Offline SG Members in Bases!

I said it before, and I'll say it again since the old thread vanished.

Fill up those empty corridors and rooms! What good is having a huge base if only one or two people in your SG are online and you're rattling around in it like two pebbles in a 50 gallon oil drum?

I want to see my offline SG mates sparring in the training hall, lounging in the rec room, tinkering with the defensive cannons, monitoring the security cameras and/or the citywide comm network, arguing in the conference room, watching TV, playing poker, and maybe even cooking up a little dinner for their hardworking (online) compatriots. Heck, how cool would it be to see two of your own alts working together in the crime lab?

I want this a lot. Please?

Here, here! Or is it "Hear, hear!"?

Either way, I completely agree this would be very cool. What would happen if someone deletes a character, though? Also, what would happen when someone logs in as a character that is invloved in some animation with other offline characters?

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Here, here! Or is it "Hear, hear!"?

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It's hear, hear! And I second the sentiment.

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What would happen if someone deletes a character, though? Also, what would happen when someone logs in as a character that is invloved in some animation with other offline characters?

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Eh, we see characters fade in and out already, so it wouldn't be so disjointed for it to happen in our bases.

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What would happen if someone deletes a character, though?

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Deleted characters are no longer in the SG. Sad but true. They'd just walk out the door, never to return.

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Also, what would happen when someone logs in as a character that is invloved in some animation with other offline characters?

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Depends on where they log in - if they log in "in the field", then the "NPC" version in the base will just walk to the nearest door and exit, just like a typical citizen who's just been rescued. If they log in at the base (which I hope will be an option), they just stand up, stop whatever they were doing, and revert to player control!

AWESOME idea!

Oh! Oh! I had another idea! Maybe different skill-specialized characters will do different things around the base! Science characters will be working in the lab, Communication specialists will confer on the wall-sized video conferencing screen with their contacts or the mayor (or offline members of allied supergroups!!), Security characters will man the camera monitors, Scholarship specialists will cram in the library and pore over computer records ... of course all characters could spar, argue, or just be sitting around reading the paper.

My initial thought for this was to be able to set an "attitude" for each character so that they'd do appropriate things - I don't want my big dumb Tanker rewiring all the electrical systems or curing cancer in the infirmary (and other players might have Tankers that are science geniuses). But adding an extra stat selection interface seems a little overboard. However, skills will be implemented by then and that would dovetail nicely!

This is an awsome Idea, but it's a wishlist kinda of idea. But here to wishing, great idea Zombra hope a dev is listening

Great idea. I just dont see it happening.

HOW ABOUT

a hot tub too? Then the male and female heroes can get nude on a server made for adults.

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a hot tub too? Then the male and female heroes can get nude on a server made for adults.

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You haven't seen the nude characters yet?

This is a great idea. Hopefully not to many people would be confused and try and strike up a conversation with a NPC version of a SG mate.

It would also be a neat little thing for If/when your base ever got attacked. The NPC versions of the offline characters could still participate in base defense. Of course if they die it wouldnt you know.. effect the real players character. Just a way to keep things interesting you know?

Rather than offline SGmates, how about having servants instead? That way no one gets confused, and there's no immersion-breaking stuff like fellow members not responding to a base attack.

Batman has Alfred, the Avengers have Jarvis, the Fantastic Four has that robo-receptionist... no villain servants come to mind, other than Doom's robotic doubles who did chores for him.

For CoV, a whole raft of NPC underlings could be created which are base-centric, but also hiring/taming/blackmailing existing villain underlings into service jobs would be cool, too. I for one want a Rikti Monkey scurrying around taking out the trash and stuff.

The problem with off-line characters being present in the base is what happens if the base is raided (by players or possibly PvE, who knows)? Do you really want to come back on and find out your hero was defeated while you were away?

Servants on the other hand is an interesting idea.

What about allowing us to 'hire' and build NPC members of our supergroup that will always stay at the headquarters to defend it?

Have them work in archtype and origin and power choice advancement on a similar scale to PCs, only we advance them through paying influence.

So a powerful supergroup with a lot of extra influence to pool would have a supergroup base defended by high level NPC heroes where a lesser supergroup might only be able to afford general defenses.

It'd be another great innovation on the part of Cryptic, I think. Everyone has been talking about how cool the character customization tool is for CoH since the beginning. This would be another chance to enjoy that, and work toward the dual benefit of defending your supergroup base AND making it feel populated all the time.

Short version: A living breathing base!

Long version:

actually, I think there's a way to make that work

In a comic book, someone 'offline' at the base is usually doing one of those night-on-the-town or baby-sitting type things. You know--hanging out somewhere on the grounds and brooding.

These heroes could be present with some kind of idle brooding animation such as 'pretending to nap while the stereo is on' or 'reading a newspaper with a hat pulled low over their eyes' and the badguys would have an easy time sneaking up and conking these heroes on the head. The hero would look defeated, but suffer no debt, since they didn't do anything. If the hero logged in, they'd rez and be dizzy for a short time (full health and end) and then the hero would be free to do whatever. The idea being that it serves as a warning that intruders entered the base.

If the badguys didn't sneak up and conk the hero on the head, the hero would run a simple script that had him run to an alarm, and then run out a special escape-hatch like door, which would close behind him and lock. Then the hero would wake up in some part of the base that was designed for this purpose... a ready room or something inaccessible to the badguys. If there are going to be base defenses, and if the base has those defenses, that alarm would trigger them.

So that way an offline hero would be like an alarm system, and even if they failed, they could still participate in the raid scenario--which they'd known to have happened or be happening thanks to their auto rez. Obviously, this has to be debt free.

I think having your SG hanging out when it's not logged in is great.
however
there is the issue of multiple alts from an account in the same SG. The issue being you can't control them at the same time, so you'd have these basically homeless people hanging out in your base. I think it would be hilarious if you could write little chat dialogues for them so they could say something to you, and give them civilian-like scripts that have them walk around the base doing nothing in particular. It would make a base seem alive. This could give a base a real superhero feel. A base would need to be large enough to accomodate a full-sg. I'm not sure how big that would be. Probably not bigger than most missions, come to think of it.

Man that would be sweet. A living-breathing base idea!

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The problem with off-line characters being present in the base is what happens if the base is raided (by players or possibly PvE, who knows)? Do you really want to come back on and find out your hero was defeated while you were away?

Servants on the other hand is an interesting idea.

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*SG Ub3r Base is enjoying a relaxing weekend when X member hear's a knock on the door*
*X member looks through the peephole and sees only jello'y stuff*
*X member opens the door and Hamidon screws the entire base over in 2 seconds as Y member and Z member go "Why the hell did you fall for that trick?!"

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The problem with off-line characters being present in the base is what happens if the base is raided (by players or possibly PvE, who knows)? Do you really want to come back on and find out your hero was defeated while you were away?

Servants on the other hand is an interesting idea.

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Awww…. That’s easy to solve. These offline heroes are essentially NPC’s right? Well if the base is attacked simply have them do that run around like idiots with their hands in the air animation.

I really like the idea of offline heroes busy in the base. If the base should be attacked...why can't the heroes leave to handle another matter (Diversion)?

So say you have 10 members sitting around chatting, doing computer things, whatever at the base....enemies are going to attack...well who would attack it with 10 heroes inside? Suddenly they are alerted to go somewhere to deal with something. They despawn to start the attack event, then the heroes can intervene, then at the conclusion they respawn having returned and dealt with the crisis they were dealing with.

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The problem with off-line characters being present in the base is what happens if the base is raided (by players or possibly PvE, who knows)? Do you really want to come back on and find out your hero was defeated while you were away?

Servants on the other hand is an interesting idea.

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Then have the offline heroes do the "chicken with their head cut off" dance the civillians do in missions where an office/lab/facility was taken over.

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The problem with off-line characters being present in the base is what happens if the base is raided (by players or possibly PvE, who knows)? Do you really want to come back on and find out your hero was defeated while you were away?

Servants on the other hand is an interesting idea.

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Awww…. That’s easy to solve. These offline heroes are essentially NPC’s right? Well if the base is attacked simply have them do that run around like idiots with their hands in the air animation.

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Mt thoughts exactly, if players feel like this isn't heroic or villianous enough then they should of been logged on even heroes have their off days

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Short version: A living breathing base!

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I love that idea

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Long version:
...
I think having your SG hanging out when it's not logged in is great.
however
there is the issue of multiple alts from an account in the same SG. The issue being you can't control them at the same time, so you'd have these basically homeless people hanging out in your base. I think it would be hilarious if you could write little chat dialogues for them so they could say something to you, and give them civilian-like scripts that have them walk around the base doing nothing in particular. It would make a base seem alive. This could give a base a real superhero feel. A base would need to be large enough to accomodate a full-sg. I'm not sure how big that would be. Probably not bigger than most missions, come to think of it.


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Two things to comment on. One having the idle PCs act like NPCs would really be neat. I would love to be able to "interact" with some of my alts, since some of my alts background stories tie together (my main is a military robot with sophisticated AI that has been set loose by the DoD in a test of its AI capabilities, and one alt is a top secret member of the military that is monitoring my main).

The second thing is that idle PCs would make trading/giving enhancements, or even influence, to other SG mates easier. Example, SG Member Bingo is sitting idle watching TV in the base. SG Member Washis logs in, sees Bingo sitting there and knows Bingo is a level 26 Mutant Origin Blaster (he could tell this because he could target Bingo and get that info in the target window and could check Bingo's info/background even). Washis has a level 29 Mutation Origin Damage Single Origin and decides to give it to Bingo, this way Washis does not have to get SG Member Nameo to trans it (if Bingo is Washis's alt) and does not have to put the SO in the vault hoping that no one else gets it.

Just an idea that could make this even a little bit better.

Yes...numerous differant NPC availabilities, depending on the type of sg you are a part of. I'm in an SG called Automated Nation, we are all robots and cybernetics. Would be cool to have robotic helpers running around...and BTW I LOVE THE PVE RAID BOMBSHELL :P

Never even thought about raids being anything but PvP....Guess that's why your the Dev and I'm the player

I love the idea of having offline SG members 'hanging around' at the base.

WHAT If you make a Recreation Room that all offline characters end up in. SG Members would be able to enter, but no one else, aka its always a locked door. This would protect the offline characters and still leave them hangin out watchin tv, playing arcade games, playing pool, whatever.

I know my co-leader for The Department of Inter-Dimensional Defense, Dr. Quantum would LOVE to have a lab and have his character always in it 'working' when he's not online. Hell he'd probably start a second account just so he could go in and watch that.

Recluse, there are a lot of good ideas to make this feaseable. Please look at it. I think it would be great.

You could even set it up so that people have an option they can set for what actions their character are doing once they log out. They automatically respawn at the SG base doing whatever action (playing pool, video game, watching tv, sleeping, etc..) It would just give the whole thing that well used feel.

A lot of houses in other games / guild halls always seem so unnecessary since they're almost ALWAYS empty.

While it's a cool idea, and I know for the "story" aspect it would be cool.

However offline PC's (at rest, goofing off, training etc.). And then te Base is raided, they either act like NPC's, with attacks (a lot of code for each base, I would think). Or they stand around, or do the citizen panic thing.

Then when you log on, your SG mates say, "Hey how come you didn't help with the raid on our base?, your character just continued to play poker, or run around etc."

I think what the easiest way around this, is that each character in the SG has his or her own bedroom (decration options would be cool, but basically it's a room to log off and on in.

If your offline, your character is "unavailable" to defend the base, Mediation, Astral projecting on patrol etc.

Each Bedroom can only be used by 1 person, or eaiser yet, just a door that serves as "leading to the bedroom wing" of the base. Unaccessable to Non-SG members (i.e. the invading team).

That way the base has a since of home, and wouldn't take up a lot "fluff" coding.

Your idea is really cool, but I would rather have the bandwidth used for other things, to keep the lag down.

Although Servants, or Base "Guards" would be cool.

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The problem with off-line characters being present in the base is what happens if the base is raided (by players or possibly PvE, who knows)? Do you really want to come back on and find out your hero was defeated while you were away?

Servants on the other hand is an interesting idea.

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Well, the offline heroes could run off to man the base defenses.
Or, they could get into the fight in the same way we see villains currently "fighting". In other words, they could go through the motions of fighting without actually dishing or receiving damage. You could even have offline heroes standing back and cheering like we see in some gang fights, though that would look really silly.
I would imagine the flavor could still be there, without introducing the technical or balancing issues of heroes fighting while offline.