Hey guys,

Here's the third installment of the weekly meeting notes. Hopefully you'll find lots of fun facts. The answers to your questions are below. The universe reset is changed, see below.

Dev Meeting Notes

• Client 2
  
  • Found the cause of the low FPS
    
    • Starfield was inadequately implemented
    • FPS shot from 30 to 100, 200 in some gals
    • Still tweaking the look of the star field
    • Used Point Cloud instead of billboards
  • Bases, moons, asteroids and planets are now working with 3D models
    
    • Atmosphere around planets still needs to be implemented
    • Some base models are incompatible with the version of IrrLicht we use
      
      • Could convert the models or change the code (bases #1 and #2)

• Fixed the combat slaves drift problem
  
  • They will evaporate if they aren't set to guard, which means they won't drift while logged out.
• Added a series of new hint messages at the very beginning of the tutorial
  
  • Requires player to complete each step before moving on
  • Walks the player all the way through the first mission, and back to receive the reward, every step of the way.
• Added a feature that will stop the tutorial while a player is fighting AI

• New universe shape code is almost done
• Flicker and Wattage contest has been decided

• Rebalance
  
  • Shield formulas are setup and entered
    
    • Numbers still need to be tweaked for all the shields
    • Things will be balanced around MISD and GNT, lower shields getting beefed (mostly regen), higher shields slightly nerfed since damage was also nerfed
    • Hopefully be done on Wednesday 18th.

• Universe Reset
  
  • Temporary reset on the 7th March
  • Full reset on the 14th March
  • One week to get ready for the run with rebalanced items

Player Questions

1. Whats the new uni shape gonna be like?
   
   • New_Universe_Shape
2. Details on new ownership rules?
   
   • New_Ownership_Rules
3. Has any thought been given to having a short term 1-2 week temporary universe?
   
   • Yes. There will be a temp reset on March 7th, and the full reset will be on March 14th.
4. Slaves will be hit pretty had with the removal of stacking. Will we get Slave Tweak 50 to compensate?
   
   • No. Everyone is effected the same way by the removal of stacking. Slaves will be no different.
5. Do auras and tweaks stack?
   
   • No. The best possible tweak of a type will be used.
6. 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?
   
   • Hopefully this will go in. If not right at the reset, soon after.
7. 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?
   
   • Most parasites are now 0 hull, so they will fit on any ship. Only 1 pest control will be equipped on a ship at a time, so parasites will very much be viable in PvE, PvP and PvB.
8. Are the new pest controls going to be easy to acquire, or require dging for blueprints/etc?
   
   • The new pest controls have not been made yet. Please ask again soon.
9. Why can i only equip one exterminator in test?
   
   • There is a limit of one pest control/exterminator from now on.
10. 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?
    
    • See above.
11. Any chance of other players (healers or engineers) being able to help remove parasites from Allies?
    
    • Its a good idea, but nothing is planned yet. Maybe sometime after the reset is done.
12. How will bases be rebalanced, and will rarity,rarity of items required to build and size be a factor in their end stats?
    
    • No plans to rebalance base kits at the moment.
13. Will base gear be made smaller?
    
    • Not sure. Might during rebalance testing if we see fit.
14. I've heard rumors that f2p cannot lay bases after the reset, is this true?
    
    • Possibly. Stay tuned.
15. Will outposts be put in? Who can drop HQ/outposts?
    
    • See the [url=/index.php/New_Ownership_Rules]New_Ownership_Rules[/url]
16. Has the part with the drones/AI using laser weapons if they aren't almost guaranteed a shot with their pulses been finalized, or is it still being tweaked?
    
    • This is buggy. We'll try to find out what's going on.
17. 3 drones only for non dm right?
    
    • Correct.
18. Since shields on drones do not instantly get 100% shields anymore will the build cost of the Armada charge drones be reduced?
    
    • Not planned.
19. Will we get to use the new drone controllers on test before the new uni?
    
    • Yes.
20. Will there be any sort of skill reset to accompany the re-balance?
    
    • The current skill reset in Lyceum is "free", since you get the 500mil back when you do it.
21. 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.
    
    • Not planned.
22. With alot of gear seemingly going up in size, are AI going to be checked/adjusted to ensure they arent overflowing?
    
    • We will try to make sure that AI that are currently cappable will remain cappable. Eventually, many more AI will be cappable (though most of them will have built in equipment so fortunes can't be made off of them).
23. Another question, some things are getting changed around, so will AI levels need to be tweaked at all?
    
    • Absolutely. Most AIs will have to be changed somewhat.
24. Will the SSphere be adjusted so that it's hull beef places it back at the top?
    
    • It was given more hull.
25. Will Mercurian Bulwark Shield be worth spending 17b to make it?
    
    • Probably only for the very most hard core players.
26. Will worthless bps that we get in DGs be added to trade bay for more money than 10k per?
    
    • Nothing is planned.
27. Will there be a consumption rate per minutes on energies that use fuel?
    
    • Nothing is planned.
28. 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?
    
    • The built in weapons are getting a small bonus to total power
29. 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.
    
    • No.
30. Have you guys considered the implications this nerf will have on The Dark and other stealthy stuff?
    
    • We have talked about it, but nothing has been decided yet.
31. 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?
    
    • See Dev Update 2 under the Task Matrix section. (The remainder of the terraforming may go in by the reset).
32. Will the "hit anything in it's path" change that's currently in test be in the next uni?
    
    • Yes.
33. 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?
    
    • Yes, this is a bug that will be fixed.
34. Will we be seeing a proper (i.e. more realistic) physics engine put in?
    
    • Nothing is planned in the near future.

Test client:
http://www.starsonata.com/StarSonata_TestClient.exe - This one was compiled by Jeff, hopefully that will fix some of the issues you guys have been seeing. (I compiled the last 2).

I think that's it.

Thanks for the support,
pip

If not, I would like 5 BBGH's and and everything to build 5 SS's , and so would everyone in SS..Base gear is HUGE on test, even with your added hull bonus it does not out weigh the increase in base gear size.

all you links are broken..

Broken Links?

No they're not


Sry, it was from the wiki, and the pages weren't done till just now. I'm going to bed, have fun ranting till I wake up tomorrow morning.

No need to rant until it's implemented =)

So if I have some f2p alts with w2 or w3, they won't be able to enter Wild Space next uni? Are there any w2 gals in Earthforce space at all?

this client works for me ... thanks

90% Buildable? Meaning there is only going to be 60 galaxies for a player to level in... fantastic.

does that mean that i can't deploy a base where ever i want, but gotta wait until hq kit is deployed and then deploy my shiz in next gal ?

that would suck ass......

stooch, there is a new warp4 being added, with new tougher AI, that SHOULD be higher level than any non uber AI currently

what i wanna know is will the temporary universe be saved? so can i do my scout setups DURING the temp uni or will i have to do them before?

Which isnt even going to be in next uni.

No.... bases can be placed anywhere, you just can't own without being linked to the HQ.

Yes it will be saved. The idea is that you will able to adjust to the new changes, make your new setups and such before the real new uni comes.

Okay, well.

Im going to be re subbing for a month or so, maybe even three, in march.

Gonna come back and see whats going on.