Mr_Grey

Actually, the game COULD be rewritten for plot revelation to be relevant to character level range. In fact, even way back when "The Second Rikti War" happened, the revelation that Rikti = Human was still occurring in a range where you learn it anyway (Doctor Sheridan's arc). It seems that immediately after that, things took a really unusual downward turn in regards to treating the overall plot with that respect.

Perhaps that's why players were so aggravated by Montague Castenella's arc. It's a glaring highlight of the issue, and it seems the situation has only gotten worse since.

Anyway, it would be perfectly plausible for content to be revealed as the character goes higher in level. Content featuring the same groups as elsewhere in the level range should be used to extrapolate on the intricacies and complexities of the group. Two Sky Raiders arcs in the 25-30 range? Make them focused on different things, maybe feature plots showing the different aspects of the group.

However, it's pretty hard to show intricacy by having the Sky Raiders drop in to carpet bomb the Skulls or Clockwork.

Yeah, last time players tried some kind of "unity" thing on this server, it didn't turn out too well. Some players saw it as an "Elitist" trend, others... Others just didn't care.

Hence the turtles speak.

It seems that this server's community is best approached with a bit more of a chaotic, anarchic bent. Those whose personalities show best will likely gravitate a network of like-minded personalities. Apparently, any attempt to codify or officiate it will wind up with us just bickering over who's "in" or not.

So, does this mean we can finally toss out the ridiculous excuse for why the Council do NOTHING during the Kahn Task Force and Barracuda Strike Force?

I suppose I wouldn't be so bothered if the writing did SOMETHING to still seem "in character."

The Malta Group are supposed to be secretive, hidden and unknown. Crimson, Indigo, Viridian and Arbiter Daos are really supposed to be the only people who have any kind of detailed information on the groups (maybe Shadow Spider, too, considering she's a former Knife of Artemis and Viridian's partner/associate, though her focus is primarily against Indigo and Viridan, and what the KoA know about the Malta Group is never really all that clear; in-story, the Knives are just a mercenary group that the Malta Group hires on a regular basis, which doesn't leave much room for the two groups to get personal). Everybody else who refers to the Malta Group should be talking about them in the same way most other people talk about conspiracy theories, without even knowing what the group is called.

It bothers me when people who never were "in the know" are suddenly showing up and telling you that "Malta" (another irritating part is that they don't even call them "The Malta Group") is involved. "Malta" is what the PLAYERS call the group.

It boils down to this... There's player/author knowledge and there's character knowledge. Just because we as players know who the Malta Group is doesn't mean our characters do. Saying that "Malta" has been seen in the area helps the players perfectly fine. The character, however, it's a bit jarring unless you've had some experience dealing with the Malta Group. Considering the fact that it comes up in a mid-20s arc, chances are your character hasn't had much experience with them.

And for you veterans out there going "Well, what if my character's a former Malta Gunslinger?" I have this to ask you: What if you're a first-time player, and have no idea who the Malta Group are? If you're just told "Malta" is in the area, what does that tell a first-time player?

Well, first off, it gives a lot of bad impressions as to the writing right off the bat if we're dealing with anybody who would run a quick Google search for "Malta." What do they get? Well, they get websites pointing them in the direction of the island nation, prompting the new player to wonder why they would be sending a technologically advanced military force to Paragon City.

And now the poor player is off the rails.

A better method of portraying the Malta Group in that arc would be to act like NOBODY knows who the Hell they are. Leave the player with a "What was that? Where the Hell did that come from?" vibe. Leave the contact wondering, too, instead of going "...I'd hate to see what Malta would have done with that technology..." have him shocked and surprised (though still relieved at your success) by saying what the new player is thinking "What was that thing?"

Now, I know it's been a long time since the Malta Group was introduced to the game. Lots of players have dealt with them. With the way the story is set up, though, you're still only looking at a core group with a maximum of eight people really knowing what's going on (unless, of course, you want to tell me that the Malta Group tries Operation: World Wide Red against EVERY SINGLE HERO who shows up at Crimson's doorstep). Convincing everybody else of what they know... Well... Then they wind up sounding like spandex-clad conspiracy theory nutjobs, don't they?

My original point is that the Malta Group suddenly being known by everybody is, well, lazy writing. They haven't really had a "Big Reveal." It's not like Countess Crey getting arrested and put on trial (which is a situation that's treated with the public still dubious about her guilt). It's not like the Rikti being revealed to be mutated humans. Seriously... Look at the Lost. LOOK WHAT THEY USE FOR WEAPONS! And the Pariahs? Look closely under those hoods... And Nemesis... Yeesh... Where doesn't the guy show up?

There is a build-up to these things, and the Malta Group becoming a publicly understood menace overnight was not properly done. They hardly ever showed up outside their own operations (except for some really nifty moments in some Crey arcs where they're hired, as mercenaries, to hunt You and Your Companions down in between missions). Their story is relegated to background fluff (making Slinger, Director 11 and Gyrfalcon appear out of NOWHERE; I wouldn't mind the characters if they showed up and did more to make a presence for themselves, but I know Moment and Jack Firenze better than them, making their sudden appearances in anything into head scratcher moments), with no explanation as to who or what is going on in their lives EXCEPT when they show up, and then the information is just DUMPED on the player, and that's if we get any explanation at all. Without the explanation, their presence is left as just as much a head scratcher. Why would Reichsman capture Gyrfalcon? Seriously. Who is that guy? Why would Director 11 show up, in person, to try to fight the heroes after they just got done stopping the Praetorian invasion in Warburg? The guy doesn't even make the pretense of acting like he's fighting Praetorians. Why doesn't an egomaniac like Slinger show up more often!? He's funny! If he started featuring in more arcs, I would start to understand why the public was getting an understanding of the Malta Group: low profile doesn't usually factor in a mad scientist's vocabulary once they've got their robotic monstrosities constructed.

Farting. Get the cutting beam just right and...

*FRRRRRT!*

Maybe it's just the character I'm playing it on, but it doesn't strike me as a drawback.

I wouldn't mind the Malta Group getting exposed to the public, but the method has been thus:

"Nobody knows who these guys are..." to "EVERYBODY KNOWS!"

With no storyline transition or Task Force event to explain the shift in approach. There are no arcs detailing people being skeptical of the government. No new arcs featuring Crimson, Indigo and maybe Vermilion sending you to seek and destroy the Malta Group (just the old Crimson and Indigo arcs in which you *redacted* oh, right, new players don't know about that yet; still, they still refer to the Malta Group as "Our Good Friends" and "Some Bad People" instead of their unassuming moniker).

*sigh*

I don't mind the story changing. I just feel that the method being employed is clunky and, well, lazy.

I get that the developers and writers are trying to tell a lot of disjointed story at the moment, but there is little to no explanation for these groups to be acting so "out of character."

For instance, to dust off an old chestnut that still chomps my hip, there's a Fifth Column Tip Mission that talks about "awakening a fallen slumbering leader." I suppose, considering later level content, it means Reichsman. Problem with that, however, is that Reichsman isn't a member of the Fifth Column. He was detained before the Fifth Column even revealed themselves to the recovering Paragon City. However, somehow, he wound up taking over the group in that time.
-And before anybody says it, there is no ruling body calling itself the Fifth Column in Axis Amerika. They are Amerika Korps, they have no reason to be a "secretive organization of hometown traitors."

Then there's the Malta Group, acting as mentioned before, with decrepit old Directors suddenly showing up with excessively powerful weapons and gear. Now, granted, I'm willing to accept that the current crop of Directors are the sons and daughters of the original group (Old Money at work...), so the arrival of a lean, athletic and surprisingly capable Director 11 doesn't really bother me. But the fact that we get NO gameplay to explain these shifts, changes or even the core elements of their backstory just leaves for their insertion elsewhere in OTHER group's plots feel forced and artificial.

I said this in Skype, and I'll say it here.

Crushing uppercut looks like Hurt made of Win.

First time I ever actually felt bad about what I was doing to the enemy sprites...

The feeling was washed away with Awesomesauce.

I've asked what Blackwell was before. Honestly, I always figured somebody would come along and say that they were a Private Security/Military Company (i.e. mercenaries) acting as a Malta Group front and that the soldiers we keep fighting are actually Blackwell troops.

Would that have been so hard to do?

So... That way, instead of saying "You're fighting Malta." they could have said "The operation has Blackwell security, so be careful..."

But, then again, there's no real concrete explanation of what Blackwell is. It's just a billboard with an ominous, corporate setting sun symbol. I've heard explanations from Private Security to "Think Tank." No missions, no dialogue, no plaques to explain what they are. It's just an omnipresent company with no bearing on the plot.

Just like Scherazade (though that's supposed to be an homage/shout-out).

This is something that's been bothering me in the past few issues.

The Malta Group is essentially supposed to be the Conspiracy Theory faction, the group that uses all the classic "shadow government" tropes such as "world domination through subtle coercion of the masses" or "we are using the system to destroy you (for the lulz!)." The troops we face aren't the conspirators, but they're knowingly part of the organization and they LOVE their jobs. For City of Heroes, their overall plan is to dominate the world, for the good of Capitalism (note: that's not Democracy they're trying to protect), and the chaotic influx of meta humanity is a threat to their plans. In fact, they are in sheer terror of meta humanity becoming a major player in the world of politics. How are you supposed to assassinate a man with a long-range sniper shot when he can eat bullets for breakfast?

Lately, however, their role has become... Odd.

They're helping the Sky Raiders, for one. With their vitriolic hate for Nemesis, and their impressive network of spies, they should know better than to provide any support to any organization assisted by "a mysterious benefactor."

For another, they help Maelstrom. Maelstrom has been doing an outright DEPLORABLE job of masking his affiliation with the Praetorians, and yet the Malta Group jumps to his aid because... Well, the game's story never says. You would think a group terrified of meta humanity taking over the world would be leery of helping a man working for a world controlled by meta humans.

Finally, everybody is talking in a near conversational tone about "Malta." Not "the Malta Group" or "a group of mercenaries," it's "Malta."

"Oh, by the way, Hero, be on the lookout for Malta."

"We have it on good authority Malta will be on the scene..."

I could have sworn a few players were quite rightly miffed at the idea of this terrorist organization coming out of the island (archipelago) nation and voiced their concerns a couple years ago. Now, there's even less reference to the group being named after the fact that Malta was the first meeting and organizational location of "The Directors," and that they operate largely behind the scenes in political, legal and business manipulation (the failed "Might for Right" act that keeps showing up in plaques, for instance, is strongly hinted at being their brainchild). They also operate primarily in the U.S., because it was U.S. tycoons who had built the organization to protect their moneymaking interests.

So why are they suddenly EVERYWHERE!? Why is their storyline getting so easily mucked up? Why does EVERYBODY suddenly know EXACTLY who they are? And if they are supposed to know who they are, why are Indigo and Crimson acting like they're such a big secret still!?

The past week or so, the Help channel on Protector has been working as intended.

People ask for help or advice, veteran players give it.

Sorry a bunch of loons are corrupting it for you on your server.

I don't know what you guys are all talking about. I've got Energy Melee on a rather enjoyable Brute, and the only complaint I have is that I wish it looked more like a boxing powerset instead of all the crazy jumping and pushing attacks.

Energy Transfer, before the change, was simply monstrous. I could clear an entire map of Freakshow with just that power. It was like a damn sucker punch that could rip heads off! Here's the kicker: That wasn't a good thing. Everybody's acting like because it was balanced with similar hard-hitting powers in other sets, it's been completely gutted. It's still hard-hitting. It and Total Focus are still monstrously devastating when paired together. You hit just about ANYTHING with both of those powers, and they are very likely to be sore in the morning.

Each powerset has its strengths and its drawbacks. Not a one of them is meant to be "THE MOST AWESOMESAUCE POWER! ROFLOLZ!"

If you've found that you disliked the powerset, then perhaps that style really isn't for you! It's that simple!

Maps keep resetting their "Fog of War."

I'm not bothered by the narrative as a whole.

It has elements that work for many kinds of villains. It has a lot of entertaining dialogue and gameplay elements. So what if it's not what my character would say? It's in the flavor of WHAT he would say, at least.

Besides... At this point, you're a newbie! How can you be an ultimate bad-*** without making some mistakes along the way. Whoops, that computer almost killed me... I won't fall for that again! And you don't.

Your character is still learning the ropes as this group strings you along. If that's not how you roleplay your character, then there's nothing this arc has for you, but there's also no reason to whine about this story because you weren't really incorporating it into your canon anyway.

No, I'm bothered with the "Yoke of Arachnos" at the end.

I am getting sick and tired of Arachnos figuring so extremely heavily into the overall game of City of Villains, especially since their depiction is deteriorating more and more with each issue. They're irrelevant to the rest of the world: "Ooh, Arachnos is the Big Time of supervillainy, but they only operate out of these crappy tiny islands and only attack ONE city that is only three hours away!" They're incapable: "Don't worry about the rampant infighting, Villain. It builds character! It also leaves us REALLY WIDE OPEN for security breaches, turning factions against each other and other things you don't want your military doing..." And, according to Prometheus *SPOILERS* Recluse is a coward in the end, not really employing the true full might of his power.

So... We do this arc that dangles a new option in front of our faces... Only to have that get snatched away and Arachnos swoops in to slap that yoke firmly on our necks again.

Because, you know, in comic books, villainy has to have an overall faction, and Hydra and Cobra were taken.

Another player, M I Abrahms (he'd post this himself but CAN'T because he's unable to log in), pointed out that the Binding Ceremony seems to have a marriage theme...

*SPOILERS*

In order to erect the barriers to protect the Midnighters' Chapel from the Apparitions, you need...

Someone Old: Makwi
Someone New: Sister Nadia
Someone Borrowed: Vanessa DeVore
and Someone Blue: Cerulean

Rocket Board on a Tanker is a bad idea.

Rocket Board on a Blaster/Corrupter/Controller and anything else that doesn't exclusively rely on its toggles to survive is a FUN idea!

It was just so cool laying the smack down on Omnicore, delivering my scathing "I'm just better than you!" speech, and then hopping on my rocket board to fly away.

Even better that it was my Beam Rifle/Time Manipulation Corrupter, and he's a time traveling mad scientist.

"I just beat you, Omnicore. Now I'm gonna fly away on my totally cool rocket board... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA! AWAAAAAY! TO THE FUTUUUUUURRRRRRRE! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

OOH! Sooner! Your second account should be @Later

...

And skin in pastel colors!

Farewell robed wizards out of touch with the current times...

Hello wizards with BOOBS!

See you in a few months again, Westley.

I'm thinking Randall Grey as the Bad-*** Grandpa... http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph.../BadassGrandpa