No complaints! I love these changes. Kudo's folks.
@bpphantom
The Defenders of Paragon
KGB Special Section 8
Absolutely fantastic! My lvl 50 pretty much lives in the shadow shard and this is great!
One day perhaps i will get intot he shadow shards to enjoy the view, as it is i have yet to get in... after1+ years of play...
I was in the shadow shard and I never saw those jump points and dotted lines on the map. Are you SURE that made it to test?
-Largo
Founder of A.G.O.N.Y. Supergroup on Victory
Member of Thought Sanctum VG on Victory
Member of St0rm Batallion SG on Guardian
Great changes...I might actually go in there now 
.
COH/CoV - Virtue
8 Ball - Lev 50 Kin/Energy Defender
The Canadian Fist - Lev 50 Ice/EM Blaster
Omega Ghost - Lev 50 Robo/Dark MM
Ghostfall - Lev 50 Arachnos Crab Soldier
With there no longer being a need to farm hammi i can pretty much park my 50 in the shard. Awesome stuff guys.
Guardian Server
Fury 50 NRG/ELC Blaster
Alecto 23 MA/Reg Scrapper
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Gloomwave 23 Warshade
Among many others...Part of Guardian's Evolution
G Handle: @Fury. with the period sigh
Love the changes.
But teleporters vs. more mole points? Just curious as to why the mole point concept seems discarded. Personally I trust you guys have an ace up your sleeve and will pull the mole point concept back around later, but that's all I can complain about this change really.
Thanks for your ear and your hard work guys.
-Pez
Arc #345863 - When The Bough Breaks
"Curse you Perry the Plata...wait, is that Love Handel?" - Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, Phineas and Ferb
Ok. Been there, and I didn't see the jump paths demarcated either, so I'm hoping this is just oversight for Test more than anything.
My Question:
One of the resounding complaints about the Shard is that it's highly inaccessible/undesirable/pain in the patookus to navigate. You address many of those concerns: Facilitating quick runs deeper into the Shard with teleporters (and why step away from the Molepoint approach? IMO this was a unique feature for the Shard), showing jump paths, and having enhancement contacts in there - all great ideas. However, can the maps be "opened up" with a wider "dent" on the fog-of-war approach, instead of the current default-for-all-maps setup?
Rationale: This map is fairly unique from other hazard zones, in that it's 3 (HUGE!) zones, and is eventually going to be (I hope 
) the playground of 40-50's for end-game content. "Opening" the map with a larger footprint on the fog-of-war, so its still hiding features but allows you to open more up as you go along, would allow the user to get a feel for the immensity of the map, without making trips across it too burdensome. As it stands currently, trying to "open" this map up with trips is near impossible w/o a flyer, and even then you're just opening razor-sharp lines, because these maps are so humongous. Increasing the sphere of reveal as you fly/jump/leap/etc along is a subtle but helpful way of allowing users to see the pretty map you guys built a year ago.
@TURGENEV - Freedom Server / IRON / B.A.N.E / HORDE
Turg Fiction: Ghost in the Machine Acts III & IV coming 2012!
Turg Fiction: IX is now LIVE on Architect Entertainment!
I agree with PsychoPez that Mole Points were way cooler. The way it is now, with a row of teleporters taking you right to the beginning of the zone seems kinda cheaty. But this is just me being overly-critical of changes which are really awesome :-)
Only other comment is that I hope some story-arcs and other missions beyond the Task Forces and repeating missions are in the works.
[ QUOTE ]
* Shadow Shard Maps show the location of each Jump Pad. A dotted line connects the Jump Pad with its end point.
[/ QUOTE ]
Can't seem to get it to work
[ QUOTE ]
* A teleporter on Firebase Zulu takes players to any of the other three zones in the Shadow Shard (works both ways).
[/ QUOTE ]
Great! Clashes a bit with the zone, but a wonderful change. Still, why not expand the mole points instead?
Also, it introduced a bug where taking the Vine back to FBZ from the Cascades drops you back in the wrong place.
[ QUOTE ]
* Dr. Scott Wachhorst, a prominent xenobiologist and Portal Corp. leader, willingly purchases Enhancements from players in Firebase Zulu.
* A renegade Brute, Kallarn, purchases Enhancements with the hope that he might gain enough power to overthrow Ruladak. It can be found in the Cascades.
* Slarrah, a Wisp who has been converted by Faathim the Kind relieves players of excess Enhancements in the Chantry.
* Nameless Mystic. An interdimensional mystic feeds off the energy kicked off by the dreaded Lanaru. He happily accepts Enhancements. Found lurking near the Storm Palace.
[/ QUOTE ]
I can't get them to buy anything off of me.
Also:
Glowies are broken in missions (invisible). You can still click on them, but you just have to wave the cursor around to find them. This is a MUST-FIX issue for issue 5 IMHO. It is unacceptable for the glowies to be invisible (this is worse than the old Mole point graphics bugs that stuck around for 2 issues).
Edit:
There is no proper group for this, but it's most closely related to Shard changes (I guess).
If you take the portal from PI to the RCS and then die in the RCS, you get sent back to the hospital in PI.
The concept of these chnges are great. I saw the stores, but were never able to sell to them. Also, the geyser paths/locations were not visible. I hear the Mole Point got it's graphics back too!
So, while I am in favor for these changes, I would like to see them.
As for the added Portals, I think that will help bring in a few more people into the Shard, which is a good thing. I hate being the only person in The Chantry. Then again...it's just me and Faathim, we Rule the place! 
Cyclone Jack
-= idspispopd =-
[size=1]Arc ID: 3155 - Project Prometheus (Seeking Feedback, now with less invalidation)[/size]
The addition of geyser points and paths to the map, when you get them to work, is an awesome change and will go a long way towards promoting use of this beautiful set of zones.
The addition of a store contact that purchases enhancements is also a very nice quality of life issue.
The teleporters, however, are horrible. The mole points, yay for fixing their graphic, offered the potential for a cool, engaging storyline to be added as the military slowly made its presence felt in the in the zones. A series of contacts, like the stores you just added, could have been used to give a missions where one would clear a cave, or series thereof, out for the military to come in and build a new mole point. This would have offered much needed content for these zones and well as a great fun factor and way to feel like we are affecting the environment.
Instead, that was shot to heck with the inclusion of these portals which anyone can use at any time. Heck, the portals even make the new contacts irrelevant since you can quickly use the portals to return to Gen. Hammond to sell.
bottom line.
mapping geysers = good
store contacts = good
content = good
more mole points = awesome
cop out portals = bad
Level 50 is a journey, not a destination.
▲Scrapper Issues List - Going Rogue Edition▲
[ QUOTE ]
* Shadow Shard Maps show the location of each Jump Pad. A dotted line connects the Jump Pad with its end point.
[/ QUOTE ]
This does not work.
[ QUOTE ]
* A teleporter on Firebase Zulu takes players to any of the other three zones in the Shadow Shard (works both ways).
[/ QUOTE ]
Very nice, but makes the Mole Point irrelevant. Would have fit in better if the portals to the Chanty and the Storm Palace were in the Mole Point.
[ QUOTE ]
* Dr. Scott Wachhorst, a prominent xenobiologist and Portal Corp. leader, willingly purchases Enhancements from players in Firebase Zulu.
* A renegade Brute, Kallarn, purchases Enhancements with the hope that he might gain enough power to overthrow Ruladak. It can be found in the Cascades.
* Slarrah, a Wisp who has been converted by Faathim the Kind relieves players of excess Enhancements in the Chantry.
* Nameless Mystic. An interdimensional mystic feeds off the energy kicked off by the dreaded Lanaru. He happily accepts Enhancements. Found lurking near the Storm Palace.
[/ QUOTE ]
Ok, I guess... But since they don't sell anything and stand right next to the portals which lead back to an existing store, they're kind of pointless.
Neat changes-- I still have no reason to go there unless I want to do a longass TF that doesn't award a badge... Unless they added a badge for them I5?
The only problem I noticed with this is when you use the Vine in the Cascades to go to FBZ, it takes you to the teleporters. This is very annoying when you have a mission 1 island away from the Cascades hole on the FBZ side and want to get there quickly without geyser hopping.
I love these changes, but...some of them arent working.
Current bugs with the Shadow Shard:
- I've visited all the shop NPCs with enhans ready to sell. They don't buy them, it's treating them just like other NPCs who don't buy enhans.
- The teleporters are nice, but the Mole Points make more sense, and make exploring worthwhile because you have to find them. Not really a bug...
- The dotted lines arent on the map signifying the jump routes, which is unfortunate. I really hope it was an oversight for something that mistakingly wasnt added to the I5 patch, but that they is done and waiting to be applied. This is something the SS sorely needs.
Great changes, just need a bug fix or 4 tossed on.
Looks like I can sell in more places. Which is good cause I really need money at level 40+.
What are you going to do to make the zone fun or worth entering?
These changes really are a good start. And anything that lets more people see some of the incredible parts of the Shard (STORM PALACE!!) are fine by me. That said...
-The Portals to the other zones are nice, but...like others, I preferred the concept of Mole Points. I think the most jarring part, to me, is the method by which you teleport BACK to FBZ via nondescript white balls of glimmer. These really don't make sense to me, especially with them sitting right next to the Hortha Vines. I'd feel more immersion if, instead of a big array of portals in FBZ, the contacts mentioned there being new Mole Points that go deeper into the Shard. This'd also allow for new Shard contacts to be made for said Mole Points, and perhaps...more non-TF content.
-Segue! Making the Shard nicer to get around is one thing, but the fact remains that, outside of lengthy task forces, there is little-to-no "organic" content in there! No story arcs, no gradual explanations for things like the Reflections, not even more than 1-2 missions from each contact. As cool as it is to have a never-ending supply of simple missions, it feels like there's literally nothing going on in the Shard. Also, Shard storyarcs would make for some great level 50 content (ie: PLEASE, if you do introduce Shard arcs, don't level cap any of them at 44. The Shard doesn't -need- level caps).
-Finally, there's the case of that wholly deserted floating island behind the Storm Palace. That place is the stage for epic content waiting to happen. Granted, you may already be planning this, but if there were some sort of really cool epic encounter on the island, it'd cement the Storm Palace's place as Best Zone In The Game. If you aren't already working on something for that spot, please consider it. The atmosphere of the zone, expecially near the Palace itself, would make -any- epic content there feel really, really intense.
Thanks for reading this, and here's to making the Shard even better! *toasts*
DJs for The Cape Radio
Makes videos & podcasts about reviewing toys, covering conventions, and more at Vangelus.ca
The jump points (on maps) need to be made, but I think the biggest change (to really make people get into the shard) is to have normal missions out there (no street hunts, but interesting door missions and such.)
I think magical hover rock as a buyable power would be a neat thing or there is a mission you can run to keep getting it.
Still here, even after all this time!
I guess the "buyers" dont care about harnessing power because they wont accept any enhancements.
Also, the lines to each geyser is not working properly.
Could you guys also please consider changing the graphic for the teleport back to FBZ? It just feels so odd looking like that.
Overall, its an awesome first step. I realy welcome the changes. Maybe with this new "story" starting to unfold about all these people wanting to get power to go against the baddies in the zone, we will someday finally see the shadow shard evolve into a better story
This space is intentionally left blank.
Im burning my one response to say this, but since Im overall ok with the changes (though Id prefer mole points to teleporters) I dont mind.
The maps were also supposed to include markings for the stores, but those didn't make it either and Im guessing the guy in charge of that was also in charge of the Shard jump paths. But there was a thread (which Ive lost, sorry) where a red name responded saying the map markings are on the way.
So, the jump paths and store locations didn't quite make it into the Test release of I5, but they're on the way.
Sometimes the enemy is so swift and the path so treacherous that you can run no further.
It is then that you must turn and resolve to fight
and in all likelihood die horribly
but you never know when you are going to get lucky, so go for it!
- Captain Fwiffo
Rularuu are too hard for my chars. Too many debuffs too fast in every attack and lots of resists.
Compared to other villians that I can take on +3 or 4s.
Anywho the lines werent there.
Also I agree with others that the ports seem "cheaty"
I like the feeling of adventure and epicness that came from traveling DEEP into the shard.
that's my 2cents
As I have seen posted elswhere in this thread, i agree that the molepoint approach was a cooler idea than just the teleporters. Also, the navigation assists a very good idea. However, there is still very little incentive for me to take my lvl50's to the Shadow Shard. After doing several of the Task Forces, there is nothing new to experience other than scenery. There are no story arcs, other than the TF's. Nothing but the repetitive Kora fruit or the interminable rescue soldiers missions. Please add story arcs.
Also, regarding the fog of war, as it stands, the only way to clear such a large set of zones is effectively to fly across it numerous times, which can be tedious at best. Please widen the amount of map that is displayed on any pass through the various zones.
After having spent quite some time in the shard both before and after these changes, I've come to a couple conclusions.
#1 - Inherent abilities that increase jump height and distance(Hurdle is a BIG one) often cause the geysers to miss their intended landing pads. Since these powers CAN'T be shut off like Super Speed and Super Jump, it makes life very difficult for people with no other means of travel.
#2 - Some of the landing pads are FAR too small, and when combined with #1 make it incredibly tedious to move around with any amount of assurance that you will not get sent back to the door to start over.
To this end, I feel that these could easily be solved simply by aiming the geysers a nice large drop zones. This will alleviate the problems listed above, as well as those nasty moments when you didn't enter the geyers at the 'right' angle.
* Shadow Shard Maps show the location of each Jump Pad. A dotted line connects the Jump Pad with its end point.
* A teleporter on Firebase Zulu takes players to any of the other three zones in the Shadow Shard (works both ways).
* Dr. Scott Wachhorst, a prominent xenobiologist and Portal Corp. leader, willingly purchases Enhancements from players in Firebase Zulu.
* A renegade Brute, Kallarn, purchases Enhancements with the hope that he might gain enough power to overthrow Ruladak. It can be found in the Cascades.
* Slarrah, a Wisp who has been converted by Faathim the Kind relieves players of excess Enhancements in the Chantry.
* Nameless Mystic. An interdimensional mystic feeds off the energy kicked off by the dreaded Lanaru. He happily accepts Enhancements. Found lurking near the Storm Palace.
This thread is for you to provide feedback to the Devs on the above issues. You are allowed to post ONCE in this thread. Make it count! If you post more than one time - the extra posts will be removed.
If a dev responds this count will be reset.