Marvel Heroes: is there a trick to it?

[Thunder Glove]

I posted a topic like this on the official forums, too, but I posted it six hours ago and still haven't gotten any replies, so I figured I'd ask here, too:

I'm trying to install Marvel Heroes on a Mac, but the Launcher is painfully slow.  As in "less than 1% an hour" slow.  It's been installing for about 17 hours now but it's only up to 15%.  The download rate is holding steady at about 200-300 kB/s, with rare spikes of up to 1000 kB/s (and less-rare downward spikes of 20 kB/s).

So is there another way to download this thing without using the Launcher?  Is there some way to force the Launcher to use a faster download server?  Should I just give up now and forget the game?


Edit: Huh.  And after hovering at ~10% all day, it jumped to 90% and finished fifteen minutes later.  Never mind, I guess.


Edit again: And now that it's all installed... it freezes on a black screen after all the introductory animations are done.  Grrrrr.

[Exxar]

Yeah that launcher and their patching process is one of the worst I've seen.

[Vee]

it's on steam. not sure if the install etc is any better but there's always a chance.

[Harlequin565]

+1 for Steam. I just downloaded the Test Centre the other day and their patcher/launcher thing is awful and SLOW... It might be a TC thing, but the Steam launcher just works.

[beveri8469]

i reinstalled it recently and it was slow for me too.
i just let it run overnight while i was asleep and it was done in the morning when i got up.
not a big fan of the launcher/updater lol

[Thunder Glove]

Can I use the same account in Steam, or would I have to start over from square one?

[Harlequin565]

[Thunder Glove]

I've been playing it for about a week now, now that I got it installed, and I'm glad I did.  I'm really enjoying it.  (It really, really, feels like Diablo 2.... if Diablo 2 had a way to reset your skill points so you weren't hosed if you make one mistake early on)  Started with Rocket Raccoon, who I've gotten to 26, and unlocked Squirrel Girl, who's level 10.

I decided I'd rather play with characters I like than with the ones who are the current FotM, so I didn't do much reading up on the mix/max potential of any of the characters.  I just enjoyed Rocket's summon-based playstyle (so I uncapped him first), and I took SG on general principles.   I'll probably get Storm or Thing next, but that's some ways away, and these two should hold me for quite a while.

[Excidia]

I also started playing about a week ago.  Played Colossus to 10 (liked him) then switched to Human Torch, also played to 10 (hated him).  I was a brute player, so that makes sense.  Found a spreadsheet listing the characters and decided I like the malleability of Rogue to I took advantage of the half price sale and bought her.  Got her to 20 yesterday and all I can say is overpowered once you borrow the correct powers.  Been trying not to spend the power points since I don't know what is good...but then between codes and fortune cards I've also gotten 4 retcon devices in a week so maybe I shouldn't care so much.

e-

[Aggelakis]

Retcon devices are not very rare. I always keep 4-5 in my stash, "just in case", but if I ever get extras and I'm jonesing to try something out, I will definitely not worry about their "rarity". It's not like the respec recipe in City, where the respec recipe was *actually* rare. I think my husband has something like 50 retcons because he didn't fiddle with his builds.

[Harlequin565]

Story mode, Chapter 4: "Upper East Side". Enter the building. Go to the roof. Defeat Bullseye. Talk to the NPC to get a Retcon potion reward.

You can do it 3 times per character - once at each different difficulty level. I think that respec rarity of COH is permanently engraved in my brain because I have about 80 of the damn things.

Rogue is tough to gear out. I thought I had built her well but when I tested her against some of my other characters she was quite poor. It's too much of a headache for me to find powers that are strong and fun. Maybe I'll revisit in the future but I'm looking forward to Scarlet Witch's revamp and/or maybe a cosmic prestige for X-23 or Miss Marvel.

So much to do!

[Excidia]

Yeah, did that one last night so now have 5 retcons

Tonight I get to go after kingpin.  I just read through the walkthrough and it says he's a PITA.  I'm not a very talented player so I'm probably going to die a lot.  Wheeee

e-

[Thunder Glove]

I had little trouble with him, but that may just be because I fill the boss arena with turrets and have a giant walking tree punching them in the face.

Incidentally, with today's update, Rocket's turrets have gotten a weird change - their lifebars no longer say what kind of turrets they are.  They used to be labeled Blaster Turret, Suppression Turret, and Warp Turret, but now they're all just labeled Turret.  Makes it difficult to tell how many of each I have out.

[Exxar]

Brute player? Get Hulk or Juggernaut.

[Thunder Glove]

On the Bruiser (Tanker/Brute) front, I'm enjoying Thing, actually.  I know he hasn't yet had his 52 Review yet, but I still like him.  He hits hard, moves pretty well, and seems very durable (at least in Midtown Madness, where he's been gaining levels like crazy).

Also, with Achievements added, Retcon Devices are even easier to come by, which is nice.

[Harlequin565]

Thing was my second hero and I thoroughly enjoyed him too.

After what they did to Hulk, I'm expecting great things from his review (which is up next - end May/Early June). Will probably green prestige him once that's done.

Just need to stop playing Scarlet Witch... +10 to all stats, +10 to Str, Durability & Int... Teleport... Oh my...

[Thunder Glove]

[Harlequin565]

I'm hoping he'll get a defensive focus to make him drastically different from Hulk (a Tanker instead of a Brute, if you will).

I'm hoping this too.