chase

Great points. Folk should also keep in mind how their power creep may affect the players they often team with. Power imbalances among teammates can be very good narrative material done right but can also lead to considerable inter-player conflict-- ESPECIALLY if you have 'transfer-able powers' (blessing "buffs", an antimatter armory, an unlimited credit line, a personal army of minions) that can pull a character beyond the player's vision.

https://fbsa.homecoming.wiki/ is my personal go-to. Along with character bio's, you can post supergroup histories, your own contributions to the places or organizations in the City of Heroes universe, and an area to post stories.

0.0 >.> <.< .... well, if you were going to write my biography, just say so.

I noticed that as well-and it does so in rather odd ways (as an example, when you doublespace it seems to add &nbsp; but doesn't update the character count until after you save, reducing the number of characters you have considerably over time.) The question would be- assuming this is a real html engine- what version of what browser would have been incorporated to handle html around the time of the city's launch- and could it be updated? There are games with in-engine web browsers so it's certainly possible. They've unfortunately been used to create things like "lag-grenades", doxxing incidents, and just general harassment, too. It would have to be very locked-down in function and keeping it up to date may be problematic- you could eliminate the upkeep if you could call your OS's default browser up in a frame, but you'd likely lose some ability to lock things down. Certainly an interesting path to take. Until then, I'll plug for people to link to the FBSA DATABASE in their bio's. Relatively short URL, easy to get started, unlimited length.

There was once a java utility that attempted to take advantage of CoH's ragdoll physics and demorecord to allow you to generate any pose you'd like in the utility, then export it into /demo positional data for screenshots. I THINK original author was Leandro, but that's just a vague memory at this point. IIRC, it was very alpha, had some issues with the arms last I'd used it, but was still very promising- opening up a lot more expressions for those of us that made screenshot comics.

this attachment worked. thank you. The original attachment in this thread still errors out.

the text attachment isn't available for me, though I'd love to check it out. I'd always imagined that, if roleplaying a clockwork with such a limited element of expression, I'd accompany it with a lot of emotes, as if to emphasize that they're trying hard to express past the limit of their dialogue... a kind of struggling to express what feels almost trapped inside.

I don't know the full scope of the tools the Homecoming team has at their disposal, but there's considerably more going on to make such a simple-seeming "increase the size limit here." Besides any display changes in the client, there's how that info is transmitted to work out. Back when CoH was in development was still dialup-dominant. Every single bit of data being sent- and I mean BIT, as in a single binary value, was something that needed to be justified. CoH was already really pushing boundaries with so many costume part id's, colorID's, etc. Instead of sending data with values like "haircolorprimary=X, haircolorsecondary=Y" they'd send a bunch of unlabeled bytes and have the game client know that the 6th and 7th bytes in the pack were the hair color. sometimes even partial bytes were mapped out that way (if you only have 55 pants options, why use a value that could handle 256?) There were MANY techniques used in this- not just how data was sent, but when it was sent and how frequently updates needed made to various changes. (Walking NPC's like our civilians are another great example of squeezing away bandwidth bloat. Rather than having to transmit constantly their XYZ coordinates (and pitch yaw roll), they seem to run on preset "tracks" most of the time. That way the game only needed to send the equivalent of "load character X, moving route Y, starting at coordinate Z" and nobody would need further updates unless you trigger something that makes them have to react). Now, over the decade of broadband growth that the game ran, much of this was enhanced and probably made far more relaxed, but really old elements that haven't changed much since launch could still hide those original tight design parameters... and since I don't think the character bio size was changed once in all of the game's history, it's very possible the original design's limitations are still hardcoded in there. -------------------- This is all very technical, and while I'm willing to dig out some of the fascinating (to me) technical publications authored by noteworthy MMO pioneers on the subject back in that era, it's not very roleplay focused... so maybe to keep the forums focused, we open a new thread somewhere more appropriate and let this one die off.

https://discord.gg/WKxkJjbfvz Edited expired link as my discord-fu grows. Didn't realize it'd expire so fast by default

Welcome home, Starscream45. Yes, as others have said, Everlasting is the largest roleplaying server. You may also find interest in the FBSA Database- our version of the virtueVerse wiki: https://fbsa.homecoming.wiki/wiki/Main_Page There are also several great CoH-related discords, including "City of Roleplay" and "Everlasting Roleplay", but I can't dredge up links at this moment. Wishing you many great advenures ahead!

Congratulations to everyone that's had a role in making this happen.

And not just contests... costume creation itself is an act of PvP. I'm, of course, referring to the forbidden and some say mythical art of costume-fu. There are many, many layers to this level of warfare, but the truest masters of the art can entirely stun a foe with a well-timed transformation, leading to an easy win- or, in PvE, cause a whole team wipe. Even one such as I- who has faced great eldritch horrors and even faced the depths of depravity possible in a late-last-century-army-field ration- could not help but pause in their presence. I... I cannot put what I've seen in the battles of Bloody Bay, but it was perhaps the best evidence that a video game could be the venue for crimes against humanity. I will not evoke any by name here, but if you feel targeted by this post, know that you've forever scarred my psyche. :D

First: I absolutely love it- the point of view, the narrative method, and the overall concept. All very solid. I'm also a big fan of tragic-past villains... where how the situations of one's life define a person. One could imagine how just a few positive differences could have taken someone a different path. Second: I'll put a plug in for fbsa.homecoming.wiki . this would be a great addition. Yes, the "concept" is an FBSA database, but there's no wrong format for a character concept or story. It doesn't need to be written like a dossier for FBSA or anything like that. It's just a good place to share your creations and their stories and maybe even draw inspiration from others. PLUS, the character urls are relatively short- easy to include in a character bio.

RE: RE: An urgent matter for FBSA leadership. Um, thanks everyone. I'm sorry to cause so much trouble. There's no chance that Donut days will be reinstated during this administrative review is there? Just askin. And anyone know the range of this distro list? I got a message from some Westin Phipps saying that even the Grandville soup kitchen has a weekly donut day and suggesting i come check it out.... not that I'd consider that... no need to bring it up with my caseworker or anything. The 300 additional community service hours for that other infraction has me well aware of the limits of my provisional hero status. Thanks, Tabby

Dear FBSA HR Department and/or executive team. I’m writing to share my deep concern over the situation I encountered at City Hall and the suffering endured by the great FBSA agents working there. They toil, often thanklessly, day after day, often suffering indignity from things beyond their control- jokes about the security of magi vaults or that nasty DATA ransomware incident. It sometimes seems like they toil through it all for one purpose- one piece of joy that comes just once a week. I’m speaking, of course, of Donut Day at the FBSA lunchroom. From my first day of court-mandated visits until now, I’ve witnessed the extra skip in the step of everyone in the courthouse that day. I’ve even scheduled my weekly check-ins for this day so I can share in that excitement each afternoon when that “take only one” sign goes away and everyone’s free to clean up with seconds or thirds… the mad rush to the lunchroom leaves you convinced that there is just nothing that can stand in this team’s way. So, imagine my dismay when I stopped by yesterday, only to wonder if I mis-stepped into some devouring earth autopsy room instead. VEGGIE TRAYS have replaced DONUT DAYS? I knew something was amiss the moment I entered city hall- the pallor in everyones’ faces had me convinced someone had died. The sense of resignation was nearly overwhelming. I get that some people have unique tastes, but how can anyone ever imagine that an organic tofu-based faux-cheese log, carrots, and celery sticks could compete with the rapturous joy of a double bacon-maple-bavarian-cream deluxe? Who chooses decoratively-cut radish flowers over glazed strawberry-shortcake-filled goodness? Even the simple-yet-glorious powdered sugar pastry cannot be compared to kale. How are they supposed to face the rest of the week? Where has their joy gone? I implore you, please bring back Donut Days before all of FBSA is reduced to a hollow husk of what it once was. Don’t let the villains win. Sincerely, Tabby P.S. If donut days are truly gone, I respectfully request my appointments to be rescheduled to Pizza Delivery Day. I’m usually around city hall on those days for unrelated business, so it would be no trouble at all.

An Overly-Delayed Post to an Overly-Long Post: I cannot stress this part enough- take advantage of that off-screen time. Heck, before you log out, coordinate a few lines covering where things may go or what might occur. if you know you won't be online together for a while, that gives your counterpart talking points on what may be occurring off-screen during that time... something so they can answer the social, "I haven't seen X lately how is he?" or answering "we've gone out every night this week, but never made it through even a dinner and drink before... y'know... the freakshow's been damn busy." Communication is key here. Don't put your partner in a position where they're struggling with what they can or can't say about what's going on in their characters' lives, and don't put yourself in a position where you're adapting to more than you bargained for. I, for one, usually LOVE improvising to hooks that other people bring, but everyone has limits, and (I'll repeat for emphasis) COMMUNICATION, SET LIMITS, AND RESPECT THE TRUST PEOPLE PUT IN YOU. Perhaps an illustration will help: imagine the following scenario, and determine where your comfort level might be break: Artificer and Battle Jester had an intimate RP interlude just before both of them needed to take a few weeks off from the game. Neither had many concrete plans for the relationship and just agreed that they'd RP the relationship proceed naturally during the offline time. Artificer, being newer to relationship RP, thought that would mean more dates, a few more implied nookie moments, maybe a pet name. He didn't see reason to be more elaborate. Battle Jester's player , as the name might imply, is chaos incarnate with the subtlety of a rocket-enhanced sledge hammer (her weapon of choice). Her idea of natural progression might be a bit... different. When Artificer logs in, Battle Jester's chatting away with Sea Siren, the biggest gossip in Pocket D. SS: "Artificer! It's been ages, man. Come on over and let me buy you both a drink! -- something for the jet lag, maybe? BJ here just told me you both just got back from Paris." Artificer: ::looks a bit out of his element, but smiles warmly at BJ and heads over to the duo. "Yeah, well, we were already there for the whole battle with the Revenants- you probably saw that on the news. BJ: ::wraps her arms around Artificer's like a boa constrictor and pulls him into the booth beside her, practically on top of her. "and since it's known as the City of Love, we decided to stick around and let things happen. Artificer: :: 's cheeks redden as he lets himself be drawn tight against Battle Jester, tensing, then slowly relaxing at the still-new feel of her body pressed against his own. "Um, yeah... you know- see the Louvre, dine along the Seine... the eiffel tower..." SS: :: "Oh? She said you didn't go out much." BJ: : "Isn't he so adorable, trying to protect my modesty like that? No... like he said, we went there for battle, so we didn't really pack civilian things-- and it's the city of love, not the city of lookin at stuff painted by dead guys.. so we just got ourselves a BnB above this little restaurant that delivered. No TV, no internet, no supergroup. Just... us... for two whole weeks... and I didn't put my supersuit ON even ONCE." ::she now seems thoroughly entwined around her lover, playfully nipping at his ear before working down his cheek toward his lips. "It was everything I could have imagined." SS: ::giggles gleefully as two fresh drinks are delivered to the table. "You'll have to give me all the details.... later." Artificer: :seems a bit stunned even as he returns BJ's kiss. Between moments of liplock, he mumbles out, "I thought you wanted to keep us quiet..." SS: ::leans back in her chair, practically beaming at the two lovebirds. She quickly snaps a pic of the two in liplock to go along with the post she was preparing. "And the RING- she tried to hide it from me but I got her to drop the full story just before you got here. Such a PERFECT proposal. I'll be right back- I want to get a full-body pic too- such an adorable couple." BJ: ::takes advantage of her friend's departure to whisper in her lover's ear, "I didn't tell her everything yet. I wanted you to know first. Remember how, since the trip was so spontaneous... neither of us had birth control?..." Artificer: goes line dead. So, as I've said before- use offline time wisely, but COMMUNICATION, SET LIMITS, AND RESPECT THE TRUST PEOPLE PUT IN YOU. ... and for all that is good in the world, don't tell a secret to Sea Siren.

For my take, I'll focus more on combat roleplay style and expectation: I'm a relative noob to RP-based battle-- I've engaged in it probably over a dozen times, but rarely with the same community members. Each time I go in with very little understanding of what's expected of me, what conventions they might expect to use, or what the tone of the fight will be. I usually BEG to lose initiative so I can see a few examples before providing my own. The first few rounds end up being a bit of a mild spar as I try to feel out my collaborator-foe's style and expectations and figure out how to match them. I can be an outlier with my own style and expectations, and I know it. Some people embrace the game mechanics far more than I, while I tend to use the format as a way to subvert the mechanics for a "good story" approach: There are plenty of in-game examples where for balance purposes attacks have far less impact than narratively they should. The minuscule per-bullet damage on even a person lacking damage resistance is a glaring example, but let's not discount how most people would fare to a fireball to the face, foot-long ice spikes impaling them, or a stone fist half the size of Mt Everest slamming into their face. I've encountered many people that express their attacks and damage in RP in comparable terms. I don't... or would prefer not to. Beyond damage, there's hit-rate. A game is intended to not reflect reality, but instead set a good pace that balances small reward (often an enjoyable "hit success rate" to) with a larger reward (often a "battle lasts within an enjoyable time") so damage is scaled not on reality, but on what fits this rate. Players using the game as a reference will often expect a much higher hit-rate than I would use narratively. i won't go into the studies showing the per-bullet hit rate of gunfight. I'm not aiming for reality- but for story, my tastes tend to follow cinematic fight choreography ideals as quickly summarized here, though counter to their examples, my flavor aims more toward self-deprecating humor you may see in Jackie Chan fight scenes while leaving heroes battered, limping, and cursing like a Bruce Willis fight scene. So, between the two above, I've learned that my fight preferences is more dodge/block/deflect/miss- centric than most people... which might lead them to think I'm being unfairly OP in that regard. They don't get much chance to see that I'd be treating any real "hit" as far more damaging because... well, I've not been hit that badly yet. That can lead to confusion. How to combat that? I don't think I've found THE answer, but there are things I try: If I am USING should-be-lethal attacks, I intermittently write them in a way that implies that I almost expect them to be dodged. You’d see a spray of bullets in the direction of the enemy or a swift blind attack in their direction, taking no time to aim before dodging for cover. I might even make note of environment elements to hint that I’m ok with hiding behind things (“ the edge of the shotgun blast splintering an overturned table between them”). In this way, I try to communicate that I hold no objection to others who might turn my attacks into misses. I try to make dodges/blocks/deflections still have a tangible impact. A near-miss is usually very near. The fire jet that Tabby dodged was close... so close that a chunk of fur and whisker shrivels to dust just from the superheated air when it passed by- her exposed skin instantly reddened from the burn. It's both meant to give some taste of success while also hinting at how seriously I'd treat a true direct hit. I'm trying not to diminish their power, but instead show RESPECT for what I imagine that power could truly do. I overuse klutz-fu far too much.. but with some reason. I just don't know if there are better ways. I may dodge an attack but not "stick the landing" and instead imply that I'm vulnerable to a follow-up. This gives an outlet to my foe-- if their style isn't meshing well with mine and they're frustrated with the constant misses, this is their chance for an attack that I'm not in a position to dodge/deflect. I'll have to take it. If they just want this to be over, this is their chance. If they are enjoying the exchange, there are many reasons they could use to miss that follow-through. Personally, getting two masters of Klutz-Fu can lead to things getting silly. Sometimes you need a little silly. Sometimes it may ruin the tone a storyteller's trying to set, too. Use wisely. From the above, you'd be forgiven for thinking that I play to lose. I joke about that myself. Most of the techniques above put the decision on my foe/co-storyteller and it's natural that they'd want to decide to come out on top. The same clues I drop here can often be gleaned in their writing. They can subtly cue you in to how important "winning" is for their narrative or how important they see a "hit" being... or what they'd find damaging. They may give you klutz-fu openings. Look for those hints. Sometimes hints are less-subtle. I'm talking about inner thoughts. I've seen debates over whether your emotes should just describe the visible/immediate aspects of the attack or whether it's appropriate to describe thoughts and motivations of the character as you would in a storyteller's perspective. I personally like these narrative approaches, but I've seen considerable animosity from the "just emote what the senses can pick up" camp when that unspoken rule is broken. Counter-arguments like, "this is a superhero game. You could be a telepath, a blind master, or deaf, and I wouldn't know. If I write something your character wouldn't perceive, filter it out yourself!" tend to only inflame emotions, not ease them. I instead now avoid writing in ways that that may show motive or thoughts unless I see it in my adversary-author do it. But I cheat, though. I play emotive types-the kind who are very easy to read. Tabby's thoughts for example are unconsciously conveyed through natural body language and facial expressions. If she were a book, she'd be written at a kindergartener's reading level. Even if you imagined to ignore the typical human-feature body language, there's a whole range of felinoid cues- ruffling/fluffing/flattening fur, animated ear position, a tail that's a near-perfect mood-barometer, whiskers twitching, involuntarily curling claws, etc. When she TRIES to be deceptive, her tail will almost certainly give it away. You have to try very hard to not understand her inner thoughts 😄 Rising to the Challenge Finally, I tend to play Tabby as more of a neighborhood girl- street-level threats like those found in Kings Row through Brickstown mostly, but some look at her the character data and the incarnate-level stuff and have critiqued that. I, personally, tend to subtly vary her depending on the needs of a good story. I don't play to rigourously represent a character sheet. I play to maximize fun- everyone's fun. Tabby may still be a street-level heroine that's destined to lose to the bigger threat (unless help shows up) but very few people enjoy just being a bully- they'd prefer a fight that implied some risks. For this I'll have her "dig into her reserves" or get more creative in using everything at her disposal to... while perhaps not level the playing field... it should bring meaningful value to her opponent's victory This also helps when a foe intends to lose or be driven off. They may not have expected me to be playing Tabby to be as fragile to their attacks or be such a less-seasoned fighter. I'm a fan of tongue-in-cheek stories that have Squirrel Girl defeat Galacticus solo, but it's not for everyone. At some point, losing to someone so far below you on the power scale just won't fit another's expectation. By letting that little heroine get serious, find the resolve and the confidence and perhaps a little luck to REALLY be the opponent your foe needs, you may add to their story far more than if you stayed rigidly true to numbers you set for them. ------- I'm not saying any of these are the right way to go... it's illustrating the style I've adapted to and why- but everyone has their own style, often with similar hidden meaning. Maybe you'll see some of these cues in others. Maybe you'll see the cues you do- or adopt some as you "negotiate" a better RP combat encounter with your co-author-foe. Maybe... hopefully... it'll help you find a more fun experience.

I've tried to make my comeback to the game several times now... annoying how "real life" can get in the way of things so easily. I also would love to participate.

Give interested parties breadcrumbs they can follow. You mentioned the forums (a great start) but consider creating an organization over at https://fbsa.homecoming.wiki/ describing what should be publicly known. Include a link to that in your sig here and your bio in-game, so curious people can get it even if they miss your forum post about it. Include rumors and "hooks" that people could use to slip it in to their own narrative- ways that people might have crossed paths with the organization in some minor ways in the past. When you really "launch" all that, be prepared to play often on that character in ways that emphasize your presence. It's hard to infect others with enough interest in your own content if they discover it only to find you're never around. It'll need some handling at the start before it has a chance to take a life of its own.

removed. ignore. Got a chance to look at this particular AI image generator and it's not one that takes text instruction/modification like I'd assumed

There are some uses for it. I was largely unimpressed by AI Dungeon and although they were very useful for structuring technical write-ups, the AI I tested was woefully inaccurate. AI to me can change a Subject Matter Expert into an editor rather than a writer, but that's an entirely different skill we need to develop. When you're reading a subject that you think you know, you often speedread right over the contradictions rather than catch them. Me? what I want most from AI is not comic-fying a photograph, but to digitally nudge the images. Give it a reference image and say. "this character but sprinting." If I could take a city of heroes screenshot and just say, "make his face [talking, laughing, angry, unhappy, disappointed, stern, sad, etc]" I'd have so many more screenshot comics come to life so quickly. Minor photoshopping I can do well enough. Illustrate faces, nope.

I fluctuate. I used to start alting and end leveling of a character when I got to a place where there abilities in-game met what I imagined the character to be- usually mid-late 20's. Then little things pushed me past it. I tend to like min-maxing stats, so with the creation system and set bonuses, even my mid-20 charaters became more powerful than I really wanted to imagine them at. Then came the development of the level 50 endgame and so much story following the incarnate system. I gave up caring and rushed the characters I could to 50 to experience THAT story even if that story didn't fit the character story at all. Now I tend to divorce my characters' game stats from their personal story... keeping them narratively far less powered than their incarnate stats would suggest.. but every once in a while I revert and "alt roll"-- I had my maxed-out, slotted-out Tabby and a level-appropriate one and I rename them as the whim strikes me.

It's a good suggestion... don't get me wrong... and perhaps... hopefully... the person takes it in such stride as to continue some fun play and banter. My personal experience over the years with this level of powerset doesn't lend much hope though. Godmodders at this level broadly fall into three categories those that are doing this as their own form of griefing and they'll just escalate the 'changes' they're doing to you, happy to just waste your time as you counter all the things they claim they can do those that really REALLY emotionally NEED to be the omnipotent super-powerful entity they pretend and take personal affront that you'd deny them their RP outlet. Things escalate fast those well-adjusted individuals that just either take the hint or make it clear they're engaging in well-intentioned playful banter and appreciate your handling of it. Generally speaking, I hope for #3, prepare for #1, and usually encounter #2.

I used to keep reminding myself that a genre like this has to have room for all kinds of characters, that some will just be choosing to play at such an extremely different level of play from everyone else that the best solution will be to just to avoid them and "retcon it away" from my own personal timeline. That works, but I've been suppressing something more blunt. "((I'm sorry. I can't see how continuing this would be fun for either of us.))" It hurts to hear that someone finds your creation so unenjoyable they want to end it. I like to think i'd take it well if one of my more quirky creations was unknowingly interacting with someone whose styles were so opposite of mine that it troubled them, but I know I'm more thick-skinned (and thick-skulled) than the norm, so I try to take that into account. When do you make that decision, though? To me, it comes down to agency. When I see an omnipotent character that strips away all agency from another character, denying them any reason or purpose to exist, as far as I care that's a level of meta-griefing that I have no interest in supporting or encouraging. I may listen in for a few additional exchanges just to be sure I'm not misunderstanding or taking out of context (two players jokingly in a meta-omnipotent godmod war with one another can be quite entertaining) but I'll probably not be sticking around.

I know you're looking for serious examples, but a friend of ours has a favorite, "Seraph blue" that to us seemed perfect for an angelic-themed power rangers parody. Poor Seraph Blue was subjected to over a dozen color-based "Seraph Squad" members, including Seraph Khaki (dressed as you'd expect) and Seraph Ultramarine (that was not just ultramarine-colored, but also looking like every marine corps stereotype taken to 11. Sadly, as with most SG's initiated in fun, this one didn't last long.