City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

Oh exploitable! A very interesting /Traps bug

Hitback

By Hitback,
Posted on: 2011-01-10 14:44 in Masterminds

 

Posted

I've been encountering this bug for more than a year now. I tried to report it but it never got fixed. I guess devs just had their hands full with GR and everything. I feel like I'm the only one that notices it, as I couldn't find a thread about it in the forums and all MM players I've asked so far were hearing this for the first time. Anyway:

For some reason, Force Field Generator "records" all Henchmen Equip powers used on pets and recasts them every time it's replaced by a new one. So, all you have to do is summon all 6 of your pet, plus the FFG and use your 2 Equip powers. Then, as long as you keep replacing your FFG and never allow it to self-destruct when the timer runs out, you can keep re-equipping your pets for free. Lost some pets in combat? Summon new ones and then, replace your old FFG with a new one to equip your newly-summoned pets for free (well, for 16,25 end unenhanced compared to 45,5+45,5). That gives quite an unfair advantage to /Traps MMs compared to other secondary powersets, especially in PvP.

Has any of you /Trappers out there encountered the same bug?

 

Posted

No. And shhhhh.

<:[ shark goes nom nom nom ]:>
[QUOTE=theOcho;3409811]As to the REAL reason I'll be leaving, I'm afraid it is indeed because Tamaki Revolution dc'd on me during a RSF.[/QUOTE]

 

Posted

I certainly have, on a Thugs/Traps. I never bothered to test it--I figured it was just an animation bug, not that it was really upgrading the pets.

Freedom: Blazing Larb, Fiery Fulcrum, Sardan Reborn, Arctic-Frenzy, Wasabi Sam, Mr Smashtastic.

 

Posted

Actually, it's more like:
1. Summon 6 pets + FFG
2. Upgrade pets
3. Resummon FFG before timer runs out and self-destructs.

That's it. Even if all your pets are equipped, both powers are casted again and the whole equipping animation of both powers plays again on all your pets. Of course, if there are unequipped pets around, they're equipped, too.

 

Posted

Yep. It's a nice bug that's been mentioned a few times on the boards. Not looking forward to it getting fixed. :P (I guess it could be annoying in pvp)

<:[ shark goes nom nom nom ]:>
[QUOTE=theOcho;3409811]As to the REAL reason I'll be leaving, I'm afraid it is indeed because Tamaki Revolution dc'd on me during a RSF.[/QUOTE]

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by TamakiRevolution View Post
Yep. It's a nice bug that's been mentioned a few times on the boards. Not looking forward to it getting fixed. :P (I guess it could be annoying in pvp)
Me neither

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by xhris View Post
Of course, if there are unequipped pets around, they're equipped, too.
That's what my repro steps were made to determine. Recasting upgrades on upgraded pets is odd but mostly harmless. Casting upgrades on unupgraded pets is important.

I don't have a /traps MM myself, but I'll ask friends to try this.

@SPTrashcan
Avatar by Toxic_Shia
Why MA ratings should be changed from stars to "like" or "dislike"
A better algorithm for ordering MA arcs

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by SpittingTrashcan View Post
That's what my repro steps were made to determine. Recasting upgrades on upgraded pets is odd but mostly harmless. Casting upgrades on unupgraded pets is important.

I don't have a /traps MM myself, but I'll ask friends to try this.
If you have access to virtue, I can show you.

It's also worth noting that, the upgrade powers are not casted by your already upgraded pets, but from a third source, since you can resummon your whole army and still be able to upgrade it just by popping your FFG.

 

Posted

there is a similar bug with bot/dark where the summoning fluffy animation gets replaced with the upgrade pet animation. I'm not sure if this actually applies the upgrades to the bots, I'll have to check this.

http://www.scene-and-heard.com/cov/covsig.jpg

 

Posted

I'd noticed the animation, but not the upgrade. But yes, it upgrades.

Idle question, then, does this work if you've lost ALL the pets, or do you have to have at least one surviving upgraded pet?

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by seebs View Post
I'd noticed the animation, but not the upgrade. But yes, it upgrades.

Idle question, then, does this work if you've lost ALL the pets, or do you have to have at least one surviving upgraded pet?
Yes, as I said above it even works even if you lose all your pets. As long as you have your FFG, you can summon a whole a new army and upgrade it by replacing your FFG. However, if you do so, the animation doesn't play the first time, but your pets are still upgraded, and you can check that on your pet window and the change in your pets' appearance. After that, however, if you replace your FFG again, the upgrading animation appears again and every time after that.

I speculate it's the FFG casting those powers on itself and since they're AoE, all henchmen are upgraded, too.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scene_EU View Post
there is a similar bug with bot/dark where the summoning fluffy animation gets replaced with the upgrade pet animation. I'm not sure if this actually applies the upgrades to the bots, I'll have to check this.
This would be intensely interesting to test with /dark masterminds, too. This sort of relates in some manner to how the pets autoupgrade your pets if you zone to another zone or mission door. It also replenishes the minion health since the zoning actually re-summons them.

Triumphant Defenders Forever
Psylenz FF/Psi, ArticQuark Storm/Rad, Symon BarSisyphus Bots/psn, Max VanSydow Thugs/Dk, Cyclone Symon Bots/stm, Blue Loki Ice/Cd, Widow 46526
HelinCarnate:OMG it is so terrible. I have the option to take 3 more powers but no additional slots. Boo F'ing hoo.

 

Posted

This happens when resummoning Dark Servant. I know becuase I first summon assault bot with the 2nd upgrade only

once I resummon DS my AB now uses flamethrower.

I should add it makes no difference whether DS is resummoned b4 he expires or after because all my bots are hit with both upgrades in either circumstance.