Does anyone play old school?

[TopherSG]

On 4/24/2020 at 3:34 AM, RialVestro said:

the cape mission doesn't even seem to exist anymore as it's no longer needed

It still exists, and doing it is required to get one particular badge.

[Wild Claw]

On 4/24/2020 at 1:34 AM, RialVestro said:

Travel powers were originally level 14. It was later lowered to 6 and then lowered again to 4.

 

Capes were unlockable at level 20.

 

While you could neglect your travel power till 14, the cape mission doesn't even seem to exist anymore as it's no longer needed. You could just make a costume without a cape until 20 but if you're playing like back in issue 4 there's a lot of other costume parts you can't use as well as many costume options didn't exist back then. And since Fitness is inherent now that makes it impossible to play like back in the day.

 

 

The Cape and the Aura missions are still there, but you have to initiate the contact yourself (City Representative in Atlas, Mr. Rodney in Cap au Diable, don't think there's a Praetorian equivalent?) they don't pop up automatically anymore. There's a bunch of contacts that used to pop up when you hit certain levels that don't anymore. Some still do, but there are a bunch that don't.

 

 

[cranebump]

I have one lvl 50 I started redside, solo, no XP boosts. Ran most mishes on +2. Got to 20, ran tips to move to hero side. I didn’t team with anyone until I hit blue side. Eventually, I broke down and used XP boost for the last 5 bars.

 

i did use base TP, though I collected ouro and bought mish TP. I also gave her a ton of iNf from other chars, so she’s got near 100% attuned enhances.

 

I’m considering running a toon without XP boost, and not giving them any INF from alts. No SG base for crafting. 

 

Similar topic: I’ve seen a lot more calls for Hollows recently. I also ran KR story and bank mishes a couple times. Maybe I’ll make a rule to get all the bank mishes as I trundle through zones. I still recall how nice it was to get raptor and zero-g in Kings, and you could get them both before you reached 14, so you could wait on travel if you wanted.

Edited May 13, 2020 by cranebump

[ranster44]

 Withe the Beast Run and Ninja Run options available in the tutorial and in Atlas there is simply no pressing need for a travel power anymore. There are so many things that have been added/changed since I left the game that it is almost like relearning it from scratch. But they are for the most part, good things!

[Call Me Awesome]

On 4/24/2020 at 6:05 AM, Fire Chief said:

I still street sweep in PP makes me very whimsical lol

That reminds me of a time way back around 2005-6 when Guardian had a "clear Perez event" and over a hundred high level characters came in and attempted to completely kill all the mobs in the zone.  I doubt we succeeded but it was a lot of fun and a great time was had by all who participated.  I think we also had a couple of Devs show up for the fun and after we'd finished our sweep they spawned various GM's and AV's.

 

Sigh, those events were a lot of fun.

[Sakai]

I do not believe Mystic flight was actually on Legacy. 

[cranebump]

I'm running a toon right now in mostly "old school" mode, thanks to this thread.  My main rule is I cannot procure anything that isn't part of system, mission, or TF rewards. So, I got absolutely nothing from P2W, and did not pick up stuff that would've normally been a part of my old account (Pocket D, Minor Jump Packs, Ninja Run, etc.).  But I did accept the temp XP anniversary boost that everyone got. 

 

Build-wise, I figured I'd be doing some soloing, (maybe a lot, since my travel isn't going to be too rapid. So I went with a Sentinel (not old school, but what ya gonna do) for a bit of survivability. Went with something I wouldn't normally do. Took EB/Energy Aura (I want the KB when I solo). I skipped DFB and went to Davies, since I was a tech hero. Ran his arc, plus part of Nandelu's, plus Jiminez in KR. I led a team through part of the last KR arc, til I hit 8, at which point I had to log off. When I got back, I jumped on Frostfire team, set at +2 (we were spawning reds and purps mostly, and since the leader wasn't running XP boost, it stayed that way almost all mish). Trained a lot, then I got on Pos1 and 2, in succession, with the same leader.  

 

Sitting at 19 now, and facing the usual END problems. Likely will do some badge runs for AP and E:GC, then spend some merit to grab stuff I can sell. I figure I'll do some crafting. Then again, I may not, I might just relegate myself to DO's, then SO's, and just do that.

 

What I'm finding, other than the slower pace, is:

 

(1) You really go through a lot of lore that presages things later down the road. For example, when I get introduced to superadine, and hit the lab, it's the same lab used later on by Veles in the Stockwell arc. 

(2) Also did some things I haven't done at all since reboot. Had a "Kill 20 Skulls" in PP, followed by a door mish there (did this with my lowbie team).  

(3) You get a lot of time to fiddle with powers, combos, attack chains, all that.  If I were a new player (again), it would be a pretty soft landing to get going (esp. if I'd played one of the old tutorials).

(4) Fear. Those lowbie zones can be a pain, depending on where you are. We hit PP, looking for Skulls, and there were lots of Reds and Purps. When running mishes without XP boost, you can't consistently depend on leveling mid-mish to make it easier. This was actually a thing in FF (though I wasn't leading). Frostfire actually lasted awhile, since he wasn’t nerfed to nothing by leader levelling. Lead Scorchers were a pain that entire mission. It was the funnest FF run I've had since we came back.

 

At this point, the only thing I am yearning for is Afterburner. I've put it off for other things, but I'm really going to need it to use old school travel. I log the toon out at WW's so I can eventually get market TP. I plan to log out at First Word location that gives you Psychic DR badge (can't remember the name). Planning on getting Bank abilities from Talos on, since I really don't need temps thanks to having flight (which I got early, so I wouldn't have to dodge groups in certain zones.). I'd like Pocket D TP, but I really have no memory of how you get that. When I played live, it was a gifted ability. I also find myself apologizing to teams that I'm using this whole "Grinder" style of play (which is why I'll likely solo many things, outside TF's, and radio teams).

 

On the whole, it's been interesting. The game flies by less, and I'm filing all sorts of mental notes from mishes for my AE scripting.

 

 

Edited May 14, 2020 by cranebump

[SwitchFade]

Don't let anyone tell you hollows is impossible with no travel.

 

Heck, hollows is how you learned to space from groups without aggro. Hailing ass across it and learning to make it was awesome. Once you figured out the way to use fences, space between groups, run along cliffs, line of sight... Hollows is cake.

 

Frostfire is where you learned NEVER take the front elevator door, always back vators.

 

I never DFB, always street sweep/lowby contact to lvl 5, then go to hollows and Wincott, do all the arcs. Then, on to faultline and Jim temblor, all the arcs there too. Then, Croatoa, same.

 

If I want change I do the arc with Dr vahz and the wasting disease.

 

I NEVER use the base macro Dev exploit, because this city was made to be loved in, not skipped. Might as well play a MOBA if you want to go from mission door to mission door.

 

Trams, my own base and ouro is as far as shortcutting as I'll go, using the green base entrance on the map.

 

Heck, when I take toons vigilante, I do tip missions and then morality, no bill the full for me.

 

I mean, the game is amazing, I don't want to avoid it. I think places like Indy port need more attractions again, I remember when it was bustling. And we HAD to go to reread Volta, respec!

 

 

[cranebump]

I'll put this to the test the next time I do Grinder mode in the Hollows.

[SwitchFade]

6 hours ago, RialVestro said:

The Hollows is impossible with no travel powers. There are giant holes in the ground you absolutely can not get out of with sprint alone. I know I got stuck in one of them when that zone was first released. It's the main reason why I hate that zone with a passion and haven't set foot in there since. Even though you can get travel powers at level 4 now which makes navigating that zone so much easier now I will just always remember that time I fell in a hole and got stuck for hours running around a crater and trying to get someone to TP my ass out. I mean there wasn't even an enemy down there for me to commit suicide and get out via the hospital I was just THERE.

 

The /stuck command doesn't work if you can still move and it wasn't a bug that put me under the map. I was just in a hole in a normal part of the zone with no freaking way out. The villain zones are easier to navigate than that hell hole.

 

Granted Faultline has the same issues except that Faultline has a higher security clearance and was never accessible before travel powers so there was never an issue with not having a way to get out of the giant freaking craters in the ground.

 

Going AROUND the craters also isn't always an option as some mission doors are actually INSIDE the craters. There's cave doors down there which means depending on where your mission is located the game might actually send you into a crater that you have no way to get back out of. This is exactly what had happened to me my very first and last time in that zone.

 

If you happen to get very lucky you might end up getting missions that are more easily accessible but since the mission doors are semi-random there's a very good chance you'll find yourself stuck in a freaking hole in the ground cursing the designer who came up with the Hallows.

I'm very sorry, but this is just not true. Hollows is easy to navigate on sprint alone. Myself and others do it routinely.

 

Even if you do have to go into the pit, there are ramps on the walls and there's a pathway up the dam.

 

I run frostfire missions weekly on excelsion and advertise 9+3 frostfire in lfg. Every week. I guarantee it's 100% possible.

Edited May 14, 2020 by SwitchFade

[huang3721]

Hollows is not easy when you play solo as a level 6 scrapper. I did David Wincott and Flux story arcs recently. Avoiding Outcasts in Four Season while sprinting is easy, but hunting them down is another story, Beating Frostfire is possible, but it is not an easy task.

IMO this game is "easy" only when you know how to tweak your stats, have (many) friends that also know how to tweak their stats or don't mind setting difficulty level to -1. Otherwise you should carefully plan your attack and escape route.

[Twisted Toon]

16 hours ago, cranebump said:

 I'd like Pocket D TP, but I really have no memory of how you get that. When I played live, it was a gifted ability.

If I'm not mistaken, to get the Pocket D badge and teleport power, you need to spend 5 hours in Pocket D.

[Troo]

or spend 10k? at the P2W vendor for the Pocket D teleport power

[srmalloy]

On 5/12/2020 at 9:09 PM, RialVestro said:

I don't think those contacts ever popped up automatically but I never even saw the automatic pop up thing before homecoming so I've always been more use to having to track them down when I got to level.

I'm not sure about the aura mission, but I distinctly remember getting a notification, when I got a character to 20, that I'd reached the level where I could earn the right to wear a cape, and was directed appropriately to the contact.

[cranebump]

1 hour ago, Twisted Toon said:

If I'm not mistaken, to get the Pocket D badge and teleport power, you need to spend 5 hours in Pocket D.

Thanks! I'll give that a try.

[cranebump]

1 hour ago, Troo said:

or spend 10k? at the P2W vendor for the Pocket D teleport power

I would, but I'm running a toon in "grinder" mode. Seeing how play would work organically.

[Gulbasaur]

17 hours ago, cranebump said:

I'm running a toon right now in mostly "old school" mode, thanks to this thread.  My main rule is I cannot procure anything that isn't part of system, mission, or TF rewards. So, I got absolutely nothing from P2W, and did not pick up stuff that would've normally been a part of my old account (Pocket D, Minor Jump Packs, Ninja Run, etc.).  But I did accept the temp XP anniversary boost that everyone got. 

Your whole post was super cool and I really like the way you're doing it.

 

I wrote a guide to story-arcs here that you might enjoy - it points you towards some of the cooler story-centred parts of the game. I do miss some bits out, but I put it together after running every blueside arc and it's kind a "greatest hits" compilation. I designed it to be played with no XP boosts because you can outlevel so much of the game by accident otherwise. Notable omissions are, sadly, pretty much all of Talos because I tried to follow stories that connect with other stories later and Talos as a whole doesn't really have a narrative so much as a lot of little side stories. The Freakalympics is the original Old Skool Cool story arc, though.

Edited May 14, 2020 by Gulbasaur

[cranebump]

I remember falling into those holes.

[ILIWAPCT]

On 5/12/2020 at 2:17 PM, Wild Claw said:

The Cape and the Aura missions are still there, but you have to initiate the contact yourself (City Representative in Atlas, Mr. Rodney in Cap au Diable, don't think there's a Praetorian equivalent?) they don't pop up automatically anymore. There's a bunch of contacts that used to pop up when you hit certain levels that don't anymore. Some still do, but there are a bunch that don't.

 

 

All of my 40+ alts run breakout so I guess you could say I'm old school.

 

Strictly Red side. I remember the cape mission but missed when they mixed red and blue side. I'll have to look up Mr. Rodney. Does anyone else remember a low level mission (~5) where you fought back-street-brawler? They eventually took him out.

[cranebump]

Hey, I can hospital right outta that crater.:-)

[Marine X]

I got a little taste of Old School the other day.

As much as I have almost every useful Accolade on Marine that's available hero side, I don't have Task Force Commander. Being on Reunion, Playing at odd hours, often right before work, I just don't get a lot of time where I can do Task Forces.

In my Genius I decided to get up at 3;00am and run Citadel Solo. I guess I really didn't remember it being so REPETITIVE. This inspired my Magazine Spoof in Arts and Multimedia, all the Council Bases seemed to lack style and variety. Got thru the endless missions and was in the last one and got to Vandal. He's an Arch-Villain, and I'm exem to 30 ( from 50 + 65 Vet Levels and pretty well IOed ). Watching Paint dry would have been thrilling compared to this fight. Almost 30 minutes later he finally goes down.

This reminded me of when I first started playing and found out how Tough but Damage Output Challenged Tanks were, but it was also very satisfying. I know someone will chime in about how they could have done this in 10 minutes for the whole Taskforce with one arm tied behind their back, good for you, I was taught to clean my plate.

I like to do the missions, not stealth to the objectives, or Cheat to make it go Faster. I could Sacrifice some of my Tank's toughness for damage output, or just create another Brute, but that's really not the roll I like to play. This is supposed to be FUN, Recreation, something to enjoy, not doing 55 in a 35 zone on the way to work and believing that makes you Superior.

I still have Posi 2, Synapse and Penny to do, and if I can't find a team, I'll try soloing again, but bring more Inspirations, lol. I avoid DFB and DIB and stick to missions from contacts as much as I can, It couldn't possibly be as boring as running DFB 4 times in a row on every toon you make, and there are lot's of great content options at the lower levels.

Time to watch the paint dry.

 

[tidge]

On the subject of ignoring DfB and XP boosts as an old-school style of play, with a touch of 'navigational difficulties' thrown in...

 

Here is something I hadn't previously noticed for starting redside characters: the Merit rewards for the low level arcs redside are sooo much better than any of the blueside arcs. I started a redside toon and was being very casual about play on Mercy Island and I noticed the Merit rewards piling up. A quick check of the Homecoming thread confirms that the Ouro rewards are also pretty good:

 

I grok the reasons some folks avoid redside, and the siren's call of DfB and early XP is hard to resist... but playing through these stories felt very old school (post Mercy Island revamp, anyway).

[Twisted Toon]

The Hollows has always been relatively easy to navigate. The only time it was really a challenge was when they had mobs of half a dozen that would spawn, literally, surrounding you. That was right after the Hollows was introduced, and was fixed in short order.

[stanld03]

I played on live and always enjoyed the Hollows. It always felt like a rite of passage to traverse the zone and avoid  mobs without travel powers. 😄

 

Just a correction to an earlier post - it was 7 years between the Hollows being released and travel powers (fly/sj/ss/tp) being available at level 4. In all that time I personally do not remember any "uproar" about being able to travel through the zone.

[Marine X]

The Hollows was, back in the day, a Hazard Zone. It was the easiest way to get from 5-12 or so available, and the Taxi-Bot Services were a time saver, but it was a Hazard Zone you couldn't enter till level 5, it no longer is. There used to be 2 Rail Lines, Green and Yellow, with level restrictions on each and different destinations, which kept low level Toons from even going to a zone where they could be Power leveled. You used to not be able to include a Cape in your Costume until you did the Cape Mission at what, level 20? Architect Entertainment did not always exist, really, it didn't.

Old School play still has an appeal to me, and some of the shortcuts that have developed have caused some Zones to be barely used. If you think about when level 14 was when you got Travel Powers, you would have already pretty much out leveled starting contacts in Atlas, Kings Row, Steel Canyon, Skyway City, Galaxy City, Perez Park, the Hollows, Boomtown and Faultline by the time you got there. You earned the first dozen levels and there were no easy ways to get around that. You learned to use your powers or found a team to help you, there was not a lot of content you could solo easily.

Faultline was a lot like the Hollows before it's Makeover, and I agree with what they did with it, I think it is now one of the best low level zones in the game.

I miss being able to start a toon in Galaxy City because there was an entirely different set of contacts and missions if you started there. Peacebringers started in Atlas, Warshades in Galaxy ( after you got a Toon to 50 as a Prerequisite ).

You used to actually have to figure out how to navigate Perez Park back in the day, when you would be given missions in a cave way back in the deepest darkest parts of the Woods. You would also have to go to Boomtown for more than to Destroy Council Giant Robots.

I like the convenience of some of the new features, but really, I am logging on here as recreation and the last thing I want to do is rush through content, or skip it altogether in favor of another shiny new level 20 I'll end up abandoning because I have very little invested in it. I waited a long time to have my City back, I am planning on enjoying it.