B* Ask Questions!

[rocket]

From Chat earlier today. Sounds like B* will definitely be different from PL. I hope that they eventually are able to implement fighting in space.


13-04, 15:15 rocket:
So I assume B* will likewise have a GCD

13-04, 15:16 Cinco:
Blackstar will definitely have a global cool-down. It will probably have other skill-class cool-downs as well. Like all of your "Holographic" stuff may have a cool-down and all of your "Amp-Light" will have its own, etc.


13-04, 15:17 rocket:
B* sounds very neat and I look forward to it

13-04, 15:17 Cinco:
I'll say - 'coz I can - Blackstar is amazing!!

13-04, 15:17 Cinco:
The items are SICK!!


13-04, 15:18 rocket:
For B* make us really have to choose between skills for each individual class

13-04, 15:19 Cinco:
We did a build of Blackstar where the DPS character (called the "Operative") could use a target debuff to get different combo results with three different classes of weapon. It was very compelling - totally different from PL in a great way

[ratava]

Moved Summary:

Questions with Confirmed Answers:

Frenzyn:

6.Can you give me the name of atleast 2 monsters,rivals, or npcs in the game.
<(Scorn/Riven?) Diara Zath>
7.Why was it exactly called "Blact star"? <Blackstar>
9. Will we be able to transfer platinum from PL to B*? Because i don't want to buy another 165 pack, when i still have 100+ on my pl acc. <Spacetime_Accounts>
11. After B* is released, will u stop releasing updates for PL? I hope not <Justg: "We will always have people dedicated specifically to PL, and guilds are very close to the top of the list in the PL development queue.">

ratava:

1.Will we have space flight?! Our own spaceships? Or vehicles? <Justg: "This will be a mobile MMO. The vids that are currently out are for the older PC version. We will be releasing the ground portion first, on iOS and Android. Space _may_ follow.">
6.Where does the name "Blackstar" come from? (I think I know the answer hint: Something to do with the Scorn...) <SEE ABOVE>

UniitsHD:

1.Can banned PL players still play Blackstar?? <Justg:""Just be cool, and we'll be cool. However, if you are banned in one of our games, you will be banned in all of our games."">

TheLaw:

1.Is this game Free or buyable? <Justg: "Same pricing model, same plat applies to both games.">

Noneo:

1.I wonder how the lag is going to be with every character shooting all of those plasma weapons/bullets, while casting spells and such. I could see it getting pretty dragged down. I'm sure they will release B* with GCD already incorporated though, so maybe that will help?

13-04, 15:15 rocket:
So I assume B* will likewise have a GCD

13-04, 15:16 Cinco:
Blackstar will definitely have a global cool-down. It will probably have other skill-class cool-downs as well. Like all of your "Holographic" stuff may have a cool-down and all of your "Amp-Light" will have its own, etc.

QUESTIONS WITHOUT ANSWERS:

Frenzyn:

1.How will players jump? (I ask this because i saw it in a 2007 beta) or was it removed?
2.Can you give me an approximate how many quests there are if quests are in game?
3.Is there towns or is it a freeroam?
4.WILL THERE BE VEHICLES?
5.Does walking speeds differ between classes OR heavy/smalll weapons?
8. Can you give us the inside on the next town/area/place that will be made after released?
10. will there be a tutorial for the game?
12.Will there be ammo in the game or will it be an infinite stock like pocket legends?

Ellyidol:

1. Is it possible to get a broad description of how gameplay would be like? Like put a game as an example, just like PL? - The question of how tanks are meant to tank in a game where all characters have guns as weapons still confuses me.
2. Will it be the usual, grind for xp, farm bosses for good gear kinda thing? Or would there be something new?
3. Is it still a casual MMO or a bit more hardcore?
4. Judging from how we've seen in PL on how fast we consume content, would it be safe to say that when it's released, we'd actually have a long way to go?

Arterra:

1.Will there be the same ability to hybridize classes between each other and have them prove useful?
2.Are you keeping the 3D aspect, or sticking to PL like two dimensions of movement. ?
3.Any plans for innicial players bonuses?

Rief:

1.What will be the lvl cap first?
2.Are guilds in the game at release?
3.Is there auction houses in game at release?
Are the classes mirror images of pocket legends if not how do they differ?
4.Will there be enough content at release to hold us hard core players?

Mysticaldream:

1.Will b* have any exclusive items like a PL shield that will be rewarded by devs?
2.Will PvP be more in depth?
3.Will the story line be more in depth?
4.Pets? Anyone?

ratava:

2.What PvP modes are at release? Is it still level dependent, which imo reduced number of games going on at any one time in PL?
3.How will combat be improved? Will it be mainly projectile based with guns etc? How will teamwork be achieved?
4.Can we have more concept art of the characters in the game?
5.What specs will it run on? Will their be a desktop client or browser version?
7.Can we have more details on the combat mechanics? Will it improve on PL ie classes HT; projectile based combat
8.Can we have B* forum avatars?
9.When will you update the blackstargame.com website? (I'd suggest you update the story of B* ; add more concept art ; some lore eg NPC races, VIPs, locations & history etc)
10.Will targetting be automatic with % chance hits as per PL or will we have to FACE the enemy and shoot?!
11.Could the ground portion of B* be done on the mobile devices while the space portion on a PC/Mac client?!
12.Will B* UI be as minimal and spare of buttons as possible?
13.Will PvP be totally separate to PvE?

FluffNStuff:

1.Will all classes get guns?

Necrobane:

1.I'm with Elly, what's the combat like? Do the heavy guys tank or is it purely dps? Also, are there melee weapons?

mothwing:

1.will the spells be the same as in pl? like heal, res, etc.
2.what kind of weapons will there be?
3.will there be "sets"?

[ratava]

Q: What customizations will we have apart from weapons/equip?

EG: skin tones (dark/white) for the Commando or m/f for the Engi?

[F1zzzzp0p]

Will their be guardians like pocket legend
I think it would be a really good idea .... Maybe pocket legend
Guardians can transfer ...

[ratava]

Q: How will health and "manna" resources work?

Here in the above (albeit early state) the UI is nice because it is not cluttered and you see the red barrel (armor?) and the blue barrel (energy?). (I like that little radar-scanner map too!).

Will the energy (for skills) resource NOT be infinite like in PL where you just gobble pots? Ie can you make it so that you have to use energy more carefully and find clips lying around to re-fill if you run out? Think this would add a lot to the game? Or if you carry a lot of clips over a point you slow down?

Pots are useful because they give you a second chance, you don't spend too much time being bored not being able to use your skills and they are a clever gold sink but ultimately they CHEAPEN the challenge imo of just popping a pot and blasting away like crazy. I think with ammo and guns it would be more immersive and challenge with ppl taking a bit more care to use their energy resource carefully and hunt the level for more and use their skills more wisely?

Imagine going literally "gung-ho!" and blasting like crazy.. then a swarm of aliens is on your a** ! and you are rushing to find some ammo. Or a team needs to split and regroup to find ammo every so often... surely it would add variety and tactics and communication to levels?


TL;DR: I'd like to see the red and blue barrels as energy and armor resources. The 2 bars in the top (above level) your health and basic ammunition maybe you can spam these with some sort of pot but a) ammo is weak b) health without armor gets depleted real quick!

/2 cents

[ratava]

In PL: Level Design:

Dungeons -> clear out mobs/treasure chests => Rewards: gold coins, item drops, xp.

To Avoid dying/running out of action points we have health and manna potions. These are particularly useful if we are not very skilled or our teamwork is not very coordinated or the mobs are tough/lots of them and tough for our level in the dungeon we're playing through when we newly level up.

But the more we chug down potions the more gold we need to buy them. As item drops are random, we need to do several "runs" in the dungeon to get a "good drop" of a valuable/powerful/rare item: [helm/weapon/armor/shield etc] so again more runs means more potions. To pay for our potions we need to liquidate items and earn gold > than the rate we chug potions. As we get better at PL we need to chug less potions and...

work out the best way to FARM levels: Most efficient way of getting gold/items for least use of potions.

Levelling -> Spend points on stats; equip the most powerful items; add new skills/power levels

This then leads to even better performance in dungeons with better gear and the cycle repeats as we level to the next area.

So will the level design and farming be the same in B*?

For me I really like the combat in PL, but I feel sometimes having potions makes the combat "unfair" stacked against the mobs (LOL! ) and the challenge of levels just relies on either being efficient with your potions or being expensive with them if you get into trouble or doing some farming and stocking up enough potions.

I think getting into trouble should be more of a big deal so that your advance in levels feels like progress when you get past a tricky part of the level or have to think harder about the level than just wiping and hoping your team-mates take on the slack if you are in trouble for eg? Because the farming is useful, but IT becomes the only "real" challenge and more of a time-sink challenge than defeating nasty foes or using really skilful combat?

Conclusion: I'd like to see the Resources in B* more tightly connected to how much you have for each dungeon/level/sector you go into with the option of buying only a few more on top but at a very high premium rate [rip-off rate] or something. I'd like to see the dungeon/levels use carefully spaced out resources eg medi-kits/energy/clip packs that are finite and players have to spend their resources carefully or their most powerful skills/weapons are run out of ammo etc.

EDIT: Adding on to this.

Problem1: What if players are low on ammo and think "aw, shucks, I'm throwin' this game in and quitting," and then restarting?

Solution1: Instead of paying for potions with Gold: Players MUST pay gold each time they enter a level eg fee for the ship that transports them there. So that would replace the gold sink and mean they have already invested gold to be playing the level.

Problem2: But when players realize that the medi-kit and energ pak/ammo clips are over at X, they'll always take the same boring routes?

Solution2: Then the levels would randomize mobs and/or those packs so players have to always think and use their resources wisely.

Problem3: But isn't farming going to become much more hassle if resources need to be so finite?

Solution3: If players use less of their resources/kill mobs more efficiently then the loot drops % chance could improve a bit? This would give an incentive to players to play really calculated/"pro" and maybe their performance levels could be fed-back after each level as part of the contribution etc in a little stats sheet to see how their combat performance was for that level with target scores providing better loot chance etc based on player performance more than grinding?!

eg: Story: Your commanding officer/corporation paying you privateers realizes you have used less resources so you're allowed to keep ""more"" spoils and your "luck" therefore rises either through the dungeon relative to your combat or if that's too tricky to calc then for the next dungeon(?!).

Problem4: But if you take away the farming time-sink where is the challenge/it will mean levelling is too fast?

Solution4: Perhaps different modes like Hard-Mode could be added with different objectives/stronger mobs/less time/resources/more challenges and different things to see/do/quests all unlocked?

TL;DR: I understand potions are a good leveller for different skill levels of players and also a great gold sink and resource usage by players but I am wondering how their use and the farming challenge can be improved in B* to add more to the combat challenge??