Murgatroid

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Holy... I knew the CoH team was small, but 15 people?! I never imagined it'd be that tiny. Good lord.

Hats off to you guys, you had me fooled. You guys have been packing so much into recent issues I thought there were more of you behind the scenes than that.

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Could be worse. the Auran staff on the Trainz franchise is 3 people. :-)

thanks for all the info. I didn't see anyone mentioning particle illusions, which I stumbled actross after posting here. Its worth a look if you want to add particle based special effects. the big selling point for me is that it works as an overlay to about any rendered movie.

Linky
Particle Illusions

Hi all, I'm merely an amateur game movie buff. I've recently found my skill limited and desire to be able to do more. that being said, I have a couple of questions.

1. What editor do you prefer and why?

2. what do you use for overlays/ special effects. specifically, explosions, or interweaving one footage over another?


I have practically every video editor except pinnacle, I tend to prefer premiere elements, probably because I am most familiar with it. Anyway, thanks in advance for your input.

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"Who you are making it hard on is people who enjoy SOLOING, who enjoy CASUAL game play or those that enjoy PVP and want the accolades."


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I call BS on this statement. TFs and SFs have always been intended to be done as a team. That means not solo. If you can't manage to solo them then find a team.

The funny part is certian players are still going to manage to solo some of these.

Solo players have 98% of the rest of the game to solo with. So no sympathy here.

I also find it hard top believe that this is going to effect casual players to much. Either they have the time to do these or they don't.

All this angst is because people will have to take more time to get thier shiney from the Cap SF.

Boo Hoo.


~MR

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I don't call BS on it since I said it. If I want to team I will, HOWEVER if I feel like not teaming, I won't. This change was made to make it so I have to. I'd rather personally run a Hess TF solo myself. I find it 1. enjoyable, 2. oh yeah enjoyable and 3. rewarding. I do the entire thing, I load in my accts and bam I get the rewards. And since not all of the rewards are IMO taskforceworthy (cuz yeah...I really need that 17,000th "Sting of the manticore" or yet another "Trap of the Hunter"), I am always hoping that ONE out of the FIVE get something I either need or can sell.

As long as I'm not breaking the EULA when I play, I see no reason to penalize me for how I play OR for the devs to tell me how to play. I'm a paying customer, I expect to be treated as such.

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Quoted for solidarity

With this change I highly suggest that you revisit all the TFs and trim missions/minimum requirements as needed. It really bothers me when unnecessary changes like this occur, yet other quality of life issues go unaddressed. fix Calvin Scott. make the sewer trial actually doable by a team that's the right level to get the mission. Quarterfield, you get the picture.

one way I have gotten around the issue you are describing is to let the installer start a new install. Once it starts, I cancel it and copy my old install into the new directory it created. I know it's not a clean work around, but it does work.

Your's was awesome too Dark_Respite, no shame in being that talented. I really loved the concept. I'm interested to see your thoughts on Night Prayers, its just surreal.

wowza. Everytime I start to think I have a grip on Demorecord and movie making, I get knocked back into reality by a movie like Night Prayers. I can't even fathom how some of that stuff was done, but man O man was it done well. I don't know whether to be jazzed because it rocked or sad because my skills are non-existent. :-) Great stuff.

Can I bring a guest or do they have to register too?

oh, and FPAARN!

I never even seen a sign up link for Indy? Was it full that fast?

I have heard that its best served cold. Just sayin.

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So I was in the middle of the faultline story arc, all the way at the back in the hazard zone, when a boss managed to defeat me... When you're playin regen, sometimes you guess wrong I guess. So I went to my base to pick up somethings and drop off salvage. When I exited my base, I was in faultline, and I thought "wOW! neat, shorter walk." So I start to walk, and I see a contact, so I click on him, and it turns out he is my police band contact. So I activate superspeed.. and hit a wall. I change directions, and hit a wall. I find out I am IN a building. When I click the door of the building, it says "you cannot enter". I see some enemies on the other side of the building, so I go attack them just as another hero does. I WAS ABLE TO ATTACK!!! The other hero must have seen a broadsword swooshing out of the wall.

So I moved around and clicked stuck a number of times, but to no avail. Fortuntely, since I have G vs. E, I used my pocked D teleporter to escape.

Ever happen to anyone else?

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yes, exiting the base to Fl always puts me INSIDE the donut shop. When it happens make sure to bug it and get someone to TP you out or GvE tp, because stuck just does not work.

As for the numina trial, we did it saturday, and the only way to complete it was to get a Senior Gm to clear the mission. one word of note: the first lvl Gm that respoinded was NOT going to complete the mission for us because 1. it was a zone hunt. 2. He could not join the team because it was a tf. I had to ask him to escalate it to senior support, which cleared the mission for us in about 5 seconds. It did take almost 90 minutes for the first Gm to show up though.

I'd like to get some confirmation on the high level hero content. I had thought I heard in one of the radio or convention interviews that I8 was going to have new 40+ hero content, but I haven't seen anything official since. I would really love to have more to do with my high level toons.

[quote. Also because Statesman told me more than a year ago they were looking to create a unlimited respec trial for level 50s which we are still waiting for.

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I'm with this in a big way. Gives me something new to do with my 50s.

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Who is going to pick a +3 SO over a SHO?



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I'd pick some +3 SOs if they are not base 10. I'd love a half dozen 53 lvl end mods.

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While I would like to have more zones open to the CoH telepads, trying to have a base with telepads to all those zones would be expensive and unwieldy unless they took away the 2-beacon limit to the telepads. There are a LOT more zones in CoH than in CoV...

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Thats exactly why I suggested that we have teleporters to the green and yellow lines instead of each zone. that way we only need one more telepad in the base, and we get all the zones.

Her name was flower knight. I met her my first day in Paragon City. I was a new young buck in the ranks of Gods, eager to prove my self. I was sent to a viral outbreak in steel canyon, where I was instructed to retrieve the antidote formula from the villains hide out. All did not go so smoothly, once in the lair, I found that they had cornered another hero, She was a thing of beauty, and it was all I could do focus on the work.

I was stunned by her presence; the attraction was powerful. I proceeded to beat down her captors, and we then cleared the base together, sharing the fame of success. It was apparent right away that she was attracted to me as well. In the following weeks, we grew closer, and began dating. Could life be any better than this? I was paragon City’s newest “A list” hero, and had an “A list Hottie Heroin” as my girlfriend. I was on top of the world.

For the next year, we fought side by side as a duo, and then went home as a couple. That’s where things started going south. We spent so much time together, that the familiarity wore on us, and we began taking each other for granted. We seemed to fight with each other now more than with the bad guys, and as a result started to work, apart more and more, yet we remained a couple at home.

It was not long until I got my big break, I was sent to apprehend a carnie boss known as “lady of desire”. Man O Man, what a fitting name. When I first confronted her, you could cut the sexual tension with a knife. She had a body that wouldn’t stop, and was dressed like those carnies’ do, you know, barely. On top of that, she was bad. B A Double D Bad. She was the forbidden fruit; gods’ cruel trick, pure lustful desire, yet pure evil. It was the evil part that kept me honest, after all, I was a paragon boy scout.

However, the press took liberties when reporting our encounters. She turned out to be quite the adversary, on our first several encounters, she handed me my rear end in a hand basket. I almost liked it, but she still scared the Bu-jeepers out of me.

I thought she was the scariest woman I had ever met, but one night, after a bad encounter with her, the paragon press “speculated” that we had a relationship. That evening when I returned home, I was met with a barrage of arrows, several penetrating me in a number of violating ways. Flower had seen the news and was P I Double S’d mad. I tried to explain, but she would have none of it. After sending me to the hospital via emergency transport, I found my things on the curb. It was over. I found refuge at a buddy’s apartment, and tried to get past Flower. She made it really difficult. For the next few weeks, I could barely hold a press conference without being shot by an arrow on camera. The police wouldn’t do anything to her because as a regen scrapper, arrows really were not a threat to me. They still hurt though. I am Regen; if you [censored] me do I not bleed? Wait, don’t answer that.

I thought flower would eventually calm down, but every time I seen my picture on a billboard, it was riddled with arrows, and defaced with black sharpie. All of the other heroin’s in town now treated my like I was a villain. It became something I had to live with. I finally got smart enough to apprehend “lady of desire” once and for all, and had hoped that the attacks from Flower would stop. I guess I’ll have to wait and see. Its been said that Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but I am here to tell you, Hell hath no fury like a super powered woman scorned. Super powered breakups are a beeeetch.

Name: Everynighters

Leader(s): Pharmahawk, Tar Heel, Mr Slowburn, Neuttrino, Peepopo, Capt Yarrr, MSGT Black, Blue Electric, Heck , everybody is a leader.

Player Type: Casual to Power Gamer

RolePlay?: Not really. Some members dabble in it but they have alts in SGs more focused on it.

Membership levels: 1-50

SuperGroup Colours: Grey and Green. We don't force you to use the colors, only request that you consider them as part of a dress uniform for "group photos" after taskforces.

Normal time of Gameplay: Evenings mainly. Most of us work but some could be on at any time.

Other information: We started out as a small group that stuck together right out of Outbreak. The SG has been active since July 15, 2004 and just as the name suggests, we have someone on every night. Some play more than others but all of the leaders and other high rank members have at least one level 50 hero in our Legends SG.

Recruiting?: Actively. No official method, just send us a tell and ask us to group for a while. We have alts in just about every level range and enjoy running missions.

We are fast approaching our 2 year anniversary, and still going strong. 9 of 10 original founders are still actively playing. We focus on the fun, and have a real good time teaming together. We also recently added TeamSpeak and Ventrillo to our list of SG perks.

Website: www.cohgeex.com

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Skink SS/Dark Brute
Defcon Robo/Bubble MM
Pharma Hawk Emp/Elec Def
Kooper Kat/Regen Scrap
Ampre EE Blaster
EvilNighters VG Everynighters SG

Name: Everynighters

Leader(s): Pharmahawk, Tar Heel, Mr Slowburn, Neuttrino, Peepopo, Capt Yarrr, Doc, Blue Electric, and a host of others.

Player Type: Casual to Power Gamer

RolePlay?: Not really. Some members dabble in it but they have alts in SGs more focused on it.

Membership levels: 1-50

SuperGroup Colours: Grey and Green. We don't force you to use the colors, only request that you consider them as part of a dress uniform for "group photos" after taskforces.

Normal time of Gameplay: Evenings mainly. Most of us work but some could be on at any time.

Other information: We started out as a small group that stuck together right out of Outbreak. The SG has been active since July 15, 2004 and just as the name suggests, we have someone on every night. Some play more than others but all of the leaders and other high rank members have at least one level 50 hero in our Legends SG.

Recruiting?: Actively. No official method, just send us a tell and ask us to group for a while. We have alts in just about every level range and enjoy running missions.

We are fast approaching our 2 year anniversary, and still going strong. 9 of 10 original founders are still actively playing. We focus on the fun, and have a real good time teaming together. We also recently added TeamSpeak to our list of SG perks.

Website: www.cohgeex.com

Did you know that the Family's suits changed colors every few issues?

before Issue 1, defenders had more hit points than blasters.

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Your first experience with modding a game involved using BASIC.



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Gorilla.BAS for teh win!

Kooper didn’t have time to watch his friend fly off, he was busy countering Balke’s every move. Because of his age and the experience he had gained over the years, it was rare that an opponent with a cutlass could even keep his attention, let alone force him to think. Balke was in every sense of the word, a true swordsman. I an odd way, Kooper was enjoying the challenge. The ebb and flow of the battle was poetic, even epic. In his heart Kooper had felt this day coming. He believed defeating Balke would be the absolution he was looking for, a way to erase the atrocities of his past.

“You disappoint me Kooper” Balke said in a monotone voice. “I always told the master you were a mistake, but he wouldn’t listen. He liked to take the righteous and just and turn them on their morals.”

I didn’t like you then and I don’t like you new” Kooper snorted at Balke, as he ducked to avoid Balke’s blade. The sound of the blade slicing through the air, just inches from his face phased senses that Kooper didn’t know he had. He didn’t know what it was, but the anticipation of Balke’s moves was becoming easier. Perhaps having no opponent of skill for 200 years had made Balke weak. Still, Kooper learned fast, but this sensation was new. Balke’s reflexes were astounding, would dodge and counter almost immediately. Both men were in superior shape, and as the battle raged on, the intensity grew fiercer. The clangs of the swords grew louder. The grunts from the opponents grew louder. The anger and attitudes of the two men grew rabid. Kooper was moving so fast now that it was a blur to the normal eye. He did notice that he was losing ground, Balke was forcing him back. With his back almost to the edge of the roof, Kooper knew he was going to have to up the pace even more. Mustering every ounce of strength from within, Kooper leapt into the air and with all his might, brought his sword down onto Balke’s blade. Balke blocked with the skill of a master swordsman, but his blade was no match for Kooper’s downward force. As his blade split into, Balke felt Kooper’s katana strafe across his abdomen and imbed into his thigh. At the same time, Balke grabbed the broken tip of his blade and plunged it into Kooper’s shoulder.

Both Men yelled out in Pain. Kooper withdrew his blade from Balkes thigh and immediately assumed his attack stance. Balke, still kneeling and holding his wound in his left hand, and a broken sword in his right, stared at Kooper’s shoulder, amazed at how fast the wound had healed. “ I guess I underestimated your ability to heal as well as your swordsmanship” Balke remarked. “Save it. I am not interested” replied Kooper. “ It’s time to take you in”

Balke started to Laugh. “You’re Jail can’ hold me you nincompoop, you have to kill me.” “Perhaps your right” said Kooper, and he drew his katana over his head to strike, when Balke’s communication device screeched in a woman’s voice, “Balke, You Imbecile, you have failed Arachnos for the last time!” Balke tried to reply, but all he got to say was “but Milady…” BZZZT snap, he was whisked away by an emergency transport beam just as Kooper’s blade ripped through the now empty space.

“Well” Kooper said out loud. “That was kind of a let down.” Koop’s moment of disappointment was interrupted by a huge blast cloud in the far distance. “That looks like a nuke cloud” he said to himself. His heart sank something bad had happened. He could feel it.


6 months later. EN Headquarters, Founders falls.


Kooper sat at the head of the conference room table, looking at the week’s mission reports. It had been his responsibly to hold things together since Pharma Hawk walked away from leading the EveryNighters. . This team had always been lead by Pharma and Tar Heel. Slowburn had always preferred the more scientific aspects of the team, but the last few months events left too much political work for Slowburn alone, so Kooper stepped up. It was a responsibility he would have never agreed to. He was always the loner, and a terrible politician, but he could not let PH Down. She just couldn’t bring herself to continue after loosing Tar Heel. No one could blame her really. She felt so guilty about hurting her friends, and then to have Tar make the ultimate sacrifice was too much for her to deal with. It was an awkward time for the team, a real tough 6 months. His thoughts were interrupted as Murgatroid walked into the room. “Koop” You have got to see the new guys in action” he said. “What do you mean Murg?” Murg walked up to the mission display and punched in a couple key codes. The display opened and Murg sat down in the seat next to Kooper and placed his hand on his shoulder. Take a look.

On the screen was a team the old guys called EN2. They were eager new recruits with a lot of style. On screen was a Blaster named Ampre, a stone tank by the name of Kilheiman Wall, Swamp ninja the scrapper an Ice Tanker called Teeker, and a couple of Khelds, Dr. Light, and Murmur’. This team was apprehending the freakshow leader clamour. Murg just laughed, “Look at them” Kooper replied with a smile on his face, “ She’s 4 levels above their clearance”. “Reminds me of an empath and a tank I used to know” said Murg. “we’re gonna be alright you know? “said Kooper. “Yea” replied Murg. “Well, I have to bail old friend, the newbies seem to have things under control. “ See you tomorrow my friend. When you get home, tell PH hi for me.” Murg replied “I always do. I always do.”

Pharma just sat there in the rubble, glancing at the battle behind her, trying to find the courage to face her fears. How could she fight again knowing the pain and devastation she could cause? She knew in her heart that she couldn’t control it. The rush she felt in detaining her friends was new. She was always a front line hero, and as such, was never content with a support role. The sensation from the pain aura almost killed her, and could easily do the same to anyone without super powered abilities. She needed to find a way to control, or even eliminate her new ability. PH was so deep in thought, she didn’t notice the 6 robot henchmen that had surrounded her until the mechanical sound of the assault bot’s plasma canons moving and charging broke her concentration. She stood abruptly, not sure if she should fight or run, and then noticed that there was no escape path.

Oddly, the bots just stood there, containing her, not fighting, though poised to do so. Just then, another robot hovered into the circle in front of her, feet first, gently landing on the ground within arms reach of her. She didn’t feel threatened, so she just waited, and said, “Who are you”.

The being replied and a mechanized voice, “I am Defcon, and these are my henchmen, the River 6”. Pharma Hawk replied, “Sounds like a 70’s pop group”. Defcon looked puzzled, and tilted his head right for a split second, and then looked at PH and stated “Ah, human humor, I get it”. “ I have not mastered that in its entirety yet, there seems to be little humor in my history” PH observed as Defcon spoke, the constant clicks and beeps coming from him reminded her of other androids she knew, Luminary, Citadel, and Trojan King. She realized that he was continuing to survey the battlefield, Multitasking, and doing it effortlessly. This was not some mindless automaton; this one appeared to be a real threat.

“Do you think I am a threat?” PH asked. “You are most definitely a threat to Arachnos” he replied, “but that’s not why I am here.” “I will not bore you wit the details, but you are indirectly responsible for my being.” “I am only aligned with Arachnos for lack of a better arrangement at this time. The Ghost has identified you as a threat, but I cannot allow her to have you.” PH looked on at the Android in confusion, but cautiously told him to continue.

“The Ghost has blocked your escape transport signals. As we speak legions of Destined Arachnos villains are preparing to descend upon this place to eliminate you and your team. So we have little time.” Defcon reached forward and palm extended, grabbed PH by the face, she jumped, but it was to late, he had her in his grip. She stared forward at him through the gaps in his fingers, afraid of what was to come next. “Fear not.” Defcon said, as a green laser scanner emanated from his plam and scanned across her face. The light was bright, it hurt her eyes. She blinked and then closed her eyes. He then released his grip on her and she fell to the ground dazed.

“In 5 minutes you will gain you motor skills back. At that time, you will recall the frequency number I have just transmitted into your memory. It will neutralize the ghost’s transporter jammer and you will be able to safely beam back to the Longbow staging base.”

“Why are you helping me? Ph replied groggily. “Because I feel like I owe you.” replied Defcon. “Won’t Ghost Widow destroy you for this? She asked. Defcon replied with a mechanized evil laugh that sounded like he had pre recorded it, and then simply stated, “The battle recorder will show that I have defeated you, and the access code that you will escape by, is the code used by the villain Balke. He will take the blame.” With that statement, he raised his arm, punched in a code, and the assault bots sprung back to the battle. Defcon hovered into the air, and threw his arms to his sides, spreading a huge protective bubble in all directions around him, and followed the river 6 back towards the conflict in the distance.

Defcon surveyed the battlefield, scanning, calculating and adjusting tactics, compensating for the heroes strategy. His Artificial Intelligence was not only packed with the history of warfare, but modified with his (and his victims) own personal experiences. He was easily compensating tactics to keep his robot Army safe and in control. This opponent was much more coordinated than most. He was really intrigued by the battle that was playing out before his sensors. He did not particularly dislike humans, he just didn’t trust them. He didn’t really see himself as a villain either, just an opportunist; and as history has taught us, there are far more opportunities in the world of outlaws than of formal society. On the rogue isles, no one even gave him a second look as he strolls down the streets. Back in Paragon city, the people would run from him in fear. It was here in the isles that Defcon had come to know his first and only human friend. He was a Lieutenant in Arachnos, an engineer, and fascinated by the fact that Defcon, an Android had become conscious because of a 5th column robot virus. After the “Statesman’s Strike “he never saw his friend again.

It was only sheer coincidence that he was with Arachnos today, but the opportunity had presented its self in a not so unorthodox fashion. This group of “destined ones” as the Ghost Lady referred to them, just happened to be after the same things. All of them had wished to unlock the secrets of the thorn tree, and had eventually succeeded. An alliance was formed, less from brotherhood than from convenience, and more for personal gain than camaraderie. By defcon’s calculations, it was likely only their combined success and subsequent rewards that kept the group together. It was those successes that had gained them favor in the eyes of the ghost lady, and for that, they were now bound indefinitely as a team. Still, he didn’t have options, so he was content to be along for the ride.

Rubicon defeated by Tar Heel, initiate respawn at location 15 degrees west by 11 degrees north, full Upgrade, re converge Tigris and Euphrates to provide cover

The battle command subroutines ran across Defcons internal displays

Initiate Rio Grand incendiary missle array 3 and 5 on target Arbiter Slowburn, Firey Fist is trapped.

Seeker 1 and Seeker 3 intercept blue electric, on course to aid arbiter neuttrino

Yangtze and Ganges in pursuit of hero Pharma hawk

The last transmition caught Defcons attention. “Pharma Hawk?” Accessing- Accessing—Record found, Display photographic record.
Defcon activated his flight servos and raised into the air over the battlefield, and started towards the helicopter wreckage. He was cut off by a returning Ice Gost and HHH3, who had rejoined the battle, and he could see on the horizon, several more heroes approaching. Two quick Force bolts knocked the heroes out of his path and he continued on his way to the wreckage.

The Photographic record was now playing on his internal display. He could clearly See the one called Tar Heel, whom he didn’t recognize on the battlefield because his rams horns were missing, he also recognized the two blasters he just removed from the air, and there was Pharma hawk. The record showed this group of heroes raiding the 5th column base during the rogue robot incident. They were making waste of the hordes of MK5 Wolfpacks and Mech-Men. The video had be recorded by Omega Black Scion, Stealthed Malta operative, the one Defcon worked for before he gained Life.
What caught Defcon’s attention was the fact that even though these heroes were battling his robot brethren, like humans mostly do, when they came to the Robot leaders, they stopped to listen. Pharma Hawk had actually tried to communicate with the rogue robots as the beings they were, and not just machines. It was this pause in the battle that allowed Omega Black Scion to escape undetected by the heroes. Because he escaped, and had taken one of the MK5 memory cores that was infected with the rogue robot virus, Defcon was born. He must not let the others hurt the woman who was in a way responsible for his birth.

Defcon recalled his henchmen: River 6, cease current operation and follow the leader. Converge on my location. Engage en route, but do not break course.