| [19:59] | <Danciy> | Good evening everyone, thank you for coming to tonight's Fallen Age House of Commons. This Stratics developer chat is a direct connection between you, the players, and the designers and programmers of Fallen Age. |
| [19:59] | <Danciy> | This chat will be in a moderated format. To ask a question of the developers, please /msg or /query the question takers that will be listed in the topic of the channel. These question takers will then present the questions to the Netamin development team here with us this evening. |
| [19:59] | <Danciy> | I will be our moderator tonight. I will post your question into the House of Commons chat channel and the Developers will answer those that they can. Please /MSG or /query different question-takers at different times, in order to balance the load and speed the process up. |
| [19:59] | <Danciy> | Our question-takers tonight are Ace, CJ, or Destiny. Please do not message or query myself or anyone from Netamin, these questions will be ignored. Following the chat, the logs will be available at http://fa.stratics.com. |
| [20:00] | <Danciy> | And now I'd like to introduce Savant from Netamin, to introduce and talk a little bit about the game |
| [20:01] | <Savant> | Hey everyone -- Thanks for coming. I'm Daniel "Savant" Manachi, the Producer of Fallen Age -- With me today is Tim "Drysart" Fries (who you may know from EverCrest.com). |
| [20:01] | <Savant> | If you haven't already noticed -- We've introduced a little surprise to go with tonights chat -- and that's a hard deadline for our Beta, with a countdown timer on our main site. (Who else is brave enough to do that, eh?) You can check it out at www.fallenage.com -- Careful, it makes you dizzy. :) |
| [20:02] | <Savant> | I have one other surprise. |
| [20:03] | <Savant> | If your question gets picked to be one of the ones asked in the room... You get a spot in Beta. :) Stick around and message the moderators when you're done and they'll put you in touch with me -- Only if your question gets picked. :) |
| [20:03] | <Savant> | Ok, I'm done. :) |
| [20:06] | <Danciy> | *Peach* Will characters be able to do simple things like actually sit IN chairs rather than through them? Lie down? Will there be animations for characters actions besides spell casting, running and walking and sitting? |
| [20:06] | <Danciy> | <Danciy> Savant? you want? |
| [20:06] | <Savant> | Drysart will take that one! :) |
| [20:06] | <Drysart> | Currently, no, we don't have support for animations outside standing, running, attacking, casting, getting hit, and dying, but we haven't ruled out additional ones, such as sitting or lying down. |
| [20:07] | <Drysart> | We'll see how busy beta is, if we have time to get it in... it's low priority compared to things that affect game balance. |
| [20:08] | <Drysart> | They are something *I'd* like to see in there though. ;-) |
| [20:08] | <Drysart> | Next question |
| [20:08] | <Danciy> | *KungFuGuru* Savant, since the skills are use based how will a player know he/she has improved? Will there be verbal descriptions like neophyte or master? |
| [20:09] | <Savant> | Our skill/spell system is a bit difficult to describe. For the first 400 levels, each skill progresses on its own -- meaning, as you use it, you get better at it. There are no numbers (or descriptions) tied to that, as it's a "soft" growth... meaning you will fail a lot at first, eventually become competent, and finally, be great at it. After level 400 is when skills become a "tree" as it's commonly referred to -- At that point, you'll be able |
| [20:10] | <Savant> | The system begins as usage based first (and there are an awful lot of skills per class), it progresses to a tree. I hope that makes sense. Done. :) |
| [20:10] | <Danciy> | *Dyant* How does Netamin plan to support the Roleplaying community? Certain games, such as Everquest, have mechanics that do not support roleplaying. |
| [20:11] | <Drysart> | Well, aside from the plans we announced to attempt to run RP-centric servers, our game mechanics don't repress roleplaying. This is what I believe limits RP in other online games, when you HAVE to play a certain amount, and you HAVE to advance your character in order to be able to continue to play with your friends. When you can play without HAVING to advance, you're a lot freer to roleplay and spend your time doing things that are "unproducti |
| [20:12] | <Drysart> | We also plan to run regular quests, and reward roleplaying in them :) |
| [20:12] | <Drysart> | Done |
| [20:12] | <Danciy> | *Gil_of_Avalon* When housing is available will it sprawl everyehere or be restricted to zones? |
| [20:14] | <Savant> | Housing will have several restrictions... One, you need to be married in-game. Two, you need to be 20 years of age in-game. Three, it's dependant upon zones (certain ones allow you to place a house, others do not). Housing will also cost money not only to purchase, but a tax/fee on them every month. If you cannot pay your monthly fee, if the marriage is dissolved... your house will be repossessed. We wanted to offer housing that you could de |
| [20:14] | <Savant> | your own, but we needed a system where the entire game didn't look like an urban sprawl. I think we've done that pretty well. |
| [20:14] | <Savant> | Done. :) |
| [20:14] | <Danciy> | *Yorkforce* What rping development and resources are you putting into this game .. like what would make me want to play this game for like 2 years? |
| [20:16] | <Drysart> | Our in-game housing is one of the big draws that will keep players attached to the game. I know UO's housing kept me attached to it, because I had a part of the game I could call my own. I knew all my neighbors, I developed a community of friends, my guild, etc. Those same things will apply to Fallen Age, as far as long-term playability. The colonization should be intriguing as well, I hope to see each server have constant struggles for power. |
| [20:17] | <Danciy> | *Cortes* Few questions about Juno. How much value will Juno hold, and how hard will it be to get/find Juno? Thanks, Great looking game so far. |
| [20:17] | <Savant> | Juno is our single form of currency. We plan to have a very *working* monetary economy (as well as trade/item one). A lot of things will cost you money... from running a guild, to owning a home, to operating your colony, to getting married, to upgrading your equipment. We believe strongly that a great economy provides a huge element to game play -- There's nothing like being an amazing trader who cuts deals like never seen before. (Just watch |
| [20:17] | <Savant> | -- Used mount salesmen! |
| [20:18] | <Savant> | And thanks for the compliment. We're the little guys in this industry, but we're trying -- hard. :) |
| [20:18] | <Savant> | Done. |
| [20:19] | <Danciy> | *Calis* how will the death system work? Will it be more like EQ or UO? |
| [20:21] | <Savant> | Our approach to death was one we thought long and hard about. I understand the time investment that these games sometimes require, and having harsh death penalties while adding "risk versus reward" at first, become an utter nuisance after awhile. Our death will be relatively simple. It's completely random: You lose up to 25% of your unspent EXP (that's anywhere from 1-25%). |
| [20:21] | <Savant> | OR up to 70% of your Juno not in the bank (that's anywhere from 1-70%, again, random). And you drop 1 item. We tried to make it as painless as possible, without making it "a joke." PK's get an additional penalty of losing 1 stat point (which they can regain) -- on top of the 70% and 25%. |
| [20:21] | <Savant> | Done. |
| [20:21] | <Danciy> | *CHUG* I have a question, How often will more beta testers be added to the test? Will they be added each week, or each month, and how many each time? |
| [20:22] | <Drysart> | We'll be starting with 500 testers in the first wave, and adding 500 a week, barring any problem that pops up that needs to be dealt with before we let more people in. |
| [20:23] | <Drysart> | Done. |
| [20:23] | <Danciy> | *Gil_of_Avalon* When my RL wife and I join the game, can we get married IN Game? |
| [20:24] | <Savant> | You bet you can. Not only can you get married in game, but you won't need to wait for a staff member to do it. You can rent your church, get married, etc. all on your own -- it is all handled through code. You will also be able to wear tuxedos and wedding dresses... We're really trying to bring back a little back of RP into this game that has so many elements to it as it is. |
| [20:24] | <Savant> | On a side note, you and your wife can also adopt a child -- Another PC. Again, via code, through an adoption agency in the game. A husband and wife and adopted child, if hunting together in a group, receive a small bonus to experience. (Please, no Dawn jokes :)) |
| [20:25] | <Savant> | Done. :) |
| [20:25] | <Danciy> | *|Demon|* I was wondering if you could give us any details on the differences on classes. Such as skills or magic. |
| [20:25] | <Drysart> | There are three basic classes: Warrior, Shaman, and Chakra. Warriors are pretty much self-explanitory, they don't have much in the way of magic, per se, but they do have some combat skills in place of it.... |
| [20:26] | <Drysart> | Shamans are the healing class, they carry a whole range of healing spells, cure spells, buffing spells, and spells to debuff opponents... |
| [20:27] | <Drysart> | Chakra are the magic equivalent of the warrior. They have an arsenal of damage dealing spells. They also have the portal spells, and a couple debuffs thrown in the mix. |
| [20:27] | <Drysart> | Done. |
| [20:27] | <Danciy> | *cyanidebm* will Fallen Age implement in PvP a style of looting system? where you have the oppurtunity to loot an item or money from a victim? |
| [20:28] | <Savant> | You will be able to get the 1 item that your opponent drops upon death. That's it. Part of why people are so jaded towards the thought of PvP is because of losing that "investment" they've made into that character. Again, we've strived for a balance -- yes, you get a small prize for your victory, but it's not something that's going to make your opponent miserable. |
| [20:28] | <Savant> | PvP is one of the toughest issues to get "right." And any of you who've read our FAQ know that we're really trying to get it right. So expect tweaks to the system to occur during Beta -- until we get a system that is fair to all. |
| [20:28] | <Savant> | Colony PvP (which really shouldn't be called PvP at all) is quite different. Conquering an opposing colony means you are now their King, and as their King, get to collect a duty/tax of up to 30% of their colonies production. |
| [20:29] | <Savant> | Done. :) |
| [20:29] | <Danciy> | *Nfinit_Vylence* What measure are going to be taken to curb griefers from exploiting PVP? |
| [20:29] | <Drysart> | There are a few things, let me list them off |
| [20:29] | <Drysart> | First of all, you can't PvP until you reach level 30, which means anyone that wants to PvP will have to invest time in their character. |
| [20:30] | <Drysart> | Second, you have a kill count. When you reach three kills, the next time you die you take a series of punishments: You lose all your unspent EXP (EXP is used to increase skills), you get sent to jail for 30 minutes of in-game time... |
| [20:31] | <Drysart> | You also have to perform a quest in jail (which has no other benefits) before you can be released. You lose honor points. Low honor points mean your colony has a greater chance of falling victim to a natural disaster. |
| [20:31] | <Drysart> | You also don't get to see the level of your opponent when you have a kill count of three. |
| [20:32] | <Drysart> | The kill count is dropped back to zero when you get out of jail, but for someone that wants to grief PVP on a regular basis, those 30 minute periods add up quickly. |
| [20:32] | <Drysart> | Done. |
| [20:32] | <Danciy> | *Gil_of_Avalon* Will other characters see my Status / Title if I've earned one? |
| [20:32] | <Savant> | Yes, each character gets a "Profile" when you identify them. Their profile reveals their class, their rank in that class (not level), if they're married, their Guild association... You won't be able to see stats or levels -- This is intentional. |
| [20:33] | <Savant> | We're also pondering the idea of letting our special SPC's (staff played characters) give out special titles in front of your name for all to see based on what dynamic quest/RP plot you were involved in, or what reputation you had. |
| [20:33] | <Savant> | Done. |
| [20:34] | <Danciy> | *Modabi* This game looks very promising .. The games I currently play have very poor customer service .. at what lvl do you see your comitment to CS? |
| [20:36] | <Savant> | Our commitment to customer service is of the utmost importance. If our competitors have shown us nothing else, they've shown us how *not* to treat our customers. All our staff will be in-house, paid. This is not simply because of the current legal climate, but because it gives us a lot more consistancy in our customer service. |
| [20:36] | <Savant> | It's a matter of respecting your players. They're not just playing your game -- they're taking a part in your world over watching a movie, or going out, or whatever -- and it's honestly about time we started to appreciate that. |
| [20:37] | <Savant> | Hopefully, we've shown a little bit of our dedication to our fanbase with our contests, free t-shirts, and participation in forums. |
| [20:37] | <Savant> | Done. |
| [20:39] | <Danciy> | *Modabi* I am really into questing .. Please explain how the quest system will work and whether it will be possible for spoilers to ruin them for others .. also will the rewards be worth the time involved? |
| [20:40] | <Drysart> | Basically, the quest system is different for each class, and each quest has multiple solutions, there are randomized components in each step of each quest, so each time the quest is run, it's a little different. That will deter spoilers from being able to outline "Do this, then do this, then do this", because each time the quest is run, you'll get a different grab bag of what each "this" is. |
| [20:41] | <Drysart> | And yes, the rewards are worth the time spent in accomplishing the quest. |
| [20:41] | <Drysart> | Done. |
| [20:42] | <Danciy> | *CHUG* You mentioned on the web page that after level 400 there will only be another 100 or 200 levels, so does this mean there will be a level cap, and if there is a level cap will there be a skill cap as well? |
| [20:42] | <Savant> | Yes, there will be a level cap, and a "soft" skill cap. 500 (600) levels is a long long way off, and don't let the idea of a "cap" scare you off. Remember, we have dynamic quests that will run regularly... and an entirely unique RTS colonization element that has infinite possibilities -- ranging from just resource management, to turf wars, to alliances... Become the Emperor of your continent and get your own NPC shop. In short: Yes, it's capp |
| [20:42] | <Savant> | In short: Yes, it's capped - No, it won't be a barrier. |
| [20:42] | <Savant> | Done. :) |
| [20:43] | <Danciy> | *CHUG* You said there will be staff members that play the game to help moderate role-playing and other important things, will there be any positions for regular players to help the staff? |
| [20:45] | <Savant> | On a volunteer basis? No. But the quality RolePlayers, the ones who do it well, will have an impact on plots, and will be able to play the hero, or villian. Show our special Merchants or SPC monsters that you play your role well... and the next time around, you might find that it's your ear the shadows are whispering in for help. Or it's you that's been kidnapped that the rest of the server needs to rescue. |
| [20:46] | <Savant> | Done :) |
| [20:46] | <Danciy> | *Bane-* Question: How will the ruler be handled on the server, i mean what are the pros and cons of being the ruler of the server in the way that you have complete control over just colonies or the in game as well? And is the onyl way to loose the power if he dies in teh in game world or just i the colonies mode? |
| [20:48] | <Drysart> | There are several pros: The emperor (which is determined through Colonization mode) gets a shop filled with NPCs, gets tithe from all his conquered colonies, gets bragging rights ;) and some other things we can't mention right now. |
| [20:48] | <Drysart> | The main downside is that everyone will be gunning for you, so you'd better be on your toes |
| [20:49] | <Drysart> | Emperorship is determined through Colonization mode, not adventuring mode. |
| [20:49] | <Drysart> | Done. |
| [20:49] | <Danciy> | *Phinagle* What's to stop me from PKing in safe-zones then afterwards spending all my XP, banking/muling my Juno, and killing myself to spend the 30 minutes in jail so I can become blue again? |
| [20:51] | <Savant> | Heya Phinagle. :) Couldn't wait for me to come back to your boards to answer that one, eh? =P I forgot to mention that PK's also lose a stat point when they die (remember, 1 stat point = 1 level in our game) -- which they'll be able to regain. You will still drop that 1 item, regardless of where your items are (bank or person). |
| [20:51] | <Savant> | Also, the 30 minutes in jail may sound like it's not a big deal... but it adds up quick. And trust me when I say it is boring to be in that jail cell with all those monsters. This'll be our biggest deterrant to griefing... |
| [20:51] | <Savant> | There are also other things thrown into the mix... such as after a 50 PK count, players can place a bounty on your head... I'll leave what happens after 100+ for you to find out on your own. :> |
| [20:51] | <Savant> | Done. ;) |
| [20:51] | <Danciy> | *Krozy* Are there plans to be able to play the game in windowed mode by the time of release, or is it strictly full screen with ability to multitask (alt+tab) to other applications |
| [20:52] | <Drysart> | Our current client runs in windowed mode, and will probably stay that way through beta, just to make reporting and tracking down problems easier. The client will be able to run full-screen as well, and yes, you'll be able to Alt-Tab out, there no REAL reason not to allow it. I don't know how many times I've wanted to check my email while playing other games, but couldn't. ;) |
| [20:53] | <Drysart> | Done |
| [20:53] | <Danciy> | *Sparr* arent you afraid that requiring marriage for houses will promote non-RP marriages for convenience? |
| [20:54] | <Savant> | Well, I'm sure there'll be plenty of people looking for ways around any system. I will say that there are other requirements on getting married/getting a house... Such as being age 20 in the game (48 hours per year * 3 to go from 17-20). There are also other requirments which you'll see for yourself when the time comes. |
| [20:54] | <Savant> | Done. |
| [20:55] | <Danciy> | *Danarius* Will skill and levels in Fallen Age be difficult to gain the best or high levels or will it be relativly easy such as the Ultima Online community where most everyone is equal? |
| [20:56] | <Drysart> | Gaining levels is the beginning is fairly easy, so you can get to learn the game, and as you advance, the difficulty level in advancing further will increase, but never to the point that you may be familiar with from other games. I don't think anyone enjoys being stuck on any given level for a month. ;) |
| [20:57] | <Drysart> | By the time you get up to the levels where it gets more difficult, more of the gameplay opens up as well, such as colonization and NPC shops, that will keep the entertainment level up as levels get harder to gain. |
| [20:57] | <Drysart> | Done |
| [20:57] | <Danciy> | *Dyant* Does the adopted child have to be a newbie? Will there be children older than their parents? |
| [20:57] | <Savant> | You're adopting! As long as it aint coming out of the womb, your adopted PC child can be any age (Hey you, over there, I said no Dawn crackes -- Yeah you, I see you.) :) |
| [20:57] | <Savant> | Done. =P |
| [20:58] | <Danciy> | *Krozy* Character Profile: How many choices will have to choose from for our characters portrait, or is it just one based on gender/class, or random. - Also, will the picture change depending upon injuries (wolfenstein style) |
| [20:58] | <Drysart> | There are six base face types, and you'll be able to tweak some aspects of the appearance, hair, skin tone, etc. The extent of what you'll be able to tweak hasn't yet been finalized. |
| [20:59] | <Drysart> | Done |
| [20:59] | <Danciy> | *haerik* Can a character die from old age given certain age requirements? |
| [20:59] | <Savant> | Age will be something fun we'll add into RP "stuff" - and certain other little benefits. Aging will never hurt you -- even if you get to 500! (and if you ever DO get to 500, I will personally log you off, you been playing to long my friend!). |
| [20:59] | <Savant> | Done. |
| [21:00] | <Danciy> | *Kanid[Wolf]* Will there be mounts that you can ride in FA? |
| [21:00] | <Drysart> | No, there aren't mounts in game now, but it's not something we've ruled out entirely. Perhaps once we get all the other mechanics in place and working, though. |
| [21:01] | <Drysart> | Done |
| [21:02] | <Danciy> | *NightshadeII* will the emperor of a server receive any kind of honor in game or at the website? |
| [21:03] | <Drysart> | Yes, they get a special shop in game they can use, we'll have a list of the current emperors on the website, and we've tossed around the idea of giving the emperor a special title on his character in game. |
| [21:03] | <Drysart> | Done. |
| [21:04] | <Danciy> | *Raadt* What is the maximum level? And how quickly does one gain levels? What's the estimated time it would take someone who played 3-4 hours a day to get to the maximum level? |
| [21:04] | <Savant> | The maximum level is 500, or 600 if you participate in colonization (the RTS element). It takes about 10 hours game-time to get to level 30... Not bad at all. At 30 is when you get your colony quest, and other little tidbits of the game open up to you. |
| [21:04] | <Savant> | I have no estimation on how long it'd take to get to max level at that rate of play -- but promise to tell me during Beta if you do max out? :) |
| [21:04] | <Savant> | Done. |
| [21:04] | <Danciy> | *tiz[jov]* Will the engine have built in quests or will it only be game master led quests |
| [21:05] | <Drysart> | Both built-in quests and staff run quests. |
| [21:05] | <Drysart> | The staff run quests should prove to be interesting ;-) |
| [21:05] | <Drysart> | Done |
| [21:06] | <Danciy> | *Jixxa* Can you macro up skills? |
| [21:07] | <Savant> | Hmm, hard to say -- People will try to find ways around any system. Now, the game will try and recognize if a pattern is repeating itself for a long period of time and boot the player out. And if I really had to think about it, I suppose only skills/spells that were self-cast could be macro'd, cause monster spawns are random. |
| [21:08] | <Savant> | Done. |
| [21:08] | <Danciy> | *Jixxa* Will PK's be allowed to totally loot the dead or is it limited to certain items or number of items? |
| [21:08] | <Drysart> | A PK will be able to loot whatever gets dropped... an item at random, or up to 70% of the Juno the character was carrying. |
| [21:09] | <Drysart> | We don't want PKing to be a more profitable profession than adventuring, so that may be tweaked if we see a need. |
| [21:10] | <Danciy> | And The End. Thank you all for coming to this House of Commons chat. And thanks especially to the Netamin team. The logs for this chat will be posted later this evening at http//fa.stratics.com. |
| [21:11] | <Savant> | Thanks everyone for coming... And thank you Stratics for hosting this great HOC. ;) |
| [21:11] | <Drysart> | Thanks for stopping in, everyone. I look forward to seeing you in Fallen Age :) |
| [21:11] | <Savant> | Oh, and please PM me your real name if your question got picked! :) |