Thoughts on Resurrection

So, we've had thoughts on resurrected enemies being untargetable and thoughts on not taking an ally-resurrection power in your build and these two threads got me thinking.

In our world resurrection after death is a sign of divinity. Several religions, both modern and ancient, are based around an icon who came back from death clothed in glory. How exactly does this impact people in City of Heroes?

"Frank! I think I just saw the Messiah! That guy over there was DEAD! He had just been riddled with bullets from those gang bangers and fell to the ground. I ran over and checked his pulse. I swear he was stone cold nothing and then suddenly he just rises up from the ground, floats around in mid-air with light bursting all around him. His feet touch the ground and he takes off running after the guys who shot him... should I go worship him?"

"Him? Nah, that's Captain Phantasmic, he's working on his debt badge."

Here in hum-drum reality a person who can raise others from the dead would be revered. Indeed, at the very least they might be canonized. In Paragon City these guys are a dime a dozen, though. You've got to think this sort of thing could seriously warp the medical community and the Hippocratic Oath.

"Doctor! This man was in a horrible car accident! His lung has collapsed, his abdomen is hard indicating internal bleeding, he has severe trauma to the fourth and fifth vertebrae and I'm pretty sure he has a ba***rd of a hangnail on his left big toe. We need him in the O.R. immediately!"

"No need... just hand me that hammer over there."

"Hammer? What...? What in the world do you need a hammer for?"

"So I can kill this man, of course."

"Wait, WHAT?!"

"Well, my rezz power won't work on someone who's still alive now will it? Oh, and while you're at it get me a few dozen lab rats. I'm a Dark Defender and Howling Twilight needs enemies in the area to work. Just bring all that and this guy to the Morgue and I'll do 'em all at once. And hurry! I have a reservation at the country club for eighteen holes this afternoon."

Then again, we must take into consideration that not every resurrection happens the same way. Not all of them rises you from the ground in waves of fluctuating light while impressive music surges in the background. Take, for example, the humble wakie.

"Wow! Look over there! That man just rose from the dead! He must be a god! Or... well... ew... maybe a demi-god. Huh, look at him staggering all over the place... maybe he's a Bacchus-type deity?"

And that's another thing. The passing civillians will praise us for saving the Kings Row bank from being robbed. They'll announce to the world our victories over Council, Malta, Freakshow and even Hellions. But do they ever start spontaneously evangelizing about a bonafide miracle?

"You talk about your savior resurrecting once? HA! Major Faceplant has died and resurrected eighty-five times on the Statesman Task Force alone!"

On the other hand, maybe I'm injecting too much of our real-world thinking into the process. It's entirely possible that the people of their world have seen it so many times they've become numb to the whole experience. Perhaps there is a dead hero laying in some alleyway in Atlas Park with a group of kids around them... poking the body with a stick and waiting to see if it either rises up or teleports away to the hospital.

"C'mon get up! What the heck, man? Aw, this is boring... His player probably went to make a sandwich or take a leak or something... C'mon guys... let's go throw rocks at Vahzilok until they explode."

Actually, now that I think of it that last scenario is not possible. No, not because the civilians of Paragon City revere their heroes. And no, I haven't had a sudden cynicism-ectomy. It's not possible for one simple reason.

Everyone knows there are no children in Atlas Park.

I thought powers in CoH brought one back from the very brink of death, not from beyond the grave?



Sorry. I'm no fun am I?

He's not dead, he's just resting.

Or pining for the fjords?

But no, those faceplanted heroes aren't dead, it's just that there's no animation yet for "breathing shallowly, dragging himself down the sidewalk by his broken fingernails and bleeding out the ears".

There is no death in this game. You just get "knocked out really bad".

No MMO that am aware of has got the perfect formula for defining a defeated player.

Certainly one-time-perma-death is not the answer, but unlimited life with practically 0 penalty doesn't quite seem right either. The only real penalty for death(defeat) is a little more time sink--And sometimes not even that.

i would say on average you get knocked out and brought back from the brink of death, however, there are 2 cases that i know of that your body actually disappears in which i would call "death"

self destruct-your blowing yourself up actually and you leave yourself non-targetable (aside from the few game mechanics that can rez you due to how they work)

PPD drones-oddly enough these things are very weak, however, if one of them gets the kill shot on you, it has the same effect as using self destruct (the power they use is disintegration beam, so makes sense)

Obligatory!

Exactly WHY are there no children anywhere in Paragon City? We have teens, at best, but no children wandering around. Come to think of it, where are all the schools in Paragon? I haven't come across one of those either.

What about over in the Rogue Isles, where Poison Masterminds use Elixer Of Life?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow Ravenwolf Obligatory!

This one is better... >.>

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Biggest Troll on the forums? I'll give you a hint:

Minor inconvenience. Won't stop me from taking out Freakshow, Crey, and any other mobs that apply.

lets jsut say that there is some major hand waving going on in the game about death...hmm major handwave..that might be a good name for an alt with really incongruous powers and origin.

Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.

Ok, call it... Time of death, 9:29AM.

Now everyone stand waaaaay back, the rezzer is a thermal.