Author Topic: New efforts!  (Read 7212187 times)

Arcana

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26800 on: February 22, 2017, 08:47:53 PM »
Popping in late on this one, but the fact that Sheridan was addressed as 'Captain' while he was in command of the Agammemnon is not an indication of his rank; by long-standing tradition, the person in command of a warship is always addressed as 'Captain' aboard ship, regardless of his actual rank (related to this, any military officer with the actual rank of Captain is addressed as one rank higher -- Commodore/Admiral for Navy, Major for Army/Air Force -- because there can only be one captain aboard a ship).

Yes that's true, but it is precisely within the context of that ambiguity that I made that statement.  In other words, we all know Sheridan was addressed as "captain" but that doesn't mean he held the military rank of captain.  However, to the best of my recollection, when Sheridan was captain of the Agamemnon he held the actual rank of Captain in Earthforce.  I recall he was promoted to the rank of captain from commander when he took command.  And that's why he is still addressed as Captain when he takes command of Babylon-5.

Arcana

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26801 on: February 22, 2017, 11:19:50 PM »
So these days I play Marvel Contest of Champions in my spare time.  Its a mobile game so I can play it in five minute chunks if I want to, or on the phone during conference calls.  There have been times I've felt an eerie sense of deja vu playing this game.  Besides being about superheroes, to the extent I understand the combat mechanics (I've tried to not know, to be honest, but it does leak in) it seemed to have all the horrible math I'd learned to accept from City of Heroes.  Linear stacking percentages, confusion about the difference between percentages and percentage points, absolutely no understanding of how to balance regeneration and healing, etc.  The good old days.

Well, two years into the game, seems a game modder leaked the fact that in a couple of weeks the game is going to do a major overhaul of the mechanics to put in more linear scaling math and diminishing returns, and while they are at it they will be nerfing the most broken characters with the most ridiculous powers.  In other words, MCOC is implementing their version of ED combined with I5 balancing, and a player leaked it a few weeks early, and the vocal component of the playerbase is currently losing their damn minds.

MMOs are like the universe of Battlestar Galactica.  All this has happened before and will happen again.

LaughingAlex

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26802 on: February 23, 2017, 12:42:49 AM »
So these days I play Marvel Contest of Champions in my spare time.  Its a mobile game so I can play it in five minute chunks if I want to, or on the phone during conference calls.  There have been times I've felt an eerie sense of deja vu playing this game.  Besides being about superheroes, to the extent I understand the combat mechanics (I've tried to not know, to be honest, but it does leak in) it seemed to have all the horrible math I'd learned to accept from City of Heroes.  Linear stacking percentages, confusion about the difference between percentages and percentage points, absolutely no understanding of how to balance regeneration and healing, etc.  The good old days.

Well, two years into the game, seems a game modder leaked the fact that in a couple of weeks the game is going to do a major overhaul of the mechanics to put in more linear scaling math and diminishing returns, and while they are at it they will be nerfing the most broken characters with the most ridiculous powers.  In other words, MCOC is implementing their version of ED combined with I5 balancing, and a player leaked it a few weeks early, and the vocal component of the playerbase is currently losing their damn minds.

MMOs are like the universe of Battlestar Galactica.  All this has happened before and will happen again.

It's always a difficult thing to really say when a large-scale nerf is good or bad.  Often a standard has to be established early imo.  These days i've been enjoying SP games a lot, like skyrim(with skyrim redone) or fallout 4(with some mods, one mod though crashes the game on startup 60% of the time sometimes more but works otherwise, waitin for a fix).  But sometimes I see something get nerfed in a way I don't like, or buffed in a way which renders everything else worthless.  Like weapon balance overhaul for fallout 4 imo accidentally over-buffs the hunting rifle such anything with it is a "demonic spider" or skyrim redone tending to force the player to up the perk count significantly(due to many perks becoming far more perk heavy for the same effects as vanilla or for them to be useful at all, like enchanting).

Often if a state of balance remains long enough though it often gives me the impression the game was balanced around said effect.  Like skyrim and enchanting, the game is balanced around the skill, rather than the skill being balanced around the game.  Enemies get in into the 2,000+ health range, and these are common enemies, such as dragons, bandit chiefs or draugr.  I simply don't see the standard game of skyrim remaining all that playable without overkilling the enchantments for damage that late in the game, because everything becomes a super tank.  Fallout 4 has a similar problem, not using plasma or gauss in the "dangerous regions"(anything south of boston) becomes pointless as the enemies simply have such high armor that your bullets begin to bounce off them.  But, some modders forget that little detail of the game, and try to nerf the only options available that late in the game.  Like perkus maximus over-nerfing enchanting or weapon rebalance overhaul nerfing the gauss(and foolishly over-buffing the hunting rifle).

I think it's also due to a problem of consistency, or an unwillingness to make a player move on from something weaker to another.  Players develop either a misconception that a foo strategy is supposed to be the way to play and mistake a high-end for being overpowered, or mistake the high-end strategy for being overpowered.  They don't quite look at the meta of the game enough.

Fallout 4 out-right demands the player to abandon the pipe gun.  Skyrim wants the player to keep their gear up to date or suffer the consequences.  Players who nerf aspects designed for late game on a misperception it's overpowered due to it smashing early game often seems to be a trend with people, as they don't seem to play far enough to see the effects of late game in action.  And I saw mods for both over-nerfing the two aspects.  Fallout 4 some people nerf gun crafting and wonder why a super mutant overlord takes 200+ rounds from a gun.

i just...often shake my head when I see a nerf mod for either of those two games.

Currently; Not doing any streaming, found myself with less time available recently.  Still playing starbound periodically, though I am thinking of trying other games.  Don't tell me to play mmohtg's though please :).  Getting back into participating in VO and the successors again to.

LaughingAlex

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26803 on: February 23, 2017, 12:56:52 AM »
And since I think of it, one thing I always despised in some players out there; the misconception that just increasing health increases the difficulty of an enemy.  It doesn't, it never does, all it does is make a fight last longer.  When I have to pound an enemy for 2 minutes streight, or god forbid 5 minutes streight when everything else takes far less punishment and it poses no major threat, then it's just a borefest. 

Like skyrim dwarven spheres being tougher than dwarven centurians.  The game hints mislead the player to; "What they lack of power they make up in speed." is complete bologny; they are fast, yes, but they also take a mountain of firepower to destroy them, often more then mid-level dragons.  Yet the damage they do is for an enemy of their caliber is pathetic.  Can't run from them since they are to fast.  Only thing a player can do is either a: sneak attack exploit em(and skyre is very guilty of merely increasing the search times of enemies sometimes increasing the amount of time an enemy needs to destroy this way, ultra annoying and does nothing for difficulty, unfortunately)...or bring a lot of health potions and smack them to death all day while guzzling the health pots down.

One of the dumbest enemies I ever met in a video game.  I usually just try to sneak past them whenever I can, and even then bethesda decided stealth was supposed to be "kill everything, just use the sneak attack bonus for more damages!" variety over the "sneak past them all" variety.  Only the thieves guild main quests actually achieve proper stealth gameplay and even then they sometimes fail at it.
Currently; Not doing any streaming, found myself with less time available recently.  Still playing starbound periodically, though I am thinking of trying other games.  Don't tell me to play mmohtg's though please :).  Getting back into participating in VO and the successors again to.

Arcana

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26804 on: February 23, 2017, 02:36:11 AM »
It's always a difficult thing to really say when a large-scale nerf is good or bad.

Actually, it is apparently a very easy thing to say when a large-scale nerf is bad.

Arcana

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26805 on: February 23, 2017, 02:44:11 AM »
And since I think of it, one thing I always despised in some players out there; the misconception that just increasing health increases the difficulty of an enemy.  It doesn't, it never does, all it does is make a fight last longer.  When I have to pound an enemy for 2 minutes streight, or god forbid 5 minutes streight when everything else takes far less punishment and it poses no major threat, then it's just a borefest. 

In most MMOs that's mostly true.  Its less true in real time fighting games where the duration of the fight is in and of itself a skill challenge.  For those familiar with MCOC, I currently have no problems taking down RoL Winter Soldier with X23.  But Captain Marvel?  She's a pushover in normal combat but when she has half a million health?  All it takes is one mistimed evade on her L2 flippy attack and I be dead.  I can dodge that attack 95% of the time.  But to finish that fight, I would need to improve to about 98%.

That doesn't mean its a particularly *good* way to increase difficulty.  Just that it does increase real difficulty.

Blackbird71

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26806 on: February 23, 2017, 02:54:43 AM »
This 21st century online role playing game was shut down for no good reason.

What was Earth & Beyond?

Sinistar

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26807 on: February 23, 2017, 03:53:22 AM »
Yes that's true, but it is precisely within the context of that ambiguity that I made that statement.  In other words, we all know Sheridan was addressed as "captain" but that doesn't mean he held the military rank of captain.  However, to the best of my recollection, when Sheridan was captain of the Agamemnon he held the actual rank of Captain in Earthforce.  I recall he was promoted to the rank of captain from commander when he took command.  And that's why he is still addressed as Captain when he takes command of Babylon-5.

Yes, he was promoted to Captain when he was given the Agamemnon .

One of the B5 novels addresses the backstory of how Sheridan had to clean things up on the ship due to the problems with the last Captain, while at the same time we learned the origins of Mr Morden and what happened with him and Anna Sheridan and the Icarus at Za'Ha'Dum.  Most of the novels aren't quite canon per JMS, but this one and book #9 that tells of Sinclair setting up shop as Ambassador on Mimbar and reforming the Rangers are canon per JMS.   Also the Technomage Trilogy, Telepath Trilogy and the Legions of Fire Trilogy.
In fearful COH-less days
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When all seems lost in the effort to bring CoH back to life,
Look to Cyberspace, where HOPE burns bright!

Safehouse

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26808 on: February 23, 2017, 02:13:39 PM »
I know there's an ongoing conversation about things I don't follow, so I hope I don't derail it. I just wanted to pop in quickly to say: you guys rock, and I'm really missing this game lately. It actually physically hurts me right now. I may even have to figure out where I can download the i24 beta client and then get into Paragon Chat. I hadn't been able to bring myself to do it, but... well... as I said, struggling with missing CoH right now.

I just want my kinetic/regen scrapper back, and my cool outfit.
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LaughingAlex

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26809 on: February 23, 2017, 06:33:21 PM »
In most MMOs that's mostly true.  Its less true in real time fighting games where the duration of the fight is in and of itself a skill challenge.  For those familiar with MCOC, I currently have no problems taking down RoL Winter Soldier with X23.  But Captain Marvel?  She's a pushover in normal combat but when she has half a million health?  All it takes is one mistimed evade on her L2 flippy attack and I be dead.  I can dodge that attack 95% of the time.  But to finish that fight, I would need to improve to about 98%.

That doesn't mean its a particularly *good* way to increase difficulty.  Just that it does increase real difficulty.

If I was to rate a fight in which you had to do somethin perfect for 10+ minutes I'd say it's absolutely bad difficulty :).

A general rule of difficulty by design, is that a fight itself is designed to last a specific amount of time.  Developers who make a fight very hard but last, say, two minutes have to take care not to increase that length when adjusting it's difficulty.  The general rule is to truely obey "Difficulty by design" one has to instead change the AI and general behaviors of a fight rather than it's length.  For example, starcraft 2 on brutal mode vs Warcraft 3 on hard mode.  Starcraft 2 on brutal mode is by every definition a difficult game by design, instead of seeing enemy units given more health, they instead are supported by a wider variety of technologies and other units not seen on lower difficulties.

As an example of this in the game, I'll use 2 levels: Zero Hour, and Welcome to the Jungle.

In Zero Hour, on normal you only face zerglings, some hydralisks and mutalisks.  On Brutal?  BANELINGS show up to wreck everything and roaches are included to try and draw fire from more vulnerable units.  On the defense, the zerg get ultralisks(yes, ultralisks) and of course you also face more spine crawlers.  The AI also gets another deadly trick: It spreads creep on the map, increasing the speed of it's own units.  So winning on brutal is a test ultimately of production and management of defense; you have to be able to construct your armies at peak efficiency.

Now lets go to Welcome to the Jungle.

In WttJ, the protoss on normal mostly use scouts, some void rays, zealots and stalkers.  Nothing to severe, the player can make decent use of the otherwise not so useful goliath.  But on brutal, a strong infantry becomes more important and any extra technologies are also important;  the protoss gain access to collossus and high templar, both units which can easily destroy the necessary infantry(as void rays are that big of a problem for goliaths).  Now, normally, given the goliath is meant to be an anti-air and isn't so effective, i'd say this mission sucks.  But, smart use of your units and positioning as you approach a group of protoss can still make a large difference; both collosus and high templar are not very effective against marauders, and marauders are extremely strong against the collosus and stalker, those two units dying quickly enable the marines to rapidly fire down the void rays without to much trouble.
Currently; Not doing any streaming, found myself with less time available recently.  Still playing starbound periodically, though I am thinking of trying other games.  Don't tell me to play mmohtg's though please :).  Getting back into participating in VO and the successors again to.

Paragon Avenger

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26810 on: February 24, 2017, 02:05:47 AM »
I know there's an ongoing conversation about things I don't follow, so I hope I don't derail it. I just wanted to pop in quickly to say: you guys, [Paragon Avenger], rock, ....

Thankx!

Vee

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26811 on: February 24, 2017, 04:42:02 AM »
Thankx!
Don't rest on your laurels. There are still dozens of threads out there the earlier Howling Twilight missed. Also 'cause laurel rash.

Remaugen

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26812 on: February 24, 2017, 09:32:34 AM »
And then there was the time when everyone held their breath. . . !
We're almost there!  ;D

The RNG hates me.

Tyger42

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26813 on: February 25, 2017, 11:36:56 PM »
And then there was the time when everyone held their breath. . . !

Been doing that for a while. :p

Tubbius

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26814 on: February 26, 2017, 08:08:32 PM »
The Santa lookalike wants to be back in the City for real.

That is all.

Tyger42

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26815 on: February 26, 2017, 11:55:51 PM »
Is there some particular reason we're specifically holding our breath now? Did I miss some news, or is the latest word still 2 gorram years ago?

Sinistar

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26816 on: February 27, 2017, 12:14:47 AM »
or is the latest word still 2 gorram years ago?

That would be about right.
In fearful COH-less days
In Raging COH-less nights
With Strong Hearts Full, we shall UNITE!
When all seems lost in the effort to bring CoH back to life,
Look to Cyberspace, where HOPE burns bright!

Tyger42

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26817 on: February 27, 2017, 04:33:11 AM »
That would be about right.

I've all but given up on this effort. I get NDAs and such, but they can at least say "The deal's not dead yet, we can't say more" every so often. 2 years of silence, how many will still be lingering if it finally does come through? Maybe Paragon Chat someday will work out full emulation. And maybe I'll hit the powerball next week. :p

Paragon Avenger

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26818 on: February 27, 2017, 06:52:16 AM »
I've all but given up on this effort. I get NDAs and such, but they can at least say "The deal's not dead yet, we can't say more" every so often. 2 years of silence, how many will still be lingering if it finally does come through? Maybe Paragon Chat someday will work out full emulation. And maybe I'll hit the powerball next week. :p

All of this is unoffical, because I am not an offical.  If it makes you feel better than ...
The deal's not dead yet, we can't say more.

As for the other stuff ...
Paragon Chat can figure out full emulation, but there are lawyers everywhere.
If you hit the powerball, can you loan me 10 grand?

Thunder Glove

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Re: New efforts!
« Reply #26819 on: February 27, 2017, 12:58:44 PM »
The NDA is apparently so strict that they're (a) not allowed to talk or even hint about the existence of the discussions, even if they've ended; and (b) not even allowed to talk or even hint about the existence of the NDA itself.

I question the need for it to be that strict.