I'm back.

[Lord Elcorion]

Or more acuratly, I've been back for a bit over a month or so, as a free player. I wish I'd found out about this sooner, but as it is, I'm back and pretty happy with the conversion. So anyway, upon return, I find myself with four charecter slots to play with ((does anyone happen to know how they determine how many slots to give to a returning player's account?)) and with those four slots, I reactivated Elcorion and En'Drakus, and two other charecters that I ended up deleting after a bit, along with virtually all of my origional stuff other than my robotics mastermind. After so long, most of the designs just looked really dated and uninspired, and add to that the idea of logging in day after day and staring at so many charecters I can't use is just a bit depressing.

I most definatly plan to buy at least the Mastermind archtype, and a couple more charecter slots, so I can reactivate Alitriona Omega, since she was A: very fun to play when I had her before, and B: she was my highest lvl charecter, most of the others never having gotten much higher the 8, or 14. I also want to get the going rouge expansion so I can make a vigilante and a rouge, I've already got a couple ideas in mind.

Had to respec En'Drakus because of the now inherent nature of fitness, and used the two power slots to take his psi defence power in Dark Armor, and the new afterburner power in Flight. ((lLove how you can take your primary travel power at 4 now, rather than having to buy the weak version at 6 and the main version at 14 like before)) I also like the new Vet rewards chart, and how it gives you an at-a-glance look at what's available at what levels. I'm also rather glad for the way they reorganized when you can obtain certain rewards. now i can get wings if i just get one more month of VIP, unlike before, when it would have taken me almost half a year from where I was at ((yeah, I only ever managed to pay for four months of subscription  )) I also like how more and more game functionality opens up to you as a free player, the higher you are in the tiers, with tier nine having access to virtually all main functions in the game. I am dissappointed that Mission Arcitect is locked out at such a high lvl, I never did have the chance to try it out, and having IO enhancments locked out unless you have an invention liscense is mildly annoying. do invention costume pieces get locked out in a similar way, or are they considered seperate? I had really wanted to make a pair of the robo-wings for a version of Alitriona's costume.

the new tutorial is pretty cool, as are some of the new lowbie missions, though I'm curious if there's a way to go back to the old versions of Atlas, Galaxy, and Mercy. I've heard hints that Ouroborus might grant such access? Also, it says in the tutorial that when you pick your starting alignment, you'll have a chance to change it once you hit 20. Where/How do you do that, and could charecters over level 20 go back and take the mish to do it. ((If, for instance, I wanted to switch Alitriona Omega, who's lvl 26ish, to a hero, not that I actually would.))

All in all, I'm pretty satisfied, Aside from wanting a few extra charecter slots and the mastermind archtype, I really don't feel locked out of all that much, most of the stuff that is locked out is stuff I never used in the first place, or else only used once in a while. I can still make my charecters how I want to, unlike CO and the cookie cutter quality of the archtypes there. ((speaking of CO, I haven't been playing on there at all since probably mid-summer.)) and only a very small number of powersets are unavailable, and many of them should unlock once I "Go Rouge." I'm also happy that they chose not to lock out a large selection of existing costume content, and instend made the stuff from the various super boosters and such available for individual purchase. that was one of the things that irked me most when CO went F2P.

so anyway, that's probably more than enough from me, I'll stop rambling now.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Welcome back.  If you aren't already part of the "FR and NRF" global channel, you'll want to join that so you can contact and play with the rest of us.  We do still play together on a regular basis and have fun and stuff.  Now to answer your questions and so forth.

The old version of Galaxy can be accessed through Orobouros, but the other two are gone as far as I know.

You can switch alignment at any time past level 20, but that is part of "Going Rogue."  This is also howyou get Rogue and Vigilantes.  You can't make them from level one, but Villains can become Rogue and Heroes Vigilantes before they cross over to the other side completely.  They can, of course, just stay in the middle, which lets them access content on both sides.

GR also lets you create Praetorians.  Praetorian content is more challenging than regular lowbie stuff, but a blast to play.

First Ward is a special Praetoria zone that heroes and villains can access and get missions in.  It's a fantastic 20-30 zone, but requires additional purchase for free players.  IMO it is worth the purchase if you can find someone to play with you there.

Lots of a people are annoyed by the IO lockout, but monthly licenses are pretty cheap.  About $2 a month in real money I believe, so if you must have your inventions, it's not that bad.

You asked about how many free slots you get?  Off the top of my head, the formula is 2 +any purchased +vet slots +2 for having bought at least one box set at any point in the past +2 for having purchased Going Rogue before Freedom started.

I assume you bought a  boxed game at one point, so that's where you get your four.

Here are a few purchaseable things that are especially fun or helpful

All the new post GR powersets seem to be quite fun.  These would be Time Manipulation, Beam Weapons, Street Justice, and Titan Weapons.  All but Time have to be purchased even by subscribers, but we get some free points we can use.

The Titan Weapon weapon pack is currently available for free.  You can purchase it (again for nothing)even if you don't have Titan Weapons, so it's worth grabbing just in case you might want it some time down the road.

Ninja Run and Beast Run are useful travel powers that can substitute very well for normal travel powers.  NR is quite handy for natural type characters.  The powers are exactly the same, but they just have different animations.

The Jump Pack and Pocket D VIP access can be useful for getting around, although neither are at all necessary.

First Ward is also a lot of fun and is actually pretty reasonably priced given the massive amount of content in the one zone.  (Something like 6 or 7 story arcs and about 10 new enemy groups)

The Sig arcs are also fun, but they seem a bit expensive to me.  I probably wouldn't buy them if I were a free player, but you may feel different.

Of course there are tons of great costume options to purchase, but you can actually view them in the costume creator, try them on, and buy them right from the costume screen if you like a piece you don't already have.

[Lord Elcorion]

Welcome back.  If you aren't already part of the "FR and NRF" global channel, you'll want to join that so you can contact and play with the rest of us.  We do still play together on a regular basis and have fun and stuff.  Now to answer your questions and so forth.

I was on the channel way back when, but I seem to have lost it in the interveneing time. I'll see about getting it back later tonight.

The old version of Galaxy can be accessed through Orobouros, but the other two are gone as far as I know.

Rats. Oh well.

You can switch alignment at any time past level 20, but that is part of "Going Rogue."  This is also howyou get Rogue and Vigilantes.  You can't make them from level one, but Villains can become Rogue and Heroes Vigilantes before they cross over to the other side completely.  They can, of course, just stay in the middle, which lets them access content on both sides.

Ah. So without GR, your initial alignment choice is the only one you get. That makes sence then, and it's still cool that you can take any archtype to either side, though I'm sentimental and still tend to keep villain archtypes on red-side and vice versa, least till I get GR going. the fact that vigilantes and rouges can experience content on both sides is cool by itself.

GR also lets you create Praetorians.  Praetorian content is more challenging than regular lowbie stuff, but a blast to play.

First Ward is a special Praetoria zone that heroes and villains can access and get missions in.  It's a fantastic 20-30 zone, but requires additional purchase for free players.  IMO it is worth the purchase if you can find someone to play with you there.

My roommate is also an old hand with CoH, so once we both get GR and he gets his new laptop, finding someone to play with shouldn't be a problem most of the time.  I am really looking forward to this new content anyway, and seeing how it feels compared to the origional stuff. Is it possible to jump out of Praetoria early and then come back, or take a charecter that started on Primal Earth and visit the Praetoria content, or is it a one way only portal?

Lots of a people are annoyed by the IO lockout, but monthly licenses are pretty cheap.  About $2 a month in real money I believe, so if you must have your inventions, it's not that bad.

Eh, I hadn't messed with the inventions stuff much, still more interested in the invention costume pieces anyway.

You asked about how many free slots you get?  Off the top of my head, the formula is 2 +any purchased +vet slots +2 for having bought at least one box set at any point in the past +2 for having purchased Going Rogue before Freedom started.

I assume you bought a  boxed game at one point, so that's where you get your four.

That would be it. Got started with the CoV box and picked up the CoH box a little later for the sake of completeness.

Here are a few purchaseable things that are especially fun or helpful *snip*

I'm definatly curious about a few of the new powersets, in particular beam rifle, since I had an idea for an alien bounty hunter that would make more sence with a beam rifle rather than an archaic earth assault rifle. definatly curious what the weapon alts look like as well. the Titan weapons pack shall indeed go into my shopping cart later tonight, I can always get the power set later, have an idea or two for it but nothing solid yet. the runs I'll probably wait on til I happen to come up with a charecter idea that would fit them really well. jump pack and Pocket D are so-so on my list of priorities, might pick up the D-pass later but jump pack would probably have to go with a charecter concept before I invested in it. first ward will be a definate must for the sake of completness and fun value. Sig arcs, I dunno, I think I might wait till they finish a fully storyline and see if they offer the whole thing in a discount pack. Does that seem likely? Costume options. *just drools and paws at the moniter while staring at the charecter creator.*

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Is it possible to jump out of Praetoria early and then come back, or take a charecter that started on Primal Earth and visit the Praetoria content, or is it a one way only portal?

Praetorians cannot leave until level 20, at which point they can choose to become heroes or villains or stay Praetorians and go on to First Ward.

Primals can freely go to Praetoria through Pocket D. Then can't get contact, but can join teams there and get badges.  Level 20 Primals can go to First Wards and get contacts and do missions for that content.

[Lord Elcorion]

Ahh, alright. Sounds good, now I just need to wait and see if I get some cash for christmas, or failing that, wait for tax season.