Ascension of Level 50 characters...
By
Ad Astra,
Posted on: 2009-05-26 13:37 in Suggestions and Ideas
Hell no.
People should be allowed to play their characters, at level 1 or at level 50. This would not just hurt farmers or PLers. It would harm normal players who happen to like using their level 50s to play normal missions. It would hurt normal players who like to take their level 50 and exemp and help friends, go back and play content that character hasn't done yet, or use Ouroborus.
If you get rid of the level 50 characters, then there's no incentive to get to level 50, sure. But that basically takes away the point of the game. Sure, there is content to do along the way, but if upon doing all of that content my hard work just disappears, I'm not likely to keep playing the game.
Edit -> Even more reasons not to do this:
1) There are certain enhancements to your character that can't be gotten until the late game. Hami-Os and Purple IO sets, specifically. You would be breaking the functionality of things that were put in specifically to help out high-level characters to keep progressing in a way not dependent on levels.
2) You put more pressure on people to twink out alts, creating even more situations where people feel that they need to get the 'uber stuff' before level 50.
3) You create a situation where it is more advantageous to NOT level up to level 50, and instead stay at level 49 with the little green arrow in the top corner of your screen.
4) You get enhancement slots at level 50. Not being able to really functionally use those would be a big PITA.
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
For your effects?
1 - I got to 50 because I was playing. At one point because I wanted Khelds.
1a. - Which leaves people in a bind if they get hit with a bug (as has been mentioned) where epics don't show as unlocked - because they then have to go back and log in to the 50.
2. So they stop getting XP at 49. Getting to 50 is not the only reason to farm. Getting purples, getting INF, getting PVP characters levelled up, enjoying running against a certain set of enemies - there are a lot of reasons to farm.
2a. Also, with this being optional... what makes you think it would stop?
3. Oy. A page full of xXxtHeBlAsTeRdUdExXx and the like? Scantily clad Nuse Naughty, the PL'd emp? Bleh.
Going back a bit in the post - I don't particularly care for my characters to be part of a popularity contest. Look at the complaints over 5-starred arcs, ratings griefing, etc. for what this would lead to.
I don't see a need for this, and don't see it particularly helping anything.
Edit:
Oh, and your reasoning:
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1. Power leveling is, overall, a negative aspect of the game, allowing players to attain level 50, without exploring virtually any actual game content.
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People PL to PVP. They PL to get to a level they think is fun. Whether you agree with it or not... it's not always to 50, or always newbies.
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2. Farming is, overall, a negative aspect of the game, leading to redundancy of missions, and general malaise among the player base.
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See above, as well as comments on your second effect.
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3. Once at level 50, character options are limited. There aren't enough things for level 50 character to do.
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Which is solely up to the player, and calls more for more content at those levels, not "Delete these characters" (or have a choice to delete the character.)
With this optional, I'd never run the mission. Ever. (For the record, one of each AT, 2 controllers, 2 defenders, nearly a second blaster at 50 heroside, and nearly one of each AT to 50 redside - I have several.) And if it were NOT optional - there goes both subscriptions, and I'm reasonably sure most of the SGs I'm in would leave.... many of which are made of multiple-year vets.
im going to add a #4: it would kill off the game completely. there would be no more CoX at all.
this is one of the worst ideas i have ever seen on these here boards and i have seen quite a few. in fact this deserves the:
/jpowerstonebrewharanger. 
No longer able to play the character I've been playing for 50 months give or take a few months?
I don't have enough Hell No to throttle the OP with.
Be well, people of CoH.
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If you get rid of the level 50 characters, then there's no incentive to get to level 50, sure. But that basically takes away the point of the game.
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Well, this shows a pretty limited view of the game. If the "point of the game" were merely to get to level 50, then how come there's so little to do with level 50 toons. That isn't the "point of the game." It never was. It's merely the end of the game.
The point of the game is to have fun, explore the content of the world, and to interact with other players.
I believe that the current trends in farming are diametrically in opposition to the "point of the game". Level 50 characters destroy the market system by providing means for limitless influence, reduce gameplay to fast no-risk leveling for other characters, and throw the game balance off.
Again, it would be an optional choice -- personally I delete all my level 50 toons anyway. I'm a 51 month vet myself, and I feel that once a character attains level 50, there's no point in running additional missions.
If you wanted to roll around the city, exemplaring down to help others, street sweep, you could do that. The only thing you'd be unable to do is to run farms.
The point of the game is to advance through the content. However, if you remove the end goal, then to a lot of people, you remove the incentive to advance through the content, since at the end is nothing.
The content is good, put if there's no carrot, or even perceived carrot, at the end of the stick, then you do remove a lot of motivation for trying to get the character there.
And yes, people have various ways of playing this game. For you, it might be content on the way up. For others, it's the (even limited) content at the end, or the ability to go back and do the content that they missed. Using your suggestion, I feel that we'd lose a lot more people than we'd retain, which is why I think it would be a bad idea to implement.
I know of no game that urges you to delete your character in such a way as this, and there's probably a reason for that.
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
so basically this is an anti farming thread in disguise. guess what? there is a thread already dedicated to farming in the City Life section. there is plenty for a 50 to do. in fact there is a new TF/SF comming in i15 for the 45-50 crowd. oh, and i would like to see proof that lv 50's destroy the game. seriously. if you can give me 100% unadultered, unarguable proof then i maybe, just maybe might maybe give your idea a 2nd look and still turn it down.
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The point of the game is to have fun, explore the content of the world, and to interact with other players.
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All of which I do frequently when playing my 50s. Outside of my stalker, whom I grew to dislike playing, the reason my 50s are there, are because I had a lot of fun with them, and I keep having fun with them.
This is plain and simple a bad idea.
@Catwhoorg "Rule of Three - Finale" Arc# 1984
@Mr Falkland Islands"A Nation Goes Rogue" Arc# 2369 "Toasters and Pop Tarts" Arc#116617
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Again, it would be an optional choice -- personally I delete all my level 50 toons anyway. I'm a 51 month vet myself, and I feel that once a character attains level 50, there's no point in running additional missions.
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Good for you. Not everybody plays like that. I rarely use my level 50s. But I do like knowing that if I want to pull them out, I can do so, and run missions with them.
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If you wanted to roll around the city, exemplaring down to help others, street sweep, you could do that. The only thing you'd be unable to do is to run farms.
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No, that is NOT all that it would stop. You'd also stop characters from running missions normally on a level 50 character. How do you not see that?
If the Devs come out with new level 50 content, you'd be unable to use any of your current level 50 characters to play through it, since they couldn't get access to the new content.
Take, for example, the new TF coming in I15. It's level 45-50 content. I can only play a few hours a week. If my level 50s were deleted, it would take me months before I was able to run this new content, because I'd have to get a character in range. And then if more content comes out in the future, it would take me months again.
That would not prevent me from PLing. It would actually ENCOURAGE me to do it with each issue release, and not play in between issues.
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
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The point of the game is to advance through the content. However, if you remove the end goal, then to a lot of people, you remove the incentive to advance through the content, since at the end is nothing.
The content is good, put if there's no carrot, or even perceived carrot, at the end of the stick, then you do remove a lot of motivation for trying to get the character there.
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I'm proposing an alternate carrot, because I feel that having a level 50 is a pretty lousy carrot to begin with.
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The point of the game is to advance through the content. However, if you remove the end goal, then to a lot of people, you remove the incentive to advance through the content, since at the end is nothing.
The content is good, put if there's no carrot, or even perceived carrot, at the end of the stick, then you do remove a lot of motivation for trying to get the character there.
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I'm proposing an alternate carrot, because I feel that having a level 50 is a pretty lousy carrot to begin with.
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No, you are not. You are swapping carrots. And in my opinion, replacing the current one with a really, really bad carrot.
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
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Take, for example, the new TF coming in I15. It's level 45-50 content. I can only play a few hours a week. If my level 50s were deleted, it would take me months before I was able to run this new content, because I'd have to get a character in range. And then if more content comes out in the future, it would take me months again.
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Actually, my original post suggests that TFs still be accessible for level 50 characters.
Man falling off a cliff:
NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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..
...
*pfft*
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The point of the game is to advance through the content. However, if you remove the end goal, then to a lot of people, you remove the incentive to advance through the content, since at the end is nothing.
The content is good, put if there's no carrot, or even perceived carrot, at the end of the stick, then you do remove a lot of motivation for trying to get the character there.
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I'm proposing an alternate carrot, because I feel that having a level 50 is a pretty lousy carrot to begin with.
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No, you are not. You are swapping carrots. And in my opinion, replacing the current one with a really, really bad carrot.
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Um...swapping carrots, and offering an alternate carrot are the same thing.
Is there really no reward which would be enough for you to part with your level 50 toon? Free months of membership? Access to additional content? Access to Beta-testing for new releases?
absolutely nothing could get me to part with any of my 50's. nothing, nada, zip, zilch, zero.
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Um...swapping carrots, and offering an alternate carrot are the same thing.
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So we would have to chose between alternate carrot and direct carrot?
Just a random thought.
Writer of In-Game fiction: Just Completed: My Summer Vacation. My older things are now being archived at Fanfiction.net http://www.fanfiction.net/~jwbullfrog until I come up with a better solution.
Worst idea ever.
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Um...swapping carrots, and offering an alternate carrot are the same thing.
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No. No they are not. Not even close.
If I was to tell you that I was swaping your current car with a beat up old jalopy, is that the same as giving you the jalopy, in addition to your current car? No, it's not. In one, I'm taking your current car, and in the other, I'm not.
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Is there really no reward which would be enough for you to part with your level 50 toon? Free months of membership? Access to additional content? Access to Beta-testing for new releases?
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No, because I see absolutely no reason to do it at all.
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
Sometimes I wonder if people go out of their way to be rude. Come on. Sure, you can disagree with the idea, I do, but you don't have to be all "THIS IDEA SUX" or "YOU'RE A MORON OMG" about it. You can word your opinion differently.
*ahem*
Anyways, this idea brings more problems than solutions. A lot of us hate PL'ing, but I don't really see how this will curb it. And as others have stated, some people are really attached to their level 50 toons. I'd be really aggravated if all of my 50ies suddenly were deleted.
So, I'm going to have to say "No thanks" to this suggestion. :/
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Sometimes I wonder if people go out of their way to be rude. Come on. Sure, you can disagree with the idea, I do, but you don't have to be all "THIS IDEA SUX" or "YOU'RE A MORON OMG" about it. You can word your opinion differently.
[/ QUOTE ] Well this is nothing more than an anti farming thread in disguise. The OP could have just said that from the beginning instead of lying. I understand two wrongs don't make a right, but the OP brought this upon himself.
Absolutely not. I still enjoy playing several of my 50s. If they got taken away from me, I would quit this game in a heartbeat.
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Um...swapping carrots, and offering an alternate carrot are the same thing.
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No. No they are not. Not even close.
If I was to tell you that I was swapping your current car with a beat up old jalopy, is that the same as giving you the jalopy, in addition to your current car? No, it's not. In one, I'm taking your current car, and in the other, I'm not.
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Well, I am, in fact, NOT taking your carrot. I'm merely suggesting we replace it. If the developers initiated this, they'd be the one taking your carrot.
But, to continue your analogy, I'm suggesting that players be given the opportunity to put their cars into a museum, where they'll be revered and accessible to anyone, but where they'll be unable to be driven again.
I'm not giving forcing anyone to do this, but I am attempting to figure out what sort of compensation would be enough to encourage you to do this.
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Well this is nothing more than an anti farming thread in disguise. The OP could have just said that from the beginning instead of lying. I understand two wrongs don't make a right, but the OP brought this upon himself.
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I hardly Lied. The VERY first part of my post lays out certain presuppositions. They overtly describe the assumption that farming is generally outside of the best interests of the game. And then I lay out a dramatic suggestion to solve the problems I laid out.
If you don't agree with the assumptions I laid out at the beginning of the OP, then there's no way you'll be interested in the possible solutions.
So, this is a serious suggestion, and one you're not likely to support, but hear me out. It's based on a couple of assumptions.
1. Power leveling is, overall, a negative aspect of the game, allowing players to attain level 50, without exploring virtually any actual game content.
2. Farming is, overall, a negative aspect of the game, leading to redundancy of missions, and general malaise among the player base.
3. Once at level 50, character options are limited. There aren't enough things for level 50 character to do.
There is a dramatic, but simple, solution to these three problems.
The removal of all level 50 Heroes/Villains.
What if, upon reaching level 50, heroes we're given one final mission -- call it an Epic Mission Type, if you want to be consistent. This mission would prevent the player from entering or selecting any other new missions. Characters who level in-mission (or TF) would obviously be allowed to finish their current tasks. Additionally, people who can't bear to part with their level 50 could still work the streets, attack each other in PvP zones, participate in Hamidon raids, and exemplar down to participate in Task Forces.
This final mission would be a challenging, rewarding, mission which, upon successful completion, would force a character to ascend (based on their origin perhaps) to another level of superheroism/supervillainry. That character would then be unplayable. They would have essentially moved on from Paragon City, having grown in power so much, they become a planetary guardian.
The details of this final mission would be up for discussion, of course, as would possible rewards. Perhaps the reward for completion would be a free Month of CoX? Costume options for new characters?
A Hall of Heroes could be designed, where characters could visit hero pages with detailed biographies, perhaps even screenshots of characters who have ascended. Perhaps players could elect one of their many leve 50 heroes as their representative.
Then a voting system, similar to that found in AE could be implemented for characters, players voting on which characters have the best backstories, costumes, and overall designs. Those with the highest ratings (and Dev approval) could show up occasionally on the streets of the city as NPC's, assisting other heroes/villains. They'll live on in infamy.
The effects on the game would be threefold.
1. It would essentially remove most of the motivation for attaining a level 50 character, reducing players urge to farm.
2. It would also remove most of the farms, which are run by level 50 characters, encouraging players to team with others around their level, and to explore more of the game's extensive content.
3. Finally, it would give players an opportunity to finalize their high level characters, and give them a place to show them off -- immortalizing them forever in game.
I realize that this idea may be unpopular, and I fully expect many of the board regulars to get their knickers in a twist of the idea, but it does seem like it would be a solution for some of the games current woes.