Xaphan

I just wonder how they're gonna tell you what job you'll be doing when you log out. Will it list it when you're logging out, or will there be some sort of an ingame menu you can check (and perhaps change your job to something that isn't location dependent, like "on patrol"?)

I'd just hate to log out in a cardboard box in some dank alleyway, thinking I'll get the Hobo badge, only to log in later and find myself a City Scoop Writer.

- Reporter/photographer, just to play to the classics.

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DAMN it Devs! Why must you always penalize villains! You know that villains have access to fewer sounds than heroes, why must you shove it in our faces by forcing us to see a visual representation of how we're getting screwed again on redside!











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You think that's bad, imagine Grandville now!!! The lag from the geometry is bad enough... but consider how many atmospheric sounds are in that place! My computer will FREEZE the moment I get close to a TV, and my screen fills up with visual sound effects!

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I'm starting to wonder if some of these people are REALLY falling for it, or just putting on a show... ...ah well, I got my laugh before work... wonder if I should call in sick but show up anyway?

/em popcorn

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This may have been said already but I don't know since I just scanned most of the looooooong posts in this thread, but what about the people that have already earned the badges? I agree with the OP, the original parameters for the badges are absurd. However, for those that did sacrifice their time to earn the badges in their original, and apparently intended, form, what do they get if the badge requirements are changed? To me, if I earned Empath for instance, and suddenly the requirements changed, not only would I get pissed about the change but I would also worry about what future changes might hold and their repercussions.

I make this argument with the realization of the changes made for Zookeeper and the non-existent negative impact that adjustment created. However, that's a difference of 9000 Rikti monkeys, not millions of hit points healed. The prestige of earning the badge would be greatly lessened IMHO, and I say this while simultaneously wishing it were easier to earn the badge.

[/ QUOTE ] A few people with Empath have stated they wouldn't mind if the requirements were lowered. It's not something everyone agrees on, but nothing ever is. I think the majority is there. Regardless, in the case of Empath, I don't think the devs should really care about hurt feelings. At all. "Oh my, I AFK farmed using a known bug in order to get a badge that would be otherwise impossible, and am now angered that the devs made the badge possible to get the way it was intended to be achieved. Oh woe is me." ...Yeah, I think the devs would be laughing.

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I think it's about time that all the epic badges get looked at.

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I agree. The money badges I'm ok with since we have a market and IO's now hence the need for constant in game funds, but the Epic Heal and Damage badge should be reevaluated, and this is coming from someone with an Immortal Mastermind. I would NOT feel cheated at all if the Epic requirements were cut down some.

And please activate the tracking meters for Artisian thru Fabricator.

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I"m really late coming to this thread (I was reading the forums and came across it and started from the beginning!), but correct me if I'm wrong, aren't the money badges earned from earning the money - ergo the market sales do not count towards it?

Which makes me curious do the recipes and stuff I get from mishes count towards these badges when I sell stuff to Ghost Falcon?

Also my opinion on the epic badges is (and I'm up to the 5th one for healing..ugh). The healing and damage ones need to be looked at. It took me weeks of setting up a Tyrant farm with all my accts to get it. I am absolutely dreading the idea of setting it up again for a possibly months to get the last one.

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For the inf badges, only inf earned from enemy kills, mission completes, etc. count towards the badges. Things like selling to an NPC store or selling on the market do NOT count. So, those things are only places you can spend your inf... but you can't gain any inf that counts from them.

With that in mind, I may have to disagree with the posted you quoted that the inf badges are good because of the market, and the need for a large amount of inf. The final badge is for 2 billion inf. And, while you may not need to have all that inf on you at the time (and I doubt you would, since it'd mean not spending any of your hard earned inf until you get the badge), it's still WAY more inf than I think would ever be needed. Even with the new purple IOs, I could probably completely twink out my character for well under a billion. The rest would need to go to my alts, given away to newbies, or wasted on the crappy inf to prestige conversion. There's simply a point where you've bought EVERYTHING you need, and the rest of your money is just sitting there.

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Im stating..... That people CANT and should not always expect to have everything they want.

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You're saying the Devs bothered to code this Empath badge into the game so that we could... what? Look at it on a badge list instead of getting it?

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Sorry... Pulling a quote from a while back but I wasnt around. Was playing the game and working towards my epic badges. Priorities in my own entertainment and all.

Let me ask this..... IS there someone who actually has the empath badge at this moment in time? Not HOW they got it. Simply yes or no. Does someone.... anyone, have this badge on a character?

[/ QUOTE ]Several people do. Several of those people have also stated that they wouldn't mind if the devs lowered the requirement. Though there are some who disagree, and some who haven't spoken up... so far from the vocal people who have it, it would seem most wouldn't feel cheated if the badge were made easier to get.

I think, and this is just a random thought, not trying to make a big deal of it... but I think stuff like the inf badges are WAY more unhealthy than Empath is. Empath is just annoying, but it pretty much requires afk farming. Sure, you COULD sit and watch, but there's not much to do other than chat with the people there with you. So, if anything, Empath encourages you to get off the computer and do other stuff. Sleep. Go outside. Do your job. Be with family. Whatever.

The inf badges, on the other hand, you need to actually play the game to earn them. And it's not casual play, either. Farming, tough enemies, long play hours... it takes a LOT of work to get the epic inf badges in any decent amount of time. It's FAR more likely for someone to be sitting at the computer for an unhealthy length of time working on this type of badge.

Just some food for thought.

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Yawn. Loot makes your character better; Empath does nothing.

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Yawn. Decorations in bases do nothing. Costumes do nothing. Character bio and backgrounds do nothing. Standing around in Pocket D roleplaying also does nothing. Just like the Empath badge doing nothing. So glad we have an authority on what is "better" for each of us in a computer game.

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This spawned a random thought for me. Bear with me here.

There is one type of loot that does nothing. Costume Recipes. Still, a lot less effort than getting an epic badge... and maybe a bit more useful since it made you look pretty... but the closest analogy I can get.

Costume recipes were once very rare. Very expensive. They rarely dropped and there were a lot of complaints about it. Eventually, the devs changed things around and upped the drop rate. People were happy, except a few who spent a LOT of inf to get them right away... but not even all of those people were unhappy. Some were just happy others could get them now, and they could get them on their own alts easier.

So, there was a very hard to get piece of loot. The devs agreed it was too hard to get. The devs made it easier to get.


Now for the kicker.

The devs said that they decided to make costume recipes easier to get, because they ended up being rarer than they intended when they coded them in.

Posi noted that he expected Empath to take somewhere around 5 years to get. However, unless you're playing a really unhealthy amount, it'd take about 25 years of normal, non-farming gameplay for a healer to get Empath.


Thinking about it like that, I see a bit of precedent for a change. All of this IMO, as always.

Food for thought: There are several types of badgers. Those that want ALL the badges, those that want certain badges that show accomplishment (for example, healing badges to show how much they heal), and those that want the toughest badges AND don't want anyone else to have them! (not to be rude to those, but I'm gonna ignore them since ANY change would make them unhappy).

As it stands for some of the epic badges, the people that want them for the sake of achievement won't get them (unless they farm for them, doing something they probably wouldn't be proud of), and the people who want all the badges regardless of what the badge is will take a long, long time to get them.

Now, what happens if the epic badges are reduced to something possible through normal gameplay, without farming? Well, the people farming for them will get them easily, of course... but for most of those people it's the badge that matters, not the effort. So, they'll probably be happy. The people who want to earn the badges by working for them can now do so. Thus, they're happy too.

The people who want to keep the badges all for themselves are unhappy, of course, but I think they were born that way...

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In fact, several of us have predicted that if someone was going to dedicate themselves to getting the badge with aid other during play, that they would finally get it sometime around 2040. This upsets those classes without heals. On the flip side those with healing powers that are doing it "by the intent" would get the badge sometime between 2-5 years/365 days a year/around 4+ hours/day.

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I fogot the ONE very, very big difference between myself and those more favorable of a change;

I dont think that NON-HEALERS SHOULD be able to get the epic heal badge via "normal" game play! Not even extraordinary play! <---- Example

Well, maybe by 2040! You stated in your first post that the badge could be obtained by "HEALERS" in 2-5 years, 365, 4 hours a day? WOW there is QUITE a difference between 2 and 5 years wouldnt you say? The math would suggest if the worse case is two years at the marks you state then 5 years would be, oh I dunno, maybe "normal" game play? Maybe? For an Epic? And something Posi stated before as you said? Sounds JUST RIGHT to me! Maybe its because some people have non-likely characters that they "WANT" to get these badges on and are just mad that they simply wont?

My badger will NEVER have the epic heal badges or epic held badges? Why? Because he is a BRUTE! Thats why. And why is that not acceptable to people? You want them on a character that isnt a healer for instance? Well, farm it I guess or stick withit till 2040. Im suppose to support lowering an epic badge so some tank can get the epic heal badge? Um, no.

Five years..... If THAT is the standard and you think thats what Posi stated at one time? Well then YAY! 5 years it is. Sounds about right for an EPIC badge to me! And whats wrong with that?

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Someone posted a very detailed analysis of this once, laying out all assumptions and explaining their calculations. They estimated that a dedicated empathy defender could earn Empath in as little as TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.

Unless I see some details and explanation, I regard the quoted time of 2-5 years as a load of bull.

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I assume (not knowing the argument used for the numbers, but just guessing) that the 2-5 years at 4 hours a day is if the healing is FARMED for four hours a day. Which is to say, set up so each heal gives as much credit as it possibly can, hits a large number of targets, and hit often. The 25 year one, however, sounds more reasonable for an average team situation, where you'd only heal a few times during a mission (healing as needed), and each heal only counts for whatever damage has been taken.

If someone were TRYING to get this badge, the answer would probably fall somewhere inbetween the two. However, it can be said for certain that no one will ever possibly accidentally get this badge. It NEEDS to be worked towards.



Personally, I don't think much will get done by arguing whether or not the badges are working as the devs intended. Lots of things that were working as intended have been changed since, because they were found to be unfair or unfun. Working as intended doesn't mean that it's RIGHT. Are the badges fun? Are the badges worth the effort? Would changing the badges make more people happy than it makes unhappy? Would changing the badges make the badges themselves better? THESE are the most important questions, IMO.

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Though I don't actually have the epic badges in question yet (working on them), though even if I did I don't think I'd mind them being lowered (I'd actually probably be happy about it, since other people will have more fun with it (it's not just about me after all) ...plus, I have other characters to think about). My opinion on the matter is that any badges that require an unhealthy amount of activity, an exploit (regardless of how easy or "legitimate" the exploit may be), or any other "broken" behavior is not a well thought out badge, and I would be glad to see the requirements be lowered.


I can't speak for everyone, but me and many others I know collect badges because it's fun. And maybe a tiny bit of OCD, but mostly the fun. To get that shiney "Badge Earned!" message, regardless of how it was earned, is a thrill. To look at a huge badge list and reflect on how much time and effort was put into that character is gratifying. Badges make me happy. HOWEVER, there is a fine line between fun and tedium.

Working hard on a difficult badge and finally getting it can be a rush. I feel great. I'm happy that my hard work payed off.

Working my fingers off on a ludicrous badge (such as the epic badges in question, and perhaps a few other annoying ones) and FINALLY getting it doesn't quite get me the same rush. The thrill of the achievement would have been just fine a long time ago, but by this point it's not the same. It's not "Yes! I FINALLY got the uberspecialrarebadge!"... it's more of an "Ugn... I FINALLY got the uberspecialrarebadge... glad that's over". I know one or two people who have sworn never to step foot inside an Arena again, after having gotten Empath.

Tedium is not fun. Tedious badges are NOT FUN. This is a GAME. Things that are NOT FUN do not have a place here. The only excuse is if it were an obstacle, a stopgap of some kind to help separate the fun parts... but it isn't. Badges are a fun little side thing that has very little (if any at all) impact on the rest of the game. Such things should be fun, or non-existent. There's no point to having such tedious badges.

This is all in my own opinion, of course.

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And Deadpool does make it look awesome...shame Liefield created him...means i cant hate that bastid unequivocally :/

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Actually, I consider him created by Marv Wolfman, seeing's how he's just a sad Deathstroke clone with a motormouth.

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It's like Deathstroke and Spiderman had a baby, and the result was pure AWESOME.

They're too busy posting on the super secret Issue 11 closed beta boards (now that they got it set up so it doesn't take over the normal test server, they made the forums even harder to find too!).

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Teleport beacons for all CoH zones?

Yes. It's in our internal QA right now, making sure they all work right. (So it's a patch or three away from the Training Room server).

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Looks like heroes are gonna need bigger bases....

[/ QUOTE ]It's interesting that the devs have looked at a specific SG base problem, and have confirmed a fix is on the way. They also stated that they will look into SG issues between issues 7 and 8. It is now between issues 7 and 8.

If you excuse me, I'm going to go get my hopes up now. :3

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Teleport beacons for all CoH zones?

Yes. ..

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Even... gasp... The Hive?

[/ QUOTE ]Ooh... I hope that beacon lands you on the safety rock and not... let's say... in the middle of the Hamidon.

I've searched those tunnels for holes or any other things that could lead to a secret area. I wondered if there was a false wall somewhere, but I didn't feel like running into the wall for the entire path. From the screenshots, the texturing definetly seems to be in that area, but that could be wrong. There could be a smaller, seperate tunnel somewhere else not connected to the Fab Tunnel...

Though I'm not really asking for directions or anything, I'd like to know... how is the area hidden? Hole in the wall? In a ceiling? Fake wall (looks solid but can be walked through)? Just a really obscure path?

Hmm... in a way, this makes sense. The people that would be able to do this are (for the most part) people with no jobs, and most likely teenagers. These are the people who could really use a free year, not the people with a job and steady income.

Of course, I'm not high enough level, so it doesn't effect me... but I can see at least SOME logic behind it.

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Has anybody lackied with a higher level Villain yet? I really want to know how the "Arsonist" plays. If it's like having a Scrapyarder with a fire bomb...then I'm all for it baby! I can't wait to hear about Gang War, that sounds like a sweet power!

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Unless they changed something, I don't see how lackeying would allow you to determine how the "Arsonist" plays. Only your combat level is improved when you are lackeyed/sidekicked, not your actual level. So if you are a level 5 MM lackeyed to a 40 "Boss", you'll fight at level 39, but only have the powers you had at 5.

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Yeah, but the arsonist is the third minion level pet, so...

Mastermind Pets (I tested with bots) take a long time to use building doors (I tried the police station, front door and inside elevator). This means the Mastermind is left on the other side of the door without any support. This should be adressed, as it not only casues a danger to the player, but also wastes precious time.

Also, I orgasmed three times during the mission. I think I like Mayhem Missions.

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I dunno, I feel that Arachnos is a better name for the origanisation. SPIDER just doesn't have the same ring to it for a large worldwide crimminal organisation. Its as cringeworthy as SHIELD and HYDRA from the Marvel universes.

SPIDER could still exist if it's an operation codename thats part of Project Destiny.

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Nah... Recluse names everything WEB... I'm sure he refers to Project Destiny as that, too...

It's a cunning plan, really. With so many things using the same name... the tunnels below Warburg, his old crime syndicate in Paragon, his base of operations... It'll be hard for the heroes to determine which Web is which.

By the time they all recovered from the Christmas party, they got drunk again at the new years party...

CoV is a stand alone game if you don't already own CoH. If you don't already have CoH, it's ALL new to you.
So, the only way you'd notice that it's not all new content is if you already have CoH... in which case it's an expansion.

...I really don't see the problem here.

Yes, but not at launch.

Dear diary...

You know, sometimes I wonder just how corrupt MAGI might be. Every time I ask for funding for security, or more guards or anything like that, my requests get turned down. The higher ups say that we need all the resources that we can get put into research and development, and that I’ll have to rely on the heroes to protect the MAGI vaults. I think some of my bosses might even be stealing artifacts themselves...

Of course, I’m also not allowed to send anyone that doesn’t work for MAGI to the vaults, so it’s impossible to get heroes to protect the vaults. Heck, I haven’t even been there myself in weeks. There are so many heroes, I barely have enough time for a break, let alone drop something off at the vault. I have to get one of the guards or workers to drop it off for me... I’m pretty sure that half of them are spies or thieves, but of course my request for an inquiry into that was denied.

Really, I’ve gotten used to it. Every day, I have to say almost the same thing. “Thank you for retrieving this magical artifact. It’ll be put into the vault right away”. I’m always tempted to add “where some random villain will, of course, steal it five minutes later”. I can’t say that, obviously, because I’d get fired. I’m possibly the only one here that’s not corrupt and I’d be the one getting fired. Sometimes I just have to laugh at how annoying my situation is.

What really gets me are the heroes. They’re nice people, for the most part, and I love talking to them. There are even a few really nice ones that keep me company sometimes and tell me tales of their adventures. I really do enjoy talking to the heroes. But, sometimes they get a little mad... and understandably so. They just brought in a priceless relic of mass destruction, and I have to call them five minutes later for them to retrieve it again. Yeah, it annoys me too. The problem is that a lot of them blame me. I’m just a liaison, a so-called contact. I don’t guard the vault, I don’t even transport the relic! I have nothing to do with security (though I wish I did, then maybe less things would get stolen), and all the stolen artifacts have nothing to do with me.

...However, I am the face of MAGI, and I’m the only one the heroes can blame. Some understand, sure, but not enough. Last week, a ‘hero’ even tried to assault me when I was forced to tell him that the magic ring he brought in the previous day had been stolen by some Hellions. Luckily, one of the friendlier heroes was nearby and managed to save me from harm. Still, it was a frightening experience.

Sometimes I think about quitting. It’d make my life easier, and I’d stop getting blamed by so many people I respect for things I didn’t do. I could live without the pay, I suppose. I have enough saved up by now to retire on. So, why do I stay? Why not take the easy way out? Well, I love talking to heroes, and their company alone makes it worth it, but more than that, I want to make a difference. I’ve been trying for so long to change MAGI, make it more secure... and slowly, I think it might be working. Who knows? Maybe some day, one of my requests may actually be answered...

~Azuria