Discussion:Issue 14: News, Information, & Updates!
By
7thCynic,
Posted on: 2009-02-26 13:08 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion
With lvl pacts I finally created or rerolled 34 planned characters of my little group. PL'd them very little because I was kinda sick of running those two missions over and over. So other than getting my pacts up to lvl 10 or 12, I havnt PLd. Been running lots of TF's to lvl though becuase of merits, only occaisionlly teaming or doing anything outside of TF's. I think i have run Posi 10 times or so, synapse several times, a few Sisters, few moonfires, couple citadels. handful of various respecs. So you know what. The DIVERSION of playing something DIFFERENT is huge right now.
And it seems like these ticket things will allow us to purchase recipes, including (I am hoping) the Pool C and such. It depends on HOW much/how long it will take to do those things will determine whether i concentrate on MA mission RUNNING or TF RUNNING.
One thing. If tickets can purchase purples (i am actually hoping NOT.) then that will hurt the 'real game' mission running.
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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.
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Are you being serious? 
LOL
It amounts to a few vague hints at best. I already knew that I wouldn't be able to create a mission to rescue a cat from a tree, thanks.
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How easy it is to forget that these vids, screenshots and interviews aren't just for the veteran forumites [that] have been fine-toothing MA info since before i13s release.
So what, you already know you can't create a mission to rescue a cat [out] of [a] tree... (and I seriously hope that you didn't take that example [literally]) ...others may not; whether its casual players, returning players or new players.
Ego check.
Have a nice day.
[Edited for some crappy typos]
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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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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Actually, NWN is an MMORPG. The game is no different than CoX in the fact that the people running a server are putting up a virtual world for as many people to connect to at once as their system can handle. The fact that most modules are run on smaller systems and designed to be run on those doesn't mean it's not MMO. The setup is the same. You have modules that can have an indefinite number of areas, extendable content, as many quests as you want to put in and, as said, as many players at once as your server can handle. Each server having their own set of player characters, or multiple characters per player. In addition, in-game- transitions can even be made to point to a different server, making it possible to set up server clusters with a massive world, if you want it (no different than the "big name mmorpgs")...
The fact that the servers happen to be run by individuals and not a company requesting a subscription, is completely besides the point.
Where, exactly, is this not an MMO?
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Where, exactly, is this not an MMO?
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The first M stands for massively. NWN is certainly a MORPG, but its not an MMORPG, its a question of scale. NWN nights is designed for a maximum of 64 people playing at once on the same server (though some people got this higher by basically running multiple versions of the game simultaneously). Whether or not you think that makes much of a difference is besides the point, by the commonly used definition of an MMORPG, CoH is one and NWN isn't. (OK, technically there was a NWN MMO in the 90s, but that didn't have Player generated content, so it has no bearing).
As for whether CoH really is the first MMORPG to have player generated content, I have no idea. I assume that if they say they are, then they are. Its almost certainly the most popular MMORPG to have PGC.
Always remember, we were Heroes.
To vertigo:
First: Possibly. Especially when it initially launches. But anything after that, in regards to long term, its really hard to predict. It would really depend on how many keep using it and the general success of the MA. In which case, if its that popular, it would be a good thing, wouldnt it?
Second: How is the ability to create CoH lore completely disconnected from CoH game lore? It may be a gimmick to you, but obviously many others, as well as the devs consider this a HUGE feature. You're talkin abt possibly having infinite content. Thats no small feat bud.
Third: I agree that the chances for quality may be slim, but hopefully the rating system will make the quality stand out. It all relies on how well the rating works - and that - like most of your claims - remains to be seen.
Fourth: The 'writing' of the arcs/stories will rely more on what the objectives are and less the physical text. If you cannot see that, then maybe you dont have agrasp of the MAs potential.
Fifth: This contradicts your first point. Either everyone will be doing it, thus youll have no on e to team with. Or no one will do it because its too time consuming. You cant have both, well unless its a happy medium, in which BOTH points are wrong. :P
Sixith: Sounds like DOOOM. Smells like DOOOOOOM. Must be DOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Pretty much an overload of awesome, for me anyway!
I'm an incredibly excited about the Architect. More than publishing missions and playing other people's missions (and to the people complaining that the quality will be low: dev choice and hall of fame? If you don't care about the story at all after those, you probably never will...), I'm most excited about just making tons of missions for myself and friends, going through how our SGs got together, funny things from our character's backstories, putting together missions filled with the most evil enemies from various factions... bwahaha. It will be fun. 
As for the video, it made my week. I'm a huge Barenaked Ladies fan, and it really cheered me up to see my favorite band and my favorite game intersect like that. Especially with the sad news in the last few days about Barenaked Ladies (the lead singer, Steven Page, has left the band.) I was pretty sad about that, and then awesome I14 news and awesome video came out of nowhere and touched the awesome button and I've been smiling ever since.
More than anything: want now.
Proud member of Everyday Heroes (Infinity Heroes), Dream Stalkers (Infinity Villains), Devil Never Cry (Freedom Heroes), Enclave of EVIL (Pinnacle Villains), Phobia (Infinity Villains), Les Enfant Terribles (Freedom Villains), Gravy Train (Virtue Heroes), and more!
Full, detailed character list
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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 havent run one in forever? Want to run the 2nd respec task force to re-do your characters 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 arent playing as characters.
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"[/tell] Hey! want to run the sewer trial?"
"[/tell] <ul type="square"> Sorry, working on the MA
Sorry, working on WW
Sorry, Base building
Sorry, at Icon
Sorry, writing my Bio
Etc ad nauseum[/list]
Truth is, there is a bunch of things to do in this game already, saying that MA will single handedly cut the player population is exagerated. Sure at first people will flock to it, but that's because it's new. Same thing happened when the Arena was first introduced, or Croatoa, the RWZ, Cimerora, and so on.
It will quiet down eventually just like everything else, and I seriously doubt it will "kill" the existing game content, since the game content offers certain rewards you cant get anywhere else. Such as stuff needed for accolades for example.
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Second, it is a gimmick completely disconnected from the CoH game lore. Lets face it, the MA is a stand-alone feature in the game that doesnt develop any of the CoH backstory. Its a flashy gimmick intended to sell box sets, and grab publicity and attention from the gaming world. In other words, its a marketing tool to get more cash into the devs' pockets.
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So is every other issue they made, as well as booster packs, name changes and purchasable slots and respecs, what's your point?
You seem to be missing out the fact that NCSoft is a company that gets paid for making games. If it doesnt make money, we dont get to play games... It is the same for every other gaming company out there.
Currently, I see the MA as a welcomed addition, that will help smooth over those long empty voids between issues, you know, when you breezed thru the content of the previous issue, and impatiently await the content of the next?
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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 aint 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, havent you?). A LOT.
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There's no way to please everyone. Just cause you think a story or a costume is "cringe worthy" doesnt mean everyone else feels the same way. That's your personnal opinion, and opinions are not note worthy facts in a debate.
And on a side note, players will not like ALL of the content people will write for the MA, but odds are they will find SOME of it that they do like. Again, no way to please everyone, since taste is not something you can plan ahead for.
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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 thats it. If I want to read a great story, Ill 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.
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I missed the part where you were forced into reading or writing anything here.
If you dont want to read anything the player wrote? Fine! Just run into the missions and complete them. Don't want to write anything? Fine! Just build your missions with little to no details and your good to go. Or just dont build any at all and use the MA to run player generated content only.
And until the MA actually comes out, don't go saying we will be restricted to this or we will be restricted to that, since there's no way of knowing what the options are until it's live. Even what is on test right now is subject to change.
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Fifth, a lot of people wont bother creating missions, because it will be too much of a chore. Guess how many of my in-game friends dont 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.
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Ok, here is how I see you didn't put alot of tought in your post. You yourself mentioned at the beginning of your post you expected a large amount of the player base will be busy playing with the MA, since it will "deflate the population", now your saying not alot of people will bother using it?
Anyhow, Judging the reaction of the entire playerbase solely on the reaction of you and your inner circle is inaccurate. From what I've read here, A LOT of people are looking forward to writing stories, myself included.
And for the record, some people consider reading and writing a fun and relaxing pass time, and not just "smashing stuff".
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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.
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Again, so was everyother issue they ever made. It is to be expected.
I remember WW needing to be brought down due to bugs, some TFs and even holiday events made unavailable due to exploits.
So, are they supposed to stop making new content for the sole reason to avoid making new bugs?
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Nuff said.
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Indeed.
"You wear a mask to hide who you are, I wear a mask to show who I am"
Arc ID 91456: The Zombie Apocalypse Task Force:poster 1, poster 2
CLICK THE ABOVE LINK TO HELP DO YOUR PART TO SAVE C.O.H!!!!!
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How? Ill 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 havent run one in forever? Want to run the 2nd respec task force to re-do your characters 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 arent playing as characters.
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The game is already full of exclusive activities that preclude whimsical teaming. Task forces / strike forces, Trials, Ouroborous even PvP are alternatives to the standard mission environment and yet PvE teaming still goes on. Yes MA may keep some people offline working but those people probably weren't in the mood to play CoH anyway. Those people want to write and create not team to take down baddie whoever. When these players want to team and play they will same as it is now.
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Second, it is a gimmick completely disconnected from the CoH game lore. Lets face it, the MA is a stand-alone feature in the game that doesnt develop any of the CoH backstory. Its a flashy gimmick intended to sell box sets, and grab publicity and attention from the gaming world. In other words, its a marketing tool to get more cash into the devs' pockets.
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The feature allows people to write out the back story in ways that cannot be done by the Devs. If I want to put out the story of how a hero came into being and send heros back in time through Ouro to make it happen and then create a companion arc through Villains to prevent it I can. I can personalize back story and feel like i am part of the City of Heroes not a passenger in the Freedom Phalanx story.
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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 aint 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, havent you?). A LOT.
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A lot of the stories in the RP Forums try and some are better than others. I dare you to read anything by Dark Respite, Ascendant or the Blue Battler and not be impressed. If these writers take to mission architect I can tell you right now there will be some quality story arcs. and as far as your in game friends having no imagination well ......
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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 thats it. If I want to read a great story, Ill 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.
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So why do you care about any of this since it seems you are just going to be scorched earth or speed running through missions anyway? Some people do pay attention to story. My characters go through every story arc in the game just because I want to read the stories and to say I have done it. You play your way, I will play mine.
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Fifth, a lot of people wont bother creating missions, because it will be too much of a chore. Guess how many of my in-game friends dont 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.
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Your right most people in the SG base don't edit the base and some people are not the costume designer others are. The question is how many people enjoy a well designed base, costume, or story arc More than the people it takes to create it that is for sure.
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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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Yes merits shut down the game entirely. I was there when that happened. Not! I think there was one less than 4 hour period where the game was down due to an instability caused by I13. That kind of downtime is hardly apocalyptic.
Look the MA should be a nice feature for the game. It will, unfortunately, suck the life out of anyone who decides to use it. As previously stated (paraphrased) 'want to run a (INSERT SF/TF)? Nah, I'm making a Mish.", "Oh, OK. I'm gonna log and play a game where there's actually people playing." Eventually, something will go wrong with the MA and it will be shelved for a year. By that time, a few (not many) will have left for something else and sadly, they will not come back. 
BTW - I find it funny that, while we get to create our own missions, it doesn't belong to us. Remember to re-read your ToS.
Could the MA be the last big disappointment or the first big game saver?
"...now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb" - Dark Helmet
MA is doing to be disruptive to the normal flow of the game. But every other new Issue have been disruptive to the flow of the game. Issue 14 is a probably going to be more diruptive for a longer period of time, but it will eventually settle out. Everyone and their dog will want to try out the MA Editor and run missions. But eventually interest will wane. I will be one of those types. I'll trying it out, press the limit of what the MA Editor is capable of, create and publish a mission (maybe two). But I don't have any illusions of stardom. I doubt any of my stuff will hit the HoF or Dev's Choice. So once the initial infatuation goes away. MA will be just another thing I dally with. I'll check out any new HoF and Dev's Choice stuff, check in with certain "famous" players stuff, talked about stuff and highly rated stuff. That is, it'll just be another part of the game for me. And I'm fairly certain that I'm in the majority of the current population.
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'want to run a (INSERT SF/TF)? Nah, I'm making a Mish.", "Oh, OK. I'm gonna log and play a game where there's actually people playing."
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It never ceases to amaze me how people demonize extremes to make their point. This example suggests that because one person is pre-occupied making a story arc, that there aren't hundreds of people just idling, looking for something to do. Why does it always come to extremes with these examples? lol
How about this:
'want to run a (INSERT SF/TF)? Nah, I'm making a Mish.",
"Oh, OK. I'm gonna ask some of the other 38 people standing around the market if they want to run a mish, surely 7 of those 38 is up for something."
Gross exaggeration ftl.
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'want to run a (INSERT SF/TF)? Nah, I'm making a Mish.", "Oh, OK. I'm gonna log and play a game where there's actually people playing."
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It never ceases to amaze me how people demonize extremes to make their point. This example suggests that because one person is pre-occupied making a story arc, that there aren't hundreds of people just idling, looking for something to do. Why does it always come to extremes with these examples? lol
How about this:
'want to run a (INSERT SF/TF)? Nah, I'm making a Mish.",
"Oh, OK. I'm gonna ask some of the other 38 people standing around the market if they want to run a mish, surely 7 of those 38 is up for something."
Gross exaggeration ftl.
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It's not an exaggeration. It's just 1 example of how people may react to MA. That's all, you can read in to it all you want.
"...now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb" - Dark Helmet
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As for whether CoH really is the first MMORPG to have player generated content, I have no idea. I assume that if they say they are, then they are. Its almost certainly the most popular MMORPG to have PGC.
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Furcadia and Runescape (is it Runescape?), AFAIK, already have player-created content (is Runescape even still around)? Furcadia's is actually quite robust, including a full scripting language.
I agree that NWN is not an MMO, though.
bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonner-
ronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenth ur-
nuk!
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It's not an exaggeration. It's just 1 example of how people may react to MA. That's all, you can read in to it all you want.
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It's no different than saying "Oh, you're at the tailor/market/SG Base/already in a full team? I'm leaving to play something else." Sure, it's feasible that a few people may have such a ridiculous reaction to the MA, but let's face it,
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I'm gonna log and play a game where there's actually people playing.
Eventually, something will go wrong with the MA...
BTW - I find it funny that, while we get to create our own missions, it doesn't belong to us. Remember to re-read your ToS. (yea, no kidding. No different than when you make a product for a company you work for...)
Could the MA be the last big disappointment
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There's not much to read into, you've spelled it out for me. DOOOOOOOOOOM!
EDIT- "DOOOOOM" didn't have enough 'o's, issue corrected with the addition of 5 extra 'o's to emphasize said calamity.
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(OK, technically there was a NWN MMO in the 90s, but that didn't have Player generated content, so it has no bearing).
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It was a MUD (Multi-User Domain) not an MMO. If I recall correctly, it had a capacity for 500 users at once. But, in a way, the only new content was player created. In the form of RP. There was no development beyond porting a standard SSI D&D title to an online environment. Fun for its time.
~Liberty~
The LEGION (CoH) - The Fallen LEGION (CoV)
Forget your fears and want no more
50's - Renkoro, Remorseless
~Virtue~
Angry Angels / Jaded Angels
Global - @Puretone
Pardon my sarcastic snark. If this gets modded, ok, but I cant help responding to this kind of negativity. I know, I already lost this battle, but the war rages on!
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How can anyone say this isnt great?
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How? Ill 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 havent run one in forever? Want to run the 2nd respec task force to re-do your characters slots or powers? Want help taking down Infernal?
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If only there were a way to organize with people you know and find some common time to play. Some sort of grouping. That would be Super!
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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 arent playing as characters.
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Yes, working. And of course, if we dont work hard enough, we will be punished. I can see the devs now: [Booming Loudspeaker Voice]Players! We are very disappointed in your current Architect efforts. As a result of your lackadaisical writing output, all travel powers have been removed, all of your market inventories have been cleared, and every costume color has been changed to a dirty shade of puce. The beatings will continue until morale improves! Thank you for your support! Worst Game EVAR!
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Second, it is a gimmick completely disconnected from the CoH game lore. Lets face it, the MA is a stand-alone feature in the game that doesnt develop any of the CoH backstory.
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Unless, of course, some of the players develop stories that are logical extensions of the canon, and the devs adopt it as canon. That would NEVER happen. After all, the devs are a wholly different type of creature than the players. Its not like the devs are people, and the players are people also, right??
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Its a flashy gimmick intended to sell box sets, and grab publicity and attention from the gaming world. In other words, its a marketing tool to get more cash into the devs' pockets.
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Because that, in no way, helps the players. Ever. More players, more money for the devs to make more stuff for the players, yeah, youre right. No benefit for anyone. And the devs certainly dont deserve any more money Back to work, Devs! Mush!
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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 aint 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, havent you?). A LOT.
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I like the idea of using a game to learn. Perhaps yu can look up a thread entitled "What My Six Year Old Has Learned From CoX"
Those people to whom you referred as poor writers
its funny, you know how a person learns to write well? By writing poorly first, and then writing more.
And, hey
What if there was a system, by which the best player content could be
rated? Kind of like a ratings system? Hmm, theres an idea
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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 thats it. If I want to read a great story, Ill 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.
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Because, historically, there are no examples of games where people write a storyline, gather a few friends, create characters of varied backgrounds, and play with these characters as though they were living the story. That will never catch on.
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Fifth, a lot of people wont bother creating missions, because it will be too much of a chore. Guess how many of my in-game friends dont 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.
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Right. Well, fortunately, that means you will have plenty of people to play with, since they wont be in the MA. Of course, that refutes your first point. But wait, your first point was that everyone will be in the MA!?! In a not-insignificant way
<headasploding>
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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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And the DOOOOOOOM hits keep on comin.
Arc #6015 - Coming Unglued
"A good n00b-sauce is based on a good n00b-roux." - The Masque
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Look the MA should be a nice feature for the game. It will, unfortunately, suck the life out of anyone who decides to use it. As previously stated (paraphrased) 'want to run a (INSERT SF/TF)? Nah, I'm making a Mish.", "Oh, OK. I'm gonna log and play a game where there's actually people playing." Eventually, something will go wrong with the MA and it will be shelved for a year. By that time, a few (not many) will have left for something else and sadly, they will not come back.
BTW - I find it funny that, while we get to create our own missions, it doesn't belong to us. Remember to re-read your ToS.
Could the MA be the last big disappointment or the first big game saver?
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LOL just cause I'm not running the MA or I am, has no bearing on their being certain content that I wouldn't touch. EVER.
Sewer Trial, shard tfs in general, positron, i could go on.
there is a lot of dreck content out there or content that's been run to death.
Seeing as how the developers can never create enough story content as fast as folks can run it, i'm glad to see the MA.
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Am I the only one that didn't like the video? I actually found it difficult to watch all the way through.
Someone has to swim against the stream I suppose...
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I also thought the video was terrible but I realize that different people will find different things funny. Take it easy.
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I thought the video was, well, kinda brutal.
Captain Dynamic = I14, MA, player-made content (based on player-written character descriptions we see in game on a daily basis). Awesome, indeed!
The Boss Dude = the devs. First thing the guy does is take away (nerf) someone's gum (fun). Could it be more obvious?
The crack writing team = Us. That one guy, when he determines it's all fluff, just gets up and leaves. The others stick around and try to come up with something, but are ultimately crushed beneath the sheer 'awesome' of it all.
Brutal. 
Post deleted by Moderator 08
"...now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb" - Dark Helmet
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Post Deleted by Moderator_08
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*cough* kettle, pot *cough*
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!
Really?
"...now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb" - Dark Helmet
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How can anyone say this isn&#8217;t great?
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How? I&#8217;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&#8217;t run one in forever? Want to run the 2nd respec task force to re-do your character&#8217;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 &#8220;writing&#8221; - MA arcs and aren&#8217;t playing as characters.
Second, it is a gimmick completely disconnected from the CoH game lore. Let&#8217;s face it, the MA is a stand-alone &#8220;feature&#8221; in the game that doesn&#8217;t develop any of the CoH backstory. It&#8217;s a flashy gimmick intended to sell box sets, and grab publicity and attention from the gaming world. In other words, it&#8217;s a marketing tool to get more cash into the devs' pockets.
Third, the vast majority of &#8220;storytelling&#8221; 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&#8217;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 &#8220;Enforcer&#8221; 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&#8217;t you?). A LOT.
Fourth, the &#8220;writing&#8221; that will come from the MA is going to be very limited - sure, you can write NPC dialogue, or &#8220;begin the mission&#8221; dialogue, or &#8220;contact dialogue.&#8221; But that&#8217;s it. If I want to read a great story, I&#8217;ll go to Borders and buy a book, not log into City of Frickin&#8217; Heroes! If I want to write, I will launch Microsoft Word and type, not log into City of Frickin&#8217; 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&#8217;t bother creating missions, because it will be too much of a chore. Guess how many of my in-game friends don&#8217;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 &#8220;work&#8221; (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. &#8216;Nuff said.
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So let me see if I can distill your comments down a bit:
1. You expect a lot of people to enjoy the mission architect immensely, and pour significant amounts of their playing time into it.
2. Its an optional feature of the game that players can choose to ignore or participate in as they wish, without affecting the rest of their game play.
3. The MA will all players of any authoring skill levels to participate, and be judged on their creations by their peers.
4. You'll be able to customize the story content to the same degree as the CoX mission designers.
5. Most of the players will spend more time playing MA-created missions rather than authoring them, and for those that wish to play combat-intensive missions there will probably be authors of the same mindset that write combat-intensive missions with little or no storyline interfering with the action.
6. The quality of the MA is likely to be consistent with the rest of the game.
Thanks for the show of support! I'm sure the devs really appreciate players like yourself taking the time to express your opinions on the likely successful nature of the Mission Architect system. Its posts like yours that really brighten their day and make them appreciate the opportunity they have to continue to develop the game in directions that will continue to entertain the player community. I'll be sure to mention your fine expression of good will to the devs the next time I chat with them. Bravo sir.
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As they've said many times before, closed beta helps them get things fixed better and faster. Rather than having a few thousand people on who just want to play, they have a smaller number who are actually interested in testing and helping make it better. Besides, it's not like it will stay closed all the way until release. You'll have your chance to try things out sooner or later.
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Because everyone in beta is a good tester, amirite? There are testers who might log in a few times just to keep themselves eligible for betas (and keep getting invited), and at any rate, logging in a few times to fiddle around with things isn't really testing.
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I don't think it works that way.
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Heres another interview, from Allakhazam, some nice insights and apparently the devs will be using the MA to make missions in the future (and that when they get new tools for it, they will be passed onto the players).
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So wait, if they start giving the playerbase 100% content and creative control, then what will be the reason for us to pay $14.95?
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Just as you are free to stop paying $14.95 per month, NCNC is free to stop allowing you access to their servers.
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It is not that simple and both you and I know it.
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What exactly IS your point, if it isn't "why pay 14.95 for the game that already has 4 years worth of content and is only adding content I won't use this time"?
SadysCHICK ALL the Badges! (I can get. 1396)
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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.
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Are you being serious?
LOL
It amounts to a few vague hints at best. I already knew that I wouldn't be able to create a mission to rescue a cat from a tree, thanks.