What changes I think this game needs.
By
Aett_Thorn,
Posted on: 2009-04-06 08:22 in Suggestions and Ideas
Okay, gonna break this up a bit:
[ QUOTE ]
You Devs haven't answered to them.
I'm not happy, in my opinion (and from many others as well, I'm sure) it doesn't seem like you care. I am paying to play your game and I pay for Internet too. Money's tight, and I value the time I spend. It's time to make some changes.
[/ QUOTE ]
They DO care. Just because they don't comment on specific things doesn't mean that they aren't addressing them. These Devs are a lot more vocal on what's going on that in most other MMOs.
[ QUOTE ]
1) Redside content, compared to Blueside.
I only play redside and lets face it, villains get less stuff to do. No scheduled, instanced stuff like the putting out fires for example. Less Giant Monsters, less zones. Gotta give more content for villains, which incidently I believe what the Mission architect is also for.
One more thing, It would be REALLY nice if we could CHOOSE what bank we want rob for mayhem missions. It would make the the mayhem missions better. More opportunities to A) get all the exploration badges, and B) to team up for a mayhem mission to fight the Vindicators and Freedon Phalanx. We would get more value out the mayhem missions.
[/ QUOTE ]
The mission architect will address a lot of this. Giving a ton of new content for both sides. The tickets that you can get from them will also help out with your concern #3. But yes, more content for villains would be nice, especially new official TFs.
[ QUOTE ]
2) Drop Rates and Grinding it Out
Inventions. It is really hard to acquire the stuff we want for toons. (The Black Market is another separate issue.) Drop rates I feel are too low. You can do several missions, even an entire arc and get nothing. That then even if you get the recipe, if it a rare, you need the salvage, often high price rares on BM. It is such a grind, getting inf., salvage, to make this stuff. They just don't drop enough, and I do not want to farm. It's boring. I have only recently dropped a purple recipe recently. One. In nearly 13 months. Honestly that completely, utterly, sucks. I don't get rewarded much when I play this game somthimes. And sometimes feels like more that most.
Then on top of that you need inf. to craft it. The inf. cost for making enhancements has GOT to go. It's like an annoying tax, that brings you even closer to being flat broke.
I will say if not for the Black Market these things would be impossible to acquire and you do not have control over the prices. Complaining it's the Devs fault is stupid, I won't go there cause' it isn't. The Black Market is fine.
Increase drop rates, axe the inf. cost for crafting enhancements.
[/ QUOTE ]
A few things:
1) SOs will get you through the entire game. As such, inventions are optional.
2) The IO system was somewhat created to be an influence sink in a game that had very few of them.
3) Purples are supposed to be rare and valuable, and are working just fine at being such.
Now, that said, I think that the drop rates are fine. I can often get several invention set recipes in a single mission, then I won't get any the next. It's part of the random number generator functionality. It has streaks. But you will notice when it turns against you as it doing something bad, but forget when it rewards you well, thinking that it's working fine now. You do not need to farm to get the influence you need. Working on getting my first villain to 50, with no influence transfers to her at all (except to get the first round of DOs, which are relatively cheap), she's almost fully IO'd out just running through the game normally. No working the market, no large sums coming in. Just selling what I get and don't want, and buying what I do at reasonable costs (not what other people bought them for, but what I'm willing to pay for them). Sure, I might get 'better' sets later, but I have a bunch of decent sets and some moderate ones and I'm doing just fine.
[ QUOTE ]
3) Merits
You tired to fix the previous problem with the merit system. It's made things even harder. Red side 20 - 25 merits, does nothing. I do a task force and I can't get anything but a random roll. Actually ALMOST a random roll. The cost for specfic recipes is huge, compard to the amount villains get redside in missions arcs and strike forces and trials. 200 merits for anything outside of the LoTG or Numina's is insane.
Simpify the costs. 25, 50, 100 at the most. Excluding uniques, I argee they should be more.
The prices have to come down.
[/ QUOTE ]
No, they really don't (though I believe that I14 will drop them a bit). Doing a TF and getting 'nothing but a random roll' is exactly as it was before. Except that now, you can choose to not get that, and save up the merits to get EXACTLY what you want. How does that make things even harder? And considering that you get merits for every story arc that you do as well as running TFs, you can build up a lot of merits over a career.
Okay, putting together a projected amount of merits earned over the course of a villain career, assuming no SFs run, and with the following other assumptions:
1) Can't do all low-level content (assuming 2-3 arcs from the level 5-10 range, and 5 arcs for the level 10-15 range)
2) No unlockable contacts' arcs run.
3) All badge missions run
Gives you about 348 merits. That's 17.4 random rolls that you could possibly get, without ever needing to run a SF. How is that making it worse?
Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
"I was just the one with the most unsolicited sombrero." - Traegus
Its not very wise to call the devs out... specially in the S&I forums.... 
that said:
1) I agree, villains need more, though at this point issues dedicated soley to villains is looking very unlikely... Heck IIRCwe had one issue (i7) and people went nuts.
The mayhems are correlated to the levels of the zone; beginners? Atlas to most experienced? Pergeine. It is that way for a reason.
2)/jranger drops are the same on both sides. The prices are high because of a lack of people redside... thus a lack of drops which results in higher prices. Won't ever be fixed until more people play or the devs make the auction houses open from both sides and don't have two seperate halves.
So;
1)make rare io's for free
2) sell
3)???
4) make even more profit.
Honestly in the long run all I can see that doing is making prices even higher as it destroys a inf sink hole.
3) agreed.
Salvage:
For each drop, the Common:Uncommon:Rare ratio is 22:5:1:
Common: 22 in 28 chance (78.57%)
Uncommon: 5 in 28 chance (17.86%)
Rare: 1 in 28 chance (3.57%)
Purple drops: Those are rare and are meant to be hard to get, so I'm not too pressed for that. Understandable.
[ QUOTE ]
Okay, gonna break this up a bit:
[ QUOTE ]
You Devs haven't answered to them.
I'm not happy, in my opinion (and from many others as well, I'm sure) it doesn't seem like you care. I am paying to play your game and I pay for Internet too. Money's tight, and I value the time I spend. It's time to make some changes.
[/ QUOTE ]
They DO care. Just because they don't comment on specific things doesn't mean that they aren't addressing them. These Devs are a lot more vocal on what's going on that in most other MMOs.
[ QUOTE ]
1) Redside content, compared to Blueside.
I only play redside and lets face it, villains get less stuff to do. No scheduled, instanced stuff like the putting out fires for example. Less Giant Monsters, less zones. Gotta give more content for villains, which incidently I believe what the Mission architect is also for.
One more thing, It would be REALLY nice if we could CHOOSE what bank we want rob for mayhem missions. It would make the the mayhem missions better. More opportunities to A) get all the exploration badges, and B) to team up for a mayhem mission to fight the Vindicators and Freedon Phalanx. We would get more value out the mayhem missions.
[/ QUOTE ]
The mission architect will address a lot of this. Giving a ton of new content for both sides. The tickets that you can get from them will also help out with your concern #3. But yes, more content for villains would be nice, especially new official TFs.
[ QUOTE ]
2) Drop Rates and Grinding it Out
Inventions. It is really hard to acquire the stuff we want for toons. (The Black Market is another separate issue.) Drop rates I feel are too low. You can do several missions, even an entire arc and get nothing. That then even if you get the recipe, if it a rare, you need the salvage, often high price rares on BM. It is such a grind, getting inf., salvage, to make this stuff. They just don't drop enough, and I do not want to farm. It's boring. I have only recently dropped a purple recipe recently. One. In nearly 13 months. Honestly that completely, utterly, sucks. I don't get rewarded much when I play this game somthimes. And sometimes feels like more that most.
Then on top of that you need inf. to craft it. The inf. cost for making enhancements has GOT to go. It's like an annoying tax, that brings you even closer to being flat broke.
I will say if not for the Black Market these things would be impossible to acquire and you do not have control over the prices. Complaining it's the Devs fault is stupid, I won't go there cause' it isn't. The Black Market is fine.
Increase drop rates, axe the inf. cost for crafting enhancements.
[/ QUOTE ]
A few things:
1) SOs will get you through the entire game. As such, inventions are optional.
2) The IO system was somewhat created to be an influence sink in a game that had very few of them.
3) Purples are supposed to be rare and valuable, and are working just fine at being such.
Now, that said, I think that the drop rates are fine. I can often get several invention set recipes in a single mission, then I won't get any the next. It's part of the random number generator functionality. It has streaks. But you will notice when it turns against you as it doing something bad, but forget when it rewards you well, thinking that it's working fine now. You do not need to farm to get the influence you need. Working on getting my first villain to 50, with no influence transfers to her at all (except to get the first round of DOs, which are relatively cheap), she's almost fully IO'd out just running through the game normally. No working the market, no large sums coming in. Just selling what I get and don't want, and buying what I do at reasonable costs (not what other people bought them for, but what I'm willing to pay for them). Sure, I might get 'better' sets later, but I have a bunch of decent sets and some moderate ones and I'm doing just fine.
[ QUOTE ]
3) Merits
You tired to fix the previous problem with the merit system. It's made things even harder. Red side 20 - 25 merits, does nothing. I do a task force and I can't get anything but a random roll. Actually ALMOST a random roll. The cost for specfic recipes is huge, compard to the amount villains get redside in missions arcs and strike forces and trials. 200 merits for anything outside of the LoTG or Numina's is insane.
Simpify the costs. 25, 50, 100 at the most. Excluding uniques, I argee they should be more.
The prices have to come down.
[/ QUOTE ]
No, they really don't (though I believe that I14 will drop them a bit). Doing a TF and getting 'nothing but a random roll' is exactly as it was before. Except that now, you can choose to not get that, and save up the merits to get EXACTLY what you want. How does that make things even harder? And considering that you get merits for every story arc that you do as well as running TFs, you can build up a lot of merits over a career.
Okay, putting together a projected amount of merits earned over the course of a villain career, assuming no SFs run, and with the following other assumptions:
1) Can't do all low-level content (assuming 2-3 arcs from the level 5-10 range, and 5 arcs for the level 10-15 range)
2) No unlockable contacts' arcs run.
3) All badge missions run
Gives you about 348 merits. That's 17.4 random rolls that you could possibly get, without ever needing to run a SF. How is that making it worse?
[/ QUOTE ]
It's my experience that in MMO's that the goal is often to lake your character as strong as possible. Sure you can "get by." But honestly, who really want's to?
If you sit down and play for a few hours and not drop anything that will either help your toons or get something that you can sell for decent profit. What's the point in playing? The time I spent is wasted. If the ratio of time of gain V.S. time wasted leans towards time wasted, then yeah, duh, I'm wasting my time.
Sure you can turn EXP off and actually do every single story arc for merits. But who actually does that? Sure people do that, good for them. I doubt its the common practice though. To me that is no different the farming. I don't want to stay at a certain level just to grind out merits. Or flashback missions either. It's the Grind that make the game less fun.
Two task/strikes forces get you enough for a recipe that costs 50. My average play time a couple of hours a night. Not everyone runs task forces every night, an if one is going on you may not get in it. My average is like 1.5 a week. It would take 10-11 days for one recipe for 50 Merits, 3 week for one for a 100 merits. And so on a so forth. That formula doesn't include the salvage. Can't buy the exact salvage I want with merits. The rares cost 500k, a mill, two mill, or more on BM. Not the markets fault for that, it's just how it is. Then the cost to craft. See where I'm going? There's so many things in you're way to make ONE enhancement.... let alone a set. It's a grind, not fun.
The point of the game is to have fun.
If you're not having fun unless you're becoming more powerful then BEHOLD! You're gaining experience points which bring you to the next level of POWER! Mua ha ha ha haaaaaaaaa!
Level 50? Not gaining more power? So try rolling a new alt. An AT you haven't played before. Again: BEHOLD! Through XP you get stronger!!!!!
Not to mention you're gaining merits and inf on THAT Character which can be used to purchase IO recipes for the level 50 whom you wish to grow more powerful Hmmmm?
It's easier now than when IOs -launched- to get the IOs you want. Don't FARM for them, just have fun playing the game.
Oh. And ANY game is a waste of time since you're not accomplishing something productive in your life (earning money, making your family happy, healthy, wealthy, or wise, building a house, providing sustenance) So don't tell me that playinmg the game is wasting your time UNLESS you're getting more powerful.
It's a waste of time ALWAYS!
-Rachel-
[ QUOTE ]
Its not very wise to call the devs out... specially in the S&I forums.... that said:
[/ QUOTE ]
I thought I was fair with my words, I wasn't mean or nasty. When the last patch went live, there was a lot post in the Feedback for it when the merit changes were announced. There was A LOT of dialogue, but mainly the players to the Devs. Not a lot coming back to us. At least no the way I saw it, that post is over hundered pages.
Hey, I know the Devs are busy, I'm not expecting a reply from them, it be cool if one did. Even if it was a one line zinger to dispel my rant. At least I would know that one of them read it.
And yes, this is rant 
, the last two weeks, I have dropped utterly nothing, and I'm unhappy. Can't buy the things I want with merits. Don't enough infamy. Don't wanna farm. I will try the MA and see if these tickets make my life easier. But I've invested a lot of time in this game, I just want to make sure I'm wasting it.
[ QUOTE ]
If you sit down and play for a few hours and not drop anything that will either help your toons or get something that you can sell for decent profit. What's the point in playing? The time I spent is wasted.
[/ QUOTE ]
If playing the game isn't reward enough, I don't really know what to tell you. If you only measure this game by the drops you get, I don't think you're doing it right, but maybe that's just me.
Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
"I was just the one with the most unsolicited sombrero." - Traegus
[ QUOTE ]
The point of the game is to have fun.
If you're not having fun unless you're becoming more powerful then BEHOLD! You're gaining experience points which bring you to the next level of POWER! Mua ha ha ha haaaaaaaaa!
Level 50? Not gaining more power? So try rolling a new alt. An AT you haven't played before. Again: BEHOLD! Through XP you get stronger!!!!!
Not to mention you're gaining merits and inf on THAT Character which can be used to purchase IO recipes for the level 50 whom you wish to grow more powerful Hmmmm?
It's easier now than when IOs -launched- to get the IOs you want. Don't FARM for them, just have fun playing the game.
Oh. And ANY game is a waste of time since you're not accomplishing something productive in your life (earning money, making your family happy, healthy, wealthy, or wise, building a house, providing sustenance) So don't tell me that playinmg the game is wasting your time UNLESS you're getting more powerful.
It's a waste of time ALWAYS!
-Rachel-
[/ QUOTE ]
Gotta please the power-gamers too, ya know?
And they have, by allowing you to get IOs. The game is still balanced around SOs. IOs are perks on top of that, which you can get if you put in the time.
And they have made it easier to get them, but not by so much that they are trivially easy, which they shouldn't be.
Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
"I was just the one with the most unsolicited sombrero." - Traegus
The Devs of the City team are more vocal than any other MMO team I've EVER seen. It's really awesome that they are so involved with the community.
That said.
There is also a lot of in-circle Censorship the Devs have to deal with. Say the wrong thing and you Alienate a portion of the players, make a promise you can't live up to, or ruin your image with the team.
It'd be great if the Devs could just come to the forums and post WHATEVER they want. But keep in mind: They're at -work-. They've got rules they've gotta follow.
Anyone remember Lighthouse's final post? Or the one Sexy Jay made a few days ago? How about Jack Emmert (Statesman) remarking on how much he doesn't LIKE Roleplayers?
Things like that get taken off the forums and stricken from history to keep the playerbase happy.
-Rachel-
Come think I forgot one more thing they could change.
Giving the option to add other toons you have into a super group. For small SG's (like mine which is just me now...) it be great to have a way to send offline supergroup invites.
[ QUOTE ]
It would be REALLY nice if we could CHOOSE what bank we want rob for mayhem missions. It would make the the mayhem missions better. More opportunities to A) get all the exploration badges, and B) to team up for a mayhem mission to fight the Vindicators and Freedon Phalanx. We would get more value out the mayhem missions.
[/ QUOTE ]
I like this idea quite a bit.
[ QUOTE ]
How about Jack Emmert (Statesman) remarking on how much he doesn't LIKE Roleplayers?
[/ QUOTE ]
I didn't see that one, but it sounds funny and I wish I had seen it. Good stuff.
[ QUOTE ]
If you sit down and play for a few hours and not drop anything that will either help your toons or get something that you can sell for decent profit. What's the point in playing? The time I spent is wasted. If the ratio of time of gain V.S. time wasted leans towards time wasted, then yeah, duh, I'm wasting my time.
[/ QUOTE ]
Good thing you weren't here before we had a loot system then. Sorry you are hooked on the idea of fake stuff, but that's all it is is fake stuff, and while there are benefits to having it, the game experience is not totally nullified when you don't.
You can do everything in this game without a single IO. Everything. With IOs you can do it better, faster, more easily, but it can still be done without a one, and it can be a lot of fun too.
"Null is as much an argument "for removing the cottage rule" as the moon being round is for buying tennis shoes." -Memphis Bill
[ QUOTE ]
Come think I forgot one more thing they could change.
Giving the option to add other toons you have into a super group. For small SG's (like mine which is just me now...) it be great to have a way to send offline supergroup invites.
[/ QUOTE ]
Mules. Find a friend, invite them, have them invite you. Done.
I only agree with point 1 of the OP, redside does need more.
However... "I only play redside" and "there's lots more content blueside" should make an obvious connection - freaking play blueside once in a while, and the game will be UTTERLY NEW to you.
Please read my FEAR/Portal/HalfLife Fan Fiction!
Repurposed
You're right and I did blueside. I was amazed how fast, you level.
Sewers -> Hollows/Positron TF -> Synapse TF and so on.
I got to 30. In a month. But it was hard to solo, you had wait for a task force or a team but you don't have to wait long for that. It was more team oriented to me. I felt easier to solo redside. Powers seemed backward to me other than the Scrapper. I'm more offence-minded I guess. Game is completely foreign to me blue-side.
Another idea came to me, since those have voice their opinions have said 'nay' to increasing drop rates, which fine. There are some "dead" (yeah, yeah, unsellable, I know ) invention sets, there's like six holds, several ranged and melee damage sets, etc.
Maybe retire some these sets and make the common drop pools (A or B, or both?) smaller. Making better drops.
[ QUOTE ]
Maybe retire some these sets and make the common drop pools (A or B, or both?) smaller. Making better drops.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm going to have to "boo" this one, as that reduces the ability to "FrankenSlot" powers.
[ QUOTE ]
You're right and I did blueside. I was amazed how fast, you level.
Sewers -> Hollows/Positron TF -> Synapse TF and so on.
I got to 30. In a month. But it was hard to solo, you had wait for a task force or a team but you don't have to wait long for that. It was more team oriented to me. I felt easier to solo redside. Powers seemed backward to me other than the Scrapper. I'm more offence-minded I guess. Game is completely foreign to me blue-side.
[/ QUOTE ]
No wonder you don't have any influence or enough drops. Every person on your team raises the number of mobs to beat. More mobs to beat = more inf and drops. Makes sense to me.
[ QUOTE ]
there's like six holds
[/ QUOTE ]
i've got a toon who slotted 1 from each set (outside of the purple) because for him, that was the most beneficial slotting.
no to removing sets.
No
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
I think you underestimate our fools, sir.
Why /duel is a bad idea
Wow, I'm kinda of discouraged by this. Nobody feels the way I do? Nobody else? Hmmm...
Anybody think the merit costs are fair, or do villains just need that big Strike Force worth 50+ that the heroes just seem to have several of?
Maybe, since the only thing anyone else agrees on is the lack of content red side. More strike forces means more opportunity to get merits, and that would help make things easier for Villains, perhaps.
More content in general would mean more opportunity for Villains.
Especially SF/Trial content.
[ QUOTE ]
Anyone remember Lighthouse's final post?
[/ QUOTE ] No, what was so bad about it?
It was an apology for a deleted post. He then resigned (got fired, whatever) over the issue.
-Rachel-
[ QUOTE ]
Anybody think the merit costs are fair, or do villains just need that big Strike Force worth 50+ that the heroes just seem to have several of?
[/ QUOTE ]
While I wouldn't complain about getting more SFs for villains, those hero task forces that are worth 50+ merits are worth that much because on average they take forever (give or take a couple of hours) to finish.
Villain SFs are smaller and faster to finish, on average, so they get less merits.
The more time and effort you put in, the more merits you get out. That is the idea anyway.
Winner of Players' Choice Best Villainous Arc 2010: Fear and Loathing on Striga; ID #350522
Let me first start out by saying, I really hope a Dev reads this, I really do. I have been playing this game for just over 12 months now and my subscription is running out soon. This post is not a idiotic threat like, "Make the following changes or I quit." I am not that pathetic. I have been going back and forth on renewing or not to and I probably will, just not for another 12 months, more like 6. And I know that I am repeating the same tired arguements that we allways see on the boards, but here's the thing.
You Devs haven't answered to them.
I'm not happy, in my opinion (and from many others as well, I'm sure) it doesn't seem like you care. I am paying to play your game and I pay for Internet too. Money's tight, and I value the time I spend. It's time to make some changes.
I see a lot I don't like about the game that I think should be fixed, however I realistically cannot expect change would come swiftly. Ergo, I will keep playing with the hope that the game changes and gets better hopefully in a couple of months.
1) Redside content, compared to Blueside.
I only play redside and lets face it, villains get less stuff to do. No scheduled, instanced stuff like the putting out fires for example. Less Giant Monsters, less zones. Gotta give more content for villains, which incidently I believe what the Mission architect is also for.
One more thing, It would be REALLY nice if we could CHOOSE what bank we want rob for mayhem missions. It would make the the mayhem missions better. More opportunities to A) get all the exploration badges, and B) to team up for a mayhem mission to fight the Vindicators and Freedon Phalanx. We would get more value out the mayhem missions.
2) Drop Rates and Grinding it Out
Inventions. It is really hard to acquire the stuff we want for toons. (The Black Market is another separate issue.) Drop rates I feel are too low. You can do several missions, even an entire arc and get nothing. That then even if you get the recipe, if it a rare, you need the salvage, often high price rares on BM. It is such a grind, getting inf., salvage, to make this stuff. They just don't drop enough, and I do not want to farm. It's boring. I have only recently dropped a purple recipe recently. One. In nearly 13 months. Honestly that completely, utterly, sucks. I don't get rewarded much when I play this game somthimes. And sometimes feels like more that most.
Then on top of that you need inf. to craft it. The inf. cost for making enhancements has GOT to go. It's like an annoying tax, that brings you even closer to being flat broke.
I will say if not for the Black Market these things would be impossible to acquire and you do not have control over the prices. Complaining it's the Devs fault is stupid, I won't go there cause' it isn't. The Black Market is fine.
Increase drop rates, axe the inf. cost for crafting enhancements.
3) Merits
You tired to fix the previous problem with the merit system. It's made things even harder. Red side 20 - 25 merits, does nothing. I do a task force and I can't get anything but a random roll. Actually ALMOST a random roll. The cost for specfic recipes is huge, compard to the amount villains get redside in missions arcs and strike forces and trials. 200 merits for anything outside of the LoTG or Numina's is insane.
Simpify the costs. 25, 50, 100 at the most. Excluding uniques, I argee they should be more.
The prices have to come down.
Lastly, can we decrease the clock on diminshing returns? It the clock starts when the strike force ends, negating any attempt to do the same one a day. 18 Hours instead of 24?
I hope one or more of you Devs read this (I hope) and not take it a random useless complaint. I put some thought gave some ideas and suggestions in a clear concise manner. I hope this end up being useful.