Statesman Speaks at Origins
By
87____,
Posted on: 2005-07-04 17:43 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
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A couple of other points from Statesman's Lecture/Q&A at Origins...
1) Concerning the ability to change the color of the effects of your powers, Jack immediatly had this one word answer "Soon". Said farily emphatically.
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Cooooool.
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3) I liked his comment concerning Ghost Falcon: I would replace him with a chalk outline. It isn't that Jack doesn't like stores, he just doesn't like the fact everyone can get the same things at them. If he had to do it all over agin, he would have left all enhancements available thru contacts only, with only certain ones being available thru certain contacts. And not just one kind of origin type, but I got the impression maybe only certain types (like maybe enhanced damage, but no enhanced accuracy).
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Aaaarrrgh, so in order to get enhancements we'll need to keep a chart handy and figure out what contacts are good for what before we agree to talk to them? Ack, my head hurts just thinking about this... I really don't want to need yet another stack of paper to help me play this game.
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All it seems to do is inspire the blasters do teeter on the edge of death (but that isnt much of a diffrence now, they allready do involuntary
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When he was talking about this I was thinking of the blaster backing away with three minions on him/her. I was thinking of the blaster despritely trying to kill the minions to survive. I'm waiting for more info though IE: ratio of low hitpoints to increased damage, the speed of the damage increase (blasters go down quick, we've all seen the back around the corner and still take damage event when will the increased damage take effect?), and other bits.
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Hold on to your seats folks, he HATES the stores in Talos and IP.
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I actually preferred purchasing enhancements from stores as opposed to getting them from some contact. As a reward for a successful mission I can understand, but it strikes me as a little odd to have some guy on a street corner peddling this stuff. That's not to mention that I liked being able to enter some buildings. At least have the contacts selling this stuff be located indoors.
I suppose, if this game were faithful to comic books we wouldnt have shops selling goods for superheroes. Batman or Ironman wouldn't go to the corner shop for supplies. So I can understand that. However, the universe of Paragon City is a bit different. There are thousands of heroes in the city. And they're fairly overt in their activity. So, it only stands to reason that businesses would open up catering to the needs of the superhero community.
I think it's a bit limiting to try to adhere too closely to the themes established by traditional comic books.
While I like the concept of "desperation" as an idea, and I think it makes sense for Blasters, I don't think the implementation helps at all. It's been said before, I'll say it again, when you are getting the greatest bonus from the ability, you'll likely be running away.
Essentially, the devs are taking the archetype with the most risk, and rather than reducing that risk, asking them to accept INCREASED risk for greater damage. Essentially, the data mining is going to show that the debt rate for Blasters will increase. And their usefullness to a group will decrease since dead heroes can't deal damage.
Now, if "desperation" made a Blaster HARDER TO HIT, instead of harder hitting...
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Batman or Ironman wouldn't go to the corner shop for supplies.
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No, but I bet the Punisher would. 
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Nerfs: He mentioned that the 30s game and above is NOT Balanced (his emphasis). He said that he wanted to make it more challenging and exciting to get a Yes!! I beat it feeling.
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To me, the point of leveling in this game is to get past thirty and actually feel like you've accomplished something, like you're actually powerful. And that's going to go away?
You see, dying never gives that feeling. Not ever. And that's what more "challenge" inevitably means, more deaths. Lots more deaths. The decreased debt (that's planned) is irrelevant, because it isn't the debt, it's the deaths.
A couple deaths really drain away the value of a subsequent success. I mean, obviously if you whittle away long enough, you get it done. If every successful mission kills you first, it just shows what a wimpy hero you are, even after 30 or more levels of working at it.
The levels before 30 or so (exact level depends on the individual hero) are painful now. If that's balance, if that's the way the whole game "should" be, then when exactly do you get to feel like you've accomplished anything? I understand about the journey being a big part of the fun, but there should be a feeling of accomplishment that doesn't melt away every time you level.
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he HATES the stores in Talos and IP. As soon as he is able he will get rid of them.
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Yet another way to make life miserable for players. How in the world can you get "more fun" from this?
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He again said that he didnt mind Power leveling but that it indicated that something was wrong if folks preferred sitting by the door rather than playing the game.
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Good thing he doesn't mind it, cause actually playing is going to get even more unappealing than ever as the above items are implemented.
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... (roughly 40% of the player base is new to MMOrpgers).
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It's really a shame then that his plans are the kind of things that only serious, fun-is-too-easy-get-rid-of-it MMORGP'ers will appreciate.
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Mr. Emmert loves the challenge of the hallows
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Figures.
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He reads the boards and plays the game daily.
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He's even said himself something to the effect that he probably doesn't see it as the average gamer see it. Too bad he doesn't seem to take that to heart. Look, I have no doubt Mr. Emmert wants to make a fun game. But I really think his perspective has grown way far afield from that of many of the rest of us, particularly the 40% mentioned above, of which I was one.
I've loved playing this game. But everything he plans to do to it now looks awful. Just as I get thinking maybe it won't be so bad, he says more, and I realize, it most likely will get that bad.
I guess the only thing I can hope for is that it takes a long time. 
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As a reward for a successful mission I can understand, but it strikes me as a little odd to have some guy on a street corner peddling this stuff.
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Psst! Hey, you. Over here.
You look like somebody who needs something, friend. I got all yer enhancement needs right here. Dangerous scientific experiments? Found 'em in a dumpster. Strange ways to make you mutate? Yeah, right here--and no, that writing's not Rikti, don't ask again. Connections to extradimensional entities? They fell off the back of a truck.
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As a reward for a successful mission I can understand, but it strikes me as a little odd to have some guy on a street corner peddling this stuff.
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Psst! Hey, you. Over here.
You look like somebody who needs something, friend. I got all yer enhancement needs right here. Dangerous scientific experiments? Found 'em in a dumpster. Strange ways to make you mutate? Yeah, right here--and no, that writing's not Rikti, don't ask again. Connections to extradimensional entities? They fell off the back of a truck.
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Don't worry pal, have a taste, the first one's for free. 
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YOU DO NOT NEED STAMINA. The "requirement" of Stamina is simply in your head. The Necessity of Stamina has been greatly exagerated.
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Please remember this is YOUR opinion... please don't qualify it as a fact.
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I've gotta agree with LiquidX on this actually. Any build can make it to 50 without Stamina; that's a fact. It may be easier with Stamina than without, but it's possible. Thus it's not "required".
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In other words, it won't kill you.
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Actualy it would kill my game play. Would the game be fun for me?
With my Invuln/SS Tanker I have to have stamina plus tons of end reducers, with my Energy/Electric Blaster I have to have Stamina, with my Ice/Energy Blaster I had to have Stamina, with my Ice/Ice Blaster I had to have Stamina, and with my Warshade stamina plus End reducers weren't enough.
Your right going without Stamina won't kill me but it would kill any interest in this game for me. Six of my characters I have lvled to 50 needed both Stamina and Hasten. The fun factor would be replaced with frustration and disgust. Stamina is a band-aid to a very big and broken system. As they add more end reducing powers into the game (Rage, Hasten, FoN, etc) this band-aid is getting strained and stretched to do what it needs to do.
Endurance should have increased as we lvl thus the "need" of Stamina would have never been present. Instead they left it the same and never really adressed the problem that it has presented.
Yes all my characters needed stamina because without stamina they wouldn't have been fun to play (hell they were frustrating just to get to 20). The Devs need to look at this power set and try and make other sets not so dependent on the Fitness pool.
Kill Stamina without providing a fix to the problem of Endurance drain and nobody will have to write the words "Doom". It's already well known what would happen.
I think, Cuddles, you might be mistaking "need" as directed by the ability to play the game vs "need" to play the game as you want to play it. They are two very distinct things, neither of which are inherently wrong.
"I see your words..." ~The most menacing thing a forumite could say
Stamina may not be needed, but without it the game can be annoying.
I've spent alot of time with my tank using aid other in the Hollows, AP, and Steel Canyon. I have seen low level chars running out of end while fighting 1 or 2 minions.
Fighting a single group of minions, and then having to wait a minute or so to anntack the next group is not very heroic, and not very exciting.
Some builds have not end problems. Others will always have end problems.
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To be honest, I really hope that he means "Along with some form of protection/defense/aggro reduction/ect".
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Me too. A little later in the lecture someone asked if there was any ideas to help blasters. Mr Emmert said something to the effect of I allready said some of my ideas to help blasters.
Honestly, I hope that they at least give blasters more hit points. Really, why not? They aren't mages in DnD after all.
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You are aware that blasters have the same HP as defenders and controllers right? Those ATs do fine with the same HP as blasters, because they have tools(control, debuffs, buffs, heals) to make their HP last a long time. Blasters lack those tools.
More HP aint the answer. More survivability is the answer. Desperation isnt going to do much for that, unless it lets you bypass the damage cap. Even then, its not going to be very useful, unless it comes with some sort of MoG type ability attached to it.
Heroes
Dysmal
Lumynous
Sam Steele
Pluck
Wile
Slagheap
Pressure Wave
Rhiannon Bel
Verified
Stellaric
Syd Mallorn
Villains
Jotunheim Skald
Saer Maen
Jen Corbae
Illuminance
Venator Arawn
Taiga Dryad
Tarranos
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You are aware that blasters have the same HP as defenders and controllers right? Those ATs do fine with the same HP as blasters, because they have tools(control, debuffs, buffs, heals) to make their HP last a long time. Blasters lack those tools.
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I know that blasters have the same HP as controlers and defenders. Trust me, I am reminded of that fact every time my Kin/Psy (39) Fulcrum shifts. Considering the up and coming desperation I was hoping that blasters would get an increase in hit points to help them use the ability.
About blasters getting other abilities, I'm still hoping that the devs wont say, "Blasters got desperation ok we're done here folks." I'm hoping desperation is a precurser to looking at the secondaries for blasters. I'll tell you what really sucks the big one, getting a really cool ability and having it toned down to uselessness in the next issue. I'm hoping that the fixes for blasters are good, fair, and permanent.
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About hasten however....I see the point of having it. I generally suffer til around level 30 without it (since it's a pain without having it 6 slotted with SOs....at lower lvls, I never know WHEN I should click it. So I avoid the power til late when I have slots to slot it with SOs.)
I shall use the example of my Electric Blaster buddy here. He said, when he was without hasten...he would open up with "Zapp" his snipe....then he'd use his lvl 1 "fast recharge, low damage" power....then his lvl 2 "medium damage, slower recharge".....and then he'd be out of ranged attacks being an Electric Blaster. He wouldn't use Zapp in battle, too long animation that can be interrupted....and it was lvl 1 blast....lvl 2 blast.....*wait for a few seconds til lvl 1 blast recharges*
He said, he began using "Ball of Lightning" EVEN if there was only one mob left...Stamina WASN'T the issue, it was the fact he was STANDING THERE without anything recharged. Hasten now brings his powers back fast....including unique and powerful blasts/buffs....like Thunderous Blast. Who doesn't want a super blast to recharge as fast as possible ?
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Thank you. That's why I find Hasten necessary for certain powerset combs. My controller was in his mid-20s before respec'ing hasten in and before that I'd alt-tab in the middle of battles because after a certain point, only Spectral Wounds was appropriate to use in battle and there was such a long wait in between.... hell, I alt-tabed through solo battles.
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To be honest, I really hope that he means "Along with some form of protection/defense/aggro reduction/ect".
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Me too. A little later in the lecture someone asked if there was any ideas to help blasters. Mr Emmert said something to the effect of I allready said some of my ideas to help blasters.
Honestly, I hope that they at least give blasters more hit points. Really, why not? They aren't mages in DnD after all.
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You are aware that blasters have the same HP as defenders and controllers right? Those ATs do fine with the same HP as blasters, because they have tools(control, debuffs, buffs, heals) to make their HP last a long time. Blasters lack those tools.
More HP aint the answer. More survivability is the answer. Desperation isnt going to do much for that, unless it lets you bypass the damage cap. Even then, its not going to be very useful, unless it comes with some sort of MoG type ability attached to it.
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I kind of get the feeling that it probably won't bypass the damage cap, but *keep* you at it for a longer time (or maybe some of the damage becomes unresistable or something.)
Turning Blasters into solo tank-mages is definitely not what he's aiming at.
Still here, even after all this time!
Hmm...interesting comments by States. I'll withold my opinoin until some of these "changes" are officially announced.
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Hold on to your seats folks, he HATES the stores in Talos and IP. As soon as he is able he will get rid of them. I don’t know the man, I didn’t even meet him but through the whole con I never saw a look of utter disgust on his face except when he was talking about the stores.
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LOL thats pretty funny, as if the stores are a real issue. People going to the stores is more like a symptom of
-Poor drop rates: If my heroes had to rely on drop rates they would mostly be running around with trainings. The drop rate and type does not support how the players want to play the game. I suppose that is part of the problem, players not in line with the "vision" 
Shame on us.
-Contacts only: Well that would force people to do missions lol! or at least the ones for their AT and watch how quick people would get bored with that 
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You are aware that blasters have the same HP as defenders and controllers right? Those ATs do fine with the same HP as blasters, because they have tools(control, debuffs, buffs, heals) to make their HP last a long time. Blasters lack those tools.
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I know that blasters have the same HP as controlers and defenders. Trust me, I am reminded of that fact every time my Kin/Psy (39) Fulcrum shifts. Considering the up and coming desperation I was hoping that blasters would get an increase in hit points to help them use the ability.
About blasters getting other abilities, I'm still hoping that the devs wont say, "Blasters got desperation ok we're done here folks." I'm hoping desperation is a precurser to looking at the secondaries for blasters. I'll tell you what really sucks the big one, getting a really cool ability and having it toned down to uselessness in the next issue. I'm hoping that the fixes for blasters are good, fair, and permanent.
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Man, just imagining the screams of anguish from all of the defenders when they hear that blasters got boosted beyond their "low" hitpoints just makes me cringe.
I know I'd be *very* upset if that came about.
Still here, even after all this time!
Well...gotta say. I'm not dissapointed with a single thing he said. Actually excited for the changes!! =) I love changes.
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Unless of course we get some heavier resistances and/or an HP upgrade....
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Actually Jack did mention an HP upgrade.
(I'm the guy who actually asked the question so I payed REAL close attention to the answer
Anakronista
NOT a recovering Alt-o-holic, and dang proud of it!
"You don't get badges for getting debt, you get badges for dusting yourself off and doing the same damn thing all over again, and that's the Blaster way." Demobot
It doesn't TAKE all kinds, there just ARE all kinds....
I just want to throw in my two influence and say that I really like the stores. Searching for them in IP and Talos provided some amusement, but it needs to be easier to A) find out about stores and B) find out the names of the stores. Also, I didn't realize that the stores in IP and Talos sold SOs. That could just be my own innatention, though.
Xarybdis | Level 50 Invul/Axe Tanker & Cygnia Level 50 DB/Will Brute on Triumph | AstroGal Level 50 WS on Virtue
I wouldn't mind seeing the stores go away at all, especially if they were replaced by something like the 'Mission Stores' in Brickstown and Founders.
Mutant-girl Penny, Time Travelling Mad Scientist guy, Robot Guy, Serafina the Genie, and Agent Six all want you to do missions for them before opening their stores.
EXTEND THIS! This is a wonderful concept! I enjoyed those missions so much! Go ahead and scrap the stores and replace them all with missions like this!
My 2 inf:
Blaster HP-- Sweet, I may finally stick with one of my blaster alts for more than a week.
Stores-- Don't get it... I go sell the useless drops after every mission. Need the stores. Fix the drops or don't change the stores.
Stamina... PLEASE REMEMBER- We are playing super heroes here! This isn't EQ... let us be super!
Making the game more challenging (nerf)-- see above statement.
Add more content, don't screw us... or all you will have left is new players!
Level 50: Furlon the Grim, BS/Regen Scrapper, Virtue
Current creations:
Slaughterface, DB/Elec Brute
Captain Warhead, Rad/Rad Defender, Virtue
Capt. Scar, Arch/Ice Blaster
Global @ Capt. Scar
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Unless of course we get some heavier resistances and/or an HP upgrade....
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Actually Jack did mention an HP upgrade.
(I'm the guy who actually asked the question so I payed REAL close attention to the answer
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Could you ellaborate please? Did he say an HP upgrade for Blasters is coming? An idea they're considering? or totally off-limits? Mentioning an HP upgrade could mean just about anything.
Heroes
Dysmal
Lumynous
Sam Steele
Pluck
Wile
Slagheap
Pressure Wave
Rhiannon Bel
Verified
Stellaric
Syd Mallorn
Villains
Jotunheim Skald
Saer Maen
Jen Corbae
Illuminance
Venator Arawn
Taiga Dryad
Tarranos
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To be honest, I really hope that he means "Along with some form of protection/defense/aggro reduction/ect".
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Me too. A little later in the lecture someone asked if there was any ideas to help blasters. Mr Emmert said something to the effect of I allready said some of my ideas to help blasters.
Honestly, I hope that they at least give blasters more hit points. Really, why not? They aren't mages in DnD after all.