Do Something With The Shard Already!
By
Adelie,
Posted on: 2010-03-23 18:42 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
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That is the one thing they need to fix there. I was actually in the Shard with my Super Speeding Elec/Elec Scrapper, and if it wasn't for my jetpack I would have had a very frustrating time. I would go on a geyser that seemed like it should take me to another island, and I'd wind missing everything entirely. |
Originally Posted by Katie V
Have you been back to the Shard since they changed the mini-maps? The maps now show most of the gravity geyser routes, which makes navigating (at least in Firebase Zulu and the Chantry) easier.
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At the very least, I wish they'd set it up so every geyser would cause you to land on an island. Maybe not the island you wanted, but at least you wouldn't go hurling down into space.
Aside from that, though, the Shard was pretty cool after a long absence from it.
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links
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Originally Posted by Coyote_Seven
I'd like to imagine that Rularuu is in his own death star, and that in order to even get inside it, a whole bunch of teams have to defeat the outer defenses, plant some bombs and/or click some glowies somewhere.
EDIT: And heavily guarded by Shard Reflections of Jack in Irons, Eochai, The Winter Lord, Deathsurge, and the Khronos Titan. And inside, there's a weakened reflection of the Hamidon that must be destroyed, that will finally summon Rularuu the Ravager upon defeat. This also leaves such raids very open to lots of Star Wars references on the Broadcast channel. |
That would be a cool TF, but there'd have to be some kind of reward that would make it worth it to marshal those kind of resources.
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links
The geysers take you exactly where they are supposed to... as long as you enter them the correct way.
There are only TWO geysers in all three (four?) Shadow Shard zones that don't go anywhere. The rest all go exactly where they are supposed to.
I'm sure the devs have their own plan and all, but I gotta agree - I'd love to see the Shard revamped a bit. All the underused zones, for that matter - Perez, Boomtown and Astoria in particular could do with, even if not a Faultline-, then at least a Hollows-style revitalisation. The Shard is already halfway there - it has hospital, shops and Task Forces. Some tiered storyline-based arcs would give people a reason to do solo/small group missions there, which would hopefully bring in the patronage necessary for the TF PUGs. Gotta agree with the fixed-path geiser suggestion, too.
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Gotta disagree. Maybe for people without an air-control power a fixed-path geyser would be useful, but if you've got Combat Jumping or Super Jump, you can change course mid-flight to land where you want to, rather than where the developers wanted you to land.
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Originally Posted by SirFrederick
Gotta agree with the fixed-path geiser suggestion, too.
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Yes, I was thinking about that, but - well, air control would be of value in an FPS deathmatch, but I can't think of so much usefulness in CoX, especially in a PVE zone. Any given jump is either "land on the island" or "miss the island, return to start" - assuming the designated landing areas are clear of mob spawns.
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What's the correct way?|
Originally Posted by Westley
The geysers take you exactly where they are supposed to... as long as you enter them the correct way.
There are only TWO geysers in all three (four?) Shadow Shard zones that don't go anywhere. The rest all go exactly where they are supposed to. |
Isn't it you follow the trail of the path onto the geyser without any travel powers on? Didn't even have sprint on, and I kept missing where I was trying to go ... or anywhere, really.
Of course maybe I was using the same geyser you're talking about that doesn't go anywhere.
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links
I don't know why travelling the shard is a problem, given that the jetpacks are so readily available.
I would love to see the shard get a makeover... but I can't help feeling the Cathedral of Pain put paid to that.
Thelonious Monk
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I've strongly supported making the Shadow Shard cohabitant (rather than cooperative) and actually enjoy all of the TFs except for Quaterfield (you would expect a shard TF to be in the shard, wouldn't you?). The other 3 TFs make a great deal of sense for their length and aren't really untoward in length. Villains could get a new "safe" region within FBZ (which would probably get renamed in the same way that the Rikti Crash Site got renamed) and a series of mole points to mirror the heroside ones so that both sides aren't attempting to use the same transit system (except for the Hortha Vines, which are naturally occuring). FBZ and the villside version would need content updates to provide actual story arcs and probably something to introduce a new zone-by-zone competitive resource gathering thing that shifts access to certain shops/special missions from one side to the other.|
Originally Posted by Silver Gale
Move all the parts where you learn background information into a series of storyarcs like the RWZ. Trim down the TFs into 5-6 mission ones with new maps and Puzzle Bosses (ala 5th column TF/SF). Give villains their own parts of the Shard and reuse the mechanic of buff our side/debuff the other side missions from PvP zones (without actually making the zones PvP).
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In order to explain away heroes fighting villains, you wouldn't need Vanguard: you could always just use Rularuu himself. Simply explain that conflict between heroes and villains would attract the attention of Rularuu, which would interfere with the plans of your side. Since the devs have pretty much stated that Lord Recluse doesn't give a damn about the Shadow Shard, it could just as easily be something run by AeonCorp in order to exploit the weirdness of the shard and Aeon doesn't want Rularuu coming by to ruin everything.
The Shard has always been one of the most interesting zones in the entire game. I've seen no other zone in any other game that really matches the sheer uniqueness and depth of story that is present in the Shard. The Shard TFs (aside from Quaterfield) expose a detailed and well written story with ginormous potential just sitting there. The Shard is something that no other game, much less anything else in the super hero genre really has anything to accurately compare to it. It's the perfect thing to emphasize, especially with a new competitor coming out within the next year.
You're right on Umbral. It also reminds me a lot of the Jack Kirby New Gods world for some reason...
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Originally Posted by Umbral
I've strongly supported making the Shadow Shard cohabitant (rather than cooperative) and actually enjoy all of the TFs except for Quaterfield (you would expect a shard TF to be in the shard, wouldn't you?). The other 3 TFs make a great deal of sense for their length and aren't really untoward in length. Villains could get a new "safe" region within FBZ (which would probably get renamed in the same way that the Rikti Crash Site got renamed) and a series of mole points to mirror the heroside ones so that both sides aren't attempting to use the same transit system (except for the Hortha Vines, which are naturally occuring). FBZ and the villside version would need content updates to provide actual story arcs and probably something to introduce a new zone-by-zone competitive resource gathering thing that shifts access to certain shops/special missions from one side to the other.
In order to explain away heroes fighting villains, you wouldn't need Vanguard: you could always just use Rularuu himself. Simply explain that conflict between heroes and villains would attract the attention of Rularuu, which would interfere with the plans of your side. Since the devs have pretty much stated that Lord Recluse doesn't give a damn about the Shadow Shard, it could just as easily be something run by AeonCorp in order to exploit the weirdness of the shard and Aeon doesn't want Rularuu coming by to ruin everything. The Shard has always been one of the most interesting zones in the entire game. I've seen no other zone in any other game that really matches the sheer uniqueness and depth of story that is present in the Shard. The Shard TFs (aside from Quaterfield) expose a detailed and well written story with ginormous potential just sitting there. The Shard is something that no other game, much less anything else in the super hero genre really has anything to accurately compare to it. It's the perfect thing to emphasize, especially with a new competitor coming out within the next year. |
Good points and it does give the game that extra-dimension feel that the comicbooks have.
One thing the Devs could exploit more is the Darrin Wade arc, where Darrin (I'm not quoting verbatim so I may be incorrect) says at the end he serves Rularuu and is attempting to bring him back.
That clearly leaves the door wide open for Villains access, but it'd have to be managed carefully to prevent it being just another empty PVP zone.
Thelonious Monk
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I see what you did there.
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Originally Posted by DarkGob
Maybe they can put a few Task Forces in there.
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At least change the hedge models in Perez so that this abandoned zone that citizens don't go into any more has ratty-looking untrimmed hedges, not neatly-pruned ones. Makes you wonder what kind of hazard pay the landscaping company gets to come in, trim all the hedges, and sweep up all the crud. I mean, look at King's Row, and all the ratty bits of gunge you find in all corners of the zone -- and that's a regular city zone; with no maintenance being done in Perez Park, we should see broken windows in the buildings, piles of random garbage in odd corners, and with two gangs competing for territory there's no graffiti on the walls?
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Originally Posted by SirFrederick
I'm sure the devs have their own plan and all, but I gotta agree - I'd love to see the Shard revamped a bit. All the underused zones, for that matter - Perez, Boomtown and Astoria in particular could do with, even if not a Faultline-, then at least a Hollows-style revitalisation.
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"But in our enthusiasm, we could not resist a radical overhaul of the system, in which all of its major weaknesses have been exposed, analyzed, and replaced with new weaknesses."
-- Bruce Leverett, Register Allocation in Optimizing Compilers
You didn't know srmalloy? The Hydras all trim the bushes with their teeth... because they only like the more delicate tasty edges that start to grow out.
Sure. If it's done RIGHT.
The zone doesn't need more tfs really, it needs more unique CONTACTS and story arcs.
Have each set of story arcs related to a series of islands so that travel isn't so cumbersome.
/signed also on co-op.
Perhaps after Pratoria is fleshed out after GR they should tackle this.
/signed also on revamps to make the other in-city COH zones useful.
*looks at Dark Astoria*
Blazara Aura LVL 50 Fire/Psi Dom (with 125% recharge)
Flameboxer Aura LVL 50 SS/Fire Brute
Ice 'Em Aura LVL 50 Ice Tank
Darq Widow Fortune LVL 50 Fortunata (200% rech/Night Widow 192.5% rech)--thanks issue 19!
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I think this is a big point as it stands now. The Shadow Shard already has enough blueside TFs that heroes don't need any more added. Of course, if the SS were modified to give villains access, I would expect 3-4 new vill only TFs to be added (which should make the "vill disparity omg!" players a bit happy) along with 1-2 contacts per zone per side to add some solo content. I also think it would be interesting if each of the new vill TFs mirrored the events of the commensurate heroside TF: the first would involve dealing with something upsetting the main plans from Primal Earth (possibly going through a long chain of events to convince Lord Recluse not to shut everything down even though Aeon ignored his command), the second might be villains trying to free Ruladak the Strong and either bargain with him or siphon off his power, the third might involve forcing Faathim to submit to some of your demands, and a fourth might involve getting what you want out of Faathim. All of those would follow through with the design of the existing ones rather well, but have a definite villainous cant to them (especially the third one, what villain wouldn't want to beat up the only "good" part of Rularuu just to get what s/he wants?).|
Originally Posted by Aura_Familia
The zone doesn't need more tfs really, it needs more unique CONTACTS and story arcs.
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| Have each set of story arcs related to a series of islands so that travel isn't so cumbersome. |
War Witch has already kinda hinted that they still view new zones as more important than zone revamps, so I think that unless any of the current empty zones fit with the storylines they're already working on, then I don't think we'll see many revamps.
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
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Eh, if they gave vills access to the Shard, it would functionally act as a new zone.
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Originally Posted by Golden Girl
War Witch has already kinda hinted that they still view new zones as more important than zone revamps, so I think that unless any of the current empty zones fit with the storylines they're already working on, then I don't think we'll see many revamps.
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There could be some good news though from the story clues they've dropped into the game - while the "Atlantis? Really?" quote from the ITF seems like it'd be very hard to tie in with an existing zone, the 5th Column boasting to the Council during their street fights that they have a base "right in the heart of the city" could be tied into a Boomtown revamp.|
Originally Posted by Umbral
Eh, if they gave vills access to the Shard, it would functionally act as a new zone.
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I know Boomtown is in the north of the city rather than the heart, but compared to Striga, it's still petty central
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
I really love the shard...
Give me contacts there! Story Arcs! Short TFs! Biiiiiiig TFs!!! I want it all for the Shard!!!
** Guardian�s Crazy Catgirl **
************* 22 XxX 10 *************
Yes. I can get lost on a straight-line map.
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While the coming storm storyline seems like it could be tied to the Shadow Shard, the fact that the Menders and the whole Ouroboros thing are tied up with time travel makes me think that whatever the coming storm involves will feature us either going forwards or backwards in time, so it's hard to see how the current Shadow Shard would be needed for that.
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Originally Posted by KayJMM
I really love the shard...
Give me contacts there! Story Arcs! Short TFs! Biiiiiiig TFs!!! I want it all for the Shard!!! |
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
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Why does everything have to tie into the Coming Storm? Hamidon doesn't tie into the Coming Storm, and I doubt Praetoria does. It's possible to have multiple cataclysm level storylines taking place at once without them all being interrelated.
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Originally Posted by Golden Girl
While the coming storm storyline seems like it could be tied to the Shadow Shard, the fact that the Menders and the whole Ouroboros thing are tied up with time travel makes me think that whatever the coming storm involves will feature us either going forwards or backwards in time, so it's hard to see how the current Shadow Shard would be needed for that.
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You do know who Mender Silos is, don't you? |
Originally Posted by Umbral
all being interrelated.
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@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
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Well duh :P But that doesn't mean that he caused the sundering of the Shard.
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Originally Posted by Golden Girl
You do know who Mender Silos is, don't you?
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Have you been back to the Shard since they changed the mini-maps? The maps now show most of the gravity geyser routes, which makes navigating (at least in Firebase Zulu and the Chantry) easier.