konshu

Probably just about any changes would promote nerd rage from some quarter.

The only power change I'd institute (that I can think of ATM) would be to take all Kheldian ranged attacks and make them deal kb, while all Kheldian melee attacks would deal kd. That seems reasonable and obvious to me, but no doubt someone would have a cow.

But the change I've been longing to make as a dev - lo these many years - is to completely re-write the content, getting rid of the notion of a 1-50 timeline (which IMO fails miserably, due to teaming and multiple other factors). Instead, content would be gated behind souvenirs. The existence of one souvenir would unlock one or more arcs based on the events in that story chain. And if you join with a player on an arc and complete the final mission, you'd have the option to take the souvenir for it, thereby advancing your own position within the story.

I would also try to make the stories sensible and lore filled, instead of having most of the game lore occur in the background, hidden in clue texts, and having players wondering "WTH just happened?" So if there is a bit of lore in the game, like the Backwoodsman explore badge, there will be a story that relates to it, and the fates of characters like Inglebert Maahs and Starlight will be shown in missions.

Cutscenes would be common, but mercifully brief, taking no longer than a typical loading screen, or as a still shot used as a loading screen. They would occur only at the beginning or ending of a mission, or when a clue is obtained in an out-of-combat state. They would NOT be filled with lengthy exchanges of dialog, nor would they be used in content intended for frequent repetition.

There would be content on blueside for all five origins. Players would be given the opportunity to play a new set of content each time they select a new origin, but they would not be locked into it.

Redside content would be re-written and expanded as well, with different content paths, but not based upon origin. Instead, there would probably be some arc paths that would cater to certain types of villain psychology, which players could choose if they wished.

Missions for players would be on both sides; that is, heroes would have access to a copy of redside zone maps, and villains would have access to copies of blueside maps. So as a villain you could travel to Paragon, and risk being attacked by Longbow, Hero Corps, or miscellaneous NPC heroes as you travel to and from missions in these new hazard zones.

Contacts would not be in open zones, but concealed on instanced maps. This way you and your team visit the contact in relation to the current arc, and in a setting related to that story, without other unrelated players buzzing around.

There would be no silly errand missions. Players would get and use contact cellphones from the start, except when a visit to the contact is dictated for story purposes.

Many contacts that offer task forces would offer more than one, as Positron does. Players would get the accolade for completing any of the task forces from that contact, and a separate badge for each task force.

Phasing tech would be used in the current hazard zones to show the player's progression in the story.

I really like this idea, though it would be nice if we had more vehicle models to choose from, and the ability to choose which model would appear when we trigger the power (much like how a selection window comes up when using base teleport).

Of course, the game does not currently feature any other aerial vehicles ... so providing more options would be a problem in that regard. But I'd still like to be able to choose from among the 3 listed.

This could also be a nice temp power to get from a new TF or something, where maybe it just has a couple of charges, and no choice of vehicle.

Also, if IP gets a makeover, please put a second train stop in the southern end of the map.

If done well, pretty much any zone could use a revamp. Done poorly, I would prefer no revamps at all.

In general I don't like the new phasing tech. I dislike that I can't use Recall Friend across any appreciable distance in Atlas. I also don't think it was properly used in Atlas, because there was nothing done in the zone that couldn't have been done better with instanced maps.

That said, one zone that could properly use phasing tech is Croatoa. As the story advances there, the zone populations and features could change. It's also a zone that is small and not much of a crossroads, so I find I rarely use Recall Friend or ATT there.

EDIT: In fact, maybe phasing tech is more appropriately used in the hazard zones, as they tend to tell a single story that the player progresses through. So in addition to Croatoa, maybe aspects of the Hollows, Striga, and Faultline could change as the player moves through the arcs.

Possibly phasing tech could also find a role in large special maps used in new task force or trial missions?

Other zones that could use a graphical or play-oriented revamp:

1) Shadow Shard. Obviously there are possibilities here for a top-level co-op zone, incarnate missions, task force revamps, and so on.

2) Boomtown. Wasn't this going to get a revamp back in 2006? At present, there's nothing attractive about this zone; it's been left idle too long. It's the place where Council go to die before you can harvest them for Numina, and where Bertha hides her big botty. A fair bit of old lore ties into Boomtown; if this zone gets a revamp, I hope the old lore will be exploited and added to, not ignored.

3) Steel Canyon / Skyway City / Talos. These zones could use the same textures in a graphical update, taking some of the new buildings found in Atlas Park and maybe adding a few.

4) Brickstown / KR / IP / Perez. These zones could use a graphical update featuring a bit more of a Gotham style. I like the idea of doing something with the Zig in Bricks, and maybe explaining some of the mystery of the Mashu Bridge. And definitely keep the giant "coin" in Kings Row ... it always reminds me of Golden Age vigilantes, like the old Batman. While I like the grittiness of these zones, it could be given slightly greater emphasis. I also like the idea of adding architectural features that underscore a bit more of the magic theme in these zones, as they have a tendency to look too blankly industrial. I believe the architecture needs to reflect in some way the district names; a district like Seven Gates could look a bit more sinister or sublime. Of course, some Gothic features developed for these zones could also find a place in certain districts in the more upscale zones in #3 above, like Astral District in Skyway.

It was suggested earlier in this thread that Perez get a phasing tech makeover. I would recommend against this, as it would disable Recall Friend across a fairly large zone that features an extensive maze.

FWIW, relative to the OP, I've decided that even now, with all the crippling restrictions the devs have placed on AE, I would still create more content if they would put arc slots on sale.

I'm looking for a 50% off sale, and I'll buy when that occurs.

As for what I play in AE ... primarily my own arcs, because that's what I can easily find, and I'm satisfied with the quality.

The ability to "Change SG Name" has been requested since at least 2005, but it has yet to appear as a one-time gift, veteran reward, or as something that can be bought for points or dollars.

Someone should have suggested these contacts be revamped back in 2005.

Oh, that's right. They did!

Has anyone posted the staff models yet? I can't find them anywhere.

I'm particularly interested in the tech model, which someone said looks like an energy spear.

I'm expecting a weapon model pack to go along with SF ... and I'm waiting for it. I have a lot of alts, and I don't need to get Staff Fighting right away. I'm looking for a magical spear tip.

On the broader topic of 50% off sales, while some things have already been featured more than once, I'm still waiting for AE arc slots to go on sale.

I really wish they WOULD finish making the power pools customizable.

There's very little in them that is unique. Most of the powers exist in regular power sets and have already been adapted for player customization. You'd think it's mainly a matter of copy/paste, to enable customization on powers that already have the proper profiles. The remainder could just be left in their original state (at least for now).

For example, I can pick colors for World of Confusion on my blaster, but I can't color the same power when taken from a power pool?

I assume there must be some other barrier to customizing these powers. If there isn't, I have no idea why this hasn't been done already.

Perhaps the basis of the problem is that unlike primary and secondary power sets, the pool powers can be changed with a respec? And since color profiles can be saved in the costume generator, if you repec and try to apply a profile for a different pool power set, there might be a problem?

I'm leery of making the set overpowered.

The only things I'd change in ice are:

Flash Freeze - make it affect targets in the air, and apply a -fly to them (to bring them down for Ice Slick or Glacier). This gives players another strategic use for the power.

Ice Slick - have it give a 100% chance to hold if a target is asleep, and a moderate chance to hold if a target is immobilized. This is applied before any kb pulse, and no kb will be applied to any held target. In this way the sleep is preserved, and the immob for some will turn into a hold.

This seems reasonable to me because, as many have noted, these powers will otherwise work against each other. There needs to be some sort of synergy, but without creating a huge imbalance.

I don't like the idea of removing the -kb aspect of the ice immob.

As for slotting dom AA with fear ... this has been around since day 1, and IIRC slotting for fear makes the targets run away. Then they come back from various uncontrolled directions and shoot you, which makes slotting for fear counterproductive. That's why you don't see people doing it.

If you were going to make slotting fear in AA useful, it would make them cower, not run. This, however, would make the fear cancel out the indirect damage of the confuse, as cowering foes do not attack one another. You'd have to choose which effect you preferred, and enhance accordingly.

Or, as someone else noted, you can slot the damage procs for fear, confuse, and cold, and turn AA into a little bit more of a damage aura.

I saw the best minds of the player base destroyed by
madness, starving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the Hellion streets at dawn
looking for an angry fix,
Kheldian hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly
connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night,
Lost, poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat
up preaching in the supernatural darkness of
Clockwork sewers, gloating across the tops of cities
contemplating Riktification,
who bared their brains to Vahzilok and Crey and
saw Incarnate angels staggering on tenement roofs illuminated,
who passed through universities with radiant cool eyes
hallucinating Croatoa and "Who Will Die?" tragedy
among the forum elite,
who were Propelled by the Menders toward crazy &
publishing obscene odes like "Kill Skuls,"
who cowered in unshaven rooms in underwear,
burning their points on vanity pets and listening
to WSPDR radio,
who got Street Justice vorpalled to the head
with Titan Weapons and Dark Control,
who fought fire in Steel Canyon or Tested the Waters
with Back Alley, got debt, converted their
enhancements night after night
with teams, iTrials, with Dark Astoria,
alcohol and Statesman's crotch ...

If you are making a proper usage of Mission Architect - that is, restricting yourself to the creation of farming content - then you will not have a need for such exotic features or meaningful dev updates.

The original Shivan story (which occurs mostly in the background, like most of the game's lore) probably contains a nod to Flash Gordon.

From Flash Gordon on wikipedia: "The story begins with Earth bombarded by fiery meteors. Dr. Zarkov invents a rocket ship to locate their place of origin in outer space. Half mad, he kidnaps Flash and Dale, whose plane has crashed in the area, and the three travel to the planet Mon.go, where they discover the meteors are weapons devised by Ming the Merciless, evil ruler of Mon.go."

In the Shivan story, scientists discover a threat to Earth in deep space, a year out from Earth. They send a hero team in a spaceship to destroy this threat with a nuclear weapon. The heroes are never heard from again, but a year later meteors rain down on Bloody Bay.

Also related to comets, the hero known as Cassiopeia is honored for saving the world from a rogue comet. (Has this info been altered at some point? I thought original text may have mentioned that it was in the 1950s, and there may have been mention of aliens or more comets.)

Another in-game reference to aliens comes from a low level Kings Row contact: "Paula Dempsey moved to Paragon City as a child, when her parents were killed by an invading space armada in the late 60's."

I would change origins on a couple toons as well, if it was possible (and free).

I also always thought that if you wanted to have origins in the game, a lot of toons would best be described with 2 origins. Like: natural / tech, or mutant / science.

In my philosophy of the game, the arcs should be realigned into origin-specific storylines, so players that choose a particular origin (or origins) would be encouraged to play different material. Of course, the whole game's content should be open to for everyone, but it just seems to me that if you choose, say, a natural origin character, it would be logical and satisfying to play him in a natural milieu. (Like a martial artist who goes up against primarily martial arts foes, mercenaries, and street gangs.)

This is a common theme in comics. While exceptions abound, typically the Fantastic Four fights science foes (Galactus, Dr. Doom's robots, the Kree Sentry, the Skrulls, the Red Ghost, the Inhumans, etc.), the X-Men fight mutant foes (the Hellfire Club, Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, etc.), Dr. Strange fights magic foes (Dormammu, Baron Mordo, Dracula, etc.), Iron Man goes up against tech foes (Unicorn, Melter, Titanium Man, Crimson Dynamo, Controller, etc.), and so on. It's because their origin draws them into conflict with foes who have similar means and interests.

But more importantly, I suppose, I'd like to have the ability to change a supergroup name (for free).

I like that the devs are finally committing to new content on a monthly basis. That's something I'd asked for and expected years ago, when I first joined the game.

However, with one new arc a month and basically one writer ... I don't know if we're going to see the variety of stories I'd like to see, at least not within a human timespan.

I prefer the idea of a bullpen, with several writers submitting material of different lengths, subject matters, and styles, over mega arcs written by one author.

It occurs to me you might benefit from having the web pool powers available from Mako, if you want to keep mobs at distance.

I don't like zone events. If the game gets weather, I don't need to have it coupled with a zone event.

I think weather could play a role in instanced missions. Sure, many missions occur inside, but others are either outdoors or have outdoor portions.

I can see where designers might like to be able to check boxes to conjure up fog, rain, snow, day, or night for a mission. Maybe even birds or wind, or ambient sounds (crickets, etc.). That sort of feature was available in the Neverwinter Nights toolbox eons ago, though apparently that sort of toolset is far, far, far beyond what the Paragon Studios devs have to work with.

Cutscenes can be good, but they're rarely used well. Offhand, I can't think of a good example in the game, but there may be one somewhere.

I like the idea of cutscenes primarily for prologue and epilogue, with them being preferably short, and showing action with either little or no dialog. They should take about as much time as a loading screen.

Like a scene with a caption, "Meanwhile, in a back alley in Downside ...," where a running figure stops against an alley wall, turns, cringes, and then is struck down, followed by an upward-looking view at an unknown villain. That would be an example of foreshadowing, as the player could expect the adventure they're starting relates in some way to the person struck down and the villain pictured.

Or, perhaps, there is a prone figure in a business suit, and the camera pulls back, with the scene replaced by a newspaper headline reading, "Mayor Dies!"

Or, after an arc, maybe there's a short cutscene of the villain sitting in the Zig, swearing vengeance against the hero who put him there. Or after the Cavern trial, Sam stands with Lt. Wincott, and they waive at the viewer, then we see Karsis standing amid the lava, gesturing in futility. Or perhaps a surprise or twist is revealed that gives the player more insight into the story.

What I don't particularly like are cutscenes with no action, lots of dialog, and - probably the worst offense - when it interrupts just as I'm gearing up to take down the big villain I've sighted, or between battles. I prefer that cutscenes either be triggered by me grabbing a clue (and thus controlled), or at the beginning or ending of a mission, where timing doesn't matter.

I recently proposed a port of Broadsword to Defenders, with the idea of adding effects and calling it Power Sword. It's basically a cross between Broadsword and Dual Pistols.

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showt...roadsword+defs

As for Martial Arts, I'd like to have that as a secondary for Blasters. It seems to me like it would fit there with relatively little tweaking.