Questions and Comments

[diabolus]

I just discovered this game and am very impressed and hooked. I read the FAQ and realise everything is pretty much beta, but i still have a few things gnawing. Maybe there\'s answers?

1. I get alot of Linkdead [server crash] problems. Isn\'t there a \'save\' or \'autosave\' feature? [i.e an actual /save command] I come from a MUD setup and it had a \'save\' command for exactly the crashing/data loss reason. The autosave saves the state every x minutes automatically. Basically it comes down to never having to log on and off to \'save\' .    

2. If the only option is to \'log off\' to save, how do i log off to the character selection screen? If i press \'quit\' the entire game quits to the desktop. This is also the case when the server goes linkdead. It makes more sense to quit to character selection screen in both cases [where you can actually see if the server is up or not]. Do i need more characters for this to happen or is there a special command?

3. I\'m having heaps of performance problems in crowded areas. I don\'t know if it\'s a compliment or a nightmare to point out that there\'s ALOT of players on the Lhaanx server [the only server on my list ] i log onto. My pc grounds to halt when i enter the \'city center\' or any part where there\'s alot of players [usually shopkeerpers/NPCS]. IS there any tips regarding this? I\'m on a 1.6 ghz Centrino (which runs like a 2.4ghz P4), 512mb ram , Intel Extreme II 64mb graphics which runs Half Life 2 just fine, but Planeshift just totally flattens this pc [although it\'s just fine in empty areas i.e. the long road to the second town].
[Oh and i already turned of the sound , which made a -huge- performance difference]

4. Tied in with previous point, the crowdedness leads to the rat problem (the lack of rats ironically). The FAQ points out that people are aware of this, so i guess i\'ll wait, but for newbies like me it gets somewhat frustrating when you  run around for 30 mins to find a rat which is hogged by 5 other people sitting at its spawn point.

5. Oh and lastly, a compass might be usefull. Some of the NPC actually use \'northeast\' from x in their dialog, but yet i don\'t know if i\'m missing something but there\'s no way to tell where north is? [on that note, a few signposts might be a good addition too? i..e the fork when you exit the city,  i would expect a signpost there, or did i miss it?]


All in all, i\'m enjoying the game to live with the crashes, even though i might sound critical. Keep up the good work!

[elscouta]

Originally posted by diabolus
I just discovered this game and am very impressed and hooked. I read the FAQ and realise everything is pretty much beta, but i still have a few things gnawing. Maybe there\'s answers?

1. I get alot of Linkdead [server crash] problems. Isn\'t there a \'save\' or \'autosave\' feature? [i.e an actual /save command] I come from a MUD setup and it had a \'save\' command for exactly the crashing/data loss reason. The autosave saves the state every x minutes automatically. Basically it comes down to never having to log on and off to \'save\' .    

I guess the devs prefer using their time to fix bugs. Although this would be nice, as an autosave on server (not launched by client). Best would be to save skills immediately, as this is the only thing lost afaik (along with position, but that\'s secondary.

2. If the only option is to \'log off\' to save, how do i log off to the character selection screen? If i press \'quit\' the entire game quits to the desktop. This is also the case when the server goes linkdead. It makes more sense to quit to character selection screen in both cases [where you can actually see if the server is up or not]. Do i need more characters for this to happen or is there a special command?

You can\'t. You need to restart PS. It\'s not as easy to clean up things on a develloping point of view.

3. I\'m having heaps of performance problems in crowded areas. I don\'t know if it\'s a compliment or a nightmare to point out that there\'s ALOT of players on the Lhaanx server [the only server on my list ] i log onto. My pc grounds to halt when i enter the \'city center\' or any part where there\'s alot of players [usually shopkeerpers/NPCS]. IS there any tips regarding this? I\'m on a 1.6 ghz Centrino (which runs like a 2.4ghz P4), 512mb ram , Intel Extreme II 64mb graphics which runs Half Life 2 just fine, but Planeshift just totally flattens this pc [although it\'s just fine in empty areas i.e. the long road to the second town].
[Oh and i already turned of the sound , which made a -huge- performance difference]

I got no problem on this. It depends...

4. Tied in with previous point, the crowdedness leads to the rat problem (the lack of rats ironically). The FAQ points out that people are aware of this, so i guess i\'ll wait, but for newbies like me it gets somewhat frustrating when you  run around for 30 mins to find a rat which is hogged by 5 other people sitting at its spawn point.

Yeah, that\'s bad.

[Kixie]

Originally posted by diabolus
4. Tied in with previous point, the crowdedness leads to the rat problem (the lack of rats ironically). The FAQ points out that people are aware of this, so i guess i\'ll wait, but for newbies like me it gets somewhat frustrating when you  run around for 30 mins to find a rat which is hogged by 5 other people sitting at its spawn point.

This is wierd, I\'ve just noticed that everyone seems to have a major problem with this. Honestly it\'s never taken me more than 2 minutes to find an empty rat to beat on. Maybe you kids aren\'t looking hard enough for them?

[clawtros]

I think you should lead me to these halcyon fields of rat infestation!

I make aimless laps around that place for usually 30 minutes at a time.  Sometimes I get lucky.   Maybe I\'m not methodical enough, I generally have no idea where I\'m going.

[Kwip]

Sometimes more than 30 minutes.  I just go in circles around the sewers checking if anyone has left a rat for poor old Kwipy.  Then I am so weak because I can hardly find rats that they kill me on the second rat ;( or someone comes walking towards me and I let them have the rat because I know how it feels to go on forever trying to find a rat.

[Euphoria]

Originally posted by Kwip
Sometimes more than 30 minutes.  I just go in circles around the sewers checking if anyone has left a rat for poor old Kwipy.  Then I am so weak because I can hardly find rats that they kill me on the second rat ;( or someone comes walking towards me and I let them have the rat because I know how it feels to go on forever trying to find a rat.

Maybe it\'s just my imagination, but with a recent patch you seem to get a little xp even if you don\'t kill a rat (or monster), you just help kill it?

[Distruzione_di_Massa]

yes, xp is now shared between attakers according to the damage they do.

i think a good system do share xp would be giving points according to the number of damaging hits, this would make weak char get more xp than strong ones on moster. ex:

char A and B are attacking a different rat. A is weak while B is strong. The rat is quite a match to kill for A, while B needs only one of his 20.00 double swords shots. A  takes 15 hits to kill the rat, almost dies in the attempt and takes 20 xp. B laughs, growls and wipe off the face of earth the poor rattie. he takes 20 xp.

Imagine if , instead, any damaging hit gives 2 xp at the end of the combat. A, due to it\'s efforts, takes 30 xp, while the bored B takes just 2. it seems quite fair.

Why only damaging hit should give xp? Imaging being in the arena, fighting with your cool B a mighty trepor. it\'s a hard fight and i\'ts taking you time to kill it. A arrives and joins the battle but he can do only those annoying 0.00 hits = he is too weak. B takes 30 hits to kill trepor and gets 300 xp (trepor is worth 10 each, oooh :O), A does 45 non damaging hits but joined the battle, and thus takes 450 xp. cool

[Kramy]

Only problem would be spell-casters...they cast somewhat slow.

[2old]

Sharing XP was a great update - removes a little of the spawn camping annoyance.