NEWS 18.1 Instanced Pande & cities Orbital apt. Reset Mapnav

[Chrisax]

18.1 is on Test now.

Cryday with Means - May 15th, 2009
17:30

Fun and games with the TestServer today. Being disconnected after logging in with no error-log on the server for a couple hours is the kind of thing that makes me lie on the floor to feel better. It is a damn good thing we have some 220/30/70 technical guys here to figure out what is wrong or it would be an interesting weekend. This is precisely why we try to never touch live servers on Fridays.

18:00

Compression Proxy...wtfit? Fix smart guys! Fix!!!! 101001001!

18:07

Fixed. Move along..nothing to see here. Test Server should be up again in about XXish minutes.

18:10

Pulse back to normal. Coders no longer sweating.

Test Server should be up shortly and we can get the chance to have a go at new instanced Pandemonium (or the non-instanced version should you so desire.) or be the first to build your own Organization city on one of the new "Serenity Islands" custom built off the Coast Of Peace. The door to the "Sunrise Station", the new orbital apartments is not active yet but will be the second we can safely fit the playfield into the database...which I am hoping is some time next week...it comes with a new vehicle too. See screenies.

Reset your Map Navigation skill? Sure..no problem. Start thinking about what to put in your client side chat filter...mine will have the words "fix" and "nerf" in it. Check out your hostile nanos running on others. There is so much new stuff in this update I'm having a tough time remembering it all. I'm certain you guys will have a great time ripping through the new database.

Means

[Chrisax]

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[Chrisax]

18.1 database rip and the tool to read it: Click here

Warning: this database is NOT final

[Chrisax]

More pictures, and more will come later.

Instanced Pande portal


Instanced org cities entrance


Org cities cost


The Charon

[Mophro]

Org cities cost

This is about the 'old' version of cities right? Or are instanced cities persistant aswell with any type of building (incl. benefits)?

[Chrisax]

This is about the 'old' version of cities right?

Uh... why would I post something old about regular cities when showing what new instanced cities are?

This applies to instanced cities, and it's even the screen you'll see when renting one the first time.

I think there is some BIG confusion about what "instanced" means regarding org cities. So i'll explain a bit here, and that will answer you other question too...

Or are instanced cities persistent as well with any type of building (incl. benefits)?

"Instanced" cities means that their geometry is in a zone that is created only when someone enters it. City data is on the server but the server creates the zone and the city only when someone needs to enter it. This way, the server doesn't use RAM or resources when the city is empty. And, also, no room is taken in regular zones, allowing an infinite number of instanced cities to be available.

"Instanced" cities does NOT mean that the city is temporary and one-shot use. You do NOT enter an existing, standard city that you can use and then abandon/lose. This is NOT a sort of car renting.

You have to buy this virtual place, and build the city you want (or can), as you would with any normal city. And you have to pay for an upkeep if you want the city to keep on existing.

Your instanced city is built by you, after you payed for the right to build it, and with the obligation to pay each month to keep it. The difference with regular cities is its zone and geometry doesn't exist as long as you don't enter it. So, no one can ramble in your instnaced city when you are not there, for example.

And this brings us to the limitation of instanced cities: there is no org market inside due to the current mechanisms used. (It would not be impossible but it would be much, much more complicated, for example a player passing the gate to instanced cities should be asked for what city he wants to visit... and that would be a waste ouf resources unless he has a good reason to visit one, so the system should limit him to his own instanced city, if any, and the city in which is the market containing an item he selected... etc. Let's add that it would be necessary to re-write a part of the markets code.)

Now, as for city advantages, they are not related to the existence of the zone or the geometry. The server knows you have a city, as it keeps city data to be able to re-create it when you enter it, so it can give you advantages at any time.

Now, some images...

So you enter Serenity Islands by a gate at ICC (picture already posted above)

You are transported to an empty island. Each island is the same. What you build will make the difference and will be memorized for your org.

This is the arrival zone, and the carrier




This is the map of the island


Now, just pay and build, and as long you pay for the upkeep, your city will be there when you zone from ICC.

[Mophro]

Hmm, thanks for the information Chris.
So that means that the -only- difference is the shops?

And that also means its only a viable alternative for farm orgs. Regular orgs will keep their shops for their members.

Ill hold on to my city.

What do you guys think, will the situation arise that there are regular open city slots around Rubi-Ka?

[Chrisax]

Yes, we can say that the only difference is the players' market.

Instanced cities can hold every building that provides buffs, including a large HQ.

The Uplink and EC building (used for alien raids mechanisms) can be planted too of course.

You can also build the 4 whompahs to clubs.

All this fits in the instanced city build room.


Instanced cities are interesting for:

• - New orgs that can't get any regular city (unavailable and/or too expensive to buy from other players); a city with no market is better than no city at all.
  
  - Farm orgs that doesn't really care about markets as their users have markets in another org, and farm orgs that had large, more expensive cities, and could save money with an insynaced city
  
  - Orgs with regular cities that just want one more place to farm at (this could possibly be the case for AP if GoA's city is not enough but it's something to discuss, and instanced city users should probably contribute in the upkeep)

Instanced cities could make some cities spots available on RK but no sure at all this will be significant.