CaffeineAddict

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slive_Draver BIG RED BALL! BIG RED BALL!

Big Red Ball needs attention!

I did a search on the web for it, and the big red ball has become famous and fun worldwide! Just take a look at the evidence (below).
What a sad pitiful state that our virtual world is lacking the joy of the big red ball

Fact #1
An artsy entrepreneur started something called the Red Ball Project.
Linky: http://redballproject.com/chicago/index.php?cat=4
They have this giant red ball that tours various cities around the world.
Screenies:







Fact #2
Just about any person and any animal loves to play with a big red ball.
Pomeranion puppies love them:


So do hippos:


Fact #3
Human's have taken the art of playing with Big Red Balls to the extreme:
*warning! Don't try any of this at home*

• The British competition called BBC's Total Wipeout: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQk9A...eature=related

• The gymnasium art of ball rolling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIHnBBzJKuo

• The front lawn sport of big red bowling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_4W2...eature=related

• Then there is big red ball hallway jousting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tt2LpMmOb0

• And now they even have a race, specifically for big red balls: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD8lTJjbMRw

Fact #4
Animals love playing with the big red ball! It's fun, and so cute to watch them play.

• Dogs just love playing with the big red ball: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0blB-...eature=related
• So do puppies! Whilst this ball isn't big, it is when you compare it to the puppy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU4qx-pp_2U
• This one isn't big at all, but it has a HUGE taunt aura and a fun time for this old english sheep doggy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGZOkcQ6wD0

• Cats also love the big red ball: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvO8M...eature=related

• Even horses love to play with the big red ball: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzwVG3xe_YE
• OK this one isn't red, but it was too cute not to include it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD6avPKhIro

• Word has spread in the animal kingdom about the joy of the big red ball, this otter is practicing in anticipation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmLQkBcemyE

I hope you found some fun in my post

I'd love this also
I always wished that when I defeat babbage, he would explode into hundreds of gears. But a zone wide gear invasion I could get into also!

I also really like this idea too

I really like this idea

I've always thought it is odd that, for a zone being invaded and bombed, nothing is damaged. Ever.

For an invasion, the rikti have been doing a pretty crappy job.

I can just see the Rikti officer in charge of the zone invasion reporting back to his superiors...: (here is my sad attempt of Rikti-speak)

Officer: "Buildings destroyed: none. Civilians exterminated: zero. Transit broken: nul. Architect house virtual pleasure domes eradicated: nil. Trees, park benches and shrubberies torched: nadda."

Superior: "Objectives achieved: will you ever accomplish this century?"

Officer: *blushing in embarrassment* "Well... 5 cat girls: 2 of we defeated. Fred's mistake: petting one he did try. Scratching post: they said to Fred. Fred: his bleeding will not stop, is in medbay."

Superior: "Impressed: am not. My favour: how you improve?"

Officer: "AE building: we got season passes to free Me-ouch farm. Vanguard Merits: we have 3; George got confused and killed 5 drones."

Superior: "Guards: attend. Officer: to be dropped on Lusca. Communication Officer: get Romulus on the line; tell him we trade AE season passes if he invades AP for us."

Run your missions solo (contacts and radio).
Do them on heroic (or 2nd lowest diff); like another poster said, bosses aren't any good for purple drops.
You have a greater chance for recipes to drop playing solo (sadly).
Stop looking at your tray, don't look at it until it is full (a watched pot never boils).
When you get sick of soloing, join a TF or even start your own. The ITF, lady grey & STF are great drop wise, you have to defeat a lot of stuff along the way. The more kills, the more chances.

If you can't join a TF, and want company, do some AE farms, roll the tickets for recipes to earn more sales influence (I find both bronze rolls level 29 category are great; and gold rolls).
Currently the TF recipe pool is selling for a lot higher than prior to the AE. I got 200,000,000 for a miracle. I was shocked. (prior to i15 they were selling for 40-to-80mill). You will find miracles in the gold ticket pool.

Don't expect to see a purple to drop in your tray, expecting this will only leave you feeling frustrated. Instead, chill & have fun running the content as I suggested, while you build your cash pile (so you can afford some purpleness)

From my own gut instinct, I am waiting until after i16 before I bid again on any purple recipes. I have a feeling i16 will cause a chunk of the player base to float back outside of the AE building for non virtual content, meaning more supply (although I am expecting this to take several months to pan out). What I am saying, is I expect some of the prices of purples to slowly drop after i16 (although I could be completely wrong).

*edit*Completely forgot about this one! Just wait until after i16 is released, where you can set a mission for 8 players and do it completely solo (without having to ask for fillers). Make yourself a farming toon and have it ready for action. You might not get purples, but you will get a lot of drops fast.

Have fun!

Actually they should add toilets to the list of things to make, hehe.
I recently got the wondrous joy to view a friends supergroup, and this guy has created quite the masterpiece, including some houses for his sg mates (like little condos). He had even made an obvious shower, with the screen and showerhead visible, along with a toilet (all made out of stacking parts).

Here are some screenies for your enjoyment!

Dolly's house


Another sg's members house:



The kitchen inside the one of these houses:



A shower (inside the 2nd house); along with a shower head:


Another view of the shower, along with toilet:



The toilet: (with a lovely scenic view)

Hello Black_Strike

Whilst I understand your angst and how you tried to write an intro to your thread, I'm suggesting that next time you could do a draft up first so you don't receive so much backlash (that's if you are open to suggestions). Next time do up a draft before posting, reread the thing and try to imagine it from another person's point of view. Also, try not to accuse anyone of anything (even if you didn't realise it). Eg accusing the forum of trying to kill the game = bad.

Yes, yes they are (outrageous)

Whilst I don't expect them to be cheap, nor easily available, the prices skyrocketed ever since the AE machine sucked in the greedy hordelings.

Players are hitting 50 very fast; faster than prior to i15 (AE).
Players were earning tickets, rolling loot, and making influence faster than prior to i15.
Players were farming critters higher in level*(not including bridging in PI) than prior to i15 and earning more influence per kill.
Another side affect of the AE farming spree, is loot does not drop in AE missions (unless it is a dev's choice). So zero purples drop whilst that player goes from 1-50 doing AE farms.

So you get the picture:
Faster to 50 and with a truckload of cash.
Some of these cashed up cash cows then waddle over to the auction house, and then snaffle up the ultra rares for big amounts.
There's less purples for sale now, more demand, so up goes the price.
It wouldn't matter if I stuck one for sale for 5 influence, it would most likely sell for an 8 to 9 digit long figure.

Depends what you consider a *normal* player.
I would not expect the casual gamer to have purples; I'd expect them to have SOs slotted and some common trainer IOs.

No-one is forcing anyone to do anything.
Why would I want to pay real cash for virtual money? That's pretty stupid. I already earn enough on my toons. I also slot within my means, and the key here is I have learnt to be very patient.

By the way, not a good idea with accusations of forcing players to go to spam sites it starts your thread on the wrong foot.

Me too. I have lots of alts.
Most of them are slotted with common trainer IOs.
And most of them will never be *fully IOd out* with the glory sets (eg purples, miracle, lotg etc). Nor do I expect it to happen anytime soon.


Um, yes? Yes I expect people will keep playing, just as they have since the game first rolled out many years ago.
Speaking of years, many of those went by where there were NO ios. And there was no auction house back then either.
Players used to just slot DOs then SOs, and the lucky ones who got to go on hami raids would actually get to slot some HOs.

Why is IO'ing a toon out so vital to you?
The dev's have said in the past that the characters ability is not based on having IOs, they test powers based on slotting with readily available enhancements (DOs/SOs) you can buy relatively cheap from many available stores.
Maybe you need to look at why this is such a big deal to you & put it in perspective.

Here is some advice:
I used to feel the same way about the prices, prior to i15 actually.
I hated the auction house even.
Then after posting how I felt about it, and a light flaming, I got some great advice.
Don't use the auction house like a shop. Ever.
Just bid, and bid low (50 to 75% below what the last visible average price paid for that item). Let your bid sit there. Be patient. Take a week before you log back onto that character to check. Do other stuff (real life) or play a different character during that time.
Lastly remember why you are playing the game (to be super of course!). I'm pretty sure you did not buy it in order to go to sleep at night knowing you are wrapped in purple enhanced glory.