Crimson_Archer_EU

Out of curiosity, Syracuse, if NCSoft were to make ALL of the pre-order Arachnos helmets along with the Arachnos chest symbol and cape available as a paid add-on, would you buy it or would you not bother?

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While we're at it, can we add a "Walk" toggle to the fantasy add-on pack we're building too?

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What about jigglyness?

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As a toggle?

Fair or not, why shouldn't NCSoft raise a little extra revenue by selling these things on now, if it's a non-game breaking addition which people are willing to pay for?

Some people got it free for investing in the game a little early; good for them! If the some more people now want to share in these items, then why shouldn't they remain at least a little bit elitist and be for those who want to invest a little in NCSoft to get them?

While we're at it, can we add a "Walk" toggle to the fantasy add-on pack we're building too?

Personally, I don't like the idea of loads of Arachnos "heroes" running around Paragon City, but equally I'd like to see all this stuff made available to players.

So, to reconcile both of those, I'd be happier if this stuff was (and maybe some Arachnos themed weapon skins and a new jetpack?) were made available as a paid-for add-on for those who wanted it.

So, with i12 we now have the option to add personal Player Notes to other characters. Apparently these are stored locally on your own PC and so will only be available to you.

The primary way I can se these being used is by RPers to record notes about relationships to specfic characters and other memory aids for help during RP (although I was bound to see it from an RP PoV I guess!)

What about the rest of you? Do you see these as a bonus to play? Will you both using them? Are they a bonus to consistant RP, or will you use them in a different way?

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I didn't bother with Snap shot or Entangling Arrow

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Umm... how did you manage to drop Snap Shot, Miss_Chief?

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Getting your name as a registered trademark etc, and your identity and publicity in the public domain, well that's what you'd go get a PR agent for.

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This is pretty much what happened to Crimson Archer when he found himself at the sharp end of a lawsuit over copyright infringment from an ex-villain claiming to have been called Crimson Archer before him!

Registration and a publicly known identity didn't protect him from it one bit.

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Were the findings of said investigation to determine that the deceased Hellion's weapon was full of anti-Statesman Kyrptonite, then I've no doubt that ultimately Statesman's use of deadly force was the only available recourse available to him as his life was directly endangered?

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Why are we getting hung up on the fact that it's the heroes life that his actions are protecting? Sure, if a bullet is fired at Statesman then it won't hurt him, but what about the ricochet? What if that same bullet, fired by Mr A. Random-Hellion and rebounding off of Staesman's manly chest, hits an innocent bystander and kills them. Is Statesman inactivity then an attributing factor to that person's death? If he had acted to prevent the gunman from firing, and used deadly force (not lethal force) to do so because he felt it was the only way to do it quickly, then that bystander would still be alive.

A hero's inactivity can come with just as many reprocussions.

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Why are heroes registered? Is it so that the state can watch them?

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I think the main reason is accountability. If something were to happen, then it would be easy for the unregistered hero to throw off their mask and disappear into the crowd, re-appearing later with a new hero identity.

People want to trust their heroes, but they also want them to be trustworthy, and having your heroes on some list somewhere makes people feel better.

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What does registration mean to the hero? What information does he give to the FBSA when he registers? Is it actually possible to be registered and really maintain a secret identity?

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I personally believe that if your character is registered then their identity is known at some level of government. This comes back again to my point about accountability. If, as a hero, you do kill someone, then you should expect Paragon SWAT to come knocking on your own front door like a tonne of gamma irradiated poo...

If you're not registered, then you should pretty much expect the same if they find out who you are!

The fact is that you can't detain someone legally without a sanction to do so. as stated on ParagonWiki; "On January 6th, 1937, Maiden Justice of the Freedom Phalanx arrested a group of violent thugs at this location. Although Maiden Justice was able to prevent the thugs from torching the building, the perpetrators were released by policed on the grounds that the arrest had not been legally sanctioned. The public outcry was immediate. Politicians put their heads together and the Citizen Crime Fighting Act was born."

Before this Act there was no difference between a costumed hero and a circus clown, as they both had the same right to arrest someone, i.e. none!

By becoming registered you are recognised by the State as a super hero rather than just a citizen in a costume, regardless of your powers, gadgets or skills. That is the biggest distinction.

I think when discussing the use of "Deadly Force" in Law Engorcement we need to draw a distinction between just killing people and using deadly force as defined by the US statutes; "Deadly force is defined as "force which the actor uses with the purpose of causing, or which he knows to create a substantial risk of causing, death or serious bodily harm."

So, it's not just about killing someone. Serious bodily harm is further defined as "bodily harm which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious, permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ or which results from aggravated sexual assault or sexual assault".

It's interesting reading the LIMITATIONS ON USE OF FORCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, with half a mind to how they could be applied to super heroes.

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The only difference is that we're not officially employed and salaried by the state.

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I've always had a minor problem with the "salaried" bit... How can it possibily be economically viable for an individual to decide to use thier powers and become a hero, if there isn't at least a living wage involved in it. Surely you'd either need to have a proper job as well, some significant subsidies or benefits involved in being a registered full time hero or work for a company like Hero Corps to be able to afford to do what some in Paragon City might see as a glorified hobby!

I always assumed that registered heroes would get subsidised housing allowances, health care, and public liability insurance thrown in as part of their registration.

At least some of this is covered in the history of the Citizen Crime Fighting Act, which you learn by visiting the various monuments for the Student badge.

Quote from ParagonWiki:
"On January 6th, 1937, Maiden Justice of the Freedom Phalanx arrested a group of violent thugs at this location. Although Maiden Justice was able to prevent the thugs from torching the building, the perpetrators were released by policed on the grounds that the arrest had not been legally sanctioned. The public outcry was immediate. Politicians put their heads together and the Citizen Crime Fighting Act was born.

On the southern shore of Everett Lake, supporters of the Citizen Crime Fighting Act gathered to celebrate its passage in 10th September 1937. Maiden Justice thanked the people for their support, saying, 'The Freedom Phalanx has always known that it was our responsibility to protect htis city from evil-doers. but it is also something else: it is also a privilege."

So yes, by being a registered hero you are also a sanctioned agent of the law.

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ne of the reasons I shy away from tech origin and powers. I overthink things, true, but playing someone who has a suit, or gloves, leads me to think of a few things:

We're super rich (not just rich) in order to afford it.

We're super smart to have made it and also repair it.

We are *not* super smart, so instead we are part of an organization which leads back to us being super rich or being employed by said organization.

None of these entice me for RP purposes. Being employed, being rich, being super smart.

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What about the possibility of the suit or tech being given to the character by an older hero? The whole "passing the torch" idea is a staple of comic book culture. It doesn't even involve the character fully understanding the tech they're given, which gives rise to an explanation for leveling (finding a new trick on the tech). Look at "Batman Beyond" for a great way for this to work with mentor and character working together and providing lots of RP possibilities!

The DC heroine "Manhunter" makes use of villain tech which she borrows from Police evidence stores. She doesn't always know what it can does, but does have it available. Always a nice idea to turn the weapons of the enemy against themselves.

The point is that this is a comic book game, you can justify anything from a tramp with an alien tech power ring which encaes him in a power suit to an executive in a tower of glass and steel with 20 suits of hi-tech armour. Don't think that money is the only way to become a hero.

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Isn't it amazing how many multi-millionaires / corporate heads we have around?

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^This is the main reason that Crimson Archer won his fortune in a lottery! He's still trailer trash at heart and is still a bit bemused by having so much money.

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But just think of how many discarded / damaged suits there must be out there after all this time and all those heroes.

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Let's not forget the options of organic powered armour (i.e. Guyver) or magical armoured suits (i.e. the new Blue Beetle). There are more avenues available that just welding and rivets which still involve comicbook inspiration!

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I find characters quickly gain lives of thier own once you start playing them anyway, least mine seem too!

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Absolutely true! Crimson Archer started as a homage to Green Arrow, with very little to differentiate them. Both were idly rich swashbucklers with a talent for archery and an arsenal of trick arrows... so far, so samey. But through in-character RP play Crimson developed his own background and personality, which ended up differing wildly from the hero which inspired his original character.

Don't worry to much at this stage about whether you'll end up creating a carbon copy of your inspirational hero. Create your armoured toon, get the power sets you want and go play. Let the character develop and grow as you play them. You might even find that they go in directions you never expected!

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In Marvel and DC comics still exist.

It's just another kind of entertainment.

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Absolutely, but the point was that DC Comics don't exist in the Marvel Universe, but Marvel Comics actually do! In the CoH Universe we don't dispute that comic books do exist, but in what form. Purely as fictional entertainment, or as something more truthful?

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I mean we still have soap operas after all and they are more often than not about normal people.

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But soap operas are, by their nature, meant to create a form of realism in their entertainment. So, do the soap operas in Paragon City feature some superheroic characters, after all *that* is their reality...

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Perhaps the bigger question is; in a world where superheroes are real, what purpose do comic books about superheroes serve?

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See watchmen.

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You mean that pseudo-literary pirate story which was supposed to pass for comic book culture in The Watchmen? Interesting idea, but frankly, I doubt it.

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Yes, posters warning against a hostile invasion force. Not comic books that are dealing with such a threat in a faintly camp manner and presenting the conflict with laughably immature Buy War Bonds Nau-esque messages.

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Camp and immature to our modern sensibilities looking back at the past, certainly.

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I just don't think many citizens would view "actual" Vahzilok, et al, in these comics as a positive thing - even less so if they've been touched by the horrors such groups can inflict.

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Surely that depends on how comics are viewed in society. In our society they are throw away, but as I mentioned above, in the Marvel Universe they are legal documents and considered biographical records. Accuracy, in that case, is important! It's all a matter of perspective, and how comic books are treated.

Perhaps the bigger question is; in a world where superheroes are real, what purpose do comic books about superheroes serve?

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The only thing in CoX comics that shouldn't be, I feel, would be the inclusion of "real world" villains such as the Circle of Thorns, etc, or at least their inclusion to a significant degree. To the people of Paragon City, they're not fictional, larger than life threats - they're people which are murdering and hunting and oppressing their loved ones.

If any publisher within Paragon City tried to market such a comic, I think they'd have a pretty uphill struggle with it. The city itself never really struck me as the kind that would fall to the kind of exaggerated propaganda we got in a lot of our comics around World War 2, etc.

Comics themselves against made-up threats? Yeah, I can see it happening. Can see it being pretty lucrative as well; you can go and see these Heroes in the flesh after all!

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I disagree. Modern comics are now using terrorist models as their "real world threats" when the heroes are not facing super villains. They may not refer to them as Al-Qaeda, Saddam Hussein or similar, but they are recognisable even in comic form. I don't se any reason why comics within the game-world should behave any differently.

The Circle, Hellions, Devouring Earth, The Council, all can be depicted within a Freedon Phalanx comic in Paragon City, but they may given different name while still being very recognisable.

As for propoganda within Paragon City, have you not seen the Vanguard posters everywhere?!

There's an interesting twist which was introduced into the Marvel Universe during John Byrne's run on Fantastic Four. Marvel Comics existed in the Marvel Universe, but they chronicled the real life adventures of the super-heroes. As such the comics we were reading existed in the comic world, but were regarded as being "biographical", and were even used as legal documents in Marvel Universe court cases!

It's always been my belief that, as the covers are available to adorn the walls of bases, the City of Heroes comic series (or at least the second one featuring the Freedon Phalanx) exists within the game world, and acts to catalogue both real and imagined actions of those heroes.

I don't think that Marvel or DC Comics would exist in the in-game world, any more than Batman comics exist in the Marvel Universe. However, you should be able to find merchandise relating to Superheroes which are known in the game world in any toy shop; so Manticore mugs, Statesman t-shirts, Ms Liberty make-up sets, etc.

Personally I wouldn't bother slotting Snap Shot as a blaster with Hasten. Blazing Arrow, Aimed Shot and Fistful will be up often enough to form a good standard attack chain even before you add Hasten into the mix (if you take Fistful earlier in the build), especially if you're planning on using the control/debuff aspects of Caltrops to good effect.

Just remember that with any Archery character, distance is key. This is less of a problem with other secondaries, but Devices requires more tactics and forethought to use effectively IMHO. With a Devices character try to set up your killing zone first, then draw/pull your targets into it.

Archery on Corruptors

The Militia - Returning with an agenda to clean up our streets

Text from the above article -

The Militia - Returning with an agenda to clean up our streets
by George S. Sinclair
The following interview now comes with a sense of sadness which was never attributed to it when I spoke with Amber Banshee and Britanic all those weeks ago. At that time they were enthusiastic and confident about the new beginning they had mapped out for The Militia. Now, with Britanic dead, it would be easy for such noble plans to fall into ruin. But not so with The Militia.

I present this interview, Britanic’s last, as a testament to the spirit of our city’s heroes. That in the face of death, destruction, and fickle fate, they continue to keep our dreams alive.

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When the super group, The Militia, were disbanded by their corporate sponsor in September last year, few people expected to hear from them again. It was seen by most as closing the book on this team of heroes, who had spent over a year on the streets of Paragon City protecting its citizens from the likes of Dr Vahizlock and The Clockwork King, while at the same time courting so much controversy. But for some, the story was far from over.

I met with Amber Banshee and Britanic, two people who still have faith in the potential that a group like The Militia has to offer. They outlined to me why they felt that the team was worth preserving, both as a group and in name. “The Militia has always been home to me.” Amber Banshee, a slender young woman with flame red hair and a sweet voice which could crumble concrete if she chose, told me. “They were there when I started as a hero and when Wayne Industries collapsed, I just wanted to try and keep our little family together. I’d have been lost without them.”

“After the Militia officially went under, Amber had got in contact with several of us and called for a meeting in Atlas Park, much as the Militia did in the beginning.” Britanic, the English powerhouse otherwise known as Eric Mitchel, owner of Sentinel Industries added. “After we met up we agreed amongst ourselves to continue to remain in touch, and assist each other when ever we could. One thing lead to another, and the meetings became a regular occurrence."

“It made sense to bring things back to the beginning again, to start over.” Amber Banshee continued. “The spirit seemed to still be alive, even if we didn’t have some big corporate sponsor, so it made sense to keep the name, even if it has picked up a bad reputation in some circles.”

When asked about that reputation of the old team, and the militaristic nature of the group’s name, both the leaders of the new Militia offered a fitting introduction to the new agenda they wished to make a part of the group’s reformation. I asked them about the legal definition of a militia, that of a military force of citizens and whether that fitted with their new team.

“We do defend the city, repel invaders, meet threats but we’re people too.”

“We are citizens of this city too. We all have families and lives to lead. We’ve got talents, abilities, things that can help the city. It’d be wrong if we didn’t use them.” Amber Banshee said with evident passion. “So yeah, we are kind of like that definition of a militia. We do defend the city, repel invaders, meet threats but we’re people too. We’re not sat at the top of some ivory tower, we’re on the street, meeting people, doing what we can to help.”

“I want the Militia to be an integral part of the community it protects.”

“The name still fits. What has changed is the team itself.” Britanic said, following up on the heroine’s impassioned reply with his own more measured response. “What was once a small army of meta-humans is now a family of people looking to make a difference in the community. While we will be on hand to deal with massive threats like the Rikti Invasion, we will now also be there to stop the purse snatcher, put out fires, help find missing children, or for anything else that will help in some way.

“I’m not saying we are going to give up on the likes of Nemesis, the Rikti, and Arachnos just to become social workers. I want The Militia to become more accessible to the public, not just something to look up to. I want us to be able to inspire the community to help themselves. If that means we get our hands a little dirty cleaning up places, like Jimmy Carter ball park, then so be it. If we can do more good visiting a local school, speaking, and more importantly listening to the children, then I want us doing that too.

"I don’t want The Militia to be seen as Gods walking among men. I want the Militia to be an integral part of the community it protects. That way the community will help us to help them, ultimately helping themselves. Of course things our public deeds, and hopefully community projects will highlight just who the Militia are, and it's desire not just to protect, but actually work with the community it is a part of."

Following Britanic’s comment, Amber Banshee offered her own personal views on The Militia and where, as leader, she hoped to take it.

“The Militia in the past has had a lot of bad press, we might not always have been the most organised of groups and I think a lot of people might have the wrong impression of us, that we’re all just vigilantes and thugs out looking for a fight. But that’s not us. The past few months have been tough, shaking us up and making us take charge.

“Every day we’re facing new threats to the city, sometimes not even on this world, but our base is still only just down the street which makes YOUR neighbourhood OUR neighbourhood; YOUR issues, OUR issues. We’re more than just some random collection of heroes. We’re friends. We’re family. We’re not it this fight for fame, fortune and glory. We’re in it to make this city a better place to live in.”

Bringing the interview to a close I asked both the heroes about whether their new group could sustain such noble goals as engendering community spirit and social redevelopment while balancing the traditional responsibilities of the city’s heroes by protecting that same community. Was it possible to do all that with just a small team of heroes?

“As the Militia develops I'd like the Militia to establish contact's and relationships both with the city infrastructure as well as the general public. In time I'd like to establish strong ties across the board, maybe even appoint a community support officer or similar.” Britanic offered, in a measured voice. “Obviously there is only so much, so many people can do, so at some point we will need to expand to keep up. However, unlike the old Militia's seemingly open door policy, the new Militia will be more selective.

"I’m not saying the new Militia is now some sort of elite exclusive membership, but rather mindful that the team's overall goals and fellowship does not become compromised by unsuitable candidates. A harmonious team can accomplish far more than one whose attentions are divided."

“We want to inspire the public, not scare them.”

“Saving the world is one thing but a team doesn’t work well unless there’s mutual trust and respect both for each other and what we do.” Amber Banshee added, having the final word. “We want to inspire the public, not scare them. If people want to work with us, then they’re going to have to work WITH us.”

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Following Britanic’s untimely death, I returned to speak to Jay Reynolds, who, as The Crimson Archer, had returned to the role as leader of The Militia he had relinquished to Britanic. Asking him about the plans which had been detailed to me previously he gave me his opinion.

“Nothing has changed” he said, his firm southern accent conveying a no nonsense attitude. “Everything that Amber and Britanic said before still stands, if anything it’s moved on a pace.”

“Later next month we’re planning to open a sort of drop-in centre in High Park. This new centre, which will be housed in the newly constructed Eric Mitchell House, will serve not only as a civilian point of contact for The Militia, but also as office and administrational facilities to assist with the many community projects which Amber and Britanic wanted The Militia to be involved with.”

“In this small way, we hope to keep the dream alive which Britanic started, and to make The Militia more accessible to those who wish to help us in cleaning up the streets, whether they’re volunteers or heroes.”

The death of Britanic, one of our most capable heroes, was a tragedy for our city, but it seems that his friends and fellow heroes won’t let his dreams die just yet, and I wish them every luck in that.