For and Against...

My feelings for the Developers of this game is such a writhing, churning maelstrom of love and hate I sometimes wonder if they're somehow trying to MAKE me bi-polar.

Fine.

Anyway, on to my conundrum...

FOR: Travel powers at 4th level makes for a new advantage for low level characters who won't have to run through dangerous areas like the older ones did.

AGAINST: I JUST did this!

FOR: Introduction of Epic and Patron power pools at 35th level completely changes the structure of acquisition and slotting for those powers, giving another advantage to newer characters.

AGAINST: Every... EVERY minute I just devoted to the Double XP Weekend will be a wasted one.

FOR: The first things I plan on buying (if I have enough points) are expanded enhancement trays and such. Newer characters will not have to make as many runs to sell as older ones, resulting in a higher xp:admin time ratio.

AGAINST: I now have two... TWO!... characters of 42nd level. So close. OH so close...

FOR: Freedom will allow characters of any AT to go immediately into Paragon or the Rogue Isles. All current characters who had to go through Praetoria and so missed two Safeguards/Mayhems, early contacts, first opportunity for Ouro Portal, etc will be disadvantaged.

AGAINST: I will once again be the target for ridicule and derision by my game-playing peers... although I might be a wee bit too late on this one in any case.

FOR: Monthly signature stories will have greater rewards than standard missions, something not available to older characters when they were created.

AGAINST: You know what? I can't think anymore... excuse me while I go assume a fetal position in a nice dark corner for a while.

Awww...
Haha...

I fear that the men in white coats are hot on your trail, Steelclaw!!

Bob and weave!!! Dash and juke!!! Serpentine paths, Steelclaw... SERPENTINE!!! Go go!!

While I don't fully understand how your tournaments work, I see the problems these changes will cause.

Now I'm not sure if this is even possible but couldn't your current tournament be closed to new entrants until it finishes, then you could start up a new one having actually completed a tournament for a change.

Again not sure if closing to new entrants is even possible, but traditional tournaments have a close off point so a similar thing could be done for you no?

I'm reasonably certain that the devs are going F2P solely to troll Steelclaw.

He deletes and remakes all characters in order to ensure that there is a fair and level playing field for the tournament whenever anything that affects gameplay in any way, powerset changes, temp powers, new missions, new gameplay systems, new zones etc.

Basically whenever any change happens to the game whatsoever except for issue i27 This Issue Is Just Costume Pieces, We Swear.

Isn't the tourney team-based? As long as the teams are balanced now, and you balance any new chars you make between teams, shouldn't the changes be a wash, effecting all teams equally?

The Solution is simple then. Play More so you get to 50 before the issue goes live and you have to restart...again.

Also what Jasara said above.

Why would you delete them all now, rather than when the changes go live? What're you going to do until then, go mess around in beta or something? No offense but that just seems like somewhat of an oversight to me. I mean if you remake them all now then in the strictest sense the ones made now are still disadvantaged compared to ones made after Freedom goes live, due to two weeks of playing without all the new shinies. While if you don't remake any of them now, since you've already deleted them, you have nothing to play until Freedom goes live. And if they delay Freedom for whatever reason you're going to look kinda stupid.

Oh, by the way...
I thought everyone played this way. I know I do!

You all do realize that you have to be a little insane to play this game, so Steelclaw fits right in. Sane people need not apply, we don't want or need you. :P

I can't even comprehend playing that way.

I get far too attached to my characters, several of them have 5+ years of constantly evolving backstory, and it would just feel wrong to delete them simply because something changed in the game. (Especially if that change was beneficial to one or more of them)

It just seems like a very strange way to play, given that if you don't PL your characters to 50 between issue releases you will end up never seeing any of the end game stuff, because you had to delete them ALL due to a minor change to one character's powerset.

Steelclaw maybe correct. The devs might be releasing Freedom to drive Steelclaw even further around the bend.

Consider these things they've talked about:

• Releasing new power sets more often.
• Releasing new content more often.

What I'm still confused about is;

Do you have a rule that states you have to create new characters at certain intervals?
If not, the level variation between your characters would be the only stumbling block when new rewards like merits are released.

Couldn't you just make it a rule that you can't use merits? I mean, for me they might as well not exist. I don't think I've ever actually used them...


You list being able to choose Epic powers early as being another condition for the reset. Wouldn't it be just as easy to pretend that change is never made and continue to 'unlock' them at 41?

I mean, I can see total reset being applicable in previous issues, but this time around the reboot is confusing. Even more so given the DxP and 2 level 40+'s. Everything that is being added is optional. Just choose not to use any of it.

Guess it's all moot now though, deed has been done.

Perhaps I'm just far to attached to my characters. I still haven't deleted the 2nd toon I made 7 years ago and I've never even logged back in to him...


Admit it Steel, you really didn't 'have' to reset this time around, you just really 'wanted' to didn't ya?
I always knew you were a glutten for punishment.

Masochist? Hmmm... well there WERE those four or five lost years in Louisville, Kentucky... but I can't discuss that without breaking the teen rating... besides... I don't bend that way anymore.

Moving on...

I find it a little amusing (but then again I find EVERYTHING a little amusing) that whenever I mention my frequent and accounts-wide resets people always come with reasons I don't have to. I delete and repeat because I enjoy playing the way I play, that's pretty much it.

When I announce another restart it's not because I'm begging for excuses not to do it. I don't really see myself as a guy standing on the ledge of a tall building while half the crowd below are screaming "you have something to live for" and the other half is chanting "jump jump.. but not on my beemer!"

It's just that I'm the forum's version of the class clown and no class clown worth the title is going to pass up on the opportunity of being laughed at for some wierd quirk, ailment or deformity. And, to be honest, you're laughing WITH me on this one because I laugh at myself for this behavior.

The reason I do the whole reset thing isn't because of my masochistic tendencies (not that I ... er.. have any that is... ::can't quite meet your eyes:: ) or because I'm a glutton for punishment. I do my resets because I am VERY much a Journey>Destination kind of person and because trying my characters out under a new rules system keeps the game eternally new and fresh for me.

If I ever did get a character all the way to 50, maxed out their Incarnation powers, got every badge, climbed every mountain, etc I would probably lean back in my chair... nod my head in satisfaction... then say "Now what?" and check out how spreadsheet-able Worn Out Recycled Characters 12 was.

So just shake your heads and laugh with me. No need to feel bad about my resets... trust me... I don't.

I guess it's just hard for some of us to fathom that it's a good thing.
We picture how we would react in such a situation and assume that's how your feeling.

If I had to actually delete all my characters?! Even the thought of it makes me sick to my stomach. I have the same issue about level 50 as you though. Which is why I only have 3 and it took 6+ years to even get one.

That's game over, no growth left. I'm all about the journey too, so I make TONS of alts. But I can't delete something I've created and given life to. Eventually, I tell myself, eventually I'll get back to them...

So, when I hear about you forcing yourself to do another reboot. I imagine how I'd feel, then I urge you to reconsider because I don't want you to get so frustrated that you leave. Now that we know it only creates new adventures and you don't get that down over it. More power to you!