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Hello
Hi,
I wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself and give you some background on me as well as the immediate goals I have in mind to accomplish.
I started playing Lusternia about 10 years ago and was primarily involved in combat. The last two years I've been focused behind the scenes mostly on coding (much to some's dismay) and have introduced numerous mechanics and changes throughout that time. To be upfront, some of it has been well received and some not so much.
I've been reading the recent threads in regards to your concerns and to be perfectly clear, I agree wholeheartedly with them. You as players have been promised numerous overhauls, changes, special reports, etcetera, but little of that has actually been delivered on. Many of these projects have been started and still sit in a half-done state. The #ForeverOverhaul isn't without merit and truthfully some of these things are long overdue.
My plan moving forward is to focus on one or two tasks at a time and actually knock them out before moving on to the next item. There will be other jobs that will need to be done in the interim (promotions, bugs, etc) and a couple of things that we can do in between but my guiding principle in my personal and professional life has always been 'Underpromise, Overdeliver.'
I'm hoping you'll be understanding in realizing that while there are a lot of things that can be improved upon (Many of them being mentioned in forums threads. Again, I promise I am paying attention to these.), my sole focus at this point in time is to deal with combat and combat related balance issues.
I'll be implementing and introducing a new system of reporting that is more inclusive and allows everyone a chance to voice their opinions. Once this system is implemented, I want to pledge that any report accepted will be implemented promptly. I'll write up another post soon giving more details and allowing your input before it goes into action.
Secondly, the Hallifax special report is long overdue. I've been working on new skillset ideas for both Aeonics and Harmonics for the past few months (with previous input from both admin and players). As a result I actually have those skillsets almost entirely laid out and only want to add a few finishing touches before I post them up for your input as well.
I know many of you are anxiously awaiting the Mage rework. That will be first in line after the new reporting system and the Hallifax special report.
I'm excited to take on this role. My goal is to introduce fun, engaging gameplay that people enjoy participating in. I want everyone to feel like they have a chance to compete and I realize there's a lot of work to do, but together, we can work through it one step at a time.
Orael
19
(c) Iron Realms Entertainment 2012.
Comments
Do you see us getting an anomaly or other admin support to rectify non-combat balance issues?
What assurances can you make that your prior positions as both a mortal combatant and any divine positions you've held will be put aside in hopes of keeping an impartial eye on the balancing process?
It's been mentioned that a system will be put in place for individual players to put in skill reports. Can you explain this further? Will it also be acceptable to push non-combat reports, like QoL reports?
I can tell you there is almost zero chance of getting a second anomaly for non-combat issues (or any issue actually).
It's absurd to demand assurances for impartiality. Orael is unbiased and accusations otherwise are spurious.
Synergy across orgs - Important, especially as things become more focused on groups, giving orgs a group focus is critical. It adds depth and meaning to coordination and working together. As an example, with Hallifax, a focus on timewarp and steam afflictions is what we're aiming for. It was started with Tessenchi and will continue with the Aeonics/Harmonics reports and the Aeromancers within the mage rework.
I'm not sure what you mean by the availability of gateways.
I'm also not sure exactly what you're looking for with hard and soft locks. In general, I don't think they're bad to have or include, but it should be something that takes effort and work to achieve.
Pile-on approach - I'm assuming this means group combat and in general large group situations where loads of people are targetting a single person. I think at this point, it's part of the game and it likely won't be changing anytime soon. With that in mind, I know there is a pervasive mindset of being unable to compete against certain tactics or skillsets and my goal is to reverse that and work towards a situation where people feel like they can compete.
Impact of runes, curios, wonderitems - They should give an edge, but not the whole sword. I do remember the time when you could easily compete without artifacts, and that's an ideal goal to achieve. It may mean nerfing some items, which will make people upset that purchased them, but I think it's important to strike that balance.
Timeframe - I'm not setting one. As noted, I'm not going to make any promises or set any deadlines I can't keep. I don't want to rush things out half done and unpolished. It may not be what you want to hear and I'm sorry about that. The last thing I think you as players want is more unkept promises of special reports/reworks etc. I've told you what I'll be working on at this point when those get wrapped up, I'll move on to the next thing.
Assurances - I'm going to throw this out here, since becoming an admin and diving into coding, at least one person in every org has accused me of bias against them and only listening to the other side. I've been told blatantly on Envoys for instance that I only listen to certain people and those certain people turn around and say the opposite. I'm aware that I have an inherent bias, that I've been out of the day to day combat for several years at this point, and that my knowledge base has gaps and holes. This is why I've tried to be as open and transparent in mechanics/reports that I've implemented. I've listened and seriously considered concerns, encouraged players to work with others to find common ground, have run my thoughts by others (others that I trust to tell me if I'm wrong) and then have explained why we moved forward. Sometimes I've acted on those concerns and other times I have not, but I've explained why. This is all in an effort to on my part to deliver meaningful results.
I think this is important to be said - You can earnestly listen to someone and still disagree with them afterward. The only thing I ask is that you engage me and your fellow players in good faith moving forward.
New Reporting System - As noted, there will be a post explaining all this. I hope you understand that it'll be more productive and efficient to address it within that thread rather than elsewhere.
Again, Estarra and myself will be available after the Battlechess tournament on Sunday to discuss things with anyone. I glad to answer further concerns or questions you may have, but at the same time, I don't want to spend a lot of time issuing those responses. I've tried to be forthright and honest in the answers I've given thus far and will aim to do so moving forward, but I likely won't be able to respond to everything.
theatre due to the snowy weather.
hungering malice.