Updating Arakhn And Requiem

[Rudra]

This is a suggestion that will probably garner a lot of hate. However, what if Arakhn and Requiem were finally updated to give them their tri-form? The Awakened PPD have theirs, so isn't it time Arakhn and Requiem get theirs? I'm not asking for them get full Changeling, but maybe it's time for them to finally get their forms.

[SeraphimKensai]

As someone that has soloed the Moonfire TF with a Warshade. I'm all for Arakhn getting forms to swap into, just so that she's not always in human form running an OP Inky Aspect. That stun is for real when you have no inherent mez protection and can only bring 20 breakfrees and base buffs.

[Super Atom]

Nazi lobsters from SPACE

[Lazarillo]

So in theory, I'm not against this idea of Arakhn and Requiem exploiting the Nictus' "racial memory" to shift forms.

But I absolutely don't want them to turn into just generic Nova and Dwarf forms.  Archvillains should stand out, not look like generic mobs.  And from what I recall of Kheldian lore, there are lots of other forms that have been "memorized" from other planets and phases of the war.  With that in mind, why not kill two nazis with one stone, by having Arakhn turn into some sort of Cthulhoid thing, or Requiem turn into a giant dog, Shadowhunter-style, or something, might be a more fun way to do it?  It would both expand the idea of known Kheldian races, as well as keep them distinct from the generic Nictus you see all around the ITF, for example.

[El D]

It makes sense with the lore and expands on the Nictus updates that Requiem and Arakhn have already gotten in fun ways. Sounds good to me! Always in-favor of updating older AVs like that.

 

1 minute ago, Lazarillo said:

So in theory, I'm not against this idea of Arakhn and Requiem exploiting the Nictus' "racial memory" to shift forms.

But I absolutely don't want them to turn into just generic Nova and Dwarf forms.  Archvillains should stand out, not look like generic mobs.  And from what I recall of Kheldian lore, there are lots of other forms that have been "memorized" from other planets and phases of the war.  With that in mind, why not kill two nazis with one stone, by having Arakhn turn into some sort of Cthulhoid thing, or Requiem turn into a giant dog, Shadowhunter-style, or something, might be a more fun way to do it?  It would both expand the idea of known Kheldian races, as well as keep them distinct from the generic Nictus you see all around the ITF, for example.

 

Okay, a Nictus-ified giant wolf for Requiem would be cool. Heck, at that point give Arakhn a warped bat/vampire-alien form and make them mesh with the whole Warwolf/Vampyri transformations. Bring the whole transformation aspect of the villain groups full circle.

[megaericzero]

Dunno that I'd want this change applied to their current fights - we've seen the backlash updating enemies in existing content can have and it's not like those fights have a reputation of underperforming - but overall the suggestion sounds good.

 

Could even be used to refresh their powerscaling by having them transform during a newer, harder encounter with a much-expected "I was always holding back!"

[Rudra]

1 minute ago, megaericzero said:

Dunno that I'd want this change applied to their current fights - we've seen the backlash updating enemies in existing content can have and it's not like those fights have a reputation of underperforming - but overall the suggestion sounds good.

 

Could even be used to refresh their powerscaling by having them transform during a newer, harder encounter with a much-expected "I was always holding back!"

True, the updates to the Council has several individuals seeing red, but that is why I said the proposal would garner a lot of hate. However, I'm open to new arcs/missions being made that pits players against them going all out. Or maybe update the Requiem in the fight where you fight Requiem and Reischman.

[biostem]

I agree with Arakhn, but IMHO, Requiem seems to be something different than a normal/regular Nictus, (though that may just be my own headcanon)...

[biostem]

6 hours ago, Chris24601 said:

God forbid someone want to look at the actual costume they created instead of lobster/squid ass while they’re tanking/blasting with their four form powers.

Either do not take those 2 powers or don't play an AT with such strong lore connections... or continue to throw a tantrum...

[Lazarillo]

20 minutes ago, biostem said:

I agree with Arakhn, but IMHO, Requiem seems to be something different than a normal/regular Nictus, (though that may just be my own headcanon)...

Requiem's not a Nictus in the sense that his personality is still 100% Ridolfo Uzzano, rather than being overrode in part or entirely by the Dirge of Entropy, and he doesn't particularly care about the Nictus race except using them as a power source for the sake of carrying out his own nihilistic desires.  To that end, I can kinda get where you're coming from...I'd initially thought similarly when writing up my previous post...but then figured that he's also still the kind of guy who would fully exploit any advantage the Nictus gave him, including changing his form, doubly so when you consider that he's kinda a pretentious edgelord who thinks having a nazi army of Hammer Horror knockoffs is the coolest thing ever.  If there were ever a "City of..." villain who unironically tossed out the line "This isn't even my final form!", it'd be Req.

Edited August 14 by Lazarillo

[Rudra]

10 minutes ago, biostem said:

I agree with Arakhn, but IMHO, Requiem seems to be something different than a normal/regular Nictus, (though that may just be my own headcanon)...

I think Requiem is an older host than Arakhn, but I'm not sure on that point. Aside from when they each became a host though? The only differences between them are what unique powers the devs gave them and what their goals are for the Primal Earth Nictus.

[biostem]

1 minute ago, Rudra said:

I think Requiem is an older host than Arakhn, but I'm not sure on that point. Aside from when they each became a host though? The only differences between them are what unique powers the devs gave them and what their goals are for the Primal Earth Nictus.

I was kind of thinking it'd be a combination of ego, (Requiem not wanting to assume some "lesser form", at least in his twisted mind), and him twisting and manipulating the Nictus powers into something "befitting his station"...   

[Lazarillo]

1 minute ago, Rudra said:

I think Requiem is an older host than Arakhn, but I'm not sure on that point. Aside from when they each became a host though? The only differences between them are what unique powers the devs gave them and what their goals are for the Primal Earth Nictus.

From what I recall of lore drops, Arakhn came first.  She actually met The Center in the late 19th century, while Uzzano kinda fell into a big pit of Nictus during WWI and became Requiem shortly thereafter as a result.  I'd suspect that since Arakhn is loyal to the Nictus, and Uzzano was one of The Center's unwilling servants, he probably found out about the "Path of the Dark" from her in the first place.

[Greycat]

7 minutes ago, Rudra said:

I think Requiem is an older host than Arakhn, but I'm not sure on that point. Aside from when they each became a host though? The only differences between them are what unique powers the devs gave them and what their goals are for the Primal Earth Nictus.

 

Arakhn's older, as I'm recalling. Seem to recall she recruited Ridolfo. She's in charge of the Void Hunter mercenaries as well as the Nictus on Earth, and the Quantum weapon tech is referred to as hers.

 

Requiem would be around 100- possibly older, as he was specifically mentioned as being one of "Mussolini's lapdogs" - so if he were younger then (let's say 20,) and was *right there* when the Italian Partito Nazionale Fascista took power (1922) ... yeah, that would end up around 120 years old as of now. But we don't know exactly when he was born.

 

They are, at a minimum, near the same age, as Ridolfo (Requiem) wrote to her:

 

"Even before you joined Arachnos, I saw how you and he would court over wine at your villa. In my old life as Ridolfo Uzzano, as a flunky to Il Duce, I watched the two of you."

 

The Center mentions his attempts at recruiting Arakhn first, in 1926 and also mentions the "many long talks sipping wine into the night." Whether she was a Nictus then is unclear, but he also mentions she hasn't aged a day, which does kind of imply it. He mentions Requiem coming along later (and giving him the 5th column to lead in hopes he'd ... well, grow up and stop bickering with her, basically. That's formed in 1938.) He obviously knows they're both Nictus.

 

So. Timeline wise, the Center (initially a "mid level Italian diplomat") exists at some point, recruits Arakhn in/around 1926, and Requiem later. (Now how old the Center is... he's growing old, so non-Nictus, and it's a question of when you'd consider someone an "Italian" versus ... Roman or Venetian... 1802 with Napoleon's italian republic/kingdom, or maybe 1861 for the Kingdom of Italy - I'd lean towards late 1800s, given there's a 20th century bust of him the Council tries to destroy.)

 

(The Council is listed as just stretching back "more than six decades" - WWII era, given the game's start in 2004.)

 

Regardless they're all pushing at least over a century at *minimum.* Of the three, Arakhn has the most wiggle room to be older, as we don't know when she became a Nictus.

 

(Also Nosferatu mentions seeing Requiem as a/their leader, not Arakhn, and being bothered seeing the hold Arakhn has over him. He thinks Requiem's infatuated with her.)

[srmalloy]

1 hour ago, Lazarillo said:

If there were ever a "City of..." villain who unironically tossed out the line "This isn't even my final form!", it'd be Req.

Would we have to sit through a thirty-minute animation sequence for his powerup, though?

[GM_GooglyMoogly]

Is it possible to discuss Kheldians without getting into personal arguments?  It is seemingly unlikely.

 

(If you just got here, you don't see the arguing because I hid it)

Edited August 14 by GM_GooglyMoogly

[PeregrineFalcon]

1 hour ago, GM_GooglyMoogly said:

Is it possible to discuss Kheldians without getting into personal arguments?  It is seemingly unlikely.

[Glacier Peak]

Requiem should have his pink squid form from the comics. 

[Jiro Ito]

3 hours ago, Greycat said:

 

 

 

(The Council is listed as just stretching back "more than six decades" - WWII era, given the game's start in 2004.)

 

What year is it in City of Heroes?  The first Rikti invasion was 2002.  Has it been 5 years?  20 years?  

[Lazarillo]

38 minutes ago, Jiro Ito said:

What year is it in City of Heroes?  The first Rikti invasion was 2002.  Has it been 5 years?  20 years?  

We're officially running on comic book time at this point, I think.

[golstat2003]

Oh god, don't ask questions about the timeline in a comic book setting. Your head will explode.

 

I'd be fine with updates to their models, but not to their level of power.

[Videra]

On 8/14/2024 at 5:53 PM, GM_GooglyMoogly said:

Is it possible to discuss Kheldians without getting into personal arguments?  It is seemingly unlikely.

 

(If you just got here, you don't see the arguing because I hid it)

 

Going with an educated 'No', here.