Sunday Night Chatroom 2015/06/07

The MMRPG Beta:
(18:05:18) AdrianMarceau: Boss will be posting about this link on the main website in the next day or so, but I want to officially "reveal" it to the rest of the community.
(18:06:12) AdrianMarceau: This new preview build is essentially a "Beta" of the new update. Yes, a beta of a prototype. How strange. >_>
(18:07:15) AdrianMarceau: The save files and leaderboards and everything found on that version are simply clones of the "real" accounts found on the main website. They have been duplicated on this new test build for you to experiment with as you please.
(18:07:36) AdrianMarceau: That means progress or resets on this new preview build will NOT affect your main game.
(18:08:01) AdrianMarceau: If you're ever confused about which version of the game you're playing, look at the tab in your browser.
(18:08:12) AdrianMarceau: The preview build will always have a "@" at the start of the tab title.
(18:08:20) DaCrashBomber: Wait, if they are clones, then why am I still in 104th place?
(18:08:51) AdrianMarceau: The cloning process was done several weeks ago and has not been updated since.
(18:09:07) AdrianMarceau: It will likely not be updated again until the update is ready to be launched live.
(18:09:16) AdrianMarceau: Now, the main thing I want from you guys is NOT bug testing.
(18:10:05) AdrianMarceau: Rather, I am offering this preview as an appetizer to keep you from burning my house down while you wait for the update to be completed.  :P
(18:10:57) AdrianMarceau: Valuable feedback includes that about the new mechanics, completed changes to abilities, and other features that are in this preview version of the prototype.
(18:11:34) AdrianMarceau: Feedback that is not valuable includes bug reports for obviously incomplete content, comments about mechanics or abilities or features that have since been removed, etc.
(18:14:58) AdrianMarceau: https://github.com/AdrianMarceau​/mmrpg-prototype/commits/mmrpg2k1​5
(18:15:27) AdrianMarceau: This lists all the updates I make to the code as I make them and push them to the repository. If I'm every silent for an extended period of time you can easily check that page to see what updates I've made.

Swapping Swap with Siphon:
(18:18:17) AdrianMarceau: Swap abilities will be completely replaced with Drain abilities (and updated in everyone's save files) and Shuffle abilities will be replaced with Siphon abilities.
(18:18:23) AdrianMarceau: Energy Drain, Energy Siphon, etc.
(18:18:37) AdrianMarceau: These changes will tie into the boost/break buffs completed recently.
(18:18:52) AdrianMarceau: Roll is a master of boosts, so her Energy/Attack/Defense/Speed Boost will do 30% now
(18:19:07) AdrianMarceau: Disco is the master of breaks, so her ___ Break will do 30% as well
(18:20:29) AdrianMarceau: In the case of energy, 30% of their base. In the case of all other stats, 30% of their current.
(18:19:33) AdrianMarceau: And Rhythm will be more balanced, with her ____ Drain stealing 15% and giving it to the user

Quick Summary of the New Star Ranking System:
(18:38:49) AdrianMarceau: Regarding the star rating at the end of a battle, you get one star simply for getting victory, one for NOT using items, one for coming in at or under the target robots, one for coming in at or under the target turns, and one for having all of your robots active (not disabled) at the end of the mission.
(18:37:15) AdrianMarceau: Getting 5 stars doesn't do anything YET but may be required for other stuff in the future.

Making Weapons Canon:
(19:12:15) DaCrashBomber: So, when I was just a wee little Prototyper, I looked at some of the Robot Masters moves and thought: "Um, that's not how the weapon works?!" So, I propose we change the Robot Master's weapons a little bit, so that it would fit them more (I saw this with Search Snake, but I have a few more ideas)
(19:13:17) DaCrashBomber: Move #1: Super Arm. Instead of raising a block and throwing it, I say, instead of throwing it at one specified target, the block splits into four and hits four random targets
(19:14:55) DaCrashBomber: Ok. Move #2. Elec Beam. Elec Beam rules. But, in the original MM, it shot in 3 directions. So, what I say, is to at least, while buffing the damage it does to the opponent, it also hurts the people around Elec
(19:14:55) DaCrashBomber: Ok. Move #2. Elec Beam. Elec Beam rules. But, in the original MM, it shot in 3 directions. So, what I say, is to at least, while buffing the damage it does to the opponent, it also hurts the people around Elec
(19:16:26) DaCrashBomber: Move #3. Dive Torpedo. Not that it doesn't do what it's supposed to, but I'm just saying that in the actual game, it doesn't hit 99% of the time, as the accuracy says. More like 85%
(19:18:21) DaCrashBomber: (next to last move) Move #4. Gravity Hold. Just an idea, but it would change the robot's highest stat with its lowest. (Example: Heat Man would change it's defense with its speed, and vice versa
(19:25:37) DaCrashBomber: Move #5. Time Slow. WHAT?! Time Slow?! You mean, like, one of the most useless moves in the game? Yep. I propose, that, instead of lowering their speed, their general accuracy drops like a 10lb weight. Think about it: If time were frozen, then you would be able to land MORE hits than if it weren't, right? So, have the accuracy decreased, so you could theoretically hit more.
(19:55:30) DaCrashBomber: Move #6. Spark Shock. This. This bothered me. Of course, When I was a wee little Prototyper, I didn't really have Spark Man at the time, but I knew his move decreased defense. What it SHOULD do, is lower the opponents Speed by a percentage. When the speed has been lowered to (half, or something), then the Spark Shock shifts to *attack mode* where it actually deals damage

The Beta Demo:
(19:35:54) ThatGuyNamedMike: The enemies Level up as you go along in the Preview. We know that this is a regular staple to the diff increasing in Prototype.
(19:36:46) ThatGuyNamedMike: However in the Preview, The enemies SKIP LEVELS. 3 of them between 1-2 and 2-3, and EIGHT between 3-4.
(19:37:41) AdrianMarceau: Yes, there's a point where fighting enemies at the same level as you is too easy, and as soon as you're able to bring >1 robot into battle things get even easier.
(19:37:45) ThatGuyNamedMike: Also, I'm not entirely sure if anyone OTHER than Adrian or myself has tested this, yet, but, did you guys know that the Preview has a Demo Mode?
(19:39:05) ThatGuyNamedMike: I've had the displeasure of playing it, and it's even MORE un-beginner friendly than anything else in the preview manages to be, as the enemies Level up, but, you don't even get any experience.
(19:39:33) ThatGuyNamedMike: So, luck is REQUIRED to get past the 3rd stage.
(19:39:46) AdrianMarceau: That entire mode will need a revision once all the other changes are complete, that's for sure.
(19:40:23) AdrianMarceau: It's obviously low on the priority list and not the focus on this preview build, but continue with your suggestion(s).
(19:40:25) MegaBossMan: It hasn't really been touched yet, unlike the account game.
(19:40:33) ThatGuyNamedMike: This all said, you all know how much of a fan I am for helping out Adrian and taking some of the load off of him, so, I'm personally signing myself up for this one. Idea incoming:
(19:42:13) ThatGuyNamedMike: Someone ELSE, preferably a high-ranking Prototyper, such as Tails, T.J., etc. or me, or a staffer, designs each mission ALONGSIDE Adrian for when the REAL update comes through.
(19:42:41) MegaBossMan: Personally, I think ending it with a battle with a Space-bot, to intrigue interest, would be nice.
(19:42:44) AdrianMarceau: That sounds reasonable. AS long as you don't add abilities/items/mechanics/robots that don't already exist I don't see the problem.
(19:43:02) ThatGuyNamedMike: Now, again, I'm signing up for this one, if that's all right with every1 else.
(19:43:05) AdrianMarceau: I do think a Trill at the end would be fitting - Trill didn't exist when the demo was first put together.
(19:43:22) AdrianMarceau: But I'll let Mike present something
(19:44:33) AdrianMarceau: You can design the five missions of the demo mode.
(19:45:00) ThatGuyNamedMike: Done. you can see if I'm worthy of anything else if that's done right.
(19:45:06) AdrianMarceau: Which robots are in them, which levels they appear at, which abilities they have, and which fields you fight on.
(19:45:25) MegaBossMan: The Demo certainly shouldn't cause frustration though; It's one of the first things people play, and something to get them to consider making an account.
(19:45:36) TheDoc: Also keep in mind to teach and introduce the concept and features of MMRPG in the Demo. Its main purpose is to be a general idea of the game, after all
(19:46:10) AdrianMarceau: I will also let you select which items are available from the start, which robot you start with, and if you think it's necessary, which robots you unlock as you play through.
(19:46:37) AdrianMarceau: Instead of having all three from the start, for example, you can choose to unlock one after each mission if you want.
(19:48:28) AdrianMarceau: Well then, next meeting hopefully Mike will have something for us to review :)
(19:48:42) ThatGuyNamedMike: I'll pastebin in in the General section after IS end it to all the relevant staffers [Adrian, Boss, Doc, Rhythm].

Quick Adjustment to Empty Moves:
(19:53:01) MegaBossMan: Is there any planning to modify the Empty moves, like Dark Boost, Break, Drain?
(19:53:13) AdrianMarceau: I might nerf them slightly.
(19:53:27) AdrianMarceau: They're pretty tentative as well.
(19:53:29) MegaBossMan: I find myself losing 3000 stat points with a maxed-out robot with one move.
(19:53:37) TailsMK4: They kind of need some tweaking...the Sigmas were not hard...the Dark Frags were the big threats of the battles.
(19:53:52) MegaBossMan: And then I found myself in complete Attack/Defense/Speed break.
(19:53:54) AdrianMarceau: That is, if I don't add some OTHER kind of Achilles' Heel to them.
(19:54:11) MegaBossMan: While they were constantly gaining health, of course...
(19:54:35) AdrianMarceau: Yes, at the very least I'll make the life-energy restoring part of the dark boost less frequent - it's super annoying as it is now.