newchemicals

Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha

So, I noticed something odd yesterday. I put it down to being level 1...but the wierdness continued even at level 2.

Here are excerpts from todays tested combat logs;



Now, what's so unusual about that?

Those are done in order. Level 1 through to level 3 minions. No outside influences, never before been touched by NPCs or Players.

The level 1s give more than the level 3s.

They give more than level 4s, too. They only give 14 exp and 10 inf.
They only start making sense again at level 5, where you get 22 exp and 15 inf.

So, what the heck is going on here?

(All testing done with a level 2 Enrg/Time Corr)

Originally Posted by newchemicals

This webpage isn't working.

http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/index.php#

The old links such as "community" "news" etc don't work. Most notably, there would be no way for a new player to get into forums unless they had a direct link to them. I've been having to go into forums directly.

Originally Posted by ChrisMoses

Over the past week, I've noticed what I can envision will be an increasing problem: Noncompatible gaming experiences between VIP and Premium/Free players.

Some examples:

• My friend's two accounts (he forgot the password to his original and made the second one at one point) reactivated last week. We celebrated by planning to do an Incarnate Trial, as he had quit during Alpha Strike and wanted to revisit the system now that he was able. However, as I found out by asking the forums throughout the day, he wasn't able, so that plan was shot.
  
  So, instead we rolled up new alts, with the intention being that I'd show him the new Sewer Trial. We get there and I have him check if he can access the LFG tab correctly. He said there was an error about "no available trials," or something, so I assume that Premium players can't use the LFG tab for non-Incarnate content as well (but I need some clarification on this, as I've heard otherwise since). We ended up just playing through the 1-5 content; he was unimpressed, as it's only slightly different from what he's already seen, and he hasn't logged back on since.
  
• I formed a team in Cap doing some missions. It took about 10 minutes to get three people to join (because the Rogue Isles are dead on my server (Infinity)). After a few missions, I propose doing the Signature Story Arc. Everyone agrees, I try to begin it... No dice. Someone asks if there is a Rogue on the team, but I know from experience that Alignment isn't a factor, having done it as a Vigilante already. So I deduce that perhaps someone was Premium or Free, ask as much, to which a level 25 Corruptor said they had just come back to the game. So there's our flaw, and I recognize it and am typing to propose that we just do some papers in St. Martial when he apologizes for being free and quits the team. I felt bad, because from his perspective, I basically forced him off the team because he didn't pay $15/month.
  
• A player is forming up some Incarnate Trials in RWZ. I join the team, and he's talking about how excited he is, because it will be his first time doing any incarnate stuff aside from Alpha (which is just the normal TFs). We all offer friendly advice and pointers while he attempts to scrounge together a League (slightly off-peak time on the server). When we decide to start a Lambda with only 10, he asks where to begin it, to which point we explain the LFG Queue and he says that isn't available to him, and then we discover that he's a free player. So he did all of the work of forming the team, then just had to quit unceremoniously.

I knew there would be adjustments with this gameplay model, hence why the Exalted server was born - VIPs who didn't want to deal with free player restrictions.

However, I think a few things could be done that could make many of these false-starts more avoidable:

• Color-coded players to differentiate VIP, Free, and Premium - I mean within the name/UI, similar to the system used for "Help Me!" and "Helper" currently. In fact, perhaps all Free Players could be permenantly set to Help Me (and the color) by default. VIPs could become the Helper color, and a third could be added for Premiums.
  Pros: Know everyone's gameplay capabilities and limitations just by looking rather than needing trial and error falsestarts or an extensive interview before deciding what the team will do.
  Cons: Odd color-coded segregation fears make me uncomfortable. :/
  
• Make the Tiered/Chart of VIP vs. Premium vs. Free a default in-game Pop-Up - As is, I think only frequent Forum-goers fully understand the capabilities of each playtype, because it isn't made available in-game.
  Pros: KNOWLEDGE!
  Cons: Ya just know that everyone will automatically click it closed after seeing it once.
  
• Better/Updated Mission Description Text that explains what the problem is - If Alastor had said immediately, "Not all players can participate in this content because not all players are VIPs," it would have shaved off a few seconds in my SSA experience enumerated above.

I think that's all I've got for now. What are your thoughts? Agree? Disagree? Have other suggestions or experiences that show that some changes should be implemented?

Originally Posted by JKPhage

Gotta say, I have to agree with everyone else, this is absolutely horrible pricing. The costume powers are fun to play with, hell, I have a shapeshifter character who'd love to have access to all of them so he could have his ten costume slots and THEN all the NPC morphs, but for 600 a pop on sale, sorry but you're not getting a red cent. The currently offered NPC costumes are for the blocky, low-res, ugly old NPC sets. The decent/fun looking stuff like the Rikti costume, Meat Doctor, Ring Mistress, Victoria and all the convention exclusives aren't even offered. I'd pay 400-600 for a couple of THOSE. The rest of these little cosmetic powers need to be priced at 100-200 points each if you ever wanna sell them in meaningful numbers.

Gonna have to say sorta the same thing about the storage expansions. The cost needs to be roughly halved (or at least put on deep discount for a week) before I'll consider buying them. Global or not, you guys really need to look at what you're offering and realize that we're not dumb enough to give you ten bucks to look like an ugly ghost pirate.

Originally Posted by FalconX_NA

A friend of mine just came back to the game after it went free and isn't allowed to use the incarnate system after he bought Going Rogue. Correct me if I'm wrong but the Incarnate system was included with Going Rogue, in fact before going F2P, new players HAD to buy Going Rogue to use the Incarnate system. So tell me how is it fair that someone who spent their own money on a service gets that service taken from them just because they aren't paying the 16$ a month. This is clearly just a way to get more money,someone who paid for a service shouldn't be denied .Premium players might as well start a new account, they really aren't gaining much of anything by coming back...

Originally Posted by MrQuizzles

It's me.* I'm back.* Thought you should know.*

So tell me: Did they touch Dark Miasma? Did they touch Rad Blast? Did they touch any of my babies while I was away?

Besides incarnate powers, about which I have read, what has changed with defenders since issue 16? Are Corruptors still better?










*If you remember me, that is.

Originally Posted by Rebel_Scum

I like this idea, but I'm not a fan of being in melee with no defenses - mez protection, specifically. So what I'd suggest is instead of the assault sets as the primary, make a new set (Not sure what they'd call it) that has some melee attacks and some defensive powers. Both less effective than that of scrappers, say half the defensive numbers scrappers get and only slightly more than tanker melee damage base.

Originally Posted by je_saist

btw, since I didn't see it mentioned, the crashes with AMD cards was addressed on the most recent Ustream: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/16990024

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showp...47&postcount=1



As a note, this still does not change the need for players here to post information to AMD.

Specifically, there is still only one other reply to the thread on the AMD forums: http://forums.amd.com/devforum/messa...&enterthread=y

Please, you need to go post your hardware information and crash data to AMD on the AMD forums.

I cannot be the only person on AMD's forums about this problem.

Originally Posted by Arcanaville

The game mechanics direct critters to line up like bowling pins, only closer, and be killed by throwing a quarter at them and watching it bounce between their foreheads until they fall down. People say that's what's good about this game: that you can vaporize tons of foes simultaneously and that's part of what makes the players feel mighty. But seeing what its done to City of Heroes, and in particular what its done to both AoE and knockback - and I'm talking about the attitudes towards both, not the actual effects - I hope this is an object lesson out there that ensures that no MMO dev team, anywhere, for all time, ever makes the same mistake again.

There are some things you simply cannot give players, because when they take it and run with it they'll run face first into a tree. One of those things is the impression that massed kills is a player right.

Knockback wouldn't be as much of a problem if the critters didn't present stupidly grouped targets for AoE, or contrawise they had reinforcing buffs just like players that made them far more powerful and dangerous when you *let* them remain stupidly grouped together. The big problem with knockback really is that many players would rather the critters not move at all from the instant they are spawned, so all movement short of being taunted into a pile is considered bad.

The mechanics of knockback only make it more difficult to make knockback have pros and cons, like immobilize has pros and cons, because of its extremely quirky nature when it comes to how it interacts with resistance and protection.

Originally Posted by cybermitheral

Saying KB IS BAD is just like saying a Tank without Taunt is bad cause they cant grab agro at range. When used properly BOTH are fine.
If someone is KBing foes in a bad way (TOWARDS other mobs, scattering a group) all the time then TELL THE PERSON!!!! Ask them to change their tactics and explain why.
Dont just be a jerk and get the 5H175 and get upset.

Originally Posted by hemmingway3

Fix PvP.


Thanks.

Originally Posted by Socorro

People always say 'Search' before making a new topic, then they often say 'oooo Necrothread' when you do search and find a topic related to what you what you want to post...

There's an idiom that goes with that...

Anyway, since I've brought my PB out of retirement ready for I21, the KB dilemma has reared it's head for me again. While doing trials this weekend, anti-KB comments were made. Now, I know fully well how to control my KB, so there's no need for any 'learn to use it' suggestions. And like some here, I actually kinda like KB; bodies flying suggest power!

That said, the same tired issues come up. When teaming, I have to control KB by positioning, positioning takes times away from, you know, actually using your powers, so kill time is lessened. Even when Solo I have to control it, because one power's KB makes other AoE powers less useful due to scattered mobs.

These points have been argued ad nauseum, and quite a few say these attributes are not detriments or limiting factors, but are actually postives that you just have to learn to use. However, some recents posts in the Beta forums (esp in the Kheldian Surprise thread) adds some more insight to the argument.

It seems that Arbiter Hawk (the dev responsible for the latest Kheld changes) believes that KB must be kept in a Kheld's powers because, REMOVING KB would make a Kheld TOO POWERFUL. KB is not kept because a Kheld needs it as mitigation; it's kepts because it's needed as a LIMITING factor so that a Kheld's AoE potential won't be overpowering compared to other sets (Super Strength was the example given).

What I read is, straight from the Horse's mouth, is Knockback is viewed as purposeful negative hindrance, as a tool to reel back a toon's power.

How the Devs see no-KB as overpowering for a Kheld is beyond me, but that another argument. What I'm asking is that if the Devs themselve see KB as a limitation to a power, how do you pro-KBers keep suggesting it's not?

Originally Posted by Redlynne

Fixed it for you.

Kind of ironic that an entire AT which is designed around the notion of "team play" is purposefully designed to deliver MAXIMUM AGGRAVATION to Team Players. It's almost as if the design intent *is* to be Self Defeating.



"Once again, I knockBACK a worthless object." - PB Goemon

Originally Posted by Virfortis

Working off of Snow Globe's post ( http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=269185 ) I've realized something: They're not going to win many subs like this.

Hold the pitchforks and hear me out. One of the big things that brings a free player to the market is just that, freedom. The number of restrictions turns the entire "Yay it's free!" argument into false advertising at its best.

Guys, what were you thinking? Why even change it if you're not going to let free players actually PLAY? What is going on up there in the PR department? Has anyone working on this idea ever PLAYED a free game?

"• No Super Groups
• Cannot use Invention Origin enhancements
• Limited Chat Channels (No access to: tell, broadcast, global and request)
• No Mission Architect
• no salvage, no recipes
• No Trading
• Influence Cap (25,000,000)"

That might not mean much to someone that has already been paying for years, but as someone who looks at free games a lot, these are entire deal breakers.

The Super Groups I can come half way with, free players shouldn't be allowed to make them or be officers I get that (believe me, I do understand FULLY, given lots of SG names are bad enough as is), but to not even be allowed to join them cuts well nigh all the social aspect out of an MMO. (which is a big deal, especially in such a RP ripe environment) Why should I, as a free player, play this and be alone versus another well known superhero game and be with friends in a group? Suddenly, you lose more than most of the interest.

Broadcast has never been a problem, but no access to tell? Blizzard has chat restrictions and they STILL get gold spam (I speak from experience) so don't even try to say it's to cut down on it. Again, I would also like to point out, I can get a superhero game elsewhere and not have this problem.

No salvage, no recipies, an anti-farming tactic perhaps, but to cut out loot entirely? That's a major issue, and it means free players cannot gain any funds. No funds = no enhancements = always dying = no fun = uninstall day one.

No Trading, I don't even need to go here, again, it didn't help Blizzard or Jagex, why would it help here? The influence cap I can sort of get along with, but why not just come out and admit that a free player is never likely to hit one mill, much less 25?

I get that you want new accounts and players to get interested, while keeping the VIPs happy and that's fine, but this is going to do more harm than good. I can honestly say that I could go find a game with far less restrictions without any problems, so why bomb right out of the gate?

CoH is MUCH better than this demo (it's not even free, it's just a demo) will ever let on or imply, so why waste a players time? There's not even any publicity about this anymore, once the restrictions showed up. I kid you not, as soon as the list was read out loud, the hype for this game on various free sites (unsure about link rules) died in minutes. This tiered system isn't going to do anyone any favors, especially your stakeholders.

Release it now, because I know it's too late to change, but think about just how closed off a free player is going to be when friends won't be able to talk to each other, or do a mission because they can't afford enhancements. There might as well be a level 20 cap like another popular MMO recently gone "free to play." They're not peasant people, don't treat them as such.

If you want a great model, look at Perfect World International's costume/mount system, then come back and take a good look at your model, it crumbles.

Make the points trade-able on a silent auction (just like now) for Influence, THEN make the premium costumes a license that goes in salvage and can be redeemed at the Tailor for the piece. Now you have people paying not only for the costume pieces for themselves, but buying one or two EXTRA to sell on the free-market. Just like that, you've tripled your money easily. Turn just about everything from the store into these license and watch the money pile up. What should be closed off? I would guess the new travel powers, emotes, make someone pay to get those instead of making them trade-able if you REALLY want to have a sense of superiority.

I'm able to answer any problems that could possibly arise from this system. Before you say gold farming though, think about the fact that using this system, they're practically selling influence. Someone won't buy Influence illegally when they can just buy items and sell them off the Wentworth's. So go ahead, show me why this wouldn't work.

Originally Posted by Neuronia

I hardly ever use Praetoria anymore as it blocks me from getting two Mayhem missions.

Nice shiny content though.