Doc_Wormwood

I'm guessing the ratings system (and search) was simply a much lower priority than actually making the system.

I mean, let's be fair... they got a LOT done, and a lot done right, for a monumental task that surpasses anything I've seen in any other MMO. It's not the first time an MMO has done user-created content (no matter what the ad copy says), but CoX has done so far better than any previous.

That said, they clearly have a lot of stuff to work on. The obvious and eternal problem with user content is connecting players to content they want. That's not an easy task, by any means.

The 'best' way to handle it is with a crack team of moderators, checking over every single arc with multiple ATs and evaluating it according to a thick book of analytical guidelines.

That clearly is never going to happen (nor should it), so the big challenge is what 'good enough' system to implement.

Personally, while I find the situation annoying, I'm honestly happy with their priorities; they've produced something amazing and cool that's fun to play with, and, hopefully, now they can bolt down the boring techy QoL functionality.

Aliana: Not precisely true.

You can create a custom group and add 'random Hydra Minion' (and/or lt., and/or boss), and it will produce random hydras as part of the custom group.

So you can 'rebrand' tentacles and hydra men as some other group, mix with other enemies, etc.

The annoying limitation is that you can't JUST have tentacles or eyetentacles -- it's going to add in the bipeds.

But you CAN add just the bipeds to custom groups. Which is weird.

It's in my sig, an epic 3 arc fantasy-themed storyline.

The first has a lot of traditional dungeoncrawly feel (random encounters, etc.). All the missions are in tunnels, but I think they help the atmosphere (and there's some variety).
Second is more outdoors, and I attempted to capture the feeling of battlefields.
Third is a mix.

There's a story, though you can just blitz through it, if you want. Many of the missions feature allies, particularly if there are tough enemies. All are soloable at level 22 with a brute or scrapper with SOs at low difficulty, other ATs/levels may vary.

At first I was concerned about ratings, but over time I realized that the bar for 'hall of fame' is so high, in sheer 'people trying out your arc,' that I honestly couldn't give a spit.

Whether 1 star or 5, pretty much my arcs are only going to be run by friends or random forum folks who happen to notice my sig and think it sounds vaguely interesting.

I don't think it's possible not to give them any attacks, if only Control.

I see the info text as for the player-as-audience. The info isn't for the character, necessarily (although it's up to the player to decide if it's 'appropriate' for their character to find out during the course of an arc).

I mean, by that argument, NO mob should have a description beyond 'he smells of machine oil.'

Thing to remember is when people are loudly proclaiming or declaring stuff, it's because they haven't won yet.

The winners don't need to convince people.

For the most part, I put in text for stuff, no matter how incidental. There are a few I've missed, but that's at least in part because my file sizes are hovering near the 100% mark.

If you save something to a file name, autosave autosaves to the file name.

Don't rely on autosave to 'autosave' file name.

You know, EBs are so not created equal (almost said 'evil,' more coffee...)

I use Adamastor a lot in some of my missions, and he's actually a big wuss. I'd rather fight him than, say, a CoT Arch-mage of Death (who is 'just' a boss).

And those are just standard guys.

I posted this bug in the Bugs thread a week or so ago:

Getting false circular dependency warning when goals created in a certain order.

Repro:
1) Create a mission.
2) Add an ally goal, name it A
3) Add an ally goal, name it B
4) Add an ally goal, name it C
5) Have goal B only appear when A is complete.
6) Have goal C only appear when B is complete.

Now change the goals so B appears after C, and A appears after B.

Actual behavior:
In the second set of goals, there is a warning about circular dependency.

Expected behavior:
Circular dependency warning only appears when it is valid, and order of goal creation has no impact on how events are chained.

In Live, I've never been able to set bosses as standard enemies below Boss.

In fact, I haven't ever been able to set standard bosses that are members of custom groups, even (custom groups selected in Boss event, no standard enemies appear). Which is freakin' annoying, since it means all my standard Boss in boss events have the wrong group name.

So I suspect this was a Test > Live change you didn't notice previously.

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(Yes, I admit, I experiment with MA in part because I get to create lots and lots of costumes.)

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Freak!

(doesn't look at the dozens of custom enemies that aren't used by any arcs...)

I agree with the responses. I'm just outlining what I think is the motivation and general thinking behind the changes. The thinking is inconsistent and misses points like Amberyl made (what, are they going to go through and bump up ranged damage for standard enemies in MA?)

Except normal mobs are often in designed mixed groups with ranged mobs and melee mobs.

Whereas we could set up a custom group with only melee mobs.

So, with a few exceptions, the risk is higher. (I think Warriors lack any strong ranged guys?)

They didn't want to say, but it's the Anti-Dispari patch.

Blast you!!

The problem lies in trust.

See, with a lot of melee-focused characters, there are ranged or support guys to keep them balanced.

Where things get screwy is when players design arcs with some glaring, easily used weakness, whether it's 'low defense' or 'melee-only.'

Goes back to motive.
If your motive is to give designers options to avoid making crippled custom enemies? Make a reasonable ranged attack damage.
But the motive is 'stop farming,' so it's 'reduce the ability to give custom enemies weaknesses.'

My big problem with run away mob AI is when they are guards.

Seriously. If all the guards of a captive run halfway across the map... the captive should be mine! (or ally, escort, whatever)

Having to chase down the guards several spawns away, so I can 'officially' run back and start escorting some doofus away is just incredibly immersion-breaking and gameplay-stupid.


This is even worse with flying guards in outdoor maps, or if you have allies (who run after, generally aggro half the map and die, even when set to fight defensively).

While I love the 'power picking' mentioned for I15, I'm a bit leery of the 'but two powers mandatory.'

Look, I'd like to be able to make one set weak and one set strong to compensate. If you need to, make an Xp adjustment based on powers. I don't care.

But if I want to make a Thugs/Kinetics MM with no minions, don't fence me in just because you want to avoid the farmer with gimped lt. enemies.

What I'd like to see, as an answer to the urge to farm, is when you hit 50 you unlock the ability to start characters at level 20.

Personally, after years of playing CoX? I have zero interest in playing 1-20. Until I get Stamina or other signature abilities, I'm basically grinding, doing stuff I don't enjoy. From a content point of view, MA helps a little.

But, you know, the 'Hero's Journey' schtick can get very very very old when it's the only trope you're presenting.

I still avoid farms and PLing, but I can certainly understand some folks' urge to do so.

'Not at all. I just can't come up with a solution for you, Doc. Sorry about that. I'd like to get the farmers out of sight, because out of sight equals, well, you know. I can't make everyone happy, so I try to make most people happy. '

You propose a 'solution' to YOUR problem and then say _I_ just have to deal with it.

Maybe your solution isn't a good one?

Tongue in cheek? That was kind of your response to me...

'How else do you make the main game relevant?'

Make it more interesting. Carrot, not stick.

It reminds me of raiding in WoW, and raiders getting bent out of shape about 'casuals' getting 'same access to content.' "Raiding is harder, more painful, takes a lot of work! If I don't get more rewards, what's the point??" Well, just maybe you should be wondering why you're bothering doing stuff that you aren't enjoying?

... You're assuming everyone playing AE is a farmer.

I want to use the AE without being bothered by farmers, or without having to wade through their sh... shinola.

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I'm not looking forward to redoing my arcs to find something tough but fair again. I had specifically picked the settings I did to give one enemy mez protect without nasty things like Oppressive Gloom. -_- I guess my zombies will just get regen as their secondary so I don't accidentally mez the crap out of players.

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Well, at worst, it's 'deal with your arc being broken after the patch but before I15.'

I'm steeling myself for that possibility.

With I15, we should have a lot more control over the powers enemies have, though I'm a little nervous about what minima they set.