Dev Chat Highlights, October 5: Record Low 1.5 Tangents and Street Justice with Synapse

Psychoti · 10-05-2011 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueGentleman

While this move will undoubtedly generate a lot of complaints, it might be better for the game overall if MA stayed a VIP-only perk.

I understand their reasoning and agree with it. I definitely want to be able to play MA with my premium friends that aren't of high enough levels to play it (with rewards), but not at the cost of functionality for every other player in the game.

Mokalus · 10-05-2011 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inazuma

StJ has inspired two things I want to see:

1.) Add combos to Martial Arts, as has been mentioned above.

2.) Alter Dual Blades combo system to be more flexible like StJ.

Don't sweat the idea that people are already used to how these powersets play, either. These sorts of improvements will make long time players of these sets happier, I believe.

#2 so very, very much. Having played multiple DB characters to the mid 30s and mid 40s I think the chain system is a neat idea but bad implementation. One of my first thoughts when I got a few powers under my belt for StJ was "THIS is how DB should have been all along".

The main problem I have with DB that StJ sidesteps is the 95% chance to hit. Even hit capped, using your chains is a bit of a crapshoot.

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Katie V · 10-05-2011 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Von Krieger

"Any chance to use Street Justice's combo system going forward?"

Syn: "Yes! There's a set coming up that kind of combines StJ's combo mechanic with another mechanic you've seen in game already."

Staff Melee. Combines combos with Swap Ammo-like mechanics.

Memphis_Bill · 10-05-2011 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katie V

Staff Melee. Combines combos with Swap Ammo-like mechanics.

Combine combos with Kheldian shapeshifting. Every time you hit someone - new form.

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Necrotron_RO · 10-06-2011 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katie V

Staff Melee. Combines combos with Swap Ammo-like mechanics.

*ding ding ding* I think you got it!

That's my best guess, at least.

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MaestroMavius · 10-06-2011 01:19 AM

Thanks as always VK!

CoH UStreams, always seem to be a fun enviroment.

Maestro Mavius - Infinity
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Keep Calm & Chive On!

Jagged · 10-06-2011 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Von Krieger

The Praetorian enemies are going to be adjusted to have their difficulty toned down, as they have too many attacks compared to other mobs of a similar level in the game.

*sad face*

Praetoria feels like the game used to back at the start. Can't we have an area that's a little tougher than the rest?

ps: thanks VK

This is a song about a super hero named Tony. Its called Tony's theme.
Jagged Reged: 23/01/04

PRAF68_EU · 10-06-2011 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oathbound

Despite the fact that Melee/Support (or Support/melee) ATs are suggested practically every other week?

I heard that ranged tanks where flavour of the month out in the wider MMOniverse.

I really should do something about this signature.

Oathbound · 10-06-2011 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU

I heard that ranged tanks where flavour of the month out in the wider MMOniverse.

In other circles, sure. (frankly we already have them, they're called VEATs)(I run the fire thug ambush AE on my fortunata. If endlessly nuking down groups mobs larger than your agro cap with little risk to your survival isn't tankmage then I dunno what is.)

Around the Suggestions and Ideas forums the AT proposals I tend to see most often are some variation of Melee/Support or entirely different (and generally concept locked) Epic AT proposals. (During which EAT proposals, Techbot Alpha almost without fail appears to mention: All others: Inferior. Rikti Archetype: Clear choice.)

(Edited to fix my horrible typing.)

@Oathbound & @Oathbound Too

Dispari · 10-06-2011 06:22 AM

What, our devs missed the Mystery Science Theater reference? For shame.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU

Dispari has more than enough credability, and certainly doesn't need to borrow any from you.

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Carnifax_NA · 10-06-2011 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Von Krieger

A Wild Synapse has appeared in a Space Invaders t-shirt

Bizarre. I have the same t-shirt on right now. It's a Threadless one (http://www.threadless.com)

Scarlet Shocker · 10-06-2011 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagged

*sad face*

Praetoria feels like the game used to back at the start. Can't we have an area that's a little tougher than the rest?

This... a thousand times.

Why can we not have tough places - the game's been dumbed down so much. Praetoria for me at least is fun because it IS that bit tougher

"You got to dig it to dig it, you dig?"
Thelonious Monk

Dispari · 10-06-2011 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scarlet Shocker

This... a thousand times.

Why can we not have tough places - the game's been dumbed down so much. Praetoria for me at least is fun because it IS that bit tougher

Up your difficulty. Easier enemies are more inclusive to all types of players. If you want hard, you have the means.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU

Dispari has more than enough credability, and certainly doesn't need to borrow any from you.

*@* Contact Info *@*

rian_frostdrake · 10-06-2011 06:35 AM

good write up, I do have to mention that one thing rather annoyed me. Synapse had a perfectly good idea to leverage alternate animations, a thing that i was VERY excited about for martial arts because many of the current kicks are(as i have ranted in numerous threads) really really bad. So i have to say i am in SIGNIFICANT disagreement with second measure about whether street justice should have been a new powerset, rather than making an existing set better for people who have enjoyed the set for years.What has essentially happened now is a set that has thus far been brought into the relm of preforming solidly after several buffs now is going to be more saddled with issue 1 animations(and a few punches that , while nice, sure as heck are a strech to justify as "martial arts") essentially we got the original alt animations to satisfy people who wanted to play a street brawler, now we got an actual street brawling set, can we finally get some animations for martial arts that actually look like martial arts? Mechanically im with gg and arcanaville, combos are a start. but my concern for this game has always been an aesthetic one rather than a gameplay one, and martial arts needed better animations before, now it has 2 newer, better looking siblings with kin melee and stj, and ma really is showing its age and lack of polish in its original animation.

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Jagged · 10-06-2011 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dispari

Up your difficulty. Easier enemies are more inclusive to all types of players. If you want hard, you have the means.

Can say the same thing in the other direction.

As Praetoria is "extra" content I see no reason why it shouldn't be a little tougher. They should make it part of the advertising campaign.

This is a song about a super hero named Tony. Its called Tony's theme.
Jagged Reged: 23/01/04

Clouded · 10-06-2011 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagged

Can say the same thing in the other direction.

As Praetoria is "extra" content I see no reason why it shouldn't be a little tougher. They should make it part of the advertising campaign.

The difficulty slider exists for a reason. Making a zone harder because elitist just want a harder base level is dumb. You end up excluding people from trying your content which is a big design flaw.

Kitsune9tails · 10-06-2011 11:10 AM

This thread wins a new Van Canto fan!

Story Arcs I created:

Every Rose: (#17702) Villainous vs Legacy Chain. Forget Arachnos, join the CoT!

Cosplay Madness!: (#3643) Neutral vs Custom Foes. Heroes at a pop culture convention!

Kiss Hello Goodbye: (#156389) Heroic vs Custom Foes. Film Noir/Hardboiled detective adventure!

Warkupo · 10-06-2011 01:32 PM

*mumbles to self* I still think dual blades are cool...

._.

Justice Blues · 10-06-2011 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill

Combine combos with Kheldian shapeshifting. Every time you hit someone - new form.

As long as I have a chance to change into a pumpkin.

Justice Blues, Tech/Tank, Inv/SS
----------------------
Fighting The Future Trilogy
----------------------

Chris_Zuercher · 10-06-2011 02:27 PM

And it just occurs to me that if they really wanted to do a melee + buff/debuff archetype, they probably ought to combine one of those with defensive powers, much like they do with the blaster secondary (melee + control) or dominator secondary (ranged + melee). Maybe have melee as a primary and "protection" (buff/debuff + defense) as a secondary.

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Dispari · 10-06-2011 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagged

Can say the same thing in the other direction.

Not really. You start at +0/x1 with bosses and AVs off. Your only option for easier is -1/x1.

Your options for harder include up to +4, up to x8, bosses on, and AVs on. It's much easier to make the game harder than it is to make it easier.

If you aren't satisfied with how difficult something is, I encourage you to put it on +4/x8 and report back. For just about any character, your threshold for difficulty is going to be somewhere between +0/x1 and +4/x8.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU

Dispari has more than enough credability, and certainly doesn't need to borrow any from you.

*@* Contact Info *@*

Arcanaville · 10-06-2011 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagged

*sad face*

Praetoria feels like the game used to back at the start. Can't we have an area that's a little tougher than the rest?

We can, and we should. But I don't think it should be starter zones. I think that was the one major problem with all of Praetoria: it was intended to be a fresh start area, and yet it was a fresh start area I could not in good conscience recommend, because its difficulty was so much higher than elsewhere.

Think of how much harder everyone thinks the Vahz are compared to comparable content. Quantitatively speaking, all of Praetoria is significantly harder than that due to the way the critters are designed. In some cases, Praetorian critters are twice as offensively powerful. Its hard to guestimate what difficulty scaler is equivalent to Praetoria since Praetorians are not necessarily more difficult to kill, just more dangerous, but my estimate is that its like starting the game at between +1 and +2 right from the tutorial. For some squishies, its like being permanently stuck at +3.

If anything, I would have thought the wilds of First Ward would have been the perfect place to use Praetorian-level difficulty, as you'd think First Ward would be a survival of only the fittest area.

In the meantime, you can always start on the red side. Quantitatively speaking, in my judgment the red side starts fractionally higher than the blue side: its like being somewhere between even con and +1 on average, primarily because Arachnos are a more difficult critter group than average and you fight them an awful lot.

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Techbot Alpha · 10-07-2011 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagged

*sad face*

Praetoria feels like the game used to back at the start. Can't we have an area that's a little tougher than the rest?

ps: thanks VK

An Optional challenge should be OPTIONAL.

If you want harder stuff, there are difficulty settings for a reason. There's no excuse for pimp-slapping everyone else who doesn't want that with the unreasonable low level mobs in Praetoria.
What's the point of putting all that effort and good writing which a lot of people would like to enjoy in missions where people like me simply cannot be having with the frustration of Praetorian mobs, their mass of AoE, exotic damage and higher than base accuracy?

EDIT: Arcana, is it still true that Preat mobs start with 65% base accuracy instead of 50%? I swear that was something brought up ages ago...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwillinger

GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon

NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

Techbot Alpha · 10-07-2011 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagged

Can say the same thing in the other direction.

As Praetoria is "extra" content I see no reason why it shouldn't be a little tougher. They should make it part of the advertising campaign.

Because being forced to accept -1 settings just to get through stuff is acceptable? As opposed to the FOUR other options the other way?

I find your perspective on balance flawed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwillinger

GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon

NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

Clouded · 10-07-2011 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha

Because being forced to accept -1 settings just to get through stuff is acceptable?

This is a slight tangent but running the First Ward content I find myself dropping the difficulty down to -1 on my Blaster (sonic/dark). I don't remember doing this in the past in non-FW content but my memory is sketchy at times.

Are the new mob types in FW harder than like mobs of the same level? It seems like after just a few attacks my Blaster's health is dropping very fast comparatively.