DCUO Blog: TL;DR. Thoughts on playing since 2011 (EU player)

:from the DCUO forums posted by me:



Hi guys

TL;DR Warning!

Firstly, hi I'm SigmaAtom started playing in 2011, and had a two year break after the cr* and content ran out. There's other things too like pro7, the great leagues collapsing, I remember that ..wow!.. after that league bosses had become mean and started getting recruits to farm exos for them.. after I started my own league, we didn't do that, we helped people, as I was taught by my mentor in one the very first dcuo leagues. but my league mates found it too much work with college.. so I left for 2 years. And returned this month, no more pro7, and SOE has changed to Daybreak.

Things were different for the EU and US side, I should imagine.

DCUO is my only MMO.. I mean that, I'm not really interested in any other and have only played PSO back in the Dreamcast days. Gotham and Metro are my home.

Thoughts..

There are things I have wanted for many years, like personalization of pets style and a skill tree, and things more recently, like pro7's destroying of SOE profits, with 7cash for almost free (yes it was wild on the EU side, you could get 7cash and buy DLC and many other things with times 10 stationcash/7cash bonus buys, back a couple of years ago) I wholeheartedly agree with SOE/DB on the change in policy for their profits, only allowing certain content for download with Stationcash.

I had wondered a few things also since being back, in the EU the Hero's side is the most popular, I hear the villains side being dead, with the opposite in the US, wouldn't it make sense of we merged the servers to save money for the new Daybreak company, just increase the US servers? YMMV, but I don't have any bad lag using the US servers, I did note on one occasion (i take it) some young teen american verbally mocking a spanish guy for speaking spanish in shout, but aside from that, when I have been on, no real problems with lag.

Recently on the EU side, there has been constant disconnection & lagging, but aside from the aforementioned problems the community is healthier, to note; also griefing was a huge problem 2 years ago and I am so happy to say has now. stopped. but the lag and disconnection will not keep regular players coming back.

I mentioned pets, I am a troller primarily, and having a pet for solos is so important, with the troller being able to 'give a punch but not take a punch' I need a pet that can tank a bit for me, while I have a sidekick, and the AI is excellent, I keep thinking the gadgets/batman pet style and stance could be tweaked, with 'pet styles' being a random reward from promethium boxes, and regardless being able to change pet colour to match, I have a new Rage tank/dps and would love my pet to be red, as cyan clashes with the red. Skill trees I feel would enhance my whole pet experience, they would only need a few skill points so not OP, but have four trees for each class and once you use a pet skill point in one tree that is the only class that can be used, but pet skills could be reset and used/saved for each type of armory build, providing you have an armory for each of your builds.

I would love to personalize my experience with pet naming, it would bring me deeper into my char, and increase my over satisfaction of playing.

I must mention I have a Lantern Jack pet, his AI is by far the best AI I have used in the game aside from the sidekicks, he tanks perfectly for me when I am trolling. Wish he was a permanent pet like the gadgets one.

I want to commend SOE/DB for such original ingenuity in the armory system, you have basically invented a save point in a MMO.. genius! versatile, giving us in-depth access to our potential without overpowering players.

I note we do not have a community manager for the EU side, and no special events, I understand why, and it doesn't bother me, but having a few honoured members that are long term league bosses recognized by Daybreak, might be an idea. I don't know, just a thought.

Home Turf has been loads of fun, I have really enjoyed the content, the league halls, and bonuses provided for having a lair, it made my return so much easier, Im cr 98 now, and so glad to come back at a time when people are polite, there is so much new content and the overall feeling of optimism is healthy within the community and healthy for me.

I note my T4 solos have disappeared and hope to have those and more solos back soon. as I play mostly at night as I have sleep apnoea and am on at random times, this makes waiting for raids near impossible unless i am up at the same time as friends or league-mates. The Gotham Wastelands was a great ticket through my 80+cr, and I still go there everyday just for fun, went by quite fast, and mostly Mogo is dead for players with only a few exceptional times is it busy with people and queues. GW was easy to meet new people, Mogo has been hard, people not seeming to want to even talk. no idea why.

Overall.. I just love the new content! I hear from the higher up cr's though rumblings of running out, which is a shame, I feel if we could have deeper content, this may keep them happy. I feel Central City is a space that could be opened up for OW raid bosses, more than one OW raid boss like 8, for the higher cr's, just making the area larger and using the OW bosses into their own raid, with classes for them. PVE raid group, in a slightly larger Central City. Raid vs Raid.

On the EU side there's not much PVP, as I mentioned the villains side is pretty much dead. I have a low level villain that I use for trading on their broker, the place is often deserted when i am in, and it was mention by a high level cr in WT shout.

This has been my honest opinion, both good and bad. I only want DCUO to thrive.

Have a bizarre and great day!

Sigma


*the highest cr when i left was 92, I left at cr78 with no-one to play with, and many problems on the EU community side.

A few thoughts.. MMO vs AAA

Hi guys


Soo.. I've been spending ages on DCUO my favorite MMO..other games seem to dwindle in interest for except GTA5, which as u may know has been pushed back to April for PC release. again. I've got it on pre-order with a company I don't really know, .. :/ thought i was only waiting a month.

I keep thinking, I have no mains left, portal 3..that'll be another 5 years at least, if ever. Bioshock.. I played BioInf  into the ground. now no more Bioshock.. unless 2k put another team on it which i think is unlikely.

I wonder if Ken Levine, just dissolved Irrational.. to take the heat away from Bioshock 3? (a stunt??)

And even though I have many games.. they just don't spark me like DC Universe Online is right now.

I think ill get into Far Cry 4 once the price comes down..but saying that in Far Cry 3 I got far into the missions, near the end maybe the last mission, and I just didn't want to finish it.

I still have Half-Life 2 to complete, and will probably get around to it, just out of missing portal and wanting a more complete knowledge of the things before portal as they are set in the same Valve-iverse.

With my in-home streaming setup, I am finding I am not thinking about computers so much, sometimes I consider getting a second AMD 280x..but this one does all I need.


If you are considering a MMO, DCUO, is my MMO. Im not interested in others. and the proper superhero vibe is extraordinary.

peace

Dava

A Drill a Hammer and Two Nails.. or Hardware Refresh; Cutting Edge or Happy Wallet?

Hi guys

some music:


Back in 2006-2009 I was just starting my adventure in to building PC's, as soon as the price of the new hardware hit my budget I would upgrade.

Nothing was planned. I spent and wasted money.. yes I got experiance in exchange but if I was more organised.. wow I could have done so much more. PC building great and all, but there is a life outside, and going to the cinema every so often should be part of my plans, just for the experience, going into town to a cafe and get a few things at poundland.. just for fun..should be a regular occurrence.  remind myself why I do what I do by doing something different.

Builders can upgrade often.. everything can be exchanged to another similar part. and you can do that all the year long. but if you're doing it and not seeing big improvements.. honestly..really.. you're just wasting money. you need a SSD and decent amount of RAM & 4 cores and you'll probably have a good windows experience.

This is where 'planning your hardware refresh' comes in..

Depending on what you like and the games you play.. you probably should be thinking 4 years, when you do a build or re-build, plan for the event of 4 years, but YMMV all the jazz.. I try to every 3 years for good reason, because I buy compound cheap, like I bought 3 SanDisk SSD's cheap.. super cheap, and then found while they were meant to be all SATA3 all the way.. I suspect they have most of the parts but then a SATA2 controller chip inside >_<.. so they needed to be replaced after a year to sata3. my 660ti's great run! value for money! but now dead.. but even if they weren't dead I can't survive on 2gb anymore.. its just not enough vram.

My modded Skyrim is 2556 MB, no wonder i was getting such slow-downs and crashes!

All this means due to my budget, I should plan a hardware refresh every 3 years. Most companies go for four, including silicone manufacturers so you should too. Plan at the start of Nvidia or AMD or Intel's refresh*.. which ever you choose and like the most. if you are also planning a backup rig.. choose the other company to understand why and what they offer too, so your experience is educated with real world knowledge and not just nerd-internet-myths.

hope this was the nail you needed to finish that bookshelf.. a thought in the ether, sensible shoes.

peace.

Dava









* it's actually two years for cards, and four years for chipsets, but the cards are usually older branded ones from the last generation.. so every 4 years.

Modes of international travel.. Dava's guide to getting around t'inter'net

Hi guys

pretty much.. everyone of you already know this kind of stuff..but if your family don't: trying to explain to them 'what's what' of computing can be a pain in the rear. So to aid you in your quest of easily explaining 'what a computer is' to your family and uninitiated friends..

Here is Dava's guide to computers. enjoy!

Using the traffic analogy means we need vehicles to traverse the World. .. 'World Wide Web' that is.

----------

Smartphone: bicycle (3" to 7")

neat and speedy, low feature but attractive and easy.
-----------

Tablet : multi speed mountain bicycle (6" to 9")

larger and more rugged, still low feature.
------------

Netbook: Moped (7" to 12")

very easy operation, convenient design, but too low a power for harder tasks.
------------

Notebook: Deluxe Motorcycle. (12" to 14")

fully featured, quick, easy to use. but cannot do any heavy lifting.
-----------

Laptop : Ducati Racing Motorcycle (15" to 19" upwards)

ultra featured, usually can game if the specifications are of a premium standard, like the screen. but in many cases still not as powerful as a desktop.
----------

Nettop : 1.0 L Car.

basic. usually used as a home streaming receiver device. fast browsing.  but cannot do the main computing tasks associated with a desktop. high features with low power.
----------

Home Theater PC : small van.

streaming server. usually high capacity (drives). high feature (full windows). but struggles with the more difficult tasks.
----------

Desktop Personal Computer : Saloon/Sedan Car.

Fully featured. can complete tasks within an expected time. can do everything the previous computers can. fast browsing. but is loud, unless treated for loudness. can get internally messy if not treated.

----------

Performance Computer : Ferrari or Lamborghini , Performance SuperCar.

Ultra featured. can do any task quickly, easily. can game.

----------

Workstation Computer : Mercedes G63 6x6 Super Jeep. Lotus Elise, light-weight and precise.

again they can do everything the previous computers can and more. *some* are lower powered for specific reasons and *some* are given alternate parts for a specific reason.

Sub-styles of workstation.

DAW: Lotus Elise, light-weight and precise.
Digital Audio Workstation.
RAM is ECC. unbuffered.
high amount of RAM.
often aftermarket or secondary sound card.

VEEW or VidEnc :  Mercedes G63 6x6 Super Jeep.
Video Encoding & Editing Workstation.
RAM is ECC. registered.
high amount of RAM.

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

Server Computer: 18 wheel Lorry

Can do all the tasks previously if equipped correctly, but is not designed to. manages security, file transfer and ip allocation. can move HUGE amounts of data easily. gets HOT! requires climate controlled area operation.

---

all of the above is of course, subject to conditions, and year.. that means a netbook from 2010 will kill out right.. like B in Kill Bill with a sword.. a desktop from 2000. values are relative. much like your family. :)

peace

Dava

Golden Moments..or why the flip doesn't Sega just 'go PC'?

Some music while reading. enjoy!

Hi guys!


Do you like nostalgia gaming? I do.. I like the Dreamcast.


I'd like to see Sega re-issue and dev on PC, using Steam as their distribution service. that way they don't have to invest in hardware and we get get all the old Dreamcast games and new ones, without restriction. just use your fav controller and done!

I also think publishers having their own pages on Steam would be great, giving them a storefront on Steam...and I'd like a 'Dreamcast Zone' on their own Sega Steam page. Ultimately 'why not?' is my question.. they just sell games..people buy the games. simple.

I am concerned at pricing though.. as these games should come in at *I feel* around £2.99 each. why? coz you can get a current AAA for a tenner, and these dreamcast games are over a decade old, it like when an indie publisher puts something out and I'm like 'what the flip?? £10, £20??' when what you basically get is an old NES title with an updated story. dont get me wrong some indies are just staggeringly amazing.. and I dont regret buying Stanley Parable at full price..or even when I tried Kairo and thought I got a total bargain.

But what they are selling is nostalgia..and for £2.99 its worth a try even if your memories are golden and your new experience is not.. for £10.. noooo you feel ripped off and handed a bruised ego.

As for hardware.. the Dreamcast is now gone.. and I genuinely feel it shouldn't come back, few years ago I never would have said that.. but I'm a PC gamer now..to me the PC just makes sense as a platform for Sega.. no restrictions, no one tells them to cough up for licenses or you can't do that on our platform its too close to something we do.. etc etc.

Sega has so many titles that could be re-issued.. and when the re-issue is successful ..why not bring out a new game continuing the series? it's simple for them. really.

I wish they would re-issue Shenmue 1 & 2, House of the Dead and Soulcalibur .. where else are we going to get legit Dreamcast games without actually using a Dreamcast?

With the recent and (current) Sega Humble Bundle I now have Dreamcast games as part of my Steam collection and not having to pay full price.. kudos to Sega..'back in the game!' as a publisher!

peace :)

Dava

A Beginner's guide to shaders...or can my PC make a decent cuppa?

Hi guys

If you're new to PC gaming or haven't paid attention to how graphics cards work (we've all been there).. or if you say this often; My CPUS seem FASTZ! why no GOOD GRAFIX?? bad feelz! haha

There is a simple way to remember all this graphics card junk.

Shaders.. MOAR shaderz!!

2000+ shaderz + decent other core parts + decent Vram (2GB/3GB/4GB/MOAR!)

Means you can pace at a decent frame rate.. Crossfire and SLI for each card doubles many of these things but not all. SLI scaling is something beautiful these days.. I haven't tried Crossfire but AMD guys seem to keep complaining about the drivers and with my new, 280x I can see why, with gimped features.   ...lovin' the 3GB Vram & 2048 shaders though.

Each of the 2048 shader cores has a clock rate just like your CPU.. speed them up and the PC finds it easier to create the game.

These days I would recommend no less than 1024 shaders for any medium 1080p gaming build. but really you should be thinking about trying to get around 1500+ & 2GB of Vram for a medium build.

Rob mentioned James' GTX 660ti 3GB, that's a great card, and he's correct, these days Vram is sooo important for many games, simply put: the shaders and AA (detail) are what you see, the Vram is how quickly it is loaded. there's more about bit bus but thats for another day.

If you dial up the settings to maxout, everything's going to slow down becuase that takes a lot more work.. so less shaders means you put lower settings and everything will work as it should. or overclock the shaders you have..but be careful you don't burn down your house or fry the card or go on holiday to the seaside for a decorative hat.

left the PC on battlefield!

paused!

Of course there's loads more factors but these days as long are you have a reasonable CPU (current gen for AMD and Intel) and 8 to 32GB of RAM (I recommend 16GB @ 1866mhz) you should be G2G.. SSD doesn't hurt either. but HDD 7200rpm yes will run games fine.

peace

Dava

MOAR RAMZ!!

The Wattage Dilemma .. or calculators at the ready!

Hi Guys!

External Power Supplies & Secondary PSU's have been in demand for around a decade now.. but as yet, no one company has stepped up to the challenge; With the exception of NesteQ, which is altogether ugly solution, I still commend them for trying.

Where is FSP? Where is NZXT? Where is Zalman? Where is EVGA?

Have you too many optical bays?? I do too.. if we could get a extra PSU to fit within these extra bays, and a power header cable to connect that would be great! instead of the case power switch connecting straight to the motherboard it could have its own recessed slot in the secondary PSU, which then has a similar cable leading to the motherboard to trip the primary PSU via the normal motherboard method.

WHY would anyone want these.. I think manuf. think 'this is crazy, these guys spend a fortune on their rigs and don't want to buy a higher wattage PSU??' to reply, sometimes, it's just far too much hassle to disassemble your rig*, especially if you're on water, other times, it becomes totally impractical, for instance if you were to buy a PSU and only need another 200w for a third graphics card, speaking from experience there.. and in my situation right now.. I have a HP* proprietary PSU, non-standard ATX with pins the wrong way round. its £120 for the 600w version, which is just insulting.

If I could buy a Secondary 500w 80plus bronze PSU for £60, that would solve my problem.. I could have as many cards as I wish in my PC. to be clear, that's what I feel many want that ability for; to power all their cards and a few drives.. that's it.

The big ugly cable problem.. well I thought of a solution to that problem..have a clip for one of the back card slots and once the cable is inside the PC.. it doesn't need to be big and ugly anymore huh? just a normal slim one with very generous slack enabling us to cable tidy. individual wires still somewhat thick and each can be routed to the power in port which no longer needs to be a kettle plug, but could be for each power wire.

The PCIE and drive power cables could be very flat and be ready to to be hidden. sleeving could be another option, but now more and more retailers are selling sleeving, which is frankly superb!

Sometimes companies are dumb.. they see a market but for whatever reason they don't take advantage of it.. this is ten years of people asking for secondary and external PSU's.. so I guess who is first to this market will clean up.. and then THEY will be the ones in the need of a calculator not us! :D

peace

Dava


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


*if I have my PC settled and I dont want to mess with it and just make a slight upgrade, this becomes first choice!

*Don't get me wrong HP are coming along these days, the old HP I hope is changing. Buying their products at times is little like buying Mac, but then they had that nightmare of a website for many many years.

I have a HP Z400/W3550 then w/X5650 Xeon upgraded .. got this PC a three weeks ago, very happy.