Hi HWS Community,
as you probably know Eleon released today a Release Candidate for the upcoming big patch: Alpha 11:
https://empyriononline.com/threads/alpha-11-release-candidate-1.91196
In this topic I want to discuss some things so please take a moment and read through this.
HWS 11 vs Alpha 11
As you know my habbit since almost 4 years is to make a full wipe every time Eleon releases a big update. HWS 2 = Alpha 2. HWS 7 = Alpha 7. etc.
Now, for the first time, it’s not possible anymore and my little autism has to be killed.
We do not full wipe next week on monday! We do NOT full wipe when Alpha 11 will be released!
No full wipe
Since weeks I’m back and forth thinking and calculating but it is always the same result.
We start our own roadmap:
- With the Release of Alpha 11 we turn off CPU
- Our current savegame, which started on 17th September, will be still compatible with Alpha 11. A full wipe for Alpha 11 is not required.
- We keep our timeline and full wipe (HWS 11) at around 17th December
Why?
The reasons we don’t do a full wipe are:
- We don’t want to cut you off from 1 month. Be it gameplay, be it your Supporter packages, be it my own preparation plans for HWS 11
- I want to observe how CPU will be accepted by players and how the gameplay overall will be.
- Since it’s a massive gameplay feature, I don’t want to not include it and want to give you time, to adapt your blueprints to it.
- I want to wait out bugs and issues, which will normally arise with such a big new patch.
So in summary, I want to kill my darlings and do not surf on the hype wave as the first guy, as I normally did.
I want to take a slower approach this time. See, observe, study. Patiently.
Taking you on board on many things I have planned for HWS 11.
HWS 11 Planning
That being said let me get you onboard on my HWS 11 Plans where you can also help me with it.
A new HWS Universe
We are working on a complete new Universe! This is huge challenge since the current universe was a work in progress after 2 years.
But a lot of things happened in 2 years and our requirements changed. Eleon added many new things. We added a lot of new things - Supergates for example.
The current Universe just reached it’s maximum of possibilities.
It’s time to take a deep breath, learn from it perfectly and invent a new universe with all the current strengths but adding even better things on top of it. It’s very hard to do.
Creating a MP Universe is hands down the most difficult task for a Server Owner.
On the same time the most satisfying thing though - we are excited about it.
A special collaboration for HWS Patrons
I’ve heard the feedback that you want to get more involved in my decisions and making process. Building an universe is a tricky thing as a group though. Similar like cooking. You know it probably. The more cooks, the more stressful and risky it will be.
So I’ve decided to work close together with our HWS Patrons. I will post regular detailed updates on Patreon about the process where you can let us know what you think about it.
Patreon is more than just “Empyrion”. More than just “HWS”. It should be also not about getting rewards…
Patreon in its nature is about supporting us in what we do as living. All of that is what I do for living. Day and Night. Help you. Improve your free time you spend on my servers.
So we think it’s a win-win if HWS Patrons can “work” more closely together with us.
HWS Universe Poll
I’m still not sure if time allows me to do a big HWS Survey #4 so please feel free to vote here already:
From 1 = Perfect to 6 = Horrible what is your opinion about the current Universe?
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Multiple Choice Vote
- The Universe is too small
- The Universe is too big
- The Universe needs more PvE
- The Universe needs more PvP
- Something else? Please comment!
HWS Story / Campaign
It’s a very ambitious goal but we really want to integrate a real Story and/or even Campaign to HWS.
Each full wipe will be a “Chapter” in which we want to tell you a story which has a semi-open end and will be continued in the next Chapter (season).
For the first time the Prototype Origin will play a bigger role and can fly around in the Universe as well. Absolutely neutral - with neither benefits nor penalties.
ECC gets a huge addition of an “Origin Temple”, where you can change your Origin even later - at a high price though…
The goal is to bring certain Origins together or further away - depending on your gamestyle.
But also Professor Void, The Alien Worms, You as Clone and the NPC Factions will dive you into a story you want to explore.
It’s a big project and way over the top what Empyrion has to offer but we think it’s time to put all our experience into that – providing you many more playhours of gameplay.
Multiple Choice Vote
- Tell me more about Alien Worms
- Tell me more about Professor Void
- Tell me more about Prototypes
- Tell me more about Clones
- Tell me more about Freelancer
- Tell me more about Federation
- Tell me more about Pirates
CPU & Thruster & Mass/Volume
The other elephant in the room for HWS are those three “features”.
Mass&Volume
For 2 seasons we have now a semi-active Mass&Volume feature. Limits are so high for your backpack, that you can transport a whole planet with you.
With CPU it’s time to give you more decisions how you carry your stuff around.
I don’t have all details thought out yet and it depends on how you are using OCD and other features.
Choose please
- Mass & Volume are part of HWS now
- Mass & Volume needs refinement
- Mass & Volume is useless
Thruster
No worry, I don’t mean with that the exposed Thruster option. This is still a no-go, because some bugs needs to get fixed for it first.
However I’m not sure yet if we keep my reworked Thruster values in the HWS Config or adapt the new Eleon Thruster stats?
Until Christmas I hope to get also more feedback about it and my please at you is already:
Choose please
- Keep Thruster values (HP, Thrust,…) from HWS Config
- Use the new reworked Eleon Thruster values
Check out the reworked Eleon Thruster values here but especially try to play with them in Singleplayer:
CPU
Best comes last. Activating CPU is inevitable – just a matter of time in my opinion.
CPU values might get polished here and there, in worst case I can make my hands dirty in the HWS Config again but overall it affects the gameplay more than Mass&Volume or anything else.
I do not want to fiddle around in the HWS Config in the first place, because it’s important for me to have Workshop compatibility as good as possible. Changing CPU values would open a box of Pandora.
The gameplay, PvE and PvP will change, at the beginning in a weird way but IF the plan works out - in a specialized way and with high competitive skill involved. That is what I try to boost.
Alien Core (NPC Core)
A new salty food of thought: the Alien Core. Once your structure has an Alien Core, it is not affected from CPU Tiers or CPU Penalties – only by good old Class / Block limits.
I think this makes it clear, that we will remove our Alien Core Supporter Package from our website. You won’t be able to buy it with real money or HWS Ingots anymore.
You can still find them in POIs, PDA Missions, Events, etc. though.
Still, there are couple of opinions about it around. For example:
Multiple Choice Vote
- Make HWS Garage ships cheaper
- Make HWS Garage ships expensive
- Make Alien Cores more rare
- Make Alien Cores more common
- Remove own Alien Cores completely
HWS Features
Ok, that one is the last for sure
This is rather a personal challenge and goal for 2020 but just so you know how important it is for me.
I am currently collecting as much data about our HWS Features as possible.
Which is useful, which not. Which needs more work, which is not even finished.
And that list is not short I can tell.
In specific areas I created literally a monster. Overall just what I always wanted: make my own game and tweak it to perfection.
So keep in mind that my plans are not quite concrete about that yet but:
- Implement 10 levels also for EGS Recycle
- Rework EGS Stealth to make it very lucrative to use - especially in combination with CPU and if you have multiple ships you have to use for different jobs
- Another elephant in the room: OCD full + OCD lvl 10 - what now?? This topic needs a solution asap!
- Implement a new “HWS Conquer” Feature for PvP and PvE. Whoever controls the most POIs on a planet the more influence in terms of passive credits + HWS RP gain you get
- And some topics I mentioned more often like rework Events, Missions, Commodity Trading, HWS Factories, HWS Skill Tree v2, …
Alright, that’s it and thanks for reading all of that! It means a lot to me if my 4 hours spending in such announcements are also appreciated - if not, please let me also know so I can invest them in other things!?
In any way, a very stressful ending of a great 2019 Year. After 7 years I moved from Berlin to Bonn, I changed personally a lot, learned tons of new things, met hundreds of new people and have again lot of ideas for 2020 - be it Patreon, Empyrion, Streaming, HWS Connect and more.
Still, you, the HWS Community grew to a big community from nowhere, I could have never imagined.
I honestly appreciate all of you being part of that - it means a lot to me, to us!
Your HWS Team