Is it time to retire the Freedom training mission and rebuild Galaxy City?

[Scarlet Shocker]

13 hours ago, Apogee said:

Boomtown and Faultline raise their hands "Get in line"

 

Both those zones have significant work going on already.

[keyguardactive]

I would love to have it back, and if we got it, I'd want it to be a series of directly connected, coherent arcs like they have in Faultline. "Complete the stories of these 4-6 contacts to get the story of Galaxy City." 

 

Just spitballing, but maybe it's an unlockable starting zone? Like, in the olden days you had to fully level to 50 to unlock the Peacebringer. Maybe you ding 50 and then you can make an alt that lets you start in Galaxy? 

[mistagoat]

17 minutes ago, keyguardactive said:

I would love to have it back, and if we got it, I'd want it to be a series of directly connected, coherent arcs like they have in Faultline. "Complete the stories of these 4-6 contacts to get the story of Galaxy City." 

 

Just spitballing, but maybe it's an unlockable starting zone? Like, in the olden days you had to fully level to 50 to unlock the Peacebringer. Maybe you ding 50 and then you can make an alt that lets you start in Galaxy? 

Just a couple days ago, my buddy and I were talking about how we wish there were higher level arcs like those in the Hollows (Faultline is pretty similar). Where all the contacts and missions are in the same zone and they flow very nicely into one another to tell a coherent story. I'd love to see Galaxy fill that role in the 30-45 range! Though I hope the Echo is left as is, I start all my new toons there.

 

The size of the zone may be an issue if nothing is changed, it's a pretty small zone.

[Andreah]

I would distinguish between work to increase the story content and relevance of a zone, and work to represent a zone as being reconstructed in-game. In the former, the zone can stay destroyed and filled with rubble. In Galaxy City's case, the former would be to restructure the zone as a visit-able destroyed zone. This could even rebuild it as a higher level hazard zone (I'm not saying we should, just that it would make sense). Then, later, after further game events, maybe it is shown as being rebuilt (similarly to Faultline).

 

But what many people seem to want is a nostalgic restoration and retcon of Galaxy City pre-shivan-game-intro. I understand that desire, but I just don't see it happening. 

[Ulysses Dare]

I'd love to see something done with Galaxy City. Back in the day, that's where I started all of my local characters. Atlas was for out-of-towners. But aside from the nostalgia factor, I agree there's no need to restore it as it once was. Funneling all the newbies into one place just makes more sense.

Instead, I'd like to see something more suited to higher level play. Especially level 40+. Lean into what the tutorial established about GC's destruction and make the restored zone a hazard area overrun with Shivans. Contacts and missions would be about clearing and restoring the zone.

[High_Beam]

For me, knowing what the destruction of Galaxy City by the Shivans was really about, I would love to see it turned into a "Super-Hazardous" Level 50, Incarnates only hazard zone with a tough incarnate only task/strike (no league) to recover a mcguffin or stop whatever.  Unless they are gonna drive forward with a partial execution within constraint of the Battalion story, which I have visions of.

 

GC was where I started all my characters on live so there's nostalgia there.  I mean I still have shit in my apartment there; my spoon collection and my plaque for going round the world four times at Chan's back in the day.

[dtjunkie]

8 hours ago, PoptartsNinja said:

We could use a mid-high level zone that is a bit more... contained.

 

Yes! I often run Faultine -> Striga -> Croatoa and then hope I can figure out something to do until I hit 35 and can do Rikti War Zone.

[Techwright]

Any restoration of Galaxy City is first going to have to wipe out the Shivans running around.  And restoration, IMHO, should prove opportunity for removing the woefully inadequate war walls.

 

13 hours ago, Snarky said:

 

 

It would be great if Echo Galaxy ( with an entrance from Atlas!) was turned into a 1-10 Hazard Zone with a rowdy street hunt mechanic thrown in, maybe based off a few contacts to start the event(s)....?  badges!

 

 

 

Funny, I was just thinking the other day that it would be interesting to have more Oroboros missions.  A case where Mender Silos tells you their studies of the time stream have realized that saving a person or persons who died in the attack would give X% chance to change the future to the outcome the Menders are striving towards.  Send the player(s) back with a mandate to find and shield the designated NPCs through a standard routine on the streets of Galaxy City until the attack, then get them safely out at a key moment.  This gives us an inroad into GC, maybe a chance to mill around, do some streetfighting, pick up a few cases, then experience the destruction of Galaxy City first hand in the final mission of the main arc in the area.  Using Echo GC means GC still perishes, but we've time and missions back in that part of the city.

 

Alternatively, if the goal is the restoration of GC, why not take a page from the original 5th Column-Council war, and create a gradual process in game playing out over several months, maybe a couple of years?  Perhaps that expanded time will help the volunteer dev team manage the process better.  Not too long though.  Some of us are getting old and want to see the restoration before the nursing home, or worse.

[UltraAlt]

18 hours ago, Apogee said:

Sorry, I don't know the reference

 

 

At one point in an episode, it was mentioned that Jason Lee Scott (the Red Ranger)'s father runs a construction company and all the damage in the City keeps his crew busy.

 

 

Edited Friday at 08:20 AM by UltraAlt

[UltraAlt]

14 hours ago, Andreah said:

But what many people seem to want is a nostalgic restoration and retcon of Galaxy City pre-shivan-game-intro. I understand that desire, but I just don't see it happening. 

 

I think this more likely to happen than updated graphics for the zone - essentially a new zone.

 

@Scarlet Shocker Now I'm thinking that the easiest way to pull his off is Time Travel!

How about Ouroboros missions that send you to do missions in Galaxy City as Flashbacks to before its destruction?

You get the Origin contacts in the Ouroboros and they send you into the Echo: Galaxy City to the doors that you would go to when that zone was still active?

 

I mean it isn't like we can't get the Ouroboros portal at level 1 at this point (it is one of the first things that I do when I make a new character at this point).

I guess the main thing is "are the Galaxy missions still hidden somewhere in the coding?"

[Amur]

On 3/26/2025 at 6:03 PM, Scarlet Shocker said:

There's another point; Galaxy Girl. She was a human once, and sacrificed herself to save our city.* It's rare that any city government would allow such a monument to be destroyed and not be reforged. It's one of those things that is as true in real life as in fiction - we celebrate our iconic heroes and there would be strenuous efforts made by any self-respecting city officials to ensure their fallen heroes are honoured.

Just a quick not on this... There is a new statue for Galaxy Girl in the city. It's smaller than the original, but you can find it in Kings Row where the gate to Galaxy City used to be in the north wall. It's just up the street where Paladin goes after being built.

[Amur]

edit: accidental double post. Hopefully a mod sees this and deletes it

Edited Friday at 08:36 AM by Amur

[Scarlet Shocker]

1 hour ago, Amur said:

Just a quick not on this... There is a new statue for Galaxy Girl in the city. It's smaller than the original, but you can find it in Kings Row where the gate to Galaxy City used to be in the north wall. It's just up the street where Paladin goes after being built.

 

this I did not know, but it's clearly a demotion for her and her memory.

[Scarlet Shocker]

1 hour ago, UltraAlt said:

 

I think this more likely to happen than updated graphics for the zone - essentially a new zone.

 

@Scarlet Shocker Now I'm thinking that the easiest way to pull his off is Time Travel!

How about Ouroboros missions that send you to do missions in Galaxy City as Flashbacks to before its destruction?

You get the Origin contacts in the Ouroboros and they send you into the Echo: Galaxy City to the doors that you would go to when that zone was still active?

 

I mean it isn't like we can't get the Ouroboros portal at level 1 at this point (it is one of the first things that I do when I make a new character at this point).

I guess the main thing is "are the Galaxy missions still hidden somewhere in the coding?"

 

That's not a bad idea, although not really what I had envisioned.

 

I was thinking more that Galaxy gets rebuilt with some shiny new buildings, a very similar layout but with new game tech, and the shiny new that both live and hc devs have utilised on other zones such as KW.  I perhaps should have been more explicit on that in my original post but I'd already done half a novel and it slipped my mind.

 

I wasn't just suggesting that it got returned to pre-Freedom state but move the game, story and city forwards

 

Let's expand on that:

 

I was thinking more about the Mayor* saying "Let's take back our city" - Galaxy is at the heart of Paragon after all, and a series of missions of all level ranges to clear out Galaxy and ensure it stays safe. Lower levels can clear out the neo-Shivans and higher levels can turn it into a very safe place for the citizenry.

 

 

 

 

 

*Who is the Mayor these days? Is there an actual named person?

Edited Friday at 09:59 AM by Scarlet Shocker
Expansions

[UltraAlt]

12 minutes ago, Scarlet Shocker said:

*Who is the Mayor these days? Is there an actual named person?

 

I heard that Snaptooth became the Mayor.

 

 

"Description

Snaptooth is a particularly nasty Red Cap that takes even more glee in torment and suffering than the rest of his kin. Clever and devious, he has found a way to hop across dimensions using the faerie rings in Croatoa. Now he can bring his wicked games anywhere he pleases." - https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Snaptooth

[Apogee]

6 hours ago, UltraAlt said:

 

 

At one point in an episode, it was mentioned that Jason Lee Scott (the Red Ranger)'s father runs a construction company and all the damage in the City keeps his crew busy.

 

 

 

Ahh, I see.  I never watched the Power Rangers

[lemming]

4 hours ago, Scarlet Shocker said:

*Who is the Mayor these days? Is there an actual named person?

Morales is the mayor.

 

How many people have done the Payphone/Bile/Piecemeal mission?

[El D]

1 hour ago, lemming said:

How many people have done the Payphone/Bile/Piecemeal mission?

 

Not all that many, I expect. I had forgotten this was added entirely, despite the fact that it's been in the game for over a year now and that I even ran the first parts of Piecemeal's Vahzilok/Freakshow content back when those came out. Having read through the Pay Phone on the wiki I'm not really struck by the need to run the arc, either. Personal Story Arcs are basically post-credit scenes. They need to be concise, punchy, and immediately get player investment, especially considering they're committing the MMO cardinal sin of 'the player character ceases to be the dynamic focus.' 

 

This one doesn't seem to do that. A drawn out flashback focused on canonizing in-universe explanations for game changes from 15+ years ago via an OC NPC using super special techniques to accidentally Forrest Gump themselves through past updates and game lore along with a handful of cryptic hints that may or may not even be relevant for who knows how long is not in-line with the prior Personal Story arcs. Having the particular lens for all this be Bile also doesn't help. He's certainly written with a distinct personality and funny dialogue, but there's a lot of it and considering all the divergent content involved and the dense dialogue trees it doesn't make the arc come across as any more engaging. It feels like Bile's commentary is trying to hype up the player and explain why they should totally be interested in the series of random interactions and lore links, when the moments themselves should have been the hooks.

 

A Personal Story focused solely on the fall of Galaxy City and the fallout of the Shivan attack could have revealed the same teasing hints and been much more direct about it. Hell, they could use one of the umpteen characters actually present in Galaxy's Last Stand for it. Put the player in the shoes of Coyote as he navigates the chaos to rescue people, sees civilians disintegrating, and takes on a giant monster Neo-Shivan. There'd be something poetic about one of the contacts from Outbreak helping to introduce the modern end game and still fighting the good fight after all this time (especially for Coyote, considering why he was put in the game to begin with).

[Octogoat]

I'd nerf regeneration 

[Heliphyn34u]

I was going to quote everyone saying that Galaxy City should be reimagined as a hazard zone, but there were a lot of them, so I decided there was no need.  😄  I would love for GC to be back -- actually back, rather than just as an Echo zone and a tutorial.  There are still exploration badges and plaques there that one needs to complete certain accolades, and it feels weird to have to go to an Echo for those.

 

I like the idea of GC being a new hazard zone, but my idea is more of a combo of RWZ and IP/TV, layout-wise.  Have the GC City Hall area be a safe zone, but with some surrounding fortifications, like the RWZ base.  City Hall would look just like it used to, and BAB can be back in his spot, but the SG base portal would be inside the hall, and new fortifications around the perimeter would be defended with police drones and Longbow.  The immediate areas surrounding the central safe zone would be low-level hazard zones, primarily with Shivan enemies.  Then, within the zone, there would be one or two higher level hazard zones, the way TV is inside IP.  If one high level hazard zone, just 50+.  If two, one could be 40+ and the other could be for incarnates.  All zones (except City Hall) would have Shivan enemies at zone-appropriate levels, but could also have enemies that fit alien or alternate dimension origins, like Rikti, Rularuu, Nictus, Praetorians.

 

There's a lot of potential for a Galaxy City refresh, but I know it would be a lot of work.  Maybe someday.  ❤️ 

 

[FFTMime]

On 3/27/2025 at 7:29 AM, tidge said:

I'm (still) bitter about the destruction of Galaxy City and the loss of a favorite starting zone

I confess, it took me some days to realize what was wrong with the city since I've been back. To be fair, the first few years of COH's life cycle was a LONG time ago. 

[TheMoneyMaker]

21 hours ago, Octogoat said:

I'd nerf regeneration 

Clearly you are overqualified for the dev position

[Healix]

In 2004, Healix was born in Galaxy City so I have a particular fondness for it. I am hoping that it will someday be reopened and utilized for some new content and fun. (Babs stood proudly on the podium in front of the City Hall, as Miss Liberty does in Atlas.)

[TheMoneyMaker]

1 hour ago, Healix said:

In 2004, Healix was born in Galaxy City so I have a particular fondness for it. I am hoping that it will someday be reopened and utilized for some new content and fun. (Babs stood proudly on the podium in front of the City Hall, as Miss Liberty does in Atlas.)

Yeah, it sucks that he's relegated to that little corner of AP now while Liberty stands prominently in her original spot and IP after having taken over Statesman's TF.

 

It is a damned shame how he got treated, losing his zone and sharing a zone from a distant corner

[Major_Decoy]

On 3/26/2025 at 6:39 PM, Scarlet Shocker said:

I'd still love to see Galaxy restored to it's rightful place!

I want to see Galaxy restored to its wrongful place. I am going to move all of Galaxy City to the Shadow Shard. It's going to be within a stone's throw of the Storm Palace.

 

In its place, I am going to bring a blood geyser to Paragon, so make all the Shadow Shard refugees feel more at home.