Niviene
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Please use this thread to discuss the Issue 14 Follow-Up letter from Positron
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Vol. 2, Issue 42
April 17th, 2009
The City Scoop a publication for Supers by Supers!
Read the latest publication and then join in on the community discussion!
If you have concerns regarding the content of the Scoop please direct your comments via PM to Ex Libris.
If you would like to do a feature article, or join "The City Scoop" team please PM Snow_Globe.
If you would like to place a classified ad or have an event covered, contact Cende, EnnVee, or Lemur Lad.
If you need some "Advice" contact Lady_Athyna, would like to "Ask The X" contact LiquidX, or need help with fashion, "Ask Arbiter Fabulous."
If you have a base you would like featured, please contact EnnVee.
Finally if you have a Recipe you would like included please contact Barron_. -
Vol. 2, Issue 42
April 17th, 2009
The City Scoop a publication for Supers by Supers!
Read the latest publication and then join in on the community discussion!
If you have concerns regarding the content of the Scoop please direct your comments via PM to Ex Libris.
If you would like to do a feature article, or join "The City Scoop" team please PM Snow_Globe.
If you would like to place a classified ad or have an event covered, contact Cende, EnnVee, or Lemur Lad.
If you need some "Advice" contact Lady_Athyna, would like to "Ask The X" contact LiquidX, or need help with fashion, "Ask Arbiter Fabulous."
If you have a base you would like featured, please contact EnnVee.
Finally if you have a Recipe you would like included please contact Barron_. -
The Hecktic Life
The City Scoop Staff
Please read this before asking to join The City Scoop.
-
Protector PERC: Tell Me a Story!
Event by
Healing_Phoenix
Because I was new to PERC, I was advised to do something small considering I
wanted to do a weeklong event for my first server event.
I decided to ask Protector to tell me a story regarding their character. Not any
story - their story of how they became heroes or villains. The story you would
put in your bio if you had the room. *ahem Devs*
Near the end, I picked a couple PERC mates to help me with the judging. I
e-mailed the stories to them as well as a grading rubric to score each story.
When I got the e-mails back there where many comments on how they believed the
stories where well developed, wanted to know more, surprised by the use of
vivid description, and much more.
The winner was BamaHulk, who won a forum title "Protector's Own Story Teller,"
as well as 500 Brain Storm Ideas. This is his story.
The stench of rotting plants rolls in from the darkness of the swamp, stomping
down the spirit of fun this cheap, filthy carnival is touting. Grimy light
bulbs hang in pitiful strings from pole to pole, offering islands of light in
what is fast becoming a dark and sinister mockery of a kiddie wonderland. You
have to wonder which is more pathetic; the community of Bayou Raton bothering
to put on this sham of a Shrimp Festival, or the fact that you showed up and
paid a buck to get in. You kick the dust, and head back toward the car.
Then you see the sign.
It arcs over a sagging a red and white striped tent, jagged lettering all but
screaming SWAMP MONSTER! IS IT MAN OR GATOR? A smile crosses your face - you're
a sucker for the bizarre, even if it is probably a guy in a costume - and you
walk up to the tent. An ancient-looking carnie, his face wizened, stands up
from a folding lawn chair. He peers at you, a phlegmy laugh escaping his
throat. "Ya wanna see him?" he barks. You light a smoke while you ponder.
Exhaling, you nod yes, and hand the midget a dollar. He laughs harder.
A single bulb illuminates the tent's interior. Sawdust has been thrown down on
the bare dirt; by the undisturbed looks of it, you might be the only customer
today. An old folding chair sits solitary in front of a battered wooden
platform. On the platform, there is a large shipping crate. You can't tell what
that is sitting on the crate.
It looks human. The hunched over figure has its back to you. All you can tell in
this gloom is that it seems to be wearing overalls, and you would swear the
skin is... green? You approach to get a better look. The thing suddenly stands,
then turns too quickly and looks down at you. With all its eyes.
Seven foot if he's an inch. His hair catches the light, and the yellow reflects.
So does the iridescent green. His mouth is that of a giant frog, angled sharply
at the corners. But those eyes.
You saw eyes like that once. In a biology textbook. In the chapter on
Environmental Mutations. Those were fish with three eyes. This is a guy...with
six. Both of you stare at the other for a long moment. You're pretty sure he's
winning by sheer numbers.
He turns back to his crate, and resumes his seat. "Do you speak?" you ask
weakly, your mind still trying to catch up with what your eyes have seen. "Il
ne parle pas. Nous parlons pour lui" a small voice answers from the platform.
You stand and approach the man-thing. "Did you speak?" you ask. "I heard
speech. But I didn't understand it." Suddenly, the noise of the carnival
outside seems distant. You get closer to the man, close enough to see the
wounds on his neck. One of them opens with a soft splitting sound. Two more
above it separate, revealing two blood red orbs. They blink.
"Maybe you don't speak French?" the "wound" below them asks. "What he said is he
doesn't speak, so we do all the talking for him" It is only then your eyes
adjust fully to the dim, and you see two small faces in the flesh of the back
of the man's neck. The one on the left is smiling at you. You turn away
quickly. This is too freakish to be true. Still, you gain the courage for one
last look before you run from the tent to scream at the top of your lungs.
"If you will sit, I can tell you what you're seeing and why you're seeing it,"
the mouth on the right offers. You sit.
"This guy used to have a name. This guy... used to be a guy." the tiny mouth
begins. "He was born a simple soul; even as his body grew, his heart and mind
stayed that of a child. But his family loved him, and that was really all that
mattered. He grew up in the swamps near here, fishing with his daddy, wading in
the shallows for crawfish, generally a good life. But then, as man is want to
do, industries saw unspoiled land and decided their interests outweighed the
need of the swamp folk to live out their lives in peace. They begin to build."
"Now, there's supposed to be regulations in things like this. Supposed to be
environmental studies, people are supposed to ruin the land in a responsible
fashion."
The mouth laughs. You still want to jump up and start running. Yet, you feel
compelled to hear the story. Something bids you stay. Maybe it's curiosity.
Maybe its basic pity flavored with a subtle humanity. Maybe you just like weird
things.
"But the swamp folk, sometimes they don't have lawyers. People whose bathtub
might be outside their front door and have a busted up dock sticking in
it...sometimes they don't have too many people to champion their rights. This
was one of those times."
You almost forget you're watching what appears to be a man talking out of tiny
mouths on his neck. In two languages.
"So, one day, he goes fishing. He rows carefully to a small bay he has visited
many times with his papa, a beautiful place where the sun shines on the water,
casting reflections. He, enjoys the sunshine where he casts his hook, enjoys
the smiles on his mama and papa's faces when he brings home a large fish for
the dinner table. It is peaceful, secluded place. Maybe too secluded."
"On this day, the fishing is good. He becomes enchanted with the water, not
seeing the men at the bank who roll the large barrels toward the water. They
too, enjoy the seclusion of this place, but not for the same reason. The
barrels contain radioactive wastes, from a place where deniability is esteemed
over responsibility. He does not see the men, they do not see him. He catches
three large fish. Mama and papa will be proud when they all sit down to eat
tonight."
"His mama and papa did not die that night. Nor the next. They died a little each
night, for many nights. He did not die. Instead, he began to change inside. And
outside. Bones screamed silently in his body as they stretched to abnormal
lengths. Muscles grew huge on his frame. His skin became an unnatural green.
His hair, once a tawny blonde, became greenish like the waters of the swamp.
Cruel fate saved the worst for last."
Erudin and Rularuu
by Juggertha
"His mama and papa had always been touched by the childlike nature of his eyes.
His gaze was a comfort to them . But not at the end. They lived long enough to
see their son look down upon their contaminated bodies with not the two blue
eyes of his birth, but with the six cold abominations that had usurped them.
They died with horrific pain in their bodies, but it is fair to say the pain in
their hearts actually killed them. Panic eventually overwhelmed the boy, and he
fled everything he had ever known."
You look back to the figure. Your mind fills in the blanks between the scared
innocent who fled the only home he had ever known, and the mutated man
condemned by innocence to merely exist for others amusement in the very world
that made him a freak. You want to do something.
Z Girl Floating by RocketBoy
A plume of cigarette smoke escapes your mouth as you concentrate. "Laissez-moi
avoir un souffle de cela," the left mouth speaks.You look back to the figure.
The right mouth is...giggling?
"He says "Let me have a puff of that," the tiny mouth laughs.
Surprising yourself, you place the cigarette in the left mouth, which begins to
inhale. You remove the butt, the mouth blows a tiny ring. Normal.
It comes to you suddenly. A smile crosses your lips as you look around the tent,
finding the second exit you hoped was there. You climb up on the platform,
facing the tall mutant.
"Do you want to go home?" you ask quickly. There is a pause as the six eyes
consider you once more.
"Maison? Oui." he replies slowly, the voice rumbling out of the deformed mouth
like bubbles from swamp mud.
You take his massive hand, and begin to lead him toward the neglected tent flap
opposite the door you entered. You turn, looking up at his face. You see trust,
an innocent belief that kindness means safety. As the gloom of the tent yields
to dusk outside, you purpose not to be the next one to betray him.
"We have to make a stop at a place called Paragon City. But I promise, I will
get you home one day," you offer.
Everyone deserves a chance to be normal.
The runner up was Angel Red, with her story The Arrival. She won 200 Brain Storm
Ideas. Here is her story:
The Arrival
I squinted my eyes against the brightness of the day, the left remained a
glaring red as it filtered through my closed eyelid, the right partially
shielded by the fact that my face was in the dirt. A small movement of my head
produced a loose, gritty feeling, suggesting that what I was laying in was
actually sand. The intense heat that burned my arms when I moved them merely
confirmed it. The intense heat contrasted sharply with the coolness of the
waves gently lapping at my legs. Slowly, I drew my hands back through the sand,
careful to keep them where my arms had kept it cool. Wincing as the creases and
folds of my back and shoulders exploded in flames before I could push off the
sand and once again drop my arms. Exactly how long had I been laying there?
"Look what the tide washed in boys." I froze at the harsh voice and the laughed
responses that held no humor.
I raised my head slowly, looking up, and realized that I must still be asleep as
I looked up at the nightmare before me. Half a dozen men stood there looking
down at me, at least, they may have started their lives as men, the myriad of
electrical and mechanical devices protruding from their bodies was obviously
their first step in erasing their humanity, visibly anyway. Recognizing the
lack of anything remotely human behind their eyes, those that still had them, I
felt fear closing off my throat, stifling any screams when a flash of red and
white behind them caught my attention. What else could possible happen?
Those nightmarish freaks barely registered as two figures in red and white
appeared behind my attackers, blasts of energy shooting from their hands,
sending those before them flying. One of them looked down at me, his left arm
flinging out as he pointed back in the direction they had appeared. "Run for
the station!" He shouted down at me. But as I stood, and arc of energy struck
him, sending him crashing to the beach.
"Run!" His partner screamed as she sent another blast into the crowd, buying her
partner time to get to his feet. I spun on my knees ready to make a dash
towards the retaining wall, when I came face-to-face with one of my attackers,
and although he appeared to have fewer modifications than the others, his
intent was no less obvious. As if time itself slowed, I watched as his arm
began to raise, the muzzle of the gun in his hand tracked up until I was
looking down its barrel. Bringing my hands up in a feeble attempt to fend off
the attack, streaks of red and orange circled my foe as well as myself. He
seemed to visible sag and I felt somehow energized. A quick glance over my
shoulder showed the same lights fade from around my rescuers.
I half expected them to decide that I was just as much a threat and turn their
attention to me, or worse, let these freaks finish what they started. To my
surprise, grins split both their faces and their attacks on the three attackers
left standing increased. The one who had focused his attention on me turned and
ran, leaving his cohorts to fend for themselves. Again and again I tried to
repeat what whatever it was I had done, without success. As the one closest to
me appeared to draw his last breath, it happened again.
Like a pulling sensation, it was as if I were drawing something into myself from
my foe, and sharing it with those who fought for me. He went down and my two
rescuers focused their undivided attention on the last foe standing. Their
attacks hit him simultaneously, launching him out into the water. Other than
the rippling of the waves, there was no further motion from him. My rescuers
turned to me, frazzled, spent, and a bit singed around the edges, but
triumphant in their own success in prevailing against two to one odds.
"Come." He said, his blue eyes locking on me. "We'll escort you to safety." And
he clasped his hand on my shoulder. The instant he touched my skin, searing
pain forced me down and away from his hand, nausea roiling my stomach at the
sudden intensity of it.
"Have you been injured?" Concern filled his voice as I sucked in great sobbing
breaths, and as I started to fall to my knees, he grabbed a hold of my arm to
keep me upright. "Not just yet. We've got to get you out of here, it doesn't
take long for others to crawl out of the sewers and take their place." With a
toss of his head, he indicated the bodies strewn about the beach. "Besides, we
need to get you healed. It seems that you've been out here for quite some
time." He and his partner guided me up and over the retaining wall, their hands
placed with care to avoid any unnecessary contact with the severe sunburn. Less
than a block away, I saw the train platform.
"What is your name?" He asked. It was an innocent enough question, and should
have been fairly easy to answer.
"I..." And I stopped dead in my tracks, the heat pouring off my skin and the
searing pain dropped to the background as I realized that I didn't know. "I..."
I looked around with the realization that I had no clue as to where I was, and
no recollection as to who I was.
My two defenders looked at one another, then steered me across the street to the
train plaza. Had I not been so stunned I might have noticed others dressed in
all manners of outfits, running, leaping, and flying about, some looking far
scarier than those who had just been defeated. "I must say, it was fortunate
for us that your Defender abilities chose to surface when they did." The woman
in red and white said then looked at her partner. "It looks as if we have a
guardian angel, Longbowman Price." She smiled at her partner, Price, then at
me.
"A rather red one at the moment." And they both laughed, raising my own mood for
the moment. "Let's say we get you some help, then take you to someone who can
help you on your journey, our reddened Angel."
I stood there for a moment and tossed the name around in my head. Angel Red.
Yes, I think will do nicely.
-
Fan Fiction Spotlight
You
Can Call Me Glacius9! By
Ice9_
"You can call me Glacius9 and you can tell all the Ghosts, Ice9 has returned" as
I spoke those words I watched tears well up in Celestial Nav's deep blue eyes,
weary suspicion burning in Sooner Spirit's face and stunned silence gripped my
old friend Ahren. Sooner was the first to speak, "Glacius9, I think you better
explain just what the hell that's supposed to mean before I knock your
[censored] off this roof!" I do not know what I had expected from my old
friends upon seeing me for the first time but her anger and hostility surprised
me. "I know I have been gone a long time Sooner and I have changed, become more
than I was before, but I am the man you knew as Ice9. Let me show you, the
biometric scanner on our mainframe will recognize me that should prove to you I
am who I say I am." Raising her hand in a 'Halt' gesture she immediately
stepped between the open rooftop access hatch and me, "No way stranger, you're
not going anywhere near our base until I get some answers." Without taking her
eyes off me, she asked Nav to retrieve UPS 2.2 and Broken Shadow so they might
help establish my identity.
Ice9's stories are related to the stories of
Sooner in that they share the same super group on the same server and
their characters interact on a regular basis. They're both very talented
writers, both extremely capable of establishing suspense and character --
difficult things to do in a super hero story without comic panels.
In this case, Glacius9, the reborn form of Ice9, has to deal with an identity
crisis. Is he really whom and what he claims? Will he be able to regain the
trust of the people he's so certain he knows and cares for? What exactly
happened to him that caused this profound change in his life?
Over the course of Ice9's stories, these questions are explored. Amidst the
flashing steel and fiery explosions, the incandescent flashes and icy embraces,
Ice9's (and Sooner's) characters struggle with the very being of their
characters while dangerous and insane individuals abroad plot to simply kill
them off. It's an epic, gripping tale, and one I highly recommend.
Exploring the Architect #2: Choices
How's the weather up there?
by EmeraldCrusader
Hello fellow Architects! My name is Bubbawheat and this week I'll be taking
another look into the mission architect system with a brand new mission. I was
going to save this for next week, but what can I say, inspiration struck so
here I am.
Now, I know that the current Architect system doesn't allow for branching
dialog, but I decided to try my hand seeing what I could do with one of the
age-old superhero stories: having to choose between saving the girl or saving
the best friend (or some similar choice). Of course, just like last time, I
first had to pick a contact; I went with a scientist type, as if it's some type
of study.
Now for my first run through, I like to stick to the mechanics, and leave the
flavor for later. And also because I'm not quite sure what kind of flavor I'm
going to give to this mission just yet. I'll skip the map for right now and
come back to it to make sure I pick a map with enough spawn points for what I
decide to use. So now onto the mission goals. I start out with two different
collection objects, named simply enough choice 1 and choice 2. Next, I move
onto two bosses, boss for choice 1 and boss for choice 2. In addition, for
something a little different, two destructible objects, object for choice 1 and
object for choice 2. Now in order to make this work the way I hope, I make all
three of the "choice 1" goals required. The idea is that if you go with choice
1 all the way, you complete the mission and get the "success" dialog, but if
you go with choice 2 all the way, you don't have enough time to complete the
mission and get the "failure" dialog. Which reminds me; I must put a time limit
on the mission. Let's say, 15 minutes for starters.
Going back now for my first round of error checking, I realize I haven't picked
an enemy group yet. I personally prefer to use an enemy group that's available
from 1-54 for the widest selection of players. I go with Arachnos. Since I
haven't seen all the unique maps, I pick the Skulls map. With no errors left, I
find a helper teammate for more objective testing and give it a run through
with my 38 fire/fire brute. We run into a few problems with the Night Widows at
this level, and have a few deaths, but have enough time to make it through all
six objectives within the 15 minutes.
Now it's time to flesh things out a little bit. I have a stroke of inspiration
and change the more or less random goals to a set of eight rescues. Of course
it has to be rescues! That fits perfectly with my original idea. As for who to
rescue, how about some signature heroes and villains? That allows me a good
opportunity to flesh out the text now. The choice: Hero or Villain. My mission
text tells you that your first choice is between Back Alley Brawler and Black
Scorpion. I add in 6 other heroes and villains, all chained off of each other.
When the mission starts up, there are only two rescues, and then each rescue
spawns another one until you reach the end of the chain. Like before, I choose
one group to make required so I can split up the mission complete text between
success and failure. I also make all of the nav text on the required rescues to
display just "choose wisely" so as not to give away which one is tied to
success. Because of this, I add the name of the next victim into the dialog of
the rescuees, so that the player isn't lost.
Now, as this is not a perfect system, I do have to add in a couple caveats. For
the success dialog, I write the text as if the player chose all of one side,
but I also add in the possibility that they had enough time to save everyone.
On the flipside, for the failure dialog, I write the text as if they chose all
of the other side, but I also add the possibility that they just didn't save
enough people in the time limit.
After testing another time, I make a couple more final changes. I go with an
outdoor map in order for the player to be able to more easily avoid unnecessary
spawns and just pick out the rescues. I also change Arachnos into Paragon
Police, which is a group that fewer people, especially heroes, get to fight. I
also drop the timer to 10 minutes. All in all, it ends up working pretty well.
So, there's how it went with mission number 2: Choices. All in all I'm pretty
happy with it, and if you want to go check it out for yourself, take a look at
arc # 2711: Exploring the Architect #2: Choices.
Your
PvPEC Reps!
Protector Rep:
@Vorac
Greetings Programs!
My name is Vorac, and I'm a PvPEC Rep on the Protector Server.
Some of you may know me from the forums, although I don't post that often, some
might know me from Protector. But, wherever I may be, City of Heroes/Villains
is my home.
I am here today as a fellow player, gamer and a representative of the PvPEC and
I would like talk to everyone about why I joined the PvPEC, how I started
PvP'ng in CoH/V, and a little history of my PvP origins.
In the beginning, there was Pong. I started playing games back at the ripe age
of 5. The year was 1976 and my Parents brought home an Odyssey system. My
Brothers and I spent more time fighting about who was gonna play who than
actually playing the game. The love and excitement of that game would continue
throughout the years... Combat, Disks of Tron, Punch Out, Street Fighter,
Mortal Kombat, Virtual Fighter...the adrenaline, the fun, the friendly (and not
so friendly) rivalries, the always evolving technology and method of PvP in all
its forms, has kept me gaming for all these years.
In 2000, I got a job that every gamer dreams of: Working in a LAN room. In
essence, being paid to play video games! For the 6 months that I was employed
there, I spent an average of 10 hours a day playing CS and Starcraft. Needless
to say, I was hooked on computer gaming. For the next five years I stuck with
FPS's almost exclusively, HL(2), CoD, Halo, Serious Sam, CS(CS:S), TF. Until
one day watching Screensavers and they had this little review of this game
called City of Heroes....
June '05 I picked up a trial for CoH. Since then I have only been out of the
game for about 2 weeks. One week for a fried Mobo, and about another week or so
on vacations ('08 Hero Con and '07 SJ Meet n Greet)
I first started PvP'ng when CoV came out. My SG would all go storming into
Warburg, hell-bent on smashing everything in our way. (Well, that was the
idea... didn't always go our way.) Our many defeats never deterred us. Since
this form of PvP was all new to me, it was frustrating and fun learning the
system. I spent the next several months hanging out in zones, trying out
different toons, trying to find one that I enjoyed in PvE as well as PvP. That
ended up being my SS/Nrg Brute. I know, lol/nrg, but he does ok and is fun to
play, to me that is the important part to remember about this game... Have Fun!
Which I forget sometimes, but I'll get into that in a few.
Once the level cap went up to 50 for Villains, I took some time away from PvP to
get a couple Vill's and a couple Heroes up to 50. By then, the SG that I was in
started to get into Base Raids. The Raids were mostly just for fun between
Coalitions. But there were a few times when things got heated, due mostly to
spawn camping. I used to get so frustrated from that and facing more organized
teams that would just plow through us. I was taking the game personally, losing
my cool, and just plain forgot that this game is supposed to be fun. So, once
again I decided to take a short break from PvP.
After about a month off, I started getting back into Base raiding as well as
Arena. Joining up with Warface and the F.U.S.I.O.N. VG on my Ice/Rad Corruptor,
I really started having fun once again with PvP. Total Hate was running
Thursday Night Fights at the time on Protector. He kept me coming back week
after week to have a little fun, as in he would send me tell after tell until I
would relent and show up for the fights So, this went on for a while, until one
Thursday I had a real bad day at work and figured that I would blow off a
little steam on some Arena fights. Well, nothing went right for me that night.
Couldn't get a combo off, everything that I tried backfired in my face. I had
so much frustration and rage built up that I punched my brand new, $350
monitor. The next morning, I looked at my monitor and figured it was time for
another break.
It was quite a while before I got back into PvP. But this time I figured that I
would get back into it a little slower. I started by going to the lvl 4 fight
nights that Frog was running for a while. It was a fun way to get back into
PvP'ng. Then Kyo-Chan took over the fight nights and she eventually started up
Thursday Night Fights again. I went to as many of these as I could. If I
started to get angry at the game or just frustrated, I would call it a night. I
just wanted to keep a positive attitude and enjoy PvP once again. So, I kept
going and helped Kyo out whenever she needed it. Kyo eventually asked if I
would like to join the PvPEC and help run events on Protector.
So, here we are today. I have been a PvPEC rep for 3 months now. Once again I am
having fun with PvP and hope to keep it that way. As a rep, I am going to try
to run events that are fun and challenging for both the new and veteran
PvP'ers. My main goal is to help keep PvP fun for everyone and hopefully to
keep people from making the same mistakes that I have made.
Now, I am not the greatest PvP'er in the game. In fact, I would get laughed off
of the Test PvP League. But I have my moments, and have a decent understanding
of the PvP system. So, if you have any questions about PvP or wondering about
events that we are running, feel free to send me a /tell in game (@Vorac). If I
am unable to help, then I can point you in the right direction to get you the
answers that you need. All of the PvPEC reps are here to help.
In the end, it all comes down to having fun in the game that you love. If you
ever start getting frustrated or angry, go ahead and step away from the
keyboard, whether it's for 10 minutes or a couple days. It's not worth a new
Monitor and some cracked knuckles.
Good Luck and Have Fun!
Vorac
-
Behind the
Walls
10. Architecture
Sure seems like a lot of people are enjoying Mission Architect. There must be,
because I and the rest of Game Services have been answering a lot of petitions
about it.
So here I am again, with stuff to tell everyone else having a good time.
As usual, I'm not trying to make any judgments on the matter, nor do I want to
tell anyone what to do. These are just suggestions based on what I've observed.
Players on their own have figured out quite a few, and I hope some of these
notes are being passed around between friends and the Help channel.
Don't
be in a big hurry. Mission Architect is not a sprint; it's a
marathon. There will be some players who get missions done quickly, but judging
quality is still a tough game at this point something I was trying to imply
in the previous Behind the Walls so don't rush things. It's a lot of text to
read, but the Architect Entertainment staff characters have a lot of useful
information, most of which is also in the MA Guide on the official Web site.
Trust
yourself to know what you want. If you don't know what you want,
do what the pros do: Play around with ideas, let them slosh around in the back
of your head, do whatever you need to do to make the pieces fit. If that
doesn't seem to work, do the other thing pros do: Play other people's missions,
and see how they made their ideas work. Sure seems like play testers are in
demand, too.
Save
often. Use Auto-Save. We learned this in our first-year computer
classes, didn't we? The Save buttons are at the top left of the main MA screen
and Auto-Save is at bottom center, off by default. There are some circumstances
where you don't want to use it, sure, but if you lose anything, don't think
there are server backups.
Keep
backups. Lots of them. Somewhere other than your main hard drive,
if possible. This is especially true if you try editing .storyarc files in
Notepad or some other plain-text editor.
(Yeah, the GMs aren't going to be much for advice about how to do that, though
it might not be a bad idea. There are a few threads on the subject here, so
look them up.)
Remember,
Architect Entertainment buildings are in nearly every zone. The
tutorial mission is in Atlas Park for Heroes and Mercy Island for Villains, but
that doesn't mean you have to keep using that particular building.
Studio
B is for people who don't care for the power effect spam. The
door's around the corner on the left of the big shiny column. Powers don't work
in there, and that's as intended.
Please
try not to spam power effects in the main room. Yeah, we know
you're getting your Personal Force Field and Arctic Air ready for the next
mission and don't want to de-toggle, and pretty much anyone standing around
working on their missions aren't going to be able to see it anyway. Everyone
else can, though. Please keep it to a minimum.
Write
tight and don't be afraid to rewrite. How much time do most of you
spend reading the text in "real" missions, anyway? Think your fellow players
are too much different from you? Just because you can have 100 kilobytes of
material for your mission, doesn't mean you shouldn't try to trim, and so far,
the system seems to like it better when they're smaller.
We
probably will not be able to review your missions in-depth. We
don't mind you attaching your .storyarc file to your petition, but don't expect
a content review. We have tools in place to check most things, but well
probably also suggest that you re-Edit your mission for length. Please dont be
mad at us for suggesting this!
These
boards are still the best resource for anyone, at least for right now.
Keep tabs here for reports from your fellow players about odd behaviors and
workarounds. If the Development Team decides to make any changes in the near
future, youll know about them, and we'll get better on our end answering
individual questions.
Thanks
for playing. Really, this wouldn't be worth doing if so many
people didn't seem to be having a good time. If it feels like we're making
history, you're not the only one.
This is probably going to be the last Behind the Walls for at probably another
month. I'm not short of vague ideas about what to talk about, but work's going
to keep me busy enough for the next few weeks at least. Thanks for reading,
too.
More from Behind the Walls:
1. Four
Points
2. Terms
3. Truths
4. Disciplinary
Measures
5. Keeping In
Touch
6. Advice and
Feedback
7. We
Wish You Wouldnt
8. Smack
Talkin'
9. Takes
All Kinds
In The Scoop
Well, it is Monday, and over the weekend I bought myself a deviant little devil
bat. A cute little fellow, all chubby with a little bit of hair, horns and a
snarling grin. I'm not sure what I will call him yet, so I will wait to see
what his personality is like. In the mean time, I am allowing him to sit in the
window and drool over the arachnoids that are posted about the court yard.
I sit at my desk with my usual coffee and swivel around in my chair to peer out
the window with my new little buddy. It is such a gloomy day; I think an outing
is in order. So I pack up my Scirocco laptop and head outside with my little
buddy flapping his tiny wings as he tries to keep his chubby little body up
with my pace. We flew together over the Grandville walls, my pal hanging onto
my thigh high boots with his paws. He was just too tiny and chubby to fly fast
enough, so he latched on for a free ride. We landed at the edge of the pond
where my little pal saw something beneath the surface of the water. So he
fluttered above the water to get a better view, and when it moved, he freaked
out and hid behind me. It is just Cora lurking beneath the surface of the pond.
She is very young and timid, but came out of the water just long enough to let
my little demon see her and to smile at me. Then she retreated back into the
depths of the pond.
After getting all settled, I open up my laptop and begin my search for my next
project. After spending a bit of time reading the boardsters' chattering, I
find Electagonist's images. Very nice work! I continue to sort through all the
different images and really like what I see! I say with excitement to my new
little pal who is watching Cora, "Come on buddy! We have a scoop waiting to be
scooped! We pack up and fly back to the office where I promptly draft a letter
to send off to Electagonist.
"G'day, Electagonist,
My name is VexXxa and am the Art Correspondent for the City Scoop. I was looking
at some of the postings you have on the boards and I saw some really nice work
you have done. I would really enjoy featuring you in one of my articles. If you
are interested, please let me know and we can meet up at Pocket D.
Ciao for now.
~*~VexXxa~*~"
I awoke to a windy and rainy day, which is great since I enjoy this yucky
weather! I bundle myself up, and my deviant devil, and head to the office. We
enjoy the wild weather and the rough ferry ride as we get closer to docking in
Grandville. We make it into the office right when the skies opened up with a
roar of thunder and a flash of brilliant light which was accompanied by a down
pour of rain. The wind whipping everything all about. I grab the mail that had
come in early, for some strange reason, and I find a letter from Electagonist.
I open it up right away and read it as I stand by my window listening to the
rain as it taps on my window and the wind bellowing as it swoops by.
As I read the letter, Electagonist says:
"VexXxa,
I am so sorry. But I will not be able to meet you any time soon. My schedule
is incredibly tight this month. However, I have enclosed some images and some
info about me that may be of some help. I hope you understand. If you would
like to post pone and meet up at a later time, please let me know. I am sure my
schedule will have calmed down by then.
Electagonist"
Electagonist's personal favorite that he created is http://electagonist.deviantart.com/a...tter-108475208
">Blight Matter. However; he says that it is not one of his best pictures. He also created
Azazel005 a few years ago for his brother, who just happens to be a 36
month veteran. His favorite artists are Jim Lee, Michael Turner and Marc
Sylvestri which have influenced his comic book style pieces. Much of his work
can be seen at http://electagonist.deviantart.com/ and his
Blog.
Electagonist has a couple of pieces that he is working on and has a couple of
commissions that he will be working on in the near future and is interested in
doing more commissioned
pieces for anyone who may be interested.
Drunken Avenger is the only one he currently has available to view at
the moment.
There are so many questions that I would love to ask Electagonist had we been
able to meet in person. Perhaps I will bump into him sometime in the future and
will be able to pick his brain then. And with my article completed, my little
deviant devil and I head home to enjoy more of this nasty weather from the
comforts of our home.
"Bring me your visions" - VexXxa
-
The City Scoop
Vol. 2, Issue 42
April 17th, 2009
This Issue:
Behind the Walls
In The Scoop
Fan Fiction Spotlight
Exploring the Architect #2: Choices
Your PvPEC Reps!
Protector PERC: Tell Me a Story!
Comic: The Hecktic Life
Masthead
Upcoming Events:
April 18
April 19
April 25
April 26
MArc
My Words
Hello, and welcome to the first run of my new City Scoop column, "MArc My
Words"! I'm Fleeting Whisper, and it is now my job to find out what's hot and
what's not in this crazy new feature, "Mission Architect."
Each week I'll be taking a few Mission Architect Story Arcs ("MArc" for short)
and writing up a review of each of them. I'll provide you the information you
need to decide whether the MArc is worth spending your time on, and what you
need to find it in the thousands of player-created stories.
First, a few ground rules:
1. I will not review any MArcs that have already achieved Developer's Choice or
Hall of Fame status. They already have enough going for them, and are easy to
find. My job is to help you find things that may have slipped under the radar,
or help you stay away from something that may be worse than it appears.
2. I will not review MArcs published by people I know. I'm sorry, but I don't
feel the potential for review bias (in favor of or against!) is worth it.
3. If I elect to write a review for your MArc, I'll let you know. If you wish to
prevent it from being published, want to add author comments to my review, or
wish to attach your forum handle to the review in addition to your in-game
global handle, please feel free to contact me! But remember that the Scoop has
deadlines I need to meet, so respond ASAP!
It's also worth noting that when I am playing these MArcs for review, I will be
on Unyielding/Ruthless difficulty, not Invincible/Relentless, and I'll be
playing solo more often than not as I take notes about the MArc. As a result,
AVs will be EBs, and spawn sizes will be limited to a single player.
In addition to a full review of a few published MArcs, I will also be including
my "Diamond in the Rough" segment, in which I highlight a MArc that has
remained published and unrated for some time, and yet I feel deserves
recognition.
My Rating System:
One to five stars is simply not enough to fully realize the quality (or lack
thereof) of a MArc. Because of that, I split my rating between four
characteristics, and the star rating I award the MArc in-game will be the
rounded average of the four values.
My four categories are Difficulty, Pacing (both in story and in game-play),
Storytelling (including things such as grammar and spelling if it detracts from
my ability to read your dialogue), and Replay Value.
Each category ranges from 0 (missing/terrible) to 3 (about like a radio/paper
mission) to 5 (perfect). It's also possible for a MArc to push past 5; for
example, my Difficulty 5 rating is "Challenge." Past "Challenge" is
"Frustrating," which serves as a 1 for calculating the MArc's score. Past
"Frustrating" is "Impossible," which counts as a 0. All things in moderation,
as they say.
Along with the numeric score, I'll also be including information on the mood of
the arc as well as how close to the game's canon it is.
And now, on to my first review!
MArc #1042: "Alternate Dimensions and You"
by @Seril
3 Missions
Neutral
Levels 1-54
Difficulty: Moderate (3)
Pacing: Quick (4)
Storytelling: Good (4)
Replay Value: High (4)
Mood: Comedic, Serial
Canonicity: Remote
MArc Rating: 4 stars
The contact for this arc is... a Mysterious Box. Rather than hand
waving some magical contact talking to you through the box or making pohsyb the
contact, though, the missions are a set of comic books that you discover in the
box. There are three comics, one for each mission, each telling a different
story making this MArc more a set of missions than an actual arc. The titles of
these comic books are "Adventures of the Pop Idol Superstar!", "Lethal Candy,"
and "My First Fanfiction." It's implied by the title of the MArc and the
description in the AE interface that each mission has you entering another
dimension where the contents of the comic are true, though that is never stated
during the MArc. Still, the missions were entertaining enough to overlook an
easily plugged plot hole. And just a pinhole, at that.
"Adventures
of the Pop Idol Superstar!" is a comic about the singer and super hero
Fusionette. Her most devoted fans know that her favorite color is not, in fact,
blue - it's purple. As expected, this is a "vent your frustration on
Fusionette" mission, though it's done quite well. The enemies are Fusionette's
fangirls (she's a singer in this universe, after all), and rather than taking
the obvious route of making them all Energy/Energy blasters mimicking their
idol, the group actually has variety, and their descriptions are amusing.
"Lethal Candy" details Candy Distribution, Inc. and their new Kinetic Chew
candy, which gives anyone who eats it Kinetics powers, making all the Kinetics
heroes and villains obsolete. As Syndrome says, "When everyone's super, then no
one will be." Unsurprisingly, every enemy in the mission has Kinetics as one of
their powersets. It's your job to steal their recipe and destroy their data, so
they can't make any more of the candy. Just watch out for the ambushes when
destroying the Candy Distribution, Inc. server; if you destroy it too quickly,
you may end up running in place and dealing 10% of your base damage as Siphon
Speed and Siphon Power is stacked on you.
The final comic is "My First Fanfiction." If you don't know what the term "Mary
Sue" is, I advise you go look it up. Contrary to my first thought when reading
the name of the comic way back at the start of the first mission, this is not
something serious with a Mary Sue character. No, Seril is much more talented
than that - this is a dimension with a Mary Sue that needs a good beating. To
illustrate my point, Mary Sue's "Boss Unaware" dialogue: "That's a picture of
me and States back in college. Well, before I left Earth to save the galaxy.
Those were some good times."
To aid in your quest to destroy the Sues (yes, plural - Mary Sue has two
teammates for her escapades), there is a Heat Bot (Earth Control/Thermal
Radiation) and Freeze Bot (Earth Control/Cold Domination). Heat Bot is actually
quite good at applying Thermal buffs, though he can run out of endurance
applying them and has little remaining to fight. As a Thugs/Dark Mastermind, he
would try applying his buffs to all of my pets, including Gang War when they
were out. Despite this, the little bots are handy, though not necessary, as the
Sues are merely Boss level enemies. This arc is for comedy, not difficulty.
Diamond in the Rough
MArc #8776: "The Cat's in the Cradle"
by @Ulli Lad (Ullikummis)
5 Missions
Villainous
Levels 45-54, 1-54, and 40-54
MArc Rating: 4 stars
Nemesis' soul is trapped inside a robotic cat. The world needs him free... so
that he can rule it!
Ex Libris Stepping Down
Farewell! but whenever you welcome the hour
That awakens the night-song of mirth in your bower,
Then think of the friends who once welcomed it too,
And forgot our own griefs to be happy with you.
Our griefs may return, not a hope may remain
Of the few that have brighten'd our pathway of pain,
But we ne'er will forget the short vision, that threw
Its enchantment around us, while lingering with you.
Best wishes in all your future endeavors from the staff of the City Scoop!
Ex and her Sidekick Frank Black
I know I'll still see you but I'm going to miss you like crazy here in the office.
It was a blast working next to you. Thank you for everything!
It was a blast working next to you. Thank you for everything!
Greetings Everyone,
It has come to our attention that a bug has slipped through the cracks in all the excitement.
Currently with the purchase of the Magic Pack you are given the ability to have 2 capes. This is a bug and will be fixed in the next build to live. Once the fix is published to the live servers, a visit to the tailor will remove the 2nd cape option.
Players purchasing the pack after the fix will only see the original intended options.
Players wishing to keep the option should refrain from visiting the tailor.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
It has come to our attention that a bug has slipped through the cracks in all the excitement.
Currently with the purchase of the Magic Pack you are given the ability to have 2 capes. This is a bug and will be fixed in the next build to live. Once the fix is published to the live servers, a visit to the tailor will remove the 2nd cape option.
Players purchasing the pack after the fix will only see the original intended options.
Players wishing to keep the option should refrain from visiting the tailor.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
[ QUOTE ]
Ok, I was stupid and accidentaly bought 2 because of the time-outs and me hitting refresh. I want to give a spare to my friend. can anyone tell me if/how this is possible? I've looked but can't seem to find the actual serial code to give to my friend.
[/ QUOTE ]
We are identifying double taps and those folks will be refunded. There is no way to gift a code to another player.
Ok, I was stupid and accidentaly bought 2 because of the time-outs and me hitting refresh. I want to give a spare to my friend. can anyone tell me if/how this is possible? I've looked but can't seem to find the actual serial code to give to my friend.
[/ QUOTE ]
We are identifying double taps and those folks will be refunded. There is no way to gift a code to another player.
It's a kind of magic...
The Magic Super Booster is now available for purchase for $9.99 or as an in-game bonus item with the purchase of City of Heroes: Architect Edition.
The City of Heroes® Super Booster II: Magic Pack includes an extensive magic themed costume set, four costume change emotes, and a Mystic Fortune power.
Click here to get your magical groove on at the PlayNC Store!
If technology is more your style, don't forget that the City of Heroes® Super Booster I: Cyborg is also available as a bonus pack or for separate purchase!
Join in the Community Discussion!
The Magic Super Booster is now available for purchase for $9.99 or as an in-game bonus item with the purchase of City of Heroes: Architect Edition.
The City of Heroes® Super Booster II: Magic Pack includes an extensive magic themed costume set, four costume change emotes, and a Mystic Fortune power.
Click here to get your magical groove on at the PlayNC Store!
If technology is more your style, don't forget that the City of Heroes® Super Booster I: Cyborg is also available as a bonus pack or for separate purchase!
Join in the Community Discussion!
Please use this thread to discuss the recent announcement Super Booster II: Magic Pack Now on Sale
Please use this thread to discuss the recent announcement Architect Edition On Shelves
Make your mark on Paragon City with the newest City of Heroes product! CoH Architect edition breaks new ground by introducing user created content in the form of player generated stories and missions! Using an intuitive interface similar to the game's detailed Character Creator, those who play can now help shape the future of Paragon City.
Are you a Mac or a PC? It no longer matters in Paragon City. With the Mission Architect Edition you have the power to play however you want!
City of Heroes® Architect Edition includes both award-winning titles in one box, plus the innovative Mission Architect, and your choice between two exclusive in-game item packs, the Cyborg Pack or the Magic Pack!
For more exciting details on the CoH Architect Edition, visit http://www.cityofheroes.com/architect.
Join in the Community Discussion!
Please use this thread to discuss the recent announcement of Paragon Studios!
<img src=http://www.cityofheroes.com/assets_c/2009/04/Paragon-logo-forOCR-thumb-480x148.jpg>
<img src=http://www.cityofheroes.com/assets_c/2009/04/Paragon-logo-forOCR-thumb-480x148.jpg>
par-a-gon - [par-uh-gon]
-noun
A model or pattern of excellence
The team that brought you the award winning City of Heroes and City of Villains proudly reveals our new name:
The studio known for delivering a steady stream of new content for five years has taken its name from the City of Heroes herself. With this announcement we're trumpeting our intent to carry the grand tradition of Paragon City into the future, continuing to be a shining beacon of quality, innovation, and rollicking fun.
For more details check out www.paragon-studios.net
Join in the Community Discussion!
-noun
A model or pattern of excellence
The team that brought you the award winning City of Heroes and City of Villains proudly reveals our new name:
The studio known for delivering a steady stream of new content for five years has taken its name from the City of Heroes herself. With this announcement we're trumpeting our intent to carry the grand tradition of Paragon City into the future, continuing to be a shining beacon of quality, innovation, and rollicking fun.
For more details check out www.paragon-studios.net
Join in the Community Discussion!
Patch Notes
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
COMBINED
Mission Architect
<ul type="square">[*]Because Defendable objects have an ambush attached to them (which you must defend against) they will now be counted against the ambush limit per mission. However, we have raised the ambush limit from 3 to 6. . Any missions that become invalid after this change will have to be edited. Do NOT Unpublish your mission, or you will lose your Arc ID and ratings.[*]Removed the Rikti Warzone Mothership Rikti from the list of creatures that can be placed in missions. Any missions that specifically include these critters will now be invalid, and will have to be edited. Do NOT Unpublish your mission, or you will lose your Arc ID and ratings.[*]Fixed a bug that caused some missions to falsely appear with the Invalid icon[*]Fixed a bug that caused some Invalid missions to simply disappear from Search [*]Fixed bug that lowered the amount of tickets dropped as the group size increased[/list]
Bases
<ul type="square">[*]Fixed bug that made it impossible to enter some SG bases (the base map would keep crashing).[/list]
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
COMBINED
Mission Architect
<ul type="square">[*]Because Defendable objects have an ambush attached to them (which you must defend against) they will now be counted against the ambush limit per mission. However, we have raised the ambush limit from 3 to 6. . Any missions that become invalid after this change will have to be edited. Do NOT Unpublish your mission, or you will lose your Arc ID and ratings.[*]Removed the Rikti Warzone Mothership Rikti from the list of creatures that can be placed in missions. Any missions that specifically include these critters will now be invalid, and will have to be edited. Do NOT Unpublish your mission, or you will lose your Arc ID and ratings.[*]Fixed a bug that caused some missions to falsely appear with the Invalid icon[*]Fixed a bug that caused some Invalid missions to simply disappear from Search [*]Fixed bug that lowered the amount of tickets dropped as the group size increased[/list]
Bases
<ul type="square">[*]Fixed bug that made it impossible to enter some SG bases (the base map would keep crashing).[/list]
Vol. 2, Issue 41
April 10th, 2009
The City Scoop a publication for Supers by Supers!
Read the latest publication and then join in on the community discussion!
If you have concerns regarding the content of the Scoop please direct your comments via PM to Ex Libris.
If you would like to do a feature article, or join "The City Scoop" team please PM Snow_Globe.
If you would like to place a classified ad or have an event covered, contact Cende, EnnVee, or Lemur Lad.
If you need some "Advice" contact Lady_Athyna, would like to "Ask The X" contact LiquidX, or need help with fashion, "Ask Arbiter Fabulous."
If you have a base you would like featured, please contact EnnVee.
Finally if you have a Recipe you would like included please contact Barron_.
April 10th, 2009
The City Scoop a publication for Supers by Supers!
Read the latest publication and then join in on the community discussion!
If you have concerns regarding the content of the Scoop please direct your comments via PM to Ex Libris.
If you would like to do a feature article, or join "The City Scoop" team please PM Snow_Globe.
If you would like to place a classified ad or have an event covered, contact Cende, EnnVee, or Lemur Lad.
If you need some "Advice" contact Lady_Athyna, would like to "Ask The X" contact LiquidX, or need help with fashion, "Ask Arbiter Fabulous."
If you have a base you would like featured, please contact EnnVee.
Finally if you have a Recipe you would like included please contact Barron_.
Vol. 2, Issue 41
April 10th, 2009
The City Scoop a publication for Supers by Supers!
Read the latest publication and then join in on the community discussion!
If you have concerns regarding the content of the Scoop please direct your comments via PM to Ex Libris.
If you would like to do a feature article, or join "The City Scoop" team please PM Snow_Globe.
If you would like to place a classified ad or have an event covered, contact Cende, EnnVee, or Lemur Lad.
If you need some "Advice" contact Lady_Athyna, would like to "Ask The X" contact LiquidX, or need help with fashion, "Ask Arbiter Fabulous."
If you have a base you would like featured, please contact EnnVee.
Finally if you have a Recipe you would like included please contact Barron_.
April 10th, 2009
The City Scoop a publication for Supers by Supers!
Read the latest publication and then join in on the community discussion!
If you have concerns regarding the content of the Scoop please direct your comments via PM to Ex Libris.
If you would like to do a feature article, or join "The City Scoop" team please PM Snow_Globe.
If you would like to place a classified ad or have an event covered, contact Cende, EnnVee, or Lemur Lad.
If you need some "Advice" contact Lady_Athyna, would like to "Ask The X" contact LiquidX, or need help with fashion, "Ask Arbiter Fabulous."
If you have a base you would like featured, please contact EnnVee.
Finally if you have a Recipe you would like included please contact Barron_.
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Hello to you, my darling fan boys and girls. It has been a busy few months for me and I know you have all been dying to hear more from me, so here is my review of the wonder that is Issue 14: Architect. I won't be talking about story or content, I'll leave that stuff for people who care about more than the superficial. As a vain and capricious creature, I am mainly interested in creating Custom Groups and Custom Characters, and let me tell you, the scope for this is immense! So how do I design a good Custom Group for Architect? I'll run through a few ideas of what I think makes for a good Custom Group.  Step 1! ConceptThis has to be your starting point. Come up with a unified idea for your Custom Group, a name and a theme. Are they sadistic clowns who torture people, or a heroic group of Ninjas saving the world from the shadows? A sound concept will drive every other stage of the Custom Group, and should be a cohesive thought that holds the group together. At this point you should be settling on a name, and a cohesive color palate for your Custom Group. Simple themes are strong themes; I went with Black, Green and Pink for my Custom Group. Step 2! Power ThemeBased on your concept what powers would your group have? For example, the Ninja Group will most likely have a mix of Katana, Martial Arts, Archery, Super Reflexes and Ninjitsu. Groups can and should have a variety of powers, but there should still be a coherent theme to them. For example: Crime of Fashion is creating an army of Minions to serve him in his evil endeavors. Crime of Fashion is a Radiation/Radiation Corrupter and wants his minions to reflect this. Therefore, the recurring theme of his Villain Group will be Radiation Blast and Radiation Control. Step 3! Individual DesignMinions Start with the Minions, the foot soldiers of your Custom Group. I suggest that you have a few different types of Minion so that your missions don't get too repetitive. Mixing Ranged and Melee type Minions are a good idea as well. Conceptually, these are the grunts, the basic mooks drawn to your group's ideals. It's a perfect place for faceless minions, robots, and the undead. For my faceless army I created a legion of high kicking, Radiation Blasting fashion models.  |  Lieutenants Lieutenants should have more character than your Minions; these are the squad leaders and champions of your group. Also, Lieutenant is a perfect rank for specialist buffer/debuffer type characters that support the Minions (Like Tsoo Sorcerers for example). It may be an idea to have multiple Lieutenant types, each charged with a different responsibility. One for Melee, one for Ranged and one for Support is a good starting point. Bosses Bosses should have a lot of character and should represent a paragon within your organization. Bosses should work well when supported by their Minions and Lieutenants, so take that into account when designing them. Your Bosses could be super versions of your regular foot soldiers, or something quite different. Go to town designing Bosses, give them extra gear and make them look important. After all, this is no ordinary minion. Elite Bosses and Archvillians  These should be individuals, hopefully with personality and back-story. Take the guidelines from Bosses above and dial them up a notch. Make sure your AV's are something unique and memorable, something that says a lot about your custom group. It may be best not to include and EB's or an AV in your stories unless they are really needed, as wall to wall AV's do not suit a lot of players idea of a good time. . Step 4! TestTest your Custom Group... A lot... with friends if you can. Ask yourself the following questions.
Step 5! Make an Arc and publish itGet to it, listen to your feedback and be prepared to make adjustments based on constructive criticism. All in all, Issue 14 looks like a load of fun. Get into it and enjoy! I love you all (unless you're in plaid!) Crime of Fashion, City Scoop Fashion Reporter and secret love child of Tim Gunn. |
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Writer's BlockHey again, folks! Well, another edition of Writer's Block has come and I'm here to give more insight and help to those writers out there. If you have any questions about writing or want a topic covered or some questions answered, please drop me a PM anytime and I will do what I can for you! I thought of something the other day that may help those of you faced with clogging in your creative pipes. Take any kind of music, there doesn't have to be words to it at all, just music in general, and start listening to it. As soon as the music starts, begin writing. Let the music inspire you to write whatever you feel it is trying to say. A good addition to this exercise would be to listen to a multitude of different types of music. Classical, then techno, then rock, and etcetera and etcetera. Once you think you've finished with this, look back at what you've written and see what it looks like. Maybe you made the beginning of a compelling story you didn't even know you had in you, or just a quick little story in the span of the song. Whatever the case may be, learn from it and keep with it if you feel you want to. Something else you can do is making up a character from that music. What type of person do you associate with this song? Does this music set a sort of mood for you, if so, what kind of person would feel the same way? Does the song describe one of your existing characters? There are a myriad of possibilities to be seen just by listening to a song or two. Don't be afraid to experiment or to not like what you come up with. If you don't think that particular song fits one of your characters at all, or you don't like that song in general, pick a new one and go at it with an open mind. The best thing to do is to write on! | Fan Fiction SpotlightThe Justice KnightsSin_Stalker's holiday quest to discover who is pulling Manticore's strings continues, and the stakes get higher. How is somebody able to pose as Manticore without anybody else in the city realizing it? If he is the real Manticore, why is he reacting so violently to Sin Stalker saying he's not? What does the company "CyCorp" have to do with any of this? The Justice-Knights is a series I've been presented numerous times by its creator, Sin_Stalker, during my time here with the Scoop. I have repeatedly presented it to you readers for one simple reason: It's good. The only way this could be any better would be if they got a hold of dedicated artists to really maneuver the characters in any way shape or form that they want or need. As it stands, using screenshots and Comic Creator (*muah* wonderful program), Sin and his crew do a wonderful job of taking in-game elements and shifting them around properly to tell an impressive story. . . |
