Not sure if this is a great find, but might be a note on the progress of MechScape.

"Tip of the day: 'Never underestimate the mammoth task of balancing a game world with four opposed playable species in it'."
(Take from here: http://twitter.com/Olifiers)

This was taken from Henrique Olifier's Twitter Blog. I'm thinking perhaps the different species may be similar to what operates in Eve Online.

Your thoughts?

I actually don't know what to think.

Perhaps, maybe, it will be like WoW? Idk, I doubt it, but then again, anything is possible =/

(Eve Online? Never heard of it.)

And yes, I think it is a note of progress on Mechscape.

Well Eve Online is a space MMORPG, whereby there are 4 playable races, Amarr, Caldari, Gallente and Mimitar.

I do think MechScape may be in a very similar vein to Eve Online, just instead of being in space, it will be based on a world.

Ahhh, thanks.

I ment the races might be something like WoW.

Maybe it means that since they don't want to make the story lines too small that they have to work on making them all these epic stories and intertwine with each other.
That way it makes things interesting when another species meets with another.

I'm not sure if that account is even real, but if it is then this is an interesting bit of news. Although I already assumed they were going to enemies, it's nice to have some confirmation.

I think it was fake because it got deleted.

I'm going to say its real. Jagex is following him

and its not deleted http://twitter.com/Olifiers
just leave the ) off the end and it works

Sorry yeah the link was wrong, fixed now!

It is indeed real, I knew about this a while ago. I have talked to Ren about it as well. I have a twitter account that I follow some people on, (of course I will not share).

Oh, guess it's real then

He just wrote on Twitter "Torn between a predictable, comfortable artificial economy and a free, player-driven market (and all its exploits). Tricky call!".
Hmmmm.

... Yea I just saw that, if he is talking about MechScape I think it won't have free trade.

Well, since you found my Twitter, I'll confirm it's real. Not that I expected it to be a secret or anything, but I didn't want it to become a speculation source since I discuss non-Mechscape stuff in there most of the time.

Also, the reason why I'm finally posting here (despite following the site/forum for some time as you can tell by my join date), is to stir things a bit without revealing more about the game. I can only imagine how frustrating it is for all of you not having access to solid information about the project, and I share your pain. There's not a single day myself and the team don't feel sad for not being able to tell the world what we have been doing for the past three years and a half -- not even family! But trust me, is for the best. We don't want you to get attached to ideas and concepts we'll be forced to change or even remove in order to create the best game we possibly can.

I'll try to keep the community alive with more eye candy and maybe some extras soon, bear with me. I'll get in touch with Ren this week and set some things in motion.

Stay tuned!

Henrique Olifiers.

Thanks for posting Mr.Olifiers (if you don't mind me calling you that)! I am glad we are getting something soon, a lot of us are becoming very inactive because of the lack of information. Well it is good to know that you at least discuss some MechScape related stuff in your Twitter, we will be watching.
Again thanks for posting, and giving us that exciting information. *Gives Space Pie*

First off, let me preface this post by saying this: Holy crap, you're Henrique Olifiers. Hi! Welcome out of hiding. I, uh, I'm MC, and... *Blush* Ahem, moving on.

New information, "eye candy", and other "extras" would be pretty awesome to get. After joining up with MechScape World half a year ago, I've grown more and more interested in MechScape and I'm eagerly awaiting any new news as much as everyone else here. As a moderator, I'm overjoyed that this should give our community another pump of the bellows to keep the flames fanned, but as a fan, I'm overjoyed to learn more.

I'm looking forward to your big MechScape project. From the little varied scraps of info that drift by, I'm incredibly curious, especially on how you're aiming for a game less focused on grinding. Good luck!

Wow
Didn't expect that you read this forum.
And your one of the first mechscapeworld members,wow :P

I can not wait to see the "eye candy and maybe some extras" !!




Maybe you could give us a screen shot of "Mechscape" or am I pushing my luck? lol.

Yeesh.

Now that we know it's real, we get them drunk and have them make a mistake they'll regret the next day.

Same here!

Opposed? So that means there will be no alliances between players or multi race clans?

dude, your like a secret agent...haha

you don't know how great it is to see you posting here. Its making the wait more bearable
plus, it makes you and everyone else who's making mechscape look like a bunch of cool guys and that you care, well i mean of course you care but some people would think not
ha

thanks so much and take your time. I hope your heart lets you make the right decision with the economy
everyone is waiting for you to unleash a great game

Like other people have been posting, I hope they DO have a decent back story for the races, and a "believeable" universe. (to suit the space fantasy genre.) I love games that have detailed history (such as TES games which actually recreate a whole universe through their immense amount of lore.)

A decent plot and game lore is something Runescape seems to have lost now.

I couldn't express my thanks enough for your presence on these forums Mr. Olifiers. Just knowing you are among the community makes the community that much more enthusiastic and myself even more.

I'm really out of words for what I should say next so I hope you have continual success on MechScape and all the ideas never run out!

Btw, I started following you on Twitter. ;-P

Yes, we need eyecandy! The concept art isn't sparking excitement anymore (particularly when it's years old...)

Thank God for twitter, eh? hopefully they release it before Australian holidays are over. I can't be the "EPIC PWNAGE OF TEH MS WORLD" If holidays are over

Very cool :)

Yeah, I really hope it's out soon!

It explains that rather than only having little stories about each of the four races, with only short interactions between other races we are going to get a full-blown story with each of the races having some kind of interaction between all other races, and what you do would become whether you are at war with one race, and at treaty with another. Sounds interesting, Thanks to Henrique Olifiers' for giving this scrap of information.

The factions are all playable species and they are opposed, very interesting. I'm sure balancing species as different as Mechs and Pliigi would be difficult, but it will also make for a very interesting game.


Cheers. There are people out there who falsely pretend to be Jagex employees, so it is good to get confirmation that this is genuine.


I understand how you are trying to have the greatest degree of flexibility in the game. I was a beta tester on a software application and know how it can require real discipline to not talk about something which you are passionate. Thank you very much for coming forward - feel free to have some of our infamous MechScape World space pie. I was thinking about doing the whole "how much it means to hear from you" thing, but I think I pretty much covered that when you phoned a while back (although I had just done an all nighter on an assignment that day so was possibly incoherent).


Eye candy and maybe some extras? Sounds awesome! As many know, I enjoy all forms of candy.


Will do ^_^.

What I find interesting is that Jagex said that "Mechscape was finished" and that they just keep adding new content. If they are balancing the races, it doesn't sound like the game is finished. Of course what Jagex means by "Finished" is anyones guess, the same with "Soon". (Mobilizing armies... *cough*)

The ambiguity is killing me. I hope it is as good as Henrique claims :D

EDIT: I personally loathe the idea of opposed races. That means to be in a clan with my friends we MUST ALL BE THE SAME RACE. Multiple races would allow multiple clan/event tactics as each player would have to utilise each races strength. Forcing each race to work solo will result in essentially one way of doing things per race. Just look at Runescape. Every Rune Pure wears the same gear, trains at the same spots. Every 1 defence pure trains at the same spot using the same gear. Every high level wears similar stuff (more variety depending on whether you want defence or strength). See what I'm getting at?

I just hope it ISN't all opposing factions.

Sounds almost like they're looking into how the Ms economy will work.

Player driven economy please. Artificial economies feel just that; fake. A player driven market allows players to buy and sell at whatever price they like unlike the current Runescape Grand Exchange which forces people to do "junk" trades because the GE prices do not reflect the actual demand.

Yea but player driven economy brings in the RWTs, and in my opinion that is something I do not wish to have. Would you rather have MechScape start with restricted trade, or have it start free and then Jagex will place the restriction?

"Eye candy" "Extra's" "Space pie" ?!?!?!



I love you henrique..

This is... crazy O.o.
Anyway, eyecandy and spacepie together... thats sweet.

Watch this thread be spammed

WOOOOT. I've been waiting for more official information since..well since the last time they gave us some.

Yeah! Extras!

Interesting that he chose to join so early before MSW had actually built up into any type of recognizable community.

Honestly they could probably get both integrated. Restrict actual trading to players within 5% of a market price, but on a grand exchange type system have it unrestricted (and anonymous) and give priority to whoever has had an offer in the longest - except maybe on really random items (Like black knives equivalent in RS).



Works because:
Player A(RWT'r selling gp) puts in buy offer for Item 329 at 320k
Item 329 market value is 2k
Player B puts in sell offer for Item 329 only asking for 5k.
Player C(Trying to buy GP) puts in sell offer for 320k.
Player B sells to Player A for 320k as Player A's offer was in before the sale came up.

Another example:
Player B puts in sale offer for Item 329 asking for 5k.
Player C(Trying to buy GP) puts in sale offfer for Item 329 asking for 320k.
Player A(RWT'r selling GP) puts in buy offer for Item 329 asking for 320k.
Player A buys Player B's item for 5k.
Player C's never sells because RWT's is out of money and no one else wants to buy for 320k when item is actually 5k.

^ This model works assuming that there is at least one Item 329 in the exchange system up for purchase or sale

I don't want to sound like one of those complainers who keep ranting about Wilderness removal and lack of free trade; but I honestly don't care about RWT now I've seen how destructive it can be to the game when they attempt to remove it.

In Runescape you can't give anything to your friends, buy things at any price you like so instead your forced to buy the heavily manipulated items off the Grand Exchange.

Yes, I know the damage it was causing to Jagex IRL with credit card fraud and what not, but I still don't have to like the changes they implimented. Personally I feel it destroys so much of the fun in game and the achievement it was to haggle items at lower prices and such. Removal of freetrade also made a lot of my friends quit, which is another reason I don't enjoy Runescape.

I just hope they don't do the same thing to Mechscape.

I personally wouldn't want to play a game where cheaters rule.

And I don't want to play a game with a broken economy with no freedom. I'm sure there's a better way to provide free trade and inhibit RWT. Besides, whether you know it or not, people still RWT and bot and break all the rules (althought to a lesser extent.) Cheaters are in every game and can't be removed.

Yes I completely know there will be cheaters anywhere you go, anything you play, and in anything you do. But that is why I said "I personally wouldn't want to play a game where cheaters rule." I would rather have my free trade restricted like Jagex has done it, but it doesn't mean I like it.. Removing the wild is something I didn't enjoy at all.

Many people seemed oblivious to cheating when Runescape had free trade and kept enjoying the game. Only once botting became severely out of hand (to which Jagex initially responded with MORE random events, despite the fact the bots can complete them) did people start to complain. Funny because now all the yew bots are gone people are complaining that they couldn't care less about RWT and that they want everything back the way it was. I guess we should be careful what we wish for...

Either way, I'm totally against free trade restrictions.

Just on a side note, World of Warcraft has tones of Gold sellers in it. I'm just wondering how they cope with it and if Jagex could take a page out of their book. Does anyone who plays the game know? Wouldn't credit card fraud be even larger in WoW as you have to pay $20 to play?

Maybe we should ask blizzard how they work their games with all of the cheaters? You'd expect they'd have a lot of bad things, but I havn't heard anything like that. I guess we should just be thankful that Rs isn't like WoW and dosn't have that many cheaters, because if their were, I'd expect the whole of Rs to shut down, or just more security.

Haha!

I love how my random browsing of OfficialJagex Twitter then looking at who they were following managed to get me to find this and end up having actual confirmation of goings-on about the game!

As for the idea of how to handle the economy... I think a middle ground needs to be found, I like the GEs accessibility but I think there needs to be more leeway, rather than being 10% it should be like 25% above and below.

Apparently I just read, that games such as WoW use custom scripts which you allow to access your computer when you sign up to their user agreement. Apparently these scripts are what are able to detect bots and such. If Jagex's new macro detection is so good couldn't they do something similar?

I realise this is moving into the realms of being Off-Topic, but itis definitely related to Henrique's twitter posts.

Good point.

This is a whole topic on it's own comparing systems and all.

Note: Links go to highly informative information.

Technically a player driven economy makes it very very hard to prevent RWT (unless there is something I haven't thought of yet) and is inherently flawed due to human nature. I am against a heavy use of a faucet system (other page) that many mmos do and reinforce with every update. This makes the inflation continue rising and always doing such unless there is something huge to interupt the process. Players will always hoard coins and items which makes it where you have to somehow have it where the new players coming in a few years later are not cheated out of resources that were otherwise plentiful in the begining.