Personal Issue with AE and the slower slog of normal content.

[eldriyth]

I am frustrated because every single character that I create and try to get through the normal game solo, ends up going to AE because the experience of normal content can't even come close to matching it. However, if the AE option was not there players would be forced to go through normal content regardless. Having this 2 hour boost to 50 option just ruins the game completely. I think something needs to be done to make old content worth it again. Why even allow this monstrosity to exist? This is coming from a dude with a Alpha + 3 unlocked Spine/Fire brute. I have actually deleted over 2 level 50s I power leveled because I just can't get into them. I feel like I didn't even earn them.

 

And if AE is dealt with, make normal content more plentiful for a solo player. How about making missions where you have to kill all NPCs reward like 10 elite bosses worth of exp at the end? Something that feels nice as a reward.

Edited October 15, 2019 by eldriyth

[Rodumas]

10 minutes ago, eldriyth said:

I am frustrated because every single character that I create and try to get through the normal game solo, ends up going to AE because the experience of normal content can't even come close to matching it. However, if the AE option was not there players would be forced to go through normal content regardless. Having this 2 hour boost to 50 option just ruins the game completely. I think something needs to be done to make old content worth it again. Why even allow this monstrosity to exist? This is coming from a dude with a Alpha + 3 unlocked Spine/Fire brute. I have actually deleted over 2 level 50s I power leveled because I just can't get into them. I feel like I didn't even earn them.

 

And if AE is dealt with, make normal content more plentiful for a solo player. How about making missions where you have to kill all NPCs reward like 10 elite bosses worth of exp at the end? Something that feels nice as a reward.

Why does your experience in the game have to affect how other players choose to play it? Just because YOU couldn't get into your characters, the rest of us have to feel your pain?

 

I don't think I've ever read a more selfish post.

[ShardWarrior]

5 minutes ago, Rodumas said:

Why does your experience in the game have to affect how other players choose to play it? Just because YOU couldn't get into your characters, the rest of us have to feel your pain?

I'm wondering the same thing myself. 

[Prime Elway]

CoH's pretty boring to a lot of people before they have all their powers. Or before they have IOs. Or before they have incarnates. Reinforcing an outdated, sloggy grind doesn't solve anything, especially since there's still tons of teams and task forces calling out for people which means there isn't really a problem. Beyond farming, AE allows players to make more interesting, invested content than what's in-game, take on more challenges than what appears in-game (with EB mobs, AV mobs, etc.), and just downright have more fun than what is available in-game. So, you know, that's why it exists. This game does sandbox customization really well and AE is a massive part of that. 

[Frostbiter]

Hoo boy. IBPLTFM.

[Lines]

I keep eating junk food. The government should shut down McDonalds.

[Schizophobia]

29 minutes ago, eldriyth said:

I am frustrated because every single character that I create and try to get through the normal game solo, ends up going to AE because the experience of normal content can't even come close to matching it.

sorry you're struggling my dude. there's always gonna be an optimal way to play for whatever you want to do. if it wasn't ae, it'd be something else. but hey, some people enjoy ae, no skin off my back or yours either, really. try to chillax, maybe take a break. if you're not having fun, don't force it. but im not your boss, you do you 🙂

 

11 minutes ago, Frostbiter said:

IBPLTFM.

what does this mean, im so curious? my brain said i been peepin long time for money, but i don't think that's right probably.

[Itikar]

If you don't like AE farming don't do it, seriously. I am new and did not like the idea of AE farming myself for several reasons, I prefer to play story arcs because they offer more varied content and thus they let me learn how to play my character through trial and error.

 

On the other hand I like the idea that there are faster ways to go at it, should I want to, such as AE, DFB, etc. Not to mention that Architect content allows not only to make farms but also to make serious story content.

[Frostbiter]

2 minutes ago, Schizophobia said:

sorry you're struggling my dude. there's always gonna be an optimal way to play for whatever you want to do. if it wasn't ae, it'd be something else. but hey, some people enjoy ae, no skin off my back or yours either, really. try to chillax, maybe take a break. if you're not having fun, don't force it. but im not your boss, you do you 🙂

 

what does this mean, im so curious? my brain said i been peepin long time for money, but i don't think that's right probably.

In before people lose their fucking minds. You've hit a sore (for whatever the hell reason) subject. Players get extremely defensive of their AE around here.

[eldriyth]

6 minutes ago, Frostbiter said:

In before people lose their fucking minds. You've hit a sore (for whatever the hell reason) subject. Players get extremely defensive of their AE around here.

I could understand completely if I was some nub cake complaining people were getting power leveled. That would be unfair of me. However, I have actually deleted level 50s I power leveled because I just feel like I didn't earn them.. I know this is a strange ass personal feeling and some people couldn't give two shits less. I just overall think the experience of normal content needs to get boosted up big time. Exp is way too slow for a solo player. Where (I hate to say this because I am sick of WOW) games like WoW give the solo player a fast and smooth exp to max level without gimmicks like AE. Of course, some people just buy their level 110s now too.. *sigh*

[Draugrok]

Slower =/= Obsolete

 

I'm not sure what serve you're on, but on Excelsior I still see plenty of groups outside of AE looking for team members.  TF's abound and so do radio missions which are generally better XP than arcs for time spent.  

 

Want to do arcs?  Make a group.  There's lots of folks eager to team but for whatever reason refuse to create and advertise a group in the LFG channel.  Find people that play the way you want to play and leave the others alone to do as they will.

[mcdoogss]

11 minutes ago, Frostbiter said:

In before people lose their fucking minds. You've hit a sore (for whatever the hell reason) subject. Players get extremely defensive of their AE around here.

It's not defensive to point out that the existence of AE only affects OP because he/she can't control his/her compulsion to level as fast as possible.  

 

There are always teams forming for radios/arcs/tf/trials plus access to all arcs via ouro, there is no impediment to 'normal' leveling created by the existence of AE.

Edited October 15, 2019 by mcdoogss

[eldriyth]

2 minutes ago, mcdoogss said:

It's not defensive to point out that the existence of AE only affects OP because he/she can't control his/her compulsion to level as fast as possible.  

 

This is pretty spot on.. I do think this is a personal issue honestly.  Changed topic title.

Edited October 15, 2019 by eldriyth

[Frostbiter]

Just now, mcdoogss said:

It's not defensive to point out that the existence of AE only affects OP because he/she can't control his/her compulsion to level as fast as possible.  

 

Please forward all correspondence to the proper poster. I don't have anything else in this fight other that pointing out how everyone reacts like the OP has personally threatened to cut their genitals off. You yourself made both accusation and assumption in one line.

[mcdoogss]

2 minutes ago, Frostbiter said:

Please forward all correspondence to the proper poster. I don't have anything else in this fight other that pointing out how everyone reacts like the OP has personally threatened to cut their genitals off. You yourself made both accusation and assumption in one line.

You asserted that people responding are defensive.  I countered that claim.  You are wrong, and you just did it again doubling down on your assertion that people are now violently defensive. No one is over reacting but you are still constructing straw men.

Edited October 15, 2019 by mcdoogss

[mcdoogss]

Also, to the OPs point if AE didn't exist people would farm portal missions like the old days.  Removing AE or AE farm maps will never remove farming.

Edited October 15, 2019 by mcdoogss

[Frostbiter]

Hey, I'm just having fun. Don't look for me to get defensive about it.

[mcdoogss]

8 minutes ago, Frostbiter said:

Hey, I'm just having fun. Don't look for me to get defensive about it.

You are replying a lot for someone who isn't defensive.  Were you 'just joking' bruh?  'Relax it was just a joke' right?

[MisterBernie]

Personally, I agree on the point that old content, especially blueside, is in dire need of an overhaul. I've slowly, patiently leveled my first toon to 50... and had to turn off XP quite a few times b/c I wanted to run the arcs at their appropriate level range instead of having to go through Ouro for the badges where possible. And I gotta say, while it was all very nostalgic and brought back some good memories, I don't exactly feel an urgent need to replay a lot of the content for my next toon, either. A lot of old content is just a tedious slog through same-y missions, same-y maps, and annoying structuring (defeat all blue cave in Zone A, talk to contact in person in Zone B, defeat all blue cave Zone A, delivery in Zone C, escort hostage in Zone D). I'd be all in favour of overhauling older missions and storyarcs to integrate newer mission features (more complex and unique maps, interactive text boxes in mishes instead of clues, cutscenes, choices, etc), even before adding new content.

 

I don't agree on saying AE needs to be removed, either, though. Especially after going through pretty much all old content recently, I can understand wanting to quickly get to a point where you can run fun power fantasy incarnate content, even if I myself don't exactly jump at the prospect of powerleveling my next toon either (because I too feel like I want to "earn" my 50 through the progress of building them up).

Also, while farming is obviously a very prominent, very contentious subject in the community, there are people who like to create their own stories. I mean, there's also farms with stories.
And personally I like creating a personal background arc for my favourite toons, both old and new, even if I'm the only one to play them (which is not a complaint, I'm just not a good advertiser).

 

ETA: If, as you put it, you have to force players to go through certain content, and that's a sizeable part of the player base, that should tell you that there's a problem with that content instead of a problem with what they're preferring to play.

Edited October 15, 2019 by MisterBernie

[Frostbiter]

1 minute ago, mcdoogss said:

You are replying a lot for someone who isn't defensive.  Were you 'just joking' bruh?  'Relax it was just a joke' right?

Yeah, I do that. I have a really bad habit of forum posting.

[Abraxus]

I'm sure everyone would love for there to be a top-to-bottom refresh on the mission content.  The problem is, this is still essentially a rogue server, operating on voluntary monetary contributions, being tended to by all volunteer staff.  While I'm sure they'd love to be able to provide even a small percentage of what you suggest, the idea was to just be able to play CoH again.  The fact that we got the updates/changes that we have is nothing short of miraculous.  Now, things could change if the deal with NCSoft goes through.  Advertising to the world without fear of legal retribution, in order to attract a larger player base, and from there, begin to map out what is possible in terms of baseline changes.  But, at this juncture, I just don't see it being possible. 

 

Heck, news of the deal could come at any minute, and totally blow everything I just said out of the water.  But, as things are at this moment, QOL, and some cool stuff will likely come our way sooner, than later.  However, the big ticket items are probably not in the foreseeable future.

[Shred Monkey]

I completely agree with the OP's opinion....   Except I disagree with the part where he decides that he should go back to AE. 

 

You see, what I do instead is this.   I don't go to AE farms... ever.   I pretend that place doesn't exist.  I try not to sick up at seeing it.

 

And I love this friggin game.  

 

[eldriyth]

9 minutes ago, Shred Monkey said:

I completely agree with the OP's opinion....   Except I disagree with the part where he decides that he should go back to AE. 

 

You see, what I do instead is this.   I don't go to AE farms... ever.   I pretend that place doesn't exist.  I try not to sick up at seeing it.

 

And I love this friggin game.  

 

That's my problem.. I get to a point where everything is such a goddamn slog in normal content while I am excited to get the new power or slots coming up that I just give up and take the path of least resistance. Mainly because it's available. Let's take Classic WoW vs Retail WoW for example.  There are no 50% exp bonuses in Classic from Heirloom sets so I can't equip them if I even wanted to. However, I can't EVER make a toon on retail without using Heirlooms because I just can't take the harder route when the easier one is available. Sometimes forced blockades and restrictions are needed to make a game better.

Edited October 15, 2019 by eldriyth

[Black Zot]

4 minutes ago, eldriyth said:

That's my problem.. I get to a point where everything is such a goddamn slog in normal content while I am excited to get the new power or slots coming up that I just give up and take the path of least resistance. Mainly because it's available. Let's take Classic WoW vs Retail WoW for example.  There are no 50% exp bonuses in Classic from Heirloom sets so I can't equip them if I even wanted to. However, I can't EVER make a toon on retail without using Heirlooms because I just can't take the harder route when the easier one is available. Sometimes forced blockades and restrictions are needed to make a game better.

 

So the rest of us have to suffer for YOUR lack of impulse control?

 

The door is that way. -->

 

Go play something else if you want hardmode.

[eldriyth]

1 minute ago, Black Zot said:

 

So the rest of us have to suffer for YOUR lack of impulse control?

 

The door is that way. -->

 

Go play something else if you want hardmode.

Not trying to make anybody suffer my dude. More-so make normal content especially for a solo player a much faster and smoother experience. I even added a suggestion of 10 elite bosses worth of exp/infamy for completing missions that require you to kill enemies.