Yeah, I didn't bother listing it, lol. Oh well.
I assume the devs will have to give us villains a villain-only EAT now, eh? At least one.
[ QUOTE ]
I imagine Coralax will be very similar, except you'll be bonded with Coral. That or they'll just have Coralax specific costume options.
[/ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't apply Kheldian rules to other EATs and vise versa. For one, it would SUCK for us to be Coralax-Hybrids. I want to be a Shaper, or whatever else *real* Coralax there are out there. I would rather be an entirely new creature even if it does mean I have my own set of *limited* Coralax costume items than be, like a Kheldian, infused with a.. human. Bleh!
Personally, I think the Coralax will be unique to villains. Why? I think alot of their powers (like, for example, their travel power) will be tied to water. Playing Aquaman in the middle of New York sucks, but playing him on an island where he can hop into the sea at any time is fun.
The Rogue Isles are right by the sea. Paragon City is mostly dry. Thus, I see the Coralax as sticking to the villain side.
And I doubt we'll have a limited set of Coralax costume pieces. The Khelds didn't. Why would we? Instead, like the Khelds, using certain powers will likely make us look more coral-like. Maybe we'll get an armor that makes coral sprout from us, for example.
[ QUOTE ]
Personally, I think the Coralax will be unique to villains. Why? I think alot of their powers (like, for example, their travel power) will be tied to water. Playing Aquaman in the middle of New York sucks, but playing him on an island where he can hop into the sea at any time is fun.
The Rogue Isles are right by the sea. Paragon City is mostly dry. Thus, I see the Coralax as sticking to the villain side.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'd love that soo much.
[ QUOTE ]
And I doubt we'll have a limited set of Coralax costume pieces. The Khelds didn't. Why would we? Instead, like the Khelds, using certain powers will likely make us look more coral-like. Maybe we'll get an armor that makes coral sprout from us, for example.
[/ QUOTE ]
The thing I find wrong about this is that:
(a) Coralax-Hybrids are lame, they're slaves to the Coralax (unless ofcourse, the devs MAKE US become Coralax-Hybrids, but that would be an insult, making us human-hybrid slaves for higher beings.)
(b) Coralax aren't humans
(c) Unless the Coralax look human-like, then they will look weird in the already existing costume sets. People shouldn't be able to be a werewolf, for example, or a reptilian monster. Just like certain story elements in the game, like the Kheldians' light/dark forms, and the Patron Powers, it's really all about getting into the RP element of it, and the freedom really isn't there that much.
(d) By having our own Coralax costume set, it would be.. unique. That way, we'll be more special. I can imagine it now.. different coral body types, horns, face types, lower body parts, etc.
Anyway, I'm even doubting if the devs will do the Coralax, seeing how indecisive they are.
Hopefully they do though.
this is what i said earlier about coralax being villanous, and i'm actually pleased that nictus is not available in a way. while i love content, i would much rather have NEW content that re-hashed content. i'm sure that everyone would agree. but this does mean that i expect the next two EATs to be villainous to ballance out the AT selection. this dissapoints me a little as i find playing as a hero to be more entertaining. guess i just have to such it up till they can implement the corruption/redemption tf (and find a way to make defenders not break cov).
Just have to say, excellent guide, Oceanborn.
[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't apply Kheldian rules to other EATs and vise versa. For one, it would SUCK for us to be Coralax-Hybrids. I want to be a Shaper, or whatever else *real* Coralax there are out there. I would rather be an entirely new creature even if it does mean I have my own set of *limited* Coralax costume items than be, like a Kheldian, infused with a.. human. Bleh!
[/ QUOTE ]
This exchange and some comments in some other threads mentioning the Coralax and BotBS finally persuaded me that I should weigh in with my current Epic AT conspiracy theories.
As to the Coralax:
First, I'm almost certain that the Coralax we play will be Hybrids. I base this on the limitations of the way the game is set up, not anything from the story. In order to be a true Coralax, there'd have to be a separate all-Coralax costume creator, which I suspect would be a fairly major time investment. If they don't do this, we're left with the potential for pure Coralax who look exactly like humans (or werewolves, or catgirls, or any of the other things you can make with the full costume creator). I think the devs are likely to stick with the same model they used for Kheldians and just make the AT's powers cause coral to appear on their skins.
That said, we have the problem Oceanborn mentions: who would want to play some creature enslaved by an undersea race and infested with mind-controlling coral? Well, here's how I see the devs handling this. The Coralax will have a contact like Sunstorm and Shadowstar for Kheldians, possibly located on the beach below Fort Darwin or on Chum Island. When you first talk to him/her/it, it will say something like, "Bwahahaha! Puny landwalker, you are now a slave of the Coralax!" Your first few missions will be along the lines of Kalinda's, basically beating on the Coralax's enemies because they say so. As in the Kheldian arcs, I imagine things will start off assuming you know nothing of the Coralax's background, and that it'll gradually be revealed as you level up and do more arcs. Later on, I suspect, you'll clash with other Coralax, either helping or preventing the rise of Merulina and/or the Leviathan. (When I say, "or," I don't mean that we'll have a choice; I'm just not sure which side the devs will place us on.) The final arc might end with your character taking over Coralax society. I base all this on the way the devs have approached CoV arcs in general, particularly the inclusion of Patron Arcs in their final form. Essentially, I see Coralax (and any future Epic AT's in either game, for that matter) as doing the entire game as a form of Patron Arc.
Sound limiting? Sure, it is. But this is similar to the relationship a non-Coralax villain has to Arachnos, and the arcs aren't very flexible there, either.
There's one further reason I expect they'll give us Hybrids rather than true Coralax. I don't know about all of you, but when I think of coral, even super-intelligent coral, I think of a big, asymmetrical, immobile, colonial, microscopic animal that doesn't move. It's hard to imagine that as a player character. So far as I know, other than Calystix, there's no evidence that the Coralax differ physically from mundane coral. I discount Calystix as decent evidence of what a pure Coralax looks like because, so far as I know, there's no evidence that he/she/it isn't a Hybrid, too. I've always suspected that Calystix, along with the rest of what we think of as "pure" Coralax, is a Vitrea/Coralax Hybrid. I figure that truly "pure" Coralax can't move, speak, etc.; they're just super-intelligent, telepathic coral. Again, like Khelds, they need a host to interact with others in ways that matter to the game. Oceanborn, please correct me if there's contrary material somewhere.
Note that this would still allow player Coralax Shapers. I'm hoping, although I'm not optimistic, that we'll get a choice of powersets or sub-AT's within the Coralax. Depending on the kind of Coralax coral in symbiosis with the human character, different powers would be available. Perhaps, like PB's and WS's, they'll each have their own agendas, or perhaps the devs will simplify things and just note in passing that they're different castes of Coralax. I suspect that if you want to be a "human-free" Coralax, you're out of luck, unless you can make a Vitrea-like costume from the available options in the creator. Of course, even then, you're not a "pure" Coralax.
Again, all this is based on (1) what I perceive as the the devs' desire to enable us to use the full creator on all characters and (2) the fairly heavy-handed way the devs have approached CoV storylines in general.
As to the Blood of the Black Stream:
It's almost impossible to speculate on the appearance or powers of these guys at all. Even their story is pretty vague, aside from the fact that they have some connection with Gadzul Oil.
Story-wise, I think they'll receive a starting contact who sends them on a series of seemingly meaningless missions whose significance only becomes clear with time.
I mention them in the same post as the Coralax because I'm pretty sure that the devs intend to put them in the game at the same time, as rival factions. I suspect that Coralax arc missions will tend to send you against BotBS foes and vice versa. The fact that one group wants to keep the oceans tidy while the other wants to spill Eyes of Horus in them suggests a built-in antipathy. Also, judging from the one available example, the devs like instituting Epic AT's in related pairs.
This brings me to my final big point. Since it appears that little work has been done on the BotBS, and, if I'm right, Coralax won't be introduced without them, I don't think we should expect to see either AT before i9 at the very, very earliest.
Finally, something for discussion . . . .
RIKTI SPOILER BELOW!
I think that the devs' current pet story idea is the one mentioned by Ambassador Kuhr'ehkt (sp?) and hinted at in the description of "Alien Tech" salvage: the fact that there's some unknown group of aliens out there, presumably with some unrevealed agenda. I imagine those will be the foe heroes and villains will team up to fight in the boxed expansion, but who knows? Because the devs are concentrating on this, I don't expect much attention to the story of the Coralax, BotBS, or even Incarnates, let alone the Avilans, until after the boxed expansion is released.
The only other reason I bring up these mysterious aliens in an Epic AT thread is that I see a possible, tenuous connection with Merulina. As I understand it (again, I'm not a Coralax expert), she fell to Earth from the stars. Might she be a member of a whole race of beings with similar powers, powers great enough to modify the entire Rikti species? I'd appreciate some thoughts on this from someone who knows more about Merulina and Co.
"Bombarding the CoH/V fora with verbosity since January, 2006"
Djinniman, level 50 inv/fire tanker, on Victory
-and 40 others on various servers
A CoH Comic: Kid Eros in "One Light"
Foreword: I just wanna say you did a pretty good job analyzing the situation, and even having concern for what the devs may do. Also, if my responses seem a bit defensive or rash, just don't mind me, I can get a little intense sometimes. So again, just don't mind me if I get somewhat defensive. Andd.. I just got home from work, so don't mind my improper phrasing and grammar.
[ QUOTE ]
First, I'm almost certain that the Coralax we play will be Hybrids. I base this on the limitations of the way the game is set up, not anything from the story. In order to be a true Coralax, there'd have to be a separate all-Coralax costume creator, which I suspect would be a fairly major time investment. If they don't do this, we're left with the potential for pure Coralax who look exactly like humans (or werewolves, or catgirls, or any of the other things you can make with the full costume creator). I think the devs are likely to stick with the same model they used for Kheldians and just make the AT's powers cause coral to appear on their skins.
[/ QUOTE ]
The devs (or to be more specific), or rather, Positron, has expressed the importance of the Epic Archetypes and how much they add to the game. So I assume they'll go the extra mile for them, for a lack of a better term.
I do agree with you. Either they make limited Coralax-only costume sets or they stick with the normal costume generator set which would be odd seeing as we can't be Coralax (or Coralax-Hybrids even) looking like.. whatever we want.
So, let's take in the possibility that the devs will not make new Coralax-only sets, that would be.. odd. One, Coralax in no way look like humans. They may have a humanoid sillouhette, but they're not humans, so that is pretty much a 'no', right? From the way I see it, it is.
Other possiblity - the devs make a Coralax-only costume set. This is most likely the only way the devs can fulfill the true Coralax nature unless they want to pull off another Kheldian set-up, being able to shapeshift into humans to Coralax or whatever. The devs can do whatever they want though, so it's pretty scary to think they'll end up like the Kheldians.
As far as playing Coralax-Hybrids, I guess the devs have somewhat 'reserved' the possibility that we will be Coralax-Hybrids by making them part-human, therefore, it wouldn't be hard for them to implement it in the game. I'm sure if it steps out of their funding boundaries, they'll bail on it like they did with the Shields. Anyway, the only thing I find wrong with it is that we're not really playing the Coralax, but their lackeys. While that may sound like the ultimate plan, being lackeys to the Coralax (just like we are to Lord Recluse), it seems a bit off if you really wanted to get into the role of being a Coralax. Being slaves, if you may, doesn't really put you in the same standard as the actual Coralax, and being a Hybrid, you're not really a Coralax. Don't get me wrong, I see dozens of techinical reasons why the devs would choose the Coralax-Hybrids as an EAT, but honestly, if you can't play as the main characters in this epic story, why even bother?
[ QUOTE ]
Your first few missions will be along the lines of Kalinda's, basically beating on the Coralax's enemies because they say so. As in the Kheldian arcs, I imagine things will start off assuming you know nothing of the Coralax's background, and that it'll gradually be revealed as you level up and do more arcs.
[/ QUOTE ]
IMO, two possible outcomes:
- The devs make us Coralax-Hybrids and introduce us to their world.
- The devs make us traditional Coralax and in a sneaky way, remind us of what's been going on.
[ QUOTE ]
The final arc might end with your character taking over Coralax society.
[/ QUOTE ]
As a Coralax-Hybrid? I don't think so. If the real Coralax are able to make us, they can probably break us just as easily.
As an actual Coralax? it depends. With the possibility of wanting Merulina to return and her actually returning, I would assume you'd be one of her right hand men/women/men-women.
[ QUOTE ]
There's one further reason I expect they'll give us Hybrids rather than true Coralax. I don't know about all of you, but when I think of coral, even super-intelligent coral, I think of a big, asymmetrical, immobile, colonial, microscopic animal that doesn't move. It's hard to imagine that as a player character.
[/ QUOTE ]
The Coralax are pretty much confirmed as actual coral people, made by the goddess Merulina. It's hard to look back and realize that they're not. Further proof is..
[ QUOTE ]
So far as I know, other than Calystix, there's no evidence that the Coralax differ physically from mundane coral. I discount Calystix as decent evidence of what a pure Coralax looks like because, so far as I know, there's no evidence that he/she/it isn't a Hybrid, too. I've always suspected that Calystix, along with the rest of what we think of as "pure" Coralax, is a Vitrea/Coralax Hybrid. I figure that truly "pure" Coralax can't move, speak, etc.; they're just super-intelligent, telepathic coral.
[/ QUOTE ]
Calystix is in fact a Shaper. Shapers are the "head hanchos", if you may. They're the priests and priestesses of Merulina, and the first type of Coralax their goddess Merulina has made. So yes, Calystix is definitely an example of what real Coralax look like.
Although, what you should take away from Calystix is that, he is robed. All we can see is his face, so we don't necessarily know what *actual* Coralax look like. If you ask me, this is intentional because:
- Either the devs want to conceal the Coralax's true physical figure until the Epic Archetype comes out or..
- The devs haven't decided yet on what they should and would look like or..
- Both of the above.
Like I said earlier, I can see how the devs would want to use the Coralax-Hybrids because of how easy they can get away with something like that, but the Coralax are the actual people who are the core of the story, and by being Coalax-Hybrids just basically means we're enlisted to do the dirty work for them.
[ QUOTE ]
I mention them in the same post as the Coralax because I'm pretty sure that the devs intend to put them in the game at the same time, as rival factions. I suspect that Coralax arc missions will tend to send you against BotBS foes and vice versa. The fact that one group wants to keep the oceans tidy while the other wants to spill Eyes of Horus in them suggests a built-in antipathy. Also, judging from the one available example, the devs like instituting Epic AT's in related pairs.
[/ QUOTE ]
The Oil Spill, I should emphasize, isn't a literal attack on the Coralax. To me, it seems more like an unfortunate coincidence that there are Coralax nearby. The BotBS have their own story to take care of, like this super computer/great-circuit they're trying to build, and aside from the Oil Spill, there isn't really any direct attacks on the Coralax from the BotBS and/or Gadzul Oil. The Oill Spill was part of this 'great circuit'. What that means, I'm not sure, but it's like an (as of now) unsolvable conspiracy. I'd go further into details but we'll get offtrack.
Anyway, BotBS vs Coralax? maybe. There's no hard evidence that there is a fued between them yet.
[ QUOTE ]
This brings me to my final big point. Since it appears that little work has been done on the BotBS, and, if I'm right, Coralax won't be introduced without them, I don't think we should expect to see either AT before i9 at the very, very earliest.
[/ QUOTE ]
That is, if they are correlated somehow. As far as before I9, nope. The next new (unannounced) EAT is coming in the next expansion box, which will be released after I9.
[ QUOTE ]
The only other reason I bring up these mysterious aliens in an Epic AT thread is that I see a possible, tenuous connection with Merulina. As I understand it (again, I'm not a Coralax expert), she fell to Earth from the stars. Might she be a member of a whole race of beings with similar powers, powers great enough to modify the entire Rikti species? I'd appreciate some thoughts on this from someone who knows more about Merulina and Co.
[/ QUOTE ]
It's a bit far off. Merulina just settled in Earth during the Cretaceous Period, and she made the Coralax, Shapers being the high priests/priestesses of her people, building their Coralax city there in the Atlantic. This city became the capital of all Coralax cities where Merulina resided in the heart of it.
As far as the Rikti, they're, if I recall correctly, humans for a different time and/or universe, and have evolved differently. They don't believe in gods at all, so Merulina being a deity or recognized as a deity seems like it's already ruled out.
The enemies both villains and heroes will be fighting against are still a mystery, but people have smartly speculated these groups:
- The Batallion (This group has been mentioned to be in the works a while ago by a dev, that players will need salvage-made weapons to kill them. No one knows what happends to them, but it's a likely candidate.)
- The 5th Column (Just incase you didn't know, they're coming back, so this should be interesting.)
- The Rikti (One of the most voted zones in the "zone you'd like to see" poll is the Rikti Homeworld. The Rikti can be a double threat to both villains and heroes, so that makes them likely candidates as well.)
- The Coralax (Well, you know, the whole "DIE LANDWALKER!" thing.)
Anyway, the expansion box is the one we're waiting for. I8 and I9 will build into the expansion box's story, and that's when we'll get our next new EAT. It makes me wonder though, wouldn't the new EAT have something to do with the story of I8, I9, and the expansion box?
PS - I'd recommend reading the most important clue to the Coralax history which can be found here.
Excellent points.
[ QUOTE ]
As far as playing Coralax-Hybrids, I guess the devs have somewhat 'reserved' the possibility that we will be Coralax-Hybrids by making them part-human, therefore, it wouldn't be hard for them to implement it in the game. I'm sure if it steps out of their funding boundaries, they'll bail on it like they did with the Shields. Anyway, the only thing I find wrong with it is that we're not really playing the Coralax, but their lackeys. While that may sound like the ultimate plan, being lackeys to the Coralax (just like we are to Lord Recluse), it seems a bit off if you really wanted to get into the role of being a Coralax. Being slaves, if you may, doesn't really put you in the same standard as the actual Coralax, and being a Hybrid, you're not really a Coralax. Don't get me wrong, I see dozens of techinical reasons why the devs would choose the Coralax-Hybrids as an EAT, but honestly, if you can't play as the main characters in this epic story, why even bother?
[/ QUOTE ]
Well put. I had exactly the same reaction to this concept when I thought it up. As you said, why would anyone want to play a game in which you're a mere lackey? It takes the "Epic" feel right out of the Epic AT. On the other hand, as you noted, all of CoV can be viewed as something in which you're always a mere lackey, so it's not without precedent.
[ QUOTE ]
The Oil Spill, I should emphasize, isn't a literal attack on the Coralax. To me, it seems more like an unfortunate coincidence that there are Coralax nearby.
[/ QUOTE ]
Correct. I see the Coralax and BotBS more as "natural enemies" than each others' true opponents. Assuming (and, as you imply, this is a big assumption) that the two AT's appear at the same time, I could imagine several missions in which they clash in much the same way that PB's and WS's end up fighting Vahz and Hydra Men in one of their arcs. It's not so much a feud as coincidentally conflicting goals. And really, I have no evidence that Coralax and BotBS will appear at the same time other than the fact that PB's and WS's came out at the same time. There are certainly plenty of reasons to believe the devs won't always follow this pattern.
On the subject of the costumes, I'm still trying to figure out how a "pure" Coralax might work. I think both your conclusions about Calystix are spot on, so we're pretty much in the dark as to what a pure Coralax looks like. However, assuming they all have some distinguishing characteristic, say, Calystix's odd eyes, we're still left with the problem of how the devs can ensure that all Coralax PC's have them and no other character does.
At first, I thought that Coralax costume pieces (I'll lump them all together under the admittedly ridiculous but easy-to-type idea of a "Coral Hat") would be unlocked in the same trial or whatever that grants access to Coralax AT. However, the only ways, so far, to grant costume pieces are to the character who earned the unlock (e.g., the Croatoan Witch Hat or the Stocking Cap) or to the account as a whole (e.g., the Hellenic Sandals or the CoV Preorder Helmets). In order to allow Coralax-specific costumes to Coralax and only Coralax, the devs need to develop an AT filter for the costume creator. I have no idea how viable this is.
Even if such a filter can be created quickly and easily, it leaves the problem of fully human-looking Coralax unsolved. The only way to resolve this would be to require Coralax to select from an inevitably limited number of costume options. I think the devs would believe, rightly or wrongly, that most players wouldn't want, say, a selection of only four face options if they want to play a Coralax, which might be where AT-specific options would end up.
I could see the devs sneaking around these issues by giving all Coralax a passive power that produces coral-like effects on the body at all times. But having to create costume in the costume creator without being able to see the effects of an always-on power doesn't sound too pleasant to me.
In any case, any EAT is going to be a difficult balancing act on many levels. Hopefully, the devs will find us a way to get the right amount of distinctiveness without limiting our options, either costume- or story-wise.
RIKTI SPOILERS!
Thanks for the additional information on Merulina. Here's why I proposed a connection:
I am a Rikti lore specialist myself. Gathering together the relevant information from all sources about them, here's what we know:
1) Rikti are humans from an alternate earth. Primal Earth humans can be modified into Rikti. (Steve Sheridan and Timothy Raymond's arcs)
2) Rikti do not believe in gods. Long ago, they exterminated the god-worshippers on Rikti Earth in order to wipe out belief in the gods, thus wiping out the gods themselves. (Angus McQueen mission, IIRC) My pet theory is that the Rikti are the Oranbegans of their universe, who won their war against the Mu by doing this rather than sinking their city, as they did on Primal Earth.
3) The Rikti were originally modified into their current forms by other aliens long ago. (from Ambassdor Kur'ehkt) My thinking is that these mysterious aliens may have something to do with the "Alien Tech" salvage that sometimes drops. I suspect we'll see them or their handiwork, in one way or another, in the boxed expansion.
Here's how I came up with a connection to Merulina: Merulina seems to be a god/alien in the mode of Cthulhu and other H.P. Lovecraft entities, rather than an apothesized nature spirit like Hequat or an empowered human like the ancients who drank from the Well of the Furies. I was imagining that members of Merulina's race, though not Merulina herself, might be able to travel through dimensions. Thousands of years ago, they visited Rikti Earth and transformed the Rikti. Next year, during the boxed expansion, they or their minions (in the forms of the Battalion or the Rikti?) attempt to do the same on Primal Earth. Goodness knows what the Coralax reaction to this would be, since it implies Merulina is something of a pariah among her race.
On the other hand, having read over what I just wrote, I think that's all too confusing for the devs and players. It makes Professor Echo's arc look straightforward. 
Also, the fact that Merulina was on earth and puttering around with coral some 65 million years before humans appeared on Primal Earth weighs against a connection.
One final question- my understanding of the planned upcoming releases is:
1) i8, supposedly in September or so by last Dev report (I'm thinking October, November, or December is more reasonable). Will contain things relating to bases, veteran rewards, and "be more hero-centered," whatever that means.
2) i9. Contents totally unknown. Probably even the devs haven't decided yet.
3) Expansion box, set for sometime next year (I've heard next spring- can that be right?). Will contain Epic AT(s). Is i10 going to accompany the retail box? (Man, if I were a dev reading this right now, I'd be screaming to myself about these players asking about releases nearly a year away!)
At this point, I wonder whether Epic AT's will be ready by then. But who knows? Just as the journey to 50 is more important than the destination, so the speculation is at least as interesting as the final release. 
"Bombarding the CoH/V fora with verbosity since January, 2006"
Djinniman, level 50 inv/fire tanker, on Victory
-and 40 others on various servers
A CoH Comic: Kid Eros in "One Light"
Ol, we covered the Rikti a while back. I have my own theories on them that were mentioned.
Also you aren't taking into account that the Coralax aren't some crazed cult of frog-men. Their goddess pretty much animated coral then eventually went to sleep. My guess is that the EAT will involve the mutliple factions within the Coralax and how they are still struggling after who knows how long to figure out what to do without the guidance of their Goddess.
AFAIK coralax are immortal, so many members of them remember their Goddess talking to them, so the old ones might be in contest with the younger ones who never had that influence.
Anyway, I was running around collecting badges and reading plaques today when I came across this one in the Hollows:
"This building once housed the lab of Dr. Calvin Stewart, who pioneered Eastgate Bay's Seaview project. Dr. Stewart has been forced to abandon the lab, and communication with the Seaview project has been erratic. Very little is known by the public about the scientific activities in Eastgate Bay."
I think it kind of points to there being Coralax in IP.
[ QUOTE ]
Ol, we covered the Rikti a while back. I have my own theories on them that were mentioned.
Also you aren't taking into account that the Coralax aren't some crazed cult of frog-men. Their goddess pretty much animated coral then eventually went to sleep. My guess is that the EAT will involve the mutliple factions within the Coralax and how they are still struggling after who knows how long to figure out what to do without the guidance of their Goddess.
AFAIK coralax are immortal, so many members of them remember their Goddess talking to them, so the old ones might be in contest with the younger ones who never had that influence.
Anyway, I was running around collecting badges and reading plaques today when I came across this one in the Hollows:
"This building once housed the lab of Dr. Calvin Stewart, who pioneered Eastgate Bay's Seaview project. Dr. Stewart has been forced to abandon the lab, and communication with the Seaview project has been erratic. Very little is known by the public about the scientific activities in Eastgate Bay."
I think it kind of points to there being Coralax in IP.
[/ QUOTE ]
There is. You'll find a body of a fish-man there.
Although, most have considered it to be a Virtea.
[ QUOTE ]
And really, I have no evidence that Coralax and BotBS will appear at the same time other than the fact that PB's and WS's came out at the same time. There are certainly plenty of reasons to believe the devs won't always follow this pattern.
[/ QUOTE ]
As far as the BotBS and the Coralax are concerned, they're in no way like PBs and WS since both PBs and WS are Kheldians. Some people refer to them as "two" EATs, but in fact, the Kheldian is one AT with two divisions being the light and the dark.
So the Coralax and the BotBS will probably keep to theirselves as far as normal EAT rules.
[ QUOTE ]
On the subject of the costumes, I'm still trying to figure out how a "pure" Coralax might work. I think both your conclusions about Calystix are spot on, so we're pretty much in the dark as to what a pure Coralax looks like. However, assuming they all have some distinguishing characteristic, say, Calystix's odd eyes, we're still left with the problem of how the devs can ensure that all Coralax PC's have them and no other character does.
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
At first, I thought that Coralax costume pieces (I'll lump them all together under the admittedly ridiculous but easy-to-type idea of a "Coral Hat") would be unlocked in the same trial or whatever that grants access to Coralax AT. However, the only ways, so far, to grant costume pieces are to the character who earned the unlock (e.g., the Croatoan Witch Hat or the Stocking Cap) or to the account as a whole (e.g., the Hellenic Sandals or the CoV Preorder Helmets). In order to allow Coralax-specific costumes to Coralax and only Coralax, the devs need to develop an AT filter for the costume creator. I have no idea how viable this is.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm sure it'll be easy for them to implement a seperate costume generator with Coralax costumes only. I'm not saying this Coralax costume set will be as vast as the main costume generator, but I do think that it'll be enough to give people variety. And by enough, I do mean 10-20% of the main costume generator.
[ QUOTE ]
Even if such a filter can be created quickly and easily, it leaves the problem of fully human-looking Coralax unsolved. The only way to resolve this would be to require Coralax to select from an inevitably limited number of costume options. I think the devs would believe, rightly or wrongly, that most players wouldn't want, say, a selection of only four face options if they want to play a Coralax, which might be where AT-specific options would end up.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm sure you've seen the faces of Calystix and the other Coralax-Hybrids. They're almost identical, therefore, such things like faces will probably be minimized and the other physical attributes of the body is probably going to be emphasized. I'm sure, if the devs were to make a limited costume set, that it WILL be limited in quantity, but I guess it's up to the devs.
[ QUOTE ]
In any case, any EAT is going to be a difficult balancing act on many levels. Hopefully, the devs will find us a way to get the right amount of distinctiveness without limiting our options, either costume- or story-wise.
[/ QUOTE ]
To me, there will always be limits in Epic Archetypes since you're going to be playing a role in one's story. So if you were to play, say, a Coralax, and if they were written to look a certain way, one does have to abide by those rules. To some people that may be unfair, but that's the cost of playing a part in an epic story. The Kheldians' light/dark forms already shows us that. Another example would be the Patron Powers.
[ QUOTE ]
1) i8, supposedly in September or so by last Dev report (I'm thinking October, November, or December is more reasonable). Will contain things relating to bases, veteran rewards, and "be more hero-centered," whatever that means.
[/ QUOTE ]
We'll also get wings. Supposedly the Avilans were exchanged for wings, and that Cuppa officially confirmed it in the interview, but I listened to the interview and heard nothing. I'm still waiting on an actual confirmation from her if she would respond to my PM.
Supposedly, September/October, according to Positron. They'll try to, at least.
[ QUOTE ]
2) i9. Contents totally unknown. Probably even the devs haven't decided yet.
[/ QUOTE ]
Face lifts. Some zones are getting revamped. There's also news from the Thomas Foss interview, located in the main CoH website as a recent article.
[ QUOTE ]
3) Expansion box, set for sometime next year (I've heard next spring- can that be right?). Will contain Epic AT(s). Is i10 going to accompany the retail box? (Man, if I were a dev reading this right now, I'd be screaming to myself about these players asking about releases nearly a year away!)
[/ QUOTE ]
The expansion box will follow the release of I9 in 2007. It will have an Epic AT, yes. It will also feature an enemy faction that both heroes and vilains will have to fight together. We're getting zones, as well as the winner of the zone poll which is most likely the Rikti Home World zone. There will be a new powerset(s) for each existing AT (not sure if the Khelds are covered, probably not, and I'm not sure if it'll be primary/secondary pairs or just one set.) I may have forgotten some but you can find more news here.
As far as we know, I10 isn't the expansion box.
[ QUOTE ]
At this point, I wonder whether Epic AT's will be ready by then. But who knows? Just as the journey to 50 is more important than the destination, so the speculation is at least as interesting as the final release.
[/ QUOTE ]
It's planned to be released during the expansion box, so I assume it has to be. And just as a reminder, the new EATs will not be unlocked by reaching 50 this time, but through a TF or a Trial.
just noticed that in all of the pictures of the coralax they have a very feminine body shape, dont know if that helps any.
http://www.cityofvillains.com/gameinfo/coralax.html
It does look that way. Although, I just want to remind everyone, I'm not sure if the devs will abide by this fact since it might be a bit contreversial, but corals are both male and female. So in those pictures, gender is probably not that important.
From Positron's interview at W00T:
[ QUOTE ]
"The Incarnates are planned to be an Epic Archetype. I do not know when the Incarnates will come out, however. They don't really fit into the story line. But it is probably the first epic archetype that we want to do after putting Nictus into CoV."
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"Yeah, that's our plan, is to get Nictus into City of Villains as soon as possible and get them there as a reward for getting your villain to level 50."
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"They will probably be alot like Warshades, and there will probably be an evil version of a Peacebringer as well and with some tweaks to some of the powers to kind of put them more on the villainous side."
[/ QUOTE ]
So, as far as I can tell, it sounds like Posi wants the Incarnates to be released first.
so wait we have to buy another expantion box to get EATs i sure hope not cause that whould mean it would be unfair to both Coh and CoV because CoH players will get mad that they get nothing out of it and CoV players because they gotta pay to get an epic. So the Devs are gonna get complains ethier way
[ QUOTE ]
so wait we have to buy another expantion box to get EATs i sure hope not cause that whould mean it would be unfair to both Coh and CoV because CoH players will get mad that they get nothing out of it and CoV players because they gotta pay to get an epic. So the Devs are gonna get complains ethier way
[/ QUOTE ]
There was going to be an expansion box filled with way more than just just an EAT (other content), but the devs chose to turn that expansion box into several issues instead, which is free.
so 'city of shadows' is going to be dropped? that seems unfair. i want to give them my money.
[ QUOTE ]
so 'city of shadows' is going to be dropped? that seems unfair. i want to give them my money.
[/ QUOTE ]
Heh, yeah it's been divided into several issues instead.
any idea on due dates on each one? and what about the hinted parts of it, such as the EATs the new powersets and the new zones?
[ QUOTE ]
Anyway, I was running around collecting badges and reading plaques today when I came across this one in the Hollows:
"This building once housed the lab of Dr. Calvin Stewart, who pioneered Eastgate Bay's Seaview project. Dr. Stewart has been forced to abandon the lab, and communication with the Seaview project has been erratic. Very little is known by the public about the scientific activities in Eastgate Bay."
I think it kind of points to there being Coralax in IP.
[/ QUOTE ]
Why IP? Eastgate bay is _east_ of the hollows.
thats good to hear bout that its going to be divied. and the WS for CoV is coming in I8 ?
[ QUOTE ]
any idea on due dates on each one? and what about the hinted parts of it, such as the EATs the new powersets and the new zones?
[/ QUOTE ]
Posi didn't mention any plans as far as I can remember.
[ QUOTE ]
thats good to hear bout that its going to be divied. and the WS for CoV is coming in I8 ?
[/ QUOTE ]
Posi said he's trying to.. asap.
Although, we gotta remember, eventhough Posi said the new Epic ATs will now be unlocked through Trials/TFs, the Nictus (Warshades) will still have the same requirement as the Kheldians (lvl 50 requirement.) The main reason (I'm assuming) is.. well, balance.
ya else villians whould get upset bout that
I've heard talk about an upcoming epic, called a nictus is that true? I know wat they r just wanna know if its true. 
[ QUOTE ]
I've heard talk about an upcoming epic, called a nictus is that true? I know wat they r just wanna know if its true.
[/ QUOTE ]
Are you aware of the Kheldians (Peacebringers and Warshades)? If not, then the Nictus are pretty much Kheldians gone bad through scientific means. Warshades are practically Nictus who chose to abandon their evil background and chose to be good.
The Nictus (and possibly evil Peacebringers) will be given to the villains "asap" according to Positron, a dev.
Update: According to a recent interview with CuppaJo, villains will NOT recieve the Nictus EAT