Thank you, Positron, for being so open and honest with us. This kind of communication is one of the things that make this game great.
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)
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Governments have fallen to the power of social media. Gaming companies can too.
tl;dr - when can we switch sides?
(yes, joking about the tldr part 
)
Thanks, Positron. You made the right decision.
"...freedom isn't a commodity to compromise." -- Captain America, New Avengers #21
Guide to Base Teleporters
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I hope and pray they don't allow side flipping. Let hero-side be hero-side and villains be villains.
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I agree, although I understand how badgers would like to see side-switching happen.
What I could see as a compromise is a new AT that can 'jump the fence' so to speak. Something morally ambiguous to begin with, say working for Crey Industries? Paragon Protector perhaps? Science based anyways. Maybe make the new AT a badgers dream( whatever that might be), and tie unlocking it to having 200 badges on any one AT. It might be an interesting experience to be a 'moral chameleon', and being able to move anywhere in the game. A Crey based character would have the right background to fit into either Hero or Villain sides.
Just an idea,
Grizz
"When Chuck Norris can't go on, Petra Majdič perseveres!"
QR
Thank you, Posi.
My postings to this forum are not to be used as data in any research study without my express written consent.
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[Posi's huge post]
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A great example of a developer caring enough to issue a public retraction and explanation. Kudos, Posiman. Kudos.
Doom.
Yep.
This is really doom.
Thank you for the detailed response Posi and thank you for reversing your decision.
@Demobot
Also on Steam
I want to personally thank both of you for taking care of this matter, Positron and Synapse. I'm very glad that it'll be reinstated upon issue 14.
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I hope and pray they don't allow side flipping. Let hero-side be hero-side and villains be villains.
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I agree, although I understand how badgers would like to see side-switching happen.
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Unless you are a villain with all possible badges earned.
Then you suddenly go into the big pond, with goals that include badges that are impossible to get like the first anniversary badge for hero side.
SadysCHICK ALL the Badges! (I can get. 1396)
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Arc ID 1435: Performing without Annette
Arc ID 7206: Sadystic Tendencies
Arc ID 3864: The Chronicles of (In)FERNIA!
I'll like to chime in and agree with the thread.
1) Thanks Posi and Synpase for discussing this and coming to the conclusion you did. I14 is not too far off for the fix to come.
2) A huge thanks Posi for being open about the process and how things come about. The Dev communication in this game is second to none, and is a big reason why we have such a great community.
@Catwhoorg "Rule of Three - Finale" Arc# 1984
@Mr Falkland Islands"A Nation Goes Rogue" Arc# 2369 "Toasters and Pop Tarts" Arc#116617
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Posi,
Thanks for changing your mind on this one. But even more, thanks for being so open about the process that lead to the decision.
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Agreed. I am not one that cares about badges so this particular issue is a non-issue for me, but I really appreciate Posi's candor.
Of course, him matter-of-factly confirming that side switching will eventually happen is pretty sweet too.
Freedom: Blazing Larb, Fiery Fulcrum, Sardan Reborn, Arctic-Frenzy, Wasabi Sam, Mr Smashtastic.
Just so it's clear, he said it was their intent several years ago in discussions when it was still a Cryptic title. That doesn't mean things haven't changed and it's still going to happen.
Please don't turn this into a meme folks. If it happens it happens. But if it doesn't people are gonna rant and rave and moan and cry because forumgoers are putting the broadest possible spin on a comment that is ambiguous at best.
Like Posi said it was their plan "back then" The rest of the post makes it pretty clear that things have changed since then. Please don't hold him to something without looking at the big picture.
"Null is as much an argument "for removing the cottage rule" as the moon being round is for buying tennis shoes." -Memphis Bill
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Of course, him matter-of-factly confirming that side switching will eventually happen is pretty sweet too.
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I think you should be careful. That's not what he said. He said they knew "it would someday be possible". That doesn't mean they'll for sure do it. Just that it's possibly they will, and they wanted to plan for it. This isn't new news - when the badges got different names for different sides, they essentially told us the same thing.
Blue
American Steele: 50 BS/Inv
Nightfall: 50 DDD
Sable Slayer: 50 DM/Rgn
Fortune's Shadow: 50 Dark/Psi
WinterStrike: 47 Ice/Dev
Quantum Well: 43 Inv/EM
Twilit Destiny: 43 MA/DA
Red
Shadowslip: 50 DDC
Final Rest: 50 MA/Rgn
Abyssal Frost: 50 Ice/Dark
Golden Ember: 50 SM/FA
Still, even if we dont know (and obviously we dont know) it sounds far more hopeful and promising than many of the limitless other ways he could have phrased that.
Before Reading that, Id have given less than a 50% chance of it ever happening. Now Id guess a little higher.
The cake is a lie! The cake is a lie!
Thank you for both explaining what went on and changing your mind, Posi.
@Exabecquerel | 50s:
1 corr (fire/kin), 1 widow (tuna), 3 MM (bots/ff, demons/dark, demons/traps), 2 brutes (ss/wp, kin/sr)
1 def (kin/dp), 2 trollers (fire/rad, earth/storm), 2 scrappers (spines/dark, kat/sr)
positron thank you for clearing this up. Just one question though, those of us that have the necessary "defeats" will not be able to obtain the Reformed badge until issue 14 launches? I ask because I got to the needed amount before this was removed.
You only fail if you give up. - Dana Scully
Time Jesum Transeuntum Et Non Riverentum - Nick Cave
We're not just destroyers, at the same time we can be saviors. - Allen Walker
:0
Sure today is the first day of the rest of your life. But so was yesterday. And look how that turned out.
While I didn't agree with the original decision, I didn't care enough to make a comment.
That being said, I do like that you came forward and admitted, explained and issued a revert back order.
d= 
=b
Way to man up to your mistake Positron. It takes a lot of courage to go out in front of a fanbase as rabid and opinionated as we can be, and admit in no uncertain terms that you feel you did them wrong.
My hat's off to you.
Paragon Unleashed, Unleash Yourself!
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positron thank you for clearing this up. Just one question though, those of us that have the necessary "defeats" will not be able to obtain the Reformed badge until issue 14 launches? I ask because I got to the needed amount before this was removed.
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Yes, the game is still tracking your Longbow kills, and when I14 arrives, the game will automatically check your kill count and award you Reformed. The formerly bugged Coralax Blue Hybrid gladiator worked the same way; the game was always tracking your Coralax kills, but the award condition was broken. People retroactively got the badge as soon as it was fixed.
Also, thanks for taking the time to go back and look at this one, Posi! I figured it was a simple case of administrative oversight, since you would have revoked the badge a long time ago if it wasn't grandfathered in already. We appreciate the PR damage control!
Arc #41077 - The Men of State
Arc #48845 - Operation: Dirty Snowball
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Just so it's clear, he said it was their intent several years ago in discussions when it was still a Cryptic title. That doesn't mean things haven't changed and it's still going to happen.
Please don't turn this into a meme folks. If it happens it happens. But if it doesn't people are gonna rant and rave and moan and cry because forumgoers are putting the broadest possible spin on a comment that is ambiguous at best.
Like Posi said it was their plan "back then" The rest of the post makes it pretty clear that things have changed since then. Please don't hold him to something without looking at the big picture.
[/ QUOTE ]
Ah, but what exactly is the big picture right now? When you combine what Posi said with survey that was circulating last fall (Massively had the story here) AND the fact that the CEO of NCSoft Europe said:
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We have some major plans for City of Heroes for the future. Again, for this year were going to be doing regular updates, but theres a lot of exciting stuff going on around City of Heroes, not for this year in terms of new releases, but certainly in the next couple of years.
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after NCSoft bought out Cryptic, AND the fact that NCSoft is well aware that they've got 2 direct competitors coming out this year, and is certain to do something to divert attention from them, AND the fact that NCNC has made major investments in new staff...
When you consider all those things...
Is it really so far out there to think a major expansion is in the offing?
Posi's post certainly doesn't confirm (or perhaps even reinforce) the speculation; but it certainly does seem to be another step in the long progression of clues that have been trickling out over the last year...
First off, let me thank you for coming forward with this.
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Fast Forward to Issue 13: Power and Responsibility. I am no longer the man when it comes to badges. Phil Synapse Zeleski has the dubious task of managing these and a lot of the other reward systems in CoH/V.
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Ooh, new target.
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Yes, I had heard the concerns of a few vocal badge aficionados, and I fell on the wrong side of the argument (its amazing, but sometimes being insulted makes you feel MORE right than you probably should).
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I've never doubted for a second you were human.
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After sitting down with Phil and going over the history of EVERYTHING badge related with this issue, Phil and I decided to go back and reinstate the Reformed badge for Heroes. This will be in Issue 14: Architect, but your credit should still be being counted from now until that releases. Of course, you have no progress bar, and something might have happened elsewhere that I dont know about, so if you really want to make progress towards the badge, I would wait until Issue 14 is released to do it.
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Thank you both.
As a final point, you two need to decide about these badges as well:
<ul type="square">[*]Hero accessible only with the 1st mission villain side during the Valentine's event.
* Coldblooded | Coldhearted
* Hellfrost Gladiator
* Weed Whacker
* Hordeling Lasher Gladiator[*] Villain accessible only through winter event.
* Cap Buster
* Bane of Dannon[*]Hero side extremely rare spawns
* Venomous
* Tarantula Gladiator
* Ink Man Gladiator <-Talos Safeguard is the only mission blue side that has Blue Ink Men. (edit: a couple are in Siren's Call as well)[*]Villain side extremely rare spawns
* Weatherman/Weatherwoman <-only 3 Outcast bosses total in CoV, under highly select conditions.
* Skull Crusher <-Atlas Park mayhem, and radio missions.
* Regenerator <-Atlas Park mayhem, and radio missions.
* Illusionist <- Radio missions
* Untouchable (see note below)[/list]The problem is that at least two of the villain badges (Cap Buster and Untouchable) unlock custom weapons.
Someone really needs to look at those COV family though. The untouchable badge requires CoH Family bosses, they are sparsely scattered in missions and in Nerva, and some of the Family bosses in Nerva give credit towards gangbuster instead. Ask Phil and the people that place mobs to look at the family bosses for Marcone in the description (placed mobs in Nerva and Sharkhead).
Edit:
Also when the rewards were removed from the infamous family farms, those family bosses lost all ability to earn credit towards the Untouchable badge.
Triumph: White Succubus: 50 Ill/Emp/PF Snow Globe: 50 Ice/FF/Ice Strobe: 50 PB Shi Otomi: 50 Ninja/Ninjistu/GW Stalker My other characters
Positron,
At the first hero con I called you on Isolator. I apologize for wanting to kick you in the shins repeatedly then.
I was angry about reformed (I already had it but there was a principle)
So I thank you for reverting the change, and for what its worth (nothing I know) I respect you for saying you were wrong.
Thank you
~Plasma Stream
@PlasmaStream
"Big Bada Boom(tm)!"
1295 Badges
http://GuardianForce.Guildportal.com - Virtue
Niska: Are you Familiar with the works of Shan Yu?
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Someone really needs to look at those COV family though. The untouchable badge requires CoH Family bosses, they are sparsely scattered in missions and in Nerva, and some of the Family bosses in Nerva give credit towards gangbuster instead. Ask Phil and the people that place mobs to look at the family bosses for Marcone in the description (placed mobs in Nerva and Sharkhead). Also when the rewards were removed from the infamous family farms, the family bosses lost all progress towards the Untouchable badge.
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I really agree with this. Ideally, Untouchable should be made unavailable for villains, all Family bosses would count for Gangbuster, and the weapon options that unlock for Untouchable would also be available for Gangbuster.
Global name: @k26dp
[ QUOTE ]
After sitting down with Phil and going over the history of EVERYTHING badge related with this issue, Phil and I decided to go back and reinstate the Reformed badge for Heroes. This will be in Issue 14: Architect, but your credit should still be being counted from now until that releases. Of course, you have no progress bar, and something might have happened elsewhere that I dont know about, so if you really want to make progress towards the badge, I would wait until Issue 14 is released to do it.
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Thank you for the explanation, Posi. It's always nice to hear how things happen the way they do.
But I'm also pleased by the final decision; I think letting heroes gain the badge if they want to is the right call. Even if I'm not particularly inclined to get this badge on my heroes, it's nice to have the choice.
-D
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