Heraclea

[ QUOTE ]
Just made a Tank on Guardian in preparation for the 16th. If anyone wants to join me and see how far we can level up before then - send me a pm.

[/ QUOTE ]

Next one is on Infinity, not Guardian. I have a tanker on Infinity waiting as well.

All secondaries work well with Invulnerability, given that it has passive and other powers that are relatively optional - depending on what you want your tanker to be able to do. Unstoppable is also easily skippable. It does not need to be eked out with set bonuses to become adequately tough, either.

So even the more demanding secondaries like Dual Blades can be built with it, and dual builds mean that you can make a tough build and a damage build on the same character.

I run AE, but I run stories, not farms. I still run as many TFs as I did before, but AE replaces radios for at least my scrappers and tankers, which is most of my characters.

First time for that on my fire/regen scrapper as well. Thanks!

Either your brute or your scrapper might enjoy "Jerk Hackers!" (162482)

It is a 1-54 arc, but I'd hesitate to take any blaster on a custom character focussed arc.

There is a minor bug with the Rikti Force Field Generator destroyable object. Other destroyable objects scale from 1 to 50. That object only exists from levels 35-50. I did not pay attention to the levels and it bit me.

Unlike mob levels, the level on destroyable objects does not auto-sidekick the player to the level of the object. Nor does the game return an error when that object is placed on a map with lower level enemies.

So you can put the rikti force field generator in a Hellions map, that will force the player to level 10. At that level, the players will not be able to scratch the generator, and it will make your mission uncompletable. I learned this when I just put it in an outdoor map because it was big, conspicuous, and looked interesting. But 20-something players who could do everything else in the design could not put a dent in the level 35 object. I had to swap it out for something different.

Philosophers is still active. The arc that I removed for the new one was "Cathedral of Mild Discomfort", an epic story with AVs and such that was rated five times during the time it was live.

You may have been searching with the default, which does not display any mission you have rated. You have to remember to unclick that if you want to replay a mission you have already been through.

The official grounds stated for banning the first arc was that it "involved going out to defeat enemies because of their sexual orientation." Which in one sense it was, even if in intent it was more complex and nuanced than that.

Those grounds have been scrupulously avoided in the new one.

Title: Lesbian Hellion Liberation!
Arc. No. 208830
Length: Long
Morality: Villainous (nominally)
Groups: Custom, Paragon Police, Circle of Thorns

Synopsis: Doc Delilah played a part in the defeat of the Lesbian Hellion takeover of Atlas Park --- but now she finds herself missing one of them. She is calling for your help in breaking one out of jail.

But in doing so, you will uncover corrupt influence on the Paragon Police force, and ultimately confront one of history's most sinister figures.

Discussion thread

AE System to Holiday

I have had to split up the list in order to post a revision, otherwise, I get an error. This is now in two parts.

AE System
--------
[url=http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=13315151]Mission Architect Playable Tutorial - 28470
Welcome to Architect Entertainment -- Neutral
Death for Dollars! -- Neutral
Bare Knuckles of Rage (9304)
Signal to Noise -- Neutral -- 67277
5th Anniversary Flashback Smackdown -- Neutral -- 126896
*

Allegory
---------
Who is Kidnapping the World's Great Philosophers? -- Neutral -- 86347
*

Character/Supergroup Origins
--------
Birth of a Fossil -- Heroic
Secret Origins(Tech) The Snake Women of Epsilon V (42221) - Heroic
Noah Reborn -- Heroic (2370)
Polar Emergence Neutral Government User Interface Network (PENGUIN) #29205 - Heroic
Jumping in Feet First - Heroic - 1345
Midnight Bells Toll ----Villanious
A Hero is made, Not Born. -- Heroic -- Arc# 20863
A Mother's Nightmare -- Heroic -- #6955
A Rose's Thorns -- Heroic -- 113224
New Flame Rising - #161066. Heroic. 4 missions. Mish 2&3 have 1 EB each, mish 4 has 5 EBs, each encountered separately. Recommended for SG, teams, or strong solo'ers. Origin of a new npc villain organization.
*

Classic Super-Hero/Super-Villain
--------
THE BOMBER --- Heroic --- Arc 16607
In The Shadow of Statesman --Neutral--1160
A Show to Die For! --- Heroic --- 30645
Check... and Mate #15095 - Heroic - Mini Task Force
Teen Phalanx Forever! -- Heroic (67335)
This Life Immortal - (5756) Heroic
Paradox Paradox - (69221) Heroic Stop yourself and Stellar from being erased!
Sidekicks Can Be A Pain In The Cape - (28430)
'Tis Nobler in the Mind - Heroic
Deadly Sins! - 99366: fairly tough arc, can be solo'd.
Marketing Opportunity - Villainous - 83747
To Save A Single World - Heroic - 83744
A Crusher Crimewave #1 : Crisis at The Citadel (ID 50271)
A Crusher Crimewave #2 : Escape from The Zig! (ID 83458)
A Crusher Crimewave #3 : The Fall of Mocker (ID 123613)
*


Comedy
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The String Thief, Arc ID: 15726 Neutral 1-54
Mean People, Arc ID:16690 Neutral 1-54
The Extadine Lab -- Heroic (2595)
MacGuffin Delivery Service (1567) -- Villainous
ParaCon -- Heroic (1684)
The new and improved Lord Recluse Strike Force -- Villainous (though I wouldn't recommend against a hero )
The Fire Bunnies - Neutral, They are only bunnies after all...
You Say It's Your Birthday! (3630) - Neutral
Trademark Infringement -- Heroic (2220)
Hail to the King Neutral (34640)
Walk On the Wild Side - Neutral - 3580
Shirley You Jest (25474) -- Neutral
The Invasion of the Bikini Clad Samurai Vampiresses from Outer Space! - Heroic - 61013
Gnomish Madness (30204) - Heroic
Doctor Nadir and the Hellion Heist (49661) - Heroic
Laugh? I Thought I'd DIE! - Heroic
The P.U.G. Strike force (arc 35585) -Villian
A Translator is the Wind or the Thunder in Turns -- (2936) - Heroic
What's in a Name? - Villainous
None More Black, Dude! (#86312) Neutral
Rise of the Drakule - Neutral
Return of the Revenge of the Son of Drakule Part 2: First Blood - Neutral
Martian Chimpanzees and the Cyborg Cheerleaders of DOOM! (Arc #69947) - Heroic
Daytime Divas - #94504 Where else can you get a hair extension as a souvenir?
Death to Disco! - (Neutral, 84420) A short arc that has time travel, silk shirts, platform shoes, Jimmy Carter and a chance to save Rock and Roll.
Too Many Bunnygirls! - ID#101165(neutral). Time to stop them once and for all.
Invasion on Earth BX1132! - Neutral - 45+ - #98943
Ee=Ai-Ee-Ai-Oh! - Neutral - 3662
The foul-mouthed Handyman! - Neutral - 1076
City of Norms - Neutral - 132944
Killing The Meow Farm - 141625 - Neutral
Shortbow - Arc ID: 143566 - Heroic Lvl: 30-38
Jerk Hackers! - Heroic (162482)
*
Comedy/Drama
--------
Kidnapping an Idol 136188 Neutral
Fashion Apocalypse - Neutral - 14840
The Running of the Bulls -- Heroic 29973
A Super Team is Born -- Heroic
Cause of How Some Silly Stealed My Wings #1481 -- Neutral
How to Survive a Robot Uprising -- Heroic (12669)
Dr. Duplicate's Dastardly Dare -- Neutral
It's a Nice Day for a White Wedding (9059) -- Neutral
TURG FICTION: Ghost in the Machine, Act I - Heroic (althoughs romantic villains could try this too )
Rum Runners of Bloody Bay (3691) - Heroic
Have a Blap, Blap, Blappy Day Kids! (2019)
The Toypocalypse! (49280) - Heroic
Fishing for Fame with Red Herring - Heroic (66861)
Putting Out Fires: A Corporate Satire (20100) - Villainous
The Rise and Refall of Pets'n'Things.com - Heroic - 1061
The Cat's in the Cradle (8776) - Villainous
Females for Hire - Neutral (Heroic and/or Mercenary motivations) (110723)
Freaks, Geeks and Men in Black - Heroic (161629)
Lesbian Hellion Liberation - Villainous (208830)
*

Crime/Gangs
--------
Bricked Electronics -- Heroic (LIVE! 2180)
The Bravuran Jobs -- Villainous (16809)
The Black Flag Is On The Rise (Pirates!) - Villainous
Win the 2009 Freak-Lympics (2150) - Villainous
Ninja Crimewave! (2142) - Heroic
Whitehawks (Arc 49364) -- Heroic
The Internet is for Crime (53385) - Villains
Plastic Pistol Peril (1135) - Heroic
Friends in Need (Of Body Parts) - Villainous (31005)
A Little RnR - Heroic (17523) click for Promotional Poster
Mechanical Mayhem - Villainous (76721)
Females for Hire (about a mercenary gang) - Neutral (Heroic and/or Mercenary motivations) (110723)
Battlin' Tom's Murder Extravaganza! -- Villainous -- 99803
Meet the Demon Spawn Heroic (#151099) {4 missions}
Slash DeMento and the Stolen Weapons Heroic (#100045) {1 mish-teaser for above arc}
[ZQ] Power Play (Arc #187269) - Villainous

*

Drama
--------
The Conciliators: Simone -- Heroic (4010)
The Fan Club -- Heroic
Matchstick Women -- Heroic -- 3369
Of Mentors and Legacy - Heroic - 1589
Digital Love -- Neutral -- 3571
A Flame the Burns Bright- 112548
Clonus, Parts 1 & 2 - Arc ID: 21499 - Heroic Lvl 30-54
*

Global Domination
--------
Axis and Allies -- Villainous (1379)
*

Global Destruction
--------
The Twilight of this Blue Orb -- Villainous (98529)
*

Heist
--------
Celebrity Kidnapping -- Villainous (1388)
Easy Money -- Villainous (31490)
The Great Diamond Heist -- Villainous (96169)
*

Historical (Realistic)
--------
Wrinkle in Time -- Heroic(68920)
*

Historical (CoH Lore)
--------
The War on Superadine - The Regulators in their 1980's drug war (Heroic) (Arc 7959)
Origins - Volume 1 (57077) -- Heroic
[ZQ] The Once and Future King (#71601) - Heroic
*

Holiday
--------
City of Ho Ho Ho #18775 - Heroic
Hectic Holidays -- Heroic (36999) also comedy
Santa's Missing List - 34961
Santa's Workshop of Misfit Toys - heroic - 134140
*

Title: Lesbian Hellion Liberation!
Arc. No. 208830
Length: Long
Morality: Villainous (nominally)
Groups: Custom, Paragon Police, Circle of Thorns. CoTs have been edited to remove spectres except as random bosses. Levels 5-50.

Doc Delilah played a part in the defeat of the Lesbian Hellion takeover of Atlas Park --- but now she finds herself missing one of them. She is calling for your help in breaking one out of jail.

But in doing so, you will uncover corrupt influence on the Paragon Police force, and ultimately confront one of history's most sinister figures.

This is a sequel to the banned arc, "Monstrous Regiment of Lesbian Hellions". That arc was banned because Lesbian Hellions were the enemy you were supposed to defeat. Here, however, they are allies. What you need to know of its plot is explained in the introduction to this story - Doc Delilah was captured by Lesbian Hellions, and they supposedly used mind control powers to make her side with them. The truth proved to be slightly more complicated.

If you'd like to play through the old arc, send me an email address and you will have a copy of the storyarc file.

I don't tend to write very long character bios, but I usually add little jokes to them. Like clues and other texts that don't get displayed automatically to every player, I try to make them short, funny, and put occasional "easter eggs" in them. But to advance the plot, I use mission start statements, patrol and boss speeches, and exit pop-up statements.

One design contains an American Woman. Her bio: Stay away from me!

I'd go with War Mace. You don't have to take every attack to be effective with it, and you want everything but the tier 9 in Invulnerability if only for the debuff protections. War Mace is easily the superior AoE set. You don't have to switch gears all that much in solo versus team play with it either, like you do with DB.

I ran with the ITF team. Went fine until Nictus Romulus. We used the separate Rommie from the nictus strategy, and as is always a problem with that strategy, it worked too well, and Rommie dropped without eating his nictus and rezzing.

Could not kill the last healing nictus until we realized we were all heroes, we could leave the zone w/o dropping the TF, so we could load up on purples and use them to beat down the healing nictus from melee range.

The endurance mechanic is simply broken, especially at lower levels. The worst part of the endurance mechanic is that the game shows its worst face to new players and their characters. Nor does anything in-game let them know that they must forbear from exploring the primary and secondary they chose in order to have Stamina at level 20.

Solo? Relatively free primaries are probably for the best.

* Invulnerability - at least for solo, you're likely OK if you skip all of the passives. And it's fairly easy to get both your full primary and most of the secondary if you skip Taunt and have no ambitions to get into the fighting pool, which solo you will hardly need. Solo, you will not need Unstoppable either.

* Fire. The last three powers are purely optional, and so is Temperature Protection. Solo, you don't even have to worry much about knockback either.

*Stone. Once you get Granite everything changes. You will also want to have many, many attacks.

All of the villains I have rolled that have made it to 35 have tended to rocket fairly quickly to 50 --- because I no longer have to play redside at that point. They can all grind in Cimerora or (if not smashing/lethal) RWZ and run ITFs and Lady Greys until they hit 50.

My villains tend to stall in the early 20s. This is where redside forces you to Sharkhead, and I pretty much hate everything about that zone. I also strongly dislike Grandville, which is pretty much unplayable without stealth and fly. Way too much sniping with -travel there. Now that there are alternatives to Grandville, redside needs an alternative to Sharkhead as well.

The introduction of radio missions revived blueside. They are a convenient way to grind without being sent all over creation. The old fashioned contact missions are now mostly for solo grinding for the merits they give.

I wouldn't emphasize slotting it for to-hit myself. It is, however, an excellent place to put a Gaussian's Synchronized Fire Control, Chance for Build Up button.

It had ever been my understanding that alliance between the Council and the Nictus was a key factor in the takeover that allowed the Council to displace the 5th Column. Only Councils have the Galaxy soldiers who relate to Kheldians; and of course the Council and the Kheldians were introduced at the same time.

Yet, when you go back to ancient Roman Cimerora, you see Nictus allies of the 5th Column.

So what exactly is the current and ancient state of the relationship between the Fifth Column, the Nictus, and the Council?

Most of the enhancements in that build are not top drawer. The rest can be acquired in the fullness of time with merits, for as long as you stay interested in that tanker. The build will be quite playable even with generics or SOs swapping in for the yet to be acquired enhancements.

The thing I'd prioritize first is recovery. The Miracle, Numina's and Performance Shifter uniques would be the first things on my list to obtain with merits. In normal play, it is probably easier to get those with merits than through the market.

[ QUOTE ]
Jane Kalmes aka Grammar Girl. She often gets forgotten in the CoH writer discussions but she edited most all the original CoH text and wrote a huge number of CoH and CoV missions.

[/ QUOTE ]

Really need to get Grammar Girl as a signature character in the game.

In fact, she needs a task force, in which you can round up dangling modifiers and enforce subject-verb agreement.

If I were making an Inv/Axe tanker, I would build this way:

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Level 50 Magic Tanker
Primary Power Set: Invulnerability
Secondary Power Set: Battle Axe
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fighting

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Temp Invulnerability -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), S'fstPrt-ResDam/EndRdx(3), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(3), TtmC'tng-ResDam(5), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(48)
Level 1: Beheader -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(5), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(15), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(43), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(43)
Level 2: Dull Pain -- Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx(A), Dct'dW-EndRdx/Rchg(7), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(7), Dct'dW-Rchg(43), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(46)
Level 4: Gash -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(13), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(15), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(33), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(40)
Level 6: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 8: Unyielding -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(9), RctvArm-EndRdx/Rchg(9), RctvArm-ResDam(13), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(48)
Level 10: Air Superiority -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(11), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(11), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(46), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(46)
Level 12: Taunt -- Mocking-Taunt/Rchg(A), Mocking-Taunt/Rng(37)
Level 14: Fly -- Flight-I(A)
Level 16: Health -- Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(17), Numna-Heal/Rchg(17), Mrcl-Rcvry+(34), Mrcl-Heal(34)
Level 18: Invincibility -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx(A), GftotA-Def(19), GftotA-Def/Rchg(19), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(33), GSFC-Build%(50), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(50)
Level 20: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(21), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(21), P'Shift-End%(34)
Level 22: Swoop -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(23), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(23), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(31), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(31)
Level 24: Build Up -- AdjTgt-Rchg(A), AdjTgt-ToHit/Rchg(25), AdjTgt-EndRdx/Rchg(25)
Level 26: Tough Hide -- GftotA-Def(A), GftotA-Def/EndRdx(27), GftotA-Def/Rchg(27)
Level 28: Whirling Axe -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg(A), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg(29), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(29)
Level 30: Boxing -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(31)
Level 32: Resist Energies -- ImpArm-ResDam(A), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(33)
Level 35: Cleave -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(36), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(36), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg(37), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(37)
Level 38: Pendulum -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(39), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(39), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(39), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg(40), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg(40)
Level 41: Tough -- RctvArm-EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(42), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(42), RctvArm-ResDam(42)
Level 44: Weave -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx(A), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(45), GftotA-Def(45), GftotA-EndRdx/Rchg(45)
Level 47: Resist Elements -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), ImpArm-ResPsi(48)
Level 49: Resist Physical Damage -- Aegis-Psi/Status(A), Aegis-ResDam(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet

Is it possible to give critters the "crafting" or "invention" animation used when you are crafting at a worktable?

I typically deal with Speed Boost on melee characters by turning on Fly. I usually take Air Superiority and Fly on melees unless there's a strong reason to take another travel pool. I don't have Hover itself, usually.

Of course, turning on Fly tends to negate any recovery advantage from Speed Boost. But at least when I am in combat I am travel speed suppressed and as such can predict what will happen when I use a movement key. This also creates difficulties for characters with powers like Fault or Foot Stomp.

It's the unpredictability that bothers me most. I don't pay attention to when the speed boost is present or absent. When I am the main tanker for a team, I will typically be trying to intercept mobs in one area while taunting another. Using follow on moving targets still yields random results under the Speed Boost debuff, and more importantly I'm usually not aiming for the mob I have targeted either.

So if you think Speed Boost is something that everybody ought to have even if they don't want it, you learn to play. Better yet, why don't you reroll for Sonic, or Force Field, or Radiation, or Thermal, Cold ... whatever else Kinetics is, it is so common that it's dull. And when a single powerset becomes so overwhelmingly popular, that tends to be a bad sign for the future viability of those characters.

[ QUOTE ]
Players must understand what they need to do for a mission objective – the task listed in the nav must be clear. “Look for clues” is not clear, nor is “investigate”. “Search computer”, “Defeat Big Bad” are clear. Players will quit missions if they cannot figure out how to complete them.

[/ QUOTE ]

I feel free to break this one fairly often, in the name of suspense and misdirection. Some, perhaps many, objectives can be added as red herrings, or simply as places to insert flavor text.

Also, misdirection ought to be a possibility. Your statement says "2 hostages to rescue", but there is only one hostage, and the second "hostage" is completed when somebody clicks on the Pile of Bones.

"Look for clues" is perfectly acceptable if you add a boss or a glowie that screams at the player, "Hey! I'm a clue!" That NPC making the long speech is somebody you may need to fight or visit.