Like oOStaticOo I too felt the pain of making a new character from level 1 after having over 20 level 50's and when I played COH I wanted a way to skip the 'fluff' levels (1-10, 1-15, 1-20?).
While I personally wouldn't mind seeing this (Im don't think we should allow Straight to Max Level purchases) if it is there should be restrictions on when you can unlock this.

Examples:
- Must have a max level character of that Class AND Spec already (a single Level 50 Hunter does not mean I can make a level 20 Gunner)
Or
- Must have a level 50 with that powerset already (Level 50 SD/BA Tank I can then make a level 20 DM/SD Brute)
Or
- Must have 5 max level characters
Or
- Must have 10 characters at level 45+

Something along those lines so you have to have experience in the game to unlock it.

As a purchasable item that's ok as well.

As for purchasing a 1-50 Token from the Game Store.... IF we did I'd expect it to be VERY expensive in comparison to other items and this could lead to claims of Pay-2-Win. In addition maybe the Game Store will only sell this if you have unlocked it by attaining something like the above options - "Reach Level 50 and you can purchase a token that will allow you to create a Max Level character - $50".
Sure some people will find a way to PL their first character but I doubt those people would stay with the game anyway for long.

I just don't know about the Pay for Max Level idea.....

I think the CoT devs have expressed a commitment to make a successor game with more universal appeal than CoH. To do that they are going to have to make an honest assessment of how CoH was "really" played by many different types of players. And they should make improvements in those areas that are deemed flawed. One of the decision points the devs are going to have to reach fairly early on is how viable PLing of characters will be in CoT as a play strategy. If it's going to be as viable of a strategy as CoH then there is no need for this measure. Those who wish to do so (or pay someone else to do so) should just rip through levels 1 through max as rapidly as possible in the most efficient means possible and consider the brief delay to the top as a minor inconvenience. I personally don't believe this is good for the overall health of the game, experiencing content or for learning to play effectively but it's not my call to determine the level this practice will be tolerated in CoT.

If you take the position that PLing should not be as viable of a play option then you either force players who desire many high level characters to repeatedly grind content ad nauseam OR at a reasonable point in time, when reasonable parameters have been met you offer some relief such as the OP suggests. This would be a welcome addition to the game for those who qualify. I would add that the OPs suggestion is tailored for a particular style of play for a particular segment of the player community. It should be evaluated on those terms. If you do not share this play style it does not invalidate the suggestion for those that do.

Personal unofficial opinion:

I think it would not be a good idea unless it was expensive enough that you REALLY had to think about it. Also it should not be available for some years after launch and only to experienced players. I don't know how you'd measure that, as "having N max level characters" can just mean you've been PLd.

I levelled my first 72 50s the hard way and had a blast doing it. I shortcut a few more before the end, but pretty much all my heroes had taskforce commander even if they were mainly PLd.

You really don't want the low level zones and TFs to be routinely skipped, having experienced players aroung to help newbies is good.

It never really bothered me that some PLed their toons to 50 while I earned mine the hard way.

There will be almost as many different definitions of "fun" and philosophies on leveling as there will be players. I don't like anyone telling me I'm having fun wrong so I certainly wouldn't presume to tell anyone else the same thing. I'd like it if the game has something to offer the widest audience possible without diluting the experience for everyone (if that makes any sense...it sounded better in my head LOL).

That being said, I agree that such a system, if implemented at all, should be done long after launch and not be a casual or impulsive thing.

Being a young wipper snapper i am i understand why people power leveled. I generally PLed myself from 25 to 35 simply because the leveling during that time was really slow. TFs at that level didn't give good exp at all and missions are slow pased (spelling?) or boring to do especially doing it for the umptin time. 35+ is when the fun began again.

For the original idea, I'm not a fan of the auto 50 item. The learning of the character is important and skipping it all means we will have 50s running around not knowing how to play game/character. Could try a anniversary type of give away of this item. Claim it on any one character that is not 50. Either automatically given to every account and not tradable in every circumstance or a special event that must be done by a 50 like a Anniversary hamidon raid of some-sort.

I don't think there's anything wrong with leveling quickly. No down time and 10 - 15 levels in one sitting makes me feel like I'm getting my money's worth. That's reaching maximum efficiency and dominating the game. As long as it progresses through some sort of story or purpose, the entire team and I are 100% involved, and I earn more than just experience, that's the kind of "PLing" that can be fun and meaningful. Some days I liked to completely dissect a story arc and explore every inch of every map, then the next day I'd want to mindlessly crush through some levels to balance it all out. I'd like measures to be taken to prevent any sort of tag along PLing or insta-leveling.

If the decision was solely up to me, I would say no to any kind of auto-level item. But as I say that, I know I have a bias to playing a character to the cap, whether through traditional content or mindlessly farming XP. I would give an OK to XP boosting items, letting you get to the cap faster but you still need to work for it.

As CoH progressed a lot changed in how long a character took to get to 50. Of course more content gave players different things to do on their trip to 50. Then there was the XP curve adjustment that made the trip from 30-40 significantly less of a slog. Latter on we got the ability to earn XP while exemplarred. This made running a lot of the lower level TFs much more appealing, and Oruroborros could be about getting levels as well replaying favorite or missed missions. Then there was patrol XP which either boosted your leveling speed, or absorbed your debt depending on how often you face-planted; either way it sped up your trip to 50. By the time the game closed a lot of the grind to 50 was gone even if no power leveling was used. We won't know what the trip to 30 (and eventually 50) is going to entail just yet for CoT. My gut feeling is it will probably be close to what CoH was like in its final years. If so, we will probably see a lot more people hitting the cap than we did in the early years of CoH. Whether that will lessen the need for instant max level or increase it I don't know.

Something else to think about, even before AE and the Sewer Trial it was not too difficult to reach level 10 within an hour of play. It didn't even take any power leveling tricks. If the first ten levels in CoT fly by like that I could possibly see selling an instant level ten booster in the store. This would not be until several years into the game's life and would probably cost a fair amount. Many people would probably rather spend their points on other things (i know I would), but for those who feel like "the game really starts at X level" it could be a boon. Once again, I would not green light it, but I would not raise a stink over it.

Izzy wrote:

Ohh. Make it 8 levels an i'll somehow agree to it..
..but ONLY if its bought when you Roll a NEW Toon,
and a MONTAGE is played after you START that shows a Cinematic of you fighting on a team, against several hard foes,
something to make them feel a bit of regret for missing out on some of those fun times actually leveling up with others. >:|

Actually, I like the montage Idea :)

I want my montage to be like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8cHYvf7Mms

oOStaticOo wrote:

... may want the option to skip some of the [b]tediousness[/b] once they've already experienced what the game has to offer.

What do you recall from CoH/CoV that was tedious.. specifics would be nice btw. :)

The main thing I enjoyed about lvl 50 is basking in the glory of my accomplishments that turned my character into a super powered badass lol. People would probably use that cheat all the time though. Eventually people would feel bogged down because they died when they didn't want to, and demand immortality tokens so they could never die. Or a token for full ranged 10 powered Tertiary set or access to 100% of their powers because they feel under powered. Ok, maybe exaggerations and I'm being a jerk, but who knows.

I want to make one more comment about this whole deal and then shut up (please hold your applause). I thought pl-ing in CoH was pretty much out of control. I'll just come out and say that I want CoT to do a better job making players focus on completing content to level up at an appropriate pace. Now, on the surface, that looks like a position many would not argue against. After all, that would imply the game is working as intended in an ideal sense.

But if you look at this at beyond the superficial level you find you introduce another series of issues. While I consider pl-ing in general to be a very bad thing, it actually performed a number of useful and desirable functions. Or I should more appropriately say, it helped disguise some of CoH's shortcomings. Otherwise good people would never do it. Tried of playing Archetype A and want to play Archetype B (without the feeling that your original investment was a waste and you are "starting over")? Well, there was no full respec but you could pl yourself to the desired level in short order, jump in again and it was no big deal. Do you feel like you have "paid your dues" in running low level content and want to continue facing the biggest challenges the game offers at the highest level in a different way? Ok pl-ing had you covered.

If you do a better job of restricting pl-ing (and like I said, I believe the CoT devs should do this for the good of the game), then you need to at least consider innovative approaches to cover the kinds of real world scenarios that logically arise as a consequence. I'm not saying pay to win. I'm not saying break the game. I'm not saying undue entitlement. I am saying reduce pl-ing as best you can... in a smart way. I think the op's suggestion is a step in that direction.

Anyway, thank you for your consideration and the lack of personal attacks. Much appreciated.

oOStaticOo wrote:

While towards the end of CoH's life a lot of the tediousness was lessened, in the beginning there were stages of xp growth that were horrible. Me personally I did not care for the leveling from 1 to 22. Once you reached SO levels things got a lot better for your character.

The SO issue I completely agree with. SOs allowed you to noticeably amplify your powers in ways you liked. DOs and (yuck, TOs) didn't do much. 5% boost? Yuck. How boring.

To top it off, you had very few slots to work with, so those lame TOs and DOs were even more useless.

It is true that at low levels the game is different, with it being designed not to be too tough so you can learn the ropes, and hence the need for enhancements is greatly diminished. But it would be nice to boost the schedule amplification of whatever passes for enhancements in this game at the lower levels, if for no other reason than to feel like you're actually doing something.

I will start off my response to this topic by simply stating that generally speaking I am not in favor of an "instant max level" option for CoT, especially one that's offered anytime relatively soon after the game's launch. But I understand that if you end up being a player who's leveled up dozens of characters you've probably gotten just about as much "fun" as you're ever going to get with the whole leveling process. It's an interesting dilemma.

We all know people will eventually be able to PL characters fairly quickly so the idea of being able to unlock max level characters after having "X number of level 50s" doesn't really serve as a reasonably tough requirement for this, even if the X is set at a very high value. As a compromise I'd probably be OK with allowing players to buy "max level" tokens but only as long as they cost $100 or more. I understand that might sound a bit too high a price and/or unfair to those who'd really want it. But the way I figure the use of this option in any capacity should be kept to a bare minimum (which the high price would ensure) and at least it would provide a decent bonus amount of money to MWM for those few brave souls who'd still be willing to pay that restrictive fee.

Ultimately as with most things time equals money. You'd just have to be willing to decide if $100+ is worth saving that amount of time for you.

oOStaticOo wrote:

...
1. Personally, I don't like it.
2. It might create a ghost town for lower level arcs wasting time that the developers placed on creating.
3. It might create an idiot that doesn't know how to play their character.
4. It might make people leave the game faster because they will lose interest in playing the game if they can instantly have a max level character.
...
4. I can understand this sentiment as well. However, some people may leave the game anyways because it's simply not for them. It may have too high of an xp curve and getting to a max level character may take too long. It's a delicate balance that needs to be struck to keep retention. Having this as an option that is either unlockable or purchasable may also lead to people staying and playing the game more. Some people do like the end content stuff more than the beginning. So I see this one as a 50/50.

Those people wont be easy to please in any case.
Also, just like in life... you have to Enjoy the Journey too, not just when you get to your Destination. :)

oOStaticOo wrote:

2. Being available years after launch is fine. However making it available 10 years after launch seems, again, too extreme. I'm fine with waiting maybe 2 or 3 years to have access to this option. This will allow MWM some time to have the game out for people to decide if this is the game for them to continue to play or not. It will allow for them to be able to test out things and work out some bugs.

To play ball with the idea that such a thing might be made available, there are two things to remember.

1. Given what we know so far of the city - it's freakin' huge - we may not have even half the zones available by the time the full level cap is introduced.
2. Alting is going to be one of the primary 'end game' activities.

From this I conclude that MWM will be adding at least as much lower level content as they do max level content. Quite possibly a good deal more lower level content because, let's face it, adding an entire zone that's for characters at the level cap is rather a waste. By the time we have a complete Titan City[color=red]*[/color] it may be possible to level up two or three characters without repeating a mission. Perhaps more, in particular when one takes the hero/villain divide into account.

I also recalling reading, perhaps in a KS update, that MWM intends to have procedurally generated instance maps. This should also help greatly with leveling fatigue.

I would also want to see new content - meaning power sets, classifications in particular - explicitly excluded from such purchases.

[br]
[color=red]*[/color] I would be thrilled if this happened in as few as two or three years.

Fireheart wrote:

I don't understand Why anyone would want to be max-level. Once you're maxed-out, there's nothing left to do, but roll an Alt. I suppose you could endlessly repeat the last couple of TFs... Sounds boring.

I had a pair friends I made the last few years playing the game that were in the "game begins at 50 crowd) To them the game to them was about putting togeather a build and playing the hell out of it. Many of their characters weren't even IO'd out (except for a KB protection global). They would go for the accolades, run TFs, Incarnate trials etc. They didn't mind exempting down and loosing powers to do this either. That doesn't mean they didn't love playing the game, they even had two accounts each (both fully subbed even after freedom) and spent a ton on the store.

Although I myself enjoy the journey from newbie hero to overpowered incarnate, I too enjoyed playing my 50s. It just depended on what mood I was in or what was going on when I logged in. The two of them were a bit surprised I still enjoyed playing content after five+ years of playing we both respected our play styles and desiers. There was room for both kinds of players in CoH, I see no reason we can't have both in CoT.

oOStaticOo wrote:

Here are the reasons why people are not okay with this idea.
1. Personally, I don't like it.
2. It might create a ghost town for lower level arcs wasting time that the developers placed on creating.
3. It might create an idiot that doesn't know how to play their character.
4. It might make people leave the game faster because they will lose interest in playing the game if they can instantly have a max level character.

1. From the experiance I've had playing level based games for the past twenty three years I do have some personal issues with the idea, but I freely admit it is [i]my own[/i] bias. As I said above I respect peoples oppinions about when the game realy starts. It's funny for me, because I have no issue with boosting the speed at which one levels. You'd find me logged on on every DXP weekend and I kept most of my characters logged out of police stations to get the compleation bonus day job power. If the ability was added I'd rather it not be max level, though how high it should go would really be up for debate.

2. I'm not really concerned about this. First of all you have people like me who are going to want to level up through content. Then you will have new players coming into the low level zones (at least I hope we can continue to draw in new players as time goes by). And how many high level characters are going to be hanging out helping low/new players through the early stages of the game? I hardly expect the low-level areas would become ghost towns, but their probably would be a decrease in players there even without instant levels.

3. The people who would by buying the instint levels are the ones who will have a grasp on the basics of playing the game. Personaly, I never played a fire controller/dominator (never got around to it). However if I was given a free trip to 50 I would have a pretty good idea how to play one bassed off other controlers/dominators I have played. I might run a few radio missions at defult difficulty before I jump on an ITF or LGTF to get a firm handle on it, but I would hardly be lost. I know someone is going to mention the AE babies, but if there is an unlocking requierment for buing instant levels you won't have a brand new player at a high level with absolutely no Idea haow to run them in normal content.

4. This is a tricky one, and the only one I would really wory about. Obviously, people like my friends wouldn't be leaving the game because of it, they played from Issue 1 to sunset and were still rolling alts. On the other hand, it could leed to premature boredom with the game. There will always be people who grow borded with games and walk away, either for a break or for good, but it is better for the health of the game (and the bank accounts of MWM) if they stay as long as possible. This may be helped by releasing instant levels later in the game's cycle.

Hello, everyone. Very interesting discussion here.

I'm sure there will be a variety of player types in CoT, and that's a good thing. Personally, I like stories, but others may be about combat, or any number of other motivations. It's our job to provide the features (including stories) that will interest everyone.That's quite a challenge, and we will give it our best.

I'm not taking a position on Static's suggestion, but the topic is relevant if just for for the broader discussion of what brings someone into a game and what makes them stay. I suspect that will be an ongoing topic, and one we may not fully understand until the game has been in operation for a while.

-

Terlin

In 1924 George Mallory attempted, for the third time, to climb Mount Everest. He and his climbing partner, Sandy Irvine disappeared into the clouds 800 vertical feet below the summit of the mountain, and were never seen alive again. Nobody knows for certain to this day if the two ever reached the summit before they died. In the lead-up the expedition in 1924 that would ultimately claim his life, Mallory was raising money for the climb, and was asked by many people, including a New York Times reporter "Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?" Mallory, to whom the question sounded pretty inane, replied simply "Because it's there."

There seem to be some people among us in these forums who would have replied "If they air-drop me onto the top of the mountain, can we count that as 'climbing' it? Can I pay more money to have OTHER people drag me to the top and still claim that I 'climbed' the mountain? Mountain climbing sucks if you have to actually do all the tedious 'climbing' parts at the lower altitudes yourself, I just want that fun part at the end where you get to do your 'Rocky' impression at the top, throw your fists up in the air and bask in the glory and adoration of the crowd."

I don't see any reason to give petulant children what they're crying for and just give them free level 50 to shut them up. F&#k that. If anything, I think there should be a better effort made to prevent PLing and ensure that people can't just skip content. If that isn't really possible, I still don't want the devs to make an "Easy Button" option of any kind.

You have to play the game for it to be fun for you. Skipping that or getting someone else to play it for you is a self-defeating act. It's like saying to your friend "I can't get the replay on this pinball machine, can you get the replay for me?" Nobody can get the replay "for you", you have to do that by yourself or it's invalid and empty, and I dare say you're not "having fun playing pinball" if you're doing that. Your friend might be, but you're not.

Ultimately, I'm with Radiac. Don't want to play through the game one day, then just don't play it.

At first blush, the idea of an "Instant Max Level" is vaguely disquieting for me. I don't have a concrete reason, I freely admit. Maybe it's that I come from the generation before you got a trophy just for showing up. It should be pointed out, whether it affects you or your gameplay personally, most of the concerns expressed about "n00bMaxers" could hurt the game's reputation, and therefore it's ability to attract players.

Radiac seems to be willing to heap restrictions on this token, and I'm for that, at the very least. How about a compromise? I'd propose that once you have achieved X number of Level Capped characters and/or logged X hours of game play, you can, for XXX dollars purchase a token that allows you to start a new character at HALF the level cap. This shortens the grind for those that want the end game, but requires SOME amount of play before you can claim you've capped the character.

I also agree that this option shouldn't appear until some extended time after launch.

oOStaticOo wrote:

I have had one of every AT from CoH except for Blaster and Warshade to level 50. Most of those were Electricity based characters. Elec/Elec, Elec/Nin, Elec/SD, Elec/Emp, Elec/Inv, etc. I am not trying to hint at Pay 2 Win. I think you are assuming that I will never play a character from 1 to 50 if I'm given the option to not do so by starting a character either at max level or X level. That is not the case at all. I have friends who love playing lower level stuff, I have friends that love playing end game content stuff, I have friends that sometimes want to duo characters from 1 to 50 together, I have friends that start "project teams" and start at level 1 and work to max level. I care very deeply for each and every character I make. They all have to have the right look, name, and powers for me to play otherwise I will just delete them. Only having multiple characters of the exact same powers doesn't mean I know how to play every character in the game, it only means I know how to play one. So why doesn't having 20 max level characters of different AT's mean I don't know how to play every AT in the game? On the contrary I think it would mean that I have an idea on how to play every AT. Sure not every powerset it going to play the same way, but that doesn't mean they don't have some kind of similarity in play style so I disagree with your assessment that I don't know how I should be able to play every AT if I've managed to make 1 of every AT to max level.

Just because I know Judo, doesnt mean i can just pick up Taekwondo. :/

Anyways, I wasnt talking about You (or anyone else) not being sharp enough to pick up on how a powerset might work that you never played before (but you might already have). It was more of a rif on DESERVING, or better yet EARNING it.

And i consider leveling up a toon to 50 as Earning the Right to that or those powerset(s).

Ehhh, think if it as getting a specific Powerset Badge. And the only way you can roll a new toon to auto level 50 is if you pick from a list of Powersets that you already EARNED badges on. :)
ex:
you lvled your Fire/Kin troller to 50.
you lvled your Mind/Rad troller to 50.
now.. you can roll a 50 with Fire/Rad, Mind/Kin also, since you already Earned (got a badge for) those powersets.

I'm only against it because it might attract the Wrong kind of players, and maybe even give the impression that its a Pay 2 Win game. :/

While l can't really understand why anyone would want to "skip the game" as Interdictor said, I don't mind if others want to do this as long as its price means that MWM won't lose money on the deal. If the game were subscription only, the average amount of time it took to reach max lvl could be translated into an amount vis a vis subscription cost, but since CoT will have a non-sub option, I'm not sure how they would calculate the possible missed opportunities to entice a player into buying stuff in the store if characters could be rushed to max. In general, I'd support the various restrictions mentioned above as well as Gangrel's pricing suggestions, as a precaution to ensure that it didn't undermine MWM's income strategy centred around "standard" play.

Fireheart wrote:

I don't understand Why anyone would want to be max-level. Once you're maxed-out, there's nothing left to do, but roll an Alt. I suppose you could endlessly repeat the last couple of TFs... Sounds boring.
Be Well!
Fireheart

The reason I quit City of Heroes was because of the Incarnate system. It was kind of cool being able to further bump your 50's, but the grind requirements made it so arduous that all my 50s that were "finished" became undone. I had them perfected with their build, with their enhancements, costumes, everything. To me, they were works of art that suddenly became undone.

I apologize for the fact that all I can tell you on these forum posts is my own personal opinion. I can't show you a mathematical proof that an "Easy Button" won't work and I can't tell you what anyone else thinks. I can only reflect my own personal likes and dislikes on any of the matters concerning this game here, that's all. If "I don't like it." is not enough for you, I'm sorry, but it's all you're going to get from me. I can't truly say "Other people won't like it." or "It's physically impossible." or "It will cause the downfall of western civilization as we know it." I can only tell you whether I personally would want the game to have it or not, and I don't.

On the topic of PLing. I've mentioned it in the past, mostly on the old forums, to make the majority of the experience he given upon mission completion. Say you need 1,000,000 experience to get from 1-50, 800,000 of that should be from mission completion. Since mission completion is the best way to level then the fastest way to level is to play the game content instead of PLing the same mission without completing it. When this is achieved then the best way to powerlevel is to play with the low level while being exemplared to rush the low level through the missions faster but because of the exemplar the speed in which a person can complete kill x amount of targets is slowed. Missions that are "just glowie" (easy) mission can't be helped once the higher level gets stealth, SS, etc.

This is how Neverwinter and possible other games handle it and so far no true way to PL other than doing the missions for the low level.

AlienMafia wrote:

On the topic of PLing. I've mentioned it in the past, mostly on the old forums, to make the majority of the experience he given upon mission completion. Say you need 1,000,000 experience to get from 1-50, 800,000 of that should be from mission completion. Since mission completion is the best way to level then the fastest way to level is to play the game content instead of PLing the same mission without completing it. When this is achieved then the best way to powerlevel is to play with the low level while being exemplared to rush the low level through the missions faster but because of the exemplar the speed in which a person can complete kill x amount of targets is slowed. Missions that are "just glowie" (easy) mission can't be helped once the higher level gets stealth, SS, etc.
This is how Neverwinter and possible other games handle it and so far no true way to PL other than doing the missions for the low level.

And this can be a disaster if you have a mission you simply can't do as a dedicated soloist so you have to skip it, then to level up to qualify for the next zone you have to kill 10K critters to advance instead of doing the following 5 missions.

Provided you can use the AE equivalent to sort that issue out, I have less of a problem with it.

PLing in NW was done via their AE equivalent till it was seriously nerfed. Make a mission full of ogres, stick them on a narrow bridge, repel them off the bridge killing them with falling damage ...

Minotaur wrote:

AlienMafia wrote:
On the topic of PLing. I've mentioned it in the past, mostly on the old forums, to make the majority of the experience he given upon mission completion. Say you need 1,000,000 experience to get from 1-50, 800,000 of that should be from mission completion. Since mission completion is the best way to level then the fastest way to level is to play the game content instead of PLing the same mission without completing it. When this is achieved then the best way to powerlevel is to play with the low level while being exemplared to rush the low level through the missions faster but because of the exemplar the speed in which a person can complete kill x amount of targets is slowed. Missions that are "just glowie" (easy) mission can't be helped once the higher level gets stealth, SS, etc.
This is how Neverwinter and possible other games handle it and so far no true way to PL other than doing the missions for the low level.

And this can be a disaster if you have a mission you simply can't do as a dedicated soloist so you have to skip it, then to level up to qualify for the next zone you have to kill 10K critters to advance instead of doing the following 5 missions.
Provided you can use the AE equivalent to sort that issue out, I have less of a problem with it.
PLing in NW was done via their AE equivalent till it was seriously nerfed. Make a mission full of ogres, stick them on a narrow bridge, repel them off the bridge killing them with falling damage ...

Only foundry (NW's AE) was PLable but thats the fault of the devs just like the fault AE was in CoX. And NW's flaw is not the distributution of XP mission complete/enemies but the lack of mission in zones. Since CoT is built similar to CoX, this will mean there is plenty of missions to do to level. You could complete a zone and not play everthing so if this same concept used again with an adjustment on xp distribution would be awesome. I just think there needs to be some serious thought into how to prevent PLing at all possible like trying to stop a hacker (need to close the ability to PL). I think the distribution of XP is a legitament option that needs testing to see where the line is 60/40, 50/50, 70/30, etc. and vise-versa.

oOStaticOo wrote:

"If someone can only have fun at max level they're an idiot and are missing the point of playing a game." This is an idiotic statement and only subjective to the person who says it. Your idea of fun sir is not my idea of fun and vice-versa. To boldly claim that you know what is supposed to be fun is arrogant on your part. I am not coming on here and bashing other's play style or idea of fun. I'd appreciate it if you didn't do the same.

Fine, you want a non-blanket statement that fully refutes the idea of buying access to maximum level no matter the price?

It removes any sense of accomplishment.

Allow me to elaborate a little bit. Reaching 50 was an accomplishment. Your character has finished advancing and growing in power and is now only limited by how refined their build is, barring Incarnate powers as those were a separate path of advancement. I leveled the hard way, only rarely dipping into PL missions because I needed a few quick levels. I earned my VEAT before the level requirement dropped to 20, and my first 50 was a Necro/Pain Mastermind.

My VEAT flipped to Heroside ASAP, and dinged 50 on an STF while getting the last hit on Recluse. That is a moment of awesome that is hard to repeat as far as character story goes, and a situation like that feels like a genuine accomplishment, that you did something awesome with your character.

If I could have just shelled out a dollar per level or something like that, that removes any sense of accomplishment from everything anyone does on their way to the limit. When power can be bought in a game it becomes pay to win even if there's no tangible difference between an earned max and a bought max. All sense of accomplishment is thrown out the window when someone else can turn around and say "Why are you bothering to grind man, being at max is everything that matters and the only thing you should care about." when they PAID for their character to reach that level instead of actually playing the game and earning the right to play their character at that level.

Someone that can buy a max-level character makes the fact that my characters will be doing awesome stuff on their way to the top by actually playing the game utterly meaningless because the entire game then becomes all about the max level because the people that BOUGHT THEIR WAY TO THE TOP will be whining and bitching and crying about how they have nothing to DO because the developers are focusing on filling out this level range or that one that seems lacking in content or tweaking the difficulty on this or that low-level mission that seems to have more than the average number of complaints about it being too hard for the range it's in rather than focusing on stuff for people who cheated themselves out of a meaningful experience by buying a giant sack of empty dreams that there would be a massive glut of content that magically only appears once you pop that final bubble and see 'maximum Level' on the screen.

If anyone can buy a '50' then there is no reason to actually play the game. This statement is true no matter the cost involved.

Well, as you might (or might not) already know, there wont be too much for Max Level characters to do. At least for a few years down the line.

I'm just guessing that the amount of content will scale with the range of levels.

ex:
[img]http://i.imgur.com/dUgPcpN.png[/img]

And if MWM can at least do this (which is still too much to be honest for the CoT release), it would be awesome in of itself. (the Blue/Actual missions count)

So, i would assume that it will be a very very long time (4+ years maybe, after release) before Max Level/End Game content will get anywhere near enough to please Max Level Campers (the Orange/Expected missions count). :)

And BTW.. the phrase Max Level Campers wasnt meant as an endearing term. ;) Its for those Greek Gods like Zeus (well, if you can buy a lvl 50 token.. you can also be an Insta-God) that want to Watch and belittle the puny insignificant halflings, supers, and mere mortals.

Hmm, but i can bet even SOME greek gods came down from Mnt. Olimpus and lived among humans too, not having to feel ALL POWERFUL. ;)

It would be trouble in the beginning i do agree to that. Maybe street sweeping will have a different distribution 70-80 for enemies and 30-20 for mission complete (Hunt 50 carnies in PI). I just hope you guys find some way to discourage or fix the ability to PL

AlienMafia wrote:

I just you guys find some way to discourage or fix the ability to PL

Because you do not want to power level does not mean it should be taken away from other people.

Now, I am all for stopping exploits, banning people for botting, watching the mission creator like a hawk, even putting in some kind of system to stop door sitting. I don't consider things that discouraging power leveling, just preventing exploits.

Some people are going to want to level up quickly. Whether that's to hit a desired level of play or they just have fun advancing quickly. That is their business. Plenty of players are not going to care one bit about the story, either the game's lore or even their own characters. Blowing through the content is a choice they are making willingly.

Finally, anything that could be enacted to really curtail power leveling would worsen the experience for [i]everyone[/i]. regular players will be bottoming out on the speed bumps put in place to stop the PLers.

The PLer, the RPer, the achievement hunter, the soloist, the teamer, mission text reader, mission text ignorer, and the casual player can all exists in this game. After all, they all existed in CoH, didn't they?

Izzy wrote:

As long as your toon is in the Active state, you get experience points. Only problem is, players that create 2nd accounts and set their toon on Follow wont get PL'ed anymore. :/ Oh wait, is that Bad?!? :)

It probably costs us money as it makes second accounts less attractive, whether overall it's a bad thing is up for debate.

oOStaticOo wrote:

I don't get why people are accepting of having Double XP Weekends and XP Boosters that can blast you through multiple levels in one mission in a matter of minutes...

I am not one of those people.

Just to have come out and said it.

I definitely welcome double xp. I feel like the game is alive, and I'm taking place in a game wide event. I always had loads of fun on double xp weekends since all my friends would be on, and we'd be joking the entire time, plowing everything in our path. I enjoyed the quick progress in levels while have fun and experiencing content while doing it. This basically happened at any event really, not just double xp. A level token wouldn't bring people together in this sense.