Discussion: Cyborg and Jetpack Boosters
By
Acemace,
Posted on: 2008-09-17 10:55 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion
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Dear Devs,
Please allow us to get the combat auras at character creation... Because really they are only like having half or quarter of an aura. Plus this is bonus material that we pay extra for that should have the perk of being available at creation.. Please Devs at least consider it.
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Until I found out on the boards, I expected they'd be available at lvl 1 as well.
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10 second count-down, and you die every time you use it...
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Yes, gameplay advantage. If you play a tank, it's trivially easy to go into a large group, pop a red or two and maybe a yellow, and dole out a sweet purchased Nova to your enemies, probably defeating most of them, and making it really easy for the rest of the team to mop up. Pop a wakie, or even better, have someone with Resuscitate or Resurrect on hand, and you're good to go.
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PHEAR MY L33T CYBORG POWERS, ALL YOU WARBERG CRETINS!!!
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Yes, we're all impressed by your sarcasm, but I don't think it will be quite as funny when $15 a month just plain isn't enough to play any more.
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You've got to be kidding me. People are upset by a subpar travel power, that's only being offered as an appeasement and a nuke that takes an 1hr to recharge. These booster packs just have little perks in them with a few emotes thrown in. Nothing game breaking...or anything that would make one toon"better to play than another".
I don't get the "doom" and "panic" reaction, especially when it's over nothing.
My level 50 Dominators:
Madame Mindbender 50 Mind/Energy
Fly Agaric 50 Plant/Thorn
Nate Nitro 50 Fire/Psi
I just used the self destruct power.
It failed to actually kill me and bring up the "go to hospital or base" prompt, but it did make my body vanish. I still had hp, and it was regenerating but I could not move, or use wakies, or do any actions whatsoever.
Anyone else have this problem?
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These booster packs just have little perks in them with a few emotes thrown in. Nothing game breaking...
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Does anyone here besides me remember that when folks complained about the Valentine's Day add-on wedding pack was released, one of the big justifications for it being okay was that it didn't affect gameplay? That if you didn't want to buy it, you weren't missing out on anything, because emotes and costume pieces don't give you any advantage?
Now, we have add-ons being sold that do affect gameplay. Subpar or not, there's no denying that characters with the jetpack and self-destruction powers can do things--non-screen candy things that do make a difference in the game--that characters without them can't.
I remember a time not too long ago when even selling costume parts would have been thought way beyond the line. I remember a time when someone would have been called crazy for even suggesting that it could lead to selling powers. Yet here we are.
I'm genuinely curious, now that we've moved the line from gameplay-affecting to game-breaking, where is your limit of tolerance? Is everything fair game? What if they start selling access to new zones? Selling access to new archetypes? Selling access to task force/trial rewards? Straight out selling influence/infamy/prestige for cash?
I know, "Wow, that sure is melodramatic, Tony, that would never happen." That's what I thought about selling powers, too, but here we are.
We've been saving Paragon City for eight and a half years. It's time to do it one more time.
(If you love this game as much as I do, please read that post.)
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I just used the self destruct power.
It failed to actually kill me and bring up the "go to hospital or base" prompt, but it did make my body vanish. I still had hp, and it was regenerating but I could not move, or use wakies, or do any actions whatsoever.
Anyone else have this problem?
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I suggest putting in a support ticket to address this, and maybe also posting it over in the Technical Issues forum.
We've been saving Paragon City for eight and a half years. It's time to do it one more time.
(If you love this game as much as I do, please read that post.)
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I just used the self destruct power.
It failed to actually kill me and bring up the "go to hospital or base" prompt, but it did make my body vanish. I still had hp, and it was regenerating but I could not move, or use wakies, or do any actions whatsoever.
Anyone else have this problem?
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Yes. There are a few bugs with this power that are being worked on. Castle and Back Alley Brawler have both commented on them, and Lighthouse has a sticky post in the Tech Issues forum. Check the Dev & Community Digests for their posts.
The costume is nice but you only get 1 set really. IMO that is not enough. For $10 we should get more. Something looking a bit more cyborg would have been nice. Could care less about the emotes and the power is meh.
The draw was the costume set. Unfortunately there wasn't enough. If the next pack only contains 1 costume set then I will not be buying it, that is for sure. This set is nice but it doesn't look too different than stuff we have.
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Anyone who is wasting their money on the jet pack must be wealthy. To expect someone to pay a monthly fee for anything like that is silly.
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While I can't speak to everyone's financial situation, I'm not the wealthiest guy in the world either. While I like the packs, I understand that my purchasing them goes beyond nifty costume pieces and powers. I don't mind paying an extra $15 bucks total because I know that goes towards development costs for this game we all love. I do and have always given extra financial support to something I believe in and want to succeed. I see this game as a tiny entertainment investment that is included in my budget. But that's just me.
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There is currently a bit of an issue with the FX script that can cause the camera shake to not stop and increase over time...indefinitely. If this happens, the only fix is to completely shut down the game and restart it.
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Dude, that's awesome. Package that in it's own 'booster'.
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increase over time...indefinitely.
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Oh I GOTS to try this out!
Be well, people of CoH.
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Without pulling any punches, it's just retarded to rent a power for a month when free ones that do the same are available.
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If I get this wrong, someone please correct me:
Villainside has [u]severa[u]l 2-hour flightpacks, and one flashback that will regrant one.
Heroeside has [u]just one[u] 2-hour flightpack and no flashback to regrant it. (And it has Firebase Zulu and the Shard Realms)
So yes, there is a reason. The question is, is it worth $60/yr?
Together we entered a city of strangers, we made it a city of friends, and we leave it a City of Heroes. - Sweet_Sarah
BOYCOTT NCSoft (on Facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/517513781597443/
Governments have fallen to the power of social media. Gaming companies can too.
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These booster packs just have little perks in them with a few emotes thrown in. Nothing game breaking...
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Does anyone here besides me remember that when folks complained about the Valentine's Day add-on wedding pack was released, one of the big justifications for it being okay was that it didn't affect gameplay? That if you didn't want to buy it, you weren't missing out on anything, because emotes and costume pieces don't give you any advantage?
Now, we have add-ons being sold that do affect gameplay. Subpar or not, there's no denying that characters with the jetpack and self-destruction powers can do things--non-screen candy things that do make a difference in the game--that characters without them can't.
I remember a time not too long ago when even selling costume parts would have been thought way beyond the line. I remember a time when someone would have been called crazy for even suggesting that it could lead to selling powers. Yet here we are.
I'm genuinely curious, now that we've moved the line from gameplay-affecting to game-breaking, where is your limit of tolerance? Is everything fair game? What if they start selling access to new zones? Selling access to new archetypes? Selling access to task force/trial rewards? Straight out selling influence/infamy/prestige for cash?
I know, "Wow, that sure is melodramatic, Tony, that would never happen." That's what I thought about selling powers, too, but here we are.
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I don't think you are being melodramatic, Tony.
I was very surprised to learn that the Cyborg pack had a power in it. I had not read the advertising because I had no interest in purchasing the pack, don't have any cyborg characters.
Likewise, the recent temp flight power with game card surprised me as well. The decision to sell the power directly only made sense in light of that the decision to sell it at outlets had already been made. But it is not game breaking or largely game affecting. It still surprised me, I never thought the devs would sell powers.
Even though from a marketing standpoint I realize that tying Flight with a gamecard as an alternative to a gimped trial account is the best way to hook a new player. It's brilliant.
At least with a flight pack, the power isn't as game affecting as a nuke. Any AT can pick up the ability to fly from a power pool, but a scrapper just isn't supposed to be able to nuke. This is game affecting and in a big way.
The inclusion of Self Destruction demonstrates that the developers listened when players said they wanted more than came in the Valentines Day pack in the next one, and have moved the line of what is acceptable, what is not game breaking to them.
Yes, I had no interest in the Cyborg pack.... Then a dark voice whispered to me that my blasters could double-nuke. I haven't gone out and bought it yet but that voice won't shut up. And that kind of impetus will drive sales more than costumes will.
Edit/Add: I bought the Valentines Day pack for 2 accounts, I spoke out in favor of the flight packs being for sale online. I'm all for NC Soft making money to bring more content to the game. Like Tony, I'll be watching where the line is drawn to see if it moves any more.
Together we entered a city of strangers, we made it a city of friends, and we leave it a City of Heroes. - Sweet_Sarah
BOYCOTT NCSoft (on Facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/517513781597443/
Governments have fallen to the power of social media. Gaming companies can too.
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Then a dark voice whispered to me that my blasters could double-nuke.
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Once an hour. And you'll be dead, which is inconvenient. This power, while it looks pretty spectacular, isn't the same as an actual Nuke. It's really mostly for show.
~Missi
http://tinyurl.com/yhy333s
Miss Informed in 2016! She can't be worse than all those other guys!
/e buys them
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At least with a flight pack, the power isn't as game affecting as a nuke. Any AT can pick up the ability to fly from a power pool, but a scrapper just isn't supposed to be able to nuke. This is game affecting and in a big way.
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to be perfectly honest, the flight pack is more game altering than the self destruct power.
I think people are overestimating just how useful the self destruct power really is. It kills you. You can't be rezzed, cant be used for veng bait. You can self rez, if you have one, or pop a wakie. Personally I would really like it if that was changed, but its not that big of a deal.
The flight pack is vastly more game altering since it grants a travel power that is always useful and for 5 bucks a month frees up 2 power choices. If blue side had a repeatable jet pack mission I would feel differently about it, however it doesn't so it strikes me as a bit more game altering than a self destruct.
I guess I don't see what a lot of people are complaining about for the self destruct power. I guess the people worried about it just dont know what it really does.
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I remember a time not too long ago when even selling costume parts would have been thought way beyond the line.
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Since when? Sure, some people probably felt that way. Others of us have told them repeatedly from the beginning that we'd be willing to buy expansion packs, especially if they included lots of new costumes and new zones or new archetypes.
The booster packs are an attempt to tread the middle ground between an EQ style of expansion box that would cost you a lot more than $10 and that would divide the player-base into the haves and have-nots, and generating no extra revenue at all, with the end result that all new content is free but less content is developed and it's released a lot more infrequently.
Nothing in either of the two booster packs is a "gotta have it" item. You can play your game perfectly fine without ever wearing a tuxedo or blowing yourself up. It's not like they made a Boomtown revamp and then said "You can only experience the new Boomtown if you buy the Boomtown Booster for $30."
There are a ton of tech robot/armored costume bits already. Anybody who wants to can make a perfectly servicable robot/cyborg without buying the cyborg pack. It's truly just more frosting on the cake.
Nobody ever guaranteed that you would get every possible enhancement for free. You want the JumpJet? You gotta buy GvE or shell out ten bucks for the upgrade. You want Power Slide, a cool cape, and a meangless badge? Shell out for the upgrade. You want vet rewards? Keep your subscription current.
You don't need the Cyborg pack. It's a luxury. If you don't have ten bucks for a luxury, or you're philosophically opposed to luxuries, so be it. You can live without it - that's what makes it a luxury instead of a neccesity. You need seats in your automobile, but there's no good reason why they need to be leather seats. Crying that your neighbor was able to pay an extra $100 and get leather when you couldn't afford it (or chose not too) is spitting into the wind. Complaining about the booster packs amounts to the same thing. It's not the end of the world. It's just another way for players to acquire options that they wouldn't have otherwise.
It's a mistake to assume that a "no paid expansions" policy would somehow result in you getting the booster pack content for free. The most likely outcome of such a policy would be that you would never get that content, period. The devs would be too busy working on the content development that already takes up all of their time - the Issues.
Given the choice between more costume options for $10 or no new costume options at all beyond what's in the issues, I'd say "bring on the booster packs".
*Tap tap* this thing on?! Have you fine folks considered that "pay for goodies" ingame can only be a bad sign for the mmo? With online player numbers starting to tank, the release of "purchaseable In game goodies might be a Bad sign for the times. Food for thought people.
Considering what's in Issue 13, I think that crying "Mini-expansion packs that cost real money? Doooooom!" is putting the cart before the horse.
Even Everquest, the penultimate purveyor of paid expansion packs, has always had free expansion content in addition to the paid content. If you're suggesting that the booster packs are somehow the first step towards eliminating Issues, then I'd say you're over-reacting.
Can the aura's for the Cyborg set be made available at character creation? The advertisement and info for the Cyborg pack doesn't say word one about the fact you still have to get to level 30 to unlock those auras.
Minimum it needs to say that in the info for the pack even if you put in some fine print. I was really disappointed to find that out and it seems silly since I payed cold hard cash monies for it and I have to work up a new Robot/cyborg styled character to level 30 to be able to use them.
Also why is it we still have to get all the way to 30 for those? And there are still none at all available at creation? Same for the full capes and more wings? There should at least be a few options other then the Vet angel and demon wings and the shoulder cape.
I had been expecting some to get added or perhaps a 'Booster' will be available to make them unlocked? I know five bucks isnt much but Id like to see some cheap ones to unlock stuff like that in the game. Specially for the wings since the price in game has fallen so much. If you are patient at all you can get any of the wings/boots for 50k or usually a lot less like in the 1k or less area.
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What if they start selling access to new zones? Selling access to new archetypes? Selling access to task force/trial rewards?
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You mean, "What if they release a paid expansion box, just like all the other MMO's out there do?
Horrors!! Think of the children!! Oh Dear Lord... who will save the children???
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Straight out selling influence/infamy/prestige for cash?
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(1) The RMT spammers will go away because they won't be able to compete.
(2) The impatient kiddies and/or adults with more dollars than sense may buy some.
(3) The players who enjoy playing the game will still earn plenty of influence and use the upcoming merit system to get those expensive IO recipes without paying any RL dollars.
(4) NCSoft will make a little more money off of CoX, giving a better return on their investment.
(5) The additional profits will allow for more development of improvements to the game that benefit even those who don't shell out RL money for influence.
(6) Dogs and cats, living together... MASS HYSTERIA!!
"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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Oh Dear Lord... who will save the children???
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obviously the players who bought the save the children expansion pack for 9.99
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does the self destruct option get interupted if hit like the pocket D TP?
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I would highly, HIGHLY reccomend you do NOT zone while the self-destruct power is counting down. There is currently a bit of an issue with the FX script that can cause the camera shake to not stop and increase over time...indefinitely. If this happens, the only fix is to completely shut down the game and restart it.
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I did this without reading the post earlier today, and was a little bit surprised to see the shaking continue to the log in screen, however I got it to stop by logging into a different character and self-destructing him.
Here i thought it was going to be the Griffin that we get to ride in the expansion....
oh wait, wrong game... /e *bows his head in shame* 
If its broke, don't fix it... I like the chaos!
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does the self destruct option get interupted if hit like the pocket D TP?
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I would highly, HIGHLY reccomend you do NOT zone while the self-destruct power is counting down. There is currently a bit of an issue with the FX script that can cause the camera shake to not stop and increase over time...indefinitely. If this happens, the only fix is to completely shut down the game and restart it.
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Man, now I want to buy the pack just for this bug.
The Alt Alphabet ~ OPC: Other People's Characters ~ Terrific Screenshots of Cool ~ Superhero Fiction
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I would highly, HIGHLY reccomend you do NOT zone while the self-destruct power is counting down. There is currently a bit of an issue with the FX script that can cause the camera shake to not stop and increase over time...indefinitely. If this happens, the only fix is to completely shut down the game and restart it.
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In other words: "Please, immediately go try to zone while the self-destruct power is counting down. If you do, something very cool that you've never seen before will happen, and you don't want to miss this, since it will probably go away in the next patch."
Seriously, if I had the Cyborg add-on, this would now be the first thing I did when I got home this evening. I'd also use Fraps to screencap it and post it to YouTube.
We've been saving Paragon City for eight and a half years. It's time to do it one more time.
(If you love this game as much as I do, please read that post.)