Upcoming VUs .
We’re getting close to mid-February and for Calypso that means a couple of new VU’s. First up is FPC’s own content VU including the Mission system which I’ve written a little about earlier.

Missing mobs.
Sumimas and Gradivores will be in for the next release. The reason for their absence is a bug where hovering mobs didn’t want to work too well in the CryEngine2, but it’s a-okay now. We apologize for the time it’s taken for that to be fixed.

Snow.
Just FYI, Gothenburg is not used to handling snow. And it’s snowing a lot here these days. So the snow you’re experiencing? We’re just sharing our lovely weather with you.

At least it’s not cold. Really though, it’ll be gone in the next VU, which should be right around the corner.

Hangars.
Hangars were missing from the roadmap blog-entry, but fear not! That too is planned to be reintroduced before the end of the year, like all old systems.

Missing description on armor plating.
The fix is ready and will come with the next VU.

Missing foot guards.
I’ve gotten word that Trooper foot guards weren’t in game yet. However, after checking, it turns out that the blueprints does exist in-game. If you believe there are still armor parts missing (other than SGA armor parts, we’re aware of those) feel free to let me know!

EBN News: A panel of scientists from the Imperial Geological Office announced in a press release that they have been monitoring a seismic anomaly under Eudoria.

The anomaly consists of a regular series of seismic shockwaves from between 12 and 5 kilometers down in the ground. This is in itself not alarming, but an indication of constant release of tension in the tectonic plates. It is also an isolated phenomenon. The trend is that the anomaly is moving upwards and at a location that has not been seismically active for millennia, which is a cause for alarm.

The regularity is also a matter of concern. Although it is possible that such a phenomenon might originate from natural reasons, such as the orbits of Calypso’s moons, the regularity does not fit any known Calypsian cycle of significant magnitude (lunar orbits, Calypso’s rotation period, orbits of other major bodies in Calypso space etc).

Finally, there’s the strange nature of the anomaly. It is too harmonic, almost as if it were artificial. “To tell the truth”, the spokesman for the scientists said, “we don’t know what we’re looking at, but whatever it is, it’s strange, seismic and approaching. In about a week or two, we will know if and what will have happened.”

Thought I’d spend some time to clarify a little about how I’ll work, and my responsibilities as a Community Manager.

First of all I will hang a lot around the community forum and in-game to pick up the latest buzz and concerns. Right now I’m pretty new in the job, so all the information you require are not necessarily something I’ll know right off the bat; however I am in that position that I can direct the questions to the right people and then bring their answers to you via Entropia Gateway, where I’ll continually post.

When I’ve gotten settled, I’m planning on also doing frequent live chat Q&A’s.

I will take over the newsletters, which will come out on a steady basis from here on. I will also work on updating the website, and I’ll work on acquiring feedback from the community via surveys that will be available on our website.

I really want to keep in touch with the non-English speaking forums. So if you running a non-English forum and haven’t yet gotten a mail from me yet, please contact me so I know where to send information in the future. Its important for these large communities not to fall behind on information.

Emma and Simon are still the ones you’ll contact regarding FPC sponsored events.. However, I might be relieving them off some duties, so if you’re running a major event, we might talk. However, direct your inquiries to Emma first.

Of course, if you have anything on your mind, feel free to contact me!
Yours,
Hanne

As there’s been some questions about this, here’s a quick reminder:

MindArk: Develops the Entropia platform, that all planet partners will use. Responsible for Engineering and Technical issues, such as loot balancing and creature AI. Also lag, bugs, uptime,and game engine falls into their jurisdiction.

First Planet Company: Planet Partner and developer of Planet Calypso. Responsible for design and gameplay issues such as usability, design flaws, busted graphic models and textures. Also responsible for events and Calypso storyline.

For example, MindArk have developed a system they call Quests/Missions. When they’re done at their end, its our turn. At FPC, we’ll use the system they’ve created, but we’ll design and create storylines around it, and use the possibilities it gives to give the colonist a way into Calypso’s lore and economic landscape.

As Marco has mentioned before, we’ve been working on a new quest system which we call Assignments. With the Assignment-system we are hoping to achieve a smoother way to integrate the storyline of Calypso, and let people have a personal relation to the Calypso lore. It will also be another way for the colonists to get into the economy.

A preview of the system with just a few assignments is planned to arrive in FPC’s content release in the middle of February. And when it hits, we would really appreciate feedback from you lot. We are going to put up a survey about the assignment-system to get an overview of your general opinion, so I ask you to please take your time to fill it out.

For starters the assignments are going to be for the newcomers and lower skilled avatars, but soon we will also implement assignments for all levels.

Hi everybody,

My name is Hanne Gulbrandsen and I’m happy to announce that I’ve joined First Planet Company (FPC) as the new Community Manager. I’ve been an active Calypso resident since 2003, and now I’ve joined the developers with the task of filling the gap between the company and the community. I may be known to some of you already both in-game and at EntropiaForum as the avatar Silicon Skam Chip.

As your new Community Manager I’ll be working closely with you guys and gals, I will be your go-to woman. My main task will be to stand for a steady and reliable flow of information. This flow goes both ways: to and from the community, as well as to and from the developers. If you have any ideas or input on how to improve communication, they’re very welcome.

My Calypso persona, Silicon Skam Chip will have to be left behind. I will have a new Community Manager avatar that you will all be meeting in-game soon. I will also have new accounts at Entropia Forum, and Entropia Gateway blog that reflect my new status.

I’m really pleased that FPC has taken this step and are committing to increased communication with the community. I’m proud to play a major role in that, and I look forward to some great times ahead.

Ok, let’s get to it.

Regards,
Hanne Einan Gulbrandsen,
Your new Community Manager.

We bet you’re wondering what’s going on with the Mall event. We would, if we were you. Well, it’s been put on hold as you’ve noticed but it will restart in the middle of February. All rules and prizes still apply as stated before the Winter holidays, stay tuned and we’ll let you know when this thing shifts into gear again.

Some of the creatures on Planet Calypso have mysteriously disappeared! This phenomenon have been observed before, in relation to the organized abduction of the legendary LazerZoid that’s rarely spoken of but sometimes whispered about. While official sources deny any attempt at a purge, they offer this as an explanation: “They’ve probably just migrated to greener pastures. Besides, the planet just got safer. Enjoy it while it lasts.” Yeah, well, tell that to the hunters, G-man. We probably haven’t heard – or seen – the last of this.

During 2010 the new Mindforce system is expected to arrive to Planet Calypso. This time the concept is to release a much more complete system than the one available pre-VU10.0. While it is still a couple of months away from release, we would like to check the pulse of the community and see what kind of powers you would like to see in the next generation Calypso Mindforce system? We already have the Teleportation, Nerve Blasts, Firestorms, Wormhole and Resurrection powers, but beyond that? Maybe buffs/debuffs? Damage over time? Mezz/Stuns? Transformations? AoE? Fields? Or maybe you have some unique applications in mind?

Some basic guidelines:
• Please reply in the thread on www.entropiaforum.com.
• Keep each entry short and to the point (very important!).
• Briefly describe the effect the power is supposed to have.
• Motivate why you believe it is a must-have kick-ass power.
• Be on-topic, the feedback is about the powers, not the actual system.
• Do not flame or criticize other entries without constructive motivations or maybe even advance an idea into something new or better or different.

The work with updating the land areas, malls, shops and apartments continue. There’s been general fixes in land areas to improve the overall gameplay experience by making the areas more friendly for hunting and moving, and we’ve made updates and upgrades to the New Oxford area to accommodate for new and old shop owners. The work continues and we encourage feedback and comments from the community to make sure the spotlight stays on the subject.