The fact that lower level characters are using the AE isn't an issue.
The issue that most people seem to have with it is that for a lot of new players AE is ALL they know.
the only action i can really see working is just taking the auto-lk off and making AE mishs like normal ones. you want to PL farm you need a bridge. idk just makes more since to me to not punish the people for making farms but to just make them equal to mishs outside of AE. Auto-lk = death lol
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The fact that lower level characters are using the AE isn't an issue.
The issue that most people seem to have with it is that for a lot of new players AE is ALL they know.
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This is why I'm all for AP, Galaxy, other lowbie zones having their AE buildings taken out so that lowbies are given the opportunity to be introduced to the fundamental mechanics like the tram system and the crafting system.
Suggesting that the AE be exclusive to the Shard will only punish new players who might want to run low-level story arcs and also experienced players with newly created toons who want to do low-level arcs too.
Shouldn't someone have the choice to do nothing but MA, if that's what they want to do, new player and vet alike?
I understand that it's potentially jarring and annoying to run into people of higher level who've no idea what's going on outside of MA... but I'm not sure that's really a problem for the game itself. Sounds more like an inconvenience for a subset of the player base.
I'm not too keen on the idea of hindering one subset to accommodate another.
Rampant power-leveling, on the other hand, is a potential problem for the game. But removing AE buildings from lowbie zones won't do anything about that. After all, the hub of power-leveling used to be Peregrine Island.
The Cape Radio: You're not super until you put on the Cape!
DJ Enigma's Puzzle Factory: Co* Parody Commercials
I agree that moving the buildings wouldn't hinder power leveling. What I think might be valuable, though, is somehow modifying the social landscape, so that brand new players who aren't necessarily looking for a PL don't automatically wander into a hub of it and risk concluding that the game is somehow all about that. First opinions, and all that.
The only ways to achieve something like that modification, though, are to limit the AE in some way for either new players or high-level ones. Ultimately, all options are distasteful to someone, including the option of doing nothing.
Blue
American Steele: 50 BS/Inv
Nightfall: 50 DDD
Sable Slayer: 50 DM/Rgn
Fortune's Shadow: 50 Dark/Psi
WinterStrike: 47 Ice/Dev
Quantum Well: 43 Inv/EM
Twilit Destiny: 43 MA/DA
Red
Shadowslip: 50 DDC
Final Rest: 50 MA/Rgn
Abyssal Frost: 50 Ice/Dark
Golden Ember: 50 SM/FA
1. Auto-SK, if not removed entirely, should only level the party up to the highest levelled player (or the leader.) That way you'd have to sucker at least one level 50 into running farms.
2. A cap on how many levels you can gain per mission (say 2 or 3) would prevent newer players from being pulled into the farms as easily but also not tick of the players in their 30s-40s who want to use it to get past a difficult period. Don't cap the xp itself but cap the number of bars they can earn. Heck, maybe even convert anything extra to a point into patrol xp. This won't kill the AE being used for inf/ticket farming but it'll stop the PLing that is honestly the worst of the problems.
3. Pull the buildings from Atlas, Galaxy and Mercy. The one in Cap isn't too big of a deal since villains do get a taste of the regular game travelling through Mercy. Pulling new players straight into the AE seems to mostly be a hero issue in Atlas.
4. Up the level the AE contact is introduced. Right now he shows up at level 5 or 10 (I don't remember which) and players haven't even left the starting zones by that point. Also switch the AE tutorial contact to a building in a higher levelled zone (Steel Canyon's a good candidate for blues, Cap or Nerva for reds.)
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1. Auto-SK, if not removed entirely, should only level the party up to the highest levelled player (or the leader.) That way you'd have to sucker at least one level 50 into running farms.
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Huh? I think I understand this, and no I don't agree.
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2. A cap on how many levels you can gain per mission (say 2 or 3) would prevent newer players from being pulled into the farms as easily but also not tick of the players in their 30s-40s who want to use it to get past a difficult period. Don't cap the xp itself but cap the number of bars they can earn. Heck, maybe even convert anything extra to a point into patrol xp. This won't kill the AE being used for inf/ticket farming but it'll stop the PLing that is honestly the worst of the problems.
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Wholeheartedly no. And how is "PLing" really a problem? What about 5 year vets who have played the game repeatedly and that really don't want to play the pre-stamina game anymore?
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3. Pull the buildings from Atlas, Galaxy and Mercy. The one in Cap isn't too big of a deal since villains do get a taste of the regular game travelling through Mercy. Pulling new players straight into the AE seems to mostly be a hero issue in Atlas.
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Many have said - and to a degree the developers have also said - players have the option of leveling from 1 to 50 in AE if they choose. What you are saying now is make it so that they can't do that... they have to wait for level 10 to start using it? You just limited the choice.
No.
If you want new players to explore the rest of the game, go and encourage them to do so. Invite them to team with you. Invite them for TFs.
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4. Up the level the AE contact is introduced. Right now he shows up at level 5 or 10 (I don't remember which) and players haven't even left the starting zones by that point. Also switch the AE tutorial contact to a building in a higher levelled zone (Steel Canyon's a good candidate for blues, Cap or Nerva for reds.)
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I used to think this, but have since changed my mind about it. I can see the AE contact not being the very first thing that pops up when a new player enters the game, but changing it to level 10 or higher will not solve anything either. They'll get to level 10 to start AE and then never leave the building again. You've just delayed it about an hour or so until they can level to 10 "normally".
"Farming" and "PLing" is not killing the game. Exploits (ie. the now defunct Mitos) hurt the game, and are being dealt with.
Shard Warrior - 50 MA/Regen/BM Scrapper
Founding Member and Leader : Shadow-Force
Co-Leader: Council of Heroes
"Whatever evils come this way... we will be there to stop them."
Turn the inside of AE into a pvp zone. Now that would be something funny.
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Huh? I think I understand this, and no I don't agree.
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What's wrong with setting sk level based on the players and not the enemies'?
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Wholeheartedly no. And how is "PLing" really a problem? What about 5 year vets who have played the game repeatedly and that really don't want to play the pre-stamina game anymore?
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I'm not anti-PL despite what I'm saying here. I'm trying to figure out a decent compromise that will keep both groups reasonably happy. I'm a 3 year vet despite what my reg date here says and I know how annoying the first 10-20 levels can be.
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I used to think this, but have since changed my mind about it. I can see the AE contact not being the very first thing that pops up when a new player enters the game, but changing it to level 10 or higher will not solve anything either.
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Hmm, what if they removed the pop-up entirely or, if possible, have it trigger when a player first enters an AE building?
There is no compromise.
The only thing that will keep the ancient from throwing their tantrums is when the new bow to their "wisdow" and accept the way of the "Quality People" and stop "polluting the game".
Its the way civilizations go. There is always generation clashes.
** Guardian�s Crazy Catgirl **
************* 22 XxX 10 *************
Yes. I can get lost on a straight-line map.
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Turn the inside of AE into a pvp zone. Now that would be something funny.
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+11ty, I love this idea.
Infinity and Victory mostly
dUmb, etc.
lolz PvP anymore, Market PvP for fun and profit
I'm wondering what would happen if they put a cap on the number of lvl's one was allowed to autolvl/autosk up in AE missions? Say 15 levels? Such that one would have to be lvl 35+ to be 50 in AE missions that autolvl up for all those farmy lvl 54 boss missions?
No more 20 lvls for lvl 1's in 40 minutes?
Spines/ D A lvl 50 Scrap, stone/wm lvl 50 tank, Kat/reg lvl 50 Scrap
Grav/Kin lvl 50 Cont, Fire/Enegry lvl 50 Blast
Warshade lvl 50, PB lvl 39, nightwidow lvl 50, crab lvl 42
plant/thorns lvl 50 dom, ice/fire lvl 40 dom, grav/nrg lvl 41 dom
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Quite obviously you'd need to remove the level restriction on the zone.
And even more obvious is the fact that this isn't a serious solution, but more of a way to get people to think outside their tiny little box.
Ah well....
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I see no indication in your original post that implies the suggestion being serious or not so how were you expecting me to not take it seriously?
I'm sure there's a good reason there's a level restriction for the area too, one of them being perhaps to prevent lowbies from beng able to buy raptor packs there and thus invalidating the incentive to do the safeguard mission to get it.
Last but not least Peregrine Island isn't intended for lowbies anyway. I'd imagine it's hard enough running past snipers there to get to Portal Corp without getting one-shotted.
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Lvl 1 villains can be tp'd to the vill jet pack vendor in grandville. Devs hate heroes!!!!1!!!11!
Lots of 50's yada yada. still finding fun things to do.
Cthulhu loves you, better start running
I�! I�! Gg�gorsch�a�bha egurtsa�ar�ug d� Dalhor! Cthluhu fthagn! Cthluhu fthagn!
You are in a maze of twisty little passages
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Quite obviously you'd need to remove the level restriction on the zone.
And even more obvious is the fact that this isn't a serious solution, but more of a way to get people to think outside their tiny little box.
Ah well....
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I see no indication in your original post that implies the suggestion being serious or not so how were you expecting me to not take it seriously?
I'm sure there's a good reason there's a level restriction for the area too, one of them being perhaps to prevent lowbies from beng able to buy raptor packs there and thus invalidating the incentive to do the safeguard mission to get it.
Last but not least Peregrine Island isn't intended for lowbies anyway. I'd imagine it's hard enough running past snipers there to get to Portal Corp without getting one-shotted.
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Lvl 1 villains can be tp'd to the vill jet pack vendor in grandville. Devs hate heroes!!!!1!!!11!
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You need to be teleported?
Its a simple matter to just swim your way to the cap au ferry and once you hit grandville the walk there is through an enemy free-zone.
Want comedy and lighthearted action? Between levels 1-14? Try Nuclear in 90 - The Fusionette Task Force!
Arc ID 58363!
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The devs are not going to block the AE from new players. It's heavily been advertised as an alternative levelling method.
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Wow, 7th post, not too bad, tho a bit later than I expected.
The farmers are oh-so-quick to trot this out whenever the topic comes up. "The devs want it this way", when I'm sure if you asked them all now, at least half of them wouldn't. It's possibly the worst possible reason to keep AE, and the best possible reason for moving it OUT of Atlas Park.
"Why yes, my 50's all have Brawl 6-slotted... why do you ask? BTW, could you show me how to get to Crey's Folly? And do you know where I could find Paco Sanchez?"
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The devs are not going to block the AE from new players. It's heavily been advertised as an alternative levelling method.
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Wow, 7th post, not too bad, tho a bit later than I expected.
The farmers are oh-so-quick to trot this out whenever the topic comes up. "The devs want it this way", when I'm sure if you asked them all now, at least half of them wouldn't. It's possibly the worst possible reason to keep AE, and the best possible reason for moving it OUT of Atlas Park.
"Why yes, my 50's all have Brawl 6-slotted... why do you ask? BTW, could you show me how to get to Crey's Folly? And do you know where I could find Paco Sanchez?"
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Yeah. because we definitely never had those types pre-AE.
Oh wait. we did. all the time.
Want comedy and lighthearted action? Between levels 1-14? Try Nuclear in 90 - The Fusionette Task Force!
Arc ID 58363!
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Ok...I don't think this has been suggested yet...at least I hope not 
To fix farming without making drastic changes to the way the MA works, and at the same time revitalize an old zone that hasn't seen use in some time, the devs could remove ALL AE buildings from the rest of the game and put a single, unmarked, building containing the MA in the Shadow Shard.
Also make the Shadow Shard a coop zone and give the villains access...
I can just imagine the lowbies trying to navigate those stupid jump things.
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This thread needs to GTFO! I'm tired of going to every [censored] forum and seeing an AE RUINED THE GAME or REMOVE FARMING or REMOVE XP bull [censored] thread.
GO TO THE SUGGESTIONS FORUM! LOCK THIS THREAD! 404 IT! ANYTHING... Just get it off the forums.
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The devs are not going to block the AE from new players. It's heavily been advertised as an alternative levelling method.
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Wow, 7th post, not too bad, tho a bit later than I expected.
The farmers are oh-so-quick to trot this out whenever the topic comes up.
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*boggles*
Wow. Uhm... first of all, it's not only "farmers" that bring this up. Secondly, it's brought up "oh-so-quick" because it's simply the reality of the situation. Third, even if it were only farmers bringing it up, that doesn't make the point itself any less valid.
Here's someone who isn't a farmer telling you: The developers designed MA to be a leveling alternative, 1-50. They have plenty reason for it to be that way. They are now vested in it being that way. So any suggestion that would undermine that functionality probably ain't gunna fly.
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"The devs want it this way", when I'm sure if you asked them all now, at least half of them wouldn't.
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You can hold to that opinion, but as this is a point of MA's fundamental design, I'd bet you're wrong.
But even if you're right, the developers are now vested in the current model. They'll likely come up with all sorts of things that don't break it before resorting to something that does.
The new I16 difficulty settings are probably an example of that.
The Cape Radio: You're not super until you put on the Cape!
DJ Enigma's Puzzle Factory: Co* Parody Commercials
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Ok...I don't think this has been suggested yet...at least I hope not
To fix farming without making drastic changes to the way the MA works, and at the same time revitalize an old zone that hasn't seen use in some time, the devs could remove ALL AE buildings from the rest of the game and put a single, unmarked, building containing the MA in the Shadow Shard.
Also make the Shadow Shard a coop zone and give the villains access...
I can just imagine the lowbies trying to navigate those stupid jump things.
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This thread needs to GTFO! I'm tired of going to every [censored] forum and seeing an AE RUINED THE GAME or REMOVE FARMING or REMOVE XP bull [censored] thread.
GO TO THE SUGGESTIONS FORUM! LOCK THIS THREAD! 404 IT! ANYTHING... Just get it off the forums.
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AE got mah dog preggers..true story..
and walking to the jetpack vendor hurts ma feets..tp plz
Lots of 50's yada yada. still finding fun things to do.
Cthulhu loves you, better start running
I�! I�! Gg�gorsch�a�bha egurtsa�ar�ug d� Dalhor! Cthluhu fthagn! Cthluhu fthagn!
You are in a maze of twisty little passages
LOL! God that was great 
Hollows
Beware the Woods at Night.
Miles to go and Skies to Fly!
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The devs are not going to block the AE from new players. It's heavily been advertised as an alternative levelling method.
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Wow, 7th post, not too bad, tho a bit later than I expected.
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What, you're surprised someone could be so spot-on by their 7th post?
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's possibly the worst possible reason to keep AE, and the best possible reason for moving it OUT of Atlas Park.
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Yeah, except for that whole part where the devs promoted it as an alternative leveling option, 1-50, and then sold a boxed set of the game named "Architect Edition."
If there's anything's a bit later than expected, it's how long its taking people like you to get this through your noggins.
Blue
American Steele: 50 BS/Inv
Nightfall: 50 DDD
Sable Slayer: 50 DM/Rgn
Fortune's Shadow: 50 Dark/Psi
WinterStrike: 47 Ice/Dev
Quantum Well: 43 Inv/EM
Twilit Destiny: 43 MA/DA
Red
Shadowslip: 50 DDC
Final Rest: 50 MA/Rgn
Abyssal Frost: 50 Ice/Dark
Golden Ember: 50 SM/FA
Or how about this awesome idea. Only allow AE access to those who has been vouched for by 10 other anti-farmers and/or roleplayers. This will really show those evil farmers (who happens to be guilty of causing everything that's gone wrong in every MMO and in fact the whole world) just who the boss is.
Some people need to pull their cranium out of their anus and get some much need sunshine. Fix the problems in your own lives (which are bound to be numerous) before worrying about fixing farming.
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I never said nobody at all wanted to be in the shard, I simply said nobody wanted the jet pack vendor in the shard.
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I did misread there, but to suggest nobody wanting the vendor to be there in the first place is a bogus statement to me. I'll bet you that anyone who wants to hunt Rularuu or do a QTF there benefits from the vendor alot considering if they don't have any flight powers or their temp jetpacks have long since run out. Anyone who goes there and not want a jetpack from the vendor either has flight already or something's really wrong with them.
Anyway we're going off track here. Whether or not there's a jetpack vendor or not doesn't change the fact that the AE's demographic of use was not intended for just higher levelled players and lowbies should have access to it as well to create or play arcs suited for lower levels.