Accents in place of foreign languages?
By
Agonus,
Posted on: 2009-11-25 05:12 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
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That's a large part of it, though. They're painted as these hapless comic relief villains who can't steal a purse or break into a car, and who have the world's most insufferable girlfriends. They're both street gangs, yet outside of a few select instances, we almost never see them engage in actual gang violence or *GASP* murder! Their missions are OK, but out on the streets, they feel more like kids playing robbers than like actual gang thugs.|
Originally Posted by Dr_Mechano
I've never seen the Skulls and Hellions as 'cheery' they don't do anything that is designed to be amusing except lampshade facts like they've been hammering away at a door/car for hours.
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And, yeah, some closure on their stories would be nice. Something more than "Eh, I don't bother with them any more."
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There's this whole inter-cartel war that never really gets explained either. The Hellions/Outcasts/Tsoo form a cartel which ships magical artifacts and the Rage drug. The Skulls/Trolls/Family form a cartel which deals in gun running and the Superdyne drug. These two factions hate each others guts yet apart from the odd brawl between opposing sides mobs in zones and one story arc there's very little to do with it. Personally I'd like to see each cartel have their own ongoing storyline which runs through each of the mobs respective level ranges (1-10 (Skulls/Hellions for low level, 10-20 Outcasts/Trolls for the next tier and 20-30 Tsoo/Family for the last) about this huge intergang war. |
Which actually brings up another good point - the Warriors. They're almost exclusively used for cheap laughs, with them being menaced in the streets by Freakshow and saying things like "You're scaring me!" Uhh... Considering the Warriors are actually MONUMENTALLY more dangerous than the Freakshow for the levels they spawn at, it's outright absurd they're treated with such disdain by the narrative. Two Hewers are enough to ruin anyone's day, I gotta' tell ya.
But, yeah, the connection is only mentioned, but almost never explored. It'd be nice to get more on that.
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Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.
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Agreed. Given the Warriors also happen to be wearing said magical artifacts, in the form of their wrist bracers, them vs Freaks should pretty much be the Tech vs Magic showdown of that level range. |
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
That's a large part of it, though. They're painted as these hapless comic relief villains who can't steal a purse or break into a car, and who have the world's most insufferable girlfriends. They're both street gangs, yet outside of a few select instances, we almost never see them engage in actual gang violence or *GASP* murder! Their missions are OK, but out on the streets, they feel more like kids playing robbers than like actual gang thugs.
And, yeah, some closure on their stories would be nice. Something more than "Eh, I don't bother with them any more." The magical artefact ring is actually Hellions -> Outcasts -> Warriors. The Tsoo are pretty much allies with nobody, and every time you do an arc for them, they're trying to screw everyone over. Which actually brings up another good point - the Warriors. They're almost exclusively used for cheap laughs, with them being menaced in the streets by Freakshow and saying things like "You're scaring me!" Uhh... Considering the Warriors are actually MONUMENTALLY more dangerous than the Freakshow for the levels they spawn at, it's outright absurd they're treated with such disdain by the narrative. Two Hewers are enough to ruin anyone's day, I gotta' tell ya. But, yeah, the connection is only mentioned, but almost never explored. It'd be nice to get more on that. |
And amen for the Skulls and Hellions point. They're the equivelant of level 5 Stunted Pig, or Slightly Maimed Wolf from a fantasy MMO. I think the reason I tend to skip straight out of Atlas and Mercy for higher up stuff is because the beginning mobs don't feel threatening. You don't feel like you're doing much to save the City, or carve your name into it, respectively.
Yes, you probably shouldn't be at low levels, not to the extent of, say, LGTF or something. But it can go, and does go, too far the other way.
I love Doc's idea of a series of missions featuring that Cartel war. Given how crummy a lot of the old stuff is Blueside, it'd be awesome to get that shunted out for something better.
Well, one can dream, eh?
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Originally Posted by Zwillinger
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
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Originally Posted by Captain_Photon
NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.
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Hmm could have sworn the Tsoo we're allied with the Warriors, I swear you occasionally see a Tsoo training a group of Warriors in Talos Island.
Yes the Warriors really do get the short end of the stick. They hit FAR harder than the Freakshow and, as mentioned, are the most dangerous mob at that level range. It's only in their story arcs (like the new heroside one from the Midnighters) do they get any kind of 'oomph' but out on the streets their clearly just derided and bullied.
If I was a better writer I would probably make some AE story-arcs myself that run through those level ranges featuring the cartel wars but...eh...I'm not that great a storyteller.
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Reichsman is still Marcus Cole, an American, so English is probably his primary language. It would be funny if he ever shows up in another arc to see another Axis-themed villain griping about Reichsman's Yankee accent but being too scared to mention it to his face.|
Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha
If they ever do include voice acting where the character has to speak English as their second language (i.e. Reichsman), they should get someone with a natural accent, i.e, a German voice-actor, to do the voice.
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Oh, and Sam, if you're looking for a genuinely threatening, taciturn enemy faction, I recommend the Malta Group, because you love them so much already.
I don't have a problem with talkative NPCs of any faction. This is a comic book inspired game, and heroes and villains in the comics blab their heads off, even in the direst situations. I read a story once about a comic book character getting transported to our world, and he theorized that in "comic land" the speed of light was slower, but the speed of sound was much faster. That way, you could talk and dodge lasers at the same time.
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Uhuh.|
Originally Posted by Godpants
Reichsman is still Marcus Cole, an American, so English is probably his primary language. It would be funny if he ever shows up in another arc to see another Axis-themed villain griping about Reichsman's Yankee accent but being too scared to mention it to his face.
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http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Reichsman
Canon says otherwise. In fact, is it even clear if Reichs IS Marcus Cole? He just happens to have similar powers, very likely from the Well, and be the *counter-part* of Statesmen.
He's definitely german though, given the words of german in his in-game speech and the fact he actually led the Storm Korps of Axis Earth.
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Originally Posted by Zwillinger
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
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Originally Posted by Captain_Photon
NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.
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As far as "seriously threatening" goes, the game does two factions very well - the Malta Group and the Nemesis Army. Stupid memes aside, both factions are generally ruthless, ambitious, and above all CAPABLE. The Malta Group, specifically, are simply amazing, blackmailing governments, killing presidents, brainwashing, threatening or kidnapping actual super heroes... Everything they do is on a large scale, is a high-stakes game and is usually pretty dang nasty. Whenever they are involved, you know things just got a LOT more serious. The narrative of the game just simply always treats them like that, and I am BEYOND GLAD that the corny jokes at NPCs' expense haven't gotten to them.|
Originally Posted by Godpants
Oh, and Sam, if you're looking for a genuinely threatening, taciturn enemy faction, I recommend the Malta Group, because you love them so much already.
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| I don't have a problem with talkative NPCs of any faction. This is a comic book inspired game, and heroes and villains in the comics blab their heads off, even in the direst situations. I read a story once about a comic book character getting transported to our world, and he theorized that in "comic land" the speed of light was slower, but the speed of sound was much faster. That way, you could talk and dodge lasers at the same time. |
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Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.
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So in other words... you just hate fun. |
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
I don't mind the slang, really. What I mind is making fun of the Rikti, which is something of a recurring trend with the War Zone and the Midnighters' arc and...
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Character index
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Yeah you're right, it's totally unclear. |
Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha
Uhuh.
http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Reichsman Canon says otherwise. In fact, is it even clear if Reichs IS Marcus Cole? He just happens to have similar powers, very likely from the Well, and be the *counter-part* of Statesmen. He's definitely german though, given the words of german in his in-game speech and the fact he actually led the Storm Korps of Axis Earth. |
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Description This Marcus Cole, from an alternate dimension, was a rogue and a mercenary who was exposed to mustard gas during World War I. In search of a cure for the effects of the gas, Marcus discovered the Well of the Furies. He drank from the well and was granted incredible powers. Adopting the persona of Reichsman, Marcus used these powers in the service of the Axis powers on his world, leading them to victory over their foes. When he discovered the existence of another Earth, he traveled there and was defeated and imprisoned by the Freedom Phalanx. Now he's back, and ready for revenge. |
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Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU
Dispari has more than enough credability, and certainly doesn't need to borrow any from you.
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With regards why the Skulls and Hellions are probably downplayed.
Their thugs, plain and simple, yes they've got magical might going on at the high end but they're the initial enemies as they're a Street gang. I've never seen the Skulls and Hellions as 'cheery' they don't do anything that is designed to be amusing except lampshade facts like they've been hammering away at a door/car for hours. They're your basic street thugs and compared to the world threats that are the Circle of Thorns, Arachnos or the Council/5th Column (all available at low levels through to high levels) they're pretty much small fry and only a danger to Paragon.
They're also still decidedly 'human' with not much magical might as the other magical powered, mostly human low level group (Circle of Thorns who, atleast Redside, has summoned demons and ghosts among their ranks) and not as much raw firepower as the human tech group (the Council has it's Super Soldier Serum, robots and a bucket load of tech to throw at things) or as diverse as the 'all round annoying at low level' human group (Arachnos which seems to throw almost everything they have at you from the word go...).
The Clockwork and Vazhilok are either completely or 90% non-human in their group.
It is interesting that the are only two early enemy groups to get any closure are the non-human or formerly human ones, the first being the Clockwork (through the Synapse TF) and the second being the Vahzilok. You never meet the leader of the Hellions (not even sure who the leader is of the Hellions...) and the leaders of the Skulls are somewhat lackluster for supposedly being powerful dark magic users and probably necromancers.
As mentioned the Trolls/Outcasts storyline in the hollows ends in a Trial that almost nobody runs, you only meet Tub Ci when you have to rescue him villainside.
There's this whole inter-cartel war that never really gets explained either. The Hellions/Outcasts/Tsoo form a cartel which ships magical artifacts and the Rage drug. The Skulls/Trolls/Family form a cartel which deals in gun running and the Superdyne drug. These two factions hate each others guts yet apart from the odd brawl between opposing sides mobs in zones and one story arc there's very little to do with it.
Personally I'd like to see each cartel have their own ongoing storyline which runs through each of the mobs respective level ranges (1-10 (Skulls/Hellions for low level, 10-20 Outcasts/Trolls for the next tier and 20-30 Tsoo/Family for the last) about this huge intergang war.