Test Server Feedback

Ok.... So got Singularity all set up and gave this new Exploration thing a shot. Not to put too fine a line on it but.... this is a f-ing piece of crap, man. I'm sorry. I know you guys put alot of effort into this, but it's just not good. Granted, some of the massive dislike is from the loot which you are intending to change. And once you do, I'll give it another shot. But there are a few other things....

Loot Bukkake - It's here to stay and you are fully committed to it. I get that. Took a couple structures to figure things out. Ignore the Scraps. Try to focus on the Data cans. Grab Parts and Materials while looking for the Data. But like many have already said, the icons are just too damn small. So it's an utter biatch trying to figure out where the good stuff is. And that's not "utter biatch" as in "wow this is challenging!". It's as in "this seriously sucks dude". The problem of the small icons is compounded by the sheer number of them - again, something you said you are looking into. Also, there were numerous times when I clicked on a Green bracketed can that was most definitely within range and it did not tractor. Which throws off the timing, which is essential in this twitch-based feature. Possibly it was lag induced by the stacked clouds/structures, or possibly a misclick due to too small an icon. And then let's add in camera auto-focus (even though I have it clicked off, it still seems trigger in the sites) which throws things off. Plus the cans not being affected by a tractor beam module. Kinda sucked all around.

Furthermore, the loot spew seems to go in opposite directions - usually up and down, but probably depends on the orientation of the structure since it did go sideways a few times. But it's difficult to determine since everything is stacked right on top of each other (I'm sure that seemed like a good idea at the time). Amusingly enough, chasing the cans appears to be the worst choice. Looks like it is best to position yourself 3-5km above or below (or in-line with the spew axis) and let the cans come to you, picking off the good ones as they pass. So you are pretty much stationary the entire time in the site. Not very exciting or dynamic, and terribly terribly vulnerable. Fortunately, you can hit cloak as soon as you start hacking, but you have to uncloak to grab the loot. So still pretty risky.

The Minigame - Have the feeling it's gonna get real old, real quick. Worst part by far is the Virus Suppressors. They reduce Virus strength by a crippling amount (-20 in the lowsec sites I was in). Might wanna take a serious look at those. Like maybe make them -5 but with increased Coherence, so it'll take awhile to beat them down - or you can take the chance of bypassing it and hoping you don't run into anymore. But those things definitely need to get fixed.

As stated by others before, being able to preload utilities would be rather handy. Not to mention getting them as loot. And a few more choices in Analyzers would be nice too - stuff with different specs (strength/coherence/slots). Yeah yeah, I know, you want feedback on how it is NOW, not what you can add later. But the thing is, this stuff needs to be added NOW. Cuz the Hacking is just too limited, too boring, and sucks too hard as you currently have it. It's structured off of random chance and the player currently has NO method mitigating or controlling the situation - not very sandboxy.

Conclusion - All in all, I am rather negatively impressed by the changes you have made. It changes hi-sec exploration from a relaxing pastime to an aggravating random matching of stats which I cannot really affect, followed by a precision twitch-a-thon in which the most valuable items tend to be Metal Scraps (seriously, they sell for more than Data Sheets or Small Arms - plus they don't inspire Customs officials to shoot you). Unless some fairly serious changes are made to this system, I'm gonna give up on exploration. It's just not fun, and I feel I have no control or effect on it. Hell, I'd rather go mining - at the keyboard, mindnumbingly watching the lasers - than do this form of exploration. And lowsec exploration seems just far too risky with the new scan overview and ease of probing, along with the extended length of time in the site with limited scope of movement - just not good. What's funny is that L4 missions would be safer, cuz at least the rats will switch targets there and you don't have a giant overview beacon that says "SCAN HERE".

CCP, let's try to focus on what is making EVE FUN, and why people keep playing it... And it is clearly not because you have to clic little things in space before they dissapear.

EVE is about stories, it is about giving us the tools for having adventures.

Removing the difficulty from spots does not go in the right direction for this goal. Nor trying to make looting "less passive".


You are trying to transform EVE in something that it is not supposed to be. And that's not only bad, but also suicidal on the long term.


And the worst part ? This is only the first expansion of a "theme". I don't want to see the rest, honestly.

I wasn't going to say anything since I don't have anything good to say.... but this is awful. Simply awful.

The mini game is ok. It's certainly more entertaining then click and wait.

The can spawn mechanism is horrible. Chasing cans, bumping into objects, clicking, clicking and more clicking only to have the cans vanish before your eyes. If I wanted to play a dexterity based clickfest, there are better ones out there. I'm colorblind. The colors on those cans are very hard for me to distinguish. Thanks for punishing me for being colorblind.

Seriously, CCP, this is not fun, it's frustrating. I do not like to play games that are frustrating. I realize that you still think this loot pinata is a good thing, but please, read this tread. There is nobody that likes it. Don't be stubborn, don't be stupid. Put away your pride. Don't implement a feature nobody likes. It would be a huge mistake. Seriously!

I have tested some site. I have very happy with the new probing system, and hacking systems, nice work .


But, i am not sure about the ejection can will be a great idea.

My machine was a little laggy (old machine and bad connection).

It's was a nightmare for me to try to take the can when they will be ejected.

The player need to have the same chance to loot some stuff ( and now it's not the case).

Pls CCP remove the ejection can.

So far i read the whole thread, and yeah... seems like CCP is going to try smash its head through the wall here, they called Odyssey the "Exploration Expansion", but the most important thing, exploration, is broken, and there are only two weeks left.

Maybe CCP could be honest to us. They could tell us now, that they realised how broken this new system is at the moment, and that they won't release Odyssey in two weeks. I would rather wait one or two more month for a good expansion then getting a crappy one in two weeks.

It's good that they are asking for our feedback and fixing problems in detail right now, but as written in a lot of comments in this thread there are major problems with the new sites which i can't see disappearing in the next two weeks.

Please CCP: Dont release this system in the current state. We understand that you thought about it as a good idea, but it is not. Go back to the drawing board, and think about how getting hacking as a profession in EVE on the right track (PvE AND PvP!).
Give us high-resolutions textures instead in two weeks, we will be satisfied then i think.

On one hand, some people are saying that the sites are too easy to run in cheap ships, partly due to no (significant) rats to kill. (Except WH dwellers who want sleeper rats to stay for their predictable isk value.) The built in scanner will show everyone that something is in the system for you to drop probes and scan down. This leads to more sites found and completed more frequently, and so I understand an argument for some loot devaluation. Especially since we are now told these sites will have more and better loot, from high to null.

On another hand, some people complain that the loot-scatter mechanic makes it too hard to get all the good stuff, and you need friends to help grab more of it. The main problem is that it favors players with hand-eye coordination, clicking skills, whereas pretty much everyone can "activate module and wait." Many potentially good items will drift off, and vaporize. The cans have names that hint at the contents, but it is still random which one may have the most valuable item, or if any "valuable" item is present. You can chase after can names you think are better, but they are all drifting away in three dimensions, and time is running out.

I wonder if we are getting close to where "too easy" complaints roughly equal "too hard" complaints.

Combining a puzzle game with an action game makes an interesting design, but I think many players would prefer one or the other.

Relic sites could keep the old "activate module" method, but produce a loot scatter.
Data sites could use the puzzle as the key to opening a single loot can, or perhaps many randomly-placed but stationary cans, on grid with the same rapid expiration problem, that anyone could warp to.

Or alternate the two methods randomly. Tell the player using a code word on the scanner result, which type of mini-game the player will encounter. If I don't like the site looting method, I can move on and look for another.

...which would be 100% like the old markets, only the item you sold would have the label 'clone grade beta' instead of 'stasis webifier II'. How is this in any way new or exciting? It is only truly new if the mechanics of aquiring, building and selling those 'new' items are different from what we have now.

Obviously you are not the only one who for some reason enjoys doing the exactly same, not even slightly randomized thing for years. Although I don't get those people, I have no problem with leaving some of the old content unchanged for them.

But you say that something you liked is going to be replaced. That is true in a way, but since as I said all the existing pve content in EVE is exactly the same (warp in, shoot something with a weapon or harvester or mining laser, loot a can, warp out), it is not *really* true. There will be a lot of the content you like still in the game, you'll just need to pick something with a different label on it than before. Instead of doing a radar site you can now fly some combat anomaly, the gameplay is exactly like what you are used to.

Odd, in both threads regarding the Pinata, the main complaint I've seen that they don't like the overall mechanic. The complaints about the loot is that in general it is crap(mostly NPC commodities).



I can understand CCP wanting to make exploration more of a group activity, however this space pinata is the laziest, halfassed, and backwards logic way of doing it. Looting should be the least of the group activity, not the only.

Scanning and Hacking requires one person, yet looting was redesigned for multiple? :ccplogic:

CCP designed WHs and sleepers to be a challenge which would cause players to group up. Then they turn around and remove sleepers from the most profitable sites, which now can be done solo in a covops. :ccplogic:

CCP wanted to reduce clicking in probing, yet added in a minigame and pinata that's all clicking? :ccplogic:

/rant

Please move the focus on the hacking mechanics as a method for encouraging group efforts and scrap the loot piñata.

Multiple levels and/or multiple cores for increased loot with optional space fights from defence systems/guards to make it easier or improving loot, remote boosting of the hacker or multiple entry adding utilities with script modified hacking modules.

Play some Shadowrun (P&P). I think that game has some nice ideas concerning infiltration and data retrieval.