Issue 14: Architect Discussion
By
7thCynic,
Posted on: 2009-02-13 24:50 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Is the March 24th date a solid confirm? I'm putting this on my calendar. If so, what was the source?
[/ QUOTE ]
March 24th is just conjecture. However, they're apparently shooting for a March release, according to the information released by all the gaming news sites. Anything earlier than March 24th seems unlikely, given that Issue 14's not in Open Beta yet. Unless something goes wrong between now and then, I think it's safe to assume that Issue 14 will be released either around the 24th but not later than Tuesday the 31st.
[/ QUOTE ]They can go up to April 14th, since that's the current release date of the Architect Edition, which is supposed to accompany the issue. I am not saying I14 won't drop before then, but they've got more than just March to aim for.
[/ QUOTE ]
Sure, but every single one of those news articles that happened to mention a release date said "March." That's what NCSoft must have told them, so they must be pretty sure they can get Issue 14 out by the end of the month.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Hmmm...can't find it in my notes right now for the quotes, but both co-op and cross-faction play have been confirmed. "Cross-Faction" meaning Heroes can play Villain arcs and vice versa without having to team with the opposite faction.
[/ QUOTE ]
Sorry, I don't mean can I play missions created by Villains. I'm talking about can we play co-op with a Villain and can a Villain play with a Hero, kinda like missions in Pocket-D.
[/ QUOTE ]
Your question was answered. They said both co-op (like in Pocket-D), and cross-faction has been confirmed. Then they gave a definition of cross-faction.
Uber Talgrim - level 50 emp/dark defender
Uber Rod - level 50 dark melee/regen scrapper
Rod Valdr - level 50 invuln/SS tanker
Talgrim - level 50 ninja/dark mastermind
OMG!! Please add these costume designs now!
Ahh, sorry I re-read Tripp_Hazzard's reply again and realized I misinterpreted it.
farming is going to be the end of this game. Looks like the devs are going to help make this city of farmers even more with this issue.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Is the March 24th date a solid confirm? I'm putting this on my calendar. If so, what was the source?
[/ QUOTE ]
March 24th is just conjecture. However, they're apparently shooting for a March release, according to the information released by all the gaming news sites. Anything earlier than March 24th seems unlikely, given that Issue 14's not in Open Beta yet. Unless something goes wrong between now and then, I think it's safe to assume that Issue 14 will be released either around the 24th but not later than Tuesday the 31st.
[/ QUOTE ]
That's my exact thinking: it feels like we're getting real close to Open Beta. A week of Open Beta, even if it starts today, takes us into the week of the 16th. I added a week for safety, figured that they usually release early in the week, skipped Monday for novelty, and came up with the 24th.
And simply started stating it as fact so that if I'm right, I can point and say "HA!"
(And besides, it really did go live Mar. 24th, 2009.)
[ QUOTE ]
Ahh, sorry
I re-read Tripp_Hazzard's reply again and realized I misinterpreted it.
[/ QUOTE ]I also could have put an explanation of Co-op, for those who are new enough to the game to not know what that meant.
(If anyone that new is reading this, "Co-op" means Zones and Missions that allow Heroes and Villains to interact and team up. Pocket D, Cimerora, and the Rikti War Zone are all co-op zones. Welcome to the game!)
Yeah, the people who are thinking that March 24th (or the 31st) is too early, or will mean a short Open Beta, are probably forgetting that the vast majority of work on the MA system was done before Issue 13 went to Closed Beta. It's not like they've had to spend the last few months working on the basics of the system; they held it back so they could add custom bosses/NPCs and no doubt used that time to further tweak the basics.
I'm not in Closed Beta this time, but I'd bet a billion influence that Issue 14 has had a much more polished and "ready" Closed Beta than any issue before. If I'm right about that, then Open Beta could be very, very short indeed.
[ QUOTE ]
Just a quick thought... people going through all 50 lvls in MA mishes will be missing out on a lot of temp and accolade powers (unless they want to do a lot of Flashbacking); hopefully the MA system will have it's own set of 'perks' available to those who spend a majority of their time in that system (even if it's only usable in that system) w/o toggling off their XP option?
[/ QUOTE ]
It's pretty much certain that you won't be able to put temp powers in MA missions. So players won't leave an MA-created mission with things like the Wedding Band.
As for its own set of perks, the MA offers the ticket system which will allow players to cash in tickets for recipes or MA mission creators can use them to unlock additional MA features like special maps or villain groups.
Freedom: Blazing Larb, Fiery Fulcrum, Sardan Reborn, Arctic-Frenzy, Wasabi Sam, Mr Smashtastic.
[ QUOTE ]
They can go up to April 14th, since that's the current release date of the Architect Edition, which is supposed to accompany the issue. I am not saying I14 won't drop before then, but they've got more than just March to aim for.
[/ QUOTE ]
The dates can be pretty flexible. First, Amazon just slaps the expected release date on products like this. It's no big deal for them to adjust it. On the other hand I can speak from experience that once Marketing gives a release date to retailers for software there's a TON of pressure to release it on time.
In terms of what they put in the box, don't forget that really all they have to do is put updated art files on the master to avoid the huge downloads required by older CD versions. After all, the DVD will only have the latest edition of the game for a few weeks at best. So it's not crucial to get exactly the right build on there the way it is for a console game. What's equally important is that it gives them a chance to update the text/artwork on the box to reflect the game as it is as of i14 as opposed to the old "now you can play a villain!" message, which is passe.
Freedom: Blazing Larb, Fiery Fulcrum, Sardan Reborn, Arctic-Frenzy, Wasabi Sam, Mr Smashtastic.
[ QUOTE ]
farming is going to be the end of this game. Looks like the devs are going to help make this city of farmers even more with this issue.
[/ QUOTE ]
Huh? If a player opts to exclusively play MA content, that's not farming. That's just selecting from available content. No harm, no foul. And it's certainly preferable to endlessly grinding out BORING newspaper/scanner missions, which many teams do. 
Freedom: Blazing Larb, Fiery Fulcrum, Sardan Reborn, Arctic-Frenzy, Wasabi Sam, Mr Smashtastic.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
farming is going to be the end of this game. Looks like the devs are going to help make this city of farmers even more with this issue.
[/ QUOTE ]
Huh? If a player opts to exclusively play MA content, that's not farming. That's just selecting from available content. No harm, no foul. And it's certainly preferable to endlessly grinding out BORING newspaper/scanner missions, which many teams do.
[/ QUOTE ]
And lets be honest too - Call it what you want but any time you play a mission in this or any game you are farming. The actual intent of that 'farm' may vary based on what your objective is but it's farming nonetheless (at least with PuGs).
What MA does is relieve the general community from the continuous stream of farming only teams sitting on PI trying to gather in people to farm.
Those folks will still be there but now people can make their own "farm" maps. Even better though there is NO need to keep running the same map over, and over, and over, and ... you get the idea. To me that is the biggest problem with farming in the game. Boredom from perpetually facing the same mobs on the same map without relief.
The real farmers will probably keep doing what they have always been doing but everyone else is now free to come up with t heir own encounters (and challenge themselves as much as they want to - you want a map full of AVs? GREAT go for it!!!)
The introduction of an economy to the game resulted in the farming. Dont blame the farmers but do find creative and fun ways to 'earn' that income so you can afford the nice things you really want.
[ QUOTE ]
farming is going to be the end of this game. Looks like the devs are going to help make this city of farmers even more with this issue.
[/ QUOTE ]
As I recall, they're severely nerfing the XP and rewards one can earn within MA arcs, as they're supposed to be 'simulations', not actual missions. That is to say, no salvage drops, no recipes, no enhancements, reduced chance of inspirations, and reduced XP.
Which of course would take away the impetus to 'farm' from them. Now it might also take away the impetus to actually RUN them, as well, but in my view, after I've pushed three heroes and two villians to 50, I know of plenty of existing arcs that can be farmed, I just want new stories to explore.
"City of Heroes. April 27, 2004 - August 31, 2012. Obliterated not with a weapon of mass destruction, not by an all-powerful supervillain... but by a cold-hearted and cowardly corporate suck-up."
[ QUOTE ]
As I recall, they're severely nerfing the XP and rewards one can earn within MA arcs, as they're supposed to be 'simulations', not actual missions. That is to say, no salvage drops, no recipes, no enhancements, reduced chance of inspirations, and reduced XP.
[/ QUOTE ]
XP won't be reduced unless you have NPCs in your arcs helping you fight. Otherwise, you get full XP and Inf ( source )
From Ex LIbris FAQ thread, first post:
[ QUOTE ]
Were granting full experience (XP) and influence rewards for defeating enemies in player made content. Were also giving players tickets in place of random drops. They can take these tickets to an Architect ticket vendor and redeem them for various in game rewards, such as enhancements, recipes and salvage.
[/ QUOTE ]
I don't have my full notes at work, but the ticket vendor is supposed to let you choose "exactly what you want" for drops.
And MA is intended to be a viable alternate route to 50, with a similar amount of "reward" available by cashing tickets, so if you play to 50 exclusively through AM, your character "won't be gimped or OP [overpowered]"
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
As I recall, they're severely nerfing the XP and rewards one can earn within MA arcs, as they're supposed to be 'simulations', not actual missions. That is to say, no salvage drops, no recipes, no enhancements, reduced chance of inspirations, and reduced XP.
[/ QUOTE ]
XP won't be reduced unless you have NPCs in your arcs helping you fight. Otherwise, you get full XP and Inf ( source )
[/ QUOTE ]
My understanding is that you'll get normal XP for published story arcs (of which you get three per account) along with tickets/tokens that can be redeemed. You get no XP or other rewards for running missions that are saved on your local computer and haven't been published, since the idea is that you can repeat them over and over for testing.
Squandering the planet's oxygen since 1976
Arc ID 3796 - The Other Side of the Screen
Arc ID 339466 - Rescue the Lorebreakers
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
As I recall, they're severely nerfing the XP and rewards one can earn within MA arcs, as they're supposed to be 'simulations', not actual missions. That is to say, no salvage drops, no recipes, no enhancements, reduced chance of inspirations, and reduced XP.
[/ QUOTE ]
XP won't be reduced unless you have NPCs in your arcs helping you fight. Otherwise, you get full XP and Inf ( source )
[/ QUOTE ]
My understanding is that you'll get normal XP for published story arcs (of which you get three per account) along with tickets/tokens that can be redeemed. You get no XP or other rewards for running missions that are saved on your local computer and haven't been published, since the idea is that you can repeat them over and over for testing.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, that's right. No XP for non-published MA arcs. Full XP and Inf for all published arcs. Just don't get drops like salvage and recipes.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
As I recall, they're severely nerfing the XP and rewards one can earn within MA arcs, as they're supposed to be 'simulations', not actual missions. That is to say, no salvage drops, no recipes, no enhancements, reduced chance of inspirations, and reduced XP.
[/ QUOTE ]
XP won't be reduced unless you have NPCs in your arcs helping you fight. Otherwise, you get full XP and Inf ( source )
[/ QUOTE ]
My understanding is that you'll get normal XP for published story arcs (of which you get three per account) along with tickets/tokens that can be redeemed. You get no XP or other rewards for running missions that are saved on your local computer and haven't been published, since the idea is that you can repeat them over and over for testing.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, that's right. No XP for non-published MA arcs. Full XP and Inf for all published arcs. Just don't get drops like salvage and recipes.
[/ QUOTE ]Instead you get tickets that allow you to buy your drops.
[ QUOTE ]
unless you have NPCs in your arcs helping you fight
[/ QUOTE ]
where'd you get this, from what i've read you still get full rewards if you have ally npc, you're just limited to how many you can have; Are dev-content arcs that have npc allies nerfed xp? I've never noticed anything like that
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
unless you have NPCs in your arcs helping you fight
[/ QUOTE ]
where'd you get this, from what i've read you still get full rewards if you have ally npc, you're just limited to how many you can have; Are dev-content arcs that have npc allies nerfed xp? I've never noticed anything like that
[/ QUOTE ]
No. Dev-content arcs still give you full XP when you have NPC helpers. I read somewhere that NPCs in MA arcs will reduce your XP (which makes sense, because otherwise you could make MA incredibly easy by stuffing missions full of powerful NPCs to help you). I'll try to dig up the source, unless someone knows already (::summons Tripp_Hazzard:
.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
unless you have NPCs in your arcs helping you fight
[/ QUOTE ]
where'd you get this, from what i've read you still get full rewards if you have ally npc, you're just limited to how many you can have; Are dev-content arcs that have npc allies nerfed xp? I've never noticed anything like that
[/ QUOTE ]
See here.
There were some discussions about this a looong time ago, but they've been lost over the months.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
unless you have NPCs in your arcs helping you fight
[/ QUOTE ]
where'd you get this, from what i've read you still get full rewards if you have ally npc, you're just limited to how many you can have; Are dev-content arcs that have npc allies nerfed xp? I've never noticed anything like that
[/ QUOTE ]
See here.
There were some discussions about this a looong time ago, but they've been lost over the months.
[/ QUOTE ]
Thanks! I knew I'd read it somewhere, but couldn't remember if it was here or in one of the gaming news site articles.
Will the Devs create their own arcs and publish them, would'nt mind seeing what the Devs have to write up. would be kinda cool...maybe eventually get special badges for defeating Dev created content.
http://s305.photobucket.com/albums/n...stumes%202011/
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
unless you have NPCs in your arcs helping you fight
[/ QUOTE ]
where'd you get this, from what i've read you still get full rewards if you have ally npc, you're just limited to how many you can have; Are dev-content arcs that have npc allies nerfed xp? I've never noticed anything like that
[/ QUOTE ]
See here.
There were some discussions about this a looong time ago, but they've been lost over the months.
[/ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the link Mirai,
That stinks though, i was planning an npc or two for some of my missions - wish they would just put more restrictions instead of taking away xp/inf
[ QUOTE ]
Will the Devs create their own arcs and publish them, would'nt mind seeing what the Devs have to write up. would be kinda cool...maybe eventually get special badges for defeating Dev created content.
[/ QUOTE ]
Isn't that what we've been doing for the last 5 years? 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Is the March 24th date a solid confirm? I'm putting this on my calendar. If so, what was the source?
[/ QUOTE ]
March 24th is just conjecture. However, they're apparently shooting for a March release, according to the information released by all the gaming news sites. Anything earlier than March 24th seems unlikely, given that Issue 14's not in Open Beta yet. Unless something goes wrong between now and then, I think it's safe to assume that Issue 14 will be released either around the 24th but not later than Tuesday the 31st.
[/ QUOTE ]They can go up to April 14th, since that's the current release date of the Architect Edition, which is supposed to accompany the issue. I am not saying I14 won't drop before then, but they've got more than just March to aim for.
[/ QUOTE ]The April 14 "release date" is far from set in stone, and they've said that I14 will drop before Architect Edition is released in stores.
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/36641/My-Little-Exalt