UnicyclePeon

[ QUOTE ]
The trick is keeping it in line for controllers, which would mean making it immune to containment, and possibly the ability to buff it with damage completely.

[/ QUOTE ]

Controller secondaries don't usually get containment, as far as I can tell. Then again I mainly play /Storm, so I cant be sure there aren't significant exceptions somewhere.

As for preventing any new damage from being increasable for controllers, that seems like sour grapes. Force Field controllers are already far and away the least damage-based and least effective controllers that exist (MagicJ's uber AV-killing Mind/FF Wartroller not withstanding). FF controllers already suffer from the same issue FF defenders do, in that they cant augment or provide damage. Even the high damage pet sets dont make /FF controllers anything but slow, slow SLOW. So throwing them a bone isnt going to change the world.

Lewis

I think Fairy Tale followed by DeeJay. I would pick Comrade only there is too much red somehow, or maybe the armor pieces you picked look weird when they arent two-tone (Justice is bad about that to me).

All,

I was hoping to see a thread about Jester and Enforcer screenies. Yes, there is one on the test forum, but now that the game has gone live, I was hoping we'd have a new thread in the official screenshot forum.

I guess I'll kick one off. Alternately, a moderator could delete this and move the old test thread to this forum. Basically, this *should* be the correct forum for it now that its live.

http://www.lwb.org/compgeek/coh/img/wildmagic02.jpg

http://www.lwb.org/compgeek/coh/img/fashion01.jpg
http://www.lwb.org/compgeek/coh/img/fashion02.jpg
http://www.lwb.org/compgeek/coh/img/fashion03.jpg

Lewis

I requested a day off as well. I hope my Boss says yes.

Lewis

I'm cool with that. I'm actually not concerned that people will eventually incorporate IO stuff in the guides. I'm more concerned that they will abandon "normal" enhancement slottings in their assumptions. So, for now, its all good.

Lewis

All,

I hope this post wont get lost in the shuffle but I wanted to make a request.

Now that Issue 9 is here, the Inventions system changes a lot about the effectiveness of characters, power choices, slotting in powers, etc. For example, many players who never used Snipes may take them now due to the Snipe set powers, or characters may slot for knockback protection with some of the IOs that go in health etc.

My request is that as everyone makes new guides and updates their old ones, can you please take care to discuss builds with IOs and without IOs.

The developers have said IOs wont be needed, and thats great. Many players will take that to heart as well, and some will simply delay delving into IOs until later. I would like to see sections in guides that have a "normal" build without reliance on IOs. If they also have an IO-based section, great. That would be perfect. My primary concern is that all the new guides and updated guides will only make assumptions on power picks and slotting based on the best IOs. Even just assuming slotting based on the simple recipes (level 50 Accuracy IO for example) would be unfortunate.

Please include build choices and comments for each approach.

Thanks,

Lewis

[ QUOTE ]
Wow dude! I spent the better part of an hour just reading it!
Incredibly informative, i can truely grasp the power of Inventions now lol I'm not sure ill ever craft a character to this exquisite awesomness.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good grief. I'm sure that is an amazing analysis but if this is the kind of understanding and analysis and comparison effort I'm going to have to do to make use of the IO system, to be anything than just another random d*****s who slots IO stuff just because it drops, then I just dont want to bother. Thats crazy. I'm sticking to SOs. Maybe in a year or two it will seep into my brain somehow.

Thanks for the posts, Scrapulous, I do appreciate it, and I know others will too. This IO stuff is just too much for me.

Lewis

Sam,

[ QUOTE ]
Then I really don't think that quest is anything more than thinly-veiled hunting anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

Isn't this the same reason you are planning to avoid the I9 stuff?

Lewis

[ QUOTE ]
I have to say that the change to make people put more than 3-4 slots in things to get full set-bonuses is kinda irritating.

[/ QUOTE ]

I basically agree, but looking at the numbers, it seems like you can still continue to do that and operate within the same realm of success as people who use the system. Oh I'm sure there will be some uber combos but I'm personally planning on continuing to use the current simple approach. That will let me avoid grinding, it will let me play naturally, and possibly make some extra cash. Over time, if the new system becomes a little less obfuscated, I can dip into the pool gradually.

Lewis

I would also request a brief glossary, too. For example, in some of your slotting, you had health 94% or so and regeneration 12%. I get easily confused by terms. How does regeneration relate to "health" and "recovery"? Probably a stupid question, but I found myself wanting a term list. Max HP was obvious for me, but maybe not for someone else. I guess I felt the write-up was interesting, but I still feel like without a glossary there could be a "layman gap".

Also, maybe a table format of some type would be nice for comparisons of all slottings of 3 vs 6 at a glance would be nice. I guess I'm a bit easily confused but when I looked at the numbers I still thought "So?".

If I could see a table with all of the bonuses for 1 slotted health (33% heal, 0% recgen 0% rec, 0% max hp) next to 6 slotted with all the crazy grind uniques (95.5%, 12% regen, 2.5% rec, 1.88% max hp) in some kind of simple table, that'd be nice. Of course the forums might not support it. But it would make it simpler for me to make the determination on "gee those 5 extra slots look totally worth it" or "that isnt worth the hassle".

Right now, even with the simplification and examples, I'm leaning towards not even worrying with the system because even your simple illustration makes me shy away from the whole system. I can kinda get the whole "2 max IOs is almost as good as 3 SOs" but beyond that I'm not sure I'm following the benefits, really.

Maybe a glossary and side-by-side numbers would help? Or maybe I just stink.

Lewis

[ QUOTE ]
Most honest post in this thread.

But see, these overkill teams are the one and only thing that goes away. And a WHOLE LOT of new fun gets created at the same time.

[/ QUOTE ]

I cant really judge clearly. Most of the things others have said will be more fun under such a change, well, arent my idea of fun.

Also, keep in mind that the desire to form uber crushing teams will never go away. I know that I'm just going to be looking for the next big crush scenario, so that I can get back to experiencing the giddy glee of total destruction. They took that away from so many scenarios, but I keep finding other fun ways to do it, and apparently so do others (Green Machine, Repeat Offenders, etc).

If the idea is that the suggested changes will make an individual (or "first in") buffer / debuffer more effective, since the next one can be scaled down, such that the 3rd one isnt extraneous (as if that is even possible to an overkill crusher like me) then wont this just have some negative consequences for teams?

Specifically, right now, 1 of something is good. 2 of something is amazing. 3 of anything is uber to the point of the 3rd person being either not needed or to the point of the encounter being total overkill on the hardest stuff. However as someone who wants to get the most crushingly effective team possible, I'm not inviting the second person of the same effect type to my team, more than likely. I'm certainly not inviting the third! No, I'm going to go crazy overkill in width, not depth, in your new scenario. I have a force fielder. No more allowed, we have enough +Defense. OK, well, I'll take an Empathy Controller because the second line of defense from Fortitude isnt totally pointless and we could use some more mitigation, because the stacking has been nerfed, so lets get some helples floppage going from the empath's controller primary. Then bring me someone who can buff damage resist. Now give me someone who can debuff, something like say Rad. Now pile on some damage.

The second and subsequent force fielders or rad defenders or sonic bubblers arent welcome except as a last resort because, since they increased the effect of just one layer of buffs, I want to get as many DIFFERENT TYPES of leverage / magnification as possible. No more than one of each, so that we can crush all.

Now, I'm not saying I will be rude about it to the point of kicking people or refusing to team with people. Despite the power gamer streak in me, I *try* to team with "whoever". However, when choosing between 2 different whoevers, the powergamer in me is going to want to reject all duplicates and get a totally different type, so I can get the largest insane overkill possible. So when I have multiple invite options, that second bubbler may get a "no" because he wont contribute enough to the min-maxed overkill. "We have that already."

How is that an improvement on the current situation of the 3rd bubbler being either pointless or overkill? Seems to me there is some risk of creating a new kind of exclusionary min-max team, with even less redundancy being desired. One only has to look at the history of dumpster diving, smoke grenade blasting, 8 man defendering/controllering teams and think about human nature to see some serious risk in such a change.

I admit its total speculation on my part, in terms of such min/maxing catching on with power gamers at large, but I know it would be a temptation for me.

Lewis

[ QUOTE ]
2. They can't make well-balanced high-end teamed content, that doesn't involve totally negating highly stacked protections, because highly stacked protections are extreme enough to trivialize high end content.

[/ QUOTE ]

But I *want* to be able to go crazy, get 8 buffers and/or debuffers, and trivialize all content, when possible. One of the biggest joys I get from the game is happening to get on a team that can streamroll anything because of insane stacking.

Will the changes take away my overkill? Dont take away my overkill. Mikey likes it.

Lewis

[ QUOTE ]
It's not. It's a way to correct the current problems around stacking buffs/debuffs.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm tired of the 3-year beta. Just figure out the lowest amount of effect a power would ever have in their today-endorsed scaling scenario (i.e. the value they are OK with when applied to the max) and just have that be the same number you get all the time. The math and the constant adjustments are just irritating. I want the powers to work the same in all scenarios so I know what I'm getting. If you have to set the value to the smallest ... then fine.

Lewis
/head hurts

[ QUOTE ]
Yes, they should. In fact, adding diminishing returns to buffs and debuffs of all sorts would allow us to alter many, many problematic powers. In all likelyhood, though, it will not happen. The change would simply be too fundmental and require a great deal of work on our part.

[/ QUOTE ]

Please, ghod, no.
/mad rush to finish and retire all buff/debuff characters

As per the OPs request (from another thread), I'm posting my build here. Others can post theirs too. That way we can have an archive of builds for comparing notes or looking at the different ways people approach the set. Here is my build. I am thinking about a respec/change but for now this is my plan.

+---------------------------------------------
+ Built with SuckerPunch's Online Planner
+ http://www.cohplanner.com
+---------------------------------------------
Name: N/A
Level: 50
Archetype: Defender
Primary: Dark Miasma
Secondary: Electrical Blast
+---------------------------------------------
01 => Charged Bolts ==> Acc(1),Dam(3),Dam(7),Dam(23),EndCost(27)
01 => Tar Patch ==> Rech(1),Rech(11),Rech(11)
02 => Lightning Bolt ==> Acc(2),Dam(3),Dam(7),Dam(23),EndCost(25)
04 => Ball Lightning ==> Acc(4),Dam(5),Dam(5),Dam(19),EndCost(25),Rech(37)
06 => Darkest Night ==> EndCost(6),ToHitDeBuff(17),ToHitDeBuff(17),ToHitDe Buff(19)
08 => Twilight Grasp ==> Acc(8),Acc(9),Heal(9),Heal(15),Heal(34),Rech(40)
10 => Combat Jumping ==> EndCost(10)
12 => Fearsome Stare ==> Acc(12),Acc(13),Acc(13),Fear(15),Fear(27),Rech(31)
14 => Super Jump ==> Jump(14)
16 => Swift ==> RunSpd(16)
18 => Hurdle ==> Jump(18)
20 => Stamina ==> EndMod(20),EndMod(21),EndMod(21)
22 => Shadow Fall ==> EndCost(22),EndCost(50)
24 => Aim ==> Rech(24),Rech(43),Rech(46)
26 => Acrobatics ==> EndCost(26)
28 => Short Circuit ==> Acc(28),Dam(29),Dam(29),Dam(31),EndCost(31),Rech(3 7)
30 => Tesla Cage ==> Acc(30),Acc(45),Hold(45),Hold(45),Hold(46),Rech(46 )
32 => Dark Servant ==> Acc(32),Acc(33),Heal(33),ToHitDeBuff(33),ToHitDeBu ff(34),ToHitDeBuff(34)
35 => Voltaic Sentinel ==> Acc(35),Dam(36),Dam(36),Dam(36),EndCost(37)
38 => Thunderous Blast ==> Acc(38),Dam(39),Dam(39),Dam(39),Rech(40),Rech(40)
41 => Thunder Strike ==> Acc(41),Dam(42),Dam(42),Dam(42),EndCost(43),Rech(4 3)
44 => Electric Fence ==> Acc(44)
47 => Power Sink ==> EndMod(47),EndMod(48),EndMod(48),Rech(48),Rech(50) ,Rech(50)
49 => Recall Friend ==> Rech(49)
+---------------------------------------------
01 => Sprint ==> Empty(1)
01 => Brawl ==> Empty(1)
02 => Rest ==> Empty(1)


Lewis

[ QUOTE ]
It's like I said, we are looking into other options that keeps the mechanic of the four pool system. Our intention is to not make people feel "gimped" for previously completing all their story arcs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Cool. I was worried it would simply be a retroactive reward for existing souveniers. That would eliminate me because, honestly, I find most stories boring so I skip the arcs. I dont stand around and get powerlevelled either. I used to street sweep and now I do newspaper missions.

But from what you say, its best of both worlds. For people, like me, who outlevel and deliberately skip Story Arcs because they are boring, maybe we will have an alternative too.

Now, GOING FORWARD, I'll probably do whatever story arcs I can because, even though they bore me, now I know I'll get something for it.

Lewis

[ QUOTE ]
Eh? What's wrong with consume?

[/ QUOTE ]

Perhaps it recharges a bit slowly? Castle probably hasnt got round to it because I've been hammering them with my Imps + Oil Slick requests.

Lewis

[ QUOTE ]
He's well within his rights to lock or delete this thread.

[/ QUOTE ]

True. However, a thread with dissent, or even an alternate suggestion to a change backed up by numbers, often turns into a thread that could be locked. When changes are made and someone doesnt like it, it doesnt take long before the Abuse rule and the Respect Opinion rule come into play. Arguably, even the one about spamming to buff your own board count comes into play. A sub section of the Abuse rule defines trolling as posting in an attempt to bait them. Most posts from rants to well thought out disagreement very quickly get posts such as "Can I have your stuff" or "I want a pony" or "I like pie." .... these are deliberate attempts to bait people into a response, disrespecting people who are unsatisfied, or a blatant attempt to bump post counts for the purpose of getting a thread closed.

Still, you see these kinds of posts all the time.

I wish they'd add some language to the policy guidelines that makes it clear that it is inappropriate to derail and/or squash dissent threads (or any threads) by passive-aggressive baiting. Making posts with deliberate forum violations, in posts you dont like, in the hopes it will get the thread locked, should be dealt with the same as any other forum abuse.

For all I know, Team Lighthouse is already doing the right thing on this topic. I just wish that it would be spelled out in the forum policy OR else explicitly rejected, so we will know where we stand. I can only say I'm tired of people using the letter of the policy to call out people, and yet violate the spirit of the forum themselves by baiting.

Lewis

[ QUOTE ]
- It's a superhero game
- The combat engine
- The ability to solo when I want
- The costume creator hey that's on the list! I can stop here.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with this, except I'd also add "Powersets" in there, or split it out from Combat Engine. It is very strange that an official poll would leave out the best reasons to play the game: Genre, Combat Engine/Powersets, and Soloability. My #4 is also Costumes, so I voted for that.

In the results, it seems that many people like the storyline. I cant vote highly for that because, even though I've done most of the missions, I dunno, I hate wading through a bunch of clues as they happen, and I feel the fragments of any overall part are too inconvenient to see, if you dont already have a motivation to dig, dig, dig through stuff. I wisht there were an option to make clues a pop-up when you get them ... I'd be more inclined to read them. I dunno, the Storyline Presentation seems obfuscated to me.

Lewis

I was confused by the article. On the one hand, it was stated that the zone is open to anyone of all levels (and I believe I wandered into it on test). However another part of the article talked about travel powers and how you could go earlier than 14 previously, so you didnt have travel powers, so now the security clearance levels are 15-25.

So, is this zone open, or not? Or was the security clearance restriction simply a comment on the levels of foes, which would mean that most players adventuring there for real would have the minimum level needed for travel?

I found it a bit confusing.

Lewis

[ QUOTE ]
We(Cryptic) assumed a certain value to bases which clearly doesn’t match up with players’ perceptions. We assumed that customizability, some gameplay features, layout control, etc. would be considered worth X, but players think it’s X-Y. That means WE were wrong. No fickleness involved, just something we didn’t identify well.

But it shows human behavior (and this was the point of my talk): people LOVE individuality. They’re willing to express it. But they won’t consider (in game) it worth a lot of time/effort to create a space that’s customized for group identity. Clearly, people don’t mind group identity (hence, super group costumes) and they love their own personal costume creation.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think another problem is that influence gets soaked up as you adventure. You basically lose some, and you lose more (in terms of percentage) as you get higher in level. Plus you seem to have to pay rent or upkeep or you lose access to the base. That's a hassle. If I had to pay rent on costumes, I wouldnt have one. So, its not just a matter of "the cost is too much" ... which it is ... but its a matter of the type of cost is the wrong type. I might pay something crazy like 100,000 -200,000 influence (or whatever it is) to buy a teleporter. However, I sure dont want to bother with rent or upkeep or anything like that. I'd pay triple the price for something as long as once I bought it, I was done paying on it. I loathe rent. So, the cost CAN be high, it just cant be a hassle.

I think another weakness is that bases don't seem to be fully explained. Then again, I'm interface-challenged so I could have missed it. Also, I personally resent when an NPC sends me to Kings Row to talk to some other NPC about the Hollows or about PvP zones. I loathe that also. So, if the in-game explanation comes from one NPC sending you to zome other zone (or at this point, even 15 feet away, I'm so irritated at it) then I'm not reading it. I'm either dropping the mission or I'm closing the text as fast as possible.

So, maybe better in-game education about bases would help. Still, I resent rent and recurring fees. I'm just glad there isnt rent on costumes or enhancements ..... (*delete* x 35 characters, disable billing, buh-bye). Thankfully, I can ignore recurring in-game fees like bases and never touch them. I just hope recurring in-game costs dont creep into other aspects of the game.

I mean sure, some people like rent just fine, and dont mind the crazy prices and recurring rent and the hassles associated with bases. They seem to love it, all 20-30 of them. I think most of them are in the Carl and Sons SG too. But me? Man I cant stand rent. I also cant stand like feeling that I have to contribute a certain amount of influence or prestige to a SG because of rent, because I feel guilty. I want to be in a SG, but I dont want the guilt, and I wont contribute to rent.

Lewis

I agree with the OP. Super Speed and Fly are my favorites, but Super Speed is my very favorite travel power. It is just so zippy, it "feels" right. Fly is cool, Super Speed is the best.

In fact, Super Speed is my favorite overall power in the game, not just my favorite travel power.

Curse you, Suppression, curse you.

Lewis

Nice post. 5 stars. It is about time we had this post, too, in my opinion. YAY!

*****

Lewis

Awesome! I hope so!

I guess time will tell.

Thanks,

Lewis

[ QUOTE ]
True. Subscribed time would be a better term.

[/ QUOTE ]

To get totally paranoid and throw a wrench into this ....

Does Subscribed time include time your billing renewal was discontinued, even though you were paid up? I think I already asked this like a month ago but again I get paranoid.

What happened with me was, COV was coming out, I was jazzed, I paid for a year in full in advance on both of my accounts. THEN they announced ED. I tried it, hated it, deleted all my characters and quickly discontinued my billing cycle. I didnt ask for a refund, I just considered the money lost. I was still paid up the whole year.

So, my account was "closed" but I could still get the client, log in, and play (though I didnt for a very long stretch of that year). HOWEVER, I was considered an unsubscribe customer, at least by the forums. Since I had cancelled my billing renewal but was still paid up, I couldnt post on the forums, but I could play the game (but generally didnt).

Then right before my accounts were to expire I renewed my billing ... I got back into the game. Even then, I had to contact customer support to get them to lift my inability to post.

So, I'm asking .... if my account was "closed" from the perspective that I had discontinued my billing renewal, BUT I was still paid up, does that time count for me?

Now, according to my Game Account details, my main account shows that I've paid for 3 years, 0 months on one account and 2 years 0 months on the other (and the second account I didnt get until a year later). So everything LOOKS fine .... but I know that is simply paid time, which is not really the same as subscribed time.

And yes I did read the whole thread.

Thanks,

Lewis