[Weekly Discussion 53: How to Increase Villain Population]

8 minutes ago, Peacemoon said:

Well that is the problem. Even if you solve the issue with villain population I’m not sure the game would necessarily be better for it. 
 

Arguably the game is more fun with 90% of the players in one faction, playing in the same selection of zones, as it gives us more people to play and team with, and makes Paragon City more vibrant and populated.

Even though it’s a shame for villains and the rogue isle, it’s probably healthier for the game.

That’s why I end up thinking it would probably be better for the game (and simpler) if we removed the faction barrier to zones and just made all PvE zones accessible to all, and people could just play where they want. Keep restrictions on Villains and Heroes teaming up so it’s only possible in co-op zones. Villain players could just look like unattackable hostile players, if you bumped into one in Steel Canyon as a hero, for instance. I don’t know - it’s an idea that could do with fleshing out.

Definitely would endorse a plan to make all zones accessible to all. Conceptually, what kind of a villain just says ‘oh, I’m not allowed to go there? Okay’? Surely villains go where they want and do what they want? 
 

From a practical point of view, when did you last stop to even check the allegiance of a teammate? It’s really only important to the player himself I think (and role players, but they make their own rules anyway).

[Weekly Discussion 53: How to Increase Villain Population]

2 hours ago, Oginth said:

This reminds me, the costume contests are held in Atlas Park. How does a low-level red-siders go there? (Sincerely curious, since I have a lv 3-4 there.)

It’s a very good point and it highlights the major problem imo: Red Side set up is not conducive to community, and before all else I think it’s community that brings us here. 
 

Aesthetically and conceptually I think they messed up the design of the Rogue Islands too. As others have said, you’d expect Mercy to be a festering hole as villains start of as low-lifes, but there is no sense of growth or social mobility with CoV. Your born in someone else’s gutter and the best you can do is graduate to Lord Recluse’s private gutter. Great villains accrue wealth and technology. The Praetorian zones are what CoV zones should’ve looked/felt like really.  
 

As for how to solve the problems now and attract more players to the zones... we’ll aside from bribery by upping the merit rewards for content and increasing the purple recipe drop rate for full villains (not Rogues or Vigilantes), I’m not sure what can be done. 
 

But the real question perhaps is do we WANT to increase playership on red side? It’s there for those who like it and if people prefer heroes, conceptually, then they always will. 

[Weekly Discussion 53: How to Increase Villain Population]

I actually think that the biggest thing Red Side misses is the social element. Blue side has a place where everyone congregates between content, Atlas Park, where they meet people and mess about. It makes a big difference to me personally. 
 

Red side simply doesn’t have a hangout zone, so you just really go door to door to door to door to door... often by yourself. Then, when you’ve had enough of doors for a bit and want to chill out or relax in-game with others, well you log onto a hero and mess on in Atlas. 

[Do you have a 'main'? What makes a main? What's the main things about your main that made it your main?]

16 hours ago, TinyBolt said:

 

 

On Live, it was a storm/elec def. I tried rolling her again on HC and realized defenders just weren't my thing anymore. It's interesting to see how I've changed as a player in all the years of City.

Interesting point, that. I LOVED Radiation Emission on Live but found I really couldn’t tolerate it on HC when we got CoH back. 

[Making Task Forces Challenging Again!]

I may be missing something but surely Task Forces can be as challenging as you want them to be?

 

Dr Infernus (Fire/NRG Blaster) is fully IO’d out and got all six T4 incarnates, but I did a +4 Kill All ITF last night and had great fun with it. No team wipes or anything but no breeze either. Sure, could’ve sped through it and boasted about how easy it was, but I’d have missed out on an hour of really good fun that way. 
 

I suppose how you define ‘difficult’ is the key to all this. It wasn’t difficult to survive or complete, but killing that many +4 (+3 for incarnates I know but +5s for sidekicks) bosses, EBs, and AVs isn’t a walk in the park either. It was just a nice balance between challenge and fun. 
 

But ultimately, you make it as challenging as you want it to be. Adjust mission levels, debuff yourself, buff foes, make yourself a weaker SO build and use that, whatever you want to do. 
 

Generally I think most people who complain about CoH being too easy don’t actually want to make it more challenging. They just want to tell people how good they are - which is fair enough btw. It is a superhero game after all. 🙂

[Do You Make the Same Character Over Again?]

I try not to, but I tend to default to my go-to’s a little too often I think. 
 

I’m a little hamstrung by the fact I really don’t enjoy melee, and I LOVE hoverblasting, so blasters, sentinels, and corruptors get very well used. 

[CoH community is divided between 5 basic groups that see things differently]

I love feeling really super and powerful, teaming through the levels, soloing sometimes, making cool builds, alting, challenges, task forces, raids, incarnate content, and socialising. 
 

Which group am I in? 

[Do you have a 'main'? What makes a main? What's the main things about your main that made it your main?]

Some really interesting replies! 

 

I've actually never remade the character I played most back on live. In my had I think I had almost mourned him and made peace with his loss! Very silly, I know!

[Do you have a 'main'? What makes a main? What's the main things about your main that made it your main?]

I've always been a bit jealous of people who can settle on one alt they proudly proclaim to be their 'main'. Right now I only seem to want to play two characters (Dr Infernus, Fire/EM blaster, and Arctic Envoy, Cold/Water defender) and it's probably as close as I've ever come to having a 'main'. I dislike melee immensely so this way I have DPS and a support to pick from depending on what the team needs. However, the elusive 'main' is still beyond my grasp. 

 

Have I just not loved one particular toon yet enough yet? 

Am I just not capable of having a main?

Am I alone in that, or are others similarly-minded?

Do you have a main? 

If so, what is it that sets that particular alt apart? 

 

Many questions, no mains. Help me out here.