Join the ongoing conversation on Discord: https://discord.gg/w6Tpkp2
Please read the current update for instructions on downloading the latest update. Players with Mac versions of the game will not be affected, but you will have a slightly longer wait for your version of the new maps. Please make a copy of your character folder before running the new update, just to make sure you don't lose any of your custom work.
It looks like we can give everyone a list of minimum specs for running City of Titans. Please keep in mind that this is 'for now' until we are able to add more graphics and other system refinements. Currently you will need :
Windows 10 or later required; no Intel integrated graphics like UHD, must have AMD or NVIDIA card or discrete chipset with 4Gb or more of VRAM
At least 16GB of main DRAM.
These stats may change as we continue to test.
To purchase your copy of the City of Titans Launcher, visit our store at https://store.missingworldsmedia.com/ A purchase of $50 or more will give you a link to download the Launcher for Windows or Mac based machines.
With your typical "What do you want to see" and "What would make this or that fun", I thought why not do a 180 discussion on "What would make you leave a game for good" thread.
Understand that players differ and what you dislike someone might truly enjoy. Trying to see if a core is list is created.
Since I have very little experiences with MMO's would like to see the breadth of knowledge out there.
Hmmm. I'm sure you didn't mean it this way, but I think this thread is almost guaranteed to get a little ugly.
But, it the spirit of not letting things go that way:
Based on what MWM has released so far, unless they take a 180 degree turn away from what's been stated, the only thing I could imagine making me not play or eventually quit the game would be bad art that makes the game ugly to look at (like Champions and to a slightly lesser degree DCUO) or weak animations that do not feel powerful/heroic to play (like Champs, DCUO and TSW for me).
Or MAYBE a world that feels too small (which is why I LOVED all the different zones in CoH, though some people feel there were too many) or too little content if they can't keep developing enough post launch--but hopefully player created and randomized content should help with that. I spent plenty of time playing AE arcs and 4/8 radios.
That's all I got.
Paladin has a pretty good list though :P.
FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)
Hmm - I don't know - a lot of things would be little annoyances but I can't really think of anything that would make me "flip the table" per se. I mean the devs are using a game that I played for almost 8 years as a base to build from - there's a lot of good in there and from what they've released about CoT's planned features so far it seems to be an improvement over the original.
Hmm...maybe a cash store pricing structure like MechWarrior Online (seriously - $120 for 4 mechs)? Although that would only prevent me from buying stuff outright in the cash store.
The aesthetics could have an effect I suppose - I occasionally pop into Champions Online just to give it another go, but I pretty quickly stop playing because the visuals and music REALLY grate on me for some reason. But the CoT devs are going for a more modern/realistic look - kind of in the same area as CoH's graphics but updated with a decade plus of new tech, and I was comfortable with that aesthetic.
Maybe if the patcher punched me in the face every time I booted the game?
OH, what would really make me quit?
Finding out that the game wont play on my computer has to be the top of the list.
Finding out that too many of the features cost extra money
meaning the game costs more than expected
a pattern of Anti-Religious official content
Too much content that's impossible to solo
(That's why I quit Age of Wushu)
Finding out that the game just isn't any fun
like if it turns out that I don't like the power choices or the way the classes work
Or if the XP requirements and IGC costs for everything are so high that it requires endless grinding to do anything
or if the setting feels wrong
if the stories are too grim or too silly
or if the streets are just so hostile (with monsters, criminals and worst of all snipers) that I can't even get around
if it feels like a job
if I get drawn into PVP
If the mobs are too big and have too freekin many hit points so you have to pull. and stupid enough that pulling works
If I can't get to the trainers because it's too crowded and I keep getting bumped away
or if it's just too crowded and they never want to start another sever
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse/pub/3185/Crusader-Game-Books
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC48O9dPcNVdeyNM4efAvX6w/videos?view_as=subscriber
I can think of two things off the top of my head that would eventually (perhaps not immediately) cause me to leave.
[b]Continuous level cap increases[/b]
This is one thing that really turned me off to WoW after a while. You spend so much time reaching a certain point, then after a few months, the level cap goes up and all of your spent effort to gear up and achieve your desired build is no longer relevant. This was especially painful because I was into Battlegrounds for a while, and once the level cap went up, it's like I [i]had[/i] to grind my way back up to max level and adjust my build just to stay in the game even though the Battlegrounds themselves remained the same.
In the end, it always felt like too much stick and not enough carrot for me. I'd much rather see more content and more challenges at max level without forcing me to grind my way back to the status quo every time a major update drops.
That said, I did like the Incarnate system in CoX. I think the major difference there is that your build did not become obsolete---it was simply given more room for improvement. Of course this kind of thing naturally leads to power creep, but I won't delve into that here. Suffice it to say that level cap increases feel more like a [i]setback[/i] than an [i]opportunity[/i] to me.
[b]Too much soloing/isolation while leveling[/b]
One of the M's in MMO stands for "multiplayer," but some MMO's I've played don't have any real reason to team up with other players while leveling. It's like every player is playing their own version of the game in the same space as other players with no reason to interact other than for social reasons or to form groups for one-off events or endgame content. That really causes me to feel like leveling is mostly drudgery that you simply have to do in order to reach max level and be "useful" for lack of a better word.
CoX was obviously a major exception to this, as was Dungeons and Dragons Online in my experience. When teaming was so commonplace and easy to engage in as it was in CoX, I felt like the game was alive. Teaming up was rewarded not just with copious XP, but with an exciting variety of gameplay that playing alone just couldn't provide. Every random pick-up group was a unique experience.
I've gotten bored with games because I found myself doing nothing but repeating the same filler content over and over again by myself, and it really loses its luster for me after a while. I do like to explore and sometimes zone out by myself, but I've found that there is no substitute for the kind of sheer fun that casual teaming can provide.
...
I expect that City of Titans will not disappoint me in either of those categories, and aside from those concerns, the only thing I can think of that would cause me to leave is if the game shut down!
I was about 75% solo in CoH, but when I played DCUO and especially TSW and they FORCED me to solo. Sometimes while I was teamed with others?!!!
Well that just pissed me right off.
And teaming was so darn fun and easy in CoH that even a mostly-soloist like me just couldn't help it once in a while.
FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)
Not helpful. Not relevant. So much of the game is unknown to be taken as a complete body of work.
Crowd Control Enthusiast
Please no ugly and really not intended to be aimed at CoT. I meant to be generalized. Experiences from other game current or past. The spirit of the thread is to help give a more rounded picture. You have the I want to see threads, thought a different take might give another aspect of insight.
And I agree with you Empyrean, I started out as a solo blaster but the ease of teaming and community of CoX morphed me into a teaming tank/defender/controller.
OH man I hate teaming and can't stand content that I can't solo
I can imagine that if I liked teaming I'd hate being forced to solo
Choice is the best.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse/pub/3185/Crusader-Game-Books
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC48O9dPcNVdeyNM4efAvX6w/videos?view_as=subscriber
Please explain since the thread did not say "What would make you leave CoT." It is "What would make you leave a game."
Insufficient variation ... I got tired of the radio mish maps after a while. So repetitive.
Hmmm....not being able to progress my character at any point can put a bad taste in my mouth. I am usually stuck as a solo player because most of my real life friends would not play an MMO (I do have 3 friends who do. One is usually too busy nowadays, and the other 2 play WoW) and the friends I make in-game can't always be up and ready to team with me so group content and any kind of raid content is usually out of the question (the exception to this rule was CoH as teaming was incredibly easy and PuGs were usually not total trainwrecks and of course if I got picked up by a Supergroup/Guild that had people I enjoyed talking to and playing with)
Another thing that can drive me away from a game, this might sound a bit weird but....a bad community is usually a huge turn off for me. Sadly most MMOs and online games in general have an issue with this to a certain degree (even CoH did, although the global ignore usually made it hard for those type of people to ruin someone's day). The only remedy is usually to find a group of friends that would actually make the time to play with me (very hard to do, funnily enough the only game I accomplished this with is CoH and Global Agenda out of all games) which is very hard to find or join a supergroup/guild that plays out like a group of good friends or a family which also can be a bit hard to find.
I will brutally honest and say I hate when people bring up the ''Play with friends'' argument when someone is arguing from a soloist perspective because for some people it's simply not that easy to coordinate adequate times to play with players being in different timezones, having lives of there own etc.
Formerly known as Bleddyn
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WCqnt88Umk]Do you want to be a hero?[/url]
[url=http://cityoftitans.com/forum/nyktoss-character-cove] My characters [/url]
I see mention of power creep and worry of it, but I don't think that should be a worry. Really, Incarnate system was added levels without calling it added levels. :p
I do think the "OMG HARDCORE SOLOER"s need to remember this is an MMO. One can easily solo in FFXIV, but there are some things that will require a team. Either PUG or get a friend, and that game is really quite friendly. Sure, you're going to run into some who aren't, but so far, I saw worse in CoH than I have in FFXIV.
FFXIV also made good incentives for queueing up with random people.
I agree with a lot of what people have already said. Thinking back to what has made me quit other MMOs...
[list]
[*]Continuous level cap increases (especially ones that have you grind at cap for a long time and then raise the cap so that your grinding becomes worthless)
[*]A world that doesn't continue to grow, or one that makes a subscriber have to pay for a single-zone addition
[*]FPS-like combat
[*]Non-optional team content
[*]Really ugly art style
[*]Jar-Jar-like humour and/or the devs putting forth the impression that they think the genre is completely silly
[*]Intrusive nickel-and-dime sales model, e.g. in-game ads, lockboxes, etc.
[*]Mobs that you still can't defeat even after you have outleveled them by 20+ levels
[*]Boring, time-consuming crafting
[*]Corpse runs
[/list]
Spurn all ye kindle.
Just curious, what are Corpse runs?
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse/pub/3185/Crusader-Game-Books
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC48O9dPcNVdeyNM4efAvX6w/videos?view_as=subscriber
They were used in the "old style" of MMO (Everquest, and World of Warcraft) for example.
Basically when you died you had 2 options:
1) Resurrect on the spot.
2) Run to your corpse
Generally speaking, resurrecting on the spot had a downside. It could be on the lines of a stat debuff for a duration/larger durability hit on your items.
If you ran back to your corpse as a ghost though, you avoided the stat debuff.
Some games made it so that if you DIDN'T run back to your corpse, it could be looted and everything that you had carried on your body could be taken by another player.
The thing to remember here. Not all games have a corpse run. If you are trying to get somewhere difficult/achieving a goal that you shouldn't be able to do (going out of bounds for example) then corpse running might be needed.
Hell, WoW has a few quests that CANNOT be completed unless you die at a certain point of it, so you can talk to a ghost.
But the long side of it is: Getting back to your body for one reason or another.
Even when SOE decided we were having fun wrong and changed everything about Star Wars Galaxies to make it more appealing to the crowd who were going nuts over a new game called World of Warcraft, I stuck around for a couple of months in an essentially empty world, which had been vacated by the majority of the player base, then left due to boredom.
I even took a few short breaks from CoH whenever I felt I had fallen in a rut and was getting bored but I always came back in a month or so.
The closest I've come to ragequitting was SWTOR. When they decided to consolidate their servers and mash everyone together onto a handful of servers whether we wanted to move or not, I was irritated because all the names I had since launch were unavailable on my new server. I chose all new names, but the lag was terrible due to the overpopulation and my aging computer, so I took a break for a few months to let things settle down. When I came back, all my character names had been deleted and I had to pick all new ones again...which by this point was next to impossible to come up with anything clever which I liked. So I never went back.
Those problems will be moot in CoT with the single-server and non-unique naming system.
"I don't think you understand the gravity of your situation."
[i]I don't mean this to sound snarky, but intend it as honest constructive criticism meant to help. Please take it as intended:[/i]
Have you ever considered doing a quick internet search before asking the meaning of a term or abbreviation that you don't recognise? Using Google, the definition of 'corpse run' as relates to gaming comes up as the 3rd, 4th, and 5th links. And ESO, another question you asked recently, is defined by the very first result. As we've already discussed in another thread, any CoH-related terms can be found on the website linked below.
I find looking up terms I don't know to be quite educational, because there are usually further links allowing me to explore as much as I wish.
Spurn all ye kindle.
Some people consider "learning" to be [b]a sin[/b] ... because doing so causes them to question the things that they believe without question.
True story.
[center][img=44x100]https://i.imgur.com/sMUQ928.gif[/img]
[i]Verbogeny is one of many pleasurettes afforded a creatific thinkerizer.[/i][/center]
Actually I sometimes do that
but I ask someone here, when I think I'll get a clearer answer
or when It just feels like part of the conversation.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse/pub/3185/Crusader-Game-Books
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC48O9dPcNVdeyNM4efAvX6w/videos?view_as=subscriber
....Please tell me you are joking
Formerly known as Bleddyn
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WCqnt88Umk]Do you want to be a hero?[/url]
[url=http://cityoftitans.com/forum/nyktoss-character-cove] My characters [/url]
I post this [i]digression from the topic[/i] purely for humor value ... and in answer to Bleddyn. I've had this printed on paper for the past 16+ years and keep it near my computer ...
[b]Why GOD never received a PhD[/b]
1. He had only one major publication.
2. It was in Hebrew.
3. It had no references.
4. It wasn't published in a refereed journal.
5. Some even doubt he wrote it by himself.
6. It may be true that he created the world, but what has he done since then?
7. His cooperative efforts have been quite limited.
8. The scientific community has had a hard time replicating his results.
9. He never applied to the ethics board for permission to use human subjects.
10. When one experiment when awry he tried to cover it up by drowning his subjects.
11. When his subjects didn't behave as predicted, he deleted them from the sample.
12. He rarely came to class, just told students to read the book.
13. Some say he had his own son teach the class.
14. He expelled his first two students for learning.
15. Although there were only 10 requirements, most of his students failed his tests.
16. His office hours were infrequent and usually held on a mountain top.
17. No record of working well with colleagues.
"If none of this makes sense to you, it may already be too late!"
- [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0ojWaDOVR8&t=662]Shadoevision, Thought Control[/url]
Anyway, anyway ... back to the topic of discussion at hand ...
[center][img=44x100]https://i.imgur.com/sMUQ928.gif[/img]
[i]Verbogeny is one of many pleasurettes afforded a creatific thinkerizer.[/i][/center]
Come on Red,
I WAS starting to like you.
Snap out of it OK.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse/pub/3185/Crusader-Game-Books
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC48O9dPcNVdeyNM4efAvX6w/videos?view_as=subscriber
I think Red's drinking tonight :P. She's postin buck wild!
FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)
WOW BEAR. This thread escalated quickly... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y05V41gDew
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMcQdRLgVpMwXi_3yTCN5iA/videos
Called it! :P
FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)
But back on topic... lack of variation. If every mission feels almost identical (like the formula for most mmos: get mission, smash baddies, return again and again until he sends you to a new contact) it's less of a game and more of a mundane chore or a job. Same thing goes for character customization. Also if there isn't much of a story I'll probably get bored and leave. I don't want anything groundbreaking, I just want the game to feel different enough from the competitors that it's worth playing.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMcQdRLgVpMwXi_3yTCN5iA/videos
Oh yeah of course. Lack of story can be very much a turn off for me as well. I am a proud [b]lore nerd[/b]. I was one of the few people who really enjoyed the scientist adventurer role in Wildstar for my Male Aurin Esper.
I also really hate when the game has an already established canon story in the background of it and the devs just end up completely disregarding the very rules they made for there own story later on for some cheap twist. This was the final stake in the coffin for WoW for me back when I discovered the ending of the Dragon Soul raid which was all kinds of stupid.
Oh another thing...don't try to be WoW in the MMO scene MMO devs. It will not end well for you.
Formerly known as Bleddyn
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WCqnt88Umk]Do you want to be a hero?[/url]
[url=http://cityoftitans.com/forum/nyktoss-character-cove] My characters [/url]
+1 to this. All of this :)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMcQdRLgVpMwXi_3yTCN5iA/videos
I love a good story in the adventures.
But world lore kind of bugs me.
It's like a constant reminder that my characters are NOT the main characters and never will be.
When I GMed a superhero game I balanced Lore with Player importance
by having a lot of the big news stories be set far away.
My players spent most of their time in Birmingham Alabama (our hometown)
but when I wanted to inject lore I told them about things going on all over the world.
A lot of the heroes including the Knights of Saint George, lived in Technopolis Virginia,
Red Raven lived in New York,
Der Übermensch lived in Germany,
and there were other heroes and villains from all over the world and beyond.
The local group of heroes that my players sometimes encountered was the Vulcan's Heroes,
and they were limited in their activities because the were an official part of the Birmingham Police Department.
My Players could could be stars on their own.
I'm not saying I'll quit if I hear too much lore but it does bother me.
Especially when it makes me feel insignificant like Daredevil must feel.
And it especially bothers me because I know it could be handled better.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse/pub/3185/Crusader-Game-Books
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC48O9dPcNVdeyNM4efAvX6w/videos?view_as=subscriber
A game world needs a background story or it becomes meaningless.
As far as I know, we get to choose our story paths and 'street hero' was among them, TheMightyPaladin. If you take that path and follow it, I guess it will be highly likely you will encounter enemies and lore fitting to that path. ([URL=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/missingworldsmedia/the-phoenix-project-city-of-titans/posts/630570]source[/URL])
But please accept that it will be one choice of many. I want to follow other paths as well and I want them to have fitting background lore. I do not try to spoil your fun, please do not try to spoil mine.
To get back to the original topic, a world with little or no lore would not be likely to facinate me for very long.
Other things that would make me like the game less would be a lack of challange and overdone advertising.
I know this isnt, something i hate, but what i would love to see maybe is some combo effects. Like some ones got an AOE lighting effect and then some one uses like a water power or something, causing increased damage. Just to add to the "team up" effect. I guess i could say i would hate to see no progress toward interactive team up elements, aka, power combos.
I was Rasharr from Justice server. Play time 6 years
I don't mind soloing at first, in fact I prefer to reach a certain level without help so as just to practice and actually get good with the controls, and aloso because it feels like you've earned the right to join a league or start supporting others and grouping after achieving stuff on your own.
Then, as has been stated, it's easier to just log on and queue for groups than to arrange gametime with RL friends, who in my case mainly console game, anyway. I usually use US servers anyway, since the populations are higher and its easier to raid and get good PVP.
Forgive my ignorance, what is the non-unique naming system going to be?
What would you consider that to be? Any examples?
What makes you say Daredevil feels insignificant?
"TRUST ME."
I would hate bad character customization, or ugly/poor animation. Although I do like to solo I very much enjoy being on a team, so a bad way to team up would get on my nerves. An example of a bad way of teaming up is in Dark Souls with the tags. Although it makes sense for that game(kindof) I'm just stresssing that it should be supereasy to team up(alot like CoX). Also what others were saying about having to constantly grind because everything is SUPER EXPENSIVE is also a turn off. When things feel unattainable that it ends up not being worth it you tend to just say whatever and move on.
The Carnival of Light in the Phoenix Rising
"We never lose our demons, we only learn to live above them." - The Ancient One
Avatar by lilshironeko
The Plan, as I understand it, is one server, with different instances of over-full areas splitting off as needed. When there are more than [I]x[/I] PCs in Alexandria, another instance is spawned and anyone logging in to that area goes to the less-full instances. If you aren't in the same instance as your friends, you can shift to their instance or they to yours.
Character Name @ User Name. Your user name will be unique, but other people will only see it if they look for it or have that switch set in their chat options. All that would display over your character's head would be the name you chose, exactly as you chose it. I hope. I really would prefer that people can easily tell that [font=lucida bright]AIko[/font] isn't Aiko, but if the name displays in all caps, that won't be obvious...
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
.
Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
I didn't know anything about these Paths you speak of. I will read about it.
Also I recognize the need for lore. I even said How I balanced lore with player importance.
I'm totally not trying to ruin your fun. I just hope the devs don't squash mine.
OK Gluke this is a different thread so I'll play nice again.
Examples of a pattern of anti religious content:
1) excluding religion from the world or relegating it to graveyards like COH did.
2) portraying religious leaders as corrupt
3) featuring villains and villainous organizations that are parodies of real world religions
4) portraying religious people as stupid or uneducated.
5) making villains spout religious quotes for no real reason (like the villain from Cape Fear)
6) having otherwise respectable characters mock religion
or make rude side comments about it.
These are things that do happen in real life
and I'm not going to feek out if I see any of them, a few times.
It would be unrealistic if they never occurred.
but if the only way we ever see religion mentioned is in such a negative context then it's not a balanced or realistic portrayal. That's why #1 is really important. Churches and religious leaders should be scattered throughout the city just like any real city in North America, and the chest emblems in the character creator should include religious symbols like Crosses, Stars of david, and the Star and Crescent. (COH included a Pentagram and the Yin & Yang symbol)
I would if I were him.
but really it was a joke
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse/pub/3185/Crusader-Game-Books
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC48O9dPcNVdeyNM4efAvX6w/videos?view_as=subscriber
I guess I misread what you were saying and freaked out a little. Lore is one of the most important things in a MMO for me.
The paths are basically the story you choose for your character. At least the first 20 levels are supposed to be covered by that. Some of the paths seem to include very exotic adventures but there are some very fitting for a street level hero as well.
They seem to aim towards the ideal that every player will be able to choose his experience.
You have no idea how happy I am that someone _doesn't_ remember these. They're DEAD! DEAD! DEAAAAAAAD.
Serious point about the level cap increases, folks. Firstly, of course, we're planning to have some really rapidly after launch - the plan is 30, going to 50 ASAP. We all know this, right? That doesn't really count as a level cap increase, that's just us seeing how the game works and frantically adjusting and rebalancing things before committing the final content to live.
But considering we're planning on treating this as your own hero's comic book, we've been talking about expanding level caps every couple years, in order to give you guys more space for advancement and more space for a personal story line.
(That's our Paths. Your character's personal book. Amazing You-Man. Actionesque Comics Featuing You. Astounding Foes Of YourEnemy-Man. DOOM. (what, doom is all things) )
Given our current plans for augments don't have them being especially boosted by being higher level, certainly not to the level of WoW's 'okay all your stuff is so last season now', are level cap adjustments really bad?
Presume, for the sake of argument, that a purple is a purple, and the difference between a 60 purple and a 70 purple is... 5%, say, does it matter? CoH IO rules apply for this discussion.
[color=#ff0000]Project Lead[/color]
interesting. level cap increase will occur every so often. this has both up and down sides.
...as far as augments go, 60 vs 70 (if defined as being a difference of only 5% as you presented) does it really matter? no...BUT players will perceive this difference and want to have the latest and greatest for a variety of reasons, even though the increase is minor in the grand scheme.
[img]http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/whiteperegrine/84183/69278/69278_original.gif[/img]
I want our game to go to eleven!!!
FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)
Well, it's a thing we could do. Honestly, we're more focused on getting it working than expanding the level cap right now, but it is a potential option. How do you guys feel about it?
I'm not really seeing a problem with players wanting the latest and greatest, as long as the 'just ok' doesn't cripple them.
I mean, okay, getting new loot is fun, right?
[color=#ff0000]Project Lead[/color]
Personally I'd rather just park the game at 50 and be done with it, then come up with other modes of progression like the Incarnate stuff. Honestly, because 10 is just as loud as 11 and how many frickin levels do we need?
But, again, I'll still play even if the level cap creeps up to 100.
Or perhaps even... ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN!!!
FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)
Well, alternate progression is also a possibility. It just doesn't have to happen at 50. I suppose it depends on how the game feels at 50, if we find a good way to expand it in year 2. If not, alternate progression. It's not an answer we need _right away_, I mean CoH took a while, right? :)
The important thing is that we have the technical capability of exceeding 50 - that is not where the game has to stop. We designed it in for expansion from the start.
We just don't have to use it.
It's nice to have options.
[color=#ff0000]Project Lead[/color]
So long as you aren't creating a situation of ever increasing Power Inflation like Blizzard does on [b]EVERY MMORPG THEY SELL[/b] going as far back as the Diablo II series (ie. 15+ years and counting). Perfect World Entertainment believes that obsoleting everything you've ever gotten so as to get you to "buy" all new stuff all over again is an absolutely fantastic scheme to keep people playing forever ... probably because Blizzard pioneered the practice. Release new expansion and all the great stuff you got before is made obsolete by default, so go out there and get all the new stuff already!
That bait and switch gets REALLY tiresome. Don't do it.
Warcabbit, people will harden their conventional wisdom as to the relative value of things like Racial Attributes that can provide as little as a +1-3% [i]situational advantage[/i]. If there's an "edge" anywhere, Players are going to try and make someone else bleed with it. It's just the nature of the beast.
This is why I prefer to keep any sort of Enhancement system as being [b]Level Agnostic[/b] so that these sorts of Power Creep and inflationary pressures are "bred out" of the game at the design phase. That's because your best option is to find a broad volume of game balance ... rather than a balance *point* ... and then stick with that balance volume as much as you can. Set the variables where they need to be and then step back.
[center][img=44x100]https://i.imgur.com/sMUQ928.gif[/img]
[i]Verbogeny is one of many pleasurettes afforded a creatific thinkerizer.[/i][/center]
Our math goes to level n, no matter what n value you choose.
Felix
Know thy users, for they are not you.
"Preliminary optimization is the root of all evil." -Knuth
[color=#FF0000]Coding Lead[/color]
a.k.a. Mr Sigma, Mr. Stochastic, Balancing Act, The Oncoming Storm
So... tell us what you don't like about level caps increasing, assuming the Blizzard style power inflation isn't there - remember, we have sidekicking, anyhow.
A level 1 at level 50 doesn't really have enough powers to be useful, but they can probably still pop a minion or two.
[color=#ff0000]Project Lead[/color]
I'd rather not use levels at all.
oops did I let that slip?
Looks to me like you're all running into part of what I've called "The Problem of Levels".
You're forced to interpret the leveling process in one of 2 ways.
Either: The whole leveling process is part of character creation and the game doesn't really start till you reach the maximum level
Or: Once you reach the maximum level you're done
I think most people here prefer the first choice and want to avoid the second
but that leads to farming past most of the content, then demanding more "endgame".
and since constantly gaining power (rather than having adventures) is the main point of the game
you feel your going nowhere and you look for "Alternate forms of progression"
But that diminishes the whole point of levels:
You guys told me before that without levels players couldn't have an objective indicator of how powerful they were
They wouldn't be able to tell who could team up meaningfully or compeat fairly
but if there are alternate forms of progression level doesn't tell you anything
(I have the same problem with crafting)
If there are alternate forms of progression, then 2 characters of the same level can have vastly different power levels, and level tells you nothing.
I'm not advocating doing away with levels anymore (though I'd like to) but these are serious problems.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse/pub/3185/Crusader-Game-Books
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC48O9dPcNVdeyNM4efAvX6w/videos?view_as=subscriber
Level cap increase?
Not sure. I have not played too many other MMOs, so I cant give the same feedback Red' has, but my 1st thought might be:
- Yes.. More Powers to click On. Sweet!
- Oh No.. Do my existing powers get a little weaker?
- Do the slotted Augments have to be upgraded?
- Whats the SoftCap now for everything? Still around 100%?
- What happened to adding [url=https://youtu.be/NPplDPm2m4Y?t=22s]Killer Bunnies[/url]? :<
Yep, agreed. (Hopefully not too frantic. Don't forget to eat and sleep!)
My two concerns are:
1) The danger of invalidating endgame content designed to be repeated at the original cap. I don't want to spend time grinding endgame dailies for level cap tweak gear and then have an issue come along that invalidates all that work by having regular missions provide higher-level replacements as normal drops.
2) It seemed to me that keeping a cap of 50 in CoX allowed the devs to have consistent power set design plans, with the über powers at the top. If you have to keep adding new powers with new levels, doesn't that make the original übers seem diluted and/or force you to have to come up with a *really* über power with each increase? (Kinda like some film series, where they feel it has to be saving even [i]more[/i] of the universe this time.)
If you can avoid those issues, I suppose I wouldn't have a problem with the idea.
Spurn all ye kindle.
Pardon me as I allow my lack of imagination show an ankle or two.
Isn't the whole point of level increases the same one that's behind the automotive industry introducing new models every year? "What, you're still driving that old thing?" If there is no power inflation and the typically associated need to work toward a whole new set of stuff, what is the reason to introduce a level cap increase? Would we not get a lot more use out of more classifications, specifications, power sets, etc. rather than another handful of "DING!" events?
- - - - -
[font=Pristina][size=18][b]Hail Beard![/b][/size][/font]
Support [url=http://cityoftitans.com/comment/52149#comment-52149]trap clowns[/url] for CoT!
I have to say I would prefer this to an ever-increasing level cap.
Spurn all ye kindle.
Who says we can't do both, like the late Earl Warren?
We do intend to keep putting out power sets and classes, but that requires a different skill set from zones and stories. And if we want to continue telling stories with existing characters _without_ some kind of advancement included, a good amount of people won't feel motivated to play. No XPs, no fun.
This is a question, really, about 'okay, you're level 50, and you want to _keep playing_ your character. What should we do to help you keep playing?'
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, City of Titans' end game is alting. Make someone new, there will be plenty of new story for you to play - once, twice, ten times, eventually.
But... what happens when we say 'we want to advance the story'?
We can do a number of things - add more levels, add alternate advancement, nothing at all, 100 man mandatory raids that last fifteen hours - and a number of these things we can do are bad ideas.
Some are good ideas. I want to hear what you think we could do once we decide to go 'okay, time to add more story at the end of the game.'
And remember, this is a _far in the future_ issue.
C'mon, guys, you're smart. Give me your best shots.
[color=#ff0000]Project Lead[/color]
I would prefer a limit to level cap increases. Fifty seems good to me. I know it worked out well for me in CoX. Every time Lineage II raised their level cap thousands of players abandoned the game. In the end they wound up with a dozen powerful clans stretched across six servers, merged down to one, then later expanded back out to five. Quite silly.
Rather than higher level caps I'd rather see more maps, more variety of missions, more powers and costume items, improvements to UGC tools and bases, and so on. Expand real content. Give people a reason to make a new character, visit a new location, and run new missions.
A level is just a number. Higher levels are pointless and nihilistic. Higher levels do not equate to expanded content. They result in empty maps and become a powerful disincentive for new players to join the game.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My author page at Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MPvkRX
My novelty shirts: https://amzn.to/31Sld32
Good answer, Greyhawk, keep 'em coming, guys.
[color=#ff0000]Project Lead[/color]
Best answer so far to this question.
After all there are already plenty of people who see getting to level 50 as part of character creation, and farm their way past all content until then.
Isn't that the whole reason they're yearning for endgame content?
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse/pub/3185/Crusader-Game-Books
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC48O9dPcNVdeyNM4efAvX6w/videos?view_as=subscriber
Does anyone know why?
Which players? Is it the players with primarily Defensive powers that get upset and leave? Because those are Most Noticeably affected?
Or does that apply to Blaster like characters in those games?
If it is Defense based... is there a way to Increase the Level Cap without affecting the existing base powers?
If so, would that include adding new Zones that are restricted to level 50+, and Defense Cap isn't 100%, but 110% (or how ever much).
But as soon as you return to the Main Zones, you get Auto Exemp to 50. Well, that sorta like Incarnate Trials, but Now with Incarnate Map Zones and Incarnate Contacts and missions, etc... :}
I'm still rooting for Platinum Levels though. :D ([url=http://cityoftitans.com/forum/end-game-hit-replay]old thread[/url])
And if MWM picks Well Done UGC Arcs as part of the Platinum Path, making some players Arcs Platinum, you get players to play through allot more content but under the guise of it being more Special this time around. ;)
I would have to agree that 50 is a good number, even though a level is just a number though it doesn't have to technically stop there, I really like the idea of the incarnate endgame, where you are lvl 50 but fight like a lvl 55. You can create like an *imaginary* number that goes on til forever(or 100). Where you don't receive any new powers through means of leveling but you can use your experience(beyond level 50) to refine the skills you already have and adds minor increases to all attributes.
So in other words a character could be level 77 and all it really means is that they have more refined skills and maybe better gear/aura/etc..
This allows what The Mighty Paladin calls That Which Will Not Be Named(*cough*[size=8] endgame[/size] *cough*) to not really exist. You can only learn so many powers but you can always get better with more training.
The Carnival of Light in the Phoenix Rising
"We never lose our demons, we only learn to live above them." - The Ancient One
Avatar by lilshironeko
Speaking for myself, I don't need more levels in order to advance the story for a maxed character that I really like. In CoX I had a handful of loved 50s that I would run through any new missions regardless of reward -- often exemped down via Ouroboros.
I also liked the Incarnate system, once we had an option to pursue it either via iTrials or solo. I enjoyed both, but I liked the iTrials better when they weren't the only option into which I was being railroaded. Having said that, I would have played the solo DA content even if there had been no Incarnate rewards associated.
I really liked the SSAs as well. Another example that I played through all the way with my favourite 50s, regardless of special rewards or levelling.
So in a nutshell, what I'd like for the non-alt endgame to continue the story is new zones, new missions, and new enemies (with continuing IGC and item drops). I wouldn't mind some interesting, [i]quick[/i] trials like the BAF and Lambda to do on occasion. While I don't need new levels to make endgame content worthwhile, I wouldn't say no to a limited cap expansion like the Incarnate system, but I would do some endgame trials even without this. And of course some kind of flashback system to catch up on old missions. Also, new badges, in case I happen to get addicted to that pointless waste of time again. :-)
I loved alting. I never got a chance to play all the characters/power sets I wanted to. Another downside I'd add regarding increasing level cap is that it would reduce my alting time by making me feel I had to go back to [i]all[/i] my 50s to get them to the new cap, instead of just having my few endgame favourites. I realise that's more my problem than MWM's, but nevertheless, there it is.
Spurn all ye kindle.
One more thought: I know it didn't end up doing terribly well, but I'd much rather see an alt-oriented expansion like Going Rogue's Praetoria than an increased level cap.
Spurn all ye kindle.
[size=30]An alt oriented expansion?[/size]
Like Epic ATs?
New Zones with classes made for those Zones?
Like Cosmic characters?
I also look forward to new power sets and new animations
and different body types like Animals, and Hybrids
these are incentives to make alts.
Like, if the martial arts animations feature 2 or 3 different styles.
You could make an expansion pack out of adding a few more styles
and some gangs that use them.
You could even make it possible to unlock the new animations ingame
by visiting trainers in those gang's neighborhoods.
Another big incentive to make Alts is new starting locations even if they're for the same ATs.
Or just expanded content for low and mid level characters.
Of course this appeals to me since I don't have as much interest in endgame and so I will be making a lot of alts.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse/pub/3185/Crusader-Game-Books
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC48O9dPcNVdeyNM4efAvX6w/videos?view_as=subscriber
Honestly - levels don't mean anything in the long run in terms of the character's "power" - a well made game has challenge at ALL levels, and fun stuff to do throughout the character's career.
I don't see why the cap HAS to stay at 50 - I would have no issue with a 5 or 10 level bump as long as it adds something significant to the game beyond a simple "gear grind" but the focus should definitely be on expanding on the foundation of 1-50 zones, stories, missions and enemies. Alting is where the player retention is - especially in a game like this, as you are designing it. Having new things to do for alts and avoiding too much repetition is very important.
Edit: one thing I just thought of - it has been bandied about around here that it could be possible that once a character reaches max level you could get a free character slot unlocked as a reward. I know that's not set in stone but if that was planned how would it interact with a proposed level cap increase - would the unlock be reset to the new cap - or would it remain with the original cap?
Speaking of that Interdictor, does anyone know how they are going to do character slots? Are you going to be able to make as many toons as you want for free or do you have a limited amount of slots and have to pay for extras?
(I'm sure there's a thread about it somewhere, if so a link would be appreciated :) I'm currently looking for one)
The Carnival of Light in the Phoenix Rising
"We never lose our demons, we only learn to live above them." - The Ancient One
Avatar by lilshironeko
I'm pretty sure they have indicated there will be a limit as they have talked about obtaining more slots through other means (possibly though gameplay like reaching max level, probably the game store, etc.) - though I don't believe they have publicly announced the actual number of starting slots (or even if they have figured that out internally yet).
I see one problem with increasing the maximum level. We will have primary and secondary powersets with eight powers each. When we aim for Level 50 as a maximum level, one should have the ability to get all of those 16 powers and some of the secondary sets, so you can build a working character. In other words the system gets balanced around this level.
If the level cap then gets expanded the system needs to be rebalanced. The players will expect their characters growing stronger when they level up further. Which means more powers in one way or another. And I fear that at some point, this will render the primary and secondary powersets moot, the very powers that are supposed to define the character most. It could also get very complicated to manage, when you just add more and more buttons to click.
And I really think there is not much need to do that. More things to do with a levelcapped character are just as good. In the first Guild Wars you reached the maximum level shortly after the tutorial and spend the whole game at max level. The story went on, the challenges became harder and you got more options of skills, but you stayed level 20. Nobody says you have to add five more levels if you want to add another zone with its own storyline to play through.
Oh - have they actually said that there will be 8 powers in each power set?
Not necessarily - depends on the nature of the powers; passives for instance.
I agree with this but question how the "more options of skills" does not equate to "getting more powers" - I've never played Guild Wars.
I have to echo Cinnder's sentiments. For me, continuing the story is not synonymous with increasing the level cap. Continuing the story simply means more content (I'm not certain if I should be alarmed that this thought is considered worthy of praise). If you want to cater to the people who want and need the ongoing WoW-esque treadmill of level cap increases, then that's what you need to deliver. A one time five or ten level increase after a handful of years isn't going to do the trick. In any case, I doubt a level cap increase is going to have the desired psychological impact if the difference between a level 50 character and a level 60 character is scarcely noticeable.
The one common factor for level-capped content is nothing more than that one must be level-capped to be able to engage in that content. I'd conclude that this means that the single most important factor for "advancing the story" is that there be some reason that it's only for level 50 characters, rather than levels 40-50 or levels 45-50 (or even levels 49-50).
- - - - -
[font=Pristina][size=18][b]Hail Beard![/b][/size][/font]
Support [url=http://cityoftitans.com/comment/52149#comment-52149]trap clowns[/url] for CoT!
We have not said there will be 8 tiers of powers. Possibly for a very good reason. But yes, too many powers is something we're aware of - it's possible a theoretical T20 power from level 87 might boost your T9 Nuke, say - a passive applied directly to a previous power.
This is not _planned_ but it is something we are capable of doing.
We also have not stated how many character slots you get. There will be a number, and you will be able to increase that number, but how, precisely, is a good question.
I will assume 'by paying us money' is one answer, but we intend to have them unlock for free as well. Maybe if you complete your personal story line. Maybe. It's not something I'm concerned with right now. My concern is 'will there be multiple character slots'? And 'will they be unlockable to add more?' (yes, and yes) and once those work, I'll come to a decision on how the unlocking is done.
Anyhow, thanks for the feedback, guys. It's pretty much what I planned to do anyhow, but it's good to check your assumptions.
[color=#ff0000]Project Lead[/color]
Level 50 is fine, I played over 250 alts, of which only 10% were max level and only 7 or 8 were at Incarnate max. Alting was the game to me, and playing with great online friends, jumping onto that character so we had what we needed for a SF or TF.
The invention system was already an alternative advancement method to me, and then the incarnate system made it even better. I think that most people who played CoX were players of many characters. It's what appealed to me the most about it, the sheer variety, finding those synergies and having fun with friends.
i can't wait to get started again, doing other stuff in gaming time for me just has felt a little hollow the past couple of years, only CoX ever really did it for me, here's hoping that this time next year we are all doing closed beta waves
In Guild Wars (and Guild Wars 2) you have a limited number of skill slots. However you can have a LARGE number of skills to choose from.
Not all skills will be suitable in all situations. So a lot of the challenge in Guild Wars 1 was "what skills do I need to choose to do this piece of content".
It is also worth noting that the skills that you can *initially* choose from are dictated by your primary and secondary classes. But you are not forced to stick with the initial powers
There are other nuances (weapons you choose to use, and where you place attribute points... but you can respec those whenever you are not in a mission instance).
Now yes, there is the trick of "Is there a build suitable for 95% of the content" so you can almost "cookie cutter" build it. But because your power choices are NOT permanent, you are encouraged to tweak/adjust/experiment.
Of course, once you ascend a few more options open up as well.
Weird. I am certain I have read that somewhere. Not in a context of 'it will be like this with a 100% certainty' but still indicating it will likely be the case. It must have been a while ago though.
But anyway, good to know. Thanks.
If you go back far enough, that is a couple of years ago from our old boards, the initial pre-planning stages used an 8 power framework (and that was a protection set). We have gone through several changes since then.
[hr]I don't use a nerf bat, I have a magic crowbar!
- Combat Mechanic -
[color=#ff0000]Tech Team. [/color]
I can only speak for myself, but 5% would matter to me. It's the mere concept of [i]vertical progression[/i] that I don't care for. I would rather see [i]horizontal progression[/i] in which upgrades diversify a character's build instead of merely turning up the dial on existing upgrades. I use these terms in the sense of [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizontal_scaling#Horizontal_and_vertical_scaling]vertical vs. horizontal scaling[/url] in which vertical scaling makes your existing [s]infrastructure[/s] upgrades more powerful while horizontal scaling aggregates the power of multiple [s]machines[/s] upgrade mechanisms.
I would consider the Incarnate system to be a means of horizontal scaling. None of the incarnate slots were a direct replacement for any of your existing enhancements, set bonuses, accolade powers, or build choices. That's not to say that you couldn't tweak your build after earning them to be more well-rounded, but they didn't invalidate the work that you did previously to get your build to the level of power it was at.
Contrast this with upgrades in WoW where the difference between a level 70 item and a level 80 item is a simple difference in stats, and the level 80 version is a strictly improved replacement for the level 70 version. This not only keeps players on the same treadmill, but in my opinion, it also limits the diversity in how you upgrade. Rather than considering various upgrade paths, you just need the same items with better stats.
Think of it like a racetrack. Raising the level cap is like making a drag strip longer---when the finish line moves further down the strip, driving back to the finish line doesn't really change the race. Diversifying upgrades at the level cap is like adding more tracks---there are suddenly exciting new races to win that don't set you back in previous races. The latter situation is far more rewarding and engaging in my opinion.
...
tl;dr, if you want to add progression at the level cap, please diversify upgrades instead of "upgrading upgrades." Raising the level cap is not required in order to do this, nor is it necessary in order to add more content.
Raiding gear going obsolete, I despise. I don't mind crafted or bought gear becoming obsolete. That's the nature of the beast.
Maybe have the equivalent of purples and pvp IOs have the ability to level track with player toons to new max? Introduction of new high level raiding gear would be fine so long as it is just different from previous gear. Making a new piece of gear that is the same as the old piece of gear just pisses me off.
People have spent hours of their lives trying to get that gear after all. That said, feel free to do that with luck of the gambler or oblivion equivalents. That's the nature of the game.
And I really liked how the incarnate system worked
Follow CoX model. Hit 50 then incarnate style progression. You had a continuing story, power to go with it. Some passive, some not.
For playing your 50's why not do a level 50 only events. Once every quarter do a server wide event that only a hero or villain at the top of the heap can tackle. Week or 2 long random locations and objectives with a Giant Monster AV battle. Add a twist that while the heroes try and stop the GM the villains can assist it. The objectives of the heroes weaken the GM battles while the villains objectives strengthen it. Could also reverse the event next time around depending on who won the last one. If villains win in March then the roles get reversed for objectives. Reward would be a city make over or buff to which ever side wins. City look or buff resets the next time the event occurs.
To add alt friendly during event would be a mentor/benefactor buff to the 50 who has a low level sidekick during their game play, maybe code in an AFK kill switch to the low level to avoid exploiters.
Remind me... did the incarnates boost a Tanks/brutes/Scrappers Resistance/Defense?
I might be remembering one or two but the buff was like 5%?
How much did the Veteran Pet orb give? 5% also for defense?
Again, would players get more upset if their Defense/Resistance decreased compared to Support/Mez/Damage output having the same decrease applied?
Two or three alphas did. There was also the barrier invocation.
[url=http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Alpha_Slot_Abilities]Alpha slot abilities[/url]
Survey says [i]"oh hell yes!"[/i] ... with a side order of FIRST ...
[center][img=44x100]https://i.imgur.com/sMUQ928.gif[/img]
[i]Verbogeny is one of many pleasurettes afforded a creatific thinkerizer.[/i][/center]
What if there were soft caps? Like 30, but not really 30, you have to do a special sort of personal raid or task mission, some kind of gauntlet, that story wise pushes you over the edge into new super power territory, thus increasing your lvl cap, or, that could be used to introduce alternate advancement, or a bit of both. It would tie in well with the idea of personal story, and you could make it that what ever you chose as your alt advancement ( assuming you had multiple choices) would directly influence your story.
Give us more than enough power to choose from, make it so that, even in a single power pool, we cant choose them all, kinda like Peace Bringers and warshades were. Also i feel that if and when PVP in implemented, you really should have like "The Best Tanker award of the month, The best Blaster aw..."
Sorry spit balled there for a second
.
I was Rasharr from Justice server. Play time 6 years
Soooo, sorta like Rikti War Zone thats very optional. levels 30+.
The scientists are experimenting with alien Tech, so you have to pass a test in that (expansion pack) new Zone and if you do,
you are granted the experimental military tech thats hush, hush.
And as you fight the alien threat, you confiscate some of their tech and have the scientist in the war zone try to enhance your ability a little bit with each find. 10 or so levels only. Thats as far as the enhancer prototype will safely allow your abilities to grow, unless you Want to risk getting irreversibly contaminated. ;)
So when you Leave that war zone, you have to leave that enhancer behind. And you go back to being level 30, etc...
It's a useful concept, but I'm not sure how it would apply to some of my characters. Most of mine are super-powered by... will, or unexplained phenomena that could be mistaken for magic, or they aren't, technically 'real'... In any case, most of them are powered Internally and Inherently and not subject to external manipulation or enhancement. I can't imagine putting artificial power-limitations on them.
I can see this 'level soft-cap' as a Story mechanism, but I don't think it should be a game-mechanics limitation.
Be Well!
Fireheart
Yep you're right.
But if you think about it, even a magic user can use a Toaster also, if they wanted to make Toast!? ;D
A toaster is one thing. Alien technology is something entirely different. And you are talking of it enhancing the abilitys of the character. I can see that working with almost every backstory, but not with magic. Magic and technology do not work well together. And if we take into account that you take away that enhancement, we will run into even more problems if we look at mutants and the science accident types.
'We have injectet you with some alien genetic enhacers to strengthen your mutation. You are leaving? All right, give them back!'
The alternative would be that you can get temp powers there like alien tech energy shields, armor and weaponry that help you beat the higher challenge there. But if that is done too much, or needed to much, you run the risk that every character could end up feeling the same.
I was assuming its like Adrenalin, it Will wear off. If.. it was That sort of Enhancement. Could be just tech. ;)
No Magic though.
Wait, they have Mages too. Steal their Orbs! ;D
Ohh.. its not really magic? I see, just technology that cant be explained by us.
Sorry. :P
You know a chemical that temporarily boosts powers could work for mutants. If they have a drug that induces a higher state of mind, that could possibly work for some mages.
But that would make me a bit uncomfortable. I can only be max level if I put my character on drugs?
[img]http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/14/142926/3543170-snowflame.jpg[/img]
Far into the future, eh?
Expand the world. Introduce new cities, new zones, new styles of heroism/villainy.
CoV brought a entire new team of signature characters. Going Rogue brought a new pair of signature characters and a modified team that cast the old characters in a new light. Modern comics seem to have assumed that dark, gothic, and hyperviolent is the future of their medium. I think this is wrong. There is still room for optimism, diversity, and new variations on old themes.
So, five years from now. Titan City is fully fleshed out, vibrant, filled with players, a dozen private servers are also running offering everything from full-on PvP only survival worlds to oddball versions of Titan City that have more in common with Power Puff Girls than Batman.
Time for a new vision. Time for a whole new city. Something exotic. For the new CoT why not pick an Asian, African, or even Middle Eastern themed city. Introduce an all new team of heroes, vigilantes, and villains. Movement between the two cities can be airport based, portal based, or something similar. In conjunction with the new characters and new city, half a dozen new task forces that require teams of top level characters along with half a dozen new storylines (or more!) with all new content that starts in the new starting area and continues into top-level missions open to solo players.
Expand the vision. Don't settle for adding useless levels that restrict the new content to a small group of top-level characters. An entire content expansion focused exclusively on some mythological "endgame" that only 10% of the overall playerbase can access is the mistake Lineage II made, and they made it over and over again. The goal is to keep bringing in thousands of new players every year while keeping the tens of thousands of veterans. Creating content that treats level 50 like the new level 1 is just pointless. At least in my opinion. If players want to experience more character progression, let them create a new character that starts off in an all-new starting area so different from what came before it feels like an all-new game.
More level 50 task forces with exotic new enemies and creative storytelling, all of which is part of an entirely new package of creativity that attracts a new generation of players. That would be my suggestion.
Every year millions of people graduate from high school and move on to college. Every single year. Continuously reaching out this new crop of young adults while deepening relationships with current players is the secret to continuous success. Every major expansion needs to have as its primary focus an effort to bring in all new players, while still preserving and rewarding the current players. Increasing the level cap defeats both of these goals because it caters to a tiny fraction of the current playerbase while discouraging new players because it raises the bar for veteran status. Eventually that bar rises so high a new player has no incentive to even try.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My author page at Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MPvkRX
My novelty shirts: https://amzn.to/31Sld32
Maps, maps, maps.
Even if you only continue existing story instead of introduce brands new shorelines.
Good to see this thread find purpose instead of painting people into a corner.
Crowd Control Enthusiast
Oh Yea.. Moral Quandary might ensue. >:)
Well, if you a play a villain, no biggie! ;D
If you think about it, what were Red Inspirations to you? And did you complain about 'em? ;)
I had a little problem with inspirations first because people often informally called them pills in game. Then my friend pointed out that they were called inspirations because you were "digging deeper" into yourself. Tapping inner---wait for it--RESERVES!
Anyway, based on their name, that's how it seems Inspirations were meant to be thought of. Or, as usual, you could think of them any way you wanted. Including taking a snort.
FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)
Actually for the overall harmony and wellbeing of the game I'd actually favor the exact opposite - real world religious symbolism and/or artwork should be kept to an absolute minimum in CoT.
Much like the tried and true precedents of "[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state_in_the_United_States]separation of church and state[/url]" I believe as long as this kind of thing is kept to a bare minimum in MMOs then there will be no angst over whether there's an equal number of churches versus mosques versus temples represented in the game or whether or not the game actually "favors" any one religious group over another. This is precisely why CoH kept much of this out of the game to begin with.
As we all know if they scattered obvious churches and/or religious NPCs throughout the city they could easily become the sites for griefing (where you'd have a player who professes one real world religion hating on the symbolism of a different religion in game). Also if there were obvious Baptist or Lutheran churches in game then people would rightly ask where the Presbyterian, Methodist and/or Quaker churches were, not to mention the Satanic temples. If the game spent too much time highlighting ANY of these things it'd have to include examples of ALL of these things to be fair to everyone. It would be far more expedient to keep anything "religious oriented" vague and generic so as to not offend ANYONE sensitive to this issue.
To bring this post back to the main question of this thread I probably would not quit playing CoT if it allowed for things like Christian Crosses or Stars of David as chest icons - but at the very least I would consider it a failure to keep that kind of controversial symbology out of the game. And yes to be perfectly fair I'd say other overtly religious symbols like Pentagrams and Yin-Yangs should also be restricted from CoT as well.
CoH player from April 25, 2004 to November 30, 2012
[IMG=400x225]https://i.imgur.com/NHUthWM.jpeg[/IMG]
Erm, the pentagram and the yin-yang symbol are not really religious. The former is just a protective symbol and gets used in a lot of traditions and rituals and the latter is just a symbol for balance. They do not represent a god or devotion at all.
Pages