The .38 Specials

[Grindingsucks]

The creation of this topic was triggered by the discussion engendered by @RogueWolf here: Is there any way to make teams less boring?

 

I've been playing on Homecoming for well over a year now.  I love the game.  I love the creativity available to players in customizing characters and power sets.  I love the rich setting and play environment and the ability to create your own bases.  I love that there is a custom mission creator, and I  love Everlasting server, in particular, because there are so many wonderful and creative players available to enjoy roleplaying super-powered beings as much as I do.

 

However, I have this problem.  I cannot find a SG where I properly fit, based upon my particular playstyle.  I've joined a great many SG's (both heroic, villainous, and various shades of grey) and eventually dropped out of all of them.  For the most part, this is no fault of the founders or members of said groups, who are nearly all wonderful, accommodating, human beings with the same creativity and passion for RP that I have.

 

My particular sticking point is twofold- group combat and the sidekick/exemplar system intended to  enable it with characters of disparate levels.  Specifically, I have the following issues:

 

The sweet spot for play for me is around the early to mid thirties.  By this time I have an interesting selection of powers, a decent number of enhancement slots and, overall, a character that is highly capable in the tradition of many heroes and villains in the comic books.  I would prefer to play this level of character in both solo and team-based play.  In reality, because I greatly desire team-based roleplay, I most often level my characters to 50 or higher. 

 

If I find lower level play more satisfying, why is this?  Why not simply stop levelling in the mid-thirties and be done with it.  The best way to explain this is to describe my experience in playing such a character in SG or PUG teams.  It goes something like this...

 

Firstly, all the SG's I've joined have a great many members of lvl 50 or higher (most of which also are incarnates).  PUG's often have a large percentage of these, as well, and frequently have the highest level member carry the star for maximum exp/inf gain.  So, with my mid-thirty guy in such a group, here is my play experience:

 

1) Notoriety is tuned to the difficulty of the 50+ characters.  I am cannot hit anything and cannot survive more than one or two hits- frequently dying and being revived during the mission.  Not enjoyable.

 

2) Notoriety is tuned to where I am now able to survive without dying repeatedly, but I'm still whiffing with most every attack due to level differences, and cannot apply my powers in a way that makes me feel like I am actively participating in a meaningful way during combat.  Not enjoyable.

 

3) Notoriety is tuned to where I can both survive and effectively apply my powers to the enemy, at least some small portion of the time.  This is fine.  Unfortunately, the difficulty has now been reduced sufficiently that the 50+ are like conquering gods who blast all the mobs off the map in a nano-second.  I may get lucky and take out a mob or two, that the others have brought within an inch of death, but that's about it.  Again, not enjoyable.

 

If I make a fully-kitted lvl 50, I can now join with the others in a frenzied mob holocaust by running around like an antelope on crack and repeatedly hammering my power buttons.  Still relatively boring, and not what I had in mind, but the most enjoyable option, so far, that is available to me.  I may even enjoy a bit of rp banter, here and there, though there is precious little of that because I mostly don't have time to pause and RP, because there is no pause between engagement of groups of mobs to allow for it- only a hectic dash from one group, to another, to get as many kills in, in as little time as possible.  Better than a stick in the eye, as my old pop used to say, but not really what I had in mind.

 

I believe, for those of us that have similar experiences and desire something different, that we can make team combat a very different exercise indeed, with a little forethought, planning, and effort.  I therefore propose the following:

 

We of like mind could create a Roleplay Supergroup focused on level 35 play (revised to lvl 38 play after group feedback)  As a place-holder, I'm presently calling this group The Thirty-Fivers  (renamed to The .38 Specials.  Thanks @twozerofoxtrot!)  The actual name, concept/theme, and alignment (hero/villain/vigilante/rogue) of the group would be decided in group discussion, perhaps aided by voting in a series of polls, or some such.

 

But why level 38 characters, specifically?  Here is my reasoning:

 

1) Characters of this level are strong, but not overpowered, having an  interesting selection of powers and a reasonable number of slots to enhance them.  This allows for interesting characters with lots of variation, the feeling of being a capable hero, but still being able to tweak content difficulty to challenge characters with this capability.

 

2) By level 38, you have access to over half of available TF/SF's in the game and a large chunk of story arcs, allowing for the team to engage with a great portion of this games considerable content.

 

3) If the team is comprised of lvl 38 characters, and lvl 38 is the self-imposed cap, team members should usually be relatively balanced and equally capable (or near enough to make team play meaningful and enjoyable to all AT's).  If all group members are lvl 38 and levelling is capped there, we can focus almost exclusively on RP and dynamic group interaction and story-based combat.  In other words, members will not be off grinding/farming to get to the next level or pay for that expensive IO set. 

 

And with regard to that last bit, I also propose the following:

 

We limit enhancement slotting to SO's and Globals and Procs (for a bit of variety and personalization), but do not allow full IO sets, due to issues of expense and power creep.  We might also limit Procs to only a single proc of each kind, a maximum number of procs, or so forth (again, to curb expense and power creep).  What I'm looking for, is allowing wide latitude for character customization but staying focused on RP/Story and minimizing (as much as possible) the amount of farming and grind.

 

All of the above suggestions are just that- suggestions based on my personal preferences.  Obviously, there would have to be a certain amount of push/pull and compromise and I look forward to discussions of that kind.  I do hope any interested players will reply here with their own ideas and opinions.

 

Finally, I would ask that players that are NOT interested in this sort of play/group not post in this topic, so that the topic isn't derailed with unhelpful negativity.  I still fear it will be hard enough to find players interested in this idea, and I don't want to make it any more of an uphill battle than it needs to be.

 

Thanks for your interest.

 

 

Edited April 10, 2021 by Grindingsucks

[Darmian]

Well, I don't play on Everlasting, but I I wish you well!

 

EDIT:  And I managed to NOT see your final comment, mea culpa!

Edited March 25, 2021 by Darmian

[TemporalVileTerror]

If I may, what about a cap of level 38 instead?  That way even the Secondary Tier 9 can be accessed, and only up-to two Epic Pool Powers, at most.

[Grindingsucks]

@Darmian  No problem.  I can see it was a genuine oversight.  😉👍

 

@TemporalVileTerror  I'm not strictly wedded to lvl 35.  38 sounds fine, too.  We just want to make sure we don't keep budging until we're right back at lvl 50+.  The idea is to choose a specific, mid-range lvl cap to keep play in the sweet spot for what we have in mind.  Also, if you (or anyone else) has different ideas and suggestions, feel free to throw them out there for consideration. 

 

This is meant to be a sort of group-brainstorming project for people with similar play preferences, but we're all going to have slightly different ideas about what we want out of a group.  This topic is meant to be a collective discussion point so that we can try to create a play environment as favorable as possible to everyone.  Realistically, no one will get exactly what they want.  The goal is to make the best team and RP oriented SG we can concieve.

 

NOTE:  I do have guests tonight and we're having an evening of board games, so I might not comment on replies right away, but be sure that I'm keeping an eye on the topic! 

[twozerofoxtrot]

50 minutes ago, TemporalVileTerror said:

If I may, what about a cap of level 38 instead?

 

And lo, the Super Strength Tankers did cry out and rejoice

For one had stood and spoken for them.

Then the world did shake in response to their celebrations

As they timed their Foot Stomps in unison.

[twozerofoxtrot]

New post that isn't a jest:

 

Sounds like a hoot. My time zone is squirrelly so I may not be able to participate in a group as much, but you can chalk me up as interested.

 

Also, if the level cap is 38, may I suggest a theme-appropriate name of "The Specials?" As in a ".38 Special" but also because the SG is addressing a niche and is "special" in that regard. All 4th-wall breaking stuff that doesn't have to be directly addressed in character. Plus the name is generic and hero-y enough that it just works as a name.

 

If it isn't already taken, that is.

[cranebump]

I would be interested. I can easily port my issue 0 toon over. He should be near 35 right now. And I would certainly play another toon or two. Interesting. Last 3 arcs I have been scripting are 30-35.:-)

[cranebump]

So, would we create charter characters, or port existing ones? 

[TemporalVileTerror]

Looking in to @twozerofoxtrot's ".38 Special" revealed to me the:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.38_Super

Might have something there.

[Grindingsucks]

The 38 Specials / 38 Supers?  I see what you did there!   😁 

 

I'm cool with either one.  It would be a fun little in-joke referencing the level cap and they both have a  nice ring to them.  For some reason those names suggest Vigilantes to me.  What do you guys think?  

 

As far as bringing in pre-existing characters to the group, as long as they conform to whatever build limitations we decide upon, I don't see why not, if that's your preference.  New characters are fine too, of course.

 

I'll add more later, but I have to toddle off to bed soon.  I've got to get up at 3:30 am tomorrow to take my kid to the airport.  Feel free to continue to discuss in the meanwhile, if you like. 

 

I'm happy to see a few interested people already!  Hopefully we'll get more bites in the days to come.  👍

[cranebump]

.38 Specials. Nice.:-)

[AboveTheChemist]

I think this is a fantastic idea. I play casually and enjoy taking in the content along the way and being challenged as part of a team, rather than steamrolling/stealthing in pursuit of maximum XP or merits. The proposed playstyle/restrictions listed in the OP appeal to me in every way, except for the roleplaying aspect. Roleplaying just isn't my thing. If that is a deal breaker that precludes my ability to participate, then no worries and I wish you all lots of fun and good times. However, if there is a little room for players like me (perhaps an RP-free night once a week or something) then I would love to give this a shot.

[TemporalVileTerror]

Roleplay as a non-sapient robot who's just programmed to fight targets designated by the team, while an audio unit dispenses pre-recorded quips from online gamers as a rudimentary form of tactical communication.

[Grindingsucks]

7 hours ago, AboveTheChemist said:

I think this is a fantastic idea. I play casually and enjoy taking in the content along the way and being challenged as part of a team, rather than steamrolling/stealthing in pursuit of maximum XP or merits. The proposed playstyle/restrictions listed in the OP appeal to me in every way, except for the roleplaying aspect. Roleplaying just isn't my thing. If that is a deal breaker that precludes my ability to participate, then no worries and I wish you all lots of fun and good times. However, if there is a little room for players like me (perhaps an RP-free night once a week or something) then I would love to give this a shot.

 

I find that those who enjoy roleplaying and those who do not, typically make for a poor mix.  Casual/action players will become bored or uncomfortable during the lulls in combat, where RP and IC stuff is taking place, and RP'ers may become distracted or annoyed by the action players OOC chatter or lack of IC engagement.

 

Instead of trying to shoehorn yourself into an RP group as a non-RP player, why not just take the basic kernel of the idea (self-imposed level and build restrictions, structured tactical approach, etc.) and start your own, casual/non-rp SG?

 

Now, having said that, it might be possible to RP an introverted, silent character akin to Black Noir, from the Prime series, The Boys.  Or, as TemporalVileTerror suggests, a robot programmed with a few canned bits of dialogue put into macros, where you just come along and act as extra firepower for the team (the conceit could be that one of the members of the group built and programmed you for that purpose, or some such).

 

I'm not opposed to you trying this, though, as I mentioned, I think it likely you'd grow bored in the long run, given that there will be a lot of RP and that isn't really your thing and I would want to be sure that you didn't disrupt any RP in progress, with OOC chatter (not that RP'ers never engage in any OOC banter.  We just try to keep it separate and to a minimum, so as not to become to intrusive and/or immersion breaking). 

[Troo]

On 3/25/2021 at 12:50 PM, Grindingsucks said:

The sweet spot for play for me is around the early to mid thirties.  By this time I have an interesting selection of powers, a decent number of enhancement slots and, overall, a character that is highly capable in the tradition of many heroes and villains in the comic books.  I would prefer to play this level of character in both solo and team-based play.  In reality, because I greatly desire team-based roleplay, I most often level my characters to 50 or higher. 

 

You may be onto something.

 

There was a point, if I remember correctly, where villains only went to level 40. That may have been the peak of the game for many.

[Coyotedancer]

Hmm.... I'm mostly a casual-type roleplayer these days, but I do love me a good RP mission team and my support characters traditionally live their lives running with groups in the level range you're looking at. Color me potentially interested in a support role.

 

(I wouldn't hop in with any of my existing gang, mind, as much as I love running them in that range... They're all fully-attuned IO-built, "finished" 50+ Incarnates who just run exemplar at lower level, so NA under the terms you've set out. But making someone new just to run with the 38 Specials? That I would do.) 

[TemporalVileTerror]

The original release level caps were 40 for both Heroes and Villains.  For Heroes it was raised to 50 with Issue 1, and for Villains with Issue 7, if I'm recalling correctly.

[Grindingsucks]

Well, we've got four or five interested players here (including me).  It might be time to lay out suggestions for the specific build parameters and such.  I would like to have at least dozen founding members (just so we have high odds of having at least one other player to team up with when any of us are logged on), but it'll do for a start.  The topic has only been up for 2 days now.  I reckon we'll get more interest in days to come.  😉

 

So for build rules, I suggest the following.  Feel free to comment on them and suggest changes and/or alternatives as seems good to you:

 

1) Members are level 38.  Experience is turned off at lvl 38 to prevent rising above that level.  If members want to join at a lower level, that's okay with me too, although having everyone at the same level makes it vastly easier to design AE arcs, choose taskforces and have balanced play.

 

2) Go to Pocket-D, set your alignment to Vigilante.  If we go with the Team name of The 38 Specials, as suggested by twozerofoxtrot (and hey- I think it sounds pretty cool!  None-the-less, I'm also open to other ideas for names, if anyone wants to toss their hat into the ring) I think a group of Vigilantes just feels on theme.  Also, it allows us to venture over to red side to RP vigilante actions in the heart of bad-guy central.  😁

 

3) Enhancements are limited to SO's, but you can also slot individual Proc's and Globals from enhancement sets.  No more than one proc or global of each type may be slotted (including universals).  This is to prevent insane DPS turnover via 5 LoTG + Haste and other such hijinks.  We want good, strong characters, but not overpowering ones.  The goal is to feel "Super" but not invulnerable.  I want to be challenged, I want to have to work closely with and rely upon my teammates,  and I want AT roles to matter!

 

4) I think most P2W powers are fine.  For mid level characters, things like stun grenades, back up radios, throwing knives and the like can be a lot of fun.  Several of the movement modes (ninja run, beast run, so on) are flavorful and look extremely cool w/regard to their animations.  Feel free to make notable objections if anything OP'ed comes to mind.

 

Anyways... I reckon that is a good place to start.  What do you guys think?

[Coyotedancer]

57 minutes ago, Coyotedancer said:

 

 

Sounds like a plan to me...

 

'Just finished building a new Time/Fire Defender for the gang... Tamenaten. One of my "bird-things". (The rest of them are over on Ex, so she's a flock of one here on Ev. 😝 ) I'll get her to 38 some time in the next few days. 

 

Edited March 27, 2021 by Coyotedancer

[TemporalVileTerror]

If only there were a Grenade Control or Pistolero Assault Set.  I would bring one of those in to a ".38 Special" Group SO FAST your revolvers would spin.

 

As it stands, I'm thinking Pistol / Fiery Sentinel maybe.

[Grindingsucks]

2 hours ago, TemporalVileTerror said:

If only there were a Grenade Control or Pistolero Assault Set.  I would bring one of those in to a ".38 Special" Group SO FAST your revolvers would spin.

 

As it stands, I'm thinking Pistol / Fiery Sentinel maybe.

Yeah, we've got to have a least one pistol expert in the group.  It's basically mandatory.  😁👍

[twozerofoxtrot]

I was going to bring an AR/Traps Corr,

 

Alternates (IE- Alts that I haven't shown love past creation) up for consideration:

 

Fire/Time Blaster (Praetorian Alt of a current character)

EM/SD Scrapper (A young man displaced from his timeline)

KM/Inv Stalker (Basic Robot Girl trope)

 

Not wedded to anything at this point, but I'll probably level the Blaster to 50 one day if I don't sign her up with the Specials. Since there are already a few ideas out for ranged/support characters, I wanted to share options in case one is a better fit than the others (though again, I have time zone issues, +9 GMT, that might not make it matter as much).

[_Kai_]

Wait...lemme find it....

Petless MM time, right?!

It was a terrible idea then, it'd be an even more terrible idea now, hah, but seriously, it sounds cool but I play late PST and don't know as anyone would ever be around?

 

[twozerofoxtrot]

Maybe a terrible idea, but at least those dual wield animations looks better than the ones from DP.

[TemporalVileTerror]

Well.  I ended up making that Sentinel.  

                                Hottest Shot

       Hunter Sullivan grew up feeling trapped and seeking change.  Honestly, it's the sort of story you hear too often, but Hunter owns up to it.  He doesn't like talking about his past, but he also won't hide from it.  So, he'll admit that in his search for a personally meaningful means to transition, he fell in with bad people and accepted the help of some unscrupulous sorts.
       These people offered him a rejected super-soldier serum, deemed too volatile for use and demonstrating some serious side effects.  But those side effects were exactly what he was looking for!  The metamorphosis was painful, but Hunter couldn't argue with the results.  He was finally the man he wanted to be, inside and out.
       For a while he ran with the villains who changed his life, but their misdeeds and evil became too much to bear.  Now Hunter is looking to change his life again:  He wants to become a hero.
       Or at least a crime-fighter.

 

Level 15 already, but I forgot to switch him to Vigilante.  I should go do that.