Open_Sorce

Ok, well I don't know about the rest of the posters here but I am not in the habit of begging people who work for me for a simple response. Nor am I in the habit of being ignored by the same.

I'll spell it out for the rest of you who might think you'll get a response on this issue: The PvP in this world is unbalanced by design. The Heroes are meant to dominate the Villains. If you want true PvP go elsewhere.

Now you flamers go right ahead and post your idiocies here if you like. I'll never see it.

Nocti Forever,
OpenSorce

Is it just me or am I seeing only primarily red side saying that PvP is broken and blue side denying it? I cannot imagine enjoying PvP knowing that I had a large advantage over my opponents. It would be tantamount to gloating to a 4 year old that I had just beaten in Tic Tac Toe. To each his or her own though I suppose.

On the off chance that we haven't been articulate enough in our requests:


Dear Developers,

I am one of your paying customers who mainly plays City of Villains. The PvE experience is one of the best I have ever had and for that I give you praise and my thanks.
However, like many of your other paying customers, I believe that because the purchase price of my game and monthly subscription price are the same as other customers who play mainly City of Heroes that I am entitled to a comparable if not equal gameplay experience. Currently this is not possible due to horribly unbalanced PvP. I have searched the contents of my packaging and the forums and find no reference to this being intentional. As such I must therefore conclude that this is in fact a defect in the code. I realize that some improvements have been made to this aspect but submit to you that the job is far from complete.

On behalf of myself and other players who are subject to this broken portion of your product, I ask for a resolution begining with, but not limited to, a response or at the very least an acknowledgment to myself and the other posters on this thread.
We neither ask nor demand your presence or a meeting. We would however like to know that we are being heard after nearly a year of this thread's existence. You will notice that this thread has remained in ignored prominence on this section of your forums for quite sometime. I believe it is time that you, our developers, took notice of our concerns.

As always we thank you for an otherwise par excellence product and wait with great anticipation for any word from you.

Thank you for your time!

Nocti Forever,
OpenSorce

Arcanville,
Thank you for your post. It is both articulate and intelligent.
I disagree on the amount of work it would take to make the need completion to PvP (see my response to Arbegla). While a completion of PvP would be ideal, at this point I am simply asking for a response. A simple "We hear you and are working toward balance everyday." from a developer would please most of us. At least for the time being.

Nocti Forever,
OpenSorce

Arbegla,

In programming we have what we like to call an "if/then statement". Basically it means that an application reacts differently to different things. In the same way that this web server and your browser both know what the other is and how they should react to one another, this game can be completed. It's a simple matter of having the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of certain elements balance for PvP play. The code to do this is already in the game. Notice how when you enter the arena with another character lower or higher level than you the game compensates? Also, if a 50 brute and a 5 brute both attack a giant monster, their ability to damage and take damage scales. Players with these godlike power sets are like the giant monsters by comparison. Their damage or resistance to other players can be dynamic.
This simple if/then modification would be rather easy to make. I daresay that if this game were GNU Open Source (Free Software) the needed adjustments would be made already.

I can't tell if your comment about my vocabulary is snide or complimentary. In either case, thank you for noticing :-)

Nocti Forever,
OpenSorce

Fuzzy....
That's quite a stretch and I think you know it. Asking for a Developer's presence would be to ask that they be present at a certain time, place, event, etc. It's very similar to asking them for a meeting. Which is probably why the two rules are in such proximity to each other.
Asking for an answer is different. Let's stop the nitpicking now. If your opinion is different than mine, let's just agree to disagree. I don't believe this facet of the issue needs to be discussed any further, in the words of Forrest Gump: "That's all I have to say about that." I will no longer respond to posts of this nature.

I for one believe that regardless of whether or not it may seem (to a very few) to bend the rules, we deserve the attention of the Developers. We certainly have the right to ask for it. We are the paying customer. We are not demanding anything although it would be within our rights, as paying customers, to do so. We are not stating that we will stop playing if the issue is not fixed immediately, which we could. We are not stating that the game is bad, only incomplete. We are asking for a response. I think we all know the differences.

I believe that the Developers care enough about us to grace us with at least an acknowledgment. An acknowledgment to these people on this thread.

Nocti Forever,
OpenSorce

Junno,
I agree wholeheartedly. If you use the test server you'll notice that some parts of the game, perception for one, work differently in PvP than in PvE. This, I believe, is a matter of simply editing code.
Thank you for posting. Every post helps :-)

Meris
Okay.....I don't know how many ways I can explain this.
Please read the following lines repeatedly (that means over and over) until you understand.
RULE SAY: NO ASK MEETING
RULE SAY: NO ASK PRESENCE
ASK MEETING IS CALLING OUT. ASK PRESENCE IS CALLING OUT.
WE NO ASK MEETING. WE NO ASK PRESENCE. WE NO CALLING OUT.
WE ASK FOR ANSWERS

Get it yet? No? Read it again.

Whether or not the originator of this post is satisfied or not is irrelevant. The rest of us would like some response.
Keep posting, it helps us.

Back to topic....

Developers,
We, members of your paying customer base, have an issue with a part of your product. PvP is broken. Please respond as soon as possible.
Thanks so much!

Nocti Forever,
OpenSorce

Teh_Siph,

Thank you so much for your post. Every day I hear people complain about and laugh about PvP in-game. Rarely do they develop the drive or perhaps the courage to say so here.
NC Soft does their homework. They KNOW that balancing PvP will pay off and I would imagine it's on the to-do list, especially with Cryptic working on their marvelous new product. The time for NC Soft to listen to their subscribers is now. I think they know it.

On another subject, you other guys keep posting. It keeps the thread on top. Was I talking about you when I described flamers? That's a question only you can answer.

Nocti Forever,
OpenSorce

Thank you, you've actually made my point better than I probably could have. The fact that there are certain powersets and sides of this game that allow players to completely dominate PvP is a big part of the issue. We all know that factors like Perception are different in PvP than in PvE. If this is possible than so is altering the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of some powers, enhancements, etc in PvP ONLY for the purpose of balanced PvP. It could be done without even altering the PvE experience. I believe that it's just a matter of properly editing code.

Nocti Forever,
OpenSorce

Arbegla,
Thanks so much. Especially for the perma-dull pain tip. I had thought that such a configuration would work. I am in your debt.

Meris608,
What? Did you happen to notice that I didn't start this thread nor did I even post until very recently. It's kept itself alive for almost a year without me. By whom do you suppose? My imaginary friends? Oh and....'I' am this "Open_Sorce" person that you mention, quite obviously. Also, the point of my post was not to state that we do not have a request. We most certainly do. I think if you read for yourself you'll see that there is no blanket rule against all requests. You should also note that the context of my post was that our request is neither for a meeting or anyone's presence. Our request is to be heard and either responded to or at least acknowledged, again quite obviously. Perhaps, comprehension is still an issue?

Listen, I know that some people would like nothing more than to plant flame bait. They hope to make themselves feel superior by doing so and fail miserably as with most things. I actually find flame bait amusing. It happens in every medium where they cannot be personally and directly challenged. In essence, it is cowardice.

So, let them rant and insult if they must. Most of that is beneath the rest of our collective notice. We all know that they act this way for the same reason the rest of us do not: it's how we were raised. If these types of people do so to the extent of getting the topic closed then we, not they, have won. A closed thread means that someone in authority read it.

Let's also not forget that there is a legitimate issue with the product that should be addressed. When I sent a petition about it, the response email sent me here. As I imagine happened to many others who have posted or who at least follow this issue.

We are here by invitation.

We will not be dissuaded or drawn off topic. We will not simply cease to voice our issues no matter how derogatory or insulting the flamers become.

Back to the topic:

Developers,
We, your loyal paying customers, have found an issue with your product. We are not demanding anything at this point. However we do feel as if we deserve some response to our concerns or at the very least some acknowledgment. We patiently await and expect your response.

Thanks so much!


Nocti Forever,
OpenSorce

Arbegla
This is a serious question so please don't get the idea that it's sarcasm.
How would you PvP with a Dark Melee/Invulnerability Brute?

I disagree. Once again I think it's a matter of properly expressing to the Developers our concerns. The burden of communicating, for now, rests with us the customer.

meris608
Comp? As in Comprehension? Interesting that you should say that. We are neither asking for the "presence" of or "a meeting" with the Developers. We are asking for a response. I imagine we would settle for a simple acknowledgment.

But back on topic....

Developers,

Your customers would like at least an acknowledgment of the concerns we have with your product. We faithfully, but anxiously await your response.
Thanks so much!

Nocti Forever,
OpenSorce

Work_ethic,

Well it's good to see that some effort has in fact been made. I did read that post but was indeed ignorant of these improvements.
My reference to a lack of acknowledgment was regarding this particular thread and the issues raised therein. As for why the PvP changes did not raise the game population, I would say that the job is not finished. Once it is and this game has a reputation for balanced enjoyable PvP, I believe it's numbers will swell. I thank you for the discourtesy at the end of your message. It does give insight to the character of a person who actually opposes improvement.

But back on topic....

Developers,

Your customers would like at least an acknowledgment of the concerns we have with your product. We faithfully, but anxiously await your response.
Thanks so much!

Nocti Forever,
OpenSorce

"Please respond as soon as possible."
This and every line in my posts are requests...not demands. I can only imagine that the developers in this game have much higher integrity than to hide behind some "no calling out" clause.
Especially when the concerns of paying customers need to be addressed and NO demands have been made.

Also, as any business person will tell you: While you may not be able to please every paying customer with your product. You certainly have a responsibility to at least address every concern that any paying customer may have. As a matter of fact it's a basic tenant of most business organizations. I'm certain that the developers of this product have the same or greater customer service awareness than say...the local convenience store. Thus far we have yet to hear so much as an acknowledgment of the problem.

Once again: I Developers: We, your paying customers, have a concern. Please address it as soon as possible. Thank you

Nocti Forever,
OpenSorce

CaptA: Thank you. That was.....informative, if nothing else.

Hertz: Whining? Calling out? I don't see that at all. I see people with real enough dissatisfaction to keep a non-sticky post on the forefront of the forum for over a year. I see people respectfully asking to get equality, to get balance. Despite the obvious responsibility and authority of the Developers, we are their most important asset. We are the paying customer. We have a concern and as such deserve to have it directly addressed.

I've noticed PvP most often played by a handful of players who know the weaknesses of the unbalanced system. That was once the case in Matrix Online. After that combat system underwent a complete redesign, all of that changed. It was amazing how many more players began to pvp once there was a bit more balance in play. I estimate that due to MxO's storyline issues, the only factor keeping it alive is it's PvP. Had the change not been put into effect I can only imagine whether the game would still exist.

So just to clarify:

Dear Developers,

I join with the other posters on this thread in asking WHEN will the pvp in your product be balanced? Please respond as soon as possible. We are faithfully waiting for an answer.

Thanks so much!

Nocti Forever,
OpenSorce

secks...whatever,

I notice all your characters are CoH. This leads me to believe that you have no idea about unbalance at all. Do have fun with your heroes though. Cheers!

Let me state the obvious if you will indulge me. This is February of 2008. This thread is nearly a year old. It sits in the "Developers Corner" category of the forums. It appears on the first page of posts consistently but is not "sticky".
Does the absence of any "red named" response mean what I think it does? Have the developers truly ignored this topic for nearly a year?!?

Though I am rarely thankful for moments of ignorance, this is an exception. I am actually glad that I did not read this post before returning to CoV/H. Otherwise I may not have returned at all.

Being a veteran of several other MMO's and having participated in PvP in all of them I am somewhat qualified to say this: The PvP balance in CoH/V is utterly laughable. If there has been any attempt to make PvP in this world balanced, it has failed.
If there is any belief by the developers that it is balanced, that belief is grossly misguided.

This thread which has been here and added to for nearly a year clearly indicates that paying customers are not satisfied.

I can only assume that the developers are simply unaware of the depth of the issue and how many customers that it affects.
Following that train of thought, perhaps we should try a little harder to share our concerns with them. Perhaps the burden of communicating the problem to the developers continues to be ours.

In many aspects, this game is perfect. It's interesting, intelligent and challenging. Balancing the PvP and epic power sets would make it much better.

I am not advocating or condoning that we spam the developers with petitions. However, we certainly have the right and responsibility to make certain that the developers are fully aware of our dissatisfaction with this aspect of their product for which we, the customer, pays at least $180.00 a year.

Nocti Forever,
OpenSorce
TheNocti.com