Scarlet Shocker

Defiant.

I have some toons on Union but they are mostly for concept purposes.

All my 50s are on Defiant tho and I rarely if ever visit Union these days

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As to your statement re difficulty, it is now far easier to kill mobs. Less debt, IOs and general game enhancements, allied to increased experience (which I had already allowed for in my post) mean that killing mobs is far easier than previously.

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Scarlet, my dear, I don't g-. Sorry, wrong movie.

The statement above implies you don't know what you're on about.

Explain how less debt and increased experience makes killing a mob easier? Please.

IOs... arguable. They do give some comparative benefits, but frankly, not half as much as you make out there. What they mostly do is provide a slottable item which doesn't stop working every five minutes.

Which 'general game enhancements' have made it easier to kill mobs? I honestly can't think of one. You can get around eaier. You can do content you might have missed. There are more tailors around. Most of the powers I used to rely on as a /regen Scrapper have been nerfed, so that's surely not what you're thinking of.

Overall, I continue to state that you are equating levelling rate with 'ease,' like you can 'win' City of Heroes by being fastest to 50. You have got better at this game. You have got used to it. You are showing all the signs of many a gamer who discovers the youth of today 'have it easy.' And they do, but it's not easier to actually play the game.

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You're working too hard Wing. When I say Experience I mean that which I have gained as a player.

Defiant 2.0, Temp Powers, Zone revamps all fall under the category of "general game enhancements" to name but 3.

We were promised a walk emote many many issues back and nothing came of it (although I have seen it in action when people were lagging for example.)

It's also been featured in a publicity movie for the game... I8 IIRC with Vet Rewards etc.

But yes! Walk, nao plx

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What about a very, very sinful possibility - reduced XP for every enemy, mission and task, plus an extra level of difficulty above Invincible?

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I'd take that.

I'd actually settle for "Super-Heroic" (difficulty lvl 6) which could mean that maybe you play under debuff for most of the time - I also agree with your suggestion about mobs summoning help if not defeated soon enough.

I'd like to see Boomtown and/or Eden get a makeover.

I don't think we need more new zones, just tweaks tho some that we have. (also more cost effective)

With MA coming in I14 I think we'll have fewer TF/SFs because players can do them themselves. Cimerora will get more content I think.

I'd like PVP to get fixed once and for all. I believe it's the one area of the game where the Devs don't actually know what to do and their new changes - rather than encourage PVEers to play PVP has driven the PVP crew away it seems.

I'd like to see maybe a new arc or series of arcs that span most of the game. Maybe the return of the Fifth Column and Reichsmann or... (to be a tad controversial here?) maybe even some of the existing story arcs that remain open get some kind of resolution! (There's probably a pun there somewhere too)

Almost certainly not.

I14 will be the Architect and some frillies but nothing else of consequence

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I prefer to define the 'difficulty' of the game in terms of how easy it is to kill mobs.

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I'm convinced that the fear of debt improved my game play.


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That may be the case, but it was actually the 'fear' of debt that did it, not the debt. What has actually happened, and it happened to me long before they changed the way debt was handed out, was that you learned that debt was meaningless. So what if you earn XP at half the rate? You're still earning XP.

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I think you're working too hard to make a case against what I've said Wing. I said it was the fear of debt, not the debt itself. But you're also attributing things to me that are not true. The debt is significantly reduced now. There's no chance of getting the debt I used to unless I deliberately get defeated. That is what made me come to the conclusion of my orignal post.

As to your statement re difficulty, it is now far easier to kill mobs. Less debt, IOs and general game enhancements, allied to increased experience (which I had already allowed for in my post) mean that killing mobs is far easier than previously.

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I'm not advocating a "slower levelling grind" Syracuse.

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"The XP curve was "smoothed" out around Issue 11... which actually translates as "make it a lot lot easier" and your comments on debt make me think otherwise. Higher difficulties, sure, but then what? How do you make the game a "challenge" without artifically boosting experience requirements?

A slog isn't a challenge.

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Well I disagree with your premise that smooth = easy.

I also don't agree that challenge = grind.


Smoothing means just that. It doesn't necessarily mean easier it simply means there's less of a jump within certain areas of the game. I remember a big jump at lvl 20 and 30 and so smoothing that out doesn't need to mean it's been made easier.

However I suspect in this case you're mostly right. Rather than make some levels harder and some easier I think they've just left the troughs and trimmed the peaks.

Yes, I'd like to see debt restored to a point where it actually means something. It worked very well as a deterrent to defeat and gave people a reason (other than wanting to help a friend) to team with lower levels. I never found it detracted from the pleasure of my playing experience either.

I'd like to see tougher opponents. By that I mean that when I go into a mish with a couple of blasters, a tank and 5 fire-kins, there will actually be a serious risk of defeat at higher difficulty. I want to feel the sense of achievement that I've not felt in game for a long time. That's all

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Debt needs to be a challenge to players.

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The only way for debt to be a challenge would be for the debt-payback share of your XP to be 100% instead of 50% - and that would be disastrous for the game.

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Gotta say I don't necessarily agree with this on either point.

When it was 50% it was tough when you had enough of it

And 100% repayment would mean it cleared quickly so why would it be a disaster.

Jade Warrior made a point I forgot to mention in my post but I did make it to Rockjaw during Omega-Con... there is almost no reason to exemp down other than teaming with a buddy. Debt is so meaningless that there's no reason for anyone to seek to work it off now.

I remember when as a newbie I'd regularly find a 50 in the Hollows teaming with us to work off his debt.

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A slower levelling grind doesn't make for a harder one. Just a more annoying one. TBH, I expect the only reason the game is "easier" is because you're more experienced with it.

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I'm not advocating a "slower levelling grind" Syracuse. There are a number of ways to make things tougher. Just boosting debt to older levels would make people think twice (I hope) but as GG suggests adding a difficulty level above Invincible would be optional.

We have certain challenges we can increase the difficulty on, especially on Ouroboros & TFs... so maybe make that how you level. Go to a trainer and choose your custom diff setting?

To give you a clue, my girl - a recent convert from that other game we shall not mention - got defeated this weekend and ended up with (wait for it) a whole 1/4 bar of debt. She complained bitterly that she'd never had that much debt. (To which I couldn't help but chuckle. With Scarlet I'd got of the debt badges by lvl 20 IIRC.)

Sure, as I said I AM a better player than I was. But that doesn't alter the fact the game's way easier than it needs to be and NCSoft are doing the game and themselves a disservice in making it so easy IMO

This may be somewhat controversial, but I suspect I'm not alone in this. I could be in a minority, I accept but I truly believe it's a significant one.

Let me start by saying where I'm coming from. When I started in 2006, the game was significantly harder than it is now. It was a slower drive to 50, with many more challenges in than now.

Partly that was because end-game content was far less but also because of a different mind-set between Cryptic and NCSoft.

With NCSoft taking over the IP I've noticed a dramatic dumbing down of the game. The route to lvl 50 to me seems way too easy, and in fact the lack of a challenge now means that once I get a level 50 I rarely play that toon because... well, no effort means no meaning.

The XP curve was "smoothed" out around Issue 11... which actually translates as "make it a lot lot easier."

Defeat Debt has been so reduced as to be totally meaningless. It's pointless now, whereas when I first came to the game it was something to be avoided. I'm convinced that the fear of debt improved my game play. Now the biggest hassle isn't the debt, it's finding a way to avoid the trek back from the hospital and even that's made easy by fabrication of wakeys.

Time was, any enemy conning red would make even a good team pause and take stock. Now only the most dysfunctional teams fail to munch through purple mobs.

Squishies can now solo on invincible (and believe me, I have)

It's hardly "heroic" (or indeed "villainous") to right wrongs or do evil when there's nothing difficult about it. The whole philosophy of the game now seems to be "make it easy so they'll play more." I don't believe that is the case. I think make it challenging and it keeps people keener for longer.

I do agree that it's a fine line. With Jack Emmert at the helm, things were arguably too tough. Positron, IMO has swung the pendulum too far in the other direction.

Sure, I'm happy to admit that almost 3 years down the line I'm a better player than I was when I started... but that's partly because I had to be. If I didn't, I'd be face planting with (at least) a bar of debt and a long trek back from the hospital.

I'm aware that by posting this I could be seen as one of the old men from the Python sketch: "When I were a lad..." but that's to misunderstand my point - the game is great. It doesn't need to be dumbed down to make it fun. In fact the opposite is true. Make it consistently challenging and rewarding and it's an improvement.

So please Devs... give us back something to get our teeth into!

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All through I12, Mender Roebuck would offer to sell Scarlet any inspiration she cared for.

Of itself not really important, but nice to know.

So I decide to do her 2nd build and wanted to slot, initially with SOs so who'd I go see? Roebuck. He's the most convenient.

He doesn't want to know. I cannot buy anything from him. I can still go see Ghost Falcon in PI, so it's not the end of the world but it's a pain in the @$$ notwithstanding.

Question: Why is this? What caused it? What does it take to get the Menders to sell you stufF?

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A good kicking

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haha we can do that!

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I used to work on the 13th floor of an office block in Manchester. I don't think I can remember ever seeing a haze free view from the window.

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There's a saying at Old Trafford (the proper one, not the one where they kick a pigs bladder around for 90 minutes) that goes: "If you can see the Pennines, it's going to rain. If you can't, it's raining."

I think drawing a comparison between a city on Long Island, USA and Lancashire is perhaps over-egging things.

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I'm not the only one having Venison for Christmas dinner? Good, that means its not that strange (stupid tasteless turkey)

Boxing day I'm mostly, um, no idea yet

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Boxing day I shall be getting drunk and taking pics

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Iirc when I went down there looking for it (with vidiotmap overlay) the plaque was invisible - I got it by randomly clicking the area where it should have been lol! Honestly - why would someone put a plaque in an abandoned sewer system??? lol

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Might I suggest slotting Rectified Reticle + Perc ?

To be fair I tried looking for it but couldn't get close

All through I12, Mender Roebuck would offer to sell Scarlet any inspiration she cared for.

Of itself not really important, but nice to know.

So I decide to do her 2nd build and wanted to slot, initially with SOs so who'd I go see? Roebuck. He's the most convenient.

He doesn't want to know. I cannot buy anything from him. I can still go see Ghost Falcon in PI, so it's not the end of the world but it's a pain in the @$$ notwithstanding.

Question: Why is this? What caused it? What does it take to get the Menders to sell you stufF?

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I don't think you take as long as 5 minutes even if you turned off all powers and just slid down as slowly as you could

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It's going off the edge and having to climb back up and then falling off the edge again

Trust me... it's doable

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Love the new badge UI

I like some of the QoL improvements to

More char slots where nice to

the new roman zone even tho idont feel fits in a Superhero type game, has some nice content. And fighting the Romans is good fun.



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You surely can't have failed to read a comicbook where heroes travel back to ancient greece/rome? Please tell me it ain't so!

Erk...

ok change of plan. Instead of Xmas day it'll have to be Boxing Day! (26th for those who are not familiar)

My plans have changed and I'll be celebrating with venison and alcohol elsewhere instead of entertaining here.

Same bat time, same bat servers, just different day! (not title change)

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It is possible, just keep inviting people once you're inside the mission, then ask them to quit team. Everyone can talk on broadcast.

/joke Although with the population problem in Deviant, you won't have to worry about that... /joke

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Yeah that's true. If you turn up and team with me we'll have trebled the population of Defiant at a single stroke

Happy Winter Solstice (today :P )

Inspiration Combinations - allowing you to make one from 3 - the number of times I've seen that save a team from breaking up because the hospital was too far away - that's a really good feature.

Ability to purchase additional slots: Perfection

Psychic Blast & Mental Manipulation for Blasters. Got me another fun 50 blaster

Ok lasts year we got some great pics from the winter zone on Defiant

This year, let's do it slightly differently.

This year, on Xmas day at 2 & 3pm and 7 & 8pm respectively, let's take some Christmas pics of everyone. (On both Deviant & Onion)

If possible I'd love to get everyone possible into the Baby mission and take a pic on the Ice Lake by the entrance to the caves - failing that down by the lower bar area is good.

Hope to see you all there.

(ps any volunteers to help organise would be greatly appreciated )

Yay! I've improved my times. Got my personal best yesterday

5:26:75

I guess there are pros and cons to both arguments

Should it be allowed? What is not forbidden is permitted, so clearly it's ok to do - but having looked at most of the replies I'd say most responders are at the very least, uncomfortable with it.

However the OP is quite within his rights to post such an ad (at the current time - I have a feeling that may change) it seems to me to be frankly a bit silly to pay for a subscription to a game which is still largely about the levelling process and then to pay somebody else do play it for you.

However, horses for courses and some people want a 50 at all costs, and if they can afford it and somebody will take the money (which as has been pointed out isn't a huge amount for effectively 100 levels - even with the increase - especially as the financial reward gets split between 2 toons) then good for them.

Howver my main concern is that this is letting the free market override the game. To me, there's not a huge amount of difference between this and paying a power-levelling company real money to get you to 50 (and to my knowledge that IS forbidden.)

But, so long as players don't want to make an effort, that's how it's gonna be, so better here than giving money to somebody in Beiging to play City of Heroes on your behalf I guess

As the quote says: you pays your money and takes your choice.