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This is a big part of what bothers me with the Incarnate stuff.|
Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
Show a realistic alternative to them. No, converting shards is not "realistic," and while they may make vague comments about "sometime" story arcs and such, that does nothing now or near-term.
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[Given that since I don't care to run the Incarnate Trials, I really don't need any of the Incarnate stuff ... yet]
But, we hear repeatedly that "you don't have to team up/grind trials...there's an alternate path available for 'casual' players ..."
Well, just for the heck of it, I started trying to calculate that "alternate path"
Now my experiences with Shard droprates (while solo or small team) may not be actually accurate due to the small sample size, but so far [with my combat style/play style] I'm averaging about 1 Shard for every 2 hours of gameplay.
Using that as my base, I started trying to figure out what it would take to get fully "Incarnated".
After I reached the 80 YEARS mark, I stopped. And I wasn't close to being done yet.
An "alternate path" that takes longer than the average human lifespan isn't.
6000+ levels gained and 8 level 50's
Hello, my name is Soulwind and I have Alt-Itis.
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I think that shows a sort of disconnect in the system itself. Supposedly, a big part of the introduction of the Incarnate system was to introduce an end game and give people "something to do with their 50s". The thing is, in actuality, there's very, very little new to do in this system. There's a lot to get, but what you can do with it is all stuff you will have done a million times by the time you get it. Or simply put, the new system has barely offered people more than Purple Recipes did. Telling people to go do something else seems like it basically misses the point of what the Incarnate content was supposed to offer in the first place.
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Originally Posted by Sharker_Quint 0I
I see what you mean Bill, and I also see I was to short in my response. I should have added that if people are finding it tedious and repetative, they can always go and run an alt for a few missions or something. Just a little something to break away from the trials for a bit to relax.
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Originally Posted by MaestroMavius
Thing is... She usually is when it comes to the direction of the game.
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Which is, as always, horrible. I shudder at what the next "level" of content will be, especially from her perspective.
One of my fears is being left behind in the dirt, as in, if I do not raid raid grind raid raid grind now, then soon everyone will have burned out on it or moved onto content that requires the things raided for now, and I'll be left in a creek with a high concentration of faecal matter in the water with neither paddle or canoe.
It's happened to me on WoW, and the current 'alternative' path is completely and utterly ridiculous.
And you can't even get a guaranteed 2 shards from the Apex/Tin Mage TFs any more, just 2 threads.
2 Shards = Half a common component.
2 Threads = A tenth of a common component.
Wait so adding layer upon layer of currencies and collectables just makes the game an incoherent mess?
who would have thunk it!
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I admit I lost track of / care for all the systems about when Alignment Merits came out.
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Originally Posted by Cass_
Wait so adding layer upon layer of currencies and collectables just makes the game an incoherent mess?
who would have thunk it! |
All I know is, Trials are no differant than current TFs. Except it's only one mission and scales for more players. Stomping Seige and Nightstar is identical to stomping Romulus, just with more lag.
If you want Raid-level annoyance, go try Barricuda SF. Reichman is a hoot, half an hour of pounding on a mountain of hitpoints.
The off-beat space pirate...Capt. Stormrider (50+3 Elec/Storm Science Corruptor)
The mysterious Djinn...Emerald Dervish (50+1 DB/DA Magic Stalker)
The psychotic inventor...Dollmaster (50 Bot/FF Tech Mastermind)
Virtue Forever.
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That's part of the problem: many raid leaders insist on running with 16 or 24 players, and that means it can take half an hour to put it together depending on time of day, server population, how many other concurrent trials there are, etc.|
Originally Posted by AkuTenshiiZero
All I know is, Trials are no differant than current TFs. Except it's only one mission and scales for more players.
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Even though the devs have redacted the worst lag in the BAF, it's still pretty awful during the prisoner escape phase. You waste a lot of time trying to activate powers that look like they've recharged, but the server doesn't think so. If you're playing a controller, for example, your area hold would seem to be quite useful for stopping escaping minions, except that it won't fire when you need it to -- the prisoners all run right past you and then your hold goes off long after they're gone.
If the servers can't handle the load, the maximum league size should be reduced.
Personally, I worry more about all archetypes devolving into one-man-does-it-all style. (Hur durr, everyone now has powers stronger than a blaster T9 with no end crash and a faster recharge!)
However, I reserve my judgement of the Incarnate system, the raids, the powers, et cetera until it is done. We've seen half of the powers, and what I am made to believe is but a tiny portion of the Incarnate content we will eventually have.
Also, I've gotten 10+ shards on a single Imperious TF alone. If you're taking weeks to gather your shards and incarnate components on non trial content.. you're either doing it wrong or the drop generator hates you a lot.
Xegreny - Blaster|Level 50|Energy Blast Energy Manipulation Force Mastery|Vigilante
Taxibot REBIRTH - Defender|Level 50|Empathy & Sonic Blast & Psychic Mastery|Hero
Acton Blake - Dominator|Level 15|Electric Control & Electric Assault|Praetorian-Loyalist
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Fixed as there is a meaningful difference there.
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Originally Posted by Zortel
And you can't even get a guaranteed 2 shards from the Apex/Tin Mage TFs any more, just 2 threads.
2 Shards = Half an ALPHA common component. 2 Threads = A tenth of a common component. |
The City of Heroes Community is a special one and I will always look fondly on my times arguing, discussing and playing with you all. Thanks and thanks to the developers for a special experience.
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That's on a TF. If you have three friends and _don't_ have two solid hours (on a bad run) of overlapping game time, you're doing regular content. Paper/radio missions, Tips, or contacts. And for that, I find 1 shard every 2 hours to be rather realistic, and occasionally optimistic.
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Originally Posted by Orion_Energy
Also, I've gotten 10+ shards on a single Imperious TF alone. If you're taking weeks to gather your shards and incarnate components on non trial content.. you're either doing it wrong or the drop generator hates you a lot.
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You want the powers, you have to grind the same raids repeatedly.
Compare to, oh:
- Vanguard merits. Can get anywhere, after doing a fast set of talk tos. Can even get for defeating non-rikti content thanks to a day job. Solo, team, task force, mothership raid - doesn't matter.
- Hero merits - Solo to small team missions that can be run quickly, at your own pace.
- Purples. Droppable from 47+ mobs while doing any variety of content. Limited application.
- Hami/SHOs - Can be gotten from a raid or task force, *or* traded or purchased on the market (and I've gotten many of them very cheaply. Damage/Range is great on a Kheld, for extending powers like Cosmic Burst and the like. Picked up a new batch at 300-500k.)
For any of these, I have multiple things I can *choose* to do to get the item. Yes, some ways are a little slower than others - but nowhere near the orders of magnitude difference when it comes to shards/threads/etc.
Given hints about upcoming content - the whole "Coming storm" bit that's been getting hinted at since Issue *6* with the Bloody Bay shivans, *before COH was purchased from Cryptic and PS was created,* it doesn't feel like these powers are "optional." That *aside* from finally "being something else for the 50s to do" and "finally being able to improve the 50s- leveling without raising the level cap."
So, what are the "options?"
1. Rerun baf/lambda repeatedly, or
2. if you're not on a character that can run +6X# or higher, get a shard every couple of missions, eventually try to convert to threads, burn a ton of INF to use that for iXP, and a few years from now finally get an Incarnate power slotted.
Doesn't sound like much of an "option," Sharker.