What fundamental structures, assumptions, etc should be reconsidered for CoX?

[MTeague]

On 4/6/2021 at 12:03 PM, rookery. said:

Except Dr. Quarterfield. No one sane enjoys Dr. Quarterfield.

Yes, I have poisoned the well.

 

I like Dr. Quaterfield TF!   

We need more Rularu! And a restricted version of the Shadow Shard with no teleports, no flying, you have to use the gravity geysers to get around!

Darn it Sheogorath, put down the cheese and fish sticks!!

Why are you tying me up in the straight jacket?  I'm fine!!  really!!

[Darmian]

1 hour ago, Turric said:

Your friend would love Eve Online.

He's tried it!  Did like that, found the rest of the game, to quote him, "completely f**cking toxic".  And quit it.

[Galaxy Brain]

1 hour ago, Grindingsucks said:

 

*Hides nearby and waits for the power-gaming savages to chase down Galaxy Brain with their metaphorical torches and pitchforks*

They wouldn't use Lethal Damage and Ignite, come on 😉

 

[Bastille Boy]

I don't have any ideas here, but my characters do.

 

J. J. Roth, a.k.a. Bastille Boy:

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Maybe the devs could rethink the assumption that heroes work with the police.

 

Herocatcher Jake:

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Maybe the devs could rethink the assumption that heroes don't work with the Rogue Island Police. We have so many empty cells in the Port Oakes Pen; it is such a shameful waste. No, we won't arrest heroes immediately if they show up at an RIPD station. Why would you think that?

 

Also, buff corruptors, please and thank you.

 

Jailbird Jamie:

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I like the suggestion from @Darmian that we have more locations for bank robberies.

 

Damon Glasseater:

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Have you ever seen a banquet table covered with platters of delicious-looking food, and then you found out that it's all made of plastic, so you couldn't eat any of it?

 

That's what Paragon City is like for me, all the time. There are so many beautiful, perfect, scrumptious-looking glass windows everywhere, and I don't get to eat any of them. Badness knows I've tried. Look, I know that this is a city of superheroes, and architects need to plan for the extremely high risk of unintended property damage. But could we maybe have some edible windows? I think that would be an interesting game mechanic.

 

[Spaghetti Betty]

3 hours ago, Galaxy Brain said:

Lets start the fire:

Is global rech out of line?

 

 

Disclaimer:

 

My main is a blaster that regularly gets itself to 350%+ global recharge bonus.

 

Global recharge is absolutely out of line. Does that make the game more fun? 100% yes.

 

I can't stand waiting around for my main attack powers to recharge. I much more prefer the rotation-based gameplay high global recharge allows me to have. That being said, I don't mind -recharge being a debuff I can get hit with because that's a gameplay element that makes encounters more interesting.

 

 

Speaking to the main topic at hand, there's a fine line between "QoL change" and "fundamentally breaking the game". I feel all the travelling changes up this point are more or less on the side of "QoL change". I'm an old school player. I like travelling as much as the next guy, but sprinting everywhere for 14 levels (minimum) was not fun. Going from PI, to Bricks, back to PI, to Founders even with a travel power was not fun (Indigo). I don't understand how ease of travel contributes to this "slippery slope" concern being brought up. You still have to go places, it's just easier to get there. How exactly would that transition into getting rid of the destination completely? That's just getting rid of the "game" part of the game.

[DoctorDitko]

On 4/6/2021 at 12:03 PM, rookery. said:

No one sane enjoys Dr. Quarterfield.

The late, great RoboTechMaster ran Dr. Q teams that were an absolute BLAST!
I thought it was insanity when someone advertised "Dr. Q TF forming, ~2 hours, WTF so 244 merits. Head to the D."

What the hell. When I get to the D, RTM is buying ATT and MTP for everyone who doesn't have them. Proceeds to run the thing like a magic trick, all "Doc, you have Limo duty when we exit," and "I'll be using Incandescence once I'm in position."

Still in awe. So, yeah, crazy, but in a good way, can be done!

20 hours ago, Communistpenguin said:

3 minion level mobs merge to form a boss level mob.

I'd personally track down each Dev and give them a dollar if my Bots MM could combine his pets into a Voltron. Make it tricky to do -- along the lines of getting a Shivan? -- fine by me. I'd just love to pull the Malta trick on the Malta JUST ONCE!

[TemporalVileTerror]

I think there's a bit of confusion between a fundamental aspect of the game is, and what's just a matter of a minor balance pass or new content.

 

For example, Recharge Bonuses from IO Sets being really high is a matter of balance.  

Recharge Bonus being something which benefits Powers with longer cooldowns more-so than shorter cooldowns is a fundamental.

[Turric]

9 hours ago, Darmian said:

He's tried it!  Did like that, found the rest of the game, to quote him, "completely f**cking toxic".  And quit it.

 

Haha, that too is very true. World of Tanks is still king of community toxicity, I have to turn the chat off in that game it is so bad.

[Turric]

4 hours ago, DoctorDitko said:

 

I'd personally track down each Dev and give them a dollar if my Bots MM could combine his pets into a Voltron. Make it tricky to do -- along the lines of getting a Shivan? -- fine by me. I'd just love to pull the Malta trick on the Malta JUST ONCE!

 

Holy crap, this should have been a thing! What a fun idea. Similar to Gang War in a way. Put it on a long cooldown. I would dust off my bots MM for this.

 

[Gatling]

This is a complicated topic, as some fundamental aspects of the game are inherent to technological limitations of the engine/code. But, I think there are a few barriers that are "FUndamental" that can be broken down perhaps. I hope I don't somehow create controversy with this:
 

• Servers. They need to go. This is an MMO fundamental more so than a COH fundamental, but the servers should be unified in a configuration that allows players to server hop. I was rather disappointed when more servers got added causing the player base to be split as new servers were added. Yes HC is the Largest Private server, but as servers were added it has begun to feel a little lonely. 
• Team play - Nothing wrong with the inherent team play, but I'd love to see some unlockables that allow you to recruit your own characters as an NPC/PET. It could have restrictions from making missions too easy mode but I think an option like that would make some big waves in the COH scene. Especially if customisation/Dialogue can be added.
• Fully shared worlds and PVP shards. Similar to the first suggestion, but also mixed in with fully traversable worlds. Rogue Isle's should be able to be travelled to Physically and via helicopters/planes. But depending on your allignment NPC's will react different to you and be Non-level (Scaled to you no matter where you go) This should also only be available on specific shards to not interfere with Traditional players.
• Housing - Had to dig deep for this one. Especially because we already have Super group Bases. But I legitimately mean it. IN-world (Shard based perhaps) Housing. You pick a building. you find a building number, you pay upkeep, you get special bonuses, and decoration options based on the building and room type. That's pretty out there for COH and if it could be done I think that would be an interesting change of pace.
• A new City. 

Edited April 9, 2021 by Gatling

[Snarky]

Have 1st level NPCs stop pushing my Brutes and Tanks out of their way.  Its embarrassing.

 

Have the Vanguard Operative stop telling me to Step over to him so he can check my clearance.  Its starting to make my eye twitch.  I am starting to put my character there when I am AFK and just beat the idiot with a bat.  My hope is he will either die or start to remember who I am.

[DoctorDitko]

Yeah, it would be great if we could use the mechanic they've introduced for Super Speed in Beta, to let us ignore citizens. Getting shoved out into the road by a little old lady -- then driven away by a truck -- is funny the first few times, but it gets old.

 

Speaking of ignoring NPCs, I wonder if it would be hard to let us have an NPC ignore list? That Vanguard jerk would be my first!

 

[Gulbasaur]

7 hours ago, Gatling said:

• Servers. They need to go. This is an MMO fundamental more so than a COH fundamental, but the servers should be unified in a configuration that allows players to server hop. I was rather disappointed when more servers got added causing the player base to be split as new servers were added. Yes HC is the Largest Private server, but as servers were added it has begun to feel a little lonely. 

I love that Everlasting has a roleplay focus, and I don't even particularly roleplay. It adds a layer of fun having a clown who only communicates in HONKs and I've met an in-character dog in a mecha suit. In-character play adds such a nice amount of silliness to the game and I'd be put off if all servers were scooped in together as I fear the RPers would be lost in the noise.

Having a discussion about whether lost limbs due to half-arsed teleportation is covered by insurance policies is the sort of magic I feel would be lost if the servers were unified. 

 

On 4/8/2021 at 1:50 AM, DoctorDitko said:

The late, great RoboTechMaster ran Dr. Q teams that were an absolute BLAST!

I teamed with him once or twice - definitely started in Pocket D... we both went "Hey, I've read your guides!" and that was a nice moment. A gentleman. 

Edited April 9, 2021 by Gulbasaur

[Gatling]

6 hours ago, Gulbasaur said:

I love that Everlasting has a roleplay focus, and I don't even particularly roleplay. It adds a layer of fun having a clown who only communicates in HONKs and I've met an in-character dog in a mecha suit. In-character play adds such a nice amount of silliness to the game and I'd be put off if all servers were scooped in together as I fear the RPers would be lost in the noise.

Having a discussion about whether lost limbs due to half-arsed teleportation is covered by insurance policies is the sort of magic I feel would be lost if the servers were unified. 

 

I teamed with him once or twice - definitely started in Pocket D... we both went "Hey, I've read your guides!" and that was a nice moment. A gentleman. 

"Everlasting" would be a shard on a single super server. This would actually benefit people who want to go and ROle play and those who would like to take a break, by swapping to a different shard.

[Darmian]

13 hours ago, DoctorDitko said:

Yeah, it would be great if we could use the mechanic they've introduced for Super Speed in Beta, to let us ignore citizens. Getting shoved out into the road by a little old lady -- then driven away by a truck -- is funny the first few times, but it gets old.

 

Speaking of ignoring NPCs, I wonder if it would be hard to let us have an NPC ignore list? That Vanguard jerk would be my first!

 

But have you heard of the exciting world of Day Jobs?

[Twisted Toon]

1 hour ago, Gatling said:

"Everlasting" would be a shard on a single super server. This would actually benefit people who want to go and ROle play and those who would like to take a break, by swapping to a different shard.

Isn't that already available with (free) server transfers?

Granted, it isn't as convenient as, "Let me activate my cloak of shard passage" or anything...

[DougGraves]

38 minutes ago, Twisted Toon said:

Isn't that already available with (free) server transfers?

Granted, it isn't as convenient as, "Let me activate my cloak of shard passage" or anything...

 

The big thing is LFG.  I want a shared LFG across all players.  We could then teleport to another server, shard, or whatever once we join the team.

[Darmian]

3 minutes ago, DougGraves said:

 

The big thing is LFG.  I want a shared LFG across all players.  We could then teleport to another server, shard, or whatever once we join the team.

That would need names sorting out, or one giant shard.  And frankly the former would be a pain in the butt and the latter I never want to see.

[Gatling]

5 hours ago, Darmian said:

butt and the latter I never want to see.

And that's why it's a fundamental assumption of CoH I think should be reconsidered. Why not 1 big server? Why not a revamp of How names work and @Handles work? it's only complicated now because it wasn't considered initially.

[Darmian]

2 minutes ago, Gatling said:

And that's why it's a fundamental assumption of CoH I think should be reconsidered. Why not 1 big server? Why not a revamp of How names work and @Handles work? it's only complicated now because it wasn't considered initially.

Because I play on Reunion and don't want to play at 4 am, because I'm damn sure the "big shard" won't default to a time zone I can live with, because I'm not 20 anymore and I work, because I don't want to lose my favourite game again because some people think this is a good idea.

 

IF, tentative IF, due to dwindling numbers and funds shards had to be merged, that's a different thing and I'd have to be pragmatic, otherwise no thanks.

[Gatling]

13 minutes ago, Darmian said:

Because I play on Reunion and don't want to play at 4 am, because I'm damn sure the "big shard" won't default to a time zone I can live with, because I'm not 20 anymore and I work, because I don't want to lose my favourite game again because some people think this is a good idea.

 

IF, tentative IF, due to dwindling numbers and funds shards had to be merged, that's a different thing and I'd have to be pragmatic, otherwise no thanks.

I literally have no idea how this affects what I've said, or what it has to do with a single Server and Shard system.

Edited April 9, 2021 by Gatling

[Darmian]

1 minute ago, Gatling said:

I literally have no idea how this affects what I've said, or what it has to do with a single Server and Shard system.

So you think one big server is going to work the same way the shards do now? That wasn't obvious from your statement.

[Gatling]

2 minutes ago, Darmian said:

So you think one big server is going to work the same way the shards do now? That wasn't obvious from your statement.

In an IDEALISED environment. There would be no separate character server to divide or transfer to. Only shards you can actively join.
If these shards are capable of actively being joined (Like Path of exile) Then Server location, time zones, and the like are dictated by the shard, not the Character server, allowing everyone. ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE who plays City of Heroes: Homecoming. To play with absolutely everyone. Allowing people to make the choice of where/when/how to play. This does come some some caveats that are built upon the foundation of CoX fundamental aspects (Market prices and economy between servers. Timed events being able to be stacked/cascaded across time zones, etc.) but if the game was built from the ground up with regards to the 1 server system then these systems would have been addressed already.

Edited April 9, 2021 by Gatling

[Darmian]

Just now, Gatling said:

In an IDEALISED environment. There would be no separate character server to divide or transfer to. Only shards you can actively join.
If these shards are capable of actively being joined (Like Path of exile) Then Server location, time zones, and the like are dictated by the shard, not the Character server, allowing everyone. ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE who plays City of Heroes: Homecoming. To play with absolutely everyone.

That seems far more reasonable then.  

[TemporalVileTerror]

I believe that's how the game Rifts worked.  I'm not certain, but I think when you teamed up, you would be shunked to the team leader's shard, and when you quit you would be sent back to your own.

But I only dabbled in Rifts for a few months after City died, so . . . *shrugs*  I have very spotty memories of it.