
Faceof...

 

Not at all keen on GoldCard being replaced, I can access an App hopefully if its BlueStacks compatible, but if it becomes App only, then I wont trust its security as highly as the GC I have over the past decade.

If Sony can be hacked (more than once) then Mindark certainly can.

 

Why oh why would you waste resources on replacing something proven that works?? AFAIK no account with a gold card has ever been hacked??

Normally I regard any "Roadmap" from MA as total . However, since the Gold Card system actually works correctly, and the fact MA have a track record of fucking up things not broken, I get a feeling this one will be done sooner rather than later.

 

Also when I read "MindArk is developing a new two-factor authentication system" it is either 3rd party or as good as the ingame encryption, which most "cheat-forums" are afraid to mess with...because of the real money involved. Then again, credit card fraud is working better then ever.

Still, I prefer my cardreader on my desk and not some online system...that trys to send SMS to me...or whatever...stolen mobile phones ftw...etc...

 

Never even had a gold card crew checking in

 

Re. State of the Apathy 2016,

Well... TBH I didn't expect anything, but then again, perpetually spinning the same strangeness is one of MA's habbits.

Hmmm my thoughts... Well it was clear that he doesn't actually know much about what Arcadia Studios are doing only that they are doing alright and that they are a good partner. The RT thing was "interesting", felt there was some more hidden meaning behind those words. But anyway the comments on the other planets got less and less noticably. I wonder who they really think they are kidding that Cyrene will ever launch. I'm fairly certain there is just one guy running the whole show there now. I think I heard that Beladcom were already trying to sell out? or were they on an investment recruitment drive? The latter I think actually.

I note they plan to add more pet and avatar buffs... someone noticed the coins dropping I see. ;) I do see a fair few avatars with 5 or more buff icons over their head quite a bit.

I'm not sure I like the sound of a new authentication system at all. Someone once discussed how NOT having it on phones made it more secure as hardware hacking knowledge is generally less widespread than software or internet hacking knowledge. The only downside being that an entirely standalone system could be hacked in secret (if it were possible to hack it all). Still, one wonders what there would be to gain from hacking a gold card....? Best I can think of is it might be possible to obtain a long list of stored 6 digit codes that one could use in order over time? Am I right in thinking it is literally a box of slow release pre-programmed numbers?

A new phone based system... well the advantage is not needing the gold card maybe but there could be security down sides. I hope they don't start forcing you to tie it into social media or something, unlikely but you never know with MA. Perhaps someone came to them externally "with a good idea". It isn't like it never happened before. ;) I'm confused as to why they would waste resources on a new security system.... they could use it for a press release sure but they can fart those out of nothing so why bother? (warren buffet, Rift support cough cough). The only other advantage is that the gold card readers can be a bit tempramental.

Er... other things, well it was brave (stupid?) to link the 2015 address. Kinda like asking for trouble there! Everything else in the update this year was a repeat of last year with less info, enthusiasm or credibility. I suppose the stats about crashes and new players and economy was interesting... if it is to be believed. Stats can be very twisted as we all know.

Re scanning it again, I'm looking for something to look forward to... Space?, well it clearly wont happen if it has already been relegated till the end of the year so forget that one for certain! If we see any development it will be more events, housing that only effects the few* and more buffs. Woo.... yeh... um... not really... and I still don't believe in crumpets ;)

I liked the picture though! Kinda reminded me of the Evil Wistrel from "A Girl I Once Knew", I'm intregued where they magic'd up this comic book artist from over the last year or so.

Wistrel

* who had AT LEAST 3 times more deeds than was originally advertised as needed for a plot by MA. Sure glad I didn't get 9 deeds with the hope of owning land, I'd have been pretty pissed to suddenly need to increase my original investment in 9 deeds by a factor of almost four! That would have been the difference in investing a MINIMUM of over £2000 instead of just over £500. Still, I never believed in the land plots from the outset so didn't invest in them with the hopes of getting a land area.

The only Land I ever wanted to own in Entropia was one of those quirky little shops in the caves under the giant Moose. McCormick are they on your blog? They went to oblivion too!

 

So need to buy bigger computer.
To allow me to run kind of emulator witch will run some hacked android or other phone operating system to be able to run some hacked phone app to run new two-factor authentication system before i can log in lol.

 

Bluestacks.com version 2 runs pretty well on my old 5 year old pc Dan.

It's free, test it out, its like playing mobile phone games on a big screen. Also anyone else who doesnt have a tablet, or newish phone. Will cost you nothing, you will need to create a googleplay account, you can decide what info to put in there though.

I can understand from a business perspective why MA want to ditch GC and spending money replacing worn out readers and cards, but from a security perspective? I want to keep my reader and card TYVM!!!!

 

You are talking about the city of culture ?! New Oxford ?!?!?!
The shops in the boorum caves ? :D
Yes...I totally forgot about them. Thanks ! But they had owners...so, where arey they located now ?

I always wanted to own a tiny house at the OLD minopolis...FUCK OFF MINDARK !!!!!!!!!!!!!11²²³³³³32323

 

I'm fine with my card too but sooner or later will stop working so then will be forced on new system.
Btw I don't have Gold Card.
Probably cards changed with time.
I got first issued card so it have #1 number.
On front have pic - theme with allophyl's and daikiba with text on top "PROJECT ENTROPIA", on middle or more to bottom "GOLD MEMBER"
and on back side in middle "GOLD MEMBER CARD N. 00000001" and bottom "project-entropia.com"
Today if you type "project-entropia.com" in your browser it will open "http://www.entropiauniverse.com/"
Dinosaur is still here, just with another skin.

 

I still have "Project Entropia" Gold Card No. 3xx. From early 2004.
There once was a tutorial, on how to "attach" your chip to the reader, and generate codes by simply pressing a button.
Never insert your card again, so it will never wear off.

 

http://www.android-x86.org/ in a VM may be the answer to your authentication problems

 

Y

Yeh New Oxford City of Culture. The Boorum cave was underneath the shop cave - was cool too. Underground stuff was great...

Yeh the old minopolis was cool. The new one has fairly cute small houses but many seem bugged with grass poking through everything.

I checked btw. The videos were there in my "last vu before cryengine" archive. Had a bit of a laugh at the Kostabi videos again.

 

I've been back ingame for a week or so and I've deliberately held off depositing as I wanted to check the game out first to see if things were "solid" before committing myself to time in EU again and I decided last night I wasn't happy... something didn't feel right so I've kept my cash in my wallet. I'll start on why...

Explosive projectiles, what the hell were they thinking would happen to the economy if you could just buy stuff from the TT and craft with it? Is it that hard to make nanocubes a craftable item? No of course it isn't. This is pure greed on MA's part. It's taking PED's off players immediately and handing them a little less back for instant profit. It's removing other crafter's and miners a cut from any profits from craftable ammunition. Utter disgusting greed.

Soul bound and untradable items. I was pretty pissed off when these were introduced originally and the more I think about it the more you know these do not have any place in a supposed "real cash economy". Remember when Marco himself said that they have no place in an RCE?

Webshop and strongboxes..... why cycle PED's ingame when you can spin the fruit machine machine without ever having to fire a shot, drop a bomb or craft an item...

Also, the recent announcement about the mobile app set alarm bells ringing off in my head. Gold cards have worked perfectly well since they were introduced so why the sudden change now? Have gold cards suddenly become obsolete or insecure? No of course not... and they are kidding themselves if they don't think that a real cash economy would never be targeted by malware and virus writers; users of this mobile app would be fresh fruit ripe for picking for cyber criminals worldwide and I'll go even further: MindArk are deluded, misguided, incompetent, and probably maliciously not giving a shit about any future hacks because it is YOU the hacked who will be inconvenienced and not MindArk.... but as far as they are concerned that will be a price worth paying as they will save on any future gold card manufacturing costs.

See you at Royal Sweat Club....