If you were Dev for a month (or two)

48 posts · 2009-02-18 13:41:29 to 2009-03-06 14:39:58

#36300545148 02/18/2009 13:41:29 If you were Dev for a month (or two)

I know there's already a thread about this, but, considering the circumstances, I'm thinking people's ideas on what they'd do would be best kept in a seperate thread.

If you were Dev for a month or two, what would you try to do?

Me, I'd work exclusively on making story access more open to players by putting the actualy physical condition of the Matrix into their hands, using conditionals and player tools that affect how buildings look, where missions are more likely to take you, and even the general atmosphere.

For example, a bomb tool that, if activated and nobody heeds its warning, will destroy part or the entirety of a building. Debris would be spawned all around the area until the weekly maintenance, where the texture of the building will be changed (or the building replaced by a pile of rubble) to signify the change. Over time, the Machines would rebuild the building until it's useable again, and obviously some buildings can't be destroyed. This could result in some fanatical evil doers laying waste to a city whilst the goody two shoes work to stop them.

Amongst other things, one-player-item types that would seriously affect the environment (change the color of the skies, for example) and give that player some special powers, and it would be up to other players to either aid him or destroy his power (or take it for themselves).

And a special blog on the official website recapping stunts like this every week!

It's all very vague, and actual details would have to be extremely specific to avoid exploiting the system and whatnot, but after all, it's supposed to just be a vague "If I were God for a day" type dream.

#36300545149 02/18/2009 13:45:51 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Create new side-stories and introduce new Exiles, either as gang spawn, hideout mobs or mission contacts. I've got a dozen ideas as to what might be lurking the Merv's subdomain and waiting to sneak out.

#36300545167 02/18/2009 14:12:44 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

I would hire a 50 dev's from WoW.

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#36300545264 02/18/2009 17:34:10 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

I'd ban everyone

You just never know if you're RP wife is a psychologically insane IC axe murderer. :/
#36300545277 02/18/2009 17:54:36 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

I would refine the storyline and implement something to resolve certain things such as the Oligarchy before moving on.

I would work with all available resources to determine canon as it relates to source material and mxo.

I would implement my plans to allow for more varied ways to level up.

I would reflow the loot tables along with clothing so that there is a clear pattern to be seen.

I would continue the storyline with much room for player involvement and recognition.

I would make the best possible use of any resources at my disposal and listen to the community.

#36300545316 02/18/2009 19:11:22 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

I would break the game to a point where it is non-salvagable so they would have to shut it down with what little-to-no dignity it has left.


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#36300545343 02/18/2009 20:59:42 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

My time as dev would probably be spent a lot like Zane's... without knowledge of what would happen as far as future developments, my first interest would be trying to establish a gameworld that would support future player story development while not having things stuck in middle of a story arc like we are now.

- Resolve the Oligarch storyline as quickly and succintly as possible (We've already started it so, while we don't have to finish it the way Rare had originally intended, it does need to be finished and not simply forgotten or skipped over)

- Use player input to determine what sort of gameworld they would like to see moving forwards; one that would be open to future dev movement while still supporting, or even focusing on, player created story efforts

- Examine to what extent, if any, Storyteller Tools, clothing creation tools and/or animation creation tools could be put in the players hands and, if possible, move forward in making it happen

- Examine the feasibility of implementing an altered crafting system and, if possible, implement it

- Examine the feasibility of implementing the long desired changes to the marketplace and, if possible, implement them

- Continue to open the MxO experience to new players by fixing the broken difficulty curve, adding more low level quest/signpost NPCs, possibly changing the starting location for new players, and looking into providing tangible benefits for experienced players who assist new players (a simple one would be get a referral from a new player who subscribes at least one month and get a period of free game time)

- Bring back the old animations lost in the transition from CR1 to CR2, as well as the 2 different ranges in IL combat

- Make some of the old animations, Zen Master animations, and the shadow pill moves part of a new structuring of the MA trees such that MAs have a more intricate and visually interesting series of standard moves as they advance through their chosen tree.  MAs need to spend so much of their time in IL anyway, may as well make it less repetitious.

- Seek advice from the top active PvPers in how to balance and/or improve PvP

- Run at least a few live events and look into the possibility of running an event like the Government Building battle once a month on each server, with some sort of reward or benefit for the winning side until the next battle

... I could probably go on, but I'll stop there heh

#36300545357 02/18/2009 22:16:11 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Seriously I would fix the god**** fact you cant kick R1 crews even if your FL.

And add the ability to look into crews and see inactivity by days.

And then with my remaining time of....2 months I would follow Shin's examples(Very nice)

#36300545360 02/18/2009 22:58:34 Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Gien wrote:

Seriously I would fix the god**** fact you cant kick R1 crews even if your FL.

And add the ability to look into crews and see inactivity by days.

Gah.. how could I forget the absolutely terrible faction controls.  Might even be able to revisit something from the alpha/pre-alpha days here since it seems we used to at least have more faction options if not a better system altogether.

#36300545372 02/19/2009 01:18:16 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

I'd ban Zippy.

#36300545374 02/19/2009 01:28:38 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Create a new coder ability or subset of abilities that would enable experienced coders to pull buffs from one style of clothing and move them to another unbuffed article of clothing.

#36300545508 02/19/2009 11:01:41 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Could prolly make a larger list if I thought about it a little more, but brief first ideas (I do this with all programming projects, never can stop brainstorming new features to add @_@). These design ideas are not pipe-dreams (i.e. team duels, modifying the crafting system, modifying the marketplace, modifying the world on the fly, etc), but what I think is genuinely possible in this game's engine with not too much effort required.

____________________________

- Hijack the currently existing client-side clothing shell feature to be used as an "outfit shell." Add validation so that players would be required to have a clothing item model in their inventory in order to claim a particular model/texture, then broadcast an additional "appearance" packet from which looks are derived, instead of getting the equipped outfit state and determining how to render the clothes from there.

- Along the same train of thought, add a good deal of the unreleased clothing items -- there's several hundred. Add them in the city in various ways: Some would be buyable from vendors for a set number of Clothing red fragments. Add a "The Tailor" NPC who spawns randomly around Downtown. When killed, his loot table contains a random recipe for a previously unreleased item. Make a special Data Tap that would spawn Clothing Recipe Clusters. Add these as drops from Dungeon Bosses, with buffs that are useful to both low-level and high-level players alike.

- If possible, see about adding extra hotbar(s) that could be turned on and off with useropts or keybind combos.

- Add more keybind functionality: allow players to specify keybinds for all commands within the range of their permissions, i.e. create a keybind Ctrl+H for /handstand. The validation for if you're allowed to activate a particular command-id or not is done on the server, so there would be no danger here.

- Allow players to specify a "savedMacros.txt," from which they could reference slashcommands, rather than requiring hotbar space to be used.

- Add a UIConfig folder in /profiles/. Make new rezids pointing to (nonexistent) .pngs in this folder, which would override existing textures. In this way, if players make and add new .png textures to the folder, they could make their own custom hotbar icons for abilities and items.

- Add a more friendly UI to the autodetect_settings.exe, which would utilize the ingame config change through auto_exec cfgs. Add more preset configs, such as the Bazmans variants. Hijack this with an ingame UI/slash command, via which you could change your useropts simply by typing the parameter and new value into a window.

- Add selection and copy features into email and system chat.

- Give players the ability to name and specify the model of their Simulacrum.

- Add a Crafting-based quest, with non-breakable reward Decompile tools bound to your character, with +points or time reduction bonuses based on the number of how many recipes you have in your /codestructs.

- Turn the stair-world .metr into a construct with multiple stairwells, with King of the Hill or Capture the Flag PVP modes for three orgs. To start a game, a team leader would have to /challenge, enabling a bit that turned their base on. If another team of another org was present, and also /challenge'd, then play would initiate. To take control of another team's base, one would have to disable their defense mechanism (all timers would be re-scaled to equality). For Zion: Code Bomb defuse, Machines/CYPH: Searchlight de-activate, Merv: red code pulse defuse. Each team would be able to repair their base defense through similar means. If one team were to deactivate their enemy's base, a code cluster for each team member would appear, with a "Proficiency Token": tradeable to a PVP collector for special gear and consumables.

- Make the bridge-world .metr into another construct. Like the stair-world construct, you would enter by activating a mission token that would create a summoning portal like an Archivist Proxy. It would have a re-use timer of 5 minutes, and automatically port you into one of dozens of little pocket mission areas surrounding the edges of the construct. We know this is possible because the tutorial executes random porting from mission area to mission area. You would leave those mission areas and enter the construct. This bridge world would have its TSEC (weather map) set to the DOTD flies, and have Complete Corruptor and Corrupted spawns in some areas. Players would be able to earn a special Flit Gun to kill these NPCs, which would not drop items for a headgear, but for other shiny loot. Also, players would have their model set to the Assassin when they entered the construct, and their ability grant-tree would have toned down versions of the Assassin's abilities, like Fly Virus, Corrupting Bile, Corruption Wave, Crush, et cetera. These abilities would be removed/unusable outside of this construct.

- Similarly, add a "RP construct" that sold storyline character disguises, only usable within. Add a /meatwad emote, where, if the target accepts, they are meatwadded by you. Add non-PVP flagging Code bombs, Code pulses, Searchlights, etc., which could be used in the construct and obtained by collector trades for Archive mission completion tokens.

- Add vendors with pseudo-random vendor tables, varying week to week. If possible, add a system like WoW, where the vendor becomes "sold out" of an item after selling a set number.

- Add missions, "Calm of the Zen Master," "Ride The Trojan Horse." The player would defeat a boss, who would drop consumable pills like Shadow Wallkick, which would allow the player to use toned-down versions of the abilities in those trees.

- The elevator system appears to port players from coordinates A to coordinates B. If possible, hijack this in conjunction with the helicopter routes throughout the city, to add scenic "flight paths," a la WoW, by slowly porting players along the path, with a small step size.

- Add spots of invisible navmesh near 10,000 meters up into the air. A special /duel command would propel both players to the zone. The loser of the duel would automatically come back to life; the winner would automatically activate a temporary /repel field, knocking his opponent off the edge, sending him falling to his death 10,000 meters below.

- Re-add /face and /follow to hostile targets, to properly balance fleeing and chasing.

#36300545588 02/19/2009 15:11:48 Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Bayamos wrote:

- Re-add /face and /follow to hostile targets, to properly balance fleeing and chasing.

You could always just do /point and your char points in the fleeing players direction. Not as effective as /follow but hey it helps somewhat.

#36300545658 02/19/2009 19:35:06 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

I'd be tempted to have a go at reverting the doors to work with the White Halls the way they were originally planned. 

I'd also make it possible for certain interlock moves to knock a character out of IL and off the NavMesh so that people can be kicked or pushed off buildings.  I'd probably make animations for falling (and Sniper Shot) in the process.

#36300545683 02/19/2009 21:53:20 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

I love it when devs delete my posts, anyway. I would fix everything, lets put it that way SMILEY

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#36300545705 02/20/2009 02:26:14 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

I'd shut MxO down for 2 weeks, make it as noob friendly as possible. Complete the Vista fixes and then finally re-release as MxO 2.

#36300545706 02/20/2009 03:16:59 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

If I could be Dev - I would deffinatly fill the designer slot, being the artist and all.

I would:

*Work on new items, clothing, weapons, collectors stuff, and specials, rewards. Bring out any currently locked things over time.  Now - the thing about this stuff is - you have to do it within reason and can only do it with which tools you have availble.  Rarebit wasn't able to make completely new models and animations and all that from scratch because it wasn't game development mechanically possible. He HAD to re-paint stuff, however it was his lacking abilities to creatively re-paint a lot of things that is the issue.  Anyway, making all new models, animations to go with them, and stuff would take an entire team of designers, not just 1 guy.  Not to mention needing all the code you need to run it all correctly.  BUT - with drive, and my creative touch - I would definatly make some interesting gear, and stuff.  And I would listen to the demands of everyone, but if I gave you everything you dreamed of, you wouldn't have a game to play.

*Raise the lvl cap to top out at 60.  I believe that Monolith original intended for MxO to top out at 60 at some point. As the Coder Compile items menu tops out at lvl 60.

Abilities:
    *Add in new ones, meaning I'd probly have to take existing ones and make them player avalible. Lupine abs, Zen abs, Blood Noble abs, things that maybe locked off currently. Since I'd intend to raise the lvl cap to 60.
    *Tweek existing abs to make the flow improved. Hacker/patcher more effective, in combat - I have some ideas for that. Need some self heals to make it more useful.

*Switch the lvls of Westview and International around correctly. So that Westview is the 2nd area for lvling and International is the 3rd, as it should flow, (Richland and Downtown stay the same)  So the flow would be, Richland, Westview, International, Downtown - the way it is now is kinda stupid as missions start to send lvl 14s to Westview too early, simply because Westview and Richland are directly connected - I think.

*Mission systems - Special Holiday missions, more holiday events then just Halloween and Winter.
    *Bring back the Crits - as I would be bringing back LEs.
    *Less annoying banter from the operator SMILEY - ugh shut him up already!!  Maybe not totaly, but jeeze oh' pete he got    damned annoying sometimes.

*start incorporating LEs again - on a more scheduled and controlled basis. Not just randomly happening, luck of the draw LEs like before (I always hated that).  And not annual Org meetings, or something lame like that - bring back classic story piece LEs - but scheduled ones, to try to accommodate and include as many/all players whom can attend as possible.

*Story: Quickly finish this stupid Oligarch thing - while it has some interesting aspects, bubble-gum pink chicks (that act too much like Veil - 1 Veil is more than enough k-thnkx), overpowered wireframe freaks, and nekid shiney program ppl that Agents or Zion can't do anything about are just too weird and not very Matrixy.  Maybe incorporate some of Rarebit's 13-14 chpt ideas, like bringing back the Oracle (defiantly is a must). BUT ... I wouldn't follow it all. There will be a new, and totally different - much more traditional Matrix driven storyline that will play out.  Back to the basics - The always deadly and malevolent Agents, Merv and his insatiable greed, Zion striving for human freedom, and the philosophies that drive it and make us more self aware. THE MATRIX! 

*Add Feral Mood (Lupine stance) 

Course - all this might take more than just a month or 2. Maybe it would take several months.  But hey, whatever it takes.  Here are the rules, I expect no less of myself:

QMS: Quality Management System

Produce and continualy improve product that meets customer and regulator requirements.
Say what you do. (Documentation): Use current work procedures and instructions
Do what you say. (Compliance): Follow procedures and instructions that affect your work.
Prove it. (Records) Demonstrate your work in accordance with process and procedure and provide objective evidence.
Improve it. (Process Management/Continual Improvement) Implement change based on information/metrics

Quality Policy:
I am personaly responsible & accountible for the quality of my work.
I aquire /use all tools and skills needed to meet quality requirements.
I know my objectives. (Process improvement goals and metrics)


In other words - no more 1/2 azzed cr4p.  Only quality!

Hopefully that'll keep this d4mned game running.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Who is this doing this synthetic type of alpha beta psychedelic funky?
#36300545712 02/20/2009 04:01:10 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)
i would fix teh matriks and win the game
#36300545718 02/20/2009 05:17:30 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Merge the servers and make downtown Hostile

designate a club to each organisation and fill the looby area of each and surround it with a force of high level npcs that only attack the other orgs to create a form of base.

Make other downtown clubs contestable objectives.

Bring the story to a point that establishes a common base for and encourages future player designed stories - a new truce, reinsertion being possible (and indeed enforceble for those more determined cyphs), progress the idea that the Merovingian has ways to encode an RSI into a fully fledged program (immortality at a price etc) ie operative can one day be real exiles.

redesign Zion hallways to be more like real world Zion and provide unique 'zion clothing' options there

Implement the outfit shell idea of Ingus' from way back when, where buffs arise from the first 6/7 slots of the inventory while appearence is delivered by the usual clothing slots.

introduce as many tools as possible for future player led stories to call on... ie luggerbles that can spawn a customisable npc threat force, inserts that can by submitted for inclusion in the sentinel, customisable information npc's that can be placed in the world and have their interactions defined to respond to players (the persist fro a designated time only of course), implement Organisation chat,

Produce items and rewards that are organisation specific (dependent on rep).

Org specific powers

introduce a luggeble that places a player into a fourth pvp state (so cyph and epn can occasionally fight their parent orgs)

Remember this is to please me not the rest of you SMILEY .......though it might take a little longer than a month!

#36300545732 02/20/2009 07:34:11 Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Tytanya_MxO wrote:

cyph and epn

...Who?  

#36300545734 02/20/2009 07:50:44 Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Darkhawk wrote:

If I could be Dev - I would deffinatly fill the designer slot, being the artist and all.

I would:

*Work on new items, clothing, weapons, collectors stuff, and specials, rewards. Bring out any currently locked things over time.  Now - the thing about this stuff is - you have to do it within reason and can only do it with which tools you have availble.  Rarebit wasn't able to make completely new models and animations and all that from scratch because it wasn't game development mechanically possible. He HAD to re-paint stuff, however it was his lacking abilities to creatively re-paint a lot of things that is the issue.  Anyway, making all new models, animations to go with them, and stuff would take an entire team of designers, not just 1 guy.  Not to mention needing all the code you need to run it all correctly.  BUT - with drive, and my creative touch - I would definatly make some interesting gear, and stuff.  And I would listen to the demands of everyone, but if I gave you everything you dreamed of, you wouldn't have a game to play.

*Raise the lvl cap to top out at 60.  I believe that Monolith original intended for MxO to top out at 60 at some point. As the Coder Compile items menu tops out at lvl 60.

Abilities:
    *Add in new ones, meaning I'd probly have to take existing ones and make them player avalible. Lupine abs, Zen abs, Blood Noble abs, things that maybe locked off currently. Since I'd intend to raise the lvl cap to 60.
    *Tweek existing abs to make the flow improved. Hacker/patcher more effective, in combat - I have some ideas for that. Need some self heals to make it more useful.

*Switch the lvls of Westview and International around correctly. So that Westview is the 2nd area for lvling and International is the 3rd, as it should flow, (Richland and Downtown stay the same)  So the flow would be, Richland, Westview, International, Downtown - the way it is now is kinda stupid as missions start to send lvl 14s to Westview too early, simply because Westview and Richland are directly connected - I think.

*Mission systems - Special Holiday missions, more holiday events then just Halloween and Winter.
    *Bring back the Crits - as I would be bringing back LEs.
    *Less annoying banter from the operator - ugh shut him up already!!  Maybe not totaly, but jeeze oh' pete he got    damned annoying sometimes.

*start incorporating LEs again - on a more scheduled and controlled basis. Not just randomly happening, luck of the draw LEs like before (I always hated that).  And not annual Org meetings, or something lame like that - bring back classic story piece LEs - but scheduled ones, to try to accommodate and include as many/all players whom can attend as possible.

*Story: Quickly finish this stupid Oligarch thing - while it has some interesting aspects, bubble-gum pink chicks (that act too much like Veil - 1 Veil is more than enough k-thnkx), overpowered wireframe freaks, and nekid shiney program ppl that Agents or Zion can't do anything about are just too weird and not very Matrixy.  Maybe incorporate some of Rarebit's 13-14 chpt ideas, like bringing back the Oracle (defiantly is a must). BUT ... I wouldn't follow it all. There will be a new, and totally different - much more traditional Matrix driven storyline that will play out.  Back to the basics - The always deadly and malevolent Agents, Merv and his insatiable greed, Zion striving for human freedom, and the philosophies that drive it and make us more self aware. THE MATRIX! 

*Add Feral Mood (Lupine stance) 

Course - all this might take more than just a month or 2. Maybe it would take several months.  But hey, whatever it takes.  Here are the rules, I expect no less of myself:

QMS: Quality Management System

Produce and continualy improve product that meets customer and regulator requirements.
Say what you do. (Documentation): Use current work procedures and instructions
Do what you say. (Compliance): Follow procedures and instructions that affect your work.
Prove it. (Records) Demonstrate your work in accordance with process and procedure and provide objective evidence.
Improve it. (Process Management/Continual Improvement) Implement change based on information/metrics

Quality Policy:
I am personaly responsible & accountible for the quality of my work.
I aquire /use all tools and skills needed to meet quality requirements.
I know my objectives. (Process improvement goals and metrics)


In other words - no more 1/2 azzed cr4p.  Only quality!

Hopefully that'll keep this d4mned game running.

All exceptional ideas.  Can you imagine...Quality and Accountability???  Wow that would be like Utopia.  Mix some very creative and brilliant ideas from you, Tytanya and others and now you have a real MMO that we could all be really passionate about.

#36300545738 02/20/2009 08:12:57 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Also:

- Completely overhaul the Reputation system.  Make the top levels still difficult but actually attainable.  Add more Standard missions and add much greater variablitity to make them much less of a nightmarish barrage of endless tedium.  Replace the lame repetitive stock dialogue with as much variety as you get when you talk to a bluepill.

- Increase the number of Graduation missions from 5 to 20 or so.

- Then, finally implement org abilities.

- Completely de-couple quests from critical missions and remove the arbitrary, pointless and needlessly punative level restrictions of the New Approach quests; return to weekly criticals where the requirement is reputation-based.

- Wrap up the intro quest with Sr. Margaret.  Add 5 new neighborhood contact missions per contact.  Perhaps add new ones at least once a year.  Explore the dynamics of the Elements, etc. through side stories, missions, quests and occasional Live events

- Above all, always focus on a dynamic, interactive and evolving storyline as the main focus point and appeal of MxO. 

#36300545743 02/20/2009 08:44:58 Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Darkhawk wrote:

If I could be Dev - I would deffinatly fill the designer slot, being the artist and all.

I would:

*Work on new items, clothing, weapons, collectors stuff, and specials, rewards. Bring out any currently locked things over time.  Now - the thing about this stuff is - you have to do it within reason and can only do it with which tools you have availble.  Rarebit wasn't able to make completely new models and animations and all that from scratch because it wasn't game development mechanically possible. He HAD to re-paint stuff, however it was his lacking abilities to creatively re-paint a lot of things that is the issue.  Anyway, making all new models, animations to go with them, and stuff would take an entire team of designers, not just 1 guy.  Not to mention needing all the code you need to run it all correctly.  BUT - with drive, and my creative touch - I would definatly make some interesting gear, and stuff.  And I would listen to the demands of everyone, but if I gave you everything you dreamed of, you wouldn't have a game to play.

*Raise the lvl cap to top out at 60.  I believe that Monolith original intended for MxO to top out at 60 at some point. As the Coder Compile items menu tops out at lvl 60.

Abilities:
    *Add in new ones, meaning I'd probly have to take existing ones and make them player avalible. Lupine abs, Zen abs, Blood Noble abs, things that maybe locked off currently. Since I'd intend to raise the lvl cap to 60.
    *Tweek existing abs to make the flow improved. Hacker/patcher more effective, in combat - I have some ideas for that. Need some self heals to make it more useful.

*Switch the lvls of Westview and International around correctly. So that Westview is the 2nd area for lvling and International is the 3rd, as it should flow, (Richland and Downtown stay the same)  So the flow would be, Richland, Westview, International, Downtown - the way it is now is kinda stupid as missions start to send lvl 14s to Westview too early, simply because Westview and Richland are directly connected - I think.

*Mission systems - Special Holiday missions, more holiday events then just Halloween and Winter.
    *Bring back the Crits - as I would be bringing back LEs.
    *Less annoying banter from the operator - ugh shut him up already!!  Maybe not totaly, but jeeze oh' pete he got    damned annoying sometimes.

*start incorporating LEs again - on a more scheduled and controlled basis. Not just randomly happening, luck of the draw LEs like before (I always hated that).  And not annual Org meetings, or something lame like that - bring back classic story piece LEs - but scheduled ones, to try to accommodate and include as many/all players whom can attend as possible.

*Story: Quickly finish this stupid Oligarch thing - while it has some interesting aspects, bubble-gum pink chicks (that act too much like Veil - 1 Veil is more than enough k-thnkx), overpowered wireframe freaks, and nekid shiney program ppl that Agents or Zion can't do anything about are just too weird and not very Matrixy.  Maybe incorporate some of Rarebit's 13-14 chpt ideas, like bringing back the Oracle (defiantly is a must). BUT ... I wouldn't follow it all. There will be a new, and totally different - much more traditional Matrix driven storyline that will play out.  Back to the basics - The always deadly and malevolent Agents, Merv and his insatiable greed, Zion striving for human freedom, and the philosophies that drive it and make us more self aware. THE MATRIX! 

*Add Feral Mood (Lupine stance) 

Course - all this might take more than just a month or 2. Maybe it would take several months.  But hey, whatever it takes.  Here are the rules, I expect no less of myself:

QMS: Quality Management System

Produce and continualy improve product that meets customer and regulator requirements.
Say what you do. (Documentation): Use current work procedures and instructions
Do what you say. (Compliance): Follow procedures and instructions that affect your work.
Prove it. (Records) Demonstrate your work in accordance with process and procedure and provide objective evidence.
Improve it. (Process Management/Continual Improvement) Implement change based on information/metrics

Quality Policy:
I am personaly responsible & accountible for the quality of my work.
I aquire /use all tools and skills needed to meet quality requirements.
I know my objectives. (Process improvement goals and metrics)


In other words - no more 1/2 azzed cr4p.  Only quality!

Hopefully that'll keep this d4mned game running.


The best ideas i have heard to date from any player.Especially the cap increase..it's not like cr2 is balanced anyways,and just the new builds made possible would entertaion alot of people for a while.

#36300545777 02/20/2009 11:53:34 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

same as what a lot of people have mentioned here already

develop story line into actual matrixy stuff

1 LE per week

make L50 items for all neighborhood contacts

lurk about and spawn story centric hostiles....

develop an ingame tool that runs of command line giving you access to ( zion mainframe, mach frame, merv frame depending on your org ) secret documents relating to story details or that would resolve questions on LE chars ( ookami, Skinner, etc )

more....

#36300545783 02/20/2009 12:24:00 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Hmmm, story development got me thinking. The characters would change (some slightly, others in bigger ways) with a new person - if I was in charge of all that, here's some of my ideas on what I would do with them.

Agent Gray & Agent Pace:
Put Gray back in the command seat where he belongs!  Seems like Pace took over that seat too much under Rarebit's writing too often ( due to his crush on her *rolls eyes*).  Agent Pace would be Gray's 2nd hand in command - don't worry, she won't be the silly liaison chick like she was in the beginning, that was annoying.  But Gray will be doing much more of the commanding of operatives, and come back out in the open again - instead of being swept under the rug like he was.  Gray will go back to being kinda semi-glitchy, for interest and because it is how he was originally written - Agent corrupted by Smith, yadda, yadda, yadda.  Pace will be closely monitoring him - maybe like that old Agent Skinner back in those old Beta days.  But She's not going to be the queen of the machines like under Rarebit's rule. Oh - and I would bring back her Italian quirks - She would have quite a bit more Italian speak than just her 2 words: "Tesoro" (sweetie) and Ciao!  Translators like Bablefish are a wonderful thing SMILEY - and players who are actually Italian are a good resource also.

Merovingian/Persephone:
Kinda the same - as they are canon from the movie.  I'd make sure they stay true to what they are.  Their other characters probly won't change too much.  Flood is fine as he is, maybe a little less annoying.  And bring out a more zany Effectuator! He'll attend all official party events - and maybe some player events on occasion.  Effy would be more player interactive than he was - more of a bridge that way.  Others ... Ookami / Malphas, probly will stay the same - but they might be in more of a struggle against each other (underworld?)  Vampires vs Lupines!!

Niobe / Ghost / Other Zion characters:

Niobe & Ghost stay the same mostly because they are canon. As with most of the Merv spin-off characters like Colt they would stay the same for the most part. I would work on their depth a little more and try to revive the neglected Zion as much as I can.  Truth was, Rarebit never liked Zion or it's characters - that was one of the biggest problems. Question - does Tyndal have a Jack or was she freeborn?  I'd love to have her actually show up once in a while somehow.  Eh, could always write it in the story.

CYPH:
Veil & Cryptos:
No - I am not going to change Veil around or anything. She stays the way she is.  BUT I would intend to bring Cryptos back out from under the rug he was swept under. Mainly by playing the 2 characters off more equally - as kind of Jeckle and Hyde / Brother - Sister kind of thing.  They argue alot, as Veil is the ditzy teen attitude, and Cryptos is all dour and serious.  In LEs involving CYPH activities - the 2 of them would show up, not just 1, depending on how it could be played out.

EPN:
The Kid starts to become much more Neo-ish.  Not in power, but in attitude, I guess I mean he would start to think he is the next Neo - kinda like he does but now more than ever.  I probly wouldn't bring Shimada back to life, never knew that character very well (except for her butt, thankx for that Rarebit ).  I don't know if I would replace Shimmyadda, But making The Kid more dynamic and maybe make him in pursuit of the Morpheus Sim would be a good angle.

And re-instate the EPN & CYPH tags. That was a f'ing stupid idea to kill those!

Misc Characters:
Stuff that was added in over the course of MxO: Assassin, Daniel Wright, Oligarchs (Wireframe guys), Anome and his Unlimits, and other misc. characters Rarebit dropped in - might get used at points and others might get axed completely.  Like I said, no "spunky" shiny pink bubble-gum girls, stuff like that. And more of a balance of Male and Female characters - not all femme-characters. I don't get love-crushes on my toons.

So, story Ideas - and all that goes with bringing back LEs, structured and scheduled LEs - because the Live Events where the life-blood of MxO. Something that did make it very different from other MMOs where you do nothing but grind away.

Cinematics ... hmm, I am an animator (I have an Assoc. degree in Art & Animation) If there was Time I would try to make cinematic pieces. It would depend.

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Who is this doing this synthetic type of alpha beta psychedelic funky?
#36300545894 02/20/2009 17:21:43 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

I didn't think this thread would go downhill so fast. 

#36300545898 02/20/2009 17:42:50 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

If wishes were horses..

#36300545923 02/20/2009 18:54:04 Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

MXOMastatec wrote:

develop an ingame tool that runs of command line giving you access to ( zion mainframe, mach frame, merv frame depending on your org ) secret documents relating to story details or that would resolve questions on LE chars ( ookami, Skinner, etc )

Well, we already have a direct link to an external source in game, and it used to be org specific as I recall, in the World Events button.  This is not a bad idea at all.. I mean, if we can't have any in game LE interaction, maybe whoever is that's in charge of content (assuming we get someone *sigh*) can at least the World Events link to provide even minimal outside contact and direction.

#36300545990 02/21/2009 04:44:48 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Some very good ideas, all varying widley.

Due to a need for a more complete redesign/expansion of the game, I would first all develop some story telling tools for our current player base these would include spawns that only attack players who type in /RP and would have a 24 hour re-use timer, some various props that players could use and maybe even some storyline character NPCs that could have some generic phrases.


A new LESIG would be set up with a web form for players to rate each individuals contribution that week to highlight any problems. If anyone's rating fell below a point words would be hard and they would be given two weeks to imrpove. These would control the storyline during development of all new shinny features. They would have some more indepth tools, the ability to insitgate pvp and pacify zones. Along with the EPN/CYPH tags being a tool that they would have access to and would change the org. (Since this is a quiet period, no extra content would really be needed. EPN/CYPH orgs would be set up so they could use the zion/machine archivists/missions and would also be pvp natural to the parent org.(E.G. they can be specificly attacked but area attacks would not work.)

A /teamduel would also be implemented, as this could prove quite intresting and provide something new while alot of restructing was done.

Vector and Recursion would also be closed for a while(We are not merging, these plans are for a revival), everyone would be allowed to transfer their character. Vector players would be offered a /permapvp, I think that for a while if players new content was coming they could acept this?

I would then set up a raiding party and hi jack a server from EQ or SWG and use as a brand new testing server for the game.

This all leads to a pretty nice place to rebuild the game while keeping it open. Instead of going into details here is what the patch notes/expansion would say.

The game would also be repakaged under the name , The Matrix Online: Reload, current players would recieve a free patch and a code where they could purchase the new packaging for a discounted price.


To celebrate the release  of the new game we would hiold a beta party.

Update: Reset Patch Notes

Featurued Changes:

  • Ingame cinematics are back! Chaper 13.1 is a special one off 30 minute movie, that wraps up the lose ends from the last storyline.
  • The war has come to an uneasy cease fire, agents are back on the prowl in all areas except richland for those redpills who show off to much ability in front of blue pills. Zion has set up a special fighter unit that will see machines and mervs fighting off them off in all areas but richland.
  • The level cap has been increased to 70, with current tree's expanded.
  • Drunk Boxing, Zen Master, Trojan and TNT Expert has all been added as brand new class's
  • A new area has been opened up, Harbour where those bluepills who want to escape city life come

and a whole host of fixes!

#36300546010 02/21/2009 07:15:59 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

In one month you can't possibly learn everything you need AND fix/add/change stuff for a patch. Which is why I would do nothing at all, except ninjaing all source code, server tech and development tools so I can make my own servers and THEN I'd start working.

#36300546021 02/21/2009 08:54:03 Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

GoDGiVeR wrote:

In one month you can't possibly learn everything you need AND fix/add/change stuff for a patch. Which is why I would do nothing at all, except ninjaing all source code, server tech and development tools so I can make my own servers and THEN I'd start working.

That's one of the major issues, of course.  Most of us don't really know exactly what we'd be able to do as a Dev, or even what the game engine would allow.  One of the reasons why I chose to preface some of my larger ideas with an examination of whether or not the idea would be possible at all, or if it would be possible would it be something that could be accomplished within a reasonable timeframe (and without recoding the entire game).  Somewhat understandably, the devs we've had have never gone into too much depth on what can or can't be done outside of shooting down a specific idea now and then.

#36300546106 02/21/2009 18:31:30 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

I'd finish building the Le Vrai Restaurant (in Maya >.<SMILEY and put it somewhere in Downtown.


#36300546120 02/21/2009 19:30:10 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

I think if I were a dev I'd have to redo this game, give the story back to the players, the way it was originally intended.

But mostly if I were a dev I'd hire under my own dolla, 15 good assistants, to help with all the difficult work, then I'd get all teh stuff done faster and everybody happy yes?!

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#36300546134 02/21/2009 20:41:21 Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Skull101 wrote:

I think if I were a dev I'd have to redo this game, give the story back to the players, the way it was originally intended.

But mostly if I were a dev I'd hire under my own dolla, 15 good assistants, to help with all the difficult work, then I'd get all teh stuff done faster and everybody happy yes?!

Do you think that Dev for this game pays well enough to hire fifteen assistants out of pocket and also have enough money to survive?

#36300546339 02/22/2009 22:20:50 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

If I were Dev, I would give the source code to Iviera.

#36300546356 02/23/2009 01:31:28 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Set up my own unique fan club of say 10-12 people and shun the majority of subscribers in the belief that, logically, this mentality will not fail.

#36300546394 02/23/2009 05:08:11 Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Yasamuu wrote:

Set up my own unique fan club of say 10-12 people and shun the majority of subscribers in the belief that, logically, this mentality will not fail.

I can I be one of them Yasa? Pretty please?

#36300546430 02/23/2009 06:43:30 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Disguise myself as Walrus, walk down the corridor to the Agency room and tell them to spend some time on MxO a decent game with some deeper appeal than the souless run around fps thingy they have wasted their time on :p

#36300546432 02/23/2009 07:10:53 Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Yasamuu wrote:

Set up my own unique fan club of say 10-12 people and shun the majority of subscribers in the belief that, logically, this mentality will not fail.

What is this about?

#36300546488 02/23/2009 10:51:56 Re:Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

ZaneZavin wrote:

Yasamuu wrote:

Set up my own unique fan club of say 10-12 people and shun the majority of subscribers in the belief that, logically, this mentality will not fail.

What is this about?

Just my desire to mock anyone that actually thinks this was ever the case under previous regimes. I should let it go.

@ GodGiver: Of course.

#36300546490 02/23/2009 11:07:26 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

I would make NightTrace a live event character.

#36300546497 02/23/2009 11:23:09 Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Fen wrote:

I would make NightTrace a live event character.

He was always a character, you can't take that away from him.

I think the future is a story less centered around "event characters" and more about us.  At this point many of us are as strong and able as the operatives from the movies.

#36300546531 02/23/2009 12:44:04 Re:Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

ZaneZavin wrote:

Fen wrote:

I would make NightTrace a live event character.

He was always a character, you can't take that away from him.

I think the future is a story less centered around "event characters" and more about us.  At this point many of us are as strong and able as the operatives from the movies.

My post was just a joke (sorta!), but I do agree with that.  Some of the things we've accomplished in the game's story outshines a lot of the things that the characters did in the movies.

#36300546539 02/23/2009 13:02:35 Re:Re:Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

Yasamuu wrote:

ZaneZavin wrote:

Yasamuu wrote:

Set up my own unique fan club of say 10-12 people and shun the majority of subscribers in the belief that, logically, this mentality will not fail.

What is this about?

Just my desire to mock anyone that actually thinks this was ever the case under previous regimes. I should let it go.

@ GodGiver: Of course.

Hah! Take that imaginative future Yasamuu MxO community!

#36300548937 03/05/2009 07:53:27 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

I would do much of the above, but most importantly-at least to me-draw some decent cinematics. The last few looked like they were done with MSpaint while the artist was high on meth. One person's "style" is another  person's crap.

Gimme a break!

Other than that:

More live events.

More involved story lines.

Switch back to the old critical mission system.

#36300548991 03/05/2009 12:30:09 Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

XDisk wrote:

Switch back to the old critical mission system.


Oh noes! More live events - yes, cinematics - yes, but crits - no. The monthly quest system is far better IMO, it just needs to be combined with a decent quantity and quality of live events (which it obviously wasn't).

#36300548997 03/05/2009 13:47:20 Re:Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

XDisk wrote:

I would (..) draw some decent cinematics. The last few looked like they were done with MSpaint while the artist was high on meth. One person's "style" is another  person's crap.

#36300549258 03/06/2009 14:39:58 Re:If you were Dev for a month (or two)

oh my,  quite some great idea's out there but some of the inprovements would take longer then A month or 2 unless you are willing to work OT.  lol   If I was a dev for a month or 2 I would focus on A weekend live event (with storyline leading up to the event) every 2 weeks with spawns and goodies and things.  that is all

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