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How Do I Roleplay?

Character Creation, Part One

By Burning_Brawler

“How do I roleplay?” It’s a question a lot of people ask, and it’s
a question I now intend to help answer. I sit here now with a very rare thing,
so feel special that I’m using it for you. A completely blank character list.
I’ll start from this point and take you guys from character creation to
backstory developing, to the basic rules of chatting with your friends
in-character, to the little details you might want to fill in about your
character.

Ok, here we go! Now, your first big decision is hero or villain.
I’ll cover both, but I myself will start with a hero. Most people when they
create a new character have a small concept in mind. A lot of times, these
concepts will grow on their own as you go through the creation process.
Alright, so let’s say you want a character who can take a lot, and dish just as
much back. Respectively, you would likely choose a Scrapper or a Brute. Read
the archetype descriptions if you need to for inspiration.

Now the Origin. How did your character get their powers? Did he
fall in a vat of toxic waste? Was he born with his powers? Did she find a
mystic artifact? Is he a robot from a far-off future? Or did she have to train
for years to get to where she is now? Get a general idea of where your
character comes from. If you’re having trouble, read the description of the
origins, and something may come to you. Personally, I’m making my Scrapper a
Mutant.

Next, powers. Oftentimes, your powers should match up in some way
with your origin. For instance, most normal humans can’t put off an energy
shield that can deflect bullets. If you can, message me and please teach me
how. Anyway, your powers should line up in a way with your origin. There are
some exceptions. For example, I have a Natural Invulnerability Scrapper who
lessens the damage on her by blocking the shots as a Martial Artist. As a
Mutant, or most any other origin, I could typically pick any Primary and
Secondary and there would be a “superhero-logical” explanation for how come my
character has it. In this case, I’m picking a Broadsword.

Next is your Secondary. Typically, a lot of Archetypes have
Powersets here that only ‘fit’ with certain Origins. Really, it’s only Natural
that is typically limited. I want my Scrapper to have a bit of darkness to him,
so I’m going to go literal on this and pick Dark Armor. If you’re not sure the
kind of Powersets you want, think of the kind of basic personality your
character has and let it reflect that. Is she loud? Be Sonic. Does he have a
short temper? Bring on the Fire. Is he just repulsive to be around? Check out
Poison.

It’s likely that you knew what body type you wanted from the
start. If you’re not sure, think about your Origin and Powersets, then go from
there. Something should come to you. I’m choosing Male here. Next you have to
decide their sizes. The game has provided basic settings for you to use. You
can click these and see which you like best. If you like to get more in-depth
with it, move the sliders yourselves. Don’t forget about height either. The
last thing you want is for your ultimate hero or terrifying villain to be two
heads shorter than a Hellion, unless that’s the joke in your concept of course.
Also, children characters aren’t typically six feet tall… A note to the guys,
the Chest slider is fun, yes, but remember, your heroine might like to be able
to see where she’s going once in a while. I picked an athletic build and kept
my character at an “average” height for comic book heroes. You might notice
that in comics, the important characters are always a bit taller than
civilians. This “average” height for most heroes seems to be six to six and a
half feet in comics.

That’s all for this week! Keep an eye out for Costume and Bio
building next week on the City Scoop!

By Popular Request

By Bowfling

This is the third in a series of By Popular Request articles,
which will review commonly requested player suggestions for which there is
strong positive support, and review the implications and considerations that
would need to be accounted for if these suggestions were to be implemented.

This week’s subject – Contact and Badge tab management

Tab management is having more/better ways to view the contacts and
badges you have. This could include adding more tabs to allow more distinctions
between the types of contacts and badges that you have. It could also include
more ways to mark difference using the existing structure.

For contacts, having new tabs would make viewing particular types
of contacts easier. Having tabs for contacts that you have completed, contacts
that still have missions for you, contacts that have story arcs for you,
contacts that do not have mission, but still want to give you a new contact,
specialty contacts (like store or detectives), or a personalized contact tab
(for placing whatever contacts you want) all would make the management of
contacts easier for players. Other means of accomplishing this would be to
color code contacts for the various conditions (presently they all have the
same background window color), or to add more "markers", similar to the SA
markers that exist now (yellow for full SAs, red for zone arcs).

Badges already have several tabs, but adding new ones for
Invention related badges, and future additions (perhaps similar to the Vanguard
system of I10) may help alleviate badge clutter. Adding markers or colors for
these might also suffice to identify them easier.

Unfortunately, there appear to be some limitations in the code
regarding the way tabs were set up that might make adding new ones more
difficult. If true, perhaps the other alternatives should be considered as a
quality of life improvement for players. Hopefully the same issue with channels
that has necessitated the Rikti Invasion message spam through administrative
channel will encourage the developers to review the limitations of game
structure that also restrict contacts and badge tabs, and spur the generation
of some function improvements.

War Witch by BvS

Dear
Athy,

Dear Athy,




I've been fighting crime a long time. And when I say a long time, I mean a long
time. Weeks go by between visits to my apartment, and my employers have begun
to ask pointed questions. I'd been juggling things fairly well I thought, but
today my girlfriend, who was initially supportive of my efforts to curb
villainy, gave me an ultimatum: hang up the mask or we're through.




How can I maintain my personal life and still keep the City safe from evil?




Signed,


Stretched Thin

I have a question for you. Are you maintaining a personal life? I
mean, really, are you? According to you, weeks go by between visits to your
apartment. Weeks? I’m not sure that you are juggling anything fairly well, but
I am sure that you should try to visit your apartment daily, at least for a
shower and some fresh clothes.



~Athy

Send
Athy your questions!

Turbo by Haysus

Advice From the X

Greetings boys, girls, and beings of indeterminate gender! It's
LiquidX here, taking a break from his busy mercenary lifestyle to bring you
another dose of Advice! Today, I have two letters for you crazy kids...

"Dear LiquidX



So, I've struck out on my own after that loony, Lord Recluse, was kind enough to
open the doors of the Zig. However, I'm not really into world domination. Is
there an established group I can join? I like the Council's agenda but,
compared to Nemesis, they just aren't that flashy, and Nemesis' agenda doesn't
really do anything for me. Any suggestions?



Sincerely,

Not motivated"

Dear Not Motivated,



Normally, I would suggest a career as a Lawyer or Tow truck driver, but from
the sounds of it that’s a little *TOO* evil for you. Instead, I would suggest
joining up as a Henchman for a Mastermind. Although the pay and benefits are
not as good, there’s less work involved, people don't hate you as much, and it
(usually) doesn't require you to sell your soul.

"Dear LiquidX,



The other day I was out heroing (Oh yeah, it’s a verb) and I met a fellow super
hero who proceeded to assist me with the arresting of Crey. After the battle, I
ask him his name, to which he responded “Dark Warlord Two thousand five hundred
twenty two.” Why would somebody give themselves such a name? Is this some sort
of noble ancestry?



Sincerely,

Unholy Secret"

Dear Unholy Secret, It is a little known fact that there is a glitch in the
software at the Paragon City hall that combines a Heroes name with their power
level. It seems in this case that Dark Warlord's power level is not, in fact,
over Nine Thousand.

And there you have it! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to trying to
sell some former 5th Column soldiers some of these fine leather jackets...

Ask
the X for advice!

Raggedy Anne by Innovator

House
Call

Infinity Server

What
is your home server and why did you end up picking it as your home server?

My home is on Infinity. When I first entered Paragon City, I made
my first hero on Pinnacle for a few levels, where a kind-hearted passing hero
explaining the color-conning system to me and took me around Atlas for a bit
explaining the in's and out's. I later discovered a co-worker had also
purchased City of Heroes, and he was playing with a friend on Infinity that was
already in his early teen levels. I came over to Infinity to join in with them,
and it's been home ever since.

Where do you live?

I reside in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The geographic center of the
state is located about 1/4th of a mile down the road from the house I grew up
in, so I'm pretty easy to pin down. I'd love to move to the Carolinas one day,
but for now, Tennessee is where my roots have grown deep.

What else do you like to do in your free time besides play CoX?

I enjoy spending time with my wife and travelling. Looking forward
to more of that soon, as she just bought me a Kawasaki ZX636, and now she wants
her own bike, too. I'm one lucky fellow. I'm a bit of an adrenalin junkie, so
everything from amusement parks to skydiving and hang gliding tops my list of
things I do when the opportunities present themselves. As far as hobbies, I
enjoy overclocking, r/c planes, and all things techie-gadget related. The only
other games I play with any consistancy are Counter-Strike: Source and the
occassional round of Wii Boxing (which my wife easily holds the championship
belt for in our house).

What are your favorite movies?

High Fidelity continues to top my list of movies I can watch
repeatedly and never tire of, along with Good Will Hunting. Jerry Maguire may
seem a little cliché and sappy, but it's another favorite of mine. As far as
comedies are concerned, Super Troopers is probably my current #1 at the moment.
It gets me belly-laughing every time. You want to Dimpisize your meal for a
quarter more?

What are your favorite Books and authors?

"Alas, Babylon" by Pat Frank is one of my all-time favorites.
Robert Ludlum's "The Borne Identity" is another. And I'm man enough to admit
that my wife has gotten me to read all of the Harry Potter books, decreeing
that if I didn't, I was henceforth prohibited from asking any questions when
going to see the new movie.

What TV shows do you like to watch?

I'm a big fan of comedy: King of Queens, Friends, Committed
(during its short run), Undeclared (another mid-season axe), Whose Line is it
Anyway? ... the list goes on. The Office and My Name is Earl are probably the
two most current DVR'd shows in our house. As for newer shows, I watched Heroes
and Studio 60 this past season, along with Grey's Anatomy and Jericho. And if
you've never watched it, I'd highly recommend
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on FX. It's very likely my favorite
comedy ever broadcast - the folks who write that show are comedic geniuses, and
it's nice to have a little edgier comedy on TV.

Do you have any pets?

We are up to our ears in pets. We currently have two four-year-old
cats (Mel Gibson and Squintz), a five-year-old black labrador (Tubby), and four
two-year-old dogs that are half-pug, half-lab that we affectionately refer to
as "pugradors" (Pepper, Buster, Batty, and Flip). A couple of years ago, my pug
(Jack) somehow managed to impregnate my wife's labrador, and the result was
ten of these little guys. We ended up keeping four of them after the
pug passed away a few months following their birth, and they have become our
favorite little money pits.

How did you get drawn to this game?

The notion of playing a super-hero was very appealing to me.
Spider-man was my childhood hero, and growing up in the Nintendo generation,
console and arcade games bringing all my favorite characters to life is
probably what got me into gaming in the first place. All of my computer gaming
prior to CoH was first-person shooters and flight sims, but I decided I'd break
the mold and join into the MMO world if it meant getting to fly around in
tights and blast bad guys in the name of justice. Everyone needs a good outlet
to sound off witty quips in the name of truth and righteousness before a hearty
pummeling, after all.

What is your favorite aspect of the game?

The community. Regardless of powersets, missions, zones, or
events, the community is what continues to drive this game and transform
Paragon City from a maze of pixels and hit points into a living, interactive
entity. It is what has kept me logging in these past 3+ years, and it continues
to be the driving force behind this game.

Who is your namesake character and what are they?

House Call is my number one character. She's a level 50
Empathy/Energy Defender, and the character I log in with 95% of the time.

Which of all the archetypes and powersets would you say is your
favorite?

Empathy continues to be my favorite powerset. As the only primarly
reactive defensive powerset compared to the others, which are mainly proactive
in their approach to threats, it keeps me on my toes and offers a lot of the
challenges I find enjoyable in CoH's style of gameplay. Plus, the aura buffs
are a bit addicting after a while. As for favorite archtypes, I'd have to go
with Defender for the sheer diversity within the powersets. All of my
characters are Controllers, Defenders, and Blasters, and Defenders are really
the happy median of those three AT's. In the Blaster sets, I like Fire and Ice,
and for Controllers, I think Earth has been my favorite set out of them.

Your least favorites?

I'm not much of a melee attacks person, so Scrappers and Tanks
haven't ever been something I could commit to. I probably would have enjoyed
them a bit more if I had played them back in the earlier issues of CoH, but by
the time I got around to trying some out, the defense of scrappers and damage
of tankers had been toned down a little more than what was enjoyable for
myself.

Do you prefer Heroside or villain side?

All of my active characters are heroes. I think CoV is
aesthetically beautiful, but it's a bit too hard on my system at times to play
as smoothly as I'd like, and I still find myself fighting bad guys in my mind
when I do try to spend a little time in the Isles. I'm a hero, through and
through.

What would you say is your greatest strength in the game?

Paragon
City Search and Rescue, without a doubt. As I said, community is my
favorite aspect of this game, and the PCSAR supergroup forms the epicenter of
that ideal for me with their service-oriented gameplay and community outreach.
They are the backbone to all I have accomplished and the one constant that
keeps me logging in every time. Plus, it never hurts to have a group of
twenty-something Emps at your beck and call when you want to play "Invincible
Blaster."

Your greatest weakness in the game?

It would probably be that I played my last 30 levels of my
Fire/Fire Blaster with that same crew of Emps constantly. When I solo, Rise of
the Phoenix can't recharge fast enough. Aside from that, I like to be a little
too close to the action for my own good at times, but that's just part of the
fun.

What zone is your favorite?

Perez Park remains my favorite zone to this day from the first
time I stepped foot inside its gates. The woods always held a certain sense of
mystery and danger, and it's where I first encountered both the excitement of a
hazard zone and a hero whose sole mission in the game was to assist other
heroes. That first day in Perez Park completely changed my gameplay experience
and my expectations of what CoH would become, and I am enamored with those dark
trails and open waters to this day.

What is your favorite Storyline in the game?

Of all the arcs I've played through completion, I probably enjoyed
the Revenant Hero Project the most. Crey Protectors both fascinated and
terrified me the first time I ran around a corner and bumped headlong into one,
so finding out their origins was an interesting arc to go through. Plus, I
enjoyed the "Doctor" and the twists that went along with her (trying not to
give away any spoilers here).

What one feature would you like to see added to the game?

More powersets. Of all the new content that is created each issue,
new powersets are the most few and far between of the additions. I also
wouldn't mind seeing some new methods of travel thought up. For the
villain-side, I'd like to see more starting contacts for new characters.

What advice do you have for any new players to the game?

Find a group of friends you enjoy playing with - whether it's an
organized Supergroup or just a group of people you enjoy teaming with, it's one
of the biggest keys to keeping this game fun and upbeat. Remember that everyone
- hero, villain, level 50, or level 1 - is a part of this community and a real
person behind the screen. Treat other players as your neighbor and friend, and
this game will only continue to get better.

Any closing comments?

If you're on Infinity and ever need a hand, don't forget you can
jump into the global channel "911" and ask for assistance. Rezzes, teleports,
healing assistance with a mission you just can't complete - Paragon City Search
& Rescue is always here to help.