Quasadu

I think the root problem is this: Any meaningful improvements to bases are not warranted based on the small number of players that would use the feature. Those resources can be better used on more widespread and attractive features that will be used by more players.

However, I think there is a value in significantly improving the Bases feature because it is a rare (unique?) feature in the MMO space and can be leveraged as a feature that defines and distinguishes City from its competitors. Before that can happen, though, the root problem above must be solved.

I think there are, therefore, several targets that could be identified (listed here in what I feel is the order of importance):

1. Make base building accessible to all players without negatively impacting the role of supergroups.

2. Make the base building tools user friendly, intuitive and robust.

3. Make the base building tool feature-rich and fun.

You could probably tack on a few other goals to the list, but those (I think) are the big three. Here are my proposed solutions to those three.

1. Develop functionality that allows Supergroup leaders to designate authorized base editors by room, or wing - thus giving individual SG members an option to design their own portions of the base.

Develop private apartments and "lairs" which can be built by and for individual players, allowing these to be accessed both outside of SG bases and from inside the SG base (adding the appearance of being a separate section of the base). To limit negative impact on the role of SG's, these personal lairs should have limited functionality (e.g. less storage space, fewer or no teleporters, no empowerment buff stations, etc).

Develop functionality within the Mission Architect system allowing use of the base building tool for designing custom mission maps.

Those three items should create a base building solution which will be available to all players, would not negatively impact the role of SG's, and has the added benefit of making a significant improvement on the other unique feature of this MMO; player created mission content.

2. This is the hard part for me to define. I don't pretend to know anything about how you develop these tools. I can only provide examples of what I would like to see, most of which have already been detailed elsewhere in greater detail. Some quick examples include the xyz axis tool, ability to create doors and hallways of whatever size you want, remove restrictions on which items can be placed in which rooms and remove room types (have instead only room sizes). There's a lot more but it's too much to go into here.

3. Again, there are tons of lists of features we'd like to see. Far too many to list again here. But in keeping with the idea of increasing the user numbers for bases, the most important features I think are those which add more functionality. Examples include a market interface, NPC's, ability to move between coalition bases and personal lairs without zoning out and back in, ability to create signs and notices within the base to leave messages for SG mates, etc.

I don't pretend to know what kind of resources these ideas would take, or if they are even technically possible. At the very least, I know it would not be easy. Maybe it's already been proposed, investigated, and deemed too costly. But those are the things I think need to happen, and I think if they did happen that it would make base building into what it always should have been: a defining feature of this game.

Anything less than that and I don't think you overcome the core problem and thus can't justify the resources.

Count me in. I'll try to find you for an invite tonight or this weekend sometime.

Somewhat appropriate to this thread and something that JUST happened at my place of employment...

I work for a company that has its headquarters in the UK. My office is in the US. One of our sales teams just sent out a pat-on-the-back type email for the great week they had. In this email, there are some pictures of the folks on the team. One of them is making a two-fingered gesture which is quite harmless here but somewhat rude in the UK.

And yes, there were several of our UK colleagues cc'ed on that email.

Almost as good as my 331 million for a stack of Magical Conspiracy!

We really need a badge for this kind of thing...

I've had a couple times where I made a billion in a day, and at one point I actually made about 3 billion over a weekend, but those cases all involved stockpiling over the week and selling a ton of goods all at once. So those days I was stockpiling, I wasn't earning. I don't think that really counts.

I don't care about origins at all. I make all my characters Natural Origin because it allows me to choose either Nemesis Staff of Blackwand and get the extra damage, and because Natural SO's are easily identified for effect by name. I use all the bonus powers on all characters indiscriminately. They are just little buffs. I don't put any thought into the RP aspect at all.

That doesn't mean my characters are totally devoid of any identity or creativity. My characters all have a concept, even if I don't write a bio, or even if the concept is just a joke of some kind. I just choose not to limit my effectiveness in playing the game based on RP reasons. I don't mind hand waving away stuff that doesn't fit the concept.

The "slot three" rule really only applies when you're talking about SO's and common IO's that give close to the same value as an SO. (so 25-35 or something like that).

The diminishing returns (Enhancement Diversification, or ED) don't care how many enhancements you have slotted. It cares only what your bonus is.

Check the Paragon wiki link that Watt posted for the details but when you're talking about level 50ish IO's you can kind of go with a "slot two and a half" rule. Although I tend to look at the exact numbers in Mid's, and I also pay more attention to the Set bonuses I want and then find a way to make the enhancement values come out to be acceptable.