Melancton

When one reads the EULA, and the pertinent parts are noted, one gets the overall ideas about what to avoid in creating a character. That of course presumes that a new player 1) read it as they should and 2) understood it properly.

It is pretty easy to get confused as a new player. If all the components for making a costume that looks like a copyrighted/trademarked character are there in the costume creator, the thought occurs that it must be okay to use them.

When I first arrived in March 2005, there were routine gatherings under Atlas of HUGE numbers of... Smurfs. And they would all do the same Flex emotes in unison. It was impressive in its own odd way. With 40 or more Smurfs in Atlas at a whack, the thought was that this must actually be okay.

I also saw a goodly number of high-level characters who were well-known heroes in comics, etc., and a lot who were well-known politicians and celebrities. The thought was that if they got to 50, it must be okay.

Well, those thoughts were mistaken. But that is how it seemed to me as a new player. Now, I never rolled up a character who appears in a comic or show, etc., but I supposed that it was not a problem from my observations at the time. But the Smurf herds went extinct, I read the boards and got the correct sense of the situation.

These threads usually break down into whether it is helpful to the game or just being a lousy snitch if you report a possible violation, and I have no desire to go there. I just recall how much there was to learn when I first came to Atlas Park just being a hero, and how easy it was to assume that creating characters that violated the EULA (as the GMs interpret it, which is what controls) might not be problematic. I think that is the motive that those that try warning potential violators have in mind.

This is what I use. The example is 02 Boost for my /Stormers. You will note that the #9 slot buffs the pet!

/bind NUMPAD1 "+ $$teamselect 1$$powexec_name O2 Boost"
/bind NUMPAD2 "+ $$teamselect 2$$powexec_name O2 Boost"
/bind NUMPAD3 "+ $$teamselect 3$$powexec_name O2 Boost"
/bind NUMPAD4 "+ $$teamselect 4$$powexec_name O2 Boost"
/bind NUMPAD5 "+ $$teamselect 5$$powexec_name O2 Boost"
/bind NUMPAD6 "+ $$teamselect 6$$powexec_name O2 Boost"
/bind NUMPAD7 "+ $$teamselect 7$$powexec_name O2 Boost"
/bind NUMPAD8 "+ $$teamselect 8$$powexec_name O2 Boost"
/bind NUMPAD9 "+ $$pet_select 0$$powexec_name O2 Boost"

Just substitute whatever power you want for 02 Boost and you are cooking with gas.

But what if you are a Bubbler, and want to buff Deflection Shield and then Insulation Shield? Simple! Just add a Shift and hit the numberpad. Use the above to buff Deflection Shield, then for Insulation Shield, key it in like this:

/bind SHIFT+NUMPAD1 "+ $$teamselect 1$$powexec_name Insulation Shield"
/bind SHIFT+NUMPAD2 "+ $$teamselect 2$$powexec_name Insulation Shield"
/bind SHIFT+NUMPAD3 "+ $$teamselect 3$$powexec_name Insulation Shield"
/bind SHIFT+NUMPAD4 "+ $$teamselect 4$$powexec_name Insulation Shield"
/bind SHIFT+NUMPAD5 "+ $$teamselect 5$$powexec_name Insulation Shield"
/bind SHIFT+NUMPAD6 "+ $$teamselect 6$$powexec_name Insulation Shield"
/bind SHIFT+NUMPAD7 "+ $$teamselect 7$$powexec_name Insulation Shield"
/bind SHIFT+NUMPAD8 "+ $$teamselect 8$$powexec_name Insulation Shield"

Hope that helps.

Part of the difficulty with teaming, searching and the search flags is that "Not Looking For Team" appears to really mean "Not ACTIVELY Seeking a Team, But Maybe If You Offer..." since there is also a Red Flag that means "Don't Ask, Leave Me Alone."

I think a one-time pop-up window when you intially enter the game with a hero stating what your flag is set to would be a good idea. The flags should be reworked so that you can set a default for the character that will remain. The pop-up window would remind you what you are set at in case you forgot.

What do you think the default setting should mean? "Not Looking For Team" is, whatever battles get fought over its exact parsing, taken to mean Neutrality. If so, it ought to be phrased differently, ie, "Will Consider Teaming Offers" or the like.

I have to shake my head about the stories wherein folks badger and harrass folks for invites that have politely declined. "What part of NO did you not understand?" It is so ironic because there are usually other folks around who WOULD like to team. I know I usually would, so leave those other folks alone!

This has happened about 3 times in the last week or so.

I like to read the Bio for heroes I run into. I write them for my own heroes. Bios are usually interesting; I think they are great to read, whether good or bad. Some have been celebrated as Wonderfully BAD in various threads, and I have run into some that, with an economy of prose, are moving and/or profound. But what I have been encountering lately is different.

This is an example of the others I have seen. The Bio referenced Titans of the Greek pantheon, and gave a pretty detailed description of Kronos swallowing his children. But one Titan was different, special and favored of the gods... he escaped due to his tremendous power and skills, etc., etc., and ultimately came to Paragon City where he took the name of... Truck Driver Dude!

*record scratch sound effect*

Okay, name changed to protect the innocent, but it was such a VIOLENT disconnect to what had gone before! The Bio was not poorly written. It was not deliberately Random or Ironic. But I have no idea what inspired this Titan to take a name that had nothing to do with anything.

I later ran into an Amazon, different at birth than the others, etc., etc., who fought for Justice as... Walmart Cashier! Huh???

The level of detail that goes into the set-up is high. The prose is good. But it is as odd as a child being sent by his parents from their dying, exploding planet to Earth, where he is taken in by an older farm couple, etc., etc., and becomes Sandwich Maker Guy.

Having seen 3 or so lately like this greatly bemused me.

I am also in the "situational" column.

I am more likely to do it while running a Blaster, unless it is an Energy Blaster. We want aggro on the Tank, not me.

Not so much with my Controllers, since lining up cones or laying down Ice Slicks and Earthquakes need some precision in placement or aren't targeted anyway. I will tend to use the Tank for Stalagmites or Flash Fire when they are running into a huge mob, since I don't want any interest from baddies that get Missed.

After watching a few Rikti assaults on Kings Row, Blue Steel muttered, "To Hell with 'not interfering.'" The Rikti assault, the Rikti Invasion and the Rikti War ended shortly thereafter in that order. The Omega Team was recovered, Baumton, White Plains, Faultline and the Hollows were rebuilt and repopulated, the gangs were eradicated and the only superhero action to be found was at any of the many Common Grounds coffee shops that soon sprang up all around Paragon City.

And if anyone even THOUGHT of Going Rogue, Blue Steel would just glare at them, and the mood quickly passed.

I don't hide. I really enjoy teaming.

I like the arbitrary mix one finds on PUGs. It becomes an interesting exercise on how solve a particular problem given the heroes at hand, with the personalities they display. I have rarely run into outright griefers, so it has been fun.

I am on board for more robust team searches, especially a "Team Looking For More" flag. Likewise, if there is a better alternative than Hide for the dedicated soloist, I am all for that as well. Let those who want to team be guided into teams as quickly as possible and those who wish to be left alone be left alone.

No.