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Now I hear you guys... you all seem to dislike the Story Arc aspect of this system. I've had some discussions with the team yesterday about what we could do instead, and still keep the flavor of the four pool system, because having the extra three pools allows us to not only reward risk/reward, but time/reward as well. Takes longer to do a Task Force? Here's a nice bonus you can't get anywhere else. Finish the Respec trial, but already have all your Respecs? Here's a nice reward that carries with it some good inherent value.
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Glad you are listening. My main has done all the story arcs and I would have been very disappointed if the only way for that character to get those recipes was to purchase them. I want to earn them myself!!
I don't mind the TFs & Trial awards, we can redo those. I don't think you should tie any component of Iventions to something you can only do once.
This is a song about a super hero named Tony. Its called Tony's theme.
Jagged Reged: 23/01/04
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Currently the only content available for 50s is...
Killing stuff on the street.
News/Scanner, Mayhem/Safeguard. (and Shard stuff is similar.) = repeatable 1-off missions.
Trials
TFs
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Am I the only person in the entire game whose level 50 character still has missions left? Amalgamate hasn't even touched Harvey Maylor yet. Nor have I completely run through all the Shadow Shard missions, repeatable or otherwise. Did I accidentally do something special?
Arc #41077 - The Men of State
Arc #48845 - Operation: Dirty Snowball
I have an idea on a way to alleviate the storyline problem thats a mixture of things I've seen on this post.
I think every zone should have a new contact added (or maybe they can use the existing detectives/brokers), that will give out a repeatable storyline arc. Have the level range for this arc be the same as the newspaper/policeband missions in the given zone. This storyline arc will be equivalent in length to other story arcs in the zone only with one bonus, when the missions are first accepted it flags everyone in the team with the mission arc status, causing the auto-exemp from TF's to kick in for higher levels.
It sounds a lot like TF's, but this would be doable whether you were solo or in a group of 7/8, giving all possible group arrangements the ability to get recipes. If coming up with storylines for the new arcs are a problem, then they could simply repeat arcs currently available in that zone. For example at level 15-19, one of the repeatable arcs could be "Dr. Vahzilok is at it again", and you repeat the Vahz story arc.
Hopefully these would be made smaller than normal TF's for those who don't have a ton of time, but since you can do them by yourself, it wouldn't matter if it took you multiple log in's/outs to complete them. That would alleviate the current problem with the story arc drop issue, the fact that it's non repeatable except for rolling new characters.
instead of crying DOOOOM!! or saying no arc drops i will make a simple suggestion/request. make the salvage drop kind of like badges in that when i first logged on after badges went live i recieved all the badges i qualified for from the arcs i had already done.i believe this would be quite balanced as each character would have slavage and recipes apropriate to their gaming experience to date. 50s wold then not feel robbed of the opportunity to run arcs for drops and of course everybody else would have drops and future opportunity to recieve drops that would be perfectly balanced
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make the salvage drop kind of like badges in that when i first logged on after badges went live i recieved all the badges i qualified for from the arcs i had already done.
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The trouble with that is there's a limited amount of recipes you can carry. You can have an unlimited amount of badges, but if you suddenly received a recipe for every story arc souvenir you had, they wouldn't all fit into your inventory.
A suggestion made on our Sg forums, that I told the guy to Pm to Posi.
Have 2 sets of drop tables.
1-49 have the A B C D division exactly as is.
AT 50 (and only at 50) take the story arc drop table and mix it up into the TF/Trial ones.
So a TF could get either TF dop or story arc drop
Trial could get a Trial drop or story arc drop.
Story Arc completion at 50 still can happen so it may be a little fiddly to get set-up right.
@Catwhoorg "Rule of Three - Finale" Arc# 1984
@Mr Falkland Islands"A Nation Goes Rogue" Arc# 2369 "Toasters and Pop Tarts" Arc#116617
Again I have to check the questions that the devs have not bothered to answer :
Why is there a NEED for 4 pools? Why not 3? Heck, why not just 1?
Why are they even contemplating tying rewards to one-time, non repeatable acts in the game?
Why is rarer/harder = better/more fun?
The only thing worse than devs making bad decisions is the hoard of fanboys and bootlickers that keep cheering them on.
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* This makes 4 pools from which recipe rewards can come from. Pool A is enemies, Pool B is Story Arcs, Pool C is Task Forces, and Pool D is Trials.
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Now I hear you guys... you all seem to dislike the Story Arc aspect of this system. I've had some discussions with the team yesterday about what we could do instead, and still keep the flavor of the four pool system, because having the extra three pools allows us to not only reward risk/reward, but time/reward as well.
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I myself am persuaded the story arc idea is fine. However, it occurred to me that maybe reconcentrating the story arc pool more directly on the contacts instead would address some of the issues people are having. After all story arcs are inherently tied to the contacts anyway.
How about adding drops missions to contacts in this way: Each normal contact in a player's contact list has a one-week base timer, and when that timer expires, that contact is willing for the next half-hour to hand out a timed door mission that features a recipe-related Pool B drop. Once the half-hour window is up the one-week timer resets. The one-week base timer can be reduced (say up to 20% less) based on the quality of the player's current relationship with that particular contact. The mission should probably feature mob types related to the contact, and should probably auto-exemp the hero and team down to an appropriate level once they enter the door.
This approach seems to have some good qualities in that: these drops would be reasonably available to everyone who would naturally play the game anyway, these drops discourage camping behavior and encourage grouping up to maximize the chance that there's an open drop mission within the team at any time, the autoexemping would encourage builds that are evenly planned for viability at every level range as opposed to all the 50-centric builds that are the majority these days, and, most of all, tying it directly to contacts would help refresh them in the game where up till now they've generally been treated as mostly disposable and irrelevant.
It's just an idea. One of many I'm sure.
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The trouble with that is there's a limited amount of recipes you can carry. You can have an unlimited amount of badges, but if you suddenly received a recipe for every story arc souvenir you had, they wouldn't all fit into your inventory.
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Really?
So I can carry around 30 metric tonnes of titanium, alien artifacts, arcane books, jars of steaming entrails, trinkets, chotchkies, techno-doodads, and something like 1200 pieces of refined components (enough to create scores of gigantic power generators, machine guns, robotic surgeons, and many other types of massive equipment)...
... but I'm limited in the number of bits of paper carrying recipe instructions I can have on my person?
errr.... 
"OK, first of all... Shut Up." - My 13-Year-Old Daughter
29973 "The Running of the Bulls" [SFMA] - WINNER of the Mighty Big Story Arc Contest !
- The Stellar Wind Orbital Space Platform
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The trouble with that is there's a limited amount of recipes you can carry. You can have an unlimited amount of badges, but if you suddenly received a recipe for every story arc souvenir you had, they wouldn't all fit into your inventory.
[/ QUOTE ]
Really?
So I can carry around 30 metric tonnes of titanium, alien artifacts, arcane books, jars of steaming entrails, trinkets, chotchkies, techno-doodads, and something like 1200 pieces of refined components (enough to create scores of gigantic power generators, machine guns, robotic surgeons, and many other types of massive equipment)...
... but I'm limited in the number of bits of paper carrying recipe instructions I can have on my person?
errr....
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You're strong but you have really small pockets.
Instead of story arcs, what about using sucessfully completed mayhem/safeguard missions?
Those can be accessed at any level, and if you team with lower levels, you can complete the lower level mayhems/safeguards.
Proud member of the LEGION, and Sisterhood
I wonder why do drops with GM,as it happens now,on pinnicle at least , Lucy goes unchallenged, except for tf no one hunts babbage,even though he is suppose to spawn out of the tf, kraeken ,usally gets hunted but not allways, and I have seen up to 3 clockwork palidens running around,most heros once we get the badges and such ignore the GMs especilly since the 300% buff they were reduced down to after the issue 7 uber buff.
and here is abig surprise coming I have a lvl 49.95 stalker and have only done LRSF once, due to 95% of the teams NOT wanting me,I am grateful for the one time and got the badges but if some of the better drops are on that one, then I will be left out of the running,for them.and will be forced to buy them or create a char type "needed" so I can get runs and transfer between chars,now I don't really blame the DEVS on this one due to its the players who are "limiting" the char they take on
the LRSF
Fluffy Bunny 1 Person SG
Rabid Bunny 1 Person VG
Both on Pinnacle
Hobbit's Hole 1 Person SG
Spider's Web 1 Person VG
Both on Freedom
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... but I'm limited in the number of bits of paper carrying recipe instructions I can have on my person?
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Yes, I'm afraid so.
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... but I'm limited in the number of bits of paper carrying recipe instructions I can have on my person?
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Yes, I'm afraid so.
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That is Stupid!
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That is Stupid!
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Why? You're limited in the number of Inspirations and Enhancements you can carry. You're even limited in the number of auctions you can put up.
I believe (don't quote me) that you can increase your Inventory size with missions as you go along, but I'm hazy on the details.
EDIT: Here we go:
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Recipe Inventory size. Yes, it starts out at a certain size, but grows larger as you increase in Security Level. This is the same philosophy you learned about in your Salvage class. And yes, like Salvage, successfully completing certain missions or tasks will reward you with additional Recipe Inventory slots.
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(from Professor Taylor in the University)
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That is Stupid!
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Why? You're limited in the number of Inspirations and Enhancements you can carry. You're even limited in the number of auctions you can put up.
I believe (don't quote me) that you can increase your Inventory size with missions as you go along, but I'm hazy on the details.
EDIT: Here we go:
[ QUOTE ]
Recipe Inventory size. Yes, it starts out at a certain size, but grows larger as you increase in Security Level. This is the same philosophy you learned about in your Salvage class. And yes, like Salvage, successfully completing certain missions or tasks will reward you with additional Recipe Inventory slots.
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(from Professor Taylor in the University)
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I slept through Salvage Class. 
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I slept through Salvage Class.
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We're not even supposed to be able to take it yet, but I borrowed a Time Turner from Professor MacGonagall.
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Really?
So I can carry around 30 metric tonnes of titanium, alien artifacts, arcane books, jars of steaming entrails, trinkets, chotchkies, techno-doodads, and something like 1200 pieces of refined components (enough to create scores of gigantic power generators, machine guns, robotic surgeons, and many other types of massive equipment)...
... but I'm limited in the number of bits of paper carrying recipe instructions I can have on my person?
errr....
[/ QUOTE ]
Paper cuts. Extremely dangerous.
-D
Darkonne: Pinnacle's (unofficially) mighty Dark Miasma/Radiation Blast enthusiast!
Be sure to check out this mighty Arc:
#161865 - Aeon's Nemesis
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That is Stupid!
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Why? You're limited in the number of Inspirations and Enhancements you can carry. You're even limited in the number of auctions you can put up.
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Because you're already limited on the number of Enhancements you can hold and/or slot. There's not need to further restrict your ability to use the system. The devs are just paranoid about the players having anything easy.
-D
Darkonne: Pinnacle's (unofficially) mighty Dark Miasma/Radiation Blast enthusiast!
Be sure to check out this mighty Arc:
#161865 - Aeon's Nemesis
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Because you're already limited on the number of Enhancements you can hold and/or slot.
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And now you'll have a new, seperate inventory for Recipes. I'm not seeing the issue here.
Random suggestion via Quick Reply: Treat Mayhem/Safeguard mission completion the same as Plot Arc completion for Recipie/Salvage drops.
- Jock Tamson, Who is full of ideas.
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And now you'll have a new, seperate inventory for Recipes. I'm not seeing the issue here.
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I think it will be an unecessary restriction that serves only to make using the system harder than people want. Many of the IO sets look like they'll only really be worth using if you get several IOs; otherwise, the lesser effect of any one IO makes slotting it a bit of a drawback. If people need to mix and match anyway, why make it harder?
The answer, of course, is that they want to encourage trading and restrict hoarding. In classic hamhanded fashion, they do that by trying to give you no choice in the matter. In my experience, attempts by developers to force certain sorts of behavior on players very rarely works as intended, and I suspect that will be the case here.
-D
Darkonne: Pinnacle's (unofficially) mighty Dark Miasma/Radiation Blast enthusiast!
Be sure to check out this mighty Arc:
#161865 - Aeon's Nemesis
Dr Brainstorm,
I happen to like the idea that story arcs will have a place in the Invention System. Since the release of Police Band radio missions, I have seen fewer and fewer PuGs running story arcs. This seems to be a nice incentive to get players to actually play content over racing to level 50. Tying a limited number of recipes to story arc completion also increases their rarity. Each character may only complete each arc once. Even the dedicated farmers have to continuously make new alts to run through multiple levels to get to the Hollows/Port Oaks in order to obtain a contact that will offer a story arc containing several hours worth of play to complete. Items from Pool B will likely be the most desired in the game, as Story Arc Completion is the one thing that is not recyclable.
I would like to back up any and all suggestions to retroactively reward IO Pool B recipes for previously completed story arcs. These are already tracked through the souvenir system. Simply reward 1 random recipe for each souvenir. The souvenirs are attached to their specific arc, which have specific levels, so it would be understandable that having Atta's broken tooth (note- not the actual souvenir) would result in a random lvl 19 recipe for the level 50 who ran the arc 3 years ago. this is not "giving 50s something for nothing." Every character with a completed arc would receive a random reward for each souvenir. Those toons with souvenirs have already done the work to obtain the souvenir, why not reward that work with the same chance of a recipe that new story arc completion will obtain. You did it with badges and Veteran Rewards, after all. (EDIT) Tying the Pool B drop to souvenir acquisition would also reduce the likelihood of farmers building a team of 8 to run through Frost Fire jointly completing every mission except the final mission and then running the EB mission 8 consecutive times for 8 consecutive rewards. Instead, people would have good reason to try to line up the entire team's story arc in order to get everyone on the team a reward.
Please reconsider offering Recipes with GM defeats. Our cities are over run by extremely dangerous critters that are ignored by the general super powered community due to a lack of perceived reward for the high level of risk. The dev team might not wish players to farm GMs, but I doubt they want us to blatantly ignore them. As it stands, it is difficult to build a team to fight non-Croatoa GMs (Croatoans being required for a useful accolade) and almost impossible to get a team to take down Paladin (not even a badge for defeating the GM, since the badge is only for preventing his being built in the first place). I would suggest that each member of a team that receives credit for a GM should also receive a guaranteed drop of a common recipe (being from the defeat mobs pool not the story arc/tf/trial pools). This would limit the farming of "easy" rare loot but still reward players for taking the time to persuade Luska to give IP a slight break. People have been requesting some reason to actually fight GMs ever since the AV/GM regen buff. Some mad scientist made these beasties more dangerous, its about time for another mad scientist to figure out a recipe for Luska a'la mode. (tastes great and puts hair on your chest)
You know, if datamining is such a big deal, why not sorta skip it. How about writing an extra bit of code for all of the contacts for a quick and dirty method. If your able to call them, they'll give you a recipie one time for the maximum level range that they're at. This way you wouldn't need to datamine everyone all at once. You'd check that specific contact as needed when you called the contact and all you'd need is code to check if the call button is there or not, and if so let them have a recipie. Might want to give level 50's 2 of them for each contact since they won't have the opportunity to get more really, but overall I would think its a pretty straight forward thing you could do and have everyone treated pretty equally for the B Type recipies. If you have all the arc's for your 50 done, great, you get recipies for your level, and if not, you have the ability to get them for your level. Since most come from Pool A anyway, this woudln't be a bad KISS type solution for the Pool B stuff.
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Instead we are looking into other options to get you the Pool B choice so level 50s don't feel gimped.
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Could you link them to Safeguard missions?
This is a song about a super hero named Tony. Its called Tony's theme.
Jagged Reged: 23/01/04