GreyScribe

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Right from the start I want Paradigms to give players more choices, rather than lock them down which is why every origin has the Enigma option up first, letting the player start from scratch if they want. The other Paradigms again are customizable during character creation using all available options. Paradigms are based on the current system, it isn't trying to alter it that much, mostly through adding new options and an interface to select them quickly, hopefully accompanied by future UI improvements (like searchable/sortable lists, tags etc.). You can pick the Natural Martial Artist Paradigm and then fit them with big Cybergauntlets in the Costume section if you want just like the current system. A Paradigm is meant to be a starting point for your character creation process not the final product - you make that your own via Archetype, powerset selection, customization, with a Paradigm as an extra choice. That also feeds into the names and descriptions of the Paradigms - just like the origins themselves they are on the vague side and can be handwaved aside in your personal concept of the character if you want. So I would like to see a "Noir Detective" Paradigm for Natural say, but not "Grizzled middle-aged Private Investigator with a drinking problem". Also there is nothing stopping someone choosing a Magic Mystic Paradigm, but then selecting the "Noir Detective" costume set to create a Constantine-like character for example or any other combination they desire. Rudra and Biostem - your comments on the various Paradigms kind of make my point, the Paradigm names cannot hope to cover everyone's concepts and aren't intended to. Martial Artist was just a quick and dirty title for exploring the Dragon Ball trope of transforming fighters. We could change it to Martial Arts Transformation and have a more realistic Martial Artist or MMA Paradigm. We could also have an Alien Shapeshifter Paradigm as a Transformer under Natural as well. We could debate about how creating an artificial humanoid via the science of Genetics in a technologically advanced Vat is a Scientific origin, but creating an artificially intelligent Android via the science of Neural Networks is not? The line between Science and Tech has always been blurry. My personal headcanon usually revolves around creation vs application. If a character is created or greatly changed by a scientific process (often via some sort of Technology) then I lean towards Science. If a character is choosing to use Technology directly to achieve their purposes then Tech is the origin I choose. Even that distinction isn't black and white so the definition will be different for everyone. A cyborg could quite easily fit in either origin as far as I'm concerned. A modern soldier uses a wide array of technologies but most people (and the SO enhancements) place them firmly in Natural. But I could also see a Super Soldier Paradigm in Science as well as the Tech Power Suit for exploring military concepts with different origins. Gobbledygook - The Soldier Paradigm is just based on my very limited personal knowledge of military personnel. I'm Australian and we don't have Marines in our armed forces, so I didn't even consider that. Military Training is a fine name for the Paradigm. Again, the Paradigms are not meant to be the one true definition of an origin but exploring various familiar tropes as starting points for character creation. I was thinking Rambo or the Punisher for example rather than actual military personnel and I couldn't name either their military ranks or which branches of the Armed Forces they served in but if you asked me about their origins I would say soldier. The Outsider was inspired by the possession trope where a magical entity possesses a human host and then transforms them (the Kheldians are the alien equivalent in game) such as the demon Etrigan or Raven from DC comics or Ghost Rider and Thor from Marvel. I just didn't want to limit it only to demons but also include curses and such. The description could have been clearer. Of course there are several other supernatural tropes that could be used for Paradigms: Phantoms, Tricksters, the Fey. Again Origins can blur any suitably advanced technology can easily be confused with magic as Biostem mentioned. And a 'magic' entity from another realm isn't that different to an intruder from an alternate timeline or different dimension. And if we start contemplating Reality Benders then all bets are off.

Welcome to the Grey Scribe's patented Wonder Wall of Text™ Feel free to enjoy my ramblings below if you want plenty of extraneous detail, or just run your eyes over the Rikti innovation of the TL:DR on the very next line! TL:DR - This is a proposal to integrate themed customization sets called "Paradigms" into the Origins screen in Character Creation. Paradigms are collections of costumes, animations, stances, origin powers and other mostly cosmetic customizations applied to your character as defaults during character creation. These defaults can be overridden at any time during creation or later at a Tailor. Why is the Origins screen so forgettable? As a chronic altaholic I spend a lot of time in the Character Creation section, jumping back and forth between Powers, Body, Custom, etc. I never spend much time in the Origins section and sometimes I even forget which origin I originally selected and must check that it matches the current concept of my character as it has evolved during the creation process. This is a bit disheartening to me as it is the first screen I see in Character Creation and is often at the heart of inspiring my character ideas, but there is so little to do on that screen. I’ve had a look around and there are several interesting threads about making origins more relevant in the game, with suggestions such as more origin themed content involving contacts, missions, powersets and so forth. But I kept coming back to how central origins are to the creation of a character, and that should kick in right at the start of the process and then naturally inform your character’s journey through the game. So here is my vision for a more engaging and meaningful Origins screen: Select an origin as normal, but instead of a couple of lines vaguely describing your origin you open a second menu of ‘Paradigms’ for that origin. Paradigms are themed suites of animations, stances, origin powers, and other mostly cosmetic options for your character. For example: Magic Paradigms Enigma – your character is a blank slate to shape as you wish, their powers are tied to mystical or divine forces that they control. (All origins have this default option which is the equivalent of the current freeform character creation process.) Undead – your character is a revenant driven by dark magic or divine will to linger in this world until their true purpose is fulfilled. Mystic – your character is an avatar of the arcane, effortlessly wielding magicks that would destroy the mind and soul of a lesser mortal. What will they do with this power? Outsider – your character is an intruder from another plane of existence, struggling to hide their true form from the inhabitants of this world lest it drive them mad. What dire circumstances could force them to reveal their secret? Science Paradigms. Enigma – your character is a blank slate to shape as you wish, they gained their powers through the benefits of modern science, either through experimentation or by accident. Reanimated – your character has been resurrected by mad science. Their past is a murky jumble of splintered memories, their future filled with disturbing revelations they may regret uncovering. Android – your character is an artificial intelligence housed in a fantastically advanced humanoid chassis. Is their destiny bound to the designs of their creator or will they break free and take control of their fate? Quantum – your character has unlocked the secrets of the multiverse. They can reach across dimensions and unlock the powers and abilities of an alternate version of themselves. But what happens if their alternate reaches back? Mutation Paradigms. Enigma – your character is a blank slate to shape as you wish, their powers are derived from genetic manipulation or evolutionary alteration. Bestial - your character has mutated beyond the human norm, gaining traits from various evolutionary lineages. Will they be able to hold on to their humanity? Psychic - your character has undergone a psychic awakening, unlocking the true potential of the human mind. Will they empathise with the shared experiences of humanity or grow to despise the limited perspectives of those around them? Metamorphosis - your character has undergone a traumatic experience leaving them with an unstable genetic structure. Any stress or strong emotion can trigger an alarming transformation. Will they be able to control the monster within? Technology Paradigms. Enigma – your character is a blank slate to shape as you wish, the source of their powers is the technological gadgets and devices they wield. Cyborg - your character has received multiple cybernetic implants. Improvements or mutilations? Only time will tell. Power Suit - your character has access to the latest in defensive and offensive technology all in one package. Will this power drive them to heroism or infamy? Nanotech - your character has embraced the power of nanotechnology to reshape the building blocks of their body into a powerful new form. Can they safely maintain their identity after such a dramatic change? Natural Paradigms. Enigma – your character is a blank slate to shape as you wish, their powers are simply natural talents that they have honed and developed to super-human levels. Survivor - your character has endured many trials with just their wits and will to survive. It's got them this far but can their knack for improvisation and pure grit get them through the challenges that lie ahead? Soldier - your character has trained their entire life to become an army of one. Will they fight to defend the innocent or use their deadly skills to obtain power over those too weak to wield it themselves? Martial Artist - your character has mastered ancient techniques that enables them to transform their body into a living weapon. Now the only remaining question is where will that weapon be targeted? As you progress through character creation you select Archetype, Powers, Body and then you come to Costume and find the character displaying the costume set for that Paradigm. Each Paradigm has a costume set for the three body types. The Paradigm sets such as Natural Survivor or Technology Nanotech are included in the Costume Sets list. After refining your costume (or totally replacing it) you move on to Custom where you will see menus for your Primary and Secondary power sets and your Origin Paradigm. Some powers may have Paradigm options already selected. (Such as control collars for Technology Masterminds or spell-casting animations for Magic blasters.) Again, Paradigm power schemes are selectable in the powerset menus. (e.g. Demon Summoning: Original, Bright, Dark, Technology Collars, Magic Enchantment, Science Portal, Mutation Pheromones, Natural Charisma.) The Origin Paradigm menu lists various other customization options: Idle stance, Combat stance, Walk, Sprint, Flight Pose, Origin Power, Paradigm Power, etc. Finally, you move on to the Register screen and the Origin Paradigm description is transferred to the Character Description, with your character’s name inserted at the start and you are ready to enter the City of Heroes. How would Paradigms work? The Paradigms are built upon the existing Costume and Customization systems and thus could start small and grow as new assets and functions are added in the future. Ideally, any new or adapted content for the Paradigms would be available to all players via Customization or P2W. Players could cherry pick individual Paradigm assets to flesh out their original (Enigma) concepts either during character creation or later visits to the Tailor. Players who choose a specific Paradigm could still select any other costume or customization options to modify their character as they see fit. The Origin Paradigms above were brainstormed quickly, obviously many more are possible. My examples represent increasingly advanced Paradigms that might be possible for each origin. A basic monstrous/instinctive option, an expert paragon and a transformative character. Paradigms in the game should be tailored for each origin and be much more varied and diverse than my initial examples. They could be linked to various factions, events and storylines. They could also apply specific effects for different Archetypes and powersets. The community could suggest new Paradigms as well as take part in special Costume Contests to design Costume Sets for them. Popular Paradigms and Paradigm suggestions could help guide development of new costume assets and animations. The Basics: Undead, Reanimated, Bestial, Cyborg and Survivor. These Paradigms represent concepts that an experienced player could probably recreate using current costume and customization systems with a few extra twists. Custom Origin and Inherent powers could be added to the game with various tweaks to damage types and animations for each Paradigm along with alternative stances and travel power animations. For example, the Magic Undead Paradigm could replace the origin power of Apprentice Charm with an equivalent Projectile Vomit attack with Toxic damage. The Brawl attack’s animation could be replaced with a zombie slap. This Paradigm would also have the zombie Idle stance and zombie walk animation and Flies aura by default. They could have unique death and revival animations. A Mutation Bestial Paradigm could replace the Mutagen origin power with Venom Spit or a version of the tongue strike attack of the Hordeling Lasher and use Beast Run as their default run animation. They may have secondary mutations that only activate in certain circumstances, like sprouting wings when taking flight. The Science Reanimated Paradigm could replace Tranq Dart with a short range electrical Zap that stuns an enemy. The Technology Cyborg Paradigm could have rocketboot effects when jumping or in flight. Their Brawl power could be replaced with an "Electronux" punch. A Natural Survivor could replace the Throwing Knives origin power with a rock throw attack. The Paragons: Mystic, Android, Psychic, Power Suit, Soldier These Paradigms represent individuals who are focused on mastering their powers. They may utilise customization options that don't currently exist in the game. These include various travel power animations, and alternative power animations that have been requested for the various origins. The Magic Mystic Paradigm has a default fly/hover pose of the lotus position. They may use a spellbook, wand or staff as the focus for many of their powers. Mystic Masterminds mark their henchmen with an arcane rune. Weapons used by a Mystic will often show signs of enchantment. The Science Android Paradigm has several built-in weapon ports (similar to the Praetorian Clockwork) letting them generate both ranged and melee attacks. The Mutant Psychic Paradigm hovers like the Praetorian Seers by default. They can wield weapons telekinetically. Their origin power is a psionic flash accompanied by the Throat Slash emote that causes an enemy to choke helplessly. Psychic Masterminds mark their henchmen with halos of psychic energy. The Technology Power Suit Paradigm has various shoulder mounted weapons that deploy when in combat mode as well as various beam emitters in their gauntlets, chest and helmet. Power Suit Masterminds fit their henchman with control collars tied directly to their suit's systems. Natural Soldier Paradigms are masters of weaponry. They generate most of their attacks with weapons. Their origin power is a random selection of sidearm temporary powers. Soldiers have a default idle stance of at ease, saluting or marching in place. Soldier Masterminds issue each of their henchmen with a squad patch. The Transformers: Outsider, Quantum, Metamorphosis, Nanotech, Martial Artist. These Paradigms are almost the "Epic" Paradigms and have some similarities to the Epic Archetypes. They transform like the Kheldians and have a unique locked costume slot like the VEATs. They embody the various transformation tropes: Magic Girl, Jekyll/Hyde, shapeshifters, etc. Their locked costume slot represents their "battleform" and whenever they are in combat stance they transform into that form with a brief unique animation. Outside of combat they revert to the next slot which starts off as a male, female or huge "civilian" which along with their battleform can then be customised at any Tailor as normal. Some of the battleforms may have unique body type, animation or costume options that are incompatible with some powersets or other costume parts. This could include alternate death animations such as a Nanotech Paradigm dissolving into grey goo revealing their civilian form, the Outsider being pulled into an arcane portal leaving their civilian 'host' behind, the Quantum splitting in two and one of them vanishing and so forth. (Interesting possibility: Transformers could use the /sheathe command to force a change back to their civilian form.) Finally, he's nearly stopped typing! If you have read all this, thank you for the opportunity to brainstorm this concept, I hope you enjoyed it and that it sparked some ideas of your own. If you have any thoughts about the Paradigm system, please share them.

I think having a Taxibot as the voice of the City would be a nice nod to the volunteers from the Live game as well a being an obvious choice for someone with their finger on the pulse of Paragon City.

I like the idea of a psychic hero/villain that is a mental projection of an ideal form or concept. Here is a couple of variants for a Shield/Psi Melee Tanker avatar of justice: avatar.costumeavatar.powerCust I've found the Headless or Floating Globe option is good for exploring non-human or otherworldly character concepts when paired with various head auras. Depending on the concept or form you want to explore with your character then you can build from there.

"Apparently his superpower is... crochet. With ice-carving as a secondary." capncrochet.costume

One of Hero Corps' most exciting internal projects was undone by a single typo. robotcop.costume

"If you sign up to the Premium Package, Hero Corps will upgrade your protection to cover aquatic environments as well." acuteangler.costume

"He just turned up at the corporate Christmas Party and he's been with us ever since." snowman.costume

"Haven't you heard? That weird old guy from the Library has quit his job and joined the Hero Corps!" selfinsert.costume

"Hey! Don't you know my Dad is on the Hero Corps Board of Directors? Just, watch yourself, OK?" nepotism.costume

This applicant received very positive feedback from focus groups across multiple demographics. goodboy.costume

Despite rigorous background checks, sometimes Hero Corps recruiters overlooked some obvious red flags... infiltrator.costume

The Hero Corps Marketing Division negotiated many successful and profitable sponsorship deals with businesses across the country. Unfortunately, the "Candylion" campaign in association with King's Row Confectioners was not one of them. candylion.costume

Cosplayer with cameras built into her costume goes viral after an encounter with some Skulls. Instant media profile, millions of followers and brand deals come her way. Can she leverage her internet fame towards an interview with the Hero Corps? vlogger.costume

Little League Coach -> Neighbourhood Defender -> Hero for Hire? coach.costume