AE system has ruined CoH/CoV for me...
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Nerf AE xp to one half normal rate. (IIRC this was going to be the way it originally was anyway, and only "Dev Choice" arcs would get full xp)
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As best I can tell, this is the efficiency scale for leveling speed:**
Solo AE -- slowest
Solo PvE
Team PvE
Team AE -- fastest
The reason for this is that the AE opens up possibilities for a higher "enemy density" than you see in PvE, so for teams that can take them on, it's a lot faster. But for most soloists, the loss of patrol XP and mission bonus XP more than outweighs this, so PvE is actually faster.
Add to this the fact that on teams it's harder to follow a story, and it's no wonder the AE has such a built-in incentive to do team combat-grinds.
Your solution doesn't really fix the problem. IMHO they should restore patrol and mission bonus XP to the AE to make the solo experience competitive with PvE, and then do something else to rebalance the team experience.
** To be more exact, it's really a question of single-target vs. AoE, but the mapping is close enough that I think the generalization is valid.
And for a while things were cold,
They were scared down in their holes
The forest that once was green
Was colored black by those killing machines
Crystal,
Well put.
Seriously everybody, that's a victory for COX right?
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(I'm sure that a lot of people will not agree with me on this topic, but this is my opinion about it.)
I have been playing CoH/CoV for well over 4 years now and have seen a lot of changes to the game, the zones and the missions. Though I peruse the forums, I have never really posted anything here - until now...
IMO, The AE system as it currently is, has wrecked this game for me. The AE has made more players who have no clue about how to use their characters powers and has made more people more concerned about PL'ing than about actually playing the game. For new players, the fact that the only team that they can find is an AE team in Atlas further exacerbates this problem - this is only teaching the new players that CoH is only about doing AE missions and PL'ing. It is virtually impossible to get a normal mission team nowadays at any level.
The AE system is ridiculous. IMO, the AE buildings should be moved out of the lower level zones and should be for level 50 players ONLY.
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Why is this thread not in the Official Farming thread posted by Mod 8?
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You're right in that I was looking for PUG's - but thats because I stayed on the game longer than my friends because they have all quit the game over this same issue.
You are also correct in that its just a game - but now its a seriously broken game. I won't be paying to play a broken game system. There are other superhero MMO's on the horizon to explore...
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Make new friends?
Join an SG.
I mean, no offense, but even without AE, I rarely if ever bother with pugs anymore. theyre just not worth the risk of idiot players (who existed way before AE did)
Though from the rest of this topic, looks like you're one of those braindead buffoons who thinks he can force other people to play his way rather than the way they enjoy by whining enough.
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Wow, really? You just told this guy to get new friends, join a supergroup, and to stop playing on pugs....only to accuse him of being a brain dead buffoon that tells other people how to play, like two sentences later. Pot....meet kettle.
I am part of the group that doesn't want to commit to a SG and prefers to have a few globle friends, and join pugs most the time. THIS is how I've played for over 4 years and AE has ruined that for me. All you folks saying it hasn't ruined anything and people like me need to just join a SG or change the way we play....just don't get it. If the shoe was on the other foot and I was saying you just need to quit your SGs and play all pug teams, I'm sure you folks would quickly understand what I'm trying to say. Just because it hasn't changed your game experience, please don't be so niave as to believe it hasn't drasticly effected others.
i only came back bc of the AE missions. If they didn't make this or come out with it i would not have activated my accounts.
Ive been playing this game for years now and to plvl toons to the lvl i want and play them after that, why is that wrong? there are a lot of different builds i want to play and test and this is the only way to get them to a lvl without spending hours on end paper farming or grinding normal missions.
This system is really the only reason why ppl have came back to this game as me being one of them myself. In time once they fix/nerf things i will just deactivate and move on. Champions is coming in 2 months any ways so that will be where my time will be going as well as Aion also.
This game is a ship with a hole in it slowly sinking as time goes on and they are finding ways to try and keep it a float but its just time that is needed for it to sink..
Also, the best way to fix the AE farming issue is to drop a crapload of new lvl 50 content on us in Peregrine and Grandville. Put a new TF/SF in, a new contact with new missions, and have it all based on a new enemy faction and use brand new mission maps. It would get lvl 50s back into those zones where they belong and I bet most of the high lvl farming would migrate back there also. The only other thing needed is a farm channel...or AE channel, even though I'm sure alot of folks would still be [censored] and use broadcast, it would help some.
You can't stop the farming, you can only hope to control it. If they'd just get out of Atlas and Cap Diable, and go back to Peregrine and Granville....I think this whole thing would blow over rather quickly.
for sure JDouble that would work over.. PPl would still farm but it would be alot less. The lvl 50's need more content.. We need stuff to do at lvl 50 and there is nothing for us to do but farm.
If they added more stuff for 50's as for TS/SF, new zones, maps, etc then i think it would help alot of these issue's. A game that has been out for 4 years+ and still at lvl 50 cap? Look at the expansions WoW has received but we are still on lvl 50?
MORE 50 CONTENT PLEASE!
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Also, the best way to fix the AE farming issue is to drop a crapload of new lvl 50 content on us in Peregrine and Grandville. Put a new TF/SF in, a new contact with new missions, and have it all based on a new enemy faction and use brand new mission maps. It would get lvl 50s back into those zones where they belong and I bet most of the high lvl farming would migrate back there also. The only other thing needed is a farm channel...or AE channel, even though I'm sure alot of folks would still be [censored] and use broadcast, it would help some.
You can't stop the farming, you can only hope to control it. If they'd just get out of Atlas and Cap Diable, and go back to Peregrine and Granville....I think this whole thing would blow over rather quickly.
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I think this would help a lot, but only be temporary at best, unless this new group was at least in the ballpark of reward-gaining efficiency as the other groups.
My biggest gripes with the game, that have been solved a bit by AE, are in no particular order:
1) The pre-Stamina/pre-SOs game: After almost 4 years, this is an annoying-at-best, painful-at-worst experience even using all the endurance and power management tools I know before this point. AE not only gets teams together relatively quickly (in my expereince), but the leveling speed even through "story-focused content" is higher than the "RL" game. Not only does this mean more endurance fill-ups as you play and level, but simply getting passed some of the endurance choke points faster.
2) Travel between zones for some story arcs: This is primarily a Hero-side issue, and they have been trying to alleviate it somewhat as they add new contacts. There is nothing worse in the game than getting a bunch of "travel to x zone to deliver or pick up y package," then having to go back to z contact to get the next mission and promptly getting sent another 3 or 4 zones away because they do not like you enough for you to call them yet. Not everyone has the convenience of a well-developed SG to abuse the porters and not everyone is a high enough level to be Entrusted with the Secret (the O-Zone portal seriously became one of my favorite temp powers because of how much travel it cut out for me). I do not know specifics off the top of my head (unfortunately), but I highly doubt any of you are going to argue the existence of these instances with me.
Not only does AE all but remove these missions, but since you can use AE to put all the missions in one zone, you can remove the need for a travel power (almost, some of the maps are still more convenient with one), allowing more space in a build.
3) Ticket Speed versus Merit Speed: A decent PuG can run almost any AE arc or mission to get a decent amount of Tickets to use for rolls. Getting Merits at a decent clip tends to require a bit more of a focused team that knows what they are doing. Double the amount of merits on any given real story arc or TF and remove the penalty for repeating it (which I thought was a bad idea to begin with), and I bet people start moving back out to those (or at least the most efficient one). This moves most of the farmers either out to that zone or back to PI or Oroborous, the lowbies have to get to a minimum level to join whatever TF or 25 to get to the O-Zone.
11 months of all-nighters, messy feeding sessions, bath fighting and realizing just how good my son's lungs work, and I am still convinced he is the crowning accomplishment in my life. What in the blue HFIL is wrong with me?
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I am part of the group that doesn't want to commit to a SG and prefers to have a few globle friends, and join pugs most the time. THIS is how I've played for over 4 years and AE has ruined that for me. All you folks saying it hasn't ruined anything and people like me need to just join a SG or change the way we play....just don't get it. If the shoe was on the other foot and I was saying you just need to quit your SGs and play all pug teams, I'm sure you folks would quickly understand what I'm trying to say. Just because it hasn't changed your game experience, please don't be so niave as to believe it hasn't drasticly effected others.
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No, what people are telling you is that other players (aka paying customers) are not there to be your teammates or for your enjoyment. They are paying the montly subscription for their own enjoyment first and foremost. Your enjoyment of the game doesn't trump the enjoyment of everyone else's. If other players don't enjoy teaming with you on non-AE content, then that's their choice. That's what they're paying for.
Those who suggest you join an SG or get more global friends are doing so only after people like you have whined about nerfing AE so much. It is only reactionary because people like you would rather everyone else change their playstyle before you change yours. Since you seem to be in the minority, perhaps you should reconsider.
MA is a great tool but the DEVS dropped the ball by having so many AE buildings. It has made a significant impact on the game.
I really enjoy making missions and having them involve all custom toons. I am sick and tired of 'official' content where it is the SAME mission just with different text. That is just pathetic. Same enemy group, same boss, same map...over and over and over. I almost get physically ill when I play some of these arcs.
Anyway, MA is a great tool and I think they might make some changes (XP reduction etc) and change it. A smart thing would be to have only a few buildings a side and have them in higher zones but I am sure that won't happen - that would involve the CoX brain trust admitting they made a mistake and didn't really think out the implementation of the MA into the game!
Hi all,
I've read through the posts so far and IMHO I think one easy answer is for the devs to either;
a. Create a new non-AE server (label is AE-free zone) where everyone that wants the AE gone can go and play to their hearts content with absolutely no AE spam...
Or, a better option...
b. Take one of the existing low population servers, and completely remove the AE bldgs from that one server (label it AE-free zone), offer the entire population of the game one free server transfer per existing toon to whichever server they would like and then the problem is solved...
Just my $0.02 but this seems like an easy fix to me
"Now remember, things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is." Josey Wales
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I am part of the group that doesn't want to commit to a SG and prefers to have a few globle friends, and join pugs most the time. THIS is how I've played for over 4 years and AE has ruined that for me. All you folks saying it hasn't ruined anything and people like me need to just join a SG or change the way we play....just don't get it. If the shoe was on the other foot and I was saying you just need to quit your SGs and play all pug teams, I'm sure you folks would quickly understand what I'm trying to say. Just because it hasn't changed your game experience, please don't be so niave as to believe it hasn't drasticly effected others.
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I play on PUGS quite a bit, and the only thing I've noticed that is different are all the new players that are returning to this game. If new subscriptions == ruining the game, then yes, I agree.
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My biggest gripes with the game, that have been solved a bit by AE, are in no particular order:
1) The pre-Stamina/pre-SOs game: After almost 4 years, this is an annoying-at-best, painful-at-worst experience even using all the endurance and power management tools I know before this point. AE not only gets teams together relatively quickly (in my expereince), but the leveling speed even through "story-focused content" is higher than the "RL" game. Not only does this mean more endurance fill-ups as you play and level, but simply getting passed some of the endurance choke points faster.
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On the other hand, I've been with the game for 4 years and my favorite part of the game is the lower levels where play is more challenging due to power limitations. We also have the more inspiring foe groups and storylines at low level. From 1-20 we get the Skulls, Hellions, Circle, Outcasts, Vahz, and Tsoo (plus the "meh" Council, Clocks, Trolls, Lost, Igneous, Raiders, Freaks, Family, Arachnos and Warriors). Some players may like the foe groups introduced at the higher levels (Malta, Nemesis, Carnies, Crey, Knives), but they seem less enthralling to me.
The later part of the game, after level 30, is where teams trash whole mobs in seconds, then dogpile on the boss/EB/AV. It's like farming. It just doesn't seem as well balanced to me. Also, especially if I'm playing a controller or defender, I've got like 20 different powers to trigger by that point, not counting all the temps.
So I'm not looking to bypass the early levels of play - heck, it goes so quickly anyway now that we have basically zero debt and accelerated xp. I just wish we could get more and better content at the lower levels, from say 1-30.
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2) Travel between zones for some story arcs: This is primarily a Hero-side issue, and they have been trying to alleviate it somewhat as they add new contacts. There is nothing worse in the game than getting a bunch of "travel to x zone to deliver or pick up y package," then having to go back to z contact to get the next mission and promptly getting sent another 3 or 4 zones away because they do not like you enough for you to call them yet. Not everyone has the convenience of a well-developed SG to abuse the porters and not everyone is a high enough level to be Entrusted with the Secret (the O-Zone portal seriously became one of my favorite temp powers because of how much travel it cut out for me). I do not know specifics off the top of my head (unfortunately), but I highly doubt any of you are going to argue the existence of these instances with me.
Not only does AE all but remove these missions, but since you can use AE to put all the missions in one zone, you can remove the need for a travel power (almost, some of the maps are still more convenient with one), allowing more space in a build.
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I'll completely agree that the devs expletived the players early and often with stupid and useless travel in the original content of the game. However, I don't like AE either. It's a choice between two extremes: spend all your time traveling, or spend zero time traveling. I prefer the middle ground.
I think it would be great if players could take their arcs out of the AE building and place the missions at different doors (vans, helicopters) in the many zones. We'd do it right, too. The travel would be part of the story. I think we lose a lot of the flavor of the game by focusing on play in the AE building.
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I play on PUGS quite a bit, and the only thing I've noticed that is different are all the new players that are returning to this game. If new subscriptions == ruining the game, then yes, I agree.
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It could also be that since you're in Atlas now from levels 1-50 you're just meeting more of the new players.
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On the other hand, I've been with the game for 4 years and my favorite part of the game is the lower levels where play is more challenging due to power limitations. We also have the more inspiring foe groups and storylines at low level. From 1-20 we get the Skulls, Hellions, Circle, Outcasts, Vahz, and Tsoo (plus the "meh" Council, Clocks, Trolls, Lost, Igneous, Raiders, Freaks, Family, Arachnos and Warriors). Some players may like the foe groups introduced at the higher levels (Malta, Nemesis, Carnies, Crey, Knives), but they seem less enthralling to me.
The later part of the game, after level 30, is where teams trash whole mobs in seconds, then dogpile on the boss/EB/AV. It's like farming. It just doesn't seem as well balanced to me. Also, especially if I'm playing a controller or defender, I've got like 20 different powers to trigger by that point, not counting all the temps.
So I'm not looking to bypass the early levels of play - heck, it goes so quickly anyway now that we have basically zero debt and accelerated xp. I just wish we could get more and better content at the lower levels, from say 1-30.
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Different strokes, I suppose. I am not a big fan of underdeveloped toons. No powers, no slots, few inspirations. To me, that makes getting on a sub-par team or PuG even worse. At least once a character has come into their own they might be able to pull a bit of extra weight for a little bit if someone goes down. The sooner I get passed that point the better. Fortunately, with the exception of my fiancee (unfortunately), the group of RL friends I play with share that view after the amount of time they have played. Guess I got lucky.
As far as destroying mobs and the subsequent Dogpile, I would not fault the players for making use of their powers in the best way possible and that the Devs only seem to make challenges in the forms of "higher Regen, higher HP, higher DPS and the PToD."
As far as the enemy groups, I agree, I like the lower level ones more than the higher level ones for the most part. Outcasts, Skulls, and Hellions in particular I know I tend to miss after 20, but having more powers to play with and being better enhanced far than makes up for it. Not to mention some of the higher level groups just seem to have overpowered debuffs or just general annoyance powers that are all but impossible to get over solo, whereas the lower level groups tend to be more fun because they would attack (Crey is about the only higher level group I like. I would say CoT, as well, but they are pretty much across all level ranges). The Carnie masks and Malta Stun Grenades can decimate some toons in short order, for example.
I suppose that is part of the problem, that some players view even what is standard Dev content as "farming" even though it is simply players progressing through content. AT by AT, I see it as balanced because each AT contributes something that takes an enemy group from the difficulty of "slight challenge" to "cake." Start removing members and that changes.
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I'll completely agree that the devs expletived the players early and often with stupid and useless travel in the original content of the game. However, I don't like AE either. It's a choice between two extremes: spend all your time traveling, or spend zero time traveling. I prefer the middle ground.
I think it would be great if players could take their arcs out of the AE building and place the missions at different doors (vans, helicopters) in the many zones. We'd do it right, too. The travel would be part of the story. I think we lose a lot of the flavor of the game by focusing on play in the AE building.
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Fair enough. But, then again, that is why my favorite zones to do arcs at all are the Hollows, Faultline (yes, I said it), Striga Isle, and Croatoa, and PI in the end (the Portal arcs tend to be kept pretty much in PI). However, this means I tend to miss most of the enemy groups I like fighting (although the ones I end up getting aren't too bad). I do not mind traveling across a zone or maybe to an adjacent zone to do a mission or maybe even a delivery (Talos to Dark Astoria for example). Having to go from PI or Talos to Atlas Park to deliver something, then having to trudge all the way back, is more than enough to make me run AE until they get that changed.
P.S. That arc of zones (AP-Hollows-Faultline-Striga-Croatoa), can usually get a player to about 30. Sometimes even without having to do radios to fill in a level or two. Maybe what the Devs should do is create a few more zones like that and stretch it out to 50. Yes, I know the FBZ and the Shard exist in a similar fashion for the 40-50 group, but that zone is not worth it unless you have your own fly gear (that jetpack is too slow).
11 months of all-nighters, messy feeding sessions, bath fighting and realizing just how good my son's lungs work, and I am still convinced he is the crowning accomplishment in my life. What in the blue HFIL is wrong with me?
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I am part of the group that doesn't want to commit to a SG and prefers to have a few globle friends, and join pugs most the time. THIS is how I've played for over 4 years and AE has ruined that for me. All you folks saying it hasn't ruined anything and people like me need to just join a SG or change the way we play....just don't get it. If the shoe was on the other foot and I was saying you just need to quit your SGs and play all pug teams, I'm sure you folks would quickly understand what I'm trying to say. Just because it hasn't changed your game experience, please don't be so niave as to believe it hasn't drasticly effected others.
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No, what people are telling you is that other players (aka paying customers) are not there to be your teammates or for your enjoyment. They are paying the montly subscription for their own enjoyment first and foremost. Your enjoyment of the game doesn't trump the enjoyment of everyone else's. If other players don't enjoy teaming with you on non-AE content, then that's their choice. That's what they're paying for.
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So the fact that all the content, zones, TF/SF, temp powers, contacts, story arcs, and lore built up over the last 5 years being totally ignored because folks go from 1-50 in the Atlas AE and don't even know how to play thier charcters is ok, and in fact the correct way for this game to be played? ok. sorry I guess I was wrong.
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Those who suggest you join an SG or get more global friends are doing so only after people like you have whined about nerfing AE so much. It is only reactionary because people like you would rather everyone else change their playstyle before you change yours. Since you seem to be in the minority, perhaps you should reconsider.
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I haven't whined or asked for AE nerfs at all so watch the hyperbole dude. My only recomendation to fix the issues I have with AE farming was to add more lvl 50 content to Peregrine and Grandville to get folks back in those zones and out of Atlas/Cap Diable. Hardly a nerf or whining.
What's funny to me is that the AE in the RWZ is alwasy dead. I thought it would be the hub of everything under the sun when AE hit cause it allows CoOp teams.....but nothin.
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If they'd just get out of Atlas and Cap Diable
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The thing is, at least hero-side, the zone in question is the showcase for the game. That they would rip it out of Atlas conjures enough doubt from me to achieve critical mass, collapse into a doubt black hole, and begin sucking in all doubt in the immediate interstellar vicinity.
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Anyway, MA is a great tool and I think they might make some changes (XP reduction etc)
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You already seen an XP reduction over normal content. No mission-end/arc-end bonuses.
Penalizing it much more than that would do serious damage to the utility of the MA system.
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Hi all,
I've read through the posts so far and IMHO I think one easy answer is for the devs to either;
a. Create a new non-AE server (label is AE-free zone) where everyone that wants the AE gone can go and play to their hearts content with absolutely no AE spam...
Or, a better option...
b. Take one of the existing low population servers, and completely remove the AE bldgs from that one server (label it AE-free zone), offer the entire population of the game one free server transfer per existing toon to whichever server they would like and then the problem is solved...
Just my $0.02 but this seems like an easy fix to me
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No.
Let me repeat this for emphasis.
[u] NO! [u]
It's NOT an easy fix. Then they're essentially maintaining two codebases (DUMB with 50 foot tall glowing neon letters).
Moreover, are YOU going to volunteer YOUR server to be the one converted? And how are the rest of the server's denizens going to take this news?
Repeat after me.
YOU
CANNOT
FORCE
OTHERS
TO
PLAY
YOUR
WAY.
If this simple fact is just too horrendous to face? Okay. Thanks! BYE! Don't let the account cancellation hit you in the keister on the way out!
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So the fact that all the content, zones, TF/SF, temp powers, contacts, story arcs, and lore built up over the last 5 years being totally ignored because folks go from 1-50 in the Atlas AE and don't even know how to play thier charcters is ok, and in fact the correct way for this game to be played? ok. sorry I guess I was wrong.
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Glad you finally saw the light.
And I'm only partially joking.
Temp powers, story arcs, and the lot, ARE all optional. They CAN be ignored.
I hit my first 50 mainly by STREET SWEEPING! Why? Because I didn't have a good grasp of the game at first. And was soloing a ton.
And if someone doesn't care to figure out how to play their character in the "optimal" manner, as long as they're having fun and not hurting anyone (even if they're not particularly useful or pleasant teammates), rock on!
Them that pays, says. It's that simple. I don't expect anything of fellow players other than a teensy modicum of courtesy. I have no rightto inflict other expectations upon them.
Partially because co-op play is still semi-broken in the game due to restrictions on transferring things like inspirations from one side to another.
Only Villain on a co-op team: Dude! I croaked! Someone got a wakey?
Defender: Yeah, I have 20 of them.
Villain: Pass me one dude!
Defender: Can't, the rest of us are all heroes. Go hit the hospital.
Hey Hyperstrike, stop shooting down other people's ideas about stuff. Thanks.
Anyways, I agree that AE has messed a lot of stuff up in CoX. The zones that used to be used are... well, no longer used. I went to Cimerora the other day and where I used to find maybe 15-20 people standing around Imperious, I found... nothing. It's rare to get an ITF these days and I don't like that. ITF's were fun. The only solution I can even think of is this: Make a newbie zone! Or at least put the Tutorial back into being unavoidable. When City of Villains first launched we had to do the Tutorial for EVERY character. This will not only sort or slow down the Character Creation, but also slow a little bit of the newblets not knowing what the crap they're doing.
This game has lost a little of it's fun factor for me, only in that I don't get to experience as many baddie groups that I used to. I miss fighting Carnies, Family, Rikti, even Circle of Thorns... (Damn them and their holds and bubbles)... All I see now is... Maniac Slammer Maniac Slammer Maniac Slammer Maniac Slammer Maniac Slammer Maniac Slammer Maniac Slammer...
I'm not saying that I'm innocent of avoiding AE and trying to find real teams, but it's near impossible unless I'm already 50, and my friends aren't on.
RAWR.
:3
Member of Operation Unlimited Justice!
You only wish you were this epic.
10 Drop Ships taken down.
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So the fact that all the content, zones, TF/SF, temp powers, contacts, story arcs, and lore built up over the last 5 years being totally ignored because folks go from 1-50 in the Atlas AE and don't even know how to play thier charcters is ok, and in fact the correct way for this game to be played? ok. sorry I guess I was wrong.
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It's called choice. I hope you're familar with the concept. If a fellow paying customer chooses to play in AE and only AE, it is their choice. If they suck, so be it. That's their choice too. They're enjoying themselves, and that's the most important thing. If them being sucky results in negative consequences (i.e. no one wants them on teams), then it is their choice on how to remedy the situation.
For some reason, you don't seem to grasp the concept that not everyone enjoys the same things as you do.
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I have to agree with the OP on this one. AE has definitely changed the game for the worse. Its a GREAT idea with poor implementation... I have seen some of the worst teaming and horrific builds that I have seen in the 5 years I have been playing this game... I am seeing people that are level 50 in Atlas that dont know where Galaxy City or Steel Canyon is..
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I don't understand why that's a problem. If a player levels to 50 in the AE, that player has never needed to know how to get to those places.
It's not terribly difficult to learn where those places are. If a player has a reason to go there, that player will learn how.
I think there are lots of reasons to play outside the AE. Cool temp powers, interesting content, merits, badges, TF's, etc.
I think players will still want to do those things once the shine wears off the AE. It's an excellent alternative leveling method, but there are a lot of things it doesn't do. See above.
Players who want to navigate both sides will figure out how to do so. Those who don't, shouldn't be expected to have knowledge of the parts of the game they're not playing.
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Zones are largely empty except Atlas... Level 50 in PI AE building.. EMPTY.. not a soul.. in fact I was the ONLY person even in PI.
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I strongly suspect this will revert back to regular levels soon. Perhaps the 50's are psyched to have so much new content to play, instead of running the same AV missions over and over again.
I agree with you that the game has changed. I think that it is for the better. The MA will have a significant effect on MMO development. It is perhaps, the wave of the future.
Simply put, it is one of the coolest things ever and people are playing the crap out of it.
If I were a COX Dev, I would be psyched about this.
The answer is not to change the AE.
As opposed to limiting or discouraging use of the AE as has been suggested, I suspect the Devs have a better plan in mind. Perhaps they'll continue to add content and rewards to the world outside AE. Expanding options and therefore encouraging exploration.
The idea is to build it up, not tear it down.