Higher Levels

[Angus]

This may have been discussed before, however, I have not been on here long and use to play COH/COV from the beginning on Justice. The questions is, COH before COV talked a lot about expanding past LVL 50. They originally released the game with the LVL cap at 40. However, soon later raised it to 50 and created several zones that were never really used for anything but seemed like place holders for possible larger levels. So, with all the zones that currently overlap, such as Perez Park, Hollows, and so forth as I go on, what prevents us from taking some of those zones and implementing them into higher level zones so we can level to 100. I understand that the talk of new powers and more exciting epic powers would be discussed and larger bosses. However, I am just shooting ideas. I know one of the hardest parts is creating the zones, making the characters and most of all BALANCING the Alpha and Omega powers. However, even with making the characters higher level and stronger, there could always be changes to the existing format. Like go back to only getting 2 enhancement slots per level instead of 3 at 30. Spread out some of the powers more and only give powers beyond 50 every 5 levels and you could even only give one enhancement slot per level beyond 50. I understand the hardest part would be all the higher level content. Hey, I don't see any reason for discussion unless this would be beyond whatever agreements you have to run this game independently. So, maybe I am crazy, maybe I am a fool, of course, yep, but even if we didn't initially go as high as 100, even to 60 or 70 etc. There are a lot of zones that could be modified to higher levels and the characters within them modified to be higher levels. Take the 5th column, wouldn't that be a wonderful zone to destroy, who doesn't love destroying Nazis. It is an idea, and I am always thinking of new ones. BALANCE is always key I guess. I play COH/COV for the fun of the experience of PVE, the story arcs, the feeling of being a hero saving the world and just the escape from real life. I don't think I could ever want the story to end, especially how it did last time. Yet, I like new costumes and I like a lot of what you have done with the game. However, even with your beyond 50 ranking system, maybe should we just change to make us go higher levels? I honestly believe half the zones in COH/COV are wasted by overlapping current ones and the missions that they once had have gone extinct because people play and are now driven away from certain storylines like Dr. Vahlizok in COH. I am not saying it wouldn't be a lot of work. honestly, I have no idea how much work or effort it would take. I started playing COH because I received a free trial while I was in the Navy. I came home with 2 of them, and me and my ex wife started playing. we played with her, her father, her sister and myself. We recruited people from my work, etc. We had over 100 friends and family playing in our supergroup upon the execution of the servers and the lost heroes. Just now, only about a month ago I rediscovered this server while disappointedly checking in on the disappointing progress City of Titans has made over the last many years. I am not mad they are still producing the game, however, I wonder if I will die before it is released. Then I find COH, and I feel like I did before. It wasn't just running around, playing the game. it was the experience, the arch villians, the giant story arcs, the twists, turns and playing as teams to destroy evil. COH took a big break while Cryptic created COV. I almost gave up on the game because COV was not my taste, however, it was a breath of fresh air and I have taken time to experience it as well as do enjoy a good HERO brute I must say. I will say, there feels like something is missing. Maybe because much of the story arcs I have done millions of times, maybe I miss my old supergroup, or maybe it is the lack of persons constantly roaming the streets, always a pick up mission and ready to save the world no matter the time of day. That is expected since this isn't a full fledge giant server. however, I just sat and wondered. With all the manipulation you are able to do with powersets, costumes and more, why can we not take us higher than 50. I am not complaining, but I will add, manipulating the levels of current characters in many of the zones, I don't see how most of those story arcs couldn't be altered to higher levels. Mostly so that many of these overlapping zones no longer go to waste. I understand at higher levels why you might want some overlapping zones, but there are way too many zones below 30. Many times I feel like I am leaving a story arc or zone before I even have time to finish it and I am not even trying to up level quickly. It is an idea. But going from Atlas to Kingsrow, to Steel to skyway or Talos etc. why do we need Galaxy City, Perez park, hallows, Faultline, etc. why can we not make those higher level zones or even just alter the HAZARD zones to higher level zones and all the characters within. I will say, first ward is definitely an overlap and would make a much better 50 plus zone than it currently is. I understand many of you might agree and others disagree. Yet, strangely enough, we all know, this is just a discussion among fellow heroes. If it is possible, BRAVO ZULU, if not, gosh darn it. Either way, I appreciate you taking the time and putting up with my spelling error and improper grammer. Thank you for rekindling my heart and even without any changes to 50 plus, I still enjoy roaming the streets and keeping Paragon City safe for all.

 

Angus

[Lines]

I don't suppose you could put some paragraphs in that post at all? It's very hard to read as one big text but your thoughts and feedback sound interesting.

[Ruin Mage]

GOOD GOD.

Space your paragraphs, please!

[Greycat]

Wall of Text HITS for 749 points!

 

You are stunned and cannot comprehend anything you read for 2d8+2 min.

[FrauleinMental]

1.  Holy Wall of Text, Batman!

 

2.  Yes, there was consideration of expanding the level cap beyond 50 on Live, but that was for only a short time after the level cap became 50.  For years, the devs flat-out said there would never be another level cap rise, and then discussion died altogether when the Incarnate system was developed.  In the shutdown AMA, the devs said they were planning progression within an expanded Incarnate system.

 

3.  People worry about balancing for Incarnate powers, but another balancing problem occurs if you have a bunch of level-100 characters floating around with 10 extra powers and all of their powers 5- or 6-slotted.  They'd probably have to develop extra powers for all the pools just to have power choices.  (My main has just about every power that's appropriate for her.  I'm not even sure what I'd do with 10 more power choices.)

 

4.  What happens to enhancements, if anything, as characters level up beyond 56?  Granted, I've attuned everything on my main that isn't purple (purples are attuned out of the box) or Hami-O.  But do we start a new progression round for "gear" like most other MMOs?  (That's pretty much what happens in WoW at every level cap rise.)

[krj12]

I think one of the strengths of CoH is that it caters to players with altitis.   I've played other MMOs that constantly increase the max level with new releases,  and

it pretty much kills any desire to have more than 1 or 2 characters.  Just too much of a pain to keep many characters at max level with associated "gear",  etc.  ( or enchantments/incarnate powers in CoH )

 

So, my vote would be no to increasing the level cap.    

[Doomguide2005]

Hmm, how to put this.  Level isn't really what we are concerned or thinking about as players.  Level is really just an arbitrary numerical value, a measurement of progress of our characters development from the beginning of their creation to their end.  And that progress of storyline, of power and of capability is really what most are seeking.  It's a feedback or reward for playing.  For some this concrete reward is very sought after, for others progress of the characters story and storyline are the rewards they most strongly seek for playing.  Most, if not close to all, players fall in between and both avenues reward the player.

 

CoX has pretty much moved away from increasing level caps as a reward.  Instead it gave us the Incarnate system and then added "veteran" levels and provides rewards for engaging in altitis.  Basically the idea of increasing level 'caps' has essentially sailed.

[Angus]

I apologize for the "non paragraphed" post above. However, if your focus is on the fact I didn't space out the paragraphs and not pay attention to the content inside that is on you.

 

However, The goal of this is NOT essentially raising the level cap or even making characters go beyond 50.

 

The goal is to use already made zones and story lines and changing them to higher level zones for better end content that has been lost over time.

 

There are tons of story lines from playing COX that are just missing now since some of the graphical changes that force you to go from ATLAS to KINGS ROW and then to STEEL CANYON.  What happened to those story line options for GALAXY CITY, SKYWAY CITY, PEREZ PARK. Even the HOLLOWS are empty. I understand the GALAXY CITY ISSUE.

 

Maybe it is because I have just recently returned to the game. However, my experience is that very few persons are interested in actually playing missions and assisting lower level players going through the story lines. Instead, everyone is consistently doing high level dungeons, Hami raids and power leveling people to get to 50 as fast as possible for their end game content. What happened to the community of players that focused on the story line content and not just power leveling to 50. I am unsure how other servers operated, but on JUSTICE we had people of all levels working together to take people through the many story arcs and learn all about the lore of the game. We didn't have experience boosts to skip most of the game to jump to 50. I understand having at least one 50 is nice to do the high level content and earn money to easily enhance your characters, but that was very minimal to the overall game and its content.

 

WHAT HAPPENED TO PEOPLE ACTUALLY PLAYING THE GAME FOR THE GAME AND NOT JUST THE END CONTENT OR PVP

 

I still believe, the death of COX was the PVP. It was never meant to be a PVP game. COH characters were initially overpowered compared to COV characters. So they dramatically nerfed COH. Then COV was over powered. It was a constant battle that was NEVER resolved. This was even addressed by Cryptic after their departure for Champions. They said the balancing of COX was impossible and was never meant to be PVP.

 

Maybe, if we took a lot of the UNUSED ZONES, UNUSED STORY ARCS and rehashed them to higher levels, than people would complain less about lack of level 50+ content. This would also give us the opportunity to experience that lost lore that has gone missing or skipped because of the current state of the game.

 

The idea of raising the level beyond 50 was a possible solution to this that made the most sense. However, if going above level 50 is already impossible, there still is no reason we cannot rehash some of the story lines and make them higher level material. This goes for ZONES as well. It is a shame that it used to take me 6 months for a seasoned player or a year with a new player to make 50. You would run through the stories and enjoy the sorta grinding it took to level but understood since the story arcs were so elaborate and in-depth. I made a character trying to go through story arcs and learn all I could from ones I experience to ones I had not. Yet, either I would out level the story arcs before I could finish them and they disappeared or they were gone entirely.

 

I guess the title of the post should have been, "WARNING I DID NOT SPACE MY PARAGRAPHS" or "ARE PEOPLE ACTUALLY PLAYING THE GAME OR JUST POWERLEVELING TO 50"

 

If all most of you care about is just playing a level 50 character why not just auto level characters to 50 by a click of a button when you initially log in or make the whole game just a constant LEVEL 50 game. NO LEVELING, just completing story arcs, enjoying the content as well as all the interesting characters and zones it provides. 

 

You can just change the name of the game to "COX, END GAME" because nobody is playing the content anymore and that was why COX had the players that loved it. The story arcs, the interconnected factions, and the twists.

 

No need to reply to this post. HI will not be checking responses. I posted this only as a way to provoke thought about the state of the game. Everything added to the game has been to promote becoming a level 50. This is no different that what Paragon Studios was doing and what other game developers have done. WOW for example, doesn't matter if the level is 50 or 150. If it took me a year to make level 50, but now it takes me 1 month to make level 150???? seriously. This is an example. I have no idea what the level caps are in WOW. Only used it for an example as it had been previously mentioned in an earlier response. I guess after this post I must admit, either change COX back to the way it was with the grinding and massive amount of story arcs or just turn it into a massive level 50 game. Would it really matter anyway? 

 

I am neither looking for approval or disapproval of this post but if you took the time to read it and had either a good or negative thought afterward than that was my intention. Either you agree or you disagree, but in reality, this is the biggest problem with almost every MMORPG. Nobody plays the material, they just want their big bad maxed character. So why have levels, just have content. Isn't this the basis of almost all new games. You do not level, you just are and you constantly fight each other?? FFXIV is no different. I guess the classic MMORPG player is gone who actually enjoyed the leveling and earning your right to be a 50. We always said, being 50 is earned, it is not given. However, like most MMORPG out there today, 50 is given and never earned.

 

I will now go back to COX. Try to enjoy what story lines I can pick through and enjoy before I am forced to a new one because my toon is leveling faster than the story arcs can be completed.

 

Have a happy Halloween and if you understand my plight, BRAVO ZULU, if not, it is because you are probably the person who never really played the game but just jumped on and pushed that level 50 button.

 

P.S. BRAVO ZULU to DOOMGUIDE2005. In my plight to address what I wanted to say, I wasn't clear. Partially because I was half asleep and the result was a big giant massive blob of words. However, as DOOMGUIDE2005 already replied and pointed out. YES, this is exactly what I was trying to get at, however, despite your response, I disagree with your assessment. For you and me this may be true. Yet, for most, this is not the case. Most are not enjoying the story arcs and game play, but just the glory of being a level 50. Thank you for pointing me in the exact direction I intended on going but failed by diverting the original post in the direction of moving past 50. For me, I could care less how many levels the game actually has. I just am saddened that I played a toon for 1 week and I leveled so fast they are almost 40. I was shocked at the speed at the leveling took. This was playing the game, not trying to power level.

 

Very respectfully and most graciously that I get to enjoy as much as I can of COX

 

Angus

 

 

Edited October 28, 2020 by Angus

[Doomguide2005]

@Angusjust going to throw this out there, I know you said you weren't coming back to the thread.

 

But you aren't unique in what you've observed and there are more than a few others out there taking their time to level via story arcs, not looking to rush to 50 and using SOs  (and DOs and TOs) only.  Whole supergroups worth.

[Moka]

I think there should be harder content, but it's kind of hard to figure out just how to do that. I wouldn't mind some more progression beyond the incarnate system.

[AerialAssault]

I think some kind of system whereby a contact exemplars you down to the maximum level of that contact would go a long way for a lot of people.