Selendor
18-07-04, 01:39
Hello everyone, in a post I made earlier I realised there has been a lot of 'extra' information released about BDoY that is scattered throughout the forums, so I thought I would try and gather some of it together for us all to help us paint a more complete picture of what to expect. This helps me because I have a swiss cheese memory ;) NOTE - This information is not to be taken as official, I'm sure that opinions and features will have changed since these posts were made. Nevertheless, I hope it can be a good starting point for a future BDoY FAQ. @KK, I hope you don't mind me diggin in the forums for your quotes, we appreciate any feedback you give us and I wouldn't want to discourage you from posting information in the future.
**WARNING** If you want BDoY to be a complete surprise please don't read on, I wouldn't want to spoil anyone's fun come September.
So we can say that today, information on BDoY consists of:
The BDoY .Plan File (http://www.neocron.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=NeoContent&file=index&pageID=190)
The BDoY Preorder FAQ (http://neocron2.jafc.de/showthread.php?p=1306278#post1306278)
The RPGVault Sneek Peeks (See bottom of page for all) (http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/527/527628p1.html)
The Official Trailer (http://neocron2.jafc.de/showthread.php?t=103059)
The Discussion of Name Filtering (http://neocron2.jafc.de/showthread.php?t=102843)
In addition, we can see some important information posted by various Neocron Staff as follows:
Martin J. Schweizer:
- Re: DoY/Neocron City dominance over each other:
We consider a system that rewards players who play on the side with less "members".
The role of the OPs will be revised, since the number of OPs held by an empire also has an effect on the general wealth of that empire. It is a little hard to explain without going into every little detail of the DoY vs. NC conflict.
------------------
Q: Will all Safe Zones be removed?
A: No, the faction HQs and the clubs, bars, restaurants and malls (where players can use NPC-traders to trade their goods, e.g. while they are offline) will become the new safe zones.
Q: Will TH and the canyon become safe zones?
A: No, but the main HQs for TG and FH will be relocated to DoY. TH and the canyon will be subcenters for these two factions. We currently consider whether these bases can be conquered by other factions/empires (Neocron and Dome of York will be considered two different empires), which would make TH and the canyon the two biggest "outposts" in the game with multiple terminals to hack and automated defense against enemy factions or the enemy empire.
Q: Will there be more guards in Neocron, when the safe zones are removed?
A: Yep, but we think about making them more fun to fight against. I.e. that a group of players will have a chance bringing a group of CopBots down.
Q: NC has Cop Bots... What will be their counterpart in DoY?
A: DoY gets defense (Y) replicants and cyborgs.
Q: Will there be other NPCs crowding the streets of the cities, besides the guards?
A: Yep, we will add a couple of NPC citizens. Also several other measures will be taken to make the cities look even more "alive".
Q: Will there be GeneReps in each safe zone?
A: That's something that has not yet been decided upon.
Q: What's the general intention behind removing the Safe Zones?
A: We think that we should give more responsibility about gameplay to the players. It is DEFINITELY not meant to boost PvP and to kill RP elements of the game. But this will make more sense, once you read the full list of features for NC:BDoY.
---------------------
- Re: Hacknet
The hacknet will OF COURSE be used for more than travelling. The GRs are just the access point to the network. That doesn't necessarily mean that you have to hack them in order to travel to another GR. This could just be one of various options. You will be able to hack locked doors and other important systems. You will most likely need a special implant in order to access the HackNet. Somebody also said that there is a similarity between the Neofrag and the HackNet... well, there isn't. Also everything that happens to you in the HackNet effects your char. If your HackNet-Alter Ego is killed (i.e. a HackNet attack failed or a system is protected by guard programs), then your real char dies too.
---------------------
Q: I certainly hope that existing characters will have a one-time option to adjust/upgrade their character models.
A: Yes, of course. We will also set up a "classic" Neocron server, where people can play NC with their old, i.e. not upgraded accounts. Thus nobody is forced to upgrade.
Q: KK, please tell me...Is a US based sever being considered?
A: Yes, it is considered. It depends on whether we find a strong partner for the US. But we're actively on the look-out.
Q: What about players that don't choose to upgrade?
A: It has not yet been finally decided about, but players who don't update may most likely start a new char on a new server ("Neocron Classic"). There current char will be transferred to the DoY servers, waiting to be activated. We really don't expect a hell of a lot of people to be playing on the Neocron classic server once NC:BDoY is out. The classic client won't even be upgraded to DX9.
Q: Will DoY customers be able to make chars on the Neocron Classic server, just for fun?
A: Most likely... yea.
----------------------
- Re: Delaying BDoY until September 2004
Work on important internal tools (e.g. enhanced item- and character tracking to be able to help players in a better fashion than giving them 100k for the loss of items worth 20m) made us delay the deadline from Q2/04 to Q3/04.
Thanatos:
Q: What about runners with no faction?
A: There will be no more factionless Runners in NC:BDOY as they will automatically become Anarchy Breed members instead of becoming factionless.
- Re: New Furniture
Furniture is expensive and it can't be built by players.
Yes clan apps can be customized too.
You can place cabinets but not indefinitely.
Odin:
- Re: LE Chip Restrictions in the future:
The LE chip is not meant as a long term option. It is meant to ease people into pvp. So no there will not be any changes. If the restrictions were to change I could only see the restrictions getting tougher not lighter.
- Re: The lack of new visuals in the trailer:
New model skins etc will probably be done publically more during beta as it'll be a far better situation for getting mass fights going on then some of the guys internally.
- Re: Marketing BDoY:
I'll see what I can do about getting the 10tacel PR guy a forum account and posting here since everyone seems to be so tuned into the marketing :) No promises though.
Snowcrash:
- Re: The Wastelands in BDoY:
There will be a scenario package for BDoY which means some new locations in the wastes with new buildings, dungeons and quests. The difficulty for those scenarios will be medium to high level as we already have enough low level stuff in my opinion. Maybe I can convince Holger to give you a small look at my scenarios within one of the next peeks. But as always, no promises ;)
- Re: Outpost Battles
Outposts will get much more sense with BDoY as they currently have. Also the way to hack an Outpost will be much more fun then before. Patience, young Runners, patience. ;)
Iorghe:
- Re: In-game knowledge base
Something along the lines of a library is planned for, i cannot say more about it, so dont ask me to.
- Re: BDoY
dome of what? i dont know what you are babbling about...
*cough*
;):D
-------------------------------
In researching this I've reminded myself of a few choice pieces of information I had forgotten ;) I hope you have too. What I'd really like to see now is four things:
You guys to add anything I've missed out.
One of our German community colleagues doing the same search for the German Forums, so we can combine the information contained therein.
Responses or Edits by KK to bring us up to speed on the current situation on these and other issues. I think we're particularly interested in technical issues and challenges rather than spoiler game content ones (such as character migration, network stability, server architecture etc)
The creation of an Official BDoY FAQ for the community.
Thanks for reading my longest post ever. :cool: I hope its not been boring. :o
Sel
**WARNING** If you want BDoY to be a complete surprise please don't read on, I wouldn't want to spoil anyone's fun come September.
So we can say that today, information on BDoY consists of:
The BDoY .Plan File (http://www.neocron.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=NeoContent&file=index&pageID=190)
The BDoY Preorder FAQ (http://neocron2.jafc.de/showthread.php?p=1306278#post1306278)
The RPGVault Sneek Peeks (See bottom of page for all) (http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/527/527628p1.html)
The Official Trailer (http://neocron2.jafc.de/showthread.php?t=103059)
The Discussion of Name Filtering (http://neocron2.jafc.de/showthread.php?t=102843)
In addition, we can see some important information posted by various Neocron Staff as follows:
Martin J. Schweizer:
- Re: DoY/Neocron City dominance over each other:
We consider a system that rewards players who play on the side with less "members".
The role of the OPs will be revised, since the number of OPs held by an empire also has an effect on the general wealth of that empire. It is a little hard to explain without going into every little detail of the DoY vs. NC conflict.
------------------
Q: Will all Safe Zones be removed?
A: No, the faction HQs and the clubs, bars, restaurants and malls (where players can use NPC-traders to trade their goods, e.g. while they are offline) will become the new safe zones.
Q: Will TH and the canyon become safe zones?
A: No, but the main HQs for TG and FH will be relocated to DoY. TH and the canyon will be subcenters for these two factions. We currently consider whether these bases can be conquered by other factions/empires (Neocron and Dome of York will be considered two different empires), which would make TH and the canyon the two biggest "outposts" in the game with multiple terminals to hack and automated defense against enemy factions or the enemy empire.
Q: Will there be more guards in Neocron, when the safe zones are removed?
A: Yep, but we think about making them more fun to fight against. I.e. that a group of players will have a chance bringing a group of CopBots down.
Q: NC has Cop Bots... What will be their counterpart in DoY?
A: DoY gets defense (Y) replicants and cyborgs.
Q: Will there be other NPCs crowding the streets of the cities, besides the guards?
A: Yep, we will add a couple of NPC citizens. Also several other measures will be taken to make the cities look even more "alive".
Q: Will there be GeneReps in each safe zone?
A: That's something that has not yet been decided upon.
Q: What's the general intention behind removing the Safe Zones?
A: We think that we should give more responsibility about gameplay to the players. It is DEFINITELY not meant to boost PvP and to kill RP elements of the game. But this will make more sense, once you read the full list of features for NC:BDoY.
---------------------
- Re: Hacknet
The hacknet will OF COURSE be used for more than travelling. The GRs are just the access point to the network. That doesn't necessarily mean that you have to hack them in order to travel to another GR. This could just be one of various options. You will be able to hack locked doors and other important systems. You will most likely need a special implant in order to access the HackNet. Somebody also said that there is a similarity between the Neofrag and the HackNet... well, there isn't. Also everything that happens to you in the HackNet effects your char. If your HackNet-Alter Ego is killed (i.e. a HackNet attack failed or a system is protected by guard programs), then your real char dies too.
---------------------
Q: I certainly hope that existing characters will have a one-time option to adjust/upgrade their character models.
A: Yes, of course. We will also set up a "classic" Neocron server, where people can play NC with their old, i.e. not upgraded accounts. Thus nobody is forced to upgrade.
Q: KK, please tell me...Is a US based sever being considered?
A: Yes, it is considered. It depends on whether we find a strong partner for the US. But we're actively on the look-out.
Q: What about players that don't choose to upgrade?
A: It has not yet been finally decided about, but players who don't update may most likely start a new char on a new server ("Neocron Classic"). There current char will be transferred to the DoY servers, waiting to be activated. We really don't expect a hell of a lot of people to be playing on the Neocron classic server once NC:BDoY is out. The classic client won't even be upgraded to DX9.
Q: Will DoY customers be able to make chars on the Neocron Classic server, just for fun?
A: Most likely... yea.
----------------------
- Re: Delaying BDoY until September 2004
Work on important internal tools (e.g. enhanced item- and character tracking to be able to help players in a better fashion than giving them 100k for the loss of items worth 20m) made us delay the deadline from Q2/04 to Q3/04.
Thanatos:
Q: What about runners with no faction?
A: There will be no more factionless Runners in NC:BDOY as they will automatically become Anarchy Breed members instead of becoming factionless.
- Re: New Furniture
Furniture is expensive and it can't be built by players.
Yes clan apps can be customized too.
You can place cabinets but not indefinitely.
Odin:
- Re: LE Chip Restrictions in the future:
The LE chip is not meant as a long term option. It is meant to ease people into pvp. So no there will not be any changes. If the restrictions were to change I could only see the restrictions getting tougher not lighter.
- Re: The lack of new visuals in the trailer:
New model skins etc will probably be done publically more during beta as it'll be a far better situation for getting mass fights going on then some of the guys internally.
- Re: Marketing BDoY:
I'll see what I can do about getting the 10tacel PR guy a forum account and posting here since everyone seems to be so tuned into the marketing :) No promises though.
Snowcrash:
- Re: The Wastelands in BDoY:
There will be a scenario package for BDoY which means some new locations in the wastes with new buildings, dungeons and quests. The difficulty for those scenarios will be medium to high level as we already have enough low level stuff in my opinion. Maybe I can convince Holger to give you a small look at my scenarios within one of the next peeks. But as always, no promises ;)
- Re: Outpost Battles
Outposts will get much more sense with BDoY as they currently have. Also the way to hack an Outpost will be much more fun then before. Patience, young Runners, patience. ;)
Iorghe:
- Re: In-game knowledge base
Something along the lines of a library is planned for, i cannot say more about it, so dont ask me to.
- Re: BDoY
dome of what? i dont know what you are babbling about...
*cough*
;):D
-------------------------------
In researching this I've reminded myself of a few choice pieces of information I had forgotten ;) I hope you have too. What I'd really like to see now is four things:
You guys to add anything I've missed out.
One of our German community colleagues doing the same search for the German Forums, so we can combine the information contained therein.
Responses or Edits by KK to bring us up to speed on the current situation on these and other issues. I think we're particularly interested in technical issues and challenges rather than spoiler game content ones (such as character migration, network stability, server architecture etc)
The creation of an Official BDoY FAQ for the community.
Thanks for reading my longest post ever. :cool: I hope its not been boring. :o
Sel