AE is an opportunity, not a failure

Everyone seems to be upset with AE over the farming, or that nobody is playing the regular game content. Now, let us just ignore the farming issue, and focus on the second issue:

Very little regular game content is being played.

This is an opportunity that the developers should NOT pass up.

See, in Atlas, the same missions are still there from the get-go. Did you play around I-2? Pretty much same missions. Did you play around I-8? Pretty much same missions.

Hollows? Wincott's kid wasn't kidnapped. He's a runaway! I've rescued that stupid kid a 100 times, and Wincott loses him before I even zone. CPS ought to be investigating him.

The Rogue Isles? Same contacts with the exception of a very few since launch of CoV. I'm so sick of Burke and Kalinda, I'd gladly punch them in the face with a steel lined glove.

How can this be solved? By going in and redoing the missions, by updating the story, and by advancing story canon.

How about fixing the TF's, so that you can actually get together and team them at the lowest levels instead of them just being PL fests where 2-3 max level characters protect the rest of the team till the rest of the team gets caught up enough to actually play it?

How about putting artwork on new zones for the Rogue Isles, and storyline on doing some stuff with some of the zones that nobody goes to?

Boomtown has all kinds of opportunities. Yet we don't even have some contact in here saying "Hey, so and so lost his cousin in the cataclysm, how about you find his skull for me so I can make it into a pair of slippers?"

How about we update some stuff. How about using the costume creator or have artwork develop some new outfits, and write a backstory on some villain groups and add some more?

For the most part, time has been the issue. Not wanting to leave the players without stuff has been the issue. But now, everyone is using AE, so why not just start adjusting the game world as a whole, and keeping an eye on AE to make sure the building doesn't explode and kill every hero and villain in the game.

How about following up on the promises of stuff that was to be fixed, altered, added, or removed?

How about making moonbase and Mars stuff? I seem to remember the Dev team being excited about heroes fighting off Earth, facing "The Coming Storm" or whatever it was called. That way, the constant complaining about "unfulfilled promises" can be set aside.

How about a Rikti Homeworld counter-invasion? Those portal can work both ways. How about a $9.99 expansion pack that lets me customize my robotic minions, or change my power color and where it comes from?

How about a new string of enhancements?

A "Reduce Knockback" enhancement set. Or perhaps a "Add Knockback" set? Or perhaps a "Switch Damage Type" set that changes Dark Damage to Fire Damage, and all of that?

AE could prove a boon in taking the pressure off of the developers for a few weeks or months and allowing them to update the game.

It's an opportunity, not a complete disaster, that so many people are doing AE missions.



------------EDITED FOR CLARITY AND FOR AUTHOR MISCONCEPTION----------

Completely agree.. this is the closest to a "pause button" this game could see in regards to keeping players entertained while meeting demand for more content, quickly in the background.

Please provide links to where the devs made promises of a moonbase, mars, Rikti homeworld, and power customization.

While those things do get asked for often I know of no promises that we will ever see them.

As to new content, we get new stuff every issue. I15 is right around the corner.

Positron has already said that now that they have given us the MA they are going to be working on new TF's. I15 will have 2 one for each faction.

He also said new powersets are coming.

[ QUOTE ]
Please provide links to where the devs made promises of a moonbase, mars, Rikti homeworld, and power customization.

[/ QUOTE ]To be honest, I remember Emmert making references to Moon Base and Mars missions, and mentioned power customization, but I wouldn't know where to find stuff from all the back like I-3.

I misspoke with the Rikti Homeworld bit, and will correct it.

Still, you say new content is coming out all the time. I'm not denying that it doesn't. I'm not denying that they put out a LOT of stuff for the game that doesn't involve purchasing a bunch of stuff to update the game.

What I'm saying, is now is their chance to UPDATE the game, fix stuff that has been broken forever. (Positron's Task Force... go ahead and try it with a team of minimum leveled heroes. Call me from ICU and tell me how it went) And maybe even see about coming up with promised fixes and features.

AE is, as the poster above said, as close as you can come to a pause button on the game. They could make all kinds of game and story tweaks, and nobody would notice for awhile.

This is an opportunity they should grab, not let slide by.

[ QUOTE ]
Please provide links to where the devs made promises of a moonbase, mars, Rikti homeworld, and power customization.
While those things do get asked for often I know of no promises that we will ever see them.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was thinking the EXACT same thing. I never once heard the Devs say they "promised" to give a moonbase or the other stuff. I remember a moonbase thread, but no promises.

That better?

Much, thank you for asking

NP, I'd like my post on this subject to be clear and concise, and not get bogged down because I mis-remembered something or seem like I'm accusing the Dev's of anything.

(I'm not accusing the Dev's of anything, just saying that this is a chance they shouldn't lose!)

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Please provide links to where the devs made promises of a moonbase, mars, Rikti homeworld, and power customization.

[/ QUOTE ]To be honest, I remember Emmert making references to Moon Base and Mars missions, and mentioned power customization, but I wouldn't know where to find stuff from all the back like I-3.

I misspoke with the Rikti Homeworld bit, and will correct it.

Still, you say new content is coming out all the time. I'm not denying that it doesn't. I'm not denying that they put out a LOT of stuff for the game that doesn't involve purchasing a bunch of stuff to update the game.

What I'm saying, is now is their chance to UPDATE the game, fix stuff that has been broken forever. (Positron's Task Force... go ahead and try it with a team of minimum leveled heroes. Call me from ICU and tell me how it went) And maybe even see about coming up with promised fixes and features.

AE is, as the poster above said, as close as you can come to a pause button on the game. They could make all kinds of game and story tweaks, and nobody would notice for awhile.

This is an opportunity they should grab, not let slide by.

[/ QUOTE ]

As mentioned, "Discussed" or "mentioned in passing" isn't "promised," but you've already touched on that.

That said, I don't disagree with you as far as updating older content. They've shown they're willing to do so with zones (see the RCS to RWZ, and Faultline, with a touch of the Hollows - though the content didn't change,) and even remove content (Calvin Scott.)

Our next big shift, with i15, is going to involve the 5th column. They've already "peeked around the curtain," so to speak, with the ITF and Ouroboros. We also know I15 is not "The Coming Storm" - that's still on its way.

Villainside, of course, could *really* use new lower level content. It's more sparse than heroside. AE gives (potentially) an alternative, yes, and that is something I'm glad to see (especially with today's changes and announcement.) The upcoming "opening of the capsule," as well as the Rikti storylines, give other opportunities.

I wouldn't argue with seeing it refreshed a bit. (Honestly... two potential arcs per starting contact, and you only get to see one of them, might be interesting.)

See my Guides and Tutorials

[ QUOTE ]
NP, I'd like my post on this subject to be clear and concise, and not get bogged down because I mis-remembered something or seem like I'm accusing the Dev's of anything.

(I'm not accusing the Dev's of anything, just saying that this is a chance they shouldn't lose!)

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks as well for making your correction.

I was just pointing out that Posi has said we are getting some of the very things the OP was asking for as early as I15, and from what I understand I15 will be released very soon.

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That said, I don't disagree with you as far as updating older content. They've shown they're willing to do so with zones (see the RCS to RWZ, and Faultline, with a touch of the Hollows - though the content didn't change,) and even remove content (Calvin Scott.)

[/ QUOTE ]


Posted on the EU forums from an online discussion with Positron.

* On new content:
04-28-2009 18:06:36 [Local] Golden Girl1: Positron, are there any plans to give older zones a Faultline-style makeover, like Boomtown, for example, or would you rather add new zones to the game first?
Gen. Pansington: Positron, are there any plans on reworking the shadow shard tfs? noone ever playes them anymore
04-28-2009 18:06:53 [Local] Positron: Right now, we'd rather add zones
04-28-2009 18:07:04 [Local] Positron: since a revamp takes almost as much time.

I think the real opportunity here to to advance the canon storyline while AE has everyone's attention. Aside from a little Rikti invasion action, the overarching canon plot of CoH hasn't changed much for a while. Signature NPCs and quest plotlines are fairly static (with some relatively minor exceptions), zones are relatively static. If they took the change to progress the canon plotline, it would give Paragon City (and the Rouge Isles) a stronger feel of a world that still goes on functioning outside of it's immediate interaction with your character. And that tends to be a good thing, usually.
Like Rusted Metal said, I'm not saying the Devs aren't doing things, but I agree that this is a great opportunity for them.