[Weaksauce]

Oh no, I don't need to go down this rabbit hole right now.

 

However, I see that I am judged to be significantly more funny than I am confusing.  All part of the five year plan...

[Focused Feedback: Reward Merits]

1 hour ago, arthurh35353 said:

Would it really hurt you to be AFK kicked at 30 minutes? At most, it would be an annoyance and you'd probably want to plan your time on more consistently.

 

Me personally?  If it was in regular missions, yes absolutely.  I appreciate your concern that I should plan my leisure time more consistently, but my ability to plan even a ten minute session without interruptions which, frankly are much more important than this game, is impossible.  Appreciate your privilege, my friend!

[Focused Feedback: Reward Merits]

19 minutes ago, sbloyd said:

Wouldn't reinstating the AFK timeout during AE fix that?

 

That would, but there's the argument that it would hurt a lot of casual players as well.  For example, I don't team that much because due to various complications, when I'm playing I will frequently and suddenly need to AFK.  Many times a session.  I don't do it in AE missions, but I could see how some might.  Also, I would have zero problems if they did reinstate it.

[Favorite in-game quotes]

To be honest, I'm not very fond of them either.  Three minutes is a *long* time to wait for Power Surge to wear off.

 

[Focused Feedback: Reward Merits]

1 hour ago, Bionic_Flea said:

It might go something like this:

 

 

I was thinking more like:

 

 

[Focused Feedback: Reward Merits]

7 minutes ago, Ukase said:

So, uh, no to any kind of dance off.

 

 

Boooo! 

 

 

 

[Oopsie - Yellow Salvage]

1 hour ago, Andreah said:

I use these macros. They won't open cards any faster than the rate limiter allows. 

 

In the past, I was able to open packs as fast as I could click the macro. That would occasionally cause it to stop opening them for a long while.

 

In recent months, I have not been able to open another pack until the fourth card in the current pack is turning over. I can click the macro, but nothing happens. It still may stop opening packs for a while, but this is less common than before. It also makes opening cards much slower and more tedious. 

 

I've never used the macros, just click and whatever, but yeah, try to open faster than one pack ~5 seconds and it hangs and takes even longer.  So opening 100 packs now takes, like, carry the 5, at least a minute and a half!  Ain't nobody got time for that.

[Focused Feedback: Reward Merits]

5 hours ago, Ukase said:

[stuff]

So what are the negative impacts from a farmer using emp merits to get reward merits? Is it because it's easy for them to do and other than the build, doesn't require much effort? What is it they want from the afk farmer? To stop using the server resources? All they have to do is say so, and set a policy of "no afk-farming if the server load is greater than 250" or some arbitrary figure. 

[stuff]

I simply suggest our HC devs state clearly what they're after. Then we can try to intelligently discuss how to get there from here. 


 

 

Hey dude!

 

Of course I thought of you when both the first and second iteration of these proposed changes were announced.  But what I'm about to suggest isn't a response to you, directly, so please know I'm not trying in any way to cause offense.  I'm responding mainly to the two un-stuff sections above.

 

I see a lot of "who does it hurt?" arguments in these forums.  And the answer, of course, is "I don't know".  Maybe the team has done a deep dive on /AH data and think there are way too many converters in the system (which I totally think is true, that there are too many, not that they've done a deep data dive).  Maybe one person said, "You know, AFK farming really grinds my gears!"  And I still don't know.  

 

I have all kinds of ideas about what does or does not make a healthy Homecoming experience (mostly from the /AH and economy side) and I share many of them with, well, anyone who will listen.  In fact, these forums are one of my favorite parts of this game!  But I also know that since I am not a decision maker, I'm not going to get too bent if they don't follow my suggestions, even though THEY ARE THE RIGHT SUGGESTIONS!  But there is no doubt that they made a lot of QoL changes, most for the better, that may not be so good for a population of ?10k active accounts?  I'm just guessing on that number but I think it's not a terrible guess.

 

But this isn't a cheerocracy, sadly.  And I understand the HC team may not know what their goals are, or may not know how to articulate them without hundreds of people saying "who does it hurt if...".  I, for one, do not know.

 

So I guess I don't really have a point, other than saying, I really enjoy trying to fix problems, and I've really tried hard to not get bent out of shape that people aren't listening to THE RIGHT SUGGESTIONS!!!

 

Also, I'm considering re-issuing my dance-off challenge to you where we each put up 500bn inf and winner takes all!

[Oopsie - Yellow Salvage]

It got a lot worse for awhile, and it seems better now but it's slow enough that I have a hard time maintaining enough focus to click slow enough for an extended period of time.

[Oopsie - Yellow Salvage]

100% agree.  Very well said.  Top to bottom.

[Forever Scrapper Contest: The Matching of Powers (part 2 of ?4?)]

On 7/18/2022 at 12:59 PM, BrandX said:

I say go for Staff/Bio.  Two powersets with stances in each one!  Also, I don't recall seeing it used much, so uniqueness!

 

On 7/20/2022 at 12:48 PM, Without_Pause said:

DB/ea. I feel like Claws needs less recharge while DB needs more for me to pull off the needed combos. /sr has a higher base recharge, but in decent enough sized mobs, /ea can win out. Plus, /ea offers -recharge so in essence it offers a greater net change in recharge between you and the mobs. (I see lightpunch added this before I finished)

 

Savage/ice. Yes, it is better on a Brute, BUT, Savage is offense heavy with lacking mitigation. /ice adds in a def based set and the ability to keep mobs around you with the -speed which will be nice for all of the DoT action you are bringing. Both sets are end friendly and Savage brings its own +recharge which again pairs nice with the -recharge /ice offers.

 

StJ/stone. Stone is one of the best overall armors. StJ is a rather well balanced set in terms of ST, AOE, mitigation. StJ has maybe(I forget) the second best cast times outside of specific attach chains. The biggest issue for its AoE is the size of the AoEs. /stone adds in a damage aura to help fill in that hole. 

 

Global: Without Pause

 

 

 

On 7/20/2022 at 1:09 PM, Xandyr said:

The only scrapper I have is an Energy Melee/Ninjitsu. It is a solid choice. With Energy Melee, it's mainly ST damage, but WOW! The crits are insane! And while it's mainly ST, Ninjitsu gives you enough defense to dodge most attacks while you're slaughtering mobs one by one. The Heal and the +end recovery are Godsends, as they recharge just quick enough that you'll have them up when needed.

 The most fun part about this combo is seeing when ET or TF crit, and you brag to your teammates about doing 1200-1500 points of damage (or more). It's flashy enough to keep your interest, but not a "I'm the absolute best ever and nothing will kill me". It's nice having a bit of a challenge. It keeps the  blood pumping. Will you die? Maybe. But IF you do, you can guarantee that you made it difficult for the enemy to do so, and you took several baddies with you.

 

I've been thinking about making another scrapper. However I'm almost afraid I'll be disappointed in any other combo.

 

global name is  Scarlett Angel

 

Thank you for the input, but to qualify for the payout, I need all eight (or twelve) matchups!  Feel free to repost or just edit your initial posts, I'm not fussy!

 

Thanks everyone so far!

[Oopsie - Yellow Salvage]

I used to subscribe to one of two views regarding the dev team.

 

1.  They are a well organized team with strong communication skills and the ability to manage a few thousand people.  They have significant amounts of data that they are able to analyze in real time and make well informed decisions about how to improve the playing experience of all.

 

2.  It's just one dude eating cheetos in their shorts making unilateral decisions because that's what he or she felt like at the time.

 

It's probably somewhere between these two, and it doesn't feel like it is consistent over time. 

 

I'm a trouble shooter.  I shoot trouble.  (Don't worry; it's non-lethal.  I use sedatives and release trouble someplace far away from me and ideally near the backyard of one of my enemies.)  I'm actually quite good at it.  I cannot make the assumption anymore that the folks running the show are going to make good decisions or ones that have been simulated or sufficiently tested.  I don't worry about who they are in real life, and don't worry if they are also regular posters under different names.  And I'm ok with that because I have to be.  Because the alternative is spinning up my own server and I have zero interest in that.

[Tip: Working Pocket D Bartenders]

I will generally tip the bartenders a goodly amount, but whoever is running Pocket D also needs to make sure they are being paid a living wage in salary and benefits.

[Level Up - Tokens]

14 minutes ago, Zeraphia said:

I have a conspiracy theory that you're making this post in an effort to game the system via your market manipulation techniques.

 

You cannot outrun your crimes.

 

I have Sprint 3-slotted.

[Level Up - Tokens]

Ten tokens would get 10 characters to 36.

 

[All zones changed to LEVEL 50 - thoughts?]

4 hours ago, Bionic_Flea said:

 

Cow-EL, aka Superbull begs to differ.

 

That's hardly a *secret*!

 

[Level Up - Tokens]

How about:

 

You take the amount of experience that it takes to level from 1-50, call it X.  (I realize I can look it up but I just don't care to.).  Make tokens that provide X/10 experience to a given character (immune to XP boosters).  Grant every *account* 10 of these tokens and make them tradeable on the /AH.

 

Everyone gets one free 1-50 level experience if they choose.  If they don't care, let the free market deal with it.

 

Don't allow any other way to achieve these tokens.

 

You can't stop people from making 100 accounts, but I doubt people will game the system that way because, ugh, effort.

 

Or, don't do anything.  Status quo is fine.

[Focused Feedback: Toxic/Psionic Mitigation Changes]

It seems to me that the purpose of this change is:  we have changed the way how damage is applied, more esoteric damage will be more important, let's rebalance by only adding esoteric defense and resistance to legacy sets that were designed with specific esoteric holes in previous times.

 

This is a slipshod process at best, and I hope that you have a lot, LOT more data than I think you have.  Good luck.

[Focused Feedback: Reward Merits]

10 minutes ago, Stormwalker said:

 

Yeah, I think we're stuck in a useless cycle of endless speculation until it happens.

 

Because what the right answer is really depends on what they are trying to accomplish.  And while i think many of us think we know what they are trying to accomplish, that's not the same as actually knowing.

 

Totes, but without context, many of us (myself included) make assumptions that may or may not be true, like "OMFG the devs listen to those two whiners and make changes that are worse for everyone else!"

 

And we will never, ever know if it's true or not!  (I really hope it isn't!)

 

It's a fine line between telegraphing moves (and therefore people try to game the system) and sharing information.  The US Federal Reserve is in a similar predicament (and they TOTALLY listen to whiners!).

[All zones changed to LEVEL 50 - thoughts?]

But we're going to keep the Secret Cow Level at 15, right?

[Focused Feedback: Reward Merits]

Part of the issue here is that we haven't (yet) heard what the devs are trying to accomplish.  I get that, so I try to back out what I *think* they want from the chain of events and the (so far) three things that have been put on the table.

 

1.  Status quo.  Clearly this is not acceptable to those guiding the game.  Ok.  Let's try to figure out why.

 

2.  Players (specifically lvl 50 players) cannot receive veteran levels and veteran rewards (Emerits) from AE missions.  Ok.  This specifically works against level 50 players who use the AE specifically to gain vet levels and Emerits.  So I assume that the devs want to curb that behavior for various reasons.  Personally, I like that, but that is because I am not one of those people, so I recognize my bias.

 

3.  #2 comes off the table for various reasons, and now Emerits can only be used for incarnate awards.  Ok.  Now I read the focus is not on people farming AE, but on how people spend their Emerits.  It's a *much* broader mandate saying:  incarnates are incarnates and inf is inf and one shalt not be used for the other.  Personally, I dislike this because it affects me personally, although not greatly.  I may or may not want to use Emerits for incarnate powers rather than items.

 

What confuses me (and I may be blinded by my bias) is #2 and #3 seem to be targeting two different behaviors, and that 3 is more onerous on a much much larger group of people.  Is the point to discourage the farming of Emerits for the purpose of turning them into other currency, or is it to remedy the interaction between incarnate activity and "the economy"?  Or something else entirely.

 

I'm looking forward to the Dev Diary when it comes.

[Focused Feedback: Reward Merits]

1 hour ago, tidge said:

 

I am confused about the economies of converting Empyrean merits to Reward merits to Recipes/ATOs.... or at least: confused about why take this path... I totally understand how this works, it's just that it seems so inefficient to me. Even rolling Empyrean -> Reward -> something else for AH sale doesn't seem as useful as it would be to just craft Incarnates and then run/play (Merit) reward-rich content (Hamidon Raid, Mothership Raids, TinPex, Weekly). I grok that these are different than an AE farm, but surely the extra farm rewards (occasional Empyrean merits) are either/both marginal or secondary.

 

 

 

I'm guessing it's because you can set up your farming alts, go to sleep, wake up, claim all emerits, delete character, make new character, repeat.  It's not that it is the most enjoyable way to obtain goods and inf, but it certainly is the best return for the least amount of active effort.  Or at least that is my read on it.

[All zones changed to LEVEL 50 - thoughts?]

I read on MySpace that only the insta-50s would get access to the last 5 incarnate powers when they raise the cap to 60.

[Is Casual Building Worthless?]

Nothing is "worthless", in my opinion.  (unless you are going completely unslotted until you level enough to load up your 50.)

 

But building is one of the mini-games, and there has been enough power creep over the years that it is trivial to come up with these fantastic builds that essentially incorporate 8 characters in one.  So you will probably almost always team with someone whose build is numerically superior to yours.

 

And that doesn't matter one bit.

[Slotting Ice Armor]

More thoughts:

 

Frozen Armor -- use your standard for defensive toggle.  For three slots I'll go with Lotg proc and two lvl 53 cytoskeletons.  A cheaper 4-slot idea is Lotg proc and 3 lvl 50 Shield Walls +5.

Hoarfrost -- I will generally either 5-slot it with Panacea or 6-slot it with Preventative Med

Chilling Embrace -- possible skippable, but focus on end reduction.  Slow caps very easily.

Wet Ice -- end reduction

Glacial Armor -- see Frozen Armor

Energy Absorption -- lots of choices here.  I get much more value from end mod sets than defense sets.  Worth 6 slots imo.

Permafrost -- possible skippable, or use as a res damage mule

Icicles -- possible skippable

Icy Bastion -- good power, slot for recharge.  Worth as many slots as you can put in (mostly muling) but my default is probably three Synapse's Shock for recharge and slow resist bonus.