OOC: Heh, well, example 1 there is to point out a story your character was involved in. In that example it would be showed, if you completed the arc, that your character was involved in the resolution.
In example 2, it's showed that your character was *not* involved in that case. In such a situation, either another named hero or a mysterious hero was involved in helping out or it could be said to have been resolved in a less-tidy/happy way depending on what situation and arc.
In example 3 there, this is news about something that hasn't been solved. It's a crime in progress and involves a contact that is in your level range.
Now the purpose of this idea is mainly to keep your hero in the know. So when participating in 'stuff', your character doesn't have to technically be 'ignorant' of things that they are expected to know but didn't actually participate in.
Second purpose for the idea is mainly to tie all these happenings into a better, more understandable time-line. If the writers actually *want* to try unraveling this mess of a time-line, however is yet to be seen. But it also gives a feeling that the city is bigger than just 1 hero, that there is lots more going on than can naturally be covered by a single entity...but if you actually wanted, you could still try. Try so that, in every headline, you are affecting it all and seemingly at once.
...but yeah, it's mainly to bring tangible order to the events put about in the game. These 'news reports' would basically be level sensative. It will report things around your level only. It'd probably make a computer or something in the University Library that had archives of newspapers of previous levels too which would keep track of all the happenings and show how much impact your hero had.
No replies? That's curious, I figure a story-based idea couldn't be bad as it's a means of making the city feel like it's actually alive rather than simply acting as a setting.
Another thought although I doubt there is tech to make it possible: If you have another character on the same server that completed a certain arc that your current character has left untouched, perhaps have the name of that other character dropped as the hero who resolved it.
Another point I hadn't made initially but had though it when I created the thread title: Newspaper/pamphlets (located from NPCs around the city handing out publications) wouldn't be the only avenue of hearing about the ongoing lore of the game as you level in it. Broadcasts through other avenues like TV/radio (gotta be a news station around the city somewhere), government files (Fort Trident would be a good place to put government stored data), word on the street (savvy contacts who stay among the streets) and journals (put them in the university library).
If organized right, even a casual player may be able to form a fundamental time-line of the events of Paragon without scouring the wiki which, IMO, doesn't do too well a job of that either.
And hey, maybe if decent effort is put into the writing, no one will forget crap happened and ignore/retcon stuff as much...maybe they'll even continue on or use old plot points to springboard other stories.
Sounds good to me. I'd also like to see a few missions and arcs only available through this...Not necessary ones, but minor arcs...
A mysterious rash of unexplained disappearances among students of a local high school has occurred in the sleepy suburb of Glennville, leading local police to appeal to the heroes of Paragon for aid. While the cause is uncertain, one thing is: Someone, or something, is taking these students.
Gang violence has overtaken Independence Port, as the Outcast, apparently empowered by some unknown benefactor, have attempted to move into Tsoo and Family territory. Civilians are advised to stay inside until the PPD has gotten the situation under control.
Open Archetype Suggestion thread!, Kirsten's Epic Weapon Pools, Feudal Japan, Etc., Alignment specific Rularuu iTrials!
If Masterminds didn't suck, they'd be the most powerful AT in the game.
Well, I'd primarily point this idea into a more comprehensive newspaper/radio-type set-up in that, like paper/radio missions, leads to contacts but this would basically be cutting the whole "do x number of missions + mayhem mission" attached. Personally, after doing 1 set of paper missions to get a certain mayhem/safeguard for that level range, I don't want to have to deal with repeating the paper missions again.
For people that love to just do back-to-back paper missions for xp, that's fine, but I usually do them for the contact.
Beyond that, the explanation of the contact's missions in the contact selection screen is often vague. You only know what types of enemies/origin will be in the contact's missions...it tells you nothing of what problems they have...frankly, paper/radio feels like a kludge...you're just sent off to some guy you don't know dealing with some group...oh, and he gives [insert origin] enhancements too.
It really takes away from the atmosphere of the action.
That said, I wouldn't be opposed to arcs involved that are specific to this feature. Like your idea about solving a missing persons case, you might not even have a contact for it, but use a database or other research to find the mission.
Another idea: you have missions where you uncover missing files to which, when added to current data, lead to more missions like, in a Council Base, you recover a file on a certain Malta operative who has been destroying databases of many organizations. A strike team is being formed to take him out but you might be able to get there first and uncover the missing data/whatever they're trying to cover up.
Without the mission, there will simply be no mention of it in the government databases and with it, you get whatever the plot and resolution is.
Great idea Leo, I have always thought this kind of stuff really belonged on those otherwise useless information kiosks all over the place. Add things like WST and a contact or two and it would be perfect.
Still though, you have identified a need and suggested a great way to implement it. Good suggestion!
Thanks!
Just to sum up, the points of this suggestion are to help:
-Getting contacts in a non-immersion breaking fashion. Having the contacts actively call you works well though so no big deal if available contacts aren't introduced with this.
-Showing what activities are happening around the city that you may not have participated in. Primarily for immersion, but it may help to establish a time-line of contacts. You'd read a report on a contact you outleveled and know you either need to use Ouroborus or remember what level you missed it at.
-Break ties to Paragonwiki. Not putting down the site, I use it all the time, but one shouldn't need to use a 3rd party site while in-game to realize whats what with your contacts and missions.
As the bright shining hero of Paragon City, Demon Revolver, you began your journey bringing order to Atlas Park and thwarting Aaron Thiery's plot after which, pleas from the Hollows draw your attention. With much effort and hard work, you bring a little peace to the chaos of that hazard zone and eventually obtain security level 15!
You skim through page 1...After taking the fight to the Trolls then the Circle, you finally decide to move on to other points in the city that need your assistance more urgently. It's been days since you finally stepped out of the thrashed Eastgate, so when you emerge into the wide towering highways of Skyway, you curiously approach a citizen near the tram who's offering to spread the superpowered word across the city.
You graciously take one and take a peek at what's been going on around the city:
Table of Contents [or what have you]
Interesting read, and makes you proud to be apart of the crime solution in this city. You have a feeling you know what'll be covered in the story on page 4 so you look on over to another headline that caught your eye on page 3...
Curious. Those Hellions were operating in Kings Row too? You were able to take quite a few of them down in Atlas but you obviously had your hands full with Arachnos at the time...What's this on page 6?
There are other stories about the recent goings on in Paragon City, even stories you had no idea were happening at the time, but the last story you read you find most interesting. With the description given, you're sure the art thieves are apart of the Tsoo! So it's time to book a tram ride over to Steel post haste!