Discussion: Issue 14: Mission Architect - FAQ
By
8_Ball,
Posted on: 2009-02-26 13:02 in Developers' Corner
MA won't be awarding Merits.
But that's the only part of your post I'd modify. The rest I'm neutral on.
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Okay, while I've gone through all the pages so far, I might've missed a few things, so forgive me if it's all been covered before... I remember it being asked, but I don't see an answer for it: will Giant Monsters be available?
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We may get some monsters (maybe downgraded GMs like Adamastor), but there is no way we will get access to anything that can be farmed for merits.
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Oh, I don't want GMs for merits, I want them there for flavor.
Like, if I'm doing a story about "The Clockwork King's Biggest Plot Yet!" (and I'm sure that there will be dozens of stories that use that exact line), it would just make sense to me to have Paladin and/or Babbage in one room to keep pesky heroes out.
Granted, I think that allowing us to use, say, Hamidon would be a stretch (he's just way too big for any map I can forsee them letting us use), but I think a Titan Warmech or (maybe even a Winter Lord...maybe...) might be allowable in some circumstances.
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Here's my little beef about this system (from the Blue side perspective). I don't really care for the "entertainment" or Holo-deck explanation for this tool. If I'm role playing, would a hero actually go to a store and make a "simulated" game for other heroes to play? This doesn't seem to really fit into the general theme of the game-- fighting bad guys-- not simulated bad guys.
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1. Simulators can malfunction
2. Simulators can be hacked
3. Crey has been known to lie
4. Dr. Aeon is a flake
The current backstory is not as limiting as it might appear at first glance.
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plus, this is pretty much just like a danger room (x-men) scenario. don't (or didn't) the fantastic four have robots and such that Mr. F would create to hone the team's fighting skills?
i'm sure there's a number of other comic book examples, with those being the two that jump into mind immediately for me.
Political correctness is a stench in the nose of God. Yes, your God(s) also.
I don't have ANY problem understanding the difference between the two, but the person that called people explioters for doing KHTF every three hours does. There is zero misunderstanding on my part whatsoever.
Using the system in the most effcient manner is hardly an expliot. If the system says you can only run a TF once every 3hrs and you play for 9 hours and run 3 tf's that is in no way an expliot.
In reference to tickets you misunderstood what I was saying. I even stated in my first post about tickets that the single most important thing about them was the exchange and then what you could actually buy with them. It really had nothing to do with merits themselves except for the fact that people will farm or find the most effcient way to get them fast and do that repeatedly.
The development team and this community deserved better than this from NC Soft. Best wishes on your search.
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We've added a TON more datamining hooks exclusively for Mission Architect as well, so we can easily see spikes in aberrant behavior. Spikes point us to exploits, which points us to log files, which reveal the identities of exploiters. So if you find a really big exploit in the system, I'd encourage you to PM me or another Dev and try to get your Bug Hunter badge, as the alternative is not pretty.
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I really realy really don't like the wording here. I wonder just what is considered an expliot. You called running KHTF once every three hours an expliot so I wondering what "exactly" is meant here by expliot?
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If your personal moral compass flip flops or even wavers a little while doing something in the game that is obvious to you is not intended behavior, it's probably an exploit.
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Hmm...Interesting response as I never had a moral compass waiver after doing a KHTF and waiting 3 hours to do another or popping on another toon doing them back to back etc...Yet this was called exploitation... Hmm.
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If this affects your moral compass in any way, you probably need therapy. My moral compass is reserved for things like murder,theft, [censored],assault...you know things that are morally unacceptable. Not getting merits in an online game.
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Hey Posi brought up moral compass not I. Like I said I never had my moral compass effected by doing TF's within the specified time limits and rules set by the devs in the game.
The development team and this community deserved better than this from NC Soft. Best wishes on your search.
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(QR)
Will missions be marked for specific factions? Hero, Villain or Either?
[/ QUOTE ]Yes, you can flag the arc as one or another, but you can't prevent people of the other faction from playing it.
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/36641/My-Little-Exalt
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I know the details are not in place yet for exactly what can be bought with tickets. However, I think it would help a lot if you could just name one recipe that will be purchasable/attainable with tickets.
[/ QUOTE ]I think the tickets can only purchase things in the MA, such as the ability to create a mission with Statesman in it (hypothetical example, I'm not in Beta).
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We've added a TON more datamining hooks exclusively for Mission Architect as well, so we can easily see spikes in aberrant behavior. Spikes point us to exploits, which points us to log files, which reveal the identities of exploiters. So if you find a really big exploit in the system, I'd encourage you to PM me or another Dev and try to get your Bug Hunter badge, as the alternative is not pretty.
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I really realy really don't like the wording here. I wonder just what is considered an expliot. You called running KHTF once every three hours an expliot so I wondering what "exactly" is meant here by expliot?
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If your personal moral compass flip flops or even wavers a little while doing something in the game that is obvious to you is not intended behavior, it's probably an exploit.
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Hmm...Interesting response as I never had a moral compass waiver after doing a KHTF and waiting 3 hours to do another or popping on another toon doing them back to back etc...Yet this was called exploitation... Hmm.
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If this affects your moral compass in any way, you probably need therapy. My moral compass is reserved for things like murder,theft, [censored],assault...you know things that are morally unacceptable. Not getting merits in an online game.
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Hey Posi brought up moral compass not I. Like I said I never had my moral compass effected by doing TF's within the specified time limits and rules set by the devs in the game.
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I agree with you. The devs created the world and the rule set. we live within that. When the players show creativity and thought and develop a strategy the devs didnt, they get nerfed and called exploiters. The fact that you could shoot a rikti portal and let it despawn was programmed by the devs. they knew perfectly well that was how it worked. When people used that they were called exploiters. But the code was acting EXACTLY as it was written. It was not a bug. the term exploiter has been overused and twisted. I halfway expect to see Sen. Mcarthy say "I have a list of known exploiters"
Lots of 50's yada yada. still finding fun things to do.
Cthulhu loves you, better start running
I�! I�! Gg�gorsch�a�bha egurtsa�ar�ug d� Dalhor! Cthluhu fthagn! Cthluhu fthagn!
You are in a maze of twisty little passages
Rikti portals were originally designed to give exp when they were defeated. On review the devs decided the exp should come from defeating the Rikti who summons the portal, and not the portal itself primarily so you don't lose exp by doing what any sensible person would do -- drop that particular Rikti before he has a chance to open the portal. I don't remember exactly, but I think the total amount of experience awarded for the portal and summoner combined decreased, since the increase in the exp for the Rikti wasn't as much as had been awarded previously for the portal. I don't remember this being described as an exploit when they changed it, but I'm not particularly sensitive to the word, either, so I may have forgotten. I do remember a number of people posting that they liked it the way it was, and equally many saying the new approach made better sense.
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I know the details are not in place yet for exactly what can be bought with tickets. However, I think it would help a lot if you could just name one recipe that will be purchasable/attainable with tickets.
[/ QUOTE ]I think the tickets can only purchase things in the MA, such as the ability to create a mission with Statesman in it (hypothetical example, I'm not in Beta).
[/ QUOTE ]Nope, you can get regular drop stuff too:
From Ex Libris original post, on page 1:
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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. Were also allowing players to purchase unlockable content with their tickets. Theyll be able to get maps, costume pieces and different characters.
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and
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Weve replaced the random drop system with a ticketing system. Players collect tickets as they go through content. Once theyve collected enough tickets they can go to a ticket vendor and purchase exactly what they want as far as rewards go.
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And info from redname posts throughout this thread:
Your account will collect tickets when others play your arcs. Those tickets go into a pool you can then claim on any of your characters.
Your characters will also collect tickets when they play other people's arcs.
Both kinds of tickets are the same, and can be used both to unlock special MA stuff, and to purchase all the normal drops that the tickets replace in MA missions. It's still uncertain if "purchase exactly what they want" means you can specify, for example, the exact Large Inspiration, or if it means you can roll specifically for a random Large Inspiration.
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Rikti portals were originally designed to give exp when they were defeated. On review the devs decided the exp should come from defeating the Rikti who summons the portal, and not the portal itself primarily so you don't lose exp by doing what any sensible person would do -- drop that particular Rikti before he has a chance to open the portal. I don't remember exactly, but I think the total amount of experience awarded for the portal and summoner combined decreased, since the increase in the exp for the Rikti wasn't as much as had been awarded previously for the portal. I don't remember this being described as an exploit when they changed it, but I'm not particularly sensitive to the word, either, so I may have forgotten. I do remember a number of people posting that they liked it the way it was, and equally many saying the new approach made better sense.
[/ QUOTE ]Wasn't there also some kind of tactic about destroy the portal for the xp, let the Rikti summon another, destroy it, and so on, ad infinitum? And that was considered an exploit, and part of why it was changed?
(It was all before my time, so I'm going on what I've heard around here.)
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Rikti portals were originally designed to give exp when they were defeated. On review the devs decided the exp should come from defeating the Rikti who summons the portal, and not the portal itself primarily so you don't lose exp by doing what any sensible person would do -- drop that particular Rikti before he has a chance to open the portal. I don't remember exactly, but I think the total amount of experience awarded for the portal and summoner combined decreased, since the increase in the exp for the Rikti wasn't as much as had been awarded previously for the portal. I don't remember this being described as an exploit when they changed it, but I'm not particularly sensitive to the word, either, so I may have forgotten. I do remember a number of people posting that they liked it the way it was, and equally many saying the new approach made better sense.
[/ QUOTE ]Wasn't there also some kind of tactic about destroy the portal for the xp, let the Rikti summon another, destroy it, and so on, ad infinitum? And that was considered an exploit, and part of why it was changed?
(It was all before my time, so I'm going on what I've heard around here.)
[/ QUOTE ]The exploit was running out into the RWZ, aggroing a comm officer so they summon the portal, tag the portal with a single attack, run off, and get full portal xp when it despawned on its own.
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/36641/My-Little-Exalt
I have one question I have not seen an answer to. I know we can save the arc with all details. It looks lilke you can save the costumes created as we do for our characters. My question is if we create a custom villain and a custom villain group, is there a way to save the NPC charcter data as a separate file. I would dislike creating a custom group, but would have to edit a previously created arc to use that group in another arc.
Maybe we could create the group and save the data, then build the arc off that file.
Champion
Pillars of Might
Darc Ranger [Blas] / Darc Nebula [Cont]
The Bikini Patrol
Darc Lighter:51-[Blas] / Darc Lady:50-[Tank]
The Panty Raiders
Aegis Magnus [MM] / Atomic Spector [Cor] / Dominar Sefus [Dom]
MEGAFORCE
-Darc Ranger [Def]
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I have one question I have not seen an answer to. I know we can save the arc with all details. It looks lilke you can save the costumes created as we do for our characters. My question is if we create a custom villain and a custom villain group, is there a way to save the NPC charcter data as a separate file. I would dislike creating a custom group, but would have to edit a previously created arc to use that group in another arc.
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My guess is that this is not going to be a problem.
[Guide to Defense] [Scrapper Secondaries Comparison] [Archetype Popularity Analysis]
In one little corner of the universe, there's nothing more irritating than a misfile...
(Please support the best webcomic about a cosmic universal realignment by impaired angelic interference resulting in identity crisis angst. Or I release the pigmy water thieves.)
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I have one question I have not seen an answer to. I know we can save the arc with all details. It looks lilke you can save the costumes created as we do for our characters. My question is if we create a custom villain and a custom villain group, is there a way to save the NPC charcter data as a separate file. I would dislike creating a custom group, but would have to edit a previously created arc to use that group in another arc.
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My guess is that this is not going to be a problem.
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Everyone knows you're in beta Arcana. 
The City of Heroes Community is a special one and I will always look fondly on my times arguing, discussing and playing with you all. Thanks and thanks to the developers for a special experience.
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I have one question I have not seen an answer to. I know we can save the arc with all details. It looks lilke you can save the costumes created as we do for our characters. My question is if we create a custom villain and a custom villain group, is there a way to save the NPC charcter data as a separate file. I would dislike creating a custom group, but would have to edit a previously created arc to use that group in another arc.
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My guess is that this is not going to be a problem.
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Everyone knows you're in beta Arcana.
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I didn't. Time to reread all 75 pages with an all new spin on things!
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I didn't. Time to reread all 75 pages with an all new spin on things!
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There are some who say that Arcanaville is in each Beta before the devs. Some even say Arcanaville never actually leaves the test server, even when it is supposedly off-line...
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There are some who say that Arcanaville is in each Beta before the devs. Some even say Arcanaville never actually leaves the test server, even when it is supposedly off-line...
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No, no, no the test server goes offline because Arcanaville needs to check something and can't have other people mucking up the test.
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I didn't. Time to reread all 75 pages with an all new spin on things!
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There are some who say that Arcanaville is in each Beta before the devs. Some even say Arcanaville never actually leaves the test server, even when it is supposedly off-line...
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Who do you thinks puts it off line?
The test server going down is just Arcanaville wanting to solo. Not solo a mission, solo a server.
Arc #345863 - When The Bough Breaks
"Curse you Perry the Plata...wait, is that Love Handel?" - Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, Phineas and Ferb
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I didn't. Time to reread all 75 pages with an all new spin on things!
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There are some who say that Arcanaville is in each Beta before the devs. Some even say Arcanaville never actually leaves the test server, even when it is supposedly off-line...
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Who do you thinks puts it off line?
The test server going down is just Arcanaville wanting to solo. Not solo a mission, solo a server.
[/ QUOTE ]So he shuts off the aggro cap and herds the entire server?
Are you sure we're talking about Arcanaville, and not that boxer guy, what's his name, Chuck something?
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Your account will collect tickets when others play your arcs.
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Stoked, but curious. I cant think of anything off hand that works like this in the game. How/Where will a collective mass of tickets be accesible by any/all of my characters? (any server too?)
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I didn't. Time to reread all 75 pages with an all new spin on things!
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There are some who say that Arcanaville is in each Beta before the devs. Some even say Arcanaville never actually leaves the test server, even when it is supposedly off-line...
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Who do you thinks puts it off line?
The test server going down is just Arcanaville wanting to solo. Not solo a mission, solo a server.
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Aracanaville is superboy prime of dc comics. The only superhero in the entire world.
But then he went nuts so watch out.
Suriel- Scrapper MA/SR
Star Centurion- Peacebringer
War Forger- Blaster EB/Devices
Dedjinn- Stalker CL/DA
Cycnus- Mastermind Mercs/Traps
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Your account will collect tickets when others play your arcs.
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Stoked, but curious. I cant think of anything off hand that works like this in the game. How/Where will a collective mass of tickets be accesible by any/all of my characters? (any server too?)
[/ QUOTE ]Read Positron's tickets clarification. When you play MArcs, the charater you're playing will earn tickets. When other people play your MArcs, tickets will be added to a global pool, which any of your characters can pull from.
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/36641/My-Little-Exalt
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I have one question I have not seen an answer to. I know we can save the arc with all details. It looks lilke you can save the costumes created as we do for our characters. My question is if we create a custom villain and a custom villain group, is there a way to save the NPC charcter data as a separate file. I would dislike creating a custom group, but would have to edit a previously created arc to use that group in another arc.
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My guess is that this is not going to be a problem.
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Everyone knows you're in beta Arcana.
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Although I would not rule it out, I would not take it for granted either. Arcana does not get a free pass at the first wave of betas just because she is Arcana. There is actually a high chance that she does not get into certain stages of certain betas precisely because she is Arcanaville.
Sometimes developers need a less knowledgeable yet dedicated mind to go through things so they get a real idea of how the general population will react.
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Here's my little beef about this system (from the Blue side perspective). I don't really care for the "entertainment" or Holo-deck explanation for this tool. If I'm role playing, would a hero actually go to a store and make a "simulated" game for other heroes to play? This doesn't seem to really fit into the general theme of the game-- fighting bad guys-- not simulated bad guys.
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1. Simulators can malfunction
2. Simulators can be hacked
3. Crey has been known to lie
4. Dr. Aeon is a flake
The current backstory is not as limiting as it might appear at first glance.
[Guide to Defense] [Scrapper Secondaries Comparison] [Archetype Popularity Analysis]
In one little corner of the universe, there's nothing more irritating than a misfile...
(Please support the best webcomic about a cosmic universal realignment by impaired angelic interference resulting in identity crisis angst. Or I release the pigmy water thieves.)