No more DLCs. No more Updates. Balance, Debugg and Stabilize DCUO FIRST!!!

Over the last week while taking advantage of the summer sale, I did multiple Themyscira Divided runs as different might based powers ( powers I assumed to be might based). Mental, sorcery, and quantum. I came to several disheartening conclusions. DLCs and updates are not solving issues, they're making them worse.

First issue I have that every one knows about is might scaling versus precision scaling. Precision scale is completely OVER scaled and might is completely UNDER scaled. Tested several load outs with precision based friends using the weapon mastery combo then power rotation scenario. Full t6 in VI mods and they either kept up or was marginally close in full 91 cr with V expert mods. We all had around 160-170+ sp and only use trinkets no soda buffs.

Not going to pretend that I did a excel spread sheet or serious quantitative analysis, but its clear that precision is the way to go now. What was the point of Weapon Mastery if you give us the illusion of balance and play our way and clearly its a farce because of might and precision scaling.

Second Issue I have is the CONSTANT CHANGING OF MECHANICS of power types. For example Mental's Mass Terror is now only full frontal mid range area of effect. I haven't been mental since the release of Origin Crisis and quantum's release so i had no idea on how bad its been nerfed. I remember when Mass terror's area of effect was comparable to celestial's plague to cursing divine light combo area of effect. How is a mental dps supposed to keep up with the new and I might add only purchasable through the DLC or respec tokens powers with a diminished area of effect.

I did a simple comparison of burst damage and area of effect damage of gravity bomb in quantum and psychic shock in mental. I chose those two powers because of the instant burst and similar area if effect. With the same amount of might gravity bomb was hitting on average of 1000 damage per second more after the weapon mastery bonus than psychic shock. That's also with the same weapon hand blasters and with or without the power interaction of polarize and terrorized.

Tried sorcery and its clear on the the burst damage coupled with its damage over time and area of effect was CLEARLY superior to me . I used to be a firm believer of it the person not the power. but its clear to me now certain powers are just better due to this very strange philosophy SOE has of changing mechanics. Might based power should not have these HUGE might scaling disparities.

How are we suppose to chose whether we want to go might or precision when its clear that precision is over scaled and might is under scaled on top of having scaling issue between powers.

Healing, Tanking and controlling should be balanced as well. Example: Quantum controller's stuns in Themyscira Divided seem to last twice as long as mental's. I'm sure every class has a issue whether it be fire tanking vs ice tanking, nature healing vs lightning healing, etc...

Third issue is majority of bugs. Block glitch. WHY ARE WE STILL DEALING WITH THIS AFTER BEING RALLIED. No more needs to be said on it

Second bug issue is the loss of the user interface. Navigating through the D pad menus the quickly come out of it and then the user interface or heads up display is gone, never to return unless a relog. I loss my heads ups display regulary trying to put groups together, inspec or etc just to relog and WAIT still no heads ups display after reloging and had to completely quit out of game.

Best of all the CONSTANT FREEZING in Themyscira Divided. Always right at the beginning when the gate opens, or the palace main room with the amazon statue, or the boss fight towards the end. People then say to me after my tyraid upon relog from freezing get a PS4 you issues are solved. Then they freeze right after ON THEIR PS4, but it only take them 1 min to relog versus the usual 5-10min on a PS3.

Then there is the argument that been the norm "well DCUO was never meant for PS3. The system hardware cant handle the software." Why was it launched in the first place and not just the PC. I've never seen a acknowledgement from SOE saying that. If there was one, enlighten me.

There are more issues but these are the biggest i have. I really feel that this game NEVER ended the BETA phase and we pay to be BETA testers on the USPS.

Conclusion. DCUO has the potential of completely being one the best mmo's ever made. Its never going to reach that pontential until these basic issues of balance to play how I want, not pick the flavor or the month or be precision based. Or constantly dealing with bugs that really should be tested before going live and then just touched up on immediately after recognizing the issue. Let's finally end the BETA phase please.

It would be nice... but I doubt it. Simply put they don't make money fixing what is already there. They make money with either new content that they charge for, or new mechanics and such added for free that might draw people back to the game. It doesn't mean existing stuff doen't get fixed, it just means it's a super low priority for them. It took what 3 years for them to resolve the old issue with mics? Not to mention there are whole new glitches they have done nothing about as a result.

If DCUO has a dozen people working on the newest DLC, they have one guy in the basement with an 386 debugging the existing game.

No. I have no problems with DCUO.

Just because you have problems doesn't mean that I shouldn't get new content.

In reality....

They're just going to keep the game going as-is without hiring more personnel to address these issues and concerns you have. Why? Because people just shut up, deal with it, and pay SOE for the membership. Theres no reason to run around with your head cut off to fix such problems if people will still play like sheep and pay the subs anyway.

If you have a problem like you claim, speak with your wallet. Otherwise, no one will listen.

Although I've always said I'd prefer to have dc fixed as much a possible before unessacery updates/unwanted (again unwanted) features, the game has to keep flowing and keep em coming/staying.

Nay! We already have frozen superhero MMORPG (CO), we don't need DCUO become like that!

Precision is pure dps, might is .45% of power damage per point at level 30. If anything, might damage should be adjusted or the crit with wm should be higher imo, but i dont want my precision nerfed. Why? Cause it'll hurt my powerset and my weapons. But i do agree that might needs to be looked into, but as precision is pure dps, its gonna hit harder than some might attacks. Of course this is odd, but i didnt develop the game so idk.

Now on the subject, NO WAY JOSE. I want my content, fixing stuff should be in between dlc's as it is now. You cannot expect "balance passes" to happen overnight. Look how long its taken earth light electric and Fire above all to get revamps, with some the better part of two years. I think balance is cool and all but if it delays content from being pushed out im not gonna be a happy camper

100% sure that the devs posted that balancing was going to take a few patches. You're complaining of something they've already stated they're working on and would take awhile to work out.

New mechanics bring life to the game. There is no doubt WM was a big evolution to DCUO. The upcoming AM is going to further that evolution. Keyword evolution. Every mmo goes through it. Adapt. It's your only solution.

More content (dlc's). No new powers until they get the revamping drone and remove the WM precision traing wheels!

If a new power set is announced, it becomes the priority draw. Let dlc content be the draw and concentrate on fixing existing power sets so we can lose the training wheels. WM as it currently exists is a temporary crutch till this is do e. eyes on the prize and let's rehab this properly.

The problem is that the upper-management can be a little hard of hearing... See the thing is when you stop buying their product all together odds are all they will hear is "I don't want to play a superhero MMO anymore come up with something else if you want my money"

At which point their likely answer would probably be "Okay, lets not waste more money on fixing a game that is dropping in popularity and focus it on trying to figure out what new game we can make to win back our customers... Not superheroes anymore because the numbers say people are dropping their subscription to the superhero game we already have on the market."

So naturally the problem is how do we as a customer vote with our wallets in a way that makes our intent clear?

It's kind of a catch 22.

Stop paying and they* think we don't want a DC based MMO with custom character creation. action based mechanics and the ability to explore the DC universe anymore.(That and SoE corporate bean counters might think it's a sinking ship and decide to cut funding/support to it so they don't loose money on it.)

Keep paying for it and they* think we are completely happy with the product they are selling and see no reason to change it.(The dreaded "Working as intended" excuse.)

They*= The upper management that have no part in the games development outside of deciding who's checks to sign and really could care less if it succeeds or fails so long as they don't get blamed for it. After all better to blame the customers for having a change in taste and not liking superhero MMOs anymore than it is to admit that maybe if you recognized what needed to be done to keep the game afloat and signed a few more checks then it would still be turning a profit.

I do love these kinds of posts, just because I've seen what happens in the end.

The folks in SWG asked via the forums for a bug bash-style update for the game, and quite vocally too. You had some people swearing up and down that they'd be willing to wait as long as it took for new content just so some outstanding bugs/issues could be resolved.

Funny thing, though, the longer it took, the more some people got antsy for said bug bash to finish up. Even more funny, some of the people who swore up and down that they could wait were the first and loudest to complain about a lack of content coming into the game because of how long the bug bash was taking.

Now mind you, SWG was a game that (even after the NGE) had a strong sandbox foundation, so it could withstand some time between content updates. There were plenty of things players could do on their own to pass the time if they needed to.

DCUO isn't that kind of game. The sandbox aspects of this game are nowhere near as extensive as SWG's, and we already have plenty of people complaining about a lack of content even though it comes in far more regularly than it ever did in SWG.

I just don't see a content dry spell going over well just so the devs can do a bug bash. But the forum drama would be a downright hoot to watch.

Indeed, your right on the money here. Although I'll mention one thing. Eventually (EVENTUALLY!), the gameplay mechanics themselves will have to become a finished product in order for the game itself to progress and evolve into something better, as that is the core foundation of everything else that is incorporated into this game.

It's difficult to design new content for a game who's core design is in constant flux. I do have faith that this will improve in the future (as, like you said, that's the only real choice), and it is quite a large undertaking to completely tear down and rebuild each powerset according to the only recently established core idea of balanced combat, but a huge risk is being taken that the faith that you and I have is the majority and not the minority.

I can only hope that it all works out for the best. I'll continue to play either way.

Sounds like the OP is mad that he can no longer run thru a Raid while spamming his power bar away... and expect to outperform the folks who use weapon mastery.

This ^, Op has got to be the most selfish demand I've ever seen.

You can't balance content with having updates dude......

l think you're confused in terms how new power ruins balance. So, l'll say: first - any DLC contains some addition. Second: these additions divided on 2 parts - first increases diversity of characters (new Powers, Weapons, Movements), second - enhances their abilities (like Utility Belts, HT mods, Weapon Mastery). Strike out weapons - devs can't do that due PS3. And for movements - don't think we will catch rain of them (DLC #11 could contain HoverDisk, but is pretty doubtful in last time), finally we got none of them until now.
This way l can assert - second addition (enhancements) are MORE ruining balance. Lets see at WM: if buffed precision first time, so prec-based powers became even more powerful due prec modded gear (until they add crit modifiers). When Home Turf mods were added - powers with 60% DPS mod became great for their owner (that's Quantum was OP one time, then got nerfed). And unlike extra new powers - enhancement additions require rebalance for ALL THE POWERS OF GAME, while diversity additions require rebalance ONLY ONE POWER THAT WAS ADDED. When new Power is added - its strength can be calculated & added in game already balanced, not very strong or weak, so rebalance isn't required for that.

I don't want to read all this so...
1. The game is stable if you have decent internet and are on PS4. If you are on PS3 its due to a system limitation and can't be fixed.
2. There will always be bugs due to it being and online server. They can never fix it all.
3. The recent updates are an attempt to bring balance.

The development team is split into several different groups.

Some work on audio issues, some work on art design, some work on content, some work on balance and powers, etc. Not every single developer knows how to balance the game, not every one knows how to fix visual bugs and not every one knows how to design a raid boss fight.

They dont need to delay anything, because the people working on stability issues arent the same ones working on upcoming content.

id be surprised as heck if more than a dozen people actually work on the game in graphics, engineering and codeing... and one of THEM has to double as receptionist and janitor...

They've hired a whole bunch of people in the past year.