Sun_Runner

Interested. Though your previous post gives me ideas ...

Not that it matters for anything more than ruining my (and some others) enjoyment, truly, but I don't find the devs' bypassing such building blocks to be acceptable.

It merely means that I am denied some content (by my own choice) because of how that content is designed to (effectively) break (certain of) my character(s)' abilities. I would rather I was not denied the enjoyment of that content by removing the parts of it that I find objectionable. This isn't going to happen. I am quite aware of this.

And, so, thereby ... Some of my characters will never run that content and are also deprived of any benefits it may have provided. If those characters are unable to continue progressing in the game (such as the incarnate system) because of this ... then they get deleted. Once I delete all of my characters because of this [expletive deleted], then I quit paying NCsoft money to continue playing. Hopefully this does not occur. We'll see.

Because this isn't a comic book (its' a video game), because my characters aren't called out as being weak to these things at the time they were created and because (unlike at least one of your examples) my characters are not regularly threatened by those exploiting known weaknesses with such things

I don't want a tanker built for survivability with a massively-expensive perfectly-engineered IOd-to-the-gills build and all the survival-focused incarnate abilities and crafted temporary powers ... to be defeated by a single power. Period.

If I build to survive anything, pouring every possible resource into surviving anything, then being able to one-shot my survivor can and does invalidate the purpose behind all the effort I've poured into the character. Why? Because my survivor isn't a survivor anymore and there is nothing I can do about it but swallow, smile and ask for more. (Or refuse to do the content with the one-shot/one-kill powers in it. This rapidly proves unacceptable.)

It makes me feel cheated, like my accomplishment has been taken away from me and is very discouraging ... because we know they are going to introduce more like that as they make new content. It is never "only once" and that makes it unavoidable if you want to do the new content.

My survive-anything can't survive everything. And I don't like that one bit.

They are "other". They can't do many of the things we take for granted. Their account status is objectively inferior, and will be treated as such (even if they don't realize it; it will happen, I promise, as most people don't know everything Free can't do)* by paying customers who don't suffer those limitations.

It goes like this:
"Valued Customer" aka VIP Account
"Current Customer" aka Premium Account
"Potential Customer" aka Free Account

VIP accounts are objectively superior to Premium accounts. Premium accounts are objectively superior to Free accounts. The game itself treats them this way and that isn't going to change.





* - For example: If I recall correctly, Free can't use /bug or /petition (and likely can't use /stuck either). Now, admittedly, most people don't use those very often, but when you need them ...

About a week later, I'm going to assume that no one knows; or that if someone does know, they don't wish to answer.

Oh well.

One should be judged on their actions, first, by their words, second. By our actions ... Heh.

Um.

Farming does not necessarily equal power leveling. Power leveling does not necessarily equal farming. You can do both, you can do one or you can do the other. They are different things.

Farming is doing the same (or related) thing(s) over and over again in order to efficiently attain the rewards you seek. It can also, and sometimes is, called grinding. You farm the incarnate trials, you grind the incarnate trials, you cannot power-level with the incarnate trials.

Or are you going to tell me that my level-fifty tankers (ice/fire, and invuln/fire) are power-leveling people when they run farm maps solo? ... in which case, who am I power-leveling? They can't be power-leveling themselves, seeing how they are already level 50 ... there is no one else teamed with them ... so unless a random low-level is earning experience merely by existing while I'm running those maps, because I am running those maps, I don't believe I'm power-leveling anyone.

Am I farming? Yes. I am grinding my way to the ticket cap for that map as rapidly as possible for my characters, repeatedly, doing the same content again and again and again in order to efficiently attain the rewards that I desire. I earn some influence and some prestige along the way, but all I really want is the tickets. (I roll my own recipes when possible to do so, and use them for rare salvage, and so on and so forth. I first offer the stuff I don't want to my friends, then I sell whatever remains to the market.)

Am I causing a problem for others doing this? Heh. Not that I can see. Oh, I'm driving some of the market prices down (temporarily) (maybe) because I just want the stuff to sell and don't really care what I get for it. That may cause a problem, I guess, but I don't think most people have much of a problem with getting a recipe or salvage they wanted for cheap ...

But, really. Farming and power-leveling are two different things and should be addressed separately. I can see some problems with power-leveling, but that is more of a problem with the players and less of a problem with the game.

For some players, COH being an easy game, being power-leveled on their first character isn't a problem. They ask questions, they read the wiki, they skim the forums, etc. They know what they are doing even if they've never done it before.

For others ... not so much. It is adorable when you run into a fresh 50 who has about as much understanding of and knowledge about the game as a first-time player who ate floor for their entire time playing while someone else did the work. A number of people get upset at this. *shrugs* Take the time to help them out, treat them as you would any other newbie (be nice!) and they'll turn into a functional player. Mock them, insult them and such? All you are doing is ensuring that they don't have fun playing and potentially quit the game if they can't find the help they need.

If you care, that is. If you don't, well ...

*rambles*

City of Heroes is an easy game. It is a very casual friendly and casual focused game.

...

I can, and do, run every single one of my characters up to level 22, sometimes up to level 27, without enhancements. None. No TO, DO, SO, IO. Zilch. Nada. Prior to the invention system, I would commonly forget to refresh my SOs and so I was playing at least half the time as if I didn't have any enhancements all the way up to level 50. With the invention system, I kit myself out in level appropriate (meaning level 25, 30 or 45) generic IOs with a scattering of set IOs. I do this because they are literally slot and go.

Sometimes I get ambitious and invest into IO Sets for a specific character that I love playing. Sometimes I unlock the alpha slot and get a power to put into it. I'm slowly working my way into unlocking and equipping the higher incarnate slots on select characters.

I shouldn't be required to do so though in order to play an effective and enjoyable character.

...

Adjusting the difficulty to account for the IO'd people, to account for the incarnates, is going to gut my ability to play the game. Give them content that requires a "you must have this amount of this kind of global bonuses from IO sets" or "you must have this many t4 incarnate abilities unlocked and slotted"? Sure. Sounds fun.

Adjust the rest of the game to essentially require those things? Pancake no. Not interested.

They are of two minds on the subject. In statements and whatnot, at least some of them have expressed a dislike of the practice (both the actual farming aspect and the power-leveling aspect). In actions, they have made the game progressively more and more friendly to farming, power-leveling and such.

Now, if anyone is using an exploit? They really don't like that. Not that they have ever defined what they consider an exploit, nor do I expect them to do so, in order that they have wiggle room.

The farming maps in current and popular use are not using an exploit (to my knowledge and understanding). Some people may disagree with this; their opinion doesn't matter (nor does mine, honestly). The only opinion on the subject that matters is that of Paragon Studios (and NCsoft), and that only matters so much as they actually do something one way or another.

Think of it this way.

The first thing your hero has ever done (assuming you did the tutorial) is blasted, with fire, fists or nuclear radiation, some defenseless people who have been contaminated by something (you don't know what at that point) and are driven to riot by the contamination.

Read that again.

Your "hero" beats the snot out of a bunch of innocent people who have been exposed to something that essentially mind controls them into being aggressive via violent and terrifying hallucinations, innocent people who badly need medical care.

It gets even more entertaining when you realize that (later) you mug crazy homeless people who have been infected with an alien virus which mutates them into being monsters for samples of their blood, so that you can make an experimental magic wand and then test that wand's magic on them to see if it will cure their infection.

Do note that if you use the magic wand on one of the Lost, that the other Lost around the newly cured immediately start attacking it.

And this is just the first two examples that come to mind. Would you like more?

There is certainly an epic battle of good and evil. However, I suspect that our "heroes" aren't on the side that they think they are.

As of August 4th, you don't have a choice about using the NCsoft Launcher.

http://www.cityofheroes.com/news/new...er_no_lon.html

Um. You may wish to read up on the released details as regards the new character generation and tutorial being released in I21/Freedom that replaces the current system.

Your statement is technically accurate at that point, in that free accounts will not have the ability to switch sides ... however, you appear to be missing a few details that matter in this thread's context.

Ah, I see. I admit to only reading the first post in detail and skimming the rest. I missed that bit. Oops.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Pure Generic IO Build: Level 50 Natural Tanker
Primary Power Set: Invulnerability
Secondary Power Set: Super Strength
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Energy Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Temp Invulnerability -- EndRdx-I(A), ResDam-I(3), ResDam-I(3), ResDam-I(5)
Level 1: Jab -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(5), EndRdx-I(7), Dmg-I(7), Dmg-I(9), RechRdx-I(9)
Level 2: Dull Pain -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(13), Heal-I(15), Heal-I(15), RechRdx-I(17), Heal-I(17)
Level 4: Punch -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(21), EndRdx-I(23), Dmg-I(23), Dmg-I(25), RechRdx-I(25)
Level 6: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(27), RechRdx-I(27)
Level 8: Unyielding -- EndRdx-I(A), ResDam-I(29), ResDam-I(29), ResDam-I(31)
Level 10: Taunt -- Range-I(A)
Level 12: Combat Jumping -- DefBuff-I(A)
Level 14: Super Jump -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 16: Resist Physical Damage -- ResDam-I(A), ResDam-I(31), ResDam-I(31)
Level 18: Invincibility -- EndRdx-I(A), DefBuff-I(33), DefBuff-I(33), DefBuff-I(33)
Level 20: Knockout Blow -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(34), EndRdx-I(34), Dmg-I(34), Dmg-I(36), RechRdx-I(36)
Level 22: Resist Elements -- ResDam-I(A), ResDam-I(36), ResDam-I(37)
Level 24: Resist Energies -- ResDam-I(A), ResDam-I(37), ResDam-I(37)
Level 26: Tough Hide -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(39), DefBuff-I(39)
Level 28: Rage -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(39)
Level 30: Boxing -- Acc-I(A)
Level 32: Tough -- EndRdx-I(A), ResDam-I(40), ResDam-I(40), ResDam-I(40)
Level 35: Hurl -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(42), EndRdx-I(42), Dmg-I(42), Dmg-I(43), Range-I(43)
Level 38: Foot Stomp -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(43), EndRdx-I(45), Dmg-I(45), Dmg-I(45), RechRdx-I(46)
Level 41: Weave -- EndRdx-I(A), DefBuff-I(46), DefBuff-I(46), DefBuff-I(48)
Level 44: Conserve Power -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 47: Physical Perfection -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(48), EndMod-I(48)
Level 49: Maneuvers -- EndRdx-I(A), DefBuff-I(50), DefBuff-I(50), DefBuff-I(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(11), Dmg-I(11), Dmg-I(13)
Level 1: Gauntlet
Level 1: Sprint -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(19)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(19), EndMod-I(21)

Totals:
- Defense: Smashing, Lethal, Fire, Cold, Energy, Negative: 32.1% (with one enemy in the Invincibility taunt aura).
- Defense: Psionic, Melee, Ranged, AOE: 14.7% (with one enemy in the Invincibility taunt aura).
- Resistance: Smashing, Lethal: 90% (hardcap, with some buffer for resist debuffs)
- Resistance: Fire, Cold, Energy, Negative: 31.7%
- Regeneration: 193%
- Max HP: 100%
- Endurance Recovery: 2.91 per second
- Endurance Use: 1.31 per second (all the toggles on at once; except Super Jump as it is mutually exclusive with Combat Jumping)
- Max End: 100%

... this is suffering horribly from diminishing returns, being heavily overslotted, but I needed to put the slots somewhere ...

Substitute [Hover] for [Combat Jumping], and [Fly] for [Super Jump] if you prefer to fly like a proper super hero rather than all the bouncing bunnies that people seem to prefer.

Speaking as someone who has four master accounts and a variety of game accounts ... the game accounts are held separate from the master account.

Think of it this way: The master account is with NCsoft. The game account is specific to that game -and- can't see the master account nor the other game accounts.

Each game account is handled separately. There should be no difficulty.

... your response has absolutely nothing to do with the question being asked.

Is it bad that I want those in the game now? Heh.

The beta servers already have this specific farm patched. Said patch is apparently being delayed until I19 comes out because to do otherwise would require a (possibly more bugged) rebuild of the beta servers.

There is also the cynical perspective that if such a farm hadn't appeared about this time, the devs would have included one. More available/played/active 50s at I19 release means more people getting involved in the new content. Recall that they had to lower the epic AT unlock from 50 to 20 because a rather large percentage of players didn't have 50s. Or something like that.