Dysmal

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Unfortunately rules are rules. They have to be enforced.

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All of them? Even questionable ones, or questionable interpretations of them?

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Since NCSoft owns the space, yeah.

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Then we'll get the torches and pitchforks and head to Austin.

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The hiring post makes me think that he's in California, though.

I am confused.

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Dammit!

I always get Cryptic's HQ and NC's HQ confoozled...

So we'll appoint a navigator then head to... NC HQ!

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No, you're right. Cryptic's HQ is in California, and NCSoft's is in Austin.

Which leads me to the conclusion that Cryptic is taking over running the community portion of the business from NCSoft, if Lighthouse is a Cryptic employee, as that hiring post implies based on location. Or maybe just an NCSoft employee working at Cryptic's offices.

On Topic:
I like the way Lighthouse has been doing things on the moderation side. The rules have been here for ages, and I welcome a little tighter enforcement of them.

I'm pretty sure it doesn't affect Time Bomb or Trip Mine. The change to Rain powers was in I7, so you could check the patch notes for that issue to check.

-APP - Blaster – Ice Manipulation – Chillblain

This isn't an APP power.

Alrighty, just ran a mission test with my 35 Fire/Dev. I respecced Taser back in to test its new range.

General Thoughts:
-The added damage to the DoT on Fire Blast attacks is nice. Not a huge bonus, but a nice little buff
-The increased range on Blaze is really, really, nice. Now I can use Fire Blast, step forward a little and get Blaze off.
-Tazer's range is nice. Its about the same as the old Blaze range, so its not super ranged, but its nice for stunning foes before they get into melee, or from range while Cloaked.
-Tazer's animation isn't changed. You still pull out the tazer and make the stabbing motion with it, you just do it at range now. There isn't any noticeable arc of energy from you to your target like the wires on the Tech Origin power.

Positive changes all in all, though I do think Devices still needs a damage boost added to one of its powers, such as Targetting Drone if the Cloaking Device stealth strike is permanently off the table.

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Logged Ikube onto test. Unless this is just something I missed ages ago, it looks like they're trying to apply a pseudo assassin's strike functionality to Cloaking Device.

It doesn't work yet though.

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Don't get attached to that. It got nixed and sent back to the drawing board.

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Slip it in when States is on lunch! We wont tell if you don't.

Nothing in the patch notes about the Cloaking Device +Dmg deal either. I guess we're seeing a preview of an upcoming change in the power text.

Still, I love to see Taser get range. I always thought it should have it, and I've suggested it many times.

Buffs to lots of Blaster Range powers! Range for Taser! Controller APP blasts and PvP damage bonus nerfed!

Ahem.

ZOMG!

Patch notes!

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• Blaster Improvements:
- These changes are all aimed towards addressing sets based on feedback from players. These changes also affect Defender and Corruptor versions of these powers where applicable.
- Blaster Fire Manipulation: Ring of Fire: Increased overall damage. Damage ticks are now faster, as well. Recharge was increased to 6 seconds.
- Blaster Fire Manipulation: Fire Sword: Bonus damage increased.
- Blaster Fire Manipulation: Combustion: Bonus damage increased.
- Blaster Fire Manipulation: Fire Sword Circle: Bonus damage increased.
- Blaster Fire Blast Powerset: Bonus damage increased by 50% for all appropriate powers.
- Blaster Fire Blast: Blaze: Increased Range to 40'
- Assault Rifle Ignite: Increased Range to 40'
- Energy Blast Power Burst: Increased Range to 40'
- Radiation Attack Cosmic Burst: Increased Range to 40'
- Sonic Attack Shout: Increased Range to 40'
- Blaster Devices Taser: Increased Range to 20'

• Blaster Archery Fistful of Arrows: corrected an issue which could prevent the power from damaging foes.

• Blaster Archery Blazing Arrow: corrected an issue that could limit the DoT portion of the power from doing more than one tick of damage.

• Blaster Assault Rifle Flamethrower: Range increased slightly and recharge time changed so it now matches the range and recharge of the Corruptor version of this power.

• Blaster Electrical Blast Aim should now display the proper look, and match the other powers in the power set.


• Gauntlet and Aura Inherent Taunt Changes:
- All of these powers may now affect Archvillains and Giant Monsters once again. However, they must pass a 'To Hit' check at -20% for the taunt to effect these targets, even for powers such as Invincibility which are normally 'Always Hit'
- Invincibility was looking at the wrong table for it’s inherent taunt ability. It now looks at the correct table, which will bring its taunt functionality more in line with other Taunt Auras. Additionally, the Magnitude of the Taunt was increased so that it matches the other Taunt Aura powers.

• Controller Containment bonus is now identical when used on critters or players. When a damaging power is used on a character under the effects of a detrimental status effect, the damage caused will be twice the base damage. (Exception: Spectral wounds damage bonus remains lower, due to the nature of the power.)

• Controller Ancilliary Powers:
- The damage of these powers was made artificially high originally, to make them desirable. In general, the damage was set to be roughly equivalanet to that of a Blaster. When Containment was added later, this was not taken into account. As such, these powers all do roughly twice the desired damage under Containment conditions. This series of changes is aimed at bringing these powers closer to balance.
- Earth Mastery Hurl Boulder: Base damage reduced from scale 3 to scale 1.64
- Fire Mastery: Fire Blast: Base damage reduced from scale 2 to scale 1.1
- Fire Mastery: Fire Ball: Base damage reduced from scale 1.6 to scale 1.05
- Ice Mastery: Ice Blast: Smashing damage reduced from scale 0.8 to scale 0.2, Cold damage reduced from scale 1.2 to 0.8
- Ice Mastery: Ice Storm: Removed unresistible PvP damage and added Containment.
- Primal Forces: Power Blast: Smashing damage reduced from scale 0.8 to scale 0.2, Energy damage reduced from scale 1.2 to 0.8
- Psionic Mastery: Psionic Blast: Base damage reduced from 2 to 1.
- Psionic Mastery: Psionic Tornado: Base damage reduced from 0.35 to 0.175.

• Defender Electrical Blast Charged Bolt has had the amount of endurance drained in PvP increased. There was a decimal shift error which had this aspect of the power underperforming.

• Defender Lightning Bolt has had the -recovery portion of the power reduced. It is now consistent with the rest of the powers within the powerset.

• Slightly increased the PvE Endurance Drain for Defender Electrical Blast Short Circuit to bring it in line with other versions of this power. It now drains 35% endurance if unresisted, compared to 33% previously.

• Slightly increased the PvE Endurance Drain for Defender Electrical Blast Thunderous Blast to bring it in line with other versions of this power. It now drains 55% endurance if unresisted, compared to 50% previously.

• Defender Lingering Radiation powers -Regen was operating at 1/5th the scale of the equivalent Corruptor or Controller version. The base scale now matches across all three Archetypes.

• Revamped the Effects for Trick Arrow/Glue Arrow. Should cause fewer frame rate errors, appear more visible, and accurately reflect the radius of the glue patch.


Powers – PvP specific:

• Blaster Energy Blast Power Push now has a portion of it's damage unresisted in PvP. Additionally, the Knockback portion of the power now follows standard suppression rules in PvP.


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Hmmm. Depending on how much the +Damage from Cloak is, we may see a second coming of Fire/Dev as a FoTM. Aim+FireBreath or FireBall from CD could be a devastating opening again.

Thats a pretty nifty idea. Its not exactly what I would have wanted, but if the buff is substantial enough, its going to breathe new life into Devices. Now, they just need to make it work.

Still waiting on patch notes.

Lighthouse just posted that that the Training Room is being brough down to apply the patch with these power changes. I'll copy over the patch notes when they appear.

I don't know why you'd think these changes aren't still coming. Castle's changes haven't gone to test yet, let alone to Live.

Lighthouse
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Everyone will be receiving a free respec in an update that will follow Issue 8. Castle talked about some of the changes included in this coming update on the blaster forums a bit here where he talked about some buffs to some blaster stuff. Because there will be these, and other, power changes, it will warrant a free respec for everyone.

So, we understand that everyone likes free respecs, but please understand that we only give them out when there are changes to powers that might lead people to want to change their builds because of those changes.


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Update that follows Issue Eight means after Issue Eight. Which only launched yesterday.

Cricket
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Update as of 11/28/06:

We're going to be giving out a respec under Issue 8 afterall This has nothing to do with the Veteran Reward respec - this is seperate type of respec grant. The free respec I speak of is the same kind we've given out in the past. And as always free respecs don't stack with free respecs, but I think this information was covered in this thread already.

It won't be this week but it we'll hand those out as soon as we can Once we have a date we'll be sure to post.

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So, not this week.

Patch days are often Tuesday's. At the earliest, the patch with these blaster changes and the freespec might go to Test on Tuesday, and go live the Week after in my estimation.

Details

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In an upcoming patch, here are a few things you'll see:
Increased EDIT:Maximum ranges for attacks like Blaze.
Some improvements for */Fire (No, no powers were switched out. No Fiery Embrace, I'm afraid. )
Some improvements for Fire/*
A very minor improvement for Gadgets...I mean, Devices! (Yeah, it was a dumb mistake -- typing in haste and all of that.)

I have some ideas for other changes/improvements, but there is no ETA on when or if I'll get them in.

Edit: Tyed minimum when I meant Maximum. One day, I'll learn to proofread.

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I certainly hope there is more the I9 then just "a new crafting system" or that system better be something unbelievably fantastic.

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Here is what is currently confirmed for I9. I suspect there will be a good bit more than just the Invention System. The IS was originally supposed to be in I8, but moved to I9. Unless putting it in I9 bumped out something else, that means that there was a whole issue worth of other stuff planned for I9 before the IS ever became a part of it.

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I think the fact that inventions was planned for I8, not to mention a certain paid expansions that was canceled, Manticore's revealing that the 5th column would return this year, mayhem missions being shoved into I7 at the last moment, and a host of other such reasons that the Devs don't get us exact information are good enough reasons not to expect those "confirmed" items to miss the issue. And let's not start of the specular, one-wonder addition of I4!

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Well, I4 did add the missing Kheldian story arcs. That was about the only thing I enjoyed about it though.

I like the article. Its nice to get some insight into the dev thinking behind systems like this.

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Does the nuke from En/En Nova leave the blaster disoriented? I ask because I have never had this happen after I fire off Nova, I pop a few blues and finish off whoever is left. I am also running CJ and Accrobatics so that maybe why I am not getting disoriented. My blaster is only lvl 32 so I don't know if it will disorient my blaster as she gets higher in lvl's and in power.

Thanx for the info.

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There's no disorient in Nova.

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Okay which nova power does disorient? I know I have seen players shoot off a tier 32 nova and then do the "Drunk Walk" due to the power of the nuke.

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None of them. They'd only be doing the Drunk Walk if they got hit with a Disorient while Nova was animating.

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Does the nuke from En/En Nova leave the blaster disoriented? I ask because I have never had this happen after I fire off Nova, I pop a few blues and finish off whoever is left. I am also running CJ and Accrobatics so that maybe why I am not getting disoriented. My blaster is only lvl 32 so I don't know if it will disorient my blaster as she gets higher in lvl's and in power.

Thanx for the info.

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There's no disorient in Nova.

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Further, there's no self-disorient as a result of any Nuke. Also, Acrobatics and Combat Jumping wouldn't protect from a disorient anyways, since they're Knockback+Hold and Immobolization protection respectively.

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So what happened to Lord Recluse? Anyone know? Just curious. This is not a rant.

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He left awhile back to work on another project. I believe it was the Stargate MMO.

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Correct, Stargate Worlds is its official name. Though there was some time lapse between Zeb leaving and the news of his involvement in Stargate coming up, so we don't know that he left CoX to go to there or if he left for other reasons, and subsequently found employment with the Stargate game.

So, will these be the old style 1 Free costume change per Costume Slot tokens? (eg, if you had 3 costume slots unlocked, that character would get three free changes) Or like the new vet reward Costume Changes which are good for one change total?

Also, theres probably going to be a comment about the value of the veteran reward costume tokens in relation to these free ones any minute now.

I've got experience with the following final blast powers: BlackStar, Inferno, Dreadful Wail, Blizzard and Full Auto.

I have to say, I was shocked at how quick the animation for Dreadful Wail was compared to the other two PbAoE nukes I've used, Blackstar and Inferno which both share the typical Nova "oh god I'm really constipated" animation. Especially given the useful secondary effect of DW, with its Mag 3 Stun, and given that it appears in a set with an AoE Sleep.

From a use perspective, it feels like a much safer, quicker nuke to use than the other two I've used, even with Blackstar's impressive To Hit Debuff for defenders (62.5% according to CoD)

I do wonder if perhaps the damage for Nukes is balanced around the assumption that you'll be using damage buffs such as Aim, BU, Inspirations, and the like with them.

According to their Website:

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Cryptic is now developing several un-announced next-generation online RPGs, both internally and with outside partners.

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Geko went got a different job somewhere else (not within NCSoft). There's turn over in any company. People come and people go. And just because the new people choose not to be active on the boards does not mean they don't exist.


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Geko still works for Cryptic, he's likely working on MUO. Note that this post by States was made before Cryptic's involvement in MUO was announced.
Click

Edit: Shakes fist at Statesman.

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There's a Pocket D entrance to the new Faultline?

I'll have to check it out when I get home. Which entrance was replaced, or is this on top of the existence entrances?

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There's a sewer manhole in the Pocket D exit area.

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Hmm. DJ Zero empyting his sewage into the Faultline canyons?

As I understand it, both Cryptic and NCSoft have QA departments.

Patches go from Cryptic, to NCSoft QA, and thence to the Test Server, and then to Live. Its pretty clear that its been bugs and over reaching (being a little too ambitous in terms of what they try to get into an Issue) at Cryptic's end, rather than a logjam of patches waiting to get through NCSoft QA that have caused the delays.

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Hey guys, our plan is to get you new Issues three times a year. Issue 7 was bigger than originally planned (Mayhem Missions got thrown into the issue at the last possible second) and that, coupled with other delays, screwed up the schedule for 2006, thus only 2 free content expansions on the Live servers this year.

2007 has three Issues planned for it, one near Q1/Q2, one for the summer, and one for the end of the year. I can't give more exact dates than that because everything is subject to change.

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Thanks for the update Positron. This is the sort of information that players love to get.

What exactly does Q1/Q2 mean? I only know the term in reference to financial years or whatever. Q1/Q2 = March/April?