Lycantropus

I really don't mean to be a downer here, and will probably come off looking like a [pancake] for asking, but if everything 'extracurricular' you do is on regular servers, including surprise appearances in the past, what's the point of Exalted?

If only VIP's can play there, but get nothing special from it, what's the point of it being special beyond only paying customers can go there?

Now I readily and fully admit, when that came out, I actually had my SG make a static group over there and level some characters up to 50 in the event that you guys made it the 'special event' server for paying customers, we'd have at least some chance of being involved in 'the neat stuff'. We've long since gone back to Champ, well... because it's our home server and that's where we like to be, and more than one of us is comfortable and familiar with it's community when we PuG (if you can call it that on Champ). So from that perspective, yay, we may see something for us on Champ special some time! On the other hand, why did we bother on Exalted? (Fun times, sure, but that could have been had on Champ with a well-established SG to draw from).

Now, I SWEAR I'm not trying to be a party-pooper, but this has been in the back of my mind for a long enough time to have seen so many special events on other servers while Exalted has been ignored, that it begs me to ask the question, why make the other server if you hadn't intended on making that the one you all interracted with the paying clientbase on as a general rule, as opposed to all other servers for your convenience, and to encourage players to pay for the 'interraction stuff' with the rednames?

I don't care about the answer except in the most morbid curiosity kind of way (as personally I tend avoid hyped events- but some in my SG might want to be involved- and far be it from me to hold them back) but at this point I honestly can't see a point in Exalted, if you're going to do special events on other servers, as opposed to it. That's all.

I know this probably comes across as a troll post, but I really don't mean it to. I'm just genuinely curious as to the point of Exalted as a 'pay only' server.

Lot of great songs here.

How about Best Game Ever

And I'm surprised Nerdcore seems kind of unrepresented here.

If you're unfamilar try It's Pitch Dark and Spoiler Alert by MC Frontalot or Fette's Vette by MC Chris for starters.

Honestly, I'd be happy if they adjusted Gauntlett to add to damage like it did with Defenders Vigilance in solo, 2 and 3 players. That would make them feel a lot more powerful solo and just as useful in teams. Maybe increase the aggro cap for them as well. Even as Johnny_Butane said, their survivability is good enough, I really do feel my 'weakest' when playing a Tank is solo, and when Elec/Shield Scrappers can steal my WP/Mace Tanks aggro...

While I'm thinking about it, fix the aggro auras on WP and SR for Tankers too. I can taunt all day, but damn, I still lose aggro to Fire blasters and such.

TL;DR The best fix would be more cemented aggro all around; a higher aggro cap (maybe even nerfing the aggro cap for Scrappers and Brutes who get it because of damage but don't really care as much) and scaling damage attached to Gauntlett like Vigilance for Defenders.

That's my two cents anyway. I love all the AT's (not the Controller or Dom as much but I keep trying) and really love the Tanker as a concept, and would play more if I could solo a little better with them, while being as valuable on teams as they used to be.

Lyc~ the "more than one of my namesakes is a Tank on any given server by a majority" werewolf

EDIT: While I had intended, I didn't mention that while I like them all for the most part, my favorite AT conceptually was Tankers. That is all.

It may just be the specific map.

I've had to change to a different map (not mapset, just another map in the list) because sometimes I've noticed placements were off (If I put something in front, they spawned in the back instead, etc) or other weirdness. I usually change to a different map at that point because if I just change them to go in the back, one day they'll fix it, and I'll have to go back and fix it (if I can).

That map may have some default in it that says "Oh this is a Cimerora Map, must be Cimerorans!" I have no clue. I've never had that happen to me, but I honestly say with all the little things I've run across in my fiddling with AE, I'm not even surprised.

I know that doesn't sound like a lot of help, but give it a try, I hope it works!

I know we all want it, and the Dev's say it would be difficult, mainly because of how the UI would work, as demonstrated by the various Incarnate menus. Plus that much potentially unused data (all Pool, all Ancillary, all Patron) sitting on any one character would get costly.

I've brought this up before in other threads, but I don't know whether it got lost in the jumble of discussion and thought I'd mention it in its own thread.

We have 'unlockable' costume pieces. Auras, Capes, now various and tons of new items from weapons to costume pieces for defeating groups.

Now I understand the powerset UI is slightly different, but couldn't they apply a similar system to it?

Say I take the Teleport Pool Power. I would now get an 'invisible badge' somewhere in my character's data and the notification that "You have unlocked a new costume part!" That way we only get animations for groups of powers we pick.

If I respec, the last job of the respec could do a quick 'audit' of which 'invisible badges' I've attained for the powers I picked, so I would lose access to the Teleport power customization if I don't take it on the respec.

I understand that would still be a bit more data than we might use (what if I only take TP Ally, for example) but it would be far less than plugging everything into every character. Similarly, maybe this could be applied to the Incarnate system as well swapping out 'invisible badges' as we craft out powers, or at least limiting our list to ones we've crafted to cut down on the huge row of stuff (unless we craft them all).

Anyway, just throwing that out there, just because I've never seen this addressed in the one or two times I've mentioned it. Thank you for your time

I like the idea of the 'kneeling' emote for a defeat pose also, and would like to add my /signed to the idea. Definitely gives a more 'down but not out' feeling (plus I believe a Distinct Competitor uses a similar kind of defeat pose as well).

I'd also be up for adding extra 'death emotes' as long as it wasn't too much trouble for them, but I wouldn't change anything about the mechanics of defeat as it stands. Standard code rant aside, I think that probably would be too much work on their part for too little gain.

Also:

Oh, I have no plans to include more than one or two in any given mission, mostly for flavor, and then most of those are pre-generated NPC's (signature characters). Granted, when I dry-run my arcs I do it on a low setting so I'm only facing 2-3 opponents at any given time. By the time I've taken most of them out, Manticore, for example, has stealthed, did some teleport thing, then fires a net arrow about the time I take out the last one in the group.

I refuse to set aggressive because I want combat to be the player's call; not that of an 'aggressively helpful' NPC that decides to aggro the whole map by randomly attacking one thing after another. They're backup, flavor to give the players a chance to know more about the game's lore and it's characters in it. Until the SSA's, actually getting to know the Freedom Phalanx is nonexistant, other than you need to take care of something that obviously they're too busy to take care of (the TF's) and franky, that's a shame.

They will attack as soon as you, or they, are hit but if enemies miss they'll just stand there waiting even when you're fighting. I think if they initiated as soon as an attack is made (hit or not) toward you or them would be 'defensive' enough.

Anyway, I appreciate the response. It just doesn't seem like the regular in-game AI is as black and white as the AE AI, and would rather see them take a look at it.

Of course, it could be the controlled circumstances I'm going over my arcs in make it appear differently. I'll admit that's a possibility as well. However, if that's the case, they may need to look at the AI in general. In the regular game I've been really put-out about how many things run away nowadays with little provocation, particularly AV's and GM's. Just seems unbecoming of them to run like a schoolgirl when they're being attacked.

I agree with the OP. This is exacerbated by the fact that once you've run the set, the fact that it's in Oroborous puts an end to mixed teaming too. You can have heroes and villains team together all through the first section of missions, but that ends as soon as you bring Oroborous into the equation.

They need to be set up, from the first time on, similar to TF's. Have it be for levels 45-50 if they have to, but make them accessable from in-zone for mixed teaming. Yes that means that not anybody of any level can come along for the first run, but it's a mite more flexible than the way it's currently set up. Better yet, make them work like A.E. arcs in that you start the "Task Force" with a (required) level 50 then can invite anyone you want along, guaranteeing that at least a 50 is at the helm. That'll keep it's 'first run' flexibility, without shutting anyone (except non-VIP's who won't be able to be invited) out.

I have 30something sets of missions that I'd been tinkering on forever with to follow a villain with 1-50 (including cape and aura missions) I call "The Monarch's Path" You build an empire by muscling in on other gangs territory to start and recruiting from them to swell your ranks, and hiring super-powered mercenaries to do your dirty work for you (as your contact- Your Lackey- fills you in on their exploits when they're not directly helping you on your endeavours. You come to blows with other gangs, get an intel source on the inner workings of Arachnos... They don't care much for that. Time to get your own Lair, so you steal a heroes "Fortress of Solitude" outside the war walls of Paragon (the cape mission) then start pursuing objectives in both Paragon and the Rogue Isles (alternating up the levels you focus on one than the other). Steal the source of another gang leader's powers and covertly take over their gang from behind the scenes (the aura mission).

Anyway, the point to all of that, after the Aura mission was a two-shot non-combat arc where you get to wander on the grounds outside of your fortress and see the improvements your lacky, and the minions you've collected through your missions, have made. The second 'mission' you go inside and see your minions and gang wander about while you explore and reflect on your trophies and accomplishments (in the form of clues and physical objects you can get 'info' on). I'm rather proud of that one.

Without giving away too many details, the project stalled when there were a number of changes to the game itself that drew too many similarities to my storyline, or made a few things unworkable due to new lore they released, requiring me to make a massive overhaul to the story or look like I'm ripping off something Paragon already did, or was contradicted by new story elements.

So for now that project has been shelved until I find my muse with it again, but I really liked the idea of that 'victory lap' arc... enough to make it worth telling that story here, at any rate.

Well I covered a lot of my response in the Bonefire thread, but there were a few here I'll address directly for relevance.

Just checked to make sure, nope first one's not a defeat all. In fact the only objective is a boss. Like I said, I'm not fond of them either. Lou's Garage at the end is though. I really wish it wasn't so big but it's a unique map, and I'm not going to sacrifice that for obvious reasons.

As for emotes on NPC's, many of them, particularly older ones like Clockwork (and Citizens in general) are woefully lacking in available emotes.

That's why I broke down and am now making new models for the NPC's, particularly civllians, when I can. The straw that broke the camel's back, as it were, is when I wanted Lou welding on them when you first meet him and the regular NPC's couldn't (The clockwork can't lean over with the 'being repaired' emote I set them to, either ). In the end, I think it was a good style decision too, as it updated the older models. Sadly, I can't reproduce many of the unique villain groups for this, and the newer ones I could have much better emote-ability making it moot.

I also liked the idea of making more of an introduction with Carla in her opening dialogue, so I did add a bit to that. I had to re-write it from scratch after losing it the first time (computer issues) so some of that was trying to meet my personal deadline and was already really behind. Yeah, I like Carla. She's got a lot of personality, and I thought that having actual faces in Steel Canyon being part of her neighborhood watch was a neat idea.

In the end, I want these stories to evoke the idea of a 'living city' where the character actually makes friends and allies. I'm thinking when I get to the Crey arc I really want to pull some of that into it... we'll have to see...

Thanks a lot for your feedback. I thought I'd already nailed down that one typo. Guess I did it on my local copy instead. Anyway, it's fixed now

There's a few reasons as I do these arcs things will be set in stone that are legacies from the old arcs. I want to keep them as close to canon as possible, else they lose relevance to the lore, and undermine the point of this project of mine.

That said, as I'm writing more of these and working them together, I'm understanding that I'm going to have to take a bit of liscence here and there.

I'm not a fan of Defeat Alls either. However, I won't change on those where appropriate, like helping 'clean up' Lou's Shop, or the final raid on the Skulls' main base of operations (though note that's also when I fit a friendly signature NPC into the story to come along and help). Though I was unhappy myself with the first defeat all in Bonefire. I understood why it was a defeat all, and it took me a while, but you actually gave me the suggestion that made sense for me to make it just defeating the leaders. So you'll be happy to know, that first one isn't a defeat all anymore, and does tie Yanamahri into the story a little better in the form of a clue.

As 'tacked on' as she may feel to you, she's actually benefitted the most (developmentally) with my re-write. If you think she felt tacked on in my arc, check the original. Her name wasn't even static- sometimes it was Atsegine, and they kidnapped her... just 'cause, and she's the one that told you about the plot clue because... she overheard it(?- this is unclear in the dialogue how she found out). Though running my arc again, I can see how you felt and made a few changes to the texts to make her more 'there'. I feel a little better about that too, now.

Some of the bigger adjustments (like how Yanamahri is incorporated into the story) takes a bit of a tap dance, because I have to find a way to justify information you recieve through the missions and/or contact themselves. The original stories (particularly the Clockwork Captive) had a lot of hunts and FedExes involved, which of course can't be duplicated in the MA. I'm okay with that though (I know they're not really popular to do either ). I'm getting a feel for how to work around that as entertainingly as possible as I progress, and will hopefully have time to integrate what I learn in to my previous arcs where appropriate; like I did for Bonefire. That may get more difficult as I publish more and more of them.

Anyway, thanks again for the feedback. It's always appreciated!

I just replied to a thread with the same problem here.

Uff... I'm up way too late. I've been dipping my toe in the MA community (i.e. I lurk a LOT and post only when I feel it helpful, or nescesary) But yeah, this has to be a bug. I can line up a series of dialogue to go off (for the most part) with patrols, but everything Allies and Enemies have to say before the actual damage dialogue part they yell out as soon as one enters the map. I've been doing what I can to work around it, but in some cases it's unavoidable.

The A.I. isn't too slick either. If set to Defensive, they are reluctant to attack unless they are attacked themselves, and then they spend half the time setting up (stealthing, buffing, whatever). By that point I've pretty much picked off whatever I'm fighting. I've avoided Agressive, because I don't want my NPC allies going all General Z on stuff either. I want the player to be in control of the action.

Anyway... I've noticed it too. I presumed it was a bug and have tried to work around it accordingly.

There's a lot of great suggestions out there so far.

I'd like to point out, if you have any favorite DC or MARVEL titles from your past you might want to check out, here's some quick info.

DC just rebooted almost all their series. It's a great time to look into them and start at the beginning. Most are only 7-10 issues in, so it'd be easy to find at most comic stores all together.

MARVEL has what it calls it's .1 runs. At the beginning of any new starting point, they label their line .1 (so if it's issue 633, the next one in the series is 633.1, for example) This is a direct tell to the reader that it's the beginning of a new storyline, so start here and go!

I like MARVEL's .1 system, but I'm a MARVEL fan for the most part so what can I say? Though I have to admit, I'm enjoying "Batman The Dark Knight" series a lot. It's dark and gritty, but I personally think that's where Batman does his best work.

As for the types of comics you have said you like, Batman: Black and White may be a good TPB for you. It, by design, is in black and white and has some fantastic stories in it.

Hope this helps!

So, let me get this straight.

We create Skynet, which kills all the humans.

Skynet then uses the resources of the earth to make a completely technological world, eradicating all bio-organic life while giving rise to a world of machine life. It's utopia achieved, it seeks a new purpose.

It toys with similar sentience algorythms that created itself, making it's first true 'offspring'.

of course, they need to be adaptable and vehicular forms are useful, but limited. Scanning its data stores it realizes humans solved this problem for it.

These new, individual lives realise their need to be free of Skynet's authoritarian control, chasing/eliminating it from the planet and estabilishing a new world of machines, valuing free will as the right of all sentient beings...

Wait...

Are you telling me Cybertron IS Earth?

It's the Planet of the Apes all over again...

I think both Thor and Cap's movies were meant to entertain, but also to introduce the general audience to the 'idea' of what these guys were and where they came from. Remember, these movies weren't just made for us

If, by the end of Thor, you could wrap your head around who he was and where he came from before he came to Earth (with the huge contrast in each) and make you buy it, then the film did it job. For fans, it was a bit of a letdown (in my opinion) in that the action of the movie was almost in reverse (Frontloaded with huge battles at the beginning, that became more singular/intamate in their execution as the move went on) which could lead to an almost anti-climactic experience if all you were looking for was action.

The point was showing the high-adventure life he led on Asguard, and the challenges he faced, compared to our world; which it and it's people are much more fragile. His learning what power he had compared to the rest of realms, and its value (plus love story, which has also been a big part of Thor's storyline from the beginning) which led him to become the hero and leader Odin wanted him to be.

In Captain America, it was the time period. Same thing except more about time periods and thoughts than backgrounds. A lot of 40's era life, and worldview, were very different than they were today. That's why a lot of the focus on him is his life before. The military stint was short because while there've been a lot of change in procedures, life in the military isn't much different. Then follow up with what he's become and spend time learning who he is with it, in the world he is a part of. The audience can now wrap their head around the concept of him being a man out of time, with more old-fashioned values and ways of thinking.

I'm sure the next Cap movie will delve into him being that 'man out of time' while facing a cybernetic Zola, Zemo, or maybe even the resurfaced Red Skull, or whatever. The thing is, now they've established who he is and where he's from with people willing to buy it. Now they can go wherever they want with it.

I'm not as sure they'll take more time with Thor and his ties to Earth in the next one. They may bring him back to Asguard to face some other threat in the nine realms. I'd be okay with that. Bring him to Earth for the Avengers movies, but his time is best spent 'out there' in the movieverse, I think. MARVEL, Joss, and company, may prove me wrong... so we'll see

tl;dr- The Thor and Captain America movies may not have been perfect for fans (though I was happy) but they did what they needed to do for the general audiences while being 'good enough' for the fans as well. The Avengers movie box office receipts don't lie.

Edit: Now DC needs to get that and we'll be in a new Golden Age of costumed heroes for everyone!