Community Meeting May 25, 2013

Below is the chat log for the latest Wastelands Community Meeting.  The Meetings, hosted by NeoBokrug Elytis (estate owner), are open to all and typically divided into three topics for discussion:  Estate, Game, and Roleplay.  Additional comments and questions pertaining to the topics discussed in this meeting can be posted on the forum when it automatically creates a new thread linking to this article.  Community Meetings are held on the last Saturday of every month at 2:00 PM SLT at the Potato Farm arena in The Wastelands.

 

I. ESTATE

NeoBokrug Elytis: So we’ll start! As per usual we talk about estate stuff for 20 minutes, then game stuff for 20 minutes, then RP stuff is an open floor for 20 minutes.

NeoBokrug Elytis: With breaks in-between for questions.

NeoBokrug Elytis: and comments

NeoBokrug Elytis: Estate stuff.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Not counting Ashvasta being available, occupancy is for the most part stagnant. No big gains, and no big losses.

NeoBokrug Elytis: But with Ashvasta being available, most of North Yard being available, and occupancy stagnating, in the next month there will probably be some changes. We’re still throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks.

NeoBokrug Elytis: I updated the tier donation plates this month.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Now you can use them on group land.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Not a lot of people use them, but those who do appreciate them

NeoBokrug Elytis: I also changed the greeting for new landowners.

NeoBokrug Elytis: >> http://wiki.the-wastelands.org/index.php/Welcome

NeoBokrug Elytis: I go on a bit about paying tier, and encourage people to use those mailboxes.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Since the mailboxes came out, they’ve helped save a ton of peoples hides from being reclaimed on.

Thorne Diesel (dc.diesel): Love the mailboxes! makes keeping a place 100 Xs easier!

NeoBokrug Elytis: Also, when you buy land now, you get a mailbox, and a few more landmarks.

NeoBokrug Elytis: One being the N

Zack Vedrina: I’d use the mailbox but I always pay my rent at more or less the same time every 2 weeks >_> I’m obsessive like that

NeoBokrug Elytis: Yeah, I don’t know what happened, three residents had PC problems this month. Two had mailboxes.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Ahh yeah, I also made that land monitor thing.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Because after this we’re playing War Zone

NeoBokrug Elytis: And more often than not a few of people have no scripts, or that strange privacy setting on their land.

NeoBokrug Elytis: And since the estate hosts a pretty big game that is estate wide, it conflicts a lot.

NeoBokrug Elytis: So I added something to the covenant to address that new privacy setting, and made a scripted thing to nag people once a day.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Any questions about estate stuff?

Zack Vedrina: What IS the new thingamabob?

Zack Vedrina: Just so I can be lazy and not trawl through the covenant :p

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): has that nagging thing worked or gotten a reaction?

NeoBokrug Elytis: It just checks for object entry, scripts, and that strange privacy setting.

NeoBokrug Elytis: People seem to like it. No complaints so far.

Zack Vedrina: What’s the policy Neo?

NeoBokrug Elytis: http://wiki.the-wastelands.org/index.php/Covenant#Required_Land_Settings

Zack Vedrina: Gawd, you’re going to make me click AND read?

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): TL;DR:

It’s now okay to leave public or group build disabled on your land.

You MUST have “Avatars on other parcels can see and chat with avatars on this parcel” enabled.

NeoBokrug Elytis: WEH. You’re gunna read it one way or another

NeoBokrug Elytis: Yeah, Cc has the notice handy.

NeoBokrug Elytis: And yeah, since the game and LSL have advanced, you can leave build off.

Zack Vedrina: I don’t mind people rezzing on my parcel :]

NeoBokrug Elytis: Any other questions about estate stuff?

Dread Scott Diesel (dreadscott): I have to say, I share several parcels w 2 friends here & for me, this is my only home, only place to rez, dress, etc. & it really seems that the more restrictions you put on people, the less likely you are going to be to get or keep renters

NeoBokrug Elytis: We don’t have very many restrictions.

Aposiopesis Fullstop: These are the same restrictions that have been in place for years.

Aposiopesis Fullstop: There’s just a reminder now.

cloudy turbo (theblackcloud.oh): Compared to many other places, the Wastelands hardly has any restrictions.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Just those three land settings, two of which have been in place forever. And build in theme.

NeoBokrug Elytis: One which we just removed as well.

NeoBokrug Elytis: /me shrugs

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): yes. the problem is residents making their plots restrictive to everyone else including our estate events

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): yes .. just don’t show your cloudingus and make sure your parcel doesn’t interfere with the game

Aposiopesis Fullstop: Hehehe

Dassina Andel: Skyboxes are completely allowed, just not “shops” in skyboxes

Aposiopesis Fullstop: And even that was being reconsidered once, wasn’t it?

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): our land setting rules just ask people to be more free with their settings

Masaka Miliandrovic: ahh freedom

NeoBokrug Elytis: Yeah, we’re more communal than individual.

Zack Vedrina: It’s a community, not a parceled up residential sim like Azure etc

NeoBokrug Elytis: Any other questions about land stuff?

Dread Scott Diesel (dreadscott): I totally understand , makes sense about the game & all… but is there anything at all we can do to prevent the random ass griefers & cartoon or new avis from bugging us on our land?

NeoBokrug Elytis: Eject ’em

Aposiopesis Fullstop: And inform Management of problems

Dread Scott Diesel (dreadscott): cool

NeoBokrug Elytis: Ban them if you must. If they’re griefin’ come get estate management.

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): for greifers yes

NeoBokrug Elytis: We have “wanted posters” at the main telehubs which shows who is online.

NeoBokrug Elytis: If you see any wanted posters you can click it, and it’ll drop a link in chat to IM one of us.

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): cartoon/new avis? we don’t have a dress code. if someone is harassing you contact estate management

Aki Shichiroji: Speaking as the one dev in a cartoony av, there is no specific dress code requirement.

Zack Vedrina: Only dress code for IC, innit?

Aposiopesis Fullstop: Not even then.

NeoBokrug Elytis: We’re a bit more proactive about griefers than most estates, mostly because the devs are usually available, and we’re smaller.

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): we do not moderate RP

Aposiopesis Fullstop: If you really want to RP as a neon purple wildebeest in go-go boots, go for it.

Aposiopesis Fullstop: A lot of people will just point and laugh or treat you as a hallucination, so you’ll get no traction. But you won’t get banned.

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): thing is .. will other players accept you

cloudy turbo (theblackcloud.oh): And being topless is allowed!

Aposiopesis Fullstop: Indeed!

Aki Shichiroji: if the immersion aspect bothers you, you can simply choose to derender or avoid interacting with those individuals.

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): for men and women! equal opportunity toplessnes

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): but seriously, aki’s suggestion about de-rendering an visually offensive or RP immersion breaking, etc avatar that you find visually offensive is a very good one

 

II.  GAME

NeoBokrug Elytis: Movin’ on to game stuff, because I may need these extra two minutes.

NeoBokrug Elytis: A metric fuckton of changes. this month.

NeoBokrug Elytis: On to game stuff!

Dassina Andel: The good stuff

NeoBokrug Elytis: Although there are all sorts of new Pugilistic Weapons to be made, no one has made them yet. wiki.the-wastelands.org/index.php/Pugilistic_Weapons

Aposiopesis Fullstop: /me wants them all SO HARD

NeoBokrug Elytis: So everyone is punching everyone else with the basic cloth wraps.

Dassina Andel: WL: Training Dummy = Awesome

NeoBokrug Elytis: As an add, I added a new “Starter quest” to get your noob weapons, and teach you how to use the masheen.

Aposiopesis Fullstop: Oh yeah — does the Training Dummy only work for punchin’? Or does it work for other melee weapons?

Zack Vedrina: I still haven’t gotten around to that quest

NeoBokrug Elytis: People seem to actually be doing the quest too!

NeoBokrug Elytis: I should say new people.

Aposiopesis Fullstop: It was fun, Neo! It also introduces crafting really well!

tralala Loordes: melee Apo

Masaka Miliandrovic: had quite the queue at the masheen last week!

NeoBokrug Elytis: There’s also that training dummy, but gutter and I had to push it back a few days — so we could not release it at the same time.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Which, someone has made.

NeoBokrug Elytis: And it’s pretty fun they say.

Dassina Andel: More like a few people, now

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): cool, I’ll have to go find one and punch it haha

Aposiopesis Fullstop: Yay! I’ll have to give it a go. Need to install one at The N!

NeoBokrug Elytis: I didn’t expect the training dummy to work with other weapons, but it does.

NeoBokrug Elytis: It’s only 2LI

tralala Loordes: There are a couple on my land Masaka

Dassina Andel: There’s one at the Renegade base, too

NeoBokrug Elytis: And from what I hear, it’s working as intended, being way helpful — letting people visualize their punches.

Dassina Andel: The “poof” effects are a great touch

NeoBokrug Elytis: Gutters particles.

NeoBokrug Elytis: The poofs are actual points of impact

NeoBokrug Elytis: I tinkered with the salvage server a bit, doing a few things to it.

NeoBokrug Elytis: It should only error out on weapons with number suffixes >= 30 now.

NeoBokrug Elytis: And if you’re boxing up weapons like that, you ought to lose them! >:3

NeoBokrug Elytis: The basic frame recipe got 2 parts added to it, because it was pretty wrong.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Now the parts ~= the Frame.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Since about two rollouts ago, the salvage server has been losing its URL, or timing out.

NeoBokrug Elytis: It’s what the NPCs and the crates use to talk to it.

NeoBokrug Elytis: So what I did was make the salvage spawning server monitor the main server, and tell it to refresh itself if it has problems talking to it.

NeoBokrug Elytis: For the most part, it’s self-repairing.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Sandusky is working on new crate models. The common one is in the spawn.

NeoBokrug Elytis: These crates are somewhat self repairing too.

NeoBokrug Elytis: In that if they can’t make a call to the server, they’ll talk to my server, and get the proper URL.

NeoBokrug Elytis: ALSO.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Since everyone is bringing this up.

NeoBokrug Elytis: All those transparent crates.

NeoBokrug Elytis: For a long time I have had a “noise” system in the spawn.

NeoBokrug Elytis: It used to be just other microscopic scripted objects to throw scripted scanners off.

NeoBokrug Elytis: But now since FIRESTORM, has some sort of map highlight for scripted objects.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Fake crates are in every respect the same as not-fake crates.

Zack Vedrina: It does? o.0

NeoBokrug Elytis: And there are far more fake crates than there are legit ones.

Zack Vedrina: So it does

Dassina Andel: It’s not as helpful as you think it might be

NeoBokrug Elytis: Not anymore.

Aposiopesis Fullstop: Especially not anymore.

Aposiopesis Fullstop: :V

NeoBokrug Elytis: When the noise was microscopic, it was probably very helpful.

Zack Vedrina: Where’s the fun in using scanners?

cloudy turbo (theblackcloud.oh): There’s not.

NeoBokrug Elytis: SL is not a good platform to develop games on. Users have too much freedom when playing a game.

Zack Vedrina: I thought so

Aposiopesis Fullstop: There’s so much damn third-party content to worry about. :/

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): but we still try regardless…or find ways to defy it…like the new crates I’m making :)

Dassina Andel: Rule of Thumb: If you can “see through” a highlighted crate, it’s not a real crate.

NeoBokrug Elytis: We’re still working on new content and stuff. These things are just hurdles.

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): sneak peak?

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): or just stop using scanners :/ maybe we should make them all infected with rustmouth

Aki Shichiroji: Rule of thumb: just go after the crates you can see. The ones you can’t, if you’re not looking for them, don’t matter.

Aposiopesis Fullstop: That’ll only fuck us all.

Aposiopesis Fullstop: Fill ’em with heat-seeking larvae.

NeoBokrug Elytis: I still have to fix the buzzards.

cloudy turbo (theblackcloud.oh): or lava!

Aposiopesis Fullstop: Hahaha

NeoBokrug Elytis: whispers: I broke them.

Aposiopesis Fullstop: Aww!

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): or just make them blow

Aki Shichiroji: whispers: Brominites.

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): I’ve played the game 6 years. never needed a damn scanner to enjoy it or find anything

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): yes BROMINITES

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): all the invisible ones

NeoBokrug Elytis: The new crate code was the first step in the new buzzard code — so I am half done.

Aposiopesis Fullstop: Aki noooooooo D:

Aki Shichiroji: Apo yeeeessssss :D

NeoBokrug Elytis: If you think about it, buzzards are just flying crates that fight back.

cloudy turbo (theblackcloud.oh): haha

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): haha

tralala Loordes: and you can eat them

Aposiopesis Fullstop: How long until we can go hunt featherboxen again, then? :D

Dassina Andel: I for one, welcome our Brominite Overlords… for target practice.

Masaka Miliandrovic: I had a hallucination once about fighting with a crate

NeoBokrug Elytis: I want to polish up the navigation to use portion of the pathfinding SL has, but not the actual SL character pathfinding.

Aposiopesis Fullstop: It would murder me horribly, but it would also be the most consummately badass thing ever.

Aki Shichiroji: /me also misses the Roc.

NeoBokrug Elytis: I know that doesn’t make much sense, but there’s function calls to plot paths.

Aposiopesis Fullstop: Did the old navigation system really work so poorly that it can’t still be used for now?

Dassina Andel: Heh, you distract it with trying to punch it, while I shoot it. ^.~

NeoBokrug Elytis: Rather than my janky path plotting I have

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): and then the greeneyes will come and spread a layer of toxin over you

Aposiopesis Fullstop: /me would rather have a slightly-janky something than nothing

NeoBokrug Elytis: The old navigation is pretty pants.

NeoBokrug Elytis: We lose a billion buzzards because they fly into space.

Aposiopesis Fullstop: Hahaha

NeoBokrug Elytis: Any questions about game stuff?

NeoBokrug Elytis: I am upset that I get 20 buzzards returned a day.

Dassina Andel: None of the new wraps are in Alden’s inventory, correct?

NeoBokrug Elytis: Not until someone discovers them!

Dassina Andel: Assuming the “Kits” are crafted as well?

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): will the pig trade components of the wraps yet?

Masaka Miliandrovic: Pig trade sounds like a dirty business.

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): it is

NeoBokrug Elytis: He trades what you need to make wraps.

NeoBokrug Elytis: This region needs a restart bad, that’s the 4th reset message the salvage spawn server has sent.

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): well I’m sure the crates drop what I need too .. there are just 3 steps in between. so that’s not what I asked for

NeoBokrug Elytis: I know what you’re asking. :)

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): Keep trying to make things.

NeoBokrug Elytis: I am intentionally being vague.

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): ANSWER ME DAMNIT!

Aposiopesis Fullstop: XD

NeoBokrug Elytis: HEH!

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): NOOOO!!

Aposiopesis Fullstop: She’s going to get lightning’d.

Dassina Andel: Never underestimate the detective power of a bored Wastelander

NeoBokrug Elytis: The short end of this wraps thing is, I am not giving ANY hints about them.

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): maybe we should remove the list of what can be made and where they can be made

Aposiopesis Fullstop: Haha, awww.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Whoever makes it first wins.

Dassina Andel: Shut your blasphemous mouth, Digger. :P

Zack Vedrina: Did you ever get hints about anything Neo? :p

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): then stop digging for hints :/

NeoBokrug Elytis: yes

NeoBokrug Elytis: See the forums

Masaka Miliandrovic: yeah, he’s supposed to do the digging round here.

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): it’s our job to dig for hints

NeoBokrug Elytis: That would involve more clicking though!

Aposiopesis Fullstop: But we’re only digging ourselves a hole!

NeoBokrug Elytis: I have to fix the chain fence recipe.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Another reset!

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): ha ha .. I think that’s one of the few things no one is sad not having

NeoBokrug Elytis: BRB REAL QUICK

NeoBokrug Elytis: Talk about RP stuff.

 

III. ROLEPLAY

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): I give hints to newbies. not vets like yourself :P

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): so any RP rumors, stories, hints going around?

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): other than speculation on IB alts

Masaka Miliandrovic: I have an RP question, Sandusky – is Barrelhead now every other Friday?

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): nope. not on Friday

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): barrelhead is every time someone meets there

Masaka Miliandrovic: Says so on the calendar

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): which calendar are you looking at? says Saturday on mine

NeoBokrug Elytis: Apparently this region needs a restart.

tralala Loordes: oh! it does

Masaka Miliandrovic: one on the forums

tralala Loordes: http://forums.the-wastelands.org/calendar.php?month=5&year=2013&c=1

Masaka Miliandrovic: says Friday the 3rd and 31st, actually

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): the one I try to host will be the 1st Saturday of every month. people are welcome to show up there every Saturday if they like. I just can’t host other days. and sometimes I won’t be able to host the 1st Saturday

Masaka Miliandrovic: of this month

NeoBokrug Elytis: What’s up with the calendar?

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): you need to give me a link because I’m not seeing it

tralala Loordes: http://forums.the-wastelands.org/calendar.php?month=5&year=2013&c=1

Masaka Miliandrovic: sorry, I just it may have been moved

Aki Shichiroji: what does the time zone say to you?

NeoBokrug Elytis: Looks fine to me?

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): I think it’s a time zone issue .. forum seems to recognize its in a other time zone

NeoBokrug Elytis: Yeah set up your TZ in the user control panel.

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): ooh

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): time zones….BAH

NeoBokrug Elytis: The forums are set to PDT I think

Masaka Miliandrovic: SLT, which I assume is Pacific

Dassina Andel: Semi-RP related question, will there ever be another Market Report?

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): Sam, aren’t you usually up to some RP shenanigans?

Sam Wyx (sam.wyx): yeah!

Masaka Miliandrovic: well . . .

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): Not anytime soon and not written by me unless someone wants to volunteer.

Sam Wyx (sam.wyx): there are a few new ghouls around in RP

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): Patrice used to do it and then I did for a while, but it’s not really a fun job unless you really like going around to all of the shops and taking a bunch of notes.

NeoBokrug Elytis: whispers: I’d like to see more press volunteers.

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): there’s a new mutant in town too

Dassina Andel: Heh, I’d do it, but not quite sure the concept of a manimal telling others where goods are really works.

Sam Wyx (sam.wyx): /me volunteers!

Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): well manimals got a nose for something

NeoBokrug Elytis: Scythejaw is a trader!

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): the Market Report doesn’t have to be an IC thing.

Dassina Andel: Touché, good point.

Dassina Andel: Well, I’ll do it if no one else wants to

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): you’re already in the Press group, Sam. :P We actually need to get you set up and have you start writing something soon.

Sam Wyx (sam.wyx): yeah…:)

Sam Wyx (sam.wyx): I gots revisions, too !

Sam Wyx (sam.wyx): where is War Zone?

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): Dass: the Market Report can be tedious. I really wouldn’t wish it upon anyone.

NeoBokrug Elytis: Warzone: Cape or Stygian?

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): that’s why I haven’t done it in ages

The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): but if you really really really wanna do it. we’ll talk

Dassina Andel: You’re talking to someone who constantly obsesses over prices of goods around here, Digger. :D

NeoBokrug Elytis: I think there’s over 200 pieces of salvage now.

NeoBokrug Elytis: BWAHAHAHAHA

Dassina Andel: I like that number

NeoBokrug Elytis: Okay Stygian.

 

((Editor’s Note:  Community Meetings are held on the last Saturday of every month at 2:00 PM SLT at the Potato Farm arena in The Wastelands.))