Echo: Faultline

[Peacemoon]

Echo: Faultline - what an awesome, eerie zone!

 

I never went there on Live. It was remade before I took interest in visiting it. So I'd never seen the original zone before. 

 

Its incredibly vertical, the combination of deep canyons and skycrapers that touch the ceiling of the zone really create an awesome sight.

The fact that you know its an old uninhabited space which no longer really exists, and some of the music (particularly the resevoir), makes it feel quite eerie. 

Also as my character has super speed and is using the jump pack (which has a timer and can turn itself off at inconvenient times if you're not careful), this zone was actually triggering my fear of heights a bit! 

 

If you've never been, I would recommend the trip. Its more difficult to navigate than New Faultline, but Echo: Faultline has an impressive size and scale that is quite unmatched.

 

Also, use https://hcwiki.cityofheroes.dev/wiki/File:Echo_Faultline_MoreMaps4U.png while you're there to grab the badges and 5 merits 😉

 

[cranebump]

I’ll have to try this! Thank you.

[Peacemoon]

13 minutes ago, cranebump said:

I’ll have to try this! Thank you.

Best way there is via Ouroboros. Behind the main building a portal to all the Echo zones!

[SarahTheM1]

Something that really stands out about most of the old Hazard/Trial zones is how crazy the scale is. Faultline is the most dramatic (outside of the Shadow Shard, anyway), but even something like Boomtown or Terra Volta can get a bit dizzying when you stop and really take it all in.

Edited May 27, 2020 by SarahTheM1

[Peacemoon]

On 5/27/2020 at 11:09 PM, SarahTheM1 said:

Something that really stands out about most of the old Hazard/Trial zones is how crazy the scale is. Faultline is the most dramatic (outside of the Shadow Shard, anyway), but even something like Boomtown or Terra Volta can get a bit dizzying when you stop and really take it all in.

Yeah I really like the Hazard zones for this. There is a lot of detail down at a ground level, and always find them more interesting locations to level in than the standard city zones. Particularly zones like Terra Volta and Crey’s Folly.

It’s such a shame the old hazard zones are just groups of mobs and no story content, as there is so much potential as a location. Dark Astoria is a great example of how these locations can be made into amazing places. I bet had CoH not shutdown there would have been more of that. 

Edited May 29, 2020 by Peacemoon

[Greycat]

26 minutes ago, Peacemoon said:

It’s such a shame the old hazard zones are just groups of mobs and no story content, as there is so much potential as a location. Dark Astoria is a great example of how these locations can be made into amazing places. I bet had CoH not shutdown there would have been more of that. 

To be really nitpicky, old Faultline was supposed to be a trial zone, not a hazard zone. I *believe* the range was something like 17-25 - if anyone has the old (old old) "strategy guide" (not the binder) for it, it had details on it. Trial never got into the game, of course.

 

I think the most use I got out of Faultline was with the original Defiance. Lots of tall buildings to drop off of for that damage boost. 🙂 Granted, the blaster I was doing that with had outleveled the zone ANYWAY, but still.

[Aberrant]

I always felt it was a bit of a shame the way new Faultline sacrificed the verticality, only other zone that comes close to it is The Abyss. Completely understand why, old Faultline was an absolute pain to navigate, if you slipped down a fissure while hunting/running from Vahzilok hordes it was a 20 minute job to find a way back out pre-travel powers, and you would near guaranteed be ganked by some Circle of Thorns ghosts! Interestingly that section behind the dam in old Faultline was originally never accessible on live, though you could see it through the war walls, the doors that go there are new. They never developed any content that used that section until the revamp. 

[Peacemoon]

5 hours ago, Greycat said:

To be really nitpicky, old Faultline was supposed to be a trial zone, not a hazard zone. I *believe* the range was something like 17-25 - if anyone has the old (old old) "strategy guide" (not the binder) for it, it had details on it. Trial never got into the game, of course.

 

I think the most use I got out of Faultline was with the original Defiance. Lots of tall buildings to drop off of for that damage boost. 🙂 Granted, the blaster I was doing that with had outleveled the zone ANYWAY, but still.

Hmm whats the difference between a trial zone and a hazard zone? Honest question as my memory is a bit sketchy and I can't think of any trial zone examples!

 

1 hour ago, Aberrant said:

I always felt it was a bit of a shame the way new Faultline sacrificed the verticality, only other zone that comes close to it is The Abyss. Completely understand why, old Faultline was an absolute pain to navigate, if you slipped down a fissure while hunting/running from Vahzilok hordes it was a 20 minute job to find a way back out pre-travel powers, and you would near guaranteed be ganked by some Circle of Thorns ghosts! Interestingly that section behind the dam in old Faultline was originally never accessible on live, though you could see it through the war walls, the doors that go there are new. They never developed any content that used that section until the revamp. 

Yeah the verticality on Echo: Faultline is an awesome sight to behold! As I travelled around there it did feel pretty epic, and really portrayed a city zone hit by a cataclysmic earthquake. I can't imagine how you get out of some of the pits without jump packs or something if you're just a speedster! 

 

I noticed the area behind the Dam was empty and figured maybe you couldn't originally get there. Even that area is different because the water is shallow and you can see the metal grates underneath. 

I was surprised by how much vahzilok and circle of thorn there are, compared to the new!

[Greycat]

4 hours ago, Peacemoon said:

Hmm whats the difference between a trial zone and a hazard zone? Honest question as my memory is a bit sketchy and I can't think of any trial zone examples!

 

Functionally, by the time we got to live, nothing. The Hive and (possibly) RWZ are the closest we have to trial zones - and the RWZ is maybe 1/3 of one at best. Basically the zone was designed with an overarching, multi-team (yep, before leagues - I don't recall if that was part of the problem they had) push to get to and defeat some overarching goal. You'd fight to the dam, pass through (which you couldn't do on the live version - unless you could find a map glitch - so Echo got tweaked a bit) and save the generators or whatever it was on the far side of the dam. The entire zone would have functionality around that.

 

Hazard zones are basically "There are bigger, nastier spawns. Have fun!"

 

Actually found a Prima guide on ebay cheap, I'll see if I can find the description there again. Not digging through all my boxes in storage 🙂

[Peacemoon]

17 hours ago, Greycat said:

Functionally, by the time we got to live, nothing. The Hive and (possibly) RWZ are the closest we have to trial zones - and the RWZ is maybe 1/3 of one at best. Basically the zone was designed with an overarching, multi-team (yep, before leagues - I don't recall if that was part of the problem they had) push to get to and defeat some overarching goal. You'd fight to the dam, pass through (which you couldn't do on the live version - unless you could find a map glitch - so Echo got tweaked a bit) and save the generators or whatever it was on the far side of the dam. The entire zone would have functionality around that.

 

Hazard zones are basically "There are bigger, nastier spawns. Have fun!"

 

Actually found a Prima guide on ebay cheap, I'll see if I can find the description there again. Not digging through all my boxes in storage 🙂

Oh I really like the idea of that! Imagine if Echo: Faultline had restricted travel powers (or some other devious game mechanic) and you had to traverse the zone, on foot, to the Dam area. Wow what an epic journey that could have been. Especially if the multiple groups had to divide themselves up in order to do some pylon-type activity within a set time limit to unlock the gate. Ah my imagination could run wild with that!! What a shame it never happened.

 

Still as mentioned above the Dark Astoria revamp is amazing. I never did it on live and was really impressed when I ran the missions and did the zone on HC. Impressed but also a little sad, because it left me thinking “imagine what they could have done next” ...!

[RikOz]

20 hours ago, Greycat said:

and save the generators or whatever it was on the far side of the dam

Speaking of which, those generators baffle me. I've lived my entire life in the land of hydroelectric dams, Washington state, and generators (or, more accurately, the turbines) go inside the dam, not sitting in the middle of the reservoir. The whole point of the dam is to force the water through a smaller space, increasing the speed of the flow to turn the turbines.

 

Of course, there's also the fact that you don't build a bunch of skyscrapers directly in front of a dam.

Edited May 29, 2020 by RikOz

[Skyhawke]

From the old Prima Guide:

 

"When the archvillain Faultline held Overbrook ransom with his earthquake device, not many took him seriously. A group of fledgling superheroes did attempt to stop him, but failed, and the master of tectonics set off his device, wiping out Overbrook.  Faultline disappeared and has not been seen since.  The ruins of Overbrook have adopted his name, and many villains now inhabit the area.

 

Faultline is primarily a hunting ground, with no contacts or stores.  It’s all villains, all the time. The cracks in the ground make travel difficult for speedsters, as many of the gaping holes do not have exits.  Watch your step or you’ll need to find someone to help you out of the pit.  Flyers, jumpers and teleporters will have an easier time."

 

I remember being sent there to hunt for some missions...the groups were nutter butters, especially Vahz at that still relatively low level. I remember taking one speedster through there...one.

Edited May 29, 2020 by Skyhawke

[RikOz]

Must be why one of the Arachnos random lines is about throwing a hero over the edge - "just make sure it's a superspeeder".

[Greycat]

But is that from the Prima *binder* or the older *book?* I think they took out references to the zone being a trial zone in the binder, since the book was being written pre-release and it hadn't been removed from the idea for the zone yet.

[Haijinx]

 

 

7 hours ago, RikOz said:

 

Of course, there's also the fact that you don't build a bunch of skyscrapers directly in front of a dam.

 

In a world where supervillians exist no less ..

[Skyhawke]

16 hours ago, Greycat said:

But is that from the Prima *binder* or the older *book?* I think they took out references to the zone being a trial zone in the binder, since the book was being written pre-release and it hadn't been removed from the idea for the zone yet.

Found it here:  https://archive.org/details/City_of_Heroes_Prima/page/n2/mode/2up

Looks to be the book version from 2005, but I can't remember when which came out and my copies are buried in boxes in the attic.  Does anyone else remember which one this was?

[SuperDan]

On 5/28/2020 at 5:16 PM, Greycat said:

Functionally, by the time we got to live, nothing. The Hive and (possibly) RWZ are the closest we have to trial zones - and the RWZ is maybe 1/3 of one at best. Basically the zone was designed with an overarching, multi-team (yep, before leagues - I don't recall if that was part of the problem they had) push to get to and defeat some overarching goal. You'd fight to the dam, pass through (which you couldn't do on the live version - unless you could find a map glitch - so Echo got tweaked a bit) and save the generators or whatever it was on the far side of the dam. The entire zone would have functionality around that.

 

Hazard zones are basically "There are bigger, nastier spawns. Have fun!"

 

🙂

Brings back some fun memories of rolling around The Hollows, Perez Park, and occasionally Striga hunting those bigger spawns as a means to level. Back when hunting to level was a thing...

[Greycat]

2 hours ago, Skyhawke said:

Found it here:  https://archive.org/details/City_of_Heroes_Prima/page/n2/mode/2up

Looks to be the book version from 2005, but I can't remember when which came out and my copies are buried in boxes in the attic.  Does anyone else remember which one this was?

Nope. THat's the binder, you can tell by the "tabs" on the side. Plus the original book was almost entirely black and white.

 

Mine's due to arrive monday. I'll end up posting the faultline entry  for the sake of general interest.

[Greycat]

2 hours ago, SuperDan said:

Brings back some fun memories of rolling around The Hollows, Perez Park, and occasionally Striga hunting those bigger spawns as a means to level. Back when hunting to level was a thing...

I still do that on occasion.

 

[Greycat]

On 5/28/2020 at 5:16 PM, Greycat said:

Actually found a Prima guide on ebay cheap, I'll see if I can find the description there again. Not digging through all my boxes in storage 🙂

Here's the description:

Levels, 14-19

Physical description, an enormous metropolitan area torn apart by an earthquake. At the southern end stands a giant facility resembling a hydroelectric plant.

 

The trial:

 

The Faultline Trial is initiated by accessing the terminal in the dam at the far end of the zone from the entrance. To be able to participate in this trial, you must be at least Level 14 and you and your teammates must all be in the same Super Group. This trial is designed for twenty five Level 19 heroes or thirty-five Level 18 or fifty Level 17 heroes.

 

The tiral room is vast - and mostly water. Four pylons stand toward the front of the trial, connected by a patheway that zig zags between each. A building stands on a narrow strip of land to one side of the feeder river at the far end of the trial. This building and the four pylons are subject to attacks from villains. Each structure has a set amount of hit points; at 0, they begin to smoke, and are considered "Destroyed."

 

Waves of minions and lieutenants attack the pylons' a boss-level villain lies in wait at the far building. Depending on the size of the Super Group, the attacks will progress from one pylon to another -- until eventually the building is targeted -- or the attacks will occur simultaneously, so that the group has to spread itself thinly in order to defend each location.

 

You must successfully defend 3 of the 5 structures (that is, prevent them from being "destroyed") for 45 minutes.

 

Defeated Heroes appear at the entrance of the trial and can immediately join back in at the fighting, without having to run back from the hospital.

 

The reward for this trial is a medal on your ID card, a large Experience Point bonus, and a special Enhancement that modifies two or more powers/effects and is valid at +/- 5 levels instead of the normal 3.

[Greycat]

One of the things I find most interesting is that progression. I mean, from level 17 to 18 is one power, on DOs. From 18 to 19 is two slots, still on DOs (at the time.) And yet they go from needing 50 (50!) level 17s to 25 level 19s. It would sort of make sense if it were level 17 to level 25, as that would have put you in SOs (and Stamina and more powers and slots.) That's more of a power jump. And what would they do with a mixed group?

 

I wonder how much leveling vs. hitting the debt cap would have gone on during one of these. 45 minutes long...

 

Obviously this trial never made it to live. I wonder just how much it would have been run, given its requirements. And don't forget, we didn't have leagues - that was introduced in issue 20. This may have been why they listed this as limited to supergroups - you'd at least have SG chat to help coordinate.

[Peacemoon]

3 hours ago, Greycat said:

Here's the description:

Levels, 14-19

Physical description, an enormous metropolitan area torn apart by an earthquake. At the southern end stands a giant facility resembling a hydroelectric plant.

 

The trial:

 

The Faultline Trial is initiated by accessing the terminal in the dam at the far end of the zone from the entrance. To be able to participate in this trial, you must be at least Level 14 and you and your teammates must all be in the same Super Group. This trial is designed for twenty five Level 19 heroes or thirty-five Level 18 or fifty Level 17 heroes.

 

The tiral room is vast - and mostly water. Four pylons stand toward the front of the trial, connected by a patheway that zig zags between each. A building stands on a narrow strip of land to one side of the feeder river at the far end of the trial. This building and the four pylons are subject to attacks from villains. Each structure has a set amount of hit points; at 0, they begin to smoke, and are considered "Destroyed."

 

Waves of minions and lieutenants attack the pylons' a boss-level villain lies in wait at the far building. Depending on the size of the Super Group, the attacks will progress from one pylon to another -- until eventually the building is targeted -- or the attacks will occur simultaneously, so that the group has to spread itself thinly in order to defend each location.

 

You must successfully defend 3 of the 5 structures (that is, prevent them from being "destroyed") for 45 minutes.

 

Defeated Heroes appear at the entrance of the trial and can immediately join back in at the fighting, without having to run back from the hospital.

 

The reward for this trial is a medal on your ID card, a large Experience Point bonus, and a special Enhancement that modifies two or more powers/effects and is valid at +/- 5 levels instead of the normal 3.

That is amazing, thank you @Greycat!

 

I love the fact that they reckon you’d need 50 level 17s in order to stand a chance!

 

Also seems like the blank area around the hydroelectric plant was earmarked as the place for the trial to take place. It seems like it would have worked similar to the Terra Volta respec trial, except outdoors and with more objects to defend.

 

Its a shame it never got finished because a trial like that at that level range would have been immensely fun!  As well as a Faultline trial enhancements 😉

[Luminara]

On 5/29/2020 at 2:30 PM, RikOz said:

Speaking of which, those generators baffle me. I've lived my entire life in the land of hydroelectric dams, Washington state, and generators (or, more accurately, the turbines) go inside the dam, not sitting in the middle of the reservoir. The whole point of the dam is to force the water through a smaller space, increasing the speed of the flow to turn the turbines.

 

From an engineering perspective, the outflow shafts, and therefore the turbines, could be situated at any location which provides sufficient force, such as an island in the middle of the reservoir.  You're building a dam anyway, though, so it's least expensive to place both right there, and it provides better long-term maintenance and repair options.

 

But if you've got superhero muscle and people with the intellect to surf alternate realities, real world considerations like physics and budget can be ignored.

[srmalloy]

18 hours ago, Peacemoon said:

I love the fact that they reckon you’d need 50 level 17s in order to stand a chance!

If the mobs in the trial were fixed at level 19, then at 17 you'd be fighting +2s, which is a bigger handicap with DOs than IOs or scaled SOs.

[GlaziusF]

On 5/28/2020 at 2:06 PM, Peacemoon said:

Hmm whats the difference between a trial zone and a hazard zone? Honest question as my memory is a bit sketchy and I can't think of any trial zone examples!

Terra Volta, the Abandoned Sewers, and Eden are all trial zones, in addition to the former Faultline, and the trials for those three are actually in game.

 

The other difference is that the overworld spawns in hazard zones are tuned for 3-6 players, while the overworld spawns in trial zones are tuned for 5-8 players.

 

Let me tell you it was real real fun as a stubborn fire tank in the beforetimes when I didn't have hold or sleep protection to try and fight on-level Lost in Terra Volta because some contact said so.