New option: Disable Patrol XP

Right under "No XP" in the Options screen, I would like to see another option that says "No Patrol XP".

The default setting for "No Patrol XP" would be "Disabled" so as not to impact anyone's gameplay without their consent.

The function of "No Patrol XP" being enabled would be to run a command upon a character's login that says, "Set this character's Patrol XP = 0."

The desired impact is that there would be no artificial XP acceleration for my character based on time spent not playing the character.

I have three primary objections to Patrol XP that fuel my desire for this new option:

A) Patrol XP feels like welfare. It's a welfare check the devs give you for doing nothing. As such, it insults my pride that, should I actually ever get a character to level 50, I won't be able to say that I did so entirely under my own power, but rather partly because I got unwanted boosts based on how much I schlepped off. No thanks, I'd really rather do it on my own. (I do not object to Day Jobs because a Day Job is a reward for logging off in a particular location, so you actually have to proactively do something to get the reward. Additionally, Day Jobs do not affect XP except for the one that mitigates XP debt.)

B) I object to the notion that my character is out in the game world fighting crime without me. When it comes to Day Jobs, I'm not interested in reading library books at the univeristy or in the Midnighter Club along with my character, or studying the map at the train station to find the quickest routes, or learning economics at the bank, etc. But I am interesting in fighting/perpetrating crime, and the thought that my character is out there patrolling the streets and stopping/committing crimes without me makes me feel unnecessary -- like my character needs me just so he can gain XP, but other than that, there's no need for me to be around for him to fight/commit crime. I thought the whole idea of CoH/CoV was "YOU are the Hero/Villain"? Apparently not. Apparently your character exists independently of you, and you're just a ride-along so's he can level up now and then. Bummer.

C) XP acceleration can cause my character to level more quickly than I desire. While I understand that the "No XP" option has been provided on this account, I do not generally object to rapid levelling as a result of my own actions in the game. I do, however, object to rapid levelling resulting from a decision by the devs to benevolently bestow upon me a benefit that I simply do not want and have been given no option to reject. (Before anyone asks, no, I don't object to Inherent Fitness -- I presume that the devs' datamining justifies their having made the change. I can imagine that a player theoretically could gripe about the mandatory enhanced speed and jump height, but sometimes, yes, that is just the way it goes. But I don't think that's the case here.)

I got fairly well blasted when I starting positing this option in a Player Questions thread (asking, naturally, "How do I shut off Patrol XP?") so I expect some negative responses here, too. All I ask is that you please don't waste your time or mine saying:

1) "The devs shouldn't do this because they have better things to do." Of course they have better things to do, and I have a laundry list of "better things" I'd like to see them do, but if this new option is something they do decide they can fit in, it's something I'd like to see.

2) "You already have 'No XP'." Thank you, I realize that, but my desire is to shut off accelerated XP earning, not all XP earning. I want to earn XP the way I was intended to earn it -- by fighting for it, not by sitting on my butt watching Netflix and eating starchy foods.

3) "If you don't want Patrol XP, get your character killed a few times and then it's gone." If you can't see the difference between an aggravating workaround and an actual solution, I can't help you.

4) "Use the 'No XP' option every third mission." Please see #3.

So, please, if you have an objection to a "No Patrol XP" option, please try to give a better reason than one of these. But do feel free to state whether or not it's something that you yourself might actually use. I'm curious to know what the overall sentiment is.

You *still* have to actually play the character, so you'll have to excuse me if I don't "get" the whole "feeling like I didn't really earn the levels to 50" sentiment. If you were level-pacted and only the other person played, I could see it - but IIRC that pact breaks if they're not caught up after X amount of time. I'm not saying you're *wrong* for feeling like that, I just don't *get* it.

Besides, the point of it is/was twofold - to encourage people to play lesser-used alts, and to allow those with less playing time to - while not keep up - not be so far behind those who play constantly. If this is your main character, or one you're playing frequently, you just shouldn't see that much of it.

Of course, one option for you is to play through in AE - not "farm" or take advantage of exploits, but just use that to level 1-50, as patrol XP is never used there. (And of course, if you DO do that - well, you'll see just how fast that patrol XP shrinks, even without being used!)

As for "would I use it" - nope. It goes fast on my characters, even those that sit, and those that don't (or are pacted) might as well not even see it.

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Well I until recently I was under the impression that if we turned off our XP it also turned off Patrol XP. So I think they should change it so that it works that way, but I don't expect everyone to agree with me.

Though I would never turn off Patrol XP, I'm all for your suggestion. More options is a good thing.

However:

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewScrapper A) Patrol XP feels like welfare. It's a welfare check the devs give you for doing nothing. As such, it insults my pride that, should I actually ever get a character to level 50, I won't be able to say that I did so entirely under my own power, but rather partly because I got unwanted boosts based on how much I schlepped off. No thanks, I'd really rather do it on my own. (I do not object to Day Jobs because a Day Job is a reward for logging off in a particular location, so you actually have to proactively do something to get the reward. Additionally, Day Jobs do not affect XP except for the one that mitigates XP debt.)

Insults your pride? Really? You're too sensitive.

If you play the same character every day the amount of Patrol XP you get is pretty small. Sure, being able to turn it off or wipe it clean at will wouldn't hurt anyone, so by all means let's have that. But it's not 1/3rd of all your XP if you play every day. More like 5% of all your XP.

Just curious - did it also insult your pride when they changed the level where a character gets XP debt from level 4 to level 10?

Or when they smoothed out the levelling curve to make the 30s and 40s more easily passed through?

Or when they added the inherents? I am going to guess you play scrappers, but perhaps you play blasters (who got Defiance, and then especially Defiance 2.0) and Defenders (who got a change to their inherent to dup their damage when solo or on a very small team)?

Or when they added IOs, which can boost your powers higher than SOs if slotted correctly?

The devs have added many, many things that made the game easier. So if having Patrol XP insults your pride, perhaps you should have started being insulted much, much earlier than now.

I hope that the "insult" is just hyperbole. Otherwise, you are just too thin-skinned and sensitive.

Plus LOL at worrying about "pride" in a game, fer goodness' sakes.

I don't care whether the Devs make a switch to turn Patrol XP off or not. Options are good, so I'm not against it. But I am also firmly in the camp that if it takes development time aways from other stuff I want, then no thanks, it's not a big enough deal to waste time on.

I know your preference in this thread is to not allow people to feel this way about wanting Dev resources spent on stuff besides your pet project/peeve, but there it is. You don't get to mod the thread or restrict what people feel or say.

/unsigned for me. Pride is not something I think the devs can program for.

Anyhow, it really is no difference. I still play toons I made six years ago. Does it matter I got to 50 in 10 weeks for one and 9 weeks for another? Overtime, it all washes out.

I don't see a problem with having this option as long as it doesn't take too much of the Devs time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewScrapper I just feel like the guy they let into the Navy SEALs after they dropped the minimum pushups requirement from 500 to 400 -- sure, I'm a SEAL, and I get to wear the uniform and all, but does it really mean what it used to mean? Do I really measure up to the SEALs who came before me? (Not a real-world example regarding the SEALs, by the way -- I just made that up to get the point across.)

Okay but they didn't "let you in" you still earned it, they made you do 400 push-up. They made the choice to lower the minimum requirement for some reason, maybe 500 was bad for the body, maybe 500 does nothing more for you then 400. Whatever the reason is they made it, and it is not only you they lower the minimum for. Everyone will now only need to do 400 push-ups to be a SEAL. If the higher ups like the admirals say 400 is good enough then 400 is all you need to do. As long as your instructor say you pass every thing to be a SEAL then you are a Navy SEAL without a doubt.

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I have one thing to say to this "it's not necessary to turn it off"

honestly patrol XP only protects you from debt, nothing else.. it doesn't enhance the rate of XP you gain either.

honestly I don't know why anyone would want to turn it off.. unless the devs do away with debt I wouldn't dare turn it off, my dominator and mastermind ETC. are just too squishy..

additionally, if this is because of a leveling pact, then I would say if you are a prideful individual who wants to earn their own XP, then don't form a leveling pact, or quit it right now.

problem solved.

I'm trying to figure out why taking longer to level up is an achievement of sorts. Going from one to fifty requires nothing but hitting things until they die and drop XP. It doesn't matter how hard they are, just that they drop XP. A slower leveling speed isn't harder at all. It just takes longer. It's no different than, say, driving. You can drive from one city to another at forty miles a hour or fifty miles a hour. Getting there at forty MPH isn't any harder than fifty, it'll just take longer and you'll be going slower.

In my opinion, and you're free to disagree with it, is leveling up to the level cap isn't an achievement in the sense of difficulty. It's more of a time investment. It's not hard. An achievement in this game would be doing something hard, like duoing a LGTF, running an ITF in twenty minutes, winning a big PvP tournament, or becoming Mr./Mrs Paragon City. Those are brag worthy in my opinion, not beating up the same mobs at a slower rate.