New player feedback

Hi,

I'm a new player (started around Christmas. I've already posted a thread when I had been playing for about a month, I now want to make an update to this: http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=282259
It's a repeat and extension of that earlier post. I'm level 37 now and want to give an update. I hope this is valuable information, as to survive CoX needs new players like me, while of course still catering to the existing player base.

Best things:

• Most places have a lot of content, more than you can do with a single character.
• Nice character animations, emotes, powers.
• Mac version.
• More role-playing compared to other MMOs.
• Great character designer, if sometimes a bit confusing by hiding unavailable options.
• Nice way to group with the exemplar/sidekick system between players of different levels.
• Mayhem missions are fun.
• It seems the bug I reported a few weeks ago has already been fixed!

• Only the team leader can follow the mission dialog, even if the other team members are on the same mission. This made the nice story arcs in First Ward and other places a lot less fun, as I do nearly all content with a team of friends.
• Some interface elements are too small, mostly the chat, pin and close buttons. I usually play at 1680x1050 or higher resolution. Even when playing with my 1920x1080 beamer, creating a 4m/12ft screen, I still can't read the chat buttons while standing right in front of it.
• The starting zones are boring compared to higher level content, especially Mercy. Twinshot and Dr.Graves are prime examples as they go out of their way to avoid introducing you to iconic characters and lore. Starting with something like the Seer Marino story arc would be much much better. Praetoria is much better, but unavailable to the free players you try to win over to a subscription.
• The tutorial has no connection to the rest of the game. I haven't encountered a Shivan since I was level 2. I have the feeling a lot of the content in the staring areas still is supposed to be connected to an older starting tutorial, with all the mention of Destined Ones and such, but very little explanation.
• A lot of contacts need to be unlocked. Often in cumbersome and non-obvious ways, without the game giving any clues. MMOs need all the content they can get to keep players entertained, hiding a lot doesn't seem like a good business decision. I levelled from 10-20 on my first toon doing newspaper missions and failing the Mayhem missions. Only later did I learn how to use Find Contact, and that completing a Mayhem mission gives introductions. Even if you study the Paragon Wiki and thus know about them, some are a pain to unlock. For example the SlotMachine. I'm level 37 and have 1/200 Marcone bosses killed. Johnny Sonata I got by accident, because I did a lot of exploration to unlock teleport locations. From the wiki I know there are many more I didn't find.
• The game could really use a tutorial on Enhancement sets and on the LFG, the Black MarketWenworth's and Trials system. Something similar to the introduction to Inventions. I still have never used LFG and only figured out enhancement sets with a lot of help from the Paragon wiki and forums.
• Rogues are still mainly Villains, even when in Paragon City. You're a tourist but little more. I assume Vigilante is similar. In general it was nicer if the content between Paragon City, Rogue Isles and Praetoria was more integrated. I would not mind a PvP version of the Mayhem/Saveguard missions for example. I really liked Cimerora, First Ward and the Rikti War Zone as you meet more players (I play mainly Villains/Rogues). It would be nice if a Vigilante/Rogue would have more access to both sides, or maybe even all characters in general. This should especially include Super Groups and high level content like Hamidon raids. Anything for which you need multiple players would really benefit from having few restrictions on who can join. Maybe something to give VIPs?
• I've been trying to figure out a way to unlock Ouroberos. There doesn't seem to be another way besides asking a player who has it. I think you should discover it on your own somewhere around level 30-ish. The Ashley McKnight mission that sends you to Cimerora goes out of it's way to prevent this.

Of your complaints, most have been mentioned at one time or another. So you're not alone. Do want to point out 1-2 things.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogerWilco The tutorial has no connection to the rest of the game. I haven't encountered a Shivan since I was level 2. I have the feeling a lot of the content in the staring areas still is supposed to be connected to an older starting tutorial, with all the mention of Destined Ones and such, but very little explanation.

Not connected to the old one (well, a touch on villainside, since the entire villain storyline is kinda-sorta tied to being a "destined one") but, since you're level 37, you should try to get on a team running Drowning in Blood (the second trial, open to everyone 15+.) You go into an instanced version of Bloody Bay, and get to see the new and old shivans - and, in a change from "the leader's the only one who sees the info," if you click on the old shivans, they'll tell you some of what's going on.



You dont' really run into the "new" shivans much (yet.) The old ones, you'll see quite a bit villainside when you're in Cap, you'll see them in Bloody Bay, and in the Ouro entry arc.

Quote:

A lot of contacts need to be unlocked. Often in cumbersome and non-obvious ways, without the game giving any clues. MMOs need all the content they can get to keep players entertained, hiding a lot doesn't seem like a good business decision. I levelled from 10-20 on my first toon doing newspaper missions and failing the Mayhem missions. Only later did I learn how to use Find Contact, and that completing a Mayhem mission gives introductions. Even if you study the Paragon Wiki and thus know about them, some are a pain to unlock. For example the SlotMachine. I'm level 37 and have 1/200 Marcone bosses killed. Johnny Sonata I got by accident, because I did a lot of exploration to unlock teleport locations. From the wiki I know there are many more I didn't find.

I'll be honest, I kinda-sorta like the unlock system redside - only since there aren't as many zones, so it gives some variety. However, the fact they're *hidden,* and not very obvious as to what level/what you do to unlock them, is a huge, HUGE downfall.

Quote:

I've been trying to figure out a way to unlock Ouroberos. There doesn't seem to be another way besides asking a player who has it. I think you should discover it on your own somewhere around level 30-ish. The Ashley McKnight mission that sends you to Cimerora goes out of it's way to prevent this.

You have to be "exposed to time travel" to unlock Ouroboros. Yes, that's vague, but there's a fair bit that'll do it. Having someone else give you the portal (now at 14 or higher) will do it. Some of the arcs with Dr. Aeon will do it. I'm kind of surprised Cimerora doesn't... thought it did. Perhaps you need to grab a badge to "prove" you have been - much like going into Recluse's Victory (40+ zone) and grabbing a badge will do it. Heroside, the Science contact in Brickstown (30-40)'s unlock mission will do it... There are a few ways. But, again, true - non-obvious.

See my Guides and Tutorials

• do you really need to run at that resolution? have you tried lowering it to accomodate the game? have you tried adjusting the window scale under menu - options - windows - user interface - window scale. this adjusts all the windows. there is a slash command to adjust individual windows but it fails me at the moment
• personally i like that the game doesnt "hold your hand" and walk you through every little detail on how to meet which contact, etc. i like that you have to figure things out, do some research, or ask help from friends. also i don't think it would be feasible for the game to inform you of everything with all of the wide and varied content.
• rogues are much more than tourists! you can do any heroside content, even form task forces and participate in heroside hami raids - errr - okay with a few exceptions. you cannot join a heroside cathedral of pain, DFB, and DIB. and or course hero oro arcs..... i'm sure someone will correct me if there are others.
• here is a list of all the ways to get your own oro portal http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Entruste...e_Secret_Badge

Nothing ever launches full realized. We never get a "complete" package - we get things bit by bit. Imagine if we had to wait for the entire Incarnate System with all the iTrials to be completed in the Praetorian Arc for "Going Rogue" to be launched.

This is an MMO RPG. It's about discovering new things on your own and exploring the world how you see fit. Not hand holding like a linear style console game. I love that honestly stuff is hidden and you have to actively search it out and discover it and there is not a giant red arrow saying where everything is and how to do it.

Some of your complaints are legit like the level 20 and below story lines are pretty boring I think at least. The Zig is in Brickstown right in the smack dap middle of the zone how much more documentation do you need. Also there is at least 1 tip mission I can think where you have to break blast furnace out of the zig.

Also the named NPCs show up A LOT more often in Task forces/Strike forces in hero/villain side. This doesn't happen in Preatoria cause there is no TF/SF equivalent there. You just haven't discovered most of the game yet I think. A lot of your answers about the story line are answered or currently being answered with the incarnate content also.

PS: The LFG que is bunkem no one uses.

PPS: Marcone bosses hang out in a certain corner in ST. Martial(can't remember the exact location) where they spawn a lot and with dedicated hunting can get the badge solo in a hour or two faster with more team mates.

Welcome to the game

One important thing to remember with the current state of the storyline of the game is that it's basically being rewritten 1-50 - it's been been moved forwards with a lot of new events, with older content being replaced with newer stuff that ties together a lot more stuff.
When the game first game out, there was only the Hero side, with a less detailed version of the Paretorians appearing as high level enemies.
Then City of Villains came out, and added all the Rogue Isles stuff - but while that made references to the Paragon City stuff, the older Hero content didn't really get rewritten to tie in with Arachnos and the rest of the Villain content.
When they released the Going Rogue expansion with the new version of Praetoria, that also led to the older hero and villain content not making any reference to it - but since Issue 21, they've been rewriting large parts of the game to tie all the 3 factions together in a much more unified way.
For example, the older low level hero content never mentioned ARachnos, as they were added to the game later on - but now they feature in the tutorial, the new Atlas Park content, and Twinshot's arcs, so right form the start, players cna see what a major threat they are.
And Twinshot's arcs also bring in the Praetorians at an early stage, instead of them only appearing in the 45-50 content.
The old hero tutorial also had zero links to the old Atlas Park content, but now the destruction of Galaxy City shapes the entire new content in Atlas Park, and is reference by all the new contacts there and their missions - even the sewer Trial is linked to it.
And in Issue 22 they've added another low level Trial that builds on the story of the Shivans, explaining why the ones who attacked Galaxy City are different form the ones who appeared in the game in 2005, as well as giving a lot of hints about the future.
The new Dark Astoria content also references the Shivans and the Coming Storm sotryline they're a part of, as well as tying in with Praetorian and events in First Ward.
I'm not sure if you've played the Signature Story Arcs yet but they move the story on in a major way too, which will lead to more new content to replace older content in Issue 23, bringing the storyline even closer together.

Welcome to the game!

You make some great notes and many have started threads about them before. I agree the starting experience isn't that great and the early zones leave much to be desired. I do like how they added a bit to that with i21 and do enjoy the new supers you get to meet on both sides.

Remember, much of this content is dated. It is an 8 year old game. Unfortunately a lot of the content also feels dated...grinding to unlock contents...obvious time sinks to keep you logged in. All dated ideas but are still in this game.

The devs are decent here but have their own vision. They really dropped the ball on separating factions with villains then did it again in the Going Rogue expansion. They could have enhanced the Atlas and Mercy with all that content but spent the resources on Praetoria...to me that was a huge waste. Going Rogue did intro many great things but the art resources and story for a new zone/faction was a disaster.

The devs have decided to go on with the Praetoria storyline and the coming storm...it is advances at a snail's pace and has been a focus for far too long. It is too bad. It should have been wrapped up long ago. This may take away from adding variety and other mission styles from the game. Recently Champion Online added an alert system or something like that....I will bet you a lot of that idea came from our forums here. I for one suggested a system like that ages ago to add something different to the game. Too bad we didn't put that.

Still, this game has kept me for whatever reason. I haven't played much lately as the repetition is too much but every once in while I do pop in.

Again, welcome to the game. It was a great ride for me for over 4 years