DevChat Log - April 11 2009

[Max]

<cRush> Welcome everyone, to tonight's Developer Open Chat - We ask that you please direct any questions to DevBot by private messaging him in the format ~question Your Questions.
<cRush> Please refrain from asking any questions about ETA, Future Server Ideas, or SunCrusher features.

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<DevBot> Dasleah asks, "What do you see as the biggest obstacle(s) to getting the Shipwight class into SWGEmu?"

<kyle> Getting the ground game finished.

<DevBot> Dasleah asks, "Do you have any plans or procedures in place within the game to regulate the virtual economy? Or will measures to stop inflation and over-saturation in the market be introduced as seen and needed?"

<kyle> For a vanilla release there will be no economy regulation enabled. That said, we do plan on having some optional measure for servers to enable if they so desire.
<kyle> Suncrusher may address some of the shortcomings of the economy, but that is for another discussion.

<DevBot> Dasleah asks, "What do you see as the most important features that need to be implemented on the road to v1.0?"

<Ramsey> http://www.assembla.com/spaces/swgemu/milestones
<Ramsey> Milestone tasks cover major systems that need work

<DevBot> Dasleah asks, "How is the mood within the dev team so close to the launch of Suncrusher? Cautious optimism? Dread and terror? Blissful relief? Is this an inspiring milestone for the dev team?"

<Ramsey> Excited yet Overwhelemed is the general feeling..theres still a lot to do but none of it is depressing or a drag

<DevBot> Dedaskalion asks, "Why was the armor color change feature for composite armor removed from TC as it was during pre-CU?"

<kyle> Because the armor color change feature was not a feature of pre-cu. It was intended to fix a blunder of SOE and then to be removed 2 weeks later, but they never removed it.
<kyle> reference to above
<kyle> sorry -> http://www.swgpatchnotes.com/update-notes-8-january-04

<DevBot> Boo asks, "What is the current status on Tailor schematics that require missing or broken components?"

<kyle> Broken. Once they are all fixed, you would see them as fixed on TC. I am currently redesigning a few aspects of tailor.

<DevBot> Vlock asks, "the devs have said before that suncrusher will the only "play server" of its kind for testing, but on the off chance that suncrusher DOES reach its player cap, will there be any other "suncrusher style" servers that will go up or be allowed to go up?"

<kyle> That has not been considered yet, however we will certainly do what is in the best interest of the development and the community.

<DevBot> NeySevour asks, "any word on the 1/1 bug? What caused it and how to prevent it?"

<cRush> We are still trying to track down the exact causes for the 1/1 HAM bug as it appears there are multiple methods of producing it. So far research has not yielded a 100% failproof method of reproducing the bug, which makes it harder to track down.
<cRush> We encourage all testers to please continue documenting the steps required to produce the bug, and try to nail down an exact procedure required.
<cRush> Earlier in the week, we were able to patch one instance of the bug, but it seems to have multiple causes, so please keep searching testers!

<DevBot> Austen asks, "Will you guys fix the HUGE exploit that annihilated PVP against CMs because they could poison/disease through walls. All they had to do was duel and aoe apply. With the implementation of housing coming soon, will this issue be resolved? Also shooting through walls that should be solid is also an issue on TC, is there going to be a fix added before SC?"

<Ramsey> collision with static objects like city buildings isnt something SOE has ever addressed. There is no built-in way to fix the bug.
<Ramsey> However,
<Ramsey> It is something that can be fixed (by using the static object data on the client) later down the road, assuming it doesnt take a huge amount of server resources
<Ramsey> No promises, unless you can get SOE to send us the client source

<DevBot> Blackice asks, "will crafting materials qualities and such effect the outcome of final products effectly like it did befoe soe lowered and put a cap on max numbers that could be put out on medkits and andthing crafted?"

<kyle> I'm not sure the question is clear enough for me to give a reliable answer
<kyle> However, crafting will work according to known pre-cu calculations and spreadsheets

<DevBot> DowcuDosan[web] asks, "Will Suncrusher be launched with the full array of mobs across the various planets? Or only limited mobs on certain planets?"

<cRush> Following up my structure/installation/deed overhaul which is nearing completion, I plan on revisiting the Creature spawning and lair system. This will make it a more easily deployed system aiding both the implementation of missions and random world spawns across planets. I will subsequently be looking for scripters to assist in making accurate LUA spawn scripts in coordination with Kellina.

<DevBot> Kyzher[web] asks, "Since Bounty Hunter is a ranged profession, will Saber Block be tweaked so that bounty hunters can stay ranged without having every shot blocked by the Jedi, thus allowing bounty hunters to not have to be a melee profession to successfully hunt a skilled Jedi?"

<Ramsey> That is something we leave upto server admins. We will have to implement the game in the base core3 release as how it was during pub14.1 - even if its something that created a profession imbalance
<Ramsey> But remember, SC and base-core3 are different

<DevBot> NeySevour asks, "What is the status of Harvesters?"

* Ramsey looks at crush
<cRush> I'm putting the finishing touches on my Harvester rewrite tonight. Things are looking good, and the only bug I've found thus far entails multiple operators viewing the resource hopper simultaneously. I will be collecting some more packets later tonight to solve this issue, and hopefully will be rollling this changes out before Monday. Houses will be close following.

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<cRush> That will conclude the Developer Open Chat for tonight. Thank you all for attending and your continued support! Standing together, we can make Pre-CU Star Wars Galaxies once again a reality!

[Phoenix Icecold]

Thank you devs for the great job you have done so far and long may it continue!

[Ashur]

<kyle> Because the armor color change feature was not a feature of pre-cu. It was intended to fix a blunder of SOE and then to be removed 2 weeks later, but they never removed it.
<kyle> reference to above
<kyle> sorry -> http://www.swgpatchnotes.com/update-notes-8-january-04


it was in pre-cu, it should be in swgemu...

why is this still being debated? everyone knows it was IN pre-cu, feature or no feature. if soe didnt remove it, and it stayed in the game during pub 14.1 and everyone knows this, then what is the problem of us having it?

everyone on TC is asking for this. and if this is a gamechanging feature, then fine, but it isnt,its just colors.

note from the patch notes 08 january 04.

•Armor: Added an option to Composite armor pieces such that players can select the color of their armor. This works around a problem we introduced before the holidays where we inadvertently re-colored all pieces of composite armor. This option will exist only for the next 2 weeks.

so they added it in, but never removed it.

[jat5560]

Originally Posted by jedmindtriks

<kyle> Because the armor color change feature was not a feature of pre-cu. It was intended to fix a blunder of SOE and then to be removed 2 weeks later, but they never removed it.
<kyle> reference to above
<kyle> sorry -> http://www.swgpatchnotes.com/update-notes-8-january-04


it was in pre-cu, it should be in swgemu...

why is this still being debated? everyone knows it was IN pre-cu, feature or no feature. if soe didnt remove it, and it stayed in the game during pub 14.1 and everyone knows this, then what is the problem of us having it?

everyone on TC is asking for this. and if this is a gamechanging feature, then fine, but it isnt,its just colors.

note from the patch notes 08 january 04.

•Armor: Added an option to Composite armor pieces such that players can select the color of their armor. This works around a problem we introduced before the holidays where we inadvertently re-colored all pieces of composite armor. This option will exist only for the next 2 weeks.

so they added it in, but never removed it.

Just like the mini-suits. They were never supposed to be in game, but they were. Are we going to get rid of mini-suits too? Full group payout to a single player running solo missions in a group wasnt supposed to be in game either, but it was - are we going to take that out too?

[Shandrise]

I hate to be a voice of dissent, but I agree with the people above me. You guys (SWGEmu team) say you want a vanilla 14.1 server, and being able to change armor colors was in 14.1, intended or not. Seeing as you're leaving other things in that weren't necessarily meant to be in, I don't understand why so a so trivial yet desired feature is being kept from us.

[Biophilia]

it makes sense if you consider timeline. Minisuits and solo missions may not have been originally intended - but they were intended at the time of 14.1. Whereas changing armor color was not intended at the time of 14.1, although it may have been intended after that (I guess they changed their minds or whatever).

but that said, I'm not sure what harm there is with leaving this in. I had a jedi and wookiee at the time so I'm not familiar with any specifics, if any.

[cRush]

The right to change color armor should really be left to the Master Armorsmith as a perk to his profession.

I'm sure that this feature will end up in a list of "configurable" options for server administrators to choose, but it means that we have to spend time coding both ways.

I think it is pretty clear from SOE's own patch notes that they fully intended to remove it after a few weeks. In that same respect, I've been meaning to correct Travel now for a few months, but have had many other things that have taken priority.

That doesn't mean that it should necessarily be seen as an intended feature, simply because SOE never got around to removing it? They might have forgotten it was even in.

[djolovicl]

So we wont get Vanilla 14.1 server? I don't understand. Its only Vanilla when its convenient?

[Biophilia]

Originally Posted by djolovicl

So we wont get Vanilla 14.1 server? I don't understand. Its only Vanilla when its convenient?

this should have explained your misunderstanding:

<kyle> Because the armor color change feature was not a feature of pre-cu. It was intended to fix a blunder of SOE and then to be removed 2 weeks later, but they never removed it.

there's no need to include a mechanism in version 1.0 to fix an armor issue that never happened.

[praxi34]

The right to change color armor should really be left to the Master Armorsmith as a perk to his profession.

Crush hit the nail on the head, if you put color change in for everyone it removes the perk for armoursmith. Its like letting everyone have sampling, its not game changing but its not right. To put it into perspective how could you change amour color if you didn't have the skill to do so?

[Tomarru]

Can't wait for the harvester revamp, been messing around with harvesters the past week or so and right now they seem totally random. Thats why theres a mountain of bugs logged against them.

Like the power, i had a harvester this morning with 70 power, put in 250 and the end result was 20 power. Hopefully this revamp knocks harvesters out of the park, it's clear they work but with these issues its like they are more broken than they really are.

Also looking forward to the planet wide spawns, right now the world seems sparse, goin into the wilds is just barren, the odd harvester but thats it. Also, only when full spawns are in will we know how taxing the emu is on the server.

Btw, one other thing that has been annoying me for a while is the traffic in the sky in cities, i remember tie fighters etc buzzing around and it added another dimension to things with such a small effect. I was wondering if anyone had found the packet for it yet.

[cRush]

Harvesters are basically 100% complete, and to my knowledge bug free. I even have the multiple operators (people viewing the operate machinery panel) list working flawlessly now.

I'm sure there will be a few small bugs that surface when they hit the TC, but nothing like I've heard complaints of. Plus, they will be simple to fix.

[BankyEdwards]

i agree that armor color changing should be left to the armorsmith. Just cause SoE failed at fixing bugs and some became common place doesn't mean we need to keep it. Look at Theed starport for instance. back in Beta I recall a dev saying that instant travel in Theed was a bug but a low level one that they would fix as launch neared. When the devs failed at getting launch pushed back and rushed things to make the beancounters launch day the bug slipped into live and kinda became the way Theed worked.

I am all for Theed travel taking same wait as all others and Armor being colored only by the armorsmith. and needing a full suit for full benefit at that.

every master crafter should be able to color their items and they alone. (with that we want colored furniture)

[BankyEdwards]

Originally Posted by cRush

Harvesters are basically 100% complete, and to my knowledge bug free. I even have the multiple operators (people viewing the operate machinery panel) list working flawlessly now.

I'm sure there will be a few small bugs that surface when they hit the TC, but nothing like I've heard complaints of. Plus, they will be simple to fix.

just personals again or will we finally see other installations like factories, and medium and heavy harvs?

and wind now work right /nudge how about solar and fusions?


still good work cRush

[cRush]

Originally Posted by BankyEdwards

just personals again or will we finally see other installations like factories, and medium and heavy harvs?

and wind now work right /nudge how about solar and fusions?


still good work cRush

All harvesters are working, personal, medium, heavy - finishing up generators now.

Haven't touched factories. Actually the current implementation will be completely broken when I submit my changes, so factories will be removed for a short period of time, but they will be right after housing.