[ QUOTE ]
Well the worst for trying to start one to completing for me was 3 attempts over 12 hours....
I have never run more than 4 on a Posi since.
[/ QUOTE ]
Taken from the market forum posi times thread. Which then goes on to work out optimum merit amounts for multiple accounts.
Yep the merit will help out the casual/new gamer who is purpled out and can run positron with 4 accounts in under 2 hours
(rolls eyes)
I need a clarification, if you all would:
I understand diminishing returns is 50% of the previous award cummulative from the first instance of a TF and reset after 24 hours.
If I do say Positron TF, I would get the full merit award; but say after Positron I go to Synapse; will my Synapse merit award be subject to a diminishing return? or if I was to repeat Positron a second time within 24 hours, it would be subject to diminishing returns?
Hugs
Stormy
Ps: I think I13 has a lot of promise to evolve into, like all new things, it will have rough spots, but time tends to polish those rough spots. I still wish, that superior teamsmanship, leadership be truly rewarded as opposed to penalized.
[ QUOTE ]
I need a clarification, if you all would:
I understand diminishing returns is 50% of the previous award cummulative from the first instance of a TF and reset after 24 hours.
If I do say Positron TF, I would get the full merit award; but say after Positron I go to Synapse; will my Synapse merit award be subject to a diminishing return? or if I was to repeat Positron a second time within 24 hours, it would be subject to diminishing returns?
Hugs
Stormy
Ps: I think I13 has a lot of promise to evolve into, like all new things, it will have rough spots, but time tends to polish those rough spots. I still wish, that superior teamsmanship, leadership be truly rewarded as opposed to penalized.
[/ QUOTE ]Its only if you do Positron more than once in 24 hours. You can do all the tfs once per 24 hours without losing merits.
Bump and Grind Bane/SoA
Kenja No Ishi Earth/Empathy Controller
Legendary Sannin Ninja/Pain Mastermind
Entoxicated Ninja/PSN Mastermind
Ninja Ryukenden Kat/WP Scrapper
Hellish Thoughts Fire/PSI Dominator
Thank You Devs for Merits!!!!
[ QUOTE ]
I understand diminishing returns is 50% of the previous award cummulative from the first instance of a TF and reset after 24 hours.
[/ QUOTE ]
And another 50% discount for the third time, and another 50% discount for the fourth time, etc.... The 24 hour wait period resets the diminishing returns algorithm.
[ QUOTE ]
If I do say Positron TF, I would get the full merit award; but say after Positron I go to Synapse; will my Synapse merit award be subject to a diminishing return? or if I was to repeat Positron a second time within 24 hours, it would be subject to diminishing returns?
[/ QUOTE ]
Your Synapse will not be subject to DR but another Positron will. DR only apply to the same exact TF.
Speeding Through New DA Repeatables || Spreadsheet o' Enhancements || Zombie Skins: better skins for these forums || Guide to Guides
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Seriously You think 120 million inf is absurd compared to running 5 positrons ?
Yes. Easily. Positron is not hard with the right group construction (i.e., small).
[/ QUOTE ]
5 Positrons for me = 10 hours
120 million ~ 50-60 hours
No contest
[/ QUOTE ]
I agree with this, but I still have a problem with it.
I'm locked into doing it with same hero. This is a major sticking point for me. Lets take my play session friday, one of the rare times I get a FULL day to play.
Ran an ITF with my Fire/Emp. Then i ran a KTF with my Sonic/NRG blaster. Did a Numina with my WP/BA tank. Ran another ITF with my Ill/Sonic controller. Did two more KTF's later that night, one with my Rad/Sonic and one with my Ice/Ice blaster.
Last week, i had a week off work, (my first full week off in 11 years. It was epic... LOL) During the week i ran a freaking TON of TF's. STF's, ITF's, KTF's, Cupa TF's, just about anything that was forming I ran if i could. Almost every one with a different hero, just for the sake dusting off some old alts and playing them again. For no other reason then, "I haven't played this guy in a long time..."
If it were I13, i'd prolly have enough merits to buy 2 LOTG IO's, but COULDN'T because the merits have been spread out over a dozen different heros... This is how i play. This is what i ENJOY. This is how i THOUGH the dev's wanted us to play. But this new reward system DOESN'T reward the alt a holic. It punishes us. All the money and resipies i got over this last week have been realocauited to alts that need it, and to my INF "bank". (my current active alt is the bank.) In I13... If i want to save merits, i have to run the same guy... over... and over... and over again. Or I can play like i do currently, just pick random rolls when i can afford them... and HOPE I have a market around to supplie me with IO's I'm not able to save up for thanks to alting. and i'm not hopeful that people will still be feeding the market post I13 like they are now. I forsee supplie drying up... prices skyrocketing... and me being SoL unless i conform and just start running Acid Rock exclusively for TF's. I hope i'm wrong. i do. If the market doesn't crash in on itself, i can still play the game somewhat they way i do now... but if it does... i guess i'm screwed eh?
If you at least make the merits tradeable and sellable... it won't be AS bad IMO. if not...
@KingSnake - Triumph Server
@PrinceSnake
My common sense is tingling... ~ Deadpool
If you can't learn to do something well... learn to enjoy doing it poorly...
If it were I13, i'd prolly have enough merits to buy 2 LOTG IO's, but COULDN'T because the merits have been spread out over a dozen different heros...
That's the way it's supposed to be.
All the money and resipies i got over this last week have been realocauited to alts that need it, and to my INF "bank". (my current active alt is the bank.)
That's not the way it's supposed to be.
If you at least make the merits tradeable and sellable... it won't be AS bad IMO. if not...
That would be bad.
Current Blog Post: "Why I am an Atheist..."
"And I say now these kittens, they do not get trained/As we did in the days when Victoria reigned!" -- T. S. Eliot, "Gus, the Theatre Cat"
[ QUOTE ]
If it were I13, i'd prolly have enough merits to buy 2 LOTG IO's, but COULDN'T because the merits have been spread out over a dozen different heros...
That's the way it's supposed to be.
All the money and resipies i got over this last week have been realocauited to alts that need it, and to my INF "bank". (my current active alt is the bank.)
That's not the way it's supposed to be.
If you at least make the merits tradeable and sellable... it won't be AS bad IMO. if not...
That would be bad.
[/ QUOTE ]
Just why venture is that not the way it is supposed to be?
why is it the fact that some one would want to pool their resources (as we have been able to in the past) supposedly not the way it is supposed to be?
players have a trade window for a reason. if we werent supposed to be trading items then why do we have a trade window?
if you want to not trade items between your characters then by all means don't.
If you want to spend all your time on one character then do so.
the devs frown on farming. not allowing us to pool our merits causes us to make our best taskforce toon and [censored] it to death to get the recipees. why not allow us to play what we want and still get our goods?
[ QUOTE ]
If it were I13, i'd prolly have enough merits to buy 2 LOTG IO's, but COULDN'T because the merits have been spread out over a dozen different heros...
That's the way it's supposed to be.
All the money and resipies i got over this last week have been realocauited to alts that need it, and to my INF "bank". (my current active alt is the bank.)
That's not the way it's supposed to be.
If you at least make the merits tradeable and sellable... it won't be AS bad IMO. if not...
That would be bad.
[/ QUOTE ]
Why? Nice statments but where is the explanation? What's wrong with the way i currently do things? What am I exploiting? And where have the dev's said as much?
@KingSnake - Triumph Server
@PrinceSnake
My common sense is tingling... ~ Deadpool
If you can't learn to do something well... learn to enjoy doing it poorly...
[ QUOTE ]
If it were I13, i'd prolly have enough merits to buy 2 LOTG IO's, but COULDN'T because the merits have been spread out over a dozen different heros.
[/ QUOTE ]
Pre I13 you would not be able to buy a LOTG with merits. You would have to hope you got the drop you wanted. If you like the pre I13 method you can still choose to take a random drop (In reality you buy a random drop) after completing most of the TFs. With the exception of those TFs that were heavily farmed you are no worse off now then before. Each of your alts can take a random drop, and with some of the TFs 2 or 3 random drops.
HP Lovecat
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[ QUOTE ]
If it were I13, i'd prolly have enough merits to buy 2 LOTG IO's, but COULDN'T because the merits have been spread out over a dozen different heros.
[/ QUOTE ]
Pre I13 you would not be able to buy a LOTG with merits. You would have to hope you got the drop you wanted. If you like the pre I13 method you can still choose to take a random drop (In reality you buy a random drop) after completing most of the TFs. With the exception of those TFs that were heavily farmed you are no worse off now then before. Each of your alts can take a random drop, and with some of the TFs 2 or 3 random drops.
HP Lovecat
[/ QUOTE ]
Your somewhat right, and that's why i'm soften to merits, but I can still do what i do now, and right now, i'm dependent on the MARKET to get 90% of the stuff i need. I don't MIND how things are now, but if the MAJORITY of people hord merits like i think they will, the supply at the market will dry up, leaving ME high and dry. Or prices will rocket up even more then they are now. If i'm WRONG. No harm no foul. But i don't think i am and thus, i'm voicing my concern.
and if i'm right, it leaves me at a disatvantage simply because of my current play style, a style i figured this game above all promots, alting. I mean.. we get what, a dozen slots per sever to make people... can buy up to 32... an amazing Char creations system and quick leveling... but this new system "encourges" just the opsite. Pick one main, and run all your tf's with him.
Ok, i can see a proble with merits being sellable. But what's the problem with tradable inbetween heros/villians on the same account? that's be SOMETHING at least. I'd still be tied to mainly ONE of my two accounts for TFing, but it's be easier to built up merits when they are cut in half as apposed to cut between about 20+ ACTIVE alts...
@KingSnake - Triumph Server
@PrinceSnake
My common sense is tingling... ~ Deadpool
If you can't learn to do something well... learn to enjoy doing it poorly...
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If it were I13, i'd prolly have enough merits to buy 2 LOTG IO's, but COULDN'T because the merits have been spread out over a dozen different heros...
That's the way it's supposed to be.
All the money and resipies i got over this last week have been realocauited to alts that need it, and to my INF "bank". (my current active alt is the bank.)
That's not the way it's supposed to be.
If you at least make the merits tradeable and sellable... it won't be AS bad IMO. if not...
That would be bad.
[/ QUOTE ]
Why? Nice statments but where is the explanation? What's wrong with the way i currently do things? What am I exploiting? And where have the dev's said as much?
[/ QUOTE ]He's just being difficult. He has this thing against twinking like its the worst thing to ever happen in an MMO. I think twinking is fine because it promotes the creation of more alts. I know for me since the Invention System came out there are powerset and power combinations I would never have dreamed of playing because IOs help those sets out so much that I could never played them with just SOs.
Bump and Grind Bane/SoA
Kenja No Ishi Earth/Empathy Controller
Legendary Sannin Ninja/Pain Mastermind
Entoxicated Ninja/PSN Mastermind
Ninja Ryukenden Kat/WP Scrapper
Hellish Thoughts Fire/PSI Dominator
Thank You Devs for Merits!!!!
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If it were I13, i'd prolly have enough merits to buy 2 LOTG IO's, but COULDN'T because the merits have been spread out over a dozen different heros.
[/ QUOTE ]
Pre I13 you would not be able to buy a LOTG with merits. You would have to hope you got the drop you wanted. If you like the pre I13 method you can still choose to take a random drop (In reality you buy a random drop) after completing most of the TFs. With the exception of those TFs that were heavily farmed you are no worse off now then before. Each of your alts can take a random drop, and with some of the TFs 2 or 3 random drops.
HP Lovecat
[/ QUOTE ]
Your somewhat right, and that's why i'm soften to merits, but I can still do what i do now, and right now, i'm dependent on the MARKET to get 90% of the stuff i need. I don't MIND how things are now, but if the MAJORITY of people hord merits like i think they will, the supply at the market will dry up, leaving ME high and dry. Or prices will rocket up even more then they are now. If i'm WRONG. No harm no foul. But i don't think i am and thus, i'm voicing my concern.
and if i'm right, it leaves me at a disatvantage simply because of my current play style, a style i figured this game above all promots, alting. I mean.. we get what, a dozen slots per sever to make people... can buy up to 32... an amazing Char creations system and quick leveling... but this new system "encourges" just the opsite. Pick one main, and run all your tf's with him.
Ok, i can see a proble with merits being sellable. But what's the problem with tradable inbetween heros/villians on the same account? that's be SOMETHING at least. I'd still be tied to mainly ONE of my two accounts for TFing, but it's be easier to built up merits when they are cut in half as apposed to cut between about 20+ ACTIVE alts...
[/ QUOTE ]I still say all merits should be account base that would make the whole system easier to work with. What I intend to do is stick with 2 characters per server till I get all the alts on that server IOed out and then play them later. Any merits used after the toon has been IOed out would go towards random rare on salvage if the prices get out of hand again or just plain old random rare recipes because at that point I would have everything I need.
Bump and Grind Bane/SoA
Kenja No Ishi Earth/Empathy Controller
Legendary Sannin Ninja/Pain Mastermind
Entoxicated Ninja/PSN Mastermind
Ninja Ryukenden Kat/WP Scrapper
Hellish Thoughts Fire/PSI Dominator
Thank You Devs for Merits!!!!
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If it were I13, i'd prolly have enough merits to buy 2 LOTG IO's, but COULDN'T because the merits have been spread out over a dozen different heros...
That's the way it's supposed to be.
All the money and resipies i got over this last week have been realocauited to alts that need it, and to my INF "bank". (my current active alt is the bank.)
That's not the way it's supposed to be.
If you at least make the merits tradeable and sellable... it won't be AS bad IMO. if not...
That would be bad.
[/ QUOTE ]
Why? Nice statments but where is the explanation? What's wrong with the way i currently do things? What am I exploiting? And where have the dev's said as much?
[/ QUOTE ]He's just being difficult. He has this thing against twinking like its the worst thing to ever happen in an MMO. I think twinking is fine because it promotes the creation of more alts. I know for me since the Invention System came out there are powerset and power combinations I would never have dreamed of playing because IOs help those sets out so much that I could never played them with just SOs.
[/ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't still be playing this game 4 and half years after it's creation if each and every alt i've made and leveled had to go through the same growing pains my first one did each and every time. SCREW THAT. If an MMO promotes a play style suited to single hero play, something with a high level limit, that's very loot driven, and has an engaging end game, i can see why some people may frown about "twicking".
But in this game... Alting is encourged. We have more char slots then any other game i can think of. More possible playable combonations, FAST leveling, and no real endgame to speak of. "twicking" alts to off set the growing pains of running the same freaking content for the 25th time is a GOOD thing, not something to be discrourged. Alting keeps this game freash. (IMO of course.) Encouring people to focus on a single hero IMO isn't a good fit for this game.
But only time will tell.
@KingSnake - Triumph Server
@PrinceSnake
My common sense is tingling... ~ Deadpool
If you can't learn to do something well... learn to enjoy doing it poorly...
[ QUOTE ]
if the MAJORITY of people hord merits like i think they will, the supply at the market will dry up, leaving ME high and dry. Or prices will rocket up even more then they are now. If i'm WRONG. No harm no foul. But i don't think i am and thus, i'm voicing my concern.
[/ QUOTE ]
AHHHHH, Now I see your concern, and I will readily acknowledge it is a valid one.
I think/hope the devs have it under control, and have even shown such in that they can lowered the merit cost of a "random drops" in beta.
If it turns out, as you fear, that no one is selecting "random drops", thus reducing the market supply substantially, they COULD lower the drop cost to some point where the farmers will readily see that they make more money with "random drops" then by choosing a particular IO. As an example picture what most people would choose if "random drops" cost 1 merit.
I do realize that this is dependent on the Devs doing their job and monitoring the situation. If they fail to do so , then YES, your worst case scenario is a definite possibility.
Here's hoping that the devs pay attention
HP Lovecat
See, i'm not worried that the dev's wont montier the situation and make changes... Accually, i'm sure they will. I'm sure that once the gold farmers figure out how to run Dr. Q in under and hour they'll nerf it. I'm worried that once they figure out how run ITF's in under 30 mins they'll nerf it.
My fear is based on the FACT that thanks to the gold farmers and speed TFers an Eden Trial is worth 2 freaking merits. My god, 2 merits... who many times must i run it to even afford a freaking SO. They'er using data mining to detemermen reward rates, and data mining can and IS scewed by farmer and powergamers.
I accually for see merit rewards shrinking in the future. Compounding the problem. Not because they dev's aren't trying, but because they seem hung up on balancing there game around the wrong dimigraphic.
Again. i could be wrong. But the 2 merit Eden trial worries me, as it's an example of a trend. Nerf the reward... not fix the content. Reward the miminum we can to keep the powergamers and farmers from exploiting the system, at the expenice of the casual gamer. That's what i'm afraid of. Only time and I13 will tell if i'm right.
@KingSnake - Triumph Server
@PrinceSnake
My common sense is tingling... ~ Deadpool
If you can't learn to do something well... learn to enjoy doing it poorly...
[ QUOTE ]
But the 2 merit Eden trial worries me, as it's an example of a trend.
[/ QUOTE ]
It can't possibly be a trend, because they would have had to repeatedly nerf merit awards due to datamined speeds. It's happened at one point in time (one point in time = not a trend) on multiple TFs, and they've said that they want to fix the content but that this was the easier solution if they wanted to get the merit system live.
My postings to this forum are not to be used as data in any research study without my express written consent.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
But the 2 merit Eden trial worries me, as it's an example of a trend.
[/ QUOTE ]
It can't possibly be a trend, because they would have had to repeatedly nerf merit awards due to datamined speeds. It's happened at one point in time (one point in time = not a trend) on multiple TFs, and they've said that they want to fix the content but that this was the easier solution if they wanted to get the merit system live.
[/ QUOTE ]Here is my prediction. They will be much screaming and moaning the first time these rewards gets nerfed. Depending on how vocal we all are about this they will end up changing what they are using for reward measurements instead of rewarding us just strictly based on time. It will end up being time and something else equals merits otherwise it will only get worse from here. I cant see them changing rewards for the better until that happens.
Bump and Grind Bane/SoA
Kenja No Ishi Earth/Empathy Controller
Legendary Sannin Ninja/Pain Mastermind
Entoxicated Ninja/PSN Mastermind
Ninja Ryukenden Kat/WP Scrapper
Hellish Thoughts Fire/PSI Dominator
Thank You Devs for Merits!!!!
Why? Nice statments but where is the explanation? What's wrong with the way i currently do things? What am I exploiting? And where have the dev's said as much?
Allowing characters owned by the same player to interact results in pathological behavior. Every character in any RPG is supposed to earn its own progress. That's the ideal. That ideal can't be reached in an MMO, even with draconian measures that are worse than the problem itself. SWG originally allowed only a single character per server, which even the designer had to admit wouldn't stop anyone willing to pay for multiple accounts. That does not, however, mean it is OK to just say "to hell with it" and make self-twinking easy. It can, and should, be made arbitrarily difficult. That won't eliminate the damage but it will contain it.
Under i13 rules you can earn merits on one character until you get the desired reward, whether that's a roll or a specific recipe, then craft that recipe, leave the IO on a base rack and have another character pick it up, or get a friend to help you trade it over. It shouldn't be any easier than that. Making merits tradeable would mean they could be bartered for cash, which would essentially make them the same as cash. Part of the reason for introducing merits is that the cash economy in this game is beyond salvage by any means the developers would even consider implementing (we need a cash wipe, but that's not going to happen). Making them account based would mean either throwing out the diminished returns rule or applying that as account-based as well, which may not even be possible with their current architecture. I have 13 heroes on Virtue, e.g., meaning given RL time constraints I could run the same TF with them all as much as I wanted and pool all those merits instantly. Not just no, but HELL no.
Current Blog Post: "Why I am an Atheist..."
"And I say now these kittens, they do not get trained/As we did in the days when Victoria reigned!" -- T. S. Eliot, "Gus, the Theatre Cat"
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
But the 2 merit Eden trial worries me, as it's an example of a trend.
[/ QUOTE ]
It can't possibly be a trend, because they would have had to repeatedly nerf merit awards due to datamined speeds. It's happened at one point in time (one point in time = not a trend) on multiple TFs, and they've said that they want to fix the content but that this was the easier solution if they wanted to get the merit system live.
[/ QUOTE ]
Trend may be the wrong word, but it is a harbenger of what may come. It's easier to nerf rewards then it is fixing content. Once other tf's get "gamed" and the Datamining shows siginifent time reductions, they'll NERF it instead of fixing the expolit, if there is one, or reworking there reward payouts.
And the data mining will ALWAYS be scewed once farming sets in. Yeah, Eden and KTF's get farmed... it's obviouse. But when you pool the causal gamers, the majority i'd wager, none of them run edens in 10 mins or KTF's in 15. But, because some RMT people farm them for profit, and throw the dev's numbers off, we get shafted. And it'll happen again to the other tf's as farmer look for greener pastures. And so long as the dev's seem hell bent on stamping out what they can't stamp out, we will contuine to suffer.
@KingSnake - Triumph Server
@PrinceSnake
My common sense is tingling... ~ Deadpool
If you can't learn to do something well... learn to enjoy doing it poorly...
It seems to me that merits will be quickly adjusted downwards when speedsters change favourite taskforces, and will be slow to change up (as said that the times are all determined and most unlikly to change).
The impact of the teleporter to mission power is going to speed up times even more, which kinda unsettles me. As neat as the booster packs are, having to buy one to stay within a decent merit/time range suxs, which seems certain to happen.
I don't suffer from altitis, I enjoy every minute of it.
Thank you Devs & Community people for a great game.
So sad to be ending ):
[ QUOTE ]
Why? Nice statments but where is the explanation? What's wrong with the way i currently do things? What am I exploiting? And where have the dev's said as much?
Allowing characters owned by the same player to interact results in pathological behavior. Every character in any RPG is supposed to earn its own progress. That's the ideal. That ideal can't be reached in an MMO, even with draconian measures that are worse than the problem itself. SWG originally allowed only a single character per server, which even the designer had to admit wouldn't stop anyone willing to pay for multiple accounts. That does not, however, mean it is OK to just say "to hell with it" and make self-twinking easy. It can, and should, be made arbitrarily difficult. That won't eliminate the damage but it will contain it.
Under i13 rules you can earn merits on one character until you get the desired reward, whether that's a roll or a specific recipe, then craft that recipe, leave the IO on a base rack and have another character pick it up, or get a friend to help you trade it over. It shouldn't be any easier than that. Making merits tradeable would mean they could be bartered for cash, which would essentially make them the same as cash. Part of the reason for introducing merits is that the cash economy in this game is beyond salvage by any means the developers would even consider implementing (we need a cash wipe, but that's not going to happen). Making them account based would mean either throwing out the diminished returns rule or applying that as account-based as well, which may not even be possible with their current architecture. I have 13 heroes on Virtue, e.g., meaning given RL time constraints I could run the same TF with them all as much as I wanted and pool all those merits instantly. Not just no, but HELL no.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, and we see what booming sucess SWG was eh?
Your entilted to your outlook. And if you want to play that way, fine. I DON'T. And so far, i haven't been required too. The fact i can pool my resorces and to ease the growing pains of the lower levels is very much a REASON i still run lowbie alts, 4 years after the start. If making an alt and progressing him was just as hard, as it was the first few times, on top of the fact that now the content is OLD, seeing as how i've done it, a dozen times, i'd have left LONG ago. And i don't think i'm alone in that respect. This game is SHORT. This game is EASY to level in. This game has NO end game. This games main appeal (imo of course) is the alting. The creation aspect. Making the whole processes harder by limiting your accomplishements, or you reward to ONE hero, IMO will hamper MY desier to replay the games content for the 25th time. You want to go that rounte, the dev team needs to CRANK out some SERIOUS content over the next few issues to keep me intrested in playing ONE of my man alts. Or it's game over for me. This isn't a "threat", nor do i honestly belive they care if little old me leaves there game, but i am telling them what would cause me to leave, and if i had to guess, not just me, but other like me, who enjoy the alting expearince and use the rewards we EARNED from nearly 5 YEARS of loyality or play to help lessen the parts of the game that SUCKED the first time through.
@KingSnake - Triumph Server
@PrinceSnake
My common sense is tingling... ~ Deadpool
If you can't learn to do something well... learn to enjoy doing it poorly...
[ QUOTE ]
Why? Nice statments but where is the explanation? What's wrong with the way i currently do things? What am I exploiting? And where have the dev's said as much?
Allowing characters owned by the same player to interact results in pathological behavior. Every character in any RPG is supposed to earn its own progress. That's the ideal. That ideal can't be reached in an MMO, even with draconian measures that are worse than the problem itself. SWG originally allowed only a single character per server, which even the designer had to admit wouldn't stop anyone willing to pay for multiple accounts. That does not, however, mean it is OK to just say "to hell with it" and make self-twinking easy. It can, and should, be made arbitrarily difficult. That won't eliminate the damage but it will contain it.
Under i13 rules you can earn merits on one character until you get the desired reward, whether that's a roll or a specific recipe, then craft that recipe, leave the IO on a base rack and have another character pick it up, or get a friend to help you trade it over. It shouldn't be any easier than that. Making merits tradeable would mean they could be bartered for cash, which would essentially make them the same as cash. Part of the reason for introducing merits is that the cash economy in this game is beyond salvage by any means the developers would even consider implementing (we need a cash wipe, but that's not going to happen). Making them account based would mean either throwing out the diminished returns rule or applying that as account-based as well, which may not even be possible with their current architecture. I have 13 heroes on Virtue, e.g., meaning given RL time constraints I could run the same TF with them all as much as I wanted and pool all those merits instantly. Not just no, but HELL no.
[/ QUOTE ]
A small observation here, most of the people playing this game don't seem to enjoy it in the manner you described. As it stands many are even willing to have extra accounts even though they don't really need them in the game. Some even play multiple accounts at the same time.
Perhaps just perhaps there is something in the game that they enjoy and you just aren't getting.
Now here is the kicker just why should these customers be treated shabbily and be forced to play your way instead of the way they currently do ?
(qr)
What the heck is diseased, dsyfunctional or mentally disturbed about "Allowing characters owned by the same player to interact "
I don't suffer from altitis, I enjoy every minute of it.
Thank you Devs & Community people for a great game.
So sad to be ending ):
Yes, and we see what booming sucess SWG was eh?
What did I say? Oh yes:
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That ideal can't be reached in an MMO, even with draconian measures that are worse than the problem itself.
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Emphasis added.
This game is SHORT. This game is EASY to level in.
Then making it even shorter and easier to level in doesn't really make any sense.
And what's with the caps? Is UNAUTHORIZED dissemination of this IMPORTANT information HIGHLY encouraged?
A small observation here, most of the people playing this game don't seem to enjoy it in the manner you described.
When I studied system design, one of the first things I was taught echoed something I'd learned on my own many years ago as a GM: you can't give users -- or players -- what they want. You have to give them what they really need. People usually don't know what they really need, only what they think they want. As a system or game designer you have to look past the demands of your constituents and see the bigger picture. That's why I keep quoting Burke.
Players as a group are overwhelmingly likely to be in favor of anything that lets them gain power faster. They want more experience, more loot, more cash, more social status, whatever. If you give it to them, your campaign will spiral into Monty Haul-ism and probably die. The players will blame you for it.
As it stands many are even willing to have extra accounts even though they don't really need them in the game. Some even play multiple accounts at the same time.
There are people who enjoy the Monty Haul environment, but again, that's pathological behavior. Catering to them is a bad idea. These people don't care if the game has any challenge or even point left to it. They just want to log in with their level quadzillion Fighter/Mage/Thief/Archvillain/Demigod and utterly destroy anything in their way by the dozens. It's not too surprising that many of these types find their way into PvP, armchair psychology left as an exercise for the reader.
What the heck is diseased, dsyfunctional or mentally disturbed about "Allowing characters owned by the same player to interact "
It results in people doing unreasonable things, like pooling resources to a degree not seen in real relationships, and it has bad effects on game balance.
Current Blog Post: "Why I am an Atheist..."
"And I say now these kittens, they do not get trained/As we did in the days when Victoria reigned!" -- T. S. Eliot, "Gus, the Theatre Cat"
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(more of a Quick reply than reply to Poster)
If everyone gets the reward on Flashback, why cant that be changed for story arcs as well?
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With a regular arc, a soloist can run through it and then, for the final mission, invite seven others in. This would mean seven people got an arc reward for doing only one mission, that is why only the mission holder gets the reward.
With a Ouroboros arc run in pseudo-TF mode, you can't start it solo and then invite seven people in for the last mission because the pseudo-TF mode won't allow it. Even if the seven people log out while a soloist runs the missions, the missions will still spawn for eight people making the soloist do a lot of work and slow the soloist down, making exploiting the arc reward very difficult.
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