Attache

This one was done as a gift for me while Lib was still my main character in the All-Star Sentinels. She's kind of a cross between Thor and Wonder Woman: An archeology student falls into a crypt on a dig and finds a Roman gladius. Once she pulls it from her scabbard, she is transformed into a modern day manifestation of the Roman goddess Libertas.



I always liked the way this one turned out. I'd heard through a second party that the face was based on Audrey Hepburn. I figure if I ever do up a real character guide for Liberta, I'll include that reference. I also like how the belt is actually on her waist and her bottoms are in-between the semi-thong or full shorts choices we have now. It would be nice to have something between those two extremes for real.

And yes, yes...the mythological Libertas used a spear and dressed a little frumpy. If there is ever a spear powerset, I promise to re-roll.

As I stated in another post, Taghuso does have a DA account but it looks pretty inactive. If you look me up on DA, you should be able to find him via my gallery.

More to come!

This is really incredible stuff, CH. Now you have me wanting a sculpture! I'll need a second job!

I still don't think jump kick is a "good power" but it has a certain flavor that fits some characters. I have it on one of mine and I love it.

The people who are going to give you crap for certain power choices are mostly the min/max types who want to squeeze every last bit out of an attack chain. I'm not knocking people who game like this but I honestly don't get a feeling of accomplishment if I take down some virtual enemies. It is all just entertainment to me so I don't really care if I can do it in 5.3 seconds or if it takes a minute. It doesn't matter and the occasional deficiency is barely noticeable when you're rolling on a team. I'd much rather play a character that's fun for me and has some flair than to be able to solo an AV.

On that note, I have solo'd a few AVs with the help of shivs and inspirations and on a scrapper that has some deficient "character" power choices. A "bad" choice or two in a build isn't going to kill you or your team. Have fun.

I did get into the art thing a little but have been pretty lax about posting my purchases. I decided to finally start putting some of them up.

Doctor Epoch was a character I created back when the Ouroboros issue was coming out. A buddy of mine did this up for me shortly after I joined up with his SG:



This is actually a re-color of the cape and symbol because after he did the first commission, he included Epoch in a mock comic cover that he did and accidentally colored the cape and the infinity symbol in the circle green. I thought it looked better so I changed it to that permanently. I always dug that evolution because it reminds me how some comic characters actually came by their iconic looks due to continuity mistakes.

Now, being a time-traveler, Epoch's arch-nemesis is actually his scarred and bitter future evil self, the Chrono King. I have these characters on alternate accounts and they will occasionally menace one another in the Pocket D when I'm especially bored. A year or so after the first commission, my bud did this one up for me in a radically different style:



It's great but since they don't look much like the same guy, the plan was to re-visit Doctor Epoch and do another up in the same style. Sadly, my friend lost interest in CoH a little and is taking a break. I'm working on coaxing him back into the fold.

I really like these efforts and the characters themselves. The Chrono King was actually my first villain 50. Hope you guys enjoy checking them out!

If I’m going to do legitimate AE missions, I’d like to be able to get legit AE rewards…including xp. My idea for making the AE exploits a little less viable and to have the AE be a little more part of the game world is as follows:

1. Cannonball the bulk of the AE buildings, especially where they completely inconsistent with the other buildings or architecture. You only need like maybe 3 per side. If you have to have one in the Rikti War Zone for co-ops, at least bomb it out and make that one special in its appearance and staff interactions. I’m thinking that the staff are ducking behind consoles and sandbags, talking about getting better jobs, and mostly thinking you’re crazy for wanting to jump into a holodeck when the building could go at any minute. Make it fun.

2. Shut down the AE Medi-Ports. This will make sense in a minute.

3. Lose the AE Building contact hologram. Instead, every zone has a designated spot where the AE contacts spawn. List it on the maps.

4. Once you form your AE TF, you and your crew click the little column of light and get transported to a level appropriate zone on the appropriate side. At that point, you’re in the simulation and all the spawns, contacts, and other heroes you see in the game world are just part of the AE’s incredible simulation experience. You seek out the AE contact and get your mission which directs you to an instanced door either in the same zone or another zone. A given arc might send you running all over Paragon City or the Rogue Isles, unless you’re in the RWZ. If there is an AE there, you’d have to be limited to that zone.

In short, the AE missions become more like regular missions with travel time, hospital runs, hot doors, etc. RPers will be happy with the more immersive environment. Storytellers will be happy because you’ll lose some of the ‘just a simulation’ feel you have living in the AE building. People who don’t exploit the AE might grumble about the change back to the standard but I don’t think many of them would outright hate it. The people who would really hate it would be the folks who want to farm and milk xp and while this doesn’t necessarily address that directly, it makes it all a little less convenient. I’m all for making things less convenient.

I was thrilled about the AE inclusion but I do think the overall effect on the game has been detrimental. And I’m not suggesting this just as a way of sticking it to people who would exploit. I’ve been on AE farms too…of course, it deserves mentioning that I joined most of those after many, many minutes looking fruitlessly for a regular team. For a long while, it was all you could get and I do think there are players - otherwise decent players that we all knew and liked for years - who got used to the easy xp and went on a break once it was over.

I know people love to perpetuate the most extreme examples of the AE Reign on the game - the things like the Level 50 who didn't know what enhancements were or didn't know there were other zones besides Atlas - but most of the people I saw on those teams were folks with a few anniversary badges under their belts. A lot of those people felt that they'd seen the content and figured that might as well level as quickly as possible.

I'm not sure there is any going back on that in a game coming up on the 6th year but I'd like them to try. GR and I19 sound like some solid steps...but I'd like to someday see the AE working as intended. Someday.

Ninja post from work. Please forgive me if it has been suggested already…

I’m not really sure if this is possible or if it would somehow seem as a “lesser” option to people who love new power sets but since smashing damage is essentially equal to other smashing damage to me, why not do staves, eskrima, etc. as a weapons & animation customization option for martial arts? Personally, I would love this because it could allow you to mix some staff or stick work with a few kicks or punches (kicks would be better) and there might not even be weapon redraw issues just so long as you stick with the same weapons for your alternate attacks and they stay out when you’re using your feet.

Of course, I’m not saying it wouldn’t be tons of work: BaBs essentially identified staves (and polearms) as about the most time consuming thing they could be making at this point but if it is something they are seriously considering, why not give us the ability to mix and match martial arts and martial weapons? There is really no reason that doing so couldn’t include all the awesome animations of a new set, except for the ever present limitations of time and resources, but if this route would allow more individual choices without having to create individual powersets for Staves, Eskrima, Tonfa, etc., I think it could be pretty nifty.

Of course, MA would probably need to be proliferated to Tanks and Brutes to make this all a little more viable. I’d sign up for that too!

I don't play on the Champion server...but I noticed this thread and had to ask a question. I know that there are a lot of tech-minded people that play the game and they may be able to give some insight.

Is it possible to upgrade the game engine, character models, and graphics via a sequel but still keep the characters info and just port it into the new system...whatever that system might be? I'm honestly not all that excited about starting over in seperate universe but I would like to see the game expand and evolve and become what amounts to a new experience. I just don't want to drag beloved characters I've maxed out through a lowbie experience every 7-9 years as MMOs die off and get replaced by their next generation. Is it possible for a MMO to evolve into the next big shiny thing rather than start over as the next big shiny thing?

I certainly want to see the scope widen: I want to visit other places than Paragon City and the Rogue Isles. I want to lose the war walls. I want to see old enemies be defeated and new ones arise in their place. I want to see asymetrical character models and costumes. I definitely want to see things in this game that we are often told isn't possible with the present engine...I just would like to see them with the characters I've in which I've already invested much time and effort.

Can a sequel be part of an overall evolution or must it be a complete reboot?

42 and easily one of the most immature people to ever play the game. Or any game.

/e throwhissyfit

Hey, there was some talk about special rewards for staying true to your morality and not side-switching, right? What if only the morally pure (or impure redside) can become...Incarnates! *gasp*

Well, I doubt that will be the reward - I can hear the shrieking already - but it would be cool to know some details about the mechanism, efforts, and costs before I do too much planning. Still, I have quite a few I'm planning on taking to Rogue / Vigilante status if only to be more thematically correct with the way I see the characters. And I definitely have a tank I want to take to pure V-status. I only made him blueside because Brute never got ice armor.

Also, I've made a bunch of villain characters that are nemeses to my SG in our mythos and I might take some of them to rogue status if only to pop over to Paragon City and RP some menacing actions with my friends. Again, potential costs (or losses) in doing so may curb these plans toot sweet.

EDIT: Oooo...just had a thought. What if you can Level Pact Praetorians that choose opposite factions? Might be a fun way for you and a friend to play hero & arch-nemesis and always stay the same level. My guess is that they'd make it where the Pact breaks once you stay to far away from one another. Still, it's an intriguing thought. To me, anyway.