Hey Folks,

Time for your questions again. Here are the rules this week:

- 2 Questions per person, 1 Post.
- Questions should be detailed but not be stories.
- Questions need to be about this upcoming reset, which means Rebalance, Ownership Rules, New Uni Shape, and anything like that that will impact you next uni.
- Like last time, I will edit your post if i want more details, so check back every so often.

I'll make a list of the best ones again and answer them with Jeff after Monday's Dev Meeting. The thread will be locked on Sunday midday again to look over and pick the questions.

Have at it!

Thanks for your support,
pip

Here's the list:

1. Whats the new uni shape gonna be like?
2. Details on new ownership rules?
3. Has any thought been given to having a short term 1-2 week temporary universe?
4. Will the rebalance go in a day before the uni reset so we can be prepared?
5. Slaves will be hit pretty had with the removal of stacking. Will we get Slave Tweak 50 to compensate?
6. Do auras and tweaks stack?
7. Admins replied favorably once to a suggestion that the circling aura indicators be changed, especially the system-wide auras from bases, because of the lag they cause and the fact that they are just ugly. Will this be implemented next uni?
8. Currently parasites are useless in PvE because of Ace Pest Controls being present on every ship and the majority of AI are overhulled anyway. After the rebalance and Parasites are a larger part of the game, (heat weapons) will they be a viable option in PvE and general levelling? Do enough damage to be worthwhile and be reliable against AI?
9. Are the new pest controls going to be easy to acquire, or require dging for blueprints/etc?
   
10. Why can i only equip one exterminator in test?
11. Has something been done to prevent the Bana tank having 100 Fire Extinguishers equipped, seeing as the majority of the DPS in Bana will be from the firey parasites?
12. Any chance of other players (healers or engineers) being able to help remove parasites from Allies?
13. How will bases be rebalanced, and will rarity,rarity of items required to build and size be a factor in their end stats?
14. Will base gear be made smaller?
15. I've heard rumors that f2p cannot lay bases after the reset, is this true?
16. Will outposts be put in? Who can drop HQ/outposts?
17. Is the part with the drones/AI using laser weapons if they aren't almost guaranteed a shot with their pulses has been finalized, or if it's still being tweaked?
18. 3 drones only for non dm right?
    
19. Since shields on drones do not instantly get 100% shields anymore will the build cost of the Armada charge drones be reduced?
20. Will we get to use the new drone controllers on test before the new uni?
21. Will there be any sort of skill reset to accompany the re-balance?
22. Will demented shields be getting a sizable beef? Currently they are pretty pointless to build since they cost a ton to build and are just by incredibly small % better than the actual thing.
23. With alot of gear seemingly going up in size, are AI going to be checked/adjusted to ensure they arent overflowing?
24. Another question, some things are getting changed around, so will AI levels need to be tweaked at all?
25. Will the SSphere be adjusted so that it's hull beef places it back at the top?
26. Will Mercurian Bulwark Shield be worth spending 17b to make it?
    
27. Will worthless bps that we get in DGs be added to trade bay for more money than 10k per?
28. Will there be a consumption rate per minutes on energies that use fuel?
29. With the new OL code, so the unstable ones explode instead of the weapon that is being fired, will you be (drastically) beefing all the inbuilt weapons?
30. Can you guys post a detailed explanation of how Stats are calculated, as I asked for last weak, in a new thread before its put on the live server? Since its "This is too complex for a dev update question." All I'm asking for is a Yes/No here with a follow-up (the new thread) shortly to come in the event of a Yes.
31. Have you guys considered the implications this nerf will have on The Dark and other stealthy stuff?
32. What are the priorities for the items left undone after the uni reset, including new drones, engine rebalance, new stealth, new content like the new UZ, additional terraforming projects, etc?
33. Will the "hit anything in it's path" change that's currently in test be in the next uni?
34. If so can we change the code so we don't kill our own (or any of our own team) slaves/drones accidentally as is currently the case on test?
35. Will we be seeing a proper (i.e. more realistic) physics engine put in?
    

Whats the new uni shape gonna be like? Is it going to include more "arms" or is it going to be something totally new altogether? And if you can, please describe it with as much detail as possible.

And will the rebalance go in a day before the uni reset so we get a chance to make sure what we prepared pre-rebalance will be the same post-rebalance? e.g. I put base gear in a thatch fine pre-rebalance, but then it happens to be overflowing post-rebalance.

Slaves will be hit pretty had with the removal of stacking. Will we get Slave Tweak 50 to compensate?

Do auras and tweaks stack?

Do Parasites count as rebalance material?
Currently parasites are useless in PvE because of Ace Pest Controls being present on every ship and the majority of AI are overhulled anyway.
After the rebalance and Parasites are a larger part of the game, (heat weapons) will they be a viable option in PvE and general levelling? Do enough damage to be worthwhile and be reliable against AI?

Also parasite related? I know you admins arent stupid, but has something been done to prevent the Bana tank having 100 Fire Extinguishers equipped, seeing as the majority of the DPS in Bana will be from the firey parasites.

I am sorry for a 3rd question, but it just came to me. Any chance of other players (healers or engineers) being able to help remove parasites from Allies. Like a tractor to boost Fire Extinguisher effectiveness, a Healing beam that irradiates parasites.

I apologise for my 3 questions, but there you go.

how will bases be rebalanced,and will rarity,rarity of items required to build and size be a factor in their end stats?


and will we ever see an alternative to station management skills in bio or are admins blowing smoke?

Will there be any sort of skill reset to accompany the re-balance? With the plethora of stat changes I could easily see a handful of people wanting to change classes or needing to rework skills.

Another question, some things are getting changed around, so will AI levels need to be tweaked at all? That is to say, relative to how difficult it is to kill them, are some perhaps going to shift to a different end of that spectrum and need to have the experience they give modified slightly, or should that balance work out to be relatively the same?

I'm almost tempted to ask you to keep the uni setup secret . . it'd be interesting to have it be a surprise

This time I'll ask if the part with the drones/AI using laser weapons if they aren't almost guaranteed a shot with their pulses has been finalized, or if it's still being tweaked.

1: Have you guys considered the implications this nerf will have on The Dark and other stealthy stuff? A 4 adv exc patrol shrimp with seer 20 will no longer give anywhere NEAR as much as it used to, it MAY give what a shrimp with seer and 1 adv exc patrol gives now, maybe 1 1/2. Obviously, this will change getting radar 20 from a rather annoying and time-consuming task into a nearly impossible one.

2: With the new OL code, so the unstable ones explode instead of the weapon that is being fired, will you be (drastically) beefing all the inbuilt weapons? On my Seer in a faranji stinger, the Lance (the inbuilt weapon) went from a negligable size to well over 100, and the damage only improved slightly. Since I can no longer use an OL dastardly with it, the weapon will be nearly useless if not beefed. Same with the Reaver, an already underused ship, and a few other ones.

Pip - Why can't you use an OL Dastardly on it anymore?

I could, but I would have to carry a pile of them around, which would get expensive fast. The reason inbuilt weapons are so weak is the fact that you could use the very powerful, unstable overloaders with them. Since the weapon is built in, it could not be destroyed, and as it is now the overloader does not get destroyed when it fails, just the weapon. With this change, where the overloader explodes but the weapon does not, a normal weapon will become better than an inbuilt one because it can be overloaded just as well.

In short, there is now no reason to use an inbuilt weapon over a normal weapon, since inbuilt weapons are designed to be weak so volitile overloaders do not destroy them. They should, imo, be beefed to slightly above other comparable weapons, to compensate for this.

The reason for slightly above is simply the fact that ships with inbuilt weapons are weaker than ships without. The faranji stinger is actually quite a bit weaker than even the spearhead+, although it is two tech levels higher. It has signifigantly less hull, and if the lance is really staying at well over 100 size, it will have even less that you can use. Reaver is hard to compare with other ships, since it is the only ship that can disable turning every shot, but the Bule Saudaron is also really pathetic even WITH it's weapon, and worse than AI base ships without. It has a huge extract price, btw, I am forgetting it atm but I think it is a few billion credits. The constable's aid also has an inbuilt weapon, but it is a shield transference and I am not sure of the stats. There may be toher ships with inbuilt weps, but if so I am forgetting them atm.

In conclusion, they will be underpowered after this change, and should be considered for a beef.

1. Has any thought been given to having a short term 1-2 week temporary universe to give people a chance to sort out and come to terms with all the changes before we have to do the flustercluck that is the land grab? Similar to the class change universe, only with more planning?

2. What are the priorities for the items left undone after the uni reset, including new drones, engine rebalance, new stealth, new content like the new UZ, additional terraforming projects, etc?

And, since I'm only allowed 2 questions, can someone pick one of these up for me:
Are we going to only have 1 team HQ, or will there be additional outposts?

Im excited about the uni reset I hope the date doesn't get changed.......... I would like to know though how the Universe is going to be setup AKA where can you build i heard i rumor that is was going to be 3 tiered with a Buildable tier, PvP tier, and the new Iq' Bana which im assuming is going to be UZ. And if it is tiered where you would jump from one tier to the next.
Thanks,
78Firebird

Pip - this is a repeat.

1. Will de buildable area/df be increased? Because I heard loads of people whining about f2p's taking to many of that space

2. About the owner ship rules: Will you be able to own a gal outside of your cluster? Or is there really no chance?

Will base gear be made littler...

Due to player numbers increasing will buildable DF go up?

Ive heard rumors that f2p cannot lay bases after the reset, is this true?

Pip - Question 1 is a repeat.

Will demented shields be getting a sizeable beef?Currently they are pretty pointless to build since they cost a fuckload to build and are just by incredibly small % better than the actual thing.You could easily get a way better shield and more with the money needed to build a demented shield.

Will there be a deleting/renaming character option in the near future, or perhaps in C2? What will be the restrictions for said options?

Pip - This question will be ignored since it does not pertain to the topic I stated.

Voomy - This has also been answered a million times already.