freedom phalanx = meh

It figures.

That's what makes her fun is she's so silly.

As to Sam, I guess it's a perception thing. I really don't think the majority of people in the game want to read anything, and prefere to just button smash.

New players come into the game and they don't think "Let me see what the stories about" they're "XP! XP XP XP! I WANT THE XP! XP!!!"

But I do agree, I'd love to see more of the signature characters.

And Tenzhi is right, I have that "My character wouldn't do that" moment in First Ward with Katie. Though this doesn't bother me, as I just don't run the arc.

However, I don't tend to let that bother me for a lot of the simpler things, that open flavor text when entering a mission for instance.

I'm sure that I *am* right, but unless my brain slipped its leash again that doesn't sound like it's related to something I said. Credit where it's due and all that.

She's a bit hot-headed, and she knows it, and she sometimes says or does some goofy things - but she's also friendly, brave and loyal, and is in a very loving relationship - she's one of the nicest NPCs in the game.

Like I said: it figures.

Oppps...I meant Clawsandeffect tried to edit the post but it won't let me.

The problem is that, in both cases, you still end up having to think of the mechanics first and the story second. As far as I'm concerned, a writer should be required to supply a story synopsis that he can retell in real time as one would retell an old memory, and only once that's done start trying to figure out how to put that into the game. Yes, many concessions will have to be made with the story when it's translated to the Architect, but at least there will BE a story that's being translated.

I've seen this repeated in a lot of Architect stories - plot elements seem to pop up for the sake of justifying why a boss exists, why an ambush spawned or why an NPC needs to be led somewhere, because the author thought these were cool mechanics and wanted to put them in. Yes, the text caps would limit the story's verboseness and the limited mechanics will make for a simpler, more intuitive experience, but it won't solve the one big problem I have with the storytelling - that it's not telling stories, it's explaining why missions exist.

When Rick Dakan and his crew - and I keep coming back to them - originally made the City of Heroes "world," they didn't just put stories in, they tied them into the overall plot of the game and accounted for how these stories related to the rest of the world and how the rest of the world conspired to set them in motion. The Circle of Thorns didn't just show up one day. Baron Zoria "founded" them in the early 1900s, after which point they still kept to their caves until the first Rikti invasion, when Circle strongholds were targeted by the aliens for their magical affinity, which the Rikti fear, causing the Circle to become more active out of reactionary paranoia and pent-up frustration. Then it turns out that's just one layer on top of a much deeper story.

We just don't get that with anything newly added. What the hell is SAM? When were they founded? What is their relationship with the FBSA? What is their jurisdiction? How long have they been in operation? No, we don't get any of that. Someone needed an official-sounding organisation and apparently didn't know the FBSA existed, so *poof* SAM! It's a concept that should have come with its own backstory and depth, but instead it's little more than a device to move the plot along, and that's a cryin' shame.

Oi, does Sefu have horribly annoying powers! Yeah, I've wanted to yell at the guy... But the truth is, he's written as such a lovable lump that I can't bring myself to be angry at him. To be honest, when I AM angry, I'm angry at the power designers for giving him Repulsion Field. But it's not his fault! Honest!

And, yes, Fusionette is an idiot. She has not a single redeeming quality about her. She's rash, incompetent, arrogant, insolent and - bad as that may sound - ugly as a board. When he still went by the name of Jim Temblor, Faultline was actually a very pleasant character, his rudeness and insecurity being nicely balanced by his compassion and the tragedy which essentially stole his childhood from him. He is at time humorous, but he is also deeply dramatic, and I respect the balance he strikes. Then he moves into the War Zone, calls himself Faultline and starts sending mistells to Fusionette in team chat because someone thought breaking the fourth wall was funny. In the War Zone, Faultline is dumber than a sack of hammers, he's incompetent and he has no personality. He's a Vanguard soldier with a face, but he may as well be Lt. Random Name for all his personality matters for the plot.

That really depends on how it's done. If it's a meanspirited "revenge" kill just to satiate the malice of people who hate her, then yes, there will be much complaining. If her death actually accomplishes something in the story such that not having her die would produce an inferior one, then I'd support it. Hell, having her die a heroic death might do a LOT to redeem her as a character, because right now she's loathsome.

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.