TrueGentleman
-
Posts
1732 -
Joined
-
Lana.
Lana.
Lana?
LANA!
Danger zone. -
Quote:As described in the pages of The SCUM Manifesto? Has Golden Girl revealed her secret identity is really Valerie Solanas?Originally Posted by Golden Girl
Actually, we're the standard model - a Y is just a broken X
-
Since Calvin and Hobbes's G.R.O.S.S. and the Little Rascals' He-Man Woman-Haters Club have already been invoked, I suppose I'll just have to answer the questions with a straight face:
What side do you pick more than others?
Blue slightly more than Red, mainly because of the greater selection of zones, while Gold is a distant third because of the capped level (dystopias also become depressing after a while).
What play style do you prefer?
I tend to solo or PUG these days since my playing time has been decreasing (I'd love more live events, public quests, or group activities instead of CoH's ceaseless stream of instanced content).
What power set(s) do you favor?
Scrapper is the easiest, I find, so it winds up as a default. I also enjoy Masterminds, Corruptors, and Controllers.
What zones do you like the most?
The Rikti War Zone and Cap au Diable may be my individual favorites in terms of map design, but Praetoria wins overall, not least since it features contiguous zones throughout. (I miss Galaxy City, too.)
Do you usually play as a male or female (word of hatred) ''toon''?
My characters, or "chars", are predominantly male, although I created a few female ones when I came up with suitable themes.
Views on Role Playing?
Once I've established a character's theme and written up a bio, I tend to limit RP to staying in character in conversation whenever appropriate (I dislike narrating in-game and loathe god-moding).
Servers?
Infinity, Champion, and Union, primarily, but I have alts everywhere.
While I'm usually all for surveys and assorted data collection, I have my doubts about why this set of questions needed to have been segregated by gender initially and then repeated here, tit for tat, so to speak. As an aside regarding question #5, I find it interesting that the only time I experienced anything like harrassment in game was when I was playing a female characterdressed in a sci-fi metallic full bodysuit, for anyone wondering. Other than that, I myself have never encountered or even witnessed anything like gender discrimination while playing City of Heroes. (Incidentally, that stands in marked contrast to some of the retrograde opinions that are regularly expressed here on the forums, but that's the Internet, I suppose.) CoH's community remains one of the most pleasant overall I've spent time with in an MMORPG. -
Quote:It's on Hulu, although I plan to let a few more episodes accumulate before checking it out.Originally Posted by Dark One
Aw crap. Missed it.
While we shall see what Alcatraz's DVR numbers are like, it debuted to slightly better ratings and slightly better reviews than Terra Nova. *Skimming the reviews (no spoilers), I suspect that, like Person of Interest, it's much closer to standard self-contained episodes than long-form serial. *The question is whether it will become more complex after it locks in an audience or if it will struggle like Dollhouse or Terra Nova to make good on its premise. -
Presenting Xavier's Community College for Gifted Mutants:
-
Quote:Great graphics reference, Amendment. Alex Ross really is the master of drawing Golden and Silver Age superhero design for contemporary sensibilities. For the originals, check out the Public Domain Superheroes Wikia . (Ross's character reference sheet only scratches the surface of the the legion of forgotten superheroes.)Originally Posted by Amendment
There are so many options that are missing from the game, and it's been a disappointment over the past few years.
The emblem overlays with the muscles in the tights, which works -very- well. If you could give us a few more options like a skull, or large letters, it would really go a long way.
I've only skimmed this thread, but SilverAgeFan and Xanatos have got the right idea, definitely.
-
Quote:I wouldn't dream of taking your idea, and if you do start a thread devoted to that general topic, I pledge to post there. (I already have some questions about why there's only one design in the upcoming Chinese New Year pack for males (a strong-looking set of armor) and two for females (similar armor and a silky gown showing off some skin), but that's for later.)Originally Posted by Mr_Squid
Okay then, start your own thread for that, this thread is for talking about Issue 22.
In the meantime, I will say that the player costumes for Issue 22 look very nice and avoid the recent issues we've discussed on these forums. The Olympian costume set should be versatile in a basic way, but I expect that players will find some surprising uses for pieces from it. The Elemental set is aesthetically very impressive, although it's a shame it looks like it will be locked behind the random number generators of Super Pack: The Gathering. -
Quote:A & C. (We've got plenty of alternatives to B already, including the nice-looking tights for the Olympian costume design.)Originally Posted by Noble Savage
If we're talking strictly about super-hero costumes, as I see it there are 3 possible ways to expand on the category:
A) revamped old school/spandex tights similar to the ones we already have (adding a few details like seams but still mostly plain)
B) modern tights (w/ ribbing, surface texture(s), subdivided surfaces) a la Ultimates 1 or Marvel movies
C) pieces we just haven't made before (e.g. domino mask)
What are you guys most interested in? -
Quote:For those who want to fight those kinds of female villains, the good news is that practically every mainstream fantasy MMO affords that opportunity and then some. Paragon Studios has the choice of competing with them head-to-head or taking advantage of their game's genre and dazzling players with variety and the unexpected. Offering up the new Diabolique as a cross between Maleficent and Vampirella isn't going to entice players away from games where that kind of villainess is already a gold piece a dozen.Originally Posted by Captain-Electric
I promise not to derail the thread any further but I just want to say, well, yeah--but see, I have ZERO problems with femme fatales, succubuses, dominatrixes, etc, etc, buuuuuuut I also can't blame someone for wanting different things in a game like this.
-
Quote:Noble Savage's Costume Set Workshop--Gender Equality was quite helpful as a discussion, but it's been inactive for over a month. This new redesign of Diabolique suggests that the issues are still present in the game.Originally Posted by Mr_Squid
You know, it would be nice for just once to have a thread that doesn't derail into a big shouting match about sexism. We already have threads for talking about that sort of thing, it doesn't need to get dragged into here too.
A female villain who's a mastermind instead of a femme fatale, succubus, dominatrix, etc., etc., would be a welcome change of pace if we're talking about how to keep CoX fresh. -
Thirding masks and cowls, particularly since these would work with not only Gold and Silver Age costume designs, but also contemporary ones. Classic domino masks that are actual pieces rather than painted-on colors would be incredibly versatile. Similarly, basic cowls (think Space Ghost) that are closer to helmets than hoods or skin-tight "no hair" heads would find numerous uses.
Thanks for taking our input, Noble Savage. -
Quote:That's right, I used ... sarcasm.Originally Posted by Bad_Influence
.....'k.
-
Quote:As a side note, I was speaking specifically of mainstream superhero comics - yes, aptly described as "adolescent power fantasies" in general, pace Messrs. Moore, Morrison, Ellis, Brubaker, et al. - as dropping in readership*, which is all the more disappointing since comics readership in numerous other genres is expanding (let's not get into the indie comics scene, which has never recovered from the heights of the 80s after Diamond Distributor's de facto monopoly clobbered them).Originally Posted by Captain-Electric
Y'know, I've seen this claimed by two or three forum posters lately (I think one of them was you, in the Gunslinger debacle), but I honestly run into way more comic book readers as an adult than I did as a kid.
CoH should take note of those trends...
* EDIT: 10 million combined sales for Marvel and D.C. in 1987, only 7.4 in 2006 for the combined sales from Diamond and Heroes World distributors (i.e. including independent comics of all kinds). And let's not get into the enormous comics circulation figures of the pre-Comics Code Authority era. -
Quote:Oh noes! Better start worrying now, lest the phantom menace take away all the "hoochy" costumes in the dead of night. That old Slippery Slope canard isn't going to grease itself.Originally Posted by Bad_Influence
Yet.
It'll be here, don't worry.
First they're coming for the "hoochy" costumes in video games, then they'll go after them in the adolescent power fantasies that dominate the serial graphic narrative format in the U.S.A., which, incidentally, is shedding readers faster than contemporary superheroines are losing clothing material.Quote:Like it or not, what we have in the game now is extremely true to the genre.
DOOM, I TELL YOU!!! UNSEXY DOOM!!!
-
Quote:When I talk about immersion, I'm going by my own experience with the tip missions and alignment changes and what I've seen on the boards (incidentally, I don't think there's much yo-yo'ing, which suggests the current system works fine). Perhaps you consider that subjective, but calling it disingenuous and implying ulterior motives is just being provocative.Originally Posted by RuthlessSamael
I think TG is being disingenuous. His argument of "immersion-breaking" doesn't even begin to hold up to scrutiny, which makes me feel he probably dislikes this for a completely different, much less rational reason.
Trivial in perhaps more than one sense. Such switches have generally been received as unsatisfying by comics readers.Quote:Coming up with plotlines wherein an instant change makes far more sense than a drawn-out rise or fall is trivial.
That said, I'm trying to stop thread-sitting here, so feel free to continue this discussion without me. -
Quote:Ugh.Originally Posted by Bad_Influence
...and once we get new costume pieces to not show any skin, then it will be "Well yeah, they're not showing any SKIN. But those costumes are still skin-TIGHT and they're still sexy. I object to the objectification and sexification of women, this skin-tight stuff has got to go!"
Once a goal is met, the next goal is inevitably moved on to, which is a rung higher on the ladder. Or lower, depending on your PoV. I could cite some really infuriating real-life issues with women that are headed this direction even as I speak, but that is too flammatory {sic}. As Devo so eloquently said, freedom of choice, is what you got. Freedom FROM choice, is what you want.
Ugh.
Talk about a straw woman argument {on preview: That's what she said!}. Nobody in this thread or others where the trends in CoH's portrayal of its female characters has been criticized has ever suggested banning skin-tight or overly revealing costumes. The current problem is simply that we've been seeing an overemphasis on those designs lately. The game's art direction originally struck a balance, presenting a wider variety of designs. Returning to the old status quo would satisfy all parties.
Also, Mark and Jerry would be dismayed at your appropriation of their lyrics, spud. -
Quote:Please feel free to PM me if you'd like to discuss this general issue. I try to stick to specifics in these discussions (and I don't believe I post in every market-related thread). Cheers,Originally Posted by rian_frostdrake
you know, dont want to come across as attacking you, but its kind of a thing with any thread market related, you seem to always have a problem with it
-
(Incidentally, I beg anyone's pardon if my persistence in this thread comes off in any way as personalized. Obviously I feel strongly about this issue, but I don't wish to suck all the oxygen out of this discussion. It can happily proceed without my input for a little while.)
-
Quote:Yet there's already a fully working containment valve on alignment switching with the current tip mission model. To assert the idea behind monetizing alignment switches at this stage isn't profit, plain and simple, makes Paragon Studios sound like a 501(c) organization.Originally Posted by Lothic
Sure there's no denying that Paragon Studios will probably make a few dollars with this new token, but making it cost a certain amount of real world money is -not- the primary reason for its cost. Connecting it to real world money enables it to serve its actual purpose as a control mechanism. As I explained it's pretty much the same reason why MMOs charge money for server transfers - they do it to encourage people not overuse the feature to an abusive degree.
-
Quote:(That would definitely be nice. It probably won't happen since the mods have stated they consider this forum to require more effort to monitor than the others, so opening it up to Freems wouldn't only increase their workload.)Originally Posted by Samothrake
It's too bad that this section isn't part of the "everybody can post" areas of the forums. It really should be.
-
Quote:The difference becomes apparent as soon as they talk about their characters. Maybe this is like jazz ("If you have to ask, you'll never know."). It comes back to the OP's complaint of how this "completely eradicates Posi's whole 'We don't want alignment to be a switch you flick on and off' ramble from when it was first introduced". Well, it is now.Originally Posted by Aura_Familia
And how does something that you don't have to buy and there is no indication that another team mate or player who used it did so, break immersion?
Quite so. Unfortunately, we're getting both.Quote:Originally Posted by rian_frostdrake
that is the kind of thing that im glad they monetized, rather than the gamble packs.
Anyroads, DOOM!
-
Quote:YMMV holds true on an individual basis, but this issue also affects the entire highway.Originally Posted by Aura_Familia
I think at this point I'll have to go with YMMV as I think you (and others like you) take the whole coh vs cov thing waaay too seriously.
As for taking this too seriously, it's precisely because fun is so fragile. Serious things in life can be borne with stoicism much more easily.
As an aside, this undercuts CoH/V as badly as any "devs hate redside" complaint. In another MMORPG, which I went back to playing recently, players were initially limited to deciding on one faction or another for their characters on each server. At some point, the powers that be decided to reverse this policy, which detrimentally affected not only the PVP community (hello, spies!) but also the RP one. CoX never had a chance to see the difference that policy would have made.Quote:Also, many players play both sides on the same account.
You've noticed, then, that immersion is incredibly delicate in this game. Nothing undermines the already tenuous suspension of disbelief faster than the cynicism naked profiteering provokes.Quote:Originally Posted by dugfromthearth
Rikti invade and Positron just stands there watching us fight them,
There are infinite villains of all types wandering the streets
But it is the ability to go to an island and act like a villain that is what breaks your immersion?
Picture the scene at COXCON's comics panel in an alternate universe when random fanperson asks Lothic why Science Girl suddenly turned evil between issue 101 and 102. A sudden super-science accident is a valid explanation in a comicbook universe, of course. A multi-issue arc that revolves on character development over the course of adventures is, most comics fans agree, a more satisfying narrative.Quote:Originally Posted by Lothic
But based just on my "science girl turns temporarily evil" scenario I mentioned earlier I could easily argue that a system of immersion that forces a specific path or method on its players can be almost as bad as having no immersion accounted for at all.
The Alignment Change Token is CoX's for-profit equivalent of "a wizard did it". -
Quote:In turn, please keep in mind that it is very important to a portion of the community, the one that's the vanguard of immersion in this game. Immersion is vital to an MMORPG since without it, it's ultimately indistinguishable from Prattlefield and Modern Gorefare.Originally Posted by Aura_Familia
Keep in mind that roleplaying IS NOT AT ALL important for most people in this community.
Similarly, although I myself am not much of a PVPer, I'm extremely disappointed in the devs' neglect of that aspect of the game. It may not mean much to me personally, but it matters a great deal to a significant portion of the player community. That's the segment that takes the lead in the CoH vs. CoV aspect of the game, which, incidentally, this convenience service also implicitly undercuts.
Fortunately, you don't have to believe that. I quit for some time after the AE debacle, and after coming back around the time Going Rogue was introduced, my game time dropped off considerably once the iTrials were introduced.Quote:Originally Posted by Aura_Familia
And newsflash: Convenience over immersion has ALWAYS been a part of this community. I really can't believe you can think that it hasn't with things like the AE debacle, farming in PI, speed runs pre and post the Katie Hannon nerf, folks asking for ways to circumvent random tf rewards which lead to merits, etc, etc. Hell, folks who are 50 have shown they prefer the faster BAF/LAM over the more story immerse next level trials. I . . . don't get your statement at all based on the history of this game/community.
It's not like this one service is worth getting exercised over by itself, much less rage-quitting. Still, there have been so many misfires, blunders, and wrong turns with CoH Freedom since its announcement that I suspect I'll be in need of a break soon. Or at least more coffee this morning.
EDIT: Needs moar doom:
-
Quote:Directly? Nothing.Originally Posted by MajorDecoy
What does it matter to me what other players do in that respect?
Indirectly, though, this makes an overall impact in a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game. There's a reason we refer to the CoH playerbase as a community. It's that community, and its spirit, that's as important to many of us as any gameplay mechanic.
If that community changes to emphasize convenience over immersion, then it will come to resemble Team Hat-Wearers 2 (hey, they already have the RMT in-game randomized reward crates).
i.e. DOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -
Quote:Indeed. You're on the side of hypothetical Incarnate Tokens in that case?Originally Posted by Lothic
Again I think you're looking at this a little too one-sided. Players now have a CHOICE to play either way. Hard to argue against player choice.