City of heroes question

jess d · Post by **jess d** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 6:39 pm

I know there were several people who were playing, and my husband and I just got the game. I was wondering, what is a good server to use?

Keilin Alyr · Post by **Keilin Alyr** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 7:07 pm

Oh boy... long, LONG-winded response(s) ahead. Be afraid. *chuckles*

Aww... if you were gonna play, I could've given you my Labor Day freebie trial code. ^_^ No big deal though, I highly doubt my laptop would run City of Villians Beta all that well. If I made it in that is.

There really are no good or bad servers from my experience. My main, Evenfall Knight, and most of my characters are on Liberty, though I have characters on Champion and Pinnacle, and I'm a member of a roleplay group on Infinity. I have a lot of fun there (tiny and disorganized as we are), and if you're interested in some very light, very casual roleplay, just send an email to Forget Me Not or Pyrokinetics. I'd be more than happy to help guide you through any rough spots. ^_^

That group invite extends to you too, Shard. I have a feeling that things would be quite interesting with you around. *grins*

Let's see... my only real experience is that Virtue is known as the unofficial rp server (though roleplay exists everywhere), Pinnacle is a pretty friendly server, as are Liberty and Infinity. You really can't go wrong, as I haven't seen too much difference between servers.

Though the best person to go to for CoH advice of any type has got to be Shard. I believe you can typically find her on Protector as the infamous Retail Retali8r, though I'll let her answer for herself. She's got a metric tonload of alts. I only have... a lot.

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 8:27 pm

Yup that's a pretty good rundown.

I think it's nice to have alts on a couple servers just so you can check out the atmosphere. Each server does have a slightly different feel because of the broadcast chat and the level of n00bness around you.

I love Protector myself, I've spent the most time there obviously (with a level 41.7 solo defender I've been playin since last August... sigh, and 5 others up to 12 or so).

Right now it's 'city of Archers' because they just updated the new patch, and added the new zone Croatoa. I love it, it's spooky and fun. Very different.

Look at it this way: you've got 88 chances to get a toon you like.

Freedom and Justice are often very busy. If you've got a slow connection avoid the places with a higher load, because that *will* cause lag for you...

I would recommend going through and using your contacts to do mission arcs. Each contact has several stories that you can choose, and after a while you get a feel for which ones are stories and which are just fillers. You can only have 3 missions open at one time, so if you can't get a new mission, that's why. You need to finish up one you've got.

The new help system at the Trainers is nice, you can learn about leveling, titles, sidekicks and exemplaring, and all that stuff. PLUS, now you don't get XP debt until after level 10, so you can die all you want before then and not get frustrated.

Trust me. Later on, it's frustrating....

I don't usually team, myself, because I find that I want to do MY stories, not just wander around - but it's awfully fun to get on a decent team and tromp around killin stuff. Sorry. Arresting stuff.

Keep your Enhancement table either used or sold. When you're on a story arc, if you finish the last mission you'll get an appropriately leveled enhancement as a prize, but if you don't have room you'll lose it. When your enhancement tray is full, sell off the ones you can't use. Or give em to other people, sometimes in Atlas I like buying enhancements and just dropping them on people who probably need em.

And depending on which server you decide to play on, I'm sure we can come up with some extra influence for your toons, since money's tight in those early levels.

Shiolar · Post by **Shiolar** » Sun Sep 04, 2005 1:18 am

Almost a shame Europe has it's own set of servers... I coulda met up with some of you guys. Which would have been nice seeing as most of my friends ditched the game when Issue 5 got released on the Test Server. They didn't like the sound of the changes, so they just changed over to World of Warcraft without even giving the changes a chance. And I really hate solo-ing every day...

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Sun Sep 04, 2005 2:03 am

That's idiotic. The changes are actually really good. Controllers do more damage, flat out, even if their pets don't get to spawn in such ridiculous numbers any more. the new zone's fantastic, and the missions are improved....

People suck...

And yeah it's not fair that there's a set of different servers. It's not like the American servers are ever *busy*.

Shiolar · Post by **Shiolar** » Sun Sep 04, 2005 2:28 am

I haven't even got to try the new changes yet. There's a problem with the phone line here, so I can get online if all I want to do is check my messages and look at websites... but the instant I try anything that actually requires a decent level of bandwidth, I get kicked offline. I managed to get about ten minutes on CoH the other day, getting about a third of the way through respec-ing my warshade (because the poor guy does need it...), and I got kicked offline. So... I gotta wait until the dude from the phone company has come to look at the phone line...

But I read about the changes, and I thought on the whole they were pretty good. There were a couple bits I didn't like the look of, but how can I really judge until I've actually played them out? The 30 second limit on Phase Shift is a touch annoying, though... I ghost, therefore I am...

My level 50 blaster is gonna love the blaster changes, definitely, and my warshade is high enough level to check out Croatoa. I've seen screenshots of it and it does look pretty cool. And one of the few people from the supergroup I'm in who didn't switch over to WoW has done the TF and got this freaky looking hat...

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Sun Sep 04, 2005 10:57 am

I waaaant the haaaat!

I made a controller the other day and the increased base damage is much nice, though I still can't stand the sonic shield things. I hate deceive, so I wound up taking one of the shield things for my 4th power, though I'll have to see how that works out. He's a mage by description so I really want him to have that hat. By the time he's high enough level he'll have another costume slot so I can make one different than his 'jeans and suit jacket' thing.

i made the mistake of updating my ATI drivers yesterday too, and whoa don't do that.

I had to roll back to the old-old one, because it COMPLETELY screwed my video! Not just 'can't play coh' but COMPLETELY. Had to go into safe mode and change things that way, before I could roll back the darn thing too... I hate it when I can't trust updates from the company I like.

Shiolar · Post by **Shiolar** » Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:44 am

When I eventually get back onto the game, I'm gonna have to test things out properly, especially with my blaster. There weren't too many changes to the Kheldians, so I probably won't notice any difference there. And I never got around to making a controller character.... I should do that...

I'm not sure if I want the hat... I can't see any way that it would match even the character concept of my warshade... Unless... Oooh, maybe I can make it work. He'll get laughed at by the peacebringer he hangs out with, but that's hardly anything new anyway...

The trouble with drivers is new ones can be rather unreliable until all the bugs in them have been sorted out. Broken my computer more than a few times with fully up to date graphics drivers. And once with some sound drivers, that somehow completely obliterated Windows. But on reflection, considering I'd been using the same install file for those drivers for three years, the file was probably corrupted...

Currently, I have three sets of graphics drivers, in storage, because some games just don't like certain drivers, so I have to change them. CoH, my main game at the moment, is happy with the relatively new ones. You know, I had to upgrade my entire computer so I could play CoH. It worked before, but it was verging on unplayably slow and juddery. So I bought new... everything. Except monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers and sound card (because despite being four years old now, it's still considered fairly decent; apparently it was top of the range when I actually got this computer).

Mystic Dragon · Post by **Mystic Dragon** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 9:35 pm

Okay, so I FINALLY got my hands on a copy of CoH AND a computer to run it... but I've met with a yet unforseen barrier. Everything's downloaded and such, but when I try to run the updater, it doesn't do anything. It just says it's connecting... and won't move.

*Update* Oooooooor... it could just be that the original version of CoH has a LOT to update and it takes the program a while to find everything. Heh... updating now.

Anyway, who's on what server and what advice can I get?

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 9:49 pm

Yes, it's a LOT of updates. Remember, you're getting in on it 5 patches away from the original. They have never consolodated the patches on disk.

I'm on Protector as Retail Retali8r, my main toon. I have a half dozen others up to level 12 or 13 on that server. I've been playing a couple other characters, including Pie Ratt Chick on Pinnacle, and Piers Hoarfrost or Doctor Jeep on ...also pinnacle? I can never remember if it's not on protector lol.

... I got a closed Beta invite to City of Villains, saturday... Got to play around with the character generator today (didn't get in, couldn't save the toon, because that was a major problem today)... I look so good with bald head and lots of barbed wire.

Holy crap I love this game...

Mystic Dragon · Post by **Mystic Dragon** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 10:06 pm

FOUR HOURS?! o.O How many friggin' updates can there be? Good thing I don't go to bed til around 6am.

jess d · Post by **jess d** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 10:20 pm

Yeah, the updates were insane when we got it, though it also depends on your computer. Ours took between 2 and 3 hours, my brother-in-law's comp took barely an hour. And he did his after we did.

I have a character on champion, infinity, and triumph. I think I play Mythra, my infinity one, the most. she's level 6 or 7 I think. the one on champion is about the same level, and the other I just started, and at the moment, I can't remember their names. I don't usually get to play much; my husband usually takes it over (not always, sometimes I insist on playing, for hours)

Mystic Dragon · Post by **Mystic Dragon** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 3:43 pm

So close! I was SO CLOSE! *cries* Now I have to wait two weeks to get my Visa card before I can play. Damn red tape.

Shiolar · Post by **Shiolar** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 4:09 pm

I got into the CoV Beta too, Shard. Managed to get on for about an hour and a half earlier today... but I crashed out when my computer ran out of virtual memory, and the whole thing was rather laggy. But, with that said, I seem to be one of the few not losing the mapserver every ten minutes, so I probably shouldn't complain about the lag...

But it was pretty fun, though. My char looks pretty cool; including HUGE paws. Gotta have the paws. Heh.

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:02 pm

Coolness!! I wonder if the global info works yet, tonight I hope to get in. *sob* today's testing has started... and I'm still at wooorrrrkkk!

They have *surgeons masks* now. WOOOOT! That's *exactly* what I wanted to use for a sanger-rip. HEE!

And looks like memory leak? Great... :/ I had to reboot SO many times this weekend.

Anyway - we're both technically under NDA so, shhhhh!

Mystic Dragon · Post by **Mystic Dragon** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:40 am

;_; I got denied for my credit card. I think it's cause I don't currently have a job. Will soon though. In any case, it means no CoH for me. I was so close!

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 6:18 am

Mystic Dragon wrote:;_; I got denied for my credit card. I think it's cause I don't currently have a job. Will soon though. In any case, it means no CoH for me. I was so close!

o.0

I'd say thats weird, but its another country afterall. Here they love to give you cards, for example a friend of ours was able to get one while no having a job yet her husband who works was denied. Of course its none of their consern if you manage to pay it off...

Any chance you'll be able to apply agian once you have a source of income?

Mystic Dragon · Post by **Mystic Dragon** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 11:12 pm

Whelp! I finally made it on! I'm so obsessed already that I'm going to go out and buy a better video card as soon as possible. And I haven't even started working yet. -.- Anyway, you guys can find me in Protector, Atlas City. My char's name is Tigeress and she's hard to miss. :P I would like some help for a poor noob if anyone can give it.

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 12:04 am

Yaaaay! Protector = coolness. I was on all weekend but I'll be taking a holiday break (well, probably hanging out at the paragon dance party or wherever w00tradio.net is chillin) while I hand out candy. But when the kids are gone I'll look for you.

put me on your global friends list, @Zekiran Immortal.

Mystic Dragon · Post by **Mystic Dragon** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 12:06 am

o.O And I do that how? Oh, and how did you get those cool shots of your char? I want to show you guys Tigeress.

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:00 am

To use the global friends, click on your 'friends' tab in the chat box. On the top will be a toggle for server, global, etc. Click Global, and then 'add'.

As for camera angles and the like, if you press down on PAGE UP, and then mouse-look around, you can swivel the camera without moving your toon. B brings the view back to first person or swings it out to default distance.

Print-screen will give a screenie (obviously) but if you go into your Options (menu/options) you'll be able to set the KEYBINDS for a screenshot *with* the User Interface - handy for certain moments of glory (like defeating a villain etc). I've got mine set for shift-printscreen, it's easy to take two shots with a tiny bit of effort.

Hope to see you on!

Mystic Dragon · Post by **Mystic Dragon** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:07 pm

^_^ I got printscreen to work, as you can see from my nifty avatar. The hard part was figuring out where the pictures had /gone/. Thanks for the tip, Shard. I'll keep an eye out for you.

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:20 pm

If ya's want to join a supergroup lol - I just made the GoKat Ranch, (or is it goCat?) with one of my cheetah-boy sangers as the leader. Can't have too many cat-themed supergroups out there!

BTW I'm probably going to be buying a high level account from some friends on line, and will be allowing others to access it for 'padding' purposes (supergroups get bonuses when you have coh/cov together and use the Base creation). Meaning I have to buy another copy of cov, but hey, that's okay I want to reward the devs for making such a fun game.

Mystic Dragon · Post by **Mystic Dragon** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 2:08 pm

Wooo... that sounds cool. I really must get my hands on a proper video card. This one works okay, but the movements are really choppy. :P Tig's boo-tay swing is off. And don't you have to be lvl 10 before joining a supergroup? I've only made it up to 5 so far. Gotta bash those damn robots.

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 2:37 pm

Nope, you can *join* one at any time. You need to be 10 to *make* one.

Mystic Dragon · Post by **Mystic Dragon** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 12:58 am

Super kitty! Away! :D Yes, I got to lvl 6 and picked flight.

Post by **Dray** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 8:38 am

*cackles* I think I can see a wire there~! ;P

Awesome background, though. :O

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 10:32 am

LOL you took fly!

I of course ran into you with Razi (I was on later with Retail but I didn't see you, you were probably flying around taking that screenie because you'd just hit 6) and I took a couple screenshots too.

Love those new emotes.

Holding a torch for you.

Join me in the hot tub?

hee! I love this game.

Mystic Dragon · Post by **Mystic Dragon** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:08 am

So much! XD Oh! And I got a new video card! Check it out!

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:02 am

Hee - see how much difference it makes?

You can play with the settings in graphics too, just in case you're still getting lag or having flicker problems. Some flickers (on the rooftops) are a bug error though.

I played with Lusca last night, probably for the last time. Every time I try fighting Lusca there are fewer people to do it and i always wind up dying...

What's Lusca?