Scarlet Shocker

I think the article is somewhat unfair - because it's failed to take into account a lot of the newer content in the game that doesn't use the maps.

Sure, we see that warehouse a lot, but then if you play a lot, as some have pointed out, that's inevitable. Nobody's complaining because they've run the ITF 20 times.

Sure, new skins and tiles would be a nice to have but I'd rather see the game moving forward than old content being revamped - but for me the original article isn't relevant to today's game. It's a filler for Massively. If they'd posted that maybe 3 years ago, they might have had a reasonable case but not now.

I have historically found myself invariably "ok.. the upcoming issue sounds ok but it's not making me drool in lust" but when I do start getting into the meat and drink of it every issue since I8 through to I13 have really been fantastic. I14 was honestly a bit meh for me, the Architect doesn't really move me. I thought I15 would suck but although it's not really worthy of being called an Issue in its own right, I love the TF and SF. I16 I'm blase about - it's a nice to have but that's it.

I am thinking GR sounds ok but I'm honestly not getting that excited yet, because a) I don't even know what the hell's in it, b) I dunno when it's gonna be out and c) I don't have the foggiest how it's gonna affect many of my favourite characters.

GR will arrive when it arrives.

The biggest problem for me has been the black hole of silence and an absence of information - but the Devs have been working hard to try new things. I know this for a fact because I tried to run my event since September last year and finding a weekend where I was here and it wouldn't clash with anything proved very challenging.

The Devs work hard, as do the GMs. Marketing, not so much. Sometimes I disagree with their approach and if that happens I say so but generally I think they work hard. I will say that Positron hasn't been great at managing expectation - I hope we see a slightly different approach from War Witch but lets face it, it's been so much better since Paragon Studios took over the IP.

If you really want to make yourself useful, go out and get some new subscribers while you're waiting ;-)

I agree it's somewhat problematic and it can require a bit of suspension of belief as a player.

There are a couple of saving graces, as has already been mentioned by others: There's a tradition in comics of heroes and superteams fighting each other, look at how often the Avengers have gone up against the X-Men, Defenders, other Avengers, etc etc, and hero groups are often rabidly anti-authoritarian - the Civil War arc is a perfect example of that.

With the RWZ arc I think it's often simpler to assume that the primary threat is the Rikti. If they are not stopped it doesn't matter what side of the divide you're on - the planet won't be worth much after all.

One other thng I've not seen mentioned here is this: Even as a level 50 hero, you're still very much on the outside looking in, without any direct involvement in the convoluted organisations that allow you to be a hero or villain - and even if you have the largest SG, you're still not a player in the grander overview. Therefore we can well assume (like it or not) that organisations such as Longbow, Freedom Corp, Vanguard et al have better intel than we do and know what's best.

It's not perhaps ideal but it does work if you don't scrutinise the story too much

I actually like the fact that some of these events are a challenge. It's good in my opinion that they can't just be walked over by a level 4 wielding a bowl of custard.

That there was only one villain in Mercy is sad but if you've got a decent global channel and your server has a few members on it, it's often pretty easy to gather a team or two.

I actually really enjoy the Apocalypse event. It's my favourite seasonal celebration event so far in game. Works well good fun, requires cooperation and gives a sense of achievement with lots of shiny badges.

Sorry you didin't win this time but don't worry. I'm sure it will be back

"Eff. Eff. Ess!!!!" Scarlet Shocker blinked, and stepped out of the base medical transporter. Instinctively she stuck a finger in her mouth and checked teeth, and breathed a little easier. She was fit and healthy, thankfully but it had been a close call. Her most recent memory had been the Carnie bucket head crashing down on her face. The Carnival of Shadows, in Ouroboros, handing the might of Heroes and Villains their collective backsides.


She winced and felt her nose - and needed to get to a mirror. Damn, it confirmed her worst fears. After all the years on the job her rockstar looks had never been tainted but now her aquline note was splattered and crooked. That was going to take surgery that the medi-sporters in the base couldn't handle.


She breathed, and struggling to gather thoughts filled a sink with cold water. She was in the medical facility of the Shock Tactics base. To say it was Spartan was an understatement but it had most of what the crew needed. A quick splash of cold water helped remove the traditional "fug" of the meditransporter and she grimaced at the mirror again. Her nose was bulging and twisted. It would take a while to get that sorted... and inevitably would leave a trace, like the scar under her left eye and the kink in the little finger of her left hand. She'd been lucky. Several years on the job, and she was still standing, largely whole and if she walked away now, not many would be any the wiser.


But walking away was the last thing on her mind. In an hour her world had been turned on its head. It was always meant to be Arachnos, the Rikti, the Council or Nemesis; one of the big players. Not some two-bit wannabe witch with a grudge that would suddenly hand all the heroes their posteriors - and also raise serious questions about how heroes (and villains) plied their trade. More... how the hell could anyone now trust the mysterious Menders to keep the end of time safe? Sure, everyone in the hero community knew Vanessa deVore wasn't to be trifled with, but not many had her high on the global threat level list. But suddenly things looked different. Mender Silos has seemingly been usurped.


"Carnies? Running Ouroboros? That's like the Redcaps taking over Portal Corp," she muttered to herself and struggled out of her outfit. It was mostly shredded and needed to be recycled but fortunately the city paid for replacements. Good job too... they weren't cheap.


She changed quickly, into her reserve (but still highly fashionable) outfit, for the sake of preserving decency and headed swiftly to the base Comms centre. The General Alert had failed to bring any of the Shock Tactics team in, but then she guessed she only had herself to blame. Poor leadership. Even the coalition teams, Wonder League, Generic SG, Karma... no response. She checked map status... Steel Canyon glared red, by Pandora's Box. Several markers for heroes blinked, but red dots indicated they were outnumbered and more red dots were arriving by the moment.


She opened the Shock Tactics group channel. "This is a recorded message. Check the status and the base log. Carnival of Shadows attacking Steel Canyon - overwhelming. If you get this tomorrow and can't raise me, expect the worst." She hit the date-stamp button and then sped to the teleporters - her friends and colleagues were relying on her.


It's always tempting to overstretch when flying and your buddies are in trouble - and this time she gave into it. No good arriving fit and late when you've got friends in the front line. She got there, panting and every muscle aching, a mass of Carnies and a small band of heroes in a tightly packed circle. She focussed and sparks crackled out, replenishing her energy reserves - at the same time she had a moment to idly consider how similar this was to an old Western movie, wagons in the circle beset from all sides. She aimed at a bucket head and zapped him to oblivion, then scanned the area - to spot some blue pointy ears and a few Seneschals with a mood on for them. From her height it wasn't too hard to flop down next to the ears and shock everything in a radius, buying time at least.


"You ok?" she gasped. This was mayhem


The Rabbit looked at her and gave a buck-tooth wink, then smacked back at an Illusionst. "Never better. Thanks for the save."


"Welcome! Don't waste it." Scarlet spiralled out, piling on attack after attack in a rare fury, alternating range and point-blank attacks. She didn't have to choose her target, just reach out and the sparks would do the rest, but the odds where overwhelming. Something caught her in her lower back and threw her meters across the road - to land beside a scaly creature and an unmistakeable piscine odour. She rolled over on to hands and knees, noticing that she'd trashed a car door. She was feeling that one.


"You ok Scarlet?" A large bulbous eye gazed down at her and a webbed... hand? fin? claw? reached out to help her to her feet.


"I'll surivive - for now," she panted. "Knew you'd be here, now duck!" She gave it a second and then exploded in an electrical fury and the hair of every creature around stood straight on end in a static burst but plenty of the Carnival either collapsed or staggered about senseless.


The ?s swung by, Mr and Mrs side by side as ever, fists swinging in a righteous rage, clearing a path but more Carnies filled the gap. A Carnival mage, robes swirling hovered up to Scarlet, ghosts attending her to ward off attackers, and reached out gently with a long finger to touch Scarlet on the cheek and a deadly whisper: "You cannot see or hear. It is painful," said the mage. Scarlet reeled in agony as her senses were overloaded in excruciating pain. She dropped from her hover and fell to floor, holding on to the asphalt for dear life.


Someone put an hand under her armpit and lifted her up, and snapped fingers in front of her nose. "Ok you're fixed. You ok? See me ok?" She looked at the golden-garbed figure and nodded, feeling fine suddenly.


"Thanks," she grinned and clenched her fists, powering her electrical armour. Right in front of her, an unknown hero took an horrendous blow from an Attendant and toppled. Scarlet stepped over his body and whirled with her fists, connecting with someone who wasn't going to feel much more for a few hours. An ally, unnoticed, cast a spell and the fallen hero slowly climbed to his feet.


This... this was what she was here for. Never mind tomorrow, when questions would be asked about how the Carnival of Shadows managed to dupe the Menders, or how Vanessa deVore managed to break out from the Zig or all the other questions. The moment was now and it was here, in this electrical maelstrom, this was why she was in Paragon. This berserk fury was what Scarlet Shocker did best and whatever happened from now on, this was her moment!


She grinned and aimed... However this ended, in the face of one of the biggest challenges of her career, she was always going to be Defiant!


*Thanks to everyone involved in making this happen. This was seriously one of the best events I've ever been involved in during the almost four years I've been in this game and I didin't know how else to say thanks to everyone who was there.*

In fairness, we've had new content in the halloween event and the winter event plus some have experienced new raids.

I'm not surprised there's no new content in valentines - it's an ok event for what it is and if you don't want to do it, then do some of the other content instead

Commendable

WB I think I teamed with you vs Atta

would love to see the Vazhilok retconned to be a much more important group. They are an ace enemy and get outlevelled way too quick. I'd like to see them like the CoT & Council who travel with you through your levelling arc.

I also agree the Skulls could seriously be given some love!

Bear in mind that the GVE pack comes with a free months sub, so you can use what you've saved to buy a 2nd booster and be twice as happy ;-)

Save up and get all you're missing!