imported_FaeryFire

Yep. And having Echo being sick was priceless

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I ment from our point of view . We thought she was dead and there was much sadness. Then we found out she wasn't and there was much rejoicing. But of course she never really was dead.

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Late comment as I couldn't post earlier...

Actually, as the idea didn't come from me I also thought she (Sword) was dead

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after Sword had returned from death

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May I remind you Sword never died ? She didn't returned from death, she returned from detainment. *others* thought her dead.

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(now WHY he would do that I don't know)

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To start a new rumor ?

Tonnerre, the "mute singer" of the band Human Alternative, joined yesterday Bluestrike to try to derail the Freakolympics.
While the two women grew confident in their abilities to put an end to the stupid games of the Freakshow, during their missions to locate the main site, they faced tougher and tougher opposition.

When Bluestrike left to find something ediable and rest a while, Tonnerre went to Pocket D.
The place was soon bustling with activity with over a dozen of people gathered at the upper balcony bars, on what is sometimes nicknamed "the blue side".

The Militia was here in force, probably coming back from their thursday patrols. Several members of the Silent Tempest were here too, as well as various heroes and dubious individuals.

Not surprisingly, a fair chunk of the discussions were orbiting around Nightsparrow recent demise, Lady Cobra and Keening Banshee were notably engaged in a long dicsussion.

Coile from the Silent Tempest discussed with Inhilde and Rakila, both being his former students, both vanished, doing their own business and both looked to have returned.

But Ngithsparrow fate had to become the center of everyone's attention when a woman named Pistol, with her henchmen, thugs and bouncers, appeared.
After some teasing and the usual tense introduction, Pistol plainly told Coile she had a viedo footage showing the true nature of Coile and Sparrow relationship.

Coile claimed his innocence and denied that even a kiss was given. Pistol thought otherwise and finally suggested that, whatever the truth, such footage would interest some of the newspapers already covering the "hot affair" between the leader of the Silent Tempest and Nightsparrow.

Things were slowly heating up and Tonnerre tried to prevent the teen girl Rakila to act impulsively, stepping in to defend Coile. But Rakila just evaded the singer gentle grasp.

After having thrown a formal challenge to Coile and his team, Pistol finally left and went discussing her business with Seth and Darken, while Keening Banshee tried to convince Coile to not answer Pistol's provocations.

As everyone was slowly leaving DJ Zero place and with the return of Bluestrike, Tonnerre left Pocket D to resume her fight against the Freakshow.

(sorry for people present and not mentionned here. We were 15 at Pocket D at a moment and I was trying to follow two different discussions)

Yesterday, the Silent Tempest team, while on its way to operate against a Crey lab in the Hollows, met a strange being by the Atlas Gate, an unexpected event considering the frantic pace of the place where Lt Wincott is gathering and orienting newly licensed heroes all around.
Called Xha'al, this creature apparently occupying and animating the dead of a man, claimed being a student of the human nature. Slightly pedantic, Xha'al was pointed to the possible contradiction of willing to study humans while refusing to let their rules apply to you. Supported by Dustine and Sword of Truth, the "immersion technique" finally looked to get the attention of Xha'al.
However, Xha'al declined Sword offer to help the group in their coming mission against Crey and left.
Then led by Coile after the departure of Rakila, a recent addition to the team (after having only a student status under Coile watching), the three heroes investigated and closed the dubious Crey laboratory but faced again a squad of the latest Paragon Protectors generation.

To the suggestion of Coile, all decided to go to Pocket D for relaxing times.
Sword was quite late there, struggling and bargaining for a cut in fees for her new outfit. But no way, she was asked outrageous prices just to renew her wardrobe.

In Pocket D, Coile, Dustine and Coile met Arrow Flame, whose bone eruptions seem to have ceased, Love Angel, both being in discussion with a black hooded man. Their conversation focused on the nature of angels, demons. A conversation Dustine found interesting enough to join, while Sword kept her moody attitude and Coile had his usual friendly behaviour.
Despite recurrent interruptions and displays of black powers, the group was later joined by Bluestrike, clad in golden and blue costume and Miss Kinetix, who was apparently new there (from what she claimed).

Sword and Coile were leaving when Veskit just entered DJ Zero place and came to the group.

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New thread, however, belong in the Roleplaying section, so don't be surprised if this one gets moved

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We are doomed.

Away from Paragon CIty, Shades of Ice and Tarie pooled their forces for defense of their wallets and fight back their own level of poverty (one can never have enough).
Shades of Ice, recently escaped from the Zig and still wearing this wonderful and fashioned orange outfit, was pleased by the duo performance at hitting the Atlas bank twice and the Kings Row bank once.

Star Crusader had set an automatic signal in the Tempest medbay computer to warn him whenever someone is treated for celullar damage, a signal originally destined to track Dawn condition.
Then, called back at the base by the signal, he was surprised to find Dark Rose and Kitia, the later being the one in need of healing.
After a quick diagnosis, the alien concluded that, from his point of view, Kitia was suffering from instability on the quantum level and her body was shifting to another possibility. In other words, Kitia was struggling against reshaping into the form of her twin, Kitalia.
Both looked to have undergone a fusion, now sharing the same body. Kitalia shape being firmly human while Kitia has more animalistic features, it is generating a "shape conflict".

Sword of Truth keeps being moody. Bad news are stockpiling for her. Nothing really severe but one after the other...
Having met a clone of herself, sharing not only body but even her memories, a Crey project, was a shock. This event, while obviously a bit disturbing for most of people, was put in relation with her personnal history.
Since months, Sword "abandonned her principles", according to her wording, for the love of Coile. And she always expected she was going to lose her heroic abilities.
Empowered by Justice, so she thought, stop living under strict rules she believed needed, would only leave her as a mere human. It was her choice.
However, she didn't lose her heroic abilities. As Coile pointed, while it can somewhat be supposed she can still fight against opponents (swordplay and dodging), nothing would explain why she is still able to run faster than a car !
Sword ignored those facts, she also ignored Coile demand for her to test for supernatural abilities (hidden mutant powers, anything...).
Now the clone could explain a lot of things. Why she didn't lost her powers after abandonning her own rules (the "inner abilities" theory of Coile).
After all, she might be such a clone herself. A kind of evil plot from Crey to infiltrate the Silent Tempest ?
From disbelief to refusal, Sword stopped to behave wisely since weeks.

I vote for keeping Telum but... well... it's your char !

It is obvious to me, since months, if it wasn't the case since ever, that it isn't the GG events *only* that were making the other thread alive.

Now why a new thread ? because then, noone will ask question again if things have to happen under a skirt to be reported.

Is it me or were we reminded very recently in the other thread the GG thread was about GG events ?

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I haven't browsed much so far but I was stunned by Nightsparrow's scrapbook.

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I've looked the scrapbook diary and, not only it's a great concept but it's also truly well made.

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I would have no problem teaming with a gimped character

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"Gimpest" is difficult to achieve. It's only a point of view.
I believe even characters with odd powers selection can contribute a lot to a team. The team, however, has to accept this character is not going to fill a pre-determined role.
Not approaching other characters by considering they have to be framed into a role is enough to play and behave efficiently enough during fights.

While some powersets, some powers combinations are known to be efficient gameplay wise, they are mostly thought by focusing on maximum damage in a minimum of time (those so popular orange numbers floating above enemies' heads) or prevent damage by using the most obvious way (the dream of perma hold or reaching resistance/defense cap).

Creative use of some powers + tactical sense can transform the gimpest character into a good team asset.
Now, if your "gimpy" character is trying to follow the standard and "expected" way to fight in battle, then, yes, you may be failing. Because you indeed didn't have designed him or her to fit to this role.

That's a good one

I have a Sonic Blaster who is a mute singer. Go figure.

All my characters are created from concept, never because such or such powers combo is the flavor of the month.

It doesn't mean they are all "odd". I don't make a rule to pick and add generic powers just for the sake of originality or choose to focus on some primaries or secondaries just to defend the idea I am playing a role.

Diurne, like Freja (both being in the Apache Longbow SG actually) doesn't have travel powers and is level 34. Added to the fact she is a Trick Arrow/Archery defender.
She is a trained human and I won't give her a travel power for convenient journeys.

Stormrise, a level 29 Storm Summoning/Electricity defender is not "updated" as soon as possible. I mean I want to play her as a relatively "weak" mutant. In practice, it means I only buy enhancements when some are turning red due to leveling. Otherwise, I rely on drops.
And, again in practice, it means she still has Training Origin enhancements at level 29.
And at level 30, I plan to get Kick from the Fighting line. Just because it's part of the concept to brawl from time to time, in a rather aggressive way (Actually, Kick, or Boxing, or Jump Kick, it's more for the visual effect and style)

Spellsong is a magician, using power words (full Sonic defender). Her magic is difficult and physically taxing (in my concept). She won't have the fitness line. And yes, it means she is often getting endurance problems (even if the consequences are less severe because of her AT/powersets).

I am going to play a controller, aiming at making Confusion powers his primary way to influence battle. By looking at the possible powers I can select and the slots I can place, I know I could go for a better efficiency. Still, it's a concept.

I planned for the Sword of Truth to get the Presence pool, three powers (Challenge, Intimidate, Invoke Panic), just to toy with the "wrath of justice" idea, putting fear in the hearts and minds of opponents.
Now at level 41, I didn't give her those powers. Because the story of the Sword of Truth unfolded in a manner I wasn't planning. Because of the interaction with other players (notably Coile), getting those powers are now not fitting to what she became. The concept changed.

Diurne taught me you can play without travel powers and reach a decent level.
The most frustrating isn't not being able to fly high or jump over everything or teleport across vast distances... no, because I choosed that. The frustration comes from other players who don't accept that choice and will criticize it.
So, no PUG for Diurne, only playing with RPing friends. Period.

Stormrise is obviously weaker than what she could (should ?) be. I learned here the race to DO, then to SO, makes you stronger but is far from crippling you if you don't enter it.
And as her primary Storm powers are not meant to display huge orange numbers above enemies heads, I think noone really noticed a "weaker" performance.

Spellsong and the absence of fitness (-> Stamina indeed) can be problematic at times. But again not crippling (no big news here actually).
I just have to think carefully and plan what I can do in the coming battles.

The Sword of Truth case is a bit different. First, I wanted to go to unorthodox powers because of a concept. But I changed that because I accepted, and even called, for other players to influence the evolution of the concept.

Inspirations : extra effort, pushing your limits, motivation, things you didn't think you are able to do, luck, adrenaline

Enhancements : training (self training or provided), upgrades, new equipment, stronger spells etc... depends a lot of the origin and the theme.

I like a lot the DarkBreed and AngelStorm posters. Those are also the ones where the background scenery is, to me, the better.

I believe you could use the text/title to enhance the image (different font, different size).
It can be hard to read at a glance at times, like on the 2k5 poster.

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Mosty I assume that current real world events are not happening in the CoX world, mainly as they would happen totaly differently or not at all due to the presence of magic and superpowers and super technology.

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My opinion too.

Blackdove's Red Commissar drawing

Because of the scenery, the symbolism and the style.

If someone is flirting with one of my characters, I expect that player to be fully in-character (as we are speaking about computer generated characters, mind you).
If the player needs to get personnal info on me (as a player) to be able to continue his "roleplay", it goes beyond the limit I set.

As a general rule, I don't give a lot of personnal infos on me (for several reasons), I don't answer to questions but I reply saying I won't.

If, at that point, a player isn't satisfied by not knowing more about me, personnaly, it's someone I most probably do not want to roleplay with, anyway.

So I don't have to lie to other players.

I also do not want to know personnal things about other players, even if some of them sometimes spontaneously share details about them.
I am interacting with their characters, that's what I am looking for and that's enough for me.

*waves*

Bye

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So... both plots COULD work out, but if people are imagining different plots they are trying to achieve, then there will be a clash at some point, and possibly accusations of railroading and power-GMing (or being munchin and dilusional players).

What's my point? That the impression of railroading is quite subjective, and the impression of non-railroading is equally subjective. What is more important is to have common view of the plot and setting, which comes naturally in tabletop games, and is lot harder to do in open MMO enviroment.

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I believe railroading comes from the conflict between players views about their abilities to influence the plot, their environnement and what the GM will allow them to do.

The more the players are supposed to be "able to", the more you can fall into railroading.

Most probably, it comes from a misunderstanding at first.
If you allow players to create world-shakers to finally prevent them to shake their world, they will resent it as railroading.
It can of course also happen at "lower levels of influence". It's just generally easier to avoid giving the impression of railroading if players themselves don't expect to be able to do a lot of things out of what the GM is proposing.

What defines railroading is also subjective. Some elements are plot or setting elements, not destined to be modified, influenced, just adding flavor to the game.
When a player could consider doable to kill Hitler, it's probable that noone would consider removing the sun from the sky. When, actually, the sun or Hitler are just background elements, not different.
Players would accept they cannot remove the sun from the sky but wouldn't accept they can't kill Hitler by themselves.
Here, it is their perception of what can or cannot be done which can create a problem.
And such perception can come from an unclear start from the GM. If the GM starts its game letting players consider themselves supersoldiers able to do anything, stopping Tiger tanks with makeshift bombs and shooting at columns of clueless german soldiers who should know better...
On the other hand, if the GM gives a gritty feel to the game before it starts, the players would probably be happy enough aiming at survival...

It's then, to me, more a "setting" conflict. "Setting" of the adventure, scenario, campaign, its theme, its content.

Now, railroading can also comes, in tabletop games, from inexperienced GM, GM who are a bit lost following players actions and relying on the "GM power" to ...well... put them back on tracks.
In other words... know your GM, his or her style. It helps.

Personnal log only, no team entry


log date : 08/12

Silent Tempest

The Requiem war took its toll, one way or the other. Finally, we didn't get anyone killed, fortunately.
Yet, some things changed. Some didn't.

I was surprised when I learned Steel Guard was actually saddened when I was said dead. I was surprised to learn that Coila was... somewhat... angered, possibly frenzying about my said death.

Finally, Steel Guard is still the same, going back to his habit of criticizing Coile and me. To what purpose exactly ? I cannot tell. He's not going to be happy with any situation anyway.
So, finally, I do expect to see Coila is just going as much as distant as before.


A lot of members are away. Kitia and Rakila, that I miss a lot, the woman called Dawn Perez, who I never met. Phiseeque and actually, even Coila, as elusive as ever.

We got new recruits.
That alien warrior. Fair, I didn't meet him yet. The guy is apparently looking for Dawn.
A strange woman called Dark Rose. Truly, it wasn't fair to ask her to prove her dedication to the team, or loyalty, as Subaiku said. Because we never asked anyone else.

So I asked Dark Rose a question. I disagreed her answer but, actually, in all fairness, I don't expect many people agreeing with me.
Dark Rose is fine, generous. But not the stuff I would like. But actually, who is ? And would I even be, myself, able to practice what I preach ? Yes, probably but it will hurt.

Coile, or Andre

Coile, Andre, of course...
I believe I am accumulating mistakes with him. It's going to snowball into a huge mistake one day.
Yes, it was a mistake to admit I had feelings for him. Yes, it's a bigger mistake to accept him permanently at my... or must I say "our"... home.
The biggest mistake of the moment will happen in the coming days. We're going to meet dad and mom in Atlanta.
Now Andre has a foothold in my life, in my family. I let him enter, I invited him to do so.

Yes, I was happy, despite all the madness of his project to free me, when he ended with me in a Requiem cell. Happy enough to kiss him. Happy enough to admit feelings.
Practice what I preach ? I failed those days.

Since, things are accelerating. People who doesn't get a clue start to meddle with our relationship, like this small green fairie-like guy.
I fear the future with people flocking around us two, creating a more and more complex situation.

I am going to fail, I am going to lose, anyway. That day, Andre... Coile will be shattered.
And it will be my fault.

On the french board you said you took over a lazy SG and waited for an opportunity (like the leaders being on vacation) to model the SG to your tastes.

So, it's disconnected from any reference to a theme, roleplay or whatever.
It is presented as "I can use the game mechanics to do the takeover, so I did it".

No wonder why you got negative answers (but not that emotionnal).

Here you presented the same concept by linking it to a theme of world domination, which can be understood as a roleplay theme.

That said, taking-over a SG can lead to internal problems.
People who joined a SG may not agree about such change. They might be perfectly fine with remote leadership or whatever.

Even if the mechanics are transfering leadership to other members in time, they still belong to a community who was formed under certain circumstances and having certain goals.

Getting the leadership to force on the SG a change will be conflicting with what a certain number are waiting from it (most members, some, a few, depends of the SG and their dedication to it).

Your idea must then probably be used only in SG where such mindset (struggle for power) is already existing or in SG where you believe the idea would work (considering the latter option is probably very hard to guess unless you know well the SG).

Bases, SG leaderships, are most of the time considered as "common investment" and it will probably always negatively be seen that an "outsider" come to take control.
Because he probably didn't work "as hard" as others, for example or because he was "invited".
The SG mechanics are generally viewed as a separate thing from roeplay.

One possible damage such tactic would cause is not to stimulate people into engaging a struggle for power (as they didn't ask for it at first) but rather drop out of the SG in frustration, create another one and become more selective about recruiting.

Of course, a "guenine" take-over is not that damaging. Getting power, showing you got it, warning people and waiting for their reactions is less damaging.
Still, SG can react by telling you to bail out, maybe definitively, or disintegrate from frustration.

Like everything else in roleplay, acceptance and consensual game is the main rule.
A sneaky take-over (I mean, entering a SG with only that purpose in mind and not trying to know if others are fine with such concept) is just breaking that consensual gaming.

You just force on others your views about how you can play with SG mechanics.
So, triggering negative answers.

In theory, a roleplaying SG with roleplayed inner conflicts would fit for your idea.
Yet, such a SG is probably somewhat active as inner struggle is part of their fun.
So, it also probably reduces your chance to do the takeover by using game mechanics to nil.

And yes, there isn't really tools for managing power struggle in SG rather than just waiting for the leaders to be demoted.

Finally, either you're going to get negative reactions from people who don't want to see you just using a game mechanic to get power. Either you're going to see SG members who won't care at all.
But then, if they don't care, what's the purpose of the takeover ?

Into my arms from Blackdove is worthy of attention.