Lycantropus
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Posts
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Sorry, did a quick pass over it one last time to be sure and had to change the arc ID to 540613 because of the end clue having a typo (like I said, I can be my own worst critic). My apologies, and I hope you look forward to trying the arc out!
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Quote:Thanks, I really appreciate it!Originally Posted by Winterminal
I consider it is a real shame that so many new players are blowing past the older content in favor of fast and easy progression (DFB, DIB, etc.). So I am going to have to check this out. Looking forward to it, Lycantropus!
Oh, I screwed up, the arc ID# is 540613 I was going over it and found one small detail was off. Fixed it, but had to republish to fix it
This was what I meant about being a perfectionist LOL. The end clue was Manticore saying Carla Brunelli being a lawyer when she's a gun dealer. Oh well! -
A while back after having a conversation on the "City Life" board, I got the idea to update the very, very old story arcs that weren't attached to sets of arcs or anyhing like that. So, I hiked up my sleeves and started this endeavour. I call it the "Freedom Style" series.
I really thought this was an important project, because there's a LOT of great lore in those missions new folks are missing, even though the telling is... less than stellar. What can I say, the mission tech and storytelling in this game has improved much over the years. Plus, I needed to do this for myself. I'm my own worst critic, and have created dozens of stories with the AE, and never published a one.
Going over the Paragon Wiki, there's 33 such storylines I'll attempt to write, and update them to include a chance to run with the members of city's signature heroes, and where possible, fight against it's most depraved villains.
From the 'good' Doctor Vahzilok to putting a stop to the Envoy of Shadows, I shall endeavour to update these arcs using as much of the original material (and even dialogue) as possible, only building on the story to include actually getting to know the city's signature characters, and flesh out the personalities of the contacts themselves.
So, without further ado, I present to you
Quote:I'm making a promise to myself to commit to this project, and will have the next one (002 The Clockwork Captive: Freedom Style) Hopefully by the first of March, and barring unusual circumstances, attempt to publish at least one a month from here on out.001 Bonefire: Freedom Style!
Arc ID# 540613
This is a retelling of the Bonefire story within the continuum of Freedom. It goes on the premise you've run the Shining Stars story arc and have met Manticore previous to this story arc. This is the first in the FREEDOM Style series. I hope you enjoy!
And as I said previously... I hope you enjoy! -
A while back after having a conversation on these boards, I got the idea to update the very, very old story arcs that weren't attached to sets of arcs or anyhing like that. So, I hiked up my sleeves and started this endeavour. I call it the "Freedom Style" series.
I really thought this was an important project, because there's a LOT of great lore in those missions new folks are missing, even though the telling is... less than stellar. What can I say, the mission tech and storytelling in this game has improved much over the years. Plus, I needed to do this for myself. I'm my own worst critic, and have created dozens of stories with the AE, and never published a one.
Going over the Paragon Wiki, there's 33 such storylines I'll attempt to write, and update them to include a chance to run with the members of city's signature heroes, and where possible, fight against it's most depraved villains.
From the 'good' Doctor Vahzilok to putting a stop to the Envoy of Shadows, I shall endeavour to update these arcs using as much of the original material (and even dialogue) as possible, only building on the story to include actually getting to know the city's signature characters, and flesh out the personalities of the contacts themselves.
So, without further ado, I present to you
Quote:I'm making a promise to myself to commit to this project, and will have the next one (002 The Clockwork Captive: Freedom Style) Hopefully by the first of March, and barring unusual circumstances, attempt to publish at least one a month from here on out.001 Bonefire: Freedom Style!
Arc ID# 540613
This is a retelling of the Bonefire story within the continuum of Freedom. It goes on the premise you've run the Shining Stars story arc and have met Manticore previous to this story arc. This is the first in the FREEDOM Style series. I hope you enjoy!
And as I said previously... I hope you enjoy! -
Quote:Actually I was given to understand that they attempted to balance the mobs around the idea of IO'd out Incarnate players?Originally Posted by DMystic
Fair point, however I think an SO only build(though I doubt there are many of those still around) would have a much harder time and DA has to be built with those in mind.
I could easily be wrong though, not sure where I read that or got that impression, and frankly am too lazy to look it up
However, it would really surprise me that someone would work at building themselves up in the Incarnate system and going through all those hoops crafting them, and NOT bother with IO's in some form or another as well... -
Thanks for the well-thought out response! I'll just respond to yours since you address most of the things others have pointed out as well.
Quote:That, for me, is depending on which character I'm playing at the time, and difficulty settings. I have a few 'tricked out' 50's that don't do so well against the Talons and all their debuffs. Only one I didn't have any trouble with them on was my MM.Originally Posted by TrueMetal
I agree. The thing is that the masses of 'them' aren't a challenge, can't stand against me as it is. They just melt away.
Well I soloed the arc with my namesake (level 50+3 Scrapper) at +4 X1 w/bosses (I just wanted to have some challenge but not too much because I was more into the story) and did the same thing, so it's very do-able. That Cimeroran missions was a PITA though.Quote:I did that arc (all of them actually) on a brute/corruptor duo. We were +3 so we made them +3. We were already at x8 cause that's standard for us. We skipped the whole Malta part and knocked out the Praetorian because we didn't want the help (that was actually in character for my partners character too, since he was running the arc). Despite all the in story warnings over how hard it would be, it wasn't. Fun? yes. There were a lot of people to smack around and it was new, so it was fun. But challenging? No, not at all. I didn't even notice the EB at the end was an EB untill I encountered another one in a later mission. Anticlimactic? Yes. Very. 
Well they came close with those mobs of bosses (all with Unstoppable) in the Cimmeroran mission. Now those were some fights LOL.Quote:And that's the point I'm trying to make. I just want to have the option to make it more challenging. It doesn't take anything away from the current situation. You can still put your difficulty at -1 and carve a path through greys while cackling maniacally if you like.
No I wouldn't. I couldn't care less what they're called or what rank they have. That's not the point at all. I just want something to fight that doesn't melt when I look at it funny. It's anticlimactic and boring. Having a lot of them at once just makes it less boring. They still die at about the same speed.
Have a mob of AV's try to overcome me! Now you're thinking!
That might be part of the disconnect for me. I fight with bosses on. If they were all lt's instead, I could see it being a lot more anticlimactic. I also admit they might could pad out the EB's with a little more HP to draw the fight out a bit, but otherwise, I find them appropriate adversaries.
True, but with these missions there's more bosses and lt's regularly appearing in the groups. At my previously mentioned setting in the Cimeroran mission, the first mobs had like, 2 bosses, 3-4 lt's and 5-6 minions... at X1 w/bosses. I'm looking forward to seeing how big they get with my SG together running it.Quote:CoH has always been about a large groups of enemies. And standing as a few against many. That's nothing new. The game if full of those events. The final fight in the first and third mission, lag hill, the final mission, all of it actually, the end battle of the LGTF, Assault on the Malta base in LRSF, Eden Trial. All great events were a small group of us fights a massive horde of enemies AND some big baddies to anchor the whole thing on so the battle isn't over in seconds (/petpeeve maybe if people did less pulling and more mindless charging they'd experience it as such /petpeeve).
We're not as far as I'm concerned. I'm really not that passionate about it to argue. Good conversation though.Quote:Great! Why are we even arguing?
The desire is not nonsensical. I understand that some of the group mechanics reqire more than one memeber to do, but I bet I could do a BAF with my SG (6-7 players) if it were scaled to fit those reqirements (and I'd be able to convince them to do it every once in a while- a lot of the SG is kind of insular hate 'PuGging' on the scale required of trials). I also think I should be able to try solo if I wanted, knowing I'd probably fail in the 'keep prisoners from escaping' phase. Of course, I understand the high likelyhood of failure for solo attempts but it might be possible for 2 players to do it, and for the same folk that want the challenge to fight AV's solo, why are players barred from even attempting a Manticore solo, for example? That's the only point I was making. One of the coolest things they did when they retired the old Positron TF was make it possible to run in Oroborous.Quote:Oh right.
Again, this is so nonsensical.
I think there are very few people who want 'team specific' content just for the sake of it being team specific, or to spite the soloers or whatever.
The thing about the iTrials and that sort of gameplay is that it uses mechanics and sets challenges that simply cannot be done by a single (or very small group of) players. They REQUIRE the cooperation between a group of players. That is why people want and play those things. Because it's a different type of gameplay. If you made them into a single player version, hey whatever, but then they aren't trials anymore but simple missions (or arcs) just like the DA stuff. You'd have to take out the mechanics and tone down the challenges because they're physically impossible for a single player to complete.
On the other hand, if they did it and it was easy to fail solo folks would complain about that too. Can't win for losing, I suppose.
The same could be said for... just about everything BUT the trials. Why are the TF/SF's required to have 4 or more? All it would take for solo attemps would, at the very most, allow for those AV's to be EB's (unless the player wanted AV's) and normal mission scaling would take care of everything else. Exact same argument (trials aside).Quote:While all the devs have to do to turn a 'solo mission' into 'group content' is, well, nothing at all! The game makes everything standard accessible for groups up to 8 people and scales stuff accordingly. Except in Dark Astoria were for some reason EBs don't scale up to AVs.
From that perspective, it isn't as silly as folks are making it out to be. Nor do I think that would end teaming, or the desire to do them in big teams, as some people fear. If it did, that should be a red flag for a whole different reason though... But as easy as general team forming and communications are, I don't think lack of teaming has ever been an issue in this game unless folks work funky hours or are on low pop servers (and for them, this would be a big boon).
Been there, done that (for about 2 months straight once... never again) and you came off quite coherent.Quote:I just got off my 7th night shift in a row a couple of hours ago and haven't gone to bed yet. So if my post seems incoherent, I'm going to blame it on that.
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Quote:But therein lay the argument between the 'group' content and the 'solo/small-team' content.Originally Posted by UberGuy
If there were no Incarnate trials, I think this might have something to it. But there are, so I don't think this is the case. I just don't think they're creating that kind of design dichotomy between the two.
Keep in mind, I'm not against the concept of the AV settings, especially if 'solo/small team' settings are included in what is currently considered trial/TF content.
What's good for the goose, and all that...
Anyone has arguments, the old Posi TF should be more than enough proof that it can be done. -
Quote:Now this is a legitimate argument because it addresses the 'appearances' of making underpowered AV's.Originally Posted by _Psi_
My problem with that idea of "EBs are the representation of you getting stronger" argument is that it's a completely false feeling.
Incarnate abilities are supposed to make us stronger, supposed to make us more able to perform our super heroic (or villainous) duties. But the idea that an enemy has to be cut down to EB levels utterly falsifies that intention.
You might as well cut down the entire incarnate storyline and powers and just remove AVs from the game if that's your idea of getting more powerful.
Now, me? I'd like to actually get more powerful than get a handicap like having my enemies be underpowered.
However, if I may posit, that'd end up in a 'power creep' problem that ED and Issue 6 sought to avoid.
The EB vs AV argument could in this case, be made as an avoidance of such power creep. Otherwise, when Batallion and the next 'threat' appear, it would require a new categorization to apply to the conning system. Folks have already balked the currencey systems in this game (inf, merits, salvage, shards, threads, etc)... How do you think they'd react to a new conning system?
Yeah.
So they adjust how we view the conning system works at the Incarnate level.
Make sense?
I'm really not trying to be snarky. I really think this is the adjustment in perspective they're trying to achieve in the 'next level' of play. Otherwise, why would we face against a team of 6+ BOSS level characters as a single mob in a mission?
I also think it's the correct choice, and advise them to stay the course in this regard.
When we're 50(+5-6) or whatever in this system... I'm sure the AV's will be the new bosses while EB's will be the new Lt's in the 'solo system'... Where in the iTrials of that era level we fight against level 54 (+3-5's). It'll scale, it's just in how it's percieved. -
Quote:No, no. I get where Johnny's coming from (or I think I do). It's a pretense of power. I've lurked these forums a long time. A LOT more than I've posted, but I think there's an important point here that the Dev's are starting to explore and I... personally... want to encourage.Originally Posted by TrueMetal
It's a non-argument that you can't back up other than with selfishness.
I am a soloist. And duo/trio player. And iTrial runner. And badger. And a whole lot of things more. And I want to have the option to bash on AV's solo or duo if I feel like it.
It wouldn't diminish DA in any way for you or anyone else. Except in your own head, maybe. Your 'principle' is nothing but petty childishness.
Having a single entity that can stand up to us in the "I" (incarnate) game shouldn't happen, where masses of 'them' (NPC's, etc) can, reverse the tables, and challenge, the perspective of the "I" game.
Why should the minions not be made underlings and the lt's made minions? Because we WANT the reward of minions. On the other hand, we WANT challenge to overcome and feel powerful over because we're Incarnates. This level of progression (or sense thereof) is important. Don't misunderstand the desire to overcome opponents, with a desire for 'lack of challenge'. Challenge can be achieved with (skilled) less challenging foes in numbers without utilizing blatantly overpowered individual foes, you have to overcome. If you ask me, they explore this in the "Talons of Vengance" as a group. There's a LOT of DeBuffs and such in the group, and when you face them it's in higher numbers than normal. I prefer this to a "Bag of Hit Points" at the end of the mission to add gravitas to it.
I'll ask you this. If they changed the 'title' tag from AV's to EB's, without changing anything else, would you 'feel better'? That's what they're jockeying about now with the Incarnate content. Listen to what I'm saying- this is important and what they're 'fishing' for. I bet everything they're working on a system that takes groups of NPC's into account instead of individuals, as the new power to 'overcome'. It's NOT about the one overpowered NPC, it's about the mass of NPC's that attack your personage. It's a change in perspective, going from 'being one of the mob' to 'being what the mob needs to overcome'.
Like before being an "INCARNATE" when a mob of us 'overcomes' an AV, those NPC's now look to find mobs to 'overcome' us "THE INCARNATES".
I wasn't kidding when I've said we became the new AV's. the 'old' AV's and NPC now have become the mass of players that have to overcome US. That's the point of the INCARNATE content from what I can tell... and if you ask me, it's BRILLIANT for those reasons alone. I just think it takes some time for the MMO industry and it's overall base to wrap its head around.
To pull two of the oldest posters that I've followed, that have had extremely different viewpoints, together. I present this philosophy that takes two different players I have disagreed with (and agreed with, and admired, as players) over the years.
Johnny_Butane wanted the power-trip fantasty. Samuel_Tow wanted more than that, because story was important. Now I shall add a third, less tangible answer that has to be addressed:
The 'super hero' genre wanted it, because it was part of the legacy of what it means to be a SUPER hero.
(This has been handled in varying degrees with various 'artists' in the studio before and since, and is best left to a different forum)
I-22 DEFINED IT (as far as I'm concerned). PERIOD. IT HAS BEEN THE BEST UPDATE THE DEV'S HAVE MADE, TO DATE, BECAUSE WITH THE DIFFICULTY SLIDER, IT APPEALS TO BOTH (and with that statement uphold the EB-AV argument as well because it's valid-and EITHER WAY (hero or villain, because I believe either of my 'main's' could survive and overcome a -3 AV if I wanted to try it- though have only gone against EB's because I want the story more) IT'S AWESOME!!!ELLLEVENTYONE)
So I go against Johnny's desire to not allow AV's because I wouldn't mind seeing what my level 50+3 MM would do against an level 50 AV. Would it be any tougher than the level 54 EB. I chose my Scrapper to face? Maybe, but I think there should be the option to try if I want and Sam overcoming all odds and being the hero he wants, is exactly what he wants, but 'within the system' to solo a level 50 while playing a level 54? I think he has a right to try. (Really not trying to call out names here, but these two have very strong feelings about what it means to be "super" that I agree with even though they sometimes find themselves on different keys of the board, so to speak")
So. If anything. I completely support Johnny's ideals while conceding the idea of "why not making them AV's for those who want it" also legit.
However, I love ALL inclusiveness and wouldn't mind seeing solo versions of the TF's and iTrials for my solo characters. No, I don't see why there should be 'team specific' content if there's no acceptance of 'solo/small team' content at the end of the day, so that supports Johnny's argument.
But I was up late last night, and up late again tonight and still adjusting to the 'spring forward' effect... and rather punch drunk with sleep deprivation so what do I know other than this is how I feel?
Basically, I agree with everyone, but here are my reasons why everyone's argument is legit. -
I kind of have to agree with Johnny on this one, for two reasons.
One, it could be actually be semi-disruptive to teaming. How many folks will sit for a half hour trying to get 6 folks for the DFB trial so it'll spawn the AV's when you can readily go with 4 then check again after the 20 minute or so run? This is different in that it's readily fixable by the difficulty settings, but not all players will do that. They want the 6-8 on teams for the easy steamroll, otherwise "LOL that's to hard, 4get it!" (yes, I've seen this argument). I'll admit, this is a very, very minor argument, and I suspect the real reason is my second point.
Two, we're told over and over throughout the arc that while there are powerful beings out there, nothing can truly match the power of an incarnate. This mechanic 'forces' us to understand that, and underscores just how powerful we really are at this point. There's an AV of Requiem, Romulus, Reichsman, etc. in game, which proves to me that this is not an oversight on the dev's part. The fact these once fearsome opponents have been diminished is part of the 'working as intended' in our ascension as incarnates.
Basically, they're not less powerful, you're just that much more powerful, and the EB thing is just a game mechanic to demonstrate that.
Ultimately, I don't care either way, but I don't think it's a bug or oversight, and working just as they intended it to be...
So that way we can't complain when they sic the really nasty pancakes on us in the next installment... As demonstrated in a couple misisons (a particular Cimeroran one comes to mind...). I'm thinking they're going to focus on 'strength in numbers' against us vs singular powerful opponents. This can make us 'feel' even more powerful than fighting a single thing that's more powerful than us.
Now Incarnates are the AV's, and the old AV's and NPC's are the players that have to swarm us to have a chance. That's power.
I imagine that perspective shift is what it means to be an incarnate. -
Quote:I was actually really, really lucky in that I didn't realize I'd neglected to do it until I'd finished everything else and was going over my contacts after I finished the arc.Originally Posted by Golden Girl
A warning to strict soloers who like story resolution - do not play Domiatrix's personal story mission - it undermines the apparent success you've had in her story arc, and sets up a major plot point that isn't resolved until the DD Trial.
I'd thought maybe it just wasn't available 'til after I'd finished the Dream Doctor arc...
Actually, that would be really cool if they fixed the way it works to do just that. It really made a lot of sense if you did it after everything else. It was a nice epilogue that bridged the arc to the DD trial. -
Quote:No, it's worse. They're Character bound, in that only the character that collects it can access it. I found that out the hard way.Originally Posted by Johnny_Butane
Since we can't sell or trade these, AFAIk, I'd love to be able to convert them into something. Yes, I know you can probably transfer them to an alt, but it's always nice to have other options.
Oh, and Vanguard merits too. I'm sitting on a ton of them and there's not enough Gr'ai Matter and Heavy Cores in the world.
Heck, I'd be happy if they were at least Account bound so I could transfer them to an alt that could use it, much less being able to trade or sell them.
I have no idea why they decided this is the way it should be, and I REALLY hope they fix this in a future patch. Even the ATO's that these are used on merely become Account bound... so I really don't get the exclusivity. -
Quote:Mog?Originally Posted by Zombie Man
I just went through all the arcs again and it was just in two missions if I recall correctly that had the Mog (Mott fog). One was appropriately present, the other inexplicably. And this is a whole lot better than it was in Beta when a whole bunch of mission inexplicably had the Mog.
Joking aside though, I really like the effect. That and the tentacle screen effect, and I bet the 'snowstorm' from the last Winter Event is related to the same tech. I really hope they add more 'atmospheric' effects like that in the future. Expanding on these effects may allow for all kinds of 'weather' in Paragon and the Isles without causing video cards to crash and making the servers want to practice seppuku.
I miss the fog too, but that's why I made sure to have the teleporter beacon Echo: Dark Astoria in the base (that now takes 4 to get them all, which once took 9 and didn't have enough to add everything )
Anyway... I think this tech is really cool, and hope they add more effects for various reasons in the zones and in missions as they move forward. -
Quote:Okay, as a guy, this being the first response after my diatribe...Originally Posted by JayboH
When I die, if someone wants to leave a memorial honoring how epic my crotch supposedly was, I think that's pretty darn awesome, as a male anyway.
I LOL'd -
Quote:I honestly swear that wasn't the first thing that came to mind when I saw that screen.Originally Posted by Scythus
Just for that, I'll be showing up at your house and wave my crotch in your face and we'll see how YOU like it.
There's nothing wrong with the stance, but the angle is like... "Uh... am I playing a game or did I go to a exotic dance club for necrophiliacs?"
After everything's been said, the 'shattered star' picture may have been a better choice, and I might have preferred it myself, but I really didn't see the 'crotch in face' 'til someone pointed it out. Now, I can be rather perverse... ask my wife, or my SG when I'm doing commentary (then we can all be a bit 'out of line' but we only do so on vent ).
Honestly, I just get tired of 'artistic' being okay if it means 'full frontal' on females but not on men (and the fact that Statesman is in spandex, being negligible to that debate overall because of that sophmoric idiology) is still made an issue of, is just silly, and an insult to the artist that created it.
David Nakayama (or someone on his staff, I don't know for sure he made this picture in particular) is a professional comic artist that Paragon Studios hired to do artwork for them. As an artist myself, I consider the reaction to what he's trying to portray as something that some consider pornogaphy (or a lack thereof, depending on whoose responding) as an affront to artistry in particular, as immature and worthy of condemnment. If people are talking 'crotch in face' as the line between art and pornography as the differential here, think about that before you speak.
He (or someone on his staff, as stated previously) created a piece of artwork as an homage to Statesman, baring his chest in defiance to whatever powers unknown (presumably Wade, but can mean anything) to present as the log-in screen.
If some folks see it as a 'crotch thrust-in their face' I can't argue their personal accessment of the artwork itself; but, personally, I am offended that's the basic assumption toward the artwork itself and felt the need to point it out. Feel free to request a different picture, but don't call it something it was never intended to be, and request a change. Just request an option to change splash-screens if you really feel the need.
To reiterate. I feel no animosity toward this picture. On the other hand, if you came into my house and waved your genitals in my face, prepare for them to get punched (at the very least) I'm spoken for!
Lyc~ the 'already spoken for' werewolf -
Quote:Thank you. You have no idea how irritated I am over this kind of overreaction to stuff like this, and the focus people put on such things.Originally Posted by InfamousBrad
Dude, calm down with the gay panic. Nobody is going to think that you're gay just because your game's splash screen has a picture of guy in tights and a dance belt, shot from a low angle. Sometimes a superhero is just a superhero. Your male privilege is still intact.
It's the same reaction I feel when it's the focus of converstaion about Watchmen. Beyond it's wonderfuly acted parts, the direction and cinemetograpy (for the most part) taking and making a movie that all but transitioned between the frames directly out of the book, the complex story elements involving the individuals and how their existence changed history as we know it in their reality, down to the lighting, costuming, and music that pulled it all together to pay homage to one of the "go to" references for 'comics and 'graphic novels as art'
OMGBIGBLUEPIPE!!!eleventyone11!!!
...
I once watched the full, extended edition (with the Black Freighter tie-in) with the express purpose of seeing how many times we see said 'pipe' clearly and obviously. It's twice. The same ammount of times we see it in the comics- and I can guarantee for less than five minutes over the entire course of a 215 minute movie. Anything more and folks are focusing way too much on it, or looking for it.
Full frontal nudity on a female "OH cool hur hur"!
Full frontal nudity on a guy and people overreact and the news talks about it for a week...
Really?
REALLY?
Grow up, people.
David made an awesome log-in screen in homage to Statesman, and folks feel the need to focus on the crotch of the character in the drawing. Appreciate it for the work of art it is... I think there's less problems with the drawing, and more soul searching some folks need to do for themselves... if you catch my drift... No... I'm not trying to be funny.
That said... This is awesome!
I don't think I'd want it for a log-in screen for myself, but I have a friend who used to play that would love it, and a few who would probably start playing just for that title screen.Quote:Originally Posted by Alien
And now- The Moral of this Story:
Now if you want to talk about being able to choose which log-in screen you want to have, I'm all for that. I remember folks submitted a bunch for an overlay, though I have no idea how to do it, but I think that would be awesome. Stuff like having our characters standing in Oroborous, on high tech teleport pads, or arcane circles, etc, would be really cool to log in to.
I'd also like to choose if I'm in a 'neutral' stance or 'aggressive' with weapons drawn (and combat auras on) from the character select screen. That would be neat if I just wanted to show off a particular weapon to a friend, or just like admiring my character's looks.
What I mean is, if you don't like the screen, try and find a nice way of saying "I don't like this screen, I'd like the option to choose different ones"? Maybe you'd come off a little less immature. Just sayin'.
Lyc~ the 'hint-by-eight when a clue-by-four doesn't cut it' werewolf. -
Quote:ALWAYS, doom tomorrow.Originally Posted by Organica
No doom today.
Doom tomorrow.
I'm happy with the release, and look forward to all the other goodies in store in the future. A little more head's up would have been nice, but it sounds like you didn't know 'til it happened, so there it is. -
Quote:I don't know that game, but on the old Sega system, A, B, B, A, C, A, B often unlocked a cheat if you entered that in the start menu. At least I know it did for Shadowrun (awesome game) and Mortal Kombat, and a few others off the top of my head. However, I've slept since then. It may have been hinting to that?Originally Posted by Montaugh
I once spent HOURS running around in Lunar Silver Star Story (on the sega CD) pressing A, B, B, A everywhere looking for some magical hidden room because I thought the NPC was telling me to press A, B, B, A to find it. Finally I got frustrated and called the tip line (because I was a kid back then and it was the thing to do when you got stuck in a game)... they were wondering what I was talking about and so I pointed them to the NPC and told them what they said, they informed me that it was a joke about ABBA the musical group, and I was like The Who.. and they said no ABBA, The Who are a different group. I was not the most musically inclined kid.
...
I need to plug my Sega back into the TV and play Shadowrun again sometime soon...
EDIT: Are those numbers coordinates in the game? I never did learn how to read them to find stuff. -
Quote:I agree with this.Originally Posted by Tyger
Remember how we were all asking for an upgrade to the Circle of Thorns outfits?
Remember how we were all asking for the Kheldian sash?
I don't remember the first but I definitely remember the second.
Now, my Warshade has finally taken over his host (for the most part- as a Rogue he occasionally can influence the parasite) and has gone Nictus, as his posessor was always intended him to be after Going Rogue, and doesn't care about the sash. I have no Peacebringer to appeal to, really.
That said, I see no reason that something as "Iconic" to the Kheldan concept as that sash NOT being included as an option. I remember when Kheld's first came out. I remember the desire for the sash, and it's recurrance over the years.
The fact that it's made (albeit for the "carnie" set) and still not available across genders tells me the costume design folks are newer than these requests, and not evil by design (especially with Dink weighing in on costume topics recently) but more... less aware of the request/desire.
It doesn't affect me either way (currently... though I may get a character concept just from posting about this) but it might in the future. I'd rather have the option to create a Sunstorm "acolite" that accepts the sash as his desire to be a Kheld, free from the bonds of possession those before he/she is known for, or in recompense as a Warshade for those they've already possessed.
On the other hand...
IF that's why it's ported over, I wouldn't allow the costume part for any other character than PB's and Warshades. If for no other reason than I'm a pancake like that.
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Wasn't really happy about the choice of Mark Ruffalo, not because I think he'll do a bad job, but more from the cognitive dissonance of them not being able to settle on a Banner (there's been three, counting the Avengers movie, since his revival in film and there's been three movies with him in it- counting the up-coming Avengers movie).
However once I saw who was doing the voice of the "Incredible" Hulk, I had to forgive and forget.
Check who the voice of "The Incredible Hulk" is! (If you only found the voice actor of the Hulk... keep looking)
I have to admit, it made my inner-fanboy let go of everything and just wait for the ride that will be the Avengers.
As an aside, I'm really surprised at myself for that one simple fact making me feel better about the whole movie.
However, I'm also surprised at how much I could have gotten past in X-Men 3 if Phoenix actually "flared up"...
...before Wolverine killed her... looking back on it, at any rate.
So what do I know? -
There was a point when... somewhere in Alpha testing of City of Villains, I was given to understand there was actually some 'mini-games' you could participate in at the Golden Giza. I think that was a capitol idea, but unfortunately somewhere in the mix, someone decided this could be seen as 'online gambling' and it didn't fly. I feel bad about that, because I'd love to see 'mini-game' slot machines, and 'mini-game' Pinball', 'Poker', or 'Blackjack' games incorporated... especially into St. Martial. I'd probably spend time in there just having fun 'til my SG showed up some nights.
As it is, there's legalities and such. Even for fictional currency apparently.
As for the other concepts, I have no problem with the previously suggested "Cat in a Tree" scenario" where basically a random child calls out because their cat is stuck in a tree. It's a 'Zowie' and you free the cat by clicking it to the gratitude (and inspiration gift) of the little girl. Or the 'mugging' of a random Rogue Island Citizen, which produces the same effect.
Hell, I have suggested (and it is my only permanent AE mission) having random citizen spawns throughout zones that their purse/wallet has been stolen for heroes to talk to and get a very short 'door mission' to get it back- while villians have the option of gaining the loyalty of informants and thugs who got double crossed who'd help them after they just got betrayed... well you get the idea.
I like the idea of coming up with more ways of personalizing, and coming up with more 'between the frames' things for our characters to do.
Just going to a hospital, as you suggested, is nice, but how about a 'tip' or arc of some kind (maybe dependent upon your origin) that has you go and rescue a hospital from a particular character. Take Comatorium for example. Someone who doesn't trust outsiders to take care of ANYONE, and seeks to foment that distrust. Now attach that to Origin... Now attach that to alignment... Now attach that to where you park at for 'Day Job' status, and for how long. How many derivations can you see emerging that cater to the most ammount of players?
When you start taking everything from Origin, Alignment, and as you suggest where you park, into account, there's a bunch of options you can play with.
This is, of course, presuming there's enough writers and programmers to create such missions, but it would be a sweeeeet concept if they did. But I'm of the mind the more stuff made for Heroes, Vigilantes, Rogues, AND Villains, the better. -
Quote:And in some cases outright deluded, or even more villainous than villains themselves in my opinion, particularly if you're a vigilante in the Rogue Isles.Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
The weird thing is that Vigilantes are depicted as considerably bigger dicks than Rogues, and I'm not sure why that is. Rogues are, for the most part, bad guys, but they're lovable bad guys with a heart of gold. All of the Rogue tips have you bowing out of the actually nasty evil and just sticking to helping yourself, and occasionally helping others with the excuse of helping yourself. Vigilantes, by contrast, are depicted as jerks who want to kill and cripple people and come off as considerably more malicious than Rogues and much closer to proper villains.
The thing is, the Dev's seem to treat Vigilantes and Rogues as nothing more than a transitional alignment, which to be fair it was intended to be, but I honestly believe player motivations reach beyond the initial conception.
A good breakaway from that, and something I've asked for in the past, is to have Rogue Isle "Vigilante" missions and Paragon "Rogue" missions. The Rogue Isles Vigilante can work with a Longbow contact (or some other hero group depending on level Legacy, Wyvern, etc...) and do what other heroes can't, or refuse to do- take the fight to the Rogue Isles- whatever that means. Conversely I have villains that don't want to live by Arachnos' rules and will 'play nice' to get access to Paragon, taking advantage of their trickery to wreak havok on Paragon City with Rogue tip missions.
As it is, the current Rogue in Paragon has to play 'goodie two shoes' and the Vigilante has to become... from what I can tell... a demented self-deluding lunatic that in some cases takes villainy to a higher level than some villain missions. Neither of which really embrace the ideals of a Rogue or Vigilante, but I'm sure are fine for characters on the verge of becoming full-blown heroes or villains, which again is the point of the original "Going Rogue" system. When on the other side, your only option is to be a hero or a villain.
I think our (the player's) desires reach beyond just becoming heroes and villains, but being something in between. The Vigilante who has the will to bring justice to the Isles, no matter what, to the Rogue who will put on a good face if it means they can plunder Paragon for everything it has!
As for following the storyline of the NPC's (which is where the core relevance lies) You couple all of that with the fact you have to run the gamut between each of the alignments to get the full story of each 'Rogues Gallery' hero and villain's decents/ascents in the storyline for the missions to make any sense (been trying to do that recently) and there's a huge issue for story comprehension. There should be enough stories between the Hero, Vigilante, Rogue, AND Villain missions to make the story behind the tip transitions valid. Otherwise, it comes off as a lot of WTF?! (believe me, I know. I used to run nothing but hero tips on my main, and didn't bother exploring the other options until recently)
For me, at least, I think that's where the biggest point of disconnect occurs story wise, and our heroes, vigilantes, rogues, nor villains, should be forced to compromise their respective values to understand the story they're trying to sell us...
If that makes any sense?
Lyc~ the phylosophical werewolf -
Quote:Good point. So there's already some groundwork there. I didn't even think of the timer for the length of a story arc or TF. Yeah, that would sove the timer problem too. Don't attach it to a mission, attach it to the front of a story arc when they start one (if they have the setting to have a timer added). In fact, they could add a lot of those choices to the Fateweavers and Hero Corps as general difficulty options. Like all the other settings, they'd only apply when it's their mission.Originally Posted by MajorDecoy
Challenge conditions like this exist already in Oroboros and for Task Forces.
1) I remember the War Wall mission. Yeah, that was a PITA.Quote:There are a number of problems with allowing more missions to be failed.
1) It would introduce new technology. That's not a bad thing, but there are often problems with new tech in the game. I know that the first time I ran the "Protect the War Wall generators" all the generators were destroyed within about a minute of entering the map. I never even saw them. That's frustrating.
2) Escourt missions and game AI. Everyone complains about Fusionette, Lady Jane, General Runs Screaming into melee and hits things with his pistol, and the like.
3) Balance. The archetypes that would have the most trouble with missions like "protect soundso" are Stalkers and Blasters. Archetypes that don't really need any more trouble soloing: Stalkers and Blasters (blasters much more so).
4) Why does being defeated mean failure for a Dark Armour Tank, a Fiery Aura Tank, or a Willpower tank? I don't like taking my Radiation defender on "Master of ---" Taskforces because it means I won't be able to use Fallout, Mutation, Soul Transfer, or Vengeance.
2) Well allowing the Escorts to be attacked isn't the same as saying they're going to go and get aggro of their own volition. They'd still just follow you.
3) That's why it'd be a choice, just like any of the other difficulty settings.
4) Again, just an option
I'm not going to defend these ideas too hard, I was just tossing them out there. I probably wouldn't even use most of them most of the time, but some folks really enjoy difficult challenges, I don't see why they shouldn't have the option to add more risk, especially if there's more reward associated. -
Quote:Not offended one bit, and I probably should have checked. Admitted that off the bat and called it a 'live and learn'. It just didn't even occur to me at the time that it might be character bound.Originally Posted by Forbin_ProjectBut Lyc, There was a warning, and you quoted it in your first post.
Now I'm not trying to offend you but when I see a warning like that I don't say to myself, "Well even though items X, Y, and Z are character bound that warning didn't apply to items A, B, and C. So I'll just claim it and assume it works like A, B, and C." What I do is leave it unclaimed until I've checked out if it can be transferred or not.
However, like I asked in the same post, "Should we have to do the homework, and/or rely on 3rd party sources for this kind of infomation?" That was the intended goal of the OP at any rate.
I just see this as an issue that should be fixed on their end. By the time I posted, I'd already given up on getting anything out of it. I just wanted to draw attention to it hoping they'd set up more specific warnings or something, and hopefully prevent other players from making the same mistake. Yes, they have the one warning, but that's tied to everything in that list, most of which is tradeable, sellable, etc. It just means it's going to that one character alone.
I completely agree with Arcanaville's idea about giving more information in the text box. Sure there'll still be folks who won't read it, but at least the game can't say that they weren't sufficiently warned.
Also as someone else mentioned, and I thought was a great idea, Enhancement Catalysts should be account bound instead, which would put it more in line with the rest of the ATIO system anyway (ATIO's can be sold and traded freely, ATIO's that have had a Catalyst used on them become account bound) especially if they'll be random drops in the new DA content.
Zwillinger actually acknowleged this thread so hopefully something will come of it either way.
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Dink, I don't care what anyone else says, that's beautiful, will be bought as soon as it come out by me (presuming the female model gets the same general space suit- there's a reson there. I'm a big Roger Corman/Battle Beyond the Stars/Galaxy of Terror fan) and am just pleased as punch there's some kind of Jet Pack model to attach as a backpack to our characters.
Okay... I'll come clean... Frankly, even the idea of a female space suit is almost ignorable, the Jet pack alone sells me. Give me more jetpack options...