Development Plan of Action
 

Formal Plan of Action:

• Improve the efficiency of Zone by removing redundant features and optimizing system code. Many systems operating today do not run as optimally as they should. A prime example is the Hitpoint handler: It has been seen running at over 2% on the /stats readout with only 7 people online. This can cause latency issues in other systems, most notibly the movement system. In spar scenarios, this is unacceptable. Another significant issue is the fact that Zone still has GS1 artifacts in its code, which may also contribute to latency throughout the server. This code must be removed or replaced with GS2.
  
• Remove unnessecary additions by previous management. Certain features today have no use in Zone, and actually serve as a detriment. An example is rolling. Players feel that the player doing the rolling has a significant advantage as he can avoid incoming fire very effectively. This leads to long, drawn-out stalemates on any theatre.
  
• Balance weapon statistics. A large number of Zone's arsenal is overpowered, overused, and abused. A prime example was the Carrot. Before I nerfed it, the carrot did a massive 40 damage per hit. That's right, from a carrot. I pose the question: How can a carrot do more damage than a Magnum!? Yet another problem is the Twinblade. It is far too fast while using very little energy. The damage is fine on it, just the energy needs to be increased per swing.
  
• Implement new features for both gold and trial alike. Zone has become stale in the past couple of years, as the old planets and weapons have gotten boring. New features will entice more players into Zone. A large feature that many players inquire about is a zombie survival map, akin to Left 4 Dead 2. Many other features have been proposed, such as allowing all players (trial and gold alike) to use hotkeys, implementing more ranks and awards, class-specific buffs and debuffs, etc.

Approved ideas:
- Passive Events
- Bounty Cap Increase
- New UI
- Class Buffs / Debuffs
- New Class: Medic
- City + Zombie Maps
- Gelat Shop Removal
- Arctic Minimap

Any criticisms or comments are welcome, but keep it civil please. Be welcome to change, because change is coming ;)

isn't there already a medic class? o.o

Well, more of "improving" the medic class actually :P

This sounds nice, im looking foward to seeing something new on graal, good luck.

not sure if medic class needs changing. they can heal players, what more do you need?

plus medic can be OP if played right.

Removing Gelat shop? Good luck. Not sure Stefan will remove it because only Stefan can?

It's on the list of "approved ideas" so I'm guessing that Stefan has already approved of it.

Stefan will be losing money?

because im sure hes making a killin' at the moment.

Looks like you're in for quite the rebuild, at least you won't have to deal with too many complaints as you basically redo nearly everything.

Sometimes, you have to lose in order to win. Also, I doubt he's making a lot out of the Zone Gelat shop right now.

Nice said, even if the gelat shop is removed, as zone gets more populair people will buy gold to play it..

The gelat shop provides a very unfair advantage to players that have the ability to pay money. Unfortunately, this has a strong effect on Zone's balance. Although we can't truly remove the Gelat shop, we can alter its content to only allow the purchase of generic items while not in combat. No purchasing super-powerful weapons in the middle of combat to gain an unfair advantage anymore.

So about those recolors.....

Get rid of them.

I personally think it would be a nice thing to put in a max amount of hotkeys.. Like 3 or something..

Some of these. I disagree on... hm

First arent we so much in the future that we cant even have zombies . Why would we have zombies ,city sounds cool.

Heres another . In most shooters there is always some way someone has the edge on you either its cash shop , better wep , higher lvl ... ETC ETC
I think cash shop is good actually , Doesn't effect much gameplay

.... Seriously? Overpowered weapons are flooded onto that garbage and greatly effect game play.

Also, please just revert the UI to that sexy green one we had awhile back.

I so agree with this.

1.) No matter how far into the future you are, there can still be zombies ;).

2.) Are you serious? No, really -- Seriously? The cash shop gives players an unfair advantage over each other by paying out of their pockets. The players who can't pay are left high and dry, and start leaving the server. Then the players who pay leave the server because their prey has left. So yes, it does affect gameplay, in a very strong way. That is precisely why we're removing and/or altering it to remove overpowered BFGs from the shop.

If we do remove weapons from the shop, then perhaps smaller, more mundane upgrades will be added -- For example, perhaps an ammunition upgrade that does more damage, but is slower than the default. Something that has a benefit and a cost, to even things out.

Comments and concerns?

I couldn't agree more; This will be UI upgrade #1.

Would be nice to see a more intuitive ranking system, more unlocks, would work perfectly if the gelat shop is gone. Also in my own opinion... removal of the diagonal shooting, but thats just because i play era.

Ian, I was serious about that statement o.O

Player opinions are critical for the development of any game. I don't have any reason to ignore their concerns. Zone is too far in the hole for me to do that.

My dear friend this is a VIDEO game. Anything can be added into it such as zombies as long as it fits in with the server theme. Like he said expect a change not the same old zone. :P

Zombehs are cool.

Uhhh, unless those Zombies are player controlled, kinda beats the servers game play bub.

"Gelat Shop Removal" is not approved :rolleyes:
There will be a new Zone though (iPhone project), haven't got a lot of time to work on it yet though.

Well aprove it Mr Knorr.

If there are p2p guns that give players advantages then no one will play Zone on Graal (of course the iZone would still be popular, kids will buy anything these days).

How about you remove those overpowered weapons on that terrible system you have then because all you've done for Zone so far has turned it into complete garbage.

The only person that ACTUALLY WANTS TOO AND CAN HELP Zone, and you're going to deny him that? He doesn't even want to remove the system, he wants to remove the weapons/ammo on it.

You introduced this "renting" system, which ultimately lead to the loss of rarity of the three event items (Blue/Red pistols, Reapers), not to mention the amount of spamming ETs did trying to keep a playercount.

You introduced observation mode, which is possibly the biggest reason to why we don't have a playercount anymore, and you decided to keep it on Zone until the damage had been done.

You introduced the Gelat shop, filled it items that originally were able to be bought for permanent use and added overpowered weapons to it.

You allowed Zone to be ran by corrupt, abusive, unqualified *******s who added to your destruction of the server, and I've pleaded to you several times when PowerProNL and Pez307 were running Zone.

So when you say you haven't had time, you really mean you don't want to clean up the mess you made, right?

Actually Zone still works fine, but there is no persistency, nothing for people to just hang around. It's all based around events. A server needs both, short-term fun and reasons to come back and build.

Here, lemme bold the parts as to why the server became about events and not pvp, why it got stale and boring.

Zone does not work under this system you have, I know the PC version of Graal took a downfall, but Zone should atleast be putting out atleast 15 daily, it barely sees 5.

Zone as a server works fine, but I agree -- there's nothing to make them stay. That's what we're trying to do. By the way, the "gelat shop removal" is a bit misleading; I intend to remove the ability for overpowered and game-breaking weapons to be bought from the gelat shop. I propose only subtle upgrades (like I mentioned earlier; Stronger ammunition at the expense of distance, etc).

Zone iPhone is great, but you must realize that not everyone has an iPhone. Many players still actively play on Graal PC, so why not make the PC version just as popular as the iPhone version?

I'm sorry, but how are you still confused at what exactly Stefan is wanting to do?

He wants to (I'm assuming he still does) wants to replace this Zone with the iPhone version of Zone across everything and make it one server.

The fad-like domination of cash-shop payment systems is increasing, but developers model them wrong, resulting in the fun-kill, and thats the beginning of the games end!

It always depends on what target area you're focusing, and clearly, the simpliest is to attract the ones that have high consumption tendencies/ easily distracted/addicted people in a consistent manner, instead of creating a different more efficient model that succeeds in a long-term lucrative way.

Obviously it requires a certain level of empathy skill to build up such, with the important key factors given...

You just have to see things as a big construct without being clumsy and losing clear sight and control of details and bringing it to an even state that is multifunctional and compatible with other specific classes.

Practical fact: children and adults don't pay for something that is not useful on their behalf in a satisfactiory way for them to release enough neurotransmitters to enhance "fun" activities they find liberating depending on individual situations.

Empirial question: Why should I pay for something that makes no sense for me? In this case, why buy an overpowered gun that lasts for 30 days that gives me a temporary interactive advantage to kill others that are not on my level.

Probably the empowering feeling that seems to satisfy the desire of attention in real life or ingame. To be "cool".

Nuf' said, before I write more stupid stuff...

Gunbound had a "pay to win" model and what happened? GB NA and GB EU shutdown, while the international version is ridden with unbalance and a dwindling playercount.

HoN went for a "pay for aesthetics" model where you can buy custom announcer packs, hero skins, etc, and guess what? It's going great. I believe LoL has the same system and that hit over a million players.

Both games are free to play, but it's impossible to do good on Gunbound without spending money. You could download hacks and you'll still lose because it's that unbalanced. No system should ever give players an advantage by spending money.

dis

This guy must be new to call zone just a video game.

Zone has LAWS I hope you know that , Im 2 lazy to reply to anyone else

EDIT:half you people dont even play zone , or you haven't played it long enough to even be good.

Ill reply to this 2

Not true , I've played for about 6 years now and P2P weps never bothered me . The server NEEDS support .. Its like having Ads on youtube ... It CAN'T GO WITHOUT IT , even if the money isnt needed like that still ... And the advantage of a p2p shop wep is completely nothing compared to skills FACTS.

Thank you Stefan .

Someone is being a huge egotistical kiss ass right now.

Cool, they did bother 95% of the playercount which ended up quiting though. Pay to win weapons still give the player an advatange, whether gamebreaking or minor. We're not saying to remove the gelat shop alltogether, we're saying to remove pay to win weapons from the gelat shop. Cash shops should only be used for aesthetics, not for power. This is basic balance. FACTS.

lolwut