Dr_Mechano

Also while, unlike Sam (who is a grumpy grump), I do miss the Paragon Times, is it wise to have something whose abbreviation is QQ?

Either way though, good on you for trying something.

Well there is still Thursday for release...issues have come out on Thursday before but it is looking increasingly unlikely that it will be released before the 30th.

Stupid Americans and your stupid Thanksgiving holidays

We Brits don't get that!

I can totally see it as a covert military ops kind of deal, heck that was one of the things I suggested. Changing the kids to 'Orphaned/Kids stolen off the streets' deal since...well it is a time honored tradition amongst villains to use them as test subjects for all kinds of experimentation.

I just honestly can't see this as something one crooked politician would try to pass as a law. That just seems a beyond stupid thing to do, it would kill their career prospects quicker than their life expectancy from dumping them infront of Lusca.

Plus as Techbot said, the plot is there for the players to enjoy and so far the reaction from both GGOOC channel and the Union RPers channel to this idea of a plot in general has been 'not touching it with a 10 foot barge pole' the only semi-positive response this has gotten is from a Non-Union player (as in, doesn't play on Union, not we're all part of a Union and he isn't).

You've got to remember, unlike the US RP side on the forums, Union is a shared RP Universe so something like this would involve pretty much everyone from the rookie street heroes right up until the heavy hitters. Heck I can picture even someone like The Corporation getting involved after all Mercs need good publicity too (plus as a way to show heroes 'how it is done').

The big but in this is...well...so far nobody wants to be involved.

Feel free to try to run it but don't be surprised if it doesn't get much attention.

Well...the moment that word got out, it'd spread to the internet, through the internet it would spread throughout the United States, experimenting on kids would then reach the ears of many Christian fundamentalists and...well people in general, the moment that happened the goverment would be in deep, deep donkey poo.

We're talking protests, riots...heck possibly even ARMED riots, questions from those not in the know within the goverment (I seriously doubt the President would consent to this kind of thing and if he did he would have to immedieatly back out of it and say he had no idea and that he doesn't support the law in order to not be lynched by the press and the public in general) would begin to raise questions and thus the law would not be passed.

So no can't really see this happening, atleast not that high up in the goverment. A Shady local politician perhaps but still word would spread and they know they're even more at risk than your higher ups due to lacking the manpower to bark orders at the goverment agencies like the FBI or CIA...who would probably want to make themselves look good by busting someone pulling this.

So on American soil...no...can't really see it.

And yes both this and my above post were not rants, trust me you'd see a lot more censored words showing up if it was a rant.

Yeah maybe with things like Oil, faking intelligence of WMDs but these are peoples kids we are talking about at no point would anyone hand over kids, no questions asked, to well...anybody!

Orphaned Kids, homeless kids, yeah you could probably get away with that but then you don't need a public law to have that happen and you could still have your crooked politician funnelling taxpayers money into those experiments for...whatever reason a politician would do it...through some other means but trying to pass it off as law is just ridiculous.

Also ask yourself this question, what profit would the Politician see out of it...I mean personally, Most Villains do this because homeless/Orphaned kids are a cheap and easy resource to experiment on and they're doing it solely for the sake of experimentation.

A Politician would need to be making a massive amount of money out of this in order to put not just his career but actually staying out of Jail AND the history books as a genuinely evil sonofagun plus what Pharmacutical company would be willing to have their repuation tarnished (apart from Crey) by being caught experimenting on kids?

Most companies and doctors who aren't Crey or supervillains wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot barge pole, they simply wouldn't want to risk getting caught. If it is to do with kids someone within any company (besides Crey) would eventually break and turn whistleblower on the whole scandel and it would ruin the company.

Yeaaah...not really keen on this myself, my character isn't True Blue hero but eh doesn't appeal to me just seems like well...kind of nonsensical.

Malta could get away with this schtick because the general public doesn't know about them and they're not really goverment backed.

Take a look at todays media, anything a politician says or does is looked over with massive scrutiny, the chances of actually hiding this from the public, especially the internet (god bless it!) are slim to none.

The bill would be poured over by every armchair Politician with an access to the web, heck look at the recent California vs Gaming case, there is the entire transcript of the courtcase up on Gamespy.

The actual premise is kind of flawed. Now if the two radiojocks discovered a certain Politician was funneling tax payers money into a seeming 'black hole' aka Malta which were running these tests so they could create super powered children under their control (since that is what Malta wants) then that would make a heck of a lot more sense.

Interestingly so the two 'known' slots can be used by multiple Origins.

So you're natural and you've got the Alpha slot unlocked.

Guns:
+Damage: Specialised bullets beyond the normal 'regular/cold/toxic/flame' rounds. For more damage against Flesh targets you are now using Hollowpoint rounds for more damage against Robots etc. you are now using Armour piercing rounds. For the exotic rounds...well you found a supplier with a more potent variant of said rounds or you figured out how to make them better.

+Accuracy: This one is pretty damn easy, either you now have a scope for long range or you tweaked your iron sights so they are now more accurate than they were before.

+Endurance: You now have a shoulder stock on your guns which helps lower recoil and thus you don't have to strain to keep them trained on the target when firing for Pistols or you got a strap which spreads the weight for Assault Rifle meaning it is less effort to heft around.

+Recharge enhancement: Auto-ammo reloaders, larger magazine size allowing you to fire more often.

Swords:
+Damage enhancement: Given your blade a good sharpen with a whet stone, picked up a new sword with a sharper edge, added a new material to the edge (like you now have am Impervium/Diamond cutting edge instead of just regular metal).

+Accuracy: You just know where to hit and when and your extensive training with your favoured blade(s) is showing through. That or you simply improved the weight spread of the blade so it allowed you to strike with more accuracy.

+Endurance: Lighter blade design, better weight distrubtion which means you don't strain as hard.

+Recharge: Better weighted blade means that you're not struggling to overcompensate for it on the follow through but it still remains a heavy blade.

The Alpha slot is fairly easy to explain away in 'Natural' terms. It is going to be the next slots which are tough.

Though judging by the leaked [Ion Storm Final Judgement] there is definitely an additional tech option for Judgement (that name SCREAMS Ion Cannon bombardment AoE), don't think it's much of a leap for a Natural person to be able to call in an Ion Cannon strike using a target designator mounted on their guns.

Interface, if it remains the same as it was during the leak on test will be the harder one to explain, the stacking -res debuff option/stacking -def debuff option/stacking -regen debuff option/+Fire damage (would work similar to Fiery Embrace now works) option.

Nope been getting it myself too.

Crashes when I try to create a new character or fails to connect when selecting a pre-existing character.

With the Incarnate shard drops people will still play at the normal difficulty (+0/+1) but you'll see a hell of a lot more mob fighting going on in any of the high level taskforces.

Inherent fitness doesn't boost runspeed a massive amount, it's hardly superspeed.

Heck even ninja run, 1 slotted sprint and 1 slotted swift doesn't match Super Speed with the same bonuses and it lacks the stealth component.

My +runspeed IO'd out stone tanker is faster (she reaches near 80 MPH with just sprint and moves at base speed in Granite and Rooted turned on, I picture it as the weights coming off ala Rock Lee from Naruto).

Super endurance and Super Regen...well sure if you're a Regen or willpower user, otherwise you're taking powers to one slot as replacements and while there are a number of powers that are useful at one slot (mostly conscerning the global recharge IO, so stealth, combat jumping) you're still not exactly uber powerful because of it AND those powers will use up more endurance if you got for things like the leadership toggles.

The boost from health really isn't that massive and will may be buy you an extra second or so in a fight.

Also not everyone can teleport they can TRAVELPORT but they can't teleport, teleport for me is recall friend/teleport foe/teleport/group teleport. So yes they can nip about the world quickly but not everyone wants to pick up recall friend as their one slot power.

Plus I really don't picture still taking powers like handclap or its many variants, Flurry, Jump kick or any of those other abiilties.

So people aren't being given everything, they will have to make compromises if they want to slot the new powers to actually be effective or they'll have to use them at a sub-par level.

Oh and try getting around the Shadow Shards without flight...go on, its fun...that is the sole reason for the purchaseable Jetpack to exist.

I do love the "I think we can manage".

I can picture it being said in quite the sarcastic manner by the team leader.

Though I would like the option for the Manticore Taskforce to additionally add if you've done it before.

"Seriously, I think we can handle the big gorilla in a suit, he isn't that tough!"

Hopkins...one of the worst ending AVs known to mankind...

Ok having looked at it in Beta...it looks fairly solo friendly.

Shard will drop from anything level 50, so just grinding away is fine and you don't have to do Taskforces to get any of the salvage.

Even upgrading is solo friendly, it'll just take you longer.

Well have to say, so far so good on the introduction arc.

Nice to see the Hess TF map (different final room but still awesome) getting some more use.

Edit:

Ok just completed it and...wow really nice arc, may not be to everyones tastes but was rather nifty.

Ok going to do some wall farming...wonder how long it'll take to pick up a second incarnate shard, I may be some time.

EU people, the EU version is available on the normal EU test.

So if you have an EU test set up Golden Girl, you will get access.

Yes I did say EU a lot...so EU to you!

That limitless Radial Freem is so obscene it has to be a jokey test...it gives 1250% boost to damage and its an auto-power.

Basically if it is true...that's pretty much an Omega level incarnate ability right there, you become beyond Archvillian/Hero level.

With those boosts my TANKER could solo Giant monsters and any current Archvillain.

While I would love to be able to get my hands on such a power (as you're even more hardcore than Lord Recluse when he is under the full effects of the four towers in the Statesman Taskforce) I doubt we'll see something like it...atleast until the Omega slot more likely not at all.

That actually is quite a good point, the Incarnate abilities are pretty much designed for the Incarnate content that is coming up.

Now as it stands for fully IO'd out purpled up mother lovers of characters, the Alpha slot adds very little, especially for scrappers/tankers/Brutes (stalkers will probably get more out of it) they will make you slightly more survivable and slightly more damaging than you were before, if your character is still using SOs then they represent a HUGE bonus.

As I mentioned before my softcapped to all but Psi invuln/SS tanker won't get much out of the Alpha slot, a little bit more defense isn't really needed, Rage is already perma so I'm not to fussed on the Recharge front, Dull Pain is rarely used and only in the most dire of emergencies (which I have unstoppable for as well) so the only thing that would do much benefit is the damage boost.

Also the Incarnate abilities are designed to have wide appeal, as such there's none that offer dedicated bonuses to purely melee types (no +damage/+defense/+resistance). Admittedly some sets, like Fire armour will make like a Bandit from the +recharge/+heal incarnate abilities and Granite will always love the additional recharge.

Side note:

Since most of my SS powers are four slotted with either Smashing Haymaker or Kinetic Combat (for the smashing/lethal defense bonus) they're quite low on the damage scale, which means I'll probably get the full 45% damage bonus for when I eventually work my way up to very rare so Damage really does provide the best utility.

Right so looking at it again.

That 'any two rare' cost for the very rare abilities could suggest that two 'rare' level Incarnate abilities are need to craft the 'very rare' Incarnate ability.

So it looks like you'll probably:

1)craft a common one by using the basic TF salvage.

2) Then create a second common one and use those two to upgrade that to uncommon.

3) Then do create another lot of TFs to create two common ones, craft those two to make a second uncommon one then craft the two uncommon ones together to get a rare one.

4) Go through the whole process (two commons, two uncommons, a rare) again to make a second rare incarnate ability and then finally get the very-rare Incarnate ability.

So you're looking at a considerable investment in time and Taskforces to get the 'very-rare' as it should be.

Though that brings in the question, where does upgrading the salvage come in to it?

The other thing I noticed on deeper inspection was that the salvage seems to be related to a specific path, namely since the Penumbra of Rularuu has "The emanations from Rularuu's Willforges can channel Alpha Incarnate abilities which affect body and bone" as its description.

So that could mean if you want to go down the +damage boost path you're going to need to defeat the Aspect of Rularuu at some point, which would just suck since it's the only non-8 man content out of the entire selection.

Edit: Though if memory serves me correctly the Gr'ai Matter served as a 'wild card' salvage and counted for any other type of incarnate salvage.

It isn't as big as it once was, the days of the Rikti Comm/Hami Bubble farms being the norm are long gone.

Though I did amuse myself while buying salvage in steel canyon that there was one guy in broadcast asking for an AE PL for a solid 20 minutes with no answer, throwing a huff and then quitting.

Probably should have sent him to Atlas if that's the thing he wanted but eh.

Though I do find it interesting that the most prolific EU farmers are more 'I don't need the extra bodies, I just need the company' and will bring along lowbies just for someone to talk to.

Hmm nothing really there for the one I actually intend to take Incarnate, my Invuln/SS tanker.

I get that they're trying to make the slots as broad as possible but...damn...nothing pops out at me as 'must have!' I don't have hasten and Rage is perma so +recharge one is out. Being softcapped defenses wise to all but Psi and rocking atleast 30% resistance to everything but Psi means the resistance one doesn't appeal (even at 2/3rds the enhancement ignore ED still only going to get an additional 5-10% resistance).

Looks like the raw damage one is the way to the go (45% damage enhancement ignoring 2/3rds of ED which means it gives an overall 30% damage increase, nice)!

Edit: It also looks like they've actually reduced the grinding required from the original incarnation shown during Going Rogue.

The 'very rare' Incarnate abilities require 'any 2 rare incarnate salvage' whereas in the Going Rogue version it required very specific components and worked a hell of a lot like the Invention system (so you'd need 1 very rare salvage, 1 rare salvage, 1 uncommon salvage and a large number of incarnate shards (like 50) to unlock the very rare slot).

If memory serves me correctly the TF reward salvage was already uncommon so upgrading it would turn it into a rare.

Also in that incarnate the drops from the Taskforces were actually completely pointless since none of the good recipes (i.e. above uncommon) actually used them and instead used 'very rare' salvage that was the equivilent of a purple drop (dropped from any level 50 enemies but good luck actually getting the one you want within the timeframe of a year without massive farming).

Yup getting the same problem here too.

Apparently quite a few people ingame that I know have been having this problem.

A Little note, Lord Horace is pretty much a 'beyond the impossible' type old English gentleman adventurer, so if you expected realism then you may need to look elsewhere, the adventures will also be very 'pulp adventure' in style

From the Journal of Lord Horace Hattings conscerning the quest for the treasure of Mom'bai'kai.

Day 1400:
Having spent over three years searching for this treasure, which has taken me the highest peaks to the lowest valleys, I have arrived in Africa. The stories say that the treasure is 'piled so high that it reaches from the deepest depths' and 'that a man would spend many hours just climbing from the bottom' while I have yet to work out what that means I can only assume that it refers to a large pile of golden coins.

Now a have hired a local guide, a very nice fellow, to show me up river, if my guesses are correct the former lost kingdom of Mom'bai'kai is located somewhere in the deepest darkest parts of the Congo, lost to both time and fellow man, it took me two years alone to decipher the text written in a tongue spoken nowhere else before or since.

While the accomidation is not up to the standard of that back home in sweet old England, it is a relief to be able to atleast have a bath.

Day 1420:
We had been sailing up river for some time now, unfortunately today we hit a rather large snag. The captain of the boat failed to spot a rock jutting out from the river in time, cracking a large hole in the side of our little wooden riverboat. As the boat begun to sink I noticed another large problem, the crocodiles were obviously sensing out plight (the blighters!) and were closing in.

I used a plank that had come lose, my hat and the what was left of the meat we had been storing onboard to create a dummy to throw them off, giving myself and the rest of the crew time to scramble to shore.

One of those pesky scaled fellows managed to follow me, naturally I had to stab it with the shattered glass from my monocle but the crew were both relieved and well fed on the crocodile meat that night.

Day 1440:
Unfortunately thanks to the tortures of the jungle we've lost quite a few of the porters and crew but my loyal guide Gasira and I continue on, along with what remains of the crew. According to the map we are quite a ways travel from the supposed site of Mom'bai'kai, I would think almost a month.

While I have been venturing into the river to keep ourselves stocked of Alligator meat, I have run out of the last few remaning shards of glass from my monocle and with another perfectly fine hat ruined during the wrecking of the ship I fear I can't take the beasts on in the gentlemanly art of pugilism.

Still we must trudge on, stiff upper lip and all that!

Day 1460:
While only myself and Gasira remain we have finally found what I was looking for. We have reached what remains of the palace of King Mom'bai'kai. With some caution I go in first, not wishing to risk the life of my last travelling companion, especially one who had survived all the ordeals alongside me.

I make a makeshift torch from some old vines, an old timber and using some of my moustache shavings as kindle. Using the old trick of rubbing two sticks together to start the fire, as I had been doing for much of the long trek through the jungle.

I descend down the stairs and come across the treasure...a truly impressive pile of what appears to be mummified cats.

I plunge into the depths and the pile was so deep it took me some half an hour to descend and several hours to climb back up, filling the two sacks I had bought with me as I went, perhaps the British Museum might find some use for them.

As I reached the surface and my fellow traveller, I exclaimed to my guide, "damn it man, it's cats all the way down!"

He was at first confused until I explained the situation.

Upon returning home:
It turns out the sentence I had translated suffered a bit of an old schoolboy error on my part, the king wasn't called Mom'bai'kai...it said "the King was Mom'bai'kai" in this very ancient script...after a few more nights of hard translation it turns out that in this incredibly old tongue Mom'bai'kai means 'fond of cats'. So what the lost city is actually called, well that still eludes me.

Still the British Museum paid a fairly well for the sack full of cats, myself and my travelling companion both kept one each. I plan to take him with me on my travels from now on, I have a good feeling about Stiffles (that's what I called him..because he is mummified you see).

Now where to go next, Paragon City will have to wait though...

((thoughts, comments, do you want to read more of these short stories?))

Alright the midnighter arc to get access to Cimerorea is cool...maybe three times but seriously isn't it about time you lifted that restriction now?

It gets old having to do it on every single character, it has become more of a grudging chore than something you really look forward to.

So now that the hazard zones are nolonger level restricted, how about we ditch the stupidity of requiring a story arc to get into Cimerorea (or however its spelt), it just gets old damn it!

Edit:

Admit it, how many of you bomb through that arc as quickly as possible just to get it out the way?