Celestial_Fury

Since dual build came out in I13, i have been switching between a Crab Spider build and a Bane Spider build all the time.

I have to say that i got surprised at how better i found out my Bane when it comes to soloing. The mace really packs some very heavy damage and stacking Surveillance with Venom Grenade on an Elite Boss made them really easy to defeat.

Now, when on a team where many Brutes or other meleers are present, i prefer to switch into a Crab so i can take advantage of the really big arc that Suppression provides.

But overall, i ended loving playing the Bane configuration more than i thought i would. I tried mace on a tanker and on a brute and didnt like it. Mace on a Bane is pure JOY!

I have a really hard time believing that you simply resigned just now at this time. I cant help but think that whatever happened in the PvP Change threads are somewhat linked to your resignation...

Good luck anyway. I hope that sudden departure will end bringing to you job opportunities you werent expecting.

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As of the patch on 08/02/07, the sound for Practiced Brawler is no longer:

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Description: Practiced Brawler loop
Folder name: Powers
File name: fast7.ogg

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It is now "fast7_loop.ogg".

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Thank you so much! That sound was making me go insane

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Agreed, I don't want everything "now now NOW!" I just want it in a reasonable amount of time.

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"Reasonable amount of time" is entirely subjective. I think the time they've set the badges at looks about right. Obviously you don't. Neither one of us is 'right' because what's reasonable is just an opinion. So keep in mind when you say "I just want it in a reasonable amount of time", everyone's definition of reasonable is different.

I'll say this much though: better to err on the side of a long timer because if it's set too short, people will get all the badges quickly and then there'll be no other badges for them to get.

I think a lot of people in this thread don't really realize how much their characters are really offline, Heal farms excepted. But then it's not intended that someone get a Heal badge using a Heal farm anyway. In fact, the more people who do that and get the badge that way, the less likely Positron will ever change the requirement to something more reasonable.

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QFT. And what players dont seem to realize is that ALL their offline characters will simultaneously be getting time toward the Day Job badges.

So basically, once the first 60 days have passed, pretty much every characters you own will now have access to a FREE bonus you didnt even had to really work for.

How is that not cool?

People really complain about a gifted horse in this case. Its not even funny. Its sad.

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I agree with Yogi 100% , on all of his points. The time should remain 30 days due to the rewards associated with the badges.

Maybe the devs can just add another tab next to accolades and acheviements and call it "Job Titles" to track job status, have no art work, just the title and description and possible progress bar of the different jobs.

Who knows , maybe that'll put a cork in the wine bottle.

~MM

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You know, in the end, devs could simply award every job badges right after I13 go live. That way badgers that lack patience would already have all their shinies.

However, none of the badges would be "activated". Badgers would still have to spend the offline time required to get the accolades and other bonuses.

Actually, i would find that hilarious if devs did that. Badgers would have no ground to complain lol.

"We gave you all the badges! Why you not happy? They dont work? Is that important for you? I thought you cared more about the badge itself than the power attached to it?"

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jeeeez 30 freakin days?? screw that, not even gonna touch the day job thing.

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Now now now now! I want everything NOW!

Does that sound like you?

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i remember seeing some where that the day job badges were linked to costumes

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Day job badges are NOT linked to costumes.

The day job related costumes are free, unlocked at the start, content in Issue 13.

And the 30 days is what we are initially going with. The values may change in beta.

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I sure hope it does. No offense, but it's kind of absurd. That means for the badges you have LISTED, I have to log my main, my badge hunter, my favorite character out... for AT LEAST A YEAR.

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Maybe this is where devs made a mistake. Maybe they should have reduced the time required to get TWO of those badge for accolade but then prevented players to get any further badges from the collection.

It would have been like the Patron badges. Players would have to make a choice and live with it. So youd pick and work toward the bonus you want to have and stick with it. That way, players wouldnt have complained about needing 1 YEAR to get the badges.

Just make job badges exclusive after you earn two of them. So players only get 1 accolade in the end but theyll get it faster than 60 days.

From a RP point of view, it would also make some sense that a character cant have every jobs in the game...

And for those who say that such a system ( like Patron badges ) is screwing badgers, you should know by now that there already badges that are impossible to get ( like Celebrant, Elusive ) as of now. There are players that will never even have a chance to get every badges in game. So my point is maybe it never was intended for someone to get them all.

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I'm honestly surprised Exploding Shuriken didn't get dropped. 19 end, 32 second recharge and all. I wouldn't think many people would take that.

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Try it with Hasten and full Positron Blast slotted for xtra energy damage. My scrapper use the shuriken in melee. Dragon Tail + Explosive Shuriken is nice. No redrawing of weapon. Its good also with Soul Drain+ Explosive Shuriken. Works great.

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Still, though. The two other APPs have nearly the same damage, but significantly faster recharges and less end use. Granted, I know some people don't always like cones. Personal preference I suppose.

Although upon a second look, PvP aside, Web Grenade really is probably the thing I planned to skip on my Scrapper if I ever bother to get him to APP levels. On the other hand, I planned to skip Exploding, too.

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Look, id be lying to you if i said that both Shuriken attacks and the whole Weapon Mastery pool was better than than Body Mastery. Its not, most of the time.

I primarily picked Weapon Mastery because i wanted to be "different" back then. No serious players were using shurikens. Caltrops and Webnade were just having their potential discovered for PvP but still, Focus Accuracy was the way to go for hardcore PvPers...

I really started to like Shurikens when IOs appeared. I then found out new potential with Ranged Damage Set IOs and Target AoE damage Set IOs. I decided to slot both powers heavily. I 6 slotted them with Devastation and Posi Blast. then i decided to give it a real try in PvP and PvE.

With Posi Blast, the Exploding Shuriken started doing decent dmg against herded enemies. Criticals Hits also count with these powers. So its a chance for multi critical + the dmg procs. Not bad.

The single shuriken became great in PvP because of its decent range but seriously because of its fast activation and quick recharge + the Hold procs. It became my surprise attack against ranged enemies and also helped dishing killing blows against a fleeing target. Ok dmg when the critical hit scored.

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I am curious who took the Shuriken over Web Grenade in this case...one seems to be far far far more useful than the other.

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I took the Shuriken. Its fast reloading and once slotted with Devastation Chance to Hold, you get a ranged hold that can be spammed very quickly with Hasten. I have surprised lot of squishies with that ranged Shuriken in PvP. They never expected that.

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I'm honestly surprised Exploding Shuriken didn't get dropped. 19 end, 32 second recharge and all. I wouldn't think many people would take that.

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Try it with Hasten and full Positron Blast slotted for xtra energy damage. My scrapper use the shuriken in melee. Dragon Tail + Explosive Shuriken is nice. No redrawing of weapon. Its good also with Soul Drain+ Explosive Shuriken. Works great.

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*looks up at all the posts griping about losing Web Grenade*

*Laughs his [censored] off*

Can you honestly tell me with a straight face that they WOULDN'T get just as many complaints no matter WHICH power they replaced?

No matter what they change, or even if they changed nothing, they'd still piss off a lot of people. The only difference is who would be posting the angry letters.

The Devs are damned if they do, damned if they don't.

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Exactly. and you know what wise governments do in such situation usually? They just keep the status quo and go back to the working bench and try coming up with a better plan.

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3) Web Grenade is the power that is being replaced in Weapon Mastery

That's the only power in the set worth keeping. It grounds fliers, stops or slows runners and slows recharge.

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Yeah, it's like they saw lolmelee, but want it to be LOLMELEE.

Scrappers, speak up, this is a horrible change to weapons mastery. I could live with replacing one of the redundant and weak shuriken powers, but not one of the two truly useful powers.

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Nope. Changing nothing would be even better since i have taken all 4 powers of the pool! I like my Weapon Mastery! Im a true ninja!

Wah!

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1) Yes, outright changing powers is bad. Unfortunately, it's the only way we *could* proceed that met with the goals we had in mind, the technical limitations presented and the timeframe allowed. I hate "building cottages" but it was the only path in this circumstance.

2) I misspoke re: Weapon Mastery getting Focused Accuracy. It's Targeting Drone. Functionally, it's *identical* to FA, it just has the visuals and display name of TD.

3) Web Grenade is the power that is being replaced in Weapon Mastery.

4) Yes, various PPP's now have access to FA.

I'm certain a complete list of the changes will be up here on the forums within an hour of Beta starting (soon!(tm)) and I'm looking forward to the feedback (positive AND negative) at that time.

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Timeframe? Castle, what timeframe? You guys reported Architect because you felt it wasnt good enough. Why not rethink the Epic replacements a bit more and report it as well?

Whatever plans you guys may have, people will get screwed and thats not even considering how much money and IOs will be wasted if we also lose our Set IO enhancements.

You said Web Grenade is being removed? There... That was my only -fly power for my scrapper... Thanks, a Targeting Drone will surely help me alot against flying foes. And i also lose the -Recharge effect and the Pace of Turtle IO sets i had in it?

Wah!

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BTW: I wonder how many people took EMP on blasters considering the 800 second recharge? Or Bonfire? Or Sleep Gernade/Flash Freeze (I considered it as the only useful thing to stack with Frozen Aura)? Or the 360-second recharge Consume for Controllers. I wonder if the the balancing includes this, or is just a massive Focused Accuracy/Power Boost change?

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I took E.M.P. on my Blaster, but only because I couldn't get a power that allows a Blaster to shoot Death Rays out of his eyes. (Regardless, E.M.P. IS a very good power, but I don't have the slots to give to it )

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What we need is sharks with freakin laser beams. Lets replace Focus Accuracy with that!

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Web Gernade and Caltrops are key powers for scrappers that want to anti-fly or slow targets. I think players can live without one or both of the Shurikens (and I really only liked the Explosive one).

I could see
Level 41: Web Gernade, Caltrops
Level 44: Shuriken
Level 47: Targeting Drone

BTW: I wonder how many people took EMP on blasters considering the 800 second recharge? Or Bonfire? Or Sleep Gernade/Flash Freeze (I considered it as the only useful thing to stack with Frozen Aura)? Or the 360-second recharge Consume for Controllers. I wonder if the the balancing includes this, or is just a massive Focused Accuracy/Power Boost change?

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See? All my scrappers have devastation Hold procs in the normal shuriken. You have nay idea how fast i can cast that shuriken when im on hasten? I find it VERY useful.

My aoe shuriken is slotted with posi blast and i love it also.

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I don't need to wait till beta to know that outright replacement of chosen powers is bad design.

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It makes sense, if you're replacing powers because they're too powerful, grandfathering them in means older characters have a greater advantage than newer characters.

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But i doubt its the good powers that will be replaced. Devs are looking to change the "sucky" ones. So then i see no problem grandfathering players that like their sucky powers? Youd call that an advantage? I call that justice.

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I for one welcome our power pool fixing overlords.

Seriously it's a good thing to not have Body pool on EVERY one of my scrappers. I can get away with another pool on my super strength tank (rage) but FA is too good not to be widely available on all melee toons. Give it to stalkers and brutes for parity. Do similar work with power boost/power build up. This is an across the board anti-nerf and I'm glad to see a major restructuring in the right direction.

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If it really was an across the board anti-nerf then the obvious way to go would have been to simply remove FA and not spread it everywhere.

Why killing 20% of the epic powers just to copycat the most uber ones in replacement? Getting rid of the two uber powers like PBoost and FA would be alot more economic no?

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I for one welcome our power pool fixing overlords.

Seriously it's a good thing to not have Body pool on EVERY one of my scrappers. I can get away with another pool on my super strength tank (rage) but FA is too good not to be widely available on all melee toons. Give it to stalkers and brutes for parity. Do similar work with power boost/power build up. This is an across the board anti-nerf and I'm glad to see a major restructuring in the right direction.

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Its an overpowered power that it is available in one pool already but theres no need to spread it to every other pools.

And for the matter, like you said, if one single power is simply just so good that you cant live without it then maybe its time devs have a look at it.

The game is very playable without FA by the way. And its nice to have different choices. But we obviously arent playing the same game so ill stop right there...

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Calmly, rationally, reasonably, yes?

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Where's the fun in that?

Rant with us, or the duck gets it! I don't know what "it" is, but it will be gotten by the duck! (Though I have a suspicion it's a pizza.)

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I thought i was calm and reasonable. You dont want to see me when i am infuriated! Im the Celestial Fury after all

And my Stalker is using a pet! I like my Night widow. Even if shes weak, she agroes everything and get me killed. She looks cool. Thats good enough for me.

So devs please dont remove her from the game. Kthx.

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Thing is that the players that are sent in Beta dont seem to be the players that dont care about numbers, efficiency and stuff like that. So devs never get in Beta a real portrait of what players think overall. The elite min/maxer and hardcore testers are lightyears away of many other players when it comes about concept and fun. They are the players who invent speed KHTF and stupid stuff like that...

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Not entirely true. I'm not a numbers guy (I've even said flat out "I don't play a spreadsheet,") and I know of others that have been in closed betas with me that most certainly aren't math majors and powergamers.

Are those in there too? Of cousre. But there *is* good representation, generally, of the "Is it fun?" crowd.

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Thank god. Hope you get in Beta then so you can tell em devs!

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Before going completely over the edge on this issue, everyone, why don't we just wait for the beta to start so we can see exactly what's being changed, determine the effects of those changes and present validated, justified concerns to Castle. I'm no more excited about losing some of my favorite APP/EPP powers than anyone else, but until I actually know which powers are being removed, and what the replacements are, there's no point getting upset over it.

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I'd argue that, even though we don't know details, the very fact that powers are being replaced wholesale does, indeed, deserve the hue and cry now being raised.

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We don't even know that, actually. What we know is that the developers have discussed it, and are considering it, but until the beta actually starts, it's just talk.

If we log into the beta and find that, yes, they really are yanking powers out of APP/EPPs, we still don't know for certain that those changes will survive the beta. It darn sure wouldn't be the first time that good, solid player feedback, based on testing, real data and calm discussion changed the developers' minds about something. Our developers aren't jerks, they don't make changes simply for the sake of pissing us off, and they've definitely proven that they care about us with all of the positive changes they've made over the years, so why not give them the benefit of doubt?

Positive, constructive feedback will give them the answers they need and help them determine whether or not some or all of the potential replacements need to be left alone. Screaming in their ears... that's not going to get us anywhere.

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Thing is that the players that are sent in Beta dont seem to be the players that dont care about numbers, efficiency and stuff like that. So devs never get in Beta a real portrait of what players think overall. The elite min/maxer and hardcore testers are lightyears away of many other players when it comes about concept and fun. They are the players who invent speed KHTF and stupid stuff like that...

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Let me specify with my opinion on changes and the fear of changes. As most know, I LOVE Force Fields. In a very unhealthy way, some might say.

However, if the devs changed one of the powers completely and/or replaced it with another... let's say they changed my FAVORITE power in the set, Repulsion Field into a power that "built a small cottage at your chosen location"... then how would I react?

Well, I would look at it as a challenge, as a new interesting mechanic. I would look for ways to make use of the change. I would see if I could summon the cottage around corners to see if it could aggro enemies for me in safety. I would see if it could be targeted and used for Howling Twilight...

There are a thousand possibilities... but the moral of the story is this: change happens. It just does. You can either complain about it endlessly or you can embrace it. One will lead you to being upset and will affect the way you face the rest of the world in a negative way, the other attitude will let you face the world in a positive way.

I TRY to never let anything bother me too much in a negative way. (TRY being the operative word here) Why? Because it only ends up hurting me in the end. And why allow something that I can control within myself to harm me when I can choose to NOT allow it to cause me grief?

How do I benefit from being upset? I don't, so I try not to let things upset me. Because it doesn't benefit me.

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There are people that get robbed and they dont resist. They just accept and move on. They "adapt" i guess...

And there are people who are willing to fight to the death to keep whatever they have. They think there is always a chance to win. They just wont give up.

Im gonna fight to keep my powers! Ill fight until i cant!

Devs, there must be ANOTHER way! Think again!

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I think it's funny how mad some folks get at changes that aren't all even announced yet. So what if they take a power here or there and swap it... learn to deal with it. I mean, did the concept of flexibility disappear while I wasn't looking? It's not like any character will be "perfect" anyway; there is (and always will be) room for improvement on all characters. Why do you think people argue ad infinitum about slotting and power choices on practically every power combination, hmmmm? Because everyone has a different (and in most cases), just as good and valid way of doing things.

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Brilliant. I wish I could frame this and stick it on the top of the forums.

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Yeah right... Come here talking about flexibility when my Shuriken will have become a stupid toggle that isnt attacking anything...

Flexibility my [ censored ]

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*yanks the stick out of Fury's [censored]*

Better?

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Its not cool man! I have like 6 scrappers that are ninja theme and all 6 of them have taken Caltrops, Shuriken and Exploding Shuriken.

It means that if a power is replaced, all my 6 chars are getting screwed!

And of course, i bet devs wont give me any refund for all the full Positron Blast and Devastation IO sets that i slotted in all of their powers heh?

Why not Grandfathering powers after all? Powers that are being replaced probably werent overpowered so whats the problem in grandfathering them?

Why screwing people that were happy for over 5 years with their powers?

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Before going completely over the edge on this issue, everyone, why don't we just wait for the beta to start so we can see exactly what's being changed, determine the effects of those changes and present validated, justified concerns to Castle. I'm no more excited about losing some of my favorite APP/EPP powers than anyone else, but until I actually know which powers are being removed, and what the replacements are, there's no point getting upset over it.

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I'd argue that, even though we don't know details, the very fact that powers are being replaced wholesale does, indeed, deserve the hue and cry now being raised.

No, we don't know the details on what's happening to what - but there are a lot of concerns (for instance, a Stalker may have no use for their pet... but what if they'd spent several tens of million on the Soulbound Alliegance set for the Regen, Recov, and damage bonuses? What if they LIKE the pet? What if it's tied into their concept - say, a symbol of usurping Scirocco's power or some such, and it's being replaced with, oh, an AOE sleep for example?)

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QFT. I wonder if devs have factored in players that took specific powers because it gave them the opportunity to slot in specific Set IO bonuses they couldnt slot elsewhere?

For instance, many players dislike Kick in the fighting pool but i once took it just so i could slot Set Kinetic Crash IO to get knockback protection...

I am pretty certain devs havent seen all the big picture right now. There MUST be another way!