Snow Globe

Sorry, that wasn't my intention, I was just teasing you a bit.

Skipped over the first post, huh? (Edit: I did NOT mean this as an insult, just a bit of friendly banter.)

The reactors are dealt with West to East, so you have to bring him down to under 10% health during the first reactor. That means the pulse is dealing 50% unresistable damage + 40% partially resistable damage every 30 seconds. Those percentages are the characters maximum health, not of their current health.

Early Bird and Customizer are the result of character actions. Author and Recognized are directly related to published arcs.

Well, the place holder badges requirement texts are the following:

• Anti-Anti Matter * -
  
  • Currently: Complete the Keyes Island Reactor Incarnate Trial after having brought Anti-Matter below 10% of his health while attempting to take control of Reactor Hope, the western-most reactor.
    
  
  
• Bunker Buster * -
  
  • Currently: During the Keyes Island Reactor Incarnate Trial, bust down all three doors on a bunker within three seconds, and then repeat for all bunkers found near Reactor Infinity.
    
  
  
• Loves a Challenge * -
  
  • Currently: Complete the Keyes Island Reactor Incarnate Trial without having anyone die or destroy any terminals in the final battle versus Anti-Matter.
    
  
  
• Avoids the Green Stuff * -
  
  • Currently: Don't let anyone be caught by a Obliteration Beam in the final battle with Anti-Matter during the Keyes Island Reactor Incarnate Trial.
    

* Guessing for Anti-Anti Matter, Bunker Buster, Loves a Challenge, and Avoids the Green Stuff based on old badge list found on Black Pebble's character.

Except that the zero deaths will be, if not impossible, the next best thing to impossible on any PUG, especially if they also have to do defeat A-M without destroying the terminals in 12 minutes or less.

The 90% HP damage taken every 30 seconds will require an incredibly tuned team that will be at the debt cap IF the trial succeeds (I don't think most will get beyond the 2nd reactor if they attempt this).

Unless you are going for the badge to bring down Anti-Matter below 10% of his hit points in your phase two (Reactor Hope) of the trial.

Here is a bit of an extra problem for you to overcome: The game is keeping track, without the global email, of global unlock purchases you've bought.

So there is zero need to have to go and claim each and every single unlocked item purchased.

It is an interesting discussion. For all I know you might be right on the reasons for using the email system. I just don't think you are right about which system (email, MA, or the global account) controls the global badge unlocks. It is more likely stored just below the master account level in the game account (which the developers should have access to).

I have to ask what there is to maintain (the badges database is fairly stable) and what set up (no separate permissions/committees needed to make an entry for the hidden badges) would take longer for a placeholder badge. I'm guessing you must think that each placeholder needs artwork or something like that. They don't.

Do you have any shred of evidence at all that the global badges check the MA system?

If it were stored with the MA system, then one thing that I've observed wouldn't be happening. Every so often my newer characters will not be awarded the Early Bird badge even though I've did many "first looks" at AE arcs. This usually happens with a server reset and will not start awarding again until I run another AE arc for Early Bird.

Now the same thing sometimes (not all the time) with the fact that a player couldn't make a Kheldian or VEAT. The solution was to log into a 50 and it would let the servers remember that you've unlocked them account wide. The same thing happened when you got onto the Test Server, and you had to log into a level 50 (now 20s for those that haven't done it before) there to unlock the Epic ATs there. Again, this is an example of something in-game affecting your account.

I'd agree, and there are several things that unlock account wide, predating the Global Email System and MA. In fact, they could make a Incarnate AT reward if they used the same account trigger they used for the HEATs and VEATs.

Except that the In-game-earned problem was solved with the MA. Additionally, Paragon Studios is owned by NCsoft, not a separate entity.

While I might think it would be interesting, I would guess it would be impossible to do with the system as it currently exists. For much the same reasons that the Ouroborus zone can't be merged (would have to re-write the contact system, mission system, and zones).

You are putting the cart before the horse there. The MA uses badges, it is not badges using the MA.

The badge system predates both the Global email AND MA system. Worse for your speculation is the fact that the MA system isn't responsible for the badges, but rather the other way around. They may have used the MA (edit: as an excuse) to get global badges working, but it is the badge system that is handling it. Did you know that the boosters all use hidden badges or authbits? Even the various vanguard pieces use the badge system to tell what you've unlocked. Even the Incarnate system is using badges to keep track of your progress. Same with things like levelling pacts, respecs earned (and used), whether you've got to your first day job location, if you've claimed the GR_Preorder bonus or not, etc.

Neither do the badges. The badge system is already coded, and does what the global unlocks already need. Gleemail can handle the one-shots.

And so are the redemption "badges".

Exactly, that is why them NOT using the badge system absolutely stuns me. That system was already in place. It is relatively easy to add new global unlocks. I'll admit that gleemail would be better to handle the 1-offs, but global unlocks are already being handled with the badge system.

Again, that is what makes this a stunningly poor choice NOT to use the badge system, as it doesn't REQUIRE the player to claim anything and the player can use any unlock DURING character creation. The system wasn't broken. You probably didn't know about any of the following:
And those aren't completely current even.

Early Bird, Author, Recognized, Customizer badges...

Flames of Prometheus has a redemption like a vet reward for 1 character.

Vouchers (1 time, recent purchase), are ok, but not great with the gleemail system.

Certificates (global unlocks) would be much better handled with the badge system.

That isn't what Second Measure said though.

Then there is also the problem where, at least three times in the last twelve months, the email system lost/reset all gleemails/emails.

Annoying, but doable until you hit the level 50-only costume parts/unlocks. Make a new character and can't claim or delete the item until you get to level 50.

No, you can't.

If you log into a character that has a different chat set up, yes, the chat colors may change, but just use the /chatload and it will be fixed.

That won't work:
Every character will have the annoying Email telling me there is something available. What if I want to claim it on a new character in a couple days? With this as described, I now have to see that on every character until I use it.

It gets worse though:
Now every single character (and I've got around 80 alts), will have this warning. If I choose to buy the Incarnate costume pieces that means for my 70+ characters that aren't level 50 and all future created characters will have the "email present" warning for however long it takes to GET to level 50 so that I can get it out of that character's email box.

I deal with enough spam OUTSIDE of the game, using the ingame email system in this fashion isn't user-friendly at all.

Actually you can earn 504/504 hours, but will not be directly awarded the badge until you switch. Same thing happens with the Vanguard Recruit dayjob and level 35. Otherwise you are correct.

So let me get this straight: You are using the gleemail system to send vouchers and certificates which means that if I unlock a voucher, the email notification will be an annoying red until I claim it on a character, and it will be permanently red if I get something account wide?

All I have to say is who wasn't thinking when they approved this?

Actually there is. For examples go to the badge window, pull down to the veteran reward section.

You can, if I remember correctly, start the trial solo. You won't win, but I think you can start it.