Dr_Mechano

I use boxing as a compliment to Jab at the moment, it is only one slotted (with 1 acc) though.

With the Incarnate Alpha slot I'll take the two recharge slots out of Unstoppable (it doesn't need 3 recharges, was a silly move) and putting one in Jab and one in boxing, putting 1 acc/1 dam and then moving all the slots from Jab into a freshly respecced into Punch.

Will get the +Dam Alpha slot enhancement to further boost their usefulness and give me around 60-70% dam for those two attacks.

That way I get two light but fast recharging attacks and one decent heavy hitter out of the deal.

Shadowe is indeed wise and that explanations puts me at ease a hell of a lot better than anyone elses.

Thanks Shadowe...Thandowe!

Random question!

Is anyone planning on going the 'with great power comes great insanity' for any of their characters.

I mean it would start off fairly subtle with just the Alpha slot.

"yes, yes I was always better than normal humans but now I'm better than even other heroes...but still I must remain steadfast in my duties."

To the full blown Omega level Incarnate.

"You came here expecting to fight a madman, instead you find yourself fighting A GOD!"

Complete with hovering and maniacal laughter.

I mean I'm not going to do it but I'm sure someone must be, especially now we have side switching in place.

I will point out that there are a few known heroes that existed before the box opened.

Nemesis is the big one and so far is the most stand out of the 'no known supers' problem.

Giovanna Scaldi was around a couple of hundred years before the well as was Lady Grey apparently (obviously a female version of Dorian Grey, minus the painting).

Though to be fair the history of Giovanna Scaldi points out that back then they weren't considered Super Powered but Blessed by God (and they weren't around in as bigger numbers as they were after the box was opened) so...Nemesis pretty much is the only fly in that ointment, besides if you were around during the Great Inquisition or when Witch Hunting was a legititmate profession...you'd probably do your best to hide powers too so...it still kind of makes sense. It is also to fairly easily push aside something like that in the modern age as 'ye olde Superstitions'.

The opening of the box brings about a new age of superheroes ala Greek/Roman times which is when it was last opened and there were a LOT of heroes kicking around (seriously how many Greek heroes are there, heck Jason had a damn boat filled with them).

Ok now you're just being a ********* Ammon, sure I mispelled a word and then you jump all over me for it.

You know what, consider me done with this conversation, if all I'm going to get is be made out to be retarded for a slight misspelling than you can go [censored] yourself.

Me, Zortel and others will RP it the way we see fit, if you don't like it, as you said you can freely ignore it and us, more power to you.

God I can feel another couple of months of angst hitting the GG statue again over this, perhaps its time to find a new home.

Hmm was sure you had been bending the lore for quite some time.

Bah you have me cornered, I'm sure Tech can provide an example.

Damn you CB...another time!

Judging by the amount of people that have responded with 'meh...not following the lore on this one' with regards the Incarnate slots it seems that people following it to the letter are in the minority.

Though the besides none of the Incarnate only TFs really have the 'yeah I'm awesome I did this' so I beat Battle Maiden, like I already have done, twice (a hero's Hero and a Hero's Epic) that's not a stand out achievement. "I defeated a Goliath War Walker" they're just bigger versions of the already huge War Walkers availabe in 'a Hero's Epic' so again...nothing really stand out there.

Beside CB, since when have you EVER let lore get in the way of what you wanted to do, you tend to ignore it even more than the rest of us .

Aye the people farming the AE do normally keep to themselves on Union and so far the only PL team I've been involved with (was about a week or so back) had the line of 'you come here, you do the work, no door sitting!' included when people joined the team.

They don't really give enough details as to be clear just how the damn thing works plus I'd rather not have my character linked to some rather stupid 'mystical power of the multiverse' (god that is both the source of the problem and the stupidest idea, why they couldn't have simply left it as a 'congradulations you've done something awesome, you've unlocked the Incarnate slot' like it was in GR Beta I don't know).

Most tech based characters simply don't NEED that, they're clever enough to be able to invent gadgets that could replicate anything the Well could produce by being infused with it.

Plus how the hell does 'being infused with the power of the Well' allow me to call down an Orbital Killsat...that makes absolutely NO sense whatsoever or Summon Praetorian Clockwork to help me.

That's the thing I'm going on what has been leaked ingame currently as well as what was leaked on test, so far only two of the slots actually make some vague sense (Alpha and Interface) with regards being empowered by the Well, everything else I've seen its just used as a game mechanic for things which...well anybody could replicate, you don't have to be an Incarnate to summon Praetorian PPD, you just have to be a Police Sergeant in Praetoria to do that!

Edit:

Agree with Zortel below, I'd rather have it actually fit my characters since the Devs attempts at stuff like this so far (as show in the Origin of Power/Power Proliferation) is downright nonsensical at the best of times or just plain idiotic at the worst of times (lore already ingame contradicts a lot of the stuff in the Power of Origin arc and the Power Proliferation wasn't needed) and I think pretty much all the RPers I know ignore both of those bits because they're so stupid.

That's just it though, the Alpha slot is basically the same game equivilent as an SO applied to all your powers (33%) in the long run the Alpha slot is the easiest to handwave away as having nothing to do with being an Incarnate becuase it is nothing obvious, there is no real obvious indication EVEN IN COMBAT that you are an Incarnate.

It is downright as simple as getting a really good scope complete with night vision and distance meter for those longer ranged hits, yes you were good but with that scope on your rifle/Pistols, you're now even more awesome or widening your ammo choices (hollowpoint and armour piercing rounds used on the correct targets etc.), it is when we get to the later stages that you're going to hit a problem.

So it is not that you've just discovered gunsights exist (I never said that so stop putting freaking words in my mouth Ammon!) but you've found a piece of equipment that improves that aspect, be it a scope OR after extensive testing you've realised the gunsight was eversoslightly off and made the tweaks in order to improve your aim.

True I have no Natural characters (my Pistols/Traps defender is techbased gadgeteer) but for the Alpha slot which is just a numerical increase and nothing showy like the later ones will be you CAN handwave it and people will, so get use to it.

The Judgement slot is where Natural human orgins will simply have to be augmented with Tech in order to explain it...you can't call a Killsat attack something you can do naturally, the is no 'summon orbital killsat' move in Martial arts.

Though saying that if you're a natural Alien where you are scout and part of a hivemind with the rest of the hive is up in orbit, having sent you down to explore. You could explain the Judgement power as the Hive providing a collective bio-plasma blast from orbit should you be in trouble, heck you could probably explain away any of the Incarnate powers with that origin since you can simply claim that the hivemind is unlocking abilities as you further progress due to being seen as more and more useful beyond the average drone.

BAM! Nothing to do with the Well in that one and purely natural too.

Just because YOU want to have everything somehow inspired by the Well Ammon doesn't mean everyone else does. Techbot, as mentioned, will have sweet bupkiss to do with the well, his power will come from his own evil genuis. That works, there is no connection to a higher power, no connection to some future godlike self, it is him and him alone which creates these things and Dr Mechano would be the same.

He would have simply augemented himself with more cybernetics or AIs would have upgraded themselves to be more efficient, discovered they could push the power in their lasers a little more or worked out the kinks in their targetting matrix.

For all origins but natural it is incredibly easy to ignore the whole thing to do with the Well, it is only the natural (human, a Natural Alien can still handwave as above) origin that suffers when we get into the later stages where to do that kind of crap you simply HAVE to be an Incarnate, the Alpha slot isn't anything obvious but by heck the other ones will be.

Edit:

I will also point out the sole reason the Incarnate Taskforces give a level debuff was to actually make the Alpha slot useful as confirmed by Black Scorpion, otherwise people would be blitzing through it without a care. In other words its not so much a lore limitation as it is the devs striving to make the Alpha slot more relevant than it needs to be.

2nd Edit:

Basically the Incarnate system is pushing us closer to Superman levels of power, if Batman, a highly trained, highly intelligent natural/tech origin character can go toe to toe with Superman through use of a Battlesuit and kryptonite then it stands to reason that a Natural human with additional tech can go toe to toe with an Incarnate, sure you're nolonger using just your natural abilities and you are using a battlesuit (good use for a costume slot there) but you could RP that by having your gadgeteering compatriot design the stuff for you.

Ok Lightfoot...that is actually really hilarious!

RMT at its most absurd right there.

I mean, it is kind of weird because you just picture these people as log in, spam message, log out kind of deal...but to actually have a tit-for-tat arguement between them just makes it both hilarious AND kind of sad.

From the Journals of Lord Horace Hattings with regards the treasure of Pharaoh Rahotep

Arrival in Egypt:
Well the country certainly is beastly hot but I refuse to remove both my hat and my suit, I must present myself as well dressed at all times. Still I have found my lodgings and will begin looking over the map of the supposed site of the Tomb of Rahotep later tonight.

Addendum: After looking over the map it appears the Tomb may well be out in the middle of the desert...a most dangerous and not to mention long journey. I am glad I decided to pack my shorts for this one.

2nd Addendum: I was awoken by the sound of glass breaking, it turned out to be my own window, I saw in the moonlight a thief making off with the map as they dived off the balcony.

I am most definitely sure the thief was a woman since she had 'ample tracts of land' as my father would say and was wearing a black skin tight body suit of somekind. While losing the map is a blow to both my confidence and the expedition, I have thankfully committed the map to top of my mind...by that I mean I hid a copy of it in my hat.

Day 4:
I am about to begin my journey, I'm sure the buxom lady thief will have atleast two days headstart of me, which is why I must go this alone, no time to wait around for the porters, handlers or guides this time. I have plenty of water and a good camel, I shall name him Lumphrey.

Day 24:
Running low on water but I am making good time, Lumphrey is one heck of a beast, a hardier Camel I could not have asked for, if I was one of those people to believe in reincarnation I would say he must have definitely been a British man in his former life, resolute of mind and of pace. I have a new found respect for him.

Day 32:
Having finally reached the spot I saw another Camel already tied up to a nearby palm tree. Leaving Lumphrey some water I decided I had to journey onward, it was getting dark outside so I had to be quick, finding the secret entrance by sheer accident (I fell down a pit...the hieroglyphs translated as 'watch out below'...very funny...). Using my hat, one of the many broken pieces of stone, the high strength alcohol in my hip flask and a single match I fashioned a torch.

It was true what they say about the traps in a place like this, one does have to wonder about whether there were ever accidents setting these things up. I mean one wrong move and that giant swinging blade would be the end of several stoneworkers, let alone a whole corridor of them.

So making my way past the corridor of swinging blades, through a room that filled with scorpions (how on earth did they survive down here?) a lot faster than I would have liked, one begun living in my suit breast pocket and I didn't have the heart to move him at the time, he seemed snug.

Then it was simply a matter of avoiding the poison dart traps (though I'm not sure if the poison would have lasted this long but being stuck with a load of dart would still be a rather poor end for a Gentleman) and I was into the main chamber.

Unlucky for me the buxom thief had made her way here too, though she appeared to have taken more time negotiating the traps on her end while I may have been a bit more...devil may care...on my approach.

She had spotted me as well and drew a gun on me, which I thought was rather unsporting frankly, I mean, a gun of all things!

Still she ushered me away from the door and proceed to place some kind of amulet in the pedestal, it turned out I would have needed it to open the big stone door behind which the treasure was hidden...that will teach me for not doing my research properly I can tell you!

Now while the treasure was quite resplendant, indeed there was more gold here than twelve men could carry (atleast by my rough calculations), I couldn't help but notice a small collection of mummified cats in the corner, complete with their own sarcophagi. It seems that wherever I go, mummified cats will appear. Perhaps Mr Stiffles was merely the first.

Enough of my ramblings on that matter, the woman claimed that she would need to 'off me' so I couldm't reveal this place to my organisation (at the time this left me very confused, I mean, the Gentlemans Club to which I belong is hardly an establishment which would try to take over the world) and that it should remain a secret. Thinking fast I quickly grabbed the Scorpion from my breast pocket and hurled it at her. A Scorpion surprise you could say, ha!

Of course I hadn't thrown a highly poisonous Scorpion at the woman (that would be incredibly ungentlemanlike), this one was merely very pinchy with the sting apparently equal to that of a european honey bee. However it was all the distraction I needed to disarm the woman and tie her hands using my own bow tie.

I learned her name was Elizabeth Dowling and that she was planning to take the treasure back to America, well, one in particular, it seems one of the artifacts has some occult power and that someone named Maggie would be better off looking after it. She had assumed I was working for some nefarious organisation to retrieve the artifact of power and not merely seeking to return it to a Museum for a nice finders fee.

After a long discussion I released Ms Dowling and agreed that she could have the 'Staff of Set' (rod of ivory and gold with a golden snakes head on the top) and do with it as she wished, I was allowed the more mundane treasures, of course I took only the most important artifacts and Pharaoh Rahmotep's sarcophagus, with the Pharaoh still inside naturally.

Myself and Ms Dowling decided to ride together back towards civilization and Lumphrey, while protesting all the way, managed to haul back everything like a true British beast of burden, remarkable camel he was. I learned that perhaps there would be work for one with talents such as myself in Paragon City but that would have to wait. First I must return home and to the British Museum, they will pay handsomely for such a thing as this AND be able to display it for all the schoolgoing children which will be marvellous!

Now I must stop writing, I have more questions to ask Ms Dowling about this Maggie person.

((and an added bonus, here is what Lord Horace Hattings looks like ingame
))

I will admit this will be hilarious when the monkey poo hits the fan when the exploit is shut.

Well on the American servers...not exactly a huge amount of people in Broadcast on the EU side of things.

Seriously underling level mobs giving boss XP...anyone abusing that can't seriously complain that it was legitimate and should have remained.

Aye that's the thing, I'm saying both sides can be used, unlike Ammon who wants (or is atleast suggesting) that everything be connected to the well whether someone likes it or not (seriously, it would just be an over the counter pistol/rifle scope, didn't make it yourself, just a standard 'the only schmuck that could miss with this thing is the doofus who could afford the pricetag' scope).

I'm agree with Shadowe, unless someone outright states 'I am on the path of Incarnatedom' nobody is going to know.

Now the explanations for keeping a natural human with added equipment are probably going to get harder and harder as the Incarnate system progresses at some point it may be a case of a natural human using advanced technology...though to be fair that doesn't change the origin, you are still just someone who is well trained but you also have access to a military killsat.

For the Alpha slot, it is fairly easy to explain away the boost for natural human characters. Mastering your specific martial art, learning better strikes or just simply taking a level in badass and doing some training from hell for the Martial Artists.

Gun users it is even easier, stuff like whacking on a scope, adding a quick reload mechanism, adding a new kind of grip or stock.

The key thing here is THINK they can make cash.

1) We're just not big enough...notice it's only the smaller and definitely more criminally inclined sites that bother even trying to make money using CoH inf selling. The big ones (like IGE, the biggest gold etc. seller on the interwebs) simply do not bother...what would be the point, they make a ton of cash off of just WoW alone AND they know the system well enough to work around it.

2) Price crashes, you ever noticed that back when spam was actually at its height that the companies would get more and more desperate with their inf per dollar ratio. It actually did get to the point of being ridiculous of something like 5-10 million inf for the dollar (compare that to WoW where even 100k Gold would cost you a hefty chunk of real cash). Some got even more absurbed and it was 30-40 million inf per the dollar IIRC and then the spam from said company would just suddenly stop...since they had obviously given up.

The amount of work they need to put in (buying up accounts to actually transfer the goods, constantly recreating trial accounts, actually farming for the drops in order to earn the inf) was actually vastly greater than the return they were getting.

3) Unlike in other MMOs, anybody can become very rich, very quickly, heck look at the market section, almost no other MMO actually has the market players go 'here...this is how you make cash!' because normally it's a very controlled secret.

'Woo I got a purple drop/used my A-merits to make an in-demand item which sold for 150-200 million inf!

4) The new A-merit system is pretty much an anti-RMT move as it is a QoL thing. Why pay real money for in when you can simply earn an item which sells for a shedload in about...what...two hours work over 4 days? Infact if you want that item, why not go the much cheaper route and just do A-merits!

CoH is about as RMT unfriendly as a decent sized MMO can get.

The reason we see 'waves' of spam is because some little upstart company sees the game as an 'untapped opportunity' and think that we will be a gold mine for them because the big boys aren't in this market, for about two months you'll see an increase in spam and then it dies out because they finally realise that the amount of effort they put in isn't worth the return they're going to get.

So expect another month or so of spam until they give up realising that what they thought would be a gold mine turns into a money pit.

Also depends on the martial art itself.

Judo and Karate can be of use in say, a street brawl but something like Krav Magra (not sure if that is spelt correctly) or Ju-Jitsu (which has a lot of 'this will seriously injure your opponent' moves since it was designed as emergency unarmed combat against someone still using a sword) can be downright lethal.

If you want armed combat, Knife fighting taught in various countries is designed around fighting another dude also armed with a knife and killing or maiming him as quickly as possible.

So yeah depending on the martial art it might do some good.

Hmm since this is what I would have done with the ability of hindsight.

1) Power customisation from the start, programmed it in from the ground up. Apparently dear old Jack was genuinely surprised that people wanted to customise their powers...

2) PvP...erm...no...wouldn't have done it, the game chugged along fine without it and would have kept it that way, though I probably would have fallen into the pit-trap of 'well we've made city of villains...there has to be PvP in there somewhere!' idea when CoV came around. I probably wouldn't have done Base raids (made Bases a purely social function), perhaps the PvP zones would have been in there but without the ridiculous 'lets try to draw in PvErs into the zone' mechanics like the badges for the RV GM heroes/Villains etc.