Greycat

There are several things that keep me from playing redside frequently. 1. The "streamlined" maps. Yes, there were complaints about "wasted" maps blueside, but I can take characters through a few different paths. Jim Justice might help out in the Hollows, take on the trolls in Skyway and break the mob in Indy Port, but Lisa Law can help out fighting the Lords of Death, deal with the Outcasts in Steel and the Warriors in Talos - while taking side trips into hazard zones. It keeps it from being same-y. My villains? They see pretty much the same things every time. Sure, you can pick a couple of different contacts... in the same place. 2. The grim, grey, dirty and broken scenery, when it's not on fire. Granted, there are places like this, but even the presumably tourist-desiring Giza has cratered roadways a quick (super)hop or two away. It fits some areas, yes. But as part of the "streamlined" maps, there's not really a lot of variety, and the variety there is (Aeon City, say) feels out of place and dropped on top of the "old town" or the slums (or butting right up against the jungle.) It doesn't get that much of a chance to be "different" and develop its own character... which leads to the same-ness of it. 3. The writing. Villains are harder to write than heroes. Heroes can react all day long. Villain is doing Badthing to Goodperson? Go save the day! You can even focus on groups or types of crimes. No reason for techguy to fight magic, which he doesn't understand at all. Villains in general are more "doers." They have more agency, and it's hard to address that, or motivation, with preset missions. Something pushes someone to go rob banks or sell drugs out of desperation. Maybe they're forced into it. Someone's just power hungry and will do anything to be on top. Someone's an amoral corporate type who takes advantage of looser laws to begin early human testing to get something to market faster than their competitors. And yet the writing doesn't really address this. You're a flunky, who occasionally beats someone into "following your lead." (Yes, some of this was starting to change in later writing, but even then.) And don't get me started on the VEAT "storyline." It annoyed me enough to (a) enjoy the ATs less and (b) ignore it after the level 10 costume mission. 4. Related to that, yes, your characters are flunkies. Or vicious, evil, and/or stupid. Or get suckered into things too easily/frequently. Yes, historically some of my villains *would* beat Frostfire and take power for themselves, going a bit crazy after an eternity or so. Or would say "Here, take this hero and experiment on her and turn her into DE." Or would happily be part of Minions, Inc, since it's a paycheck. But you almost have to write your *own* missions in AE to give yourself a satisfying path (unless you see everything as just sources of XP and merits and don't care, which, hey, valid if that's your thing.) 5. There's no really 'undercover heroic' path Redside. I know, redside's for villains, and there's no 'evil' path Blueside either, but there's no choice to - let's say "do the right thing for the wrong reasons" (or, for that matter, the wrong thing for the right reasons.) Or to put it another way... not much grey on either side (aside from redside weather. 🙂 ) And that's just off the top of my head... Mind you, probably 20% of my roster is villain. But that leads to (6,) which touches on some of this - concepts. You might be able to think of villain concepts, but they're shoehorned into the same things regardless. Insane assassin? Scientist, mad or otherwise? Someone who sees no other path? Ex military who *likes* being a hired gun? Banished leader from another country/dimension who WILL get followers and rebuild a power base? There's not much to do to express that... short of writing your own stuff in AE. Which I don't want to do from 1-50 (especially with limited slots.)

I do have to ask "why," though, with beast run being free. I'm not *against* the suggestion, mind you. More customization's good. I'm just curious.

... ehhh. I don't think the 200% XP boost would happen (we've already got free 100% boosts, and I *really* doubt they'd be allowed to stack.) The Inf boost makes sense - maybe not 200% worth (and, after all, if you've got an XP booster you're losing some percent there.) Villainside just hasn't ever really been as popular. I've got some villains around, I just ... am never really in the mood to play them. And villainside for me isn't an issue of people playing. I know they "streamlined" the Isles - but that's part of the problem for me. Heroside, I've got a lot of environments to go through. Yes, some say too many (with "unused" hazard zones, etc.) but it has more contacts and more areas to keep it from feeling the same (or like you're stalled in one area for too long.) Boosts aren't really going to fix that to me. But that's just me.

Prestige power slide was the COH Collector's edition, around Issue 3. (Which got me into the game, so...)

Yeah, about the only workaround I know is having everything (including you) follow a pet you keep pointing where you want to go.

I don't recall the participation metric on live being much more than "do something more than stand there through the trial," personally.

I'm solidly "Meh" about it. Didn't even know it existed.

Honestly I'd see that as an upside. People who love just messing around and base building could create "hey, here's a basic outdoor/tech/whatever base for people to use and expand on" and those who'd like something set up but don't have the time/patience/skill to do these could copy them over. ... I'm not sure how big an issue "base stealing" would be. (I don't think items like salvage or enhancements would be considered "part of the base," though, either.)

I think maps, I end up thinking AE and what I'd like. But yeah, more "neighborhoods" that aren't city blocks - more or fewer houses, parks, one by the water, one with a graveyard nearby (just for october mission fun,) that sort of thing. Growing up in Milwaukee, we had the Domes - basically giant greenhouses that (IIRC) were open all year. Not only would it not be out of place in a city (stop nature-based enemies, not just DE, from creating a stronghold, etc.) but AE-wise it would find use as a "space colony's greenhouse" or someplace in a desert, that sort of thing. (And if they wanted to use that geodesic dome and put other things, like a neighborhood or lab under it, well... more environments!) In no small part because *I'd love to see the Blood of the Black Stream, or at least investigate their lore,* and part of it deals with Gadzul Oil (Egyptian based?) we could introduce new, desert environments. Heck, add a (SMALL!) -recovery to the map. It's hot, it's dry, it'd sap someone's strength... ok, that should probably be "with some reason in a mission," not tied to the map. But hey. Road trip to Ancient Egypt. ... heck, with that let's do actual jungle ruins.

Mind you, I love Elec. First 50 was one back in I3 or so. But.. yeah. Pre-Defiance 2, VS was (as I'd mentioned) a boon - it could attack while I was held, something no other blaster could do. Saved my neck a few times. (Granted, it grabbed more aggro and got me killed a few times too...) Helps currently, too, it's just not as much of a "set differentiator." Which it should be. The endmod wouldn't hurt (it would *have* to have that -recovery boost to make it useful, though, given how NPCs can attack with the slightest bit, it seems.) Sleep... hmm. While not the *same,* I do rather like adding the chance to stun IO (I forget which endmod set off the top of my head) to the attacks in Elec. Get a couple elec blasters going with that (I had a group that made a team of 4 with those) and it gets amusing.

No, we're not. I can see when someone's so against something they won't bother listening and is not worth attempting to discuss anything with. *shrug*

Right, and I was saying (alternatively) to have VS's attacks chain (since, hey, you know it's there, and since it's already got that cast time/duration...) and perhaps give that buff to AOEs while it's there or for 20s. The reason I'm iffy about adding that chance to chain for all attacks is that I'll usually end up casting it just prior to trying to pull something out of a room and not wanting to chain then (it'd be within that 20s.) Of course, I could just cast afterward then, couldn't I. 🙂 Disregard the objection then. Works either way!

Misremembering the chance on my part, then. My apologies, carry on.

You have not played with me, quite obviously, here or on live. Again. You don't like it. Fine. That's your choice. It is not a universal truth that it's "a negative." And what "shouting?" I've done nothing but post calmly. If you believe otherwise, notify a mod.

No thanks to that. (I use VS frequently. Pre-Defiance 2.0, it was how I attacked while mezzed.) Now, if you want to make *VS's* attacks chain, sure. I'd be for that. And/or have VS add that to AOEs.

No, you didn't. Just because *you* don't like it and/or have run into people who can't use it well doesn't mean it's useless. Please don't "fix" posts.

.... unless you're trying to pull. (And I could just hear DFBs then. "ANyone but electric, DFB, we're doing a badge run!") 🙂

Not exactly correct. Enemies *completely* defeated by other enemies (IE, you confuse them and just let them go) give no XP. (The same holds true if they're just fighting each other as is, without player input.) Do some damage, get XP.

Why should my energy baster have less chance of knockback - which I use defensively and/or as a soft control? (Not to mention the thematic feel of a blast hitting an enemy so hard it sends them flying.) Right now, I already *can* control my knockback - by positioning, by selectively reducing it by IOs, or by firing by above, turning KB into KD. Were this implemented, I'd have to reslot every KB using character with KB IOs, which would be highly annoying.

I use teleport not just as a "get across the zone" travel power, but positioning in missions. I can target something on another level and appear right next to them from right below them, for instance, not giving them a whole heck of a lot of time to react. Working as a click power is what lets me do this. It sounds like what you're suggesting would not allow this.

There are some clues in missions that reference things that either were put in game, or were meant to and never did get here. Who remembers what some of them were? Asking because I just ran the last mission from Wincott, where you recover some magic items from the Outcasts. And I started drawing a blank on what they were supposed to be tied to. 1. Worn Tome - You recovered this worn and moldy tome from an Outcasts' hideout. The strange, rusty red text appears to be Russian. 2. Strange skull - you recovered this skull from an Outcasts's hideout. It is highly similar to a human skull, but the bones are much thinner and fragile. (I believe this was supposed to be the Avilian AT - the one that got dropped when they got wings to work.) 3. Coral bracelet - You recoverd this bracelet from an Outcasts' hideout. When you touch the beads, your finger begins to bleed. (Coralax?) I remember one from a cargo ship where some scientists brought "something" up, I *think* it was supposed to be a servant of the Coralax (these had another name, L-something, I think) when that was going to be an AT instead of just an enemy group. ... found it in my old guide, the VIrtea. I think there were more hints like this (like the Eye of Horus in the Oakes oil spill, pointing at the BotBS,) but can't recall them all.

Which ones are left? Or do you mean you want (say) "Mistress of Olympus" on a male bodied character?

I'm an altaholic. I create new characters, and sometimes copy old, live costumes over... which sometimes have issues. One of the things that gets to be a little tedious is related to the fact you start with so many costume slots at level 1. I'm *definitely* not complaining about that, mind you! However, you can't pick a pool power - say, a travel power - until level 4. In addition, depending on how old the costume is, for those I copy over (yes, I *do* have stuff stuck on drives, why do you ask?) some have had parts renamed or rearranged... which means they get set to something default that often looks nothing like what you had. (Faces are notorious for this.) I'd like an option in the costume editor where you could pick something (say, your travel power - super jump is good for this) and have a check next to it that says "Modify for all costumes." Yes, you'd be charged whatever you would be charged for 5-8 costumes, but you'd just have to change it in one. Same with other costume parts - everything should have "Face 19," say, so you can select it and just have it copy across all costumes with that head type. (It'd be invalid on, say, a full helmet.) Alternately, at least for new powers, have the option when selected to color (or set to minimal FX) the way you want it by default. Purely a QOL request.

Honestly? What you want sounds like something I suggested back on live in a way (not exactly, but...) Namely, creating some non-set IOs that give some percent of a damage type 100% of the time. So if you wanted your Fire blaster to also (for whatever reason) do Cold damage, it would... assuming you slotted one of these IOs. Unique to each other (so you couldn't load a blast with fire, cold, negative, etc. - you had to pick one,) but you could use as many as you wanted across powers (fire brawl, cold lvl 1 blast, neg level 2, etc or fire in all of them.)

Which is why I said I'd *expect* them to, using the way toggles currently suppress versus trying to set up an exception, versus what I'd like. 🙂