[Make enemies brave, less runners please!]

Warhawk, I generally play at +4/x8, I only see one or two runners from groups.  Not sure why you're seeing more.

[Make enemies brave, less runners please!]

If they aggro'd other enemies when they came back, I'd hate the running mechanic.  As it is, you can either wait for them to run back, or start in on the next group because one nearly-dead npc isn't going to make a difference.

[Please revert the Rage change.]

Clearly, we need change to Rage into a toggle, so we can always have it on.  Change the name to Angry or something. 

 

It'll be our secret.

[An Update from The Homecoming Team]

5 hours ago, Abraxus said:

If that is the worst thing that happens as a result of a successful deal, that will be a good thing.  As much as I am hoping for it to be sucessful, I don't look forward to how the other servers might be treated from a legal perspective, if this one were legitimized. 

Don't get me wrong.  I'd love to see all of those players back here, but I'd rather it be of their own volition, rather than having no choice, and despising us for it.  I'm guessing some would just not play anymore because of whatever reasons they had for splitting off in the first place. 

Well, worst case scenario they just have to keep popping up new servers.  As it is, if the HC negotiations are indeed the thing that kept NCSoft from sending out C&Ds in the first place, those servers got a nice benefit there.  Gave them time to solidify as communities to survive any attempts at purging.

[What are your favorite City of Heroes "Dad jokes"?]

Q: What is the most common type of arrest an Illusion-based superhero makes?

 

A: Cardiac.

[An Update from The Homecoming Team]

13 hours ago, Black Zot said:

Same way they almost wiped the game out 7 years ago: use the "legit" server to concentrate everything in one place so they can kill the thing with one bullet instead of half a dozen.

If that's what they wanted before pulling the trigger, they could have done so already.  Homecoming is the vast, vast majority of the CoH revival population.  Like, we're talking 95%+ of the total player count.  It's not going to get much better a target than that.  I mean, unless you think they won't go for it until 100% of the pop is on Homecoming, in which case rest easy!  Because it'll never happen.

[An Update from The Homecoming Team]

1 hour ago, Omega-202 said:

Good for them to find out player count to help calculate damages.  Or get information regarding who is hosting the servers so they can pursue them for damages because they have deeper pockets than the HC team.  Or to findout who their contractor was at Paragon who handed over the stolen IP.  

 

There's a ton of info that they could gain under the pretense of a negotiation that's not readily available.  And for the stuff that can "be gotten legally of their own volition", why bother when you can accept an offer to "chat" by the guilty parties and let them hand you said information.  Do you think investigations of this kind are cheap and quick?  Like you said, the servers were underground and unknown for 7 years.  Better to fi d out from the horse's mouth what other secrets there might be, especially if the horse asked to speak with you.

 

In regards to "foaming at the mouth" to hand out a C&D: how fast do you think legal departments work?  Especially if corporate is debating how to best handle the situation and they didn't have names, addresses or contacts to properly serve said C&D.  Do you really think the legal department caught wind of this in late April and dropped everything to work on shutting down a pirate server for a 15 year old game?  It's been 3 months.  Their docket is probably 6-12 months deep with shit to do.  

 

This may all shake out.  Maybe you're right.  But I'd put money on this going south.  I'm done debating this, see you all on the other side.

A. Player count is publicly available information.

B. Server info is found out when sending the C&D letter, as already pointed out.

C. What on God's green earth makes you think that information was ever on the table? Hell, we don't even know HOW the code got leaked, and I don't know that the HC admins have that information either.

 

And why bother?  Because it wastes a LOT less time.  A C&D is over in a matter of weeks, it's been months.  Why would NCSoft get information they could legally obtain through faster methods through a long and drawn out fake negotiation?  None of what you're saying makes any sense whatsoever.

[An Update from The Homecoming Team]

2 hours ago, Omega-202 said:

A) Modern MMOs are on a 5 year development cycle.  Do you really think the HC servers are going to be anything more than a blip in 5 years?  I love this game, but you're kidding yorself if you think the servers will have 1/8th the population in 1 years time, let alone 5.  I like your optimism, but you're being completely unrealistic.

 

B) They can (and still may) pursue the HC team.  They've knowingly used NCSoft's intellectual property without permission and Leandro received STOLEN proprietary code and distributed said code.  That has all already happened.  Then to make it worse, they set up an LLC with the express intent of funneling donations to fund a server hosting said stolen data.  Again, too late to fix that.  

 

Coming to the table and asking to work something out with NCSoft is foolish.  Keeping your head down puts the burden on NCSoft to track them down.  Instead, they've come to the table and slapped their heads on the block and are trying to pretend this is a negotiation and that they have something to offer NCSoft.  They don't.  NCSoft can pretend to play nice until they get their ducks in line for the lawsuit while gathering information about the HC operation and the guilty parties.  

 

They've already knowingly infringed on NCSoft's rights, arguably caused damages and possibly committed fraud in setting up an LLC to accept donations for an illegitimate venture.  Instead of shutting up and saying nothing, NCSoft now has names, server info, and maybe even Leandro's source from Paragon for the code.  

 

I don't really want to keep going on this because I generally like this community and respect you all as players but you are all being really unrealistic and naive.  

A.  I mean, the secret server ran for 7 years, I see no reason why Homecoming wouldn't be around in another 7.  And sure, the pop will decline, but all that means is that they'll roll shards together.  Even 1/10 the pop would be a decent size for a single shard.

 

B.  Obviously, NCSoft isn't exactly foaming at the mouth to take legal action, or these negotiations wouldn't be happening in the first place.

 

The very idea that NCSoft was somehow unaware of or content to ignore private servers like Homecoming is the real foolishness.  NCSoft have proven more than willing to go after private servers of other games in the past, no reason to assume CoH would somehow be any different.  So, the HC team took the initiative to make an offer that obviously interested NCSoft, which is why the sever is still up despite 4 months of news articles in the gaming press drawing everyone's attention to it.

 

If you think NCSoft got anything they couldn't have gotten legally of their own volition, the only naive one here is you.

[What are your favorite City of Heroes "Dad jokes"?]

A.  What do you call a supergroup that has Captain Plasma, Liquid Lad, Solid Soldier, and Gas Guy in it?

 

B.  The Statesmen!

[Statesman Deserves Better]

39 minutes ago, Bentley Berkeley said:

Your certainly entitled to your PoV. However I would strongly say that all traces of Statesman should be torn down, That the era of the Freedom Phalanx has passed and better left in the dust.

 

Statesman during the Rikti invasion ordered a group of heroes and civilians to be abandoned, including his own daughter. Stating they were beyond saving without the cost of many more lives. An elderly Galaxy Girl in a bathrobe and slippers proved him wrong and saved all of those trapped for the price of one retired old hero already knocking on the door to the other side.

 

Dr. Demetrios Vasilikos was the worlds leading expert on META genetics and was sure he could cure many of the worlds ills including that of his father who was slowly wasting away. Statesman used his near tyrannical control of the world to ban all legal research into using META DNA to develop cures. Dr. Vasilikos's father slowly wasted away, driving the brilliant mind mad with grief and gave us Doc Vahz.

 

Blue Steel beat a troubled out of control teen mutant nearly to death, and was given a pass by statesman for being his minion. That beaten child went on to become the Clockwork King. Blue Steel gets a pass because of Statesman, while other not so connected characters who have done good get thrown under the wheels.

 

Ultimately Statesman meets his end because he is arrogant, thoughtless, reckless, and frankly unworthy of the term hero.

 

I say tear down the statue of Statesman in Kallisti Wharf.

Interesting viewpoint!  I'd debate a couple of points, though. 

 

1.  The Rikti situation was a complicated one.  It may have been that only Galaxy Girl was in a position to help without just being instantly cut down.  As she had been in retirement up till this point, Statesman may not have known of her being in a position to help, or even that she was in the fight.  Recall that "chaotic" is a term frequently used to describe that first desperate battle.

 

Overall, the fact that Statesman was unwilling to (as he saw it from his position) throw away the lives of the heros he was leading in a personal bid to save his daughter actually compliments his character instead of tarnishing it.

 

2.  Delving into genetic manipulation is an extremely controversial subject even in the best of times, and when you're talking about the kinds of powers metas can have, it's not surprising that people are hesitant to open that can of worms. 

 

As for his "world control," Statesman is not Tyrant.  He doesn't rule anyone, and he doesn't levy consequences against people or organizations for merely disagreeing with him.  

 

Finally, none of that is an excuse for becoming what Vahzilok became.  He was already unstable, and the death of his father tipped him over the edge.

 

3.  Blue Steel is most closely associated with the PPD, not the Freedom Phalanx.  If anyone was giving him a pass, it was his buddies on the force.  Not surprising, given that the Clockwork had already killed some police officers at that point.  Doesn't make it right, but also not really fair to dump at Statesman's feet.

 

4.  Statesman WAS definately too confident in his abilities at the point when he died.  Surviving a tactical nuke to the face (and 70+ years of fighting crime, supervillains, and aliens) will do that to you.  However, trying to handle a threat alone doesn't make him not a hero.   If anything, it shows he was trying to protect others by not getting them involved.  Still not a great trait to have, but not uncommon among heroes, either.

[Mid's Reborn: A Hero Designer (formerly Mids/Pines) and whatnot]

I don't suppose there's a mobile version in the works?

[SG/VG Recruitment Board]

SG Name: Paragon Hero Academy

RP/RP Friendly: Heavy RP

Theme/Era: Superhero College

Redside/Blueside: Blue

Recruitment Message:  Paragon City is a dangerous place, even for experienced heroes.  For those just starting on their journey as a protector of innocents, their first mistake might be their last.  To learn what a hero needs to know about heroing, these rookie heroes find themselves at the Paragon Hero Academy!

 

PHA offers a wonderful selection of courses ranging from the technological to the mystical, and everything in between!  Students are offered on-campus housing and internship opportunities to help them settle into the heroing life, while a highly well equipped medical clinic tends to the various injuries and illnesses that befall the city's protectors in the field.  A simulator provides the means for training those whose ink on their hero license is still drying, while those with more training and confidence participate in student patrols to keep Paragon safe!

 

If you're looking to learn what it means to be a hero, sign up for classes today via our Discord!  https://discord.gg/hzBMBZV

 

((Heavy RP SG with a focus on hero school RP, regular events and many other students to interact with!  Staff applications are currently closed, but if you're interested submit the appropriate app and we'll take a look when we open that portion of recruitment again!))