Kirsten

I have been furiously trying to hit level 50 on my Triumph main, StrangeQuark, and it has been riDONKulous pulling stuff together. Is Triumph dead, or is it a belated April Fool's Day?

Interesting, but I like it. /signed.

It has been stated that the Tsoo are Hmong. Everyone remember this before they mention the Tsoo, to cut down on the Nitpicking. Enjoying the discussion though, and I was not complaining so much as observing the subject change in my previous post.

These are interesting ideas...especially Cybernetics and Pulse Rifle.

/signed.

Oh noes! My thredz haz bin Jak'd! Can we get back on topic? I kinda had a thought that maybe the Daimyo and their soldiers could be themed around the Four Divine Beasts of Japanese Mythology:

Seiryuu, the Azure Dragon:

*Reptilian motif, with mostly melee fighters, and the tougher foes have wood-based powers.

Seiryuu, as he has come to be called, was a skilled fighter since childhood, and a master of the Bō staff. He has come here from Kyoto for the mystic artifacts hidden at Kamijima.*(A classic Japanese Feudal lord, with all the classic traits. Very prim, proper, polite, and will pursue a vendetta to the bloody, violent, bitter end.)

Suzaku, the Vermilion Bird:

*Feathered motif, flight, very agile, high-powered foes have fire powers.

A regal and noble Daimyo, Suzaku is from a tropical southern island. He has come to retrieve the mighty artifacts he feels he deserves.*(Arrogant, and Ziggy Stardust-level flamboyant, with a theatrical flair, quite a bit like Captain Castillo.)

Byakko, the White Tiger:

*Nimble, but tough. Feline motif. Swords and claws mostly. Stronger foes have metal-based powers.

An angry warlord from the West, Byakko and his men are searching for magical power, no matter who gets in their way.*(A Ragey McAngryFace with a temper, and the strength to back it up. Like any Troll, only with better speech patterns.)

Genbu, The Black Serpent

*Slower, tougher enemies (Like Turtles) coupled with quick, toxic enemies (Like Snakes). More powerful Tortoise enemies have ice abilities, while the deadlier Snake enemies have a lot of debuffs, fast melee attacks, and DoT.

A calm, calculating Daimyo who knows when to be a tortoise, and when to be a snake, Genbu plots to take the arcane might of Kamiji for his own plans... *(Basically, something of an ancient Japanese Nemesis stand-in, except not as adept. Complete with 'powderpunk' tech based on gunpowder and far in advance of the rest of ancient Japan.)*

Is this thread dead?

OMFG!! YES!!! /SIGNEDx1,000!!!

I dunno...I don't think that would be very fun, and it might come across as a bit lazy, seeing as the cultures of Asia are very distinct, and they didn't squish together Greece & Rome in Cimerora. What I think is that we may just have two zones: Kamijima (Japanese) and nearby (Although separated by the sea) Yīngxióng Chéng (A bustling Medieval Chinese city on the mainland.).

Yingxiong Cheng:

A bustling city on the coast of China. Center of culture and trade in eastern China, and chief Imperial trade port, this vibrant city is home to not only many artists and mathematicians, but also many wealthy traders and noblemen, some corrupt, some trustworthy. There are many powerful foes, such as Emo Jiuang, the Demon King. The main hero and newfound protector of this wealthy metropolis is Bao Chu, Savior of the Sun & long-time enemy of Emo Jiuang.

/signed

Sadly, yes. Yokunai.

I like all these thoughts, but I felt that I must technically add that the Tsoo are Chinese, not Japanese. China and Japan did, in fact, interact often, but not during the Tokugawa Shogunate, due to the fact that the nation was closed to outsiders. I can imagine Proto-Tsoo warriors trying to break in and get their hands on local artifacts.

I especially like the Dragon Monster/AV idea, and while it would be good to see a little more gender diversity amongst AVs, but due to the rather...<ahem>... misogynist culture of Japan, powerful and respected women were few and far between.

I would also love an Aztec zone, and maybe even a chance to visit the Rikti world someday (and get Rikti Costume Parts) would also be something I would ardently rail for.

**DISCLAIMER: I know feudal is not ancient. It's just easier than explaining feudal Japan.**

I think we should eventually add an Ancient Japan Co-Op Zone, complete with battling Daimyo and Samurai.

This area would come complete with:

*Warring Feudal Factions: There would be at least four warring Daimyo (feudal lords) with troops in this island of Kamijima, each with their own contacts:

Seiryuu, the Azure Dragon:

*Reptilian motif, with mostly melee fighters, and the tougher foes have wood-based powers.

Seiryuu, as he has come to be called, was a skilled fighter since childhood, and a master of the Bō staff. He has come here from Kyoto for the mystic artifacts hidden at Kamijima.*(A classic Japanese Feudal lord, with all the classic traits. Very prim, proper, polite, and will pursue a vendetta to the bloody, violent, bitter end.)

Suzaku, the Vermilion Bird:

*Feathered motif, flight, very agile, high-powered foes have fire powers.

A regal and noble Daimyo, Suzaku is from a tropical southern island. He has come to retrieve the mighty artifacts he feels he deserves.*(Arrogant, and Ziggy Stardust-level flamboyant, with a theatrical flair, quite a bit like Captain Castillo.)

Byakko, the White Tiger:

*Nimble, but tough. Feline motif. Swords and claws mostly. Stronger foes have metal-based powers.

An angry warlord from the West, Byakko and his men are searching for magical power, no matter who gets in their way.*(A Ragey McAngryFace with a temper, and the strength to back it up. Like any Troll, only with better speech patterns.)

Genbu, The Black Serpent

*Slower, tougher enemies (Like Turtles) coupled with quick, toxic enemies (Like Snakes). More powerful Tortoise enemies have ice abilities, while the deadlier Snake enemies have a lot of debuffs, fast melee attacks, and DoT.

A calm, calculating Daimyo who knows when to be a tortoise, and when to be a snake, Genbu plots to take the arcane might of Kamiji for his own plans... *(Basically, something of an ancient Japanese Nemesis stand-in, except not as adept. Complete with 'powderpunk' tech based on gunpowder and far in advance of the rest of ancient Japan.)*

* A Task Force centered on finding and protecting Yata no Kagami, the Mirror used to lure the Sun goddess Amaterasu out of her cave after being harassed by her brother Susanō. This mirror is a powerful Incarnate Artifact, and its holder would be blessed with divine might. This TF would give either merits or threads upon completion, with common, uncommon, or even rare tables for very high challenge settings and getting the badges for MO.

*Battle Kappa, Tengu, Oni, and other Yōkai in the wilderness of Kamijima, and perhaps even pick up a drop of incarnate power in doing so.

*More Ancient Japanese styles! A few new hair and costume options, awarded upon completing the new Yata no Kagami TF.

*A special Giant Monster: Denketsu! This big, mean S.O.B. hates when people successfully defend the Yata no Kagami, and is prone to going on rampages whenever this occurs. This giant dragon is bigger and meaner than any other Monster, and will take many heroes to defeat.

*Yingxiong Cheng: A bustling city on the coast of China. Center of culture and trade in eastern China, and chief Imperial trade port, this vibrant city is home to not only many artists and mathematicians, but also many wealthy traders and noblemen, some corrupt, some trustworthy. There are many powerful foes, such as Emo Jiuang, the Demon King. The main hero and newfound protector of this wealthy metropolis is Bao Chu, Savior of the Sun & long-time enemy of Emo Jiuang.

EDIT:

Present-day Kamijima:
Praetorian Kamijima has held off Devouring Earth for years, protecting themselves using technology powered by the Giant Anti-Matter Generator. The attacks have become more extreme as of late, but they're holding up under the relentless onslaught (of level 40-50 content, with Incarnate rewards at 50) by drawing upon resources from both the past and future, using multi-origin time-portals to reach two other distinct periods of temporal significance, both in the Feudal past and a cybertropolis of the future.

There would also be a Primal Earth version of the zone set in the contemporary timeline, sharing Past!Kamijima. Here we will find that Rose Star, using technology from Delusion, Inc., has opened a rift to Praetoria in an attempt to damage Emperor Cole's war efforts through infiltration and subterfuge, against the wishes of W.I.S.D.O.M.'s team leader Foreshadow. She and Spark Blade have failed to check in however, and Foreshadow went after them... Now he's missing, and Mirror Spirit seeks your help in finding her lost team.

Future Kamijima:
In the years since the Time incident, Kamijima has grown into an enormous metropolis know as Saiba City. The local police, in an attempt to fight superhuman crime, have augmented their officers with cybernetics. In addition, they are trying to expel their internal corruption. The Freakshow have moved in, along with interdimensional criminals, and the battles between the two threaten to destroy the city. Will you help stop the madness, or take advantage of the chaos?

Praetorian Future Kamijima: After the Time incident, the denizens of Kamijima eventually rebuilt...but what they didn't know was that the Hamidon's beasts, even after decades, were never completely gone. Beneath Kamijima resides horrible, mutated beasts, remnants from the Devouring Earth. They have learned to move, think, and kill as one being. As more and more people disappeared, Kamijima found aid in the past...Will you help defeat these plagued beasts, or pillage what remains of Kamijima?

Story arcs ensue. {SPOILER!}Foreshadow{/SPOILER!} dies, but that's ok, because in the Saiba City), he's been reborn as a bad guy, and he's running the Syndicate, which have allied with a future Primal Tsoo. Spark Blade is stuck in the past, acting as Genbu's primary Lieutenant, based on Genbu's promise (lie) to help him find and save Rose Star, who he lost track of during a great battle between the Four Lords of Kamijima. She actually ended up back in Modern Praetoria, and got captured by Cole's forces... but instead of killing her, Cole intends to brainwash her, remaking her in his image, believing she'll be a superior heir compared to his {SPOILER!}dead granddaughter, Praetor Duncan.{/SPOILER!}

All 5 versions of the zone use (approximately) the same geometry, even if the appearance is drastically different. This is done via phasing technology, so as players advance through storylines associated with the zone, they end up in the time/dimension they need to be in (preventing the need to zone back and forth repeatedly). It also opens up options to alter the potential outcome of the storyline, and the fate of the zone, based on the choices players make during the storyline, leaving the potential for:

1) Feudal Kamijima to end up in the hands of any of the Four Lords, or remain at war,

2) The potential for Praetorian Kamijima to continue resisting or fall to Praetorian leadership, or even be destroyed by the Hamidon,

3) For Saiba City to be the future world capital, or to never have existed at all, being nothing but overgrown ruins populated by Devouring Earth monsters and a few hard pressed surviving tribes fighting for their survival.

4) Primal Kamijima could remain at relative peace, or the rift to Praetoria could shatter, leaving the island to be overrun by warring factions between the past, present, and future.

and 5) Any member of W.I.S.D.O.M. could end up dead or of different alignment by the end of it all.

Future Enemy groups:

+Primal:
*Saiba-Keisatsu:
Robotically enhanced Police Officers, with energy weapons and tough armor. They are very sturdy, but they can be defeated if their delicate synaptics are damaged (Stun), or their batteries are drained (End. Drain). The bigger they are, the more enhanced, and the tougher they get. As they move up in tiers, however, they become more susceptible.
*Tsoo, Incarnate-Level, often found chatting with Incarnate-Level Syndicate.
*Freakshow, Incarnate-level, with far more threatening (and ethnically diverse) enemies.

+Praetorian:
*Incarnate-level Resistance and IDF
*Incarnate-level Devouring Earth
*Incarnate-Level Syndicate
*Ekibyou:
People infected with a bizarre, mutated version of the Tellurian Plague, making them into grotesque creatures, free from Hamidon's influence, but possessing a feral, animalistic Hive mind. They have the ability to confuse foes, and, despite their misshapen appearance, they are quick and deadly enemies.

In addition, Each present-day version of Kamijima will have its own Task forces:
Primal Present (Unlocked after rescuing Rose Star/Destroying the GAMG): Rose Star(Hero)/Mu'Vorkan(Villain) Task force: Fight enemies across time to gain ancient Incarnate secrets/Cement Mu'Vorkan's position and gain favor with both him and Recluse by destroying Loyalist Installations and brainwashing heroes!
Praetorian Present (Unlocked after capturing/freeing Rose Star): Praetorian!Foreshadow(Resistance)/Praetorian!Mirror Spirit(Loyalist) Task Forces: Fight opposing forces to control the Praetorian future!


And anything more we might be able to think up.

I love it! This is a very unique idea which I think has promise.

/SIGNED!

/Signed. I like the idea, and hope the Devs will, too.

/Signed. I feel that some leaguers get the bum rap too often.

I've got one:

Energy Judgement
You hold your open hand forward and let loose a huge swarm of arcing orbs of energy that collide violently with the target, exploding with massive knockback and damage to the target and all in the immediate vicinity.

That sounds like it could be interesting... /signed.

This is a brilliant Idea, but as everyone else stated, this would be hard for the Dev people to implement. I like the Rikti Monkey one, though.

Actually, Divine and Spirit are named as separate origins by War Witch in the Origin of Power arc, as are Psychics by Sister Psyche in the same arc (although I suppose Psychics were absorb into Mutation after it came along). Magitech is describing the idea of "The whole is more than the sum of its parts", the idea that combining technology and magic can create something different from either one.

I got bored one day and got the idea for new origins that I thought would be interesting.

Divine: You are empowered by the gods, be it by distant descent, or by divine providence. (Thor; Basically, like incarnates in power source, except they only start with the tiniest dribble of power.)

Magitech: You are empowered by a mixture of magic and technology, a potent mix indeed. (Anton Arcane, Tin Mage, Marks I and II)

Psionic: Your mental prowess as a Psion is unmatched. Your powers can manifest in much more than simple mental bursts, though. (Madame Xanadu, Malaise and Sister Psyche. There's actually an in-universe explanation for this one.)

Spirit: You have some contact with the spirit world, be it through reincarnation, a spirit guide or a direct physical bond. (Aang, The Banished Pantheon)

I think the praetorian Recluse is a friendly guy called "Daddy-Long-Legs", a hippy-ish guy who watches over a small community of people who felt that Cole's Regime was wrong, but felt that fighting was unnecessary. Fond of granola.

Heart Mastery ('cause Heart Is An Awesome Power!) *Only the tropers will get that...

It's a support set made up of heal powers, not as strong as Empathy or Pain Domination, but helpful.

Healing Aura
Heal Other
Clear Mind
Reconstruction
Revive

And perhaps a favor of the well could be used to make 2 empyreans?

Alright, I have two ideas for Signatures for a char I have, an Energy/Energy Blaster called StrangeQuark:

Wave-Motion Blast: A Massive PBAoE attack that bathes the surrounding area in energy, and "energy bubbles", dealing damage to all nearby, knocking them back, and disorienting them. Quark is exhausted by it, however, and he is drained of all endurance and disoriented for a short period of time.

===OR===

SuperString: StrangeQuark fires an arcing bolt of exotic particle of varying colors, dealing Extreme damage to a single target, and lesser damage to those around the target, as well as knocking all effected back. There is also an Energy DoT for those effected by it. Quark is drained by it, however, and he is exhausted of all endurance and disoriented for a short period of time.


Do you suppose different builds could have separate Sig powers?