Ardrea

*crackle, static, buzzzt*

*Over a radio frequency from the Rogue Isles, a news report starts up*

*pop, sqweeel, snap!* ... Good evening, this is the Paragon Review; bringing local news to the region through collaboration of WSPDR Impact Report and Crey Technology Consulting Associates.

I am Kherianda, reporting. Today is January 5th. Now for the updates you've been waiting for.


Police Investigators are still baffled by a series of crimes and related killings across Founder's Falls.

In three separate events, inventory records and minor office items were stolen, accompanied by substantial interior office and building damage.

In each attack, crime scene investigators found traces of dusty soil and spent world-war-one era ammunition.

Five night watchmen were killed, and two seriously wounded, both now in critical condition at the M. Harvey Medical Center.


Now that the holidays are behind us, the clearence sales are on! Visit your local Image, Inc. today for the best deals on popular drinks and breakfasts like Mega Power Mix and Yumyumola!

All energy supplements are on sale - get Synergizer at up to 50% off. Synergize your body! Stay awake for days! Never sleep again!! Ask a sales associate for details today!


January brings cold weather to Paragon City once more. A storm front swept through last evening, bringing showers of rain, freezing rain, and sleet.

Power lines leading to Peregrine were temporarily down from heavy icing, but quick action by the local hero Electric Fantastic restored service within the hour.

With temperatures forecast to drop, Paragon's homeless shelters are in need of volunteer services from speedsters to find the less fortunate and bring them to shelter. Please use judgement when trying to aid Lost and Trolls.


News out of the Rogue Islands reports more labor trouble on Sharkhead. Cage officials deny any reduction in ore production, though commodities futures were up 6% overnight.

Sources indicate that several Sharkhead mining operations have been attacked by Banished Pantheon zombies, and mine workers have been refusing to work in some areas.


Circle of Thorns mage Mnemcanthraxus was arrested on Talos yesterday. Witnesses say he was incoherently babbling about 'the sleeper' when taken in. Authorities are baffled by what this means.


The forecast for tonight is cold and breezy with a low of 19, winds gusting to 35. Continued windy and brisk tomorrow with a high of 33.

This has been Kherianda and the Paragon Review, brought to you by WSPRD sponsored by Crey Technology Consulting Associates; serving all your computational bioinformatics needs since 2012.


WSPDR Impact is broadcast worldwide on SH frequencies and on Radio Free Etoile at a power of one-hundred ninety thousand watts from our Cap Au Diable transmitter complex. WSPDR official time is 21:25.

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*the radio goes quiet*

There are a few key features about the market that make it behave the way it does. Such as: seeing only five past transaction bid-for prices but not sell-at prices, limited stack sizes for transactions, the market fee structure, the two-billion price limit, and that sellers keep any over-bid amounts. Probably a few other features I've overlooked here.

Just imagine; how different would the market would be if you could bid on stacks of a hundred salvage? Or a thousand? What sorts of changes could be feasible, interesting, but not completely revolutionary? What if you could see the min and max prices sold at for an item over the past few days? Or a week?

**** BREAK****
**** IMCOMING MESSAGE ****
MARK INTERCEPT KILO
TO: UNSCSHA-PRIME,UNSCSHA-FIELD-BETA,UNSCSHA-CHALICE-NINE
SUBJECT INTELLIGENCE FLASH (S)
PRECEDENCE 47-A-B3
DTG31DEC201110252344Z
CLASSIFICATION/S/CODEWORD-AXIOM/LEVEL4
****MSGBEGIN****
APTITUDE HUMINT SOURCE B-3 REPORTS UNUSUAL BANISHED ACTIVITY SHARKHEAD DARK-ASTORIA STOP PANTHEON WALKERS EXCAVATING LARGE PITS STOP PANTHEON CULTISTS GATHERING UNEARTHED STONES STOP BONFIRES OF UNPRECENDENTED THERMAL INTENSITY DETECTED BY INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL MEANS. MAGI-PRIME REPORTS REMNANTS WHEEL OF DESTRUCTION SECURE STOP AUTHORITY PRIME DIRECTS CHALICE NINE SPECIAL PROJECT SECTION INVESTIGATE STOP
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The first mission alert. It was on. Sharkhead Island, Dark Astoria, what could be buried in either place? Why stones? Why fires? What is this Wheel? Talitha went to work on her comm, issuing alerts to the early volunteers off her list.

((OOC matters:

This is not a Supergroup or Villaingroup. This is an opportunity to participate in server-wide open RP storylines and events. These events will be suitable for roleplayers of all alignments and levels. Events will include forum posts and stories, in-game discussion meetups, AE missions, canon story-arcs, TFs, Trials, and zone events.

Replying In-character to this thread will help get connected, but isn't necessary. It might be fun for its own sake though. Any RP SG/VG leaders reading this, please share with your members who don't frequent these forums.

Please mark OOC posts to this thread with "OOC:" or (( )) as you prefer. Please post In-Character if at all possible and appropriate.

Any and all in-game walk-up RP'ers will be worked into stories and events as we go. Stories will be general, and leverage both in-game lore and new game additions -- it's to provide a common backdrop as a framework to help promote open RP on the entire server.

Advance notice of events will be provided here and in various global channels in-game.

The first events will focus around some related happenings in Sharkhead and especially Dark Astoria prior to Issue 22. ))

Coming out of her secret meeting with Fateweaver Orion, Talitha's mood wasn't the brightest. Her life had taken new directions before, and all too often at someone else's prodding. Her parents had fled their home country when the native inhabitants overthrew the government; and pulled Talitha out of her school and circle of friends. Growing up in Grandville, Talitha was exposed to a harsh and competitive life where one had to seize and make good on opportunities, or find one could fall without limit. Athletics; the 2000 Olympic games; private tutoring in unarmed combat; secret membership in the Teen Terrors; conscription for widow training; it all built up a callus shielding one from change. Her assignments to UNESCO as a covert field operative working from within the Etoilles UN mission exposed her to a larger world, and her follow-on assignments from Arbiter Miller and Fateweaver Orion in response to the Nullifier-Rau incident had been amazing opportunities.

Under Talitha Laurent's leadership and starting capital from Miller's office, the GID had become a significant player for a time. But even as their primary targets in Paragon City succumbed to relentless covert attack, seeds of destruction within the GID took root. Still, there had been highlights, including a long lecturing received from none other than Ascendant, after he'd overheard conspiratorial chatter between her and several of her associates. Its mission, arguably, accomplished, the GID had been allowed to disperse. Her application to join the Arbiter Corps declined, and without portfolio for nearly a year, Talitha had worked a few minor assignments almost aimlessly. Keeping her modest lifestyle intact, but hardly advancing her career with the Nightwidows. Now, a new call from the Fateweaver.

Orion was a cold witch. She was old, one of the older Fateweavers who'd seen much, and had altogether too much of it come true. Meeting her and receiving prophecy was chilling, but the low hard voice and calculated nature of the foreseen alternatives formed an arctic wind. Many in the Widow Corps could foresee a slice of the future; a moment's forewarning of danger, that flash of foresight that a gun barrel, somewhere, somehow has lined up on you; but to see forward months and years, and to gain insight into what might be and what might not be, these were gifts of frightening power. Orion's words were quiet and clear. There were dangers, a great many, threatening the place of Arachnos in the world, threatening the state of disorder Arachnos thrived on, and threatening the structure and nature of humanity itself. Storm clouds were gathering, just beyond the horizon. Talitha was uncannily reminded of her talk with Ascendant; staring out over the shards of a broken dimension; tumbling debris and chaotic suns filling the view. "Worlds can die."

The incredibly opaque and ossified bureaucracy in Grandville can, on rare occasions, be moved to action, and when it takes place, the deftly rapid efficiency can leave the unaware slack-jawed. Within an hour, Talitha had her passport, a diplomatic courier's badge, and credentials identifying her as the newest assistant deputy undersecretary for global analysis with the United Nations Special Council on Superhuman Affairs. Her flier landed at the diplomatic pad at Turtle Bay that evening, and walking off, a man approached her. She immediately recognized the lapel pin's colors -- Freedom Corps. He produced a badge and identification. He was Special Agent Paxton, and was to be her Case Worker while she was on this Assignment. He would Arrange for Local Immunity from Arrest. He would Arrange for Access to FBSA files at Level Two, and Arrange Herocomm Access at Level One. He'd rather Arrange to Shoot Her Where She Stood, but if she Followed the Protocol established for UN Missions from Hostile Nations, he'd Delay that Action for Another Time. He spoke in Capital Letters, and his face burned like a fuse.

Undersecretary Murphy was genuinely happy to have her on his staff. Quite a relief. He outlined the project bounds, and provided her with the initial contact list. Heroes and Villains already registered with Vanguard who might be well-disposed to cooperate on the ad-hoc teams. Undersecretary Murphy explained he'd been trying to get this group off the ground for some time; and only recently had approval from the Security Council been granted. There had been no vote, only the back-channel assurance from the Permanent Six that there would be no veto. The Etoilles had insisted one of their own be on the project senior staff. Grandville was worried this project, like so many others, would turn its attention away from common threats and become another Longbow, dealing with merely parochial concerns of the Original Five; i.e., keeping Arachnos in check. No, Miss Laurent would see that this organization held to its charter, and answered to the Special Council as a whole, not just to Paragon City.

To assemble and manage ad-hoc teams of metahumans of all factions to counter common threats to global security. It sounded simple enough, and had a deserving approved targets list. Fifth-column, Circle of Thorns, The Council, Praetoria, the Rikti, the Rularuu, the Shivans, Nemesis, the Nictus. They would be loosely assigned to Vanguard, another UN sponsored operation, for administration and logistics support, and due to the overlap of the mission assignment for Rikti and Praetorian matters. Where Vanguard fought the steady, ongoing long-term war against the aliens, the Special Projects Teams would perform intelligence collection, infiltration suppression, special-capabilities combat operations, prompt global strike response, and predictive counter-force actions.

On the train-ride from New York to Paragon City, Miss Laurent reviewed the initial contact list she'd been given. A number of the names were prominent, most others less so. Quite a few from the City, but still a substantial number from the Isles; and not all of those in good standing. Looking out the window of her car, the American countryside rolled by. Some of it reminded her of here home country, all those years ago as a young girl. More built up, different trees, no game to be seen. But, the same rolling plains and hills, the same grey sky. She felt an odd desire to explore it, but her visa did not allow for stops along the route, immediate arrest outside of her designated work perimeter. Well, they'd attempt arrest.

At Vanguard Headquarters, she was assigned a hotelling cubical. A workstation assigned to visiting personnel, to be used at will, and when not otherwise occupied. Settled in, she composed her first field message.

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**** INCOMING MESSAGE ****
DTG31DEC2011030318Z
STATUS BRAVO EPSILON CHECK
TO VANGUARD PERSONNEL LISTING OSCAR-ROMEO-TWO-NINE
SUBJECT CONTACT VOLUNTEER VANGUARD OPERATIVES
PRECEDENCE ROUTINE BETA XRAY
CLASSIFICATION/S/CODEWORD-SPECTATOR/LEVEL5
****MSGBEGIN****
/PLAINTEXT/
Greetings. You are being contacted on behalf of the UNSCSHA Special Projects Directorate. I am Assistant Deputy Undersecretary Laurent, assigned to assemble a pool of willing heroes and villains from which to assemble ad-hoc Special Strike Teams to deal with threats to global security. Your Vanguard registration passed a records query indicating potential a potential match to our organizational profile and mission portfolio. Key requirements include: demonstrated capability in combat, intelligence, special activities, surveillance, technical services, reconnaissance. Ability to temporarily set aside local allegiances to deal with compelling threats to world security. Ability to work well with members of opposed factions toward common goals. Ability to work within a loose, ad-hoc command structure. The threat portfolio of this organization will include the Fifth-column, The Council, Praetorian incursions, the Rikti, the Rularuu, the Shivans, Nemesis, the Nictus, and other threats as individually assigned by the Special Council. No local or regional pardon from arrest or prosecution for crimes or activities counter to national sovereignties will be conferred by this service. Limited temporary immunity may occur on an operational basis. Interested parties reply to UNSCSA-FIELD/CHALICE-NINE for volunteer status.
/PLAINTEXT/
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I've played Petless MM's before, and recently I've been thinking of trying another.

To me, it's not about mechanics. Mechanically, while there's some tricks to mitigate the problems, skipping the pet powers greatly reduces the combat power of the AT. Instead, it's about style and challenge.

Challenge-wise, it makes City of Heroes a hard game to succeed at. But it can be done. Using the best enhancements and frankenslotting IOs, adding uniques and procs, choosing power pool attacks and vet powers -- these all add up to that mitigation. You become a master of utility powers and these themselves are weak and demand creativity in their application. It demonstrates real skill at playing to succeed and thrive with a petless build.

Style-wise, it used to be one couldn't get pistols or a sci-fi rifle without a MM powerset; now, those are common, but you still can't fight with a whip without being an MM. There's a wide draw to this style and the character concepts it supports.

However, you will run into people who just can't understand why anyone would play for a non-mechanical-power reason, and who'll hold it against you. If this happens too much, and you still want the experience, there's the alternate build -- level up a basic pet-based MM build in there, and offer to switch if the team demands it. Or just leave that team.

I don't like the cheesy mechanics in the trials. It's at the point for me, that I don't consider the trials to be done "in-character" for my characters. The storyline rationalizations are too thin, too obviously just rationalizations to cover bad mechanics and limited AI, and the tactical elements of the trials are too much aimed at players clicking adeptly and at carefully choreographed places and times instead of the characters being super-powered, for me to think of them as being part of my character's history and evolution. But, like many others, I want the powers, so I run them, and run them, memorize the maps and monkey-rote clicking, and then grind them, and grind them again. Then, also like many others, I come up with explanations for these powers that fit my character and have nothing at all to do with the Well, Praetoria, or incarnate trials. This is not a good place to be.

This is a proposal for a winter-themed event for players of all alignments and levels. Players would queue for this, and be divided into two teams on entry. The instance zone would be the Croatoa winter map, or any of the WL winter event maps.

Players would have all offensive powers greyed out except the snowball temporary power, and be auto-sidekicked/exemplared to level 10. The event would last ten minutes on a countdown timer, and scores of snowball hits against the opposed team of players would be tallied. The team with the most hits at the conclusion of the trial would "win" and receive ten candy canes each. The losing team would receive five candy canes each. All members of both teams would receive a badge the first time completing the event.

Many variations on the idea come to mind. Defending a click goal (i.e., flag, snowman, north/south pole marker "barber pole"); fending off occasionally intruding hellions with snowballs (hit one and he runs away); snowball hide-and-seek; and so on.

I'm glad they're aware, and hope they fix it soon. But that won't bring my macros back; they were young, they were innocent.

And if you had any macros set up as tray-clickables, those are completely lost.

I'm playing a TW/Inv scrapper, and I have to say it's surprised me by the overall power. I have made it to the mid-40's, but even back in the teens and the twenties it felt pretty powerful. I did take heed of the warnings about both accuracy and endurance use, and franken-slotted double and triple set IOs and end reducers accordingly. I also added a Kismet accuracy IO when I could, and that helped as well. TW depends on accuracy and hitting to get momentum, and then using your high dps and aoe attacks effectively. Placement of my character for the wide cones has been another area where some work's needed -- getting to the edge of the mass of enemies and fighting inward is much more useful than being in the center, and I took combat jumping to help with that. Over the long haul, I've been slotting Invulnerability towards being nearly softcapped for several typed defense areas. Even getting close means a single defense inspiration can put you over the top. And being able to stand toe to toe with that big spawn group lets TW shine.

Stick with TW, do some slotting for accuracy and end reduction. Leverage your secondary for survivability. It'll pay off -- it really builds up with the next few attacks you get, too.

I'm curious what sort of combinatorial optimization algorithm is being used. Is it a standard one, a homebrew, or is it an attempt at an exhaustive search?

People do get frustrated failing trials over and over; and sometimes the league does have too many +0's and not enough +3's for a harder trial. I can understand the occasional league trying to recruit only the highest incarnates for a trial. But, a few unshifted characters on a trial doesn't seem like a serious problem to me -- one of those +0s might be a very skilled player with powers that'll really help. Regardless, if a league's recruiter simply must have more shifted characters, I'd think it would be appropriate to say so in the recruiting message, so people don't join and get kicked right away.

One more idea:

Either a many charge temporary or a month long-lasting power to use the low-tier Mastermind Whip attacks. Non-enhanceable, not great damage, but great animation.

Other options:

Similar set-ups for interesting low-tier low power attacks from a variety of offensive powersets. Sometimes, even a blaster want to whip out some claws and slash in melee, and sometimes a scrapper wants to use an assault rifle from a distance.

On any of these, the price/performance has to be there; otherwise they just won't sell in quantity.

I don't mind the trials. Sure, they're repetitive, but what content isn't to some degree? Grinding the same one over and over, back to back, has a certain draw to many players, but it's not for me. I do them now and then, and try to get with a league planning to do several in sequence, even the ones I don't like, because it switches the experience up a bit. Some of the mechanics in the trials (okay, maybe a lot) are, IMO, kind of cheesy hacks, but again, they're tolerable, even if they don't fill me with glee.

What I hope the solo path is, is that it isn't necessarily solo -- it should support anything from solo to teams of eight without too much trouble. I hope that if there are specific solo-only missions that they're primarily character developmental, in a similar fashion to the solo-only faction missions in Praetoria.

I also hope that the difficulty scales with the character's incarnate progress; even if the difficulty on the whole is a notch up above standard even conning +0/x1 missions, say, in Peregrine Radios or Grandville Papers. If they're too hard, then the barrier to non-optimized builds will be kind of steep. Still, some will have some trouble due to generally not being well suited to soloing, then at least, like doing the Trapdoor mission, one should be able to get some help.

I think the level of rewards shouldn't be too far behind the trials; in fact, I think the rewards should be equal for every hour of active play, regardless of size of team or league. I suppose that's not going to happen, but at least be reasonable in this discriminant treatment. There's a certain crowd who feel the massive league/teaming system is preferred for these games just because, but that's simply not a law of nature, it's just a design choice that suits some players. The rest shouldn't be treated as tools because those players need more people on their league. If that's really what it's about, let's have a special button to fill the league up to the trial minimum from a pool of 50+1 NPCs.

Another suggestion:

One of the obstacles to using the purchased inspirations -- they take up slots in my inspiration tray. I know, that's more than a little obvious, but bear with me. As purchased items, I'm likely to want to save them a bit more than the ones that drop at random. If I have several of these in my tray, that's room I can't cycle for random inspiration drops. My suggestion is that I'd be more likely to buy and use dual and team inspirations if they had a separate inspiration tray of their own.

What bothers me about these arguments for much lesser rewards for solo/small-team play to induce more people to join large team play so the others will have enough people to play with is that is treats the solo/small-teamers as tools to satisfy the needs of others. I consider this dehumanizing and unethical, and always will. And I say this as a person who happily joins large teams commonly.

Are Kinetic Combat or Luck of the Gambler even in the market normally?

All I see in those level bands are Smashing Haymaker and Red Fortune. If they aren't, then it's kind of silly to say they have a "Regular Price". If they are, then this just reinforces my opinion that the market is a disorganized mess.