Character Conception :: Not A GOD


Adeon Hawkwood

 

Posted

Anyone less out there consider that all or most of their characters aren't "gods"?

And/or that they shouldn't become "gods" due to character conception?

I've always been here to play "super" beings of one type or another, but Incarnate seems to jump right over demi-god into full "god-mode". I know there are plenty that think it is great that their charater is becoming a "god" ...er... I mean Incarnate, but was it/is it in any of your character conceptions that your characters weren't intended to become "gods"?

I guess the real question is "anyone out there that is willing to stick by their character conception and not have a character become an Incarnate based on that character conception (... unless it was part of their orginal character conception to be a "god" or become a "god" when the character was created)?"

I stuck in that last part as there have been player character conceptions since near the get-go (which I read) that stated the character was a "god" of some sort or another.
I'm not really counting the ones that said they were "immortal" as that is pretty slang for "someone that hasn't died yet that expects to live a really long time". Immortals are, definately, not by default "gods"/Incarnates.


 

Posted

Eh, not so much, you're just more super. I guess it may depend on your origin, but for tech at least, I just got this blueprint that's pretty awesome to improving my cyber-matrix for increased throughput.

Perhaps my attitude is one more akin to Recluse's initial attitude in the novels.


Let's Dance!

 

Posted

That gives me an idea for a new hero: Jeff, the god of biscuits.

He was born in Jeff Jeffty-Jeff!


 

Posted

I don't think the word "conception" means what you're using it to mean.

Beyond that, I'm definitely not concerned about godhood. I don't make a character unless I can eventually picture them having godlike powers towards the end of their storyline. They're not interesting enough otherwise.


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Posted

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Originally Posted by Coyote_Seven View Post
That gives me an idea for a new hero: Jeff, the god of biscuits.

He was born in Jeff Jeffty-Jeff!
And his Nemesis, Jaffa Jeff?

After all Jaffa cakes are not true Biscuits.


 

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Originally Posted by Nos482 View Post
All but two of my toons aren´t (demi-)gods and except my MM will stay "mortal".
Both my Hero Rad/Rad Defender and Vigilante Fire/Rad Corr (the Corr being the Praetorian version who was once insane and obsessed with killing Marcus Cole in all realities) are technology based toons that rely on their genius intellect and inventions to see them through.

Having said that, they are Incarnates. As far I'm concerned, they have both become the Incarnate of Hephaestus, god of smithing (and volcanoes, I guess). This has nothing to do with their "power," but instead has increased their innate intellect and technological prowess.

No Zeus Cannon Smite Doom Blast here. Just another weapon.


 

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Originally Posted by Dr_Mechano View Post
And his Nemesis, Jaffa Jeff?

After all Jaffa cakes are not true Biscuits.
Cake or death!

Little red cookbook! Little red cookbook!


 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Alt_oholic View Post
I guess the real question is "anyone out there that is willing to stick by their character conception and not have a character become an Incarnate based on that character conception (... unless it was part of their orginal character conception to be a "god" or become a "god" when the character was created)?"
I'm an illusion controller. Those "godlike" powers? Illusions I created. No real god power in me, even though others might believe that. If it makes criminals scared of my 'godlike' powers, why should I correct them?


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Posted

I don't think I ever considered any of my characters as "gods" when I made them.
Most are just extraordinary beings (human or "other").

That being said, one character is an "homage" of a book character that is constantly re-incarnated. She is the only one I am working on for incarnate status.

.


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Posted

in the words of the late, great Spike Milligna, well known Goon and typing error, "Contraceptives should be used on every conceivable occasion."

I take your point that not all characters are gods, demigods or even vaguely deific and personally I far prefer characters that are "up against it" somewhat, rather than being overpowered.

Some of my characters will go to through the full "incarnate" arc, get everything they can and become far superior than they are now. Others will simply "cherry pick" bits and pieces here, and others still will studiously ignore the incarnate content.

I can explain their abilities in my own mind in a number of ways:

  • They are becoming far more powerful and the Well of the Furies is affecting them, as per the Incarnate Arc
  • They have learned some of the powers of the Incarnates and have managed to replicate some of the Incarnate abilities, perhaps by technology, or mutation or some other means.
  • They have stolen or otherwise come across other incarnate-like artifacts that grant them powers.
  • Having used their powers for many years (I'm close to being a 5 year vet) some of my characters are simply increasing their skill level, through dilligence, hard work, practice and dedication. In the same way that Batman is so uber because he works so bloody hard at it, they get to be that good through single-minded obsession. This allows them to take a further step up in power which is in some ways artificially imposed by the game. Previously the best you could get was a level 50 with a bunch of purple sets and a great build. Now we can go a stage further to represent additional training and diligence.
  • Pure blind luck!



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I have no god characters, nor plan to have any. I have a technical immortal (vampire) and a few robots that are nigh impossible to put down so they stay down.

But no, no gods. Incarnates just give me an excuse to add in extra stuff, show new limits to their powers, or add in some really extra-cool high tech.


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NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

 

Posted

well, i think this thread asks a question that may be better framed. i tend to get a bit nervous around throwing around the g term because it tends to attract significant hostility from both those who are significant fans of said specified entity or entities and those who are significant non-fans and it tneds to go sour fast. incarnates access, insofar as i understand it, not the power of sentient primal entities but rather the capacity to manipulate the creative forces of the universe themselves. i dont see why that explanation would preclude either sufficiently advanced technology or a sufficient knowledge of science to manipulate said forces, popular entertainment also is filled with examples of characters who have accessed unsurpassed powers through extreme training, particularly in the martial arts, so from that angle, i see no reason to conceptually limit incarnate powers as specifically divine.


That said, one concept i have seen floating around that seems related to the initial question is "how many people purposely try to keep their characters "street level" powerful?" lets face it, if your character was able to drop the chronos titan solo or in a small group, you aint luke cage anymore, you are darn-near doctor strange by the time you are smashing rularru aspects. A close friend of mine actually has lamented the fact that really after you get to the upper levels, you are simply presented as one seriously powerful character, way beyond what could be believably considered normal but well trained in any real sense, you take on walking tanks head-on and win. now obviously being a incredibly powerful character fits the general superhero theme, and fits a lot of our themes, but i can sympathize with someone trying to just be a tough urban hero who suddenly is clearing rooms filled with behemoth overlords, entities who by both name and appearance would be terrifying opponents for groups of highly trained and well equipped humans, and you are vaporizing them en masse, that doesnt really vibe well.


 

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Incarnate content could also be role-played as evolution.


to TO THE END!
Villains are those who dedicate their lives to causing mayhem. Villians are people from the planet Villia!

 

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Gods in COH-verse are not all powerful. They can be defeated.

Ask Hequat, who can be readily crushed by villains.


Dawnslayer on Virtue.

 

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What is a god? A miserable little pile of secrets!

Enough! Have at you!


 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Alt_oholic View Post
Anyone less out there consider that all or most of their characters aren't "gods"?

And/or that they shouldn't become "gods" due to character conception?

I've always been here to play "super" beings of one type or another, but Incarnate seems to jump right over demi-god into full "god-mode". I know there are plenty that think it is great that their charater is becoming a "god" ...er... I mean Incarnate, but was it/is it in any of your character conceptions that your characters weren't intended to become "gods"?

I guess the real question is "anyone out there that is willing to stick by their character conception and not have a character become an Incarnate based on that character conception (... unless it was part of their orginal character conception to be a "god" or become a "god" when the character was created)?"

I stuck in that last part as there have been player character conceptions since near the get-go (which I read) that stated the character was a "god" of some sort or another.
I'm not really counting the ones that said they were "immortal" as that is pretty slang for "someone that hasn't died yet that expects to live a really long time". Immortals are, definately, not by default "gods"/Incarnates.
As far as fitting into the story, most of my characters' concepts would never get past Talos Island in the game. I don't include time travel or dimension hopping in my character stories (though Praetoria makes this hard) and don't see them as unimaginably superhuman. Heck, I'd have to say that while I enjoy reading the stories the devs present, I can't think of one that I actually incorporate into my characters lore, beyond general backstory.

I find ultra-powered "godlike" powers absolutely dull from a storytelling perspective- I'd much rather keep it more down to earth. Doesn't keep me from experiencing the content... though at 6+ years playing and only 6-ish level 50's, you can tell I alt a lot.


 

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Originally Posted by cursedsorcerer View Post
Incarnate content could also be role-played as evolution.
Biological, talent, and technological evolution


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Dark/Shield Build Thread

 

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I don't know. So far I haven't seen anything except the first mission of the incarnate arc, that makes one seem like a god.

I just continue to imagine my main as being as a SG member put it "a combination of Spider-Man and Wolverine"


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The BrandX Collection

 

Posted

I have 13 or so, maybe 14, 50's. Only 3 of them currently have any incarnate powers. And that's probably how it's going to stay for quite some time. One of them is a mummy that was brought back to life by the god Horus (hence touched directly by a god and appropriate that he should get god-like powers). Another is my inv/ss tanker that used to be a normal human until her parents were killed and she was granted powers by the fae. And the fae work in more mysterious ways than the Christian god, so that makes sense. And the last is my DP/Elec blaster who is the daughter of a brilliant inventor. She learned from him and keeps on upgrading all of her tech, so it makes sense that she'd continue to upgrade everything even after she can't level up anymore (I was actually happiest about the incarnate system for her since for a while I had stopped playing her because she couldn't continue her improvements).

As for the other 10 or so 50's that I have, they're probably not going to go incarnate any time soon. Things may change though, my characters' stories are ever-evolving and changing. If something happens that pushes them down the path of the incarnate, I won't not do it just because they started out as a normal human who was just really good at martial arts.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Alt_oholic View Post
Anyone less out there consider that all or most of their characters aren't "gods"?

And/or that they shouldn't become "gods" due to character conception?
Okay, my FF 'fender is/was a demi-deity/incarnate by concept already.

My main tank, OTOH, is just gods-awful tough.

My corrupter is just a campy-evil practitioner of the dark arts.

My alt tank is a "failed" testbed for the experiment that eventually produced Terra (the DE villain).

My scrapper is just some loonie off his meds who runs around kicking people's

My PB is basically an ill-tempered old-man Marine who happens to be bonded to an alien.

My WS is essentially bonded to one of the offspring of the Master nictus from the ITF.

My primary blaster is a pseudomagical experiment conducted by Crey to see if they could trap/incarnate (as in give a body to, not the Incarnate system) a fire elemental in an engineered metahuman body.

My SoA is just a human loose canon (think the Arachnos version of Boba Fett).

My Widow is more or less a cousin of Becky the Tarantula Mistress (and has about the same outlook on life).

Almost none of my characters are, by concept, gods or godlike. They tend to be extremely powerful (and are seeking ways to become moreso).

About the only one NOT seeking this is my original MM. He's staying at L10, pretty much forever. Basically he's a homage to a certain Springfield entrepreneur who's very involved with our nation's energy policy.



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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by BrandX View Post
I don't know. So far I haven't seen anything except the first mission of the incarnate arc, that makes one seem like a god.
Same here. The alpha slotting stuff is really just another enhancement. I don't sweat asking whether my character would really invent and use a "Mako's Bite" either.


 

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I don't really have a backstory for any of my characters, so the ones that go through incarnate content are just because I find them fun at that moment.