Leurocian gives insight about current game development ...

**Queen Mum** · 15th May 2007, 03:49 PM

The following questions were presented by Drax-GVA on UO U.Hall a couple days ago, which Leurocian, Senior game designer, gives an inside perspective as to what is happening behind the 'development scene' ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drax-GVA

No punkbuster. Nothing being done about scripters. Nothing being done about speedhackers. Nothing being done about PvP. Nothing being done about..well, much of anything which affects how the game is PLAYED rather than how the game LOOKS.

What, exactly, are ya'll going to be doing over the next year or so about how the game is PLAYED in addition to how the game LOOKS?

Are we just going to get prettier scripters? Flashier speedhackers? Or, is there going to be SOMETHING done about these issues which have been studiously ignored for years?

Give us long suffering player who play by the rules some bone that you're actually going to do something about the cheaters in this game. It is well and long out of hand.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leurocian

Hi Drax (and everyone posting in this thread),

Sorry I haven't responded sooner. KR has kept us very busy. However, I want to take a moment and respond in this thread now since this is the first Saturday I haven't had to work for a while.

I do want to mention something to all of you that you all may not realize. As game designers and engineers, we don't necessarily have to power to implement things immediately in the game. We are not the ones that prioritize decisions. Sure, there are some cases where if it's a bug fix, we can slam it out and put it in the queue for QA. But most of the time, all game features and changes go through a process of several layers: executives, production, other designers/engineers/artists, community, marketing, QA, and so on.

As developers, we can go to our superiors and peers and talk about what we'd like to work on - or what our players would like to see us work on. Community brings this information to us also. However, we don't always get to work on what we'd really like to work on at a given point in time.

The other factor is developement resources. As Jeremy stated in the latest Five on Friday, all hands are currently on deck for Kingdom Reborn, and after this Stygian Abyss. Because of this, some of the stuff we'd like to address in Live has been temporarily foregone until Kingdom Reborn is done. Some of the hot topics I know we talk about when it comes to live are PvP, Factions, Loot / Creature rebalance, Skill tuning, Crafting, additional live content and so on.

Recently, I sent a very spirited email to the team asking when we can get back on track to work on systems that need our attention. Darkscribe explained to me that we will be doing that once Kingdom Reborn ships. I imagine there were be a Live effort that happens at the same time we ramp up on Stygian Abyss. We know we need to do this so we can balance any new systems and features we add with Stygian Abyss. It's just a matter of who do we allocate internally do to these tasks. That's information I don't have right now, nor is that our call per se as developers to make.

I can tell you that when we are able, we will tackle these important game systems that need dire attention. I understand if you just think I'm typing words with no commitment. That would be fair given our lack of attention to these systems for so long. However, I'm afraid that's all I can give at the moment.

Patrick "Leurocian" Malott

Thank you Leurocian

**Ezekiel** · 15th May 2007, 07:57 PM

While I do appreciate Leurocians insight and the basis for his explanation, this is part of the reason Im closing up my account. Ive been cleaning out my house, banking anything Ill want if I start playing again. If I dont get enough time before my next billing cycle hits, maybe Ill be here to see the new client, but I kinda doubt it...

I think that the other factor that wasnt brought up is the fact that implementing cheat fixes would alienate a fair amount of the playerbase. Plenty of the people who script/dupe/hack are doing so because they can achieve a RL monetary gain from doing so. The only thing that they have to risk is their conscience as Im sure many have already made enough money to cover the expenses of their accounts to date.

In addition, dont think I wont be around here plenty still.

Adam needs someone like me around to bother him on a regular basis.

Brom · 15th May 2007, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ezekiel

I think that the other factor that wasnt brought up is the fact that implementing cheat fixes would alienate a fair amount of the playerbase. Plenty of the people who script/dupe/hack are doing so because they can achieve a RL monetary gain from doing so. The only thing that they have to risk is their conscience as Im sure many have already made enough money to cover the expenses of their accounts to date.

Ugh... thats a depressing thought...

Hanse Davion · 17th May 2007, 05:55 PM

What your basically saying there Ezekiel is that anyone who scripts (which I presume includes training skills that give no profit outside of playing the character with GM+ Magery etc), dupes or hacks (profiting from speedhacking? Tough to figure out, but I suppose insurance makes money) is in it for RL monetary game - and moreover wouldn't carry on playing the game if the issues were stopped.

I just think thats wrong, and tarring alot of people with an absurd brush. There are some who are like that, sure. But the vast, vast majority of people script do so to sidestep the monotony of training characters - rare are the men making money from macromining valorite. The vast majority who dupe do it just because they heard about it and want to make the cash or get flashy items for PvP while its there as opposed to playing the game for duping. The vast majority who hack are doing it for an edge in PvP, and the kind of gold people reap from that doesn't really add up so quickly.

Personally I think the fact thats the way it is was why he glossed over it, as opposed to trying to cover up some sort of secret plan to retain account numbers by letting people carry on cheating. Ya just being negative about it.

**Ezekiel** · 17th May 2007, 07:37 PM

Nah, not saying anyone who does it is strictly doing it for money, just that plenty who partake in multiple illegal activities have a less than honorable agenda.

I dont really have a problem with people running scripts to train chars (as long as they are attended) and I Think that there are plenty of changes that could be made to make it less boring and negate the need for scripting skills.

Quote:

The vast majority who dupe do it just because they heard about it and want to make the cash or get flashy items for PvP while its there as opposed to playing the game for duping.

So in that vein someone who only duped once or twice is less guilty of cheating than someone who does it regularly?

Quote:

The vast majority who hack are doing it for an edge in PvP, and the kind of gold people reap from that doesn't really add up so quickly.

The main area of PvP at this time are Champ Spawns, no? Id say stealing a Champ or killing a char and getting a +20 Magery scroll would add up the gold quite quickly...

When Champs become a place where you *must* to run hacks to compete that EA cant or wont do anything about, its time to make the UOPro or integrate them into the client. Level the playing field...

Also, who would macromine Valorite nowadays? All smiths should have a bit of Valorite hanging around but a scripter would be far better off gathering Frostwood. You can accumulate much, much more of it in the same timeframe and in many cases sell it for more money per...or script the Community Collection turn-ins and sell the items from there...

15th May 2007, 07:57 PM	#2
Ezekiel Wycorp--Dwarf Hunter Join Date: Jul 2005 Shard: Area 52 Posts: 2,504 Thanks: 0 Thanked 8 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Leurocian gives insight about current game development ... While I do appreciate Leurocians insight and the basis for his explanation, this is part of the reason Im closing up my account. Ive been cleaning out my house, banking anything Ill want if I start playing again. If I dont get enough time before my next billing cycle hits, maybe Ill be here to see the new client, but I kinda doubt it... I think that the other factor that wasnt brought up is the fact that implementing cheat fixes would alienate a fair amount of the playerbase. Plenty of the people who script/dupe/hack are doing so because they can achieve a RL monetary gain from doing so. The only thing that they have to risk is their conscience as Im sure many have already made enough money to cover the expenses of their accounts to date. In addition, dont think I wont be around here plenty still. Adam needs someone like me around to bother him on a regular basis. __________________

17th May 2007, 05:55 PM	#4
Hanse Davion Vesper (Europa RP) Join Date: Sep 2006 Shard: Europa Posts: 831 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Leurocian gives insight about current game development ... What your basically saying there Ezekiel is that anyone who scripts (which I presume includes training skills that give no profit outside of playing the character with GM+ Magery etc), dupes or hacks (profiting from speedhacking? Tough to figure out, but I suppose insurance makes money) is in it for RL monetary game - and moreover wouldn't carry on playing the game if the issues were stopped. I just think thats wrong, and tarring alot of people with an absurd brush. There are some who are like that, sure. But the vast, vast majority of people script do so to sidestep the monotony of training characters - rare are the men making money from macromining valorite. The vast majority who dupe do it just because they heard about it and want to make the cash or get flashy items for PvP while its there as opposed to playing the game for duping. The vast majority who hack are doing it for an edge in PvP, and the kind of gold people reap from that doesn't really add up so quickly. Personally I think the fact thats the way it is was why he glossed over it, as opposed to trying to cover up some sort of secret plan to retain account numbers by letting people carry on cheating. Ya just being negative about it. __________________ Roleplay on Europa? Give it a try! Join the city of Vesper! http://www.uoforums.com/vesper

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Character Development questions	Gumbyizer	Ultima Online General Discussion	2	26th July 2007 11:48 AM
looking for a little insight	kingtony	Ultima Online General Discussion	6	14th March 2007 10:24 AM
A Little Insight About WOW ...	Queen Mum	Jokes & Stuff	8	18th May 2006 01:58 PM
Exciting New Development Discovered	Tabbitha	Europa	16	14th May 2006 11:33 PM

User Name		Remember Me?
Password