Trial users can't use MA but are directed to it
By
Armsman,
Posted on: 2009-05-06 15:55 in ALL ACCESS Gameplay Technical Issues Bugs
I definitely understand your frustration, being a somewhat long-time video game level maker for various games over the years (going back to Wolfenstein 3D and DOOM, at least!). I'm pretttttty sure at a good guess that the reason they put the thing in there about trial users not using the MA is to prevent all the folks who would get on, use the trial accounts to spam farms/junk stuff, and then go poof.
That's my guess, anyway. Sadly, it's unfortunate. It'd be a HUGE selling point if trial users could try out what is, in my opinion, a really fun part of the game.
Here's hoping! Best of luck!
I'm out of signature space! Arcs by Tubbius of Justice are HERE: http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=218177
I can definitely see why they wouldn't let trial users make their own missions ('cause it would take up a huge amount of space on their server), but I really don't see why you can't run player-created missions.
Maybe they're worried about ratings fraud but can't simply not let you rate stuff? I'unno, but I agree that they shouldn't direct you to it if you can't play any of it.
Maybe they should wait until lvl 15 before introducing the contact?
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Maybe they're worried about ratings fraud but can't simply not let you rate stuff? I'unno, but I agree that they shouldn't direct you to it if you can't play any of it.
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I did eventually get in - but I had to have someone invite me to a team and start it for me. If the concern is ratings fraud and they do allow rating (I have no idea if it works or not, I know rating yourself silently fails) they don't have it fully blocked.
I can offer this as a possible reason why Trial Accounts are locked out of MA arcs. I was taking a peak at creating a story and saw that the button to start creating is on the same screen as the one you access MA arcs.
Rather than setup code to delete the Create Story button, I suspect they blocked all access to the MA arc screen. Makes sense to me.
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I can offer this as a possible reason why Trial Accounts are locked out of MA arcs. I was taking a peak at creating a story and saw that the button to start creating is on the same screen as the one you access MA arcs.
Rather than setup code to delete the Create Story button, I suspect they blocked all access to the MA arc screen. Makes sense to me.
[/ QUOTE ] Blocking the create button (graying it out) would probably have been just as easy as disabling the console. I think they didn't want people creating trial accounts and running their missions with them. Even if they disabled ratings too, there is still another counter for how many people have run the arc.
Maybe they will decide to do something to allow trials some kind of access later, but this was probably the easiest thing to start with.
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I definitely understand your frustration, being a somewhat long-time video game level maker for various games over the years (going back to Wolfenstein 3D and DOOM, at least!). I'm pretttttty sure at a good guess that the reason they put the thing in there about trial users not using the MA is to prevent all the folks who would get on, use the trial accounts to spam farms/junk stuff, and then go poof.
That's my guess, anyway. Sadly, it's unfortunate. It'd be a HUGE selling point if trial users could try out what is, in my opinion, a really fun part of the game.
Here's hoping! Best of luck!
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while all this is true the spam/junk still happens,
why they have email in the game still is be on me not many even use it and it should be taken out
Also most of the friends i have ask to try the game only wanted to try pvp and they cant due to the lvl change
good luck with trying to see if this is the game for you 
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I definitely understand your frustration, being a somewhat long-time video game level maker for various games over the years (going back to Wolfenstein 3D and DOOM, at least!). I'm pretttttty sure at a good guess that the reason they put the thing in there about trial users not using the MA is to prevent all the folks who would get on, use the trial accounts to spam farms/junk stuff, and then go poof.
That's my guess, anyway. Sadly, it's unfortunate. It'd be a HUGE selling point if trial users could try out what is, in my opinion, a really fun part of the game.
Here's hoping! Best of luck!
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while all this is true the spam/junk still happens,
why they have email in the game still is be on me not many even use it and it should be taken out
Also most of the friends i have ask to try the game only wanted to try pvp and they cant due to the lvl change
good luck with trying to see if this is the game for you
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That's because the Spam is coming from paid accounts the 'gold farmers' use. I guess they make enough money that paying 20 bucks an account and using it until banned still works for them.
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I can offer this as a possible reason why Trial Accounts are locked out of MA arcs. I was taking a peak at creating a story and saw that the button to start creating is on the same screen as the one you access MA arcs.
Rather than setup code to delete the Create Story button, I suspect they blocked all access to the MA arc screen. Makes sense to me.
[/ QUOTE ] Blocking the create button (graying it out) would probably have been just as easy as disabling the console. I think they didn't want people creating trial accounts and running their missions with them. Even if they disabled ratings too, there is still another counter for how many people have run the arc.
Maybe they will decide to do something to allow trials some kind of access later, but this was probably the easiest thing to start with.
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The biggest problem I have with it is not that I couldn't access it, but that I was directed specifically to the contact who then told me to go ahead and try it out -- and only then did I discover I couldn't.
That it was just a silent failure and there wasn't even a message telling me I needed to register to access this feature was a bit annoying too.
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The biggest problem I have with it is not that I couldn't access it, but that I was directed specifically to the contact who then told me to go ahead and try it out -- and only then did I discover I couldn't.
That it was just a silent failure and there wasn't even a message telling me I needed to register to access this feature was a bit annoying too.
[/ QUOTE ] I completely agree with that.
I have a regular paying account. My main complaint is The Mission Architect pops up as a contact when you reach level 5. He stays as a contact until you do the tour. End result, he goes away as a contact, but you don't get anything for it. I would at least like a itty-bitty reward for my time and effort, say 10 xp and 5 inf.
I'm currently on a week trial of CoH, and ran into a frustrating issue.
At level 5 a new contact was added for me, the Mission Architect guy. So I went to see him, and he gave me a mission - run around and take the tour of the AE building. I dutifully completed this tour, and was told to just click the computers to get started. Looking forward to trying out some players' creations, I did so...and nothing happened.
So I clicked a few more times. Eventually, I decided it was because I was on a trial account.
I think either the contact shouldn't be showing up for trial users, should have a different arc, or they should be allowed to play arcs (And just not vote?) like everyone else can. At the least, the final message should have a note, "If you're on a trial account you won't be able to access the actual missions so don't bother clicking the computers." Being told I could play it and not being allowed to was a major disappointment.