Thoughts from an Oldtimer

Hi,
I am Charnage.
I have a Coh additicion.
I started taking Coh on May 17th, 2004

Mostly, it’s the making of alts.
Altitis runs deep.
I love to make new characters, mixing and matching power sets that make the game interesting for me.

I enjoy playing with the people I have played with since I started this game, and mostly stick with them. I seldom ask for invites, or ask someone to join my team. I have always enjoyed the team work and the conversations, and in the last few years I have really enjoyed having a Teamspeak or a Vent server, so my jokes are a little more clear, the sarcasm noticeable.

I do not stand around a zone and beg for a AE mission, or a PL, or anything of that nature. I do not waste my time with such things. I have a limited time to play this game, as a way to relax at the end of the day, so I put on my under-roos, and pretend I have super powers like my favorite comics character.

I enjoy playing the content, relish a TF, and dig dressing up my “dolls”. I still get a rush from getting to the top of any tall building and just letting myself fall , watching myself get closer and closer, and then trying to hit my hover button just in time. I enjoy when new content rolls out and I dig having enough experience to help other people with most anything in the game.

I am also an expert farmer. I have done so as a helper on both wolves maps.
I have been the fire/ice tank in the old Ninjas and Dreck maps, I have done maps and maps of burning down evil doers and helping others make xp and influence, all in the name of a good time that I do not have to travel very far to do. I also enjoyed the tradition I started that each new 50 I helped get there, was treated to a tp above Monster Island, to get a defeat that meant nothing at all, to smile at the lack of fear from debt.

I enjoy trying to run a Fire/kin Controller as optimally as possible, and yes, I still use SO’s, the best feeling is seeing 20 ticks of buff off of two fulcrum shifts. I enjoy the rush of diving into a maxed out spawn size and trashing them completely. I enjoy trying to figure out, just how many different mobs I can aggro with my Fire Armor Brute, even with the cap, to follow me around a corner, and still get the ones left behind to come over after their buddies are burnt all to a sizzle. I enjoy it, not so much for my own rewards, or the rewards I can get for my 2nd account, or for the friends I have teamed with me. I honestly enjoy the challenge. The challenge, to get the mobs to follow you where you want. To manage the aggro, so others can do their thing. To have a huge pile of fading out foes.

But, I really enjoying having the time to talk to my buds, to shoot the poot with them, to be goofy, to talk politics, to share tips on how to cook a drunken chicken. Its not about having a new 50, its not about getting fat loot, its not about being the best in PvP.

For the people that want to slam farmers, I say I can agree with you on some points.
It stinks to constantly hear in chat a beg for a PL or an AE. I can bet part of it is resentment for not getting on a team, and part the feeling that it is cheating in some way.
Heck, I used to get so annoyed at the huge crowd of begging lowbies in PI, I would go grab a few Monsters and bring them back to Portal Corp, and leave them to clear house. Or I would invite someone that was begging for at least 2 hours straight, tp them into a guardtower and kick them from the team. But that was back in the day, and you can not do that much anymore.

But lets be honest. If you do anything more than once, and you repeat the same content more than once, you are in a small way, farming that content. If you do a daily ITF, you are farming the merits. If you are a marketer, buying, selling and making profit, you are farming the market. When you are chasing after a million rikti monkeys for the Zookeeper badge, you are farming.

I guess my point is this. For the “bad” that is in this game, for all the annoying personalities, for all the haters and whiners, for all the people that just will not let others have their version of fun. I wish you would all lighten up. For all the ones that want to make changes so others have to play by your own personal vision of what the game is, please, let it go.

I do not want sweeping change, I do not want to let go of the comfortable way I can relax at the end of the day. I do not want to get annoyed at people that either cry about a nerf, or cry for a nerf. I just want to put on my under-roos for a few hours each night and play whatever way the game will let me play. If its grinding out map after map of burnt baddies, or an ITF, or making money on the market, or getting that new shiny defeat badge, I want to have the freedom to do so.

I would think that more people would be ok with that. But like certain body parts, everyone has an opinion, they feel they are right, that others are wrong, and most people I see on the forums feel like they must win all arguments.

Me. I just want to play. To remember that small bit of wonderment I had as a kid, watching Saturday morning cartoons for 6 hours straight, and imagining if I hung a beach towel from the back of my collar and made a swoosh sound as I ran around the backyard, that I was really a superhero.

Maybe more of us could try and remember that too.

[ QUOTE ]

Me. I just want to play. To remember that small bit of wonderment I had as a kid, watching Saturday morning cartoons for 6 hours straight, and imagining if I hung a beach towel from the back of my collar and made a swoosh sound as I ran around the backyard, that I was really a superhero.

Maybe more of us could try and remember that too.

[/ QUOTE ]

That was beautiful, man....

Read my stories!

well said...

Wonderful post. It can't be said any better than this.

*applause*

This message has been approved. Well done.

[ QUOTE ]
...Heck, I used to get so annoyed at the huge crowd of begging lowbies in PI, I would go grab a few Monsters and bring them back to Portal Corp, and leave them to clear house. Or I would invite someone that was begging for at least 2 hours straight, tp them into a guardtower and kick them from the team. But that was back in the day, and you can not do that much anymore....

[/ QUOTE ]

"Get off my lawn!"

But more seriously, you couldn't do that then either, without risking getting reported and probably on the receiving end of a suspension / banning. Pulling monsters into Portal Corps was officially listed as a "bannable griefing / offense", and I know that TP trick was as well.

Personally, I'm a strict non-PLer, non-farmer... most days.

If badges are involved, I *will* farm the crap out of them. Some have repeatable missions for fun, some do PvP, I have badges. To each his own.

PLing, I'll submit to if that's what the team is doing and nothing else interesting is going on, or if I'm enjoying the company of the people I'm teamed with, but I won't do it myself for others - even for my wife or kids.

To me, the ride is more important than the goal when it comes to leveling, and I've seen to many people get to 50, start PLing their alts, and then leave the game entirely because it's "boring... has nothing to do one you reach 50, etc." Others yet still tend to collect lecvel 50s like I do badges.

I'm glad to see there are other old timers like me (July 2004) still around who find their enjoyment not exclusively in what the game has to offer, but in the social interaction it also provides.

I started on May 9th 2004.

This game was my birthday gift to myself (as who else would know more than what I want as a gift).

I admit, when I started I thought I would be playing a live version of the PnP game, but when I started the character creation screen... I was hooked.

My current roster is 24 characters across two accounts. Those two accounts could easily be three as I have a signed edition of GvE that I could crack open and use the code from.

I have met several fellow players in various locations, ranging from Chicago (local) to heading out to Idaho and Washington D.C.

This environment opened me to more "social" networks where I have chatted/interacted with other people that I would not normally have done.

I have become more open minded about the various people that I have met online, and have changed my "political" views after hearing and conversing with others from within this environment.

Having reached 50 years old, I think I have learned more about humanity in the last five years than I did in the other 45.

I am thankful for having conversed with Tsuki (the elder), Badge, Myotis, Beef Cake, Sapph, and so many more others I can not name (as the sometimers kicks in).

I still remember the "Where are the Lost in Kings Row" broadcast that when I see it come across, I actually help now instead of saying "They're lost".

Running the first Hero Respec trial 10 times back when it first came out and making 33 out of the continuous runs.

Running Wolves on my Empath when all I was interested in was earning the 5th Column badge, and then finding out that the wolves did not count for that badge.

Seeing a single FF defender herd 5 Devouring Earth monsters into Portal Corp before there was even a discussion of having drones.

The old Rikti Crash Site zone.

The old Hami Raids that could be done by invite and forums posts.

Ish deciding that a "cuddle death" of Hami was more fun that trying to beat him into submission.

So many memories.

So much fun.

So many years.


And more to come.

[ QUOTE ]
"Get off my lawn!"

[/ QUOTE ]

*shakes cane menacingly*

I believe I'm the only person here who has 'Get off my lawn' as a toon's Battle Cry.

I'll await my royalties.

Good post. I kept looking at the box on store shelves for the 1st 2 years saying ... that looks like a good game... Doh!!
Knocked my socks off when I actully bought/tried it.

Yeah I looked at it for a few months before I decided to get it and have been with it ever since. Not sure when I started (and too lazy to look), but I know it was during i3 I think. BB was in his 20s (21 I think) and cruising around IP when the first Defiance was brought out.

I thought about it way back then, saw it on the shelf, though 'eh'.

Then I look at my account and see:
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
Trial XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
Retail XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
Perk XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
DVD XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
Perk XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
City of Heroes® Wedding Pack XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
Retail XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
Retail XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
Preorder XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
Collector XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
</pre><hr />

Yeah, I don't play much.

I saw the game on the shelves in Best Buy, wal-mart, and a few other local retailers but it wasn't until I got a demo disc with a computer gaming magazine I was subscribing to at the time that I finally downloaded it and haven't looked back since.

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, I don't play much.

[/ QUOTE ]

<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
Serial Codes Used on this Account
Type Date Used
Retail May 9, 2004
DVD Nov 14, 2004
Preorder Oct 6, 2005
Collector Oct 31, 2005
Retail Oct 4, 2006
City of Heroes® Wedding Pack Feb 12, 2008
Retail Jul 29, 2008
Perk Sep 17, 2008
Retail Sep 21, 2008
Perk Oct 20, 2008
Perk Oct 20, 2008
Retail Jan 8, 2009
Perk Jan 8, 2009
Retail Mar 16, 2009
Retail Apr 16, 2009
</pre><hr />

Shinys

<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
Type Date Used
Retail Aug 4, 2004
Preorder Sep 25, 2005
Retail Oct 31, 2005
City of Heroes® Good Versus Evil Special In-Game Item Pack Oct 5, 2006
Perk Aug 2, 2008
Perk Sep 15, 2008
Perk Sep 20, 2008
Retail Jan 8, 2009
Perk Apr 15, 2009
Perk Jun 14, 2009
</pre><hr />

Type Date Used Serial Code
Retail May 17, 2004
DVD Nov 28, 2004
Preorder Oct 28, 2005
Retail Nov 2, 2005
City of Heroes® Wedding Pack Feb 13, 2008
City of Heroes® Good Versus Evil Special In-Game Item Pack Mar 5, 2008
Perk Jul 12, 2008

Perk Sep 20, 2008
Retail Jan 8, 2009
Perk Jan 22, 2009
Perk Apr 15, 2009
Perk May 30, 2009
Perk Jun 7, 2009
Perk Jun 22, 2009


I have a few more perks than some. And I still have issues with my endurance on a will power. Of course, I also never seem to hit the rest button anymore.

To everyone that has read this post.
Thank you for your time. I have a few other thoughts brewing in the brain pan, when they are ready to spring forth I hope you care to read them.

By the way Carnage, your post was truly inspiring.

I remember seeing this in the stores when it first came out. At that time, I only played on console, and the only console I had was the only one I thought worth owning (Nintendo GC). CoH looked interesting, but the only PC I had was junk.

Then, a year later, I got a new PC (still junk, but good enough to try some games on) and saw CoH in the store. I purchased it not realizing it was a game that required subscription. And on April 24th, 2005, I began my CoH fandom. Since then I've built a respectable gaming rig just for playing this game the way it should be enjoyed.

<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
Type Date Used Serial Code
Retail Apr 24, 2005 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

Retail Oct 31, 2005 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

City of Heroes®
Good Versus Evil
Special In-Game
Item Pack Oct 6, 2006 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

Perk Jun 11, 2008 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

Perk Sep 17, 2008 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

City of Heroes®
Wedding Pack

Jan 19, 2009 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

Perk Feb 14, 2009 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

Retail Apr 5, 2009 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

Perk Apr 15, 2009 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

Perk Jun 4, 2009 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
</pre><hr />

And all this talk of Saturday Morning Cartoons makes me feel sad for kids nowadays. There was nothing like being up at 6 or 7 in the morning, and watching nothing but toons until noon. Kids these days are missing out.

Why is it that after 2 years, this post still seems relevant. Considering all the whining about itrials, and how to do them, and what parts of the game are being focused on at the moment by the devs.

Gotta love the people that comment..not on what the post is about, but that its an old post, that relates to things that are continuing to happen. People still fail the first two trials. Trials that should be done with the least amount of fuss and the biggest chance to succeed.

I guess it would have been better if I hadn't looked for a post like this before typing one of my own.

I could have just made an all new post, stating the same information as the OP, but it would be new. Not really any better. Just new.

Thanks Stone for making such a valuable comment. I really see the error of my ways. Next time I will just spew more of the same..

Oh I know.....let me make a post about how much Kheldians' stink...or a SS/Fire brute is the best farmer....oh wait...

there is one..just posted

And..look..there is another.

Oops...I just tripped over another one!

Don't mind me...Just posting the same thing again...You know...to be more like Stone