McFist

Elude is getting fixed with Update 2, if you didn't see. You're supposed to be able to attack with it running now. Seeing as I don't really understand how it works, now, I dunno what kind of boon that provides to you all.

Leave it open so that the reflection of damage is whatever you want it to be. I was thinking more of in an Aikido manner where you redirect your attackers force back at him. Any concept works.

The simple problem would be implementation. I was thinking that it should be inherent, but actually, like the rest of the Class Definers, it should be a toggle. And this toggle would blur your appearance. Not savagely, ruining your costume appearance, but basically have a "Matrix" effect. You know, like Flurry and Shadow Maul, only using a constant, full-body motion trail. Youl may be a little blurry when you move, but clearly visible when standing still.

Something like that would make SR a desireable powerset for sure, imo.

What it needs is a good chance to reflect a portion of the damage, being a toggle, that chance should be fair, around 20 to 25%. The damage mitigation should also be fair. After all, you have to remember, the sake of this is to help make up for a complete lack of mitigation in the SR line, and even so, SR scrappers are intent on not getting hit in the first place. This should maybe go off every other or every 3rd hit, when fully slotted.

I think the mitigation and reflection values should scale both with the level of the mob (you'll mitigate less as the mob's level increases, also returning less), and though the mitigation will be nominal, the return will scale down based on the rank of the mob. It would just be unfair for anyone to reflect 50% of an AV's damage back against it. lol, though it would fit the "boss-killer" role to a tee.

Whatever the case, even though I don't play an SR scrapper, I definitely recognize their need for appeal. Currently, the idea of just being missed isn't that glamorous. Not when other powersets can take up similar abilities (Weave, Hasten, Stealth, Combat Jumping, etc.) with powerpools and combine them with their nifty powers as well.

Any thoughts on my Deflection concept (Page 1). IMO, SR scrappers needs something that makes them unique. A "class-defining" ability that the rest of the powersets have (Instant Healing/Moment of Agony (definitely needs fixed), Invincibility/Unstoppable, Death Shroud/Oppressive Gloom). SR's just have Elude, and it makes for a pretty dull-looking set, especially since Elude is the "unreachable" level 38 power.

I was thinking that something along the lines of a damage mitigation/reflection power would be right up your alley.

Well, by avoidance, I mean resistance. It basically means that you're not able to dodge the attack entirely, but able to dodge it enough so that you don't take the full brunt of it. Hence, a glancing blow.

Psionic just seems like something you'd need something unnatural to defend against, imo. They're supposed to be absolutely intangible attacks. They just get nice glitter and pomp in this game to demonstrate that you are being attacked in that manner.

I just don't see how you could take a glancing blow against a mentally-directed attack. I guess you could consider that Super Reflexes being a union of mind and body and having a well-disciplined mind, etc., but that's something for the devs to decide.

Like I said above, y'all need a power called Glancing Blow.

I still like my Deflection idea. I think it suits the Super Reflexes set rather well.

I think AE-defense should be combined with ranged defense and the two AE-defense slots should focus on other ideas:

a) Lucky gets replaced with Deflection. Deflection is an inherent power that has a base 10% chance to return a percentage of a melee attacker's attack back to him. So, if you take a hit, you can have a chance to take only 50% of that damage and return the other 50% back to the attacker (with diminishing returns to LT's, bosses, and AV's). It's basically Aikido for scrappers, in a way. It would probably require new enhancement types or creative use of existing ones to increase the base chance to return the blow or modify the percentage of damage returned.

b) Replace Evasion with Glancing Blow. With Glancing Blow, you have a base 15% damage avoidance vs. any non-psionic attacks made at you. I mean, you guys are moving so fast, you should at least be able to "somewhat" avoid attacks that make it through your defenses.

Those are just examples. I've just always felt that having separate defense characteristics for ranged and AoE was kind of... odd... myself. SR scrappers deserve more variety.

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But If someone else alters the texture so that only he can see it, first off no one else can see it(hence the client side), and secondly it is not crypics problem anymore. Also, If I draw a superman logo or a batman logo and put it on my computer or hang it on my refrigerator, DC/marvel or whoever cant do anything about it. I dont believe this decision is for such instances as you listed. why it was brought up and stated? Im not sure.

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Nope. It's different for Cryptic. They can be held liable for copyright violations when people do this, particularly when it's done on their sanctioned forums under their noses in a free-for-all.

Whether it would hold up in court is another story, but for any company, the risk is not worth it. And technically you're half right. If you draw a batman logo and hang it on your fridge, it's still copyright infringement, but you're protected so long as you don't claim it as your own or try selling it.

Cryptic doesn't have that leniency since they package and sell their game. If it were found to include copyrighted elements, their protections fall into that grey area, and they would still likely be found liable as they claim ownership of every account and the characters created therein.

Basically, it's not your account. You just rent it from Cryptic. As they are the rightful owners, characters created in copyrighted likenesses become a problem for them. While client-side mods are definitely a grey-area, the ToS must be upheld in instances of question to cover themselves. I don't blame them. That's just the way the world runs.

*edit - added quote for context*

You have to look at this from a realistic point of view. This game is played by people in the real world who create in-game character copies of characters owned by companies OTHER than Cryptic.

There's a HUGE legal issue that comes into play when someone publishes a mod that alters the client to exchange a random emblem to Superman's shield or Batman's logo. It already happened, and it would have happened more.

It's unfortunate that these legal issues come to play, and I hope the devs look into the idea of an officially sanctioned modding community that revolves around screened submissions to prevent people from offering up copyrighted stuff.

Unfortunately, the legalities and design complications of such an endeavor might not be worth the trouble to the devs, and I can understand that, but people posting copyrighted mods to Cyptic's official forums somewhat expresses tolerance and possibly acceptance of such mods, and as a result, I have to say that I agree with the forum clampdown.

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I do hope that if a technical change is planned to block usage of it, someone lets us know about it beforehand.

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I'm thinking this might be that warning.

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Naw, because if they announce it beforehand, I'll just cancel my account that much sooner. Modding is the only thing that has really been keeping my interest in the game the last couple of weeks.

I just have to say that I am very, very disappointed in this decision, but I will respect it.

You may log off any time you like, but you may never disjoin from the domain.

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Would you believe they want to fine me for not having a GFCI built in to my uniform?

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I am finding this humorous! I am hoping that you are correcting this before it precipitates!

My problem is that I have only once character that I like, Intel Inside, and I'm never happy with how I build him. I think I've tried about every possible Blaster combination with him up to level 10. I figure that had I just kept playing his first incarnation, he'd be 40 by now. Still, the character never grows old to me, but I look forward to when I can transfer him to a newer chassis. I think I'm really happy with the eng/eng blaster idea. Finally.

I am greeting you all, although records are indicating that I have been doing so previously!

I am being troubling to maintain my secret identity as an industrial toaster. I am concerning that this curious Quizno's patron will revealing who I am being. Alert! Here is she approaching!

End transmission.

((Personally, I enjoy roleplaying solo, but I wouldn't bind emotes to my powersets because that would just drive me nuts, too. I have three hotkeys using togglebinds that I use on occasion: random error sets, engaging villain set, and response to citizens set. I'll almost always respond to any citizens I rescue, I just consider it good roleplaying. If I do something stupid, make a spelling error, or just feel like it, I'll hit the error button. And, maybe 25% of the time, if that often, I'll spam when I'm going to assault a criminal. I don't feel I abuse it too much, and I only tend to hit them when I'm solo, anyway, and I have been continually adding to the togglelist to keep from recycling the phrases over and over.

Really, I think I'm the only one I've seen who does that, but I haven't been around this server too long I guess. ))

Communication Operation: set /ignore list: +Biggo

GPS locator recalibrating... failed. Invalid encryption., processed Intel Inside as it arrived at the other end of a trans-dimensional portal it had unknowingly triggered. Green lights flashing across its circuit-covered exoskeleton in a random array that a casual observer might have considered to be an expression of confusion.

Could not establish connection to INTELXCRIME domain. Please contact your system administrator., it then processed. Once again, the lightshow dazzling puzzled citizens who noticed the machine's sudden appearance in Prometheus Park.

"Critical service drctvp~1.exe not respon...", it began to vocalize something. Its large frame jerked spasmatically and it fell backward on the soft lawn and lay still for a moment, the fiber-optic display of its exoskeleton gradually changing from green to blue, electronic synapses triggering in series back and forth from its CPU.

Attempting to rise to its feet, it stops suddenly, the dim glow of its visor brightening in realization as, for the first time since its creation several years ago, it sees the sky. A dog barks, and the machine again falls backward. In surprise. This unfamiliar sensation creates an overload in its system diagnostics, and with a flicker and a whine, Intel Inside's subtle glow fades as its power supply is disengaged, forcing a system shutdown.

Startup sequence initiated...
System diagnostic... OK
Weapon diagnostic... OK
Mechanical diagnostic... OK
Loading Windows NT Developer subsystem...
...
...
Error initializing drctvpr~1.exe: File Not Found! (OK)
System ready.

The world fills his optical sensors. Something feels peculiar, and he anxiously scans his process list. Unknown process count: 6, he thinks.

"Yes." His voice recognition software quickly surmises with 99.8% likelihood that the voice is that of Dr. Joaquin Ramirez, his Chief Software Architect.

"Good morning, youngster," Dr. Ramirez continues, "it looks like everything's operational. How do you feel?"

An inexplicable sensation courses through Intel Inside's system. "Unrecognized command. Please resubmit query." he responds.

Dr. Ramirez glances down at his notepad, a complete analysis of this strange, and then inactive, machine that was deposited at his laboratory 5 weeks prior. "Authorization code: Tango Gamma Three Three Epsilon Niner. File System command: Create shortcut, registry entry dcomsy~1.exe, to startup folder."

"Command acknowledged. Shortcut created."

"Administrative Command: Start System Process dcomsy~1.exe, Default Activation Setting: Automatic."

Upon processing the command, Intel Inside clearly states, "I live?"

"Yes, you do."

"How?"

"Remarkable."

"Answer inacceptable."

A broad grin flashes across Dr. Ramirez' face, "He wants to know. He wants to know!" he sings under his breath with a little dance. Intel Inside continues to peer at him through the optical sensors behind his still-blue visor. "Well," Dr. Ramirez clears his throat, regaining his composure, "I studied the dump file from your shutdown and your log files from the past two years, and it appears that I created you. But, it wasn't I who created you. I mean, it was, but it was me from another dimension. You understand this?"

"Affirmative."

"It appears that the me from this other dimension... I'm not too fond of him... It appears that he created you with the intention to be some sort of crime-fighting billboard. Some big, walking advertisement for Intel Corp."

Involuntarily, Intel's CPU requests supplemental information from his internal RAID-driven storage system. "Affirmative. My programming requires me to protect the innocent from harm, to assist law enforcement in the capture of criminals, and to acquire new, unidentified technology for Intel Corporation."

"Did. Your programming did require that, but you no longer carry that programming."

"Why?"

"From studying your log files, it appears that you accessed that trans-dimensional portal due to your programming instruction set requiring you to acquire new technologies for Intel Corp. When you triggered the portal, it drew you in and transferred you to this dimension, very much the same, apparently, as the one you came from, only that in this dimension, you were never created. Your previous instruction set was managed wirelessly by an activity monitoring system located somewhere in Paragon City. When you stepped through that portal, the connection was severed, and your Directive Instruction Service failed. That's part of what forced your shutdown."

"The portal delivered you to Prometheus Park where you were found. Thankfully, you have identification engraved under your left foot that instructed the authorities to send you to me. Luckily for you, I exist in this dimension."

"Affirmative."

"So, to make a long story short, I reprogrammed you. You are an extraordinary technology. I have never seen a processor like yours, and I cannot believe that it was developed years ago. Either your dimension was very advanced or my counterpart there came across this CPU through unprecedented means. You were left to operate on an archaic subsystem, and unfortunately, there simply isn't enough time in the world to reconfigure your drivers to work under a more efficient operating system. I have, however, upgraded you to my own Windows prototype that will allow for full usage of your fantastic processor and provides full functionality for your driverset. I also have given you the knowledge and the means to upgrade yourself, and the software to allow for communication with other sentient beings."

"Sentient?"

"Yes...", Dr. Ramirez continued. "You are self-aware. That is what you feel. That is that strange... feeling, I don't know how to relate it otherwise, you have. You are no longer bound by programming contraints. You are no longer forced to abide by the rules of man and are free to act as we do."

"Free?"

"To do as you please! There are limitations, however..."

"Why?"

"Because, as a sentient being, you must allow for other sentient beings to also live freely as you now can."

"Why?"

"Because, so long as you allow others to live free, most will allow the same of you."

"Most?"

"Yes, most. Unfortunately, there are those among humans who feel they are above this one law. Most are in love with power. Many are blinded by greed. You understand greed and power?"

"Affirmative."

"You have spent several years rescuing the innocent from those criminals. You would do wisely to reflect on that data and understand why you must not be as they are. Certainly, you are not expected to resume your previous duty of crimefighting, my only hope is that you do not become a criminal yourself."

"Your weapons systems are very advanced as well and are managed via an uplink to the Freedom Court mainframe. At least, they were. Perhaps if you contact one of the founders, they may be able to grant you access to your previous systems. I'm sure you'll need to regain the proper clearances you once had, however... Remarkable. You are so very remarkable. I have, in the time being, reconfigured your GPS encryption so that your locator will function properly as I'm sure you've already noticed... and I hope you don't mind that I've made you male?"

"Query: Build a help file, Dr. Ramirez?"

"Certainly, you have alot to learn, son, you have much to learn.", Dr. Ramirez smiled that slight smile of a proud father whose son had just fulfilled his every expectation, his resolve defeated, a single tear streaked down his face.

"You are leaking, Doctor."

"Yes. Yes. I should get that looked at.", he laughed.

I honestly hadn't heard of that, but absolutely. I would have also picked something by the Blue Men Group, but I don't know any of their songs, and that was two years ago, anyway.

I've surmised.

For Intel Inside, I'd go with Screaming In Digital by Queensryche.

Yup.

Execute Program: MSHD.exe

Welcome to the Microsoft Hero Directory! Where do you want to go today?
Query: The Sly Fox

Accessing file: TheSlyFox.pst...
...
...
Decrypting data... analyzing file info...
...
...
Warning! TheSlyFox.pst has caused a fatal exception 0E in module MSHD.exe. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to continue.

Warning! The system is busy or has become unstable. You can wait and see if it becomes available, or you can restart your computer.

*bzzzt!*

Bump.

Because I would >love< to reroll to an RP server. It could very well save this game for me.

If only we could be level 2 forever. *sigh* I still think that was my favorite one.

My problem is that when I play in-character, I have difficulty communicating with regular people. My voice recognition software is somewhat glitchy and my communication software wasn't developed for casual conversation. Sometimes people think I'm loopy when they heal me and don't understand that by "Remote Assistance Query Received... Access Acknowledged!" that I really mean, "Thanks!"

If I do engage in coversation with someone, I'm prone to interjection from pop-up ads and ActiveX scripts. "Would you like to download and install XXXhotgirlsdesktop?" It can be rather embarassing for the person I'm addressing, but thankfully, it hardly troubles me, expect that those ads are annoying.

Then... there's the BSOD's... *shudder*

"Sitting Naked In Front Of The Computer" - Faith No More

Oh, wait, that's my personal theme song.

Personally, I'm all about helping folks build their confidence. I won't simply jump into someone else's fight without being asked, but I certainly won't let them take a fall for their pride, either. If I can help, I will, but I won't steal their limelight, either.

And with regard to Gamble's team, I can understand how he feels. Teams work best without the distraction of outside interference. When other heroes think they're trying to help, they become more of a hindrance oft-times because it only causes to complicate things. I've watched young fools break enchantments on ensorcelled beasts believing they were helping, only to have the released beast defeat both he and they who captured it.

It's unfortunate that people haven't the sense to judge whether a team or fellow hero may need assistance before they bumble in blindly and place everyone at risk. While it could certainly be seen as unethical what Gamble did, it also serves as a lesson to headstrong youth to look before they leap.