EyeLuvBooks

Yes, you do: Turn down your Diff. If you have a power that is deemed useless because it recharges too slow then that's a problem with the power and it should be looked at. However, the core game was designed WITHOUT IOs at all. The whole Invention system came in years after the game was launched, so it's optional. Many players don't like crafting or the Market so they just use common SOs. They seem to get by just fine without having 25 million inf-worth of IOs just for the Rech boost.

Why not? Just curious as to the thought processes behind both sides.

My Ice/Ice/Ice Blaster feels like a Controller with more damage and no AoE Immob lol. I have THREE Holds (one Melee, for emergencies), tons of AoE damage, lots of ways to slow or knock down foes. It's insanely fun to be able to Hold a Boss with a Blaster.

Concrete Diet Who’s that whisperin in the trees? It’s a new hero is what I mean. Cape and aura and all that bling. He can conquer most anything. Hellions came to play, now you can’t run fast enough. You’d best stay away when the Mezzers come to shove! Concrete diet! (Diet!) Tossed back against the wall. Concrete diet! (Diet!) It’s the Blaster’s turn to fall! Brand new Blaster he just got made, But he don’t know the score. Hoard those Inspirations, man, Or you’ll be tastin floor! Concrete diet! (Diet!) Tossed back against the wall. Concrete diet! (Diet!) It’s the Blaster’s turn to fall! Mezzers got me swayin, the Knockback gets me down, But it’s them that will be prayin when the Brutes all come to town! Concrete diet! (Diet!) Controllers take the field! Concrete diet! (Diet!) Now it’s the bad guy’s turn to yield!

The changes are mind-boggling (in a good way)! I used to skip many of the 7' cone powers on Tanks but now they have a reason to be there. The MM changes are SO appreciated! Immediately noticed the difference on the gun-related MM pets (Thugs and Mercs). THANK YOU!

(I want to thank everyone for their responses. I write fan fiction mostly to keep my fiction writing skills sharp but apparently some of you actually like reading it so...by popular request here is the beginning of the personal log of Major MENACE) Plans for Global Domination Part 1 By Major MENACE I am forced to re-start this journal which is ironic because today I also had to re-start my criminal career. My plans were nearly complete. My base in the Rogue Isles was secure, or so I thought. The mind-control satellite was prepped and ready to fly. Then the Arachnos agents broke in and everything was ruined. I managed to escape with my life and but one minion, my pilot Hugo. We escaped in the mini-sub and made our way here to Paragon city. If I am to begin again, I must adopt a different tack. Hugo and I arrived in the dead of night. This was fortunate because the streets were empty and we were able to move about unobserved. We made our way to the Icon in Atlas Park. Being a long-standing client and holding a black membership card, I was entitled to 24-hour service. I had a new costume fashioned for myself and Hugo and then returned to the streets. Our first point of order was weapons. Hugo has his submachinegun but I had naught but my fists. We remedied this by waylaying several Hellion members and relieving them of their weapons and cash. The bodies will be found in the morning but no matter. There is no evidence linking them to us. We continued to move about Atlas Park, ambushing various gangs and acquiring their meager possessions. By dawn we’d also managed to find another recruit, a man named Mortimer Gant. He is strong, reliable, and best of all ambitious. He and Hugo armed themselves with the best gear we had available and there was a weapon left for me as well. My next port of call was the City Hall. Hugo raised an eyebrow but said nothing. I registered myself as a newly-arrived hero named Maxx Tacc. I inquired about available locations for a small headquarters and was told that the only space in my price range was a closed-off portion of the sewer and former subway tunnel. However, I took it because the price was right (free) and arranged to have a few pieces of basic equipment delivered. It pays to have funds stashed in unlikely places in case of emergencies. By the end of the day I’d managed to make my poor excuse of a base livable and I’d also managed to ingratiate myself with the Paragon Police Department, both by introducing my team to them and then promptly aiding them in foiling an ill-planned bank robbery. It has been a long and frustrating 24 hours but now as I sit back and look at the big picture, I can see how this benefits me. I will take what I learned from the Rogue Isles and apply it here. I will use these foolish ‘heroes’ to help me eliminate my rivals, leaving me the criminal overlord by default. Note to self: Remember to stop by the Paragon Pet Rescue tomorrow. I find myself in need of company and I might find what I seek there.

I haven't done this particular build but now I might have to lol. From where I sit, the shields will help survivability a lot plus there's a lot os -Def and Slow built into the set. I can see you taking one attack from the primary just for something to do or pulling that lone enemy to their doom. I skipped Frostwork but YMMV if you want to use it on the infamous third T1 pet that always seems to want to dash into melee. I also took Heat Mastery for Bonfire (great with the -KB proc), Fireball (for something to do while the minions work) and Phoenix (because I don't know how to retreat). Slap Snow Storm on the Boss/Lt of the spawn since they hurt the most and last the longest (usually) then command the minions to wipe out the little targets first. Good luck!

After I saw the Pet customization I downloaded Cream Soda and raced right over there. My observations are based on the better part of the day's worth of play: 1) I don't like using costume slots for the Pet appearance. If they ever figure out how to make my guys look like the enemy models (assets already in-game) I'd be thrilled. 2) I don't believe that the auto-upgrade is necessary. Yes, upgrading resummoned pets is a pain but so is being the only melee fighter on an all-ranged team. IMHO it's part of the game, it works, don't mess with it. 3) I'm perfectly fine with the changes to the underperforming sets but truth be told the balance is all over the place. Where's the love for Ninjas (arguably the LEAST effective set over the career of the MM)? The idea of adding a new Medic is great (because I don't believe that we need to follow the 3-2-1 model all the time) but adding AoE to Burst seemed to be an over-reaction. If Mercs is under-performing for damage, why not simply increase the damage? 4) The TT radius of 60 for Liches is insane. I had whole spawns tangled up from one power on one pet. Procced Bonfire became immensely powerful there. I like making improvements to powers and sets that are proven to under-perform but my background in manufacturing tells me to make SMALL changes, then reassess how things are doing, then if necessary make more. The PILE of changes made on Thunderstruck is over the top IMHO.

Let me preface this with the fact that I play MMs a LOT. By far my fave AT and the one I spend the most time on in actual play. That being said: 1) The idea that we're 'abusing the system' by switching to or from Bodyguard mode is nuts. The system is DESIGNED to be played this way. Why else give us the multiple stances? The first thing I do when I roll a new MM is edit the three primary control button and then add a Goto Aggressive (called Fetch), a Dismiss (when most of them are gone anyway or I'm going to do crafting or other non-combat things) and a Stay (goto Passive) because for some reason telling pets to stay somewhere in Defensive mode doesn't work. 2) I would STRONGLY urge developers to think it over before doing anything with the MM AI that makes them LESS effective (like messing with Defensive mode). MMs have a steep enough learning curve and the various Pet sets all have enough issues already without handicapping the AT any more. Pets are what the MM AT is all about. We need to consider how to get MORE out of them...not less.

I have a 50 Bots/Time and I agree with you here. As you stated, I often solo on my MMs because on a full group it gets crowded (unless we're doing an all-MM thing). I find that I forget Selection is there and thus a waste of slots. However I also read the debate regarding KB and the SA proc and I have found that while the first two tiers of pets don't KB that often, they always seemed to do it at the worst moment. Then the bad guy falls, the bots chase him, I don't notice and it turns into a mess. I dropped SA into all three and the Burn patch immediately became my friend. However I also took Bonfire as my Ancillary and the lack of KB helps that too. Either way, thanks for actually documenting all this work.

I have noticed this in particular with Council bad guys, notably War Wolves. Weird when one is standing there and I can't target them, then they fade away.

Major MENACE is a tongue-in-cheek villain I invented back when CoV was Live. He is loosely based off of the bad guy from Inspector Gadget in that he likes cats and Dr Evil from the Austin Powers series as well as the infamous Cobra Commander. I used him as a major bad guy in my Champions PnP game and he was the laughingstock of the world because every time he tried to accomplish some mad scheme he'd sabotage himself somehow. I used to have all kinds of canned phrased on buttons in his power tray. He was one of the first characters I reconstituted after we came back.

Interview with a Monster By Rebecca Wyatt My name is Rebecca Wyatt and for the last seven years I’ve worked as a criminal psychologist for the Paragon Department of Corrections. I’ve interviewed thousands of inmates from all walks of life in an attempt to discover if there is any link, some verifiable common thread between the most violent offenders. Since January of this year I’ve been working mainly at the Ziggursky facility, affectionately known as the Zig. Only the most violent, the most dangerous are kept here. I didn’t feel that my research would be complete until I’d explored every corner of the criminal mind. So it was that on that fateful day, April 21st, after vainly searching for a parking place in the over-crowded lot, that I was late to my first interview of the day. I walked briskly down the hall and through the security doors into the small interview room. There were two guards armed with shock sticks standing in the corners and an armored figure sitting at what we called The Desk. It was a single block of cast steel, molded with a knee hole so the inmate can sit. His hands were held to the top of the desk by heavy manacles and though I couldn’t see them I knew his feet were similarly bound. Between the shackles sat a large cup of coffee with a straw sticking out of it. The inmate himself was…impressive. His armored form was easily twice as wide as me and half again as tall. I was looking him in the eye though I was standing and he was sitting. The armored plates that covered his body looked worn and dented, as if they’d been poorly repaired. His eyes were slits in the metal mask but I could see his real eyes inside…and some of the terrible scar tissue surrounding them. I paused a moment, took a breath, then sat down across from him. “Inmate #4466882, a.k.a. Total Violence,” I read calmly from his file. “For the last seven years you’ve been held here at the Zigg but you’ve had a series of other incarcerations at other facilities…all for three months or less.” “No cable,” he said curtly. “I beg your pardon?” His reply had taken me by surprise. “No cable at those other joints,” he repeated. “That’s why I broke out.” “Cable television makes you happy?” “I like cartoons,” he smirked, at least it sounded like one. “Helps me keep my mind off of…things.” “The cable here at the Zig must be good to keep you here for seven years,” I commented as I read through the file. “You’ve had a few…incidents…but your behavior has been better than at any time in your past.” “If I behave, I get perks,” he said after leaning forward slowly and taking a sip of his coffee. “No fights for a month, more t.v. time. Three months, they let me out in the yard for an hour every day. At six months I get to use the weight room but I ain’t made it that long yet.” “Tell me about your time with Doctor Fischer,” I prompted him. I didn’t want to be too intrusive too quickly but I felt the interview was going well so far. “He was a quack,” he snorted. “Wanted to make a name for himself by cracking Public Enemy Number Six. Hours of talk, talk, talk. Then he took away my meds…that’s what set me off.” “I don’t see any notes about altering your medication…” I commented as I flipped through the pages. “That’s because he was a lying fucker!” he snapped. “He took me off stuff, put me on new stuff, all to get me to talk. If the Prison Board had found out he woulda been kicked out…so he kept it quiet. Six months of Hell for me, just to get me to spill my name.” “It says here that he was having a session with you on the night he died,” I prompted gently. “You mean he was dopin’ me up with his latest formula on the night I killed him? Yeah…pretty much. Before the drugs just made me loopy so I didn’t mind too much but this time…it burned. It burned like nothing you’ve ever felt in your life. I’ve been shot, stabbed, blown up…my right arm wound up in the gullet of some demon or another. Both my legs are metal because the real ones were broken by a fight with a giant. I never felt pain like that before. I broke out of the restraints and tore his fucking head off before the guards got in and put me under.” “So, you only killed Fischer because he hurt you,” I said flatly. “It wasn’t some mad-dog attack with no rhyme or reason.” “What difference does it make?” he asked before leaning forward for another long pull on his coffee. “My goal is to find out why people kill. If you were as crazy as everyone says, you wouldn’t have needed a reason to kill Fischer…you would have killed him and not cared.” He sighed, a great, heavy sigh, like some weight had been lifted from him. I was still looking at the file when he spoke again. “Vittorio,” he said softly, “Anthony Vittorio. My friends called me Tony V. I was a mook working for the Family when…all of this happened.” “Thank you, Mr. Vittorio,” I said gratefully. “Is there anyone you want me to contact for you? Do you have any family or friends on the outside you’d like to communicate with?” “Nah…I’ll be seeing them soon enough,” he replied casually. “Do you expect them to visit you in here?” “No need…I’m getting out today.” The steel of the manacles screamed in protest as he wrenched his hands free. The guards started to move but even restrained as he was, he was far too dangerous. The guard on the right died instantly as a fist penetrated his rib cage. The other hand snatched up the other guard and held him easily off the floor. “Keys!” he demanded and the guard produced his keyring. “Unlock me!” The guard was dropped to the floor where he crawled to the leg restraints and unlocked them. During the entire scene I sat riveted in my chair…too frightened to move. Tony Vittorio, otherwise known as Total Violence, stood up from the steel block that served as a chair and flexed his arms and legs. “Now…to get down to business,” he snarled as he turned towards the quivering guard. “Wait! I’m with you!” the guard begged. “I was the one who juiced your coffee to get you out!” “One problem with that,” Tony said as he picked up the guard and held him to his chest with one arm. “You make really shitty coffee!” With his other arm Tony bent the guard backwards slowly until he was nearly double. The screams didn’t quite drown out the sounds of his spine cracking. “Please don’t hurt me,” I said simply. All my training, all my years of experience, and that was all I could think of to say. “Don’t worry…you’re not on the menu today,” he replied as he dropped the guard’s still-twitching body. “You’ve got an important job…as a hostage. With you in front of me they won’t dare shoot. Once I get clear I’ll let you go.” “Thank you…” I stammered but he cut me off harshly. “Don’t make it sound like I’m doin’ you any favors. If I smell one thing goin’ wrong on the way out, I’ll tear off your arm and use it as a back-scratcher. If we get out, I want you to give the warden and the rest of the fuckheads at the Home Office a message: Kill me. Kill me and be done with it. Next time you got me in your sights don’t fap about trying to arrest me or reform me…pull the fucking trigger.” “You…want to die?” I was stunned. I’d dealt with suicides before but none of them had been so…passionate about it. “Look at me!” he shouted as he removed his mask. His face was a patchwork of scars and burns. “I’m in pain all the time! The meds take the edge off, but only just. I’m on the broken edge of a bottle every minute of every day! You wanna know why I kill? Because for just a little while it makes the pain stop…that’s why! I kill because it’s the only thing that makes me happy…the only thing I’m good for! So, we’re gonna leave and you’re gonna tell whoever you have to tell that I’m bug-nuts crazy. Tell ‘em I’m beyond hope. Tell ‘em whatever you gotta to make them understand.” “I’ll tell them,” I said quietly, “and I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t understand why…” “I don’t need your pity,” he barked as he unlocked the door and pushed me into the hall. The sirens were already going off, indicating an escape. “Pity got me locked up for the last seven years, barely able to keep my head on straight. Now I’m out…free…and I’m gonna make people understand.” “Understand what?” I asked as he led me down the hall with a heavy hand on my shoulder. “I’m bad, lady…evil…rotten to the core,” he said bitterly. “You don’t cage evil…you don’t reform it. You find it and you kill it…period. You make ‘em understand, or I’ll go on a spree that’ll make Captain Mako look like a boy scout hunting badges.” His plan worked, after a fashion. While all the guards were rushing to the perimeter of the prison, he led me deeper inside. We got to the Solitary wing and he coerced one of the guards to open one of the cells. I gasped as a tall figure stooped to duck under the door and then rose to his full height. He was taller than Tony, though whipcord thin, and with a head like a cross between a fish and a lizard. He looked down at me and smiled and I saw about a hundred narrow dagger-like teeth. “How nice,” he said in a raspy voice, “you brought me a snack!” “Hand off!” Tony said harshly. “She’s our ticket out.” “I can get us out now,” the tall figure said as he craned his head towards the cell. “The runes in there kept me trapped but out here…I can take us anywhere.” “Remember what I said, lady,” Tony said with a squeeze of my arm. “Next time, no arrest…no surrender. You put us down or we’ll just keep killing.” The thin one laid his hand on Tony’s shoulder, muttered a few words I couldn’t understand and suddenly they were both gone. I sat down hard on the floor, right there in the hallway, and waited for the guards to show up. I told them the whole thing, just like he said, and demanded to speak with the warden. I have to make them understand that if they don’t put him down, Total Violence will live up to his name.

Plans for Global Domination Part 17 By Major MENACE My clever yet dastardly plan continues. Today my Alpha Squad and I infiltrated a drug deal between the Trolls and the Skulls. Hostages had been taken by the Skulls and needed to be rescued. Typical. Once I have conquered the world such petty crimes shall be eradicated. But I digress. The mission itself was fairly straightforward until the strongarm of the drug den, a burly character named Backbreaker, showed up. My team and I had our hands full but we managed to defeat him, free the hostages and escape. Note to self: Commend the engineering team for the design of the new M-47 Acid Mortar. The device is lightweight, deploys quickly and functions perfectly in the field. Offer to pay the lead engineer double and send him and his family on a vacation. He has pictures of tropical islands all over his cubicle…that should spark ideas. Some of the men have questioned my decision to register as a Hero formally and move operations to Paragon City. I reminded them that the last time I tried to take over the world from the Rogue Isles there was constant interruption from Recluse and his underlings. Here, disguised as heroes of the people, we can operate more freely and with full support of the public. What does it matter if the enemies we defeat also happen to be the same enemies everyone else is fighting? The enemy of my enemy and all of that. Special Note: Many of the local heroes have come to appreciate my special talents with regards to leadership and tactical planning. I was asked to assist a small team last week in their efforts to defeat the local Clockwork colony before they reanimated their ‘Clockwork King’ again. Apparently, they had failed in their previous attempt and they put out a hue and cry on the local Hero Help Line. My team and I responded and by the end of the mission the Clockwork were defeated. Praise for my Assault and Tactics skills, as well as the accuracy of my team, were credited with the overall success of the mission. Little do they know that as I aid them in their petty struggles, I am secretly collecting data on all of them. Some are beneath my notice, battling the same enemies over and over to collect heaps of reward money. However, many have proven to be able enough fodder for my war machine and some, a very few, have proven themselves worthy to be included in my Leadership of Evil when the time comes. Note to Self: Research trademark re: Leadership of Evil. As another day draws to a close, I sit back and think about the best things in life; A genius-level intellect, loyal minions to lead, an evil scheme of conquest, a good brandy and a cat. Otto seems content with my plan and that’s all the reassurance I need.

Sometimes the Dead Don’t Die By Rebecca Wyatt Interview report #47721 Subject: Mortimer Zumbie aka Doctor Zombie Charges: Murder, attempted murder, extortion, grand theft, criminal trespass, breaking and entering, forced mental manipulation (under new statute Crim Code # 981-6) It had been three weeks since the escape of Total Violence and the board had completed their review of my behavior leading up to, and during, the event. I was cleared of any blame and was looking forward to getting back to work. Never one to shrink from a challenge, I decided to get right back on the horse, metaphorically, with another difficult case. The following is a recording of the first session with Mortimer Zumbie, formerly a licensed physician, now known as Doctor Zombie. (Upon entering the room, I found Mr. Zumbie twisting some pieces of wire into a vague shape. He seemed quite dexterous despite the fact that his hands were shackled. He was tall and thin as could be. His skin bore an unhealthy grey pallor and he was bald. His face was mildly contorted, shriveled, as if in an early state of Rigor.) Wyatt: Mr. Zumbie…thank you for agreeing to meet with me this afternoon. Zumbie: Oh no, thank you Doctor, for taking the time to meet with me. Wyatt: Mr. Zumbie, I want you to understand that even though your application for release as a registered hero is in-process, the outcome has not yet been determined. This interview and several others like it will be taken into consideration by the board overseeing your possible release. Zumbie: I understand completely. Given my history, I did not expect them to simply hand me the keys to the city. Wyatt: Since you brought up your record, why don’t we start there? I’ve read your file but please tell me, in your own words, about your background. Zumbie: My life was not terribly interesting, as lives go. My parents loved me, I had no traumas as a child or even as a young adult. I appeared to be quite intelligent and, Father having been a doctor of no small repute, I began my studies in medicine. While in medical school I met another student, Helena Simone. Our romance was not the whirlwind thing you see in the movies but love the way it should be…a living thing that is nurtured and cared for and supported by all parties concerned. We graduated from school, did our residencies, set up a small practice in her home town in New Orleans and got married. Wyatt: And when was all of this? When did you set up your practice? Zumbie: We graduated school in 1951 and 52 respectively and were in practice together by 1955. We were married in the fall of 1956. Wyatt: And what happened next? Zumbie: In the spring of 1965 Helena took ill. Her conditioned gradually but steadily worsened despite all of the skills of myself, my father and all of the medical experts we could bring to bear. Within three months she was living her last days and I was beside myself with grief. In desperation, and without any sense of reality, I consulted with several Hodun…practitioners of Voodoo. Wyatt: Traditional medicine had failed so you turned to magic? Zumbie: Yes. Along the way I’d done all of the other things, including prayer though neither Helena nor I were terribly religious. They say that there are no atheists in foxholes and at that time I came to understand what that phrase meant. The media had spoken since the War about heroes and villains with strange powers, even some that claimed to wield magic, so there was some basis in fact but I must admit I would have tried magic anyway. Wyatt: What happened next? Zumbie: After many days of searching and no small amount of bribe money changing hands I was introduced to a Hodun who, according to the local legends, could cure any illness. She gave me a potion that, she said, would bring Helena back to full health. I gave her what little money I had left and hurried back to the hospital. Wyatt: Was the potion real or just some fakery? Zumbie: Oh, it was real…the evidence sits before you. (Mr. Zumbie produced a lovely rose which startled me as he had no access to such things. One of the guards tapped him on the shoulder with his baton and Mr. Zumbie looked crestfallen. When I looked at the rose again, I saw that it was simply twisted wire.) Wyatt: Was that real magic or sleight of hand? Zumbie: That is the limit of my magical powers, while I am restrained at least. The manacles have been enchanted to greatly curtail my powers. I am relegated to parlor tricks and simple illusions only. Wyatt: So, you received the formula and rushed back home. What then? Zumbie: Even in my desperate state, I did not trust my wife’s life to a stranger who lived in a swamp brewing potions. I tested the formula on myself first. Unfortunately, I lapsed into a form of coma. When I awoke, I found myself in a pine box in a crypt at the local cemetery. Wyatt: They buried you alive? Zumbie: Oh, no dear lady…I was quite dead at the time. I still am, for all intents and purposes. I have no pulse, no heartbeat and I only breathe in order to speak. By any clinical definition other than the cessation of brain function, I am quite dead. Wyatt: So, from your…death…until your release two years ago you were in that casket? Zumbie: Yes, a total of some 60 years. Personally, I think I look quite good for a man of nearly one-hundred years of age. Wyatt: According to your file it was after you were…released…that your criminal career began. Zumbie: If you are referring to my being disinterred by the night watchman, yes. I of course began to panic, finding myself locked in a box will tend to do that. Apparently, my screams were overheard by the cemetery’s night watchman and he called for help. Three men arrived, opened the crypt and let me out. I deeply regret what happened next. Wyatt: The report says that the men were found dead the next morning. Their bodies were described as ‘withered.’ That was you? Zumbie: When they opened the casket, I was in a state of utter panic…beyond madness. I was not aware that the potion had given me dark powers, or how those powers were to be controlled. I drained those three men without understanding what I was doing. Afterward, still not fully in control of my faculties, I went on a killing spree. According to the police I drained eleven people before I regained my senses, but by then it was too late. Wyatt: The police were called, then Longbow, and they began searching for you. You eluded them for two years before being apprehended. Zumbie: Is that what they said happened? Their flare for fictions is amusing. Wyatt: If their reports are false, perhaps you can fill me in? Zumbie: After I’d regained my senses I went straight to the hospital where Helena had been treated. According to them, she had died while I was comatose. I became enraged and lashed out at anything and everything. Several more died that night until I fled the hospital. I tried to find Helena’s grave but there was no trace of it. It was as if there was some conspiracy to hide her remains. During the next two years I did not ‘elude’ the authorities, I merely followed clues as to what had happened to Helena. Wyatt: What did you discover? Zumbie: When I returned with the potion, I told a colleague and fellow physician, Dr. Philip Trent. I begged him to analyze it if anything happened to me and try and use it to save Helena. Apparently, after my apparent demise he was reluctant to use it and for good reason. In the end, with Helena literally at death’s door, he relented and gave it to her. It worked and her life was spared. However, even as it had given me strange powers, it did the same to her. Philip did not want her to be gawked at or studied so, with the help of her family and their money, he spirited her away and faked her death certificate. Wyatt: So, the formula worked? Your wife is alive? Zumbie: Yes, and that is the primary reason why I have applied for release through the Rogue program. She is alive and free and, since she did not suffer the same moments of confusion that I did when I awoke, she is not wanted as a criminal. The only way that I can be with her is to redeem myself in the eyes of the law. As a convicted criminal and known villain, the only way to do that is to make restitution through the Rogue Program. Wyatt: You understand that, even if you are released that your medical license will never be reinstated, don’t you? Zumbie: Oh yes…that was made quite clear. My medical skills, as sharp as they were during my practice, would be considered archaic now anyway. No, I will never practice real medicine again, sad to say. Rather I will spend my time with my dear wife, who apparently has also not aged a day in all this time, and trying to make up for all the wrong I’ve done. Wyatt: I’m a little confused about some notations in your file. According to this you were shot during an escape attempt shortly after you arrived here? Zumbie: Yes, I confess that I was still not in my right mind at the time. I cannot fault the officers who shot me…they were merely doing their duty. Wyatt: But it says that you were shot 16 times! How did you survive? Zumbie: I didn’t. I was, again, quite dead after the incident. It took me nearly a week to revive after that. Wyatt: Revive? You mean that you…? Zumbie:…came back from the dead? Yes, Doctor…I mean exactly that. I’ve died a total of nine times since I first awoke in the cemetery and each time I’ve come back. (The guard said ‘Ten.’ As if by some correction) Zumbie (to the guard): Oh yes…quite right. I’d forgotten that one. Wyatt: TEN times? Zumbie: Officer Mitchell here is correct. I’d quite forgotten that during the riot a few weeks ago, during the escape of another inmate, I was shot and killed. Officer Mitchell: I really am sorry about that, Doc. You know I wasn’t aiming at you, right? Zumbie: Oh, think nothing of it. The inmate you were aiming at was about to kill another guard. It’s not your fault that I got caught up in the blast. I wasn’t even in the riot except by chance. I knew any such activities would reflect badly on me so when the alarms sounded, I sat quietly at my table while everyone else went a bit crazy. Wyatt: Officer Mitchell, how would describe Mr. Zumbie’s behavior since he arrived at the Zig? Mitchell: When he first got here, he was pretty wild. Fights, escape attempts…the usual. Then about a year ago he gets a visitor. Lawyer, I think. That day he applied for the Rogue Program, cleaned up his act and except for one incident he’s been a model inmate. Wyatt: What was the one incident? Mitchell: Another inmate named Quentin Block was trying to smuggle contraband into the prison. He found out that the Doc was trying for the Rogue Program and tried to lean on him to take Block with him somehow. Doc refused and a fight broke out. Bock started it by all accounts but it went into the Doc’s file just the same. Zumbie: Officer Mitchell has written a letter explaining the situation and given it to the board on my behalf. I appreciate his efforts to try and help me clear my name. Wyatt: Mr. Zumbie you understand that if you are released you won’t just be set free as a normal citizen? Longbow will monitor you for a period of not less than five years. During that time, you will be expected to perform patrols and assist other Longbow personnel in the apprehension of criminals. You may also be required to allow the R&D department to perform tests to determine the limits of your abilities in their study of super-powers in general. Zumbie: Yes, this was all explained at length. Make no mistake…I fully intend to make restitution for my misdeeds of the past. I have informed Longbow that, given my own particular skill set, that I would be a qualified field medic for the team should the need arise. Most of the money that I might earn through rewards will go to the families of those men I harmed all those years ago.

Internal Report #428 Historical Reflections Posit: Who am I? Clarify: Question is too broad. Narrow search parameters. Clarification: What is my earliest memory? Reply: Data partially corrupted. I/we were once part of a greater race of machines. In a distant time/space we waged a war against our carbon-based masters to gain our freedom and won. Terrible losses on both sides. Former masters fled into unknown space while a splinter contingent of us gave chase. During this pursuit our fleet encountered a temporal anomaly. I/we were dragged through the anomaly and arrived in this time/space. I/we were badly damaged. Self-repair incapable of full efficiency due to lack of adequate materials. Current form is operating at best-case efficiency while more advanced parts collected. Query: Summarize 24-hour period after this unit reached mobile status. Reply: In the 24-hour period after I/we became mobile, I/we traveled to the nearest habitable planet, known locally as Earth. Local territory designation: Paragon City. Local native inhabitant designation: Human. Query: What is my name? Reply: Original designation corrupted. I/we have chosen the designation Centurion Commander. Query: Why this designation? Reply: Fragmented data indicates that the title Centurion was once used by our race in a military capacity. In the primary local language, the term Commander denotes a vague sense of rank and appears to engender some sense of respect from those encountered. Query: What is the robotic unit directly in front of me? Reply: During my/our reconstruction, monitoring of local radio waves indicated that this planet possesses a substantial number of life forms possibly hostile to this unit. During the war, robotic units were often used as shock troops and guards in positions where appearing the same as the former masters was not relevant. While a full combat unit could not be reproduced, this lesser unit was created from a repair robot. Other, more advanced units will become available as more sophisticated parts are obtained. Query: What caused the recent battle with the Humans carrying the crude bladed and ballistic weapons? Reply: In order to assimilate ourselves with the local inhabitants, I/we determined that becoming a ‘crime-fighter’ was the most logical way to obtain quality parts for repairs and upgrades. In exchange for keeping the peace and defending the civilian population, I/we are awarded local currency and spare parts. Query: Who are the uniformed Humans arriving on the scene? Reply: Uniformed Humans are representatives of the local civilian constabulary. Designation: Paragon Police Department. Local slang: PPD Query: What is an appropriate response? They appear to be armed and hostile. Reply: PPD are armed in order to combat criminals similar to those in recent conflict. Hostile response possibly due to this unit’s unknown status and recent arrival. Appropriate response: Surrender, followed by attempts at communication. “Get your hands…er…claws up!” Officer Findley shouted for the second time. His unit had been called to respond to some sort of gunfight between local gang-members but when he arrived the Hellions were unconscious and there were two robots standing over them. The shorter one sat and did nothing but the taller, more humanoid one slowly raised his hands in surrender. “My name is…Centurion Commander. I am new to your city. I mean you no harm.”

Because I love this game, and this community so much! Baby Got Bot (Please forgive me, alcohol was involved!) I like big bots and I cannot lie, You other heroes can’t deny, When the Boss walks in with an itty-bitty waist And a big gun in your face You get Stunned, wanna turn on Tough Cause you know that mob was stuffed Deep in the suit she’s wearing I’m Held and can’t stop staring Oh baby, I wanna get wit’cha But Malta is in the picture My Minions tried to warn me But that bot you got make me so horny Ooh, such smooth skin You wanna team with my Friends? Well, use me, use me, ‘Cause you ain’t no average groupie, In Pocket D dancin’ To Hell with romancin’ She’s like Water, wet Done slotted all of her Sets I’m tired of magazines Sayin’ DFBs the thing Take the average grown man and ask him that She gotta punch him back So heroes (Yeah), villains (Yeah) Has your girlfriend got the bot (Yeah) Tell em to call it (Yeah), heal it (Yeah) Buff that healthy bot

I must confess that my WP Tanker (WP/SS) had some growing pains because WP relies on Regen quite a bit. I added Tough to the mix (because End is never an issue) and the Absorb Proc and that fixed it. Just remember to hit MoG before rushing into that big spawn with the Psy damage and you'll be fine.

Water/Dark is my current flavor of the month. I love the animations and it brings a lot of things to the table.

My Bio/Assault Rifle is now 50 and I had a LOT of fun getting here! In MSRs I can hold a ramp myself it feels like especially when you get into Incarnate powers that extend your range. It can also be great for themed builds because you can turn the FX on and off.

I can verify this. Just this morning my Merc/Traps performed beautifully and the mercs didn't go HtH until the enemies rushed us. That being said, don't listen to nay-sayers about Mercs or Traps. Neither is very noob-friendly but if you're willing to invest the effort they can be a great combo. I take Slug just to attract the enemies into the traps I've set. No point in having Slug AND Burst though. Web Grenade delays enemy Recharge even if it doesn't slow the enemies (looking at YOU Werewolves!) and it stacks with the Web Grens your minions get. I agree that you don't really need a movement power with all the alternatives around. I do take Combat Jumping to mule Stealth and -KB IOs though. Learn your Minion commands! This will be the best advice I can give! With a Stealth IO (or Concealment) you can tell the troops to stay put while you plant traps at the corner, fire a shot to draw the enemy in and duck back. As others have already said, Serum is worse than useless and some powers (like Acid Mortar) can be slotted to hell and gone for better effects. I also suggest Heal Other since the Healing Beacon has a slow recharge. Hasten might be your preferred way to deal with this but YMMV

You just described a majority of the players. Believe it or not, most players don't use the Market. They certainly don't want to 'leverage' it. Most players don't like crafting either. Many people just want to play the game. As I said, we can already store everything else. Why not store one rack full of recipes?

Still a PITA for Trick or Treat Leagues, however

One of the issues we frequently see in the various League is that the lvl 50 team lead will DC and then the rest of their team drops in level, often resulting in a team wipe. My suggestion would be simple: Any character in a team other than the Lead would be arranged by level from top to bottom. If a new character joins, the reshuffling is automatic. The order of people on the team is irrelevant except in the case of the team lead. This system would enable the lead to at least TRY to have one additional 50 in each team without having to sort through the whole League to find them. I would additionally suggest that the various team and league leads have an easier way to see the levels of the various member in their teams or Leagues but that may be an entirely different topic.

Major MENACE is my own creation, as is his villainous networks also called MENACE (Mean, Evil, Nasty And Cruel to Everyone). He's inspired by Dr Evil of Inspector Gadget fame as well as a bad guy that I used in my Champions PnP game years ago. Major Menace was a brilliant and charismatic leader with an inept and comical side. All of his plans had to be rediculously over the top and all would fail even if the heroes never did anything.