FC.30.20120813a.0 PTS Update

nisdiddums

PTS update FC.30.20120813a.0
This build is scheduled to hit PTS by 8:00pm PST

Greetings!

G-crush has responded to feedback from the weekend, and we are pushing vehicle updates(including removing the invisibility cloak) for you all to test.
There are also some audio and visual updates to the Night Avenger powers, as well as Nighthawk appearances in Alerts.

Enjoy!

Please format any bugs you find in the following format:
Bug
Where it happens
What happens


PvP:
Victory in a PVP match will now grant 125 Questionite.

Vehicles:
-Fixed material issue that would cause vehicle geo to disappear
-Should now properly remove forms and travel powers.
-Full Power Burst charge time reduced to 5 seconds.
-Vehicles now regenerate naturally outside of combat.
-Vehicles can now break free from holds.
-Fast Attack: Powers should no longer be tagged as taunt.
-Medivac: Healing Drone now costs 120 energy, and heals for less.
-Heavy Fighter: Enhanced Armor Plating now renamed to Advanced Hyperkinetic Dampening System
-Heavy Fighter: Warning Shot now also reduces the target's damage by 5%. This effect stacks up to 3 times.

Night Avenger:
-Strafing Run: Strafing Run now properly scales at ranks 2 and 3.
-Audio pass on Night Avenger player powers

Nighthawk sightings in Alerts:
-There have been reports that Nighthawk has been seen wrecking havoc in Alert missions. Keep an eye out for his appearances in your Alert selectors!

Content:
-"Thick as Thieves: Fixed issue that would prevent mission from being completed

Known Issue:
-Opening the character status window can cause client crashes.

blumoon8

Yay! New SFX and Vehicle stuff! I will say 125 is not that great for pvp. I think the 200 range is nice or even 200 with a chance for a questionite box. If you want pvp to make a better swing, the reward needs to be better. To make it even better, give pvp a randomized daily just like you do for the alerts. Then things may start to resume pre-alert PvP queues.
If you chose to make alerts a daily, don't make it a "victory" condition, but rather participate for a good portion of the match, if that were at all possible. Otherwise you'll have people popping in and quitting.

Edit: I've seen some concerns for the other players and now I'm not sure where I stand >.<

bioshrike

You should implement some sort of timer on how often you can get Q from defeating another player in PvP, otherwise it will be readily abused - 2 people agree to allow the other to kill them, and they just go back and forth, raking in the Q w/ little to no effort. The cooldown should be approximately half of how long your average Gravitar or Hi-Pan alert takes to finish, (since the lowest you can get in a Gravitar is 300 Q).

kaiserin

What about ze Might changes and adding bleed damage to Enrage?

cascadence

Woot... can't wait to test this one.

My only concern maybe would be the 125 Q on winning. I am writing this from a position of someone who barely knows how pvp works in CO... but I can see this system exploitable, by a good ol method - Win trading

What does win trading consist of?... one team queues, lets one team win quickly, then switch roles on the next queue... rinse and repeat. I am not sure if in this game you can queue in pvp as a team though... so dunno if this will be the case or not... maybe someone more versed in this topic could help here.

If win trading could be a potential exploit... then yup, I see 125Q as a fair reward, since it would take both teams a LOT of time to get to the 8k daily cap.

gentlemancrush

kaizerin wrote: »

What about ze Might changes and adding bleed damage to Enrage?

Those should be in as well. Might bonus reduced significantly and enrage does indeed affect bleed

championshewolf

Hey Crush, can we get penetrating strikes on Shred in bestial changed to give the new shredded debuff as well?

flyingfinn

What does this mean?

Might bonus reduced significantly

gentlemancrush

flyingfinn wrote: »

What does this mean?

This means that the bonus damage from knock immunity has been reduced.

ashensnow

bioshrike wrote: »

You should implement some sort of timer on how often you can get Q from defeating another player in PvP, otherwise it will be readily abused - 2 people agree to allow the other to kill them, and they just go back and forth, raking in the Q w/ little to no effort. The cooldown should be approximately half of how long your average Gravitar or Hi-Pan alert takes to finish, (since the lowest you can get in a Gravitar is 300 Q).

Are they including duels in this ?

If not, and since there must be a minimum number of participants in an actual match for the queue to pop, its not likely to be a problem.

Consider that the minimum gain for a nemcon Q run is 1800, and that can be managed in something like 15 minutes.

I dont think that duels should be included in this sort of reward system at all.

championshewolf

ashensnow wrote: »

Are they including duels in this ?

If not, and since there must be a minimum number of participants in an actual match for the queue to pop, its not likely to be a problem.

Consider that the minimum gain for a nemcon Q run is 1800, and that can be managed in something like 15 minutes.

I dont think that duels should be included in this sort of reward system at all.

Considering a duel can be cheesed, I doubt they will include them.

blademaster5121

cascadence wrote: »

Woot... can't wait to test this one.

My only concern maybe would be the 125 Q on winning. I am writing this from a position of someone who barely knows how pvp works in CO... but I can see this system exploitable, by a good ol method - Win trading

What does win trading consist of?... one team queues, lets one team win quickly, then switch roles on the next queue... rinse and repeat. I am not sure if in this game you can queue in pvp as a team though... so dunno if this will be the case or not... maybe someone more versed in this topic could help here.

If win trading could be a potential exploit... then yup, I see 125Q as a fair reward, since it would take both teams a LOT of time to get to the 8k daily cap.

125Q isn't worth my Vapor Form. especially since Crush even said its based on winning 4X per hour, which is repulsively slow, I can get to the 8k cap in a short amount of time, far faster than anyone doing PvP to get it.

gentlemancrush

The Shard is up.

flyingfinn

Travel Powers still work when using Become Jets.

Swinging only, it seems. (ok, GMC told me...)

itsbrou

Victory in a PVP match will now grant 125 Questionite.

Oh, no.

No, no, no, no, no.


PvP balance is out of whack, and you want to lure more players into witnessing it and throwing the game in the garbage?

sanguineviper

I might consider touching pvp again if say... 2000 questionite for a victory as a daily mission. But, short of that, lol no...

pwkampfykaufmann

sanguineviper wrote: »

I might consider touching pvp again if say... 2000 questionite for a victory as a daily mission. But, short of that, lol no...

As a non-PVPer, may I suggest having 3 kinds of these missions like the Alert daily missions we have? BASH, Stronghold and Zombie Apokalypse maybe? Contacts for these missions could be Dominique Ducard and/or El Gato Rojo, because these guys could actually have been kidnapped by VIPER already without someone noticing. They can use some visitors at their places.

blademaster5121

pwkampfykaufmann wrote: »

As a non-PVPer, may I suggest having 3 kinds of these missions like the Alert daily missions we have? BASH, Stronghold and Zombie Apokalypse maybe? Contacts for these missions could be Dominique Ducard and/or El Gato Rojo, because these guys could actually have been kidnapped by VIPER already without someone noticing. They can use some visitors at their places.

Make it BASH, UTC, Stronghold, and KOTH.

somebob

BUG: Fast Attack Jet - Full Battery Barrage now sets your craft on fire (visual only, doing no damage) as well as the target.

BUG: Typing in /zone, /say, /c channelname, or any other command to change what channel you're talking in changes the default channel you're talking to to that. On Live, you can have the default set to Zone, type in /say Wordshere to talk in Local, and the default (when you push Enter to start talking) will stay on Zone.

This bug has been around on PTS for some time now. It has been mentioned before, but bears repeating.

sanguineviper

somebob wrote: »

BUG: Typing in /zone, /say, /c channelname, or any other command to change what channel you're talking in changes the default channel you're talking to to that. On Live, you can have the default set to Zone, type in /say Wordshere to talk in Local, and the default (when you push Enter to start talking) will stay on Zone.

This bug has been around on PTS for some time now. It has been mentioned before, but bears repeating.

Considering this is how chat works in like, every other mmo out there, I thought this was by design, since, everyone was originally complaining about the clunky chat switching.

Also, I feel much less silly flying around now that I turn into a visible jet. However, there is a severe lack of a "Barrel roll" button. As well as actual rotation when turning. Yawing left or right as if the jet is a car looks fairly silly.

manwholaughs

Each vehicle device has the same model in appearance which is kind of disappointing, I hope this is only temporary meaning there's still two more model variations waiting to be put it. Also some textures would be nice. Still too early to make any sort of fair judgement on the prototype vehicle system, but I am a bit underwhelmed so far, at least it handles alright.

championshewolf

sanguineviper wrote: »

Considering this is how chat works in like, every other mmo out there, I thought this was by design, since, everyone was originally complaining about the clunky chat switching.

Also, I feel much less silly flying around now that I turn into a visible jet. However, there is a severe lack of a "Barrel roll" button.

It is a design change, and I welcome it. Usually when I am chatting in a new channel I want it to change and stay on that channel. The fact that a basic feature of every other MMO wasn't in CO baffled me. Now if we could just get the ability to have more than one chat box in the play field.

theapygoos

any way to force teh nighthawk alert only internally? waiting is killing us all here and we'd really like to test it

somebob

theapygoos wrote: »

any way to force teh nighthawk alert only internally? waiting is killing us all here and we'd really like to test it

Seems not. Sad, really.

BUG: The super-omega-death-blast-laser-of-doom has enough range to attack the bosses in most Smash! Alerts before the shield goes down. We had the Baron down to 2/3rds health before the final member zoned in.

Also, the 300ft range can easily smack minions in Trainstopping, thus breaking it very badly before it launches.

BUG: Boomerang Toss (or whatever it's called now) is doing absolutely absurd damage. It needs to be looked at again.

blademaster5121

somebob wrote: »

Seems not. Sad, really.

BUG: The super-omega-death-blast-laser-of-doom has enough range to attack the bosses in most Smash! Alerts before the shield goes down. We had the Baron down to 2/3rds health before the final member zoned in.

Also, the 300ft range can easily smack minions in Trainstopping, thus breaking it very badly before it launches.

BUG: Boomerang Toss (or whatever it's called now) is doing absolutely absurd damage. It needs to be looked at again.

Sounds like Vehicles won't work in regular alerts.

theprettypixie

Bug: No SFX for Strafing Run;

Bug: Strafing run does not break Sneak's Stealth.

sanguineviper

somebob wrote: »

BUG: Boomerang Toss (or whatever it's called now) is doing absolutely absurd damage. It needs to be looked at again.

Throwing blades. I posted about it last thread, and the thread before that, but apparently 4k+ crits every .67 sec vs. 5 targets in a 120 degree cone is okay.


*edit*

Throwing Blades also seem to not be dealing any damage to destructables, allowing me to sit here throwing them at trashcans and benches forever.

cascadence

somebob wrote: »

Seems not. Sad, really.

BUG: The super-omega-death-blast-laser-of-doom has enough range to attack the bosses in most Smash! Alerts before the shield goes down. We had the Baron down to 2/3rds health before the final member zoned in.

Also, the 300ft range can easily smack minions in Trainstopping, thus breaking it very badly before it launches.

Yeah from what I gathered from the devs... vehicles will only work in outdoors/non instanced zones. The only instances they will work will be the new vehicles alerts/maps.

And on the boomerangs... I've always said it, they are still overtuned... not terribly, but they could use a nerf of about 10% less of what they actually do.

theapygoos

somebob wrote: »

Seems not. Sad, really.

BUG: Boomerang Toss (or whatever it's called now) is doing absolutely absurd damage. It needs to be looked at again.

yea its throwing blades,

somebob

DESIGN FLAW: We tried to get the new Nighthawk Alert to spawn for over an hour, but it never did. Do you want this tested or not? We're here to help you, but if you can't help us, we get disgruntled and walk off.

sanguineviper

Strafing run is still pretty meh. It's a step above orbital cannon in that it actually activates in a reasonable amount of time, but it still just feels weak. I was really hoping it would be more similar to the airstrikes in Stronghold prison, with bombs, and people flying in all directions. And being able to crit would be nice, seeing as it's designed for a crit based AT.

torkes20

manwholaughs wrote: »

Each vehicle device has the same model in appearance which is kind of disappointing, I hope this is only temporary meaning there's still two more model variations waiting to be put it. Also some textures would be nice. Still too early to make any sort of fair judgement on the prototype vehicle system, but I am a bit underwhelmed so far, at least it handles alright.

Yes, it is temporary. This is just the beginning. Soon we will be able to customize our vehicles like in the Character Creator (Tailor).

championshewolf

BUG

The Moon and Sun in the sky box is really huge. The sun is overpoweringly bright to boot.

sagewithbubbles

championshewolf wrote: »

BUG

The Moon and Sun in the sky box is really huge. The sun is overpoweringly bright to boot.

So you're a ginger?

sanguineviper

sagewithbubbles wrote: »

So you're a ginger?

*Ba-dum-tch*

fudgemonsta

After finally getting my PTS to work and screwing around with the new pocket rockets that will be vehicles, I think I've stumbled upon two bugs that should be corrected.

Don't know if either of them have been stated already, but reiteration only states that its obvious.

BUG

The splash area for the vehicle miniguns seems to be horribly skewed. Instead of being a cylinder it fires in a very large arc along the right side.

Example

I am targeting the dummies, but I am also destroying the boxes to the far right of me at the same time, sometimes even destroying the ones near the doorway that is behind me. Only on the right side though.


BUG

After maintaining the minigun power on a vehicle for an extended period of time (Roughly 20 seconds after repeated tests.) without using any other powers, the vehicle turns completely invisible for no discernable reason.

Example

Using any other power makes the vehicle reappear instantly, but only maintaining the minigun will cause it to disappear.


Both of these bugs are easily reproducible. Also, not to sound like a party pooper or something, but I just solo'd Mega D in 15 minutes with no equipment, no super stats, no talents, and no innate talents. Not saying the vehicle isn't fun but it could break the instances very easily.

sanguineviper

fudgemonsta wrote: »

inutes with no equipment, no super stats, no talents, and no innate talents. Not saying the vehicle isn't fun but it could break the instances very easily.

Well, they won't be usable in anything but special vehicle instances/outdoors in their final form. But honestly, 15 minutes? That seems like a long time, i usually down him in like 5-10 minutes solo depending on the toon...

Oh, also, stats wouldn't really have any effect anyways, since they're operating as become devices, and as such, replace your stats when you become the jet.

fudgemonsta

sanguineviper wrote: »

Well, they won't be usable in anything but special vehicle instances/outdoors in their final form. But honestly, 15 minutes? That seems like a long time, i usually down him in like 5-10 minutes solo depending on the toon...

Turned on miniguns at 150 feet, left to go make a sandwich, came back to a dead Mega D.

sanguineviper

fudgemonsta wrote: »

Turned on miniguns at 150 feet, left to go make a sandwich, came back to a dead Mega D.

I can do the same thing with sniper rifle and my mouse's macro function. :P

fudgemonsta

sanguineviper wrote: »

I can do the same thing with sniper rifle and my mouse's macro function. :P

Too lazy to set up my macros, so bleh.

But yeah. That disappearing thing isn't much of an issue...But the beyond broken hit area for it is quite an annoyance.

benevon

fudgemonsta wrote: »

Too lazy to set up my macros, so bleh.

But yeah. That disappearing thing isn't much of an issue...But the beyond broken hit area for it is quite an annoyance.

Gatling Gun has the same arc issue, but it only affects objects. Damage to npcs arc remains normal. Of course when an object blows up next to mobs that normally wouldnt be hit then...yeah.

fudgemonsta

benevon wrote: »

Gatling Gun has the same arc issue, but it only affects objects. Damage to npcs arc remains normal. Of course when an object blows up next to mobs that normally wouldnt be hit then...yeah.

This one was causing me to aggro groups of enemies that I didn't even know were here.

Also, didn't Plasma Beam have a similar arc bug? Or is my memory failing me already?

canadascott

I agree with others on the frustration for waiting for the Alerts. With the number of alerts and villains, it's simply impractical to wait for them to cycle. Please add some code to make it easier to test them, even if it's only the ability for devs to queue them.

beldin

somebob wrote: »

BUG: Boomerang Toss (or whatever it's called now) is doing absolutely absurd damage. It needs to be looked at again.

Have you actually tested it in the Battle Station against Mobs, or just against the Dummys ?

Against Dummys it just looks crazy, but when i tried it against real mobs it doesn't really
was all that great for me.

sanguineviper wrote: »

Well, they won't be usable in anything but special vehicle instances/outdoors in their final form. But honestly, 15 minutes? That seems like a long time, i usually down him in like 5-10 minutes solo depending on the toon...

Wow .. so you can constantly deal 3333 DPS over 5 minutes ? Cause thats what you need to
take down 1 Million HPs in 5 minutes.

blkmask

I have one request with the vehicles/jets. Please do not make them faster than the normal travel powers.

They can be as equally as fast or the travel powers can be made to be faster. After all, we're superheroes.

But love the look of the fighters. Will we be able to change their color?

som3one1

I have to agree with that, and would prefer if they were no faster than the usual travel powers, optionally the travel powers can be increased in speed, in my opinion.

beldin

blkmask wrote: »

I have one request with the vehicles/jets. Please do not make them faster than the normal travel powers.

They can be as equally as fast or the travel powers can be made to be faster. After all, we're superheroes.

/totally signed

Sadly i think they need a reason to get everybody to buy that trash, even if they are in no form
interested in become devices .. so the speed is something to catch them :redface:

manwholaughs

I think it is time to increase the speed of certain travel powers, they have always felt numbingly slow (understood the excuse for the speed cap), but if the new vehicles can handle traveling at their current speeds then so should flight and super speed.

thelastsonofzod

I'm okay with making some sort of an upgrade to TPs to put them in the same market as the vehicle powers, but please don't slow vehicles down. I like having a rapid mode of zone transit.

crypticbuxom

The vehicles should be as fast as travel powers but make a speed boost with a cool down.

somebob

beldin wrote: »

Have you actually tested it in the Battle Station against Mobs, or just against the Dummys ?

Against Dummys it just looks crazy, but when i tried it against real mobs it doesn't really
was all that great for me.

In a level 30 Alert (so damage is halved) the person tossing them was doing crits for 3k damage. It's doing absolutely insane damage on tap, no questions asked.