El D

The devs aren't doing that, though? The Homecoming devs have not made any major endgame content as of yet, and leveling in CoH has always been easy outside of the first few Issues post-launch (namely after Issue 5, when the OG devs first adjusted how Debt worked). Yes, the P2W vendors have made leveling easier still due to Double XP Boosters combined with the abundance of farms in AE - but there were an abundance of AE farms on Live, and if you want a more traditional leveling experience you don't have to use Double XP. You can play the game however you want to, as can everyone else that's part of the Homecoming community. That's the reason (I assume, at least) that the devs made Double XP a permanent option rather than a scheduled event as it was on Live - so folks who wanted to focus on high level content could do so and have fun the way they wanted to, while folks who had enjoyed running story arcs and going 'old school' could have their fun doing that. To suggest that the Homecoming devs go to all the work of making, updating, and moderating a whole separate shard solely because you think some folks are playing the game so wrongly that you want to kick them out - in-particular because you suggest they're 'unwanted' - and that the rest of the game should have options removed to cater to your own personal playstyle is actually the kind of attitude Homecoming's playerbase doesn't need. Focusing on how other players are 'doing it wrong' and using optional content you don't like is not healthy to your own enjoyment of the game. This isn't a 'community vs community' problem; the only one burning themselves out over this is you. The game is here for everyone to have fun with - however they like, using whatever optional content they choose to partake in. Just relax and enjoy it, dude.

While trying to make a costume for yet another alt, I found that Female character model was not able to access the Kanji symbols as a Chest Detail (Under) when using a Jacket. Investigating further, I found that there are a number of Symbols usually available as Chest Detail choices are not enabled in certain sections for Female and Huge models. Female -> Jackets -> Chest Detail Under: Does not give access to any of the Kanji, Greek (Upper or Lowercase), or Special (Council, PPD, Vanguard, etc.) symbols Female -> Jackets - > Chest Detail Over: Does not give access to any of the Kanji symbols Huge -> Jackets - > Chest Detail Under: Does not give access to any of the Kanji or Special (Council, PPD, Vanguard, etc.) symbols In contrast, the 'Over' section for Huge Jackets and both Over/Under for Male Jackets give the full assortment of available symbol choices. The missing symbols for Female/Huge models seems to be a overarching issue with Jackets, as changing to Sleeveless made no difference in which symbols were missing/accessible for either body type.

Totally agree that the Winter Forest assets should be base editor items. It's not a huge, time-sensitive issue or anything of course but it'd be a nice and they are already made. As for why it's a separate zone to begin with, I doubt its due to any holiday cultural aspects and more just making one small separate zone (essentially a public holiday-themed base) was a lot easier than doing massive makeovers for the blue/redsize zones like Atlas Park gets. That stuff takes work, especially depending on how many assets need to be manually changed each time (and then changed back).

New Zones/Missions would have broader appeal than a hardcore mode, imo. I'll echo the sentiment of some earlier players here in suggesting that the Hazard Zones/Kallisti Wharf be added to. Given that those zones already exist, it seems like it'd be easier to make content rather than starting from scratch (even if I am very interested in seeing what Zone ideas the HC Devs could pull off). I don't think the initial content would need to be extravagant or bring about sweeping changes either - for the Hazard Zones, just adding a short Trial akin to the Market Crash could be a solid start. Could even link them all together in a chain progression, as a series of Longbow or FBSA operations. A quick in for Kallisti could be a repeatable mission contact that uses the new office maps (perhaps with a handful of badges attached for incentive) a la the mission contacts in the PVP zones. Could even have one regular repeatable and one Incarnate-ified version for folks who want the extra challenge. As for actually doing a More Hard Mode - would it be possible to allow folks to use the Flashback settings independent of Ouroboros? Like, expanding them into the Notoriety options or Null the Gull? Combining those with personal choices while playing seems like it'd go a long way to giving some folks the extra challenge they're looking for.

That's working as intended - part of the Winter Event stuff is powers that create/throw objects (like Hurl and Propel) are all set to use the same model as the presents that spawn in the zone maps instead of whatever they'd normally use. Though, now I have to imagine all the Warwolf gifts are full of dog treats. Dog treats and fascism.

The top option for Ms Liberty's Winter look is the Barbarian Fur Chest Detail. She's also got the Barbarian Fur shoulder options combined with the Witch Tight gloves so they match the look of the Barbarian Fur boots.

The Asymmetrical Toggle is the little button to the right of the Shoulder options in the Costume Creator. Works the same with Gloves and Boots - toggle it on to give independent Right/Left options.

Getting some serious Gigan vibes from Slash Serpent, @biostem. That is a fantastic look. Posted this costume in the weekly contest on the Homecoming discord and it got some love, so figured I'd share it here too. Mictlan - my answer to the question of 'What if Lara Croft became Batwoman?' dunked in a heaping helping of Aztec mythology.

Afraid that's not a bug - the bare skin of the biceps is part of the 'Short Sleeve' option for Jackets (same with the Classic Steampunk 1 option). Sleeves are entirely separate pieces rather than additions to the base model, which is why there's a thin 'seam' on the forearm just below the elbow. Essentially they're like the Robotic Arms, just matched to the material and style of the Jackets they're themed with. Given how the Retro Sleeve option exposes a clear expanse of empty space on Female models I'm pretty sure there isn't an actual upper arm under any of the full length Sleeve options anyway (like how the Pants options don't have actual legs in them, and just extend down and over the choice of Boots. It's really apparent when you use invisibility/fading powers). So when the Live Devs finally did need a short sleeve option, they had to made 'fake' biceps for it since there was no existing model geometry for them given the way they'd designed all the prior Sleeve options. It was either an extensive, inordinately time consuming overhaul of the entire format for one costume choice or quickly putting something together that mostly works for what they needed, and since the Short Sleeve option was primarily made for human police officer/security guard NPC models they were just defaulted to the base 'Bare Skin,' linked to the Skin Color choice, and sent out. TL;DR - it's unfortunately working as intended, due to the limitations of a really old costume creator and the design decisions/schedule of the Live Devs

I remember your art thread! I lurked through it back in the day. Glad to see more old school forumites join up with Homecoming. ^_^ As for the screenshot request, I'll offer up my new main - Brazen Brawler Stoic and patient, Brazen is very much a 'speak softly and carry a big stick'-type with the styling of Mad Max crossed with the Terminator. He's Crey Industries' attempt at making a living Nemesis Automaton as part of an expanded Paragon Protector program (which he violently escaped from) and now he leads a supergroup of fellow Crey escapees. His claim to fame among my regular RP group is being considered a 'Cool Dude' by just about everyone he runs into.

@Glacier Peak is right. Should've included this in my original post (beyond Homecoming's 'Players not playing as NPCs' policy) but a lot of the NPC only/Dev Edit mode costume pieces are in their own overly specific categories, attached to unfitting anchor points, and/or just flat-out broken when used in-conjunction with regular player accessible options. Given that these were the only costumes that the NPCs were ever going to have, the Live Devs basically slapped any custom pieces into whatever open anchor point/section was convenient or unused for that particular NPC. For example, the 'Sybil Robe' is a giant single piece, takes up an unfitting section (Chest Detail), and was made to work only with one equally specific belt option (hence the massive empty space where the Sybil Belt goes). If it had been made for player use in-mind it would have been broken up into multiple individual pieces composing a whole set (likely chest piece, arm piece(s), skirt section, and cape/tassels), formatted to different anchor points for each option of the set, and made without the glaring empty space that requires it to use the Belt option from the same set or look broken/unfinished. The Live Devs never considered these pieces as 'player options' and so didn't make them in a modular fashion that'd work the way everything else in the player-end costume creator does. The effort and work hours that would be required to format them into an effective player option similar to the existing costume sets is the Homecoming quality bar (as @Jimmy posted), rather than just toggling the switch and letting people run around with poorly organized, unfinished, clipping, 'not made for player use' options. Sure, as they are now the NPC pieces can be kludged together into something neat, but - and I say this as someone who'd totally enjoy playing with the NPC pieces as they are now - that would be sloppy, unprofessional, and just look... bad.

While clipping is certainly an issue with the Sybil pieces, they're already usable in the costume creator (as per Titan Icon) - they're just tagged as NPC only. Granted, this means absolutely nothing in-regard to the devs granting players access to them. Given their official policy regarding players not being allowed to play as in-game NPCs, it seem very unlikely that we'd get access to these pieces (and if we did, it wouldn't be any time Soon™).

Having tested the color customization of some of the powers (Every Prestige Travel power, the Long Range Teleporter, and the Smoke Bomb) it seems like the current crop of options work as they should. Very appreciative that these changes have been added! My Water/Ninjitsu Sentinel will enjoy the Smoke Bomb changes immensely. As for Power Customization looking to be expanded in the future, the Halloween event has me wondering - could this affect Model Replacement Costume Powers as well? Many of the models used are already color customizable (via AE, as well as various mission contacts/enemy mobs) and it'd add a lot more avenues to explore with given how many people have character concepts involving NPC factions. On the same topic, Granite Armor could totally benefit from this as well. The Devouring Earth Boulder/Bedrock model is tintable and works for default Granite, while the Lattice/Crystal Titan model could definitely work as an addition to the 'Crystal' options. As for Lava, the Magmite model from the Minions of Igneous could totally fit (though that one would take more work, as AE says it's not color customizable).

Thanks! After @Glacier Peak and @Lady Nayreia beat me to the punch the last two times, I got extra determined for this one. ^_^; Good luck to my fellow Halloween Hunters!

Which is odd, because the in-game Detective Miller looks absolutely nothing like Hal Linden and looks pretty dang similar to how Posi did when the game was running. He might be named after the TV character, but he certainly isn't modeled after him. As for changing the character model to reference the Expanse... eh. It fits the theme of Detective Contact names, but if the Homecoming devs absolutely wanted to make an Expanse reference I'd prefer they just put in a new PPD contact. Maybe in Kallisti Wharf.

Happened to notice this while I was helping a friend get badges in Bloody Bay. I could still see the green 'Healing Received' numbers from the Panacea proc pop up over his stalker's head - even when the character was otherwise completely hidden via Hide. It isn't a huge tell, but it does give away the stalker's position.

I've had this Ninja/Storm MM in my head for a while and finally decided to make him.

Seeing a lot of familiar names/forum avatars from the old days! I was @El D on the forums/in-game during live and am here as well. Originally from Guardian at launch, went to Virtue after a few years, then ended up on Protector until shutdown. Glad to be back with y'all! If you see Diabolic (my old main) or Brazen Brawler (my new main) running around Everlasting, feel free to say hi!

Congratulations to the Jalopy Collective (again)! You really took the 'group costume' prompt in a unique and totally awesome direction. Glad Everlasting had such fantastic representation. I was Manticat of the Freedom Furlanx, and the brain behind the concept. My SG and I are still surprised at how well we did, especially considering how many great teams there were. Apparently people found the 'catgirl Freedom Phalanx' idea as amusing as we did. xD Thanks CR Miss and all the judges for running the contest! Was great fun gathering help in the fight against Lord Purrcluse!

Great minds think alike! Encryption ought to have a whodunit team-up with my own green man of mystery, the atomic detective known as... Private Ion Though at first it'd probably just end up like this

That does sound a lot easier than having to kludge the existing aspects of the model into the right area. Adding new bones just lets you put them right where you want to from the get-go. Thanks for the insight!

Decided to trim some of my lowbies that I've dropped off of playing Released Names - Piratical - Tsarevna - Espionage - Mage Hand - British Lion - Abraham Van Helsing - Paul Bunyan - Ribbit - Agathion Taken - Tigerfang

@Flashtoo & @boggo2300 - Totally understand the concerns about coding issues and wanting to ensure this would work properly and play nice with the rest of the UI/character animations. Like I mentioned in the original post I don't actually know how this works behind the scenes. I was just going off of what I'd seen the Cryptic/Paragon Studios devs manage and now others accomplish. I definitely get the desire for careful consideration. No objection taken at all. ^_^ @BubbleWrap - Really appreciate your post! I figured this would get a bit of traction but never thought you'd show up. With actual working examples to boot, that aren't just half-baked photoshop jobs like mine were. <.<;;; Big fan of the content you've posted on reddit, and I'm very happy to have someone with actual experience wrangling CoX's infamous spaghetti code chiming in. If you don't mind my asking, what was the change in approach that got it working?

Thanks for the comments! And apologies for the late reply - been a busy few days. ^_^