Chase_Arcanum
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Posts
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Joined
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Quote:gone here now, too... maybe what has been seen CAN BE unseen...Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha
Can't see it either. -
Quote:I can see the image.... damn wish it could be unseen.Originally Posted by Shadow State
But the real question is have you found e doublefacepalm yet. Also I can't see the image either.
And, please, what is the demoedit code for Miss Liberty's emote.. -
Quote:Also... thank you for not falling into my pet peeve (the correct use of DUAL, rather than DUEL). It irritated me to no end when I saw the wrong one used on a (very) recently released superhero MMO's OWN FRIGGIN OFFICIAL SITE.Originally Posted by Arcanaville
We need four arms or prehensile feet for my Dual Archery powerset.
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Quote:Will three arms and a prehensile tail do?Originally Posted by Arcanaville
We need four arms or prehensile feet for my Dual Archery powerset.
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Quote:I hope you're joking, but just in case...Originally Posted by JoshexDirad
I'm avoiding praetoria any more, I got my dominator out of that 20 level sentence jail. i don't want to go back, it's hard to level the slow way.
until the issue release that gives us higher level praetoria zones for higher level characters to get contacts and missions, praetoria is a long job.
when it was opened up to higher levels to walk-in, I did go back but I had a sinking feeling and this thought in the back of my head: "god I hope they don't lock my character in here again by some accident"
so.. let make it easier on praetorians so it's not so much of a jail in the meantime.
how about double XP for praetorians? just until higher level zones are released.
Unsigned.
I'm already running into places where I outlevel arcs there before completing the whole series. Keep it as it. Praetoria's content is excellent, its travel time, compared to regular CoH zones... is less, and its by far the most well developed series of zones out there. It demonstrates more than anywhere else why the JOURNEY is the game, not the destination. Why race to 20 when there's so much to experience right there? -
Quote:Most of my "villains" have always been more "flawed heroes" that fit the rogue/vigilante mindset than villains anyway. I always found it a more compelling story to be the underdog in an oppressive regime like the rogue isles-- you're TRYING to do right in that cutthroat world, but some ruthlessness is necessary to survive... and sometimes no mater how hard you try to do right, things go wrong.Originally Posted by Toony
Well honestly I kinda found going from one side to the other to be a pain but I'm also lazy.
However not all villains in paragon are "villains". Alot might of been rogues who went hero?
Most of my villains are now "rogue" for that reason. I'd go through all the trouble to make many of them "vigilantes" if I cared that much about getting the label right, but I want them to be based in my Rogue Isles' villain base. -
Quote:The ever-elusive, oft-demanded facepalm emote.Originally Posted by Flarstux
Un-cloven hooves, a horsey tail, and a peace out emote!
Heck, We'll finally get the facepalm emote as a custom animation option for all "rez target" powers... and vengeance for that matter.
Rian_Frostdrake, I'm looking at you. -
Quote:They're tracking us.Originally Posted by Flarstux
This thread makes me want to say
"Easy? You call that easy?"
Just to see if anyone will follow up.
(... sorry, it's reflex by now.) -
Quote:Agreed.Originally Posted by SpittingTrashcan
Veering off topic and into forbidden territory as I may be, I'm going to have to take exception to this. It's quite rational, even cold-blooded, to try to squeeze the maximum benefit out of everyone, even criminals; it's sentimental to want to punish them (at considerable cost in resources and lost opportunity) for the sake of the satisfying feeling of vengeance. No, good and bad acts are not fungible, because that's not a practical way to achieve desirable outcomes (see also: paying for murder in advance). But there is no net benefit to punishment over reform, either, and considerable cost.
This logic does extend to CoH. Metahumans are rare and valuable. If there was a good chance of reforming one and getting the benefit of their power, I for one wouldn't instead say "no, unforgivable!" and throw them in jail forever (and it'd be a heck of an expensive jail, too, if you wanted to actually keep them there...).
But then, I'm a cold-blooded snake of a utilitarian. Your miles may vary.
Our correction system should:
- Protect society
- Impose proportionate punishment
- Facilitate rehabilitation for those motivated to seek it
- Do all of the above in the most cost effective way.
So many of the 'bleeding heart' liberal policies that are attacked demonstrate less recidivism, lower cost, and have not shown any demonstrable increased risk in society. I'd even argue that the punishment works better, but that depends on what you intend punishment for... so I'll leave that one out and just say that, rationally, I don't care how friggin bleeding heart they may be, if they do 3 of the 4 things better... and you don't approve them, don't pretend to be the rational thinker.
We have one of the highest imprisonment rates in the world (in proportion to the population) and constantly opt for the highest cost and least effective corrections options-- just to appear "hard on crime." We derail proven efforts that curb costs, reduce recidivism, and increase the number of valuable contributing members into society.... because that's liberal emotional talk. Then we dump the burden of paying for it all on our kids and grandkids- who will also be saddled with the costs of paying for our retirement income and medical care, all while entering the workforce from college with more debt than any point in our history, lower wage potential than we've seen in forty years, and more expensive housing options.
Who's being rational here? -
Quote:Um... "in cold blood" doesn't mean what you seem to think it means.Originally Posted by Venture
Since I already specified "murder in cold blood" there really isn't any ambiguity. If there is a jurisdiction that considers premeditated killing of a human being in cold blood to be less than first-degree murder it's news to me.
It means "deliberately, coldly, and dispassionately."
It has very VERY little legal meaning, as you could argue...
... A "premeditated act" can-- and often IS very passionate. Most murders are crimes of passion happening in heat-of-the-moment incidents. Most are still considered premeditated in that steps were taken prior to that moment that increased the likelihood of an incident leading to death.
Example: You and I often argue... in person, we have a history of shouting matches... some of which even lead to fistfight. We're usually run into each other at the bars Wednesday night, and this time, you decide to bring your gun-- you've got a license to carry a concealed weapon, so its legit, but you've never bothered taking it before. As the argument ensues, you get pissed and shoot me.
Aside from the fact that any jury you get will accept your "well, he needed shootin" defense, you've got an act that wasn't "in cold blood" but had premeditated elements that could lead prosecutors to seek the greater charges.
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On the other hand, a gangsta robbing a convenience store might actually SHOOT a person "in cold blood", but it would be 2nd degree murder in most states (a death during the course of a felony). Interestingly, if he hit someone with his getaway car-- something that might be considered lesser manslaughter at another time, it would also be 2nd degree murder in many/most jurisdictions (but not cold blood).
Then there are the many LEGAL times that "in cold blood" dispassionate killings take place. People who have killed in self defense, or officers facing criminals, often speak of a moment of cool calm at the moment they decide to pull the trigger. Its like something turns off inside to make the action more palatable. In a sense, they're dispassionate in that killing... but it isn't a crime.
Point is, what you were judging your terms to mean and how they actually play out in reality (asking rian if he knew of people that have killed AND now seek to work in gang outreach, for example) didn't fit your fantastic defintion in any way that made sense.
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Now, the rest of your post that I snipped away gave in-game examples of what's done a villain's carreer. That's different, and I would concede that none of the released killers that currently work gang outreach probably have done anything as cinematic as that. -
Quote:The scam I remembered with my flood experience was somewhat different. People living in the highlands (safe from the flood) would drive their aging cars downtown, splatter some mud on and in it, as if it had been submerged in the waters, then get the insurance co to pay for the "totaled" car. His friend would then "salvage" it, get a "rebuilt" title, and "sell it back" to the original owner.Originally Posted by Ironik
Don't buy any used cars for the next few years. Lots of cars with mysterious electrical gremlins always appear on the used-car market after floods, invariably sold "as-is".
Heard that tale from a police officer about 25 years later. I waited for the part of the story on how they busted this ring only to learn that it was he, several other officers, and their local insurance agent that organized the whole thing! -
As a native from a place nicknamed "Flood city" my prayers are with you. With a flood of this magnitude, the problems have only begun once the waters recede. You're going to be facing years of rebuilding if for no other reason than there's only so many construction material to go around. It will be slow, sloppy, and unnervingly frustrating. Fresh, clean water will be scarce. Utilities, will be questionable, and there will be friggin mud absolutely everywhere.
EVERYWHERE.
Keep your spirits up. During our '77 flood, about 4-5 days after the waters had receded, leaving mountains of muck was everywhere. Most homes were unlivable. People were struggling to get sites set up for food, water, dry clothing and beds for everyone. One of the pastors in the area trucked in generators, a band, a whole lot of kegs, and declared, "If we're going to have to live in the mud and work in the mud, we better know how to PLAY in the mud." The block party- during a state of martial law- may trivial or even frivolous, but it kept spirits up when everything felt so damn overwhelming.
Your flood area is so much bigger than that little town. Recovery over that vast space is going to take much, much longer. Compared to your lives before the flood, you're going to living in a mess for some time. Keep safe. Keep as dry as you possibly can. Keep your friends and family close, as you'll be drawing on their strength as they draw on yours... but when you start to get a little frazzled, take some time to play in the mud. -
To the OP's discussion
Some words are tossed around a bit wrong in this conversation:
FORGIVENESS is, choosing to pardon, remit, or overlook the mistake, fault, offense, hurt or injury of the offender without demanding, a penalty, punishment or retribution. It is usually considered an individual (or God's) act, not institutional.
To "REDEEM ONESELF" is to offer REPARATION --the making of amends for wrong or injury done, by means of some sacrifice or effort. It is usually driven internally. One can be told to 'pay reparation' for a broken window, for example, but following that external order isn't redemption... it is merely offering reparation out of duress. Redemption is a voluntary effort at reparation.
Accepting that reparation has been met is not true forgiveness, as you, the forgiver, required a penalty be paid. If FULL reparation has been made, there is nothing to forgive- reparation has been met. As Venture noted, though, there are acts that cannot be undone, that no act of reparation, no matter how genuine or how strong, can really set things right. The person may have demonstrated a contrite heart and an honest effort, but someone is still DEAD.
In those instances, we're asked to forgive what cannot be repaid- that difference in debt between full restoral and the act of reparation. Some people of strong spiritual belief may forgive with no reparation necessary... some will never be able to forgive no matter the magnitude of the reparation.
Thus, It is an individual decision to seek reparation and to grant forgiveness.
PUNISHMENT is the penalty applied for an offense.
Serving out your punishment may include some degree of financial reparation, but that is not the primary purpose of punishment. It is something usually set by an authority granted the power to punish.
Finally, a PARDON is a release from the penalty of an offense, in this context, it is granted by an official given the autority. It could be that the pardoner considered the individual's acts of redemption sufficient, or that the punishment had exceeded reasonable levels for the offense... or that he just feels like it (depending on how much discretion the law gives the pardoner).
Usually, a pardon comes after the conviction of a crime (the US justice department recommends petitioners wait 5 years after conviction) but at the federal level, it can be granted beforehand (like Ford's pardon of Nixon)... so it is possible to pardon someone that's never been officially convicted. (That effectively negates any reason TO convict him...)
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In CoH context:
A superhero, in his quest to stop villains, kills many people, including some "collateral damage." Eventually, it takes him to full "villainhood." Realizing the folly of his ways, he strives to redeem himself, offering reparation through those good deeds. He does many good works, but his former crimes are still there. People close to the victims of his acts have not forgiven him, the state still seeks punishment for his prior acts, and his effort at redemption are fully voluntary. He does his best to work within the law and demonstrate what's right, he hopes that someday he will have done enough, but he can never resurrect the dead.
We'll say that a presidential (and state) commission on superhuman affairs has the broad power to review a hero and issue recommendations for a grant of pardon by the Governor/President. This action, while controversial, recognizes that, terrible as his actions may have been in the past, the value this superhuman may bring to the community is too great to waste and his efforts appear genuine. It is thus deemed to be in the best interest in the state to let him continue those actions.
The other heroes that encounter the fallen hero and see his redemption bring the case to the panel. The panel reviews and recommends a pardon to the president/governor. The pardon says that no official punishment will be sought by the state for the fallen hero's action, allowing him to continue to act heroically and doing good within the state's boundaries without risk of being arrested for those prior acts. Future actions, however, are not covered by the pardon, so if he strays again, he may be arrested and punished for these.
None of that means that all the people that were hurt by his acts must forgive him. Forgiveness never entered the equation. A good roleplayer would have the hero suffering a tarnished image for some time, if not permanently. Some people will find the strength to forgive the hero, but some, like Venture, will never accept him again. Ever -
Quote:He does. Both Rian and I have briefly worked in the justice system, including corrections. There's a LOT going on there that doesn't enter the public light.Originally Posted by Venture
Meaning you don't actually know what you're talking about.
The problem lies in ambiguity of your ridiculous question. "First degree murder" as you use it, is a legal term that varies by state. It has a broad general meaning, but no good solid definition when used in a forum that encompasses so many states (and nations). What your state defines as "first degree" may be second or third elsewhere... and something like "second degree" murder may not be considered "lesser" just... different.
Firsthand, I can account for:
-juveniles tried as juveniles for adult crimes- where the crime may be "first degree murder" if in the adult court, but that terminology isn't used in the lower courts. These people will not necessarily "just be let go" when they turn 18, depending on the state, and many places have active reintegration efforts which have turned out strong communty-centered reformers that work to curb gang activity. These kids have served their time, been released, and as young adults continue their efforts to curb gang violence and youth crime in their hometown.
-juveniles tried as adults for adult crimes- which also can shift the technical definitions of the law away from using your 'degree system.' This is a much newer trend in most states, and we haven't seen many of these kids paroled yet. There are outreach organizations that recruit these convicts to write to outside groups... even get them to do video testimonials or participate as prison volunteers in "scared straight"-like programs. Sure, you can argue that they're doing this in the hopes to get leniency at parole hearings, but many, with no chance of parole, do it and speak genuinely about it. They're confined behind walls, but their effort is still there.
-adults convicted of lesser-than-first-degree offenses that really COULD have been first-degree cases, left out and on parole. There's two Philadelphia area religious 'houses' that I know of that helps these guys out (they're "national" houses, but don't know how many that means) as they struggle to reintegrate, while supporting them as they try to actively reform the community and themselves.
-Finally, we have a geriatric prison just south of my town. It's full of elderly life-sentencers with no conditions for parole-- first degree murder folk that have been imprisoned for decades. People who have been walled up till they die... and there's an active debate by many of the people who work there-- not only do they cost alot to imprison & adequately care for, but most are too frail to pose any real risk and many have been active participants in outreach programs for decades. Some state programs let them go offsite to do community action... Some seek to move some of these folk into extremely-low-security halfway-house places so they can act in the community (tough, as the halfway houses are the realm of parole and transition, and these people aren't necessarily eligible for parole). Don't get me wrong-they're not all angels, -- some will be hardened brutal bastards even in a wheelchair rasping through an oxygen mask, but many do seek to do good. -
Quote:FixedOriginally Posted by Dark_Respite
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Plus a few tidbits on I-20, including mention of a Booster pack we have been clamouring for? (Oh God, I hope it's Carnie stuff...) -
Quote:I could see this work in CoV, but there are some unique challenges for CoH- creating adeuquate "transition space" so players don't trip into a loading screen. Praetoria has river channels and bridges that you normally wouldn't have to enter and serve as a visual reminder of the zone barriers. Remove the wall and you'd just have continuous city going between Atlas and Perez Park, for example.Originally Posted by Liz Bathory
Having now seen Praetoria I noticed the warwalls can come down pretty easily with some work. The tech that makes you hit the loading screen blue wall and appear at the same spot on the other side... That is what we need everywhere.
- The Oracle in Cimerora should be reachable outside the ITF like this. YOu can see it. So why not.
- Fly on your own power from Port Oakes to Cap Au Diable!
etc.
... I guess you could have war wall rubble there (if they came down violently) to serve as a marker.... or have the city desginate the area there as no-build parkspace (much like how Toronto designated the high-water-mark of the '77 flood as no-build zones, making an interconnected series of parks following the stream beds through the city) but either way, there are some design challenges.... -
Quote:Agree with UberGuy above.Originally Posted by Santorican
No offense but that is probably the stupidest justification for not revamping anything in any game. Why? Because unless you can physically see and interpret the data into something that can be useful you won't know what a possible outcome can be. For all you know, fixing PvP could be a huge blessing and bring back a ton of players or it could just stay the same way it is not. With ever Issue comes new content that could have the potential to be a bust, so the developers are taking a gamble with just about everything they publish.
You can theorize all you want that a PvP revamp will bring people back, but all the industry history suggests that isn't so. Go with any of the modern MMO's with a PvP component. Virtually all of them have had game mechanics revamps for their failing PvP, from Star Wars' NGE to Age of Conan's PvP overhauls through basic EQ2 and WoW PvP class rebalances, just to name the most visible. In all of these, the tales are the same-- the revisions didn't reverse the exodus, merely slowed people don't "come back." (and these tales do get around to other devs via conferences and professionals shuffling around between studios)
A few might trickle back, but no record numbers. They've gone on to other PvP experiences elsewhere and are participating and competing there. The sour attitudes that usually reflect their exodus from the previous PvP experience don't go away, and that negativity makes them unwilling to invest any time in a system they already lost faith in.
... and even if they broke all trends and DID come back in record numbers, we'd need MORE than just bringing back the PvP exodus. Back before this change, the devs noted that PvP participant numbers were too small to warrant sustainable developer time. Too few of CoH players were PvP'ing. (made up numbers for sheer illustrative purposes ahead) It would be hard to justify spending 20% of an issue's development budget on something that will be of use to 3% of the population.
We needed a system that would expand interest in the existing playerbase... and that not-PvP'ing base has shown remarkable resistance to that idea. -
I've found it useful to represent a "harness" for a robotic arm prosthetic on Glimmerin
(you can't see well with that shot, but the shield arm is normal, the other's robotic. Rather than being a cybernetic, though, this is something worn, which the bulk of the chest piece 'harness" helps represent)
it worked out pretty good, but I'd really love if these had some corresponding "back" element of some type. In her case, I have this hard robotic casing up front, but the best I could do for the back is back's just skintight belly tee. A back piece would have allowed for a better clamshell-harness look.
I've encountered the problem before with similar chest pieces. I may want a character in lust a tanker tee shirt wearing a bulletproof vest, but there's no back protection and many of the chest armor pieces just lay there -
Quote:I was disappointed he didn't appear in his video podcast persona of "Nice Axe" but I could just see how that conversation would go:Originally Posted by rian_frostdrake
he was actually on vitrue talking to players on new years, there was a thread about it.
"So, nice axe,..."
"Thanks, I work out."
"No, I mean, I wanted to ask you, nice axe..."
"Distracting isn't it? (/em flex) but lets try to stay on topic. you were saying?"
"I uh, nevermind... anyway, nice ax...
"You've got some kind of fixation, don't you? I mean, I can understand it, don't get me wrong, it is nice, but... -
Quote:That would be a good arena-like system... but I'll add one more-- not really "PvP" in the classic sense, but it broadens the whole system's use to include the most rabid anti-PvP'ers out thereOriginally Posted by Infernus_Hades
My point has been and remains - why do the Devs need to waste THEIR TIME?
If they let US have an AE style tool where we can choose:
1) map
2) max number of players - looking at other game I would set it at 8 per team like we have now.
3) Power usage - allow US to decide how the powers act
4) Missions:
- let the creator designate one party (or himself) to appear in invisible camera mode, capable of controlling any NPC spawn with mastermind-like controls (or even "jump in the body" of one). Suddenly, you have all sorts of PvP options along with classic NWN-style Gamemaster capabilities. You'd need to nerf rewards to assure the obvious exploits wouldn't go anywhere, but you'd now have VERY broad appeal of the system that extends beyond the smaller PvP subset. -
I'm a casual PvP'er... or was... haven't PvP'ed since the rules changes... not because I dislike the new rules, but because there's too much other stuff to do to waste my time learning the alternate mechanics and becoming adept at them... particularly for an experience thats' sub-par.
But, when I do look at the PvP system, I DO see what the devs were hoping to attain. The game's original PvE-centric mechanics of their powersets did create MASSIVE numeric holes that could be exploited by an avid PvP'er, and it was hoped that, while min/maxing could still be done with the new system, the difference in plateaus between the "min/maxers" and the average build would be much MUCH less...
The devs thought that the massive rebalancing was necessary to attract new blood... because, as they came out and stated, the numbers of PvP participants was too marginal to warrant much dev time. To justify a revamp, you needed to bring in more participants... so that became the focus of their revamp.
Unfortunately, that isn't what made PvP a sub-par experience. It was the other player in the PvP equation. I could have the most imbalanced experience in the world.... ganked 30-40 times in one night, but if my adversaries were enjoyable, I rated it a great night. I could also have a zone event where I won more than I lost, but just found the experience lousy as hell because of a few people in the zone. Just like real-life sports, some opponents just sap all the fun out of play, whether you beat them or not. I was thick skinned enough to stay for the few real good experiences, but MANY were not.
Every MMO out there does it wrong-- PvP will always fail (after a brief "honeymoon" while everyone is still learning and everything is fresh and new) in open-world or open-zone PvP. If you have 20 excellent FUN PvP'ers and 1 ******, that 1 ****** will spoil the fun for enough people that you numbers will quickly degrade. There are other things to do that don't have the aggravation.
If you want PvP to remain robust, you need to work on giving the player a way to eliminate the "unfun" without leaving the zone / logging in to another server. Until you do that, PvP will never retain the population necessary to remain a viable part of the game. -
Quote:Umm... are your current tournament rules compatible with side switching? Just thinking that rule #3 might cause strife for rule #2 if it leads to some loopholes/exploits in the tourney process...Originally Posted by Steelclaw
1) Actually sit down and create some of the AE arcs I've had swimming around in my mind.
2) Stick with THIS iteration of my tournament and NOT delete/recreate all my characters until at LEAST 2012.
3) Actually try this whole side-switching thing sometime this year.
4) I resolve not to make ANY lists in 2011!
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.....
Dang. -
- Finally do a Task Force (Been here since I2, still a Task Force virgin)
- Complete my first Mission Architect story (I have 6 drawn out, none done)
- Resume my CoH comic guides as a regularly-updated web format before summer. ( I have dozens of pages scripted, some even laid out, but my pilot series involved mock interviews with devs... and I started with Babs, then he left, then adapted it for Castle... and... well, I'm changing formats before we lose any more devs... BUT I WILL DO IT)
- NEVER EVER EDIT BASES AGAIN... well, after I'm done with my hero one... and finishing off the Villain one... but I will NEVER SUCCUMB TO THE MADNESS AGAIN! NEVER.
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Quote:Thanks. Those are exactly the kinds of things I was referring to when I referred to peeks into the bible, things to refer to, and a slow unveil. Great resource there too.Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
You mean other than, oh, having more added into the game itself (references from Bocor, the "eye of Horus" by the tanker,) and having a player bio from a contest changed to match as well?
See that "EAT at WW's" in the sig? I tend to try to keep track of what happens with Epics. What we DO have about them is in there, as well as the (very) little about Coralax, and the confirmed dead EATs.
And "Lore bible" does not mean "We have every bit written up as it's going to be unveiled from now to I50, every bit of dialog, every interrelationship." Manticore, I believe, gave us a "peek" at it for one of the existing groups - it's rather sparse, but just given the number of groups (and how they've developed the storyline - I'm sure they have items in there about the unused groups that were listed in the early promo vid, even if it's just an entry) it would have to be "thick" (as much as a computer file/s could be.) -
Quote:As others have said, the bible doesn't have to be a verse by verse plan on where to go or what to do. It gives them the broad background of things to draw from. It serves as a reference point and broad roadmap, but only an idot would blindly adhere to it , never adapting to world events or player feedback.Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
And I didn't believe him for a second. If they had a "story bible," then the Khan TF would not have happened, the Council would have made sense, the Origin of Powers would not have been as inept and that's just off the top of my head.