New efforts!

[blacksly]

Where you using one of the big ones? I believe they were Sphere and UOX.

I worked on one that was a script-based language named eScript, but I think that the name used in the community for the overall emulator was POL (Penultima Online), and the other I coded for was based on C#, and the emu was known as RunUO. Both cases, I just worked on add-ons and custom mods rather than the base of the emulator.

[Felderburg]

Basically there's an inch or two of metal blocking your view.

As a runner, I often worry about this blind spot. As a driver, I usually only notice it when something passes into it and disappears :/

[pinballdave]

I was initially 'blind' to the subtleties of the game.  Blasters (or energy blasters...) aren't that subtle.  But getting a 'good' duo of complimentary talents or a team of 5 players (my preference...) 'hi-fi' with some 'tank', some 'control', some 'defender' and some 'scrap' and some 'blast' capability sounds obvious but the fidelity of those arrangements in CoH, to me, far outstripped those in other MMOs I've experienced.

Just on the healing issue.  Teams in the early days, would often get a healer on board ramp up the difficulty and bemoan the healer wasn't doing their job when put in 'edge' case success or collapse opposition mob scenarios.  Often 'we need two(!) healers' just in case...' and it was the same 'insurance.'

...<snip>
Azrael.

As a stormy was my main, I was aware early of the debuffs, but it was later when alting I became aware how early defender debuffs, especially the slows could change a game without a lot of healing. Stack a snowstorm on a tarpatch with some glue arrow, the npc's almost stop moving. Their recharge isn't debuffed as much as their actions between attacks just. take. forever. Level 15 lowbie bliss when Frostfire's buddies aren't ganging up on you.

[LadyVamp]

Stress testing is the very last thing you do, when you have basically finished your project in all other respects.

I regularly argue with a whole team of devs on the west coast that very point.  Seems they think doing performance testing on individual modules while also doing feature testing on a complete application stack (about 27 vms and growing btw) is perfectly acceptable.

I keep telling them to do the perf testing on a complete stack after the feature testing team has promoted their code.

[LadyVamp]

In most cars there's an obstruction in your field of view: where the door frame meets the cabin frame at the left edge of your windshield.  Basically there's an inch or two of metal blocking your view.

There's even bigger ones in the back corners unless you're driving a convertible with the top down.  Last time I checked, changing lanes in 49 of the 50 states where you hit another car because it was in your blind spot left you with the ticket.  The 50th in this case used to be California where the guy coming into your lane had the right of way over you or so I've been told (too lazy to look it up but was told by a resident of California).

[LadyVamp]

As a runner, I often worry about this blind spot. As a driver, I usually only notice it when something passes into it and disappears :/

As a former motorcyclist, I was both very aware of my surroundings and generally assumed the person behind the wheel didn't know I was there.  No matter the reason.  I pride myself on riding for 8 years and never getting into an accident though I've had a couple of close calls.  Both errors on the driver of the cars.  Didn't matter whether they had the right of way or not.  What mattered was if I was willing to risk injury or death because I was in the right.

When 800 lbs (600 lbs motorcycle + 200 lbs of rider) of motorcycle vs 4000+ lbs of car touch, something has to give and that something is the motorcycle and the rider.  Same problem when a bicyclist or a pedestrian insists on asserting their right of way.  They maybe in the right of way but they likely won't survive the odds beating them.

Didn't say it was right.  Just saying 2 tons of automobile will win any contest unless it's going up against something of equal or bigger size.

[LadyVamp]

Just out of curiosity, if people were working on something but it was not yet finished, with no definite ETA, and no guarantee of completion, what would be the benefit of making it publicly known?

There would be no benefit and you would have failed one the most important rules of project management.  Always manage expectation.

[ukaserex]

There's even bigger ones in the back corners unless you're driving a convertible with the top down.  Last time I checked, changing lanes in 49 of the 50 states where you hit another car because it was in your blind spot left you with the ticket.  The 50th in this case used to be California where the guy coming into your lane had the right of way over you or so I've been told (too lazy to look it up but was told by a resident of California).

I seem to continually remind my daughters that their cell phone would create a very large blind spot and they shouldn't look at it when they're driving.


Does that count?

[ukaserex]

I remember an era where no team would do anything until they could get a healer. I don't know if this was a case of balancing or if a lot of players coming from other games simply didn't know what they were doing yet. I ended up making one because they were in such high demand. I never even had to announce I was looking for a team. My healer would be getting cold invites before the map even completely loaded.

I made my first emp/elec because my very first character, an elec/elec blaster was just awful. I don't know how much debt he had - but it was at least a full level. (I didn't even know what those dark blue bubbles meant back then.)

I made the defender not even knowing that the heal power would be for others to benefit from - I skipped heal other and absorb pain - and had really made the character to be a blaster with a way to self heal. I had no idea there would be a power pool where I could heal myself - but then, the rate I was going, I might have never gotten there. I ended up deleting him, I was so frustrated with him. I regretted that for the longest time because that character had badges that my main would never get.

Some of us had to learn the hard way, I guess.

[LadyVamp]

I seem to continually remind my daughters that their cell phone would create a very large blind spot and they shouldn't look at it when they're driving.


Does that count?

The blind spot itself isn't the problem.  The negligence is the actual problem so you could say metaphorically, yes.  It creates a blind spot, and it does count.

[Twisted Toon]

The 50th in this case used to be California where the guy coming into your lane had the right of way over you or so I've been told (too lazy to look it up but was told by a resident of California).

That sounds about right. I was "at fault" when I rearened a Mustang that swerved into my lane and suddenly decelerated to avoid a pickup backing up down an on ramp to the freeway (highway or Parkway to those not from the West Coast). I really wanted to explain to the driver of the pickup why that backing up down an on-ramp at 11:30 ay night was a bad idea. But, his reason for doing so gave me the idea that the explanation would have gone over his head. I still find it really surprising that someone could so stupid justin order to find a phone so he could call someone about getting the tie-rod fixed on the pickup.

There is no limit to Human stupidity, unfortunately.

[Groundbreaker]

I made my first emp/elec because my very first character, an elec/elec blaster was just awful. I don't know how much debt he had - but it was at least a full level. (I didn't even know what those dark blue bubbles meant back then.)

I made the defender not even knowing that the heal power would be for others to benefit from - I skipped heal other and absorb pain - and had really made the character to be a blaster with a way to self heal. I had no idea there would be a power pool where I could heal myself - but then, the rate I was going, I might have never gotten there. I ended up deleting him, I was so frustrated with him. I regretted that for the longest time because that character had badges that my main would never get.

Some of us had to learn the hard way, I guess.

I had a similar experience. My first toon was an Eng/Eng blaster back when debt was a problem as soon as you got to the hollows. I didn't enjoy that character very much because of all the time spent on the floor. I remade him as an Emp/Eng defender but I soon got fed up because the healing side didn't fit the character concept. So my third toon was a Claws/Regen scrapper which I took all the way to 50, I don't regret playing Regen it was a lot of fun even though I had to relearn it after every update that "nerfed" regen still I would probably go a different route if I knew then what I knew now.

[Tubbius]

I had a similar experience. My first toon was an Eng/Eng blaster back when debt was a problem as soon as you got to the hollows. I didn't enjoy that character very much because of all the time spent on the floor. I remade him as an Emp/Eng defender but I soon got fed up because the healing side didn't fit the character concept. So my third toon was a Claws/Regen scrapper which I took all the way to 50, I don't regret playing Regen it was a lot of fun even though I had to relearn it after every update that "nerfed" regen still I would probably go a different route if I knew then what I knew now.

I teach English.  I see "ENG" and think, "English/English blaster?"  Behold the power of words!

[Vee]

I teach English.  I see "ENG" and think, "English/English blaster?"  Behold the power of words!

Iirc we started using "Nrg" in game to keep Tubbius from getting confused.

[Fireheart]

Wow, I just used 'Energy'.  If you're gonna use three letters, there's no reason not to keep on typing and use six.  You're only 'saving effort' if you're typing with your thumbs on your phone.

I don't teach English, but I live it.

Be Well!
Fireheart

[TimtheEnchanter]

I teach English.  I see "ENG" and think, "English/English blaster?"  Behold the power of words!

To me first and foremost, ENG is short for engine.

[Canine]

Some of us had to learn the hard way, I guess.

I didn't really appreciate how much mez was in the game until I had about 3 level capped alts.

My first alt was a Katana/Regen scrapper.  I got Integration, and never had to worry about mez again.

Second was a Warshade who got to mid-30's and stalled.  Lobster mode meant that mez was a minor issue.

Third was a Fire/FF controller.  Dispersion Bubble meant I only worried about sleep.

Then a Bots/Traps MM.  FFG meant again, sleep was the major threat.

Then SS/Invuln Brute.  No further comment.

Then Ice/Ice Tank.  Could hold aggro like nobody's business.  Didn't get mezzed.

Then, when I finally I finished off the Warshade, while messing around trying to relearn how they worked including human form, I realised that mez was a significant issue.

However, my alt creation meant that mez didn't really bother me for a long long time.

Which meant that when it finally *did* bother me, by god was it a rude awakening.

I used to wonder why the blasters, defenders and so forth being played by friends were having issues while I was blithely wading around, neck deep in mobs.

I was an idiot

[Azrael]

Energy/Energy Blaster issue 24!

Turbo Charge IO build!  With Self buff!  Insta snipe!  Blaptacular!

*oh.  If only...

**Day dream over.

Azrael.

[Taceus Jiwede]

Energy/Energy Blaster issue 24!

Turbo Charge IO build!  With Self buff!  Insta snipe!  Blaptacular!

*oh.  If only...

**Day dream over.

Azrael.

Ugh I know......Mine was Energy/Devices but still.  I had big plans   Insta snipe, Crashless nukes, and I can't really recall now but I feel like I had some changes that would make my end recovery even better with out giving up anything else.  It was gonna be epic

[Ulysses Dare]

To me first and foremost, ENG is short for engine.

I teach English.  I see "ENG" and think, "English/English blaster?"  Behold the power of words!

So that means my ENG/ENG blaster would shoot streams of words at my enemies? And smack them with a motor when they get too close? ... I'd be okay with that character.