AquaJAWS

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I assume the Going Rogue boxed expansion may well be like Architect Edition in that it comes with the original game as well, so new players only have to buy one box, and others can get a fully updated version of the game discs to save reinstalling or a long download.

This is entirely guesswork.

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The AE edition IS the game. There aren't multiple versions of the game. Going Rogue will likely come with a disk with the latest build of the game client on it, but the clients among everyone will have to be the same. Otherwise people who don't buy the new expansion won't be able to see everything that the new expansion has like new powersets and such. When you buy a super booster or the GvE version and apply the code, you don't download the new content into your client. When they put it in the game everyone gets the needed information into their client. If you did, you wouldn't be able to see anyone else with the new costume pieces before you do. People that don't have the Valkyrie costumes unlocked for their characters can still see other people's costumes with it.

In the end everyone will have identical clients, just their ACCOUNTS will have a flag on it which will indicate what content that player has access to.

Please note this is all just speculation, just my 2 cents on this.

My impression from the press releases so far is that no new archtypes have been implied. I honestly don't see side switching lends itself to introducing new archtypes. Its possible, yes, and welcome, and only the red-names know for sure, but side switching to me sounds like the existing hero archtypes will be able to travel to the Rogue Isles and the existing villain archtypes will be able to travel to Paragon City. New powersets (dual pistols, demon summoning, I hope more) sound like a pretty safe bet at this point from the information released and hinted at by the devs at this point.

The mechanics also sounds like we are finally getting some branching story arcs coming our way where the outcome of the mission actually makes a difference now. It sounds like depending on how you complete/fail missions it will make you more heroic or evil, thus directing where you can go (Paragon or Rogue Isles). My guess is the branching missions that do this will exist in the new zone(s) of Praetoria and when you exit you'll get access to one or the other depending on your current moral compass.

TL/DR Version:
No new archtypes. New powersets. Existing ATs can switch to other sides. New zone(s). New zones have branching story arcs where the chosen route determines which side you can exit the new zones into.

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If you are below the minimum level, you will not be able to do the TF/SF.

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Are you sure? I've done the Praetorion one with a 41 scrapper while sk'ed. You can't start it but I think you can be sk'ed into a group doing it.

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That isn't a task force. It's a story arc. Story arcs have no level limitations. Task forces usually require a group with everyone at a minimum level to start. They tend to be a bit longer usually and are harder usually. You also can't add more members once you start and once you quit the group you can't rejoin the same group later during the task force run. You can however logout and continue later without quitting the group.

Yes. The boosters (cyborg, magic, mac-pack, good vs evil, etc) are just serial codes that get applied to an account to unlock content. The mac (and windows for that matter) clients are free. Your account to access the game is what you pay for. The extra stuff you get from the mac-pack code is available to anyone no matter what client you use as long as your account has the serial number applied

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what do you think?

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In short... YES

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Elongation is never possible, is that correct?

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Nothing is ever impossible with computer/game programming. It will eventually come down to money and time spent for the company. If they know that a feature would triple the player base and the money gained from that was more than it would cost them to develop it. Most of the time though the programmers are not going to be willing to rip out the internal low-level guts of the program to get one new powerset to work because they think it would be cool.

Personally I would prefer them to get power customization to work before elongation if they are going to redesign part of the low-level engine for the game, but that may just be me.

I've said it before, and its a matter of opinion, but the Valkyrie stuff with the mac-pack could pass for roman gear in a pinch. But its still not the roman gear.

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Customizing the Quick Chat Menu



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Wow, now that is awesomeness!
Ty Zombie_Man and Fleeting Whisper.

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AWSOME. Learn something new every day. Can't wait to get home to play with this one :-)

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11 is a rough level. At 12 you can get Dual Origin enhancements.

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this

Get through this level and the game starts changing big time with DOs and adding significant enhancements.

Any "promise" made by a red name about future content in the game should be assumed to have a big ol' astrisk next to it saying "Not a guarentee, but an intended goal. All future changes are uncertain until after actually in the live servers, and can even then still be removed with no notice at their will." Because of this, the red names RARELY, if ever, actually "promise" to add anything to the game. I can't think of any time that I've seen it off the top of my head.

Remember issue 13 & 14 were originally one issue so as far as the number of issues since the last one, it should be taken as really one issue from point of view from their long-term planning. The last (and first) proliferation happened in issue 12. From the sounds of the description of issue 15 from the red names, I would be very surprised to see any in it. So we're looking at issue 16 as the next best chance of getting any IF we get any. So that's 2 issues without it. Enhancements, we've gotten new sets in issues 13 and 14.

Don't know what to tell you except be patient. Its not like the devs haven't been busy adding to the game and we haven't gotten anything new lately. We've gotten 2 new powersets (13), the mission architect (14), day jobs (13), new game client platform (Mac Edition), new costumes and emotes are added (Valkyrie, Cyborg, and Magic Boosters) and on the way (15), and a new expansion pack (Going Rogue) with likely more powersets and side switching(view the astrisk comment above) in the pipeline coming our way. Just because it's not part of a free expansion doesn't mean it doesn't take time to make, and lets face it, they are a business trying to make money after all. They've been very busy the last year (issue 12 went out May 20, 2008, almost exactly a year ago) with just all of that added to the game and in progress and thats just what we know about.

I'm sure more proliferation is on its way, but we're just gonna have to wait for it. Until then, I'm sure there are some powerset configurations and some content already in game that you haven't tried and gotten to 50 yet. Give one of those a whirl.

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2) Going Rogue is not i16. Issues (i numbers) are free expansions; Going Rogue is a commercial expansion like CoV. If the rumoured powersets (dual pistols and "demon summoning", whatever that is) are "real" and part of GR, they may not appear in the rest of the game (w/o the expansion, of course) until much later.

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To be fair, the two aren't mutually exclusive. CoV was a separate paid game, yes. It was ALSO, effectively, i6. Following that precedent, I suspect we'll see Going Rogue coincide with one Issue release or another. It's entirely possible that that will be i16 where we see the integration of Going Rogue to the rest of the game. Of course, we also have no idea of timeline; it's also possible it will be i17 or i18. However, I think it's pretty safe to say that there will be an Issue release at the same time.

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To be REALLY fair...all the expansion pack is is a serial code that gets applied to your account to allow you access to the new material. No different from the super booster codes or the mac-pack codes. Just they are calling it an expansion pack because its bigger than just a super booster. Issue 16 (or whatever issue they are on then) will go out to everyone and have all the information for the client to run the new stuff in the expansion, just without the code applied to the account, the account won't have access to the new content. Everyone's clients are the same...so when it comes out, everyone will get the client information for new stuff with the expansion pack...but its the codes on the account that change what people have access to. Going Rogue could be in the client ready to go now for all we know...at least some of it...no way to know for sure without internal knowledge of the code and game files. Just without the access codes to get to it we wouldn't know :-D

No problem. One good thing about that though is with VEATs you get a 6th costume slot at level 10 as part of the VEAT arcs if you're looking for that new slot still. Part of Brick Johnson's arc (i'm pretty sure, might have the name wrong) unlocks a costume slot. You can access his missions starting level 10 if you follow the VEAT arcs.

Note: If you unlock this extra one, plus the other 4 slots (3 tailor missions, and the halloween salvage slot), you'll still only have 5 slots showing up on the UI and you won't be able to edit the 6th slot, but you can select it using binds.

There aren't any to the Fortunata costume that you get as the default slot 0 costume on either VEAT (as far as I know). Once you get another 'regular' costume slot you can use unlocked pieces on them.

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CoHGO

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CHVR is easier

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I've seen "CoR" used also.

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Still sticking with CoX or CoH. X covers them all and it seems marketing is merging CoV and CoH into just CoH lately. CoR doesn't make much sense to me as its been described. CoV was distinctive because while it was the same engine, client, servers, and very closely linked to CoH, it was separate for a while with no cross over. Now its merging. The Going Rogue expansion (GRE?) sounds more to be an addition of features to the existing game(s), merging them together more, and less a new game with even the small separation that CoV had when it was released.

The simplest way would be to just say hero ATs keep the same APPs. Villain ATs keep the same PPPs. No one loses anything. No one gains anything. Still leaves the question on how to unlock the PPPs.

To get them, I could see them just saying to hell with the patron arc to unlock access and make the PPPs work just like the APPs, just for the now-villainous ATs. Leave the arcs still available through the contacts, but there isn't the completion requirement to unlock the PPPs.

Or they could just say the Villain ATs have to go back to the red-side to unlock their PPPs. This depends on how perminant and what all is involved with switching sides, which we don't know any details on yet.

Or they could add some praetorian counterparts (or something along those lines) that if they are on the good side of the line, they take the place of the current patrons and then they provide the good patron missions to unlock identical PPPs with the same powers. Everything else could be identical to unlocking them even except for the contact you go though would look different and the door could be in a different place.

With those options available and, at least to me, seeming very fair to the players, I don't see why they would take the effort to try and have the ATs switch from using different sets of APPs and PPPs because of what side of the line they are on. That just sounds like a needless way to introduct more bugs for not really that big of a gain.

PPPs can still work thematically for heroes since now it sounds like there will be less emphasis on whether its hero vs villain and more just what AT you are. With side switching, no longer is an AT tied exclusively to a morality.

Don't forget about the co-op zones, Cimorera and the Rikti War Zone (RWZ, formerly Rikti Crash Site) that heroes and villains can team up on above level 35.

Ouroborus allows you to go back and do story arcs you may have outleveled starting at level 25. Easiest way to get there is to go to Atlas, or really anywhere that is populated, after level 25, and ask someone to drop a ouroborus portal (special power that opens a doorway to there) and use it yourself. Once your there go to the top of the spire and you'll get a badge that will unlock the portal power for you to use.

New powersets were created. Willpower (Self Defense) & Dual Blades (Melee Offensive) for Scrappers, Tankers, Stalkers, and Brutes. Shield Defense (Self Defense) for Scrappers, Tankers, and Brutes. Pain Domination (Team Support), which is basically villain empathy with a twist, for Corruptors and Masterminds. Plus many other sets were proliferated to other archtypes that they worked for.

Many quality of life improvements such as real numbers, being able to click on a name in the chat box and display a menu with options like Send Message and Invite to Team, and being able to combine 3 inspirations of the same type and size to form another inspiration of the same size but different type.

Then the latest, issue 14, you get a whole new player created content system with the mission architect and Architect Entertainment (MA & AE).

I'm sure there's more, but those are the hilights.

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I know pistols would be a ranged set but still and you can see this in the VEATS both power sets for them have both melee and ranged attack options and you can choose to go down one or the other path, while still taking a ranged or melee attack if you'd like.

why can't pistols be structured the same way. where you have both a gun-fu attacks and also maybe two to four ranged attacks as well. I currently play a widow in the high 30s that has more then one ranged attack and a few melee attacks. I really enjoy the mix up.

Also, don't forget that many blasters run around the game as blappers. and maybe the devs would like to finally give some credibility to that play style.

don't personally do the blapper thing. those guys are squashy.

either way this thread is also about possibly new powersets that should be included in CoR. what powersets in your mind or from comicbooks would be particulary roguish.

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VEATs and Kheldians have larger mix of melee and ranged because they are epic archtypes. They are meant to be a versatle archtype that can play with nearly any playstyle depending on the powers chosen.

My guess: pistol set most likely will be mostly ranged attacks. A weak (single shot), medium (dual wield), and heavy (5-6 shots at one target?) single target attacks, a PBAoE (Explosive Shot, Grenade?), Cone (Empty Clips/Heavy Burst), Aim, Sniper (Aimed shot?), Nuke (Spin around shooting everything around?), then something else that is the set's 'special' attack (seems to be the standard ranged attack formula). Maybe the special one will be a pistol whip that stuns or something for close range.

MAYBE they will add a blaster secondary set (Weapons Manipulation?) that are typically a combination of the melee and control powersets that can fill in the gun-fu desires, add in the sword work but I wouldn't expect that.

Its repeated threads like this that make me hope for the next powerset to be added by the devs to be some kind of nerf dart gun blaster set, so we can go around nerfing anything we want to.

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Only heal you have currently relies on a to-hit check and will center around the enemy target. Great for the melee toons. Not great for the blaster who will be more likely to be out of range of that heal. Also might want to consider a rez power.

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Actually, the blaster is set up to essentially follow "blapping" tactics. He's got Electric/Electric, a very melee focused set. The whole design of things is to be in the middle of combat, with the shields working together to protect everyone and the kinetic's AoE effects hitting everyone. With proper agg management we don't think we'll need healing. Transfusion offer everything we'll need in the way of healing. I don't mind more defense, but something less reactive would be interesting.

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Not saying that a blaster can't move in closer and transfusion can't keep y'all healed. It can very very well. Just there are times that it can be very useful to have a heal that doesn't depend on an enemy being close by. Then there's still the rez issue. But was just my suggestion for the secondary. Which one were you thinking?

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The team so far is:

Tanker - Shield/Ice - Experienced defensively minded player
Scrapper - MA/Shield - Expienced Defender, happy to embrace a damage dealing role for once
Blaster - Elec/Elec - New player, but quickly learning where he deals the most damage
Defender - Kinetic/Rad - An older player, who's just returned to game. Good fundementals, but lacking knowledge of newer sets/enemies

We've gotten to level 10 or so, and our solid early damage, and agg management has been very successful; we've run into few problems so far. Now we're adding a 5th player. He's a very experienced player, with talent for almost any role (a little too defense light for tanking).

I was considering suggesting
Fire/Shield Scrapper - A good addition to AoE offense, and a defensive boon to this melee based team.

I'd love to hear your suggestions.

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I suggest a controller. Will get you damage mitigation and more buffs/debuffs. Not to mention its the only AT you don't have and it'll provide balance that way.

Not sure of the best primary (controllers aren't my forte) but would recommend a secondary with non-targeted heals (like empathy or thermal). Only heal you have currently relies on a to-hit check and will center around the enemy target. Great for the melee toons. Not great for the blaster who will be more likely to be out of range of that heal. Also might want to consider a rez power.

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There will be dual pistols and demon summonning, but no blades.

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Judging from the latest press release:

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Going Rogue will also introduce two primary new fictional characters representative of this alignment shift in the game's lore: Maelstrom, a pistol-wielding hero gone rogue, and Desdemona, a demon-summoning villain who has been redeemed.

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I'd say dual pistols and demon summoning are a very safe bet.

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Ummm... WOW... but what exactly does it mean for us? New AT's? New powersets? Are they merging the games?

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As far as new powersets...from the press release on the main site:
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Going Rogue will also introduce two primary new fictional characters representative of this alignment shift in the game's lore: Maelstrom, a pistol-wielding hero gone rogue, and Desdemona, a demon-summoning villain who has been redeemed.

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From that I'd say its a safe bet that we're getting Dual Pistols as a ranged set and Demon Summoning for a pet set at least. Which seems inline with what one of the devs said during the aniversary event (forget if it was Positron or Castle).

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Why would Shield Charge be removed?

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Meant no offense by it. My reasoning was when they proliferated electric armor over they took out lightning field as an offensive power on the secondary. I could be wrong. This is all just speculation and guesses anyways.

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And anyone who thinks Shield Charge is a problem [for stalkers], I'll refer them to the Tier 9 in Electric Melee.

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My only problem with that argument is that electric melee is a primary set and shields are a secondary set. My guess is they would take out shield charge for hide, but I could be wrong. I'm not against shield stalkers, just I agree that the set would need a decent amount of tweeking to be proliferated.

Had a GREAT time on Test last night in Pocket D. Probably about 100 toons, lots of Devs, and an all out AV/GM slug-fest on the dance floor. It was quite something to see a giant squid rise up out of the dance floor and 3-4 drop ships flying around Pocket D. Can I make a suggestion to make the Test Pocket D AV/GM slug fest a regular event, like once a month or so?