Incarnate system avail to all, or just Going Rogue owners?

Originally Posted by Dispari I don't know why Dink thinks she's not as sexy as Jay was. In 5 posts she's already upstaged his entire career.

It mentions it there in a few places, but on the official site in the Issue 19 and 20 overview and patch notes, there is only 1 place that has the " *Requires CoH: Going Rogue to access" footnote.

Since it mentioned that for some things, but not everything, I thought there was some of the content available to everyone including existing (i.e. no expansion) players such as the Incarnate system and trials, and the rest (like new ATs, powers, costumes, and new zones/missions) restricted to those that did get the GR expansion.

I didn't think they would completely exclude their entire player base from the new level 50 end-game content. That's why I was confused and asked for the clarification.

bzzzt. incorrect.

The Incarnate system was never part of Going Rogue.

The Incarnate System was planned as ongoing result of Going Rogue. However, the development of the Incarnate System started well after the Going Rogue development Cycle. As best as the players can track, the Incarnate System entered a production cycle sometime in early 2010, around the period point when Going Rogue was originally supposed to be entering Beta Status as reported at West Coast Hero-Con 2009.

The actual announcement of a new end-game system was not revealed until after Matt Miller stepped down from the Lead Designer position as reported in Janurary 2010: http://www.guildportal.com/Guild.asp...8785795&Page=1

So... Going Rogue... originally revealed in March 2009 by an email release: http://www.warcry.com/news/view/9165...nsion-Revealed

End-Game content... revealed in January 2010 by an official press-announcement.

How in the world you get Incarnate System was always part of Going Rogue out of two distinct separate production dates is a pretty big question.

Now, where I think you are getting confused at is exactly what happened when Going Rogue kept getting delayed from it's un-official spring launch, to it's announced June launch, then to it's final August Launch.

The Going Rogue retail product took so long to complete that the Incarnate Asset production team had time to complete the technical implementation of the Alpha Slot, as well as put that technical implementation through alpha-testing. Development of Going Rogue was further delayed, presumably on authorization from NCSoft to expand the scope of Going Rogue given the abysmal failure of a competitors product. The Alpha-Slot implementation reached a state where it was viable for a player-release. Hence the posts that an Incarnate preview was to be included with Going Rogue. Key word there: PREVIEW

However, as that planned launch date in August approached, it became clear that Going Rogue was not going to make the launch date. In order to complete on time the developers assigned to work on the Incarnate System and End-Game content where re-merged back into production of the retail client product. This halted the implementation of the Alpha-Slot as there simply were no time or resources to do finalize and QA both the Retail box release of Going Rogue and the Alpha-Slot.

The halt in the Alpha-Slot and Incarnate production cycle gave the developers some time to revamp the concepts of obtaining the alpha-slot, concepts that have continued to be revamped with the current Incarnate Trials. E.G. the Alpha Slot can now be unlocked through participating in Trials rather than having to complete the Mender Remial story arc.

Anyways, Matt Miller himself took to the forums to explain that the Alpha-Slot Sneak Peek was being pulled from launching alongside Going Rogue: http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=229365

Now, yes, the Incarnate System was created with Going Rogue in mind, and the developers did make an intentional decision to make the Incarnate content only available to purchasers of the expansion. However, the implementation of the end-game system was only determined after players had already been informed about what Going Rogue would contain... in March 2010: http://goingrogue.na.cityofheroes.com/en/2010/03/

bzzzt. incorrect.

The Incarnate system was part of Going Rogue.

While only the Alpha slot was intended to be included with Going Rogue at release date and subsequently pushed back, the Incarnate system has always been advertised as part of Going Rogue. It doesn't matter if you bought GR on day one of the prepurchase and receive the Incarnate system as it's doled out, or wait for it to be "finished" and buy GR so that you get it all at once, the Incarnate system is, always has been, and always will be part of Going Rogue.

Consider the incarnate system as a "level cap increase" (I know it isn't but for the sake of my point just go with it) that comes with a new expansion (going rogue). People who don't buy the expansion cannot go beyond the previous level cap.

While the incarnate system may not be a level cap raise it IS a new form of advancement beyond 50 and Paragon Studios is a business and like all businesses it must generate revenue. The Going Rogue xpac is a revenue generator and one of the incentives to buy it is the new incarnate system.

I hope that explains why they would "completely exclude their entire player base from the new level 50 end-game content." That content is a feature in an xpac designed to generate revenue. If you want to partake in that content you'll have purchase Going Rogue.

Also consider this... paid xpacs for CoH are few and far between with alot of free issues added in the interim. It's not outlandish to expect that some features... especially highly desirable features (much like the extra costume pieces and inherent powers from buying the various boosters from the ncsoft store) are relegated to paid for content.