Prestige costs...

As much as I love that we are all free to express ourselves in base building without cost or unlocks, I feel like having all costs disabled takes something out of the game. When my characters were all 50 and blinged out and had their badges... I still could progress by farming prestige to add to my base, or work towards the (huge) amount of effort required to unlock the larger place-able objects. With those costs gone there a certain sense of progression and worth missing from post-endgame and base building, in my own very humble opinion.

Any thoughts?

Can't agree.  This is much more fun.  Especially pleased with the lack of rigmaole involved in getting alts into the base without having to ask for help under Atlas.  Can't add prestige costs without also removing that.  The power of base ownership is still limited by storage caps, so beyond that they're just an outlet for creativity, and creativity is what makes the game great.

Sorry... but hard no.

Those of us with very small, mostly casual or solo SGs *never* got to build this way when Prestige was a thing, even if we farmed our proverbial butts off, and we'd be right back in that situation if it came back.

While I agree with the OP- to a point; I miss a certain sense of achievement for finally earning enough inf to buy some specific widget- I also can't say I'd be happy to going back to having to grind like for every single desk and wall deco.  And the old system seriously penalized smaller SGs/VGs when it came to making a base with even the merest functionality.

There's very little you can put in a base that gives you any significant in-game advantage. With the exception of storage, which isn't available outside of bases, the main advantage of bases is simple convenience. And the vast majority of base items are purely cosmetic, anyway. So there's no real mechanical reason to limit base building to "big, active" SGs. The old prestige system really accomplished nothing but to stifle creativity (and indirectly foster a mentality that SG bases ought to be small and sparse).

The removal of prestige costs has allowed people to start creating bases that actually reflect their characters' and groups' personalities and stories, rather than just their activity levels.

No thank you.  What we have here is infinitely better.  People who did not want to join massive, impersonal supergroups just to enjoy all of what bases and base building had to offer are now free to build on their own.

If you have too much inf to spare, hold some CCs or just donate some to random players.

I'm kind of torn on this.  I like that my daughters and I can have a private supergroup with all of the amenities, but I miss having prestige at all.

Maybe have prestige costs for expanding base size?  Maybe have SGs start with enough prestige to buy 2 small rooms and then you have to farm prestige if you want to build more rooms?

No cost for decorative items, 1 teleporter, 1-2 NPCs, 1 rez station, storage units, work tables, etc?

That way building Mega Bases is an accomplishment that only big Supergroups can do, but those of us that want small vanity supergroups can still do it.

I didn't really know what "base building" really was until about a week ago or so. I'd be a bit disappointed if we had to pay prestige now, but I now know I would put INFL into prestige more so than unique ENHs or trying to build up alts. I didn't know any better during Live when I was made a member of a SG. I'd never seen any other super base before, but I remember going in the firt time and feeling I just walked into the Justice League and I was just made a junior member/prospect.

Looking back, it was a decrepit spartan 4 rooms all interconnected into a square-circle. We had 3 telepads, a couple of invention stations, and I think 3 or 4 racks of salvage, and very little else. Our leader/base builder admitted he really didn't know what he was doing exactly, and that there was a lot you could do, but he didn't want to waste prestige as he didn't know if we'd be able to continue to pay upkeep each mo. (like me in my first apartment!)

Flashback even further time: I remember teaming with these "incarnate guys" who were team friends of the leader and other SG members that would invite me on missions in Architect missions. And these guys were so AWESOME. One guy had a white zoot-suit and I think he was a peace bringer because he'd change into that floaty alien squid thing between decimations. Meanwhile, I'm all slotted out with every Unique enhanccement I could get through Wentworths or booster packs yet I'm still face-planting every couple of minutes. And I also remembber the day they invited me to be in their super group. Did you check out those footprints?....The ones I left on the surface of the moon when I jumped over it.

That supergroup base was pathetic by what I've seen posted on these boards, but it was more than just a spot to keep salvage and TP from one zone to another. It was this almost tangible representation of everything that was great about being part of a team.

I can't really put it into words, but it was so much more than just being told "Yeah. You're one of us now, kid. Welcome to the big leagues!"

The only way I'd be cool with prestige coming back is if a Raid mechanic was re-introduced (and made better). I would be fine if say... the power to run your defenses and offenses were powered by the prestige you earned. So the more you earned, the more stuff you can throw at people raiding against you.

But no, no-no-no. Don't have prestige come back to limit creativity. If it wants to be used as a way to do Raids that SGs and VGs can opt into doing - sure. But that's I'd be cool with. 

I get where you're coming from OP, I think we all do.  But in terms of palatability, it's a suggestion on par with "I think we should lock all those extra costume pieces and powersets back behind a paywall." 

I can almost guarantee that if prestige were enabled in such a way to affect building, there would be a riot.

Prestige was a divisive mechanic.  It created a game experience of haves and have-nots, big groups vs. small groups.  I prefer the more equitable situation we have now.

As for raids... they were a flustercluck back on live, another divisive mechanic that created hostility and antagonism.  Personally, I'd prefer to never see them back.

If Prestige were re-imagined as a mechanic to keep track of group activities without affecting builders or ruining bases... I could maybe understand something like that.

Not only is prestige an issue we used to have to unlock things like the supercomputer and the teleport beacons. It was a hassle!

I was in a big meta-group that formed new supergroups to stock with themed characters on a dime and it was a serious pain in the ass to have our bases limited in anyway. In fact we got smart and started using coalitions to enable having a 'real' base that we mostly used and then our 'theme' base we used for RP and for gathering for weekly static teaming. But we still ran into problems at times from groups being small or underplayed and not having enough resources. Who wants to die, go back to the supergroup base, and discover it doesn't have a beacon for Nerva because no one's unlocked it yet? And it doesn't have a tree of wonders because that's an unlock as well so no buying a few inspirations for returning to battle.

It's better the way it is now. In my opinion.

But I totally acknowledge OPs view point. There are people who agree firmly. Some of them are the people running other rogue servers. I personally like 99.9999% of what the Homecoming team has implemented. There are "strict i23" servers though - and I'm not snottily telling you to take a hike if you don't like it here! I'm just saying - this is a valid viewpoint and there are servers configured around it.

I understand OP's point, and my husband has actually made similar comments. He's happy we have the ability to do new things, and loves all the stuff I'm finding in the new system, but he misses prestige because it gave him the sense of contributing to the supergroup base even if he wasn't doing the building.

But as someone who always groups with a few family and friends, I could never do even a fraction of the things I'm doing now...and I don't mean I'd have to wait a long time to earn the prestige; I mean there is literally no way my little group could ever earn that much.

So yeah, I would cry many many tears if things went back to how they were. But maybe they can find another way to implement prestige, like badges/accolades that get...I dunno, special decorative items, or the ability to get special repeatable buffs from it, or...something.  :)

I'm kinda split, too. Like, it was cool being able to make the base exactly as I wanted/needed it quickly without having to buy/unlock stuff... buuut it also feels a bit... empty. Back on Live, I had a solo SG with all my characters in it, and I kept them in SG mode to get the Prestige and all the unlocks and I felt just so damn accomplished and rewarded whenever I was able to afford something or got something unlocked. It was exciting to balance power and control with what I wanted, and when I was able to buy a larger plot to get bigger power/control items so I could add more stuff, I found it really fun.

BUT, it was also grindy as hell, and one of many mechanics which existed simply to keep people playing and paying. And not the kind of thing that the operators of a private server should be engaged in.

If I had a say in things, and for some reason we had to start all over again, I'd probably make some base items have to be unlocked (like TP beacons), but make certain other unlocks easier (Like if a base piece was tied to a badge, make sure it's not something ridiculous like "Heal One Hundred Sextillion hit points", make it like "Heal 10,000 HP"). I'd try to find some use for Prestige besides buying base stuff, in order to encourage people to stay in SG mode... something like if your SG has over 1 Million prestige banked, being in SG mode gives you a damage buff or something. Or, if we had base raids back, I'd probably have 2 versions of some items: Decorative, and functional. Like, if you want a plasma canon in your base 'cuz it looks neat, then fine. But if you want one that actually works and will shoot enemies, that's gonna need prestige.

Finally, even though I'm all about the solo SG, I recognize they're SUPPOSED to be for groups of people, so I honestly don't mind if some certain things were beyond the ability of a solo casual player to accomplish in a short time, and required a group effort to benefit the group. But I also wouldn't want to dampen creativity and totally block off tons of options due to lack of in-game progress, either.

Prestige costs were restrictive to creativity. If prestige costs were still a thing I could never have created things like this:

or this:

or this:

or this:

The removal of prestige costs was one of the best things that could have ever happened to base construction as far as creative freedom is concerned.

 

If I had a say in things, and for some reason we had to start all over again, I'd probably make some base items have to be unlocked (like TP beacons), but make certain other unlocks easier (Like if a base piece was tied to a badge, make sure it's not something ridiculous like "Heal One Hundred Sextillion hit points", make it like "Heal 10,000 HP"). I'd try to find some use for Prestige besides buying base stuff, in order to encourage people to stay in SG mode... something like if your SG has over 1 Million prestige banked, being in SG mode gives you a damage buff or something. Or, if we had base raids back, I'd probably have 2 versions of some items: Decorative, and functional. Like, if you want a plasma canon in your base 'cuz it looks neat, then fine. But if you want one that actually works and will shoot enemies, that's gonna need prestige.

 

Finally, even though I'm all about the solo SG, I recognize they're SUPPOSED to be for groups of people, so I honestly don't mind if some certain things were beyond the ability of a solo casual player to accomplish in a short time, and required a group effort to benefit the group. But I also wouldn't want to dampen creativity and totally block off tons of options due to lack of in-game progress, either.

Could not disagree more.  Hard pass on all of this. 

It may not be your intention, but it smacks of forcing others to play the way you think the game should be played.

I'm with the idea of bringing back rewards for SG prestige to mean something.

I hate "grind mechanics", so definitely don't gate things behind it, but maybe allowing SGs to spend prestige on SG buffs/rewards/etc (spend a million prestige for a 50% crafting cost reduction for 10 days or something?)

Prestige costs were restrictive to creativity. If prestige costs were still a thing I could never have created things like this:

 

Holy SPACEBALLS!  I'd love to see a video walk through of that. Commentary encouraged. ;)

Prestige costs were restrictive to creativity. If prestige costs were still a thing I could never have created things like this:

 

 

Holy SPACEBALLS!  I'd love to see a video walk through of that. Commentary encouraged. ;)

Well I am not the type to make videos like that but when I am done with the interior I will make the passcode public so anyone can visit and take a tour!

I believe it important to remember - for all anyone knows, this game is one email/letter away from being shut down again.  Let people enjoy it and use their creativity to the fullest while we have it. 

/JRanger

Simple solution: Use Prestige as a simple scoring method, not to buy items. That would rank the Supergroups so that the Prestige scoring could be competitive.

But keep all items free.

I say keep it as it is - prestige costs add nothing, but stifle creativity. The bases don't provide any big bonus to warrant a cost anyway.

I mean why not keep it how it is now, but bring back Prestige earning for like so rankings. I was always annoyed with the while buying to unlock as well, but I enjoyed competing with other groups on terms of over all Prestige. IDK jist mt view. Either way I'm just happy to be back playing again

Even for "rankings," prestige was, and is, kind of ridiculous. Does it tell you how good a SG is? No. How active? No. Could be one guy AFK farming repeatedly. What type, if it's a good fit, if it's involved with the server's activities or not? No. It's an utterly pointless, useless number, and it's a good thing it's gone. They need to eliminate the listing all together, frankly.