Global Unlocks for Costume Pieces, Weapons, and Shields

In a game who's most well known feature is character customization so bold and expansive locking players out of costume pieces until the higher levels is ridiculous.

Permanently gating pieces of costuming behind objectives that a player cannot be reasonably expected to complete within hours of character creation is absurd.

A far better solution would be to apply global unlocks at the current requirements to allow players access to the pieces they so desperately want for level 1 characters. It compromises the need to ensure players play the content the pieces are locked behind, and offers them new toys to create new Alts with, thus furthering the cycle which gives Paragon Studios their wealth.

However, it also cuts the runs on unfavored task forces or tasks and allows people to do what they -want- to do, rather than mindlessly grind for a few hours, allowing for better data-mining of player interest, not just activity.

The current system helps to balance power level when the higher level costume pieces affect a character's scores or abilities. The pieces in City do not. And, as completely cosmetic pieces, should be allowable for level 1 characters to use. And even in an upcoming MMO with gated costume piece items with stat boosts they intend to allow the player to unlock the appearance of the gated piece for future use. Even if this doesn't apply to use from character creation, a player can reasonably send themselves costume pieces they've located elsewhere on other characters in order to unlock pieces.

-Rachel-

Accolades and Temp Powers, I can understand not being global, but costume unlocks should be global instead of forcing players to do TFs, events, and badge hunts again and again simply to unlock this axe or that rifle.

And that argument that you should do the legwork is a bit flimsy, after all, if you've gotten it once already, you *have* done the legwork.

/signed

((Edit: I'd support Swell's "Merits for Unlocks" suggestion as well. It'd give me something to do with the damn things))

It's 106 miles to Grandville, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing faceless helmets

... Hit it ...

I also do not like the Merit unlocks on a character by character basis.

It's exactly the same as having the things locked up behind a TF or a Badge-hunt: Complete this many hours of work on the character (minimum) and purchase your costume pieces)

It still doesn't allow for the level 1 character to use the pieces without relentless grinding with their XP turned off.

As for the suggestion of 10 Alignment Merits to unlock pieces (or 600 regular merits): Unless you're suggesting 10 alignment merits total for all unlocked costume pieces, you're crazy.

That's putting a 20 day grind minimum on each SET of what should be unlocked automatically.

And if you're suggesting on a piece by piece basis.... Nerts to you.

-Rachel-

How about turning the costumes earned by the "Defeat so many soundso" badges into recipes that are dropped whenever you've defeated so many soundsos? That way my Invulnerability/Super Strength tanker can get a costume item recipe for defeating Carnies even though he doesn't have any of the powersets that you need for those costume items. So you defeat enough Rularuu and you get a recipe that can be turned into a shield, and axe, etc.

This has a downside that you need to a lot more Rularuu to get an axe and a shield on the same character though.


Maybe if when you got the badge, it offered you a reward option: 1) Unlock all costume items on this character and get the badge, 2) get a costume recipe.

Just, could they offer that choice of reward option every time you "earned" that badge?

It's not a bad idea, but it doesn't solve the awkwardness of having to roll up the character, then cash in the recipe, then fix the costume, likely using up a token in the process.

I think a simpler solution would be an item in the CoX store you get access for free once you have gotten the unlock. It is only usable once, but can be applied to any character made already or not.

This would be until they have a special option of specialized buttons added to character creation.

While it sucks at lvl 1 i still enjoy lvling them up and work for the costumes etc on each toon.

so i say no to this idea.

I'm all for them just being global unlocks. However, in order to keep more people happy:

Character Unlock: Same requirements as now.

Player Unlock: An accolade that requires you complete all (or a siginificant subset) of the content related to the group the item is from.

So for the witches hat:

Character Unlock: Complete KHTF.

Player Unlock: On any one character complete all (or maybe just most) Arcs and TFs related to The Cabal, get all (or maybe just most) badges related to them too.

Essentially, if a Player has played through all/most of the storylines about a particular group, then they have earned the right to create new characters that have some connection to that group (or who just wear items that that group wears)

Why not just make the TFs drop recipes to make the costume pieces instead of unlocking the costume pieces directly? That way you could unlock them with one character and pass them on to other alts, or buy them at the market.