Doc_Wormwood

I had a trilogy that did reasonably well (didn't get a lot of plays, but who does nowadays?).

The first part had about 30 plays, the second had 15, the third had 7. A very clear halving at each point.

The key, I think, is giving each arc a 'mini' conclusion.

I mentioned I was unsubscribing to convey just how much of a problem I thought this was.

I think there's a big difference between 'there's suddenly a new possible exploit that we have to fix or it's going to completely derail the game in the next month -- it's going to cause a lot of problems for nearly all other content, but it's better than the alternative' and 'we've suddenly decided to slap a fix on something that's been around since day 1, which is also going to shred the XP for nearly all other content, but for some reason we find it necessary to tod that rather than wait the month or two for a more sensible fix.'

My objection, and why I'm leaving, has to do with the pattern of decision making that lead to that, rather than the specific 'fix.' That they thought this was a good idea speaks volumes, and means I'm not willing to shell out more money to find out what happens next. Maybe I'll be back in another year, but it's looking increasingly unlikely.

TonyV, your comments about only 'some' arcs being affected strike me as disingenuous. Some? Really? How many arcs do you think have nothing but enemies in them at all?

Your dismissive attitude to why people might be upset their arcs have reduced XP is obnoxious, too. Like others said, it's hard to be a storyteller with no audience.

What's particularly grating is that legitimate arcs require a lot more time to create than exploits. Once the exploit is discovered? I mean, you don't need text, even. Just slap in 'bob' in all the required text fields, place the appropriate whatsis, and go.

The people who put in the time to create an interesting mission and story? They loose far more.

I just wish this had happened BEFORE I plunked down cash for 2 super boosters, GR preorder, and 5 extra mission slots. Ungh.

I'm pretty much with Sister Twelve. Yeah, easy PLing means PuGs will have tools who don't know how to play their character in a group. And this is new?

I applaud Arctic Princess for putting her money where her mouth is. All I had the power to do was unsub; removing my arcs isn't even a blip on the dev radar. Maybe DC arcs being deleted will send more of a message.

The mythical casual player? What?

Ahh... I take back what I said with express apologies. A bunch of threads and wasn't paying close enough attention. (redface)

Yeah, OP... well, I'm not sure how much I can say and be in forum guidelines, but... what you said.

Lightfoot:
Not paying close attention, are you?

'Allies' includes anything that isn't an enemy, whether it's capable of engaging in combat or not. That rescue mission? Ally, XP hit. That ally that's set 'noncombat' and is there for dialog? Ally, XP hit. That object you have to defend against attackers? Ally, XP hit.


Next time before you start writing people off, maybe make sure you actually know what's going on.

There have been some cool experiments with creating puzzles you have to read. Essentially, 'pick X, don't pick Y, or a horde of horribly overpowered ambushes will appear and nail you to the wall.'

I was going to try that out with 'alarm system' schtick.

Thank you for your work, and being one of the high points of my MA experiences.

Meanwhile, AE was responsible for at least 3-4 months of my subscription time and the only reason I returned to the game after a year. Because beyond AE, I just don't find the game that interesting.

AE is the one truly truly unique and innovative thing about City of Heroes that you can point to and say 'NOBODY else does this'.*

It allows unparalleled ability to be creative in a game and infinite capability to add new content to the game.

It is, in my opinion, the single best idea the dev team has ever had for CoH.



* (With one very buggy and limited exception from a game almost nobody plays)

Venture likes to say things. Don't mind him.

It is impossible to stop powerlevelling/exploiting =/= devs shouldn't do what they can to stop powerlevelling/exploiting


(I have issues with their direction in doing so, but not that they are trying in the first place)

Just set the allies all to 'wander.'

This does mean they'll sit there until you happen by, but this might work for you. You could set up an initial animation, an animation that happens when you get near, and then, after a bit, they'll just walk around.

Chained objectives are vital to maintaining a sequence of events, whether in a big outdoor map or to ensure someone doesn't sneak past boss 1, defeat boss 2, and see dialog that assumes you took care of boss 1 first rather than the reverse.

What I would have suggested before the last patch is a map filled with 'ally' set 'single' and 'noncombat.'

Unfortunately, now, that would pretty much reduce Xp to 0.

Aura:
Well, I was only interested in doing AE content, period. So no XP would mean I... never leveled. Ever.

So that wouldn't have worked for me.

Falling outside the system, like having a rescue objective or defendible object, which apparently takes an XP hit?

As for 'every MMO changes,' they are quite up-front that this isn't the intended fix, that this isn't meant to make anyone happy except a general 'cut down on exploiting.'

The AE xp change made me unsub.

So. Yeah.

(Though, to be fair, it was more Dr. Aeon's explanation of things that did it. Sometimes you're better off not knowing)

I only recently came back after a year away. Among other things, I was disappointed to see many things that were 'right around the corner' for AE still in the 'real soon now' category (like properly functioning custom powers).

To see yet another problem where the devs place the fun of folks using the system right below the 'exploit' of those using the system wrong makes it very clear this is not a new design philosophy, and one that will be in place for the forseeable future.

AE is the only reason I came back. So.

I have too many characters to give away all of my stuff, though I did wipe my arcs.

Oh yeah, that custom power nerf hotfix is a good example of how they implemented a quick solution to avoid exploits, and then amended the fix with a better fix a scant... ... oh, right, they haven't actually fixed that patch, have they?


Here's the thing. If the problem hasn't been so bad it needed fixing in the last 10 months, why jump the gun by 2 months? (Or whatever)

Take my War against the Undying One off the list, Glaz, I'm deleting them and have canceled my account.

I'm a little disappointed you didn't wait the month (or two) to have the 'right' solution for what you've stated is a long-standing problem.

Actually, I'm a lot disappointed. Subscription cancelled.

Uh. Is the issue with allies a new problem?

I'm wondering why they needed to put out a 'stopgap measure' for what seems to me to be how things have been for a year+ rather than wait the 'real soon' when they have the right solution.

Am I off?

I find the normal content generally low quality and stuff I've done many times before. AE is the only, and I mean only, reason I am subscribed. My normal approach with new characters is to grind to level 3-4, start doing AE missions, get a radio and do radio missions until I can get a safeguard mission and raptor pack, then pretty much spend the rest of my career in AE.

If AE worsens XP significantly, I will leave. And that's not a petulant threat, just a statement of cause and effect.

I'm not all torn up about what it's like presently, because I'm generally willing to give devs a month time to fix any big mistakes that transpire.