Apache Ant 2606 Опубликовано: 3 сентября Рассказать Опубликовано: 3 сентября Greetings, my friends, colleagues, competitors, players and just "devotees" of my sophisticated tone 😅. For those who have undertaken to read a couple of paragraphs - read a couple of paragraphs, BUT do not join a discussion. There is no point because you are not in the context. Just enjoy the product. Updated "About the Game" promo page; Closed Rays test for media people and those who supported the project — September 13-14th; Open Rays test for everyone — end of December - beginning of January (we plan to give you a gift for the New Year); Updated concept for Season 5 — beginning of October, before OBT; MasterWork Season 5 OBT — October 7th, Monday; Start of MasterWork Season 5 — October 18th, Friday (20:00 server time). Today's initial announcement, as we used to see it (vast and long presentations) - will give way to the text. There will be a long read because we have something to discuss. Do you agree? No, it is not challenging for us to make presentations. The thread for your hot discussions is here (clickable) But, for the first time in our 10-year history, I consciously want to terminate the beautiful picture along with a brief style and show you the motive of the E-Global team outside of game slang, perhaps extending this into a hot discussion. I'll get started. Fist thing first - let's deal on definitions. Currently, you are reading not the concept or final decisions but a preliminary announcement. Pre-announcementt — a free reflection of the product in general and the 5th season in particular. It does not imply dates or promises. It is an opportunity to become acquainted with our considerations, plans and intentions, so this is your chance to make adjustments. Make adjustments — with no offence or excessiveness but with the understanding that your feedback and time allow us to make things clear. Set priorities — in addition to the dozen historical mistakes Koreans left us as their legacy, we have your feedback, our players - conducted through the prism of personal experience. That leads to the fact that each following season helps us to understand and make all the necessary decisions (analysis, discussion, priorities, implementation) based on the previous one. The work is accomplished all year round and with a certain half-year "lag". In the 3rd season, we processed all the logical and technical requests of the 1st and partially 2nd seasons, and the 4th and 5th seasons did not and cannot become an exception. We consciously avoid impulsive decisions and superficial work since competent feedback processing and its technical implementation take time. Difficult? Let's use an example that is understandable to almost every player: Hidden text One of the hallmarks of a well-organized group that aims for growth is "fraps analysis", searching for moments in even victorious GVGs that must be worked on to improve the final result. At the same time, even after analyzing all the mistakes and finding the best solutions, this does not mean that in the next GVG, the group will receive a completely different level of high-quality interaction. That means that everyone in the group understands what situational nuances they should work on and what to pay attention to so that, in the future, the entire group reaches a new quality level. By the path of recognition, analysis and learning. The same is true for us: the challenges received at the end of the second season - we could fully digest in the 4th. The challenges of the third season are in progress and are already appearing in the 5th. Thus, you may get the impression that we do not hear you. However, precisely according to the fact that we hear your opinion, carefully think through and do not hustle, the final product does not consist of experiments and liberties. We restrain most of our impulses if we CAN NOT be responsible for a high-quality result. We care about quality, and we care about players who choose us for meaningful and conscious decisions (not always 😁, but you may notice the difference). Down below, I attached the contents of the entire topic. Glad to see you again. Values that we are maintaining. Client (Lu4) - features. Exclusive build - difference. Concept - what the officials wanted to share but failed. Your feedback - our processing (discussion in the comments). Why should I pay for the game? Why are the stages fast \ why are the stages slow? Why the f*ck does Vesper drop from Tiat if we haven't worn Icarus yet? Admin, rework the summoners! Give Kamaels from the start \ delete them from the game! Epics, again? I don't track the updates - what should I do? Why did you open two servers, and why can't we play one? Instances - good or bad? Autofarm, to be or not to be? Interface, cyclomacros, oink 🐽 Is it possible to play solo on MasterWork? Is it possible to expand the functions of the interface and the game client? Where is the project heading? Why should we play with and trust you? External features, surprises and entertainment content. Radio Wikipedia Promo page with patch notes Series with a dramatic production Animated Cinematic Web resources rebranding Surprise - an additional influx of new players during the 5th season. Details. About the game - promo. Desired date of Lu4 Desired date of MasterWork OBT EPISODE 1 — VALUES. 1. First, I want to start with the belief that makes "us" — "us". MasterWork is a social network of interests. MW has become a club that gathers fascinating people of all classes and ages every year to arrange a full-fledged online adventure and share it with friends. And sometimes — find new ones. At the same time, this does not mean that the place where you come to relax is in second place, rather it is a well-designed background in all its incarnations — from the picture to the mechanics. We — through your wishes work with the background and the place. You — bring friends and have fun. That's how it works. 2. Second, our capabilities are developing both in human and technical resources. We invest in the project exactly what you invest in us. Today's MasterWork has 55 participants inside the team and 35 more outside. Five years ago, we did not have such a unique relationship with the Advext team, which has been gaining understanding and developing software solutions for 20 years. Today, they are one of the most significant parts of E-Global, a fundamental part of our quality that is difficult to falsify. Java and PTS have always had a difference, and we have always admired it, but precisely until PTS (RPG Club, for example) ran into the ABSENCE of the ability to be modified as quickly as Java. We have overcome this, period. Perceive, we are the only project that recreated on C++ (PTS / original game code) a product of the scale of an official Korean publisher and modified it so that the ideas of players who wanted to combine the most valuable chronicles (C1 - H5) into one rational chain, with adjustments for the modern (adult) consumer - became a reality. No, no and no again, I do not accept the museum concepts when everything remains as it was 20 years ago. Of course, this has the right to exist, but there is a major difference between the Heroes III and HOTA products. For example, I can't recall any longer with my friends about the first after trying the second. Just 3 years ago, we did not even think about the possibility of implementing our own game client, a modern gaming client that can compete with AAA games released since 2020. E-Global has provided fundamental and mutually trusty support for the Lu4 team. Over the past year, the development process has accelerated so much that we are ready to announce the release dates of the pre-alpha, closed (with limited access by keys) and open (with open access for anyone). Below, by Rudolf's request, I will CLARIFY the definition of pre-alpha. Pre-Alpha — initial development. Everyone can find a different description of the stages and their contents Online. However, most will find that Pre-Alpha is the point of forming the bases inside the software, where the ideology of the architecture forms and the basic blocks of the interface for client-server “communication" are created, together with testing the particular modules' usage feasibility. We can say that the Main Tool is born - the PRIMARY skeleton with cartilage and tendons (the bones were created during the pre-alpha stage, which differs from pre-alpha and has already been tested). Muscles, skin, fat and hair with nails (which, we - old people, generously spread everywhere)))))))) will be added in the future. OF COURSE, some of you will say that this stage ALREADY looks like Beta or something fully playable. However, I will only say that some “experiments” allowed you to think so, and this is good! That means that we are on the right trail... However, ideologically, the client is still at the Pre-Alpha stage, where many things do not work yet, where even bugs are not the main thing, but various things are tested: Architecture; Approach to class formation; Filling the world and the possibility of its further change and modification; Management of NPC modules; Management of Player modules; Management of sound classes and visual effects; Standards and restrictions that will be in effect are developing; Methods of modifications and updates are working out; Tools for working with the project are creating; Basic UI solutions; The basis of documentation is developing; Our approach is flexible, considering the specifics and uniqueness of the product. At this stage of Pre-Alpha, the main focus is performance. For us, performance is not just a word but specific numbers: the number of polygons, draw calls, texture size, number of threads, etc. We strive to find a "starter machine" for the game, providing flexible graphics settings (GPU) and multi-threading (CPU). That will allow players to experiment with the settings and find the optimal parameters for a comfortable game. In addition, we are starting to collect data from testers for further adaptation and the creation of tools for modifying the client. P.S. These principles allow us to become more flexible and adaptive from the early Pre-Alpha stage. Цитата A short promo video about the visual. Цитата Detailed video with comments about visuals, effects, animations, capabilities. 3. Third, let's focus on another unique component - the concept. MasterWork - created, developed and consolidated a whole trend. We copied from advertising headlines and banners to complete game systems (including a drop from monsters) by smaller to larger projects. This is a valuable realization for us and a good reason to be proud of the project for you. We did not lose and brought to life a unique and one-of-a-kind story, which 4 years proceeded from fantasy to reality. That is what once intended to do a "classic" - a kind of commotion. I and many team members played then with hope and deep interest (closing our eyes to you know who). However, the classic slowly went into the state of the main version without fulfilling the most common demand of the players - to give the content that you and I loved, making it cyclical due to the seasons. L2 is a social game with a deep PvP component, character development dynamics and a coexisting economy tied to real-time. But speaking straightforward - unlimited development of Tamagotchi, with an attempt to endlessly develop content upwards - has given way to cyclical sessions. We like the expansion from 0 to 1, in clear conditions, with a favourite company, with additions that saturate interest in the game but do not change its nature. MasterWork came closer to this request than others and, together with you, continued this thorny path. Combining the above-described processes - you get a high-quality product and the EXACT background and place within which your online travel with friends comes to life and plays with new pleasant colours. EPISODE 2 — DISAGREEMENTS. Each block described below is our train of thought and view on the "pain" of players and not the final solution. In the process of discussion (your balanced comments) and preparation for the release of the updated concept of the 5th season (early October) — these will be transformed into final solutions. 1. Monetization that affects the gameplay: Hidden text 1. About transferable currency Unlike many MMOs, our hard currency is transferable, so any player can purchase goods for game currency through the coin market. We are also extending the possibilities of obtaining premium content through quests, promo codes and events, so there is no need to spend even game currency. On MasterWork, the premium is available not only for real money - everything can be purchased for game currency. The game value market allows you to receive hard currency for selling items and accumulates a balance for the new season. Our goal is not to make money on each player but to create an opportunity to play without investment, developing the project through the support of interested players. 2. Trigger items I would like to immediately note that we are considering the possibility of excluding items that affect the gameplay "as is". At the same time, we must convey that the project's needs for maintaining the team and personal needs (like any of you) cannot be cancelled. Therefore, we choose between changing prices of what is essential (for example, changing the price of PA) and leaving the positions but reworking their impact. CP potions: We will increase the cooldown of CP potions to reduce their impact on the PvP while keeping the ability to get them through bonus codes, daily missions and micro-transactions. Flags: Option to set a cooldown on the flag and limit its usage in a particular location. Club teleports: Content will become available without a club card in the early game stages, but there will be restrictions until certain stages are reached. For example, the upper levels of TOI and other locations will open as the season progresses. We also plan to introduce a symbolic cost in Adena for teleports to decrease the chunk of money in the economy. Starter kits: We are considering the option to reduce the range of kits, which will significantly reduce their impact on the one hand and will be a good purchase on the other. However, the logic of our actions is as follows: The character has custom starting equipment (with it, you can grow to grade C), and the starting actions "feed" the player with all the necessary items. The starting set = "get what the game will give you at the start anyway - with one click, saving time", but not "the only way to start". An example of when we came to this worldview is the sale of Professions, where the player has 3 ways to get Professions at the start: - Buy for Coins; - Buy for Adena; - Complete the Quest and receive custom rewards. Each method has its benefits - bucks save Adena, Adena - bucks, in case a player is not rushing and ready to invest time in the quest - he receives a generous reward. The starting set is a way to quickly get the necessary equipment, not excluding the possibility of a traditional route. For example, professions can be changed for coins, adena or through quests, with generous rewards for those who invest time. 3. You invest in us - we invest in the project. Project support improves the game's comfort for everyone: client development, locations and content, advertising to attract new players and partners' work payments. We want to say that you benefit from financial support for the project. Your leisure time becomes more comfortable and grows exponentially from season to season. In the future, we aim for a donation system that will not affect the gameplay. For example, buying costumes and animations. But now we are not at this stage so no need to build illusions. There are cheaper and more expensive projects but we try to maintain the golden mean with due service and quality. 2. Stage update frequency: Hidden text We frequently hear three opinions from players: Stages are too fast. Stages are too slow. The speed is sufficient. These different opinions show that there is no simple answer, so we came to the following conclusions: The speed is generally acceptable, otherwise the MasterWork would not be so popular among players and would not open 2 parallel servers. All opinions are correct since each player plays in their own way. Simply changing the speed by quickening or slowing down is wrong according to the first and/or second. We analyzed the stage's speed and players' burden and decided not to directly speed up or slow down the season but to flexibly change specific stages, adapting them to the player's needs. Three theses: Simplified game: early stages help to quickly develop up to the main content, providing everything you need, including a club buff and teleports without a club card. Main game: changes are submitted every two weeks, and new levels, equipment and tasks are available to all players. For example, there will be a few ways to create Dynasty, which allows players to choose a suitable playstyle. Hardcore mode: allows players to go beyond the main game, requiring more time and effort. So, roughly said, when we add Dynasty, unlike previous seasons at the same time, we add different ways to make it, whether it's solo in the toilet in Giant Cave, an organized group on a hellbound or our custom evening spots on chimaeras. And having received different options, you, as a player, choose the one that best suits your playstyle. Also, when we say "Dynasty", we mean that this is the exact time to make Dynasty, and not evade it, in expectation of the Tiat with Vesper or something like that. Separately, but regarding the stage speed: Kamael race will arise earlier, from November 18th. Such a division of stages into two or three weeks, on the one hand, will not drive you into time trouble because you will have time to both sweat and rest, roughly speaking, within the framework of each patch. We will come to full Gracia on New Year's. We want to reveal HF for you and give you the opportunity to try the product we have been building and polishing all these years. The 5th season of MasterWork (now) includes the path from C4 to Eternal. Previously unavailable content will now become part of the active gaming session of the season. In addition to the usual fight in the "Cruma", you will also get a lot of new, cool and refreshing content, which you usually do not stay to see, on a high, proactive online. 3. Why does Vesper drop from Tiat if we haven't worn Icarus yet? Hidden text In previous seasons, players often encountered a situation where a new way to get the equipment was complicated and required significant effort. After the most organized players had broken through this method, we introduced the simplest methods of acquiring the same equipment for everyone else. Farmers immediately faced a new challenge as the next grade of equipment. The downside of this approach is that farmers quickly burned out: they made an effort but had no time to enjoy the result since new content became available to other players easier and faster. This was especially obvious for Dynasty, Moirai, Icarus and Vesper. To fix this problem, we changed the patch notes logic: Alternative ways of obtaining equipment: Now we simultaneously introduce several ways to get the equipment. For example, for Dynasty, both difficult and fast methods are available, as well as easy but long ones. This allows all players — both "esportsmen" and "casuals" — to start simultaneously, avoiding a situation where some grades are only available to the "elite". Relevance of grades: A distinct time after the release of a new grade, gear remains relevant. For example, by making Dynasty, players can be sure that Icarus will not occur tomorrow. We guarantee that the new grade will remain relevant throughout the assigned time. SOME SPOILERS: - Hellbound Books - transferable. - Tiat (at the moment of opening the instance) - Icarus weapons, without Vesper. - Fairy-Centaurs (Fairy Settlement) - quest (for S garde recipes and later, Dynasty) is available from the location opening. It appears simultaneously with the HB. Competition and satisfaction: The new patches start a competitive race, where winners receive significant advantages - first SA, first sets, etc. Players who have gone all the way will enjoy their achievements in PvP and other activities before the next grade appears. For example, for Dynasty and Moirai: Dynasty: For at least 3 weeks, all loot methods are available at once - Chimeras, GC, Crypts, etc. No-lifer gets Dynasty in 3-7 days and realizes his advantage for another week before the rest of the players catch up. Moirai: Similar situation, but without Vesper. All loot methods are available immediately, so players have at least 3 weeks before the next grade. This way, we avoid gradient overlaps in the gear acquisition process. Instead, each new patch creates a new starting race available to everyone every few weeks. 4. Admin, update the summoners! Hidden text We've made a lot of changes to the summoner, making them strong enough for various playstyles: Strong in solo Strong at Olympiad Strong in Instanced Zones Optional for group The main issue is that summoners remain less suitable in a 9-man group compared to other classes: Common DDs do more damage and are more versatile Buffers provide more important buffs Healers and Tanks remain irreplaceable Any improvement to summoners can strengthen them in areas where they are already strong (e.g. in Olympiad), but will not solve the problem of their usefulness in a group. We believe a complete rework and reconsideration of the class is required to fix this. If we take an analogy from Dota - this is the Invoker option. At the end of Season 3 and in Season 4, we successfully introduced a new class - Dwarf Mage, which became a balanced participant in groups without being imba. In Season 5, we plan to add the Orc Archer. This experience of creating new classes and mechanics allows us to consider a complete rework of summoners in the future. We cannot give an exact time, but this is our program for the upcoming seasons. P.S. We will continue to improve summoners, making them more engaging for fanatics. They still will not become mandatory party members, all other things being equal. 5. Give Kamaels from the start \ delete them from the game! Hidden text On the MasterWork project and Lineage 2 in general, several topics cause heated discussions among players. They are: Game speed Kamael introduction time Summoners We have already answered the first and last questions, and it is time to explain the introduction of the Kamael race. MasterWork is a staged server that smoothly navigates players from IL to GF and GF to HF, maintaining a sense of value for each action. Our players accepted and loved this concept. Kamael, as a race, stimulates inconsistent feelings: some adore them, others hate them. We, as developers, decided to include them in the game, but not from the beginning, so as not to disrupt the perception of the first stages as IL-like. One of the main complaints is the loss of value of the characters that will be replaced by Kamaels. To make the transition as smooth as possible, we have enforced: Conditions for easy transfer of items between characters The possibility to change character name for free The opportunity to create a Kamael during the "arms race" is most loyal to the new character (when the group assists/participates in creating a new character). We admit that introducing a new race is not perfect, and we will continue to improve it so that all players feel comfortable up to the capability to reroll their character at the start of the season into Kamael (when it is introduced). The introduction of the Kamael race in the 5th season of MasterWork on November 18. 6. Epics again and again - how can one deal with such a load? Hidden text The load on clans due to frequent events was one of the main problems of the first seasons of MasterWork. Starting with the fourth season, we have assumed the following measures: Clan content diversity: We are adding new bosses, such as Ishka, Anais and Vidar. It is necessary to have an organized CC of 3 or more groups to defeat them. Clan missions and activities: We are planning to introduce new clan missions and activities. At the same time, we will adjust the schedule of Epics and other activities to release more days a week for active clans to play freely without events. We aim to make the gameplay easier for clan members, especially in Big War, by providing more free time for them and their groups. At the same time, we are willing to develop more organized activities for Mid-Company clans. Our goal is to ensure that all players in the project have fascinating content that does not overload them but allows them to feel like part of a social group - a clan, regardless of epic bosses. 7. I don't track the updates - what should I do? Hidden text How to stay in tune with MasterWork changes For those who don't want to dive into every patch note and keep track of all the changes, don't worry: Stable meta: We don't change the game's meta during the season, so it's enough to familiarize yourself with the season concept and RoadMap, where all the key stages are indicated. Social networks: Subscribe to our Telegram and Discord, where short overviews of changes are published. MasterWork FM: Mr. Ephas hosts podcasts and analyzes updates. Subscribe to the radio's telegram channel if you don't want to miss the schedule. Loading screen: After selecting a character, you will see brief information about the current accents of the season, so you always know what to do today. Information system: We have implemented a notification system about significant changes directly in the game and will develop it so that you are always aware of the latest information. Wikipedia: If you need information urgently, use our Wikipedia, where you can find many articles and complete game guides. Short patch notes reviews: For your convenience, we will add a promo page with highlights from the patch note, which you can read by "scrolling through the pictures" or watching the video. We offer you many ways to stay updated with changes, so choose the one that is convenient for you. Information is the key to a pleasant game. Do not forget it. 8. Two servers, three servers, four servers? - Why can't we play one? Hidden text We based our efforts on real online and technical limitations. Over the years, we have significantly improved server performance, so we can handle up to 12,000 active players and up to 1,500 characters in massive PvP battles. For comparison, these numbers were 7,000 and 800 characters during the first season. We are talking about actual numbers, not inflated values that can be easily verified at main events such as Epics. At the start of the fourth season, the number of players was too large to accommodate everyone on one server without lags or long queues. Therefore, we decided to open two servers based on analysis and technical preparation. The players chose this path by their presence. Were we ready for this? Yes, we expected that we would have to open two servers sooner or later, and we prepared the technical part. The online on both servers differed by no more than 20%, and the players were divided into servers by choosing opponents of their level. However, the launch of two servers happened earlier than we planned. We expected this by the 5th or 6th season. Therefore, at the time of opening, cross-server content was not prepared, such as: A shared market for both servers Competitive elements and activities between servers Competitive characters transfer We understand the importance of these tools and are working on their implementation, even though cross-server content is far from perfect on official servers. P.S. The growth in activity from the 3rd to the 4th season was 70%, and a month and a half before the start of the 5th season, we are seeing a growth of 175% from the analogous period of the 4th season. We are grateful for your trust in the project from season to season, and we are proud that you chose us for your leisure time. If you haven't already signed up for pre-registration, please do so so we can better analyze the data and make fortunate decisions. 9. Instances - good or bad? Hidden text Pros of Instances 1.1. Balancing: Instances, which have been distilled over 4 seasons, provide guaranteed rewards (EXP, SP, consumables, equipment, and unique items) that help cut the gap between players. Instances do not replace open-world play, but they add stability and predictability. Example: Character A with 5 efficiency and Character B with 10 efficiency. An instance adds +3 efficiency to both. The difference decreases from 2x to 1.6x, but Character B is still ahead. 1.2. Socialization: Instances motivate solo players to group, encouraging interactions between players and making the gameplay more social. 1.3. Burnout Prevention: When a group faces setbacks, an instance can be a lifeline, maintaining motivation and keeping players in the game. 1.4. Trade Relations: Instances create opportunities for barter and trade between players, which strengthens the game's economy and opens access to required items for the players. 1.5. Benefit for the Economy: Selling instance tickets removes coins from the economy, which helps stabilize it and creates profitable conditions for all participants. Instance Relevance A relevant instance is one that: More efficient than other activities. Provides unique rewards that cannot be obtained otherwise. Instance Cons 3.1. Reward Variance: Some players may not receive valuable rewards if they are spread randomly. The solution is to increase personal rewards and cumulative systems. 3.2. Abuse Potential: Some players prefer to complete instances solo. This reduces the motivation to socialize. The solution is to personalize rewards and experience to make solo play less profitable. 3.3. Monotony: Instances can become dull. Solution: Create new ones, add challenge variants, and add leaderboards to compare results. 3.4. Clan/CC instances: Large clan instances like Frintezza and Freya only appear late in the season. Solution: Add clan instances early in the season. 3.5. Content overload: Too many instances can overwhelm players. Solution: Reduce instance frequency and speed up outdated ones. Summary: Instances remain sufficient, but it is important to continue fixing their weaknesses. This is a process we are continuing to work through. 10. Why can't you just TAKE and implement auto-farming? Hidden text Many players wonder why we don't ban those who stand in the catacombs on macros. It is important to understand that partial automation of the gameplay is built into the server concept. A group of characters standing on macros is fine. They have a legal few hours of cyclomacros, and calling them "pigs" is incorrect. Many groups put additional mini-packs on macros for additional farming, which helps to extend the main characters. These mini-packs are usually equipped in rags and do not receive a serious boost. However, using macros on mice and keyboards or other ways to bypass the rules is already a violation, and such players will be banned. The best thing you can do is send a report with a nickname and a screenshot to support. All requests will be reviewed. The term "pigs" also includes: Those who do RMT. Those who come only to earn money through the market, without participating in the life of the server. Those who intentionally commit destructive actions against the project. Your support is important for the community's health and the punishment of such individuals. A competent report is the best thing you can do. It is impossible to manually scan each player. For example, for 12,000 online on one server, at least 200 bot hunters would be needed. Be active and conscious: if there is a suspicion of a violation, send a report. We are also constantly improving our methods of detecting violations. Ban statistics say it all. Automation. Why and for what reason? Automation on our project is an auxiliary tool that helps you to be less distracted by routine actions and allows to step away from the computer to the store. Macros are limited in time but provide enough opportunities to get experience or complete a mission. They do not work if the character is flagged, which allows opponents of this content to easily interrupt such players. We do not plan to turn the game into an auto-farm but implement convenient interface solutions, such as an assist for a selected group member or an automatic rebuff of self-buffs by timer, available to everyone. The appearance of the macro creation window will become more convenient, and the necessity to write complex commands manually will be reduced. Automation will never replace manual play and will not become an over-profitable way of farming. It will be an assistant, allowing players to take a break from the routine and maintain the effectiveness of the group, even when the game is minimized. The era when you played on BD and had 2 minutes break is over. Now you have more time. 11. Is there a comfortable solo game on MasterWork?? Hidden text Yes, it is. The question is, why are you asking this in a social game? On MasterWork, we create content that makes the game comfortable even for those who haven't found a constant party yet and don't want to farm the same monsters alone. One of these tools is the "find group button". By using it, you can easily join other players who are also looking for a company to complete difficult tasks. Together, you can complete missions and quests faster and more efficiently, gain more experience thanks to increased party rates, and gain access to instances with generous rewards. Playing in a group makes content easier to complete and makes the gameplay more intense and exciting, forming social connections and new friendships. For example, we have stories of people finding spouses right in the game 😁 Even if you are playing alone or for a specific class, like a bounty hunter, don't worry. We have updated the classes, adding many skills that make them useful in any group. Various buffs, attack skills, saves, and healing skills allow each class to reveal itself in a new role. At MasterWork, there is always a place for every player in the group, regardless of their class or preferences. So don't worry - click the "find group button" and go! 12. Is it possible to expand the game and client interface functions? Hidden text Interface development and improvement is a fundamental area of our project. We strive to make the game more understandable, convenient and transparent. Various tools and functions have already been created for your comfort, and we continue to develop them this season. Main ideas and plans: Common client for all servers: One client for Seasonal and MBE servers, simplifying access to the game without having two parallel updaters and accounts. An extended parameters window: Displaying hidden parameters of the character and pet, with a tooltip of what the indicators are made up of (for example, P. Atk., M. Crit. Rate, Evasion, etc.). We plan to add detailed descriptions with the capability to analyze the parameters fully. Notification buttons: Adding notifications to the interface key points, informing about the impact of parameters, bonuses and experience penalties. Implementation of a parameter calculator: The ability to preview the character's characteristics changes when upgrading items, skills, etc. Player Identification: Adding frames around nicknames and other visual elements to show achievements and group membership. Emoticons 2.0 and Beauty Shop: New emoticons and elements to brighten the game world and players' interactions. Voice Chat: Party-based voice chat that will be expanded to CC, clans, and other chats. Redesigning the clan window: Adapting the clan window from modern chronicles improves the visual and functional components. Improving descriptions and localization: Standardization and improvement of item descriptions, skills, quests and dialogues with NPCs to make interaction more understandable and enjoyable. Interface Improvements: Improving dialogues with key NPCs and creating custom icons and backgrounds to make the interface intuitive. These changes are aimed at improving convenience and the gaming experience for all players. 13. Perhaps, as a player, I would have become blind to many of the flaws and supported the project actively if I knew that I could trust the project's future as an investment in my leisure time. Hidden text Where is the MasterWork project heading, and why is it worth playing and trusting us? Over 20 years of free server development, many players have formed a strong opinion that such servers are temporary month-long projects created for a quick profit. This opinion is justified because many admins launch servers to collect money and reopen in three months. This is accompanied by weak support, ignoring player problems and lack of development. But we have a different philosophy. We love the game and our audience. We strive to improve the quality of service year after year and reach new ridges. We do not ignore player complaints and try to respond promptly. We expanded the team this season to 55 people to ensure high-quality game design and an optimized server, modernize the gameplay for modern realities and provide protection from bots. We invest in developers to provide a completely new and modern game client. Our culture is based on fanaticism and the pursuit of results. We hire people who are passionate about the idea and want to create, and our main goal is to invest in the product and the team, constantly raising the bar for quality. Why is MasterWork not a 1-2 month server? The first season of MasterWork in 2020-2021 lasted six months of intense and competitive play. Our audience extends every year, and simultaneously, the lifespan of the server increases. Six months after the launch of MasterWork 4, we still had over 5,000 real players online, and our Eternal server has been running without a wipe for almost 4 years, attracting an audience that appreciates long and leisurely play. We aim to create a server that will be completely full all year round, providing a stable and high-quality gaming environment for all players. EPISODE 3 — AROUND THE PROJECT The concept, the visual (development of the current and future client), the ability to hear, listen and filter the gaming experience of the audience, the product written on the source code of the game — all these are the key and most important aspects of the basic foundation. However, another component, which is like a "cherry on the cake" that complements and fills all this with a vibe is our service and the project ecosystem. Not many projects (and I'm not just talking about gaming ones) can boast of hardworking, responsive and reliable support, high-quality game reviews, epic cinematics, a series with a theatrical production, an extensive and up-to-date Wikipedia, high-quality advertising, promo pages that can be exhibited in an exhibition museum (just kidding), attentive and thorough maintenance of the server economy. But the most IMPORTANT is that no other project can boast of the CULTURE, gaming communities and media participants, in other words, PEOPLE, who are going to spend their leisure time on Masterwork. People are the most valuable speciality, and thanks to all the above conditions, without removing a single component from this puzzle, Global, through the Masterwork product, has revealed a high gaming culture that year after year gives you truly lively and vivid emotions. In this episode, I share our vision and plans for the entertainment and information ecosystem of the project expansion. And in some stories, there will be spoilers. 1. Radio - Ephas is getting assisted by new RJs. More shows, more training, more involvement in the social life of the project await you. Hidden text I don't want to spoil anything about "Oleg", in fact, I really want to and I do, so I warn you that we are talking about plans that we are preparing for, and not about facts that have come true. However: - High-quality sound - Educational sections - Analysis of the patch notes - Interviews with players - Original music! 2. Wikipedia Hidden text Updated pages UX New design Familiar media players who review the game mechanics (guides) and basic game lore (storyline). In other words, the availability of information will be higher, more varied and exciting. Reminder, available directly from the Game. 3. Informative patch notes Hidden text Let's be honest, just about 10% of the project players read the forum patch notes, and about 2-3% read them to the end. In general, this is not a problem, we write them for ourselves because eventually you are here to have fun, not for a lecture. However, the fact is that the better you understand the complexity of the game, the more interesting it is for you to play. To work with this arrangement, in Season 5 we intend to create short informative web pages with a summary of the goals, tasks and features of each patch note, which in their volume take up 10-15% of the forum patch, providing the very essence. 4. New Web. Hidden text Web is not only what you click when signin-in😁 It also affects the speed of processing user requests, market, store, support functionality, administrative panels for interacting with the server, statistics and the Wheel of Fortune during registration. In the world of freeshard markets, there are few people, separate from each other, who connect this entire ecosystem. In the 5th season, our web development lead decided to create a single closed ecosystem. With it, therefore, we will improve the capabilities of interaction with the server and the wide functionality of services through the web resource at a distance. This will affect both support and server administration, along with your personal experience. By the way, here is what our web lead thinks about his work: 5. Soft rebranding, redesign and more convenient UX for all information objects - website, personal account, promo pages, Wikipedia and even a separate page for radio. Hidden text Our product designer is growing, hired a new assistant and charged by a fairy powder. Now it is clear that after the web, we will initiate an update of the game UX. And yes, all these terribly outdated information panels, dialogues and other things will be updated by a professional in their area. Without changing the main style of the game, she will make the interface more understandable and readable. In addition, I will remind you that all digital art is drawn by our artist with her golden pens, so we also aim to revive most of the external artistic manifestations in the game. Let's be honest, it is very cool when you can recognize the style of the project by elementary markings, such as colour or style. The main goal is to make the above fantasies a Reality throughout the 5th season. 6. Series with a theatrical production - Ave Media. Hidden text At the beginning of the past season, we started an experiment: based on a well-known reference, we filmed several episodes about how (under the prism of sarcasm) we see the events from our fascinating social network 😁 This season, understanding the mistakes of the previous episodes, we decided to take a risk and film 10 final episodes of the series "This is MasterWork". You will discover many new characters, "ordinary" situations and (as we would like to believe) enough humour. I will give you some RANDOM spoilers, so wait - the series is planned to launch before the beginning of the 5th season 7. Animated Cinematic, long shot, storyline, highly complex execution. Hidden text 4 months ago, Mr Fabulopoulos (oh my God, Fab, no one will read this spoiler anyway) started the development of his first animated 3D video, as is customary in full-fledged game studios with billion-dollar budgets. The video below, which you have most likely seen many times, has nothing to do with the Lu4 project and costs FabuLous 4 months of work. All locations, characters, and objects were created by him personally. Having realized that this product has a future, and let's be honest, no one entertains us with quality content about our favourite game anymore, we decided to strengthen FabuLous with a new face - a director. At the moment, they are slowly creating an animated product based on the game. All locations, characters, absolutely everything - are created from scratch. Micro-spoiler: You MUST watch in 4K, otherwise there is no point in turning it on at all, because we are showing the level of graphic performance: 8. Advertising, online and surprise throughout Season 5. Hidden text This season we have paid extra attention to project advertising because in our opinion, first, you must make a quality product and only then release it to the audience. The entire 5th season will offer you more than one exciting and unexpected turn in the new player's recruitment for a more intense and diverse (in social terms) "arms race". By the way, if our analysts are not mistaken (and every season I think they are wrong) currently the growth from the previous season is more than 100%. I assume we must expect the same numbers as last season (for you) with full readiness to fit twice more than the previous season (for us). EPISODE 4 — ANNOUNCEMENTS. Updated "About the Game" promo page — coming out September 5th. Closed Lu4 test for media individuals and those who supported the project — September 13-14th. Open Lu4 test for everyone — January (we want to give you a New Year's gift) Adjusted concept of Season 5 at the beginning of October, before OBT. MasterWork Season 5 OBT — October 7th, Monday. Start of MasterWork Season 5 — October 18th, Friday (20:00 server time). RECAP: This topic became extensive, with details and general ideas, but significantly honest and, in a good sense, emotional. Everyone who READ and IMBUED - welcome to the intense discussion named "Legion of Pages". We worked, are working now and will keep working so you can feel a distinctively high-quality approach in all project incarnations. We admire you for all your support, your time spent and for entrusting us with your leisure. Remember, first, both YOU and US are improving the project FOR OURSELVES, Godspeed. Mic drop. With love, forever yours - E-Global & Averia❤️🔥 Ephas, emissary, Erlyn и 2 других 2 1 2 Ссылка на сообщение Поделиться на других сайтах More sharing options...
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