Nethergoat

we don't even have to get into the whole 'introvert/social phobic/whatever' thing, or get into specific percentages.

The game has a substantial number of players who're here for the soloing, for various different reasons. The game is well served by keeping their preferences in mind going forward, since it's built their loyalty over the last 7-ish years by staying very solo friendly.


Taking design cues from 'those other games' isn't a smart move. I'm playing one right now, and the closer CoH moves to that style of play the less motivation I have to come back.

TFs aren't a draw for me as I almost never have the time/opportunity to run them.
Discounting Quick Katies back in the day I can count the TFs I've run over nearly 7 years of gameplay on two hands.

I mean it's great they added some new TFs for the people who enjoy them, but IMHO the slot IS the content

Tony's one of the original and most vocal of the Purity Police. He'd be super happy if the game was empty except for him and the twenty people who think exactly like he does.

His rabid exclusionism is such a given I rarely bother commenting on it.

There is a qualitative difference between time delayed interactions in a moderated environment like a forum and dynamic, instantaneous 'live' interaction with random unmoderated strangers.

It takes an epic hypocrite to cough that up while arguing to exclude a play style from a game system.

Teams can already do everything in this game, and generally do it faster and more efficiently than soloists.

The game was promoted and has historically been developed as 'the solo friendly' MMO.

And again, for about the 10,000th time, MULTIPLAYER describes the game environment, not any sort of forced teaming system.

When they engrave your expectations on stone tablets and elevate them above the expectations of the other paying customers, let me know.

I can see why Tony V's Little Book of Inspiration was circular filed by every publisher in town.


Oh you mean like when they added merits and let people buy recipes? Or when they added Amerits and let them buy more recipes easier? Or when they added tickets, or etc etc etc.

Whatever your personal feelings are, the devs clearly don't have anything against inclusion and so advocating for an expansion of Incarnate access is entirely reasonable. Your counter-argument, sticking your fingers in your ears and shouting NUH UH!, isn't very compelling.

but where's the fun in that!

=P

that's an amazing feature, where do I find those special bins? =P


It's only as time consuming as you make it.
I guess if you want to bid creep that's your business, but I don't waste time 'saving inf' on salvage, I buy what I need to craft what I have and do it. Recipes can take some time if you want to save, but most can be had for peanuts or a reasonable approximation of the 'last five' and a bit of patience.

As usual, you insist on doing everything the hard way and then making a big deal out of it. Alas for you, this forum is populated by people who know better.

are you one of those unfortunates that has to input data via eyeblinks, or something?

Because crafting junk in this game is about as difficult and time consuming as turning on the teevee.

yah, that would be fine too.

you monster!

>:e

I don't think it's accurate to say "prices overall have risen".
some things have gotten more expensive, yeah, but lots of other things have plunged in value.

Players can like goals (and do, as the popularity of MMOs verifies) while simultaneously understanding that the goals represented by the vet reward system are fairly minor.


Minor goals still work as a motivator.
Exhibit A, badges.
Nobody's going to ragequit because they can't get all the badges, and yet badges have a devoted following.

Likewise, nobody's going to ragequit because they can't have this or that vet reward. They're nice, they're something to aspire to, and they're not a big enough deal to freak out over.

This must be a frustrating conversation for you, as you insist on misinterpreting totally compatible statements as being contradictory.

And if you were the only veteran around that might be relevant.

There have been several periods over the past few years where I would absolutely have un-subbed for a bit if not for the desire to keep up my vet rewards. The only reason I'm posting right now is because of vet rewards- a pal gave me a free year of Some Other Game and playing level catch-up has been absorbing all my free time. CoH isn't a big expense, but there are absolutely other things I could spend that money on while I'm basically not playing it at all. So in this case their vet reward system is paying off handsomely, and I'll wager it does so in many other cases.

If it didn't work, it wouldn't exist- or rather, they'd just hand out a badge and maybe some merits every few months and use the energy spent on the 'better' rewards elsewhere.



It isn't a case of 'entitlement'. It's a case of "hey look, a game system to promote continuous subscription!"

What's entitlement is wanting rewards other players have spent years 'earning' for doing nothing.

Any time a thread on this topic gets posted you come running.
I don't have to say anything, your actions speak for themselves.

In a nutshell.

You *can* do a lot of things with enough effort, but over the years I've found that the easiest way is also the most lucrative- following the market instead of making the market.

Let's say you put a lot of time and energy into "controlling" whatever and make a few billion. Meanwhile, someone else just follows the trends and makes the same amount with a fraction of the effort.

Who on earth wants to bother with controlling anything? It's way more work for at best the same profit.

I didn't say either of those things.

I don't think very many players care about it the way you do, and they're nice perks to show appreciation for longtime players.

The two statements are not incompatible.


I already told you- because the devs, for whatever reason, don't want a lot of people having that tool.


News flash, players like goals.
Giving them stuff up front doesn't motivate them to do much except get bored faster and leave.
If the game is fun, they'll stick around, if it isn't they'll leave.
Having an extra couple of attacks or some oddball costume pieces aren't going to alter that equation enough to matter.


Again, you assume handing out vet rewards for free would have some kind of galvanizing impact on people. And in any case, you can have lots of people happy to play the game AND "pander" to your most loyal, reliable customers at the same time. It's not an either/or situation.

The game absolutely values long term, reliable revenue generators like veteran players. That alone isn't enough to carry the load, of course, but it certainly make their lives easier.

When someone reliably pops up to ride their hobby horse every single time a particular subject comes up....that's a crusade.

I'll pretend for a moment you're not an ideologue who ignores anything contrary to your preconceived notions and reply.

1: you can only achieve 'control' of an item for a short period and under special circumstances. It is usually more trouble/work than it's worth, and it will only last as long as circumstances allow. Barring naturally occurring niche failure brought on by player migration or changes in the structure of the game, other marketeers will eventually find any profitable niche you uncover and move in, eroding its value.

2: Personally, yes I have done it. Which is why I understand the limiting factors that make it unsustainable over the long term.

3: no, you can't. there are too many factors outside your control.

4: I think I ended up making a small profit, mostly because I forgot about a bunch of stuff I had stashed away and sold it during a reactivation weekend frenzy. But it is much easier and more profitable to work *with* the tide than against it- following what players are doing is much simpler and more lucrative than trying to convince them to do what you want.

5: Handsomely, no. I'm sure its possible, but again it's simpler and more lucrative to follow the herd rather than trying to corral it.

Back when a million was...well, if not a LOT of inf, at least a noticable chunk, I started the Lucky Lowbie Lottery, where a rotating cast of marketeers would buy some random piece of low level junk salvage for the outlandish sum of ONE MILLION INF, presumably making the day of a fellow player and rewarding them for posting that crummy tech common with 1200 listed and 0 bidders.

I don't think many players care one way or another about vet rewards, the same way not many care one way or the other about the market itself.

I mean, I'm glad I've got the ones I've got, it's nice that they decided to throw a bone to long-time supporters of the game. But none of them are great enough to get worked up over.

Yes, they should by all means antagonize their most consistently loyal supporters, that's genius.

What they'll do is keep handing out little bonuses as vet rewards and produce shinier stuff for paid boosters. That way they keep the vets and the accountants happy.

You're assuming new players give a care about vet rewards just because you think they should.
I thought everyone should care about merged markets, but forum activity indicated otherwise...I fear you're in the same boat with this personal crusade.

Anywho, vet rewards are a small investment for them to make in the continuing goodwill of the game's most loyal, reliable players. I'll be shocked if they mess with success.

As long as you're having fun it's none of my business. =P
Cheers!