Is it possible to get some estimation on when the envoy reports are coming?

I mean, as it stands there are a LOT of combat imbalance issues that really need to be corrected, and being as much of the entire game revolves around combat... yeah...

Not to be snide or glib but have patience. A positive spin to consider is that the more consideration taken by the administration, the more likely the future changes will be to taking combat to the "more balanced" spectrum.

Aside from that, I imagine you will get no concrete answer because like all coding matters, it is likely a progressive task that will be completed when it is complete. If you consider Aetolia or Achaea, there were periods when years (read: 365+ days) before anything remotely close to envoy changes took place (in fact in Aetolia for example, I recall a 2 year period where jack all happened with combat).

The dynamic change in Lusternia is certainly -far- faster than some others. How long has Achaea been around? How long did it take to decide perma-axe stun was quote, "not right?"

Plus, remember Estarra said all the coders are working overtime on the rapture upgrade to make everything work more smoothly in the future.

Edit:By that announcement the current projects are the MAJOR coding upgrade, orders changes(which from what I've seen are partially completed) and envoy changes.

The nothing happening in aetolia wasnt because coding took so long, their staff was kind of in an odd state at the time, read through the old news theres a post of matt saying pretty much sorry for the mess I production should be started again.

It'll happen when it happens though they said they wont really be able to get started for a month or something what with all the evil magic and rites that are sending estarra into nervous fits they have to perform to change the rapture engin

We are frankly further behind in our Rapture ugrade insofar that it is turning out to be a larger project than we had first imagined it would be (and we had imagined it would be extremely large). We have also fallen behind on the two projects I wanted to wrap before starting envoys (shrines and aethership specializations). I had thought we would be able to wrap both up by now, but obviously that is not going to happen. I know I had indicated to envoys that we would have started getting to the updates by now, and I apologize that we can't meet that schedule.

This is, of course, one of the reasons why I almost never release schedules--it is too easy to fall behind and we constantly have to change gears, sometimes having to drop projects and sometimes adding new ones. When we tell players that we will get something done by a certain date and then start something new, and then subsequently can't deliver, we only make ourselves look bad (as I am sure we are looking bad right now).

No one is more frustrated than myself that we have fallen so far behind. I know people want (justifiably) all sorts of things, like revising clothing slots (a bigger project than you might imagine), updating the family system, changing the way government styles work, having us start on new archetypes, etc., etc., and you just don't know how badly it makes me feel to say that we just can't do it.

Anyway, all I can say right now is that we'll get to the envoy updates when we get to it. I'm sorry that I can't be specific, but I hesitate to layout another schedule and then fail to meet it. Once we start, however, we are determined to spend whatever time and resources are necessary to address balance concerns in combat.

Meh no reason to be sorry. You and the staff do great things for us. I for one am very appretiative for what I have right now, and knowing that in the future these things will come at some point is good enough for me. I played in a place where the world was stagnant nothing was every being done and no one cared. This place is very dynamic and wonderful I'll wait as long aso I have to.

Thank you.

Not in the smallest degree - you've delivered again and again for the playerbase. The number of new areas and new developments that have come out over the last few months has been staggering.. and I don't remember ever playing a mud where the admin do so much.

Well, I can definitely understand that you have a lot of work on your plate. But personally, I believe that envoys should be more important than either shrines or aethership specializations. Because working on realm balance will do more to make this game better than either of those other additions.

I agree with daevos

i am with daevos also

I also completely agree with Daevos.

Agreed.

(Although obviously I understand that you have to do the Rapture stuff. But envoys ought to come first after that.)

Also agrees with the Shammy/Daevos

I'm sure I don't have to say it but.

We Woov you adminsand we woov you all the more for working so hard
and I hope that you don't stress yourself over how we feel about what your doing. You know what your doing and hey as mentioned above you probably have to prioritize .

The admin have a lot on their plates and are getting to them in the order they think will do the most good. I am extremely grateful for all they do.

The admin have a lot on their plates and are getting to them in the order they think will do the most good. I am extremely grateful for all they do.

agreed, and agreed

While I can understand and sympathize with why you feel that way and why others agree with you, from my perspective I wanted to get those two projects finished because (1) updating shrines/god system was something we've been wanting to have done for over a year and the gods weren't happy with how things were (we want our gods happy, right?), and (2) I felt the aetherspace project was incomplete without the specializations and left a metaphorical "hole" in the system. Knowing that the envoys/balance project may take months to finish and that these other projects were already started anyway, I wanted to finish these loose ends first. Of course, we miscalculated how long it would take to wrap up these projects.

Anyway, the decision was mine and this is my mea culpa for the envoys being so tardy. We aren't going to change direction now and drop everything for envoys. Again, I understand why you are upset, but I hope you will at least try to understand my perspective. (And in the future I hope you'll understand if we don't give out any more timelines!)

Erm out of curiosity is there an expected rough time when the envoys will be started then are we talking one month two three or four or more?

Heh...she JUST said---no more timelines.

Gah! Stop being so logical!