Ex_Libris
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City Fiction
The Redeemers
"You okay, Tom?" Henry asks, "You seem down in the dumps."
The young man shakes his head and snorts.
"I came to this city thinking I had an edge..." he looks at his curved blades
and scrunches his face up in disgust before continuing, "I didn't mean that as
a pun! I thought, with my sword-skill, ambidexterity and agility, I'd be on the
fast track as a major hero here! Then I got here, and it seems almost every
other hero has got two blades of some kind."
"You came here to be famous?"
Wong arches his eyebrow and grins. He notes the hero's disappointed expression
and shakes his head amusedly.
"Relax, kid. Ambition's not so terrible a thing in this business. Sure, the
major players like Statesman and Sister Psyche look down their noses at those
of us trying to make a living, but in this day and age, its time we recognized
just what kind of a lucrative position up-and-coming heroes like you are in.
Well Tom seems apprehensive, but hes still open to the sales pitch, I
didnt come here for money, but it would be nice to be able to pay my rent
Look, Henry reaches over and takes the hero by the shoulder while slipping him
a card, Ive been watching you street-sweep the Hellions around here. Ive
also been paying attention to your broadcast traffic, and Im glad you finally
came to me. Youve got talent, kid, and I think its time it was both
recognized and properly honed. Now, Ive been getting word from Crey about a
job they want someone of skills like yours for. If youre not up to snuff,
theyll get you the training you need.
Crey? he looks at Henry with a bit of trepidation, Are you sure? I mean, with
whats been in the news
Hey, the Countess is in prison, its a brave new Crey
Thomas Redshadow woke up coughing blood. He pushed himself off the floor and
wondered where he was. There were Crey guards strewn about everywhere. Some of
the men were groaning and others were just unconscious. There wasnt the
tell-tale scent of gunpowder, so he had no idea what had happened.
Maybe it was some kind of gas, he gurgled as he pushed himself up, Oh Where
am I?
That was when he noticed that his vision was severely hampered. Half his vision
was obscured by blood. The other half was fractured and yellow in some parts.
Reaching up to the visor he was wearing, he started pulling bits of glass away
from his face. As he plunked the third piece away, stopped.
Wait I dont wear a helmet
He sat back and looked at himself. He didnt recognize what he saw. His
home-made outfit of armor-imbedded leather was gone. It was replaced with a
bizarre blue-and-yellow uniform that he recognized as that of the Paragon
Protectors.
Im not a Thomas stopped.
He wasnt a Paragon Protector.
Why was he wearing one of their uniforms? What was he doing in a Crey facility
that seemed to have just suffered an attack?
What was going on?
Is everybody alright? he called over to one of the guards picking himself back
up.
I think were okay, Protector, the guard grunted, What hit us?
I dont know
Redshadow pushed himself off the floor, wobbled a little from dizziness, then
lurched to the door.
Ill go Ill go check and see whats outside.
He didnt turn back when the guard asked if he was alright. He didnt turn back
when he was half a block away. He didnt turn back when he heard the guards
shouting for him.
He had to get away and find out what was going on.
Henry was looking over his reports when he heard the hero walk in front of him.
He nodded to him and reached for his communicator to find a list of objectives
that needed doing in Atlas Park. However, the tip of a blade touched his wrist
and he looked up to see a man in a bloody Paragon protector uniform glaring at
him through a hole in his visor. A pair of steel-blue eyes pierced into his and
the mans mouth was held in a thin line. A trickle of blood was running down
the mans nose and the white of his left eye was extremely bloodshot.
Who are you? Henry Peter Wong asked the Protector, And why are you
threatening me?
Crey needed somebody of my skills, Thomas Redshadow said coldly, Why cant I
remember most of this past year?
Wongs eyes widened as he recognized the man. The last time hed seen him, he
was boarding the Yellow Line for Kings Row and the Crey offices there. He
remembered the hero because when he never heard from the man again and when he
had asked around among his contacts in Crey, they thoroughly chilled him to the
bone when they replied that theyd never heard of the hero and that it would
behoove him to never ask again.
Wong knew what that meant, and it made him sick to his stomach that he had led
this man to a fate worse than death. What was worse
I was trying to help you, he whispered.
Right, Thomas expression didnt change, Do you mind-?
There was a shout that came from the Universal Super Group Base Portal just
behind Wong. The Hero Corps representative turned to see a band of heroes come
barreling over the edge of the podium holding up the statue to take down the
Paragon Protector harassing the man who had helped a lot of them at the
beginning of their careers. He tried to raise his hands to stop them, but the
cry of Badge! went up and they seemed to be blind to the idea that this
wasnt what it looked like.
When he turned back, Thomas Redshadow was already long-gone, leaping into the
distance with a band of heroes giving chase.
Ill see what I can do to help you, Henry pulled his communicator from his
belt and started dialing for Colleen Saramango, Were getting to the bottom of
this.
Matt King in Talos Island by
Arbiter_Prime
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The City Scoop
Get Your Freak On
Second set of winners of the City Scoop Freakshow Costume
contest
With some solid backup, I once again went to have a quick chat with Dreck. I
didn't need to remind him about the Get Your Freak On contest that he had
agreed to judge, he knew what I was there for. I noticed a copy of the
October 29th City Scoop where the contest had been announced, as well
as the
October 17th City Scoop where the first three winners had been
announced. Obviously he was quite interested in it. I gave him the remaining
entries and he accepted them with a grunt. "Turn down the music so I can
think!" he yelled. The nearby Noise Tank turned down his volume, and wandered
away.
Suddenly Dreck looked at me with an unhappy expression. "Wait, I like that
song. CRANK IT." The Noise Tank obviously didn't hear. Stories and videos
ignored, Dreck just tossed two pictures at me. "They win." He got up and went
over to the Noise Tank, yelling things can can't be printed in this newspaper.
I got out of there, long before the bubbles on me started to flicker out. I
didn't bother trying to tell him that I'd be back in a week. He probably knew.
Gratz to the winners dvntmind and valarion.
"Friendly" Free-For-All
I personally think it's a load of Devouring Earth mulch that all of you heroes
can just get together in some fancy, legally assembled conventionary form and
just party together. Last I checked, Pocket D was a good place to party (save
for the perpetually vomiting man in the corner)! That's why it's my duty as a
"legally registered" villain to formally protest the exclusion of "Hero Con".
And by protest, I mean we villains had our OWN convention: SCONdrel '08. Allow
me to recount some choice events.
Entry: All villains were required to turn in weapons. Well, those who couldn't
overwhelm the guards. Sure, I complied. But you gotta love super strength, eh?
Karaoke Contest: Came down to a very close tie. Between the Wailer King, "Rebel
Yell", and a Freakshow Noise Tank, B4CK-B347, the judges could barely decide.
Upon inspection of the official rule-book and the decision to use Tie-Rule
#27-A, sub clause 34, footnote #G the stage was cleared for a fight to the
death. B4CK-B34T promptly won.
Costume Contest: By far the most disturbing event. It was a cavalcade of
grotesque parodies of the Surviving Eight and popular culture. I'm not sure
what was worse: the naked Statesman costume, or the giant male widow dressed as
Sister Psyche. I believe that common sense dictates that you should not dress
up as something if you are not its gender. On the plus side, I enjoyed watching
the man who dressed up like Manticore set himself on fire.
Concessions: Had to say, a pretty solid group got together to provide food. Run
tightly by a professional crew from The Cutting Edge sent in by Dr. Vahz
himself, there was a good selection. Boneyard Barbeque, a medium sized dumpster
from Cheep Fuud, Smash-N-Grab, Archon Steele's and a newcomer, Mama Marcone's
Classic Home Meals, made up the general food supply. Not including the few
villains that turned on the others and ate them for provisions.
Video Gaming Contest: At first, I thought it was extremely unfair that Freaks
could hook up their neural implants to the game systems. And then I realized
there was a greater threat than them: Crey lab technicians. Come on, it's not
like ALL of them are working on top-secret projects of dubious morality. Most
just sit around, doing jack-all or screwing around on video games. Guess who
won?
$600 Million Raffle: The raffle was indefinitely cancelled. Gee, I wonder why.
Standoff '08: We were all very surprised that the cops were called on the second
day. It took you all that long ? So of course......the time had come. Down to a
tag-team offense/defense scheme, things quickly escalated from "mall cop" to
"SWAT team", from "National Guard" to "Every available hero". And of course
things really got going once Recluse and crew showed up to fight Statesman and
company. Because you gotta fight for your right to party, correct?
What's the moral? Exclusion breeds contempt. Of course, it doesn't matter if you
do let villainkind come to next year's Hero Con. Because that one will
definitely end with Standoff '09, whether we host it or you do.
Vol. 2, Issue 20
October 24th, 2008
This Issue:
Upcoming Events:
October 25th
Champion
Freedom
Guardian
Infinity
Justice
Protector
Triumph
October 31st
Virtue
October 26th
Champion
October 31th
Virtue
-
On Friday October 17th, 2008 Matt 'Positron' Miller will be running a Dungeons & Dragons game for six lucky winners. Seats are being auctioned and proceeds will benefit 'SCARE for a Cure!' A charity that was created by Jarrett "The Defuser" Crippen in 2007.
The game will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Santa Clara California at 8:00 PM. Winners of the auction must arrange travel to and from the hotel but they do not have to be 'City of Heroes' players or attendees of NCsoft's Hero-Con '08 event that will be held the following day at the Hyatt.
The Defuser, the 2007 winner of "Who wants to be a Super Hero" will be making his appearance the following day at Hero-Con and NCsoft is pleased they can help to show off this self made hero and his charity by providing this experience.
To find out more details about the Charity and Hero-Con '08 follow the corresponding links:
- [*]Hero-Con '08[/list]
- [*]'SCARE for a Cure!' [/list]
- [*]To bid on a seat for the D&D game or to watch the bidding go here. [/list]
If you have questions please email exlibris@ncsoft.com or join our community discussion:
Charity D&D Game, Friday 10.17 -
Thread has been stickied and marked to save. Please let me know if the OP needs to be updated on occasion and we can assist with editing.
Thank you for your contributions.
Regards,
Ex Libris -
Hey Gang,
We wanted to make sure and get our DJ some of the better dance music from in game that he can be using in his mixing for the show.
If you know of a great loop or tune post here and I'll make sure to add it to the collection.
Thanks.
Ex -
Vol. 2, Issue 17
October 3, 2008
The City Scoop a publication for Supers by Supers! With this issue we have many of our regular features back and moar!
Read the latest publication and then join in on the community discussion!
If you have concerns regarding the content of the Scoop please direct your comments via PM to Lighthouse or Ex Libris.
If you would like to do a feature article, have an event covered, or join "The City Scoop" team please PM Snow_Globe
If you need some Advice contact Lady_Athyna or would like to Ask The X contact LiquidX
Finally if you have a Classified Ad or Recipe you would like included please contact: LadyK or MistressNoire -
Vol. 2, Issue 17
October 3, 2008
The City Scoop a publication for Supers by Supers! With this issue we have many of our regular features back and moar!
Read the latest publication and then join in on the community discussion!
If you have concerns regarding the content of the Scoop please direct your comments via PM to Lighthouse or Ex Libris.
If you would like to do a feature article, have an event covered, or join "The City Scoop" team please PM Snow_Globe
If you need some Advice contact Lady_Athyna or would like to Ask The X contact LiquidX
Finally if you have a Classified Ad or Recipe you would like included please contact: LadyK or MistressNoire -
The City Scoop Staff
-
Classifieds
ARTIST WANTED
Published author seeks superhero artist for politically
progressive comic book project. Speculative: no money up front, any profits to
be split 50/50. Character designs to start; full script pages will follow.
Interested parties should PM DoctorJ through the forums or @DoctorJ on the
game.
Better Base and Fortress
Otto is seeking volunteers for upcoming episodes of Better Base and Fortress. Do you think your base has what it takes to get 5 out of 5 Otto's from Otto Plair? Contact Mindscythe in game @Mindscythe to arrange a base tour and discuss the details of becoming an upcoming episode
NOW HIRING
Paragon Underground Radio is now hiring bouncers and bartenders. Please send an in-game e-mail to DJ Durango on the Virtue server for more information or an application.
WANTED
Fan Artist to draw my character. I cannot offer much
compensation other than any of the wares I would otherwise sell on the Auction
House. If you are interested, please contact Hakuro de Killer on the Virtue
Server.
Want your character to be interviewed by Scoop Man? Send
a PM to HumanMiracle!
Want your character to be interviewed by Patty-Sue
Ivanova? Send a PM to Emperorsteele!
Want to be part of the VEAT Army? Yes we are an offshoot
branch of the FUSION empire in the Protector dimension loyal only to Ghost
Widow. We are destined for greatness.
Ghost Widow has ordered my organization to form a new
sect in support of special operations. I will recruit within our ranks as well
as go outside of our known coalition. These chosen members will go to an
academy for training as various Arachnos soldiers. While I do not like to be
told how to run FUSION, Widow assures me that I will be rewarded for forming
this group.
My first order of business is to choose villains among
my organization that display some of the following qualities: Mind control,
knowledge of poisons, stealth, acrobatics, weapons fighting, and most
importantly do not display fear and that would die if I ordered them to do
such. I have at least 20 in mind from my 150 Villain organization that fit this
criteria. Over the next few weeks I will begin listing them in preparation for
training.
This training will consist of a series of trials and
strike forces ordered by Ghost Widow. More to follow soon.
Want to know more?
Please come to the Veat Army Project.
Need to sell something? Post it in The City Scoop
Classifieds. Send a PM to a scoop staff member.
DO YOU LOVE MUSIC?
Well, so do we! KJSR.net, the Voice of Jello Shooters, is a relatively new internet radio station, and we're looking for new DJs! So if you love all kinds of music, and want to "share the love" so to speak, contact either @Kyo-chan or @Steampunk Charlie right away!
And for our devoted listeners, we've got MORE shows, and MORE prizes coming up, so tune in!
Introducing Two-for-Tuesday at El Super Mexicano! All
regular quesadillas just 2 for $5 all day Tuesday!
Seeking
R. Keyes - Will be in Steel Canyon lecturing at the University on my Vanguard research. Interested in meeting for dinner afterward? - S. Tavarisch
Lost
Paradigm Shift Device. Contact Demented Cynic at Portal Corp. by Friday. Remember to bring Hawaiian shirt.
HELP WANTED
Writers for The City Scoop. Please contact Snow_Globe or Marcian_Tobay for
submission details.
Do you have an event coming up? Are you going to attend
an upcoming event? Do you want to see or even write an article for The City
Scoop? Drop a line to an Editor-in-Chief a week in advance, and you too could
be a guest writer for The City Scoop.
-
Behind the PvP Mask
Special Edition
A couple weeks ago was the Players Auctions on the Champion server, a PERC
hosted event with celebrities selling a 2 hour block of their time. So here I
am fulfilling my duties to the player that bought me by doing this Behind the
mask styled interview with him. Straight from the Champion server, here is
-Shinobi.
Thank you for joining me -Shinobi. This will be similar to the Behind the Mask
interviews done by Teldon and HumanMiracle. My first question is where do you
live?
Seattle, Washington
Your age and gender?
17, 18 in November and a dude
You have over 30 level 50, do you have a life outside of the game?
lol yeah, I work at my elementary school's after school day care 3
days a week. And in High School senior year.
Wow that's impressive. What would you like to study later on?
Still mostly undecided. Either want to continue with child care. I really like
working with kids. Or get a degree in psychology.
Nice, what kind of music are you listening to in general?
Pop Dance/Techno. Almost constantly listening to a radio station that plays
that kind of stuff with no commercials.
Beside online gaming, do you have any other interesting hobbies?
Occasionaly I go bowling and play tennis. I'm really into animes at the moment
and like Nintendo games too.
Let's move on to some gaming stuff, Is Champion your home server? If yes,
are you sometimes cheating on him?
Champion for sure is my home server. I took a couple months off from the game
and spent some time on Freedom with a controller but I ended up transfering him
here.
Which contact/TF/SF is your favorite and why?
Favorite SF is the LRSF... lots of AV/Hero fights, lots of fun. Favorite TF is
the Eden trial cause of epicness and awesome map. I've run all the villain
contacts and they're all good but Viridian is definetly tops.
Which issue or piece of added content is your favorite?
The invention system (I9). Right there is a ton of post 50 content to
increase a toon to their full potential.
It would be the same for me. Most hated ennemy group and why?
Almost all my characters are squishies. Carnies and Malta are not fun.
According to you, which zone or group of zones could use a revamp?
Grandville, other than the ferry and the GV tower there are very places that
are safe. And the zone is a nightmare for any Super speeder.
How do you keep yourself hooked to this game even though have you done the
content several times over and over again?
I enjoy hanging out with friends that I have made here.
Which character do you consider your namesake or favorite?
My mastermind Dread Shinobi 3rd toon and first 50. He's my main badger at
486/516 and gave the rest of my shinobi toons their name.
That's a lot of badges. How would you describe your playstyle?
I like experiencing all parts of the game.
I heard that you spent like 900 millions on a build for a fortunata, so
what's your opinion on CoX PvP? Do you think a casual gamer would be able to
perform well versus all those purpled out toons?
(laugh) who told you that? If you really want to do PvP at this point you need
the IOs. Purples aren't necessary but some form of IO build. Only exception
being zone PvP. At this point being able to keep pace with other PvPers
requires IOs.
According to you, what could improve PvP in this game?
There are various tweaks here and there, I'm looking at you map selection. And
some balancing that needs to be done in a few areas. I also feel there needs to
be more reward for PvPing.
There's three kind of players : roleplayers, addicts(loot, PvP and badges)
and the casual gamer. Which one are you?
umm the addict.
On the Player Auction, you have been sold for 50 millions. Do you think
that its your in-game exploits, your reputation (PvP/PvE) or your ability to
create drama on the forums that got you this amount?
Forum drama 0.o I have jsut recently taken interest in posting on the forums as
another aspect of the game to experience. I'm a regular BMTer so a lot of
people know me.
If you had one piece of advice to give others about this game, what would it
be?
It's just a game. Don't take it too seriously. Just make sure you're having
fun.
Any final words for our readers?
Not really. Just hope they find it interesting to read.
-
As you probably seen from last week my idea of helping you folks come up with
ideas for recipes.
Quick recap incase you missed it.
Like chicken but tired of the same dish over and over?
Let me help out by experementing in my kitchen and see what I can come up with!
Pm me and let me know what you need help with!
I'll PM you back with the recipe I have decided to go with, and it will get
publish'd in the scoop!
I'll pick 2 each week and the ones that where not in the scoop that week will
go into the scoop the following week!
I'll be putting them though in the order they come in!
This week my first reply comes from War Witch
War Witch is into trying new things period, but she wants simple recipes, which
can be done!
Though sounds like she really adores her pot roast and gravy.
I am going to stick with a beef theme on this one, but a little bit diffrent.
BBQ'd Beef
INGREDIENTS
3lbs boneless chuck roast
1 1/2 cups of ketchup
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of Dijon-Style mustard
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
Sandwich buns of your choice
DIRECTIONS
Place roast into your slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients into a large
bowl. Pour BBQ sauce mixture over the roast. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours
or 4-5 hours on High. Remove roast from slow cooker; shred meat with fork.
Place shredded meat back into the slow cooker. Stir meat to evenly coat with
sauce. Spoon meat onto sandwich buns and top with additional BBQ sauce if you
wish.
This makes 12 servings and great for leftovers.
Also great to have simmer all day while you are at work.
Great sides include coleslaw or potato salad.
Let's see what I can whip up for dessert now.
War Witch's fav is chocolate, what girl don't like chocolate.
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Sift together the
flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the
chocolate chips. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 9 minutes in the preheated oven. Cookies will be soft. Cool slightly
on cookie sheet; remove from sheet onto wire rack to cool completely.
I hope that helps War Witch!
Hope that helps and thats it for this week!
See you next week with some more ideas!
Mistress Noire
Ps, I just got this the day before submissions where due, I can't leave this
out, looks to yummy! Thanks to
South
Cap au Diable Jumble
You can do this in a regular pot, but a Charleston Rice Steamer is the perfect
pot for this. You can find them online. The advantage of a rice steamer is that
you can not overcook the rice. Otherwise, you're going to have to check on it
from time to time. This is a fast variation of Louisiana Jambalaya (which is
lots better, but takes longer)
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup uncooked rice per person
As much protein as you like per person. This sould be cooked, unless its
seafood or eggplant. Cut into tasty bite sized morsels.
1/2 cup stock per person, reserved. You can subsitutute water 1 for 1 if you do
not have stock.
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 onion, diced and sweated
1 chopped bell pepper (I prefer red because it contrasts with the green celery)
Anything that seems tasty (habaneros work really well)
DIRECTIONS
1. Boil the water in the bottom of the steamer. Salt this water (a pinch will
do)
2. Cut the protein into tasty bite sized chunks. The protein can be any mixture
of eggplant, shrimp, sausage, cooked chicken, really any meat or meat
substitute that remains coherent. I prefer seafood or sausage as that keeps the
pans down to a minimum.
3. Once the water is boiling add 1/2 cup rice + 1/2 cup stock for each person
to the steam basket (the top bit).
4. Into the same basket add the protein, chopped celery, onion and bell pepper
to taste, chopped garlic, and whatever herbs and peppers you think enhance
flavour. If I'm cooking seafood, I usually add a pinch of Bay's for example. Go
crazy with herbs! Okra is primo in this.
5. Put the basket on top of the pot of boiling water. Cover.
6. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Set a timer for 30 minutes or more.
7. Walk away and neglect the pot until the timer goes off.
8. Serve and enjoy!
Gourmet cuisine it ain't. And it isn't authentic creole either (they don't seem
to use rice steamers). But it is really good one pot cooking.
Today's ingredients were:
Two thin sausages (bought on sale), 2/3 cups rice (I really like rice), 2/3's
cup beef stock, remnants of an onion (chopped), 1 small bell pepper, 1 stalk
celery (all we had), pepper, scant pinch of salt, basil and herbs fine.
-
Market Watch
A View on Blue
A Random Walk in Wentworth's
People are often surprised by the fluctuations in price we see in the market.
Actually, "surprised" is too weak a word. People are often dismayed, even
outraged, by the fact that prices go up and down. The only possible
explanation, they insist, is that some horrible monster is deliberately
manipulating the market for their own evil ends! It is certainly true that
other players use the market, and that prices can change based on how other
players use (or abuse) the market, but one should not underestimate the impact
sheer random chance can have on prices. Let's do a little experiment.
Imagine that we only have one item on the market, and that the number of people
trying to sell the item is exactly the same as the number of people who want to
buy the item. We'll even imagine that they all agree on a fair price for this
item: 1,000 inf. What would you expect to see? All the buyers will bid 1,000
inf, and all the sellers will list for 1,000 inf, and everyone will get what
they want and be happy? Maybe. Maybe not. Just to make things interesting,
let's put in one little wrinkle: suppose that the order in which those buyers
and sellers arrive at the market is random.
We can simulate this by flipping a coin - heads means that a buyer shows up,
tails is a seller. Go ahead, flip a coin a few times. I'll wait.
10 flips
Trial
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Results
1
2
2
3
3
3
2
3
2
3
How did it go? A couple of heads, a couple of tails, maybe a few heads in a row?
Sometimes they alternate perfectly, but if you keep flipping that coin, you are
bound to have streaks once in a while. I just flipped a coin ten times in a row
(okay, I cheated, I made my computer do it for me). I recorded the longest
streak of consecutive heads. I did that ten times in a row. Here are the
results:
What do you think happens when three buyers in a row hit the market? Even if
everyone, buyers and sellers, all agree that 1,000 inf is a fair price for this
item, and all the buyers know that they will get their item at that price
eventually, don't you think some of them might get impatient? After all, if the
last guy to the market bids just one extra inf, he can get the next item to
arrive, leapfrogging over the other guys in front of him. It must be a tiny bit
tempting.
100 Flips
Trial
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Results
8
0
10
15
0
1
1
6
6
2
What if we flip the virtual coin 100 times? And to make it a little more
realistic, let's look at the highest mismatch between buyers and sellers.
Remember, if five buyers show up in a row, and then one seller, and then five
more buyers, we will have nine people waiting in line for their turn to buy.
Taking that into account, what is the longest line of buyers we see after
flipping a coin 100 times? I'll do that ten times and see what happens.
Now the line is getting a little bit longer. I think it's reasonable to suppose
that this item of ours drops about once per minute. There are 1,440 minutes per
day. I'll set my little coin-flipping program to produce 1,440 heads and 1,440
tails, so we get the exact same number of buyers and sellers over the course of
the day. The order in which they arrive will still be random. Now how long do
the buyers have to stand in line?
Longest lines
Trial
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Results
59
8
42
101
22
54
74
13
2
35
Those are some long lines! The sellers have the same problem, of course.
Sometimes there will be a long line of sellers waiting to sell, and no buyers
in sight. Maybe they will all just stand there patiently, waiting as long as
necessary to make their deal, stubbornly sticking to the agreed upon price. Or
maybe not?
Any seller who drops the price of their item by just a little bit will be able
to sell their item more quickly and get back to doing other things. Any buyer
who raises their bid by just a little bit will be able to buy their item more
quickly and get back to doing other things. I'll tweak my program a little bit,
so buyers will offer more if there is a line of buyers already waiting, and
sellers will discount their items if there is already a line of sellers. How
big should the steps be?
It has been my experience that people make bigger steps, in absolute influence,
with bigger purchases, but that the steps actually get smaller in terms of a
percentage of the price. If an items normally costs 250 inf, but offering that
amount doesn't get you the item, people will often jump up to 500 inf. That's a
100% increase, but only an extra 250 inf. If an item normally goes for 4
million inf, someone bid creeping upwards might try 3.5 million. That's a jump
of 500,000 inf, but only 12.5%.
Our item normally goes for 1,000 inf, so let's try a 25% jump. That's probably
conservative. If a buyer sees another buyer ahead of him, he'll bid 1,250
instead of 1,000 inf. If a seller sees another item for sale, he'll list his
for 750 instead of 1,000 inf. How does that affect things? I'll run ten trials,
and we'll look at the range of resulting prices.
Trial
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Range
-3,250
to
15,250
-10,750
to
8,750
-10,000
to
11,750
-15250
to
12000
-3750
to
11000
750
to
18000
-11250
to
7250
-750
to
15500
-1250
to
13250
-1250
to
13500
Wow! From a starting price of 1,000, we get ranges of ten or twenty thousand
influence. Of course, the sale price couldn't really be negative. I could have
put a lower bound in there, but I think it's interesting to see just how much
downward pressure there can be on the price.
If we wanted a more accurate model, we'd need to take into account the fact that
people resist raising or lowering their prices beyond what they consider a fair
amount. Feelings like that would tend to dampen the price swings.
On the other hand, in this example, the prices always started and ended at 1,000
inf, and the exact same number of buyers and sellers arrived over the course of
the trial. The only difference from one run to the next was the order in which
those buyers and sellers showed up. With that one little bit of randomness in
the mix, look how far the prices jumped around! In our market in the game,
there is no guarantee that the number of buyers and sellers will be at all
balanced from one day to the next.
I know it's not a perfect model of the market, but I hope this example is close
enough to illustrate two important ideas. First, fluctuating prices are not
proof of market manipulation. Second, patience pays. Prices go both up and
down. If you don't like the prices you see at one moment, put in a price you
like better. As long as the price you want is within the range of prices that
item hits, you'll get the deal you want. All you need is a little patience.
-
The
Redeemers
Garm couldnt stop laughing as they arrived in Brickstown. The look on
Mortiganens face was absolutely priceless before the magic in the teleporter
fired up and they zipped away and tumbled into the stone-and-mortar city.
However, when he looked at his communicators map to see how much distance they
had to travel to the first pack of Redeemers to rescue, he cursed. They werent
able to requisition McBains van for this trip, and the big guy had, in fact,
turned down coming.
Willy hears ya, he grunted with his head under the hood after the Caliban
kicked him in the leg after asking for the third time, Willy dont care.
Which had prompted the use of the teleporter in the first place. The trolls
didnt care much for the only ones they had set up, stylized magic rings with
hovering stones inscribed with runes. They distrusted magic, even though most
people thought they were produced through mystical means. However, as the
mystical versions were the only ones available, and Garm had already pointed
out that leaping from their warehouse in Skyway City all the way to Brickstown
would be a serious pain in his ankles, that was what they had to do. They also
had to do it fast, before Mortiganen stopped them.
I dont see this being much easier, he grunted as he limbered up, At least I
didnt have to jump over to the train station.
Times wastin, G, Doug got a running start and jumped into the distance, I
always hated this part!
It wasnt the jump that bothered them. Their legs had enough muscle density to
propel them almost as far as a lot of the better-known heroes in the city.
However, landing was usually painfully difficult. Heroes had training when it
came to how to properly leap across long distances. Trolls, and a lot of the
criminals in the city, often had to go through a crash course.
And crash is what Doug did. Hed miscalculated in his jump and wound up banking
off the ledge of an apartment building. There was a loud curse that echoed
through the alley he landed in, but shortly thereafter, he was back with the
rest of the group. Doug fared slightly better, but he still winced every time
he landed from the pain in his ankles or he would land awkwardly and tumble
across the roof before righting himself and pushing on.
This went on for nearly a mile before they finally arrived at the first base
where their compatriots were pinned down. Taking a breather outside, they could
hear the sounds of fighting just inside the door. It sounded like a lot of loud
metal crashing together.
Fantastic, Genji sighed, Freaks. Im starting to wish Briggs came with us.
It wasnt the first time Mider Caid wished he was back behind his M.A.G.I. desk,
and it wouldnt be the last. The cell had been empty and his crew took the
opportunity to root through everything for any evidence theyd need to make
their arrests stick. However, what they hadnt counted on was the sudden
arrival of the cybernetic monstrosities, complete with a full complement of
Tank-types and their Tank Swiper leader, simply named Blender.
The freaks caught them split apart, and the first one to find them was the
teams scrapper, who happened to be a former Freak named Johnny Slag. While he
was no longer a Freak, he was a regenerating cyborg, and his refined combat
prosthetics enabled him to still stand up to his former associates for a few
minutes.
Unfortunately, those few minutes didnt help as much as necessary. The former
rogues werent used to working with each other, and they rapidly fell apart.
The wizard tried to rally them together, but they distrusted him even more than
the others.
The former Tsoo ninjas, the Strik brothers, ducked into their own little corner
early on. Hiding behind some machinery, they were able to create a bottleneck
effect that allowed them to face two or three of the smaller Freaks at once and
kept the larger Tank Freaks at bay. Mider worked his way to them, followed by a
former Skull named Somber. Somber, despite having run with such a nefarious
crowd, was a surprisingly timid young man. Caid could only surmise that the
other magician had learned of a terrible price for wielding his dark arts, and
preferred to fight with just his two hands if he could.
The rest of the crew, an Outcast named Crag, a Hellion named Cinder and a
plant-like heroine named Olive wound up tread underfoot as the Freaks pressed
their advantage. They werent dead, as their MedCom beacons were still
registering their connection to the grid, but they werent in good shape,
either.
Pinned down behind the machinery, Mider tried to regroup the remains of his
crew. He was terrified, and he didnt know if the distress signal hed sent had
made it to the Redeemers base. However, they still had to try to get through
this.
Alright, now listen! he hissed, I told you guys to follow my lead, and you
balked! Now look where its gotten us?
A staccato of gunfire and a hail of bullets against the machinery punctuated his
statement. The Freaks were toying with them, now.
Well, gracious leader, Danny Strik rasped, What do you suggest? Theyve got
the guns, theyve got the numbers, and theyve got-
Weve got your woman! Blender shouted, lifting a clenched claw that held Olive
by her arm in a painful, pinching grip, And unless you come out from behind
there, were going to see just how far we can push these nifty little MedCom
devices! I bet we could pluck all this green girls limbs off before she
finally croaks!
And with that, Mider had a plan. It wasnt a very good plan, but it was
something. It gave them an opening, it gave them a surprise, and it gave them a
momentary edge. Muttering an incantation, he walked around the machinery,
grunting a few words as bullets tagged him, but he kept his focus. He could
hear Olive groaning as she fought against the pain in her arm and it caused him
to shrug off the Swiper that came too close. He walked up to Blender and placed
his hand against Olives ankle.
Boom, he rasped before fire enveloped them all.
-
Community
Writers Block
Im baaaaaack! Mwahahahah! Ha ha heh hah *cough*. Well that was awkward wasnt
it? Apparently I didnt have my ideas in order for this segment. Perhaps I
needed some sort of OUTLINE? Hmm? See where Im going with this? You dont see
where Im going with this. Ok, Ok let me tell you then. This week we are going
to discuss outlines! See how I worked that in with the start there? If you
dont see that then you need to read more carefully and I can only help you so
much. As I was saying, outlines are important when youre trying to get all
those ideas that are floating around in your head, together. Im sure many of
you remember doing outlines for essays back in the day when you were in school
and some of you are still doing them now, like me. However, I want to go over
the benefits of outlines real quickly this week and give a few examples and
show how they can be useful.
Okey dokey, an outline is what exactly? Basically it can be many types of
things, but the basic format is usually as follows:
I.Beginning
A.Details
B.Details
II.Middle
A. Details blah blah blah
Got the gist? Now the beginning can take up as much space as you want. It can
be paragraphs, it can be paraphrased, it can be anything. The details, however,
are the most important part, yeah? Make sure you incorporate what you want in
there. For example, say you want a fight to happen and your hero to get
injured. For the Roman numeral marked bit, you would put something like, Jane
Doe answers call to help civilians, gets in fight with Hellions, and in
details you may put Gets shot in her leg, limps from here on out in story. I
guess the main point of the details is to put down the things that will enhance
the plot and move it along, as well as any bits of characterization you want to
do and descriptions of setting and tone. I will be talking about all of those
separately in different segments so read more Writers Block to hear about
those.
Now, many of you are probably rolling your eyes and saying, Oh man, yakkity,
yakkity, yak! Get to the point of this segment! This is easy stuff. The reason
Im taking the time to do this segment on a subject that is labeled
elementary, is because it can very likely be the most overlooked.
Fundamentals of writing can help you in the most astounding ways. Look at
professional athletes or people who have regular jobs. They all have to brush
up their passing skills in basketball or their physics to keep themselves sharp
and producing quality work.
The first description is of the most rudimentary type of outline you can see
which may help you left-brained people and you organized people out there. The
outlines can also enter the realm of the free-formed, which may be called
brainstorms. These are just as effective as the outlines yet a little messy:
John Doe decides to rob bank, goes to bank in Port Oakes? Cap Au? Atlas? Steel?
Walks in wearing costume? Street clothes? Goes to teller and demands money
using his (insert random villainous weapon here), teller agrees and presses
silent alarm, starts to get money when Longbow breaks in, shoot at him?
threaten him? tackle him? etc. etc. etc .
Now try and pick out what would go in each section in a more structured
outline, like the one first mentioned. Johnny Boy deciding to go to the bank
would be the Roman numeral section. Everything up to Longbow busting in on his
party, in my mind, would go in the details section. I prefer this type of
outlining, because I feel I can get my ideas down faster, but boy is it
squished and unorganized! This would then support the earlier outline for an
easy to read, and simple to follow structure.
Lets go back in time and look at what we have at this point, two types of
outlines for two basic generalizations of writers. The first outline can be
seen to have some very structured qualities but can take up a lot of space and
time, while the other is quicker but harder to read and a little messy. Now,
Im not trying to tell you to pick one of these two, Im merely suggesting a
compromise. Look at the two basic methods and see which aspects you like about
each one and create your own outline that works for you. This was a little
technical, or as technical as I can get I think, for a Writers Block, but like
I said, going back to the basics never hurt anyone. It will help you see where
your strengths are and where your weaknesses are, such as inconsistencies or
confusion about your own story. Ironing these out in an outline will make your
fan fic seem more professional if you know what you are saying and how you want
to say it. Dont get me wrong, writing on the fly works for some people, but
there are those out there who just need to organize their troops before
assaulting the castle right? Thanks again for taking the time to read, and I
hope this helps you crazy kids with yer writin and yer imaginin.
Fan Fiction Spotlight
Blue
Line
by Aliana Blue
Dawn had just come, and everything was quiet inside the Aurora women's prison.
It would still be one hour until the wake up call, but inside cell block C
Aliana was sitting on her bed, waiting and thinking. Three years had passed,
today would be her last day, and yet no one but her could say why exactly she
had been locked up. She didn't like to talk about it, and everyone soon learned
not to ask.
It was rather curious how a small, 5'4" woman could command such respect. She
was rather quiet and reserved, yet she was very peppery if aroused. After the
first few weeks of solitary confinement, earned at the expense of the
self-proclaimed toughest of the tough, the rest of the women kept a respectful
distance from her. She was short, slender but fit, her muscular frame visibly
solid. Blue eyes, a small gentle nose and thin lips on an oval face, framed by
black smooth hair cut to under her ear's length.
On the table was a small box with the few belongings she had gotten inside the
prison's limits. A diary. A rather beaten picture of two youngsters, a small
girl much like herself and a cheery boy a head taller than the girl, with the
same green eyes and blue-shaded black hair. Three books, all on biochemistry
and molecular biology. A tin box with childish, colourful designs, with pens
and pencils.
That was all she had, and all she wanted. Whatever was in her possession before
her imprisonment, she didn't much care.
Once again, we're presented with a work of fiction that deals with the
character's reaction to the events within the game. Aliana Blue is tasked with
finding a particular missing person, and this inadvertently leads her to facing
down the Countess Crey herself.
It's not a terrible read, and it does have some interesting moments that relate
to why Blue might have a personal vendetta against the multinational
corporation as well as her own history as a hero. It's fairly straightforward
except for one unusual deviation from most stories. Here, the main character is
actually investigating the situation.
Normally, comics and superhero stories are all about the action scenes, but
Aliana actually delves into the backstory and clues of the arc, even going so
far as to make a dialogue between her character and Janet Kellum. The story
becomes more complete through this, and is a much more satisfying read.
Now, there is a spoiler warning to be had. A lot of the text in this is lifted
from the game arc and placed within the story. Anything relating to clues or
dialogue between the game characters and the hero is mostly the same as you
find it in-game. However, I suppose that can be forgiven, considering it's an
interpretation of one character's experiences through that arc. So, if you
haven't done the Janet Kellum arc, yet, and want to be surprised, I would have
to recommend you avoid this story. However, if spoilers aren't a problem for
you, I recommend this read.
-
Don't Look Back In Anger
Hey persons of indeterminate gender, I'm back and ready to rock. It goes unsaid
that you should take a week long break after getting out of the joint through
possibly illicit means. Or that's what my lawyer says. But here's one thing I
realized in prison: how many enemy groups have we all gone toe-to-toe with?
Skulls, Trolls, Luddites, Arachnos, Longbow, Hellions, Carnies, Rikti, Council,
you see these folks everywhere you turn. And they're so common now. So here's
what I want to do: go over the five most obscure villain groups. Because even
the smallest cogs make the machine go, and I want you all to break the machine.
Loyalists: Most of the time, we've never met these chaps. It's incredibly hard
to after all, seeing as how they're all dead. They're an angry mob of faithful
citizens loyal to Marchand. And as such, they must be destroyed. Now I'm not
advocating beating up the general populace for the good of the future of
Arachnos, and I'm CERTAINLY not saying it's fun to go back in time and
assassinate Marchand over and over and over again. Well, maybe the latter. The
point is that some things are lost in time, and justifiably so.
Spetsnaz: I'm gonna let you look for that on the internet. Seriously, if you
don't know, go ahead. I can wait. Ayup. Oh, some of you are still here. Wanna
chat? You see that movie yet? The one with the rock star and the talking
hovercraft? I thought it wa-shh, the others are back! Right, the good ol'
Russkies. And I'm of the opinion that battles can transcend national
borders.......okay, I don't know what I'm talking about. They're Russians, and
you only see them a few times if you hang out with the wrong Russians. The ones
with the mutants? No, not Boris. Pay attention.
The Crazed: Yes, I'm showing the Heroes a little love. They're the
interdimensional equivilant of our Mutant Hunting Comrades. But they only
appear in ONE MISSION. An entire enemy group for one mission. I mean, the
Spetsnaz were like the enemies in a miniseries but this is like some pathetic
organization that gets lost after the pilot. They're like the Red-Shirts of
dimensional travel. Armed with the supplies of a small caliber gun store and a
hardware store, I can sum them up as a poor man's Hellion. Except crazed. Oooh,
what're you gonna do, chase me throught the streets of London while frothing at
the mouth? Hold on, let me write that one down.
The Civic Squad: Okay, here's another head-shaker. Who are the Civic Squad?
Literally a bunch of do-gooders devoted to the most inane civic duties, like
providing food to the needy. Don't most of you heroes do that already in your
spare time? And somehow they incur the wrath of the most evil person alive in
Grandville,: Westin Phipps. I'm not kidding. I refuse to work for him. I break
bones, he hits orphans with their own sick puppies. There's only nine of them.
And you face, like, eight of them if you bring more people with you. And then
that's it. game over, out of freaking commision in one fight. Like Crazed with
powers. Whatever. Go back to the soup kitchen.
The Prisoners: Yes, yet another group I love to hate. And you all thought I'd
pick on the Infected again, eh? No, they already have their trophy of shame. I
don't like kicking homeless scum junkies when they're down. So the Prisoners.
Only encountered around the Zig if you feel like getting close, they're by far
one of the most insignificant bunch of morons out there. It's like visiting
your parents in the home for the elderly; you only see them if you WANT to see
them. What, thought I was gonna make a joke about punching someone's grandma?
Hostile don't play that.
So there they are, the five most forgettable enemies to ever possibly cross your
path. Some heroes will see them, some villains will see them. But in the long
run, I don't really care. Fire at will. I'm gonna go check my mail. See you
next week, and don't forget to send me hate mail!
Phil's Philosophical Meanderings
Player Types (part 2 of 2)
In this article, we will continue our discussion of the "types" of players, and
why we play this game that we love so much.
* 50 Elite Group - Why sit there at the lower levels, when you can have a huge
stable of high level heroes! Much like the Badgers, these players like to have
a big collection - the difference being that they collect level 50 characters,
from every AT/Build combination out there! These players won't be happy until
they have every slot on every server filled with a level 50. Fun for them is
bragging to everyone around about their accomplishments in getting more 50s
than anyone!
* Game Breakers - Best epitomized by the player coalition known as the Repeat
Offenders, this group of players lives to test the limits of the game engine,
and to try to find ways to "break" the game. Whether it's with superteams of 8
of the same build, playing on the latest patch on the test server, or trying to
find that elusive programming glitch or advantageous quirk that no one else has
ever found, nothing makes these players happier than bending and stretching the
game's engine to the limit. Fun for them is hearing someone say something's
impossible, and proving it possible.
* Optimizers - Trying to "perfect" their character, make them the strongest
individual character in the game. These players are often times also Achievers,
but not necessarily. An optimizer is defined by extremes. He wants the MOST
damage, the MOST accuracy, the best recharge, recovery, and regeneration. Any
stat that exists, any way to boost their own personal abilities, they will do
it. These people love the new invention systems especially the rare purple
sets, for they give them the ability to boost their characters to levels that
haven't been seen since ED and the GDN! Fun for them is having the highest
stats that anyone has ever seen on a character.
* RPers - Role-Players concentrate on using the game world as their own
environment to tell the stories that they've been eager to test. Future
playwrights, or movie directors perhaps? Former or current paper and pen
roleplayers? They may be either or both, but something tells me that this group
will probably be the one to make the most out of the upcoming Mission Architect
feature. Fun for them is telling an epic story, and having an audience to
appreciate it.
* Readers - Speaking of audiences, Readers love to play through missions to
learn the "story" of Paragon City or the Rogue Isles. They read EVERYTHING, the
mission text, the clues and souvenirs, the plaques spread throughout the city.
If it's got a story to it, they're there. Collecting the arcane lore of the
game and storing it in their little noggins is what makes this game fun for
Readers. They, more than almost anyone else, just can't wait for the next
"content" Issue to come out.
* Griefers - Existing just to irritate other players, griefers are the second
most difficult group to categorize. Frankly, this "dark" side of MMO human
nature is a part of all of us. Is there any one among us who HASN'T done
something nasty to someone else in the game? Few people are complete devils,
and fewer still are complete saints. The griefer exists in each of us, but
there are some individuals who go out of their way to cause distress and misery
to others. These persons get their fun by making sure that you're not having
any!
* Casual Players - Hardest to classify, hardest to define. Are there very few
casual players, or are all of us casual? What IS casual exactly? Perhaps that
is a whole different article to write. I will say this however, as with
griefers, all of us are somewhat casual in the way we play. This arises as a
result of the game's design itself. Unlike in other MMOs, we don't have to
spend days or even hours crafting, learning "skills", or taking down monsters.
We can do most of these things instantaneously. This game was designed to be
fast, easy, and approachable at the most simple of levels, while still having a
world of depth under the hood. As a result, it's drawn players from all
demographics, not just the "comics geeks".
Who are the casual players? Really, all of us. If we weren't casual players,
we'd be playing another game.
So, which categories do you fall in? Do you see any that I've missed? Do you
have another reason why you play that I haven't mentioned in these last two
articles? What IS "fun" for you? Send me a PM, and your response may possibly
be in a future article...
-
The City Scoop
Under the Hood
Broadsword Attack Chains
This is another article in a series about game mechanics. Today I'll be doing a
case study on Broadsword Scrapper attack chains. The things I do here can be
applied to any power set.
The first step is to find out the DPSA (Damage Per Second of Activation) for all
of the Broadsword attacks. The table below lists average Damage at level 50
after taking into account criticals. Activate is what the game tells you is the
activation time, but it's Really a bit higher as I mentioned in my last
article. I'll ignore Confront as it isn't a damage oriented power.
Power
Damage
Activate
Really
DPSA
SO
Recharge
%
Set
Recharge
%
$$$
Recharge
%
Hack
107.73
1.33
1.58
68.18
6.00
21
4.13
28
2.33
40
Slash
65.69
1.33
1.58
41.57
3.00
35
2.06
43
1.16
58
Slice
80.80
2.00
2.24
36.07
6.00
27
4.13
35
2.33
49
Parry
55.18
1.33
1.58
34.92
2.25
41
1.55
50
0.87
64
Whirling
Sword
84.47
2.67
2.90
29.13
10.50
22
7.22
29
4.07
42
Disembowel
128.75
1.80
1.98
65.03
7.50
21
5.16
28
2.91
40
Head
Splitter
187.06
2.33
2.51
74.53
10.50
19
7.22
26
4.07
38
In the table above, "SO Recharge" means slotting a single Recharge Reduction SO
(33.3%) along with the usual 1 Accuracy, 3 Damage, and 1 END Reduction SO. "Set
Recharge" means using IO sets (maybe Crushing Impacts) for 68.9% Recharge
Reduction in each power, plus 25% global from IO set bonuses. "$$$ Recharge"
means the same as above except 175% in global Recharge Reduction from IO sets
(including many ultra-rare purples), and perma-Hasten.
The % numbers match up with the Recharge values, and they represent what
percentage of an attack chain an attack can use. They are calculated as
Really/(Really+Recharge), and they measure how much of an attack cycle (attack
then recharge) is spent in the attack. A full attack chain requires powers with
a total of at least 100%, but usually needs somewhat higher (130-150%) as you
can't schedule powers to always go off exactly when they recharge. Broadsword
usually requires more because the long activation and recharge of some powers
really throws off the cycle.
As you can see in the table above, Hack is good while Slash is bad.
Unfortunately, Slash is a necessary evil to fill your attack chain till you can
get enough Recharge Reduction. Slice (Melee Cone) is only worthwhile if you hit
2 people, while Whirling Sword needs to hit 3. Broadsword is obviously not an
AoE set, so I'll concentrate on single target attacks. All of the following
ignores Slice and Whirling Sword, but includes Head Splitter which is very
effective as a single target attack.
Let's start with the "SO Recharge" build. Use the chain: Head Splitter, Hack,
Parry, Slash, Disembowel, Parry, Hack, Slash, Parry. This is pretty close to
the "whatever is recharged" method. The total for all single target attacks is
137% of the attack chain, which means we can't be all that picky. This chain
takes 15.55 seconds and does about 1614 damage after taking into account damage
slotting, for a grand total of 104 DPSA. You also get a Parry about every 5
seconds.
The "Set Recharge" build works out a lot better. Use the chain: Head Splitter,
Parry, Hack, Parry, Disembowel, Parry, Hack. Notice that Slash is completely
gone, and the total of the remaining attacks is 196%. Parry is still needed to
fill out the chain. This chain does 1358 damage in 12.39 seconds, or 110 DPSA.
That's only slightly better, but you can improve it by slotting damage procs
like Mako's Bite: Chance for Lethal Damage. If you slot a proc in each attack,
that's 7 times a 20% chance for 71.8 damage (average 100.52 damage), so you can
get up to 118 DPSA. This chain gets a Parry about every 4 seconds.
The "$$$ Recharge" build skips Parrying completely with the chain: Hack, Head
Splitter, Hack, Disembowel, pause 0.35 seconds. Those three powers take up only
118% of the attack chain, but we can fit them together well. It does about 1036
damage in 7.65 seconds, or 135 DPSA! Add purple procs (33% chance for 107.7
damage) to Hack and Headsplitter, plus a regular proc in every power, and the
total is about 157 DPSA. That's about 51% better than the SO based build. And
there's a pretty good chance that a Broadsword Scrapper loaded with purples and
other expensive IOs can survive without parrying constantly.
Slotting set IOs gives you three benefits. You can get higher total Enhancement
bonuses by slotting set IOs. You can thus afford to use one or more of your 6
precious slots for damage proc IOs. And you can get set IO bonuses such as
global Recharge Reduction. The DPSA increases in the second two builds are due
to both attack chain optimization (thanks to higher Recharge Reduction) and the
used of damage proc IOs. Both factors are significant.
Purple damage procs are especially nice at increasing DPSA. Most ATs are limited
to about 2 purple damage procs in their attack chain because purples are
unique. Broadsword Scrappers can use purple PBAoE and Melee Damage IO sets. But
it may be worthwhile to look at Epic or Patron Power Pools to see if they have
any decent powers worth adding to the chain. Dark Blast in the Scrapper epic
Darkness Mastery has a 52.66 DPSA, and it can slot Ranged Attack purple set IOs
that only Claws and Spines Scrappers can normally use.
So in summary, Hack is good while Slash is bad. A highly twinked
Broadsword Scrapper can do about 50% more damage than one slotted with SOs.
They also have a WHOLE lot more room in their build, as they can skip
underperforming attack powers.
Vol. 2, Issue 17
October 3rd, 2008
This Issue:
Don't Look Back in Anger
Phil's Philosophical Meanderings
Writers Block
Fan Fiction Spotlight
The Redeemers
Upcoming Events:
October Weekends
Champion
Shardtober
'08
October 4th
Vitue
Return
of the Giant Giant-Monster Hunt!
October 5th
Vitue
Fluffernutter's
Veggie-bananza!
October 10th
Vitue
Blood
Artists Swimsuit event!
October 12th
Vitue
Puppy
Appreciation party
-
The second post with the issues as of October 1st has been updated.
Thank you to all involved.
Regards,
Ex -
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Now I want to go really really bad!!!! Still can't, but I wanna!
Will somebody make a video of her making a video?
[/ QUOTE ]
John said I should record myself doing the workshop and put it up on YouTube. Problem is, no videocamera.
Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite
[/ QUOTE ]
Let me see what I can drum up for this.
Ex -
Roster marked to save, please let me know when you enter the ladder.
Regards,
Ex -
Roster marked to save, please let me know when you enter the ladder.
Regards,
Ex -
Roster marked to save, please let me know when you are ready to enter the ladder.
Ex -
Guide list has been updated, thank you Nericus.
Regards,
Ex -
Have you ever wanted to walk the cat walk for real?
Are Atlas Park costume contests one of your favorite things in City of Heroes?
Well we are rolling out the red carpet and offering up fabulous prizes in the following categories for those of you brave enough to strut your stuff at Hero-Con on Saturday October 18th, 2008!
- [*]Best Hero[*]Best Villain[*]Best Female[*]Best Male[*]Scariest[*]Funniest[*]Best Copy Cat (homage)[/list]The winners of each of those categories will be entered to win for the Best Overall Costume. We have a truckload of fabulous prizes for the competition and players will have the chance to win in their category as well as the Overall Prize.
Prizes range from Ideazon zboards, Ideazon Banshee Head Set, Ipod Nano, and other great stuff!
Registration for the contest will take place from 8:00 PM PST- 8:45 PM PST. All entrants must be Hero-Con 08 Registered Attendees. Registration will be set so that each entrant can enter the competition for one preliminary category and if they are selected as the winner they will automatically be in the final competition. Contest entrants will walk down the catwalk in front of the audience then have 30 seconds to show off their moves in front of our panel of celebrity judges. We are sorry but no weapons will be allowed in the competition. Props will need to be pre-approved at registration.
Who are the celebrities that will be judging?
The lovely and talented Melissa "War Witch" Bianco.
Melissa is a Senior Designer on City of Heroes and has been working in the industry for the past 5 years. In her spare time she has dedicated herself to other creative efforts like making a feature length movie and her most recent accomplishment of writing and publishing her first novel. If you haven't ever had the opportunity of meeting Melissa you are in for a real treat. Find out more about her on her website: Official Melissa Bianco Page or pick up a copy of her book [u]Real Life.[u] For those of you in the contest, this is your Paula so breathe easy.
Season two "Who Wants to be a Super Hero" winner Jarrett "The Defuser" Crippen.
Jarrett is a native of Austin Texas and an avid fan of City of Heroes. A self proclaimed comic book geek Jarrett's collection and interest in the genre lead to him auditioning for the 2007 season of "Who Wants to be a Super Hero" a reality tv show on the Sci Fi channel. After winning the competition last September Jarrett has been able to sport his spandex all over the country. He is currently raising awareness and funds for a non-profit charity he started with his wife Norma. If you want to learn more about this charity, check out the Scare for a Cure Website!
His Royal Sexiness -- Sexy "JLove" Jay
The man who brings the costume love to City of Heroes will be at Hero-Con judging this costume contest. His sheer awesomeness will be tough to appease so you better shine your sequins and polish your buttons. Jay has a stellar eye and nothing but tough love, so dress to impress!
Three Kings of "City of Heroes!"
From left to right Chris "Back Alley Brawler" Bruce, CW "Pohsyb" Bennett & Alex "Lighthouse" von Minden
These handsome hunks keep the cogs and gears grinding behind the curtain of City of Heroes. CW is in your code making it qualify. Chris is animating all things action. And our very own Lighthouse is keeping watch over the rocky cliffs. You don't find better guys than these, and sorry gals each one of them has a queen.
We are looking forward to a fun filled, action packed, hair raising experience so join me, your host Ex Libris for an evening of entertainment starting with our Hero-Con Costume Contest.
If you haven't registered for Hero-Con '08 don't wait, get your tickets now and lock in on the fun.
Join the Community Discussion!
Regards,
Ex Libris -
Hey Gang,
I'm showing the items listed below as live or in progress. Let's keep things moving along so that we are always knowing what your top priorities are as a community.
I can't wait for duel builds and I was stoked to see it roll out with Issue 13.
Regards,
Ex Libris
P.S. please review the list below and submit your new updates as you are ready.
Priority List, as voted on by Members of the Community
4. Villains have no ally grantable source of +perception in Sirens Call. Consider switching the order of clarity and sonic repulsion, adding +per to the /cold shields, or adding it to thaw. This in itself could go a long way towards fixing balance issues. Live with villain storms
General System Suggestions
· A good PvP build can be very different from a good PvE build. Allow players to toggle between builds so they can use the same toon to be good at both PvE and PvP. i13
Power Balance Issues and Suggestions
Many feel that cage suppression or some other mechanic to prevent permacaging should be added. Currently, cage has no specific counters and a single IOd sonic can keep another player intangible for 90% of a match. Some like cage as is, and discussion about it is available here. Priority Issue LIVE
Villains have no access to ally grantable +perception in Sirens. Either switch the order of sonic repulsion and clarity or add it to thaw or the ice shields. Priority Issue LIVE
Hero and villain combat is not balanced, especially in the 40+ game. The most popular suggestion is to open up a set of APP for villains and allow them to respec out of their patron pools to get those. Priority Issue I13 -
Hey Folks,
Viv and Chooch from COH Podcast are giving away PPD Hardsuits in a drawing to take place this weekend.
Stop by cohpodcast.com for details on how to win your Paragon Police Department Hardsuit Costume Power.
The deadline is Midnight, September 27, 2008. Drawing on September 28, 2008.
Regards,
Ex Libris
