VileTerror

I usually go with Hurdle + Combat Jumping on my characters that aren't on accounts with the Ninja Booster. It's not as fast, but it offers amazing airborn movement control, offers a little extra defense, and costs virtually no Endurance!
Taking a Travel Power is a very, very rare thing for me. If concept demands it, I'll take one. Usually, though, Temp Travel powers and Hurdle + Combat Jumping or Ninja Run is more often than not more than enough.

Similarly, with Combat Jumping, you can 'surf' the War Walls (and other slightly inclined geometry) as well. It's not as fast as wall strafing in Doom, heh, but it gets you where you want to go!

The I Win Button!
http://www.amazingsuperpowers.com/2008/04/win/

I hereby declare the Devs MUST add an Easter Egg to capitalize on this!
I don't wanna hear any excuses, now! Have it involve pie, or something. We all know that this game requires substantially more pie.

NONSENSE!
That, clearly, should be in the Rogue Isles.
St. Martial, to be exact. It just wouldn't be /proper/ anywhere else.

I like my City subscription method just the way it is, thanks.
Although, I wouldn't mind the introduction of some sorta discount for buying yearly subscriptions for 5 accounts simultaneously. That would help me out a lot financially, and also secure my patronage of this game (on 5 accounts) for another year. Also being able to purchase bundles of the boosters at reduced price. That'd help me too.

But that's NCSoft's territory, isn't it? The Paragon Studios Devs don't really have any control over that, do they?

Another one? What is this, birthday season?
uh, I mean . . . happy birthday? *flees*

So . . . many . . . BIRTHDAYS!

er, I mean to say, that is, uh, hope you have a happy one?

It's threads like this that terrify Sean Fish. I don't know if we'll ever see another shot from the canon at this rate.

This thread's shift to a discussion of Dark City is nothing but good.

I shall now have to hunt down the Director's Cut. I've only ever seen the "tell-the-audiance-everything-right-at-the-start" version, but it was still rather fabulous! Reminded me of a similarly gritty and noir'ish film released around the same time, but without the techno-bumping silliness.

I'm 100% in agreement on the need of a resolution to the Walk/Strut disparity issue addressed by OutRage.

Also, that custom animation thing could be very interesting . . . signature animations for signature characters . . . hmm . . .

Well, in any event, we _NEED_ the animation of Black Scorpion tossing Synapse. It would be the only civilized thing to do, given their history together.

*plants face in to desk*
. . . damnit Jophiel!

The thread title was tongue-in-cheek, Slashman. This was meant to be a feel-good thread, I believe.

I'm happy with being a "sidekick" considering how terrific this MMO is.
Really, if you want to be the one to go rescue the world from a meteor or the giant monster all by your lonesome, there are some fine single-player options out there for you.



As for Wonderella . . . Beggar! You shal rue the day you introduced this community to her mighty mightiness of drunken and apathetic might! Rue, I tell you!

It's not a real birthday until someone gets SOME sort of primate involved.

That has to wait for the Vault 13 Booster, Iannis. Fortunately, that's when we'll also get the [Sloppy Ghoul Action] Temp power.

I tend to play dumb as well in cases like this.

Guy?: "would u like some mega xp?"
Me: "Mega Xenomorphic Parasites? Have they finally added those to the game?"
Guy?: "wut"
Me: "Oh, you were attempting to contact a player or character with an initial of U? I'm afraid you've sent a Tell to the wrong player. Sorry."

That usually puts a stop to it pretty quickly. I'm not sure if I've confused them so profoundly that they don't try to continue, or they just figure I'm not worth the trouble.

Having visually associated LISAR's name with a fairy, when I saw this thread title, I immediately thought: "HEY, LISTEN!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmjppNkqszk

Way to go, Knight! Your thread fell in to the same pit my [Redacted for NDA] thread did.
Sometimes people see the subject header, and instantly think it's a serious thread.

Well, I suppose you could fire them out of railguns, catapults, over-sized handguns, etc. I still kinda see that as all under the same category as firing them out of cannons.



Well, what sorts of contributations can be made outside of the Wiki itself? Maybe that'll be a good compromise.

Ok, first: What's with the negative rep? I saw your rep bar as green before you made this thread, and now you make a great suggestion and you get neg'd?! Considering the generally positive feedback in this thread itself, I have to wonder what someone could have said in the comment field . . .
*attempts to help fix that*



I really like your suggestion, and I think that even if we had to jump through some in-game hoops to achieve the unlock, I'd be fine with it. Perhaps run a mission at level 40 along the lines of the Cape/Aura missions where you earn yourself the right to use a wider variety of titles.

What ELSE do you do with scantily clad women?




I really look forward to the Lore Wiki getting complete. I'd contribute, but contributing on Wiki sites always gives me a headache. Poor excuse, sure, but I shall at least wish you some good luck in your endeavour!

"Hi, how are you doing?" http://VileTerror.Keenspace.com/ColourTheory.JpG
(please excuse the feet. I can't draw feet worth crud. Just pretend they're suitably zombie-ish feet)

I would be very interested in an undead booster. The current zombie pieces are, in my opinion, a little one dimensional. Undead doesn't always mean beraggled, I say.
The previously suggested "ghost booster" also sounds good. Possibly put the two together as a Supernatural Booster?

Granting us some sort of optional power which renders our character as flagged with the Undead tag would be amazingly stellar, in my opinion, though I realize that's not specifically art related. The idea of having the game acknowledge a character as being non-living, and having stats appropriate to that, would be great! A weakness to "holy" attacks and reduced Regen, but with maybe a benefit of a low-power life-sapping effect added to all attacks/powers that target foes?
Which then encourages the idea of something similar for robotic characters in another booster pack as well. Giving them a trade of some benefit like Endurance/Recovery sapping abilities, at the cost of an increased vulnerability to EMP type attacks.

I think that City of Heroes / City of Villains (and the upcoming Going Rogue) is(are) rather genre-bending compared to other quality MMOs. I think it's important to stipulate that with the exception of a few things here and there (like the incoming Incarnate "end game" material) this game is very, very, VERY alt-friendly. Alt-demanding, even, for the creatively inclined.



What’s in a name?
Letters, mostly.

More seriously, I think that question carries with it the baggage of single-main-character design elements. What's in a name? Nay. What's in nameS?
Using City of Heroes / City of Villains as a chariot for telling stories, I've found that it's very, VERY rare that the name comes first. Usually my first step is having a character concept which I want to see 'come to life,' or sometimes I see a combination of powers which I'm really interested in exploring.
Next comes The Look! Something which other MMOs really pale in comparison with, and I think ultimately is much more important than the name. The outfit/costume/skin/appearance of a character holds a LOT more weight for me than their name does, especially when I can give a character a plethora of nicknames. While I'm not a fan of looking at CoH / CoV as a "comic book game" . . . I do have to at least nod my head in appreciation to the concept of "secret identities." Or, perhaps more realistically, the idea of callsigns, such as those used by pilots in various real world militaries.
What's in a name? Very little. Very, very little.



What’s in a job?
It's not a job! It's a game! . . . that's what I keep telling myself . . . but somehow I can't believe what I'm saying.

Again, sorry about the silliness, but that is something I find really compelling in my discussions regarding MMOs. It's marketed as a "game" and often said to be "fun" . . . but some people can really treat the whole thing like a career! Hell, some people even manage to pull it off.
Certainly, gaming IS growing in popularity and intensity, or at least this modern style of gaming is. That particular ludological debate can wait, though.
What Archetypes do I play the most, and why? Well, I'm a control-freak. Gotta admit to that, for better or for worse. Not surprisingly, my first favoured Hero was a Controller version of myself. When AoE Control powers were reduced in duration/increased in recharge waaaaaay back over ten Issues ago, I felt hugely cheated. The "compensation" of Containment was something I had no interest in. I felt that if I wanted to be impatient and focus on dealing damage, I would enjoy Blasters or Scrappers. Instead, it was the patience of slowly bringing a helpless foe down which I enjoyed. The idea that my character was untouchable! . . . as long as I applied suitable amounts of effort against my foe. Being able to give my entire team that same feeling made it alllllll the sweeter. . . . and then it was taken away from me.
Next I tried my hand at Tanking, exerting that need to control on my teammates. Best not to delve too far in to that, heh. In my own defence, though, these were the days when it was commonplace for the Tanker to be considered the Team Leader.
Then came City of Villains, and while I first tried to get in to Dominators, I found my true calling: Masterminds! The ability to control individual pets, while buffing/debuffing/healing really, REALLY appealed to me. It felt a heckuva lot like a game from 2000 called Sacrifice, which, until CoH / CoV, I considered my all-time favourite PC game. Even prior to the Bodyguard boost to Masterminds, I found it quite satisfying to play the Archetype.
Of course, these are just my "mains" . . . and since a redname has let the cat out of the bag about the Going Rogue Closed Beta currently going on, I can't contain my excitement over Electric Control! I finally, FINALLY feel like a Controller again! I've finally recaptured that feeling I first had when I locked down an entire mob during an 8-person Task Force with my old Fire/Kinetics. Electric Control / Trick Arrow is very possibly going to become my next "main" for a while.
Aaaaaand, well, I have over 170 /active/ characters on one server, spanning 7 accounts (well, technically two of those accounts are lapsed due to financial issues, but I WOULD be playing them if I could). That number doesn't include all the other characters I have on other servers. I haven't got an estimate on that . . . but I wouldn't be surprised if I've broke the 300 mark at this point. I have characters for every Archetype (and thanks to the recent change with FUI17, this now includes Epic Archetypes). While I don't have a character for every possible combination thereof, I've got at least one character for each individual Primary or Secondary set.
Looks like I've given myself the job of keeping track of my huge stable, heh. Could it get any more control-freakish at this point? (Yes.)



What’s in a game?
I really don't see CoH / CoV as "just a game." There are times when it's more game-ish than not, such as with Merit Vendors or some of the really painfully limiting content . . . but mostly I see CoH / CoV as a medium for telling stories, sharing ideas, and exploration (more on that in the next question).
But what would I do to improve this as a game? Make content more inclusive, for one. The Devs have already made great strides to this effect, what with "Super"-Sidekicking, the changes to Exemplaring/Malefactoring, and Ouroboros . . . but still I feel they've fallen short in a few places. Such as the market. Personally, I'd rather see it removed completely in its current state, and replaced with a system which promotes sharing and helping other players, instead of trying to exploit prices and undercut the competition. I prefer my PvP to be strictly gameplay, not meta-gameplay. But HEY! I know a lot of people seem to derive a lot of pleasure from that sorta thing. I would have personally preferred they went over to EVE for it, but it's here now, so I've gotta deal with it.
Another example is currently under protection by NDA, but it's one I feel very strongly that the Devs are approaching with a flawed concept of what design philosophies truly work for this game. Again, though, I'm one tiny voice in a great din, so not a fat lot of change I can impart there.



What’s in a story?
Wait, are we talking in-game lore here, or Architect Entertainment, or life stories? Adventures? WHAT?!

This seems to be another question that's geared more towards "traditional" MMOs, in my perspective. But, I'll try and touch on all three of the categories I just listed:
In-Game Lore: There is some really, REALLY compelling and interesting about the content in this game. There are villain groups and signature characters which I just want to learn more, and more about! Lughebu and the Banished Pantheon, probably foremost. (Some of you may have noticed our attempts at summoning the ancient deity here on the forums, Bwa-ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!)
Sadly, though, some of the content is kind of poorly written, particularly when you repeat said content on various characters. I know that there are folks out there that find this appealing, but I can't accept the concept that time progresses based on character level. Time is constant, as shown by all the player-character interaction which takes place. I can't jive with the idea that the game-world revolves around my characters, let alone my characters one-at-a-time!
This is why I see City of Villains as so much more superior to Heroes. Most of that content seems to have been written with the understanding that players have more than one character. The thought that my character is THE one who discovers that the Lost are Rikti-to-be, or that my character is THE one which is the first to cause Nemesis soldiers to surrender themselves to the authorities . . . I just can't accept that. If I wanted to be the star in my own little (game) universe, there are single-player RPGs for that.
However! Architect Entertainment now offers us the chance to write our OWN stories, where we can come up with all sorts of plausible (or entirely nonsensical) 'adventures' for our own characters, our friends' characters, and the general population! I don't know if I've found any Architect Arcs which I've found as compelling or as enjoyable as some of the canon storylines, but the potential is there, and it's the potential which really gets my blood pumping!
. . . and speaking of pumping blood . . . real life anecdote: Due to something which most folks consider a deformity, I was QUITE the shut-in for most of my formative years. I had no friends, was constantly bullied, blah-blah, same old nerd sob story, ya? Well, after I moved to Pinnacle I met a series of people which helped me discover some very important things about myself. MY greatest 'adventure'?! Using fantasy and roleplay in a video game to discover who and what I really am, and actually finding happiness in the real world! I'm now in a lifelong poly-relationship(s) with a woman and a young man, and we're looking to start our family together. I have no doubt that if it had not been for certain events in-game with other players, I would not be where I am today. This "game" has had a PROFOUND effect on my life.



What’s in a friend?
SPITE AND BILE!
(and don't go using the word "Guilds"! FOR SHAME! We're SUPER/VILLAIN Groups around these parts.)



What got you into MMOs?
. . . actually, I think I'll go back to that previous question first.

What's in a friend?
I've actually met some of the most amazing people through this game, and some real stinkers. Including my first "boyfriend" (that is, boy who I grew to be intimate with) . . . and I'm not entirely sure which of those two categories he falls in, heh. Drama, drama, drama, blah blah blah blah!
Mostly, I play solo. However, this is largely due to my OCD nature. That "legion" of characters I have? Well, I try to give them ALL some attention, and I try to ensure that they aren't left unloaded for too long. This causes some strain when it comes to finding other players who I can reliably team with. I used to have a small close-knit group, but some drama and harassment caused them to split.
However, we stay in touch through Skype, and often roleplay and chat for hours on end. I still try to encourage them to return to the game, but they usually answer with: "Not until so-and-so quits the game!"
Making new friends has been tough with the diminishing population on my server, and I've invested so much on Pinnacle that I don't feel I could start over somewhere else. I had originally started on Victory, in fact, and I kind of regret having moved away from that wonderful community. On the flipside, I met some people on Pinnacle who REALLY helped me (see answer to previous question).



What got you into MMOs?
A girl.

No, seriously, heh. One of my first online "friends." While she and I have fallen out of touch (my fault! *is ashamed*), she got me hooked on a small, free-to-play MMO being developed by one person in his spare time. Eternal Lands. I think it's still out there, actually. Suffice it to say, I'm not quite "hooked" on that game any more, heh.
I was mostly looking for a way to fill the loads of free time I found myself with when first starting university. Not having many games with me while living alone away from home, I resorted to downloading free games. Eternal Lands wasn't particularly enjoyable, and I would have dropped it fairly quickly . . . if not for the social aspect which MMOs afford us.
I joined City of Heroes in *checks sign up date* May or June of 2004! Thanks to some REALLY helpful people on Victory, I was hooked in no time, and bought my second account after only a few months of playing (if that).
From here, I tried a few other MMOs. None of them appealed to me. Their communities, gameplay, and setting all seemed terribly lacking. While I won't say that City of Heroes is perfect . . . it's certainly the most appealing MMO that I'm aware of. It's gotten to the point where I don't see this as an MMO, so much as I see it as a second home. It would take a colossal "rooster-up" on par with the player-run market to ever get me to willingly cancel my subscriptions. Hell, call me insane, but I'm willing to forgo food to ensure my main account never lapses.
There's a little more to my answer for this question, but assuming my post doesn't cause this thread to derail as-is, what I have to add is liable to cause some posts which aren't congruent to getting the answers you seek, Langes. Ultimately, though, this additional reason to my madness is deeply personal. It's related to what I said in my answer to question 4.



What new MMO are you looking forward to?
I'm looking forward to seeing the City of Heroes / City of Villains / Going Rogue franchise continue to evolve and grow! I'm looking forward to any possible sequel, ESPECIALLY if the Devs find a way to import our existing characters, Super/Villain Groups, and the like in to the new game. I'd feel incredibly dejected if the Devs decided on an approach which would force us to recreate everything from scratch.


BONUS QUESTION/ANSWER!
What's in a game dev assignment?
When I went through my game design and development courses, I found that the teachers were very polar on the issue of designing "safe" games (using tired, but so-called "tested and true" approaches, or the so overly-hashed catch phrase of "Is it fun?") versus experimental and economically risky design philosophies (such as treating games as an artistic medium). Something to keep in mind, perhaps, when handing your paper in to your professor is to first find out which side of the fence he/she/they/it may be sitting on.
I won't suggest that all game design teachers were as black-and-white as my own, but it may still be worth the effort for you in this case. Does this teacher believe that games NEED to make money, or does this teacher believe that games are the medium to approach the next level of post-modernism?

Best of luck to you, Langes! I hope that my post is helpful. And sorry to everyone for The WALL O' TEXT!

Irony of ironies, I recently just went through some hairy stuff with NCSoft support since I was being billed for an account that no one has apparently played since 2006.

Where's the irony, you ask? Well, I had seven _known_ accounts on one card a while back, and then the change of policy went through where five was the limit. I marked down my five "keeper" accounts and kept a close eye on them, not realizing that NCSoft didn't mind taking money for a sixth account that I don't have any records of.

They can't even tell me the name of the account.


Sounds like it's time for NCSoft to rethink their account card holder privileges policies.

. . . how about you just don't post in this thread then?

Oh, and sorry for feeding the troll, everyone. Sometimes I have a moment of weakness and think I'll actually get through to her.