If you haven't looked at the new Skulls, please do.

Yep, not the slightest trace of ethnic diversity here. Nosiree.

Out of curiosity, how many spawns did you visit? Cause you might want to re-evaluate your sample size. I spent 20-30 minutes on beta last night running around King's Row, and I couldn't turn two consecutive corners without seeing another spawn containing non-white members. From the screenshots I took I count at least 9 different such models.

Are they predominantly white? Yes, can't argue that. But if you think they're completely white you might need your drivers updated. Or your glasses.

Damn, son. That's an intimidating Skulls member. More than I can say for the existing 2003-vintage Skulls. (Yes, CoH came out in 2004, but looked terrible for its time.)

These new Skulls look like how one would imagine the Skulls. They're a gang, and they happen to wear skull masks. Dress them up as one would a gang. Using new assets to do so makes them stand alongside other new mob types.

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.

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

Come now... they serve a practical purpose! If a Skull goes to a business meeting, he can roll up his sleeves a little and still look "professional"!!

Can we get this moved to Suggestions, please?

I honestly thought that's what they always were.

I spent about 20 minutes hopping around all of KR and I took forty five screenshots. I just ran through them to be certain I wasn't just overlooking new Skulls with diverse skin tones. Sure enough, every last Skull I screenshotted was white, which is about 100 NPCs give or take.

Damn RNG.

Daaaaang. I can believe it though... I've heard some crazy stories about RNG wackiness. But hey, at least one of your concerns can be set to rest, right? So there's that.

I've seen it both way. The early screenshots on the beta forum repeated Nalrok_AthZim's experience and was one of the original concerns being brought up. That combined with the whole "Everyone talk like fresh off boat" dialog had people concerned about that vision for the group.

Last night I logged in and hung out mostly around the hospital doing the early-story missions. The spawn groups were nearly all diverse, though it was a big odd to hear an african-american woman talk about beating the snot out of me in an "accent".

Maybe it's a distribution problem or maybe they're trying to somehow illustrate that as you work into the higher levels that you're getting into the ethnic leadership of the gang. Or maybe it's all just the RNG.

I'm glad that they are NOT removing all of the diversity of the gang but if there are problems (and it seems that perhaps there are) then they should be addressed.

On a different note, I've decided that I can live with the club hair, but it is rather goofy looking.

I absolutely love the new Skulls.
New look, new arcs, new difficulty. Top notch.

Club or doofus hair on an enemy works pretty well, imo. It really motivates me to punch that person in the head.

Not really.

You are entitled to the opinion someone has to care, but no, no one really has to care about the story to the degree you choose to about this and other changes.

The writers are doing things you don't like. Oh well, feel free to complain.

Trying to say any of the changes to the story actually matter to the degree you imply is simply not true. It will not hurt the bottom line and that's all that really matters.

Even in this thread, I see the same people complaining just like they complain about every other little change.

No, no one has to care about this crap. You choose to and thus choose to be unhappy about it.

So in a game where the developers actively listen to and care about what the players have to say, in a forum where rednames consistently make changes and add content based on customer feedback and requests, you suggest we stop caring?

Are you serious?

Hey, guess what- that's what's been happening since the day the game left the incubator.

*shrug*

You want some unchanging universe wedded inviolately to "canon", you better write it yourself because it doesn't exist in the world of serial collaborative endeavor, and I dare say it never will.


I'm not saying not to care, I'm saying the core of your argument is unrealistic and springs from an impossible Utopian vision that has never and will never exist. So, maybe try and be realistic about things.

Or keep raging pointlessly against the universe, whatever floats your boat.

Any yet somehow, I don't.

Except that is totally NOT what I am saying.

With Issue...whatever, Invasion, the Devs 'changed the Rikti'. And it was great. Because they went on what we knew already, they expanded existing canon, they progressed it, moved forward with it...we didn't suddenly have the Rikti change what they were, how they acted and who their boss was. In fairness, it was never made clear prior if the Rikti had any bosses, so that was ok; Hro' Dtohz was an addition, filling in a space where there was nothing previously.


That is all NOT true with the Skulls. Chernobog as one of the Petrovic brothers is NOT an addition, it's a change to previously established canon. And, again, that in and of itself is no bad thing. I mean, dear god did Praetoria ever need the hell retconned out of it. Goatee-Mirrorverse Praetoria was terrible. I don't think anyone disagreed with that. But the Skulls are not in the same place; they have pre-existing canon that was just never explored right and done justice in-game and, now the Skulls are finally being expanded, said existing canon is being completely thrown out because....uh....because Posi didn't actually KNOW any of the gang lore before calling that shot? That's CERTAINLY what I've got out of this so far, and that is not good.

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.

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

Saying that they don't need to revamp low level content because people can grind DFB from 1-50 if they have no motivation other then levels is...

Yeah, let's just say that myself and others are very glad that the Devs don't subscribe to your news letter.

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.

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

I like this idea a lot.

I've never liked the idea of fighting basically normal people. Warriors, Family, Cage (rent-a-cops? Come on...), etc. After level 20 or so, all the normal folks should go away. I feel we're way too powerful by that time to be fighting them. Especially when these groups get to around level 30. Not really working for me.

Adding some *super* villains seems to clean this up. If a new Outcast villain group replaces the Warriors in Talos, I won't be sad. Super villains could also make additional appearances with other groups: working for the Family, for example. It would make a lot more sense, to me, if we're fighting Family because they're using super villains.

It could even be part of a larger story arc. Outcasts are gangers at lower levels. You manage to save a few, redeem them or whatever. The more hard-bitten ones put on spandex by level 20 and start their own villain groups. You defeat some of those, they get locked up or go straight. Then the Outcasts that are left are the real hard core, and start working as mercenaries for other groups like the Family, etc. It provides a progression, and also a bit better explanation why we are fighting these guys, instead of just letting the cops taking care of it.

That is not what I said. Please do not put words in my mouth, Mr. Techbot.

And yet we have the creator of the characters telling us differently...

That's pretty much exactly what you said, actually;

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.

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