ThatGuyThere

Actually, I'm handwaving the two reasons I could already think of why cross-server teaming would be superior to free unlimited server transfers, to see if there's a more convincing basis than "I don't want to lose my name" and "I don't want to lose my SG".

Not that those aren't good reasons; they're perfectly good reasons. My names are crucial to me; I wouldn't want to lose them. (SGs less so, but that's a personal preference.) I'm pretty sure, in fact, those are the reasons that "cross-server teaming" is being worked on.

It just seems to me that "ensuring that people who are on lower-population servers who want to team are able to without losing their name or SG membership" is a pretty thin reason for a project that, it's been implied, has already eaten a fair bit of development time, and would likely eat a fair bit more to get to a functional state.

*shrug*

Now, that's all right; I'm not excited about Water Blast, or Circle of Thorns costumes, either. But there, at least I get why those things are exciting to people.

Cross-server teaming just leaves me cold, and I was hoping someone with real enthusiasm for it could explain it's benefits in a convincing manner, so I'd be able to get on board; there's so much enthusiasm, I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something.

Thus far, they haven't convinced me of their passion; again, that's fine - different strokes, n' such.

So, these Power Points. Do I just, like, push them through the screen at you to buy this stuff, or is there some other mechanic in place...?

I'm on your side on this one.

Well, I was thinking of even the Task Forces that have hunts, for instance; how would they work? Or travel from one mission to another? Or, as I mentioned above, RP, or Costume Contests (which are not "content", per se, granted)?

Okay, so, maybe it's not a lot. But the loss of the "open world" part would really throw me off, personally.

Alright, I've read the pro-crossing arguments, and respectfully, they're unconvincing (not yours, personally, Seldom; yours just made a nice quote).

Though, I'm comparing "free and unlimited server transfers", which seems pretty simple to execute but solves 90% of the problems, to "cross-server teaming", which seems pretty complicated to address that last 10%.

Comparing "the current situation" to "cross-server teaming". I'll admit cross-server teaming is better than what we have now, even if it doesn't personally appeal.)

So, as I said, the arguments are unconvincing... ...except this one:

IF the Standard Code Rant leads the Devs to the conclusion that cross-server instanced-only teaming (...which leaves a lot of content out, really...) is less server-strain / drawback / downside / whatever than opening up free & unlimited character transfers would be, then it makes sense, I suppose.

But even so, there would seem (to me) to be a lot of stuff that "cross-server instance-based teaming" leaves out in the cold.

Edit to add -
Agreed; that's why I said, "Pretend the Naming Problem was solved". It's clear from you and others I should expand that to, "And the SG one, too; pretend it's solved, while we're at it".

Of course, now as I type that, I'll bet you it's the SG Problem and the Naming Problem that are leading to the Cross-Server Teaming solution, but that seems like an awfully huuuuge (and time and money intensive) hammer to use on such a wee little proud nail.

I suspect this one smells way better than it'd taste, but other than disagreements on what the capped totals would be and what would count against them, I like the idea.

Nope, okay, see, right there is my disconnect.

Let's say I'm on Nebula, the "nobody's here" server. (See? You've never even heard of it, that's how few people are on Nebula!) I want to team. I click "Transfer to Other Server", make my choice, and within moments, bam. Teams. Invites. Costume Contests. More players than I can shake an Endurance bar at.

I have my bit of fun, and when I'm done, if I want, I click, "Go Home", and bam, I'm back to Nebula and solo-style play.

That seems like a lot less coding for the Devs than "cross server teaming", but accomplishes about 95%+ of the same things in my mind.

It does vastly reduce the "server transfer token" use, but wouldn't cross-server teaming mostly do that anyway?

Again, I'm not trying to be difficult. I honestly feel like I'm some sort of blind fool, who can't see how obviously awesome cross-server teaming is, because I can't think it's much more than "free unlimited server transfers".

Memphis_Bill - Valid points, I suppose. But again, those can be addressed by making those properties "sticky" when you click "transfer to other server" button.

#4 would do the opposite of what you want it to. I completely understand your intention and agree with your desired outcome, but this is not the way to get there from here.

#5 would be a beautiful thing.

I'd also hate you, but I'd think it was an excellent design decision.

Well, change "debt reduction" to "resistance", and then it'd be an excellent design decision.

Wee, this is fun!

ARGHIHATEYOUDIEDIEDIE

... /Signed.

Personally, I'd ramp Inf numbers way, way, way down. Like, to a hundredth or a thousandth, or ten thousandth of what it is right now, so the high numbers aren't quite so high. Get it to the point where a mid-double-digit millionaire is filthy, filthy rich, rather than almost-trillionaires.

I think after the initial gnashing and clawing people would prefer a market where reasonable numbers of Inf have some value, as opposed to currently, where the prices on "the really good stuff" are in the multi-millions (tends to hover around 200 million, I've found).

I'd also make Salvage available for very-high-but-set prices off-market. Enough that you can market them and make Inf still, but if the RNG hates you and the market's empty, you can pop over to the "Supplies Store". Note this is already essentially true at the AE buildings.

Also, I'd totally introduce "nemesis plotlines", where there's a single recurring opponent (partially chosen / designed by you, a la AE) that has a hate on for your character, and whom you have to thwart every N 5 levels, to continue advancing.

We could...

This can't happen. Thought experiment.

Imagine you change the lowest-performing set of each archetype, so that it was universally recognized to be the highest-performing set (yes, I realize this is impossible, bear with me).

You have not removed the lowest-performing set. You've simply changed it's name (and brought it's performance up, at least somewhat). There's still a "worst set", and there always will be.

So you repeat the process, taking the second lowest-performing set, and make it the new best set. Well, you've only done the same thing - there's still a best set, and there's still a worst set.

And so on.

The current situation - with virtually every archetype having a range of "good-better-best" powersets (...and maybe the occasional "bad") - is, in that sense, optimal.

Note that I'm not arguing against bringing up significantly underperforming powersets (or archetypes, like Blasters). That's a different question. Everything should be within spittin' distance of "average", for certain undefinable values of "spittin' distance".

Yes. Please. Maybe in AE. Or something. But yes.

Oh, yeah, meant to say this too.

The fact that MMs would be noticeably stronger if the pet AI was fixed is a problem, and shouldn't be ignored. A fixed Pet AI could absolutely be the focused bug-fix of an issue, and both masterminds and the game would be better for it.

/signed. Please forward this suggestion straight to the Devs.

Make sure all the characters are doing random emotes while waiting for you to pick, too.

Personal observation from years of table-top RPGs:

If you can't lose, "winning" loses much of it's potential emotional impact.

If there was no way to lose, you haven't truly "won" - you've sat down and had a story told to you. Which is fun, too, but activates a whole different part of the brain from the "playing a game" and "winning" parts.

What if the jist is, "Since the fix, nobody does Hamidon trials anymore, here's a potentially-very-easy way to make the Hamidon trial tempting again..."?

Because that's the jist I got.

Isn't that what Inspirations are for?

I don't only play willpower. It's just my "default". I just prefer stuff taking damage when I push buttons, over me healing.

I suspect you guess wrong.

But it doesn't turn out terribly for most of them, anyway.