The Gold Standard

It's January and we've been throwing out all sorts of threads detailing what we'd like to see in the future. I haven't seen my wishes covered yet, so I'm starting my own: a request for a return to the gold standard of Issues. (I mean 'gold standard' in this way, not that way)

In my opinion, the Gold Standard for this game is an Issue in which we get:
- A new zone with some distinctive feature or flavor
- A new or revamped enemy group to go with it
- 4 new contacts within that zone
- Each with a story that adds up to a greater whole
- Culminating in a trial or task force

That was the standard to shoot for, for a long time; The Hollows, with Wincott's son and the Igneous; Striga, with the Council and their Volcano Lair; Croatoa, with no less than four(!) new villain groups leading up to Katie Hannon's trial; Grandville, where Arachnos finally gets its story revealed in the arcs of the 4 patrons and the LRSF; revamped Faultline, which slipped a bit- the 'new' group was Arachnos again, and while there is no trial at the end, the finale is epic enough to be like a trial/TF; revamped Rikti War Zone, back on track with revamped Rikti and brand new Vanguard, culminating in the LGTF, and allllmost Cimerora- I'm still waiting for those 4 contacts the senator points you at to sprout story arcs that hint at the ITF!

In comparison to this standard, the last year or two's collection of issues have been... lacking. And I mean Issues, not paid expansions- Praetoria is a brilliant piece of work that says the dev team still knows how to design and implement fascinating new places to visit.

Instead, we keep getting new game systems which I neither need nor use. PvP? Gutted and pointless, and I haven't used it since all the PvP'rs moved out of my home server. AE? Continually nerfed and drowned in farms. I stopped using it about 4 months after its debut. Going Rogue? Hopelessly entangled with A-merits. I've sent one character rogue just to see what it's like, got halfway, and stopped. I don't see myself ever using the system again. I'm told there are story lines buried in the random generator of tip missions, but it's harder finding them than it is finding something good in AE. Incarnates? The jury is still out. But I'll say that the problem I had with playing my 50s was NOT that they weren't powerful enough. I really don't see Incarnate powers/salvage adding much to my game.

The only new system I've used and enjoyed since its implementation is the market/invention system. Old-school rpg reflexes kicked in, saying, "Who doesn't love loot?"

So. Issue 20 seems likely to be all about the Incarnates. Fine, get that system finished and out of the way. But please, afterwards, can we get back to the good stuff? You know, the basic game? Revamp Boomtown, give us a space zone, an underwater zone, more Praetorian zones, more time travel set piece zones.

War Witch said that after Incarnates, they would be focusing on content. That's what I'm hoping for in 2011. A Return to the Gold Standard.

Content for Incarnates? Yes please!

1. Without AE we would not have the Ray Cooling or Vincent Ross arcs, for at least two reasons.
2. When the initial implementation of a new feature doesn't meet the design goals, the right thing to do is to leave it broken and never look at it again?

I'd vote for a Boomtown rebuild like Faultline. The zone already exists. We know the story, just flesh it out, add contacts, and some new mutant-type bad guys that have crawled out of the wreckage. Maybe "the next phase" the Lost keep talking about.

And a really cool thing would be to have the time it is released be related to how many people log off there for a Day Job of "Boomtown Rebuilding". Say the Devs could release it (random time picked here) any time from April 16 to May 1st. The more people log out in Boomtown, the closer to April 16 it is.

I mean, sheesh, its been the same since the doors opened to let us in the zone.

*Picks up stick and walks over to the dead horse*

The Shadow Shard needs some love. So does Boomtown. And Crey's Folly. For that matter pretty much every hazard zone other than The Hollows needs serious attention. Other than the occasional mission, GM's, and badges there isn't a good reason to step foot in any of them.

I'll say it again, the game needs a overhaul. I've done the beginning missions so many times I don't even need to look at the mission dialog to know where to go and what to do. I realize that it can't happen overnight, but if they want this game to stay afloat they need to get leveling content updated or add new content other than just the Praetorian stuff.

*Drops the stick and walks off. Horse continues to lay there.*

I was wondering when the next cleverly disguised angry rant thread would show up.

That anger was so cunningly disguised, it escaped even me!

I don't know about "Gold Standards", but some of the groups and locals are getting a bit long in the tooth. Noble asked us for all this input on changes, would be nice to eventually know what's coming of it.

Personally I would not say that the Hollows was the standard for the best story arcs. I have always loved the original sequence of arcs that came with COH that explained more and more about the various groups you are facing as you leveled up.

For example the Circle of Thorns, Carnival, Lost/Rikti all have multiple story arcs that build on each other and actually teach you something useful as you go through them and level to 50. Recent groups require you to read online stories/info if you want to know the story behind them. 2 thumbs down for that. I don't play games so I can read online fiction. "They enhance the game" isn't a valid arguement when the same information can be included in the game in a more interesting format.

But then I think things like the Forums should be optional to play not required. Unfortunately for new players unless you use forums and web sites you will just get frustrated by the game, because this game is HARD for a new player - especially someone new to MMOs. You play for years and you forget that, but I've seen people totally frustrated and ready to quit because they feel completely out of control. Try spawning your first character during a Rikti Invasion (whether people are fighting it or not) and see how confused and frustrated you get LOL.

I would like to see thinks like Pets locking up, and the compass not working in Mercy Island (which has been broken since day 1) fixed ASAP (just set a waypoint there to see what I mean). Things like this should NOT rely on players telling each other workarounds they need to be fixed. Ask anyone in another software field and they will always tell you bugs come before enhancements. Devs have been good about fixing the geometry problems fairly quick, man that used to be a pain when last mob fell through wall and you had to follow into outer space to find em.

So for me Gold standard is make the game SPOTLESS. No known bugs people constantly have to work around, especially not for years. Yes even minor ones because those are less minor to newbies who don't understand it's broken. Then make interconnecting arcs that tell an overriding story that relates to the instead of only story. Granted some of the one off arcs are great stories in and of themselves (I love Taylor's arc in Nerva)

That and more mayhem. The Morality mission where they ask you to get in a giant robot and destory half of the Grandville slums sounds so cool until you are forced to turn them down That was just a cruel.

Not being harsh, I just like the game too much sometimes.

I'm personally not all that excited for Incarnate only content.

Outside of what needs revamping a typical update should have:

1. New Power Proliferations
2. New Custom animations
3. More tip missions
4. More Flashback content
5. More custom weapons
6. New Costume pieces

...and a furthering of the game lore with new story arcs.

I would have to agree with this. I would add we need some new content in our empty zones. Dark Astoria is an awesome zone that doesn't even need a change in look just some stuff to do there.
I would also like to see story arcs that are consistent and in-universe logical. I did the Roy Cooling arc recently which mostly gets thumbs up cool idea points. However when fighting the rogue police portion of the arc I kept thinking "geez, why does Paragon need super heroes with cops like these? Why is my character even helping?" that's not a good thing for a player to think in a game about super heroes. Honestly if it had been sky raider's or something I wouldn't have even blinked. That would have been more "Where did they get these weird new weapons?", "What is this foreshadowing of a link between sky raiders and council? Cool!" etc..
I'm just hoping we see the caliber of writing that's in Vanessa Devore's arc- maybe minus the kill fifty carnies grind. I just want our narrative to grow and be well written and thought out. I would be happy with less new content if it was great stuff.