[Share your Puns/amusing Character Names]

Well, I've recreated Sweet Child of Mimes...

[Weekly Discussion 40: Peacebringers]

6 hours ago, Zepp said:

Currently, Warshades gain more from the ability to shift forms instantaneously, double mire? On the other hand, PBs gain a sufficient amount that forcing form specialization would be a huge nerf.

That being said, human-form could use some buffing in terms of Damage, -Def resistance, Control, and Support. Minor changes such as bumping Pulsar to Mag 3 and making Glowing Touch a TAoE could go a long way.

Warshades gain more, but they also have to risk more (and some things, like invasions, work against them - corpses vanish too fast for some powers.) PBs are pretty self contained.

[Weekly Discussion 40: Peacebringers]

I love khelds. Have since I3.

I would:

- want the Dwarf taunt to be the same as tanks and brutes, that is, autohit. I shouldn't be given an inherent power that's treated like a pool power for taking the form.

- love to see the special damage brought back.

- love to see a built in "Void killer" counter. >.> I have characters built around that. I end up losing count.

- Voids as well as Qs. Other than a few special missions I don't recall seeing them recently.

 

I would hate to see my KB altered, frankly. I use it as part of my survival. I use it as soft controls. And it makes me feel like I'm *hitting* things. There's already IOs to turn it to KD if desired.

 

If people "want a reason to invite Khelds to teams" (other than "Hey, there's another player to have fun with!" which should be reason enough,)

- turn those counters into badges. Let the team get credit too. Special name on the Kheld side, though.

- Reflect the teammate type buffs back to the teammates.

 

 

[We need More Catgirls in Pocket D]

Piracat's back. I can make others. >.>

[Regarding Mission Slots]

Second, third, fourthed. I'd love to give my characters or supergroups a 1-50 arc. Can't do that in three slots while hoping for more.

I've mentioned (repeatedly) not liking the VEAT story arcs. I'd love to have a remade 1-50 for *those,* which would require more than 3.

Or how about "No, I really DO want to play a Nictus." Take the 'shade to redside... and completely miss arcs. Let someone (or many someones) make a path that way!

Or a consistent, non lackey redside arc path! Or an actual rogue/vigilante themed path!

 

There are plenty of reasons for wanting more slots. This is one thing I'll always go "gimme gimme" to. 🙂

[Upgrade bane]

You're assuming "power" is the reason it's not getting played, though, from the sound of it.  There can be other reasons - for instance, especially on an RP server, having one costume slot taken up by a mandatory themed costume, or having the "crab legs" appear regardless of costume (not recalling if those carry over in alternate non crab builds at the moment, either.)

 

"WHY are people not playing this?" is the first step. (And yeah, for me it's the costume, the storyline which I ignore after level 10 and just put up with until then, and the forced respec at 24 to "choose your path" - even if you're perfectly happy with the way your build is going - see also Huntsman.)

[I want to stop being sick]

Probably wouldn't use it, but I also wouldn't argue with the option.

[Nuke this particular forum every season/every 3 months]

12 hours ago, ScarySai said:

As for Jrangers, it's essentially a declaration of "I'm not mentally mature enough to handle this discussion."

Actually, as the person who posted the first one, it's a tongue in cheek way of saying no referencing a person who just said no to everything, and was meant to be humorous (or see if said jranger had a sense of humor. He did not.) It was a "Are you *sure* you want to be remembered this way?" to the person. It should be posted with a good, smartalec-quality half-smirk on the face. Overuse does lessen its impact. 

 

And yes, I disagree with purging this unless it's part of a general forum purge for proper maintenance reasons. I don't care if someone doesn't like an idea or it's "pie in the sky" or "Undoable." Changing sonic animations to something non-migrane-causing was declared undoable by the original dev team, who did it anyway a few months later. There are many things we've thought were undoable at one point or another. Some will be, just from how the way the game's coded. (Changing origin/powerset, for instance.) Two years from now, there might be some fundamental change that makes the dev team go "Hey, remember that thing that was asked about? We might be able to do that now, if it's a good idea." Or spark other ideas, which - while not doable the original way - are a starting point for something fun and/or unique.

 

Tired of seeing "the same" suggestions? Then do something positive about it. Copy what I did. Have some pasta. Make said pasta neutral - no "you're wrong, and stupid for thinking this." A simple "This is not an attack. We've had this suggestion multiple times in the past. This is what we've been told by the devs. Here are some pros and cons from prior discussions. Instead of rearguing it, let's just jump forward and try to make the suggestion better or find an alternate way." Yes, the copypastas did get updated multiple times (ideas for "vehicle travel" come to mind.) No, I don't think I still have th eold ones 🙂

[The Lost Cure]

I'd say both END and recharge drops would be important. The recharge makes the mission boringly long - and it's not like you get XP for the lost you cure.

[New Elite Enemy Groups]

On 2/27/2020 at 6:07 PM, Troo said:

 

Can we see snakes again at level 45-50?

 

I'm fairly sure there are some higher level Snakes already - and not just the snakewomen from DA.

[Give Ms. Liberty a Break]

I favor the Strike Force Morituri way of handling death. Great power. Great cost in one year.

 

No thanks to having States come back. I don't dislike the character, or Jack. I do generally find the "He was only MOSTLY dead!" thing annoying. (And no KheldStates, please.) Plus, from the cutscene, it looked like accepting that was the only way he'd ever get some peace. Taking that away from the character would be cruel.

 

I can't argue with repurposing Trident/Crucible. I doubt most players can even find them or remember they exist, and they don't really have a purpose. Put a Mender in the corner so people don't have to ask for someone to drop a portal (though they will anyway, I know. Personally, if I get to 30 without one, I just run the science store mission in Bricks.)

[The unaddressed problem with new Electric powers]

3 hours ago, Redlynne said:

Can you imagine what the game would be like if you could DEFEAT a $Target by draining its Green Bar -OR- its Blue Bar to zero ... not just the Green Bar to zero?

I think that would have to be done on a limited basis. It would, for instance, make sense with robotic type enemies (or Freakshow) - after all, their batteries are their "life."

[My (unreasonable) AE Wishlist thread]

I want alternate start points. I *want* to start a player (or team) in a holding cell and can't. Or at the far side of a jungle map.

 

(Also "more map variety." Might be City of Heroes, but what if I want to send a team to the pyramids, or Central American ruins?)

[Sands of Mu]

It's not enhanceable because it's a free, temp power. That's how it is.

 

And yeah, I use it (and nem staff/blackwand) on characters with Super STrength since their damage isn't lessened during a rage crash. Sands takes just about long enough for the crash to wear off.

[Dynamic Respec?]

No! You want a respec, you have to *prove* you want it. You have to *bleed* for it, commit yourself to it, show ...

 

OK, kidding. I wouldn't mind. Honestly even having this limited to "one step back" sometimes would be nice. I wouldn't argue with more.

[Anyone else remember blappers?]

6 hours ago, Techwright said:

From your description, I'd think the "glass cannon" class would be constantly frustrated by healers, who unwittingly negate the significant damage multiplier in their quest to keep the team at 100%.  Those using AOE heals would especially be troublesome, since targeted healing wouldn't be an option.

 

 

What's being described is often called "Defiance 1.0." And I recall one of the devs actually saying "Tell them not to heal you."

 

There was a *lot* of facepalming going on. Yes, people took advantage of it (I remember taking my Elec in old-Faultline and falling off a skyscraper to try it out) but... yeah... (I seem to recall it being mentioned as a high risk high reward thing in PVP, too.)

 

It's ... not a mechanic I'd want to come back, personally, even if it *was* amusing for a bit.

[Necromancy Rework]

17 hours ago, Galaxy Brain said:

I'd just like the ghost to be able to be made off of enemies and not just your dead pets.

Hmm. Probably wouldn't last as long (trying to think of how long they last now) ... wonder if they'd allow multiples on that.

 

The one usability issue I'd see (coming from Warshades and their 'extract essence') is in things like invasions, where the enemies disappear fairly fast to where you *can't* extract, even if you get them right on death. (Yes, it's annoying.)

 

.... I don't know if it could be coded, but it would kind of be amusing if it would act as a confuse on spectral enemies, like Tsoo ancestor spirits, ghost pirates or COT...

[Sonic Resonance fixes]

I wouldn't argue with a resist buff on that. Not sure how the "do damage" would go over (since in theory you should be doing more damage with your other attacks afterward,) but I'm not a numbers guy by any means. (And need to remake my sonics here, come to think of it.)

[Necromancy Rework]

T1s already generally die fast enough (part of why I hate taking MMs redside - Demolitionists. And then there's "why bother summoning them" MSRs...) without making them weaker.

The main issue I think I have with your suggestions is this -

Quote

    A necromancer doesn't care about the crappy zombies he summoned, nor should he, he has higher priorities.

Maybe *yours* don't. My primary necro/ MM definitely does. There's not one definition of who or what a necro MM is or what their attitude should be. (We had this argument back when the ability to switch sides was added, with "Stalkers can't be heroes, they're assassins!" "X villain AT/powerset can't be a hero because I can't imagine that concept!")

Your 'corpse explosion' power already exists in Warshades... I don't know that I'd want to give up life drain for it, though. (I find that useful.)

 

Don't think I'd argue with pet upgrades being auto-applied... not sure what we'd be looking at for balance and such though. (Though given a MM's offense is all in the pets, it's not like a blaster loses the ability to fire off an AOE and has to resummon it, the argument it's "already balanced" could be made.)

[Sonic Resonance fixes]

<-- prefers the intangible Cage, though if it were a toggle I wouldn't argue.

[Light RP teams? (Praetoria even?)]

Light RP... so all Peacebringers and Energy blasters? Special consideration for Spectrum costume users?

[NPC Vendors Buy Merits for 200k inf each]

17 hours ago, VileTerror said:

To respond to the loading screen hints idea:

Please no?  Not until we have some other way to view those hints in-game, anyway.

My game loads so fast that I never have a chance to read any of those.  Not trying to do one of those "weird flexes" here either; I -want- to be able to read the hints (some are funny, and despite playing since 2004, some still provide information I didn't have before).  

 

Hmm. Suggest a /displaytip or /randomtip command? Or one that senses if you're at certain day job locations so if you pick a /displaytip or /randomtip while (say) at the market, AE or in a PVP zone, it gives an appropriate tip? (Like "You're in a PVP zone, why are you reading this? What's that behind you?" )

[Name squatting]

On 2/23/2020 at 2:35 PM, aethereal said:

 

I agree, it just mitigates some of the difference in size.

Always concerned about size, sheesh...

[The Broken Brutes Effect (please buff them)]

6 hours ago, oedipus_tex said:

What's interesting to me is there are so many ways the game could be hard. Check out the number of powers available in the AE that nobody ever gives custom mobs.

 

Arctic Air

Shiver

Power Sink

Thunderous Blast

Seeds of Confusion

Carrion Creepers

Benumb

Power of the Phoenix (I'd pay RL money to see this one)

 

 

Basically it's achievable. But there needs to be a reward structure in place.

 

I think sometimes we think too literally about "reward" means too. Just providing a badge is enough to tempt many players.

... .give me more slots and I can guarantee you'll see mobs with those. They'll probably be the least upvoted arcs, but still...

 

The mobs will have reason to have those, as well.

 

I'm also half tempted to see if people would be willing to play in (nearly) the conditions mentioned previously - let's call it classic mode. 1-50, TO/DO/SO only (or, rather, to avoid the annoyance factor of re-slotting constantly, TO/lv15 common IO/lvl 30 common IO only, for roughly the same strength.) Nice mixed team. (Or, hey, go Green Machine and break the game with what are essentially Regen Blasters.) P2W is fine, just skip the XP boosts (nobody's complaining about sands of mu....) and otherwise just play classically. Cash as it comes in.

[Why don't you play on the Villain Side?]

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.)