Alternatives for missing Anniversary badges

For anniversary badges which players/their accounts/specific or all characters missed, consider the option of a flashback alternative badge. For example, if you missed this year's Rhapsodic (8 years), as many characters as you wish could run a simple one mission arc in which they may not have lived in Paragon at the time but could travel back to experience the fight against Nemesis thereby earning a commendation medal equivalent to but not necessarily named the same as Rhapsodic.

I've seen arguements of why not to reissue, sell, or retro the original anniversary badges. I disagree so this suggestion is presented as an opportunity for the badge community who are missing some or all of the anniversary badges.

Right now, in game, there are already "either/or" badges. One can only earn one of the four patron badges - not all four. There are two Halloween badges, Meticulous and Arriveste, which replace one another depending on which the player chooses.

This alternative to missing anniversary badges would not be in addition to existing anniversary badges. Just an option to earn a void for some badger's collections. From original villain AT badge characters (who will forever fall short the 1st year anniversary badge as City of Villains came much later) to those who purchased the game three years in and those who logged in two characters but not all 36 one year*, there's different reasons why someone would have easily missed an anniversary. It'd be nice to provide them all an opportunity to feel "complete" in their endeavors.

*making anniversary badges global would be great for everyone. Not having to log in each character. Though, please consider those who purchased the game more recently and missed a few years.

There are badges (other than annivesary) that would also benefit from an "earned" alternative. Right now, Villainside has a badge that can be botched and lost forever - Efficiency Expert. I've wondered if anyone has ever lost connection or simply been frazzled and screwed up. In any case, that badge is not available in Ouros for as a "do over".

Passport is another badge that would be nice to earn an alternative for. It took a lot for someone to leave their community behind to jump servers back then so I wouldn't want to diminish the meaning of "Passport" above some characters heads by making the badge available to all. Again, just an opportunity for anyone to earn an alternative badge with a similiarly themed mission/arc.

There are badges that I don't think should qualify for an "earned" alternative. I don't think it'd be fair to make a special arc for Bug Hunter. Technically, as long as their are bugs, there is opportunity to earn that badge. That race is ever present, ever possible to win. Providing an alternative would remove the incentive to work for its counterpart.

Is this just about badge count? Yes and no. No, because I'm fairly certain most badgers would jump to get Bug Hunter but I'm not advocating an alternative to it. Yes, because, I really do know people who've gotten upset over the prospect of "one less badge". And really, I think about how much I love (and I mean love) this game that I can only imagine how another feels about their badge character/badge count. It'd be nice to give that opportunity of feeling complete.

And I, to varying extents, disagree.

Anniversary badges: I don't think these should be able to be "earned." There's nothing to earn them WITH - it shows your account was active at a certain time. HOWEVER:

- I wouldn't mind them being account-wide. So you were in COH, but didn't have COV/it didn't exist yet, and your main badger is your villain? It's an account indicator. Give it to every character on that account, so your villain on the account you had at launch gets it.

- The gladiator (yeah, I know, nobody uses them...) gets awarded for two consecutive anniversary badges.


Things like Efficiency Expert? I happen to *love* that sort of thing, quite honestly. And I think there should be more of them. (I've mentioned in the past things like "prevented X fir Bolg from escaping" - get whatever it is from your first attempt.) Especially with most badges meaning nothing. Yes, I do have sympathy for those who lose connection and whatnot - I'm in the middle of storm season and have lost power on occasion, sometimes for a few hours. If there were an alternative - and I *am* on the fence about this - it should be visible. "Efficiency expert" - you did it the first time, great. If you have to ouro it, "Not so Efficient." And you can't lose the first, even if you ouro and lose connection or fail while doing that.

I'm not sure what you'd even do for an "alternative arc" to earn Passport. It wasn't just hopping servers, it was transferring from the US to EU servers (which is, of course, impossible now.) That, IMHO, should stay just as it is. There are some things that just "are."

See my Guides and Tutorials

YES. please make them account wide!

I prefer them as-is, but wouldn't be opposed to making it accountwide. I see the anniversary badges currently as more a testament to the character than the player behind it. I have one hero left that goes back to the first anniversary; it's a shame there was no launch day/head start badge [that I'm aware of], although I don't think I have anyone left from day 1.