New Expantion

[AirmidCecht]

I tend to believe its how they are spoken to that lends to whether they reply or not. Some may say then grow thicker skin but they aren't allowed to respond in kind, just be kind regardless if the thread is like sitting at a table with an angry mob offering to buy you a pint only to pour it over your head

As volunteers, we have always felt it was a privilege to welcome them to discussion and try to encourage it with our own mindset of keeping discussion on track and respectful. Storm for instance said, 'hey dragons!' and it's not like ideas haven't been shared before but Grim responded in kind, "Hey yeah dragon!" but also "sorry cloakie thingies cannot do atm" to another respectful question.

Ok I'm rambling at this point...must go blog about it

 

[Petra Fyde]

Avoiding communication because someone could take it wildly out of context as a promise is hyperbolic paranoia.

I think it's more 'past experience', but I'll agree to differ with you on that one .

I'd like to hear more too, but I tend to avoid making judgements when I'm fully aware that I only have a very small percentage of the facts. We only know that they don't post as much as we'd like them to. We don't know any of the underlying reasons for that.

 

[sirrojen]

What is making me wanna quit more then anything is the speed hackers a certain guild on Sonoma abuses the heck out of. Its super obvious cause my guild can have 30+ people on my screen with no lag all night every single night, then 3 of these people show up and suddenly i can do MAYBE one move every 10-15 seconds then i am dead, then as soon as they are off my screen the lag completely disapears. Coincidence? I think not. I admit, i am a trammy, they would stomp me even without the hacks, but it would be nice to have an even playing field.. i say ban em all at the exact same time somehow so they cannot move there stuff off accounts they use to hack. I could play all of the current content for another yr or two with not a single patch just knowing the hackers got banned.

 

[Woodsman]

And actually, have you ever stopped to think that maybe Draconi could be the cause of the communication break down?

It's 2012, we can't blame Draconi anymore.

Besides, was Draconi in charge of all three Mythic games?

Because all three BioWare Mythic MMORPGs had this very same problem - a refusal to seriously talk about future plans. It's unprecedented in the MMORPG industry. I could understand Warhammer - it was such a huge embarrassment for EA, but it wasn't UO and Camelot's fault. Recently Warhammer started opening up again about future plans, which is funny when you think about it.

It's a BioWare Mythic problem, because BioWare itself is constantly talking about future plans for games, even games that aren't released yet. On top of that, out of the big things announced by Cal last year for UO's future, half of them have been scrapped. This year we haven't really learned anything new about UO's future.

I know that the unannounced Ultima project that Jeff mentioned in Twitter the other day is very important, and probably gets more attention from BioWare than UO, but would it really hurt for them to give some specifics about what's going on? A lot of people think UO is in some kind of maintenance mode, just hanging around until the 15th Anniversary or until it starts losing money and EA pulls the plug, and the lack of specific discussion about UO's future contributes to that.

I have a different perspective than you do Petra - I came back last year after taking some time off from UO. Before I took that break, we had a lot of communication with the UO team about future plans. But when I came back, it was a different atmosphere.

 

[Woodsman]

I'd like to hear more too, but I tend to avoid making judgements when I'm fully aware that I only have a very small percentage of the facts. We only know that they don't post as much as we'd like them to. We don't know any of the underlying reasons for that.

We do know that it used to not be this way, and we do know that it's confined to BioWare Mythic, and maybe now only to UO and Camelot, because Warhammer seems to be opening up. BioWare is constantly talking about future plans for games, with specifics.

 

[RuSini Neb]

find it kind of funny that this post i was trolled in turns out to get dev attention on a totally diffrent subject then what the thread was started for.... shouldn't this be locked for off topic and trolling in the first page.... /sigh i just don't understand you people...

 

[RuSini Neb]

I see what I'm doing wrong! I thought UO was a sandbox game and I should set my own goals and achievements. Silly me.

oh and btw when you did the form switch a while back, every one you baned from these forms(via ip address) bans were lifted

 

[Woodsman]

I will say this, and it's going to sound like a dickhead thing to say, but I've learned more in this thread about some of the future plans for UO from Grimm than I've learned from elsewhere. I wish we could hear more from others.

 

[RuSini Neb]

I will say this, and it's going to sound like a dickhead thing to say, but I've learned more in this thread about some of the future plans for UO from Grimm than I've learned from elsewhere. I wish we could hear more from others.

That's great, its just not on topic now is it ? This was about trying to get more end game bosses, not art updates etc.. etc... and I have seen plenty of threads get bounced because of going off topic way earlier then this one.

 

[MalagAste]

@TheGrimmOmen,

Can a cloak and hood combo be put in a robe slot like that?

I still would LOVE to have a robe with a hood that can be double-clicked to go up and down... Hood up... hood down... What I wouldn't give for that!

 

[AirmidCecht]

RuSini,

I respectfully acknowledge your reminder. My apologies and yes I too would like to see more end game bosses. I'm a tad weary of what may become of Champs because I do enjoy them so much but I do like the idea of maybe a revamp of the Gauntlet to bring that to life again with new challenges

 

[TheGrimmOmen]

@TheGrimmOmen,

Can a cloak and hood combo be put in a robe slot like that?

I still would LOVE to have a robe with a hood that can be double-clicked to go up and down... Hood up... hood down... What I wouldn't give for that!

Uhhm... No, sadly. It would have to be 1) a cloak in the robe slot and 2) a hood in helmet slot. To pull your hood down you would just take the hood off.

-Grimm

 

[TheGrimmOmen]

I will say this, and it's going to sound like a dickhead thing to say, but I've learned more in this thread about some of the future plans for UO from Grimm than I've learned from elsewhere. I wish we could hear more from others.

LOL! As long we all understand that there's a huge difference between Grimm's plans for UO and the ACTUAL plans for UO, then I could give you a Big list of my plans for UO! LOL

-Grimm

 

[Sevin0oo0]

@TheGrimmOmen, Can a cloak and hood combo be put in a robe slot like that?!

Uhhm... No, sadly.

... thinks Hooded Shroud of Shadows - 1 slot (robe) - But, is it more of an issue in that case the underlying chest art is not called to be displayed allowing that, as is done with a open cape, and the Shroud is simply overlaying multiple slots, display wise, as the paperdoll can only display Xn-items?

Ya know, too bad we don't have something quickly accessible from uhall called Grimm's Corner or something, dedicated solely to Art - funniest thing I've run into is the corpse of the little fire gargoyles in SA, whenever I go to loot, makes me think I PK'd a red Kermit the Frog.

 

[jskalski]

Sorry if this has been asked already, but have expansions ceased for UO? Thanks in advance.

Hey Shelleybean. At this time we are not putting any effort towards an expansion. Instead everyone is focused on the build up to the anniversary and the items I've laid out in my last producer's letter. We're pushing to make our bi-monthly publishes as full of fixes and new toys as possible.

 

[TheGrimmOmen]

... thinks Hooded Shroud of Shadows - 1 slot (robe) - But, is it more of an issue in that case the underlying chest art is not called to be displayed allowing that, as is done with a open cape, and the Shroud is simply overlaying multiple slots, display wise, as the paperdoll can only display Xn-items?

Ya know, too bad we don't have something quickly accessible from uhall called Grimm's Corner or something, dedicated solely to Art - funniest thing I've run into is the corpse of the little fire gargoyles in SA, whenever I go to loot, makes me think I PK'd a red Kermit the Frog.

First of all, no one puts Grimmy in the corner.

Yes. The robe goes in the robe slot, I.e. over everything, while the cloak goes in the cape slot which is sorted behind everything. The problem, obviously, is that a 2D piece if art can't simultaneously be sorted behind everything and in front of it at the same time.

Personally, I love the "Grimms corner" idea. Although for the most part, folks are generally not too interested in talking art, but I'd love the opportunity to!

-Grimm

 

[AirmidCecht]

First of all, no one puts Grimmy in the corner.

Yes. The robe goes in the robe slot, I.e. over everything, while the cloak goes in the cape slot which is sorted behind everything. The problem, obviously, is that a 2D piece if art can't simultaneously be sorted behind everything and in front of it at the same time.

Personally, I love the "Grimms corner" idea. Although for the most part, folks are generally not too interested in talking art, but I'd love the opportunity to!

-Grimm

Hrrrm sounds like a Grimms corner BLOG to me

 

[SunWolf]

Curious RuSini Neb , have you and buddy gone out and found Charybdis and tried to get a set of it's set gear? It is problay the hardest grind to find/pull up and not an easy fight. You was looking for goals and such... Not sure anyone has a full set of any of it's armors.

 

[TheGrimmOmen]

Hrrrm sounds like a Grimms corner BLOG to me

LOL. Oh dear. A blog would get me into soo much trouble..

-Grimm

 

[Petra Fyde]

If you want to talk 'art' we'll listen, whether it's on a blog or just a thread on the board.

 

[Mirt]

If you want to talk 'art' we'll listen, whether it's on a blog or just a thread on the board.

Or both with a video diary.

 

[AirmidCecht]

LOL. Oh dear. A blog would get me into soo much trouble..

-Grimm

Not if a blog was just about art where posters can comment and ask questions. It doesn't have to be touchy feely though I have seen a few expressionist blog some cool artsy videos lately *cough*Amber Witch*cough*

Then Jeff will follow suit and maybe Bleak. Mesanna's will automatically blow you up when you click 'reply' and we'll all be dusty piles at our keyboards

Also to keep on topic (sorry! ....again!) I do feel that art plays a critical role in any updates since a new expansion is not on the radar. I hope to see something in the works for that too!

 

[NuSair]

No, a robe as you have there would take up the head and cape slot, and would require you to equip / Hue each piece separately.

-Grimm

Why? Couldn't it be coded similar to 2-handed weapons to take up/cover multiple slots?

 

[TheGrimmOmen]

Why? Couldn't it be coded similar to 2-handed weapons to take up/cover multiple slots?

It's not so much about slots as it is draw order. All games that deal with equipment have a specific order in which they program the game to draw the pieces. If you imagine your character in game pointing SE, an item in the cape slot has to be drawn first so that when everything else is drawn afterwards, it will look like the cape is behind the player and his/her armor. If the cape has a hood, the only way they hood will look like its covering our characters head is if it's drawn last (on top of everything else) the problem with that is that the cape part would also be drawn on top, covering up the rest of your character, and that just wouldn't look right at all.

Cheers!

-Grimm
(Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD)

 

[Martyna Zmuir]

It's not so much about slots as it is draw order. All games that deal with equipment have a specific order in which they program the game to draw the pieces. If you imagine your character in game pointing SE, an item in the cape slot has to be drawn first so that when everything else is drawn afterwards, it will look like the cape is behind the player and his/her armor. If the cape has a hood, the only way they hood will look like its covering our characters head is if it's drawn last (on top of everything else) the problem with that is that the cape part would also be drawn on top, covering up the rest of your character, and that just wouldn't look right at all.

Isn't this really more of an engineering issue, than an art issue? A hooded cloak's "hood" art piece could take up an invisible (to the player) equipment slot that is drawn "on top" of the head and thus anything worn on the head. Since there are already two cloak designs in the game (regular hoodless 'cloak' and 'the cloak of Humility' - which HAS a hood*) the new art requirements would be minimal, its just getting the hood to draw in the right order.

(* You can see that the hood on the Cloak of Humility is intended to be "up" in the artwork. However, it is under the hair on the paper doll and in-game avatar)

 

[Pinco]

Isn't this really more of an engineering issue, than an art issue? A hooded cloak's "hood" art piece could take up an invisible (to the player) equipment slot that is drawn "on top" of the head and thus anything worn on the head. Since there are already two cloak designs in the game (regular hoodless 'cloak' and 'the cloak of Humility' - which HAS a hood*) the new art requirements would be minimal, its just getting the hood to draw in the right order.

(* You can see that the hood on the Cloak of Humility is intended to be "up" in the artwork. However, it is under the hair on the paper doll and in-game avatar)

at this point would be easier to make invisible every item that cover the head so only the cap will be shown, and this way could just make some problem with items like hooded that cover the whole body

 

[TheGrimmOmen]

Isn't this really more of an engineering issue, than an art issue? A hooded cloak's "hood" art piece could take up an invisible (to the player) equipment slot that is drawn "on top" of the head and thus anything worn on the head. Since there are already two cloak designs in the game (regular hoodless 'cloak' and 'the cloak of Humility' - which HAS a hood*) the new art requirements would be minimal, its just getting the hood to draw in the right order.

(* You can see that the hood on the Cloak of Humility is intended to be "up" in the artwork. However, it is under the hair on the paper doll and in-game avatar)

It's both, really. I like your idea there, there are several more hurdles here than what's on the table, but I find the idea of an invisible slot very interesting.

-Grimm