Steampunkette

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Psssst... Oxytocin >.>

/nitpick

-Rachel-

[/ QUOTE ] No, OxyContin is a form of oxycodone that rednecks really like.

Oxytocin is a hormone.

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..... *slapself* Thank you, Aggelakis. I think this just goes to show that I have no understanding of what drugs people are doing.

In that light I suppose it's a really good thing that I didn't know: I don't use 'em so I lack the knowledge!

*eyes Siggy and Aggelakis!*

-Rachel-

Oh, don't get me wrong!

That whole post about how we're raised to despise villains? Yeah. That's me. I'm -all- over that.

I hate villains. Especially in CoV where everyone is just a pawn in Recluse's puzzle and MOST players seem to think that evil must be so darkitty dark dark bad that their characters must kick every puppy they come across and rip the heads off babies because they're -just- that evil.

That said.

It's one of the best lures to that side of the game. Because of all the reasons I've stated the Villainside economy is weaker, the game feels off, and overall there's not a whole lot of reason to play it in darkitty dark dark mode unless you're maladjusted (or a teenager!)

I, personally, play Heroes villainside. =-3 My characters are, almost universally, good people in the wrong place doing the right thing. I've got a Criminal character who doesn't kill but -does- rob the banks... That's as 'Villainous' as I get.

But the only thing separating heroside and villainside in the numbers game is the archetypes. They've got different playstles and different teaming abilities. And that's what -really- separates the two. Go to Contact. Get Mission. Go to Mission. Complete Objectives. Return to Contact. Repeat.

It's the way you accomplish the goals that's different.

So the lure of playing villainside just to be a Mastermind (or stalker) doesn't cut it for you? Developer investment. The Devs have been quite clear that they want their content to be played. That the work they did should be fun and amusing.

If there were no lures to go villainside (All ATs Proliferated) most of the villainside content would be left, untouched.

Even the Mastermind Only getting moved over would make a BIG dent in the population and how many people are using the zones.

-Rachel-

Psssst... Oxytocin >.>

/nitpick

-Rachel-

More drops would -help-...?

But you're also talking about increasing the speed in which people level, which makes more 50s who "need" more IOs. You're also talking about increased INf. Which means more money to flood the market with. When people want a 100mil IO they'll buy it. And the next time it'll cost more and more and more and more...

-Rachel-

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Markets would balance.

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Markets?

Why doesn't it surprise me that he doesn't realize that the market is cross server?

Damn Sig beat me to it.

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Nobody expects a Sig.

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Thanks. Now I've got "All Your Base" runing through my head.

"Take off every Sig!"

I hope you're happy!

-Rachel-

Here's our combined lists.

[Pros]
1.Better Xp even if on small team.

2.Better Money even if on small team.

3.Better drops even if on small team. Making market go down in price for server. You can't raise price to like 50 mill if they drop more.

4.Less stress on servers. Meaning they go down less and last longer.

5. Servers balance out. Making it ez'er to find teams.

6.Servers like freedom would not be overwhelmed. So someone with low end comp could play on freedom.

7.Ones that have been on Freedom from day one wouldn't get locked out sometimes anymore

[cons]

1. People would leave freedom to hit a low pop server. Even though most will stay b/c of time in there. So they drop from 3 Bubs to 2 Bub and get double xp/money/drops like most the other servers would.

2. People ditch from the other servers. Leaving their hard-earned characters, friends, the supergroups they spent weeks, months, or even years building, and history behind.

3. As the equilibrium is reached players find it harder to team on all servers, since many players can't be botherede to look for a team and instead stand stock still waiting for a blind invite.

4.The increase Money gained causes the BM to increase prices, as people from higher population servers generate more goods and people from lower population servers create more wealth, thus throwing the prices out of whack.

5. The increase in XP causes players to Burn Out faster as they hit 50 over and over again. Soon thereafter there is no sense of accomplishment. They leave the game.

6. Players on Lower end computers who played on Ghost Servers for higher framerates would not have lower population servers to play on.

7. Once the equillibrium is reached noone would gain more or less XP on any server. And polarization would again occur as players of different playstyles tried to get together, rpeating all the cons of this idea. (I.E. Most of the RPers going to Virtue)

8. Because of number 7 one or two servers return to the 'highest population' and the process begins anew as people who enjoy a specific playstyle feel robbed by the equillibrium-point making them gain LESS XP than other servers (viewed as a buff, not a nerf) and we see mass ragequits.

-Rachel-

The problem is, BB, that fewer players play Villainside. This makes teaming far more sparse than it is heroside, especially on the lower population servers.

The two biggest 'draws' to villainside play are Masterminds and Stalkers. The former offers a totally unique way to play the game compared to all the other cases. The latter lets you be a Ninja.

To translate or transfer Masterminds to Heroside would be a big hit to the population Villainside. Why?

As a nation (heck, as a planet, generally speaking!) we are raised to hoist heroes up onto our shoulders. Whether they're celebrities or saved a few lives from a fire or plane crash. We're taught that heroes are the best of what we are. Shining exemplars of the greatest power that each and every one of us holds inside.

Meanwhile Villains are typically... well... villified. Or made to be humorous. Villains are the foil to the Hero. They are what makes the Hero shine so much more brightly by comparison. We are raised to hate villains (Adolf Hitler, Emporer Palpatine, Skeletor, Red Skull, Green Goblin, Lex Luthor). Sure we can -respect- a villain. Even fear him. But never truly love him or embrace him.

Often villains are made humorous by their attempts and exploits. To disarm us from backing away from the character. the Joker of the Batman Animated series was like this. Meanwhile the Joker in Dark Knight was a sociopathic homicidal maniac whom we all thought of as amazingly well done. But who here truly identifies with him as a person?

Then again... I'm on a Forum, so I'll probably get 3 or 4 people who identify with him *winks*

Ultimately we, as a culture, seek to see the villain stopped. Halted. Beaten. Sometimes it's even cathartic.

So, again, I'll say that putting Masterminds heroside would be a bad idea.

-Rachel-

Pssssssst! Magnitude means absolutely NOTHING in PvP now! All control effects land all the time. Your RESISTANCE shortens the duration!

The More you Know.
-Rachel-

My best suggestion to you, Dionon, is to head for the Mission Architect and run any mission you can find labeled as 'Heroic'. Pretend your character -is- a hero. Ge tother friends who'd like to play Brutes and Stalkers as Heroes and have them help.

There's no way the Mastermind will be ported over to Blue. The Villainside Community would -never- stand for it, wince the Mastermind is one of the great draws to Villainside. (And the amazing storylines, interesting depth, resolution of Heroside arcs, and the Cap Au SF which is the Cavern of Transcendence done right!)

-Rachel-

The reason people put up a 2 hours speech is to attempt to explain -why- it's bad.

Let's go over the Pros and Cons of a straight server-merger.

[u]Pros[u]
More people to play with
The game is more populated/busier

[u]Cons[u]
Character name changes
Low End computer users get laged out by the increased population
Everywhere you go feels populated "Solo" heroes can't find a quiet corner
When an Exploit is located it is known to a larger population
Feeling of "Just another cape in the crowd" for many players.

Feel free to copy this list into your own posts and add to the Pros or cons!

Now here's the Lower Population Higher Money/XP metric pros and cons!

[u]Pros[u]
More Money!
Faster XP!
You entice players to leave their own servers to come get more money and more XP!
With enough people hopping off the 'Big' servers the population eventually reaches equilibrium!

[u]Cons[u]
People ditch from the other servers. Leaving their hard-earned characters, friends, the supergroups they spent weeks, months, or even years building, and history behind.
As the equilibrium is reached players find it harder to team on all servers, since many players can't be botherede to look for a team and instead stand stock still waiting for a blind invite.
The increase Money gained causes the BM to increase prices, as people from higher population servers generate more goods and people from lower population servers create more wealth, thus throwing the prices out of whack.
The increase in XP causes players to Burn Out faster as they hit 50 over and over again. Soon thereafter there is no sense of accomplishment. They leave the game.

There's a lot more to it than "Here is idea! It works! YAY!" Every idea needs to be counted, measured, and looked at from all angles, Brewha.

But, again. Feel free to copy-paste my pros and cons to add to the list whatever pros you can find.

-Rachel-

PS Damn it! I forgot to insult you. I'll try harder next time!

Actually.. Didn't the last patch Normalize Rikti Comm Officer XP to normal minion levels?

Maybe they could make Snake Eggs and such have 0XP 0inf 0ticket drops.... That way we could use them...?

-Rachel-

I wouldn't have a problem with it in and of itself.

My issue would lie in the Coding. Would the Devs be able to mark specific spawns to carry that flag, after the most recent changes? Would they have to undo what they've just done to accomplish it? If so then I don't think it's a good idea, due to the possible game-glitches it would spawn.

If they can just move the enemies you're reffering to into a separate bracket "Hellions, Skulls, Rikti, No Rewards" I'd -definitely- be fine with that!

I do have a few arcs in mind that would be best if I could spawn Snake Eggs, but I'd be more than happy to have 0XP for the Eggs rather than not be able to do it.

-Rachel-

I think the idea of Diminished returns is probably a more effective deterrant than a bonus on the first run.

If a group of people found a mish that was -very- easy for them they could keep farming it repeatedly and endlessly. Sure they wouldn't get the initial bonus on the following runs, but they do get full rewards.

Diminishing returns would make farming the same MA arc backwards thinking. Though I'd DEFINITELY have a different 24 hour timer on EACH character. =-3

-Rachel-

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Get a better computer or runner a cleaner system.

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?Buy it for me.

Though now that I've upgraded my RAM I don't really get speed crash anymore. In fact I've started making superspeeders, recently! =-3

Doesn't change the fact that many people have computer issues with it. So which would be cheaper? Each and every person buying a new computer or upgrading the one they have to a minimum standard ABOVE The System Requirements of the game, OR The Devs spending a week or two on the Speed Scale for players who don't want to crash?

Unless you've got -deeeeeeeeeeeeep- pockets, Munki, your argument is rather pointless. =-3

-Rachel-

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The magnitude of Speed Boost's speed enhancement is not only a benefit, it's also a balancing factor for the other benefits of Speed Boost.

So they're not likely to add something that would allow you to reduce the 'downside' while still getting the full Recharge and Recovery boosts.

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Sooo... The downside of having increased attack rate and endurance recovery is having your computer freeze and crash because you're moving too fast?

That's not how it works, Tripp.

-Rachel-

This is actually a REALLY horrible idea.

The forums are a place for Discussion. If everyone got their input through E-mails on changes to the game the Devs could turn around and throw them out, and noone would know that the majority wanted A but everyone got B.

Meanwhile the forums are a static record of what we want and what the Devs have, will, won't, or can't give us.

-Rachel-

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Tht still requires you to make and publish a mission. which is not a requirement to understand the basic functionality of teaming or utilizing the MA system.

While I would LOVE a Pocket D terminal I wouldn't want one with these steep limits or non-co-op-teaming.

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This was input on your suggestion. That I wouldn't want to have to farm my own arcs for 45 minutes just to do cross faction teaming.

-Rachel-

Sooo... Why didn't you respond to my post..? =-3

-Rachel-

That's a Fantastic idea, and I encourage the Devs to implement it, post haste!

-Rachel-

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Things Id love to see:

Space
New powersets - new ones not the sameones linked over from villains to heroes and visa versa

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Issue 15:
Demon summoning (Mastermind)
Dual pistols.

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Has anyone seen anything saying this is coming in I15? Everything I've seen concerning it just says "Soon".

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I'm expecting 16 or 17, personally. But 15 is possible (if not plausible)

-Rachel-

How about the auto-exemplar feature, at least? Or the ability for one person to exemp multiple people?

-Rachel-

I dunno. One of the handful of things I LIKED about EQ2 was that it let the whole team exemp to one person's level. What if we could do it both ways? Auto-sk up to the mission's level, so long as the mission's owner is in the range, auto-exemp if you're too high level?

Alternatively I'd just LOVE to have the ability for multiple people to SK to the HIGHEST MEMBER of a team. It couldn't be used for powerleveling. =-3

-Rachel-

Paragon Patron Pools.

Going over the various PPPs we currently have Villainside and comparing them to the APPs we have heroside I've gotten the general impression that while the APPs are advancements of your own -core- abilities (Dark/Dark/Dark Defender, anyone?) the Patron pools are more about emulating someone else, or having their power granted to you in some way.

So while the APPs should be varied and built for the AT they're constructed for, PPPs should be made in the image of the Patron with flavoring for the archetype.

So Here Goes.

I decided to use Positron, Numina, Psyche, and Synapse as my four Patrons. Because each represents a different avenue of Origin. Positron with Tech, Synapse with Science, Numina with Magic, and Psyche as a mutant.

Villains have Black Scorpion (Tech) Mako (Mutant) Ghost Widow (Magic) and Sirocco (Magic) But Redside focuses more on the mystical element in their enemy groups than the heroes do. So I swapped the second magic for a Science.

Now... The powers themselves should be divided in the same way that APPs are divided, but tied directly to the Patron, rather than being open ended.

Blasters: Slight Defenses, Slight Self Buffs, Some Control
Controllers: Slight Defenses, Some Ranged Damage
Defenders: Slight Defenses, Some Self-buffs
Scrapper: Some Ranged, Some Self-buff
Tanker: Some Ranged, Some Crowd Control

So with that in mind, a Tanker who follows Sister Psyche as a Patron would develop some Psychic ranged attacks or crowd control effects. Perhaps a PBAoE immobilize or stun power? Or a single target TK shove?

Patron Power Pools also typically grant a Pet. Whether it's a Mu Mystic or a Fortunata, or a coralax. Thus the Paragon Power Pools should also grant a pet option to most classes. To maintain Parity I'd suggest that Controllers not be offered a pet power, as they, like masterminds, already have them.

Numina is the polar opposite of Ghost Widow, in my mind. Her magic would be rather similar in it's style, in my opinion. Perhaps even Emulating it with alternate animations for the poers themselves. Rings as opposed to tendrils, for example.

Psyche is fundamentally Mako's opposite, being a mutant. So powers similar in animation and almost identical in purpose would be advised.

Synapse and Sirocco are almost identical in their powers over lightning. Again, change up the colors and animations and you're golden.

Meanwhile Positron and Black Scorpion are both (well... WERE) attatched to their powersuits and rely on technology to gran them their powers. Perhaps Positron could supply those who choose him as a patron with a multiple-purpose tool (LASER WEB GRENADE POISON FLINGING MACE!!!)

So... Really... With just some animation changes and a bit of story-writing we could HAVE Patron Pools heroside and Ancillary pools Villainside without too much hassle...


I was going to sit here and write out alternate pools but... Really... Why bother? Just port over the APPs with updated graphics (altered in some cases like red lightning) and port over the Patron Pools with new colors and a different set of patrons.

-Rachel-

I think it'd be fantastic if every map in the entire game auto-SKed players to the lowest level the arc is offered to and exemped players to the highest level the arc is given (if they are above it)

But this -could- lead to powerleveling sprees as level 45-50 missions get farmed to tears again with level 1 sked-to-45 players on the team. So I like to 10 level limit idea for that.

As for scaling XP of lowbies: I kind of like that. Seriously: If a team is mowing down enemies in an efficient manner, you should be rewarded for it. Maybe make the XP hit a flat 1% per level sked? So that a player at the extreme of the auto-level feature loses 10% of the XP they would normally gain from an individual foe.

They'd still level really fast, based on how many people are on the team wiping the floor with foes, but not Alarmingly fast.

-Rachel-

Actually, Bill... I think you Can.

The Blaster APPs are designed with Control/Defense in mind. So are the Corruptor PPPs.

Cold Mastery (Blasters):
Snowstorm AoE -spd -recharge
Flash Freeze AoE Sleep
Frozen Armor +res cold +def S/L
Hoarfrost +HP +res toxic
Hibernate +regen +recovery +intangible

Leviathan Mastery (Corruptors):
School of Sharks Cone Immob
Shark Skin +res S/L/cold
Spirit Shark Jaws Hold
Hibernate +regen +recovery +intangible
Summon Corallax Pet

School of Sharks is similar to Flash Freeze (temporary lockdown of target's movement, rather than just a breakable hold) Sharkskin comparable to Frozen Armor, Hibernate in both sets. Spirit Shark Jaws puts one target out of the fight instead of slowing the attacks of many like the snow storm.

So I think porting BlasterAPPs to Corruptors works pretty well?

Controllers and Dominators gain, shockingly, similar APP/PPP at level 41. Here's a comparison between Ice Mastery and Leviathan Mastery

Controller: Ice Mastery
Ice Blast ranged moderate foe -spd -rech
Hibernate +regen +recovery +intangible
Frozen Armor +res cold +def S/L
Frost Breath Cone moderate damage -spd -rech
Ice Storm AoE moderate damage -rech -spd

Dominator Leviathan Mastery
Waterspout AoE Minor S damage +disorient
Bile Spray Cone DoT
Shark Skin +res S/L/cold
Hibernate +regen +recovery +intangible
Sumon Coralax Pet

Again, really similar sets.

Stalker and Scrapper sets are pretty similar, too. 2 ranged attacks and some crowd control effects.

Defender APPs could be ported over for Masterminds, who gain some control abilities and some defenses from their PPPs.

And Brutes get Tank APPs. Really not that shocking, if you ask me. =-3

However. For Parity we'd need heroside PPPs, as well. SO I'll start working on those, next.

-Rachel-