Lycantropus

I have the impression, reading between the lines that it doesn't release us, so much as it 'goes to sleep' and leave us becoming the incarnates we were meant to become.

Statesman took the 'fast path' by following the myths surrounding it, and thereby gaining the powers of Zeus. Just as Hero-1 accepted the myth of his people and taking on the power of Excalibur and taking on its power, regardless to his tie to the well or not.

We are not as constrained. We know what it really is, and are taking the 'slow' path to making what we are at our core, an incarnate of ourselves, for good or for ill. I have the feeling the Omega slot will be about facing down the Well itself and putting it back into its slumber, removing its influence from our development once and for all. However, by that time we will probably be about as godlike as a game should make us based on alpha slotting, up.

My fear is that we start getting pigeonenholed into a conflict that takes us beyond being comic book heroes and villians, and putting us into a setting that requires us to be something... else, that the lore itself propogates, making us puppets to the storyline, rather than to some code of morality that we define for ourselves or our characters.

In this respect I defer to Superman from the comic books, and the direction they may take him. Once we achieve his [current] level of power, are we to become embroiled into some storyline not of our making? Our heroes and villains taken out of their player invented backgrounds to play in some arena that until now only laid its eyes upon Kheldan and Arachnos characters?

...But I digress.

As much as I embroil my characters into the events of the game as a thought-experiment of my choosing, and often put my own 'spin' into how they perceive the events around them, taking their play into something I could never see them in as a 'bait and switch' would be.. undesireable. I present what I wrote as a possible 'out' when the time comes, and hope they choose creativity over control when its all said and done.

Worked for Good Omens and it can work here. or should.

Err on the side of the player.

Nostialgia

Do not underestimate it. Particularly in the comic book fandom crowd...

That was my concern, especially with the wording. I'm going to go with DumpleBerry on this one though and keep optimistic that it was just poorly worded, and we keep what we already have, and that we can use tokens to get the other vet badges we may not have gotten yet, making the icons tier based instead of month based or something.

Thanks! That's what I thought was said previously... I just got hung up on the use of the word 'reslot' implying that it was possibly going to be 'un' slotted and you could slot it again if you wanted to, or not.

I'm going to presume, until told otherwise, that it was just poorly worded.

So wait. Wait wait wait... (re-reads it again)

If I'm reading this right, we'll lose all our current veteran badges, but can re-purchase them if we want them?

Everything else seems totally awesome, and I'm looking forward to it, but having to re-buy stuff we already have seems kind of bogus... or did it mean veteran badges we currently don't possess but want we can still buy in the new system?

It's the word 'reslot' that has my head tilted.

Just looking for some clarification...

Lyc~ the 'devil's in the details' werewolf

Like most I would say it depends on the character, with the caveat that the more learn about the stories/world, the more involved the characters usually get.

I've wanted to respond in the "how you design your character" thread but I was having a hard time putting it into words, since every character has a rather unique reason for their inspiration and creation. However, this kind of plays into it, so I'll brush on it here.

Lyc's my first character, so his interweave into the story is relatively minor and after-the-fact since I knew nothing about the world when I made him. I just wanted a werewolf character. After I'd learned about the first Haloween event (just missed it) in Issue 2(?) Well it was easy to say he got bit during that, and I hadn't decided on a "home" zone for him until Croatoa came out.

Well needless to say, I have a lot more knowledge of the stories and lore in the game, and have a lot more characters that are woven into the fabric of the game as a product. Hellion Hound, T3h H4xx0r, Surround-Sound, and others are deeply woven into the lore; whereas I have others that are designed from whole-cloth and are only periperally tied into the 'story' of the game.

However, to come back to your question; all of them care about the storyline in varying degrees. That's part of the fun of different characters. The thought experiment of getting into their individual motivations and headspace helps flesh them out in my mind and make the game more engaging for me.

For a number of them I actually have the goal of getting them through x storyline because it fits them, or because I desgned them with a particular arc in mind, and I want to see how they interract with it. The results can sometimes vary wildly, and I learn interesting quirks about the characters that way. What is an easy fight for one is a grueling task for another, one studies the clues intently where another barrels through headlong into the fight without a care for the why. All those factors add to the character's 'personality' and gives them depth.

Even though I've run many of the arcs multiple times (and I run Oro often so I've done them all at least once) the experience is a little different every time because each character has their own take on that storyline. What's funny is I sometimes walk away from an old arc I've done a ton of times before and learn something new about it because of the character's thoughts on it, if that makes any sense.

There are some storylines I'll run a character through and alter the responses or conclusions in my mind to better suit the character, if there are parts that don't fit them well, also giving me a different perspective on a particular arc.

Hope that answers your question!

The most consistent of ambush targeting I've seen (anecdotally of course) is the one who's closest to the inital ambush. A bane to my stalkers, and ranged folks if they come in from behind- They're more inclined to attack the first target they run across over any other. That incudes Stalkers hanging back for an opportunity (since ambushes apparently ignore Hide, Stealth or anything else) or waiting for hide to kick back in.

From what I can tell, it's a matter of convenience over pattern. Attacking my Corrupter or Dom from behind, I can understand. Ignoring my MM's pets to attack my MM, I can almost forgive. I just really hate that they completely ignore Hide on Stalkers or stealth power in general on any characters.

I love this idea and hope you're right. I really, really, REALLY miss the old CoH comic.

I just hope they get added to Oroborous (even if as some kind of unlockable because we ran it before content, or something) because I dig going back and re-reading stories when they're finished to see how they unfold from beginning to end. I do that with my comics and if this is the new version of they CoH comic, I will want to do that here too.

I still wish they made them as comics, because I really felt a connection between the lore, the source material, and the game through it. However this might be something that could bridge the gap if done well.

Looking forward to it!

(even though I didn't get any such e-mails )

That's a very good point, and one I'd almost forgotten. I'll admit, I lurk more on these boards than post, and walk away from them when the drama gets too thick. I'm sure you have more prominent memories of it more than I. As to any arguments regarding what CoV needs, I have some opinions but this is not the thread to do it in. However, it does have relevance in the face of F2P vs Premium vs. Subscribing, and may give the Dev's a compass on some things to avoid.

I completely agree with this. Like I said in previous posts, I think the focus should be more on what rewards they're barred from, as opposed to content. Sure, some things should remain 'subscribers only' with a little grandfathered action for the Premium players that also benefits new ones, but care should be taken in what the F2P folks (regular and Premium alike) lack access to, content wise.

After all, they tout the game hasn't changed to take IO's into effect, if players don't need them to play with everyone, they don't have to have them (see my previous suggestions for more details). Let the F2P have SO's as their strongest enhancement choice. Let them participate in Hami raids if they want, but they can't get (or slot) Hami-O's either. The content's available for those who want to play with their friends or enjoy that type of play, but there's a real incentive to subscribe if you enjoy that type of play often enough. Giving them access to it without the reward lets them try it out, and encourages subscribing if they like it and decide it's worth the reward.

Just my 2 cents anyway.

Thanks for the compliment

No, I agree with the system being unable to objectively gauge that in current PvP, which is why I advocate for more 'objective based' PvP, like the scenario I suggested, that can take that into account. 'Straight-forward' PvP is fine, but I think that, with it currently being all there is, isn't enough in my opinion. Super hero/villain conflicts need to be both dynamic and reflect the nature of the genre.

If Castle and co. focused on how to package PvP, instead of just changing how it worked (though having the ability to seperate between PvP and PvE system wise was a worthwhile endeavour) I think there'd be more attention being paid to it now, by players and Dev's alike.

I feel at least partially responsible for this thread so I'll rebuttal. I was there, and it wasn't a huge split of the playerbase. There were a few that didn't get it, sure. I had only one SG mate that didn't get CoV for personal concept reasons and didn't explore that content until it was made free. That player, and I say this as one of my SG mates and a friend, was an outlier individual based on all I saw on the forums and in the various global channels I'm a member of. Just about everyone that was subbed to CoH, got CoV. From reasons ranging to supporting the system to thank goodness we could finally play the other side, they were there. CoV hoped to get new customers, but really we're a niche market, and they already won most of us over. Few who were subscribers to CoH didn't get CoV. Eventually it was combined as part of the whole system and became a moot point. I imagine Going Rogue will be the same when there's enough other Paragon Point stuff to make that a profitable move on the Dev's part, or at least make it an option on the Paragon Market, if it isn't already at launch.

The big point that Winterminal is bringing up is the endgame, and one I really have strong feelings about. Why keep players who potentially want to be involved in a system that benefits from the most people being involved in it, out?

From that, I mean the Trials. NO, I don't mean the Incarnate system.

Give them other rewards if need be, locking Incarnate powers, Astrals, Imperials, etc. away from them entirely if need be, but why keep them from accessing a system that benefits the most the more people want to be involved in it?

That's assuming they have enough incentive to reach 50 to not be able to explore it...

To a lesser, but not in a less concerned way, one can count Praetoria and the new zone associated. If vet players are coming up with new characters to run through it, who are these, yet unknown and uncounted f2p folks going to team with (key word being uncounted)? With a lack of ability to communicate, and veterans most likely running off as soon as they can to play shiny new content they can't even access to communicate with them in... well you see the point of concern. Remember, f2p members don't get access to global channels to know there's activity in zones they can't reach, not that it would make them happy to know if they could. We can only assume there'll be a ton of new f2p members to help them in their journey.

Yes, I can say with confidence there will be Veterans who will go out of their way to make the new f2p members at home. Our community is really great like that. However, how many will that be when there's new shiny stuff compelling us to do something that leaves them out of the picture entirely? How many are going to join as f2p, or even return as Premium, that will want to explore the new low level content with PuG's? I imagine most Premium will be returning to play with old friends... oh wait, they're probably going to be doing something they can't even access unless they're just Premium too... Sure that might get a few more to pay eventually to see what all the new stuff is about but...]

Like Winterminal, I'm not doomcrying. I honestly think Freedom will be one of the best things to happen to the game if it's handled properly. I know a couple of friends that will be back (hopefully one of them being the one I mentioned before) I will share my time with them as best I can along with the members of my SG that still continue to play and will want to explore this new, unaccessable to others content.

In the meantime, I'll express my concern about how that may effect the communities we have, and may gain/lose with the changes coming.

If they've considered them consciously and are taking the risk, I'm spitting in the wind. However, if they see what I say and go "we should consider that" I've achieved my goals, whether they use it or not.

I'm still here after close to 7 years, so I guess that says something about my trust in them.

It was about the money. Shout! Factory had already done the digital re-mastering and cleaning, had box art and was near ready to release. There were two music artists (that have been left unnamed) that were still in negotiations that wanted more than Shout! Factory could (or would) afford to pay them for their rights to the songs in the shows. After months of negotiation, it fell through and they had to scrap the whole thing.

Back when the show was made, there was no audio layering, so the tracks could not be removed. Worse, the artist's tracks were apparently either too numerous or at key points in the story that removing the scenes entirely would wreck the overall work.

It's a damn shame. It's among one of my most favorite TV series' ever. I have copies I bought off Ebay forever ago that were VCR tapes of the show converted to disk. The quality goes from good to meh from show to show, but at least I still get to see it. I'd have bought the nice, re-mastered set with the really nice box art it had the day it came out.

And still will if it ever happens.

This is worth its own post. I agree completely. I've LOVED everything I've read of his so far. His work does a great job of putting the human in Superhuman.

I really think if they hired him, gave him THE BOOK of City of ***, let him read it, then let him go nuts with the lore and story... I think he'd do an awesome job with it. Pants or no.

I look at it like this. The way they described it, Statesman took the 'fast' path, he was given X power (in this case the power of Zeus), as did Hero1 (with the possession of Excalibur and the power it bestowed upon him). We, on the other hand are taking the 'slow path' where we are becoming like gods incarnate. We are becoming our own legendary beings, not being handed the legacy of power that used to belong to another. That's why we don't have the same limitations.

Now see I get this argument completely. It's why I was really weirded out the first time I heard about Hami-O's. For great power I gotta stick a piece of WHAT into me?? There seems to be a disconnect with the Dev's and them understanding how this can cause some cognitive dissonance. It's like making Spidey wear the Symbiote to advance sound like a good thing? I know it's typical MMO concept though- Defeat Creature, get goodie. There's just something that doesn't mesch with it as well in a Superhero MMO vs the typical fantasy MMO.

However, that being the case, I really don't expect the Dev's to pull a 'bait and switch' with us, having Hami-O's count against us when dealing with the DE here or in Praetoria, or allowing the Well to do something terrible to us because we are gaining its power (well maybe as part of a short storyline, but nothing permanent). That would be a horrible thing to do to the playerbase, and an even worse business move. They're just a typical MMO ways of rewarding players that they tried to fit into the story.

But yeah...

Sure there's some doomcrying, but there are others, like myself, who are just expressing concern over things being handled well. History has shown us that the Dev's do care, and try and make us happy. However, it also has shown them to jump headlong into something that makes a lot of folks unhappy, but they're so far along in it they can't (or won't-probably for budget/time constraint reasons) turn back. Stating concerns and misgivings as early as possible helps mitigate that, or, at least I hope it does. It has in the past.

I'm happy with a lot of the decisions the Dev's make for this game, even some I didn't agree with originally but in retrospect have found to be good changes overall. However, there are quite a few that I think if they listened or if valid arguments didn't get lost in the noise to signal ratio, some things could have been handled better, or averted before they became problems.

Saying nothing, especially in the conception/first announcment stages, is the worst thing we can do. Not just for us, but for the game at large. The best thing that can happen, they listen and something that suits/benefits/profits if not everyone at least most of the playerbase is reached. Worst case, they ignore us and do what they want anyway.

So we at least try. Don't look at all of it as doomcalling, just expressing concerns.

And that pretty much sums up the ill-will and resentment I'm concerned about when it comes to selling powersets.

EDIT: However, don't forget they're giving subscribing customers 400 'Paragon Points' per month. So if the powerset costs, say, 400 or less, you can get it as soon as it comes out and technically it's "free" as part of your subscription. The distinction only lay in that you have to click a button for it instead of just having it loaded into the game waiting for you.