FC.31.20130824.11 PTS Update

lordgar · October 2013

This build is scheduled to hit PTS at 6pm PST, 10/1/2013

Greetings!

This patch continues our bug-fix drive. It doesn't have any updates to the diminishing returns curve changes from our last PTS build, however we will be making adjustments in a future build. Please continue to discuss those changes in the Preview Changes thread and use this one to discuss any new bugs you discover in FC.31.20130824.11.

Release Notes:

Missions:

There And Bat Again (UNITY version): Foxbat will now let you turn in the mission when you're done.

Alerts:

Rewards:

Grab Alerts now reward XP and an XP buff
Smash Alerts now reward Resources and a Resources buff
Grab's XP award is slightly lower than the former Smash award at low levels, but the XP buff has been increased from 15% to 20%

Availability:

The topmost Alert is a randomly selected Grab (XP), available to characters level 10+
The second Alert is a randomly selected Burst (Mods), available to characters level 15+
The third Alert is a randomly selected Smash (Resources), available to characters level 20+
Custom Alerts now have a minimum level of 20+

Costumes:

We have added costume scale sliders for insect and butterfly wings. The sliders area is now scrollable.

Misc:

Alerts featuring Hrodgeir the Unending were missing an image from their information UI. Fixed.

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

Please stay on topic in this PTS thread. We use bug reports from this thread to decide whether a PTS build is ready to go live, and so we need to make sure we're seeing everything in it. Please do discuss the changes, but if you find yourself writing about something that isn't specific to what's on PTS, then that should probably go elsewhere.

In particular, do not report bugs from the live game in this thread, unless they are impacted by changes in the PTS build.

theravenforce · October 2013

These are good changes...might cause a little ruckus..but I like them.

megaskullmon · October 2013

Hmm if you could. you see what Sto did with their Stfs? Could you make getting to the Alerts that way put them in catgories maybe?

tdits · October 2013

And this is why I am not worried about the Dodge/Avoid changes. You guys know what you're doing.

drgmstr · October 2013

theravenforce wrote: »

These are good changes...might cause a little ruckus..but I like them.

What changes ever not cause a ruckus? I do agree, loving the attention we are getting from our new devs. Keep up the good work!

roughbearmattach · October 2013

Why change the meaning of Smash and Grab for alerts?

theravenforce · October 2013

roughbearmattach wrote: »

Why change the meaning of Smash and Grab for alerts?

Smash villains for money and Grab the XP and run?

roughbearmattach · October 2013

This change will cause a lot of confusion in the first several days. What will be the benefit?

theravenforce · October 2013

Regarding Wings:

- General Scaling for females, wings are still originating on the outer parts of the shoulder blade making them almost overlap when enlarged, moving further away from the norm.

Can we get them aligned to the middle of the back like normal in all cases?

It looks very weird..

tdits · October 2013

roughbearmattach wrote: »

Why change the meaning of Smash and Grab for alerts?

While it is a bit odd that the meaning has been reversed, it makes sense from a gameplay perspective:

Grabs are generally easier than SMASHes, so they should give XP since lower level toons have a better chance of completing them.

Smashes are generally the toughest alerts, so they should give resources to give level 40s a reason to do them.

theravenforce · October 2013

Regarding There and Bat Again:

- Is it possible to allow re-entry into that instance to allow people to turn in the mission?

I followed wiki advice to leave and try and re-enter and I am unable to both on LIVE and PTS, therefore I am stuck on that part of UNITY 2. (I followed advice before this fix came to PTS)

Allowing two instances of Juryrig's Garage would solve this:

Juryrig's Garage (normal)

Juryrig's Garage (There And Bat Again)* <-- would only pop up if mission has either been completed but not turned in to Foxbat (like in my case) or if you are still to do the mission.

p0temk1n · October 2013

Level gated alerts. Freaking finally.

towershield · October 2013

p0temk1n wrote: »

Level gated alerts. Freaking finally.

I'm mirroring this sentiment because I was going to say the same thing word for word myself.

biffsmackwell · October 2013

roughbearmattach wrote: »

This change will cause a lot of confusion in the first several days. What will be the benefit?

As pointed out to me by somebob, Smash alerts are pretty quick, usually around 2 minutes. That makes farming money easier.

Grab alerts are easier as there's no timer to them (the only way to lose is to be so low level that you constantly wipe at the boss).

People will complain less about lowbies in XP alerts, and high level players will be able to quickly farm money.

I really like these changes and think they're pretty clever.

variatas · October 2013

These changes look pretty good. Finally some attention to the horrible clipping wings have on the female model. That's only been a problem since... ever.

Level Gated Alerts are a good idea, IMO, as is switching the XP reward to the non-failable Grab. This will probably substantially reduce the aggravation of people trying to level via them. (Though Grabs being much longer than Smashes will slow Alert-leveling, that's probably a good thing. Hopefully the bigger buff will make the numbers sync up a bit, and also encourage other sources of XP, like Open World missions.)

theravenforce · October 2013

Regarding Level Gating of Alerts and switching of Alert types:

- To avoid misinformation, update ON ALERT panels of information correcting the statement of GRAB = Resource and SMASH = XP

- Also a general update of the ON ALERT information pages regarding Alerts would be in order since they are being level gated now (YAY!)

cheesesloppy · October 2013

The way I see it, it's like this.

From a level 40 perspective, this change means that you can take your SUPERAMAZING2GMJAPOMSPECIALSNOWFLAKE build and rolfstomp Smashes, for quick n' dirty resources in under 3 minutes. Perhaps even under one minute. GRABS on the other hand, you don't get that big resource boost, but you at least still get some from all the mobs you have to defeat up until the boss. Meanwhile, BURSTS sit comfortably in the middle.

I would make BURSTS the level 10 alert because they're generally a lot easier because of the power boost, but that's just me. All in all, I am very comfortable with this change.

cptcooltastic · October 2013

lordgar wrote: »

This build is scheduled to hit PTS at 6pm PST, 10/1/2013

Alerts:
Rewards:

Grab Alerts now reward XP and an XP buff

Smash Alerts now reward Resources and a Resources buff

Grab's XP award is slightly lower than the former Smash award at low levels, but the XP buff has been increased from 15% to 20%

Availability:

The topmost Alert is a randomly selected Grab (XP), available to characters level 10+

The second Alert is a randomly selected Burst (Mods), available to characters level 15+

The third Alert is a randomly selected Smash (Resources), available to characters level 20+

Custom Alerts now have a minimum level of 20+

NICE!! I've suggested this a few times and I'm glad to see it finally come to light.

You guys really knocked it out of the park on this one. Love how you have it all set up. I just have a couple minor adjustments that you might want to think over.

1) Shouldn't we increase the Resources Reward for Smash Alerts a bit? Had second thoughts, NvM this one.

2) There are FAR to many Custom Alerts currently to keep them locked behind even a WEEKLY rotation(which was shortened from 2 weeks.) We now have to wait MONTHS to be able to farm for drops from these special Alerts, and HOPE we get what we're looking for within a weeks time.

I was GOING to suggest setting these to a DAILY Rotation, but I'd like to take it a bit further. Can we please add ALL Custom Alerts to the Alert Tab where Sky Command is currently sitting all alone? You guys spend all this time making these things and we hardly get to play them. Cybermind's Alert was the end to an Event and we only got to play it for ONE WEEK out of what... 2 months now?

kallethen · October 2013

cheesesloppy wrote: »

I would make BURSTS the level 10 alert because they're generally a lot easier because of the power boost, but that's just me. All in all, I am very comfortable with this change.

I think it makes sense to have the Burst Alerts at the mid tier (lvl 15+) because that's about when you start getting slotted gear. The Burst Alerts will help start the gathering of mods.

biffsmackwell · October 2013

cptcooltastic wrote: »

NICE!! I've suggested this a few times and I'm glad to see it finally come to light.

You guys really knocked it out of the park on this one. Love how you have it all set up. I just have a couple minor adjustments that you might want to think over.

1) Shouldn't we increase the Resources Reward for Smash Alerts a bit?

2) There are FAR to many Custom Alerts currently to keep them locked behind even a WEEKLY rotation(which was shortened from 2 weeks.) We now have to wait MONTHS to be able to farm for drops from these special Alerts, and HOPE we get what we're looking for within a weeks time.

I was GOING to suggest setting these to a DAILY Rotation, but I'd like to take it a bit further. Can we please add ALL Custom Alerts to the Alert Tab where Sky Command is currently sitting all alone? You guys spend all this time making these things and we hardly get to play them. Cybermind's Alert was the end to an Event and we only got to play it for ONE WEEK out of what... 2 months now?

1 - It should already be "falsely" increased, since you can do Smashes fairly quickly and with zero 19-and-under players.

2 - I had an idea a while back, where a level 40 player would unlock a second Custom Alert slot, which would serve up the previous week's Custom Alert. However, I'm not sure if this is feasible because of the nature of having to put these on rotation. This means that your next suggestion wouldn't work. From what we've been told, they can only have one of these things running at a time.

quasimojo1 · October 2013

This change to alerts makes a lot of sense. Good job.

I'd like to suggest the addition of a rotating alert button for a random Hero Game. I'm not even a very big PvP'er, but it seems like another common sense kind of change that shouldn't be a lot of effort.

sigmaseven0 · October 2013

These are long needed changes.
In addition to these changes, if you some how introduce justice gear without alienating ppl with legion gear and fix dodge/crit without crippling them i would be quite impressed.

Please consider giving PVP some kind of reward like:
1. A questionite daily mission, for queueing for pvp.
2. Some kind of way to get justice gear in through pvp.

If all of the above was accomplished then most of the damage that the "on alert patch did to pvp and pve would be fixed.

Could Cryptic North be the ones to save us from the half finished "On Alert" patch?

cptcooltastic · October 2013

biffsmackwell wrote: »

1 - It should already be "falsely" increased, since you can do Smashes fairly quickly and with zero 19-and-under players.

2 - I had an idea a while back, where a level 40 player would unlock a second Custom Alert slot, which would serve up the previous week's Custom Alert. However, I'm not sure if this is feasible because of the nature of having to put these on rotation. This means that your next suggestion wouldn't work. From what we've been told, they can only have one of these things running at a time.

1) Yeah, I didn't think that one all the way through. Your right, a bunch of high level characters running much shorter Smash Alerts should make the Resources Reward just fine as is.

At the same time, I now have to think if Grab Alerts(which take a bit longer, and will still have lower level characters playing them) should be hit with a reduced Xp Reward or not?

2) I did not know this, and it kind of sucks to hear. I hope they can figure out some way to let us play these things more often. Especially when ALL of the Content we seem to get ends up having a Custom Alert Finale, this is just going to become an increasing issue. Would a 1-3 Day Rotation work you think?

Might be time to at least start making some new Rampages for a while instead. *shrug*

fudgemonsta · October 2013

I'm not usually an image responder but this pretty much summarized my feelings :

Unknown · October 2013

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Unknown · October 2013

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theravenforce · October 2013

cptcooltastic wrote: »

Might be time to at least start making some new Rampages for a while instead. *shrug*

#MentonRampage

#GrondRampage

Just saying....

Unknown · October 2013

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gerberatetra · October 2013

theravenforce wrote: »

#MentonRampage

#GrondRampage

Just saying....

Cosmic Alert Events

No, we can find these guys and fight them when we want, lets get THESE big bads out there..

Wait wait... stay on topic, stay on topic..

Wings-

the wing slider seems to work well, there is some odd clipping with the top part of the Insect Airfoil but that's fine, we'll live i think

kemmicals · October 2013

fudgemonsta wrote: »

I'm not usually an image responder but this pretty much summarized my feelings :

I don't either, but this mirrors my sentiments pretty well:
%255BOver-Time%255D_Kamen_Rider_OOO_-_24SD_%255BC81997F7%255D.avi_snapshot_05.51_%255B2011.03.01_22.05.41%255D.jpg

%255BOver-Time%255D_Kamen_Rider_OOO_-_24SD_%255BC81997F7%255D.avi_snapshot_05.51_%255B2011.03.01_22.05.41%255D.jpg

... Yes, even the subtitles.

cptcooltastic · October 2013

gradii wrote: »

menton rampage? thats gotta be worse than rakshasa, I can imagine all the aggro wipes, holds, and all kindsa annoying stuff he would have.

MASS CONFUSION!!!

Target lock is broken while ALL Allies are transformed into Menton's image and become attackable. LoL. Oh the humanity!

PS: Sorry for getting kind of off topic there.

nbkxs · October 2013

Bug: Missing vehicle models
When it happens: When I get on a vehicle that has a dynamic character model.
What happens: The bike/chariots just vanish completely.

I'm not sure if this was just a bug with this particular, recent update. But now; every time I get on my bikes/chariots with a particular outfit on. The bike/chariot model just vanishes completely. It returns when I change costumes. I believe it seems to be caused by the new shadows waist cape.

Thanks!

XS

crypticbuxom · October 2013

Its possible that its entirely tailor related with the new changes coming.

BTW, testing would be easier to perform if we knew what the point of it was? No updates to PTS since this despite players within minutes finding out that Dodge got the shiv and that Justice gear lets players perform damage on Burst Alert levels.

shadowzero66 · October 2013

So...

1. We'll be running a bank robbery Alert for XP instead of resources now? I'm not sure if that's more appropriate or less appropriate...
2. Having one of each Alert always available will make the daily alert mission, particularly "Burst Day", easier... even if it's usually Ao'Q or Cimetiere that pops up. Can we expand the range of villains that appear for Burst Alerts? I don't think I've ever seen a Foxbat or Nemesis Burst Alert. While I'm at this, can we distribute the appearance of villains more equally? Hrodgeir the Unending and Drakonis appear much more often than Rakshasa and Mechassassin.
3. Alerts are gated at Lv10. I suspect the number may have something to do with PWE's "unlock stuff at Lv10" policy for their games, but was there a more mechanical reason for this number? The most popular number cited as a suggestion was Lv15 since that's when characters get their second secondary superstat and that's the approximate level after finishing the Westside Arc (assuming no other sources of XP like adventure packs and comic series).

Unknown · October 2013

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flamingbunnyman · October 2013

I don't have access to a second account that can get on Test, and I don't kniw if I'd be able to coordinate with anyone else, so if someone could test this, it woukd be great.

What happens when a level 40 teams with a level 6-9 and tries to queue for an Alert?

rebelscum58 · October 2013

Personally I would've swapped smash and burst rather than smash and grab. Burst alerts conceptually just make more sense to me than grab does for giving an xp buff.

That said, making the xp alert anything in which being low level isn't a liability is a good plan. Though, I'm not sure about the level 10 minimum. It's a good idea, sure, but I'm already long since sick of killing Kevin Poe on every new alt I make. Can we have some new low level content, please?

secksegai · October 2013

These changes have been needed since release, better late than never.

Would recommend a starting level requirement of 30 in custom alerts. While not a big deal for some, Warlord and Cybermind in particular stand out since they can be problematic even at 40.

sekimen · October 2013

I love these changes.

fudgemonsta · October 2013

flamingbunnyman wrote: »

I don't have access to a second account that can get on Test, and I don't kniw if I'd be able to coordinate with anyone else, so if someone could test this, it woukd be great.

What happens when a level 40 teams with a level 6-9 and tries to queue for an Alert?

Likely to be the same situation that happens if a 35+ toon teams with a less-then-35 toon and queue's up Gravitar.

Only the people eligible will be queue'd.

meedacthunist · October 2013

Thank you Cryptic.

Those Alert changes are lovely.

Also. Is there any chance in the future for waist (already existin one is rather hip width slider) for female models, or general size slider for more backpieces?

Or using "static" stance from tailor as a stance available for female models?

Anyway, those listed in OP are great changes, much needed!

eiledon · October 2013

With reference to my post from previous build update thread: previous bug report

Bug: Wing Slider - No Effect on Certain Wing Types - Yay! Thanks for the new sliders.I presume internal mechanics have necessitated seperate sliders for each wing type. This being the case I think the first "Wings" slider should be renamed "Boned Wings" in light of the wing types affected having a more skeletal structure.

As noted in posts above, adding an additional slider for the remaining "Fixed Backpieces" would certainly be a very nice addition and would certainly add a further level of customisation to backpacks etc.

Bug: Tail Sliders - Bird Tail Clipping/Sizing
Where it happens: Tailor
What happens:
1. Setting Both Sliders to Max with Bird Tails/Rear Piece causes top of tail piece to break beyond the width of the characters waist. If possible SCALE sizing on this piece should affect the lower edge of the object only to create different kite shapes.

2. Setting SCALE slider to maximum and LENGTH to Minimum causes Bird Tail to Clip through character buttocks area.

Notes:Tested on both male and female characters. Added Screenshots.

Bug: Tail Sliders - Fin Tail Clipping
Where it happens: Tailor
What happens: Setting SCALE slider to maximum and LENGTH to Minimum causes the fin portions of the following Tails to clip through characters body when characters in Upright poses due to animation motion: Fin, Fin Duo, Fin Large, Fin Duo Large. Also somewhat affects the Spiked Tails to a lesser degree that is possibly acceptable to most players.

Bug: Female "Boned Wings" - Misalignment
Where it happens: Tailor
What happens: On Female characters, due to their generally slighter build, "Boned Wings" such as bird, dragon etc appear to be connected much further from the centre of the back than on male characters. This in conjunction with the new sliders can cause unwanted effects where wings appear to bulge from shoulders rather than back. Solution 1 - Amend Connection point for female wings of above type to be nearer the spine. Solution 2 - Add Sliders to allow lateral and vertical positioning for wings. Lateral Slider would be a symmetrical shift within a small range left to right. e.g if left wing is moved towards centre of back, right wing also move toward centre of back.

chaelk · October 2013

regarding the alert changes,

icons- smash is yellow xp,
grab is red spot

please remember if you haven't already to change it to a yellow spot and red xp

riverocean · October 2013

quasimojo1 wrote: »

This change to alerts makes a lot of sense. Good job.

I'd like to suggest the addition of a rotating alert button for a random Hero Game. I'm not even a very big PvP'er, but it seems like another common sense kind of change that shouldn't be a lot of effort.

I'm not a PvP'r either and I tihnk this makes sense. Finding the PvP queue is confusing for new players. one of the reasons I think Alerts are so popular is that they are right in your face when you start gaming. Maybe adding a rotating slot for PvP instances wouldn't be bad either?

chaelk · October 2013

Tail slider-
fox-- max size, min length,

gives a rather nauseating blob affect.

Like you have an alien attached to your rear

Bunny tail- max size

free floating and not actually attached

max size- min length and it is a smear on their back

Sorry I couldn't get the first picture better. my computer slows right down on PTS.

Unknown · October 2013

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canadascott · October 2013

Looks good on first glance. Thanks!

In the larger issue of the early game, I'd make the Canada and Desert crises accessible at L6 and scale down the first few early mission chains (and give the player three options for early game open world content), but that's a lot more work than what you've done or likely want to do. (I think it's probably worth doing, along with a Project Awakening size lair for Wayland Talos at L11-13; Ravenforce suggested doing a "Queen City" style pre-MI crisis visit to MI, with Moreau mutating animals; a small map with 4-5 missions could be a fun way to help bridge any perceived content gap at L16-18).

And while we're at it, how about a mission that introduces Redstone so he's a bit of a bigger deal when you actually meet him? Perhaps you're invited to a (sabotaged) VIPER briefing inside inside Steelhead with Derringer, reusing the environment from Whiteout, where the player gets a briefing on VIPER in general, detailing nasty agent types, and introduces Redstone and Mechaniste as VIPER's two chief operatives in Canada. (Make it a cutscene, but skippable). This will make VIPER seem like a bigger deal in general.

Also, this is probably off-topic for here, but.... is there any chance that we can get an emblem size slider? And placement options for center chest, top right chest, top left chest, center torso, left torso, right torso?

theravenforce · October 2013

gradii wrote: »

now that we are seeing costume improvements, can we get the SOCRATES belt on females modified to better fit a woman's waistline? looks a bit off currently.

^ This, it doesn't seem to work well, at first I thought it was because the stance was weird but at any angle/hip size it doesn't sit right at all.

beldin · October 2013

gradii wrote: »

I think the ones that start at lvl10 are the untimed ones you can just zerg... so it shouldn't be an issue. this also keeps the option to skip parts of westside open, the tedium of those missions over and Over and OVER is insane.

rebelscum58 wrote: »

Though, I'm not sure about the level 10 minimum. It's a good idea, sure, but I'm already long since sick of killing Kevin Poe on every new alt I make. Can we have some new low level content, please?

They should really just revert Canada back to level 6 since i always have leveled there and just started to use alerts with lvl 6 when the only choice left was Westside :redface:

Unknown · October 2013

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flamingbunnyman · October 2013

gradii wrote: »

why not just make a new zone comprised of only sewer instances, for all us sewer heroes? it could be UNDER westside :biggrin:

Sewer Run LF 3 more. Meet at Ms Liberty!

FC.31.20130824.11 PTS Update

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