Fortunatas and the Mind Link (NPCs, not VEATs)
By
Duck Dim Sum,
Posted on: 2009-05-22 06:06 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
From the description : "Fortunata Seers can glimpse moments into the future. They use this ability to increase the defense of the more mundane troops they slavishly lead into combat. "
In in-universe terms, it sounds like they link to the minds of their troops, foresee threats to them and and use the link to tell them how to evade those threats.
Arc #40529 : The Furies of the Earth
Going from (potentially rusty) rememberance of Westin Phipps arc -
Fortunatas and Banes are taken from psychically gifted children/young people. Banes are turned inward, essentially joining a 'hive mind.' Fortunatas are developed outward so they have some degree of precognizance. The fortunatas would be the more independant of the two.
(Happen to be working on a bane story arc dealing with some of this - and some that 'turning' wasn't successful on.)
I loved that arc, Bill. Felt kind of lack luster in the end (almost a Romeo and Juliet arc), but it was very nicely done.
As for the question: I think others have covered my feelings and thoughts on it. And for NPC goodness, confuse a Fortunata and have them activate Mind Link. You'll get the bonus, and can right click the power and get the info. Beware though, it's a power that constantly interrupts you, so don't do it if you (or your team) rely on things like Trip Mine, AS, Medicine Pool, etc.
Another question: Who gives the high-level villain arc where you have to kidnap the rogue Fortunata who then "volunteers" to be turned into a Tarantula Mistress?
Eva Destruction AR/Fire/Munitions Blaster
Darkfire Avenger DM/SD/Body Scrapper
Arc ID#161629 Freaks, Geeks, and Men in Black
Arc ID#431270 Until the End of the World
That sounds Phipps-ish. Either that or he's the one that had someone dissected...
EDIT: I was wrong... Westin Phipps doesn't have either of those... I'm not sure who those belong to now.
I'm pretty sure the "She volunteered, oops, she got poisoned" is one of the Arachnos-uniformed ones in any case... which would limit which ones it is. Brass is more concerned with Aeon and the Goldbrickers, Mr. Corporate-speak is more concered with brass...
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Another question: Who gives the high-level villain arc where you have to kidnap the rogue Fortunata who then "volunteers" to be turned into a Tarantula Mistress?
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Who else, but Westin Phipps.
Never surrender! Never give up!
Help keep Paragon City alive with the unofficial City of Heroes Tabletop Role Playing Game!
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Another question: Who gives the high-level villain arc where you have to kidnap the rogue Fortunata who then "volunteers" to be turned into a Tarantula Mistress?
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Who else, but Westin Phipps.
[/ QUOTE ]Its sad when he is the only contact that actually gives "Evil" missions. 
My hope is that going forward the devs have a more darkerside for villain content.
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Yep, I checked, they're both Phipps, and you're right Memphis_Bill, it was an Arachnos one that got "volunteered." He didn't have someone dissected, he was going to have Hugo vivisected, in front of his girlfriend.
Edit: Still not much information there about how the Fortunatas' powers work, except that they catch glimpses of the future.
Eva Destruction AR/Fire/Munitions Blaster
Darkfire Avenger DM/SD/Body Scrapper
Arc ID#161629 Freaks, Geeks, and Men in Black
Arc ID#431270 Until the End of the World
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(Happen to be working on a bane story arc dealing with some of this - and some that 'turning' wasn't successful on.)
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I've got a character like that already. One of the few I've written a backstory to, and even though it's only a few pages long...I'm pleased with it. </shameless plug>
Anyway, to respond to the OP...I don't think the Fortunatas are constantly "networked" the way Banes are supposed to be. Otherwise, Seer Marino would've had a lot more trouble than she did in her Arc. 
Then again, canon itself invokes a great deal of author's caveat when it comes to Banes and free will, too. Some of it's unavoidable--I don't think the engine could parse the type of randomly-spawned Arachnos you get in a scanner mission and adjust dialogue accordingly--but then there are those pesky player character Banes.
In other words, if you're asking for an AE Arc or a character backstory, I'd just run with whatever you think fits your character or storyline the best. That seems to be what the devs do.
Quote:
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Newton: I observed Mercury's perihelion moving 43 arc-seconds per century more than it should. Is this WAI? --Einstein |
Why yes, as a matter of fact, I am asking for an AE arc. I don't want to mess around with canon too much if I can avoid it.
Eva Destruction AR/Fire/Munitions Blaster
Darkfire Avenger DM/SD/Body Scrapper
Arc ID#161629 Freaks, Geeks, and Men in Black
Arc ID#431270 Until the End of the World
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Another question: Who gives the high-level villain arc where you have to kidnap the rogue Fortunata who then "volunteers" to be turned into a Tarantula Mistress?
[/ QUOTE ]
Who else, but Westin Phipps.
[/ QUOTE ]Its sad when he is the only contact that actually gives "Evil" missions. My hope is that going forward the devs have a more darkerside for villain content.
[/ QUOTE ]
Must...resist...urge...to argue...
Never surrender! Never give up!
Help keep Paragon City alive with the unofficial City of Heroes Tabletop Role Playing Game!
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Why yes, as a matter of fact, I am asking for an AE arc. I don't want to mess around with canon too much if I can avoid it.
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I can't blame you in the slightest for that. Not only is the "link activated haphazardly/at will" explanation the easiest for a writer to work with (in that any telepathic communication you want to have captured can be captured, and any that you don't want captured isn't), it seems to be the one the devs use. Come to think of it, those two statements are probably linked, what with some of the devs being writers and all.
That's the explanation that lets Kalinda know enough (but not too much), lets Seer Marino weave her webs, and lets the Rogue Fortunatas defect without being stopped 100% of the time.
Quote:
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Newton: I observed Mercury's perihelion moving 43 arc-seconds per century more than it should. Is this WAI? --Einstein |
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Another question: Who gives the high-level villain arc where you have to kidnap the rogue Fortunata who then "volunteers" to be turned into a Tarantula Mistress?
[/ QUOTE ]
Who else, but Westin Phipps.
[/ QUOTE ]Its sad when he is the only contact that actually gives "Evil" missions. My hope is that going forward the devs have a more darkerside for villain content.
[/ QUOTE ]
Must...resist...urge...to argue...
[/ QUOTE ]
I just hate how he is such cliche evil most of the time, especially his abuse of "you have outlived your purpose". Someone should write an arc where he tries to pull that stunt on you and have it backfire on him horrifically.
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Another question: Who gives the high-level villain arc where you have to kidnap the rogue Fortunata who then "volunteers" to be turned into a Tarantula Mistress?
[/ QUOTE ]
Who else, but Westin Phipps.
[/ QUOTE ]Its sad when he is the only contact that actually gives "Evil" missions. My hope is that going forward the devs have a more darkerside for villain content.
[/ QUOTE ]
Must...resist...urge...to argue...
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, with the upcoming Gone Rogue, shouldn't there be some, darker options available? I mean, I'm not saying that to be evil you have to like running the Westin Phipps arcs, I'm just saying there will have to be some way to distinguish your actions as "good" or "bad" or "morally ambiguous".
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Another question: Who gives the high-level villain arc where you have to kidnap the rogue Fortunata who then "volunteers" to be turned into a Tarantula Mistress?
[/ QUOTE ]
Who else, but Westin Phipps.
[/ QUOTE ]Its sad when he is the only contact that actually gives "Evil" missions. My hope is that going forward the devs have a more darkerside for villain content.
[/ QUOTE ]
Must...resist...urge...to argue...
[/ QUOTE ]
I just hate how he is such cliche evil most of the time, especially his abuse of "you have outlived your purpose". Someone should write an arc where he tries to pull that stunt on you and have it backfire on him horrifically.
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There is a halfway-decent "Take down Westin Phipps" arc on the AE. It's heroically themed, but my Widow did it anyway; any chance to stick it to that creep.
Storm Summoning is great because it makes you better than everyone else in the game. - Camma
Knockback is mitigation. It won't be removed just because meleers ***** and moan. - Chaos Creator
Phipps is not the only evil contact. Peter Themari is way eviller than Phipps. Westin Phipps blinds little girls. Peter Themari turns them evil, uses them, and then hands them over to the DE.
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Why yes, as a matter of fact, I am asking for an AE arc. I don't want to mess around with canon too much if I can avoid it.
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I can't blame you in the slightest for that. Not only is the "link activated haphazardly/at will" explanation the easiest for a writer to work with (in that any telepathic communication you want to have captured can be captured, and any that you don't want captured isn't), it seems to be the one the devs use. Come to think of it, those two statements are probably linked, what with some of the devs being writers and all.
That's the explanation that lets Kalinda know enough (but not too much), lets Seer Marino weave her webs, and lets the Rogue Fortunatas defect without being stopped 100% of the time.
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Oh, the arc has a reason for getting around the link. I just want to know if I'd be justified in actually using it without getting into "well, isn't that convenient" territory. Looks like I can't.
Eva Destruction AR/Fire/Munitions Blaster
Darkfire Avenger DM/SD/Body Scrapper
Arc ID#161629 Freaks, Geeks, and Men in Black
Arc ID#431270 Until the End of the World
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Oh, the arc has a reason for getting around the link. I just want to know if I'd be justified in actually using it without getting into "well, isn't that convenient" territory. Looks like I can't.
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A good bit of Scotch Tape shouldn't be underestimated. How much of a push it is on suspension of disbelief is more a function of the writing itself than of narrative structure.
Quote:
|
Newton: I observed Mercury's perihelion moving 43 arc-seconds per century more than it should. Is this WAI? --Einstein |
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Another question: Who gives the high-level villain arc where you have to kidnap the rogue Fortunata who then "volunteers" to be turned into a Tarantula Mistress?
[/ QUOTE ]
Who else, but Westin Phipps.
[/ QUOTE ]Its sad when he is the only contact that actually gives "Evil" missions. My hope is that going forward the devs have a more darkerside for villain content.
[/ QUOTE ]
Creed, Krylov, and Themari have you do some pretty evil things.
Goodbye, I guess.
@Lord_Nightblade in Champions/Star Trek Online
nightblade7295@gmail.com if you want to stay in touch
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[ QUOTE ]
Another question: Who gives the high-level villain arc where you have to kidnap the rogue Fortunata who then "volunteers" to be turned into a Tarantula Mistress?
[/ QUOTE ]
Who else, but Westin Phipps.
[/ QUOTE ]Its sad when he is the only contact that actually gives "Evil" missions. My hope is that going forward the devs have a more darkerside for villain content.
[/ QUOTE ]
Must...resist...urge...to argue...
[/ QUOTE ]
I just hate how he is such cliche evil most of the time, especially his abuse of "you have outlived your purpose". Someone should write an arc where he tries to pull that stunt on you and have it backfire on him horrifically.
[/ QUOTE ]
My problem is using Phipps as some sort of standard. He may be evil, but he's not villainous. Or, at least, he falls way too far on the petty "puppy kicking" side of the villainy scale to be used as such.
Themari lands a bit closer to where I'd like things. At least he picks on heroes instead of children.
Never surrender! Never give up!
Help keep Paragon City alive with the unofficial City of Heroes Tabletop Role Playing Game!
As far as evil missions go, Diviner Maros sends you on a mission where you steal weapons to be handed over to the Sky Raiders, expressly so they will devastate the nation of West Libertalia. That's quite evil.
Johnny Sonata has you kidnap a woman to be his sex toy.
Arc #40529 : The Furies of the Earth
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As far as evil missions go, Diviner Maros sends you on a mission where you steal weapons to be handed over to the Sky Raiders, expressly so they will devastate the nation of West Libertalia. That's quite evil.
Johnny Sonata has you kidnap a woman to be his sex toy.
[/ QUOTE ]Didn't see that one in the Wiki ^_^.
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As far as evil missions go, Diviner Maros sends you on a mission where you steal weapons to be handed over to the Sky Raiders, expressly so they will devastate the nation of West Libertalia. That's quite evil.
Johnny Sonata has you kidnap a woman to be his sex toy.
[/ QUOTE ]Didn't see that one in the Wiki ^_^.
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Actually, Jezebel Jones is the one who offers that story arc.
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Is there any canon explanation for how exactly the "mind link" works, from a story perspective? Do they use it to tap into the minds of the other Arachnos troops they hang out with? Are they all psychically linked to each other? If they have a psychic link, is it always on, or do they just activate it when needed? And if it is always on, how do the Rogue Fortunatas get away from it?
Eva Destruction AR/Fire/Munitions Blaster
Darkfire Avenger DM/SD/Body Scrapper
Arc ID#161629 Freaks, Geeks, and Men in Black
Arc ID#431270 Until the End of the World