Iodine

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Heroes going bad/villains going good - Positron indicated that this won't be coming any time soon. I got the impression that it hasn't been abandoned, but there are just too many other things that are higher priority.


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Any word on if balance issues are holding this up? There's been a bit of speculation that things like villains defenders or heroic masterminds might be problematic. Can we either put that speculation to rest or speculate more?

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Interesting speculation. I wouldn't mind seeing more debate on this.

I am chagrined to hear how low this sits on the priority list. In fact, I'm chagrined at how low a lot of QOL issues sit on the priority list. Ahh Zeb ... you are missed!

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...Hmmmmm.... well, my sub-10-player SG seems to be doing OK base-wise, considiering we've filled up our basic plot and are now working towards a larger plot or a supercomputer. Besides, wasn't it already stated that base items, costs, and rent would be further reviewed next issue?

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Yes. Hopefully the review will result in an across-the-board reduction in prestige base and item prices and rent.

Grats on your SG's progress! Many other smaller SGs aren't quite as content as yours. Otherwise, there would be no need for a review in the first place, would there?

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Because I am a firm believer in the need for multiple playthroughs to see/achieve everything. I don't agree with being able to earn all the badges/fully experience every mission on a single playthrough. And fixing it so you can't earn badges through missions that are not your own is a good way to fix that.

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And a good way to piss off a great many people...

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Meh, people are going to be pissed no matter what happens.

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It's not likely the devs will "fix" it so you can't earn badges through missions that are not your own, so the issue is moot IMO.

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Because I am a firm believer in the need for multiple playthroughs to see/achieve everything. I don't agree with being able to earn all the badges/fully experience every mission on a single playthrough. And fixing it so you can't earn badges through missions that are not your own is a good way to fix that.

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Well, I disagree in part...I'm also very much against anything that removes "option", which I feel your suggestion would do.

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QFT

There is no reason to make badge-collecting any more of a "challenge" than it already is. We received quite enough "challenge" through I5 and I6 to make up for perceived balance perceptions on characters choosing to use one character to collect badges.

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Skills - Not coming. Ever. They tried 9 different systems and couldn't find a fun one.


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I'm reeeeeally curious as to what each of the 9 different actual systems were. And why did they think every one of them wasn't "fun."...

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So am I. I suspect skills are shelved for the same reason they can't seem to get player housing/apts/lairs up and running ... they aren't fun for the devs either.

But it sure is a knee-slapping, keg-of-a-time for them to charge outrageous prestige amounts for a broken base & rent system, right? What FUN it is to emulate an economy in a casual MMO with no valid currency, no markets that influence supply or demand, or worthwhile incentives to invest in it.

<insert eye-roll smiley here>

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Ick!! Did you see that preview of the book cover? No way was that drawn by a professional, I used to draw things like that when I was 14 with all of the proporitions scewed. I really hope thats either a bad scan of the cover or its a rough draft because that is just embarrasing!

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Seconded...

I'm a graphic design major, and that cover *hurts* me... On the *inside*.

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Count me as the third so far. Ya know, when I heard that George Perez was going to do one of the covers for the new TopCow comic, I was excited - until I saw the cover. I really don't mean to impugne his work, but I am just as disappointed with the new novel cover so far as I was then.

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Has anybody lackied with a higher level Villain yet? I really want to know how the "Arsonist" plays. If it's like having a Scrapyarder with a fire bomb...then I'm all for it baby! I can't wait to hear about Gang War, that sounds like a sweet power!

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Unless they changed something, I don't see how lackeying would allow you to determine how the "Arsonist" plays. Only your combat level is improved when you are lackeyed/sidekicked, not your actual level. So if you are a level 5 MM lackeyed to a 40 "Boss", you'll fight at level 39, but only have the powers you had at 5.

Try letting your tongue breathe once in a while. It can't get the oxygen and exercise it needs if you keep it planted in cheek all the time. You might feel better if you set it loose once in a while.

Oh ... wait a minute ... you meant ...

Nevermind.

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Tons of new content and probably not a single fix or addtion to PvP.

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Not that this would be a bad thing, but you wanna bet? Each issue since I4 has been keenly focused on PvP/CoV and the balance it necessitated. I don't see this changing for several issues, although the retail expansion will fool everyone into believing this is not the case.

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Is that City of Spies I see? Hmm.

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Gah, and I hope I just misread it, but does that mean we only have I7 and I8 to look forward to this year?

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Yes.

While the wax is still cooling, you may wish to consider how the innovation on your shiny CoV content might be compromising longevity on your Hero side. Short of some costume options, and a few bug and power fixes (maybe), Issue 7 looks to provide little to nothing for Non-PvPers in Paragon City. Yes, this was the 41-50 patch for your villains ... got it ... but Easter is over, Jack. When can we expect to start seeing eggs in the other basket?

Further, your desire to release ONLY unique content speaks almost as obsessively as the desire to squash herding and PLing. Both obsessions fall short of your mark, IMO. Unique ancillary power pools would have been sufficient for your villains. Linking them to patrons and making them permanent choices (with no chance of respec) is just another example of your cart leading the horse. I don't suppose it occurred to you that in addition to asking YOURSELVES what players would want (as far as powers 41-50 were concerned), you could also ask, I dunno ... US maybe? "Different and Unique" is not necessarily better.

With new issues slowed to a bi-annual trickle, and the content we are getting still heavily weighted on adjustment and PvP balance, I guess we're lucky you're still releasing any content at ALL. That's ok. My heroes can live on mac & cheese, and fish sticks ... but not forever, Mrs. Paul.

I don't suppose you'd care to officially report on what you've decided to do with Hover & Flight speed since your last "unique" adjustment (ED)? Costume choices and individuality "earned" discussions (while important) still pale in comparison to many lingering issues (like flight speed and other powers) still reeling from I6. I know it's a "waxy" stretch, but after all ... you seem to be used to your candles burning at both ends.

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But now, a twist on it. What about if I don't have, like, a t-shirt press myself, and so commission a single-item run from someplace like CafePress or something?

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Won't work. CafePress makes a profit on every item they sell, even if you do not.

Summary: CP sells a shirt for, say, $12 base price. If you sell it for $12 that means you make no profit. Good! But CafePress DOES make a profit; they set the base price up so that they do and anything beyond that is for you alone.

So, it's not legal, since of the two parties involved, CP does profit. CP has a policy against using copyrighted elements in your designs for this reason.

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Oh baloney. If I hire a third party decal/T-shirt entity to silkscreen a copy of my favorite screen shot of my hero onto a T-shirt I've already bought separately, I see no copyright infringement or violation of the EULA as long as I do not intend to sell it for profit, and have retained the original screenshot for my private, not-for-profit archives.

Otherwise, where do you draw the line? I can screenshot all day and print my screenshots and post them all over my house for my personal use anytime I want. I can make demo movies all day and display them for CoX-night LAN parties as long as I am not profiting from it.

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Well, there are two possibilities. Castle is lying to us or he isn't...

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No one said he was lying. I was suggesting you placed too much emphasis on balance being the reason it hasn't been nerfed. Like I said ... there are bigger fish to fry (than self-heals).

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Wait a second! What are you planning with Force Bubble? It repels. That's all it does. Taking away repel means it creates a big bubble that does absolutely nothing.

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Well, to be more precise, I predict it may be a big bubble that does absolutely nothing ... indoors ... except maybe drain your endurance a little less as a result of the impending nerf.

"Pretty bubbles in the whine .... pretty bubbles ... make me happy, make me feel fine ... "

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/em wonders when the devs are gonna realize that Force Bubble has the same "problem" that convinced em to zap Hurricane.

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The worst parts about getting debuffed by hurricane was the nasty to-hit debuff and its -range. The -tohit was easily countered at the higher levels(FA, AIM, BU, etc). The -range was the only form of mitigation against ranged toons for the Storm summoning set. It made only since that storm should be able to keep melee out when they are so vulnerable to everything else.

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Actually, the only thing I really wanted to change in this mess was the ability for Repel Fields to effectively trap a player against geometry in Base Raids. I'm aware other powers have the same problem. I'll address those individually, though -- the same type of change made to Hurricane can be made, but for the most part, those powers have fewer aspects to them that Hurricane does. That makes getting them right considerably harder.

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I don't see how. Seems to me - less aspects, less tangents, less variables = easier job. As long as you haven't lost track on which way the PvE and PvP knob is pointed when you get around to "getting the other powers right", I'm satisfied.

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I haven't had time to get on test, but I was wondering what people are reporting about the changes to hurricane. Anyone have any stories?

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This is as good a place to put this, as any:

I checked in a few Hurricane changes today that QA is going to look at. In Theory, these changes should mean that for PvE, Hurricane acts Exactly as it did before the previous change, while in PvP, it should act exactly as it does currently. Hopefully this change will get a green light from QA -- I've spent quite a bit of time on it over the last few days.

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Thank you, Castle. I can't imagine why QA would want to venture outside the mantra that was assured to us months ago: that powers that needed to be changed for PvP could adjust while remaining unchanged for PvE. It's nice to know someone still remembers.

Or was this an accident?

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Finally, Aid Self is one of the few self mitigations accessible to some non-armored ATs, such as Blasters. Nerfing it bearing in mind what armored sets can do (which is arguably much more useful to them) would be a hard, hard nerf on these people. And it sounds like that might be one reason they're not doing it.

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Don't kid yourself. The importance of balance means less & less as each issue nears release. Now if Aid Self could be directly tied to herding or PLing, by God, watch those mountains move! The bottom line is they're not nerfing it yet because it would take too long and there are bigger fish to fry.

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CoX will be a better place with EM adjusted.

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,said one of the 20 PvPers in this game.

Leave EM alone, please.

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I guess I wasn't being clear.

I'm not arguing about debt/xp/ratios or rationales. What I'm saying is if people are going to complain that PvPers get them debt by using MOBs in the fight, remove the debt and with it the xp.

Right now there's no xp or debt from PvP kills and no debt from drones. Beyond "I don't like it" why not just make the place 1 big penalty free/reward free free-fire zone.

This was based on the large number of posts in this thread referring to debt and griefing and does not reflect my personal views on debt which happen to be that it's a pretty weak penalty to begin with.

I'm curious if there are any logical arguments for or against such a change. Of course people will or will not like it. I'm not wondering about that at all, I'm wondering what the impact would be.

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Your point is well made. I have mixed feelings on it. I like being able to do the repeatable door missions in the PvP zones. They seem to me to be the most efficient way to level. Exp and mission rewards are higher. Salvage drops for every completed mission and a bonus or debuff is implemented to those folks duking it out in the streets. I like this system ... a lot.

The yang to this ying are the risks and problems inherent with Free for All PvP. I need to expose myself to these risks when I travel to and from mission doors. Can I live without the bennies of the PvP zones? Yes. I did before they were released. Do I want to return to that same old lackluster story arc and street sweeping time? No.

I think the answer lies in a more immersive player involvement in the PvP zones. Want your FC and it's rules observed? Then you'll need active player sentries (call them "Masters at Arms") enforcing your rules and dealing with [censored] that seek to grief for the sake of griefing. The only other options the devs seem to want to give you have been discussed here ad nauseum.

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One thing I am curious about, though, is why they just don't remove xp and debt in the PvP zones.

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Because it's part of the game. In particular it's part of Siren's Call. In the other PvP zones the NPCs aren't such a big deal. Siren's Call (at least on Champion) is the most popular PvP zone. So why would they change it? From the Dev's point of view it's the one that seems to be working the best.

Debt really isn't that big a deal, you work it off pretty quickly in PvE, so I don't understand what all the complaining is about.

Fight Club is an effort by players to impose rules that aren't supported by the game itself. As such it needs to be policed by players, you can't expect the Developers to do it.

If people are doing something the Devs disapprove of, they will change the game to prevent it. From they're point of view, any other ruling than the one Cuppa has give us would be a nightmare to implement.

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I agree with all that, but don't see what it's supposed to be saying that hasn't been said.

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If you can level your toon in the zone, that's a reward. You can die and receive debt in that zone too. That's the risk. Can't have one without the other.

Make better sense why now?

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Even if you respec?

I hope they're well documented then. It'd really suck to pick a patron and then realize that their powers look good on paper but have really low numbers or something that make them useless.

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If it's a trial that unlocks it, then you pick, I think I'll do the trial and then copy my character to test and try each set.

And, if you don't want to join Arachnos, per se, you could RP the character as pretending to take a patron in order to get closer to Recluse and kill him.

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Fair enough ... if killing him is an option. It isn't and won't be an option for the same reason the epic heroes aren't out fighting crime.

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Ok, here's the scoop.

Heal Self is not affected by AT Mods directly any longer. I'm not certain when this changed, but it was before 9/21/2004. The Heal Self Table is now a straight 10% of the AT's base (unbuffed) Health. So, Tankers still see a greater effect from a Heal Self of even scale than a Blaster or Defender because their base health is higher.

So, these values ARE correct.

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A level 30 Tanker using an unenhanced Healing Flames gets 178.5 health. With 2 SO's, that would increase to 296.31. 178.5 is 17.5% of a Tankers health at that level. 296.31 is 29% of a Tankers health at that level.

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Awesome! That's fantastic, _Castle_!! Thank you so much for the time you spent checking on this power!!

Now I can truly say my flames have been healed!!

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Okie I want to ask a related question, also yay first post.

What about the fact that fire has 4 situational useless powers.

1 Temp protection... really useless... there isnt enough fire or cold for it to matter.

2 Fiery embrace... situational, unless you are fire/fire its usefullness is highly questionable.

3 Rotp..... a tank shouldnt need a self res and it doesnt even come close to being as good as granite or unstop

4 Burn... a power that deaggros mobs and makes them run and gets your team killed is questionable at best.


Also what about the contention that regen can take more damage over time than fire.

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Off topic.

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Thanks, Castle for looking at Healing Flames!! You're the best!

Finally, Fire is getting some love! Hopefully you'll find some time for the rest of the set!

<<Happy Dance>>

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Then is there any chance of the drop rates for lyso's and enzymes being reduced to better even out the "economy"?

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Heck, I'd like an actualy "reward" screen to pick the right HammiO.

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This is a fantastic idea! Devs, take note please. Thank you, Futurias!

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It's people like you who chased Geko, Mr. Loose Lips on the Numbers, off these boards.

Keep that in mind next time you bemoan the numbers being unpublished.

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The other thing I wanted to say about that, is that I don't buy when developers claim that us mean posters hurt their feeling and make them not want to talk with us. The developers have the control. Their input has much more force than any poster. I'm sorry but suck it up. This is the only service industry where client service is thought to be optional.

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Also one of the few where if they did everything their clients wanted them to do, they'd destroy their own product...

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I'm satisfied if they start doing what they SAY they are going to do. It's all about the NEEDS of this game. The WANTS can wait. Which do YOU value more? Which do they prefer at Cryptic? Which of these makes a better game? Proof, meet your pudding.