New efforts!

[darkgob]

For example, I'm mostly playing STO these days

Good god, WHY?  Admittedly I took my absence from the game due to grad school last semester, but everything I heard about the game's "progress" made me give up on ever returning (didn't touch it during the summer even though my schedule allowed for it).  Always knew the game was an awful money-grubbing grind, but at this point it seems to be approaching something borderline criminal.

it really drives me crazy mad that in a game set in the world of Star Trek where transporter technology is taken completely for granted, where even the game relies on being able to transport to anywhere anytime the plot requires, where transwarp transportation can get you a thousand light years in eight seconds, the Voth ground battlezone is explicitly designed to make you jog around for extended periods of time just to get anywhere.  Because MMO raids just have to have a lot of making players run from place to place, its the law.

To be fair, they fixed that for the Vaadwuar ground battlezone.  And while the Voth map is completely insane (it turns out the Voth were just being used as pawns by a Borg-ified M.C. Escher), it doesn't really hamper the mechanics of the raid in any meaningful way, so I'd tend to consider it a relatively harmless but definitely perplexing design choice.

[Arcana]

Good god, WHY?  Admittedly I took my absence from the game due to grad school last semester, but everything I heard about the game's "progress" made me give up on ever returning (didn't touch it during the summer even though my schedule allowed for it).  Always knew the game was an awful money-grubbing grind, but at this point it seems to be approaching something borderline criminal.

I guess it depends on how you play it.  The bad part is that a lot of the good stuff people want requires spending money to get, like content gated behind lockboxes.  Unless you're a trillionaire, buying those things off the exchange is impractical (I'm looking at you: kemocite weapons), and its a lot harder to amass a lot of EC in STO than it was in say CoH.  But on the other hand, if you're willing to settle for what they give away in content accessible by anyone (for the most part) for free, then STO does give a lot of capability away.  I bought a lifetime sub when the game first released so I'm permanently gold.  I bought a bunch of zen once a while ago mainly to buy things like slots and such, and to try my hand at lock box keys (and never again: I was so much more willing to spend money on CoH packs).  But mostly, I've been skating on what I can get through mission rewards, and its substantial.  My main is running around in the Kobali cruiser which is about the toughest ship you can fly and that was a freebee from last year's Winter Event.  I keep getting tons of weapons and consoles from reputation missions, I'm a decent button masher so I got a ton of luhlunats from the Summer Event that I sold for about a hundred million in EC (across four alts) and I've got a ton of fleet credits (my main has about 1.5 million of them).  The only thing I'm a bit short on is dilithium thus Voth battleground periodically (the best way to earn that, that I've discovered so far, that involves actually playing the game rather than dilithium mining with is sleep-inducing).

In CoH terms, STO is like if purples were the rewards for completing task forces, and PvPIOs could only be obtained through special IO packs or bought on the exchanges for billions of inf.  The absolute best stuff often requires spending money or a ton of time grinding out.  The close second place stuff falls from the sky if you're willing to run the content.  So yeah, they want their money, but no, you don't necessarily have to give it to them.  I think its harder to get the best of the best in STO relative to how it was in CoH, but its easier to get second to the best in STO relative to how it was in CoH.  My main can solo Borg encounters with nothing store-bought, and can solo Starbase 24 if I'm willing to die a few times in the process, and I'm working on slowly building up to a build that can solo Starbase 24 without exploding, and I'm willing to take however long it takes to eventually get there.  I've only been back playing for about a year, and special annual events keep raining stuff down on me.  Eventually I suspect some Great Pumpkin Event is going to just straight up hand me the "no-explode" engineering console if I just keep playing once or twice a week.

It takes a while, but eventually you start to learn the game has a rhythm to it where if you understand how it works it just starts handing you free stuff if you're patient.  For example, not only is it good dilithium to run the Voth ground zone, its *also* a good place to park - in space above it, not actually standing in it.  Because there's a never-ending supply of doff missions that reward consumable stuff that you can use to run other trade missions that need it.  And if you have the right things unlocked (which also require no money, just playtime) you can now even transwarp to your fleet research lab right from that spot, run the research missions for dilithium and rares, jump back, run the Voth ground once (which also causes the transwarp timer to reset), log out, and have a sammich.  One complete cycle of check doffs, daily run through the fleet base stuff, run battlezone, refine dilithium, done: about 45 minutes or so per alt.  Easy to do.  If I feel like doing something else, I have other alts leveling through the missions, or parked near other things I can do, and you can always just jump into a queue and run something like Crystalline Catastrophe (or... Crystalline Catastrophe, or Cryst... the queues are admittedly usually dead except for a very few things or special events).

To be fair, they fixed that for the Vaadwuar ground battlezone.  And while the Voth map is completely insane (it turns out the Voth were just being used as pawns by a Borg-ified M.C. Escher), it doesn't really hamper the mechanics of the raid in any meaningful way, so I'd tend to consider it a relatively harmless but definitely perplexing design choice.

Where it causes issues is when the Godzilla omegasaurs spawn.  You get increasing bonuses for getting kill credits for one, two, or all three.  But after you take one down, you could find that during the two minutes it takes to run to the transporter and then transport to the next zone and then running all the way to the next one it dies, meaning all that running was for nothing.  But you can't *know* for sure, so you have to try anyway.  Or just give up on it and wait out the clock, but if *everyone* did that you could lose out on getting all three zone-wide.  Unnecessarily annoying design, when the presumptive objective of the zone event is to actually encourage players to cooperate to bring them down.  That would be like having the CoH mothership pylon towers eight miles apart in the zone (given the high speed of CoH travel relative to other MMOs).

[Aggelakis]

That gif needs a sound effect associated with it

*incomprehensible screaming*

[hejtmane]

I think where Jack comes in is that CO launched too early.  Its devs clearly could not make powers any faster than CoH devs could, in some ways they were slower.  Their content people didn't have remotely enough time to make enough content.  But Jack was judging CO based on what CoH looked like at launch and that was a huge mistake in my opinion.  He saw that you could launch a game like CoH and make it successful, but when CoH launched it had almost literally no competition.  I don't think UO and DAOC could really count as competition and WoW was still half a year away from sucking all the oxygen out of the room.

DAOC at it's peak hit 500k by the time I hit COH it was I2 and I went to Horizons before COH but the majority of DAOC players on the forums and in all the pvp/group chat where all going to WOW. I went to Horizons Before I ended up in COH and the only reason I found COH because of friends that had moved to it before me they did not advertise COH near well enough and no one really talked about it before it's release. I am kind of Glad I skipped WOW then again I also skipped Everquest and went to DAOC from UO

[Angel Phoenix77]

Good god, WHY?  Admittedly I took my absence from the game due to grad school last semester, but everything I heard about the game's "progress" made me give up on ever returning (didn't touch it during the summer even though my schedule allowed for it).  Always knew the game was an awful money-grubbing grind, but at this point it seems to be approaching something borderline criminal.

To be fair, they fixed that for the Vaadwuar ground battlezone.  And while the Voth map is completely insane (it turns out the Voth were just being used as pawns by a Borg-ified M.C. Escher), it doesn't really hamper the mechanics of the raid in any meaningful way, so I'd tend to consider it a relatively harmless but definitely perplexing design choice.

STO is pretty fun, you do not need to open up the lockboxes let alone grab them from drops, ever since I spent 8 months worth of vet points and not getting one lockbox ship I stopped buying keys. Just as Arcana has said it depends on how you play. For myself I love being able to have 4 near controllable pets to accompany me on missions, and have the added bonus of having my choice of who and what to bring. My away team now is 2 Intel Boffs, one is duel trained in security the other duel trained is has debuff powers. My other Boffs are trained in doctor powers and engineering. I am no stretch a power player nor one that has every kind of C-Store ships or a lot of credits. If I had to add up all of my credits they would not equal more then 15 mil.

[Joshex]

so, this is what this thread has come to. CoX negotiations on hold because of BS with Nexon and financial worries, and all the CoX language has been spent already in only under 1000 pages leaving the topic to turn to STO.

I think it's time we began discussing methods to combat the hold process in the negotiations. as far as I see it we have two options.

1(villain): someone get the NCSoft legal crew and those responsible for the IP really really drunk, make sure they enjoy themselves, then get them to work and suggest they sign over the game to the Them.

2 (hero): offer to buy the NCSoft Execs responsible for the deal a nice dinner at a fancy place in exchange for information on what is specifically worrying them about Nexon and what relation it has to do with CoX. Then put our brains together and figure out methods to avert their worries.

[Aggelakis]

so, this is what this thread has come to. CoX negotiations on hold because of BS with Nexon and financial worries, and all the CoX language has been spent already in only under 1000 pages leaving the topic to turn to STO.

I think it's time we began discussing methods to combat the hold process in the negotiations. as far as I see it we have two options.

1(villain): someone get the NCSoft legal crew and those responsible for the IP really really drunk, make sure they enjoy themselves, then get them to work and suggest they sign over the game to the Them.

2 (hero): offer to buy the NCSoft Execs responsible for the deal a nice dinner at a fancy place in exchange for information on what is specifically worrying them about Nexon and what relation it has to do with CoX. Then put our brains together and figure out methods to avert their worries.

/jranger

[Brigadine]

so, this is what this thread has come to. CoX negotiations on hold because of BS with Nexon and financial worries, and all the CoX language has been spent already in only under 1000 pages leaving the topic to turn to STO.

I think it's time we began discussing methods to combat the hold process in the negotiations. as far as I see it we have two options.

1(villain): someone get the NCSoft legal crew and those responsible for the IP really really drunk, make sure they enjoy themselves, then get them to work and suggest they sign over the game to the Them.

2 (hero): offer to buy the NCSoft Execs responsible for the deal a nice dinner at a fancy place in exchange for information on what is specifically worrying them about Nexon and what relation it has to do with CoX. Then put our brains together and figure out methods to avert their worries.

WHEERREEEESSSS THE DETONATORRR.... WHERE IS IT.

[Aggelakis]

so, this is what this thread has come to. CoX negotiations on hold because of BS with Nexon and financial worries, and all the CoX language has been spent already in only under 1000 pages leaving the topic to turn to STO.

PS; the topic in this thread has varied wildly, even over the course of a single page. It eventually returns to City, then meanders away again, only to return once more... repeating this process regularly. It's not a bad thing.

[GenericHero05]

Uuuugggghhhh!

As October approaches, I'm getting really antsy for a little "trick-or-treating".  My God how I miss this game, as does my wife and our two children, who weren't yet born when CoH first appeared (our children, not my wife).

[Daemien]

My God how I miss this game, as does my wife and our two children, who weren't yet born when CoH first appeared (our children, not my wife).

/ditto
I was holding up pretty OK for the last 2.75 years after the announcement of closing The Game. Real-life changed drastically (to the better) that just happened to coincide with the closing of CoX. Life is still pretty good, but i miss the game more and more as time goes by.
I wanted to show this game to my son, and I still hope that I will be able to do so. Funny enough, my wife is getting interested in understanding my "gaming addiction", but with current games out there, without real passion, the only thing i can show her what a timesink is...

sigh.

[Arcana]

so, this is what this thread has come to. CoX negotiations on hold because of BS with Nexon and financial worries, and all the CoX language has been spent already in only under 1000 pages leaving the topic to turn to STO.

I think it's time we began discussing methods to combat the hold process in the negotiations. as far as I see it we have two options.

1(villain): someone get the NCSoft legal crew and those responsible for the IP really really drunk, make sure they enjoy themselves, then get them to work and suggest they sign over the game to the Them.

2 (hero): offer to buy the NCSoft Execs responsible for the deal a nice dinner at a fancy place in exchange for information on what is specifically worrying them about Nexon and what relation it has to do with CoX. Then put our brains together and figure out methods to avert their worries.

That's the problem with red side.  Same missions, just with more evil in a can.

[darkgob]

That's the problem with red side.  Same missions, just with more evil in a can.

Evil In A Can -- buy yours today!

[Prism Almidu]

That's the benefit with red side.  Same missions, just with more evil in a can.

Surely, you meant this?

[Goddangit]

so, this is what this thread has come to. CoX negotiations on hold because of BS with Nexon and financial worries, and all the CoX language has been spent already in only under 1000 pages leaving the topic to turn to STO.

I think it's time we began discussing methods to combat the hold process in the negotiations. as far as I see it we have two options.

1(villain): someone get the NCSoft legal crew and those responsible for the IP really really drunk, make sure they enjoy themselves, then get them to work and suggest they sign over the game to the Them.

2 (hero): offer to buy the NCSoft Execs responsible for the deal a nice dinner at a fancy place in exchange for information on what is specifically worrying them about Nexon and what relation it has to do with CoX. Then put our brains together and figure out methods to avert their worries.

I'm thinking copious amounts of liquor, prostitutes, and surreptitious photographs to be used in blackmail.  Crude and obvious, but effective.  It would decidedly pep up the pace of negotiations.

[Brigadine]

Evil In A Can -- buy yours today!

HI BILLY MAYS HERE... BUY YOUR EVIL IN A CAN TODAY FOR THE 19.99. THATS RIGHT 19.99. BUT WAIT THERES MORE! CALL IN THE NEXT 30 SECCONDS AND RECEVE A SECCOND CAN FREE!!!

[Sinistar]

so, this is what this thread has come to. CoX negotiations on hold because of BS with Nexon and financial worries, and all the CoX language has been spent already in only under 1000 pages leaving the topic to turn to STO.

I think it's time we began discussing methods to combat the hold process in the negotiations. as far as I see it we have two options.

1(villain): someone get the NCSoft legal crew and those responsible for the IP really really drunk, make sure they enjoy themselves, then get them to work and suggest they sign over the game to the Them.

2 (hero): offer to buy the NCSoft Execs responsible for the deal a nice dinner at a fancy place in exchange for information on what is specifically worrying them about Nexon and what relation it has to do with CoX. Then put our brains together and figure out methods to avert their worries.

Addendum to #1: get them drunk, take them to a party, get plenty of photos then wait a day or two then say "about that party the other night....." and show them some potentially embarrassing photos.

Or we just break down their doors and take the game back......

[Felderburg]

so, this is what this thread has come to. CoX negotiations on hold because of BS with Nexon and financial worries, and all the CoX language has been spent already in only under 1000 pages leaving the topic to turn to STO.

I think it's time we began discussing methods to combat the hold process in the negotiations. as far as I see it we have two options.

1(villain): someone get the NCSoft legal crew and those responsible for the IP really really drunk, make sure they enjoy themselves, then get them to work and suggest they sign over the game to the Them.

2 (hero): offer to buy the NCSoft Execs responsible for the deal a nice dinner at a fancy place in exchange for information on what is specifically worrying them about Nexon and what relation it has to do with CoX. Then put our brains together and figure out methods to avert their worries.

I think you're hungry.

[Zombie Hustler]

I prefer the Praetorian method:

3) Invade their country with increasingly difficult enemies with the end game to take over and co-opt their technology to create our own game.

Drink Enriche!!

[Ironwolf]

I see this thread as a way to pop in and drop a line saying I am still here and holding my torch.