Even MORE free trial stuff.

[Llava]

Valentine's Day promotional, 14 day free trial of City of Villains.

Do you love City of Heroes® and City of Villains™? Spread the love with a free 14 day trial for City of Villains™. Give the trial to a friend or, if you haven’t yet, give City of Villains™a spin yourself and see if it really is love at first sight. Simply forward this email with the 14 day trial serial code found below to someone who will activate it before February 22, 2006.

But wait, there’s more! If the recipient of your free trial purchases and activates City of Villains™ any time before March 12, 2006, 8:59pm PST/11:59pm EST, both you and your friend will get two unique in-game costume items to honor this new commitment. The Victory Laurel and Hellenic Sandals (all players can win the Patrician Toga during the Valentine event) will be added to your costume options!

Haven't gotten my code yet, but if anyone wants to give it a spin let us know in this thread, I'm sure plenty of people will be happy to accomodate you.

[schild]

It also seems old accounts were reactivated. But can I be bothered to reinstall. Hmmm.

[Morfiend]

I would love to try a free trial of CoV. I have been considering buying it, maybe this would push me one way or the other.

[Raging Turtle]

I've been waiting for a free CoV trial.  So if someone has a spare....  :-D 

[Velorath]

Well I just ordered CoV from Amazon the other day, so if anyone has one of these free trial codes and wants to get the costume items for getting someone to sign up, I'll take one.

[Llava]

For some reason, it ain't giving me a code.  There's a page you can go to if you didn't get the email, and it tells me "No serial code could be found for your account."

So... if I ever get one, I'll put it up.

[Raging Turtle]

Got a code.  Thanks to the person who passed it along! 

Edit:  Can anyone tell me where to download the client?  I'll keep searching the site but no luck so far.

[Trippy]

Got a code.  Thanks to the person who passed it along! 

Edit:  Can anyone tell me where to download the client?  I'll keep searching the site but no luck so far.

ftp://client.coh.com/US

[Raging Turtle]

Does that include CoV as well?

[Trippy]

Does that include CoV as well?

Oops, no it doesn't. Try this one:

ftp://ftp.cityofvillains.com/client/US/

[Raging Turtle]

Does that include CoV as well?

Oops, no it doesn't. Try this one:

ftp://ftp.cityofvillains.com/client/US/

Much thanks

[Murgos]

I would like to check out the trial so if there is an extra trial key around let me know.  There is ZERO chance of me actually starting another account though so if you really want the sandals then give your trial key to someone else.

[Velorath]

I would like to check out the trial so if there is an extra trial key around let me know.  There is ZERO chance of me actually starting another account though so if you really want the sandals then give your trial key to someone else.

You don't actually start up another account.  If you end up buying CoV you just upgrade you CoH account with the CoV key.

[waylander]

If anyone starts up on the Freedom Server drop me a line at www.lotd.org. I like CoV because of the fast leveling and no stupid item grind.  PVP is pretty fun and easy to learn if you've played any PVP game like DAOC, WoW, etc.

[Alkiera]

If anyone starts up on the Freedom Server drop me a line at www.lotd.org. I like CoV because of the fast leveling and no stupid item grind.  PVP is pretty fun and easy to learn if you've played any PVP game like DAOC, WoW, etc.

Come talk to me about grinds when you hit 35+.

Alkiera

[waylander]

I've got a 39 stalker, 37 corruptor, and 35 mastermind.  CoV newspaper missions rock for fast missions and fast leveling provided you go about it correctly.

[Alkiera]

I've got a 39 stalker, 37 corruptor, and 35 mastermind.  CoV newspaper missions rock for fast missions and fast leveling provided you go about it correctly.

Ah, you're just starting to hit the really grindy levels... where mission after mission of same same same and no new powers, not new nothing.  Maybe a slot or two on a power, which increases some aspect of a power by 3%.

My scrapper was 44, 45, 46, something like that.  I just couldn't take it anymore, and quit playing.

Alkiera

[Nebu]

Ah, you're just starting to hit the really grindy levels... where mission after mission of same same same and no new powers, not new nothing.  Maybe a slot or two on a power, which increases some aspect of a power by 3%.

My scrapper was 44, 45, 46, something like that.  I just couldn't take it anymore, and quit playing.

You mean it gets worse?  I cancelled after getting a couple of toons to the mid 30's thinking it was getting painful. 

[Llava]

I've got a 39 stalker, 37 corruptor, and 35 mastermind.  CoV newspaper missions rock for fast missions and fast leveling provided you go about it correctly.

Ah, you're just starting to hit the really grindy levels... where mission after mission of same same same and no new powers, not new nothing.  Maybe a slot or two on a power, which increases some aspect of a power by 3%.

My scrapper was 44, 45, 46, something like that.  I just couldn't take it anymore, and quit playing.

Alkiera

Overstate just a bit much?

You get 3 slots per level at that point, and a single origin increases an aspect of a power by about 33%, or 20%, depending on which aspect.

Even Training Enhancements are like 9%.

At that point, power synergy and stuff really begin to take effect, and you can fill out your build to make what you envisioned.  The levels are long, yes, too long, but it's not like you express where you see OMG NO PROGRESS AT ALL.

[Alkiera]

[Overstate just a bit much?

You get 3 slots per level at that point, and a single origin increases an aspect of a power by about 33%, or 20%, depending on which aspect.

Even Training Enhancements are like 9%.

At that point, power synergy and stuff really begin to take effect, and you can fill out your build to make what you envisioned.  The levels are long, yes, too long, but it's not like you express where you see OMG NO PROGRESS AT ALL.

No, you fail to understand the mathematics of compounding enhancements.
'sword attack' does 100 damage.
Add an SO, it now does 133 damage.
Add a 2nd, it now does 166 damage.
Add a 3rd, it now does 199 damage.
Yes, each one is 33% enhancement, but they add less and less to the total, so that the last one is less than a 20% improvement over the previous ones.  And with the changes in CoV and in CoH at the release of CoV, it's even less, as every enhancement after the second(for SOs) that has the same type of modifier does less than it would normally.

Even under the previous system, the 5th damage SO in this case is only a 14% improvement.  Under the CoV system, everything past the 3rd is a complete waste of effort.  "But, but, you can put more than one kind of enhancer in a power" Yes and no.  There is something to be gained by mixing things up, especially under the new system.  But the true variance in possibilities offered by a powerset are reduced since you can't force a pwoer to being slow but very damaging, or less damage but very fast... you round off all the highs and lows so everything is, as a music teacher once put it, 'metzo-blah'.

But yes, especially after 40, the levels are MUCH too long, and you get too little for them.  Your character's core abilities are set, there isn't much at the top end to really change gameplay for most characters except in very minor ways.

And then there's the continuing forces of Statesman regarding your last paragraph about synergies and 'build what you envision'.  If what you envision doesn't include a few other heroes with titles like 'Tank', 'healer/defender', and 'damage', at least on the CoH side.  It better also include a lot of resistance to 'more of the same-itis', which was worn out of me by EQ1, DAoC, etc.

Alkiera

[Trippy]

Ah, you're just starting to hit the really grindy levels... where mission after mission of same same same and no new powers, not new nothing.  Maybe a slot or two on a power, which increases some aspect of a power by 3%.

My scrapper was 44, 45, 46, something like that.  I just couldn't take it anymore, and quit playing.

Overstate just a bit much?

You get 3 slots per level at that point, and a single origin increases an aspect of a power by about 33%, or 20%, depending on which aspect.

Even Training Enhancements are like 9%.

At that point, power synergy and stuff really begin to take effect, and you can fill out your build to make what you envisioned.  The levels are long, yes, too long, but it's not like you express where you see OMG NO PROGRESS AT ALL.

In addition to what Alkiera said above me about ED by the time you get to around 40 all your "bread and butter" powers are already 6 slotted so even if the new slots you add aren't being nerfed by ED they are not likely to have any significant impact on your overall performance since those slots will be in lesser used powers.

[Llava]

In addition to what Alkiera said above me about ED by the time you get to around 40 all your "bread and butter" powers are already 6 slotted so even if the new slots you add aren't being nerfed by ED they are not likely to have any significant impact on your overall performance since those slots will be in lesser used powers.

I envy your builds, that are so tight you're already complete by the mid-30s.  I've got a number of characters in their 30s, all of them need more slots. The two in their 40s are getting much more well-rounded and powerful, finally able to fill in those holes that were irritating but not critical.  The 50 I have still feels like he could use a few more slots.

For the record, these are:
50 MA/SR Scrapper
43 DM/DA Scrapper
41 Ill/Rad Controller
36 Warshade
32 Storm/Rad Defender

Course, all of them can solo pretty well on their own, while Alkiera complains that's becoming impossible.  Perhaps those few slots do make a difference?

[Trippy]

Course, all of them can solo pretty well on their own, while Alkiera complains that's becoming impossible.  Perhaps those few slots do make a difference?

I don't see where Alkiera's complaining about not being able to solo. If you still enjoy the game that's great but I quit the game for the same reason Alkiera did -- the grind and the sameness was too much for me at 42 and ED slowing down my mission completion times just made the grind that much worse.

[Nevermore]

Ah, you're just starting to hit the really grindy levels... where mission after mission of same same same and no new powers, not new nothing.  Maybe a slot or two on a power, which increases some aspect of a power by 3%.

My scrapper was 44, 45, 46, something like that.  I just couldn't take it anymore, and quit playing.

Alkiera

I actually found the mid to late 40s to progress much faster than the late 30s for some reason.  Probably a combination of grouping much more to get past all the AVs in the 40s and that dead zone at around 38/39 where I always seem to run out of missions.

[Alkiera]

I never ran out of missions before leveling into the next set, except at the 4-5 gap between the newbie contact and the first 'real' contact.

As to my build... I was a mid-40's BS/Invuln scrapper as my main character, I think the highest alt I had was in their low 20's.  I got my final primary attack power around 32.  I respecced a few times, in and out of hasten, and at varying times had flight, SJ, and ended with teleport.  Had the fitness pool, too.  After 32, I got a few slots here and there, and picked up the darkness pool, which was very situational.  Dark Blast let me pull in groups, since I was more likely than the average blaster to survive an alpha-strike, and Pet. Gaze was useful for dealing with those obnoxious sappers...  but isn't really a core ability.  Those stopped at 32, really.

Here, this should help:
Exported from version 1.5B of CoH Planner
http://joechott.com/coh

Archetype: Scrapper
Primary Powers - Ranged : Broad Sword
Secondary Powers - Support : Invulnerability

01 : Resist Physical Damage[/color] damres(01)  damres(13) 
01 : Hack[/color] acc(01)  dam(3)  dam(5)  dam(7)  recred(9)  endred(15) 
02 : Slice[/color] acc(02)  dam(3)  dam(5)  dam(9)  recred(11)  endred(15) 
04 : Temp Invulnerability[/color] endred(04)  damres(7)  damres(17)  damres(19) 
06 : Build Up[/color] recred(06)  recred(13)  recred(40) 
08 : Recall Friend[/color] inttim(08) 
10 : Resist Elements[/color] damres(10)  damres(11) 
12 : Hurdle[/color] jmp(12) 
14 : Teleport[/color] endred(14)  rng(40)  rng(42) 
16 : Unyielding[/color] endred(16)  damres(17)  damres(19)  damres(43) 
18 : Health[/color] hel(18)  hel(21)  hel(42) 
20 : Stamina[/color] endrec(20)  endrec(21)  endrec(42) 
22 : Whirling Sword[/color] acc(22)  dam(23)  dam(23)  dam(25)  recred(31)  endred(31) 
24 : Resist Energies[/color] damres(24)  damres(25) 
26 : Disembowel[/color] acc(26)  dam(27)  dam(27)  dam(29)  recred(31)  endred(33) 
28 : Invincibility[/color] endred(28)  thtbuf(29)  thtbuf(39)  defbuf(39)  defbuf(40)  defbuf(46) 
30 : Dull Pain[/color] recred(30)  recred(36)  recred(36)  hel(36)  hel(37)  hel(37) 
32 : Head Splitter[/color] acc(32)  dam(33)  dam(33)  dam(34)  recred(34)  recred(34) 
35 : Tough Hide[/color] defbuf(35)  defbuf(37)  defbuf(39) 
38 : Assault[/color] endred(38)  endred(45) 
41 : Petrifying Gaze[/color] acc(41)  hlddur(43)  recred(43) 
44 : Dark Blast[/color] acc(44)  dam(45) 

-------------------------------------------

01 : Brawl[/color] Empty(01) 
01 : Sprint[/color] runspd(01) 
02 : Rest[/color] inttim(02) 

Yes, I had an enhancer in Rest.  Was tempted to slot it more, as I needed it when soloing since my 'Invulnerability' powerset was more like a 'Stiff Piece of Cardboard'.  And was worth about as much against end game enemies throwing around energy damage.  Instead I put lots of recharge into Dull Pain, seemed to work almost as well, with less sitting around waiting.  Every major patch starting around issue 3, my non-physical resists got worse... and my physical resists are only really better in a technical, here's-my-spreadsheet-for-proof sort of way... As relatively little at 40+ uses smashing/lethal.   I would occasionally forget to turn my toggles on for a mission... and not really notice a change in difficulty.  The goal was still 'Kill stuff before it can shoot you much'.  Which did work.... it just got old.

Alkiera

[Llava]

I don't see where Alkiera's complaining about not being able to solo.

And then there's the continuing forces of Statesman regarding your last paragraph about synergies and 'build what you envision'.  If what you envision doesn't include a few other heroes with titles like 'Tank', 'healer/defender', and 'damage', at least on the CoH side.

If you guys don't enjoy the game, that's fine too.  I've always respected people's right to say so.  But when you start using extreme hyperbole (3% increase in a power? come on.) I'm going to correct it.  It's fair to say that the grind is too long.  It's not fair to say that there's absolutely no meaningful character development/progress after level 40.  Put simply, that's bullshit.

[Typhon]

I'll chime in with an unwanted opinion and say - there is no compelling character development after lvl 38.  The epic pools are only teasing.  You imagine they might be "epic", but really they are just weird.  A bunch of abilities that don't fit easily into any of my character concepts.

The final nail is that at this point in the game character development was the only reason to play.  Well, that, and the fact that I promised friends that I'd hang in till we hit top level... god help me.

[Llava]

The epic pools are only teasing.  You imagine they might be "epic", but really they are just weird.

Ancillary pools.  Ancillary.  Epic was what they called them while they were still in development, before they even got to the test server.  Then they realized "Hm, that might be misleading. They're not like OMG PWN MOBS powers. We should rename them."

So really, you probably shouldn't imagine they'd be "epic", because not for a long, long time has anyone actually described them as "epic".

Now, I'll agree to some extent that some of the abilities are weird and don't really fit in well.  Weapon Mastery for Scrappers, for instance, isn't exactly a great set (though having the -fly and immobilize for PvP is pretty sweet).  But look at Body Mastery- you can't figure out a way to use Conserve Power?  You activate it and you practically /stop using endurance/ for like 60 seconds.  The laser eyes do good damage, and Focus Accuracy is a handy toggle to have available for high defense enemies.  Controllers benefit like crazy from having the ancillary attacks available with their Containment damage bonus.  Tanker, Defender and Blaster ancillary sets I don't know as well, having never played them that high, but all of my SG mates seem to make frequent use of their options.

Yeah, like 99.999% of the games out there, it needs more balance between its different choices.  Some aren't as useful as others. But everyone has at least one ancillary power available that is /damn/ nice to have handy.

[Raging Turtle]

Just to clarify - you ARE required as a new player to make a Zombie Pirate Mastermind/Necro in your first batch of characters?   :-D

Other painfully obvious ones I've made:  Sonic Bathead, Robot Bots Mastermind, Huge lizardman/monsterhead brute.  I do like the Sonic Bat though. 

[Llava]

Sonic Bathead

Not that obvious, I haven't seen that yet.

[Llava]

Got my serial code.  Only one person can use it so I'll give it to the first person to PM me for it.

I'd post it, but I'd rather not have people wasting their time to see if they are the first to use it or if someone beat them.

[Typhon]

Ancillary pools.  Ancillary.  Epic was what they called them while they were still in development, before they even got to the test server.  Then they realized "Hm, that might be misleading. They're not like OMG PWN MOBS powers. We should rename them."

My recollection is that this spin control didn't occur till after they went live.  But even if I'm wrong about the timing, I don't see how that design decision makes much sense.  You make a player wait until lvl 41 to get a pool, and that pool isn't supposed to be better then the normal pools, only different?  This is a plus in the "makes me want to grind to 41" column why?

But everyone has at least one ancillary power available that is /damn/ nice to have handy.

Agree, there are useful powers.  Agree, All ATs likely have access to ancilliary powers that are useful.  Unfortunately for me, this is the first MMO that really made me care about the character concept (I created a Dark/SR scapper who didn't take teleport till lvl 30 because it took him a long time to gain that much control over darkness).  Epic, er, Anciliary powers that add weird abilities that have nothing to do with concept only break that character immersion for me.

So don't take them, right?  My brain says that, but then it also says, "but they are a reward".  Then Jack says, "no! not a reward, just additional content!"... Well, if they aren't a reward, then why cock-block them behind 40 levels of grind?  If the Kheldian's aren't a reward, why are they cock-blocked behind 50 levels of grind?

[Nevermore]

Ancillary pools.  Ancillary.  Epic was what they called them while they were still in development, before they even got to the test server.  Then they realized "Hm, that might be misleading. They're not like OMG PWN MOBS powers. We should rename them."

Positron calls them 'epic' in this recent interview. 

By the way, I still have a trial code if someone is seriously thinking about getting the game (I'd really like to unlock those costume pieces).  PM me if interested.

[Murgos]

I'm not interested in getting the game unless the trial really WOW's me (no pun intended) but if someone does have a trial key I would still like out CoV.

[Llava]

I'm not interested in getting the game unless the trial really WOW's me (no pun intended) but if someone does have a trial key I would still like out CoV.

Too late.  The last date to activate a trial subscription was Feb 22nd.