Calibre

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I don't care WHAT you do to the Hollows. I'll do the same as I've done on every character: ignore it.

This zone is one of the worst ever conceived and coded, IMO. For many reasons which, should anyone care to hear, I'll gladly list out.

Bottom line: a waste of time, resources and ca$h better spent on adding more to the Red Side.

Cal2

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Calibre2, are you going to whine and moan in EVERY issue 12 thread? Can't you just be happy you are getting something? I mean, some of it you may not like and some of it may be bleh to you, but I'm sure when it hits there is something you are going to like about it.

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You call it whining; I call it critique. One is merely a typical example of the mentality of modern youth: sycophantic, sheep-like acceptance of the status-quo; the other, a dynamic and challenging exercise of artistic free will.

*shrug*

Cal2

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Critique is what I've been trying to do:
"Ok, I like this, that is good too, but you should have done this in my opinion." Like I stated earlier, I would have rather seen this done to perez, and I think villain side desperately needs more good low to medium level content. Also like others I wouldn't mind seeing it done to boomtown as well, but at the same time I really like the hollows so I'm happy with this. What I'm saying is, I don't understand how someone can argue with the large majority of "HERE! HAVE A BUTTLOAD OF NEW CRUNK!" The devs are giving us alot of new stuff this issue, and I agree with their shotgun strategy of releasing a bunch of different little and big things mixed together so that everyone gets something they like out of it.

But if you want to be all negative and unhappy, go ahead, I'm going to have fun.

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I'm not made unhappy by either an addition or lack thereof in an online game. Disappointment? Disregard? yeah.

Go ahead: accept this nonsense for a real change in this game, if you like. But I offer this warning: if you believe 'staying the course' or 'more of the same' is going to keep players here once CO comes out you are likely to be as shocked as the programmers for this game are going to be.

They had better find ways of doing better. That's all I'm saying.

Cal2

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I don't care WHAT you do to the Hollows. I'll do the same as I've done on every character: ignore it.

This zone is one of the worst ever conceived and coded, IMO. For many reasons which, should anyone care to hear, I'll gladly list out.

Bottom line: a waste of time, resources and ca$h better spent on adding more to the Red Side.

Cal2

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Calibre2, are you going to whine and moan in EVERY issue 12 thread? Can't you just be happy you are getting something? I mean, some of it you may not like and some of it may be bleh to you, but I'm sure when it hits there is something you are going to like about it.

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You call it whining; I call it critique. One is merely a typical example of the mentality of modern youth: sycophantic, sheep-like acceptance of the status-quo; the other, a dynamic and challenging exercise of artistic free will.

*shrug*

Cal2

Neither Mystic nor Magickal nor any other sort of enchanted Origin has the slightest impact on this game. None, zip, zero, null, void.

All the powers look exactly the same; none of the backstories you will ever write will differentiate your characters from any other.


So why all the excitement over this? If there is Story to be found here, it's only for the Devs and their characters. None of our magickal characters---because we have none.

At best, this entire scenario = new badges. Possibly a few more accolades---which, due to the hard code, have no magickal aspects whatsoever. Certainly no viable benefits. All of this has the same impact, IMO, as the entire Rikti raids we've had to endure: an annoyance on my way to the next farming mish.

Cal2

My gut reaction: Why?

And: er, this is superhero/villain how, exactly?

At this point, we should cheer with desperate joy ANY new terrain to this game---never mind the fact that the zones we've asked for, for well nigh 4 years have been completely ignored---because anything to relieve the oppressive tedium is vital.


Once more and with emphasis, I question the design decision to completely disregard the blatant preferences of the customer base in favor of yet more, IMO, unimaginative and run-of-the-mill non-superhero content. Am I detecting some sort of insidious hubris at work, here? Or just a serious lack of options due to the restrictive coding? Or both? Or something completely different?

0_O?

Cal2

Fair enough.

A little late in the implementation, but better late than never.

Cal2

I don't care WHAT you do to the Hollows. I'll do the same as I've done on every character: ignore it.

This zone is one of the worst ever conceived and coded, IMO. For many reasons which, should anyone care to hear, I'll gladly list out.

Bottom line: a waste of time, resources and ca$h better spent on adding more to the Red Side.

Cal2

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They can't work on Power Customization in isolation, though. It's not like they can just have a group of dedicated programmers doing nothing but rewriting the powers system while another group works on whatever other new stuff they're planning for the next year or two. If they dedicate work on P.C., that's pretty much going to be the only thing they'll be working on for that timeframe.

Sacrificing new content for the next year or more would lose more players than choosing not to do Power Customization. If people leave CoH for CO, P.C. is only going to be one small part of why; CoH will be a five-year-old game (or older) by the time CO comes out, and it's being made by people who've had firsthand experience with all the mistakes that have been made here. If there aren't tons of areas in which CO is better or more developed than CoH then Cryptic would have to be staffed with nothing but complete and utter morons. I don't understand this focus on P.C. as if that would be the only thing to keep CoH players from going to CO.

NCSoft *does* have to step up their game to be able to compete with CO. But if they spend all their time focusing on this one area, they're bound to let all the other areas in which CO will (potentially) be better slide.

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And why can't they have a contract company working on this issue? I know for a fact that such companies exist and have programmers more than capable of dealing with this issue. One of my MUSH associates (heck, more than one) works for companies like this out of Chicago. So I know for a fact this is an option. And, for the record, they are more than competent enough to realize that the source code would need regular updating to make any such rewrite viable.

The only reason I can come up with for a NO on this solution is money. But didn't NCsoft tell the whole world they were putting more money and resources into CoH?

Yeah, there are other reasons I'm going to be heading over to CO which CoH cannot hope to match. But the primary reasons are PC and open-ended character types. PC is number one, however. It's my bottom line.

Cal2

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I'm sure they'd love to give us P.C. and if they could do so without a complete rewrite of the powers system I have no doubt they would. But if anyone can read BaB's OP here and think that they're actively working on anything P.C.-related *other than searching for a miracle that will allow them to do it in a way that won't take away from a year or more's other content* then I think they're just grasping at straws.

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They have that year to make it so. I'd suggest hiring a crack team of programmers ad hoc. Give them a copy of the source code and all necessary adjuncts. Keep them advised of changes and additions and so on and with a mandate to have this rewrite accomplished in six months (or whatever deadline seems feasible). Then, put it on test for massive beta testing by us.

Of course, that solution seems so obvious, there's no doubt it's already been considered and probably rejected for reasons I can't possibly know. Or, simply dismissed out of hand for other reasons.

The current state of the game: rigid powers systems, hard-locked archetypes with no viable way to customize characters just isn't going to be competitive any more. If anyone believes simply adding yet more of the same is going to compete with a game that has full power customization and nearly open-ended characters out of the gate, then I think they've succumbed to wishful thinking.

It seems to me that NCSoft has a few very obvious choices to make, at this point: 1: do nothing and hope that Cryptic fails to deliver, 2: contract a rewrite of the powers system immediately, or 3: start work on CoH2 with the goal of launching it for beta by next year.

Cal2

Cal2

I possibly lapsed into too broad a generalization with my commentary on crafting. I'll put that down to the lateness of the hour. You could also argue it's completely off-topic to this post---though it does have a tie-in with the whole PC issue in that the only means we have of customizing powers is through the use of these enhancements.

In mid-beta, I posted to the beta bboard something along the lines of:

Origin should alter the appearance of powers. Within the context of that alteration, customization should be available: color, activation points and so on.

The response (from Jack, I think) was: too late; ideally, customization should be however the player wants, regardless of origin; will look into this for a future update.

I argued that having set powers that all looked exactly the same would eventually lead to stagnation and boredom. I also argued that having nothing else to do in this game besides combat would lead to the same.

Now, I think it's gone too far for the latter: crafting of enhancements and the whole market scheme. This kind of gameplay isn't compelling for me, I admit. At this point, since PC is out, the only suggestion I can make is for *something* non-craft related to be tacked-on at the end for the lvl 50 game. Because engaging the same pre-50 game with the exact same powers over and over again has become exceedingly boring for me.

Cal2

RE: Astroburn


Entitlement when I'm paying for this service? What's wrong with the younger generations?

I don't know about any of YOU, but when I spend my hard-worked for cash on something, I become a customer. I'm the one that has to be satisfied, not the company providing the service. You continue with your sheep-like sycophancy all you want---I'll spend my money with the company that takes note of my preferences and provides solutions that match.

I'm not threatening to leave this game like a 2-year old pitching a fit. I'm a legitimate customer advising the company that my leisure time is important to me and if they *cannot* provide the services I wish to spend my money on, then alas, I will indeed move to a competitor that *can*.

Note the use of the word *can*.

If BaBs had come on here and said: *won't*, then yeah, I'd have instantly hit the cancel button. Even though he says it *can* be done, he spells out the scenario sufficiently for me to realize that they cannot do it---any time soon. That's honesty in business right there and I really appreciate it. That means, they keep me as a customer right now and possibly in the future for other products. But it also means, I'm going to go with the company that *can* provide the options I wish.

You see, since I earned my money, I get to decide to whom I will give it and why.

Cal2

Got it, thanks, BaBs.

I'm afraid, however, that the option to customize my power look and animation has been a major issue for me since mid-beta. And by animation, I mean point of origin from my character/avatar.

When I choose a magick origin hero or villain, then I certainly do not expect to see a blatant tech device circling my head or any other myriad jarring incompatibilities I could list out here to everyone's boredom and impatience.

This whole issue plays into the 'patron power' complaint, as well: being forced to play only one way or no way.

This staggering lack of choice has always been and apparently always will be annoying, frustrating and boring. At this point, I don't know what else needs to be said about this whole frickin mess.

Except this: customizing my costume, while awesome, isn't nearly enough to counter-balance the fact that I can't fully express my superhero concept via powers, weaknesses, alter-egos, disadvantages and so on. The 'Enhancement System' is basically cloned from Anarchy Online and has, as of the last installments of 'purples', transformed CoH into a crafter's game. Nothing about any of this is superhero anymore, IMO.

I realize this isn't your fault. I appreciate the effort you've made to clarify why NCSoft will not be doing power customization. I appreciate your honesty.

I hope you can appreciate that I feel a need to move on to a game that offers the options I feel will make my online leisure time more appealing, less frustrating and less, well frankly, boring. Until that time, of course, I'll hang my hat here.


Cal2

Yay!

Welcome back, Manticore...glad you to see you back on board.


Now, I have about a billion questions for ye *rolls up sleeves*...


Er, well, on second thought, I'll let you get settled in first before I start the bombardment.





Cal2

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I am completely stoked. You guys should be too. We literally would not be here without you guys.

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Thats all I needed to hear, I was never a naysayer in the first place, but I like your enthusiasm.

thanks for sticking with the team!

I'm confident you guys will continue to deliver the goods.

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Thou speakest for me, likewise! Thy hapless declaration is more profound than thou knowest.

Thanks, BaBs. You're a straight-shooter. If you're feeling good things from this, then I am reassured.

PS: please make sure Power Customization is the first thing put back on the table.

Cal2

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Well...

Speaking as an old-timer from way-back when CoH was merely a dev forum---with reams of speculation and excitement over at least 3 years; and then on into Beta1, live launch and all these years later, I must say my initial reaction was a mixture of anxiety, dread and nostalgia at this announcement.

:S

I'm fearful and hopeful all at the same time.

I'm afraid that things will change for the worst--creative control, overall success, future development. Ex's answers, while greatly appreciated, are couched in familiar ubiquitous jargon typical of all mega-corps and presidential campaigners. It's corp-talk, plain and simple. No help for it but to wait and see what happens.

I'm hoping that this dramatic, staccato change in ownership will mean we players can finally see a great many of the 'features' we've been asking for since Beta1---and you all know what they are: PC being one of the foremost, etc and so on.


I don't like radical changes disturbing my online gaming. I dislike very much any hint of uncertainty as well. Because of Sony and what they did to SWG, et al, I cannot help but demonstrate a serious dread---which I hope will be completely unfounded and transformed.

Until I see definite signs that Co* is going down, I'll be around.

Cal2


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Ummm... radical change? Staccato change?

That's a terrible mischaracterization of what just happened. One party that had 50% now has 100% control. How is that radical or staccato?

The developer team that has worked on the game will still be working on it for at least the next year. How is that radical or staccato?

It's hard put to think of a change of ownership that is less radical or staccato.

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While the mechanics of the 'change' could hardly (apparently, from the information) be characterized as I suggest, the change itself strikes me so. That, alone, is the source of my anxiety.

I freely admit (and did so) that my reactions are probably groundless---but I intend to adopt a 'wait and see' mode for now.

That's it. No prophecies of doom, etc. Just a simple 'wait and see'.

Cal2

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He did much more outside of MMO's before the internet started beccoming popular I mean, iconic stuff. Stuff that, without it, we might not be here today like this... So...

I kind of feel like he's Jack Kirby. With me, I don't *like* Kirby's art. But I freely acknowledge the huge contribution to the industry that he made. And please: before someone pipes up with "who is Jack Kirby" just go look it up and don't embarrass yourself

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How is it possible someone, anyone doesn't like Jack "King" Kirby's art? That really freaks me out...


...


Cal2

Well...

Speaking as an old-timer from way-back when CoH was merely a dev forum---with reams of speculation and excitement over at least 3 years; and then on into Beta1, live launch and all these years later, I must say my initial reaction was a mixture of anxiety, dread and nostalgia at this announcement.

:S

I'm fearful and hopeful all at the same time.

I'm afraid that things will change for the worst--creative control, overall success, future development. Ex's answers, while greatly appreciated, are couched in familiar ubiquitous jargon typical of all mega-corps and presidential campaigners. It's corp-talk, plain and simple. No help for it but to wait and see what happens.

I'm hoping that this dramatic, staccato change in ownership will mean we players can finally see a great many of the 'features' we've been asking for since Beta1---and you all know what they are: PC being one of the foremost, etc and so on.


I don't like radical changes disturbing my online gaming. I dislike very much any hint of uncertainty as well. Because of Sony and what they did to SWG, et al, I cannot help but demonstrate a serious dread---which I hope will be completely unfounded and transformed.

Until I see definite signs that Co* is going down, I'll be around.

Cal2

Great style, great writing.


Excellent.

Cal2

Just like every other weapon available in this game, these 'dual blades' are ridiculously oversized and cartoonishly exaggerated.

They look like sabres or US Cavalry swords translated into a Zelda arcade game. And, of course, since the engine is so unadaptable, they can't even think of allowing customized blades.


Major thumbs-down rating from me.

Cal2

Yeah, as a temporary measure, I could go with the powers and weapons used by our enemies..as options. Certainly, the entire 'blade/axe/katana' and AR powers either need these options or a complete redo. They're just ridiculous looking. Oh, and that hovering technocratic eyeball thing.

I can't stand taking any of that with a magick origin. Pathetic.

So, whatever needs to be done in the most cost effective option I'm all for. It's extremely irritating to not have PC when I can CC all I want.

So, the Team needs to burn the midnight oil for a bit and get this coded and launched asap, IMO.

Cal

Sort of a tangent here, but related:

I remember, during beta, that we were asked if we wanted some place-holder 'tails' added now or something else which could be more finished. We all chose tails, now, so long as later they would get new art/graphics.

Apparently, they've yet to do this--though of course, they did add new tails. The old ones are still the same ol' place-holders.


As for PC, at this point, I think it's no longer a question of feasibility but of profitability. They've already said it can be done. Now, it's just down to the money. Or, as explained in Farside:

Time = Money


Cal

Hey all, I've always wanted to try and play a pure archer hero but have balked at the Defender with no Defensive Powers syndrome. Well, on TR, I finally caved and gave it a try.

I noticed that while my END never seems to drop very much at all, despite having not a single end reducer enhancer and not bothering with stamina and all that, that my damage output is very, very low. We're talking spending a boring amount of time even to take down greens.

To see how this worked on Live, I constructed the same hero as best I could (without the cool new costumes) and was astonished at the difference: END was a real problem and my damage was much, much more acceptable.

So, this leads me to ask: What is going on with TA/A Defenders in I7? The only thing I recall specifically is Castle saying something about animation times being lowered. Is it the plan to lower damage output as a tradeoff for less END usage?

I hope not because it's absolutely boring, constantly having to hit button after button and hop around like a fool to achieve what I can easily with one or two shots on Live.

Dev Team: please reconsider these changes if changes they are. If not, then something is really weird....

Cal2


ps: cross posted because I failed to see this in time.

Um, well, in order to be able to say I know what I'm talking about, I broke down and did one of these missions today (since I couldn't do any missions in GV).

I must say, except for the temp powers, I really don't see the point of these missions. Some people will find them fun, I guess, but I found the one I did to be rather annoying.

No rhyme or reason to what I needed to destroy or why. I didn't get 'extra time' for tearing things up, but from flying away from the PPD.

There were no cameras that I could interact with, so Stalking against them never happened.

The PPD were useless against me. I'll vary mission difficulty to see of that alters, tomorrow.

The 'hero' sent to stop me was a blaster with a ridiculous costume---ok, now THAT was funny heh heh. I think he was a fire/fire blaster---not really sure, since he didn't last long enough for me to get a full sense of his powers. I had more hassle with that fickin longbow machine gun happy chick. I hate those!

Of course, this was on lowest difficulty setting. After all the crashes I've had with this test, I just didn't feel like altering any of that. I'll try to get activated tomorrow.

Overall impression: so what?

Oh, almost forgot: temp power: extra health for like 23 hours or some such. *yawn* If I play my Stalker correctly, this is the essence of unnecessary. Would be handy for a lower level Blaster tho

I'll get back with varoius results asap.

Cal2

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Clint, what would you have me do?
Sit silent, processing butter in an old-fashioned churn from the 1800s? Don't they have robots for that nowadays?

Yes, they do. Apparently, that's what Cryptic wants me to be.


No way.

Statesman is a liar. Plain and simple. I have absolutely no doubt that his and Positron's recent posts are as equally false.

I've been lied to, misled, tricked, cajoled and deceived since this game went live. The days when I continue to pay for this stupidity are numbered...and the numbers are running out.

Continue to play your FPS online, Clint. You obviously enoy it. For me, I will take my money and my time and my creativity elsegame---and gladly. It's just a matter of time.

Cal2

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I would rather be shot than listen to the type of abuse folks heap on each other nowadays. lol
heck, I would rather shoot them than hear it.
Now that is Southern. rofl

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That sounds about just right for a Southern attitude: I don't like your opinion, so I'll shoot you.

Thanks for confirming.

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LOL

ahem

Well, can't say as I don't know some good 'ol boys who sorta think like that. But most of us wouldn't dream of doing that---unless, of course, you're a Yankee

Cal2

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"What can I say? I'm only an American. We can't help it."

How can I say this nicely.....hmmm.
Are you from the North?
Down here, I was raised with Southern hospitality, maybe because we all had guns we had to be nice to each other. lol

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Alas that I must disappoint you.

*hangs head in shame*

I'm a Southern Boy.

I confess that the internet has robbed me of my Southern manners. You're quite right to suggest this (extremely politely as you did).

Cal2