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An Open Letter to HCS


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#41 BlackSun

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Posted 02 April 2011 - 12:09

I have basically given up reporting bugs through the ticket system, as they take a minimum of 6 weeks to even be looked at by devs.

IRC is simply a means of playing favourites, as can be seen by the alpha being made available to the IRC users ahead of anyone else. Being a player run and managed interface, this is poor form. It should be managed by HCS, otherwise power-hungry kids pick and choose who are allowed access, based on how they feel, leaving a far from impartial interface for getting feedback to resolve issues.



The FS IRC should definately not be being used. Its blocked from my work, I can only access it in the evening when it it after hours for the cows. Also on several occations, the powers that be there like to boot the non-regular users. Now I doubt they would do this when and HCS representive was there working on bug fixes, but still it is horrible forum to be using if you wish to have feedback from as many users as possible.

#42 fs_dougmines

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Posted 02 April 2011 - 12:32

Hi RJEM,

Firstly, thank you for your feedback. The new map system has taken a lot of our time recently, but we feel it will be a great improvement to the game once all the bugs are fixed and we release it on the live servers.

We're working on the other code related issues you highlighted right now and the team will be releasing the next game content update next week.

I can assure you after the new map system is released we'll be making many more improvements to the game :)

- Hoof


you know this message posted above has been force fed to us since day one, can you honestly tell me what is this new map going to effect so drastically as to call it a great improvement???you become a little silly ET wannabe robot instead of that dot thing we have seen before now??You get to move more then one square at a time??by comparison lightwalk makes the speed of this new movement more akin to a snails pace. There is not a singular thing about this new map that should appeal to anyone in any way. In essense, it is nothing more then a huge puff of smoke to try and permit those there at HCS to come up with another way to salvage a failing game. You want to fix things, then get on here and play it, until then though, don't expect things to change approaching them utilizing your current methods.

#43 RJEM

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Posted 02 April 2011 - 12:50

Hi RJEM,

Firstly, thank you for your feedback. The new map system has taken a lot of our time recently, but we feel it will be a great improvement to the game once all the bugs are fixed and we release it on the live servers.

We're working on the other code related issues you highlighted right now and the team will be releasing the next game content update next week.

I can assure you after the new map system is released we'll be making many more improvements to the game :)

- Hoof


you know this message posted above has been force fed to us since day one, can you honestly tell me what is this new map going to effect so drastically as to call it a great improvement???you become a little silly ET wannabe robot instead of that dot thing we have seen before now??You get to move more then one square at a time??by comparison lightwalk makes the speed of this new movement more akin to a snails pace. There is not a singular thing about this new map that should appeal to anyone in any way. In essense, it is nothing more then a huge puff of smoke to try and permit those there at HCS to come up with another way to salvage a failing game. You want to fix things, then get on here and play it, until then though, don't expect things to change approaching them utilizing your current methods.


Doug, for me the new map system is almost identical to Lightwalk in speed, looks much nicer and doesn't require an unofficial script to use effectively. I know the lengths some players have gone to to tweak and improve their browser for movement speed, but for the average player like me this is certainly not 'snails pace' and because I don't need another map open I can move more freely and save screen real estate for more important windows.

Just presenting the other side of the story - I know several players on dial up connections who see a 4-fold speed improvement from this system, which can never be a bad thing, and it levels the playing field across all browsers, which is essential!

#44 RJEM

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Posted 02 April 2011 - 15:21


Doug, for me the new map system is almost identical to Lightwalk in speed.

For my wife and I (who admitidly are each only 60% of the way to a Gold Titan Hunting medal, but we have only been at it a few months) the new system crawls compared to FS Lightwalk. It is maybe 1/3rd as fast. Perhaps that's because it is on one server in the UK instead of several in Florida, but I doubt it.

With FS Lightwalk we spend over three-plus hours hunting Tsukiyaomo.
If the new system makes that 9 hours, who will bother ?

And for what? An animated central icon? What am I, a two year old, to care about that ? It is a clear case of the designer being to in love with the coolness of his idea to realize that no one else values it. I bet if they ran a poll asking whether people wanted the little animated robot or a faster interface, it would run 90+% to the latter.

I like much about the new interface, although the combat pop-up has to be smaller: it works for me but not everyone has two 21+" monitors with one in portrait orientation. But movement has to be faster or the part of the game I most enjoy will be dead to me.


Part of it will be the server, but not all. I think the false comparison people are making is that all a titan hunter is concerned with is point-to-point speed - which is fine in that context. It's not applicable for actions which need the page to load, like levelling, where the new interface is vastly better for me.

If the new map means players can't 'teleport' themselves around the map any more then I think that's a good thing by the way - and again, I stress that not everyone can use lightwalk so it's an unfair addition to the game in the first place.

The new map is faster than the old, unmodified one that *all* players are able to play on - by a long way - therefore it will be an improvement for the game as a whole even if the top 2% of speed merchants will need to slow down a little. Unfortunately most of the top 2% are probably titan hunters, so I agree we need to do everything possible to keep the game as fast as possible for their sake.

#45 grimnok

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Posted 02 April 2011 - 16:09


Doug, for me the new map system is almost identical to Lightwalk in speed.

For my wife and I (who admitidly are each only 60% of the way to a Gold Titan Hunting medal, but we have only been at it a few months) the new system crawls compared to FS Lightwalk. It is maybe 1/3rd as fast. Perhaps that's because it is on one server in the UK instead of several in Florida, but I doubt it.

With FS Lightwalk we spend over three-plus hours hunting Tsukiyaomo.
If the new system makes that 9 hours, who will bother ?

And for what? An animated central icon? What am I, a two year old, to care about that ? It is a clear case of the designer being to in love with the coolness of his idea to realize that no one else values it. I bet if they ran a poll asking whether people wanted the little animated robot or a faster interface, it would run 90+% to the latter.

I like much about the new interface, although the combat pop-up has to be smaller: it works for me but not everyone has two 21+" monitors with one in portrait orientation. But movement has to be faster or the part of the game I most enjoy will be dead to me.


Part of it will be the server, but not all. I think the false comparison people are making is that all a titan hunter is concerned with is point-to-point speed - which is fine in that context. It's not applicable for actions which need the page to load, like levelling, where the new interface is vastly better for me.

If the new map means players can't 'teleport' themselves around the map any more then I think that's a good thing by the way - and again, I stress that not everyone can use lightwalk so it's an unfair addition to the game in the first place.

The new map is faster than the old, unmodified one that *all* players are able to play on - by a long way - therefore it will be an improvement for the game as a whole even if the top 2% of speed merchants will need to slow down a little. Unfortunately most of the top 2% are probably titan hunters, so I agree we need to do everything possible to keep the game as fast as possible for their sake.


If the animation were turned off, then almost everyone could zoom around the map. The animation serves no game play value, only slowing things down for the sake of slowing things down. Every single move anyone makes, where they don't care about loading the contents of every square is needlessly slowed down: titans, walking to SE maps, walking to shops, etc.

#46 Bleltch

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Posted 02 April 2011 - 16:31

If the animation were turned off, then almost everyone could zoom around the map. The animation serves no game play value, only slowing things down for the sake of slowing things down. Every single move anyone makes, where they don't care about loading the contents of every square is needlessly slowed down: titans, walking to SE maps, walking to shops, etc.

I think that's what they are going for. This way everyone has a fair chance. Those with a fast connection cant run circles around the players with less than average internet speeds. Evening the playing field is a good thing. (if that's what it does)

#47 grimnok

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Posted 02 April 2011 - 16:42


If the animation were turned off, then almost everyone could zoom around the map. The animation serves no game play value, only slowing things down for the sake of slowing things down. Every single move anyone makes, where they don't care about loading the contents of every square is needlessly slowed down: titans, walking to SE maps, walking to shops, etc.

I think that's what they are going for. This way everyone has a fair chance. Those with a fast connection cant run circles around the players with less than average internet speeds. Evening the playing field is a good thing. (if that's what it does)


Two responses to this. If there were no animation delay, the new system would actually function like LW, and everyone could roam around the map almost instantly. And second, leveling the playing field really only significantly matters for titan hunting, for every other movement use, it's needlessly slowing things down.

#48 Bleltch

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Posted 02 April 2011 - 16:48


If the animation were turned off, then almost everyone could zoom around the map. The animation serves no game play value, only slowing things down for the sake of slowing things down. Every single move anyone makes, where they don't care about loading the contents of every square is needlessly slowed down: titans, walking to SE maps, walking to shops, etc.

I think that's what they are going for. This way everyone has a fair chance. Those with a fast connection cant run circles around the players with less than average internet speeds. Evening the playing field is a good thing. (if that's what it does)


Two responses to this. If there were no animation delay, the new system would actually function like LW, and everyone could roam around the map almost instantly. And second, leveling the playing field really only significantly matters for titan hunting, for every other movement use, it's needlessly slowing things down.

Titan hunting is the main reason for the changes being made from what i understand. And if it's any consolation, i also think the movement is too slow. But better it be too slow than leave players with little chance of keeping up imo.

#49 Sustortias

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Posted 03 April 2011 - 05:26

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