Rahveryn

So, I have spent alot of time with new friends in the last few weeks, I just introduced to CoH. They are still in that phase where they make several new characters phase, so I've spent alot of time in the level 1-25 range this past month. So this is my experiance and opinion from that recent focus. TOs are crap, dropping them in favor of earlier DOs would be welcome. It's the first thing I do when I hit 12, fill all my slots with DOs. The cost should be adjusted, but for what it is worth, I make plenty of money auctioning off the occasional rare salvage, more then enough to pay for TOs and DOs. Fact is, you can play with TOs, or without any TOs and the difference is difficult to recognise in normal gameplay. There are not enough slots provided yet to make stacking TOs truly impacting, so DOs in those slots would create a noticeable upgrade, and makes getting those "+2 slot" levels almost as exciting as that "new power" levels. As far as SOs go, those few characters I've gotten up to that tier of power, rarely buy them, and never more then once. As soon as I'm able I replace them all with common IOs, and simply fill the new slots with increasingly bigger IOs as I go. Far cheaper, and plenty easy to obtain, then spending and replacing SOs every 5 levels from 25 to 50. I point this out simply to suggest that due to IOs, SOs have only a very short window of use in the current game. Making SOs avaliable a bit earlier has value. As for making visiting a vendor obsolete, nah. No change there. We'll still go to vendors to sell useless common IO recipies, and useless enhancements, frequently. Since this feature only upgrades existing DOs and SOs, it's just shortening that after leveling visit. Currently it is Ding (level), head to the trainer, get new power/place new slots. Head to the Vendor. Sell crap, buy new enhancements for new slots... notice you can now buy the next tier of enhancements (from 20 to 25). exit the store, open the enhancement screen, count how many enhancements you need to replace/upgrade all your existing slots, buy them, (this likely repeats a few times), then place them all individually. Then leave the store and head back out to join your friends who have been waiting patiently for you. Adding the upgrade button just speeds this up. With it, you do the same thing, notice you can upgrade to the next level tier, get your 1 to 3 new enhancements, exit the store, open up and click the upgrade button, then leave and rejoin your friends in missions in a quarter of the time. But you are still at the store when all this happens. Hense no change in behavior. So I'm in favor, and I appriciate this consideration. ------------------------------------------------ Now if only they could go into the Story Arc and universally increase their level caps to 50 (like live did with New Pretorians, RWZ , Midnight Squad, Cimmora,...). Oroboros is fine for badges, and seeing the stories, and what not, but it's not "real". I save Fort Darwin in Mercy from the contact, and the Fort has Arachnos in it afterward... I do it in Oroboros, it's still full of Longbow when I go by it normally. I get the Resistance Passcodes in Nova Pretoria doing those missions normally, but I do them in Oroboros, I'm still unable to use those doors when in Pretoria normally. Noble Savage is not in First Ward Compound if I do First Ward in Oroboros... etc. It would be nice to either Link Oroboros completions to equal doing it normally (and give the phases and friendship earned in the Flashback to the contacts in the regular world), or as I said, a more simple fix, raise the level caps for all Arcs to 50. You still get them at the same time, but don't get screwed because you went and did Posi 1 and 2, just to find out afterward that those contacts now tell you to pound sand.

Thanks for the heads up. I hadn't found that. Consider me content.

Can you not call the updates in sequential i(xx) names unless it is a significant content update? I've no particular issue with i25 being a rebirth, private streamlining issue title. However, i26 was little more than further streamlining of i25, as is the Sniper fix/update. It's still fixing the issues with i25 beta's incomplete mechanics. I'm thrilled with all of that, believe me, just don't call it "i26" or "i27". Now if a few enterprising people populated Kalisti Wharf, filled it with mobs, contacts, stories, and missions... that would be a good update to slap "i26" on. Maybe call the current streamlining work "i25.1" and "i25.2". Just a thought. I know I'm not a coder/dev type, so I'm thrilled with all the volunteer work done by SCoRE and others, but there is something meaningful about the issue titles. They shouldn't be used and ticked up on every patch. Thank you.

This seems like a bug. Progress a contact a little, outlevel, go back in Ouro and fill the bar. Never talk to the contact and out level then go back in Ouro and they still treat you like a stranger. Any way to fix this? I thought the point of Ouro was to go back in time and help out. Seems odd to go back in time and help them then have them still not know you in the present. I mean am I really going back in time, or am I just doing a fancy sim?

I'm enjoying the needed changes. Better to get them in now and establish a baseline. honestly these do not effect much outside a niche of builds. The ATs with snipe are not even the most prevalent classes I find being played in my grouping experiance. Perhaps these is a reason? People tend to gravitate toward playing the toons they enjoy the play of. Hense all the meleeists, masterminds, and controllers. Keep it up guys, love playing on your server, love being part of this community again. I still think they should finish the circle and apply enough +to hit in the 50 Snipe IO sets to hit the +22% threshold, making a 5 Set investment in Snipe a natual progression into full use of this mechanic, and still limit it from use at the lower levels. This also does not mean you cannot monkey around and get it differently or earlier if you are clever, but for those of us just doing it without all the min-maxing, we can wait and have it at endgame.

Might go a long way to finishing the concept of Quick Snipe if you tweaked the Snipe IO sets or Blaster ATO sets to add 22% To Hit. Tactics was never meant for Blasters, the crappy return for using it is testament to its intended discouragement. (Alot of powers are taken against theme simply to allow set bonuses or mules for LotGs +Recharge IO. Imho). Altering the Sets to organically apply the +22% to hit as either a 3 or 4 peice set bonus or s stacking bonus with 3-4 pieces of the set that combine for +22% works better in my opinion then a single unique IO (though that is certainly an option, the market will make that punitively expensive) and add the option for To Hit enhancement to be slotted in Snipes that combine for +22%. Having to slot 3 To Hits for instant Snipe will be a trade off against min maxing with SO's and having it as a set bonus or part of the level 50 Sniper Sets will give you the full effect at endgame. Further, I'm on the opposite end from Azrael. I have no interest at all in having the Instant Snipe tied to BU or Aim. I'd rather Snipe be a superior/slow instant normally and if you use BU+Aim forces the Slow but Extreme/long Snipe. Thanks.

I might be wrong, but I think the goal is simple. Problem.. Blasters are supposed to be the hardest hitting AT in the game baseline. As evidence, their survivability is crap becuase the expectation is they will likely kill the group before they die. They however fall behind Strappers/Brutes, who beat them in damage and have solid to amazing survivability. The devs determined that this is because Blasters lack a 3rd hard hitting ST ranged attack within their rotation. Fire, Ice, and Beam, break this trend... the reason? They have 3 ranged ST attacks a Moderate/Fast, a High/Moderate, and a Superior/Slow (Fire and Beam actually have those and a snipe too). It is no wonder then why Fire and Beam are kings of the Damage Sets for Blasters. However, they could not shoehorn in another attack onto those sets that lacked that 3rd heavy attack, so I think they decided to add a feature that would convert that Snipe into that attack. Then they did not finish the job and the game shut down before it left Beta. So now our Hard Working friends are taking up that mantle for them (thank you very much). I have to disagree with Azrael though, I am all in on that Aim+BU > Snipe attack, and if doing that puts you in combat and you lose the damage bonus for the "slow" attack, it loses it's "soul". Instant Snipe in combat would fix those blasters that lack a 3rd ST ranged attack (which is most). It's just a matter of tweeking it so that it keeps it's original flavor. Maybe tie it to Defiance (if defiance is buffing it is instant)? For what it is worth, I like the animation timing of the 1.33 cast time. Maybe allowing Blasters to take Fire's Blazing Bolt animation as an alternative in power customization might be a better fix for that complaint. I never really understood why there are two traits that do the same thing. Why is there ACC and a To Hit? Two separate traits that buff the formula that determines whether your attack lands? Why? Just combine them, and allow +ACC enhancements to enhance powers like Tactics and Aim. It seems clunky.

First, the WIP counterers? I'm all in, love the idea, but as expected, feels like a "Mod", not a core feature. Paragon/Cryptic had a good idea with shrinking and darkening the button and it then having it grow as then light up, but it did not to a great job in exactness. "It is ready yet? looks full. Why isn't it ready yet? How long will this take?" were often questions I thought while playing. The Counters take all that out and I'm more able to time my stuff. Now I know, at a glance. Thank you. Any way to polish it up in the UI? On to the Snipe... I'm not a numbers guy. I prefer a feel. I played around on a clone of my old Live Blaster (Elec3 blaster, was near max incarnate on live, only level 12 on HC. What can I say, I'm planning to level him, but I'm more into my Controller atm) I used Zapp alot in live, never left my build from Launch, through several respecs. One of my favorite powers. I loved that I could 1-shot lts as an opener. Bang, kill the Lt. Toss in a LB as I run in to PS+SC, goodbye Endurance sucker, Shocking Grasp+Cage to hold the Boss, few blasts and some melee to take out the remaining Minions, couple more punches and blasts to bring down the Boss, and end it with that charged up Zapp at the end, while he is stuck in the cage still, watching me, knowing he is helpless, and Boom, dead boss. That was solo obviously, but I loved it. In groups, I enjoyed running in and shutting down the whole mob, sniping the runners (or better, caging the runners, then snipping them... I dunno, Cage then Zapp was a fav combo of mine.) So when I read about the Snipe I was worried about losing that "feel". So I jumped on Test, just a few SOs, did not go nuts building a God. I love in initial hit of Snipe, feels better then I remember. (love the "Snipe" tag, lol) It's a little faster, hits as hard as it was always billed to do (and more then on live). No complaints. Keeping the range while in combat was appriciated. Zapp is not Zapp without it's range. As a blaster, this one attack, I need to not have to worry if it will hit or not. It's aimed, Takes time, Big charge up, amped with Aim and BU. It should never miss, and it should not be ranged out. (unless you are being silly at the extremes, but in "normal" play, I should not have to worry about whether or not a target is in range). In Combat, I did not notice any difference. I still had the charge up time (maybe it felt shorter?), even if the Instant circle was up. Felt fine. The In combat fell off quickly enough that it did not get in the way of being able to use Zapp OOC again, when the time was "right" which was my biggest worry. Nothing would frustraite me more then wanting to set up a Snipe on a new target in a new group and being blocked by a static IC counter. It needs to fall off in a reasonable and worry free time after one combat ends and I'm about to start another. The timers seem to be in a place where I feel okay. I'm concerned about a static IC timer in conjunction with much faster recharge rates however In concept, I'm good with a mechanic that turns my snipe into a 3th ranged ST attack. CB quick and moderate, LB high but slower, Zapp extreme and slower still. Fits a needed niche. CB>LB>CB>Zapp>Cb>LB>CB>Zapp feels solid. Just as long as the mechanic that makes that work, does not get in the way of doing a real snipe when I want to. On a side note... Manditory pool powers to make a power work was a bad idea then, and a bad idea still. This is why the Fitness Pool got baked in. Every body took Fitness to get Stamina. Everybody. That is 3 powers off of every build. So they baked them in. Wise move. Noticing a needed gap and building in a fix (making snipe instant in combat as a ranged ST DPA filler was a good idea), but then locking it behind needing a Pool Power like Tactics (2 power invested) or a Patron Power Pool with Mind Link, or an IO like Kismet, etc. is just bad design. No Core function should be locked behind IOs or Pool Powers. Ever. (Find another way to delay instant snipe it till mid levels). So I completely agree with the HC team working this problem. Thank you.