This will be my only post on a I5 topic, and since I have made 4 fire tankers of different types and love all of them, I felt that this topic on burn was the most appropriate location for this post.
Preface:
My first large scale online game was Star Wars Galaxies and I left it for similar reasons after playing for 1 ½ years - such massive late in the game changes that it created large-scale exodus. COH is going though the same type of pains of originally creating a great game to only lose it by required Dev changes to make the future content and plans come into play (i.e. in Star Wars, the method and purpose of only have a few Jedi's to everyone having a Jedi, or crippling the economy with changes, etc).
Back to COH:
I have been though all of the patches/I2 - I4 and always felt that I could re-adjust the characters I have made, to make a difference. I have characters on Infinity and Virtue and have (2) 50 level characters many types of chars from 12 43 level and in 3 different large SG's. I actually bought a second account and got my wife involved and found that it was a
great thing to enjoy this first game that we could enjoy together. I started in Infinity and restarted in Virtue with my wife and it was a great experience for us to work together and struggle though it all including sharing the influence and battles to get our present main's (she has a level 43 reg/bs scrapper and my level 50 fire/axe tanker). We made a rule to
never PL or except a PL to enjoy the game's missions and to do all the badge missions we could. It was a great thing to find a new SG in virtue and create great friendships that come from hero's working together as a team ..
So all in all it was a great run and found that we could solo if we wanted to, or Duo or teamed with this SG.. it didn't matter.. the main point was that it has been enjoyable for all.
So I'm all for the Dev's vision, and where it's going but the execution is a way off. I haven't been one for much posting, but I do read a lot of the forums for build ideas and when new Issues are coming out. Its amazing how many people have posted their testings and produced many suggestions to help come up with alternate methods of making concessions. I have never seen so much hate, disgust, and downright flaming posts and also the opposite type of posts for this I5 update. I think the reason for this is quite evident that it wrecks most builds (general casual players and min/max'ers) to the point of non-hero feeling.
Yes it is a game, and Yes it is some of people's life put into and fine tuning to make these characters. So when a drastic Issue like this comes out to rectify all of the Dev's past mistakes for not forecasting COV integration and PVP issues, many people get the call of the wild and make post hast out the door to the next game.
Mind you, I have bought my accounts for 6 more months to wait out the changes and see the total effect of the I5 havoc. I believe that the Dev's have a better picture of what they want the game to become than I do and hope that they can make it a better transition than present plan. It's funny how they have to make the hard call and drop in the Issue at some point to only see that maybe they made a mistake and refit Burn and others skills and defenses that have been trashed. My Real big beef is that too many good players have already been giving up way before this issue is out and I figure that many more after it goes live..usually the ones that don't read the forums. I like the game too much for it to die this way. Maybe the COV angle will reinterest the ones leaving and at least make them great bad antiheros.
Back to Burn ...
After trying my characters on the Test Server, I have found that burn is total useless. Not even worth putting one slot in ... It has been relegated to a non power (by the way the jewel of the fire tanker av). The Dev's are royally punishing anyone that has made such a character and it seems to be that it will go live that way. They have looked at this power and have changed it at almost every Issue and several patches as well. We all know and acknowledge that it is too powerful. But to make it useless is a total sin. I dare say that many players dont play a fire/* tanker nicely in a group or over herd/PL, but to kill a character type so fast and destroy it so completely, is ridiculous. Please don't ask for more data, since you have enough to sink a ship.
It's a fact Burn - its dead Jim especially solo.
Anyway I hope (I really hate the word hope since it does nothing to make it different) that the Dev's take into consideration this post and not become so insulated that they don't realize that they may be driving away customers is not good for business, and my selfish reason driving away players that I love playing with. Burn is not the sole reason for people leaving, as there are too many reasons in I5 for this mass exodus, and they may not be able to stop this once this starts. Heck, its a game .. but one heck of a great game... one that I always wished I could play and have. There are times that I actually feel that I'm am a hero in Coh and the illusion is complete. Guess thats proof of a great and wonderful game.
Last thought:
No matter what, I'm here for 6 more months. One would figure that they should be able to get it right or at least reveal what the total vision is to be by then. I have the utmost respect and admiration of Statesman(Jack) and the all the Developers. To make this vision and game possible was a great thing of beauty. I 'hope' that Issue 5 doesn't jump the shark!
Thanks for reading
