GadgetDon

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How about

Issue 4: "This City Needs an Enema!"

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That gets my vote!

I did not personally attempt the respec trial. Many who did reported complete team-wipes and failed trials, I don't recall any reported successes.

I have no doubts about your motives. But I think your changes to bosses and archvillains are going to cripple the game for all but the uber players, and the communication regarding the rollout of Issue 3 was a disaster.

You may be happy. Many of your players are not.

I don't mind them taking a vacation. I mind them taking a vacation and then coming right back and taking this action.

Look, if before they'd left, Statesman had said "Well, what's on the testserver is pretty much what we're going to go with unless we find any show-stoppers", I won't say I'd have been happy, but I would have understood where they stand.

If they'd spent today and tomorrow checking comments, seeing if the logs on the test server matched up, and Thursday said "We've read what you've said, our data doesn't back it up so we'll go with it" and it went live Thursday, I'd have been disappointed but at least they would have listened.

But instead, until very recently, the only red comment on it going live was CuppaJo saying that the free respec and global chat weren't ready in the version that went live.

Nothing was changed from the version that went live on 12/23.

I forget when a version of Issue 3 appeared on the test server, but many things were changed based on the testing. There were some disasterous changes to burn tankers and regeneration scrappers that were reversed. Originally all villains 25th level above were boosted, they decided to roll back the minion and lieutenant boosts.

It's not just that we've been making comments about the changes, we've been asking for updates. "What's going on with this" "Are you seeing what we're seeing"

When I checked the boards this morning, I knew what college team Statesman had been cheering for. I didn't know the status of the changes that will probably make this game completely unfun for me.

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Oh dear lord! How can we live with such a thing!?

Stop doom saying, the Issue hasn't been on live for even 2 hours.

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Agreed. I make it a habit to stay away from the game until at least a couple of days after an issue goes live. Gives the devs time to fix last minute bugs and unexpected developments. Lets me avoid all the angry "I hate these changes!!!" rants too.

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But these aren't "last minute bugs and unexpected developments". For the past three weeks, players who have been using the test server have been saying that things are so badly broken, if it goes live, a lot of them may quit. NONE of that was addressed, none of that was checked, none of that was given so much as the courtesy of an answer.

I am shocked, absolutely flaberghasted that a team that used to do such a great job in communication has done this.

Boss difficulty feedback

That's the one I can find at the moment that is still active and has some numbers. There was a thread that had clear side-by-side comparisons (went on live, faced these, got these hp and attacks did this much, went on test, faced these, got these hp and attacks did this much) but alas I can't find them now.

Since we're playing show and tell, why don't you give me the source that makes you think it's only a 25% increase in HP and none in difficulty?

Check the real life testing that people have done, and posted their results to the training room forum. For bosses (I'm not sure anyone has done definitive tests on monsters and AVs), HP and damage have been increased by about 50%. Many of these tests have been done by characters whose defense and damage resistance weren't affected by Issue 3.

Is it 50% on the nose? Not exactly. But it's far closer to 50% than to 25%, and the damage has been increased, massively.

There are some issues that are causing some players concern, among them the increase in hp and damage (by 50%) for bosses, AVs, and Monsters, and the changes to invulnerability. Any updates on your current thoughts on these issues?

As you talk about issues, can you talk about the stage they are in decisionmaking, something like "This is something we're kicking around" "This is something we think is good and we want to see if reality agrees" or "This is something that is pretty much locked in stone."

I have a personal issue I'd love to know its state in the decisionmaking process.

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"For the most part, everyone will be able to solo in some situations. Some builds and ATs more than others. But there are some mobs that can be a challenge - bosses, elite bosses, AV's and monsters - where you'll probably want help. Or not."


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EXACTLY. Bosses weren't meant to be solo-able UNLESS a particular player used Inspirations & strategy. Hence, the Help text & tutorial indicate that a player "probably" should get other friends to take out a boss.

Some builds are clearly better than others at taking out bosses.

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A second reply to it. As you say, some builds are clearly better than others at taking out bosses.

If you set the game so those builds that are the best at taking out bosses, you making it so that any other build cannot defeat a boss. So you MUST be uber to play the game.

In the interviews you were proud that City of Heroes was attracting more casual players. What happened to that pride, because all the changes made since Issue 1 have been to push those casual players away?

That's the situation now..taking out bosses requires inspirations and strategy.

With the changes made for Issue 3, that is out, the ONLY option for most players is get others. And that kills the fun of the game for those who spend a lot of time soloing.

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Mission customization: Choosing between "regular" mobs and +2 level mobs is not really what I would call a customized mission.

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Sigh. That isn't at all what I meant. Mission Customization means, well, a mission has been customized. It's where we go back over old missions and add new art & functionality.

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I don't suppose there's any chance of that happening for higher level missions anytime soon, is there?

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They did some with Issue 2--the early outdoors Carnie missions was a standard outdoors map under Issue 1, with Issue 2 they added the big circus tents.

You could view the VIP badge as giving you the power slide and the new cape. If you don't have the badge, you don't have the slide or cape

Would Muvians (love the name) be good guys or bad guys? Yes, they fought and destroyed the Orebegans, who then spent centuries as disembodied spirits until they started possessing humans and became the council of thorns. But, the Orebegans were a peaceful society at the time, and it appears that the difference between the good orebegans from the other dimension and ours is that the Muvians didn't attack (or at least didn't win).

Should somehow some people from the ancient civilization of Mu make it into Paragon City, we could well find ourselves fighting with the Council of Thorns as allies against a much more dangerous threat.

I'm concerned that you said that the +1 level minions and lieutenants are at the number you want. They've removed a LOT of the fun I've had with my current alt. The fun level strongly depends upon the AT...scrappers have the least problem with +1s. Given that you've also said that you'll be making changes so that 3 white minions are a challenge at every level, doesn't that make 3 yellow minions a deathtrap?

The only thing that worries me about the position is, are these temporary badges? Gee, I hope not.

I agree, keep the coven! The streng are clearly halloweenish, but the coven can fit into City of Heroes in any season.

(And I've also heard many requests from my female teammates asking for those hats)

I've been very unhappy and have been considering cancelling.

This event changed my mind. I can hardly wait for the real event. My 50th level scrapper with my broadsword going "trick or treat". he he he

First, wow, this is very cool. I am looking forward to it.

Second, I am very impressed with the decision to let it simmer some more because the cook doesn't think it's done. I want to try it now, and you want people enjoying it now, but it's not ready and you'll get it ready before it goes out. Shows a lot of discipline.

There's one change I strongly request regarding the Hollows. Have our first second tier contact offer the first contact in the Hollows as a contact.

Why?

I was starting a new alt, a tanker, who I didn't think would have a chance in the Hollows. I was given my contact in Kings Row, went to Kings Row, found out that my contact was near the north wall. So, to get my next mission to complete, I had to:

Go all the way from the tram to north wall of Kings Row, talk to contact.

Go all the way back from the north wall of Kings Row to tram, take tram to Atlas Park.

Go halfway across Atlas Park to get to the entrance of Hollows.

Enter Hollows, talk to contact, leave hollows.

Go halfway across Atlas Park from entrance of the Hollows to the Tram.

Take Tram from Atlas Park to Kings Row, go from tram to north wall to finally get my mission.

(That mission was a timed mission in Atlas Park.)

My alt will be adventuring in the Hollows in a level or two. But because seeing that contact was a mission instead of being given as a contact (and the only mission available, I couldn't take a mission from another contact because I didn't have any), I spent about 10 minutes or so just running around. Not fun.

I'd say leave the trolls alone, they're fine. Hit harder, tougher skin, cool. (They could learn something about safety with explosives, but that's another matter)

Outcast minions...the only one I really think needs changing is the scorcher. He uses the attack that the hellion boss uses! How about giving him the flaming sword?

Thanks for moving Flux and Jules. Without travel powers, they were seriously annoying to get to.

It's in the 45-50 set of missions. You're asked to put a sensor on the biggest clockwork you can find. When I read that description I thought "They wouldn't, would they?" They did.

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Babbage or Psychic Babbage (two different beasts)?

As for the kill stealing... several groups can get "badge credit" off one monster... just like several heroes can get defeat credit off one villain.

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Psychic Babbage doesn't give the badge? Awwwwwwwwwwwww.