Exclusive interview with Anti-Cheat GM Ephi

[Ravager]

Originally Posted by Rhambuk [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

My question was, and don't feel a need to response since the interview is over.

What do you personally think of the variance, besides it being a massive headache saver as a gm,? With FTE rules now in place is variance really necessary? I thought the point of variance was to give guilds a better chance at getting raid targets over the guilds that knew when it was going to spawn and could sit 15 members at zone 2 days in advance? ( which is no longer the case even without variance ) Wouldn't a pure FTE system with classic raidmob respawn timers be more effective than a variance for more casual guilds? no 24/7 tracking no batphones at 3am, theyd know when the mob was due and if it was viable could form and COMPETE for fte, not poopsock.

Certainly would have an effect on guild sizes too.

[Ephi]

Originally Posted by Rhambuk [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

My question was, and don't feel a need to response since the interview is over.

What do you personally think of the variance, besides it being a massive headache saver as a gm,? With FTE rules now in place is variance really necessary? I thought the point of variance was to give guilds a better chance at getting raid targets over the guilds that knew when it was going to spawn and could sit 15 members at zone 2 days in advance? ( which is no longer the case even without variance ) Wouldn't a pure FTE system with classic raidmob respawn timers be more effective than a variance for more casual guilds? no 24/7 tracking no batphones at 3am, theyd know when the mob was due and if it was viable could form and COMPETE for fte, not poopsock.

I think variance is a necessary evil for a decade and a half old game where the secrets to slaying a dragon have already been well established.

I don't think removing variance solves anything, it just creates new problems.

But, if I'm completely honest, I just don't care very much, it's no longer my area of focus.

[getsome]

glad you cleared up the billion is really a million. i went to sleep last night, with the thought that their has to be a major dupe on the server if 183 billion in plat existed and 2 billion was banned from platlord.

2 billion plat has a potential market value of about $ 4 million usd. only way to acquire that would be through a dupe.

[Ephi]

Originally Posted by getsome [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

glad you cleared up the billion is really a million. i went to sleep last night, with the thought that their has to be a major dupe on the server if 183 billion in plat existed and 2 billion was banned from platlord.

2 billion plat has a potential market value of about $ 4 million usd. only way to acquire that would be through a dupe.

I had similar thoughts while talking about it, which caused me to go back and look at what I had written down. Major office space moment.

[Ephi]

Originally Posted by Writ3r [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Variance isn't needed if there are regular simulated patch day repops, which apparently everyone on staff is already in favor for so make it happen with NO or atleast highly reduced variance as times would reset often enough with the simulation to not have off hour mobs all the time.

A fair point, but I think we cross that bridge when we get there. We don't have simulated patch day repops yet, so talking about removing variance isn't on the table yet. I definitely would not recommend doing both at the same time (creates too much variability, doesn't allow the server and staff to evaluate one change on its own merit).

[Targobaath]

Where is the video of the interview? Its not on the channel.

[Karafa]

ephi bezt

[Splorf22]

Originally Posted by Ephi [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I think variance is a necessary evil for a decade and a half old game where the secrets to slaying a dragon have already been well established.

I don't think removing variance solves anything, it just creates new problems.

But, if I'm completely honest, I just don't care very much, it's no longer my area of focus.

Variance is not a necessary evil. I can agree that something should be done about 500 players sitting on a spawn point with HT and Ice Comet loaded ready to vaporize a raid mob with 3 seconds. But that doesn't mean variance is the only solution. There are plenty of other solutions that solve this problem without the many drawbacks of variance which have been posted thousands of times.

[Tiggles]

http://www.twitch.tv/tigglesp99/c/2590123

Interview is here

thanks for watching

[Kelven]

Variance has its merits, I just wish it wasn't so long.

Simulated patch days + reducing the variance to say 8-14 hrs, would be plenty, no?