Greycat

Nope. This needs clearing up: Player characters / accounts (your COH login(s,) associated characters) were part of the game servers. Your COH logins were COH logins, were only affected by whatever COH did. COH GMs could ban you from the game and you could still happily (?) play Lineage or other NC stuff. *Billing* information (who *you* are, your address, credit cards, etc.) would have been on a whole separate set of servers handled by NCSoft, since they would be billing for multiple games (COH, Guild Wars, Aion, etc.) using the same information. These tend to be siloed - billing would have to work with them, so they'd have access (and that was done by NCSoft.) The billing department's support would have access to answer payment and account status questions. The Cryptic/Paragon devs would have zero need for any access to that information, and neither would the game servers - they'd live in their own little world. So payment information would never have been at risk with that leak. (In short, having the leaked databases, they'd be able to see that the Whackaguy account had Whackasword, Whackastaff and Whackablaster, but they'd never know that was Eugene Snufflepot in Powers, Oregon, or that he had acounts in Aion and Tabula Rasa. If the person or people who copied the game database had also somehow managed to get the *billing* database, there would be *zero* question about it - there'd have been law enforcement on it as soon as they found out.)

... you know, I haven't checked recently. Are demorecord and demoplay still functioning? I seem to recall an issue with playback some time ago...

You don't want it. It's really heavy. A good 15-20 minutes wearing it and your shoulder will be ... aching. >.>

Wow. News flash - *people can have differing opinions.* It's not some secret cabal trying to keep you down. Followup - people agreeing or disagreeing with it doesn't mean jack about it getting into the game or not, unless those people are the devs themselves who would make those changes. And given no dev has commented in the thread...

Well, the three piece bonus is the one with the confuse duration. While I'm fairly sure this can also be slotted by Controllers and Doms... yeah, something else as part of that 3 piece bonus wouldn't be amiss. (I don't know that I ever *have* on a controller or dom, and probably not for the 1% confuse duration, which... eh.... )

The developers are big boys and girls who can decide where to spend their time without us worrying about it. It'd be part of what I referred to in the last reply - which, granted, got wrapped up in mentioning other reactions from NPCs and the like - but I see no reason why someone who'd be viewed as a traitor (and even more of one, not to mention someone with *recent* secrets/plans) wouldn't be a *prime* target for Quantums and Voids, either sent by old rivals/allies or just as part of a general Kheldian hunt.

I never play in debuff. But if others are into naked COH, well, I don't have to see them... Buffs and debuffs are usually... almost overpowered in COH, given what they can do to a player or team. And we've known this since live. It's part of what makes teaming in it fun - to get that level, there's a degree of cooperation needed. (See... almost any old Repeat Offenders team. Green Machine turning Emp/* defenders into "Regen blasters," for instance.) As far as sets... so many of the sets are "hybrid," not purely buff or debuff, so it's a question of where they fall on that scale. Empathy's purely "buff," Pain dom's mostly-buff-some-debuff and so forth. I play several pain dom characters, for instance (Rez Dispenser waves hello from the War Zone) but I don't know that I'd call them "debuffers," even if they do use their debuffs. And that leads into what I enjoy (or not,) which I find *really* depends on what I'm pairing them with, if I'm teamed or not, what AT I'm on. Some really call for dual builds (solo/team,) some are fine as is however you're playing. I think my main gripe is how long it takes to cast and animate some of the debuffs. Buffs tend to be fine, debuffs vary on if they take a bit or not. Kin is (properly) fast, either way - you're not waiting for Siphon Speed to finish a three second animation, it's *boom*done. Rad frequently seems to be "Ok, I'll debuff that one's oh wait they're dead" on anything short of EBs if you're teaming. Given Kinetics can seriously debuff an enemy's regen/end/recovery - *while buffing allies nearby* - I'm not sure Rad debuffs really need to stay *that* long. (And I still say Clarity comes too late to be really useful as is, no matter what it's on, but at least it doesn't need extra slots if you take it.) Otherwise... yeah, they're fun, and in a reasonable place, I think.

So, answering a few questions... What if they side switch? As I mentioned, part of me wants to say they can't switch, or can't switch past grey. But I don't think that'd be welcomed much. Really, the main thing would be "you'd no longer be playing that story arc - you'd lose access to it," which is the same for both existing Khelds and SOAs. It would feel *weird* to switch and suddenly "oh, you're picking up with Shadowstar's storyline, no fuss, no muss, no suspicion" after all - you were *just* actively their enemy. Game-mechanics-wise (lack of a better descriptor) what's defining them as "nictus" is the side of the Kheldian war lore they're tied to. I mean, yes, the AT would be "Nictus" and you'd have that label on permanently - but it's a lore-bound AT and the main reason for its existence is exploring and revealing the *other* side of the lore of the war. Loosely, it's like the Wizard of Oz (and I know Oz was a series) and Wicked being two different books looking at two different viewpoints of the story. (Think Wicked was the book/play... it's been a while.) Honestly, I'd love to see some sort of in-game reaction - you side switch, you become a *target* of your old allies/cronies/minions/victims. Maybe special tips or something where you have to deal with something a rival - Nictus or otherwise - sends against you. PPD Awakened and other Kheldians at least give some sort of commentary around you (maybe you *can't* form Moonfire, for instance, and there'll be comments that she's only begrudgingly allowing "that nictus" along - "but don't trust them. Don't turn your back on them.") (Which would be nice for SoAs, even if it wouldn't fit all the characters that have been made from them as well.) Appearance As far as accepting the purple doomfluff that buffs Rommy - I mean, yeah. I'd probably have to, and it's what people are familiar with. Canonically, at least as far as I recall (I can't find my link to the Kheld design document/lore bible - not the Kheld backstory guide, I didn't put it in there since we didn't *have* it at the time,) - they abandoned that look and just appear *dark.* It's actually referenced in one or two arcs heroside where it just looks like shadows flitting around. (Formwise? Well, we *do* have the doppelgangers in Posi 1 as a basis, and Spectrum pieces colored black/black give a good "person-shaped hole in reality" look. Apply that to those clouds... ) But that's pretty much an "I'd like if" and visual differentiator, not a critical piece. If that couldn't be done, I'd just add it to the list of things that couldn't be done and play it anyway. 😉 ... think that sums up the questions so far.

... ooh, who was it... someone here (and on Everlasting) mentioned being up to iteration... 7? 8? of their character, and I know I've seen them at MSRs... i want to say it's Bunni Rabbit. Trying to get to 50 doing *zero* damage. They keep rerolling because damage keeps sneaking in (I think one was because the NPCs they rescued started fighting and they got credit for damage...) I could see doing it (slowly) as a tank, just being a gathering point for enemies for others to AOE, as far as melee. Scrapper - or stalker, which would be more amusing - might be a challenge.

I'll admit to being disappointed this *wasn't* the VEAT when they were announced - and it was never really looked at after, as far as I'm aware. That said, this would be more of a contact-and-storyline-creation project than "create a new EAT from scratch" like most of the others proposed long ago would be. Some powers could use a tweak, just from what Nictus *are* (versus Warshades,) but - well, bluntly, I'd love to see and play the *other* side of the Kheldian War arcs. And yes, you can make a Warshade and switch him red right away... but there's nothing Kheld-related to do. The AT itself would in essence be a Red-starting Warshade. (I'm half tempted to say "they can't switch sides," but that'd cut out a lot of player storylines.) However, there'd have to be a few tweaks. Nictus, after all, aren't bound by the same pesky "morality" and "redemption" of Warshades. There'd be a few power tweaks. Aesthetic - Given their description, I'd honestly love to see an energy-form change on this to just *black,* a void (non capitalized.) But, not sure how doable that'd be. Contacts - You're not working for Arachnos, you're not busted out of the Zig by them. You're a recent arrival via Shadow Cyst, and in a Council base. There'd have to be arcs from 1-50, of course, covering aspects of the Kheldian war. (This could be a chance for some community involvement as well, getting ideas and arcs - and of course having people interested in sticking close to the lore keeping an eye on things.) Personally, I think it'd be fun to have the arcs branching, sort of like the power/responsibility/warden/crusader in Praetoria, but more tied to you choosing how *you* are going to work your way to power - guiding (and stealing and capturing) scientific work for a superweapon (such as the cosmotron on the blueside arcs?) Controlling others and building up a powerbase that way? Deliberately targeting Arakhn and Requiem to take over from them? Powers - Mostly Warshade-y, but the Nictus became what they are because of one simple thing - they didn't want to die. There should be tweaks to their powers (or, frankly, changes) that reflect that and their quest for control. Examples/ideas of tweaks or changes: - Extract Essence. Sure, you can do this - but you can also absorb that essence, losing their additional firepower for health (the amount returned depending on how long the Essence had left to live.) - Summon Voids - would have to replace something, but would summon Void Hunters. (You may want this specifically for some of the Nictus missions vs. other Khelds, but they'd also be useful extra firepower/meat shields.) You work(ed) with the Council, you have access to these... and given their N-fragment implants, just like the essences, if they've failed to protect you and you take damage, you can take their lives to lengthen your own. - Empower. Why should Rommy have all the fun? You can grant an ally blasts of Nictus energy and/or an added Nictus energy component to their existing attacks (possibly a melee-range hold and energy/neg energy resist as well) for a short time. Costs you some life to do so (10% or less,) you get that back when the power wears off... of course, if the ally *dies,* you get damaged as well and are not getting that health back. Cheap version? Grant a temp Quantum rifle to an ally for several minutes. - Confuse. Nictus want control. So why not control an enemy? (Just add a basic confuse.) Granted, more fun might be "control an enemy" (after all, they try to take control in the ITF now...) but I'm not sure how doable that would realistically be. Perhaps, as well, instead of going for Nova form, they can just revert to the wisps and blast from that... mostly for the sake of being different. (Or just having that as a "costume option.") ====== What about Peacebringers? (No, I refuse to call them "warbringers." I've never liked that name, and they're already called Rogues or Rogue peacebringers in game.) Likely they'd mostly be the same as PBs, if done, though ... again, different contacts, different arcs. Given the Rogues weren't in this for power or control, but *severely* disagreeing with Sunstorm on how to handle the Warshades, they may not even start with the Council. Honestly, I could see this being more of a split arc, do you keep fighting or do you change your mind and work towards redemption... which would shift you to hero, or at least vig, at the end? I don't think this'd need a powers change - they're still Peacebringers, after all. The only thing different is their philosophy and who they'd be willing to fight.

I just don't buy herbs.

Three things: (A) Khelds are very tied to their own lore. Again, the "Epic" in Epic AT. Which doesn't cover those. And (B) that sounds more like 'power customization' than 'APP.' And (C) - even coming from a RPer who folds and spindles things 10 ways from Friday to be what I "want" them to be... why should "I want to play this in a way that it isn't" be a reason for this sort of change? When the same concepts can be done utilizing other ATs and more appropriate sets? Pacifists who want to never attack and petless masterminds also kind of fall into that same category, to me - which is not putting them down, I've got kind of a cheat-pacifist (they don't attack, but their minions will *not* see them hurt) myself - but should edge-of-that-envelope play start getting a bunch of buffs and specialty pools *just* for that? Should I want pools for a Scrapafist, a scrapper who doesn't attack or want to do damage? (... which, if you thought playing a petless mastermind was bad... has anyone even tried this? 😄 Throwing it in mostly because the idea came and I thought it was amusing, not to actually argue it...)

Human form only status protection: - Pool - Acrobatics. Weak, but it's there. And the one I can't think of the name of in Sorcery... think it's sorc. - Eclipse. - Light form. Team buffs: - PB, at least, has a heal. -Other buffs are available in pools already (Medicine, for instance, or Sorcery.) Enemy debuffs: - Every PB attack does -def - Every WS attack does slow and -rech. (And while they're not "debuffs," there's control as well.) - While not available early game, quite a bit in Interface that affects every attack. Ally rez: Not covered. But not a lot to build an APP around... (And just as an overall note, no, I'm not actually arguing "No, they shouldn't get them," but "This is what APPs do - it's already either built in to khelds or available as a pool, so what would they *have?*)

... which goes back to "what do they lack?" Shields? Check. Ranged attacks? Check. Double-check if you have Nova. Melee? Check. Double if you have dwarf. Control? Yep. Pets? Yep. Self-heals? Yep. Ranged heal? Peacebringer. Debuffs? Every PB attack does -Def. Warshades? Slow/-rech. Want more DEF or RES? We've already got those in existing non-APP pools. More attacks? Already exist in pools, both ranged and melee. Self and party buffs? In pools. Want certain effects? There's probably something slottable that does it, if Interface doesn't. So... again, given APPs are there to fill in gaps in a primary/secondary, as mentioned, and Khelds don't really have those gaps existing... what should be in the APPs?

Well, we've already had at least one thread asking to be like we are in the first "flashback" mission in Ramiel's incarnate arc - where nothing can touch you, you've got a ton of recharge, and even an unslotted controller can take out (reflections of) top tier enemies...

Well, here's the thing with APPs - They're meant to add abilities the base classes don't have. For instance, shields on non-armored characters, melee attacks, holds/immobs/control and ranged attacks on melee characters, pets on non pet classes (if you go with patron pools.) HEATs already have a mix of all those things - ranged, melee, shields, control. So what would be *in* an APP for a HEAT they wouldn't have a (better) version of already just by dint of it being in a primary/secondary - that would also fit in with Khelds being a design tied to their own lore (the "Epic" in "Epic AT?")

... you've read the forums and read game chat, right... 😉 I *want* to say something with slots had been played with at some point and broke things, but that's really hazy memory.

... hit the "upgrade" button in the lower left corner of the enhancement slotting window?

... have to say that's even less of an argument for the suggestion, given the way the game is today 🙂 That's about the only way you could get multiples of same level, etc. in the tray (but it still doesn't help the *origin* side of it) ... but how many 50s do that?

Inspirations are also much more "immediate" in their use (and meant to be) than SOs, though. So, not really a great comparison there. We're talking bottle of water vs. working on indoor plumbing. And *is* it actually more convenient? Honestly, I'd *really* have to think back to the last time I had 3 SOs of the same level, type and origin in my tray that I hadn't bought myself. Even if we went, level-wise, into "within the same 5-level-range" (15-20, 20-25, etc.) I'd *really* have to think about it, though it'd make it more common to have something that *could* be combined in that manner. That, of course, ignores the other point - unless you're watching what you're fighting, most of the time the drops I get that I can't use aren't "oh, I have three ACCs and really need to slot a DEF," but "Everything this group drops is Natural, I need Tech." (Which is another spot it's unlike inspirations - we don't have natural, tech, etc. inspirations that perform the same function but are otherwise unusable because of origin or AT. Or, well, functionally didn't before duals, teams, supers were introduced... which IIRC don't convert anyway.) Do we then do three of one origin to convert to another? At that point (honestly, before...) selling them would pretty much be cheaper...

I do this frequently, but they don't need to be different "sides" - I do have a few that started in Praetoria, especially when I've run them with friends who *planned* to do this (we even made Prae. versions of each others characters at one point.) Currently, though... lord, I hate goldside, so while I may say they *started* there, they're rarely *playing* there. (Especially remakes.) Similarities and differences will vary by character, from body type to powersets to age to tweaks on the name. And I'll get whole swathes of iterations on the same character. For instance, first 50 was an elec/elec blaster. I made a Peacebringer to continue her story. A corruptor when COV came out as a "The CoT made this to try to discredit her, but it turned on them." An electric controller - mostly for the heck of it, but an "elsewhere" character. Same with the elec/elec brute which was "if just one or two things went wrong..." alternate-dimension. Went to Aion for a bit, made a version of her there, then brought that back as best I could to COH. Ended up with a bunch of versions of herr. Or my first character, fire/ss brute... which was the closest I could come at th etime to what the PnP character I made was. Then SS/Dark, when COV came out. Tried spines to see if it fit, did make him a her at one point as a fire ... blaster I believe, then when tanks got DA, DA/SS , which is currently "the closest I can get to his original version from PnP." I even ran a storyline on another group where a character's father made her a bit of tech to help her hide, but they didn't realize it was less *hiding* than sticking her half out of the dimension - and opening up rifts. So alternate versions came through, often just flashing by as they ran through one, but another was hunting them to find out what was causing the disruption. (One of those alternates became a "main" here with a much more complex story than ever planned.) So... yeah, good bit of alternate-selves.

Meh, I just solo Posi 1. It makes it quick and usually pain free.

Uhhh.... they were working on figuring out how to do PVP very early on. It didn't get *implemented* for a few issues after (the Arena opening,) but it was being talked about well before that - so I wouldn't call it being "shoehorned" in. Now, the implementation being good or bad is another thing entirely. (And *which* implementation.) I was pretty much of the mindset that "PVP Balance" in COH had to equal "Bring a team," and honestly that worked out fairly well when it did happen, even in the chaos that could be the zones (while they had people.) (See an early mention of Arenas being planned at E3 2002 here, for instance.) (Or - follow the link, Oct 2002 interview with Jack) (Yeah, A FEW changes since that 'til game release... 😄 Also there are more archived dev diaries there, which are just kind of interesting reading.)

Eh, I'd say it is an issue. There are several attacks that use both hands - Thunderous Blast and .. .what is it, flares that's the two handed effect from Fire, that's shared with Dark and several other sets? Two handed isn't an issue for *all* two-handed-animation attacks, granted (most of the PBAOE nukes, I believe, mostly have you pointing your arms at the ground) but there are quite a few blasts that would probably look distinctly odd. Most of the "hold my arm and aim" snipes would look odd, but I *believe* most have a single-arm animation you'd probably just be forced into. I'd think most of Assault Rifle and Beam Rifle would look strange, so they'd probably get the set-exclusivity setup. I'm not against it, but... yeah, I could see animation being an issue.

.... ehhhh... I mean, as fairly common as SOs are, still, with drops - and let's not forget vendoring basic recipes, especially at 50 - isn't it easier to just sell off what you don't need and buy what you do? Especially since this inspiration-like SO combining doesn't help if (say) you're Magic origin and have found yourself fighting a science, tech, natural or mutant group or groups (say from running on a task force.) (Plus, as a nitpick, I could see calling this combining causing confusion with the whole boost/combine SOs in the enhancement screen just from similar terminology.)