My take on unlockable contacts.

Nethergoat · 02-26-2006 03:42 PM

Unlockable contacts would be fine if there was some in-game method for discovering and accessing them.

As things stand they're just a wasted opportunity to add depth to the game.

The Nethergoat Archive: all my memories, all my characters, all my thoughts on CoH...eventually.

My City Was Gone

Zen_Concern · 02-26-2006 03:46 PM

The first clue that there were unlockable contacts was when I read about them on the forum.

Since I am trying the play the game through to 40 once without looking at any guides or anything else (although I do test powers on the test server, fool me once and all that) I have found that I have not done one unlockable contact and I am a hair away from level 28. I haven't even done the respec trial yet because no one seems to want to do one. I don't need one but it would be nice to have one banked.

So, as far as my character knows, the unlockable contacts are content that doesn't even exist.

Valmith · 02-26-2006 04:43 PM

I actually found Crimson Whathisface in Nerva. As for the rest I had to come to the boards..

Take a dash of Illuminati, add a sprinkle of Mafia and just a touch of Omnipresnce and a healthy helping of mob violence...

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MOVE.... ALONG....

DevoDog · 02-26-2006 09:50 PM

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Alright, so there seems to be a concensus (spelling?) that there's something stinky about the unlockable contacts.

Anyone disagree?

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Actually, I agree with pretty much the whole idea here. They don't make sense, there's nothing to point you to them in-game, and they're a pain in the ***.

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I have to agree.

What would be the difference if the first mission the "unlockable" contacts gave you was to complete their requirement to unlock them?

The only difference is that for many of the unlockables, their "keys" are "secret."

Flying_Carcass · 02-27-2006 04:36 AM

Wow, a topic without any real disaggreement... I don't think I've ever seen this before...

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A) Bacon.
Q) Where are the Lost in King's Row?

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I disagree, you whiner!

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Targos_NA · 02-27-2006 05:28 AM

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The concept of having unlockable content is good.

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I agree completely here, I've really loved this concept. And unlockable contacts offer a good opportunity to fill in content. Eg. content is needed at a certain lvl cap, add an unlockable contact there for a quick fix.

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The stories from them (from the ones I have done) are good.

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I also a agree with you here, for the most part anyway. I felt Kristof Jaegers story to be rather lacking, though, that may have been me getting my expectations to high after halting my progress for a long time while waiting for the villainous badge to be fixed.

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They're hard to find, so unless one knows they're there, it's unlikely one will stumble across one until after one has outleveled the contact.

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This is also very true, I never would have found all of them before outlvl-ing them if it hadn't been for these forums and vidiotmaps. I only found Doc Buzzaw, Tarixus and Johnny Sonata by myself.

I think you should be referred to all the unlockable contacts at one point or another, like Archmage Tarixus, you're constantly being sent to see him in the course of the game, giving you plenty of opportunites to see the green circle around his feet. This should be added to all the unlockable contacts, someone else in the same lvl range (or the one below) should always send you on a FedEx mission to them, eg. lt. Demitrovich should send you to Kristof Jaeger at some point since he's also a Longbow traitor, and Bocor or Percy could send you to Veluta Lunata.

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CoV just doesn't have enough content yet (especially in the higher levels) to warrent having any contacts as being secret

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Hmm, looks like I adressed this point from my perspective under the last point.

"The best thing about being a robot duplicate of Lord Nemesis is, well... Everything."

Nestor · 02-27-2006 09:22 AM

Just adding my lone voice to the cacophony of agreement over this topic.

In my opinion, a game element that can only be accessed by either stumbling into it through random wandering or referring to out-of-game resources (such as game guides and forums) is an example of BAD game design.

Gothika · 02-27-2006 11:32 AM

I like that there's unlockable content, it's fun to get. I DON'T like how easy it is to outlevel the contacts, though. Why have level restrictions on unlockable contacts at all, anyway?

By the way, I really wish they would finally fix Veluta. She hasn't been awarding her souvenirs for finishing her arcs since the winter event.

Gothika (Grav/Kin) Marionette (Ill/Rad) Terra Firma (Earth/Storm) Alana Dale (Arch/Nrg)
Iceblink (Ice/Dark) Fantasia (Mind/Fire) Shadow Minx (Claws/Nin)
--Virtue

Satanic_Hamster · 02-27-2006 11:39 AM

I've never liked how CoX has made somethings "secret." Things you HAVE to use out of character knowledge to know about.

* Level 30+ stores (pre-I6)
* Task force/strike force/trial contacts
* The entire freaking Shadow Shard
* AND the four task forces in it.

The annoyance is that a few of the CoV secret contracts are a pain to get. Even if you KNOW about it and want to do it. In particular, the Ghost Buster lady and that stupid jerk Doc. Buzzsaw.

Hmm... Maybe run the 1st Strike Force exemped again to work on the Bling badge.

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Cantatus · 02-27-2006 11:47 AM

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I've never liked how CoX has made somethings "secret." Things you HAVE to use out of character knowledge to know about.

* Level 30+ stores (pre-I6)
* Task force/strike force/trial contacts
* The entire freaking Shadow Shard
* AND the four task forces in it.

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Good list. I agree on all four points. I'd add difficulty slider NPCs as well since they don't appear on maps, making you have to commit to memory where they are.

The Shadow Shard is probably the one that irks me the most (among other things.) You have four zones with no reference to them whatsoever?

Hope a dev is reading this thread!

Satanic_Hamster · 02-27-2006 11:56 AM

Forgot about the difficulty slider people...

But at least you have a contact that sends you to one of them (assuming you're making a character from ground up).

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Currently listening to the Donnas' Spend the Night

Chief Hamster of the Fist of Justice / Shadows of Victory
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Lazarus · 02-27-2006 12:33 PM

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Forgot about the difficulty slider people...

But at least you have a contact that sends you to one of them (assuming you're making a character from ground up)

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Not in CoV, unless they changed something recently.

Satanic_Hamster · 02-27-2006 12:35 PM

Villains can suck it.

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Currently listening to Leadbelly's Death Letter Blues

Chief Hamster of the Fist of Justice / Shadows of Victory
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Rock, rock on Hamster.

GlaziusF · 02-27-2006 01:33 PM

Well, in I7 the Brokers are apparently also going to offer Mayhem Missions.

It seems like a natural expansion of their role to tell you about unlockable contacts, if they don't have any more normal ones for you.

--GF

Amadan · 02-27-2006 02:15 PM

Adding my voice.

I love the concept behind unlockable content. Crimson'd storyline that leads to a fight with Mynx and Back Alley is fun. Repo ing body parts for Doc Buzzsaw is just hillarious... I like the idea of mini stories that don't make or break the game if you don't do them.

But like many others I hate that I stumbled across the info regarding them in the forums. I leveled a toon to 40 and another to 38 before I knew they existed.

I don't like the short lvl range that you can access them. For the 30+ game 5 lvls is good but before then in the press of doing your normal contacts missions you can easily outlvl the unlockable content.

I do have to admit though. I've played CoH since pre-sale and this is the first time I've actually wanted to get any badges. Before this I largely ignored that portion of the content.

Statesman_NA · 02-27-2006 06:16 PM

I am putting the requirements for Contacts - and their location - in the Prima Guide...

but here was our intent with these Contacts - reward Exploration. Reward people who poke around to find new things. Now, the down side is that once found, these Contacts don't inform the player about what it takes to unlock them.

Lady Athyna · 02-27-2006 06:20 PM

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I am putting the requirements for Contacts - and their location - in the Prima Guide...

but here was our intent with these Contacts - reward Exploration. Reward people who poke around to find new things. Now, the down side is that once found, these Contacts don't inform the player about what it takes to unlock them.

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Don't get me wrong, rewards are good. But, would you consider some type of hints in-game for the non-forum, non-guide reading folks?

Samuel_Tow · 02-27-2006 06:29 PM

States, patch your holes before you tuck content away for the proactive. With no way to know these contacts exist, where they are, what they need and what level ranges they are, you've made them a really exclusive item. There are very few people who can go out and find these contacts without assistence from spoler sites, and fewer still who can unlock them even with that assistence.

I'm all fine and well with additional content to reward the explorers, but as it stands the redular content is lacking, and these contacts are becoming mandatory, which is really frustrating. Make sure you have sufficient content to allow less-avid exploeres to advance through content without ending up out of missions. THEN add additional rewards.

As it is right now, I have this irresistable feeling that the unlockable contacts are cutting into my own (being a non-explorer type player) content, and that's not pleasant.

Besides, do you really think adding rewards for exploration without a single in-game hint really promotes explorations? Let's be honest here, people, how many of you have gone out to find the exploration badges and history plaques all on their own, and how many found their locations off the internet and just tracked them down?

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Originally Posted by Arcanaville

Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

ShadowJustice · 02-27-2006 06:33 PM

I think this is a great idea, and I support Lady's suggestion of a hint as to how to unlock them. Otherwise its going to take reading the guide/spoiler sites to unlock them. I personally don't like that because I've explored all on my own and gotten close to every badge. Giving explores who don't read spoilers/guides a hint would be just enough to get us to the contact.

Circeus_NA · 02-27-2006 07:27 PM

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but here was our intent with these Contacts - reward Exploration. Reward people who poke around to find new things. Now, the down side is that once found, these Contacts don't inform the player about what it takes to unlock them.

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Well tries to tell you but does a lousy job of it (Archmage Taraxius, sp?)

ItsJustJake · 02-27-2006 07:36 PM

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I think this is a great idea, and I support Lady's suggestion of a hint as to how to unlock them. Otherwise its going to take reading the guide/spoiler sites to unlock them. I personally don't like that because I've explored all on my own and gotten close to every badge. Giving explores who don't read spoilers/guides a hint would be just enough to get us to the contact.

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All it would take would be a little cryptic dialogue .. give people a hint, along the lines of:

"I'm losing territory hand over fist here. You put a stop to that, I might have something for you ..." then put something in their description about their war with {insert villain type}.

You know you can do it, States .. you just have to WANT to. Dialogue and story? That's the easiest thing you guys have to work with.

My memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.

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MadScientist · 02-27-2006 07:40 PM

could you in-game give people a heads-up that such things are even worth looking for?

for example, in the tutorial have one of the contacts point out the glowing circle at their feet and tell you to watch for more of those.

SilentSpy · 02-27-2006 07:43 PM

Statesman!

You put me in the Zig!

Kill him and throw him into the hero boards!

GadgetDon · 02-27-2006 08:02 PM

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I am putting the requirements for Contacts - and their location - in the Prima Guide...

but here was our intent with these Contacts - reward Exploration. Reward people who poke around to find new things. Now, the down side is that once found, these Contacts don't inform the player about what it takes to unlock them.

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The problem is that there was nothing suggesting it happened. When badges, another reward for exploration, was introduced, it was a big thing. There was a brand new category in the navigation bar just for them. And some badges were placed so that they were easy to find, you got a great big flag that these are in the game.

Unlockable contacts are invisible. Those who came from CoH, where every contact is given you, are at an even bigger disadvantage in figuring these out.

(1) There needs to be something in the game to teach you about unlockable contacts, similar to the missions to learn about PVP zones, difficulty changers, etc.

(2) When you have fullfilled the requirements to unlock a contact, you need to be told the contact is available. Next contact you talk to should introduce you to the contact.

(3) When you talk to an unlockable ocntact you haven't unlocked yet, you should be told roughly what is necessary to unlock them. Perhaps not the specificity of what you're putting in the guide, but a head start.

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Ayradyss · 02-27-2006 08:11 PM

I agree wholeheartedly with having some actual 'in-game' content that gives clues and points people toward things like the unlockable contacts. It's one of the main problems (IMO, of course) with MMOs today that there's just not enough game 'in-game.' And usually performing web searches and printing out lists of coordinates and a checklist of required elements . . . well, that's just about as dry as it sounds. It's not putting the 'game' in the game at all.

Such things really do much less than they potentially could for actual enjoyment, due to the process I just described above. It's not playing, it's googling for information and that's just not a good game, IMO. Please put the 'game' back in the game where it belongs with 'in-game' clues and mysteries to unravel instead of web searches.