White Hot Flash
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Posts
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Joined
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Quote:A+ for super nit-picking. I'm starting to wonder if you enjoy playing the game at any level. Is there anything about the game you enjoy without caveats?Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
Yeah, I kind of figured I'd be the only one dumb enough not to use these things
Still, you never know. I suppose I should take some time to explain myself now that I haven't just gotten out of bed.
I don't find that these enhancements are bad, or that giving them to us is somehow wrong. On the contrary, it's a good thing, even if I'd have preferred to pick something else, preferably not tied to Praetoria. I also don't feel that people using them are wrong or evil or cheating or what have you. You guys are doing the right thing. However:
1. I don't like random procs. I never have. If I take powers with random procs in them, like the stun in Thunder Kick, I simply ignore them. I'm definitely not going to slot enhancements with random procs in them if I have a choice, and I do.
2. I don't like oddball enhancements. These are all uniques, in the sense that they have their own names and they'll stick out like a sore thumb until I get to replace them. Don't like that if I can help it, with the only exception I make is knockback protection just because I HAAATE that particular bit of powerset balancing.
3. I don't like slotting for aspects that I'll later take away. These powers all give a not insignificant level of recharge. Taking them away slows me down as I typically don't slot recharge in anything. However, it's very easy to get used to a good thing and notice it a lot when it's gone. I tried this on a low-level Street Justice character, and the attacks were indeed very fast and easy to combo with... For the time being. Think of these like the Mayhem/Safeguard passives - I delete those as soon as I get them.
4. I don't want to deal with Set Inventions or anything like them just on pure principle alone, and these are a holdover until I can get "real" Inventions. I just don't like the system, so I get rid of the enhancements.
All of that said, I'm really not against multi-aspect enhancements. I've always said that if multi-aspect Commons existed that I could buy the recipes for from the University, make with common salvage and slot as many as I wanted in whatever configuration I could think of, I'd use them. And I so would! But these aren't what I had in mind. These are just five, they come with procs, they don't scale up very well and that sort of thing. A whole system of set-less frankenslot enhancements I'd really dig. This just isn't it. -
Quote:A FPS-type game would be more reliant on fast-twitch muscles and who has the best controller, and those two things seem to be the antithesis to what an MMO that's trying to be somewhat balanced between the classes should aim for. The complaining about the ski runs and subsequent badges should be enough to point to to say that people don't want City Of Heroes to be that type of game.Originally Posted by EvilGeko
DCUO has such a system, but like Arcana eluded too, it's still under the hood based around a lot of chance. But you can basically fight constantly. The game was broken as all heck at launch, but it's getting better.
A game that tries to be all things to all people isn't going to be much of anything. I like that this game sticks to what it knows, and lets the other guys learn those harsh lessons.
I'm also inclined to believe that if games haven't solved the "endgame grind" problem by now, it may not be possible to do so. Much like how Hollywood continues to churn out the same sequels/explosion-rama schlock, game developers will stick to a script that works because their customers prove to them through their money that they want grinds. Making money trumps being original and daring. -
Quote:If they didn't say in the notes, why would you think they'd tell you now?Originally Posted by Aquila_NA
Anything ELSE? I mean, anything included in this patch that you're not TELLING us?
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Quote:I can count on one hand how many full day downtimes there's been in the almost 6 years I've been playing.Originally Posted by SinergyX_EU
12am untill 11PM, sigh.. Basicly 'yet another' full day downtime, a very slim chance the servers will up and fully running after the maintaince is done.
Quit acting like it happens all the time. It's not like they're putting on a major update or anything, on top of making sure the new hardware they just installed works.........oh wait, they are. -
Unless you consider not getting every token you think you deserve on launch day "getting the short end," I'm not sure why you'd think having to wait till your badge would normally be awarded to get the associated token is bad. If your next badge is a yearly anniversary badge, you still get the extra token.
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All I ever plan on doing is just logging into the game and playing, and occasionally posting about this game on these boards. The EULA could say that my soul is forfeit and it wouldn't affect me one bit since I don't plan on doing anything even remotely against the rules. This is a game. Why make playing it harder than it needs to be?
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There is no good reason not to add more defense to any character, especially one that has little on their own. There's no way to guarantee you'll never be in a melee situation where you wish you'd have some more survivability, and I'd have to agree with Silas in that emps, just like any other support character, have attacks for a reason. If you're not using them, you're not doing 100% of your job on a team. If you find you don't have time to use them, you're not doing 100% of your job as an emp.
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Quote:The thing you are missing is that this game is not going to a F2P model. It is going to a system where if you want the entire game, you pay the subscription, just like always, but if you don't want the entire game, you pay less, or nothing more than you already have.Originally Posted by CommunistPenguin
Most F2P games are limited in scope but allow things like tells. DDO for example. Its actually pretty similar to the new model we are transitioning too, they limit class and content, but allow players to communicate freely and join guilds. Anyone who thinks that they will get everything for free is an idiot. But you have to go back and look at what the goal is in going to a F2P Model. Are we just trying to bilk existing customers out of more cash or are we trying to build a larger community, many of which will move from free to premium to vip? I think that by limiting the social constructs of the game we are limiting how big a community we can build.
A F2P game is exactly as it implies: Free to Play for everyone, with no way to pay a monthly subscription because there isn't one.
Stop trying to compare "most of the other F2P games" to this one, because they're not the same, and your problem is solved.
The Devs decided a long time ago, when they came up with the current Trial account restrictions, that not allowing full access to chat was worth any potential risks doing so might incur. It's reasonable to expect them to continue their philosophy in Freedom, and the fact that a Free account, with only a few dollars spent (not even a month's sub) can gain chat access signals a large compromise in the Devs' thinking. It's not unreasonable to ask a brand new player to shell out a few bucks (especially when the basic game is free, and there's no monthly commitment) to be able to do certain things. -
Quote:You seem to be leaving out a few things that VIPs will have exclusively, that certainly add to the value of their subscription, like the ability to add 12 more slots to a server. Premium and Free players will never be able to have more than 36, while VIPs can get 48, not to mention an entire extra server at their disposal, should they chose to use it. That is certainly something worth the 10 bucks a month to those that have a full roster on a server right now.Originally Posted by T_Immortalus
I'm pretty sure the overall fear is that the free issues will contain less than previous issues, by far, due to the obvious "wait a second, we can put stuff in a cash shop now instead of having to provide a lot included with the mandatory subscription that we used to have" idea that NCSoft marketing will obviously have and the executives will like("more money, YAY!").
Also I may have added a little wrong, but, the boosters are being split into smaller chunks in the new cash shop to where getting a whole booster will be a minimum of more than 400 points.
You'll barely get one booster worth for that 400 points.
They certainly would not be reducing the cost from $10 boosters down to less than $5 when people paid the $10 often and they can get away with making the total cost higher by selling each piece at a small price, that adds up to more.
And then, they will obviously be adding a LOT of stuff to the store as fast as they can.
Sure, you can save your point allowance, but good luck paying for even 10% of what you want from the store as they keep adding and adding and adding more points worth of stuff than you could ever save up enough points for.
The worries about "VIPs getting a raw deal" is the fact that almost every benefit to the subscription is absolutely temporary, aside from the $5 worth of points and one paragon reward token.
It really is paying $15 for essentially $5 worth of points because you can't keep ANYTHING else unless you continue subscribing forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever....
....with no lapse at all in your subscription.
Those who do not subscribe certainly miss out on specific subscription only things, but they end up with a far better deal, guaranteed, which only gets better with time.
That is why F2P has such appeal instead of a mandatory subscription. The price doesn't go up and up and up forever.
Edit:
It's not about "free"; it is about how much you get for what you "pay".
VIPs pay and they have to continue to pay so the end cost of what they have increases and increases and increases and increases and on and on and on....until they stop subscribing.
Premium members pay and whatever they buy is a finite price now and forever that they do not need to pay again.
Premium members obviously get the better deal, since the only thing VIPs get over them is the exclusives that require a $15(essentially $10 because of the $5 of points) monthly fee forever and ever and ever.
Premium membership and all the benefits they can get, except the VIP exclusives, is essentially $10 per month cheaper. It's $10 cheaper the first month, $20 cheaper the next, $30 cheaper the next, $40 cheaper the next, $50 cheaper the next....and they get to keep everything they can access and don't need the exclusives, often don't want them either.
Premium players also do not have permanent, one-time purchase access to such things as the Invention system or the Market. They'll have to fork over money to buy monthly licenses. It might be cheaper, but it's certainly not more convenient, and part of the appeal of a subscription is the convenience of it. Convenience, or a lack thereof, has a cost.
You also have no idea what's coming down the road for the Free Issue content nor the Market. What seems like a good plan today or next month might change a year from now. -
Quote:There IS a license to play Incarnate content. It's called a monthly subscription. You pay it, you can run Trials to your hearts content.Originally Posted by DarkSideLeague
He probably meant a monthly license like how you can pay a small amount and get access to Inventions and the Architect.
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Quote:Besides the fact that they both are evolved from a human scientist who wants to return Earth to a more natural state?Originally Posted by Hercules
The one thing that kind of annoys me is the disjoint between the Primal and Praetorian versions of Hamidon.
Primal Hamidon is a giant Amoeba.
Praetorian Hamidon appears to be a ripoff of Starcraft's Overmind.
There needs to be SOME kind of similarity between the two....
Alternate dimensions can certainly contain vastly different versions of the same entity, and ideally they should be vastly different. Environment and circumstance have an effect on how people (or in this case, monsters) evolve.
Take two twins separated at birth and placed in opposite corners of the map. They share genes, but that's about it. Bring them back together and adults, and they might look similar, but they'll be two completely different people. One might be a criminal, the other a cop. One might have gone to Harvard, the other flips burgers. That's normal.
Praetorian Hamidon is what he is because the people in that dimension decided tactical nukes was the only way to stop him. Obviously it didn't work, and because of Emperor Cole's actions, Hamidon was allowed to flourish unfettered outside the sonic fences. In Primal Earth, Hamidon was more subtle, and had the advantage of a Rikti Invasion to distract superpowered folks. He has less raw materials to work with and space to be in, since Primal didn't nuke the place, so he's still in a less-evolved state, and now that the Rikti threat is at semi-controlled level due to there being a Vanguard group to watch them, heroes can focus more attention to Hami, which also keeps him from advancing as fast as Praetorian Hami has. -
Quote:Can we campaign to have "bait and switch" filtered out by the forum software?Originally Posted by Dark Sweater
BTW, thinking about it, this does look like a classic bait and switch for returning players, as was described earlier in this thread. It's getting them excited about playing their old characters, then when they log into the game telling them: "oops, you can't really get your old characters back; you can choose a much weaker version of them or you can pay a license or become a VIP."
Every time it's uttered, it's incorrectly applied.
Everything that Freedom has to offer is spelled out up front, in many different pages linked to from the CoH main site. There should be no excuse for not knowing what it will do and what it will not. -
Quote:Go back and read what Premium players get, which is what you'd be if you were a former player that's returned after a hiatus. You don't lose what you've already gained access to, and if your earned Tier is high enough from the time you've already paid into the game, you won't lose anything you're afraid of losing by going to non-sub status.Originally Posted by Virfortis
I want to keep what I work for, I don't mind not getting bonus goodies that the VIP players will get, but I don't want all my work to be cut off simply because I can't afford to pay every single month AND work for it.
Say I'm a returning player. I got all my IOs and even have a great Warshade or whatever. I haven't played in a year, why? Well College and all, it was very time consuming. Now, CoH is going free though, so I'm sure I could just play it when I want and buy little things here and there correct?
So I log on, my character has no enhancements because they were all IOs, I can't even use that really good class I liked, stuck with the first two I made unless I delete. I can't use the invention system at all...yeah sure I can log on...but I've lost a ton of progress and work.
Also think about this: if you chose to not pay a monthly sub, why should you still get everything in the regular game that people that are still paying a sub get? Note that costume bits, auras, temp powers, etc, are not "regular game" content in my example. Inventions and the Market are, however. -
Two clones, you say? Mind-wiping, you say?
All three snippets were excellent. Please, sir, may we have some more? -
Here's your perspective problem, OP:
You think City of Heroes: Freedom is meant for Free players, and because you take that view, it's understandable how you'd come to the conclusions you have.
The reality is this: Freedom is really what Premium players experience. You have the freedom to experience the game as much or as little as you want to pay for. Monthly subscribers (VIPs) will still get the same game experience they've always received, so there's not much really changing for them. Free players are still very limited in their experience, just like previous free players (Trial players) have been experiencing, but they do get to take characters to max level, which is a big bonus, and they can add parts to the game via Points purchasing that no current trial player could without subscribing to the entire game. The true dynamic part of Freedom lies within the Premium level. Former paying accounts can now play the game without resubbing. They retain the level of vet rewards they earned before they stopped paying, they don't lose any characters (just access to some if they have more than their status allows, but they can also buy tokens to unlock them again). They can still be in chat channels and SGs if they choose. They can still play their Epic ATs if they've unlocked them. If they don't care about Incarnates or Praetoria, they don't have to pay extra for it, and they can continue to play the majority of the game sub-free.
How is that not Freedom? We're going from either paying completely and having access to everything, or not paying and having zero access, to having three ways to play the game, and only one requires a monthly sub. -
Are we assuming that you activate the bracelet (and therefore the calibration command) before you know exactly what it does? If so, selling it would be useless, because no one else could use it but you. Then you're left with either using the suit to fight crime or not using it at all and putting it in a closet somewhere, hoping whoever developed it doesn't want it back.
I would fight crime with it, especially when it tells you everything it can do. I grew up with Greatest American Hero, a guy that had a super suit fall into his lap, only he didn't know all of it's capabilities (darn instruction book wasn't written in a known language), and I always wanted to put on a suit and fly because of it. You can't fly in this scenario, but being able to do everything else would be pretty cool. Hopefully you can take it off when not in action, or else you'll end up being like The Tick. -
The average person might be able to build a decent shelter on their own, fashion some crude tools and/or weapons, and maybe/maybe not survive a year or two.
The average group of people, working together, might be able to whip up a crude village or two, maybe something as large as a small town. Think medieval period at best. Depends on the location, the general health and age of the people, and how dangerous the surroundings are (natural predators, disease, weather, etc)
Even if you knew how to make something more modern, actually pulling it off in the complete absence of technology would be practically impossible, and you'd be dealing with people that are used to having technology do most of the work for them. You'd have to start at the beginning and then work up, and you'd be dead long before anything approaching modern were made. If you're lucky, you might have a couple of mechanical geniuses that could help speed up the process, but only slightly. -
Quote:Freedom isn't coming without I21. Freedom is just a system layer on top of the game. The content update is I21. There is no reason why Freedom would be started before I21 went live, especially when part of the reason there is even a head start to begin with is to allow paying customers a chance to start creating characters with the new powersets. Without I21, there's not much worth getting a jump on.Originally Posted by Dark Sweater
Well said. I really don't get how it'd possible to reconcile "soon" for the head start with "well in advance" for I21. I can understand it for Freedom in the sense of free players being allowed to play, but it looks to me like I21 needs to be there for the head start.
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Quote:So far, of the things you listed for this game, none of that can currently be purchased. You can purchase the ability to play the epics, for example, but you still have to qualify through game play to actually make one, just like paying customers. You can purchase access to First Ward, but all that does is open the door. There is no in-game advantage or disadvantage to being able to go or not.Originally Posted by Sabertalon
I've not played the other superheroes game, but have played a certain fantasy mmo based on a TSR role-playing game. When it went to free to play, ViP members received monthly points for their store, had full access to all new content, lost nothing in regards to items and unlockables, and the monthly fee remained the same. What cost them a large amount of player base was the fact that you could purchase those unlocks from the store. Many felt that it was a form of cheating and gave new f2p members the ability to sidestep the process of earning rewards. In CoH Freeom it would be comperable to getting accolades, epic ATs, etc. by just paying out a buttload of money for points and then purchasing the content. Things here may be different, will just have to wait and see.
Temp Powers are a little more in the gray area, but the game has had that issue since Vet Rewards were introduced, so going to a market system isn't really altering the current state aside from accelerating when you can gain certain things, instead of waiting for the correct vet badge to be awarded. They are fringe benefits, and as long as items in the market stay on the fringe, that makes the most people happy. The folks that feel that these things are necessary can get them when they want, and those that find them optional aren't affected by those that spent their money on it. It's a tough balance, but I think the Devs and the Marketing team can pull it off satisfactorily. -
Guys..guys....
Stop encouraging the people that have no realistic idea of how an army (either modern or classic) works.
There is no realistic situation where, if both sides were allowed their usual compliment of weaponry/personnel, that the modern soldiers wouldn't win decisively. Keep in mind, they also have history on their side. Many books have been written about Roman tactics. Nothing the Romans could do would surprise the Marines in any way.
If you have to handicap the Marines just to make it fair, or give the Romans a chance to win, why have the discussion at all? -
Quote:This. Permissions can be fixed. Kicking people can't be, if they care about prestige. If you don't know for sure if or when people will come back, I'd just fiddle with permissions and go with a personal storage base. You'll have to worry about paying upkeep, but that's just a slight annoyance.Originally Posted by Myrmydon
Or you can turn off permissions to the bins you want to keep private and open them when you want to pull from them, leaving anyone that uses the base still in the VG.
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Quote:Those two hours are the only ones you ever play during? That's a little far-fetched. There's also more than your numbers, they're just hidden.Originally Posted by BloodFairy
Does this mean we can get all the incarnate stuff solo? Cause I've posted a NUMBER of youtube videos on 3 servers showing that from 12-1am to 5-6am like 16-18 people are on total and there's NEVER been a way to do this stuff. Hence why I don't play this anymore.
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Quote:Always count on Venture to find the grey cloud in the silver lining.Originally Posted by Venture
All of this crap needs to go, time frame five minutes ago.
We have pop-up help (remember that? no? neither did the designers, instead we got a pair of superfluous "tutorial" arcs coming that do a good job of showing off mediocre characters someone thought were clever and a horrible job of actually teaching anything). We have an email system; the game could generate emails from Detectives or Contacts telling the player about new opportunities. We don't need these endless run-all-over-hell's-half-acre tasks to tell people about things they already know of after they've leveled one character.
Just because YOU know what to do doesn't mean the next person will. They do still hope that new people continue to start playing the game. If they didn't, they'd take all that stuff out. -
Quote:Make the characters you want to work on during the head start, level pact them, and perhaps by the time you're ready to roll new ones, they'll have the problem fixed and enable pacting again. Pick builds you think would be difficult to level on your own, based on your style of play for maximum effect.Originally Posted by Emberly
Requiescat in pace, level pacts. I am under no illusions that they will ever return. Sucks for me, because I use them regular.
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Quote:Considering you think Keanu is a good actor, your idea of Great Actors doesn't hold much weight.Originally Posted by Durakken
I don't see how that is valid or accurate description of Serkis...
According to wiki's definition of character actor it's someone who doesn't act in accordance with how the author wrote the character... but he as far as i can tell does nothing but do the upmost to get the most accurate representation of a character... As far as him having CGI layered onto his performance so he's not really acting as quite insulting. It's like saying "you're not a true actor because you have a script where as I improv!"
However it goes to show what I'm saying...It's not the acting skill that is important in this lsit or just about any when people think about "Great" actors.
Keanu's best, emotive role was Ted "Theodore" Logan. That's all you need to know. He picks the same roles in all his movies because he's got the range of a 2X4, with less depth.