Please Give Us the Option To Remove This...

[Radiaria]

Please GM's give notice to this idea that really needs to be highlighted: the crab backpack being FORCED on costumes.

 

Crab is objectively advantaged in comparison whether that be survivability or DPS in comparison to other builds (not saying they're not worth playing or "bad") but I think you should be allowed to take the pets and use the powers that Crab offers and not be forced to use a Crab backpack on ALL my costumes.

 

Fortunatas/Night Widows are NOT forced to use certain costume pieces once they go to the Tailor and unlock their 2nd costume slot they are 100% free to do whatever they want design-wise.

 

I do not understand why in 2019 we should be FORCED to wear this backpack anymore. This is not a hard fix for the Devs. Please consider this for the next patch. 

[Call Me Awesome]

That’s why I never played one.  I’m not sure what animation issues it might cause though.

[Lazarillo]

2 hours ago, 3333053222 said:

This is not a hard fix for the Devs.

Standard Code Rant applies.

Edited October 18, 2019 by Lazarillo

[Odhinn]

1 hour ago, Lazarillo said:

Standard Code Rant applies.

I have never that "Standard Code Rant" before. I love it !

[Lazarillo]

39 minutes ago, Odhinn said:

I have never that "Standard Code Rant" before. I love it !

Ironically, since I never really got into any communities for games I played prior to CoH, I didn't realize that it had basically been coined here.  The couple of times I mentioned it in discussions while playing SWTOR, people always gave me the "hell you talkin' about?" treatment, which was just a huge shock.

[Lunchmoney]

This appears to be a suggestion for the devs. Therefore I suggest this is posted, or moved, to the suggestions forum.

https://forums.homecomingservers.com/forum/45-suggestions-amp-feedback/

[SaintD]

"This is not a hard fix"

Says who? You?

Look, you chose the AT that lets you become a Crab Spider, you played it for 24 levels, then you chose to be a Crab Spider. Crab Spiders basically are their backpack and after all those choices and all those levels.....oh no wait, I have to wear the Crab Spider backpack to be a Crab Spider!? What a surprise!

You can't get rid of the backpack because Crab Spiders need it, the same way every other AT with a weapon has to actually use that weapon. End of.

Edited October 18, 2019 by SaintD

[Itikar]

For roleplay or civilian stuff you could always create an alternate alt who has all the costumes and the same face but without the backpack. Or even more than one if you want a larger wardrobe. It's probably a quicker personal fix at least for the time being.

[Kaika]

Personally, I have to agree with OP, we need a way to hide it, at least. I play huntsman, and I really wanna use the crab for the better pets and toggles but I have no plans to actually use the crab back pack at all (I just use my gun). It limits my build since I don't want a ugly back pack ruining all my costumes, no other AT suffers from this issue. Even if its a work around like a invisible back pack but its technically still there, I will take it.

 

As others have stated though this really should be in the suggestions forums.

Edited October 18, 2019 by Riot Siren

[Odhinn]

1 hour ago, Riot Siren said:

... no other AT suffers from this issue. ...

Stone Armor?

[Doc_Scorpion]

1 hour ago, Riot Siren said:

no other AT suffers from this issue

No other AT is built around a specific weapon and powerset...  Except for oh, any number of others such as Katana, or Dual Blades, or any number of toggle/aura based powersets.
 

 

1 hour ago, Riot Siren said:

I really wanna use the crab for the better pets and toggles

If you don't want the backpack, then you don't get the AT's abilities.  It's a simple as that.

[Llewellyn Blackwell]

My bigger gripe was always with the inability to pick alternate claw options on widows. I get the widow specific uniform uses their issued claws. but for other  outfits it seems od that weapon appearance customization is locked out on them.

 

As for the spider back pack, well plenty of examples now days of characters like Iron Man with his armor basically able to magical girl style appear on him. So having the backpack upgraded to being nanotech and able to hide within ones body when not in combat doesnt seem unreasonable. Im not saying it would be hidden all the time but like a weapon could be drawn out.

[Omega-202]

18 hours ago, 3333053222 said:

Please GM's give notice to this idea that really needs to be highlighted: the crab backpack being FORCED on costumes.

 

Crab is objectively advantaged in comparison whether that be survivability or DPS in comparison to other builds (not saying they're not worth playing or "bad") but I think you should be allowed to take the pets and use the powers that Crab offers and not be forced to use a Crab backpack on ALL my costumes.

 

Fortunatas/Night Widows are NOT forced to use certain costume pieces once they go to the Tailor and unlock their 2nd costume slot they are 100% free to do whatever they want design-wise.

 

I do not understand why in 2019 we should be FORCED to wear this backpack anymore. This is not a hard fix for the Devs. Please consider this for the next patch. 

Two points:

- In no way is this an easy fix.  You seriously have no idea what you're talking about or how difficult it is to work with the attack animations in this ancient and poorly programmed game.

 

- Bane Huntsman loses out on very little in comparison to a full Crab.  You lose some bulk, Suppression and Spiderlings.  You still have access to Disruptors and the PPP pet so I have no idea what you're talking about when you're complaining about the lack of pets.  Spiderlings are easily skippable, even on Crabs.

 

To make up for it, you have built in stealth and Surveillance.  The best power in the whole AT, Venom Grenade is also still available from the base gun tree.  

 

So in summary, this is an objectively bad thread posted in the wrong sub-forum.  

[Doc_Scorpion]

5 hours ago, Bentley Berkeley said:

As for the spider back pack, well plenty of examples now days of characters like Iron Man with his armor basically able to magical girl style appear on him.

You forget - crabs aren't random heroes (villains).  They're members of Arachnos and subservient to Recluse's will.

[Llewellyn Blackwell]

1 hour ago, Doc_Scorpion said:

You forget - crabs aren't random heroes (villains).  They're members of Arachnos and subservient to Recluse's will.

I wasnt arguing that bit at all, my thought would be that it could just be seen as an advancement in the tech. I mean sure maybe Recluse is so arrogant as to demand them to wear them out in the open 247. But I assumed that frankly they could be retracted during sleep even way back when. IMO if they could make them more like weapons and be drawn out that should appease those who want them off for RP while basically saying FU to those who want the power but not the look.

 

Though to be fair, its really no dif then khelds having to use their forms for certain powers. thought that isnt what it once was now that warshades can get fly in human form.

[Riverdusk]

On 10/18/2019 at 3:57 AM, SaintD said:

"This is not a hard fix"

Says who? You?

Look, you chose the AT that lets you become a Crab Spider, you played it for 24 levels, then you chose to be a Crab Spider. Crab Spiders basically are their backpack and after all those choices and all those levels.....oh no wait, I have to wear the Crab Spider backpack to be a Crab Spider!? What a surprise!

You can't get rid of the backpack because Crab Spiders need it, the same way every other AT with a weapon has to actually use that weapon. End of.

Yep, I swear the old devs specifically said it'd be an incredibly hard fix.  It isn't like this wasn't requested a ton on the live game.

[Gulbasaur]

On 10/18/2019 at 12:09 AM, 3333053222 said:

Fortunatas/Night Widows are NOT forced to use certain costume pieces once they go to the Tailor

But they also have zero power customisation. No colour changes, no way to remove redraw.

 

Fortunata powers aren't even consistent within the powersets - they're literal cut-and-paste jobs. Widows are literally salvaged from spare parts. Not that that means Spiders shouldn't be looked at, but widows don't have it much better. At least their forced costume piece (the claws that don't fit their hands) are smaller.

 

I'd really like it if the VEATs generally got a review like stalkers and Kheldians did late in live and tankers are getting now. They were overlooked by the original devs, possibly because their hacky nature makes them too tricky to work with, like the incompatible costumes.

Edited October 19, 2019 by Gulbasaur

[Lines]

I suggest this is a suggestion for the suggestions forum.

 

 

I hear you, OP. But without knowing how this works under the hood, it could be as easy as the backpack being selective to certain powers from the crab set or it might be that the entire game must be rebuilt from the ground up. Or anything in between.

Edited October 19, 2019 by Lines

[Megajoule]

My own Huntsman (on live and now here) picks entirely from the Bane side of the tree, for this reason among others.

[Haijinx]

Huntman AR/Bane hybrids are really fun.  So I would second that idea.  And you can do it now. 

 

===

I imagine they will get around to customization options on Soldier of Arachnos someday.  Maybe it will be possible to have some of the powers not trigger the backpack, like the aforementioned Spiderlings or omega bomb or whatever.

 

Seems like trying to change powers that use the crab arms to not use the crab backpack is a much bigger ask though. 

[Crysta Clear]

At the very least, wouldn't it be possibly a little easier to add an additional option besides just "Crab Spider Backpack - Standard Issue" and "Crab Spider Backpack - Custom?"

"Crab Spider Backpack - Invisible," perhaps, with a null-mesh (i.e., mesh is there but completely untextured, so it is invisible), but no animation changes. The laser blasts would kind of 'appear' over your back from nothing. That way no~one has to work with the attack animation system, and it would even help Crabs who respec into Banes to lose their backpacks. The slight tradeoff would be the possibility for Crabs to have a kind of 'satellite laser' that hovers and then shoots forward, and possible issues where you might cast crab backpack shadows without having a crab backpack.

Edited October 20, 2019 by Crysta Clear

[Steampunkette]

On 10/17/2019 at 6:09 PM, 3333053222 said:

Please GM's give notice to this idea that really needs to be highlighted: the crab backpack being FORCED on costumes.

 

Crab is objectively advantaged in comparison whether that be survivability or DPS in comparison to other builds (not saying they're not worth playing or "bad") but I think you should be allowed to take the pets and use the powers that Crab offers and not be forced to use a Crab backpack on ALL my costumes.

 

Fortunatas/Night Widows are NOT forced to use certain costume pieces once they go to the Tailor and unlock their 2nd costume slot they are 100% free to do whatever they want design-wise.

 

I do not understand why in 2019 we should be FORCED to wear this backpack anymore. This is not a hard fix for the Devs. Please consider this for the next patch. 

Second Build.

 

Every character has the option of utilizing a second build for their character, entirely separate from the first in terms of power selections, slotting choices, and enhancements.

 

Set up a "Huntsman" or "Bane" second build. Then swap to it when you don't want to have the backpack. When you want to get back to Crabblasting, swap builds.

[Sniktch]

Sorry, @Steampunkette - it doesn't work that way, because the backpack is a costume attachment and saved in the costume, not the build.  If you have Crab in either build, the pack is locked-on.  This is last-I-knew, of course.

[Steampunkette]

38 minutes ago, Sniktch said:

Sorry, @Steampunkette - it doesn't work that way, because the backpack is a costume attachment and saved in the costume, not the build.  If you have Crab in either build, the pack is locked-on.  This is last-I-knew, of course.

Drat!

[Radiaria]

22 hours ago, Crysta Clear said:

At the very least, wouldn't it be possibly a little easier to add an additional option besides just "Crab Spider Backpack - Standard Issue" and "Crab Spider Backpack - Custom?"

"Crab Spider Backpack - Invisible," perhaps, with a null-mesh (i.e., mesh is there but completely untextured, so it is invisible), but no animation changes. The laser blasts would kind of 'appear' over your back from nothing. That way no~one has to work with the attack animation system, and it would even help Crabs who respec into Banes to lose their backpacks. The slight tradeoff would be the possibility for Crabs to have a kind of 'satellite laser' that hovers and then shoots forward, and possible issues where you might cast crab backpack shadows without having a crab backpack.

This is exactly what I was thinking of. I really wish they implemented this.