The Incarnates: Icly or oocly?
See, here's the thing. Say you had an SGmate who was great to RP with and always came up with awesome plots. One day they come up with a plot involving a god or godlike figure. So in the course of trying to figure out what to do next your character goes "okay, maybe we could talk to this god and try to make a deal". And the other player goes "okay" and logs in a level 2 alt with Veteran wings and the Thunderhead aura.
Would you immediately go, "No way, I refuse to believe a god would be level 2, go PL this character to 50 and get them some Incarnate slots and then we'll talk"? Conversely, I wouldn't RP with a character who is a perfectly normal human being who just happens to have really good informers, if this is used as a tool to intimidate me (like, say, "I know all your weaknesses, I know where you live, I know all your family members, I could ruin your life or have you killed with a single text.") For me, it's not so much about the discrepancy between the story they're trying to sell me and their ingame stats, it's more about whether they're interested in a good story versus just posturing. |
BrandX Future Staff Fighter
![Wink](images/smilies/wink.gif)
The BrandX Collection
The difference here, is between a lvl 2 PC that is the godly type right out the door, and someone using a lvl 2 as an NPC for a story.
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![Big Grin](images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
edit: In response to the OP, I don't mind anyone RPing their character as on the path to Incarnates. I would even RP mine as such, were I to share that information with my allies. As for another character claiming they're full Incarnate? (before that arc is finished) I'd most likely respond the same way as if anyone else on the street were to claim it. Nod, smile, and humor them until I can get a safe distance away.
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I only plan on making my main hero and main villain into Incarnates. My main villain, Orochi Dragon (Ninjas/Poison MM) is already the head of a clan who worships Yamata No Orochi, so making him into an incarnate of the Eight-Headed Serpent would not be that big of a stretch concept-wise.
Trying to find a way to justify Spectreblade (Broadsword/Dark Armor Scrapper) being an incarnate is a bit tougher, as the source of his power is his possessed suit of armor that he inherited along with a bunch of other medieval artifacts. But as I did the arc and read this thread, I realized that "Incarnate" does not necessarily mean "Incarnate of a specific god". In fact, the Ramiel arc casts some doubt on the previous assertions in the lore that Statesman and Lord Recluse are really the embodiments of Zeus and Tartarus, respectively. (And on a side note, isn't Tartarus a place rather than a deity?) As the Well itself stated in the arc, its sources are many.
And then there's Hero1, whose link to the Well was the sword Excalibur. Which gave me the idea. Why not have Spectreblade come across a similarly empowered sword? Perhaps not on the same level as Excalibur, but still with a trace of Incarnate power. I could simply say that the armor was not the only magical artifact in the collection, and sword had also been lying in Spectreblade's collection of medieval doodads gathering dust until it was discovered, or that the artifact from the Ramiel arc was the sword.
Currently published Mission Architect arcs:
Arc ID# 70466: From the Abyss.
Arc ID# 403174: The Serpent's Revenge.
Arc ID# 534236: The Clockwork Angel.
Im making Fist an incarnate because dark armor sucks and needs all the help it can get.
So does Ascendant's tendency to RP his character as someone who is deflecting Meterors the size of Texas change because the game Engine did? Hope not, Jack as written has always been more powerful then the game let's him be. The Incarnate system, and the new innate powers, just let the game be closer to the imagination. Of course if you're running around lording over people....well whatever
Jack Wolfe Prototype Super Tank, over 25 million in damage taken in the service of others
My 360 hates me and writes about it
Jack's X-Box's Blog
I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars. ---Og Mandino---
Not sure if this thread will be of any help to you, even if it did get hijacked by Unionverse issues. Maybe it'll help with some ideas though:
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=245155
@Dante EU - Union Roleplayer and Altisis Victim
The Militia: Union RP Supergroup - www.themilitia.org.uk
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God modders will always be lame jackholes regardless of if they are level 1 or 100.
Why let them ruin other peoples fun for fear of contempt from the peanut kingdom of slash-e-walllean?
As long as people are not trying to deus ex everything in RP, they can have whatever the hell back story they want for their $15 a month, and if they act like a jackhole that's when you call in reinforcements from the kingdom of slashignore.
Personally speaking I am far more concerned about the over abundant population of "RP'ers" who don't actually roleplay in game and after first introductions proceed to spam you with OOC tells about how great and amazing they are. Seriously, I don't care how detailed your virtueverse page is or if you have written a 50,000 word story in the RP forums if you are not going to interact with other players in character in game then you are not a Roleplayer... you're a fanfic writer with a really crappy illustrator and poor social skills.
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God modders will always be lame jackholes regardless of if they are level 1 or 100.
Why let them ruin other peoples fun for fear of contempt from the peanut kingdom of slash-e-walllean? As long as people are not trying to deus ex everything in RP, they can have whatever the hell back story they want for their $15 a month, and if they act like a jackhole that's when you call in reinforcements from the kingdom of slashignore. Personally speaking I am far more concerned about the over abundant population of "RP'ers" who don't actually roleplay in game and after first introductions proceed to spam you with OOC tells about how great and amazing they are. Seriously, I don't care how detailed your virtueverse page is or if you have written a 50,000 word story in the RP forums if you are not going to interact with other players in character in game then you are not a Roleplayer... you're a fanfic writer with a really crappy illustrator and poor social skills. |
Well might be a difference between those who RP with certain people, like their coalition, and not so much on the TFs that they're repeating for the 100th+ time.
I know that's the category I fall into. How many time do I want to RP the revelation that Hero One is alive as a Rikti?
![Stick Out Tongue](images/smilies/tongue.gif)
Also, how does one RP with a Vampire: the Masquerade, vampire in CoH, when they can't even do it right?
![Stick Out Tongue](images/smilies/tongue.gif)
And other such things like that.
I wouldn't expect everyone to RP on a mission, just for reasons like that.
1: Ha! I'm a psychotic maniac who should be brought into justice, but you cant touch me!
2: I'm someone who should be trying to stop you, but I can't, because you'll never allow it, and we really wouldnt be teaming ICly together, but we're RPers!
3: Ha! I'm not a hero at all. I'm a Half-Blood Elf Princess from 3rd Edition D&D!
4: I'm Naruto! *Pzzzzzt* Hey what the hell happened?! Why'd I get genericed?
5: I'm Batman and haha *Pzzzzt* Hey! It happened to me too!
6: I'm a nasty supervillain who's comehere for badges! Why am I helping you all fight crime now? Hey, I'm friends with him on the otherside!
7: What? You RP badges as IC things?
8: What of it? I RP every bit of game mechanics as IC!
...and thusly, there's the team of RPers! Let's make it mesh in RP! \o/
![Stick Out Tongue](images/smilies/tongue.gif)
BrandX Future Staff Fighter
![Wink](images/smilies/wink.gif)
The BrandX Collection
I'm doing a mix of it. For the character that I took my forum name from, her armor has gotten some improved modular functionality. Massive Incarnate buffage accomplished without becoming a demigod.
But I'm also working in the villain morality mission where she meets her far future god-self, her armor must insure that future does not come to pass. Because the far future god-self has exceeded the AI's controls, but if it kills her, it kills the AI's host.
You can roll a level 1 mastermind and do the button-mashing non-RP part of the game like a mastermind, and then turn around and RP as a muscle-bound tanker. The plot is more important than powers,
Things I'm sick of: people looking down their noses at other people's RP. If you don't like someone using the incarnate system, or if you don't like people NOT using the incarnate system as YOU feel its intended then so what? I doubt that person cares what you think why should you care what they think? Get over it, its just a game, move on.
I plan on using the incarnate system to simply explain ongoing rp I've been doing since making the character. Basically Serena is harboring a completely unknown entitity in her being which she inherited from her mother shortly before her conception. This creature is not a god, a peacebringer or nictus of any kind. Its only purpose was to explain why Serena's powers are so different from her natural genetic history (father being a fire blaster, mothers family being several generations of faith healers) The creature has been manipulating her creation and her powers since birth and I have rp'd about it in game, on the forum and in my VV. Serena's long time wish and goal was to become "normal" and with the introduction of the incarnate system I am using her growing power as fluxes of an experiment gone awry and the going rogue pack to allow me to promote the story line of "evil seri" taken over by this entity. I don't expect others to know or care about my character, and frankly unless I have a vested interest in RP'ing with your toon I couldn't give a **** about anyone else and how they explain their toon being an incarnate.
To speak frankly I'm disappointed in the whole thing, the system, the story, all of it I am so underwhelmed I'm actually bored with city currently because of it. I was hoping we could feel epic again and now its turned into ITF, LGTF and Raid Farming, thats not epic thats Same-****-different-day.
Well might be a difference between those who RP with certain people, like their coalition, and not so much on the TFs that they're repeating for the 100th+ time.
I know that's the category I fall into. How many time do I want to RP the revelation that Hero One is alive as a Rikti? ![]() Also, how does one RP with a Vampire: the Masquerade, vampire in CoH, when they can't even do it right? ![]() And other such things like that. I wouldn't expect everyone to RP on a mission, just for reasons like that. 1: Ha! I'm a psychotic maniac who should be brought into justice, but you cant touch me! 2: I'm someone who should be trying to stop you, but I can't, because you'll never allow it, and we really wouldnt be teaming ICly together, but we're RPers! 3: Ha! I'm not a hero at all. I'm a Half-Blood Elf Princess from 3rd Edition D&D! 4: I'm Naruto! *Pzzzzzt* Hey what the hell happened?! Why'd I get genericed? 5: I'm Batman and haha *Pzzzzt* Hey! It happened to me too! 6: I'm a nasty supervillain who's comehere for badges! Why am I helping you all fight crime now? Hey, I'm friends with him on the otherside! 7: What? You RP badges as IC things? 8: What of it? I RP every bit of game mechanics as IC! ...and thusly, there's the team of RPers! Let's make it mesh in RP! \o/ ![]() |
Im making Fist an incarnate because dark armor sucks and needs all the help it can get.
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![Frown](images/smilies/frown.gif)
For your viewing pleasure:
Dark Armor is terrible... wait.
My guides:Dark Melee/Dark Armor/Soul Mastery, Illusion Control/Kinetics/Primal Forces Mastery, Electric Armor
"Dark Armor is a complete waste as a tanking set."
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Seraph is "On The Path" to absolution but I just don't Roleplay it openly and most people have no idea. I have plans as to how it'll evolve, being gifted the Flame of Wisdom by Athena (perfect weapon against Cthulu "It's darkest before dawn") but he doesn't go around toting about it. So it's more secretive, he doesn't know the extent it'll take him and more or less he treats the path just like any other relic investigation.
That being said, I choose to acknowledge the Task Force initiation for Incarnates so Seraph easily recognizes the man he was to be in the future as a near-god therefore connecting the dots rather quickly upon taking part in Apex and Tin Task Forces. It's a subtle feeling, he knows he's stronger upon revisiting Praetoria but he can't put his finger on it and every encounter makes him remember Ramiel's words and the vision he saw through the crystal of his future self.
Typically I don't RP on the mission about it. Haven't really met anybody that preferred it so it would be kind of... intangible for Seraph to constantly say "Yeah, I was in the neighborhood so thought I'd tag along." Which to me is kind of weak for a good start arch. I usually want reasons otherwise I RP Seraph as not even being there at that point in time while still helping the team oocly. Although it's probably because I just haven't found the right mix of allies to group with that is RP dedicated to doing missions, then I might change it up a little.
Things I'm sick of: people looking down their noses at other people's RP. If you don't like someone using the incarnate system, or if you don't like people NOT using the incarnate system as YOU feel its intended then so what? I doubt that person cares what you think why should you care what they think? Get over it, its just a game, move on.
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Maybe I'm just hanging out in the wrong places, but I have yet to run into one of those. Are you sure they're abundant?
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Warning: One very long run on sentence.
I'm in PI and someone starts sending me tells about their character OOC'ly out of no where or I am running missions or I am out and about and I meet a random supposed RP'er who makes their introduction and then demands that I go and read their VirtueVerse Page and spends the rest of the time OOC'ly telling me all about their character and how awesome they are in tells, or I get bored and go to the D to watch the spectacle and without fail someone who is doing /e walllean off in a corner starts sending me tells about their character and how great they are, or I join an alleged RP SG and without fail the forums will have one or two people who are always posting RP stories and the RP SG itself will be dead because everyone is off chatting in the OOC channel on their alts, generally about how great their RP character that they now never play in this large SG of other people who now never RP with each other except in the bi-monthly SG meeting, or people who join a random PuG team and spend the entire time in brackets because their character "Wouldn't really be here doing this right now" and then proceed to spend the entire Task Force talking about how great their character is OOC'ly.
So yes, I see it a lot. But then again I also try to RP with everyone I meet and do not wall myself into only interacting with an RP/Coalition community. While I appreciate that the gated community approach is a great way to vet problem players I still strongly believe that as a RP Server we should roleplay... as a server. If we are a RP community then we should roleplay as a community, not as lots of little equal but separate communities.
Originally Posted by BrandX
1: Ha! I'm a psychotic maniac who should be brought into justice, but you cant touch me!
2: I'm someone who should be trying to stop you, but I can't, because you'll never allow it, and we really wouldnt be teaming ICly together, but we're RPers! 3: Ha! I'm not a hero at all. I'm a Half-Blood Elf Princess from 3rd Edition D&D! 4: I'm Naruto! *Pzzzzzt* Hey what the hell happened?! Why'd I get genericed? 5: I'm Batman and haha *Pzzzzt* Hey! It happened to me too! 6: I'm a nasty supervillain who's comehere for badges! Why am I helping you all fight crime now? Hey, I'm friends with him on the otherside! 7: What? You RP badges as IC things? 8: What of it? I RP every bit of game mechanics as IC! ...and thusly, there's the team of RPers! Let's make it mesh in RP! \o/ |
2: Find a common goal or excuse to be working together no matter how flimsy and set up the scene for a little begrudged and resented team work. Marvel and DC did it all the time and hell we have the RWZ and Cim both working under amazingly flimsy motivations.
3: Treat them like an AE&D LARP'er trapped in the fantasy who has gone completely crazy and play along with it.
4: Kick from team
5: Kick from team
6: See 1.
7 & 8: Explain that most everything in game has already been given an IC justification. If you read the original CoX comics they spend a great deal of time trying to work the tram, Inspirations, Enhancements, the War Walls, the old side kick system and all the other various game mechanics are referenced in some way as to attempt to make sense of them in a comic book universe. So there is already precedent for it. Hopefully this would encourage both of them to go off and read the CoX Comics and for Player 7 to be a little more open minded and accepting and for player 8 to find less jarring and immersion breaking ways of going about their goal.
Even with all the problem players, the team can now at least function and interact with one another in character even if they are not referencing the game content such as fighting Hero 1 for the 100th time and perhaps if the experience is enjoyable for all of them then they may learn something about their own characters or be nudged into growing as RP'ers.
You show off how 'awesome' Dark Armor is against a faction which it has some of the strongest resists against, with the only other competitor there being Electric Armor.
Rikti - Psi, Energy.
Notice he took Tough as well to stack for Smashing/Lethal.
That's like declaring Ice is awesome because you can mass-tank Snowmen during the winter event.
Derp.
Now! This is it! Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!
That video amuses me.
You show off how 'awesome' Dark Armor is against a faction which it has some of the strongest resists against, with the only other competitor there being Electric Armor. Rikti - Psi, Energy. Notice he took Tough as well to stack for Smashing/Lethal. That's like declaring Ice is awesome because you can mass-tank Snowmen during the winter event. Derp. |
Or Carnies.
Besides, the mish is set at +2/x8. I posted the video to show another forumgoer that the tactics needed for Dark Armor do NOT boil down to "hit and run tactics". Then again the post was by je_saist, so I guess the video was a given disproving mechanism. :P
If you really want me to I'll go find a tougher enemy group.
And what, you don't run your toons against enemies they'll do well against?
(Thanks for the constructive criticism by the way. :/ )
My guides:Dark Melee/Dark Armor/Soul Mastery, Illusion Control/Kinetics/Primal Forces Mastery, Electric Armor
"Dark Armor is a complete waste as a tanking set."
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I'll make another one with Malta.
Or Carnies. Besides, the mish is set at +2/x8. I posted the video to show another forumgoer that the tactics needed for Dark Armor do NOT boil down to "hit and run tactics". Then again the post was by je_saist, so I guess the video was a given disproving mechanism. :P If you really want me to I'll go find a tougher enemy group. And what, you don't run your toons against enemies they'll do well against? (Thanks for the constructive criticism by the way. :/ ) |
Yeeeeeeah.
Try running against something that's a challenge. Playing to your strengths doesn't counteract the arguements against the set in general.
Now! This is it! Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!
Nemesis. Cimmerorans. Circle of Thorns. Trying to declare how awesome your set is against sets it's specifically tailored against?
Yeeeeeeah. Try running against something that's a challenge. Playing to your strengths doesn't counteract the arguements against the set in general. |
Jesus you guys are critical. I didn't say "look how leet and awesome my toon is I can teabag Tyrant and kill him". I said that the set didn't suck.
I'm not trying to turn this thread into a pissing contest.
Damn.
My guides:Dark Melee/Dark Armor/Soul Mastery, Illusion Control/Kinetics/Primal Forces Mastery, Electric Armor
"Dark Armor is a complete waste as a tanking set."
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/HellkatPredator/2012%20Livestreams/ChompAeon.gif)
I mean, I can't imagine my demon character's junk is something we want to see.
My guides:Dark Melee/Dark Armor/Soul Mastery, Illusion Control/Kinetics/Primal Forces Mastery, Electric Armor
"Dark Armor is a complete waste as a tanking set."
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/HellkatPredator/2012%20Livestreams/ChompAeon.gif)
*Pets Nalrok's soft demonic underbelly*
SFW or not, I think we have all wanted to teabag Jack/Tyrant/Statesman at one point or another.
If I wanted to RP my characters as godly superbeings, I probably wouldn't use the Incarnate system as the explanation why.
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So, I'm choosing to ignore it ICly (or mentally re-write it through the lens of my character's goals: it's not the well of the furies, it's the final formula I need for my immortality serum!. That sort of thing, at most). I just generally ignore it.
Would you immediately go, "No way, I refuse to believe a god would be level 2, go PL this character to 50 and get them some Incarnate slots and then we'll talk"?
Conversely, I wouldn't RP with a character who is a perfectly normal human being who just happens to have really good informers, if this is used as a tool to intimidate me (like, say, "I know all your weaknesses, I know where you live, I know all your family members, I could ruin your life or have you killed with a single text.")
For me, it's not so much about the discrepancy between the story they're trying to sell me and their ingame stats, it's more about whether they're interested in a good story versus just posturing.
Then there are the level 6 demon princes running around screaming at you to bow to them and completely ignoring the fact that you're so out of their league it's laughable.
My guides:Dark Melee/Dark Armor/Soul Mastery, Illusion Control/Kinetics/Primal Forces Mastery, Electric Armor
"Dark Armor is a complete waste as a tanking set."