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Snow Globe

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  1. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rylas View Post
    This. I'm not going to pretend to know what all is necessary for making cross-server teaming a reality, but if it involves @Anything at the end of my character's name when playing, I'm not for it. Now, if it only shows up while not on my home server, I think I could live with that.
    As I've said, I've already put that in the suggestion that the @<home server> should be hidden if enabled in the options. Most of the time you can play without seeing the "@<home server>". You might see two characters with the name "Snow Globe", but if you have the home server hidden you'll not see it. Likewise if you look at your character name and have the option hidden, you'll just see your name. This doesn't affect your play at all.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rylas View Post
    Also, I think the OP would do better not to get so snooty. It's only going to derail your own thread. And anything that gets the ball rolling on cross-server play doesn't need road bumps in the way.
    Tell that to the person that said:
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ravenswing View Post
    ETA - It does occur that this could be an attempt at an April Fools joke. It is is, I preferred Google's one.
    That isn't even getting close to being a constructive post.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rylas View Post
    I don't think Ravenswing is saying your suggestion isn't needed at all. Only that it's just scratching the surface. I would imagine the highlighted part of the above quote to be the rest of the ice burg under the water. A really big ice burg. I mean, like, really really really big. But again, I'm just guesstimating.
    In order for the servers to talk to one another, the servers have to be able to tell the difference between "Snow Globe" on Triumph and Freedom. Without that ability, you can't team cross server at all. Every character has to have an unique identifier. This is why there can't be 15 characters all named "Snow Globe" on Triumph. This is why the EU players with conflicting global names are having their global names changed. This is why the EU game accounts will be prepended with "EU" if there is a conflict.

    I'm saying this with nearly 30 years of programming experience, and 12 years of database programming experience. Without an unique identifier, you will not be able to have cross server play at all. I'm not deluding myself, this will be the first step of many that is needed for cross server play. However without this step, nothing else can be done.
  2. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by LISAR View Post
    The solution to naming conflicts cross server should be invisible to the end user.
    My suggestion addresses that already:
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Snow Globe View Post
    The <home server> could be hidden for those that don't want to see it most of the time, but could be accessed at any time like the current setting to show player name on target or mouseover.
    Without a unique character ID, cross server teaming is impossible.

    There is only a few ways that characters could have unique identifier:
    1. <character name>@<home server>
    2. <character name>@<global name>
    3. <character name>@<account name>
    4. A character "Social ID number".
    The first is the least intrusive. The second has privacy drawbacks and concerns. The third is an outright security risk to a player's game account.

    The last has more problems than any of the other three. How to petition a character? How to friend a character? How to send tells to a character? These after just 2 seconds of thought about it. The list of problems goes on from there.
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by LISAR View Post
    A bigger roadblock would be hunt missions as cross server teams would only see each other in instanced missions.
    No, that isn't any different than hunting separate zones. In fact without having an unique character identification, you couldn't team in the first place.

    So before putting the cart (consequences of cross server teaming) ahead of the horse (providing an unique character identifier), the developers should examine how to make character names unique.
  3. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ravenswing View Post
    Naming is about the smallest issue involved in cross-server teaming. This does more or less nothing to facilitate it.
    It is a necessary first step. Without the ability for the game to see the difference between say "Snow Globe@Triumph" and "Snow Globe@Freedom" cross server teaming is impossible. No matter what, conflicting names is a hurdle to cross server teaming.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ravenswing View Post
    You can already have the same name on multiple servers. You're solving a problem which does not exist.
    I suggest you actually read the suggestion instead of making comments based on what you think the suggestion is.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ravenswing View Post
    Point three is essentially an irrelevent space filler.
    Actually no, it isn't. Several players have cited that they don't want their global name visible all the time. Most recently Arcanaville.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ravenswing View Post
    Having a server-tagged name does not solve the issue of non-permanent server transfers. It barely even touches on the issues involved in doing that.
    Care to elaborate? Without distinct character names or the means to address them, non-permanent transfers (ie cross-server play) is impossible.

    Other things needed for cross server play:
    • The servers need to "talk" to each other to allow characters to move between servers.
    • Transfer points need to be established.
    But neither of those points address the need to have unique character names to play with characters from other servers.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ravenswing View Post
    I assume I fall foul of this since I'm saying your suggestion doesn't actually solve anything. This means you will ignore my comments, which is the intended purpose of this 'con.'
    Yup, you did because you failed to actually read the suggestion. I've been warned by the moderation team against saying anything further in this regard.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ravenswing View Post
    if you want cross-server teams, the investment in code development is far more significant than just tagging the name to uniquely identify all characters. In fact, that's pretty much the simplest aspect.
    It is a critical aspect, and something that needs to be solved before the rest could be implemented.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ravenswing View Post
    ETA - It does occur that this could be an attempt at an April Fools joke. It is is, I preferred Google's one.
    Next time try to be at least constructive.
  4. Snow Globe

    server status

    POST-ACTION

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by chiba_EU View Post
    Is there any chance of using different colours to denote server status? I'm colourblind and cannot tell red from green in small amounts (i assume that these colours are used currently :P). Whats wrong with black and white, and maybe yellow for unknown. Surely someone doesn't have to slave their giblets off for hours on end to switch them. please.
    There is a very lazy EU web developer there.

    They didn't use the HTML <img> "alt" and "title" attributes which were made for this exact reason.

    <img src="/images/assets/shared/server-UP.png" alt="Server up!" title="Server up!" width="20" height="20" />
    [/COLOR]<img src="/images/assets/shared/server-UNKNOWN.png" alt="Server status unknown." title="Server status unknown." width="20" height="20" />

    All that would be needed to be added is the bolded/orange text.

    Unlike the global name collisions for the upcoming global server list merge, this IS an accessibility issue.
  5. Snow Globe
    Suggestion:
    Change all character names to <character name>@<home server> to allow for cross-server play.

    Reasoning:
    This suggestion would be treating each server as its own dimension, and allowing players to temporarily move to other servers (dimensions) for greater teaming opportunities.

    Having <character name>@<home server> would allow cross-server teaming. If the character is permanently moved to another server, their home server would change. It would allow up to 15 players to have <character name>.

    <character name>@Freedom
    <character name>@Justice
    <character name>@Pinnacle
    <character name>@Virtue
    <character name>@Liberty
    <character name>@Guardian
    <character name>@Infinity
    <character name>@Protector
    <character name>@Victory
    <character name>@Champion
    <character name>@Triumph
    <character name>@Defiant
    <character name>@Zukunft
    <character name>@Vigilance
    <character name>@Union

    Initially, it could allow the Team Up Teleporter to act independently of the server so that you could always find a team for Incarnate Trials, and later expand to general cross-server teaming. The developers could make dimensional teleportation centers (Pocket D, Grandville Portal, Nerva Portal, Peregrine Island Portals) to allow for temporary transfers to other servers. When you log out, you get transferred back to your home server.

    The <home server> could be hidden for those that don't want to see it most of the time, but could be accessed at any time like the current setting to show player name on target or mouseover.

    By using <home server> instead of <global name>, it protects player's need for anonymity and allows players to have multiple copies of their character.

    Summary:
    Pros:
    • Allows cross-server teaming! This is a huge plus.
    • Allows up to 15 players to have the "same" name for their character.
    • Doesn't immediately expose global name.
    • Characters don't need to permanently transfer to other servers.
    • Allows EU and NA characters to show "where they are from".
    • It is a necessary first step in cross server teaming as it allows unique names for all characters.
    • Would allow "Snow Globe@Triumph" to team up with "Snow Globe@Freedom" to do content.

    Cons:
    • People will misunderstand the suggestion and rant about completely unrelated things.
    • It would require auto-complete to send tells/invites/etc.
    • It would need an investment of time to program this.
    • An individual server being down would block access to characters on that server.
    • Some players consider @<home server> as ugly.
    • Some players prefer completely unique names. However this is not only short sighted, but would actually BLOCK cross-server play.
  6. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by White Hot Flash View Post
    I'd rather they keep things just the way they are, and continue to encourage creativity in naming. People that complain about "all the good names being taken" just aren't trying very hard.
    Again, you aren't understanding what I'm saying.

    Edit:
    Did you even bother to read what you quoted?
  7. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dispari View Post
    Um, this is how it already works, just without the @Virtue part being visible (or even necessary to be visible, since it's implied).

    Unless you mean there can be more than one name on the same server as long as one was transferred from another server. But what happens to Steve@Virtue on Pinnacle when someone makes a new Steve on Virtue? Or is that player using up a char name on two servers at the same time?

    And that solution wouldn't appeal to a very wide audience considering it would require transfers.
    Not transferred, but having <character name>@<home server> would allow cross-server teaming. If the character is permanently moved to another server, their home server would change. It would allow up to 15 players to have <character name>.

    <character name>@Triumph
    <character name>@Virtue
    <character name>@Pinnacle
    <character name>@Guardian
    etc.

    It would allow the Team Up Teleporter to act independently of the server so that you could always find a team. I think I'm going to start this in the suggestions section though, rather than derail this thread further.

    Edit:
    Suggestion thread added: Cross server naming to allow teaming
  8. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Arcanaville View Post
    Personally, I can't think of a worse way to do it, and I'm including assigning everyone a random set of digits as their character name.

    My sheer animosity towards the general concept is a not insignificant part of the reason we have a /ghide command.

    If the devs ever implement a global@local system, I doubt I'll be able to stop them, but I will change my global handle to the most creative protest I can muster that would withstand the EULA, and I'm a very creative person.
    Thinking about your post here, how about <character name>@<home server>? That maintains privacy (as much as possible) and allows up to 15 versions of that character name.
  9. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by V-Tron View Post
    In my Opionion the Devs probably should have put in a method in which people could form a league with who they want instead of having a random queing system the only way to start it.
    You can pre-make a league. The problem (that some people see, not me) is that if your group is less than the maximum for the trial in question, the new LFG system adds up to the trial's maximum from the queue.
  10. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kyriani View Post
    Personally I always wished they had simply used the global handle as the unique identifier for an account and let us use whatever character name we wanted even if it was the same as someone else on the same server.
    I've always liked that set up myself.
  11. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Daemodand View Post
    Say what you will about soloists, it's the team exlusivists that really go against the spirit of an MMO.
    I agree.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Photonstorm View Post
    I have run so many raids and TFs that kicking someone out of teams is a rare occurrence. I was on a team once where the leader kicked someone for a really stupid reason, and I simply quit the team. End of story. Rate it with 1 Star.

    Actually, I find there are more people willing to explain then to kick out players. Dunno, I find this whole kick players out thing bordering on paranoia. Unless people are behaving like a total sociopath, they shouldn't be afraid of being kicked out.
    That is my hope too, but I'm not going to fool myself into thinking it will not happen with these trials.
  12. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Golden Girl View Post
    Why would they be kicked?
    Read the following threads:

    Feedback: LFG Queue
    Feedback: Leagues

    There are a couple more in the I20 Chatter section. The "short list" of excuses I've read in those threads:
    • Medical reasons.
    • Computer hardware.
    • Just want to team with friends.
    • Afraid they might get a leech.
    • Afraid they might get someone they don't like.
    • Wanting a challenge.
    • Might think it is too much of a challenge with "unknown" players.
    • Don't want to explain tactics.
    • Don't like people that are not on a VOIP.
    • Afraid that a player might mess up tactics.
    • Just don't feel like having new people around.
    • Stressing out over badges.
    I'm sure that some players have come up with new ones by now. Personally I think people are over reacting about wanting to kick or lock people out of leagues, but I do agree it will happen.
  13. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Arbegla View Post
    They haven't ignored the alt crazy people, or the soloist.

    The queue system Encourages solo players to team by clicking a button, and joining in a trail.
    Until you find a group that will kick outsiders. Given the extensive threads in the feedback section, those solo players will get kicked repeatedly.
  14. Snow Globe

    Channel mod binds

    POST-ACTION

    Ok, for binds, those should work. For macros, you'll experience problems.

    For a macro, I'd do the following:
    /macro test "chanusermode apex hotline Elimist -send"

    Then right click and edit the macro to put quotes around "apex hotline".

    Or click on the offender's name and select silence. You know how fast that works.
  15. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Super_Tramp View Post
    Hmmmm...one of my 3 accounts had a credit card that expired this month. I forgot to change the billing info...duh...then I got an email while I was online that the payment didn't go through. It was fixed and paid for within 15 minutes.

    So...what are the odds that I'll get hosed on the missing 15 minutes?
    Depends on if those 15 minutes happened around midnight for the billing server's time.

    If it happened earlier in the day, then you should have nothing to worry about.
  16. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Falke View Post
    They are still riding high on the fact that there's no competition to COH for me but NCSoft managed to turn from one of my favorite companies to "do not touch again ever" with this.
    Actually it is far more likely that they are worried of continued account hacking of Aion.
  17. Snow Globe
    Let's see:
    Trenchcoats - one character
    Greek symbol chest pieces - no characters
    Belly Shirt, the Hacker, Desire, and Disco patterns for Females, Scottish Kilts for Males - several characters.

    two sets of wings - use these a lot, but also use wing recipes and valkyrie pack

    Samurai Armor - a few characters

    shoulder capes - I think I have one character with one.

    Tech Sleek - I use this a lot.

    Signature group logos for chest pieces (Freedom Phalanx, Vindicators, Vanguard, Arachnos, PPD, Cage Consortium, CoT, Council) - never.

    Boxing Gloves, Champion (belt), Boxing Shorts, and Boxing (boots) - one test server character that I've abandoned.

    Crab Spider, Blood Widow, Mu Mystic, Wolf Spider Helmets - a few characters.

    So yeah, the costumes get a lot of use... Not really.
  18. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Second Measure View Post
    In the meantime, we are very excited about Issue 20 launching next week!
    Well, that was unexpected.

    I notice that you didn't mention anything about players being locked out of their NCsoft master accounts at the beginning of the month. I've lost several in-game friends for a security system that is actually worse than what it "replaced". I expect to lose more as other players game accounts come up for renewal.
  19. Snow Globe

    HellBane / Caleb

    POST-ACTION

    Yes, you need a lot of perception and luck to see him. He is a very fast Spectral Demon with Shadowfall (or something similar) on. He tends to zip around the map anywhere from sea level to nearly the zone ceiling, but tends to like 200-300 yards up.

    At any rate you might want to specify which server you are on. You might also ask in your server's badge channel(s) and server forum.
  20. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by The Grim Heaper View Post
    Weren't the devs working on a web page at one point that would do this? Seem to recall something about the project being scrapped because it would take up too much of the servers' resources...
    That is dead.
  21. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by The_Spad_EU View Post
    Take a look here: http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=256229 - it's a fairly regular problem for a lot of people of late.
    Of late? You mean since August 2009...

    Here is an older post than the one you mentioned:
    http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=237802
  22. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ironblade View Post
    Except it won't show up on the map. I think we need an option like we have in city zones - show names. So each room would say POWER, MEDICAL, etc.
    I actually like this better than color-coding. Labelling each room (preferably by hint text) instead of using color wouldn't be a problem for colorblind players.
  23. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Residentx_EU View Post
    I think your on to something if your being serious.
    I am serious... and don't call me Shirley.
  24. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tanstaafl View Post
    My experience differs.
    I've only gotten a thank you for the purchase note, with order number and a This code was applied to the City of Heroes / City of Villains account xxx without a code displayed.

    I wonder if this is an option in account settings or somethng. As above, I've never gotten two emails, with one with having the entire code.
    You might want to check your spam filters.

    The purchase email has the subject of: "Thank you for your purchase from the NCsoft Store"

    Followed by an email with the subject of: "NCsoft Serial Code Applied"

    The second email body is always the same (expected as an automated system):
    Quote:
    You have successfully applied the following serial code to NCsoft Master Account: XXXXXXXX

    Date : <Insert date here MMM DD YYYY>
    Game : City of Heroes
    Account: XXXXXXXX
    Serial : XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
    Type : <Insert type here, PERK or RETAIL>

    Save this e-mail for your reference. You may need to provide the serial code to a customer service representative to obtain customer support.

    We look forward to seeing YOU in the game!

    The NCsoft Team
    Details hidden, of course. This is the one with the full code.
  25. Snow Globe
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Willowpaw View Post
    Also, River Rat and all of the Praetorian exploration badges.
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Master-Blade View Post
    Those aren't limited. You can always go back to Praetoria to get those. Even non-praetorians can earn them. Just go through the portal in PocketD.
    What Master-Blade said.