Comments on: Some Things City of Heroes Did/Does Right http://www.killtenrats.com/2006/05/26/some-things-city-of-heroes-diddoes-right/ a group of adventurers on an epic quest Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:26:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Zen Archer http://www.killtenrats.com/2006/05/26/some-things-city-of-heroes-diddoes-right/#comment-22849 Zen Archer Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:06:27 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=704#comment-22849 COH is a decent game you just have to get into the challenges. Often I find as a runner of an SG it takes coordinating a lot of people with no patience and placating them like little school kids because we have to wait 15 minutes to beat up the big bad guy. Otherwise it's all good and know my group will take on the worst of it and get the impossible done. YAR! The Arcanum! COH is a decent game you just have to get into the challenges. Often I find as a runner of an SG it takes coordinating a lot of people with no patience and placating them like little school kids because we have to wait 15 minutes to beat up the big bad guy.

Otherwise it’s all good and know my group will take on the worst of it and get the impossible done. YAR! The Arcanum!

]]> By: Kill Ten Rats » Blog Archive » A Few More Days in the City http://www.killtenrats.com/2006/05/26/some-things-city-of-heroes-diddoes-right/#comment-16982 Kill Ten Rats » Blog Archive » A Few More Days in the City Sat, 07 Apr 2007 17:16:57 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=704#comment-16982 [...] The core game play remains the same, and it is fun. The pace is fast, the characters are colorful, and you can play solo or in small groups with few worries about group composition. Heavily imbalanced large groups may have problems, but you can usually do fine with whatever you have available. All the good things I have said about the game are still true. [...] [...] The core game play remains the same, and it is fun. The pace is fast, the characters are colorful, and you can play solo or in small groups with few worries about group composition. Heavily imbalanced large groups may have problems, but you can usually do fine with whatever you have available. All the good things I have said about the game are still true. [...]

]]> By: Zubon http://www.killtenrats.com/2006/05/26/some-things-city-of-heroes-diddoes-right/#comment-7264 Zubon Mon, 29 May 2006 21:36:13 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=704#comment-7264 You do still have weaker levels, although as blue says, that is a smaller difference now that you are not six-slotting for damage. Relative to other games, though, they are not terribly weak levels, and they only seem especially weak compared to the levels where you get your bonus. That is, level+3 enhancements are not easily accessible at every level, and the times when that is the case should probably be viewed as a bonus, rather than as a penalty the rest of the time. Provided that you have money, there is no reason why levels 31, 36, etc. should be rather weak. You can buy level 30, 35, etc. enhancements in the shops. It is just that you plan to upgrade to 35s at 32, so you suffer instead of spending; characters past the first need not so suffer. (Personally, my weak level comes at 32, 37, etc. because I buy and combine rather than buying and replacing.) There are two things that reduce this problem further: new slots and found enhancements. If you fill new slots with the best you can buy at the time, you have 6-12 enhancements that are still good when upgrade time comes. Also, as you play, enemies drop SOs, along with every AV. I once had four characters filled with level+4 enhancements, waiting for me to level so that I could plug them in (Croatoa TF, Barracuda farming). You do still have weaker levels, although as blue says, that is a smaller difference now that you are not six-slotting for damage. Relative to other games, though, they are not terribly weak levels, and they only seem especially weak compared to the levels where you get your bonus. That is, level+3 enhancements are not easily accessible at every level, and the times when that is the case should probably be viewed as a bonus, rather than as a penalty the rest of the time.

Provided that you have money, there is no reason why levels 31, 36, etc. should be rather weak. You can buy level 30, 35, etc. enhancements in the shops. It is just that you plan to upgrade to 35s at 32, so you suffer instead of spending; characters past the first need not so suffer. (Personally, my weak level comes at 32, 37, etc. because I buy and combine rather than buying and replacing.)

There are two things that reduce this problem further: new slots and found enhancements. If you fill new slots with the best you can buy at the time, you have 6-12 enhancements that are still good when upgrade time comes. Also, as you play, enemies drop SOs, along with every AV. I once had four characters filled with level+4 enhancements, waiting for me to level so that I could plug them in (Croatoa TF, Barracuda farming).

]]> By: blue http://www.killtenrats.com/2006/05/26/some-things-city-of-heroes-diddoes-right/#comment-7253 blue Mon, 29 May 2006 06:19:38 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=704#comment-7253 Enhancement Diversification changed that. Outside of unique builds that benefit from very varied enhancements, you only see a five or six percent difference, instead of the massive difference it used to be. Enhancement Diversification changed that. Outside of unique builds that benefit from very varied enhancements, you only see a five or six percent difference, instead of the massive difference it used to be.

]]> By: NBarnes http://www.killtenrats.com/2006/05/26/some-things-city-of-heroes-diddoes-right/#comment-7252 NBarnes Mon, 29 May 2006 06:01:27 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=704#comment-7252 Also, extra double-plus agreed on both the 'horde of enemies' approach to NPC opposition and the minion/lt./boss level division. Frankly, both of these techniques should be viewed as signifcant refinements to the overall scheme of this sort of MMO design and deserve to be widely stolen^H^H^H^Himitated. Also, extra double-plus agreed on both the ‘horde of enemies’ approach to NPC opposition and the minion/lt./boss level division. Frankly, both of these techniques should be viewed as signifcant refinements to the overall scheme of this sort of MMO design and deserve to be widely stolen^H^H^H^Himitated.

]]> By: winter http://www.killtenrats.com/2006/05/26/some-things-city-of-heroes-diddoes-right/#comment-7246 winter Sun, 28 May 2006 21:51:41 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=704#comment-7246 I too have an axe to grind with this game, but I'll try and keep it positive. I'm curious about one thing you said as it seems to contradict what I remember.... do enhancements now scale with you so that you have no weak levels just before you buy new ones (level 31, 36, 41, 46 were the weak levels)? Character creation is good. Sidekicking/Exemplar is excellent. Those two are the only positives for my mind. I too have an axe to grind with this game, but I’ll try and keep it positive.

I’m curious about one thing you said as it seems to contradict what I remember…. do enhancements now scale with you so that you have no weak levels just before you buy new ones (level 31, 36, 41, 46 were the weak levels)?

Character creation is good. Sidekicking/Exemplar is excellent. Those two are the only positives for my mind.

]]> By: NBarnes http://www.killtenrats.com/2006/05/26/some-things-city-of-heroes-diddoes-right/#comment-7235 NBarnes Sun, 28 May 2006 20:51:32 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=704#comment-7235 Sidekicking / Exemplaring == one of the best MMO features ever. PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS! LEVELS ARE NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN FRIENDS! Sidekicking / Exemplaring == one of the best MMO features ever. PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS! LEVELS ARE NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN FRIENDS!

]]> By: blue http://www.killtenrats.com/2006/05/26/some-things-city-of-heroes-diddoes-right/#comment-7190 blue Sun, 28 May 2006 02:28:30 +0000 http://www.killtenrats.com/?p=704#comment-7190 Biggest thing I enjoy - Doesn't get stuck on the "healer/tank/damage" concept. Sure, you can build such a Holy Trinity group, but you don't need to - and may not even want to. One class that's normally considered a 'protecting' class (heals, accuracy debuffs, defense debuffs) has an option or two which focuses mainly on boosting team speed and damage. It's a very, very nice change. Biggest thing I enjoy -

Doesn’t get stuck on the “healer/tank/damage” concept. Sure, you can build such a Holy Trinity group, but you don’t need to - and may not even want to. One class that’s normally considered a ‘protecting’ class (heals, accuracy debuffs, defense debuffs) has an option or two which focuses mainly on boosting team speed and damage.

It’s a very, very nice change.

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