What this game needs...
By
Bionic_Flea,
Posted on: 2009-06-10 14:59 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
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EDIT: Villains get a pretty good deal, too. "Arachnos thinks you could be useful. We're allowing you to use the Arachnos sponsored mediport facilities here on the Isles. Stay useful and you'll stay on the mediport service."
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"And then we'll all try to beat you up whenever we see you anyway and won't even revoke your mediport access when there's an Arachnos death warrant out for your arrest!"
I hate you so much, Arachnos.
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Well, duh. They're evil! Why kill you once, when they can set it up so they can kill you repeatedly? They're likely keeping score, too. "Kill" enough Destined Ones for a reward.
Aegis Rose, Forcefield/Energy Defender - Freedom
"Bubble up for safety!"
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Speaking of Inf....
Anyone notice on Hero Side when you save a civilian from getting mugged, etc, they pay you? Isnt that a little... weird? Haha. I know that its a means of gaining money and exp and earning money without having to do mishes but... in real life, I cant say I'd PAY a hero for saving me, or as a Hero TAKE the money. Haha.
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WELL.. that all sort of revolves around their insisting that Influence is NOT money. According to NC Soft and Cryptic before them Influence was/is your reputation within the city so you saved a citizen and your reputaion improved (a bit) since one more citizen now thinks you are great!
It's the biggest joke in game IMO I use influence to buy (YES BUY) everything from added costumes to enhancements, recipes, salvage, inspirations and can even exchange it for prestige to support my SG base (that rate is awful at 2000 prestige for 1 million in inf but it does exist out there). INF is money... Sorry NC Soft but when was the last time you went to the store and picked out new clothing and then told the sale clerk "Oh I am using my Reputation to purchase these things." *pause* "No wait why are you calling Securty?" LOL
Heck we have our own version of the STOCK MARKET these days in Wentworths and the Black Market.. "Buy low, Sell high" so the idea that Influence and Infamy are anything BUT cash is sort of silly But there is your explanation for why you get paid.. your not being tipped you have gained repsect in the community. 
�We�re always the good guys. In D&D, we�re lawful good. In City of Heroes we�re the heroes. In Grand Theft Auto we pay the prostitutes promptly and never hit them with a bat.� � Leonard
�Those women are prostitutes? You said they were raising money for stem cell research!� � Sheldon
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Actually, there's already a 'Civil War'-esque fight in Paragon's history. The plaques for one of the history badges goes into it. Essentially, before the 'Citizen's Crime Fighting Act' (which is how we register as Heroes) there was the 'Might for Right Act', which essentially said that if you had meta-human abilities, you were automatically drafted. If you had powers, and didn't register, you were classified a Villain and delt with accordingly.
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You've got the timeframe backwards. The Citizen's Crime Fighting Act was introduced in the 30s, to let heroes like Statesman legally deal with organized crime as long as they followed the same restrictions that police officers did. Presumably, it was enacted to prevent crime bosses from getting off on technicalities due to the fact that they were arrested by vigilantes. The Might For Right Act didn't happen until the 60s, where the government decided it needed to use the nation's superheroes to deal with the Soviet's own metahumans.
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...is a nice civil war.
In all honesty, I've been thinking about it while anticipating MUA2. The heroes on Marvel were asked to start registering their super powers because they were dangers to the populace. This meant registering their secret identities too. Now, if you're like me and you make new characters every once in a while you'll notice the nifty ID cards we all get to fill out prior to play.
We're registering as Heroes. We're registering powers, available money, amount of XP gained, levels, and our histories. Anyone else find that a little shaky? Lets revolt.
= )
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It wuld be suicide for heroes. You ever notice how civilians push us around. They are obviously stronger than we are... 
Who do I have to *&^% around here to get more Targeted AoE recipes added?
Arc Name: Tsoo In Love
Arc ID: 413575
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Speaking of Inf....
Anyone notice on Hero Side when you save a civilian from getting mugged, etc, they pay you? Isnt that a little... weird? Haha. I know that its a means of gaining money and exp and earning money without having to do mishes but... in real life, I cant say I'd PAY a hero for saving me, or as a Hero TAKE the money. Haha.
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WELL.. that all sort of revolves around their insisting that Influence is NOT money. According to NC Soft and Cryptic before them Influence was/is your reputation within the city so you saved a citizen and your reputaion improved (a bit) since one more citizen now thinks you are great!
It's the biggest joke in game IMO I use influence to buy (YES BUY) everything from added costumes to enhancements, recipes, salvage, inspirations and can even exchange it for prestige to support my SG base (that rate is awful at 2000 prestige for 1 million in inf but it does exist out there). INF is money... Sorry NC Soft but when was the last time you went to the store and picked out new clothing and then told the sale clerk "Oh I am using my Reputation to purchase these things." *pause* "No wait why are you calling Securty?" LOL
Heck we have our own version of the STOCK MARKET these days in Wentworths and the Black Market.. "Buy low, Sell high" so the idea that Influence and Infamy are anything BUT cash is sort of silly But there is your explanation for why you get paid.. your not being tipped you have gained repsect in the community.
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That's why the Inf!=Money argument isn't perfect, but that IS what was said by the Devs. The only way things really fit together for me, RP wise, is that our ID card is a piece of high tech equipment rather than just a plastic card. Your ID can be changed at any time and gets updated on the spot when your Security Level grows and you gain new powers (ever tried to get your Drivers License updated when you move? Yeah, that can take time).
I've RPed that the card itself is a miniature tracking device that records your actions as you do them. This is the only way that you can gain Inf when you're doing things that are supposed to remain a secret, like missions with Crimson, Indigo, etc. The card itself gets the scan "Powers used. Combatant Defeated. Relative Power Level: +1 Minion. Credit X Inf to account" which is then used for your expenses.
The Influence/Infamy has to be a definable amount when you consider the City Hall has set up an entire system to support its Heroes. In the extra info in the back of the old Blue King comic mentioned that the city used your Influence to pay for your rent, food, and such so Heroes don't need to struggle with a 9-5 Job and Heroing around it (and the Comic is canon; War Witch/Apex's Apartment, the comics Storyarcs being playable, Cyrus' Statue all help argue that they are, making the extra info/stories much like Star Wars' Expanded Universe Canon).
This would mean that Inf is a tangible currency of some kind, and the only thing you keep with you at all times is your ID Card. This would help explain that the card itself doubles as a kind of Debit Card for use in exchange for goods and services. This makes Inf less of an abstract, but also helps fill the gaps left by the abstract.
I sit in my zen of not being able to do anything right while simultaniously not being able to do anything wrong. Om. -CuppaJo
It is by caffeine alone that I set my mind in motion. It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shaking, the shaking becomes a warning. It is by caffeine alone that I set my mind in motion.
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"And then we'll all try to beat you up whenever we see you anyway and won't even revoke your mediport access when there's an Arachnos death warrant out for your arrest!"
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Well, there are a few cases that make about as much sense blueside. In the story arc "The Evil Countess Crey", you get put on the city's most wanted list but still have full access to all of your heroic resources. Hell, you can flit right by a police drone without any worry even though you're on the most wanted list while a lowly Hellion who is only guilty of loitering will get blasted to the Zigg. Longbow guys will still help you out too. Maybe that's just how the most wanted list operates... Might be why Paragon City has still yet to keep people like Nemesis off the streets.
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At least that's a single incident... Arachnos as a whole is absurd across villainside. "We have saved you from the Zig! Now you must work for us! But we will SHOOT YOU with GUNS for ENTERTAINMENT! And even when we actually do want to kill you, we'll not revoke the mediport access that we grant you! You can bomb our headquarters and kill our members, but we still rely on your fealty to us to bring you to Siren's Call, and your motivation for doing many missions will be to inspire Arachnos to hire you! And even after you've killed thousands of our operatives, beaten up a patron and Recluse, we'll still continue attacking you and treating you like dirt! Now go work for Phipps, our agent in charge of hitting PUPPIES with BALL PEEN HAMMERS!"
I just hate how it treads some half-insane 5-dimensional line between your benefactor and your enemy.
Having Vengeance and Fallout slotted for recharge means never having to say you're sorry.
so what is the difference between influence and prestiage?
"...well I have wrestled with reality for thirty-five years, Doctor and I am happy to state I finally won out over it." Elwood P Dowd (from the movie Harvey)
XPushingOBorders wrote:
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What this game needs...
...is a nice civil war.
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You're right! It's about time that the southern zones of Skyway City, Talos Island, Brickstown, and Founders' Falls rise up against the tyranny and oppression the northern zones! Down with Steel Canyon, Striga Isle, Croatoa, and Peregrine Island!
--NT
They all laughed at me when I said I wanted to be a comedian.
But I showed them, and nobody's laughing at me now!
If I became a red name, I would be all "and what would you mere mortals like to entertain me with today, mu hu ha ha ha!" ~Arcanaville
Prestige isn't about you personally, it's about you as a representative of a greater cause.
When Ken Griffey, Jr. took the risk and ran for home to clinch the American League Divisional Playoffs for the Seattle Mariners in 1995, he earned a fat wad of influence for himself as a player, and a fat wad of prestige for the team as division victors.
When you have supergroup mode activated, you are advertising your team affiliation and some of the influence that you would get is sublimated to the team instead. The fact that it has a different name is purely a game mechanic for ease in bookkeeping.
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Hahaha. I just thought it'd be interesting if heroes were suddenly refusing to register their powers, regardless of medi-port capabilities. It just occurred to me that States and the founding heroes never suggested this might be a BAD thing...
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If you don't register you can't get in on the Citizen Crime Fighting Act, which means that the cops can't accept your evidence, act on your information, or even hold anybody you bring in.
So if you're not actually interested in using your powers to uphold the law, what does that make you?
Up with the overworld! Up with exploration! | Want a review of your arc?
My arcs: Dream Paper (ID: 1874) | Bricked Electronics (ID: 2180) | The Bravuran Jobs (ID: 5073) | Backwards Day (ID: 329000) | Operation Fair Trade (ID: 391172)
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Hahaha. I just thought it'd be interesting if heroes were suddenly refusing to register their powers, regardless of medi-port capabilities. It just occurred to me that States and the founding heroes never suggested this might be a BAD thing...
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If you don't register you can't get in on the Citizen Crime Fighting Act, which means that the cops can't accept your evidence, act on your information, or even hold anybody you bring in.
So if you're not actually interested in using your powers to uphold the law, what does that make you?
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a Villain!
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Speaking of Inf....
Anyone notice on Hero Side when you save a civilian from getting mugged, etc, they pay you? Isnt that a little... weird? Haha. I know that its a means of gaining money and exp and earning money without having to do mishes but... in real life, I cant say I'd PAY a hero for saving me, or as a Hero TAKE the money. Haha.
[/ QUOTE ]
WELL.. that all sort of revolves around their insisting that Influence is NOT money. According to NC Soft and Cryptic before them Influence was/is your reputation within the city so you saved a citizen and your reputaion improved (a bit) since one more citizen now thinks you are great!
It's the biggest joke in game IMO I use influence to buy (YES BUY) everything from added costumes to enhancements, recipes, salvage, inspirations and can even exchange it for prestige to support my SG base (that rate is awful at 2000 prestige for 1 million in inf but it does exist out there). INF is money... Sorry NC Soft but when was the last time you went to the store and picked out new clothing and then told the sale clerk "Oh I am using my Reputation to purchase these things." *pause* "No wait why are you calling Securty?" LOL
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That stuff more or less works Heroside. The Costume change thing was originally explained as you losing influence because you become less recognisable. The more you change your costume, the less influence you have with the general public.
Similarly, you don't buy stuff from the shops, you ask for it and they give it to you. However, because you are going and asking for help, the word gets around and you go down in peoples estimation. However, if you donate stuff that you have found, then people see you as generous and your influence goes up. Insps aren't actual things, so you can't buy them. They are just you getting peptalks from your contacts, which later on inspire you! (And word gets around that you needed inspiring, so you seem less awesome).
Prestige to influence converstion also kind of works, its like the Martian manhunter He has very little influence because he converts it all into prestige for the Justice League. Whereas Batman is hardly ever in SG mode!
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Heck we have our own version of the STOCK MARKET these days in Wentworths and the Black Market.. "Buy low, Sell high"
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Yeah, thats what really killed the idea, somehow using an annonymous system affects what people think about you!
Also, none of it ever really worked Villainside (in my opinion) Villain use Infamy instead of money just because thats how Heroes do it.
Always remember, we were Heroes.
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Speaking of Inf....
Anyone notice on Hero Side when you save a civilian from getting mugged, etc, they pay you? Isnt that a little... weird? Haha. I know that its a means of gaining money and exp and earning money without having to do mishes but... in real life, I cant say I'd PAY a hero for saving me, or as a Hero TAKE the money. Haha.
[/ QUOTE ]
WELL.. that all sort of revolves around their insisting that Influence is NOT money. According to NC Soft and Cryptic before them Influence was/is your reputation within the city so you saved a citizen and your reputaion improved (a bit) since one more citizen now thinks you are great!
It's the biggest joke in game IMO I use influence to buy (YES BUY) everything from added costumes to enhancements, recipes, salvage, inspirations and can even exchange it for prestige to support my SG base (that rate is awful at 2000 prestige for 1 million in inf but it does exist out there). INF is money... Sorry NC Soft but when was the last time you went to the store and picked out new clothing and then told the sale clerk "Oh I am using my Reputation to purchase these things." *pause* "No wait why are you calling Securty?" LOL
Heck we have our own version of the STOCK MARKET these days in Wentworths and the Black Market.. "Buy low, Sell high" so the idea that Influence and Infamy are anything BUT cash is sort of silly But there is your explanation for why you get paid.. your not being tipped you have gained repsect in the community.
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That's why the Inf!=Money argument isn't perfect, but that IS what was said by the Devs. The only way things really fit together for me, RP wise, is that our ID card is a piece of high tech equipment rather than just a plastic card. Your ID can be changed at any time and gets updated on the spot when your Security Level grows and you gain new powers (ever tried to get your Drivers License updated when you move? Yeah, that can take time).
I've RPed that the card itself is a miniature tracking device that records your actions as you do them. This is the only way that you can gain Inf when you're doing things that are supposed to remain a secret, like missions with Crimson, Indigo, etc. The card itself gets the scan "Powers used. Combatant Defeated. Relative Power Level: +1 Minion. Credit X Inf to account" which is then used for your expenses.
The Influence/Infamy has to be a definable amount when you consider the City Hall has set up an entire system to support its Heroes. In the extra info in the back of the old Blue King comic mentioned that the city used your Influence to pay for your rent, food, and such so Heroes don't need to struggle with a 9-5 Job and Heroing around it (and the Comic is canon; War Witch/Apex's Apartment, the comics Storyarcs being playable, Cyrus' Statue all help argue that they are, making the extra info/stories much like Star Wars' Expanded Universe Canon).
This would mean that Inf is a tangible currency of some kind, and the only thing you keep with you at all times is your ID Card. This would help explain that the card itself doubles as a kind of Debit Card for use in exchange for goods and services. This makes Inf less of an abstract, but also helps fill the gaps left by the abstract.
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I had always assumed that influence is some kind of government assistance program for registered heroes. that's what you said. you get a card that registers your infulence and you use it to pay ret, buy groceries. and then those who take the currency get reimbursed buy the governement for so many cents per influence
Volt Sentinel Reference
Thunder is good, thunder is impressive, but lightning does the work.
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I had always assumed that influence is some kind of government assistance program for registered heroes. that's what you said. you get a card that registers your infulence and you use it to pay ret, buy groceries. and then those who take the currency get reimbursed buy the governement for so many cents per influence
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Yeah, that's whats mentioned in the last pages of the comic.
*looks for it*
Got it, Issue 9 of the Blue King run.
"Knowledge is Power: By Paula Taylor
As a valiant defender of Paragon City, your life is safeguarded by Paragon City Medical Network. PaCMeN's high costs are covered by grants and donations by grateful citizens, but your remaining share is covered up-front by the city, through the Influential Offsets for the Unpaid.
The IOU program is Paragon City's way of recompensing heroes who sacrifice steady jobs on the altar of eternal vigilance. In return for securing our safety, we do our best to secur your finances. The more you do to safeguard the city, the more influence your name carries - influence the IOU can use to offset the costs of the training and services you require.
So please, when you see the red ink in your progress statement, don't see it as debt, but as an opportunity to help us help you. Give the city the service it's due, and let the IOU work for you.
This has been a Heroic Services Announcement by SERVE: Support, Education and Resources for Vigilante Excellence"
Sure, this is a little silly with the mention of 'Pacmen', but it sets the precedent that our Influence is a tangible currency. It's up to the player to accept it or not, since it's in the comic and while the comic is canon, it's, as I said, "Expanded Universe" canon so it's open for interpretation/debate.
I sit in my zen of not being able to do anything right while simultaniously not being able to do anything wrong. Om. -CuppaJo
It is by caffeine alone that I set my mind in motion. It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shaking, the shaking becomes a warning. It is by caffeine alone that I set my mind in motion.
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"And then we'll all try to beat you up whenever we see you anyway and won't even revoke your mediport access when there's an Arachnos death warrant out for your arrest!"
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Well, there are a few cases that make about as much sense blueside. In the story arc "The Evil Countess Crey", you get put on the city's most wanted list but still have full access to all of your heroic resources. Hell, you can flit right by a police drone without any worry even though you're on the most wanted list while a lowly Hellion who is only guilty of loitering will get blasted to the Zigg. Longbow guys will still help you out too. Maybe that's just how the most wanted list operates... Might be why Paragon City has still yet to keep people like Nemesis off the streets.