Ask the admin (11/14/2011)

[PQ and Retrostacja]

Jayce Reinhardt

Krissim Klaw

Lanzer

Yes I remember Panagrammic mentioning that. I'll check with him to see why that isn't the case. It has been a challenge creating a system that has a high range of difficulty yet not too painful to obtain. I thought we had already addressed it, but looks like I'll need to check back and see.

Thank you, it means a lot to those of us taking the time to work with the alchemy system that you are willing to further look into things. Users are investing a lot of gold and time in a system that 95% of Gaia has already written off. We may be a small percentage but many of us still have hope that with time alchemy will blossom into a wonderful feature.

It really is a wonderful feature but my biggest worry is that it will end up like ZoMG. The higher ups already want to kill ZoMG because they can't bother to do regular updates, will Alchemy end up the same way and die because Gaia can't update things regularly? (Like every other site does?)

I also worry how much they will update a feature that brings in minimal cash revenue.

[Existential Existence]

Jayce Reinhardt

Krissim Klaw

Lanzer

Yes I remember Panagrammic mentioning that. I'll check with him to see why that isn't the case. It has been a challenge creating a system that has a high range of difficulty yet not too painful to obtain. I thought we had already addressed it, but looks like I'll need to check back and see.

Thank you, it means a lot to those of us taking the time to work with the alchemy system that you are willing to further look into things. Users are investing a lot of gold and time in a system that 95% of Gaia has already written off. We may be a small percentage but many of us still have hope that with time alchemy will blossom into a wonderful feature.

It really is a wonderful feature but my biggest worry is that it will end up like ZoMG. The higher ups already want to kill ZoMG because they can't bother to do regular updates, will Alchemy end up the same way and die because Gaia can't update things regularly? (Like every other site does?)

'nstead ouf improving ze internal zystem ouf alkemy zey increazed daily chance prob-uh-bill-eet-teez 'ecauze eet waz ze eazier road. zhey are trying but eet look like zhey are not 'aving much time to dedikate to ze feature. crying

maybe zis a result ouf 'oliday obligationz?

[Lanzer]

We've been working on Alchemy still, and I share your concern about the quality in terms of the number of poses in the items. Alchemy had been a big project for us as it require us to create a lot of items all at once, and because of that we had a hard time spending a lot of time just on a small number of items. I'll share your concern with the art team and see what makes sense for us to do.

For those who had been attending ATA for years will remember a time when many of the artist attend ATA, though I think that over time many had received criticisms over their design, style, or decisions that it became too stressful to respond personally. I guess a difference between programmers and artists is that we don't tend to take criticisms too personally. I however will always forward your concerns to the team and discuss about possible solutions and actions.

Yeah Minecraft is a great game, many of us were into it, but that was a while back.

Jayce Reinhardt

#1
Just wanted to know if there was any chance the artists could, you know, meet the users halfway regarding alchemy. Is it because alchemy does not require cash that many of the items made from alchemy are only single pose even at level 9 or don't walk in ZoMG/Towns?

For example, MP3 Dog and the NPC Companions.

We don't expect Alchemy to be easy but we would like it to be rewarding and so far it seems the artists don't want to change anything. (Even when it first came out and they could have)

Is it because of their managers/Bosses or is it the artists wish to be unworkable with the userbase.

And when I say artists, I mean the ones that created Alchemy in the first place. Pan, Narumi, and JK can easily talk with us and not find us "scary". The ones who created Alchemy prefer to hide and act like this doesn't exist or make a opinion thread then disregard all of our suggestion or improvements.

#2
Are we just not worth talking to/taken seriously for an artist or is it a money issue?

For $5 I can get a nice multi pose item that walks in towns
For three months worth of effort, work, and loss of sleep for alchemy, I get a one pose level 9 item.


Easy third question

Do you like Minecraft?

[Jayce Reinhardt]

bluecherry

Speaking of alchemy, previewing items before they are ever made would help people feel less let down after putting in a lot of work for an unknown I think. Also, back wings recipe, seriously, where are you?

I would actually like this very much.

Being able to preview the item because not many items will be made. They don't seem to understand how discouraged they themselves make the users.

[Lanzer]

I believe the initial concept was to create gameplay that greatly reward group play, and in the update we pretty much kept that focus. Sorry if you find it difficult to play as a group.

Damien_The_Omen

stare My question for this session is rather simple.

Are the zOMG devs really against individuals being on their own in high-level areas all that much, or did they just assume (as with every other instance following the "Doll Shrine" in Zen Gardens) that everyone who plays zOMG willingly wants to play with nearly anyone & everyone else that either needs a crew or more crew members? stressed

I'm asking because I apparently made a mistake in assuming that the new area would actually be a "stand-alone area", and not "an instance-within-an-instance". That I'm supposed to want the help of other people to get anywhere or do anything in this new "area", when I more-than-often prefer to play alone, is rather discouraging to me.

[Cyndelle Maxwell]

Lanzer

Hello everyone, sorry for being late.

Well, I wasn't going to ask this today, but seeing as how the topic seems to be moving slow..... whee

Is there any chance that we'll ever get to see better clothing styles and/or options for female avatars in the Gold Shops? I know a lot of guys complain about the grand majority of Cash Shop items (RIGs, EIs, etc.) being female-oriented, but apparently, they don't notice that when it comes to regular, non-CS clothing, it's the girls who are always getting the short end of the fashion stick. I mean, I usually end up having to search through at least six different stores to find a decent skirt and/or dress that either goes a little further than a virtual six inches below my waistline, or doesn't cover up my legs AND my feet. xp stressed

[Lanzer]

Currently there are no plans, it was made just for voting's sake.

Success rate depends on the player's own level, while the exact figure varies and I don't have a precise listing, I'm sorry.

-Shiny_Tsukkomi-

Good evening, Lanzer and co.
Can't wait to see those housing items layer correctly. ^^

Two questions:
--Are you planning to do anything with those leftover cookies from Spring Cleaning?

--What is the percentage of success for an alchemy recipe with a Very Low rate of success? It took me ten tries to craft one of those.

[Jayce Reinhardt]

Lanzer

We've been working on Alchemy still, and I share your concern about the quality in terms of the number of poses in the items. Alchemy had been a big project for us as it require us to create a lot of items all at once, and because of that we had a hard time spending a lot of time just on a small number of items. I'll share your concern with the art team and see what makes sense for us to do.

For those who had been attending ATA for years will remember a time when many of the artist attend ATA, though I think that over time many had received criticisms over their design, style, or decisions that it became too stressful to respond personally. I guess a difference between programmers and artists is that we don't tend to take criticisms too personally. I however will always forward your concerns to the team and discuss about possible solutions and actions.

Yeah Minecraft is a great game, many of us were into it, but that was a while back.

Thank you for doing what you can.
I am sorry that the artists take things so personally, still, after so many years. However not all of us insult them or make them answer hard stressful questions.

I just hope that our concerns mean something to Gaia and possibly used to improve things for the userbase as opposed to being dismissed and ignored, Take care.

*Goes to play the updated minecraft and kill some dragons*

[LiXKuja]

Is gaia going to do any sponsors or items for the upcoming Persona's games?

[Lanzer]

Corinth Maxwell

1. Will we finally get our long-awaited cross-dimensional interior expansions* for our houses with the new Housing update? whee
*cross-dimensional = being able to purchase even LARGER interior housing expansions, despite the tiny exteriors shown in Towns

2. Would you rather have "The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM" on the PC, or on a console? ninja

3. Serious question time.........Would you rather sit through a Twilight marathon, or play a marathon of all of your favorite Castlevania games? xp xd

Thanks as always for your replies! 3nodding

Heh, as soon as we have the cross dimensional storage system that stores everything "in the cloud"

I only play games on console because I enjoy playing it on a bigger TV, also because my PC is old and whimpy for new games... Though playing MW3 on a gamepad is quite a pain

Castlevania anytime. I finished Symphany of the Night again on the PSP just last year.

Thanks for joining us on this week's ATA. I'll see you all next week!