AspieAnarchy

OK! After all that, you know what FINALLY made it work??? Switching from 64-bit to 32-bit. Go figure.

Did I not do that yet? You must not be talking about the thing I already shared.

*poke* I'm still in the same jam. I was actually wondering, since we've been informed about Thursday, if there was any chance in hell the next update/maintenance might somehow fix it.

That's what I tried; it didn't show up on the roster....

OK! So I tried Windows Restore, first to 1 week ago - the anniversary of this problem! - then to 2 weeks ago: 1 week ago: I got an error. Windows Restore failed due to an "error". BUT...! 2 weeks ago: Windows Restore worked. BUT...! Launcher still doesn't. So I've moved onto trying to uninstall, BUT...! I can't find the Launcher to uninstall it! Is it possible that that, and/or the aforementioned Restore anomaly, are hints???

So how would I go about that? Bear in mind that as of last Friday. everything worked as normal - then on Saturday, it was like this. I do not recall doing anything to change my computer in the interim...and the fact that MS is no longer supporting it should also mean it's no longer screwing with it, so it should at least be stable; weird.

So what now?

OK! I tried this. It didn't work. OTOH: I've just tried logging in on a different computer (a laptop that is generally not as good) that runs Windows 8 or 10 or something like that; it does seem to work (I cannot actually try playing yet, as it happens to be Downtime as of this entry, but at least I was able to get to the login screen!).

...So what now?

Found it!!!: Now I'll head out for a couple hours, but I'll be back! TYSM!

Please understand, I have no idea where to find most of these things offhand, so please mention where to look for them (and/or be clearer about what medium you're referring to; I am not hip to shorthand). I just tried looking in my Documents, if it's files you're referring to, but I hope not, because neither "Homecoming" nor "logs" held anything useful (the "logs" file was all dated from February of this year!).

I had no idea that was a thing - and that's weird! Now that I've turned it off, it says it's RUNNING! I still don't understand how to SEE what the console log is saying (OTOH, see above!).

Done. What next? I have not. Oh! Nota Bene (maybe): When I TRY to hit the play/launch button as normal, not only does it not launch...the launcher closes, just as if I'd hit the 'X' icon in the upper-right. I can open it back up easily enough, but that's not exactly supposed to happen.

It's even worse than it looks...but I've had that setup for a long time and this has never happened before then, so it's clearly not that. I hope at least some of you enjoyed my desktop wallpaper! 😄

I don't understand how; I've done this: ...but I don't understand what's supposed to happen. I hit Enter after entering those parameters, but nothing happened.

Okay, much obliged, it says it's not installed: The obvious thing now would be to install whatever-it-is, but smart troubleshooting only deals with one variable at a time.

I tried; it didn't.

Verification did not seem to work...and now I can't see how/where to enable the "Diag client". This is what my launcher (and desktop :P) presently looks like:

So. The Launcher on my desktop. I click on it. It opens. The "Homecoming" button is green and says "Ready" in large, friendly letters. I click on it. Nothing happens. The ephemeral "loading" thing does not show up. I never make it to the login screen. What's going on? I was able to get on last night. EDIT: I am using a PC running Windows 7.

Before going anywhere else or any further, however.... You are onto something here; the typical vice one sees with amateur's ideas for games is being stupidly overpowered, and perhaps that's something I worry more about getting stepped on for rather than the opposite. We've covered both sides of the problem with non-precise terms (I know Jack Emmert's approach to game design gets a lot of flack, but even if he sometimes went too far or got too dogmatic himself, he nevertheless had some good basic insights about how the 'bean-counter' mentality was a blight). Bear in mind that this particular set is, by nature, meant to be more of "[literally] a wash" approach - if you want to see my idea of a Buff set that, shall we say, paints in starker shades and bolder strokes, Try THIS! And since this one surprised me by not getting any commentary to date, maybe you want to see this one as well. I will endeavor to keep your observations about "go big, and here's why" in mind going forward.

I guess it must be derived from billiards, then. Let's say I still didn't want it to be AoE; how could I compensate? Bigger numbers? I could certainly do that. Again, I wanted it to be a little different from many other single-target buffs, and I tried lowering both ends of the "something for something" ratio. I grant that "clickiness" could be the obstacle there.... ...which is one reason I think you're starting to stray from "opinion" to "dogma" here. I like the idea just fine; it opens doors. Thank you! I was hoping for that. So Refreshing Rain is a winner all around; glad to hear it. Maybe I will make it universal, in that case - or at least find another place/purpose for Undertow. Undertow, clearly, has things in common with both Whirlpool and Dark Miasma's Tar Patch - and heck, while I still don't intend for it to do damage, consider the fact that a Water/Traps Corrupter can have Whirlpool and Caltrops (with Scourge!), so if that's too much, there's precedent for it nonetheless! Surely the concept is worthy, at any rate. In what sense? I can think of at least 3 different ways to interpret this. I did say I did not like the idea, but you seem to be trying to discourage it, so I'm confused why you'd do that when I'd already discouraged myself, if that's how you feel about it. It all depends on whether one defines "buff" as "numerical increase" or "something the subject would want". Yes, thank you; I was pretty proud of it. You said this in response to Undertow, and I did suggest knockdown as an alternative to whatever it was you didn't like about it; sure, I could give Undertow a Knockdown effect. I honestly had not caught that the other powers had strong protection from specific effects. I did specifically say that Restorative Mist "has a rather lenient endurance cost relative to similar powers"; overall, I still want it to be 'less for less' compared to the others, but yeah, I'd be happy to change the mez/debuff protection! I am a stickler for distinguishing between "video game" and "computer game"; this is very obviously the latter (Good luck playing it with a video-game controller!), and I do not like the recent vernacular insistence that they be merged, all the moreso since it's favored the former over the latter - but that quickly becomes an entirely different topic. Otherwise, do recall Mark Twain's admonition regarding the obligations of fiction; if this powerset doesn't feel like "water", what's the point? Part of the idea with Flush was that it was supposed to give more in exchange for what it took, relative to the gentler Cleanse. Well, come to think of it, there IS Quicken, which would do almost exactly that.... Anyways, I was trying to give the impression of, you know, being sopping wet; it's supposed to be a little bit funny in addition to effective. I don't know, given that it's for primarily for liberating people from mezzes anyway, and (to my surprise) you deemed the damage done by Enforced Morale a negligible concern, perhaps an alternative downside would be a momentary knockdown (plus the Cold Resistance debuff, which you don't seem to be very worried about)? Alternatively, what about a small amount of direct endurance drain (as opposed to recovery penalty)? Fair enough; I did not really realize that debuffs also suffered in this manner. Continuing this discussion may take a while; I don't use the Internet on Mondays, and shortly thereafter I'll be on the road for at least a day or two.

Personally, I'm just surprised we've gone this long without such a thing being implemented. "Pocket someone"??? I have no idea what that means in this context. Anyway, yeah, the idea was kind of for its effects to be subtle; I had similar effects from other games (e.g. Lords of Magic, Warcraft III) in mind - but those are both awfully different systems, and there's no 'single-target auto-use toggle' option here like the latter had (not that that wouldn't be interesting!). What do you think? Would such a mechanic - 'turn on, it steadily costs endurance like a normal toggle, but intermittently targets individual allies' make this work the way it otherwise is? Alternatively, I could make it long-lasting, but non-cumulative with itself (but cumulative with the same effect from other Aquarians, of course). I do want it to be subtle, and early. Change has to start somewhere, right? Part of why I do all that is so I can play with more ideas, too. I did not consider Enhancement cheese; I could dispense with the Defense bonus (or would it be enough to change it to Resistance? Heck, not every power that has a certain attribute actually accepts Enhancements to that attribute - consider also things like Swift and Hurdle, which accept Run/Fly/Jump Enhancements, but NOT from set IOs). Maybe I'm confused; are you saying you do think it's good as it is, possibly because of Enhancement cheese? Whirlpool does damage; this is meant to be a non-damaging debuff version that does things Whirlpool doesn't. I would not assume most people who'd take this would also take Water Blast; some, sure, and anyone who feels they'd be redundant would be free not to take one or the other. I certainly agree with the latter part! As for the former, I'm not as sure I agree; it depends on your enemies, your team (if you're on one, there are lots of powers that are far less useful without a team than this one, after all!), any Ancillary/temporary powers/"proc" IOs you may have, and how long the fight takes. Having said that, how about these alternatives to endurance drain: A smaller 'endurance markup' (to complement Waterlog below), a defense debuff (this I tried to avoid because it seemed boring/overused), or/and a chance to occasionally knock down enemies within? I meant for it to be comparable to existing "steam/mist/fog" powers, like Steamy Mist, Arctic Fog, and Shadow Fall; if those are good enough as they are, what's wrong with this? If it's not up to par with them, what in particular might I change/improve? Cleansing protects you from toxins? It's not without precedent, which is why I figured it was acceptable; Increase Density slows, and Enforced Morale actually does damage to your teammates (admittedly, only if they're in good shape to start with); certain Mystic Fortunes impose penalties (again, including damage in one case) as well, although I admit those aren't the best examples since players can opt out of them. It is a little incongruous that you think the penalties of this power are so bad, yet in the last one, you roundly pooh-poohed enemies who do Cold damage. I am not familiar with "the purple patch"; I mean, I could guess, but please enlighten me to be certain. I'm getting tired now; I think I'll save the rest for later....

I'll have more to say in reply soon; just allow me some time.

Nicely-done! How did you make those icons, BTW? Hope it's not bad form to share the version I posited some time back!

GIFTS OF THE WATERS (Buff) Available to: Defenders, Corrupters, Controllers, Masterminds Set Color: Aquamarine-on-Sea Green You can wield water – one of the most powerful forces in the world – and direct it to give to your friends and take from your foes. This set is often more subtle and particular than many other Buff sets, but wisely used can turn the tides of almost any struggle. Powers in this set tend to be either unusually cheap or unusually demanding with regard to endurance costs. 1) Quicken – You excite and empower the water within a target ally, causing a small, brief increase to its movement speed, recharge rate, and endurance recovery. Recharge: Fast 2) Refreshing Rain (Defenders, Masterminds) – You shower all allies (potentially including yourself) within a small targeted area with water so pure and refreshing that it not only grants beneficiaries a small amount of healing, but also bestows a brief boost to the their health regeneration, and to their defense against Lethal and Fire attacks. This can also be used to fight Fires. Recharge: Moderate OR Undertow (Corrupters, Controllers) – You create a small patch of churning water on the floor that will greatly slow enemies moving through it, and slowly drain their endurance as well, so long as they are within it. This will make short work of most Fires. Recharge: Moderate 3) Restorative Mist – You call up a warm mist in an area around you. While this power is active, you and nearby allies benefit from a small degree of stealth, a small amount of protection from control effects, resistance to Cold and Fire damage, and increased health regeneration. It will also weaken nearby Fires. This power has a rather lenient endurance cost relative to similar powers. Recharge: Moderate 4) Cleanse (Defenders, Controllers) – With the power of water, the universal solvent, you can liberate allies from slow, sleep, immobilization, and paralysis effects, reduce the effects of debuffs to their perception, regeneration, and recovery, and insulate them from more of the same, as well as slightly increase their health regeneration, perception, and resistance to Toxic damage for a brief time thereafter. Recharge: Fast OR Flush (Corrupters, Masterminds) – You subject an ally to a forceful, but beneficent deluge in order to purge it of control effects of all sorts as well as accuracy and damage debuffs, and make it resistant to all such effects for a while thereafter. Furthermore, the target will gain a very small amount of damage absorption. The downside of such a soaking is a brief penalty to speed, recovery, and Cold resistance. Recharge: Fast 5) Waterlog (Defenders, Corrupters) – You so thoroughly soak a single target that in addition to a mild debuff to its accuracy, movement speed, and recharge speed, any Fire or Energy damage it deals is also diminished, and most significantly, it suffers a heavy ‘markup’ to the endurance cost of all its abilities. This can also be used to deal incredible damage to Fires. Recharge: Slow OR Countercurrent (Controllers, Masterminds) – You surround an ally in a protective maelstrom of water, granting damage absorption and increased defense and resistance against Smashing, Lethal, Fire, and Toxic attacks. Recharge: Medium 6) Rust – You rapidly corrode all metal on and in a single target foe. Typically this means a modest reduction to damage resistance, accuracy, and speed, but enemies such as ghosts or wild fauna and flora are unlikely to suffer any penalty at all, whereas robots, machines, cyborgs, and anyone wearing heavy armor not only suffer much more severe versions of the above, but will take substantial damage to boot. In addition, enemies very nearby the target will suffer a much lesser version of whichever grade of the effect would apply to them. Recharge: Moderate 7) Waters of Life – You baptize a fallen comrade with the mysterious life-giving power of primordial water, raising it, protecting it from debt, and granting a small amount of damage absorption for 90 seconds. In addition, the initial watery explosion will knock back any nearby foes, stun them, deprive them of a bit of endurance and temporarily reduce their recovery. Recharge: Very Long 😎 Part the Waters (Defenders, Masterminds) – You raise two long walls of powerful gushing water on either side before you, effectively creating a powerful defensive corridor. Attacks made through these walls have extremely little chance of getting through, and don’t do much damage if they do; this is especially true of Lethal, Fire, and Energy attacks, and area attacks of any kind. In addition, you and your allies within the corridor gain increased movement speed, whereas enemies within suffer reduced speed, defense, and resistance to knockdown effects. Ending the power will cause the walls to collapse, dealing High Smashing damage to enemies between them and knocking them down. This power is very expensive both to instigate and to maintain. Recharge: Very Long OR Flash-Flood (Corrupters, Controllers) – You cause a flash-flood in a wide area around you; enemies in the area take damage, have their ground-movement slowed, their defense, perception, and endurance recovery reduced, and become more susceptible to immobilize and knockdown effects. It will also douse all but the strongest Fires ranging in the area. Damage: Moderate Smashing/Cold (DoT) Recharge: Long 9) Erosion – Like a wise man once said, there is nothing more submissive and weak than water, yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it. Mastery of your water powers means proving what this means in spectacular fashion. With the power of water, you both greatly erode the resistances of all foes in front of you and bolster that of you and your allies to the same degree. Recharge: Long Example Character Concept: The Worthy Gunga Djinn! (Heroic Gifts of the Waters/Fire Blast Magic Defender)