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No matter what your opinion on the implementation, events and debate over the last month and a bit, you've/we've/they've surely got to admit this: one way or the other, they've screwed up right royally along the way.
Question is, can they fix it? Old McPandora's Box has been opened, but can it be shut so MA is all about 'cool' and 'fun' (Posi's words of the month, it seems) player-created story arcs? Should they fix it, or are they reaping what they've sewn?
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Can open worms all over the place, posi needs to watch what he says to his paying customers, as for fixing it thas a laugh hey don fix this game they nuke bits and move on.
Well, they're taking steps to improve it - and I'm sure we'll see a few more little patches before I15 comes out too.
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
There's been rough waters before, but the game is still here. CoH has, on the whole, been remarkably resilient to internal and external fuss.
Why the - something - can't they hire some proper PR folks that actually KNOW what they're doing.
I still think this game should be as huuge as EVE, Lotro and some other games out there, even if it's getting rather obviously old. At times I can't stand the game I love because how they handle it.
I just think this was another nail in the coffin and hope it staggers on until something new and shine comes my way - not talking about CO or any other similar stuff.
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Why the - something - can't they hire some proper PR folks that actually KNOW what they're doing.
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Finally we agree!
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Why the - something - can't they hire some proper PR folks that actually KNOW what they're doing.
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Finally we agree!
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I actually find it quite refreshing that the Devs in this game speak to the playerbase directly and don't have that overly-polished PR speak pouring out of their mouths... err typing fingers.
I've played dozens of MMOs and usually the Devs barely communicate with the playerbase and you just get the community manager and/or some PR flunkeys murmuring the usual empty platitudes and advertising soundbites that we've all heard so many times before - all hype, no substance. Or, more likely, you just hear nothing whatsoever apart from occasional announcements telling you what's being changed with no prior warning or discussion.
Having Devs like Castle and BaB actually discussing core systems with the playerbase, like they do on US forums, is virtually unheard of outside of small independent MMO studios with playerbases in the thousands, rather than tens/hundreds of thousands like a triple A rated MMO.
I hate to say this, but EvE isn't exactly huge. it just feels that way when you play it because everyone's on the same server, worldwide. Total number of subscribers really isn't very high at all.
Defiant 50's
Many and varied!
@Miss Chief
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Why the - something - can't they hire some proper PR folks that actually KNOW what they're doing.
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Finally we agree!
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I actually find it quite refreshing that the Devs in this game speak to the playerbase directly and don't have that overly-polished PR speak pouring out of their mouths... err typing fingers.
I've played dozens of MMOs and usually the Devs barely communicate with the playerbase and you just get the community manager and/or some PR flunkeys murmuring the usual empty platitudes and advertising soundbites that we've all heard so many times before - all hype, no substance. Or, more likely, you just hear nothing whatsoever apart from occasional announcements telling you what's being changed with no prior warning or discussion.
Having Devs like Castle and BaB actually discussing core systems with the playerbase, like they do on US forums, is virtually unheard of outside of small independent MMO studios with playerbases in the thousands, rather than tens/hundreds of thousands like a triple A rated MMO.
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It's kinda weird, isn't it? Positron's I15 recap was attacked for being PR fluff, and now he's being told he needs better PR 
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
"can they fix it?"
Sure they. We'll get incredibly nice thing in the next issue. Promise! *issue arrives* Nah. Hadn't time to implement it all, sorry. But for the anniversary coming you players will get something v e r y s p e c i a l, something that'll knock your socks off. *anniversary arrives* You get free beta access to a weak new issue! Yay! Yay?
Sounds so incredibly negative but that's how I'm experiencing the game currently.
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It's kinda weird, isn't it? Positron's I15 recap was attacked for being PR fluff, and now he's being told he needs better PR
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No it's not weird.
1 - These views have been expressed by different people. Whatever the devs say some will think it's too empty of real meat and others will think it's saying too much.
2 - These differing views are on two different statements from Posi (the anniversary announcement and the exploits post). Funnily enough two different pieces of communication have differing pros and cons.
3 - Better PR does not mean the content-free, avoiding answering any questions guff that you maybe believe it means. Someone who is seen to deliver empty PR fluff needs better PR just as much as someone who goes into unnecessary details and can't be accused of delivering any sort of fluff.
Of course - all that's hard to sum up in one line and a smiley - so you may have lost the +1 post. 
By my mohawk shall ye know me!
my toons
Funny: Ee-Ai-Ee-Ai-Oh! #3662 * The foul-mouthed Handyman! #1076 * City of Norms #132944
Serious: To Save A Single World (#83744) * Marketing Opportunity (#83747)
As Judgement Dave has said, Posi needs better PR so that his happy-joy-joy statements involving 'soon(tm)', 'cool(tm)' and 'fun(tm)' don't come off as fluffy non-speak, and also so that his RAWRCRUSH(tm by me from a different game) statements don't come off as signs of being a pompous prat who's annoyed at the players for not playing his game properly.
Public relations and programmers don't mix, usually, as they're just like us except they get paid to be geeks/nerds. This, however, is part of the problem, as the poor statements that go with their poor updates are only compounding our troubles, as MajorPain points out two posts above.
Blueside Union: Starblayde (Blaster), Pax Imperia (Tanker), Pax Britannia (Defender)
Redside Union: Natasha Redshade (Stalker)
Why don't they just remove Xp from the AE system and be done with it. Finally you have lvl 50 content, make it lvl 50's only. Could keep the ticket system but perhaps tone it down a little. Farming AE problems solved.
Consciousness: that annoying time between naps.
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As Judgement Dave has said, Posi needs better PR so that his happy-joy-joy statements involving 'soon(tm)', 'cool(tm)' and 'fun(tm)' don't come off as fluffy non-speak, and also so that his RAWRCRUSH(tm by me from a different game) statements don't come off as signs of being a pompous prat who's annoyed at the players for not playing his game properly.
Public relations and programmers don't mix, usually, as they're just like us except they get paid to be geeks/nerds. This, however, is part of the problem, as the poor statements that go with their poor updates are only compounding our troubles, as MajorPain points out two posts above.
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I agree, I was in the training room on the 5th Anniversary and Posi did not come across well there either. For example when he was asked why the EU community was largely ignored his response was "well I'm here now aren't I!", not exactly PR gold I'm sure you'll agree.
Make War Witch the spokesperson, at least she seems in touch with us as gamers and customers.
Players that I spoke to last night were either a little concerned about their account or angry as a result of what Posi said.
My deviantART page (warning some images nsfw)
GGRRR Comic Series GGRRR Comics on Facebook
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Why the - something - can't they hire some proper PR folks that actually KNOW what they're doing.
I still think this game should be as huuge as EVE, Lotro and some other games out there, even if it's getting rather obviously old. At times I can't stand the game I love because how they handle it.
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This!!!!
Thelonious Monk
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Question is, can they fix it? Old McPandora's Box has been opened, but can it be shut so MA is all about 'cool' and 'fun' (Posi's words of the month, it seems) player-created story arcs? Should they fix it, or are they reaping what they've sewn?
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As a side note; mmogchart has Eve at 250,000 subscribers, steadily increasing, CoX at around 130,000, and LOTRO around 140,000 but with a sharp decline after an initial peak.
I think it can be fixed, but I don't think this exercise in whack-a-mole is the way to do it, beyond fixing the most egregious abused.
I would automatically gather data on the reward/playtime ratio of every arc, and adjust the rewards (again automatically) based on that ratio. An arc with few or no playthroughs would initially award stuff at a low rate, but more XP (+ tickets etc) would be awarded later if the arc didn't turn out to be a giveaway.
This is inherently self-adjusting, and runs unattended. Fill a map with minions that give Lieut XP? You'll find, in that map, "Lieut XP" drops to be no better than minion XP.
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Why don't they just remove Xp from the AE system and be done with it. Finally you have lvl 50 content, make it lvl 50's only. Could keep the ticket system but perhaps tone it down a little. Farming AE problems solved.
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I can see where you're going with this, Donna_, but then players (especially ones with altitus and new players) might be outraged that access to taking the wheel and creating their own story is denied to them. It would stop the problem, but loads of people lacking 50's won't like it.
Removing xp won't help either because as someone said on another post (can't remember who) that people like to see progression, even if they are just in it for the story.
In theory it could work but sadly it would possibly make things worse 
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Why don't they just remove Xp from the AE system and be done with it. Finally you have lvl 50 content, make it lvl 50's only. Could keep the ticket system but perhaps tone it down a little. Farming AE problems solved.
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I can see where you're going with this, Donna_, but then players (especially ones with altitus and new players) might be outraged that access to taking the wheel and creating their own story is denied to them. It would stop the problem, but loads of people lacking 50's won't like it.
Removing xp won't help either because as someone said on another post (can't remember who) that people like to see progression, even if they are just in it for the story.
In theory it could work but sadly it would possibly make things worse
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Hm maybe change it so only vets with 6+ months badges get XP in the missions? They most likely played most dev made content already
PR and MMOs are a kind of damned if you do, damned if you dont kind of situation.
Most players are so use to PR spins that we can smell it a mile away. We are bombarded with hype and spin everyday, so when we se it we automatically interpret it from PR speech to normal English. Often we will even over interpret what is being said.
In the end not using a PR to comunicate to the players, at least keep that raw honesty.
The post from WW is a prime example, the first time ever I have seen a DEV pose over here, and it is a feel good post after first the issue with the MA and the anniversary announcement.
To me that post looked like a attempt to appease the players, and not am honest wish to share with the players.
N.B. on the MA issue, just remove the auto SK feature, and reduce XP/INF by half or two thirds or so.
Browsing the US boards, you see the evident love for BaB, Castle and the rest as they're accessible and just like us except that they had their characters in the game before there was a game.
By the time it gets filtered down to us, War Witch notwithstanding, we get the ilk of Positron's fairly pointless 'Global Address' - a Community Liason Manager role would be able to say the same thing in PR-ese without causing such a fracas (partly because we wouldn't take much notice).
They're programmers, animators, technicians, art developers and story writers. Bar the story writers, I'd only expect about quarter of the animators and art developers to be able to put a flowery PR-friendly statement together (I say that based on the experience of having done a degree in Computer Animation).
Rubbish hype, generally poorly thought-out statements to the community and time constraints with the Anniversary have not added up to a particularly good time for NC/PS.
I hope they can fix it, for sure, and I think they can. It can bring the I14 "We hate MA/the future" leavers back, treat the I14 grind/farm/exploiters the right way and we can all be one happy family again.
Blueside Union: Starblayde (Blaster), Pax Imperia (Tanker), Pax Britannia (Defender)
Redside Union: Natasha Redshade (Stalker)
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N.B. on the MA issue, just remove the auto SK feature, and reduce XP/INF by half or two thirds or so.
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That would solve the problem. If we don't get an auto-sk for normal arcs, why these arcs then?
if there is any exploits, it would be because the developers were inadequate when they were developing.
BTW, farming and grinding doesn't constitute exploiting.
You know Razor, I did agree with you, but I think I'm gonna change side just for the heck of it and because this thread to has gone off-topic.
If the devs consider farming and grinding = exploiting, then - in this game - it is. There! You happy! The full force of the forum couldn't make me say that 5 minutes ago, but now I'll stick to it for one simple reason.
Correct, the devs word is universal law in the game THEY develop. However, there are other games that are developed by other developers.
And this topic isn't off topic. The devs may have complete control over their game, but this does not make them correct.
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Correct, the devs word is universal law in the game THEY develop. However, there are other games that are developed by other developers.
And this topic isn't off topic. The devs may have complete control over their game, but this does not make them correct.
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Well, it makes them correct in game, anyway
If one game says "farming is good", and another games says "farming is bad", then both games are actually correct within their own games.
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
No matter what your opinion on the implementation, events and debate over the last month and a bit, you've/we've/they've surely got to admit this: one way or the other, they've screwed up right royally along the way.
Question is, can they fix it? Old McPandora's Box has been opened, but can it be shut so MA is all about 'cool' and 'fun' (Posi's words of the month, it seems) player-created story arcs? Should they fix it, or are they reaping what they've sewn?
Blueside Union: Starblayde (Blaster), Pax Imperia (Tanker), Pax Britannia (Defender)
Redside Union: Natasha Redshade (Stalker)