Community Update 03/14/10

[Van]

Originally Posted by Bulbous

Let me rephrase, then.

The thing to avoid is worrying about alienating people in general. Some people bring nothing to the table except misery and frustration. Such people, while members of the forum and account-holders, are not true members of the SWGEMU "community".

You could easily boot 20% of the people for a variety of reasons (hacking, spamming, complaining, griefing, or just general immaturity) and the "community" would be better off. This isn't a business - the goal here isn't to maximize subscribers.

Oh I agree with that, you will always have people that you can't tiptoe around, but "swing that ban-hammer hard" is not a good policy, except in cases of exploiting and cheating. Then in some cases those people are truly helpful at helping the devs find holes in their code to fix so those issues don't go live.

And you are also correct that this isn't a business, however you want to maximize your testers.....even the ones who are questionable. People who might actually test and do a good job at it might be turned off by all of the negativity.

[Rivin2000]

The big thing many people need to remember that TC, as it stands now, is in beta testing stage as far as content and game mechanics goes.

I've had the "pleasure" of beta testing several games, both free and to be paid for, and they've all had a large pool of paid staff members who were devoted to coding, customer service, advertising and even in game testing. SWGEmu does not have that. We have the pleasure of being able to play a game we loved, or a friend loved dearly and dragged us into, for free while they work out the kinks.

Yes, the project has been in the works for several years but, unlike the games pushed out by companies such as SOE, Blizzard, Mythic, EA, etc, this game has not had the devoted staffing that those companies have. I mean devoted in the, "this is my job I work on it 8 hours a day" way. Emu has been coded by many people working in thier spare time.

I mentioned all this to ask those who are ready to start jumping on the "you're not working fast enough," "I want and update," "You devs don't know what you're doing" band wagons to think back to how long before a game was released did they hear about it. I personally heard about the Star Trek Online game being in the works over five years ago and followed it through the various companies who worked on the project, the strikes, the scrapping of code, the loss of funding, change in direction, yadda, yadda, shmackity, shamckity. What happened with that game? It finally hit open Beta and there were a slew of complaints about how the game wasn't done and that they needed to fix this problem or that problem NOW. I experienced similar issues with CoH, DAoC, EQII, and even SWG. Concidering the changes in the Emu team's make up and the VOLENTEER nature of the labor, I'd say they've done a fine job of returning us to the game we loved.

The current code on TC is not being worked on anymore, as I understand it, in favor of the OR. I would loook at this as a minor set back in favor of the stabilization expected as well as the implementation of features such as housing, and the larger facilities.

Keep plugging away at it Devs. Toss us an update a little more often or maybe play with the main page abit but, keep it up. You're giving many of us back a part of our gaming youth we've missed.

[Darsch]

Originally Posted by Rivin2000

The big thing many people need to remember that TC, as it stands now, is in beta testing stage as far as content and game mechanics goes.

I've had the "pleasure" of beta testing several games, both free and to be paid for, and they've all had a large pool of paid staff members who were devoted to coding, customer service, advertising and even in game testing. SWGEmu does not have that. We have the pleasure of being able to play a game we loved, or a friend loved dearly and dragged us into, for free while they work out the kinks.

Yes, the project has been in the works for several years but, unlike the games pushed out by companies such as SOE, Blizzard, Mythic, EA, etc, this game has not had the devoted staffing that those companies have. I mean devoted in the, "this is my job I work on it 8 hours a day" way. Emu has been coded by many people working in thier spare time.

I mentioned all this to ask those who are ready to start jumping on the "you're not working fast enough," "I want and update," "You devs don't know what you're doing" band wagons to think back to how long before a game was released did they hear about it. I personally heard about the Star Trek Online game being in the works over five years ago and followed it through the various companies who worked on the project, the strikes, the scrapping of code, the loss of funding, change in direction, yadda, yadda, shmackity, shamckity. What happened with that game? It finally hit open Beta and there were a slew of complaints about how the game wasn't done and that they needed to fix this problem or that problem NOW. I experienced similar issues with CoH, DAoC, EQII, and even SWG. Concidering the changes in the Emu team's make up and the VOLENTEER nature of the labor, I'd say they've done a fine job of returning us to the game we loved.

The current code on TC is not being worked on anymore, as I understand it, in favor of the OR. I would loook at this as a minor set back in favor of the stabilization expected as well as the implementation of features such as housing, and the larger facilities.

Keep plugging away at it Devs. Toss us an update a little more often or maybe play with the main page abit but, keep it up. You're giving many of us back a part of our gaming youth we've missed.

you sir or madame or Fing awesome. hey guys at least two of us get it lol

[\/icious]

Originally Posted by TurokIgnis

Well... I think the community would be alot better off if we didn't feel as if we're bottle necked inside.

Yeah it's open-source, but who really wants to tamper with it and set a server up if it has a 1 hour time-limit or 20 player cap?

It honestly has felt that SWGEMU is just wanting to be as professional as possible, but pissing the players off in return because they could care less about that.

I for one, have supported the emulator from the day it was mentioned years ago. But when do we stand up and say? "Alright, charade's over... go home."

It's been well over 4 years now, at least. The game would make MORE progress with people who don't want to worry about the restrictions on the source.

Why are their restrictions anyways? From "party" servers? People want to play the game and host their own servers, not be forced into one without a subscription. Or are you guys worried that someone might take the code and claim the project as their own? Perhaps ANH? Or some other unheard community?

Honestly, we need to stop worrying about glory and respecting one another and just get this damn thing done already, or at least reliable source code that can probably test much, MUCH more than the "official" server could.

This is just my 2 cents, like it or don't. It's been many years now, I think we the community should get a bigger bone.

Im sure there are rules and regs that come along with using SOE's source and title. Also i feel like your forgetting the part where this whole thing is free. Opinions and criticism definitely help keep the ball rolling but dont forget that your not have to pay for this.

Originally Posted by Darsch

you sir or madame or Fing awesome. hey guys at least two of us get it lol

He put into more extensive words what a lot of us have been saying. Its beta, its free, contribute to the devs or the community, but keep your *****ing to yourself or GTFO

[tazman1701]

Wosa been several months now all I have been hearing is burbbling whining and crying about how nothing is getting done. I agree with those who say then get off your butt and help out if you have the time to complain then you have the time to code otherwise stop the whining.

Personally I find myself going on for about 2 hours every month in the games current state. Every time they release something new like the recent Corvette or the Boba Fett hunting. Other than that I have done all I can on my character for now however when Suncrusher goes live this game will have my full support.
Every day I have been checking the forums and gathering any info I can on the prgress the Admins are making I have to say good job to you all. Look how faryou brought us in just 1 year. last summer the only action was on Naboo there were gungans handing out free gear of all sorts no economy and nothing more than just a few million creatures to constantly destroy now we have a role playing element player run economy in 1 year this game has gone from just a test of the basic mechanics to looking and feeling like the game we all loved so long ago.
Of course the code is going to need restructuring and the admins are doing a great job at gettign things doen in what time they can spare. If I had the time and could code I would do so however I am more comfortable letting people that know what thier doing take that burden thus I give up any right for cokmplaints on it. Keep up the amazing job

[Spudhussey]

I log in, the game gets better and better, I will continue to log in and enjoy the updates of the sweat of other people's brows... From testers to developers to the guys who complain and get things fixed. For my part I play the game and hope my time online on the EMU is time that others find my toon(s) to be helpful and entertaining so their time is enriched. Like 99% of the community I can't code, but I can follow a code of conduct; Be gracious and courteous in the forums and in the game and try to have a bit of fun.

[MiniMe]

Originally Posted by Spudhussey

....Like 99% of the community I can't code, but I can follow a code of conduct; Be gracious and courteous in the forums and in the game and try to have a bit of fun.

Excellent way of putting it! Kudos I couldn't agree with you more. Tomorrow my paypal monies come from my bank transfer and I be donating what I can, without question or complaint!

[zalitz]

I really wish the original emu test center was up just for comparison. Some of you remember.

No Combat
No Guilds
No Shuttles
No Working NPC's
No Classes
etc etc etc

If it where some of these "johnny come lately" who want to ***** and moan about slow progress would see the major strides that have been in the code. And Basically what you have to realize is that the OR makes up about 75% of the total work thats been done since that time. So its gonna take a little while. But once its completed progress can speed up a little.

I really dont think many of them truely understand what the OR is or even why its needed. However just look at it this way. Once its out the EMU is about 50% closer to being completed. After that its just a boat load of testing and working on implimenting the ""FEW"" remaining missing features. And bug fixing. OR + 1 year is my guestimate.

[Glandor]

Originally Posted by zalitz

I really wish the original emu test center was up just for comparison. Some of you remember.

No Combat
No Guilds
No Shuttles
No Working NPC's
No Classes
etc etc etc

If it where some of these "johnny come lately" who want to ***** and moan about slow progress would see the major strides that have been in the code. And Basically what you have to realize is that the OR makes up about 75% of the total work thats been done since that time. So its gonna take a little while. But once its completed progress can speed up a little.

I really dont think many of them truely understand what the OR is or even why its needed. However just look at it this way. Once its out the EMU is about 50% closer to being completed. After that its just a boat load of testing and working on implimenting the ""FEW"" remaining missing features. And bug fixing. OR + 1 year is my guestimate.

Indeed, patience is a virtue, as the post in my signature just said.

SHAMELESS SELF ADVERTISING IS WHAT MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND'!

[Bulbous]

Originally Posted by zalitz

After that its just a boat load of testing and working on implimenting the ""FEW"" remaining missing features. And bug fixing. OR + 1 year is my guestimate.

I am new to the emu, and so excited that I am perfectly willing to be very patient. But let's be realistic. As Nova stands, only about 50% of the game is implemented! Saying "FEW" remaining missing features is absurd.

[Craigybbz]

If you check this you can see that the emu team has done a shed load of hard work so far this month so maybe people may think twice about saying how much effort the team is putting in http://trac2.assembla.com/swgemu/timeline

[pluk]

good job devs keep the good work going just letting you know the date is not intirely correct 03/14/10 you mean 14/03/10 14th march 2010 and for the european players they have alot of problems keepng connected to the server if the server is not fast up then its bed time almost midnight here

[Raithe]

I don't think anyone here can dispute that the wheels of progress are turning, albeit to a lot of people they seem to be turning kinda slow. Still, progress is progress and I think it best that we all take the time to acknowledge and be thankful for that. I'd be a liar if I didn't say I wasn't at least a little frustrated, it has literally been years now and I was really hoping to get back to at the very least a finished SWG base game (JTL can come later). I started following the EMU project almost 6 years ago? Has it really been 6 years? I think my son was either 1 or 2 years old when I got an in-game communication from someone in the project to come check it out. The only reason I remember at all is because my son absolutely loved Galaxies and used to often perch himself on my knee to watch me play my Jedi and Bounty Hunter toons.

So yeah, if I'm a teeny tiny bit impatient from time to time, I think as long as I can at least acknowledge the fact that they are working on it, progress is being made, and that they deserve some respect for their dedication, then yeah I can probably get away with a "whimper" or "whine" now and again I mean let's be real here, I'm 37 years old, I ain't getting any younger, and most of us older Star Wars fans (guys and gals) were waiting for a Star Wars game like the pre-CU most of our lives, so yeah we want it back NOW! lol.

Truth be told, once I originally found out there was going to be an emulator, I immediately set plans into motion to obtain a suitable server and home for that server at a local data center. Thankfully, I managed to stop myself from being too spontaneous and too overly ambitious and didn't drop the money on a box and hosting right away, not everyone however managed to stop themselves. Instead I took up my reading glasses, yes, I do have reading glasses, and I started studying C++ and doing the little homework projects in books and online courses. Even now, the code can and does sometimes overwhelm me, but at least now I know and can understand what I'm looking at, even if I don't always know associations or what certain functions that are being called do. (That's the beauty of grep or find.)

So why did I want to run my own server? Control. Yes, that's right, control. Nothing pissed me off more than how SOE let so much bull**** slide in their live servers. Offensive names, even worse offensive behavior, cheating, duping, hacking and exploiting. SOE had such a terrible turn around on tickets and complaints that by the time someone actually got caught duping, they had already badly damaged the economy and caused a major shift in inflation, it was RIDICULOUS. I wanted to relive the experience I had as a player in a roleplayer's community as well, names were decent, people stayed in character, homes were decorated and cities teemed with interaction, it was much like "the Sims" only it was in a kick ass world with a kick ass IP attached, instead of some craptastic reality based suburb.

For me at least, SWG Pre-CU was the first MMO I actually enjoyed enough to invest my time and patience into, as time progresses I find myself more and more unwilling to even try a newer MMO when it comes out, fact is SWG Pre-CU was home for me as a gamer and nothing that has come out since has been worthy of a second mention, not even World of Borecraft. I just hope that the EMU project finishes up soon, we've been waiting a long time for this project and if your older like I am, you know the clock is ticking. :P

[TannenG]

Originally Posted by Raithe

I just hope that the EMU project finishes up soon, we've been waiting a long time for this project and if your older like I am, you know the clock is ticking. :P

LOL I got ya beat bro, as I'm 43 years young Anyway I don't think we are going to die off just yet (at least I hope we don't). I'm sure we aren't too far off from the initial release. In the meantime we can continue to pass our time with paying the bills, watching our stomachs grow, etc... as long as I can play this game ad infinitum in the retirement home, I'm good.

[Caelera]

I beta tested the original..this seems much further along and in some ways further along than at release. Thanks for all the hard work and long hours!