[ QUOTE ]
* Steel Canyon: The Hellions are living up to their name and have taken to arson.
[/ QUOTE ]
It was a lazy summer afternoon in Paragon City as Nozybida patrolled the skies over Steel Canyon. The streets were uncommonly devoid of heroes as he flew, enjoying the feel of the coming nights cool, crisp air. There was your usual assortment of Outcasts up to no good about, but nothing uncommon.
Nozy stopped to bust up a few Outcasts trying to break into a garage, he helped out an old lady who was having her purse snatched, and he even broke up a Circle of Thorns ritual and saved a middle aged and overweight man named Dave, who was quite moved that a hero of Nozys stature would stop to help him.
Nozy assured Dave that he held each and every citizen of Paragon City in his thoughts, and would always be there to help when they are in trouble. As Dave jaunted off, Nozy caught a whiff of something out of the ordinary in the air. He climbed through the skies till he floated over the nearby buildings. With his super vision he scanned the skyline in search of the cause of the familiar smell.
In the distance, rising like a black tower, a plume of smoke tainted the horizon. Like a shot, Nozy accelerated toward the scene of the fire. His super hearing easily picked up the distressed voices of the apartments tenants as they lined the street outside the apartment building, the whistle of the fire marshal rang loud in Nozys ears. The sound of crackling fire and burning beams added urgency to Nozybidas flight.
In moments Nozy descended upon the scene. The building looked as if the fire had not yet fully taken its toll. Some of the windows were burned out and faint scorch marks lined the outside of the building, but there was still time to save the building.
Being the hero that he is, Nozybidas first impulse was to check the building for trapped victims. He flew straight for a burned out window several floors up only to find his way blocked. He arced up over the top of the building to find more burn marks as the top of the roof was beginning to burn through. Again he searched for a way into the building to no avail. Desperate to gain access to the building he flew down to the front door, only again to find his entrance blocked by some invisible force that not even his mighty super strength or mastery of the forces of energy could penetrate.
Nozy ran around the side of the building hoping to find a way to get into the building and put out the burning blaze. Just then an explosion ripped through the building.
The next thing Nozy knew, he was being beamed into the Steel Canyon Medical Center. Somehow he felt as if his Invulnerability was weakened, such a minor explosion had never phased him before. Much to his disappointment, Nozy was unable to save the building or anything that may have been inside it.
/end story time.
Needless to say I am a bit disappointed with the new Fire Events. I had no idea until I came to the forum that I needed to get a Fire extinguisher or such to put out the fire. I figured that you know, since Im supposed to be a super hero, my super powers would be enough.
Not being able to actually enter the building was a bit of a let down as well. I was hoping to be able to enter the building, drag out saved citizens, maybe a cat or two. I did see a few Hellions hanging around, but in a time of crisis such as a building being on fire the least of my worries is stopping the punks on the street.
In any case, it isnt at all what I was hoping for. Especially being blown to smithereens at the end. Of course, I guess that might simply be a side effect of the gutting of Invulns resistances? Who knows, Nozy does have to pretty careful around a pack of matches or tray full of ice cubes now. Lets not talk about electrical outlets!
Guess I could say nice try? But it doesnt quite feel right. From reading a few posts in this thread looks like the fire event basically comes down to a kill all mission? Only you need a temp power and you defeat fires instead of mobs?
Eh, like I said, nice try, but not really what I was hoping for.
It's all good as long as these events spawn more than the Kraken in Perez Park ((*SIGHHHH*))
Hollywood Image----lvl 50 --freedom---/stone tank
Haven't seen a Troll Rave yet, but have worked on the fires a few times. I agree that the extinguisher power is too slow and inaccurate. Also, the penalty for not saving the building is extreme -- the event is all risk, no reward. Badges don't count.
Also, it seems the firefighting badges are given for defeating the Hellions, not working on the fire, which just makes it less likely the building will be saved.
Current Blog Post: "Why I am an Atheist..."
"And I say now these kittens, they do not get trained/As we did in the days when Victoria reigned!" -- T. S. Eliot, "Gus, the Theatre Cat"
Got to try the fire event a couple times... overall, I'd agree that this would be more fun with less recharge time and less effectiveness. If it's the only power that helps against the fire, you end up standing around watching that button slowly grow back, which quickly turns dull.
Did the fire event a fire times myself. Major fun.
Suggestions...
1. I can imagine its hard for you guys to program for us to go into the building and put out the fires from the inside and rescues. So I'll meet you halfway on this, have victims come out of the building on fire and run around in circles until someone puts the fire out on their backs. NOW THAT would be cool as can be.
2. I like the idea of the top few floors of a skycraper being on fire. But that would leave all the non-flying heroes out of the fun. Which is why I then suggest...
3. Giving the backpacks a temp fly ability as well.
4. The fire chief blowing a whistle with a cart of backpacks is kinda' lame. Give us a fire engine with lights flashing, horns blaring. It also gives a better illusion to recharging the packs somewhere. Have him tell us what to do, and 2 firefighters handing out backs out the back of the engine.
5. Badges are cool... but if you get a badge AND A hat for smacking around a witch 10 times... WE WANT A FIREHAT for putting out XX amount of fires succesfully!
EC
[ QUOTE ]
If you guys can set "random" spawns beyond the "random" spawns, it would be awesome. Maybe, the Dev team decides that on Tuesday this week, on all servers, at 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, and so on...
Level 15 Devouring Earth monsters spawn in one of the Steel Canyon lakes and start doing laps around town, attacking all dumb heroes in their path. Why are they attacking?
What else have the DE to do but wipe out the plague of humanity? Why do monsters attack out of the blue in Marvel's NYC or in Metropolis in DC? Because the city is there!
Or, there comes the swarms of zombies (Level 32-35 Vazhilok cadavers, labeled "Zombies", herds of 15+ in size) in Brickstown one Saturday night, a couple of times per hour. Why? Industrial accident by the Zigguratt. Poor workers. Poor locals and 2nd shift employees. Oops, don't get bit. Why is it happening? Who cares! It's a comic book.
Level 45 Rikti start porting in all Portal Court one night.. Bobcat and Nightstar step out of one of the Portal Corp doors one night into the court, having fought their way through to our world for some payback. Why? It's a comic book!
"Random" stuff like this, would completely break up the normal flow of things and VERY quickly put players on their toes. Lusca is scaring dock works in IP again? No, what? She's at the PI ferry? And level 48?! Or she's climbing up on the beach in Talos? Oh no!
Malta in Atlas Park? Carnies in the Hollows?! Winter Lords fighting giant Pumpkin Men in Croatia (Monster Fights, c'mon, how cool would that be?)?! Has the world gone mad?
No--but the players will be hyper-giddy and having a blast, as long as 1) it's very regular, but diverse. 2) It's not *too* overpowering--I personallly love Rularuu, but the high level stuff with them back in the day with even cons was nuts.
Bonus points, the Devs can re-use their huge existing stock of characters/villains. Relabel, relevel, and retask. Think of it like a good rapper remixing some classic tracks. With monster fights, of course.
[/ QUOTE ]
This is the single best idea I have heard for CoH. DEVS listen to this guy we need things like this. I am getting bored like lots of people doing the same thing over and over again. Make signals server wide when something bad happens. "(insert AV here) has broken out of the portals, all low security level charactors please report to atlas park, or galaxy city. All high lv heroes are begged to put a stop to (AV)" If the low lvs dont make it they die from mobs of whatever the AV controls.
I would love to see monsters fight. I wouldnt even join in everytime it would be a pass time for some exp for others.
Fighting for zones would be nice, each zone has "good" and "bad" in good they are how they are now but in "bad" its mobs of foes that the heroes have to defeat. it would be accumlative by how many heroes die for it to be bad, say 100 deaths in the zone, and for it to turn good again the heroes must band together to kill like 1000 or so foes. A neat backround effect would be a broken "firy wall" sorry dont know what they are called.
Make new zones also for lv 30-50 the low lvs seem quite content and it would be nice to have a huge map for the long part of the game than a huge map for the small.
But still have AVs pop up everywere, events going on, right now the city seems in order accept for these few baddies. We NEED chaos. heck put in a arena were we can watch people fight baddies, and giant monsters. that would be sweet to have watch a team of lv 45s fight a team of giant monsters for a small break from the game. Like the roman collasiem, also the low lvs could see powers before they get them that way so they dont get powers they hate
make thing happen like quickly, make us feel needed for the city to be peacefull
Bottem line (I might make edits for more events)
WE NEED CHAOS to keep us hooked. It is no fun when its hunt, get mission, do mission, go to contact, to low for new mission, repeat
Alright, the present zone events are a beginning, but what you might also use are global events, such as elections or events that bring up a world outside Paragon (beyond even The Rogue Isles).
As to more zone events... take a look at what villains appear to be doing presently. Please do not discount Citizen events either. They may celebrate superhero groups, hold parades masquerading as various superheroes (but with their own names overhead), build giant christmas trees, sing caroles, go trick or treating as villains, etc.
Hellions and Skulls seem to be courting various villain organizations (or once did), with the Skulls trying to work with the Vazhilok, but presently fighting with them -- and now making arrangements with The Family and Trolls. Hellions once seemed to be working with Circle of Thorns, but I've not seen the two grouping together since, although it appears they've taken a liking to the Outcasts (at least Hellions have appeared in the Hollows speaking with them).
Vazhilok hasn't done much lately, and still seems to be progressing with research. It would be interesting to see if he ever tries to develop a technological afterlife, a purported utopia for the rich to rest in forever. Also, he might think of dangling this afterlife over the heads of his more cognitive servants to keep loyalty and provoke individual initiative among the eidolon (or to bribe people of other organizations). An entire coeterie of Vazhilok "prophets" and "fanatics" might appear.
The Clockwork haven't done much except labour away at building more of their own. Assuredly the larger Clockwork could assemble war constructs that house them, much as their larger contingents spout "gears".
I've noted that the Circle of Thorns usually stands on mounds and often these mounds appear of nowhere (or so it seems from the viewpoint of a player who has been on the game for a long time). Perhaps The Circle of Thorns might cause earthquakes, green (living) fires, perhaps their slave spirits might haunt houses, activate nexus points of ley lines into silvery webs of terror and evil... also do not discount the similarity between various magical organizations, they could readily join together with terrifying summonings and sorceries to strange effects. Monsters such as a mask-of-desire (or pain or whatever) totem with horns that executes martial arts moves while exuding flame might appear. No, nevermind. Too silly.
The Outcasts already have a "zone event" of questionable worth, but in character for them as a discrete and individual group. Since they are mutants, they might attempt to do something to establish their presence in Paragon as a collective. They might even gather under charismatic leadership of an Arch-Villain. Of course, these are The Outcasts, and of course, division could feasibly occur between those who wish to conquer Paragon (and feel conquest is plausible) and those who wish to establish a seperatist community surviving initially on taking what they need, but with eventual self-sufficience.
The Trolls I've spoken about to Statesman in a message he's probably forgotten. I still believe there should be normal troll citizenry walking around Paragon or at least a district that has a troll community, perhaps impoverished. Perhaps a Troll claiming familial relation to Grendel (Los -- from Blake's poetry? Caligorant -- from Orlando Furioso?) would attempt to establish leadership, and with this leadership focus on attempting to thieve any super item (serum, potion, rune) to increase troll intelligence and power both. Various trolls might be created that have been influenced by these tries. Factive differences might occur due to these tries (the trolls of the rune might despise or mistrust the trolls of the serum, etc.).
The Council are unbearably easy to develop events for. Council would release giant robots, a missile to circle over a zone (that functions as a Giant Monster with a nasty explosion after-effect and perhaps a special badge for surviving the explosion),
The Warriors should truly, truly, establish a castle, and get some darn armour. Also, a few of the more educated warriors might have a college education or something, maybe the entire show is being run by bored college professors with both normal mind control powers and subtle long term mind control powers which they use over their students. The professors may have been slain, no longer work criminally, or are already captured for other criminal efforts, but their students from over three decades remain captivated by the initial teachings (perhaps these professors stole an unpublished roleplaying game manuscript from its author and have used it in tandem with psychic powers to... nevermind). Regardless, regardless: the Warriors should have a few keeps about, eventually a castle or something. They might obey a Greek sounding king, as mixed up as they are about Ancient Greece and Medieval weaponry. In any case, what this suggests is that Warriors would be attempting to gather slaves for construction labour, tools, equipment, power supplies, etc.
The Tsoo might organise street fights in the everso typical member-gathering rite of evil martial artists from films. "Let us see which of these men exhibits the most wicked sadism and strength in battle..." Also, the Tsoo could indeed be trying to initiate embassy with a dragon discovered by Trolls. This dragon might provide a *very* interesting Giant Monster... as well as fit into the general Beowulf concept of the Trolls, the skewed romanticism of the Warriors, and the Tsoo focus on cinematic martial arts.
Freakshow obviously, very obviously, should have occasional riots, shooting up areas, holding up traffic, chasing a single villain of different organization down the street shouting, "We're the Vanguard! We're the Vanguard!" etc.
The Banished Pantheon is definitely the best organization for future development of events. Most assuredly, they are associated with the constant mists and ghosts in Dark Astoria, so perhaps they would also attempt to establish mist-filled locations where citizenry already turned into ghosts would dwell therein along with "afflicted" citizens.
Devouring Earth are another easy thing: they conduct eco-terrorism, so why not have them conduct eco-terrorism. They can release gasses, apparent oil spills that are infected with terraforming substances, attempt to plant hamidon matter in pets and lawns, in Hydrae, etc.
The Lost I am not going to utter much of, except it may be easier to develop flavorful events for them if some were to realise what were happening to them (perhaps as tools of a new powerful psychic) and initiate a schism that allowed for a assault on the city (especially if this psychic had pried secrets of technology from their masters), masterminded by... Crey? To appear as a new alien invasion?
Sky Raiders may indeed offer quite a bit of fun. Sky Raiders would be fascinated by taking the city, especially a portion of residential areas, as their own. Also, a political contingent might be in favor of their activities and if elections ever come to fore, one of the candidates could be secretly in league with Sky Raiders. Other nifty stuff too, especially if Sky Raiders gather sufficient military equipment.
The Crey are not easy for me to suggest events about, as they might influence massive mutations of citizenry (transforming like warwolves) that occurs regularly. Now, it might be effective to the Crey to begin establishing for themselves a floating city using stolen and developed technology that allowed them to conduct operations hidden from view and protected. Events might begin occuring such as massive Crey assaults to take super powered prisoners.
Prisoners of the Zig may stage massive prison break-ins followed by massive prison break-outs, suffer from new superadine outbreaks, and mebbe you might add an occasional prisoner statement of trying to mug a hero for their costume?
Nemesis might work in tandem with Sky Raiders, the Sky Raiders needing better equipment and even training manuals (chuckle), and Nemesis might be interested in cheap mercenaries for some reason or another (perhaps arranging an alliance with The Council as well). Yeah, ok, I admit it: Sky Raiders lack character without a political atmosphere represented within gameplay of City of Heroes. Anyway, Nemesis could readily raid any NPC villain owned zone or simple districts, sieze an entire neighborhood through infiltrating the apartments and firing on heroes and villains who near, etc. They might even occasionally announce a public ceasefire, vanishing from the map only to reappear a day later with nastiness in tow.
Little elemental apes like Pumicites and such might be herded by the Carnival into a zoo of sorts... perhaps be targeted by other villains as potential servitors, used and abused and manipulated cruelly. Or even appear to help heroes on occasion. Such is the lot of the tragic monster villain: they only wish to be alone, sometimes to make friends, but either end up attacked by police and citizenry til they run rampant in violent rages, are manipulated by villains, or make errors due to ignorance and cause havoc due to their natural state and inclinations.
The Carnival should, really should, hold masquerade balls and parades. Crey should, really should have her own palacial interior zone that exists as non-instanced, perhaps accessed by teleporter pads in Bricktown and Founders Falls, and maybe by special yacht in Peregrine, and this mansion should be subject to occasional villain raids, but otherwise be like the nightclub except with more elegant music. And also have a few contacts, a TF, and a special store (free negative enhancements that cannot be traded but can be deleted? mixed blessing enhancements? raise one power in exchange for set negative effects occuring at random intervals). In any case, Carnival villains would have seductive public performances: beautiful, wistful affairs of dark and wicked beauty.
The Rikti... feh. New dimensional gate to a world where the Rikti managed to establish firm dominance and health. Rikti superheroes, Rikti dimensional gates... blah blah blah blah blah, I'm sleepy.
Fors Fortuna, Cryptic, I've written far too much, but I hope some of it is helpful. And don't worry about using it. Cryptic has full permission to use any of the stuff in this here post by Lloyd Warren Ravlin III identified on the forums as cartophilus, rights waived as to ownership and origination. You've got witnesses. Use it, have fun, make a funner game for all!
[ QUOTE ]
I have to agree with several other posters. When I was able to get to the fire, I thought it could have been much better if we could have gone into the building to put the fire out! Perhaps with an "oxygen meter" or something similar, where the longer you stay in the building, the more damage you take from the lack of oxygen or something.
[/ QUOTE ]
Endurance and health should be drained perhaps, with occasional dizziness/daze effects after a hidden timer has expired.
[ QUOTE ]
* Skyway City: The Trolls start a Rave (Troll-style) when they find a new supply of Superadine.
[/ QUOTE ]The new shiny trolls were quite disapointing.(Supa trolls)
They just did not look good honest.
Thought I'd give you all a visual reference for my idea, how much nicer and cooler it is to see a fire engine, than just a stack of backpacks on a palate.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...fireengine.jpg
Poor photoshop skills aside, whatcha' think?
EC/RTT
Love the new zone events.
The fire event needs a 'Mission Complete' popup, or some obvious visual to let you know you've 'won'.
When a Rave is starting, npc Trolls should be overheard 'passing the word along'.
Other than that, they are excellent new Content. As one of the many people who have been wanting a 'save citizens from fire' event for a long time, extra thanks!
Thanks, and keep it coming!
Story Arcs I created:
Every Rose: (#17702) Villainous vs Legacy Chain. Forget Arachnos, join the CoT!
Cosplay Madness!: (#3643) Neutral vs Custom Foes. Heroes at a pop culture convention!
Kiss Hello Goodbye: (#156389) Heroic vs Custom Foes. Film Noir/Hardboiled detective adventure!
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Hey Posi - just so ya know.. Spectral Wounds also does damage to the fires. Don't know if SW does "imaginary" Ice damage or it's just a bug, but there ya go. :]
[/ QUOTE ]
I guess tankers aren't the only ones who have a vulnerability to Psi damage...perhaps you're scaring the fire away?
[/ QUOTE ]
Perhaps it creates a palpable illusion that disorders the real so strongly that temporary damage occurs until reality sets in slowly, and the fire is restored. In a living opponent, this disarray of reality would slowly be turned into the "realisation" that the damage was only illusionary after all, while in nonliving opponents no rationalization is possible, and hence it takes actual damage.
The first time I saw a Supa Troll I was excited. Fighting him was tough, but seeing him charging around like that, my sense of heroism just wouldn't let me pass him by.
However, the next couple of times I saw some Supa Trolls, they were just mulling around. "All this strength...nothing to do...." I was able, with my blaster, to pick them off one or two at a time, while the rest just mosied along in their little area. I eventually wiped out the whole group by my lonesome.
Personally, I was expecting that once a group of Supa Trolls spawned, they would chaotically run all over the place, but that doesn't seem to be happening. Instead, they pretty much stand around like Chick-Fil-A cows with signs saying "ZON EVANT HEER". Needs more excitement, in my opinion.
As regards the Steel Canyon fires, I got in on the tail end of one just in time to squirt the fire twice with the extinguisher before getting my @$$ blown all to pieces. 10000 damage? There'd better be one heck of a reward considering that kind of risk. (At least I can only collect debt once per kaboom.)
NewScrapper