Interesting idea, but it wouldn't work:
1) A lot of people have already dinged 50 via AE. I've met new players that have only experienced AE and now have at least 1 PL'd 50. This is the biggest reason why it wouldn't work.
2) The brand-new player isn't going to be able to get much of anything from AE on the first character. Given we have a new marketed game-box highlighting this feature, it would be quite a disappointment when that feature wasn't instantly working for the player.
If this were the case, then I would have been unable to play Level 50 content in the AE for the first 9 months of my time in CoH/V. Seeing how the AE is at the moment, I can't say that would have saddened me much... but others would surely disagree.
I think it is a bit funny though, that you state you farm, and yet are miffed at the idiot 50s that get churned out... Do you only farm solo? If not, do you only farm with friends and experienced players? And if not, then aren't you a part of the problem?
... Huh?
I'm confused. So, if you don't have a 50, you can't level them in the AE system? People who don't have a single 50 can't take their mains for a fun ride through the system? It seems a bit unfair... And useless, to boot.
/unsigned.
The intention behind the mission architect is for any character to use it as an alternate leveling path from 1-50. Anything that restricts the ability to do so is a bad idea.
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1) A lot of people have already dinged 50 via AE. I've met new players that have only experienced AE and now have at least 1 PL'd 50. This is the biggest reason why it wouldn't work.
2) The brand-new player isn't going to be able to get much of anything from AE on the first character. Given we have a new marketed game-box highlighting this feature, it would be quite a disappointment when that feature wasn't instantly working for the player.
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They'd still be able to experience it - they could be scaled up for higher arcs or SKed as normal, but just wouldn't earn xp once they hit their highest level. They'd also still be able to write their own arcs, which is the part that's advertised most. But yes, I see your point there.
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If not, do you only farm with friends and experienced players?
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Mostly, yes. When I don't I do my best to help the newer players learn the game.
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People who don't have a single 50 can't take their mains for a fun ride through the system? It seems a bit unfair... And useless, to boot.
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No, not specifically a 50. It would cap you at whatever the highest level you've achieved outside of AE is. So if your highest character is say, 43 then you'd stop earning xp when you hit 43 in AE. Note the person in that example could create a second character and level them purely in AE from 1-43, but again they'd stop getting xp at 43 until they got something to 44 or higher outside of AE.
Unfair. Yes, it is. However, would you rather have people at high levels who have absolutely no idea how the game works? Not making this up - I had a guy in the 30s honestly ask me what an enhancement was. This is the kind of player the farms are turning out.
Actually come to think of it, anyone know offhand if the game requires you to do the tutorial on the first character you make? If not, maybe it should. Would help the problem a bit at least.
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People like that existed before AE. PLers existed before AE. Restricting AE will simply move them to another area.
Ok, firstoff. I'll be honest and say I have no problem with the farming and frequently do it myself. What I have a problem with though, is the sort of players the farms generate. People who honestly believe Atlas Park and the AE building are the entire game. Who've never run a mission outside of AE.
What I propose to fix that problem is this: Change the AE system so you can only get experience up to the level of your highest character. Not restrict it to 50s or even people with 50s, because a lot of people don't have 50s and this would cut them off from all the good content in AE which as has been said, the devs are unwilling to do.
What this effectively does, is forces people to play outside AE if they wish to see the higher levels and thus learn all the concepts and strategies and skills that most veterans take for granted.
It does not however make AE any less viable for levelling, merely restricts it such that you cannot come into the game and do nothing but AE missions, never playing any of the original content ever. Until, of course, you actually have played this content.
As an example: If my highest level character, across all servers and both sides, was level 30. Upon hitting level 30 in an AE mission with another character, I would stop gaining experience. (And possibly inf/prestige/tickets as well, but I'm not sure if that's needed.) Until that point however, I would gain full rewards as I do now. Likewise, as soon as I got any character to a higher level, I would again gain full rewards on any character in AE missions - until I hit that higher level.
So, what do you think? Still too harsh on new players?
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