Ramification TM

This is kind of why I thought you might have a hard time with themed contests. Especially something offbeat.

There's probably some out there, but the author community that actually participate in the forums is very small. You could get an accurate headcount from past contests I'm sure. Maybe like 20 of us? And I haven't even been playing in months due to health issues. Just pop by the forums every so often.

Mandatory in the fact if you ever want to advance/level shift your character. Basically locked out of content if you DON'T do the TF's.

Every player should have the right to advance their character. If you can't advance without doing the TF then the crap is mandatory.

What is so hard about that concept?

It's an obvious marketing ploy. Just think about the big picture here. The developers know that most players quit MMORPG's before hitting level 10, and/or before their trial has even expired. So they created this expansion with an obvious angle to entice new players.

Hate to say 'bait and switch' but... You know a duck is a duck. Think Age of Conan- superior level 1-20 experience followed by a completely different game. Good idea on paper but it never works out and is a good way to burn new customers.

Really it has ZERO to do with the story and EVERYTHING with wanting brand new players seeing their best work first, subscribe, then leave them scratching their heads in the end.

This expansion brought in some new blood. Myself in point. I started the day GR launched. Saw the ads, always wanted to try COH, etc... Started in Praetoria with minimal knowlege of the lore. Then I accidently left through the portal not knowing I wouldn't be able to return. So I was thrust into the real COH game not knowing wtf just happened.

Since then I've burned through pretty much everything. Even offset adventures such as badge hunting, base building, amassing influence, built a multi billion prestige base, published several AE stories. All of this since GR launched and I don't play 24 hours a day either.

Anyways. In short- it's just to force new players into seeing the better content first.

I never have run the TF's and never will. It isn't about needing something immediately. I'll never advance my character period if I am gated by a Task Force.

It's forced grouping cut and dry. Not a new concept in MMORPG's which have a playerbase to support it. Really reminds me of LOTRO's legendary item system. Yet even that was better implemented than this idea.

Right now it looks like they lifted the idea straght out of WOW's raid of the week concept. Once again, they have a large enough playerbase, and would never release major content patches without throwing soloers a bone.

What I'd really liked about CoH is that you were never forced to group to keep advancing. Now you are forced to group or you're done.

You keep speaking of basically making your own fun. Well some of us have even exhausted the 'making our own fun' concept. There's basically nothing left for me to do. I can't advance my incarnate characters and will never be able to advance them.

Does it really matter when we knew this was coming? Does that mean I should have cancelled earlier when I heard it was coming? Was really hoping some common sense would come into play- or the large amount of solo players would cause an outcry. Unfortunately not everyone uses the forums.

Might be a soloer but it doesn't mean that I don't talk to people, know people, or even have friends in this game- because I do. There's lots of people out there, just like me, who are die hard soloers.

So it isn't about OOO I gotta have a shiny right now der de derrrr. That's just ridiculous. I haven't had ANYTHING to do since they first released this incarnate system. Which kept me busy for around 2 weeks while I got multiple characters their Alpha's slotted. Since then I've just been playing other games and waiting for the upper incarnate tiers to open. They open and there is nothing for me. Not even a long drawn out option to do it solo.

If it took a hundred times more effort to do it solo that is FINE. There just needs to be an option for people like me so we have something to do. All of my 'make your own fun' options have been exhausted. There is no new content for me. By the looks of this system there never will be new content for me. I'll be stuck with my Alpha slot and be stuck forever. The characters I WANT to play and advance will collect dust on a shelf.

Cool man Whatever you guys want is the way it should be! Guess I should read better. Sorry Bubbawheat, didn't mean to jump the gun on you there.

Bubba, there's no reason to make this complicated. If they want a theme that's cool and all. But it sort of defeats the purpose of taking off the previous rules. This way it's open to everyone without exception. Just hate to see people being excluded.

Well that's good to know!

You make no sense. How will someone know it is your character unless they even know you? If I used my main as a character in an arc- how could you tell the difference between a custom character I created out of the blue? Same thing.

Now my use of my characters is very discreet. You'd never know that was my main inserted into a crowd of other NPC's. But if someone has an entire story revolving around a main character and it happens to BE their main character. Then what exactly is the difference?