Mapserver Madness! (Four-One 2022 Invasion Event)

[arcane]

On 4/5/2022 at 2:20 PM, LQT said:

Overall event was fun but the design of the GM is perhaps the single worst thing I've encountered in the entire game [Live and beyond] because of how much it removes player agency when on a tank of some kind. It managed to approach the point why I disliked the SWTOR MMO so much because there the only real CC the SWTOR devs seemed capable of coming up with was chain KBs and stunlocks that couldn't be mitigated which the event GM with it's Mag 1000 stuns, holds, end drains, and other abilities inflicts on any and all tanks trying to do what their AT is made for.

 

Going from full hp to: Stunned, Held, Confused, OOM, Repelled, Attracted, then dead in several hits on a mostly RES capped Willpower Tank is one of the least enjoyable experiences I've had on Homecoming and having it happen several times in a row [some invasions it was 3 deaths back to back, some it was 5] ruined the whole thing. You can't even begin to reach a way to survive that as a) The Threat system in CoX is so badly designed Tank-Swapping doesn't work as it does in other games, and b) you can't reach Mag 1000 protection to prevent being ragdolled despite being on an AT that is meant to have some measure of safety from such effects.

It again deals with players having zero agency on how their toon performs much like how attacks always have that 5.01% chance to miss regardless of what players try despite plenty of other games offering some way to mitigate that. And no, Streakbreaker isn't a fix considering you can end up with attack chains that go: Miss/SB/Miss/SB/Miss/SB as has been documented and reported before despite there being existing tools in game that could work for this.

Event would be 8/10 for fun without considering the GM but with it that drops to -1/10.

Something in this game was hard for a few seconds out of the year? How awful

[Clave Dark 5]

14 hours ago, UltraAlt said:

 

I found what I had found before, you may not alway be able to target things are retain targets ... but pets always can.

So if you target through pets, you can pretty much always have a target to attack.

 

But, you may talking about attacks by the AV Lag that was invisible and nearly untargetable through most of the event.

Nah, this was normal ol' "foes zoning in and you can see them but not actually target yet" lag.  Targeting thru the pets is a good idea, but something I keep forgetting about.

[UltraAlt]

On 4/7/2022 at 3:55 AM, Clave Dark 5 said:

Nah, this was normal ol' "foes zoning in and you can see them but not actually target yet" lag.

 

Exactly the AV I was talking about.

Just because it was around during the event doesn't mean it isn't sneaking around attacking characters when it wants to during the rest of the year.

[Ukase]

I feel as if I should say this: After a number of events, I found that I enjoyed the heck out of being bounced into the sky, easily 2x as high as the GM robot-thing's head. This was about as much amusement as I've had in game, ever, aside from my first successful MoUGT and the Apex mission where we play one-sided dodgeball with blue patches of death. And..uh, given how some folks hate that - maybe I should add I'm not being sarcastic. It was fun, 10xp aside. 

I did get a bit frustrated at having fared so well xp-wise in the first one, but from that one after, every other one was a touch more disappointing in that more and more folks brought out level 1s - who kill more slowly and at least, anecdotally had a negative impact on XP gain. 

All in all, still a fun event. It was really the only thing in game that made me feel like pushing back sleep to do another and another. 

[Glacier Peak]

I believe it's been said already in this thread, but this event sure did feel like that first magical winter event where the Winter Lords spawned everywhere and it was non stop leveling and fun. 

[Jacke]

Clown Invasion next.  You know you want it. 🙂

[BurtHutt]

Devs, well done with this one. It's easy and unique. I know it's just the skinning/look of the characters but that to me is like a coat of fresh paint on a tired old wall etc. In this case, CoX. 

 

When you guys add content that features the same old tired characters, lore and arcs....it really turns me off. The Family arc you guys added a while ago, the arc featuring the Freaks, Aeon SF....those all would've been so much better if you made them unique and original. I guess this makes sense since I've always liked creating toons and the costume creator is awesome.

 

Anyway, thanks for adding this. 

[Glacier Peak]

1 hour ago, BurtHutt said:

When you guys add content that features the same old tired characters, lore and arcs....it really turns me off.

They have asked for community character ideas and input on future content...

 

 

[Fira]

Goldbrickers were pretty original, color scheme aside, i believe

 

Also just wanted to drop by seeing this thread still "active", for quick feedback

I love invades, ran leagues for ~36h on Reunion. Loved the discovery, memories, joke enemies, social aspect, teaming with people.

Stopped because I knew it was gonna get old, and lasting this long, it sure did, worse than i thought

It hit me like a truck seeing pop count and LFG activity in the last few days, which i'm pretty sure were long time record lows (saw 31 near end on Reunion, there's usually min 45-50 during night downtime)

Wasn't just me, talked to people that were pretty much just waiting for it to end to do anything

 

So this is my plea, please keep running events like this, it's real fun one-shots even without having to put in hundreds of hours balancing,

But also, please don't run something like 10X XP over more than 2-3 days, because it just ends up deleting everything else

 

Of course it's easier to say after-the-fact, but for that same reason, I have to voice this.

Still, thanks a lot for the event, that was way more than I was expecting, and refreshing!

[BurtHutt]

7 hours ago, Glacier Peak said:

They have asked for community character ideas and input on future content...

 

 

Oh I know. I saw that. A step in the right direction but it still feels kinda like same old, same old. It's too bad they never decided get creative and new. I barely play these days and it's been a while since I dropped in here. Maybe one day 🙂

[The Caretaker]

On 4/10/2022 at 11:32 PM, BurtHutt said:

Oh I know. I saw that. A step in the right direction but it still feels kinda like same old, same old. It's too bad they never decided get creative and new. I barely play these days and it's been a while since I dropped in here. Maybe one day 🙂

 

We'll win you back, I promise. I got a slew of forwarded DMs from the last developer before they retired, and there's some good suggestions in there.

 

The content update for Kallisti is massive, and requires 2 new enemy groups plus revamping a third, which you likely know about.

 

Some new powers tech is on the horizon that's going to change everything, too.

 

Lots of good stuff coming, that just takes longer with a team of volunteers. I only get about 6 hours a week, currently, and I'm trying to maximize them!

[laudwic]

2 hours ago, The Caretaker said:

 

We'll win you back, I promise. I got a slew of forwarded DMs from the last developer before they retired, and there's some good suggestions in there.

 

The content update for Kallisti is massive, and requires 2 new enemy groups plus revamping a third, which you likely know about.

 

Some new powers tech is on the horizon that's going to change everything, too.

 

Lots of good stuff coming, that just takes longer with a team of volunteers. I only get about 6 hours a week, currently, and I'm trying to maximize them!

 

Sorry, don't mean to interrupt, please feel free to give me more details about things to be excited about. . . . 

 

(Hey, it's worth a try!)

 

[50caltech]

fyi, to add to the bugged theme, there are of course, actual bugged problems with the event, much like nemesis gm....the map server gm has not arrived properly and was seen off the map in steel canyon and other maps, also due to the severe lag, my warshade had hasseles while transforming and visually being stuck in one of 3 modes , but still freaky event and so far no actual server crashes forcing down time, very glad its more then one day event and ongoing until the regular maintenance schedule....love the brawl extra power boost and wish it would stay.....

[Clave Dark 5]

18 hours ago, 50caltech said:

my warshade had hasseles while transforming and visually being stuck in one of 3 modes

My scrapper with a tiger's head was stuck in some kind of possibly Keldian mode? during an event in Steel today.  The head had disappeared leaving a green head but the tiger ruff and (improbably) teeth alone still remained hovering in front of his face, and it said I couldn't change costume until I reverted into my human form.  I should have taken a screenshot.  But he's fine now.

 

I assumed that was working as intended for the yuks.

[Dauntless]

On 4/5/2022 at 9:36 AM, Cobalt Arachne said:

Invoking an ancient ritual known only as CTRL+X&CTRL+V

 

 

That is the secret sauce to a successful software development career right there.

[DaddyLee]

Great FUN. TYVM. 

[Display Name]

Some tips.  These have probably already been stated in previous replies:

01) Switch to Vigilante or Rogue alignment.  The event happens in blue/red/gold zones.

02) Create a new tab in your Chat window with "Hero Zone Event Messages," "Praetorian Zone Event Messages" and "Villain Zone Event Messages."  Make sure to check it every 15 mins or so.  Or just leave it "open" so that you can see when the event starts.

03)  /macro_image "Teleportation_LongRangeTeleport" "Teleport: Cosmic Terminal" "enterbasefrompasscode COSMICTRANSPORT-6608"

04) Try targeting through a pet.  They're focused on the enemies and it makes it easier to target.  That is, if you can find one.

05) It's been reported that defeating the GM quickly will make the event last longer.

06) The bird will catch you by the head and fly up high with you in tow and then releases you.  Use any kind of teleport/incandescence (incan) power to escape.

07) You might turn green.  Simply open your Powers window and delete "Bad Ent Type" from your Temporary Powers to change back.  Or just wait until you exit the zone.

 

Edit: No, the GM being killed by drones doesn't end the event.  But if defeating the GM faster makes the event last longer, then you want their help.

 

Edit, Edit.  Try targeting through a Portable Workbench.  Whut...?  Yes!  Summon a Portable Workbench.  Target it.  And then use your ranged powers to blast the enemies!  This works for *any* situation.  I first heard about this from @Autumn Twilight.  I never knew this, before!  When they told me about it, I was surprised!  So I went to Atlas Park, dropped a Portable Workbench, targeted it, and then blasted some Hellions!  WOW!!!!!

Edited April 9 by Display Name

[BurtHutt]

On 4/14/2022 at 6:12 AM, The Caretaker said:

 

We'll win you back, I promise. I got a slew of forwarded DMs from the last developer before they retired, and there's some good suggestions in there.

 

The content update for Kallisti is massive, and requires 2 new enemy groups plus revamping a third, which you likely know about.

 

Some new powers tech is on the horizon that's going to change everything, too.

 

Lots of good stuff coming, that just takes longer with a team of volunteers. I only get about 6 hours a week, currently, and I'm trying to maximize them!

This all sounds awesome. I will always check in and see what's happening here. No need to win me back.

 

My honest feedback is, sometimes, brutally honest. The content that's been added by HC (missions, arcs, SF) have not been for me. They really are not good IMO. There was a reason the Live devs made some stylistic changes to content near the end of the Live game's life. The HC content is the same (too long, info overload, not all players can get all the info, way too convoluted, too long...etc etc etc) and does not seem to be for most. This is based on my experiences only and I could be completely wrong.

 

Honestly, I thank you all and appreciate HC. I did sign up to help in writing and other such tasks (I do a lot of this professionally) but I never heard back. I maintain my AE idea would be a game changer and I've seen many other add ideas that were great - I would've preferred them all to what has been added.

 

My wish list:

-AE 2.0 where players create one-shot/radio type missions and HC team decides what's added to game. These are separate from regular AE and made to be part of the regular game and canon.

-Nemesis system

-Power Pool - sidekick. A completely customizable pet/sidekick for your toon. Nothing game breaking but more fun and another option. 

 

There are a few others that I suggested and got support but I digress. Here's to hoping. 

Edited April 15 by BurtHutt

[GM Crumpet]

1 hour ago, BurtHutt said:

 

 

My wish list:

-AE 2.0 where players create one-shot/radio type missions and HC team decides what's added to game. These are separate from regular AE and made to be part of the regular game and canon.

-Nemesis system

-Power Pool - sidekick. A completely customizable pet/sidekick for your toon. Nothing game breaking but more fun and another option. 

 

There are a few others that I suggested and got support but I digress. Here's to hoping. 

Good ideas, you may want to think about putting them in the suggestions thread where more devs can see them. 

[BurtHutt]

7 hours ago, GM Crumpet said:

Good ideas, you may want to think about putting them in the suggestions thread where more devs can see them. 

I've put them in there repeatedly. The AE idea has been fleshed out in detail in there too. I think I started the AE post idea over 3 years ago and was told it might be too much work. If I could pick between the player generated missions that're canon via A.E. v.2.0 vs. the Aeon SF and all of the other story arcs added by HC, I'd pick the A.E. v.2.0.

 

IMO it was a bad idea to continue the missions and styles from when the game started. Those were bad mission designs. Anyway, thanks again for replying and I will keep popping in from time to time 🙂