Clean up Mercy's starting area

[vicuna]

As we know, Atlas has the Atlas square for community events, Praetoria has a very large vacant empty parking lot for community events if there are ever enough gold players, but Mercy has a very cluttered starting area. Tiny, sure, filled with atmospheric NPCs, very, but are they too much for such a tiny space? Yes.

 

I don't know what determines when/what triggered the civilians, but we can do less of those. Civilians and Longbows with their hands up? Maybe move them further back? Hedge and tall pointy trees that divide the centre area into small pieces - cut them down.

 

Attached is a dark hard-to-see screenshot of unnecessary clutters I mentioned above.

[vicuna]

I don't know what triggered them, before I started taking the first screenshot, these were spawned in, but once they are all in, there are too many of them.

[Clave Dark 5]

I'd say the added line of citizens (victims?) nicely mirrors the line of people trying to get into Grandville, and seeing all the people oppressed does give one a sense of what the zone/redside is all about.  But I don't really think this should function as "the reside Atlas statue" gathering area; surely that's Aeon City over in Cap au Diable. 

 

If redside can even be said to have such a spot.  Maybe that's one thing redside could really use.

[Rudra]

Red side areas suited for community use due to open space:

 

Cap au Diable: The area under Dr. Aeon's statue could be argued as suitable. The walls mark the area where mobs don't spawn.

Sharkhead Isle: The area between the ferry and AE, from the sea wall almost to the warehouse. All empty space with just a few contacts.

Grandville: The platform area under/around the Lord Recluse statue could be argued as suitable. It is however, a comparatively small area with a big statue taking up floor space in the middle.

 

Mercy Island is being contested. Longbow has successfully managed to wrest control of most of the island from Arachnos until you do the 'new' starter arcs. The lines of civilians and Longbow being interrogated or captured by Arachnos is part of Arachnos taking the island back. And this is the first time I've heard anyone call decorative plants "clutter".

 

Edit: Also, I don't imagine Arachnos would be as tolerant of large gatherings of Destined Ones as Freedom Corps et al. are of large gatherings of heroes at Atlas plaza. The only large gathering of Destined Ones that I can think of that Arachnos was fine with, was the impromptu army you lead against Longbow to keep them from doing to Cap au Diable what they did to Mercy Island. So limiting Destined Ones' ability to gather for social events (not run by Arachnos or Westin Phipps on their behalf) would probably be a priority as a possible army of Destined Ones claiming the island they gathered on for themselves is a real possibility there.

Edited August 8, 2022 by Rudra

[Astralock]

Cap au Diable is the hub zone of red side, not Mercy Island.

 

Honestly, a starter zone also being a community event zone is a bad idea.  It's one of the main reasons why I avoid Atlas Park.  Too much going on, too many people, and the resulting lag (at least on Excelsior), gives a terrible first impression of the game.

[The_Warpact]

24 minutes ago, Astralock said:

Cap au Diable is the hub zone of red side, not Mercy Island.

 

Honestly, a starter zone also being a community event zone is a bad idea.  It's one of the main reasons why I avoid Atlas Park.  Too much going on, too many people, and the resulting lag (at least on Excelsior), gives a terrible first impression of the game.

I think this is why ppl used to start in Galaxy City.

[EmperorSteele]

3 hours ago, Astralock said:

Cap au Diable is the hub zone of red side, not Mercy Island.

 

Honestly, a starter zone also being a community event zone is a bad idea.  It's one of the main reasons why I avoid Atlas Park.  Too much going on, too many people, and the resulting lag (at least on Excelsior), gives a terrible first impression of the game.

 

On one hand, I see where you're coming from... on the other, I have to strongly disagree.

 

The game is an MMORPG called CITY OF HEROES. If the first thing a new player sees upon logging in is an empty city devoid of heroes, they're probably gonna feel a little cheated or lied to.

 

I've tried rolling toons on other shards and even other servers. If I see an empty AP, then it's a sure thing I'm certainly not going to find people to team with or talk to.

 

Even if you don't like teaming and want to treat the whole thing as a solo endeavor (which I totally respect), it's hard to ignore the fact that the city zones have large open spaces to accommodate dozens or more heroes flying and jumping every which way, and having no one else around feels... well, I don't know what the opposite of claustrophobia is called, but that. At least to me.

 

Logging in and seeing a full Atlas Park with heroes gathered around Ms. Liberty and standing on the nearby ledge and running to and fro... it's a sign of a healthy and active community. That's what makes CoH special for me.

 

But then of course I'll go farm in an AE map or hide in my base or try soloing a task force. It's just nice having other people around, I guess!

[Rudra]

There is a difference between having a robust player count running around doing things in view of new players/characters, and using a starter area for community activities. Different factions (hero, villain, loyalist, or resistance) will have different areas that would function for community events.

 

Hero side, it is Atlas Park where new heroes are dropped off and (at least initially) learn the game. Lots of people to lean on. (Atlas Park's near constant costume contests, bio contests, and general just gathering at Atlas Plaza for whatever reason was a reason why so many players I knew never started in Atlas Park and always went to Galaxy City though, so there is that.)

 

Loyalists have the Magisterium which serves as rally point because like with the heroes, the loyalists like to show the community they are there, in numbers, and so deter those elements that disrupt their drugged and mind policed society. So while the root reason is different, functionally the Loyalists have a starter zone gathering spot just like the heroes.

 

Resistance have no community event or other gathering spot. All regions of the Underground are populated by mobs that want to kill you or things that want to eat you. (Not necessarily by killing you first, they just have to because of game mechanics. They can't just start eating you while you're able to fight back.) And the Resistance safe zones are less than friendly to large numbers of players doing anything as a community event. Can the Resistance players also use the Magisterium? Yes, definitely. Because players are basically both Loyalist and Resistance in the game. Either Resistance passing as Loyalist to spy on them while also doing Resistance content, or vice versa. Resistance as a side though? Has no player gathering space.

 

Villains don't follow any of the above mind sets. The villain starter zone is not meant to be a welcoming space. So it is not conducive to community events. It is a sort of 'welcome to hell, have a nice stay' zone. Villains don't really get a space for doing anything other than content until they prove themselves. Grandville serves the same basic function as Atlas Park. Atlas Park is the heart of Paragon City, whereas Grandville is the heart of the Rogue Isles. So in that vein, Grandville with its... uhm... Lord Recluse Plaza(?) ... would be the equivalent community spot red side. However, Cap au Diable serves as the actual public face, red side's 'everyone get together and sing kumbaya' zone.

 

Edit: Also, @EmperorSteele, the opposite of claustrophobia is agoraphobia. So you would be feeling agoraphobic.

 

Edit again: And currently Khallisti Wharf serves best for both hero and villain side community events. An entire red-blue co-op zone with no mobs or NPCs.

Edited August 8, 2022 by Rudra

[The_Warpact]

You really want to change something. Have AP just be repeatable contact missions and the center hub. That way if people want to hang out and lvl they can.

Want contacts and a true starting zone? Open Galaxy City back up.