Hydrophidian

I'm someone who'd rather not see new zones redside. I like the streamlined nature of the Rogue Isles. A lot of the zones on blueside are superfluous and completely wasted. Even back when there was far less choice in content, and street sweeping was more common a pursuit, zones like Boomtown and Faultline were still mostly empty.

That said, I do believe redside needs more content, specifically more options. The whole mercenary path started by Burke, for example, could be expanded upon, right up to and including a couple-few mercenary patron choices (I'm sure that's been suggested before, it's too obvious not to have been).

And I do think some sort of sewer/catacomb zone attached to Mercy could help address a lot of complaints. It'd be something to do other than Burke and Kalinda, and could also be nice just as an alternative means to get around. After watching what goes on in Atlas with sewer teams, I think such an addition would get plenty enough use to make it worth creating.

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Given the ground rules set by the Devs:

1. Patron choice is permanent.

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As far as I'm concerned, this ground rule simply has to change.

I think the choice being permanent was a bad idea for a lot of reasons, but the real clincher for me was being railroaded, story-wise, into choices my character just wouldn't have made. Nevermind the issues of comparative weakness and lack of flexibility in character building (though those are significant). Strictly from an RPG perspective, PPPs are simply awful.

If immersion is as big a concern as has recently been claimed, I think PPPs need to be entirely rewritten. We need to be able to respec out of them, or there needs to be choices a character can make during the related story arcs, so they're not forced to act counter to the reason they chose the patron in the first place. Something needs to be done.

I do like your idea, PP, as an elaborate bandaid. But, after finally getting a character to the point where the PPP stuff could be experienced, I can honestly say it was the most disappointing and frustrating content I've yet encountered in this game. It was bad. Surprisingly so.

I made my patron choice based on the character and on the story that character had experienced. Had I known it was going to go the way it went--and that I'd have no choice in the matter--I wouldn't have made the choice I made. Now I feel as though I've been conned and that the integrity of my character has been damaged. In short, immersion was trampled.

Next time I'll make the choice based on game advantage alone. From a standpoint where immersion is a priority, that's a very clear failure.

So, at this point, I'd call PPPs a complete botch. I never cared for the approach to them, but now, after experiencing them firsthand and getting the complete picture, I really believe they just need to be scrapped and entirely redone.

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Just defeated it again, seperated Romulus from the Nictus and pummeled him while a tanker kept the Nictus occupied.

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Emphasis mine. I can see how just smishin' Romulus four times could be an effective way to go about finishing the TF.

But that's assuming the group has a way to keep the Nictus occupied. Our group didn't really have that option.

So, in a case like ours, goin' after the Nictus first does work.

But if anyone has to do it that way, I strongly suggest tackling the Healing Nictus first... and debuff the crap out of its accuracy if you can.

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Hm, I agree that it is rolling for each hit, yes but its accuracy being lackluster I'm not so sure about as each time I've run it, the thing didn't seem to be missing much.

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Well, I'm saying "seems to be lackluster" based on very limited experience with just two targets (who don't have a lot in the way of Defense). It's been missing us a decent amount of the time: appearing to hit only one of us more often than it hits both of us.

That said, the real point is: it does miss... which means it doesn't have some insane level of accuracy... which means we all can debuff the crap outta it.

For the record:

Me and another player are, right at this moment, sitting in range of the Healing Nictus without aggroing anything.

The Healing Nictus is spamming Twilight Grasp and can apparently hit multiple targets that are within its range at the same time. For each target it hits, it gets a full AOE heal.

Nasty.

The good news: it's accuracy seems to be lackluster, and it "rolls" separately to hit each target. So, I'm currently assuming it can be easily debuffed into oblivion and/or would lose a lot of its effectiveness if confronted by hard to hit targets.

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Im really trying not to be insulting. Just ask anyone who knows my post history. If I want to come out and call someone an idiot, I normally just do. As I said, I knew what I was typing would sound like a personal attack on your end. It wasn't meant to be, and I said as much. If you still find offense, then that's your prerogative. You can feel better about being the bigger man. In either case, it's your worry, not mine. I'm just a rarity I guess, who doesn't believe in reserving tact for complete strangers. That's just too much caring and emotional investment without a return. I much prefer brutal honesty.

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To be "brutally honest", I'd say you come off as quite condescending, as well as way too impressed with yourself and your own subjective viewpoint.

And, of course, this isn't a personal attack. Just a "brutally honest" observation from an impartial observer.

...

To some of the people taking issue with the OP's analysis: the arrogance being projected in your posts probably isn't doing much for your arguments. It comes off as defensive. Might wanna scale back on that. Just a suggestion.

And not only is tact not something you need to "reserve" (not like you're gunna use it all up, right?), it's pretty much a requirement for forum participation (even if that's usually not enforced).

In short: get over yourselves and adopt some civility. That's my "brutally honest" advice. 'Cuz some of us out here would like to read a genuinely reasonable and reasoned debate on this topic.

Thanks.

Yes, I think the requirements should be lowered for the "Epic" badges. Badges that can't be obtained through dedicated play within a reasonable amount of time are, in my estimation, broken. Anything beyond this simply encourages farming, which is presumably undesired.

I think the top consideration here shouldn't be badgers or farmers, but the regular player.

Simply put, badges carry titles. A player might want a certain title for their character. If the title is available, it should not be nigh-impossible for the player to obtain it. Making them nigh-impossible is, in a word: silly.

I'm of the opinion that, because these badges had no impact on actual game play, the developers were very cavalier about the requirements for them. I think we've since learned: that was a mistake.

The mistake should be corrected. Just as it's been corrected with other badges.

And more importantly: greater care should be taken with the introduction of new badges, so that this doesn't happen again. I think the process has improved, but it feels as though the developers are still maybe playing it a little too fast and loose with badges.


Finally, regarding the 'they should be removed because they promote addictive behavior' argument...

An addictive personality is an addictive personality. A badge does not cause one to develop an addictive personality. Removing a badge will not cause one to cease being an addictive personality. The fixation will simply shift to something else.

So, the 'Epic badges should be removed because they promote addictive behavior' argument is bogus, rooted in ignorance and, as such, should probably be dropped. And I'd further suggest that addictive behavior is a subject best left to those who actually have some idea of what they're talking about.

Thank you.

It occurred to me that folks hereabouts might not know about Purple Passion...

Well, if you liked the parodies posted above, you'll probably like this.

Be warned, though... if you include the "blooper reel" all the Purple Passion segments clock in at around an hour.

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I have now heard every single one of these. My favorite, however, has got to be the Rikti Anti-Defamation League. I've only got one thing to say to that one...

Hur hur hur hur! )

Excellent voicework on all of them!

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I offer thanks on behalf of Chris Jenkins (may he rest in peace) and the Fleet Archon.

Hi there! I'm DJ Enigma on the Cape, an online radio station dedicated to the Virtue server. For the past two years or so, I (with the contributions of some very talented people) have been producing parody commercials exclusively for the station.

Well, in recognition of my 2nd anniversary as a DJ, I decided to make all the bits I've produced so far publicly accessible!

So, here they be, submitted for your amusement!

• Pandora's Box
• The Knives of Artemis
• Chris Jenkins and Associates
• Crey Power Cola
• Hyperfuel 3000
• Rogue Islands Pet Shelter
• El Supernatural Mexicano (Remember this game glitch? Well, it inspired this commercial.)
• Ghost Widow's Salon and Day Spa
• Anatomically Yours
• Love Is a Many Tentacled Thing
• Pocket D: The Musical
• Cooke's Electronics
• The Rikt-E-Raser
• ESPizza
• Mom, I married a Mastermind
• The Rikti Anti-Defamation League (Listen to Chris Jenkins and Rikt-E-Raser before this one.)

Full credits for all of these productions can be found here. They're also included on the files themselves under 'comments'.

New Addition on 11.02.09:

• Going Rogue!

New Additions on 12.25.09:

• The Isaac Academy

• The Nemesis Automaton-O-Matic

Enjoy!

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Fortunately the changed doesn't affect me since I don't do pvp and apparently it isn't supposed to affect pve from what I hear.

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It does. It isn't so glaringly apparent, because of mob behavior vs. player behavior, but it's there.

And, of course, the lessening of debuff effectiveness is also there, but that's allegedly going to be better come I7.

Myself, I'd really like to think that there's some master gameplan, that the developers are aware of these huge gaps in gameplay quality between ATs (and even between sets within ATs) and are trying to address them.

But stuff like this just sends me reeling and really undermines my enjoyment.

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Wow. People are still arguing about this.

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I just got my first real taste of it today.

A melee character marched right up to me and took me down with one hit. I had little damage, and then... floored. Just like that.

I don't see how that 'balances' anything. I really don't. I have no idea what the developers are trying to do. This particular change flummoxed me so much, I PMed a dev about it. I've never done that.

I'd really, really like to know how this balances anything, how watering down one of my only defenses, apparently to the point of ineffectiveness, somehow makes the game more fair.

When, exactly, am I going to be able to two-shot any other AT?

When do I get my mez protection, and significant defenses/resistances/self-heals on par with other power sets?

Any Stormy knows the primary weakness of Hurricane: it doesn't help you against ranged attacks. That's what balanced it. It was fine the way it was.

Now it is decidedly unfine. Now it doesn't do what it's supposed to do, but it still has the weaknesses it had. Weakness that still apply in PVP as well, despite any ridiculous claims of how uBeR Hurricane is. Please.

Debuffs... debuff you. That's what they do. If you are debuffed, and you can still hit reliably, the debuff is no longer of any worth.

I'm quickly shifting to the 'remove Defenders from the game' camp. Considering I play Defenders more than any other AT, that's... pretty sad.

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Hurricane effects not only the stormie that is using is, not only the people on his/her team, but also any hero not on the team with the stormie to protect them ALL. So it negates All melee attacks all behind Hurricane, not only the stormie. Overpowered.

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No.

I play a Storm Defender. It is not overpowered. Not in PVP, not in PVE. Period. Not any single power... nothing about it. Not a thing. Period.

A Storm Defender had one thing that was a major contribution. Finally. One thing that actually had people requesting them for teams. Finally.

And then it's taken away. Why? No good reason that I can see.

You don't like being countered by a particular power set? Gee, that's too bad. Try playing a Storm Defender, which is countered by the vast majority of sets in the game. No status protection, very limited defenses, and not too much in the damage department either, when compared to... well, to just about everything else, save possibly other Defenders.

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You don't need a team to take out a stalker.

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I do. I need a team to do anything in open PVP. Moreover, I need a team with someone who can give me status protection, or else it's a pointless endeavor.

So, if Hurricane is such a game breaker, how could that possibly be?

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It does much more then impedes a stalkers ability to one shot the hurricane using defender.

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Yes, it might actually make that Stalker *gasp* vulnerable for a minute. I'm sure that's such a pain.

Sorry to be so snarky, but I really can't take anyone complaining about Hurricane all that seriously, and I'm currently very irate that the devs apparently did.

In open PVP, the Storm set was no more threatening than several others. That's how it actually plays out. Hurricane countered melee, yes. That was it's function, what it was supposed to do. It did it effectively enough that it had to be shut down. Well, that's the way it should be. If you don't have to work to shut down or completely override a defense, what's the point of the defense?

There isn't one.

Hope you enjoy PVP with your Stalker. I can no longer participate with my Defender.

Storm did not need a nerf. Period.

I'd like to ask something of people posting in this thread...

Before you state, "Defenders are fine, I don't see the problem," try to remember that there are several types of Defenders, please?

Repeatedly now I've seen remarks along the lines of, "Defenders are great, my Dark/* doesn't have a problem..."

Well, yah, I have a Dark/Dark too, and she's wonderful, sure.

But my main is a Storm/Electric. There have been problems there. A lot of them.

I also have an Empathy/Psi, and I'm seeing some issues developing with her as well (primarily with the secondary).

And although I don't have a Force Field Defender, I do have the set as a secondary on my Controller. It could use some attention, in my view.

All in all, I'm a little concerned about the developer view on Defenders. There is a huge disparity in my game experiences playing a Storm Defender and then a Dark Defender... but even more pronounced than that is my experience as a Tank compared to playing any Defender.

Wow. Just... wow. After playing a Defender thru 50 levels -- often scraping and clawing my way forward, frustrated nearly to the point of just giving up -- I am continuously amazed at the things I can do with my a Tank. What a stark contrast.

That gulf is far too wide, in my opinion... and I don't think it should be narrowed by watering down Tanks. Defenders need a boost. The Defender AT is too fragile to effectively do what it's meant to: defend. I can't defend a thing if I'm stunned, held, knocked back, and one-shotted into oblivion. Oh, and now I'm supressed as well. Whee!

I think a way to distinguish Defenders is to simply make them tougher. They are currently viewed as "squishies", even though they are actually in third place, I believe, in terms of hit points and such. You have Tanks and Scrappers, then this big, obvious gap, and then you have Defenders, Controllers, and Blasters.

I say put Defenders more plainly in the middle, where they belong. Give them some status resistance, for example. They cannot, after all, simply lock down enemies, like a Controller can. Maybe a reason why Controllers are sought after more is because they can actually use their secondaries after they've shut the bad guys down?

Anyway, just a thought. I play my Defenders, I have fun with them, but the difference in playing a Tank... well it's like a completely different game... a much more fun game. And I've had enough experience with Scrappers to believe it's much the same with them. As for Controllers, I can't speak fully to that yet, except to say that pre-32 has been arduous. I'm at 31 now with the Grav/FF, and I gave up on a Mind/Emp. Couldn't take it. I suspect though, that the post-32 game experience for a Controller is right up there with the Tank and the Scrapper.

Defenders (and maybe Blasters too, don't really play em), need to be that much fun to play.