CBeet

Dink, if you're able to post, is there any chance you have a blog or twitter or something so your many adoring fans can see where your awesome has spread to next?

We'll be raising a drink to City Of on Friday, that's for sure.

I was a good kid, I'd always try to do the right thing. I didn't like to complain, I didn't like to do anything to offend or cause negativity, I always had friends to be nice with and everything was great. Then my family split, I moved and it changed. I stopped doing things, I had no friends to be nice with except my two dogs and I started to stop caring about having a good side for much else.

While watching TV one sleepless night, there was a British game p/review show on, featuring an interview with Jack Emmert. My imagination was sparked, I started thinking up Heroes, epic stories and characters of inspiration. Once I was 13 I had saved for a computer, got a steady internet connection (dial up ftw) and finally City of Heroes was mine. I quickly made friends, the Precision Rangers and the 1 AT Coalition of Heroes on the Union server, good people and great friends. They helped me get into the swing of socialising again, I started getting enthusiasm for being good, to be as nice a person as I can, to be a Hero.

But it started near the end of my secondary school. I had a history of over-sleeping and fatigue. When it turned out I had a form of Hypermobility Syndrome it started to make sense. Over time the pain increased, my dogs died and I tried going to college but I couldn't keep up with it, I'd lost the ability to focus and continue with a normal life.

I go from medicine to medicine, treatment to treatment, but nothing works. I went back to City of Heroes full time and my friends were still there, old and new. As much as the pain gets to me, I will always have friends to talk to, to whittle the hours away with both day and night. I've slipped in and out of depression, of dark thoughts and macabre fantasies, but because of this game I will always have friends to be nice for, always having the option of a happy existance even if it's not normal.

Thank you City of Heroes, Paragon Studios, NCSoft and Cryptic for letting this game be around for as long as it has been. You saved my life too.

Hehehehehehe

I'll miss you Steel, always a diamond in the rough when the forums are slow, and even when they're going too fast for my eyes to see.

Steam - Search for Beet, I've got a jolly roger-esque avatar.

Helped me through depression.

That's all I have to say.

Going by lore, there's no reason to think Faultline is anything less than an omega-level Earth user, afterall look at what his Dad and Praetorian self did. The issue at hand is that he will likely never have a chance to really hang loose because, again, look at what his Dad and counterpart have done, I don't see him recreating that to arrest a street thug or cause mass death to the Rikti, it's just not very heroic.

Edit: This comes to mind.

Would it be possible to make Backpacks available with trench coats and similar tops? Currently if you have a top with a cape-like object attached it cancels out all back details, but since most Backpacks are singular models I don't see any potential performance issues brought on by them.

Looking great Dink, love the cape

I can think of a few uses for a chainsaw claw too, especially in a Flat Blade style, even for an existing character, a Freak Tank with various medical apparatus installed into his armour, currently a Claws/Inv Brute with a flat blade 'scalpel' though a chainsaw would be oh so awesomely fitting ^^ If you have the time to put something like that together, it'd be amazing!

Bring it you shambling nutters! COME AN' 'AVE A GO IF YOU THINK YOU'RE 'ARD ENOUGH!

Looking forward to this

Could Detention Field be given a secondary use on an ally, giving a large Aborb shield?

While AoE is very desirable these days, I think Dark Melee is balanced enough without having it in buckets. I see Dark as very much a self support attack set, you've got endurance management, a self heal, -tohit to enemies and a strong ST fear. The single target damage certainly feels higher than the average set and the fact it severely lowers downtime between groups and even adds to survivability in a fight (especially on a high recharge build) I feel makes up for the fact that, by itself, it can't just one shot every Minion in sight.

Dark Melee's strength doesn't lie in and of itself, but what it adds to your other powerset/s and the character's overall performance. Look at your secondary set and wonder what it would be like with no endurance problems and a small self heal added while paired up with a single-target focussed set. I for one like it paired with Regeneration, Shield and Fiery Aura and I know it's a powerhouse of survivability with Invulnerability and Energy Aura.

Synapse already has a signature PBAoE Whirlwind attack, but of course his has lightning which can keep it as uniquely his, plus it's done all the time in various Super Hero cartoons, a super speedster running/spinning around fast enough to cause a tornado of sorts.

But yes, this is definately for the super speed fighter. Currently making do with Kinetic Melee for mine, but it's just not fast enough

A Super Speed based melee set, a simple enough concept from comics and one I feel should be incorporated into the game. Using a system similar to Dual Blades Combos and Titan Weapons Momentum, harder hitting attacks animate a lot quicker after the use of Quick Jab or Sudden Strike, but only the first attack used after them.

Quick Jab - Basic minor smashing damage attack

Sudden Strike - A fast moderate smashing damage punch, reasonable chance for stun

One Hundred Punches - High damage single target attack, animation of Flurry, turns into a split second blur of movement when Fast

Taunt (Tankers)

High Speed Spin - You spin in place similar to Whirlwind and cause moderate PBAoE damage with a chance for knockup. Replaced by Assassin's Speed for Stalkers

Speed Up - Replaces Build Up, +damage, +Recharge for 10 seconds, Fast effect for 5 seconds

Confront/Taunt (Scrappers, Brutes)

Mach 4 - Ranged smashing damage attack, visual effect similar to Vorpal Judgement, your character disappears for a split second and a full motion blur character runs to the target and back to your position. Replaced by Placate for Stalkers

Transfer Friction - High single target smashing damage attack with fire DoT, you speed up your fist with a vibrating motion blur then punch your target, if used when Fast it's a sudden quick uppercut with over the top motion blur

One Thousand Punches - Very high smashing damage melee targetted AoE attack, you continuously strike a single target for almost 3 seconds, some of the punches glancing off at other foes. When Fast, the visual effect is the same as One Hundred Punch's Fast effect but with over the top motion blur


Thanks for reading, leave your thoughts and any related suggestions below.

I once put an idea together for an army/combat knife and pistol melee set, primarily for Stalkers. Put together for a more Hitman or Nick Fury flavour. It featured an attack where you knock your enemy back/into the air with a strong kick and then shoot them, various close combat knife attacks which caused debuff and control effects and the Stalker's AS would be an Executioner's Strike with the Build Up making it short range (40ft) as well as a damage buff, but no +tohit. Ended up looking somewhat like Street Justice crossed with Claws.

I'd quite like a set like it, whether it's just a combat knife, close quarter pistols or both.

PS: Warmace Scrappers are awesome.

<3 Birgirpall

There're also archetypes we're missing, Melee/Support and Pets/Melee.

Batman - MA/Traps
Thor - Warmace/Storm
The Kingpin - Thugs/Super Strength
Ra's al Ghul - Ninjas/Katana, Katana/Pain
Doctor Doom - Electric Melee/Forcefields, Robots/Kinetic Melee
Loki - Staff/Kinetics
Nite Owl - Street Justice/Traps

While not perfect depictions in some cases, each character can be depicted as such in this game. I think that's enough (I know there are more, I've just not got the imagination to think of them right now) to show that the concept of the power combinations is already in comics.

Power Armour - I can see this as both a Dominator Assault set and Blaster Manipulation set. Fill it out with rocket punches, macro missiles, flares, holograms and wrist-mounted projectiles (Web grenade?). Combo in alternate animations for Assault Rifle and Dual Pistols where you use wrist-mounted guns and it'd be amazing!

Sorcery/Magic/Spell Casting - Magic chains, temporary summonings, fireballs, lightning bolts. If you keep it like D&D or [enter other tabletop fantasy PNP here] you can have a wide enough range to fill out all types of powersets. Classic casting for blast/control/support, enchanted armour/magical creatures for Masterminds, making walls of magic/stone and turning yourself ethereal and the like for an armour set..

Inspiration - A support set based on leadership skills, charisma and commanding ability, for natural characters. Can be spread out to a battlefield knowledge and tactics control set.

Rapier/Dueling blade - A one handed light blade set to play like a melee Beam Rifle. Light on AoE, but superior damage against a single target through proc and/or escalating damage effects, for the Musketeer in all of us. It's Disintegrate power could be combined with Parry/Divine Avalanche, call it Riposte.

Riot Grenade Launcher - A natural control set. A grenade launcher armed with flashbangs, tear gas, glue bombs, wide area web grenades, smoke grenades, greater caltrops (Caltrops but a bigger radius! And as a knockdown patch!) and maybe even summoning some Shield Defense tanking SWAT officers ala Gang War/Phantom Army. Make it's niche that it's fast recharging but short duration controls with a couple special effects crossing the Disintegrate function of Beam Rifle with the Oil Slick igniting system. Put down Tear Gas in an area for AoE sleep, throw in a Flashbang to stun them and the stun lasts longer and also does -damage! Launch the Smoke Grenade and then put Greater Caltrops in there to cause a confuse effect!

Then I stand corrected, I'll edit it to positional defense to keep things easy.

As for it just being another Energy Aura/Shield Defense/Super Reflexes, note the lack of self heal and passives. There's a +hp, but that doesn't come with a heal. The set relies on soft control and backing up the defense with temporary shields (absorb) and protection from catastrophic failure (Defense Debuff Resistance through clicks). I think that best describes how superior self protection through forcefields works with the ingame mechanics, either it stops things completely or you concentrate a lot harder to stop it temporarily. The PBAoE knock effects adding an offensive element to it too.

I see this closer to Regen and Fiery Aura than I do to any existing defense based sets, it's about the timing to maximise survivability.

The current Forcefield bubble buffs have them all, so I didn't want to break continuity.

Scrapper, Stalker and Brute secondary, Tanker primary. Combining mostly defense, absorb and soft control with a unique ally help mechanic for aggro management. The Stalker version features a reasonably short recharge teleport debuff, similar to Shield Charge in it's use/radius. I think the defense amounts through toggles should be similar to Shield Defense, with the DDR and absorb in the clickies going a long way to filling out survivability holes. With knockdown with every click too, it would suggest a more paced use rather than saturated spamming of the click powers to make the most of the soft control.


Deflection Field: Toggle self +def (Melee), +res (defense debuff)

Radial Pulse: Toggle PBAoE smashing damage, chance for foe knockdown

Insulation Field: Toggle self +def (Ranged), +res (defense debuff, -recovery, -speed)

Dispersion Field: Toggle self protection, res (Hold, Sleep, Immob, Stun, Repulsion, Knockback), PBAoE ally +defense (Ranged, Melee, AoE)

Reinforce: Click self +absorb, res (defense debuff), 40 second recharge, 10 second duration

Shield: Toggle ally +def (AoE), res (defense debuff), AoE Taunt to self (Very low magnitude and duration if Scrapper), high endurance drain

Greater Radial Pulse: Click PBAoE knockdown, self +absorb per enemy hit, 60 second recharge

Fortification: Click self +hp, +absorb, res (defense debuff), PBAoE foe knockup, 360 second recharge, 120 second duration

Superior Personal Forcefield: Click self +defense (all), +resistance (all), 1000 second recharge, 180 second duration

Stalker changes:

Radial Pulse - Hide

Shield - Defend: Click ally +defense (Ranged, Melee, AoE), res (defense debuff), ally PBAoE knockdown, doesn't break Hide, 120 second recharge, 30 second duration

Greater Radial Pulse - Force Charge: Targetted self teleport, PBAoE foe knockdown, -tohit, 40 second recharge, 15 second duration


I tried to keep this as short as possible while putting details out there, if you've any more ideas to add to such a concept then go right ahead. Numbers are based on existing powers but are of course subject to balance, I just put them here for how I feel it should be.
Thanks for reading.

Against a Brute with half fury? I think the Scrapper does more damage there, and a Scrapper's crit chance goes up against higher ranked enemies so the Scrapper would be better against harder targets.

The question is, do you want to miss out on sets like Stone Melee and Super Strength? The damage difference between the two ATs isn't very large, so it can be as simple as which do you find more fun.

In simpler terms, Brutes have the option to be a tank because of added survivability and passive taunting, Scrappers are able to do more damage and can avoid the aggro should there be a tank-like meat shield on the team

I personally put it down to what sets I want to use. Should it be elemental, I tend to go Brute. Natural and/or weapon based sets I tend to go Scrapper (Or Stalker, but that's another story).

How about a 20-25 Taskforce where Frostfire has escaped from the Zig with a few other lesser known metahumans and you have to follow their trail of crime, eventually bringing them all in.

Then a 25-30 Strikeforce where you fight against potential new leaders of the Outcasts in an attempt to become the leader yourself, eventually ending with a side-switched Frostfire trying to stop you and an official disbanding of the Outcasts. Maybe add in that your superior villainy was the reason for Frostfire's alignment switch.