Avian Gamers Network

Forum
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 11:32 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 12:30 pm 
Offline
Spammer
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2002 11:16 am
Posts: 5162
Location: Broomfield, CO
posted 12-13-2001 12:04 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry it?s taken so long to get to this? I just realized that I never filled you in on the rest of my trip, and there?s another one coming up soon!
Anyway, last time I talked about AI, but that was by no means the only major step forward for the project. In order to get through all this (and hopefully put together a Shug Cubes today), here?s the down-and-dirty bullet point list:

-MoCap Animations! The team has done its second motion-capture session, focusing this time on combat animations. The animations aren?t simply ?swing? or ?fire a blaster,? although those are there too ? some of the animations show complex combat moves and combos, including a great drop kick. Because most of the humanoids are sharing the same basic skeleton, we can transfer these animations between characters with only minimal tweaking necessary. Just for fun, we tried out the drop kick on a number of different characters, including a Gamorrean guard, a Zabrak, and Droopy McCool (from the Max Rebo Band). Watching the pudgy McCool leap into the air and deliver a devastating drop kick was surreal? (but let me be clear - you probably won't see Droopy or similar NPCs doing drop kicks in the game).

-Hairstyles! Many of these are finished for the human male and female. We have several standard hairstyles, including many drawn from the films (Qui-Gon?s ponytail, Luke?s feathered cut, Leia?s hair-buns). We also have more outlandish haircuts (various mohawks, for example), and several hairstyles inspired by our friends and family (comb-over, anyone?). When creating your character, you?ll be able to select from this library of hairstyles, but a few of the more ?unique? hairstyles, including Leia?s hair-buns, will only be available to players who have climbed the hair-dressing skill tree.

-More Models! The team is still producing models at an incredible pace, especially given the high bar we?ve set for quality. New droids, creatures, and, most importantly, NPCs are evolving every day. Among the finished NPC species are Sullustans, Quarren, Nikto, Tusken Raiders, Ithorians, Devaronians, and a multi-colored Gungans.

-Resource Gathering! The basic resource system is in place now, allowing us to create a ?mining facility? (okay, right now it?s just a moisture vaporator) and collect resources (it?s all numbers ? no interface yet, but it?s up and running).

-More Tools! The particle effects editor should be completed soon? There have also been continual updates to the existing tools: World builders can now place rivers and roads.

-Combat! Let me say it again: Combat! That?s right, the first pass of our combat system is in the game. Three of us ran around in an empty field (actually, the site of where Theed will be built, I believe) and shot at each other with blasters. Right now, combat is very simple: Push a button and an ?attack? command goes into your attack queue. There?s only one attack (?fire blaster?), and everyone is attacking at the same speed (which, right now, is pretty fast). The blasters caused damage (visible as little numbers floating off into space), but our characters couldn?t actually take damage yet because we haven?t integrated the Health pool. I was really impressed to see that some basic rules are already being applied ? the farther away you are, the more likely you are to miss, for example. Even though there?s not much complexity to the system right now, I still found great enjoyment in taking potshots at the other characters and combat right now feels fast-paced and frenetic. This is one of those moments when you start to see the gameplay evolving, and it?s very exciting.

So, I?ll try to post another Trip Report next week. The team is crunching to hit their next milestone, which should include more advancements to the systems above as well as some new stuff...

Haden Blackman
LucasArts Producer

_________________
"Loose with Dignity"
Robert
Second President, Avian Gamers


DDO - Cannith - AlistairItor - Rogue/Ranger (5/3) - Main
DDO - Cannith - Guijanitor - Paladin/Rogue (4/1)
DDO - Cannith - RicochetItor - Rogue (5)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 12:38 pm 
Offline
Spammer
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2002 11:16 am
Posts: 5162
Location: Broomfield, CO
posted 06-01-2001 03:36 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I?m just tackling a random assortment of issues today, some from threads that are a few (okay, several) days old?
"Keeping the hours a session down? What does that mean? I can't play a 12 hour session on a Saturday? "
-Durek

This has been explained in the original thread, but I want to elaborate a bit. Basically, when we sat down and first started talking about the design, one thing that LucasArts stressed was the notion of accessibility. We really want this game to appeal to Star Wars fans who have never played an MMO. We also wanted to attract gamers who don?t have a tremendous amount of free time. So, essentially, we want to ensure that you can log on and have a rewarding experience within an hour or ninety minutes of play time. We hope to achieve this by getting rid of some of the tedium ? as Raph has noted, we?re trying to do away with all the ?down time,? like camping, corpse recovery, wandering around looking for a quest or a group, etc.

Also, because there are no levels, there isn?t the same type of power differential that you get in some other MMORPGs. If I play eighteen hours a day, I can still group fruitfully with my friend who only plays four hours a week.

And just to answer the question clearly, if you want to play a twelve-hour session, you can. But you won?t need to commit that many hours to the game to feel rewarded.

Brewhaus had ten detailed questions for us? I?ll answer what I can:

1. It's been stated that NPC's won't purchase lightsabers. Can humans [Shug: I?m interpreting this as ?non-Jedi players?] purchase lightsabers (I assume so)? If so, what if I own a shop and have an NPC merchant? Will they refuse to buy a lightsaber if I ask them to?

First off, lightsabers will be relatively useless to non-Jedi. You need to be a Jedi to build, maintain, and use a lightsaber, so buying one would be a waste of money for a non-Jedi. We probably won?t allow NPCs to buy or sell lightsabers. Lightsabers owned by anyone other than Force sensistive will quickly become non-functional and might decay out of existence completely.

We?re also going to make it so that your personal lightsaber (the one you build yourself) is more effective and easier to maintain than a borrowed or bought lightsaber. That way, we encourage Jedi to build their own lightsabers and discourage Jedi from selling them. Basically, we don?t want a ton of lightsabers floating around.

About Han: In The Empire Strikes Back, Han uses Luke?s lightsaber to cut open a dead tauntaun. This isn?t what I?d call a skilled use of the weapon ? Han merely points it in the right direction and turns it on. I certainly don?t believe that Han would be able to fight with, repair, or tune Luke?s lightsaber.

2. Can buildings be destroyed? And what do you do to repair it? Who can destroy it, can any joe schmoe come and take a whack out of my building while I'm offline?

We actually just took on some of these issues recently and should be covering them when we start discussing PvP on the boards. I can say that you will be able to repair your structures if you have the right skills and equipment.

3. Can player merchants sell/trade vehicles (and spacecraft when the expansion comes out)?

Almost definitely.

4. How will vehicles and spacecraft work as relates to them being destroyed. If I'm in my X-Wing that I just spent $8,000,000 on and some tie fighter comes and shoots me down am I out of luck?

We?ve just started working on the design for the space expansion, so we haven?t really addressed things like this yet. However, I suspect that we?ll be using systems similar to those in the initial product. When we?re ready to talk about how we?re handling character respawn and how we?re trying to cut down on corpse recovery, this question should get answered ? it really should work basically the same way in the space expansion.

5. Can a shop be set up out of your home or do you have to buy special land set aside for companies?

A house and a shop will be separate buildings. As a player character, you can sell stuff you?re carrying wherever you want, though .

6. Can I take my hard earned money and go bet on Podraces, or were they 'out' by this time period. Will there be any sort of gambling?

We will have forms of gambling, including sabacc. We don?t know about Podracing yet. It?s relatively obscure during this time period (having been outlawed and replaced by swoop races and what-not).

7. Please tell me Jar-Jar Binks is dead in this time period.

I can neither confirm nor deny this.

8. Are all the merchants going to buy and sell for the same price (as in EQ) or could I buy on one planet and travel to another to make a profit?

NPC merchants, for the most part, will be responsible for selling ?newbie? items or anything that we want to make easily-obtainable and fairly common (basic tools, for example). Again, we want to reduce tedium, so you shouldn?t have to search all over for a hydrospanner, nor should you need to worry about whether you?re getting the best price for something so basic. So, prices will probably be fixed for these newbie items, which should be found on almost every planet and should be relatively low-cost. The only exception to this might be weapons, which aren?t readily available on every world.

Now, beyond that, players will shape the economy. Player merchants should drive most of the pricing on planets, and we should see price fluctuations on various goods and services. Water on Tatooine will be more expensive than water on Naboo (I?m so happy that we now have two planets to talk about?).

9. How many people can share a house?

Details TBD.

10. How many houses constitute a city?

Details TBD.

"I don't know about you guys, but despite assurances that the Imperials will be a fun side to play in SWG, it seems that things are heavily weighted towards ensuring most players select the Rebels or, at worst, a neutral faction."
-blur

Very valid concern blur. I don?t know what else to tell you except that we?re trying very hard to make both sides appealing and accessible. I don?t think that the systems are weighted one way or another ? I honestly feel that both sides will be valid. We have said that, when you become a member of one of these factions, you?ll be able to ?check out? hardware. That alone should be enticing to would-be Imperials because the Imperial hardware is so dang cool. Again, when we start discussing PvP, you?ll see that the system really doesn?t lean one direction or another.

Also, the space expansion will take factional conflict to a whole new level.

?With the inclusion of Naboo, I'd be interested to know what systems will be in place to develop the idea of nobility and royalty in SWG.?
-Bennydtown

We plan to have ?titles? in the game. In Player Associations, the leader can actually give any titles that they want. We may have a list of common Star Wars titles for leaders in player-run communities as well.

A buncha questions from AdmiralGhent_LSF:

1. Is the Galactic Civil War the focus of the game or not?

It?s one focus of the game. I?ve been calling it a ?centerpiece? of the game. We want you to feel as if you?re living in a universe dominated by this conflict. You won?t need to become a part of it if you don?t want to, but that option will be there for everyone.

2. How is the war going to affect the game?

Quite simply, it impacts everything. We don?t make any decisions without considering how it changes the feel of the GCW.

3. How is the game going to be war torn?

There will be two major factions vying control of resources, locations, and even characters.

4. If the war IS the focus, what are the dynamics of each faction? How do structure, organization and rank fit in?

We?re not ready to talk about this yet, aside from what you already know ? you can become a member of either military faction, both of which will have their own structure, perks, etc. Stay tuned for details on PvP and how factions come into play.

5. What?s going to be emphasized more? The Galactic War itself, or LIVING in that war torn society?

Both. We?re encouraging players to participate in the greater conflict. Those characters who do not want to participate in the war itself will hopefully still feel as if they are living in a time period plagued by war and dominated by an oppressive Empire.

More about the factional conflict and PvP coming in a few days?

DviddLef has been posting a question a day for a while. Here are a few that I can answer.

14. Will I be able to fix machinery without specialized tools?

Depends on the type of machinery you?re trying to repair. It?s hard to fix a hyperdrive with your bare hands. We?ll have multipurpose tools that can be used for many repairs, and droids will provide another set of ?tools.? In some cases, you may need special equipment, however.

15. Will I be able to design new equipment/weapons?

Yes.

20. Can I make my character look old or young?

We are making player characters as customizable as we possibly can, and age (but not ageing) is a feature we hope to add (if we can surmount some technical issues with it). Every player character will be young adult or older, though (no nine-year old PCs, sorry).

In another post, Dviddlef asks what we?re working on now, and other?s have asked where we?ve been?

Well, we?re still recovering from E3 to some extent. I?ve spent the past few days reviewing design documents, skill trees, and a ton of other documentation. I?ve also been working on the internal budget some and doing other business-related stuff. In Austin, the team is gearing up to start putting some of the systems (including a combat prototype) into the game. We?re also ironing out details on PvP so we can start talking about it on the boards. And somewhere, someone is gearing up to build a stormtrooper model.

SturmAntilles wants to know how much of Tatooine we?re planning to include?
(http://boards.station.sony.com/ubb/star ... 11392.html)

Right now, we are planning to build several major locations, including Mos Eisley, Jabba?s palace, a few additional cities/settlements, some moisture farms, etc. Most of the places mentioned in the original thread are on our current plan, but we?ll see how much of it we can actually build. We probably won?t get to everything that?s been documented ? that?s a ton of sites ? but we?re going to try to get the most recognizable stuff in there first and hopefully add more later. Personally, I?m also pushing for Fort Tusken and the Jawa swap meet, but again, it will depend on the schedule.

Hdickie wants to know the release date for the product.

We haven?t committed to an official release date yet. Thus far, we?ve been targeting ?Fall 2002.?

Haden Blackman
LucasArts Producer

_________________
"Loose with Dignity"
Robert
Second President, Avian Gamers


DDO - Cannith - AlistairItor - Rogue/Ranger (5/3) - Main
DDO - Cannith - Guijanitor - Paladin/Rogue (4/1)
DDO - Cannith - RicochetItor - Rogue (5)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 12:44 pm 
Offline
Spammer
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2002 11:16 am
Posts: 5162
Location: Broomfield, CO
posted 01-16-2001 09:56 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay, I'll bite too? These are my own personal views and don't necessarily reflect the views of LucasArts and/or Sony Online.
1) What is your opinion of people buying and selling MMORPG items on Ebay? Do you think it adds to, detracts from, or has no effect on the game world?

From a strictly philosophical standpoint, I don't really have a problem with such transactions. If someone wants to buy something that someone else wants to sell, provided it's legal, I personally can?t complain. And in an MMORPG, there's no flag that says "This character/item was purchased on E-bay," so it doesn't really detract from the in-game experience for everyone around that purchased asset. However, I do think that buying a character limits the buyer?s experience and their playing time, so from a business standpoint, it can have a negative effect. In addition, with Star Wars Galaxies specifically, this type of activity will undoubtedly raise some legal issues because we?re dealing with a license; everything in the game is owned by Lucasarts and its Licensor, so selling something on an auction site might be problematic. We?re looking at ways that we can allow the transfer of characters within the context of the game.

2) How important do you feel customer support that goes beyond Tech support is? That is, things like in-game guides, help recovering from losses due to bugs, a consistent flow of information when the servers crash, etc.

Customer support in all areas is vital to all games, but especially MMOs. Tech support is obviously critical - if a player can't get the game up and running, then they can't enjoy it and everyone loses. But, we also need to support players after they log on; we need to keep them happy by responding to problems as they arise. There are limitations to what we can provide, and there are some people that you just can?t please (fortunately, that number is very small), but overall, customer support should *support* the players in whatever ways necessary. If we hire good people, train them well, and manage them well, then they?ll do their jobs well ? as a result, a strong bond should develop between the customer support crew and the players.

3) How do you feel about verbal harrasment done in-game? (Teasing over @tells after beating someone in PK) Sexual harrasment? OOC Racial slurs or comments?

I personally feel that there is no place for verbal harassment in an online game, outside of good-natured ribbing or role-playing. Gloating because you won a PvP fight is probably acceptable (within limits) because it does add to the role-play experience. But rampant teasing or use of inappropriate language and behavior should not be tolerated. There is no excuse for any kind of sexual harassment or racial slurs - they alienate everyone and give MMOs a bad image. The online environment might not be safe for *characters* (krayt dragons aren't exactly friendly), but it should be safe for *players*. We intend to keep it that way.

4) If you were a player, what kind of character/skills would you personally like to have in SWG?

I really enjoy the whole exploration aspect of MMORPGs, so I'll want a character that can survive on his or her own long enough to discover new areas.

5) Do you think MMORPGs should have an age restriction for players, such as the ratings system used by movies?

I believe that, like all other video games, MMOs should be developed with a specific ESRB rating in mind ("E" for Everyone, "T" for Teen, etc.). Once the game goes live, the developer must make certain the game retains the rating in terms of content generated by the development team; a player should not purchase a ?T?-rated MMO, only to find ?M?-rated content being interjected into the game six months after launch. And, although it?s very difficult (if not impossible) to control a player?s actions in an MMO, the developer should have some methods for dealing with problematic players or player-generated content that is contrary to the rating. Finally, because it is so difficult to control player contributions and actions, parents should be warned that children playing MMOs can be exposed to profanity and other questionable content generated by other players, regardless of the game's ESRB rating.

6) Do you think that SWG represents a future trend of "Licensed" MMORPGs, or do you think that there will still be a strong market for "independent" MMORPGs?

I truly hope that both continue to exist. There are a number of very cool licenses out there that would make great MMOs, but I'm sure there are also new and original ideas being generated that will be equally compelling.

7) What is your definition of "Grief-Playing" and how does it contrast with what you would consider appropriate PVPing?

A "Grief Player", in my mind, is someone who logs on to an MMORPG just to create misery and basically lessen the enjoyment of the game for others. Grief Players rarely role-play and spend most of their time harassing others and trying to kill inexperienced players just because they can. In simplest terms, a Grief Player is a classic bully. Fortunately, there are relatively few Grief Players out there. A Grief Player is *not* someone who engages in PvP within the proper context of the game. PvP is exciting and can be very fun for those who wish to participate (I personally like PvP), but it works best when those involved role-play the conflict and make PvP part of a larger story arc or struggle.

8) Who is your favorite OT SW Character and why?

Lando. He's very cool and seemingly carefree, but still faces this huge moral dilemma in The Empire Strikes Back. He has some of the most memorable lines and moments in ESB, and manages to redeem himself in ROJ. I recently reread the ESB radio drama, which adds a great deal of depth to the character as well. I also think Billy Dee Williams is perfect in the role, and his character has been preserved across Return of the Jedi and in all the Expanded Universe sources. Chewbacca is a close second, though.

9) Do you play P&P RPGs, and which do you prefer, Computer games, or P&P?

I actually collect pen-and-paper RPGs and currently own over thirty different systems, from the original 1st Edition D&D boxed set to the most recent incarnation of Marvel Superheroes. I still play RPGs whenever I get the chance and helped playtest the WotC Star Wars pnp RPG. I try a great many computer RPGs as well. I probably spend more time playing computer RPGs simply because it's easier for me to sit down at my computer than it is to corral all my friends, find a place to play, etc. But I don't think that either method of role-playing is inherently better or more fun than the other ? I like them both.

10) What are your favorite types of games? FPS, Fighters, Flight Sims, Tactical Sims...or ? What is your all time favorite CRPG?

I play all types of games ? I don't really have a favorite genre and I'll play virtually anything as long as it has solid gameplay, compelling graphics, or a strong story (preferably a combination of the above). I usually divide my time between a number of different games across several platforms, and I play everything that LucasArts produces. I'm currently playing Madden 2001, Diablo II, Summoner, Elite Force, Roller Coaster Tycoon, Counter-Strike, and a few others. And I just finished Starfighter, which was excellent. My favorite CRPG right now is Star Wars Galaxies.

11) Do you like TPM? How do you think it compares to the OT? And, what's your opinion of Jar Jar Binks?

I really enjoyed TPM ? Darth Maul was incredibly cool, the Podrace was great, and the lightsaber fights were amazing. The film also added a great deal to the existing continuity, which is always good for game development. I also had the advantage of seeing several versions of the rough cut, so I have a great appreciation for how it evolved. Like Raph, I have a growing fondness for Jar Jar because I've been able to see how kids react to him.

My favorite Star Wars film, though, is The Empire Strikes Back because, for me, it packs the most emotional punch and will always be part of my childhood. It also has some of the best moments for my two favorite characters ? Lando and Chewie.

Haden Blackman
Content Supervisor

_________________
"Loose with Dignity"
Robert
Second President, Avian Gamers


DDO - Cannith - AlistairItor - Rogue/Ranger (5/3) - Main
DDO - Cannith - Guijanitor - Paladin/Rogue (4/1)
DDO - Cannith - RicochetItor - Rogue (5)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 1:00 pm 
Offline
Spammer
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2002 11:16 am
Posts: 5162
Location: Broomfield, CO
Topic: The Planet Selection Process

posted 10-08-2001 02:23 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First Poster Challenge: In order to be considered the first poster, you need to answer this question: What is my favorite alien costume in the Star Wars films?
Several months ago, as we began announcing our player species, I wrote a post about how we selected those species. At that time, I promised to post a similar message explaining how we developed our list of ?explorable planets.? At long last, here?s that post? I?ll start with a quick update on our world-building progress and recap what we?ve announced thus far, then go on to describe the planet-selection process from a high-level perspective. Finally, I?ll discuss the criteria that we found important in determining which planets we wanted to recreate.

RECAP

Here?s what we?ve revealed, and where we?re at now:

*Star Wars Galaxies will include several explorable worlds. We haven?t announced the final number yet because we don?t want to paint ourselves into any corners. We have said that we?re hoping to include somewhere between four and twenty worlds, but I can now safely say that it will be between five and twenty worlds . As soon as we complete one full world ? including terrain, building placement, etc. ? we?ll be able to narrow that range a bit more. I wouldn?t expect a final, hard number until next year.

*We have announced that the game will include Naboo, Tatooine, Yavin 4, and Corellia. Again, we do not expect this to be the extent of our worlds ? you will see others added to that list in the coming months.

*We currently have four planets in full development. Naboo is the furthest along, with Yavin 4, Corellia, and a fourth unannounced planet right behind it. We?ve also done quite a bit of work on Tatooine, but it (and a few others) are scheduled to be completed after the other four.

*City-building has also started. The world designers are beginning with Theed on Naboo and Corellia?s Coronet, focusing mainly on layout and using temporary buildings to establish the proper traffic flows. After the initial layout is established, the designers simply walk around in the environment to see if it feels right. Coronet has been redesigned about six times because we really need to find the right mix of complexity and ease of use for our cities ? cities should be interesting, but you shouldn?t necessarily get lost every time you visit.

*Maps for our full list of planets have been completed and are in the middle of the approval process. World designers are hard at work creating missions, fleshing out points of interest, and developing other information for each world.

THE PROCESS

Step One: Make a List

This seems pretty obvious, but coming up with a list of planets in the Star Wars Universe takes quite a bit of work. We obviously started with the film planets (Tatooine, Endor, Hoth, Bespin, Naboo), and any planets mentioned in the films (Kessel, Dantooine, Sullust, Taanab). Then we added all the planets from the Essential Guide to Planets and Moons. Because that EG was published a few years ago, it had to be updated ? we sat down with all our other sources, including the comics and video games, to add any worlds that we found compelling. We also reviewed the map on the inside front cover of Vector Prime (and a more detailed version of that map that I have) to see if we missed any important worlds. This list easily surpassed 300 individual planets. Obviously, we needed to cut?

Step Two: The First Cut Pass

Before we could even prioritize the major planets, we needed a more manageable list. One of the designers was tasked with putting the planets into an spreadsheet, listing the types of terrain and any reference sources. If neither field could be filled out, then the planet was cut. This allowed us to drop a bunch of planets that are ?one-liners? ? mentioned somewhere, but never really detailed or fleshed out in any significant way.

Step Three: Gut Instinct Pass

With the excel sheet in hand, we debated which planets gave us any kind of positive feelings. There were some planets that seemed bland because of their descriptions or use in the fiction, so we dropped those.

Step Four: Spirited Debate

By this point, we still had several dozen planets on our list. During one of my trips to Austin, we hammered on that list until the ?final? candidates remained. The discussion was very interesting because, for whatever reasons, we all had ?favorites.? At any rate, as we went through the list, each planet was unofficially tested against a set of criteria to determine whether it would remain? See the criteria section below.

Step Five: Sanity Check

After we had a list that we felt pretty good about, we went back and reviewed it from a high-level perspective. We wanted to make sure that the list represented a diverse range of planets ? they couldn?t all be desert worlds, for example. We also wanted to ensure that the workload seemed reasonable: Not every planet on the list could be time-consuming or difficult to implement; some had to be fairly straight-forward. After deleting a few more planets and swapping others out in favor of worlds cut in Step Four, we had what we considered a fairly solid list. Of course, there have been some minor changes, but the list has been pretty stable for about six months now.

THE CRITERIA

Following are some of the things that came into play when we were discussing each planet. They are listed in no particular order, and not every planet will fulfill every ?requirement.? Finally, some of the elements below are double-edged swords: it?s great if a planet is seen in the films because it?s recognizable to even casual fans and we have plenty of visual reference; at the same time, if all of the planets were from the films, we?d be restricted creatively and wouldn?t be offering hardcore fans anything new to discover. The final list of planets should represent a fairly balanced collection.

SOME OVERALL RULES

I?ll start from the high-level perspective. If you?re looking at our list, it should represent the following:

*Diverse Experiences: Your experiences on Tatooine should be different than your experiences on Naboo.

*Diverse Environments: As I stated before, we didn?t want a series of desert planets or swamp planets.

*Range of Familiarity: We want our final list to range from well-known (Tatooine) to relatively obscure. This allows us to recreate some very familiar locations, but also surprise players and introduce new sites.

*Varying Degrees of ?Wildness?: Some planets should be safer, in general, than others. Some should offer several settlements; some might have very few. Some will be more prominent in the factional conflict, others might avoid it entirely.

*Varying Faction Status: In the continuity, some worlds are definitely aligned with the Empire or the Rebels, others are under the Empire?s thumb, and still others are entirely neutral. We want that same range, if possible.

*Varying Access to Resources: It doesn?t make sense to allow rampant resource gathering on every planet, nor should every planet have the same types of resources. At the same time, resources are a large part of the game, so there must be planets where they are abundant.

*Varying Access to Real Estate: As we?ve already stated, there will be ?zoning rules? in place for the construction of installations and buildings. We don?t want the jungles of Yavin 4 clear-cut to provide room for dozens of player cities, for example. At the same time, we want to encourage players to build and congregate where appropriate. Our final list needs to have planets with both strict and relaxed zoning rules.

*Range of Continuity Implications: Some planets will bring with them various continuity restrictions, others are wide open and will allow us more freedom in terms of developing new content.

*Spread Across the Galaxy: We actually made a conscious decision to include planets from the Core, Mid-Rim, and Outer Rim. We wanted you to really cross the galaxy while adventuring.

PLANET-SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS

When debating whether or not a planet should make the list, ask yourself these questions:

1) Does the Planet have diverse terrain?

Our worlds are fairly large, so some planets should have multiple terrain types. Even within a ?desert world,? like Tatooine, it?s nice to know that we can include expansive dunes, rocky canyons, and dusty cities. Planets with underground or underwater areas are also appealing in this context.

*2) Is there enough to do on the planet?

Some planets are fairly limited in the types of experiences they offer. If a world is totally defined by one experience or type of gameplay, then it might not be a good choice for us. Each planet should offer several different opportunities for exploration, combat, advancement, community interaction, etc.

*3) Does the planet have a unique personality?

Hopefully, each planet has its own feel and personality. If a planet hasn?t been well-developed in the continuity, this might be difficult to extract, unless we find something keen to grab onto. In some cases, an important event, NPC, or site adds the character we're seeking.

*4) Is there room for expansion?

We?re not capable of building an entire planet ? a globe that you can circumnavigate ? at this point. However, we do want to select planets that would be interesting to expand later. We want to know that we can add new continents, regions, etc.

*5) Is the planet accessible?

You need to be able to reach the planets through fairly standard means. Planets can?t be too remote (or undiscovered) or otherwise inaccessible. That doesn?t mean that it will be easy to reach every planet or that you won?t need to fulfill some requirements first?

*6) Is there reference material for the planet?

We need some reference to build virtually any planet, although the amount can vary. We are creating many sites from scratch, but it?s nice to know that we have Tatooine mapped out and well-documented.

*7) Has the planet appeared in one of the films?

This ties in with references, but it?s also connected to a sense of immersion and familiarity. While not every planet will be drawn from the films (that wouldn?t leave us with very many), this does weigh in heavy. We want players to visit places that they recognize.

*8) Can we reuse assets created for the planet?

We?re developing a ton of art assets, and it would be great to reuse them when appropriate, possible, and logical. This could include architecture, textures, special effects, etc.

*9) Are there creatures on the planet?

Many of our wild worlds should be populated by a wide variety of creatures, ranging from docile herd animals to voracious predators. If the continuity describes a world as ?barren and lifeless,? it might not be appropriate for our use at this point.

*10) Are there NPCs on or connected to the planet?

Although creatures are important, NPCs are even more so. NPCs might range from nameless stormtroopers to a named character like Jabba. The more detail we have about the types of sentient beings inhabiting a world, the more resources we have for creating ?theme park? areas, missions/quests, and special touches.

*11) Does the planet have compelling points of interest?

Commonly referred to as simply ?POIs,? these are areas that provide exploration and quest opportunities. Jabba?s Palace and Fort Tusken on Tatooine, the Great Temple and Exar Kun?s temple on Yavin 4, and Theed Palace and the Gungan Sacred Place on Naboo are all examples of POIs. Each planet should have at least two or three POIs. If compelling POIs don?t exist in the continuity, then we need the freedom to invent them.

*12) Does the planet have cities?

Not every planet will be considered ?civilized? or even ?settled,? but we need cities in this game as places for players to congregate, buy what they need, train, rest, gather information, etc. A large number of our worlds should have major cities (Mos Eisley on Tatooine, Theed on Naboo, and Coronet on Corellia). If we don?t have a full-fledged city, at the very least we need some type of settlement for re-supply and a spaceport so you can actually travel to and from the world.

*13) Is the planet free of continuity restrictions?

This is a major consideration for us. We need freedom when developing these worlds, and in some cases, the continuity has tied our hands. We can?t use Alderaan because it has been destroyed by our starting point in the timeline. Other worlds are inappropriate because they haven?t been discovered yet, they?re described as uninhabitable by most of our species, the local government doesn't allow visitors to arrive or leave, etc.

*14) Does the planet have any historical context?

We also considered the ?historical context? of a planet, trying to determine how important it is not just to fans but to the overall history of the Star Wars Universe. Obviously, Tatooine is prominent in this regard.

*15) Is it technologically feasible to build the planet?

There are some worlds that we simply can?t faithfully recreate due to technological limitations. Planets that require a great deal of geometry packed together in small areas would be very difficult to build, for example.

*16) Does the planet have interesting factional implications?

Worlds with an Imperial or Rebel presence were appealing to us because they offer a wider range of experiences and possibilities. Not every world will have an Imperial base, but we do want the Empire to be a constant presence and stormtroopers should be visible throughout the game.

*17) Does the planet fill one of the criteria that I listed under the overall rules above?

A planet might give us a totally unique terrain type or fill a void by providing a place for criminally-aligned characters to congregate, for example.

*18) Is the planet cool?

This is a totally subjective question, and something that I think is cool might seem very interesting to the world designers, or vice versa. But there is definitely something intangible about some planets that makes them compelling to us. On the flip side, other worlds just didn?t spark our imaginations. Oh, and you know what's really cool? The Jabba "costume" from RoJ. That's probably the best creature effect in any movie, ever.

In the event that you want to actually use this list of questions, here it is in a more manageable format:

1) Does the planet have diverse terrain?
2) Is there enough to do on the planet?
3) Does the planet have a unique personality?
4) Is there room for expansion?
5) Is the planet accessible?
6) Is there reference material for the planet?
7) Has the planet appeared in one of the films?
8) Can we reuse assets created for the planet?
9) Are there creatures on the planet?
10) Are there NPCs on or connected to the planet?
11) Does the planet have compelling points of interest?
12) Does the planet have cities?
13) Is the planet free of continuity restrictions?
14) Does the planet have any historical context?
15) Is it technologically feasible to build the planet?
16) Does the planet have interesting factional implications?
17) Does the planet fill one of the criteria that I listed under the overall rules above?
-Does it offer some new experience you can find anywhere else?
-Does it have an environment unique to that planet?
-Does it have a unique resource?
*18) Is the planet cool?

I?ll follow this post with another (here) evaluating our four announced planets in relation to these criteria.

Haden Blackman
LucasArts Producer

_________________
"Loose with Dignity"
Robert
Second President, Avian Gamers


DDO - Cannith - AlistairItor - Rogue/Ranger (5/3) - Main
DDO - Cannith - Guijanitor - Paladin/Rogue (4/1)
DDO - Cannith - RicochetItor - Rogue (5)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 1:05 pm 
Offline
Spammer
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2002 11:16 am
Posts: 5162
Location: Broomfield, CO
Factions, part one: Overview and Sympathy

posted 11-30-2001 04:49 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Happy Site Anniversary! Today is one year since the site launched. It?s great to see so many of you from those first days still here.
There?s quite a furor on the boards at the moment over the faction stuff, so I thought that as a bit of a birthday present, I?d do an infodump on the faction system as it currently exists, just to make sure we?re all on the same page and have all the terms right.

Overview

The faction system has three big components: sympathy, declaring, and territory. Each of these is a distinct subgame, so to speak, each layered on top of the other. You don?t need to be involved with territory if you are declared, and you don?t need to be declared to play with sympathy stuff. But the reverse is mostly true?you can?t declare without getting into the sympathy stuff, and you can?t do much with the territory thing without declaring.

Some terms that might be useful:

Faction
An organization run by the server that allows players to participate in and interact with readily identifiable groups from Star Wars fiction. By their actions, players can influence how the factions impact the game world.

Sympathy
This is a rating that defines how NPCs will react to the player. A player?s sympathy rating with a specific faction is not affected by his or her sympathy rating with any other faction.

Sympathizer
The term for a player who has significant sympathy towards any faction. Usually prefaced with the name of the faction to which they have sympathy (for example, Imperial sympathizer).

Neutral
The term for players who do not have significant sympathy to any faction.

Zone of contention
A square 512m on a side. The entire planetary map is divided into these zones, and a zone may be controlled by a faction. (note: the size of the zone may change based on testing and as we proceed through development).

In a nutshell, players have standing with various factions based on the sympathy value stored on their character. They store a separate value for each faction. NPCs use this value for their reactions to the player, it can be used as a mission prerequisite, etc. The value changes based on actions you take.

If you cross a certain point, you are eligible to declare to that faction. This puts you in the purview of the PvP system, as it makes you officially an enemy to the other factions. Enemy here is used in the strict sense from the PvP docs?it means you become a valid PvP target for someone of opposing faction. Currently, all factions are opposed to all other factions, but this will change as the game goes on as we add more factions.

Parts of the map can be controlled by a faction. Some areas come set up that way. Others start held by nobody. You control an area by building factionally aligned structures on it. Every day or so, we calculate who?s on top, and the area falls under their control. This affects people in that area in various ways.

OK, enough overview, now juicy details:

Sympathy

We?re starting out with three factions, so we are tracking three scales on each player. The scales are not defined in opposition to each other, quite intentionally. It?s so that as we add factions, we can get more interesting relationships. For example, at some point we might add Black Sun. When this happens, maybe we make Black Sun and Hutts enemies, and make Black Sun and Rebels enemies, but not Black Sun and Imperials. Or maybe we add five more factions, and want to have even more complex relationships. Not having opposition scales gives us the flexibility to swap things around very easily.

Players all start out neutral (at zero) on all the sympathy scales. Taking factional missions, picking a side in a battlefield, healing a member of a faction (NPC or player!), attacking or killing them, attacking a factional structure, getting caught smuggling goods, doing quests?all these things can affect any of the sympathy scales. Many of them might affect more than one. For example, each time you try to smuggle something for the Hutts, you?ll gain Hutt standing. And succeeding gains you even more. But if you get caught in Rebel territory, it?ll lower your Rebel value, and if you get caught in Imperial territory, it?ll lower your Imperial sympathy.

When you cross a certain value on a given scale, you become a sympathizer to that faction. NPCs will react to that differently. If you?re of their faction, they will trust you more. If you are of an enemy faction, they may figure out that you are a sympathizer and treat you worse or even attack. Generally speaking, though, only fellow sympathizers to that faction can see that you are a sympathizer.

So if you?re an Imp symp (neat phrase!), you can see other Imp symps. But you cannot tell that someone is a Rebel symp. But an NPC might figure it out and treat that player more rudely. But some NPCs might treat players rudely period, so that?s not necessarily a good indicator.

Two important last things.

1) There is nothing stopping you from trying to be a double or triple agent. In other words, build up sympathy on multiple scales. Go for it. You can even become a sympathizer to multiple factions. Just keep in mind that it might be risky. Nobody likes double agents.

2) Sympathy requires maintenance. It decays away over time.

Next post?declaring and territory. I look forward to seeing whether this first one fits with what your impressions of sympathy were.

Raph Koster
Creative Director

_________________
"Loose with Dignity"
Robert
Second President, Avian Gamers


DDO - Cannith - AlistairItor - Rogue/Ranger (5/3) - Main
DDO - Cannith - Guijanitor - Paladin/Rogue (4/1)
DDO - Cannith - RicochetItor - Rogue (5)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 1:07 pm 
Offline
Spammer
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2002 11:16 am
Posts: 5162
Location: Broomfield, CO
posted 12-13-2001 04:12 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It?s that time again?
I?ll be out of the office in Austin for most of next week, so I thought I?d throw this out now. Hopefully, you?ll get a trip report late next week before the holiday begins.

Anyway:


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the EU the majority of Trandoshans were slavers and Wookiee hunters. -Rydasssk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just wanted to point out that most Trandoshans are not slavers. The species as a whole has received that rep because of the actions of a few. We know from several sources that this is true.


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
so it sounds like Kessel could make it to the release, if not then the space expansion (I guess). - Syren_Mere
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We?d definitely like to have Kessel in the game by the Space Expansion. We haven?t determined those planets yet, though, and we obviously haven?t finished announcing the planets for the core product? But, if I can?t do the Kessel Run in the space expansion, I?ll be disappointed.


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can you comment on your plans for server locations yet or is it still too early?? ?Frey
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It?s still too early.


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was just wondering if any of the maps for any of the planets are finished? If not when are they going to be finished? And finally will we be able to see the maps when they're done? ? audiecugi
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All the maps for all of our planets are finished and approved, from a high-level perspective. Exact placement of outposts and what-not might change, and we haven't reached the "this NPC is here" level of detail yet. They also don't include roads and some other features. And city maps haven?t been completed yet.

We probably won?t release the maps ? filling in the maps on your radar is part of the fun of exploration. However, maps for some planets are based on existing sources. For Tatooine, there are plenty of maps available and we?re using the most recent as our reference.

A bunch for Dvvidlef?s posts? In reverse order, no less?


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
265. Will we be able to write things on clothing?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Probably not. It?s much too difficult to police (how do we keep you from writing an expletive?). We would like to have logos, which can be built from parts that we provide.


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
255. Will we be able to ride any creature that is over a certain size?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not necessarily. We?ll have creatures designated as ?mounts,? like dewbacks and banthas. Other creatures will be too wild or dangerous to ride.


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
249 How much customization will there be to allow me to create an older looking character?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hairstyles and hair color mainly. We do have a comb-over hairstyle right now.


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
236. How will you stop people from outcasting anyone and everyone that kills them?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I?m assuming this means ?How will you stop people from outcasting any and every non-enemy who kills them?? (You can't outcast someone who identifies you as an enemy).

We won?t? The only way for this to happen is for people to stop killing that PC. If the PC keeps getting killed by non-enemies, then s/he can keep outcasting people?


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
229. Will humans be able to be bald?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes, as will several other species.


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
226. Will different species, have different emotes?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We talked about this, but right now it?s a wish list feature, to be honest. It would be great to have the ?Let the Wookiee Win? emote (where Chewie crosses his arms over the back of his head). It probably won?t make it into the launch product.


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
201. Are there going to be Bo'Marr monks in the game?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As of right now, yes.




quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To date, the big issue has been whether the devs will allow 'programmable' tunes. The problem with this being, of course, that people will program the notes to popular copywritten songs. ?FurryWookiee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is actually a hot topic right now. There are numerous legal and immersion issues with just providing notes ? as you point out, it could result in players recreating well-known songs, which not only raises legal concerns but also destroy the sense of continuity and immersion (I would imagine hearing a current pop song being played at your local cantina would snap you out of the Star Wars universe). The two alternatives we?re looking into:

1) Providing entire songs that your character can learn as s/he becomes more proficient with music. These songs might include some well-known Star Wars tunes that *add* to the sense of immersion (like the songs played by the Bith band in the cantina).

2) Providing a music editor, but with pieces larger than single notes. So, we might have a drumbeat, repeating single chords or chord progressions, etc. that you could edit together and layer to form different songs. The catch would be making sure that whatever we provide players is long enough to prevent recreation of existing songs, which could be tricky?

At any rate, it?s something we?re still working on from both a design and legal perspective.

Haden Blackman
LucasArts Producer

_________________
"Loose with Dignity"
Robert
Second President, Avian Gamers


DDO - Cannith - AlistairItor - Rogue/Ranger (5/3) - Main
DDO - Cannith - Guijanitor - Paladin/Rogue (4/1)
DDO - Cannith - RicochetItor - Rogue (5)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 1:54 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2005 8:13 pm
Posts: 928
Location: Columbus, OH
Wow, what game is that!? It sounds amazing! :?


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 7:54 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2002 9:01 pm
Posts: 7692
Location: Chicago, IL
Looking back at these its obvious they were just making things up as they went along.

_________________
Romsuiag (Brad)
Former and Third President of Avian


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group