Techbot Alpha
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Quote:Pretty much the same as this ^Originally Posted by Rangle M. Down
As someone with a severe case of altitis (22 alts on Justice alone) I've only focused on getting Accolades for a few of my characters, not all. I have a few lvl 50's with none of them, and a few with most of them.
The reason for that: Some need them, some don't, and working towards some of them can be downright booooring..... -
Quote:Heh...I wish mine had.Originally Posted by UberGuy
Bots, which have range-oriented AI, are some of the only pets which I see consistently survive this encounter. It'd be nice if it didn't work out this way, but making it not would require a significant redesign of the encounter, MM pet mechanics, or both.
Seriously. Synapse and Positron seemed to have a grudge against me. Either that or, despite my defences, I got slapped around by one of the many AoEs going around.
It also doesn't help, given the current A.I. on pets, that some of my bots ran over to try and PUNCH the Phalanx members -_- -
Quote:Let me stop you there a sec, Scarl.Originally Posted by Scarlet Shocker
Seems to me you're the one at odds here.
This game hasn't been "exactly as it is" (shouting doesn't make your statement any more valid by the way) since it Issue 2. It's constantly changing - and in terms of game play it's mostly getting easier, especially since NCSoft took over the whole franchise. (No I'm not gonna get sidetracked by things like ED.) For me, is a sad thing. If it was good to go on Day One and didn't bomb then, then it should be good now.
It's fundamentally a multi-player game. If it was not then you wouldn't need an Internet connection, and it would be an FPS or something. If you don't want to team that makes you the one at odds and you might be quite happy bimbling along but why should the majority of player - who are happy to team - have to have their game dumbed down by the dictat of those too anti-social to join in?
I agree, it is, mostly a team game. MMO, after all.
However. However, the game is also laid out so as for most of it to be capable solo. Sure, not all of it, and not with certain ATs/Sets. I don't necessarily *like* that, but the logic and balance behind that works out fine.
It's the stuff that *should* be soloable and isnt that is the problem. People say 'Get a team' for missions people find hard when, by all past commentary and precendent, it shouldnt be mandatory.
Im pretty sure one of the hints or tips, or a dev comment somewhere somewhen was one about how you CAN solo the game (bar TFs), and are not forced to get a team.
Logistically and playerbase wise, thats a good thing that makes sense and should be kept.(people with awkward playtimes, people who don;t gell well with teams.)
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As for the 'dumbing down'...
I'll go back to the LRSF, since that left quite a large scar.
The last missions is not a challenge. It is cheap. Its cheaty. It's, for want of a better desciption , 'lolHax'.
This is meant to be the crowning pinnacle of your Villainous career. You take on the Vindicators and a ton of Longbow and Malta.
We beat every mission except the last. It was my first run. It was fun. We tore down the Kronus Titan, we stamped the Alternate Phalanx and the Vindicators into the floor. Sure, it had its tough moments, but it was doable. And we did it.
And then we got to the Phalanx. And we died. Over and over and over. We took time out, went to get Shivans. We used Vengeance on the Shivans. We STILL died.
They were cheaty level (53 to our 50) they had cheap attacks (masses of AoEs and buffs/debuffs, coupled with lvl 53 accuracy)...
Its poor level design. Its like the last mission in Assassins Creed 1. I shall explain.
Throughout the game, combat is fairly similar. You get better at it as you go on. However; the last mission suddenly throws at you a large number of units that are unlike anything you've ever fought before. You can't counter kill them with you regular weapons. They pull all the nasty tricks that the Elite enemies usually pull (grab attacks, guard breaks, quick attacks). THats not the worst part, either. Elite guards do a good chunk of damage. These things do double, if not treble that.
And then the end Boss takes that to a whole new level. It is, essentially, cheating. Its not challenging, its not hard or a test. Its a quick and easy fix and patch job that makes for a gruelling, cheap and cheaty end game experience.
Exact same thing with the last mish of the LRSF. Theres no tactical stuff to it, except how to get around the cheaty mob of 53s. How to try and get them one by one. Theres no immersion to it; they're big sacks of HP with big, powerful attacks that have lots and lots of accuracy that make you look like a little minion.
We trod all over the other AVs, Heroes and Giant Monsters in the SF. And then it cheats.
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Anyway, long rant is long. I guess this is a call for some consistancy and balance, and that, if you want something to be done on a team, then the Balance should be doable by a PuG. You should *not* have to min/max, get Shivans, Nukes and IOs to be able to do ANYTHING in the game. Optional things should be just that, and not mandatory to completing things. -
Quote:Go. Hunt. Kill Peds.Originally Posted by Minotaur
-acc or -damage, I don't really mind, but why in the name of all that is holy does a 2000 pound lump of rock still get pushed around by the pedestrians, there should be some code that says that whenever something moves due to the collision code, it's not the granite if the other thing can move.
I despise that with every monofilimant in my core. Seriously...WE are the Heroes/Villains/Badasses. Pushing is what WE do!
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I think we had a bad day. Numina obviously went buff happy after our mishap the first time around.
In hindsight, we probably should have had one Brute focus on taunting them into a mob...that said, though, I'm damn sure we tried that...and Synapse was buzzing around like a scalded cat, zapping everyone, usually me. Either that, or Positron seemed to have a major play on pulling my cerebral core right outta my head...Maybe he remember that time me and a friend Duo'd him, and wants payback? Heh.
Even so, repeated maulings did really make it seem like MMs get the sticky end of the stick in an LRSF. Bots/traps, level 50, with some fairly decent slotting; My pets and me have some quite substantial defences running, and they got anihilated time and time again. I seem to draw way too much aggro, even when the Brute is taunting and even when just laying traps.
Next time? I'm bringing me some nukes *nods* -
Quote:The 5th also, to a man, have martial arts training, which more than makes up for the pistols when you actually get in close quarters with 'emOriginally Posted by Prof_Backfire
The Maniac Slammers got buffed to stop the farming I believe, they have psychic powers now.
I like the idea of ancient Roman soldiers being badass enough to stand toe-to-toe with superheroes. I think their power is a combination of Natural, Magic and Incarnate given that they're supposedly linked to the meta-origin of all superpowers.
Even with groups that spawn from 1-50, balancing that can be tricky. Look at the 5th Column compared to the Council- the 5th have vampyrs and bazooka soldiers spawning from level 1, and still have pistols at 50, while the Council are better balanced across the levels despite being little more than a pallette swap.
T'be honest, thinking outside the game engine and technicalities for a moment, I dont see any reason why the Romans wouldnt be able to fend of at least a fair number of Meta humans. They were the msot disciplined, brutal army in the whole of the ancient world. They had tactics, they were adaptable, they were tenacious. I bet a few of the old generals would give even modern armies a run for their money at times.
I think the thing in favour, OT, of dicersifying mobs is avoidance of repetition and boredom. The mid 20s range vs CoT is Painful. Ghosts. Maps filled with just Ghosts. Ew.
High level Crey, it ends up JUST being Tanks and PPs, which is really really dull. Why not have Elite Security Guards, Enhanced Agents and Vigilants (think Agents from the Matrix kinda level) and Super-Tanks? They are a mad science Corp, I'm sure they can come up with something spiffy.
Also, remember that CoT Redside and CoT Blueside are NOT the same! Blueside, you will never ever see a Hordeling or a Hoarfrost of a Succubi. Ever. Thats a fact, despite the groups being the same name. I guess they are actually two seperate groups, or some wierd technical spawning rule. W/e it is, it's wierd. -
Thats the problem. We brought an A game. We tried to pull Numina. They weren't having any of it.
A few members of the team (about 3) were new, but the guy leading and the others had done it before. It wasn't a matter of lack of experience. Just...Bah, humbug it! -
Quote:I have major, major issue with this. Especially where I've been grumbling about the LRSF lately.Originally Posted by Scarlet Shocker
I've read a lot of this post and I can't help thinking that it's sad that we're getting people complaining that certain NPCs or tasks are too difficult to solo.
This is an MMO... the key word there is multi-player and ultimately City of is a team game. It's been dumbed down significantly over the years I've been playing and yet people still have a desire to be spoon fed and be able to rinse and repeat the toughest content with no challenge.
My personal view, which seems at odds with many here is that this game needs toughening up again. Things should be difficult especially solo. It's a game based on superbeings who are above the norm in every way and shouldn't be easy to wipe.
GMs & AVs aren't nearly as tough as they should be. They should be able to take an average small team down without blinking, and EBs should be able to do so to a solo character too. Taking out a named NPC in this game should be an epic occasion but instead it's mostly a slightly overpowered boss.
The game is incosistant with the major NPCS. One mission where I had to save GW's backside, and she got faceplanted by a team of Longbow. Yet, she's an AV, a Patron no less, who suddenly goes from patsy level to Godmode when you have to fight her.
Same with the likes of Positron. I've Duod him on Hero setting before. Then I fight the sod in the LRSF, and he has 'lolh4xskillz'.
Some AVs and EBs are fine. Others are far from it. -
Quote:I was one of the MMsOriginally Posted by Panzerwaffen
This makes me wonder about those MM's then. The first (and only so far) time I've ran the LRSF was on a bots/traps mastermind. I recall losing a fair number of pets and having to resummon, but it wasn't anything remotely like your description, and I was the only MM on the team. We were also successful without using temp powers or any kind of special team composition, although we did have a teamwipe or two. The only time I had problems in the rest of the SF was when I did something a tad daft, like try and take on a Spines/regen Warden, only to realise he had two buddies jsut around the corner, who then canned me.
The other MM was Bots/Pain, who faceplanted even less then me during the rest of the run. About...once or twice? When we were fighting the other Heroes/Large mobs with multi-Wardens.
So...we only found the last mission hard/impossible. And we had been doing great up until that point. *shrug* -
Quote:Re: You're screwed if you dont have the 'Right' stuff.Originally Posted by Dr_HR
still and thankfully very hard to complete if u dont have the right team make up.
That's my beef with it. Im not saying that it should be 'Easy'. The other missions weren't 'Easy', but we were a competant team. The last mission just ate us alive.
So there is a difference between 'Not Easy' and 'Cheatmode for the NPCs'. -
Quote:As I said, we flattened all the other challenges on the run. The Kronus Titan got trodden all over, Slinger was massacred and the Alternate Phalanx was dealt with with relative ease.Originally Posted by Reiraku
I'm really trying to think of a situation that a team with four corrs and two MM's along with two brutes could fail. You should have been able to breeze by that unless half of your team didn't have a pulse.
I don't know wether Numina managed to multi-buffeveyone or something. *shrug* -
Quote:This.Originally Posted by Dark_Respite
- The Dying of the Light - a full-out music video of the first Rikti War, from the initial invasion to the Alpha/Omega gambit.
I...would suggest using the music of Requeim for a Dream, but this far, far too overused.
The problem is finding a bit of music that confers 'Epic' while no being overused or cheesy. I know it's dooable...jut a tad tricky.
Oh, and we now have the model for Hero 1 in game, so no excuse! ^^
Actually...are the files for the Rikti Mother ship still in game...? If not, we need a MoLRSF team to go get it offa whoever has it
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Quote:Well, I know for a fact that they weren't.Originally Posted by Reiraku
You had to have been teamed with the worst players in the world for that to happen.
It didn't help that both MMs seemed to suffer horribly at the hands of lolAoEs, from one or other of the phalanx. Running in, standing back; eitehr way, the pets died. Fast. And then the MMs followed. -
Quote:And then Reichsman would curbstomp his pointy ears offOriginally Posted by Lazarus
This guy would just walk all over Requiem and the rest of the Council/5th Column if he wanted. Well, maybe not 5th Column Requiem but he certainly could curbstomp Council Requiem.
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Quote:See, this is what is bugging me;Originally Posted by Bionic_Flea
Rule 1 for the final mission of LRSF - everyone must be defense soft capped before encountering the Phallanx. It doesn't really matter how you get there - vengence, purples, forcefields, -tohit, whatever. But the whole team needs to softcap.
Second Rule of LRSF - You must, MUST, have a healthy dose of -regen. While I suppose 8 determined and crazy brutes could probably do it, save yourself the headaches and have a few sources of -regen.
Third Rule of RSF - Everyone attack one target and take out the buffers first. You'll want to take out Numina and Sister Psyche as fast as you can. After that people argue who the next biggest priority target is. My personal opinion is to go for whoever has the lowest health, unless they hit a "god-power" like unstoppable.
Final rule of LRSF - Everything else is optional. You don't "have" to have a stone brute, or a rad corrupter, or shivans, or vengence, or nukes or a single hero pulled. Sure, they are all great and helpful, but they aren't necessary. All you need is soft capped defense, -regen, and concentrated fire on one target at a time, starting with the buffers
By all accounts, we should have been fine last night.
But we were'nt.
We had Two Brutes, Two MMs, and (irrc) Four Corrs. We had an awful lot of defence. We went for Numina first.
We died. No, correct that, were were slaughtered.
So, we attempted to rushgank them. That failed badly too.
Slight detour via Bloody Bay. Shivans, got someone to faceplant, Team TP, vengance, attack with Shivans.
Still got murdered. By that time it was late, people had to leave to get some sleep before work, etc. So, really, we failed. Joy.
Seriously...Why are they all set at perma level 53? Lvl 50 is hard enough as it is, given who it is we're fighting here. And there's 8 of them...9, w/e there is.
I just don't get why it sent so horribly wrong.
Add: Looking at other comments, this was far from a newbie team. I personally hadn't run the LRSF before, but most of the others had, and the leader was a good one. He also pilots an SS/WP Brute that could fend of Reichsman and all his cheap with comparitive ease. We had two kins...hm. Cant remember what else. Alpha is Bots/Traps, the other MM was Bots/Pain. We had a second Something/Invul Brute. No idea on the other corruptors.
I guess this just makes me feel bitter because of all the comments saying how Its easier than it was, and 'You dont need temps'. So, by all accounts, we shoul have been able to muddle on through...
But it took us Vengeancing the Shivans to down Numina. And by that time it was too late for som.
Humbugrrit. -
Never had a problems with elevators. I tend to de-summon them before exiting, simply because it is a tad buggy, and I dont use them outside missions anyway.
What bugs the HELL out of me is how RETARDED Pet AI is.
Im sorry, I do NOT want my ******* Assault bot running up to a freaking KRONUS TITAN and punching it in the foot. Do. Not. Want.
I also do not want my Protector bots and drones running up and PUNCHING members of the Freedom Phalanx in the face during the LRSF. Tbh, it didnt matter, since they died so ******* quick anyway...That last mission is MM death. Pure and simple.
Pet A.I. as it is is retarded. Controlling them at all means turning offf bodyguard mode...then you dont need to worry about control, because either they die, or you die and ALL of them die.
Mega, mega frustrated right now. -
You think Nos is bad...
Right up until you get to the last mission of the LRSF.
Then you understand the meaning of Pain. The sort of Pain that reduces grown men to nearly smacking a hole in the desk.
Shivans. Vengeanced Shivans. Debuffs.
It. Doesnt. Work.
Last mish of the LRSF: Cheap. -
Quote:Especially not when the cheating dog keeps that many Heroes around him...Originally Posted by M_I_Abrahms
No good. The whole thing behind the Destined Ones is that some meta-human currently in the Zig has the power to bring down Statesman. Even the VEATs have to cheat their way onto the list of potentials. Unless there's something major in the canon, there's no possible way someone from another dimension can qualify.
Let States, Tyrant and Recluse all duke it out to the death.
That way I dont have to do the goddamned LRSF ever again...
/Simmering Rage -
Ok, so;
8 man team. Steamrolled everything up to the last mission of the LRSF. Kronos Titan? Floored. Slinger? Floored. Vindicators? Floored.
Last mission.
How is it, that such a well done SF can end on such a...a cheap note? It really is just that. 8 or 9 Heroes, set at perma level 53.
Now, this might just be opinion, but surely there is a difference between 'Challenging' or 'Very Hard' and 'Not actually possible without all 3 Warburg Nukes, Shivans and a specific team make up'?
If this was a random PuG, maybe it wouldn't taste so bitter. Even then, it will still cheapen the whole thing, that the last mission is basically a lolGank fest, that doesnt so much challenge as just push the difficulty through the roof.
But this was a team of some very good palyers, with very tough characters. We did all the right things. And we just got flattened.
At least I understand now why people were so immensley hacked off when the difficulty settings made -1 work for MO runs. Because that isn't challenging, thats just...
Words fail me.
And my inner game designer screams 'Cheap'. -
Hmm, I see where Same is coming from, and how it wouldn't work with all the origins.
It's a nice idea, don't get me wrong. I just worry about how it would be implemented, Reasoned and balanced. -
Quote:Not quite sure wether that suggests it'd be better to have -acc or worse. But, regardless;Originally Posted by Aett_Thorn
While the original reason for the change from -Acc to -Dam was suggested by the players, I would suggest that now it would be hard to balance the -Acc back in.
This is mainly due to IOs, and the prevalence of +Acc bonuses, and the ability to slot more heavily for Acc without giving up on Damage. A -20% Acc penalty could be easily overcome, whereas the same Damage penalty is a bit harder to work around.
Balancing around IO slotting is bad.
Just on principal. -
Any hints for getting 90 (killed a few of the buggers) Fake Nems redside? I need the Nemesis Rifle for the character, but it's a pain to try and hunt them down, when they only seem to appear in Missions redside...
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Quote:...Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
See, that's not actually true. Blaster secondaries are not "about damage, albeit with a bit of mitigation." They are labelled Support for a good reason. Outside of Energy Manipulation, you don't actually see much melee in them at all. Ice Manipulation has two attacks, Electrical Manipulation has two or three, Fire has one direct one and two AoEs and Devices has no actual direct-damage powers. It does have mines and bombs, but these are far from direct-damage.
That said, Blaster secondaries are a frikkin' mess. I'm not sure why that is, but they are both all over the place and stuffed with often completely pointless powers. For one, damage auras that tick slowly and require a Blaster to stand and fight in melee are almost as suicidal as the old Defiance, which immediately makes Fire Manipulation guilty as charged. Not only that, but it also has Burn of all things. Devices is outright laughable, with the almost completely useless Smoke Grenade, the almost completely useless Cloaking Device, the horribly eccentric Time Bomb, the hard-to-use Trip Mine and the badly imbalanced Auto Turret, which costs an arm and a leg, lasts barely any and does, to quote Yhatzee: "bugger all." And that's just off the top of my head.
Basically, I'm not sure what the original design for Blaster secondaries was, but they ended up padded up with garbage that I'd be willing to break the cottage rule for, and ended up not doing enough of anything. Not a lot of them are good for self-defence, few are good for self-buffing and none are really consistent. That's kind of like why I'd like to see Epics become available sooner, as they hold the powers a Blaster REALLY needs.
Yeah. Can't fault that, actually.
Fix Blaster Secondaries, please?
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Quote:Which is crushing on Brutes, at least damage wise. Still, the armours can cope, and a few seconds down time isn't too bad when you go around being a roomsweeper the rest of the time...Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
It's kind of like the crash of Rage. Back a while ago, it made you only affecting self for a while, but that again took Tanks out of the fight completely, so it was changed to a hideous damage debuff that caused you to hit everything for 1, but still allowed you to swing anyway. All of these powers are moving towards letting you fight, hit and land effects, but just not deal damage.
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Quote:...I'm trying to see a downside to that.Originally Posted by Anti_Proton
I sure would be nice if you could use one level 50 character to finance all your other characters. Then you can flood the market with all your unwanted crap, always buy the best enhancements for all your characters. In other words...no.
Less hassle when creating your characters (SOs especially, initially at least, are a swine to fully slot with.)
Being able to swap IOs that you need on other characters TO the other characters, with less hassle.
...Yeah.