General Information

One thing you may have noticed is the new SL Server version has actually relieved a fair amount of the communications based performance problems CCS was having in large battles. So as stated the issue with large battle performance was not actually a CCS problem but a Linden server version problem. Regardless of that that has not in any way made us decide to shelf performance improvement as part of the 1.0.1 script overhaul, even with CCS somewhat back to normal in large battle situations, we still believe there are things we can do to make the system even more responsive so we will be pursuing further optimization with the 1.0.1 overhaul.

Total Live Changes:

• Healer Chance to Hit adjusted to 80%
• ACLS cool down timer reduced to 45 Seconds in all versions.
• RadShot cool down timer increased to 45 seconds, range reduced to 15m.
• Overdrive given a multiplier stamina cost rather than point cost, now costs 75, 150 and 300 Stamina to use depending on the version.
• PleasureBot Stimulate increased to 300 Stamina per use, costs 1 racial point and 50 Stamina to use.
• Fatigue given 2x multiplier on damage dealt/health recovered in all versions
• Rage-I reduced to +10 damage enhancement(was +17).
• Demon Wrack given 50% more Stamina Return.
• Malice changed to SELECT target ability, life damage increased to 150 points. Now only costs 1 point to use
• Supernatural/Sidhe RendMana changed to SELECT target ability, Stamina increase added, 50% more than stamina cost to use.
• BioShock Changed to SELECT target ability, stamina damage increased to 150 stamina damage. Now only costs 1 point to use.
• Sidhe Bladeweaver given Immolation, Sidhe Diviner given Hex.
• HunterKiller Virus changed in all versions to SELECT target ability, cooldown reduced to 45 seconds.
• Mechanized given 3 new versions at level 15, 35 and 55, HunterKiller given access to it as well as the Drone.
• Vampire Bloodheal increased to 350 points of health per use(cooldown timer does not need to be lowered as I thought), cooldown remains at 30 seconds.
• Vampire Feed now heals for 100 points of damage.
• Wrack, RendMana and Feed are all equalized at 30 second cooldowns.

API Availability Clarification:

Alright folks its time for me to make a few clarifications in regards to the CCS API license program because there seems to be a lot of hate and disinformation going around in regards to it and its starting to get on my nerves.

First of all, as of this time, the current API version is 2.3e, the current API version is frozen and no new licenses are currently being issued because of the amount of weapon availabilities currently on the market, the enhancements they're offering are variable and in some cases problematic and the fact that adding more API developers to the mix at this time with the API in its current unregulated state means more questionable weapon development and more frustration for players in general. 

So at this time we are not issuing new API licenses on request from any individual or business entity that was not licensed previous to July of 2009. There simply are no situations where I will be making exceptions and new licensures will not be available til the completion of the 1.0.1 CCS release and the concurrent release of the 2.4 iteration of the API module which allows for finer tuning of API value controls.

API and the CCS Economy:

Myth: Suzanna and Melanie make or let people make overpowered weapons because they're making money from it.

Fact: The API is free to any qualified developer (when available), I do not charge for it, I have NEVER charged for it. Whats more I don't even use my own API and make products myself simply to ensure there are no questions of me using the API in a manner which it appears I am making a profit from the player base. The simple facts are, every Linden Dollar the player base spends, doesn't come to me at all. Let me explain the basics of the CCS network economy, so you all understand.

• Sim Owners pay me and Melanie (we have a split on this) a minimal monthly fee for CCS access, there is also the availability of the enhanced XP upgrade (a one time payment) and monthly controlled double XP availability (only usable twice a month for 72 hours at a maximum) and this is the only place where I personally make any money at all in regards to CCS.
• Sim Owners then make money back by renting mall space and or land to interested parties, and donations from the communities that enjoy their sims, the mall space is rented from all kinds of designers, not just CCS enhanced weapons designers but clothing and skin and gadget and avatar designers as well, but in this group there are also enhanced weapon and item designers who rent space from sim owners to sell their products.
• CCS API licensees make their money by offering competitive and interesting products that fall in line with the current network standards for balance and do so in a non-hostile fashion ensuring that players have hundreds of weapon and item options to suit their personal tastes and character concepts thusly giving the CCS network the most available options of any gaming network in Second Life in regards to having a CHOICE of what you, the player, wish to personally buy and use.

Fact: Melanie does make a little money in regards to API enhanced weapons from KD Weapons and Bitter Thorns due to contract scripting she did for both parties, and that has little, if nothing to do with me as I don't receive a dime of it and its hardly as if Melanie wasn't doing contract scripting design before CCS, she also did contract scripting design for JEVN and several other parties so its hardly irregular that she makes a percentage split on products shes done contract scripting work for, this is no different than many other designers lines where every product's total price is split two or three or even four different ways depending on who is involved with the project.

Fact: Unlike any competing system at this time, CCS actually gives the players options. You don't have to buy weapons made by me to be able to compete, unlike other systems where the only way a weapon will be any good is if the designer of the system is making money from you for buying it, or said system has a ridiculously expensive API license fee (theres a small scale system out there right now charging $1250 USD for an API license for a system thats in use in about 11 sims, whereas the CCS API is FREE and in use in hundreds of sims), or the entire system being closed in nature and not only do you have to pay for the system you have to pay monthly as a player to PLAY the system and you can only buy weapons from the system designer because nothing else will work with the system.

Overall, a lot of the angst and misinformation about how CCS handles its API and economy is absolute horse shit and it frustrates me immensely, when I've spent the last three and a half years attempting to keep CCS as open ended and free to the player base as I can, while ensuring you all got the options you deserved and personally tending to and creating a non-hostile development economy where everyone thats involved with CCS from the creator down to the newest player is benefiting in some way from my socialistic economic model, to have people running around in network saying its all about the money.

Yes I make some money from providing CCS and additional system features to sim owners, but I didn't have any choice but to do so, you cannot support 200+ sims on good will and donations, I tried, it didn't work. But for all you people out there that think I've got my finger in every pie in CCS and every single dollar you spend is somehow ending up, retroactively, in my pocket? Well you couldn't be any more wrong.

I've built a network and an economy to benefit thousands of people, not just myself. Hell I've never even put a MALL in CoLA in an attempt to make money off the communities long term appeal and popularity. I find myself very insulted that there are people that run around inside the CCS network talking about how its all about the money for me, when everything I've done over the last three and a half years has been in defense of attempting to ensure that the economic model was NOT a one way street, and that the players were NOT used like sheep and sheared for every dollar they're willing to spend. And that the role play environment of CoLA specifically, was always its main and primary focus.

I spent two years at great personal expense doing this, we've reached a level of equilibrium within the CCS network's economy where everyone that has invested time and money into it is at least making up their expenses and we've developed a compatible/enhanced content pool that has so many options available for so many different tastes that no other gaming network on the grid can rival its options and quality....yet somehow...thats just not good enough for some people.

And that really disappoints me, because "Don't be Evil" is pretty much my business ethic. And I've gone well out of my way to ensure I have never exploited the popularity of what I've created nor the players that enjoyed it.