Cyberforce

I guess since Cryptic owns all our creations anyway, they could just go ahead and do it, but I would offer mine as well, as long as it's understood that I'm not playing them. I mean, AI can only go so far and I (of course) wouldn't be so easily defeated...

I'd like to see both an underwater zone and water-themed powers. I know it's been mentioned a thousand times already, but the fact is these are common elements in the world of comics and it would be nice to see a superhero themed MMO recognize that.

I fully support the idea of costumed heroes and villains fighting one another in a Zone incursion event. As it is, we must defend a bank or go to a PvP zone to accomplish this. It's a huge draw in the comic industry to have certain popular villains/heroes interact across book titles. I'd love to see it, if the Devs could make it work.

It would take a lot of work to create that many villains/heroes, at least 200-400 I would guess, each with their own unique name. Mightn't it be easier to create NPC SGs and VGs with a set "cast of characters" and let them attack a bank or try to take over a section of the city?

I'd love to see "The Legacy of Evil is loose in Steel Canyon!" broadcast like a fire alarm. I would definitely drop everything to fight a group of costumed super villains, especially if they were as hard to defeat as those damn zombies....

I'm glad this is getting support because if I were a superhero and I wanted to find out where the trouble was, I'd at least pick up a newspaper.

The only other thing I'd like to add is that it would be hilarious to see a dozen costumes loitering around a newsstand waiting for some poor slob to do something stupid.

But imagine how easy it would be to plan or commit to TFs.

"Posi TF. Sun. 1:00 PM. Looking for attractive single defender, preferably a healer, who likes long runs through sewers, the smell of decaying flesh, and horror movies."

I've always felt the Info stands were not used correctly. I propose combining the newsies and the Info stands into Newsstands.

You could go to a Newsstand (at least one in every zone) and pick up a paper and read the city's headlines. You could catch up on the latest completed TFs, complete with the names of the heroes who completed them.

You could read about famous villain hunters in each zone and their number of "arrests".

You could leave short messages in a classified ads section for another hero, or advertise an upcoming SG or zone event.

You could browse through a few different magazines and read features on the different zones or events currently active. Or look at hero fashion mags, complete with submitted screenshots of heroes and costume ideas.

Much of the appeal of a newstand would be user created content, such as short articles, costume design contests, layouts featuring the newest lvl 50 heroes, and plugs for AE arcs.

"Jeremy shows off his Collardly Lion costume from the San Francisco Repertory Theatre production of the Wizard of Aahhhs."

I remember playing my first creation, a tech tank. I needed to go see this police guy in someplace called The Hollows. Don't ask me how, but I was in Skyway at the time and saw the gate to Hollows. I entered the Hollows on the south side and ran my lvl 5 tank all the way to Lieutenant What's-his-name, taking huge damage from these fierce magician-type villains. I died three times and on the fourth time I made it by hugging the wall and running like hell.

I can laugh about it now, but is still the single most terrifying moment I've ever had in-game. And I loved it. When I got to the contact I stood up in my chair and screamed in triumph.

First power customization, now custom animations? One impossible thing at a time, please!

Well, I didn't do too well. For the fourth time in a row Double XP Weekend fell on a trip out of town. I don't know how the Devs plan it. They must be hacking into my digital calendar.

Frustrating.

What I mean is players who have been around before AE know what the game was like then. New players with a wealth of XP but no experience playing the game are unpredictable to team with.

Point taken about new players still being good. Certainly true in many cases. I said I check vet badges, I didn't say I only invite certain experience levels.

Your momma's so fat...

...the Spawn follow her around.

...in the character creator there are five settings: Female, Male, Athletic, Huge, and Your Momma.

...it takes two rezzes to lift her off the ground.

...she's immune to Levitate, Teleport, and Group Fly.

...people think she's the Talos Mound.

...Serge charged her for two costume slots.

...the friction from Speed Boost makes her pants catch on fire.

...for her, sitting down is an AoE power.

...she spawns bosses all by herself.

I've said it before; the game is splitting into two factions. AE babies are not ruining the game, per se, just dumbing it down. Lack of experience is a factor when it comes to TFs and higher level missions. High level AE toons have the bullets, they just have no idea how to point the gun.

Players searching for teammates are already including level of experience in their broadcasts. I know. I check badges religiously now.

It's not that I won't team with high level newbies. I'm usually patient enough to guide new players of any level. I just can't help perceiving these players as lazy pillagers, taking what they want from the game without putting in the time I did to get where they already are (in a fraction of the time, mind you).

I'm not sure what the solution is. Probably something like "run your own team and you can do what you want." True enough, but it still concerns me that we have so many new AE50s and so few new legitimate 50s. And the fact that I am compelled to discern the two makes me feel like the tradition of gaming I've followed since my D&D days has been replaced with the wanton plundering of hours upon hours of dedicated, thoughtful programming.

Can you hear that sound? It's the game tearing itself into two factions...AE babies and players.

It's a rift that may cause long term discord. I already find myself checking vet badges when I invite to teams.

Suburban Samurai

Katana. Comb over. Comfy sweater.
Never mess with a man with a mortgage.

His war cry? "Get off the lawn!"

When you come into the big room for the meeting, everyone gets up and leaves.

None of the teleporters work for you.

Someone drew a Hitler mustache on your SG member wall photo.

Someone tells you they drew a Hitler mustache on your SG member wall photo.

Everyone blames you for the smell coming out of the Huge bathroom.

Your SG spent the Prestige to give you your own room.

The base's Mission Computer reported you to Hero Corps.

Your SG displays your victory salvage behind the Generator.

Your SG costume is a pair of bib overalls.

Your SG won't let any of your teammates visit or use the porters or anything.

Gravinatrix
Zero Vector
Zero Matrix
Optic Force
Optical Allusion
Unicity

Dear Penthouse,
This kind of thing never happens to me. I am a mid-level elec/elec blaster in an small East Coast town. My roommate, Ancalyme, is a gorgeous brunette defender whose cute girlfriends are always self-inviting to our missions. One day, while we were waiting for Council patrols in an abandoned cave network...

[ QUOTE ]
And here I am with my little story arc that chances are no one will play because all anyone does is farm. Once upon a time I was so jazzed about I14. Now I have no inspiration to write any more arcs because I don't see the point when like, 10 people total will play them. Maybe.

[/ QUOTE ]
Amen, brother. I feel the same way. Why work so hard to develop a classic comic feel and story when all anyone wants to do is make leveling easier on themselves? Isn't leveling easy enough? I'm beginning to think the game is being dumbed down to a level that will erode what makes it great. I mean, am I the only one who actually reads all the mission text?

I like the concept of shapeshifting because it would be fun to play, and there is a comic book precedent for shapeshifters.

Kheldians, of course, have shapeshifting powers now, and abilities that go with each one. Doesn't seem like it would be too hard to implement.

The themes and choices involved would be a blast, I think. And the powers could be explained by almost any origin.

"In his haste and hatred he forgot to load the crossbow. I baked him like a Thanksgiving turkey."

Things Lord Recluse would never say:

"Mako, bring me my talcum. The costume is chafing again."

"I swear to God I'm going to crush the larynx of the next idiot who brings me cold toast!"

"I don't know. I mean, I know she's totally pop and derivitive and everything, but there was just something about her last album that made me buy it."

"...and then, at the end, when he plays catch with his dad... That gets me every time and I've seen that movie like 400 times..."

"Gentlemen, I want lonelygirl15 kidnaped and brought to me immediately. We're going to get to the bottom of this once and for all."

"I can't make the mass hanging of hostages today. I gotta pick the kids up from Tae Kwon Do at four."

"I didn't want to go with the spider theme, you know. Oh no, I wanted rodents. But the Board overruled me. 'Rodents aren't really scary like spiders,' they said. 'We can do more with the spider thing,' they said. Can you believe that? Have you ever seen a weasel up close? Ever look into the beady little eyes of a hamster? [censored] frightening if you ask me."