Agent White

All of this seems to kind of imply that everyone thinks the Resistance movement at this point is being handled pretty much by The Resistance. Rather, you guys seem to think the Resistance is still being run by the Praetorians.

I'd say Primal Earth is pretty much pulling the strings at this point. And Prometheus. So the figure heads of the Resistance aren't really that key, they're more for PR than anything at this point, and even that's sort of iffy given almost all of their backgrounds.

I think it's a way to ensure VIPs only have access to it. I'm not sure but I think Preems can at least unlock the slot, Remiel's arc says its requirements are strictly the Ouroboros badge, Level 50, and having Going Rogue. But only VIPs are able to get components to slot it and the others. I think. I dunno has anyone tried?

Could be they're still trying to stick to the design philosophy of giving ATs a unique power set.

Could also be it's hard balancing Illusion for Dominators and having to figure in another AT that can bust out Perma-Phantom Army (Since its not much for Doms to go perma-dom). Devs have said it's hard to balance invincible pets.

Also pants.

Yup. They're now purely costume packs available in the Paragon Market, lacking all the extras like Auras, Emotes and associated powers. The martial arts pack has made a return recently in its entirety for the Black Friday sale.

Look under Costumes -> Bundles and you should find at least the main bulk of the costumes in the pack.

I'm pretty sure for the most part the zone is going to function like First Ward, with a string of regular mission contacts and 1-2 contacts for repeatable missions. I don't really see them putting in information for contacts that talks about level shifts and specific abilities.

Actually I'm mostly expecting the main arcs to be scaled around someone with just the Alpha, since the main arc is really going to be the 'pinnacle' of the solo path for people to earn their Emp merits and components. I don't think the devs are going to expect someone to max out their tiers by the end of the arc, so I don't really foresee anything in the main arc telling you "Oh hey you might want to bring friends or a few level shifts with you".

Thinking about it though, I guess that is something of a conundrum for folks that have T 4 in all 5 slots. And sort of just the inherent problem with the system atm, it ends and there's nothing at the end that worth doing atm. But then, what *can* the designers put in that people maxed out will want to run continuously that isn't just stockpiling more merits, threads, and components? The only things you can earn in the game are More Salvage, More Enhancements (And end game usually has people Purple IO'd out to the gills already) and.. More costume pieces? Oh and Badges. I guess it's kind of an inherent flaw in the game since there's so few systems and the ones in place already hand 99% of themselves out like candy. The height of it used to be Hami-Os, but most of those have been made pretty obsolete by now

I think a lot of us are just kind of confused by your victim act.

The designers did something contrary to your and others' expectations, but that's hardly bait and switch or a 'scam'. The game didn't have endgame content, it does now, and it's going to have content that caters to everyone soon enough. Trying to paint the players as some beaten stepchildren finally being given some modicum of comfort after being thoroughly 'abused' by some wrongdoing on the designer's part is ludicrous.

Are the trials perfect? No. Are they in-line with the rest of the game's design? No. They're a new avenue the designers are exploring to match with other games end content. Just because it doesn't completely match your desires and wants in the game is no personal slight, much as you seem to imagine it to be, against you or the other players.

There are people that are happy with trials and there are people that aren't. There will be more trials, more incarnate content for solo/small team, and content for the rest of the game too, the designers are giving everyone something. Could they have put out the solo stuff sooner? Possibly, but they also want to put a focus on the trials, love them or hate them they're here to stay so you're better off offering constructive feedback instead of just stewing and breathing vitriol over past decisions and painting the designers as some abusive evil doers trying to trick us.

I mean what do you think any of it accomplishes? We don't have to bend over backwards and just take it, but just ******** pointlessly isn't going to make them stop and go "oh, you're right. We just wanted your money, we'll stop that now and give you everything your little heart desires". The devs have shown they *are* listening to us and while they can't meet every self entitled demand made, they are adding things and tweaking things that people are asking for and want, from features to powers to costumes to zones. Are the devs perfect? Good gods no. but you seem to be under some misapprehension that whining like a spoiled child and accusing the devs of some half baked idea that they're just jerking us all around for fun is going to change things.

You're not going to get everything you want, almost no single player is going to. They're going to keep making trials and the trials are going to remain the fastest way to progress along as an incarnate. This is a fact of their plan. What you can do is offer constructive feedback on the current systems and offerings in order for the devs to make what they do give you the best that they can offer. Even debating things can be constructive, but not just whining and crying wolf. And if that just doesn't fly you're welcome to vote with your dollars and cancel your subscription.

Is it really worth it to rail against the trial system? If you don't like it, don't play it. They're releasing non-trial content now for everyone that doesn't want to deal with them, venting such vitriol does nothing except maybe make you feel a little better when someone head nods.

This is how the designers have set up end game content. Most of the problems with it are simply that there's not enough of it yet, which is being alleviated with a wider variety of trials and the new non-trial options, which we're told will also be expanded with further new zones and even Incarnate additions to older zones.

The bottom line is really that iTrials are here to stay and in order for them to remain viable as an option for Incarnate advancement, it's simply not possible to let solo/team content overtake them in terms of time and reward. Regardless of your feelings about them and the history of the game's traditional content, the trials are an avenue the Devs will continue to pursue and develop, a few curmudgeons that disagree with their design philosophy isn't really going to deter them.

Yeah I rather got the impression that he was kind of referring to future Incarnate powers doing something that would extend to the lower levels, I didn't really get that they were thinking of making current incarnate stuff exemp down.

Staff fighting:
Coat rack

Titan Weapons
Giant Frozen Fish