Licensed characters...again?

[Techwright]

Am I missing something?  What's with the sudden (apparently) uptick of licensed character duplicates tonight?  I've seen Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cheetah, Hawkman (and I think I spotted Hawkgirl in a crowd), Sue Storm, and others.  I wondered at first if there was a supergroup involved, but no SG listed on those that I checked.

 

None of them except one had a clear knockoff of the character's name, Most had partial references or clever references.  I'm all for homage characters, but last I checked, duplicating a costume and powers took it from homage to violation status.  I will say one of those had different powers, but an obvious name/costume.

 

I'm used to seeing one or two occasionally, but the unusual volume of them had me puzzled.

[Sanguinesun]

I talked to someone yesterday on Excelsior that said that they'd watched some vids from youtube that were showing up in some feed of theirs or something.  The uptick may be due to something like that.  Also, its summer so can just be the seasonal influx with people doing that and eventually learning the hardway not to.

[kelika2]

4 hours ago, Sanguinesun said:

I talked to someone yesterday on Excelsior that said that they'd watched some vids from youtube that were showing up in some feed of theirs or something.  The uptick may be due to something like that.  Also, its summer so can just be the seasonal influx with people doing that and eventually learning the hardway not to.

I second banning streamers

[Sanguinesun]

2 minutes ago, kelika2 said:

I second banning streamers

 

 

Are you ok?  I hope you're not serious with that. I didnt make any mention of banning streamers.  Streamers have been some of the best ways in recent years that we've had exposure and new blood into the community.

 

That's a good thing.  With any influx of new people to the game, there will of course be bad behavior or just simply people semi ignorant of the why's and what-not's regarding such things as the copyrighted toons etc.   Influxes of players even when the game was live too had that happen.

 

Overall having new folks means more people who can potentially be passionate about the game, help grow the community/maintain the community, and more.

 

But blanketedly saying streamers should be banned reminds me of some gated community's HOA's members getting seeds under their dentures about someone having a welcome mat at someone's front door saying welcome on it or such.

 

Such nonsense borders on elitism (an issue that rears its ugly head now and then on HC unfortunately but thankfully is usually kept in check).

 

Also with people who make copyrighted toons, they get generic'd and not banned unless I assume they're just doing so intentionally for griefing purposes.  Most of the time, its just people being excited to play.  Typically we want to help that enthusiasm, not wack it with our gran pappy canes and break em.

 

All in all, alienating streamers and people excited about the game is just silly. Making them aware of policies and enforcement in a kinder way I would think is a more apt way of going about it. 😛

 

Thus, best perhaps to table that motion there. 😛

 

 

[kelika2]

Steamer population boosts never last because when the streamer moves on due to another game for entertainment verity or other reasons the players leave as well.  most of them anyways.  And the actual regulars just get hurt.

[Sanguinesun]

42 minutes ago, kelika2 said:

Steamer population boosts never last because when the streamer moves on due to another game for entertainment verity or other reasons the players leave as well.  most of them anyways.  And the actual regulars just get hurt.

 

You're moving the goal post there a bit.

 

Of course people get curious from streams, check it out and may not stay. But some do.   That's pretty much how it'd run even when the game was live and a news article, sale or other form of getting the info out there to the public occurred.

 

Not all streamers necessarily "move on either". Streamers also keep their videos up in some cases meaning an influx of players can come at any time per watch such videos.   People have to come play in order to be have even the chance of being a "regular". Way you seem to express things, you'd not even allow the opportunity. Sounds like that gated community analogy wasn't far off, perhaps.  

 

And lastly claiming new people be they short lived in playing or otherwise hurts the community is absurd and sorry sounds very much more like elitism being voiced there.   

 

All in all, you're being a bit silly.

[Techwright]

14 hours ago, Sanguinesun said:

 

Also with people who make copyrighted toons, they get generic'd and not banned unless I assume they're just doing so intentionally for griefing purposes.  Most of the time, its just people being excited to play.  Typically we want to help that enthusiasm, not wack it with our gran pappy canes and break em.

 

All in all, alienating streamers and people excited about the game is just silly. Making them aware of policies and enforcement in a kinder way I would think is a more apt way of going about it. 😛

 

 

 

 

 

I hope I didn't imply banning them.  That was not my intention when I said "violation status".  I agree that making them aware of policies is the way to go.  I've mentioned it before on the forums, but back in 2005 I created a flat out duplicate of a favorite hero completely disconnected mentally from how that violated the rules.  Someone was kind enough to point out the situation and I'm very grateful they didn't handle it otherwise.  I drastically altered the character immediately.   That's really all I'm asking here.  I'd actually like to see creative homages that don't cross the line.  I like creative.  It's why I hang out in the "post your costume" section.

[Andreah]

Most of the CoH streamers I am aware of are dedicated long-term CoH players. 

 

On the original topic, just report names you feel are inappropriate and the GM staff will review and take care of them if needed.

[kelika2]

7 minutes ago, Andreah said:

In the original topic, just report names you feel are inappropriate and the GM staff will review and take care of them if needed.

This is the best solution, its really cringy/weird watching regular players go vigilante spouting repeated half truths constantly.

im so tired of hearing "im ok with homage, but" and all its variants

[Snarky]

screw homage you unoriginal miscreants! and get off my lawn!

Edited July 28, 2023 by Snarky

[Player2]

16 hours ago, kelika2 said:

This is the best solution, its really cringy/weird watching regular players go vigilante spouting repeated half truths constantly.

im so tired of hearing "im ok with homage, but" and all its variants

 

16 hours ago, Snarky said:

screw homage you unoriginal miscreants! and get off my lawn!

 

 

There is a big difference between ripoff and homage.

A ripoff is a pretty obvious copy of the original.

 

An homage should remind you of the original but still be its own original thing.

 Here's my homage to Supergirl:                                                                Good Girl, an Energy/Invulnerability Brute

  

 

[Etched]

I'm a base lovin player. If you didn't know before, you know now. I was asked to do a SG and base for another player so i did a quick search in the list of SGs (to make sure the name ws not in use already)... One of the first that popped up was "The Avengers". Now that surprised the livin piss out of me. 

 

@Etched

[Captain Fabulous]

I have quite a few homage characters. And I agree it's something of a fine line between a ripoff and an homage. I like to think mine are "inspired by". 😂 In my head canon nearly all of them are characters that would be part of the copyrighted character's "family" and not a copy of that character themselves, with their backstories constructed to fit the world of CoH. Then I have some that are straight up parody. And I can't forget the 4 SGs that are dedicated to anthropomorphized animal homage characters.

Honestly I don't mind homage characters unless they are really an obvious straight up copy, both in look and name.
 

17 hours ago, Snarky said:

screw homage you unoriginal miscreants! and get off my lawn!

Knockoff of a knockoff of a knockoff??? That might be a new record. 🤔

Edited July 29, 2023 by Captain Fabulous

[Snarky]

I am not sure if this is relevant, but it is what it brings to mind.

 

People cannot get too close to a Disney character.  Not necessarily due to copyright, but because it confuses the young guests. 

 

So fans "Disney Bound"

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Snarky

[Oubliette_Red]

34 minutes ago, Captain Fabulous said:

I have quite a few homage characters. And I agree it's something of a fine line between a ripoff and an homage. I like to think mine are "inspired by". 😂 In my head canon nearly all of them are characters that would be part of the copyrighted character's "family" and not a copy of that character themselves, with their backstories constructed to fit the world of CoH. Then I have some that are straight up parody. And I can't forget the 4 SGs that are dedicated to anthropomorphized animal homage characters.

Honestly I don't mind homage characters unless they are really an obvious straight up copy, both in look and name.
 

Knockoff of a knockoff of a knockoff??? That might be a new record. 🤔

 

I've had a couple of homage characters back on Legacy, such as a Grammaton Cleric when Dual Pistols came out and Sorro the Spay Blade, a veterinarian on Virtue.

 

As for the subject at hand, report and move on. Perhaps file a rating note on said character with a description as to why you flagged them.

 

[Seed22]

On 7/28/2023 at 2:42 AM, kelika2 said:

Steamer population boosts never last because when the streamer moves on due to another game for entertainment verity or other reasons the players leave as well.  most of them anyways.  And the actual regulars just get hurt.

I've never seen a streamer with a decent viewerbase playing CoH so I don't know how their following effects CoH pop numbers. Probably a few will stick it out though, at least for a month or two.