Drakmarth

Thank you for the review on An Uncivil War: Preclude and for the actual 5* rating overall. I'm glad you enjoyed the storyline as it was the major aspect aside from the customs that I went back to again and again over the last year.

I'm glad to have submitted it as you raised valid points not brought up by other players (hence why I have had it as a Looking for Feedback for so long). More details in the MA forum thread soon™.

As per a post from The Training Room (Test Server) section.

From the Twitters

For your consideration:

An Uncivil War: Preclude ID: 415877

and thanks in advance.

I can happily confirm that 'Guardian' is no longer a dirty word and I can edit my arc without warnings about invalid characters, etc. Will notify if I find any other words that cause an issue.

I will concur with Eva that the AE Editor appears to be VERY laggy. Typing yields lag-errors (e.g. I type 'The world' and it sometimes comes up 'he wTorld') and I'm not nearly enough drunk for that type of mistake..

That's it Alicia, be positive.

Then when it is all said and done and you all have to pay me homage when you use the word "The", you can truly blow your stack.

I can fully understand if they have found it to be more difficult or that it is more difficult than we can comprehend. We're outside playing the fun-fun-shiney, they're stuck checking the code. It is always easier looking out than in.

In regards to my other issue with problems on support it would appear I am the proud father of TWO support accounts. Don't ask me how that happened, maybe I got drunk one night, or maybe underpants gnomes. Either way I figured it out and apologised for wasting everyone's time on the matter there.

I give up trying to go through Support on the matter.

I sent a second bug/petition detailing that I cannot reply to my first bug/petition in a reasoned manner because I had an email instantly with the subject "Update Contact Informatio​n" and informing me the email address I am using is not associated with the support ticket and thus will not be updated.

I have checked my support profile and the email address I am using is the exact same as the one attributed to the profile, the same one that is attributed to my two CoH accounts, the same one that gets an email telling me about Spring Fling coming three days after the even started. Twice! I jest because I love.

The link in the email to update my reponse on the website just takes me to a page that tells me I do not have permission to see the document. The only support ticket attributed to my account is from 2009 apparently, I don't log petitions often, but I do recall having to do so at least twice in 2010 (one was due to a no reward for an ITF I completed, which was quickly resolved).

Also despite explaining the reason why I was sending a second support ticket to address a current incident I felt like I was being slapped on the hand for sending a second support ticket about it. Er, I explained why, I can't respond. This may just (highly likely) be my reading too much into the words though, especially as it could have been just a cut and paste response to any ticket addressing another ticket.

Regarding the fixes in the works, I would love it to be so and that it is on the way Soon(tm) or Later(tm), but my fear is that unless we get a list of words on the AE stating which are useable and are not useable down the line, rather than playing a game of Find the Profane Copyright.

The arc I created was during the Beta for AE, over the last two years it has had tweaks and changes and one major overhaul-republish and it was never flagged before now. What is stop another arc I make having the same two years of it being out there before something decides I have done something else to anger the Litigation Gods?

Or maybe it was a mistake, maybe it is a naughty overzealous content filter just tying up words and not letting them out to play, maybe in time the words we're having problems with will be returned to us unharmed and ready for re-use, but if that is the case, where the heck did the list used for the filter come from because surely someone had to have inputted it or checked it?

I really hate coming off as complaining because I enjoy this game I really do, but (TANGENT) I've had to deal with Sony of all people possibly losing my bank account details to hackers and I do not blame Sony for that because they were a target, but what did rub me the wrong was was the fact they had a black out of communication for a week.

So unfortunately now when I get a reponse telling me I have to change any inst-no REMOVE any instance of the word "Guardian" to re-publish my arc due to Copyright, then I come here and there are Red Names saying 'Well the content filter is a might overzealous' (sorry for paraphrasing), it kinds leads me into confliction.

UPDATE: Found out from Support that my responses were going through without issue for them, seems to be another fault causing those emails telling me it hasn't updated.

Nice to know I didn't waste my time with my response, so with this news I dial back my 'outrage' over that issue and apologise for blowing my lid for my part.

Bleak > You may want to put down that 'Guardian' may be related to Marvel or DC's own heroes by that name. Marvel leader of Alpha Flight, DC er..not too familiar with other than he looks like Captain America with the shield and all (in fact both Guardian's are weirdly motifs of Captain America, one the patriot, the other a shield carrying soldier.

As I was told in my response (one that I was unable to respond to because my email, that I have used since I first made the game, is apparently not attributed to the support ticket raised and despite going to my support profile and seeing my email address right there, it wouldn't work) I have to change what I made, and what was until recently working just fine, or..nothing. Just do it so it can be published...until another superhero comes out with a word I am using and we end up going around the bendis again.


Cheshire > You are correct. There are ways and means of reporting violations of copyright without just uploading a spreadsheet full of 'Bad' words.

If someone were using Thor, but made Thor in their own design, say an elec control/elec blast with a unique costume, then I wouldn't bat an eyelid. But if it were done in the style of Marvel's own design, down to the Hammer then I might be inclined raise a concerned note to the author informing them of their playing with fire.

The fact that it could be Doom, Doomsday or even Droids is disconcerting as the first two are terms that have been around for centuries, you can't just take a word and make it unuseable. What kind of villain tries to set off a Heckday Device? It lacks punch dammit.

The realm of Comic Books is so vast and has covered so many bases, characters based on emotion, characters based on animals, characters based on ideals, characters based on elements, characters based on combining concepts or words. It really leaves us with making up words or delving into linguistics. I'm all for delving into language, but sometimes you like a simple word to get the point across.

Well time to add my two-cents (or penny) to this craziness.

Some history (ignorable): I have a VG called The Black Guard, to house all my villains and some friends too, my arc ideas revolve around the characters I created during my time in this lovely game and some more I never would have made actual characters for, but flexing the old mind muscles. Of course having too many critters in a group was problematic before the extra space, so I broke up them into squads this idea stuck since the space boost because it expanded the idea I had of an army.

And the problem.

I went back to my AE arc last night as I finally had an urge to finish and publish its sequel, firstly though I wanted to iron out some of the phrasing and kinks (brought up by a friend that did the arc) of my first arc. It was there I discovered my problem.

The enemy faction for the first mission are called Kovacs' Guardians, using members of The Black Guard foot soldier squad The Black Guardians, to give the feel of uniformity and stealing a little from the Council/Fifth the critter names are titles with Specialist names, with only unique critters having a proper name. The list of ProfanityCopyrightDetected affecting me is as follows:

Guardian
Guardian Commando
Guardian Medic
Guardian Protector
Guardian Trapper

I assume this is because either DC's Golden Guardian Jim Harper or Marvel's Alpha Flight's Leader Guardian or Weapon Alpha or Vindicator (hey, put an 'S' on that and it is a group of heroes right here in game lore! Funny because my subfaction has an 'S' on the end of Guardian and that was marked as Profanity/Copyright!). The former Guardian is from 1942 and the latter Guardian is from 1978.

I don't know what is worse that it took the content filter 2 years to figure out there was a guy with the name for the last 33 years (to be fair he did change it twice) or that it missed the bright blue guy for the last 69 years (to be fair, again, there was a war going on).

But in all serious, this is ridiculous. There are words in the English, French, German, Russian, all languages that are just there. They are there to be used, I can't just copyright The and tell everyone they can't use The in their arcs because it is my word.

There has to be some fair usage here, would it help if I put in each of their bios that "No members of the Black Guardians were born in Canada"? or "These Guardians are noted for not wearing a fetching Blue and Gold attire" or even hammer down the dictionary definition of what their job entails in The Black Guard "Guardian; noun One that guards, watches over, or protects"?

If I, as a creator on AE, am being censored for use of common words. Should we not address the many NPCs with the name Guardian at the same time:

Guardian, an enemy in the Circle of Thorns faction
Guardian, an enemy in the Devouring Earth faction
Guardian, an enemy in the Fir Bolg faction
Guardian, an enemy in the Rikti faction
Guardian Mu'Rakir, an NPC encountered by villains
Guardian Shard, an enemy in the Devouring Earth faction
Longbow Guardian, an enemy in the Longbow faction
Mu Guardian, an enemy in the Arachnos faction

Thank you Paragon Wiki for this lovely list.

This whole thing has scuppered my AE plans for the future somewhat, as this small faction of the first mission of my arc were set to be the focus of the next arc. As it stands, they are useless and I worked on a theme here.

I don't see, or rather don't agree, that an arc which has been in the AE without issue for over two years (re-published last year due to a major overhaul) or any arc new or old should be rendered unplayable for simple use of common words found in a dictionary or existing characters in the games own lore because they might be tied to a Canadian superhero that is remembered for being mocked by a Hugh Jackman look a like.


UPDATE: So my email yielded a response I did not expect "Your recent incident update was from an email address not associated with the incident. In an effort to maintain the security of
information, we cannot update the incident using this email address.", strange how the email address I have been using has been the one associated with any support incident I have raised since purchasing the game 60 months ago (thanks for the badge btw).

Stranger still is that I though, 'Hey there is a link anyway in the email! I'll use that.' and am met with an "Error Permission Denied You do not have permission to access this document." So, how pray do I contact to update my thoughts on the issue, if all bridges of communication appear to be Question > Answer > Debate > Bridge is blown out?

I didn't see this down anywhere when I did a search - it could be that I step on some toes either for what I'm posting or where I'm posting it. But..I'm going to do it, I will be That Guy.

I'm going to just put this out there: I'm a man. And as a man, I have a thingie.

Now that thingie? That thingie defines us, controls us and in some cases that thingie..causes us to pee a lot.

I'm of course talking about prostates and its time we stopped letting them take a hold of our lives and our wimmens.

Now, I have been court ordered to state the following: The Geneva Conventions of 1949 forbids me from declaring all out war against the Prostates of the world nor can I have their leaders in the National Prostatist Front executed as, apparently, we need them to reproduce as a species.

While that sounds like poppycock from propoganda machine, the U.N. says I can't stop them, I also can't touch them; but therein lies a separate court case and a long list of libel lies.

So, I donated my face to Science and Science passed me on to the Movember Foundation and they cupped my cheeks, gave them a squeeze and said, "We'll take it!"

For those not 'in the know' Movemeber is the time of year (generally November because of the name and all) for fund raising to be done and awareness to be raised for the research of Prostate Cancer. So what does one have to do for Movember? Grow a moustache, for those riding the hype-train to Hypesville that would be a 'Mo'.

Its simple, but it works because we're men and we don't do ridiculous thi--well..flamboyant thin--ok..we just like to not have to shave for four weeks and have that attributed to a good cause other than sheer laziness, how about that? I think thats blatant and fair on the situation.

Now I have not been affected, directly or indirectly, by Prostate Cancer. Not that I have been made aware of at any rate. But cancer, she comes in many forms and that beast is something that has come at me from multiple angles and by varying degrees.

People I know have lost their lives to cancer, but people I know have lived through cancer too. Those that survived have done so due to the progress being made by the men and women who have the funding to make a difference. I believe any amount, no matter how small, can make a difference for us all.

I understand that not everyone can or is able to donate, as the repeative trope goes: "*sigh* Times are tough". Do not think that makes you less awesome compared to anyone else (you will forever be less awesome than I), but monetary gain is only part of this campaign, another focus is raising awareness. Thats kinda why we're growing the hair out.

We're men, we're guys, we're dudes and what do comedians stereotype our gender with? A foolhardy belief to never talk about problems, a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy that goes beyond America's military.

Well I'm here to tell you, especially you at the back, that we men have a treacherous exocrine gland in our midsts, er midriffs that will one day betray you and take your wimmens! The only way to stop this beast is to check yourself, preferably without wrecking yourself, and if you think you might have a problem? Get it checked out. The best news you can have is that you wasted your doctor's time, and they're getting paid to sit around doing nothing anyway let them have a fiddle.

If just one person who reads this gets checked and gets an A-OK, I'm happy, however if someone gets checked and finds something is wrong, but because they caught it early it means they dodge the Grim Reaper's scythe? I'm estatic, with a gracious amount of sympathy for dodging a bullet.

According to the Movember website, which is entirely unbiased in its information, I'm sure. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer for men, one man dies every hour from prostate cancer and around 36,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year.

Together we can raise awareness, together we can aid in research, together we can have me shave my beard and grow some new facial fuzz on my upper lip.

I have a donation page that also contains my true name, anyone caught using my true name in an effort to earn an empowerment over my creations will summarily executed in their face.

If you really want I can take photos of my progress, starting with the dissolution of my current union of Face and Hair and allow for the growth of a bigger, brighter Moustache; one built for glory.

I also had a brain wave whilst writing this to convert all my male characters to this cause - over two accounts and forty-seven characters I have twenty-three men; heroes, villains, rogues and a vigilante in the making.

Twenty-one moustaches (two characters already have moustaches) and kept for an indefinite amount of time.

Thats possibly more moustaches than any other Movemberist could think of!

One man, twenty-four* faces!



*I of course include my actual real life face here.

Unfortunately this isn't an isolated issue. I, and others on Union, have people we can't log into or are 'currently logging out'.

From what I can gather from personal experience and those of others on Union, going to Talos results in a 'character limbo', I don't know if other zones are affected, but the main issue seems to be going to Talos.

The game does not so much as freezing, but it doing nothing at all at the loading screen. While it was happened I checked my Task Manager showing as Running rather than Not Responding, after a minute or so I killed the process and logged back in. From there tried jumping on the toon I was using, but met with the pop-up that she was still logging out.

I was able to log into another toon on the same account, thinking it might bump off the old one, logged out, back to try the stuck toon and same pop-up. So petitions and bug reports have been sent (this was a few hours ago), but little to no response unfortunately.

An Uncivil War: Preclude (Click for Poster)
Arc ID: 415877
Alignment: Heroic
Faction: The Black Guard (Custom), Arachnos, Council, Crey and a spoiler-if-I-say-it-here finale group (Custom)
Creator Global/Forum Name: @Drakmarth
Difficulty Level: Level range set to 35+. Designed with teams in mind, can be soloed with the right ATs.
Estimated Time to Play: Very Long (5 Missions, 1-2 hours)
Synopsis: When a splinter faction of the Black Guard takes over a section of Warburg and threatens to detonate a nuclear warhead, their enigmatic leader Drakmarth asks aid from the unlikeliest of allies; Paragon's Heroes. [SF/HL/TFMA]

WARNING: Contains Elite Bosses and an Archvillain

ADDITIONAL WARNING: Contains Lots and Lots of Text

Author comments:
This arc is a re-creation my first and only beta-born arc that was published Live a year ago. Changes to mission maps and other such things in MA caused it to be unplayable. The fixes were made over time, but I never had the heart to dive back in as the real issue I had was with the limited memory for arcs that had forced me to be contain and rush the arc in terms of pacing and story.

Cut to 2010 and new changes to the arc system. I began re-working the arc to make it playable, I then re-wrote the story, changing the groups involved and making both cosmetic and balance changes to the custom groups. In my eyes it looks and feels like a different arc thanks to the creative freedoms added with something as small as a memory increase.

This arc is the first in 'An Uncivil War' series, a series I aim to do three things with:

1. Write a Task/Strike Force using both Established and Unestablished Factions. (As a friend mentioned it is for those that 'like to see what happens between the cracks' of the status quo in Paragon and the Rogue Isles.)
2. Have the player learn what is going on as their character does through the slow build of information and exposition through using means other than just clues and mission dialog after the fact. (hence the previous memory limit gripe)
3. Make each arc as fun and engaging as possible.

Feedback is appreciated.

If I may as I am testing out a similar idea.

Currently my test map is using a Release Captive with Surrounding Group Alignment set to Ally and 'unconscious' animation for the captive twice, when I approach the group unaware dialog is used by the Surrounding Group, but the captive is silent. The captive is not release because one cannot target the captors and defeat them to release her.

I have not tested captors using the same animation as it does not fit with my theme, but the animation is available and all you have to do is remove the dialog text for several silent bodies I would imagine.

Thanks for the info, annoyingly I have plenty of +25 villains that could have led the SF, but didn't think it would be an issue because 'We'll be only facing +1/+2 after mission one.'

How wrong I was.

Going to try and explain this as best as I can, unlike the subject which was just poorly conceived in my head.

I led a Silver Mantis Strike Force last night with a Level 23 brute, not my brightest idea I know as SF enemies are set to maximum level of the SF 0/+1 (in this case L25\26s), but I was close to leveling so thought it wouldn't be a problem for long. How wrong I was.

I got my 24th level and found myself still staring at Orange, Red and Purples. I checked my level in the corner and the number 23 remained. How odd I thought, as I'd done SFs and TFs since SSK was introduced and I was certain that I've never seen this problem crop up before. I mean just this last weekend I was on a team for the first three TFs and I'm sure the team leader leveled and with him the team level rose.

We finished the mission in the end and I collected a new power, I was level 24 indeed, but found the corner was still showing 23 in the corner and confirmed with the other teammates that yes they were still level 23 (cue accusing glares).

From there we managed to pummel our way through the various +2s and +3s and I leveled again to 25 and still no change to the Team level.

This didn't stop us from succeeding in the SF, though it took longer than excepted, much debt was claimed and after I spoke to Mantis the final time the Team Level in the corner jumped to 25. So no permenant problem, but I just find it odd that the level set it self to 23 and remained that way for the rest of the SF despite my leveling twice, surely that can't be intentional.

I'm just glad I wasn't Level 22 or else I may have been found and killed by my teammates.

I tried to do a quick search to see if this had been noted before, but my search-fu during work hours is weak and wiry. I've also sent a Bugged this through the regular channels.

Is it already a well known issue and I'm just crazy? Or has anyone else experienced this recently?

While I've not tested the proc, so anything I say is theoretical, the whole nature of Placate would be *not* to draw aggro to yourself, it would be effectively telling the Phalanx to 'This is not the Dom you're looking for' and with the nature of Mass Hypnosis, even if it misses they don't turn around and go YOU! and chase you down.

At least they didn't during the All Dom RSF, they just stood there slowly getting slept.

Kinda like how the Hollows used to set the men from the boys, then they gave the boys jet packs, then they changed the whole dang thing.

I miss the old duck and dodge way to the next mission.

Is...is that blood?

Shots (hah..hah..) of Persian Indigo, the dimension-hopping pistol-wielding, kinesis-changing merc, who shoots first and asks no questions later.