Samuel_Tow
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Posts
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Joined
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Quote:Not a bad idea in terms of visuals. However, that's level-locked to 25 even if someone were to open a portal for me (why is that, by the way?), and it'll be a while before I take this character to that level. Is there a way I can get access to the Oruo map via the Architect?Originally Posted by ransim
Ouroboros -
Quote:Oh, yeah, and then there's that. This is also true of the steam boiler backpack for Huge models, at least:Originally Posted by Olantern
The backplate Wonderful Wind-up Wings is visibily separated from the character's back even on unadjusted physique settings.
I feel the backpacks, both existing and future, need to be set much closer to the back so as not to look like they're held at one point on the lower back.
And this I completely agree with. A lot of Steampunk pieces come with pre-coloured base textures, rather than the greyscale ones most other pieces have. This is easily evident if you pick a "white" tint which usually gives you the colour of the base texture. The steam boiler backpack, for instance, when coloured white/white looks like this:Quote:1) Versions of some of these items without the intensely-colored "masks," such as a version of the Beaten Brass Backpack without the brown "brass" tint, would be nice to have.
2) Alternate versions of several costume pieces, in which the primary and secondary colors adjusted different aspects of the pieces that are now fixed in color (such as hair on Hats, ascots on Jackets, and buttons on Gloves and Boots) would be appreciated. For an example of how this could be made to work without requiring a third color tint for each piece, consider the various coloring options for the Warrior With Pad boots from the Martial Arts pack, which simply apply the primary and secondary colors to different parts of the same boot when selected. (Note to players reading this: Yes, this would mean you'd have to have your hat and hatband or your gloves and buckles the same color in order to be able to tint your hair or buttons, but I, personally, wouldn't mind.)
That ain't white.
And I agree wholeheartedly that SOMETHING has to happen with tinting options. We're right now given costume pieces apparently designed with a four-colour colour scheme, but we can only colour two at most. This gives us mandatory unchangeable colours, like the perpetual brown of brass, the blacks and greys of the ascot and other pieces, the gold of the mandatory gold trim on Victorian male jackets, as well as well as the untintable hairs. Furthermore, not all pieces colour consistently. The easiest examples are the female belts and corsets which have a light and dark area to them. Even when set to the same colour twice, these pieces show a distinct contrast that doesn't need to exist. If I wanted a black/grey corset, I am perfectly capable of picking a black and a lighter grey. If I want a black/black corset, the game doesn't let me have it because one part of the corset doesn't tint right.
The whole pack seems like someone sat down and designed exactly ONE set per theme, designed that set in exactly ONE colour palette and designed this set to work only and solely as a set with no regard towards how that set would interact with existing in-game pieces or even other sets from the same booster pack. Much more care must be placed into integrating future Booster packs into the editor so that they play well with other costume pieces. -
I think I'll need to modify my objectives, and I know exactly how to do that. Instead of looking for a throne, I'll just settle for taking screenshots of this character in a bright place with a light or white background. Her costume is predominantly black, so if I take a screenshot in, say, Sharkhead at night, I may as well be posting a screenshot of a photocopy of carbon paper.
Modifying my objectives like this seems to give me an easy answer - Aeon City in Cap au Diable. That place is mostly grey and white, at least in terms of the ground surface and at least the low walls. I originally wanted to try the Jackpot area on St. Martial island, but that's predominantly grey and black.
Any ideas where else I can find a nice, well-lit bright background on Villain-side that doesn't look like garbage, a slim or a high-tech base? -
Quote:It looks like something out of Lineage II or Aion to me, the typical Korean take on high fantasy with the angular, elongated pointy bits and heavy ornate design with much glowy. WoW has more rounded shapes, more smooth-edge block designs that look battle-worn and a generally much heavier look to it.Originally Posted by Jophiel
That's my feeling. Of course, the fact that the Ascension armor looks all World of Warcrafty to me and I have no interest in it makes it easy to be gracious and say "Leave it as Incarnate stuff".
All of that aside, this is kind of turning into sour grapes for me. I can't say the Incarnate Armour is BAD - it isn't. But it ain't good enough to justify a grind. It might be good enough to pay real money for, though, put it like that. And, yes, I value my leisure time more than I value my money, and I'm not even rich. -
I have 53, including many work-in-progress costumes. I don't save costumes to files unless I need to load them on another character or across clients, or unless I need to post them on the forums.
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Quote:What I labelled "new" jackets are the ones which came with Day Jobs in I13. The I4 jackets and shirts did get the sleeves right. The I13 didn't. In fact, they had a property which was both hilarious and awesome - the female shirt sleeves were using the male muscular upper arms texture for the skin replacement, which meant you could FINALLY have a pretty buff woman if you wanted to... Until they "fixed" it. This is a large part of my inspiration to make my "cheating" screenshots that David Nakayama seemed to approve as well as most of my reason for asking for more muscular replacements for existing arms as "robotics arms" options.Originally Posted by AzureSkyCiel
Actually, the ironic part is that shirt appeared with the "new" jackets in issue 4 as part of the "Anime set." So not only does shirt tech not predate it and they simply forgot, they were working on it at the same time as the rest of the jackets.
The veteran trenchcoats also don't include a proper "sleeveless" option the way jackets do, which means you can't use large or long gloves with them. The Steampunk jackets, because they don't exist for the Sleeveless Jacket top or for Shirts, have the same problem in disallowing the use of large or long gloves. If you've seen my Isabella that I've posted in about 12 threads at this point, you'll note she's using Smooth/Bare gloves with the Matte texture. If I could, I'd scrap the sleeves and use the Witch gloves, but that would require the use of either Shirts or Sleeveless Jackets, which right now don't contain the Trenchcoat options.Quote:Originally Posted by AzureSkyCiel
Vet trenchcoat doesn't replace the upper arms, simply because it was built in with a sleeveless option.
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I'd suggest expanding the Steampunk Jacket options for females to Jackets, Sleeveless Jackets and Shirts, and while we're at it, I'd suggest expanding the Bolero shoulder fur to ALL upper body types for Females. -
Quote:There's a discontinuity of sorts with how things were and are done. You have three distinct "eras" of jackets:Originally Posted by AmazingMOO
Interestingly, this is NOT the case for shirts for females. Neither the puffy sleeves, nor any of the other 'Shirt' sleeves do this. One would think the behavior should be consistent.
Theoretically, and with the way the pieces are used, robes, shirts, and jackets should all be in the same category, and the sleeves should be interchangeable between all of them.
1. The oldest jacket: Back in the day, we only had one jacket option, and it was its own upper body type. it had a complete torso swap with a jacket model and its own fixed upper and lower arms, with only the hands changeable.
2. The "real" jackets: I forget when, we got a massive influx of new jackets, this time as a mesh overlay over the Tights torso. These were still their own upper body type, but they existed as an extra layer above the body and did not affect the Tights torso at all. Both jackets and sleeves were placed a certain distance over the torso surface. Also, the few neck details, such as the bow tie, were put under Shoulders.
3. The new jackets: When we got the influx of civilian clothing with the introduction of Day Jobs, Jay did things differently. The main jacket body was still separate from the underlying torso, but the sleeves were not. Instead of a layer over the upper and lower arm, they constituted entire upper arm swaps. I don't know why this was done, though I presume to avoid clipping with the shoulders you'll never see, anyway. However, this also extended to short-sleeved tops, which mandated human skin with them. This is true for the old(ish) shirt sleeves options, as well as with the cop shirt sleeves. Also, ties for the new jackets were coded as Chest Detail options and offset from the chest to match the jackets' offset, whereas the old options matched the chest with no offset.
There's also 4: Steampunk jackets. These take Jay's new jackets formula of arm swap sleeves, but also have the "neck tie details" as integrated into the jackets, themselves. So an ascot exits, but it's built into the Steampunk jackets. And the Steampunk short sleeves are using Jay's new arm swap sleeve technology, rather than the Shirt technology which I believe actually pre-dates his employment. I personally believe that while a total arm swap may be appropriate for long sleeves, short sleeves should only ever be an overlay. I've seen almost no real use to having them be total arm swaps.
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Incidentally, I want a body type which allows me to swap one or both of my arms with non-robotic replacements, like a red right arm, a skeletal arm, a tentacle arm, a lobster claw, a tree branch or a very muscular or very skinny human arm. The technology to do it clearly exists if Jackets can do it in real time, and Foreshadow is already using his own unique muscular arms and shoulders distinctly different from the base model. -
Quote:Yes. When it happens, or when people quit. Because you're not going to get people to stop from wanting what they want no matter how hard you try.Originally Posted by Darej
Will people ever stop asking about solo incarnate content?
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Quote:Arcana sums it up nicely, as per usual. I have no problem with cosmetic items being given both an in-game (no $$$) unlock put behind some sort of gate and an out-of-game paid unlock via Booster Pack, with players left to pick their poison, so to speak. I have no problem, furthermore, with this notion being retrofitted into all Booster Packs and in-game unlocks. What this means is I'd like to see things like Rularuu, Vanguard and Roman pieces sold as Booster Packs IN ADDITION TO the ways that currently exist to unlock them. I'd also like to see things like the Wedding Pack, The Martial Arts pack, the Valkyrie pack and so forth be unlockable via in-game action, or after a long period of time. What that action/period should be, I don't want to try and figure out, but it should be something that gives most people a strong incentive yo buy them anyway.Originally Posted by Arcanaville
I'm of the opinion that cosmetic options should have a dual-path to acquisition most of the time: you can buy them, or you can earn them. I have stronger generally balance-related concerns with powers and abilities. Pay-to-accessorize I have no problem with. Pay-to-win I think is generally radioactive.
I also agree with Arcana in that selling powers is a bad idea. In fact, I'd go as far as to call it all-caps-exclamation BAD! As a point of fact, I hate that they're including a power with every Booster Pack. It's starting to segregate people into haves and have nots in a real bad way, in that people with all the Boosters (like me) have not just a MASSIVE utility advantage, but can afford to have more optimised builds because we get to skip some limitations and get some decent powers for free.
In a nutshell: Give all unlockable costume sets two options to unlock - in-game action for free or PlayNC store action for real money. Never extend this to items which are non-cosmetic, like powers, stats or practical priviliges. -
Quote:This sums up... Pretty much 99% of why I'm still with City of Heroes, and that is no exaggeration. You have no idea how many times the game has pissed me off, how many times I've gotten bored and burned out, how many times I've found games that are, frankly, much better. But there are just some things that keep making me come back. Let me, in fact, give you a specific example:Originally Posted by Anchor
If someone wanted to pay for existing costume bits that might be locked for their use, I have no problem with a microtransaction system for it. Not sure the NCsoft store could handle it, but at this point in the game, I don't see any incentive to standing in the way of access to costume pieces that might otherwise be locked up behind a badge or some other requirement. I'd hope the more solid the toon the player can make, the more attachment the player might have to that toon and the longer the player might stick around and help pay for the rest of the game. If someone wants to wait until they unlock the pieces the old-fashioned way, they have the option to do that, too.
Years ago, I wrote The Tale of Two Hearts, a story which I still consider to be one of the best things I've ever written. It tells the story of the elegantly alien queen Grimwall and the comically corny Captain Indivisible as much younger people, embroiled in a story that's one part bizarre and alien to two parts emotional and contemplative. Bot of these characters I initially made as Blasters, and I got Grimwall to level 50, despite having a really, really big problem with Blasters. I have since rerolled her as a Scrapper and gotten her back up to level 37, and I intend to get her back up to 50 where she belongs.
I love these two characters. Every time I come back to them, I want to relive their story. Every time I log them into City of Heroes, it feels like I'm seeing my story enacted for me. I get to see characters of my own design, characters that at least a few people have complimented me, characters I care about, and I get to see them in action like my old action figures could never accomplish. I care about these characters, and that is what keeps me coming back time and time again, even when I really don't feel like playing the actual game. These guys are the reason I play.
And not because they're high-level or because I'm invested or because they have phat lute. Not at all. They could all reset to empty level 1s and I'd still play them up to full, because it is THE CHARACTERS that I like. At this point I've probably spent as many hours writing fictions, taking and editing screenshots, discussing character concepts, reading stories and browsing artwork as I have gaining experience or lute or what have you.
The better the character I can make from the start, the more likely I will be to keep coming back to that character and playing it through the levels, still more and still more. And the better the editor is, the more likely I'll be to keep coming back to it and trying my hand at making new characters. -
Quote:I think they made a mistake not giving that pack as another option for the back costume slot, myself. And I "steam jets" is one of the cooler ideas I've heard in a whileOriginally Posted by Bronze Knight
So the steam jump pack is perfect for her. Now we just need a version of the steam backpack that adds the steam jump pack "canisters" the side. Maybe they could do that for an alternate super jump animation.
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Quote:The "new" jacket tech we got with the large influx of civilian clothes uses entire upper arm swaps similar to the Robotic Arms torsos. I have no idea why that is, but that's how Jay made them back in the day.Originally Posted by KAKTOS
So does anyone know the reason why we cant use the new steampunk vest with robotic arms?
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Quote:Now that's a very impressive look. I HATE the (old) Steampunk pieces because they're horrendously low-res textures, but you make some seriously good use of them. Also, that is one chunky female character. Very nice job hiding the body shape. The only way I could tell is I know that hat hair is only available to women. I'd have been clueless otherwiseOriginally Posted by Bronze Knight
The steam punk pack gave me a few parts that helped to round out my steampunk toon Valkyrie's Executor
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Quote:Heh, I did kind of the same thing back when the Satanic Hamster wanted to hug meOriginally Posted by Memphis_Bill
Heck, I ran on a - think it was Lady Grey - with a friend of mine. Probably my best purple run (three in one mission, actually. I was shocked.) Did I go get uber cash or purple out a character? Nope. Handed them over to her since that sort of goal she *does* work towards, and she'd get more enjoyment out of them than me. I got a purple, asked him if he wanted [Purple Stuff.50] and his response was first "Dude... Seriously? That's rare!" and then "YES! I DO!" I personally prefer to give away my carrot-on-a-stick rewards to people who play for that stuff. I personally don't want to bother with rare, slow or difficult items.
I want to play the game, not gather things. And by "play the game," I mean pick whatever character seems coolest and bash some heads in, when I want to, how I want to, where I want to. If that's not enough to keep me interested, then the fool's gold hope that I'll somehow have more fun later when I have the shinies sure won't. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. -
Quote:It seems like the Ascension Armour is the new Vanguard gear. I can live with that. It's cool, but not cool enough to put that much effort into it.Originally Posted by Liquid
I would pay for the Emotes, Auras, and emblems (though I really think the Emblems should just be free, I'd still pay for them). I don't really care about the Ascension Armor.
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Heh, if you guys really like Isabella, then here's her costume code
Code:{ CostumeFilePrefix fem Scale -4.363 BoneScale -0.3618 ShoulderScale -0.4819 ChestScale 0.2903 WaistScale -0.4398 HipScale 0.05862 LegScale 0.01667 HeadScales 0.52, 0.26, -0.58 BrowScales -0.5, -0.78, -0.69 CheekScales 0.75, -0.85, 0.19 ChinScales -0.91, -0.73, -0.67 CraniumScales -0.29, 0.17, 0.37 JawScales -0.87, -0.87, 0.58 NoseScales -0.84, 0.58, 0.03 SkinColor 255, 230, 201 NumParts 28 BodyType 1 CostumePart "" { Geometry shorts Texture1 Cargo_01 Texture2 None DisplayName P1525729866 RegionName "Lower Body" BodySetName NewSkirts Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 194, 241, 126 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Geometry Jackets_Sleeves Texture1 skin_tights Texture2 !Chest_Disco DisplayName P566009771 RegionName "Upper Body" BodySetName Jackets Color1 31, 31, 31 Color2 194, 241, 126 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Geometry V_fem_Head.GEO/GEO_Head_V_Asym_Standard Texture1 !Face_Skin_V_Fem_Head_78 Texture2 None DisplayName P687117166 RegionName Head BodySetName standard Color1 0, 11, 31 Color2 194, 241, 126 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Geometry Smooth Texture1 smooth_matte Texture2 None DisplayName P3937616722 RegionName "Upper Body" BodySetName Jackets Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Geometry Hi_Heels Texture1 smooth_matte Texture2 None DisplayName P2104750136 RegionName "Lower Body" BodySetName NewSkirts Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Geometry N_Fem_Steampunk_01.geo/GEO_N_Belt_Vic_Steampunk_01 Texture1 !X_N_Fem_Belt_Vic_Steampunk_01 Texture2 None DisplayName P177456852 RegionName "Upper Body" BodySetName Jackets Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Geometry V_Fem_HAIR.GEO/GEO_Hair_V_Bun_02 Texture1 !X_Hair_Fem_Laurels_Normal Texture2 None DisplayName P2681220175 RegionName Head BodySetName standard Color1 255, 85, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Fx None Geometry None Texture1 None Texture2 None Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Geometry None Texture1 None Texture2 None DisplayName P2793026233 RegionName Head BodySetName standard Color1 0, 11, 31 Color2 194, 241, 126 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Geometry N_Fem_Steampunk_01.geo/GEO_N_Emblem_Bustier_Vic_Steampunk_01 Texture1 !X_N_Fem_Emblem_Vic_Steampunk_01 Texture2 None DisplayName P2281134661 RegionName "Upper Body" BodySetName Jackets Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 31, 31, 31 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Geometry V_FEM_SPADR.GEO/GEO_SpadR_Magic_Robe_01 Texture1 !spadr_v_Witch_01 Texture2 !spadr_v_Witch_01_Mask DisplayName P772741860 RegionName "Upper Body" BodySetName Jackets Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Fx None Geometry None Texture1 None Texture2 None Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Fx WEAPONS/Custom_Claws/Fem_ClawsRight_VillainBase.fx Geometry None Texture1 None Texture2 None DisplayName P3270519229 RegionName Weapons BodySetName Weapons Color1 0, 11, 31 Color2 194, 241, 126 Color3 0, 11, 31 Color4 194, 241, 126 } CostumePart "" { Geometry N_Fem_Steampunk_01.geo/GEO_N_Neck_Collar_Vic_Steampunk_01 Texture1 !X_N_Fem_Neck_Vic_Steampunk_01 Texture2 None DisplayName P2371314042 RegionName Head BodySetName standard Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Fx None Geometry None Texture1 None Texture2 None Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Geometry Magic Texture1 !Cape_MagicHarness_03 Texture2 !Cape_MagicHarness_03_Mask DisplayName P4269687129 RegionName Capes BodySetName "High Collar" Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Fx None Geometry None Texture1 None Texture2 None Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Fx capes/CapeArcaneFem01.fx Geometry magic_01 Texture1 None Texture2 None DisplayName P4269015351 RegionName Capes BodySetName "High Collar" Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Fx None Geometry None Texture1 None Texture2 None Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Geometry Pencil_01 Texture1 pleated Texture2 pleated_01b DisplayName P3930658043 RegionName "Lower Body" BodySetName NewSkirts Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Geometry N_Fem_Steampunk_01.geo/GEO_N_Top_Jacket_Vic_Steampunk_01 Texture1 !X_N_Fem_Jacket_Vic_Steampunk_01 Texture2 None DisplayName P828551227 RegionName "Upper Body" BodySetName Jackets Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Geometry N_Fem_Steampunk_01.geo/GEO_N_Sleeves_Jacket_Clsc_Steampunk_01 Texture1 !X_N_Fem_Sleeve_Skin_Clsc_Steampunk_01 Texture2 None DisplayName P90216369 RegionName "Upper Body" BodySetName Jackets Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Geometry None Texture1 None Texture2 None DisplayName P1848153390 RegionName Head BodySetName standard Color1 0, 11, 31 Color2 194, 241, 126 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Fx None Geometry None Texture1 None Texture2 None Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Fx WEAPONS/Custom_Claws/Fem_ClawsLeft_VillainBase.fx Geometry None Texture1 None Texture2 None DisplayName P2059796000 RegionName Weapons BodySetName Weapons Color1 0, 11, 31 Color2 194, 241, 126 Color3 0, 11, 31 Color4 194, 241, 126 } CostumePart "" { Fx None Geometry None Texture1 None Texture2 None Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Fx None Geometry None Texture1 None Texture2 None Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Geometry None Texture1 None Texture2 None DisplayName P546439883 RegionName "Lower Body" BodySetName NewSkirts Color1 0, 11, 31 Color2 194, 241, 126 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } CostumePart "" { Color1 0, 0, 0 Color2 0, 0, 0 Color3 0, 0, 0 Color4 0, 0, 0 } } -
Oh, hey, you know what I'd pay real money for? A pack which unlocks at character creation all the Inventions Costume recipes. Those haven't been high-value items for years, as far as I remember, and allowing some people to have them at creation just ensures a higher supply at a lower cost for those that don't. Everybody wins, as far as I can tell.
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Quote:I think it's the face that really ties her together. It's one of the "new" faces that we go, what... Last year? I keep finding newer and newer uses for them. It's higher-resolution than the old ones, it's much cleaner and this particular expression just fitsOriginally Posted by Doughboy
Nice. I really like this one!
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Quote:I got my money's worth. I see no reason to keep other people from the items if they're looking for another way to get them. I pay money so I can get the things at character creation right away. If you're willing to put up with whatever unlock mechanism these get put behind but do so without paying, then I don't mind that one bit. I get the convenience of having these items universally available, but pay for it with real money, and that's really the extent to which I have any hard expectation. Others having items I paid for doesn't chafe me. I have them, after allOriginally Posted by LordAethar
That's actually interesting to know Sam. I would imagine that people that paid hard cash for their boosters would dislike such an idea. I wonder, has anybody tried doing a poll to see how people on both sides of the fence would feel about that? If not, I might have to start one in the appropriate forum.
As a point of fact, I wouldn't be terribly put off if they made Booster Packs available to everyone for free, say 6-12 months after release. No unlocks, no hoops to jump through. Wait a year and you get it for free, or pay and you get it now. I'd still pay, because I can afford it, and others getting free what I paid $10 for seems like a fair tradeoff for the waiting time.
Ideally, I want everyone to have access to all customization options as early as possible. The fun of customization is in the things you create and the creative process along the way. Having to unlock the tools with which to create strikes me as having to unlock the keys on my keyboard if I want to write a good story. I care about the story, not about the medium through which I create it.
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In short - no, I have no problem with Booster Packs being available for free but gated either by time or in-game event. As I said - I would pay for a Rularuu Booster Pack and a Roman Booster Pack, and all of those items are available in-game, Rularuu weapons especially easy if you have a friend with a high-level character. And I'd STILL pay to have those unlocked at character creation. -
Quote:I thought BZB was pretty awesome before. Are you looking to add a new costume to him, or tweak the old ones? Because yours were always pretty cool, even with the creepy factorOriginally Posted by Bill Z Bubba
Just bought it as well, Sam. Wondering how BZB is going to look tricked out in steampunk gear. Damn work means I won't know until later tonight.
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Quote:I have no problem with this at all, and this is from someone who owns ALL available Booster packs, including the Party Pack.Originally Posted by LordAethar
If the devs decide to make this pack it's own booster pack, then I challenge the them to do the opposite: to make all existing booster packs obtainable with in-game means.
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Quote:I wouldn't go as far as to say that "will never," but I see things in a similar light. Every person has only a finite amount of time to spend on a game, and the more time you spend working on costumes, the less time you have to grind iTrials. And if it seems like I'm exaggerating, consider the following anecdote:Originally Posted by ClawsandEffect
It is true that the people most likely to hae an interest in costume pieces are also the ones least likely to have a character that is even capable of earning them. I know a few roleplayers who hae played for years and never gotten a character past the 30s, let alone a 50. Those players will never be capable of earning those costume pieces that they would probably love to have.
I have spent probably the majority of the last three or four days working on a total of two costumes: this one and this one. To make them, I had to almost literally beat my head against the wall for hours to come up with anything decent, fail, then spend hours capturing and cropping screenshots to post in the Costume Redesign Thread, and then waiting until next day to see what that would produce, spending hours more discussing people's suggestions with them and working on more ideas. In the process, I made this, this, this and this reference costume pics.
I also have another anecdote. I spent nearly the entire week before that making this costume. I started with this costume which was nearly perfect but bugged me in several places. The helmet bugged me, so I made this one and this one and this one until I finally went with this one. Next, the gloves bugged me. So I made these and these and these and these. In the process, I found out that these are quite a bit bugged, but I went with a recoloured version of them anyway, producing the character at the beginning of the paragraph.
I'm not sure if you have any concept how long it takes to take all the screenshots necessary to make these collages, pick the right ones out of the lot, crop them, arrange them, save them, post them and explain them, but it's a LOT of time. It takes almost as much time to go through the feedback received, sit down and try to make sense of it all. At the end of the day, it's a creative process, which involves a lot of time spent staring at the wall, lying down or pacing around the room, just trying to figure out what that one thing would be which would produce the ultimate costume, before I finally find what I'm looking for and find myself unable to believe that I'm actually playing this thing for real, and I'm not just imagining that sort of thing.
In the combined time that it took me to make two and a half costumes, I could probably have unlocked all four Incarnate slots and earned a krappton of Merits or Notes or whatever those are called. But here's the thing - I don't want to. Making costumes and seeing them in action is what I want more than anything else. If I need to pay extra for it, I gladly will, because that's what I'm paying a subscription for, anyway. -
That link worked. Thank you guys
After following that link, verifying ANOTHER IP address as a "trusted" one and typing in "hilier tayū" in a bizarre captcha window (how the hell do I get that U on a US keyboard?) and getting approximately four official e-mails, the pack is paid-for and purchased. Time to go put it to use. -
I've been playing around with the Steampunk Gear on Test for a while, so any costumes I have to share I've already posted on the Screenshots forums about five times over, so if it seems like I'm repeating myself... I am
Isabella is an immortal shapeshifting succubus demon who feeds on human emotion.
William is an immoral immortal who has grown bored with the world and now spends his time manipulating other people and destroying their lives.
Ludlow is a butler whose story I'm in the process of completely retconning.
Some Girl is just some girl I came up with to use that belt. -
New Booster Pack, same old problem. I own the US version of City of Heroes but live in Europe, so the PlayNC store only offers me EU versions of all Booster Packs with no option to buy a US one. EU Booster Packs won't work on my account and I have no way to reach the US version of the pack unless I find a direct link.
Which is what I want to ask for: Could an US player please grab the URL of the Steampunk Pack on their end and post it here so that I can buy the dang thing? I have the money and the desire, now I just need a clear path through the bureaucracy to actually get to the product I want to buy.
Thank you for your time.