The Hub Proposed Proving Ground and The Hub for the upcoming VU

[Kris | Cyrene]

Hey guys!

These are the proposed changes that we'd like to implement for the Proving Grounds and the Hub for upcoming VU:

To start with, we're removing the sweat cost to go to the Proving Grounds, and we are reducing the amount of sweat it takes to PvP by half (from 10 to 5) per entry. Also, you are no longer awarded sweat from kills in the Proving Grounds, instead there is a new token type just for the Proving Grounds (Reward Token Lime Green). These tokens are currency for cosmetic items for both inside and out of the Hub, and can expand to offer more different types of items later.

The token spawners are changing as well, instead of spawning Entry Tokens, they are going to spawn the new Proving Ground token (Reward Token Lime Green). Unfortunately, it's not possible to have this area become a lootable PvP zone, as it conflicts with the speed increase and decay reduction/skill override. Changing it to lootable and removing the other stuff didn't really feel like a "training ground" so we've opted to make it similar to the other arenas.

Lastly, some changes that will affect both the Proving Ground and all other arenas. The speed boost in all areas (Proving Ground and Arenas) as been reduced (from a 55% to 35%) to try and reduce overall server load for smoother game play in the Hub. The Turrelion Spec First Aid Pack has changed in the following: increased delay, a reduced speed boost (both duration and effectiveness), and increased decay usage to make healing more inline with other Hub items.

The weapons from the trade terminal have also been nerfed a bit in order to make the token weapons a bit more appealing. This also gave us the chance to make the trade terminal weapons feel a bit different; for example: The Turrelion Spec Scorpion shoots faster for less damage (like a pistol) and Turrelion Spec HK is a bit slower but harder hitting with some more range (like a rifle). Hopefully this will give more play style choice in the Hub.

I hope that you guys like these proposed changes and please feel free to leave any feedback here!

Cheers,
Kris

 

[TunerS]

The HUB - here i come!

 

[Thanatos]

good changes

 

[jetsina]

>The speed boost in all areas (Proving Ground and Arenas) as been reduced (from a 55% to 35%) to try and reduce overall server load for smoother game play in the Hub.
.. I can only understand this by assuming you want fewer people in the hub (or fewer people alive in the combat area) at any one time. Did you actually mean something else, though?

It's positive that you've written up your plans here before implementation, but I fear the Proving Ground could become as 'closed' as the famous oil rig often is.... good for some, bad for overall number of people involved...

Gl with it, though!

 

[TunerS]

You mean bad for those who are just running around healing and snatching tokens from other players noses?

 

[Kris | Cyrene]

Hey jetsina!

>The speed boost in all areas (Proving Ground and Arenas) as been reduced (from a 55% to 35%) to try and reduce overall server load for smoother game play in the Hub.
.. I can only understand this by assuming you want fewer people in the hub (or fewer people alive in the combat area) at any one time. Did you actually mean something else, though?

I guess I wasn't very clear about why the speed was reduced:

The main reason for this change is that when the speed boost gets too high it appears that players "teleport" from one place to another (this is especially true when using the Turrelion Spec First Aid Pack). This is a problem, and it appears to happen the faster a player moves, this is our solution to keep similar paced game play while allowing the same number of players (or more).

We don't want fewer people in the hub, in fact since each arena is it's own "instance" this change will mainly effect performance in the the Proving Grounds.

It's possible to set up two different speeds, 55% for Arenas and 35% for the Proving Grounds, maybe something like that would be more suitable?

I hope that clears up this possible change.

Cheers,
Kris

 

[jetsina]

ahh, you mean the avatars move jerkily as other players see them, which is obviously especially undesirable in pvp? Ok.
I had ppl complain of 'teleporting' with just me and the other on radar, so I'd say it is not server load as such that is the problem, but the amount of ms delay for each position update. While reducing avatar speed boost will lower the amount of error accumulated between each position update a bit, I doubt it will solve the problem for those ppl who are experiencing periodic slower connections.... but it is worth a try of course!
It could also be that the server is sometimes slower to respond even for instances, depending on overall server demands at the time. I believe all instances and spaceship interiors are on the same server, are they not?
Still, the new platform update seems to include 'behind the scenes' changes, so maybe this is addressed too...

Edited a spelling mistake only.

 

[Fifth]

Less speed boost would result in less players or less alive players...? Not sure i understood it correctly, is it because it will be easier to aim and make a successful hit?

In my experience different players with different quality uplinks had quite different experience from the same battle. While i could see others moving smoothly some other guys complained they see avatars "hopping" or "teleporting" around.
PvP requires a good connection, nothing much you can do about that on server side, besides what Cyrene team just did. Some of us (with better connection) will not gain anything, for others (with weaker connection) it will be a major improvement. Well, actually it's a major improvement for everybody. I mean, it's easy to beat up an opponent who can't even see you properly (and it's even fun at 1st), but after a while it becomes boring...

Those changes should make things more equal and this is definitely a good thing!

 

[jetsina]

As Kris says, he didn't explain the reason very well, so he then explained more clearly. It means my assumption about the 'fewer players' was therefore not directly related - it was the hopping/teleporting. Thank you Kris. Let's hope it works better

 

[Tal Maru]

Are you guys going to fix the supposedly = skill zone that is not even close to being right?
I go into the hub as a low skill player my RPG does 10-15 dmg. Other players do 20-30 dmg

= skill zone my arse

I'm done with your = skill zone hub that does not work well
Players teleport around making them near impossible to hit.
People with BAD ping win because they are not receiving my movement info so on their screen I'm standing still.

And riddle me this.
My guns are doing on average 10-15% less damage
^ yes i pulled the numbers out of my chat logs and did the math.

Right now the Hub is camped 24/7 by clickbot lag porters sorry not worth my frustration.


https://www.google.com/#q=entropia+universe+aimbot&spell=1

Nuff said

 

[non]

dont know how i missed this but all the changes sound pretty good to me glad its not going to pvp lootable would create some real problems.

the weapon rebalance is well needed to as you said give us more styles of play. for exampe ive always been a fan of light machine guns vs sub machine guns in other fps.

the token idea seems really nice. is there any chance we could see a preview of some of the items ?( actual a preview of the up coming Vu would be nice since it seems there is going to be a delay.)

fap nerf sounds pretty nice also hopefully that will solves some of the tping issues.

and since talking about the hub. how about area of effect things? such as the regen field chips and strike chips. seems that they could be used to create both a medic class for team play in the hub and for a grenade. < just talking here

 

[krasko]

Will the weapons bot on Second hand staging area be available after this VU?

 

[Kris | Cyrene]

Hey krasko,

The short answer is yes, the long answer is that some of them will be available but not from the PvP tokens but from Cryene Mission Tokens.

Cheers,
Kris

 

[krasko]

Hi Kris,

So some of the weapons will be available with mission tokens and some with HUB tokens?
Or weapons will be partially available and can be bought with mission tokens only?

 

[harmony]

no hub tokens

 

[sluggo]

Any of the weapons UL?
ok smack me now heh.

sluggo

 

[Kris | Cyrene]

Hey all,

I'll reply to all of these together.

So some of the weapons will be available with mission tokens and some with HUB tokens?
Or weapons will be partially available and can be bought with mission tokens only?

The latter, the weapons that are available can only be bought with Cyrene Mission Tokens.

no hub tokens

That's right, there are some non-Hub items that can be bought with Hub tokens:

Reward Token (Purple), Reward Token (Orange), Reward Token (Red) can buy armor.
Daily PvP Mission Tokens can buy clothing and Neurobiotic Boosters.
Reward Token (Lime Green) can buy Coat of the Proving Grounds

Any of the weapons UL?

Currently none of those weapons will be UL, but rewards can change in the future.

Cheers,
Kris