Issue 19 - Patch Notes for build 1900.201011102104.11

On behalf of the programming staff, I would like to present you with this lovely, limited edition, Standard Code Rant.


And just a reminder: this game, like most MMOs, is not a programming environment. The game isn't programmed. The game engine is programmed, but the game itself is one big Mad Libs. Everything in it is a fill in the blank spreadsheet entry (except for the artwork). The closest thing the powers team comes to code is when they have to make the postfix expressions for Requires clauses.

I'll see your Standard Code Rant, and raise you a Bug Needing Fixing.

Let me put it in a clear fashion:

Is there a limit on the number of mines dropped? Yes or No?
Is there a unlimited count on how many objects the server sends the client? Yes or No?
Does having an unlimited amount of mines on the map cost a reasonable amount of CPU cycles? Yes or No?
Is the developer intention to have the entire room covered with mines, to the point that players can't see them or the warnings? Yes or No?
Is it the developer intention for players to not get the badge in question? Yes or No?
Is it the developer intention for the mine layers to walk through things like Force Bubbles (given that they are intangible and cannot be debuffed, it is likely they are ignoring repulsion powers)? Yes or No?

Given how I'm having to answer this list, I simply cannot see any way to even think this is "working as intended", unless the intent is to kill off the players as often as possible. Even Apex limits the sword strikes to a maximum of 3 out at a time. It doesn't seem to be unreasonable to think the same process could be applied to the Director 11 fight.

Given that Standard Code Rants < Bug Fixes, the situation should be fixed.

Triumph: White Succubus: 50 Ill/Emp/PF Snow Globe: 50 Ice/FF/Ice Strobe: 50 PB Shi Otomi: 50 Ninja/Ninjistu/GW Stalker My other characters

I think reporting the problem, explaining why you see it as a problem and explaing what sort of behaviour you'd expect in the encounter is right and proper and useful.

Trying to tell them how to enact that change (or, for example, that its a simple fix and why are they so stupid as not have done it yet) when you don't understand the game systems involved (which includes pretty much everyone who plays the game), not so much.

No one's suggesting otherwise. I'm just suggesting that your grasp of the requirements of the solution or how MMOs even work in general is faulty, which makes your suggestions for actually fixing the problem far less valuable than your original bug report itself. Because Zero < Non-Zero.


Also, SCRs come in varieties. Since I suspect you'd want to collect the complete set, this one is the "implementation fails to match assumptions" one. Checking my set, the others are "code more complex than presumed," "developer time not infinite," "suggestion violates laws of physics," "tl;dr," and "in theory there's no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is," and my personal favorite "it wasn't me it was Steve and Steve's not here anymore." I've earned at least five of those from pohsyb alone.

There's also a "shut up Arcana" one but I don't think you can earn that one.

I'm trying to understand the systems involved so that I can at least try to give some constructive ways to fix things. I don't think the developers are stupid. Far from it. However I think their scripting environment is.

Except that is how you came across to me earlier when you said "All doable, but possibly not consistent with the design intent. The devs know its harder to ratchet upward than downward, so they might want to see if there is a way to preserve intent before blanket-weakening them."

Fine, got any resources that I can look into to get myself up to speed on how MMOs work?

Actually I got the highlighted ones already.

If the developers give us something that can be obtained by strategy and preparation, I'll go back to focusing on badge bugs and my crusade against RPers that seem to want to annoy me.

Triumph: White Succubus: 50 Ill/Emp/PF Snow Globe: 50 Ice/FF/Ice Strobe: 50 PB Shi Otomi: 50 Ninja/Ninjistu/GW Stalker My other characters

Also, it doesn't help that whole encounter happens on new warehouse map, that drops FPS as a rock. It is lagwise similar to longbow base maps and praetorian tech lab maps.