AquaJAWS

So this is why I got an invasion in Atlas tonight :-) Had fun with that too! Thanks guys!

I didn't think that safeguards/mayhems were available through the flashback system. Only badge missions and story arcs. Once you out-level the safeguard/mayhem missions range, you have to be team with someone who does have it as an active mission to run it, but you still don't get the completion reward once you're past that level.

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/announcement.php?f=576

Announcement at the top of the Training Room section of the forums. However, it is closed to the public for issue 16 closed beta. Unless you're on closed beta for issue 16 right now (which should have emailed you instructions to do this already) you won't be able to get in.

Issue 16 is not related to Going Rogue in any way. They are completely separate. Issue 17 MAY be the issue that coincides with the release of Going Rogue, but nothing official has indicated that for sure.

The loyalty rewards program they announced a few weeks ago (the program that gives you Going Rogue beta access) is for players who have a full subscription through a point in November. The people who get into that are getting into the second 'wave' of closed beta testing. First 'wave' are the 5+ year vets. The second 'wave' of closed beta testing therefore can't start until after that point in November.

Its plausible that earliest beta testing could start for the first 'wave' in late October or early November. But there hasn't been an official date stated. Closed beta, for all we know, may not start until 2011 (highly doubtful that that is the case, but still possible). My guess, which is pure speculation, is that we'll finish issue 16 testing in early/mid September. Have about a month/month-and-a-half of updates and patches and bug-fixes for that, then maybe sometime in late November or early December we'll see Going Rogue start hitting the test server for beta testing, to be released in the first quarter of 2010, maybe early second quarter. Just depends on how testing goes and how big it actually is.

I've been playing blue-side all weekend and last week nearly every night. Every night I get 6-8 tells from random people asking me if I would like to join them for a TF, trial, random mission, some in the AE, some out, all without me even setting my flag to looking for team. Unfortunately I'm usually either forming a team with my SG, or just about to log off. I did get into a PUG ITF at one point which was a blast. Yes there are times that it can be difficult to form a team, but its not impossible if you try.

I'm aware that you're talking about red-side with probably a lower level toon than me, but it sounds like most of the people complaining about teams not being available are too picky on what they will do, I mean, are AE missions really THAT much different from the rest of the game that you can't stand them? No drops? You get tickets where you specify what type of drops you want, which I've made more money from than I did before. Level too fast? Turn of XP at a certain point. Too many unknowledgeable players? Help them out and teach them a few things. No players on your server? Re-roll on another, more popular server. The game is about the journey, not the end, so why is it so hard to start the journey over somewhere else especially if you aren't enjoying it where you're at. To much broadcast chatter? Leave AP/Cap and/or turn off broadcast or just ignore it all on your own, its not THAT intrusive.

I usually send out a broadcast saying I'm looking for a team, wait a minute if there are any responses, if no, I go run a solo mission. Repeat when I'm done with that. 90% of the time after a couple runs, I'm on a team. If not, and I'm bored with solo, I'll break down and try the AE which almost ALWAYS works. Luckily I'm also on an active SG, which we are always welcoming new people into so eventually enough of us are on to form a good 3-4 member SG team with maybe a few others. Occasionally I form my own team, but thats very rare because I just don't like being leader and having to cater to everyone's wants, so I usually only do with friends.

No, its not exactly the same as it was before the AE, but its not impossible to play as so many people are crying, though you may have to expand and change your play style and adapt. There are ways to deal with the 'problems' that AE has introduced and the others just seem so small and don't affect my enjoyment of the game much at all. But most of all, remember, this is a game.

One thing that really helps the cost of IOs is the memorization badges. Once you get a high enough toon and money supply, make the effort to get the memorization badges. They cut the cost of IOs by 1/4 usually. No buying, only crafting at half cost. Run a MA arch, get some tickets, use tickets to get random salvage drops. Craft what you get, drop them off in the base, repeat until you get what you need, sell the rest. The level 45/50 badges may cost you a lot of money and may end up costing you some, but 10-40 are cheap and you can easily make up the cost of crafting all of them by selling what you do craft. Then its quick to slot up a lower toon assuming you have a method of switching the IOs over.

Sleep, eat, work, tv, read, movies, exercise, post here, tweek on MIDS, sleep (know I already said that, but I'm tired right now), click random page on Wikipedia or the Paragon Wiki and just start reading. There are things to do OTHER than this game.

I've tried both and agree that Sands of Mu is a better power to have. Every character I've picked the axe for, I've regretted it and wished I could do it differently. Its great for ghosts, but its slow and not strong enough on anything else.

But while some people don't use the power after the low levels, many still do, especially melee toons. I have a level 50 scrapper that Sands of Mu is part of his normal attack chain. Usually near-bottom priority, but its still a fairly powerful attack when everything else is recharging.

Depends on a lot of things. If the game was planning to be around for more than a year (assuing the price stays the same) it would be a bad deal for them because, while they would make an initial boost in upfront cash from people, they would be making less than if they kept people on a monthly membership.

From a player perspective it again depends on if they plan on being able to play the game for more than they year. If they do, then its a great deal. In hindsight, if that option was around for CoX when I first started, I should have signed up. But thats a risky move for a game that hasn't even been released yet since you have no idea if you'll even want to play the game for over a year, let alone if the game will succeed and actually still be around.

Generally startup games do this to get the initial boost of revenue in before the game starts from the people with money to burn. Usually they don't offer it after the first month or two, which I think is the case for this other game you speak of...the lifetime subscription isn't going to be available after launch from what I've read. Sounds like a riskier move player side due to any number of unforeseen things happening, and $15 a month isn't exactly breaking the bank.

They sticky'd one at the top of the General Discussions section that is pretty good.

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showp...97&postcount=1

I read somewhere that they were expecting a fairly short beta process this time and that about a month after beta hit, it should be ready for live. Now, take that with a grain of salt because unforeseen things can happen to delay it.

Assuming that's true, I'm putting my money on either the week of Sept 8th or the week of the 15th. That will give them time to do the beta thing. Also that will give the players some time to go try the other game when it first starts up, then steal their thunder and draw them back.

This is all speculation. I wouldn't get too upset or antsy unless we don't see it until after Halloween. But I do want my metal spines!