Villain-Side Contacts

Villain side contacts have always irked me to some extent because you're always working FOR someone who is more powerful than you. What makes it worse is that several of the contacts treat you like dirt. I'm sorry, but if my villain's back story is they are a megalomaniac bent on world domination, I can't really see them blithely accepting rudeness or condescension from anyone.

This suggestion is directed more towards the possibility of City of Heroes/Villains 2 rather than the current system. The game as it is now is too inundated with established contacts to change it very much.

I want sycophants.

Why can't villains have contacts who are actually toadies? Why can't I FEEL like a powerful, evil character by speaking with a guy who is snivelling and pawing in terror/adoration at my cape hem? You wouldn't have to re-do the game, just write the contact as "Hey boss, I been sniffin' around for jobs likes ya said... I think I found somethin' youze might be interested in..."

There are thousands of excellent examples of toadies or Lieutenants in literature and comic book lore. Snivellers, backstabbers, opportunists, faithful henchmen, cool 2nd in commands... the list goes on and on.

I can understand why a 1st/2nd level villain in the Rogue Isles would fall under a strong and commanding Contact. But around 15th to 20th level we should see a definite swing from "I'm working FOR my contact" to "My contact is working for me."

Even finishing out all of a contact's missions could have good story telling possibilities. Say you have a contact in St Martial who is trying to help your character in a violent take-over of one of the Casinos there. He does your investigative work and brings you word on the street about who you should be targeting, etc. When you reach the end of his arc you put him in charge of managing the newly acquired casino while you extend your reach elsewhere.

Heck, if I REALLY wanted to enhance the story line I would create a list of random replies if you ever check back with him. Maybe he tells you how the Casino is producing, gives you quarterly reports or advises you that he killed a mob boss who was sniffing too close to the goods. Anything but the same "You've outgrown me, now leave me alone" message.

Another aspect of making Villainous contacts into your toadies is the possibility of them betraying you for their own advantage at the ends of their story arcs. Why not? They're villains too, aren't they? And I don't mean you have to kill them off. Maybe they run away and appear again in some other sycophant's story line.

Imagine that... you just gained a magical talisman from the Circle of Thorns... you hand the item to your "trusted" servant to place in your personal vault when they disappear with it... literally. Then the game pops up a small window asking if you wish to let him go or pursue the little back-stabbing lick-spittle. You click "VENGEANCE!" and up pops a new window introducing you to yet another contact who will provide you with a story arc (hopefully) leading you to your prey.

I'm tired of my villains feeling like servants and/or bargain basement heroes. A little re-writing for some new subservient contacts would be greatly appreciated.

I'm tired of the old content too so I just do the new stuff.

Good thing I have the AE until they do this. I share in your pain, Steelclaw.

Have you met Darrin Wade?

Mortimer Kal is exactly what you're looking for. Edit: And having just leveled a Power Loyalist through Praetoria, Dr. Hetzfeld is also exactly what you're looking for.

On the whole, it seems like they've really been trying to make up for some of their worst past showings when they can.

Though we'll see what happens with the new zone in I21..