State of the Project - August 2020

[Ry]

Ooooohhhhhhh BOYYYYY! 😄

[Crater Kate]

11 hours ago, Glacier Peak said:

My observations so far....

[stuff]

Please take this in the good spirit it's meant, but all I could think of was

 

 

Edited August 14, 2020 by Crater Kate

[Grouchybeast]

14 hours ago, Glacier Peak said:

First five are mentioned as a squad:
1.    Red Terror or Colonel Durray as “Pirate”
2.    ??? as “Commander”
3.    ??? as “Mute”
4.    Marauder as “Lovebird 1”
5.    Cleopatra as “Lovebird 2”

 

 Next ones are on isles if yore:
6.    Archon Burkholder from Ernesto Hess TF as “the bane of caldera”
7.    Romulus from Imperious TF as “the humbler of the son of Hera”
8.    Arakhn from Moonfire TF as “the cyst-maker”

 

Next part mentions getting mean, perhaps changing alignment to villain for these:
9.    Darrin Wade as “art thief”
10.    Night Widow Nocturne (thanks @Ironblade) from Jim Temblor's arc as “the widow whose sub is a goner”
11.    Dream Doctor as “the Doctor”
12.    Malaise or Mother Mayhem as “deranged little psychic”
13.    ??? as “Lord of Death 1”
14.    ??? as “Lord of Death 2”
15.    ??? as “met on your trek to the gate”
16.    Clockwork King from Synapse TF as “went to court and toppled the monarchy”
17.    Dr. Vahzilok as “de-tenured Ph.D.”

Last thing I believe implies completing the speed demon challenge at the Ski Chalet. The final part also implies there will be more ‘challenges’ like this, and the reward will also be a badge.

The first count as five, and come as a squad;
A pirate and a commander and a mute, how odd.

Not to mention the swapping of bits
On the lovebirds, who aren't, and always pitch fits.

 

This sounds like possibly the Admiral Sutter TF?  The first two could be the Durays, and the lovebirds could be the genderswapped Jane Temblor and Fusion.  Not sure about the mute -- the other AV in Sutter is Captain Stone.  Jane and Fusion also show up in the Marchand arc, but I had even less success mapping the others onto that.

 

Become bane of the caldera, impose your hegemony
Then seek out and humble the son of Alcmene

 

Aha! We got an edit.   Looks like someone found out that Heracles is not, in fact, the son of Hera :-)

 

Finally you should arrest the cyst-maker
And that is the end of those troublemakers.

 

So, anyway, those now sound even more like Striga.  Heracles is found in the Long Jack mission from Stephanie Peebles.

 

An art thief's on the list, a fight steeped in honor.

 

This sounds like it could be the Last Rites arc from Graham Easton?  Interestingly, that's a branching arc with a moral choice, that awards one of two different badges depending on the choice you make.

And so is a widow whose sub is a goner.

 

Night Widow Nocturne.

 

You wouldn't have met her if not for the Doctor,
Whose book is now finished, a literary shocker.

 

The widow matches up with this being Doc Delilah.  The souvenir for finishing her arc is her book, 'The Real Faultline - by Dr. D. Stein'.

 

Also in your travels, a deranged little psychic,
Searching for the trinket that grants wishes. (Neat trick!)

 

This one sounds like it should be familiar, but I can't pin it down.  The PsychoChronoMetron is a device that grants wishes (but this seems unnecessary, since we've already throughly covered the Faultline arc), but who is the deranged little psychic?  There must be more wish-granting objects in CoH.  Or something in First Ward?  Plenty of psychics there, but wish granting?

 

The Lords of Death both met their fate,

 

The Chernobog brothers in the Lord of Death arc from Eagle Eye?

And another you met on your trek to the gate.

 

There are quite a lot of gates in CoH.  The comma linking this one to the Lords of Death did make me think about the Night Ward arc The Gate that Cannot Open, which features another NPC identified with Death, Lamashtu.  Perhaps a little high level?  NW can be started at 30.

 

You went to court and toppled the monarchy,
After the kerfuffle in Overbrook de-tenured a Ph.D.

 

Those do sound like they could be the Synapse and Positron TFs, but if this is a new accolade, would it really have overlapping missions with another one?

 

Finally, find Freedom at the annual game,
And claim the honor of gold medal fame.

 

Another edit, separating the mention of Freedom from the reward medal.  Don't really have an idea for this one.  Maaaaybe the Summer Blockbuster? But that doesn't have an obvious reason why Freedom would be capitalised, so.  Something to do with the Freedom Phalanx?  No idea, really.

 

One interesting thing is that all this content is pretty low level.  So perhaps this is the first of several badges for doing mission content in different level bands?

 

 

Edited August 14, 2020 by Grouchybeast

[Enchantre]

Already have sonic support and ranged attack so maybe sonic melee or sonic armour???? Would love to see the sonic powers revamped to like the Siren's in the Talons of Vengeance

[Piecemeal]

49 minutes ago, Grouchybeast said:

The first count as five, and come as a squad;
A pirate and a commander and a mute, how odd.

Not to mention the swapping of bits
On the lovebirds, who aren't, and always pitch fits.

 

This sounds like possibly the Admiral Sutter TF?  The first two could be the Durays, and the lovebirds could be the genderswapped Jane Temblor and Fusion.  Not sure about the mute -- the other AV in Sutter is Captain Stone.  Is he though? Jane and Fusion also show up in the Marchand arc, but I had even less success mapping the others onto that.

 

Become bane of the caldera, impose your hegemony
Then seek out and humble the son of Alcmene

 

Aha! We got an edit.   Looks like someone found out that Heracles is not, in fact, the son of Hera 🙂

Listen here, you. 😄 

 

Finally you should arrest the cyst-maker
And that is the end of those troublemakers.

 

So, anyway, those now sound even more like Striga.  Heracles is found in the Long Jack mission from Stephanie Peebles.

 

An art thief's on the list, a fight steeped in honor.

 

This sounds like it could be the Last Rites arc from Graham Easton?  Interestingly, that's a branching arc with a moral choice, that awards one of two different badges depending on the choice you make. 

 

And so is a widow whose sub is a goner.

 

Night Widow Nocturne.

 

You wouldn't have met her if not for the Doctor,
Whose book is now finished, a literary shocker.

 

The widow matches up with this being Doc Delilah.  The souvenir for finishing her arc is her book, 'The Real Faultline - by Dr. D. Stein'.

 

Also in your travels, a deranged little psychic,
Searching for the trinket that grants wishes. (Neat trick!)

 

This one sounds like it should be familiar, but I can't pin it down.  The PsychoChronoMetron is a device that grants wishes (but this seems unnecessary, since we've already throughly covered the Faultline arc), but who is the deranged little psychic?  There must be more wish-granting objects in CoH.  Or something in First Ward?  Plenty of psychics there, but wish granting?

 

The Lords of Death both met their fate,

 

The Chernobog brothers in the Lord of Death arc from Eagle Eye?

And another you met on your trek to the gate.

 

There are quite a lot of gates in CoH.  The comma linking this one to the Lords of Death did make me think about the Night Ward arc The Gate that Cannot Open, which features another NPC identified with Death, Lamashtu. Negative. No link via comma.   Perhaps a little high level?  NW can be started at 30.

 

You went to court and toppled the monarchy,
After the kerfuffle in Overbrook de-tenured a Ph.D.

 

Those do sound like they could be the Synapse and Positron TFs, but if this is a new accolade, would it really have overlapping missions with another one? It isn't an accolade.

 

Finally, find Freedom at the annual game,
And claim the honor of gold medal fame.

 

Another edit, separating the mention of Freedom from the reward medal.  Don't really have an idea for this one.  Maaaaybe the Summer Blockbuster? But that doesn't have an obvious reason why Freedom would be capitalised, so.  Something to do with the Freedom Phalanx?  No idea, really. Those two lines refer to the same thing. And Freedom is a proper noun, you're on the right path.

 

One interesting thing is that all this content is pretty low level. So perhaps this is the first of several badges for doing mission content in different level bands? Bingo.

 

 

 

[borgking001a]

So, when will we be able to start Twitch and live streaming?

[FoulVileTerror]

Other than some unpleasantness in the mid-to-later parts of the thread, @borgking001a; https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/21689-streaming-and-ncsoft-deal has the answer you seek.

Which is:  We have no idea.  The GMs have no idea.  Hell, even the Devs probably have no idea.  We are (very likely) sitting on the capricious whims of some executive(s) sitting in an office halfway across the world from the game servers.

I'd personally assume the answer is "never," so that if it ever changes, there can be a sense of surprise!

[Glacier Peak]

11 hours ago, Piecemeal said:

 

@Grouchybeast We're close! 

 

Updated list after others have chimed in with great info. I bolded the enemies I am confident fit the hint.

 

First five are mentioned as a squad (big kudos to @TraumaTrain for the first three):
1.    Dr. Hyperbaric from Sgt. Schorr story arc in St. Martial as “Pirate”
2.    Rising Vengeance from Sgt. Schorr story arc in St. Martial as “Commander”
3.    Steve "Mute" Mutombo from Sgt. Schorr story arc in St. Martial as “Mute”
4.    Jane Temblor from Admiral Sutter TF as “Lovebird 1”
5.    Fusion from Admiral Sutter TF as “Lovebird 2”

 

Next ones are on isle of yore (Striga Island):
6.    Archon Burkholder from Ernesto Hess TF as “the bane of caldera”
7.    Heracles from Stephanie Peebles story arc as “the humbler of the son of Hera  humble the son of Alcmene”
8.    Arakhn from Moonfire TF as “the cyst-maker”

 

Next part mentions getting mean, perhaps changing alignment to villain for these:
9.      ??? as “art thief”
10.    Night Widow Nocturne (thanks @Ironblade) from either Jim Temblor's or Agent G's story arc as “the widow whose sub is a goner”. Doc Deliah from Faultline as “the Doctor” who introduces you to Agent G, whose final missions you fight Nocturne.
11.    Kurse (thanks @LQT) from Jim Temblor's story arc as “deranged little psychic”
12.    Chernobog Petrovic as “Lord of Death 1” 
13.    Veles Petrovic as “Lord of Death 2”
14.    ??? as “met on your trek to the gate”
15.    Clockwork King from Synapse TF as “went to court and toppled the monarchy”
16.    Dr. Vahzilok as “de-tenured Ph.D.”

 

The final hint: 

Finally, find Freedom at the annual game,
And claim the honor of gold medal fame.

17.    Freedom Phalanx related... hmm maybe defeating a Freedom Phalanx member

 

Edited August 14, 2020 by Glacier Peak

[Rejolt]

14. (Doesn't Cole meet you on your way to the gate from Praetoria. It's essentially level 20+; but you also meet NPCs that discuss blue/red sides).

[Glacier Peak]

2 minutes ago, Rejolt said:

14. (Doesn't Cole meet you on your way to the gate from Praetoria. It's essentially level 20+; but you also meet NPCs that discuss blue/red sides).

I like that idea! Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't he just an NPC in that last part? I don't think he can be attacked/defeated. 

[Grouchybeast]

@Glacier Peak

 

9.      Darrin Wade as “art thief”

 

I still think that Graham Easton's arc is a better fit, here.  The Who Will Die? story where Wade is defeated is quite high level.

 

11.    The mission "To Something Greater - Part Three: Coming Together" has Penelope Yin practicing a "Neat Trick" for the  “deranged little psychic” hint (https://hcwiki.cityofheroes.dev/wiki/Mission:To_Something_Greater_-_Part_Three:_Coming_Together)

 

Infernia is a 40-50 level contact again, though, which seems to be too high.

[Glacier Peak]

Just now, Grouchybeast said:

@Glacier Peak

 

9.      Darrin Wade as “art thief”

 

I still think that Graham Easton's arc is a better fit, here.  The Who Will Die? story where Wade is defeated is quite high level.

 

11.    The mission "To Something Greater - Part Three: Coming Together" has Penelope Yin practicing a "Neat Trick" for the  “deranged little psychic” hint (https://hcwiki.cityofheroes.dev/wiki/Mission:To_Something_Greater_-_Part_Three:_Coming_Together)

 

Infernia is a 40-50 level contact again, though, which seems to be too high.

I actually just ran that arc on one of my characters yesterday, and there wasn't anyone tough to defeat aside from the Tsoo leader at the end. But I agree with you about Darrin Wade being too high - I just can't think of any other art thiefs in the game!

 

And I have to agree with you on the 11. as well. I keep thinking it's Penelope, but nothing seems to match besides the Psychochronometron thing.

[Rejolt]

1 hour ago, Glacier Peak said:

I like that idea! Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't he just an NPC in that last part? I don't think he can be attacked/defeated. 

Yes, chat only. I believe he talks to you regardless of the choices you've made. You can fight a Cole clone at best in the 15+ story arcs.

 

EDIT: Considering what Cole does to Recluse and EV-ERY-ONNNNNNEE!!!!!!! (/endGaryOldman) in that one story mission be glad you don't fight him.

Edited August 14, 2020 by Rejolt

[The-Pendragon]

I am glad things are going well. 

 

I was surprised that NC would drag their feet on this.  There exists an established client list...and even if tge grrr ame is 10 years old plus...it still has a draw.  Also almost all of the legwork has been done...and al needs to be done is to sign off in the license and sit back and collect your royalties.

 

Here's hopinv things continue going well.  I would also love to see some of the "possessed" costume make appearances.  I have repeatedly tried to make a Dark Soultaken...domeone whose possession was permanent.

[Ura Hero]

54 minutes ago, The-Pendragon said:

I am glad things are going well. 

 

I was surprised that NC would drag their feet on this.  There exists an established client list...and even if tge grrr ame is 10 years old plus...it still has a draw.  Also almost all of the legwork has been done...and al needs to be done is to sign off in the license and sit back and collect your royalties.

 

Here's hopinv things continue going well.  I would also love to see some of the "possessed" costume make appearances.  I have repeatedly tried to make a Dark Soultaken...domeone whose possession was permanent.

 

It isn't really that simple.  There is a fair amount of IP that isn't from NCSoft that they may or may not have the right to redistribute/relicense.  Things like this take a fair amount of time and money by lawyers to make sure that no one is getting sued after the fact.  While it would be nice if it were just a sign here, initial there type of deal, well... it isn't, unfortunately.

Edited August 14, 2020 by Ura Hero

[Patti]

There was a video about tetris in the general forum that explained why things take so long.

[GM Tock]

16 hours ago, LQT said:

What about the ability to rhyme the following lyrics:

 

"How could they raise the stones so high, 
Completely without the technology, 
We have today?" 

 

youtube.com/watch?v=mbyzgeee2mg

 

46 miles from Wales, no less.

[TraumaTrain]

"The first count as five, and come as a squad;
A pirate and a commander and a mute, how odd."

 

This whole thing is about Sgt. Schorr's arc. St. Martial.

 

There are five of you, a squad: Schorr himself, Colleague, Second Measure, Network, and you.

 

Mission 1: defeat Dr. Hyperbaric, a piratey fish guy working for Arachnos.

 

Mission 2: defeat Rising Vengeance, a Tsoo commander.

 

Mission 3: defeat Steve "Mute" Mutombo, a Family man.

Edited August 14, 2020 by TraumaTrain

[Malithrax]

If NCsoft officially sanctions Homecoming at some point, what would they have to gain? The very small amount of money they might receive may not be worth the legal hassle.

 

If at any point, NCsoft decided to take legal action and private servers are taken offline, they would be raked over the coals in the gaming press, because people eat up the classic "big corporation vs. the little guy" story. This may or may not hit NCSoft's bottom line.

 

So, looking at these two options, I'd be surprised if NCSoft ever publicly acknowledged CoH private servers. Their smartest play might be to leave it alone and do absolutely nothing, one way or another.

Edited August 14, 2020 by Malithrax

[LQT]

 

16 hours ago, mechahamham said:

On 8/13/2020 at 8:02 PM, Glacier Peak said:

2.    ??? as “Commander”
15.    ??? as “met on your trek to the gate”

 

1 - The Magician (Numina in Mystic Fortune, Dark Watcher in Praetorian Penny's arc)

Praetorian Duray is the Commander of the 2nd IDF.

> Colonel Duray is the military commander in charge of the 2nd Imperial Defense Force Regiment

Pazuzu also goes by "The Magician" before his identity/memory is restored during the Night Ward arcs. Whether it is intended for there to be a similar appearance to Devon/The Dark Watcher isn't clear.

Additionally Pazuzu/The Magician's arc in Night Ward is called "The Gate that Cannot Open".

 

https://hcwiki.cityofheroes.dev/wiki/The_Magician_(Contact)#The_Gate_that_Cannot_Open

 

[LQT]

7 hours ago, Glacier Peak said:

deranged little psychic

This could also refer to Kurse who is a fairly small npc compared to the rest of The Lost he appears with since Piecemeal has highlighted "little" in his above quote.

 

https://hcwiki.cityofheroes.dev/wiki/Kurse

[Murcielago]

On 8/12/2020 at 7:02 PM, TraumaTrain said:

LoL to the Regen updates!

I got defensive when I read that and then realized it was a well placed trololol. 

[Skyhawke]

Very cool looking stuff.  I didn't see it asked before (but I'm super near sighted so...), but will the youtube channel be possibly used to showcase upcoming Pages and Issues?  That, would be awesome. As always, thanks for all the hard work to everyone involved!

[aethereal]

Deranged little psychic could also refer to Praetorian Penny Yin/Mayhem, right?

[Glacier Peak]

1 hour ago, TraumaTrain said:

"The first count as five, and come as a squad;
A pirate and a commander and a mute, how odd."

 

This whole thing is about Sgt. Schorr's arc. St. Martial.

 

There are five of you, a squad: Schorr himself, Colleague, Second Measure, Network, and you.

 

Mission 1: defeat Dr. Hyperbaric, a piratey fish guy working for Arachnos.

 

Mission 2: defeat Rising Vengeance, a Tsoo commander.

 

Mission 3: defeat Steve "Mute" Mutombo, a Family man.

I think the first three match really well - but who are the love birds? They come as a squad?