[New Powerset for Archetypes]

I would imagine that PEATs Storylines would focus on Zones where the survivors of Preatoria were resettled, in visiting the conquered areas of Goldside and pushing back... and it doesn't have to be incarnate, because we would, in effect, be talking about new content that follows what could be a major event that helps lay the ground work for following up on all of this. That's because any time you talk about adding new Archetypes or new Epic Archetypes, you also want to look at revamping starting areas and perhaps adding new starting Areas.

 

The reason to do this would be to integrate Goldside with Prime, since we all know that's what ultimately has happened. You can redefine boundaries, update zones that are out of date, and open up new territory to explore. Goldside might not have the Resistance/Loyalist storylines here on Earth Prime... but they would have the nuance of navigating the politics between Paragon City and Rogue Islands. They might get new alternative PvP zones with Redside and Blueside that may explore different forms of competition and cooperation. You could make Goldside a haven for whatever their new Alignment is... and Rogues and Vigilantes.

 

I mean... this thread may have been posted by someone being highly silly with "A.I." generated content... but if you cut through the nonsense, something good can still be derived from it. That's because City of Heroes has always had so much potential, even all these years later.

[New Powerset for Archetypes]

46 minutes ago, Rudra said:

Night Ward stops expanding after you complete the arcs. It stabilizes as it is, with First Ward still there and itself, but the merging of the Praetorian Earth and the Spirit Realm has been stopped. What isn't addressed in the arcs is how or if the Drudges are able to resume moving souls to their next destination.

 

I realize that's what happened back then, but it's been over a decade and there was ALWAYS the concern of the Carnivals both merging... and the consequences of that.

 

If the Carnival of Light joins the Prime Earth Carnival, what happens to the magical infrastructure that they maintain? It's an opportunity to revisit the the other areas of Preatoria and follow up on all of it. And.... as you point out.... tell us more about what the Drudges are up to!

 

I mean... it's not like we have to go back to the old core Gold Side areas either. We could potentially see some of the mirror areas to zones of Earth Prime. Dark Astoria, Rogue Isles... what's going on over there? Is Hamidon still running amok? A Decade Later, many things could have changed. Hamidon could have evolved. There might be EAT for Goldside!

 

I mean.... the possibilities are endless now that they have secured rights. It's very exciting.

[New Powerset for Archetypes]

9 hours ago, Wingslord24 said:

1. What powers are you looking for in the "magic" set? (Ranged Damage, Crowd Control, or Support)

• Ranged Damage: Magic can offer various ranged attacks that go beyond the traditional energy bolts or fireballs. You might have:

  • Arcane Missiles: Projectiles that seek out enemies.
  • Mana Storm: A concentrated barrage of magical energy that deals damage over time (DoT) in an area.
  • Spectral Blasts: Phasing through terrain or enemies, ignoring some forms of defense.
  • Reality Tear: High-damage spells that rip through the fabric of reality, potentially causing AoE damage.

• Crowd Control: Magic excels at controlling large groups or halting enemy actions:

  • Binding Glyph: Temporarily roots or immobilizes enemies in a fixed area.
  • Time Freeze: Pauses a group of enemies briefly, stopping their actions but not making them vulnerable (good for strategic positioning).
  • Polymorph: Transforming enemies into weaker creatures for a short period.
  • Gravity Well: Creates a magical vortex that pulls in enemies, slowing or immobilizing them within a certain radius.

• Support: Magic can be used to strengthen allies or weaken enemies indirectly:

  • Arcane Shielding: Summons protective barriers that absorb damage for teammates.
  • Healing Runes: Lay down zones that heal allies over time.
  • Mana Transfer: Redirect magical energy to replenish resources for allies.
  • Warding Totem: A stationary magical totem that gives allies buffs like increased resistance to debuffs or damage.

2. What makes this different than what already exists?

Magic offers a layer of versatility that can differentiate it from more traditional damage sets or control sets. Here's how:

• Ranged Damage: Instead of focusing solely on direct damage like many other ranged classes, magic allows for effects like DoT (Damage over Time) combined with secondary effects. For example, a spell that both deals damage and weakens the enemy's resistances, creating opportunities for multi-class synergy.

  Distinction: Many ranged sets rely purely on energy or projectile mechanics (bullets, lasers), but magic can have manipulative effects like void attacks that ignore armor or mana-based attacks that drain resources.

• Crowd Control: While other classes might use brute force to knock back or stun enemies, magic could emphasize control through debilitation or status effects. Spells like gravity wells or time manipulation offer strategic battlefield manipulation that purely physical or elemental classes can't replicate.

  Distinction: Instead of just disabling or stunning, magic could warp space, alter movement mechanics, or even force enemy behavior changes (e.g., mind control or fear effects).

• Support: Rather than just healing or shielding like other support sets, magic allows for esoteric buffs (e.g., increasing ally resistances, granting temporary invulnerability to status effects, or redirecting damage).

  Distinction: The variety of support options extends into different kinds of buffs, debuffs, and resource management, allowing a magical support player to be more proactive in combat. For example, they could cast power-enhancing buffs or damage reflection barriers.

3. What do you expect them to look like?

Visually, magic powers should stand out from the more traditional abilities like elemental manipulation or mechanical weaponry.

• Visuals:
  • Ethereal and Otherworldly: You might expect bright, swirling runes, ancient glyphs appearing mid-air, portals, or shifting energies that seem to bend reality. Magic should feel as though it’s drawing from hidden or ancient forces, with a mystical or arcane aesthetic.
  • Colors and Animations: Deep purples, glowing whites, spectral greens, and arcane blue colors are common for magic sets, with animations like arcane circles, shifting light, or even cracks in reality forming when powerful spells are cast.
  • Time Manipulation and Space-Warping: Spells involving slowing enemies, freezing them in time, or distorting their perception could have reality-bending effects, like trails of afterimages, glitched animations, or gravity-bending visual effects.

4. What kind of damage type are they?

The damage type for a magic set would likely be Arcane, with some spells delving into unique effects like:

• Pure Arcane Damage: Damage that is not elemental or physical, bypassing typical resistances like armor or energy barriers. This would make arcane damage unique in how it interacts with different enemies.
• Temporal Damage: Causing DoT effects or health degeneration by aging the target or reversing their biological processes.
• Curses and Hexes: While dealing direct damage, curses may also debilitate enemies (e.g., lowering defense, slowing movement, or weakening their attacks).
• Void or Spectral Damage: Energy drawn from other planes of existence, possibly causing true damage (damage that ignores all defenses) or interacting with enemies that are normally immune to physical or elemental damage.

5. Why do we need an arcane magic set for a superhero MMORPG (focused on Ranged Damage, Crowd Control, or Support)?

Uniqueness in Gameplay

• Versatile Playstyle: An arcane magic set would offer players a balance between ranged damage, crowd control, and support within a single set. Magic inherently allows for flexibility: players can choose to focus on damage in one scenario, shift to controlling enemies in another, or even act as a healer/buffer if the need arises. No other set can so seamlessly integrate these diverse roles.

Strategic Gameplay

• Depth and Tactical Utility: Magic would emphasize strategy over brute force, rewarding players for managing multiple effects at once—DoTs, debuffs, buffs, and crowd control. A magic user could manipulate the battlefield to their advantage in ways that a straight DPS class or pure controller couldn’t. This would offer a higher skill ceiling, making it ideal for players who enjoy complex, multi-faceted gameplay.

Synergistic Potential

• Cross-Class Synergies: A magic class can interact in unique ways with other damage types and roles. For example, a hex-based debuff could make enemies more vulnerable to physical or elemental attacks, or a magical buff could make allies temporarily immune to certain status effects. This cross-class synergy creates new tactical combinations that enhance team play.

Lore and Theme

• Immersion and Fantasy: Arcane magic provides a deep sense of immersion and storytelling potential. The idea of mastering ancient, forbidden knowledge or tapping into the primal forces of the universe resonates with players who want a more mythic, fantasy-inspired experience in a superhero world. It could also tie deeply into the game’s lore, introducing elements like ancient orders, magical factions, or relics.

 

 

This is CLEARLY Describing the mechanics of an Epic Archetype. The only thing this guy is lacking is the highly specific backstory that explains the Existence of the Epic Archetype.

 

There are some mixed messages of course inside his descriptions of abilities, but only because he's desperately trying to mutilate the Standard Archetypes to get something that Epic Archetypes exist for.

 

My recommendation here is to go back and modify two version of the EAT... a HEAT (Legacy Chain, has Medieval Melee/Armor Worked in) and a VEAT (Circle of Thorns, has minions and the ability to Sacrifice them for greater summons). This would satisfy all the objectives without arguing about the silly notion that anything the OP asked for belongs in standard Archetypes outside of what already exists or can be tightly constrained to the rules Powersets currently follow for each Archetype. 

 

He even brings up Lore and Theme, which Epic Archetypes specifically exist to tap into, Unlike Standard Archetypes, which are totally free form in Lore and theme. You could even have it that Legacy Chain, Midnighter's Club, and Circle of Thorns band together to form a Magical Academy to face off against a potent Magical threat that forces them to work together to face. The two EATs that come out of the Hybrid Academy are basically your traditional Wizard/Sorceror/Warlock/Witch/Etc. Spellcaster Classes. I would love seeing a new Night Ward Territory open up that maybe goes back and explores the Gold Side Areas after they fall and reclaims them?

 

One of the Mystical Threats that could definitely be a possibility would be the Carnival of the Prime World finally crossing paths with the Carnival of Preatoria. Both Carnivals United would be a very dangerous threat, if it goes down the way most people expect it to.

 

That being said, new Epic Archetypes are probably not the first thing on the list that Homecoming would get to. It's really more of a New Dawn/We Have Cake sort of thing. Maybe, once HC get's more animation and gameplay mechanic people working with them, they can draw some inspiration from what New Dawn has done with Epic Archetypes and flesh this out.

[New Powerset for Archetypes]

10 hours ago, Wingslord24 said:

That would not be logical I would not see psychic blast being believable with the animations that I have seen in the older post. I think it would be a new power with its own look and feel, the older powers do need new alt animations but not anything have to do with mystic energies.

 

You already have Illusion Control, which is perfect for your standard magic set up. You can use pool powers to round out the concept of having a hodgepodge of unrelated powers.

 

I'm not sure how doing new mystical animations for psychic wouldn't work perfectly. Some of them ALREADY EXIST with Circle of Thorns.

 

Alt Animations are a load of artistic work and Homecoming is light on artists because until recently, they didn't feel secure enough to waste artists time on a project that was in the legal grey area. Now they are legit, but a PURE Magic Epic Archetype is probably what you want. You aren't going to get Primary/Secondary Arcane Powersets with the standard Archetypes. It makes no sense to do all that work and animate something that doesn't have any theme that binds it together beyond people loving the Sorcery Universal Power Pool.

 

Otherwise, if you sincerely want magic powers with standard Archetypes, the superior option IS Arcane Animations for each existing Elemental/Energy Powerset. Including Psychic.

 

Staff "Blast" could easily be added as an optional weapon that animations are channeled through. You don't REALLY need to make a unique set... but it could be neat to see something like that. But the theme wouldn't be MAGIC or Arcane. It would be "Staff Blast" which could possibly just have a variety of different elemental blasts. This would still not help people who want to have Hodgepodge Wizards as much as making an Epic Archetype would.

[New Powerset for Archetypes]

This is probably better as a suggestion that they give every existing powerset new alternate Animations... which include "Magic" based aesthetics. This could be done with every powerset and origin and would give animators plenty to do... if they actually had enough animators who wanted to do this.

[PvP Broken? Let us count the ways..]

On 3/22/2022 at 10:50 AM, Troo said:

 

that's weird. pvp was fun, diverse, and fairly popular for many in COH.. I'm not sure why you'd feel the need to try and insult folks.

 

 

There are many ways PvP could be repaired in this game.

 

However, consider what a successful PvP game looks like. DOTA? PUBG?

 

People understand that PvP would take time and effort to repair, but the pay off is inviting in competitive gameplayers into the community. They FEAR that community will be changed by the influx of people interested in functional PvP.

 

I disagree with this fear: the idea that a competitive game community is toxic may have some truth to it... but the games people think of in that regard are PURELY competitive games. Game players have many faucets to them and depending on the circumstances will react very differently.

 

It would probably be difficult to balance a PUBG type experience in this game.... but as battlewraith above pointed out, Battleborn (Ouch, what a rough example) did a MOBA like set up that would be highly effective in this game. I would go a step further in it:

-2 Teams, Each with a Core Tower and possibly a series of smaller towers along the "routes".

-Minions are spawned that do more damage to Towers than Players do.

-Players do more damage to minions than they can to each other, but as they wipe out minions, they can upgrade their abilities against other players.

-Towers do more damage to players than to minions, but strike the first target that appears, rather than aggro on threats like normal.

This would would largely disincentivize "Jump Jousting" and other silly looking exploitive behaviors in PvP..... but only in this particular mode. People might still do it, but not enough to make people feel concerned. 

[Add Dr. Meinst and Doc Buzzsaw to the Abandoned Sewer Network]

4 minutes ago, Glacier Peak said:

Alright folks I'm going to have to ask we get back to the topic of this suggestion.

 

In that vein, I really would like to see more "Elite Boss/Giant Monster/Wild Villain" Spawns in the Sewers. Obviously, Vahzilok uses the Sewer Network fairly extensively... but they aren't the only ones.

 

It would be nice to see some unique rare spawns for all the Sewer factions. Lost rank up there pretty high with Vahzilok for potentially having unique spawns in the sewers.

 

Although, since we are mentioning Sewer Factions... there was something I was pondering. The only time the Freedom Corps goes into the Sewer is when hunting the Hydra. The rest of the time... who has authority down there? Is there some sort of Paragon Sewage Authority that patrols and maintains the Sewer network? Does the Hero Corps do the dirty work for extra pay? Or is Wyvern training vigilantes down in the shadowy underground networks? As long as Villains aren't freeroaming the Paragon Sewers, it probably doesn't matter, but it would be a kinda nice bit of scenery to have friendlies down there. Especially if more big baddies are going to start spawning down there. You might have each of the areas divided by different groups who would handle the Sewer Patrols and escort Maintenance Engineers down there. Or you might have it so that there are "Yellow" spawns like in Rogue Isles where various criminal organizations have disguised thugs doing Maintenance work for the city. The Family would certainly be in charge of the Sewer Maintenance in Port Independence, if there were any sewers there. (And perhaps that is where the Sewage Treatment Facilities actually are, now that I think about it. From an infrastructure and city industrial planning standpoint, it makes good sense.)

 

 

[Preatoria underground day jobs]

Preatoria is just too strict with their licensing procedures for Day Jobs!

[Add Dr. Meinst and Doc Buzzsaw to the Abandoned Sewer Network]

All these years, I've been imagining them reworking Perez Park, reworking Galaxy City, doing something to follow up and bring those areas up to date... and I always forgot about the Sewers under Galaxy. Considering that they haven't cured the Lost in all those years since then either, despite all the research, it makes me wonder if the Lost are using the sealed sections of the Galaxy City Sewer to keep things going.

 

There could also, of course, other factions that operate in the Sewers involved. Circle of Thorns, Vahzilok, and even Hellion Smugglers could be down there. There is also the question of how the Hydra might have interactions with the Shivians. There are many possibilities. Even the Skulls may have survivors of Galaxy that were driven underground, since that was their main stomping ground.

 

When you look at the map, you realize Perez Park is directly above  "Underworld" sections of the Sewer and Galaxy City Sewers must be to the West of that, North of Kings Row. That makes the Atlas Park, Skyway City, and Steel Canyon Gates to Perez Park make sense.

 

All of this does make me wonder one thing.... where is the central Water Treatment Facility for Paragon City located? When I think of each city zone, the only area that I can think of that has Water Treatment in Paragon would probably be in Faultline (Which isn't even connected to the main Sewers because of all the Underground Damage.) When I think of Water Treatment in Rogue Islands, many multiple facilities come to mind. The Infrastructure of Paragon is a tad more mysterious.

[Add Dr. Meinst and Doc Buzzsaw to the Abandoned Sewer Network]

2 hours ago, Duuk said:

I had no idea EBs spawned in the sewers.

 

The Sewers of Paragon are like their own parallel World to Paragon City. I am surprised the Lost haven't build their own Society down there. It's been long enough!

 

Did... they remove the Galaxy City Portions of the Sewers from the Sewer Map after the crisis?

[Pet names]

13 hours ago, Ultimo said:

I have a bots MM with a similar issue.  The tier 1 bots are what I called "Dire Pawns" (the character is Lord Dire).  I had to put little extras in each name, so each is unique (ie. one is Dire Pawn, the next is Dire-Pawn, the last is Dire.Pawn).  It's a bit annoying, but manageable.  It's hard to work around insufficient letters though.

 

 

If you do it as "DIRE PAWN" instead of "Dire Pawn" you can probably get "DIRE PAWN" "D1RE PAWN" and "DlRE PAWN" out of it. (That last one is a lower case L)

[Suggestion (Powersets; Armor): Psychic Armor & Dimensional Armor]

With Psychic Armor, I would focus on a few aspects:

First off.... if it's strong to Psychic Damage, what is it's weakness? Hot/Cold Damage?

 

Second off, I like what you did with Temple of the Mind... but this set should have more things like this. Psychic Armor should be potent and grabbing aggro, but also transforming aggro enemies into non-threats with fear/mind effects. (Since Aggro Caps exist, you need a way to surpass the cap and a Psychic Set, as a manipulator of the mind, is perfect opportunity.)

 

Third: I can see you're working with some concepts of Willpower in there, but maybe Psychic should focus more on how the Psychic Tank is able to Psyche their opponents out. It's not just about fear, but possibly giving To-Hit Debuffs instead of relying on the normal Resist/Defense Buff mechanics. It would make this set stack really well with any pool powers that can boost traditional defensive options, since it would be harder to hit Defense/Resist caps when your powers basically ignore that aspect.

 

 

Dimensional Armor sounds fun, but I have a questions:

Phase Shift would probably work well for a Sentinel and Stalker as a Panic Button.... but for a Tank, a Brute, and a Scrapper.... what would the effect on Aggro Be? Are they still able to Taunt in Phased form? Will it even matter if NPC's can't target them? Phase Shift is tricky to balance. Either it's going to end up being totally useless for many builds... or it's going to become incredibly broken, especially since players can take Teleporter's Phase Shift and juggle between them.

 

There are other things, such as Quantum Collapse that just seem tremendously broken. Warped Armor... does it grow based on other Dimensional Armor Powers active... or does it grow based on how many Gravity/Dimension attacks are being used in it's vicinity? Both seem a tad difficult to scale properly. Teleporting Enemies with Interdimensional Surge sounds a bit mystifying, sure, it would be very cool, but I question what the PURPOSE of it would be, since most of the time, teleporting is to either get into melee range or bring enemies into melee range. Is this something that teleports RANGED strikers into Melee range? Because it sounded like it would teleport melee strikers away.

 

It's possible you don't quite understand the consequences of Phase Powers in the game mechanics, because typically, Phase implies the character cannot be targeted by enemies while phased. (They also can't target enemies) but what ends up happening for NPC's..... is they simply target something else. For a Tanker, Brute, and even Scrapper... this is REALLY REALLY Bad. You want your opponents close because your powers mostly require melee range, but also your job (To varying degrees and scale) is holding Aggro. You would need to make a special Phase Shift state that can be targeted, but is immune to attacks.... Which might actually be broken. But It would solve some of the issues with phase reliant powers while making the Teleporting Phase Shift distinct enough that most people wouldn't have reason to take both.

 

Also... what's Dimensional Armor's key Defense Category and what's the built in weakness? 

 

Some of this reflects on how City of Heroes is built. You have to consider how the set functions at the role it's designed for. I know Stalker Builds would LOVE having an extra Phase Shift option for escaping consequences... but it just might be too potent, especially in PvP scenarios. You might say "But it's already Unbalanced" and my point is you don't want to turn it into a Dimensional Armor Stalker's private playground.

 

 

[Commander AT]

On 8/25/2024 at 1:51 AM, golstat2003 said:

 

 

Yeah we would need new ways of thinking of Summons, Armor and Control if the OPs idea would ever be viable. Just taking what's there as is, is a non starter. As the devs would want a combo that can, you know, actually complete missions. lol.

 

I was also thinking about it. Mastermind's work a bit like tanks, so long as their summons are alive, because they can shed damage to the summons. The flip side to this is that they need to use SUPPORT skills to keep their summons alive. This means buffs for their minions, debuffs for enemies.

 

We can invert aspects of the Mastermind to come up with something quite interesting:

 

As I was mentioning before... an Defensive Set that focuses on Parry/Counterstrike moves would be interesting. Rather than having "Armor" that's passive/toggle/time stacked.... A counterstrike Armor Set could be set that they give themselves layers. Each time a they are struck, a layer is removed. Depending on the set theme, the layer being removed may respond in different ways to different attack types. (You might have a counter-parry set that focuses on negate/strike back of Melee Attacks, another set might focus instead on reflecting ranged Strikes back at enemies. Still other sets might be geared to slamming enemies with debuffs.)

 

But what about THE MINIONS? How do you keep them alive without "Support"? I was thinking it would be interesting if there were mechanics that toyed with Aggro manipulation. This Archetype, rather than shedding damage to his minions might siphon Aggro from his Minions instead. The Practical effect of this is that this new Archetypes Minions are basically stealthed. Only a High Perception can pick them up without being targeted. However, this Archetype isn't a spidery behind the scenes type who "sacrifices" his minions for his cause. Instead, he leads the charge. So there would need to be Archetype core mechanic abilities, probably in the Counterstrike Defensive set. I am thinking specifically of an ability that allows this commander to target his minion and seize the aggro of anyone targeting the minion. (This would work in PvP, but would have more restrictions. When successful, the target is force changed to the Archetype and the minion gains an unselectable buff for a short time.)

 

The point is this: On it's own, having your defense/attacks locked into a set that requires you to get hit really really doesn't work... unless you have a method of forcing people to hit you. And having minions go around harvesting aggro for you seems really effective... if you can it off them before they are threatened. I think some of these alternative forms of aggro management could be used for other new Archetypes too. Commander is just one possibility, but a Jester Archetype is long overdue too. (Jester would be the Support version of Commander... using the Counterstrike Set with Support Powers instead of Pets.)  Taunt and Placate have their place, but we all know their limits. They only create or erase Aggro. They don't move it around.

 

Naturally, if the Archetype dies, the pets despawn.... but this Archetype avoids needing to constantly support their pet's health by managing their aggro instead.

[Suggestion: Powerset - KNIVES]

16 hours ago, kelika2 said:

dom or bust

 

Dominator reallly would work well with a combo of melee and ranged knives.

 

Other bladed weapons for this catagory of throwing blades could include tomahawks, mini chainsaws, bladed throwing cards, and bladed rings. There really are so many possibilities.

[Auction House - Enhancement Booster has reached an impasse]

1 hour ago, Bionic_Flea said:

 

 

You can't corner the market in CoH.  Just by playing, people create more stuff --  more inf, more merits, more recipes, more SOs & DOs, etc.  And as you can convert merits into converters as well as inf into converters (buying Super Packs) you can create more converters.  In order to corner the market, you'd have to buy all the new ones and people will still create more and more.  As you set your price at a million, they will sit there as everyone else trades for 860k or whatever price.

 

This is why beauty game is never an accurate portrayal of the market. There are highly irrational sellers that will insist what they have is worth more than anyone will buy it for. People do this in the real world, even when they could really use the money... never mind in a video game where they can afford to hold out for eternity. The Price will rise and fall, but it's not gonna rise much when the supply is high enough that buyers can afford to wait.

 

You can't CORNER a market on COH, but you can absolutely manipulate it. The thing is, Enhancement Boosters is not one of the markets that can be manipulated easily. OP can say they won't sell for less, and we can say we won't buy for more... but there are countless people that don't care what any of us post here. The Items in game are more likely to go up in value are are more easily inflated by an aggressive buy up. It's been done on WOW to such an massive extent that Devs panicked... but there really isn't any reason to. It just means sellers are getting more and the in house market fees are raking it in. People eventually get what they need, because this game has many paths to do so.

 

I've seen this entire argument before, and I've heard it from the other side. Some people think if you're patient enough, you can get Enhancement Boosters off the market for 750k. There used to be people that would pipeline players on how to quickly cash in various rewards on the market for cheap because many new players are more concerned about having a pile of influence.

 

The real question is... does OP actually NEED influence for something?

[We need No FX options everywhere.]

Even if they decide not to give Bio-Armor a "No FX" version, I think having a "Goo Armor" Bioarmor alternative might be highly appreciated. Make it like the Goo Teleport.

[Auction House - Enhancement Booster has reached an impasse]

It might be time to unload your investments in Enhancement Boosters and try speculating in different markets on the Auction House. You COULD consider delving into more volatile markets, even.

 

When people realize Enhancement Boosters are only going to keep dropping in price, they will be a mass sell off and a rapid drop.... but expect to see many other resources in City of Heroes leap up in price as people speculate on them.

[Add To Queue: Non-Cape Movie Recommendations]

I just saw Pontypool and it's banging around in my head. That movie is fantastic. Kinda funny thinking about a Cult Classic movie like that when Wolverine+Deadpool is slamming theaters.

 

You are on the edge of your seat the whole time, the pacing is fantastic, the script is masterful, and you can't see the end coming. Unlike certain modern blockbusters, eh?

[Star Trek: Section 31]

1 hour ago, FrauleinMental said:

It's almost like too many people in the Federation know about 31 and they're using the plot of the new show as a disinformation campaign to convince Federation citizens that nothing like 31 could possibly exist.

 

Exactly... when Bashir was learning about Section 31, he was way out on the fringes... delving into something most Federation people wouldn't even think about or believe. That's what made the episodes with him and Section 31 so great.

 

But later show and movies make Section 31 less like Area 51/X-files and more like... the NSA. It loses it's luster when it's like that.

[Drop a name, pick up a name!]

Here are a couple of names I don't have time to do myself.

Downbubble

Pontypool

[Arsenal power sets: Is the rifle REALLY necessary??]

On 8/22/2024 at 11:32 PM, WhiteNightingale said:

 

And Megaman/Metroid/Turrican arm cannons! THAT would be PERFECT.

 

I wonder if they could even add a shoulder-mounted firearms option for Arsenal systems. I mean, it's not like we are asking them to go Astro-Boy on us with the mounting options.

[Gender Equality!! MM Thugs/Zombies/Merc/Ninja]

1 hour ago, JasperStone said:

 

Tribbles...

 

 

If they had small furry bear men as a Mastermind Minion Set... you could dress like a Storm Trooper/Wookie and lead Ewoks into battle! Tribbles/Critters feel more like Controller/Dominator Summons.... you can't control them, you just unleash them.

 

That's the thing about any Alien Mastermind Summon Set.... sure, you can give the player rayguns for combat, but the minions practically require you to be able to customize them. So we're definitely getting female minions around the same time they crack that chestnut. For now, you're stuck with Robots for Alien/Space themes. It's pretty effective.

 

It occurs to me, the other way they could test the female minion thing is to make a Mastermind Set that just happens to have all Female Minions. Like they could have Pirate Minion Mastermind set (Complete with Booming Cannon Attacks), and it debuts with Female Minions, as a testbed/teaser for minion selection/customization. Other Possibilities for this would be Viking Minions (Valkyrie/Shield Maidens) w/ Throwing Axes, Puppetry Minions w/Puppet String trickery, Ghost Minions w/Ectoplasm, and Siren Wreckers w/Symphonic Combat.

 

 

 

 

[Gender Equality!! MM Thugs/Zombies/Merc/Ninja]

People will be offended if you allow them to be offended. If you simply say "It's not our problem" and make sure the Moderators hold the line on leaving well enough alone, then there shouldn't be any issues with adding this.... Especially considering this games entire premise is based on the Western Culture Modern Mythos. Nobody serious is going to play a game like this without being prepared to run into something like that. The people pretending to be offended are just looking for an excuse.

 

The reason they didn't do it when the game went live is because they knew, if given the choice, most players were going to make their henchmen women... which is fine for the individual doing it, but when considering the effect they wanted with Henchmen, which was squads of typically male goons that most Villains employ.... would spoil the atmosphere of the game. That's not exactly a concern now, is it? There is no board of investors to answer to and it's not a game that lives and dies based on updates.

 

Now the game has been out, died, come back to life, and is not exactly flooded with casuals. Anyone still playing would be considered a hardcore gamer with that kind of dedication in any other game. We're mostly adults and highly doubt anyone would bother to abuse the function to do something silly like flooding a gathering area with piles of Harems. Even if they DID do that, it would just be a mildly passing amusement. I just don't see it being an ongoing organic issue unless this game suddenly gets thousands of teenage boys flooding into the game to make their own videogame harem. Wouldn't a larger player base be.... a good thing? Or are we trying to exclude people from a great thing? They will eventually get bored of Harems and want to try a variety of different ideas, many of which will integrate well with the community.

 

If it's still a concern of atmosphere, you could always test something like making the Mastermind's top Henchmen eligible for customization. This would be a good way of determining which customization options Henchmen should be eligible for based on rank. After testing that out, you slowly work down to the lower level henchmen, provided it doesn't create the social/atmosphere problems people fear.

[Moving "heads" in Think Tank]

3 minutes ago, LKN-351 said:

 

If you're talking about the brain with no base idea, then if the spinal column was extended down just a bit as well as the whole brain being moved down then the spine would be attached in the neck.

 

I can't imagine what you mean really but I'll take a stab... HC added a sphere and a single eyeball in there, are you talking like having one of those spinning around like a gear?

 

 

I feel like an exposed brain needs more support when not suspended in fluid/hover energy. It's a top heavy thing! I am surprised we haven't gotten a Cyberbrain yet too.

 

And as far as the eye... basically yes. I was thinking it would be spinning Horizontally (Clockwise/Counter Clockwise) and getting a 360 degree view of things. Of course, other objects could spin, like suspended skulls and such. Just floating in the liquid, freed from rational static! We have that spinning key winder, after all.

[Commander AT]

Doesn't this all really boil down to the Archetypes core mechanic/ Archetype Ability?

 

These Suggestions would work for Archetypes that do Summons/Armor or Armor/Summons.

 

If you're going with "Tough to Kill" and "Loads of control" I would suggest having a mechanic that plays off that. There are two obvious directions I see.

 

1.) "Lead from the Front", when you are topped off on Health, your Control Abilities proc control effects less often (Only good for damage), but your Summons do more Damage. Summons attack-generated Aggro always piles onto the commander, but you'd have a specific power where you could dump aggro you have onto one of your pets. As your health goes down, your control powers become more effective, but your summons do less damage, as they are "Demoralized" essentially.

 

2.) "Battle Frenzy" - This is basically the opposite. When you are topped off on health, your control abilities are more effective, but as your health goes down, your Summons gain bonuses to doing damage and your control powers proc less often. Summons attacks do more aggro the lower your health is and your less effective control abilities generate less aggro when they aren't as effective. It may still be necessary to have an ability that can zero out this Archetype's Aggro, but it can be set in such a way where it's only available when they are lower on health. 

 

 

It also occurs to me that we are considering the Summons Powerset to be where this archetype will draw it's basic attacks from.

 

However: What if the Armor Set is instead viewed as a Parry/Counter Attack set, rather than RAW Armor. This means it has abilities that reflect/activate consequences when the AT is attacked... rather than doing the typical "Aura" damage that some armorset abilities have.