Austara

/signed, wholeheartedly.

I want FB, Twitter, and the blogosphere to go nuts about this. I'm doing my part on all three, with my fb and twitter (#CoHFanSupport hashtag ftw), and I'll be doing a blog post about it ASAP. But I want everyone to know that this game is beloved by its community and should not end in such an undignified, sudden manner.

Best New Arc:

#1 @Tubbius Hammer and Sickle of Paragon City #351727

#2 @Jail.Bird The New Paragon Society Reborn #355351

Best Unknown Author:

#1 @Sister Twelve

#2 @Arctic Princess

(Thanks to all the contestants for allowing themselves to be put under such scrutiny! )

Thank you for that tip! I'll try both options and see which one offers the better pictures.

Thank you! Going to add info about the newest booster pack to my Editions and Packs page later today.

@Greenykins: Thank you for letting me know about the color visibility issue--I have a darker color blue I can use in place of the lighter shade, so I'll fix that ASAP.

@The_Killbot_5000: Thank you for clarifying about the font. What I may do is experiment with using a sans-serif font on the main body text instead of the serif font I've got in place now--I just noticed that the serif font seems to render numbers and some letters a little oddly. Well, Paragon City wasn't built in a day, lol!

I'm glad to hear from people about things I can improve on the site as well as things that are going correctly--I'm glad that this project, which started out so little, expanded into the kind of resource that it is.

By the way, does anyone know where I can get images of the different Invented Enhancements? A visitor had mentioned adding images to the Invented Enhancements page (under "Game Items") a long time ago, and I definitely agreed, but I couldn't figure out how to get screenshots of them in-game. Thank you in advance!

I logged on, saw that there were more replies to this thread, and my heart rejoiced. ^o^ A big "thank-you" to The_Killbot_5000, ReclusesPhantom, and Calibre for posting opinions!

Also, I do want to address the point about the site font that The_Killbot_5000 brought up: is it a personal preference issue, or a readability issue? Though I have tested the site design on every browser available to PCs, I have not tested it on a Mac, and thus was unsure of how the font choice might translate on a different operating system with different default fonts. Don't want all the cool content translating into random symbols and such!

I agree that this post would likely be better suited for the Player Help forum, ReclusesPhantom; unfortunately, I've been trying to post there about Skies over Atlas for about six months, and after about three months the conversation just died and I couldn't revive it, it seemed (no matter how often I posted about updates to the site). Thus, I came to a part of the forums that I knew people would read to re-advertise about the site. ^_^

The "Things to Do in Atlas Park" page is a personal favorite of mine, mainly because every suggestion came from experiences. Part of the page does deal with legit things you can do to help new heroes, and part of it's just screwing around.

By the way, is the humor section detracting from the overall value of the rest of the site? It's somehow difficult to write good humor for CoH, even though I've done tons of fansites before and haven't had a problem with humor sections. Just want to be sure that I'm including content that is worth the time it takes to read.

A big thank you to Diggis, Aisynia, Useless_Fiend, and Mr. NoPants for their input so far! (Yes, even the more negative posts are helpful for the further development of the site. Also, Aisynia, the alternative breakfast option made me snicker.) I welcome more opinions on how I can improve and add to the content of the site!

Hello, everyone! Just wanted to let people know about the City of Heroes site I've been working on since mid-June, called Skies over Atlas. (http://coh.withinmyworld.org/ is the address.)

Skies over Atlas is not about the technical side of CoH (like character building, power stats, etc)--I know that there are other CoH sites out there that do a wonderful job of covering these aspects of the game. What my site does is to tackle the oft-forgotten social aspect of the game. Articles on how to chat politely and positively with people, lead teams and supergroups, and how the Chatbox can be used to do different tasks in-game are just some of the selection.

Skies over Atlas also includes a large "new-player" section, dedicated to helping new heroes get their footing and learn some of the veteran players' tips and tricks. The site also has information and advice on lots of other topics, such as building Invented Enhancements, finding a good name for your hero, choosing generic powers, how to make influence, what veteran rewards are available, and many more.

I created this site because I want to help new players with some insiders' secrets, but I also want to help all players communicate with each other more effectively as well. CoH is such a social game that it is a shame to see players' gaming experiences wrecked by insulting chat and immature behavior. I want to offer players new ways to tackle difficult situations like these. (Once an English major, always an English major, I suppose!)

Check out the site, and if you're on Facebook, become a fan of Skies Over Atlas (search for "Skies Over Atlas") to learn about new updates! Also, if you're on Twitter, @skiesoveratlas will also have the latest updates. (A Myspace page is in the works, but not yet live.) Leave your thoughts in the Guestbook, available under Site Info and Links.

BIG new update over at SoA--new navigation that makes it twice as easy to find pages and browse the site! Each category can now be clicked to expand it out into all its various links, and it collapses back down when you click on another category heading.

Also, I have added several new pages and created new categories, including a whole host of links on the different facets of being social in City of Heroes, as well as a section on in-game items and building a new hero. There are also other sections, such as the Basic City of Heroes Gameplay, which cater to new players and returning players alike. I've even started a City of Heroes Humor section!

Visit and let me know how you like the new look and the new content! As always, if you see any bugs, or if the new navigation does not function correctly on your screen, please let me know, either by email or posting in this thread.

[EDIT 10-26-09] Now, Skies Over Atlas is part of the social networking scene! There is a Facebook Fan Page for it (search for Skies Over Atlas) as well as a Twitter account (@skiesoveratlas). This makes it very easy to keep up with what's going on in the Skies Over Atlas!

@ EmperorSteele: Thank you for your additional post! I will add your PvP hints to the PvP Zone Primer, which is available now on my site. I appreciate your thoroughness!

@ Aggelakis: Thank you for the tip about the old link! I have now updated it to reflect the more up-to-date hero builders. (I had no idea it was not the most up-to-date builder out there until you posted--shows how often I comb through CoH links across the Internet! XD)

Thank you so much for posting these summaries, EmperorSteele! I have read through some and will continue to read through and see what needs to be added to the Hero Zones page from this list. I appreciate your insights on the Abandoned Sewer Network and Eden, as well as Founders' Falls and the Rikti War Zone, and I'm sure I can use your hints on Crey's Folly, Terra Volta, and Dark Astoria as well.

Just wanted to share that I've added some more new pages to the site, discussing how to edit costumes, get new costume slots, and change between costumes in-game. I also posted a wonderful article by a contributor, which details the PvP Zones very well for the PvP newbie as well as those who have a little more experience playing in them.

Even more new updates, this time pertaining to the acquisition of costumes and costume slots! Also, there's a great new article on the PvP zones, written by a contributor who did such a good job of writing and explaining it all that I posted it pretty much as it was.

Let me know, as always, if you see anything that needs to be explained more clearly, corrected, or deleted, or if you know of something that should be added.

Well, after a few weeks' worth of work, all of the new pages are up on the site. Please let me know if you see anything that needs to be added/expanded/corrected/deleted--I know that some of the pages are a little more incomplete because of my incomplete knowledge of certain aspects of the game. I welcome all input!

Those of you who have already posted, I thank you for your effort, and I have credited your help on my Contributors page; I definitely couldn't have done so much on certain pages if it hadn't been for your help. Check out the thread entitled "Heroes, Your Gaming Experience Requested!" if you would like to see the hero zones I need help on detailing. As always, this original thread is still open for questions and suggestions as well.

Link to site: Skies over Atlas

Thank you for all the helpful hints and in-depth replies so far! I have the Hero Zones page up for viewing now, as well as a Contributors page that lists all of the people who have helped with the content. Everyone from this thread so far is listed, as are the people from the original Skies Over Atlas thread.

Even though the Hero Zones page is up, I know it is still quite incomplete in places, so I am still on the lookout for hints and tips, especially about upper-level zones. Please post if you have a hint that could help a new player!

Link to site: Skies over Atlas

Recently, I have been working on a complete Hero Zones page for my site Skies over Atlas, which is a guide for new players. I want to have a list of each zone's features, hazards in each zone, and the good things about playing in each zone, as well as the zone's gates to other areas.

Problem: Since I haven't been playing in a lot of higher-level areas yet (my highest-level toon is 30), I don't have personal experience in the Shadow Shard or the other higher-level zones. Thus, I can't write much about the hazards and perks of each zone.

This is where you come in! I would love to hear from heroes who have played in the following zones and have experience they wish to impart to new players about each zone. Anything you can think of that people new to each zone need to be aware of (like large spawn points for higher-level bad guys, places where you might need travel powers to cover a lot of ground, and that kind of thing), feel free to post it here! I will be much appreciative, and your nickname will be added to a Contributors page on the website.

Zones I'm needing info on:

Terra Volta
Dark Astoria
Brickstown
Crey's Folly
Abandoned Sewer Network
Eden
Founders' Falls
Cimerora
Peregrine Island
Rikti Crash Site
The Hive
Firebase Zulu
Cascade Archipelago
The Chantry
The Storm Palace
Bloody Bay
Siren's Call
Warburg
Recluse's Victory
Rikti War Zone

Again, your contributions, no matter how small, will be much appreciated! I want to make my Hero Zones guide different from Paragon Wiki in that it's based more on player experiences in each zone than the technical details of each zone. Thank you in advance!

Just wanted to let viewers know that Skies Over Atlas has been updated with a lot of new content, as well as considerable updates to previous pages, according to the feedback I've gotten from this thread! I've got new pages up about day jobs, accolades, designing an original character, writing character backstories, and an opinion article about "the perfect costume" for winning costume contests.

On the way is an article detailing the features of every Hero Zone in Paragon City (yes, EVERY one!). I had a technical fail this evening while using MS Word 2007 to find and replace text (was trying to save myself some typing), and Word ended up eating the hero zone file completely...yes, Austara was NOT a happy Tank. > But as soon as I can retype, repair, and reformat that page, the Hero Zones page will be up and running too!

As always, feedback is always welcome, as is advice and suggestions on content changes, etc. I've looked to Paragon Wiki very much during my research, as I have aggregated and condensed information for various articles, but even Paragon Wiki isn't quite complete in a few areas.

@Eric_Nelson: Thank you for the comments and suggestions! I'm glad that the site is functioning as an accessible guide--that's how I tried to write it!

I was unaware of the negative effect on influence that playing in SG Mode has beyond level 25 (since my highest level toon is just now lv. 29, I hadn't actually paid attention to notice whether there was a drop in the inf I was getting). I will definitely post that as part of the article, since it is a concern for high-level toons.

As for the salvage issue, I mainly wanted to encourage people who might be new to the idea of SGs to contribute in as many ways as possible. It is important not to clog up the base's salvage storage with enough Daemon Programs to choke someone, but adding the odd Luck Charm or Ancient Artifact is always welcome! To explain this better, I could add a line about "Most Wanted Salvage," or a part about asking your SG leaders about what kinds of salvage the group is looking for.

I am really enjoying reading the replies so far! It's interesting to me how some people react pretty much the same way in-game as out-of-game, and other people have the opposite reactions. I've long wondered if the relative safety of being behind a computer screen helps normally quiet or low-key people become a little more outward-focused. (Seemed to work with my seventh-graders during a computer-based project--kids I thought would NEVER feel comfortable speaking in class suddenly became contributors to lots of discussion board threads!)

Also, a subquestion I thought of randomly a few seconds ago: Do you act differently between playing different ATs?

(Example: While playing my Tank, Blaster, and Scrapper, for instance, I'm very much a "get in, pwn some dudes, get out" kind of player, not talking a whole lot except to congratulate other players on getting through tough parts of missions. On my Controller and Defender, though, my maternal and protective side shines--I seem to suddenly fill up the chat box with helpful hints, especially if I'm playing alongside a new player, and I'm healing and protecting a good bit. It's not like I change personalities or anything, but the different ATs seem to let different parts of my personality become more active. ...Maybe I'm just weird, LOL!)

Even though I haven't been playing CoH/CoV all that long (about five months), I've made a cleaner transition into the game than I first thought I would. I wasn't sure how I'd take to an MMO, having never played a game of the type before.

But I think I figured out why I am pretty comfortable in the game: I've spent the last 11 years of my life singing in large school choral groups.

Sounds kind of weird, but in a way, being part of a giant chorus is a very similar environment to an MMO. There are so many different people, all with different-sounding voices (like different character builds), and with four basic "archetypes" (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass), there is a lot of room for making your own mark in the group. You can choose to be a powerful soloist or section leader, or you can choose to be a strong support for the group, helping other people learn their parts, helping them get back on-key if they need it, etc.

It's hilarious looking at my characters on CoH and realizing how much of my playstyle corresponds to how I function in a choral group. I always sing alto in choir, which meant I sing mainly harmony with the sopranos' melody. I'm also usually one of the people who knows the line very well in my section, and people can key to me if they get lost in the music and need to get back on track. I function the same way on CoH and CoV; even when playing a Blaster, Tank, or Scrapper, I am still providing support by launching myself into the fray when a teammate needs a little bit of rest. My Controller and Defender are both strong support characters as well, with healing and teleport powers to supplement their power sets. Seems I can't get away from singing alto! XD Not that I mind--I like being supportive, even if I'm being supportive while kicking much butt.

This analogy is simply a different lens for studying how games like CoH and CoV function socially. Kinda funny to think that the games and groups may change, but people generally react the same!

QUESTION: Does your own general playstyle seem to reflect how you react in other social situations (not necessarily choir, but other similar kinds of groups)?

@Alef_infinity: Cool, I didn't know the Escape key literally functioned as an "escape" from the chatbox! I will put that into the article (and considering how often I get trapped in the chatbox, I'll probably be using that trick more often!) Thank you for suggesting that!

The Teamplay article is definitely just a starting point--sometimes it's hard to figure out exactly where your particular build functions best in a team, so I just wrote more general guidelines from my perspective in playing a hero of each archetype.

Also, a question for everyone: I'm considering taking down the quick-reference powerset guides, because I've just noticed that on Internet Explorer, the guides download themselves into a weird zip file that Excel won't open. On Firefox, just clicking the link opens the file just fine. Anyone else have this problem? I'm not sure how to fix it, and I'd rather not have something this broken on my site. Thank you in advance!

@Kid_Gloves: Thank you for the in-depth perspective on my site! I appreciate the tips and ideas--I definitely like the idea of the "Start Here" page, and am almost finished writing it at the moment.

As for the controller description, I agree that the wording should probably be changed. Most of the Controller powersets I have come across have used mainly holds and immobilizing attacks, but there is something to be said for slowing enemies and lowering their defenses as well. And thank you for suggesting the controller's optimal role as "boss-neutralizer!" That's something I definitely missed first time around. ^_^

And you caught the bit of "Page Fail" on the archetype page--there was a later draft of that page which includes the caveat that some archetype builds may function differently from the way I have outlined them in the article. Problem: I didn't upload the later draft yet! Lazy silly me. XD

I'm debating about going into more detail about "good" costumes vs. "bad" costumes on my site--since I haven't and don't plan to win any costume contests any time soon, I'm not exactly the authority on what makes a "winning" costume. :P There's certainly some guidelines I could give, but I don't want to introduce too much personal taste bias on my part. After all, who am I to criticize someone's neon green- and orange-striped costume if it fits their personal concept of their character? ^_^ My perspective is basically "design and let design."

However, maybe an article about what all kinds of options are available to new heroes would be good? I'm also planning articles about day job locations, writing character backstories, creating unique characters, and the article on server selection you suggested. (Paragon Wiki, here I come! )

@Crime_of_Fashion: Great idea! I've taken screenshots of all my characters' different costumes anyway, so that will be an easy addition. (Why that slipped my mind in the first place, I will never know. )

EDIT: Pictures added! The article on costume design was also lengthened a bit to add more detail about each picture. Costume Design page

@Chill_Out: Awesome! New players are definitely part of my target audience for the site--thank you for your support!

Glad to see the variety of perspectives on the idea of the "lone bidder!" I actually was kind of nervous about the topic a few hours after I had posted; I was thinking, "Eek! I do sound a bit dreamy on this--I'll probably get a slew of one-sentence replies concerning my naivete and utter stupidity or something like that." But I'm glad that this bit of philosophy has engendered a great discussion!

Mainly, I like helping out the lone bidder because of the principle of the act rather than the result. The lone bidder will never know who listed the item that they got, yet I know that it will help them in some way (even if they flip it, that's influence in their pocket that they didn't have before). It's an anonymous sort of charity, I suppose. It's kind of cool to be doing something decidedly not money-making among the heated bidding wars that often go on within the glassed walls of Wentworth's. Remembering that there is a human being behind every hero on the screen is an incentive for me to do stuff like this.

The Lone Bidder (a bit of Wentworth's philosophy)

It makes me so sad to see a listing for an item accompanied by "1 Bidding/0 Selling." (At first, I thought this was a possible bug, but after building and selling a Bonesnap enhancement to such a bidder on a listing, I found out otherwise.)

Before I found the mysterious group of lone bidders, I had been attempting to play the rather cutthroat game of "flipping enhancements:" buy a recipe for cheap, build it, and sell the enhancement for way more than recipe and salvage cost put together. I wasn't much good at it financially, since I was usually losing influence instead of gaining, but I was happy because I was getting enhancements to people who needed them.

But when I sold that first enhancement to the lonely last bidder left, I experienced a much greater joy--that of making something for someone else, no matter if I made any money off it. That first enhancement sold for about 1,500 inf, while it took much more to build, but it was so satisfying to see it sell, even more satisfying than selling enhancements for a profit.

I certainly haven't made any of my characters richer in influence doing this, but it makes me happy to list an enhancement and see it sell to someone who's most likely been waiting a while to get it. Who knows, maybe the piece I made helped someone complete a long-awaited set, or maybe they could buy it for much less than they expected since I listed it for a lower price?

My point with all this is that it's well and good to set your characters up with a nice cushion of influence, and certainly we all need some--I wouldn't kick as much butt in battle without purchasing Inspirations and Invented Enhancements! But sometimes, it's just awesome to do something for someone else, regardless of what we ourselves get out of it. Why not help a lone bidder at Wentworth's get what they want?