Flarstux

That's what you ARE saying. All the time and energy the devs spend time on Trapdoor and all that he represents is time and energy they won't be spending on the aspects of the game I like. So there.

Rob, Chip, and Ernie!

So...

CoX has been crap for the past 6 years, eh? Dude! Why didn't you say something the FIRST YEAR?

According to the Paragon Wiki, the bifurcations are HIM teleporting himself into 'multiple places at once'. So when there are 45 bifurcations lounging about, they are each and every one HIM. Simultaneously. They're not really clones, or even echoes or after images - they are HIM. In multiple places. All at the same time. And this somehow increases the regen and damage resistance of the one with the name 'Trapdoor' floating above his head until and unless you defeat all the other bifurcations which are HIM existing simultaneously in a different spot but which for some reason don't gain the same benefits from all the bifurcating as the one with the name 'Trapdoor' floating above his head.

Now that you mention it I've come to the conclusion that when the Bifurcates are out of sight, they look like Festus from the TV series, Gunsmoke.

That's similar to my feelings toward Inspirations. Often, our heroes just aren't good enough without a little... bump... toot... snort... splash... hit... taste... or whatever to get them through the tough missions. Just. Plain. Not. Good. Enough. Can't cut the proverbial mustard. Even with all those enhancing enhancements.

Alternately, one might view the 'City of Heroes' as a stage upon which strange otherworldly creatures known as Insps use so-called Heroes to perform their insidious rituals - but to what end? The world may never know...

Looking at it from another angle, wouldn't it be cool if, say, when we used a red inspiration, there was a cool sound effect - bloop bloop bloop! - and our toons got BIGGER, signifying their enhanced damage potential?

Ahem. Ah. Okay. Back to the Trapdoor Man discussion.

I did not request it and both my grandmothers are dead so it's unlikely they requested it. As for any difference between the new stuff and the old, our characters' foes have been getting stronger along with our characters since level two, and we have been slotting our characters with various types of enhancements in hopes of gaining an edge over those foes for years now. Is it not so?

I would say the Winter Lord isn't a good fit there either.

Sequels are rarely as entertaining as the original. 'Aliens' being a noteworthy exception.

Here's my scientific analysis of how it's gone for my guys so far:

(Pre-patch)

Electric/ice tanker - wham bam oh gosh that lava looks painful. Bifurcates? What Bifurcates? There were Bifurcates?

Cold/ =

WS - zap zap - owie! - go fluffy go! Zap zap, yay. Did he what? Bifurcate? Eww. Look, his personal habits are none of my business I'm just here to make sure he doesn't hurt somebody.

Negative =

(Post-patch)

Widow - swish swash swish, ouchie. Swish swash swish, ouchie. Say, this isn't going well at all. All right, clear out some of these clonely guys that are just standing around looking... clonely? Right. Clear clear clear. Now, Trapdoor, back to business! Swish swash swish, ouchie. Grr. Clear out some more clonely guys. Swish swash swish, ouchie. GRR! /e Roy Orbison: Only the Clo-o-o-o-onely... now, Mr Trapdoor, it's YOUR TURN! Die, die, die! Lesson learned the silly way: kill the bifurcates.

Lethal =

Energy/energy/fire blaster: - pew pew pew! Damn, just flesh wounds! Sigh. Bifurcate roundup! Pew pew pew - ow! Like a Phoenix from the ashes... Pew pew pew! Phooey. Bifurcate roundup! Pew pew pew - ow! Grumble grumble. Pew pew pew! Bifurcate roundup! etc. until eventually, victory.

Energy/Smash =

Ice/wm - thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate thud thud bonk bonk whack-a-bifurcate etc. until eventually Trapdoor fell into the fire and couldn't rebifurcate in time to prevent the thud thud bonk bonk of doom from pounding some fear of thud thud bonk bonk into his thick skull.

Smash =

***

It would be most illuminating if I could fight him again with my electric/ice tanker and WS, as their relatively easy victories occurred prior to the last patch.

Hmm, the main difference I see in our power trays is, you have Hasten and Tough, and what appears to be Aid Self. Clearly, those three powers are overpowered and should be nerfed!

That's the result of four defeats with two trips to the Hospital. He's a busy little beaver, our friend Trapdoor.

Just did the arc in a duo - my storm/psi def and a friend running a shield/fire tanker. Why, it was almost actually *fun* that way.

Silly, you say? Silly? That's your opinion, sir or madam! I suppose you are entitled to it. I, however, happen to think more highly of our beloved devs. Sure, Trapdoor's ability to summon a seemingly infinite supply of regen-buffing clones may seem to smack of overkill at first glance, but clearly it's part of a greater plan to maximize each and every players' maximum level of fun. Don't you understand how difficult it is for the devs to create a challenge that will challenge all players without challenging any of them beyond their capacity for challenge? Don't you care about all the hours of testing and retesting, all the 'Hey, try this!' and 'Aw, hell, that doesn't work!' and 'Woo hoo, got it!' the devs must have put into creating not just this character, but this mission, this arc, this entire system? Just stop for a moment, stop right there where you are right now, and think of it. All the sweating! The slaving! The sacrificing! All just for us. And why? So that we can, for a brief, shining moment or two, or three, maybe four if we are unemployed or on vacation or independently wealthy, in which case five would not be unlikely, set aside our real lives, whether fulfilling or not, pleasantly overflowing with sunshine and roses or drab and dreary and drenched in self-deprecating gloom or just sort of going on and on in a monotonously monochromatic gray funk, and have a little fun and be entertained, all for a very small and reasonable fee. So, no, sir (or madam). I don't think it's 'silly' at all, and I, for one, will not sit here and listen to you badmouth our beloved devs!

Gentlemen!