Skilling speed

[Noddy Bond]

<blockquote><hr>

Ok I want you to honestly tell me you would not gripe about an event you attended that did not like. I think not.

For example you pay for tickets to a concert and you get there, get seated, the band comes out and all of their equipment is broke. They start playing and it sounds like utter hell. Would you sit thru it and be all happy go lucky or would you leave and gripe about it? It's the same thing. We are paying for something so if we don't enjoy something about it we have the right to gripe.

[/ QUOTE ]

hear hear
and the key words in the above statement are "We are paying" and as a paying subscriber i do not want to be ripped off on a game that is as of right now worse than when it first started in the skilling department.
I personally think that some of these big games developer for example and especially EA seem to forget that its their customer base that count without us there would be no company but at the end of the day every games developer has come to the theory that for every ONE customer they loose then there will be TEN more to replace them but that will not last forever let that be a warning EA.
If this is just a plan to reduce skilling speeds for when this product does go into the full market out of beta then why not just say so and upset everyone off the bat? at least you will loose the customers now as apose to when its no longer a beta heh.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

the name of the game has changed and nothing else so far .. so I stand by my comment TSO is dying.

[/ QUOTE ]

And I'll continue to agree as I did above. Also obviously there are changes otherwise we wouldn't be in this thread discussing skill rates increasing decreasing and the like...

Actually wait, no, it died years ago.

EAland is being born.

 

[imported_Gracie Nito]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Did somebody die?

[/ QUOTE ]


That's kinda what I was thinking.....Gracie turning on Parizad and the devs and me feeling sorry for Parizad...is the world about to start turning on its axis in the opposite direction or something?

I'd be pissed too if they'd done this for an entire day, or even for 3-4 hours maybe, but to get bent over a 15 minute negative event? What is the big deal that I am missing? I can't help but think that some people are pissed over the other announcement today (I'm bummed about that too) and this is just kinda one more straw on the pile.....but still it's misdirected anger. Go hog wild in the thread of what most people are genuinely, and rightfully so, upset about.....why this one?

[/ QUOTE ]


Just for the record! I haven't turned on anyone!

I was just trying to explain the moral of players in the game. Spend some time with people in game and you actually get a feel for player moral. Believe me, it has been low since the paycuts. With the news of "legacy" cities closing the moral sank a bit lower today. Reducing skill speed at that point was like beating a dead horse. As someone mentioned before, it just wasn't the best of timing.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Ok I want you to honestly tell me you would not gripe about an event you attended that did not like. I think not.

For example you pay for tickets to a concert and you get there, get seated, the band comes out and all of their equipment is broke. They start playing and it sounds like utter hell. Would you sit thru it and be all happy go lucky or would you leave and gripe about it? It's the same thing. We are paying for something so if we don't enjoy something about it we have the right to gripe.

[/ QUOTE ]

hear hear
and the key words in the above statement are "We are paying" and as a paying subscriber i do not want to be ripped off on a game that is as of right now worse than when it first started in the skilling department.
I personally think that some of these big games developer for example and especially EA seem to forget that its their customer base that count without us there would be no company but at the end of the day every games developer has come to the theory that for every ONE customer they loose then there will be TEN more to replace them but that will not last forever let that be a warning EA.
If this is just a plan to reduce skilling speeds for when this product does go into the full market out of beta then why not just say so and upset everyone off the bat? at least you will loose the customers now as apose to when its no longer a beta heh.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wait? Is the 89% permanent? I was under the impression that it was random and brief. So.... we can't just stop skilling for an hour and do something else?

I'm still way confused. Maybe it's because I have to many worries in my life to let a game get to me... Idk.

 

[Guest]

I haven't seen anyone confirm it was a 15 minute event yet Carrie so I guess you're just making an assumption.

Some people have been hit with updater issues over the weekend and were unable to log in and enjoy any of the really good stuff - increased job payouts, super skilling speed, an opportunity to win a mystic tree. For those people that missed out and were able to play today only to find an unexpected drop in skilling speed, then I can understand why they'd find it frustrating.

I'm sure a few weeks in, when the game is stable and some of the current bugs/log in issues we're seeing now are all sorted and resolved, no-one would bat an eyelid at a temporary drop in speed.

Like I said earlier, unexpected surprises are great - be they good or bad, its just unfortunate timing for some who are already feeling a tad frustrated with some of the recent problems.

Polly

 

[Tristan Lewis]

I'll deal with 15 min of 89% when its followed by 198% like right kinnda like the guessing game.

 

[Guest]

And now, all of a sudden, it's 198%. I feel like a real horse's ass now...

I still stand by my earlier statement though: Nice idea, really bad timing. This would all go over a little bit better if all the other major issues were fixed first.

 

[Guest]

WTH 198% this is B.S MAXIS.

You are RUINING OUR GAMMMMMMMMMMEEEE

Oy. Too dramatic?

My bad.

Awesome at the high rate!

 

[imported_TheCookieFamily]

<blockquote><hr>

WTH 198% this is B.S MAXIS.

You are RUINING OUR GAMMMMMMMMMMEEEE

Oy. Too dramatic?

My bad.

Awesome at the high rate!

[/ QUOTE ]

Just a little!

 

[calvinscreeksim]

<blockquote><hr>

Turning off ALL old cities too bad if you're still there 20 Feb.

[/ QUOTE ]

so I take it I should set every single of my production city sims to move to Ea-land a.s.a.p? lol

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

And now, all of a sudden, it's 198%. I feel like a real horse's ass now...

I still stand by my earlier statement though: Nice idea, really bad timing. This would all go over a little bit better if all the other major issues were fixed first.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup. Like I had said earlier... it is all planned, random events.

&lt;sings&gt;You take the good, take the bad, you take them both, and there you have. The facts of life! The facts of life!&lt;/sings&gt;

 

[Guest]

Funny too, 198% is 80% greater than 118%. But 89% is only 29% less than 118%.

Hey! It looks to me like the mean skilling speed is greater than 118%.

Wait, or is that too much complicated arithmetic?

Stop bitchin' seriously. I bet 90% of the people only noticed because they came back from their hour long AFK to green.

 

[Guest]

Oh no!!! You mean I missed the 89% skilling???? Drat having to work!!!

 

[Guest]

TTL

wow guess attending that meeting tonight really made me miss something lol

Guess I'll have to quit going so I'm not shortchanged.

 

[Tristan Lewis]

252% now and lovin it!!!!!!!!

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

WTH 198% this is B.S MAXIS.

You are RUINING OUR GAMMMMMMMMMMEEEE

Oy. Too dramatic?

My bad.

Awesome at the high rate!

[/ QUOTE ]
NOIP
Crap! I miss all the good stuff!

Lessee, where do I start?
Nobody complained when they raised pizza or factory payouts?
Well, DUH!

Gotta take the good with the bad, just like in RL?
It's discouraging that with all the problems in the game right now, when they have a choice to add something either good or bad - they choose bad.

Gotta take the good with the bad, just like in RL? (part 2)
I don't know why "bad" is good - unless it's "comic" bad. Slowing down the skill speed is definitely not funny.

In General: The game is overloaded with problems. All one has to do is wander around in the city a little while and listen to the chat in various houses to know many ppl are unhappy with all the bugs and glitches, and the low payouts.
Sooo, knowing all that.... how could anyone decide it would be a dandy idea to lower the skill speed? And how could the others agree?
For a few minutes......... meh, maybe. For an hour and a half??? (snicker)

I love you guys, but - come on!

 

[Guest]

Ok is part of this randomness that some skill speeds are up to 198% and others 89% ? logic high/ body dreadfully slow

 

[Noddy Bond]

Maybe the information should be a little more forthcomming prior to nasty surprises as such?
at no point was it ever stated that there will be the ups and downs of this bumpy road that is being created maybe listen to the users a tad more post the ideas and get feed back on them?
nothing like going arse about tit on this stuff huh :/

 

[Guest]

I like the idea of the randomness but could you clarify...
Are you just randomly making these decisions or is it based on "More people are skilling (skill 1) than (skill 2) so let's raise the level of (skill 2) and lower the level of (skill 2)?

 

[imported_Danny Dots]

its not so bad.

i agree.

you take the good with the bad and the bad with the good.

i dont see a problem with this at all.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Did somebody die?

[/ QUOTE ]


That's kinda what I was thinking.....Gracie turning on Parizad and the devs and me feeling sorry for Parizad...is the world about to start turning on its axis in the opposite direction or something?

I'd be pissed too if they'd done this for an entire day, or even for 3-4 hours maybe, but to get bent over a 15 minute negative event? What is the big deal that I am missing? I can't help but think that some people are pissed over the other announcement today (I'm bummed about that too) and this is just kinda one more straw on the pile.....but still it's misdirected anger. Go hog wild in the thread of what most people are genuinely, and rightfully so, upset about.....why this one?

[/ QUOTE ]


Just for the record! I haven't turned on anyone!

I was just trying to explain the moral of players in the game. Spend some time with people in game and you actually get a feel for player moral. Believe me, it has been low since the paycuts. With the news of "legacy" cities closing the moral sank a bit lower today. Reducing skill speed at that point was like beating a dead horse. As someone mentioned before, it just wasn't the best of timing.

[/ QUOTE ]

I definitely agree morale is low right now, which is why we need as many people to stay positive in the face of it as we can get, which is why when I read your initial post it was kinda like "Oh no, somebody else getting discouraged.....eeeek". You're sort of a pillar in the community, at least from my POV, and I think alot of people take their cues from those people that are viewed as pillars, so seeing what I perceived to be disenchantment left me rocked to say the least LOL. Glad to see it was a misunderstanding....that can certainly happen pretty easy over the net with written communication rather than verbal!

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

I haven't seen anyone confirm it was a 15 minute event yet Carrie so I guess you're just making an assumption.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup, that much is correct.....I wasn't able to be skilling while this was going on, so I'm not sure if it was indeed a 15 minute deal. I figured it might be from Parizad's comment of keeping things 'balanced' though, since the increased payout was a 15 minute timeline. Nobody's gonna be able to attend all the events due to RL circumstances be it work, extra-curricular activities RL, mundane must-do activities like grocery shopping (

) etc. etc. etc. so it's natural for anybody who isn't able to attend one of the events for any of those reasons or others not mentioned to not know the details.

If the event lasted longer than 15 minutes, and was even the 3-4 hours that I mentioned would irritate me, then I have no problem 'sitting corrected'

.

 

[Guest]

Okay, I just want to set the record straight, since I was the one who lifted the lid on this kettle of worms in the first place...

At roughly 15:15 PST, skill speeds suddenly dropped from 118% to 89%. This phenomena was reported by multiple skilling houses throughout EAL.

At roughly 16:45 PST, skill speeds suddenly shot up from 89% to 198%.

At roughly 17:15 PST, skill speeds shot up again from 198% to 252%. It stayed like this for about 30 minutes before falling down to 143%, then down to 118% about 30 minutes later.

The entire event last around three hours; the speed slowdown period lasting half of that. It was this prolonged stretch at 89% that had sims all over EAL freaking out. When I relayed Parizad's postings here back into the house where I was skilling, sims started calming down a little; but it was still very much apparent that the whole thing was a bit much for a community of sims whose nerves have already been frayed by ongoing abysmal payouts, shattered objects, and a host of atrocities I hadn't seen personally (TC3 is its own set of problems). When all was said and done, the skill-speed roller-coaster worked out to be an average speed of 143% over the entire three-hour period - a nice little speed boost that helped me use up most of my skill locks on my newborn sim.

But, still, in light of all the other difficulties we've been facing, the timing of this event wasn't great.

 

[Zinzi]

Yeah - and even if I took the low skillingspeed with good humor - I am in Europe and obviously had to sign off, to get some sleep, before they raised it.... So... Oh, well.

 

[donnallg]

Skill speed is low again this afternoon. I hope it's followed by something fun...

 

[Guest]

we are currently skilling at 99% right now, hoping for a jump!

 

[MaxCTSO]

Ok dev. team. How about we put the skill speed back to 118% and keep it that way since you guys don't know what your doing

 

[donnallg]

Yea the speed has been down for a while. Very annoying now.

 

[Guest]

LOL!
It's beginning to sound like they have found a means of revenge for all the crap we've stuffed in their pockets.

 

[donnallg]

<blockquote><hr>

LOL!
It's beginning to sound like they have found a means of revenge for all the crap we've stuffed in their pockets.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL I know something I'm going to stuff in my pockets. The money I pay for this game if they keep doing this kind of crap.

 

[dinaj]

HA HA .... I was just thinking the same thing. What ever happened to retooling skilling?

 

[Lucky Lisa]

maybe ....

the devs liked their last assignment better and just wanna cancel game to get back to it lol ...

i wouldn't take this crap from us either haha

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

we are currently skilling at 99% right now, hoping for a jump!

[/ QUOTE ]

That was posted at 18.16 14 Feb UK time.

Its now 00.25 15 Feb UK time and we are still at 99%


Oh but that's OK cos we'll up it later (when all the european players have gone to bed and can't take advantge of it)

GRRRRRRRR

*off to bed with the hump

*

 

[Guest]

*just hitting reply*

I'm not in-game right now to take a look at this, but - consider this as a possibility: What if the actual speed itself has not changed at all, but has only been rescaled? Meaning, what if the speed that came from skilling at 118% is now the speed assigned to 99%?

It would make sense, wouldn't it? I mean, you can't have more than 100% of something; to have 118% of a speed suggests overspeed - and if we've been skilling at overspeed for so long now, why not re-reference 118% to equal 100 (or 99) percent?

 

[Paula777]

_________________________________________________________________
*just hitting reply*

I'm not in-game right now to take a look at this, but - consider this as a possibility: What if the actual speed itself has not changed at all, but has only been rescaled? Meaning, what if the speed that came from skilling at 118% is now the speed assigned to 99%?

It would make sense, wouldn't it? I mean, you can't have more than 100% of something; to have 118% of a speed suggests overspeed - and if we've been skilling at overspeed for so long now, why not re-reference 118% to equal 100 (or 99) percent?
_________________________________________________________________

digged ur comments so far, but what the heck is this last post about?!
are you smoking or 150% bored .. racing mind? mushrooms kickin in?

yes you can have more than 100% of something, bout 120% profit reselling a hat for 120 dollars if you bought it at 100.. or whatever lol

cmon cmon thats not the katheryne i read about

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

digged ur comments so far, but what the heck is this last post about?!
are you smoking or 150% bored .. racing mind? mushrooms kickin in?

yes you can have more than 100% of something, bout 120% profit reselling a hat for 120 dollars if you bought it at 100.. or whatever lol

cmon cmon thats not the katheryne i read about

[/ QUOTE ]I'm 175% immersed in my college homework (Cultural Diversity and Business Communications....

*blech*)

What I mean to say was that it made no sense to refer to a speed as 118% of normal, especially since that speed has become normal. It makes more sense to rescale the percentage so that 100% equals maximum (normal) speed.

I hope that made more sense...

 

[Paula777]

__________________________________________________________________ I mean, you can't have more than 100% of something
__________________________________________________________________

no need to defend really - was just wondering why ur crackin

 

[Guest]

Normal was 99% in beta...*fondly remembers the day they raised it to 118%*

I never would have believed I'd see 254% wow so fast! Greg said in the town hall today that skill speed is also dynamic same as payouts and store prices and soon crafting will be too. I guess the motto in EA Land should be, "Expect the Unexpected."

 

[donnallg]

<blockquote><hr>

Normal was 99% in beta...*fondly remembers the day they raised it to 118%*

I never would have believed I'd see 254% wow so fast! Greg said in the town hall today that skill speed is also dynamic same as payouts and store prices and soon crafting will be too. I guess the motto in EA Land should be, "Expect the Unexpected."

[/ QUOTE ]

Clarify their "dynamic" for me please?

 

[Guest]

Well at this point dynamic is simply that it can and will change I think. Ultimately from what I've been told it will change according to use, so in payouts if everyone is canning then the pay will go down and the pay for something else will go up. In the case of skills who knows maybe if a large part of the population is skilling cooking it will go down and the difference will be added to mech for example. Another possible scenario could be that if not enough people are skilling, meaning everyone is for instance off making money, skill speed would go up to get people to move around. This would work well in conjuntction with payouts. Everyone is skilling so pay goes up or opposite everyone is working so skill goes up.

*shrugs* My guess since you asked.

 

[donnallg]

<blockquote><hr>

Well at this point dynamic is simply that it can and will change I think. Ultimately from what I've been told it will change according to use, so in payouts if everyone is canning then the pay will go down and the pay for something else will go up. In the case of skills who knows maybe if a large part of the population is skilling cooking it will go down and the difference will be added to mech for example. Another possible scenario could be that if not enough people are skilling, meaning everyone is for instance off making money, skill speed would go up to get people to move around. This would work well in conjuntction with payouts. Everyone is skilling so pay goes up or opposite everyone is working so skill goes up.

*shrugs* My guess since you asked.

[/ QUOTE ]



Still confusing but ok.

Ok I get the whole supply and demand thing, but I never expected it to be with skilling speeds. I don't know...I'm not understanding many of their decisions really. I'm trying to wade it out but I am very frustrated.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Well at this point dynamic is simply that it can and will change I think. Ultimately from what I've been told it will change according to use, so in payouts if everyone is canning then the pay will go down and the pay for something else will go up. In the case of skills who knows maybe if a large part of the population is skilling cooking it will go down and the difference will be added to mech for example. Another possible scenario could be that if not enough people are skilling, meaning everyone is for instance off making money, skill speed would go up to get people to move around. This would work well in conjuntction with payouts. Everyone is skilling so pay goes up or opposite everyone is working so skill goes up.

*shrugs* My guess since you asked.

[/ QUOTE ]



Still confusing but ok.

Ok I get the whole supply and demand thing, but I never expected it to be with skilling speeds. I don't know...I'm not understand many of their decisions really. I'm trying to wade it out but I am very frustrated.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think it's to do with the time of day. At certain times they feel we are likely to have had a little slurp or 2 and cant learn as fast, or maybe at that time the devs have had a slurp or 2. Cant make up my mind which.

 

[Guest]

No matter what, it will never be as boring as sitting on a dance pad for 1 Linden per hour in SL.

The low skilling periods should be a time when teachers swoop in and try to teach skillers who are unhappy with the speed. Since many players are impatient, they'll be more willing to pay a higher fee for the service.

Would also be a good time to do something other than skilling, since people have complained since the beginning of time that all there is to do is skill.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

No matter what, it will never be as boring as sitting on a dance pad for 1 Linden per hour in SL...

[/ QUOTE ]
x

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

so whos idea was that then?
this is more likely to upset than to please and probably not a very strong selling point for an online game just my opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

You guys. For years you've been asking for random events. Search in the Sims Stratics Archives.

So... here you go! You're welcome.

[/ QUOTE ]


Random Events to make it fun. Not Random Events to make us have to skill even longer.

[/ QUOTE ]

You just paraphrased what development has been like for the last five-and-a-half years.

Players complain about something, make suggestions.
EA comes out with new features based on suggestions, but in reality opening a whole new can of worms and often making things worse.
EA jumps up and down clapping hands and says "Glee! This is just what everyone wanted!"
Players complain about the changes.
EA sulks about maybe never making changes again.

Lather-rinse-repeat for five-and-a-half years.

Yep, that's this game in a nutshell...

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Still confusing but ok.

Ok I get the whole supply and demand thing, but I never expected it to be with skilling speeds. I don't know...I'm not understanding many of their decisions really. I'm trying to wade it out but I am very frustrated.

[/ QUOTE ]I'm with you on the confusing part, but I'm fastening my seat belt and getting ready for an exciting ride here!

The decisions here, if they are in fact how Niki explained it, make a lot of sense to me. The intentions here seem to be to keep the game balanced, so that it neither favors nor disadvantages any one player segment, and it keeps any one particular skill, job, or money object from dominating the game the way they have in the past.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

so whos idea was that then?
this is more likely to upset than to please and probably not a very strong selling point for an online game just my opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

You guys. For years you've been asking for random events. Search in the Sims Stratics Archives.

[/ QUOTE ]

This was far from unanimous. On a website few see. Thanks for running focus groups or sending out surveys, guys.

Once again, he who yells the loudest wins.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

so whos idea was that then?
this is more likely to upset than to please and probably not a very strong selling point for an online game just my opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

You guys. For years you've been asking for random events. Search in the Sims Stratics Archives.

[/ QUOTE ]

This was far from unanimous. On a website few see. Thanks for running focus groups or sending out surveys, guys.

Once again, he who yells the loudest wins.

[/ QUOTE ]

lol.

I can only begin to imagine how little would be done if everything required unanimous support to be passed. Or if EA were to perhaps - read the minds of those who don't post on stratics, so they know what they want.

I wish I were this good at finding faults in things. I would be filing lawsuits left and right.

 

[imported_Fire Dragon]

<blockquote><hr>

No matter what, it will never be as boring as sitting on a dance pad for 1 Linden per hour in SL.

[/ QUOTE ]

Gosh and I was paying 2l per 8 mins for ppl to do yoga.. *rushes off to drop the rate* j/k

I wonder if we can bring campers in, when they let us script. *grins, pulling her tongue out of cheek*

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

No matter what, it will never be as boring as sitting on a dance pad for 1 Linden per hour in SL.

[/ QUOTE ]

Gosh and I was paying 2l per 8 mins for ppl to do yoga.. *rushes off to drop the rate* j/k

I wonder if we can bring campers in, when they let us script. *grins, pulling her tongue out of cheek*

[/ QUOTE ]

You could do that cheaper with extra accounts with the value of simoleans these days.