UltraAlt

Ah, there it is! I thought I remembered it saying on the cover! It even says "deluxe"!

Ah, the nonexistent side-scrolling game that was never released "HERO Designer is the character creation software for the HERO System. Including full support for both HERO System 5th Edition and HERO System 6th Edition rulesets." So expensive character creation software for the not-so-great editions.

I just found some shots on the internet. I didn't bother taking photos of my copies and uploading them. Mine are pretty dog-eared and I think I have duct tape on the original box.

I have the original box set which I bought as as soon as I saw it on the shelf that the local gaming store, and, yeah, that was in 1981. It wasn't a PC (personal computer) game. It was an old school RPG played with pencil and paper. The two individual rules supplements which came out separately as well. Up until that point I had been using a self-modified version of the Traveller rules to run a superhero campaign. And since it was based on Traveller, it was in the future ... only five years in the future ... I have the 4th hardbound of Champions RPG with the George Perez cover. First Printing copy from August 1989. Maybe the disc is around here somewhere. I don't think I ever bothered putting it into a computer. I thought that the edition/printing that I saw that had a disc said something on the cover about the disc being included, but I can't find image of that. I know a picked up a copy and looked at it, and the disc was attached inside the front or back cover. I don't see a place there where a disc would have been attached in the copy that I have. I'm wondering if they didn't add the disc in another printing of the same edition of the game. I can't even find anything about the disc online for any more research on it.

I agree. Just like there are are some enemy groups that cover a certains span of levels to be replaced by another group, Hero Corps is meant to be the starting level, Longbow mid range, and Vanguard for the higher levels through 50. It isn't really that Hero Corps is useless. At this point, it seem to me that it is about who is the group that covers the 50+ content. (On that I play the end-game, but still, even so...)

If it isn't coded into the game for opponent's to try to take away the a focus then that is programming failure and not bending the rules. It seems pretty clear that - at the very least - if the character is defeated (runs out of hit points) then their OAF is taken away from them. But the game should already recognize that - at some point - it becomes known that the character is using a focus - whether it is an Obvious Accessible Focus - or an Inobvious Inaccessible Focus and enemies will strive to take that focus away from the player. If the game isn't programed to allow the capture/removal of foci, then have a power in a focus as a limitation shouldn't be programed in as an option. I agree it is more difficult, but it is not impossible. And simply because it is difficult to program correctly, doesn't mean that the rule are being bent unless the programming allow it. In this example, the game would be programed to send ambushes that the character has weaknesses to. The weakness would probably start as a limited list and expand over-game development. Also, other groups that are fighting the hero and learn that they have a weakness to something would start adding forces that had those powers either through empowering those within their ranks or calling on other enemy groups to assist them. These would show up in missions that the players pick regardless. When you are with a group, the characters that don't have a weakness to magic (for example) cover those that do and take out those threats. I think you only need to break up the team and reform. I don't ever remember having log out to remove the Kheldian stank from a character. What is this "original" Champions PC game of which you speak? Who was the developer? I think I have the disc somewhere from the one of the pre-Champions Online versions of the Champions RPG. I don't think I ever used it. I think that was just for character creation and didn't go beyond that. No idea what that means.

They didn't even do that. The used the rules that they had built for the Marvel Online project (which were probably largely based on City of Heroes). The rules had nothing to do with the Champions RPG rules. Just because they took the time to make sure all the Champions RPG travel power options were available in-game doesn't mean that they ported the rules ... because, based on all that I could tell, making sure that tunneling and the signature characters were in the game were the only things that they bothered to add to the existing rules that they already had set up in the framework for Marvel Online. If you coded a game based on the actual game mechanics of the Champions RPG, you couldn't "bend... the limits of the character design rules". In saying that, you also couldn't have unlimited options for Power Advantages, Power Limitations, and Disadvantages. Easy enough to code a power that can "only be usable once per day", "only usable when there is sunlight", or even "scared of the dark". But this kind of thing would have to be in selection window instead of a fill-in-the-blank. Champions RPG character generation was entirely mathematical. Sure, you could mini-max it (first game I ever heard the term used) or even cookie-cutter it (I think it was the first game I ever heard that term used as well), but both were well within the game's mathematical character creation system. Coding for a "real" version of the Original Champions (pre-Champions Online) character creation system would be incredibly complex once you delve into the real possibilities of the Power Advantages, Power Limitations, and Disadvantages system. Of course, additional options could be added as the game became profitable. (Don't get me started on "tunneling".)

Wait.... I'm confused ... I thought costume contests were PvP. When did NPCs start winning/participating in costume contests?

No need to apologize for asking questions in the forums or in-game in the /help channel. Many of us believe in helping other players. We love the game, and we want you to love your CITY experience as much as we do. I'll go with Yomo's method. This stops the issue form happening at all. The only reason to be in Supergroup-mode is of you want to use it to change the colors on your costume (say to match the Supergroups "official" supergroup colors and - optionally - wear the supergroup emblem on your chest.) It used to be that you needed to accumulate "prestige" to build and upkeep supergroup bases. The way that you gained "prestige" was by being in supergroup-mode. Bases no longer require "prestige". I never put any of my characters into supergroup-mode unless it is by accident.

I can't say that I've played this set all that much. Standard disclaimer for me, I'm not playing the end-game. Most of the time I'm in Offensive. I switch to efficient between fights. I guess if I felt like I was in over my head, I'd switch to defensive, but I honestly can't remember doing that very often if at all.

My characters never knew the Statesman. He never helped out on any adventures. They never ran into him when fighting crime. They never saw him flying in the skies above Paragon City. He never showed up to help when Giant Monsters showed up to rampage THE CITY. Heck, he never showed up during any Rikti raid when they were bombing sections of Paragon City. I think a couple of my characters might have run into him in Recluse's Victory, but, like the rest of the Freedom Phalanx, were too busy doing their cliquey thing to bother talking to my characters regardless of how much we helped them against the forces of Lord Recluse ... or maybe we beatdown the Statesman with the help of Lord Recluse. There was a lot of missing time and dimensional shenanigans going on but I think it might have all just been an illusion ... a hologram ... created by Dr Aeon. Or was the Statesman just a Nemesis plot all along?

yes, it would be! Definitely more interesting and powerful mutations than a suntan. "I just had laser eye surgery." "Oh, you mean Lasik eye surgery." "No. I had the doctor put mutagens in my eyes so that I can shoot laser beams out of them. Check this out!" "Hey, what are you doing?! You cut a hole in the side of my house!" "Sorry. Luckily the doctor gave me these quartz ruby lens glasses to wear to stop the lasers from cutting through everything I see! I mean, sorry, I didn't mean to cut a hole in the side of your house. Will your insurance cover that?"

The Statesman was Jack's character. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Emmert The Stateman got the nix after Jack left CoH development to try to start up Marvel Online - which fell through, and the turned into Champions Online (by buying the rights to The Champions RPG and then replacing one of the most balanced RPG rulesets in history with his game mechanics from the failed Marvel Online project - basically, throwing out the great game system and keeping the "campy" signature character which were pretty much self-game-referential jokes) ...which didn't do so hot, but got him in the door on DC Universe Online (and, other online game projects). Basically, "The Stateman" was no longer the "big man" behind Paragon City. https://www.engadget.com/2012-01-23-matt-miller-answers-our-questions-about-the-death-of-statesman-i.html "Unpopularity Contest The death of Statesman is certainly popular among some segments of the CoH/V community, both due to dislike of the character and his previous role as forum name for previous CoH/V lead developer Jack Emmert. I’ve never got the hate for Emmert, especially the line of thought that CoH/V succeeded in spite of him, thus robbing him of any credit for the title he led but simultaneously shouldering him with all blame for any of its problems." - https://worldclassvillains.com/2012/01/12/city-of-heroes-villains-the-killing-of-statesman-and-where-we-go-from-here/

yeah, exactly. "...in the meaning defined..." Look up "cowherd" on the same site, and there is no etymology section ... and ... First Known Use before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above Time Traveler The first known use of cowherd was before the 12th century

yeah, that isn't what it is. More like a way to limit the number of people that I interact with that feel it necessary to insult people. your post has no redeeming value, so yeah. your posts won't be worth reading. Better just to put you on ignore now and not have to bother with it later on. Not that you seem to post all that often anyways, but what the heck. I hope it makes you feel good. That was the point of your post, wasn't it? And, yeah, the to title of the read is "MutantsRUs and Preferred Origins" so it was on topic. I'm sorry you don't like to read and/or can't skip over stuff that you don't want to read.

Who are you calling a "lurker"?

It was dead .....

"Because DNA is the repository of genetic information in each living cell, its integrity and stability are essential to life. DNA, however, is not inert; rather, it is a chemical entity subject to assault from the environment, and any resulting damage, if not repaired, will lead to mutation and possibly disease. Perhaps the best-known example of the link between environmental-induced DNA damage and disease is that of skin cancer, which can be caused by excessive exposure to UV radiation in the form of sunlight (and, to a lesser degree, tanning beds). Another example is the damage caused by tobacco smoke, which can lead to mutations in lung cells and subsequent cancer of the lung. Beyond environmental agents, DNA is also subject to oxidative damage from byproducts of metabolism, such as free radicals. In fact, it has been estimated that an individual cell can suffer up to one million DNA changes per day (Lodish et al., 2005)." - https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/dna-damage-repair-mechanisms-for-maintaining-dna-344/#:~:text=Because DNA is the repository,to mutation and possibly disease. "Background: For the past 30 y, the incidence rate of malignant melanoma has risen steadily. Ultraviolet radiation exposure has been identified as the most prevalent modifiable risk factor for melanoma. Here, next-generation sequencing was used to analyze the relationship between multiple sun exposure factors and select cancer-related genes to determine the relationship of sun exposure on the molecular profiles of melanomas. Methods: The collection and analysis of study samples were approved by the institutional review board. The patient cohort consisted of 173 patients whose melanoma tissue samples underwent next-generation sequencing analysis for somatic mutations of 50 cancer-related genes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Results: Patients with a history of blistering sunburn had an absolute mutation incidence of 1.67 mutations per patient, compared with patients without a history of blistering sunburn, who had an absolute mutation incidence of 1.16 mutations per patient (P = 0.028). A BRAF mutation was found in more tumors of patients who reported visiting a tanning salon (57.14%), compared with those who had not (18.75%; P = 0.0463). Patients with a previous history of skin cancer were more likely to have a CDKN2A mutation (20.83%), compared with those without a previous history of skin cancer (7.76%; P = 0.0292). Conclusions: The trends seen in the molecular profiles of melanomas with respect to various sun exposure factors suggest that sun exposure impacts genetic makeup. Considering the increase in absolute mutation incidence in patients with a history of blistering sunburn suggests that additional genes may contribute to the pathology of malignancy. Future studies will use the unique molecular profiles of melanomas to personalize patient treatments." - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32445930/ "That melanin forms a protective shield over those cells' nuclei, protecting the vulnerable DNA hidden inside. And your skin darkens, and you get a tan. But that process doesn't begin until after the damage has been done, Ibrahim said. “Tanning is the body's physiological response to DNA mutation. "...“If you look under, say, an electron microscope, it’s absolutely fascinating,” Ibrahim said. “You’ll see the melanocytes are like little spiders that extend out their arms. They make the melanin, which is [a dark, sun-resistant] pigment, and they package them into these little balls, called melanosomes, and they distribute these melanosomes to these 36 keratinocytes.” When the keratinocytes send out their distress signals — MUTATION! MUTATION! — the melanocytes dump extra melanin into their neighboring cells. That melanin forms a protective shield over those cells’ nuclei, protecting the vulnerable DNA hidden inside. And your skin darkens, and you get a tan. But that process doesn’t begin until after the damage has been done, Ibrahim said. “Tanning is the body’s physiological response to DNA mutation. So nobody tans unless their skin cells are detecting mutations to DNA,” Ibrahim said." - www.inverse.com A mutation (Section 14.1) is a change in the nucleotide sequence of a short region of a genome (Figure 14.1A). Many mutations are point mutations that replace one nucleotide with another; others involve insertion or deletion of one or a few nucleotides. Mutations result either from errors in DNA replication or from the damaging effects of mutagens, such as chemicals and radiation, which react with DNA and change the structures of individual nucleotides. All cells possess DNA-repair enzymes that attempt to minimize the number of mutations that occur (Section 14.2). These enzymes work in two ways. Some are pre-replicative and search the DNA for nucleotides with unusual structures, these being replaced before replication occurs; others are post-replicative and check newly synthesized DNA for errors, correcting any errors that they find (Figure 14.1B). A possible definition of mutation is therefore a deficiency in DNA repair." - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21114/ There were creatures laying eggs long before there were chickens. If a chicken lays an egg, it is a chicken egg regardless of what mutation may be born from it. I don't know, but I'm pretty convinced that the word "coward" came from "cowherd". "The cowherd just ran away when a gang of rustlers showed up."

Er, what?

I can't tell if this poll is to mean for me personally or for a player in general that plays Homecoming/CoH. I think that for myself, it does benefit me in a positive way. From my interactions with other players in Homecoming, I can't say that is always the case. The percentage of people that seemed to have the potential for becoming a "better person" though playing CoH before the Sunset was declining rapidly after it became fully F2P. From my experience in other games, it can come down to finding the correct group of people to game with. That's hit or miss. I've only managed to find one game where there was "generally" not so much drama going on within a group. That only went for a good while until the group was really dissolving and the remaining people couldn't come to grips with it and the in-fighting began. There are some game that just breed negativity in certain zones where people are able to blast out whatever they want over text channels that go out to everyone or those channels are filled with gold-farmer spam. I think that it benefits me as much through interacts in the Homecoming forums as it does in-game on some levels. The ingame benefit for me always comes through interactions with other players - as you have expressed in your own experience. I character jump a lot so I not only get the interaction with other players playing characters with different power sets and playstyles, but my characters power sets and conceived character-motivations are also changing. I think this helps keeping my mind active trying to figure out how I can help a group succeed and/or keep my character from "tasting floor".