Are generous players unbalancing the game?

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Hi

What do you think - do generous players who throw around influence
unbalance the game in some way? E.g. my main, a fire blaster, was
rewarded 120k for inviting some high-level chars to a mission that gave
a badge. On the same evening I was socializing in Hollows when somebody
offered me 60k, no reason, he virtually threw it at me. Together with
my own savings of 20k my level 12 blaster suddenly had 200k influence.
That would have allowed me to slot everything with DOs and probably be
better off in the game than if I had not gotten all that "money".

While I sort of like the generous players I'm not sure yet if I like
the effect this might have on the balancing of the game.

Thanks for any input,
~T.

 

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Thomas Adams wrote:
> Hi

Hello.

> What do you think - do generous players who throw around influence
> unbalance the game in some way?

No. The game is fundamentally unbalanced. There comes a point in the
game when there is an extreme influence surplus. These generous players
are throwing influence around because they have no need for it (unless
they want to design new costumes a few times per day). I expect this to
change after CoV comes, and we start needing influence to "buy" and
upkeep SG HQs and whatnot.

 

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On 21 Mar 2005 23:23:14 GMT, Thomas Adams <thomas.o.adams@gmail.com>
wrote:

>Hi
>
>What do you think - do generous players who throw around influence
>unbalance the game in some way? E.g. my main, a fire blaster, was
>rewarded 120k for inviting some high-level chars to a mission that gave
>a badge. On the same evening I was socializing in Hollows when somebody
>offered me 60k, no reason, he virtually threw it at me. Together with
>my own savings of 20k my level 12 blaster suddenly had 200k influence.
>That would have allowed me to slot everything with DOs and probably be
>better off in the game than if I had not gotten all that "money".
>
>While I sort of like the generous players I'm not sure yet if I like
>the effect this might have on the balancing of the game.

If you do feel the overabundance of INF at low levels is indeed an
issue, you can always refuse the generousity or give it away to
someone else. You can even "dispose" of the wealth by burning through
multiple costume changes rapidly.

INF accessibility at low levels *does* alter the gamescape IMO. For
experienced players its nothing but good, hurting for enhancements on
your alts is just a pain and a goofy waste of time. For new players,
however, it can skew their viewpoint on how the game normally works.
Make it too painless early on, if they hit a wall a little later in
the game the frustration might go from moderate to unbearable, we lose
a gamer and a CoH customer. Much like the results of WL
powerleveling, I wonder how many upper-teens or low-20s heroes are
sitting out there abandoned once their inexperienced players saw how
(comparatively) slow leveling is in the game?

 

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Thomas Adams <thomas.o.adams@gmail.com> wrote:
> What do you think - do generous players who throw around influence
> unbalance the game in some way?

No. I got a 10k drop on my first alt, which was a nice boost at around 10
or so, IIRC, and then a generous 40 gave me three 30 End Rec SOs when I
couldn't buy them at 27 - about 100k worth of enhancements. I've done some
random drops, more of DOs and SOs on lowbies that look worthy - easy to
just throw an enhancement worth a couple of k at someone and move on. I
also "tip" 100k (okay, okay, 99,999!) when someone helps me with an Inf
transfer, so I usually seek out ~20s for that.

I don't think it unbalances anything, much, to spread a little Inf around.

--
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Thomas Adams <thomas.o.adams@gmail.com> wrote in
news:Xns96213F0E8F6Bthomasoadamsgmailcom@127.0.0.1:

> While I sort of like the generous players I'm not sure yet if I like
> the effect this might have on the balancing of the game.

I think the potential for unbalancing the game is more than balanced by the
resulting community that it fosters.

--
Marcel
http://mudbunny.blogspot.com/

 

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On 21 Mar 2005 23:23:14 GMT, Thomas Adams <thomas.o.adams@gmail.com> wrote:

> What do you think - do generous players who throw around influence
> unbalance the game in some way?

No. Most players at this time probably already have a higher-level
character or are members of an established supergroup, and in these cases
influence ceases to be a matter of concern.
--
"When someone starts bragging about how much debt they have, it's not a
good sign." -G

 

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"Thomas Adams" <thomas.o.adams@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns96213F0E8F6Bthomasoadamsgmailcom@127.0.0.1...
> Hi
>
> What do you think - do generous players who throw around influence
> unbalance the game in some way? E.g. my main, a fire blaster, was
> rewarded 120k for inviting some high-level chars to a mission that gave
> a badge. On the same evening I was socializing in Hollows when somebody
> offered me 60k, no reason, he virtually threw it at me. Together with
> my own savings of 20k my level 12 blaster suddenly had 200k influence.
> That would have allowed me to slot everything with DOs and probably be
> better off in the game than if I had not gotten all that "money".
>
> While I sort of like the generous players I'm not sure yet if I like
> the effect this might have on the balancing of the game.

Nope.

Sure it will help a lowbie fill out his TO's, but by the time the character
starts buying DOs (or god forbid SOs) 120K will evaporate fast. I know. My
main hit level 18 and blew most of his available Inf --60K-- on level 20 TOs
(I didn't understand the importance of DOs and where to get them) and he has
been saving up INF since I realized my mistake. I intend to jump straight
to SOs at level 22. He is now 21 and a bubble or two away from 22. I
picked up debt to slow the leveling process and have accumulated about 200K.
Another 120K would help but still won't come close to filling the bill for
even a comprehensive DO-25's upgrade let alone SO-25's. A million might be
a different story.

A low-level alt (level 6) got 99K last night. She was out with a hunting
party in the Hollows and for some reason a level 35 Defender hung out
(didn't join the group) doing charity heals and bubbles. At one point he
asked if anybody needed influence. I answered I'd take whatever he wanted
to give. As a new fight was just starting I was the only one who answered
and got 99K.

I don't invest my money in level 5 enhancements any more. Considering how
fast chracters blow thorugh those levels, it's just a waste. Unlike some
players, who sell EVERYTHING and leave their slots blank, I will often slot
useful enhancements I pick up along the way. My alt finished up two levels
last night to level 8 and I sat down and bought enough TO-10's for a full
makeover. My alt will likely be slightly more effective than she would have
been without the 99K, but not that much. She had her own stockpile of Inf
and would have spent most of it buying enhancements that related to her core
powers, which means she'd fight almost as well, with mostly with the same 10
and 10+ enhancements she has in those powers now. Maybe she wouldn't have a
10 in her running or her brawl, but for most purposes, she'd be almost as
good as she is right now.

This is a long way around saying it doesn't matter how much INF you have for
a character's first 10 levels. There's only so good the character CAN get.

The difference may be noticable when she converts over to DOs at level 12.
I expect her jump to DOs will be more comprehensive with the 99K, making her
definitely better than without, but it consume the 99K. By the time she
gets to level 17-18, and the need to re-up her DOs across the board, her
advantage will be minimal and her INF stocpile won't be much (if at all)
higher than if she had the 99K.

I don't see that 99K to be unbalancing now or down the road. It will make
the biggest difference at level 12.

--
John Trauger,
Vorlonagent


"Methane martini.
Shaken, not stirred."


Vorlonagent (M), level 21 Blaster (Electric/Energy), Guardian
Steel Night (M), Level 16 Tanker (Invulnerable/Super-Strength), Virtue
MC-2 (F), Level 16 Blaster (Force/Fire), Protector
NightfalI (M), Level 16 Defender (Dark/Dark), Pinnacle
RolIing Thunder (F), Level 17 Defender (Storm/Electric), Infinity
lmpact (F), Level 14 Blaster (Gun,Energy), Virtue
Girl at the Bar (F), Level 10 Controller: Mind/Empathy, Triumph