Dimming_Sun

I recently got a Purple drop that contained the +fire proc at 33% rate. I'm a fire/shield brute. I want to know what would be a better place to put the proc (and the whole set once I get them) as a #1 priority: Fire Sword Circle or Shield Charge?

Second question, if I got a second version somehow... could I use both procs one after another (FSC + SC) or are procs on a timer and I need to wait in order for both to proc?

Thanks! I really don't know how procs work heh.

Hey Devs or anyone else who knows, for the past few months since returning to the game I got all excited because I knew that on October 9th I'd FINALLY get up to the much desired City Traveller, 60 month Vet badge. The ability to pick a travel power without needing to take a power before it was something that I always wanted. I'm only a few months away...

However, here comes Freedom. I hear you're doing away with vet rewards but allowing those who have earned them to keep them... yet, where does that put me? I mean, this would be like giving me the shaft. I'm so close to this reward, yet impossible for me to get it after nearly 5 years of playtime?

So I was told to never criticize without offering a suggestion, so here's my suggestion. Automatically advance everyone one vet badge forward. This way, the thing that you were looking forward to next you can keep and then do away with them. I know this still may leave some wanting, but it's a suggestion nonetheless.

Let me know please! I want my city traveller reward!

Does a FF Proc (+recharge global proc) work with Lightning Rod for every enemy it hits, just once overall, or not at all?

If someone can explain to me how that works I'd appreciate it.

(( ooc ))

Hello! I'm looking for a roleplaying (and maybe leveling too) partner for a specific story. I've always been fascinated by the mind of children and after watching the movie Kick-*** portray a child as a hero, I'd love to RP that kind-of character. I'm looking for a parental figure who can be a parent to the child. I'm not 'rp-lite' and am seeing someone serious who would like to do this.

Server doesn't matter, only the story does. I have no problem going somewhere or if you wish to go somewhere.

Send me a PM if interested with any ideas on who you would like to be or why you might be alone with a kid.

Cheers! Sorry to interrupt the board with an ad.

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It's more akin to a general consideration. The reward should be equivalent of the risk. Less risk, less reward. More risk, more reward.

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I don't really think so. MMOs have, since day one, been more about time investment vs reward. Getting the best gear, the best build, etc, always depends on how much prep time the player is willing to invest into it. Consequently, the goal of a player has pretty much always been to minimize time investment and maximize reward.

More general: Any system complex enough to be suitable for an MMO is gameable. The question we want to deal with isn't, "How do we stop people from exploiting the system?", it's, "How do we make the ways in which people exploit the system predictable?"

Think about it like protecting a house. You don't encase the entire house in a block of ugly steel that keeps anyone from getting in or out. You don't even wire up the walls with alarms -- because who's going to dig through the walls when there are windows right there?

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I love it when something happens that proves your point of view after the fact. Here it is!

"Some of you have taken the stance of "how does power-leveling hurt the game?" and "shouldn't I be able to play the game the way that I want?" What we want to make clear is in order to keep the game fair, balanced, and challenging, we have to maintain a risk:reward ratio," Miller concluded.

So the devs state that there is INDEED A RISK/REWARD ratio fuction into the game.

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Mastermind has only FIVE primary power choices
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Dominators are also tied with blasters for the least amount of secondaries. These two, if any other AT, need some more variety.

[/ QUOTE ]Mastermind primaries are also unique to the AT; Dominator and Blaster secondaries are also unique to their respective ATs. This is why there are so much fewer of those kinds of sets.

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I don't buy this argument. Just because something is unique doesn't mean it should be neglected.

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Animal Taming isn't likely because it would require construction of entirely new skeletons and suites of animations.

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Wah wah wah. It's been five years. Bite the bullet and give us cats and dogs. =P

That aside, Posi mentioned in an interview I15 was supposed to be content-focused, so I'd more expect base improvements, new zones, and the like. If there are "new" sets, they'll probably be proliferations.

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I 14 was all about AE, and that was it. Don't get me wrong, I like AE and I like the things that are coming. The 5th were always one of my favorite villain groups, but I see no reason why we can't get a couple different power sets for those that are seriously lacking. I pointed out the MM and the Dom based on pure numbers, not because I favor the red-side. I just want to see more variety, and I think that having more power sets is not me asking for additional ATs. These are much easier to do.

MORE POWER SETS!

Yes, that's my wish. Sure all that other stuff you guys announced seem cool, esp the faces costume addition, but can we please get more power options?

Let's recap the power choices:
- Blasters: 8 Primaries ; 6 Secondaries
- Controller: 7 Primaries ; 8 Secondaries
- Defender: 9 Primaries ; 8 Secondaries
- Scrapper: 8 Primaries ; 7 Secondaries
- Tanker: 7 Primaries ; 9 Secondaries
- Brute: 9 Primaries ; 9 Secondaries
- Corruptor: 8 Primaries ; 9 Secondaries
- Stalker: 8 Primaries ; 7 Secondaries

- Dominator: 6 Primaries ; 6 Secondaries
- Mastermind: 5 Primaries ; 7 Secondaries

Note, the Mastermind has only FIVE primary power choices, with the dominator coming close behind with six. Dominators are also tied with blasters for the least amount of secondaries. These two, if any other AT, need some more variety.

Sure, CoX has more variety than any other game out there. It's what makes this game so unique and diverse. Why not add to that diversity?

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Actually... The issue is you're encouraging the more common types of farms.

The best 'farms' out there are fighting the banished pantheon, CoT Behemoths, Freakshow, Family, and Carnies in large open areas where many of them spawn in large numbers.

These missions are all Contact-based missions.

-Rachel-

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While I'm not discounting that there are contact heavy farm missions, be honest with yourselves. These are few and far in-between. The number of GOOD farms compared to the number of contact missions which aren't are no where near proportional. Off the top of my head, I can think of a few farm mishies.

Best farm: TV. High end farm.
Most abused farms: Both low levels. Red side bank farm at about level 6, but only is viable till about level 8 or so. Blue side has the 4 dropoff points mission, but again only for a few levels and levels go fast at this point.

EITHER way, a good AE farm can QUADRUPLE the xp gained from ANY of these farms. Don't believe me? Go play a farm full of communication officers that are level 54.

As for the risk v reward statement, it's a simple statement to understand. To gain levels, you need exp. To gain fast levels, you need enemies that die fast or pose little threat. In this way, if you look for a group to gain levels you want the greatest possible reward (fast leveling) at the least possible risk (dying multiple times slows the leveling process).

In similar ways, you can look at the hero level 15 task force. This is ripe filled with vahzilok, which at low levels pose great problems to heroes. Why don't you ever see level 12s or so leveling by forming groups to do this taskforce? The answer is simple. While you have the potential to level fast, and while you can get a great reward at the end, the risk of dying outweighs any incentive to do so. It's far easier to just do newspapers, or now, AE farms if you can find one.

So for those who don't understand risk v reward, don't bother posting. It's a simple statement of how most players play the game. MOST. Sure, there are others who don't care about the risks or care about rewards, but I am not referring to this small minority. No, I don't have facts. No, I don't have numbers. No, I don't have signed statements backing up this claim of mine that these people are in 'small numbers'. What I do have is near 10 years of MMO experience... and from what I have witnessed during these years is that most people view the game as a risk v reward system. You can argue if you want, but I rather get back to the original topic, how to deter farming and to improve missions overall.

A dev can shut me up instantly by saying:

According to statistical data mining, there are 50% of the players who run contacts vs other means of leveling, which is a substantial amount that we are proud of.

On the other hand...

According to statistical data mining, only 1% of all missions run every night are contact missions as other players prefer newspapers or AEs.

Yes, the devs do data mine. We don't have the facts, but I ask the devs to look at their numbers. What % of people play contacts vs farms or newspapers now? Before I14, what % played contacts vs newspapers? If both of these numbers are unproportional, then I have a valid point. If both aren't, then my whole topic is pointless and CoX is healthy with no problems of game contect being ignored for other recent contact.

Then again, the devs could be like Blizzard's devs and find that the numbers are unproportional but just don't care. I don't play WoW anymore, but when the first expansion was released no one played the level 60 dungeons anymore. When the second was released, no one played the level 70 dungeons anymore. These were completely ignored for new game play, and the devs didn't care either. People liked the new stuff and to hell with the old stuff. Who knows? None of us do, only the devs know what they want to do.

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Risk v Reward. This is a common formula in every mmo that a player looks at.

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I'm gonna have to call "citation needed." What makes you think that?

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He misuses the word "formula". It's more akin to a general consideration. The reward should be equivalent of the risk. Less risk, less reward. More risk, more reward.

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Yes. I don't know why but you seem more apt to pick at my post and dissect it as much as possible, instead of adding constructive criticism to make the post plausible. I should expect this, many will flame my post or degrade it because I devalue AE Farms, and many want them to still be in the game.

Risk v Reward. This is a common formula in every mmo that a player looks at. As of right now, AE Farms are minimal risk v HUGE rewards. Thus, the rest of the game has been made obsolete as players level solely in AE Farms. There is a fix to this and I offer my ideas here on how to improve ALL aspects of missioning in CoX.

Note: I use the word exp in my post quite often. However, it should be realized that I am using exp as a shorthand to describe exp, influence, and prestige all three in one.

1) Increase exp from Contact missions.
---> Make it so that, while in a mission given to you by a contact, all exp is increased. You can do this by either making it so that there is a set 25% bonus to all or every enemy you defeat gives exp as if it was actually +1-2 levels higher than it really is.
---> What this does: Makes it so that contacts are now viable ways of gaining exp apart from farming newspapers.

2) Get rid of defeat x enemies in contact arcs.
---> Eliminate all missions that cause street grinding. Instead, replace these with smaller missions. The tailor mission, for example, can have Icon send you after a forming cell nearby their store, instead of having you grind around the area.
---> What this does: First off, if you solo, some of these missions can be very hard as mobs exist in large groups and varying levels of difficulty. It discourages a lot of people from doing the contact. Secondly, it allows teams to go from point a to point b quicker, thus making contacts more inviting.

3) Change newspapers/radios. Details below.
---> Make it so that when a player uses a news/radio that four choices are opened up. a: Get the loot/stop a robbery. b: steal an item. c: defeat an enemy. d: rescue/kidnap. A missions give -25% bonus exp on completion, but can be done very fast. B missions give -10% exp because you can stealth to the item without having to kill any foes. C missions give +10% extra exp because you can complete them quickly but you only have to clear one room. D missions give +25% exp because you have to clear the whole mission to guide your npc from one place to the next.
---> This makes it so players have more incentive to get rescue missions and to not just avoid them. Also, this can be even more fine tuned where you get bonus exp based on the enemies you fight. IE: You get more exp off of a vahz steal mission than a hellion defeat mission.

4) Eliminate all exp gained from AEs and instead replace it with a form of 'build-up' experience bonus.
---> When you log out now, you gain a bonus to your exp gain. Have this bonus also be gained by doing AEs. There is a max cap you can hit for this, so while doing AEs can give you some good stuff via tickets and faster exp when you level, it makes it so people aren't creating missions for the sole reason to farm.
---> Even if you do farm, it will only help you through one level. So farms will still exist but theyre magnitude will be limited.

5) For redside only: Eliminate or decrease the massive number of longbow that occur during mayhem missions (at least in early levels).
---> While ambushes happen at certain points and can be minimized by not rushing to the bank right away... early on these ambushes can still be way too much. A level 6 team with 8 members can easily be wiped out by a huge spawn.
---> This will encourage more players to do mayhems in groups. A great number of those I talked to avoid mayhems in groups because of this reason.

Five changes here can make it so players are more open to the rest of the game while still enjoying the benefits of AEs. Offering great rewards from tickets is also a way to get players to farm AEs without going from 1 to 50 in a few hours as well.

Let me be the first to say that I will see you at San Diego! Flying out from Gainesville, Florida for Comic-Con 07 and I can't wait!

If this has been said before, let me echo the thoughts of those before me. There are a few problems with electricity melee and here are some ideas in making it more in line with the other primaries. I am not saying all of these changes should be put into place, but at least one does:

1) Elec melee needs to be a more powerful AoE. Thunderstrike does 5.4368 BI for only the target it hits. Fire Sword Circle can do up to 5.7002 to ALL targets it hits, and has a 1.1 second shorter activation time (although it has a 2 second more recharge, the damage is far superior to that of Elec). This one attack alone will yield more damage over time than that of Thunderstrike.

2) Energy Melee has two attacks that do over 9 damage to a single target. Superstrength, stone, and fire all have one attack that does over 9. Stone and fire have one attacks in addition that do over 6 damage, while Dark (having no 9 plus) has two attacks that do over 6, with one being a life-drain effect. Elec has a total of two attacks that do over FIVE damage, and what are those two attacks? Chain induction which 'bounces' and doesn't do its full 5.611 damage to any one target and Thunderstrike, which is the main AoE attack yet it only does it's 5.4638 to one target, dealing 2.686 damage to others around. Needless to say, this set really needs a heavy damaging attack.

3) Chain Induction should be scrapped and replaced. With the lack of a single powerful attack from this powerset (see #2 above), why not just change CI into a superior damage single target attack?

4) The end-drain effect of elec melee just isn't apparent. I still run out of end while fighting just as much as anyone else. Further, I have NEVER seen a boss not be able to attack because of zero endurance.

5) Lightning Clap doesn't fit. It has a pathetic accuracy, and is way too much like hand clap of super strength (although hand clap doesn't have the accuracy penalty and it can be taken earlier on). Is that really a justified power to want to wait for until 26? This is the second to last power, and yet I look at it and go meh... we're brutes not controllers anyhow.

6) Accuracy penalty powers is just pure garbage thrown at this set by the Devs. There is not a single power in ANY brute primary that has a -acc penalty to a power, and yet Elec Melee'rs have TWO. One being Lightning Clap at -20% and the other being Lightning Rod at -10%. Worse of all, both of these powers are the 8th and 9th power in the set respectfully, the supposive 'really really good powers'.

7) That brings me to Lightning Rod. Fix it. Sure, it's cool and 'unique'. However, it's in-effective. Let me list it's defects:
7a: It has a 10% penalty to acc (see #6)
7b: It's recharge is 90 seconds. Besides knockout blow and the other +dam/acc powers in the primaries, all other damage dealers have a max recharge of 20 seconds, many under that. (thunderstrike having a recharge of 18 and chain induction of 14)
7c: The damage is said to be superior, yet according to the numbers its BI is 2.7778 smashing and 1.9444 energy for a total of 4.7222. Superior? Try Total Focus of 9.8889 damage, and that isn't even a ninth tier power. That is almost TWICE as powerful as Lightning Rod.

Overall, the problems with Elec when compared to the others are obvious. The long recharges could be said to cancel out with Lightning Reflexes, but that is a SECONDARY powerset that any other primary could take. So this powerset needs shorter recharges on some of its powers, a better single-target damage attack, better AoE capabilities, and to have Lightning Rod and Chain Induction fixed.

I'm new to CoV and am currently on the Champion Server. I wouldn't mind moving to a new server but I am seeking good sound rp groups that I can be a part of. I would rather stick with the server I'm on but any information on CoV groups is helpful! Thank you

Why 'fix' the -res powers so to not make them too strong when stacked? I'm lost here... instead of having ONE power that does it with maximum effectiveness and giving TA a DIFFERENT power, you in fact make it into a synergy effect! However, this time 1+1 does not equal 3! Instead, it's just 1+1 = 2! That's not synergy!

Don't make the defender needy to get both powers to give off a large -res, instead give us just ONE useful -res and something else. Then again, I don't want you to do this and give us some stupid power like the 'beanbag' power in the AR Blaster set!

I hear everyone talk about all the RP on Virtue. What other servers are prominent role-playing ones? Also, what good SGs are there in that server? I maybe looking to start afresh in a new home, just not sure where to go. Thanks in advance.

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I hate to post ooc here and I am sorry for that. I am looking for information on the Academy. The link from COVER takes me to an EZ Board, but there is nothing there. It's like all the posts were deleted, and it's probably a problem my computer has with the board.

I need to contact someone within the SG, about possible membership and for my character purposes. I have looked for Onyx Flame in-game, sent him an e-mail so if he logs he'll see it but other people would help too.

Thank you, and sorry again for ooc'ness in a RP board! I just don't have much faith in the Virtue board, and I know rp'rs congregate here.

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Silva heard of the event from Vicky. It had a good idea and good premise... peaceful events such as this that told of how Supers were mis-treated in the city was just what was needed. Always having to go out of their way. Always having to do everything and save everyone. Always having to do all the work while the local law enforcment stood back and watched...

"I'll be there."

First off, to the poster of the original topic:

I myself do not seek non-rp'rs (such as yourself) to roleplay, and on the same token non-rp'rs should not seek rp'rs (such as myself) NOT to roleplay.

Common curtesy. What you are irked about is wrong. Flat. Out. Wrong. There's alot of BS that happens in broadcast chat to get disturbed by a teleport macro is ridiculous.

Okay, enough of that for me. "Of course, I've had people get irked with my role-playing, too -- apparently, it takes to long to speak in complete sentences, and I talk funny."

Not sure what you mean here but I personally get irked when I see a roleplayer use sentances like this: "Hello, my name is <insertname>. Who are u?" "Some1 needs our help as he is being tortured by skulls, would u like to join me?" "I would like to come help, but b4 I do I need 2 see my contact 1st."

Shorthand to me, is pathetic. ALL shorthand to me. I do not discriminate in this regard, I hate every bit of it. Whether it's "plz" or "lft" or "lmao" or "lol" etc... I think it's best to just write out what you are going to say. I do not go up to someone and say, "Hello, can you plz lend me a dollar?" with the "plz" sounding like "pliz". It's, please.

However, I am a fast typist in some regards. So to type out someone and some1 takes the same time. I will admit to that, but I still can't stand shorthand... =)

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Magic shops sound good to me, unless someone has a better idea. We may want to put somewhere more out of the way so as not to bother the non-RPers.

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I disagree whenever I hear people say this. I do not force people to rp, but at the same time, they cannot force me to not rp. Therefore, we should not need to change any location we deem fitting due to the non-rp crowd. In fact, some may actually be interested.

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Biotic Obsidian. Defender (Debuffer/Buffer).

Virtue. Always up for RP.

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5 Dollars for a better gameplay experience is money well spent.

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I agree with that. But unfortunately, until they can enforce the rules of rp effectively this is only a dream.

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I have no problem with cursing using a character if the time is appropriate. Role-playing is a mature thing to do. Though I do not like to curse in real life, it may suit my character. If someone has a problem with profanity, then turn it off. I will say though, some characters don't roleplay at all and just love to spam people with foul language =( That's sad.

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Cool, i'm kind of busy this weekend too. But i'll register over there asap. Should i use my IC name when i register - or just a handle?

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I've always thought to do what you want to accomplish. If it's to role-play, then stick with it Thus, use a handle that reflects your character. I use "Silva" as my handle, even though her name is Biotic Obsidian. The reason is she prefers to be called Silva be people she knows, and those who fear her Biotic

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