The full DevChat transcript from today is here. A few items that caught my eye (there are a number I do not quote below — read the whole thing, if you’ve an interest):
[18:40] <@cryptic_chronomancer> The goal is to have you feel challenged enough that being a hero means something without being frustrated or feeling overwhelmed. As you can expect, it isn’t easy, and no MMO comes out perfectly balanced. But we’re dedicated to getting there. PVE is the main focus of the game, but we’ve found that our PVP system is fun and popular.
[18:40] <@cryptic_chronomancer> As for a focus on balance, the game should be fun for both styles of play. We’ll continue to create new content for both PVE and PVP. As for support, there are powersets already that are more geared towards this. Sorcery is a good example. The upcoming Celestial set is going to be great for players that want to focus on support powers, as well.
[18:41] <@cryptic_chronomancer> As for balancing, our goal is to only decrease the effectiveness of powers if they are honestly broken (doing multiples of expected damage, for example). It’s better for us focus on fixing broken powers that aren’t effective enough before we lower the effectiveness of powers.
[18:41] <@cryptic_chronomancer> Basically, we’re thinking more surgically moving forward in regards to how we address balance as opposed to dropping huge bombs.
Which all sounds good (esp. the focus on PVE and the ability for “support” characters to shine).
[18:43] <@Cryptic_AntiProton> Two villains is meant to be a challenging normal pull. You’ll definitely want to be blocking, or using LOS, or using a hold power, or all of those tricks at once. Using a consumable device, either one of the healing things crafters make, the ones the stores sell, or one of the rare critter drops would also help.
I’m always forgetting to use heal devices. Or else I feel I need to horde them, since they’re a pain to build or acquire.
[18:50] <@Cryptic_Ignoble> We are still working on the pricing of the retcon system and will make changes as needed. We are actively working on additional functionality for the retcon system, as well. Some of the changes that have been requested are more complicated than others and so they’ll require time from the technology team.
[18:51] <@Cryptic_Ignoble> Our goal with the retcon system is to provide targeted retcons for characters that are specifically affected by changes. For example, if we made a significant change to a powerset – or even a single power – we could issue a retcon to just the heroes affected by that change.
Targeted respecs is an interesting idea. But, honestly, it’s not that big a deal for folks to have respecs, whether or not a power that’s changed is one that they currently have. I think they’re over-thinking this.
[18:52] <~COquestionbot> <Revik> Q: Why do meleer’s get the weakest roots when we need it the most due to Charge skills being rendered useless if they just back away.
[18:52] <@Cryptic_Balseraph> Roots and melee: yes, if your target backs away from your charge, well, there will be a bit of distance between you. However, the root that’s built into Mighty Leap should affect them regardless. If it isn’t, that’s a bug, and we’ll fix it. In practical terms, I melee roots should fee powerful, because they can be applied very quickly. That being said
[18:52] <@Cryptic_Balseraph> if you really want to be a melee character that can take on ranged people, you need to either have a charge or a “yoink” (our name for Shuriken advantage “Chained Kunai” or Iron Lariat)
I’ve avoided Shuriken on all the characters that could use it … so far. Knowing that I can use an advantage on it to pull people to me may change my mind.
[18:53] <@Cryptic_Balseraph> Melee powers, based on how you’re stated, do between 30% more damage than ranged powers over the same period of time, for the same cost. Some players have the impression that melee attacks are weaker than some ranged powers, because some fully charged melee attacks don’t do as much damage as some fully charged ranged attacks. Well, that’s true, until you look
[18:53] <@Cryptic_Balseraph> at the time it took to make the attack. Most melee attacks get fully charged in just 1 second or less, compared to a 2.5 to 3 seconds for some ranged attacks.
[18:54] <@Cryptic_Balseraph> Melee attacks can get up to an additional 20% bonus to their damage from your strength score. This bonus is completely separate and distinct from you Characteristic Focus bonus; it’s in addition to that. We just put a change in where you need much less strength to get to that 20% bonus. The intent of this change was to allow melee builds that didn’t focus on
[18:54] <@Cryptic_Balseraph> strength to be more viable. You still need to pay attention to it with your gear, but its no longer required that it be your Characteristic Focus (i.e. Super Strength) to get the full benefit.
This is a shining example of information that’s really important for players to know, but which is not at all explained by the game. It’s good to know — but it shouldn’t require following the forums or a particular DevChat to know it.
[18:54] <~COquestionbot> <NeoWolf> Question: will we EVER be able to see weapons in the costume creator/tailor screen before we have to pay to add or recolor them?
[18:55] <@Cryptic_AntiProton> We totally want to get that working eventually, yes. What just got in with being able to select them in character creator (though not see them) was ahead of schedule, which is awesome. The artist that did the setup work for the weapon geos to even be able to be swapable and I both really want to see it fully working in both the tailor and the character creator
[18:56] <@Cryptic_AntiProton> like a lot of features we had to put it on hold for launch, but now that we are released it is on the list of things to get done.
Yeah, this is something that needs work.
[18:57] <~Cryptic_Daeke> <Antis3al> What are your plans to fix the leveling gaps? A player can still level if they dig for every single quest out there, but currently they don’t connect in any logical way; and the content is still spread thin, sometimes requiring a player to do quests several levels above their own. Is there a coming solution or even awareness of the problem?
[18:57] <@Cryptic_Ignoble> We are currently working to add a number of additional missions and instanced content to help fill several content gaps we have identified. These will begin making their way out to the server over the next few weeks and will hopefully integrate seamlessly with the content that already exists.
I hope one of the areas is early Millennium City content, around Lvl 12-13. Right now it’s all pretty much 14+, but it’s easy to wrap up some major threads in Canada/Desert and figure it’s time to hit the city. Frustration ensues.
19:00] <~COquestionbot> <ian33w> Is it possible to increase the range of Sorcery’s Auras as most powers are 50 to 100 feet?
[19:00] <@Cryptic_Balseraph> Sorcery: Sorcery is, right now, getting a major “quality of life” overhaul. some bits (like the sigils) are being made stronger. Other parts are just being made less difficult to use. One big thing, Circles of Summoning are now being flagged as “Rituals of Summoning”. They look exactly the same, and work exactly the same, but now are cumulative (stack with) C
[19:01] <@Cryptic_Balseraph> Circles of Power. Additionally, we’re elminating the property where they eat ALL your energy, so you can get back into the fight more quickly with them. And, yes, we’ll be increasing the range of the auras. =)
Good to know.
[19:02] <~COquestionbot> <Vahn> Q: in single blade powerset, why theres no love for two handed weapons?
[19:02] <@Cryptic_Balseraph> Single Blade: We’re going to give BIG GIANT two handed weapons so much love, they’re going to get their own set. Eventually. =)
That will make many people happy.
[19:10] <~COquestionbot> <WebGuest69> What are the end game plans for champions online? What reasons are there to continue to keep playing a character after you hit the level cap?
[19:10] <@cryptic_chronomancer> We have end game content in several areas of the game: PVP, Crafting, Missions, Perks, and Nemesis. All of these systems have content that you can only accomplish after reaching level 40.
[19:10] <@cryptic_chronomancer> The Stronghold Apocalypse opens in PVP. There are crafting components that can only be gained in level 40+ maps and the blueprints to use those are going in soon.
[19:10] <@cryptic_chronomancer> The daily UNITY hot-spots and repeatable high-end lairs are in for mission-fiends There are very long-term perks that will require lots of play to accomplish.
[19:10] <@cryptic_chronomancer> And you can build and defeat up to 18 different Nemesis. The best part is we’re going to build on all of these systems moving forward as well as creating new end-game things for heroes to do.
Which will be interesting. It seems to me, though, from my (limited) experience is that the big problem with Level Cap toons is that, except for incremental wealth improvements, they don’t really advance after they cap out. Regardless of content, that isn’t going to change.
[19:18] <~Cryptic_Daeke> <Kahleek> Will we ever be able to cherry pick which powers to retcon?
[19:18] <@cryptic_chronomancer> While this seems like it would be simple, it actually isn’t. With all of the associated characteristics, talents, advantages, tier requirements and so on, it is difficult to just pull out a power in the middle of the stack, as it were.
[19:18] <@cryptic_chronomancer> Making a change like this will require a lot of work on the technology side, so unfortunately while we’re looking into it, it won’t be any time soon.
I take their word for it, but it’s unfortunate. It would be great to be able to simply say, “Y’know, that power 8 lvls down was a mistake …”
[19:19] <~COquestionbot> <Per_Ignim> Question: Is it intended that a full retcon cost more than 50 times as much as it is reasonable to expect a character to have at any given level?
[19:19] <@Cryptic_Balseraph> Retconning and the Economy: First, there isn’t enough money flowing into the game right now. This is a completely known issue, and we have several different options that we’re testing. Basically, yes, we knowingly erred on the side of a too restrictive money supply to see what trends happened, and be able to catch issues (like dupe bugs) very quickly. Now
[19:19] <@Cryptic_Balseraph> we’re getting ready to make some significant changes to drop rates of items and resources from critters… and all of them are basically going to be “more”. =) The question, of course, is how much more; since neither we nor you wants the economy to be something that changes several times. For retcons in specific, I think that the cost scaling when you go deep
[19:20] <@Cryptic_Balseraph> might be found to be too high even after we’ve inflated the economy to where we want it to be. If so, well, we’ll change it. Easy. The current balance goal is that all of the money you earn in a SINGLE level should allow you to retcon back FIVE steps.
Drops are definitely broken — but, really, that still seems like too expensive a proposition. Maybe I’m spoiled by the steady stream of freespecs on CoX.
[19:24] <~COquestionbot> <draulfox> Question: How often do you guys visit the suggestion forums ? When you do, do you go back many pages and read every thread? How do you select what you read?
[19:25] <~Cryptic_Daeke> Every day. A ton of the higher-ups here are always asking us what players want to see most in the game (aside from the constant balancing and fixes that may be needed). I go through and collect a bunch of the most popular ideas and pass them on.
[19:25] <~Cryptic_Daeke> We also grab ones that we happen to think are really cool ideas as well.
[19:25] <~Cryptic_Daeke> In fact, earlier in the chat we took a question about adding a “Danger Room” to the Power House, and I definitely remember seeing that in the Suggestions forum.
[19:26] <~Cryptic_Daeke> So, even though we don’t respond to the Suggestions forum very often, we’re definitely following it very closely.
Also good to hear.
[19:30] <~COquestionbot> <Shiroi98> question: when will claw powers be revisited? right now its damage is really horrible compared to the other martial arts
[19:31] <@Cryptic_Balseraph> Claws powers: Claws powers are intended to inflict excellent damage over time for their energy cost. If it isn’t, we’ll look at it. Additionally, the “Shredded” debuff that they can inflict raises not only your own dps, but that of every team mate with you. That being said, Claws is a crit – happy set, and you should really spec for a high crit rate to get th
[19:31] <@Cryptic_Balseraph> to get the most out of it.
Margie’s very much enjoying a claws solo toon right now (even as I type).
[19:31] <~COquestionbot> <Feigr> Question: Are there any plans to add a gray scale the palette for powers?
[19:32] <@cryptic_chronomancer> We’re looking into the potential technical issue behind this (hues vs tints) but we have heard your desires and are working to make it happen! I know I’d use it to make a noir munitions character.
Huzzah!