The City Scoop! ~ Front Page ~ April 6, 2009
By
Niviene,
Posted on: 2009-04-06 10:35 in Announcements
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Behind the Walls9. Takes All KindsThere have always been many reasons why anyone would want to play City of Heroes. With every update, every Issue, those reasons change, in the event of new features and changes to the old ones. Issue 14s of course high on a lot of peoples minds right now, but the above notions been on my mind for longer. Im going to try to explain why I think theyre related, and more importantly, why its important for players to be aware of whats likely to happen. First, a confession. Im not what anyone would call an optimist by nature, and Ive been unsure about the Mission Architect feature, insofar as how players would react to it and to each other as a result of it. Now that betas open, however, Im pleased to say that players have created missions that are genuinely fun and in some cases, imaginative. That this is true before the feature is live is remarkable, and Im looking forward to what happens next. Its worth noting that not every player, current or otherwise, is going to react to the Mission Architect in the same way. No player has, to any feature, ever implemented, in any MMO, ever made. Theres nothing wrong with that except in the way it can cause divisions based on misunderstandings among players who dont normally associate, because theyre not all doing the same things. Most players play missions; not all are playing them near-constantly, calling around for pickup groups when friends arent to be found. Many players use the auction houses; not all are in Wentworths or Black Market every day. Many players enjoy earning Badges; most are not focused on acquiring every single one available for both Hero and Villain characters. I say all that without judgment, because I honestly dont believe any of the above is wrong in regards to how City of Heroes is to be played. But necessarily, because not everyone plays the same way, its hard for everyone to understand what their fellow players value, or even regard each other as fellows. Its a problem that has no easy solution. The prevailing coping strategy seems to be live and let live, which seems to work out no matter how considerate or inconsiderate individual players are. From a support standpoint, so long as rules arent being violated, well do our best to cater to any players play behaviors. And were already doing the same for testers right now in the Training Room, where its already apparent just how significant the change Mission Architect will bring to the landscape and Im not just talking about having Heroes and Villains congregating in the Architect Entertainment buildings to stand around in front of virtual computer screens. | What Ive enjoyed watching is players discover the emergent challenges presented by the system in place, and how players are figuring out how to use their old tools in new ways. Tools like these forums, and their networks of friends. Questions about how to get other people together to play the mission you just made, or how to get it noticed amongst the many other player-made missions are already being asked and answered. Already, players are making up their minds about what level of participation they want for their characters. And its not even officially released, yet. I dont want to make too many judgment calls about what Im seeing so far, other than it all seems natural. But thats my perspective. Not every player is going to react or adapt the same way. Inevitably, there will be some who take to it much better than most, and stand out as a result. Thats how divisions get started. In the short term, there will be a lot of awkward moments. In the long term, itll be resolved, but not in a predictable way. It takes all kinds of players to make City of Heroes work. We might be seeing at least one more kind emerge in our near future, and probably more than one. Please, try to be nice to each other while its all getting sorted out. Youll be glad you did. More from Behind the Walls: 1. 2. 3.
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Pinnacle Player AuctionEvent ReportingOn Saturday, March 14, the Super Group "Explicit Content" and the Villain Group "Parental Advisory" from the Pinnacle server held a player auction. The rules were simple to understand for anyone wanting to participate in the auction. The bidding started at 10k influence/infamy. For being the auctionee, you had to give up 4 hours, but the upside was you received 60% of the winning bid amount. After it was all said and done, I was able to sit down to talk with both EnnVee and Barron, leaders of the said SG/VG, and ask them a few questions about the event and what inspired them to hold it. Hawkeyed: First off, on behalf of Pinnacle, thanks for holding such an awesome event! First, why do this event? EnnVee/Barron: We had attended a Player Auction in the past and found it to be an entertaining and fun way to raise money. Also, in game events add content to the game that cant be coded in. Hawkeyed: It's always nice to see people hold events on Pinnacle. Do you think your event went off ok? Any problems? | EnnVee/Barron: Aye! We were surprised at the amount of players that showed up for the auction, so we think it went very well. We dont think we had any problems that came up luckily. However, always expect that something "can" go wrong so it's best to be prepared it something does go wrong. Having a plan B is a good thing to have, just in case. Hawkeyed: Since your auction went very well, do you guys have any tips for someone out there planning to do an auction? Tips? Suggestions? EnnVee/Barron: A few tips actually! Patience is the key factor, unless you want to go crazy. Also, it takes a lot of planning; a month would do it justice. With a month, you get enough interest for who may want to be auctioned off, allowing people to earn money for those they wish to bid on, as well as getting people to show up just to see who is being auctioned! Hawkeyed: I see that the person up for auction got 60% of the winning bid. One would wonder that other 40% goes towards? EnnVee/Barron: Itll be used for upcoming events! For example, the Spring Fling Event that we have coming up! Hawkeyed: Again, thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions about the auction! EnnVee/Barron: Thanks for coming out to the auction, as well as taking the time to interview us! We enjoyed holding this event and look forward to holding many more in the future. Overall, the auction went smooth from this perspective. I hope to see more events from these two down the road. | ||||||||
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Fan Fiction SpotlightBy: Dylan Kennet and  Chapter I In Which A Letter Is Received And A Plant Is Rescued I am entirely uncertain as to how one should characterize this sort of occurrence. I would not presume to draw far-reaching conclusions, even now, holding all the pieces in my hands and looking back post-factum. I am, furthermore, disinclined to make accusations that cannot stand the test of verifiability, or would be otherwise fallacious. It is always my inclination, I believe, to see my own responsibility in the manner in which events evolve, and I do not see why, for this instance, I should change from my habitual view. So, let it be thus. And let me, therefore, begin at the beginning. At least - as I am the one telling this part of the tale - let it begin at my beginning. Everything, the good as well as the bad, happened because I absolutely hate being sidelined. It is a matter of human nature. No one enjoys being left behind, having to sit at the window, spin wool and sigh at the sunset. As it happens, the entire chain of events might have occurred quite differently - I dare hope, even more badly than it did - if some particular details of my everyday life at the time were just slightly different. To wit, everything would have been different had my husband, Alexander, stayed at  home, and had my friend, Lorenzo, bothered to make his note to me a single well-placed phone call. So life will stand and fall; on the whim of a single phone call.
| Although it has two authors, Genia is publishing this series to the forums; hence, the linking to her account so accolades may be dispensed. I say accolades, and not criticisms, because, frankly, I have trouble finding fault with this story. It's well written, clever, and delightfully witty. It's a surprisingly subdued work for a genre where over-the-top action and dialogue is the paramount. Usually in these cases, where the author turns away from action, they turn instead to emotional narratives in an attempt to help flesh out the characters to explain their intensely violent reactions in other situations. Such is not the case here. Instead, the characters are beyond feeling the need to justify themselves. In fact, they're beyond feeling the need for comic-book activity and we, the readers, are presented with rare concept in fan fiction: actual mystery. It's a very calm and civil approach to the "noir" genre. The characters have lived long lives and seen many terrible things. They take their time with living as much as they do investigating the murder(s) and the circumstances surrounding it (them). It makes for a decidedly strange approach to what is usually an intensely moody genre, if not dark themed (noir usually takes the location and dehumanizes it as much as possible; this story, despite a jab at the stereotype of Paris, still presents the world as somewhere one can live happily, despite crime, conspiracy theories, and other scary concepts). This is particularly unusual when the grisly details of what the characters are investigating come to light, and lends them even more credit as it attests to their experiences in life. They still react with shock and emotion, as people would, but there is none of the "We must punch bad guys in the face" mentality you normally find in similar stories. The characters want to get to the truth of the matter, and violence isn't even considered a goal (it's even considered somewhat contrary to the goal). It's refreshing and satisfying. Genia and her co-author, Dylan, definitely know what they're doing when it comes to writing, and I hope they rapidly bring us the rest of this story. It is an excellent read, and I hope all of you appreciate it as well. |
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In The Scoop"Why do Mondays always seem to arrive so much quicker than Fridays?" I mumble to myself. On the bright side, I have completed putting my new squishy chair together. So buh-bye donut! This new chair is a plush, black, Tuatha-hide, high back that has a super cushiony build and cashmere soft feel. Very squishy, like some archetypes I know. I put the tools away, set my full cup o joe on my desk and then I sit my tushy on my comfy chair. Oh, yes. This chair and I will get along just great! I checked the mail when I first walked into my office with nothing but junk mail to toss out. So I turn to the City threads and begin my surfing of the posts and pictures. So many artists in these threads. Oh! Whats this? I sat straight up in my comfy chair. I sift deeper into the thread where I see fabulous pictures done by one of our own! I express with delight, "I most definitely need to get the scoop on this artist! " And so, I write out a letter to this talented artist called Imagesbyalex and send it off with the hopes for a quick reply. I continue to drift through the threads, admiring with amazement at the talent shared with all of us. I find myself drawn back to the pieces done by Imagesbyalex. I think to myself, "I cannot wait to receive a reply back from this artist. Hopefully tomorrow I will get one." With that thought, I pack up my belongings and head for the ferry. Tomorrow is another day. 'Tiz Tuesday early morning and I couldnt wait to get to the office in the hopes that I would have a reply back from Imagesbyalex. As I wait for the mail drop, I visit the artists and boardsters in the threads. Everyone seems to be in a good mood with lots of silliness going on. I sit here giggling to myself, grateful that I dont share my office with anyone. Im sure if I did, theyd all think I was a total loon! As I stand up to look out my window with a view of Lord Recluse Plaza, I hear the mail delivery drop into the box. I quickly grab it from the box like a kid with her hand in a candy jar - and lo and behold, Ive got mail from Imagesbyalex! I set the rest of the mail aside as I sit down in my comfy chair and open the big envelope with my official Mako letter opener, a gift from Mako himself. I remove the contents, which contained several images and a nice, handwritten letter that reads: "Well hello VexXxa! I am flattered that you would want to write about me. I do believe I was featured a while back, but if you wish to write about me again, I dont mind. I have several pieces that you may be interested to include with your article, which are enclosed with this letter. I can meet with you at Pocket D tonight after work. I will see you there. Thank you. Alex" As I look through some of the images on http://www.imagesbyalex.com/, I am totally awe struck by what Alex has sent to me! These pieces are beautifully done! I am so looking forward to meeting with Alex tonight to pick his brain for more detailed information about his talent and inspiration. After a few more hours of noting other potential artists to feature from the boards, I pack myself up and head out to the ferry. Time to meet with Alex at Pocket D for the interview. I am so excited! As I sit on the ferry looking out the window at the dark choppy water, I start to think about the artists that I have featured thus far. And it just donned on me that I have not featured a Villain artist yet. Do we not have Villain artists out there? I am sure we do! Ill have to dig deeper into the threads and try to find me a Villain artist to feature. I arrive at the ferry landing and hustle my little self to Pocket D. When I arrive, I see a huge crowd of toons waiting to get inside the club. Some are dressed quite nicely, but others, well, really need help! Im not sure if even our most fashion savvy toons would be able to help them. I check the crowd for Alex the best that I could, but being as short as I am, I mostly see backs and arm pits. So I walk up to Bubba, whom I call Babbaloo because he is this really huge brute with a sweet tender heart. "Gevening, Babbaloo. How are you?" He replies in that deep scruffy masculine voice that so matches his looks, "Hello there, Miss Vex! Good to see you tonight! Im doing good. You want your usual table?" I smile and say, "Yes I would. The past few times I came to the club, you werent here so I ended up just nabbing a table on my own. Hey, Babbaloo, I am meeting an artist here to interview. If you come across him, can you please send him to my table?" Babbaloo gives me that look of curiosity and asks with a big smile and a wink "Whats his name, Miss Vex?" I grin at Babbaloo and tell him, "Its not like that, Babbaloo! His name is Alex and hes an artist from the boards that I will be interviewing tonight." Babbaloo chuckles and says, "Dont worry, Miss Vex. Ill handle it." I slip into the club and saunter upstairs to where the quiet booth is located. |
As I settle in, the waitress comes over and takes my order for a Mako Special, which is a very smooth blue colored drink. I have no idea what is in it, only that it is yummy! As I look up, I see Alex walking my way. I smile and wave to him and he smiles back and quickly walks over to the table. "Welcome Alex. Please have a seat. Thank you for meeting me here." Alex replies with a smile as he sits down, "Thank you for inviting me and featuring me in your article." The waitress brings me my drink and takes Alex's order and promptly returns with it. "I appreciate you for giving me this opportunity to feature you in my article, Alex. So, how many months have you been living in Paragon?" Alex thinks for a moment and replies, "I've spent the most time on Liberty with the Envisionaries, the artist/collector SG, but I actually started out in Virtue and have been known to hang out at Justice. I've lived in Paragon for 33 months and just received my Nemesis Staff. I can't wait to get out there and use it." We both laugh. "So, tell me Alex, around what age were you when you began to show your artistic abilities?" I ask him. Alex thinks for a moment as he takes a drink and then says, "I have memories of drawing on the kitchen floor as a little kid, not sure if I had any artistic abilities then, but I've been scribbling and drawing ever since, and I'm sure they will show up one day. I have a vivid memory of a puppet I made, in either preschool or kindergarten; it was crayon on paper bag. We were drawing animals that were on Old McDonald's farm, and I drew an Ultraman. I'm pretty sure Old McDonald never raised any Ultramen on his farm, but it seemed totally plausible at the time." I ask Alex, "Do you have a favorite piece that you have created?" Alex replies with a huge smile, "I think my favorite piece has to be the big group pic of CoH Forum regulars. That was a labor of love and took me several months to complete; I could probably do one quicker now..." I remember seeing that piece as one of the enclosures Alex sent to me. "That is an awesome piece, Alex! I really liked it! Do you have any early pieces that you'd like to share with us?" Alex immediately replies, "This was my first sketch and first forum post. My friend at work played City of Heroes and when I built my first PC I got the game and sketched this for him." Alex shows me the image from his portfolio he had brought with him. "Very impressive Alex! Do you have any pictures in the works?" I ask with curiosity. Alex smiles and says, "Here is an exclusive sneak peak at my next piece, it's not up anywhere else. It's going to be a versus piece, but that's all I'm saying at the moment." That is going to be a really cool piece when done, and I try to get more details out of Alex, but he won't budge. So I move on and ask Alex "Where do you get your creative inspiration from?" Alex ponders my question for a moment and then replies, "I try to draw inspiration from wherever I can find it. Video games, comics, paintings, sculptures, music, anything can inspire me, and I try to look for new and interesting things to help make my art better." "Do you have a place where people can go to view your work and do you take commissions?" I inquire. Alex replies, "I have a Deviant account: http://imagesbyalex.deviantart.com/ my website is: http://www.imagesbyalex.com. I have been known to take a commission or two. I'm currently focusing on raising our new son, Jaden Alexander, so I don't take as many commissions, but feel free to contact me if you have a cool idea for a piece, either through Deviant or alex@imagesbyalex.com" "Alex, I understand that your wife is an accomplished artist by her own right. May I place a link for her website for our readers to check?" I ask. Alex replies with a proud smile, "Please do. I know that will make my wife happy." With that said, and our glasses empty, I say with a smile, "Thank you so very much Alex for taking the time to come and chat with me. Our readers really do enjoy your work and I am sure that they will enjoy reading about you as well." Alex stands up and smiles, "My wife and son are waiting for me, so I do need to go. Thank you for including me in your article, VexXxa. And it was a pleasure to meet you in person." I write down one last note as Alex slips out of the bar. "Bring me your visions" - VexXxa |
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Interview with: RhynwaNote from EnnVee: This week's base has a very unique theme to it. I found this base in the base construction forums and had to seek out the designer for an interview. This was the result! My suggestion to everyone is to contact this designer for a personal tour; I assure you it is well worth your time! Q) What is the name of your group and what made you choose it? A) Pandimensional Defense Force. We originally were one big group (Pandimensional Defense League), but the group hit the size limit. This second group was started for MORE alts. After a "break up," half the group moved their toons into this one, and we broke all ties. We can't wait for the Super Group name change option (hint, hint Posi...). Q) What is your base designer(s) name? A)@Rhynwa Q) What server is your base on? A) Triumph Q) What is the approximate value of your base? A) Oooof! Well... every prestige earner is still in the group. If I total it up... Hmmmm... minus remaining prestige... Wow. About 3.5 million is in the base. Q) How much time have you/your designer(s) invested in your base since you started building? A) An even harder question. I spent a lot of time building the old-fashioned stacking way. Then I13 happened. Since about a month after I13 dropped, I have been building on and off. I finished it (put in foosball and ping-pong) on March 7... so however long that is. Q) What is your/your designer(s) favorite thing about base editing? Least favorite? A) I learned a LOT as I went; subtle things like rotational anchor points, object alignment, and how the objects WANT to move. The best advice I have is to have a plan - but expect that it will change. If you have a rigid image in your mind, you will be frustrated and give up. If you are willing to "go with the flow" you may get something even better than you originally envisioned. Some of these rooms or ideas you will have seen before, but this is my version. As always, it looks better in person, so just send a tell or a PM to @Rhynwa to get a tour.  | Welcome to Overbrook Mall[/color] Welcome to the newly rebuilt Overbrook Mall! Shop, eat, and play in a safe and protected place, care of the Pandimensional Defense Force heroes who give more. Entry (decorative/entry)[/color]     Our secure, underground garage entryway will keep you and your vehicles safe.     Flying heroes and flying machines have a safe heliport entry.     Flying machines can be parked, and heroes can clean up and change before coming into the mall as well. Atrium (main teleport)[/color]     Once in the atrium you can see the info kiosks for the mall. Dont get lost! Most of our stores can be reached from this central location. |
Vol. 2, Issue 40
April 6th, 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, or join "The City Scoop" team please PM Snow_Globe.
If you would like to place a classified ad or have an event covered, contact Cende, EnnVee, or Lemur Lad.
If you need some "Advice" contact Lady_Athyna, would like to "Ask The X" contact LiquidX, or need help with fashion, "Ask Arbiter Fabulous."
If you have a base you would like featured, please contact EnnVee.
Finally if you have a Recipe you would like included please contact Barron_.
The City Scoop
Five Tips for:
Making it through Opening Weekend at Architect Entertainment
By
Lemur Lad
If
the Open Testing was any indication, Issue 14: Architect is going to be big.
Just like any new issue though, things might be a little shaky the first few
days. There are some good steps you can take to minimize potential frustration,
though.
1. You will be given a Contact for the tutorial that can only be run in Atlas
Park or Mercy Island. If you just want to play missions other people have
created, you don't really need to go there. Head to one of the many other zones
with an Architect Entertainment building (marked with AE on your map). If you
want to work on your own missions and have already been on the Training Room
server, then it may also be a good idea to avoid the packed zones. There will
be hundreds of arcs to enjoy right away, because all the missions people made
on Test Server can easily be ported over to Live.
2. The browser is your friend. You will soon see the same missions each time you
open the terminal. I've learned to use the Browse button in the second row, to
seek out the things I'm looking for at the time. Enter the Ratings, Mission
Length, etc., that you want, and hit search. If you're having trouble finding
something, remember to hit the Clear button before you change settings, or it
will add everything together and that may mean you're searching for missions
that don't exist.
3. If you have trouble with people firing off powers, look for a door marked
Studio B (left side of the Data Stream). This room is a "no Powers lounge" for
making missions quietly. If people crowding you at the terminals bother you,
type: /macro MA architect. This will create a little button on your toolbar and
allow you to access the browser/editor from anywhere in the building. Once you
earn the Mission Engineer Accolade, you will have this ability anywhere in
game, even inside your missions.
4. If your home server is so busy you cannot login or stay connected to edit a
mission arc, go to a less populated server, create an alt with your main
character's name, and work or publish there. The MA is cross server, and
feedback is sent by Global Tell, so you don't need to be on your home server
for making a mission.
5. Please remember to rate what you play. You don't have to leave comments,
you're not obligated to be super nice, but be fair. Remember that people are
just learning the new system. The feedback window will pop up at the end of an
arc, but if you have to stop early, you can access it from the Architect
Options button in your Nav Window. Feedback may not be important to everyone,
but a lot of people worked hard and want to make their missions better. If you
liked it, say why. If you had a hard time, give info so they can maybe adjust
the arc.
Above all, have fun with it. Even if you aren't a huge fan of the idea, give it
a shot. It has made playing the game more interesting and exciting for me
personally, and I think for many people. There's something fun about not
knowing what to expect.
Vol. 2, Issue 40
April 6th, 2009
This Issue:
Community
Behind the Walls
Pinnacle Player Auction
Fiction
Fan Fiction Spotlight
Arts
In the Scoop with
Base Showcase
Pandimensional Defense League
Comic
Masthead
Upcoming Events:
April 6th
Freedom
~Ouroboros
Double TF Night~
April 11th
Pinnacle
Spring
Fling Event
April 14th
Infinity
OWNSF:
Silver Mantis