Memphis_Bill

Click the wiki link in my sig, and type in "Limits" in the search.

Then bookmark the wiki main page - lots of good info there.

/adds voice to "If you haven't been in in a bit, don't AE through the game." Use it as a little flavor here and there.

Sam pretty well covered it.

If I SJ from the top of the Giza, I'd better be taking damage.

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Avillians and Coralax EATs - I thought I remembered these being mentioned a lot as upcoming EATs. Now Avillians may have been shelved since I think their main purpose was to give us wings and we already got them but what about Coralax? Also, these EATs were supposed to be unlocked through means other than getting a 50 so more people could experiance them. I'd dearly like more EATs although all the new powersets that come out regularly are good enough for me too I guess.

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These, as far as I know, have been scrapped. Villains got their own EATs in the form of the Arachnos Soldiers, instead of getting the Blood of the Black Stream, Nictus, or Coralax (which up until the announcement of what they were going to be, many players thought that the choice would come out of those three). Avilans were on the EAT list from a long, long time ago, but I think were scrapped when the Devs gave wings to everyone.


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Avilians are absolutely scrapped, confirmed by Posi (asked him directly during an IRC chat during some event or interview or some such.) No, no redname post to point to, it was off the boards.

Coralax - no word.

Known status of EATs, 12/08

One question from earlier that I noticed that I don't see a response from you on - are you doing this from work or home?

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Its a 'feature' for the female characters only that they can't sit with legs up on benches or arms over the backs of chairs >.< The emotes are distinct for male/huge characters

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Oh is that what it is? I figured it was just some bugged and broken emotes. Maybe someday they will either make those emotes cleaner for females or make some additional ones.

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For instance, sitting with your legs crossed but your arms over the back of a chair...

I just hate how every single female emote, except for (I think) one of the Sit Chair emotes, looks so...tense. Like, female toons NEVER relax? What? O.o

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Tense? They don't look that way to me.

And if not everyone wants to go? Or agrees on the name? Who has a say? Can it be overridden?

They gave bandwidth, as I recall, as a reason for the size limitation (file size, not memory.)

Head up to the mission architect forum, ask for some help in trimming down the size. You can do quite a bit with that 100k.

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I always wondered how you get those buttons to have words on them, the grey ones?

Mines in my sig, pretty basic, I like to see whats going on while playing

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/macro name command

Whatever's in "name" will show up (as best it can) on the button.

Mine.

Since my MMs are "busiest," I picked one of them. Nothing fancy.

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I would suggest that there never again be an AT designated "epic". New ATs should just be regular ATs available at character select. I would much prefer a number of "neutral" (that can play on either side) ATs to coincide with Going Rogue.

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I disagree (unsurprisingly.)

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You would disagree with me if I said the Atlantic Ocean is a body of water.

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Heh. No, some things I might actually agree with you on.

This just doesn't happen to be one of them.

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You don't think the Atlantic Ocean is a body of water?

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*throws something heavy at EG* :P

As long as it's purely, 100% optional.

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However... When Longbow, a law-abiding and law-enforcing entity, starts using them, it sets my teeth on edge.

If there isn't a Geneva Convention in CoH-world, possibly due to the fact that super-powered beings who can spit fire breath are an almost regular occurrence, then I suppose I could live more easily with this issue. However, if there is one, then why wouldn't flamethrowers be included under the "no cruel weapons" portion? If they ARE, then why is Longbow using flamethrowers is they're supposed to follow and uphold the law?

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Even if it's OK thanks to supervillains and whatnot - they use them on decidedly non-powered individuals. The Skulls have... what, bone daddies? The Hellions, their Damned. Everyone else is really just a gang member. The Warriors, as well...

It's a bit of overkill.

(Wish I could find this bit I wrote from the POV of a Rogue Isles reporter "visiting" (and turning things, a bit, in) Paragon.

Well, since he said go ahead, I'll put up the info for the guy I've been commissioning quite a bit -

semaj007 (James Huang) ( http://semaj007.deviantart.com )

Just linking to the stuff he's done for me, he's got a bit of description and comment on process and such in the comments for each, he's got quite a bit more in his gallery:

First piece I'd had done by him, vonDrakkar - he's got some progress shots on this one.

Who wanna dance (Deadly Diana)

Wraith and Dreamon

Feliney Assault and Medikitty



He is, last I'd checked, taking commissions.

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Now I recognized you edited your post to respond to this, but a non-tradeable set where the benefits were specifically tailored to be useful, but not overpowering (i.e. stay way from +def, +recovery and the like) would be worth looking at before dismissing out of hand IMO.

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That said, you're refusing to see, or downplaying, some of the major differences between the little in-game buffs and purchasing an IO set (or more than one.)

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Again, what I think you're missing in my post is that this is not a black and white issue. I could come up with an IO set that would not be overpowered, but people might enjoy buying. You can control the variables you talk about.

The problem I'm having with your criticism of the idea is that you're not even considering the possibility that there is a middle ground. That's poor form. Especially to use against someone who isn't a regular on these boards like the OP.

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I honestly cannot think of a way to create an IO set that would *find* that middle ground between "overpowered" and, say, "too specialized/bonuses too negligible to be worthwhile." And make it worth NC's while to have to deal with either the CS complaints/refund requests, the creation of - to borrow a term from other games - "bound" IOs if trading them would be an issue (which, yes, I think it would be,) and the like.

(Just touching on that - are they allowed to be put in enhancement bins? Unslotted? What happens if you don't have the power any more after a respec and such? How are they handled in regards to levels? Of course, all these have been mentioned during the thread already.)

Still, go ahead and come up with one. I'm honestly curious to see if you could, given a bit of time. Name the price point, too.

About the only way I can see selling "IO packs" would be commons as a sake of "starter convenience," and even then there's the question of how to deliver them, price point, what if the ENH tray isn't empty/they buy more than they need/there's no storage, and in-game trade for INF (and the effect on the market.)

Power questions aside, I really do see it as more hassle than it'd be worth.

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I would suggest that there never again be an AT designated "epic". New ATs should just be regular ATs available at character select. I would much prefer a number of "neutral" (that can play on either side) ATs to coincide with Going Rogue.

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I disagree (unsurprisingly.)

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You would disagree with me if I said the Atlantic Ocean is a body of water.

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Heh. No, some things I might actually agree with you on.

This just doesn't happen to be one of them.

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And the magnitude or degree between a tiny buff and an IO set is what you're ignoring in this argument.

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NO. I. AM. NOT.

EvilGeko wrote earlier in this thread:

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[u]Of course, this would be an order of magnitude more powerful,[u] but I don't think it's so easy to dismiss this idea.

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As I said above, micro-transactions already provide tangible benefits to the PvE game; [u]we're only arguing about the degree that micro-transactions should be allowed to cross the line.[u]

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[u]The point is that this is a matter of degree.[u] The argument that "We only pay for fluff" is false. You can argue that it's not, but the numbers are what they are. Mystic Fortune provides real buffs.

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I have said multiple times in this thread that we're arguing about a matter of degree. In fact, I mentioned this the very first time I posted, it wasn't a refinement of my argument. I stated that this idea is of "an order of magnitude more powerful." I ignored nothing. I haven't even argued that this is a good idea. I've simply stated the truth; the devs have tipped their toes in the "micro-transactions affecting the game" pool. The only question is how far are they willing to go.

Bill, you plain out didn't read what I wrote in this post. I don't do that to you, I ask that you don't do it to me.

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Bad phrasing (and admittedly time between posts) on my part. My apologies.

That said, you're refusing to see, or downplaying, some of the major differences between the little in-game buffs and purchasing an IO set (or more than one.) These tend to define the limits the devs have placed - and which an IO set for sale goes *far* beyond.

In game buffs usually have multiples of the following in combination (not all at once.)
- Are small in degree.
- Are limited by degree or design (jump pack = vertical movement only.)
- Cannot be stacked.
- Have extreme time limits (30 minutes-1 hour between them.)
- Cannot be slotted or enhanced.
- Have an element outside the user's control.
- Have a repeated cost in actual money (jet pack)
- Cannot be traded
- Provide only a minor boost in game.
- May provide a *negative* effect.
- Or have no effect on game mechanics at all.

For instance, the one causing the biggest commotion here is the Mystic Fortune power. Looking at it:

- It cannot be stacked, by the same or different casters (and different casts, IIRC, do not alter the power granted.)
- Has an element outside the user's control (I cannot pick the buff I'm granting,)
- Can provide a negative effect (damage or -tohit.)
- Cannot be traded. It's only on your account.

Or, the jetpack. Hey, great way to avoid taking a travel power, right?
- Costs real money, every 30 days.
- Is not enhanceable.

Or one causing a stink, the upcoming body-change in the Science pack...
- has no effect on game mechanics at all. (Purely cosmetic.)

How about the respec? That provides no advantage in game. It's simply one of *several* ways of getting it - including trials, vet rewards, recipes, and "freespecs." I'd wager it's probably the least-purchased item, given how many free ways there are of getting it.

Now, look at IOs.
- Provide a decided advantage over a character without it.
- Advantages are permanent (until de-slotted, of course.)
- Multiples can be slotted (uniques aside) multiplying those advantages.
- Can be traded in-game.
- Can be sold for in game currency.
- Can alter a character well outside the bounds of standard slotting and "lucky" drops. (See multi-perma doms, def-softcapped Blasters and the like.)

IOs go so far out of the established bounds for purchasable items they're not on the same continent. Entertaining the idea that the devs would be in the *least* bit willing to go anywhere near this is, frankly, ludicrous.

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Not even:
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However, if the devs decided that they would create a separate non-trade IO set that they sold via micro-transactions, then I would at least want to see how it affected balance before I said, "no."


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The problems with even this idea make me think the only effect it would have on a dev's thinking would be to have them wonder, just for a second, if it were April 1.

While perhaps not an enemy... look up the Batallion (IIRC.)

That said, I have to reinforce - one of the big draws of this game to me (and big minuses to others) is that my look is *mine.* I don't spend time in the costume creator only to end up looking like every other schlub by the time I get to level 5 and have to replace all my armor/weapons/etc.

And just for general use in the future -

Click the wiki link in my sig, and bookmark it

(Since the wiki does have the current salvage info.)

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My argument is solely against the specious and false idea that all microtransactions are for "fluff". They aren't. That's simply a fact.

Respecs aren't fluff;

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One time, ten bucks. It doesn't affect overall power level - ok, you can use it to un-gimp, but it's a selection of what the character already has available. It does not make, say, Fireball suddenly increase overall damage, accuracy, and reduce recharge like an IO set.

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Flight powers aren't fluff;

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Limited to 30 days, unenhanceable. Not like getting *real* flight for free. Plan around it, you have to still plan on getting a flight power, buying an in-game jetpack, or increasing your subscirption to $20/mo to keep purchasing the pack.

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Ally buffs aren't fluff.

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Limited duration, nonstackable buffs - they can't stack from *different* casters, much less the same. Not like a permanent power increase. And you can't control which one you give - you can even damage teammates or lower their To-hit. Yes, they can be up to a DO's worth - again, unstackable, and uncontrollable as far as which gets given. Were that control in there, or if they were stackable - or, in the "Devs drunk night out" world, both - those values would be much, MUCH lower.

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They aren't cosmetic. They do things. That the existence of these items undercut your argument is not my problem. They do.

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And the magnitude or degree between a tiny buff and an IO set is what you're ignoring in this argument. The OP says a *permanent* set of increases, as you would get from an IO set, is "fluff." It most certainly is not. Every temp power from the packs come with limitations that, yes, do set them in the realm of "Fluff." Purchasing an IO set (and who, "tricking out" a build, would stop at one, barring already having the others?) is far different from the little temp powers we get now.

You're making the temp powers from the boosters out to be far more than they are.

Edit: Plus, yes, Forbin has a good point. None of the temp powers can be traded or sold on the market. Period. An IO set certainly can.

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1. Yes.

2. Yes.

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I have emails back and forth from friends who aren't currently in the game, I have them dealing with group builds (as a quick reference, rather than trying to find some blasted piece of paper) and more.

As far as sending, I've sent informaiton about SGs, I've sent long, back and forth conversations with people dealing with (for instance) how to command mastermind pets, and explaining what bodyguard mode is - which end up being far too long for tells, and are of course available for later reference. Not to mention wiki links and the like.

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For maximum carnage please please please deactivate the police drones, and allow the Rikti to appear inside the AE buildings.

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No.

While I understand the annoyance with the "AE babies," it'd also be targeting those of us actually *working on missions* - as in writing, who don't see anything but the edit screen.

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I would suggest that there never again be an AT designated "epic". New ATs should just be regular ATs available at character select. I would much prefer a number of "neutral" (that can play on either side) ATs to coincide with Going Rogue.

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I disagree (unsurprisingly.) Epic ATs should do what they were initially defined as - be tied to (and explore) a specific part of the lore more deeply than the regular ATs.

However, they should (obviously) not be unlocked at 50 - the devs won't do that again.

That said:

Status of previously mentioned EATs.

Edit:

And *that* said, if the best they can do is give them the *utter crap, not worth playing* style storyline of the VEATs instead of the in depth, fun and interesting one of the Khelds, they shouldn't bother. A story-based AT with no story worth mentioning just... no.

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Don't we have loincloths from one of the holiday events?

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We have togas, sandals/laurels, pumpkin heads, santa boots, gloves, and hat. Think that's all.

Ancient history.

The contacts used to be the primary source for "power 10" enhancements, where otherwise you had to go to find stores. Call it a convenience tax.

now... eh.