Evangel

well, instead of a "gambler" how about a "random combination generator".

you put in several salvage , or several recipies and they get transformed into something else chosen at random from a table - or a series of tables.

eg: 2 x IO Damage 35 recipies could result in another IO 35 recipe (35%) , a lower level IO recipe (5%) , a higher level IO recipe (10%) , a random SO of the same level (20%), an IO from a set (5%) - no purples, a random piece of salvage mentioned in the recipies (10%), an IO recipe from a set (purples included) (5%) , a charred lump of paper (5%), a base component (5%).

to completely randomise it you could have the percentage spreads on multiple tables so that one table has more chance of returning salvage , another has a higher chance of IO set enh, another has a higher chance of SO enh etc. This would make it even more random meaning it would be much much harder to devise a formula to take advantage of the system - if at all possible.

but yes, doing this would suck up all the common , easy to find salvage and recipies which would drive up price and reduce the usability of the Invention system. not necessarily a bad thing but different from the current status quo.

rant:

how could you propose this travesty of gaming! really, think of the damage youd do to:

sniping would require good positioning, timing and a knowledge of how a sniping attack should actually work.

scrappers would have to get out of each others way

You would be able to actually hide behind the (super) human shields called tanks

medics.. i mean defenders , ahem, couldnt just spam healing into a fight which would resul tin havign to pull back to get healed and not just fight away blithely and assume that you will be healed because the defender (or whoever) is concentrating on you and not having troubles of their own.

I cant see trollers being too affected except for kinetics

Teams would have to act like... teams with timing and stuff.

so, ehhh, yeah. hope that told you. hope you're ashamed and apologetic and things now.... emmmm /rant?



/signed. dont want to damage teammates but I think this idea would change combat dynamics by a small amount which would only make things more interesting. oh, and for the record, I play a precision blaster as my main.

I was thinking of the sorcerors and I think maybe a fourth starting kit leading into them (having them as a seperate core to the swords etc).

I like the VEAT idea of unlocking new primaries depending on which path you want to go but I also like the idea of a training regime that a character follows giving them the feeling of moving up in ranks. I'm not 100% sure how to fit sorcerors (or supers) into that tbh. As I said, I thin kthe majority of vanguard are soldiers - normal human men and women - trained up to deal with the rikti threat to such an extent that they seem almost supernatural and supported by technology. Sorcerors sort of , just are. they are supernatural from the outset.

Perhaps an Acolyte starting group that branches into sorceror and assassain type upper echelon ?

so. suggestions ? Am I going compeltely the wrong direction ? Are the powers too powerful, not thematic enough , not defining enough to fill the role described?

ok, so longbow HEAT didnt go down too well . taking some suggestions from that thread, here's my first draft of a Vanguard EAT , open to both heroes and villains.

The premise I am using is that vanguard take in heroes at level 35 because hteir own ranks are filled with , highly trianed and capable, soldiers that use devices and training instead of super powers.

Following the Arachnos setup I have gone for the process of initial AT for levels 1-23 and then unlocking new primary and secondary options at 24.

Initially there are 3 types of vanguard soldier who can unlock 2 each out of 4 higher ranks:
Sword - special ops
Helm - scout / info gathering
Gauntlet - front line fighters
Shield - defensive and support firepower

Vanguard:

Soldier : 1-23
Three paths:
Assault , heavy , field support


1-23 : choose one of the three above. At 24 can choose to enter a new career path and unlock a new primary and secondary powerset.

Assault:
Sword , gauntlet

Heavy:
Shield , Gauntlet

Field support:
Helm , sword


Assault
These are the frontline and most common type of vanguard soldier. They are versatile and skilled at both ranged and melee combat and enhance any unit they are assigned to:

Primary
Snapshot 1 single shot: dam minor lethal , foe - def
rifle butt 1 melee: moderate damage smashing, %foe disorient/ KD
burst 2 damage: moderate lethal , foe - def
aimed shot 6 single shot: dam high , % foe stun
grenade 8 AoE: dam high DoT , foe KB
covering fire 12 Cone: dam high DoT , Foe -spd, -def
Rifle Blade 12 melee: dam high lethal/smash
neural disruptor 18 AoE: Foe Hold, moderate DoT

Secondary:
Secondary
Body Armour 1 20% resist smashing/ lethal/ fire/ cold +resist: immob, KD/KB,
Hand to Hand tactics 2 self: auto +acc / +dam for melee attacks
Combat training: Assault 4 self auto: + acc / +dam ranged
Combat training: Defense 10 self auto: +def
Combat training: Leadership 16 toggle: PBAoE + hit, perception, + resist: sleep / hold/ immob / stun / fear / terror
Combat Training: Threat assessment 20 toggle: PBAoE + damage, + defense
Combat training: Team Dynamics 22 toggle: PBAoE + recovery , + movement ,
Reinforcements: summon battle drone 38 summons a battle drone.

Heavy Trooper:
Heavy trooper are the take and hold force of vanguard. Not designed for fast movement they provide covering fire and hard point defense points for the assault troops. Their weaponry delivers intense and constant firepower and their defensive abilities give their allies a safe location to fall back to and plan their next assault.

Heavy troopers naturally progress to the heavy mechanised assault units but can also opt to enter the frontline units of the Gauntlet

Heavy inherent: mental fortitude
Primary
Slug 1
Bludgeon 1
Supression Fire 2
Mortar 6
Heavy Supression Fire 8
Heavy Blade 12
Hard Rain 12
Barrage 18

Secondary
Heavy Body armour 1
Personal Defense field 2
Force Field Generator 4
Resistance Field Generator 10
Gun Turret 16
Disruption Field generator 20
Repulsion Mine 22
Smart Field 38





Field Support:
Field support are the healers and enhancers of any vanguard unit. Its all very well being able to damage the enemy but you have to survive long enough to get the opportunity first.

Inherent: Mental Fortitude
Primary
healing aura 1 pbAoE: ally heal, self heal, + moderate heal over time
Recall ally 1 teleport an ally close to you for attention
Heal other 2 target heal + mag (?) break free
Resurrect 6 resurrect an ally at 50% health and 20% end
Resistance aura 8 pbAoE: + defense all
neural Blocker 12 pbAoe: +res mental effects
Adrenaline Shot 12 targetted ally: + health, + end, + spd, +rech.
First aid station 18 AoE: aura heal/ mez resist

Secondary
light body armour 1 10% resist
stealth 2
Pistol Snapshot 4
Combat Knife 10
Invisibility 16
teleport 20
Aimed shot 22
Autodoc 38 respawn point for ally. 75% health, 50% end


I have tried to make the powersets slightly more powerful than existing powersets to reward the player for playing the EAT. A typical unit of 8 would consist of 1 Field Support, 2 heavies and 5 Assault. ideally they should work alongside existing hero / villain EATs and ATs and have the ability to fill more than one role on a team as requried.

For IOs:

ability to assign salvage to recipies.

ie: drag the salvage (say mu vestment) onto a recipe you own and it gets allocated to it and is no longer included in the pool of slavage available for other recipies. It sounds silly but I have often created an IO only to discover that i used up a piece of salvage I was storing for another recipe without realising .

With drag and drop allocation you can pre-assign the salvage you want to use and know 100% that you have everything you need to create what you want before you reach the crafting station (obviously this is less of a pain for people with portable stations but assignment would still be useful).

the asigned salvage is still counted against your total but listed in a seperate tab so you can easily see whats required and what can be sold on or put in storage.

righty, so this ones a non-goer then

back to the drawing board...

Ok, this is a quick mock up of an idea I had when I was posting about proliferation a while ago.

An alternative to the current Kheldian Epic ATs for heroes:

What this is: a quick overview of a Longbow Agent AT to be used as an epic AT for heroes.

Why: to give an alternative to the current Kheldians and to provide a direct counterpart to the Soldier of Arachnos Veat

My aim: to present a military style agent with the feel of a longbow agent but still allow customisation ( see the wardens) so that players get a feeling of variety. I don’t know if I have managed to do this as it is quite hard to give a sense of individuality AND a sense of uniformity at the same time.

The LongBow HEAT:
Longbow recruits come from normal soldiers recruited during basic training. During this time nearly all longbow agents learn the same skills. Basic training lasts until 4th level:

Inherent: Longbow Uniform Armour: 20% lethal resistance, auto.

Primary level power
Pistol Shot 1 ranged, moderate damage (lethal) rech: mod
Snapshot 1 range: minor damage, -acc, rech: fast
Round House 2 melee cone: moderate smashing, rech: mod


Secondary:
Baton 1 melee, mod smashing , rech: mod
Block 2 toggle +melee defense, rech moderate
Stun Rod 4 melee , moderate DoT, foe: stun

Once the trainee reaches 5th level he is fully inducted into the Longbow defense force and receives his upgraded armour: The next promotion step is at level 20. it is here that the soldier can start to decide to specialise between range, defense and melee.

Inherent: Longbow Uniform: 20% smashing / Fire resistance
Rifle Butt: melee: moderate smashing damage , recharge: medium

Primary level available effect:
Burst 6 lethal ranged DoT, rech Fast
Bonesmasher 8 high smash melee, rech mod, foe disorient
Slug 10 high lethal range, rech mod, foe KB
Spin Kick 12 mod smash, pbAoE (close) rech: mod
Flamethrower 16 high DoT (fire), rech: long
Chain Gun Auto 18 high DoT (lethal) , rech long

Secondary:
Caltrops 10 moderate DoT, rech Slow, lethal, foe – spd
Jet Pack 14 self Fly. Rech: long
Medkit 14 PBAoE Heal, rech: mod
Taser 16 minor DoT (elec) , foe: Hold, rech: mod
Maneauvers 18 team +Def all, PBAoE, 2.675%
Assault 20 team +damage, PBAoE, 13.5%

At level 21 the Soldier can enter the specialist training paths and must choose whether to continue in the rank and file or join the advance scouting units:

Choice: Nullifier or Chaser

Nullifier:
Building on the skills already learned as a soldier the nullifier is a fully trained close and medium ranged combat expert:
Inherent: Tactics
Buildup
Armour upgrade: auto 20% resist Cold , energy and acid

Primary: lvl effect
M30 grenade 22 AoE high lethal/smash , rech: long , foe KB
Sonic Grenade 24 AoE Foe – def all, chance foe disorient
Bean Bag 28 damage minor smash, foe disorient
Sonic Concussion 32 AoE , Hold 30% chance
Full Auto 35 Extreme DoT (lethal), rech: long,
Sonic Disruptor 38 AoE, foe Disorient, Extreme DoT (sonic)

Secondary: lvl effect
Sonic Shield 24 self: auto +15% resist sonic / lethal / smashing
Stamina 26 self: auto +recovery
Health 28 self auto +regen
Shockwave 30 PBAoE, Foe KB, % chance Foe Stun
Sonic Ram 32 melee Exteme Sonic/smash, Foe stun
Soundwave 35 melee Cone High sonic/smash , foe KB, Foe Stun


rest to be typed up tonight

chaser and the wardens.

Any suggestions on how to make this into a HEAT that could actually work and would be fun to play ?

apologies, didnt see the other thread (I did search though!)

no, wait, put down the zippo and the petrol can....

flight speed is capped at 58 mph (approx). Fair enough, it has advantages over SS and teleport (though you try flying past a mob to get from one side of a room to the other and see the reaction. you dont get that with SS or TP).

my suggestion would be that we leave flight speed alone as it is , for combat flight.

If you turn more than once in 30 seconds, if you toggle the fly power, if you are within a certain distance of the ground, you are considered to be in combat flight mode where you cant go full speed because you need to be able to react to the environment around you.

If however you are travelling to a location, generally you gain height and go in a straight line (at least I do) . so my suggestion:

Travel Flight: raise the cap to equal SS. travel flight only happens if:
you fly for 20 seconds without more than 1 direction change.
you have constant motion (hovering in place doesnt count).
you are at least a set height above the ground level.
You are not actively attacking a target (ie: no attack power activated with a target in place , whether or not it is out of range or recharging)

not 100% my idea. the pnp Rpg Villains and vigilantes ahd rules similar to this for handling supersonic flight speeds and combat situations.

I think by prefix, The_Mess was just referring to the "the" part of the prefix. The other parts are changeable.

as for restricting names, how? its still just the same prefix that is there already, just in a different language, the game would still read it as "the" so the variations on names would stay at the same level.

Unless you want the initial THE taken into account and have the different variations treated as seperate names, ie: The Man is different from Das Man. I wouldnt like that, too many of the same name popping around (though it would help in keeping names if there were a server merge - ducks at the distant rumbling roll of a thunderous Dooooooooooom!)

its all a nemesis plot to stop Tfs

not just a network storage package, its , (in my experience working on SAN and NAS in datacentres over 10 years now - I put this in not as a boast but to try to quantify my opinion and show that its not just blinky light blindness) THE network file storage solution.

latest releases: http://www.enterprisestorageforum.co...le.php/3751996

still NAS but fibre channel between disk arrays and filer head which takes the weight off the DB server and speeds transaction times. It can also be connected via fibre directly without IP addressing requirements (making it more of a SAN solution than a NAS , in fact netapp are more well known for their SAN capability than their NAS functionality). Actually I think Netapp prefer the term FAS for their fabric attached storage systems.

as for speed:

http://www.netapp.com/us/company/news/Ne...nce_Record.html

however, these things are incredibly expensive. in over ten years I have only installed 2 of these systems for customers - a large financial and a govt. body.

I was considering a new alt yesterday for a laugh and I wanted to put up a MA scrapper with huge Boots that literally kick the snot out of the opposition.

Names I would ahve liked to use:
Romper Stomper
Stampy
Stool Kicker
wuss-in-boots
Das Boot

now, all fair enough unless the name has been taken.. except for the last one. I cant have Das Boot on the English server without haveing it all in the name field.

Its a small, nad compeltely unnecessary change but I'd like it none-the-less:

Include all variants of The in the starting Name Field:
The
Le
Les
Der
Die
Das
El
Il
O
A
OS

as for spamming. yeah, thats so inconsiderate them flashing a message on my screen without my permission. much better tha tthey send an email warning me of the impending server takedown to my registered email address. that way I can choose if i want to see the warning or not. of course, this being the entarrweb , if I dont read the warning then the server shouldnt shut down on me, should it ? so its win-win and the rules of polititudinous (*) correspondence have been observed.

*not a real word

NettApp FTW!

cannot be beaten on transaction speed (well it can but takes a very big stick!) ,reliability and product support. unfortunately its expensive so start paying for respecs and fund the future!!! Uncle SAN needs you!

after a patch when a player first logs in a huge thundering DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! should sound

what if they left the citizens and mobs on the map and had them infectable by zombies? now that would be fun

RPer: save the innocents!
standard player: kill anyhting that gets in the way of protecting the citizens
farmer: sit, wait for all mobs to become zombies then get all badges in one fell swoop.

1. the pointy one
2. the pointy one that moves at high velocity
3. the blunt one
4.the blunt one that moves at high velocity
5. the burny one
6. the healy one
7. the blobby one

actually, on a side note, what happens if you heal a zombie. Does it become a corpse ? or a cannibal ?

just thinking that I need to get my emp/archery defender up a few levels for this... oh, and my fire/fire tank. hmmmm, tanky pbaoe goodness.

hope they crawl up out of the ground instead of teleporting...

will they be romero or remake zombies ? (ie: braaaains shuffle shuffle relentlessly or Raaaaarrrrrrr! sprint munch rend).

temp powers I want to see:
Shotgun (for my non-AR characters)
Chainsaw: for all character! chainsaw is a must!
fireaxe: not as cool but still good.

thanks for organising. had great fun running away from stuff that could kill me (I dotn have to be fast, I just need to be faster than MP )

yaaay badgey goodness. Sarg, if you ever want to go hunting fakies, send Evangel a tell ingame.

would love to do the illusionist arc but, I shall be away for most of september (except the last week) . pesky honeymoon. wonder if herself would be up for a rescheduling of events.... ok, better kill that thought right there.

I think its "ok. Thanks. Bye" but with a cork accent (in which case its boy instead of bye at the end).

[ QUOTE ]
It's just the idea of buying a piece of software then being charged to use it's features. What if windows had said in a jolly old micropayment type way ok 1p/per file op/per Mb or what if next time you open Photoshop and want to print a photo and it comes up with a dialogue 'Thats 1280*960 by 16 million that'll be £3.50 please.' what if your mouse software charged you 0.5p per cm moved on screen plus 0.25p per click.

'The future is dark the future is a nasty bluey/grey colour'

As I say 'Dance with the Devil etc..

[/ QUOTE ]

no, instead you pay exorbitant prices for an OS (unless its OEM admittedly in which case you have to buy , technically, a whole new PC) which, XP or Vista, DOES NOT work straight out of the box so you need to patch it, repeatedly, XP SP3 anyone, want to download that via dial up or worse again, via GPRS or 3G for you laptop or mobile users.

Want to create a spreadsheet, presetnation ? why not buy MS OFFICE at a huge cost and thn download the security patches - because as it stands out of the box a windows XP or vista machine will be hacked in less than 4 minutes on the net if unpatched and even if the OS is patched, an unpatched office opens up a whole new set of security holes (holes? more like chasms).

want to record video... buy the accessory

want to write DVDs.. buy the software and the accessory

or, you can use Linux. higher learning curve but ubuntu is pretty friendly and comes with open office - but your favourite games wont run out of the box.

Or you could go MAC. 9shudder... but htats personal preference and not a commentary on the Mac OS).

to give some detail on the example you provided, you already do. Buy windows. Buy photoshop (and you thought windows was expensive!). Buy a printer. Buy paper. Buy ink.


also, MS and several other companies have considered web based "pay as you use" services and MS is currently considerign a net based equivalent of dumb terminal OS's that get all operating procedures from a centrally located online server (project midori I think its called).

your argument is not a good one I'm afraid. I'm not saying you dont have a point, I'm just saying that you illustrated it wrong.

currently, is it not set that if you make a typo you have to delete the character and recreate it ? so a few quid for the option not to have to do that is fair enough in my book!

as for the respec , I cant see myself paying for one (I'm happy with the veteran ones, actually I'm about to use one later on tonight to spec out teleport other and get tactics. (i like tp other but I dont use it that often , so its a bit of a waste for me), however, I dont have any problem with other people buying them. thats their business.

Similarly, I havent bought any server transfers or extra slots (tempted by the slots with their slotty goodness but I must resist!) but I have no issue with others buying them. htats what they want, it makes them happy, then good stuff. means they are in a better mood when online

same for my suggestion of full respec. if someone wants to do it. fine. I dont, but I wouldnt have an issue with someone else doing it. it gives money to NC which is use dto pay the guys who develope the game which makes thigns better for me in the long run

What I would not like to ever see however, is the ability to buy things NOT available to others that give an unfair advantage. powersets etc exclusive to paying players. Hellgate london smacks of this to me. pay and you get storage, pay more and you get weapons better than others etc. not my cup of tea tbh.