City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

The City Scoop!~Front Page~ September 28, 2007

Ex_Libris

By Ex_Libris,
Posted on: 2007-10-01 17:53 in Announcements

 

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The City Scoop



NCSoft, Meet And Greet

Vol. I, Issue XX

September 28th, 2007

Austin, TX


Saturday, September 22


Xury2, ace reporter and king of PWNZ, was on the scene of the
NCsoft, Meet and Greet in Austin, Texas.

(Xury2 is a guest writer, and not a member of City Scoop Staff)



The stage was set in the local
Dave and Busters. I arrived on scene at approximately 1524 hours
(3:24pm) to scope the place out. But the inside was nothing like I had
imagined. There were plastic guns, fake cars, music from all directions (with
step dancing),
terrorists who could not hit the broad side of a barn, space bowling,
booze, food, ticket dispensing games, but most of all, zombies... Lots and lots
of zombies.


Yes folks, this was indeed Pocket D minus the permanent cat smell.
After a thorough check of the area, and saving the world from zombies twice,
your friend and humble narrator ran into other heroes along the way.
Mad_Malkavian was one such a hero. He told me, "It's
dangerous to go alone. Take this," and handed me three kittens, one
pen, one notepad, and five grenades. Soon after we formed a
group outside the mission door, I met
Manoa and her sidekick Somber Traveler. Of course he insists that she's
the sidekick, but we all know that's NEVER true in any relationship.


At approximately 1825 hours (6:25pm), the mission doors opened. By
the time they had opened the doors, there was already a long line outside.
These people looked ready to go, and someone might have gotten hurt if they
were not let inside. After presenting our registration, we were
let in, one by one, and handed a raffle ticket. This could only mean
good things in the future.


The inside was large, and had enough room for everyone outside.
They had lots of
tables for eatin',
tables for autographs, the
stage for the evenings activities, and of course,
lots and lots of free swag. Our music for the day was from the boys at
WOR-Radio.


During this time, I talked with Ex Libris, and happened to say the
words "free" and "beer" in the same sentence. This combination of words had a
more profound and horrific effect then even I could have imagined...


The earth shook, and the heavens cried out. A chill swept across
the room, and the lights exploded. Suddenly a circle, etched in infernal runes
appeared next to me. In the center of the circle, a demonic began to rise from
it, carrying with it the souls of the damned, screaming their terrible song.


It was BillZBubba... And he spoke,
"Did someone say 'Free Beer'?" I stepped forward and said, "On
accident." He considered me a moment, as if looking into my very soul, then
declared, "Okay." And everything returned to normal.


Around 1900 hours (7:00pm), the tables were set, and the
autographs were being signed. There was a
big reception for this. Who could resist
free stuff now? The guests were Richard Garriott, Cuppa Jo, Ex
Libris... and a few surprise guests as well. From Guild Wars, there were Dilan
Servantes and Keith Quinn. For Lineage fans, Tim Tan, Sam Han and Kyle Steward
were present as well. But that's not all!




THE DEFUSER made his way out to Austin. What a guy! Lemme tell you,
ladies and gentlemen, this guy is definitely a super hero. On his way here, he
managed to save three groups of orphans from three different burning buildings,
stop two bank robberies, walk an old lady across the street, rescue a cat from
a tree, oil up the Swedish Bikini team in time for them to win their
competition, take first place in the Academic Decathlon, AND still have time to
sign autographs with his pal,
General British (aka Richard Garriott).


Then
Ghost Widow came after that. She had managed to kick a few puppies
before coming, the fiend! Ghost Widow soon after met up with
The Defuser, and the tension was high. But like Pocket D, heroes and
villains are not allowed to fight in Dave and Busters.


So there were free posters, shirts, software (demos and the
expansion to Guild Wars), and several books given out, each signed by the
developers. When there was nothing left, they began the
Q and A with General British, with questions read by
Cuppa Jo.


We came to find, for those who don't know, that Richard was also
the maker of Ultima Online. That was his first project of his own. Tabula Rasa
is his new baby, and he's learned a lot from his first MMO. His favorite races
in the game are the ugly ones. He personally play-tests his game every day he
can. If you play Tabula Rasa, add him to your friend list as Lord British.


With that kind of service, you can expect quality. Richard has
done a fine job, and we appreciate such hard work to his creation.


Finally, at about 2000 hours (8:00pm), Cuppa and Cricket
announce the Raffle. The prizes are: shirts, hats, beanies, signed COH
comics, Tabula Rasa dogtags, TR Challenge Coins,
TR
Gym bag full of goodies, game time cards, posters,
wireless keyboard and mouse, and even an Official
NCSoft IPod Nano (by that, I mean they stole it from someone in
NCSoft).


Many prizes were given, even I, your friend and humble narrator,
was able to win himself a
game time card. Of course, when they found who I was, it was
abruptly handed to me. Soon after, Cuppa began to toss some more free
things to the crowd. Once again, I was beaned in the head with a game time
card. Those box edges are deadly. Ouch.


Come 2100 hours (9:00pm), it was time to wind down and say our
goodbyes. Everyone got in their final pictures with the guests, scrounged for
more free stuff, and snagged more free food. Richard Garriott beamed up, The
Defuser ran through the wall to rescue a damsel in distress, and Ghost Widow
followed the gate to the Netherworld that BillZBubba made.


It was a fun day, a day we won't soon forget. And for some of us,
the day was not over yet... (insert youtube video of Ex Drinking)


Hardly anything compares to after parties. So, to everyone who
came, thank you for making this a success, and a word of advice: Keep things
social, and nothing about business. Asking Ex Libris to reveal future Issue
information will only result in
this


- Xury the II, King of PWNZ


(Special thanks to ArmlessDan and Balorn for additional reporting
and pictures.)

This Week:


Sept 29th


Infinity:

*Lvl
4 Arena Tourney



Sept 30th


Triumph:

*Fight
Night



Oct 2nd


Champion:

*Tanker
Tuuuesday's 3rd Anniversary!



Oct 2nd


Guardian:

*Fight
Night



Oct 5th


Justice:

*The
Amazing Race II



Oct 6th


Triumph, Guardian, Virtue:

*PERC Contest



Oct 11th


Victory:

*City
of Gaymers



Make sure to list your event threads in the
forum calendar to be listed in the Scoop!


 

Posted















Myth Smashers



Part 1 in an Irregular Series


City of *, like any MMO, has its share of urban legends. Some are
easy to disprove, like if you jump on a Tank Smasher's head, he won't get back
up. Other legends are harder to identify as myths.


All are surprisingly persistent and all it takes is one person who
heard it wrong and didn't get a correction, plus one newbie, and you get a new
outbreak of myth. Like the guys on TV, we've decided to take a few of these
myths and smash them, hopefully blowing up a lot of stuff in the process.


The first one of these myths, which has been busted over and over
and keeps coming back, is, if you're doing the Terra Volta Respec trial, and
you click the glowies in the first mission, you get more waves of bad guys. I
collected a few friends and SG members and decided to run back-to-back respecs
while taking notes.


Both respecs were run on Heroic with a 6-person team consisting
of:




    [*]
    Incendiatrix (Fire/Fire Tank)
    [*]
    Jinnyah (Fire/Storm Controller)

    [*]
    FreezeOrBurn (Fire/Ice Blaster)

    [*]
    Syn-Apse (Elec/Energy Blaster)

    [*]
    Bubblegum Crush (Energy/Energy Blaster)

    [*]
    Me, Fulminator (Fire/Elec Blaster)[/list]

    It's actually pure coincidence that we ended up in my
    "blaster-happy place."


    I measured time spent in reactor core, amount of SG prestige
    gained (I was exemped down to 33), number of waves (counting the first group of
    people in the reactor when you arrive as a wave, both times), and number of
    doors-- that is, if a wave comes out of doors 1, 3, and 8, that is considered
    to be one wave, three doors.


    Door count was a little inaccurate, as some spawns seemed to start
    on the walkway and not at a door, and we may have missed one or two.

First Run
We started at 5:30. No glowies were touched, and we started the reactor mission at 5:54.


    [*]

    Entered the Reactor Core: 6:03 (happened to get the key on the first room)
    [*]
    Finished Mission: 6:33

    [*]
    Elapsed Time in Core: 33 minutes

    [*]
    Prestige Gained in Reactor Core : 1532

    [*]
    Number of Waves: 11

    [*]
    Number of Doors: 20-21
    [/list]


    Second Run
    We started at 6:53. We clicked every glowie in the first mission. For good measure, we clicked every glowie in the reactor. We opened all the side doors. Incendiatrix blew up all the proximity bombs on purpose and well, she did that on the first run, too. We began the reactor missions at 7:23.

      [*]
      Entered the Reactor Core: 7:33


      Finished Mission: 8:06

      [*]
      Elapsed Time in Core: 33 minutes

      [*]
      Prestige Gained in Reactor Core: 1636

      [*]

      Number of Waves: 11

      [*]

      Number of Doors: 22

      [/list]

      Conclusion
      It took the same amount of time in the reactor core, and we got the same number of waves. We got approximately 5% more bad guys in the second run, but I suspect that was a random effect.

      I think we can say this myth is, err, smashed.


      (With respect to the Mythbusters, who gave us the inspiration to
      blow things up for science.)


 

Posted














The City Traveler




by
Taxibot Belle



Hey
everyone, it's me, Belle! I hope everyone is enjoying reading about Paragon
City's geography and history! This week, though, I wanted to venture outside
the City for the benefit of heroes that may be battling the forces of Lord
Recluse and his lieutenants on his own soil, the Rogue Isles.



Not many people know this about me, but I actually spent some time there a
while back. Believe me, it wasn't a vacation! I went to help out with a little
project called Haven House, run by a wonderful man named Mr. Phipps who helps
the poor souls stuck there under Lord Recluse's heel.



Anyway, I know that some heroes may have occasion to go over to the Rogue Isles
either for secret missions or with Longbow. This week, I wanted to focus on
giving you some of the information I learned during my time there.



One of the things that was really scary to me was a place called Fort Hades,
over in the northeastern part of Port Oakes. Last week, I said that I don't
really mind ghosts so much, but I guess that, really, it depends on the ghosts
we're talking about. Some of them are really quite nice, like my friend Kelly
in Croatoa. But the ones in Fort Hades are ghosts of dirty, nasty pirates. If
you think that ghosts can't smell bad, believe me when I say they can!



I
found a safe hiding place to see if I could find out more about them, and I saw
a villain discorporealize one of the ghosts. The weird thing was, though, that
instead of the ghost's energy just being dispersed, it looked like it was
actually captured in some strange device on the floor of the fort with an
Arachnos logo on top of it. I watched it happen several more times before I
realized that the ghosts' energies were actually being stored! Yikes, that
can't be good!



I asked a friend of mine in the Isles who is familiar with the activities of
Arachnos what was going on up there. He said that it is a project commissioned
by Ghost Widow herself and run by someone named Veluta Lunata to study the
nature of ghosts and how to control them. Apparently, Ghost Widow even gives a
couple badges (like the ones that heroes can get in the City) as rewards for
the villains who help out with the project. He said that if villains prove
themselves to Ms. Lunata by earning Ghost Widow's favor in capturing ghosts,
she will give them even more important tasks in dealing with the spirit realm.
Eep, sounds scary!



Be careful if you're around there, though. One time, I saw a ghost trap
malfunction, and a whole bunch of nasty pirate ghosts escaped, including a
powerful Red Terror. If that happens, you don't want to be around! I
recorded some video of some villains trapping ghosts' energies for
Arachnos and added a neat little song that I like. Maybe it will be helpful!



Also, as long as I'm writing about the Rogue Isles, I thought I'd mention that
in addition to the ferries there, Lord Recluse has set up his own
transportation system kind of like our monorails. Of course, since they're
islands, he's used Arachnos fliers instead of trains. He calls it the "Black
Line." How awful, he even stole the idea of using colors for the name from us!



Villains
can sometimes be kind of funny. Even though there is a Black Line flier that
runs directly between Mercy Island and Cap au Diable, a lot of them forget
about it and go the long way through Port Oakes. The flier in Mercy Island is
south of Ghost Widow's tower, and the flier in the Cap is in the far southeast
area. The pilots have been known to take bribes, even from heroes. I even hear
that one time, Longbow was able to foil one of Black Scorpion's attacks by
getting to the battle site faster using Lord Recluse's own Black Line flier.
Wow, I'll bet that he wasn't happy about that at all!



Well, I'm sorry for rambling on about the Rogue Isles instead of Paragon City
this week. I hope I didn't bore too many of you heroes working so hard to keep
the City safe. If any of you do make it to the Rogue Isles, though, please stop
by Haven House in Grandville and tell Mr. Phipps I said hello, and maybe even
help him out. The poor man seems to be constantly harassed by villains. I don't
know how he stands up to them all like he does. he's so brave and selfless!



If you have any special places or geographical tips that you'd like to tell
everyone about, please
let me know, and I'll try to share them with everyone. Or if you need
help, be sure to look me up on Infinity. Until next time, byeee!


 

Posted














 

Posted















Rogue
Isle Repast



By
LadyK


Greetings villains and vigilantes, heroes and the other general
pains in the neck. I was visiting Port Oakes the other day and ran into an old
"friend." Well, Drea the Hook isn't exactly a friend, but brokers are some of
the closest things we get around here, right? I mean, brokers and contacts.
Anyway, Drea and I got to chatting, and he actually offered to take me to lunch
at his favorite place. We didn't really have far to go, 'cause Drea loves the
food at Blackbeard's Pub, less than ten yards behind him.


No one really knows how long Blackbeard's has been around or if it
had anything to do with pirating at all, but the current owner is a "real"
villain. Canada Joe moved to the Islands because of the lax extradition laws.
Joe and his family come from an area of New Brunswick called Seal Cove in the
Bay of Fundy. These hard working, fisher-folk will do anything to help out
friends and family, even if it means breaking the law. There was one such case
a few years back when there was a crack dealer on the island. They burnt him
out—literally set fire to his home—and drove him away.



Anyway, so, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ limits were too small, and
people over-fished them. Can't feed a family of five on the amount you bring in
from a very small amount of lobster, right? So, Canada Joe fled to the Rogue
Isles on his fishing boat, so he wouldn't lose it to the DFO for over-stepping
his limit yet again.

Oh yeah, as recently as the 1970s, lobster was considered a poor
man’s food down on the island. I'm NOT kidding you. You could walk down the
beach at low tide and pick lobsters up and bring them home for supper. The kid
who had the lobster sandwiches at school was known as the poor kid and was
teased and stuff. The best scallops come from around there, too.


Canada Joe tries to keep his prices down, but you can't just pick
up lobsters off the beach around here. The Lobster Roll recipe here is only
avalable when CJ can get a good deal on "one claws". Other than that, the
prices are decent. CJ isn't interested in anything other than cash,
though.


So, here are a few recipes.





Corn Scallop


This dish can be served along side of fried up breakfast sausages,
fried up fish, fried up chicken organs. Whatever suits your fancy.



1 cup crushed saltines


3/4 cup scalded milk


1 medium-sized onion, minced

1 can creamed corn


dash of salt


dash of pepper


1 large egg


Mix all together. Dump into greased baking dish and cook at 400
for an hour.







Lobster Roll


3 cups cooked/shelled lobster, chopped/shredded


2 stalks chopped celery


1/2 small onion, minced


2 cups of mayonnaise

Pinch of salt


Pinch of pepper


Mix the shredded lobster with the chopped celery. Then add in the
other ingredients, and serve on fresh-baked rolls cut in half.








Seafood Chowder


1 Lobster cooked and shelled


1/2 lb small scallops (small as in fifty scallops to a pound)


1/2 lb cut-up cod

3 potatoes, peeled and diced


1 large onion, peeled and diced


1/2 cup butter or margarine


Boil the potatoes and onions till the potatoes are fork- tender.
Drain the potatoes and onions. Add milk to a pot, and put the potatoes, onions,
scallops, lobster, and cod into it. Add salt and pepper. Put the 1/2 cup butter
or margarine on the top. Simmer on low heat for about 15-20 minutes until the
scallops and cod are cooked through.


Serve with buttered rolls.



 

Posted
















Art



Artist Interview


by _darque_




Can you tell us a little about yourself?




My name is Alex, and I do drawings.




What inspired you to start drawing?




I needed something to do to stay out of the kitchen when I was a kid, so my mom
gave me some paper and pencils, and I was off and running, or drawing.




Which
mediums do you use for your art? Which are your favorite?




I've tried most traditional mediums like graphite, acrylics, oils, pastels,
chalk, glue, gouache, and ink, and some nontraditional ones like bread, coffee
and spit. My favorite by far is watery acrylics that run and drip like
crazy...but currently I'm more a digital medium guy. I use PhotoShop and
Painter, but I always keep a Ticonderoga #2 pencil handy.



What's your best experience as an artist? Worse?




Well, I got a sweet gig once that involved living in a sweet hotel on the beach
in Australia, expenses paid for three months. Worst would be working with a
client whom I really should never have worked with, and I knew at the time, but
did it anyways. I ended up giving that person their money back after finishing
the project.



Who has been your biggest influence, artistically speaking?




If I had to name an artistic influence, it would be John Byrne. I use to
idolize the man; everything thing he did, I had to get. I was a regular Byrne
clone, and then I turned into a Jim Lee clone, and for awhile, a Frank Miller
clone. Then at school, I got introduced to some awesome illustrators and
realized those were the people that my heroes drew inspiration from, so I dug
back even further to see their influences. Now I'm gonna devote my life to cave
drawings.



Who are some of your favorite artists, and what is it about them that
captures your eye?




Too many to list: Bouguereau, Mucha, Rackham, Leyendecker, Pyle, Cornwell,
Doulac, Gorey, Tadema, Katsuya, McCay, Herge, Byrne, Lee, Miller, Quitely, the
list goes on and on and on. I dig technical skill and a personal and unique
style.



When you're drawing, do you have music/television/movies on in the
background? Anything in particular you prefer for ambiance?




I usually don't have anything on. It's hard enough trying to focus on the art,
if I have something in the background like music or TV, I can get distracted. I
used to listen to music and groove along as I drew, but as Milt Kahl said, "I'm
not smart enough to think of more than one thing at a time." A bit of advice
from “The Animator's Survival Kit” by Richard Williams.




Do you ever suffer from lack of inspiration (aka artist's block)? What's
your cure?




All the time. I either step away or bash my head against it. I look at other
artist's work, stare at some Mucha, Bouguereau, Rackham or Leyendecker and
usually get inspired again.




Do you have some advice for up-and-coming artists?




Draw, draw and then draw some more. It will take you years and years and years
to get any good. If you have talent, you're lucky, but unless you work at it,
it won't go anywhere. If you don't have any talent, work even harder. Drawing
is a skill, and you can learn. People might say, “I can't even draw a straight
line.” Well, neither can I. That's what rulers and the line tool in Photoshop
are for. Did I mention drawing and drawing some more?




Are you currently accepting commissions?




Yup you can see my commission info at:
http://www.imagesbyalex.com/pricelist/index.html


 

Posted












Artist Interview


Juggertha

By
Dirtwolf



Hey Juggertha! It's nice to see you creating art recently,
especially since I know you recently became a papa! Has that changed your art
schedule at all? Has your newest addition inspired you or just pooped a lot?


Hehe, thanks, man. I'd love to say that my little girl has
inspired me to be more creative. I'd love to say that I've been drawing up a
storm of pictures of her, but truth be told, it's just been all that more busy
around the house, and all too often, the art gets bumped down the list of
priorities.[/b]


How does your wife feel about your talents?


She's usually pretty cool with them. I think she actually kind of
admires me a bit, she even said that she hopes our baby gets some of it. That
being said though, if I try to sit in front of the computer for ten hours
working on a piece, her "admiration" dies off pretty quick.[/b]


When did you realize you had a talent for drawing and creating? How
did you hone your skills?


I've been drawing for as long as I can remember. All through
school, I loved just sitting in class and sketching away (that might explain my
grades). I gave it up though for a bit after high school. Got into bodybuilding
(and girls) and just got distracted from it. Ten years later though, my wife
bought me a WACOM for Christmas, and I've been stormin' ever since.[/b]


What are your favorite pieces and why? Does any of your art have
any special meaning or emotional attachment?



One of my favorite pieces that I've been (continually) working on
is the Un-Official Handbook of the Virtue Universe.[/b]




This is a project I've been doing up for free for people on the
Virtue server (my home). I really love the sense of community in this game and
feel that if I can do something to help that along, then I'll do my piece. They
may just be simple poses and such, but I think everyone that I've given one to
have really dug it.[/b]

What's your favorite thing to draw or doodle?


The muscular form. I've trained for years in the gym and a few of
my buddies have their pro-cards (bodybuilding), so I'm a big fan of the human
form (often in its extremes).




Other than that, I dig sitting somewhere and just practicing my
perspective work. Man... I really need to work on my backgrounds.[/b]


What's the best piece of
advice you've ever received? What's the strangest thing you've ever heard said
about your artwork?


The best words anyone has ever said to me were: "Good job, now
keep at it." Sometimes, encouragement and determination are all someone really
needs. As for the oddest, well, I've had some pretty odd "requests." One fan
wanted me to draw their real life persona in an (very) intimate scene with a
video game character. Um, I had to draw the line there. /cringe[/b]


If you could do anything with your artwork, whether it be put it on
a mural in South Asia or broadcast it on television, what would it be?


Comic books. That'd be the highlight of my life if I could get
published in a major title. I know I've got a long way to go, but like I said
before, I'm just gonna keep working at it.[/b]


Do you think a person's life could be changed by artwork? Either by
doing it or seeing it?


Absolutely. I know myself and many others were not always blessed
with great real life role models. Sometimes, we had to look a little harder for
them. For me, it was comic book imagery. I don't want to ramble on about
iconic/heroic imagery or anything, but I just wanted to say that I think there
are worse role models to look up to.[/b]


Is there anything you wish you could improve about your art?


Buahahaha! /wipes off the keyboard. Yup, just about everything!
With every piece that I do, I have certain goals. Whether it be perspective,
coloring, speed, mood, proportion. I'm always working on improving something. I
think anyone who has watched my progression can at least say this: “He may not
be the best, but he sure is getting better.[/b]


Who are some artists you admire? What kind of artists did you like
as a kid?


I met Todd McFarlane when I was a teen and was in awe. He taught
me two things: be funky when you draw, and don't try to be a writer. Nowadays
though, I look through DeviantArt daily and hunt down some of my personal
faves. I've learned a lot from watching other artists grow as well (on that
site), and it's always great to hear when someone gets picked up by a major
company.[/b]


Any advice for other artists?


Sure, draw! Don't stop. Don't give it up for awhile. Keep at it.
Enjoy it. Grow with it. Make it your own




 

Posted














Behind the Mask


By
Teldon


Geronimo 69


Liberty Server


Where
do you live?


Anywhere Uncle Sam sends me. As it stands right now, I presently
call Fort Lewis, Washington home, however, I'm on temporary assignment in York,
Pennsylvania.


Do you have any pets?


I have a large family of dust bunnies, and a few "Joeys" I could
consider pets.


What is the most interesting place you have visited?


That would be a toss-up between Gwang-ju, South Korea and
Budapest, Hungary.


What are your top three songs of all time?


"Where Did You Go?" by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "The Green
Fields of Athenry" by the Dropkick Murphys, and "Little Moments" by Brad
Paisley. I know, the transition from punk to country is a little harsh, but I
like my music varied. Besides, there's meaning for me with the Brad Paisley
song.


What five TV shows could you not live without?


I don't watch TV when I'm back in Washington, but when I do get
that odd chance to flip on the boob tube, I like Family Guy, Dirty Jobs,
Mythbusters, The Simpsons, and Smallville.


What was the best book you last read?


The best book I last read? Hmmm, that's a good one. I could tell
you the last book I read, which was "The Seven Principles of Highly Successful
Marriages" by John Gottman. Great book for married couples! Other than that,
I'd have to say "The Cobra Trilogy" by Timothy Zahn. I'm a big sci-fi and
military-type fan.


What is your favorite pop culture quote?


"Dude!" It's so universal. You can use it in a variety of ways.


What other hobbies do you have?


I like camping, hiking, riding roller coasters, and travelling.


Who is your real life hero?


I have a few. My dad and grandfather are two of them, but being a
Soldier, the other heroes in my life would be the guys I serve with everyday,
along with all the veterans who came before me.


Pants?


Monkey! Oh wait, I thought this was one of those psychology tests
where you give me a word and I tell you the first word that pops into my head.


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


I'm on Liberty. I started on Justice because it was the first one
I saw when I signed on, but I switched after getting invited to join the Heroes
Helping Heroes SG on Liberty. Been on here ever since.


How were you drawn to this game?


I actually bought it when it first came out because I've always
been a big comic book / superhero fan, but because I had this ridiculously slow
plaptop, I couldn't play. It wasn't until I was over in Korea and built a PC
that I finally started playing.


What is your favorite aspect of the game?


The character generation ability. The fact that I feel like I can
actually be a part of the comic book world that I loved so much when I was
younger. Being able to create a superhero, or supervillian, design their look,
and control their powers is great!


Who is your namesake character, and what are they?


I have a number of alts on Liberty, but I tend to use Geronimo 69
the most. He's a level 32 tech controller with fire and trick arrows. I was
pumped when he finally hit 32 and I was able to get my hot, flaming monkeys! I
love those guys!


Which type of character would you say is your favorite to play and
why?


Well, I'm still kind of a noob, even though I've been playing for
about 8 months now, and I've got some lowbie alts, but I like Gero's controller
abilities.


How do you normally handle new challenges in the game?


With a response of, "Cool! That's new. Let's see how it works."


Which zone is your favorite?


I don't know as though I really have a favorite zone since I
haven't been to all of them, but I have a definite dislike for Dark Astoria. I
hate flying around in fog.


What is your favorite storyline in the game?


I liked the Freakalympics. That was a good one to work my way
through. Terra Volta's always good for an hour or so as well.


It has been a busy year for the game so far. Do you feel that I9
and I10 have really added anything to the game and why?


I couldn't say since I came in during I9, and being in PA right
now, I haven't gotten to really play a lot with I10. I'm still exploring.


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


Don't be afraid to ask for assistance from the Vets. I ask all the
time. The only dumb question is the one you don't ask. And if you see me on,
feel free to ask me, I'll help out with anything I can.


Any closing comments?


Have fun out there, and don't let The Man get you down! Damn The
Man! Save the Empire!








Berserker675


Virtue Server[/b]


Where
do you live?


I live in Connecticut. Our state motto is "Come here to feel
better about your state." I hate the boonies.


Do you have any pets?


Not currently. I had two fish, but they died within a short amount
of time, so I couldn't get attached to them.


What is the most interesting place you have visited?


I don't have any cool places like all the other people on here. I
don't go to interesting places; I go to the same places I went for the last
three years, and yet I keep going. My favorite trip, however, was Cape Cod I.


What are your top three songs of all time?


"Surrender" - Cheap Trick "Don't Stop Believing" - Journey "Raise
Your Hands" - Bon Jovi


What five TV shows could you not live without?


Just one, currently: House. When it comes back on, I will probably
end up watching American Idol, but I will loathe myself for doing so.


What was the best book you last read?


It was a book entitled "How to Survive a Horror Movie." If I ever
irritate zombies, travel on a snake-loaded plane, or deal with Satan, this book
will keep me alive.


What is your favorite pop culture quote?


I can't name the movie, as it goes against all manly things, but
"Go ahead, make my day!" is my favorite.


What other hobbies do you have?


I am very involved with drama. I am going to audition for a
musical in the coming year, and I am currently writing a script for my own
personal use. I also enjoy electronic games and a good fan-fiction.


Who is your real life hero?


My grandparents on the maternal side. They personify the American
Dream every day, working so that their descendants have the most opportunity
they can get. I cannot thank them enough, so I do so as often as I can.


Pants?


Leather.


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


Virtue. I started out on Champion, which I kept for all of a few
minutes. When I learned that Virtue is the unofficial role-playing server, I
jumped over immediately (I love to RP). After three months, I took a hiatus,
and when I returned, I switched to Infinity, because I confused it with Virtue.
After noticing that nobody on Infinity wanted to RP, I realized my mistake, and
came to Virtue, which I shall never stray from again.


How were you drawn to this game?


It's an MMORPG with a theme other than Fantasy. I like Fantasy
games, but at the time, there was a huge glut on the market. I also have
several characters in my head (I should write them down) which translate very
well into the game.


What is your favorite aspect of the game?


It has the most expansive character creation of all MMORPGs to
this day. I like freedom, and options, and when I make another character, I
need those, as opposed to three colors to choose from.


Who is your namesake character, and what are they?


Currently, a freshly made Dominator named Supremacist75. I always
tack 75 to the end of my character names so I can get whatever I want. Anyways,
he's got Mind Control/Psychic Assault, and is part of an alt-based Villain
Group of my own creation. I have an unusual method of playing; I take the
characters from my mind, a large group of them, and I make an alt-based Group
out of them. I play them all equally, and when I get bored, I level one up past
10 (if I haven't already), start a new group with a new name, and create twelve
new characters. I am an altoholic, but I play the game how I want, and I don't
think anything is wrong with it.


Which type of character would you say is your favorite to play and
why?


I love Masterminds, because I cannot solo for the life of me, and
sometimes, I play on dry days where there are no teams. Dominators are my
second favorite, but I can really play anything, because I go for concept
characters over effectiveness.


How do you normally handle new challenges in the game?


Keep going until I get it. Debt is just another badge. If
absolutely necessary, I consult the forums, like when I needed to find the
Villain Group Registrar.


Which zone is your favorite?


Pocket D overall, the Sewers heroside, and Cap Au Diable
villainside.


What is your favorite storyline in the game?


I haven't played enough storylines to answer that, but I
particularly enjoy the mission where I rescue Dr. Frank N. Scott. Homage,
anyone?


It has been a busy year for the game so far. Do you feel that I9
and I10 have really added anything to the game and why?


I9 affected everyone, whether you use Inventions, or not. Since
players accumulate more Salvage now, they can sell it at the Consignment
House/Black Market, which makes profit for everyone. Whether you buy, or sell,
you're getting more out of it. I suppose it made powers more effective, but I
didn't notice a change, except for the new wings and costume parts. I10 gave us
something to unite under. Whether you ran to the hills when the sky turned
green (guilty as charged), or stood to fight the Rikti menace, we all had a
common goal: to not die. Hopefully, you all had a good time comparing parallels
between the Rikti and the Book of Revelations (I saw it before Positron said a
word, but I thought it was just a clever in-joke).


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


This is your money: play how you want. Just heed my advice. If you
want to play as a petless Mastermind, find like minded individuals to team up
with, because no one else will want you. Also, we already have a Hulk, and a
Wolverine, so stop making endless clones, and complaining when you become
Generic4hundredbillion. Note: If anyone sees a clone of a popular character, DO
SOMETHING! The system works, which I can tell from the people who email me
in-game saying "WTF! I hope you burn in Hell! HULK SMASH FTW!!1!"


Any closing comments?


Someone make an Arcane themed VillainGroup on Virtue for all
characters somehow associated with Magic. IT'S NOT A NICHE, IT'S THE ONLY
ALTERNATIVE TO TECHNOLOGY!








Obsidius


Triumph Server


Where
do you live?


Fullerton, Orange County, California


Do you have any pets?


I have a ball python I inherited many years ago named "Wyrm." My
wife and I also have a black cat named "Spooky."


What is the most interesting place you have visited?


I love Seattle, but Wuxi, China was pretty interesting. Good fish,
too.


What are your top three songs of all time?


"Honour" by VNV Nation, "Walking in My Shoes" by Depeche Mode, and
"We're In This Together" by Apoptygma Berserk.


What five TV shows could you not live without?


Heroes, Bleach, Family Guy, Robot Chicken, and Blood Plus (I'm a
big Adult Swim fan).


What was the best book you last read?


Harry Potter's certainly not bad, but I loved Stephen King's Dark
Tower series.


What is your favorite pop culture quote?


Probably the Peter Griffin laugh. "Hehehehehehehe..."


What other hobbies do you have?


I've been getting into CoH machinima (you can see some of my work
here. Thanks to the Fan Art section, I'm also getting back into drawing
(something I've done from a very early age). Additionally, I like working on
PCs and occasionally playing paintball.


Who is your real life hero?


Probably my father, although he can be pretty aggressive behind
the wheel.


Pants?


Not much of a choice. Serge doesn't have loincloths and won't let
gargoyles wear kilts or shorts!


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


I picked Triumph because my friend who introduced me to the game
(and founded the SG with me) played here. He's moved onto other things, but the
atmosphere is pretty lax, and all my friends and the SG are here too, so I'm
not going anywhere. My next machinima might be a Triumph advertisement.


How were you drawn to this game?


It was completely different from the previous grind fests I had
played, namely EQ and DAoC. No epic loot that required several hours to obtain
either. Much more casual and friendly, too. Even with the current loot system,
it's still much friendlier than those other games as far as loot and the market
are concerned.


What is your favorite aspect of the game?


Non-auto-attack powers. I get to mash buttons instead of casting
the occasional chant or spell while the character monotonously hits the target.
Travel powers are a close runner-up (FLYING!).


Who is your namesake character, and what are they?


Obsidius is a Gargoyle (Stone/Axe Tank) who started as a PnP
character for Vampire the Dark Ages/the Masquerade. Gargoyles are slaves to
vampires in the World of Darkness setting, unless they're freed. Once he was
freed, Obsidius fought evil to atone for things he was forced to do in slavery,
and eventually, he became a dimensional refugee to Paragon City. Thanks to Jay
and the art team, he now almost looks exactly like the character drawings from
his PnP days. He just needs a loincloth.


Which type of character would you say is your favorite to play and
why?


Such a hard choice. All my characters have something good and bad
going for them. However, my Warshade Alaestor is probably the most interesting.
His triform build certainly gives a lot of versatility in a single character.
And if I mess up, the self-rez helps. But I still play Obsidius a ton (no pun
intended).


How do you normally handle new challenges in the game?


Depends on the character. But usually I look at things cautiously.
Pulling helps a lot of the time—I relearned recently, from the Serpent Drummer
missions, not to just charge in (my hostages died). Failing a mission stinks,
but I can always use the knowledge to help out my wife (she plays as Rella), SG
mates, and alts when they come across the same or similar scenarios.


Which zone is your favorite?


Although many hate it, I love the Shard, if only for its broad
strokes of interesting terrain and large maps. Hopefully, the devs will give it
another go in the near future. I feel it's sort of wasted as it currently is.


What is your favorite storyline in the game?


Although not an arc per se, I love the STF story. Some players
dislike the Aeon cutscene (the ones who want to just rush through), but I think
it's a gas.


It has been a busy year for the game so far. Do you feel that I9
and I10 have really added anything to the game and why?


Definitely. It certainly gave many players I know something to do
with their Influence. I know many that blew hundreds of millions just to get
badges. Many players spent a lot of time and Influence/Infamy to IO out their
characters from the get-go; I worked mostly for the SG and was never
super-wealthy. For me, IOs are more of a long-term plan. As far as I10 is
concerned, I liked it as well. New content for levels 35-50, and progressed the
story line, which is what I and many players have been hoping to see for a long
time. The random invasions add for some "interesting" scenarios, too.




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

Find good players and team with them. Don't let a bad PUG or
player ruin your experience. At the same time, don't let a single player "who
knows better" muscle you into something. Read the forums and Player
Guides—there's a ton of info there. Ask questions, but be prepared for the bad
responses as well as the good. Don't race to 50—just have fun getting there!
And use sunscreen.


Any closing comments?


A few: The PERC has my full support. I can't imagine trying to
organize a game-wide contest (server-wide events are hard enough). I also
encourage critical players to join the PERC to make player-led events even
better in the future! I would join myself if I weren't always so busy online
(and in RL lately). And even when things get mired in-game, my SG mates,
coalition mates, and especially wife (Rella) continue to motivate me. You guys
are great! Finally, and as always, the Paragon Regulators are looking for more
casual gamers. If interested, check us out at
http://pr.webhop.net.








Rastafari_Man


Protector Server


Where do you live?


Sharon, PA. Home of Quaker Steak and Lube and the World's Largest
Shoe Store. Yup, that's our claim to fame!


Do you have any pets?


Nope.


What is the most interesting place you have visited?


A Federal penitentiary


What are your top three songs of all time?


“All My Life” by Foo Fighters “Impetus” by Clutch “Epic” by Faith
No More.


What five TV shows could you not live without?


Mythbusters, Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, Harvey Birdman:
Attorney at Law, Scrubs, and Penn & Teller's BS.


What was the best book you last read?


“If Chins could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor” by Bruce
Campbell.


What is your favorite pop culture quote?



I don't really have ONE I can call a “favorite.”


What other hobbies do you have?


Other video games, D&D, going to concerts, smoking, sleeping.


Who is your real life hero?


Will Clark.


Pants?


Yes, I still have mine. Pants_Stealer doesn't like me so she won't
steal them.


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


Protector. When I first started the game, a friend of mine, I was
told, played here. I have never once actually seen him in game. But everyone
else I met was cool, so I stuck around.


How were you drawn to this game?


I was following the news around the game via a few sites. I always
liked the concept of a MMO that wasn't a medieval theme. Then a friend got it,
let me play with character creation for a minute. Next payday, I was in.


What is your favorite aspect of the game?


Definitely the character customization. I've been playing the game
for three years now. and I've yet to see anyone who even looks remotely close
to how I look. I don't think any other game can boast that.


Who is your namesake character, and what are they?


Rastafari-Man. A Rad/Rad Defender. In fact some people (mostly
just myself, really) say I'm the best Rad/Rad on my server.


Which type of character would you say is your favorite to play and
why?


Probably Defenders. I like the range aspect, along with the
buffing, debuffing, healing, etc. I dunno. To me, they feel like the team
captain of sorts. A Defender feels like it can do so many different things in a
fight, whatever needs done to help the team. But I HATE that for the most part
that people just look at us as "healers." We're not healers, and if you need a
healer, then your team is broken.


How do you normally handle new challenges in the game?



Line ‘em up on launch day. Knock ‘em down. I have a great core of friends on
Protector, and we just don't know the meaning of failure. I remember hitting
the STF on launch day—myself, five Scrappers, a Tank, and a Troller. I respec'd
in the middle of the TF to make myself more effective. We ended up being the
first reported successful completion of the STF on our server.


Which zone is your favorite?


Dark Astoria. Something about all that fog makes it feel like home
to me.


>What is your favorite storyline in the game?


Oh man, that's hard. The storyline on almost every Task Force is
great. The Praetorian arc is great. But for me, Westin Phipps from CoV really
made me feel like a Villian. Everything up to him just seemed like I was a Hero
with a bad attitude. That guy made me feel sinister.


It has been a busy year for the game so far. Do you feel that I9
and I10 have really added anything to the game and why?


Without a doubt. I9's Invention system is great. I love the way
you can really customize a build just for you. ‘Cause not everyone is going to
play the same toon the same way. Thanks to set bonuses, you can really tweak a
toon to fit your play style. And quite frankly, I take great joy every time I
see that Extra Energy Damage IO from Posi's set proc! Radiation CAN do Damage!
As a player who wasn't in Beta, I heard a lot about the Beta close Rikti
invasion. That always sounded so cool to me, and really gives the city a sense
of being more "alive", if you will. And those Vanguard HVAS are fraeking
awesome sauce wrapped in a tortilla of win.


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


Roll on Protector. Don't be afraid to come to the boards and post
questions, or ask in game on global channels. We ALL were newbs as some point.
There's no dumb questions. Seriously, if I had done this, I wouldn't have
slotted brawl. Yes, I slotted brawl.


Any closing comments?


Remember, you’re playing this game with other PEOPLE. Not an AI.
Have a little patience sometimes. But most importantly, have fu, and be
yourself. Now if you'll excuse me, I believe I'm gonna go see how high in the
air I can knock a Hellion with my Tank. Oh yeah, Ragdoll physics rule!


 

Posted












And The Winners Are...


By
Teldon



The shining ones of Paragon City and The Rogue Isles were out in force this
weekend in Pocket D. Citizens of Freedom, Infinity, and Pinnacle came to
compete in the first round of the Mr. and Ms. City of Contest. The atmosphere
was filled with excitement as all waited to be judged by members of the Player
Events Resource Committee (PERC).



Turnout on all three servers was simply amazing. The judges were not
disappointed by the fashionable creations that these contestants came up with.
After many questions and answers the contest began in earnest. First up on all
servers were the heroes, then the heroines, followed by the villains, and
finally the villainesses.



After much debate the winners are as follows:



Infinity



    [*]
    Ms. Infinity Paragon City is
    Iolite Phoenix
    [*]
    Ms. Infinity Rogue Isles is
    Nieves Trudeaux
    [*]
    Mr.
    Infinity Paragon City is Bomb Bursting in Air*

    [*]
    Mr. Infinity Rogue Isles is
    Evil Sarg

    [/list]


    Freedom


      [*]
      Ms. Freedom Paragon City is
      Emergency Girl
      [*]
      Ms. Freedom Rogue Isles is
      Morgana Midnight
      [*]
      Mr. Freedom Paragon City is
      Dr. Aquaticus
      [*]
      Mr. Freedom Rogue Isles is
      Tumbleweed of Doom

      [/list]


      Pinnacle


        [*]
        Ms. Pinnacle Paragon City is
        Autumn Nymph
        [*]
        Ms. Pinnacle Rogue Isles is
        Pandemona
        [*]
        Mr. Pinnacle Paragon City is
        Razorstrike
        [*]
        Mr. Pinnacle Rogue Isles is
        Hell O Ween

        [/list]


        We at the PERC appreciate the turnout and good feelings that the communities
        gave us. While it was our pleasure to hold this contest for you, it was our
        honor to meet you all. We look forward to the next contests, which will be held
        on Champion, Justice, and Liberty on Saturday September 29th at 9 pm.



        *Picture unavailable will be featured in the future

By Popular Request


By
Bowfling


This is the seventh in a series of By Popular Request articles,
which reviews commonly requested player suggestions that have strong positive
support, and reviews the implications and considerations that would need to be
considered if these suggestions were to be implemented.


This week’s subject – New Enhancements:


Many forum posters have offered suggestions as to what kinds of
new enhancements could be added to the game. Status effect Magnitude increase
would make it possible to get a successful status effect on a critter where,
ordinarily, effects must be stacked. Buff Duration increase, perhaps the most
often requested, would increase the length of time a particular buff is in
effect. Another popular one is Area of Effect Impact radius Increase. This
would make the cone of a cone attack wider, or the radius of an AoE wider.
Reduce Activation Time would decrease the time a power takes to activate,
although this particular enhancements may be significantly harder to code. For
some players, knockback is a negative, so the Knockback Reduction enhancement
would reduce the knockback potential of an attack, potentially turning
knockback into just knock down. There might also be an enhancement that
increases the number of ticks of damage a damage-over-time attack has, which
would differs from a damage enhancement that increases the amount of damage
done by each tick.


An interesting new form of enhancements might be a hybrid
enhancement. Unlike HOs or multi aspect IOs, these enhancements would have both
positive and negative effects. For instance, one might be a +40% accuracy buff,
greater than a normal SO, but suffer a -10% damage reduction. A very likely
hybrid that incorporates some of the above ideas would be Increase buff
duration/Increase recharge time, since this would help insure powers that are
not desired to be permanent remain so, even with a buff duration increase. If
nothing else, hybrid enhancements would give players even more flexibility in
maximizing the aspects of their powers to their own liking.


 

Posted















Classifieds



Menders
seek like-minded individuals. Call (555) 687-6267 ext. 67.



The City Scoop is looking for writers and
correspondents. Please PM
Lemur_Lad or
Marcian_Tobay with samples.



LadyK
is looking for recipes for "recipe of the week." PM her
with your favorite recipes.



Have a question? Serious or funny, PM
LiquidX or
Lady Athyna.



Think you have an AWESOME base? PM
born2luz to set up an "Open house."



The Rogue Isles Marine Corps is looking for new
Recruits.




We have been established on the Guardian Server since City of Villains went
live. We have a fully functioning base that is raid ready if/when the Cathedral
of Pain goes live, IO Factory, and Teleporters to each zone. We also have our
own website with forums on Guildportal.




We seek to expand our ranks. Promotions are awarded according to prestige
earned and will reward you with access to base storage including a large
reserve of IOs.




We also have scheduled Taskforces each weekend when possible, which are
announced on the Guildportal website




Send a /tell to @Botley, @Alpha-One or @MrsAlphaOne to be recruited.

WANTED creative
players with excellent video skills to help form a CoX webTV
station. We need teams of game photographers, editors, writers, and web
designers to help with this project. If you are interested and have the skills
necessary, or if you just have questions, send a PM to
TheFrog




What's small, friendly, and gets the job done? Classifieds in The City
Scoop . Sell, find or buy anything. Send a PM to
LadyK today.



SELLING life-like mechanical Ravens useful for
many tasks such as long distance couriering, location, homing, and rescue. Some
units are flight-capable and others are glider-equipped, land rocket-boosted or
translocatable. Equipped with a Virtue system. Contact @GFM for leasing and
rental information. Also seeking qualified mechaneers, effigiers, and assorted
other helpers in creation, production, and maintenance of the Iron Ravens.
http://www.steelravens.net/phpBB2/index.php



The Kheldian League is a supergroup on Triumph.
It is only for Warshades and Peacebringers. We have a friendly group of players
and a nice base. To join, please email xoxman on the forums, or contact us
in-game by emailing Beta Sword PB, Enis, or Umbrastar.



The PvP Event Committee is looking for more
experienced event coordinators and planners to add to our current team. We are
looking for PvPers with a general knowledge of tournament formats and PvP
tactics. We are looking for players with evening and weekend availability who
are dedicated to improving the PvP community within the whole of CoX. We need
dependable, hard-working members who will put in extra time when needed to
teach, promote, or host events game-wide. If we just described you, please
visit our website at http://pvpec.guildportal.com, click "Join the PvPEC", and
fill out our short membership application to become a part of the driving force
in PvP game-wide.


 

Posted


















/em Smack






By
Dirtwolf












































































The City Scoop Staff

Editors-in-Chief

Marcian
Tobay


Lemur Lad

Editors

Pants_Stealer
- Copy Editor

Teldon
- Behind the Mask

LadyK
- Food and Restaurant, Classifieds

Fulmens
- Business and Market

Snow
Globe - Puzzles

Burning
Brawler - Roleplaying

MrsAlphaOne
- Encounters

born2luz
- Bases

Advice

Arts

Lady
Athyna

LiquidX

_darque_

Dirtwolf

PvP Correspondents

Layout

Dumok

Excentric

Mantid

Additional Staff

Bowfling

Preter
natural

Empress

IonBurst

Guy
Perfect

Captain
Amazing

TonyV

Evitron

Evol
Advocate

Thors
Assassin





The City Scoop is always seeking comments, suggestions, and
articles from our readers. Just send them to the corresponding department or
one of our Editors-in-Chief.



 

Posted

Edition 19 of "The City Scoop” a publication for Supers by Supers!

Squeaking off the presses with the l33t skillz of Dirtwolf we have the latest edition of The City Scoop! It seems that an unforeseeable accident in the press room left Mantid caught in a bind of super glue and rubber bands. So you may see some errors and format changes to this week’s edition of the Scoop but they wanted to roll it out and we will head back in when able to clean up some portions as they are able to do so.

Leading off this week we have guest writer Xury2 from the PWNZ section who as on assignment at the Austin NCsoft Meet & Greet event. He did a great job at doing a wide scale coverage of the event and included some really great shots. Also in this edition we have the winners of the Mr/Ms Paragon/Rogue Isles Contest from Infinity, Freedom, and Pinnacle, events will be held tomorrow for Champion, Justice, and Liberty. So far word from the Player Event Resource Committee is that everyone is having a blast!

If you would like to do a feature article, have an event covered, or join "The City Scoop" team please PM Lemur_Lad or Marcian_Tobay

If you or someone you know should be considered for ‘Behind the Mask’ Teldon or ‘Encounters’ please contact MrsAlphaOne

If you need some “Advice” contact Lady_Athyna or would like to “Ask The X” contact LiquidX


For a printable version of "The City Scoop" please send an email to the following
CityScoop20@the-swarm.org!

If you have an event you would like covered by “The City Scoop” please post your events under the event forum located here: Event Forum

Discussion on the latest edition of "The City Scoop" is located here.

 

Posted

Due to editorial issues which were unforeseen certain pages of The City Scoop were left out of Friday's publication. These changes have now been updated.

Changes made to the Front Page.

Added City of Zeroes.
Added Behind The Mask.

This looks like a mysterious edition indeed!

I can't wait until this coming Friday!

Regards,

Ex Libris