If we start with no user data

[Thirty-Seven]

If you want to do it for your SG, if I remember correctly, you could be in the Rogue Islands in SG mode as a vigilante (still hero, but falling). IF I remember correctly!

Correct.

[Felderburg]

I'm pretty sure what are saying matched the story we were told regarding PPD Shell armor. I'm theorizing these were parts they had working before they gave up because of the arms or some other issue. Though running around in live with the purchased transform power they eventually gave, I really don't see where any significant collision / missing geometry would have been: The "glove" arm components are some bicep armor and the gun bracers and both seem sufficiently broken up from the shoulders and eachother.

I never understood the collision fear anyway. Some collisions can be used for highly interesting looks. And if a part collides or shears in a way that doesn't look good, people simply won't use the combo so they don't look bad (and if they really do want to look bad, the random button generally produces more gruesome results anyway).
Personally, I think having more components that match those of non-unique entities in the game world available make it *more* immersive. They provide immediate clear hints and questions about your background (be it that the piece is one from your former/current alligience or a trophy from enemies). And they can help solidify your connection to the setting in a concrete way. I give as the ultimate example the villain Arachnos archetypes: Many of those who enjoyed them had a great time acting and looking the part.

Regarding the PPD, I think it's more about clipping with other stuff, than itself. But I generally agree - if something clips with a couple other options, leave it. Some stuff is just going to clip with other things - Gladiator shoulder armor pads, for example, probably clipped with some head / neck stuff, I'm sure, but that's not reason to remove them.

And I also agree that players should have access to NPC parts. The great thing about CoH is that you can RP as part of those groups (current or former) and it's perfectly fine - so why not let us look the part?

[Codewalker]

I think the issue with the PPD shell pieces isn't clipping but rather that they are designed to work as a complete set and don't line up with the standard costume. Been a while since I looked at them, but I seem to remember for example the chest piece just... stopping where the arms are supposed to connect, with exposed invisible backfacing polygons.

[Serpine]

Been a while since I looked at them, but I seem to remember for example the chest piece just... stopping where the arms are supposed to connect, with exposed invisible backfacing polygons.

I studied it a bit more:

On the Chest Detail component I can't find any geometry holes and while at certain very specific angles you can see that the lower tube components are a 2 dimensional mesh, that's difficult to spot and similar to the behavior of many normal pieces like the chains in Chain 1.

I do see a small but noticeable (from the side) gap on the rear upper arm guards (which are linked to the shoulder armor slot along with the actual shoulder piece). Its not a huge visual problem but definitely a flaw. This probably could have been originally fixed by carrying the mesh through deeper into the arm.

Sliders on the Chest Detail are actual the big issue it turns out: Unless you keep the Chest at a bit higher setting then Physique then breathing sends your upper torso periodically through the upper tubes (which also means you can't max Physique because you can't then compensate with the Chest slider). Worse, the Waist slider has no impact whatsoever: All sizing of the part is dictated by Physique/Chest, and Physique's impact on the waist area is insufficient, so the higher your Physique, the lower you have to set the Waist to prevent your lower torso passing through the bottom tubes. They probably could have fixed this as we have similar torso wrapping solid parts, but for NPC only purposes I can understand skipping this sort of thing.

In any case I still think it would be cool to have the pieces available in a relaunch situation, but its definitely a "use at your own risk" set of components thanks to the structural limitations. If the tools were available and I was involved I will say it would be fun to try and fix the slider / arm plate issues. I once bound the normal Sims 2 adult movement links to a mesh I made of a 6 limbed tentacle webcomic monster  ( you can see it at http://www.modthesims.info/d/248188 ) which actually worked out pretty well, so I can't imagine this as hugely harder.

[FlyingCarcass]

Personally I'd be okay with starting from square one since leveling was always fun (and if everyone had to start from square one, that means there would be many people to team with at around the same level at the start of the reboot).

As for CoH products, personally I'd prefer to pay a reasonable price up front and have everything unlocked than to deal with nickle and dime DLC.

[Eoraptor]

Personally I'd be okay with starting from square one since leveling was always fun (and if everyone had to start from square one, that means there would be many people to team with at around the same level at the start of the reboot).

As for CoH products, personally I'd prefer to pay a reasonable price up front and have everything unlocked than to deal with nickle and dime DLC.

here here... I was fine with the way freedm worked, with a mix of totally free items, vet items, and items locked behind paywalls. It presented a ood mix based on what you were prepared to invest into the game in both time and money.

That said everyone going on about how they want everything to be free from day one moment one needs to stop and ask a couple questions... Unless the group buying the game is independently wealthy and intends to run it as a charity, money has to come from SOMEWHERE to keep the servers going. Also, if everything in the game is free and unlocked, how will that affect certain aspects of the game like the auction system or crafting? Remember some costume elements were locked behind both the vet system AND the craft system, meaning first you had to either earn the time, or buy an unlock, and THEN go and get ingredients to craft certain costume elements like tech wings or specific boots or long coats.

It's all well and good to want everything free and clear, but certain parts of the game mechanics are designed around the pay and vet structures

[Von Krieger]

As the Evil Emperor of German Chocolate, I will state that if we start with no character data the reason is that I have dipped each of your characters in chocolate, eaten them, and am rolling nude in their influence and enhancements.

[MWRuger]

As the Evil Emperor of German Chocolate, I will state that if we start with no character data the reason is that I have dipped each of your characters in chocolate, eaten them, and am rolling nude in their influence and enhancements.

be careful. Some of those have sharp edges. Don't get your blood in the chocolate.

[Davy]

Just thinking about that cleansed Name Pool if we start without data makes me all giddy.

[Apex Viper]

I would be ok with no user data at least the game would be back...think of all those character names that were always taken being freed up...

I think in all fairness to both sides, the new owners and returning players, maybe offer a pre-order deal....one level 50 unlocked at start up, all vet rewards, booster/costume packs unlocked, all pre-shutdown content unlocked. After release, these things with the exception of the level 50, can be sold in their own booster packs as they once were. 

[Twi]

I'd love it. Hell, I have a better name in mind for my main. I mean. I'd miss my build full of purples and PVP uniques, yeah. But I can get that crap again.

[Acanous]

This one's for Ironwolf.
If we start with no user data, I would very much like builds to be accessable from our old characters. While I have saved a number of my builds, I am missing my stalker and warshade slotting, and I'd like to have my scrapper's, too.

Character data is independent of user data, so it shouldn't be too difficult to use something like the Character Transfer Tool and key in say, Acanous - Virtue and get the build of my old lv 50 stalker.
Separating the "Legacy" characters from active is likely to already require some kind of code wall, so people aren't being told "There's already a character of that name" when trying to recreate. I ask only that the characters so separated have their builds saved- accessable to anyone who knows the name and server is fine by me, and I used to charge inf for building toons. (The logic there is threefold- firstly, only you are really going to know all of your toons- it's been two years. Secondly, I'd rather HAVE the build data than start fresh- that was a lot of work, and it'd be a lot of work for the devs to try restricting characters to specific accounts. Thirdly, if people do start stealing your awesome builds, that means we're going to have a lot higher bars of competency. The new sets released which a good builder will be able to integrate will not show up on your "Legacy" build, meaning copycats will get a great toon... but yours will still be unique.)


We'd have to work our way back up there, of course, meaning more time playing the game.
How is it fair to the devs?
Well, it minimizes the work they'll have to do (Adding this system would be a chore, but the tech already exists), gives the players the old characters back without being "Everyone gets 50'd", which gives players a goal to work towards and thus spend more time gaming, and finally incentivises us to buy sets from the cash shop without feeling like dirty cheaters. (If we know what our slotting was, and worked for it before, it's not the same as pay-to-win, which had a negative stigma in the old CoH.) This should bump sales of IO sets, and would be much appreciated by the players.

[Nealix]

I can see them offering some sort of incentive at the beginning to get folks back in game but if the user data is gone then the incentive should just be to play, not what you had before.  Honestly I'll play no matter what.  User data, no user data, incentive or no incentive I'll just be glad to be back in Paragon City!

[artbunker]

I can see them offering some sort of incentive at the beginning to get folks back in game but if the user data is gone then the incentive should just be to play, not what you had before.  Honestly I'll play no matter what.  User data, no user data, incentive or no incentive I'll just be glad to be back in Paragon City!

I think we'll all be glad to get back to Paragon City.

[Eoraptor]

I think we'll all be glad to get back to Paragon City.

what he said

[MWRuger]

There is almost no one who doesn't want the game back before any and all other considerations.

But being human, we want whatever we can get. But, yeah, to have the game back would mean more to me than almost anything.

[Waffles]

CoH was probably the only game i've ever actually enjoyed leveling, and just smashing stuff in the face at level cap in.

Well, SWTOR was fun for leveling for it's storys and whatnot but otherwise, eh, Nowhere close.

[Neutron-Star]

I think in all fairness to both sides, the new owners and returning players, maybe offer a pre-order deal....one level 50 unlocked at start up, all vet rewards, booster/costume packs unlocked, all pre-shutdown content unlocked. After release, these things with the exception of the level 50, can be sold in their own booster packs as they once were.

I think this is a great idea. I could totally get behind this.

[Mistress Urd]

There is almost no one who doesn't want the game back before any and all other considerations.

But being human, we want whatever we can get. But, yeah, to have the game back would mean more to me than almost anything.

Oh yeah, it would be rather disappointing to not get our characters back, but its not as disappointing as having no game.

[Eoraptor]

if we HAVE to start with zero data (frankly I think that's more likely than not) I may take one for the team and make a support toon first