Starting over fresh (An informal poll)

I would like to start by saying that: !THIS IS NOT A PETITION AND I DO NOT REPRESENT THE DEVELOPERS OF THIS GAME IN ANY WAY!
Rather what this thread is supposed to be is to sort of take a bit of a headcount (and thus, you are encouraged to post only once, but as this is informal, it's not strictly necessary) of people who feel that the present base editing system, for all many of us have achieved through it, needs to undergo a total revamp and coding overhaul. In other words; Would you give up what we have for something new that has a chance of being better?
Further more, with your own little voicing on the matters of this thread, you may also make suggestions for what you would want to see in a new system that would make you be willing to give up the present one as well as your present base.

I will start off by saying that I would be alright with it. Bases have, by far, evolved (or perhaps degenerated) from their original purpose. They, and the now gone base raids, had been originally planned to be major selling points of City of Villains, something that ended up falling out for the most part.
This would allow devs to start anew with a new code they could be more familiar with and be able to work on better.

As for what I would want to see in the new system that would make me be willing to give up the present system. (and mind, you this is the bare minimum of what would be needed to convince me to throw myself with a new system)
-The ability to set items at 45 degrees.
-The ability to move things up and down on a Z Axis
-Removal of the need for the gaping Hallway doors and large, empty blocks between rooms.
If those three things were in the new system, everything else could be kept the same and I would be content. Though I only speak for myself, this thread needs YOUR thoughts and opinions too!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow City of Heroes is a game about freedom of expression and variety of experiences far more so than it is about representing any one theme, topic or genre.

Add my voice to the number.

We need new base editing tools and base functions/features to make bases relevant again.

I'm not very keen on the idea of scrapping what we have and what so many (way beyond those of us here on the forums) have created and hold dear.

As much as I can come up with logical reasons for letting what we have go, I just don't like the idea of banking on whatever newness would come by removing what is already created.
And, as much as I understand that the base editor needs a major overhaul, I prefer to shoot for improvements into the existing system (or alongside of it) in this nearly 7 year old game.
Too much time of investment for some to just throw it away for something new, in my opinion.
Shut down the old bases, lock them into place as is and give new bases with new editors and options and all of whatever they would? Yes.
Wipe out all existing bases? No.

Just my personal opinions on the matter.



EDIT:
Just to include this...

I, personally, could possibly be okay with completely losing the bases I and friends have made if we were to get a system that allowed full usage of all and any items in any room (even if just for display), no limitations, full movement/placement options in all directions and rotation... and nearly every single art asset/object in the game world plus tons of unique-to-bases items. So, long as the bases could be as large as the previous types. And I wouldn't want to start from scratch and wait before I could remake fully equipped and decorated bases.
With all of that I, personally, could trade my old bases.
However, I'd hate to see anyone who wasn't in favor of that lose their bases.

I've seen a game wholesale remove things that players held dear and I don't want to see it again.

I have no problem with the idea of base construction to be looked at. I also have no problem with the idea of losing all my bases and prestige if a new system was introduced, because the prestige can be re-earned(or re-bought. hehe).


Electric-Knight: The base coding right now is so messed up that the only way to do anything with bases woud be to rewrite the entire code.

I can agree to this.

I use my base so little now that it almost makes me kinda sad when I do actually use it. I spent a months fine tuning my base and was rather proud of what I had done. I was hoping that we would have gotten some easy to implement bones thrown at us in any one of the various updates to no avail. If it means an easier to use base editor,more options such as thinner walls more wall skins and multi floor option, as well as adding more existing in game items into the editor. It would be worth it.

if it requires a full breakdown to do a rebuild I'm all for it, and Im in the care of 3 bases at the moment. I would not however want to see anyone lose the prestige they have built up/spent. I would like to see a "danger room", mission computer (works like the police radio) or something similar that could incorporate AE into bases, as well as vendors (like an auto doc)

I would be up for anything that improves the functionality and relevance of bases.

Including a new base system.

/signed

I am only beginning my descent into the world of base designing. So everything is still shiny and new to me. I LOVE base editing. There are so many things I can/want to do. That being said. I also get very frustrated with the editing process. My point is that if someone who is still in the honeymoon phase and is currently wearing two pairs of beergoggles can see the flaws of the system, its gotta be a wonky system.

Consider me on board.

Signed,
Sirken

I am in charge of editing over 30 active bases. Most of them, I have redone at least 10 times; a few larger ones, at least three dozen times. All this relates to many hundreds of base updates and rebuilds, equating to a severe chunk of time. Each time I do an update/rebuild/new base, I put my heart and soul into the theme, design, functionality and aesthetics to make the base the best for what my SG/VG wants it to be.

As such, I have, as many of us have, faced enormous pains, and many hundreds of hours in design of these bases, only to have them underused and underutilized.

With that said, I, personally, am MORE than happy to start from scratch with a base building system that works and has GREATER (note: NOT lesser):

• functionality (Base Arena/Danger Room; base auction house access, tailor, Praetorian Zone Teleporter access, etc)
• themed styles for walls, floors, aesthetic items, etc other than tech, sewer, and arcane.
• ease of moving and placing things on the x, y and z axis.
• vehicles (arachnos flyer and longbow chaser are nice; want - cars, skyraider craft, helicopters, AIRPLANES, those new Apache attack helicopters (I saw those in the upcoming TF images), etc.)
• Storage space in Salvage Storage bins (30 is not enough)
• base items (i.e., Praetorian computers, lab equipment, etc.)

bring in the wrecking ball

I think that the Devs fear going in and replacing/modifying the current base editing system because it might require then to break the bases.

I've spent quite a bit of time base editing, though not to the extent of many of the Base Builders here and I'd hate to have to rebuilt what I have.

That being said, I'd be willing to start from scratch in rebuilding my base to get all the functions and items we've been requesting. I am not willing to loose any prestige though.

I don't mind rebuilding the bases themselves. However, my main base has 18 storage items - most of which are full. Nine of those are Enhancement Tables. That's a problem.

I'm sure that there would be some work around that would allow for transferring, I.E: keep the old stuff right where it is, place a new slavage rack or Enh table and just spend about 5 mins transferring from the old to the new.

I want to say our devs are cool like that.

I want to say they won't leave us hanging.

Bases won't have relevance till Supergroups have relevance.

I've put hours into my base and I don't want to rebuild. This is the same as having to lose all my costumes in order to have a new costume creator. I actually find this pretty scary that a subgroup of this games community are talking about nuking and erasing the work of other players because they are unhappy with the base systems as it is.

What happened to asking for low hanging fruit? Are you so sick of the Devs doing nothing for you that you want to burn the rest of the player base?

My base is the reason I won't make a character on any other server. My base is the reason I play redside. I value my base and I'm in it everyday. Any plan by the self designated leaders of the base community to just erase it from the servers is gonna get a /jranger from me.

Let me put it into a metaphor for you. You want to take everyone's eggs and make a big new delicious base omelet for everybody. Years ago I hatched my egg and raised a supercool Rooster that's my best friend. My rooster says /jranger to your idea of the base omelet.

Bases won't have relevance till Supergroups have relevance.
-which is what We are after: relevance.


I've put hours into my base and I don't want to rebuild.
-Iv'e put months if not years into mine.

This is the same as having to lose all my costumes in order to have a new costume creator.

I actually find this pretty scary that a subgroup of this games community are talking about nuking and erasing the work of other players because they are unhappy with the base systems as it is.

-yeah. change is scary. Also, by Positrons own words: Things change.

What happened to asking for low hanging fruit?
-crickets chirping...that's what happened.

Are you so sick of the Devs doing nothing for you that you want to burn the rest of the player base?

-With backwards compatibility? I don't see anyone getting burned, Unless your name happens to be Hassenpheffer...

My base is the reason I won't make a character on any other server. My base is the reason I play redside. I value my base and I'm in it everyday. Any plan by the self designated leaders of the base community to just erase it from the servers is gonna get a /jranger from me.

-do what yer gonna do.

Let me put it into a metaphor for you. You want to take everyone's eggs and make a big new delicious base omelet for everybody. Years ago I hatched my egg and raised a supercool Rooster that's my best friend. My rooster says /jranger to your idea of the base omelet.

- heh, maybe its time we actually heard from devs about these ideas and see what they come up with. they are the ones with the ninja skills after all.

I know it might seem like I kinda casually tossed this little grenade out there in the other thread (and thank you Azure, for giving the question it's own voice here). But I have to say, I am genuinely surprised at most of the responses.

As some have pointed out, it's a more complicated question than it first might seem.

There are a lot of considerations to "starting from scratch". It's not just a matter of dismantling a base, or getting prestige compensation.

What happens to the roster? How do you move members from one base to the other?
What if someone wants to start a new base, but use their "old" SG name?
What happens to coalitions?
What about re-instituting raids?
What happens to the Group badges?
What if someone wants to keep their old base, as some have mentioned, in a locked/museum state? Who gets access or leadership to the museum?

I personally think there are some fairly easy solutions to some of those questions, but others might indeed prove to be a little challenging.

Personally, I wouldn't mind starting over architecturally. And since my Groups are small, I don't even think I'd mind starting over with my memberships (though I'm not sure how the memberships would take it).

BUT I can see how it would be extremely difficult to manage for some of the larger Groups out there.

.

Would there be some issues to resolve to go to a new base building system? Sure. Will we all agree on the "best" method to resolve these issues? Since we don't all agree that even going to a new system is a good idea I feel on pretty safe ground saying the answer to that one is no.

Still, I too am rather (pleasantly) surprised and encouraged by the willingness of many to buy off on a near worst case scenario to go to something better. When somebody like a Stacker sez "bring in the wrecking ball" I sit up and take notice. Maybe the paradigm that we must tack on to what we have architecturally at all costs isn't as strong overall as some people are making it out to be. [Stuff in storage is quite another matter, to the point where I agree it could be a showstopper in going to a new system without a transfer mechanism].

Maybe there's at least some recognition (on both the dev and the player side) that we've rode this tried horse of a base building system as long and as hard as we could (not to mention used it in ways that were neither envisioned nor intended). Now it's time for something better. If that is the case, I'm confident that we could, should, and would move to something that isn't worst case in its implementation. You are never going to please everyone and Impish Kat's questions plus more are valid. But I find the prospect of a new base system exciting to think about and my respect for some of our hardest core base designers who are willing to take this plunge even if it meant a complete teardown/rebuild has never been higher.