Not much has changed in a year
By
Ael Rhiana,
Posted on: 2010-08-27 09:40 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
What about the Doppleganger missions? Side switching and associated missions? The new Positron Task Force? Praetoria? Tonnes of new exploration badges?
Meanwhile, two months into the future...
Can I have your stuff? 
Head of TRICK, the all Trick Arrow and Traps SG
Part of the Repeat Offenders
Still waiting for his Official BackAlleyBrawler No-Prize
While I doubt this thread will live long I would comment that it is incorrect to lump the entire year's subscription costs towards comparing to buying new games since some portion of that would have to be assigned to access to playing whether a subscriber chooses to or not.
Also I have bought many games years ago for $50 or $60 that didn't get played even 50 or 60 hours so $1/hour for them would be generous. I play CoH at least 30 hours a week but even if only 15 hours a week they are $1/hour for me to play.
I won't get into the contest over how much has changed in the past year but Ultra Mode graphics are sweet.
Email items is great.
Merged markets rock.
and just one year ago we got the ability color customize our powers.
I could go on but you probably aren't interested in what really has been added in the last year.
total kick to the gut
This is like having Ra's Al Ghul show up at your birthday party.
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The game costs $15 a month not a week.|
Originally Posted by SwellGuy
While I doubt this thread will live long I would comment that it is incorrect to lump the entire year's subscription costs towards comparing to buying new games since some portion of that would have to be assigned to access to playing whether a subscriber chooses to or not.
Also I have bought many games years ago for $50 or $60 that didn't get played even 50 or 60 hours so $1/hour for them would be generous. I play CoH at least 30 hours a week but even if only 15 hours a week they are $1/hour for me to play. |
At 15 hours a week you are playing at about $0.23 and hour.
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Like what? There's 5 AT's to each side, 7 counting HEATs and VEATs, and 10 available to Praetorians. They'd have to add at least two then, one to each side, for a total of 6/8 for CoH/V and 12 for Praetoria.|
Originally Posted by HeroJunkie
I would have liked to see new archetypes.
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What would it be, then? What powers would it have? What animations. What would their thing be, and their niche? And then they'd still be doing the same content as you were doing now.
Also, all the work that would go into new powers? Might as well go into existing sets for the old AT's.
Also:
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| Really, what are you devs doing with our subscription money? |
Actually a buff/melee for Praetorian only new characters would have been sweet.
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Well, since you seem to assume that all that money is directly available for just continued development, some budget info from a few published sources: |
Originally Posted by HeroJunkie
I've been gone from the game for a year but came back to check out Going Rogue. Unfortunately I'd have to say that there really isn't that much new stuff in the game considering it's been a whole year. I would have liked to see new archetypes. A year's worth of fees for the game would be about $170 which is about what is costs to buy three brand new games.
My poor laptop can't run Ultra Graphics Mode, so I am missing out on that. I'll probably play CoH for a month, maybe two, then I'll cancel again. Really what are you developers doing with all the subscription money? This superhero game should be growing by leaps and bounds, not limping along. DCUO is coming out soon and I've got a Playstation 3. Better get your stuff together NC Soft! |
(these are estimates from memory, part from this older book IIRC, part adjusted for subsequent updates made in conference or online. I'm using broad numbers here from memory for expedience)
...of every $15 subscription
- About $4-8 goes to bandwidth costs and hosting operations-- the devs don't get a "unlimited access to the internet"deal for $40 like we might.
--About $1-3 more is recommended for customer support costs, including basic bugfixing, depending on product stability
--About $1.50-3 is lost to payment processing, offsetting fraudulent charges, and staffing efforts associated with credit card and fraud issues. Financial fraud is HUGE for mmo's and the card processors really hike up their fees for this business. IIRC, the book noted this around $1.50, but there's been much said online regarding costs here doubling or tripling in the last half decade
What's left might be split between paying back the initial investment and continued development.
As for what's happened in a year:
- specific CONTENT was slim, until the expansion to be honest. Some story arcs and task forces, but the lion's share was probably Going Rogue. Going Rogue added a lot (150+ tip missions, 4 good sized tracks of content for level 1-20 in Praetoria, Cathedral of Pain, etc)
-tech-wise there's been a good deal- and tech is by far the costliest and riskiest to add. We have the new doppleganger tech, ai's capable of a broader powerset range, powerset customization, supersidekicking revision, ultramode, new mission mechanics, Architect enhancements, alignment system, market UI revamp, etc.
-no new archetypes, but powersets tend to offer more variety within archetypes than most other MMO's. Other MMO's often add an archetype that's more of a variation of an existing AT, whereas the devs here can get the same overall effect by adding a powerset into an existing archetype. The devs had added some more powersets in that timeframe- two rounds of proliferation, IIRC
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Oh snap. Good catch. |
Originally Posted by LISAR
The game costs $15 a month not a week.
At 15 hours a week you are playing at about $0.23 and hour. |
total kick to the gut
This is like having Ra's Al Ghul show up at your birthday party.
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|
Originally Posted by HeroJunkie
I've been gone from the game for a year but came back to check out Going Rogue. Unfortunately I'd have to say that there really isn't that much new stuff in the game considering it's been a whole year. I would have liked to see new archetypes. A year's worth of fees for the game would be about $170 which is about what is costs to buy three brand new games.
My poor laptop can't run Ultra Graphics Mode, so I am missing out on that. I'll probably play CoH for a month, maybe two, then I'll cancel again. Really what are you developers doing with all the subscription money? This superhero game should be growing by leaps and bounds, not limping along. DCUO is coming out soon and I've got a Playstation 3. Better get your stuff together NC Soft! |
Not liking all the new content is not the same as there being no new content.
There are no words for what this community, and the friends I have made here mean to me. Please know that I care for all of you, yes, even you. If you Twitter, I'm MrThan. If you're Unleashed, I'm dumps. I'll try and get registered on the Titan Forums as well. Peace, and thanks for the best nine years anyone could ever ask for.
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Interesting.|
Originally Posted by LISAR
Actually a buff/melee for Praetorian only new characters would have been sweet.
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That would be interesting to see. I'd assume we'd have to make the buffs include self-buffing options, as not having a defense set would be a detriment to a melee class (even with a tank nearby taking aggro, there's AOE).
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*boggled*|
Originally Posted by HeroJunkie
I've been gone from the game for a year but came back to check out Going Rogue. Unfortunately I'd have to say that there really isn't that much new stuff in the game considering it's been a whole year. I would have liked to see new archetypes. A year's worth of fees for the game would be about $170 which is about what is costs to buy three brand new games.
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There's a ton of new content in GR. Three whole new zones of contacts with lots of story arcs. You don't need Ultra Mode to enjoy that.
I have no problem with people saying that they don't like the new stuff in GR, but saying that there hasn't been stuff added is boggling.
P.S. They added 4 new power sets in the last year: dual pistols, demon summoning, kinetic melee, electric control or did you miss that too?
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Don't forget power spectrum last September within that timeframe. It added a new primary for all AT's except controller, dominator & mastermind while also adding new secondaries to all AT's except blaster, brute, and stakler.
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Originally Posted by Fury Flechette
*boggled*
P.S. They added 4 new power sets in the last year: dual pistols, demon summoning, kinetic melee, electric control or did you miss that too? |
I v'ill carve your post zike turkee and make eet beeyuuteeful.
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Originally Posted by HeroJunkie
My poor laptop can't run Ultra Graphics Mode, so I am missing out on that.
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| Really what are you developers doing with all the subscription money? |
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| Ultra Graphics Mode |
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Giving this some thought while drinking my evening cup of tea, I thought of one:|
Originally Posted by Chase_Arcanum
Interesting.
That would be interesting to see. I'd assume we'd have to make the buffs include self-buffing options, as not having a defense set would be a detriment to a melee class (even with a tank nearby taking aggro, there's AOE). |
An Assault/Buff AT:
The first Powerset contains a mix of melee and ranged powers along with utility ones, similar to that of the Dominator's secondary, while the second provides buffs. Kind of a mix of Dominator and Defender. Maybe give them a Domination-like Power Boost, that increases the effects of their buffs and the secondary effects of their powers. Or something defiance like instead, that each 'application' from their assault powers boosts their buffs/debuffs/heals, with melee ones applying a greater buff than range.
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This would be the perfect preatorian EAT. Leader. The leader is a front line fighter with unique survivability options and the ability to summon controllable henchmen like a mastermind, although not as many of them, and not built around the whole two upgrades and the way they scale in level.|
Originally Posted by Chase_Arcanum
Interesting.
I assume you're thinking along the lines of LOTRO Captain, who IIRC was a buff melee/heal/pet class... and one of the earlier encoutners I had with a buff/melee. That would be interesting to see. I'd assume we'd have to make the buffs include self-buffing options, as not having a defense set would be a detriment to a melee class (even with a tank nearby taking aggro, there's AOE). |
Unlike a MM, a Leader stands in the front lines with his Allies (not henchmen) and battles it out side by side. He can get leadership abilities, attacks, and more defensive options.
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This would so get my vote, if... ya know... we voted on this stuff. Heck, my defenders are in melee often enough anyway, it'd be nice if there was a Buff/Debuff AT designed for it.
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Originally Posted by Neogumbercules
This would be the perfect preatorian EAT. Leader. The leader is a front line fighter with unique survivability options and the ability to summon controllable henchmen like a mastermind, although not as many of them, and not built around the whole two upgrades and the way they scale in level.
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Siberian Spring-50 (Cold/Rad, Rad/Ice, Ice/Rad, Sh/Ice) - KGB SS8
Chernozem-50 (Ice/MM, Emp/Ice, MA/Regen) - KGB SS8
Wila-50 (Dark/Arch) - KGB SS8
Also: Krassivy Mechtayu-50 (Ill/Rad) - KGB SS8; Ms. Hypatia-50 (Dark/Regen)
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Unlike a MM? You're playing with the wrong MMs, methinks. |
Originally Posted by Neogumbercules
Unlike a MM, a Leader stands in the front lines with his Allies...
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Global name: @k26dp
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No, they're not. My main is an MM. My goal (at which I succeeded) was to make a character that could fully keep up with my allies while I was afk.|
Originally Posted by RosaQuartz
Unlike a MM? You're playing with the wrong MMs, methinks.
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Once kept up with everyone else during a Rikti warship raid while reading a fantastic article in "/em newspaper".
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My bots/FF MM was so boring.|
Originally Posted by Marcian Tobay
No, they're not. My main is an MM. My goal (at which I succeeded) was to make a character that could fully keep up with my allies while I was afk.
Once kept up with everyone else during a Rikti warship raid while reading a fantastic article in "/em newspaper". |
Once I triggered as many ambushes as I could at once in the Peregrine Island Mayhem mission bank. I had the difficulty set to the max for back then. I buffed my pets and the NPC I rescued from jail. I went and took a shower and got a snack.
Came back to 4 of my robots (lost one protector bot and one battle bot) and the NPC all fine and dandy.
total kick to the gut
This is like having Ra's Al Ghul show up at your birthday party.
Quote:
Sorry you find that boring. I find that hilarious and the new high bar. |
Originally Posted by SwellGuy
My bots/FF MM was so boring.
Once I triggered as many ambushes as I could at once in the Peregrine Island Mayhem mission bank. I had the difficulty set to the max for back then. I buffed my pets and the NPC I rescued from jail. I went and took a shower and got a snack. Came back to 4 of my robots (lost one protector bot and one battle bot) and the NPC all fine and dandy. |
I've been gone nearly a year as well.
Going Rogue has reinvigorated the game for me. I'll be here for the next little while. At least until TOR comes out.
It's the new arcs that have done it. Not to mention the fact that I can take a character from one side to the other.
To me, it was a good break, but it's good to be home.
"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
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I also thought it was hilarious (he only had SOs too, none of them fancy IOs) but when I play I want to play which is why /dark and /storm are my favorites.
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Originally Posted by Marcian Tobay
Sorry you find that boring. I find that hilarious and the new high bar.
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total kick to the gut
This is like having Ra's Al Ghul show up at your birthday party.
modestly on topic: well i disagree, the writing of the new content is really heads above whats currently out there, some of the new costumes are great, and i love the side switching dynamic, as well as the morality reinforcing dynamic. but until the op gets more into detail, cant really see what he wanted to change, an what realistically could have been done. mentioning other games is a no-no now.
for the drastically more interesting diversion. running my first new mm, she is a demon/poison, so she is more melee oriented. not at steamrolling power yet, but not bad, i learned not to make a short demon mm though, ember demon's butts should not be eye level, just saying.
Yeah, if the OP doesn't think anything has changed in a year, then they should try playing the game before posting.
I've been gone from the game for a year but came back to check out Going Rogue. Unfortunately I'd have to say that there really isn't that much new stuff in the game considering it's been a whole year. I would have liked to see new archetypes. A year's worth of fees for the game would be about $170 which is about what is costs to buy three brand new games.
My poor laptop can't run Ultra Graphics Mode, so I am missing out on that.
I'll probably play CoH for a month, maybe two, then I'll cancel again. Really what are you developers doing with all the subscription money? This superhero game should be growing by leaps and bounds, not limping along.