Winter Has Arrived!

Don't worry, next year we will be able to buy the badges.

My suggestion is that there is a french olympic judge relaxing in the ski lodge, pay her some INF and she will give you any medal you want!

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Yes indeedy!

You can easily burn a respec and throw your character concept out the window just to enable you to have a decent chance (not a guarantee, just a chance) at a single badge.

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I was with you until the guarantee part. I wholeheartedly agree if you say that all players should have a chance at any badge. Once you expect a guarantee of an award that is meant to be earned (and at no inconvenience), however, you are then acting entitled. It is my sincere hope that anyone who has a 9-year old daughter has preached against entitled behavior, and would not intentionally practice it in, of all things, a videogame.

Although syberghost's tone has been a little heavy-handed for my taste, I agree with his fundamental point that a badger must decide if a badge that is a pain to earn is worth the trouble, then live with the decision. I acknowledge and respect that badge-hunters get a major chunk of their fun in this game from collecting as many shinies as possible. But even a badge-hunter must know that he or she may not end up with every single badge there is, even if it is possible to collect them all.

EC

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Don't worry, next year we will be able to buy the badges.



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QFT

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Sign It : http://www.change.org/petitions/ncso...city-of-heroes

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Yes indeedy!

You can easily burn a respec and throw your character concept out the window just to enable you to have a decent chance (not a guarantee, just a chance) at a single badge.

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I was with you until the guarantee part. I wholeheartedly agree if you say that all players should have a chance at any badge. Once you expect a guarantee of an award that is meant to be earned (and at no inconvenience), however, you are then acting entitled. It is my sincere hope that anyone who has a 9-year old daughter has preached against entitled behavior, and would not intentionally practice it in, of all things, a videogame.

Although syberghost's tone has been a little heavy-handed for my taste, I agree with his fundamental point that a badger must decide if a badge that is a pain to earn is worth the trouble, then live with the decision. I acknowledge and respect that badge-hunters get a major chunk of their fun in this game from collecting as many shinies as possible. But even a badge-hunter must know that he or she may not end up with every single badge there is, even if it is possible to collect them all.

EC

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Actually the poster wasn't asking for a guarantee at the badge overall. They were stating that burning respecs for powers just to have a chance at getting a badge isn't worth burning up 2 respecs (since it's assumed once they got the badge or the event ended without getting it they'd go back to their old build). The point is there is no guarantee no matter what powers you have that you will get the badges so using up respecs on changing out powers isn't worth it to most people.

I've managed to get gold on 2 toons thanks to hitting the slopes during low-lag periods but while there was still someone there buffing with IR and SB. On a third I got up to silver but kept just misisng gold by less than half a second, very frustrating but I wasn't worried since I only have 2 toons I am badge-slutting on. The third I was just there to farm red caps to get him his daggers (brute DB). I kept getting hit with lag with him which messed up most of my runs and there wasn't even that many people in the zone. The lag seemed to be tied to other copies of Pocket D spawning/despawning and overall serverload rather than the population in my zone (and there wasn't even anyone buffing people at the top of the slope at the time).

After a few hours of this I can see where everyone is coming from, both those that love it and those that hate it. While I think the design was a good idea I just think the times were still set a little too high for a live population event. Even with all the powers people suggested even one lag spike can throw off a run even if you don't miss a gate from it but instead just rubberband back (had that happen a few times) or if someone bumps you. Also with IR I'd often 'catch air' at the wrong times and end up jumping through a gate and wouldn't get credit for it. These would be times where my lower legs would be below the top of the gate but it still wouldn't count, an indication that the bounding box on the waypoints is in many areas set too low. It's odd that I can be on the outside of a gate to the side and get credit but not be halfway above it.

I know its too late for them to do much about it this year but if they keep this in for the winter event next year hopefully they'll see everyones feedback and make a few adjustments to the event to factor in lag, crowded slopes, and the waypoint bounding boxes.

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Don't worry, next year we will be able to buy the badges.

My suggestion is that there is a french olympic judge relaxing in the ski lodge, pay her some INF and she will give you any medal you want!

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Nonono, that's for skating, not skiing.

(says the guy who watched that bit of highway robbery against the Canadian pairs skaters live. )

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Global: @All-American Teen
70 toons across 11 servers.

Top hero -All-American Teen lvl 50 eng/invul Tanker (01:10 EST; 1/24/09)
Top villian -Poisoned Plum lvl 30 robots/devices Mastermind

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Overall the ski run mini game still needs work. Please fix for next year.

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It may well be something that not everyone is going to get by just going there and doing it. Gold is designed to be a challenge. If you aren't interested in working at it, then you won't get it. Not all badges are for everyone, sorry.

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Please take it as "not every badge is going to be available or obtainable by everyone." There are some good suggestions by other players in this thread. Hopefully those will be helpful for you.

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Lighthouse, as much as I respect you, you have missed the point. Collecting badges is supposed to be fun. Not easy, but fun. The numbers could have been 35, 45, 55-60, and people would still race down the hill to be on the top of the leaderboard (if they choose to).

Last year I spent hours running the slope, with no reward except for the joy of swooshing downhill.

This year I spent 14 hours being frustrated trying to get a badge because the requirements were set so high, and the bounding boxes of the gates are mis-aligned (the top of some of the bounding boxes is about 1/2 the height of the gate, some of the gates the bounding box is a bit wider than the gate, sometimes it is smaller than the width of the gate).

I've managed to get gold on 4 characters.

Without either buying a temp power in Siren's Call (and I have a few suggestions about the merchants there, namely if there is no one is fighting there for a hour both merchants should sell the temp powers), or Super Jump or the Zero-G Pack from the Safeguard/Mayhem Missions, people are "out of luck" no matter how hard they work at getting the badge.

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So do you lie awake nights fretting the various healing badges?


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Yes, my CPU fan is LOUD!

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That blue thing running around saying "Cookies are sometimes food" is Praetorian Cookie Monster!
Shoot on sight, please.

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Actually the poster wasn't asking for a guarantee at the badge overall. They were stating that burning respecs for powers just to have a chance at getting a badge isn't worth burning up 2 respecs (since it's assumed once they got the badge or the event ended without getting it they'd go back to their old build). The point is there is no guarantee no matter what powers you have that you will get the badges so using up respecs on changing out powers isn't worth it to most people.

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Pretty much what I was getting at, yes. (Sarcasm appears to be a lots art these days, apparently.) Well, what you just said, but mainly I was responding to the person who said "anyone can get CJ and SS" by pointing out how unreasonable his little off-the-cuff statement was.


... and point of order, El Condor, I'll thank you to leave my daughter and my parenting skills out of this discussion. You know nothing about me, sir, and have zero room to make inferences, judgments, or snarky comments in this area. Let's not threadjack this any more than it already has been.

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"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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This year I spent 14 hours being frustrated trying to get a badge because the requirements were set so high, and the bounding boxes of the gates are mis-aligned (the top of some of the bounding boxes is about 1/2 the height of the gate, some of the gates the bounding box is a bit wider than the gate, sometimes it is smaller than the width of the gate).


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How many characters was that Snow ?

Having put down the first few days as a 'learning experience' and getting to know the course I cycled through 2-3 badges on 24 characters in a couple of hours.

The Zero-G pack was the key point for many of the non-SJ'ers.

The suggestion for next year is to add a jingle jump pack to the jingle jet as a craftable item with Candy Canes

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@Catwhoorg "Rule of Three - Finale" Arc# 1984
@Mr Falkland Islands"A Nation Goes Rogue" Arc# 2369 "Toasters and Pop Tarts" Arc#116617

I've run 12 characters through with a range of travel powers (still haven't beat 20.25 seconds, but I'm having a ball trying), and achieved gold with all of them. My flyer (Keskin) had the roughest time, since he long since used up his zero-g pack and had a power that didn't enable the badge pursuit - but I eventually found a kinetic to double-boost me and did the run in 23 seconds without any sort of travel power active at all.



PS - Anyone upset about flight/teleport not enabling pursuit of the badge really needs to stop and recognize the massive advantage those powers give in hunting Christmas presents - take the bad with the good and get yourself a buff from a friendly kinetic. If its still beyond your reach because of lag, a substandard computer or simply bad control skills, recognize that none of those are the responsibility of the designers.

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This year I spent 14 hours being frustrated trying to get a badge because the requirements were set so high, and the bounding boxes of the gates are mis-aligned (the top of some of the bounding boxes is about 1/2 the height of the gate, some of the gates the bounding box is a bit wider than the gate, sometimes it is smaller than the width of the gate).


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How many characters was that Snow ?

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Four with gold. Of those only one with superjump, two of my Triumph villains had to buy the zero-g pack from Siren's, and my main badge hunter heroside had to call in a favor to get a KR Safeguard for the zero-g pack. I have a couple more characters with silver, or silver and bronze, but don't have the desire to go to the rest.

I found this one far more tedious to do than the Baby New Year Missions. This coming from someone that did the Baby New Year Mission over 120 times last year.

I spent 14 hours "learning the course". Most of my characters are not jumpers.

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Having put down the first few days as a 'learning experience' and getting to know the course I cycled through 2-3 badges on 24 characters in a couple of hours.

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At this point I don't think I will do this with any other character. I also had to stay up late to have less lag (11pm-4am Pacific Time). Given the amount of prep work I would need to do for most of my characters, I would just rather play the game.

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The Zero-G pack was the key point for many of the non-SJ'ers.

The suggestion for next year is to add a jingle jump pack to the jingle jet as a craftable item with Candy Canes

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And I suggested this in my first post in this thread.

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PS - Anyone upset about flight/teleport not enabling pursuit of the badge really needs to stop and recognize the massive advantage those powers give in hunting Christmas presents

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I agree with flight, but disagree with teleport being better suited to present hunting.

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Likely because you haven't repeatedly had teleporters pop up without warning right in front of you and tap a present you thought yours - and/or haven't mastered the high port/scan/high port/scan/destination port hunt technique yet. Scanning is a bit harder, but reaching the item once identified is faster - once I have an established route between known present locations, I collect faster and more reliably than any non-teleporters.

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Actually I was using my temp flight power to present hunt and found it works better with the temp JUMP power, so, um, I'd have to disagree flight or TP has a "massive" advantage. (And if your problem is with people who aren't nice enough to check the area before claiming a present, that has nothing to do with the travel power and everything to do with people being selfish greedy little twits. You know, like the people who think it's cool to present-hunt in an area that poses no risk to them because they outleveled it 30 levels ago, and then they leave behind the 3 red-to-purple-for-normal-people snowbeasts when they could swat them down in about 10 seconds, because they're IMPATIENT selfish greedy little twits. But I digress.)

Anyhow, about the naughty:nice ratios people were mentioning back there a bit, I agree they seem pretty low, since it seems like we open at best about 4 naughties for 1 nice. Personally as a hero I'm offended by the implication that I'm that naughty! (No, not really.) If it's not supposed to be 1 in 5 or less than maybe it needs tweaking. (Also, spawning 3 level 7s on a level 1 character in GC is just cruel. I've never had a character die at level 1 before.) (I wasn't present-hunting, it was on my way to the mission and I just clicked it cuz it was THERE.) (Seriously. Fastest death ever.)

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One drawback of the internet is how it has trained so many people to think that one day is a long time.

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You know, like the people who think it's cool to present-hunt in an area that poses no risk to them because they outleveled it 30 levels ago, and then they leave behind the 3 red-to-purple-for-normal-people snowbeasts when they could swat them down in about 10 seconds, because they're IMPATIENT selfish greedy little twits. But I digress.)

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Well, I swat everything I open, and I leave the area when I see lower level hunters (just collecting candy canes, don't need the badge).

That being said.. all the beasties were appropriate for their area, not for my level.

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Prophecy & Dreams | Prophecy & Dreams Discussion

Nerd Flirting | More Nerd Flirting | Nerds Talking About Flirting

Unbidden | Star Patrol | Real World Hero

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Well, I swat everything I open,

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Then you aren't the type of person I'm talking about.

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That being said.. all the beasties were appropriate for their area, not for my level.

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Unfortunately that still leaves a lot of reds behind when people don't take care of it, and yes, in the lower-level areas, purples. For instance, in GC I was spawning level 7-10 beasties, which was very unfortunate for my poor little under-5. (Though, interestingly, I just spawned level 2s in King's Row a little while ago with her, which was really odd.)

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One drawback of the internet is how it has trained so many people to think that one day is a long time.

They seem to spawn at a level appropriate to the section of the zone, but get a little tougher when you get close to spawning the Winter Lord - then one poor sucker opens a gift and gets the Winter Lord and his escort and everything seems to go back to zone and area appropriate levels. Winter Event spawn levels don't seem to have anything to do with the person who opens the gift.

Btw, I didn't say I had a problem with people who grab gifts without first looking around - I was illustrating the advantage of teleport in gift hunting. This is an MMO, there are other players trying to achieve goals, getting irritated at other players for interfering with your plans and taking something they need before you can grab it is plain silly.

Also - since frostlings generate at a zone appropriate level, and die as soon as the next gift spawns at the spot (meaning I never have to engage any frostlings I don't want to), I have no issue with people who leave behind frostlings I can kill to earn my badge. This isn't like Halloween, where players were leaving level 40 spawns in level 5 areas to accost weaker players.

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You know, like the people who think it's cool to present-hunt in an area that poses no risk to them because they outleveled it 30 levels ago, and then they leave behind the 3 red-to-purple-for-normal-people snowbeasts when they could swat them down in about 10 seconds, because they're IMPATIENT selfish greedy little twits. But I digress.)

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You realize those people are doing you a favor, right? When the next present spawns, those snowbeasts will die, and if you grab the present before their corpses de-rez, you can't spawn another batch of snowbeasts. Even if you get "you've been naughty", no beasts will appear. If, on the other hand, they kill the snowbeasts, the present doesn't spawn any faster, but you lose the advantage of the corpse block.

So they're impatient selfish greedy little twits who are making your life easier.

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So they're impatient selfish greedy little twits who are making your life easier.

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Sometimes. But if you happen to stumble across leftover snow monsters before the present has re-spawned, they will still attack.

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99458: The Unbearable Being of Lightness
191775: How the Other Half Lives
My Webcomics

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So they're impatient selfish greedy little twits who are making your life easier.

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Sometimes. But if you happen to stumble across leftover snow monsters before the present has re-spawned, they will still attack.

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While I agree that running into mobs is never fun, I have to admit that the click-and-run style has one benefit - it shows where the present spawning spots are. I wandered one zone in frustration for ages before someone started leaving the spawns. Then I could finally see where I should be checking, instead of aimlessly running through present-free streets.

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"Home is where, when you have to go there, they have to let you in."

If I hunt in my level zone I may leave the spawn. if I present hunt in a lower level zone I clean up my spawns. my main is at a level where he is at the low end of PI, so its not uncommon for me to spawn purples that I can't take care of. However in Talos or kings row it takes me a second to clean up so I do. I remember my first winter event, running from one left spawn, jumping a fence to find an even higher level left spawn, so I try not to do that.

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Overall the ski run mini game still needs work. Please fix for next year.

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It may well be something that not everyone is going to get by just going there and doing it. Gold is designed to be a challenge. If you aren't interested in working at it, then you won't get it. Not all badges are for everyone, sorry.

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Lighthouse, someone in the badge section posted the following, in case you missed it:

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this type of activity is inappropriate for a celebratory event which is supposed to be a nice gift to all the players. I have no problem with this type of activity being in the game, but I think that it detracts from the "holiday spirit" and turns it from a light, fun time into just another achievement driven type-A "me me me" event.

I'd much rather have seen a more cooperative and less competetive event added, more in the spirit of Christmas...and no, requiring a Kin doens't count as cooperative.

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My reply to that post:

Actually I think this completely sums up my thoughts as well.

This is why I have a problem with the "these badges are not meant for everyone" standard line. It was supposed to be a gift for everyone that got turned into "this is a gift, but only if you work hard enough for it". At the point you have to work for a "gift" it ceases to be a gift.

Had there been a new year-round winter zone (preferably accessed by both sides) with a ski run, these badges would fit in that type of zone.

As it is, the ski badges miss the spirit of the season.

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Sometimes. But if you happen to stumble across leftover snow monsters before the present has re-spawned, they will still attack.

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True; if you happen to accidentally run into 15 foot tall giant snowmen in packs of 3+ without seeing them from, say, a block away, they might attack you.

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Overall the ski run mini game still needs work. Please fix for next year.

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It may well be something that not everyone is going to get by just going there and doing it. Gold is designed to be a challenge. If you aren't interested in working at it, then you won't get it. Not all badges are for everyone, sorry.

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Lighthouse, someone in the badge section posted the following, in case you missed it:

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this type of activity is inappropriate for a celebratory event which is supposed to be a nice gift to all the players. I have no problem with this type of activity being in the game, but I think that it detracts from the "holiday spirit" and turns it from a light, fun time into just another achievement driven type-A "me me me" event.

I'd much rather have seen a more cooperative and less competetive event added, more in the spirit of Christmas...and no, requiring a Kin doens't count as cooperative.

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My reply to that post:

Actually I think this completely sums up my thoughts as well.

This is why I have a problem with the "these badges are not meant for everyone" standard line. It was supposed to be a gift for everyone that got turned into "this is a gift, but only if you work hard enough for it". At the point you have to work for a "gift" it ceases to be a gift.

Had there been a new year-round winter zone (preferably accessed by both sides) with a ski run, these badges would fit in that type of zone.

As it is, the ski badges miss the spirit of the season.

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actually the ski badges are just fine. Its peoples attitudes towards the badges that are against the season.

Badges are not meant for anyone anyway why should these be any different. As it stands I think you are making too much out of how "difficult" it is to get these badges. All I needed to get gold was a little practice and a zero g pack.
the badges are not a "gift", they are a badge that can be earned by playing a certain mini game and in reality its not that difficult.

snow globe. I think you are reading far too much into this whole thing. I am sorry you had such a hard time getting gold or felt that you needed a special build for it. gold can be gotten by anyone with a zero g pack which is anyone over level 10. So if you start a new character, run to pocket D, get in on a team, do the snaptooth missions, once you run that five times for all the badges you can take the pocket d exit to kings row, pick up your radio and run those missions and BAM zero g pack and a gold medal once you get used to the course. Its really not that hard nor exclusive. you dont need a kin or any outside buffs, just a zero g pack and sprint.

I think the ski slope thing is fun and does nothing to invalidate the spirit of the season.

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It's incredible how many are missing the opposition's point, I happen to agree with Snow Globe's post and know a great many (yes those who -got- the badge and those who did -not-) Found the experience highly frustrating and unfun. Be it lag, power issues, griefers what have you.

I also think anything that requires me (a flyer) to go and farm something is slightly askew. I really should not have to make up for not having SS/SJ for this to be a balanced gift...or oppurtunity. (Yes I know about the Zero G Pack and learning the slopes didnt make it more fun..just amazingly frustrating.)

and Lighthouse, no not every badge is for every player, I understand that. I just would've assumed a game wide event would be light and fun with a balanced field for all. Just isn't the case here for me and some I know. I do not pretend to speak for the masses just those small pockets I know :P So once more this is not a pitchfork rally cry to the mob:P

Be that as it may, I am not in hysterics and will continue to play the game...no dark threats or spaz outs :P

To those that enjoyed it, Im glad and congrads on the badgies! Hats off to you

To those that didnt enjoy it, I understand how frustrated you were and such.

So those were my two cents...Merry Christmas all and have a great day!

D!

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