Tunnel Rat

Thanks for all the pictures of adorable baby animals. I could always count on you for my daily doses of silliness.

Also, I've banned crying in this thread. And Black Pebble.

Before I say anything else - CoH community, thanks for everything. You've supported our game and dev team for years on so many levels. It's been a joy to get to know you through the forums, at player summits and cons, and of course, in the game. And, specifically to the CoH forumites, thanks for teaching me about the game I worked on. A couple years before I was a redname, I was a forum lurker. The Blaster and (dare I admit it?) Market forums were instrumental in getting me to love the game and love my job. I had the privilege of meeting some of you in-game as well (incognito) and I can honestly say my in-game interactions with forum posters were ALWAYS pleasant. A forum poster led me on my first Hami raid ever (and didn't get mad when I messed up). A forum poster was gracious when I thanked her for her market advice. A forum poster accepted me into his super group and always laughed at my jokes.

Just like any job, there are occasionally long or frustrating days, no matter how much you love what you do. On these rare days, I hopped into the game and was instantly reminded how wonderful our player base is. Guys, thanks for posting in my FX thread and thanks for the feedback on my work, and most of all, thanks for the PuGs, the costume contests and the taskforce runs. You treated me wonderfully without ever knowing my connection to the game.

To my co-workers, now friends - I will desperately miss working at Paragon Studios. Thanks so much for keeping me around, even when I initially knew so little about the game that I had to ask BaBs what an AoE was. I've learned so much from all of you. Thanks for the lunches, the occasional life advice, hell, thanks for all the THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID jokes.

And Black Pebble, thanks for cheering me up when I leaked those auras. Shh, don't tell anyone.

Goodbye, guys, and I say that as Tunnel Rat and as @Pygmy Titan. I'll be sure to jump back in the game for a last few hurrahs. Take your time to mourn for the game (I know I will). But don't worry too much about us, or about a future without City of Heroes. The most important part of an MMO is the relationships it fosters, and I'm sure those will remain in tact. We're ALL going to get through this Strong and Pretty.

Good question, Sam. Let's talk shop!

The fine details of what the power is actually doing, I'll usually leave up to the player. Are Darkness' effects shadows or illusions? Is that actually a chattering skull erupting from your face, or is it just a product of your target's hallucinations? Are you causing permanent damage with your Sonic attacks, or temporarily deafening your target? That's up to you, and really, answering those questions doesn't change the look of a power much, from an artist's perspective.

When we design powerset effects, we keep two goals in mind. The visuals should be easily associated with the powerset's theme, while being consistent with the amount of detail and stylization in the game. (I think CoH shoots for a simplified, but still dynamically exaggerated version of realism, and I try to reflect this in the effects I make.) We also treat each powerset as its own specialized case, and make sure the visuals are appropriate for its mechanics. To put it simply, attacks should look damaging and painful. Buffs should look protective and rejuvenating. Mez attacks should look like they're inhibiting the target. When it comes to the players' acceptance of the effects, I find that believability - that is, whether the power represents the theme and the mechanics of the power well - is more important than the actual type of fire being used. You mentioned you would have expected a different kind of explosion for Pyronic than the one the FX team ultimately delivered. But you still seem to like the power. Really, any number of huge, fiery explosions would have worked just as well. But the type of explosion isn't as important as selling the feeling of a huge, deadly fire-based attack. And obviously this doesn't apply just to fire, but to all of our power themes.

The process gets a little trickier with abstract concepts, like Empathy and Darkness. I'd also lump in real-world concepts that don't have an easily recognizable visual, like Radiation and Gravity, into this category. These are the more difficult sets where expectations will be all over the place. And it's not just a division between the expectations of players and developers. There will be tons of variation in the answers of any two players, and any two developers, when they are asked, "What does the physical manifestation of Gravity look like?" You may find some common themes - and these are important to pay attention to - but you'll likely not reach a consensus on details. This is where the artist has to sit down and invent a visual language that represents that abstract concept.

I didn't work on most of the powersets you mentioned, but I feel the approach to Sonic and Radiation is a common solution for these abstract themes. Sonic's expanding rings and Radiation's green light and orbiting electrons aren't inventions of CoH artists; they are common, and therefore easily recognizable, representations of those themes, borrowed from movies, games and comics. Similarly, this is why Psychic powers are pink and Empathy powers are green (though I think their shapes and animation sell the effects just as well as their color). The current FX team borrows just as aggressively. I borrowed Time Manipulation's characteristic swirl from old sci-fi shows. Honey Badger borrowed Beam Rifle's effects from, what's it called... that movie about ghosts? We add a lot of our own ideas on top of these borrowed ideas, but the reason we stick to these conventions at all is because it's crucial for our effects to read clearly.

This is why adding a bright palette to Darkness, for example, gives me pause. It violates one of our two main goals in designing a powerset - making sure the effects clearly represent the theme. Players are free to pretend their fire is pollen. But ultimately, I have to focus on making fire look like fire, not pollen. Likewise, players are free to pretend that their Darkness powers are souls, or demons, or chest hair. But because Darkness, by its most basic definition, suggests dark colors, I feel obligated to offer you options that are in the spirit of that theme.

I hope this answers your question!

And I'm already seeing some awesome aura suggestions! Honey Badger is grateful.

First off, I was so happy to meet several of you at the Player Summit! Thanks so much to those of you who made it out. It may sound cheesy, but we really are just as excited to meet the players as you are to meet us! I had some great conversations, some regarding topics we've even covered in this thread.

When I last posted, some conversation was sparked about powersets with limited palettes, specifically Darkness-themed sets. Thank you for explaining your viewpoints and suggestions for the current customization options. I wanted to take a little time to address some of your points, and explain my own viewpoint a little more thoroughly.

As a developer, I'm always delighted to see players use customization to create their own power themes. (I think one of my favorite examples was a player who tinted Dark Blast brown to look like chest hair.) I think it's great if you want to tint Fire to look like pollen, or Energy to look like sunlight. But as an artist, I also have an obligation to make the powers and their customization options match the original theme of the powerset. In the case of Darkness, the brightness of the effects have a much more profound importance than it does in any other powerset. So while I understand your desire to have more customization, I feel this is where I should set the limit for now.

Some of you referenced the Warshade powers as an example of dark powers successfully mixing bright and dark elements. In terms of brightness and contrast, yes, I agree that dark-themed powers can look amazing with some bright elements. These elements have to be factored into the design of the set, though. Our current Darkness powers were designed before powers customization came along, and are very dependent on subtle coloring baked into the textures. It's a great look with the default colors, but isn't very conducive to customization, even with a dark palette. Because of the lack of contrast in the original design, introducing a bright/additive version isn't going to bring Darkness up to the Warshade or Soul powers' level of appeal.

This is partially why Darkness Control will differ from the rest of the dark powers. The new look should be much more receptive to the colors you choose.

Please feel free to continue discussing this topic. Perhaps we can settle on a compromise that allows you more customization while still being thematically appropriate for the set (and not just for Darkness-themed sets, but any set that has limited customization options). While I can't post as often as I'd like, I'm always reading your ideas and suggestions, and have them rolling around in my head when I'm working. This specific conversation already has me brainstorming about how to bring you guys more options for your powers.

Hey folks!

Once again, I apologize for the long delay between posts in this thread. The FX team has been pretty busy with... well, effects, and of course, preparations for the Player Summit. I hope to see many of you there! There are quite a few surprises planned and it'll be great to see your "live" reactions.

Still, "He Who Must Not Be Called Honey Badger" and I are consistently reading your ideas and concerns. Thank you for continuing to post your latest inspirations!