Calibre

ROFL!

Ok, now, I've read it all on these forums. What could possibly top this?



Cal2

Manticore:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRw9wlOZ9Lg


Because he's the deepest thinker on the team, IMO. And the lyrics seems to mimic how I think he thinks.


Cal2

Lambent is going to the Dark Side, asap. It was only a fluke he was brainwashed by Freedom Corps, anyway. Could just've easily been Arachnos.

Now, PC and all the pawns and minions of Statesman and his agents will have to suffer a fiery demise.

Them's the brakes.


Cal2

[ QUOTE ]
People, pipe down or I'll kick you.

To all the five year vets, it's been a long road and I'm glad to share it with you.

To all the rest of you noobs, rtfm!

[/ QUOTE ]

I had planned on a snarky comeback, but for the sake of the 5 year anni, I'll resort to grumbling, instead.

*grumble, grumble, grumble*

Cal2

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Like you've found, you can't add him as a group, but you can add him as a boss or ally.

I presume this is prevent people from spawning a mission full of 52 Magus Mu Drakhans.

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He should be scaleable like all other named Bosses in the game. What possible, logical or otherwise, rationale is there for this ridiculous limitation?

It would make more sense to have LR or States or any of those other trite, signature mobs non-scaleable. I could accept that on a logical basis.

This just reeks of arbitrariness.

So, I'll delete this entire scenario as well. Strike 2 for the MA.

Cal2

Greets.

I've bought all the enemy packs I desire (leaving out all Praetorians and Longbow which I despise and hold in undying contempt).

That means, I have access to ALL Arachnos.

I can add any named boss from Arachnos to a custom group if I so desire with the annoying exception of:

Magus Mu Drakhan (52-52)

I can add him to my mission, then force him to be surrounded by my custom group if I go into Standard>Arachnos>Magus Mu Drakhan.

But on the Edit Group tab, he vanishes. Only Mu Bosses, LTs and Minions show---and, they are seemingly duplicated. There are 2 for each. The only difference I can see is one has Resistance and the other doesn't.

Like this:
Mu <blah> Boss (1-54): resistance, <standard powers>
Mu <blah> Boss (1-54): <standard powers>

Also note that Magus Mu Drakhan does NOT scale. If you use him, he's always an AV.

So, questions: why can't I find him in the All tab to add to my custom group? Why doesn't he scale like every other Arachnos named boss? Why are Mu minions, lts and bosses duplicated but with the addition of Resistance power?

Why do I have to be the one to always find something I want to do in this game, but cannot???

PS: yes, that last question is rhetorical.

Cal2

To the OP, et al:

Mind your own business! I'll play this game as I choose to play it, thanks loads. If I wish to farm, I shall do so. If I don't want XP, I'll turn that option on. If I don't wish to team with you, I won't. It's really just that simple.

Cal2

Hey all,

I thought I read a quick answer on here recently where someone used an existing enemy group, added it to 'custom group' as is (no power changes or anything), but simply altered the NAMES of the minions, LTs and Bosses.

How?

I've already changed and added them: Storm Ele'ies to 'Madlings'. Now, I simply need to change the names in this 'new' group.

Can it be done? I've heard NO, but then I remembered someone here changing DE minions to, like: Mushroom Man, etc.

Please explain or link me to something that does?

thanks
Cal2

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Meanwhile, we have a long standing 'bug' that we cannot fix:

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That says it ALL right there.

I don't even play PET classes and this still disgusts me. I'm through accepting THAT answer for all the things wrong with this game, Castle.

Sorry as hell, but I'm sick of it.

Cal2

[/ QUOTE ]

get a degree and help them

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Five years and millions of dollars later = I don't think there is any help possible. I've been saying this for the last 3 years, in case you haven't noticed.

bah

Cal2

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Meanwhile, we have a long standing 'bug' that we cannot fix:

[/ QUOTE ]

That says it ALL right there.

I don't even play PET classes and this still disgusts me. I'm through accepting THAT answer for all the things wrong with this game, Castle.

Sorry as hell, but I'm sick of it.

Cal2

Late to this thread, as I usually am. Also guilty of violating it by thoughtless over-reaction.

Yeah: the bit on 'keep it in perspective' really hit home. It's hard to keep in mind how good we have it 'here' where we can sit round all day and have fun (however 'qualified' you want to call it) on our favorite game---while others across the world fight every day just for basic necessities.


My apologies for getting carried-away now and then, fellow gamers and ye developers.


Cal2

Speaking as someone who despises this entire invention system period (and therefore, speaking purely subjectively), I find the merit system basically reinforces the 'bad' aspects of MOGs: farming, loot-[censored], loot-mongering and the like.

CoH/V was supposed to be a different kind of MOG, IIRC.


I think the entire system is wrong for this game and is one of the reasons I'll be shipping off to the competitor asap. No hard feelings, all. But if I had wanted to play a loot-centric game, I'd have stuck with EQ or it's various clones. You guys have decided this is how you want CoH/V to proceed into the future. Fine. Your game, your money, your call.

My fun, my money, my call

Cal2

Objective:

Saw a great deal more use of NPCs by hero side. Saw most battles last much longer than I saw in the past, though I wouldn't say overly long.

Generally, survivability of all ATs seems much better.


Subjective:

First time I've felt like I had a real chance to contribute to the battles.

My Stalker was able to survive longer and actually defeat heroes. My arch-foe was typically a Scrapper, though if I catch them by surprise, I win the encounter. I did a few 1 vs 1 with a scrapper but the outcome was skewed by the horde of NPCs all over the place.

I could really wish for all the NPCs to be removed from RV or sequestered in a specific area for those who wish to fight them.

Generally, I found PvP to be fun for the first time on this game, ever.

Cal2

Nicely done, sir.

vivots!

Cal2

The reason you are finding this color combo dissonant is because the yellow on the in-game avatar has blue in it, throwing off the normally pleasing yellow + red combo.

Take the yellow back to pure primary and it'll be right on.



Cal2

PS: 'pure' hues (not tinted, shaded or mixed) are hard to find at times on the palette we have.

PPS: nice work!

Live already???

By the gods, don't you folks ever take a break?

Anyway, great job!

Cal2

Ok, ok...

Don't anyone have a seizure or faint or anything, but I have something POSITIVE to say:


woot!

Thank you, indeed, Positron, for an righteously, excellent solution.

And, yes, even your pricing scheme is perfectly reasonable.



vivots! vivots! vivots!

Cal2

PS: lest I break character here and seem to be insidiously revising my previous, long-reaching denigrating, over-arcing recent reviews of the game: yes, I'm still heading to CO when it launches.

gomen nasai

[ QUOTE ]
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“Any Red name wanna come out and let us know if Elec/Elec tank is going to be added?” – Lady_Dee


Castle said, “No, never!” and Positron said, “Yes, do it!” In the end, the decision of which sets to give everyone bounced back and forth multiple times. The next question is, “Why did Castle say no?!” At the time, he wanted each AT to keep certain sets so they were only found on that AT – Ninjitsu for Stalkers, Elec/Elec for Brutes, Ice/Ice for Tankers, etc. Ultimately, that concept was set aside later in the process, but some aspects of it remained in the initial pass of Proliferation.

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Does this mean, 100%, ice armor/ice melee will go to brutes, scrappers,a nd stalkers? broadsword, katana, regen, SR and ninjitsu will go to tankers?

Is there ANY taboos? (I ask more about balance issues).

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The plan, so far as I know, is for all appropriate sets to be ported in one form or another. So, eventually, Melee types should have access to all the melee sets (caveat: I'm pushing for Stalkers NOT to get the Shield set, since the powers as planned don't work too well, thematically or practically), Buff/Debuff ATs should have access to the powers in all the Buff/Debuff sets (even if they look and sound slightly different in some cases!) etc.

What does this plan mean, really? Buy stock in Tylenol...I'll singlehandedly be increasing their profitability! Well, maybe not singlehandedly...I'm sure the new guys will be pulling their hair out, too!

Caveat #2: Plans are subject to change, schedules have not been drawn up yet, so this *could* not happen. This post is *not* a promise.

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I dislike your decision about Stalkers not receiving the Shield Set based on 'theme'. Technically, a case in literature, comics and real life could be found for *any* thematic objection you guys raise. Tell me you can't do it (or will not try to do it) because you can't get the animations, effects, math, esthetics to work at all or up to your standards, and I'll stop (or never start) griping about it. But, please, for the sake of *my* sanity, don't try to tell me shields + stalkers is 'anti-thematic'. Please?



Cal2

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So, I suppose summoning the dark powers from the dark dimensions somehow fits heroes. O_0?

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As the person above you said

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Dark doesn't mean bad. That's an assumption you're making.

Empathy is an emotion and the empathy set is about compassion and caring and even with one power, giving of oneself for your fellow man/woman/huge.

Dark is just a power source. Neither good nor bad.

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It's a pretty good look over it.

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The correct statement is this: Power exists. Of itself, it is neither good nor evil. The use to which it is put, however, is.

Take lightning: in the hands of a hero, it's (according to the childish theme of this game, at least) being used for good: electrocuting purse-snatchers, sending millions of watts of mega-voltage through loitering street gangs. While the Villains use it to fry heroes and fellow villains.

This 'explanation' is what I called it: trite, shallow and reeking of sophistry.

Empathy is NOT an emotion, in this game. It's a powerset choice, one which contributes to the gross imbalance between Heroes and Villains.

Give it to Villains and call it Remedy, then. Or, Restoration.

Cal2

I think that 'thematic' rationale against 'empathy really isn't a villain thing' has got to be one of the most shallow interpretations/philosophies I've ever encountered.

So, I suppose summoning the dark powers from the dark dimensions somehow fits heroes. O_0?

Why am I getting the feeling the thematic writers of this game have never read comic books or higher than grade school literature?


*sigh*

We all know empathy to Villains and Poison to Heroes is basically vetoed because of the impossibility of 'balancing' the powers for PvE and PvP. This is not the fault of the current powers coders, of course---they simply have to deal with all this, somehow. But please don't foist this trite, juvenile 'explanation' on me. You won't port them over because you can't. Or, if you do, Castle and Power Coder Corps would be driven insane for months trying to.

As I forewarned when all these details of I12 were put forth: not enough and the final tally of all would be the options impossible to implement. I'm sorry to see I was entirely correct.

Cal2

[ QUOTE ]
Judging by this first round of proliferation, I'm almost scared to see how badly Red is gonna get it in the second and third rounds. Some say Vill side is always crying. Having played both sides, I feel there is legitimate reason. Patron Powers are weak and horrible. The VEAT's may be decent, but the idea of playing a minion is very lack luster, jury still out on this one. The power proliferation? Well, looks like heroes got some of Villains better powersets, while, with exception of Storm, Red got crap. What about EMP's on Red side, or Cold for Brutes (a little Hibernation would be fun in PvP). Personally a hero team in RV with 1 EMP and 1 Thermal, will wreck just about anything Villains can throw at them. You see Villains complaining a lot....maybe there is good cause for this. I know I'd like to use my tier 1 and 2 powers while held. Fortunately, Champions is on the horizon, and is looking promising. Maybe they've learned some important lessons from their time with CoX, listen to all of the players.

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I think this purty much spells out one of my main annoyances with this game---though I'll admit in a more accommodating manner.

I just, finally, got my Stalker to 50---breaking my vow to completely disregard the Red side due to the Patron Power fiasco. My SG leader, however, insisted, so I did it.

I can't possibly imagine a more boring, frustrating experience in online entertainment---even including EQ1. As a 'concept/character' type player, I found at every point in my progression, all such choices irrevocably, forcibly taken out of my hands---culminating in the outrage of 'patron powers'.

These 'powers' have got to be the worst designed and conceived abilities in the game. A complete waste of time and effort to 'achieve'. I've got 2 stored up respecs; and, while I cannot undo my irrevocable compulsion, I can certainly go back to ignoring them at the first opportunity (directly after this post, in fact).

Coupled with this PP system just announced, adding in the rigid restraints of the entire power and effects system---which makes even the addition of a single new powerset a horrific nightmare for the hard-working folks who maintain this game---well, perhaps you can see why I have become extremely bored with City Of. Nothing can be done about it---forever, apparently.

IMO, the villain side of this game (which seemed to have the greatest potential) has been nearly completely abandoned. With good reason: it hails back to the old, 80s style of linear, compulsory gameplay (which Turbine is famous for). The ATs, at their core, are merely blurred, pale facsimiles of the real, Hero ATs---with a few different power effects (the Gods alone know how long it took the poor coders to come up with those!).

So, enter in PP. Nothing new. More linear, compulsory gameplay over the same endlessly repeated ravaged city-scapes: static, contained, constrained and micro-managed play. Yes, yes, I know Blasters get Psi/Psi---big deal. The Min/Maxers out there are either laughing their powergaming heads off or screaming in outrage. Who really cares?

Tell me: why couldn't we have Archery/Archery for blasters, instead? I already know the reason, but I'm just wondering what everyone else thinks. Thematically, Archers are blasters, not Defenders---look at history and comicbooks.

Basically, all boiled-down, in my mind, this new system pushes this game even further away from the comicbook superhero/villain genre. No longer is the game about playing the concept of a hero or villain: it's about balancing spread-sheets and shuddering in horror about all the work it's going to take to add anything really new and imaginative.

So, lest I be accused again of complaining or whining for the sake of doing so, I offer the solution I offered last month:

make a new game
trash-can the code
start over

Sure, keep CoH/V going while you do so. But make a new game that doesn't rapidly, prematurely age your coders everytime you need to upgrade. Who knows? You guys have tons of imagination and talent. If you come up with something exciting and new, I might stick around.

Cal2

[ QUOTE ]
Wow... some you people seriously just suck.
The game just added HUNDREDS of power sets. If you can't find any you like? Find a new game... seriously... leave.
Gift Horse / Mouth anyone?

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Countdown to 2009 has already begun, thanks.

Meanwhile, I'll critique on 'new' additions to the game as seems good to me.

Cal2

As I said somewhat acidly a week or more ago:

This entire 'new' system would be defined by the arbitrary limitations it imposes---NOT the 'new' options it allows.

This strikes me with the same sense of excitement I had when CoV launched with the same powers as CoH, just with different colors and AT names.


So not enthused by any of this. So not going to go through the same old content again with the same powers stuck on different ATs.

Meanwhile, the options/additions I've wanted since beta get shunted farther and farther into the Negative Zone.

Sorry, Dev Team: I'm not at all surprised by my disappointment.

Cal2

Their adherence to their arbitrary, lack-luster theme is a constant thorn. Their refusal to work on customer requested zones, is another. Their arrogant dismissal (or at least apathetic dismissal) of constantly requested features, is another.

And, their blatant sophistry. Recently, I was told by a Developer: anyone who could've forseen the need or desire for power customization when this game was made must've had access to a crystal ball, blah, blah. Now, this insults my intelligence in many ways. I'm supposed to believe that, despite the fact that the proto-type of this game included full power choice with no ATs AND the original head-honcho was a Champions fan----that at no time during the 3 years of development was there a point when PC was ever raised? Uhuh, yeah.

My memory stretches back to the time when this game was nothing more than a discussion on a forum. Everything was put out publically and ignored.

We have one person to blame for all of this---and he's not the current head of Cryptic.

All of this aside: what we are continuing to be fed is a series of un-imaginative, stale, 'same as everthing else with new skins' content---AND more of the same Arachons crap we've had to deal with since CoV launched. It's frankly astonishing to me that they think any of us would care.

It's absolutely boring and pathetically designed, IMO.

And, as for 'doing something right'. In the beginning, maybe. No longer.

Cal2

RE: XaoGarrent

I've outlined what I think they should've done over the last 4 years. Most recently in the Power Customization FAQ thread.

Their bottom line: we can't do it.
Mine: fine *stares at CO with wallet in hand*


nuff said, methinks

Cal2