The fact is, magically remove all farming from the game and the chance of any individual arc being played is slim. There are just too many arcs. The only arcs that will get a great deal of play are those made by people who are capable of promoting them and who have a support system in game that will promote them for them. Farming won't affect those arcs.
In reality, the MA is for the author and his/her friends. Getting more recognition than that is akin to winning the lottery.
As for salvage at Wentworth's, it's really not an issue, in my experience. Play one AE arc. Spend a minor amount of tickets for random commons on anything too expensive to buy. I always end up not only with what I want in a few rolls, but also tend to have a couple pieces I can sell at those inflated rates.
Even uncommons are cheap at the rate tickets fall from the story based missions I play, and AE seems to have dropped the bottom out of the rare salvage market. So, salvage is really dirt cheap now it seems to me.
@Doctor Gemini
Arc #271637 - Welcome to M.A.G.I. - An alternative first story arc for magic origin heroes. At Hero Registration you heard the jokes about Azuria always losing things. When she loses the entire M.A.G.I. vault, you are chosen to find it.
[ QUOTE ]
Yesterday I was at Icon in Indy Port to get my 3rd costume slot mission. So were two other guys who had apparently just hit 30. I'm standing outside Icon, having just defeated my ambush when one of them sends me a /tell, "What are Crey?"
Not "WHERE are Crey?"... "What are Crey?" -_- Oh boy.
My answer is, "Those guys" as a Crey mob scaled for Invincible 2-man team charges into view. They invite me to their team (by the time I clicked Accept they were at 1/4 health), we stomp them... and then one of them starts running around the map.
"Where are they?"
"They aren't in this zone. We have to go to Brickstown"
"How?"
Oh boy.
So I lead them to the train (which I have to assume they used to get to IP in the first place), and after a few explanations of which zone I went to... they both run off randomly. I try to tell them that Crey mobs are pretty close to the train and to follow me.
Then one of them calls "Here" from a rooftop. I fly to that roof, where they are already engaged.
... uhm
"Guys, those are Council."
"What do Crey look like?"
Now -that's- some serious A.D.D. at work beause we literally just fought a huge gang of them 3 minutes prior. But I still needed 20-some more for my costume, and I kind of felt sorry for them.
"See those guys down there in the suits and SWAT outfits?" At that point I could hear "LEEEEEROY JENKINS" in my head as they charged down.
My question then was... Did the Devs REALLY not realize that farming would become so pervasive that they had no prayer of controlling it? Is THIS what they really wanted? People getting into the game just to skip 30 levels of content?
And here I am with my little story arc that chances are no one will play because all anyone does is farm. Once upon a time I was so jazzed about I14. Now I have no inspiration to write any more arcs because I don't see the point when like, 10 people total will play them. Maybe.
After that experience I headed to Wentworths, where certain formerly not-so-uncommon salvage had only 15 pieces for sale at like 100K. I then realized... Oh yeah. No salvage drops except for the tiny handful of dev choice missions... the last of which was chosen on like DAY 3 of AE going live (which were all written in Beta and transferred I am sure). -_-
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_nauseum
Nice story.
And yes, they knew. They knew the moment the decided to put an AE in Atlas Park and Mercy. OTOH, I have to hope they either
a) didn't realize the resulting magnitude
b) figured they'd weed it out when the "oh, shiny!" bit wore off.
Either way, I'm still jazzed about the content and ebilally sucking the cash from these wayward souls.
Patience, in the end all will be well, as has happened consistently with this game.
City of Heroes was my first MMO, & my favorite computer game.
R.I.P.
Chyll - Bydand - Violynce - Enyrgos - Rylle - Nephryte - Solyd - Fettyr - Hyposhock - Styrling - Beryllos - Rosyc
Horryd - Myriam - Dysquiet - Ghyr
Vanysh - Eldrytch
Inflyct - Mysron - Orphyn - Dysmay - Reapyr - - Wyldeman - Hydeous
to be fair - you don't normally encounter crey much if at all before 30
do hollows, faultline, striga, and croatoa and you don't encounter any crey by 30
Just as a side note, though it doesn't mitigate the rest of it: pre-30 you don't run into Crey or really hear about them other then in a tossed away line here or there running story arcs. The paper map that comes with GvE doesn't show Crey's Folly as that name and the tailor only suggests finding them all there.
You see the same thing in every MMO whether people speed level or not, MA doesn't make people unable to do a little reading or research on the web or use common sense; folks like that come pre-packaged that way. And with a few hundred hours under their belt, they still don't get any more self-sufficient.
QR:
And I hear there are children starving and the environment is going to heck and Johnny can't read, half the children that take the SAT do below average.
Thank you for your SOB story
[ QUOTE ]
And I hear there are children starving and the environment is going to heck and Johnny can't read, half the children that take the SAT do below average.
[/ QUOTE ]
And it's all CoH's fault.
@Doctor Gemini
Arc #271637 - Welcome to M.A.G.I. - An alternative first story arc for magic origin heroes. At Hero Registration you heard the jokes about Azuria always losing things. When she loses the entire M.A.G.I. vault, you are chosen to find it.
[ QUOTE ]
to be fair - you don't normally encounter crey much if at all before 30
[/ QUOTE ]
Well true... but the fact that they couldn't grasp enough of the game mechanics to figure out how to look was alarming. I didn't know what a Malta was until I hit 40, either. But if I had to hunt them, I wouldn't have ran willy nilly into the Nemesis mobs and wondered why it wasn't working.
[ QUOTE ]
Thank you for your SOB story
[/ QUOTE ]
Actually I thought it was a pretty funny story. And yet, yes, sad at the same time.
--
My AE Story Arcs:
Family Matters - 82136
I'm sorry, but I think Starkraving does have some valid points, even if they've been discussed "ad nauseum" and/or the MA isn't the only source of the concerns.
The fact is, these players didn't have a simple enough grasp of the the game to know that when the tailor tells you to go hunt something, it's not a "what" but a "who" and ask "where can I find them?" Taken as a whole, it's REALLY clear that these players had been PLed at the least, or SOMEHOW made it to level 30 without experiencing and becoming familiar with the most basic elements of the game, at best.
The markets have been SERIOUSLY destroyed by the MA system's ticket system, and that should be stressed. We currently have...hold on, lemme count...influence, infamy, merrits, tickets...that's -four- different currencies in this game right now, with completely uneven methods of distribution (compare infamy to influence, or merrits to tickets) but ALL come in to play in the markets, where the items one is supposed to purchase with these items is equally available to all methods. This destroys resale values on some items and hyperinflates them on others. It isn't a "DOOOM" message to point this out and ask that it try and be balanced in some way, and quickly.
And the truth is that, since beta, MANY people have complained about the difficulty in the MA system and exposure. Dev's choice HAS gone unaltered since about the first week, and about 90% of the Dev's choices prior to that were actually done on test. Hall of Fame is, essentially broken due to griefing. Then the search system in MA continously puts the same stories toward the top, with no real way to randomize it. Granted, some players have creatively dealt with this in some forum-based methods (sfma codes for example) AND the Dev's have accounced their working on this for issue 15, but that only validates Stark's concerns, not invalidates them. The post was labelled "unintended consquences" and Stark clearly laid out what he saw as some of those. That's NEVER a bad thing. At worst, it's a waste of time if they've all already been pointed out, at best it brings to light issues that the Devs may not have been aware of or recognized.
I think what might serve us all best is a single forum thread labelled "Culture of MA concerns list" where everyone can post a single, unified list of the concerns they're coming to have over the effects of the MA system on the game culture. This way the Devs have a single source to find how the MA is effecting the game and people aren't rehashing the same issues over and over "ad nauseum."
I'll go post it right now.
Actually, though, there are times when the the NPC's directions can be pretty confusing. I spent a month not leveling my first character because I couldn't find Wolf's Throat, the map says it's in the middle of the woods, but I'd go there and nothing I found would count against the group I was supposed to hunt.
Finally, I looked it up on the internet and got directions.
But that's an extreme example, there are times when mobs are simply called confusing things or you're told to hunt a specific type, and in those situations, I'd try knocking off a bunch of different groups until I found the one I needed.
This may be hard to believe in the middle of the current panic, but there were some idiots playing this game even before AE was introduced.
Avatar: "Cheeky Jack O Lantern" by dimarie
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This may be hard to believe in the middle of the current panic, but there were some idiots playing this game even before AE was introduced.
[/ QUOTE ]
There were just as many idiots playing CoX before AE Farming got put in. Farming does not make idiots, it just makes them have higher level characters. Which, in CoX, means nothing.
[ QUOTE ]
And here I am with my little story arc that chances are no one will play because all anyone does is farm. Once upon a time I was so jazzed about I14. Now I have no inspiration to write any more arcs because I don't see the point when like, 10 people total will play them. Maybe.
[/ QUOTE ]
Amen, brother. I feel the same way. Why work so hard to develop a classic comic feel and story when all anyone wants to do is make leveling easier on themselves? Isn't leveling easy enough? I'm beginning to think the game is being dumbed down to a level that will erode what makes it great. I mean, am I the only one who actually reads all the mission text?
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
And here I am with my little story arc that chances are no one will play because all anyone does is farm. Once upon a time I was so jazzed about I14. Now I have no inspiration to write any more arcs because I don't see the point when like, 10 people total will play them. Maybe.
[/ QUOTE ]
Amen, brother. I feel the same way. Why work so hard to develop a classic comic feel and story when all anyone wants to do is make leveling easier on themselves? Isn't leveling easy enough? I'm beginning to think the game is being dumbed down to a level that will erode what makes it great. I mean, am I the only one who actually reads all the mission text?
[/ QUOTE ]
So we should all be forced to run your arc instead of doing what we want to???
Have you tried promoting your arc? Turning it over to the critics? Lead groups through it? Or are we just supposed to rub a magic lamp and magically pull your arc out of the thousands that are published atm? Not to mention it is only the group leader that sees any of your contact dialog you are so proud of anyway....
Heck you dont' even advertise your arc in your signature...How in the world would anyone find it even if they wanted to?
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
And here I am with my little story arc that chances are no one will play because all anyone does is farm. Once upon a time I was so jazzed about I14. Now I have no inspiration to write any more arcs because I don't see the point when like, 10 people total will play them. Maybe.
[/ QUOTE ]
Amen, brother. I feel the same way. Why work so hard to develop a classic comic feel and story when all anyone wants to do is make leveling easier on themselves? Isn't leveling easy enough? I'm beginning to think the game is being dumbed down to a level that will erode what makes it great. I mean, am I the only one who actually reads all the mission text?
[/ QUOTE ]
LOL, If you have built something great that is its own heaven. That you ask the question indicates you probably haven't.
[ QUOTE ]
And here I am with my little story arc that chances are no one will play because all anyone does is farm. Once upon a time I was so jazzed about I14. Now I have no inspiration to write any more arcs because I don't see the point when like, 10 people total will play them. Maybe.
[/ QUOTE ]
I guess it depends on why you post your arc. We all know up front that there will be thousands of arcs to compete against.
Do you enjoy your arcs? Do your family/friends enjoy them? To me, that's the big thing. I will never have a HoF arc because mine will be published, unpublished, and republished as we want to play them.
One of the best written arcs I've played yet (some folks will hate the Oranbega maps, but the story is good) has only been played by a few people -- our family.
It's available to everyone; if they find it and enjoy it, that's fantastic. But not necessary for the arc to be "successful." It already is. We like it. 
[ QUOTE ]
Once upon a time I was so jazzed about I14. Now I have no inspiration to write any more arcs because I don't see the point when like, 10 people total will play them. Maybe.
[/ QUOTE ]
You don't create for them, you create for you.
So maybe 10 people will play your arc? So what? Regarding that, here's a quote from Joel Hodgson of MST3K: "We know not everyone will get it. But the right people will get it."
The Alt Alphabet ~ OPC: Other People's Characters ~ Terrific Screenshots of Cool ~ Superhero Fiction
[ QUOTE ]
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[ QUOTE ]
And here I am with my little story arc that chances are no one will play because all anyone does is farm. Once upon a time I was so jazzed about I14. Now I have no inspiration to write any more arcs because I don't see the point when like, 10 people total will play them. Maybe.
[/ QUOTE ]
Amen, brother. I feel the same way. Why work so hard to develop a classic comic feel and story when all anyone wants to do is make leveling easier on themselves? Isn't leveling easy enough? I'm beginning to think the game is being dumbed down to a level that will erode what makes it great. I mean, am I the only one who actually reads all the mission text?
[/ QUOTE ]
So we should all be forced to run your arc instead of doing what we want to???
Have you tried promoting your arc? Turning it over to the critics? Lead groups through it? Or are we just supposed to rub a magic lamp and magically pull your arc out of the thousands that are published atm? Not to mention it is only the group leader that sees any of your contact dialog you are so proud of anyway....
Heck you dont' even advertise your arc in your signature...How in the world would anyone find it even if they wanted to?
[/ QUOTE ]
He asks if anybody actually read the text and you lecture on advertising his story arc (if he actually has one himself).
I think this calls under the heading: disconnect.
Editted heavily, way too late right now. 
If Brevity is the Soul of Wit, Why are You Reading This?
I'm glad that is what it says to you, because to me it reads nothing but another newbies to the game are stupid make them go away.
Noone is playing my arc cause everyone is farming, make them go away.
I was pointing out that a more proactive promotion for their arcs would probably encourage more people to see it instead of a fire and forget methodology.
However, you have made your stance against anything even remotely profarming and will not engage in civil discourse of it. Thank you for helping turn this into another farm thread...goodbye.
[ QUOTE ]
Not to mention it is only the group leader that sees any of your contact dialog you are so proud of anyway....
[/ QUOTE ]
Or y'know, hit that Mission Information button. Leaves Mission Return text sure, but still that does mean that other folks can see at least most of the dialog text.
Let's Dance!
Stark, is this the only MMO you've played? The "issue" you bring up has occurred in every MMO since Meridian59 opened. It's the same as "where's the best place to lvl at X?". It's the same issue MMO developers have to deal with when creating games. People want large worlds.....but zero travel time (to SEE the world). Most of the world in most MMOs goes ignored because it's not 'the best place to X' (where X can be solo, group, farm for X tradeskill materials, or what-have-you). And you're lamenting the fact that people aren't playing your arc from among the hundreds of thousands of arcs out there?
Anyway, the beef you have can be blamed as much on the newspaper/scanner as the MA. Your story arc isn't going to get played unless you (or others) promote it. Even if every farming mission in the MA were removed, that would be the case. Your arc is as unique as every other arc.
opprime, your count is off. Villains don't have influence and heroes don't have infamy. So your list is only THREE that are universal. Influence and infamy are the same currency, just exclusive to their sides.
Anyway, this just sounds like a 'woe is me' OP with farming as the villain. Like most examples of that mindset, it's wrong but never would the person admit that perhaps fault lies with them rather than some outside element.
@Remianen / @Remianen Too
Sig by RPVisions
You know everyone use to cry about PI having been PL city and couldnt do there mish cuz they couldnt get a team started
O well PI is a DEAD zone now are you happy cuz now i cant get a team to do any arc's now 8)-
Now the devs give everyone a choice to make there own mish and play how they like as long as their in the rules given to you by coh and yet everyone still crys about farming
I'm sry i just dont get it!!
The market Smarket is not broke everything is lower in price
and 80% dont use it no more due to the tickets whoopydo
Thats like me saying hami raid is broke dew to the recipe drops and hami ios arent worth jack cuz i cant get a team of 5 or more to take down hami dew to the zone only letting in 52 peeps in the zone at one time.
Maybe we should add a forum labelled "Culture ofCry babys in COH concerns list"
With every change comes more crying then a baby with a wet dipper.
[ QUOTE ]
The markets have been SERIOUSLY destroyed by the MA system's ticket system, and that should be stressed. We currently have...hold on, lemme count...influence, infamy, merrits, tickets...that's -four- different currencies in this game right now, with completely uneven methods of distribution (compare infamy to influence, or merrits to tickets) but ALL come in to play in the markets, where the items one is supposed to purchase with these items is equally available to all methods. This destroys resale values on some items and hyperinflates them on others. It isn't a "DOOOM" message to point this out and ask that it try and be balanced in some way, and quickly.
[/ QUOTE ]
First off, the market isn't destroyed. It is highly unstable and in a state of flux. But as long as buying and selling continues, the market lives. The market you're used to may have been destroyed, but that's something else.
Infamy and Influence operate in different markets; you can't really compare them except for the occasional infamy-for-influence swap. So what you have is more like two markets, with one currency each. If memory serves, neither merits nor AE tickets can be traded, merely the things you've bought with them. So they are a good, not a currency.
Exchange rates will always fluctuate. I'm surprised nobody's brought up the issue of prestige farming, since you can generate vast amounts of prestige simply running an 8-man all-SG team.
[ QUOTE ]
Exchange rates will always fluctuate. I'm surprised nobody's brought up the issue of prestige farming, since you can generate vast amounts of prestige simply running an 8-man all-SG team.
[/ QUOTE ]
Because how much they have available to spend on their SG base has little to no effect on anyone outside that SG.
Yesterday I was at Icon in Indy Port to get my 3rd costume slot mission. So were two other guys who had apparently just hit 30. I'm standing outside Icon, having just defeated my ambush when one of them sends me a /tell, "What are Crey?"
Not "WHERE are Crey?"... "What are Crey?" -_- Oh boy.
My answer is, "Those guys" as a Crey mob scaled for Invincible 2-man team charges into view. They invite me to their team (by the time I clicked Accept they were at 1/4 health), we stomp them... and then one of them starts running around the map.
"Where are they?"
"They aren't in this zone. We have to go to Brickstown"
"How?"
Oh boy.
So I lead them to the train (which I have to assume they used to get to IP in the first place), and after a few explanations of which zone I went to... they both run off randomly. I try to tell them that Crey mobs are pretty close to the train and to follow me.
Then one of them calls "Here" from a rooftop. I fly to that roof, where they are already engaged.
... uhm
"Guys, those are Council."
"What do Crey look like?"
Now -that's- some serious A.D.D. at work beause we literally just fought a huge gang of them 3 minutes prior. But I still needed 20-some more for my costume, and I kind of felt sorry for them.
"See those guys down there in the suits and SWAT outfits?" At that point I could hear "LEEEEEROY JENKINS" in my head as they charged down.
My question then was... Did the Devs REALLY not realize that farming would become so pervasive that they had no prayer of controlling it? Is THIS what they really wanted? People getting into the game just to skip 30 levels of content?
And here I am with my little story arc that chances are no one will play because all anyone does is farm. Once upon a time I was so jazzed about I14. Now I have no inspiration to write any more arcs because I don't see the point when like, 10 people total will play them. Maybe.
After that experience I headed to Wentworths, where certain formerly not-so-uncommon salvage had only 15 pieces for sale at like 100K. I then realized... Oh yeah. No salvage drops except for the tiny handful of dev choice missions... the last of which was chosen on like DAY 3 of AE going live (which were all written in Beta and transferred I am sure). -_-
--
My AE Story Arcs:
Family Matters - 82136