[ QUOTE ]
red dwarf ftw!
[/ QUOTE ]
/Signed
[ QUOTE ]
Converted or reformed villains are a standard comics trope. I find it lots less difficult to take than a blanket 'Its a hologram'.
[/ QUOTE ]
That's fine too, and I agree, more in theme. Though it doesn't seem like it would apply to the pets real well. The Mek, reprogrammed, I guess. The Clock taken over by a friendly psychic, OK. The demon, reformed, ugh, not really. The Red Cap reformed, no way - but that one's already covered; it's a hologram. The monkeys are too brainless to begin with, but I'll buy "trained" I guess.
And while the reformed villain/corrupted hero is a staple of the genre, it is usually part of a deep and involved storyline. You don't see too much "Oh yeah, there's this demon, but he's a good guy, don't worry about it." Generally there is a lot of text that explains such a character and his motivations. Just saying "Oh yeah, there are all these little demons in Paragon, and they're reformed or something so they're nice" is not going to cut it for me.
[ QUOTE ]
So the pets don't seem like such a stretch. It really is up to the individual player to come up with their storyline, or ignore it totally.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah. I'm just not real thrilled with having to make the stretch in the first place. Co* really does an amazing job of making all its crazy parts fit together somewhat convincingly. Heck, even the frickin Halloween event has a consistent storyline behind it. Evil pets is just so out of left field.
[ QUOTE ]
Converted or reformed villains are a standard comics trope. I find it lots less difficult to take than a blanket 'Its a hologram'.
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
And while the reformed villain/corrupted hero is a staple of the genre, it is usually part of a deep and involved storyline. You don't see too much "Oh yeah, there's this demon, but he's a good guy, don't worry about it."
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, you do see that a lot, but we probably both agree those players don't have much connection with their avatar or the game world.
[ QUOTE ]
So the pets don't seem like such a stretch. It really is up to the individual player to come up with their storyline, or ignore it totally.
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Yeah. I'm just not real thrilled with having to make the stretch in the first place. Co* really does an amazing job of making all its crazy parts fit together somewhat convincingly. Heck, even the frickin Halloween event has a consistent storyline behind it. Evil pets is just so out of left field.
[/ QUOTE ]
I am actually having a pretty good time figuring out what pets go with which alts. Allready have one demon pet figured out, where it will be a curse, and will hang around the hero belittling him and trying to make him go bad.......
Hopefully there will be more pets on the horizen.
Rend this space....
[ QUOTE ]
I guess breakage of immersion is dependant upon the player. For me, the biggest thing that breaks my immersion are bad names (fictitious example: Ult1mAteBlastr3) and clone characters (oh look, another Superman clone). Sometimes these are one in the same, depending on the name and avatar.
[/ QUOTE ]
Totally with you on this. Thing is, this is something that Cryptic has no control over. They can encourage people to mesh well with the environment until they're blue in the body part, but at the end of the day they can't dictate what people will create. The thing with the evil pets is their Cryptic's creation from the get-go.
[ QUOTE ]
Seeing BananaMan slide down the street whiping out crime? Eh, I've seen worse, like a mothman who keeps getting mistaken for a rabbit 
[/ QUOTE ]
Don't get me wrong. I love goofball comics too; the Tick was probably my favorite ever when Edlund was doing it. Hell, my favorite comic of all time is Flaming Carrot, about a crimefighter who, yes, wears a six foot carrot mask with flames that come out the top. Co* has a really well done generic super landscape, flavored with a strong dose of Golden Age morality, but with plenty of room for shades of grey. A lighter, Tick-like approach fits in just fine (though Flaming Carrot would be a bit beyond the pale). A heavier, darkity dark approach melds right in too. Cute yet evil pets are just harder to make fit. They CAN fit, as you and others have shown. But just seeing little demons running around in the streets with no visible explanation just colors a little too far outside the elastic lines of the world for my tastes.
[ QUOTE ]
There are comic references for heroes (or antiheroes) conniving with the underworld (Spawn is the first that comes to mind). Dark melee, dark defenders, heroes that use lethal weapons - are these also concepts that break immersion?
[/ QUOTE ]
Not at all - again, if the explanation is there. Actually a lot of the darkity stuff does break immersion. You've seen these guys in CoH a million times; we all have. Lord Whoever is the real king of Hell, come to earth to murder and evil blah blah blah god I hate those guys. I consider that to be the same thing as the dumb names and clone characters you were talking about: players taking advantage of their freedom to fly in the face of the actual world concept. But I have no problem with people who are responsible about having a dark concept. I've seen loads of descriptions that explain why someone so caught up in darkness is fighting crime. But really comparing character types with the evil pets doesn't work very well, because players have to choose how they're going to build and describe their characters. They can choose to make a great concept that meshes well with the world, or they can choose to suck. With the pets, other than picking one, there's no work to do or real decision to be made in order to use them. The burden for creating pets that fit well really does fall on Cryptic.
Lethal weapons ... yeah, I do have some issues with that actually, but that's probably a topic for a whole 'nother thread.
[ QUOTE ]
But if all else fails, you are correct that the basic "wizardry" explanation _Castle_ delivers is enough for players who may not be as imaginative as others, or who are just bad at making backstories, etc. It's the "easy out", so to speak - it delivers the most basic way to explain why it is what it is, which obviously will work for a lot of players.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah. For those who have the creativity to come up with great, interesting reasons to have these pets, well, they're awesome as always. For those who don't, the "wizard" justifications provided will hopefully be just fine.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Converted or reformed villains are a standard comics trope.
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
And while the reformed villain/corrupted hero is a staple of the genre, it is usually part of a deep and involved storyline. You don't see too much "Oh yeah, there's this demon, but he's a good guy, don't worry about it."
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, you do see that a lot, but we probably both agree those players don't have much connection with their avatar or the game world.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, I was talking about when that happens in comics. In comics, there's usually a huge focus on the inner turmoil, how the character got to be that way, etc.
[ QUOTE ]
A demon? Are you kidding me? Um, that's about as pure a symbol of evil as you can get. I don't care whether it's unintelligent. You can't "domesticate" demons to be cuddly and nice. They are supernatural manifestations of evil, period.
[/ QUOTE ]
Demons are fallen angels. My little demon, Bob got framed. He was Lucifer's card partner at the angelic card game. When Lucifer told Bob that he wanted to challenge the King, Bob assumed he meant he wanted Bob to play his Ace.
Bob agreed to Lucifer's scheme and got thrown in hell with the rest. When the hero Kyll, whose mutation gave her angelic wings and the power to heal challenged the Praetorian Infernal, Bob mistook Kyll for his old girlfriend in heaven. Begging for mercy, Bob agreed to serve Kyll in her fight against the forces of evil. Kyll being merciful took Bob under her wing.
The angelic host in heaven thought the heroism of Kyll might reform Bob and so freed him from the clutches of Hell, but left him in his demonic form. However they shrunk him down to size and then stipped him of his hellfire powers.
Now Kyll and Bob are partners in crimefighting. 
The City of Heroes Community is a special one and I will always look fondly on my times arguing, discussing and playing with you all. Thanks and thanks to the developers for a special experience.
I agree with some of your views, but disagree with others...
The pets being offerred are all certainly based on what would be
traditionally considered "evil" beings in the game, but one must
remember that each character is somewhat different from
another, and may have completely different reasons for thier
powers/costume/etc. (for instance, any fire blaster can throw a
fireball if he/she/it takes the power, but those of different
origins probably have different reasons for why they can throw
a fireball). Similarly, when someone gets access to these "pets"
(pets is actually not a very good term for them, since other
"pets" in the game can actually do stuff, these are more like a
complex aura or a costume piece) they will choose one for
reasons relating to thier personal views and various aspects of
thier character, including, but not limited to things like
background, origin, and costume...
[ QUOTE ]
The Clockwork are not actual robots; they are hunks of
metal animated by the mental power of the Clockwork King.
Having a Clock hang out with you would require the King's
complicity. Or I guess building a working robot yourself that just
looked like a Clock. But why would a hero do that?
[/ QUOTE ]
Due to the rather unique nature of the Clockwork, they may not
fall neatly in with other robotics concepts, but one reason a
hero might make a little robotic copy of one might be to use it
to infiltrate an existing clockwork unit. The fact that it's not a
"real" clockwork may be hidden through means of advanced
technology or magic. The hero might even have a psychic
power similar to that of the Clockwork King, and have cobbled
it together from scrap as a means of practicing the power, the
better to develop it for more useful purposes later (such as if a
prestige hero mastermind AT were offerred allowing a hero to
summin his own scrap-warriors).
[ QUOTE ]
The Column Mek is worse. The Column doesn't make
actual combat robots that size, so capturing one and
reprogramming it is out of the question. So once again, we have
a hero building a robot - and let's face it, the Column are Nazis.
Making the effort to build one of these things - complete with
Column symbol on the chest - is pretty much the same as
crocheting swastikas onto your cape.
[/ QUOTE ]
Again, a hero's reasons for building such a device are thier own.
perhaps it's meant to impersonate a on of the other "persoanl
assistant" mek-men being used by the villains that will be
getting them at roughly the same time. Perhaps it's just to taunt
the Council members that see him in combat.
Also, it should be noted that while throughout the 20th century,
the swastika is most commonly associated throughout the
western world with nazis or racial hate crimes, it has been a
symbol associated with numerous other religious
and philosophical beliefs and practices. Search for swastika
on wikipedia and you'll even find it's the name of a town in
northern Ontario (which also predates the nazis). It's
unfortunate that this symbol for "good fortune" is now
predominantly associated with hate crimes and the atrocities
of World War II, but when we forget that it has other meanings
besides being the symbol chosen for use by the nazis, it's no
better than thinking that Paul McCartney's song
Helter Skelter has something to do with Charles Manson.
[ QUOTE ]
A demon? Are you kidding me? Um, that's about as
pure a symbol of evil as you can get. I don't care whether it's
unintelligent. You can't "domesticate" demons to be cuddly and
nice. They are supernatural manifestations of evil, period.
[/ QUOTE ]
The belief that a demon is nothing but a manifestation of the
purest evil is most commonly presumtive of Judeo-Christian
thinking. Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to cast aspersions
on anyone's religious beliefs, but from a standpoint of science
fiction & fantasy, we should also incorporate the definitions of
other cultures and mythologies. The greek daimon or
dæmon applies to various otherworldly beings which
were capable of just as wide a range of subjective morality as
humanity is.
It is quite possible that a magic using character might take a
demonic pet to represent a servent or familiar, or it may be a
manifestation of the being from which the character derives it's
powers. For a character of any background, it could even be
merely a friendly pet that was aquired during a trip to another
dimension, was created through genetic engineering, or it might
even be that thier parrot sufferred a "radiation accident" and
respecced into a demon... (at least it would if they'd give us
shoulder parrots, dangit)
[ QUOTE ]
Rikti Monkeys I can't comment on for sure since I don't
really know what they are. I always thought of them as an
indirect weapon against our world. Like plague rats. Infect a few
rats with the plague and smuggle them into an enemy city to
breed and spread their disease. Only instead of the plague,
these cute little guys kill people with mental blasts. I guess I
could see having a lobotomized monkey as a pet, the same way
I'd want a plague rat with a muzzle. Sure, domesticated rats
can actually make fine pets IRL. But nonetheless they are
generally considered vermin. Rikti Monkeys are also vermin.
[/ QUOTE ]
I like your comparrison of the Rikti monkeys to plague rats.
That seems pretty apt. There are still many reasons a hero
might choose one as a "pet". You just need to exercise more
creative imagination as to why. Aside from simple explanations
such as having mind-controlled one, there's other options, like this:
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre> Greg Wilton and his brother Mark knew they weren't
supposed to go anywhere near Perez Park, but they liked to
sneak out and do things they weren't supposed to. This time
things went really bad though. A sorcerer from the Circle of
Thorns captured them. They were too young and small to be
appropriate for possession, so he decided to use them in his
other magical experiments. He started with the youngest, Mark.
During the dark of the night, the sorcerer performed a vile
enchantment that would reshape the body of the child, and just
because it was his whim, he chose to reshape him into one of
those disgusting underlings of the Rikti invaders that plagued
some parts of the city, a tiny beast somewhat resembling a
monkey. Though Greg was horrified by what was going on, the
ritual took all of the evil mages concentration, so he was able to
use the opportunity to break a nearby glass beaker, and used
one of the shards to cut through the rope binding him.
Greg looked around the room for something to attack his
captor with, and against the wall lay a small axe. It didn't look
like much, but it was something, and at least he could swing it.
He went over and grasped the axe, and as soon as he touched
it, he felt a presence in his mind.
"Gregory Wilton," the voice said, "I am Brandar'Kuth.
Your enemy has entrapped my spirit within this weapon just as
he entraps your kin in the body of something else. Go forth and
smite the evil one down, and I will assist you with the magics I
command of my own."
Greg was astonished, but didn't waste time. He charged at the
Circle mystic and swung the axe, feeling a strength flowing
through him that was well beyond what any child or even full
grown man should have been capable. The Sorcerer was just
finishing the ritual however, and became aware of the attack in
time to turn and raise a hand to ward it off. The axe cut through
the Sorcerer's hand like it was butter. The sorcerer cried out in
agony, but managed to break a small amulet before the axe
came down again, teleporting him to safety.
Greg looked at his brother and felt tears running down his face.
He'd let this horrible thing happen to Mark. It was his fault.
They eventually escaped from the cave they were held in, and
found thier way to Azuria in Atlas Park. She knew of no way to
reverse the cursed transformation, but thought that if she could
send a hero to find the Sorcerer who performed it, maybe he
could be forced to reverse it.
Before she could alert the authorities to come retrieve the
children, Greg hurried them away, and set off to find the evil
mystic himself. The spirit in the axe would help him, making him
as powerful as any of the heroes or villains that seemed to be
everywhere in this town, and together they would look after
Mark, until they could find a way to make him better... </pre><hr />
[ QUOTE ]
I know the pets are just meant to be a cute, funny
thing, not meant to be taken seriously. And I know that
quadraped or bird animations would have to be done from
scratch. It's just a lamentable immersion breaker for me that
the Veteran Reward pets are pretty much all evil evil evil.
[/ QUOTE ]
Lastly, some of the people who play don't actually apply any
significance to any of the RP aspects to this game. They just
want to blow stuff up and look cool while doing it. As basicly
another costuming option, these "pets" will sometimes help fulfill
that.
I do agree however that it would have been a good idea to
include some "heroic" pets as well though, such as a miniature
Longbow heavy or flyer, or a shrunken version of the PPD
power armor (remote contol demo models for marketing
purposes 
), or maybe a "Statesman" hologram to follow
around and remind everyone that "big Brother" is always
watching.
Dear NCsoft, if you go through with this shutdown you've guaranteed you'll not see another dime from me on any project you put out, ever.
http://xx-starhammer-xx.deviantart.com/
RE: Demons as heroes?
Well, Hellboy comes to mind.
Spawn slightly less so.
So yeah, it's possible to *be* a hero demon, why not a pet?
/Cant wait for my lil' demon pet!
//Can we change colors? Just sayin'. A green one would rock.
August 31, 2012. A Day that will Live in Infamy. Or Information. Possibly Influence. Well, Inf, anyway. Thank you, Paragon Studios, for what you did, and the enjoyment and camaraderie you brought.
This is houtex, aka Mike, signing off the forums. G'night all. - 10/26/2012
Well... perhaps I was premature about that whole 'signing off' thing... - 11-9-2012
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[ QUOTE ]
Ok, so assume for a second this bug did NOT occur. How did they plan to test these pets? Suddenly they get activated and then people are like "OMG they are so slow, they can't keep up with me because I have swift" just as the people are now?
[/ QUOTE ]
perhaps with issue 9/10?
[/ QUOTE ]
Considering I doubt issue 9 will be done and ready before the three year mark, or will it? I guess that is May, right?
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"You can use this power to create a solidified hologram of a Redcap Rascal. It will follow you around wherever you go. Great for parties!"
[/ QUOTE ]
Then he needs an H on his forehead!
(sorry, nerd reference)
[/ QUOTE ]
Dammit - you owe me a new keyboard Just spat my soda on this one laughing at that.
@ _Castle_
If you want to sell us on the solid Holo concept, you MUST permit us to name them. Mine will need to be called "Smeg Head".
That said, give some thought to adding more of these over time, as rewards for doing semi-serious missions. A certain other MMO, arguably the most popular if subscriber count is used as a metric, did something of this sort, and it proved to be quite a success. Pet hunting over there was, in it's way, as popular as badge hunting is here.
For example:
Miniature Zeus titan, for doing something slightly nasty to the Malta.
Miniature "Supa Troll" - well I'll let your imaginations work on this one.
Miniature CoT behemoth ...
Miniature Nem Jaeger ...
The possibilities are endless
Scrappers are just like chainsaws. Somewhat hard to handle, EXTREMELY dangerous, and by far the most fun when wielded by the slightly insane.
@Alissara - an Angry Angel
The Angry Angels. When it absolutely positively has to be spanked today.
GIVE US A MINI KRONOS TITAN LET US NAME THEM LET US MAKE THEM DO STUFF LIKE MM PPETS CAN
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Yes, being able to rename them and use /petsay and /petsay <emote> would be -excellent-.
Don't see any reason why not, as they have no effect on gameplay, and surely the "MMs have the best control" card doesn't apply to a harmless personal pet.
[/ QUOTE ]
That probably would require the pets be targetable though.
I want a TeddyBear. One that follows me around, and sometimes gets the baddies to hit it instead of me.
I also want to buy eggs for a few dollars, have them hatch and grow to chickens, then use the forsale sign to make 100 dollars off them.
[/ QUOTE ]
I want a bee that will talk to me, and viciously attack Snakes, but will be pathetically squished at the first sign of some obnoxious n00b in a PvP zone.
[ QUOTE ]
Not very familiar with the Hydra, but at best they strike me as dangerous animals. So maybe that would be like having a baby alligator. Babies grow up. I'd like to think that the average hero wouldn't be that irresponsible.
[/ QUOTE ]
A portal mission more or less states they're people, too. Weird, alien people, yes, but they are kidnapped by the Rikti since they make useful shock troops, and they can't resist because they're not technologically advanced... Basically, the Rikti did the equivalent of rounding up a bunch of primitive peoples and stuck them in front of their army.
Tygara - 50 Claws/Regen/Power Scrapper, Virtue- Member of Kitties on the Prowl.
Shadeburn - Dark/Rad Defender, Virtue- Member of Catch 'Em Crew
Nature Boy' - Elec/Ice Blaster, Virtue - Member of Young Phalanx
[ QUOTE ]
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[ QUOTE ]
Obsidius wrote:
[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, but you can't really blame Cryptic for a player's lack of creativity.
[/ QUOTE ]
The American court system proves otherwise. Many users have sued manufacturers/providers for reasons arguably out of their control. And have won.
[/ QUOTE ]
This from the same court system that ruled in favor of that lady for spilling hot McD's coffee on her own lap
(looks around for the rolled-eyes emoticon)
The American court system is the perfect measuring stick for the LCD (Lowest Common Denominator).
But I digress. Pets! More discussion!
[/ QUOTE ]
So... you want itty bitty lawyers following you around?
Sounds nuts but hey, whatever floats yer boat.
[/ QUOTE ]
Insurance company propaganda. McDonalds lost the case because the plaintiff showed that this sort of thing had happened hundreds of times before, and McDonalds had made a conscious decision to continue handing out scalding hot coffee. The amount was probably larger than reasonable, but the story was not so simple. It rarely is.
However, the idea of having pet lawyers is really Evil! Think of the emote and petsay possibilities. Perfect for CoV.
[/ QUOTE ]
Agreed on this point. Furthermore, in addition to knowingly burning people and not caring, they kept their coffee so hot as to give instant 3rd degree burns. It makes it "taste fresher" so they wouldn't have to throw it out, and remake a new pot every hour or so, because it would be too expensive.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Not very familiar with the Hydra, but at best they strike me as dangerous animals. So maybe that would be like having a baby alligator. Babies grow up. I'd like to think that the average hero wouldn't be that irresponsible.
[/ QUOTE ]
A portal mission more or less states they're people, too. Weird, alien people, yes, but they are kidnapped by the Rikti since they make useful shock troops, and they can't resist because they're not technologically advanced... Basically, the Rikti did the equivalent of rounding up a bunch of primitive peoples and stuck them in front of their army.
[/ QUOTE ]
So pretty much what the rebels did with the Ewoks?
Oh, wait, Leech already had that idea earlier in this thread:
[ QUOTE ]
I want a TeddyBear. One that follows me around, and sometimes gets the baddies to hit it instead of me.
[/ QUOTE ]
Never mind...carry on, then!
Story Arcs:
"The Joy of States-mas", #533168
"A Mosaic of Shattered Dreams", #497506 (2011 Players Choice winner!)
"Television Presents: Attack of the Toons!", #373710
"Lightning in a Bottle", #376222
[ QUOTE ]
You just need to exercise more creative imagination as to why.
[/ QUOTE ]
First, thanks for your thoughtful and interesting post.
Second, if one more person patiently explains to me that there are many possible creative justifications for having evil-looking pets, I am going to scream. I understand this. I said the same thing myself more than once. Yes, creative explanations by the players can justify anything. It just irks me that by default, goody goody superheroes are hanging out with demons and Nazis for no evident reason. Having to grease up my shoehorn and force fit it so that it makes sense annoys the dickens out of me. The world should be coherent and consistent when taken at face value.
When I watch The Empire Strikes Back, I don't want to see a scene in which Darth Vader is dancing in a pink tutu and smearing jam on himself and have it never be explained anywhere. Yes, I can go home and make up a reason why he did that, but that would be fundamentally unsatisfying. I want the explanation to be part of the movie (or revealed in a sequel), and have it fit the story seamlessly. That may be a weird comparison but hopefully it illustrates my problem with superheroes having cuddly Nazi and Satanic pets. It should not be up to the players to explain away blatant inconsistency.
AND. I already know that the description for the Red Cap, at least, changed the default so that it makes sense (it's not actually a cruel, evil, homicidal gnome; it's just a hologram of one). It's not the ideal situation, but that solution is good enough. The explanation is there, even if it does seem pretty half-[censored]. Hopefully all the other pets will get the same treatment. Assuming that they will, I consider the matter closed.
[ QUOTE ]
A portal mission more or less states [the Hydra are] people, too. Weird, alien people, yes, but they are kidnapped by the Rikti since they make useful shock troops, and they can't resist because they're not technologically advanced... Basically, the Rikti did the equivalent of rounding up a bunch of primitive peoples and stuck them in front of their army.
[/ QUOTE ]
Far out. Now I feel even weirder about the idea of having a Hydra pet. 
You know, it's been mentioned that some of the pets aren't very thematic/heroic/possible, and I have some counterpoints.
Clockwork: They obviously have the ability to think, as Clockwork bosses actually make comments as to your hero's fate (and with so much happening in Paragon involving his bots, I doubt CWK has the time/patience to make one of them speak for him just for some meddlesome hero). So, if they can think, they can probably rebel, too. The Clockwork in the Isles are the complicated ones, as Baat'zuul doesn't have them think. I suppose since you do a lot of stuff that hinder Dr. Aeon, Baat'zuul may just have the little guy follow you to see if there's some way he can use you to destroy the PTS (nobody said that getting the tiny companion has to be YOUR decision).
Column Bot: It could be following you to gather information, but it's made of the same stuff as a black box, so it's indestructible, and nobody really cares because the think the 5th Column is gone for good.
Rikti Monkey: It's just a dumb animal, so it may have just taken a liking to you in one way or another. It's psychic powers may be on the fritz, because he's defective.
Demon: For villains, it could just be a demon that likes the havoc you wreak. For heroes, it could be a gift for services rendered from a demon king, considering how many demons you liberate from the control of the CoT. I mean, the little guy can get you coffee so you don't have to. Also, see Hellboy for another example.
Red Cap: These guys are pretty sadistic in their descriptions, he could just enjoy the pain you cause (as either hero or villain), and jumps dimensions whenever you try to blast him. And some villains may have made friends with him. Or he could be a nice Red Cap that doesn't like all the mean stuff, and wants to help the hero.
You see, any of the pets can be easily explained, you just need to remember, they follow you, they don't necessarily have to be on your side.
[B]The Once and Future Official Minister of Awesome[/B]
[I]And don't you forget it.[/I]
[URL="http://paragonunleashed.proboards.com/index.cgi"][IMG]http://gamefacelive.com/bre/joker.png[/IMG][/URL]
[ QUOTE ]
...
Red Cap: These guys are pretty sadistic in their descriptions, he could just enjoy the pain you cause (as either hero or villain), and jumps dimensions whenever you try to blast him. And some villains may have made friends with him. Or he could be a nice Red Cap that doesn't like all the mean stuff, and wants to help the hero...
[/ QUOTE ]
After looking at the pets when they were first posted, the gnome was the first one that struck me as cool. Likely because I fell out of my chair laughing the first time I got hit by a fiend's Gnome Toss power. I just figured the pet was some gnome that wasn't all that fond of the idea that he was supposed to strap a lit keg of explosives to his back, and be thrown at an opponent. Made sense to me that he might pal up with the people putting the beat down on his supposed friends, and heroes probably won't ask him to explode. Sort of disappointed by the official explanation.
@IronHoss
@Payamma Gurl
I'm sorry that your crew was stupid enough to fire on a station filled with a quarter million civilians, including your own people. And I'm sorry I waited as long as I did before I blew them all straight to hell. ~Sheridan, The Fall of Night
[ QUOTE ]
... I don't want to see a scene in which Darth Vader is dancing in a pink tutu and smearing jam on himself ...
[/ QUOTE ]
Then sTaY oUt oF mY BRaiN!!
My memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
"The tip of a shoelace is called an aglet, its true purpose is sinister." The Question
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
... I don't want to see a scene in which Darth Vader is dancing in a pink tutu and smearing jam on himself ...
[/ QUOTE ]
Then sTaY oUt oF mY BRaiN!!
[/ QUOTE ]
Ok, we'll leave. But, the webcom that hooks into youtube is staying.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
... I don't want to see a scene in which Darth Vader is dancing in a pink tutu and smearing jam on himself ...
[/ QUOTE ]
Then sTaY oUt oF mY BRaiN!!
[/ QUOTE ]
Ok, we'll leave. But, the webcom that hooks into youtube is staying.
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Oh good god, I *NEED* that webcam address for spying purposes!
(Tiny used to be my D&D GM before he moved. )
@Jimmy Amp
Currently working on:
Jimmy Crush - Kin/Regen Scrapper
"Life writes the best scripts."
Ask and ye shall receive.
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Ask and ye shall receive.
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Heh... What's the search title? "Being HeyTiny"?
@Jimmy Amp
Currently working on:
Jimmy Crush - Kin/Regen Scrapper
"Life writes the best scripts."
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I don't see most people really going the extra mile to make a cool rationalization like any of yours. What we are going to see are hundreds of superheroes running around with demons fluttering along behind them for no reason other than that they look kinda cool. ... The fact is, taken at face value, these pets do not make sense and are immersion breaking.
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Yeah, but you can't really blame Cryptic for a player's lack of creativity.
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I can and will blame them for building an environment that requires creative rationalization to make any sense or fit with the previous world concept. By your logic, Cryptic could give a veteran reward of fresh fruit costume pieces, where you could turn your character into a giant flying pineapple, watermelon, or bunch of bananas, and it wouldn't be immersion breaking because a sufficiently creative player could explain it away. It's their world and they can do what they want with it, but introducing nonsense and inconsistency, and making me work that much harder to suspend my disbelief, is not a good way to keep me invested.
Heroes are good guys. Having them hang out with demons from Hell is a very powerful strain on my immersion. I can make it fit if I scrunch up my forehead real hard and puzzle it out, but wouldn't it be better if it just fit, right out of the box?
That said, I will repeat that Castle's post reassured me a lot. If all the descriptions do that good a job* of dealing with the issue, I'll be completely satisfied with VR pets.
*And it isn't even that brilliant. "It's not a real Red Cap, it's a hologram of one!" It's kind of along the lines of, "Whenever anything like that happens, a wizard did it." And yet it answers my problem quite adequately. If all the VR pets are described as "just holograms", I'll shrug my shoulders and say, "OK, fine, that works. It's weird, but it works."
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Converted or reformed villains are a standard comics trope. I find it lots less difficult to take than a blanket 'Its a hologram'.
I know that of my major heros (over 14) I have a Troll, a Clockwork (guess which pet he'll have), a splinter of the Norse Goddess Hel, an EMPed Soviet assassain robot, a mad philosopher warshade and a drunken satyr. Probably over half my alts have reformed spins on them. So the pets don't seem like such a stretch. It really is up to the individual player to come up with their storyline, or ignore it totally.
Certainly, once they get them in game and the bugs worked out (ooo, insect pets!) they should expand the choices as much as possible, and go for a variety, including more heroic ones.
Rend this space....