FloatingFatMan

It *could* just be some localised interference; how's your signal strength? HSDPA is extremely sensitive to interference, and if it's dropping to 3G, or worse, GPRS, even for a split second, it'll bjork your connection.

If you're gaming from a laptop, try moving to another location, preferably to a different cell tower if you can.

Nah, that's not being rude. If it's been working for you in the past, that's fine; but I know these networks pretty well, and I can assure you, your past experience is very much the exception not the rule.

T-Mobile do all sorts of funny things with their data connections, and messing around with packets is one of the least of their crimes. They also randomly block ports one day, and have them open the next; and the same with different types of datagram. It's a nightmare, it really is. I can't even connect to IRC over it, but I can telnet fine...

Anyway, if you can, test on a wired connection first, to eliminate your connection as the cause of the problem.

[ QUOTE ]
*I do have a t mobile mobile usb broadband internet connection i was hoping it was my location but after trying to play the game in 3 different areas (Work,Parents and own house) i still get the same 20-40 secs game time before experiencing lost connection to mapserver.


[/ QUOTE ]

So you're playing over T-Mobiles' 3G network?

That, I'm afraid, is your problem. That thing is NOT designed for any more than web surfing and email; even streaming media over it is fraught with major lag. 3G networks just don't have the latency you need for a stable connection to something like an MMO. I strongly suggest you play one a proper wired ADSL or Cable connection.

I'm going to use it to keep track of in-game Catz's partners. I do hope it'll read a 500gb text file...

All fairly good rationalizations. In fact, the only one I find a little doubtful is:

[ QUOTE ]

a vigilante acting outside the law with the cops well pleased to have someone who can deal with super powered villains


[/ QUOTE ]

Why would the cops suffer an illegal vigilante in a city stuffed FULL of registered superheroes?

If it wasn't stated as such in the game lore, it wouldn't be a problem. But it is, so we should work with that, not just throw it away. Otherwise, as I've been saying, you're just playing Backgammon on someone else's Monopoly board.

Hmm... ICly I accept the auction house system exists, but as far as my characters are aware, it's just like a trading house where pretty much anything you want can be got, as long as you have something to trade in exchange. Ellie doesn't really have need to use it ICly, as all her abilities are innate to her; but she does know of heroes who obtain technological and magical items from it.

As for the influence side of things. I generally exchange influence for dollars in my mind. When Ellie visits Icon, she pays in dollars, not fame.

Well, it depends what parts you mean, really. I use pretty much all the game mechanisms ICly as much as is possible. Gimme some specifics!

Personally, I've always used the security level AND combat levels ICly. One is a measure of access my characters are permitted to various government resources and information, and one is a rough rating to their combat skill.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Exactly! Why bother to play the game at all, if you're going to throw the game rules away? You might as well be playing a totally different game to everyone else.

[/ QUOTE ]

Roleplayers are playing a totally different game to everyone else XD

[/ QUOTE ]

Speak for yourself there, please. I and my friends manage perfectly well playing within the game canon. We fudge and extrapolate where there are holes, but we keep everything within reasonably safe limits and don't break the canon. We're all registered heroes and don't seem to find it a problem; quite the opposite in fact.

It's pretty easy and we don't feel that our creativity is being limited.

[ QUOTE ]
Fans cannot belong to HC. There's no way for me to join after all.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's nothing to stop her being a member of HC, but she can't legally operate as a hero in the US unless she's a registered hero, and I very much doubt that HC would accept an unregistered hero, considering how desperate they are to be accepted by the authorities.

There's plenty of IC precedence for joining the HC though. Hell, you're invited to join by the game lore itself.

[ QUOTE ]
BUT we have a ready-made explanation for why some characters can't do things, and it's tied to their Security Level, so why not use it?

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly! Why bother to play the game at all, if you're going to throw the game rules away? You might as well be playing a totally different game to everyone else.

[ QUOTE ]
Why can't he be let in IC though regardless Fans huh? Stop dodging the question! Well if it was my character I think the easiest explanation would be he simply doesn't want to join Vanguard! Perhaps he always freezes when asked to do the induction, perhaps he doesn't like the idea of the organization and their methods, perhaps he's just a total klutz!

[/ QUOTE ]

He wants to get in. He believes strongly in the fight and he has the strength to back it up. But he refuses to register. Vanguard refuse to let him in. Why?

It doesn't matter how you attempt to fudge it; there comes a point where you CANNOT ignore the game mechanics as they WILL stop you doing some things. The only way to get through such limitations is by following the rules of the game world we are in. Getting in to the War Zone requires a hero or villain to have a security/threat level of 35, and the ONLY IC way to get that is to be a registered hero/destined one. You might not like that, but those are the rules of the game.

Do you like playing Backgammon on everyone else's Monopoly board?

No. What I'm saying is that a Pawn can't use the same moves as a Bishop.

There are rules laid down within the game world that we can either follow, or not. But if you're NOT going to follow them, then you will have to accept that IC wise, there will be many things your character will not be able to do, and that you WILL come in to conflict with other players who ARE following the rules.

All well and good, but the game mechanic limits you from partaking unless you're level 35. That is part of the game restrictions and they have built that IN to the game story. So, do you choose to ignore game lore just because you don't like it, or do you follow the restrictions laid down by the game lore?

If you're going to ignore it, then why bother to pay ANY of it any note, in which case, why bother to interact with anyone else? They might be following the lore, and if you're not, the two will eventually conflict and screw up BOTH peoples immersion.

Tell me. If you're tabletop gaming with D&D or similar; or hell, even playing chess or Monopoly. Do you throw the game's rule book down the toilet, or do you work within it? It's the same thing here.

Okay, accepted that there may be illicit methods of entering some hazard zones (I don't really play villains), that's still not going to endear you to the law though, is it? And there ARE still areas where you won't be able to do some things, or garner some information, unless you're registered.

You can sure as hell forget ANYthing to do with Portal Corp.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You can forget Vanguard too. They'll only let you in if you have a minimum security level of 35, and you have to be registered to have a security level, so no War Zone or Vanguard membership for you!

Hero Corps won't touch you with a bargepole either; nor will Longbow, or Freedom Corps, or the trainers. And you can TOTALLY forget being allowed in to places like Siren's Call or the PvP zones that use Longbow transportation to reach!

[/ QUOTE ]

Sure do wonder how all the mobs get into those zones. Didn't know Longbow had a Tsoo branch.

And again Vanguard hire villains. As long as it can punch out Rikti they'd hire anything.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yet they won't allow a hero with a security rating lower than 35 even in to their base. Curious, no?

[ QUOTE ]
They're sealed to protect people from wandering in there. I don't think the can exactly stop people from going in, jsut warn them against it heavily. Also it's not sealed off for all but Heros, there's other things in the zones!


[/ QUOTE ]

Incorrect. Hazard zones have a level requirement to enter, and it's always mention in game as being a security level requirement, not a combat level. Unless you're a registered hero, you're not going to HAVE a security level are you? If you have no security level, and no hero registration, there's no ID for the guards at the gates to verify, so you won't be permitted to enter.

As for the other things in the zones, those things were already in there when they were sealed.


[ QUOTE ]

We don't all do the same contact missions. Else we'll all have technicaly done the same missions. That'd be very silly! Plus your characters skim the Police Radio band for missions generally anyway!. I'm sure how you can work out how a non registered hero can abuse that. Also most of the contacts are in no way associated with the police, they're just regular people, scientists, concerned citizens, magicians, etc.


[/ QUOTE ]

Your first contact in the game works for the FBSA. They set you on your journey and introduce you to the city's network of contacts. Whilst yes, you can probably get to know these people ICly without that introduction, you're not going to get any kind of security rating without being registered, and there's a LOT of content in the later game that you just can't do without that security clearance. Therefore there's no scope for your character to know certain information, such as the Omega Clearance stuff, without being registered.

[ QUOTE ]

Task Force Missions? Since when have the Freedom Phalanx showed any regard for the law? They frequently believe themselves above it, held to a different universaly accepted law. I'm sure they'd turn a blind eye unless you hammered it into thier face, in which case you're just asking for it.


[/ QUOTE ]

I'm pretty positive of the opposite, actually.

[ QUOTE ]

Why are people so adamant people have to be registered anyway? There really is no mention of it being neccessay.


[/ QUOTE ]

Why are people so adamant about ignoring the game world we ALL have to work within? It makes zero sense to me to play within the game reality, and then throw everything about it away and do your own thing. All you do with that is make interaction with other characters fraught with potential problems.

[ QUOTE ]

You're being very restrictive with characters if my first contact HAD to be FSBA. Especially since I never did thier stupid missions! Strongly dislikes FC and thier methods, but under your arguments I literally wouldn't be able to RP that i've been with Hero Corp since arriving from Japan as i'd have had to take charity missions from FC.

When I do missions IC, what's actually happening is rarely what's written on the mission text, else your effectively locking people into a very stale gameworld!

[/ QUOTE ]

Everything within the game world is constructed to work within its rules. There's nothing that says you HAVE to follow these rules, but you can't expect the game world to then work for you if you're going to break them. There is enormous scope for us to work within the rules of the world set down by the developers. I don't see why people feel the need to just disregard it and make up their own stuff; you might as well not bother playing at all.

You can forget Vanguard too. They'll only let you in if you have a minimum security level of 35, and you have to be registered to have a security level, so no War Zone or Vanguard membership for you!

Hero Corps won't touch you with a bargepole either; nor will Longbow, or Freedom Corps, or the trainers. And you can TOTALLY forget being allowed in to places like Siren's Call or the PvP zones that use Longbow transportation to reach!

Points to ponder if your char isn't a registered hero of Paragon City.

How do you get in to the hazard zones? These are sealed against anyone not authorised to be in them.

How do you get your missions? The contact system is based around you being registereed.

How do you take part in the task force missions? These are handed out by senior heroes in the city, and they're not going to hand over such important missions to illegal vigilantes!

How do you explain that the cops and other heroes aren't trying to arrest you? You're an illegal vigilante; you'd be on the arrest list.

A word of warning though... It can get really uh... WEIRD... in there...

You mean a global chat channel? There already are some; the most well known one being GGOOC. Originally intended to keep OOC chat out of local at GG, but now far more generally a chatroom for RPers.

Let me tell you a little story that has some bearing on this. It involves the kind of accountability being registered helps to enforce...

*Clears throat*

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away...


Wait... Wrong universe!


Once upon a time, in a land far far away....


No, that's not right either!


*cough*cough*


A long time ago, back in 2005, a young Peacebringer, recently transformed by a powerful being into a part cat, had a spot of bother. She was, through no fault of her own, forced to take direct part in the unfortunate, and extremely messy, deaths of about 20 children after having been sent to rescue them from a Vahzilok kidnapping. Later that night she turned up at the statue in a greatly disturbed state of mind, knowing she'd done something horrible, but not exactly what. She kind of went out of her mind but her friends WERE able to calm her eventually.

Later that night, the grisly remains were found by another hero, and thanks to the network of contacts throughout the city, the young Peacebringer was identified as a prime suspect. Thanks to her being registered, her true identity and address were known, and Sunstorm, the leader of the Peacebringer contingent on Earth, wisely decided to call in the most recognised heroes in the world to apprehend the suspect, as he didn't want even MORE distrust placed on his fellow aliens. And so it was that early that morning, the Freedom Phalanx burst in to the young Peacebringers apartment and arrested her. She did not resist arrest, and came quietly.

A court case ensued, and during the course of it, it was revealed that the Peacebringer was not responsible for her actions as she was under the influence of the same powerful entity which had transformed her into the part cat to start with, who had his own plans for her.

She did not escape punishment though... By her own hands, 20 children had died, and whilst she was not responsible, she could not be allowed to walk completely free. She was therefore placed under the guardianship of a well known organisation of superpowered beings for a period of 1 year. To this day, the after effects of that event colour her daily life.

That young Peacebringer was Ellie.

</End Story>

So you see, her being registered actually made it possible for her to be stopped. Who knows how much more damage she might have done had she just been an unknown powered being?

EDIT: BTW, these events are a matter of public record as far as Paragon City is concerned. At the time it was RPed, it was all over the press and TV news.

Here's my take on the points you posed...

[ QUOTE ]

What constitutes a reasonable situation for a hero to utilise deadly force? Is it entirely subjective, or does the law make a hard line?


[/ QUOTE ]

The way I see it, the law would take the same stance with heroes as it would with police. If someone is killed by a hero, it would be investigated just like a police killing would be, probably by the FBSA. If it was found to by an unlawful killing, appropriate consequences would follow.

[ QUOTE ]

Why are heroes registered? Is it so that the state can watch them?


[/ QUOTE ]

To me, registering grants you all the legal rights and protections of an authorised law enforcement officer. Not registering makes you a vigilante and liable to arrest. It also allows the state to keep some semblance of control on the super-powered population.

[ QUOTE ]

What does registration mean to the hero? What information does he give to the FBSA when he registers? Is it actually possible to be registered and really maintain a secret identity?

[/ QUOTE ]

It makes sense to me that when you register, all your abilities are recorded, along with all personal data such as true identity and such BUT, that this data is NOT publicly available. It possibly also grants you personal liability insurance, within reason of course. I doubt it would have covered Statesman dropping a Rikti mothership on top of White Plains... I'm surprised he's not still in court over that.

[ QUOTE ]
might the precedents set not perhaps state that deadly force as it applies to a normal human makes the use of deadly force appropriate?

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a good point actually. We have to remember that when we're chopping at a bad guy with a ruddy great axe, or setting fire to his backside; we're actually attacking someone who, assuming they're even con, are JUST as superpowered as WE are. In fact, they're often MORE powerful.