FC.31.20130319.7 PTS Update

lordgar · April 2013

This build is scheduled to hit PTS by 11:30pm Pacific on 4/10/13

Greetings!

We're updating PTS with this build to test stability, as well as the changes listed below:

Release Notes:

- Strange alien rings have appeared in the sky above Millennium City. It looks like some kind of race course. Talk to Sapphire in the air above Ren Cen to find out more.
- The alien gladiator pauldrons were not allowing you to select "both". Fixed.
- The alien gladiator armor is no longer in the Jackets category.

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

itsbrou · April 2013

*gasp*

*stares at work clock* aw...

cascadence · April 2013

Okay here are my thoughts of the race so far.

1) its fun and different! I liked it, seems its gonna be quite fun on live

2) That being said.... is only the first place going to have the quest completed?? because that sounds like a fairly horrible idea considering theres a 10 minute wait between races... thats only 6 peeps per instance of MC, that sounds pretty bad if thats the case.

3) Finding the NPC (Sapphire) seems to be little to no intuitive at all.... what about a NPC right next to Defender that points you to Sapphire up in the air?... not to mention that said NPC must warn that you need either a flying vehicle or a flight power to reach her.

4) That being said.... for those flightless/vehicleless heroes, I think a disk rental NPC would be great.

Now... on bugs

Bug: I don't seem able to unmount my bike. The bike im using its not highlighted in the devices part of the UI and therefore I can't get off of it.

flyingfinn · April 2013

So....no track for the groundbased travelpower users, eh?
Like sit down for a bit and think about the stuff. Really.
Awesome.

purg777 · April 2013

For Two Lane Rooftop Quest, what is the minimum score for it to complete?
650 and 750 do not complete it.
650 was solo race, 750 had 3 people complete it.

Edit: Nevermind, completely flew past the reward platform. Its a little hard to see.

cascadence · April 2013

purg777 wrote: »

For Two Lane Rooftop Quest, what is the minimum score for it to complete?
650 and 750 do not complete it.
650 was solo race, 750 had 3 people complete it.

Yeah this part bugged me as well... seems the completion of the quest is not clear, or bugged. What do we exactly need to do to get the quest done?

terrenceknight · April 2013

Just did a dry run of the track after struggling to find Sapphire, didn' think to fly up to look for her. Now due to my visual impairment this race track is fairly hard for me to follow, can you make the guide beacons a different color and larger/brighter? something like red blips bout 2 or 3x the size of what they are now so they are more visible? as it is its sometimes very difficult for me to spot the small white beacons.

Also as suggested above could we get an NPC down by fender informing you to fly up to find Sapphire flying near the start of the race course?

theravenforce · April 2013

*Fires up her PSI cycle*

falchoin · April 2013

I got a "Race Failed" warning with over 30 seconds left on the timer. If the game is going to preemptively say I failed because I'm not using a vehicle I'd much rather it just lock me out of the race altogether instead of wasting my time.

The course takes a very sharp left between buildings at one point which is easy to miss.

I recommend giving the course a 4-5 minute timer so players without vehicles can at least complete the race and finish the mission given by Sapphire.

trailturtle · April 2013

cascadence wrote: »

Bug: I don't seem able to unmount my bike. The bike im using its not highlighted in the devices part of the UI and therefore I can't get off of it.

I've run into this sometimes after I demo record while using the bike. If I've used a be-critter or a vehicle before starting the demo record, I can't de-transform and have to re-log. Let me know if that doesn't help, it could be a different issue.

falchoin wrote: »

I got a "Race Failed" warning with over 30 seconds left on the timer. If the game is going to preemptively say I failed because I'm not using a vehicle I'd much rather it just lock me out of the race altogether instead of wasting my time.

When I was playtesting this over the weekend, this happened when I took too long to reach the first ring. It might be that the fail is for not reaching a checkpoint in time, rather than failing the race as a whole.

cascadence · April 2013

trailturtle wrote: »

I've run into this sometimes after I demo record while using the bike. If I've used a be-critter or a vehicle before starting the demo record, I can't de-transform and have to re-log. Let me know if that doesn't help, it could be a different issue.

No I wasn't demo recording, it must be a separate issue. After I return from work ill try giving it another shot and see if I can reproduce this particular bug.

kaiserin · April 2013

Managed to complete the race with the R3 mystic travel device (with 1 second to spare, woo!) I did get confused at some points as the little white dots seemed to vanish when the rings were too spread out. Not really against the tight corners as it's easily redoable.

The reward I got doesn't do anything, it says it's a device named Sky Race Completion Award with a timer on it and ??? as a description. Clicking it does nothing.

And I agree finding Sapphire was more troublesome then it needed to be. Put her on the ground or one of her lackies to point you there with a nice arrow. Also rental vehicle, not everyone wants a vehicle or flies. That or make a ground race...
...and give everyone Tronspeed >.>

lordgar · April 2013

The reward I got doesn't do anything, it says it's a device named Sky Race Completion Award with a timer on it and ??? as a description. Clicking it does nothing.

You should be able to give this to Sapphire to complete the daily mission.

lordgar · April 2013

kaizerin wrote: »

That or make a ground race...

Our tentative plan is to add a ground race in the future, but not as part of the Forum Malvanum arc.

kaiserin · April 2013

lordgar wrote: »

Our tentative plan is to add a ground race in the future, but not as part of the Forum Malvanum arc.

...But will it have Tronspeed?

crosnight · April 2013

Honestly i dont like racing but i actually found this race thing fun

quick fixes that i think should happen:

1) 5 minutes (max) inbetween races instead of 10

2) better path markers: missed 3 or 4 turns my first time round

3) make the reward spot easier to find: right now its just a tansparent platform in the sky so its easy to miss

4) more then one track: one for land racers (people without vehicles or travel powers that can travel through air).

5) disable boost on vehicles: used in the race gave quick lead: unfair advantage for vehicle users

6) increase travel power speed (if not done so already)

7) reduce the "get ready time" from the start of the open event race to when the race actually starts is around 33 seconds

kaiserin · April 2013

Costume Bugs:
You guys did that thing again where you put the costumes under every available category. This time it doesn't create too many problems, but you should remove the feet from both gender Beast Legs as it doesn't work.

Alien Gladiator Boots Female do not scale well with muscle changes.

Alien Gladiator Helmet 02 Male does not scale well at max muscle.

Alien Gladiator Gauntlets male do not scale well with any sort of muscle change.

theravenforce · April 2013

I like this, feels, something akin to Sonic/Mario racing rings etc, its pretty cool

But boy..some of those turns..dayum...

Since this is going up tomorrow I'm not going to say much but the times between races should be lessened..

And..Vehicles vs Flying Heroes..well...wings are definately outclassed here

somebob · April 2013

kaizerin wrote: »

Costume Bugs:
You guys did that thing again where you put the costumes under every available category. This time it doesn't create too many problems, but you should remove the feet from both gender Beast Legs as it doesn't work.

Alien Gladiator Boots Female do not scale well with muscle changes.

Alien Gladiator Helmet 02 Male does not scale well at max muscle.

Alien Gladiator Gauntlets male do not scale well with any sort of muscle change.

N00b mistakes again it seems. *sighs*

That said, the race is a lot of fun to run. And with the wait time as long as it is (I'm on the fence about making it shorter), you have plenty of time to run it once or twice before it actually starts. Make sure you know where all those turns are for the fastest times.

Looking forward to seeing where the event goes from here.

sistersilicon · April 2013

somebob wrote: »

And with the wait time as long as it is (I'm on the fence about making it shorter), you have plenty of time to run it once or twice before it actually starts. Make sure you know where all those turns are for the fastest times.

I think 10:00 would be OK on live, but there's bugger else to do on PTS, so a 5:00 timer would be more useful there.

And I'd definitely recommend a test run first. I missed the same sharp left Falchoin did, if we're thinking of the same one. Maybe arrows instead of dots?

crypticbuxom · April 2013

A day to test this? Cutting it closer all the time.

Didn't even notice the PTS was updated before the maintenance post for tomorrow's update.

Sapphire as hostess of the games is a nice touch thouch.

Edit:
Starting the race, while pressed against the barrier before it disappeared, instantly moved me away from the ring on the side. Could have easily botched the whole race from the start if I didn't go back to go through the starting ring.

In the same race I scored (850) but the mission didn't register as completed.

Edit 2:
Did the race again and didn't get the reward/completed again. The other participant did even though I scored higher (1050). I'm using Become Hawkwing Interceptor with Lightweight Materials 6 and Flight Computer 6 mods. I guess I'm just going TOO fast. Punished again for getting the prototypes.

If this doesn't work on live as intended, this will be the last time I test (waste my time with) anything on PTS without reward.

malvou · April 2013

10 Minute Race Cooldown is horrible.
The major catering and advantage to vehicles is totally uncool and unfair.
The blinking white lights do a poor job of dictating where you should go. I failed the race because I couldn't see them on the silver/white buildings backdrop.

"If a Malvan made this, it was a Malvan with really weird taste" made me laugh.

flyingfinn · April 2013

So, how many times the 'Event' will be postponed this time until "fixed"?

Where do the costume parts drop?

kaiserin · April 2013

flyingfinn wrote: »

So, how many times the 'Event' will be postponed this time until "fixed"?

Where do the costume parts drop?

Reward from the flying race thingy.

flamingbunnyman · April 2013

kaizerin wrote: »

Also rental vehicle, not everyone wants a vehicle or flies.

If you own at least one vehicle, and at least one base to pass it around with, your characters can borrow each other's vehicles to run the race.

crosnight · April 2013

still the exessive timer time

i really dont wanna wait around 10 mins just for a minute race

gave credit for the race to people who didnt even paticipate in the race apperently also

crypticbuxom · April 2013

crypticbuxom wrote: »

If this doesn't work on live as intended, this will be the last time I test (waste my time with) anything on PTS without reward.

And there we go.

Should have put this up on PTS and worked on the bugs on Monday at the latest.

selphea · April 2013

Reposting from General Discussion for visibility:

Queue for Sky Command to pick up a hoverdisk. It should pop with 1 player in queue.

gamehobo · April 2013

selphea wrote: »

Reposting from General Discussion for visibility:

Queue for Sky Command to pick up a hoverdisk. It should pop with 1 player in queue.

Using bugs to exploit content? They should nerf all Hover Disks.. oh wait.. that's just confuses.

crypticbuxom · April 2013

Actually they nerfed vehicles too. Their speed to be more specific. (Yeah and its gonna happen again to make them work for the races.) We can call this Nerf Online or Remove Content Onine.

Or Champions Online: Reloaded (with blanks)

manwholaughs · April 2013

CRYPTIC

Give us the ability to customize our vehicle's color, or you might as well just drop updating the vehicle system period!

keikomyst · April 2013

manwholaughs wrote: »

CRYPTIC

Give us the ability to customize our vehicle's color, or you might as well just drop updating the vehicle system period!

Hear, hear!

enixonbb · April 2013

Oh don't worry if Vehicles are like any of the other new things I'm sure they'll be completely forgotten once the next new shiny comes out, never to be touched again. *looks over at the Nem system, hideouts, and Comic Series/Adventure Packs and sighs*

But in all seriousness as much as I'd want vehicles with color customization I really doubt they would at this point because so many have come out already it seems kinda clear they're betting on people shelling out for new colors and such. Basically hoping people will buy a tank or whatever, then maybe buy more as more appealingly colored ones come out.
For example one of my Toons got a Raptor bike, but now the Wild Eagle is out and dang it if it doesn't match her colors better than a Raptor, so now I'm pretty tempted to get the new bike, luckily I'm poor so this hasn't happened yet :biggrin:. If I could change my current bikes color this wouldn't happen.

Also there's the whole "oh if we did that now, it'd be unfair to everyone who bought a specific vehicle just for it's color" angle. Seriously there is no bloody reason for the Snow Leopard to cost 1800 other than testing to see if people will shell out for colors.

also I feel the need to remind everyone of this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaxRu8pTFIE

Now I know the above involves so wonky command line...stuff and that currently the tech wouldn't let them save color changes to devices or something like that, but dang I can't help but think that if the vehicles were made last year, when we actually had devs *shakes fist at Neverwinter* man the vehicles probably WOULD of had the Star Trek Online's ships level of customization level that was talked about before.

I think that's what saddens me the most, the fact that because they were made NOW the vehicles will more than likely always suck

soulforger · April 2013

I'm just waiting to see what the next update will be.

crypticbuxom · April 2013

Changing the vehicle's color existed on the PTS before the vehicles beyond the prototypes came out.

The problem was that it was a mistake on part of the devs by either being too incompetent with programming or they were told not to since people wouldn't buy as many to get that specific look they wanted without spending money for multiple vehicles.

theravenforce · April 2013

soulforger wrote: »

I'm just waiting to see what the next update will be.

Most likely in this order:

1) Next Stage of New Story Arc + Set to LIVE

2) Following Stages of New Story Arc + Set to LIVE

3) End of Story Arc + Set to LIVE

4) Aura discussion and ideas

5) Implementation on PTS

6) Tweaking of Implementations

7) Auras released on LIVE

8) Telepathy Discussion

9) Telepathy put on PTS

10) Telepathy removed from PTS with no warning or word as to why. Never to be seen again

I'm not psychic or anything but I'mma mark this post hard, if anything like this happens, especially the last 3

crypticbuxom · April 2013

theravenforce wrote: »

Most likely in this order:

1) Next Stage of New Story Arc + Set to LIVE

Already up!

2) Following Stages of New Story Arc + Set to LIVE

Something that takes ten minutes.

3) End of Story Arc + Set to LIVE

The arena.

4) Aura discussion and ideas

You mean they will be shown and there will be no discussion we could input that would change how they function. At least by this point.

5) Implementation on PTS

Won't be able to test since you have to farm for it or transfer keys to PTS. Unless they did it right.

6) Tweaking of Implementations

We'll get 2 hours to test this version. Unless this step was skipped.

7) Auras released on LIVE

Version Possible: We'll enjoy that until we realize how much money it will cost to get just one of the pieces we want.

Version What we want: We'll enjoy it as much as we enjoy making our character outfits. Forever.

8) Telepathy Discussion

Start from scratch.

9) Telepathy put on PTS

Readded because it was "found".

10) Telepathy removed from PTS with no warning or word as to why. Never to be seen again

Oh I see what you did there.

Added responses based on track record of Cryptic.

gamehobo · April 2013

crypticbuxom wrote: »

Added responses based on track record of Cryptic.

After all the work I put into the telepathy pass (except for the Manifestations) .. After all the money they got from me for me for said pass.. To start it from scratch would truly be a salt in a deep and ugly wound.

theravenforce · April 2013

gamehobo wrote: »

After all the work I put into the telepathy pass (except for the Manifestations) .. After all the money they got from me for me for said pass.. To start it from scratch would truly be a salt in a deep and ugly wound.

Ditto, I may not have spent as much money as some, but I have supported this game even as a Silver player, I bought ALL the ATs apart from Fist,Void and Scourge, I managed a gold account on another account, then went gold on my Silver account then went LTS specifically FOR telepathy..and I am still spending on the game occassionally.

skcark · April 2013

You shouldn't have bothered wasting your money to show support because of the telepathy builds anyway. If they ever do release it, it'll be locked behind a lockbox that you'll spend over $500 to get even a fraction of the entire telepathy set. and even then it might only be unlocked for your current character that unlocked it so you'll be screwed because because you can't make a new character with it.

Think i'm basing this off nothing? Look at the new Become, Gladiator. All becomes in the paste were never bind on equip, and could be traded back and forth if you no longer want it, or wish to use on another character. Now you have to get a new Become Gladiator, for every character you want to have one Because it's bind on equip. so that's about $50-$100 per become if you take the gamble, added by the amount of characters you want.

It's completely nuts.

crypticbuxom · April 2013

The thing that sucks though is that when(if) the new Telepathy comes out the people who really wanted it had already spent the money to build around it. So the numbers they look at which determines if sales had increased because of it won't show. Then more sets will be even less likely.

theravenforce · April 2013

theravenforce wrote: »

Most likely in this order:

1) Next Stage of New Story Arc + Set to LIVE

2) Following Stages of New Story Arc + Set to LIVE

3) End of Story Arc + Set to LIVE

4) Aura discussion and ideas

5) Implementation on PTS

6) Tweaking of Implementations

7) Auras released on LIVE

8) Telepathy Discussion

9) Telepathy put on PTS

10) Telepathy removed from PTS with no warning or word as to why. Never to be seen again

I'm not psychic or anything but I'mma mark this post hard, if anything like this happens, especially the last 3

I've already stated above exactly what will happen, but I forgot to add a couple of stages:

11) A new revision of Telepathy is brought forward, starting from scratch/base, with a new less effective or meaningful take on the powerset is produced and brought to LIVE

12) Play testing is very minimal as players who supported the previous version HATE the new version and are appauled at the current "new" telepathy, which consists of low level control powers such as snares, roots and largely focuses on debuffs, which have a short duration and do not work on anything above Enforcer level, and do not proc Manipulator.

13) An increase in apathy towards this new Telepathy is detected and this signals for the set to be brought to LIVE

14) It is concluded that the Telepathy Pass went ahead as planned. The case of Telepathy: A history of Mistreatment and Strife vs Cryptic is closed.

My challenge here to the Development Team is to prove me wrong.

theravenforce · April 2013

crypticbuxom wrote: »

The thing that sucks though is that when(if) the new Telepathy comes out the people who really wanted it had already spent the money to build around it. So the numbers they look at which determines if sales had increased because of it won't show. Then more sets will be even less likely.

Then it would be a MASSIVE fail on their part, I mean, even harder than they have so far with Telepathy.

I'm pretty sure the player base would erupt on any OTHER powerset they held back for so long, improvements wise.

I'd be pretty suprised if they announced they'll be looking at more sets and then think that the player base will allow Telepathy-Update-Style garbage to fly without getting really angry.

And the MORE I think about it, I can see myself having to run around for lockboxes called "Mentus Updatus Telepathium Lockboxes" and spending RL money to get a chance to score for the telepathy update, and even then, it may cause issues like making the character inaccessible after unlocking the powerset, like Night Warrior AT did when they released it.

skcark · April 2013

theravenforce wrote: »

Then it would be a MASSIVE fail on their part, I mean, even harder than they have so far with Telepathy.

I'm pretty sure the player base would erupt on any OTHER powerset they held back for so long, improvements wise.

I'd be pretty suprised if they announced they'll be looking at more sets and then think that the player base will allow Telepathy-Update-Style garbage to fly without getting really angry.

And the MORE I think about it, I can see myself having to run around for lockboxes called "Mentus Updatus Telepathium Lockboxes" and spending RL money to get a chance to score for the telepathy update, and even then, it may cause issues like making the character inaccessible after unlocking the powerset, like Night Warrior AT did when they released it.

So, kinda what i said too then?

Moral of the story, don't give cryptic funding support untill they actually EARN it. otherwise you'll find you gave support for a feature that IF they ever release, will charge you 10 times what you already paid to "show support"

jedite2012 · April 2013

Any news on anything new?
the ring race was pointless and useless, even after release it was still buggy

It seems there is only 5 people left working in CO who just brainstorm useless ideas "hey lets waste money and create a race that will only be available for a short while, then lets go on a holiday because we deserve it"

Then we hear nothing new for months

Me: "can you please expand the nemesis system or release a new map?"

Developers: " Sorry we are not going to waste our money on a pointless thing by expanding the nemesis system" Well that is my word, there word is like "We have no future plans to expand the nemesis system"

FC.31.20130319.7 PTS Update

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