Dr. Graves hurts my brain...
By
Arcanaville,
Posted on: 2011-09-16 07:52 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
Every arc will fail if you RP something that the game is not about.
When you play Dr Graves you are still new at this thing, having stolen surplus power from Blue Spectrum and being dumped in a warzone. You need friends, infuence, power or you will be the next casualty.
If this concept does not fit your RPíng then don't play it. Or adapt your RP to somebody who does fit in. The choice between annoyance or enjoyment is yours here. I personally like the idea of a blustering villain trying to grow wise and powerful during his or her career. Everybody started out as a noob after all.
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Well I'd better get my face laughed at, then!|
Originally Posted by Venture
Character concept is subordinate to game rules. Characters in City start as beginners. That happens to not matter in this particular case, but (e.g.) I'd laugh in the face of anyone who tried to RP their level 10 character as anything other than a slightly-experienced rookie.
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Dale Drake is a level 13 SR/MA Tanker. But he's a world-travelling martial arts and exercise tutor, who was in Galaxy City on the day the meteors fell. He's decided to stay in the city for a while helping out, and may have to kick a little butt during his stay. Currently he teachers dance-exercise classes at the Hyperion Community Center in Atlas. Reason he holds back in fights? Anger issues. As he works on them and continues his training, he'll be able to unleash more power.
Fuchsia Sands is a level 19 Ninja/Time Mastermind. An old spirit who's come to Paragon as it's on the precipice of great change, and she likes to be about for those things. She's just moved the object of her power into a city building to turn it into a restaurant, and she's still recovering from that to unleash her full abilities. (If she wanted to.)
Zweilichtbrecher is a level 7 Dark/Dark Blaster. A Thule Society member, he fought against the Allied powers in WW2 and as a normal soldier in WW1. He's currently in a weakened state due to bringing his magitech u-boat out of a shadow dimension to the Rogue Isles, to rest up before going after an old ally turned foe.
Azure Arrow is a second gen hero from LA, who moved to Paragon City to prove himself. Why didn't he have access to all the arrows he does now? Some were still in transit, others were created to deal with the challenges he faces as a protector of the homeless and helpless.
Kuromizu Kei (A level 22 BS/SD Scrapper) wound up in Paragon from Japan by magic, when she was actually attempting to get back to the alternate world she and her friends had once found themselves in and became heroes in. Unable to adjust to life as a normal person once she left high school, she tried to get back to the magic suit of power armour and adventures she had. Instead, something drew her (and it) to Paragon, and she's now working with Vanguard to formalize her training, remaster the powers of her weapon suit, and to bring magical hurt to the Rikti.
If every single one of my heroes had to start as a rookie hero, then... that'd honestly be quite boring. Just because the content is there and I've done it, doesn't mean my characters have. Because for one, I'd trust writing for my characters better than a dev who doesn't know them. (Great job getting Adrian's DNA pattern. He's an eight foot tall robot with no biological systems.) For two, if everyone did that we'd run into the I'm Spartacus problem. ("I foiled Doctor Graves." "No, I foiled Doctor Graves!" "You are both wrong, I and my trusty band of scum foiled Doctor Graves!" "Oh yeah? Well, I foiled your mom!")
So, Natasha Sheers, my level 20 Fire/Fire Brute, was in Galaxy City at the time. Did her building come down due to Statesman being knocked into it? No. A meteor fragment impact hit the building she was in, damaging fire escapes. Did she rescue Blue Spectrum? No, she helped to lead a group of fellow reporters and workers in the Serif Accounting firm out to an evac zone. Did she push a giant Shivan back? No, she defeated a few on the street on her way to the evac zone while leading those heroes. Was she new to her powers? No, she'd had them for a good few years now, she just didn't quite have the courage in herself to use them lots without worrying about a mental compulsion to make everything burn so prettily.
My level 29 Kin/WP Scrapper Jonathan Wong just completed First Ward. Did he do stuff with the Monarch and all that stuff? No. He was there on a mission (recruited against his will) for the IDF, to use his unique skills to aid in the acquisition of an item thought lost, in the hopes that it would trade off against the IDF coming after his sister. (During her tale in Praetoria, she was rescued by her brother from an IDF facility that were seeking to weaponize her talents for assassinaton.) The actions in that little tale will result in the creation of my Street Justice/Willpower Brute, when they release the set. That's when a veteran of two military units will have to remaster her abilities on her own terms.
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Or play it out of character.
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Originally Posted by Gunbunny
If this concept does not fit your RPíng then don't play it. Or adapt your RP to somebody who does fit in. The choice between annoyance or enjoyment is yours here. I personally like the idea of a blustering villain trying to grow wise and powerful during his or her career. Everybody started out as a noob after all.
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Right, if that's how you intend to behave, then you're not worth my time.
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Originally Posted by Party_Kake
Your whole argument is stupid.
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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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Wait, wait, wait... Are you saying I got my powers by stealing them from the Blue Spectrum? That can't be right. That's Origin of Powers levels of wrong here.|
Originally Posted by Gunbunny
When you play Dr Graves you are still new at this thing, having stolen surplus power from Blue Spectrum and being dumped in a warzone. You need friends, infuence, power or you will be the next casualty.
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Beyond that, a collection of people here don't seem to "get" what I'm talking about. Everyone keeps telling me "You're a rookie!" Yeah, all that means is my character is weak. It doesn't mean that my character is dump, EXPRESSLY when said character's super power is intelligence. Let me put it this way: Do you think at any point in his career, it would have made sense for Bastion to run around screaming "Dude! Help! I, like, have a mental time bomb thing in my head!" Of course not. He's a logic-driven machine who started life as a logic-driven machine. Even ignoring the fact that he's a machine, at no point did it make sense for Bastion to act like Black Scorpion.
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OK, I think I just realised what the Dr. Graves arc makes my character sound like - it makes me sound like Black Scorpion. Ignore all the descriptors like "stupid" and "crude" and such. It makes me sound like Black Scorpion, the guy who answers his phone with "FEAR ME!!!" That's not what I had in mind when I wrote my character. CharacterS, actually, sine I don't really want to play his character type.
Obviously, the story can't predict everything I could create, but there's a LOT of room left in there to be a LOT more inclusive. In fact, Dr. Graves succeeds in at least one part where it says my character's biology has not yet been determined, which is pretty much the best way to go about it. There's a difference from the game having to assume SOMETHING so as not to be completely abstract and the game giving me essentially someone else's role in someone else's plot.
Why, indeed, am I asked to select an origin and write a description if the game will assume those for me? If my origin is "some arrogant, power-hungry human who stole the Blue Spectrum's power and now wants to make it big in Arachnos," then why even let me pretend I could be anything else?
Personally, I find that the broader the game's pool of applicable concepts is, the more fun it is in the long run. And honestly, I don't see anything to be gained from restricting storylines down to a very specific concept of who the protagonist is.
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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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Want. Want NOW.|
Originally Posted by Kitsune9tails
I lol'ed.
Just off the top of my head: wrath: this is the path where you ultimately create a superweapon or cast an uber spell that destroys the world. Your Contacts are a collection of dupes or nihilistic inventors and cultists. Your missions are full of killing off minor heroes, and you conflict with Doctor Vahzilok and Positron. The default 'voice' is that of the ultraviolent thug/sadist. greed: this is the path where you ultimately hold hostage/horde all of the world's resources, resulting in a dystopia where only you have resources, and those are running down due to the lack of an infrastructure to produce more. Your missions are filled with robberies and capers, your Contacts are corrupt employees, and you contend with the likes of B A Brawler and Black Scorpion. The default voice is that of the amoral mercenary/businessman. sloth: this path is all about the slavery. You conflict with Ghost Widow and Sister Psyche. Your missions are kidnappings. Your Contacts are fellow mind controllers/brainwashers and the missions are all about deception and mind screw: think the Micheal Douglas movie The Game. The default voice is that of seductive mastermind. Results in a dystopia that appears to be a utopia until you realize that sentience itself has been abolished, and you essentially are utterly alone. The default voice would be that of the elitist. pride: all glory to me, baby. On this path, you are the cackling, cape-wearing melodramatist, playing it for all that it is worth. You contend with Statesman and Recluse because it's all about face time. You twirl your mustache, monologue, leave helpless foes in deathtraps while you go off do more important things. Your Contacts are genre savvy snarkers and easily impressed innocents. Results in an over-the-top scheme going wrong and destroying the world. The default voice would be the very stereotype of the super villain. lust: since apparently drugs are allowed in a Teen setting and sex is not, this path is all about the purple haze. Results in a dystopia of a crumbling economy built around the equivalent of opium dens and virtual reality (!). You conflict with Bastion and Aeon. Your Contacts are dealers and bagmen, with the missions dealing with addiction and drug-addled rampages. The default voice would be that of the dangerous seducer. envy: this is the default path that already exists. It's all about becoming acknowldedged as the most powerful being in the universe. gluttony: this Path would be all about consuming resources, probably in the name of Science! Possibly on behalf of some insatiable entity (for the magic types). The missions would be dominated by ever greater needs and demands, and a growing sense of desperation over where and how they can be procured. Your Contacts would be suppliers and manufacturers, leading into a dystopia of a world collapsing due to a total lack of the resources you have consumed. You would contend with Scirocco and Manticore. In other news, the motivations from the old DC PnP game work just fine as paths/voices, too. |
Dev's; Hire this person! They are already much better at this than whoever wrote Graves, end of.
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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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Says who? You? Last time I checked, that wasn't up to anyone except the character creator. So tough nuts to that excuse.
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Originally Posted by Arilou
^Except that at this point you are, at most, level 10. You're a nobody. You don't have the magical acumen to make anyone **** his or her pants, at least not in the obvious way.
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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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And what about when the game makes you act like a pants on head retard?
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Originally Posted by Venture
Character concept is subordinate to game rules. Characters in City start as beginners. That happens to not matter in this particular case, but (e.g.) I'd laugh in the face of anyone who tried to RP their level 10 character as anything other than a slightly-experienced rookie.
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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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Originally Posted by Gunbunny
Every arc will fail if you RP something that the game is not about.
When you play Dr Graves you are still new at this thing, having stolen surplus power from Blue Spectrum and being dumped in a warzone. You need friends, infuence, power or you will be the next casualty. If this concept does not fit your RPíng then don't play it. Or adapt your RP to somebody who does fit in. The choice between annoyance or enjoyment is yours here. I personally like the idea of a blustering villain trying to grow wise and powerful during his or her career. Everybody started out as a noob after all. |
Tripe. Last time I checked, NOTHING stated starting villains had to all suffer being THAT sodding dense, and happy to go along with some random shmuck who tells them to act like they are utterly brain dead.
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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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Sam: It's still Citadel, no matter how many times you wish it wasn't 
Also, the part you quoted is simply incorrect. You don't steal Blue Spectrums powers, you steal his power, i.e. energy, to make you tougher while you bust out of Galaxy. Think of it as sappin' his powah to get a tier 3 red insp, etc. But in more characterful terms 
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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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The rules.| Says who? You? |
There's a great piece of RANDOM_BOSS agro text in the newspaper missions where the guy describes what happens when someone tells Ghost Widow to go screw herself. She just kills the guy on the spot. That's about it for your level 10 character trying to flip off Scirocco. You tell him to get bent, he sandblasts your lungs from the inside. Roll up a new character.
Now, the other rooks in the arc, that's another matter. And no, there's no excuse for the arc setting up a pitching machine loaded with Idiot Balls. But just because there is no one to stop you from writing anything you want in that little info box does not mean you have carte blanche to contravene the conditions for new characters, not here or in any other RPG.
Current Blog Post: "Why I am an Atheist..."
"And I say now these kittens, they do not get trained/As we did in the days when Victoria reigned!" -- T. S. Eliot, "Gus, the Theatre Cat"
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Lol @ blackscorpion remark. |
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
Wait, wait, wait... Are you saying I got my powers by stealing them from the Blue Spectrum? That can't be right. That's Origin of Powers levels of wrong here.
Beyond that, a collection of people here don't seem to "get" what I'm talking about. Everyone keeps telling me "You're a rookie!" Yeah, all that means is my character is weak. It doesn't mean that my character is dump, EXPRESSLY when said character's super power is intelligence. snip OK, I think I just realised what the Dr. Graves arc makes my character sound like - it makes me sound like Black Scorpion. |
But yes, not only is the character a rookie but this arc is intended for player rookies as well. It is the extended tutorial. It is not meant to be played over and over by veterans like you and me. Especially not by cold logic superintelligent characters.
Seen in that light, it is amusing, has a nice story with a few funny twists and it contains some great and creepy villains. Villains that can inspire the new player to create something wierd and out of the box. Zephyr, Dollface and the real creepy one. All of them interesting characters.
Will I play it again? Not really, to much running around discovering how the game works. But when I played it, it gave me some smiles and some moments that I was creeped out. In that, I find this arc an excellent one.
It's not even just this arc, some of the new first ward ones are the same, railroad the hell out of for no real gain to me or mine or acknowledgement that you might be anyone other than the role assigned by the arc.
Which is "your a colossal moron who takes everyone at face value all the time despite the clearly amoral world you live in"
Not badly written, just that the protagonist is a dunderhead of epic proportions who should not be allowed super powers or indeed outside.
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Doh! B before C, I will remember this!|
Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha
Sam: It's still Citadel, no matter how many times you wish it wasn't
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Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha
Also, the part you quoted is simply incorrect. You don't steal Blue Spectrums powers, you steal his power, i.e. energy, to make you tougher while you bust out of Galaxy. Think of it as sappin' his powah to get a tier 3 red insp, etc. But in more characterful terms
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I suppose in the cold light of day, it makes no sense since heroes don't steal his power, but I clearly didn't think that far ahead
On a tangent, giving and taking "power" really isn't something I'm fond of for pretty much the same reasons I don't like power suppression fields for no reason - not everyone is "powered" by some kind of "power" which could be given or taken. Actually, the character I ran the hero-side arc with the first time was a very tough school girl whose "power" was superior strength and speed. Not really something you can syphon.
Here's the thing - if the Blue Spectre were described as someone whose own powers revolve around manipulating energy, then this would make more sense. If he has the ability to draw generic-term energy (that's "energy," not "power") out of others, then allowing him to drain us of a little as heroes would make sense even if our abilities aren't the result of having "power." At that point, even a basic ordinary human could have helped him because anything alive needs some form of energy to live. Similarly, villains could drain the Blue Spectre of his energy to supercharge their own bodies.
This is more than just swapping "power" for "energy." It's about specifically defining the Blue Spectre's powers as based around syphoning and channelling energy. Because right now, we don't know who that guy is and what he can do. He could be a martial artist, for all we know. Defining him as an energy manipulator would give context to the "power transfer" we're expected to make. Same story, same actions, more context, is all.
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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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Heh, well, we kind of do sound like him |
Originally Posted by Gunbunny
Lol @ blackscorpion remark.
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And don't get me wrong, I'm not ragging on the guy or his writing. That sort of character has his place in decent fiction. It's just... If I had to choose my demeanour, I wouldn't choose Black Scorpion Jr. Maybe Ghost Widow Jr. or possibly Nemesis Jr., but that's just why I feel we need more choice in dialogues.Quote:
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Originally Posted by Gunbunny
But yes, not only is the character a rookie but this arc is intended for player rookies as well. It is the extended tutorial. It is not meant to be played over and over by veterans like you and me. Especially not by cold logic superintelligent characters.
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Let's just hope that this railroading doesn't spread. Dialogue trees were invented to give players a choice. To make dialogue trees with no choices in them is just bad design.
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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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Actually, to me, that just makes the railroading even WORSE! It gives new players the impression that the devs way is the ONLY way, and CoH never used to be about that kind of restrictive play.|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
Heh, well, we kind of do sound like him
And don't get me wrong, I'm not ragging on the guy or his writing. That sort of character has his place in decent fiction. It's just... If I had to choose my demeanour, I wouldn't choose Black Scorpion Jr. Maybe Ghost Widow Jr. or possibly Nemesis Jr., but that's just why I feel we need more choice in dialogues.Hmm... OK, when you put it like that, I can see what you mean. When I see railroading writing, I have the tendency to perceive it as one manifestation of a much bigger problem, as I've had that same complaint across the board for years. However, you have a point - this arc can be forgiven for assuming we're complete rookies in both skill and mind since it's aimed at rookie players. I'm not sure if all rookie players will be this small-time and how many will bring established characters from other games they've played or stories they've written, but even so, it's an argument that I can buy. Let's just hope that this railroading doesn't spread. Dialogue trees were invented to give players a choice. To make dialogue trees with no choices in them is just bad design. |
This is a superhero MMO, where imagination is meant to be the most important factor. Devs should not be choking that imagination off before it even starts.
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Sam: Spectrum, not Spectre 
/Pedant. Smeg I'm being bad today
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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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Originally Posted by FloatingFatMan
Actually, to me, that just makes the railroading even WORSE! It gives new players the impression that the devs way is the ONLY way, and CoH never used to be about that kind of restrictive play.
This is a superhero MMO, where imagination is meant to be the most important factor. Devs should not be choking that imagination off before it even starts. |
Agreed.
Hell, what happened to whoever wrote D-Mac and Leonard? They pitched that about as close to perfect as we're gonna get; you could make that work for ANY type of villain. Even my Minotaur character who's primary use for technology would be as a big, heavy object to use as an auxiliary maiming tool, but he began to have aspirations when presented with the situation.
He was a bit mean to D-mac about Hive Fives, though
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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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There are no conditions for new characters. Well, that's not true. The conditions for new characters are selecting origin, AT, primary powerset and first power, secondary powerset and power, costume, Power customization, and name. |
Originally Posted by Venture
The rules.
There's a great piece of RANDOM_BOSS agro text in the newspaper missions where the guy describes what happens when someone tells Ghost Widow to go screw herself. She just kills the guy on the spot. That's about it for your level 10 character trying to flip off Scirocco. You tell him to get bent, he sandblasts your lungs from the inside. Roll up a new character. Now, the other rooks in the arc, that's another matter. And no, there's no excuse for the arc setting up a pitching machine loaded with Idiot Balls. But just because there is no one to stop you from writing anything you want in that little info box does not mean you have carte blanche to contravene the conditions for new characters, not here or in any other RPG. |
There is no requirement for your character to be dumb, there is no requirement for this to be your character's first rodeo, and there is no requirement that you have to tremble whenever Recluse walks by.
You can play it however you wan't but your way isn't the only way, and other ways of playing are Viable as well.
One of the first things I do when I get to Sharkhead, is Leeroy the first strike I see.
And like I said before. It all boils down to the fact that while not everyone will treat my characters like big shots, my characters would still act like they're big shots.
Except for in graves, then my characters act like cowardly, stupid henchmen.
Murphys Military Law
#23. Teamwork is essential; it gives the enemy other people to shoot at.
#46. If you can't remember, the Claymore is pointed towards you.
#54. Killing for peace is like screwing for virginity.
I just ran Graves' third arc at level 18. He sent me to see Boris the Russian. Boris greeted me by saying something along the lines of "Who are you? I don't know you."
The broker I've been using for the last eight levels suddenly doesn't recognize me.
He then proceeds to explain how the broker system works.
The broker who has already given me two bank missions suddenly feels a need to tell me how to get a bank mission.
And he's doing a worse job than Mikey the Ear did when he explained it to me thirteen levels ago.
This has to be the most poorly written arc that I've come across in this game. Or many games for that matter.
I very, very much disliked this arc. It made too many assumptions and was basically nothing more than a wall of text, nay a moutain of text telling me about the villains' motivations.
*SPOILERS*
Why is one threatening to extract my eyes? What if they aren't in my physionomy? What if I'm a robot? What if I'm blind? And why don't I just cut him down right there and then?
Why should I even *trust* any of them? I'm meant to do a challenge...for them? I'm *their* challenge? *I* am the active protagonist here. Where are my motivations? Why do I even *care* about these scrubs?
Oh, ok...we go to Galaxy City but wait...isn't GHOST WIDOW there?
Doesn't she see these heroes rampaging and can't SHE deal with them?
There is an Arachnos Flyer there right? Why isn't Longbow protecting the heroes at all? What kind of hero doesn't bring a team (I know, soloists, guilty as charged) or some backup? They're all just going to run through stage left and impale themselves on my katana? Ok...
I do get they had to introduce trainers, enhancements and so on. That's fine. But to treat me as some kind of pawn in their game...that's worse than any of the Arachnos stuff, because at lesat there you see the Destined One stuf at work. I'd much prefer if future arcs had less "WALLS OF TEXT" and a little more action and a chance to at least settle scores with people. I mean...Surgeon guy disappears. Robot Gal gets killed by her own robot. At least two of the four you can't even harm. Just brutal.
I get not attacking Scirocco because YOU WILL EXPIRE. He's a patron.
But the other four?
I felt as if I were doing things against common sense and completely against my character's volition here. Granted, there is a little immersion in any arc, but this one was way, way, way over the top.
Questions about the game, either side? /t @Neuronia or @Neuronium, with your queries!
168760: A Death in the Gish. 3 missions, 1-14. Easy to solo.
Infinity Villains
Champion, Pinnacle, Virtue Heroes
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What I meant was that AS AN EXCEPTION, I can see this arc treating us like puppy-eyed (or in this case snake-eyed) newbies, because if I'm a brand new player, I kind of am. Of course, this goes a bit contrary to one of the things many brand new players praised about City of Heroes back in the day: Other MMOs start you fighting rants and wearing rags. City of Heroes starts you fighting genuine human enemies and wearing a cool costume. Many people have, over the years, have talked about being impressed at how the game is actually fun right from the start. It doesn't start you as scum, it starts you as a legitimate hero doing legitimate hero stuff, even if they're on the lower end of the power scale.|
Originally Posted by FloatingFatMan
Actually, to me, that just makes the railroading even WORSE! It gives new players the impression that the devs way is the ONLY way, and CoH never used to be about that kind of restrictive play.
This is a superhero MMO, where imagination is meant to be the most important factor. Devs should not be choking that imagination off before it even starts. |
Obviously, that was before CoV, but it's always bugged me that villains never really enjoyed the same privilege. Heroes start out being cool, saving people and being praised for it. Villains start out like dogs, being lead around on a leash and occasionally smacked with a rolled-up newspaper, and the best they can do is bark at other dogs from across a bar fence, if the analogy isn't too convoluted.
It all goes back to the same thing - heroes get to start out feeling good, but villains have to start out feeling bad, and I don't know why that is. Because crime doesn't pay?
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Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha
Sam: Spectrum, not Spectre
/Pedant. Smeg I'm being bad today |
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Originally Posted by William_Valence
There are no conditions for new characters. Well, that's not true. The conditions for new characters are selecting origin, AT, primary powerset and first power, secondary powerset and power, costume, Power customization, and name.
There is no requirement for your character to be dumb, there is no requirement for this to be your character's first rodeo, and there is no requirement that you have to tremble whenever Recluse walks by. |
Or, you know, dispense with the whole perquisites idea and just add more options to conversations. When Scirocco makes his threat, let me reply "Kill me and you have to find yourself another mole." And use that as leverage to get something more out of the deal than "I don't bash your head with this rock." It's not based around threatening Scirocco or beating him so much as just playing up my own usefulness.
Let me put it this way - Mass Effect is not a branching story in the slightest. It's an almost entirely railroading storyline that nevertheless makes you feel like you have a shot by giving you the illusion of choice and changing minor details about how the story plays out mechanically. Dialogue trees are the perfect opportunity to do this. Picture me being offered a deal and having three options:
A. Agree emphatically.
B. Agree reluctantly.
C. Argue about the terms and agree.
In every case you agree, but they differ in how you go about them, and how you go about a villain matters. Rather a lot, actually.
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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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I would like a system such as that. Though, as player I would be to scared to mouth off myself. My villains would end up agreeing to everything |
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
A. Agree emphatically.
B. Agree reluctantly. C. Argue about the terms and agree. |
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Except in your own head.|
Originally Posted by Venture
But just because there is no one to stop you from writing anything you want in that little info box does not mean you have carte blanche to contravene the conditions for new characters, not here or in any other RPG.
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Or in any channel.
Or in your bio.
Or in the AE.
Just don't expect the pre-written portions of the game itself to support your rail-offery, and you are fine.
And even then, you can come here to the forums and see if other players agree that it can and should be changed.
Story Arcs I created:
Every Rose: (#17702) Villainous vs Legacy Chain. Forget Arachnos, join the CoT!
Cosplay Madness!: (#3643) Neutral vs Custom Foes. Heroes at a pop culture convention!
Kiss Hello Goodbye: (#156389) Heroic vs Custom Foes. Film Noir/Hardboiled detective adventure!
It is not the job of the game to restrict how you RP.
By the exact same token, it is not the job of the game to support how your RP.
There are no NCSoft authorized 'canon police' that are going to generic your bio (unless you use it to support playing a licensed character) and if you were, they would be too busy cleaning up their own messes.
As players subject to the rules of the game, it is up to us to make sure how the bios written on our hero IDs jive with canon (or not, whatever).
In point of fact, every character you have that is not an adult human is not supported. Unless you want to explain how it is that your golem/ghost/artificial intelligence/great old one/energy cloud can catch the Vahzilok Disease, be cloned, or imprisoned in the Zig. Or how your teenager got a license to set people on fire.
If you can come up with a beleivable explanation, that's great (and subjective); increment your internets by +1 and go have fun.
If not, that's cool, too. Let he who has the character roster without sin cast the first stone, and all that.
Explaining why your world-eating cosmic being struggles with a group of Threat Rating One Hellions is the exact same thing.
Furthermore: How Rhode Island gauges your level of power and the level of security they assign is undefined. I think of it like going to college: you still have to do the work and rise through the classes, regardless of how experienced you are in the Real World.
In the end it's all between you and your favorite Pocket D catgirl anyway
Story Arcs I created:
Every Rose: (#17702) Villainous vs Legacy Chain. Forget Arachnos, join the CoT!
Cosplay Madness!: (#3643) Neutral vs Custom Foes. Heroes at a pop culture convention!
Kiss Hello Goodbye: (#156389) Heroic vs Custom Foes. Film Noir/Hardboiled detective adventure!