[ QUOTE ]
For me changes have the following importance:
- Bug fixes.
- Class and power balance.
- Content difficulty.
- New content. (This includes mission customization)
- New costume options.
- New power options.
- New ATs or primary/secondary pools.
- Large quality of life features.
I assume bug fixes will always trickle out in minor updates.
The number one issue argued on these boards is class and power balance. For a player with a "problematic" build this is the number one quality of life issue for the game that leads to the most frustration. This, IMO, should be top priority. Not having stacking armor for existing builds for example is criminal. It really affects the everyday quality of life for those players. To introduce a new 50+ only AT that does have stacking armor when you haven't finished it for existing characters is like a kick to the groin for them. Tanks issues are another problem. Things like this should have number one priority since these impact the affected players the most.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, these things should have priority, but they are not all as simple to solve as you make them out to be. Tankers, for example, are clamoring for more damage (as are most non blaster/scrapper ATs). The devs have to take into account how a change will affect the AT itself, balance between the ATs, and the game as a whole. Suppose they do give tanks more damage. Now they have to consider that endurance usage and recharge rate of those attack powers were based on the original level of damage, and whether or not (and how much, if so) the end usage and recharge rate should be modified with the additional damage. They also have to take into account how enhancements will affect the power after it has been modified. Yes, all ATs have various issues, but I think that this game (and the devs) deserve a great deal more credit for balance than they get.
[ QUOTE ]
Second is content difficulty. The game has a wide variety of players with a wide variety of effectiveness. Everyone wants a fun experience. The second most commented on issue here seems to be mission difficulty. Therefore the difficulty slider is probably the number one feature of this update. I think it is overshadowed by the difficulty increase - fewer people need it now that difficulty has been jacked, and the lack of an option to reduce difficulty is something I personally don't agree with. I also think a mission to mission slider would have made more sense and made the game more playable. None-the-less the ability to change mission difficulty in some form was very important to the game - bigger than anything else in this update.
[/ QUOTE ]
As for the difficulty slider, I'm rather impressed with how it is being implemented at the present time. As Statesman himself explained, it was added in a way that actually makes the difficult slider a part of the game world, and not just a generic add-on. As far as an immersive gaming experience goes, it is far more impressive to have to visit a contact to change mission difficulty than to walk up to a mission door and say "Oh, how nice of the Freakshow; they put a little level on the door that allows me to make them tougher, should I happen to be assigned to raid this place!" If the difficulty slider allowed for an "easier" setting, you'd have a whole new generation of mission difficulty threads about how it's "unfair that I have to set the slider to an easier setting in order to finish a mission/all missions. It would also cause a great deal of in-game/message board flaming such as "Haha, you have only progessed so far through your story arcs because you always fight green cons when you go into a door.
[ QUOTE ]
I personally think that *every* update should have additional character costume options. It gives existing characters a chance to freshen up their look and adds visual diversity to characters. This should be generic options in addition to specials like capes and auras. More patterns, or more options on current costume pieces. The fact is that everyone is looking for something that could affect *their* character every update and fresh costume options are one thing that does this - even if I don't use them I will likely spend time playing with them at icon.
[/ QUOTE ]
I agree with you here. I would love to see additional costume options. However, this is an issue that is extremely non-priority. I think we'd all rather see the devs address other issues instead of coding new underoos for our heros to wear.
[ QUOTE ]
The problem is that most players have one or more characters they are already playing. They don't want specialty stuff like the Kheldians. If you want the 50 crowd to revisit content then the devs could have easily added new AT options right at level 1. If you added, say, a two gun character and a staff fighter instead of the Kheldians how many high level players would have rolled one up to check them out? Probably the same number as those who tried the Kheldians, but you are giving more casual players the same options. I don't see what advantage making level 50 ATs gave to the game - better more generic and accessible options would have served the same purpose and added much more to the game. This would have affected the game at all levels and still given a reason for the 50+ crowd to revisit low level content. I am not saying the Kheldians are a bad idea, I just think that they are not an efficient use of the devs time. The impact on the game is too low for the work required. Two new basic ATs would have a much bigger and better impact on the game for the same amount of work.
[/ QUOTE ]
I really have to disagree with you here. "They don't want..."?
You shouldn't presume to speak for any or all level 50 heros.
My roommate is level 50, and enjoys the EATs. As to the rest of that statement, there are already several "new" archetypes available at level one. Already played a Scrapper to level 50? There are four other archetypes you haven't played yet. There are also several different combinations of primary/secondary within each AT. Yes, they have all been there since the game came out, but you can't really call it "old" if you haven't played it before. Don't get me wrong here, I am just as eager as anyone to see brand new ATs.
[ QUOTE ]
All in all this is an okay update and the reason people are not enthusiastic is that there is too little that affects the day to day play of the average player. Issue #2 was much better. New katana and MA animations meant that there was a large influx of players rolling new characters to try them out. Everyone 20+ was scrambling to get capes and at higher levels auras. Everyone was rushing to finish the respec mission. There was a huge flood of activity.
[/ QUOTE ]
I do agree with you that Issue 2 content seemed much more exciting than Issue 3 looks to be. I confess I'm not looking forward to Issue 3 as much as I was its predecessor. That is not a jab at the devs of any sort, however. Comparing Issue 2 to Issue 3 is comparing apples to oranges. The evolution of games such as this one has to occur in stages and some stages will seem more exciting to some people than they do to others. I am just one voice anyways. For every "me" that isn't thrilled, there may well be 1000 others that are stoked about it.
) for more than twenty years. I've earned the right to disgrace it with careless words 