Heroes!
Time for another UNTIL Field Report.

December and January have been a little hectic as we worked on several improvements to the early game and a number of features to improve the overall game, but we're not done yet.

We have also been working towards our next update that will see several items from the list make it to Live. Included in that next update is the rather ambitious update to all the items and rewards in the game. I'll be talking about what exactly re-itemizing the game means in a couple weeks.

There has been some good movement on the list and while we have added new features and made improvements to the game we do not have as much movement on the "Closer Look" list as I would like to have seen. Some special attention will be paid to the list by Coldsnapped. He is in charge of making sure the top issues list gets updated and sees weekly movement internally.

You may also notice that some items have dropped down a step in the list. This in part is due to some changes in direction for our next few updates all leading up to a focused effort for 2012.

In the coming weeks, leading up to our next large update, we will be posting dev diaries that explain the changes we are working on in a bit more detail. This will give us a chance to let you know not only what we are doing but also touch on the why's.

As always we look forward to your feedback and we will be keeping a close eye on this thread.
...Enjoy!

Completed and LIVE
Items in this list have moved out of development and test into the LIVE game.

• Camera Zoom when zoning
• Comic Series 2
• Wind Framework
• New Mail notification issues
• New RenCen Powerhouse: Costume stage w/tailor, dueling area, revamped powers testing area.
• Earth Framework: Very earthy stuff! This is a Brick framework.
• Auto Teaming, temp teams: Auto teams for open missions (if solo) and optional for groups. These are temp teams that overlay your existing team.
• Further improvements to streamline the early game
• Infernal review: A review of the Infernal framework that will include new powers and additional AT's
• Items not on the list: Remote contacts, Remote training, Improved map and mission tracker

In Test
Items "In test" are being looked at and testing internally and/or on PTS. These are issues, features and fixes that are the closest to release as you can get. Occasionally there will be some items that are in test that are part of a larger release.

• Tab targeting fails to target closest enemy.
• Alerts (These will be on PTS in February)
• Team Duels: Team leaders will be able to challenge a member of another team to a duel.
• 90's Iron Age Costume Set

A closer look (On Deck)
These are hot topic issues in the Player Community, QA and CS. This list does not represent all the issues we are taking a closer look at, but are issues at the top of our list of things to investigate.

• Zone balancing
• Zoning or changing instance causes the slow fall for teleport to fail.
• Female Average Walk: Arm swing and lower body leg steps are out of sync.
• Remote Access: After interacting with the robot, it does not begin moving, preventing completion of the mission.
• Escort mission improvements
• Malevolent Manifestation: Hold resistance not applied to target every time the hold duration refreshes.
• From Bad to Worse perk
• Event items are appearing randomly when events are not running
• Sea Slug becomes stuck after the first wave of critters.
• Cave: Venue: Tropical Venue is no longer available unless Primal Cave hideout is purchased
• Players become friendly to both teams after disconnecting or logging out in a PvP match
• Trade issues: improving the trade system to better protect from scams
• KotH: Victory perk is being credited to the losing team

Up Next!
In Development
These are features we are working on right now. They have made it through the design phase and are being implemented. Items in this section will move to "In Test" once complete.

• Player voted Travel Power (Distortion Acrobatics) -possibly, POSSIBLY with non-anime run
• Events Calendar: A system that will allow you to see what there is to do in Champs at any time and get right to the action.
• Itemization: Improvements and updates to the gear/items you get in the game and how you use them
• Item Improvement System: (Was Item Smash/Crafting Improvements): A new way to improve your character and enhance customization
• Specialization Trees
• Stat updates

On the schedule
These are updates that are next on the list to implement. Some features have a longer development time than others but these are what the team will be looking to move on to soon.

• A new group Lair in Westside.
• New Zone Events: Large scale, multistage, zone events that offer new encounter opportunities and large group gameplay.
• PvE Queues: Each Lair added to the PvE queue list
• Epic Lairs: Updates and changes to the existing lairs to add high level gameplay
• Lair Boss reviews: Improvements to the Lair Bosses.
• Wizards/Fantasy Costume Set
• Xp Gifting: Gift some of your experience to your alts or friends.
• C-Store Coupons: Items that give you a discount in the c-store.

In Design Discussion!
These items in design discussion are for features that are being considered for an upcoming update. The next step for these topics is to have them added to the schedule. Some of these are smaller, quicker tasks while others are a lot larger and require more to design and implement.

• Neighborhood Events: Small open missions focused on Heroic encounters
• Nemesis Updates: Any and everything we can do to get you more time with your Nemesis. This includes more frequent encounters and opportunities to fight your nemesis with your fellow heroes. Additionally we are looking to add more minion types and options.
• Mini Arc level 32: This may fall in the area of Wells Pass and offer a break from Viper and Manamals
• KotH Perks
• A new slot for Aura's: Special costume Aura items could be slotted to add an aura to you character. The aura items would range from costume slots like gloves or head to full body auras
• Swinging improvements and skins
• Costume set preview for the C-Store
• Hueshifting improvements to allow further hue shifts for FX attached to costume pieces (Jetpack flames)
• New Super Speed run anim
• Cat animations and emotes (for players as well)
• Hideout additions: Training and Crafting rooms
• Premium Free Form character slots (A character slot that has unrestricted power choices and is not subscription bound)

The Future
These are features that we are working towards. Items listed in this section need the most discussion and are subject to the largest change. This list does not represent all the things we want or are planning to do but they are some of the larger things we are planning and working towards.

• World Events
• New Zone (3-4 Neighborhoods)
• Level cap to 45
• More Events both small and large
• Super group Bases
• Guild Improvements (Leveling, Duels)
• New Zone (Moon is being discussed)
• Level Cap to 50
• End Game (Currently looking at Star Guards)
• And so much more!!

Let's take a look at a few of the items on the list that are new or that have seen little forward movement. I won’t have an update section for every Until Field Report but will add one from time to time to give some updates on our progress and try to answer some of your questions.

• Team Duels: Team leaders will be able to challenge a member of another team to a duel.
  (This feature is in but not turned on. Internal tests and feedback was luke warm to the current implementation and while we want to get these to you, the feature needs a few tweaks. I might be open to turning the feature on for PTS to get your feedback if there is an interest)

• PvE Queues: Each Lair added to the PvE queue list
  (This item has moved from Test: There is more to be done here. Simply adding the Lairs to a queue didn't seem to be enough)

• Xp Gifting: Gift some of your experience to your alts or friends
  The current implementation: An item that allows you to put experience in by using it. The item can then be used by another character to have experience granted to them which will then destroy the gift item. The item can be used from the character’s main inventory. -What does it need?- We need to be able to balance the feature and tune it for players across all levels. There are also a few questions that we need to get answered both internally and on PTS when testing begins.

• C-Store Coupons: Items that give you a discount in the c-store
  Originally thought to be simple drops in the world for flat amounts we would like to expand a little to include specific items. This feature also requires a UI solution for the store that will not be complete for a little bit.

• New Zone Events: Large scale, multistage, zone events that offer new encounter opportunities and large group gameplay
  Right now we are looking at building a multistage invasion of Millennium City and a large scale attack on Canada

• Item Improvement System: (Was Item Smash/Crafting Improvements): A new way to improve your character and enhance customization
  Still a little too early to go into any detail. Ame will be talking about this in a dev diary in the coming weeks

• Specialization Trees
  Ame is working on a system for the further advancement of your Hero. More information about this feature will be available in an upcoming dev diary

There is more that I could post here but I’ll leave some room to answer some questions about any of the additions or changes in this Report.

Please. Also descriptions of what specific things are seen as being problems, I don't recall negative feedback, there just wasn't a lot to say beyond "looks like it mostly works".

WHY? This is your MAIN reason to subscribing. PERIOD. You offer this, and just like a problem that STO has, there's pretty much absolutely NO reason to keep subscribing to your game.

This is a terrible, TERRIBLE idea. There's a reason why all the threads that have mentioned this in the past have blown up, and EXACTLY why this thread will blow up too.

Looking forward to anything about the Crafting/Item changes that are coming and especially if any of this applies to the needed changes to the CTPs.

While I'm not as...passionate...as Robert is there, I have to admit I don't understand the motivation behind selling freeform slots.

Well, I take that back. I do understand the motivation, it's just that it's rather annoyingly obvious as to what it is.

To team duels,
The feature works and works well, the feedback from internal testing would like to have it be more than it is.
The UI, for instance, is bare and while I like it that way, playtest feedback wanted to see more detail in the player status. Players (Internal) wanted more info about who was in the invite list for the duel and what there status was. Some requests were to add information to player status in the duel UI so the team knew who as hurt or status affected. THe largest shock was that there was a 50/50 split on players who wanted a free zone battle vs. those who wanted a large dome. I was on the full zone side so I could play zone wide hide and seek or potentially RP an open PVP environment and have guild rivalries.

I have confidence we will get it hammered out once it's on PTS

Some really awesome updates in there. Thanks for sharing!

Well after reading this update to the UNTIL Report I can notice a few things.

I soooo noticed that the new zone and the lvl 45 cap are still on the distant future... which its not a bad thing considering that you are going to revamp core mechanics soon.

I caaan't wait to see what is this item improvement system... and more important, what its gonna happen to the CTP.

Yaaay!! for distortion acro... and I am intrigued of what they are gonna be in the end =p... also if the new animation will happen... I guess we will know in 3 weeks.

Alerts this month for test!? YES!.

Freeform slots for silvers.... why not?.... I was silver for 10 months, and I understand the motivation behind this. Its not like I feel my gold subscription wasted to be honest... there's still incentives for me, like all the gold costume pieces, every slot is freeform, hue changes to my powers, etc. Also I learned from experience... its WAAAAAAY cheaper to become gold than being silver and pay for character slots and archetypes. Honestly I don't see harm in here.

Specialization trees..... TEASE... TEASE... TEASE... lol... hope info about that comes soon.

Overall, a good report, thanks Robo!

To Freeform slots.
This is something we are discussing internally. Part of this report is to let you know what we are working on and thinking about. A feature or addition in this list has a good chance of making it live but not everything will.
At times items on the list might not be what you want to see or even like but that is why the Until Field Report is posted. Post your feedback and let us know how you feel about what you see in the report.

Edit: I have updated the In discussion section to include the topic of Freeform slots.