Broom

Heh. My guild moved from SWG to the just-released COV in 2005. I moved with them. The box I bought contained trial codes, and I gave one to my husband. He activated his trial code a few days after I activated my account (which I did on the 7th on November 2005 or thereabouts). We have both had an uninterrupted subscription ever since. And my husband ALWAYS got his veteran badges and rewards weeks before I did. I've corresponded with NCSoft about this, but never really got a reply as to WHY. (I was there FIRST, razzemefrasm)

This whole 'veteran date' thing? It never did work. Seeing the same mess transferred to the paragon rewards is just /facepalm.

Linna

Sign me up for Linna Baresi, my 50 mastermind (bots/dark)! Used to run these with you on my heroes, now the villains get a shot. Rawr.

**edit** Signing up for all the TFs, of course.

=)

@Linna

I already posted this in Colonel Jasmine's thread, but it's getting a bit lost out there. Better combine it with the rest.

-----------------------

There's a lot of things I discussed with guildmates that would make pvp more fun. Some of them relatively easy to implement, others demanding a lot of development time.

1) Fix the balance between villains and heroes, specifically the 40+ powers (EPP/PPP) and the powers that are broken in PVP, as Jasmine already indicated.

2) This would have to be open pvp in all zones. This is a VERY hard one, and might need a specific PVP server, if anti-PVP sentiments ran up too high in the non-PVP playerbase. It would be allowed only for players level 40+, and only if there were a system in place for people to declare themselves combattant / non-combattant. There would have to be some restrictions:
- Simple system for changing status, preferably in the menu.
- A 5 minute warm-up / cool-down after changing combattant status
- Non-combattants would have to be unable to heal/buff/debuff combattants OUTSIDE OF MISSIONS
- If open world pvp were in place, guild wars could be introduced. There's ample precedent for it in the literature, even for hero-hero and villain-villain. Participation in a guild war could be set in a menu. Leaving the war should be possible, but would result in a black mark for the SG. A point system could be used to keep score (leaving war -100, someone being killed -10, killing another +10), all in proportion to the number of participants on each side, so an outnumbered group would get a bonus, resulting in a war ranking for SGs.

3) Change Recluse's Victory. Most of this could be applied in other zones too, by the way.
- Make RV a level 35+ zone. A lot of people do not like free-for-all PVP, and it would give those people more options.
- Do away with the silly turrets and Heavies, put those somewhere in PVE zones. Give Longbow a nice little base in Grandville, and give Arachnos a base in Peregrine Island. Let the PVE players have fun taking over PVE bases.
- Expand the Hero and Villain bases. Make the outlying areas of those bases attackable and conquerable for a limited amount of time and give a PVP reward doing so, for instance a random bonus to certain powers, a random buff, or somthing else that can be kept zone specific and doesn't bring farmers. Really conquering a base should take a combination of skills. One possibility is spawning non-glowing click objects in random places in the zone (only if x number of both sides are in the zone), that would be needed to open doors. The inner area of the base, with the exits and the base hospital, should be sacrosanct.
- Place a hospital in the middle of the zone where both sides can CHOOSE to rez at full health, at the risk of being attacked within seconds of rezzing there (thinking a 10 second timer, so you can get shields up). Choice would be rez at full health, but be at risk, or rez at 1 hitpoint in the safety of the base, and have to wait till back at workable health/end.
- The random exits are already in place. Maybe add a few more to avoid camping, which WOULD be a possibility in this setup.

One of the main problems I see is a totally wrong conception of how PVP works in a mixed player base. Given 100 random players, 10-15 of them will PVP with some regularity. Of that amount, not even half will PVP hardcore. Most of the others don't EVER want to be bothered with it. Forcing people to go into PVP zones to obtain certain objectives (badges, accolades) does NOT make them want to PVP, rather the reverse. Luring people into the PVP zones with the promise of phat loot only makes the relation between farmers and PVPers in the zone go VERY ugly VERY fast.

4) Change Warburg. Make it so that villains and heroes can team up. It's free-for-all, after all.

5) Do away with the police drones. The storyline already establishes that there is forcefield technology, so use it. Make defensive shields around the PVP zone entrances, that disable all offensive powers while inside it and are impenetrable for attacks of any type from the outside. In both cases, including TP foe. One less reason to whine. Taking down the base shield would, incidentally, be a fun first task in taking over a base.

6) Moderate chat in PVP zones and Arena channel a bit more. The occasional smacktalk is just entertainment, but some people go WAY too far, including detailed descriptions of anatomy, sexual preferences and positions, racial slurs, and gender-based harassment. The occasional live mod-smack would be both entertaining and useful.

7a) Let each player store one build per toon per PVP zone, to be activated only on entering the relevant zone. It would enable people to have a PVP build for PVP, while still having a PVE build for levelling and other PVE things.

7b) Introduce a new type of subscription for PVP only, with 3 character slots per PVP zone, that can be instantly levelled to the zone's maximum. These players would only have access to the PVP zones and the Arena (yes, this would mean Arena terminals in the PVP zones). They would be able to earn enhancements by doing a mix of PVE missions for regular enhancements (already there, in most PVP zones) and achieving PVP targets for the really good stuff (like the bounty system, which I incidentally enjoy VERY much, and would love to see implemented in all other zones). Please notes this would keep the instant-gratification types in the PVP crowd out of the hair of those who prefer PVE, while still giving both types of player the opportunity to gank each other if they so desire. Special bonusses like accolades should only be available to those who actually do the PVE grind. PVE players entering the zone should have the content of the enhancement tray 'put in storage' to prevent trade with the PVP sub players.

I am very serious about this. I know a LOT of PVPers who quit COV/COH because they simply couldn't stomach the PVE grind, even though they loved the speed of the PVP and the powers available. A guildwars-like system has the potential of drawing in PVPers without upsetting the anti-PVP people in the PVE playerbase.

8) Enable limited player camping, both in zone PVP and in any open world PVP. Admit it, we all like to do it /evil grin. Maybe make a rare temp power that can be earned through PVP or that is issued (one per participant) during guild wars, and that can used to cage a player for a limited amount of time - definitely no longer than 30 minutes, after which the player can escape by tp to base - forcing SG mates or the other side in general to come free them.

9) Change the communication options, make seeing the other side's chat on by default. Apart from the fact that the current setting makes it impossible to use the Help channel to help out a player on the other side, communication also prevents a lot of misunderstandings and hard feelings. It also helps build a community that transcends factions. Identification with your own side in Star Wars Galaxies was fierce, but the fact both sides could talk meant you could develop respect for a good opponent, and even agree to a cease-fire on occasion. Sometimes, like during the Winter Event, working together to gank the snow monster is a MUCH better idea than trying to ignore it (somehow, it doesn't go away).

Just some ideas...

=)

Linna

There's a lot of things I discussed with guildmates that would make pvp more fun. Some of them relatively easy to implement, others demanding a lot of development time.

1) Fix the balance between villains and heroes, specifically the 40+ powers (EPP/PPP) and the powers that are broken in PVP, as Jasmine already indicated.

2) This would have to be open pvp in all zones. This is a VERY hard one, and might need a specific PVP server, if anti-PVP sentiments ran up too high in the non-PVP playerbase. It would be allowed only for players level 40+, and only if there were a system in place for people to declare themselves combattant / non-combattant. There would have to be some restrictions:
- Simple system for changing status, preferably in the menu.
- A 5 minute warm-up / cool-down after changing combattant status
- Non-combattants would have to be unable to heal/buff/debuff combattants OUTSIDE OF MISSIONS
- If open world pvp were in place, guild wars could be introduced. There's ample precedent for it in the literature, even for hero-hero and villain-villain. Participation in a guild war could be set in a menu. Leaving the war should be possible, but would result in a black mark for the SG. A point system could be used to keep score (leaving war -100, someone being killed -10, killing another +10), all in proportion to the number of participants on each side, so an outnumbered group would get a bonus, resulting in a war ranking for SGs.

3) Change Recluse's Victory. Most of this could be applied in other zones too, by the way.
- Make RV a level 35+ zone. A lot of people do not like free-for-all PVP, and it would give those people more options.
- Do away with the silly turrets and Heavies, put those somewhere in PVE zones. Give Longbow a nice little base in Grandville, and give Arachnos a base in Peregrine Island. Let the PVE players have fun taking over PVE bases.
- Expand the Hero and Villain bases. Make the outlying areas of those bases attackable and conquerable for a limited amount of time and give a PVP reward doing so, for instance a random bonus to certain powers, a random buff, or somthing else that can be kept zone specific and doesn't bring farmers. Really conquering a base should take a combination of skills. One possibility is spawning non-glowing click objects in random places in the zone (only if x number of both sides are in the zone), that would be needed to open doors. The inner area of the base, with the exits and the base hospital, should be sacrosanct.
- Place a hospital in the middle of the zone where both sides can CHOOSE to rez at full health, at the risk of being attacked within seconds of rezzing there (thinking a 10 second timer, so you can get shields up). Choice would be rez at full health, but be at risk, or rez at 1 hitpoint in the safety of the base, and have to wait till back at workable health/end.
- The random exits are already in place. Maybe add a few more to avoid camping, which WOULD be a possibility in this setup.

One of the main problems I see is a totally wrong conception of how PVP works in a mixed player base. Given 100 random players, 10-15 of them will PVP with some regularity. Of that amount, not even half will PVP hardcore. Most of the others don't EVER want to be bothered with it. Forcing people to go into PVP zones to obtain certain objectives (badges, accolades) does NOT make them want to PVP, rather the reverse. Luring people into the PVP zones with the promise of phat loot only makes the relation between farmers and PVPers in the zone go VERY ugly VERY fast.

4) Change Warburg. Make it so that villains and heroes can team up. It's free-for-all, after all.

5) Do away with the police drones. The storyline already establishes that there is forcefield technology, so use it. Make defensive shields around the PVP zone entrances, that disable all offensive powers while inside it and are impenetrable for attacks of any type from the outside. In both cases, including TP foe. One less reason to whine. Taking down the base shield would, incidentally, be a fun first task in taking over a base.

6) Moderate chat in PVP zones and Arena channel a bit more. The occasional smacktalk is just entertainment, but some people go WAY too far, including detailed descriptions of anatomy, sexual preferences and positions, racial slurs, and gender-based harassment. The occasional live mod-smack would be both entertaining and useful.

7a) Let each player store one build per toon per PVP zone, to be activated only on entering the relevant zone. It would enable people to have a PVP build for PVP, while still having a PVE build for levelling and other PVE things.

7b) Introduce a new type of subscription for PVP only, with 3 character slots per PVP zone, that can be instantly levelled to the zone's maximum. These players would only have access to the PVP zones and the Arena (yes, this would mean Arena terminals in the PVP zones). They would be able to earn enhancements by doing a mix of PVE missions for regular enhancements (already there, in most PVP zones) and achieving PVP targets for the really good stuff (like the bounty system, which I incidentally enjoy VERY much, and would love to see implemented in all other zones). Please notes this would keep the instant-gratification types in the PVP crowd out of the hair of those who prefer PVE, while still giving both types of player the opportunity to gank each other if they so desire. Special bonusses like accolades should only be available to those who actually do the PVE grind. PVE players entering the zone should have the content of the enhancement tray 'put in storage' to prevent trade with the PVP sub players.

I am very serious about this. I know a LOT of PVPers who quit COV/COH because they simply couldn't stomach the PVE grind, even though they loved the speed of the PVP and the powers available. A guildwars-like system has the potential of drawing in PVPers without upsetting the anti-PVP people in the PVE playerbase.

8) Enable limited player camping, both in zone PVP and in any open world PVP. Admit it, we all like to do it /evil grin. Maybe make a rare temp power that can be earned through PVP or that is issued (one per participant) during guild wars, and that can used to cage a player for a limited amount of time - definitely no longer than 30 minutes, after which the player can escape by tp to base - forcing SG mates or the other side in general to come free them.

9) Change the communication options, make seeing the other side's chat on by default. Apart from the fact that the current setting makes it impossible to use the Help channel to help out a player on the other side, communication also prevents a lot of misunderstandings and hard feelings. It also helps build a community that transcends factions. Identification with your own side in Star Wars Galaxies was fierce, but the fact both sides could talk meant you could develop respect for a good opponent, and even agree to a cease-fire on occasion. Sometimes, like during the Winter Event, working together to gank the snow monster is a MUCH better idea than trying to ignore it (somehow, it doesn't go away).

Just some ideas...

=)

Linna

Meh... Halloween junky looking for fix, pst

=p

Linna

Well, there go any hopes I had of ever getting the 1000 pillboxes badge on my Mastermind. Bye bye to my last reason to ever set a foot in that zone (and keep in mind, I'm a PVPer).

Linna

/cheer!

=)

Linna

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'd love to have the COP as a TF. I would, however, destroy any IOP we get as long as our base was at stake. Too much time went into getting all that stuff. We gave up on the mock base raids ages ago: all too clearly those who've been around longest and/or have farmed the most, automatically win. Combined with the bugs, that sucks out all the fun.

Linna

[/ QUOTE ]

For once I disagree with you Linna.

There are a lot of ways to take ridiculous bases down. The most potent defense is a team of excellent players (imho).

[/ QUOTE ]

I beg to differ. I am (or used to be) a pretty hardcore PVPer, as were most others in Fated and Rival. We did a few mock raids, and found we couldn't compete AT ALL with other PVPers, because we simply didn't have the prestige (9 million on each side) to build the trap areas or even install much in the way of defensive and offensive measures. We didn't farm for prestige, like most of the other raiding SGs, and we found we were at a VERY severe disadvantage, material wise. To me, that solidly indicates that latecomers WILL be at a disadvantage.

Linna

I'd love to have the COP as a TF. I would, however, destroy any IOP we get as long as our base was at stake. Too much time went into getting all that stuff. We gave up on the mock base raids ages ago: all too clearly those who've been around longest and/or have farmed the most, automatically win. Combined with the bugs, that sucks out all the fun.

Linna

I'm a trained literary critic, with an MA in Popular Culture. I think giving my professional opinion about the comics would be... unwise.

Still: 5 stars for the cancellation!

=p

Linna

These polls REALLY need a 'none of the above' option.

Truth to be told, I bought city of HEROES and city of VILLAINS, not city of WALLSTREET. I could REALLY REALLY not have cared less if you'd left it out entirely. Within days the first speculators were at work. Incidentally, the way amounts asked are secret has greatly helped them to corner the market.

Do I like crafting? With a passion. This, however, is not what I consider to be crafting. SWG of old had crafting. This is just inventory management, made more boring and frustrating than necessary because of the lack of possibilities to directly trade with your alts.

Overall, the costumes leave me pretty luke-warm. IO sets make me laugh, although the uniques can be nice. Personal storage is too limited - both in what can be stored and how much can be stored - to excite me. I totally HATE the new Hamidon raids. I rather like the Statesman Taskforce, but the best addition in my book is not listed: the fact the Green Line now extends to Founders' Fall.

As always with a new issue, SG mates who had left for other games came back for a look. It's a telling sign most of them checked out the basics, then left again.

Most heard questions about issue 9 from those who left (and keep in mind our SG started in COV):
- any new zones villainside?
- did they fix the patron powers yet?
- is PVP still broken?

Linna

I am seriously underwhelmed by these empowerment stations. Took a while to gather enough of the right types of salvage in the bins, but yesterday I managed to make a tier 2 magic and a tier 3 tech station. I made a nice little list of what was offered at what cost, and told the SG to forget about it. We're a medium sized SG, with some 15-20 people logging in daily. In 8 months, we managed to grab only enough rare salvage to make 8 of the rare components. Wasting them on a 15 minute buff? No way. Not going to happen.

As I see it, there are maybe 2 or 3 buffs that are worth spending salvage on, and then only for things like the Recluse TF. The rest? Pff, keep em.

Linna

[ QUOTE ]
Just out of curiosity. I look at the Hero accolades, and I see requirements like "Kill 200 Banished Pantheon Spirits" and "Kill 200 Illusionists summoned by Carnie Master Illusionists" and "Kill 100 Lost Bosses" and "Kill 333 of every Croatoa mob type" and "Kill 100 Fake Nemesis robots" and "Kill 100 Paragon Protectors" and "Kill 1000 Rikti Monkeys" and "Kill 100 each of Vampyri and Warwolves".

Portal Jockey, yes, if you do the right contacts. The new Task Force Commander, also yes, if you squeeze in all the content. Invader, eventually. Marshall, also eventually. But every single other Accolade requires farming something specifically to get badges, and this has been true since Accolades were added to the game. And that's if we don't count finding all the specific exploration badges and plaques - at that point, they all become unreachable except by those who're specifically setting out to get badges.

Where, exactly, does this idea that the Accolades are supposed to be obtained through 'normal play' come from?

[/ QUOTE ]

I am a badge collector, on both my hero main and my villain main, so keep in mind I was collecting badges long before we knew which accolade requirements there would be for villains. On the whole, I think villains got the shaft.

I admit the spirit masks and the illusionists decoys are hard to come by running missions (I think people hate those mobs, especially the carnies, so there's fewer large teams doing those missions). The rest, however, are easily gotten by just doing the story arcs. Paragon protectors? There's one mission that's filled with nothing but 7th generation PP (the minion ones). There's plenty of Nemesis missions, etc etc. Even the Croatoa badges are for the most part easily gotten by running the arcs. I solo about 80% of the time, and I got most hero achievement badges through the arcs, not through farming.

Villain side was, in my experience, a lot harder. A lot more badges require you to farm missions (Rularuu, for one) for a net gain of 3 - 8 mobs that count towards the badge.

Once I found out about badges, I got most of them on my scrapper before I reached level 40. On my villain main, who had almost 200 badges when issue 7 went live, I am still struggling to get some of the critical ones. The 10 million damage taken? My poor MM has 11% on that one. The debt badge wasn't a problem on her, the level 40-50 super AVs saw to that, but my level 33 brute doesn't even have the 1st one. A real fun idea, that I will have to die often and intentionally, to the value of 5 million xp, in order to get an accolade heroes can get by doing (mostly fun) mission.

Bleh,

Linna

[ QUOTE ]
I've lowered the requirements for this from needing the "Nigh Indestructible" badge (100,000,000 damage taken) to "Unbreakable" (10,000,000 damage taken).

This is in a future patch (not on the Training Room yet). I don't know when it will be promoted to TR or to the live servers, but it is in the pipeline.

[/ QUOTE ]

Since 6 months of solid gameplay - which included levelling to 40, months of badge hunting and helping SG, and then levelling to 50 - only got me to approx 1.1 million on my MM, I doubt I will play the game long enough to get this badge through normal gameplay. In other words, this just means shorter AFK damage farming. I still don't see the fun in it.

Linna

[ QUOTE ]
Portal Jockey on heroes is a lot easier to get than this.

[/ QUOTE ]

Portal Jockey was actually fun to get. Just run the 2 story arcs. Get some nice SOs into the bargain.

Linna

I am in no way saying the requirements for the hero accolades should be made harder (they feel about right). But those for the villain ones DEFINITELY have to be looked at. The 5th damage badge is impossible. My main villain is a MM. 800 hitpoints at level 50. She is about 11% into the 4rth damage badge (10 million) after a lot of intensive playing. She will NEVER get the 100 million badge without AFK farming. What's the fun in that?

It would be a lot better to change the requirement to defeating a GM, the Headhunter (?) badge (defeat 50 signature heroes), or if level restrictions are a must, the Made badge (obtained when reaching 50).

Linna

My husband and I ran into something odd. Both of us took Scirocco on our mains, but I am way ahead of him in levelling.

At level 43, I did the first arc (Serafina) then got the second arc (Malleus Mundi) and was then told to report back at level 45 for Project Destiny.

My husband did the first arc as an untrained 41. I just helped him complete it. But HE is not offered the second arc, he was simply told to report back at level 45 for Project Destiny. It would seem he will never get the second arc.

I am pretty certain the second arc belongs to the pre-45 set, as every other patron I heard of has a final mission pre-45 where you square off against them. So what happened to Malleus Mundi?

Linna

[ QUOTE ]
I saw some of the same things in Victory's raid today, that the OP reported. I also noticed something else. Attacking defenders and controllers were dropping like flies. Not your normal drop rate, I talking about dead in 5-10 seconds. Repeatedly. Out of my team, the only support to survive was a controller who only used heal during the raid. Once we got 1/2 the mitos cleared, the death rate dropped off, but was still pretty heavy on support (almost like they ignore the massive damage done by scrappers/blasters and concentrated on trollers/def). I hit debt cap in about 5 minutes and was never up for more than 10 seconds unless I ran for the rock. I finally switched toons to help heal.

Victory got to through the mitos, through the hold phase, or what we thought was hold phase, then got hami to 25% health before he broke and mass death was had. Although it's hard to tell when he's held now so I don't know. It was a very long time before the attack phase was called.

Over 80 in the zone, there were over 16 AMs up, and probably around 30 controllers. With the AMs I would say that should have been more then enough to hold him. Unless... his mez resistance goes up significantly at 25%? Hmmmm.....

I was on a team with 2 scrappers and 2 blasters (who never stopped attacking mitos) and no one got any SO drops. I doubt anyone in the hive got any SO drops.

I would venture to say the raid is brokes right now.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm European. Means Freedom's Hammi raids are between 2 AM and 6 AM for me. Means I only get to do them Friday and Saturday night. After having 3 raids out of 5 failed due to griefing and (in one case) missing out on the HO because I crashed, I gave up on them. And that was in i6. The way it sounds now, I simply won't bother again.

The villain TF? Ugh, spare me. The way it looks now, only VERY specific templates can do it. All others are just SOL. I vastly prefer the open nature of the Hammi raids, where each AT can find something useful to do.

One comment on aggro. I play a bots/dark MM villainside, and I noticed that with some ambushing AVs (especially Citadel), I simply cannot get rid of aggro. Keep in mind it's the pets that do the damage, I just heal and mez. And in this case, ran all over the map without doing anything else then mashing the bots' attack button. And then he went and stood guard over my corpse. I had to hospital before he left me alone. Maybe that's what's going on with Mitos: could they be stuck in ambush mode?

Linna

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
- Any claim that this is done to prevent farming the badge, are only true to a certain extent. To farm debt intentionally only becomes rewarding at higher levels, true, but it's also far easier for a paid service to farm it than the kill-mobs ones (yes, i've seen the adds for the Atlas Medaillon and other hero accolades). As for high levels in a SG/VG helping lower levels get the kill badges - uhm.. wasn't there this idea of stimulating people to be social? I don't really see the harm in it. If you want level restrictions to be in place (in which case, PLEASE the same ones the heroes have) then do it by requiring a mission badge only the correct level players have access to. Location badges in the pvp zones come to mind.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's a fine balance between being able to help someone with a badge, and being able to do it for them. Unfortunately, however, the badge system is set up that you can kill grey-cons and get credit.

What I see with the CoV accolades is not so much a need to make every accolade require a level, but a requirement of *playing*. Doing a SF is a good example, but it's not solo-friendly. Debt would seem to be a good way to enforce playing over PLing, but has the other problems you list. Taking damage, mentoring, being held - those all can be achieved with some kind of grind, but are at least a step up from having someone kill grey-cons for you. And in the case of those grinds, each one could eventually be addressed with a code change if needed. (eg, mentoring already has some limit so you can't sit innactive for 10 hours, tweak this to include sitting in a CoT damage crystal.) (course, mentoring isn't solo-friendly and may be problematic for that reason.)

anyways, yeah, debt has its problems. I can see why it would be chosen, but the bad outweighs the good here.

Why not just make every accolade have a level requirement? This can sort of be done with hazard zone levels, but that's not possible in CoV. Forcing people into a PvP zone for an accolade will be seen as a problem for some players who absolutely hate PvP. Is that worth the brief exposure to PKers?
So why not just have every accolade directly have a level requirement? You need this set of badges AND need to be level 36 or whatever. I guess you could use the level 30 and level 40 badges if you needed to, but 10 level steps may not be the best option.

[/ QUOTE ]

Two comments to that:
- if the badge were inside the relatively safe pvp zone entrance, the non-pvp players could not really object, and the level issue would be solved
- not giving credit for grey cons would be the worst idea ever. I only got into badge hunting after level 40, and did not even KNOW about accolades untill then. Badge hunting is a part of the game I really like, ESPECIALLY in the hours when I cannot find a team. Making grey-cons not register, would deny me something I enjoy in the game, and exemplaring down is NOT the answer for me.

I understand your dislike for the team farming of grey con mobs, but I insist that it IS a team activity, and that it is a good solution for those who simply cannot do those mobs at even con, either through lack of teaming opportunities or through general weakness of their AT or a combination of both.

Even for non-badge mobs, I would be HORRIFIED if I did not get kill credit for grey cons on my lvl 16 illusion troller (2 attacks... hah), for instance. It's the only way I can get some street hunting missions done.

I think you should really make the consideration if it truly disadvantages anyone that people get badges or accolades or kill credit in general for killing grey cons, either solo or in team. In my opinion, changing the current situation would cause a lot of harm and would not add anything extra to the game for those who actually play it.

Linna

I have several problems with the Deathless badge requirements.

- First and foremost is the fact that it's unenjoyable. I actually LIKE working on the defeat-mob achievement badges. Dying intentionally so you can work up enough debt is not my idea of fun.

- The badge does not reward good gameplay, rather the reverse

- Any claim that this is done to prevent farming the badge, are only true to a certain extent. To farm debt intentionally only becomes rewarding at higher levels, true, but it's also far easier for a paid service to farm it than the kill-mobs ones (yes, i've seen the adds for the Atlas Medaillon and other hero accolades). As for high levels in a SG/VG helping lower levels get the kill badges - uhm.. wasn't there this idea of stimulating people to be social? I don't really see the harm in it. If you want level restrictions to be in place (in which case, PLEASE the same ones the heroes have) then do it by requiring a mission badge only the correct level players have access to. Location badges in the pvp zones come to mind.

Linna

When spawning in the hospital (villain side) I noticed my health was at 1/6 and my endurance was the same as 'at death'. Apparently everyone is experiencing this. Bugticketed it, not sure if this is by design, but it IS irritating.

Linna

[ QUOTE ]
"Mez protection" doesn't let the scrapper one-shot the dominator from parts unseen without ever even offering the dom the chance to run away, let alone fight back.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not one-shot, no, but very nearly that with a critical and BU. Of course, you can't count on a critical, but if the first hit is a knockdown attack, 10 to 1 that dominator will not get up before he/she is finished. Very little fighting back there.

I think a great deal of the problem is that a lot of ATs can only function well in pvp when grouped. There are very few ATs that can do well solo, and stalkers and scrappers are the two that are most suited to it. I think it is a good thing there are ATs that can solo, not everyone has the time to find a group, or plays at a time when there are enough people to group with (and most PUGs suck).

The fact that there are so many stalkers and scrappers around, would seem to indicate (a lot) more people feel like I do. But to blame scrappers and stalkers for the fact they can solo effectively in PVP and you can't, is attacking the problem from the wrong side. Nerf-crying will only diminish us all in the end, because once one template/AT is nerfed, people will start whining about the next 'overpowered' combo. I think it would be more productive to ask the devs to tweak those other ATs so they too can do better when alone.

I started playing this game because the one I had spent 2.5 years in before (SWG) got turned into a game where there are only 7 combat ATs left, without any template diversification. All 7 share almost the exact same skills underneath a superficial skin. The nerfcryers won in that game. Everyone is the same, fastest connection wins. What fun.

Linna

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Whenever I'm attacking a team , I usually get beat down right away. Stalkers always get the most hero aggro. Even with placate, attacking a team that has half a brain and surviving is tough.

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Seriously though, what do you guys think?

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Seriously?

I think you'd have much better luck working with a team - and have your team attack another team.

I think solo stalkers attacking teams successfully(that is, scoring kills and surviving an escape) is all too common, and advocates a nerf to the archetype in a more meaningful way than the plethora of flame-filled threads on the subject.

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I think this is humorous, as this is exactly what I do on my scrapper when solo. I teleport straight in, take out my target while they're still going 'wha...', and tp the hell out. I'd say I escape retribution more often on the scrapper than whenever I play the stalker. Too many hero teams already have more perception than even stacked hide and stealth.

Linna

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I just sent a PM to cuppa asking if purposefully giving a player debt is considered griefing. Will update when she gets back to me

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The Devs say - No.

Ultimately PVE mobs in a PVP zones are hazards of a PVP zone. Players do have control (and options) that will prevent them from being victims of the TP Foe tactic.

Regarding being held, immobilized, slept and then being teleported into a PVE mob: griefing? No.

If a player uses TP Foe and teleports another player into a mob, so that their health is reduced, and then finishes them off with a killing shot….griefing? No.

If a player intentionally uses a knockback power (or Repel or Dispersion Bubble) on another player from the top of the roof to the street below where there happens to be a PVE mob, and the player’s presence draws mob aggro and dies…should the player who knocked back the target player off that roof be actioned for griefing? No.

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I am sorry, but I think the devs should be rethinking this. From previous games, I know only 10-15% of the players in a mixed game like this are into PVP, and even less of those are hardcore. And even those who are hardcore are split on this issue. Personally, I think it's never a good idea to cater to the minority who think 'anything goes' if you want to keep the game fun for the majority. Every player who turns their back on pvp in disgust because the behavior and attitudes of a few in the pvp zones, is a loss to the diversity and the fun potential of those zones.

Linna

Supergroup Name: Fated / Fated Heroes

Website: www.phpbb88.com/fated

Leader & Recruiting Officer: @Linna, @PwyllT

Preferred Method of contact: in-game e-mail, SG forum

GUILD DESCRIPTION:

WHO ARE WE / WHAT DO WE DO
Fated are originally a SWG guild. We escaped to CoV when the NGE was announced in November 2005. By now, we have a solid CoV/CoH membership and a full CoV base. We're still working on the CoH side base, but we're getting there.
Traditionally, Fated are a mixed guild, supporting both PVE and PVP. Whatever you like playing, go for it, as long as you're having fun. The guild is there to help you do it. Please note that the guild leader and several of her cronies are hardcore pvpers, and WILL try to seduce you to the dark side...

COALITION PARTNERS:
Evil Transcendant (all 3 guilds)
Gorath's Most Wanted
Rival
Seven Deadly Sins

PROBATION PERIOD FOR MEMBERSHIP:
All new Fated have a 2 week probation period. During this period we will determine whether or not they fit in. Usually this is no more than a formality, so don't worry about it.


THE RULES:

Our rules are very simple, but I do expect them to be obeyed:

- no griefing or harassing. That means no stuff like intentionally teleporting people into drones or mobs, training mobs on people or teleporting new players to inaccessible places. Use your common sense. There is no need to deliberately spoil someone else's playtime.

- no scamming or exploiting. Meaning serious, gamebreaking stuff like speed hacking, and intentionally defrauding other players.

- no trashtalking, either in spatial, tells or forum. Thinks like 'I pwn yoo' are childish and reflect badly on the guild. Taunting people for no other reason than that they are on the other side or in a certain super group, will only create unnecessary bad feelings. Swearing at people, or insulting their parentage or sexuality is not just heavily frowned upon by me, but CAN get you banned by NCSoft. /ignore is your friend, as is /petition. Creative insults in PVP are ok, but keep it both creative and clean.

- don't simply stop logging in without warning. Apart from the fact that I am a worrywart, the SG limit of 75 toons means I will have to kick you eventually to make room, unless you've given advance notice of absence.

- this is not a democracy. I value input from everyone, but the final say is mine.

- Problems with other SGs can and WILL be solved in game. If any action needs to be taken in the forums, I will be the one doing it, followed by my officers. If anything happens in-game that needs dealing with, you tell me, and we will find a way of dealing with it. THERE WILL BE NO RETALIATIONS UNLESS I GIVE THE GO-AHEAD. It is VERY important that SG leadership knows exactly what is going on and why.

- If you have a problem with another guild member, work it out in private. Don't drag guild business or personal conflicts out into public forums.

Depending on the seriousness of the infraction, I WILL kick you out of Fated if you break these rules.


GENERAL INFORMATION:

CONTACTS:
@Linna
@Gorzon
@PwyllT

COMMUNICATION:
I am quite frequently in tell hell, because I get asked stuff from all sides at once. There is no way this can be prevented for other-SG contacts, but please, fated, don't contribute to the problem. If it can wait, mail a question. If it can't wait, ask in guild chat. The last thing I need when pvping or fighting mobs is tells.

FACTIONAL LOYALTY:
We have none. Fated are both on the Villain side and on the Hero side. We will fight our own in pvp, and switch to whichever side offers the most fun at the time (whichever side has the fewest, in most cases).

PROMOTION:
I don't hold with promoting on the basis of prestige earned, if only because it discriminates against people who join at high level and people who temporarily switch to another SG for raids. Those guild members who play a lot and help out other members, risk getting the right to tag up other people. Other than that, it's entirely a matter of my whims.