Aura_Familia
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Posts
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Quote:I don't consider being able to choose which items I get access to as being screwed over.Originally Posted by Bill Z Bubba
Nobody knows. I was being flippant but I'm a bit saddened that folks are so willing to get screwed over. -
Quote:No, not really. 400 points would be perfect IMO also. Basically means its free as usual for VIP members.Originally Posted by Bill Z Bubba
Seriously? Wow. I guess we are screwed.
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Speaking about new items and costume pieces Brand Manager Hosun Lee said: One of the most popular items is going to be something called an enhancement unslotter. Right now when you do a respect in City of Heroes you have to do the entire character, you cant do one power at a time, were going to give players the ability to basically do respecs a la carte. Were also granting players new costume parts. Its got some great features players have been asking for once again such as glowing energy wings to make you look more angelic, you can leave a trail of fire behind you when youre running, things like that. As well as other consumables such as double xp boosts, ability summons, temporary pets and a lot more than that.
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I'd bet money that that hospital is one of the next trials.
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Quote:Addressing the bolded part. Another reason Alpha didn't cause sticker shock was cause the tier 3/4s weren't beholden to only two missions. The Notice of the Well mission changes EVERY week. Not so for the rest of the slots.Originally Posted by Arcanaville
That's a limitation of the incremental release model of MMOs, and I addressed it in my response to Techbot Alpha. It might have been better to release the incarnate system only when there was a critical mass of incarnate-dedicated content for it, but then you'd be waiting for a year or more for it. Some players say sure, if it doesn't have enough content to satisfy then, then make everyone wait. But other players say no, release what you can when you can, and if people don't want to play it when it doesn't have enough content then *they* can wait until that content exists. Usually, these two player philosophies do not come into direct conflict because rarely are players aware of delays: they can't miss what they don't know they are missing. But these two philosophies went head to head without resolution in I18 when the delay became visible, when the devs announced their intention to pull back the Alpha slot.
Even though Alpha would have *no* content associated with it, and *no* way to do anything but grind kills or standard task forces to unlock and slot it, many players preferred to have it anyway: people who didn't like grinding could simply wait for other content to arrive. Other players felt releasing it that way would give Alpha a bad name by directly connecting it with kill-grinding if there was literally no new content associated with it. I was actually one of those players.
The problem in my opinion was releasing two trials and four slots. I don't know who decided to do that, but that was very, very wrong. In fact, Alpha was released in two parts: tier 1/2 first, and tier 3/4 second. The highest cost Alpha component wasn't dangled in front of the players initially, although everyone knew they were coming. That's another reason Alpha didn't cause instant sticker shock like the other slots did.
But that doesn't mean I'm going to compound one mistake with another and try to fix the lack of incarnate content by shoving the standard content into the incarnate reward system. That would be trying to fix a stupid hole by digging deeper with a stupid shovel. -
Quote:gratz!!!!Originally Posted by silver gale
oh, that's right.
I've been subscribed for six years today.
Six years! That's a long time to be playing one game. That's enough time to get asked out by a friend on a global channel, meet, fall in love, date long distance for a couple months, get engaged, move in together, and get married. It's enough time to get eight characters to 50 and roll a whole lot of alts. It's enough time to meet dozens of other rpers, some for a brief chat, others for months-long storylines.
I love this community, i love our devs, and i even love arguing on the forums - it tells me there are plenty people who are passionate about the game, so it's still alive and kicking.
Here's hoping to many years more. -
Quote:Yep. My only point was that the devs DID NOT have to stick advancement of the next four slots behind two trials. I think we all KNOW the WHYs of it, but disagree that it was necessary.Originally Posted by Arcanaville
I don't have any problems per se with having Tin Mage and Apex drop empyrean merits: they are scaled to difficulty levels comparable to the trials even if they are scaled for smaller sized leagues (i.e. a single team). But that doesn't really address the issue, because the issue isn't between having fewer content and more content that gates the higher parts of the incarnate system, its whether standard content should be allowed to generate rewards directly into the higher parts of the incarnate system beyond the current shard system. And I think that would be dangerous without very strict gating. TM and Apex are most certainly not standard difficulty content.
Although, since I've proposed several ways to leverage *some* standard content with very strict gates**, I'm also not opposed to the idea. But even that side-steps the problem: the standard content gates would have to be balanced around the existence of and the reward earning rates of the trials themselves, and could not replace them.
** Extremely strict: for example awarding empyrean merits for completing certain story arcs, but only for the mission holder and only for the first time completion, whether through the original contact or through Ouroboros.
I and some others have suggested an Incarnate mode for some of the level 50s tfs. I think it would easier to scale some tfs to have lvl 54 mobs and add an emp-once-a-day on completion timer for some of them, than it would be to build all new solo and team Incarnate level content.
My point is I can EASILY keep going on ideas that DO NOT lock the advancement of the four slots behind just two trials. It's not hard. It was simply a choice they made cause they were afraid folks would abandon the trials if they had an easier path . . . except that fails in the face of the devs having TIMER LOCKOUT mechanisms that would FORCE people to have to do the trials eventually to advance.
I get their design intent, I completely disagree with it (and this is coming from someone who LOVES the trials, even though I've taken a break to stop burnout) and feel it might have prevented grind burnout had they considered adding other more feasible methods at the start.
Thankfully they seem to be getting it now, with their recent statements, the change to the rewards of the Tin Mage and Apex, and the Notice of the Well conversion option. Better late than never. -
Quote:Originally Posted by EnigmaBlack
About a year or so ago some players knew something wasn't right with the purple drops. Of course the dev team said nothing was wrong and the players that usually back the devs blindly agreed. Some of us collected hundreds of hours of game logs for analysis which were complied and given to the devs. Lo and behold they finally admitted there was an issue with purple drops.
There is nothing anecdotal about that, just cold hard facts gathered by the playerbase then confirmed by the devs.
QFT
/thread.
I see folks still like to bury their head in the sand and pretend there's some magic to how one gets drops. Luckily folks who have experience can show how it works and stop the idiotic spread of misinformation. -
Quote:Oh I have no doubt that Tyrant won't be a simple 54 AV.Originally Posted by Golden Girl
Like Tyrant being a 54+3 AV?
What other tricks he might bring I'm not going to guess. As my worse nightmares might come true. -
Quote:Or they could simply use the lockout timer system to allow Tin Mage/Apex to drop an Emp merit ONCE per day on completion. Or once every 48 hours if folks are so concerned about our precious trials not being played.Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Epic quote from Arcanaville.
I do not agree that they needed to lock progression of the further slots behind just two missions. Three coming in I20.5. -
Quote:Honestly I would have preferred if they just dropped shards and converted everything to threads. It might have saved development time.Originally Posted by Another_Fan
At least I don't use it for deceit.
Anyway Back to the mandate for different greater powers requiring different currencies and different systems to obtain that is just pure stupidity. The new abilities could still have used shards and simply be made costlier.
You see how reason when you try to consider other possibilities instead of assuming the conclusion then twisting yourself into a pretzel to make it right ?
Also haven't seen anything that's convinced me letting folks do other all types of content would have jeopardized the incarnate trials. The devs have lockout timers which they could use (and have with the Notice of the Well) to make sure that doesn't happen.
I love the trials, I simply DO NOT AGREE in any shape or form that having only two missions be the only Team-based way to advance was a good idea. -
Quote:And after that last post to Evil and Arcanaville, I think it's more likely they will use in-trail tricks in addition to needing ONE level shift, or JUST use in-trial tricks.Originally Posted by Golden Girl
Aslo, each new slot simply makes it harder and harder to design something that can challenge Incarnates as well as non-Incarnates - the Keyes Island Trial is already a step up from Lambda Sector, which is a step up from the BAF.
As more and more +2s and +3s appear, they're going to need tougher Trials to challenge them.
Ex: an av that can nullify buffs put on a character. AVs/EBs that are immune to debuffs or can auto shut off any debuffs you put on a character.
It will probably be tricks for various stages and not the entire trial. (See BAF). -
Quote:I'd actually bet money that we DO see ONE MORE slot within the next 12 months. But surely NONE before the end of the year.Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Implausible, at least as being discussed. The devs have said the Praetorian story line has a scripted ending, and have also said for the current foreseeable future they are planning on expanding the current slots and not releasing the rest of the slots. Put two and two together and you get that the final battle with Tyrant will likely occur while we still have the same five slots. Therefore, its unlikely we'll *need* more level shift. Actually, its possible we could *get* level shift to deal with him, but mostly in inspirations or temp powers within the content that deals with him itself. But not in the additional slots.
I would actually be surprised if we saw the devs release the next batch of slots before the end of the year. Its 50/50 to me that we see any new slots within the next twelve months.
But you make a good point, seeing as how the devs said the Incarnate system will expand beyond Praetoria/the initial slots.
Plus all the ******** about the Goatee Universe storyline, I agree, I can see the devs wanting to wrap that up quickly to move on to something else.
And the lockout could simply be: you need to have the ALPHA shift slotted or this is going to be INCREDIBLY difficult for you. But you can still run it: that is a soft lockout. IE, Tin Mage and Apex. -
Quote:You've hit the nail on the head as to why I think we'll see it within the next 5 slots, BEFORE tyrant or Omega. Simply because the CURRENT slots + Ubered IO'd builds have taken us further in power than before.Originally Posted by EvilGeko
The fact that the trials don't come with the same debuff as Tin Mage/Apex makes me wonder how hard-locked out of the content we'll truly be.
It's certainly possible, perhaps even problems that the final battle with Tyrant will assume you have some Incarnate shifts. If for no other reason than to ensure it isn't a cakewalk. But at this rate that could be many trials down the line. And even then, it's not certain that you'll strictly REQUIRE that folks have the Incarnate shifts. I think back to the now trivial STF and LRSF. Monumental challenges in the I7-I9 world of folks without billions invested in IOs. Even before Incarnates, these TFs were cake with IOs. But IOs aren't required to do those TFs. They just make it MUCH more manageable.
Good strategy and the same buffer overrun that has existed all along will still count for more than all the shinies in the world I'll bet.
And you're right the trials don't come with the same lockout. However, they do get easier with the tier 3s. Everyone having 200% defense is thing of beauty in the current trials.
And technically speaking those two tfs aren't really a lockout either. Some one who just buffs and heals and avoids all damage can successfully do those tfs. So it might not be a hard lockout but a soft one as you suggested.
EDIT: As an aside, I wouldn't be surprised if we see some in-trial tricks that eliminate the usefulness of buffs/debuffs in some stages, in the later trials. Just like taunting and control was slightly made less useful by one stage of the BAF. -
As to the grind: I've taken people's advice and stopping doing them.
Then again I have logged into COH in over two weeks soooo . . . -
Quote:I actually expect another level shift or two within the next 5 slots. If it weren't for the current level shifts I would NOT have gone to tier 3 on some slots on MANY of my 50s. Most certainly not Lore. the level shift is the perfect carrot to get people to go for those tier 3s in slots they might not regularly have.Originally Posted by EvilGeko
I have reason to believe that at least in the near future that will not be the case. Maybe after they add the next 5 slots as you said. But then I don't expect another level shift until Omega.
I also agree with GG (*shudders*) that I expect there WILL be stuff that will be incredibly (near impossible) hard to do without having spent time unlocking your slots.
There is already precedent for this at the START of the Incarnate system: Tin Mage and Apex. What makes us think they would do such a thing at the start of the system and NOT in the late stages of the system?
Actually now that I think about it needing at least one or two level shifts to even attempt the final battle with Tyrant (whatever form that may be in the future) seems like something VERY plausible.
Other mmos do it. -
Quote:That's an interesting way to do it.Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Couldn't you just cycle through the teams and check the incarnate buff icons by right clicking? Technically you'd need to know the names, but you just have to remember shift is in Destiny and Lore, and Total/Partial Core/Radial are the tier 3s (the tier 4s have some variety but are even more obvious)? Not the fastest way, but league leaders usually have a fair amount of time to check out characters as the league is assembled.
I usually just ask and folks usually give honest answers.
Still be nice if the devs integrated it into the other systems we already have for looking up that info. -
Quote:Best one of the thread.Originally Posted by Steelclaw
* I was thinking of making up a Fusionette Task Force but honestly it was just 10 missions of "rescue Fusionette from..." before you put her out of your misery by killing her yourself in the last mission. Let's face it... if ever there was a legitimate reason for switching from hero towards villain it's her. -
Quote:I lol'd at that fix, cause it's true.Originally Posted by Coulomb2
What's scary is that I don't object to your fix in the least...
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Quote:You are correct. I find the comments more useful for the reasons you stated.Originally Posted by Eva Destruction
I'd say the comments system is a better avenue for rewarding authors whose work you enjoy. If you don't consider "Great arc, I really liked it" a better reward than a paltry 25 tickets, I have to wonder why you're bothering to publish arcs in the first place.
Yes, it was, but it's failed. It ends up "rewarding" authors by making an arc more visible, thus garnering more plays, thus garnering more positive feedback. A 5-star rating in and of itself is meaningless though, since it can mean anything from "I truly think this is an awesome arc that should be played by everyone" to "I'm just being charitable and I really want to knock that farm off the front page."
However the person I responded to was mentioning that stars were meant as a reward to authors. They weren't. They were meant to let the audience know at first glance if a story is good or not.
Notice I said MEANT to. I agree it's failed. -
Quote:Said it better than me. I'd rather get 3 stars WITH comments telling me what I did wrong, right, and could improve. A fake 5 with no comments or nothing telling me what they liked or didn't like is useless to me as an author.Originally Posted by PoliceWoman
This feedback effect is greatly reduced in an environment were people are generally willing to give arcs 5 stars just "for effort" rather than for actual quality.
/shrug. -
Quote:We'll have to agree to disagree. The gauge for me is if people play my arc and give me feedback, positive or negative. If there are no people coming to the AE my job as an author is a fruitless effort as no one will be there to play my creations.Originally Posted by SupaFreak
Since the ratings system is the gauger on how one's best progressing in A/E, I will continue to "encourage" aspiring authors who show potential. I don't care if it's "not really one of the best" at this point. If I give them feedback and they do care and continue to improve it... the HoF status will be the true indicator.
People can deny it all they want... but we're drawn to positivity, not negativity.
If the system to best gauge whether arcs are good is as useless as the search function, it will drive away people who would otherwise be willing to explore in the AE.
Since players don't see the comments people have given you on your arc.
The comments and tickets are for the author. The star system is for the audience to properly guage if a story is good or bad . . .
I will say that's IF the star system is used correctly by the audience. if the audience is just going to 5 star or 1 star everything with no feedback or logical rhyme or reason then it makes it even more impossible for the audience to tell if a potential new story is good or bad.
I don't agree that anyone can just step into a mission and know if it's good or bad. What if it's an ARC that builds up it's story over time? How does one tell if the overall story is good or bad just by playing the first missions?
Whether folks like it or not the jump point for whether folks play or don't play something is the STAR system. -
I don't find solar flare hard to use. At all.
With that said I would not mind it's change from KB to KD or KU.
with that said such a change would be incredibly unimpressive without some of the other changes folks have listed. -
Quote:This is the main problem with this suggestion. I takes control out of when I use my powers out of my hand. I'd prefer if this were an optional thing that you can turn off and on via Null the Gull or for it not to be implemented at all.Originally Posted by BumbleBubbler
The works well for Alpha and Interface, but it could be counter productive for the other ones. Example: You are trying to stealth or flee and you roll a Judgement.
That said I still /unsign this, as Silver Gale and others have said, the system is supposed to be open to all and the those who have time to grind tier 4s don't need/deserve an advantage over those with lives.