Power, Responsibility & TEH FUTURE!

In the same way that, for example. "Star Trek" (Original series especially) reflected its time, I believe that CoX also reflects its time in many ways and a wealth of resource material has evolved over the last five years to reflect the age in which we live now.

Comic books also do that, some might say "in extremis" and are a black and white microcosm of how society feels about itself on any given day, so it's no wonder that City Of... reflects the perception of those who create it, Developers & Players alike.

But we're about to enter a new age, one laden with expectation. (Arguably, a level of expectation no single man should have to bear.) I just wonder how that will affect the direction of the game we love so much over the coming years.

The Western World - for want of a better phrase - has always punched above its weight, and superheroes are arguably a manifestation of that. I'm considerably older than the average MMO player I'd bet but I grew up at the height of the Cold War - a war artificially conceived in the USA, but one which ended up holding America and the rest of the west, hostage to paranoia. That reflected itself in comicbooks and TV with the protagonist's foe wielding far greater power than the hero of the tale, but succumbing to the hero and his righteous cause.

The last decade or so has resulted in the USA and its western Allies being seen as "the bete noir" of much of the rest of the world - unintentionally I might add.

But now there's a new world order.

The first decade of the 21st century begins to wind down with two eastern powers beginning to flex economic and political muscle unbelievable 20 years previously, the world financial system flushing down the gutter and and as radical change you can imagine in the White House.

That won't mean a game re-write, but it's bound to reflect itself in the allegorical game we love so much. The real question is... How?

Thoughts?


(Disclaimer: this is not a political post but I've tried to be impartial in putting the game in it's historical context.)

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Disclaimer: this is not a political post but I've tried to be impartial in putting the game in it's historical context

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I think you failed. If you want to appear impartial, try to avoid (innacurate) phrases such as "the Cold War - a war artificially conceived in the USA."

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with two eastern powers beginning to flex economic and political muscle unbelievable 20 years previously

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No... 'Neuromancer' was written a good 20 years ago (1986, according to Amazon) and that features a very powerful econo-military Eastern block based around China. So, 20 years ago it was entirely forseeable that China would become an economic superpower.

Indeed, taking your ST:TOS as a reflection of its time analogy, you seem to be ignoring the Romulans. If the Federation is America and the Klingons are the Soviet Block, then the Romulans are probably the Chinese, a secretive, reclusive, but very powerful force waiting to become more powerful yet.

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But we're about to enter a new age, one laden with expectation. (Arguably, a level of expectation no single man should have to bear.)

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Which pretty adequately expresses the general nature of things after the Second World War responsible for the appearence of sci-fi (pulp mainly) and comic books. People are always coming out with phrases like 'brave new world' and 'new age laden with expectation' and, strangely enough, there isn't anything to expect, and the world isn't new or brave.

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That won't mean a game re-write, but it's bound to reflect itself in the allegorical game we love so much.

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Given that the basic background of CoH is more derived from Gold and Silver Age comics, from that last 'brave new world' that wasn't, I'd say that if you're right (and it's a new millenium, so 'the future's so bright, we need shades') then the world has caught up with CoH and there's no real need for a background change at all.

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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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I think you failed. If you want to appear impartial, try to avoid (innacurate) phrases such as "the Cold War - a war artificially conceived in the USA."

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Joe McCarthy. Nuff said

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with two eastern powers beginning to flex economic and political muscle unbelievable 20 years previously

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No... 'Neuromancer' was written a good 20 years ago (1986, according to Amazon) and that features a very powerful econo-military Eastern block based around China. So, 20 years ago it was entirely forseeable that China would become an economic superpower.

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So was Chung Quo (1989) but this isn't a doctrinal thesis, so I wasn't quoting every source with references, sorry chum. But I don't think too many people expected the rise of India to be so sudden either. Roosevelt (FDR not Teddy) also said in around 1943 that it would be problematic to tick off "a billion asiatics." But your point doesn't invalidate mine.

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Indeed, taking your ST:TOS as a reflection of its time analogy, you seem to be ignoring the Romulans. If the Federation is America and the Klingons are the Soviet Block, then the Romulans are probably the Chinese, a secretive, reclusive, but very powerful force waiting to become more powerful yet.


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If... So what would that make the Vulcans?

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Which pretty adequately expresses the general nature of things after the Second World War responsible for the appearence of sci-fi (pulp mainly) and comic books. People are always coming out with phrases like 'brave new world' and 'new age laden with expectation' and, strangely enough, there isn't anything to expect, and the world isn't new or brave.

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Huxley published Brave New World in 1932, a direct distillation of Sir Thomas Moore's Utiopian ideology, written in 1516, so considerably pre-WWII. Other Sci-Fi notables of that era include EE "Doc" Smith and Robert E Howard. The Pulp you refer to was primarily pre-WWII with the Golden Age of Comics coming at roughly the same time... Batman, 1938, Superman 1939 and Captain America 1941 (pre-Pearl Harbour) so technically all of those are before WWII.

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That won't mean a game re-write, but it's bound to reflect itself in the allegorical game we love so much.

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Given that the basic background of CoH is more derived from Gold and Silver Age comics, from that last 'brave new world' that wasn't, I'd say that if you're right (and it's a new millenium, so 'the future's so bright, we need shades') then the world has caught up with CoH and there's no real need for a background change at all.

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I wasn't proposing a background change. I was asking "What now?"

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Games dont mirror real life you know, if they did we would all be out of a job, watching are house value plunge in price, while we all sit around wishing we could buy something to cheer us up but cant due to the credit crunch and all the time watching gorden brown with his god awful gerbil faced Optimism telling us its all good while he earns a sick amount of money each year to get on are [censored].

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I'm alright, my job is secure, I don't own a house, and I could afford to buy stuff if I needed cheering up, which I don't. And I'm quite optomistic that with less money people will go back to realising what is really important in life.

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I really should do something about this signature.

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Joe McCarthy

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....doesn't mean ****. Stalin publically saw a war between Russia and the West as inevitable, and his successor, who had his competitor killed, legendarily told the West "we will bury you", Mao that "Berlin is the testicles of the West. Every time I want to make the West scream, I squeeze on Berlin", built the Berlin Wall in a hissy fit and had to get forcibly ousted by his own staff. Not to be outdone by Americas interventionist policy, they also invaded Hungary and Czechoslovakia when they found themselves with less than an iron grip on those countries.

Yeah, it was all the Americans. The Russians during the Cold War period were totally sane. It was all Joes fault.

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Chairman of the Charity of Pain; accepting donations of blood and guts.

Prophet of the Creamy Truth; "If it's empty, fill it with cream."

Never bring politics into a conversation unless you want to start an argument.

Assuming GR has gone home, this thread is destined to be this weekend's flamefest.

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I really should do something about this signature.

I think it means the next Superman movie might not shy away from using the full "truth, justice" tagline

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@Golden Girl

City of Heroes comics and artwork

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I think it means the next Superman movie might not shy away from using the full "truth, justice" tagline

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Nice point

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I think it means the next Superman movie might not shy away from using the full "truth, justice" tagline

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Nice point

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Interesting thread. The only thing I really disagree with is the thing about the cold war being a USA invention. It's true that Macarthy was a nutter and that they got overly paranoid about communism in the USA but the Russians were not joking.

The Russian/Communist threat was real and by no means a USA invention. And besides Mccarthy was the 50s and the Cuban Missile Crisis, which the Americans really did nor invent, was the 60s.

As for anyone predicting China would be a super power, yeah I'm sure there were books and theories running around but the reality was that the world in general did not forsee the acention of China as an economic super power simply because of the nature of its leaders.

And I was also around during these times.

As for Superman, I dont think they'll ever change his ideallist boy scout stance. I think its too ingrained in his mythology.

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Don't get into a flap. It's only my opinion and I'm thick

Arc 56763 Lord Anarchys heaven

2 mission arc. Bring friends cause Lord Anarchy means business...

Truth, Justice and the American way...

Thank goodness G.W. Bush wasn't in power when Superman was on the rise...

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Characters:
The Heroic Mary Grace (50)
The Mystical Thunderspark (50)
The Candy-loving Little Jenny (50)

I was around too, and I knew that China was destined to become the main economic superpower back in the 80's: it seemed pretty obvious to me. But maybe that's because I know quite a few chinese people.

I agree with the rest though.

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I really should do something about this signature.

The Future is very simple;
Go play Fallout 3.
Now tell me that thats not going to happen, sometime. Its probably just a matter of time. Fortunatley by then I will probably be very very dead And possibly laughing my socks of in whatever happens to be the next life/afterlife.

On a less serious note, did anyone else start to cackle if/when they blew up Megaton? :P
Oh, wait...thats...kinda serious...XD

Oh dear, oh dear...

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Indeed, taking your ST:TOS as a reflection of its time analogy, you seem to be ignoring the Romulans. If the Federation is America and the Klingons are the Soviet Block, then the Romulans are probably the Chinese, a secretive, reclusive, but very powerful force waiting to become more powerful yet.


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If... So what would that make the Vulcans?



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A society renowned for its repressed emotions yet in truth a swirling mass of emotion and wonderful creativity?

the Japanese?...

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Art of War Co-Leader - Union *Global@Warscythe*



"The box said Windows Vista or better - so I installed Linux"