End PL allow characters to begin at 50

[MsSmart]

It occurs to me, that too many players do not want to really crunch their way to the top, and as a result they are the eternal farm door sitters and PI mission lowbies taking the fast train to the top (at least they do something).

 

So why not just have it, where if you have a 50 already, you can start any other new character at any level you want.

 

I remember in Dark Age of Camelot, once you made a 50, you could, if wanted, begin any new character at any level up to 25.

 

So maybe, we can cut to the chase, and allow players who have already made it to 50, to make another alt at any level between 1 and 50 as they wish.

 

I know this is a bit extreme, but seeking opinions

 

Sue

[El D]

Not likely to happen. The only reason the instant-50s were granted for PvP are due to PvP essentially being it's own game with completely separate numbers for literally everything/incredibly divergent mechanics from PvE and the requirement that said insta-50 tokens are hard-locked to PvP content only.

 

Insta-50s for standard content would ruin any incentive for folks to actually play the game, engage in story arcs/task forces, and in-general experience what CoX has to offer. Besides, it's already ridiculously easy to level up in this game and anyway, If someone really wants the ability to do insta-50s they can already do that on the Beta server. Sure, the characters might get wiped on occasion, but when you can just use a few commands to remake them exactly as they were, with everything unlocked, and import their exact build from Mids, that's maybe a minute or two of time to get everything back.

Edited October 21, 2022 by El D

[Rudra]

Also, given how fast some people on these forums said they can take a brand new character to 50, I don't really see a need to add more code to a game notorious for its code just to shave a few hours off the already existing process. Just my take on it.

 

Edit: I know I said on another thread that I was fine with players recycling their level 50s, but this isn't the same thing. And my stance on even recycling existing 50s is rather fluid right now.

Edited October 21, 2022 by Rudra

[Sneakers]

2 hours ago, MsSmart said:

It occurs to me, that too many players do not want to really crunch their way to the top, and as a result they are the eternal farm door sitters and PI mission lowbies taking the fast train to the top (at least they do something).

 

So why not just have it, where if you have a 50 already, you can start any other new character at any level you want.

 

I remember in Dark Age of Camelot, once you made a 50, you could, if wanted, begin any new character at any level up to 25.

 

So maybe, we can cut to the chase, and allow players who have already made it to 50, to make another alt at any level between 1 and 50 as they wish.

 

I know this is a bit extreme, but seeking opinions

 

Sue

 

Power leveling was always a fun part of mmorpgs.

Once you have a maxed-out toon.

Time to put your effort to great use and power level people.

I don't see anything wrong with it.

[Glacier Peak]

Something something, beta server...

[battlewraith]

2 hours ago, El D said:

Insta-50s for standard content would ruin any incentive for folks to actually play the game, engage in story arcs/task forces, and in-general experience what CoX has to offer. Besides, it's already ridiculously easy to level up in this game and anyway, If someone really wants the ability to do insta-50s they can already do that on the Beta server. Sure, the characters might get wiped on occasion, but when you can just use a few commands to remake them exactly as they were, with everything unlocked, and import their exact build from Mids, that's maybe a minute or two of time to get everything back.

 

This is pretty evidently not true. A lot, if not the majority of players fast track their way to 50, whether it be through farming or joining higher level teams which tear through radio missions--typically with an incarnated leader who clears the majority of the mobs. Then at 50, they accolade and enhance their characters and exemp down to play the stuff they passed over or just do lvl 50 content.

 

Since MMs got some buffs with this patch, I decided to level one up just by soloing regular content. You know what that experience has to offer? Almost exactly the same thing it had to offer back when the content was introduced with some qol improvements and the buffs they gave the AT. Especially playing with SOs, like I am, it's a repetitive grind where you kill all the mobs, run around clicking glowies, and rest a lot inbetween fights. There is nothing special about this experience over planning a build, enhancing it, and then going through the same basic content with something that is more enjoyable and dynamic to use.

 

Telling people to go to beta server is like telling them to go to another game. They aren't just here for the mechanics, they enjoy being around an actual population and whatever friends they've made.

[Sneakers]

2 minutes ago, battlewraith said:

 

This is pretty evidently not true. A lot, if not the majority of players fast track their way to 50, whether it be through farming or joining higher level teams which tear through radio missions--typically with an incarnated leader who clears the majority of the mobs. Then at 50, they accolade and enhance their characters and exemp down to play the stuff they passed over or just do lvl 50 content.

 

Since MMs got some buffs with this patch, I decided to level one up just by soloing regular content. You know what that experience has to offer? Almost exactly the same thing it had to offer back when the content was introduced with some qol improvements and the buffs they gave the AT. Especially playing with SOs, like I am, it's a repetitive grind where you kill all the mobs, run around clicking glowies, and rest a lot inbetween fights. There is nothing special about this experience over planning a build, enhancing it, and then going through the same basic content with something that is more enjoyable and dynamic to use.

 

Telling people to go to beta server is like telling them to go to another game. They aren't just here for the mechanics, they enjoy being around an actual population and whatever friends they've made.

 

I agree!

 

However, I also think that the beta thing sounds useful if you just want to try out characters until you find the powerset that you inevitably want to play.

 

I'm finding a happy medium in both sides of this argument 🙂

[Rudra]

1 hour ago, Glacier Peak said:

Something something, beta server...

Honestly, I think more people should avail themselves of the beta server. Since the reasoning for recycling a character is that when a person finishes progressing a character they find out the power set combination isn't as fun as imagined, trying it out on the beta server first would give a feel of how fun that player will find that character. Just like @Sneakers said. And they can already start at 50 with all powers that character would be planned for, so it makes for a good character concept testing ground.

 

(That said? I'm not one to really talk. I don't spend any time on the beta server at all. So when I make a character and don't like it? I just delete it, recovering what enhancements I can, and make a new character. So I guess I should probably take my own advice. Except I'm weird in that I'm fine with a slow progression and going "Well, damn. Not my type of character after all." and starting over.)

[biostem]

Folks would then just be PL-ing for shards/threads/inf/merits.  The only real outcome of allowing instant-50s would be people becoming bored faster.  The effort required to reach max level, even if it is minimal, serves to attach one to that character, even if just marginally...

[Sneakers]

9 minutes ago, biostem said:

Folks would then just be PL-ing for shards/threads/inf/merits.  The only real outcome of allowing instant-50s would be people becoming bored faster.  The effort required to reach max level, even if it is minimal, serves to attach one to that character, even if just marginally...

So, in other words, it's a gimmick.

 

Don't get me wrong I like you and your posts don't mistake this for hostility 🙂

 

I would suggest that people becoming bored faster is not the only outcome of insta 50s.

Rather it would open up almost all of the opportunities the game has to offer instantly.

At which point people would be driven to press onward more rapidly. 

And in turn the server would fill more abundantly with proficient players.

But then again maybe not. Maybe it's only we who do, who will ever do, no matter how much help was given.

 

I think it's a cool idea personally, but I also really enjoy vanilla gaming. 

The experience of earning what I have.

It's just really hard to enjoy vanilla COH after experiencing a stacked toon so getting to 50 fast would be cool also.

I think the idea of one insta 50 a month is a good one.

It allows only 1 a month so it will limit how it tampers with the overall experience of the game for both masters and players.

 

 

[Ghost]

I’ve never understood the desire to PL to 50.

 

I get it if you’ve already experienced the power sets, and know how to play with those certain powers.  
I just don’t get wanting to do it on powers you’ve never tried before.  Last thing I want to learn is which powers of a set I like, and how to play them, when strolling through a 4X8 ITF.

 

 

Edited October 21, 2022 by Ghost

[krj12]

We already have too many players who don't know how to play their characters at level 50, definitely don't need to add to it.

If anything, we need to incentivize people to take their time and learn their power sets.

 

I agree that normal content can be a bit boring, especially solo,  so my path to 50 is usually:   DFBx2,  Posi 1 and 2,  Peni Yen a few times,

then ITF the rest of the way.   I'll sometimes do a few normal radio teams to bridge the gaps.

 

What should be done is to revamp normal mission arcs and radios to be more interesting.   And revamp the TFs that nobody wants to play.

 

[MsSmart]

Wow there has been some awesome thoughts and suggestions here, thank you all...

 

I play on Everlasting, so I truly can't discuss what happens on other servers, nor I intent to.

 

What I notice in Everlasting is that about 20% of the Looking For Group is about folks asking to door sit on farms, another 20% is for joining DFBs, and 10% is just conversations, and the rest is genuine looking to form or join something of content.

 

Part of my goal of Insta-50 is to eliminate the PL begging, and increase the TF and mission forming requests.

 

From my personal side at 42 level 50 alts, my objective is to have all arch types and variations at hand, I am still short of my goal. So in general, as of lately, I have a second account with characters that specializes in leveling and badge support. So as I make a new alt, I PL her from 1 to 50 with my PL/Farmer, then unlock all the incarnates the same way. This takes me roughly 1 day, and now I begin to play her at heart. Upon my personal goals is to make sure that no alt is below Vet Level 50, with the exception of the current one at Vet 18, at this time all are at least Vet level 65. Also on my way to make my alts Vet 65, I have accumulated hundreds of emp merits, so when my new alt unlocks all her incarnates, moments later they are all T4d after I transfer the transcendants to her. This is why I am interested in content, especially those that awards merits.

 

Another push for the PLg my new lowbies is that I am member of several groups in Everlasting that do Theme based ITFs, like all kin TFS, or all brute, etc. Sometimes some of us do not have that specific "flavor" so it is a race during the week to create and mature that character for the Saturday Morning ITF event, and thus the insta-50 would be quite appealing.

 

As a whole, I would think those folks that are begging for farm door sitting, going at level 1 to PI radio missions, do the heck out of ToT, would eventually make a 50, unlock the incarnates and then actually play the content, otherwise why do this at all? So the real question, giving the auto-50 would it harm or benefit in the long run?

 

I like the idea of the 1 free 50 a month, or perhaps you can only have a free 50 of the arch-type you already achieved, that is if I have a 50 scrapper, then I can make as many new scrapper variations I want and start them at 50, after all I use MIDS to design my alts, so they are going to be pretty good right from the beginning.

 

Once more thank you for posting

 

Sue

[UltraAlt]

On 10/20/2022 at 7:41 PM, MsSmart said:

I know this is a bit extreme, but seeking opinions

 

It's just the same thing.

No new tale to tell.

 

This is a recycling theme.

 

You do it on the test server. Have at it.

[UltraAlt]

2 hours ago, MsSmart said:

What I notice in Everlasting is that about 20% of the Looking For Group is about folks asking to door sit on farms, another 20% is for joining DFBs, and 10% is just conversations, and the rest is genuine looking to form or join something of content.

 

Part of my goal of Insta-50 is to eliminate the PL begging, and increase the TF and mission forming requests.

 

Well, don't get me started on farming or PL'ing.

 

It may be you goal, but it doesn't appear to be the DEVs goal. 

Though there has been some changes to AE farming, they don't seem to be enough to stop the begging.

I too hate /lfg begging and offering AE farming and doorsitting.

 

I'm try my best to "live and let live" but ...I'm trying not to go off on it, so I'm going to stop.

 

Yes. I would like to see more /lfg chat for TF and missions, but that comes from people not being scared of the star and starting teams themselves.

 

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by UltraAlt

[Oklahoman]

On 10/20/2022 at 6:41 PM, MsSmart said:

I know this is a bit extreme, but seeking opinions

 

My opinion is that you may want to use the forum search feature a bit more. This has been discussed ad nauseum in this forum, most recently in this thread.

[Hopestar]

AE Farming is essentially dead being 25% as effective before, but even having been nerfed 12 feet underground, it's still being used.

[Astralock]

12 minutes ago, Hopestar said:

AE Farming is essentially dead being 25% as effective before, but even having been nerfed 12 feet underground, it's still being used.

Mostly by those who don’t know of or don’t remember the old pre-AE farms.

[Troo]

  

On 10/21/2022 at 4:25 AM, krj12 said:

I agree that normal content can be a bit boring, especially solo,  so my path to 50 is usually:   DFBx2,  Posi 1 and 2,  Peni Yen a few times,

then ITF the rest of the way.   I'll sometimes do a few normal radio teams to bridge the gaps

 

If it was a requirement to complete DFB, Posi 1 & 2, Peni Yin, and ITF could folks then have their 'insta 50'?

 

 

On 10/20/2022 at 4:41 PM, MsSmart said:

seeking opinions

 

If jump starting a character, I think it would be best for folks to somehow earn it.

 

I also think it would be better to jump to 40 or so rather than 50.

• This encourages some play, the gathering of resources and experience before hitting 50.
• 10 levels of drops and $$ is helpful for the game economy (recipes and other drops)

 

My preference is not for free 50s and rather for powerset respecifications where a character can respec a primary or secondary powerset.

Spoiler

• Encourage using characters that didn't workout
• Let folks gain more experience on specific archetypes while searching for 'the one'
• Less characters overall = more names and more rare resources
• Cost = 5 or 10 levels plus $$ and a reasonable accomplishment
• Available at any level

 

 

With the insta-50s for PvP the same is more likely inevitable in PvE. 

Here is a chance for folks to lay out what could be reasonable requirements and preferences.

Should there be a cost or accomplishment requirement?

[TheZag]

I dont think free instant 50 will ever happen.  Instant 50 with some sort of cost may become a thing but i still think its a longshot.  If the players really wanted instant 50 and free everything,  they would all play on brainstorm.  I think the fact that brainstorm can only manage to get 16 people online and only when a new page is about to drop speaks for itself.  Most people want to earn their characters even if its not the entire 1-50 leveling experience.

 

Having an instant 50 option available,  even if players choose to not use it,  dis incentivizes those who would choose to level up without it.  There will be a point in nearly everyones leveling process that they will think something along the lines of 30+ sucks to level,  i should have done instant 50.  1-20 sucks,  i should have done instant 50.  This mission is too hard,  this mission is too long,  this enemy group is annoying,  nerf regen....insta 50.

 

Also,  you may be suprised how few people are asking to door sit in a farm even though they make up a good portion of messages in lfg.  Get their global names and you will start to see the same names coming up constantly on different characters.  Its not a bad thing or a good thing,  just an observation.  Altoholics will alt,  and the easiest way to satisfy their altoholism is to door sit in a farm.  Of course there are others that farm for themselves or level normally,  im just trying to highlight that a good portion of the lfg messages are from much fewer players than all the different names would suggest.

 

[Zeraphia]

Honestly...

 

I agree with this. I know it's a topic that's very shaky in terms of community reception, but I will state my opinion and just leave it at that.

 

I understand the sentiment that you shouldn't just ask to be "spoon-fed" everything that the game has to offer, but at the same time... The farming nerfs are just extreme. The nerfs to burn, the way minions interact now, the builds that are viable now vs aren't, etc. just hit farming as a whole so hard I think it's added on about half the amount of time it took me to level up a level 50. 

 

If we were being truthful to ourselves, very few of us truly enjoy AE farming. To most people it is very repetitive, boring, and bland. It's something you do because you have to in order to get access to level 50 content and powersets in a short timeframe. For the part people don't honestly want to hear or address, and this doesn't come across in any comment that I've seen, a lot of people quit the game because they want to try more characters they haven't gotten to be able to enjoy yet with their friends, but cannot bring themselves to farm because of its extreme banality when other games offer instantaneous freedom to do what you want to when you'd like to. There's even a huge segment of the CoH community I'd bet you, who have a crap ton of influence or reward merits just laying around across various characters, but genuinely nothing to use any of it on that's significantly meaningful because they just do not want to farm anymore characters.

 

Above all else, reward merits are time-intensive currencies, I believe that if you've completed X number of activities to acquire reward merits, that should maybe purchase you X number of levels per merit. If people want to be really nit-picky they can ask for higher reward merit counts at higher levels after a specific level point due to exp being harder to get. 

[Rudra]

I've seen a few comments on the forums that AE farming has been ganked. Not sure how that affects farming the dimensional ruptures mission others use, but if it is true that farming has been handicapped, that undercuts a large part of my argument against the OP. Why should anyone need an instant-50 when they boast about how quickly they can crank out a brand new 50 from character creation already? If that was taken away from them though?

 

I am still against instant 50 characters. However, there is something to be said about letting people play the way they want. I just don't know what the answer to that is or should be.

[biostem]

7 hours ago, Hopestar said:

AE Farming is essentially dead being 25% as effective before, but even having been nerfed 12 feet underground, it's still being used.

Just gotta update the mobs' powers so they give 100% XP, (or as near as you can get), and you should be good to go...

[Greycat]

Honestly, with the direction things seem to be going, my opinion right now is a depressed, cynical "hell with it, why not."

[Aracknight]

On 10/20/2022 at 8:05 PM, Glacier Peak said:

Something something, beta server...

Something something complete.