Protean

*waves* Don't mind me, just reading the forums at 12:30 am.

Words cannot adequately relate the emotion that I feel right now for everyone, not only at Paragon Studios, but for all of the fans that made this the most enjoyable, memorable, and rewarding experience in my career. But words are the medium at hand, so I will take care to wield them to the best of my ability.

Working on City of Heroes was a dream come true. Of all the MMOs that I have played or worked on, it was (and still is) my favorite. Story, character, community; all of these things the game had in spades and still there was more to be found with each breath I took sitting in my chair, striking those keys like a carpenter with a hammer - building it higher.

I have been here for just over four years, the longest I have been on any project, or at any company for that matter, and those four years were amazing. I got to be there when Praetoria was being built. I got to throw my hat into the ring and say, "I think THIS is what we should do", and I got to have people say, "Yes, that is what we should do, now you go do it." I became Mr. Praetoria, my vision got to be realized, and best of all, you all got to experience it. As a story teller, nothing could beat that. Or so I thought...

I got to be there during Hero Con 2009. There, I had the honor of revealing to you the spectacle that was Praetoria by speaking in character, as a Praetorian, about the glory of Emperor Cole, how amazing he was, and how absolutely delicious the water was. I was overjoyed when the attendees "got it" within about 5 seconds and realized just what we meant when we said, "Praetoria: Utopia at a cost". I could not have loved you all more than at that moment. Or so I thought...

Then the forum signatures declaring loyalty started to show up on the boards and I knew that Praetoria had struck a pleasure center somewhere in everyone's brain because it was spreading like wild fire. "This" I recall saying, "is the greatest thing I have ever seen!" Or so I thought...

For years we have provided the world with an MMO where you can play super heroes (and villains) who give it their all to help the needy, rescue the endangered, and fight the good fight. Never deterred by the hazards thrown at you by me and others like me, the world could always count on you to save it (or make it a better place for yourself). But now... now I think we see the real heroism that is in each and every one of you.

Because until now, I thought that the greatest thing I would ever see was some fantastical story I dreamed up being enjoyed by thousands. I thought that I could not love you all more than seeing your smiling faces at Hero Cons, Meet and Greets, and Player Summits, or reading your kind words on these forums. I thought that my greatest accomplishment was to have the chance to write the story I wanted to tell. But now I know that isn't it at all...

It is you.

You are the greatest, most loving, and most accomplished group of people I have ever met in my life.

Thank you for being you.

-John Hegner

From: Operations
To: Syndicate All
Subject: FW: Tread marks on the carpet, etc.

Our janitorial staff has complained that several carpets have been ruined on the 1st, 2nd, and 32nd floors of the Yin Corp Building. They would ask that all Syndicate members keep their motorcycles parked in the sub-basement garage along with all other vehicles regardless of make or model and whether they can fit in the elevators (cargo or personnel).

In addition, a number of nylon ropes (assumed to be repelling gear) have been found dangling from gaps in the ceiling tiles. This has required the use of the fairly limited numbers of maintenance ladders available to the janitorial staff. I don't think I have to remind you all that repelling gear is prohibited within facilities and should only be used during exercises on the exterior of structures, as is outlined in 15d.099-rg07 Section 1 of the employee handbook. Section 4 of the same chapter covers the proper use of parachutes as well, which have been discovered jammed into air ducts and bathroom stalls.

On a more urgent note, several janitorial staff have complained of minor injuries suffered by slipping on spent bullet casings which have been left in major thoroughfares throughout a number of our facilities. Please refer to Section 12c.138-fc11 Sections 3 through 7 on proper use of firearms and cleanup in the Syndicate employee handbook.

A training seminar is scheduled to review this subject later this month, please keep an eye on your inbox for the invitation. Attendance is mandatory for all personnel.

Sincerely,
- Operations

----------------------------------------------------------
From: Janitorial Services
To: Operations
Subject: Tread marks on the carpet, etc.

The following complaints have been raised by my personnel.

Yin Corp building
· Carpets on 1st, 2nd, and 32nd floor ruined by what appears to be motorcycle tire treads and motor oil.
Facilities 17, 22, 112, Hidoake Building, Samson Court, 5515 Broadway Center
· Nylon rope has been found hanging from gaps in ceiling tiles on almost every floor of these buildings.
· 118 parachutes have been recovered from ventilation ducts, bathroom stalls, and utility closets.
· Spent bullet casings on linoleum, tile, and carpeted floors have resulted in falling injuries of 3 workers.

Under our contract these incidents fall well outside of our agreed upon services. We will need to renegotiate our terms of service.

Thank you,
M.T. Parker and Associates Janitorial Services

Wow.

Just... wow.

I am so very pleased to hear such awesome feedback from you guys. Our team worked very hard on First Ward and reading this is another reminder why I love my job. A lot of people had their hands in First Ward, from initial inception back when we started planning out Praetoria, all the way to the environmental details, new powers, and music for the cut scenes.

I think I speak for everyone who worked on First Ward when I say that there is no need to thank us. For me, at least, it was more than a pleasure to build such a fun and engaging zone and write such entertaining stories and characters. And this feedback just reinforces that a thousand times. Thank you!

Keep this feedback coming, I am particularly interested to hear where you guys think the story should be going from here.

-Protean

It is always a pleasure to hear people enjoying the stories we tell and that the heart strings we pluck are making sweet sweet music. I'm especially happy that many of the emotional beats we aimed for with Going Rogue resonated so well. I'm having a good time reminiscing with you all as story arcs are mentioned (and smiling when an arc I wrote is mentioned).

Thank you all for the kind words.

As someone who has an appreciation for creative use of our costume creator I really enjoy looking through these both for the character concepts as well as the settings and choice of shots/subject matter you've put together.

Keep up the good work.

Mission accomplished!

Greetings!

Thank you for the sterling introduction, War Witch. Requiem sends his regards...

Man, it’s good to finally be able to show my face around here! I’ve been lurking unseen (some say even dead), for some time now. Some of you might know me by Mercedes Sheldon’s Midnighter arcs from Issue 13: The Dirge of Chaos, The Devil’s Timepiece, The Crown of Glory, and The Deadman’s Deck. As my first foray into adding to the robust and amazing world that is CoX I have to say that I had a blast writing those missions.

Since then I have been working hard alongside all the big names here at Paragon Studios to make Going Rogue an amazing addition to CoX. My team is a group of awesome story tellers, dedicated to the craft through and through. We are really looking forward to the day when you can all enjoy the stories we’ve been batting around here for the last year!

Praetoria has been a real treat for me to work on. The art is amazing, the stories are engaging, and the lore has gone into such depth that it’s almost unthinkable to look back at where Praetoria originally came from. The teasers up on the website have my fingerprints all over them, so that should give you some indication of the intricate plot web we are weaving behind the scenes. Again, I can’t wait until you all get to experience it!

I am available to address any questions, comments, or inquiries you may have, whether mission or lore-related. As for my trustworthiness... I’d listen to War Witch. After all, why would you question the motives of someone who is in two places at once?

- Protean