Memphis_Bill
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Posts
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Joined
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Haven't seen it personally, but that doesn't rule out it being server specific, or ISP specific - I'd take a peek up in tech issues/bugs to see if anyone else has mentioned it.
10 minutes seems excessive though. Especially with it being rather *random* sounding as you make it. -
Welcome back.
Support is going to give you a few arguments, especially when mentioning healing
. Many of the support sets - available heroside to Defenders and Controllers, villainside to Corruptors and Masterminds - are going to *have* a heal, a few sets having more than one, but it tends not to be the best way to give support. (It's probably the easiest to figure out, admittedly, but it's not a mindset to get stuck in.)
Going *strictly* by what you said (specifically including "nukes,") you'd want a Defender (heroside) or Corruptor (villainside.) That said, you may find Masterminds fun. They can take a little work with binds and such to give you a *lot* of control over the pets, but they can be insanely powerful. (I mention to people that my Thugs/Poison mastermind is the only character I've *accidentally* soloed an AV with. As in no prior preparation, hadn't really paid attention to the mission and was surprised to run into - but still beat easily.)
Controllers, of course, can be insane on their own - Healing? Who needs it when nothing can shoot at you?
One of the nice things that's been introduced to the game - I'd say recently, but it's been several issues now - is dual builds. At level 10 or later, you can go to any trainer and you'll have an option to "Select current build" - and you'd be able to switch between two builds. The reason I mention this is that you can make a support-heavy build if you wanted to, and then a "Solo" build for those times you feel like being a lone wolf. (Note that they don't share enhancements - you *do* have to train into and enhance each level on each build separately, but it won't bug you to do so 'til you swap builds.)
Hop down into the Archetype sections of the game. Being new (or newly returned) and starting fresh, you won't have a Kheldian or Soldier of Arachnos - the epic ATs that unlock when you get a 50 of the appropriate side. Browse through the others, though, and read up on the various powersets and what people think about playing any individual set. Read a bit, make use of the Paragon Wiki (see link in signature about "Clicki the Wiki") and when you find a few sets that sound like they might be fun, start asking questions.
Last but not least, poke through the server portion of the boards and look for times for events and such that meet your playtimes nicely. Start hooking up with potential supergroups there. -
As I look at PlayNC.com, I see:
Aion, obviously.
With Record-Breaking Preorder Sales, Aion Takes its Place as the Biggest MMO Release of the Year
City of Heroes Launches Free Content Update Including Highly Anticipated Powers Customization
NCsoft Hosts Aion, Guild Wars 2 and City of Heroes at this Year's Penny Arcade Expo
NCsoft Announces an Exclusive Cross-Game Promotion between the Aion and Guild Wars®
The COH trial offer, and COH for Mac, are also rather prominent along the side, and though it's not directly COH, it's very visible in the game time cards mention.
This is www.plaync.com. I'd go to NCSoft for corporate information, personally, though us.ncsoft.com redirects to the same page as plaync. And their information (NCSoft Corporate) has a huge gap in it (last COH mention being issue 13, in the TINY news blurbs section in the lower left.)
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Yes, yes, I know, I gripe about VEATs quite a bit. Some things I'm just not going to be thrilled about (the storyline,) some things have lost a bit of their shine to me but I realize it's too late to change...
But there's one thing I think could use a minor adjustment. The forced respec at 24.
Currently, when you hit 24 and see a trainer, you're told you must do an immediate respec into your branch. Red text and all. (I know, just hit this with my Crab - which as a side note is the only one I'm enjoying post-respec, but I digress.) While this is a part of the whole "Veat" bit - the branching mechanic - it has a few minor issues.
- If I'm on a team, I don't want to make them wait for me. Everyone else can just snag the next power. My choice is to make them wait, miss a chunk of the mission, or not respec 'til I'm off the team.
- Related, if I'm on a timed mission, I'm either wasting time or not respeccing.
- If I'm not sure yet which branch I want, I still must choose now.
- If I want to play a Huntsman or Blood Widow and not dip into the branch powers just yet - being happy with how I'm built so far - I still have to start from square one instead of just continuing with my build.
- Personally, the forced respec, *to me,* leads to the feeling of "OK, what about the 23 levels I just played - were they wasted?" (one of the things it's "too late to change" - I'd see the branching happen earlier.)
You have progressed to an important point in your career. You are now allowed to choose the path you wish to take, Soldier/Widow. Continue as you are, become one with the Banes/Night Widows or join the ranks of the Crab spiders/Fortunatas. You have been awarded a respec to assist you in starting your new path.
(The text, of course, changing for the appropriate AT.) Alternately, the trainers could just get a choice, instead of dealing with a respec in the normal way, to "Choose the branch you wish to take," which itself would trigger the respec.
(Also, as a side note - I'd love if, when doing a dual build, you didn't have to do the "level to 23, forced respec, start over" bit.)
This would allow a few things:
- If the team's rolling along, I've got a timed mission, etc. I can put off the respec for later - or just do it right now if I want.
- if I like my "normal" soldier, I can just progress along with him or her as they are right now.
- It's not forced right now, giving me time to decide if I haven't yet.
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Quote:Do you feel money is utterly useless in real life? I mean, you can't eat it, you *could* wear it with some work, you can't drive it, you can't live in it (well, again, maybe with a lot of work and bills you could build a money tent or something,) you can't use it to play games, you can read it but there's not a lot to it...Originally Posted by SablePhoenix
Actually... yes. Considering that tickets cannot be traded and are utterly useless outside of AE I don't think that's excessive.
Very useless. Except, of course, that it CAN be redeemed at locations to purchase those very things - homes, clothes, food, entertainment, vehicles... pretty much anything.
... just like AE tickets in-game. Which can be redeemed in every non-hazard zone for salvage, recipes, enhancements, inspirations (including large - not purchasable with INF reliably,) a badge, more stuff to use inside AE stories you create and more.
... just like Merit rewards, which are useless outside of Merit vendors, can be used to purchase recipes, salvage, inspirations, etc.
... just like INF, which is useless inside of missions but can be used outside of it, to purchase enhancements, recipes, inspirations, etc.
... just like Prestige, which is the most limited, but can be used to provide a base, furnish it and make it a personal transportation, storage, and crafting hub.
So, where was that uselessness again?
And if you've only seen three people inside of AE since I16 began, (a) I hope that's right and you were in Atlas Park, and (b) you didn't look in the other buildings, or see who was inside AE *missions.* The buildings are not like Pocket D. Each zone's is an individual entity. If I enter AE in Port Oakes, Peregrine, or the RWZ and you enter it in King's Row, you won't see me.
Throwing in with the "Solution in search of a problem" crowd here. -
The paladin is not the GM to determine this by - he's unique in a way. In order to get the badge, you have to *stop* him from being built. Look for the "Unusual clockwork activity in Kings Row" broadcast, and stop the Monster Construction from being built.
Most other GMs have a badge as well as merits when defeated already, some of which (Eochai and Jack) lead to accolades.
Also, AE tickets are *not* done on the same scale as Merit rewards. Merits are awarded at the end of story arcs and task forces, as well. AE tickets are dropped *in lieu of* other rewards such as recipes and salvage (other than on HOF/DC arcs.) Thus the greater reward.
And, really - 2 merits for a GM that can take moments to take down? That's not fair? It sounds like you had a longer fight on your hands, yes, but I've seen (and participated in) GM fights that lasted under a minute. Now give me a GM that spawns frequently (such as Scrapyard) and a team willing to do so and I'll be making quite a few merits - probably faster than I would doing story arcs.
(Yet another edit: Don't know what Peregrine or Eden has to do with it.. .but those are Monsters, not GMs.) -
Quote:This thread turns your mind into a 4x4 grid of letters in which others attempt to find words of three letters or more?Originally Posted by Rusted_Metal
This thread just boggles my mind.
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Quote:So it's more like this, in other words.Originally Posted by Morac_Ex_Machina
I think that does him too much credit. The Wright Brothers actually got off the ground, you know.
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Steps:
1. Get an image of up to 100x100 pixels.
2. Host it somewhere like Photobucket.
Photobucket (and others) generally give you a direct URL you can use for it. You'll need it shortly. Don't use anything with a reference to, say, IMG tags.
3. Go to user CP, select "Edit Avatar."
4. Select "Use Custom Avatar." Paste in URL from step 2 (or rahter the note after.)
Save changes.
Edit:
If you want (simply) a picture of your character, yes, take a good screenshot in game. You'll have to open that picture up in something such as Paint (not ideal,) Photoshop or another image editor. Get a good, square region - preferrably at the size of the avatar or larger - and copy it. (If it's smaller and you scale it up, it generally looks lousy.) -
Quote:You may like that, I find it clunky and annoying, quite honestly - one of many things about that competing product that fell under that category. Apparently inviting me to a team, or chatting, was also made more complex by that little "feature."Originally Posted by Johnny_Velocity
Because we don't have to settle for that. Another competing company has demonstrated that alternatives are available.
First, why would you want that name that's *specifically* not one of the "classic" names? *I* wanted something unique. If I wanted to be dull, I'd have picked, oh, "Fire Tank."Quote:Can I have the name "Memphis Bill" on your home server? I think it's taken, so the source of the restiction is NOT just me. It is the game code (and you, I presume).
Second, no, I'd prefer not to have others confuse someone else's actions with my own. I'd say people are going to remember the character name over the global if they see something in broadcast - or even over tells or team chat.
Third, spend 30 seconds and come up with *just* how many alternates you can think of that might be somewhat similar. Tennessee William might be frowned on, admittedly. L4D fans might like Chicago Ted. Heck, I've got another called Arkansas Stone - for the state and the tool. So yes, just my having "Memphis Bill" is *not* part of the restriction. Inflexibility on your part in the name you want is.
Coming up with unique, useful names is not difficult. Or are you saying most people are utterly incapable of any flexibility or thought past their initial name selection?Quote:But why would you advocate for any limitations? Why vehemently oppose the change? The thesaurus club can continue to be witty and clever and unique, but more ordinary mortals can also be happy. It would appear that much of the tech is already in place - we have invisible globals already. -
Quote:I don't know, it seems a little too limited to me. I mean, what if you're not facing someone with a ray gun? You'd have nothing to blast then.Originally Posted by Airman_America
I have been asking for years for a Ray Gun Blaster.
OK, that aside, the only issue I can think of right offhand with this is that of the *sounds.* We know they can change the gun model, after all. And that "ray guns" (pulse rifle, etc.) are already in game, thanks to 'bot MMs. But I don't know if there's any technical issue with having multiple possible sounds and/or tying them to a specific alternate model (well, the same's true with the 'ray blast" coming from the gun.) That's about the only issue I could think of right offhand.
Wouldn't argue with seeing it. And if it's doable to that extent, who knows what else could open up. -
Quote:Then the only name restriction in your game is with *you,* and that's the one you've got to deal with. The devs can't do anything about that. It'd be like me refusing to eat at any restaraunt that doesn't have the word "Red" in the name.Originally Posted by Johnny_Velocity
Go for it, Memphis Bill!
But I am the leading, and sole, authority on what is an acceptable name for my characters. I want the change for my sake, not for the sake of what I see on other characters in the game. That appears to be other peoples' beef.
Not every combination of words is suitable. Can't you admit even that small fact? Its not an issue of how creative you are that you can make anything fit - that may be your game, but it isn't necessarily mine.
And you can't just tell folks to "be more creative." That's like telling someone to compose better or paint better. Not everyone is a writer, musician, or artist.
Some folks just want more common everyday names that say "superhero." What is so hard to understand about that? And why is it such a burr up peoples' butt if it happens? It may be unappealing to some peoples' eye, but by Krypton! there are enough filtering options in this game that it shouldn't be a big problem for anyone (except the selfish "I gotta be the only one" people, who either haven't sounded in yet or have the good sense not to).
The argument is not that "every combination of words is (or is not) suitable" - yes, I can probably come up with some interesting backstories for quite a few out-there names. But quite often it seems the people complaining about "how hard" it is to find names, or how there are "none available" don't want to venture very far afield. Even ignoring things like foreign words, mythology, etc. you can just go from, say, one to *two* words. "The Tornado" isn't available? How about the Red Tornado? Scarlet Tornado? Tornado Red? Crimson Whirlwind? It's not a difficult mental exercise - heck, it doesn't have to be a mental exercise at all. (See also thesaurus.com, wikipedia.org and other reference sites.) Heck, with this issue, you're not even tied in to the powerset's default colors ("Why would I call myself the Green Tornado when it's grey/pink?")
Color, of course, is only one option. Pretty much *any* descriptor can be added. Place names (state, city, country or other locale.) Those that hint at time, or at generation, or purpose.
But if you (generic you) only want - say - one word names, well, the limitation is completely self imposed. -
How to get help while not subscribed, so you can 'hit the ground running' as you say:
- Read and search the forum anyway. You just can't post.
- Go to recommended sites, either of SGs you're in when you're active, or those related to COH (such as the Titan network) and ask there.
- Ask friends.
There are other resources, after all.
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Quote:Does it fit the character? Who are you to say it's a "valid" or "acceptable" - or even "pleasing" name, on a character not of your own?Originally Posted by Johnny_Velocity
Unless you honestly believe that "Boxcar Artichoke" is just as good a superhero/villain name as "Meltdown" (to use the example above), this argument is both spurious and specious.
Some people don't like numbers in names. Well, I have a character who's a Seeker - on his native world, a combination cop, bounty hunter and military "elite." Being a cop, he made enemies, one of which framed him. To protect his family from disgrace, he dropped his name and is known only by his designation - Seeker209.
I have characters that don't *need* "heroic" names (or villainous ones.) They just go by their own names. And it's perfectly fine for them - because that's how the character is. Or, like my forum handle, a partial name with something to go along with it that hints at his background.
I have characters that go by designations of the items or armor they use - I've got a series of Crey armor prototypes with a designator and name (CTI Dreamer, for instance - Crey Tank - Illusion.) Much like military hardware, especially aircraft (see "F6F Hellcat, F-14 Tomcat, F-22 Raptor.")
Want a reasoning for "Boxcar artichoke?" OK. Arthur - or Arti to his friends - was down on his luck. Losing his job, his home, everything he owned, he started riding the rails, hopping on cars when they could to get from place to place. One of the places they passed through, though, was a research facility - one that had had been leaking radioactive compounds and chemicals into the ground for years. The chemicals changed him, though he didn't know it at the time. The way it reacted in him caused him to influence the growth of plants.
He found out when, unable to find food, he hopped back onto the next available boxcar. His needs and his hunger influenced the agricultural goods he was among, and he found himself blessed... with an abundance of artichokes. He sees them as a symbol of hope, now. Though nobody else seems to understand what he means, his oft-repeated comment of something being as "welcome (or lucky, or blessed, depending on the situation) as a boxcar artichoke" led to his nickname, one he wears with pride as a hero of Paragon. -
Quote:Actually, no, they didn't. The whole reason it ("serverless" that is) was brought up was to illustrate an example where the (then-new) server transfers would be rendered moot, creating a potential request for a refund of that transfer fee (which would not be forthcoming.)Originally Posted by anachrodragon
I just see non-unique names as a pre-requisite if they were inclined to merge any servers, or move to a server-less system. Remember when server transfer launched? The devs themselves broached the topic of a possible server-less system sometime in the far off future.
It wasn't a "We're considering," "We might look at," or anything even close. It was a "There are no refunds for server transfers, no matter what happens in the future, period" illustration. They could have used "If population dropped to 2000 people and we shut down all but one server" just as easily. Or even "If you change your mind and want to go back." -
Quote:No, embarrassing was ... what was it, a year? Two? ago, when council ambushes tended to be broke.Originally Posted by Laevateinn
At least your enemies are taking you seriously.
I once got ambushed by a single Rikti Drone. One. Drone.
That was so embarassing.
Level 30-40s in FF. "OK, guys, there should be an ambush coming after this, I've got a fedex."
What comes running up? A few level 1 Council. (Or maybe level 10. Deep, DEEP grey in any case.) -
This is an anti-doom thread.
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!
... eh, doesn't have quite the same impact. -
Quote:Mine tend to be, as well, but I would *HATE* to see this. Especially seeing how ridiculous it looks in CO.Originally Posted by anachrodragon
I would seriously not have a problem if they went the CO route and attached names to globals, to make them non-unique. I don't have a burning desire to monopolize any names myself, and I doubt that I'd be tripping over people with the same name. My names are usually quirky enough that I don't see them being popular choices.
Which has many, MANY issues of its own - starting with "The servers are fine," "Not everyone WANTS to be on a crowded mess like Freedom" and "The game is not about to die, which is the message a server merge sends."Quote:Plus if they did attach names to globals, that would open up the possibility of future server merges, which could help the folks on servers with declining populations.
Don't make me break out the copypasta. *glares* -
The only time it bugs me is when someone's doing it deliberately - generally they're in the high 40s-50, running around a lowbie zone being a nuisance.
It's rare. And I still give them the benefit of the doubt - the first time - and send them a tell saying "Thanks, but I don't need the help." Sometimes it's a genuine mistake (not seeing you around a corner.) Other times, they spit back some poorly spelled reply and do it again - in which case, /petition, add note, /ignore, wait them out, and go on about your business. -
Quote:/This.Originally Posted by Phillygirl
Also that is not every PvP'r
Yes, the stupid comments seem to be remembered more, as do the bad experiences. But on the other hand, most of the interactions I've had since COV and the PVP zones came out have been positive - I see "gg" or "gf" more often than stupid comments.
Of course, being all of two letters, it's easier to miss as well. *shrug*
Find a group that's more focused on PVP and join them, if you want to concentrate on PVP. Yes, there'll be some trash talk but 85% of the time it's in good fun. (The other 15% is from a minority of the population that *just won't shut up.*) -
Quote:If you didn't alter anything, you didn't lose the coupon. (You may have *redeemed* one from your vet rewards, but you didn't lose it - tailor coupons do stack. I've got characters with upwards of 50 of them, *without* counting the vet rewards - and there is to be another token grant tomorrow, I believe.)Originally Posted by Grill
I wish I had known that before I wasted a My Free Tailor Cupon. I was so excited too. I guess I should have read the forums a month ago huh! Another I-16 disappointment !.
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Quote:Sorry, but at the time that was said about power customization - which, given the "I16" comment, you're referring to - that was most certainly the truth. It was not possible with the 15-person team they had at the time. They could have DONE it, yes, but it would have been prohibitively time- and manpower intensive, severely affecting every other project.Originally Posted by thanos316
Myth: That it would be too hard or impossible to implement that new feature.
Truth: Looking at I16 right now.
Some items *are* still too hard (see "ran into a problem with customizing Granite," for a recent example) or impossible (stretching/grappling with the current engine) to do - and others (full AT/powerset respecs) are not desirable to the dev team. Other items that couldn't realistically be done with the 15 person team *can* be done now that Paragon Studios has 60+ people on staff. -
I have to admit, my first thought was "Wow, you ran across someone else in a PVP zone?"
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Quote:The only late-game mez grumble I have, honestly, is the exceedingly long (and rapidly stacked) stuns of Malta.Originally Posted by Fulmens
There's clearly and stupidly too much KB in the late game, but I don't know if you can argue that there's too much mez.
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If this game got any easier, they could just replace all powers with a big red button in the middle of the screen that says "I win."
I mean, look at the ATs:
Tank, Scrapper, Brute, Stalker, VEAT - Mez protection built in.
Blaster - Defiance 2.0
Controller - Should be able to throw some control, buff (say, FF) or debuff
on the enemy before getting mezzed. And most have pets if they DO get mezzed, post-32, to get aggro off the controller.
Defender, Corruptor - See above comments on buff/debuff.
Kheldians - can take Dwarf for insta-breakfree built in. (Not to mention mezzing doesn't detoggle them, so they don't get knocked out of Nova if they're in it, nor do they fall to the ground.)
Dominator - Again, can mez first, and there's always the "Get out of mez free" of Domination.
Mastermind - heh. Sure. Go ahead and mez the mastermind as the pets beat on you. Or mez one of the pets as the MM debuffs you. All pain, no gain.
And of course, Breakfrees are hardly rare, AND we've been able to combine inspirations for a few issues now. There are also plenty of sets that give resistance (lowering the duration of the mez) on top of defense (to make sure you don't get mezzed in the first place.)
So this terrible, horrific need for mez protection is... where, again? (And yes, I do play quite a few defenders, controllers, and dominators.)