ToySoldierZolgar

Well, the 120 slots was a joke.

But to handle the others:

If you change to a lower cost subscription, you keep all the slots you had up to your account maximum*.
Any characters you had above and beyond the account max would be held, but unplayable (your choice which ones you could access), until you either upgraded your account again, or purchased server transfers.

*potential issues I see:
Person buys 1 month of 18 slots, then cuts down to 12 slots the next month, gets 6 slots for $5.
solution:
If they have had the account type for less than 6 months, when they down-grade, they have to choose between either paying for the slots or lose access to those slots.

Person upgrades to 18 slots from 12 to get the 6 slots, keeps it up for 6 months, drops it a month and repeats, to get "free slots"
Solution:
None. Player is an idiot and paying $30 over 6 months to get 6 slots, as opposed to $20 to get 5. In 13 month they would rack up 12 slots for $60, for $60 you can just buy 15.

...

Once again, this is just a random idea. Maybe not something they SHOULD do.

And we just can't have enough people on our CoX!

>.>

Also with WoW it works like this:
Generally, your character has one of a few specific predetermined looks.
You find/buy a weapon and equip it.
This weapon has one of a few specific pre-determined looks.
The weapon then becomes essentially a 2 phase costume piece. Phase 1: non combat, sheathed weapon, in a pre-determined location based on the weapon in question and race in question. Phase 2: in hand.

CoH has an (effectively) infinite number of variables that would have to be accounted for.
Weapon sets we have:
Bow
Assault Rifle
Dual pistols
Broadsword
Dual blades
Battle Axe
War Mace
Katana
Ninja Blade
SoA Rifle
MM Rifle
MM Bow
MM Lazer rifle
Patron pool: Mace
(am I missing any?)

Each one of these has multiple skins, that often times change the look of the weapon drastically. And, there's variables the players control, such as color..

Then there's the player bodies:
Male
Female
Huge
WITH adjustable sliders.

This means they have to make 3 different 'sheathed' graphics for every single variance in the weapons.
This presumes no customization on the sheaths other than color, and only one location.
They also have to make sure they work well with most body sizes (based off the sliders)

Now, we run in to this:
Players will ***** if it's not perfect.
Say that they're a back detail "I can't have my sheath with cape/wings"
Say they're belt "I want my tail!" or "I wqnt it sheathed on my back" or .......
If they allow "stacking" people will complain horribly about clipping.


Effectively, the customization of this game, and what players have come to expect are what REALLY prevents sheaths right now.

Don't get me wrong. I don't think they're impossible, and I would love to eventually see them, but I just think it's a tall order and nowhere near as "easy" as people want to think. At least as easy to do it right, which the dev team seems to want to try and do things like that right.

Waste of resources? Maybe.

But it's not "plain dumb", there's plenty of people who want to (usually for cosmetic/RP reasons) walk.
The only thing that's "plain dumb" is the fact that every single hero/villain in the game seems to be unable to move less than 15 miles per hour, unless they have a slow effect on them.

..
>.>
Also too much speed?
What? I'mn sorry, I didn't hear you.. I was sprinting by at 40 MPH.
(I love my Crab.)

Presuming you either have a SG of your own, or are in a SG which you can trust people to not take yer stuff
(Or aren't like me and just.. have issue finding SGs that suit your characters, are active enough to have a viable base, and aren't filled with drama and idiocy the likes of which makes you not want to call yourself a roleplayer.)

if this is the case, and they use the multi tray system, they could just not let you change trays while assigning your inspirations in a respec?

This example is not a valid one.
Yes, there are species of birds which have wings but cannot fly.

But 99% of people who make characters with wings intend them to be able to fly. Ergo it falls under the same heading as "My character is *blah* and doesn't need to breath."

.. No it isn't like telling a speedster to take teleport.
If you have a robotic character, whom you want to say is a robot with thick metal plating so bullets bounce off them, you are pretty much required to choose either a defensive powerset, or get defensive powers from power pools. Or ignore the fact that even bullets from generic thugs hurt your invincible robot.

So it's like telling someone who wants to run super fast that they have to take super speed.

Depends on the rule set you use. There are plenty of mythos used for undead which state that the only way they can be stopped is to be completely destroyed, or even when they are "slain" they will still stand back up.

by the logic of "My robot shouldn't have to take a power to breath under water." My zombie shouldn't have to take a power to stand back up after it's been knocked around.

Yes endurance is here for game balance, but that doesn't change things.
Most sources people will draw undead creatures from state that the undead cannot tire.
People will use inexhaustible power suppliers for their robots.
People will say their character has no need for sleep.

This means there are plenty of character concepts, that are readily able to be done in the character creator, which should not have endurance.

What you are arguing for is for absolutely every character in the game to be given a super power, whether they want it or not, absolutely free.
...

Fine, I want every character in the game to be able to see through walls!

We have the same REASON for our arguments. Character concept. But this is something that cannot please everyone in terms of character concept.
Every single solution to the problem will make someone unhappy.

I say, the game assumes you are human* (unless you're a hero Epic, at which point it assumes you are a human merged with a space squid). The costume creator allows for nonhuman options, but still. The game "assumes" you are human.
Therefor, just like all the other powers that you take to be "super human", you should have to take a water breathing power.


*It tends to assume you are a human, from the current time frame, from the current universe, unfamiliar with temporal or dimensional travel, with all the standard needs of a human.

Well, that kills your whole argument! Hah, you lose!

For the same reason that a character with wings has to take a power to be able to fly. Or the character with metal skin has to choose a protective power so bullets "bounce off them". Or that undead characters can get knocked out, and have to either choose a certain power set (or carry around wakies) to be able to stand back up after they've gotten knocked down. For the same reason that a robot even HAS endurance.

If you want you can change it to say "survive indefinitely under water", but "Water Breathing" is just an easier catch all term that is usually accepted.

But you compared it to powers, which the players choose, which do provide a mechanical benefit. Likening it to them, expressing that players did not need to have a reason why they had them, leading to players not needing to have a reason to have water breathing, which you somehow linked to not needing to have a power to do it.

As for the mechanical benefit. When you factor a water zone, it offers just as much mechanical benefit as flight. Especially if you do as I expressed should be done, and give the water breathing passive a mechanical bonus on it that makes it worth having even on land. (Perhaps a minor mez protection or the like?)

Your example is fail.

why?
Every. Single. Thing. you used as an example, is something which is.. >.> <.<
Wait for it...
A power.
Chosen by the player.

Ergo, you actually MADE my point, instead of proving it wrong.

It's not that I think there needs to be a pre-determined "reason" for breathing under water, just that, like all the other super powers, it should be a choice.

Imagine if every character in the game had the exact same powers as Superman, the only difference between them was why Character A has super strength etc, and why character B has it.

If concept is important enough for you to go "I have to be able to breath underwater without getting a temporary power!" then you bloody well make room in your build for the pool power.

If you feel you shouldn't have to take a pool power to fit your concept..

Okay, well, my character concept requires her to fly, regenerate super fast, never tire and be inspiring to her allies and be super tough and move super fast and be able to be invisible.
So, since they fit my concept, I shouldn't have to take power pools to make it work, right?

(Pools listed: Flight, Fitness, Leadership, Super Speed, Stealth and Fighting )

then get Acrobatics.
Or don't play it and let those of us who are willing to have weaknesses or take acrobatics or get KB protection from IOs have the fun

No, no it doesn't. Not if you have the balls to pull it off.

And sweet, I got neg repped for expressing the reason I feel scrappers and brutes are closer than any two other archtypes.
And was told that they're as close to brutes as they are to tanks or stalkers, which.. wow, how amazingly inteligent.
Lemme put it this way:
I've got a 50 tank
I've got a 50 brute
I've got a 40 scrapper
I can't play stalkers.

So correct me if I am wrong on any of this: (These all ofcourse no massive teaming buffs that make anyone as durable as a tank, or as damaging as a brute on crack)
Playing a scrapper like a tank requires a special build.
Playing a brute like a tank requires focused build.
Playing a tank like a scrapper requires a special build.
Playing a tank like a brute will usually not end well.
Playing a scrapper like a brute requires being ballsy, keeping greens on hand, and not being afraid of debt.
Playing a brute like a brute requires being ballsy, keeping greens on hand, and not being afraid of debt.
Playing a brute like a scrapper doesn't utilize their strengths the best, but is quite easily done.
Playing a scrapper like a stalker is quite doable, but very inneficient.
Playing a stalker like a scrapper requires a very solid build to be able to even dream of it.
Playing a brute like a stalker is silly, and they lack the damage to pull it off.
Playing a tank like a stalker is silly, and they lack the damage to pull it off.
Playing a stalker like a brute requires a godlike build.
Playing a stalker like a tank is only slightly less absurd than playing a blaster like a tank.

Inf is an interesting thing.

Technically speaking, from the "canon" standing, inf is the notoriety of your character, which leads to the ability to obtain things. It can still be looked at like that.. sorta.

I've personally come to the conclusion that inf is kind of like the "Wealth attribute" from the D20 modern system. An abstract which determines what you can obtain. Small purchases (compared to the number) don't have any real effect on the number, large ones, however, might.

So, I don't really see inf as entirely being "cash", but an abstract which is still loosely based on the notoriety of your character. (After all, Chuck Norris will have an easier time obtaining an M16 than you average Joe, even if he has the money for it.)

The only in-game "currency" that can be directly linked to a real-world "currency" is, of course, AE tickets = Arcade tickets. 'cept the AE trinkets are SO much cooler

.. I am too tired to type a response without coming off as a rude ******* >.>

So I will just flatly say: I disagree and think that going the "everyone breaths underwater, why is for their players to decide" is a stupid route that shatters immersion.
Having a cheap easy to obtain temporary power for anyone who somehow can't spare one power (and no slots*) for their concept.

*you would never use more than 5 slots anyways as one is automatic, and being a passive most likely you would only put at most 2 more slots in it, depending on what it offered other than water breathing.

Okay, so then they shouldn't do any more QoL improvements for the following:
Crafters
Badge-hounds
AE Builders
Marketeers
Anyone post level 40
Villains
Dual-builds

... That's just things off the top that I can think of that were not available on release, thus the game was "Not designed with it in mind". Don't get me started on the different sects of players that compose the player base!

PvP, like everything else I listed, was an element added to the game through updates. A major element that they went "HEEEEY! LOOKIT THIS!" in fact.

A nice QoL function for PvPers wouldn't "break" anything, there would need to be restrictions on it of course, to help prevent it from becoming a major issue to non-PvPers.
Simply put, disable PvP (drop 'duel' mode) in any place protected by drones/no spawn.

The argument against the use of city zones? Feh, let those who partake determine that issue.
Your opponent is a coward who turns tail and vanishes in to the city? It's your choice whether you give chase and enjoy the hunt, or just say hell with it and drop the fight.

And for the argument that "heroes don't roam around the city fighting each other" .. BULL.
In the comic book universe, heroes are always fighting each other for whatever stupid reason, because nerds like sitting there going "Who would win, Superman or Batman?" And comic book writers ARE nerds!
Then of course you consider the fact that we have a lot of roleplayers (on certain servers), at any given point in Atlas you will have: Heroes, Anti-heroes, Dark Heroes, Classic heroes, Villains masquerading as heroes, villains NOT masquerading as heroes, neutral parties, people who do what THEY think is right..........
There's no reason THAT would lead to fighting ever... >.>

Most of the other arguments I've heard? Don't have much weight as those are already issues in the game.

Like the "SET FLAG!" argument.. Feh, no different than any other thing some idiot annoying **** will do. "PL ME!" "GIMME MONEY!" "JOIN MY TEAM" "JOIN MY SG", hell those last two pop up an annoying box, no different than a '/duel' box.

"I don't want to see it." ... Yeah, well I don't want to see people looking for farm teams. Some people don't want zone events, some don't want to see things trigger zone events, etc. So there is nothing that could be suggested or is already IN THE GAME, that doesn't have people going "Oooh, I don't like this! This is my game, X shouldn't be in it!"
The "congested location" argument, of course is solved by restricting the locations where dueling can be done.
I would say restrict dueling from under the Atlas Statue, just due to the sheer congestion of that location, anyways.

"PVP is still broken." Valid argument, but if you notice in the post I initially listed the stipulations that would get me to /sign it, one of them was "Fix PVP".

(And try to remember one thing: This is coming from the person who really didn't want to see PvP brought to the game in the first place.)

Eh, my point was to make the option in such a way that it had no negative effects on those who do not want to participate, and those who do, have to have at least enough brains to know how to turn it on.

The anti-PvP sentiment of this game annoys me. And I HATE PVP!

For a moment imagine you were asking for some QoL feature for you, and PVPers started coming in and trashing it.. because.. well, they don't like PVE, and the feature wouldn't do anything for them.
Same freakin' mentality.

...Well, inf sorta is currency now. It didn't used to be, but it is now. (I know it's "supposed to be" your fame, essentially...)

The other three though, you're exactly right. (So change 'college degrees' to 'arcade tickets' )

>.>
That defeats the purpose of said request.

No need? Maybe.
Would it be cool to have? yes.
Would it be positively stupid to give everyone the ability to breath under water? Absolutely.

Single power pool:
Passive that added the ability to breathe under water, as well as another minor buff (to make it useful when not underwater)
Passive that increased swim speed and run speed
a swim travel power, which would have a low endurance cost, and in combat offer mez protection. Could only be active in water.
A leadership style power which grants all nearby allies the first power in the pool.

And have NPC vendors who will sell a temp toggle which allows water breathing, and a slightly increased swim speed.