NPC Tweaks - On Going

This section covers latest updates and changes within the game. Posts here are made by the Developers and if you only read 1 Section - make it this one!
Post Reply
User avatar
Coops
Site Admin
Posts: 5446
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2014 6:10 pm
Location: Basingstoke - UK
Contact:

NPC Tweaks - On Going

Post by Coops »

NPC Tweaks - On Going

I'm starting this thread so I can keep players abreast of some of the smaller changes and some of the larger ones. Editing NPC's on the fly and keeping track of what's been changed on dev and passing that over to Live is a complicated business especially when players MAY be in the middle of these quest lines.

I will try my best to update the quest lines and anyone on them so that no one looses out, but this also adds as a tracker for those who like to help new players and perhaps has a present 'Mission quest line' text file stashed away. This is a heads up that as I tweak my way through the mission lines these will no longer always be 100% valid.

Jonas : Now gives a larger collection of EBK's to you as you leave his employ and get sent to Gunny. Enough to tide you over during gunnys missions and go to see Jerry Cooper.

Gunny : I've edited a number of Gunny's stages and also added an Item add on the end of her mission quest. Plus also created a new Gunny Civilian shield. Low power, low skill low everything really but an intro shield.

Tomar : Also edited several stages and several targets (class). This should make it a 'bit' easier to complete the first half of his chain. I have also added a second scanner to his mission line, allowing for larger scans. Power is catered for by one of gunny's extra give away's.

By the time you have completed Gunny and Tomar you will have a starter reactor, baby shield and increased your scan for combat.

You still have to READ and follow the mission quest lines but its now easier and also gives you a few starting blocks to get you going. Leaving you free to spend the early cash on 'other items' (Second Reactor, Bigger gun etc).

Combat Scan Tweak : Having been wearing a newbie skin for a few weeks and flying around the early missions it becomes obvious that there is a distinct drop off point from 'tough, easy and Waste of ammo'. So i have increased the bottom end of the sale for scans. In real terms you may not see much difference unless your a newbie. But for them it allows a slightly wider field of choice thereby making early combat easier.

I will continue to update THIS thread as I make 'changes and tweaks' to the live environment.

Coops
A Walk in the Woods helps me relax and release the tension from a hard day at the code.
The fact that I'm dragging a body behind me should be irrelevant!
User avatar
Coops
Site Admin
Posts: 5446
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2014 6:10 pm
Location: Basingstoke - UK
Contact:

Re: NPC Tweaks - On Going

Post by Coops »

Ongoing changes : Saturday

Before I talk about the next two NPC's I should mention that the Commercial Trader account has now been 'Automated'. For the last 11 years it has been hand moderated by none other than our own resident Bebeb. I figured it was time to give the poor guy a break and also to streamline the process.

Commercial Trader forms part of the learning process from Jonas. From now on the replies from Commercial Trader are automated. He will accept and pay for the 'Correct' trades and reject all the rest with a PM explaining why. Trades are checked every few minutes so a new player wont have to wait long for a response.

Theo & Justin: These are two NPC's that reside in Feris. One you are sent to early on the other players will spot and try to start this mission chain. These have been re-written and re-tasked.

Explanation: We get a lot of new players coming through CE trying to complete the early missions. They struggle due to a number of reasons but the primary one is the loot pool has been diluted by a factor of 10. This change ensures that these 'early NPC's can be completed by anyone without having to resort to hanging out in chat or paying exorbitant prices on the G.B.M.

This change (as per below) Won't be applied to more than the 'initial' starter NPC's but the change will make it easer for players to get these early one under their belt without having to dive off into areas that they may find confusing at their early age.

The Change: Both Theo and Justine now require mission based crates to be recovered from combat loot. (previously they have been wanting things like Wild Animals, Children's toys) items that prove almost impossible to get in the normal combat system without a fair bit of enemy type knowledge.

To make these combat missions easier I have moved the targets from 'Type or Class' to Affiliation. This means these guys will ask you to recover crates from say 'Rogarts Rogues or the Black Hand' for instance. This gives them a far wider field of combat allowing them to cut their teeth on ships that meet their combat abilities rather than them trying to rise quickly up the DPS / HP tree.

Again I stress this change will only at this point be added for early NPC's in the Feris and surrounding systems. Whilst they combat these pirates and gain loot crates automatically (no need to loot them) they will have time to start to see the plethora of loot and also begin to build up a stock for the later missions that we all know / love / hate etc.

On Theo or Justin's Mission?
If you WERE on Justin or Theo's missions prior to this post and still had one active this has been reset for you. IF so, you will need to go back see the NPC and take it afresh. This is necessary as their mission storyline and of course targets and loots are now different.

Continuing onwards: I will be hacking my way through the other new starter NPC's this coming week and will continue to update this thread as I move those changes to live.

Coops
A Walk in the Woods helps me relax and release the tension from a hard day at the code.
The fact that I'm dragging a body behind me should be irrelevant!
Post Reply