Memphis_Bill

For both factions? I'm sorry, I'm not sure what "factions" you're talking about here, given the market is shared everywhere.

I'm not quite sure what the experiment is meant to prove, either. I mean, if the market kiosk is there, it will be used by people that don't have the /ah command... unless they can't get to it (such as an itrial or two coming back in in the area) or don't know of it, in which case they'll go where there's another one, or put off using it. Those *with* the /ah command might go across the room, or they might just use /ah where they stand.

I don't think the experiment would prove much of anything except how soon people become aware of said kiosk in PD.

Trainers
Inspiration vendors
Some missions. (Seasonal, though some of my characters still have access to them.)
Inter-faction travel.
Arena

Sound like services to me. Have you been there lately?

It is also *designed* as a social hub... y'know, for that player interaction you're aiming for.

Amazingly, we don't have to. Because we have the /ah option. And multiple BM/WWs, so people don't *have* to crowd.
Keep setting up those strawmen to try to divert attention from the fact your argument has no merit.

Just to illustrate - if the Atlas market were busy (given being right next to AE, etc... and I never saw "socializing" there) I'd typically go to King's Row. To the point where the KR market was pretty much my first stop. I knew I could get in, get what I needed done, and get out.

Which also, frankly, puts the lie to the markets ever being social hotspots, as people were given choices of *multiple* places to go both for convenience and to avoid crowding. You'll note that we don't have Pocket D, E, F and G to deliberately spread people out.

Pocket D was designed to be a social spot, for one thing - so was the PDP before it, though that was more a "secret club." The Atlas plaza and hill on Talos were just sort of "created" - they're either open areas where you can see the new people come in (after all, they spawn right at the bottom of the stairs,) or they've become that way because of invasions and other events. (There's really noplace similar redside, which I add to the list of flaws there.)

It's easy to socialize there.

The markets? There's several things *designed into* them that make them not "social hotspots." One is that you're going there to interact with a (very) few NPCs. Two, at least with Wentworths, it's a fairly confined area - and I can't say being enclosed helps. And three, while you're standing there - unless you're "just standing there," which I don't recall seeing anyone doing pretty much since they came out, regardless of server - you've got at *least* the market window open (which is not small.) Or the merit vendor window open, and you're browsing through that. You probably have your recipe and/or salvage window open as well. Why? You're there to do some specific business.

It's basically the difference between saying hi to someone at a bar (or park or whatnot) and getting between someone and the teller at the bank. One you'll get a response from. The other, you'll just irritate people with -and the second one's not the bar.

Part of the point of /ah (getting back to the suggestion) is, frankly, convenience - you don't *have* to get to a specific place, worry about waiting in line, etc. It's like banking from home... and most banks I've dealt with don't have a charge for that, either. No need to worry about tellers (or in our case having one of those instances people just finished something and are crowding the NPCs) or to go out of your way (I can use /ah while waiting for a team to finish arriving at a mission or while someone runs a talk-to - making /ah more social than the OP's suggestion, as I don't have to *leave* my team's area.)

I don't know if it's so much to "slip one past the censors," though it did fit that role, as to add some... how can I put it... archaic-ness to Loki somewhat like Thor has.

Besides, how many people (a) heard it correctly and (b) knew what it meant?

"So that's what that does."

So what's wrong with using the Hero/Villain Event channel for this instead of ADMIN? It comes up by default anyway. It can be moved to another tab. And it would seem far, far more appropriate. The complaint is that the every-channel ADMIN chat is used too heavily. I wouldn't argue if it were used, say, to warn of the next wave of invasions, with th invasion notices themselves coming up in the H/VZone channels.

I'd hate, for instance, to hear someone got kicked while in the middle of an event/timed mission/etc. because they got so used to seeing chatter they have zero interest in (invasions) that they ignored the "Emergency maintenance, server shutting down in two minutes!" warning.

OK, that makes sense. Personally, I think I'd suggest (with either Kheld type) more a bi-form human/dwarf just to ease that slot crunch some, but I get where you're coming from. (Alternately, leaning more on an "inhuman" build - form-heavy with just the occasional buff in human.) I know I was singing the praises of the devs on my triforms when Ios came out *just* from the ability to frankenslot!

I'd argue the description some of those as relying too much but I'm mostly replying out of curiosity... why are you saying tri-form Khelds would be good with SOs? (I don't say they're NOT - my first Kheld was a triform and hit 50 in issue 5, after all, so they can be a heck of a ride up there - I'm just curious to your reasoning in specifying triform as opposed to bi or human.)

No, I'm not right by "virtue of being well known." I've been called on things, shown to be wrong, and - here's one you can learn from - agreed I was wrong and, when needed, apologized. (For example, my "who uses hand clap" thread where I didn't expect the number of people reacting positively to its use.)

In this case, however, I'm right because you're wrong in your assumptions and statements. Including claiming I'm somehow anti-IO and only play on SOs. Also, as far as snooty remarks? Let's start with "You don't play my way so you're gimped." That's all you, chuckles.

You know what they say about people who assume, right?

I never said I don't use them. I've got quite a few IO heavy builds, and a fair number of my post-20 characters have at least one or two IOs in them for something. I said they are icing, and that SO-only builds aren't gimped. Some characters I don't bother messing with IOs with and then, bam, suddenly they're 50 and running Ramiel's arc. And, since I'm not dependant on my set bonuses and actually know what my *character* and his or her *powers* can do, typically I'm waltzing through it. Even on a squishy. I use tactics (not the power pool) backed up by inspirations when needed.

See, I know how my *character* plays. Not my sets. I use inspirations and knowledge of the game instead of waltzing in going "I'm softcapped to more positions than you'll find in the Kama Sutra." To me, going for being "untouchable" for instance is *boring.*

The rest of your post is too foolish and full of hyperbole and wannabe elitism to warrant response.

If I did it just on my 50s? At the 500 million INF level, about 14 billion.

If I did it on all the characters? At 500 million, well... how much INF is in the game now? >.> 150 billion INF, roughly.

1, no, you're not "gimped." Given the number of people whining they couldn't do (for instance) Mender Ramiel's arc on their IO builds while I walked through it on my SO builds, SO does not mean "gimped."

2. Some people don't have an option, as the OP said.

3. Using SOs, I am never "constantly" - or even "often" - falling behind teammates. I don't die more. I'm not struggling in any way, shape or form. End game content is not a "struggle" in the least, at least no more than it was designed to have some challenge to it. People have been dealing with Malta, Carnies, Rikti, the Hamidon, etc. for years before IOs came around. It was not a "struggle" then. It's not now.

4. IOs are not a "core game element." They are icing.

... really? I have several that never have any sort of flight capability. With travel powers at such a low level, there's zero reason to run the bank missions unless you like badges. And why should I be bothered adding yet another temp power to my long list and generally full trays?

Also:
is 100% incorrect. Super speed, you're still passing them and coming within range.

Teleport, you completely bypass the space between where you are and where you will be. I've used this to advantage fairly often. For instance, giving a mob essentially *zero* chance to attack me - it was busy chasing back and forth as I TP'd from one side of it to the other. Since I never passed within range, it couldn't attack. High perception mobs? I don't have stealth for them to see through. They don't see me because I'm *not there.*

Teleport: One power pick.
Jump attack: Has two prerequisites.

Anyone else find it really sad that this should ever be called "a trick?" I mean, honestly, this should be common sense.

Just as a nitpick - nothing in the old tutorial really "gave XP." (Nothing in the new tutorial does, either.) You get it for clicking like a good labrat on the cheese (er, contact) you're sent to. Predetermined doses at predetermined points.

And the new tutorial, frankly... ugh. I skip it all of the time now. The old one? At least for Outbreak, you could actually have fun *teaming* with people - tell them there's a badge for 100 of the Infected, "Ooh, I'd like that!" "Me too, invite please!" and go to town.

Absolutely nothing encourages that in the new one. (Or did in breakout either, really.)

And yes, frankly, unless you're using brawl on +5 mobs, it's faster to street sweep to level 2 by *far.* You'll probably learn more, too.