About some complaints going around lately regarding the state of Homecoming development.

[Luminara]

I have a complaint.

 

Where's my goddamn deep dish pizza, @Jimmy?  I'm not paying a subscription for this lousy service!

 

🔪

[Shadow Raven]

if we can add wishlist items, I'd really love vehicles.

 

My recollection is that was completely unworkable during live, but maybe things have changed.

 

Running is fine, but I'd love to have a car to help with transport and maybe battle?

 

But, I like the game as it is right now. It's been a nice throwback to the past that I've enjoyed, despite the fact that 15 years has not done much for some of the cliquish behavior that detracts from the game.

 

However, I have realized that the mission maps are not all that great. They weren't then, either and I'd forgotten it.

 

I'm not sure if more variety can be added, but that might help some. 

 

In all fairness, I have seen more designs and they look great, but I guess mob sweeping several floors gets repetitive.

 

I have not hit all the features, so if anyone has some recommendations on missions, please send my way.

[oedipus_tex]

FWIW I have not seen any complaints.

 

I have some experience modding CoX, and I think its helpful to understand that making changes is not as simple as grabbing files and putting them into place. The way CoX is structured, a single bad file can corrupt the bin process (the process of turning editable data files into "baked" resources for fast execution by the server and client).

 

On my personal private server, I have 2 custom powersets that are more or less "complete" and 5 or so others in various states of completeness. No other server has access to these sets, and only I and one other player have used them. I'm open to sharing the files--the idea was to put them on the shared forums for any server that wants them to grab. However, its not as easy for a dev team to just grab the data and plug them in. People running an actual server have to balance all the various components against each other, plus deal with any bugs that exist (I'm sure there are plenty). Not to mention, each resource you add adds overhead in terms of maintenance.  That's why I mod privately and do not run an actual server--it's a ton of very difficult work. What the Homecoming and other groups have been able to do is really amazing, and very different from just creating or installing content.

Just speaking for my own content, I'm completely open to Homecoming installing it and doing with it what they want. On the other hand, I completely understand why they or other servers might not want to.

[UltraAlt]

2 hours ago, Shadow Raven said:

I'd really love vehicles.

 

The closest thing we are going to get to vehicles are customization of what is the rocket board, flying carpet, and void skiff.

[UltraAlt]

On 1/31/2022 at 11:26 PM, blue4333 said:

Is telling unhappy people they can go play other servers really the option here? 

 

 

If you are unhappy here, then perhaps these aren't the servers you are looking for.

 

We know the saying "the grass is always greener on the other side". I'm not sure if that was pointed out in this thread or another one recently, but it is true.

 

I think that the Homecoming DEVs have done a great job. I'm enjoying the game here.

If a person feels that they really want the different customization of another server then they should play there. They don't have to JUST play there. They can play here as well.

I play more than one game. If I really wanted something that another server had then I would go there for THAT thing, when I wanted to play THAT thing.

 

What is the huge allure of other servers that makes you unhappy to play on Homecoming?

 

The only things that I have heard that are anything me even worth considering trying them would be mastermind pet customization and greater range of character sizes. Neither of which is enough for me to have the motivation to install other servers.

I simply haven't heard of any GREAT improvements to the game that the other servers have added. (I certainly don't need bow that looks like a person!)

 

[Shadow Raven]

1 hour ago, UltraAlt said:

 

The closest thing we are going to get to vehicles are customization of what is the rocket board, flying carpet, and void skiff.

 

That's closer than during Live. Oh, well. And that's not a complaint, though. Just a wish list item.

 

Now I'm asking myself what hero I have that could use a rocket board.

[GM Tempest]

Also remember this game is older than World of Warcraft. There is only so much eldritch magic that can be worked with a game this old.

[Bill Z Bubba]

1 hour ago, GM Tempest said:

There is only so much eldritch magic that can be worked with a game this old.

 

Yall're obviously not usin enough blood in your rituals.

[Luminara]

2 minutes ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

 

Yall're obviously not usin enough blood in your rituals.

 

Rubber chickens don't have blood.

[Rishidian]

On 1/31/2022 at 8:26 PM, blue4333 said:

Is telling unhappy people they can go play other servers really the option here? 
 

Considering that the other servers have a peak of less than 50 -100 players and Homecoming is pretty much the only server with population. 
 

Shouldn't we weigh the criticisms and see how we can propose things  to improve? Because honestly it comes off as a group think if we just keep saying “HC has a slow but steady approach and other servers are just randomly experimenting until it works”

I am not picking on you, nor am I ganging up on you - but I wish to address this.

 

People who are unhappy playing on HC do have the option of playing on other servers.  But realize, each server has it's strengths and weaknesses, and we have to accept them if we are to play on the server (s).  Suggesting that they may be happier by using another server is not necessarily mean, it's letting them know that there may be another place they may enjoy more.  But also realizing other servers have their downsides as well.

 

I have read that HC Folks scour the forms and read most, if not all, of the suggestions, and probably the debates about them also.  I am grateful for this.  It lets me know that they are active in what the community is wanting in their game.  I am also grateful they don't necessarily listen to what is being demanded.  The loudest voices are not necessarily the best ones to listen to.   I don't have a loud voice, but, I would rather them not listen to me either.  I do not have the wisdom to make a game better.

 

But back to my original point - I find no fault in letting others know that there are other City of X options available that may be better suited for some players.  The tone of the suggestion may be another matter, but the overall offer doesn't bother me.  And as for the other servers having lower population rates, this is also an opportunity to help them get a larger player base - by having an unhappy player migrate to a lower population server.  Who knows - maybe the grass is greener for them there.

 

Nobody's perfect - Nothing's perfect.  We need to go to places that are best for us.  Sometimes a gentle suggestion is what's needed for someone to find one of those places.

 

 

[Sakura Tenshi]

Well, I do sometimes envy the other servers myself, mostly in terms of costume parts they've gotten (and Thunderspy extending all enemy group level ranges). But I understand why it is not necessarily a good idea to just copy and paste from their stuff to ours, even outside of inter-server politics there's always devils in the details. I also understand each server is trying to prioritize different things. I will be honest and admit that I played devil's advocate for Thunderspy on 4chan after they made an honestly absurd number of changes that had even the anons questioning the wisdom of it, I told them that as we are right now as a greater community, each server is going to try to offer something different either to attract players or even just what the host thinks should have been done back on live, and in a game that prides itself of allowing people to craft their own experiences, what better way could that unfold than for even servers to offer new experiences. Rebirth is offering a largely vanilla experience from back when the game was in Retail. Thunderspy and Cake are taking a more sandbox approach, and our own seems to work more towards middle of the road, but one thing I've seen here I haven't heard about on the others has been that we've been adding new story content.

 

So, in summary; I am envious of some of the things others have, but I will always be grateful for what we have here and have little motivation to go to those other servers. But, I also firmly believe, much like the old Plan Z stuff back on the titan forums, it's important for there to be multiple servers. And that being said, had I the ability and resources, I'd love to have my own little private server too, more to experiment and mess around on to pitch ideas of code to see if anyone else will pick up on them. But mostly try to make a bunch of new map tilesets. (Nemesis/5th column/Sky Raider Airship maps, Council/Nemesis/Fifth Column/Arachnos/Longbow Submarine maps, office spaces that kind of make sense...)

[UltraAlt]

9 hours ago, Shadow Raven said:

Now I'm asking myself what hero I have that could use a rocket board.

 

You can also park in the Shadow Shard (can be accessed by the warp thingy near the tram in Atlas) to get a day job that unlocks a raptor pack that changes when you log out in  the Shadow Shard. It can be charged up to 2 hours of flight time.

[BurtHutt]

On 2/2/2022 at 9:07 AM, oedipus_tex said:

FWIW I have not seen any complaints.

 

I have some experience modding CoX, and I think its helpful to understand that making changes is not as simple as grabbing files and putting them into place. The way CoX is structured, a single bad file can corrupt the bin process (the process of turning editable data files into "baked" resources for fast execution by the server and client).

 

On my personal private server, I have 2 custom powersets that are more or less "complete" and 5 or so others in various states of completeness. No other server has access to these sets, and only I and one other player have used them. I'm open to sharing the files--the idea was to put them on the shared forums for any server that wants them to grab. However, its not as easy for a dev team to just grab the data and plug them in. People running an actual server have to balance all the various components against each other, plus deal with any bugs that exist (I'm sure there are plenty). Not to mention, each resource you add adds overhead in terms of maintenance.  That's why I mod privately and do not run an actual server--it's a ton of very difficult work. What the Homecoming and other groups have been able to do is really amazing, and very different from just creating or installing content.

Just speaking for my own content, I'm completely open to Homecoming installing it and doing with it what they want. On the other hand, I completely understand why they or other servers might not want to.

This is really neat! Did you make something completely unique or re-purpose old powers? Join the Dev team! I am told they need coders! 🙂

[oedipus_tex]

15 hours ago, BurtHutt said:

This is really neat! Did you make something completely unique or re-purpose old powers? Join the Dev team! I am told they need coders! 🙂

 

 

The two sets that are reasonably complete are both Controls sets. Both feature a mix of semi-unique particle  effects. Although they are not a secret, I try not to share too much about them on the forums without a go ahead flag from that server's devs, in order to control the messaging. I'm only sharing about it at all since this conversation is specifically about shared code and its somewhat known among folks who visit Ourodev that I'm present there. 🙂 

 

If you're interested in details, I think it's okay if you private message me. That way we can respect the Homecoming devs space and messaging. 

Edited February 4, 2022 by oedipus_tex

[Crysis]

On 1/23/2022 at 2:40 AM, Greycat said:

It's a question of server philosophies.

HC's trying to show themselves to be good, thoughtful stewards of the game.

 

Others like throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks (and what bursts into flame.)

 

 

 

I think the others are doing things "because they can/must."  Meaning in some cases, your spaghetti description.  It's more a "I can do this, and I want to do this, and I have ability to do this so why not?"  It's more of a personal fan-run server, and they enjoy the opportunity to do stuff purely for the fun of it.  No harm there.

 

But on the "must" side, lets be honest.  HC doesn't have a huge population as-is for this reincarnation of the game.  But from all I can tell by frequenting the other servers, they clearly have a much higher active playerbase than those others.  So the other guys MUST do stuff differently to try and differentiate the experience/product and/or to draw players to them.  Their functional/stylistic differences are unique points of differentiation REQUIRED to get/keep an active playerbase and hopefully allow it to grow.

 

HC doesn't HAVE to do that because they already have the largest playerbase.  So instead, they do what they believe is best to RETAIN the current playerbase size while recruiting/acquiring new players precisely because of that active playerbase.  Thus we get new content, powerset proliferation, etc.  Because that strategy appeals to retention AND new player acquisition at the same time.  Retention in this game has always been part new content and part new powersets to create new alts to go run the old content with.  

 

Basic marketing 101 stuff really.  Smaller guys compete on features.  Bigger guys compete on scale and customer retention...grow the base, acquire new as you churn out the old.

[Greycat]

1 minute ago, Crysis said:

 

I think the others are doing things "because they can/must."  Meaning in some cases, your spaghetti description.  It's more a "I can do this, and I want to do this, and I have ability to do this so why not?"  It's more of a personal fan-run server, and they enjoy the opportunity to do stuff purely for the fun of it.  No harm there.

 

But on the "must" side, lets be honest.  HC doesn't have a huge population as-is for this reincarnation of the game.  But from all I can tell by frequenting the other servers, they clearly have a much higher active playerbase than those others.  So the other guys MUST do stuff differently to try and differentiate the experience/product and/or to draw players to them.  Their functional/stylistic differences are unique points of differentiation REQUIRED to get/keep an active playerbase and hopefully allow it to grow.

 

HC doesn't HAVE to do that because they already have the largest playerbase.  So instead, they do what they believe is best to RETAIN the current playerbase size while recruiting/acquiring new players precisely because of that active playerbase.  Thus we get new content, powerset proliferation, etc.  Because that strategy appeals to retention AND new player acquisition at the same time.  Retention in this game has always been part new content and part new powersets to create new alts to go run the old content with.  

 

Basic marketing 101 stuff really.  Smaller guys compete on features.  Bigger guys compete on scale and customer retention...grow the base, acquire new as you churn out the old.

 

Well, I'm fairly sure some of those other servers have been around as long as HC. The philosophy's pretty much baked into them. (And quite a few others have died off for various reasons.)