MA: I weep metaphorical tears of despair
By
3dent,
Posted on: 2009-04-10 24:12 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
[ QUOTE ]
I've plenty of criticisms about MA mechanics (e.g. search)...
or the way that the devs handle 'exploits' (e.g. removing entire villain groups, like Prisoners - no - I'm not still annoyed at all - no)...
or the general noise of thoughtless pap created by some players.
But criticising potential stories purely due to being created by someone not employed by Paragon Studios is ridiculous.
[/ QUOTE ]
Totally agree with this. I have gone out of my way to make the two arcs I have published so far feel like authentic parts of the City of Heroes universe and those are also the kinds of arcs I am looking for in order to play on MA.
If they really do fit the CoH canon, and are of good quality, then they don't feel greatly different, to me, from the other arcs that form part of the main game.
I have never really lost my love for this game but MA has energised me again.
Yawns.
Canon or no, MA is fun, both design-time and play-time. If your opinion differs, well, you're entitled to it. But please don't tell me how I should feel about MA.
This is THE thing I waited since the UO to appear, this is why there still are NWN servers, this is what I hoped The Movies would evolve into, this is how MMO were in the MUD days and how they should be. Slaying foozles and even PvP are interesting only so far, creativity is something that could be truly unlimited.
[ QUOTE ]
MA is a sideshow. An amateur hour diversion, whilst we wait for the real CoX story to proceed in i15. Nothing else.
[/ QUOTE ]
To call it amateur hour when, to be honest, some of the writing I have seen in the MA is better than some of the dev stuff which appears quite weak of late is a bit rich.
And they can be fun, something else that seems to have been forgotten in Dev stories, canon or not.
Zhaan, Chakyra, Fiorina 161, Aeryn, Polly Nation, Dee Pression, Shazanne, Night Jester and too many more to mention.
Network Hell 47640
Valley of the Harpies 74519
Green and Pleasant Land 75966
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
MA is a sideshow. An amateur hour diversion, whilst we wait for the real CoX story to proceed in i15. Nothing else.
[/ QUOTE ]
To call it amateur hour when, to be honest, some of the writing I have seen in the MA is better than some of the dev stuff which appears quite weak of late is a bit rich.
And they can be fun, something else that seems to have been forgotten in Dev stories, canon or not.
[/ QUOTE ]
We're clearly playing different arcs then, although actually finding a good arc amongst the multitude of [censored] is a chore in itself.
I tried one called 'Death to Disco' last night. Calling it amateur hour was being kind to it.
It had 5 stars..... 
Proud member of FOXBASE ALPHA and coalition associates.
Hero 50's - 25
Villain 50's - 1
I think we need to be careful not to start arguing past each other here.
One claim is that there is a mountain of extremely poor content which has been generated in MA. This is true. Another claim is that there are a significant number of arcs which are of very high quality indeed and fantastic fun to play. This is also true.
The two obviously aren't incompatible.
Finding good arcs is difficult.
However, the best arcs are way way beyond anything the devs have done.
And actually creating arcs is the most fun I have had in this game ever.
I really should do something about this signature.
The thing thats starting to bug me about MA is the fact the devs are now blocking any missions marked as a farm.
Im neither for or against farming, people are free to do as they wish, but blocking the maps just seems pointless. Ok even if you successfully blocked all the maps with the word farm in, theres still nothing to stop players running the same map over and over.
A much better way of dealing with it would be to ask what the plan for the map is when its being created, if its a farm map then move it into a farm section, and leave the proper arcs in there own, so they dont get jumbled together and people end up playing something they didnt want.
Ok the search system needs more work than that, but its a start at least.
Another idea would be if a map has over a high number of 1 star ratings and less than 10 good ones it could be automatically unpublished, or something similar.
[ QUOTE ]
The thing thats starting to bug me about MA is the fact the devs are now blocking any missions marked as a farm.
[/ QUOTE ]
The devs correctly understand that this game is adversley affected by excess farming.
For this reason they have been changing several aspects of the game and missions to prevent farming.
This makes it stranger still that they have given MA to us, which is tailor made for farming purposes.
I've just did an MA mission, titled 'Get XP', which is an outdoor mission with Rikti Comms officers. It exists only to allow players to earn more xp than normal mobs - a pure farming mission. No story. No plot. Nothing except grinding out XP.
I gave it a single star, but there are those that will give it 5, because it does what it says on the mission description - 'Get XP'.
MA needs to be pulled back in check.
Either remove xp and inf rewards or withdraw it altogether. To do neither will spell big trouble for this game.
Proud member of FOXBASE ALPHA and coalition associates.
Hero 50's - 25
Villain 50's - 1
[ QUOTE ]
I've just did an MA mission, titled 'Get XP', which is an outdoor mission with Rikti Comms officers. It exists only to allow players to earn more xp than normal mobs - a pure farming mission. No story. No plot. Nothing except grinding out XP.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm reminded of Mary Whitehouse deliberately watching "smut" on TV, just so she can write outraged letters of complaint to the BBC.
If farming offends you so much, why do a mission marked "get XP"? Why not go to the MA section of the forums, and look through the list of arcs advertised there?
However, I agree that the MA should have greatly reduced xp and inf. I was extremly suprised when they said mobs would give full rewards. I would happily make use of it for no reward at all. It is the best thing ever added to this game.
I really should do something about this signature.
I agree, finding a good arc is a chore. Then when you find it you forget to write the number down. And ofc the MA do not have a "put on favourite button"...
And souvernirs don't seem to work properly. (Mine got wiped. I did see that I had one from before so that i could remember that arc and play it later again. Then I see 3 souvernirs from 3 other arcs, and they are duplicated. gah.
Lady Arete on Unionhandbook
My Excel Badge tool
[ QUOTE ]
I was extremly suprised when they said mobs would give full rewards. I would happily make use of it for no reward at all.
[/ QUOTE ]
I suspect you'd be one of very few. There has to be something to encourage people to try out these new arcs and levelling is what I imagine most people who play an MMO expect to be able to do.
I think removing or reducing xp from MA missions would be a bad mistake.
If like me you have 0 creative ability, or inclination for that matter, removing the xp from MA would in effect be removing it from me all together.
At least doing a few MA missions gives us something new to do.
If there was no xp it would be back to the same grind that badly needs a boost of dev made content.
I wouldn't say remove all together. It's a matter of finding the balance. At the moment, the rewards encorage peopleto use the MA for farming. If you reduce that, at some point the MA will be less effective for farming than playing missions, so the farmers will start to disperse elsewhere (back to PI basically). Make the rewards too low, and too many people will go away.
I really should do something about this signature.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I've just did an MA mission, titled 'Get XP', which is an outdoor mission with Rikti Comms officers. It exists only to allow players to earn more xp than normal mobs - a pure farming mission. No story. No plot. Nothing except grinding out XP.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm reminded of Mary Whitehouse deliberately watching "smut" on TV, just so she can write outraged letters of complaint to the BBC.
If farming offends you so much, why do a mission marked "get XP"? Why not go to the MA section of the forums, and look through the list of arcs advertised there?
However, I agree that the MA should have greatly reduced xp and inf. I was extremly suprised when they said mobs would give full rewards. I would happily make use of it for no reward at all. It is the best thing ever added to this game.
[/ QUOTE ]
Mary Whitehouse 
I guess we're both showing our age PRAF
Nah .. I logged on and joined a team of friends who were already doing that mission. It's not one I would have picked through choice, and to be fair I think it was only picked to see what the deal was with it.
MA doesn't offend me at all. I think it's a great tool for the devs to use. I just think that if it's misused, it will spell big trouble for this game.
Proud member of FOXBASE ALPHA and coalition associates.
Hero 50's - 25
Villain 50's - 1
[ QUOTE ]
The devs correctly understand that this game is adversley affected by excess farming.
[/ QUOTE ]However, they're banning arcs simply because they have the word farm in the title. So the only thing farmers need to do to not get their arcs banned is to not label them as such. And guess who gets hurt by that?
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The devs correctly understand that this game is adversley affected by excess farming.
[/ QUOTE ]However, they're banning arcs simply because they have the word farm in the title. So the only thing farmers need to do to not get their arcs banned is to not label them as such. And guess who gets hurt by that?
[/ QUOTE ]
Those who actually set their arcs on Farms (either seriously or ironically)?
"Idealism is such a wonderful thing. All you really need is someone rational to put it to proper use." - Kerr Avon
Myopic Aardvark on Twitter
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The devs correctly understand that this game is adversley affected by excess farming.
[/ QUOTE ]However, they're banning arcs simply because they have the word farm in the title. So the only thing farmers need to do to not get their arcs banned is to not label them as such. And guess who gets hurt by that?
[/ QUOTE ]
Emos?
"Well, they found my diary today.
They were appropriately appalled
at the discovery of the eight victims
They're now putting it all together.
Women wrapped in silk
with one leg missing
Eight legs, one body, silk,
spider, brilliant!"
[ QUOTE ]
And guess who gets hurt by that?
[/ QUOTE ]
Agriculturally themed super-villains?
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The devs correctly understand that this game is adversley affected by excess farming.
[/ QUOTE ]However, they're banning arcs simply because they have the word farm in the title. So the only thing farmers need to do to not get their arcs banned is to not label them as such. And guess who gets hurt by that?
[/ QUOTE ]
Emos?
[/ QUOTE ]
Don't they get hurt by themselves?
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The devs correctly understand that this game is adversley affected by excess farming.
[/ QUOTE ]However, they're banning arcs simply because they have the word farm in the title. So the only thing farmers need to do to not get their arcs banned is to not label them as such. And guess who gets hurt by that?
[/ QUOTE ]
No one?
[ QUOTE ]
Also, I think people should think about the size of the current dev team - a 15 person team gave us Faultline and the RWZ - the team is now three times bigger, so either NCSoft have decided to generously help out with the unemployment situation in America, or these extra 30 or so added to the team are actually working on something pretty big 
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
All well and good GG, but if the new 'big' content isn't in i15, I'll speculate that a large proportion of the playerbase will leave for CO.
The devs need to respond to the competition - it's as simple as that.
[/ QUOTE ]
i think now that CO have delayed release slightly, CoH have bought some time. But they didnt know that six months or a year ago.
I do not understand why they havent launched a pre emptive in an attempt to cement the player base. Sorry, I dont consider MA to be nearly enough. That said, If i'm proved wrong and CoH does survive the launch of CO with its player base mostly intact I'll be delighted.
I just don't think it will.
Don't get into a flap. It's only my opinion and I'm thick
Arc 56763 Lord Anarchys heaven
2 mission arc. Bring friends cause Lord Anarchy means business...
[ QUOTE ]
I assume its those badly written arcs about how great your character is, where your honmored enough to get to follow their backstory - and, even better, watch and Av ally of them do all the fighting.
Personally I can't wait to play another arc where I'm overshadowed by a hero I've never heard of!
[/ QUOTE ]
Blimey. You described my arc to a tee! Scary... (kidding. I think. )
Don't get into a flap. It's only my opinion and I'm thick
Arc 56763 Lord Anarchys heaven
2 mission arc. Bring friends cause Lord Anarchy means business...
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The devs correctly understand that this game is adversley affected by excess farming.
[/ QUOTE ]However, they're banning arcs simply because they have the word farm in the title. So the only thing farmers need to do to not get their arcs banned is to not label them as such. And guess who gets hurt by that?
[/ QUOTE ]
No one?
[/ QUOTE ]
Me 
I sometimes pop on to play for a short time and sort through the missions to find a short, quick fun mission to play. I read the descriptions and the title to get a gist of the mission and determine if it's a Farm or not. Farms now seem to be disguised with great short descriptions and i keep picking them! 
Maybe it's just me...
Tidgy
---------------
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The devs correctly understand that this game is adversley affected by excess farming.
[/ QUOTE ]However, they're banning arcs simply because they have the word farm in the title. So the only thing farmers need to do to not get their arcs banned is to not label them as such. And guess who gets hurt by that?
[/ QUOTE ]
No one?
[/ QUOTE ]
Me
I sometimes pop on to play for a short time and sort through the missions to find a short, quick fun mission to play. I read the descriptions and the title to get a gist of the mission and determine if it's a Farm or not. Farms now seem to be disguised with great short descriptions and i keep picking them! Maybe it's just me...
[/ QUOTE ]
Yep, me too. I like 1 map missions, they can be fun, silly missions. But not when they're thinly disguised Farm missions packed full of Lieut only spawns & tonnes of glowies.
Finding it rather hard to get teams at the mo as well. Think I've been soloing for the past week. Union Atlas is a mess as well. Horrible (even moreso than usual).
[ QUOTE ]
Some of the stories in MA will rival or exceed the devs official output - that's inevitable. It's sad that many can attack or ignore them merely over the fact that they're non-canon. To some extent: So what?
A good story is a good story.
And many do try to stay within the bounds of established canon, and so are practically canon. If a story is good (or even great) and you'd accept it without blinking an eye if the devs had done it as part of I15s content then what does it matter that it's been done by a player as part of MA content? Heck - if the player is consistently writing arcs of great quality that stick to canon they might even become a dev one day...
But criticising potential stories purely due to being created by someone not employed by Paragon Studios is ridiculous.
[/ QUOTE ]
Player generated arcs are not game canon. They form no part of the CoX storyline.
I keep banging on about this, but it's quite simply true.
MA is a sideshow. An amateur hour diversion, whilst we wait for the real CoX story to proceed in i15. Nothing else.
Worse still as time passes there wil be so many farm and ego arcs, that finding an arc that might be fun to pass the time will be very difficult indeed.
If a player is consistently writing MA arcs to a high standard they may well catch the eye of the devs and get hired by PS. That would be a nice story indeed.
Me, I just want the devs to get on with the plot.
Proud member of FOXBASE ALPHA and coalition associates.
Hero 50's - 25
Villain 50's - 1