Just trying to give a boost to PvP

[termul]

Maybe these changes will give a boost to PvP action as they will force players to hack eachother to acquire researched software (when they're not sharing/trading it offcourse)

1) make it harder to purchase software from the software dealer by
     - randomizing the probability of a succesfull software purchase (e.g. you pay for the software dealers attempt to acquire the desired software)
     - by raising the prices (maybe re-create the formula to determine the price of purchased software so that the price doesn't depend only on version but also on filesize ?)
     - by charging a fair amount of AP for every attempt you request at the software dealer

2) allow players to kill the activation of virii on private servers from remotehost to prevent the use of this trick (is it a bug? I don't know ...) ---> Players can block their bandwidth by starting virii activations on their own gateway. Currently these activations can only be killed by localhost, so this is a very effective way to make sure someone else can't download files from your gateway.

Feel free to shoot some holes in these suggestions ...

[Donn]

Second one has been sugested by me too in a message to Sir Emi.. So yeah! 

First one I don't like simply because the software dealer isn't used that much so it won't give a real boost and since it then doesn't serve a real purpose, I'd prefer leaving it like that..

[Exousia]

Eliminating the software dealer will pretty much force people to either research or steal the software themselves, which should increase the PvP rate right there.

Eliminating the IP dealer will force people to go hunting for IPs in logs and processes, which should increase the PvP rate as well. It'll render all those inactive accounts that don't already have known IPs pretty well useless, however, but I'm a fan of just deleting them after a period of time. I believe the ToS has language providing for that as well. I'll have to check.

[Donn]

Eliminating the software dealer will pretty much force people to either research or steal the software themselves, which should increase the PvP rate right there.

Eliminating the IP dealer will force people to go hunting for IPs in logs and processes, which should increase the PvP rate as well. It'll render all those inactive accounts that don't already have known IPs pretty well useless, however, but I'm a fan of just deleting them after a period of time. I believe the ToS has language providing for that as well. I'll have to check.

Mistake.. Software dealer is only used up to .5 software.. Most people if not everyone, doesn't spend their money on those softwares except for BIG files as the newest file share virus or Faith AV, files which are impossible to steal..

Eliminating the IP dealer will force people to go hunting IP's?  Eliminating inactive accounts? d**n.. People don't hunt IP's with IP Dealer except when they are very rich.. You can buy IP's you already have remember?

And since the AP cost and HPD cost.. Unless you're stupid, you're buying IP's at the moment..

The IP Dealer has already been weakened and is weakened enough..

[Exousia]

I just don't like the IP dealer at all and would like it removed.  Purchasing IP's is cheap. How do you think I got the IPs of 95+ unused accounts? It's 10 HPD each for the "Kiddie Cracker" boxes and after the reset it was pretty well assured that anyone still at 0.1 softs was inactive. (Yeah, I used it but I don't like like it. Funny, eh?)

No mistake... The software dealer does not stop at 0.5. The 0.5 cap works only until people research beyond, then you can purchase what they've got. It's how Rev 2.5 and 1.0 were so widely distributed at the end of round 1. Without that ability, the reset may not have happened or at least not so quickly. You were there. The software prices are way too low in any event and I would support an increase in their price at least. In practice the software may only be purchased up to 0.5, to a point, but when the cash starts flowing it, people aren't going to just sit there and research when they can purchase what others have put work into and have it immediately.

[Sin15698]

I think it should be an attempt to get the virus to you but the higher the protects it's on the harder to get, and if he fails he gives you the IP as repayment, then you can try to crack the server yourself and steal the software.

[Donn]

I just don't like the IP dealer at all and would like it removed.  Purchasing IP's is cheap. How do you think I got the IPs of 95+ unused accounts? It's 10 HPD each for the "Kiddie Cracker" boxes and after the reset it was pretty well assured that anyone still at 0.1 softs was inactive. (Yeah, I used it but I don't like like it. Funny, eh?)

No mistake... The software dealer does not stop at 0.5. The 0.5 cap works only until people research beyond, then you can purchase what they've got. It's how Rev 2.5 and 1.0 were so widely distributed at the end of round 1. Without that ability, the reset may not have happened or at least not so quickly. You were there. The software prices are way too low in any event and I would support an increase in their price at least. In practice the software may only be purchased up to 0.5, to a point, but when the cash starts flowing it, people aren't going to just sit there and research when they can purchase what others have put work into and have it immediately.

Euh dude.. I know what the software dealer is, believe me :P

And like I said.. A lot of people only use it for buying software till .5

The price of the software is high compared to the research price and if you don't buy the highest software (already a nice amount of money) you've waisted a lot of HPD.. And then 1 week later you see you've waisted 300k HPD on a file which has been upgraded +v7.. You'll quickly learn not to buy softwares..

Most of the softwares @ software dealer are from secret servers anyway.. The ones which arent, well most of those are not easy to buy due to high price..

I know that when the cash starts flowing, you can afford it lol.. I know a friend who bought a 35million+ software last round at the very end.. But do you realize how much HPD you waste for just getting some files you can easily trade or hack someone else for?

I'd like to see a poll with people voting if they have or have not been using the software dealer, just to get high software..

I doubt a lot of people will vote yes.. Ofcourse, as I said before, some files HAVE to be bought.. File Share Virus, Faith AV,...

And Revelation isnt possible to buy anymore due to what happened in round 1.. So that problem is fixed. At least thats what Ginjitsu told me, that Emi fixed this..


I just think it's silly that we are talking about things that doesn't really matter.. Things that can be neglected.. We need to focus on the real problems and the d**n IP Dealer isn't a real problem.. SO WHAT if you get .1 accounts.. 5 kbs ones.. Ooh.. Try 1 secret server..

Inactive accounts x 75 => 375 kbs => 2 secret servers.. out of 200.. Adwares also cost a lot more to install than fileshares and make less profit.. Common..

The inactive accounts are very good for new players so I wouldn't like to see them remove.. Lets not make HP newb unfriendly.. Most of them don't even realize it can be used that way..

[termul]

The IP dealer has been discussed before and Emi stated that he wants to keep this feature in so that players with a very high logdeleter can also be found.
The IP dealer was not a part of my suggestion, I was talking about the software dealer.

After reading your replies I changed my mind and I would actually like to suggest that the software dealer stays as it is, but only exclude the researched software from the list.

I like it that the game is less predictable when we're not knowing what software is floating around on private servers.
And it encourages everyone to either do research themselves or to work very hard gathering intel on and/or software from competitors.
Offcourse this will only work when the bandwidth-blocking-trick cannot be used any longer.

[Exousia]

Didn't mean to derail your thread, but it was me, I believe, who first mentioned the IP dealer. I can cope with it if Emi wants to keep it, but I will never be a fan of it. I will find ways to use it, but I will never be a fan of it.

While I am also not a fan of the software dealer, I can see the value in wanting to balance things out by allowing the purchase of software which could potentially boost newer players into a position where they can defend themselves against the vets.

I was unaware that Rev had been excluded from the dealer. I may have read it in the end of round update or whatever, but it slipped my mind. That removes a lot of my reservations about the software dealer.

I can say that I have used the software dealer just to get the round numbers. It seems impossible now to predict where research will land as far was what version you end up with. I've been considering suggesting that we reverse the game's approach to the research process by retaining the diminishing return aspect as far as how many points per hour are earned, but input the target version number rather than the number of hours to research--and then the research time is calculated and given in the usual process countdown timer. Or at least allow fractions of an hour to be used. I've tried using fractions, but it won't accept that input. Has this changed since last September?

[Donn]

The IP dealer has been discussed before and Emi stated that he wants to keep this feature in so that players with a very high logdeleter can also be found.
The IP dealer was not a part of my suggestion, I was talking about the software dealer.

After reading your replies I changed my mind and I would actually like to suggest that the software dealer stays as it is, but only exclude the researched software from the list.

I like it that the game is less predictable when we're not knowing what software is floating around on private servers.
And it encourages everyone to either do research themselves or to work very hard gathering intel on and/or software from competitors.
Offcourse this will only work when the bandwidth-blocking-trick cannot be used any longer.

Now this is a very good suggestion!

I wouldn't like doing the effort lol but actually it should make the game much more interesting to not know what is out there.. d**n.. Would be exciting and gathering intel would be of utmost importance 

[Donn]

Didn't mean to derail your thread, but it was me, I believe, who first mentioned the IP dealer. I can cope with it if Emi wants to keep it, but I will never be a fan of it. I will find ways to use it, but I will never be a fan of it.

While I am also not a fan of the software dealer, I can see the value in wanting to balance things out by allowing the purchase of software which could potentially boost newer players into a position where they can defend themselves against the vets.

I was unaware that Rev had been excluded from the dealer. I may have read it in the end of round update or whatever, but it slipped my mind. That removes a lot of my reservations about the software dealer.

I can say that I have used the software dealer just to get the round numbers. It seems impossible now to predict where research will land as far was what version you end up with. I've been considering suggesting that we reverse the game's approach to the research process by retaining the diminishing return aspect as far as how many points per hour are earned, but input the target version number rather than the number of hours to research--and then the research time is calculated and given in the usual process countdown timer. Or at least allow fractions of an hour to be used. I've tried using fractions, but it won't accept that input. Has this changed since last September?

I have absolutely no idea since I have never bothered researching with fractions. I do believe it would be easier to just input the end version but a play-the-game-for-me button also..

There is some mystery to what the hell will my end version be now lol.. Although some people have research calculators which give a good idea of what it will be..

I'm not sure he'll respond but Ebolla, I remember you saying in round 1 that you had a file that you were working on, some sort of spreadsheet I think, which contained valuable information which could help a lot. Like efficiency of the server (remember you explaining that to me ^^) and research calc and remembering the power/rank of people or something.. Are you still interested in finishing that file for the community or sharing it with us unfinished so we can try and finish it or..?

[termul]

gathering intel would be of utmost importance 

My point exactly 

[Andreas]

I agree too. The index page says that you take the role as "an independent information faciliator". By focusing the game more on information gathering may make this game as good as it once was.

[Donn]

I agree too. The index page says that you take the role as "an independent information faciliator". By focusing the game more on information gathering may make this game as good as it once was.

Its still about information..

[Exousia]

I agree too. The index page says that you take the role as "an independent information faciliator". By focusing the game more on information gathering may make this game as good as it once was.

Its still about information..

It's supposed to be anyway, it still seems to be mostly about the HPD.

Round numbers on the software versions would only really be a luxury, so that's why I haven't bothered suggesting it yet. There are real problems and bigger suggestions to fix or implement in the mean time.