GraspingVileTerror

Ah. Fair enough. Been a while since I managed to experience that bug. You going to make a report in the Bugs board, @TheZag?

I think you're going to have to explain it to me.

Oh, no no. I think the suggestion is that it's once per character, @Zepp. Once you unlock the Merits, like the Exploration Accolades, that's it for that character.

This is a low-key brilliant solution to quite the irritating mechanical issue, honestly! Well done, @Sunsette! Along with the Free P2W Toggles that were added recently, this would be a great option. Hell, all it would have to do is apply an unresistable debuff to the Stealth Range of your character, effectively also incre- . . . oh . . . increasing your aggro range . . . uhoh Ok. So, maybe my solution has the potential for griefing. Problematic, but whatever. It's workshoppable!

I've been periodically watching this thread, and I think it's done a better job than many at addressing some important issues. But I still notice some talking in circles and broad assumptions on certain points, and plenty of evidence of many people using the same words but having wildly different perspectives. I would like to encourage anyone who has ever felt that something "should" be a certain way to carefully re-examine how they got to that belief. If they happen to realize a personal preference is at work anywhere in that process, then I also recommend carefully examining where that preference came from, what it means to that individual's personal play experience, and then (very importantly in an MMO, especially City, for a number of reasons) consider if there's even a remote possibility that such an assumption runs contrary to the personal experience of others. And I stress this part: Not what one -assumes- the personal experience of others to be, but the actual personal experience of those other people. Therein lies the biggest challenge, I think. So many people seem so utterly confident that they have "the other guy" pegged, and I'm sitting here thinking "you two* aren't talking to one another. You are talking -past- one another." I think it's great that the community is wrestling with these big ideas. It'll help immensely when we start to work toward sustainable development. Please, just remember that what City -means- to people here is incredibly different. It is not EVER "just a game," even if some players want it to be.

If your character is ever renamed due to a violation of the Code of Conduct, then it will appear as "Generic#######" where the numerical value is . . . actually, I don't know. Is it random, sequential, or is it an ID code? In any event, if you ever find your character renamed to a Generic, then you should also receive an email from a GM explaining why. If not, then users should contact the GMs in private to establish the reason and correct course of action to take.

I understand your point of view, @JayboH. I'm not a fan of the clandestine stuff either. Not remotely in the slightest. And the costs do add up, and there are a number of reasons any of us can be uncomfortable with that. But at the very least the Homecoming Team have been very open and direct about where the money is going in a lot of ways. More so than commercial publishers/studios ever do, despite the fact they -should.- While it would be ideal to have a breakdown of finances which could reveal what particular legal services are actually being paid for, I think this is a field where greater transparency is regrettably not going to be forthcoming, even -if- negotiations are successfully completed some day. It would be quite the bold move to actually reveal something like all the details of a negotiation with a video game publisher! Pretty much unheard of, short of a lawsuit forcing the information out during discovery. So, operating with the knowledge we presently have, I think the best we can do is ensure any potential donors are fully aware of what's known, and encourage the Homecoming Team to be more forthcoming as possible. 1: Legal fees are a part of the monthly donation, and donors do not get to choose which departments of Homecoming LLC their money is spent once sent to Homecoming. 2: The cost of the legal negotiations (or lackthereof) are at least likely parcelled with the overall legal fees. This is not confirmed, but reasonable conjecture based on implied messages in official statements from Homecoming Team members. 3a: Individuals who do not agree with this policy of secrecy (or any other policies enacted by Homecoming) may choose to withhold their potential donations at the individuals' sole discretion. 3b: Until such time as Homecoming demonstrates actionable information to meet those individuals' needs to confidently feel their informed consent has been sought, it's reasonable for those individuals to decline sending donations. 4: Homecoming's mission statement and messages made by members of the Homecoming Team have stated that you do not need to donate to play, and that donors do not receive any substantial preferential treatment. While this is not necessarily always going to be the case, it has remained true so far, and the Homecoming Team probably recognize that ever reneging on that would be very terrible optics, even if they felt they had justifiable cause. 5: Up to this point, there has been no evidence to suggest the Homecoming servers are at risk of shutting down, as there appear to be sufficient donors willing to provide their money with the current policies. Everyone should feel comfortable knowing that contributions are still being made to maintain the servers here, and therefore should not feel undue pressure to donate if they're uncomfortable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDXa6OLzStg

Not to say anything which might be a breach of the Code of Conduct, @ZorkNemesis, but there have historically been . . . "ways" to get some costume pieces which are disabled from players normally using them. Such as the Arachnoid back claws, which a winning player had used in one of the earlier official Costume Contests. That player's win was rescinded when it was revealed to be the case, but it put a spotlight on the possibility.

We can do better than hope! We can write it ourselves! . . . . . . and then hope the Devs approve it.

I appreciate you admitting to the . . . problematic nature of Graves' arc. Beyond that? Keep on keeping on, @Snarky. Redside Bestside. (and Mercy DOES suck. Compared to the glory and majesty that is Port Oakes! I mean, yeah, Oakes could use more Contacts and a Level 8 Strike Force, but it's just such a beautifully-crafted map. So much character and vibrancy! (In all seriousness, Mercy Island is great too, but I just prefer Oakes so much more.) )

Probably. And it's still something I'd like as an option.

Enraged Miner 1: Little Bill didn't deserve this. Enraged Miner 2: Deserve had nothing to do with it. Enraged Miner 1: Yeah. Enraged Miner 1: You know he was building a house? Enraged Miner 1: But I tell ya, he wasn't much of a carpenter.

I never did see the context on that one.

Still works, and it's fun to have.

Better and clearer communication to players about what their choices will do to their play experience is an absolute priority, so I appreciate your efforts in encouraging any of the Devs in that regard, @GM Impervium.

As a Controller, I use terrain to my advantage to get two applications of my Hold on a Boss before they can hit me. Blasters I pop Build Up and Aim right before laying EVERYTHING I have on the Boss in an effort to bring them down straight away. Defenders are generally the one where I have the most trouble, but terrain and tactical movement help significantly for all Archetypes. Granted, in all of those scenarios, that's assuming just SOs and no P2W goodies. Which . . . honestly, hasn't really been the case for a long, long time.

I just play game audio AND my playlists or youtubes simultaneously, sometimes while on Teamspeak too. Is sound multitasking not a popular activity for others?

Oo . . . good point, @Darmian. Sounds like someone could write a short horror pulp about The Eternal Hell of Blue Spectrum.

100%, although I believe the Devs said something about needing strafing and walking backward animations first for other walk cycles. Which reminds me . . . how about Monkey-Hop as a Walk Toggle? That one has side-strafing and backpeddling animations already!

Hell, I wouldn't mind seeing ALL Badges reward some measure of Merits. Get the Gold, Silver, and Bronze on the Bunny and get a Merit. Get a Bronze on the Big Slope to get 1, Silver for 2, and Gold for 3. Any Defeat 100 Minions Badge gets you 1 Merit. Any Defeat 100 Lts. gets you 2. Defeat Boss gets you 3 for lower levels and 5 for the tougher ones. 10 for those fuggin' Fake Nemeses or the Titan Mechs. 100 for the Carnies, because. Lots of options to explore here!

I'd gladly run at -4. Bypass as much of the tedium as possible to get the to good stuff, like content.

I wouldn't necessarily describe their sound effects in quite those terms, but yes. They've always woozled and wargled.

I mean, if you want the ABSOLUTE fastest way . . . https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/12679-rapid-isolator-badge-and-taxi-services-available-on-everlasting/ The Devs patched the hole of the enterbase command, but I still have my services available to folks who want a quickie Isolator.

I wish to learn more, @Kid Omega!