Shakhra

How much of an XP nerf is 1 NPC? What is this upcoming "Fix" going to be?

I didn't realize that. I have noticed that XP comes faster in a normal mission but I thought that was just an AE thing in general. Thanks for the info all, I'll look into the viability of getting rid of the NPCs.

Forget what I said about the kin working. If she's not the first to be picked up she too bugs out and follows enemies mindlessly.

Hey all, I'm creating an AE mission where there are 2-3 helper NPC's with custom powersets that help the player with the mission. My problem is that if you only have one NPC they use all their powers all the time, once you've picked up the second one of them bugs out and stops using their powers.

The behavior is that they stop using all powers except auras and auto-follow the player until the player aggros enemies. At that point you can see the NPC auto-following enemies...but not doing anything to them.

The NPC's in question are all controllers, and as part of their story they're not allowed to do damage. So their powersets are all things like the AOE controller hold, ice slick, etc and secondary powers like radiation, bubbles, and kinetics. The kinetics is probably the least broken. She rarely bugs out, I suspect because everything she does she targets an enemy for.

Anyway, if anyone has suggestions I'd love them. I've been juggling powersets for a while to find a fix but as I type this my fire/rad is mindlessly following an NPC around and I'm frustrated. Thanks in advance!

Wow, I had forgotten how friendly the CoH community is. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who sent me influence. I had some friends start up with me again so we all officially have enough to get all our enhancements. I'll check out the auction system as well, I remember when it came out it was sort-of weirdly complicated but I'll figure it out.

Thanks again all, my friends and I really appreciate it!

I've just returned to COH after several years of haitus so forgive me if what I'm about to say is outdated. Since I'm starting new on Freedom I have no influence and thus can't buy enhancements. If I'm recalling correctly joining a SG and playing in 'SG mode' nets them a whole ton of prestige while higher levels can bring in influence faster than low levels. So I'm essentially selling my services to a SG. In exchange for always playing in SG mode I want enough influence to buy enhancements. Nothing more, I've no interest in crafting and the veterans benefits have given me plenty of free costume changes - I just need enough to get decked out in DO's at (12?) and SO's at (22?).

Anyway, if anyone is interested hit me up at @Shakhra. Party on, thanks for reading.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Wheres Pantsy and Bimbot when you need them to hijack a thread?

[/ QUOTE ]

I know teh bim has left the forums. I miss bim's comments. If we set up a shirne to teh bim you think they will come back?

[/ QUOTE ]

Bim's CoX account bit the dust when it picked up the WoW free trial. Suffice to say it's "*****"lock is level 56 and rising fast.

E-life or not, I bet he felt that in the junk.

[*] SG/VG Name: Carl and Sons / The Establishment[*] Public relations: We have a Global chat channel we use, and the website www.CarlandSons.com is under construction. (Will also be a webcomic)[*] Peak teaming hours: Noon - 3pm EST and 6pm - 1am EST[*] Amount of PvP: We aren't afraid of PvP, but we don't usually participate in it[*] Amount of Powerleveling: Absolutely none[*] Amount of Drama: Yes. Intelligent debates only......drama need not apply.[*] Size of Base: Both bases have a secure plot with multiple spaces for Items of Power. We (literally) wrote the guide on the Cathedral of Pain Trial.[*] Requirements: The 3 Rules:
1.) No Powerleveling
2.) No nerf whining
3.) No l33+ speak. No using 'u' instead of 'you' and 'r' instead of 'are'[*] Other: This is a SG centered around having fun. Do whatever it is that you find entertaining. We will never force you to do anything you don't want to. We try to run RSF's a few times a week, a TF/SF or two on the weekends, and we team as much as we can. It should also be noted that we are BADGEWH*RES! Carl and Sons is rated T for teen and may not be suitable for young children and Scientologists.[*] Guild Description: We're Goofballs[*] Leader or Recruiting Officers: @Friggin Taser, @Shakhra, and @Adam Inferno[*] Preferred Method of contact: Send us a PM here or send a global tell to one of the previously mentioned names.

We use ventrilo, but it is not mandatory.

Hello Pinnacle Players, and welcome to the Spring 2007 SG/VG recruitment thread. If you wish to post a listing of your SG/VG please copy and fill out the text below. If you're looking to join a SG/VG please browse through the listings.
[*] SG/VG Name: [*] Public relations: (Website/Global channel)[*] Peak teaming hours: [*] Amount of PvP: [*] Amount of Powerleveling: [*] Amount of Drama: [*] Size of Base: [*] Requirements: (Prestige quota if applicable, any rules that simply must be followed, etc)[*] Other: (Anything else that you can think of. Say perhaps you prefer altaholics, or you run TF's every other day.)[*] Guild Description: (Motto)[*] Leader or Recruiting Officers:[*] Voice chat: [*] Preferred Method of contact: (ingame email, regular email, Forum PM, SG website, this forum, etc. Be specific)

Grats to Sturm und Drang for hitting 50 on his brute Volonte du Peuple.

Don't ask me how to pronounce the name, but Grats anyway!

Corruptors also have scourge.

I don't think is has to be done carefully. Just make blasters as craptastic at damage mitigating (debuffs/holds/powers like ice patch/etc) as defenders are at damage dealing.

And, just for the record:

Am I bitter about the lack of changes we've seen...Since Beta? Hells yes!

The fix to blaster secondaries is quite easy, actually.

Just dump all the powers that are worthless. (Blazing aura, Burnpatch, Electric field, auto turret, etc) And replace them with powers that blasters can actually use.

Like:
Blazing Aura ---> Char
Auto Turret ---> Poison Gas Trap


Also, for anyone else who argues that getting more damage-mitigating abilities for their secondary would overpower them, I have one word for you: Corruptors

Actually, I PM'd Castle on this a few days ago.

My PM:

Dear Castle,

As you know, blaster secondaries have been broken since beta. I know you've posted on this, and you've promised to try and fix it. But here we are on the eve of I8 without these changes, and no word if I9 will be any different.

When Statesman stopped posting and Positron became lead designer, there was rumor of 'The Demise of CoX!!!' We later came to find that it was simply because Jack (and a few others) were redirected to start working on the Marvel MMO. Now, I didn't buy into the 'End of CoX' hype, but it does seem to me that resources are being redirected... I am theorizing that with the Marvel MMO on the horizon there is less of a focus to make CoX better, and more of a focus to simply make Marvel Universe essentially City of Heroes II.

So what I'm asking is, with everything going on at Cryptic right now, are blaster secondary fixes still in the works?

I'm biased, you see. My 'main' is an Energy/Fire blaster. I've been playing CoX now for over 2 years and have 6 level capped characters. Out of all of them, I dislike my blaster the most. Not because its not my playstyle, not because I dislike the AT, but because I dislike looking at my power tray and seeing half my power choices as 'fluff.' (I mean, bonfire on a blaster? Burn patch? They're just for show -- I never actually use them.)

I'm not angry, and I'm not 'demanding' any changes, certaintly. But I am curious as to the fate of my blaster. Will she stay shelved forever? Will I someday get a chance to make her wonderful? I don't know, so I figured I'd ask.

Many Thanks,
Shak


His Reply:

Yes, they are.



In my personal opinion....uh...he's lying. I don't think they're in the works. I think it's one of those things where they *think* about doing it, but never actually schedule the time for it -- thus it never gets done. It happens at my job quite frequently, actually. They ask people to cover 'special projects' without reducing their normal workload. The result? The special project never gets done.

And Grats to Deathstrike Lily for dinging 50 on her stalker!

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Congrats to Bioly on Mistress of Diamonds. Dinged 50 on Ms. Liberty of the Recluse Strike Force.

[/ QUOTE ]

We should post screenshots of the infamous mistells to celebrate! He'd love that!



[/ QUOTE ]

/t Mistress of Diamonds, so what you're saying is you dinged when Liberty dropped to her knees?

Oh damn, MT....

Grats to Bioly, Bim, and everyone else on your shiney new level 50 villians!

[ QUOTE ]
Also, updates aren't really "part of your $15 a month". All your $15 a month buys you is access to the game in whatever condition it may be in. Nowhere is it stated or even implied that it buys you anything further. Yes, fixing the bugs is sensible business practice

[/ QUOTE ]

So if you picked up a game, brought it home, and found out you could never play with the sound on because of a horrible very obvious bug....you wouldn't want to return it?

The RSF is BROKEN, they need to FIX THIS

[ QUOTE ]
Bad posters! Stop looking that gift horse in the mouth!

[/ QUOTE ]

What gift horse?!?!

He promised to fix some bugs! 'Hey, we're working on making your experience in CoX less buggy' is not a gift, it's part of your $15 a month!

And for all the people whooping about getting to pick your SHOE, he specifically said you DON'T get to pick your SHOE. You just get a window now telling the game *when* to drop the RANDOM SHOE it's going to give you anyway.

No, not at all. A gift horse would be FIXING the god damn final mission of the RSF to allow dominators and stalkers to actually HELP the team instead of burdening their friends.

Dammit, Devs, "Let them eat cake" is NOT an acceptable response!

[ QUOTE ]
Grats to Infinite Bunnies on his first level 50, Candance Berloni!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yay Bunnies!!!!

<3

No word yet, not on test, no feedback on if our findings were bugs, flukes, or working as intended.

Hint, hint, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, Devs

Might want to at least tell us when you plan to have this up again.

I KNOW WHY! I KNOW WHY!!!

Think about it!

Item of Power trials have been on and off test since October of last year. After multiple testing cycles (and many many bugs) they just about had it worked out the last time they put it on test. So - why isn't it live? Because Villians only *just* got the opportunity to hit level 50. If they put it live at the onset of I7 there would be numerous people complaining that they're VG couldn't get an IoP or couldn't hold on to one in a base raid simply because of the level difference. What is this weekend doing? It's ensuring all the villians hit 50 before the Cathedral of Pain trial hits live!!!

It's a real, legitimate reason for giving double XP. It's not just for fun, not just to please the playerbase, it's a GAME BALANCING move! Genious on the devs part!

I can't stop smiling. Everything about this announcement makes me happy.

I'm sorry I didn't read this thread - so I don't know if what I'm about to say has been repeated.

Dear Devs,

Please please please don't balance an entire AT based on a click inherent ability. When people complain that dominators are not strong enough, the solution should NOT be to buff domination. Simply put, it's more fun to play a good character all the time than a crappy character most of the time that turns into an UBER god sometimes.

Much love for your work,
-Shak

[ QUOTE ]
Is there a prestige cost to run the trial?

[/ QUOTE ]

No. But someone once told me it costs 100,000 Prestige to raid someone elses base. Win or lose.

Plot device hits 50
CT gets a second 50...with a KHELDIAN
I hit 50 for the fifth time

Oh god...so much DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM this week.

O_O

[ QUOTE ]
Yeeey!

Now, CT -- go die. I need a Vengebot.



[/ QUOTE ]
Truer words were never spoken.

[ QUOTE ]
Wait, what's the reasoning for disallowing xp gain during the trial? Would it be abusive in some way? How?

[/ QUOTE ]

Most infinite spawning mechanisms produce creatures that don't give XP. (See: CoT portals, BP summoning Shamans, and Infernals Lair mission)

As for why people would do this: If it can be done by a good team of 8 for the first two IoP's then it's not exactly the debt capping experience you are making it out to be. And, at mission complete, you not only get quite a bit of xp/debt relief you also get an item of power. This opens up more content for those that chose to participate in it. Now you're able to be raided, and all that prestige you earned and salvage ---> Base defenses finally have a use. You also have a chance of getting a rare Item of Power. While the common ones have buffs of 1%, there are 3 (server wide) rare ones. One in particular, 'The True Furnace' gives everyone in your SG +5 end points and adds a million power to your base. Having one of these IS a substantial improvement to your SG. And finally, the game is adding a bit of end-game content. Something the masses have been calling for since release. So really there are plenty of reasons to do this trial, especially now that debt has been made trivial.