A Stern Letter to the Devs...
By
Ashcraft,
Posted on: 2010-08-26 07:51 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
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Whoa....you can do all that with Excel????
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Originally Posted by Steelclaw
Well... I don't have to work.. set up financially rather well... so that's one reason I can devote so much time to it all..
I set up all my tournament data on spreadsheets, so all the calculations are done for me as soon as I type in the stats. One blank character sheet is over 8.6 megs in size. To tell you how obsessive... er... how detailed the sheets are... If I go to my Powers page and put Accuracy in slot 1 beside Brawl... my Invention sheet will automatically detect that I entered a power in that slot but no indication that I have an enhancement yet (basically I've reserved the slot for that enhancement) it will discover that it is an Accuracy enhancement... it will check my current level to see that I'm 10th level... it will then figure out that I need 1 boresight and 1 luck charm to make that enhancement and add those items to my "shopping list"... all without me having to do more than type in Accuracy. All the other sheets are similarly automated. My computer desktop is relatively bare... I usually only have one game I play at any given time... but i REALLY play that one. |
i definitely get the need to set your own terms on what / why /how you game. sometimes you need to bring a few extra dimensions to the table to find what you're looking for.
my only question is: do you team or solo for the most part while playing?
/happy trails
Kittens give Morbo gas.
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I solo mostly... The only time I team is when I have to accomplish something that requires a team like Task Forces or when I am running a character I specifically created for teaming (defenders and corruptors mostly).|
Originally Posted by spice_weasel
i definitely get the need to set your own terms on what / why /how you game. sometimes you need to bring a few extra dimensions to the table to find what you're looking for.
my only question is: do you team or solo for the most part while playing? /happy trails |
This is probably for the best since I tend to be rather chatty and joke-spewing while teaming. People I play with generally find me amusing at first and respond to my quips... then after a while the "LOL"'s taper off... then I am pretty much guaranteed dead silence after each of my jokes...
I would love to know how many of my former team mates have me on global ignore.
My mind wanders so often you've probably seen its picture on milk cartons. - Me... the first person version of the third person Steelclaw
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You just described my experience with every task force I've ever been on. Now I want to team with you. |
Originally Posted by Steelclaw
This is probably for the best since I tend to be rather chatty and joke-spewing while teaming. People I play with generally find me amusing at first and respond to my quips... then after a while the "LOL"'s taper off... then I am pretty much guaranteed dead silence after each of my jokes..
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That's just the tip of the iceberg... I have three tabs for badges... one for heroes.. villains and Praetorians... I only have to fill one of them tho' because the system is set up to automatically propogate the appropriate badge on the other two sheets... and if I change my character's alignment all the badge titles automatically adjust to reflect that fact.|
Originally Posted by Foxy_Phoenix
Whoa....you can do all that with Excel????
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Most of my stuff is automated that way. I hide all the coding so that the interface only shows what I want it to. I literally have over 1000 cells of code on the Invention sheet, but you only see around 100 of the data input/output ones.
Excel is my canvas... and I am Michaelangelo.
My mind wanders so often you've probably seen its picture on milk cartons. - Me... the first person version of the third person Steelclaw
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So if you don't find it funny, there's clearly something wrong with YOU.
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Originally Posted by Zekiran_Immortal
You must not have read many of Steelclaw's other posts.
He's well known for being remarkably funny |
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Originally Posted by eltonio
This is over the top mental slavery.
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See..? SEE?! I keep saying the same thing! But my therapist just hits me with the whiffle bat and hands me his bill.
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Originally Posted by Smurch
So if you don't find it funny, there's clearly something wrong with YOU.
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My mind wanders so often you've probably seen its picture on milk cartons. - Me... the first person version of the third person Steelclaw
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Your therapist is a duck?
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Originally Posted by Steelclaw
But my therapist just hits me with the whiffle bat and hands me his bill.
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Troy Hickman - So proud to have contributed to and played in this wonderful CoH universe
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<insert random "yeah, he's a quack" joke here>
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Originally Posted by TroyHickman
Your therapist is a duck?
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My mind wanders so often you've probably seen its picture on milk cartons. - Me... the first person version of the third person Steelclaw
About halfway through the OP, I realized "oh right, this is the guy that talked about his spreadsheets and utter genocide of his toons from that thread a couple of months ago about deleting 50's."
Geez you're hardcore.
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O________________O
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Originally Posted by Steelclaw
You asked for it...
Current Tournament Rules (the SEVERELY Abridged version): * Each Server shall contain within it a single "team" of competitors all geared towards either a hero or villain alignment. * Each team shall start with only two members... a team Captain and a Traderbot. The Captain shall actually play the game while the Traderbot is there solely for the purpose of playing the market and bankrolling the team. * A new member shall be created to join the team when the last joining member of that team reaches 40th level. * No Training, Dual or Single Origin IOs shall ever be slotted; Invention Origin ONLY. * No Set Enhancements are allowed to be slotted prior to the character reaching 27th level. No Set enhancement lower than level 30 shall be slotted. * Prior to creating the character in-game a spreadsheet shall be made plotting the exact Power and Slot allocation from 1st to 50th level. This plan shall be adhered to rigidly. * A Reputation score shall be maintained for the character. This score is based on a mathematical equation using Badges earned (each badge has a different Rep value all kept on a separate spreadsheet), Number of Successful Missions run, Influence earned (earned inf only, that made via the market or sale of loot does not count), penalties for times defeated, and how long the character has been around. Also there is a bonus to Reputation based on how high a level the character got to before they had their first ever defeat. * A Power score shall also be maintained for the character. Power = Temp powers/accolades/set powers + badge power values (spreadsheeted) + Level + slotted enhancements in powers + reward merits earned/spent + penalty for defeats. There is a bonus applied to power according to what the character's current difficulty settings are. * A Teamwork score is kept based on prestige earned for the SG/VG by that character, enhancements they donated to the team storage racks, team missions they have done successfully, badges also grant a teamwork score, also there is a penalty for defeats occurring while on a team. The teamwork score is a percentage bonus applied to Reputation and Power when applying those values to the Team Rep and Power for that particular server. * These scores (and others) are recorded at every level gain. Every 5th level they are exported to a separate spreadsheet so all characters progress can be measured against one another to see who was doing better at that point in the tournament. Like I said, this is an extremely abridged version of my rules. I also have rules governing 50th level characters, when they can go rogue and switch sides. I have rules regarding my traderbots and how they level. I have rules about whose turn it is and what "bonus rolls" they get during their turn. This is my tournament. This is my curse. Heh. I love it tho'... |
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Generally I play at night so I get more and more tired as the game progresses, I love chatty teams because they keep me awake while teaming.|
Originally Posted by Steelclaw
I solo mostly... The only time I team is when I have to accomplish something that requires a team like Task Forces or when I am running a character I specifically created for teaming (defenders and corruptors mostly).
This is probably for the best since I tend to be rather chatty and joke-spewing while teaming. People I play with generally find me amusing at first and respond to my quips... then after a while the "LOL"'s taper off... then I am pretty much guaranteed dead silence after each of my jokes... I would love to know how many of my former team mates have me on global ignore. |
I've actually fallen asleep while fighting, my mouse clicks seem to go on auto pilot.
When do we get to the part where you snap and murder the devs to stop development once and for all? I really do love suspense thrillers!
Heres me getting happy when i made a widow for the first time today and got to level 6 
I feel so simple in comparison! 
Steel, know you play a lot of your characters but do you create the same character again when you start over? If so, which one do you find yourself having the most fun with?
Also, how long did it take for those spreadsheets
@Damz Find me on the global channel Union Chat. One of the best "chat channels" ingame!
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I pretty much re-create the same ones again to keep the "teams' consistent in my head... although they HAVE changed ATs/power sets on occassion. I have two favorites right now:|
Originally Posted by EU_Damz
Heres me getting happy when i made a widow for the first time today and got to level 6
I feel so simple in comparison! Steel, know you play a lot of your characters but do you create the same character again when you start over? If so, which one do you find yourself having the most fun with?Also, how long did it take for those spreadsheets |
D'Shan Steelclaw (on Champion) is my name-sake character and the main character of the book I wrote (and never published). He's a Natural Claws/Regen Scrapper. He hasn't really changed much over the years since he's based on an "existing" character.
Mistress Monolith (Pinnacle) is my current "mad-scientist-let's-see-if-this-works" project. Basically I invest EVERYTHING in her defense to make her as indestructible as I possibly can. I rely heavily on Sands of Mu and Black Wand to get her through her starting levels. Willpower/Super Strength Tank with full investment in Combat Jumping (def buff) and Tough and Weave as well. My goal is to go all the way to 50 with her without a single defeat.
And while I DO have rules to govern whose turn it is and how long they play... I have to admit my favorites SOMEHOW tend to do better and level faster than my not-so-favorite characters. I have no idea how this happens... umm... next question.
Basically it's taken since Issue 10 to make the spreadsheets... I don't start them over from scratch like I do the characters... I build on them or alter what I have to. That sometimes leads to problems.. this time around I had to do some spot-cleaning of code on my Inventions page. The problem with that is I haven't worked on that code in like... a year and a half... so I actually had to spend half-an-hour just figuring out how it all worked before I could begin to work the fix.
The really fun part is when the Devs introduce new badges... which is like... every friggin' issue... then I have to completely revamp the Badger Den spreadsheet... yeah... I apparently like to torture myself.. go figure.
My mind wanders so often you've probably seen its picture on milk cartons. - Me... the first person version of the third person Steelclaw
I wonder if this is how the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy was conceived...
Steel.....LOL..what can i say...ur posts...
I didn't realize you were such a masochist, Steelclaw. 
There I was between a rock and a hard place. Then I thought, "What am I doing on this side of the rock?"
Ok I get the tournament system you have --sort of-- and kudos to you for making your own fun. What I don't get is why you have to delete all your characters and start over every issue. Why not just roll up more characters to add to the teams?
Eva Destruction AR/Fire/Munitions Blaster
Darkfire Avenger DM/SD/Body Scrapper
Arc ID#161629 Freaks, Geeks, and Men in Black
Arc ID#431270 Until the End of the World
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Mostly because of the "fairness factor"... |
Originally Posted by Eva Destruction
Ok I get the tournament system you have --sort of-- and kudos to you for making your own fun. What I don't get is why you have to delete all your characters and start over every issue. Why not just roll up more characters to add to the teams?
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For example: When they introduced Reward Merits for story arcs every single one of my older characters were suddenly at an extreme disadvantage because they had no access to them while they were leveling. Reward Merits count towards Reputation and Power both when they're earned and again when they're spent. Since new characters were earning them practically since creation (especially with the new Merits for Exploration Accolades system) the older characters were showing MUCH lower scores at earlier levels than their counterparts.
Since I want as accurate a reading as possible as to which character is out-performing the others, I have to start over every time the devs introduce something that makes the old scoring system obsolete.
That and I am... apparently... a glutton for punishment.
My mind wanders so often you've probably seen its picture on milk cartons. - Me... the first person version of the third person Steelclaw
I thought the original post was going to say "Baba Booey."
Troy Hickman - So proud to have contributed to and played in this wonderful CoH universe