ThatGuyCDude

This seems an intuitive adjustment (and I thought it might be the case for Assassin Strike, it certainly sounds like it should be). I can see Rest being a problem as it can take those kinds of enhancements and if the animation and effect is sped up you'll be able to use it in active combat. Could just be made to ignore that portion of the effect, though, like powers that ignore endurance reduction.

I agree not to underestimate the power of low-hanging fruit. A few labels and the injection of some inner monologue paragraphs in the middle of a contact diatribe can go a LONG way towards changing the feel of a game. For instance, the first Dr. Graves briefing (taken from the wiki, extra text added to the orange section)... Dr. Graves [Power] "You would believe me to be a ghoul? And I assume your self-image is that of a misunderstood protagonist, is it? Or maybe the snarling monster with a secret heart of gold? Or perhaps someone cursed to a life they didn't want? Bah. I am not here to trade barbs with someone of your like. However, what I am going to do is offer you, $Character, a formal invitation to a very exclusive, albeit unsanctioned... competition. Before you dismiss this opportunity, know this - the victor of the trial shall be granted the privilege of being apprenticed, if you will, to a person with very important connections." You take a moment to ponder the proposal. This is a chance to meet the other aspirants in the Isles, but is it worth attracting the ire of Arachnos? What about this Graves... do you trust he's on the level with this proposal? Power is power, and this could be a good opportunity to make your mark, but do you really want to dance for this walking corpse for the honor of winning an apprenticeship? You've got big plans, and being somebody's lackey isn't at the top of the list. Still, you have to climb the ladder somehow, right? It's not like you're getting locked in the Zig: you could always back out or sell Graves out to Arachnos if things don't play the way you want. Noting that your attention has drifted and irritated that you seem to be ignoring him, Dr. Graves looks around at nearby Arachnos guards in a rather dramatic fashion before fixing his soulless eyes upon you and reemphasizing his point. "Very, very important... connections." I'm listening, Graves. What do I need to do to make this happen? I'm glad to see that your ambition overshadows your attitude, $Character. You'll need both if you expect to surpass the others in the eyes of the one who is truly watching. With that said, let us tarry no longer with this conversation. Actions speak louder than words, and if you try hard enough, sometimes louder than screams. I will give you the location you are to 'register' at. Use the registration console within the gathering place to prove your intent and I shall then speak to you further. Changing the label indicates the contact's missions are about accumulating power, not wealth or status with Arachnos (so players running this mission know which narrative goal it actually targets). The added 2nd-person-perspective monologue demonstrates that your Villain is actually considering the value of the offer and whether it's worth their time. Injecting paragraphs like this is on the same level of involvement as fixing a typo, doesn't require changing any mission variables or outcomes, and gives the player more foundation to fill in the gaps when the only response option is 'sure' or 'I'll break your legs when this is over'. This kind of fortune-teller deniability of motive could make Villains more appealing to Vigilante and Rogue-style players who want to believe they're working towards benevolent (or at least less malevolent) goals, with no mechanical adjustments necessary.

This, this, this. Tips and Newspaper missions are much more fun in the Rogue Isles than mission chains for two reasons: it's easy to pass on one that's distasteful and the Rogue/Villain has agency in the matter. The only way to make that sort of feeling play out with the Contact system is to treat the contacts like 'marks': the text would need to be rewritten to emphasize first-person perspective and inner monologue, and the 'mark' would need to be depicted in the role of the dope or dupe (with the end of the mission series being the slam or double-cross). As written, its often the PLAYER who ends up looking like the dupe; it doesn't feel good. We want our Villains to seem clever. A little flattery goes a long way. There are a few mission chains that do this, such as Fire Wire. Other chains, though, like the aforementioned Graves chain, depict our villains as reckless, arrogant, and stupid. Adding a few extra options of dialogue and changing the responses that follow would go a long way to break the feeling that the mission is forcing the player to be a fool, even if there is no other change in the outcome. Another problem I perceive with the villain storylines is the lack of coherent motivation. Villains have goals. City of Villains already has a few very defined goals to follow. There's the whole 'Chosen' plot, making a fortune (but for what purpose?), and accumulation of power. Perhaps if the player picked a motivation as a base 'contact' and it recommended other contacts accordingly, the story wouldn't seem so erratic. It would help keep our villains from bowing to Arachnos in one chain and then picking their pocket in the next one. The suggestion to flag quest chains is a good one, but instead of Rogue/Villain, perhaps they should be labeled based on Destiny/Profit/Power?

Detail 1, 2, and 3 objects have a lot of inconsistent accessibility in the costume creator. Full Helmets have the greatest variety, whereas categories like Monstrous have basically nothing to distinguish one character from another (You can't even give them goggles or horns! Blasphemous!). So, throw some of those detail models into the other categories as additional costume options. Don't worry about weird clipping; the player can work that out.

I wonder if this is part of the issue (or could be part of the solution)? Henchmen are THE key mechanic of the MasterMind, so maybe inspirations need to apply across the board with them? When you think about it, the MasterMind's health, endurance, and damage pools are divided among their team of mooks--it's one character spread across several bodies. To that end, inspirations being spread across the lot makes sense. The MasterMind uses an inspiration, buffing or healing themself and all of their currently active summons simultaneously... that seems like a change worth making, yeah?