issue 26 Patch Notes for May 30th, 2019

[Sundodge]

Will this change re-enable the promiscuous propagation of shell casings from Assault Rifle and Merc Masterminds? I live in hope.

 

Oh yes.

 

 

I love you guys.

[Korbian]

They're doing the patch right now aren't they?  That's why the login server is down?

 

Also...

 

/e squees all over the place at the costuming updates

 

I'm so freaking excited to see my makeup now!!!

 

[ParaBruce]

In order to debug that kind of crash, I need to collect memory dumps of the crash when it happens; to do that, I need to include a file in the COH directory, crashrpt.dll, which would collect those memory dumps and send them to the Homecoming servers.

 

The problem is that a lot of people are using the same COH install folder for multiple servers, so if the file is added, memory dumps from other servers would start being sent to the Homecoming servers, which is a massive can of worms. So for now, I'm not including the file, which makes debugging that kind of crash pretty difficult.

 

This is one of the most classic cases of "oh, yeah, obvious once it's pointed out, but would not have occurred to me on my own in, like, ever" I've encountered for some time. :) Thank you for the explanation.

 

[Number Six]

The mothership raid ones were a lot easier to get info on since it was so easy to provoke. Just send somebody with a debug build to fly around the bowl for a while and it was practically guaranteed to get a memory dump or two.

[Rockfall]

I’m happy about DFB. God I hate running as a level 5 for 5-6 runs to get to 22 with every character with every other option just being inefficient in comparison...

 

The DFB nerf is foolish at best and highly counterproductive at worst.

 

Now it'll just be level 1s looking to get PL'd in PI/Grandville farms, in exchange for giving the mission owner any good drops (recpie/salvage). The XP rates available from that (remember double xp weekends on live servers where people would PL from 1 to 50? I do. So that's just your P2W +100% xp buff "anytime") are similar to way over DFB's depending on the relative "efficiency" of the two teams.

 

The advantages of DFB are huge and being overlooked compared to the other content:

* A group of low levels can do it, without begging/selling their soulsdrops.

* It actively encourages actual participation as opposed to piking at the door -- you help, the run is faster, your xp/min goes up.

* All ATs meaningfully contribute (mostly because when you're limited to level 10, everybody sucks equally).

* It teaches people to use some of the tools (building a team, queueing to lfg, etc) of the game.

* It lowers the cost of experimentation ("would I like this powerset/at combo? Let's get it to 22, do it up with SOs, and see!") and so players will be more willing to experiment. **

* Its relatively short content so you can drop in and drop out when you have 15 minutes as opposed to, "oh yep another 1.5 hour task force. That's excellent, but I have a family these days so I guess I'll just go play... something else."

* When high levels drop in because they only have 15, newbies can ask questions and learn something.

 

 

The other thing these patch notes say is the old Asheron's Call player motto: "exploit early, exploit often." Highly unhealthy, IMO.

 

 

**: This wouldn't be a big deal if we had powerset-choice-respecs. If I could turn a dark/inv scrapper into a rad/bio scrapper just by running a (reasonable) difficulty trial (preferably spaced like the terra volta ones are -- I'm not talking "grid to 50 and...") that would be a vast improvement to the game.

[MajikMayhem81]

I'm glad to see the DFB change.  I really have missed doing the original content, and I suppose nothing was stopping me.  The xp just paled in comparison, and I found little point to running radios, tf's, and missions up to lvl 30 given the xp from dfb was so good for the amount of time spent running the trial.  Also all the updates look great!  Thank you guys for investing your free time to provide such an awesome experience!  Homecoming has my vote for sure.

[Excalliber]

You guys are so flipping amazing!  Thank you so very, very much for all the hard work you've put into this!  This is the difference between people that love what they do and those that just want a paycheck.  You're giving our home great updates and a makeover.  Maybe that's what you should call the servers, CoH: Home Improvement.  Oh, wait, then someone needs to be Tim "The Toolman" Taylor.....DIBS ON THAT NAME!!!  *rushes to the game to make this character with the shovel for a weapon*

[slaveteri]

my TrendMicro hates the new patch and is now blocking homecoming.exe.  i had to add it to my virus scanner's whitelist to be able to load the game at all.  i understand it's a certificate issue?  Not that i mind adding it to the whitelist, just my firewall doesn't make that easy.  :)

[OneZeroNine]

Any chance you will be fixing the pet AI bug making them go into melee range? Pain in the butt with my phantasm.

[Ry]

*Scans over the list* Oh cool.. cool.. nice, oh neat... very good..

*Notices costume changes and Burst of Speed no longer looks terrible, sniffles*

 

T.. Thank you! THANK YOU! <3

[Solok]

I think I may have found a bug, not sure but wanted to say something.

In Faultline the Faultless Mystic badge seems to be missing. The other badges seem to be there (old fashioned, egg hunter, etc) however the physical badge for Faultless Mystic is no longer on top of the garage for some reason and the garage is not in Echo Faultline either so not sure how badge hunters can get it?

[Venture]

I think I may have found a bug, not sure but wanted to say something.

In Faultline the Faultless Mystic badge seems to be missing. The other badges seem to be there (old fashioned, egg hunter, etc) however the physical badge for Faultless Mystic is no longer on top of the garage for some reason and the garage is not in Echo Faultline either so not sure how badge hunters can get it?

 

it's now in its original location in Echo Faultline

 

 

[EmperorSteele]

Solok: Faultline had some old badges moved to Echo: Faultline. New badges were added to both zones to make a total of 8 for each.

[Healix]

Amazing work, and THANK you for all of it! OH, and Leo, I LOVE your avatar..."Chaotic Good" is so perfect LOLOL

[Teglami]

*Scans over the list* Oh cool.. cool.. nice, oh neat... very good..

*Notices costume changes and Burst of Speed no longer looks terrible, sniffles*

 

T.. Thank you! THANK YOU! <3

 

That was exactly what i thought! Awsome Patch

[ShogunGunshow]

I’m happy about DFB. God I hate running as a level 5 for 5-6 runs to get to 22 with every character with every other option just being inefficient in comparison...

 

The DFB nerf is foolish at best and highly counterproductive at worst.

 

Now it'll just be level 1s looking to get PL'd in PI/Grandville farms, in exchange for giving the mission owner any good drops (recpie/salvage). The XP rates available from that (remember double xp weekends on live servers where people would PL from 1 to 50? I do. So that's just your P2W +100% xp buff "anytime") are similar to way over DFB's depending on the relative "efficiency" of the two teams.

 

The advantages of DFB are huge and being overlooked compared to the other content:

* A group of low levels can do it, without begging/selling their soulsdrops.

* It actively encourages actual participation as opposed to piking at the door -- you help, the run is faster, your xp/min goes up.

* All ATs meaningfully contribute (mostly because when you're limited to level 10, everybody sucks equally).

* It teaches people to use some of the tools (building a team, queueing to lfg, etc) of the game.

* It lowers the cost of experimentation ("would I like this powerset/at combo? Let's get it to 22, do it up with SOs, and see!") and so players will be more willing to experiment. **

* Its relatively short content so you can drop in and drop out when you have 15 minutes as opposed to, "oh yep another 1.5 hour task force. That's excellent, but I have a family these days so I guess I'll just go play... something else."

* When high levels drop in because they only have 15, newbies can ask questions and learn something.

 

 

The other thing these patch notes say is the old Asheron's Call player motto: "exploit early, exploit often." Highly unhealthy, IMO.

 

 

**: This wouldn't be a big deal if we had powerset-choice-respecs. If I could turn a dark/inv scrapper into a rad/bio scrapper just by running a (reasonable) difficulty trial (preferably spaced like the terra volta ones are -- I'm not talking "grid to 50 and...") that would be a vast improvement to the game.

 

You can still do most of these things. It is still ridiculously efficient in the 1-15 range, and is unchanged up to 10 anyway.

[Venture]

I’m happy about DFB. God I hate running as a level 5 for 5-6 runs to get to 22 with every character with every other option just being inefficient in comparison...

 

The DFB nerf is foolish at best and highly counterproductive at worst.

 

Now it'll just be level 1s looking to get PL'd in PI/Grandville farms, in exchange for giving the mission owner any good drops (recpie/salvage). The XP rates available from that (remember double xp weekends on live servers where people would PL from 1 to 50? I do. So that's just your P2W +100% xp buff "anytime") are similar to way over DFB's depending on the relative "efficiency" of the two teams.

 

 

 

DFB nerf doesn't take effect until a character is level 10 at which point the xp nerf gradually apply over the next 10 levels till 20.

 

Level ones can still Use DFB and will gain all benefits till level 10 by which point the hollows and kingsway will be open to them (Hollows has always be fun and the new regulators arcs in kingsway are awesome). They can then choose to continue running DFB, with greater amount sof xp than standard missions - just less than previously.

 

Also Posi is now accessible from level 8.

[Nuc]

The DFB nerf is foolish at best and highly counterproductive at worst.

 

Now it'll just be level 1s looking to get PL'd in PI/Grandville farms, in exchange for giving the mission owner any good drops (recpie/salvage). The XP rates available from that (remember double xp weekends on live servers where people would PL from 1 to 50? I do. So that's just your P2W +100% xp buff "anytime") are similar to way over DFB's depending on the relative "efficiency" of the two teams.

 

The advantages of DFB are huge and being overlooked compared to the other content:

* A group of low levels can do it, without begging/selling their soulsdrops.

They still can.

 

* It actively encourages actual participation as opposed to piking at the door -- you help, the run is faster, your xp/min goes up.

This still happens.

 

* All ATs meaningfully contribute (mostly because when you're limited to level 10, everybody sucks equally).

Still the case.

 

* It teaches people to use some of the tools (building a team, queueing to lfg, etc) of the game.

It still does.

 

* It lowers the cost of experimentation ("would I like this powerset/at combo? Let's get it to 22, do it up with SOs, and see!") and so players will be more willing to experiment. **

This is still mostly possible, the XP nerf doesn't become that noticeable until the late teens.

 

* Its relatively short content so you can drop in and drop out when you have 15 minutes as opposed to, "oh yep another 1.5 hour task force. That's excellent, but I have a family these days so I guess I'll just go play... something else."

DfB hasn't been removed from the game. It still exists and still takes the same amount of time AFAIK.

 

* When high levels drop in because they only have 15, newbies can ask questions and learn something.

Possibly the only valid point you've made since it's much less rewarding for high level players. Which it should be.

 

 

 

Edit: readability

[Datjusticebro]

Hey there! Thank you for the update! The DFB was the only thing that people were doing for XP to fifty for a long time, and it is nice that this will be an incentive to do the other content.

 

On a different but related topic, when will the servers be back up?

[Dispari]

Immobilize Powers in Controller and Dominator primary power sets should no longer make their targets immune to KnockUp. KnockBack will be converted to KnockDown. This helps sets like Ice and Earth, as their AOE Immobilize power will no longer make their AOE Knockback power useless.

 

I gotta say this is my favorite change in forever. Ever since they added electric control which did this, players have been begging for other immob powers to do this, and they never did it.

 

At any rate, not to sound ungrateful, but I'm curious if this already does or will eventually be extended to other miscellaneous immobilize powers? Wide Area Web Grenade from VEATs, brute AoE immobs from PPPs, dark blast's tenebrous tentacles, dark melee's midnight grasp, all the blaster secondaries that do it, warshade gravimetric snare, lich and dark servant tentacles, Frozen Blast and Razzle Dazzle chance for immobilize, and all the other ones I probably forgot, to name a few?

[EmperorSteele]

Bravo on all of this! As someone who did a fair number of mothership raids, I appreciate both the improvements AND the rewards adjustment. It really did feel like a give-away more than a reward. And also, we have more incentive for everyone to be involved the whole time!

 

Still, now getting enough merits for all the anniversary badges is gonna be a little tougher XD

 

Bravo on the tailor/costume fixes! Can I assume we have more coming down the pipeline for blurry textures and such? (Bikini being the worst offender, as the strap is a smear with a literal seam down the side; I remember making a post for Noble Savage/David Nak. back in the day pointing it out. He was asking for community feedback regarding what visual improvements we'd like to see, and I literally had to illustrate what we meant by "Better but the same". Good times!)

[Nic Mercy]

I approve of all these changes! Ty for the patch!

[Crysis]

Thank you for all the hard work on the costumes, powers, etc.

 

On cutting the rewards down for both DFB and RWZ/MSR raid....all I can say is I'm very disappointed.  Less than a month after re-releasing this game that I've missed for many years, you've now given me reason to stop playing it as much.  I've been trying very hard to get my original characters rebuilt in the game.  I managed to get two of them back to the builds they had before Live shut down.  But now that you are removing the fast-pass rebuild features these two tracks represented, I've little reason to invest all the time I have been on trying to get back to parity.

 

I've no desire to play with others who wish to enforce their play style on me.  "Don't fire until I herd the room."  "Wait for the Blaster to drop his nuke."  "Don't use your X power, its messing up with my preference to do Y."  Which, really, makes up the bulk of the membership of these boards and in the game.

 

I'm thankful I have my own personal server to enjoy my old archived characters and those I've restored with my friends.  I will no longer need to try and do that here.

 

I enjoyed all my fellow DFB/DiB'r teammates I've met, along with the multiple MSR raiders as well.  Some have now come over to my private server.  Which is cool.  But we enjoyed playing in your sandbox while you allowed us to do so unmolested.  I guess we can consider you a marketing channel to find others who wish a more open sandbox style of play.

 

 

[Sidious]

Thank you for the QoL changes from Easy Mode.

[Blastit]

Tweaking the emblems is a wonderful little touch. I've never used the pawprint, for example, because it has always looked pretty shoddy. The hi-rez skull emblems are perfect and are inspiring me to try them out.