[11:02] <@Bouncer> He'll make sure they are addressed
[11:02] <@Bouncer> First up will be the ship changes
[11:03] <@Bouncer> You can view the changes here: http://goo.gl/A2lCEY
[11:04] <@Bouncer> but as a brief overview, top racials will become more specialized
[11:05] <@Bouncer> For instance, the Dark Mirafe and the Thevian Assualt Craft will be more geared to hunting than port or planet raiding
[11:05] <@Bouncer> Both will be gaining 10 mines, an extra weapon slot, and a slight decrease in defense
[11:06] <~Page> and 10 scouts
[11:07] <@Bouncer> The destroyer, devastator, mothership, and fury will be gaining some defense to increase survivability against ports/planets
[11:08] <~Page> the Blockade Runner and Expeditor have also gained extra weapons to match the more militant nature of their races
[11:08] <~Page> so both have 4 weapons
[11:09] <~Page> also slight buffs to the PF and PSF so they now have more holds (still worse than the weaker traders of that level, but less drastically so)
[11:09] <~Page> Question: what is the purpose of reducing the devs Hps to 5?
[11:10] <~Page> the aim behind that is to reduce it's strength in ship vs ship, so that it can have a lot more defence
[11:10] <~Page> in order to be a pretty safe raider, even against a level 70 planet
[11:10] <~Page> something to note is that it also gained a buff to 7 speed at the start of last round
[11:11] <~Page> so the weapons change is also to compensate against that (which came sooner than these changes, because these ones were not ready at the time)
[11:11] <@Bouncer> These changes do not have to be final either
[11:11] <@Bouncer> If we see something is over/under powereed, we can make adjustments
[11:12] <~Page> well, they are final for this round, but they will almost certainly be adjusted next round
[11:12] <@Bouncer> yes
[11:12] <~Page> in particular the TAC and DM changes are fairly major
[11:12] <~Page> as they are now more hunting oriented
[11:13] <~Page> as for 1v1 capabilities, I tested them both against all the other warbirds, and they tended to win
[11:13] <~Page> in the 65-70% region
[11:13] <~Page> other than against the mothership
[11:13] <~Page> which tended to be one-sided based upon how quickly the mothership lost shields and started losing CDs
[11:14] <~Page> the TAC winning against the DM generally
[11:14] <~Page> although I have to say it tended to be quite a scary experience, as you start off with quite low defence but win just due to doing enough damage to compensate
[11:15] <~Page> Question/Comment: some thing I would like too see, is the randomness of weapons a bit tighter..one time you hit for 600, next shot 0, then 120 ..seems a bit out there?
[11:16] <~Page> there is already a mechanism in place to try to level out randomness over shots
[11:16] <~Page> although the way it works is that if you hit with all your weapons in one shot, you're more likely to miss the next shot
[11:17] <~Page> so over the course of a fight it should balance out the overall accuracy
[11:17] <~Page> if you want it to be balanced within a single shot it'd be best to go for the higher accuracy weapons
[11:18] <~Page> Question: will there be alterations to other ships of creo to make them better in pvp instances? as it stands the jugger would get blown out of the sky by other racials.
[11:19] <~Page> I'm not against making changes to the other ships, however if you compare the juggernaut against the other tier 2 hunters (6-8mil hunters)
[11:20] <~Page> the it has joint highest weapons and the only ship with more defence is the ITAC
[11:20] <~Page> so it should win most fights unless the opponent has armed specifically for the juggernaut
[11:21] <@Bouncer> which was often the case for a Devastator as well
[11:21] <~Page> yeah, and most people tend to arm fairly balanced (well except for those dirty killstealers!)
[11:22] <@Jouldax> 0/1450 is an epic setup
[11:22] <~Page> but if I'm missing something that makes it weaker than it seems then do let me know
[11:22] <~Page> I try to share the ship list with a lot of people/in a lot of places as I'm working on changes
[11:25] <~Page> any more questions/comments related to the ship changes?
[11:25] <@Bouncer> for those that missed it, ship changes can be seen here: http://goo.gl/A2lCEY
[11:26] <@JettJackson> and if you have questions to send them to me
[11:26] <@JettJackson> since i see we have a couple late arrivals
[11:27] <@Bouncer> ok, last call for ship questions
[11:27] <@Bouncer> if you think of any after this, we can answer them at the end
[11:27] <@Bouncer> Next topic is the new round.
[11:28] <@Bouncer> The map is slated to be Racial Evolution
[11:28] <@Bouncer> Details can be seen in the first post here: http://smrcnn.smrealms.de/viewtopic.php?f=110&t=11781
[11:31] <@Bouncer> To sum it up, everyone will be confined to racials at the start of the game
[11:31] <@Jouldax> Alright
[11:31] <@Jouldax> I'll go into a little more detail
[11:31] <@Jouldax> I know one of the biggest complaints we've had in the past
[11:31] <@Jouldax> has been rush through early game, sit on rocks
[11:31] <@Jouldax> PB
[11:32] <@Jouldax> game tends to slow towards the end
[11:32] <@Jouldax> To that effect, we'll be releasing parts of the map in short stages
[11:32] <@Jouldax> basically within every 48 hours
[11:32] <@Jouldax> you begin locked in a racial pair
[11:32] <@Jouldax> within the first 48 hours, you gain access to your other neighbor
[11:33] <@Jouldax> The next stage is access to the funnel galaxy, which contains a CA
[11:33] <@Jouldax> warps will be added throughout the racials and into and out of the funnel
[11:33] <@Jouldax> the next stage is half the neutral will be accessible
[11:33] <@Jouldax> followed by the second half of the neutral
[11:33] <@Jouldax> and then the pgals
[11:33] <@Jouldax> as the game goes on
[11:33] <@Jouldax> for balance and to make things interesting
[11:33] <@Jouldax> I will make tweaks
[11:34] <@Jouldax> for those of you asking before, any wall changes I make will be immediately viewable on your galaxy map
[11:34] <@Jouldax> so you won't need to re-scout
[11:34] <@Jouldax> however
[11:34] <@Jouldax> things like port re-racing, warp shifting, etc
[11:34] <@Jouldax> that will change things to a degree
[11:34] <@Jouldax> I have no intention of breaking the map with changes
[11:34] <@RCK> (Intentionally
[11:34] <@Jouldax> precisely
[11:35] <TheDreadPirate> hence the word "intention"
[11:35] <@Jouldax> that's the general concept to the round
[11:35] <@Jouldax> be happy to take any questions or concerns you guys have
[11:35] <@Jouldax> remember
[11:35] <TheDreadPirate> how will it affect alliance recruitment and operations?
[11:35] <@Jouldax> good question
[11:35] <@Jouldax> before I answer that
[11:36] <@Jouldax> remember, this is a dynamic map, so nothing is truly set in stone. Changes you guys offer now can go in right away if they make sense
[11:36] <@Jouldax> now, TDP, to answer your question
[11:36] <@Jouldax> the current alliance cap is 20/3
[11:36] <@Jouldax> The map SHOULDN'T impact recruitment
[11:37] <@Jouldax> since the whole map should essentially be open by the end of the first week or so
[11:37] <@Jouldax> as for ops
[11:37] <@Jouldax> yes, it might mean a little extra work
[11:37] <@Jouldax> but there are several L9 ports in each pgal
[11:37] <@Jouldax> so your routes, if you choose to build one
[11:37] <@Jouldax> shouldn't be massively affected by any changes I make
[11:38] <TheDreadPirate> an alliance will have to have enough players with access to the galaxy in question
[11:38] <@Bouncer> Also, the entire game will be notified when changes occur (walls, ports, etc.)
[11:38] <TheDreadPirate> so only for a week or more is it a limiter
[11:38] <@Jouldax> says who, Bouncer
[11:38] <@Bouncer> Remember, once the central funnel opens, all races will have access to each other
[11:38] <@Jouldax> And beyond that
[11:38] <@Jouldax> after the first 48 hours
[11:38] <@Jouldax> all borders will be open for walking really
[11:39] <@Jouldax> Each racial pairing only has 1 closed border at the start
[11:39] <@Jouldax> traversing will be available after 48 hours
[11:39] <@Jouldax> and then easier after the second 48 hour window
[11:39] <@Jouldax> question regarding early hunting and how it's impacted
[11:40] <@Jouldax> so, for those of you that choose to hunt within the first 48 hours, I suppose you'll be somewhat limited...
[11:40] <@Jouldax> with your 0 exp anyway hehe
[11:40] <@Jouldax> but after 48 hours, you can reach every racial, and the small hunters are the fastest ship
[11:40] <@Bouncer> depending on the race you pick though, you could have a lot of targets early on
[11:40] <@Jouldax> after 4 days, which is still very early game, warps will come into play and you can move about much more freely
[11:41] <TheDreadPirate> this is a significant improvement
[11:41] <@Jouldax> Are there any other questions or concerns
[11:41] <@Jouldax> I'll address anything, even if it's not even your own question
[11:42] <TheDreadPirate> yes
[11:42] <@Jouldax> go ahead, TDP
[11:42] <TheDreadPirate> will neutral ships be available in the racials from the start?
[11:43] <@Jouldax> yes, neutral ships WILL be available EXCEPT
[11:43] <@Jouldax> for the UG and Fed ships
[11:43] <TheDreadPirate> right
[11:43] <TheDreadPirate> IST, ACV etc
[11:43] <@Jouldax> by day 4
[11:43] <@Jouldax> every ship will be accessible except for alignment-based ships
[11:43] <@Jouldax> which seems like more than enough time to build the cash you need for thos
[11:43] <@Jouldax> *those
[11:44] <TheDreadPirate> it will be interesting to see how Alliances try to build routes while themap is still restricted
[11:44] <@Jouldax> So that's a great segue
[11:44] <TheDreadPirate> it will take some planning
[11:44] <@Jouldax> into the next question
[11:44] <@Jouldax> a lot of you have asked what the intent of this map is
[11:44] <@Jouldax> I tried to address that in my opening remarks to a degree
[11:44] <@Jouldax> and if you check the topic on the webboard
[11:44] <@Jouldax> I've laid out several points
[11:45] <@Jouldax> but really, the concept here is to force people to think outside the box and adapt
[11:45] <@Jouldax> honestly, in traditional games, the strategy is nearly always the same
[11:45] <@Jouldax> get enough cash, get some exp and some routes
[11:45] <@Jouldax> rush to get enough money
[11:45] <@Jouldax> do an op or two
[11:45] <@Jouldax> build rocks
[11:45] <@Jouldax> then PB
[11:46] <@Jouldax> this map is more dynamic than the other maps we've traditionally had with regards to the neutral and the pgals
[11:46] <@Jouldax> with warp placement and layouts
[11:46] <@Jouldax> and with routes changing
[11:46] <@Jouldax> you might need to adjust your strategy from time to time
[11:46] <@Bouncer> And if we find it doesn't work, we'll put it on the shelf and move on
[11:46] <@Jouldax> locations might shift, so one galaxy might have an advantage, etc etc
[11:46] <TheDreadPirate> I am optomistic
[11:47] <@Jouldax> but this should hopefully lengthen the game a bit and give people a challenge
[11:47] <@Jouldax> instead of mindless trading
[11:47] <@Jouldax> I hope that at least addresses my thought process here
[11:48] <@Jouldax> and as Bouncer said
[11:48] <@Jouldax> if it doesn't work, well, we tried something new for the betterment of the game
[11:48] <@Jouldax> and we always learn from our experiences
[11:48] <@Jouldax> Any other questions or concerns I can address?
[11:48] <@Bouncer> Any other questions about the map or concept for next round?
[11:48] <Rain> I like the idea, gives new challanges
[11:49] <Big_Red_Button> tbh seems like you are pushing mindless trading.
[11:49] <@Jouldax> how so brb?
[11:50] <@Jouldax> in a stagnant map, you trade the same route over and over. In a dynamic map, you're forced to find new routes, consider alternatives, and figure out new paths to safety if forced to run with walling changes
[11:50] <TheDreadPirate> tell me what race you are going to be BrB and I'll add some excitement to your trading
[11:50] <@Jouldax> hunting spots changed, the whole map gets used
[11:50] <@Jouldax> lol TDP
[11:50] <@Jouldax> but I am curious to hear your thought process and why you think it promotes mindless trading
[11:50] <Big_Red_Button> you could if you could get there in the first 4 days
[11:51] <@Bouncer> which can be done
[11:51] <@Bouncer> within 4 days, all races will be open to each other
[11:51] <@Jouldax> as I said, remember, all HQs can be reached after the first 48 hours
[11:52] <@Bouncer> Dose that answer your question, BRB?
[11:53] <Big_Red_Button> not a fan but yes.
[11:54] <@Bouncer> Someone hunting in the first 48 hours could cause quite a bit of trouble for traders in their own galaxy
[11:54] <@Bouncer> so people will have to be careful
[11:54] <Big_Red_Button> think this would work fine for people that have been playing forever, but people like me with only 1 traditional round and this last mess under their belt will be a pain in the as.
[11:55] <TheDreadPirate> I have been playing about 18 months
[11:55] <@Bouncer> If you are afraid to trade, you can sit on you turns for a bit
[11:55] <@Bouncer> or just not use up all your newbie turns
[11:55] <TheDreadPirate> BrB thisgame has a Long Learning curve
[11:55] <@Bouncer> Different strategies to consider
[11:55] <Big_Red_Button> not really,
[11:55] <TheDreadPirate> Bouncer wont teach me anything
[11:55] <Rain> that's why you get help from team mates
[11:56] <@Bouncer> This game is based around teamwork
[11:56] <Asp> or fire first
[11:57] <@Bouncer> so if you are having trouble trading early on, talk with your alliance
[11:57] <@JettJackson> rain has a good point, you will probably use help from your team via protection
[11:57] <@JettJackson> or trading together to limit the death possibility
[11:57] <TheDreadPirate> I don't use protection
[11:58] <TheDreadPirate> its gross
[11:58] <Big_Red_Button> same.
[11:58] <TheDreadPirate> well I need to go. Thank you Admins for your hard work
[11:58] <Big_Red_Button> isnt a matter of fear or protection. for somebody new is just confusing
[11:58] <TheDreadPirate> there would be no SMR without you
[11:59] <@Bouncer> Thanks TDP
[11:59] <TheDreadPirate> Good Luck Big Red.
[11:59] <@Bouncer> And yes, BRB
[11:59] <@Bouncer> there is a very steep learning curve
[11:59] <@MrSpock> Thank you TDP
[11:59] <@Bouncer> expect to die often
[11:59] <@Bouncer> Even vets that have played for years die
[11:59] <TheDreadPirate> Read xDemonx's guide to safe trding
[11:59] <Big_Red_Button> IT IS NOT A MATTER OF DEAT
[12:00] <Big_Red_Button> death*
[12:00] <@GreyDeath> Brb, don't be afraid to ask players or admins for tips on trading and who to watch for
[12:00] <TheDreadPirate> uh oh Caps
[12:00] <Big_Red_Button> missing my oint
[12:00] <Big_Red_Button> point* sorry my keyboard is crap
[12:01] <~Page> ok, and onto the next topic
[12:01] <Rain> admins will also help you learn everything
[12:01] <~Page> port changes
[12:01] <~Page> you can check them out here: http://goo.gl/IwsxE0
* Looking up Big_Red_Button user info...
[12:02] <~Page> but basically ports are gaining a lot more CDs (a level 1 will have 1082 at the start, and a level 9 1732)
[12:02] <~Page> but losing 4 turrets
[12:02] <~Page> so they will be down to 6 turrets
[12:03] <~Page> and losing shields/armour, so in total a level 9 will have 6,163 less defence
[12:04] <~Page> this means that if you want to raid, you'll want to use the raiders (who all have much higher defence)
[12:04] <~Page> and should be pretty safe to raid it with, even with only 5
[12:05] <~Page> however it does mean that the TAC/DM will be scary to try to raid in
[12:06] <~Page> the port money has been increased to compensate as well, so a level 9 now gives 40.8mil
[12:06] <~Page> and a level 1 gives 4.8mil
[12:07] <~Page> also to reduce the cost due to having to replaces more shields/armour I have dropped the price of shields and armour to 150 and 75 respectively
[12:09] <~Page> I am expecting to look at ports more in future, but the goal of this is to allow raiders to be high defence, low offense ships
[12:09] <~Page> that can kill ports in a decent speed, fairly safely
[12:10] <~Page> and allowing for stronger hunters like the DM/TAC, which would be far too strong if they were able to raid safely
[12:12] <~Page> also ports will gain much less defences than previously as they gain money
[12:12] <~Page> so a port with loads of money will still have reasonably low defence (in the past it could reasonably easily become incredibly strong)
[12:13] <~Page> anyone have questions/comments?
[12:13] <@Bouncer> We'll take general questions now as well
[12:14] <@Bouncer> it does not have to be about the port changes
[12:14] <Asp> when does the game go active?
[12:14] <Azn> only question to late thing. is jouldaxs map being used where warps open up randomly after certain times?
[12:15] <@Jouldax> it's not "randomly"
[12:15] <@Jouldax> there are fairly set intervals of about 48 hours
[12:15] <@Jouldax> and it's basically segmented
[12:15] <Azn> well yeah thats what i meant but random warps
[12:15] <@Jouldax> so there's a set progression
[12:16] <Azn> and also can i jump to gal if warp not open?
[12:16] <@Jouldax> no
[12:16] <@Bouncer> no, you cannot
[12:16] <Azn>
okay all i needed to know[12:16] <@Bouncer> The round is planned to start after this table ends
[12:17] <Rain> yeah
[12:17] <@Bouncer> Turns will start tomorrow
[12:17] <@Jouldax> actually azn
[12:17] <@Jouldax> I will be taking your ship
[12:17] <@Jouldax> and putting it in a 1x1 box
[12:17] <@Jouldax> I may give you a bar to let you amuse yourself
[12:18] <Azn> meh wont hafta worry dont think im playing
[12:18] <Azn> all my good friends have left
[12:18] <@Jouldax> play the game because you enjoy playing the game
[12:18] <@Jouldax> there are plenty of fun people still around
[12:18] <Azn> i do but i enjoy early hunting and it got kinda killed
[12:19] <Azn> or early planet building which i cant either
[12:19] <@Bouncer> Early hunting is still viable
[12:19] <Azn> u know how i hate trading
[12:19] <Azn> only ur race though
[12:19] <@Bouncer> only for 48 hours
[12:19] <@Bouncer> then you have access to all race HQs
[12:19] <Azn> so all warps between racials will open up? after 48 hrs
[12:20] <@Jouldax> no warps until 96 hours
[12:20] <Azn> but having no acess to the neut inbetween gal will make it like 70 turns to get from one end to other
[12:21] <@Jouldax> that's after the first 48 hours
[12:21] <@Jouldax> then after 96
[12:21] <@Jouldax> you get full access basically
[12:21] <@Jouldax> honestly, check the last games
[12:21] <@Jouldax> how many kills do you think occured within the first 4 days?
[12:21] <@Jouldax> I bet you'll get way high
[12:21] <@Jouldax> *guess
[12:22] <Azn> well i hunted after 14 hrs last game or less
[12:22] <Azn> and loved it. i didnt get alot of kills maybe 1
[12:22] <@Jouldax> so you'll have 2 racials to hunt
[12:23] <Azn> but its ther chase and sitting there waiting for my target that kept me entertained
[12:24] <Azn> iono i suppose ill give it a try
[12:24] <@Jouldax> this doesn't take away your ability to hunt right out of the gate
[12:24] <@Jouldax> there will be 200 sectors to hunt
[12:24] <@Jouldax> from day 1
[12:24] <Azn> well as long as thev-wq connect...:0
[12:25] <@GreyDeath> Lol
[12:25] <@Jouldax> why do you say that? lol
[12:25] <Azn> because i believe 60% or more of our 50 or so active players will go that
[12:26] <~Page> I expect they will, the hunting capability looks very interesting
[12:26] <@Jouldax> Thevian is initially linked with nijarin, which had a number of players and will have one of the best opping ships
[12:26] <@Jouldax> and WQ is linked with Human initially
[12:26] <~Page> but I shall laugh when they all die to ports!
[12:26] <~Page> muahahaha!
[12:26] <@Jouldax> which had the highest number of players
[12:27] <@Jouldax> so I did put some thought into that
[12:27] <Azn> whats alskant linked to?
[12:27] <@Jouldax> and yes, there will be a warp between WQ and thevian
[12:27] <Azn> if its linked to creo im def going alskant
[12:27] <@Jouldax> Salvene
[12:27] * RCK is now known as RCK|away
[12:27] <@Jouldax> so didn't care for the EOS changes, so I gave people an incentive to play salvene
[12:27] <@Jouldax> Despite what you guys think, I DO think about these things
[12:28] <Azn> the trick to not dieing to ports is continously misss ops which is wat i plan on doing
[12:29] <~Page> something I'd like to ask people is what ship (particular ship, or class of ship) or race they think should be looked at to make more interesting/improved and why?
[12:29] <Azn> give all the raiders back their hp!
[12:30] <Asp> give the traders some help against the hunters
[12:30] <@Bouncer> most trader deaths are caused by pack hunting
[12:30] <Azn> dw asp all the 24/7 hunters quit lol
[12:30] <~Page> what sort of help are you thinking?
[12:30] <@Bouncer> at least from what I have seen
[12:31] <Azn> and true bouncer its alrady hard enough to kill traders solo
[12:31] <Asp> some thing like less attack if hitting a 2/5
[12:31] <Azn> either waste too many turns going to hide while waiting or u have to be on constantly
[12:33] <@Bouncer> That is something we can look in to
[12:33] <~Page> Asp, what I have done is made the PSF and PF much better traders
[12:33] <~Page> so they're now more of an option if you want a safer trader