Discussion:Issue 14: News, Information, & Updates!

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I agree that it will be soemthing to play with.

The fear is that such a powerful tool results in the end of creative obligation on their part and a drying up of storytelling opportunities. We, the players will close doors on any potentially original story arc from NCNC.
They'll throw something out there and the crowd will cite a previously created arc that a player made and we'll shout in unison "seen it." And let me tell you those are some horrible words to see when your job is to keep things fresh in the story department.
You can't just give it all away. People will gorge themselves, and nothing will be left.

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Well, let me put it this way. That very same problem is a problem I'll face as a potential Mission Architect author: potentially thousands of other players will be writing stories, and there is the real danger that after working on a story arc and publishing it, the player community will say "seen it."

It just means I have to work harder at being original. If I can deal, the professional writers at NC are probably not worried either. They have better tools, better control, and the benefit of being canonical. And they almost certainly get first crack at every new toy: new critters, new powersets, new maps, new mission technology. I wouldn't be worried if I were them.

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Do they? I got the impression from the articles I read about the MA from the various MMO sites that the tools they had to create their missions prior to I14, well, sucked, or at least were cumbersome. It doesn't sound like there's going to be any difference between the mission creation tools developers and players have to work with. Aside from developers being able to walk down the hall and say "Can you build me a custom map for this mission" to a co-worker, it read like the tools available will be the same.

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Heroes
Dysmal
Lumynous
Sam Steele
Pluck
Wile
Slagheap
Pressure Wave
Rhiannon Bel
Verified
Stellaric
Syd Mallorn

Villains
Jotunheim Skald
Saer Maen
Jen Corbae
Illuminance
Venator Arawn
Taiga Dryad
Tarranos

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I thought the video was pretty funny, and completely uninformative.

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Well, at least you thought it was funny. I watched about halfway through then skipped ahead to the end and deleted the file. Having as the "hero" the kind of character that I absolutely _avoid_ playing with ("let's do something easy, I want loot") does not make me laugh, it makes me roll my eyes and see what else is there to watch.

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www.SaveCOH.com: Calls to Action and Events Calendar
This is what 3700 heroes in a single zone looks like.
Thanks to @EnsonsDeath for the GVE code that made me VIP again!

Next time try Shift+Awesome.

-MJB

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Sorry guys I could care less about the MA so this issue so far holds no interest for me.

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Could you care less about proper phrasing?

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Grammar geek ftw!!!!!!! Get a life......

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I have to say that I'm excited about i14. The video was really good. Well written with subtle things like not knowing the guy Joel's name and what not. I wouldn't have thought NCSoft would pay for the Barenaked Ladies singer to participate, but who knew? He really made that part. It was funny.

Informative? I think a little. It at least pointed out that you can't make missions super easy and expect massive rewards.

Overall good work everyone on i14. I know you've worked hard, and we wont let you down.

/e runs off to write a level 50 Hellions story arc.

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The MA looks like it may be better than I was expecting but will have to wait until I can get my hands on it to find out for sure. The video was major suckage, nothing but lame buttons there.

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"touch my awesome button" LOL

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Love the video....

ticketing system? replacing merits or a THIRD currency system?

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Well, fifth. Sixth if you separate Influence from Infamy.

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Well they're definitely not equals, but I think that has more to do with the market. I still want Issue 15 because other than a planned series of Challenge Arcs I don't know what I'll do with MA. Maybe that'll change when I get my hands on it.

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I agree that it will be soemthing to play with.

The fear is that such a powerful tool results in the end of creative obligation on their part and a drying up of storytelling opportunities. We, the players will close doors on any potentially original story arc from NCNC.
They'll throw something out there and the crowd will cite a previously created arc that a player made and we'll shout in unison "seen it." And let me tell you those are some horrible words to see when your job is to keep things fresh in the story department.
You can't just give it all away. People will gorge themselves, and nothing will be left.

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Well, let me put it this way. That very same problem is a problem I'll face as a potential Mission Architect author: potentially thousands of other players will be writing stories, and there is the real danger that after working on a story arc and publishing it, the player community will say "seen it."

It just means I have to work harder at being original. If I can deal, the professional writers at NC are probably not worried either. They have better tools, better control, and the benefit of being canonical. And they almost certainly get first crack at every new toy: new critters, new powersets, new maps, new mission technology. I wouldn't be worried if I were them.

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Do they? I got the impression from the articles I read about the MA from the various MMO sites that the tools they had to create their missions prior to I14, well, sucked, or at least were cumbersome. It doesn't sound like there's going to be any difference between the mission creation tools developers and players have to work with. Aside from developers being able to walk down the hall and say "Can you build me a custom map for this mission" to a co-worker, it read like the tools available will be the same.

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Except that the tools ARE different. From what I've read they have higher level dev stuff in there. I have a feeling that all the "debug" code in the screen shots won't be visible to us.

Also if you listen to the audio uber closely you will hear that they had some dev buttons/tools up on the demo that we the users, WON'T see.

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Blazara Aura LVL 50 Fire/Psi Dom (with 125% recharge)
Flameboxer Aura LVL 50 SS/Fire Brute
Ice 'Em Aura LVL 50 Ice Tank
Darq Widow Fortune LVL 50 Fortunata (200% rech/Night Widow 192.5% rech)--thanks issue 19!

After watching the video I want those few minutes of my life back. That video was so dumb it may have killed more brain cells than marijuana itself. Pure Madness. First we have a lady give birth to a whole Taco Bell daycrew now this stupid video. lol
End rant

Jump

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I thought the video was funny. Not "A" material, (B+ imho), ...

but... "Touch my Awesome Button?" To get a grown man to stand that close to another grown man and say that? That is priceless.

Audience: Geeks, (of which I am one, proudly), and people who watch The Office.

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Arc #6015 - Coming Unglued

"A good n00b-sauce is based on a good n00b-roux." - The Masque

When I saw Rooster Teath I was so hoping to see Donut and Grift from Red Vs Blue.

Or an in game vidio like they did for Halo and Sims. So I was off guard by the life action stuff.

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You know, I don’t know if this is something the critics of MA have thought of, but I have a moment, so I thought I would be Captain ObviousPants for a moment.

Does everyone get that instead of having 10 (?) devs creating new content, we will now have ~100,000?!? And granted, though not all of those creators will be ‘excellent’, and not all of their creations will be the ‘best’, we will be able to PICK the best, vote on it, and incorporate it into the game? And for all the clamor for ‘NEW’ content, (coming from people most of whom have likely never played the current content all the way through), this will be an unlimited source of constant new content which will be evaluated, judged, and promoted by the very people who play it all the time?

How can anyone say this isn’t great?

And for the fears expressed bout the Devs not being able to compete with the oodles of content about to hit the stage, here’s a thought: WHO CARES? Who cares where good content comes from?

Here’s another way to put it: Would you rather the devs spent 100 man hours making one story arc that is 'Awesome' to some, 'meh' to others, and 'I hate it!' to still others, or spent those same 100 hours creating an added tool as part of the Mission Architect that would allow the ~100,000 potential MA users out there to create more new innovative content? In other words, would you rather have 10 people working on the solution to a problem (that problem being, “Making You Happy”), or 100,000 people? I know the devs have good storytelling skills, but some people are constantly saying “I don’t like this arc” or “I don’t like that enemy group”… Can anyone see that this is a solution to all that garbage? You’ll be able to pick from thousands of mission arcs! Or, if you are so picky that you can’t find any good content there, Make Your Own!!

I’m not trying to be a fanboi here, but that old cliché, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish, feed him for the rest of his life,” seems particularly appropriate here… we are giving the tools to the players to solve their own challenges. And in a unique way, unavailable to any mainstream MMO to date, afaik. (Never heard of ‘Furcadia’ myself… I doubt they have this level of control, but I could be wrong…)

And on another note, please keep the “Why can’t I get into closed beta” in a different forum, I think… the subject is the Issue 14. Not the way Beta’s are run.

Well, back to the salt mines.

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Arc #6015 - Coming Unglued

"A good n00b-sauce is based on a good n00b-roux." - The Masque

I wasn't ready for real people from RT. I'm still digesting the video.

I guess the CoX Demos were too hard even for RT to edit.

Yippie for the MA! Can't wait for that.

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"...now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb" - Dark Helmet

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I guess the CoX Demos were too hard even for RT to edit.


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*smirks*

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

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the information about i14 "awesome!!" L O V E I T

the video...I am dumber for having watched it. I expect more from Rooster Teeth. They gave us Red vs Blue and great lines like "You Team killing [censored]".

hey if i14 is all about PLAYER created content how about this. USE PLAYER CREATED VIDEOS.... I can think of couple *cough*look above*cough* that do really good work.

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Hey folks,

Just reading up on the Issue 14 update just released, I saw this rather bold statement up top:

"The First MMORPG to Offer User Created Content!"

Well, I don't know about NCSoft's knowledge of the MMORPG market but I beg to differ: there are, and have been, MMORPGs with large followings of players with user-created content. From my own experience: Try, for example, Neverwinter Nights! Full editor, full freedom even down to the system scripting, and a large community of people with custom modules, custom content, custom characters and custom game play (and all officially supported by the game developers as a feature, not as a hack or patch -- it was intended to be used that way_. And that game has been around for how long now?

CoX is definitely not the first, and I think it's rather bad to beat yourself on the chest stating something that is obviously not true. Please don't try to hype it more than it is, folks.

Lup.

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Hey folks,

Just reading up on the Issue 14 update just released, I saw this rather bold statement up top:

"The First MMORPG to Offer User Created Content!"

Well, I don't know about NCSoft's knowledge of the MMORPG market but I beg to differ: there are, and have been, MMORPGs with large followings of players with user-created content. From my own experience: Try, for example, Neverwinter Nights! Full editor, full freedom even down to the system scripting, and a large community of people with custom modules, custom content, custom characters and custom game play (and all officially supported by the game developers as a feature, not as a hack or patch -- it was intended to be used that way_. And that game has been around for how long now?

CoX is definitely not the first, and I think it's rather bad to beat yourself on the chest stating something that is obviously not true. Please don't try to hype it more than it is, folks.

Lup.

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Yup, I have been playing NWN since it came out. I was thinking the same thing as you. But, it's not quite the same as what CoX is doing, but then again, it is

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I took offense to the video and its sexual undertones. I was both turned on and disgusted by it and I have petitioned Captain Dynamic and his codpiece.

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I guess the CoX Demos were too hard even for RT to edit.


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*smirks*

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

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I'll say it: Your video was better.

I did enjoy the Rooster Teeth video, but iI still hope NCNC grabs you for a proper trailer.

In other news... *chomps at bit for Architect*

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Story Arcs I created:

Every Rose: (#17702) Villainous vs Legacy Chain. Forget Arachnos, join the CoT!

Cosplay Madness!: (#3643) Neutral vs Custom Foes. Heroes at a pop culture convention!

Kiss Hello Goodbye: (#156389) Heroic vs Custom Foes. Film Noir/Hardboiled detective adventure!

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Am I the only one that found that video to be stupid rather than awsome?


looks up a few posts and sees that I am not alone..lol

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Just out of curiousity, do you like Dane Cook?

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can not stand Dane Cook.

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Leader/Founder of Order Sixty-Six Guardian Server

Someone said the video was uniformative, hm, oooookaaaay?

Let's see, it's the first of 3 planned webisodes so no, it wouldn't cover everything but it did cover farming and making challenging content.

It also answered the question on whether players would get paid for their content and what they could do if they didn't like it.

It implies that you can put multiple missions within an arc and control how many enemies a player can go up against.

It goes into what not to expect as MA rewards.

And yes, it was humorous and a pleasant divergence from the usual machinima. (No, I'm not a fan of Dane Cook standup.)

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Apparently, I play "City of Shakespeare"
*Arc #95278-Gathering the Four Winds -3 step arc; challenging - 5 Ratings/3 Stars (still working out the kinks)
*Arc #177826-Lights, Camera, Scream! - 3 step arc, camp horror; try out in 1st person POV - 35 Ratings/4 Stars

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How can anyone say this isn’t great?


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How? I’ll tell you how.

First, it will deflate the population of potential teammates. Want to run that Sewer Trial for the badge, and for the fun of it, because you haven’t run one in forever? Want to run the 2nd respec task force to re-do your character’s slots or powers? Want help taking down Infernal? Well, guess what? Your pool of participants will be reduced by the MA in a real, and not-insignificant way - those potential teammates who could have joined you are working - whoops! I meant to say “writing” - MA arcs and aren’t playing as characters.

Second, it is a gimmick completely disconnected from the CoH game lore. Let’s face it, the MA is a stand-alone “feature” in the game that doesn’t develop any of the CoH backstory. It’s a flashy gimmick intended to sell box sets, and grab publicity and attention from the gaming world. In other words, it’s a marketing tool to get more cash into the devs' pockets.

Third, the vast majority of “storytelling” will be cringe-worthy. Have you read through the fanfic in the roleplay section of this very forum? No offense to anyone, but it ain’t my cup of tea - I cannot spend more than 90 seconds reading through any of it before I cringe, embarrassed, and click out of it. A lot of my in-game friends cannot spell. A LOT. A lot of my in-game friends have no imagination when it comes to creating an interesting costume (copy-paste the “Enforcer” outfit and change the colors and body size, literally, to a dozen characters). A LOT. A lot of my in-game friends who have actually written character bios have produced only derivative and loopy ones (you have seen that thread in our forum where the person - however mean-spirited it might have been - was copying ridiculous character bios to his website blog, haven’t you?). A LOT.

Fourth, the “writing” that will come from the MA is going to be very limited - sure, you can write NPC dialogue, or “begin the mission” dialogue, or “contact dialogue.” But that’s it. If I want to read a great story, I’ll go to Borders and buy a book, not log into City of Frickin’ Heroes! If I want to write, I will launch Microsoft Word and type, not log into City of Frickin’ Heroes! And truth be told, guess how many of my in-game friends RARELY paid any attention to what the actual text was associated with any mission, anyway? A LOT.

Fifth, a lot of people won’t bother creating missions, because it will be too much of a chore. Guess how many of my in-game friends don’t go into minute detail with the costume creator? Guess how many of my in-game friends don't use the SG base editor to either create their own base or revise a current base? Guess how many of my friends log into the game just to have fun by blasting or smashing stuff since this is, in fact, a comic-book-based action video game and they want to unwind and need a break from “work” (whether that is a job, studying, or taking care of the kids, etc)? A LOT.

Sixth, it will be filled with the usual horrific bugs and egregious exploits that will necessitate shutting down the MA entirely, and possibly even the game, for extended periods of time for emergency fixes. Merits. ‘Nuff said.

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Vertigo_ Said it...

But I can tell you one thing, If my wife, me, my mother or father decide to write something with the MA, It wont be boring or stupid. Thats all i'm saying

We are some of the rare people that can think in this world and arent lazy. I am a musician/song writer, so is my wife,so is my mother. My father is also a very good story writer. So, I dont think anyone would be disapointed with anything we do. When it comes to writing anyway

Wish we could put our own music in the missions


Finding the time to do it, now thats another thing

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Hey folks,

Just reading up on the Issue 14 update just released, I saw this rather bold statement up top:

"The First MMORPG to Offer User Created Content!"

Well, I don't know about NCSoft's knowledge of the MMORPG market but I beg to differ: there are, and have been, MMORPGs with large followings of players with user-created content. From my own experience: Try, for example, Neverwinter Nights! Full editor, full freedom even down to the system scripting, and a large community of people with custom modules, custom content, custom characters and custom game play (and all officially supported by the game developers as a feature, not as a hack or patch -- it was intended to be used that way_. And that game has been around for how long now?

CoX is definitely not the first, and I think it's rather bad to beat yourself on the chest stating something that is obviously not true. Please don't try to hype it more than it is, folks.

Lup.

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NWN is not an MMOG at all. I'm not even sure what would make you think it is. There are large numbers of people that play it (like say, Morrowind), you can certainly play it online (like for example Diablo), but I wouldn't even begin to consider it an MMOG. It's a single or multiplayer game (it can be an MOG I guess).

I'm not saying that there might not be another MMOG that's done this. I am saying that NWN is not (IMO) an example of same.

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