Zortel

I believe GameAmp.com shut down around Feburary time or so. Apparently server costs, revenue issues and personal problems lead to the closure.

Consider myself more schooled on Trick Arrows. I honestly forgot about EMP Arrow's -Regen -Recovery.

Trick Arrow, as we all know, is centered as being a debuffing set. We can't buff our teammates but sticking an arrow in them, though it might be nice at times to hurry them up with the threat of pain, but... that'd be doing a Manticore.

Thing is, Trick Arrow seems to be missing -Regen. Wouldn't that be great on Acid Arrow? I mean, Acid is a classic for stopping regeneration, from D&D and Fantasy to Comics too.

Surely trying to breath in Poison Gas would make getting your breath back tougher, slowing your recovery? A -recovery to that would make sense.

Radiation not only has debuffs galore, but a PBAoE Heal, a Rez, a +rec/damage/speed buff too. Dark Miasma has a PBAoE Heal, mass res, and a pet.

For Christmas this year, give Trick Arrow some love. An Archer is for life, not just for the holidays.

I'm looking to probably change my Rad/Rad Defender for a Rad/EM blaster with radiation green pompoms. Why? In character reasons, but still looking forwards to Aim/Build Up/Boost Range Electron Hazes and Cosmic Bursts.

Is it that time again? Good luck to all of you getting your results. For those who don't get what you hoped, just remember life has a funny way of screwing with you before pointing you somewhere good, and that there's always alternatives and things you can do to help resolve the situation.

I tend to take what the lore gives me and build on it. Most of my characters tend to be American (even though I am not) or of mixed nationalities. I take what the law give us and then work with it, sometimes hitting it with a chair, and hope to come up with interesting characters. Some draw inspiration or homage certain real life characters, and I tend to assume that Paragon is pretty much like the real world, with all the various IPs and products in, but with the added twist of it being a magical, technological and not at all normal setting.

Why aren't there any McDonalds in Paragon? Maybe the creators of Up-n-Away (Don't eat the Spring Chicken Salad, it induces Rikti mutation) signed a Circle pact to keep them out of the city. Why is there no pancake houses to be found? Because there is one, called Captain Jack's Pancakes, but the store shifts about the city, appearing close by whenever someone is in need of aid and pancakes.

Shows such as Capewatch, America's Dumbest Supervillain, Queer Eye for the Caped Guy, CSI Paragon, Teammates ("Could I -be- any more of a superhero?"), How Clean is your Base? and other hero influenced shows broadcast alongside local produce like Paragon High, Talos Beach, Good Morning Paragon, The Judge and the Jury/The Gary Judge Show/Sunday Judge (Hosted by ultra-conservative Televangelist Gary Judge, friend of hero-hating-hack lawyer Chris Jenkins) and other types of show.

Building on this, the characters then come from Paragon, other states and elsewhere, drawing their powers, strengths and weaknesses from living in a comic book universe.

Azure Arrow is from L.A, a second generation hero who wound up with 'Arrow Azure' on his license due to the name not belonging to him in this state. He's got a proper secret identity, lives with his maid Lien and assistant Martha. Following in his father's footsteps, he deals with street level crime, but also street level problems. Patrols for him consist of going out and ensuring that people get home safely, trains are free of trouble in the carrages, and that homeless people have a place to go, something to eat and drink, and a blanket if needed. He puts money towards affordable housing projects, allotments to bring gardens and vegetables to the city and other such things. Leveling is usually out of character, unless in an RP team. Jumping about Kings or Skyway, saving people? That's the most fun part.

Rushmore on the other hand is a teenager given the power of America by its spirit, while on a trip to the mountain of the same name. He moved to Paragon to learn more with the New Vigilants Supergroup, finding himself a small fish compared to back home in South Dakota, where Rushmore is a big name. His struggles include getting comfortable ith that, learning how to be part of a team and dealing with his Warshade girlfriend's joking threats to send him TO THE MOON! if he's bad. His villains are campy sorts including Captain Apathy ("PROCRASTINATE UNDER THE POWER OF APATHY! WHY BOTHER? WHY BOTHER WITH FIGHTING ME?!"), Ad Liberace ("I get so blank when I do this. I do love blanking when I visit the blank. Can you guess what I'm up to?"), Confederate Caroline ("The South shall rise again!") and The Red Glare and the Communist Manyfisto.

Zortel is the scientist in powered armour, dedicated towards her goal of changing the world, one heart and mind at a time. Leading a group of heroes, with a tower in Skyway City and her own tropical island retreat, she spends a lot of time now doing administrative work, and spending time with her wife and children.

Cindersnap is the gay, liberal Christian firestarter. He rose up from a troubled past of gang crime, losing his parents and faith, to winding up in Juvvie and being rehabilitated under the Metahuman Youth Reforment Scheme, and now leads the New Vigilants. He also just happens to be dating the son of Gary Judge. Life's never easy for a super hero.

Dipping into those from another dimension, that would be Steel Skye, the Thanagarian homage character. Found on Earth when she was just a few years old, along with a strange suit of silvery armour that was rather lightweight, she moved from Atlanta to Paragon after all the good heroing spots and positions were taken, looking to try and make her mark in the Birthplace of Tomorrow. Just don't call her Birdy. Those claws are sharp.

Other characters involve a group of teenagers who stuck together after the Hollowing, most of which mutants. From three eyed psychic psychology students and business studying BDSM/Alternative club owners, to pyrophilic pyromanic pryokinetic reporters and radioactive perky goth fashion designers. They're an odd bunch. A Transgendered Peacebringer who used to be a weathergirl, a man stuck in a power suit powered by the flammable sweat he secretes who just wants to be famous and known for the only thing he can do now, a sultry hero counseller with command over the plant symbiont in her body. There's Nachtbrecher, former Thule Society mystic who after a plot to destroy America, has found work with the CIA's Omega Watch in later years thanks to Operation Paperclip, a MAGI Spellbreaker back from a tour of MAGI sites across the country (Do not mix Unquenchable Fire and Nevermelting Ice. It makes bad stuff hapen.)

While I'm not a villainside player, my main three are Jan Boa, a half snake woman who runs a service selling manpower, womanpower and information (plus running the import food Euromart in Port Oakes. $1 for a pack of pan au chocolait?), Fist of Faust, a demon blooded dockworker in Cap au Diable who wrestles for the MetaWrestling Federation, and Professor Prion. He's serving time after stopping too long while breaking in at Benedict Tech to rant at the scientists over differences in design aesthetics.

I love the game lore, and just love adding to it.

I almost forgot Jessica Kade. She doesn't get played due to being waaay too poweful IC. Instead, she cooks things, grows vegetables and fruit, and hugs her kitchen utensils to transfer the love into her food. If asked why she doesn't help out and save the world, she laughs and says if she did that, no one else would have anything to do and would be all sad and bored and then they wouldn't have jobs and the people in Icon and other places who tailor to the heroes would loose their customers and be in trouble and those who they give money to would be in trouble and it all goes on from there so no she won't because she doesn't want to cause financial difficulties or upset people.

Without taking a break in speaking.

((Queer Eye for the Caped Guy and How Clean is your Base/Lair? are not my creations, but they are damn awesome.)

Definitely need Independance Day celebrated. Fireworks over City Hall, Talos Island, Gemini Park and Portal Corps, and each year a different group of villains could attack. Rikti, 5th Column, Arachnos, Council, Nemesis, whoever has a beef!

Veteran's and Memorial Day, to remember soldiers and heroes lost in the wars, the 5th Column's attack, the Rularuu attacks and the Rikti invasions.

Equinox festivals centered around MAGI and the more magically inclined zones (Astoria/Croatoa).

For more CoH lore themed days, a day to remember that ever popular Mayor, Spanky Rabinowitz? Centered on Talos Island's Spanky's Boardwallk and City Hall, of course.

Astoria Memorial Day.

Something in Faultline to commemorate the destruction of Overbrook/founding of New Overbrook. Similarly for Baumton.

Plenty of feasable ideas! I'd love to see the city more alive with celebrations.

One of the most wonderful things about this game, I'm sure we can all agree, is the costumes. Even with a challenger to the costume crown, CoH/V still stands head above the rest, but... I have a problem.

No, the problem is not a crippling fear of moths and crane flies, but costume slots! I love them. As a roleplayer, and a player in general, they help make the character. A good costume makes me want to play my characters so much more.

So... how about more? More options are good, but more slots are great! I have one character (Mister Ephemeral, the MAGI spellbreaker who uses the stunning Magic Pack pieces) who I intend to have four versions of his main outfit, and that only leaves me with one spare!

(For those of interest, version 1 is the cool wide hat, with the arcane cape, baron jacket with waistcoat, trousers and boots. Version 2 is without the hat and cape. Version 3 is without the Baron coat, and with dress shirt w/ waistcoat, with version four being just dress shirt.)

What can we do about this? Fiiiiiiiiirstly!

An Icon in Galaxy City, over by the Orion Belt or in the unused bit of land by the AE building.

This would balance Galaxy City off a bit, seeing as Atlas has Sewer Entrence, AE, Wentworths, Recluse's Victory entry and Vanguard DPO, plus I believe it has a Vault. Not to mention cape/aura missions. Galaxy on the other hand has AE, Arena and the Respec guy.

The new Icon would offer a level 10 Costume Slot, which in a change form being defeat 30 x, you have to do a small instanced mission. Maybe something along the lines of clearing some sneaky fans out from having snuck into the model's changing rooms, or stopping some Trolls from committing fashion crime.

Secondly, as a reward for reaching Level 50, Serge and the Icon crew throw a fashion show in your honourm and being invited along (Set on the catwalk atlas map instance) you then have to fend off a villain from trying to steal the show. Upon succeeding, you get access to your 6th (7th if you have the Haloween salvage) costume slot.

There may be some tech difficulties to this, but we have a damn fine character creator, so what's two more slots to show our stuff off, eh?

This post has been brought to you by the Society for Giving Azure Arrow More Costume Slots.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i3...azurearrow.jpg

Look, five already! Shay doesn't even have beachwear or something to exercise in!

(Also, we humbly request sneakers sans socks for men.)

I tend to use the temporary travel powers a fair bit, some of my characters don't have them for concept reasons, but it helps in traversing zones quickly. Self Destruct I've been known to use when close to a level, take a group out with myself, then I'm back on my feet and at full health/endurance. This tactic also works well in Sewers at low levels.

I'd use my Crey Pistol more if it didn't have such a recharge time on it. What's the dealio with that, anyhoo?

No driving license, no ID card, nothing. I'm off the grid. I'm actually posting this from my secret bunker, where Bindweed is undergoing Rezortification and getting his hair brushed.

... In all serious though, I really should get a passport, but it's all a load of hassle to get something I'll barely use and cough up a chunk of cash that could go towards building my second box. >.>

Anywhere on the continent is off for me, due to having no passport. Y'know, it helps keep me off the radar for when I eventually build my death ray.

One thing I'd like to see rectified in CoH is the Paragon Protectors. There's the whole big reveal about these heroes of the city, but there's just one problem.

Up until that point you've probably never come across them, and if you have, they're enemy NPC's.

No working with them or even getting a helping hand from one in the lower levels, no seeing them flying over the city helping out with crime fighting, the suddenly appear and 'oh they're bad'. Just doesn't hit an impact with me. Here's an idea...

What if the Dev's held a contest, every month they'd put up an old CoH story arc for the challenge, and people oculd work on turning it into something interesting using the MA, among other tools. Perhaps an all revamp issue wouldn't go down well, but they could at least maybe work on a few arcs across the levels each Issue. Get some of the new people practicing on there.

(Just please, don't put the person who worked on those new Midnighter arcs on. Or if you do, please tell them there's other tools than ambush.)

The only thing I am thinking is.... by Riker's beard you met Ron Jeremy. That guy is legend.

The whale didn't respond at all. An eye focused on the being trying to communicate with him, before starting to swim to face the beach again. Then turning to the ocean. Then the beach once more. As it let its song sound out, it was a cacophony of warbling noises and long, drawn out sounds.

Craning his head round, the trapped marine worker looked at the whale. "Not sure there's much that can be done for him... I can try calling where I work, seeing if we can get a place to keep him comfortable, but I'm not sure if he'd survive long out at sea..."

Taking another deep breath, he looked back to Zero. "Those zombies aren't living, thinking creatures... hell, get away from me... If that's your stance on things, I think the city could do without your type. Or get Statesman to teach you what a real hero is!"

His face pale, the sea life worker turned around to hold his shaking arms up, three feet apart. "... Makes sense, Ma'am... that'd be enough to get the front of the brain, maybe deeper." Taking a deep breath, he picked up his body board and looked it over, before grasping the bottom of it.

With a nod, he turned and swung out with the board at Zero. "WHAT THE HELL, HERO? You LOBOTOMIZED it! Do you KNOW how many Psychic Whales there have been? ONE! THIS ONE! Not that it does much good now because you RAMMED A SWORD INTO ITS HEAD!"

Shaking with rage, he went to swing again. "Yes, it attacked us, yes, we were scared! But you guys are HEROES! We count on YOU to find another way for the things we can't deal with. If your answer is to use lethal force, then guess what? We could do that without your help! God DAMNIT! No wonder some people hate you guys!"

Ascent lamps are waaaay better than safes I've found. Not only can you use it to place items at intervals up the lamp, but by using the Floor Tile set as a backdrop, you can create things like this, my favourite part of the mansion so far:

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i3...6-13-50-26.jpg

Because what rich property developer wouldn't have a stunning double set staircase going upstairs?

At the small island, the sand shifted out of the way to reveal several discarded snack food wrappers, as well as a syringe with a long, thick needle and the remains of a dark blue liquid in its body. Other than this, the sand hid no more secrets from Vox Doom.

Back on the beach, the man who worked at the sea center was chatting with Ibuprofen, his face pale. Clenching his jaw, he walked up to the Knight of Zero. "How long? How long was the sword you jammed in there?" He asked, his fists shaking as he looked at the 'hero'.

Recently, I've been working on a base for one of my roleplaying characters. Taking one of the 4x4 rooms, I've been constructing a mansion inside it made from white cabinets (Here being an exterior view of work done so far: http://is.gd/24T38 ) But then, when I was taking a look around another SG base of mine which I've been using a test bed, I had an idea...

We all know some marvellous things can be constructed inside bases with the stacking changes and so forth, such as mansions and buildings, but...

What about a street? Or a cul de sac? Or even an apartment complex in Kings Row. You can easily build a two or three story house, so what about building several in a room? You could build a garden too, with some planning. Or fences. The possibility is there for a gated hero community with houses and apartments inside. Instead of using a big room if there were issues with that, you could use a string of several rooms in a line, with a street running through it.

I may try this myself, but currently I need to finish the current house I'm working on (Curse trial accounts not being able to join SG's. I could really do with that 300k prestige infusion right about now!) and another base, but... well, it's an interesting possibility, don't you think?

Further out from the Island, towards the opening of the bay between Eastgate and Astoria that lead out to sea, there was a small island. Mostly a sandbank with an outcropping of rock and a few trees and long grasses. Nothing unusual, there were several like that.

Nestled around the rocks though were black drums, steel lockboxes and some plastic crates, half revealed by the fluttering of dark brown tarpaulin that had lost a peg holding it in place. The drums were sealed tightly, marked with various warnings. Biohazard, carcinogenic, tetragenic, mutagenic. The steel boxes themself were locked tight, but the plastic crates had various tools, impliments and measuring systems, some stained with dried blood and fat.

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Meanwhile, back on the island, a man in a black and green wetsuit was running towards the force field, a body board under one arm and his dark hair slicked back. "Hey! Heroes, let me through! I work at Paragon Sea World!"

Soon, Krill Killer the Psychic Whale was back in the water and off the beach. Tentatively, he swam towards the edge of the forcefield to nudge against it. Oddly, so had any sapient thought and his psychic eminations. Getting an answer out of it would be rather difficult, unless one happened to be able to communicate with animals.

Finding the field stopping him, the sea creature sunk a little more underwater, its eyes giving a long, drawn out blink.