AquaJAWS

First After a Red Name!!!

Cute...I LOLzd at that one

People will begin speculating on the effect of issue 21 and crying doom about that

I can see why this is disappointing for the person expecting to get their NotW, however it is not a bug and working as the devs intended.

The WST gives the all of the bonus rewards once per week.
The NotW is part of the bonus.
You don't get that part of the bonus for the same reason you don't get shards: you have not unlocked the alpha slot.
Only people who have unlocked their alpha slot get any of the incarnate salvage.

If you want the NotW for the week, and you're not yet level 50 or haven't unlocked your alpha slot, don't run the WST until you are and have unlocked your alpha slot.

I'm actually glad the WST includes the lower level TF/SF. There are many that I've wanted to play but haven't been able to find a group for. Hoping this encourages more opportunity to run them.

I get the arguments about how players truly interested in the strike target know to look on the forums. And a direct link works great for now, just thinking once it drops off the first page it'll be harder to find. Considering its the big feature of 19.5, a more visible, easier-to-access, method of delivery is in order. It may turn some of those casual players that could be interested into hardcore players.

I think the lower shard rates with the alpha level shift is just perception and bad RNG luck. Earlier this week, I ran my STF to get the FotW and only got 4 shards through the whole thing. Crafted my rare and got the level shift and ran a LGTF level shifted. Got 12 shards. Same night. Only a few minutes passed between. Got more shards level shifted than not shifted.

On that note, especially with the one notice per week limit currently, I don't think it would be a bad thing to increase the shard drop rate. Before that night, the RNG hated me and I would only get a few shards per TF and rarely got any running solo. But as is, I don't think its horrible. Just wish there were more methods and a guarenteed way to get shards. Like one shard per TF/story arc mission? 2-4 per alignment mission (not tip)? 2-4 per completed story arc? A Day Job that gets you one per mission? Something in addition to the random drops. As is, its just disappointing when you have a bad night and the RNG hates you and you get only a few and you ran 3-4 TFs.

I think it would be highly useful to have a big banner page on the main site page, a designated stickied forum post or section, and/or a GMOTD or a new STMOTW (Strike Target Message of the Week) in game. Seems like they've hidden the announcement pretty deep for casual players that don't know how to look through the forums. This was the first time I saw the actual strike target announced anywhere official and I was looking around for it.

I've seen where people have said what this week's target is (Kahn or 'Cuda), but where is this officially announced? I haven't seen it listed anywhere yet.

I just named them "Operative XYZ" as most of the male characters in Arachnos.

Widower works fine for me for male widows if you need a male version of the name. For the other, "Fortunato"?

I kinda wish they would switch to a naming convention like one of the other superhero MMOs used, where the name just has to be unique to the account. Real names would be superguy@accountname behind the scenes and for emails and such, but would just be superguy in-game. Getting it like that now might not be possible depending on how its setup in game though. Would still be nice to not have to worry about not getting a name you really wanted for a concept without extra spaces or extra punctuation in the name.

Seriously consider switching from standard SOs to level 50 common IOs at least. Where it takes 3 SOs to reach the ED caps, 2 lvl 50 common IOs will do it and only be a couple percent less than with 3 SOs. That'll get you a few extra slots from the powers you've 3-slotted with the same enhancement to put other places. Hasten, Health, Build Up, Aim, Boost Range, etc...2 IOs will get you nearly the effect that the 3 SOs do now and allow you to move the slots elsewhere for more power there.

The only exception maybe would be stamina, where you can keep it with 3 slots...but I like the end mod performance shifter, the performace shifter +10 end pts proc, and then a common end mod IO. Will get you the same performance as 2 common end mod IOs, which is VERY close to 3 SOs, plus a 20% chance every 10 seconds for a +10 end point boost...like auto poping a blue inspiration that gives you 10 end points.

As others have said, does flight really need 2 slots. One flight speed should be fast enough at level 50...esp a lvl 50 IO. End Redux isn't really necessary either since you shouldn't be using it during combat if you have hover. Super jump as well. And hover can get away being one slotted also...either defense or flight. Combat jumping I put a defense in, and it uses almost no endurance anyways so the end redux is nearly wasted...only drops it a fraction of a end point per second.

Fire shield, its a toggle...is recharge redux necessary? Toggles don't drop anymore from being mezzed so you would rarely have to put it back up after taking it down in less than the default recharge time. Using the slot for more resistance or end redux there would be more practical.

Swift, only really needs one slot.

6 slot your later, stronger attacks before you early light attacks. They usually hit harder and use more endurance and take longer to recharge, so damage, end redux, and recharge redux boosts are more effective there than on the weaker ones like fire blast which if youre short on slots, can more easily get away with only 5 slots.

Keep in mind some of it might not be your computer, but server load. With the Incarnate stuff being the current new shiny thing, there are more people running their 50s and high level toons than usual to up their incarnate powers, who are more likely to be in those high-level zones. It could just be there's more for the server to communicate which is producing the lag.

Who says you'll have to jailbreak it? Someone makes an iOS app, posts it on the app store for free. There's the developer charge of like $99 like once on the app store, but assuming your app gets approved, which would be likely, no need for a jailbreak.

In the spirit of trying to be helpful and to help a player, there are plenty of other pool powers you can take and not slot that are useful at times, and then become more useful for global IO pieces. Chances are you already have some of the pools or some of these powers, and some are more useful for different ATs. Chances are if your build worked before inherent fitness, you don't need these anyways, so extra slotting is really unnecessary, though could be nice to have, but the powers are still nice to have on occation. These are just the powers that I replaced those new extra 3 or 4 slots with most of the time.

Medicine
Aid Other - Helpful for others at times. Might use it rarely. Stick a Numina or Miracle global in there later on for more recharge and/or recovery

Concealment
Stealth - More defense. Put an end redx in there. Later on. LotG +Recharge.
Grant Invisiblity - LotG + Recharge mule, plus maybe useful on occations.

Leadership
Maneuvers - A little extra defense never hurt anyone. Plus, LotG mule again.
Assault - More damage. Yay

Leaping
Combat Jumping - GREAT power. More aerial control. VERY low endurance. Extra Defense. Great for a LotG mule as well.
Super Jump - can be fun. Travel power if ya need it.

Flight
Hover - Lotg mule. Useful at times especially for ranged fighters.
Fly - Fun travel power.

Speed
Hasten - Yes, many have it already. But if you don't, it never hurts to add it. If ya didn't have it before, again you don't really need it and you can get by fine without additional slotting
Super Speed - This + Stealth is great for stealthing those anoying missions when needed. Don't have to run it all the time. Also, this, plus combat jumping and hurdle is a decent travel power with much lessvertical movement issues now.

Teleporation
Recall Friend - Useful for emergency medevacs at times. Or just getting your slower or less capable teammates to the next mission quicker. This + Stealth + Superspeed = stealth the team to the AV at the end of a mission if you choose to play that way.

If your primary or anciliary sets already have it, add that self or teammate rez power that you may have skipped since hopefully you or they don't die too often at it was not needed.

What everyone else said. Occasionally, for patches and issue releases they have to have another one during the week, usually on Tuesdays. If its outside of the standard maintenance period, they usually post something up in the announcement section of the forums.

Here's a link to a detailed listing of all of the disk releases and what comes with each:

http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Disc_Releases

In reality if they just want to play the game, they don't even need the disk, just an account, and that can be trial for a month, though limiting in what you can do. Then its just the $15/month (or less with the multiple month purchases and bonus time going on right now). The client is fully available for download for free. No extra charge at all. The downside to not having the disk is the game is quite large and may take a while to completely setup as well as cost you money depending on your service provider policies. The disk is basically just a faster way to install, a free month of game time, and sometimes a special code to unlock a booster pack. They also usually come with a free month of play-time.

The latest disk, which will get you setup and going the fastest and is probably the easiest to find nowadays is the Going Rogue Complete Edition, which for $40 also gets you access to the newer Praetorian Content, the Incarnate System, as well as the side switching capabilities, a few newer power sets (dual pistols, demon summoning, electric control, kinetic melee), as well as a free month of play. The Praetorian content is very good for new people, and the side switching is very nice and gives you lots of options for how to raise your characters. The Incarnate system won't be useful until they get a 50, but also very good to have. Currently those are the biggest things that are limited based on what version you have. It also has an in-game goodie pack, some nice costumes, some nice auras, a kinda 'meh' bonus power, etc that are nice to haves. I highly recommend this version if you're just starting out. Very much worth the price if you enjoy the game and the early Praetorian content is arguably some of the best in the game. You don't need the disk to get going rogue, just access to the newer stuff you can get with just a $30 upgrade to your account if you decide you want it later, which saves you a little money, but you don't get the extra costumes and auras and such then, nor the free month of play time.

I'm not even sure if the Good vs Evil pack, the Mac Edition, or the Architect Edition are available anymore, but any one of those will get you the same game, just gives you different in-game goodie packs (boosters, costumes, etc). Some people have reported in the past finding them in the bargain bins at Big Lots and other various retailers if you want to try your luck there. All of the edition's goodies can be purchased separately without buying the disk as well, except the early Collector Editions for CoH and CoV, those you need to find the disk with the unused account code for, which can be hard to come by nowadays since they are both over like 5 years old. City of Heroes or City of Villains disks will get you the same thing now. The games have been merged for about a year or so now and either one will get you both, since they are really the same game now, sans the Going Rogue expansion.

Here is a wiki on how to get that setup in detail as well as the site to download the updater:

Wiki: http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Game_Client
Updater: ftp://client.coh.com/US/

While I'm not complaining about getting the respec at all...Yay for more free stuff...I just fail to see the logic as to how a new build just now being opened up warrents a freespec at all. If its just now available after the issue 19 inherent fitness changes, and nothing has changed in the powers since the release of it, and many people weren't even aware of it, and new builds start off at level 1 and you have to level them up all the way to begin with...why does it warrant a respec? Thank you devs for the unwarranted and unnecessary gift for those who want more respecs.