Cleaning up the Contacts System

[Chris24601]

I mentioned this in another thread, but since I’ve been back I’ve noticed the complete hash that has been made of the contacts system.

 

To be fair, most of that was a result of the live devs wanting to their best foot forward (and to push the contacts whose mission chains served as ads for various paid power sets/costumes), but it’s still a huge mess of pop-ups and the find contact button isn’t super obvious, skips a bunch of older contacts and, especially with First/Night Ward offers you contacts out of order to the story arcs in those zones.

 

Then, in terms of experiencing a sequential story, several arcs are pushed in the pop-ups before the preceding events are even available. The numbering in Oroboros helps, but Oroboros doesn’t make up for the default contact system being a mess.

 

Related to that is, particularly for lower level contacts, it’s super-easy to just sail right past their 5 level band.

 

So, here is what I’d propose;

 

1) Give all the contacts cell-phones to start: Its the 2020s and talking with heroes over a phone or dedicated comms is far safer than standing out on some street corner waiting for a hero to happen by. The paranoid ones would just be using burner phones.

 

The result is you can initially get in touch with a contact from anywhere and decide if you want to pursue their missions.

 

2) Include a standard date system with the contact name: Ex. Azuria (issue 0), Penelope Yin (issue 8). This would help clear-up when a given contact’s missions occur in a way that’s harder to miss than the pop-up contacts.

 

Optional: If a contact deals particularly with enemy groups of a certain origin (ex. magic or mutants) or theme (ex. Portal Corp) that might be included too (ex. Azuria - issue 0 magic or Maria Jenkins - issue 23 Praetoria).

 

3) Automatically introduce the first contact in a chain: Unless they’re part of a larger story chain automatic add all contacts in your level range (ex. Jim Temblor would be added at 15, but Penny would not because you have to finish Jim’s story first for the larger arc). By level 10 contacts are already mentioning having seen your exploits on the news, so if they have a problem/scheme they think you could help with, they’d be reaching out to you instead of the other way around. Coupled with number one, they’re just a call away if you decide to assist with their problem/aid in their scheme.

 

[Side-bar: this would also help red-side with the feeling that you’re a lackey. It’s the difference between being interviewed for a job (pull enough missions to prove yourself to a broker who puts you in touch with someone who might need your skills) and being the one doing the interview (okay, your scheme is worth my time to get involved with).]

 

4) Expand the level range of the contact to the full range of the associated villain group/zone: Vahzilok go all the way to level 15 and the Clockwork to 20. There’s no reason to lock the contacts/missions introducing them to levels 1-5. I know that content is quite old, but having different routes to level up for different characters can help keep the game fresher than running the same content repeatedly.

 

There’s also some really great lore attached to some of those early missions that people rarely even see unless they go looking for it.

 

I went out of my way to talk to Azuria first thing recently and, as a result, got the right contacts to actually do the Spleunker badge mission as part of a normal mission chain. But I had to actively seek that content out rather than having it handed to me. It’d be a lot easier if Azuria and the other magic origin contacts were willing to talk to you for the entire level range that you can find Hellions to hunt.

 

Likewise, Faultline is a level 15-25 zone and the Lost, Sky Raiders and Arachnos cover that entire range. There’s no reason Jim Temblor should be cut off as a contact at level 20.

 

Oroboros should be the option of last resort for doing missed content and a way to replay old content; not the most efficient way to find story arcs for the first time.

 

On the flip-side, because of City of Villains, the Carnies now have mobs all the way down to level 30. Other than Caedo Kestral’s involvement in her arc there’s no reason Madeline Casey’s arc needs to occur only during levels 40-45. It could instead be available in the full 30-50 band the Carnies are available for (with Harvey Maylor unlocked immediately afterwards).

 

5) Consolidate the Police Radio/Broker Contacts: Batman’s police contact was Commissioner Gordon (and occasionally Bullock and a few others), not half the Gotham Police Force. The actual contacts are functionally interchangeable with the zone they’re in mattering only in the sense that your level determines which zones you can get missions in and where the door for the Mayhem/Safeguard missions are.

 

So have whichever police contact/broker you speak to first become your default contact and attach then to the police radio/newspaper so you don’t need a separate tab just to track your detectives/brokers.

 

This cuts the contact tabs down to just three; active, inactive and tips. I’d also suggest that the order be changed to active, tips and then inactive and, if feasible, add an option to disable the inactive tab to further reduce clutter.

 

If I could figure out a way to cleanly put tips on the main tab, I’d say do that too, but at least removing all the needless duplication of police detective contacts would help somewhat with the clutter.

 

6) Consolidate the SSA’s so the contacts naturally introduce you to the next in their chain of missions: Half the hassle with the SSA’s is knowing which contact goes with which of the two arcs and in which order. If you have to pull up the Paragon wiki just to run a story in order, It’s a problem.

 

* * * *

 

There is SO much content in City of Heroes that could provide different areas to explore that often just goes missing until you find some of it via Oroboros (example; there’s a VERY early clockwork mission where you actually find the Clockwork King’s mortal remains with the skull cut open to remove the brain... very creepy and really helps set the stage for later Clockwork content).

 

It doesn’t have to be my suggestions as laid out above, but some level of housekeeping on how contacts get handed out is something I feel would really help out the play experience.

 

 

[SwitchFade]

I've been thinking about, and frustrated with, contact progression as it was left on live.

 

There should be a serial method for contact introduction, associated hand off and indication of content.

 

For instance, to receive my first contact I have 2 choices, as a new player,

 

1. Tutorial, which gets tiring.

2. No tutorial and somehow remember who to run to and where they are to "walk up contact."

 

Further, how do I get introduced to hollows contacts as a new player? Faultline? I regularly run Frostfire on my lowbies and when I put that team together I not only get Vets who jump all over the nostalgia run, I get newbies who are shocked that hollows is there and they love the content. Faultline is extremely fun as well, and is virtually empty, where once it was full due to how almost everyone was routed there. Same with Croatia.

 

It seems the newer arcs supplanted all mid and older arcs, and while they are good, places like Croatia, Faultline, Hollows and Steel have amazing legacy content.

 

So, while I do like the hand-off contact progression, the first point of contact in all respective level ranges should be available and it should give a pop-up, like a business card. Further, their bios should have more info on where they lead you/story/etc. So of I hit lvl 10, all first point of contact at level 10 should be open and prodding me, somehow.

 

This would be a ton of work though, so I would settle for all fresh lvl 1 toons get introduced to all lvl 1 contacts available to them to start, as this would give new players more choices.

 

While I don't completely agree about changing level ranges, I do think at a bare minimum that lvl 1 I get a pop up for all level 1 contacts, regardless of origin.

[Chris24601]

I could settle for the level 1 contacts with the proviso that they never expire due to leveling, but will instead introduce you to a level appropriate contact of they’re type (Azuria, for example; which I keep referencing because she’s the most familiar of the level 1 contacts due to actually showing up in later arcs; would introduce you to whichever magic contact is in your level range when you speak with her).

 

Heck, I’d even be okay with only getting the contact that matched your origin initially just like it was on live before the Freedom/nuking Galaxy City revamp. Generally each of the original contacts will introduce you to one lateral contact (one in their same level band) and whichever one is next along that contact chain (the next magic, next tech, next mutant, etc.) so you’d fill out your list fairly quickly.

 

It’s primarily the Freedom Tutorial and associated Atlas missions that short circuit the start of the default contact system.

 

I do still stand by my “needless detective clutter” and “for God’s sake, have the SSA contacts introduce the next in the chain so you don’t have to guess or go to an external Wiki just to figure out the proper order for them” suggestions though.

[Apparition]

All of those are excellent suggestions that I support, with the exception of #3.  It would actually add to my contact list clutter, because every toon I play goes through a specific order of red side contacts from level 1 to 50.  Contacts automatically introducing themselves would just lead to a long list of unused contacts, cluttering up the contact list.

[Redlynne]

I'd be happy to have an "Exemplar Option" for outleveled contacts where I can just walk up to a Contact that I've outleveled, choose to Exemplar down to their level range, and just do their missions ... and then when I'm done with them I can click to undo the Exemplar to that Contact and go on my merry way at my (full) security level.

 

You only need the Pillar of Ice and Flame for Flashbacks.

[VileTerror]

Being able to flag a Contact as Active or Inactive would be wonderful.  Or to flag Favourite Contacts for even more control over sorting.  Granted, that would be a UI change, and I've heard time and again that UI changes are a pain and a half.

[Doc_Scorpion]

5 hours ago, SwitchFade said:

Further, how do I get introduced to hollows contacts as a new player? Faultline? I regularly run Frostfire on my lowbies and when I put that team together I not only get Vets who jump all over the nostalgia run, I get newbies who are shocked that hollows is there and they love the content. Faultline is extremely fun as well, and is virtually empty, where once it was full due to how almost everyone was routed there.

Faultline, pre-Revamp, was a massive PITA and widely loathed.  That's why, as part of the revamp, players were no longer steered there...  Which was something of a mistake because the revamp took away everything that was loathed.

[Lines]

These are superb suggestions. The system needs a wide restructure with player engagement in mind. The 'find contact' button is way too eager to send us to First/Night ward, but with a bit of tweaking it could be an excellent feature. I think a resolution to #3 could be that all first introductory contacts appear in the find contact menu. That way they're not appearing in the contacts list, and the list is reserved for contacts we've actually met.

 

#4 is a big deal for me. Praetoria is a big offender here, since the whole range of contacts per alignment are supposed to be in a narrative sequence and we have (afaik) no access to Ouroboros to fill the gaps before moving on. I'd love it if all Praetorian contacts occupied a 1-30 level range. First and Night ward could take the whole 20-40 (maybe 50?) range together so that their entire plot can hold up better rather than us getting popups that send us there halfway through the plot.

 

Just yesterday I wanted to do the Faultline arcs, but Jim Tremblor sent me straight to Doc Delilah, who thanked me for helping her out of the sticky situation and was told by Jim and Penny that I had been useful. Little bits like that really need a clean - there's no clear way to tell players how and when to do these contacts and with double XP it's way too easy to miss bits. And it doesn't need to be.

 

[PsychicKitty]

Hmmm I wss always surprised when some contacts became in active.

I think personally that contacts should only become inactive if you do all their missions and such.

And other wise they stay as active choices.

And with that, when you out level their content....when you decide to do their stuff you simply get put to their maximum level.

As for the never ending contacts...you should place them in their own tab of never ending types.

Another thing that should be done is to have special icons on the contacts.

These would represent a base and also if they have a story arc.

The icons would be their until you accomplish the badge and story arc.

That was you can look to see if you did their content or not

And lastly though not sure if this would work....but let players edit the sort of contacts.

That's all I can think of

[Glacier Peak]

Zombie Thread!

🧟‍♂️

[Rudra]

guuuuuhhhh.... brrrrrrrraaaaaaaiiiiiinnnnnnnnsssssss....

 

*sounds zombie thread alert*

[TheZag]

At least it didnt include a link to a scam trying to steal your money this time.

 

[Turric]

Absolutely! I am all for this.

[biostem]

On 3/2/2020 at 6:11 PM, Chris24601 said:

1) Give all the contacts cell-phones to start

My understanding is that it's not that the contacts don't have cell phones, but that they don't trust you at first, and/or want to establish a face-to-face rapport with you to at least some extent, before letting you just "phone it in", as it were...

Edited January 2, 2023 by biostem

[Saiyajinzoningen]

yes 1000 times yes so tired of being locked into TF mode in oro. 

[Greycat]

On 1/2/2023 at 7:15 AM, PsychicKitty said:

Hmmm I wss always surprised when some contacts became in active.

 

 

Surprised?  ... but you're a PsychicKitty...