SYSTEM MESSAGE: All right, I think I'll call this Tea Time to order. Tea Time is a public Q&A session with me. The floor is open for questions.
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SeventhCross: what're you currently working on for TH ryme?
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Ryme: I've got a couple of things in the works. One of them is mostly additional functionality that's much requested. The other is a special event.
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Ryme: Don't really have a timeline for either one, but the special event I hope will start in the next week or so and run for a week or two.
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SeventhCross: how is the level 11 quest coming along?
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Ryme: Level 11 is tied in with retcon (ascension), and as such I've sort of tabled it until I have the other pieces in place so I'm ready for it.
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JetPack: when do you expect for retcon to be implemented?
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Ryme: dunno, jetpack. About a year ago.
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JetPack: aw
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Harry Dresden: C-Gon wanted to know if there were plans for any additional wandering villains? And also when you think all of the drops might be implemented?
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Ryme: Yeah, Harry, I do expect to have an expansion pack of villains. Probably another 25 or so. Most of them wandering as opposed to zone-based.
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Ryme: I need to look at the remaining items and figure something out.
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SeventhCross: do you have the level 11 quest written or sketched out, or just completely not concerned with it until the other retcon stuff is tied up?
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Ryme: I've got a good handle on several components of the level 11, including the setting, some of the opponents, some of the items, and the “challenge” for the quest.
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Ryme: But I'd say there's still 90+% of the development work to do.
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Ryme: I might also do a mini-release of it, just a fraction of the foes and items, without the quest, as an interim step.
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JetPack: are we going to have a new zone spot for leveling?
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Ryme: I'm not sure any of the planned new zones will be more optimal for leveling than the current set, but I'm not entirely sure how all that will work out.
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SeventhCross: ooo, new zones planned?
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Ryme: special event will have one or two, and will lead to a new location with a few (roughly) planned new zones. Level 11 will also be new.
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SeventhCross: very nice to hear. ^_^
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Zillow: Ooh, new content
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Ryme: Yeah, I've been sitting on a couple of them for many months. Just behind some other work.
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Zillow: Any chance of new leaderboards?
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Ryme: Not sure, Zillow. Definitely with retcon. Before then, it's less clear.
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IgnaciousRalafont: Are there any plans or ideas on adding an "Ascension" type function a la KoL?
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Ryme: Yep, Ignacious, that's the "retcon" thing I've been talking about.
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IgnaciousRalafont: ahhh
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Trog: I know that PvP isn't very popular right now, but are there any plans to expand or update it?
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Ryme: PvP is likely to get a complete revamp at some point, actually. After retcon, though.
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chuwenhsuan: Will there be "unlockable" classes?
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Ryme: Chu, that's also up in the air. Wouldn't count on it, though. Classes and their skills are a lot of work.
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Zillow: Any unfound rares?
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Ryme: Don't think there are any unfound items, Z.
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Zillow: What about the foe with a special mechanic?
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Ryme: I haven't heard of anyone finding that yet.
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Zillow: Wow... must be a very unused mechanic
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Ryme: It is ... there are probably good reasons people haven't noticed it.
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chuwenhsuan: There's a special monster?
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Ryme: Sort of a "be in the right place in the right time, and be paying attention" kind of requirement.
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Zillow: Can a special avatar be found (such as the halloween costumes) from normal equipment?
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Ryme: Nah. Costumes are part of what make Halloween so much fun.
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Ryme: Also, I don't really want to try to latch on to what KoL does so well, outside of the holiday event.
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chuwenhsuan: Will there be a St. Patrick's Day?
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Ryme: I'm not so big on real-life holidays in game, in part because of KoL. I've got some other TH-specific "holidays" or events I'd like to work into the mix, along with the baseball and Buzzkill ones
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IgnaciousRalafont: Whats the status on the level ups that dont have associated skills?
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Ryme: Ignacious, there are a few skill gaps to fill in, and I'm hoping to address them with the upcoming special event, which will meddle with skills in general.
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JetPack: new skill tree?
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Ryme: Not a whole new tree, JetPack, but some adjustments to how some work, and some variety worked in.
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SeventhCross: is this special event introducing skill points?
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Ryme: yes, yes it is.
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SeventhCross: yay!
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Ryme: Now that I've said it, I'll have to make sure I figure out how to do it right. Because it's all just in my head right now.
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JetPack: if you missed that event is there a way to acquire those?
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Ryme: The event will be sort of a narrative reason for the change. Everyone will experience the change, either way.
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SeventhCross: will the Mick be involved in the special event in any way?
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Ryme: nah, the Mick's on vacation until Level 11.
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Ryme: Sometimes you need some variety in your villains, yeah?
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JetPack: oh sweet, thats another year right?
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Ryme: I'd like to hope 6 months, but like I said earlier, I thought I'd have it done a year
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SeventhCross: I don't know, I'm not sure I've seen enough of the Mick yet, though after defeating him several times in retcon, I may change that statement. ^_^
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Ryme: One person can't be behind EVERY bad thing in Twilight. That's unrealistic. Or Harry Potter.
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Ryme: By which I simply mean, given 7 books, 2 or three could have not been about Voldemort, and it would have still held together.
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Trog: BTW, I really like the personal stat rankings. Good stuff!
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Ryme: Thanks, Trog. They seem to be popular.
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JetPack: can we have some emoticons in chat?
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Ryme: Hm. Hadn't thought about that. I fear they'd be distracting. But maybe if they were subtle.... I'll have to talk to the design board about that.
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Trog: I think that there should be a nudist camp for the Naturalists to hang out in.
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Ryme: heh.
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Ryme: And a mindpool for the psions to take a dip in?
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Trog: I was thinking more like a mensa meeting
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Ryme: would also work. Got gadgeteer and elemental clubs, too?
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Harry Dresden: LAN party for the Gadgeteers.
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Trog: ...and a sauna for the elementals.
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Ryme: I'll save those for my next parody.
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Ryme: Okay, so one of my questions for you is some computer game recommendations. Particularly older/cheaper games. I like to look up old classics when they're "cost-effective.
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Trog: The Fallout series is absolutely awesome ryme
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Trog: Great story, slow mechanics for non-button mashers
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Harry Dresden: Torchlight is good. And cheap.
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Ryme: My all-time favorites are some of the strategy types, like Civ and Heroes of Might and Magic.
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SeventhCross: masters of Orion?
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Ryme: I've enjoyed some of the real-time ones, like Starcraft, too.
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Ryme: Yeah, I had MOO II, and liked it, though I thought it wasn't as solid as Civ
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Trog: I saw the Command and Conquer box set on sale a fewweeks ago.
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Trog: C&C is great for real-time strategy
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Ryme: Just got done with Braid, which was creative and fun.
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Ryme: But I also dig out my Nintendo emulator and play some of the old classics, so I don't mind old familiar faces and low tech.
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Trog: I just bought the original Kirby for the Wii emulator.
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Trog: My son solved it in less than six hours.
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Ryme: Kids, heh.
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Trog: How about Diablo 2 while we wait for 3 to finally be released?
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JetPack: thats the first game i played online
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Ryme: Oh, I've spend hundreds of hours on Diablo II. Very fun.
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JetPack: i agree
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Ryme: Frustrating as hell trying to collect certain suits/items when you're not online, though.
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Ryme: all right, thanks for the recommendations. What other questions do y'all have?
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Ryme: I'll add the NES Metroid and Dragon Warrior to some of my all-time favorite games, too.
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Ryme: with my "greatest achievement" being the one time I beat the original NES Castlevania.
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Trog: I actually solved Dragon Warrior 4 two years ago when I borrwed the actual cartridge (with a still working battery) from a friend.
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Ryme: Currently I've been working on Transformers 2 for the PS3. Which is about a million times better than the PS2 version.
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Zillow: What is a close scraper (in a fight)?
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Ryme: close scraper? Where's that?
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Harry Dresden: Close scrape... for the badge everyone is trying to figure out.
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Ryme: Ah. Heh. I'm not gonna say anything about that. I'll be clear sooner or later.
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Trog: Any plans for more flying zones?
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Ryme: Not specifically, but I should work that in more, somewhere.
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Ryme: I *still* haven't implemented a use for the gas mask, which I intended to do 3 years ago. That's so bad it's almost funny.
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Ryme: More high-jump would be good, too.
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Trog: Will there be any sort of story behind the wandering and static villains?
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Trog: Kind of like an escape from Arkum or something?
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Ryme: Not really. They're just there for some variety.
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Ryme: I wanted Twilight to have more of a feel that there's a lot of super-heroism/villai ny going on, and not just you and a couple of bosses.
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Ryme: There will eventually be a big quest tied to the Sanatarium. Probably level 13.
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Trog: Cool!
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JetPack: can we have like group quest
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Ryme: JetPack, that's a difficult one to pull off. Hard to code.
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Ryme: Best I'm likely to do in the near future is have something that everyone contributes to.
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Zillow: Or just a big chip sink like the space station again!
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Harry Dresden: With better advertising so I don't miss out again. >_>
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Ryme: Sorry, Harry. Did you notice I just mentioned a special event coming in the next week or so?
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Ryme: Hint, hint.
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Trog: Will there be more reputation specific places/items/quests?
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Ryme: Trog: yeah, definitely. No immediate plans, but that's part of what those reputations are for.
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Ryme: okay, just a few minutes left. Any last-minute questions?
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Trog: I'm fresh out of questions that you'll answer.
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Ryme: heh.
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SeventhCross is satisfied with the answers of the night.
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Ryme: Well, as we wrap up here, I'd like to thank Harry for recording all this, and all the rest of you for showing up and asking questions.
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Trog: I'm just really glad that I was finally around for one!!
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Trog: Thanks for having these sessions.
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Ryme: I should be around some on Monday and Tuesday, as part of a long weekend. Maybe I'll even get some work done.
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Zillow: You should use skype and record 'radio shows' =P
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Ryme isn't sure he really wants to do lots of audio shows. Too much, "um, uh, blah blah blah."
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Ryme: But for Jick, tonight I’m gonna go out on Laurie Anderson's "O Superman". Not that you can hear it.
SYSTEM MESSAGE: All right. I'm going to call Tea Time closed as of now. Thanks for participating, folks!