Did you know... The unofficial history thread
By
0zymandous,
Posted on: 2006-03-23 01:22 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
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Issue Three, _A Council of War_, contained a huge amount of new content. However, a bonus was snuck into the issue: A secret project instigated by NCSoft's Geko, aided and abetted by a Cryptic developer (Ravenstorm?). Even Jack Emmert, The Statesman himself, didn't know about it.
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The Dance Party was added in Issue 2. I didn't know it was ever a secret, I just remember a DJ on Justice Radio annoucing they were having a party there shortly after I2 went to the test server. I didn't read the forums much back then. It recieved occasional graphic upgrades until it was abandoned when the new and improved Pocket D was introduced, a rather large piece of content for a mid-issue patch.
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Paragon Dance Party had no draw other than roleplay.
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This only a suspicion but I would guess that they put in the PDP because internet radio stations would hold dance parties in Atlas Park which caused a lot of lag. A couple times the DJs on a particular station had a stated goal of "crashing Atlas Park" and tried to cram as many people as possible inside City Hall. I suspect that the PDP was added to lessen lag in AP.
There were entrances in Steel Canyon, Talos Island, and IP. The door to the dance party in Steel was originally near the Yellow Line but shortly moved to near Icon because people were using it as a shortcut. I remember a redname saying that the entrances were supposed to be moving around as part of the concept of the Dance Party but they were never moved again until it closed its doors when the new Pocket D opened for business.
Did you know... Task Forces and trials originally didn't auto-exemplar you.
When the exemplar system was introduced in I2, even if you were ex'd down you couldn't run a TF or trial you had outleveled. Sometime later this was changed so you could run a TF or trial you had outleveled if someone ex'd you down into the level range for the TF you were trying to do.
Unfortunately, if you dropped your exemplar at any time you were automatically kicked from the TF. So if your exemplar quit or dc'd at anytime or if you dc'd at anytime you would be kicked from the TF. Imagine doing an eight-hour task force only to have your exemplar dc on the last mission resulting in you be kicked from the TF.
This resulted in many angry posts on the forums. They were usually responded to by people telling them that they shouldn't be trying that anyway. 
Fortunatly, to the joy of players everywhere, this was eventually changed so characters would be auto-exemplared down when starting a TF and wouldn't be kicked if they disconnected. 
Did you know...
- shops were not introduced until late beta?
- icons on maps were introduced due to player demand and the popularity of the map patch?
- in beta, Bone Daddies were ridiculously overpowered due to their dark-based damage? They were toned down considerably before launch.
- that players used to have to deal with "front-loaded" missions, where all the toughest enemies (red- and yellow-con) were at the front of the mission and easier enemies (white- and blue-con) were in the back rooms? This was very frustrating to play through, as you would struggle through the opening rooms and then breeze through the last section of the mission.
Did you know?
-- At the end of closed beta, it was requested of all the players to gather outside of the Police Dept. in Kings Row for a photograph. This screen shot later turned up in one of the guides for the game.
-- Some of the first pictures of City of Heroes (well before beta) showed the now removed hit location chart. Jack claimed the idea was to allow characters to aim for a leg to slow movement or the head for extra damage, among other hit locations. This was removed from the game in hopes of making the game easier.
-- Before the game's release, Cryptic claimed they were aiming for an 'E' Everyone rating. Many followers of the game were worried the game would become too childish. All in all, going for an 'E' rating for an on-line game is a pipe dream and very little was actually changed in an attempt to get the lower rating. Of course, City of Heroes has a 'T' Teen rating.
-- Every possible combination of starting powers has at least one attack (that is, a power that does damage). This was changed very early on due to the fact that it was possible to make "gimp" builds where Brawl was your only attack.
-- At one time, the talks were to obtain your final Power Pool power (fourth in the set), you would have to take all the other powers in the set (instead of the requirement to take two as it is now). Fans were worried about builds being too similar and being so restricted in power choices that it was changed.
-- MacAllen, a very powerful fan in pre-beta and beta days, once claimed that if Cryptic didn't make the changes he suggested, the game would fail. MacAllen is long since gone and the game is still here.
-- Statesman was VERY involved in the pre-beta boards, often responding to personal attacks and game critizism in a public forum. It was inspiring to read and gave many readers hope in the game since no one had heard of Cryptic Stuidos before.
-- Jack 'Statesman' Emmert is a huge fan of The Hulk.
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-- Before the game's release, Cryptic claimed they were aiming for an 'E' Everyone rating. Many followers of the game were worried the game would become too childish. All in all, going for an 'E' rating for an on-line game is a pipe dream and very little was actually changed in an attempt to get the lower rating. Of course, City of Heroes has a 'T' Teen rating.
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I think this was intended to be a general design philosophy rather than an acutal goal. They know that the subject matter of the game makes an E rating impossible, but they want it as clean as they can get it.
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Did you know that Fury was originally intended for Tankers but showed to make them to powerful so they saved Fury for Brutes?
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Don't know if it's true, but Fury _might_ have been my suggestion, created in order to solve the damage problems tankers were having at the time.
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I think it might have been sugested/thought of for tanks but I'm sure they quickly decided against it.
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This was probably what Statesman was referring to when he said tanks would get something new and "comic-booky." Tanks got some changes, but nothing that fit the "comic-booky" quote.
EveryNighters:
Tar Heel Lvl 50 Inv/SS Tank
Knight of Purgatory Lvl 50 Fire/Ax Tank
Kilmainham Wall Lvl 50 Stone/Stone Tank
Re-Fridgerator Lvl 50 Ice/Ice Tank
Yankee Doodle Dandy Lvl 50 Will/Eng Tank
Teen Tar Heel Lvl 50 MA/SR Scrapper
EvilNighters:
Tar Heel Dead Lvl 50 DD Brute
Did you know that exiting a door mission used to grant 100% endurance and health? People used to use it as a quick and easy "rest" while in-mission.
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Did you know?
-- At the end of closed beta, it was requested of all the players to gather outside of the Police Dept. in Kings Row for a photograph. This screen shot later turned up in one of the guides for the game.
-- Some of the first pictures of City of Heroes (well before beta) showed the now removed hit location chart. Jack claimed the idea was to allow characters to aim for a leg to slow movement or the head for extra damage, among other hit locations. This was removed from the game in hopes of making the game easier.
-- Before the game's release, Cryptic claimed they were aiming for an 'E' Everyone rating. Many followers of the game were worried the game would become too childish. All in all, going for an 'E' rating for an on-line game is a pipe dream and very little was actually changed in an attempt to get the lower rating. Of course, City of Heroes has a 'T' Teen rating.
-- Every possible combination of starting powers has at least one attack (that is, a power that does damage). This was changed very early on due to the fact that it was possible to make "gimp" builds where Brawl was your only attack.
-- At one time, the talks were to obtain your final Power Pool power (fourth in the set), you would have to take all the other powers in the set (instead of the requirement to take two as it is now). Fans were worried about builds being too similar and being so restricted in power choices that it was changed.
-- MacAllen, a very powerful fan in pre-beta and beta days, once claimed that if Cryptic didn't make the changes he suggested, the game would fail. MacAllen is long since gone and the game is still here.
-- Statesman was VERY involved in the pre-beta boards, often responding to personal attacks and game critizism in a public forum. It was inspiring to read and gave many readers hope in the game since no one had heard of Cryptic Stuidos before.
-- Jack 'Statesman' Emmert is a huge fan of The Hulk.
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I don't remember the hit locations, but my memory isn't.. Hey look! A distraction!
Also I don't remember MacAllen saying that. But then again my memory isn't...
But the point of this reply is to say that I don't think Statesman was VERY active back then. I would say he is MUCH MORE active now-a-days (post release).
before Issue 1, defenders had more hit points than blasters.
Did you know that the Family's suits changed colors every few issues?
Did you know?
Aurora Borealis wasn't always in IP. She replaced Malaise when hers and Sister Psyche's minds were seperated through a now unavailable TF. I think that's it anway. The whole deal with Psyche is kinda confusing.
The respec TF was brutally difficult at first, ironically, considering that players with sub-par builds would be unable to finish it. It was toned down much to ire of the minority of players who completed it and said it was easy. Those players had their milk-money stolen in-game by Hellions.
Giant Monsters used to have set levels, but this was changed when high-level players easily killed monsters such as the Kraken and Babbage, trivializing their monsterness.
@Demobot
Also on Steam
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Aurora Borealis wasn't always in IP. She replaced Malaise when hers and Sister Psyche's minds were seperated through a now unavailable TF. I think that's it anway. The whole deal with Psyche is kinda confusing.
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AB was labeled as Sister Psyche and handed out that task force. She has been in IP since day one. However, once Sister got her body back, AB took over Mailase's job in IP.
-that Dr. Vahzilok is named after George Vasilakos, owner of Eden Studios (for whom I co-wrote several RPG books).
-that the name Rikti came from a conversation where I said "Rikki Tikki Tavi is a cool name. How can we get that into the game?"
-that the name "Cryptic Studios" was inspired in part by the first RPG book I co-authored, "Cryptozoology."
-that Shane Hensely, a current designer, created Deadlands.
-that Thomas Foss created a minis game Pirates!
-that Statesman was a character created in several pen and paper super hero RPG's over a decade ago. Many former character names have found their way into the game.
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-that the name Rikti came from a conversation where I said "Rikki Tikki Tavi is a cool name. How can we get that into the game?"
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Did not know that, find it exceedingly cool.
Current main:
Schrodinger's Gun, Dual Pistols/Mental Blaster, Virtue
Avatar: Becky Miyamoto from Pani Poni Dash. Roulette roulette~
Did you know...
That back in the Beta for CoH, Statesman once sent a monster after a group that tried to grief him (Not realizing who it was they were teaming with...)?
That Ravenstorm is a fan of Naruto?
That CuppaJo once killed a man for accidently serving her Decaf?
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Did you know...
That back in the Beta for CoH, Statesman once sent a monster after a group that tried to grief him (Not realizing who it was they were teaming with...)?
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Did you know...
That the confirmation box for Teleport was added after players complained because various idiots were using it for griefing purpouses?
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Did you know...
That back in the Beta for CoH, Statesman once sent a monster after a group that tried to grief him (Not realizing who it was they were teaming with...)?
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That is sweet ! I have more respect for him now 
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Did you know...
That back in the Beta for CoH, Statesman once sent a monster after a group that tried to grief him (Not realizing who it was they were teaming with...)?
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Wasn't it something like he despawned brickstown and then spawned a Requim next to them?
Mind you, they had sk'd him, teamed with him, took him to bricks, and then kicked and unsk'd him from team in the red area of bricks, IIRC.
Orc&Pie No.53230 There is an orc, and somehow, he got a pie. And you are hungry.
www.repeat-offenders.net
Negaduck: I see you found the crumb. I knew you'd never notice the huge flag.
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Did you know that the Family's suits changed colors every few issues?
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And now they have the randomizer for appearences, used also with vahz and such.
That's right! Those cadavers and abominations used to be all the same in appearence!
Orc&Pie No.53230 There is an orc, and somehow, he got a pie. And you are hungry.
www.repeat-offenders.net
Negaduck: I see you found the crumb. I knew you'd never notice the huge flag.
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That CuppaJo once killed a man for accidently serving her Decaf?
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Untrue. She ripped his left arm off ... sheesh .. if ya kills 'em dey don't learn nuthin
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Did you know...
That back in the Beta for CoH, Statesman once sent a monster after a group that tried to grief him (Not realizing who it was they were teaming with...)?
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Wasn't it something like he despawned brickstown and then spawned a Requim next to them?
Mind you, they had sk'd him, teamed with him, took him to bricks, and then kicked and unsk'd him from team in the red area of bricks, IIRC.
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I think it was something like he quit team, spawned Kronos or some other similar Giant Monster (back when they had levels... a lvl 50 GM!) and totally obliterated his former team.
Did you know...
...that 20th level Family used to spawn in Steel Canyon, shaking down Outcasts? (I miss them!)
...that the reason the gang distribution in the low levels is so confusing is that Kings Row used to be where Galaxy City is now, and Galaxy City didn't exist!
...that Behemoths used to spawn in Perez Park, before their minimum levels were scaled back?
...that Tankers used to be able to taunt as early as 4th level?
...that Peregrine Island was originally an experimental hybrid City/Hazard Zone?
...that Mind, Ice, Illusion, and Gravity Control all had player-buff-type powers - and out of all of those, Illusion is the only one that still has any?
(Mind's Telekinesis used to grant fly to another player; Ice's Arctic Air was more-or-less a clone of Steamy Mist; Gravity used to have a power called Fold Space, which was a team-wide Recall Friend; Illusion still has Group Invisibility, which I think should be removed and replaced with another control)
The game ends at 50.
SmilegasmDo not ever give Mind Control a pet.
We need more control sets without pets.My characters are not "toons".
They are all project characters, though.Global chat @Lxndr My servers: Defiant, Liberty, Pinnacle, Virtue
that is so #$% aswsome
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3) I2 was introduced with the Ralaruu invading Pargon City. Portals would open in all the zones and Ralaruu would pour out.
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AND did you know that these Rularuu were hideously broken?
The giant eyeballs would chain-mez anyone foolish enough to come near them, while the brutes would pound them into quivering red stains. They were so outrageously overpowered that a medium size group conning green could easily slay most solo heroes. If you wanted to kill Rularuu, you had to go find grey-conning mobs that gave zero or nearly zero xp (and yet were a pain to kill).
After this became apparent, almost everyone just left them the hell alone. So Paragon City's second Alien Invasion event consisted of a bunch of bored aliens standing (or floating) around in groups throughout the zones while the Brave Defenders of Paragon just swung in wide circles around them while on their way to things that might actually give then XP.
"OK, first of all... Shut Up." - My 13-Year-Old Daughter
29973 "The Running of the Bulls" [SFMA] - WINNER of the Mighty Big Story Arc Contest !
- The Stellar Wind Orbital Space Platform