[News] FoF: That Time Again

[Larisa]

Posted to <a target="_blank" href=http://www.uoherald.com/news/>uoherald.com's</a> <a target="_blank" href=http://www.uo.com/fof/fiveonfriday104.html>Five on Friday:</a> <blockquote><span class=osi>

<font size=+1>FoF: That Time Again
</font> Jeremy Dalberg
04 Apr 2008 16:43:20

A few perennial favorites - mining, leeches, RoT - plus some cool new player events round out this week's article.</P>

"I have recently been using a weapon that has all three leeches. I have noticed that only one of these leeches can work for each hit. Is this truly how it is working, or am I just imagining things? And if it does work this way, is this intended?" </p>

Leurocian checked the code, then hopped on a test server to check, and it appears that all three leeches will work at once. However, Stamina is calculated differently than the other two, and will give bigger returns, so if you're not looking carefully it may well appear that the other ones aren't working.</P>

"For us learning impaired, what causes a resource field to change? Say, ore zones. Does the zone need to be worked, or is there a chance it will change when it is "refreshed" without it even being touched?"</p>

There are two ways for ore (or wood) zones to refresh: when the zone is mined (not necessarily mined out, just mined,) it has a chance to reroll its resource type. At this point, it sets a timer. After that timer is up, the next time it is mined, it has a chance to reroll again. (The timer prevents it from cycling too fast.) The second way is a general chance that affects the entire subserver, and that is unpredictable - so even if a vein is never mined, it may still switch ore types from time to time.</P>

"Can we ever get the RoT system adjusted/removed/looked at on Siege?"</p>

(For non-Siege players, the RoT - Rate over Time - system is a method of limiting how fast players can gain skill on Siege-ruleset shards.)</P>

This is something that has long been requested, and is definitely something we'd like to look at. I checked with the various Lords and Ladies of the Schedule, and it looks like we're not going to have time to get any changes in for the next publish, but I will continue to to bring it up for a publish after that. In the meantime, if you have specific opinions about the RoT system, send me feedback!</P>

"Why am I getting an error message when I try to cast Spirit Speak?"</p>

We believe we've fixed one possible cause of this, but if you're finding yourself unable to cast Spirit Speak, please page a GM and they can fix you - and also figure out what we've missed!</P>

What's To Come:</p>

If you haven't been by Moonglow lately, check it out! Meanwhile, the wheels are turning on the next publish, and we'll be talking in more detail about that over the next few weeks as the changes and fixes roll in.</P>

Fansite News</p>

Haven's Helpers on Europa has a handy site of for folks new to UO - if you're new, or have a friend or guildmate who is, <a target="_blank" href=http://haven.uosites.com/> Check This Out! </A></P>

Sonomans, check out PRE's Tour of Dungeons! </P>

"Join us each Sunday night in April as we continue 'Tour of Dungeons' with excursions to the Lost Lands for a bit of fun and mayhem. </P>

All tours start at 5:30pm Pacific, 6:30pm Mountain, 7:30pm Central, 8:30pm Eastern. </P>

Gates will be offered from Luna bank starting at 5:15pm Pacific to the dungeon meetup site. Please come prepared with bandages, regs or LRC suits, pet/people food, patience and plan for a good ol' fun time. </P>

April's 'Tour of Dungeons' Schedule: </P>

Day -- Date -- Time -- TRAMMEL Dungeon </p> [*]Sunday ------ 4/6/08 -- 5:30 PST -- Brit Sewers [*]Sunday ------ 4/13/08 -- 5:30 PST -- Fire [*]Sunday ------ 4/20/08 -- 5:30 PST -- Hot (Trinsic) [*]Sunday ------ 4/27/08 -- 5:30 PST -- Ice

**We will venture to the Terathan Keep in May.</P>

Remember, it's not about the loot or the monsters... it's about the fun of clearing out a dungeon as a group. There are more dungeon tours planned where will go to other 'sets' of dungeons. If you are interested in attending to help rez, heal, guide assist, or have questions/suggestions feel free to contact Queen Mum by ICQ 168-812-018 or email - queenmum AT uoforums DOT com."</P>

And don't forget the Chicken Fight Club on Great Lakes!</P>

"Come One...Come All! Every Saturday night at 8est. Chickens, Cu’s, Squirrels, Mares and many more come to face off. We have no entrance fee and give 100k to 1st place. Anyone can enter and see if their pet IS the best!</P>

Gates start at 7:50 at Brit bank. Dont forget about the battle royale at the end of the night... one for Cu Sidhes and one for all others."</P>

Remember, if you want your event or news item included in the FoF, send it to jdalberg AT ea DOT com. Also, if your event is ongoing (like Chicken Fight Club, above) and you'd like me to run it two weeks in a row, just say so. After that, there will be a two-week cooldown, and then you can resubmit the event for another two weeks. This policy is subject to change if this section starts getting overrun, but for the moment, that's how it will work! </P>

Several of you have noticed that the last couple of weeks haven't had five traditional questions. This is because my stock of gameplay questions has gotten awfully thin - please replenish it! If it continues to be tricky to find questions we can answer, I will continue to try to find other content and features to fill out the FoF so you feel like you're getting your click's worth - requests and suggestions are always welcome!</P>

Jeremy</P>

 

[pallas]

Err... you mean FOUR on Friday?

Come on, if you are going to post fluff, Jeremy, have the common decency to at LEAST answer five questions.

 

[Der Rock]

---------------------------------------------------------
"Can we ever get the RoT system adjusted/removed/looked at on Siege?"
..................................................
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Priority for Majority

 

[Larisa]

READ next time...

Several of you have noticed that the last couple of weeks haven't had five traditional questions. This is because my stock of gameplay questions has gotten awfully thin - please replenish it! If it continues to be tricky to find questions we can answer, I will continue to try to find other content and features to fill out the FoF so you feel like you're getting your click's worth - requests and suggestions are always welcome!

 

[Connor_Graham]

"For us learning impaired, what causes a resource field to change? Say, ore zones. Does the zone need to be worked, or is there a chance it will change when it is "refreshed" without it even being touched?"

There are two ways for ore (or wood) zones to refresh: when the zone is mined (not necessarily mined out, just mined,) it has a chance to reroll its resource type. At this point, it sets a timer. After that timer is up, the next time it is mined, it has a chance to reroll again. (The timer prevents it from cycling too fast.) The second way is a general chance that affects the entire subserver, and that is unpredictable - so even if a vein is never mined, it may still switch ore types from time to time.



I question this one strongly. I've proven otherwise many times over.

 

[eolsunder1]

mmm stock of questions is low? Oh come on now &lt;grin&gt; there are hundreds of questions we would like answered, most of the important ones have never shown up on the FoF topics.

Maybe some nice person can send her over their big lists of things and questions to be looked at. I'm sure some vet player, like me, has a huge list of things still hanging about.

 

[pallas]

<blockquote><hr>

READ next time...

Several of you have noticed that the last couple of weeks haven't had five traditional questions. This is because my stock of gameplay questions has gotten awfully thin - please replenish it! If it continues to be tricky to find questions we can answer, I will continue to try to find other content and features to fill out the FoF so you feel like you're getting your click's worth - requests and suggestions are always welcome!

[/ QUOTE ]

Uhm, I can read Larisa, though perhaps you OWN comprehension of MY posts are in doubt (as usual, gee, shocker /rolls eyes).

Regardless of her saying that there is nothing to discuss, all she need is LOOK AT THE BOARDS... god forbid! There are a plethora of questions.

 

[Guest]

To be fair, Jeremy has stated several (many) times something along the lines of the best way to get a question answered is to send it in to her rather than post it on the boards and expect it answered =)

 

[Guest]

Yep...If you really want your question answered or issue looked at, email Jeremy or send in Feedback.

 

[imported_Cyrah]

I will gladly give her one to make the five. FREE too.

Did you all think that stopping the April 1st gifts after one day was funny?

No other gift lasted one day.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

&lt;p&gt;Posted to uoherald.com's Five on Friday: <blockquote>"For us learning impaired, what causes a resource field to change? Say, ore zones. Does the zone need to be worked, or is there a chance it will change when it is "refreshed" without it even being touched?"&lt;/p&gt; &lt;P&gt;There are two ways for ore (or wood) zones to refresh: when the zone is mined (not necessarily mined out, just mined,) it has a chance to reroll its resource type. At this point, it sets a timer. After that timer is up, the next time it is mined, it has a chance to reroll again. (The timer prevents it from cycling too fast.) The second way is a general chance that affects the entire subserver, and that is unpredictable - so even if a vein is never mined, it may still switch ore types from time to time.&lt;/P&gt; &lt;p&gt;<blockquote><hr>



I think you need to have a look at that timer you spoke of, and the chance that the zone would change. I have had ore zones start out as one type of ore, switch to another, then after 20 minutes or so, switch to something else.

That's why I asked this question at the UOHoC in the first place.

 

[Guest]

*scratches head* How do you disprove it? They haven't given us the probability or the timeout length (might be a day, might be a minute), so what are you testing?

I've had experiences that match what's been said. I've had wood respawn in a new color between trips returning the same evening. I've had everything around me respawn in a new color when I'm not around (*misses the bloodwood and three heartwood that all spawned one evening spawned on my doorstep*). I didn't realize it was the whole subserver though ... that makes for some interesting new harvest strategies ... hmmm.

 

[Connor_Graham]

*scratches head* How do you disprove it? They haven't given us the probability or the timeout length (might be a day, might be a minute), so what are you testing?

I've had the same spots, spread out over different areas, yielding the same ores over a 2 week period. I don't think the timer runs that long.

 

[Larisa]

This is the problem Pallas

If it continues to be tricky to find questions we can answer

See that?? Questions WE CAN ANSWER...some of the questions you guys ask she just CANNOT ANSWER! Why don't you guys get that? You ask about the scriptors, she can't answer that...you ask about the cheaters...she can't answer that...ask something that she can actually answer if you want a full 5 questions is all I'm saying.

 

[BadManiac]

<blockquote><hr>

ask something that she can actually answer if you want a full 5 questions is all I'm saying.

[/ QUOTE ]When will they fix my dear Reptalons? See sig for details. Not like I haven't tried for TWO YEARS.

 

[Locus_Ceruleus]

I have great questions, but I have no idea what her email would be.

EDIT: D'oh! found it

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

I have great questions, but I have no idea what her email would be.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's a cryptically titled sticky at the top of U.Hall.
(I jest - I never look at the stickies either)

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

I have great questions, but I have no idea what her email would be.

[/ QUOTE ]

I asume this jdalberg AT ea DOT com = [email protected] IF you hold alt + 2 it makes this neat @

 

[Chango Pelon]

SA Info?


Or how about some info on SA?


Better yet, can we get any answer at all involving SA?


Maybe if that is not doable, answering with any relevant SA information?

I know for MOST of my friends, SA is all that has them hanging on by a string.

 

[Chango Pelon]

Oh yeah, and on a non SA subject... double resources in Fel including fish steaks, PUHLEASE...

 

[imported_Heartseeker]

I think Pallas does get it and you don't .

What is the point in asking questions when most can't be answered.

There are a ton of questions being asked daily.

We the players want to know about SA and things like what is going to happen to cheaters.

We don't want a bunch of fluff.

Can you understand what I am saying?

Man, some of you don't care at all about the game and are thankful for any tidbit a dev throws you.

Out of all the FoF's I never heard anything about the real issues in this game; including the spin doctoring from Robert in the other post.

 

[Guest]

Why should I bother sending an e-mail about a question that can easily be answered on the boards?

Q: Will there be a new generation of plants to grow this year?

The answer shouldn't be too hard.
A. Yes
B. No
C. I don't know
D. Some variation of it's not on the agenda now, but we're hoping to add something later in the year.
E. There will never be a 5th gen.

An honest, timely answer is better than no answer. I (and others) have only asked sense Wilki was community rep. The closest we've come to an answer was from the HoC chat: HoC Log

Brannoc - *kittykat* Will gardening every get any love, like new plants, resources, or even the fabled 5th generation?
Draconi - Well, one fun addition in the next publish will be cocoa trees, including appropriate seeds - this should go nicely with the coming additions to chocolatiering as well! (What, you thought we'd spoil everything at once?)

After that we waited days just to be told that oops! the trees aren't coming this publish. Maybe next time.

Do any of you actually want a gardening question as a FoF on the off chance it might be answered?

I don't. Therefore I will continue to ask it here in hopes that someday an answer will be given.

 

[Lady-Tor]

*Sends a FoF question to Larisa*

Thank you, i wasnt sure how we could get somthing anwered.

 

[imported_kinney42]

<blockquote><hr>

"I have recently been using a weapon that has all three leeches. I have noticed that only one of these leeches can work for each hit. Is this truly how it is working, or am I just imagining things? And if it does work this way, is this intended?"

Leurocian checked the code, then hopped on a test server to check, and it appears that all three leeches will work at once. However, Stamina is calculated differently than the other two, and will give bigger returns, so if you're not looking carefully it may well appear that the other ones aren't working.


[/ QUOTE ]

I would really love to have the formula for leeching!!!
PLEASE!!!!
I would guess a lot of other people would like it as well since there are whole templates that depend on leeching for survival!

 

[Chango Pelon]

Ugh, I would rather info on SA then another math equation...

Leech =150-(300*x+% leech of choice)/3.14*1000 - 9(x) * 0

 

[imported_kinney42]

Holy Crap thats a terrible equation...Where did you come up with that?!?!?!

 

[imported_Fran Fury]

I believe it is sarcasm. There are a lot of people who either don't understand the math equations or scan right over them.We shouldn't have to do advanced math to play a game.

 

[Guest]

Whell if i could as some i would know why we get revealed when we disarm a trap, but not when we detect or pick the lock. For old fasion rouges a change to not be revealed would be great and give new life to dungeon picking.

 

[JoyousGard]

Another crappy FOF blamed on the question submitters. HAHAHA!

OK there is a lot of SA concern, right... let's all submit this question:

What is the story with the hyped up Ultima Online:Stygian Abyss expansion?

here

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

already answered ...here

There are three major story arcs in the works culminating in what I can only describe for legal and marketing reasons as an “Epic Event” coming this Spring … Applying my First Rule of Molyneux, make that late Spring.(my bolding)

and
reinforced here
Unfortunately, there's a lot of conflicting needs between design, development, testing, marketing, etc. What this means is there are still some things we are not ready to talk about it. Yes it's April now and I'm still saying that, you did not hear me wrong. (again, my bolding)

yw

 

[JoyousGard]

My question was about the much hyped Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss expansion. The one that was advertised heavily 8-12 months ago and then stopped being mentioned.

Story arcs are fine, but are not expansions.

Is the name of the expansion a secret? They already told us the name a year ago. Was it scrapped and replaced by large top-secret story arcs? If that is the case, then the subs should be told not to anticipate the expansion that was advertised last year.

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

<blockquote><hr>

My question was about the much hyped Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss expansion. The one that was advertised heavily 8-12 months ago and then stopped being mentioned.

Story arcs are fine, but are not expansions.

Is the name of the expansion a secret? They already told us the name a year ago. Was it scrapped and replaced by large top-secret story arcs? If that is the case, then the subs should be told not to anticipate the expansion that was advertised last year.

[/ QUOTE ]
(departed since)
EAWaltYarbrough 07/05/07
Status:

I’d like to inform you that, due to our continuing commitment of resources towards Kingdom Reborn, we will be delaying the launch of Stygian Abyss.

We had previously announced a release date for Stygian Abyss of Summer 2007, and, even though we still have some time left in ‘Summer’ – we will not rush Stygian Abyss out the door.

As of today, we will remove all official references to Stygian Abyss’s launch date from our sites. We’ll announce a new launch date in the future.

they'll address it
WHEN THEY ARE READY ...

The above ... ALREADY answered your question ...

why do you insist on asking questions already answered ?

 

[JoyousGard]

If you feel that post from Warlborough answers all uncertainties about the much hyped Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss expansion then don't post this question...

What is the story with the hyped up Ultima Online:Stygian Abyss expansion?

here

Otherwise, post the question in the feedback link I have provided.

To sum up your links...
Jeremy says story arcs are planned with an epic story arc... Sounds lagorific, but is that SA?
Bob works on other game systems and knows that workers are working on UO... He is a good manager, but is that SA?
Warlborough from the Stygian Abyss team, since retired, said that references to a release date for Stygian Abyss would be removed... Was he retired because SA was scrapped?

THose posts do not address my concerns... and if you or others are concerned about an expansion, possibly named Stygian Abyss, then post the question I have provided (or a similar one) into the feedback form

Or use the feedback form to ask another question.

 

[Guest]

Sad part is that was posted close to 1 year ago.

How many years has it been since the last expansion?

 

[Guest]

The last expansion release? ML, right??
According to RPGValley, it was August 30, 2005.

 

[Chango Pelon]

Yeah, but Fayled will quote that for the next hundred years if nothing else is posted in the meantime. I mean, a hundred years is still the future right? They did say they would give a new date in the future right?

Thanks for nothing Fayled. *rolls eyes*

 

[Fantaapple]

When are they going to change pvp?

Fix all the overpowering?

 

[prison bound]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

I have great questions, but I have no idea what her email would be.

[/ QUOTE ]

I asume this jdalberg AT ea DOT com = [email protected] IF you hold alt + 2 it makes this neat @

[/ QUOTE ]

the whole reason it was written "jdalberg AT ea DOT com" is to avoid having the actual e-mail address picked up by spam bots. so, by equating it to her actual address, and by typing that address out, you have rendered it useless

 

[Guest]

Kinney42, the leech description here should be pretty much what you'd need to know. Let me know if I can clarify further - the leech formulae are fairly horrible, but I'll wade back in if I must.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

I have great questions, but I have no idea what her email would be.

[/ QUOTE ]

I asume this jdalberg AT ea DOT com = jdalberg at ea dot com IF you hold alt + 2 it makes this neat @

[/ QUOTE ]

the whole reason it was written "jdalberg AT ea DOT com" is to avoid having the actual e-mail address picked up by spam bots. so, by equating it to her actual address, and by typing that address out, you have rendered it useless

[/ QUOTE ]

and when you quoted it you perpetuated the error.

 

[imported_ParadoxUO]

We should post our questions so Jeremy improves her question database.

- Does karma/fame improves your damage?
(tested and we know the answer... but most dont)

- Does karma/fame changes the loot you collect? including quest loot?
(tested and we know the answer... but most dont)

 

[_Uriah Heep_]

rtlfc
----------------------------------
As of today, we will remove all official references to Stygian Abyss’s launch date from our sites
----------------------------------

Think the answer for SA is already been put in black and white. Read between the lines...

I figure it'll release about the same time as Darkfall *snickers*

 

[Ultima83]

Id absoutely LOVE to hear something about Stygian abyss.. ITs the only reason I continue to play this video game and keep up to date with the PvP

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

I've had the same spots, spread out over different areas, yielding the same ores over a 2 week period. I don't think the timer runs that long.

[/ QUOTE ]

Their RNG stinketh to high heaven. If they don't specifically exclude the same ore being the replacement then it's highly likely the RNG just gets in a rut.

It does this for everything "random" in the game.

 

[Guest]

I got a question.

When will they finish the VIRTUE SYSTEM.

Anyone else miss using mantras at shrines? Was sort of fun :[

 

[IPlayUOTOOMuCH]

Yes, the fact that the shrines or virtues have nothing to do with this event is somewhat bogus. It is what Ultima Lore is built on after all.

 

[Guest]

Before they finish the Virtue system, they ought to take care of the Virtue bugs :/

 

[Guest]

Before they finish the Virtue system, they ought to take care of the Virtue bugs :/

 

[imported_bouche835]

[quote&lt;P&gt;(For non-Siege players, the RoT - Rate over Time - system is a method of limiting how fast players can gain skill on Siege-ruleset shards.)&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;This is something that has long been requested, and is definitely something we'd like to look at. I checked with the various Lords and Ladies of the Schedule, and it looks like we're not going to have time to get any changes in for the next publish, but I will continue to to bring it up for a publish after that. In the meantime, if you have specific opinions about the RoT system, send me feedback!&lt;/P&gt;

[/ QUOTE ]

Just change it. This is only reason I have not created a character there.