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This one isn't a big deal, but this seems the place to post it. The redside 4th costume slot mish is a little disappointing. For those who may not know, it's kill 30 Carnies. Now in the context given it makes perfect sense.
The issue with it is it's a holdover from pre issue 7. Carnies spawn in Fortune's Wheel in the mid-30s and you can only get the mission once you are level 40. Basically you get to kill 30 grey and green mobs.
And this is perfectly fine is that is what you like, but the only common option for higher level Carnies would be paper missions in GV. Which quite frankly won't occur to many/most.
Short of Carnies spawning in GV, a simple text change in the mission briefing could help inform here.
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I think that this, and many of the other problems, go back to CoV being released without some of the spit 'n' polish that CoH had had from release up until I6.
Just IME, but I think that the intention was to fix up things like content gaps and sucky PPPs on the fly, but Cryptic's plans got blind-sided by the staff cuts around I6 / I7. When the game was just CoH, there was enough staff on hand to add trials, TFs, and new zones while working on CoV.
But I7 became, frankly, a cluster [censored]. My god, I sent more petitions and bug reports in the first month it went live than I did in the 2 years previous. And, from there, it took almost a year for Cryptic (now NCNC) to get something like its groove back.
Going forward, I see good things happening. And threads like this are simply a good way for Ex to get some feedback to give to the devs. It's good for the new devs to get a feel for what the players want to see.
But I still want more villains-only content /that I can run on my dom/. Specific content for VEATs? I dunno ... if I don't like the VEATs, it's content I'm unlikely to see.
Edit to clean a couple things up.
We need population meters for each server. A total population of heroes + villains is useless for finding other villains.
As one example, typically Champion has a higher overall population than Triumph but if you look you will find Triumph has a statistically greater population than Champion.
Most of my checks run Champion at about 1/2 to 2/3 of Triumph's. I have to assume equal percentages of players on hide of course. Granted, neither of them are great compared to Freedom which usually runs at 3x Triumph's numbers for villains.
If we cannot get meters, then some kind of posted report of average logged in users of heroes/villains by server would be enormously helpful.
total kick to the gut
This is like having Ra's Al Ghul show up at your birthday party.
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I'd like to add extra emphasis on Enemy Variety. This is probably what's really murdered CoV for me. Particularly at the higher levels, it seems like almost half my missions are against Longbow, and another quarter are Arachnos. Give me SOMETHING else. ANYthing else. My villains usually die off around Nerva because I'm just so sick and tired of seeing the same boring red and white in every single mission. CoV has a ton of unique factions that see almost NO use.
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Yes, I agree!
I have been plugging on/off for newspaper missions to allow: Freakshow, Family, Tsoo, Warriors, Skyraiders, Trolls etc all go up to lvl 50.
It would be such a wonderful boon! I really have Longbow burnout and don't much care for carnies (Illusionist and MI cheese)....I'm pretty much stuck with CoT/Council/Nems.
To the Op:
Wonderful list! If I could add anything it would be:
I would also vote allow newspaper missions/contacts to go to 50 in Nerva/St. Martial until (if it can be done) Grandville gets an overhaul or another high lvl zone gets made. The lag is really bad there, and only there for me.
More Universities added please. Add one to St. Martial near BM perhaps, and maybe one in Sharkhead. Cap's black market gets very packed because a Uni is nearby, and all the fx from players can get really laggy for some people.
If I asked for a new zone it would be a perez look alike. almost entirely forest. We could do with a bit of "not run down or dark" concrete buildings look I think.
Oh and those who dislike Hardcase...I like him! 
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I would also vote allow newspaper missions/contacts to go to 50 in Nerva/St. Martial until (if it can be done) Grandville gets an overhaul or another high lvl zone gets made. The lag is really bad there, and only there for me.
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This is probably a problem with your video card, video RAM, or system RAM. Getting a better video card, and/or increasing system RAM, would probably help.
Honestly, I suspect system RAM more than the video card; I only have a budget-model ATI Radeon x600 for video, but with 2.5GB of system RAM ... I hardly ever have any lag in Grandville. On Virtue, mind, which has been retty damned busy the past couple weeks (to the point of splitting into two shards of hte same zone, pretty much constantly).
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I would also vote allow newspaper missions/contacts to go to 50 in Nerva/St. Martial until (if it can be done) Grandville gets an overhaul or another high lvl zone gets made. The lag is really bad there, and only there for me.
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This is probably a problem with your video card, video RAM, or system RAM. Getting a better video card, and/or increasing system RAM, would probably help.
Honestly, I suspect system RAM more than the video card; I only have a budget-model ATI Radeon x600 for video, but with 2.5GB of system RAM ... I hardly ever have any lag in Grandville. On Virtue, mind, which has been retty damned busy the past couple weeks (to the point of splitting into two shards of hte same zone, pretty much constantly).
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Doubtful when nearly every team I have been in has had complaints from people. I have 2g ram, that is plenty for XP, My video card is newish(6 months old) and the old one had the same issues (I don't buy budget cards, I like my video cards to last a good while) just in Grandville...and my internet connection is even faster than the cable one I had a year ago...
If it was my video card or not enough system ram I am 100% sure being near the Black market in cap when busy would shut my whole system down. It doesn't and even if a few people are kind and "rocking the aura" to heal all the shoppers it doesn't bother my system the least, not to mention all the other FX going on. Footstomp on auto as well...Hmm guess that villain got mad his stuff isn't selling.
Btw I play on Freedom, can't get any busier than that.
Strange, because I get hardly any lag in Grandville.
What are your graphics settings? Maybe you need to turn a few of them down, when going into Grandville?
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Strange, because I get hardly any lag in Grandville.
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I have one of the most powerful computers at a job that is... let's say "computer based".
I get lag when I play it there. We're talking a computer that runs The Orange Box on highest settings without a hiccup. That just aint right.
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Strange, because I get hardly any lag in Grandville.
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I have one of the most powerful computers at a job that is... let's say "computer based".
I get lag when I play it there. We're talking a computer that runs The Orange Box on highest settings without a hiccup. That just aint right.
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The Source engine is the new UT(original Unreal Tournament). It can run on just about anything.
Soon we'll see HL2 and Portal on Cell phones 
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Strange, because I get hardly any lag in Grandville.
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I have one of the most powerful computers at a job that is... let's say "computer based".
I get lag when I play it there. We're talking a computer that runs The Orange Box on highest settings without a hiccup. That just aint right.
[/ QUOTE ]I found turning off bloom and the anisoptic filter off help alot there.
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Strange, because I get hardly any lag in Grandville.
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What the hell kind of supervillain ultracomputer are you using?
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Strange, because I get hardly any lag in Grandville.
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What the hell kind of supervillain ultracomputer are you using?
[/ QUOTE ]I hardly get any lag either, and my comp is oh, about 4 or 5 years old now.
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Strange, because I get hardly any lag in Grandville.
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What the hell kind of supervillain ultracomputer are you using?
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I have 3 machines and only the newest has no lag issues in Grandville. The lag is not at any level that is a problem for me on my weakest machine but it is noticeable.
There is definitely an issue with that zone which I believe the devs are aware of. I have heard it has to do with rendering those really tall buildings.
total kick to the gut
This is like having Ra's Al Ghul show up at your birthday party.
I think I never have much lag there is because it's hardly ever that populated.
"Samual_Tow - Be disappointed all you want, people. You just don't appreciate the miracles that are taking place here."
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Strange, because I get hardly any lag in Grandville.
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I have one of the most powerful computers at a job that is... let's say "computer based".
I get lag when I play it there. We're talking a computer that runs The Orange Box on highest settings without a hiccup. That just aint right.
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Weird I run a Dual 3800 AMD with 3 GB ram and a NVidia 7600 256Mb video card and only had issues with GV when it was new it rarely lags on me. One issue i do notice is that i rubber band on nearly every zone load and have to wait a monment before moving.
One thing that is a consistent lag for me is certain Archnos missions (St Martial).
My biggest other issue is sound looping locks. But that is rare.
Pinnacle
Arch light L50 INV/SS
Psiberia L50 Kin/Psi
Screaming Mentallica L50 Sonic/MM
Infinity
Arc Voltinator L50 SS/Elec
Mind Fire Kinesis L50 Fire/Kin
Flaming Screamer L50 Fire/Sonic
Yeah, my computer is definintly not a powerhouse, and sometimes I crash doing stuff in Grandville, due to so much content coming at me and what-not. And my setting are pretty low, so, yeah. Every other zone is moderately fine, but Grandville...sheesh...
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Strange, because I get hardly any lag in Grandville.
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What the hell kind of supervillain ultracomputer are you using?
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Dual Pentium 4 2.8GHx processors, 2.5GB of system RAM, and an ATI Radeon x600 256MB video card. Wait, uh ... maybe TWO of those x600's, the device manager has the x600 on one line, then an "x600 secondary" on the next line.
Naw thats just the second video out port on your card.
<qr>
Well, having just had to halve the RAM in my machine, I'm going to emphasize the "Get rid of extra geometry!"
Goign from 2 Gb - which is decent performance, only the occasional hiccup, other than that ONE SPOT in Arachnos lab maps that seems to send a ton of data over and lags everyone - to 1 GB means I'm going from "No problems" to "Hey, I died while I was lagging. Again."
Given that I'm trying ot level a MM and a Dom right now (not in anticipation of the VEATs, already have two redside 50s) it's exceptionally frustrating. And don't bother touching the BM - unless it's the wee hours, I mapserv.
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Strange, because I get hardly any lag in Grandville.
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I have one of the most powerful computers at a job that is... let's say "computer based".
I get lag when I play it there. We're talking a computer that runs The Orange Box on highest settings without a hiccup. That just aint right.
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The Source engine is the new UT(original Unreal Tournament). It can run on just about anything.
Soon we'll see HL2 and Portal on Cell phones
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*redownloads Portal, determined to home computer, determined to get it to run*
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Strange, because I get hardly any lag in Grandville.
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I have one of the most powerful computers at a job that is... let's say "computer based".
I get lag when I play it there. We're talking a computer that runs The Orange Box on highest settings without a hiccup. That just aint right.
[/ QUOTE ]
The Source engine is the new UT(original Unreal Tournament). It can run on just about anything.
Soon we'll see HL2 and Portal on Cell phones
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*redownloads Portal, determined to home computer, determined to get it to run*
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Dear lord... stop everything else and play it! It's short(ish) but so incredibly worth it.
Oh, I already beat it. I'm redownloading it
1) For nostalgia (yes, already).
2) Because if I can get this to run, that means I can get everything else I've wanted to run.
People, get ready to have yer sentries sapped.
[/threadjack]
Stolen (appropriately) from Mystic_Poobah's post in the Market forum:
More Black Market slots to offset slower turn arounds in the market.
total kick to the gut
This is like having Ra's Al Ghul show up at your birthday party.
On top of all the suggestions posted here. I personally, would like to see modifications made to the kidnapping system for villains.
Example
Instead of being a carbon copy of the rescue missions for blue side, we should have more control over what happens. Meaning that...we're villains! Why can't we gut punch the poor sap that got grabbed in the first place and carry him/her out?
Add new mechanics where the ambush ratio is increased in those missions slightly and you have to put down the person to be able to engage in fighting. Make it where there is a chance that the person could be killed in the crossfire, or they wander off, thus failing the mission. Just to make it something different...
Stalkers and Mayhem
This has probably been flamed about to death, but what the heck was the idea behind making Stalkers visible during ambushes? I understand that ambush mechanics carry a -stealth and +perception to the incoming NPC mobs, but Stalkers are the only class that should void that. They have the highest stealth level in the game, but they aren't very strong early on, making versatility in mobs almost non-existant.
Then you take away their one weapon against that in mayhems? It's not like they are going to just run away from the mission by being invisible. They will try to help the team out and fight, but they should be allowed to do what they do best.
Leading me to my next point about Stalkers, in PvE ONLY their AS should do line of sight damage like Headsplitter. Meaning, if you have a group of guys in a line, you should be able to chain through about 3-4 max and unlike headsplitter, the damage for stalkers should do less each successful chained NPC. Meaning that the first NPC, the origional target should take the brunt of the AS damage, the one next to him half and so on and so forth.
I think this would give Stalkers a slightly better feel of the game in the early stages. Honestly, it probably wouldn't hurt to give them a Heal earlier on. As it stands right now, Willpower gives them Reconstruction at lvl 8, which is the earliest of any of them and that was something JUST added, so....
Weather Effects
How come there aren't weather effects in CoX? No occasional gusts of wind or a breeze to blow our capes and/or objects that drift by. No Thunderstorms with rain to herald in a Rikti invasion or change the mood? Whats up with that? Zones like Nerva / Port Oakes in Red Side and Kings Row / Croatoa in Blue Side would be great zones for rain. Other zones would have a random chance of storms, etc...etc...
Its hard to believe that with such a dynamic physics engine, these elements aren't possible.
Closing Comments
Villains was never seen as an expansion when it was released and yet it is being treated as such. Although new content has been put into the game each issue, Blue Side continues to get the larger improvements while Red Side is forced to play sidekick or underling most of the time. Branch us out, we need to break free of our bonds to Arachnos, and while several mission Arcs give us the feeling of doing that, we never truely become our own Villain.
We finally get Villain EATs and what are they? Arachnos...not saying that it won't add an interesting element to the game, but Villains really needs MORE. It's frustrating playing a game where you're someone elses [censored] throughout most of it.
- Bow �o �he Reaper of Souls�
- 68 Unique Characters / Fifteen Level 50s & Counting! Damn you alt-itis!!!!!!!
After reading through this thread I feel like we have our bases covered. I simply want to add additional weight in favor the following suggestions:
- "Choose your own adventure" missions.
- Balancing PPp's against EPp's.
- Giving stalkers a PvE buff (expecially against AV's/EB's).
- IoP's
- Red-side equivilant to Empaths.
- Market balancing (something that costs 40m on heroes should not cost 80m on villains).
This one isn't a big deal, but this seems the place to post it. The redside 4th costume slot mish is a little disappointing. For those who may not know, it's kill 30 Carnies. Now in the context given it makes perfect sense.
The issue with it is it's a holdover from pre issue 7. Carnies spawn in Fortune's Wheel in the mid-30s and you can only get the mission once you are level 40. Basically you get to kill 30 grey and green mobs.
And this is perfectly fine is that is what you like, but the only common option for higher level Carnies would be paper missions in GV. Which quite frankly won't occur to many/most.
Short of Carnies spawning in GV, a simple text change in the mission briefing could help inform here.
It's not how many times you get knocked down that count. It's how many times you get up.