Memphis_Bill

1. Yeah. Wasn't thinking when I posted that. Not her current prices, as far as I know, but still. Edited

2, I agree with - but was also being patient as I knew she was in school, and as mentioned a holiday bit. Still.... leading to 3 - 15 pieces. Even if she did one a month, she'd be done by now. (Plus, honestly, I *did* just about forget or a bit.)

What irks me about this *last* bit of waiting, though, is that I've seen basically "Stage before coloring." Two pieces have *gotten* colored (and I'll hold off comment on that right now.) And none of the pieces are that *difficult* - I know, easy for me to say, but she's finished (eh) the most complex one.

Still. Two days. I guess we see what happens. >.<

Bayblast brings up a good point, as far as ... let's call it too much hinderance. Or, depending on intent, just griefing. Say it has Carnies. Well, player2 doesnt' like those, "Not acceptable." Now nobody can play while in that team (without kicking him.) OK, switch to a COT map. Ugh, player 4 and 7 don't like those. Hey, Council! Cave map, there's player 3's objection.

I think, honestly, it'd backfire and hurt even the story teams. Heck,*I* have actual story arcs with subsets of factions (such as cherry-picking Banes) for a group - I don't think anyone in their right mind would call that a 'farm,' but still. If someone saw that and flagged it, nobody could play.

Also... well, one, is this account-wide, or per character? Because sometimes it's the character, not the player. I wouldn't dream of taking my Earth/FF controller out in, say, a map full of Warrior Earth folks, or Devouring Earth - but my namesake Fire/SS tank? Bring it on. They're fun. Technically "farming," perhaps, as I'll see how I can do against the group and just have fun smashing everything in my path - but I wouldn't' call it 'a farm." (I'm also avoiding the whole "farming vs exploiting vs powerleveling vs just repeating content" discussion that blazes in other areas of the forum.) TL;DR version? It's like PVEers and PVPers, or RPers/Non-RPers, or Heroes and Villains... when it comes to the players, the two groups are *not* exclusive.

You're right as far as where you put the power (I suppose that's the word I'm looking for) for farming/not farming - it's something that, exploitive maps aside, should be in the player's control. I'm just not sure there's a way to make *this* work right offhand - or that, honestly, it'd be an improvement over what I said earlier, just keeping a friends list of like-minded individuals. There's no "Oh, I clicked that button" that'll keep a team from playing that way. And don't forget, we'll have expanded search and tagging options in I15 - which should, if authors use them, make it easier to find just what you want in a story.

I completely sympathize with not wanting to get stuck on a farm team, or being sold a team only to find it's not what you wanted to join. I'm just not sold right now on a filter like this - I think, right offhand, it'd cause more issues than it would solve other than for a very few.

OK. I'm confused.

If you don't like the mission, why wouldn't you just say "Hey, sorry guys, wanted a mission not a farm" and leave, then find likeminded players to play with?

I mean, a quick glance through the description - sometimes even just the name - and I'm managing to avoid most farming missions.

I guess I'm not seeing the point, or how this would hinder anyone. *shrug* Especially with the turnover of farm missions. (Or with a leader saying "Don't press X when we're done or ..." to some new player who's on it.)

I'm sorry, you cannot say "Wrong section." Please replace with a rant, or at least a passage from "War and Peace" run through Babelfish a minimum of three times, choosing different languages and ending in English.

... somehow I don't think I spelled that right.

Anyway, I've mentioned from time to time waiting beyond actual reason for a specific artist. Not naming them yet, but the only *other* artist I have a commission with right now is Becaro's special, and it's certainly not him I have problems with.

This was set up back in April 2008, link from a friend's journal who said the person was having trouble with school and so having a sale. Well, decent pricing, so why not, right? 5 pieces.

Fast forward. I'm in "sketching" stage for... well, a long time. Last update for a while was in October, where I was still "sketching."

Holidays pass. I nearly forget about the person, then check back - no update. Try to contact through email - nothing. It's DA, send a note or two - nothing. Check with one or two other people on their commission list, who *also* haven't heard back... nothing. Check with paypal to see if there's any chance of action - no, but the notice from THEM gets the artist's attention. I get a message back saying "Please talk to me first, sorry this is taking so long." I mention emailing her multiple times. "Oh, my email gets messed up sometimes, use this one, I'll throw in a free piece, too."

I generally raise my eyebrow at this - if I'm waiting this long for pieces I've paid for, why would I believe there'd be another free one? But, OK, fine, I'm actually generally laid back. I actually get to see the sketches, and two of them get colored. I'm shocked.

Then I don't hear again. For months... Supposedly, by the end of the month, this person is planning to have their queue emptied out. As I look at her list and commissions, I see *one* that's been posted this month. Which leaves about *fifteen* waiting on her commission list (a few multiple pieces.) Not counting the promised "make up piece."

To be fair, she's got two days left in this month, one of which *is* still part of a weekend. To be snarky, if she put out as much art as she did excuses, she'd be one of the most prolific posters on DA. (And yes, this person is part of why I posted a bit on communication - didn't mention them, since IMHO the paid-for pieces are, in essence, being held hostage.) I'm also still rather irked by her journal posting when Paypal lit a fire under her, saying people were contacting them without telling her first - and not correcting it, which frankly I find a bit dishonest.

So why am I babbling about all this? Looking for opinions. Come July 1, she'll have passed her self-imposed deadline, and given the history so far I'm not holding my breath on seeing the paid-for pieces. If they actually show up, I'll be shocked. So, if my expectations (disapointment) are met, what should I do?

1. Just throw up my hands, walk away, and call it an expensive (well, semi-expensive, it was 5 pieces for $xx, so having gotten two, a not quite that much) lesson?

2. Tell her not to bother after that point?

3. "Out" what's happened, either through a message on her journal (which can, of course, be hidden/deleted by owner,) mine, and/or here? (I'll certainly be mentioning it elsewhere.) I *know* I'm not the only person, or at least wasn't, who's had to deal with her. And I certainly don't want anyone else getting burned by her.

4. Something else? DA, as I recall, pretty much just says "Work it out between you and them" and washes their hands of it. Paypal - past the time they can do anything.

Actually, even if she DOES deliver, I'll probably end up mentioning #3 anyway. It's been thoroughly unprofessional of her, and downright frustrating and irritating. I'd say I've been more than patient - but (believe it or not, given the arguing I tend to do on the boards) I'm really not confrontational. I tend to want to avoid it whenever possible.

Opinions? What would (or do) you do?

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Illusion/Sonic never solo's you have a 5 man team all of the time

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... after level 32. And with enough recharge to keep PA up.

It is, however, painful and ugly *getting* there.

There's actually info in the "Before you post..." sticky in these forums. They describe what to do pretty well.

Edit:

here. Links to the last informational post, which describes (and links to) the requested programs.

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I have to admit... when I posted this I was rather angry. I could have jumped the gun. I shall perform the various tests to see if it was me. However, there is really no reason to assume it was... as I've talked with a lot of people with similar problems.

I'm not willing to rule out the ISP, however. It seems like a logical explanation. I use my Insight Cable connection... so it's possible it could have a fairly wide reaching range... but still only effect a certain amount of players.

*shrugs*

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I'll point out it's not a question of *just* you, or *just* NC, or even *just* your ISP. For a while, every few months we'd have a period of time where we just couldn't log in. Lag out, then nothing but grey.

I could get to various places on the internet. I couldn't get to COH, or PLayNC (I had a friend posting for me.) Happened to a few other people - at first it seemed in the same area, then we got word back that it was a bit more widespread, but really spotty.

Turned out not to be me, or my ISP, or anything to do with PlayNC, but some server misconfigured and misrouting traffic from a completely separate company in between. Heck if I can remember their name, though.

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I almost never look at the foe I'm fighting. I look at my powers in my tray, my buffs near my HP bar, and their effects in my Combat Monitor, also near my HP bar. Maybe that's why my /Regen Scrapper faceplanted more than a Blaster on the way to 50... >.>

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That was my problem on my Empath for a while. Kept watching the team bars instead of what was going on. Typical result:

"Why can't I heal that person... Oh, that's me. Why am I dy... Oh, hello bunch of mobs surround*faceplant*"

Then I set the health/end bars to show above players heads.

Awwww. Hurry back, Lady! Teach babymage to play, then you won't have to solo! >.>

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as for this comment, does he really think that other superhero MMO's are trying to compete with something from 5 yr's ago?


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It's more along the lines of "They'll have launch content - and we'll have five years *more* of it."

We've *had* our initial overpowered period, our rebalancing, our first expansion (COV) and many issues to evolve stories. CO has not.

Not to mention, no matter what others may *see,* COH has changed since leaving Cryptic's hands, and while the few Cryptic staff that may have known where COH was going then might still remember - they don't know how anything's changed for it *now.* They'll remember not knowing how to do X, how Y wasn't possible or seemed unlikely, that sort of thing... but it's not the same game, or - with all the new hires - the same staff.

That's more of the gist of what I got from that comment.

:P

Two sides.
Missions are indoors, so people don't show up.
etc.

(Just don't have the energy for this one.)

There's... well, a lot of content here and there. It won't impact you at level 30, say, if you skip your 1-5 stuff (Kheldians aside - they've got a nice set of arcs, regardless.) You will miss some story stuff, such as information about the Clockwork King's background, a bit about the Skulls, but not massive information like, say, you get with the organ grinders arc in the 30s.

Besides, there's a lot of story, you *will* likely miss some of it. You can skip the Hollows, for instance - though it's a big, self-contained story (with a few mini ones,) or do the Hollows and miss some of what's in King's Row, do (or skip) Faultline - there are a lot of paths in the game.

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EDIT: Gosh darnit, Bill, what did I tell you about us meeting like this?

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I used my signal this time.

She may have been going for the second one here, potentially the 3rd given Croatoa, or the sixth:

lib⋅er⋅tine
  /ˈlɪbərˌtin, -tɪn/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [lib-er-teen, -tin] Show IPA
Use libertine in a Sentence
–noun
1. a person who is morally or sexually unrestrained, esp. a dissolute man; a profligate; rake.
2. a freethinker in religious matters.
3. a person freed from slavery in ancient Rome.
–adjective
4. free of moral, esp. sexual, restraint; dissolute; licentious.
5. freethinking in religious matters.
6. Archaic. unrestrained; uncontrolled.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME libertyn < L lībertīnus of a freedman (adj.), freedman (n.), equiv. to lībert(us) freedman (appar. by reanalysis of liber-tās liberty as libert-ās) + -īnus -ine 1

Synonyms:
1. roué, debauchee, lecher, sensualist. 4. amoral, sensual, lascivious, lewd.

Antonyms:
1. prude.


Or not. *shrug* I don't know the character.

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If you're facing a boss or better, you're dead because they ignore controls.


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They do not *ignore* controls, they require a higher mag, achived by stacking.

(Edit: Terminology, just to be sure.
Mag - Magnitude. You should be familiar enough with this by watching your own "real numbers." See Paragonwki listing for Hold to see the mag you must overcome for each rank. Minions and LTs generally are held with one application, bosses take two, and so forth. This is Stacking.... again, something you should be familiar with just from inspiration use. Your hold is Mag3, a boss has Mag3 protection - you have not overcome it. Once you hit 4+, then he will be held.)

Fighting a boss? Depends on the controller, primary/secondary and what's around. Hold-levitate-hold, confuse them, confuse the things around them, stay out of range, carry breakfrees like any squishy, don't melee.

As grav/kin, at some point you have siphon speed. It affects recharge. Yours is faster, theirs is slower. Guess who gets to stack holds faster?

As far as the build... where's Siphon Speed? Siphon power? I'd say, as a first Controller, don't bother with your "homage" concept, but build an effective character - which (to me) that doesn't exactly look like. See about getting a stealth IO if you want one, or wait 'til 15, hit Bloody Bay and do the patrol (20 for combat invis in Siren's.) Save a power choice there.

Grav distortion - don't worry about damage. It's your hold. My typical (non frankenslotted, that is) slotting is 2acc, 2rech, 2hold. If anything, I slot the single target Immob for damage, since it recharges rather quickly on its own. Longer hold = more chance to stack, less chance of retaliation.

Redside: Villain side.
Yes, they do still team up.
Freedom is the highest pop. Servers are arranged as: Last logged on, then lowest to highest load at the time.

Other info -
With three or four years, you're going to have a lot to get used to again. (Closer to three years.) Inventions, invention sets and "IOing" a character (optional, of course,) the market, AE, new zones, PVP if you're interested... Just get in, roll a character and start playing.

Suggestion: Head down to the "Servers" section, poke around the various threads, read what's going on on each server. Get a feel for them. While freedom's highest population, I tend to avoid it - I find it a bit irritating.

Also, when starting a new character, don't get pulled into an AE group (Architect Entertainment.) Yes, you *can* go 1-50 there, but go explore instead.

Edit:

And yes, go bookmark ParagonWiki. Lots of answers, lots to read through there.

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Is the Boomtown site down for everyone at this point?

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Nope, coming up fine here. Even opened in another browser to make sure I'm not looking at a cached copy.

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Pretty weak interview.

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Well, when they ask about things he can't talk about yet, what do you expect?

Kind of reminds me of an interview during the first Gulf war where some of the reporters didn't get a clue (not saying that about the Boomtown person.)

"So, where are the troops going?"
"For security reasons, I can't talk about ongoing or planned operations."
"So how many troops are there?"
"For security reasons, I can't talk about ongoing or planned operations."
"So will you be attacking..."
*exasperated looking general, speaking more slowly*
"For security reasons, I can't talk about ongoing or planned operations."

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Oh don't for a second believe the reporters were clueless. They are hoping for a slip of the tongue by asking it another way. This includes the Boomtown person. Had Matt slipped something it would be an exclusive little bit for this to post.

--Rad

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Oh, I know. I just found the reaction of the general (or whoever it was, it's obviously been a while) amusing.

Plus, as far as Posi's interview... don't forget, despite being lead, development *is* segmented. He may not actually KNOW a specific status right then to say anything, even if he could.

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Wow, Dreams SG base looks incredible!

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Indeed.

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How do you live with out haste?

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Quite well.

I have very few characters with Haste. If recharge is a problem, I tend to slot for it (not multi-million-IO-slot, just throw a recharge redux in.)

/bind (key) "powexecname Taunt$$local line"

Bind as needed.

Not when he's asked things he can't comment on, no.

Besides, we DID get some information out of it.

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sounds awesome! Unfortunately it does appear more and more that Going Rogue isn't coming until next year, bummer that.

~MM

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It's just the end of June now. Six months left in the year, they've been working on this for how long now? Long enough to get some preliminary screenshots, mention that I16 is not the same as Going Rogue and some of the plans involved...

Other than chronic pessimism, I see nothing to say it's *not* going to be sometime this year. Late this year? I'd believe that, sure.