sturm375

RE: Johnny Butane

First off, Johnny, did you steal my brain and use it to make the last few posts in this thread? They've been right on in my thinking since I started playing this game in closed beta.

Secondly, I wish you the best of luck in your arguments. However after years and years, I know they won't work on these devs, or players. Tankers are the exception to concept, and always will be. Players can have their Snikt bubs, and Cyclops blasters, and Storm like controllers, but they will never get the raw power exhibited by Colossus in this game.

The problem is too much vague ness from Castle. Also from those that cry "You just want more damage." It's a huge oversimplification.

More damage is not what I want, in terms of DPS. Nor should tanks be AoE masters. What I do want to see is massive damage per hit.

Before that can happen, you have to solve the problem of targets dying before you blow lands, and you see no effect (damage or gauntlet). I have in the past proposed a change that would basically show damage numbers, and produce any effects (Gauntlet), if the target is valid at the time of power activation. No matter what happens to the target between power activation, and the end of the animation, if it's a valid target, and the RNG shows a hit, then the player sees the damage, and the effect. Currently, the bigger hitters in our secondaries (as well as many other powers in the game from other ATs), have slow enough animations that you can activate a power, and before the end of the animation, the target is defeated, you see no damage, and see a waste of endurance, and a power that can't be used for a while.

If the above is corrected in some way (my method or some other) then you could allow for much longer animation/recharge/casting time powers in our secondary, that would in turn hit the bejesus out of our foes, and still not step on the toes of Scrappers or Blasters.

Also, as I said above, AoEs are a problem. Basically the tough guys/gals should not have good damage in AoEs. Effects, taunting yes, damage no. As a fire tank player (my main) I know full well how easy it is to rack up XP/Inf/Prestige by simply gathering spawns, being tough, and melting them away. Much more efficient than any single target attacks we have. These need to go away if we are to be "Heavy Hitters." Effects are great, with minimal damage. I like the idea of Hand clap, however the KB is horrid with the game mechanics. I like the effect of Footstomp and Shield Charge, but the damage (if we are to be heavy hitters) is too high.


All of the above is pretty much moot. This is now an old game, with entrenched players and devs. The changes above will never happen, and I have no hope of them happening in this game. Maybe in CoH 2.0. A less likely hope is if Incarnates were playable.

Soooo, anything done (XP whatever) between this morning's patch, and tonight's roll back will be lost?

Do not trust the server status page. Note the date at the bottom of it.

So, we got another patch this evening, and the servers are down again. (still bugged server status page). Anyone know what's what?

Refreshed Server Status Page 10 times. still showing 6-24-2009.

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It reads: "...each will receive an alternate animation for their powers." To me, that sounds like one alternate animation for each power, excluding maybe Taunt.

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Exactly how I took it, as well.

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There will not be an alternate animation for every power, but the potential to add new animations or even plug in existing animations that work for the power is there.

Right now we have an alternate animation for Jab, Punch, Haymaker, Foot Stomp, and Knockout Blow that are intended for players who want to play a more 'heroic' super strength character (compared to the somewhat smashy super strength that we have now). Most of those are completely new animations.

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Yes yes yes yes yes YES FINALLLLLLLY!!!1111!!!


I've only wanted to see this since, oh say beta!

THANK YOU DEVS!

I gotta throw a vote out to my favorite tanker combo that induces my favorite effect: Fire/Fire/Pyre. Fire off BU+FE+FSC+Combustion+Fireball and maybe throw in Burn, and you get my favorite effect: A ton of mobs all lying around you waiting to be teleported to the Zig!

Seriously though, Ice/Stone (and maybe throw in earth epic with AoEs) would probably be fun.

This brings up a question for me about speed for travel powers. If, hypothetically, you were to use Enh, and Set bonuses, and powers to go well above the cap of any travel power, then were slowed by a debuff, would the "extra" speed enhancement above the cap have an effect?

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So wait... you're just wanting it to say the numbers even if the target is already dead? I play several sets with rather longish animations (old Assault Rifle and Energy Melee to name two) but personally rarely ran into situations where people were killing entire groups in less than 2 1/2 seconds. I don't know, doesn't really seem needed/have a purpose to me.

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Remember, the target isn't dead, it's defeated, and yes I see it all the time on long animation powers.

[/ QUOTE ]Defeat doesn't preclude death.

IMO, all this change would do is cause confusion... since after all, the entire purpose is to trick you into feeling like you didn't "waste" an attack, right? Hell, the current system encourages players to actually use a little care when deciding what attacks to use in their current situation (i.e. using a 5 minute charge attack dbz style when the mob has 3 hp left and a Blaster is right behind you might not be the best idea) instead of making them think their attack did something when in reality it was 100% overkill.

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Note, this happens to me often on average and better teams when I am targeting a boss with half or more HP. I'm not talking about a minion with a sliver of health left.

If it doesn't happen to you all the time, I can see why you wouldn't care. Why not make the change? Can you explain how it would be confusing to a player to see damage on a target that was valid 2 seconds ago, but not valid after the animation completes?

Yes, I fully admit, it is a trick, and has no concrete improvement to the system. To make a concrete improvement would cause endless balance issues, which is why I am not asking for anything like that.

Is this something that would be hard to code? I wouldn't know since I am not a dev and don't see what kind of code they use. Doesn't seem like it would be a costly (time wise) addition.

To counter your thematic argument. What would happen in real life if you started to swing a bat at someone, and before you connect a sniper took out your target with a head shot? Yeah, you didn't get the kill shot, but does your bat still do damage to the body of your target?

It's not like I am asking for the ability to continually beat on corps or unconscious NPCs to rack up damage numbers. This only comes into play if the target is valid when the power is activated.

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So wait... you're just wanting it to say the numbers even if the target is already dead? I play several sets with rather longish animations (old Assault Rifle and Energy Melee to name two) but personally rarely ran into situations where people were killing entire groups in less than 2 1/2 seconds. I don't know, doesn't really seem needed/have a purpose to me.

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Remember, the target isn't dead, it's defeated, and yes I see it all the time on long animation powers.

The last STF I did, had the repairmen replace a defeated tower in a different location than where the original tower stood. They rebuilt it closer to where the flier patrols.

Not only that, but in our attempt, we took out the flier 4 times in 10 minutes, it continually respawned within seconds of us taking it out. I am positive the 20 minute cycle was broken in that attempt.

I've been thinking about this for quite a while, and I think what I am about to propose will not be game changing, and shouldn't be too much trouble on the part of the devs. The basic problem is long animation powers used on average to good teams. I find that I avoid using them on teams anymore because about half the time it's a waste of endurance.

Here's what I see in-game: Take a long animation power, especially a melee power like Total Focus, Incandescent Strike or such. I target a boss with half HP, hit follow, and cue my attack. I get to the NPC, the power fires off (so it's obviously a valid target, and I am in range). However by the time the animation finishes, the target is down (from blasters and other high damage team mates). My attack finishes, with out the orange numbers over the head of the NPC, with out the effect (like Gauntlet), with a loss of endurance, and with the temporary loss of that power (recharging).

So, what I propose is this: Internally, after the system check and verifies that it's a valid target, in range, a ToHit check is made. If that succeds, then Damage and other effects are calculated right then and there. The animation starts and no matter what happens to the target from that point on, the player will see the orange numbers over the head (or body) of the NPC, the player will get the effect of the hit (gauntlet or other effect). It wont' seem like a waste of endurance and a power.

Now, there would probably have to be exceptions, like Snipes or other interruptable powers. But, other than those I don't really see anything harfull to implimenting this addition to the game.

What say you?

Quick thought: You did hit Reich with those dimensianal ray thingys right?

I easily tanked Riechsman with my fire/fire/pyre tank the first, and only time I did that TF. Though he was totally irradiated by our rad/rad defender, and I had 2, not 1, but 2 FF defenders bubbling me. And of course I have some pretty good IO sets, as well as Tough/Weave. Also helps (even with the TTs) to set your HF on auto.

I actually found the TF quite boring, especially the end room. All I got to do was stand in the corner with Riechsman taunting him and hitting him. Didn't get to see or read any of the dialog. From what I hear from friends of mine, it's a much different, much better experience playing that TF not as a tank.

I did once get KBd in my Inv/Em tank when facing +3s. 2 Spawns for an 8 person team of Siege's robots (with the Erg blasts). Caught the alpha from both spawns simultaneously.

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I like CoH as much as the next person and will most likely buy the booster and the expansion, but if NCSoft is determined to charge us at every turn while providing less and less content for free then I think they run the risk of losing a lot of their market when other superhero MMOs begin to surface.

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Micro transactions have been verified as being in CO and probably DCUO (since it's SONY, and they LOVE MT), so it seems like this is the new way of the MMO market.

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Microtransactions have been here since the addition of the wedding pack. I have NO problem with that as most other people have no issue with it.

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I think they started with the GvE additions. It had some in game stuff that you could buy. DVD edition also had some stuff.

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What can you do to survive Richie?

Bring Psi damage. Blasters, controllers... and let them kill while you taunt.

Easy.

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Soooooo you're saying be a taunt bot? That's pretty boring, and unfortunately correct.

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Well, it's not all THAT bad. Consider that Reich does high damage overall, and that his "companions" do good amounts of psi, energy, and s/l damage. Taken together, there will be a few interesting moments in the fight where the tank will have to make a strategic action... alternately, this TF pretty much encourages you to bring two tanks of different types for maximum survivability, especially if we're talking "average" players who don't use IOs. I'd say that's a step forward.

However, I also was on a team of all controllers and blasters and we mopped the floor with this TF, sooo, ymmv.

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Not really. My team (Mostly SG mates) simply had me (fire/fire/pyre) tank Reichsman (with a ton of buffs and debuffs) and every time another AV would surface, I'd stand alone with Reichsman (buffed like hell) while they take out the other AV. Also note, I was the only melee toon in the group. Also note, no defeats at all in that last mission.

So basically it was taunt-GFS-Incinerate-Taunt-Fireblast-taunt- etc., etc., ad nausium till all the other AVs were defeated, and everyone concentrated on the Reichsman.

Boring as [censored] for me the tank, and I didn't get to see much of the end room, or dialog either. I'm told by other SG mates that have tanked this TF, it's a much different, much better TF, if you play it as a non-tank.

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The Praetorian Name thing is interesting. Let's look at some examples:

Statesman == Tyrant
Back Alley Brawler == Marauder
Positron == Anti-Matter
Mynx == Bobcat

So, in general, the Praetorian Name of a character is a reflection of their current name, but with a more...aggressive, sinister twist.

Given that:

Castle == Checkmate

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Checkmate you might find trademark/copywrite problems with.

Positron is actually an anti-electron so Positron is actually anti-matter. So I am not sure how that is more aggressive/sinister.

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What can you do to survive Richie?

Bring Psi damage. Blasters, controllers... and let them kill while you taunt.

Easy.

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Soooooo you're saying be a taunt bot? That's pretty boring, and unfortunately correct.

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One other side note, the ground punch that Reichsman does, I WANT IT!

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Would make a nice alternate for Foot Stomp if the devs ever do power customization properly and allow changes to melee attacks.


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I was thinking replace Hand Clap with that ground punch, remains no damage, replace the KB with KD or KU.

QR:

It should be noted that if you want to tank w/o getting KBd for medium to large teams in the upper levels, you are going to want 8+ mag KB protection. It's rare for anyone but a tank to see it, but KB does stack. If you recieve KB from multiple sources, with in a certain time frame (probably a server "tick" of the clock) all that KB will stack.

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Steadfast has the nice def/res global, and a combination of two bumps recov 1.5%, a nice little addition to an end heavy primary especially if it's tripled in a build.

You might find that two -k/b io's offer a more desired result.

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/agree

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/also agree


Steadfast Def/Res is one of the few that I greatly enjoy when I can get it at maximum level (30) cause of the added res and the defense. Pair that with the KB IO on a fire tank niiiiiiiiiiice!.

On the plus side, the new mission maps are nice. Last mission is only slightly better than the typical AE mission where the creater throws his/her favorite AVs at you as a gauntlet.

One other side note, the ground punch that Reichsman does, I WANT IT!

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Not run this unfinished and poorly conceived TF?

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Do you ever actually just offer positive good advise? Bitter and angry much?

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That is the best advice I can give in this case.

Don't run poorly designed content and don't validate the developers crapping on Tankers.



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Cannot agree more. Every time I turn around there's another "end game" type event/raid/TF whatever that craps on defense. Like the totally forget we have a Defensive primary. We aren't just a bag of HP.

What the hell, they'll probably just provide a "special" inspiration that will enable a blaster to have a better chance at surviving than all our primary powers combined.

And yes, once again, I am disappointed in the devs, and bitter. This is stupid.