Athenor

Hehe...

Combine the observations on issue 2 with the overseers (Eye of Sauron), trolls, lava beasts (Balrog)... ooh, you could keep going.

Starting to remind me of League of Extrodinary Gentlemen, it is. =P

Athenor

... and right there are 3 ppl, no?

Use this forum as a gathering spot and way to organize, specifically for testing. =)

Athenor

I skipped about the last 10 threads, so if this has been said, forgive me.

Earlier someone assumed that because no one was speaking against diffuculty sliders, that it meant everyone wanted them. This is a very silly assumption to make. What is someone who doesn't want the slider going to say? "Oh, I don't want the sliders, cuz I might accidentally bump up the diffuculty too much, or make it too easy?" I don't think so. Personally, I'm indifferent to them. I love the +1 bosses when I'm grouping, but solo'ing it is too much to take (I'll get into why later). Does it mean I hate teh game? No. Does it mean I want sliders ASAP? No. Does it mean I'll have faith in Statesman to get the game he invisions? Yes. (and btw, people -- at the end, it is the dev's game. Right now they are being incredibly dedicated to listening to the players, but they are also being incredibly talented at choosing which options lead to a better game that they want to play -- and judging by what I've read of his comments, Statesman does play this game out there somewhere.)

I think I've finally figured out why the +1's are so annoying for so many classes, and it's not the +1. By natural scaling, a boss is ranked as a slightly superior version of whichever class they spawn as -- a Ruin Mage, Prince, or Eilodon for example. So that's no big deal -- if you are intellegent, you can beat these guys at your level.

The problem is that bosses are never alone -- they always have 1, if not 2 lieutenaunts around, and however number of minions. This is just how boss rooms spawn. Therefore, even though you could take each of these +1 elements individually, you can't unless you have amazingly good draw abilities (note that drawing classes are those that seem to be complaining about the patch the least... and it's something most low-level chars don't have). So you have to contend with all these elements -- Like in my cape mission, I had 3 Anathema wandering around, all orange to me, and this was the solo version.

so what's the solution? I honestly don't know. I figure the slider would configure the # of mobs, their respective levels, and so on... I think the easiest way to fix it, without having the challenge be insane, is just to say that characters higher than Lieutenaunt class can never spawn higher than the level the mission was taken on. This would fix quite a bit, at least in the short term, without nerfing the diffuculty fo those around the boss, the diffuculty when it large groups, and the use of tactics. (Of course, if the patch is already in internal QA, then my last point was moot. But I'm gonna say it anyways. )

Also, back on the case of the sliders: I hope to high heaven that they disable the slider for some missions -- namely for Task Forces, special missions like respec and capes, and other missions which are meant to be truly spectacular, epic, and life-changing for your character. I like knowing that if I want to tackle positron at lvl 10 or 11, that I would need massive amounts of help to beat it. TO just whisk away that with a slider would defeat the whole reason why TF's exist. Now, a LENGTH slider might be nice, for those who don't have time -- IE you can select multiple TF's from a guy, say Short, Medium, Long -- and only the long one would get you the SO, the badge, the souveneir, so on.. but the short and medium's, would let you get the XP bonuses and build towards the final story.

So.. ya. My unorganized thoughts. =)

Athenor

Okay..

First, I think the 3 missions cap is due to server stress. After all, the server is storing the data on the mission's map and such.. so for each person playing the game, you could theoretically hold 24 mission maps (more when you get later in the game and a mission is a "chain" -- even more if it is a TF)... Now, multiply 24 mapdata segments by... oh, let's just say 100,000 players.. that's 2,400,000 potential map segments, that all have to be retained by the server and given somewhat unique layouts. Now, that load drops significantly when it is spread out amongst the servers... But TBH, I also feel that CoH has been far more popular than 100k ppl playing as well.

Also, you guys talk about the desire to take huge influence losses or such for artificially cancelling a mission, right?

But what happens if someone finds this sweet mission that is bugged such that they can get huge amounts of XP really easily -- say, a mish like the beginning of Synapse, where one can just visit a locale and beat up on some low-level enemies.. Then they cancel out of the mission after getting some huge XP bonuses for completing the sub-segments.

So yeah... If people could do that, then it would defeat the whole point. Now, if there was a huge XP LOSS (not debt) for cancelling a mission, then yes, I'd be fine with allowing the cancel of the mission -- after all, it is a consious choice, not a mob killing you or something... Moreso, it would leave open the option for a petition to return the XP -if- the GM's know that the mission is bugged.

Although I don't advocate anything that puts more impedous and workload on the GM's.. they are doing so much already.

Athenor

[ QUOTE ]
So, Statesman, no responce as to why you are keeping Scrapper styled attacks from Scrappers? Sigh. That's really dissapointing. I don't think there would be a single person who complained about giving Energy or Super Strength to Scrappers. And it would mean a lot less work for you guys. Seriously consider this, the Tanker/Scrapper power distribution is messed up, no AT with melee as a secondary should have more options than an AT with melee as a primary. It just doesn't make sense, and actually subtracts from this mythical "flavor" you're trying to achieve.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not trying to sound smarmy, but I'm actually quite surprised that Statesman posted to this thread at all. Yes, it was a tease.. Prolly something close to his heart, by the sound of it. But at the same time, look how many ppl have come here (or creating their own threads) calling him out, demanding X, Y, and Z, and otherwise using this as justification for speaking out?

... It's no wonder higher-ups on the food chain don't talk to others. *sighs* Such a sad state of affairs. Just remember -- just like with your congressman, cordial, fact-based conversation gets much further than bullying, demanding, and cursing.

Athenor

Statesman:

TBH, I feel -really- bad where I am right now. I'm a lvl 18, 1/2 bubble from lvl 19.

(Edit: Not bad in a .. well. .bad way, I love the game.. but more of a bad in a "Pain, the pain of being a rock and a hard place" pain. I feel for those above me, and below me.)

I have been fighting +1's that are Tsoo's and others put together.. now I can take them, until I hit the bosses.. which own me like no body's business.

Yet give me a snigle partner, or a team, and these same +1's turn from being an unstoppable wall (I don't think I've beaten a door mission solo since issue 2), to an absolute joy of teamwork and fun... =)

So it's weird. I can solo till the boss and his mobs, but then, splat, nothing.

So I think 18-22 is gonna be a nether region for a bit.. The +1's are starting to get fun, but they still beat ya all over...

And I hope that when you implement the diffuculty slider (if it is set up like I think it is), you take into account XP awards, as well as disabling it for team matches (as they have their own dynamics).

Athenor