1gecko

I was thinking on this - not sure the html equivalent, but we used to call it a 'screen scrape' - grabs the selectable text on a (portion or total) screen or incoming data stream. As long as you know the format the text is displayed (which in this case is known), it is a relatively simple script to parse through and copy the names you want, append the appropriate data fields each (like preceeding '@' for the in-game email system and then the reward data code to be given) and save to the appropriate file format that could then be uploaded into the game email. If they go by the current plan, it only has to be run once a month and then the GM only has to do two things: 1) run the program to gather & format the data, and 2) go into the game and import the data file (assuming there IS such a function - I would think there would be or that it could be built). If you used the earlier suggestion about 'constant contributors' being part of the award group instead of just the MOST contributors, it gets a bit more complicated - but not much. The actual 'process' could run on any desktop - set it up to run automatically however often you want/need for it to compile the data; every time it ran it would check the changes vs. last time per contributor and tally the difference X some modifier for the number of days since last change. Then whenever you are ready to award prizes, you would just take the top 5 from both data files and upload the 'final' data version to the email system and you are done. *IDEALLY* you would do this with a database back-end that compiled all your gathered data for easy use, browsing, and printing for later - and then have a function to "Output Reward File" in the appropriate format for the in-game email system (not sure how the game tracks emails - might even be possible to just 'append' it to the email data folder if the emails are different files). Of course, the hangup would be choosing the costume part of the reward! Probably be preferable to have the recipient just send a site email to the GM with the desired costume once the awards are announced and then the GM could manually select/imput the data into the email upload file.

weeellll, if you guys are taking suggestions 😉: * make a script that looks at the contribution data regularly to see not just the VOLUME/NUMBER of points that people contribute, but also how *consistently* they are contributing and have rewards for both groups - that way the people with the less 'beefy' systems who can't generate the sheer numbers are still recognized for their consistant/constant efforts. Maybe split the rewards 5 and 5 from each list for your "Top 10" (though no duplicates - if someone is already in from one list, take the next down from the other). * not sure how much this would be possible, but hey - should be mentioned: Badges! (not sure at what level they should be awarded if even possible)... probably at least two: for those above a certain point level: "I fought the Coronavirus and all I got was this lousy Badge" badge for those who hit the "Top 10": "Coronavirus Destroyer" badge (or 'Coronavirus Champion'... something similar) as much as most of us love our badges, this would be a wonderful reward (and inducement). * and for a method of 'delivery' so a GM doesn't have to do them personally / manually - the in game email system - you already have their global, so it should be RELATIVELY simple to automate for the game to 'send' them their rewards (and they claim them on the character they wish).

hmm.... ok, "Estimated Points" are obviously WWWAAAAAYYYY different than what are credited! ... I have been watching my log and have done numerous WUs with 'estimated' credit above 100,000 (over 10 out of my 14), yet my total points is barely above 200k (up to date by the time-stamp). Oh well - never thought I would be one of the top 10 (yes, HOPED obviously, but let's be realistic about it!!) and am doing this to hopefully make a difference. Love how the community of a game as old as ours (2004... that's what? 1700s in 'computer years'?) is rocketing up the scoreboard of contributors!! Always have said we have the best people - now we can prove it!

Thank you!

Wish I could *add* some nifty macros, but I really haven't been able to sink the time (and mental energy) in diving into it all enough to contribute. (ahh... Life, you're killing me - and everyone else!) Anyway, I can tell you one if would LOVE to see/find out: A marco/tray button that would switch my costume at the same time as toggling my Fly/Mystic Flight power AND switch it back when detoggling it. That would be sooooooo cool! (as a lot of wings just get in the way when you are walking/running around - makes clicking on things a PITA).

To those responding about it not being Winter EVERYWHERE / Some parts of the world / Etc.: 1) yes, we all know this - however as has been noted many times, Paragon City is in RI, U.S.A. 2) considering that there is over 2x the area of inhabited landmass (and NINETY percent of the world's population) in the Northern Hemisphere AND that Paragon City is *located* in the Northern Hemisphere - where it is Winter; pointing out that it isn't winter everywhere as a valid reason for removing the depiction of winter from Paragon is just trolling. Seasons changing in the game are a strong part of the immersive experience - even though this particular game takes place in an 'alternate' Earth where Superheroes are possible. I enjoyed the Autumn coloration changes too... and it would seriously cool if they added Spring instead of just transitioning straight to Summer. It is just another cool detail that makes this game great and I don't like the downplaying/shortchanging of it.

... but it is STILL very much winter! LOL!! Ask my achy knees and back... I totally understand ending the mission part, but the rest was nice - much more immersive.

Thank you!

Have to agree with the rest of the responders on this one: going with the powers that 'work' with the CHARACTER rather than the min/maxing for straight damage output and/or resilience is (and probably SHOULD be in almost all cases) the purpose of the game! after all - if we were just playing for min/max we would be playing some (boring) console game with ONE 'tank' character, one ranged damage character, one healer and one crowd controller as possibilities for the player to choose from! And that is NOT heroic (or villainous - depending on your desire)... I have (way too) many alts of character concepts that make AWESOME characters (were this a book) - admittedly some I don't play that much... And yes, a few of those are because of other player's reaction to the character and its powers! That said - some combinations, while great from a story/concept perspective, do NOT work out that well in practice. 😭 I have an Illusion / Force Field (bubbler) Controller that... well... from a game-play standpoint doesn't contribute that much to a team (especially with as *fast* as we go through missions / enemy groups now! who *needs* bubbles to stay alive anymore?) and *can NOT* solo; but her backstory and character concept are (in my opinion at least) awesome!

I am sure this has been asked and answered, but my (most likely feeble) attempts to search for it have not been fruitful =( [admittedly, I am operating on little sleep currently] If I slot a pet (say a Dominator pet - as I have more Dominators and Controllers than Masterminds) with an enhancement that has a proc, will the Pet's attacks trigger that proc? Or does only the proc only have a chance of happening when the pet is summoned? Also - though this is slotting for the character's Incarnate Abilities - I had read in Help chat that pets get the benefit of certain Incarnate bonuses/Abilities... but that is, you know, 'Help Chat' which is not necessarily reliable! Is this true, and if so, which ones (this was the bone of contention in Help chat - people couldn't agree if it was Alpha bonuses only, not Alpha, or Interface also). some actually (hopefully) informed information would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank you in advance

Ahh! did not think of that - will check again (they are almost the same level again 😉 - I trade off playing those two). And also, I will try to post screenshots so the apples can be compared to the apples. again - thanks all

Ouch - great example! But let's face it - NCSoft is not rich or powerful enough to challenge Disney even WITH an approved trademark 😉 !! Disney would just offer them a pittance for 'rights' (which they would be smart to take) or would just by the company out from under them (hostile takeover) and take it anyway rather than change the sign over the park entrance!

Yes, while Rathulfr's posts are completely correct, it really falls under a culture/emotion vs. reason/rationality/logic sort of question. And as that quote goes, "Where logic and reason go up against emotion, I always bet on raw emotion!" (by David Weber - I probably paraphrased it rather than got it exactly correct) Both by corporate culture and traditional culture of the country/region, NCSoft is VERY much "@#~& you all to Hell! I will spend my last drop of blood... sacrifice my last child! ...to hurt you for this imagined slight!" personality type.

Thank you for the replies! Yes, I realize that a Healing IO will boost the Regen/Absorb rate by the % bonus of the "Heal/Absorb" of the specific IO - I was indeed referring to the 'set' powers and Incarnate (primarily Alpha) powers that include a "+x% to Healing bonus" that do NOT apply to the power they are set in [even though logically it is a 'healing' set but the game engine treats differently]. And the similar problem with Absorb that, while your regen Absorb does get *some* boost off the Incarnate abilities, it is NOT at the listed percentage (the bonus % above cap for Alpha slot being easily measurable)! And I (at least) feel it is a valid issue. For example: I had two Sentinels both at the same level (mid levels), one a Regen secondary and one an Electrical (defense) secondary. The Electrical had an HIGHER Regen rate off of its sole 'regen' power with only 3 total slots (1 from power, 2 added) than the Regen secondary character with its ENTIRE powerset (and more heavily slotted 3 and 4 slotted powers)!! And yes, where able they had the same IO sets that offered +set bonuses to Regen (Overwhelming Force, etc.). Add in the increased defenses of the other defense secondary powers (Electrical in this case) and the additional added slots freed up that could be shifted to offense powers, and you get a HUGE difference in both durability *and* offense/damage in favor of the other powerset. And that just doesn't seem appropriate or balanced. And since the problem is amplified by IOs (and was never fixed in Live that I know of), it should probably be repaired through the IOs instead of messing with the entire powerset.

Thanks all for the clarification / answers! I appreciate it ... so basically it is a balance of "is the benefit of a lower level capped IO's secondary / proc effect worth shaving a few % points on the overall power - and possibly wasting a slot" sort of question.

A lot of IO's 'top out' at a given level - yet the Attuned versions (while having the same text as a set level version) DISPLAY bonuses all the way up to 50 (and the few I have experimented with seem to actually add that % bonus). Do they actually provide bonuses scaled all the way to 50 or is this just a display bug? Secondly (and I guess one of the devs would have to answer this): Does anyone know why there are Very Rare (Purple) IO sets in all damage types, defense types, and various control types but NOT in something as basic as Healing sets?

With everything back (thank you yet again!) to play - and the updates - I have been playing builds and ATs that I never bothered with much on Live. And along with this came a bit of disturbing info: Regen powers(ets) are largely hosed when it comes to slotting them (not that they weren't on Live). They can only be slotted (mostly) with Endurance Reduction, Healing and Recharge (if not ONLY Healing) and Healing sets. None of which offer bonuses to the power like other powers/powersets. The "+x% to Healing / Healing bonuses" don't apply - neither on IOs or Incarnate abilities. The only 'technically' benefit is an additional place to slot one of the various 'special' healing IOs (such as Preventative's Absorb proc enhancement) - which really isn't a benefit since it uses a slot and you could have just put that slot in "Health" and had the same benefit for the same number of slots used (it is not somehow 'stronger' or more effective for having been put in the regen power). A regen powerset's Absorb (ex: Instant Healing) power is the sole exception... kinda. It *IS* effected by the various Incarnate Alpha abilities that offer "+x% to Absorb" - but NOT at the listed percentage or bonus above cap (it is substantially lower - like less than 10% bonus even with a Paragon Alpha's +33% /+22% above cap listed bonus). Though again, the Absorb doesn't seem to be affected by the various IO powers either - you are just as well served (if not better served) by using the Crafted "Training" IOs and slotting straight Healing/Absorb. So I am really wondering WHY this is - if anyone knows, please share. And if I am incorrect on part of it (though I *KNOW* beyond doubt most of this is accurate by experimentation and talking with other Regen users), please share this also. It really needs to be fixed/adjusted somehow - it is EXTREMELY annoying to be grouped with an AT that doesn't even have access to Regen/Absorb powers and yet (because slotting) has a HIGHER Regen and Absorb that someone with that powerset! (especially since I am using every trick and gimmick I can find / read about to boost mine) It doesn't have to be some radical or lots of content (new IOs, etc.) fix - just adding a "+x% to Regen power" to some of the Healing IOs /Incarnate abilities to bring it in line with other power types would do.

Please Devs - add this! there are a number of costume items that are already in game with the only reason players can't use them on characters is the NPC only setting! While I can understand wanting to keep some things 'reserved' for Lord Recluse (or whoever) - even in our beloved comics heroes and villains often have similar (if not exactly the SAME) costume parts with no loss of impact (ex: Reverse Flash) It would also be great if more costume parts were added - and yes, I completely realize how much work that encompasses; but with the number of talented users that would be thrilled to do that work for FREE for you to review before you add it to the game (for obvious reasons), it is not insurmountable by any measure.

Hello! Please let me preface my observations with the following: 1) I am no-where near as focused and detail oriented anymore to achieve the awesomeness of many of the detailed write-ups! Sorry, that is just how it is (depression - and the meds for it - suck and destroy focus) 2) As such, my observations are just that: what I have experienced with playing my 4 Sentinels (none to 50 yet - but one is *really* close! 😉 ) and are thus opinions - so no big deal if you disagree with me (and please don't take it personally if I seem to disagree with you) Water Primary: As earlier noted - this pool has fantastic AOE potential compared to others with not just good amounts of areas, but great affects and quick recharges too (again, comparatively). For slotting, I put my AT specific enhancments in two of my 'quick' powers to get the most out of the procs and then slotted the others as seemed appropriate - but did not necessarily concentrate on using whole sets. My fastest ranged I used the Devastation set (as that Hold proc hits often and is REALLY helpful) - sure it doesn't have the BEST damage potential (though still good), but it is a low damage attack anyway - the recharge rate makes up for it. Most of my other powers are mix-slotted to maximize affect/potential with at least one status affecting (even if only a 'training' IO for debuff). Outcome: Damage is surprisingly high (for a Sentinel of my level) - and not just my opinion, many I have grouped with comment on it (including a number of rather grumpy Blasters!) and the range of debuffs, holds and knockdowns keeps even tough opponents busy (I have soloed Elite Bosses and an AV or two and survived). Rad Primary: Always like the Rad offensive set on my blasters and defenders back on Live, so definitely jumped on it for a Sentinel. It works well (though drastically thin on AOE), but slotting has proved.. interesting. Basically I have found it most helpful to slot rather unorthodoxly to be effective - either solo or in groups. I ended up (up to lvl 42 I think so far) slotting rather more heavily in Defense Debuff than usual - the power set doesn't kick out the high damage numbers even when you slot for damage output; however when you slot moderately for damage and go heavy on defense debuff it very quickly outpaces the straight damage slotting with only minor debuff enhancement. You aren't quick in combat (not quick kills), but the ramp function of the stacking debuff quickly makes your 'moderate' damage outpace more heavy damage options - and makes your group missions VERY effective. The character is nowhere near as brutal / offensively capable as the Water Primary Sentinel, but can definitely hold its own and is fantastic in boss-heavy missions with groups. Dual Pistols: Ok, going to draw fire (pun intended) on this one, but I have been very underwhelmed with this powerset on the Sentinel. On a blaster (or even corruptor) it can be really impressive, but its damage output seems really low comparatively and its rather minor status effects (even with cold ammo) don't really have the power to shift combat in your favor when soloing. Fights are MUCH more close (and often desparite) when the same level - same mission with the other Sentinels was boringly easy. This character is not as high a level, so maybe the upper levels open something up that makes a huge difference... (my 4th is just starting out, so not enough data to have a decent opinion really) Now, one reason I feel confident enough to put these into comparison public is that, after a number of false starts, all my Sentinels have the same Secondary: the much maligned (back in the Live days at least) Regeneration. Which lets me compare Primary pools on a fairly even scale. For a Sentinel, the Regeneration Secondary powerset cannot be undersold - it just plain ROCKS!! (again - my opinion). Only a couple toggles and the huge Endurance passive regen yield a character than can pretty much button-spam with impunity without worrying about running out. Add in Absorption (gained fairly early) and status protection that seems to laugh at pretty much any attempt to hold/sleep/stun/knockdown/etc. and for a non-melee damage dealer you are pretty much golden in almost any situation - and are tough enough that even when things do get 'close and personal' with an Elite Boss or such, you can shrug off all but determined and continuous attacks. Fighting the WarWalker (Elite Boss - "One Way Out" finale mission from Provost Marchand) I was able to successfully fight it (without dying) for over an hour until I was able to recruit a team to take it down (I could not get past that regen buff it gets at 1/3 health by myself). As such, I would definitely put this Secondary set as a serious consideration for anyone thinking of playing a Sentinel. Even running full Leadership toggles, power pool toggles, Epic pool toggle and without the endurance regen power fully slotted and no additional slots in Stamina, I can spam attack as fast as things refresh (constant outgoing attacks) and never run out of endurance unless something drains me. And really, you just can't beat that.

Old age is a superpower! sarcasm! Biting wit! cynicism! GRUMPINESS!! ... heck, you could almost make a great scrapper set out of it ;) oh, and what OP said +1,000! just so happy to have it back - missed the fun.