Jennifer White

The girl who has a permenant unwanted guest

I was at the bar in Pocket D again. Not doing much else but
cooling my insides with a nice Cranberry Cocktail, made out of Cranberry juice,
Vodka and 7up. I'm a lush, I can't help it. When not beating on the Freedom
Phalanx, there's not much else to do for a gal like me. How DO they come back
from the dead so fast anyway? *sigh* I digress....While sitting at the bar,
sipping my cocktail, a smallish red-headed young lady sits next to me. She
looks of the "Heroic" pursuasion so I try not to give her much note, else I
wind up in the monkey cage for running my mouth. That's the last thing I need
on my rap sheet. Beating up some young kid. Isn't that considered child abuse?

She seems rather polite, asking for a pepsi, without ice. All of a
sudden this deep voice booms from her throat at me "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT???
NEVER SEEN A GIRL ORDER PEPSI BEFORE????" I was kind of shaken, getting ready
to go all atomic blast her butt (Despite neutral ground rules...self defense is
self defense) when she apologized "I'm sorry, that's just my worse-er half
speaking" That statement intregued me, so, I proceeded to ask her a few
questions:

Kahlan
D'Rane: So, what IS your name, and what do you do around here?

Jennifer: I'm Jennifer White and I have to
apologise for my um... friend. WE AREN'T FRIENDS ! Yeah.. okay.. Meet The
Darkness.

Kahlan D'Rane: Why did you pick the Guardian part
of Paragon City anyway?

Jennifer: According to my instructors at "The
Academy", there are several paralell universes and I just happen to be in this
one. Aparently, I probably exist in others, if not all of them, but I've never
met my other selves. THANK THE GREAT EVIL THERE'S ONLY ONE OF YOU HERE ! Quiet
and behave. This is Pocket D. You know the rules. RULES ARE FOR WIMPS ! *sigh*
You see.. being posessed is like having an annoying roomate who won't leave...
ever. THEN MOVE OUT !! This is MY body damn it !!!

Kahlan D'Rane: From the looks of things, you've
been through some tough times...care to talk about it? (jeez, I'm a villain not
a shrink..why oh why..oh yeah parole)

Jennifer: Well, I don't know a lot about when I
was really young. I do know that my parents were members of a "Holier than
thou" religious sect who lived in a compound separated from society. I think
they were "The Followers of Light" or something like that. Aparently, some
hostilities broke out between the members shortly after I was born and the
whole place was burned down to the ground. I was the only one rescued. I've
tried to get more information, but since the group was so "anti-establishment",
they didn't share a lot of reccords and those that were there went up with the
fire. I pretty much spent my early childhood hearing a certain voice that would
tell me to do bad things. So, after several foster homes, I ended up setting
fire to one because the voice had convinced me that my foster parents were out
to kill me. WOULD I MAKE UP SOMETHING LIKE THAT ? Quiet. I'm speaking. That
ended with me locked up in a mental hospital for quite a long time. It wasn't
until the hero Zoraks came into my life that I began to understand what was
going on.

Kahlan D'Rane: Ok it looks like you're supposed
to be in school instead of bringing in the likes of me, why aren't you? what
happened to it?

Jennifer: Nothing happened to the Academy. I
still live there. It used to be a base of operations for a golden age
supergroup called "The Justice Heroes" led by Zoraks himself. After the group
disbanded, Zoraks had noticed the rise in the number of superhuman youth in the
past several years so he had the base revamped as a school for training the
super powered youth who either needed more challenge than what other schools
were offering, or for students who were just to dangerous to put in other
schools. Mr. Zoraks was a hero from another world where magic was a way of
life. I was the first person he detected with his scrying stones and he rescued
me from the hospital. He's delat with stuff like this before back on his world
and knew demonic posession when he saw it. I AM NOT A DEMON ! THOSE GUYS ARE
USELESS, LAZY, COWARDLY, WIMPS ! He's my new foster father and he's trained me
to control my other half. The school is currently home to seven of us students
due to space constraints but there are plans for expansion as soon as more
teaching staff and resources become available. AND IF YOU BRING BOMBS, THE
SCHOOL IS LOCATED IN.... A secret location thank you very much. Mr. Zoraks
being a golden age hero has made a LOT of enemies and there's still a lot of
technology left in there so the location of the school is sworn to secrecy
among us students. As for why I'm not in school today ? It's Saturday ! No
classes. Clubbing isn't really my thing, but some of my fellow students dragged
me in here.

Kahlan D'Rane: How did you meet
your..um...Friend...In there?

Jennifer: I'm not really sure. I think it's been
with me since I was born. I HAD NO CHOICE ! MY FORTOLD HOST WAS MISSING WHEN I
ENTERED THIS WORLD. I WOULD HAVE FADED FROM EXISTANCE. JENNIFER WAS THE ONLY
HOST AVAILABLE AT THAT SPLIT SECCOND !

Kahlan D'Rane: So who else did you drag with you
other than Tall Dark and Ugly in there?

Jennifer:
WHO'S UGLY !?! Well the goofball over there dancing is Scott Erickson. He
likes to go by the code name Light Man. He love comic books, hehe. The giant
musclebound reptile creature dancing with him is his girlfriend, Stephanie
Logan (She's having a rough time with her mutation). That guy over there
muscleling in on Turndown Girl is Rick McGuire. The Welles sisters, Elenor and
Laura are over at the bar on the villain side. They're a little wierd. I
understand that they're Crey manufactured assasins. They like to hand out over
there to check out the competition in case they have to put one or two of them
down. Old habits are hard to break I guess. Oh.. and don't let that crazy,
bouncy girl dressed in pink with the heart on her shirt fool you. She's Rainbow
Argentine, a living fire breathing dragon. There's a war going on in her world
and Zoraks fought by her father's side. After her brothers were killed, her
father, the ruler of her faction, sent her here,in human form, under Zorak's
care to be safe away from the war, and to learn. So far, she's learned
everything about being a human girl from reading Teen Beat and Hearthrob, and
Cosmo magazines. Steph and I are STILL trying to reverse the damages. Anyway,
we've grown so close over the years that they're all like the brothers and
sisters I never had but always wanted.

Kahlan D'Rane: So who are your favorite bad guys
to beat up? You, if not...tall dark and ugly must have some?

Jennifer: I'm going to have to say that I don't
really have any favorite. I only go out to feed The Darkness when it's hunger
pains get so great that it won't leave me alone. I HUNGER ! It feeds on human
life force to exist. I never let it feed to the point where it kills. I let it
incapacitate it's food source and then I cut it off. The magical energy that
Zoraks feeds it daily holds it off some, but it really needs human life force
to sustain it. I decided to feed it the "bad people" and I guess that's what
tossed me unwillingly into the ranks of all the other heroes around here.
Really, I just want to do homework and be a normal 15 year old girl! I PREFER
THE CIRCLE OF THORNS ! THEY HAVE MULTIPLE SOULS WITHIN THEM !

Kahlan D'Rane: So who are your friends over
in Paragon city, you really dont do all this crimefighting on your own do you?
That's not really safe for a squishy little kid like yourself. Despite...umm
added company...

Jennifer:Well thankfully, being posessed means
that The Darkness here will do whatever it takes to survive and to do that, I
have to be alive, so I'm actually not very "Squishy". SEE ? YOU OWE ME JENN!!!
The first hero I ever met here was nammed Red Dwarf. Us, along with Dark
Living, Lori Kalamar and Pill of Death, all classified as Defenders, did as
much damage to the sinister elements of Paragon City as a team of tanks and
scrappers. Shortly after, We founded The D'Fender's Guild. Prototype Eve joined
us shortly after that. She was the best healer in the business and also turned
out to be the best base designer I personally have ever seen. She hand
deccorates The D'fender's Guld base on a constant basis.

Kahlan D'Rane: What do you do when you're NOT on
the beat? Other than sit and yack to undesirables like myself.

Jennifer: I'M TRYING TO MAKE CONNECTIONS FOR OUR
TRANSFER TO THE ROGUE ISLES ! Ahem.... Well Mr. Zoraks got me some working
papers and I was able to get a part time job cashiering at ICON in Steel Canyon
on the weekends. Durring the week, I'm usually studying for classes, reading
books, and on Friday nights, Light Man has these awesome movie nights where he
just rents classic old horror and sci-fi moviets that we watch. The only ones
I've refused to watch were "The Exorsist" and a couple others like it. The
Welles sisters pretty much refused to watch "Frankenstein". My personal
favorite movie that I can't get enough of is "THe Wizard Of Oz" I also enjoy
just going and sitting under the Atlas statue and just watching everyone there.
I love the creativity a lot of the heroes have.

Kahlan D'Rane: so um...Darkness...do you have
anything personally to add??? (you know it is kinda rude to leave you out n
all..)

Jennifer: THE WORLD WILL BE BURNED BY HELLFIRE.
THE DEAD WILL RISE AND THE WORLD WILL BE DEVOURED BY THE DARKNESS ! WAIT FOR
THE END TIMES HUMAN ! It keeps saying that but it never tells me what it means.
YOU WILL KNOW IN TIME !! MUAHAHAHAHAA !

Kahlan D'Rane: So, in conclusion: What do you
like best about Paragon city? What's so great about it?

Jennifer: ALL THE SOULS TO FEED UPON !! THERE ARE
SO MANY !!! Um... yeah... I really like the people I've met here. I've made
some very good friends and I'd like to make more ! AND I WILL FEED UPON THEM
ALL. No one is feeding on anyone ! Now Behave !!

Kahlan D'rane: Cool, thanks for your time, I'm
getting paged to go beat up the Freedom Phalanx again. They just wont stay
down..*sigh* Lord Recluse will skin me alive if I dont take this, so if you'll
excuse me...

Jennifer: IF YOU NEED SOME HELP, I'D BE WILLING
TO... We AREN'T helping !

So, you want to be a PvPer?!

ByExcentric

Well let me just say congratulations for entering the world of
PvP. The guide I’m about to write can be applied to anyone entering PvP, or
with a desire to PvP, in Arena and Zones. Without further delay, here is my
first point:

The most important thing to understand when you are starting to
PvP is that you WILL die. If you walk into a zone expecting to kill and not be
killed you are in for a rude awakening. What most people forget when PvPing for
the first time is that you are fighting another player. You will hardly see the
same movements, actions, and tactics used from one person, being used by anyone
else which is what makes PvP a hard thing to get used to based on only fighting
enemies who do the same thing. Once you learn to accept your defeats, you can
truly improve.

Which leads us to our next subject. When you die, you must try and
figure out why you died. Having an open mind is what it comes down to, with an
open mind you can get fairly good in a short amount of time by just taking
advice from other players. Adding on to that point, joining a PvP SG is a great
way to learn a lot. Being a team member of people that are good at PvP would
allow you to see what they do, in comparison to you, to see what you’re doing
wrong.

If Arena PvP is what you want to do, your best bet is to go to the
Test server. Since City of Heroes/Villains lacks a true PvP Server, Test is
what all the serious PvPrs go. Once you get on Test, as I said before, the best
way to get better is to join a PvP SG. Most SGs on Test do practices twice a
week. To find a listing of some SGs on Test visit the PvP Arena forums.

In the making of this article, I asked some leaders of prominent
PvP SGs to list the most important thing someone new can do when first starting
out, here were the responses of Psypunk (Justice for All League) and EL_AJAX
(Freaks of Legend):

Psypunk,

The single most important thing a new player can do to get better in PvP is to
actually get out there and do it. PvP is best when done as part of a team, many
players realize very quickly when they jump in a PvP zone that all the
archetypes have weaknesses, so shore up those weaknesses with help from other
teammates. If you can't find a team, then you need a very good understanding of
what your hero/villain can and can't do...play to your strengths and avoid
situations that expose your weaknesses.

In PvP, there isn't as much room for mistakes as there is in the
PvE game and players who do not understand their archetype's strengths and
weaknesses will struggle. Examining highly successful teams and players,
individuals will find that these players know their roles within the team. You
do not see "offensive" empaths - an empath's job is to buff and heal, it is
what they do best and it is what makes an empath the foundation of every good
team.

PvP in COX is the "end game". Those fifty levels you have earned
hopefully gave you some insights into your archetype and have taught you the
basics, but there is so much more to learn if you want to compete and be
successful against real players. So, if you want to open the doors to an
entirely different level of play and challenge, don't discredit or disparage
PvP because you've had a few defeats. Learn WHY you were defeated. What could
you have done differently? You know how to defeat countless Freakshow, yet
you're going to have to do much better than that to defeat a real life
"Destined One" villain. Ask questions...ask the player who just defeated you
what you could have done differently. Just like in anything, you will run
across some jerks, but most will be helpful and take the time to give you some
pointers. Remember, for players who PvP, we understand that for us to have fun
we need players to PvP against! PvP opens up an entirely new level of challenge
and complexity for those of you brave enough to experience it. Open the
door...come on in...ask questions...research builds and tactics...work on
accolades, recipes, Hamidon enhancements, etc. - anything that will give you
that extra edge when you'll need it most...you're not fighting Malta or Longbow
anymore...you're fighting the best heroes and villains the game has to offer,
so you're going to need to take your game to the next level.

And most importantly, take your defeats with grace and your
success with humility!

Ajax,

Most important thing is attitude. Knowing that in PvP, there will be times when
things will not go your way. keeping a positive attitude is important. Its all
about fun.

More information about PvP can be found in this
guide to guides.

Colour Me Excited!

By Dirtwolf

Hello Everyone! I'm Dirtwolf. I'm one of the newest additions to
City Scoop. I'm going to be putzing around with Arts and Entertainment with TA.
I've decided to add two (with a third alternating) more articles to the section
that are going to be interactive including a line-art that you can colour in
with crayons, digital methods, markers, or food condiments and send in. My
favorites will be posted in the following week's Scoop! I'm only going to have
two articles a week, and the second one will be alternated weekly with an art
jam, an art challenge, or something of the like. When you finish colouring the
lineart, PM it to me in a link via the forums. Hope to see some masterpieces
soon!

Our first line-art is from BattleWraith. It's an awesome
drawing of Positron.

The First Art Jam!

By Dirtwolf

As I told TA upon being brought aboard the good ship City Scoop, I
wanted to bring more interactivity to the players. In turn, I've made my first
two additions to the paper completely interactive. The lineart, and this : The
Art Jam! Let me explain : The art jam is where I give you guys a subject and
you draw how you interpret it. The subject I've decided on for our first art
jam is "What do you think defines a hero?" Once again, draw up some pictures
and PM them to me and the favorites will be put up in the next issue!

Achtung Baby by Spinomania


(Click for Full View)

IMHO Part 3

By LadyK

Reactions to the general question of “should there be a minimum
age for registered heroes,” were mixed. “Believe it or not,' said Questing
Eagle (level 50, Virtue), ” I do. [Think there should be a minimum age for
heroes] “I was surprised at the time I got accepted and figured it was because
the city needed help so bad after the War that they were taking anyone willing
to do the work. I think maybe I grew up a little faster than I could have…
several older heroes I know have told me so. I think a lot of other teen heroes
don’t really think what they’re doing through… I didn’t at first. But I got
good friends to help me and I think I turned out just fine. Eighteen’s too old
though. Make it fifteen or sixteen, when we’re allowed to get regular jobs.”
Ms. Questing Eagle received the title “Hero of the City” at the tender age of
16.

Several heroing parents suggested that their children should be
relegated to a secure location until their powers and hormones balance out.
Flairback (level 50, Justice) even suggested patenting and marketing protective
chutes to shuttle all children to and from secure locations.

Another vote for minimum age, with provisions came from Roland
Grey, a 22 year old defender (level 14 , Champion). "I agree that most kids
shouldn't be heroes. They're in an important physical development stage in
their lives, and the intrigues of hero work are not going to mesh well with out
of control hormones. Couple this with the fact that most of them have to
struggle with school, work, preparing for college or military... It's wiser to
leave the hero work to the people in the field or have been trained for it. If
you've got the powers, then great. Get trained up in them, graduate from a
super school, register, and -BAM- you're an official hero. But we can't be
having every overzealous little punk rushing into the "War on Crime" without
them knowing what they're doing. Look what happened to Frostfire!"

However the most common answer to this question was, no. Nestor
Druji, another 22 year old defender (level 27, Protector) stated, "I don't
understand why there should be such a law in effect. The Freakshow, the
Devouring Earth... These are criminal factions that have little to no concern
about the age of the people they threaten. I personally believe that if a youth
has the capability to defend him or her self, as well as any local bystanders,
then they should be able to do so without fear of reprisal. This bill, in
effect, will take away that right. A basic right. Everybody has the right to
defend themselves, using whatever force is necessary. Every citizen has the
right to make an arrest against anybody violating the law, using whatever force
is necessary. Why should we restrict just the youths who display extraordinary
talents?" His younger brother, Kip, age 21, (level 42, Protector) agreed
stating, "This smacks of 'Might for Right.' It feels like one more step toward
keeping us, all of us, from being able to do what we do best. And that is
protect the citizens of this fine city and the world abroad. You cut down our
numbers, you expose any of us, and we are all at risk. Take this to heart...
Children have fought in wars throughout history. From biblical times, to the
Crusades, to Vietnam to even our modern conflicts spanning the globe, children
are an ever-present threat to consider. If ours prove to be just as tough, who
are these fat-cats to tell them they can't fight?"

Advice From the X

Greetings boys, girls, and beings of indeterminate gender! It's
LiquidX here, back once again to give you the advice you've been craving. So,
without further ado...

"Dear LiquidX,




I find that I am spending more and more time in Paragon City and less time in
my real hometown. My visits to be with my virtual friends is a social need I
find myself addicted to. Is this normal behavior? Will I eventually disconnect
from my three dimensional world and become an actual participant in my virtual
home, ala Tron?




-Sincerely,

Green Eyed Lady"

Dear Green Eyed Lady,

If I were you, I'd contact the folks over at DATA immedietly. You see, as much
fun as the Freedom Phalanx MMO's virtual representation of Paragon City
might be, this kind of obsession is unnatural. In fact, rumors have been
cropping up for the past couple of weeks that both Nemesis and the Countess
Crey (As well as several independant villains from the Rogue Islands) have been
attempting to kidnap the games developer, Jake Emmet, with the intention of
planting Mind Controll and Brainwashing subroutines into the programming.
Although there is no confirmation yet that they have been successful, I'd
suggest not taking the chance and get in touch with the people over at DATA
now.

"Dear LiquidX ,



What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?




Sincerely,

Granmagus"

Dear Granmagus,

Are you asking about the African Hero, or the European Hero?



And there you have it! Now, if you all will excuse me, I've got to get caught
up with the new batch of restraining orders that came in while I was away...

Ask
the X for advice!

Horoscopes

Sun is in Cancer/Defender, Moon is in Cancer/Defender.

Julian Day 2454295.25

Heroscopes

Controller
– Moon conjunct Venus instills a heightened artistic inspiration which may
manifest itself in creative work or just the urge to experience the beauty of
nature.



Defender
– Sun conjunct Jupiter attracts good things to you today. Your experiences will
be out of the ordinary and you will likely feel generous.



Scrapper
– With Sun sextile Venus, the appreciation and deep feelings you have for
friends is heightened. Great things may happen if you take the time to express
your true feelings to them. Meeting new people is most favorable during this
transit.



Blaster
– Mercury trine Mercury marks increased influence over others and the need for
exciting experiences preferably when communing with nature.



Tanker
- Mars square Sun fills you with energy to tackle any problem involved with
work today. There may instances when you will have to give a full accounting of
your labors.



Peacebringer
– Mercury square Mercury raises issues that could be in direct conflict with
your beliefs or desires. Don't be afraid to stand your ground in discussions
with friends.



Warshade
– Jupiter sextile Neptune puts you in tune with both your own convictions and
beliefs and those of your friends. If you accept loved ones for who they truly
are, you will greatly enjoy their companionship in the future.

Villainscopes

Brute
– With Moon square Sun you may experience depression and anxiety about the work
you do and the state of your financial affairs. Use this time to take full
stock of your accounts and debts so as to find out "where you stand".



Mastermind
– Venus conjunct Mars confers ardent passion which manifests itself in art and
a physical desire.



Corrupter
– Jupiter conjunct Sun is a very fortunate transit which occurs once every
twelve years, often heralding the beginnings of major changes in life. This
transit fills you with optimism and good cheer; things will almost assuredly go
your way.



Dominator
– Mars conjunct Sun infuses great energy and confidence in you.

Avoid being confrontational as you may be overly aggressive today.



Stalker
– Saturn opposite Uranus accents your desire for self expression and
originality. If you are living true to your ideals, then this is a time of
satisfaction. If not then you will feel depressed and frustrated.

Horoscopes provided by
Lady Athyna

~Handwritten page found laying atop the Horoscope submission~

Hello pets. What does your future hold… and how can it be used
against you.

Villainscopes

Brute
– Oh my, what a surprise. You smash things. You manage to hit a few heroes in
the coming week. Congratulations.



Mastermind
– Darling, a successful world conqueror can’t succeed without properly trained
and happy troops. You might want to feed your minions occasionally else they’ll
leave you high and dry.



Corrupter
– You’ve heard the old adage ‘Look before you leap’, but if you spend too long
looking you’ll miss the opportunity. Jump already.



Dominator
– You should stop singing in the shower. Seriously. Your neighbor wants to kill
you.



Stalker
– Dear, I found your future far too easily this time. You might want to work on
that hide thing a little more. Trust me, it’s needed.

Heroes…

Controller
– I love the new aura.



Defender
– Relax dear. You’re so tense. Maybe a hot bath or a massage should be your
priority today.



Scrapper
– Have you considered new shoes?



Blaster
– You should start showering. Frequently.



Tanker
– How interesting… You seem to be hosting a gala event soon.



Peacebringer
– You should start singing in the shower. Loudly.



Warshade
– Dear, with all that dark energy around you, do you really need that
nightlight?

~Love and Kisses

~Scorn

This Issue:

Advice

IMHO, Ask
Athy, By Popular Demand,
Advice From the X, Horoscopes,
State of the AT

Arts

Rogue Island Repast,
Colour Me Excited, Art Jam

Arena

So You Want to Be a PvPer,
Justice League Championship, All Day PvP
Event

Encounters

Interviews with: Jennifer White and
Cyber Exeider /Ascended Exeider

Classifieds

Puzzles & Games

To be e-mailed a printer friendly copy of this edition, send a
blank e-mail to: CityScoop9@the-swarm.org


(This is an automated service, no emails will be read)

Heroes in Pink

By Mantid

Last week, pink was in. From Galaxy City to Grandville, heroes and
villains everywhere proudly wore the color throughout the week. Then, climaxing
on Saturday, July 7th, Freedom's Atlas Park was flooded with pink.

The reason for this flood of color: Breast Cancer Awareness Week.
Headed by Melones, players of City of Heroes were invited to wear pink ribbons
and help raise support and awareness of the fight against a cancer that is
faced by 1 in 8 women during their lifetime. They did so with their usual
superhero flair. Capes, spandex, power armor, even flaming eyes and glowing
auras changed color in a show of support. When questioned on their newly dyed
costumes, many were happy to explain what they were representing.

Of course wearing pink isn’t enough to make breast cancer a thing
of the past, and participants were encouraged to make donations to the research
fund of their choice.

The City Scoop caught up with Melones for a quick interview about
these events:

City Scoop: What inspired you to put together this event
and raise awareness and support for the fight against breast cancer? Why did
you decide to have in the City of Heroes/Villains game?

Melones: What Inspired me? Well a few weeks ago. A very
close friend of mine got diagnosed with Breast Cancer. So I said I need to do
something to make her feel better. So I did this event. I showed her and she
was so embarrassed that people were doing this for her and many other women.

Why did I choose coh/cov? Because these days internet can spread
things very quickly.

CS: How do you feel the response was?

M: I feel the response was great. People were supportive. A
lot of them liked it. Many at the event (lvl 1's) died about 50 times just
trying to wear pink.

CS:Do you plan on hosting future event for this or other
real life issues in game?

M: In the future yes I plan on having an event in 2008.
Hopefully this time during the week and dev's can help out.

CS: Is there anyone you would like to thank for their
support in this event?

M:I would like to thank Lady Judgment, SG's: The First
Vengeance of Freedom, Zero Tolerance (On Pinnacle), Innocent Wrath's (On
Protector, The Corporation (On Justice, Freedom and Pinnacle), Warrens,
Evil/Eccentric Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow (Infinity), Anointed Brotherhood,
The Sapphite League (CoV), The Sapphite Institute (CoH), The Warhawks of
Paragon (Freedom), Angelic Blondes (Virtue CoH), Stiletto Heeled Enforcers
(Virtue), Justice Lords (Guardian), and the Steel 70. Those are Sg's that
participated.

CS: Anything else you would like to add?

M: I would just like to add, a big thanks to everyone who
showed up and supported the event!

For more information on breast cancer and how you can help find a
cure, check out:

The National Breast
Cancer Foundation

Susan G. Komen for the
Cure

Market Report

Top sellers on both markets as of the morning of 7/12:

Read the full report
here.

~ Protea

School of Gentle Taps gets a Hard Knock

By Protea

Under pressure from City officials, Katie Hannon may tighten
admissions requirements

Croatoa: the very outskirts of Paragon City, resplendent with
misty woods, calm freshwater, and shy (and not-so-shy) creatures. One of the
most recent zones to be repatriated, it remained for many months a quiet
suburb. Enter it today, however, and you’ll find a thriving zone, bustling with
heroic activity and bursting with chatter.

Ask anyone the reason, and consensus is clear: Katie Hannon.

For the last ten weeks, ever since the re-opening of the
University’s Croatoa campus, Katie Hannon has been teaching heroes everything
she knows about Inventions. Other sources of learning are readily available
through the Freedom Phalanx and other contacts throughout the City; but while
most other courses take several hours or more, under Ms. Hannon’s aegis a hero
can learn one Inventions recipe in fifteen minutes or less. As a result, the
“speed Hannon” or “Katie Express” has become a preferred way for many heroes to
improve.

“I try to run [Katie Hannon’s course] twice a day,” said Ella
Mentalist (35 controller, Freedom shard), “before and after work.” Was she
happy with the results? “The majority [of my recipes] have been decent other
than the occasional snipe.” Others rapidly agreed, claiming Ms. Hannon could
teach heroes the secrets of time and space, how to harness their own luck - in
some cases work miracles.

But the sheer celerity of her courses has not gone unnoticed. City
officials grew concerned that the coursework required for the rewards was too
light.

“How can she be sure her pupils are really ready to graduate?”
said Dr. Quaterfield, a peer stationed in the Shadow Shard. “As a man of
science, I demand proof of something before I'm willing to believe it.”

Faathim the Kind, another Shard contact, pointed out that the
ancient gifts Ms. Hannon dispensed could be dangerous in the wrong hands. “You
must remember that something learned cannot be unlearned,” he said in his usual
cryptic manner, “and nothing can ever be undone.”

How should the rewards be balanced? Statesman, by various accounts
either missing or standing on a battleship in IP, refused to comment, but
others were quick to offer opinions. “You can’t rush real learning,” Dr.
Quaterfield said. “Sometimes it proceeds in unbounded leaps, but sometimes it’s
the pacing of a turtle. Either way, the important thing is that it’s earned.
What burns me is this view of entitlement, as if these Inventions recipes are
some kind of sovereign right.”

The tempest over Katie Hannon continued to grow until finally,
earlier this week, she was served an ultimatum: Tighten up the coursework, or
lose her credentials.

“We’re preparing these heroes to save the world,” Positron blasted
her in an official statement. “We owe it to them to test their resolve.”

Devastated by the criticism, Ms. Hannon has tentatively agreed to
tighten her requirements. How? “I challenge all applicants to best our head
witch, Mary MacComber,” Ms. Hannon explained. “But right now, even if they fail
entirely I encourage them to continue working with me. We so badly need their
help against the Red Caps that I’ve been reluctant to impede their swiftness.”
After the change, however, that will no longer be possible. “Heroes will need
to face down our champion no less than ten times to prove their worth.”

While the change is not yet implemented, experts agree it is
likely to become official policy within a matter of weeks. Will it be the touch
of death for the “speedy Katie”? Some believe so. When that happens, “it dies,”
said CrueL Seeker (50 Blaster, Freedom shard) simply. He declined to elaborate,
choosing to focus on continuing his coursework.

Others were less concerned. “[There will be] probably less
interest and [team leaders] will need to take into account team build. Witches
sure drain end a lot,” said Searing Blaze (50 controller, Infinity shard), who
heads frequent runs. “But I find that well played toons regardless of makeup
can do well.”

Ella Mentalist agreed, saying she’d still do two runs a day “as
long as my work schedule doesn’t change. I think it will make it more fun, at
least having to fight Mary again.”

Searing Blaze echoed this sentiment. “It’s all good. The TF is fun
either way,” he said. “I also met so many good peeps running it.”

Want to join the discussion? See the thread in the Market Forum
here.

(Editor's note: this article covers a proposed change being tested
in the Training Room server. If you wish to help test this change, see
this thread.)

Official Duelist Ladder!

By
Excentric

For all you duelists out there, do you think you’re tough! Think
you’re one of the best? Bring it to the big leagues and find out where you rank
within the CoH Duelist Ladder! This ladder puts every one signed up in it on a
rating compared to everyone else in the league. This ladder was created by
Terpman of Hellraisers.

To join this Ladder, go to the
official guild portal website.

From there go to “Join The Ladder!”, and then to the “Join the
Ladder Here” thread. As soon as you sign up you may start doing ranked matches
with other members, however until you do your first ranked match, you will be
put down as unranked. When you win your first match, you will move up half of
the distance between you and the person you defeated.

For example lets say you just became ranked, so you were placed at
the bottom of the ladder at #100. If you beat the #1 person, you would become
#50. Your rank on the Ladder does not go down if you lose a match unless your
opponent is ranked directly below you, such as #5 and #6. When other players
beat people above you and jump over you in rank you will slide down. Those
people in the Top 10 have special rules associated with them which can be found
on the Official Duelist Ladder GuildPortal website.

You can only play the same person 2 times each day. You can play
as many different people as you'd like on any given day. The recommend that you
make sure potential opponents belong to the Ladder before starting your match.
This way if you have a problem you will have all of the information you need to
resolve it quickly. It is suggested that if you have multiple people
challenging you at once you should play the person with the highest rank. The
priority rule for accepting challenges only applies when you have multiple
challenges at the same time. If you are challenged by someone you should not go
to chat and actively seek someone higher in rank to challenge you, rather you
need to accept the first challenger. It is illegal to refuse matches based on
Ladder rank. You may request a specific rank or range when advertising for a
challenge, but you may not refuse a valid challenge simply because the
challenger is not the rank you are wanting to play.

There are no illegal settings for a map, unless both members of
the duel agree upon it. The standard match is 10 minutes long, with no extra
settings. Once you start a match, you must complete it. If you must leave the
match it will count as a loss and you should report it as soon as possible. In
the case of a disconnect, if there was a clear winner at the time then that
person should be declared the winner. If not the match should be restarted.
When the match is over, the loser is the one who should report the loss, on the
official GuildPortal forums, in the Report Losses forums.

For more information, go to their
GuildPortal website, or contact
Terpman.

The 2 Weeks in Art

By Thor's Assassin

I'm back after an absence last week due to personal reasons. I
thought since i missed last week i'd throw up my top ten favorites of the past
couple of weeks. Since i know there is so much great art that comes from the
fanart section! so here we go:

First off a couple pieces by a new member of the fanart section -
The Kaiserin in a rather ragged outfit and
Seth, Egyptian God of Chaos both by Kaiserin. Great job on these man!!

Heres another great comic cover based on Fantastic Four #107 by
LadyJudgement -
KILO Classic Comic Cover

Another Kilotonnage piece but a great work of art by Grave_Enigma -
Raging Fury

Rarely do i get to post something from _darque_ but this was a nice treat to
see! Great job that lineart my friend -
Storm of the Century

Just another gorgeous piece by Graver. Not coh art but worthy of your view!
Just amazing brother -
Dragon Hunters

Wow check this freaking awesome piece by Rocinate -
Guerrilla Gorilla

Another promising render by Dursagon meant as a gift for Phoenix_Serenity -
Sinfernal

A sexy piece done for Dark-Ether by Ebony-Chan -
Tanks

Another Rowr gifty gift. This time as a present by Obsidi_Anne for her
engagement to Juteboxhero -
Sketchy Gift for Rowrsie

Finally Sayterra has a new masterpiece in the works of White Peregrine, this is
where shes at on it so far -
White Peregrine WIP

Theres my top 10. Looks like i missed some great stuff guys! You never cease to
amaze me with your talent! Keep em comin and i'll keep em linked

Finally heres the last two segments of Bayani's submissions into Collecting
Character Art. First how to handle Networking and the final submission to wrap
it up Preservation of your commissioned pieces. Bayani thank you so much for
submitting these. I look forward to your future submissions and I'm sure the
community can benefit greatly from this information.

CCA

Written by
Bayani

Networking

Welcome to another installment of CCA. Last week, I offered some
advice on art hunting at conventions. Good communication at conventions is
important because it establishes opportunities for networking, which are far
more valuable than anything else you can get a convention. It’s difficult to
obtain
cover-quality commissions at a convention because they involve more
detailed linework as well as inks and digital coloring. Your best bet for
detailed work is commissioning outside of a convention. This presents a
challenge as well because commissions are considered side jobs for professional
artists and more famous an artist is, the less time they have for requests from
unscreened sources. This is where networking comes in handy. Artists are more
likely to make exceptions if the request is linked to someone they know
personally. Networking provides this link, and can lead to getting in touch
with some really great talents in the comic book industry. Best of all,
networking is very simple to do.

Networking starts with good contact information. If you sense that
an artist is comfortable with you at the convention, ask for a business card.
Mention that you have some friends who would pay top dollar for a commission.
You could also say that you know some businesses that are looking for some
graphic design work. The job market can be unpredictable for freelance artists
so the wiser ones will, in the very least, not outright reject opportunities
for work. The worst the artist can do is say no or that they are too busy. If
an artist says their workload is too much, ask if you could stay in touch and
say you don’t mind waiting for a lull in their activity.

If an artist asks to take your commission home, he or she just saved you a
step. Maintain communication through email. Save the phone numbers only for
instances where your art is unreasonably late (ie. three to four weeks after
the estimated ETA without any communication). E-Mail once a week or once every
other week should suffice but be sure to include some small talk in your
correspondence. Ask about the artists’ influences, favorite comic book titles,
and the artists they’ve collaborated with. You could even ask the artist to
critique a friend’s portfolio. Lead into asking the artist about others who
will take commissions. This tactic works exceptionally well if you only had
pencils done, since you can ask them to refer you to an inker. Inking is
time-consuming and difficult, so professional inkers are in very high demand in
an industry riddled with strict deadlines. Almost every comic book artist I
know has a “go-to” inker and that inker will know plenty of people to refer you
to. Keep pursuing those leads and you will surprise yourself with just how far
your connections will reach.

Networking takes a little practice and sometimes will lead to dead
ends. Minimize dead ends by establishing yourself as a prompt payer and a low
maintenance customer. Treat and deal with each contact professionally. The
artist who referred you is vouching for you so his or her reputation is on the
line. One mistake can cause rifts in your networking relationships and make it
more difficult to obtain future commissions.

Preservation

So far I discussed three keys to gathering commissions:
screenshots, conventions, and networking. In the final installment of the CCA
series, I'm going to cover maintaining your art. You invested alot of time and
money into your collection and it should be a point of pride. The last thing
you would want is to lose any pieces, especially since they are unique and
practically irreplaceable.

I own most of the physical originals in my collection and I highly
encourage collectors to make the same effort. While it may be more expensive,
physical art has more life to it than digital pieces and having an agreement
for the physical original will protect payments made through PayPal. If you
pre-pay for art and get screwed over by the artist, you can still use Paypal’s
Buyer Complaint Process and try to recoup some losses. Paypal does not does not
protect exchanges for digital art, however. When commissioning art, you also
need to decide between pencils and inks. Unlike most inks, pencils smudge and
will fade over time unless you take extra measures. Inked work is also easier
to have colored than pencils are. On the other hand, if you commission an
artist renowned for a unique style of linework (ie.
Gene Colan), request tight pencils.
Tight Pencils have more texture and depth to the lines and are much
neater than regular pencils. Regular pencils are less time consuming but rely
on the inker to provide finer detail and shading.

Art storage and preservation varies according to the mediums.
There are three different methods I use: art portfolios, mylar sleeves, and
framing. The cheapest option is the
portfolio presentation book. These books are portable and great for
convention art, since convention art tends to be on the smaller side(8x11 to
11x14 sized paper). I keep two portfolios, one with my originals and another
containing screenshots and prints made from the originals. I take the latter
with me to conventions as artists like to see previous interpretations of my
character, and the competitive ones like to "one up" the rest. For art in sizes
greater than 11x14 however (such as full comic book pages), I recommend mylar
sleeves with an acid free backboard. You can purchase them from
Blueline Art. This option is great for shipping penciled work to inkers
and colorists. The best (and most expensive) option is a
custom frame. There are plenty of stores where you can get a custom
frame fitted to your piece. Usually, the sales associates are well-trained in
their job and will help you pick out colored mats and frames to match your art
and make it really eye-catching. If a custom frame is out of your price range,
pick up a commercial frame from retail shelves and have them fit mats for it. I
highly recommend framing penciled work, since the modern glass used in the
frame filters out ultraviolet light, preventing the original from fading.

That wraps up "Collecting Character Art" series, so thank you for
reading these articles. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me by
the Forums or through my
DeviantArt Page. Remember to be prepared, be professional, and above
all else, stay out of my convention lines.

ValkyrieRising

Freedom Server

What is your home server and why did you end up picking it as your
home server?

Freedom, for the most part. I joined the game to play with people
I knew from other games (Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat). Freedom was their
server, so Freedom became my home server. Victory is my second home though, due
to my supergroup over there. The Repeat Offenders SGs keep me pretty active on
Freedom.

Where do you live?

Central Illinois

What else do you like to do in your free time besides play CoX?

Mostly spend time with my husband and our families. Movies,
various addicting TV shows, and books take up the rest of my free time. I do a
little writing, but not too much lately.

What are your favorite movies?

Amelie, The Incredibles, and Band of Brothers (okay, that one's a
mini-series, but I still love it)

What are your favorite Books and authors?

I will freely admit that I am a big Harry Potter and Harry Dresden
fan. Other favorite authors are Anne Perry and Eoin Colfer. Of course, I'm
forever looking for new great books! Or even old ones for that matter.

What TV shows do you like to watch?

Is too much an answer? My current TV show addictions: The 4400,
The Dead Zone, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate: Atlantis, The Dresden Files,
Heroes, The Sopranos, Burn Notice


Shows I mourn: Stargate: SG1, Farscape


Other favs: The Daily Show, CSI, Law and Order, Voyager, Bravo reality shows

Do you have any pets?

Two awesome cats: Herman, my silver and black tabby, and Amelia,
my hubby's calico-tabby

How did you get drawn to this game?

It was easy to pick up and it was fun to boot. I had never been
interested in the grindy, fantasy MMOs, so I will say that CoH surprised me. It
wasn't such a stretch to go from my FPS games to CoH. It took a lot to get me
here, but here I've stayed, even though most of the people who dragged me in
are no longer playing.

What is your favorite aspect of the game?

It's a toss up between the combat and the costumes. I love playing
with the costume generator, but the combat system is just a lot of fun for me.

Who is your namesake character and what are they?

ValkyrieRising is my first character and my first 50. She is a
Fire/Fire/Flame Blaster and a member of the Legends of RO. Her evil twin,
Valkyrie's Bane, is an Ice/Dark Corrupter, my highest villain at level 38.

Which of all the archetypes and powersets would you say is your
favorite?

My favorite AT is a toss up between Kheldians and Defenders.
Favorite powerset would have to be Kinetics. Nothing like bouncing around like
a pinball!

Your least favorites?

Tanks and Stalkers are my least favorites. I don't have any
powersets in the other ATs that I don't like.

Do
you prefer Heroside or villain side?

Heroside mostly. My computer isn't the greatest, and Paragon City
agrees with it a lot more than the Rogue Isles. And the teaming synergy is just
a lot easier with heroes. I play my villains when I'm in the mood to solo.

What would you say is your greatest strength in the game?

Fearlessness

Your greatest weakness in the game?

Fearlessness. That and I don't like to stand still for long, which
frequently gets me in trouble.

What zone is your favorite?

Probably Striga Island, especially knowing the secret of that
volcano! The zone is just full of life and story.

What is your favorite Storyline in the game?

CoH would have to be the Revenant Hero Project. CoV would have to
be Strange Memories, Timothy Raymond's arc. The Hess TF is my favorite TF/Trial
story.

What one feature would you like to see added to the game?

Shared SG storage for Invention salvage and recipes

What advice do you have for any new players to the game?

The forums are a crazy place, but honestly the best place to find
out just about everything. Read the stickies before posting, figure out the
weirdness that is Search, and be prepared for silliness or people that won't
like what you have to say.

Lacuna Furlong

Infinity Server

What
is your home server and why did you end up picking it as your home server?

I chose Infinity because I thought it was the coolest name on the
list, and a couple of my friends were already there when I first started
playing.

Where do you live?

I live in Augusta, GA, home of the Masters Tournament.

What else do you like to do in your free time besides play CoX?

I play basketball and tennis, but mostly its studying, being a
full-time college student. I play a few console games every now and then,
currently working on Oblivion on the 360, and some old school games such as
Super Metroid and Chrono Trigger.

What are your favorite movies?

Just saw 1408, and immediately went to the top. My favorite is The
Boondock Saints. Other favorites include Cowboy Bebop the movie, Fight Club,
Dogma, The Departed, The Prestige, and 28 Weeks later.

What are your favorite Books and authors?

Stephen King is by far my favorite. Currently workin on the Dark
Tower Series, haven't had much time to read it, so I'm stuck on Book 4 at the
moment.

What TV shows do you like to watch?

I don't watch too much TV; most of the time it's Sportscenter and
any sports.

Do you have any pets?

I have a pure bred Basset who is 10 years old this November.
Always loved dogs since I was a kid.

How did you get drawn to this game?

To be honest, this is my first MMO I've ever played. My brother
and his friends were playing it and I liked how the character creater was so
dynamic. I stopped playing around I2 I think, and came back in I4 and been
playing ever since. Funny thing is, I never stopped paying for the account, so
I currently have the 36 month badge .

What is your favorite aspect of the game?

The character creater and the numerous powersets. Although the PvE
can get repetative rather quickly, I love going through the game with a new
powerset combination. Most of my builds are the dreaded FoTM, but I do have
some unique builds, ironically they are both doms. I have a mind/fire at 50 and
currently working a 42 ice/thorn.

Who is your namesake character and what are they?

My main character is Lacuna Furlong, which started out as a
fire/fire tanker during the I4 hype. But after ED, I never played it, and
wanted to reuse the name. At the time, I was into villains, so it became an
ice/cold corrupter. The same thing happened to that character, never playing it
for a while, so I reused the name again. Lacuna Furlong is now my ice/thorn
dominator on Pinnacle.

Which of all the archetypes and powersets would you say is your
favorite?

My first favorite was blasters. I loved just going out on full
offense, and taking energy manipulation gave me a lot of control with my
offense. But around I6, I fell in love with dominators. I never got into
controllers; I always leaned toward being a soloist most of the time, but I
loved playing a control set. Having a lot of experience on blasters, the
dominator AT just seemed to fit me perfectly, a balance of control and damage.
And I just love domination, critical control and the ability to easily mez
bosses and some EBs is just too much fun for me.

Your least favorites?

I was never a fan of scrappers. I only made one, a spine/sr, but I
hardly play it. Also not a fan of peacebringers and warshades. I tried out a
peacebringer to lvl 35, and never really had any fun with it. Shapeshifting was
cool and all, but I mostly played in nova, which is kinda like a blasting form.
Thats when I started playing blasters, I'd rather have their full offensive
power than the pseudo-blaster nova form of Peacebringers/Warshades.

Do you prefer Heroside or villain side?

I love playing villain side more than heroes, somehow I find the
grind a little easier. But hero side, I'll admit, has more powerful ATs for PvP
(which I participate in regularly), and the numerous TFs starting at lvl 10 can
help level quickly. But I just love mayhem missions. I always lean toward the
evil side in games, so villain side usually fits me. Plus, the zones are more
easily connected in villains, and plenty of contacts to do missions, especially
in the 30-40 range.

What would you say is your greatest strength in the game?

I have a pretty good knowledge on how to play every role in the
game in the PvE side. I know what to do in teams with every AT and powersets,
and I can solo pretty well with any combination. I know a lot about accolades,
badges, and powersets, so I can be very helpful to anyone that needs answers.

Your greatest weakness in the game?

Sometimes I level too fast, and I kind of leave my friends behind.
It's mostly due to my solo nature, I tend to solo more than team. Also, I can't
play support at all in PvP, so I am grateful for having my good support when I
PvP. Also, I'm always looking for a unique PvP build, and sometimes I can spend
a lot of time planning one out but never make it, or perhaps finish it.

What zone is your favorite?

I don't really have a true favorite, but I always loved the Shadow
Shards. Such a shame how it was designed to be a pain to travel in it, but I
love the atmosphere there. My favorite zone then would be the Storm Palace. The
battles going outside the Palace and the mystic Lanaruu are always a visual
pleasure.

What is your favorite Storyline in the game?

I don't necessarily have a favorite storyline in terms of story
arcs, but my favorite would have to be the Faathim SF. Going inside the Storm
Palace at the end was a fun experience, and the fact that your slaying a god is
just awesome.

What one feature would you like to see added to the game?

A couple of hazard zones in CoV would be nice. I was pleased to
see the pool for a new melee/defense set, I hope that psionic weaponry or dual
blades won. More SFs in CoV, perhaps a SF for each patron and more low level
ones is something else I would like to see added. And of course, not to be
redundant, but respecable patrons is something just about everyone wants (but
of course, Positron already said that won't happen, but we can always hope).

What advice do you have for any new players to the game?

Don't play stalkers, we already have enough.

But seriously, just play whatever you find is fun. Don't be afraid
to ask people how to play your role on teams, usually most people will help you
out. Just be aware of arena chat when asking for help

Any closing comments?

I would like more people to try out PvP in this game. It's pretty
harsh, as most people just see it as an inbalanced wreck, but it can be really
fun in big team battles. The PvPEC was a nice addition to help, and the recent
arena patch is something all the PvPers have been waiting for since the arena
was released. I would love to see more influence form the devs on PvP; more
in-game rewards would be a nice addition, perhaps more zones (RV was a disaster
in my opinion), a co-op zone would be nice, another zone like Sirens with a
bounty system to get phat loot (maybe unique recipes or just influence), and
more PvP SGs on test! Not to be redundant, but a PvP server is always something
to think about.

Point / Counterpoint

By Bowfling

This is the seventh in a series of point-counterpoint articles,
which will review commonly requested player suggestions, and review the pros
and cons of those suggestions.

This week’s subject – Respecs

POINT:

There are certain advantages to increasing the ease with which
players can respecify the powers on their characters. Players that find powers
and power selection to be a major part of the fun of the game would be able to
try out powers without having to go to the Test Server. In addition, with the
inclusion of the invention system, there are now more ways to slot a character,
and more varied enhancements with which to slot powers. This makes it harder to
find a build that best fits a player’s style. Sometimes when there are power
changes the devs consider to be minor, a free respec is not provided. Easier
access to respecification would allow players that have found these power
changes to have significantly reduced the enjoyment they find with such powers
to change those powers more readily. Options for allowing easier respecing
include offering repeatable content that can be used to earn a respec, respecs
that are buyable, either with inf or exp, or outright allowing of
respecification at anytime. The most dramatic form of a respecification would
be to allow players to change power sets, or even Archetype. Other ideas
include adding "smaller" respecs, such as allowing players to move enhancements
around, or perhaps just moving slots and enhancements.

COUNTERPOINT:

But there are also certain disadvantages associated with
increasing the ease with which players can respecify the powers on their
characters. The current format of 3 earnable respecs via TF/SFs would
potentially see diminished interest. Much of the game’s content is "gated",
meaning certain rewards are achieved only be completing a series of tasks. The
current respec TF/SFs are a form of this. Making respecs buyable would change
them from a content-based reward to a treasury-based reward, thus favoring only
rich characters. Allowing players to respec frequently would also allow players
to swap powers in and out of builds suited to the critters they intend to face,
perhaps decreasing the difficulty critters at higher levels are intended to
provide. Most of all, the AT or sets respecs would allow players to select
characters less for the challenge they pose from 1-50, and instead select sets
that are "easy" at certain levels, then swap in a different set for other
levels. This would also break down the fundamental concept of what a character
represents, instead making it more of a shell for storing certain numbers (exp
and inf gained, enhancements owned, etc.)

Pepsiman

The Man, The Myth, The Legend

Interview by
Kahlan D'Rane


(lv 50 Rad/Kin Corruptor, Guardian)

The other day, I was wandering around the Pocket D, drink in hand,
just chillin like the villain I am. I toss back my Bloody Caaser, and head up
onto the dance floor, and Lo and behold...I spy...no It can't be! He's a total
myth! He just CANNOT EXIST! Yet he does. He was there, in front of me in the
flesh. THE PEPSIMAN!

I go "OMG SQUEEEE it's PEPSIMAN!" and bashfully asked for an
interview. Seriously why would he give a villain like me the time of day? He'd
more then likely to smoosh me in PVP than grant me an interview, but, to my
great suprise, he did! Pepsiman! Granted me an interview. During the interview,
I snapped a few screenshots of this elusive hero, and noted which supergroup he
belonged to: "Miracle Force". We always see him chatting in Guardian Channel,
poking people with his Wiimote...reacting to various Mistells with the classic
"Buh?" or "o.o" Yet hardly anyone sees him. So here is the following interview
with the ever elusive Pepsiman.

His Bio States: He got hit by a pepsi truck, which is how he got
his powers. Interesting. So, I go on to ask him some questions. I was rather
blindsided by the sudden-nes of his appearance but I did the best I could.

Kahlan D'Rane: "Ok First question: What brought
you to Paragon city? (oh yeah if you can list your powersets here that would be
great too. You know to round out the whole interview n stuff)"

Pepsi: Powersets: Ice/Ice/Elec Blaster

I tried SWG for about a week, then a coworker told me about a
superhero MMO, so I jumped ship, so to speak, from Tatooine to Paragon City.
Haven't looked back ever since.

Kahlan D'Rane: Which villain group is your
favorite to beat up? Come on, I know we all have them. Who's yours????

Pepsi: Villain group.... I'd have to say Malta,
just because they look cool, and have giant robots, and it's fun freezing
sappers before they can react to me.

Kahlan D'Rane: PVP: Do you? Don't you? or does it
make you feel a little dirty on the inside when you have to go into one of
those zones??

Pepsi: PvP: occasionally with the Sunday night
arena folks on Guardian, not lately though. I enter the PvP zones very rarely.