Thirty-Seven

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being in the service industry for more than half of my life has told me intimatly what people like and dislike. for the sake of your business you have things on your menu that you know from experience will pay the bills. but will all of those people come back, year after year after year? just to eat the same porkchop, mashed potatoes and green beans. some will yes. but in the longterm you will not generate any new costumers because your menu being a succsess in the past will either be copied to hell and back or eventually, though done well, people will want something different.

sure you can maintain the status quo. but that just leaves the door open for someone else to put you out of business. if not today, deffinatly tomorrow.

is it better to try and fail, or to never try at all and maybe be around another year or two? i know what i would do.

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I take issue with your restaurant example. There are many restaurants in America that have existed for a very long time and have not changed a single thing about their menus or even their interior since they opened. Those restaurants are iconic pieces of Americana (or wherever they are). They are landmarks in many cases.

If someone wants the best dang onion rings in my home town they go to the greasy spoon diner a block from my childhood home. They make them fresh, batter and all, and fry them just after you order 'em. If I went back there, and they had "innovated" to a cheaper and more mainstream variety, I would leave and never be back. And you could bet I, and many others, would stop recommending the place to everyone (hey look, by changing they have stopped getting new costumers via word of mouth).

Sometimes people want what they know they will find. Whether that be in a restaurant or in an MMO. CoH/V is a known quantity that does certain things. It is damn good at those things, and if it tried to do something else to capture more people, it would water-down what they do well... and that would be bad.

Also, regarding your last question? Let me re-phrase that for you: Is it better to try something outside of your area of expertise in order to appear money grubbing and fail earning bad press, or to do what you are already good at and lead by example gaining new followers as you innovate based on what you are already doing well? I know what I would do.

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then you would not be a benifactor of any of my suggestions. but in my OP i mentioned specifically the grind of which i speak. so i wont again.

all those things are fun. yes, very much so. but, like any other consumer i want more. the devs give us stuff, of which i am thankful, but i started this thread in the hopes of making a few suggestions, getting some feedback, and maybe coming away with a great idea. i thought that would be obvious. /fail

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I think you missed the underlying point of my post. Not everyone sees the game in the same way that you do and are perfectly content with it as it is.

Change for the sake of change will be seen negatively. Basically: if it ain't broke don't fix it. It seems to me that you need to take a break from the game and play some poker or something. Then, when you are sick of that come back and everything will seem fresh and new again.

/fail, indeed. Failed to see that your suggestions lack necessity, and that others can and will disagree (as evidenced by the replies). I would definately take issue if the dev team would waste their time giving me things that I could get elsewhere. If I wanted to play MMO Chess or Murder Mystery, I would find it... I want to play a super-hero game with colorful graphics and a fun social environment. Guess what? I find all that and more here, and I for one, don't need this game to be anything else.

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I cant seem to find a map that has some decent mobs or good levels to get her higher.

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Wha? All missions have XP. All missions have enemies. And all missions (aside from hunts and FedExes) are on maps. This statement does not compute. What do you mean exactly by this?
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I've run the ITF, but she is on Justice and there arent a lot of people on there anymore to team with, so I'm pretty much stuck soloing. Any suggestions?

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Justice is the fourth highest populated server. There are lots of people there. Definately find an SG or a Global Chat Channel worth its salt.

What grind?

Seiously. The "grindiness" of a game is a state of mind. I don't look at this game as a "grind" at all, I look at it as a fun means of escapism that allows me to realize a concept for a character I find intriguing. It only becomes a "grind" when you see the rewards and the XP as the "fun." Socializing and seeing what my character can do, and the challenge of keeping a team together in the current post-AE game is half the fun! Occasional RP and base design is also rather enjoyable, not to mention badging and running TFs.

There are a limited number of avenues to procure advancement for a reason: XP and loot should not be the only things in this game that you are looking for. If it is, then IMO, you are doing something wrong.

Therefore, I ask: where is this grind of which you speak?

I would think that the Solo-ist badge should be stupidly easy to acquire but nearly impossible to get by accident.

Many many different kinds of players solo, and there are many different skill-levels in that mix. I don't think a stupid amount of experience should be necessary, and I would think it should be acquireable by level 5 or 10 at the latest. I mean, lots of people attempt things and fail, and who is being hurt besides that one player... they are SOLO after all.

Now, how does one unlock it easily, and yet not so easy that everyone stumbles upon it. Perhaps a room could be added to City Hall in AP and to the Building in PO (with the SG Registrar) that one can access through a series of 2 or 3 doors. Then, have two clickable plaques, clicking both would award the badge... but only after a confirmation pop-up.

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Lanaru the Mad: Dog entrails! Monkey brains smeared on chalk boards as unholy sacrifice to the clown gods! Cataclysmic concertos played on the infernal organ in the deepest pits of marmalade!! Oh… and long romantic walks on the beach. Call me!

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Okay, I don't often acutally laugh out loud, but this did it! I love your posts Steelclaw, and they are always funny, but something about this one really got me this time.

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The intensity of a fight.

The sudden need to team.

The teams with complete strangers suddenly saying, "hey it's in Galaxy, let's head there now!" and going with it.

In other words, it's a way to shake up the game enough and put some people in teams together who'd never have even thought of it before. it feels heroic to me, gathering around the "big spots" in zones, with 30-50 other heroes (or villains) to defend our city from the Rikti invading forces.

I love it.

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Totally this!!

Saying things like "Where's the rally point?" in broadcast and getting a dozen answers, and watching as herds of players rush to that area. Taking a team zone-to-zone to follow the Rikti. The actual fight is pretty boring, IMO, until one spots a Heavy. Seeing them spawn is still exciting to me.

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I think I fought this guy on my Merc/FF and didn't do too badly.

Force Bolt, how I love thee.

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I played a Thugs/FF and had literally no issue with him. Died once versus Barracuda due to a badly timed aggro. However, Calystix was a complete and utter disaster! I tried a ton of times to decimate his silly face off, to no avail. I simply hate that he is a Coralax/Psychic Mastermind (or some ridiculous combination thereof).

Perhaps having [Detention Field] could have isolated one of the pets... or maybe if I had tossed up PFF? I dunno, but I was frustrated to no end.

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...assimilate quickly (you DO have the Cyborg pack RIGHT?)


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I see what ya did there.

*Extends Borg nanite probes*
You will be assimilated, resistance is futile. Your biological distinctiveness will be added to our own.

What's strange here is how different my experience with MA has been. I spent days fine tuning things in my arc (the enemies, the maps, the dialog, etc.). And, to my knowledge it has been fine ever since (granted I haven't checked it since AE has been dominated by farmers and exploiters).

Overall, I had a lot of fun making that arc, and even if it stopped functioning... I still had the fun while making it, which is the important part. For me, creation is far more enjoyable than being finished.

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I

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agree

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with

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this

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Really? PLing your post-count, a touch there, dug?

Not a

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This is my second SUPER CONSPIRACY THEORY in the same number of months.

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and probably your 200th pointless thread in the same time frame.

Gratz!

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Pointless threads are the best threads.

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Agreed!!

Kinda like the one that has de-evolved into a forum game in the Technical Issues and

In my opinion, having an all Boss enemy group IS an exploit. There is no Dev-created group that conforms to that formula, and therefore there is no "natural" encounter that will resemble that situation.

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<ul type="square">[*]Pistol Defense[*]Dual Archery[*]Cheese Melee/Cheese Armor[*]Elephant Juggling (Back Alley Brawler already promised this one!)[*]Penguins for Masterminds[*]Mad Science for Masterminds (there was an EXCELLENT proposal write up for this in Suggestions)[*]Clowns for Masterminds[*]Masterminds for Masterminds[*]Severed Limb Melee/Torso Armor[*]Bazooka Melee[*]New Giant Monster: TROGDOR![/list]
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OMG was that proposal for a Mad Science Mastermind set good. I /sign that so hard, that well, I will forgoe the simile.

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how has 'i16:going rouge' not been mentioned? it's the obvious choice on this one, and the one i'll be sticking with

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It was... on Posi's Twitter page linked to up-thread.

I really do hope they create Villain Epics and Hero Patrons (Sister Psyche, Positron, BaBs and Synapse/Manticore??).

Indeed, so good to have

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The Dentist

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I especially like this one. Dr. Mindbender was always one of my favorite action figures for some reason.

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I think after 5+ years of non stop play, we should get a vet power than can auto lvl a character by 10 lvls, to be used at any time. I mean really...after 5+ years I think we earned that.

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I disagree.
One of the nicest things about this game is that there are Vets playing low level characters around to help those who are playing the game for the first time. If this is put in, than you will effectively kill that angle.

Meh, it happens.

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Here is one that someone else posted ...
Taipan Commander

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That one ain't half bad either.

Thanks all for the ideas... I think I have some messing around to do so that I can get these to be less than Cloned Cobras.

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Cobra Commander.

Found it in my buddy's photobucket a while back.

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Wow, that is extremely close to the Helmeted look. I guess I had no idea just how close one could get.
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This is my "hooded" version of Arachnos Commander (who was very loosely based on Cobra Commander.)

Hooded Commander

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And that one is pretty durn spot on too.

Sorry that you're heading out, twas nice to meet you that night! Hope to cya around, and I think coaly-ing would be great.
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On a completely seperate note, I just created a base for us to use. Please send me an in game e-mail or PM with any suggestions. Currently we have 4 porters (2 of which work) and 4 destinations (Pocket D, Steel, Sky and Talos). We have an invention table and a slavage rack (though I think I forgot to change the permissions on it ).

Frustrating? Definately... Death worthy? Ummm, isn't that a bit much?