I really like this idea!
As glowies get an attached sound effect, don't see why specific hostages can't.
/signed
Hostages are always surrounded by mobs (can be tab targeted).
Glowies aren't, and thus warrant the audio clue.
This isn't necessary, /unsigned
You can only autotarget mobs if you have them in your line of sight anyway. Not always a great deal of help in locating hostages hidden round corners.
I'm in favor of an audio clue, or text, i.e. hostage goes "help, help" when player aproaches withÃn a certain range.
It would be more realistic than the glowie sound anyway.
I really should do something about this signature.
Some form of 'help, help' would be good, though I've noticed you often get speech bubble's popping up from mobs when you're near them litterally, but still have a mile of corridor to go through to get to them, so it may still be difficult to find them.
Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.
Off topic slightly, but why is it the Hero NPC hostages don't help you out when you try and rescue them ?
Example .. Fusionette.
She sits there, looking all scared until you defeat the very last white minion that was standing next to her. Not once does she spot that you are rescuing her and stand up and help :P
However, as SOON as you've freed her shes goes off and aggros every purple boss she can find!
Madness ! 
Fahie
Yeah, but... that's Fusionette...
If she did join in when being rescued, she'd probably just aggro every purple boss on the map and get herself killed. Better she stays put.
Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.
Ah Fusionette, our very own Penelope Pitstop.
Still a help help from the hostages would be a nice thing. I must say that I would like to have a sound or something for objects to be destroyed as well. Those to can be very annoying to find no and then.
Longbow assets. A completely normal looking desk in a hallway with other normal looking desks in it, which doesn't glow or make a noise. God, I hated that mission.
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Off topic slightly, but why is it the Hero NPC hostages don't help you out when you try and rescue them ?
Example .. Fusionette.
She sits there, looking all scared until you defeat the very last white minion that was standing next to her. Not once does she spot that you are rescuing her and stand up and help :P
However, as SOON as you've freed her shes goes off and aggros every purple boss she can find!
Madness !
Fahie
[/ QUOTE ]
She's taking out her anger on them because she really didn't want to be rescued - that's my theory anyway, looking at the amount of times she seems to get "captured" 
As for the actual suggestion, some sort of indicator would be good - either a sound or a text bubble.
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
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Some form of 'help, help' would be good, though I've noticed you often get speech bubble's popping up from mobs when you're near them litterally, but still have a mile of corridor to go through to get to them, so it may still be difficult to find them.
[/ QUOTE ]
I never get anything like that till I've attacked the mobs surrounding them.
Well she spends so much time with the Lost and Rikti that she's made so many friends there and clearly wants to get back to being with them. Maybe Blue Steel needs to have words with Trembler and his sidekick. At least with Fusionette if you can take out the mobs in her aggro range she won't hunt out others but will stay behind you unlike a certain General who should never have been promoted as far as PFC with his propensity for charging into multiple purple mobs when only having about 10 hits left.
But yes definitely lets have the hostages cry out - oh and not run straight back into the mobs you have just rescued them from and carefully escorted to a nice safe exit.
Mind of Gaia lvl 50 Defiant's first Mind/Storm 'troller.
Deadly Doc 50 Dark/Dark Corr
and lots more on Pinnacle,Union and Defiant
OP suggestion is good so /signed from me - some indicator would be good
As for Fusionette/other NPCs failing to help, I guess it's the player's task to rescue her and to have her wade in during the rescue would unbalance the mish
Thelonious Monk
What I really want is a scanner of some sort to help me find the last mob on the map. You know. The one that rammed itself into some improbably small, dark niche behind a sign saying "Beware of the leopard." (I'm not bitter!)
Ideally it would put a glowy spot on the map. Perhaps hostages could show up in a different colour.
I think that anyone with mental or psychic powers should get a kind of radar. It should show up all mobs without psi resistance and hostages too.
"I sense something .... "
But, then I guess we'll all want things like danger-sense, the ability to smash through walls, vehicles and other fun things too
Fahie
Proberly be a nice touch, if the hostasges sorta squeaked "help me help me " as got close to them, as CoT maps and occasional caves finding hostages can be an annoying task to locate thier presence.
@Snow.
Defiant: Snow + many other alts
Arc ID 61069
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What I really want is a scanner of some sort to help me find the last mob on the map. You know. The one that rammed itself into some improbably small, dark niche behind a sign saying "Beware of the leopard." (I'm not bitter!)
Ideally it would put a glowy spot on the map. Perhaps hostages could show up in a different colour.
[/ QUOTE ]
I have one.
[ QUOTE ]
What I really want is a scanner of some sort to help me find the last mob on the map. You know. The one that rammed itself into some improbably small, dark niche behind a sign saying "Beware of the leopard." (I'm not bitter!)
[/ QUOTE ]Ever thought of going into advertising?
As for the OP suggestion... /signed
Some sort of looped sound eg. laughter from the guards or whimpering from the hostage would be good.
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Proberly be a nice touch, if the hostasges sorta squeaked "help me help me " as got close to them, as CoT maps and occasional caves finding hostages can be an annoying task to locate thier presence.
[/ QUOTE ]
At first I tough it could be a nice idea, but after the 3rd or 4rd mission we'll probably be fed up with it 
Hostage -> Help me! Help me!
Generic Hero * stares at hostage
Hostage: Help me! Help me! Help me! I'm doomed!!!
Generic Hero draws a gun and shoots hostage on head.
Sorry fellow but I was fed up of your cryes!
Imagine it with a really annoying voice and you'll get my point
Proud member of Blaze of the Immortals (Heroes) and leader of F.O.E (villains)
Heroes:
Plumber, Ice Desert Girl, Doc Goodheart, Banana Machoman, Pavattone, Penguin Shark, Sting like a Bee
Villains:
Bricklayer, Savage Dentist, Fruit Cocktail, H. Yashida, Shesinellek
Maybe it would be better if the hostages swore and verbally abused their captors instead.
'When the heroes get her I'm gonna enjoy watching you get creamed!'
'If you weren't an armour plated death machine, I would kick you $%*!'
'Oh it's easy to look tough with the Lord of Hell standing behind you. Without him you nothing!'
Or, given that the same people seem to get kidnapped over and over again:
Serafina : So, how are the Kids?
Generic-guard : Fine thanks, Amy just said her first words
Serafina : Ooo! I must pop round again and say hello soon.
Hero : Spotted! Hostage!
Serafine : Ahh, the heroes are here now, must dash, love to the wife!
Generic-guard : Take care, see you soon .. OW OW OW OW OW !!
Fahie
If we go with that it's going to end up with the guards just handing over the prisoner and asking the heroes to take care of them because "there's some new guys just come in from the Secret Death Camp and they... well, they just aren't our sort of villain... y'know?"
Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.
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If we go with that it's going to end up with the guards just handing over the prisoner and asking the heroes to take care of them because "there's some new guys just come in from the Secret Death Camp and they... well, they just aren't our sort of villain... y'know?"
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Heheh. Great idea btw. Might make a nice architect mission as well.
Council soldier: "Yeah just give me a good punch or two to make it look more convincing."
"Ow not the nose not the nose!!"
I have just spent and hour and a half in a CoT cave map trying to find a silly number of hostages, and most of that time was spent looking after I had cleared most mobs, so I thought...
Why not have an audio cue for hostages, have them crying or something and then you can hear if you are near them, a bit like the sound from glowies let you know they are nearby.
@Moondog
Union:
CoH: Moondog (WS); V-Rock (Tnk, semi-retired); Pole-Star (Bla); Demon Dog (Scr).
CoV: Midnight Gunner (Corr); Operative John Doe (Ban); Day-Star (Dom); Commissar Jaeger (MM).