Samuel_Tow
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Posts
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Quote:Um... Yeah. Why would I not? Hell, I have to resist my urge to attack things I meet on the way or upping my difficulty to +0x2 lest I end up missing entire level ranges.Originally Posted by Scythus
How the hell are you people managing to outlevel these arcs? Do you kill every damn mob on the map? -
Quote:As have I. What could possibly be better than playing the powersets you like AND on the ATs that you want to play?Originally Posted by Lycanus
I've been asking for this since like 2004
^_^
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Once upon a time, I never really had to stop and think about the finer details of my characters when I picked my Archetype. If I wanted a stand-and-fight type of melee fighter, my only choice was between hero and villain. If I made a hero, the character would be a Scrapper. If I made a villain, the character would be a Brute. The game chose for me.
But then came Going Rogue and side switching, and soon we'll be able to make any generic AT on either side right from the start. Suddenly, I much greater freedom of choice, but I find myself unprepared to make it. Now if I want to make a stand-and-fight type of melee fight, I need to decide if I want to make a Scrapper or a Brute... And I realise that I can't, because I don't have a good idea of what the ATs represent.
This, therefore, is my question to you: What ATs do you play, and what kind of themes, styles and concepts do you see them as representing?
So as to give context to the question, allow me to share my interpretation of the four ATs I play and the differences I see between them.
Brutes: These are the heavies of my arsenal. Anything defined first and foremost by its inability to be killed goes here. When these guys get knocked down, they get up and say "OK, let's try that again!"
Scrappers: These are the strikers of my arsenal. Anything defined first and foremost by its ability to react to any threat with instant and unspeakable retribution goes here. These guys aren't often knocked down, because they prefer to simply not give their enemies that chance.
Stalkers: These are the dirty fighters of my arsenal. Anything defined by its ability to just about finish off its enemy before the fight even started, such that the actual fight is against much diminished forces goes here. While these guys are good in a stand-up fight, they're hard to force into one before their enemies are in no position to fight back.
Masterminds: These are the field commanders of my arsenal. Whenever the forces of a specific faction need to be involved, they are involved by proxy of their leader. These characters tend to be powerful in their own right, but draw most of their practical power from the minions doing their bidding.
That's all I have for my own ideas. I look forward to seeing your interpretations of the game's ATs. I'd suggest sticking to just the ATs you like playing, but feel free to go beyond if you want to. -
I used to never notice music in games and movies, myself. Just didn't think it played much of a part. After having played Aquaria, however, I began noticing that good music left me with much better impressions from a game than bad music or dead silence did. I think I finally learned to appreciate it when I finally gave up on Naruto after the show went downhill for a year and the budget seemed to have been cut down to somebody's lunch money. I never realised just how much Toshiro Masuda's amazing score helped elevate what was often a stupid, exaggerated story into absolute awesome until I had to sit through the show without it.
I appreciate that some people just don't like music in their games. That's what the option to turn it off is for. However, if you're going to HAVE music in your game, you can't afford to half-*** it. Bad music is very often WORSE than no music. It still doesn't help set the tone and mood, and often just keeps getting in the way. -
Quote:It was also used in the City of Hero trailer, so I don't mean to say it's unheard of. It just really, REALLY doesn't work for me. It bugs the hell out of me, in fact, in much the same way as using a single one-handed weapon and nothing in the off hand. Just not something I like. What really does me in, though, is using a gun in the left hand. Maybe I'm biassed as a right-handed person, but to me it always seems awkward to put your gun in your offhand, like it's a secondary weapon. I've seen it used in quite a few fictional environments, such as Warhammer 40 000 and... There was that one game about angels and demons that had this setup, but I forget what it's called.Originally Posted by Obscure Blade
Hey, it's a classic pirate combo!
Mostly, my biass is Devil May Cry. This was the first game which showed me that you can use more types of weapons than you have free hands by insta-switching between them, and STILL make it look good in real action. That's why I don't like forcing odd pairs of weapons together as a static set when they can be made as different, self-contained sets. I really don't want to be using a gun/sword combo. What I want to use is guns AND a sword, but not necessarily both at the same time and not necessarily both in the same situations. Having access to two different classes of weapons doesn't have to mean dual-wielding both weapons at all times.
As an example, I give you Onimusha 3: Demon Siege. In that game, Samonoske spends most of his time using a collection of bizarre swords, but when enemies shoot at him from out of reach, he uses a bow that's still pretty dang lethal. I wouldn't expect him to cycle through bow and sword attacks in the same combo, but having access to two weapons gives the character a much wider tool kit, conceptually speaking.
If, for instance, I wanted to make a pirate (for whatever strange reason that might be), I'd want said pirate to have access to a sword with which he could swordfight, a gun with which he could shoot at range, and only then would I consider using both in the same fight. -
Quote:They look no sillier than the various shovels, manhole covers, pipe wrenches, wood clubs, gnawed bones and so forth, really. Also, the "silly" comment came form BABs, who never held a grudge against large weapons, but merely did not want to add them to the game unless they came with their own animations. They're coming now with their own animations. Were BABs still here, I'm sure he would approve.Originally Posted by Arnabas
I remember the days when the devs didn't want to add things that looked "silly" to the game.
I like the idea behind the mechanics of the set, but the weapons look like bad anime weapons.
As far as the weapons themselves go, of the three we got, the railroad crossing sign reminds me of the Battle Axe shovel and the "sword with swords in it" reminds me of the rusty angle iron custom sword that Broadsword inherited from the Necromancy Grave Knights. They're weird, but not unprecedented. About the only thing that could be considered unprecedented is the Buster Sword, since most of our custom weapons are a bit more reserved. But then, look at the Organic Sword that came with the Mutant Pack - it's a huge, thick, wide, long blade and we can dual-wield the thing.
Really, my only concern now is presentation. I hope that the set ends up making our characters look strong for being able to wield such a massive weapon, rather than overestimating the weight of the weapon and making our characters seem too weak to wield it so as to illustrate this point. There are ways to communicate mass, strength and inertia without making characters struggle to lift and swing the weapon, and I hope the art team have chosen an approach that makes us look cool and strong.
Though, I admit - I'm biassed. I've always liked large two-handed weapons best of all, and have defaulted to two-handed swords in every game which has allowed me the choice. I've also been asking for weapons of this calibre, if not an entire set - pretty much since 2004. Now that it's finally coming, there are very, VERY few things that can happen to it that would make me not want to use it. The set would have to be horribly gimped and go that way to Live, or otherwise it would have to be ineptly animated or drawn up with a horrible style. Credit where credit is due, the art team have never delivered bad artwork, so I'm not really worried about the set's look, and power balance has always been acceptable even in the instances where I don't agree with it, so I'm not worried about the set's feel, either.
I'm still genuinely excited about this. -
Yeah, I like Focused Accuracy for that. It's nice to have when I fight anything with Dark powers on it, as those are always exceedingly irritating.
I keep wondering if I shouldn't simply skip the Super Man laser beam eyes and just stick to Energy Torrent for my ranged attack. I do so wish we had Power Blast or Power Bolt in one of the epics, though, honestly. -
I have a few things to say on the subject:
First and foremost, I agree completely. I've always felt that music adds a LOT to games, especially when it's written as ambient mood music more so than as standalone pieces. Aquaria is a prime example of the power music has in games, and of how much it can influence depth and scope of the experiences that a game can offer.
I turned off the City of Heroes music back in 2004, and I have not looked back. The music we have now is terrible, and though everyone seemed to praise the CoV music and now the GR music, I don't find them sufficiently interesting to keep my music enabled. The GR zone muisc, in fact, is about 10 seconds long. Just as it's starting to get interesting, it ends. If I am to re-enable in-game music, then I want the game to give me REAL music, not just orphaned clips as fleeting as loading screen pictures.
Secondly, I'm not sure the problem with City of Heroes' music is that it's "lo-fi," but more so that it's just not good, not consistently so, anyway. Good music doesn't need to be complex or expensive to make. Like artwork, it needs a good sense of aesthetic much more so than high processing power. In fact, pick any music loop out of Final Fantasy VII and you're likely to hit upon something that's catch, memorable and powerful, helping set the mood of an appropriate scene to a great effect, and all that game's music is pretty much a bunch of midi files.
I don't need an orchestral score or high-powered or famous performers, and I don't need to hear the latest greatest in audio editing technology. Yes, these can make good music so much better, but they can't salvage bad music. What we need are good, moody, appropriate pieces of music on constant loops.
Which brings me to my final point - isolated clip music is a BAD idea. It might as well not even be there. If our game is to have proper music, then the one thing we CANNOT afford to have is dead air. Turn on your music sometimes and go do a mission, but pay attention to how much of the game proceeds in complete silence, punctuated only by obnoxiously loud sound effects.
A game with good music should give me music all the time. Whether I'm fighting, exploring or just sitting at the Market, I should be listening to mood-appropriate music. Sound is part of the experience, and it should be integrated into the game's basic design and thematic choices, not thrown in after the fact just so we're not playing on mute. I don't WANT to mute my music, but it's just not good enough to keep on. We need better music and more of it more often. -
Quote:A pistol Epic really doesn't need any new animations, I don't think. Even if all powers in it were pistol-related, you can still draw on five existing ones from Dual Pistols. Or, if you're going for a single pistol, you should still be able to use that one two-handed shot that most NPCs use, as well as some of the one-handed dual pistol animations, such as Pistols and Executioner's Shot. Rebalanced, of course.Originally Posted by Stryph
As delightful as that would be to create custom frameworks, it's the balance of tying it all together that makes it a problem. With sets like Claws, Spines, and KM - we can have ranged attacks in a melee based archtype. But I'd figure trying to nail the animation down right is the key problem here.
When it comes to melee AT Epics, there are three things I want: Pistols, Rifle and Bow sets.
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Speaking of redraw, this exists between Archery and Munitions Mastery, and has existed since... I2? I3? I'd be more than willing to deal with the redraw aspect of a Katana/SR/Pistols Scrapper combo if it meant I could make such a character. Then once that's possible, we can resume bugging the Art Team to finish BABs' work in removing redraw. -
Quote:And I, personally, would HATE that. Yes, I'm aware that Foreshadow... Was it Foreshadow? I'm aware that this was in the City of Hero trailer, but I hated it then as I hate it now. Fighting styles with a blade in one hand (usually the right) and a gun in the offhand just look positively ridiculous to me, to the point where I'd rather have a gunblade, instead.Originally Posted by bAss_ackwards
If gun and blade is to be done, it needs to be a character wielding both, a gun in one hand and a melee weapon in the other.
It's also horribly limiting. It limits the set to only ever using BLADES, meaning I can't run, say, a Mace character with guns if I happen to have that concept. Or - and this is much more relevant to me - it means I can't use a two-handed katana with DUAL PISTOLS, which is what I want to make. Devil May Cry wannabe and all that. Or, hell, why not a Titanic Weapons character who uses guns, as well?
Choice is the name of the game in this case, and the more we are allowed to mix and match, the better the game will be overall. Single sword/single gun? So long as we have a single gun epic. Sword and shield + dual pistols? Sure, so long as we have a dual pistols epic. It goes on and on.
Yes, redraw would be an issue. Redraw can be fixed, and even if it isn't, it's not such a big detrement. I routinely mix in the Undead Slaying Axe and the Nemesis Staff into the attack chains of some of my weapon users when fighting specific enemies, and while it's slightly awkward, it still plays just fine.
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Simply put, I don't want a single sword/single gun set like you do. I want a two-handed sword/dual pistols combo. I'm sure someone else might want a martial arts/dual pistols combo. I'm sure someone else still would want a dark melee/single pistol combo. You can't make a set for every combination, a there are far too many of them. Splitting them up into powerset and epic means that we can pick and choose our own combo. -
Quote:Pretty much, yeah. We spoke about something like this the other day - I no longer see Stalkers as squishies that only fight with sneaky attacks, so much as powerful fighters who happen to also employ ambush tactics. Yes, they can hide, but this doesn't mean they can't stand and fight.Originally Posted by bAss_ackwards
Sneaky got tossed out the window when Broadsword was proliferated over to them. I can still hear their Headsplitters and Disembowel attacks from miles away, going CRUNCH! Between Katana and Broadsword, the latter is definitely focused on strength as opposed Katana's finesse.
On the same subject: I'd love to see Super Strength for Stalkers. There's nothing quite like delivering a Falcon Punch to the back of someone's head just as he's biting down on a sandwich. -
Quote:Wait, shouldn't one-handed attacks be FASTER? Typically, the game treats weaker attacks as faster, more frequent ones while bigger ones are slower and rarer. Spines notwithstanding, we've had plenty of examples of a slower, weaker attack swapping animations with a faster, stronger one (Beheader <-> Gash) or a slow weak attack being made stronger than its faster, stronger cousin (Barrage vs. Energy Punch).Originally Posted by Cheetatron
Way i see it the slower 1 handed attacks would do less damage and have worse DPA and DPS than the faster harder hitting 2 handed attacks, but the one handed attacks would have much better recharge and endurance cost and still be needed for an attack chain
Personally, though, I'm kind of interested to see how "Momentum" will work. I keep wondering if it will be an animation thing, where your animations speed up as you attack or possibly you skip some kind of wind up/down filler, or if it will be a stat-based thing, instead, where you build up a reacharge buff the longer you attack that expires as you sit idle.
More than anything, though, I want to see what the set's big hitter will look like
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Quote:I don't think making this into a full set is a good idea. Hybrid sets rarely are. Much more realistically, I'd like to see a Pistol(s) Epic for Scrappers, Brutes and Stalkers. With potentially up to four pistol powers on top of 9 powers of ANY type of sword, mace, axe or anything else you envision should be enough, I think.Originally Posted by bAss_ackwards
Man, I have been waiting for that set for a looooong time. I hope that gun and blade set is for Scrappers/Brutes/Tanks/Stalkers too.
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I really like the weapon on that figurine, mostly for the scale of the thing. It's big, yeah - wider in the grip than she is at the shoulders, but what I really like about it is how the weapon itself is proportioned, specifically the very long hilt and the elongated, almost stretched-out design. Almost all of the weapons we have in City of Heroes are kind of short and fat, which means they describe very small arcs when they swing. I really, REALLY want to see long weapons like this one in-game.
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Quote:"Hide" is an abstract concept and a catchall term for all the possible ways one can employ for not being detected. It doesn't stand for just sneaking around, Sam Fisher style. For instance, Energy Aura heavily implies that its Hide is actual functional invisibility, as the Brute version has Energy Cloak, which is just that. Dark Armour, on the other hand, can be sold as mind control like what the Shadow used to use, redirecting the eyes of your foes so they don't know you're there. Hell, you can go overboard and say you're shifting dimensions, allowing you to move around out of phase with the real world, and so completely invisible.Originally Posted by Thirty-Seven
Mechanically, I don't see an issue with Stalkers... logistically though... well.. how sneaky can you be with a giant sword or railroad crossing sign? Stalkers are all about stealth and attacks based more on speed and maneuverability than strength, Titan Weapons affords niether.
Furthermore, Stalkers are not so much focused on speed or indeed on accuracy, as they are focused on exploiting opportunities. So let me put it this way - you sneak up on an unsuspecting enemy and hit him with the full weigh of a sword as big as he is, all the while the enemy is relaxed and defenceless. Shouldn't that hurt like hell? -
I find Repulsion Field and its repulsing clones to be the worst, most hideous powers in the entire game, born from the *** backwards ideas of balance the game entertained back in 2004 (like "only affecting self" Elude and immobilizing Unyielding Stance). I could not be happier to see that garbage gone from the set. Maybe now I will actually be able to make an Energy/Energy Stalker and not feel so foolish. Time to reroll Morten, I guess.
The rest of the changes to Energy Aura I'm not dissatisfied with. I'm not sure what difference they'll make, but I haven't played my Energy Aura Brute in probably four years, so the set will be brand new to me when I touch it again anyway.
So, when can we get a "No Pulse or Fade" option for Energy Cloak? -
Quote:Maybe they meant a red native-American famous person?Originally Posted by Texas Justice
Moulin Rouge, not Moulan Rouge.
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Quote:And I agree with this, as well. I'd never, ever have reused powersets were it not for power customization, but when I can make two characters with the same powers look radically different? Yeah, I'll reuse powersets. This gives me about twice the characters I would have made otherwise.Originally Posted by Oedipus_Tex
As much as I like the idea of power proliferation, I have to admit the breakpoint of awesome for me was one specific thing: the possibility of customizable APPs. It might seem silly to some people, but recolorable powers have probably added more replay to this game for me than anything else (proliferation and new powersets being second).
Weapon customization, too. I would not have five sword users if they all used the same sword. -
Quote:Yeah, that's how I see it, as well. I've more or less made all the Scrappers and Brutes I could think to make. I've repeated powersets many, many times, and I've even repeated entire combos. I was just about on my way out of options, and this change adds a TON more options. Not only does it mean that I may be rerolling characters left and right, but means I'll have the option to make tons of new ones.Originally Posted by bAss_ackwards
All of these sets being proliferated seriously add a ridiculous amount of playtime to the game for me. Powerset Proliferation 3.0 could easily be a half-point Issue for me and I'd be completely happy with it. This is just another indication that I21 launch is going to be HUGE.
THIS is the sort of thing I want to see. Solid job there, IF that all comes out at the same time. -
That's a very good question.
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Quote:If you have default window settings files, what colours are your windows in them? Sounds like your files are making your windows grey. I think I remember speaking with you about making a one-size-fits-all window settings file that would work for both heroes and villains, hence the grey, but I may have forgotten.Originally Posted by NuclearToast
I've never changed my window colors, and I do have a default window settings file. This new character started hero-side with gray windows; I just assumed they'd change to "normal" at some later date/level. Perhaps it's a bug and I should enter it.
I'll see if I can't tell you what to look for in the file.
*edit*
OK, look for a wdw.txt file in your City of Heroes installation folder and open it in NotePad. A line from it should look like this:
I'm not sure what most of the stats stand for, but I'm pretty sure that 7f7f7fff is the window colour, which in my case is I think 50% red, 50% green, 50% blue, 100% alpha. Check out what yours tells you and we can figure out if it's the window file doing this.Quote:status 1590 0 330 65 1.000000 7f7f7fff 88 0 2
*edit*
50%, not 60%. My hex arithmetic sucks
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NT, window colours are static unless you change them manually. If you have a default window settings file, every new character you make will try to start with those colours. If not, you'll start with colours appropriate to the side you're on. These will never change unless you change them.
Getting the hero interface should be easy, though. Go to Menu -> Options -> Graphics and Audio Settings -> User Interface and I think it's 60% blue, 20% red and green. I can't really check it on my end since all my character use the grey interface, but ask over a global channel or over help and I'm sure a hero using the default interface will be able to tell you what his settings are. -
I just want to say that I like pretty much all of these. While the lack of proliferation for Dominators is disappointing, the sheer bulk of proliferated sets - if these all come out at the same time - might be a new record. I'd have to check.
I also want to say that I absolutely approve of this addition and can find nothing about it complain about. All things considered, this is a very pleasant change of pace. -
Quote:I get the high polygon count on the hilt and guard, but why all the polygons on the blade? Why not just made the thing out of one rectangle/trapezoid and attach the horn protrusions to the end? Granted, the last 3D modelling I did was ten years ago, so I may be missing something.Originally Posted by bAss_ackwards
Far too dense with polygons on the hilt, but I only made it quickly for concept purposes.
Still, cool weapon and I hope it ends up in the game. -
Quote:Well, for the most part, these are old sets proliferated to new characters, so I know more or less how they play. I've taken most of the melee AT sets to 50 by this point, anywayOriginally Posted by Rabid_M
On the bright side, if you stay as a VIP, then you can make the new version on another server, try them out there for a bit, and then if you like them you can transfer them over to a main server with one of the free server transfers.
But, yeah, with Titanic Weapons, I really will do that. It's a new set, I don't know what it looks like or how it play, and if it turns out I don't like it, I don't want to sacrifice a 50 just to be disappointed. So, yeah, good call.