City Scoop, ~Front Page~ February 13th 2009
By
Niviene,
Posted on: 2009-02-13 17:38 in Announcements
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The Hazards of Getting Involved: Part 2There can't possibly be anything worse for an event than a dedicated griefer, right? Wrong! There absolutely can! One of those things that can ruin an event is you, the organizer. "But it's my event!" you might say. "How could I possibly ruin my own event?" You can ruin it very easily, in a lot of different ways. Most of the time when an event doesn't go as planned, it's because the planner missed something or changed something at the last minute. For example, a simple costume contest. Very easy to run, right? You line people up, you pick the top three costumes, and you give them their prizes - done! These are usually pretty easy to run, and they tend to go over pretty well. Everyone loves a good costume contest because it's a fast way to make money. How could you possibly ruin a costume contest? Have you ever seen what happens when the organizer of a costume contest chooses people from his or her supergroup as the winners, or what happens when the organizer doesn't team with the winners to trade prizes and someone gets in the way of the trade? What was a feel-good, fun little competition turns into a bloodbath and you're the center of attention. You can avoid the aforementioned pitfalls easily - choose the best costumes (not your best friends!) and team the winners, right clicking on their name in your team list to send the trade invite. You, as the event organizer, can also mess things up before the event even starts! Running a big event is hard work, and takes extra hands. If you don't get enough help beforehand, everyone has to do extra work. That's not fun for the volunteers helping you, and it's not fun for you either. It can also be very discouraging when people don't show up for an event that you planned. If you advertise it appropriately beforehand, this shouldn't be a problem, but you can always ask your friends to tell their friends (and so on and so forth). Also, make sure you're not holding your event on the same night when other people are already holding events - it's hard to get a ton of people for a Hamidon Raid when there's a Rikti Raid going on at the same time, or vice versa. Speaking of the Rikti and Hamidon Raids, that brings up a good point. Make sure, if you're going to run a Task Force or a Raid, that you know exactly what you're talking about! Nothing is worse than a leader who has no idea what he or she is doing, and nothing is better than a leader who can skillfully take a large group to victory. There are a lot of guides on the forums dedicated to Task Forces and Raids, and you can also check ParagonWiki. Do your research, especially if it's something you've never run before or something you've only done once or twice with someone else leading! There's one more thing I want to talk about when it comes to hazards. It's your attitude. It can be hard to organize an event, and it's great to be in charge, but being involved does not entitle you to be rude to anyone for any reason. No matter how stupid you think someone is being, you need to remain polite and in control of the situation. The fastest way to ruin any event for everyone involved is for the event organizer to be rude to the volunteers and attendees. There is absolutely no call for it, especially if you want to run any more events. People who have come to an event where the organizer was rude and badly prepared will make sure not to come to another one. Don't get frustrated, don't get arrogant, and don't get angry - at least, not in game where people can "see" you. | It's not easy to run an event, but it's very easy to ruin it. However, most of the problems with running an event can be easily overcome with a cool head and a little bit of forethought on the part of the planner. When you're organizing an event, ask yourself "What if..." about situations that could occur and come up with a contingency plan, just in case. What if some of your volunteers don't show up? Make sure you have backups you can call in. What if a griefer (or multiple griefers!) try to ruin your event? Prepare to ask them to stop in a polite way and petition them if necessary. What if someone accuses you of unfair judging at a costume contest? Take a deep breath and explain to them that you choose the costumes you liked best, OR, if you have certain criteria you went by, outline the criteria on Broadcast prior to the event. What if you have to leave by a certain time, but your party is still going strong? If you said the party would be between 7 pm and 11 pm, and you need to leave at 11 pm, say goodbye to everyone, wish them a good night and leave. These are just a few examples of situations and solutions - there are many more things that could happen! The problems that can arise during an event are as diverse as the people who will be your attendees, but the answers are usually simple. I know we've been talking about a lot of problems with getting involved, but don't let them scare you away! As I said before, anyone can get involved - yes, anyone - and you shouldn't let a few hazards scare you off. The gain outweighs the risk when it comes to running events, so what are you waiting for? Go get involved! Perfect Zinger: +TauntI'm going to be completely honest when I say I don't hate the Rikti. The Traditionalists are pretty nice when you get to know them, and they're funny as hell when they've had a few drinks. Now the other day I met one named Hi'Fy, a communications officer with a penchant for human films. When we started discussing them, I couldn't help but laugh at the way he recited famous movie quotes. Here's some, and I hope you enjoy. Feel free to guess which is which and from what movie. Designation: Buck. Objective: Relations with women. Food: Royale with cheese. Flavor: Tasty. Plan: Make him a offer. Refusal: Impossible. Your speech: Directed at me? Show me: The money! Elementary: Dear Watson. Necessity: Larger watercraft. Admiration: Clever girl. Gentlemen: Cannot fight here! Location: War Room! My name: Hedley. |
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PvPEC Monthly Feature: The LotteryHow lucky are you? In February the PvPEC will be awarding 500,000,000 to one hero AND one villain who will be selected from all participants across the 11 live servers. That's right! Just for participating in the February Feature Event: Super Lotto Plus, regardless if you win, lose, or draw everyone will have an equal chance at taking away the prize money this month for simply showing up and participating! How does this work you ask? Simple! A Lethal Lottery is a 2v2 tournament open to heroes and villains and is a random draw of your partner for each round, so you will never know who you will end up with! There will be 3 Preliminary Rounds that will be completely unrated. For each of those 3 Preliminary Rounds you participate in, you will be given one chance in the lottery drawing for a total of 3 possible chances to win. Late entries will be taken up to the start of the third preliminary round, so make sure you get to Pocket D as soon as possible to get all three chances for the cash jackpot! Have some fun in those preliminary matches? Great! Because the Tournament Rounds will begin as soon as the Preliminary Rounds are over and the winners will receive a truly awesome prize. Both winners from each server will receive a City of Heroes or City of Villains Collector's DVD Edition code compliments of the PvPEC Staff. In the end, this will be an excellent way for you to get acquainted with I13 PvP. And whether you are a beginner or a hardcore PvPer, you still stand an equal chance of winning that huge jackpot. You might even surprise yourself and walk away with one of the Collector's DVD Edition codes. Due to the fun and camaraderie to be had in an event like this, everyone will be a winner! The PVPEC is looking forward to seeing everyone participate for these fabulous prizes. See you there! You can find the Main Forum Post here, or look below for individual server information. | Server Schedule
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The RedeemersThe main floor was converted into an impromptu theater as the reformed criminals watched the television in awe. The news crews were covering the damage being wrought throughout the underbelly of Skyway City. "...The creature is approximately twelve feet tall and is almost as big around as the pillars supporting the overpass!" the woman shouting from the news chopper announced to the viewers throughout the city, "Longbow forces are moving into place.... But the Trolls that have been throwing themselves at the creature have been getting tossed aside like rag dolls! Now.... Ladies and gentlemen.... If you have small children watching, you should probably have them leave the room as much of our footage is quite graphic...." "Indeed," the dark wizard watching the Redeemers under his leadership murmured, "You children should be heading out there, helping those massing Longbow troops.... Especially since their organization issues your paychecks!" "In a moment, in a moment!" Harold shouted, "Here come the Supa Trolls!" The big gray mass started punching the burly green monsters aside like they were rag dolls. Some were able to get in a few hits, but they didn't seem to slow the beast down. It raged on, smashing the Supa Trolls into the river, the pillars, and various bits of wrecked cars. It was like a machine, and worse, it was getting better. As the Supas pressed in, it started not only taking the hits, but grabbing the beefy monsters and yanking them off balance and slinging them about like so many toys. When it kicked one in the gut and followed up the strike with an uppercut that knocked the Superadine-addled brute into the underside of the overpass, Mortiganen turned off the television. "Oh come on!" Danesti shouted among the groans of disappointment, this time with more anger than any kind of twisted humor, "You saw what that thing is doing! We're gonna get killed out there!" There were some murmurs of agreement and half of the Redeemers refused to leave their spots. The dark wizard muttered something and the television burst into flames. "I'm sorry," he rasped again, "I don't remember giving you a choice." "You can't order us to throw our lives away!" "Oh come on you big baby!" Johnny Slag shouted from the door, surprising the whole crop of ex-cons, "We've got the Med-Com dealies! It's not like it's gonna kill us!" And with that, he was out the door. Harold watched him go and the rest of the group turned to look at him. "You gonna let him call you that?" Garm grunted. "Hell no!" the former hit man shouted, "Jones! Get me my rifle! We're taking that beast down!" "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!" The beast let loose a bellow that reverberated throughout the underbelly of the overpass. The Trolls weren't rushing to meet him anymore and the thing that most closely resembled the form of Grendel that the Legacy Chain mystics had demonstrated to Mortiganen considered its targets. The Longbow Eagles getting into position and sighting their rifles on his near-impervious form were a good bet, but there were still plenty Trolls to kill, first. He let loose one more bellow to goad them into rushing for him, stomping a shockwave into the water to show his contempt. | He was rewarded with a bright flash of pain as something slammed into his right eyebrow. Five hundred yards away, Harold racked another shell into his rifle's chamber and sighted in to fire again. "That's funny," he muttered, "I must be wasted, because it looks like he's mad at me... We sure that's the guy we're looking for?" "Yes," Mortiganen replied as the former Frost Family enforcer fired again, "Twelve feet tall, gray skin, longhorns like a bull... Basically a mini Talos." "Grendel didn't look like that in life," Garm muttered, "But... His skull features are similar..." "Well, cloning's not the most surprising of concepts," the wizard muttered, "Best not to worry about it now. We'll help take this beast down, then worry about who sent it after the city." "Uh... guys?" the hit man muttered as he hoisted up his rifle and jumped down from the piled up concrete blocks, "We should be moving..." They jumped away just in time to avoid a derelict car slamming into the perch. It tumbled over the rocks and chased Garm, but the Caliban tumbled out of the way through the water just in time. "Looks like we need to revise our strategy," he gasped, "sniping him isn't going to work..." "It got his attention away from the Eagle squadron, though." A series of reports from the assault rifles wielded by the Longbow troops showed that a new volley was being launched against Grendel. A roar indicated that he wasn't amused and was attacking them with the same fervor he'd gone after the Trolls just hours earlier. When they looked to see what was happening, the gray beast was lifting a boulder out of the riverbed and hurling it into the swarm of jetpack soldiers. The twist was that, due to the size of the flying object, the entire group was batted out of the air. "Not good," the Caliban grumbled, "He does stuff that super strong tankers wish they could do..." "He's not even bleeding," Danesti yelped, "All those bullets just bounced!" Then more attacks were leveled against the monster, these ones launched not by more Longbow troops, but by various teams of the Redeemers. A series of vines ripped out of the water and lashed at the monster. Ashen Roast's fiery form leaped into the water next to the gray monster and lashed at him with his fiery sword while Johnny Slag's cybernetic blades hacked and slashed into the harder-than-steel flesh. Beams of ice and lightning scored into Grendel's torso and head and then things looked like they were going to go the way of any average monster fight. Then the beast stomped and his combatants were carried off in what could only be described as a tidal wave. Grendel didn't seem to have a scratch on him, and his deep chuckling indicated he hadn't really been hurt. This was going to be bad. |
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Service in Style
A warm hello to all my friends, my companions, and my enemies! I am here to talk about a topic that is dear to my heart, that of our noble service people. That's right, while we roam around Paragon city pretending to be Heroes and Villains; these people are off in far away lands defending our freedom to do so. They are the true heroes of our world, so without further pause for thought, or a freshly squeezed apple juice, allow me to introduce "Service in style," Crime of Fashion's guide to creating a military character! Now you need to do several things once you decide on player a military based character. Firstly, whom do you serve? This is a very broad category, but the two major points here are nationality, and Branch of Service. Nationality is easy, in which nation's military do you serve? Don't limit yourself to your own home country, although it is refreshingly patriotic to do so. Branch of service is the part of the Military in which you serve. Are you Regular Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corp? Within these groups are specialized sub groups like the Army Rangers, Navy Seals, and The British SAS. These groups are collectively known as "Special Forces" and have an immediate lure for people wanting to play heroes. I suggest hitting the internet or your local library and reading up a little about your chosen service, to understand their history, their uniforms, and what they stand for. Secondly, how do you serve? You have a lot of options here. Are you a regular force veteran Sergeant; with more wounds than most people have had hot dinners? Or are you an officer, experienced in leading men and women into combat, with a handy plan for any occasion? You could also be a technical character, the combat engineer, or medic who solves problems. Are you powers part of your military training, or did they appear later? While it's pretty traditional to have a military character that is an Assault Rifle/ Devices blaster, you can go further afield in your power selection. Some possibilities include
Finally, I have five Costume slots, what do I do? The military is famous for its uniforms, and they have a uniform for every occasion.
Combat Fatigues are your standard camouflage gear with big boots, ammo belts, a flak jacket, and a helmet. The standard gear you would wear into combat. The camouflage pattern should suit your environment and I have included two examples here, one that is just right, and one that is too bright for the environment. |
When not engaged in active duty, military personal have a regular uniform that they wear around camps and bases. Traditionally slacks and a dress shirt worn with a beret or hat, service ribbons may be on display as well. The character on the right is based on Corporal Willie Apiata, New Zealand's most decorated Soldier in the modern era, recipient of both the Victoria Cross (The British Commonwealths highest medal) and a US Presidential Citation.
The Dress uniform is worn for special occasions, such as visiting dignitaries, award ceremonies, and memorials. Each nation and branch of service has a very specific look to their dress uniform. I chose to emulate the dress uniform of the United States Marine Corp, mainly due to just how stylish it is.
Black ops look, for those nights where you need to sneak into an enemy compound without notice. The look focuses on hiding the face behind night vision gear and a mask, along with dark camouflage.
Finally, Mess dress. Some nation's militaries have a formal dinner outfit for banquets and events. This particular look is that of the New Zealand Army which is virtually identical to that of the British Army. So there you have it, go forth, make military themed characters, and honor the contribution of the Men and Women fighting overseas. Farewell, my little chums. Crime_of_Fashion City Scoop Fashion Reporter and Dance Choreographer. Author's note: In real life, Crime of Fashion works for the New Zealand Defense force in Communications and Public relations. Because I Have to Look at You...Arbiter Fabulous is currently unavailable to give out advice as he is on a very nice cruise with his girlfriend. We, his assistants, hope he has a lovely time, and that he stays away until our bones mend. One of the ways he might leave us be is by having to answer many letters, all of which occupy his time very well. To spare us, please send lots of letters to Equation on the COH message boards with the heading of "Dear Arbiter Fabulous..." As he is not the kind of person to wish others a Happy Valentine's Day, let us do that for him, because we're going to be reprimanded for something anyway. Sincerely Yours, Bowl and Doily Spiders Division #314 | ||||||
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| Trident of JusticeInterview with: Mister_WonderQ) What is the name of your group and what made you choose it? A) Trident of Justice. Our base is made up of two of my real life best friends (Etheriole and Hairy Godmother) and me. We felt that whatever name we choose for our base should reflect the number three. Once we narrowed it down to two or three names, the symbol of a Trident was the obvious choice. Q) What is your base designer's name? A) Actually, that would be me. Although I relied heavily on my Super Group mates' input into what they wanted and/or needed. Q) What server is your base on? A) Guardian, the cookie and fairy dust server (although never combine them. It tastes awful). Q) When was your super/villain group established? A) I would have to say around two years ago. Q) What is the approximate value of your base? A) Approximate value of our base is about 6,138,250. Give or take. Q) How much time have you/your designer invested in your base since you started building? A) There is no way possible for me to say with any certainty, but I would guess (with building and razing the dang thing so many times) about 200+ hours total. Q) What is your/your designer's favorite base item? Least favorite? A) Ok, that's a tough one. I can narrow it down to two things: The Dorm and Club Arcanis. The dorm was the first challenging room I attempted after reading a thread on how to stack items. Then I had to take my two weeks vacation right before Christmas so I decided I was going to finally finish the base. Q) What is your/your designer's favorite thing about base editing? Least favorite? A) The power to create. I am a closet architect. I loved playing the original SIMS for hours at a time. I would just create houses and then delete them and start over. Matter of fact, I am seriously considering having my SG mates take away my base editing privileges. I always want to tweak things here and there. My least favorite thing about base editing is the red box of dooooom! I could get seriously creative without any restrictions *insert evil laugh here*. Q) Did you get your inspiration from anyone specific or was it right from your imagination? A) Most of the inspiration was from my own warped mind, but after I discovered the wonderful thread "Post Your Coolest I13 Rooms" by American_Angel, things got way easier. The base editing community is one of the most creative I have ever seen anywhere (especially Beefcake, Alan_S and Solian). Q) If you/your designer could give just one piece of advice to a new base editor, what would it be and why? A) I don't really have just one piece of advice but read the aforementioned thread and then come up with an origin for your base. So many of us have origins for our heroes/villains, but so few have a back story to their base. Then, just experiment and when you get frustrated take a break. Please visit our gallery for more images. |
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Vol. 2, Issue 34
February 13th, 2009
The City Scoop a publication for Supers by Supers! Read the latest publication and then join in on the community discussion!
If you have concerns regarding the content of the Scoop please direct your comments via PM to Ex Libris.
If you would like to do a feature article, have an event covered, or join "The City Scoop" team please PM Snow_Globe
If you have a Classified Ad you would like included or join "The City Scoop" team please contact: Marcian Tobay
If you have an interview please contact: EmperorSteele or HumanMiracle
If you need some Advice contact Lady_Athyna or would like to Ask The X contact LiquidX
If you have a base you would like featured, please contact EnnVee
Finally if you have a Recipe you would like included please contact: MistressNoire
The City Scoop
Under the Hood
Attack Accuracy and ToHit
By TopDoc
Time for another article on slotting powers. Last time, I discussed slotting attack powers in general. This week I'll go into more detail on Accuracy, and how much you really need in attacks. Plus examples!
FinalToHit = AttackAccuracy * (1+AccuracyEnhancement) * (BaseToHit +/- buffs)
You want FinalToHit to be 95%, and that's usually something you can accomplish easily once you start slotting SOs. Your average AttackAccuracy is 1, BaseToHit is 75% for even level mobs, and there are no other buffs involved. Rearranging the formula above, it's easy to find out how much Accuracy Enhancement you need, and that's about 27%.
Accuracy Enhancement = (FinalToHit / AttackAccuracy / (BaseToHit +/- buffs))-1
Accuracy Enhancement = (0.95 / 1 / 0.75) - 1 = 0.2667
Say you want to fight higher-level mobs. The BaseToHit against +1 mobs is 65%, +2 mobs is 56%, +3 mobs is 48%, and +4 mobs is 39%. Plugging those numbers in above, the Accuracy Enhancement needed for +1 mobs is 46%, +2 mobs is 70%, +3 mobs is 98%, and +4 mobs is 144%. You can't slot enough Accuracy to hit +4 mobs 95% of the time, so time to look for other buffs.
Check out City of Data to see what your options are. There are a LOT!
Vol. 2, Issue 34
Feb 13, 2009
This Issue:
Community
Get Involved!
Perfect Zinger
PVP
PvPEC Monthly Feature: The Lottery
Fiction
The Redeemers
Fashion
Service in Style
Because I Have to Look at You
Base Showcase
Comic
Masthead
A single Defender running well-slotted Tactics from the Leadership Power Pool can add 19.5% ToHit to an entire team. The Accuracy needed to hit even level mobs goes down to 1%, +1 mobs is 12%, +2 mobs is 26%, +3 mobs is 41%, and +4 mobs is 62%. In general, Defender Tactics will let you go after mobs 2 levels higher than you could without it. I'll say that makes it worth 2 levels. Controllers, Corruptors, Kheldians, and VEATs provide a lower ToHit bonus, so their Tactics is worth 1.5 levels. Tactics on other ATs is worth about 1 level. Tactics stack, so a big team with several Tactics can hit very high-level mobs easily. Tactics is a key power in all of my SuperTeams. VEATs get a power called Tactical Training: Leadership that does the same thing as Tactics but costs half the Endurance. I HIGHLY recommend that every VEAT take it.
Super Strength Tankers and Brutes get Rage, which is a base 20% ToHit buff. That's about the same as Defender Tactics above, meaning it's worth 2 levels. Slot Rage for ToHit (to 31.2%) and it's worth 3 levels.
Most melee types can get Focused Accuracy through an Epic or Patron Power Pool. It provides +5% ToHit (which can be enhanced via slotting) and +20% Accuracy (which cannot). Assuming the ToHit is well slotted to 7.8% ToHit, the extra Accuracy you need to slot in your attacks to hit even level mobs is 0%, +1 mobs is 10%, +2 mobs is 29%, +3 mobs is 50%, and +4 mobs is 83%. Looks like it's worth about 2 levels.
Follow Up for Widows and Claws Scrappers adds +10% ToHit, and it usually isn't slotted. It's worth one level, or two levels if you have a really high Recharge build and can double stack it.
The unique Kismet IO provides a 6% ToHit buff, so it's worth a half level.
Certain powers have an AttackAccuracy modifier. Power sets that require a drawn weapon (Assault Rifle, Broadsword, Katana, etc., but not Claws) usually have a 1.05 AttackAccuracy modifier, though Archery has a 1.15 AttackAccuracy modifier. Check City of Data. The 1.15 modifier is worth one level, while the 1.05 modifier is worth about a third of a level. Assassin Strikes have a 1.2 modifier, Nukes are around 1.4, and single target Controller controls are 1.1 or 1.2, while AoE controls are 0.8 or 0.9. Check your powers so you know which ones need help and which ones don't. AoE Control powers almost ALWAYS need lots of Accuracy.
Moving on, many powers have Defense Debuffs. Certain Lethal attacks (Broadsword and Katana) have a 7.5% Defense Debuff, Earth Control powers may have a 20% debuff, while some Radiation Blast powers go as high as 37.5%. These powers have to hit to take effect, and they are scaled based on relative level, and some mobs (like AVs) resist them significantly, but still a 37.5% debuff is HUGE! Radiation Infection is an auto-hit AoE toggle with a base 31% Defense Debuff for Defenders or 25% for Controllers and Corruptors. Slot these powers up, plug the numbers into the formulas above, and giggle. Don't laugh TOO loud or the Devs might notice.
Now for the flip side of the coin. Some mobs have ToHit debuffs, often Dark based attacks. Circle of Thorns Spectral Daemon Lords have a 30% ToHit debuff in Chill of the Night, and attacks with 5-10% Debuffs each. Those scale based on relative level as well, so that Chill of the Night becomes a 43% Debuff when fighting +4 mobs. You want to fight those bad boys from range. Some Paragon Protectors hit Elude or even Moment of Glory when low on Hit Points, and get silly levels of Defense. To counter that, Accuracy is never enough. You really need ToHit buffs of your own, and big ones at that. Better yet, hold them before they can activate their emergency power.
When in doubt, look at your Buff Bar, and look at the Combat tab in your chat window. The Buff Bar will tell you what buffs are currently affecting you, while the Combat window will tell you your real chance ToHit.