Inside jokes and obscure references
By
Aghast,
Posted on: 2005-02-04 17:31 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
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Perhaps, it refers to what is supposed to be underneath, the god Mot. ??
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Good idea, I Googled it and came up with:
Mot = Semitic Death god, also "Moth" or "Maveth" in Hebrew.
Thanks for the heads-up; I had never heard of that before.
Pinnacle
Glowworm * Brrr * Lilinoe
Protector
Kid Trance * Ms. Impala * Red Helen
Virtue
Pooka Pete
Mot is also mentioned in scanner missions as the carthagian god of death and sterility.
Explorer 86.67%, Achiever 60.00%, Socializer 46.67%, Killer 6.67%
"When nature calls, I can go right in my suit."
"That part of your suit broke when you fell down the ventilation shaft, remember?"
"I just found out why my socks feel squishy."
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Ran across a radio mission that had me rescuing Dr Frank N Scott from {villaingroup}...
"I believe we're close to comprehending the ritual, It's just a jump to the left..."
"Dr. Scott!"
"Soul Train!"
"Dr. Scott!"
"Soul Train!"
and so on.
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When I rescued him, he said, "They could've opened a Time Warp, or worse!"
In re Lord Raptor's comment on this bit of Golgamesh's post:
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Challenger Technology - I would assume this is tribute to the 1986 Challenger Space Shuttle that exploded on take-off with a civilian on board, Kristin McAuliffe (sp?), who was to be the first civilian in space.
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I think this is actually wrong. Like other subzones in Terra Volta, Challenger Technology is named for a pulp hero, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Professor Challenger.
My favorite reference is really a tribute.
The exploration badge called "Newsman" is earned by visiting the Theodore Knight building in Faultline. Obviously paying homage to Ted Knight playing Ted Baxter on the old Mary Tyler Moore show.
My new favorite is one of the radio missions that asks you to "Find the P.L.O.T. device"
From Wikipedia:
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A plot device is a person or an object introduced to a story to affect or advance the plot. In the hands of a skilled writer, the reader or viewer will not notice that the device is a construction of the author-it will seem to follow naturally from the setting or characters in the story. A poorly-written story, on the other hand, may have such awkward or contrived plot devices that the reader has serious trouble maintaining suspension of disbelief; indeed, the devices may even leave plot holes.
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In humor-themed forms of entertainment, particularly those that break the fourth wall in pursuit of comedy, plot devices or the concept itself may be deliberately pointed out to the audience for a joke.
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It's mentioned in a few other places on the forums, but I don't see this one here yet.
There's a police scanner mission where you have to rescue UHF channel 52's resident tech-head, Dr. Philo. As you approach the hostage, the mobs guarding him make references to something being wrong and alien about him. Philo mentions that George needs his help either after rescue or at the start of the fight, and then says,"My work here is done." later.
All in reference to the movie UHF.
Wow great thead! DONT STOP 
Though not an "inside" joke or a reference to anything in particular, as far as I know, I did get a chuckle out of the Scanner mission which has you going after Inobtanium. The joke about that name has been widely reported. But I really laughed at the alloys that made up Inobtanium: Nonsuchium and Yeahrightium.
"Ben is short for Frank."
-Baffling Beer-Man, The Tenacious 3: The Movie
[IMG]http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa10/BafflingBeerman/teamjackface1.jpg[/IMG]
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Though not an "inside" joke or a reference to anything in particular, as far as I know, I did get a chuckle out of the Scanner mission which has you going after Inobtanium. The joke about that name has been widely reported. But I really laughed at the alloys that made up Inobtanium: Nonsuchium and Yeahrightium.
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Inobtainium was the material used to build the vehicle 'Virgil' in the movie "The Core" 
in-game @Gibraltar
Karatena - MA/Regen (50 #1)
26 more 50's - 9 scraps, 3 tanks, 4 trollers, 4 fenders, 3 blasters, 1 WS, 1 corr, 1 SoA
...and lowbies everywhere!
Since I didn't see it mentioned in the pages I read through (it was interesting enough to read more than I'm willing to admit, but 34 pages? maybe later 
):
I've heard more than a few movie quotes come from NPCs:
Hellions in Steel "FIRE IT UP! FIRE IT UP!" (T-bird and the gang in the Crow)
Skulls in Atlas "Get him a body bag! YEAH!" (name of the character escapes me, but it's from the end of Karate Kid, during the last tournament)
Those are just ones that I remember seeing in the last couple days, I'm sure there's many more.
Also, the newspaper mission that has you get that "Blue Oyster" stolen from "some cult" always makes me smile. 
Well, I was sure that Inobtanium was a reference to something, what I wasn't sure of was what, if anything, its two components were in reference to, other than a fun play on words.
"Ben is short for Frank."
-Baffling Beer-Man, The Tenacious 3: The Movie
[IMG]http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa10/BafflingBeerman/teamjackface1.jpg[/IMG]
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Be very careful what you ask for. You might just get it.
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Go Hamster!
------->"Sic Semper Tyrannis"<-------
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There's a Malta Zeus boss called "A Titan Called Joe"
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There's an old sci-fi story; A Logic Called Joe; "logic" in that story meaning a computer.
Not sure if they've been mentioned :
In one PB mission, you have to get the Oxygen Destroyer, a weapon designed by the Japanese to destroy aquatic monsters and banned because of it's horrendous effects. That's the weapon used to defeat Godzilla in the original movie, the one that turns things into skeletons.
Theres a mission, Rescue Dr Steven Fate ( think that's the name ) whose name suspiciously resembles Dr Strange and whatshisname Fate from DC. He's described as often being mistaken for a master sorceror, despite being "a skilled surgeon and nothing more." There's this cute bit when you approach that goes something like this :
Doctor : "Help me <heroname> I can't defend myself, for I am a skilled surgeon and nothing more."
Boss : "Get the hero ! Ignore the Doctor, he's no threat to us; he's a skilled surgeon and nothing more. "
Villain : "Yes, he's no use to our plans; he's a skilled surgeon and nothing more."
And after you lead him out, the Doctor thanks you for helping him when he couldn't help himself, because "I am a skilled surgeon and nothing more." Note that Doctor Strange was a surgeon . . .
Arc #40529 : The Furies of the Earth
Rescue Dr. Frank N. Scott - When you reach the hostage, the following dialog happens:
Wing Raider: We already know that the ritual begins with a jump to the left.
Dr. Frank N. Scott: I won't tell you a thing.
Assault Jump Bot: Yes, and then a step to the right.
When aggroed, they yell:
Wing Raider: Dr. Scott! ''Hero Name''!
Dr. Frank N. Scott: ''Hero Name''!
Assault Jump Bot: ''Hero Name''! Dr. Scott!
And when rescued, the hostage says:
Dr. Frank N. Scott: If they'd pried that ritual from me, it could have opened a time warp, or worse!
The entire exchange is a reference to The Rockie Horror Picture Show, which includes a Dr. Frank N. Furter, and a song called '''Time Warp''' with the lyrics "It's just a jump to the left / And then a step to the right", and an scene with characters calling each other's names.
I did a carnie mission this morning and when I got into the mission it said...You see something written on the wall, Always look on the bright side of life.
Monty Python, The movie "The life of Brian"
I got a kick out of that heh
Not to lend life to me own thread or anything, but I just ran by "Family Jewels" in Faultline, and had to share...
Gabriel's Hammer, the inventable sledgehammer power, is named for Peter Gabriel, the musician who recorded the song _Sledgehammer_.
I can't believe no one's mentioned the radio mission where you have to rescue the author and occult specialist Clive Loveking, which is an almalgum of Clive Barker, H.P Lovecraft, and Stephen King.
Yeah, there are also the police band missions in which you rescue Lois Watson and Peter Kent respectively. Someone needs to introduce those two!
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Running down the list of hospitals and how they relate to the initial list of zone names...
(Atlas) Chiron is a centaur from Greek mythology. (should that make it the Chiron Medical and Veterinary Center? ok, maybe not.)
(Galaxy) Cygnus is a constellation.
(Kings) Crowne Memorial is another royalty reference.
(Skyway) Comte Joseph Louis Lagrange was a famous astronomer. You may have heard of Lagrangian Points in reference to orbital positions, those are also named in his honor.
(Steel) (no reference, it's named for the zone.)
(Talos) Phoenix is obviously a mythic reference, and a good one for a hospital.
(Indy) Bell Medical Center continues the nautical theme.
(Bricks) (no reference again)
(Astoria) St. Elegius was the hospital in the show St. Elsewhere (what I found online about the actual saint himself seems to have no medical connection.)
(Founders) William Harvey was the first physician to study the circulatory system. Though a medical reference, Harvey was English so this one doesn't seem directly related to a founder - maybe there's a different reference?
(Peregrine) Aquarius is the constellation of the water bearer, familiar to most people as part of the zodiac.
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Peregrine Island is all Aquaman-themed (Curry was his last name, Mara was his wife, etc), hence the "Aquarius" hospital name.
Pinnacle
Glowworm * Brrr * Lilinoe
Protector
Kid Trance * Ms. Impala * Red Helen
Virtue
Pooka Pete
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Barca Plaza - No idea. Barca is Hannibal's last name (the guy who crossed the Alps in 14 days on elephants), but I can't see where that relates to the undead.
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I've often wondered about this, it might be a play on words. Barca = Barker. Clive Barker, a famous horror writer who has also had films of his books made. Since all of the references mention horror directors, screen writers and novelists this one appears to be correct. Unless of course there is some obscure significance to the word Barca.
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The Serpentine - a lake in Hyde Park, London. But, more tongue-in-cheek-wise, a public transport system in Switzerland called the "Serpentine Peoplemover System", and what are the DE trying to do in Eden but "move the people"?
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A reference to the Serpent in the garden of Eden. As I recall it's a area call the Serpentine is a collection of paths which wind their way through the heavily wooded part of the zone under the trees. The Serpent in the Bible was said to be resting in the branches of a tree as I recall, I'm still studying so excuse my inaccuracies.
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Grendel's Gulch - Grendel was the creature from "Beowulf" who, if not traditionally a troll, could certainly be likened to one.
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Grendel was the original leader of the Trolls, he was beaten down by Ata in the region which is now called the Grendel's Gultch, it was no doubt named that because of that battle. I have seen some odd references however to some kind of monsterous Troll in the Hollows, it doesn't appear as a GM or anything so I suspect it might be part of a storyline yet to happen. My theory is that it's Grendel, especially as we now have the Troll rampages in Skyway which is apparently caused by the Trolls getting a mega version of Superadine from 'a new supplier'. It's one of the more forgotten of storyline threads which I'm curious to see develop.
There's a radio mish where you have to fight an Arachnos Lt. named LoPan. Reference to the baddie in Big Trouble in Little China? (though such a ref would seem more appropriate if the Lt were a Tsoo. :P)
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I can't believe no one's mentioned the radio mission where you have to rescue the author and occult specialist Clive Loveking, which is an amalgam of Clive Barker, H.P Lovecraft, and Stephen King.
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Fixed.
I am particularly amused by this mission, as the villains seem to be freaked out by their captive. Clive says it best: The weird and creepy act keeps me safer than any security system.
"Let your plans be dark and as impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt." --Sun Tzu, The Art of War
One recent Police Band mission was to rescue Dr. Milo, the scientist that works for the local tv station. His manager George was worried about him.
This is, of course, a reference to the classic cult Weird Al movie, UHF! One of my favorites!
When you get to the mobs holding Milo they are asking him about the "Wheel of Fish" and when you rescure Milo he says "My work here is done."
Every time I see this mission I HAVE to take it.
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In one of the Safeguard missions you have to retrieve a "Dragoon Ball". It's description in-game reads, "Legends say that if you find all 7 of the Dragoon Balls, it will summon a mighty mystical cavalryman who can grant you a wish."
A parody of the Dragonballs from the anime series "Dragonball".
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Heh,this one was pretty obvious since it was one o off
I thought it was pretty funny to see 'Dragoon Ball' when I first saw it in the mission description