text:
I just want to precise that this post represents my personal opinion and that of my cousin that played with me during this Alpha
we both played Deprived so as you will see most Example involve comparison with Deprived related ships and components.
I did check Eclipse and Vanguard for knowledge and in game comparison but i certainly do not have as deep actual ingame testing with those factions that i have with deprived.
I'll Try to abord on different Sections of the game that will be as follow:
- Factions
- Skill Tree
- Balance
- Lasers
- Shields and Armor
- Modules
- Craft and loot system
- Flavor and random other ideas
Feel Free to check the sections you are interested, to comment, argue or even correct me if i'm wrong.
Remember that we are all here to give feedback and help the devs improve the game, Have a good reading and have a good day.
pretty good update indeed, all pirate factions have different enough theme (both in weaponry and visually)
- Screecher: are like the crazy pirates, mostly using canon and missiles and ramming you like there's no tomorrow
- Nebulords: are sort of slaver cartel, decent weaponry, and they often have ships that will try to capture yours ( i had a surprise when the base could also board my ships the first time i tried)
- Pyramid : is the hightech crazy ... they literally have the best of laser technology, and they can do so much damage from so far that you have to be pretty careful when dealing with them.
Can't wait to see more and more faction showing up to give everyone the flavor they need in this game.
On a side note, I think the outer rim of the galaxy should be increasingly dangerous, I really didn't felt in danger when roaming there, there are many possible warp location every few sector, but it should really be more danger,there the outer area should have really aggressive faction, bigger and tougher fleet size that you either need a very strong and well-built fleet of your own or friends to roam the area with, also increased chance to meet alien factions.
Additionnaly if unchecked for long time, when Faction gather at least 3 systems, they should become increasingly dangerous (even in core sector area, the big ring where we could pop stations) increasing all their fleet size and how fast they pop patrols (that can then start attacking stations and even defeat a mothership if left unattended)
Ideally it should also increase the chances to have faction "raid boss" poping in the edge of the galaxy that would slowly move to attack a player faction, would require 3-5 players at least to defeat, with high rewards/rare components for crafting/unique and powerful mods/ship blueprints (super dreadnought, super carrier, or simply "capital ship" ? with stats almost double of normal ships of that class or double carrier stats if you take the Capital ship, but able to only have a SINGLE one of them no matter the faction ship)
OR they could provide a temporary boost once killed to the faction that killed him for a few hours.
Another idea is to have a small chance in every battle that an alien scoot be present (cloaked?) just like in the versus AI mode, if you spot it and destroy it, it will warp an alien vanguard. (could add some fun/spice to all fights in conquest)
This would add a small chance for some fun with aliens pop, pirate should become real threat if unattended, making the conquest mode more dynamic overall.
also maybe different factions of pirate should probably be at war with eachother as well (having screecher/nebulords/pyramid) in same system roaming felt a bit weird, could work for some sort of Event where all pirate faction ally against player faction and try to raid even harder player bases (forcing players to stop attacking eachother and start defending)
Otherwise the conquest mode will pretty rapidly reach a stale mate state once the game is release (already almost felt the case after only a week in alpha)
Skill tree of ships
The idea overall is good, I like it a lot and can make a nice difference between invested and non-invested people while not being game breaking.
I'd say that regarding trees some are good and some are bad and i would like to add suggestion to improve and give more clarity overall.
there's most of time 3 starter lines and i think they should be changed to something like that:
- LEFT: FACTION Tree, list here the stuff that should match faction flavor and generally add the survivability area of a ship in here, i play deprived, so for example all the deprived ship should have at least the line "increase deprived ship regen by x%", but there should also be things like additional hull, crew, shields, shield regen and so on, but the skill/passive in that tree should match Faction identity only. But it could be +structure/shield/armor, lower shield energy cost?
- MIDDLE: this should be the Ship type tree, playing a Merlin then all Merlin should have the same CORE tree, related to weaponry, all merlin use a mix of Canon/weaponry regardless of roles, so just put various stat like dmg/range/weapon cooldown with cannon AND missile and let us choose which one we want to specialize into, reduction on power usage for those a weapon of choice so on... (could be mutually exclusive, if you pick Missiles energy requirement then you lock the canon one), I think any movement upgrade should fit in here (2 line, one for top speed, one for angular speed) because depending the weapon you sometime simply prefer better angular speed to retarget or better top speed to reach your target (like with a cqc) so it's still on the offensive area.
- RIGHT: here should be ROLE specific upgrades, you have an engineer then you should have stuff related to more power and better support modules, I saw that too many time that right side had stuff I didn't even use on that particular ship (like plasma mine mine dmg, that's too specific, or 3 lines related to warp module but that ship won't use one) I think you should add TAGS to modules, and they could have different tags each (see below), and then that Tree should upgrade certain tags. I think it's more or less what you're doing already but it should be clearer, a general or tag specific passive decrease in power use for module could be a good idea in that tree.
let's say Warp Jump is "movement", but fleet warp is in my opinion all of "movement", "support" and "AOE" as is adds an area and can affect other ship if you follow the logic.
Omicron module would be Aggressive/Support/AOE
Stalker Mine would be Aggressive
Frag mine Aggressive/AOE
Then you add 3 Tags you consider be the key role of that specific ship and give upgrade related to it
Just remove the non-generic tags, replace everything with more generic things so that it can affect a broader range of modules and gives more choices to players (and of course change module description to show which tags it has)
Another possibility for those Ultimate would be to slightly alter the ships design to reflect the new upgrades
Left tree would add one 2x2 or two 1x2 engineering slot in which you can slot (only?) new armor/shield or whatever (which do increase overall survival)
Middle tree could add a few new weapon slots depending on the ship design exemple on Merlin ANT you have Two 2x3 slots and one 3x2 + 4x2 missile. then you could decide to uprade either canon or missile and depending on your choice you would get the 2 side canon upgraded to 2x4 or the missile upgraded to 4x3, both option giving access to slightly more or slighty different weapon on those slot while not increasing too much the design/total dps
Right Tree is about modules so you could get things a 2x2 or 2x3 engineer slots and an additionnal +100 energy (or simply +100-200 max energy) so you can possibly slot more or better mods on the ship. (carrier could get better hangar sizes to fit better wings)
Also, the bonus on general survival (Left tree) and movement should scale UP depending on the SHIP SIZE AND TIER if you keep Flat numbers (cause seriously who want to pick a +50 armor upgrade on a dreadnaught? It's just absurd and a waste of point)
OR even better instead of flat rates to things like shield/armor/structure, just make % upgrade that would fit any design and just higher % depending on tier.
Ex tier 2 frigate get things like
+1/2/3/4/5% structure or shield or armor (you can put all or some available and let people pick) also it should be a total modifier … not upgrade to base stat of ship
+10/20/30/40/50% deprived regen (regen seems to be fixed to 60hp/arm regen so while decent on small ship it's a bit ridiculous on bigger ships) otherwise make the regen heal maybe 2% structure and armor making the regen be IF 3-4% fully upgraded through skill tree.
A Tier 4 Frigate would get
+ 2/4/6/8/10% structure or shield or armor
+ 15/30/45/60/75% deprived regen
Note: regarding my idea of Faction tree, I'm not sure whether when you craft other faction tree you should have their tree as well or keep yours, cool stuff that fit the pirate/alien faction can also be fun. (example screecher are ram crazy give them some passive ram bonus in that tree at some point)
Another note, with 30 pts you could at most afford 2 of the 3 alpha mods, meaning that you need AT least 10pts invested in the tree to unlock the alpha mod for it OR alternatively keep the alpha at 15 points either 10 in the tree and another 5 anywhere or 15 in that tree(but you could only pick one), this way people have to make meaningful choice regarding their ships roles.
Right now, you just ask people to put 15pts in whatever and the final choice of alpha mod is between 3 different modules so … not much difference except you need to think more carefully how you invest your points.
The ultimate from left tree should really be mechanic changer or massive boost to survival.
E.g. of potential alpha mod: Deprived regen works constantly even when hit during battle, eclipse shield regen work in battle, +25% structure, +25% shield, +25% armor (again … use faction thematic) either let people pick a single trait make it strong and faction related, or give a choice of 2-3 "survival" related upgrade.
Ultimate from Middle tree could be anything related to the ship Class/Weapon, so you can either pick a passive boost to one of the two weapon the ship usually uses, like 20% dmg boost to canon, or 20% to missile, or give a choice of a module that usually fit "aggressive" play. Because this tree is all about weapon and/or reaching target with movement (weapon overload, focus fire, engine boost)
Ultimate from Right tree should be regarding support/module overall, so that part can be specific to ships that would fit this ship general playstyle, aggressive mod -20% energy, support mod -20% so on… this way you enable people to specialize and slot more module of that tag or simply use other things with the now saved energy. When you see that some mods have 800 requirements … that might not be a small benefit in the end.
Note: carrier wings should probably be in the Right tree, since they are considered modules right now, and clearly if there is a 20% reduction in their power usage it would enable some real nice builds with them.
I think this model of skill tree would be both better streamlined compared to what is actually done, you know that a tree is survival and depends on your faction, one is based on weaponry/speed and last one is about support/module
Each have a role, each have an ultimate that will change or enhance how you play that specific ship
and i think that overall is more implicating to the player that the current one.
right now the "survival" area is meh most point give so little that its not worth it to spend any point (except a few ships that have good amount, like the Pyramid premier that gets 1000 shield for 10pts) but that's rare.
The weapon upgrade are right now the only interesting choice because they impact range/dmg output in %
the Module area is aboslutly useless as well.
the Alpha-Mod are ... well sometimes upgrade are decent, sometimes they are nearly useless (i remember an alpha mode upgrade like 600armor or 150 structure/300 arm and 600 shields) i was like ... well for a Carrier it kinda sucks.
final thing for this Area, please add a way to respec ships point (either with lot of IGC or with shop currency)
So, discussing to a few players, I noticed that most felt more attracted to Eclipse faction at first, you have stats on your side i think, so you can definitely see how many active players there was in each faction. Considering how much of the map eclipse had (basically double from the other 2 factions) if your stats can confirm or infirm that it would be nice, as this probably will show you faction attraction at launch. And if there is a too strong imbalance in faction pop it will be a problem in the long run.
Players do no enjoy for most being the underdogs and will either drop the game or flock to Eclipse to be on the winning side and this won't be good on the long run.
I think I'm going to repeat myself from last reports, but Faction description has not been respected AT ALL, Eclipse were supposed to have less energy than other faction and they are on par for every ship.
They have identical Structure, and usually more total base defense (armor + shield combined) than both Vanguard and Deprived ships.
Also the word i heard a bit was that Deprived ships kinda looked like trashbin compared to say ... eclipse where most ships do look sleeker. cant say i disagree, deprived dont look particularly appealing visualy. but ... i like their game mechanic and background so i picked them. but this is something devs should be aware of.
An idea would be to give an increasing bonus to the underdog factions, if too many player want to play Eclipse, fine, but let Vanguard and Deprived have a +% to all ship stats (armor/shields/weapon damage/structure) based on faction (active)population
i think the bonus should be about those
Max is 100% all stats if there is 30% or more faction pop difference
50% at 15%
25% at 5%
no bonus if less than 5% total pop difference
so for exemple
50% Ecplise
30% Vanguard
20% Deprived
Ecplise get bonus against no one
Vanguard gets a 55-60% bonus against eclipse
Deprived gets 100% against Eclipse and about 40% against vanguard
While 1v1 would clearly be easier with those bonus, they do not guarantee a win against 2 or more players.
and stats wise you have double stats as deprived but ecplise is still also more likely to fight you 2v1
those bonus should help keep population as close as status quo as possible
Note: thats my idea. maybe devs have a better one to prevent a faction being too powerful.
Notes on Lasers
still feel way too strong for a few reasons(in my opinion)
- They have Both high damage dealer at Close(CQC/Disintegrator) and Long Range(HHL/Spear)
- Where are the close range 1x3 canon with 60dps ?
- Where are long range canons with 80-100+ dps ?
- They have pinpoint accuracy and deal instant damage (no cannon except Gauss has that)
- They are the highest dps per energy required in the game
- They require NO AMMO (so no need to waste precious slot on ammo AND field 1-2 ammo dispenser)
- they do double damage against armor which with next point make them top pick
- Issues related to Shields/armor/mods treated later in post
Every single fight on every Faction side I had (eclipse/deprived/vanguard) … everyone used laser, not once i saw someone use canon or missiles.
80% if not more of the Halloween cup was laser (especially phantom)
I myself tried to use cannon or missile build as deprived ships are filled with missiles slots, I even tried the faction missiles, everything feels disapointing at best.
one of the issue i see is that most if not all Missile (and canon) eat ammo like a kid eat candies, you need to spend over 10 SLOTS of engineering just to have 120s worth of AMMO for any weapon and if you want more you absolutely need an ammo dispenser and hope that it doesn't get destroyed during the fight or you're in royal trouble.
Another Issue, ammo box can get destroyed if your opponent can shoot directly to your structure, making you loose your ammo for good (and that sucks)
Example 1: Merlin AAN that had loads of missile slots could have 8 Faction missiles and needed 8 crates just to hold 120sec, said missiles had a whooping DPS of … 13…. and a range of 7500(range is actually pretty good)
For comparison sake for the same slot size and less energy requirement I could field a blaster canon with ~30dps that do not require me to slot ammo or ammo dispenser. How is this balanced?
Example 2: is the Cargo … 8 missiles as well, you put a mining complex or salvage module then all the 8 remaining engineer slots MUST be ammo just so you can have weapon on your ships. The Eclipse version can be FILLED with lasers in addition to the mining complex AND then you can still put loads of armor to it. How is this balanced? An Eclipse cargo has both higher damage output AND survivability also why does the Eclipse has 1000 more shields AND same energy/structure/armor/cargo as the deprived one where is the Faction lore respected?
if I even wanted use say autocannons AND missiles on my Merlin I should basically fill ALL my remaining engineering slots with ammo just to be able to fight 120sec, autocannon would need about 12 ammo crates and 8 ammo crates for missiles and even then, I would still have lower DPS AND SURVIVABILITY than just going all blaster canon ignoring completely the missile slot and just putting armor there and putting 3k shields + mods on the rest of engineering slots.
Here are a few ideas to make other weapons more attractive: (not everything should be implemented as is but at least some of them)
- Increase ammo crate ammo value by 50 to 100% each or put a skill tree line with those values for every ship that can use either of cannon/missiles (should probably be around the first or second line in the tree)
- Add a skill line to reduce Spread by 10-20-30-40-50% somewhere in all ships using canon (replace that by reduce weapon cooldown by 5-10-15-20-25% on ships with 2x4 Slots and that hence can use heavy cannon)
- Considering the Extremely low DPS per energy needed for missile … consider boosting their damage by a magnitude of at least 50% (either stock damage or through Skill tree upgrade) *
- OR Make missiles partially be penetrating (maybe 15% missile damage or 15% chance to ignore armor)if they keep low dps but have a chance or partially pierce armor i'd probably be fine with it
- Regarding Deprived … regen should definitely work with at least 50% efficiency in battle passively OR could be activated at 100% efficiency through skill tree like proposed previously
- Increase Laser (or all energy damage?) Weaponry Base energy Cost, energy cost could decrease through skill tree like proposed previously.
- Lower size and energy requirement for ammo dispenser
- AND/OR increase AOE radius for replenishing by 100% at least (AOE is so small the ships need to be way too close to even regen ammo)
- AND/OR consider upgrading to 10% ammo regen (or always at least regen 1 ammo) because I had a bug with weapon that had too low ammo stock (I think on a reaper torp) that if regen was not at least 1 then it wouldn't regen at all so I had to field 2 ammo dispensers to be able to regen my ships.
- OR create a smaller/cheaper version that is PERSONAL and not AOE. So that it can be fielded on ships that require ammo.
Increase by 20-25% the base DPS of all cannon weapons (since all canon have travel speed + spread many times some of your shell won't even touch your target I think it's a pretty fair trade off, more damage for less accuracy)**
- OR Consider non-Energy canon variant to ignore shields all together
- OR Make more gauss style weapon that would ignore shields, and like gauss have "powered" ones that have much higher damage but won ignore shield by being electrically charged.
*Sure, Missiles are great utilities since they can avoid LOS and shoot at 360 (and sometimes shoot over asteroids), but with such low DPS they are often better being ignored completely to be replaced by Armor that has higher value per ships for survival purpose than the missiles (for the Merlin AAN the replacement of the missile was equivalent to an additional minimum of 5k armor and 3k shields and on my book its better than 8 slots of engineering wasted and 104dps for 16 missile slot) while nice on fast frigate/battlecruiser that have high mobility they become useless on bigger ships that won't be able to kite anyway.
**Example with the heavy blaster canon (red mod I forgot the name) …. How many time I missed some if not all shells of my shot because between the time I shot and the shell reach destination the target moved, or some of my own ship moved slightly or the spread was too big and my ship took the shot instead of my intended target. That kind of scenario do not happen with lasers, they shoot, they hit the intended target 95% of time.
Notes on Shields and Armor
- Shields are a bit expensive since once you've set your weapons you dont have all that much power left in most case, leaving you with the option to go low on shields and stack all that remains in Armor
- Shields do not seem to regen in fight or they take such a beating that the regen is pointless anyway
- they are too easy to counter (EMP, shield disabler, emp weapons)
- Even laser that do 50% dmg on them still beat them with ease and once they get to your armor they melt your ships in seconds
- Since Armor is the cheapest and Only defense that do no require energy combined with the fact that shields are so easily breakable it hugely contribute to laser being the Top pick weapons
Some ideas to fix some of the problem that situation make (om not suggesting to apply everything at once)
- Make Shield Cheaper in energy
- give Shield provide least 50% more shield and regen
- Make shield Regen work in battle and make all shield regen between 50 to 100% faster to make shield and shield regen a
- meaningful defense against energy/missiles ( i still think bullet should ignore shields or some variant of it)
- Make shield overload 50-100% more expensive to match the increase in shield regen
- Make it provide 60-75% of heavy armor protection (they cost energy and are not cheap to slot that's why)
- Make it adapt to the first damage type receive and every 5-10sec adapt to the damage received (missile/canon/energy)
- while adapted, armor abosorbs 50% of that damage type, Piercing part of some weapon ignore the damage reduction and still hit the structure.(piercing bullet, phantom lasers, focus fire)
- Make Laser do only 25-33% damage to shields
for example any player that would stack only canon, laser or missile on his fleet would instantly loose 50% of dps,
This option would force player to think their ships weapons/fleet composition instead of dumbly stacking the best weapon/ship they have since an alternative weapon would be able to do some full dps, also giving a chance that on the 5sec mark to refresh the adaptation the second weapon will be counted then its main weapon will do full dps for 5sec.
considering that most ships do have 2 different weapons they can use it's not a stupid idea.
Now, you have to separate Ranked balance and Conquest mode as both have totally different way to play.
Its ok to have only 2min of ammo in ranked as you can just make supply station and/or warp to mothership to replenish ammo on the fly, and if you lose a ship it doesnt matter you can warp a new one, so having ammo dispenser mod is probably the least of your problem.
In conquest you can't stop at a nearby mothership/supply station during a fight, if you lose a ship in battle you'll have to warp or travel to the nearest available mothership and repair your ships from main menu shipyard (by paying IGC)
So in conquest your deal is to keep your ship alive as best as you can (especially the one with the loot) you will need more defense and support modules than you would bring in a ranked mode, unless of course you are farming supply lane with 2+ players ... just have a scoot and insta gib ships as they warp in but You definitely cant farm pirates the same way.
Also remember that ranked gives you access to a wide selection of equipement that you would not have access easily in conquest mode, and conquest gives (on the long run) access to equipement that is not available in ranked.
so im not sure how devs plan to balance 2 sides of the game that plays differently. (even games like world of warcraft never shit balanced between pve and pvp modes)
Notes on modules
Modules are becoming plenty and that's in my opinion a good thing.
however i feel that most of them are always "activable" for a short period of time, and that i'd like to see more passive and toggle on/off ones
Also i'd like to see some module have some kind of effect in conquest mode
eg: better speed, have on screen information about total ressources in asteroid fields, being able to scan enemy fleet maybe different scan level like formation and better one to also be able to scan equipement, being able to stealth in enemy territory
i dont think its out of the question since formation already have "stealth" in their description, module already have that but either make specific module or extend usability in conquest mode only so that provide module provide specific skill as long as the ship with module is alive
eg Scan module could enable scan on conquest as well, sensor array provide +1 radius to radar
rule of thumb should be that activable module would generally cost less energy to slot but are situational and require much more micro managing of fleet while Passive module should be a lot more expensive to slot and provide a constant bonus (that should also be lower than the active one variant if any)
- AOE shield should be a passive providing the opportunity to have a support/shielding ship for your fleet, AoE size should be bigger too. the support ship being some kind of shield fortress and it would also be counterable by simply entering the AOE to dps things (this would for exemple prevent long range stacking of enemy fleet, im looking at you heavy heat laser/Spear of Wrath stacking fleet)
- Or make a Fortress shield module that do exactly that (but cost more than the active one)
- Omicron Module damage for its size and energy cost, 3x3 there are far more useful things you can take. a simple 1x1 flak mine for 50 energy does much much more damage.
- Option 1 : significantly boost the damage AND/OR AOE radius and leave the mechanic as it (should do much? more than a flak mine considering the 3x3 and energy cost)
- Option 2 : make is a personal aura that does light dmg in aoe around self and heal for a % of damage done (self OR distributed evenly amonst friendly ships in AOE)
- Option 3 : make it an AOE centered on self that does burst damage, delayed heal (let's say just take the total amount of damage its doing right now but released in a single burst) the visual effect could send forward a first wave (redish or yellowish) outward your ship that first deals damage, and when the wave reach outer limit, it come back (greenish/Blueish) and heal all ship when coming back to your ship.
-as the name generator let me think its "constant" i guess option 2 fits better, otherwise the option 3 feels more like "explosion/wave" stuff. its design right now feels more like an "omicron probe"
- EMP cost AND/OR size should be bigger AND/OR CD should be higher (maybe increase AOE size AND/OR damage to shield to compensate)
- Shield disabler could last 10sec and have higher CD and/or energy cost in compensation
- Plasma web for its size/cost/and how it works has ridiculous dps, either make it ignore shield AND/OR armor for that DPS OR at least double the DPS AND/OR double its duration. as is, it is not worth taking
- Overload weapon change the mod to be Togglable, increasing weapon CD by 20% and loosing 1-2% structure per seconde while active (that could make things fun)
- warp/Fleet warp i had a bug on my Hecate Carriers that none of them could use any warp at all (and that was annoying especially since one had it as an alpha mod)
- Shield Drain for the cost/size i'd like to see it drain a small amount of all ships in the AOE passively OR with previous idea for shield Applying a flat Degen to all ships and applying to himself the total ammount leeched in an aoe around him instead. making it a decent pick for large ships that go brawling Increase in energy cost and Tier/rarity could be an option as well.
- Gravity pull is HUGE AND EXPENSIVE and the pull traction just feels not strong enough for its cost. for a 2min CD and 800 energy mod, it should literally do a hard pull on center of everything in the aoe, making all ship ram eachother and mess formations the hard way, it's most likely a one time use in most battle so it should have a decisive impact on the battle.
- Gravity push is like the baby gravity pull, its smaller, cheaper, and should be on relative short cd as its main use is only to break formation by pushing ships away. most likely they wont take damage unless they have poor formation and you use it very well place (like push the front one into the one behind him or push them into asteroids)
- Considering size and cost of the Fleet repair drone, you could make it a passive regen (just imagine a fleet of nano repair bot repairing automatically the damage of a fleet) just lower the base at which it regenerates armor and structure.
- we already have lot of potential "burst heal", healing stasis, healing lasers, armor patch, repair drones.
- Armor patch doesnt provide a meaningful armor regen, make it regen 50% missing armor (this way its better used when you're low and is wasted if used too early)
- Repair drone heal structure well, but should regenerate armor faster (50% more ?)
- Make Stealth and mass Stealth auto toggle when tagging "out of combat" that would be a big quality of life improvement for those who want to use stealth, making hit and run tactics, usually you want your ship in stealth as much as possible triggering it ourselve is a bit annoying.
- consider making a "Ghost" module, combining the stealth and no radar detection in a 3x3/3x2/2x3 sized module that would cost a bit more energy to slot (again for those who would like to be more stealthy)
- Radar module, increase energy cost, make it increase vision range (either by a falt amount or by a %) passively and increase stealth detection radius.
- OR make a different module that actually does that, and that ideally could stack (making the possibility to have actual scoot)
- Make an AOE shield overload variant, Much bigger, more expensive, would apply the Shield overload in an aura around the ship (togglable, with a 10sec CD to turn on or off, to prevent people timing the invincibility against big burst), but also applying the normal shield degen to all ships. effectively making your fleet temporarly invincible for as long as their shield can hold the degen but making them completely vulnerable afterwards
- Bear in mind that except Carrier specifically built for the overload no other ship can hold the degen inflicted by overload for a long time, it would be barely 2-6 seconds invincibility on smaller ships and maybe 10-15sec invincibility on a dreadnough that would be especially outfitted to have shield+regen.
- EMP (module AND weapons) should work against shield EVEN under overload (right now even an EMP burst wont work against an overloaded shield) only counter is things that ignore shields and shield disabler mod.
- Focus fire module should last 50-100% more time. could increase cost AND/OR CD to compensate
- Make a passive variant, bigger, more expensive to slot and providing maybe 10-15% chance for any projectile/missile to pierce armor
- a Laser passive variant could be made with only 5% chance to ignore armor passively OR 10-15% chance to ignore shields
- a Laser Active variant could be made with same duration as focus fire, and give laser with EITHER 25% chance to ignore shields OR 10-15% chance to ignore armor
- Point defense could be more efficient at taking down things (1.5-2x take down rate), increase energy to compensate as it will become one of the only defense against missile if they are boosted
- Salvage module (please make this one auto pick salvage in vicinity without activation (its really Quality of life)
- Make a module that Adds Cargo ? maybe +2 cargo per engineer slot used.(especially if you plan to add more components to drop/loot)
- Wings modules of Carriers
- Extremely expensive in energy
- Poor dps for the energy cost (what weapon has 35-40DPS with a 400 energy cost ?)
- very fragile to point defense as they should be
- somehow some missile just kill your wings when you are shooting at the same target your wings are (that's frustrating since Deprived carrier come only with misiles and hangar slots)
- the need for ammo on wings is a bit absurd especially considering the ridiculous amount to recharge them
- the only time factor should be "fuel" when running out of fuel (maybe after 1-2 min) figther should go back to carrier to recharge (maybe 30sec to 1min CD to refuel and launch)
- Bomber should only be able to target other ships and only be given attack order (they should have relativeley high dps considering the cost being on par with super high tier weapon such as Spear or Wrath or Gauss)
- Fighter should be able to be sent in attack formation or defensive formation (around a targeted ship), while in defensive formation they shoot down incoming bombers and missiles (it's not a new idea, most space themed game have this sort of option)
- Some Module to boost temporarly or passively Squadron could be an idea
this way bombers would be the choice when wanting to play offensive carrier, and you can field defensive carrier with fighers and have its squadron protection desired target against missile/bomber.
Some more Module with AOE BUFF/Debuff should be considered (think like auras maybe around 8-15K radius) that would boost offensive stats (including Wings) in a relatively high AOE radius, they should be relatively big and expensive (only engineer ships could slot them)
some idea
- AOE weapon overload, sacrifice 5% max structure per second on the support ship to enable 20% cd reduction on all weapons
- Fleet targeting computer Increase all weapon damage by 20%
- Savior, Sacrifice 5% max structure on support ship, heal that amount in an aoe around him to all allied ships (except self) - this would be buffed by healing tags upgrades and by increased structure for exemple.
- Singularity generator all enemy ships in the AOE suffer 20-25% reduction in max speed and maneuvrability
- Mass Drive disruptor Disable all possibility for enemy ships to change speed and direction for 10sec (2Min CD?)
- Hull polarization - AOE debuff that make all enemy target take +20% dmg from energy sources
- Hull integrity scanners - AOE debuff all enemy ships take 20% more kinetic/explosive damage
- Armor corrosive: AOE medium damage (50-100DPS) to ARMOR only inefective on target with shields.
- Sentient AI wing control: All Wings in aura (10k radius ?) get 25% damage and 25% fire speed (so it work only if you expose your ship and wont work if you just send bombers at 20k range)
- Time lord Stasis : AOE triggered Stasis prevent shooting at target and prevent target from all action, put their CD on HOLD for 10sec, 2Min CD
Notes on Craft and loot system
This part is really a personal taste on how craft is and how it should be
i am not sure how research and stuff will work and what devs have in store for the craft part
but anyhow i'll give my opinion
As is i saw a few good thing on craft some blueprint were dropped, they required different weapons/components to be crafted (neutron blaster in mind)
However considering how easy things are droppable right now i dont see much point to the craft system as is (except crafting stuff you cant have otherwise, like pirate modules)
By the end of alpha, i had gazillion of every weapon models, i could have outfitted my whole faction with spear of wrath/gauss/laser/disintegrator beams so on, which doesnt exactly seem natural, i dont think the loot rate will be like that but you never know.
I think that when you destroy a ship, you should only drop various components, and only PART of blueprints the higher the tiers of something the more blueprint pieces you need.
I'm not sure how research station will work, but my idea would be that once you have completed a blueprint, you can give it to research lab + hefty sum of money to finance R&D so that it learns how to mass produce it.
To get a full blueprint you could get it from 3 sources
First: killing ships and salvaging them, without using salvage module the drop rate of components AND blueprint should be extremely low, random full Equipement loot can occur only up to t2 without salvage and up to t3 with salvage module
Second: IF you manage to get a Full equipement you can "dismantle" it, recovering partial components required for its creation and a medium chance to receive a piece of blueprint (chance gets lower at higher Tier equipment)
Third: by simply trading, buy full equipment and dismantle OR just buy the partial/full blueprint.
This way progression isnt too fast even for those farming a lot, and on the longer run, those who farm can actually participate to equip their faction either by Crafting them weapons that they can use or dismantle to learn the blueprint or by selling duplicate blueprint.
then there's two way to have a "complete" blueprint,
either you mark them by number (and one of the pieces are more rare than others)
OR you just need "x" pieces and make it a full Blueprint
i'd be in favor of the first option, again to make it a bit harder to get all blueprint too fast.
and having a slightly grindy should force Houses to have dedicated "crafter" to have them get blueprints at faster rates than just playing it solo.
Then there's the components part of the craft, i really have no idea how many different component would hit the sweet spot of "feels like an acceptable amount of things to farm" without reaching the "ok that game is a grindfest of components"
I mean obvioulsy Tier 1-2 should only require basic components
Tier 3 some few rare
Tier 4 should be mostly about rare
Tiers 5+ should be mostly rare and a few ultra rare ones
And accordingly the higher tier Pirate/enemy fleet should have higher drop rate of said components (in addition that player should drop a portion of their cargo)
Also ... we wondered with another players with whom we discussed about the game, is it even possible to Loot weapons/blueprint of the Faction specific Items ?
Say you kill a Faction specific Ship... can you hope to drop its blueprint ?
enemy ships is outfitted with faction specific Modules/weapons, can you get them?
on that matter i'd very much like a dev answer, or confirmation from a player that managed to get faction specific items as loot.
Also if no definitive answer, what do players think about that possibility ? should you be able at some point to get those items ?
random thoughts
- why do ship never cause collateral damage when destroyed ?
Smaller ship i can understand, but anything bigger than a battleship/battlecruiser should have a good chance of "core" breach inflicting damage (based on how much power they have) + a small AOE push wave around him when destroyed.
It should not be as strong as the kamikaze mod obviously, but when enemies are tightly packed and one of the dreadnough explode, sending ship debris everywhere and no one take damage it just feels weird.
- so many warp issue this alpha it was getting frustrating at the end (warp in asteroids, fleets warping on top of eachothers, warping on top of pirate base, basically fucking your chances to finish it) i hope this get addressed in next test.
- UI need some work, while it definitely has improved from previous build a few things need to be checked
- Mission panel it's annoying having to hide it all the time, if i chose to hide it i'd like it to remain that way
- Chat that refresh all the time after a loading screen, it needs a log and keep chat loaded even after a loading screen
- while shipyard is a good idea it needs refining, the zoom is too big, you can't sort ships in the order you want
- theres too much loading/sync with server when fitting ships it breaks the flow
- Really need a formation builder, we create ships with specific roles in mind, i hate to see my tank carrier warping at the back all the time, i hate to have all my squishy frigates warp in the front and get smashed in second when enemy fleet reach me
- need grouping/raid functions
- Optionaly that part would love to see a "follow leader" so that we just follow him to wherever he wanna send us
- Enable Team/Group/House Vision so that we dont suddenly "lose sight" of a friend we followed
- Optionaly could have Shared vision with all Faction member in a sector
- need to be able to see house members on the galaxy map, even just a coloured arrow with names would do
- Oh yeah olamost forgot, about sound FX some sounds are extremely loud like missiles launcher
- funny thing is the other day i was visiting my mom and played Starfall, she made a remark that most sounds on weapon actually felt "cheap", i didnt really pay attention until she mentionned it and after she did, i also find out that some sounds could use a rework, probably equalise sounds a bit, and improve the sound design to feel less like cheap Sci-fi sounds, also many mods could use a sounds + more visual effects.


text:
Nice work! Enjoy the show!
Link Copied!
U.N. expert in Turkey for Khashoggi investigation
Opening Sequence
Trump loses bid to block subpoenas for bank records
Trump erupts over Pelosi's 'cover up' remark
Avenatti indicted for ripping off Stormy Daniels
'American Taliban' to be released from U.S. prison
Mnuchin clashes with House Dems over I.R.S. memo
May's Brexit gambit fails, resignation calls grow
Amazon shareholders reject facial recognition ban
Health groups challenge social media tobacco ads
World in Pictures
Closing Sequence

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The requested news item does not exist. Please return to News
Full-year volumes projected to reach up to $290 billion of investment trades globally
CHICAGO, LONDON, SINGAPORE, Oct. 22, 2010 – New research from Jones Lang LaSalle reveals that preliminary global direct commercial real estate investment volumes totalled US$69 billion in the third quarter of 2010. This level is similar to the second quarter of 2010 and indicates that the recovery in investment activity seen in the previous four quarters has levelled off. Direct commercial real estate investment volumes in the first three quarters of this year have reached US$202 billion compared to the US$139 billion transacted over the same period of 2009. Jones Lang LaSalle expects volumes for the full year to reach US$280 to 290 billion.
Arthur de Haast, Head of the International Capital Group (ICG) at Jones Lang LaSalle commented: "A significant weight of equity capital is targeting prime assets across all sectors, but a scarcity of prime product for sale is constraining investment volumes. Product shortages are also resulting in yield compression and substantial rises in prime capital values across many of the world's leading office markets, from London to Washington, DC to Shanghai."
He added: "For the full year, we now expect global direct real estate volumes to reach US$280 to 290 billion, marginally below our original projection of US$300 billion, but nonetheless representing a 35 to 40 percent increase on 2009. Further growth in volumes is anticipated in 2011, with cash-rich investors widening their geographic search, pushing into value-added opportunities and eventually into secondary stock."
Asia Pacific has seen a 12% quarter-on-quarter increase in investment volumes in the third quarter to US$18 billion, with notable quarterly rises in Singapore, Australia, China and Malaysia. Stuart Crow, head of Capital Markets in Asia Pacific commented: "The Asia Pacific investment market is benefiting from optimistic business sentiment, resurging investor confidence and strong economic fundamentals. We anticipate transaction volumes to show 15-25% growth on 2009, reaching the US$77 billion mark by year end."
Alistair Meadows, head of the International Capital Group (ICG), Asia Pacific said: "In addition to net positive in-flows to Asia Pacific there continues to be strong investor demand from Asia to selective European and US markets, with Asian investors exporting US$1.1 billion into the European market, particularly London in 1H 2010. Given the currency play favouring Asian investors into these markets, we see this export of capital continuing into 2011."
In Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), despite the third quarter witnessing a 12% decline in volumes on Q2 to €21 billion (US$27 billion), full year volumes are expected to be 30% higher than in 2009. A lull during the summer months, a lack of core product and ongoing concerns around sovereign debt in some countries has restrained transaction volumes in the past quarter. In Spain and Italy, volumes are down significantly from second quarter, while in the UK and Germany, the pace of activity has slowed. This is counterbalanced by an increase in investment volumes quarter on quarter in France and, more notably, in Sweden.
Richard Bloxam, Director, EMEA Capital Markets commented: "Compared with 2009, investor sentiment remains positive across the region. For the full year we expect EMEA investment volumes to be 30 percent higher than in 2009. Looking forward, both Germany and the Nordics are likely to see higher volumes, where improving fundamentals and resilient economies are boosting investor confidence."
Damien Corbett, Head of West End Markets added "Although volumes in the UK, Europe's largest market, appear to have levelled off, demand remains very strong, and transaction volumes in Central London alone are likely to hit over £10 billion (US$15 billion) in 2010, with interest from a very wide range of foreign investors."
In the Americas, capital market momentum has continued to build, with volumes up 12% in the third quarter. With a significant pick up in activity, particularly in the U.S. gateway cities, U.S. volumes have risen by a further 24% in third quarter, and are more than 50% higher than a year ago. Brazil is the region's most compelling growth market, and volumes have more than tripled through the first three quarters of 2010 as both cross-border and domestic investors are eager to capitalise on the country's robust economic progress.
Steve Collins, Head of the ICG in the Americas commented, "The strength of global interest in investment in the Americas is strengthening as investors are drawn both to emerging markets like Brazil and to the core coastal markets of New York and Washington, D.C. A broad range of domestic investor types are now actively looking for prime product and in some cases, they're now willing to review secondary markets to achieve higher return requirements. This momentum is likely to continue, and we expect US transaction volumes to total US$85-90 billion in 2010, around 90 percent higher than 2009."
Notes to Editors
Nicole Worthington
+65 6494 3641


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Filling vacancies on the Gadsden Fire Department's roster turned out to be a bit problematic.
Filling vacancies on the Gadsden Fire Department's roster turned out to be a bit problematic.
First there was a controversy over the hiring last week of two candidates who had used or sold drugs in the past. That caused one member of the Civil Service Board to abstain from voting on any candidates, since they were presented as a group, and brought complaints from City Council members who felt blindsided by the situation.
Then the Civil Service Board learned three other candidates — all certified firefighters, meaning they could go to work immediately — hired at the same time on the condition that they pass physical examinations didn't meet the department's height and weight requirements.
The board punted for 48 hours, then voted to suspend its rules and hire the three candidates, provided they enter weight-loss programs.
We think that's a good call, as is the board's intention to evaluate whether the height and weight requirements need to be revisited and possibly changed.
Those requirements exist in a standardized table, most likely as in a candidate who is "X" tall must be within "Y" weight range. However, the Gadsden Police Department uses body mass index — a calculation that estimates a subject's body fat by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters — in its height and weight requirements, and that could be a good starting point if the board finds changes are necessary,
Some researchers call BMI an outdated concept, although other entities like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider it at least a good ballpark indicator of someone's fitness and potential health concerns. We think the notion of standardized tables is even more outdated. There could be two individuals, each weighing 250 pounds, and if one has a BMI of 35 and the other 15, it's pretty easy to gauge who's fittest.
However, another lesson the board should take away from this process — the most important one, in our judgment, that needs to be addressed if the members are in a mood to make changes — is the value of clear communication.
We're not talking about communication with the City Council or city officials. A board member this week pointed out that meetings are public and announced in advance, and that members are willing to talk with city officials at any time about anything, except individual candidates for jobs.
We're talking about communication with candidates. The three who failed the height and weight requirements — they passed the rest of their physicals and subsequent medical tests — insisted they had no knowledge of those requirements. They should have.
It doesn't matter if it's a fast-food joint hiring a cashier, a newspaper hiring a reporter or a board hiring firefighters. The requirements for a job needed to be clearly stated up front, so there will be no confusion.


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You can't blame the Bears' Matt Forte for having a moment when rapper Tyga mentioned his name on the 2011 remix to Drake's "The Motto."
Forte had never heard his name on a rap song before, let alone one from the Young Money Entertainment record label that originated in his home state of Louisiana. To him, Tyga's explicit verse, in which he references the running back when speaking about a woman "running back" to him, was a sign that he had arrived.
"I was like 'Wow, I'm on a rap song,'" said Forte Tuesday while appearing at McCormick Place on behalf of Duracell, which donated cases of Quantum batteries to the Chicago Fire Department. "You know, I had a little moment. My boys were like 'Oh, you done made it now.' You always hear LeBron James, (Dwyane Wade) and (Michael) Jordan. This was my first time. To be mentioned in a song is pretty cool."
Still, Forte admitted he wasn't sure why exactly Tyga, a Compton, Calif., native, picked him of all running backs.
"I don't know," Forte said. "At that point, I lead the league in yards. Maybe he's a big football fan and was watching. He's also part of Young Money, which is from Louisiana. I'm from Louisiana. Maybe that's it."
According to Tyga, it was a matter of right place, right time.
"I usually just have ESPN on all the screens when I'm in the studio," Tyga said by email Thursday. "One of (Forte's) highlights came on 'SportsCenter' while I was recording my verse. He was putting in work on the field, so I threw that reference in."
The song isn't Forte's first brush with the entertainment industry. He played himself in 2011 on "The League," which now airs on FXX, and this year in The Onion-produced comedy web series "Tough Season."
"(Acting) is something I'm interested in," Forte said. "Most of the stuff I've done is comedy. I like to do funny stuff like that. It's a lot harder than it looks, but it helps when you have funny guys around you bringing it out."
What did Forte think of teammate Jay Cutler's recent cameo on "The League"?
"It was pretty good," Forte said. "Whoever wrote that part deserves credit for that. It was a pretty smart, witty episode."
firstname.lastname@example.com | Twitter @TribLuis


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Letterpress Alphabet Posters
Disclaimer: This past weekend, your author may have knocked back a few spirited beverages with one of these talented designers. Fact: Alphabets aren't just for children.
Jessica Hische (of the aforementioned occasion) was kind enough to share with Apartment Therapy the process she uses to create her prints:
"When doing the printing myself, I send my files to Boxcar Press. They make polymer plates from my designs - one for each color. Plates are like large stamps that the design is developed onto. With letterpress, like most traditional printmaking mediums, you must print each color separately. The Viney Alphabet Poster is a three-color print so it required three plates, which came out to around $400. Plates can get expensive depending on how large they are and how many colors you're printing.
Once the plates come in, I reserve time at a letterpress studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn called The Arm. If you know your way around the presses, Dan (the owner) charges a low hourly fee to use them, and is on-hand if you have questions. He also offers group and private lessons for people who want to learn. I cannot praise this place enough. It's awesome.
I have my paper (Crane's Lettra) cut before I print so everything is perfectly sized. This won't be the final trim though, as you'll need to remove registration and crop marks after you're done printing, so the paper should be at least an inch past your trim marks. It's important that all of your paper is uniformly trimmed so you can register, or line everything up, correctly.
These posters were printed on a Vandercook #4, which is a big hand-cranked press. The ink is spread onto plates with rollers, and then paper is pressed onto them to actually print the design. Each color is printed separately, so since this was an edition of 250, I had to run the paper through 250 times for each plate. If you do it all in one session, 750 cranks can result in a pretty swollen hand! Each time you switch colors, you have to secure a new plate in the press, and it has to be re-registered. I recommend bringing throwaway paper cut to the size of your print for this process, so you don't waste a ton of expensive letterpress paper doing these alignments.
After all your printing is done, all that's left is the final trim. You can have this done professionally, or do it yourself as you sell them. Finally, signing and editioning. Done!"


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EZYDOG Quick Fit Dog Harness - Red - Medium
Product description
Adjust each strap once and buckle on the harness with one click, then you're ready to go! Soft and Comfortable too.. The Quick Fit Dog Harness is as simple to fit as a collar, and designed for ultimate comfort. Soft neoprene is placed against your dog's chest and our EzyDog soft touch webbing is used in all other contact areas. It has also been meticulously constructed to minimise any pinching or chafing, meaning your furry friend will actually look forward to putting it on! Because the Quick Fit effectively reduces the need for a dog collar, we have included an ID tag holder on the harness. Quick to Fit! When venturing outside with your dog, just click them into the Quick Fit Harness and waste no time enjoying the great outdoors! Features: One click of the buckle and you're ready to go! Neoprene chest strap sleeve for extra comfort Reflective stitching for better visibility at night time Stainless steel ring for secure lead connection Unique fitting system confirms that you have the correct size harness for your dog (see 'size chart' tab) SIZE - MEDIUM Weight 10-19kg Neck 41-69cm Girth 55-67cm
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text:
Mr. Wi-Fi Goes to Washington?
Page 1 of 1
Obamas and McCains policies regarding wireless technology and the Internet may not be front and center in media coverage of their campaigns, but their differences are worth a look.
As the presidential election approaches, theres little discussion in the media of the leading candidates positions regarding technology issues. While thats more than understandable when immediate concerns, such as the economic crisis, loom large, the differences between John McCain and Barack Obama on technology policy are worth a look.
In a recent report, Stephen J. Ezell and Robert D. Atkinson of the non-partisan Information Technology & Innovation Foundation examined the candidates positions on technology and innovation, noting encouragingly that both of their platforms incorporate substantially more focus on innovation and technology policies than their predecessors platforms did in the 2004 election.
Overall, the writers found, McCain seeks to foster an environment for private sector investment in R&D and innovation through a clear and less burdensome tax code [and] limited government regulation, while Obama would [engage] the government as an active partner alongside industry in setting a national technology and innovation agenda.
Obama, in fact, plans to appoint the nations first chief technology officeras his technology platform puts it, The CTO will ensure the safety of our networks and will lead an interagency effort, working with chief technology and chief information officers of each of the federal agencies, to ensure that they use best-in-class technologies and share best practices.
'Net neutrality
The candidates clearest differences regarding technology lie in their positions on 'Net neutrality: Obama is for it, and McCain is against it.
Obama was a co-sponsor of the Internet Freedom Preservation Act, and his technology platform clearly states, A key reason the Internet has been such a success is because it is the most open network in history. It needs to stay that way. Barack Obama strongly supports the principle of network neutrality to preserve the benefits of open competition on the Internet.
And in an interview last year with TechCrunchs Michael Arrington, Obama said, I will prevent network providers from discriminating in ways that limit the freedom of expression on the Internet network providers should not be allowed to charge fees to privilege the content or applications of some Web sites and Internet applications over others.
McCain, on the other hand, argues that Net neutrality is overly intrusive. His technology platform states, John McCain does not believe in prescriptive regulation like 'Net neutrality, but rather he believes that an open marketplace with a variety of consumer choices is the best deterrent against unfair practices.
Rural broadband
The two candidates have similar, though not quite as stark, differences on rural access to broadband. The Obama campaigns platform on rural issues states that Obama will modernize an FCC program that supports rural phone service so that it promotes affordable broadband coverage across rural America as well.
And as his technology platform puts it, Obama and Biden believe we can get true broadband to every community in America through a combination of reform of the Universal Service Fund, better use of the nations wireless spectrum, promotion of next-generation facilities, technologies and applications, and new tax and loan incentives.
As with Net neutrality, McCain prefers a more hands-off approach, focusing on private investment rather than government action. His technology platform states, As President, John McCain would continue to encourage private investment to facilitate the build-out of infrastructure to provide high-speed Internet connectivity all over America.
Still, McCain doesnt rule out government involvement. According to his platform, Where private industry does not answer the call because of market failures or other obstacles, John McCain believes that people acting through their local governments should be able to invest in their own future by building out infrastructure to provide high-speed Internet services.
Municipal Wi-Fi
One area of general agreement is citywide Wi-Fi. McCain co-sponsored the Community Broadband Act of 2007, which would block municipalities from banning public broadband services. As his platform puts it, People acting through their local governments should be able to invest in their own future by building out infrastructure to provide high-speed Internet services.
In fact, in June of 2006, Obama and McCain together announced a campaign to create the Public Internet Channel, an online information network targeted at low income individualsand McCain said at the time that the plan would ensure that all Americans have the same easy access to information and resources they need to prosper in our global economy.
Similarly, in a letter to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley in the fall of 2006 regarding community-based organizations involvement in supporting a planned citywide Wi-Fi network, Obama wrote, I want to express support for their efforts to ensure that the new digital infrastructure is open, accessible, and useful to every community and small business in the city.
Looking ahead
In general, the Information Technology & Innovation Foundations report concludes, Obama stresses technology and innovation as an overarching theme in his campaign, while McCain does not. That attitude is reflected in the campaigns themselves, with technology serving as a key driver for Obamas fundraising and voter recruitment efforts.
Most recently, the Obama campaign released an official iPhone application which goes far beyond just providing recent campaign news and informationit uses the iPhones GPS to direct the user to the nearest Obama campaign office, and to any events planned nearby. The app can also access the iPhones address book to help users contact their friends about the campaign.
Still, McCains record shows that his positions on key technological issues are also strongly heldand reports like the one from the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, along with similar ones from the Annenberg Research Network on International Communications and otherscan help voters better understand key differences between the candidates on technology policy.


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Where Words Fail, Music Speaks!
Hans Christian Andersen
Announcing the 2014 Joey's Song Benefit Concert!
September 7, 2014 - Majestic Theater, Madison WI
Joey's Song Volume 1 features rare and unreleased music from a broad array of music stars and legends. Nearly all of the music on Joey's Song is available no where else. Joey's Song CDs contain music from artists who have been recognized with Grammy nominations, Top 10 songs, hall of fame inductions, Juno awards and more.
All proceeds from Joey's Song benefit charity.


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How to Change the Language Used in PHP-Nuke
Written by Brad Markle
Views: 2,884
Published: Mar 22, 2013
Comments: 0
Changing languages within PHP-Nuke can occur in two main places - in the content that you are publishing and in the back-end using the Administration back end interface. The following article explains where you can find the options to change the language when working with PHP-Nuke.
Setting the Language within PHP-Nuke
Changing Language in the Administration Interface
- Login to the PHP-Nuke Administration back end.
- Click on the icon labeled PREFERENCES.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see the options provided within the PREFERENCES section. Here is labeled "Web Site Configuration".
- Here you will see several options where you can change the language. The first option is a drop-down menu where you can select the language. It is labeled Select the Language for Your Site. This option is used to set the default langauge of your default site. Click on the drop-down arrow to select a language.
- Multilingual features allows the website visitor to choose a different language for the site. This allows users to see the option to select a language by flag in the front end. The flags can be seen in the top right hand corner of the screenshot at right.
- The other language option is labeled BACKEND LANGUAGE - at the bottom of the Web Site Configuration section. This option sets the language for the news feed. The default language code is set to EN-US. If you need find other codes, go to Language Codes. This is the best location I can find that lists the languages in the same format.
- Click on SAVE CHANGES at the bottom of the screen in order to save your entries.
Changing the Language in Various Content Options within the PHP-Nuke Administration Interface
- Login to the PHP-Nuke Administration interface.
- When you are adding content to your PHP-Nuke pages, blocks, messages, newsletters, news, and other content types, you will see an option for changing the language. Simply scroll down the interface and you will see an option to choose the language by clicking on a drop-down arrow. The following screenshot demonstrates an example:
The option above is for creating a new BLOCK. You can select other content types that you can publish to your PHP-Nuke front-end and you will see the same Language option.
- When you have finished creating your content, simply click on the SAVE or CREATE button in order to save your selection.
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May 9, 2006
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Brandon Wai '07 was recently selected to play in the 2006 Division I Men's Individual Tennis Championships, which will be held May 24-29 at the Taube Tennis Center in Stanford, CA. Wai will be one of 64 players competing, and was one of 12 players to receive an automatic bid based on his performance in the 2006 season.
Wai, who went undefeated in Ivy League singles play at No. 1, was the only Ivy League player selected to compete in the singles portion of the Championships. Four of the seven wins came in three sets, and in addition to his impressive league record, Wai was 19-0 against Northeast Regional opponents for the 2005-2006 season.
"Brandon had a great year," said Cary Leeds Head Coach Alex Dorato. "He is one of the most mentally tough players I have ever coached - even on his off days, he finds a way to win."
Dorato also noted that Wai's conduct on the court extends well beyond just his tennis game, making him a fitting choice for team captain next year.
"He's one of the finest sportsmen I have ever coached," Dorato said. "He never loses his cool on the court, and he doesn't get caught up in gamesmanship. He just lets his racquet do the talking. For this reason, he is admired by his teammates and respected by his opponents."
Report filed by David Sherfinski '08, Yale Sports Publicity


text:
Cisco Data Center Marketing Gets a Ride with the Blue Angels
Fleet Week came to San Francisco last week, including the always popular visit from the Blue Angels. The Navy Public Affairs office worked with the Cisco Social Media team to recruit some volunteers to participate in the airshow and get a ride during the demonstration flight of the Blue Angel's C-130 "Fat Albert" support plane.
Now, normally Cisco folks get enough of airplanes during the week, but your humble and intrepid data center reporter just happened to be free and offered to report on his experience. I was joined by fellow Cisco blogger, Gordon Feller, Director of the Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG) Public Sector Practice Urban Innovations team, his wife Mary McNamara, a journalist and television critic for Multichannel News, who provided live tweets during the flight, and a group of other Bay Area journalists, photographers and media personnel.
The Marine Corps' "Fat Albert" Airlines accompanies the Blue Angel team to each of their demonstration locations and carries all of the support and maintenance crew needed for the week. It is the only Marine Corps aircraft permanently assigned to support a Navy squadron. It is flown by a crew of three pilots and five enlisted personnel. Fat Albert flies more than 140,000 miles during the course of a show season, carrying 25,000 pounds of cargo and 45,000 pounds of fuel. The C-130 cruises at about 340 knots (approximately 370 miles per hour) at the low altitudes we flew over the Bay.
Four Allison turboprop-engines producing more than 16000-shaft horsepower provide the C-130 with the power to land and depart on runways as short as 2500 feet. Having done a little research and consulted with a friend with some C-130 flight experience, I knew a bit what to expect. But nothing can quite prepare for an envelope pushing, full throttle exhibition flight, unless you strap yourself inside one of the clothes dryers at your local laundromat and put it on tumble dry.
After some preliminary pre-flight preparations, filling out some medical releases, and providing contact information for next of kin, we were escorted out onto the tarmac, past the Blue Angels and several thousand adoring fans (of the Blue Angels, not your humble reporter), and out towards Fat Albert. We were provided a pre-flight briefing by Captain Benjamin Blanton and his crew. We learned about the steep take offs and approaches that we could expect, how we would be experiencing negative "G"'s, and the proper use of a barf bag. Captain Blanton also briefed his flight crew on the flight plan in some sort of high-speed code that would have filled up my handy memory stick, but somehow they all absorbed it without taking notes or requesting clarification. I was beginning to get the sense they had all done this before. In fact, later that evening as I was giving my own pre-bedtime briefing to my kids about brushing their teeth, I began to think there really is something to all this military education and respect for authority.
The C-130, as you undoubtedly know, is a cargo plane and very little accommodations are made for civilian comforts. Nevertheless, I found there was a lot more leg room than most of my departures off the runways of SFO. Since there are hardly any windows, just a few porthole sized openings on the far side of the plane, I can't claim I had much of a view as we performed aerial stunts in front of the throngs of people that had convened along the bay front from the Golden Gate Bridge, along the Marina Green and past Fisherman's Wharf. Most of us had been hoping that we would get to fly through the maneuvers with the back open(!) as they had done the day before, but due to weather and/or time constraints this wasn't possible. This may have all been for the best, because when you are pulling G's and loose cables and airmen are all flying to the roof of the cargo hold, perhaps it's better to not see just what's going on outside.
The C-130 is known for its short, steep full power take-offs and then rapid leveling off producing the quick adjustment from positive to zero G forces. We performed this maneuver at least 4 times, and the best way to describe it is something like the Hollywood Tower of Terror at Disneyland on steroids without all the cheesy Twilight Zone videos. The crew members, which generally stood throughout the flight performing their duties, would hold onto the cargo ladder and feet would fly to ceiling as shown in the photo at left. As we performed other full power aerial demonstrations for the crowds I found it comforting to keep repeating: "These Blue Angel pilot teams are the best in the world… These Blue Angel pilot teams are the best in the world…".
The flight was actually delayed on the runway (nothing new here) for about an hour or so due to fog on the bay, and we apparently were held up in the air a bit waiting for our turn to perform, so we were fortunate enough to have an extra long "experience", which I think is some sort of military code for white knuckle ride. Although, ironically, the only guy who "lost it" on this flight was one of the trained crew members. The Cisco contingent felt particularly proud of our cast-iron stomachs, plus the fact that we elected to only have Saltine crackers for breakfast and held off on lunch altogether.
As we caught glimpses of the tops of the SF skyline, tops of sailboats, and the Bay Bridge out the windows at a couple of wing span's distance, we eventually made our way back to the airport and an equally abrupt landing as the take-off. But as they say, any landing you can wobble away from is a good one. And I felt particularly relieved that this one ended at about a perfect duration. Ten more minutes and I think a few of us would have been sweating out the ending. I think we all decided that this really was a ride of a lifetime and an extraordinary experience, but not one you'd do every weekend (without getting paid anyway). I think if I had the opportunity to do it again, I would definitely want to do it with the cargo door open. Knowing what the ride is like now, I could probably concentrate on the wider view out the back, and maybe find the wherewithal to take a photo or two at zero G.
Back on the ground we all had a chance for photos and questions with the captain and crew. Their hospitality was superb, even if they couldn't serve drinks in flight, and everyone was amazingly impressed by what for most would be a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of an airshow like this. Back in the hangar we got some souvenir photos, and a lift back to the parking lot for the pedestrian ride home.
Fortunately, in years past, I'd seen the Blue Angels perform over the Bay, since we weren't able to see them except on the tarmac at SFO as the pilots boarded the aircraft. It's always an impressive show and well worth trying to catch if they ever come to your area of the country. Some of the behind the scene experiences I found interesting though is that the pilots get a full blown police escort out to SFO from their downtown hotels (nothing like having to delay an airshow because the pilots are caught in traffic). But despite the police escort they don't get limos, they have to drive their own cars. I guess it wouldn't be right to have someone else drive a Blue Angels pilot around. Speaking of cars, the Blue Angels team has their own color-coordinated Corvette, as well as a Ferrari, which we photographed in the hangar.
The Blue Angels team are all Navy personnel that apply and rotate onto the Blue Angels support team for typically three year duties. Our liaison, Blue Angles Public Affairs Office Petty Officer Rachel McMarr, based in Pensacola, FL, said she was the one of over one hundred applicants for her position on the Blue Angels team. Everyone that hosted us for the afternoon couldn't have been more professional, sincere and hospitable in allowing us to tag along for this flight. All in all, it was a great experience, and a rare insight into how some of the best and brightest are serving our country, and the extraordinary equipment that they rely on.
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1 Comments
Dr. Jose A. Wong - Perez
…I really enjoyed it, and "LOL" with your comment:…"the best way to describe it is something like the Hollywood Tower of Terror at Disneyland on steroids without all the cheesy Twilight Zone videos….", regards "Intrepid data center reporter"…and my respects from PR…


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Division of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions
E. Kimball Milling, Director
The Division of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions administers a variety of educational programs that enhance the academic and extracurricular life of the College, reflecting the strengths of the College and the needs of the community.
Summer Sessions
The summer sessions at Ithaca College provide the opportunity to combine study selected from a wide variety of course offerings and scheduling possibilities with the inviting attractions of the Ithaca area in the summertime. The summer sessions are designed to meet the needs of Ithaca College undergraduate and graduate students, visiting students from other colleges and universities who wish to spend their summer at Ithaca, and those who wish to take courses on an extramural basis.
Summer offerings reflect the full range of Ithaca College academic programs. Each of the five schools -- business, communications, health sciences and human performance, humanities and sciences, and music -- schedules lower- and upper-level classes during the two five-week sessions. In addition, there are a five-week graduate music session and a variety of specialized credit workshops. Students may also register for internships and independent studies.
Detailed information on the summer sessions is found in the catalog published every spring by the summer sessions office and on the website at www.ithaca.edu/cess.
Continuing Education Credit Programs
Adults in Degree Programs
Ithaca College welcomes to its student body persons 25 years of age or over who wish to begin college after being out of school for several years. The College is aware that adult students often have work and family responsibilities not shared by traditional-age students, and it is committed to aiding their educational endeavors. In particular, the College's continuing education office is available to assist adults who plan to seek an undergraduate degree on either a full- or part-time basis. Advisers are available to help interested individuals explore alternatives and select programs of study that meet their specific needs, interests, and schedules. Adult students unfamiliar with the College may contact the continuing education office for information about the campus and its resources.
When completing the undergraduate admission application, adult students should check the "Adults in Degree Programs" box and skip inapplicable questions (e.g., parents' backgrounds, high school guidance counselor recommendation). For persons 25 or over, the admission committee reviews factors such as life and work experience, recent college credits, College Level Examination Program (CLEP) scores, and other relevant indicators. For admission information, contact the coordinator of transfer admission at 607-274-3124.
It should be noted that adult students at Ithaca College enroll in the general credit courses of the College and participate in the same degree programs as traditional-age students. In academic matters, no distinction is made among students, regardless of age.
For further information, write to the Division of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions, Ithaca College, 120 Towers Concourse, Ithaca, NY 14850-7141, call 607-274-3143, fax 607-274-1263, or e-mail email@example.com.
Extramural (Nondegree) Study
Persons who are not degree students at Ithaca College may enroll on a course-by-course basis in undergraduate and graduate classes as extramural (nondegree) students. Extramural study at Ithaca College is appropriate for a wide range of individuals, such as
Eligibility and Limitations
Extramural students who have graduated from high school or hold a GED or an associate's degree may register for undergraduate courses only. Those who already hold a bachelor's or advanced degree may register for either undergraduate or graduate courses; however, for registration in graduate courses, permission of the graduate chair is required. All classes (with certain restrictions) are open to extramural students on a space-available basis. Registrants must meet the prescribed prerequisites for any course.
Extramural students may enroll for a cumulative total of 18 undergraduate credits before applying to any undergraduate degree program. More than 18 credits may be taken only if the student does not wish to participate in a degree program and signs a statement of understanding to that effect. Extramural students who enroll in graduate courses are subject to the guidelines on transfer of credit outlined in the Ithaca College graduate catalog. No more than 12 graduate credits taken as an extramural student may be applied to a graduate degree at Ithaca College.
Credits earned on an extramural basis may be transferred to an Ithaca College degree program, although this transfer is not guaranteed. All transfer credits are subject to approval by the appropriate dean. Anyone wishing to enter an undergraduate degree program must apply to the College's Office of Admission, 607-274-3124. Application for graduate study should be made to the Division of Graduate Studies, 607-274-3527.
Ithaca College reserves the right to suspend the eligibility of any student who does not maintain a passing cumulative grade point average (2.00). All dismissals from the program are at the discretion of the director of continuing education and summer sessions.
Note: Matriculated Ithaca College undergraduate and graduate students -- including those who are suspended, dismissed, withdrawn, or on a leave of absence from any school within the College -- are not eligible for registration as extramural students.
Registration and Tuition
Course registration for extramural study is completed during the first week of classes. Extramural registrants pay on a per-credit basis for 1 to 11 credits. (The 2005-6 rate is $840 per credit for undergraduate courses, $790 per credit for graduate courses, plus a $15 registration fee.) Those registered for 12 to 18 credits pay a flat rate equal to the current full-time matriculated student tuition rate. (The 2005-6 rate is $12,597 per semester.) The fee to audit is $84 per credit for undergraduate courses, $79 per credit for graduate courses, plus a $15 registration fee.
New York State requires all students who register for 6 or more credits in a semester to provide proof of immunization against measles, mumps, and rubella.
Contact the continuing education office for more information. An adviser is available to help students develop their educational plans and select courses. Call 607-274-3143 for an appointment, or visit our website at www.ithaca.edu/cess.
Continuing Professional Education
Through its Division of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions, Ithaca College offers programs specially designed for those professionals whose educational needs are not met by the regular course offerings of the College. The continuing education office works with Ithaca College faculty, staff, and administration to provide workshops, conferences, and meetings for professional groups. Contact the continuing education office for additional information.
Certificate in Gerontology
Ithaca College offers a 24-credit undergraduate, nondegree certificate in gerontology that follows the guidelines of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education and is registered with the New York State Education Department. Overseen by both the Ithaca College Gerontology Institute and the Division of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions, the gerontology certificate is available to extramural students only. Students admitted into this program are eligible for a grant to offset part of the tuition costs of courses included in the certificate curriculum.
The gerontology certificate is designed to provide professionals in the health and social services, as well as other interested individuals, with specialized knowledge of gerontological issues that will help them better understand and serve older adults. Students completing this program will enhance their knowledge and skills in a number of areas, including
The gerontology certificate curriculum includes 24 credits taken from five sections. Most of these courses have minimal prerequisites. The full curriculum is shown below.
Core -- required courses (6 credits)
Disciplinary perspectives (select 6 credits)
Health aspects electives (select 3-6 credits)
Social aspects electives (select 3-6 credits)
Administration and policy issues (select 3 credits)
For further information regarding the program's admission requirements and curriculum, contact the Division of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions, 607-274-3143, e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com; or the Gerontology Institute, 607-274-1965, e-mail email@example.com.
A. Ozolins, Office of Creative Services, 15. July, 2005


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Your benefits
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Your personal economy represents the health of your whole financial life. It is unique to you, and incorporates all the things you value most - your family, your home, your passions, your work, your legacy. Your personal economy is completely interconnected and constantly changing. HSBC Premier provides personal support for your personal economy in four ways.Learn more about Your Personal Economy
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Accent Color: Bright Red with Wood Tones
Natural wood is a great backdrop for jewel tones, which play up its richness and warmth. Lately, we've fallen in love with the look of bold reds, used as an accent against more subdued blonde and dark woods...
- 1 A red chair caps the end of the table in Zola's East Village home.
- 2 Jason's red pendant lamps really stand out against his sleek, natural-colored home.
- 3 The red painting in Francesco's bedroom brings a little drama to this calm space.
- 4 Pops of red enliven the Wordens' clean and uncluttered home.
- 5 The Jens Risom Chair in James and Rui's LVL Home is a perfect example of the red-blonde look.
Photos: Greg Jansen, Evan Thomas, Bob Greenspan/Steve Worden, Janel Laban, Traci Roloff


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- Imagine the possibilities for the fondant or chocolate transfers!
- I love these spooky spider web cakes and playful banners.
- These sugar crystals are similar to ones that Kelly featured a while ago but without the flavorings, which I prefer.
- I like making the traditional sugar skulls, but for those who are not into the process and desire brighter colours - voila!
- Is it possible to find cupcake wrappers dreamy? I'm going to have to say yes, yes it is.
If you love baking or are just looking for some serious eye candy (heh), head on over to Fancy Flours. Yum!


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Source: Vac Truth
On December 20, 2012, a vaccination tragedy hit the small village of Gouro, located in northern Chad, Africa. According to the newspaper La Voix, out of five hundred children who received the new meningitis vaccine MenAfriVac, at least 40 of them between the ages of 7 and 18 have become paralyzed. Those children also suffered hallucinations and convulsions.
Since this report, the true extent of this tragedy is coming to light, as parents of these vaccinated children have reported yet more injuries. The authorities in the area are shaken, as citizens set fire to a sanitary administration vehicle in a demonstration of their frustration and anger at the government's negligence.[1]
"We wish that our children would get their health back," shared the parent of a sick child.
MenAfriVac is a new vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India Limited. According to The Meningitis Vaccine Project (MVP), it is the first vaccine to gain approval to travel outside the cold chain, meaning that the vaccine can be transported without refrigeration or ice packs for up to four days:
"The meningitis A vaccine known as MenAfriVac®, created to meet the needs of Africa's meningitis belt, can now be kept in a controlled temperature chain (CTC) at temperatures of up to 40°C for up to four days, a decision that could help increase campaign efficiency and coverage and save funds normally spent maintaining the challenging cold chain during the "last mile" of vaccine delivery." [2]
The data on the MenAfriVac vaccine is further backed by the World Health Organization's website [3] and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation website. [4]
So, why does this information differ vastly from the information given on the manufacturer's website? Serum Institute of India Ltd. stated under the section marked STORAGE:
"MenAfriVac should be stored and transported between 2-8ºC. Protect from light. The diluent should be stored at 25°C. It is recommended to protect the reconstituted vaccine from direct sunlight. Do not exceed the expiry date stated on the external packaging." [5]
Mr. M., the cousin of two of the vaccine-injured children, who currently remain critically ill and hospitalized, explained that many of the children reacted within 24 hours of receiving the vaccine. He said that at first the children vomited and complained of headaches, before falling to the floor with uncontrollable convulsions while bent over with saliva coming from their mouths.
He shared that on December 26, 2012, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Social Security visited Gouro, bringing with them two Members of Parliament. He said that after some discussion, they decided to evacuate approximately 50 paralyzed children to a hospital over three hundred miles away in N'Djamena, the capital city of Chad.
He added that the government responded to the tragedy by paying the parents money in a desperate bid to silence them, further stating that many of the parents are traumatized and confused.
As reported in La Voix, according to a member of the medical staff, as well as a comment from Dr. Daugla Oumagoum Moto, the director of the Center of International Health Support (CSSI), the reactions that these children have suffered are not typical of this type of vaccine against meningitis, which they say are normally fever, vomiting, and headaches, not the adverse reactions experienced by the hospitalized children.
Fearing for their children's present and future health, parents of these vaccine-injured children have begun asking questions, such as:
1. Was this a faulty batch of vaccines?
2. Did the vaccinators inadvertently vaccinate using an unsafe product?
3. Was the product out of refrigeration too long?
4. Were the vaccinators fully trained?
Mr. M. believes the children were left far too long without care and attention. He told me that, despite the state of the vulnerable children and many parents begging for help, the regional authorities failed to respond on time. The children were not seen by the only doctor in the region until a full week after their injuries!
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