Capes / Auras

[UbuRex]

I mean, if I want to create a ghostly warrior with glowing hands, then there's no earthly reason that makes sense to me that his hands should NOT glow until he's level 30.  That's MMO logic, that doesn't make sense for designing a comic book hero or villain.

 

I literally created a character named "Princess Sparklefist."  It wouldn't work if she had to wait until level 30 to have a sparkling fist.  What would I do, change her name to "Princess Will-Be-Sparkling-Fist?"

[Dr. Gemini]

IME, this has been the case from Day 4 of retail when I started playing...

This game, more than any other I have played, has had busy-bodies and hall monitors trying to tell others how to be Heroes.

 

I find it a fascinating thing to watch, while being irritated at nostalgia loving, change-averse players trying to drag us down and turn the game into a job where I have to 'prove' something to them to allowed to play it.

 

So many years, so many conatant circular arguments.

This was an ongoing topic even when the game was live.

 

I know, I was there too. I was 15 years younger at the start, though. Now I'm old and crusty, and my tolerance of the tomfoolery of whippersnappers has gone the way getting up out of bed without groaning.

[jubakumbi]

I know, I was there too. I was 15 years younger at the start, though. Now I'm old and crusty, and my tolerance of the tomfoolery of whippersnappers has gone the way getting up out of bed without groaning.

 

The main relevant thing I have no tolerance for is others stiffling creativity and fun, especially through adding in a Protestant Work Ethic.

 

You can all play on my lawn and hop in the pool, all are welcome all the time in my teams and games.

 

I look forward, not back, even as most of my peers becaome cranky old grandparents.

 

Just because people think and live differntly, does not make it wrong, it just makes it different.

 

Except evil clowns. They are by definition, wrong.

[andys71]

I really, REALLY wish people would stop trying to shove their vision of how the game should be played off on everyone. It's seriously getting annoying.

exactly where did i say this ?

Does anyone else feel that capes and Auras were better when earnt rather than given on creation screen. Just feel that capes when earnt was an achievement as such. i feel that cause they are now part of the character creation, someone has been lost. any thoughts ?

I was raising the question, nowhere did i say IT SHOULD. i stated that to me it feels that something is missing. i never once said this is how it should be.

[Healix]

LOL

 

Now I'm old and crusty, and my tolerance of the tomfoolery of whippersnappers has gone the way getting up out of bed without groaning.

 

 

[jubakumbi]

I really, REALLY wish people would stop trying to shove their vision of how the game should be played off on everyone. It's seriously getting annoying.

exactly where did i say this ?

Does anyone else feel that capes and Auras were better when earnt rather than given on creation screen. Just feel that capes when earnt was an achievement as such. i feel that cause they are now part of the character creation, someone has been lost. any thoughts ?

I was raising the question, nowhere did i say IT SHOULD. i stated that to me it feels that something is missing. i never once said this is how it should be.

 

I don't see where he said andys71 said that - he said 'people' and used your quote as a reference for the outlook of opening the can of worms, IMO.

 

So, perhaps don't take it so personally.

 

For some, like me, even the suggestion brings on a massive amount of passion.

[khy]

Ultimately the question here is, is it more fun to be given access to something or to have to 'earn' access to something. And that's not a question every player will agree with.

 

There's arguments for each - if you 'earn' access to something it makes you tend to appreciate that a bit more. When you only had a single costume slot, and you suddenly unlocked your second - you were elated because now that option that was previously denied to you becomes available. That sense of achievement can make rewards more special than they otherwise would be. Some people really love that sense of satisfaction and accomplishment you get when you unlock a new special privilege, and they look forward to each new unlock for that reason.

 

But it also does mean locking people out of content. People who overlook that second slot mission, people who don't progress to the point where they can do it, and so on - they are left out. Some people can't play much (Time issues and the like) and just want to dip their waters into character customization after hearing how many options CoH has. They don't want to grind to level 20 or 30 or whatever. Granting them early access means they can experiment and have fun and all that, but it also means that now those privileges are no longer 'special', there's no sense of achievement for it.

 

Being given a reward for free versus working for a reward is a discussion that pops up constantly in games, and there's no right or wrong answer for everyone. Personally I prefer to lock the stuff behind missions to give me goals to work towards, milestones to be pushing forward to, and a reason to go out of my way to unlock something I otherwise couldn't have. But that's just because I love that feeling of accomplishment and achievement.

[Dr. Gemini]

I really, REALLY wish people would stop trying to shove their vision of how the game should be played off on everyone. It's seriously getting annoying.

exactly where did i say this ?

Does anyone else feel that capes and Auras were better when earnt rather than given on creation screen. Just feel that capes when earnt was an achievement as such. i feel that cause they are now part of the character creation, someone has been lost. any thoughts ?

I was raising the question, nowhere did i say IT SHOULD. i stated that to me it feels that something is missing. i never once said this is how it should be.

 

My apologies. It wasn't you that set me off, but the ones that piped up after. I should have quoted one of them to be clear where my angst was being directed.

[jubakumbi]

Being given a reward for free versus working for a reward is a discussion that pops up constantly in games, and there's no right or wrong answer for everyone. Personally I prefer to lock the stuff behind missions to give me goals to work towards, milestones to be pushing forward to, and a reason to go out of my way to unlock something I otherwise couldn't have. But that's just because I love that feeling of accomplishment and achievement.

 

I agree with you, except for cosmetics, in CoH, especially in present state, no need to restrict them, IMO.

[andys71]

I really, REALLY wish people would stop trying to shove their vision of how the game should be played off on everyone. It's seriously getting annoying.

exactly where did i say this ?

Does anyone else feel that capes and Auras were better when earnt rather than given on creation screen. Just feel that capes when earnt was an achievement as such. i feel that cause they are now part of the character creation, someone has been lost. any thoughts ?

I was raising the question, nowhere did i say IT SHOULD. i stated that to me it feels that something is missing. i never once said this is how it should be.

 

My apologies. It wasn't you that set me off, but the ones that piped up after. I should have quoted one of them to be clear where my angst was being directed.

no worries :D and ty for the apology :)

[Myrmidon]

Possessing the ability to make the costume you like from the start: Priceless.

[Player2]

Does anyone else feel that capes and Auras were better when earnt rather than given on creation screen. Just feel that capes when earnt was an achievement as such. i feel that cause they are now part of the character creation, someone has been lost. any thoughts ?

 

No!  I always found it rather irritating that you had to earn a cape.  What, people are allowed to dress up funny and run around enforcing brutal justice but they better not dare to wear a cape because of some outdated implausible excuse that was initially given to justify why there were no capes at all in the early days of the game?  The idea was that when Hero 1 was lost, Statesman and all the heroes took off their capes as a sign of respect?  Then when they finally could add capes, you "earn" it by completing some mission?

 

If people WANT to follow a tradition, that's fine.  When you enforce it, it's not a tradition or a sign of respect.  It's the beginnings of tyranny, which has no place on the side of heroes.  And then let's look at the utter absurdity of applying that to the villain side of things.  We play ruthless lawbreakers... and the rule we have to follow in the Rogue Isles is that Arachnos makes the rules.  And they limit capes to people who have completed a mission why?  And you have missions where you even fight against Arachnos, demonstrating that their rule is not absolute, so why would anyone restrict the attire that they wear by not wearing a cape?

 

No, story reasons are extremely stretched, and they had no place in restricting us from capes outside of story reason either.  It made some people feel good.  I say fine, give them a shiny badge for completing the mission.  Do not restrict my creativity for story or outdated game mechanics reasons.

[Vanden]

I noticed the P2W Vendors have the ability to change the price of items or make them unavailable depending on what items you already have. What if they locked costume unlocks on creation again, but then let you buy a few for free at the P2W Vendors?

[Player2]

I feel that way towards auras, not so much towards capes. I mean capes are just part of the costume, but auras give out the idea of power. Seeing a lvl 1 go around glowing like he has enough juice to blow up the whole city feels weird. Earning auras at a later level would give me that feeling that my character's powers have matured and that he's the real deal now.

Not all auras are about showing a progression of power.  Besides, not everyone wants to follow that idea of starting as a nearly powerless nobody and working their way up to Superman status.  Maybe they want their story to be they are already full of power, enough to blow up a whole city, but just don't know how to channel it yet.  Do you think it would have made Ghost Rider in the comics seem more believable if he started as just a leather-clad skeleton and after he "hit level 30" he was suddenly able to surround himself with the Hellfire that was the source of his power?

 

Besides, there are low level enemies with auras:  Circle of Thorns with their glowing eyes...  Oh my gosh, they can blow up the city at level 5!!  Don't be ridiculous.  Also, bright, shiny light does not necessarily indicate a measure of power.  So who cares if someone is glowing brightly?  If they're level 5 and glowing and that bothers you, then don't team with them.  Go ahead and do your own thing, and leave everyone else alone.

[Player2]

I noticed the P2W Vendors have the ability to change the price of items or make them unavailable depending on what items you already have. What if they locked costume unlocks on creation again, but then let you buy a few for free at the P2W Vendors?

An unnecessary complication.  Why bother?

[DeniseSaudade]

I certainly feel like something has been lost and that would be the original City of Heroes servers. I earned, and I achieved on those servers. That was then, and this is now. The current servers aren't the old experience, they never will be. We will never get that time back, ever. What we have right now is a new age and a time for new traditions. If you want to make a list of restrictions for yourself, friends and like minded individuals no one will stop you. You can start your own supergroup that adheres to those rules and create a unique experience. When someone gets a cape in your group it can mean something to you without impacting how anyone else plays and I feel like that's the route we should probably go. At the end of the day it's a fan run game and we should maybe lean more toward letting people play how they want instead of restricting them.

[Player2]

I certainly feel like something has been lost and that would be the original City of Heroes servers. I earned, and I achieved on those servers. That was then, and this is now. The current servers aren't the old experience, they never will be. We will never get that time back, ever. What we have right now is a new age and a time for new traditions. If you want to make a list of restrictions for yourself, friends and like minded individuals no one will stop you. You can start your own supergroup that adheres to those rules and create a unique experience. When someone gets a cape in your group it can mean something to you without impacting how anyone else plays and I feel like that's the route we should probably go. At the end of the day it's a fan run game and we should maybe lean more toward letting people play how they want instead of restricting them.

Exactly.  Restrictions are not fun.  Maybe some people feel they need some structure to their fun, but ultimately that's a personal preference and not a rule that should be applied to everyone.

[Dr. Gemini]

I certainly feel like something has been lost and that would be the original City of Heroes servers. I earned, and I achieved on those servers. That was then, and this is now. The current servers aren't the old experience, they never will be. We will never get that time back, ever. What we have right now is a new age and a time for new traditions. If you want to make a list of restrictions for yourself, friends and like minded individuals no one will stop you. You can start your own supergroup that adheres to those rules and create a unique experience. When someone gets a cape in your group it can mean something to you without impacting how anyone else plays and I feel like that's the route we should probably go. At the end of the day it's a fan run game and we should maybe lean more toward letting people play how they want instead of restricting them.

 

Yes. There were many things we did that now have an air of nostalgia and a feeling like something was lost. The other day I did the Hollows arcs with a character who could fly, and was feeling nostalgic for having to Hover my way around the place in the old days. There are numerous experiences we've had in the game that are gone now, and its kind of sad that those who came after will never get to experience them. However, I also know if I had taken hover instead of fly, the "joy" of reliving the past would have worn thin after a few minutes. I can't think of any of those "fond old memories" that I'm not happy we're changed over the course of the game's life.

[SirCowdog]

I think that the specific costume piece of capes should be locked behind the original mission at level 20, as an homage and rite of passage.

 

Other back pieces, especially wings, should be available from creation, since it's often a key part of the overall appearance.  You could say the same thing about capes in very specific instances, but for the most part I think it's not quite as vital.

[jubakumbi]

I noticed the P2W Vendors have the ability to change the price of items or make them unavailable depending on what items you already have. What if they locked costume unlocks on creation again, but then let you buy a few for free at the P2W Vendors?

 

No.

No gating cosmetics.

There no reason other than 'tradition'.

You can gate yourselves, don't force it on the rest of us.

Make your own server if you want restrictions.

[ed_anger]

To me all of these arguments basically come down to the old MMO newbie look vs. being able to look cool right from the start.  There's this idea that you shouldn't look very cool if you're a  level 1 character, that you have to "earn" the right to look cool.  CoH was always different from most MMOs in that how you looked was not tied to level nor gear nor anything "earned".  City of Heroes always felt unique in that aspect -- characters could be colorful and have a unique look from the very start.  It certainly makes standing around in a starter zone like Atlas Park a great deal more interesting than standing around in any starter zone from a typical fantasy MMO.  It always was a little weird, then, that the philosophy of the game was, "You can look like who you're meant to be right away", EXCEPT if you wanted to wear Roman armor, or have glowing eyes, or wear a cape, or have wings.

 

I mean, if I want to create a ghostly warrior with glowing hands, then there's no earthly reason that makes sense to me that his hands should NOT glow until he's level 30.  That's MMO logic, that doesn't make sense for designing a comic book hero or villain.

 

Got to agree with this. For many CoH is about roll-playing as much as it is a game.

[blayzemaster]

The other thing is that if you now locked them behind levels, it wouldn't give a sense of accomplishment for most people to unlock them, only a sense of going backwards.

[THEDarkTyger]

I would also like stuff like capes and auras to be lvl/mission locked, having everything unlocked from the start leaves you with nothing to work for, it also leaves us with less content

 

Pointless "carrot on a stick" content that serves only to draw things out to keep customers paying longer. No big loss.

[Scow2]

Coming fom the other side on why auras/capes shouldn't be prestige items - It feels like you have to earn them to be part of the 'cool kids club", even if your character concept doesn't call for such extravagance. It puts undo importance on certain elements that may not be called for, but feels bad not using after earning.

[AlBQuirky]

I remember bellyaching on the boards when they introduced capes behind a level lock. I always figured either a hero has a cape, or doesn't. Character creation is where capes belong. I know CoH tried to use the lore of Hero 1 dying to justify their decision, but I never bought into that.

 

Auras are another ball of wax for me. They could easily be a manifestation of powers as they grow. I had no problem with auras being "earned" at later levels.

 

Just my opinion :)