A Look Ahead - Producer's Letter January 2020

[Arkat]

i really don't understand SSG's communication strategy

They don't have one, or if they do, it's really bad.

[pSINNa]

64 bit client

[thomascoolone64]

At least I'll finally get an opportunity to kill Malicia on her home plane ...

Yes but no Malicia is a Devil, it would not even make sense as to her existance there.

[Cocomajobo]

Why say anything then? MASS PANIC!

The Producers letter is meant as a glimpse into our roadmap for the year. The Feywild expansion and the level cap increase are some of the biggest pieces of our intended 2020 roadmap. We could have not mentioned them because they are intended to be released in the latter portion of the year but the decision was made to give everyone an idea of what to expect upfront instead of dropping the news on you all at once close to the release date. We aren't ready to talk specifics, but that doesn't mean we don't want the playerbase to know the bullet points of where we are going this year.

racial variant from last years letter? the new Elf variant looks so cool compared to some of older models, any chance of update like LOTRO? new iconic with shifter? and an ask, lots more druid spells especially lvl 9 where we have no choice just 6 spells 6 slots.

The racial variant project is currently on the backburner with no eta ready to announce. That's not to say it will never release, just that we are not currently able to commit to when/if it will.

*snipped for size of quote*I'm concerned about season 2 hardcore league cannibalizing the live server player population like it did in season 1. There was a steep decline in the number of people available at level cap for raiding and doing high-skull content, and it made me not want to login. How does SSG plan to address this?

We are aware of this and have been discussing internally ways to mitigate the effect for future Hardcore seasons. That being said, we have no changes meant to address this to announce at this time.

While the 64-bit client is probably a welcome (and needed) step forward, is there an end-of-support date planned for the 32-bit client? The laptop I use to play DDO on sometimes has a 32-bit OS.
Would appreciate a heads up on when things might stop working there.

Thanks!

We do not currently intend to remove the 32 bit client when the 64 bit client is released. If that plan changes we will provide notification.

Does the x64 client also mean that finally the PITA plat cap will go away?*snipped for size of quote*

I do not believe so, no. The platinum cap is a server side restriction and should (I believe) be unaffected by client side changes.

Level cap increase (or whatever it is) and more power creep are just bad ideas. Adding more buttons to my hotbars (which means adding more hotbars to my screen period) is unappealing.*snipped for size of quote*

Hotbar management and bloat is a concern that we are actively thinking about when designing the post level 30 systems.

This all sounds fascinating, but I could do without the level cap increase. Every single time time you guys have increased the level cap historically three things have happened:

1. All of the existing endgame gear has been completely invalidated.
2. Most of the current LEVELING gear has ALSO been invalidated or broken by some new corresponding loot update.
3. There isn't enough current endgame content, so only a tiny smattering of builds that can get ahold of decent endgame gear are valid for endgame now.
4. The next 5/6 updates become a desperate attempt to reinvigorate the now horribly narrow and limited endgame.
5. Reincarnating gains a new level of headache.

*snipped for size of quote*

We are designing the level cap increase with these concerns in mind. I will not make a hard commitment that some of these concerns will not end up becoming reality with the level cap increase, however, I will say that we are going into the design process this time cognizant of the pitfalls that have occurred in previous level cap increases.

[ThomasHunter]

I love knowing about a forthcoming expansion as I want to make sure I have the cash saved up for it! So I really appreciate the Producer’s Letter mentioning the expansion for at least this reason!

For me specifically I love the anticipation as well!!!! #pumped

[Kinerd]

The Producers letter is meant as a glimpse into our roadmap for the year. The Feywild expansion and the level cap increase are some of the biggest pieces of our intended 2020 roadmap. We could have not mentioned them because they are intended to be released in the latter portion of the year but the decision was made to give everyone an idea of what to expect upfront instead of dropping the news on you all at once close to the release date. We aren't ready to talk specifics, but that doesn't mean we don't want the playerbase to know the bullet points of where we are going this year.

We are designing the level cap increase with these concerns in mind. I will not make a hard commitment that some of these concerns will not end up becoming reality with the level cap increase, however, I will say that we are going into the design process this time cognizant of the pitfalls that have occurred in previous level cap increases.

i certainly don't envy you this job and appreciate the tricky position you're in

speaking for myself, the producer's letter gave me absolutely no idea about what to expect - it wasn't even clear to me that we were talking about a level cap increase, and a bunch of other people seemed to share this lack of clarity

even now that we have established it, i still don't know what to expect from it - are they more epic levels? if so, you mentioned a goal being to not change XP needed for ER, does that suggest the XP requirements are being adjusted? or XP gains being adjusted? if not epic levels, what are they?

which brings me to your last paragraph, which reads to me as 'the level cap increase is inevitable, and if it breaks all the stuff people expect it to break, so be it.' especially when (and as a former front line employee myself i want to make it clear i mean no offense by this) the final changes aren't up to you anyway, this air of uncertainty doesn't make me excited. it makes me nervous

[Cocomajobo]

i certainly don't envy you this job and appreciate the tricky position you're in

speaking for myself, the producer's letter gave me absolutely no idea about what to expect - it wasn't even clear to me that we were talking about a level cap increase, and a bunch of other people seemed to share this lack of clarity

even now that we have established it, i still don't know what to expect from it - are they more epic levels? if so, you mentioned a goal being to not change XP needed for ER, does that suggest the XP requirements are being adjusted? or XP gains being adjusted? if not epic levels, what are they?

which brings me to your last paragraph, which reads to me as 'the level cap increase is inevitable, and if it breaks all the stuff people expect it to break, so be it.' especially when (and as a former front line employee myself i want to make it clear i mean no offense by this) the final changes aren't up to you anyway, this air of uncertainty doesn't make me excited. it makes me nervous

Internally we have gone through a few different drafts of the specifics of how we are going to implement this. We believe that what we have settled on currently is the structure of what we'll be putting together, however, work has just begun on actually implementing this and it remains to be seen what unforeseen issue will occur that will require us to pivot and alter course on specifics. The point is, we are ready to announce that we are increasing the level cap with the release of our next expansion pack but are not yet ready to give specifics on the structure.

This is not meant to be vague or uncertain. We are increasing the level cap. We are simply not yet at the stage in development where it is ready for full public details. Much like the feywild content itself. We are going to release an expansion pack that takes players to the Feywild. We have, internally, mapped out a design document detailing what players will do there and rough layouts of both the narrative and quest design but have only just begun implementing said pieces and aren't ready to speak more on the feature other than to let you all know ahead of time that the feature is planned and coming.

Don't mistake this clarification for me attempting to dissuade you all from telling us what your priorities and concerns with the upcoming features are. Please do give feedback on the side effects that you are concerned about with anything announced in the letter. We are actively listening and reviewing player concerns and priorities with our own internal concerns and priorities. The overall goal is to continue to build on and grow DDO for the foreseeable future. The producers letter simply lays out the bullet points of our roadmap towards that goal in 2020.

[AlmGhandi]

Internally we have gone through a few different drafts of the specifics of how we are going to implement this.

I can appreciate that.

This is not meant to be vague or uncertain. We are increasing the level cap.

Maybe try writing a list of bullet points in simple language for those of us who don't have English as a mother tongue?

The overall goal is to continue to build on and grow DDO for the foreseeable future. The producers letter simply lays out the bullet points of our roadmap towards that goal in 2020.

It didn't lay out bullet points. Bullet points would be nice.

[Kinerd]

Internally we have gone through a few different drafts of the specifics of how we are going to implement this. We believe that what we have settled on currently is the structure of what we'll be putting together, however, work has just begun on actually implementing this and it remains to be seen what unforeseen issue will occur that will require us to pivot and alter course on specifics. The point is, we are ready to announce that we are increasing the level cap with the release of our next expansion pack but are not yet ready to give specifics on the structure.

This is not meant to be vague or uncertain. We are increasing the level cap. We are simply not yet at the stage in development where it is ready for full public details. Much like the feywild content itself. We are going to release an expansion pack that takes players to the Feywild. We have, internally, mapped out a design document detailing what players will do there and rough layouts of both the narrative and quest design but have only just begun implementing said pieces and aren't ready to speak more on the feature other than to let you all know ahead of time that the feature is planned and coming.

Don't mistake this clarification for me attempting to dissuade you all from telling us what your priorities and concerns with the upcoming features are. Please do give feedback on the side effects that you are concerned about with anything announced in the letter. We are actively listening and reviewing player concerns and priorities with our own internal concerns and priorities. The overall goal is to continue to build on and grow DDO for the foreseeable future. The producers letter simply lays out the bullet points of our roadmap towards that goal in 2020.

i appreciate the effort that went into this, i really hope SSG is able to implement the cap increase well, and i really strongly encourage everyone at SSG to reconsider - a change to something so fundamental to literally every character's experience just shouldn't be a set in stone proposition, especially when SSG is not even sure what it'll look like yet

i think the difference in reaction to Feywild is extremely useful here. nobody knows what specifically SSG is going to do in Feywild either and (aside from one person expressing concerns about graphics overload) the response has ranged from neutral to very positive, which we can all agree does not describe the level cap response. to synthesize one of Fenris' and PB's analogies, if you're going to give me ice cream and want me to guess the flavor, that's fun. if you're going to give me an injection and want me to guess what's in it, that's super not fun - could be medicine, could be a virus

i'm not trying to get you to give specifics. i really would like it if SSG did!, but that's not what i'm going for here, just trying to smooth this out for future announcements. this was not a pleasant rollout on my side, and i'm certain it was no picnic on yours either

[Ryiah]

Does the x64 client also mean that finally the PITA plat cap will go away?

No. The bit-width of the architecture of the build doesn't affect the maximum data types you can access in code. A 32-bit application can access 64-bit and greater data types. Where the performance mentioned in the OP comes from is how the data is processed by the CPU. Barring the use of special instructions, a 32-bit build processes its data types 32-bits at a time meaning 64-bit data will take longer to process. There are numerous ways the processor can hide this away though meaning the performance difference won't be that large unless you're constantly working with 64-bit data types.

[HurtyouBad]

Why say anything then? MASS PANIC!

very easy answer , because some of the very same Forum-ites that would ask "why say anything then?" would post a Thread titled something like "why weren't we the Players given a heads-up" or "your waiting to tell the Players now" or several other type Titles .... it happens all the time in the 10+yrs I've been here , the Dev's say nothing and catch flack or the Dev's say just a smidgen and catch flack .... its NEVER bothered me because I'm not a Dev, never want to be a Dev and I rarely speak out because I'm happy as hell that D.D.O is even still here .... I still love this Game and will be here when the LIGHTS finally go out .... I've wanted to say things to Dev's whether it be for or against a Change , a new Race/Class , a new Adv. Pack/Raid/Expansion or even re-vamped Adv. Pack/Raid , but they are the Dev's and that's what they were HIRED for not me and I'll leave it to them ... I will take a few minutes NOW and say this , since I've been in D.D.O. and really got the grasp of Game down to where I yes I like know it , Severlin in my opinion has been the best Producer and very passionate for this Game from MY player opinion because I feel he speaks & does things for this Game through one of MY favorite sayings "I remember where I came from" and that's just what I've seen and ONLY my opinion ..... and by the way , I love surprises so I'm just fine and even like when Severlin says/gives a lil HINT ..... I look forward to another fun Year and can't wait for ALL planned in 2020 woot!! woot!!

[AlmGhandi]

very easy answer , because some of the very same Forum-ites that would ask "why say anything then?" would post a Thread titled something like "why weren't we the Players given a heads-up" or "your waiting to tell the Players now" or several other type Titles .... it happens all the time in the 10+yrs I've been here , the Dev's say nothing and catch flack or the Dev's say just a smidgen and catch flack .... its NEVER bothered me because I'm not a Dev, never want to be a Dev and I rarely speak out because I'm happy as hell that D.D.O is even still here .... I still love this Game and will be here when the LIGHTS finally go out .... I've wanted to say things to Dev's whether it be for or against a Change , a new Race/Class , a new Adv. Pack/Raid/Expansion or even re-vamped Adv. Pack/Raid , but they are the Dev's and that's what they were HIRED for not me and I'll leave it to them ... I will take a few minutes NOW and say this , since I've been in D.D.O. and really got the grasp of Game down to where I yes I like know it , Severlin in my opinion has been the best Producer and very passionate for this Game from MY player opinion because I feel he speaks & does things for this Game through one of MY favorite sayings "I remember where I came from" and that's just what I've seen and ONLY my opinion ..... and by the way , I love surprises so I'm just fine and even like when Severlin says/gives a lil HINT ..... I look forward to another fun Year and can't wait for ALL planned in 2020 woot!! woot!!

With ppl complaining, whining and gnashing their teeth whatever you do.... I would take the path that requires me to do the least.
I didn't get much further than that through what you wrote... because of line breaks.

[Aelonwy]

Internally we have gone through a few different drafts of the specifics of how we are going to implement this. We believe that what we have settled on currently is the structure of what we'll be putting together, however, work has just begun on actually implementing this and it remains to be seen what unforeseen issue will occur that will require us to pivot and alter course on specifics. The point is, we are ready to announce that we are increasing the level cap with the release of our next expansion pack but are not yet ready to give specifics on the structure.

*snip Feywild snip*

Don't mistake this clarification for me attempting to dissuade you all from telling us what your priorities and concerns with the upcoming features are. Please do give feedback on the side effects that you are concerned about with anything announced in the letter. We are actively listening and reviewing player concerns and priorities with our own internal concerns and priorities. The overall goal is to continue to build on and grow DDO for the foreseeable future. The producers letter simply lays out the bullet points of our roadmap towards that goal in 2020.

Thank you for more information and your (plural) thinking on the direction of DDO. I am not instantly happier about the level cap increase but my concerns are at least somewhat ameliorated by the more in-depth information and the knowledge that SSG is aware of the possible issues and problems that a level cap increase could potentially bring.

[HungarianRhapsody]

i really don't understand SSG's communication strategy

I’m pretty sure that their communication technique for sharing nerfs is the Door In The Face technique.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door-i...face_technique

They’re prettying consistent about how the make changes they think might be unpopular. They announce something truly rage inspiring and then they walk it back to something that is “just” terrible and then they get heaps of praise for the improvement.

Turbine/SSG: “We’re going to stab you in the face and then delete all of your characters.”
player response: “RAR! We dislike that very much!”
other player response: “Look at all these beagles why do you always say there is dooooom? Maybe you’ll like being stabbed in the face”
Turbine/SSG: “we decided that we aren’t going to stab you in the face because we heard your feedback and we value you. We are just going to delete all past lives from all characters. That way you even get to keep your characters!”
player response: “Wow, that’s not nearly as bad as the first pass for this update. I guess we can live with that.”

[FestusHood]

Somebody should make one of those poll threads to see how people split on the level cap increase idea. I'd do it myself but i don't know how.

The obsoleting of gear and content is by far my biggest concern regarding level cap raises. Even without a cap raise it was disappointing to me that the Sharn three piece sets basically obsoleted the Ravenloft sets, at the same level and not that old. I can understand how somebody might want to "skip a cycle" if everything they are trying to grind out now will just be obsolete by the time they actually get it.

[nokowi]

Are characters that push past 30 still auto-spotted by level 1 mobs?

Hope to hear from you in the next decade, as you've been hiding since forming SSG, and it takes a spot score of less than 1 to see you have continually and willfully ignored a portion of your player base.

Hoping for changes in communication in the next decade.

[HungarianRhapsody]

Somebody should make one of those poll threads to see how people split on the level cap increase idea. I'd do it myself but i don't know how.

The obsoleting of gear and content is by far my biggest concern regarding level cap raises. Even without a cap raise it was disappointing to me that the Sharn three piece sets basically obsoleted the Ravenloft sets, at the same level and not that old. I can understand how somebody might want to "skip a cycle" if everything they are trying to grind out now will just be obsolete by the time they actually get it.

https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...-Raise-lvl-cap

[droid327]

This is not meant to be vague or uncertain. We are increasing the level cap.

Please do give feedback on the side effects that you are concerned about

Then I'm unequivocally against it.

There is no way to raise level cap without causing all the issues everyone is immediately concerned about. If you open the airlock and you're not wearing a spacesuit, you are going to die. You cant say you'll figure out a way not to die. You cant just say you're aware of the concerns that you might die as though simply being aware will make any difference. You will die.

If you raise the level cap (say to 40, just for arguments sake), then all current L30 content is going to become pre-cap, that's just math. All current L30 gear is going to be replaced by more powerful L40 gear, that's inevitable. You are not going to release an equivalent amount of L40 content to replace it within one expansion, that's impossible. Those are cold, immutable truths and they clearly tell us that there is a reason the game's been successful so far not raising cap, and why it would be a mistake to raise it at this time.

I'm sure in your design process you considered the idea of a Paragon-type system, where your functional level remains 30 for purposes of gear, quest XP, spells, etc. but you could add on incremental bonuses (much as Epic Levels do) with increasing XP per tier, perhaps with a limited number of points spendable on enhancement-style trees that only provide benefit at L30 (like Reaper, but for any mode). That would provide horizontal(-ish) progression without causing all the disturbances that raising actual character level would create.

I'm sure you considered it, but you clearly decided against it. I strongly suggest that was a mistake, and you should go back to that point and change your plans to a horizontal progression system before you do any more design work on a fundamentally flawed idea that will, without hyperbole or equivocation, completely ruin endgame.

[Arkat]

Internally we have gone through a few different drafts of the specifics of how we are going to implement this. We believe that what we have settled on currently is the structure of what we'll be putting together, however, work has just begun on actually implementing this and it remains to be seen what unforeseen issue will occur that will require us to pivot and alter course on specifics. The point is, we are ready to announce that we are increasing the level cap with the release of our next expansion pack but are not yet ready to give specifics on the structure.

This is not meant to be vague or uncertain. We are increasing the level cap. We are simply not yet at the stage in development where it is ready for full public details. Much like the feywild content itself. We are going to release an expansion pack that takes players to the Feywild. We have, internally, mapped out a design document detailing what players will do there and rough layouts of both the narrative and quest design but have only just begun implementing said pieces and aren't ready to speak more on the feature other than to let you all know ahead of time that the feature is planned and coming.

Don't mistake this clarification for me attempting to dissuade you all from telling us what your priorities and concerns with the upcoming features are. Please do give feedback on the side effects that you are concerned about with anything announced in the letter. We are actively listening and reviewing player concerns and priorities with our own internal concerns and priorities. The overall goal is to continue to build on and grow DDO for the foreseeable future. The producers letter simply lays out the bullet points of our roadmap towards that goal in 2020.

You are, by far, the best overall communicator at SSG when it comes to the game's direction and also about what the Dev staff's goals are or should be.

Keep it up.

BTW...I'm against any level cap increases for the reasons many have already stated.

[Velenfein]

Hi Devs

If you plan to increase lvl cap soon, which means more xp to farm, which will result in more grinding, could you plz not nerf ips and try to balance stuff by not nerfing it. Could you try to balance stuff then by upping melee power a little and keep ips at 100%? Why slow down xp progression if the plan is to need more xp to reach a new lvl cap?

And also plz plz, if you plan to increase lvl after 30, plz leave maximum gear lvl at 29 so it does not become obsolete once we reach lvl 31. It would be insulting for all of us who bought sharn and just finished farming or all still farming sharn raid gear, to wear it for 2 lvl max, then to be able to craft a +25 int at lvl 31 or to pull it from end chest...

Thx for listening to us.