Forbin_Project

Originally Posted by Hercules

WoW is a great cannibilizer of ideas from other games - something the CoH devs should also consider doing.

Originally Posted by Fusion_7

Keep in mind that in the early stages, it's always tougher than dirt to make up for not having enough good enhancements to purchase until you can reach higher levels and earn more influence.

Originally Posted by ToySoldierZolgar

Second Life however, is not a "marketed" game with a flat ESRB rating. CoH is. If they were to allow players to upload their own images to the game, unless they had an approval system (which I will get back to), they would have to make the rating of the game M, or possibly even AO.
This would then require them to alert absolutely every single player that the game's rating had changed, which would cost them some players of course. ("Oh my god! They made that hero game Mature rated? That does it, Timmy can't play it anymore!") And now here's the REAL kicker:
They would actually have to police things to ensure that at very least, children were not exposed to naughty things.

Even then there would be potential lawsuits (unfounded, maybe, but this is the USA.. we don't care if there are GROUNDS for lawsuits!) say Bob is 15, like most 15 year old guys he's surfed porn, he's maybe even gotten in on some cy.. I mean "Erotic Role Playing", but his parents still somehow think he's innocent and pure.
He doesn't inform his parents of the ESRB rating change, and once day he's hanging in his SG base that has naughty pictures on the wall and his mother walks in to the room. She can attempt to take legal action against Paragon Studios for exposing her child to pornography.
Would it stick? Not likely, not after they provided proof that information had gone out about the increased rating, and anyone who continued to play confirmed that they were old enough.... but still it's a legal hassle for them.

And, you posed having a system where they had someone to approve images.. I think you're failing to understand the magnitude of this. Even if they charged for it, they would still be so inundated with images to approve that there would have to be several people who's entire job was to click 'approve' or 'disapprove' (and input a reason if not approved) on images, especially when it was first introduced.

This would also be a major liability for them! Let's say one of the approvers is running tired and manages to approve one he shouldn't have. Human error, happens all the time. Or, no human error, the approver doesn't see the picture in a certain way. (Maybe it's one of those "creatively" done pictures that's one thing, but really something else...) This means that if something naughty slips through and Bob's mom sees it, there is actually grounds for legal action.

And I won't even get started on the issues that are not related to pornography.

All in all, in a perfect world, this would be an excellent idea.
We however, live in a very imperfect world. And because people are twats, we can't have nice things. >.>

Originally Posted by Twisted Toon

Why did I get Neg rep'd, with the comment "for Freedom!!", when I wasn't advocating deleting Freedom in the first place?

However, now that I've been neg rep'd for it. Nuke Freedom!! (server, that is)

Originally Posted by Leo_G

Wow, is it just me or are people getting more and more narrow minded when reading posts? It definitely ain't me.

Just to be clear, I *NEVER*

...let me repeat that.

*NEVER*

...suggested anything that circumvented using the suggestions already posted in this thread. All I suggest is more time to think up one. If you're gonna quote someone, perhaps you should actually *read* their post and understand their stance on the subject. Because I don't need links to name generators or thesauruses.

I've read some of the criticisms of my particular suggestion and understand that I might be he only person to use the option...and not even all the time. But it's an option. It's not hurting anyone if I (or anyone who isn't that creative) with names decides to put it off until later. Is it? If so, explain.

[EDIT]
But back in 1962 is the equivalent of issue 2 in CoH where names are abundant. Now is the equivalent of dealing with masses of trademark issues. You can't just pick a name at random otherwise you might get a lawsuit.

That doesn't stop the artist/author from actually drawing/writing and putting the character out there. For example (even though I don't agree with the analogy of being the author of the character. It's a RPG, not an endorsement deal. I am *playing* the character, not selling him) Lucas didn't have a name for Luke though the first drafts (who went from being a girl to an aged general to a boy) and went through several names before finally naming the character after himself. The any names before were placeholders until they settled on Starkiller and pushing it out for publication. Century Fox didn't like it so it was changed to Skywalker.

The 'placeholder' names are essentially what I was suggesting. The changing from Starkiller to Skywalker is pretty much a requested name change that you'd have to purchase.

...but again, I find equating the player as the author and therefore you must have a name otherwise you're a forgetful hack writer absurd. Like I'm creating a complete character right at the start. That's is just dumb and flies in the face of an RPG. You're not publishing a completed character, you're creating a new *incomplete* character that *becomes* complete as you play and experience the game. You can give him a reason to fight but that doesn't equate to needing a name (I mean a moniker, I name all my characters but they don't go walking around being called by their first and last names). Already gave an example of someone sort of 'earning' a moniker too so really, it's not completely out of left field.

Originally Posted by Noxilicious

Peter Parker, Reporter Nerd just didn't have the same ring as The Amazing Spiderman.

Originally Posted by Noxilicious

And yet, the people who came up with Spiderman already had the name figured out before drawing the first panel.

On the same token, when creating your character, you are not your character, but your character's author. And honestly now: Which self-respecting author forgets to name their characters when writing their stories and only comes up with one halway through? Especially after the first half has already been published?

I can see why people want something similar to CO's naming system. I don't, and I personally prefer the current, restrictive naming system much in the same way I like sonnets, but I can see where those people are coming from.

Your suggestion to have a mid-way namechange or something, however, seems awfully specific. Right now, I'm just not convinced it's something the playerbase needs but rather something you, as a single individual, wants. That's fair enough, mind, but unless you can rally up some more support for your specific idea, I'm just not convinced it's something the playerbase would largely benefit from and encourage long-term subscriptions.

Originally Posted by Lohenien

A default server wide global channel that auto adds online people (bumping off the longest logged off person) would help a bit I think yes. Many servers do have a "server name here" channel to chat on, but it isn't an automatic thing to join it, making it that way would increase visibility of server population.

Originally Posted by Mr. NoPants

You mean he got his hero name after publicly using his powers? Where in the timeline of this game would the put him...I imagine somewhere after making a costume but before being tasked with stopping bad guys.

Also I just got the name Slamfest on Freedom. I don't think we have a name issue yet.

Originally Posted by Zekiran_Immortal

I'm reminded of the child born sometime in the mid 70s? I think? Whose parents waited until she was like 4 years old to ask her what she wanted her name to be.

She named herself Purple.

This is why we need to start with names.

Originally Posted by Leo_G

I'm not going to argue with posters that seriously fail to listen or bother to understand the viewpoints of others, it's not like I'm not giving the same courtesy. And I'm not going to repeat myself further so if you feel the need to, don't bother quoting/post toward me to do it.

Anyway, as far as names go in-game, the competition is pretty lax. I sometimes feel miffed that I create a cool serious character with a rich background and a fitting name yet have to deal with jokes like Senior Shaved-legs or XxxSiffirothxxX. So really, when choosing a name it's probably easier to just relax. If you're RPing, you can put a more elaborate name in the bio section of your character.

Originally Posted by Aett_Thorn

Actually, wouldn't "the masses" get the least out of this? You know, those people who don't have a lot, wouldn't transfer a whole bunch. Whereas the people that do the hard stuff ("the few" in your definition), would get the most out of it, being able to transfer large sums to their other characters.

Originally Posted by drogoh

Some people use /hc to chat, or they figure out how to use global channels. If a new player doesn't know how to use global channels, there's /hc. If they can't figure out how to use /hc then there's a lot more wrong.

Originally Posted by LordSquigie

They could have the loan tied to the account instead of a single character. People are less likely to abandon those, especially since the level 20 requirement would mean trials can't take out loans.

Of course, people with more than one account could default on massive loans on the primary and use the secondary to buy enhancements. The collectors could raid your inventory for assets to liquidate, but it would still allow for much abuse.

Honestly, adding complex financial systems to the current economy seems like an endeavor very unlikely to be fruitful.

Originally Posted by UberGuy

The RP connotations of merits are even more bizarre. What actually provides them? Are they like XP or more like badges, which once had the connotation of being awarded by city hall and/or Statesman? Who are the Merit Vendors, who can convert merits into a wide assortment of things both abstract and concrete?

The whole Merit Vendor thing actually bugged me a lot when merits came out. There's no explanation for them or what they do. It's not like I'm deeply immersed in the game, but really obvious lack of effort to provide an in-game explanation for something like that really bugs me. If they had been some sort of crafting station I think it would have bugged me less.

Originally Posted by Sigium

1. Take out biggest loan you can.
2. Transfer it to alt.
3. Delete original character.
4. ???
5. Profit

Originally Posted by Golden Girl

A last desperate attempt to fool people into thinking that there's more than 3 people on any server at one time?

Originally Posted by Panzerwaffen

So why is it that I see teams and TF/SF's being formed all the time on my server? Why is the BM not empty on little ol' Protector, if it is so devoid of life on Freedom, as you claim?

Either you have terrible luck, it's all a huge coincidence, or you are wildly exaggerating. Care to guess which one I think is most likely?

Originally Posted by Ironblade

Ah, you misunderstood me. I was not referring to the in-game 'ignore' function. I just meant that I would have disregarded (i.e. not replied to) your broadcast.

Originally Posted by Dz131

Yeah because only seeing 1 person in LFG tab, NO broadcast at all even after 30+min in broadcast, then trying to see if anyone is there by shouting what I did and getting no response sounds like a total healthy population. But I'm sure it's because everyone pre-ignored me when I entered the zone because they knew I was going to ask if the server is dead in the future.

Originally Posted by Ironblade

I know; it's total BS. And the RP'ers have conniptions trying to explain how I can hand you a billion influence. Or I can sit in Wentworths and 'earn' a billion influence.

Maybe at once point, it could be explained as actual 'influence' but, when the devs gave us the market, that ended the charade.

Originally Posted by Leo_G

But you have to pay for it...

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon

... but we can rename characters now. Have been able to for a couple of years, in fact.