gigas

Question: Does Lord Recluse (Or his lab techs) actively try to develop new armor and weapons? There's hints and bits of Arachnos-Rikti hybrid armor from a newspaper mission, but we don't physically see the suit in question (Which makes me make this face: whenever I do that mission.)

From the rest of things, it seems like Arachnos hasn't updated its' weaponry and armor in some time, at least since the Bane spiders were introduced some decade-ish ago.



Question: Are costume sets such as Celestial and Elemental Order actually used by any groups in the CoH/V universe? Several outfits are shown to be used by villain or allied groups (Roman, Vanguard, Arachnos armor, Circle of Thorns, Crey armor, Clockwork) and others are within plausible deny-ability (Martial arts robes, biker gear, etc)

Question: Lore wise, are powers categorized into 'powersets' based on apperance and fuction, or do heroes and villains actually manifest power from the pools available? For instance, a tech origin hero having their powers classified as 'Fire blast' simply for using flame based weaponry? Or a magic origin having their powers classified as 'Street Justice' despite augmenting their strength and speed with magical power?


Or is there a deliberate muddy distinction between what supers can do lore-wise and obvious game mechanic limitations to allow players to be a little fanciful in describing how their character attacks and what they can do?

I've noticed something like this with Kinetic melee's Power Siphon.

A good example of this is when I was fighting Protean in the hero side clone arc. I was a solo brute. I hit 7 small reds, 2 yellows, three purples... And then power siphon.

Nearly instantly all my inspirations dropped, just, gone. I've been unable to accurately duplicate the bug, but from what i've seen, sometimes Inspirations are accidentally borrowing duration timers from other powers (Power Siphon's relatively short stacking for instance.) It's happening somewhat randomly, enough that I can't get an accurate report down, but it's messed up enough EB/GM fights for me that I have to say what i'm seeing.

What I am seeing breaks down as such:

Load up on inspirations, use multiple at once. (3+?)
Use Power Siphon, stack to 5.
Power Siphon stack drops by one on the 20 second or so drop timer, all inspirations think that they should drop too.

I originally suspected Power Siphon was the only case of this happening... But now i'm not entirely sure.

First pack I have money in surplus to buy at launch, first pack I shake my head at and walk away from.

I'm really, and i'll be frank, disgusted that marketing thinks 8 emotes is worth more than the temp jetpack for $5. I really feel marketing dropped the ball on this, did no one even bother to read the feedback in the announcement thread?

However, I do think the devs did a good job on the emotes, credit where credit is due. They are rather awesome, but i'm more of a content person that's strapped for cash, costumes, emotes and powers seal the deal in the other superbooster packs.

Though, I can live with it, Marketing'll probably learn from the immense amount of negative feedback... Hopefully. I'm sensible enough to figure this is a one time off mistake.

Number one on my list would be... Positron's powers.

Every power he has to 'save the day' causes irreparable damage to organic life. Blast a villain to save some civilian? Just gave them both cancer. Granted, Primal Earth and Praetorian Earth probably have some sophisticated medical technology that can remove the harmful side effects from being in proximity to said radiation powers... But it's still an omnipresent worry that whatever you do to save the day causes long lasting, physical harm.

Next on the list: Tony Stark (AKA, Iron Man)

I could say that Tony's powers are being a massive jerk to everyone... But i'll focus on his intelligence. Every single brilliant machine he makes is a target for someone to steal, patent it all you want... Super villains have a thing they do called being 'illegal'. You whip out a new armor system, it's a target to be stolen and turned into a mass production weapon. Make a new miracle drug that cures every known bacterial or viral infection? Stolen. New metal alloy that deflects lasers? Stolen. Even in recent outings (Iron Man: Armored Adventures and the Iron Man movies) people seem to gravitate toward stealing his technology... Whether it be the armor itself, or the arc reactor technology.

I'd say option one. Stuff like the 'Psyche' pattern is just, horrifically ugly versus some of the new, sleeker options with modern tech/knowhow.

I'd rather the old ones be updated into cleaner versions than have two of everything. Steampunk for example is gritty, looks like it's 32 bit or something... I cant imagine many people wanting stuff that looks like it's made in a sprite editor, even if it is 'legacy'

Assault Riffle: Laser based alternative (Like Resistance enemies use, maybe colour tintable?) Maybe a wrist mounted animation set? (Like the Clockwork plasma attacks)

Kinetic Melee: A 'charge and fire' set of animations where the character charges an attack in their hands before firing it out instead of flailing about. (Repulsing torrent is a good example, charge then 'shoot')

Force field: Hexagon shielding like Praetorian PD have would be a nice alternative.

Radiation Blast - X-ray Beam: Firing the beams from the palms instead of the eyes would be cool... Maybe firing four from finger tips?

If we can have pool power animation changes...

Super Speed: Sliding animation (With icy effect) Ninja run-ish 'leaning forward, arms stretched out back' kind of pose (With steaks of fire from feet?)

Fly/Hover: Power armor flight (Jet boots/back jets/hand thrusters)

Teleport: Something close to the 'Dimension shift' costume change emote.

Can't we have a difficulty person in Praetoria so the people who want hard groups can have them and the people who don't, don't?



That seems really, the simplest step... If you wanted to expand further, add something like a 'normal, hard, extreme' difficulty slider where enemies have more powers and such. (Maybe EXP bonuses for being evil incarnate...)

PPD on normal would have their armor with a paltry resistance and their force gauntlet... Not much better than PPD in mayhems. Turn it up to hard, they gain more resistance, more damage... Extreme gives them new powers, more damage...

It's not entirely hard to figure out.

What is asked however is a large sign with a bar saying 'You must be this skilled to play, if not, go away'

In game, Virtue is lagging horribly. Cars are crawling along a foot every several seconds in jerky little motions.

Mapserver errors every few moments as well.

My suggestions for Stalkers are as such:

• Hide, AS, Placate are inherent powers given at the appropriate level.

• Damage is boosted to 1.125 (Why they're 1.000 is beyond me, high damage? Not really... They lack the AoE to be high damage.) Build up raised to +100% damage over +80%

• Throw in some insidious debuff/poison/assassin powers (Throw a gas bomb down. AoE choke, -Res, -def, minimal toxic DoT (3 ticks of 1?) for Katana? Sap the area around oneself of kinetic potential, slowing enemies for KinM?)

• Maybe remove the 'aim' time for AS and add it to the recharge instead... A skilled assassin who's stabbed someone time and time over... And one with superhuman ability probably doesn't need to line up their shot every time, they have an instinct to go FOR those areas.

I'd rather my Stalker be... A useful implementation on teams. Someone who's fast, efficient. Single Target death machine that can cause havoc with AoE enemy debuffs and minor mez.

At the moment, the stalker plays like a scrapper with invisibility, a single high damage hit (That requires you to stay still/can be interrupted) and no AoE support. Basically a broken, invisible scrapper. Everything can do it's job better... Everyone can kill faster than them, thus they're not much use (Other than to run through a mission, teleport everyone to the end)

Just my suggestions... My personal opinion is that Stalkers shouldn't rule the battlefield, but they should be an excellent invisible debuffer with high ST damage. Sort of like a ninja with poison darts. With my experiance... Survivability is fine ('Back to the shadows I go' kinda strategy roll) but outcome of attacking leaves something to be desired... Sure, the AS is fine for ganking bosses or taking chunks out of EBs/AVs... But that's it. A one note song where the rest is someone humming off tune. It's not very... Assassin like in the least. Ninja use poison. Ghosts from Starcraft had Lockdown (Disabled mechanical units) and others have certain other 'detrimental to target' attacks.

Not lost so much as just plain 'missing'

Helmets.

Full helmets to be precise. No, not the helmets themselves...

The options.

The new super booster added the bio-armor horns in, this is good. However... That's the first new part since I5.

Helmets are currently separated into three parts.

Detail 1: 12 parts, Mostly items that stick onto the side of the head with the exception of five that stick onto the forehead/top

Detail 2: 31 parts. One sticks on forehead (Antennae) Two stick to the side (Wings), Horns stick to top of the head while the rest are eye options.

Detail 3: 6 parts. All go around the mouth. (The lowest number of parts for any head option baring beast, no logical reason why there are so few when there are 20+ options that can go there)

Medieval helm only have one option. It has 28 parts. All horns.

These are very (As pointed out) sparely decorated. While lots of 'ear like' parts (Sat-Com, side scoops, etc.) there isn't anywhere to put them that doesn't take up a 'slot' so to speak. A nicer way to do it might be:

Upper: (Horns, parts that rest on top of the helmet/forehead)

Eyes: (Goggles, visors, eye pieces.)

Lower: (Breathers, mouth parts.)

Sides: (Sat-com, wings, ear pieces.)

Where the other options for the head (Barring beast, for being beasty) have so many options, it's strange that full helmets are missing so, so much and have been looked over being updated these parts as time's gone on.

Subjective:

No new tails...

I find it very annoying that bio-armor or whatever got into the pathetic picks in full helmets. But that's more a 'Full helmets have a pathetic number of options' at least have it take up a 'top' option instead of an eye option.

The same bio-armor or whatever is an eye pick for half helmets, should be a top pick.

Costume related, still counts... Dimension shift is a Costume Change emote ONLY? I had high hopes for that emote (And, quite rightly. It IS awesome.) but I can only use it to switch between costumes instead of my character blinking in and out of existence like the 'porter she is?

Over all, I think the new items are cool... I just really hope this is 'Oh, and you get these other ones too!' considering when I think mutant... I see Killer Croc, Nightcrawler and Toad... Not a lavalamp and organic metal.

I wouldn't mind seasonal snow during the winter months. Granted it'd be a nice vacation from the southern hemisphere (Snow during summer? Yes please)

I'd like to see 'winter versions' of Atlas Park and such piled with snow... But rain, fog and weather would be rather nice if it was done in a 'it gets dark, SFX, rain pours down' kinda way. Even if it was an optional extra to display.

Then again. I'm sure Positron has some hand in the perfect weather year round... Him or some other genius with the mental capacity for making a weather machine that holds the days and nights at a constant, cloud free sky.

Granted, the level progression does add a semblance of timeline, it doesn't fully explain some of the other actions that happen within the game. For the most stark instance, The Council X Fifth war or the Rikti Warzone revamp. Did these suddenly pop into existance to be crammed into a timeline somewhere?

A level 1 character created after the Fifth have resurfaced suddenly has to shove the Council X Fifth war into an aberrant date in some quantum state, in the past... Yet the present? Future? And the Fifth themselves have not formed themselves a new group until some time in the future, yet they can walk into Steel Canyon and see the Fifth around?

The Rikti revamp was interesting. Old enemies became new with a change of costume and the new (At the time) heavies allowed some new storylines to be implemented with the four riders. A fresh face for an old group is all i'm pointing out. Arachnos surely have to have SOME kind of new armor that makes them slightly better than stormtroopers somewhere?

Granted. I guess the real reason why appearances haven't been revamped would be a split community response between 'This is how it goes' against 'No, this is how it goes.'

Personally I'd just like the timeline question cleared up. If GR comes with new missions that have dates in them (New paper missions dated 2010 for example) do they suddenly step back in time to 2005 after level 20?

Okay. I must start with a story. Those groaning in the back, bare with me here.

So. About two weeks ago I thought I was done with CoH. I mean... I wasn't playing it anymore... I17 had come around, new tails, new missions, Ultramode (That I cant use, but beside the point) It was all feeling kinda the same. Click, boosh, done.

I had one villain open up the newspaper and saw Razorbeam's obituary... Dated 2005. I thought 'Jeez... Is CoV really set in a universe where it's still 2005?'

...Then I realized what had me down. Literally. It was all the same, for five years, several months... I'd been playing the same game, While new zones had been added, new storylines had come across, new powers had manifested... It's all the same.

Needless to say, I had a mild panic attack before realizing what was wrong.

In six years... The Hellions have all grumped about trying to steal purses. Arachnos has, while being touted as the forefront of mechanical prowess... Developed nothing. The gangs, besides Rikti... Had never been touched, never been updated.

Dr. Aeon (sorry bud, i love you... But...) has been sitting around with Rikti Interfaces up the yin-yang, doing nothing about integrating Rikti Tech into Arachnos armor. Skyraiders still zip about with outdated, clunky teleporting backpacks. The PPD has, admittedly, incorporated Kheldians into their workforce, but haven't reverse engineered any villain tech into armor... Nor do they have any mystic allies.

What I'm trying to say is... I see that CO has (And I understand the hate towards the 'main competitor, no matter how far behind they are) set up plans to update their premier Arachnos styled group with new powers and costumes just a few months after launch... Arachnos still sits back without Warp Spiders, Stealthy Web Assassins or Huntsmen snipers, stuff they have had ample access to over the past five or so years... Yet seemingly have been too lazy to integrate into their forces.

The Fifth recently re-emerged as an individual group after fighting within the Council... The Council have Ascendant power armors with impressive shields and strength. In five years, the Fifth didn't think to steal some upgrades? Just yank some old robots and costumes out of storage? Isn't their lack of technology what defeated them in the first place? The Fifth have had (Ironically) five years to build new robotic units, integrate galaxy soldiers into their group, steal power armor plans, build new weapons, upgrade their troops and they've just sat back and done nothing but bide their time and say 'She'll be right when we break free'? Are the Council only reeling in shock before another war starts where their technological power crushes the Fifth yet again?

It just doesn't seem right that over six years with geniuses of magical and technological might that no one has thought to try and stop the super heroes or super villain upstarts that keep beating them with something else than what failed before. Are the leaders all... Dense? Or is the CoX universe really locked in 2005?

Just my thoughts on the subject. (I know. I think to much. :P)

Some power armour (Yes I spell it with a U, wanna fight about it?) would be nice. My first ever CoH character was a Power armoured AR/Fire superhero.

Stuff like... Animation changes (Energy fires from chest, wrists, single hand?), animated costume pieces (Moving gears) Jetpack or rocket boots... I'd kill for a power armour powerset to be included, but... That aint happening. *Sadface, but accepting face*

Maybe even an Iron Man inspired costume change with robotic arms ala Robotic henchmen coming up to take off the armour.

Personally seeing it as, with GR coming out... The Rikti lording it up with their sweet digs, PPD keeping their Hardsuits in lockdown and Arachnos being rather... Cool looking, but laughably low tech (They're like stormtroopers in black!) there seems to -still- be only 6 or so full sets of power armour to wear, full helmets just don't have enough options to be nice... Half helmets with the Martial arts booster seem to be VERY popular for PA variants... So, maybe some new Half helmet gear to mix and match with?

Ghost booster would be nice for magic types, considering I see enough Ghosts in the D on virtue that have to rely on some stealth power (Which could be replaced by a 'Ghostly aura' instead or something)

A millitary pack for naturals with several alternate weapons (M16, X8 for AR, Chainsword for Broadsword and Katana... Luger for DP? ...Nah.) with some modern looking gear would be cool...

I'd shell out good money for a CoH toyline.

I mean eating money here. Some standard G.I. Joeish scale characters of big name ones (Statesman, Recluse?)

Given it'd probably only end up with me buying up an army of Nemesis troopers or something and the customizable nature of player character's costumes are... Nul (Online offer? Made to order character?)

Meh, something to think of. I'd also buy badges of, gasp, the badges in game as well as T-shirts and stuff.

No. Really. *Waves money about* takeeeeee eeeeeeet.

If you're willing to deal with Roleplayers, Virtue is your best bet. Mondays (Au time) are the best time for Rikti ship raids (Level 35-50 'endgame' content) and I've forgotten which day Hamidon raids are (Endgame content)

Freedom and Virtue are your best bets at large for PvP and Endgame content runs, despite what the search engine shows you, 6pm+ for us does indeed include a heck of a lot of nightowls in US time.

Meanwhile. At Paragon Studios (*Devman theme playing*)

Devman is sitting at his desk... Having finished his morning coffee and donut... He has decided to let his sidekick, The Fans, into his lair to test the mysterious Issue 17!

But wait! What's this? *Dunananana!* Devman has succumbed to his evil arch nemesis.

THE EARLY MORNING NAP.

Will The Fans find Devman in time? Will they succumb to the dark side? Is JLove still sexy?

Find out soon! (TM) Same Devtime! Same Devchannel!