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[UO Herald] Ask & Answer No. 1

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THP

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Is there any chance you can stop the cheaters/dupers and scripters once and for all.....word on the street is there is a big gold dupe live at the moment......or do we ''really'' have to play along side them and tolerate them [ as mentioned before].
 

Picus at the office

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Could we get some clear information for the "weighting" of different hammers, sewing kits, fletcher tools and saws as it relates to reforging? I know others have brought this up also.
 

Apetul

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1. Would it be possible to convert the older quests to the new Quest system? The older system only allows one quest to be active at a time. (Drachenfels, General Chat)
Mesanna: Are you speaking about the context questions vs the paperdoll quests? I know this is not the answer you want to hear but without looking deeper into the code we can not give a definite answer for this question.
to whoever selected a question from "general chat" that cannot be answered in the first ask & answers: LOL!!!
 

Ron Silverbeard

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Is it possible to stop the GOLD sellers spam especially in HELP chat and the others too?
Can you start Monitoring this and ban the trial accounts pls AND can you monitor from wich Master Accounts this Trial accounts are created and ban them too?
Txs
 

Pinco

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6. Is there any plans to make Golems semi "bondable" at some point in time? The big problem with Golems nowadays is that not only are they mostly underpowered, but also that any training put into them is undone when they can die so easily. Another part of the solution, would of course be to lessen the cooldown incurred upon healing the Golem. The cooldown is currently like 30 seconds, which is WAY too long. It should be shortened to something like 10 seconds. (PlayerSkillFTW, Ask the Devs)
Mesanna: We have talked about adding new golens to advanced Tinkering, but we are not going to add another golem to be a training punching bag for Luna.
This is the right answers or some kind of mistake?
the guy ask if they are going to make the golems bondable and about a better way to cure them, and she said they are not going to add more golems for training... o_O
 

Lady Bleez

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Would it ever be possible to introduce something (either a tool in game based on skill or something sold in the uo store) that would erase/clear an account bound item? For example: Soulstones/frags are commonly found at idocs and it would be nice to clear the account on it to be able to actually use them. Instead they are commonly thrown in the trash or only used as deco. Plus then I could transfer some of the things I have on 1 account to another of my accounts. :)
 

Frarc

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to whoever selected a question from "general chat" that cannot be answered in the first ask & answers: LOL!!!
I did, and i'm happy with the answer. With this question to be send to the Ask and Answer, it been brought to the Devs attention.
The questions people ask and give to the Devs are a way to show them what is on players mind and what they want and looking for.
Maybe we not always going to get the right and perfect answer but that is not always needed. If we don't ask the Devs some of these questions, how can we let them know whats on our mind?
 
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Adol

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"Ask and Be Answered" surely? Or "Asking And Answering"?

Anyway, here's a question; I've recently started a movement to record everyone's fishing results, as it's become quite clear the odds on usable, worthwhile rewards are phenomenally low ... The first 122 results there are mostly mine alone. In particular the Oracle Of The Seas and Charybdis Bait are extremely rare; I got the Oracle but have never had any bait. And as far as I am aware, no one on any production shard has actually caught a Void Lobster yet? The traps are too infrequent, and the bait even rarer than the Charybdis; but even on Test Centre using duplicates borrowed from someone else and then copied over, we've not been able to get a Void Lobster from the right location. Furthermore there seems to be a weighting towards individual Fishers getting quests with certain types of fish, leading to massive shortages and holding up progression towards any of the rewards, and cross trading for fish in a fishing community that has largely disappeared is impossible on many shards.

Can the devs confirm then that all parts of the fishing mechanism are working as intended, and if there are there any plans to add content for the solo, lonely fishers which would add much needed structure to the process (such as a slowly building numerical fisher reputation, or a narrowing odds like the Dungeon Artefact system)?
 

Ron Silverbeard

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Can you create the possibility to delete yourselfe from a house friended or co-owner list if you dont want to be friended or co-owned there?
I ask because there are some people around that me and my friends dont want to have anything to do with, not even beeing on their house lists (and they can just add you without asking you if you in range)
Thank you
 
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Ron Silverbeard

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I am only friended and dont want to be friended there...no co-owner in this house...how can i get rid of beeing friended?
 

MalagAste

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Would it be possible to add an option to the Harpsichord for Setting security? Or some option to play it outloud to everyone in earshot?

Still I must ask, Will you please fix houses to allow more than 10 Co-owners? Many of us have multiple accounts and are sick and tired of being nothing but a Friend in our own homes... I know I'm not alone and I know I've asked time and time again but PLEASE can we have at least 70 co-owner slots on our house.
 

Heimi

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Why is it a problem being friended to a house you don't even want to be in?
 

Viper09

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I am only friended and dont want to be friended there...no co-owner in this house...how can i get rid of beeing friended?
Just out of pure curiosity, why does this bother you?
Also is the owner not around?
 
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Dorinda

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The questions asked to the devs are amazing. Seriously, who wouldn't want to know about distilling or more music for the harpsichord
 

jack flash uk

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as THP asked, scripters and cheats, why can't the DEV team block incoming illegal 3rd party programs, or at least have a small patch everyday to lock them out ?
 

Viper09

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The questions asked to the devs are amazing. Seriously, who wouldn't want to know about distilling or more music for the harpsichord
I am assuming this is sarcasm so I will answer it as such. (if it isn't I apologize)
The questions asked just goes to show that there are people who honestly enjoy all other parts of this game that people aren't constantly bringing up over and over on these forums. Not everyone is obsessed with PvP, cheating and balance as most posts on these forums tend to suggest.
 
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Petra Fyde

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The questions asked to the devs are amazing. Seriously, who wouldn't want to know about distilling or more music for the harpsichord
obviously someone does, or they wouldn't bother asking.
We have tried to select a range of questions from different places and covering different topics. Bearing in mind this is the first of these.
 

Picus at the office

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as THP asked, scripters and cheats, why can't the DEV team block incoming illegal 3rd party programs, or at least have a small patch everyday to lock them out ?
Cause the subs would fall off the side of the earth more so. Fix the dupers yes but face reality in that the rest are here to stay.
 

Cogniac

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3. Can you mention Fansites by URL in game.... there has been talk in the past you can and then some say you cannot (Rupert Avery, UO Auctions)
Mesanna: Yes, you can advertise any URL in game on your profile as long as it DOES NOT sell any items.
Will the devs be expunging our records after a griefer calls a hapless GM on us for posting a link to Stratics or a personal guild site? How about the people who have already taken bans for this sort of thing? I remember JCtheBuilder getting a 72-hour ban for having a link to UOGuide in his character profile. Will he be retroactively pardoned?
 
W

Woodsman

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Is it possible to stop the GOLD sellers spam especially in HELP chat and the others too?
Can you start Monitoring this and ban the trial accounts pls AND can you monitor from wich Master Accounts this Trial accounts are created and ban them too?
Txs
This a million times. Every single day I login, within a few minutes on the Help channel I see gold sellers. Mesanna said those sites can't be mentioned:
3. Can you mention Fansites by URL in game.... there has been talk in the past you can and then some say you cannot (Rupert Avery, UO Auctions)
Mesanna: Yes, you can advertise any URL in game on your profile as long as it DOES NOT sell any items.
It's especially bad with all of the RTBers that might come back.
 

Lady Silverbrook

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I appreciate Mesanna taking the time for this, my only constructive criticism would be it more about Ask and Answer and less about Ask and Acknowledge.

UO has enough 'its on our radars'. Heck, they've been jotting down notes for literal years on things that have been requested... very few of those have made it in game.

I would recommend more definitive answers that given beyond 'we'll make note of that', 'maybe', 'we'd like to get to that soon'. We've heard that for years now. Personally it's answers like the ones she gives as to why I'm leaving UO. It's all so very, very nebulous there.
 
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Frarc

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The questions asked to the devs are amazing. Seriously, who wouldn't want to know about distilling or more music for the harpsichord
Because many players play and enjoy the game with all the feature it got and have question about the things they enjoy to do.
UO has a lot of freedom for us to do what we like.

It is not because i don't PvP that i would have this silly remark on people having questions on their favorite thing from the game.
It is good we are not all the same or we would all be fishing! ;)
 

Dorinda

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Because many players play and enjoy the game with all the feature it got and have question about the things they enjoy to do.
UO has a lot of freedom for us to do what we like.

It is not because i don't PvP that i would have this silly remark on people having questions on their favorite thing from the game.
It is good we are not all the same or we would all be fishing! ;)
I don't feel that even asking specific questions towards pvp or insignificant trammel items are the main responses we as a community are seeking. The most important questions should be directed towards how the developers are advertising to bring new players or veterans back to the game. Atleast questions that are addressing the decreasing population.
 
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Ron Silverbeard

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Just out of pure curiosity, why does this bother you?
Also is the owner not around?
There are some people in the game that only cause trouble...and i dont want to be on their house list...
I dont want to be shown on someones list who might get banned and get into investigation by a GM who thinks i have something to do with it...
I have not asked to be friended to this house, he was just adding me and all my questions to remove me have ended into insulting me...
The GM i paged told me they can do nothing, but ME can monitor the player and report if he harassing me than they will start talking to him..
The GM told me its better i just put this player on ignore and move on...it doesnt matter if i am on a bad guys house list nothing will happen for me - but i dont trust this i have seen to much nonsense..

Its getting me pissed of everytime i am told i shall ignore people and move on - for me it sounds like "We have no time to care for all this bad people, scrippters, cheaters out there, just ignore them..but if YOU want to help us, be our guest (and do our work)" Not sure if serious....
 
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Viper09

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There are some people in the game that only cause trouble...and i dont want to be on their house list...
I dont want to be shown on someones list who might get banned and get into investigation by a GM who thinks i have something to do with it...
I have not asked to be friended to this house, he was just adding me and all my questions to remove me have ended into insulting me...
The GM i paged told me they can do nothing, but ME can monitor the player and report if he harassing me than they will start talking to him..
The GM told me its better i just put this player on ignore and move on...it doesnt matter if i am on a bad guys house list nothing will happen for me - but i dont trust this i have seen to much nonsense..

Its getting me pissed of everytime i am told i shall ignore people and move on - for me it sounds like "We have no time to care for all this bad people, scrippters, cheaters out there, just ignore them..but if YOU want to help us, be our guest (and do our work)" Not sure if serious....
I kind of expected this might be your issue, not wanting to be associated with the owner. I wouldn't think that a GM might suspect you of any wrong doing if the owner got in trouble though. If they aren't someone who you are good friends with though you could try and force them to unfriend you through unethical means such as exploiting the access you have with the house (assuming it's possible).
 

popps

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Is there any chance you can stop the cheaters/dupers and scripters once and for all.....word on the street is there is a big gold dupe live at the moment......or do we ''really'' have to play along side them and tolerate them [ as mentioned before].
Oh no....... not another mass gold dupe again.........

How many gold dupe waves we've had so far in the history of UO ? The game really does not need one more again !!

I hope that the powers that be will act fastly and swiftly on this one (should it not just be a rumor...) and not be afraid to ban accounts who have been duping gold or taking advantage of it (in case gold may be duped on one account and then transferred onto other accounts....).

I find it astonishing that, after 15 Years, Ultima Online must still face or be in danger to be plagued with cheating like that.
 

O'Brien

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:coco:
Thank you, team, for such satisfying, informative answers!

Lets review:

1. Would it be possible to convert the older quests to the new Quest system? The older system only allows one quest to be active at a time. (Drachenfels, General Chat)
Mesanna: Are you speaking about the context questions vs the paperdoll quests? I know this is not the answer you want to hear but without looking deeper into the code we can not give a definite answer for this question.
"Not the answer you want to hear"? Actually, this isn't an answer period, but moving on...
2. Are Harpsichord rolls a permanent or time limited drop? If limited, when will they stop? (popps, Stratics)
Mesanna: This is a permanent addition to the game, hopefully in the future we can add additional music rolls.
Excellent! As long as the new Harpsichord rolls don't disappear without notice, just what could be wrong in UO?

3. Can you mention Fansites by URL in game.... there has been talk in the past you can and then some say you cannot (Rupert Avery, UO Auctions)
Mesanna: Yes, you can advertise any URL in game on your profile as long as it DOES NOT sell any items.
Yes, you can, but you may be banned for it if caught, so I wouldn't! Gold selling is a much less risky activity, as demonstrated everyday in General Chat.
4. There's a number of items that were introduced with SA that resemble & relate to the other Imbuing crafting ingredients. But they have no current use. Fey Wings, Fur, Horn of Abyssal Inferno, Kepetch Wax, Lodestone, Primeval Lich Dust, Slith Eye, Vile Tentacles, Void Core. Are there plans to make all those items, or some of them usable at one point? (Nystul, Ask the Devs)
Kyronix: We’re always looking for new and creative uses for underutilized ingredients and are currently working on adding some to upcoming content.
What you see is what you get. Some may have a use someday, most will not, some may be added to the list of accepted cleanup items... trash 100,000 of these and you can get a new dye! Start collecting now!
5. Hello, I just want to ask a question about Distilling. Are there any plans to expand it so that wines, beers, ales and sake can be made? Thanks (Edward Striker, Ask the Devs)
Mesanna: I will add this to our list of things to do, good suggestion Edward.
Nope, no plans.
6. Is there any plans to make Golems semi "bondable" at some point in time? The big problem with Golems nowadays is that not only are they mostly underpowered, but also that any training put into them is undone when they can die so easily. Another part of the solution, would of course be to lessen the cooldown incurred upon healing the Golem. The cooldown is currently like 30 seconds, which is WAY too long. It should be shortened to something like 10 seconds. (PlayerSkillFTW, Ask the Devs)
Mesanna: We have talked about adding new golens to advanced Tinkering, but we are not going to add another golem to be a training punching bag for Luna.
We're going to tell you what we are definitely not going to do with golems but, huh, what was your question again?
7. Are there any plans to review getting to and from certain areas of Siege? There are many places on the shard that you cannot gate to from the Ter Mur facet and also from many places in the Tokuno facet, for example to areas around Luna and also areas around Yew and Skara Brae. (When you try, you get a very unhelpful message that says your spell doesn't seem to work.) The inconsistencies make no sense at all and cause a lot of frustration for newcomers to the shard, especially when they work hard to make enough gold to place a house in an area that looks ideal for housing (because it's sooooo empty) and then find out that the reason for the emptiness is just plain old bugginess. (Tina Small, Ask the Devs)
Mesanna: Tina we agree, and we are entering a problem report on this today.
It was already reported as a problem years ago, but we will enter it again today. Yay we rock.
That's all for today, but we are sure you have more questions.
Keep them coming and we'll see you in the game.
:danceb:
 
L

lancelot99

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I am optimistic about the Golem answer - I remember the times when my *Techno mage* could have fun in Dungeons with his trusty golem . never able to fignt high end critters like tamers or warriors, but mid level critters (serp drags/elder gazers) were killable...
Sadly, these days, a normal ogre/troll would tear apart my beloved golem :-(
 

Rumpy

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7. Are there any plans to review getting to and from certain areas of Siege? There are many places on the shard that you cannot gate to from the Ter Mur facet and also from many places in the Tokuno facet, for example to areas around Luna and also areas around Yew and Skara Brae. (When you try, you get a very unhelpful message that says your spell doesn't seem to work.) The inconsistencies make no sense at all and cause a lot of frustration for newcomers to the shard, especially when they work hard to make enough gold to place a house in an area that looks ideal for housing (because it's sooooo empty) and then find out that the reason for the emptiness is just plain old bugginess. (Tina Small, Ask the Devs)
Mesanna: Tina we agree, and we are entering a problem report on this today.

This would explain alot. This is REALLY annoying. I have to always gate to a fel place outside of a GZ to make it work.
 

Petra Fyde

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:coco:
Thank you, team, for such satisfying, informative answers!

Lets review:


"Not the answer you want to hear"? Actually, this isn't an answer period, but moving on...

Excellent! As long as the new Harpsichord rolls don't disappear without notice, just what could be wrong in UO?


Yes, you can, but you may be banned for it if caught, so I wouldn't! Gold selling is a much less risky activity, as demonstrated everyday in General Chat.

What you see is what you get. Some may have a use someday, most will not, some may be added to the list of accepted cleanup items... trash 100,000 of these and you can get a new dye! Start collecting now!

Nope, no plans.

We're going to tell you what we are definitely not going to do with golems but, huh, what was your question again?

It was already reported as a problem years ago, but we will enter it again today. Yay we rock.

:danceb:
Thank you for you insight.

I am delighted that I am not one of the developers, because if I were I would read your reaction to this first Ask & Answer and think 'If that's the way it's going to be greeted, why the hell should I bother?'
 

kelmo

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Do you think he considers himself funny? "snarky"? I dunno.

I do know that there are a lot of poisonous attitudes around here of late. I have tried to be patient and let everyone have their voice. I will not let this trend continue. I will not allow venom to be spewed and drag these forums down just so some few malcontents can slap each other on the back.
 
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Woodsman

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I am delighted that I am not one of the developers, because if I were I would read your reaction to this first Ask & Answer and think 'If that's the way it's going to be greeted, why the hell should I bother?'
Because it's their job and because it's been a problem with Mythic for years. A lack of communication (which has improved recently thanks to pressure from the community) or communication that doesn't really say much, is a serious problem. O'Brien had a point. We've had too many times where this stuff didn't really say anything or just repeated what people already knew.
I do know that there are a lot of poisonous attitudes around here of late. I have tried to be patient and let everyone have their voice. I will not let this trend continue. I will not allow venom to be spewed and drag these forums down just so some few malcontents can slap each other on the back.
There is a difference between poisonous and critical. Being that you all are, for all intents and purposes, the "official" forums according to what Mesanna said a few months ago during an MMORPG.com livestream and according to Petra being dubbed the Official UO Community Liaison, I would hope you would allow the critical comments.

Because it was the critical attitudes here, on UO Forums, on Twitter, and elsewhere that led to the recent increase in communication and to a producer's letter that, as others pointed out, for the first time in a year actually sounded like an MMORPG producer's letter. Prior to that producer's letter, we had a solid year of "we have a passionate team" and "we have exciting things planned" that did nothing for actual, real communication. We would get producer's letters that really said nothing and didn't inspire confidence in players or ex-players, and we would get franchise producer's letters that promised better communication starting the next week or two, only to see that communication disappear in that next week or two.

People are critical because they care. If I didn't care, I would have bailed on UO last year. Hell, I wouldn't have even bothered coming back.
 
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Picus of Napa

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This thread has actually been one of the more decent producer/dev related ones I can think of in recent memory. If the mods of the official forum for UO close, move or do something otherwise nasty to every thread that questions the statments posted by the team what do we have then?

People have brought up some fair and valid points in this thread and I, personally, hope that some of these get brought up in future Q&A's at a later date. People can hardly be shocked to see that after this many years regular posters might want to jump to the worst case first and then back up later, it is the school that we have been brought up in and the training has worked well. A good many players might also see limited value in some of the questions posted here and debate to themselves that this is just another carrot in front of the donkey.

It hardly passes massive amounts of confidence in the system that a valid question about golems is nearly written off as a refrence to luna bashing and can be seen, to some, as another divergence from the daily player and those that run the game.

Lastly, upon reviewing the question about URL's in the game are we sure that one can refrence ANY URL a player wants to as long as it's not selling items, that could open up a can of worms.
 

Dermott of LS

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...

1. Would it be possible to convert the older quests to the new Quest system? The older system only allows one quest to be active at a time. (Drachenfels, General Chat)
Mesanna: Are you speaking about the context questions vs the paperdoll quests? I know this is not the answer you want to hear but without looking deeper into the code we can not give a definite answer for this question.​
"Not the answer you want to hear"? Actually, this isn't an answer period, but moving on...
The point of the reply to this is that there are really two specific problems with the non-answer to this question to begin with.

Basically there are two quest systems in UO... the Pre-AOS quest system that includes the Naturalist quest, Old Hag quest, and all of the Ant/Solen quests. Then there is the ML/Heartwood Quest System that has been used since.

The first problem is that Mesanna doesn't seem to know this or realize that these systems are what the questioner was talking about. The second problem is that the "answer" isn't an answer at all, but a question asking what the questioner meant.

That's not exactly the best way to start out a Q and A session. I'm glad to see it return in some form or fashion at all, however, we're going to need to see a bit more homework done on the part of the Team in order to more directly answer the questions instead of "What quest system?" and "That's a nice idea, we'll think about it".

Just some advice to take forward, use the recent Letter From the Producer, consider questions around those topics that can be expanded on, then sprinkle in a few of the more nebulous questions or even questions regarding gameplay stuff such as what we saw in the discussion thread on the new casino games.
 

kelmo

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There is a difference between poisonous and critical.
Yes. There is. I am determined to rid us of the poison. Critical I can handle.
 

cazador

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Thank you for you insight.

I am delighted that I am not one of the developers, because if I were I would read your reaction to this first Ask & Answer and think 'If that's the way it's going to be greeted, why the hell should I bother?'
I sense your frustration really we all know you defend devs and how ****ty they are on a pretty much daily basis..but honestly not attacking you but your defending this attempt at a Q&A..we talk about harpsichords and distilling? Why not pvp balance, hacking, future content, some of the interesting things in the producers letter? Not something that has no real replay ability I mean really who sits At their house and plays music anyways? Who cares you got it it's a cool deco does it "really" need to be enhanced lol...or distilling yes I agree maybe for being a theme pack thing it should have some "usefulness" not just a dumb trammy thing to do to make uses wines to RP make toxic bombs or some kind of area effect that works with alchemy..but they are just useless questions a game that has 10,000 problems these are the questions asked which is supposed to give the community something to look forward to? Biased maybe? Anyways sorry if I'm coming off as rude or mad at you specifically Petra but I'm not...just my measly 2 cents..
 

kelmo

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This is just not going to work. Not like this.
 
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