MiDs update

[Lunar Ronin]

2 hours ago, Luminara said:

 

The UI has been revised several times, introducing bugs which are sometimes fixed, sometimes ignored and often break again on the next update if they are fixed.  Elements are moved around with no respect for usability or visual appeal, like the buttons at the top which are all bunched up, wasting space and leaving huge swaths of empty space to either side, and the vast expanse of empty space introduced with the main window scroll function.  Some font settings ignore bold/normal checkboxes (they used to work, then they didn't, then they did, and now they don't again) and tiny fonts which ignore size settings.

 

The UI's usability decreases with each update.  Can't toggle temp powers as a group any more, for instance, they have to be manually toggled on and they turn off every time you slot or remove an enhancement.  Power stats change location on the info tab.  It's now impossible to see at a glance what a power's Accuracy is, or how much Endurance it costs because the location of a stat isn't fixed.  Trying to work with a Kheldian or SoA build is an exercise in frustration because the UI shits itself even harder, adding scroll bars or cutting off power lists.  In old Mids', when you scrolled with the mouse wheel, it would scroll the power description, now scrolling does nothing useful and actively hinders usability.

 

The databases haven't been updated since the SCoRE era.  They've been manually edited, but not actually updated.  There are hundreds of powers with erroneous stats that don't match the live databases.  And that's especially egregious in light of the capability to pull directly from the .piggs and do automated updates like City of Data, because it means they're ignoring everything except new powers, so the less familiar someone is with the game, the worse his/her experience is going to be if he/she's using Mids'.  This was a tool created to make the game experience better, and it's not capable of fulfilling that purpose for new players or users any more.

 

There are ongoing issues with database editing, so bad that they tried to lock users out of editing the database.  Editing the temp powers group errors out, for example, so you can't add missing temp powers, and if you remove temp powers with the expectation that it's a "not enough room" problem, it allows that then crashes when you try to add what you want, leaving you with even less options.

 

Enhancement mutual exclusivity becomes more and more aggressive with each update, making it harder and harder to work with things like ATOs, and despite people actively trying to explain to them that they're making the program less usable by preventing users from slotting them differently in flipped powers, they keep doubling down on the exclusivity.

 

The .Net and Edge Webview requirements are excluding Mac and Linux users, and even experienced Mac and Linux users are finding it more difficult to make the program work with each update.  They added databases for other server groups so more people could use the program... then turned around and made the program less accessible to non-Windows people.

 

And they're avoiding the forums, refusing to engage with us, so they're effectively working in an echo chamber.  They're no longer developing the program for players, they're doing it for themselves and "graciously" allowing us to use it, with its multitude of bugs, problems and oversights.

 

 

Also doesn't help that Metalios said a while ago that he stopped playing City of Heroes years ago.

 

It just is what it is.  Everyone wishes that there was some sort of web app, but no one is willing to put in the work and effort to make one.  IIRC, there have been so far seven attempts made since 2019 between Homecoming and Rebirth players.  All fizzled out within a month or two, tops.  So we just have to make do with what we have.

[Luminara]

I just downloaded the latest release to check, and BIG FUCKING SURPRISE, the database still hasn't been properly updated.  Rooted and Sprint are mutually exclusive (3 years out of date).  Paralyzing Jolt (Sentinel > Electricity Mastery) still has the wrong stats (someone plugged the wrong numbers in over 5 years ago, referencing a slotted in-game power instead of using base numbers).  That is why I stopped downloading their "updates".  Mids' is 5 years out of date.  It's not being maintained, it's not being improved, it's stagnated.  You've all been conned.  There are no updates, just smoke and mirrors.

 

3 hours ago, Lunar Ronin said:

So we just have to make do with what we have.

 

Yes, and a resounding NO.  Mids' is still the only viable character building tool available, but you do not have to suck it up and deal with it the way it is.  I started adding powers and making database changes two years ago.  It's not that difficult once you've done it a couple of times.  You don't even need an instruction manual or video walkthrough or any of that shit, all you have to do is look at how things are set up in existing powers and work from that.  The one rule you need to know and always remember is NEVER OVERWRITE THE STATIC INDEX.  And even if you do, you can always just trash the whole thing, reinstall and start over.  Fucking up a database edit won't set your house on fire (trust me, i still have a roof over my head after making many mistakes), so don't be afraid to try.

 

Pick a relatively bug-free version of Mids', start digging into the database editor and let the official updates go pound sand.  You'll have a much more effective tool, far fewer headaches and, if you go back to before they moved to Edge Webview, significantly less unnecessary resource usage.

 

And, for perspective, if you only manage to figure out how to fix one wrong thing, you will have accomplished more than the Mids' team has in 5 years.  Spread that on your sandwich and see how it tastes.

[PeregrineFalcon]

It used to be that whenever I criticized the Homecoming devs I'd get hit with a dozen "The devs are volunteers and you get to play for free!" Not from Homecoming staff, but from you all here on the forums.

 

So are we past that now? Are we now allowed to criticize devs who aren't being paid? Or is that rule still in effect but just for me?

[Luminara]

9 minutes ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

It used to be that whenever I criticized the Homecoming devs I'd get hit with a dozen "The devs are volunteers and you get to play for free!" Not from Homecoming staff, but from you all here on the forums.

 

So are we past that now? Are we now allowed to criticize devs who aren't being paid? Or is that rule still in effect but just for me?

 

When the HC team spends 5 years assing up the UI and doing nothing else, you can lambast them.  I'll personally hand you the flamethrower and help you aim it.

[tidge]

IMO, the closest thing the "HC Devs" have done to what @Luminara describes... and it isn't close at all IMO... is the push to get everyone off of Tequila and onto HCLauncher. I have nothing bad at all to say about this push(*1), but losing functionality from Tequila (e.g. beta server access, requiring a special delivery mechanism for updates) is about the only thing that I can think of that comes close to the experiences folks have complained about with the new Mids.

 

(*1) For what its worth, I think there is a spectrum of reasons for the launcher shift, ranging from well-motivated to *shrug*... I don't have any issues myself with the current HCLauncher.

[Snarky]

3 hours ago, Luminara said:

 

When the HC team spends 5 years assing up the UI and doing nothing else, you can lambast them.  I'll personally hand you the flamethrower and help you aim it.

I agree with this.  98%

 

I do appreciate we still have MiDs.  I do appreciate the new powers/sets are added.

 

The import export going to hell.  The update chaos.  A few dozen other annoying aspects that....just....keep......getting.......worse.  Not so much.

 

Is the glass half full or half empty?  You tell me.  But I can tell you it is at a lower level than it was a few years ago.  

Edited June 7 by Snarky

[PeregrineFalcon]

2 hours ago, Luminara said:

When the HC team spends 5 years assing up the UI and doing nothing else, you can lambast them.  I'll personally hand you the flamethrower and help you aim it.

Ok, fair enough.

 

Note that I'm going to hold you to this, I've always wanted a flamethrower.

[Luminara]

47 minutes ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

Note that I'm going to hold you

 

 

48 minutes ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

to this

 

Oh.  DISREGARD, PANIC RESPONSE.

 

49 minutes ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

I've always wanted a flamethrower.

 

[Ghost]

4 hours ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

It used to be that whenever I criticized the Homecoming devs I'd get hit with a dozen "The devs are volunteers and you get to play for free!" Not from Homecoming staff, but from you all here on the forums.

 

So are we past that now? Are we now allowed to criticize devs who aren't being paid? Or is that rule still in effect but just for me?

Took a while, but I found it buried deep within the rules - sandwiched between two other little known rules.

 

Rule 481.  
Rudra must respond in every suggestion/feedback thread

 

Rule 482. 
Peregrine Falcon must keep complaints to him/her self

 

Rule 483.

Players must do everything possible to ruin any Task Force Snarky participates in

[BazookaTwo]

15 hours ago, Lunar Ronin said:

 

It makes perfect sense why Mids still remains a standalone program instead of a web app.  Because the developers are Windows programmers, not web programmers.

 

Look at you, completely missing my point. Go you. 

[BazookaTwo]

On 6/6/2024 at 6:51 PM, Ukase said:

I can understand the frustration. It happened to me. AND - what makes it laughable, is a fellow on the help channel just put out a psa about manually installing, and I'm just saying, no - the app will now do that for you. And they say, yeah, you do that and you'll have to uninstall and reinstall it to get it to work. 

Silly me, I just assumed it was a problem he was having and I wouldn't have it. But I did. 

Still, it's not like I use mids daily. Just once a week or so. I make the build, then go about ensuring I have the IOs for that build in a bin to just grab as needed. I don't play as often as I used to, (By play, I mean actively play - not market or afk-farm) so a week is about right for me to get to 50. 

I remind myself - these folks built this for free. They try to improve it for free. They fix their own mistakes for free. It must be something they really like doing! 

If nothing else, just go to brainstorm and try the random builder, now that's as scary as some of the rng costumes! 

 

There's a random builder?!? Cool.