Tea Time with Ryme - version 6

[Corrupt Shadow]

No one remembered this time?

[neocamp22]

Someone said they had most of it....

[the SUPERnaturalist]

i was there the whole time, but i would've thought someone else was recording it

[Ryme]

It was poorly coordinated on my part.

I don't really remember any specifics, but we talked about retcon some. And, um, I don't remember what else.

[neocamp22]

We also brought up the concept of skill points.

[TheK3vin]

Man, and I didn't even get to ask you when the next Tea Time with Ryme is... I guess I'll have to wait until the next one.

[Ryme]

New Tea Time with Ryme. Saturday at rollover. Sorry for the short notice, but that's my schedule these days.

[Olaf]

Posting it on the front page, too?

[Ryme]

Why yes, yes I am. It's up there already. Pushed with rollover, I think.

[TheK3vin]

Let's have someone do a transcript this time, eh?

I would but I don't feel like it, and obviously because of that somebody else should do it.

[Harry Dresden]

Transcript from 9/12 Tea Time right after rollover (If you prefer, truncated, Q&A-style transcript):

[N] Ryme taps microphone ... is this thing on?
[N] Ryme: Harry, you recording?
[N] Sauce runs for lives.
[N] Harry Dresden: Yep.
[N] Ryme: All right. I'd like to call this session of Tea Time with Ryme to order.
[N] Dakii bangs gavel.
[N] Gwen: a gavel, in this chat room?
[N] Gwen tries to resist the urge.
[N] Sauce: "objection"?
[N] SpockYoda: Woo! I made it to one!
[N] Valera: hmm
[N] Gwen: OVERULED
[N] Ryme: So, as always, the floor is open for questions.
[N] Sauce: are food-related crafting skills a possibility?
[N] Dakii: Hi I'm new. But its seems like everone who frequent's chat that I've seen is a really high level is that normal or am I just logging on at the wrong time?
[N] hoyifung05: Question: will there actually be any questions asked?
[N] Gwen: @Sauce a midnight gobble, eh?
[N] Valera: How do you feel about auto-attacking scripts, bots, etc, that are made for TH?
[N] Sauce: that's a pretty good question, hoyi
[N] SpockYoda: Dakii: It is normal.
[N] Ryme: ah, that's a good question, Sauce. Not sure about that.
[N] Sauce: midnight snacks, 6PM snacks, whenever snacks! :d
[N] Valera: Hey, those of us who are up all night snack at night
[N] Blink: Gutten taggen
[N] Ryme: Valera: scripts don't bother me, assuming they don't violate any rules.
[N] Valera: ask cris!
[N] Blink: do we actually get tea in tea time?
[N] Gwen: eating before bedtime...when you should be in bed is bad for you.
[N] Ryme: Other than multi abuse, being a jerk, or somehow heavily taxing the server, there isn't a lot a script could do that would be unacceptable.
[N] Sauce expects someone to distribute mr. teas
[N] Valera: bedtime isn't always at midnight, you know
[N] Blink: Hey Ryme this is when we can ask u stuff right?
[N] Ryme: Drink 'em if you've got 'em, Blink.
[N] hoyifung05: (This is for Recycloners) Will there be a multi-extract button?
[N] Ryme: Yes. And those are your two questions for the night.
[N] Cristiona: Can we have more items to use on other players then give them -initiative?
[N] Blink:
[N] Harry Dresden: When for the multi extract button? <_<
[N] Sauce: ew, cris. that sounds mean
[N] Blink: Well, I was ganna ask you where you see this game heading too in a year from now..
[N] Ryme: When? No idea. Eventually, for sure.
[N] Harry Dresden: Cris is evil. You should all know this by now.
[N] Gwen: will psions and naturalist get material specific skills?
[N] Sauce: well of course. her class is unique after all
[N] Ryme: I was kidding, Blink. That's a good question.
[N] Blink: Or where you WANT it to be in a year from now..
[N] Ryme: Main thing is the retcon/ascension mechanic. Definitely want to introduce a way for it to be replayable, from beginning to end.
[N] SpockYoda: Any hints on what is in store, storywise?
[N] Ryme: I'd also like to introduce some more long-term goals, and get the often requested leagues/clans and mall features included.
[N] Sauce: are we going to find out who's Mick?
[N] Valera: Sauce, we already know that. It's Susan
[N] Valera: she's the brain of the ring, anyway
[N] Sauce does not habeeb so.
[N] Ryme: Retcon will definitely include a showdown with the Mick as the final battle.
[N] Blink: The Mick is a myth, just like the Sasquatch and world peace.
[N] Heather Robinson: retcon/ascension will be something people opt into, right? not just once it's implemented, everyone is forced into it, right?
[N] Ryme: Right. You pick if you want to start over or not.
[N] Valera: For your idea of what TH's story is and will be, did you feel it was best to research and absorb the genre.. or better to avoid it, in hopes of unique creativity?
[N] Sauce: could be like in KoL... the prism is open, you choose when to enter it
[N] Ryme: Gwen: not sure. I'd like to give both psions and naturalists something. Not sure if ti's metal crafting, or something else.
[N] Gwen: righty-o
[N] Sauce: naturalists should definitely get a food crafting skill, IMO.
[N] Ryme: Naturalists in particular seem to need a better healing ability, and I'd considered some sort of "bandage-crafting" for them.
[N] Gwen: alaskan snowcrab!
[N] Blink: I prefer hamburgers myself
[N] Heather Robinson: will there be any metals that require both catalyzing AND metalmorphing to be created?
[N] Blink: Possibly a Cheeseburger crafting skill for Naturalists?
[N] Gwen: cooperation, in a game? nonsense!
[N] Ryme: Val: I haven't gone in search of research. It's really impossible to avoid the genre -- I like it (movies, books) and the general superhero plots are borderline cliche anyway.
[N] Ryme: Heather, that's VERY likely.
[N] Ryme: I like the synergy of cross-class contribution to get better results.
[N] Sauce: that sounds rad
[N] Blink: Ryme, what genre is TH anyways?
[N] SpockYoda: Healing of the Worm: Just as the worm can heal after having half of it cut off, you have superhuman ability to heal yourself
[N] Blink: thats horrible
[N] Blind Paladin: What do you feel is the Psion's need- more offenseive ability?
[N] Gwen: the cliche overload type of genre, i'd imagine
[N] Heather Robinson: will catalyze be expanded to include healing items?
[N] Valera: YodaMan: I could then make clones of myself! Clones clones clones~
[N] Ryme: I think it falls squarely in a superhero genre. Sometimes it goes a little sci-fi (space robots), sometimes a little dark (dreamer's clock) but I think that's all part of the hero realm.
[N] Ryme: SpockYoda -- is that much different from the starfish analogy I've got now?
[N] Valera: To be honest, I'd say a lot of the game is dark, just doesn't seem it, if that makes sense
[N] SpockYoda: Well, presumably you could choose when to use it... or something.
[N] Valera: I mean, given the intro, the city is at the point where muggings are common and expected, people breaking into a house, stealing a tv or car is not abnormal
[N] Doominator: Well, the general tone looks "noir"-ish, but sounds vaguely humorous at times.
[N] Ryme: Blind Paladin: not sure. Psions often get called the "best" class right now, so I tend to let them sit until I start hearing complaints they lag behidn the others.
[N] Sauce: it sounds humorous a lot of the times.
[N] Gwen: psions the best class?
[N] Gwen: huh.
[N] Blink: Psions ARE the "best" class..Most items Imho power them up the most
[N] SpockYoda: Val: Isn't that what all superhero towns are like?
[N] bazfum: The feel of things to me was always that the setting is dark, but superheroes are still ludicrous.
[N] Ryme: depends on your purposes, of course, but the skill that gives extra time, and the ability to have high-damage spells, plus auras, gives them a lot.
[N] Valera: SY, not at all
[N] Doominator: It's like a whole giant superhero mix-up, where you can be a shining beacon of justice in a cape or a masked vigilante who's determined to beat some sense into this city.
[N] Valera: Gotham has it's special crimes, but the common things aren't common.. just the extraordinary
[N] Ryme: I try to balance humor in the mundane stuff, with a gritty, noir narrative when it comes to actual plot.
[N] Valera: That umm... dammit.. brain farted
[N] Blind Paladin: Understand. I agree the dry humor provides TH with its excellent flavor IMO.
[N] Blink: Ryme, will we get an Arch-enemy like A Lex Luthor to the Superman?
[N] Gwen: well, you can't beat up women of negotiable affection with a baseball bat, or a bat from hell for that matter.
[N] Sauce: that's probably the Mick.
[N] Ryme: Arch enemies would be fantastic. Don't know how to do it yet. Whether it's randomized per run, or if you build your own, or if there's one for each class... could get pretty complicated.
[N] Blink: IS it the Mick?
[N] Blink: To me The Mick sounds like a King Pin..Behind the scenes kinda guy
[N] Heather Robinson: are the blindingly obvious hints that Michael Ace is the Mick a red herring?
[N] Ryme: I see the Mick as Twilight's biggest threat (and yeah, like King Pin), but not really a personalized nemesis, really
[N] Cristiona: Valera's the Mick.
[N] Valera: Out of curiousity, Ryme: What's the area of the game you are least happy about... and what's the area you are most happy about? I don't mean a location itself, but any given chunk of the game
[N] SpockYoda: I'm sure this has probably been asked before, but do we have a retcon ETA?
[N] Sauce: well yeah, maybe he's just the guy pulling the strings
[N] Cristiona: Spock: 2 weeks
[N] Gwen: maybe if your arch-enemy depends on your actions, depending on what you do, you draw attention from a certain group.
[N] SpockYoda: Riiiiight.
[N] Ryme: No ETA, SY. Sometime in the next year, I really hope. Really hope it's sooner, even.
[N] Ryme: Arch-enemies could easily tie into your reputation, too.
[N] Sauce: I suppose your arch nemesis should depend on your reputation.
[N] Blink: Anything we can do to help it along Ryme>
[N] SpockYoda: Well, "some time in the next year" is good enough for me
[N] Ryme: Val: I'd say PvP is the most disappointing. Felt like I had to do soemthing, but I'm not happy with what I've got, by a long shot.
[N] Blind Paladin: I think an arch enemy you build with each run through might provide great story archs etc., while not being too tough to handle code wise. Am I correct in this?
[N] Ryme: I also cringe at the flow of some of the early quests, and I'm trying to decide if I need to streamline them before retcon, and people have to play them over and over.
PM to Cristiona: Doing it in chunks.
[N] Doominator still can't help but think of Michael Ace in a giant robot, like Michael Wilson.
[N] Cristiona: ...
[N] Blink: Ryme, can we do anything to help?
[N] Cristiona: Believe
[N] Gwen: Have faith.
[N] Blink: Wrong game Cris.
[N] Sauce: er... donate? xd
[N] Ryme: Not sure, Blink. Best thing to help is to strongarm all of your friends into playing. Heck, invite your enemies, too!
[N] Blind Paladin: Yes what, apart from sending mroe money, can we do to help?
[N] Cristiona: Send -me- money?
[N] Ryme: heh
[N] Blink doesnt think sending invitations to his enemies in real life would benefit anybody.
[N] Valera sends Cris monies
[N] Ryme: I've had some volunteers with pieces here and there, and that's always appreciated, but I also know there's only so many people I can coordinate with, and so many people who work in a way I think
[N] Ryme: ... suits the game.
[N] Gwen feels her horrible internet meme sense tingling.
[N] Blind Paladin: LOL
[N] Sauce sends Cris a chunk of coal.
[N] Blink wonders what meme Gwen is talking about
[N] Gwen: the whole "you are only worth 2 k monies
[N] Ryme: I do get a lot from discussions on the forums. I'm very excited by the spading that goes on, and always appreciate bug testing and spelling notes.
[N] Gwen: ...and are made out of butter"
[N] Doominator likes the archnemises bit... Tying it to reputation, perhaps?
[N] Blink: Ryme whats your opinion about a character getting a signature attack?
[N] Ryme: Reputation seems like a sensible way to go: you'd get 9 different nemeses, and could finagle which one you want each time.
[N] Sauce: word.
[N] Gwen: I say you should do it ala pokemon
[N] Ryme: Also, 9 is a large number, but not so large it would bury me in work.
[N] Ryme: Signature attack, Blink? Can you elaborate?
[N] Ryme: How does pokemon do it?
[N] Cristiona: He wants a falcon punch, I'm sure.
[N] Blind Paladin: Sounds workable to me.
[N] Doominator: You tell your sidekick to attack in a way that wouldn't hurt the target, but it works anyway?
[N] Sauce: maybe a player-described attack that is only cosmetic, just to replace "You attack..."
[N] Blink: Signature move: Like an attack your hero is known for. Like Superman's Ice breath, or The Flash's superspeed punch
[N] Gwen: If your rival/arch-nemesis was your neighbor and was actually trying to just get attention from you...
[N] MAgiNinjA: superman is known for ice breath?
[N] Blink: it could be cosmetic, but I thought it would be a scaled elemental attack
[N] MAgiNinjA: not...being super?
[N] Ryme: Well, I tend to think of skills as covering that. But I do see a desire for more flavor in the attacks.
[N] Blink: Magi..Well thats one of his powers..Hes got so many I honestly give up trying to remember them all
[N] Harry Dresden always thought Superman was known for being bulletproof.
[N] MAgiNinjA: so he doesn't really have a signature attack.
[N] Ryme: I thought it was being made of cast iron.
[N] Heather Robinson: ninja: superman had pretty much every super power.
[N] Sauce always thought Superman was simlply known.
[N] Ryme: Er, steel. That's the ticket.
[N] eLrIc thE inSane: nooo it's the heat vision
[N] Harry Dresden: Cast iron is so 1800's, though.
[N] Blink: Well, w/e Superman wasnt the best choice
[N] Blink: How about Green Lantern's Ring attacks?
[N] Doominator: No, his power is getting a new one or boosting an old one as he needs it.
[N] Gwen: stainless steel is more like today's metal of choice
[N] MAgiNinjA: that's not signature either.
[N] Blink gives up trying to explain and hopes Ryme gets what he means
[N] MAgiNinjA: i know what you mean, but you've been using bad examples
[N] Blink: Ryu's Hadouken attack. =|
[N] Ryme: I see lantern's ring as a talisman.
[N] Heather Robinson suspects Blink was thinking in terms of pro wrestling...
[N] Ryme: But I think I follow, Blink.
[N] MAgiNinjA: a signature move isn't a hard concept to understand.
[N] Valera: Do you have any intentions of an 'anti-talisman' type artifact? IE: Green lantern had what's his name's ring
[N] Valera: or Superman has Kryptonite
[N] Valera: Or Aquaman has land
[N] Blink: Aquamans weakness is being Aquaman
[N] Satan: technically, aquaman's was dehydration
[N] Zillow: Hey Ryme, could you confirm that the green gem UR can be gotten by winning a quadruple green gem on the slot machine with a 100k bet?
[N] Ryme: Those are more weaknesses than anti-talismans, really.
[N] Ryme: My attempt to address that is there's always a negative on every talisman.
[N] Satan: aha. give us weaknesses, ryme
[N] Ryme: It's not exactly a big weakness, but it's a drawback for everyone.
[N] Blink: Wear Typhoon bracers Satan.
[N] TheK3vin: I want my weankness to be mimes.
[N] Valera: Well, I see that more as a drawback to your power
[N] Heather Robinson: just to get technical, green lantern's weakness was not being able to affect anything yellow.
[N] Doominator: Simple: for Gadgeteers, there are Luddites with magnets.
[N] Ryme: stay away from the gloves, K3v!
[N] Satan: we need to be able to have a villain trap us in a malk-a-mite cage
[N] Valera: Like most superpowers have their own drawbacks on top of them
[N] Valera: aside from aquaman..
[N] TheK3vin: Heh, I have a pair of those.
[N] MAgiNinjA: people need to ask Ryme more questions...his time is limited, you know.
[N] Blink: Ryme, do u like cheeseburgers?
[N] Ryme: I thought we've gone through a lot, Magi
[N] Satan: maybe you need to ask /less/ questions >.>
[N] Ryme does like cheezeburgers
[N] Cristiona: Ryme never answered mine
[N] Gwen feels sympathetic.
[N] Ryme: fewer, sate.
[N] Doominator: Will Twilight ever be subject to a zombie outbreak?
[N] TheK3vin: Ryme: When is the next Tea Time with Ryme gonna be??
[N] Ryme: what was yours, Cris?
[N] MAgiNinjA: well, i did just get here, but it seems to be that we're derailing.
[N] SpockYoda: Ryme, will Twilight ever be a crime-free, happy city?
[N] Ryme: nah.
[N] Heather Robinson: any chance that catalyzing will be expanded to crafting improved restoratives?
[N] Cristiona: Are we gonna get more items like the atomic wedge to give -init to other players?
[N] Blink: Ryme, u made a telekenetic katana, where it did 1 damage and 20 Psychic damage. Will we see any more items like that?
[N] Ryme: Oh, I thought you were joking, Cris.
[N] Ryme: Zombies? They're less super-hero-esque.
[N] Doominator: Blink, there's another item like that, but it's made on the workbench.
[N] Satan: (there already are other items like that, blink)
[N] Satan: there was one that dropped, too
[N] Ryme: SpockYoda: the day Twilight becomes a happy city is the day I shut down the servers.
[N] MAgiNinjA: you guys aren't asking very beefy questions either, i might add...
[N] Gwen: actually, will you make weapons that can be genuinely used that rely purely on elemental damage?
[N] Blink: Magi, Ryme likes Cheezeburgers. Hows that for beef?
[N] Satan: ryme, rare or medium-rare?
[N] Heather Robinson: will there be future IotM's with good +item find? how about more couch/pouch/chest type that create combat usables?
[N] TheK3vin: Ryme: How's retcon going? When do I get to start testing it?
[N] MAgiNinjA: Satan, not helping.
[N] Ryme: I'll probably do an IotM each year that's like the Cape or Wolley's. We're due for another.
[N] Cristiona: And we better do more *ouch items.
[N] Ryme: And yeah, I'll do at least one a year like the couch/pouch, too.
[N] Blink: Ryme, will we meet other superheroes in the storyline?
[N] Doominator: You do, until you ignore them.
[N] Blink: That will be Major Characters I mean
[N] Ryme: Retcon is ... I don't know. I've got a long list of things not directly related, and then a list nearly as long of things that are related.
[N] Satan: ... ooo ooo ooo what's the storefront for ryme, huh huh huh?
[N] Cristiona: --
[N] Blink: And Ryme, will we be getting new areas like the Dreamclock any time soon? Or new areas in already found locations?
[N] Zillow: I have a list here of 142 villains in this town, what are you going to do about them?
[N] Ryme: storefront is, hopefully, going to be fun.
[N] Ryme: Blink: not sure in what way you mean "like the dreamclock"?
[N] Blink: Ryme, what is/are your main insperations for the game?
[N] MAgiNinjA: there are -so- many good questions to be asked...
[N] Ryme: Probably not too many high level in the near future. Unlockable, sure.
[N] Blink: Ryme, I mean new unreachable locations like the Cthulhu locations
[N] Doominator: Will assemble-able items be marked as such, to make assembly more streamlined?
[N] MAgiNinjA: i would imagine cthulhu would be the inspiration for cthulhu
[N] Ryme: A couple of things I'd really like to do are add tougher foes to some easy zones that come out when you're high level, and also add foes/noncombats that only show if you're buffing for them.
[N] Doominator: That'd be great. Even more of a reason to go patrol the whole city, rather than just one area the whole time.
[N] Ryme: Doominator: I've been thinking that. Originally it was fun to find them, but now that we're near 1000 items, I think it may be time to narrow down the options.
[N] Satan: any chances you'll be making more equipment that gives +% xp?
[N] SpockYoda: That's pretty nifty.
[N] Satan: because currently there's only the cell phone, with its +30 seconds.
[N] Doominator: Yeah. With more assemblies, eventually the fun will be from finding combinations out of what you can combine.
[N] Ryme: I'm always VERY cautious with +%XP, because it can be pretty powerful at high level; also, I'm just cautious with XP in general, because of the way it was the whole of KoL's ascension game for a long time.
[N] Heather Robinson: on a really pressing issue. There are serpent skins, but still no recipe for snakeskin shoes. What's up with that?
[N] Satan: also also, -time transportation? :p
[N] Gwen: I'd like to think there are cyborg pirate ninjas hanging out at the trash bin out back.
[N] Ryme: probably not, Sate.
[N] Ryme: serpent skins do need a couple of recipes.
[N] Satan: ;_;
[N] Blink: Ryme, Besides KoL, what enspired you to make this game? And its genre? Why Superheroes? And what made you decide to make the game in the first place?
[N] Seventhcross: ryme, why did you change the band wagon?
[N] Ryme: I'm also working on ways to make some older or low-level zones worth revisiting now and then,.
[N] Harry Dresden: Very breifly changed.
[N] Satan: it was typo, seventh. a magical typo. but it makes you wonder, why was he editing the band wagon?
[N] Ryme: Bandwagon was a typo. Wasn't ever supposed to change from theoriginal effect, changed it back when I noticed.
[N] Seventhcross: ah
[N] Satan: does the band wagon now have a hidden effect? :p
[N] Ryme: Sate: it happened when I reordered the effects on every item, months ago. Just don't think anyone noticed. Either that or I've got a gremlin in the spindler.
[N] Gwen: fair enough
[N] Gwen: I thought it was something new to the recent BotB
[N] Valera: Ryme, I'm told to ask more dangerous questions: When's the deadline you have set for yourself on the release of retcon?
[N] Blink: Ryme is there anything that you are excited about for the game?
[N] Valera: What's the next three major projects you intend for TH?
[N] Ryme: The deadline was the anniversary, at Halloween. I'm 100% sure I won't make it, though.
[N] Cristiona is too
[N] Satan: there's always that chance people will make a time machine, ryme. >.>
[N] Ryme: Blink: I'm almost always excited about everything. Or rather, I always juggle about 4 things, and work on the thing I'm most excited about.
[N] Doominator: On Hallowe'en, do you still go in costume?
[N] Shanty: Ryme, I notice there is a lack of popular culture references in this game. Why is this, and how do you plan to rectify it?
[N] Ryme: Usually, Doominator. Not trick or treating, but to a party. A friend had one where every food was a gross item last year, it was great.
[N] Valera: What advantage in information and testing do the mods and other special people, have over the rest of us common people?
[N] Ryme: Shanty: by going back in time and redoing all the jokes so they reference pop culture. Or pop tarts.
[N] Doominator: That's a good way to celebrate.
[N] Heather Robinson: any chance there will be a future -time +item sidekick IotM?
[N] TheK3vin: An entire game referencing only pop tarts...
[N] Blink: D for Delicious
[N] Sauce: Tart Heroes.
[N] Ryme: Val: that's a trade secret. But roughly, sometimes they know when an event or zone is coming up. Or have some hand in discussing IotMs. Only a couple of people can actually test stuff ahead of time.
[N] Satan: the city needs a fast food place
[N] Satan: like twilight's white castle
[N] Ryme: minus time and plus item is pretty powerful. Not sure I could justify doing both in one IotM
[N] TheK3vin: Ryme: Revising my previous question to be actually serious: are you planning on having a semi-public testing for retcon before releasing it?
[N] Ryme: food's not really an issue, Sate. I've got a coffee shop.
[N] Harry Dresden: We already have a sidekick iotm that is +item%.
[N] Doominator: And a gumball machine!
[N] Shanty: Ryme: What's your favourite instrumental post-rock band?
[N] Satan: i'm talking about content here, though. maybe involve it in a quest >.>
[N] Heather Robinson: yeah, but only one does -time...
[N] SpockYoda: What about sidekick IotM's that stack?
[N] Ryme: Public testing? Probably not. Likely a handful of players I think likely to give it a good go.
[N] Gwen: well you made the bicycle shorts, you could toggle -time/+item
[N] Blind Paladin: Right- who needs food when there's coffee?
[N] Blink: Ryme, will we get new badges soon?
[N] Ryme: I can't imagine toggling a sidekick, other than just changing sidekicks as they do now
[N] Zillow: Blink, there are 'new' badges currently///
[N] Ryme: I'm still waiting on people to find "old" badges.
[N] Ryme: But I've got 2 or 3 new ones waiting for me to get to them.
[N] Satan: maybe if we had hints, we would >.>
[N] Cristiona: "Do stuff"
[N] Seventhcross: any chance of making items like the recyclonizer able to revert to the usable ItoM?
[N] TheK3vin: Ryme, regarding the Brontosaurus Bully badge: Why are you such a dick?
[N] Ryme: Seventhcross: Not likely. Sometimes I like IotMs that will be consumed.
[N] Blink: Will there ever be a pun in the game that adhere to "Spoilers"?
[N] Blind Paladin: hints are good.
[N] Ryme: My job is to be evil so you heroes can look good, K3v
[N] Satan: he likes them because he knows some of us will buy two >.> to have the original item >.>
[N] Bustis: I might have missed it and sorry if asked but will there ever be a auto attack option
[N] Gwen: Isn't that Cris's job?
[N] Blink: Ryme, are you in the game somewhere?
[N] Ryme: Also, "giving you something to do because you finish quests in one day that take me two months to write"
[N] Shanty: Ryme doesn't have a favourite instrumental post-rock band now, so I'm going to say that it's iLIKETRAiNS. Good choice.
[N] Sauce: ah, that's a good point Ryme.
[N] Ryme: Bustis: hasn't been asked; I'd like to add it.
[N] TheK3vin: There is a glaring hole on my... sash that makes me cry a little. Working on it makes me cry much more.
[N] Seventhcross: in regards to auto attack, what about shortcut keys for attacking?
[N] Ryme: I'm not even sure how those work.
[N] Cristiona: I believe they're Ajax witchery
[N] Satan: that relies on JS, and it'd be confusing for players since most don't understand the concept of focus
[N] Ryme: I would give a badge hint, but I'm not quite sure which ones haven't been found yet.
[N] Satan: it's not even AJAX, AJAX is http requests under the radar.
[N] TheK3vin: Well, I suppose some people would expect a lot more out of an in-game continuous attack than the GM scripts.
[N] Satan: it's simple keylogging.
[N] Sauce: Well, yeah.
[N] Ryme: Okay, here's one. One unfound badge is most likely to be discovered on Halloween.
[N] Blink: yup..nobodys ganna find that
[N] Ryme: probably.
[N] Satan: halloween = candy
[N] Cristiona: Heh. Think I know that one
[N] Satan: sugar intake increased?
[N] Ryme: Another involves a sidekick
[N] Sauce: well it's definitely not gonna be me.
[N] Satan: a sidekick!?!
[N] Ryme: and now I've said 2 much.
[N] Seventhcross: most likely, but possible at other times
[N] Blink: The understudy in the theatre?
[N] Blink: That one?
[N] Sauce: There aren't gonna be badges only obtainable through IotM or otherwise limited content, right?
[N] Satan: maybe give a sidekick a specific name while it's one type
[N] Seventhcross: probably a usable sidekick
[N] Ryme: No way, Sauce. Never.
[N] Satan: oh, wait, temp or permanent sidekick >.>
[N] TheK3vin: "2 much"
[N] Cristiona: Aside the alpha badge
[N] TheK3vin: It is surely a code.
[N] Satan: and the rock badge
[N] Blind Paladin: Thanks for the hints. Thought I had them all.
[N] Ryme: Possibly, at worst, there would be one related to easily purchaseable results from an IotM. Like recyclonizer stuff.
[N] Gwen: ugh.
[N] Sauce: there's a non-IotM way to access recyclonizer stuff?
[N] Ryme: er, sorry, I missed the "limited content" bit.
[N] Satan: buy it, sauce
[N] Ryme: Because rock badge obviously falls into that.
[N] Satan: from other players
[N] Valera: Ryme: Could you check to see if anyone found that weldable recipe for the white elephant yet?
[N] Sauce: ah, right, obviously
[N] Ryme: But I'd never make a badge that requires donation to get, no.
[N] Sauce: and, ryme, you should work on some repeatable day of the month-based events
[N] Sauce: kinda like how there is feast of boris, sneaky pete's day, etc
[N] TheK3vin: Ryme: are you concerned at all about copyright issues concerning all the art you blatantly STEAL?
[N] TheK3vin: I've asked you this before, but I'm wondering if you've received any C&D's since then.
[N] Blink: Ryme, will we get stronger combat Sidekicks any time soon? Or is the Egyptian knife fighter the top of the cake?
[N] Dakii: Why casino chips as a currency?
[N] Ryme: I think most of the art in the game that's recognizeable falls within parody rights, K3v.
[N] Blink: The Cthulhu stuff for example is public domain
[N] Dakii: and if not fair use applies as well
[N] TheK3vin: Because the city has fallen into shambles and the casinos have taken over, Dakii.
[N] Heather Robinson still believes that there should be more -time sidekicks, with some other power. even if the -time is reduced to .5sec/level (max level 30)
[N] TheK3vin: It's the official currency in all of Twilight.
[N] Ryme: It may happen, Heather, if it's at lower strength.
[N] Sauce: Ryme, should I reinstante my question from about two mins ago?
[N] Sauce: reinstate.
[N] Redsauce: restate?
[N] Satan: (he means the one about recurring holidays/events)
[N] Sauce: yeah that one >_>
[N] Ryme: Holidays and regularly scheduled events would be good.
[N] Sauce: you could make the mines thing a recurring event, so that the specific badge related to that isn't very limited
[N] Sauce: although the rarity of the stones would be done well with raised, as those sugar-related things you can make are pretty overpowered >_>
[N] Ryme: I think there's value in limited-time stuff. It gives people who are there something different to enjoy, and I think they get more from it knowing it won't just repeat a hundred times again.
[N] Cristiona: We have semi-recurring holidays as is.
[N] Cristiona: Or rather, semi-regular
[N] Satan: cris, he means, have them recur more frequently, on a schedule of sorts
[N] Cristiona: Halloween, April 1st...
[N] Cristiona: Had 2 baseball events
[N] Satan: no, like, the events that we have that aren't tied to any holiday
[N] Ryme: I'd like some of the holidays to be more predictable, so people know to show up for them.
[N] Cristiona kinda likes the semi-random nature
[N] Satan: or other something. like captain buzzkill.
[N] Sauce: I mean things that are obviously recurring
[N] Ryme: And I'd like some more basic stuff to happen regularly. Equivalent of stat days from KoL for instance.
[N] Cristiona: But why would Buzzkill always break out on the same day?
[N] Sauce: like, the examples I gave, feast of boris, sneaky pete's day, etc.
[N] Sauce: not based on real-life holidays or somesuch
[N] Harry Dresden: That time the game skipped ahead 3 days.... that could be recurring.
[N] Satan: isn't that kinda what the day of the week effects are, ryme?
[N] Ryme: Harry, I'd rather not repeat that.
[N] Sauce: just special recurring holidays on which different things happen
[N] Ryme: Yes, Sate, they are.
[N] Satan: cristiona, perhaps the prision's security system is very predictable
[N] Blind Paladin: What are stat days?
[N] Ryme: But I guess they're pretty mild, since it took 2 years and some in-your-face challenges for anyone to notice.
[N] Blink: Ryme, dont u ever get worried that TH will be known as just "that game thats like KoL"?
[N] TheK3vin: It'd be interesting to see those get a bit of a buff.
[N] Ryme: It already is, if you ask my detractors, Blink.
[N] Satan: yeah... as it is, i don't even figure them in to gameplay
[N] Ryme: But I do try to be different.
[N] Satan: aside from frayday, if applicable
[N] Sauce wonders what effect of each day of the week you guys are talking about
[N] Ryme: Frayday isn't the only one that's special, Sauce. Wiki probably has it.
[N] Harry Dresden: Yep, it's on the wiki in the Calendar.
[N] Seventhcross: how long will this tea time last?
[N] Ryme: I think it ended 10 minutes ago, Seventhcross
[N] Ryme: Thanks, all, for participating. I think this was a good chat. I'm tired of answering questions now, and being grilled about old culture nobody but Cris remembers.

[Cristiona]

tl;dr version. Heavily edited and paraphrased, except where inside quotation marks.

Q: Food crafting?
A: Eh, maybe?

Q: How do you feel about scripts?
A: Fine as long as they don’t violate the rules, and aside from being a jerk or a multi-abuser, they’re not likely to violate rulesa

Q: Will we get multi-extract for Recyclonizing? And when?
A: Eventually.

Q: One year from now?
A: Retcon’s the big thing, but leagues/clans and a mall are important. Yes, retcon will involve The Mick.

Q: Retcon optional?
A: You betcha.

Q: “For your idea of what TH's story is and will be, did you feel it was best to research and absorb the genre.. or better to avoid it, in hopes of unique creativity?”
A: “I haven't gone in search of research. It's really impossible to avoid the genre -- I like it (movies, books) and the general superhero plots are borderline cliche anyway.”

Q: Psions and Nats getting material skills?
A: Maybe. It’d be nice, sure, but probably not metals. Maybe bandage-crafting for Nats.

Q: How about something that takes catalyzing AND metalmorphing?
A: Good idea. Cross-class synergy is doubleplus good.

Q: What genre’s this game anyway?
A: Um, superhero? Wavers into sci-fi (space robots) and dark (dreamer’s clock), but they fall under superhero over-genre. But balancing humor and nitty gritty is important.

Q: Arch enemy?
A: It’d be cool. Lots of possibilities: randomized, build your own, per class, etc. Maybe having it depend on your reputation.

Q: Least/most favorite part?
A: Pretty disappointed in PvP and early quest flow. Might tweak some of those early quests.

Q: Retcon ETA?
A: Sometime in the next year. Hopefully.

Q: Signature attack?
A: Meh. Got skills, but maybe more flavor in attacks.

Q: Anti-talismans?
A: Not so much since every talisman already has a weakness.

Q: Zombie outbreak?
A: Not very superheroy.

Q: Will Twilight ever be crime-free?
A: Of course not.

Q: +item IotM in the future? *ouch items?
A: Probably a yearly Hero’s Cape or Wolley’s. And yes, *ouch items.

Q: How goes Retcon?
A: Lotta work left. Lots of directly related stuff and tangential stuff, though.
A: Would also like higher level stuff in low areas once you reach higher levels. Maybe foes/non-combats when you have enough +/- combat.

Q: Assembly items marked as such?
A: Wasn’t going to, but there’s a lot of items these days…

Q: +% XP gear?
A: Probably not. Gotta careful with things that powerful.

Q: Why no serpent skin boots!?
A: Yeah, serpent skin needs recipes.

Q: -time transport?
A: Probably not.

Q: What happened with the Bandwagon?
A: “Bandwagon was a typo. Wasn't ever supposed to change from theoriginal effect, changed it back when I noticed.”
A: “it happened when I reordered the effects on every item, months ago. Just don't think anyone noticed. Either that or I've got a gremlin in the spindler.”

Q: What are you excited about?
A: Everything. Or rather, there’s several plates spinning and focus on most exciting.

Q: Dress up for Halloween?
A: Usually, but more for parties, not Trick or Treating.

Q: What advantages do mods and special people have?
A: Sometimes fore knowledge, sometimes involved in creation/brainstorming. A couple people can actually test stuff.

Q: -time AND +item sidekick IotM?
A: Probably not, both together is pretty powerful.

Q: Public testing of Retcon?
A: Public? No. Some people will test it, though.

Q: New badges?
A: Nah, we’ve got plenty of old ones to find. And a couple that still need to be added.

Q: Then how about hints?
A: “I would give a badge hint, but I'm not quite sure which ones haven't been found yet.”
A: “Okay, here's one. One unfound badge is most likely to be discovered on Halloween.”
A: “Another involves a sidekick”
A: “and now I've said 2 much.”

Q: Revert things like the recyclonizer to being tradable?
A: Nah. Consumables are nice sometimes.

Q: Auto attack option?
A: Good idea.

Q: Badge requiring a donation item?
A: Definitely not.

Q: Need more –time sidekicks.
A: Maybe a lower strengths.

Q: Holiday events?
A: Regular ones would be good. Predictable would make participation easier. Would also like small things like KoL stat days. Maybe buff daily effects we have.

Q: Make the mines recurring?
A: Probably not. There’s something to be said for limited-time events.

[Muhandes]

I wasn't able to be there (I never am, such is life) and I would like to thank the people who recorded it, but even more, cris for her tl;dr version. I wish I saw it before reading the whole thing

[Cristiona]

Note and link to short version added to Harry's post (which was mildly edited as well, horrifying as that thought is).

[Harry Dresden]

Here is the transcript from the 5th Tea Time. Edited to get the answers and questions closer to each other and not so interrupted all over the place.

[N] Ryme: Well, it's 7 by my clock. Let's get this Tea Time going.
[N] Ryme: Welcome, everyone, to our fifth irregularly scheduled Q&A session, dubbed Tea Time with Ryme.
[N] Ryme: Also known as "that thing advertised on the front page of the game in the announcements"
[N] darkbladed: I have 2 questions, ETA on Clans/Guilds and friends lists
[N] Ryme: Guilds ... I thought that would be done a while ago, but it's gotten sidetracked a couple of times. After this month I think it's going to be more of a priority again just to get something done.
[N] Ryme: Friend lists haven't really been on the radar at all so far.
[N] max9087: i got a qusition
[N] Ryme: Fire away, Max.
[N] max9087: what is the highest area you can go to
[N] Ryme: Ancient Crypts, Max. Which is geared to level 70.
[N] darkbladed: just wondering, why arent friends lists on the radar? id imagine they would be more helpful than guilds to keep track of friends and associates
[N] Ryme: Nobody really asks for a friends liks, db. Guess people keep track of their friends other ways.
[N] Harry Dresden: Zillow wanted me to ask if you have any more badge hints for us.
[N] Ryme: Honestly, I've forgotten what hints I've given, and I'm not sure what's undiscovered at this point.
[N] Harry Dresden: Hints from last time were "one most likely to be found on Halloween" and "one has something to do with the sidekick".
[N] Ryme: Hm, let's see. I don't think I've even seen anyone speculate on a reason for discovering a costume on Halloween, guess that would be the first step. It's not illogical.
[N] Ryme: As for the sidekick one, I don't have any good hints. It predates the permanent sidekick. That's known, right?
[N] Harry Dresden: I don't think it was. Most of our testing was with permanent sidekicks.
[N] Ryme: really? Well, rule that out.
[N] Harry Dresden: That's a long time for a badge to go undiscovered.
[N] Ryme: one of the original seven is still undiscovered. But it's really designed to be impossible.
[N] darkbladed: hmm sounds like a challenge
[N] Ryme: I'll have a day this month with a few more badges coming out, too.
[N] chuwenhsuan: Ryme, what is the original seven? =P
[N] Ryme: all badges appear in your profile in the order they're put in the database, so you can see the first six on most accounts.
[N] Ryme: *most old accounts
[N] chuwenhsuan: Ryme, when's the Mick going to come out.
[N] darkbladed: good question!
[N] Ryme: With retcon. Not sure when that is. Not this year, hopefully before next anniversary.
[N] blackmatter615: will there be any new area releases this year?
[N] Ryme: Not sure, blackmatter. Likely a zone or two or three.
[N] blackmatter615: when will all these placeholders be replaced?
[N] Ryme: over the course of the next month or so, blackmatter.
[N] darkbladed: question: any plans to branch out and hire more staff? would the donations be close to reaching that point?
[N] Harry Dresden: He hasn't quit his day job yet, so I'm guessing no.
[N] Ryme: unfortunately, no. I may hire a little contract work here or there, but no permanent hires. I've gotten some good contributions from a few volunteers this year, though.
[N] darkbladed: i may have a contribution for you then soon, ive been throwing around an idea i think would fit well
[N] Ryme: all righty.
[N] Harry Dresden: Any hints of what is in store for the rest of 30 Days of Twilight?
[N] Ryme: excellent question, Harry.
[N] Ryme: Just launched a welding recipe contest. Hopefully that'll give people ways to contribute and entertain everyone for a couple of weeks.
[N] Ryme: Anyway, I've got a long list of other things I might still work in this month, but I'm not sure which will make it. I tend to pick and choose as the mood suits me.
[N] Ryme: It's very likely I'll finally give the irrhodium equipment some bonuses. And very likely I'll make good with a hints system, for which I still owe resolution to a contest from this summer.
[N] darkbladed: yeah are we getting another plastic pumkin pin or something memorable?
[N] Harry Dresden: We got the candied apple, darkbladed.
[N] darkbladed: hmm wheres that show up i didnt see mine
[N] Harry Dresden: Messages, and then it's an accessory.
[N] Ryme: People who logged in around the anniversary got one, same as last year.
[N] Ryme: Anyone who missed the anniversary missed the party favor, sorry.
[N] darkbladed: i logged in then but didnt see one, was it from an adventured zone?
[N] Ryme: No, it was just for logging in.
[N] Ryme: Showed up the next day.
[N] darkbladed: hmm i dont think i got one, what type of item is it? offhand, accessory?
[N] Ryme: can we take this offline? If it's a bug, I'd rather give it proper attention later.
[N] darkbladed: yeah np. sorry to derail
[N] blackmatter615: what is the highest level area that you have planned?
[N] Ryme: I don't think I'll go higher than the dreamer's clock stuff. Most of my focus is on levels 1-20-ish, with the plan for better replayability in the future.
[N] Ryme: The criminology lab may get a little rebalancing/adjusting this month, too.
[N] Ryme: And while I'd love to get to skill points, I'm not about to make a promise that it'll be made available this month.
[N] darkbladed: skill points?
[N] Harry Dresden: I was about to say, I don't think the skill points are general knowledge yet.
[N] Ryme: We had an extensive discussion of them in the last Tea Time, I thought?
[N] Harry Dresden: Maybe so, I don't remember it.
[N] Ryme: Anyway, they'd be a bit like the Diablo II system: you get skill points to increase the effectiveness of skills you've learned.
[N] darkbladed: sounds cool
[N] Ryme: Give players a way to customize their character a bit.
[N] Ryme: Each transmog (or retcon later) would reset the points, so each time you run through the levels you could try emphasizing different skills.
[N] blackmatter615: would there be a method of reassigning them a la borderlands where you pay a portion of your current chip count to reassign them?
[N] Ryme: Uh, I think I just answered the question ahead of you, blackmatter. Was that what you meant?
[N] Ryme: But no, once you're committed, unless you reset your class I hadn't imagined changing them once picked.
[N] blackmatter615: i think a system independent of transmog might be smart so we can reassignn points from low level skills to higher levels as we level up, but either way sounds good
[N] Ryme: You'll keep getting more skill points with every level, and there will be a limit of total points per skill, so over time you should be able to max them all out, if you level up enough.
[N] Ryme: once we have retcon, I'd planned on working in some bonus points, so even as you perm more skills, you can keep filling them up.
[N] max9087: how do you get rep
[N] Ryme: reputation is a game mechanic that changes as you make certain choices, (almost all have the "what do you do?" option on the button).
[N] Ryme: Oh, there's very likely to be a sidekick-themed update sometime this month, too.
[N] Carygon Nijax: eleeeeeectioooons!!
[N] darkbladed: twilight city elections would be a realy cool thing, mayor comtroller, etc
[N] Ryme: ugh. Real world has enough politics. Dont' need game politics.
[N] Carygon Nijax: Actually that was kind of an introduction line.
[N] Ryme: So, what about the wandering villains. That's a huge update as updates go, from my side. Any questions about them?
[N] chuwenhsuan: Nope.
[N] Ryme: The rollout could have gone a bit smoother, bit of a frustration there for me.
[N] darkbladed: what exactly are the wanderign bvillains?
[N] max9087: can you be a viillian
[N] Ryme: nope, not at this point.
[N] darkbladed: i saw the update but havent really figured out what it was
[N] Ryme: Wandering villains get unlocked (or locked) with a choice adventure. Then villains with a bit more character than the normal foe show up now and then.
[N] LiiLii2: I loike the one I found, Ryme. Haven't met any others.
[N] Carygon Nijax: So far not many ´people has found any of the wandering villains.
[N] blackmatter615: are there any benefits from locking away the villians?
[N] Ryme: Some are tied to a zone, some can show up anywhere. They fill in some of the gaps in terms of you going after worthwhile criminals.
[N] darkbladed: cool
[N] Ryme: Each villain has some unique item (still placeholders at the moment) but that'll be a lot of equipment eventually.
[N] Grimdel: I see peoplein the wiki are trying to map which zones they are in - they are really random though - no particular zone?
[N] HasturServant: any way to make them come out more often?
[N] Ryme: Depends on the villain, Grimdel. Some stay in one place, some show up anywhere. If you see one in more than one place, they're true wanderers.
[N] Grimdel: *nods*
[N] Ryme: some zones have no special villain, a few have two that just stay there.
[N] Heather Robinson thought so...
[N] Carygon Nijax: Ryme are you still working on the hints system? is it going to be implemented soon -like 2 or 3 months-?
[N] Ryme: Yeah, still working on a hints system. Would like to put it in this month, if I can.
[N] Carygon Nijax: Another questions.. I've noticed a gap of quests between levels 15 to 29... is there any chance that you are working on something for that range?
[N] Ryme: Not at the moment. My focus really is for being able to let everyone keep replaying low levels with retcon.
[N] Ryme: I've got definite plans for the level 11 quest. Then quests for 12, 13, 14, and 15 which may end up being required or maybe optional.
[N] Ryme: Eventually I'll probably have some more in the 15-30 range, but not in the *near* future.
[N] max9087: are you every gonna have leval caps
[N] Ryme: don't see any need to have a level cap, no.
[N] Carygon Nijax: about the retcon, is it going to be like in KoL., or are you thinking about soemthing different]?
[N] Ryme: KoL is definitely my inspiration for retcon, in terms of being able to start over, play as other classes, and continually perm skills. Outside of that, not much is decided yet.
[N] blackmatter615: About retcon. I humbly request that it is not like KoL's in the manner of KoL's tower, where you have to use obscure otherwise useless items to kill minibosses before hand
[N] Ryme: I can see that point, blackmatter. I don't really know what the final quest will be like. I suspect it will be more focused on action/adventure and less on puzzles than KoL.
[N] Ryme: I'm also pretty sure I won't just copy their "let's have a series of combat item puzzles here" technique.
[N] Ryme: Though you have to admit, it is a neat way to make combat items do *something*.
[N] Ryme: On the other hand, I've already worked that into one of the other quests, a bit.
[N] Harry Dresden: Yay for that. Puzzles are boring after the first couple of times.
[N] Ryme: I agree, Harry. I really don't ever need to do another round of hedge mazes or key codes.
[N] chuwenhsuan: Ryme, how is the last originala seven badgeg impossible?
[N] Ryme: it's not impossible, Chu. Just very, very unlikely to be found.
[N] chuwenhsuan: Okay then, Ryme, why is it so unlikely to be found?
[N] Ryme: Dunno that I can answer that chu in a way that's not spoilery. Basically just not a likely thing for someone to try.
[N] Heather Robinson: uh. would there be a way to not lose stat increases from non-level-up sources when transmogging?
[N] Ryme: sorry, heather, tracking them separately would be a pain, and the transmog system is designed to be a bit ... tumultuous to your abilities.
[N] Heather Robinson: yeah, was just thinking about the one-time stat boost adventures...
[N] Heather Robinson: which get lost out on forever once transmogging.
[N] Ryme: yeah. They do get lost with transmog. You'll regain them with retcon.
[N] Ryme: Don't know what else to do with them.
[N] max9087: that whould be cool if you did make a villian version of this
[N] Ryme: If I do a villain version, it'll be integrated into the existing one, Max.
[N] max9087: what integrated mean
[N] Ryme: it'll be part of this game. You'll transmog/retcon between villains and heroes right here.
[N] Ryme: heh. It's a slow process, so not something I can do easily in a short time here. New skills, new opponents, lots of stuff would be needed.
[N] Ryme: six minutes left. What else is on people's minds?
[N] Grimdel: how many licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?
[N] Ryme: In my experince: I don't like tootsie pops.
[N] Harry Dresden: Any plans to fix the problem with chat not kicking everyone off the game at rollover?
[N] Ryme: I am so stumped by chat's issues, I can't even say, Harry.
[N] chuwenhsuan: Ryme, when will the next quest come out?
[N] Ryme: Next quest will be the level 11 one (probably) so with Retcon, whenever that is. Small chance I'll do an optional level 12 first, but not likely.
[N] ValorGigo: Any chance of getting a rough Active Effect counter for things like the Cereal Port Scanner?
[N] Ryme: Dunno, Valor. Might be worthwhile, though the uncertainty is supposed to be part of the challenge.
[N] Ryme: I figured spades would eventually post the time limits on the wiki. There's a definite range.
[N] ValorGigo: Aight, fair enough
[N] Ryme: quick poll. Should the next sugar item be a) donuts or b) pop tarts?
[N] Harry Dresden: pop tarts, and I think Satan would agree
[N] Ryme knows Satan's vote
[N] Satan: and yes, i go with poptarts
[N] Ryme: Okay, I've got 8:00. I guess I'll call this Q&A session closed.
SYSTEM MESSAGE: Next Tea Time is a mere 6 days away, at rollover on Friday, Nov 20.

[Harry Dresden]

Transcript for Nov 20th Tea Time follows. Edited to move questions and answers closer together, and to get rid of all the inanities.

SYSTEM MESSAGE: Hi, and welcome to the whateverth episode of Tea Time with Ryme, the online chat Q&A session between me (Ryme!) and everyone else.
[N] Valera: Ryme, why did you choose to seperate sidekick item/xp gains from the main formula, instead of incorporatating it in as it's own derived variables?
[N] Ryme: Dunno, val. When I started, it seemed easier to just check for a sidekick. Now ... it seems like that was a bad idea.
[N] Valera: You should think modular, Ryme... not just pages, but in formulas too
[N] Valera: then you can plop in all sorts of stuff without worry of changes in the future
[N] Ryme: there are forumlas. Lots of them.
[N] Alexandra DeNotte: speaking of sidekicks are there going to be photos for them or just the "?" for awhile?
[N] Ryme: I do keep meaning to replace the ?
[N] Ryme: Part of the reason I haven't, is I feel like it overrides the picture players may have in their heads, with the customizable sex, age, etc.
[N] Alexandra DeNotte: I'd also like to see where when you name them they stay with that particular sidekick skill
[N] Heather Robinson: al: yes. there are a few of us who agree with that idea.
[N] Valera: why not use a 'class' picture for them then?
[N] Valera: Like, in RPGs and stuff, you always have pictures that each class is related to
[N] Valera: you could just have these based on the type of sidekick
[N] Ryme: multi names: lots of fields, lots of hassle
[N] Alexandra DeNotte: true.
[N] Ryme: I also feel like the sidekick pictures are too small and don't convey the image well, but haven't figured out a revamp.
[N] Valera: Ryme, do you intend on introducing more complex item-enemy interaction: IE: the badly bent knife and robots?
[N] Ryme: Probably, Val. The bent knife just seemed to fit a cliche so well. Also, seemed to go unnoticed for a LONG time.
[N] jpsteel: Q: hints on new badges?
[N] Ryme: there aren't really any "new" badges, jp
[N] Ryme: And I'll let last week's stand for the old ones.
[N] Satan: for our sanity, would you mark villain items? it'd be awesome if there was like a sortable category, but that's probably a bit much :p
[N] Ryme: I'm not really sure I envisioned the villain items as a specific set, that you'd need to have them marked, really.
[N] Ryme: They ought to be useful, but not necessarily any more so than some uncommon other stuff, or quest rewards, and certainly not IotMs
[N] Satan: well, i keep forgetting to make a list, and now that some of the items actually have pictures, i can't just look for the no-image thing :p
[N] Ryme: wiki much?
[N] Ryme: the wiki seems like the perfect place to list them all as a set
[N] Satan: yes, but then i have to go reference the wiki, see if i have it, loop 50 times
[N] strongman: will each enemy eventually have his own weapon like a big thug with a large knife or something like that ryme?
[N] Ryme: strongman: probably not. Most foe drops aren't likely to change much. Definitely not whole sets for each foe.
[N] strongman: ok well does each weapon now have its own hit descriptions or is that just dependent on the type of weapon like ranged or close
[N] Ryme: strongman: it's by weapon type.
[N] Jetpack: ryme, when we level, can we just earn stat points and choose what stat to increase?
[N] Ryme: I like the randomness of it, Jetpack
[N] Jetpack: ryme, getting stat points allow players to decide what character they want to build
[N] Jetpack: as well as a weapon of choice
[N] Ryme: I see the point about the stats, but I've got other slightly different ways I'd like to approach building character.
[N] Ryme: Not sure about weapon of choice. What did you mean by that?
[N] Heather Robinson: I think it was obvious, Ryme, that he meant people could choose whether to use melee or ranged weapons.
[N] Ryme: that wasn't obvious at all.
[N] Heather Robinson: ...rather than be steered into one or the other by where the stat points were assigned
[N] Jetpack: wielding a weapon is also based on your stats right
[N] Ryme: There's a diablo-style "pick your weapon class to master" or the "pick a specific individual weapon from several as a quest reward" among other interpretations.
[N] Valera: Ryme: Will our heroes ever have something happen to them that permamently scars them, due to a villain and/or The Susan?
[N] Ryme: scars physically or metaphorically?
[N] Satan: a combination!
[N] Valera: both.
[N] Valera: Some things for some heroes just are very deep, and they never function quite the same again. Batman -is- batman because of it. Superman becomes a tyrannt with Flash's death, etc etc
[N] Ryme: dunno. It's possible.
[N] jpsteel: Q: any new ultra rare items in the future?
[N] Ryme: I figured the villain drops would serve as rare collectibles for a while. UR's are kind of frustrating for a lot of people.
[N] Valera: Ryme: Will halloween outfits from this year make a return next year, will there be something different, or will it be different outfits?
[N] Ryme: Not sure, Val. You'll have to ask me in September.
[N] Ryme: Or October.
[N] Carygon Nijax: Ryme, I bet you are familiar with Valera's theory about The Mick, in a scale from cold to hot - being cold the "BS" side- Is that theory close to reality?
[N] Ryme: Valera and reality don't mix, in my experience.
[N] Ryme: Or do they?
[N] Valera: Ryme: Have you thought about certain items being more or less effective in specific types of areas. Like, equipment wise
[N] Ryme: Not necessarily by zone, Val. That's kind of a pain to code.
[N] Heather Robinson: Ryme, when are we gonna get more shoes?
[N] Heather Robinson: or more shoe recipes
[N] Heather Robinson is trying to pull the conversation back to relevant issues
[N] Ryme: shoes? You've got an empty closet to fill, Heather?
[N] Carygon Nijax: In percentage, how complete would you say the retcon is?
[N] Ryme: Retcon ... um, 0%? Other than the first 10 quests.
[N] Ryme: I may not have a lot more time. Any other game-related questions?
[N] Carygon Nijax: Ryme. about the welding contest, do you read it often or you will read it once it is closed, so everything would be a surprise?
[N] Ryme: I've glanced a couple of times, but I try to really save the impressions for the end
[N] Blind Paladin: What's the ETA on the villians items being filled instead of being place holders?
[N] Ryme: Villain stuff is getting closer every day, but the total list may be a few weeks. Select items sooner.
[N] Phones: Ryme, what are your inspirations for your new content to the game?
[N] Ryme: Basically I wait for KoL to have an update, and then I write a summary of what they did, play mad-libs with my wife to edit it, and run with that.
[N] Phones: Ryme? How do you come up with the ideas for monsters, then? And their corresponding pictures?
[N] Ryme: Phones, that was a complete lie. Not sure where ideas come from. They tend to just pop into my head at weird times.
[N] Ryme: Wandering villains, for instance, came from someone asking if zones would get higher-level content as you leveled up, and from my desire to have more villain personality.
[N] Phones: Well, your mind is brilliant then if you don't think hard enough to make these neat enemies.
[N] Ryme went back and looked up notes from 3 years ago for Raskolnikov and some of the others.
[N] Heather Robinson: hmm... on a technical question: how difficult would it be for the game pages to include element ID values more frequently?
[N] Ryme: Can you give an example, Heather?
[N] Heather Robinson: Ryme: like... forms and such almost never have an ID attribute, so I'm usually doing a getElementByTagName, then checking the innerHTML with various subscripts to see I've got the right one.
[N] Ryme: Oh, gotcha. Yeah, probably could add that. I never use them, myself.
[N] Valera: Ryme: PvP, any plans to rebuild it or change it from how it is currently?
[N] Ryme: Val: PvP will definitely change, but probably not until retcon.
[N] Blind Paladin: Thanks. Do you already have ideas of what the next few IOMs will be, and would you be willing to give any hints as to what we can look forward to in that regard?
[N] Ryme: I rarely think ahead more than a month, tops. Next month's ought to be somewhat holiday themed, though.
[N] Ryme: Cris usually tells me on the 20th "hey, think about the next IotM".
[N] Blind Paladin: Thanks. They have been most entertaining up to this point- always feel like it's worth the donation even if I don't sue them for the amusement value.
[N] Carygon Nijax: Ryme, I find kind of strange that a city like Twilight, with a river and an oceanic coast is surrounded by a desert and a mountain, wouldn't you agree?
[N] Ryme is no geologist, He's just a storyteller.
[N] Cristiona: Cary: matter of scale. That map is actually 500 miles across
[N] Carygon Nijax: another question about the city itself... the west side of it has some sort of "lack" of explorable areas... do you have any explanations to that?
[N] Ryme: Carygon: yeah, I always meant to add more city blocks on the west. Then the top navigation got full.
[N] Ryme: Didn't want people breaking out of the full context, and losing their stats and the header.
[N] Cristiona: Switch to pull-down menus?
[N] Ryme: maybe. Slows things down, though.
[N] Carygon Nijax: Ryme, haven't you thought about a more "general" top navigation in order to add more zones?
[N] Carygon Nijax: i e. the game manual could be on the lowest part, above the copyright, and so the donation link
[N] strongman: ryme is it just you that works on the code and design itself?
[N] Ryme: There's a lot that's just me, but there's been a lot of contributions. Credits page in the manual spells things out a bit.
[N] Ryme: Okay, I'm gonna call this closed. Thanks, everyone, for stopping by for Tea Time.
[N] Ryme: And yeah, Happy Thanksgiving to any of you who celebrate Turkey day.