ScottyB
-
Posts
235 -
Joined
-
All of those are MA badges like Author, which I posited are awarded because of something associated with your Global (either your Global itself, or because the MA system operates based on Globals to begin with - and I'm leaning towards it being MA-specific).
The Flames of Prometheus badge originates on the same character that acquired the power. The problem I'm seeing is: what systems are there for getting rewards from one character to another? Global email and MA are the only ones in-place right now, and email is the only one capable of handling diverse items. Certificates are kind of a "set it up and not worry about how it works later" system. The certificate is wrapped around the reward and doesn't care what the reward is. Let's say the badge-based reward claim was an option: now every update to the incarnate global unlocks store also requires an update to the badge system. We don't know who has those responsibilities or the authority to make those kinds of updates, and it also adds more steps to creating the content and making sure everything's been designed properly - potentially long, communication-critical steps if one person can't do it alone. Certificates, on the other hand, are generic containers, some kind of extension to the existing email attachments.
It's speculation on my part since I don't work for Paragon, but I've faced similar complications when trying to add functionality to an online game that I worked on. Everyone wants the time and resources to make a new system, but finding new ways to use what you've already got is always faster to make and less likely to break.
Re: Unlocked for account, just can't use yet:
Quote:He mentions the level lock for using the parts themselves, but hasn't said anything about claiming a voucher/certificate for level-locked parts. Although the Ascension Armor currently looks to be the only thing like that, as he mentioned elsewhere that the auras have the same availability (once claimed) as booster items: even if you don't have normal auras available yet, you can use these auras. (He's comparing how it works once you've got it, not how you get it - I mention that just to avoid confusion about why it's [probably?] not available during creation.)Originally Posted by Second Measure
The Incarnate (Empyrean/Astral) Merit Rewards are account-unlocked. Once you have one unlocked for one character on an account, you have unlocked it for all. You will need to be level 50 to use the Ascension Armor costume parts, but every character on the account will have it ready once they get to that level. -
I suspect that veteran badges (and the other account-wide badges, originating from serials applied to the account) check the NCSoft account for whether or not to make them available to the character. The only account-wide badge that does this differently (AFAIK) is the Author badge, but that probably checks your Global name stuff (which probably works in some way similarly to the email, or separately through MA).
Thus this would be the most readily-available system to them for having an in-game-originating purchase affecting other characters on the account. All other account-wide things originate from outside the game (and possibly from servers outside of Paragon's control, ie the NCSoft account servers). Look but not touch.
It's probably possible for them to create a new account-level database that they control, that can be checked during character creation, that can store items; but that would be new development and require its own maintenance once completed. The email system already exists. (And support should already be familiar with recovering emails in the event of something getting lost.)
I'm also not sure why not being able to use something at the tailor until level 50 means you can't unlock it sooner (you just can't make use of what you've unlocked yet). So you should be able to claim stuff at level 1, even if it won't be usable for a while. -
Three days isn't so bad unless you've got the merits saved up already. Otherwise it takes longer to earn the merits than for the Gr'ai Matter to be available again. And if in that time you're lucky enough to earn 4 shards solo, you can just make the component directly. Sidegrades are a shortcut when you're being frugal with shards.
It's not an alternative equal to a good BAF run, but it's got more variety than farming the Cimeroran wall for a week. -
Quote:You could turn bosses on, solo Vanguard missions, and use the combination of shards and merits to convert Gr'ai Matter into the shard-based salvage you need.Originally Posted by Mirai
I still haven't constructed a single buff for my Alpha slot, and I don't expect to any time soon. I don't do trials or TFs.
I had a slotted Alpha Slot before I realized that if I scrolled down there was a recipe for thread-based salvage. I accidentally ended up doing it the solo way.
-
Quote:That gives me a crazy idea: a Mission Architect contest to make an incarnate-themed arc. The winner's arc gets a special third option (in addition to tickets or standard drops) - their arc gets the third option to reward a once-per-18-hours Empyrean Merit! (Or an Astral if you're in the 18 hour window.) I don't think that'd be huge, as long as the winning arc is partially rated on difficulty (or complexity).Originally Posted by TonyV
and much as you'd like to believe otherwise, it's physically impossible to churn out new content as fast as you'd like to consume it.
The contest could periodically be resurrected to add variety, with the MA-origin Empy being time-restricted (to prevent too-rapid Empyrean proliferation and AE grinding). That is to say, getting an Empy from any incarnate-approved MA arc would count towards the 18-hour limit.
Currently there are two (soon three) ways to get Empyrean Merits every 18 hours. But every new iTrial is going to make it easier to work towards Very Rares (and the upcoming vendors), unless a new category is added for components for the as-yet-unavailable slots (or if they're counting on the opportunity cost of deciding between the vendors and component crafting). I'm sure they've got a plan already, of course. Maybe as time goes by the current slots are supposed to become easier to purple-out because there will be new long-term goals. Regardless, I think my suggestion would have minimal impact on their plans, reward creative members of the community, and provide the community with more flexible incarnate content. (But I've been known to overlook pitfalls in the past.) -
+1 to making the settings NPC phonable.
(As well as maybe throwing in other NPCs that control settings.)
If a button to "call" them could be tossed into the options menu, too, that might be nice. The button(s) would say "Buff Acceptance" (and perhaps "Difficulty" for calling Field Agent/Fateweaver) but do the same thing as calling the contact. Hopefully that wouldn't be as difficult as adding the actual controls to the options menu UI.
One reason to prevent people from claiming Reward Merits from anywhere: to prevent them from restocking on inspirations from anywhere. Most importantly, in the middle of PvP. Similarly, super inspirations from incarnate merits can be purchased at the new vendors. Not something you want people to have access to in the middle of a fight.
I don't see why Field Agents and Fateweavers can't be replaced by a single hidden instance and made phonable, though.
As long as this is a short-term solution I don't mind it being Null the Gull. If they plan to leave it like this then I'd want a classy NPC, at least. (New players, regardless of whether they RP or not, would probably be like "WTF?" when they find out they have to talk to a seagull to change some of their settings.) -
I suppose the product-bundled codes could be temporarily exclusive, and then a month after they debut a Propaganda Pack could go up for sale on the NCSoft store. (In addition to not being available everywhere, they wouldn't be available forever. Some very good points!)
Physical merchandise t-shirt for "Drink Enriche!" sounds very cool, too. -
-
So my desktop's power supply went kaput, and took the motherboard out with it. (Word to the wise: when you build a computer, never skimp on the power supply. You might save $20 today, but it'll cost you a year later. Never go cheap on something that pumps volts into something else!)
It's day 1 of my City of Withdrawls, after like two weeks of doing at least 5 hours of iTrials a day. (Free reactivation brought me back, and then I ponied up for a resub.) I had just gotten my first Very Rare incarnate component!
In my crazed state I had a dream in which Emperor Cole was the grown-up version of Ralphie from A Christmas Story. And Enriche was Ovaltine. The dream consisted of me interviewing Emperor Ralphie/Cole about the history of Oval/riche advertising. I guess I've always wanted to work for TPN? So yeah, without my City of fix, I dream about Praetorian advertisements.
And since I have nothing better to do, I'm sharing this with you. While drinking a nice tall glass of rich, chocolaty Ovaltine.
But here's an idea for NCSoft/Paragon Studios: sell Enriche! (WotC sold D&D "potions" through Jones Cola a while back.) I'd totally buy some Enriche (especially if it came with a code for like, a costume piece or power - or maybe different flavors have different codes! Collect them all!)
To kick off ideas for what could the codes could redeem...- Jacket/sleeves/hat with TPN emblems
- Interview emote (puts a TPN mic in character's hand, holding it out or to the side as if to another character); report emote (holding the TPN mic to themself); cameraman emote (with a TPN video camera)
- Enriche power with temporary +Max HP/+Max End. (The Enriche power should involve drinking a bottle of Enriche in that one-hand-on-hip show-offy drinking pose)
There aren't really any rules for suggestions (you don't even have to reply with a suggestion). I just need something CoX to think about and I'm tired of coming up with MA arcs to work on. (Every arc I work on takes away from iTrial time! And I'm missing a lot of iTrial time!) -
When one uses the Ouroboros Portal power to use the zone menu from the Ouroboros zone, one is not using the Flashback system. Likewise, if one uses Ouroboros only to access the strike forces, one is not using the Flashback system, either. In both cases one is, however, using features associated with the Ouroboros zone.
Is that the word your little quarrel is about? I don't mean that to sound as condescending as it probably comes off... not entirely, at least.