Argh / Yay

I22 - Too soon man, too soon!

Still need 2 freaking nightmares from MoM. Seriously hate the "random" of that badge; it's *almost* getting up there in annoyance with Avoids the Green.

But yay at new stuff to do. Yay at new badges. Yay at yet another freaking character to make (Staff is cool, yo), but not so sure about Beasties yet (Beasty Boy name taken?). And yay at more catalysts!

I've already forgotten about most of you

I'm just mad they picked Mass Effect Day for the I22 launch.

So thoughts on the issue so far?

Boo @ converters not being there yet
Yay @ catalysts
Yay @ iTrial (seems pretty easy, but the big plus is that they aren't IDF or Robot spawns!)
Yay @ DA content for the most part that I've done. Nice art, nice models, nice updated mobs/powers
Yay @ Shivan trial (easy follow along beat em up along the lines of DFB. Now I just need to team with people who listen for badges :S)
Yay @ LFG working while in a mission. (Now with all that stuff in there, the window needs to be easier to read)
Also Yay @ Hacked TP. I haven't spent time editing my base in a very long time. The new TPs are in place, but still not quite how I want them arranged due to all the TP pads attached. But I'm actually looking forward to base editing again!

Haven't checked out the powers yet. Interested in Dark control, on the fence about dark affinity, but looking foward to staff fighting.

I look forward to Mental tossing a frisbee at me later tonight.

I've already forgotten about most of you

Doh, I havent put the vpn back on my laptop so I can kick off the update on my home machine while at work.

Yay for the Flying Disc!

If something's under 400 points and I have some interest, it's usually a no-brainer for me.

Why would you pay for it, GP? 150? 100?

Overall, I haven't found much (aside from bugs) that I don't like about this issue. I really love the new arcs. They are dynamic and interesting and I like that there are choices in some of them!

To be honest, GP, I find almost everything overpriced on the Market. I certainly pay a lot more money under the Freedom system than I did before. I do get more stuff for my money, but I'd prefer Free Issues, Free Power Sets, and every once in a while $10 Costume/Emote/Power packs. Alas, we'll never see those days again...

While I agree that 250 points is more than I'd pay for the "throwing disc" power, I think their pricing point of view may be coming from how much in resources was needed to produce the item.

Let me first say, I could be totally wrong since I know nothing about programming and what it takes to create anything in game... However, I would think that it takes more time, programming, testing, etc. to create a power than to create an aura, or emote.

Maybe their logic is more resources used = higher price. The only problem with this logic is the perceived value of the customer.

Anyway, onto I22...

I have only played a little during the day 1 DD runs and barely started the DA arc. The DA arc looks pretty cool, I need to get started on those missions.

I was a little disappointed with the DD trial, just from being back these past couple of months and playing all the other trial I was really expecting more of a challenge, but it was fairly "easy" I think.

The new DA is cool, first thing I did after logging in was just fly around the whole map.

Is anyone planning on running the lower level trial any time soon?

Eh, like I said earlier, the costume change emotes all require animation and graphics work. The flying disc isn't really out of whack with that, and it's certainly not out of whack with the work that had to go into the New Year's Pack powers. I hate to keep going back to that, but it, costume emotes, and the costume packs are base line that are easy to compare to. They're also the points players seem to go with more easily. Things like this frisbee power, the vanity pets, and even that Party Pack that came out around Going Rogue are all getting hit on as being over-priced for what they are.

I really don't know what to make of it. Sure, the system is new and the devs are still kind of seeing what people will roll with, but it really is like they are throwing a dart at a dart board for some of these, rather than comparing to the stuff they already have in place.

MG, you're one of those "gotta have it now" people, which means you are going to pay more. I actually feel like I'm getting more out of this new system than I was before, and I'm not paying anymore. I'd love to have the money to maybe get a few more things or not have the frisbee be in the "probably not" territory, but I have to justify paying for a sub every month with my finances and what makes sense for me to pay for a gaming hobby (and supporting this game for about 5-6 years is a big investment). Anyway, the new system does make for an interesting look at economics and psychology!

Ran the new trial, Drowning in Blood, last night. It was okay, but I would have liked a little more depth to it than the DFB trial. It's building off the Shivan stuff in Galaxy Park, but it doesn't really go anywhere with it. I read all the text from the Commander, and I still wasn't able to get much out of it, or even why that Shivan at the end splits. It's good fun other than that, and another good source for a buff into your 30s. Also good for working on your Tank defeat badge.

If anyone runs it, you get one badge for completing, but if you want the badge for collecting four meteor shards, you MUST talk to the scientist right at the start (he's standing somewhat near the commander and uses the tech aura thing that is used for heal self and aid other). We couldn't find him anywhere after that.

Once you talk to him, anyone in your group can click on a meteor to get a fragment. Each phase of the trial has one, for four in total, and they are marked on your map (the last is not noticeable and way off to the side from the big Shivan).

Hopefully they'll have a fix for the "defeat both big shivans within 30 seconds of each other" bug soon. Masque and I petitioned last night, but I don't know if we'll get it.

Re: Drowning in Blood

I've petitioned twice for the Brotherly Love badge and gotten it twice. Customer Service is working overtime!!!

Following is my opinion only:

After running the Dilemma Diabolique about 10 times, I am going to say... it is not to easy over all. It is too easy for many individual people who pick up things very easily, learn new mechanics quickly, and have good memories (this group includes many of the people I team with). But for the average team, I think it works. I do however think the difficulty in it comes with all of the enemies being +6 or +7. At first I was thinking that was just a cheap trick, but now I am thinking... you know what, we are kitted out, we've done so many other things, why not go this route this time. I did however notice that having even 1 or 2 +0 or +1 characters on the team does make things more difficult (especially if going for a master run).

As for the essences at the end... you only have < 30 seconds to kill 4 of them and they fly quickly... I dunno, maybe a few more hp, but I wouldn't change it much.

Another thing I really like is the "survive by ANY means necessary" mechanic. It is awesome that a weak league could pop out shivans and even longbow heavies if they needed to.

I really hope to see other folks stepping up to lead the Dilemma Diabolique or even MoDD. I am said that I usually only see myself, Chan/Missie, or Masque running anything harder than Keyes. There is more to this world than BAF and Lam and I hope others feel the same!

I've tried getting some Keyes going, but I never get enough interest. I actually like that one a fair amount after its revamp. I think I get my TPN and MoM fix enough when you run it, MP, that I never think of running either otherwise. UGT... I just don't like. Too long, and I don't like Devouring Earth.

I definitely would not run Diabolique with someone that did not have all three level shifts. The AV's and their health was going down not very fast in comparison to AVs in Lambda and BAF, and that was with mostly +2 and +3 people. So I guess you are right that there is a good challenge there.

I got the brotherly love badge awarded on GP as well, so support is doing good work there!

I think they also hooked me up with the badge according to the response I got, but haven't had time to log in and check.

Now if I could just get the CIT/Sentinel information to match and update.........

I've already forgotten about most of you

Boo @ only 1 power released. --> Personally I've never liked releases that only have one powerset added. Day one, I tried Darkness control, and the entire DFB team I got on was All Controllers and Dominators. Everyone had the same idea. Really screws up play balance when everyone only has the ONE thing to try. Having a Beast mastermind and a couple staff scrappers in the mix would have been so much better.

Well, if it bugs you that much, you could always roll something with a new powerset later. Trying to think how often before Freedom we even got multiple new powersets in an issue. Powerset proliferation had multiples technically, yes, but new powersets? Usually it was just Willpower or Shield or something.

I'll take multiple powersets an issue, even if they are released throughout the issue. Oh, and I doubt everyone had the same idea. Character concept and the power pairing changes things up, and I don't think balance really comes into play much with DFB. Pretty straightforward content there, run through and beat stuff up.

After getting in a little bit of time for actual iXP on a character, YAY @ DA solo content.

Within a couple of missions of the beginning arc, this guy (TW/WP) was making some serious headway into unlocking judgement and interface running at upped difficulty. In fact, FINALLY, he's fighting stuff that could give him trouble if I herd entire rooms of big ole spawns. Since the low 20's, he's had zero trouble with anything at upped difficulty.

I don't know if I'll go through it again with less solo-friendly characters, but we'll see. Certainly doable but pretty slow. But with this current guy, it's just about perfect.

I've already forgotten about most of you