Hyperstrike

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  1. Quote:
    Originally Posted by DarkGob View Post
    But the Doctor is the only Time Lord left (allowing for wibbly-wobbly business).
    Not counting any running around loose, hidden away someplace.
    Not counting any time-locked away in the Time War. Gallifrey still exists. It's just been sealed off from the rest of time and space.
  2. Okay. Finally was able to see this behavior for myself today after a Fire/Rads ITF..

  3. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tenzhi View Post
    It seems to me that Donna is pretty good evidence that the human brain can't contain and access that sort of information for long.
    Well, the other thing Time Lords have going for them is the fact that they have a shared/collective consciousness in the form of the Matrix (and NO Keanu is NOT in there beating up agents). This helps buffer them against the sheer amount of knowledge available to them. Kind of like a database. They bring up what they need to know and leave the bulk alone.

    Donna didn't have that sort of buffer. So while she could handle it for a short time, she was going to, eventually, get overwhelmed by it. Kinda like trying to sip a tsunami.
  4. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Justice_Bringer View Post
    How much better would it run with just the memory upgrade?

    Okay, 2GB of PC3200 (DDR400) memory is going to run you between $45 and $70.

    The $45 stuff
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820178101


    The $70 is the lowest-latency stuff.
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231032


    Another issue you have is that you're at about 18% free space on your OS drive. You're starting to get into the range when the NTFS filesystem starts losing performance due to not having enough free space to play with.

    You can free up some of that by deleting old files, deleting Windows patch uninstall files (Browse into C:\Windows, click on Tools --> Folder Options, Go to the View tab, and check "View Hidden Files and folders". You'll see a bunch of blue (compressed) folders with names like $NTUninstallKB123456$. Delete them to free up space. Do NOT delete the $hf_mig$ folder though.) Just be warned, if you delete them, you won't be able to uninstall those patches later. But when was the last time you actually NEEDED to uninstall that stuff (answer should be "Almost never").


    You'll see a decent performance bump in Windows apps by going to 2GB (the "sweet spot" for XP). But your rig is, frankly, too old to really get any major performance bumps out of it. And the amount of money you'd spend getting those bumps would be better served getting socked away to buy a new machine.
  5. Actually, Alpha is doing this on all female models if I'm not mistaken.

    I have a new toon on Exalted who has the same issue and is nowhere near maximum height.
  6. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Polypro Ninja View Post
    I've been trying to buy a laptop that would efficiently play CoX but at this point, it's no longer possible, so I'm forced to keep my desktop and upgrade it. I come to you all:
    If you don't mind the question, WHY is it no longer possible?
    • Budgetary reasons?
    • You can't find something you'd trust to run?
    • You have a screeching girlfriend/boyfriend who's trying to de-nerd you and will pitch a fit if you buy any more of that "computer crap"?


    Quote:
    I own a Compaq Presario SR5510F desktop. Here are the specs, courtesy of cnet: http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/hp-...=mncolBtm;rnav

    I would like to start upgrading my computer, only cuz it seems that I can longer play the game as much as I'd like to. I can't open chat boxes more than a couple times during the game before it crashes. Character customization at any tailor freezes my game. Raids and Invasions slow me down enough to keep me from attacking, moving, etc. In short, my computer's crap. I've lowered my settings as low as they will go and the game still runs amazingly slow.
    Okay, you're boned on the CPU. It's several generations old and you're NOT going to be able to find anything socket-compatible anymore. And even if you did, your performance boost would be dismal.

    If you're not ALREADY at 4GB of RAM, I'd suggest going up to 4GB. It'd be a relatively cheap upgrade.

    You might see some benefit from an SSD if you have a spare SATA port available to you. It's only SATA 1.0, so you won't see PHENOMENAL throughput, but you'll notice a definite improvement in zone-load times. That's a not-so-cheap upgrade ($180 or so). And you may have compatibility issues with your motherboard if you want to turn it into your boot disk (even my 2 year old motherboard needed a BIOS update before it let me install the OS to my SSD RAID).



    Quote:
    For example, I started doing missions from Twinshot in Atlas Park and everything seemed fine at first. I got my first mission, went to the base, confronted the computer and Twinshot again in the base, game ran "smoothly". When I confronted Proton, the game froze. I force closed the game, booted up again, and ran her first mission again. I was able to talk to Proton and Flambeaux just fine but when I got up to speak with Dillo, the game froze again. Chat boxes always cause this issue.
    Can you toss a CoH Helper and HijackThis log at us? It may be you have other things exacerbating your problems.

    Quote:
    But that's just 1 issue, maps are something different. Sewers, science labs (Labs like in the Lambda Incarnate trial), the Underground in Praetoria, and warehouses (Again, like the warehouses in the Lambda trial) all slow my computer down and increase lag. I keep telling myself that since the maps are so busy, it increases the lag but I've finally accepted that it's my computer.
    In this case, unfortunately, you're probably right.

    Quote:
    Is there anything I can do to upgrade the computer? Prices are no longer an issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading! Figured I'd let you know the situation before replies started coming in
    Honestly, if price isn't an issue, a new computer would be your best bet. Especially if you're not afraid of building one.
  7. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Arguss View Post
    At the end of the month my subscription time will run out. If I were going to play COH I would stay a VIP, but I need to focus on school. Previously, I could cancel my sub and come back to find the items I'd put up on wentworths still there, or sold. Just want to make sure they won't disappear if I'm not a VIP/have an auction license. Thanks.
    Your stuff should still be there. And you can take it off the market. Just, if you don't have the right to access the Auction House, you can't put stuff in again.

    I have a secondary account I allowed to go inactive. I was able to log in and remove items I had sitting on the market.
  8. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Death_Badger View Post
    The pre purchase for GR started in March, Alpha slot didn't get removed from Beta until July.

    It was on sale for 4 months with the Alpha slot as an advertised feature.

    It still does not change the fact that it did not ship with Incarnate content included.

    People had ample time to cancel their purchases. Yet they didn't. Possibly because there were other worthwhile things in the expansion?
  9. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Diellan_ View Post
    Weird. How is that power slotted?
    I noticed this as well when hovering over the powers in the power list.
    However, when I checked it next in the actual slotted power everything showed up fine. Then, when I went back to the power in the list it showed up fine there as well.
  10. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Giant2005 View Post
    I love you.
    Funny. I didn't think I was in Costco...

  11. It does appear that the Hami-O route would be the best.

    2 Nucleolus at 50++
    2 Golgi at 50++
    The Hecatomb Dam/Rech
    A level 50 Heal/Rech

    Trying to find a way to separate the level boosting for the Hami-Os to avoid boosting them to 53's. But JUST with the Hami-Os at 50++ and the two IOs boosted to 50++ with 2 boosters apiecem you're looking at:

    Just under 73% Accuracy
    Just over 96% Damage
    Just under 73% End Reduction
    Just over 95% Heal
    Just over 65% Recharge.

    Tie on a Spiritual Radial Paragon and you get:

    Identical Acc/Damage/EndRed
    119% Heal
    Just under 98% Recharge

    Outside of ANY other buffs to recharge that's a 5.05 second recharge.
    Hasten brings it down under 4 seconds.
    With a bit of creative slotting it could probably be pushed to around 3 seconds.

    If you're doing Dark/Dark, I could almost see how it'd be a viable attack chain to go about spamming Siphon Life/Siphon Life/Dark Regen
  12. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Hollows View Post
    In the char select screen there is a % stage downloading. I have never seen this before but what it does is allow your account access to certain zones. Stage 4 allows access to all zones. Got through the 1st 3 in about 2 hrs or so. Stage 3 took the longest. But stage 4 has been stuck 0% for almost 12 hrs. Is there any way I can force this to finish downloading, or trigger it somehow?

    I have been a paying customer for over 70 months so I doubt my game status is the issue. I installed the launcher on this computer last night as it's a new laptop. The problem might have occurred when I entered the game (at the completion of stage 3 download) b4 stage 4 finished it's downloading sequence. Any ideas? Thanks in advance for any and all help.

    *Edit* - As I clicked submit, it started downloading. Sorry for the useless post.

    Heh! Sorry. Not laughing at you (well, maybe a bit), but mostly laughing with you.

    This is one of the problems with the staged downloader. It's not always intuitive.
  13. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Lothic View Post
    assuming you forget all the above mentioned problems with the ship surviving that impact/maneuver intact.
    To hell with the ship. Something with that much kinetic energy and that durable would do catastrophic damage to the earth's crust and probably the outer/upper mantle as well.

    And you now have two new versions of Yellowstone Park coming into existence in under a day.

    Also think about the difference between exit and entry wounds of a hollow-point bullet. (Small hole going in, and massive ejection of material on the backside.)

    Not to mention the amount of thermal radiation such a reentry would bring to the table.

    And the pressure wave would essentially turn every living thing in a certain radius of the impact site into chunky salsa.


    What? I'm a physics geek too. That's why I LOVE mecha!
  14. Okay, as some people have noticed, there are several forums here on the boards where Free and Premium players are being allowed to post.

    Here's a list as of 09/26/2011


    English

    Français

    Deutsch

    09/26/2011 (02:00 PM Central): Zwill/Avatea have fixed the French and German Tech Support forums so they are now accessible for Freems and Preems.
    09/26/2011 (03:00 PM Central): Zwill informed me that access to the Beta forums has been stripped.
  15. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Aether_Crash View Post
    color me confused. i thought only VIPs could post on the forums, so whats the point in giving a VIP rank when thats all that will be posting?
    Actually no.

    There are certain forums that are unlocked for Premiums (and I'm guessing Freemies).
  16. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Xanatos View Post
    ...but no points?

    WTF.

    Where's my free stuff?
    Betting the tokens drop on (or near) your sub date and the points drop at the beginning/end of the month.
  17. Quote:
    Originally Posted by FloatingFatMan View Post
    Comments like this serve only to get people's backs up and REALLY don't help anything...
    Maybe. Maybe not. The thing is, my comment delivers the basic gist of what people are telling him.

    At some point certain things just need to be said flat out with no ambiguity. In these forums, subtlety and ambiguity in flat text only serve to prolong arguments like this past any form of useful lifespan. Being PC and pussyfooting around the issue serves no further purpose. Yes, some people aren't emotionally prepared for blunt truth and get offended.

    We're now what? 200+ posts into this thread?

    How long are we going to dance around the basic point?

    Does this make me look like an insensitive Summon One Beach when I cut to the chase? Sure!

    While it may not seem courteous, rather than stringing the person I'm addressing along with platitudes, I'm doing them a favor of rigidly delineating my response so they aren't confused in any way shape or form and I don't waste 15 or 20 posts dribbling my thoughts in on them bit by bit.

    They're free to respond in any manner they wish (positive or negative) to it, but like it or hate it you know where I stand on the subject.
  18. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Father Xmas View Post
    Actually I had to do that when I was in high school. My house was on top of one hill, the school another and I was just inside the border that marked who could take a bus and who couldn't. On top of that the school system's superintendent rarely if ever called a snow day even though every town around us did.

    Ice storms were the worse.

    Of course nowadays schools call in a snow day if the forecast hints at snow the next day. Wimps.
    And if someone asks you for a quarter, do you regale them of the time you killed a grizzly bear with your loose leaf notebook?
  19. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rodion View Post
    If you allow the threads and salvage we have now to open the new incarnate slots and build the new powers, then thousands -- okay, hundreds -- of players will have those new powers 5 minutes after they log the first time, without running any of the new trials.
    My response is "So what?"

    If they're already rocking the other trials so endlessly, there's a good chance they'll hit these too. And if they have them in minutes, who actually cares? I don't. It doesn't affect me at all. Indeed, if they actually were crazy enough to do that many damn trials to build up reserves they DESERVE to be able to immediately craft up.



    Quote:
    You seem to misunderstand me. I'm not in favor of new currencies, I'm just speculating what the apparent motivations of the developers are and what the consequences of reusing existing currencies would be. I'm assuming the devs don't want players to get instant access to new powers because it "cheapens" the content, making it possible to obtain it with no further investment in time and money. Which is contrary to obvious business goals.
    Nah, I understood. I'm just venting my irritation at the haphazard nature of the system.

    Quote:
    The other problem is that many players feel cheated when others are able to get something immediately and they aren't. The devs don't want parts of the player base to become disenchanted when a subset of players gets something "too fast."
    Which is kind of what I'm irritated about. Now, if it is merely a difference between running tons of them to build stuff up that's one thing. If its' "SuperJoeBlow ran 30 trials and got all the salvage he'll need to craft tier 4's" while SuperJohnDoe runs 10x that many and is still having problems getting stuff together or is having to cash in Empyreans due to the luck(lessness) of the drop? That's what irritates me.
  20. Quote:
    Originally Posted by DarkSideLeague View Post
    Enhancement scaling will cut your values in half - meaning you'd need 2 SO's worth of accuracy to soft-cap against even cons. Those of us with IOed build will need yellows to hit things with any ease - and that Ruin Mage at the end of the first mission makes things more tricky.
    I sit at about 45% Acc on my attacks. I honestly didn't notice all that many misses. Maybe against higher level enemies with higher levels of defense I might miss more. But I quite honestly didn't notice.

    Maybe on someone squishier, I might notice more.

    As to getting annoyed when exemping. All I can really say is "grow thicker skin".
  21. "Very funny Agnes. Just here for my weekly deposit."
    "..."
    "What? Agnes, put your hands down."
    "NOBODY MOVE! MOVE AND YOU'RE DEAD!"
    "Oh crap..."
    "Shakes! We got a meta here! Put him down!"
    "Look man! I don't want any trouble. Just calm dowOOF!"
    "He's still moving! Hit him again!"
    "Look! I'm down! Just stop! AH! Come on man!"
    "How about THIS big boy? I figure all the tough'll go outta you when I put a bullet in your ear. How's that grab ya? Huh? How's that grab YAHHHH!!!"
    "You asked for it..."

    "Jeeze man."
    "Yeah. I kinda lost it."
    "Lost it? That guy was a heavy-duty meta tank and you came close to busting every bone in his body!"
    "C'mon Spitz. What was I supposed to do?"
    "And the gunman. I've seen capes bend up guns before. But usually they take them out of the guy's hand first!"
    "Can you be serious for even a second?"
    "Listen. I AM being serious. You're a meta who's NOT registered for crimebusting. And here you are, smack dab in the middle of busting up a bank heist!"
    "Again! What was I supposed to do? Let him put a bullet in me?"
    "No man! I'm just saying, you have to look at this from our perspective."
    "I guess..."
    "Don't guess! I'm serious here! You can't go around pulling stunts like this without registering. It's only the fact that we have witnesses corroborating your self-defense story that's keeping you out of jail now."
    "Okay! Okay! My bad! But what do I do now?"
    "Well, I have to issue you a citation for illegal vigilante action. It's a mandatory court date and a hefty fine. But it's either that or haul you off to jail and you go to court anyhow."
    "Jeeze. Okay. Okay. What else do I need to do to make this go away?"
    "Well, I dunno about you. But I can think of one thing I'd do to make the judge go easy on me."
    "What?"
    "Get your plus-sized backside down to Atlas Park and register as a cape. Today."
    "Me? A spandex guy? C'mon. What the hell am I gonna do."
    "Need I look around this bank again?"
    "Uh. Point taken."
    "And when I say today, I mean as soon as I let you go."
    "Lemme guess. So I can argue I was going to register anyhow right?"
    "Wow. Maybe that siesta you took during the Rikti Invasion actually allowed you to grow a brain."
    "Oh ha. Ha. Ha. Ha."
    "I kill me."
    "Promises promises. So, what's with all the hard-case cop routine man?"
    "The aforementioned Rikti Invasion man. While you were vacationing in the land of Valium, it was absolute hell on earth out there."
    "Crap! I'd heard things, but I really never got a chance to dig into it before it was over."
    "Well, they don't like to talk about it but we lost nearly half the force. And even now, we're still at only about seventy percent. That's why we've been more lax with capes in the last few years. We need the help that bad."
    "Damn. If I'd known how bad it was, I'd have fought harder to return to duty."
    "Wouldn't have done you any good. The meta divisions really have no place for you. You're too big for the power armor division. You've got no psi. And I'm fairly sure I know what your answer would be if you were asked to bond with one of those squiddy Kheldians."
    "Man. Just thinking about that makes my flesh creep."
    "That's a lot of creeping."
    "Ah. You hunger for a big knuckle sammich eh?"
    "Nah. On a low knuckle diet. But seriously. About the best they could have done was chain you to a desk answering phones."
    "Just what I'd need."
    "Seriously though. The department needs help. You may not be able to wear a shield anymore. But you can contribute."
    "I dunno man. I still think I'd look stupid in tights."
    "I don't think. I know. And yeah, you would."
    "Thanks."
    "No charge. But whether you look dumb or not, register. You'd look even dumber in a mugshot and locked up as a public menace."
    "Point taken."

    "Okay. We have your registration papers in order. We've got a lock on your MediPort tag for priority access. And we've given you your contacts sheet. And while there's no regulations against working in street clothes, we highly recommend some form of uniform. It'll help the authorities identify you as something other than a random vigilante."
    "Tights?"
    "Uhm. No. You probably want to look at something a bit more...durable. Maybe some kind of ballistic cloth. Kevlar. Maybe even armor."
    "Okay. And how am I supposed to afford this?"
    "Well, the various super-tailors around the city are fairly reasonable for new heroes. They tend to like to try out some of their experimental stuff before they go into full production. From what I understand, you can pick up something at least serviceable for cheap. It's only the really famous guys who come away several pounds lighter in the pocketbook."
    "Okay. I'll see what I can do about that."
    "All we need now is an ID or callsign."
    "Captain Kaboom?"
    "Known villain. You don't want that."
    "Ow. Okay, Thunderstrike?"
    "Taken."
    "Hyperslam?"
    "Taken."

    "Taken."
    "Jeeze! We've been at this over an hour! Are all the names taken?"
    "Well, there are a lot of you guys out there."
    "I guess. How about ..."
    "Got it!"
    "Phew!"
    "Okay. Paperwork good. Tracking good. Callsign?"
    "Hyperstrike."
  22. "Sorry about that."
    "Don't worry about it. We'll add it to your bill.
    "Funny."
    "Well, since I can't compete with crushing a steel railing, I have to fall back to humor. Keeps me alive longer."
    "Gah!"
    "Yeah, you've been in bed for over two years here. It's going to hurt to move and stand. Just, please, try not to grab me."
    "Yeah. Tell Jim that I'm sorry about that broken shoulder again when you see him"
    "Well, he had been complaining that he needed a vacation. This was his chance."
    "Yeah, but it's really hard to go surfing when you have your shoulder pinned together."
    "But not impossible. He just doesn't want it badly enough."
    "Gah! Stop! Lemme catch my breath. Man, it's like you guys joined the Lollipop Guild."
    "Huh?"
    "He's saying you're short Bob."
    "Doc! Hi! How's rounds this morning?
    "Almost done. How's our favorite patient this morning?"
    "SICK of hospital food."
    "Naturally. If it was nice in the hospital, nobody would ever want to get well. The lousy food is part of the incentive program."
    "So when do I get booted to a therapy facility?"
    "Well, we're setting that up now. It's not like we can just send you anyplace. Could you imagine sticking you on a floor that's used to hauling around little grannies with broken hips?"
    "But I'm going soon right?"
    "Yeah. Probably by the end of the week. You've got a lot of physical rehab to get going with."
    "Well, it's kinda hard to get wheelchairs in my size."
    "They usually say Peterbilt."
    "Bob. Give us a couple minutes here. I've got him."
    "Okay Doc. Buzz when you're done."

    "Okay. So what's with the hush hush?"
    "Well, the rehab facility is also going to be running test on you to gauge your strength, reflexes, the whole shebang."
    "Great. So more needles?"
    "Actually no. Your skin's too thick and hard now. Trying to get through it now would require a chainsaw. Good thing we installed the mediporter implant already."
    "I still feel kinda funny about that."
    "Don't worry. There's been a couple massive leaps in the technology in the last six months. They no longer need to be so tightly calibrated to you. And more, no batteries. It's an implant and draws a small amount of necessary current from your body."
    "Sorry, just a deep-seated neurosis on my part. But why the extra testing? Really? It's not like I'm going to go out super-heroing. Right now I'm the Incredible Feeb."
    "Yes, but even so, your strength is quite literally beyond our ability to measure here. They'll have more specialized equipment there. Don't worry. The testing is just a small portion of your overall rehab. It's just going to take time to get used to your new body proportions. We're going to get you walking again."
    "Even if it kills me."
    "Won't. Mediporter. Remember?"

    "Doc. Tell me what's wrong with me. I've been up and walking for nearly six months now. Why the hell does it still hurt so much?"
    "Your body's probably still adapting to it's new configuration. It's going to take time. And as I told you, the discomfort may never go away completely. I'm sorry."
    "Great. It's like trying to run across a bed of nails on my knees whenever I walk."
    "Give it time. Remember, you're over twice the mass you were prior to this all. And while your joints are larger and stronger, they're still going to need to some time to adjust."
    "Story of my life..."
    "So tell me. How'd your last round of metrics go?"
    "They're going to have to replace the punch plate impact sensor."
    "Again? That's the third one this year!"
    "Yeah. They haven't gotten a handle on my upper limits yet. Just wish it didn't hurt so much."
    "Still tearing up your hands?"
    "Yeah. I may be super-tough, but my hands can only handle so much."
    "They're getting tougher though?"
    "Yeah. But every time I let rip, I wind up breaking most of my knuckles and ripping up the skin. Whether I punch properly or not."
    "We'll see about getting you some protective wear. But your hands look fine right now."
    "Healing. My healing ability has accelerated some and I actively heal now. Usually, with my hands, it takes about 10 minutes and they're fine."
    "Okay. But we should still get you some protection...and a haircut. I'm glad your hair's growing back."
    "I wish it'd stop. This is my second haircut this week."
    "Maybe you should just let it grow long and tie it back."
    "Oh boy. Hippie hair. Or, with the color, something from an anime convention."

    "Oh man. That's the fourth heavy bag this week!"
    "Boy! Who taught you how to fight?"
    "You did coach."
    "Ha ha. Funny! Now answer the question."
    "I learned how to box before I was like this. Had some Tae Kwon Do for a couple years. But it isn't really helping. I move differently now. So it's still awkward."
    "Son, with your power levels, you never going to be a finesse brawler. Ever."
    "I've been telling you that."
    "But you can't just let fly with full-power punches either. You'll either leave yourself open or worse, kill someone by accident!"
    "With as strong as I am, killing someone by accident is going to happen. Period."
    "No! No it isn't. You just need to unlearn a couple things about fighting. The doctors have an idea on what your upper limits are now. So we can train some of what you need. The rest is just practice and muscle memory. Just like boxing."
    "But how the heck am I supposed to hit someone without basically splattering them?"
    "You know how to pull a punch right?"
    "Well yeah but.."
    "But nothin'! Back when you were, for lack of a better term, normal, you were taught to fight using limited muscle power. You were basically taught to punch or kick *through* something. You can't do that anymore."
    "But..."
    "No listen. I've helped train dozens of super-strength types like yourself to fight. I can train you too, it's good physical therapy. You just gotta be willing to learn."
    "Yes sensei..."
    "Just for that crack, ten more sets. Well...as soon as I get a new bag hung."

    "Good! Good! You're getting the hang of it."
    "So. Golden Gloves next year?"
    "Yeah right! They don't have an ultra-heavyweight division. And if they weren't suspicious by you being eight feet tall and purple-haired, they'd be looking at you funny after you knocked your opponent into the tenth row on the first punch."
    "Well yeah. But what a record!"
    "Okay enough with the jokes. You're moving a lot easier now. You aren't tripping over yourself anymore. How're you doing on pain management?"
    "Not too bad. It's like working out too hard and being really sore the next day. But it never really goes away. But it's a lot better than it used to be."
    "What do the sawbones say about that?"
    "Doc Milton says it's a side-effect of the increased healing factor. It's basically trying to constantly repair everything, even when it doesn't need to. So I'm getting small amounts of inflammation everyplace as the repair process does its thing. They don't think it's going to go away completely, so I'm essentially going to have to live with it and only use painkillers if it gets really bad. Four thousand milligrams of Tylenol 3's ain't cheap."
    "How're those gloves doing for your hands?"
    "Great! The padding and reinforcement are making the difference. If I punch barehanded, I'm still tearing up my hands. But not so badly. With the gloves, I can basically haul off and whack something at nearly full strength and I barely feel it. The gloves don't even get damaged. So whatever the heck they made them out of is ridiculously durable."
    "Probably Impervium mesh. You'll have to replace the coverings every now and again. But the basic underglove should be good for pretty much ever."
    "I can't believe my insurance actually paid for these."
    "Insurance? Pfft! They didn't drop dime one for these puppies!"
    "Then how the heck did I get them?"
    "Hero Registration."
    "Hero reg... Oh come on man! You can't register me for that kinda thing without my consent!"
    "What consent? Registration for someone in your power class is mandatory. Even if the only thing you ever bust is a move."
    "Oy..."
    "No. Seriously. Someone like you needs to be registered. This way if there are any problems, like you accidentally rip a door off its hinges or something, the police don't immediately try to respond with lethal force."
    "You're gotta be sh...no. You're not are you?"
    "Nope. It's not like you have to go and get your hero ID card. But the city needs to keep tabs on all metahumans. The last thing they want is a lawsuit because some poor schmuck gets his fool head blown off because he's meta and unregistered."
    "Well why are they sending me stuff like these? This is crimebusting gear isn't it?"
    "Yes and no. By registering, you're going to get pestered by some of the "hero for hire" groups. Like Hero Corps. It's kinda like being a top prospect for collegiate or pro sports."
    "Recruiters? Bribes?"
    "Kinda. Yeah to the recruiters. And kinda yeah to the bribes. But hey, you have any idea what a set of impervium mittens like those cost? More than *I* will ever see in my lifetime. And you need them kid. Even if you never throw another punch save in training, you still need them until they find some way to toughen your hands up enough."
    "So basically just go along, make nice noises and smile a lot. Like I did in high school."
    "Now you're getting it!"

    "Ma! Come on! I'm fine!"
    "No! Seriously! I'm good! I've been out of rehab six months now and I'm working part time as an auctioneer at this place called Wentworths."
    "Yeah mom. I'm getting enough to eat. Heck, if this job didn't pay so well, I'd go broke."
    "I know. I know. I tried talking to the police union again. But they essentially pensioned me off after the accident. I couldn't get a job as a mall cop now."
    "Yeah. I have some paid time off coming up in a couple months. I'll make the flight back to Chicago for a couple days."
    "Mom! I swear! I'll get back there if I have to fly myself!"
    "What? No! I told you! Yes! Yes I did! I can fly! Yeah. It's still weird. But I can! No it's slower than a jet, but hey, you can't beat the view. Or the price."
    "No! I'll stay close to the ground. I promise. If I have to, I'll skim a couple feet off the ground all the way."
    "Mom. MOM! I know you love me, but can you go do the "concerned mother" thing to Ben or Aaron for a while? It's driving me nuts! Well...nuts-ER!"
    "Okay mom. Gotta go. I'll talk to you later."
    "No mom! I haven't been seeing anyone!"
    "Because most women see someone who's eight feet tall with a head of hair like a mop and find someplace else they need to be."
    "Yeah. Yeah. It doesn't work mom. I could buzz it off right now and it'd be back at shoulder length tomorrow."
    "Yeah mom. It's abnormal! So's being eight feet tall, super-strong and bulletproof."
    "Okay! Gotta go now! Bye!"
  23. "Jeeze! What's it take to kill these guys? My shotgun isn't doing squat to them, the stun grenades didn't stun them, and my pistol is about as useful as a squirt gun!"
    "I dunno. Roman's dead, Blockhead's comatose and we're still not sure WHAT happened to Pyron."
    "Less talk, more put your radiation gear on!"
    "Yeah yeah uh...Coronoal...uuh what was your name again?"
    "Never mind. Take this."
    "What is it?"
    "It's an experimental teleporter. It monitors your vital signs and if you're close to death, teleports you out to one of several pre-designated extreme trauma centers."
    "Great. Hope I don't need it."
    "Yeah, Hope *I* don't need it either!"

    "Officer! Your suit is compromised! Get the hell outta here!"
    "Can't! The exit's cut off. Don't worry, if it doesn't go on too long I'll be okay."
    "Huh?"
    "Mutant. Minor regeneration ability."
    "This is hard radiation!"
    "Yeah, stuff like this feeds my ability."
    "...Okay, but the first chance you get, run for it! Here they come again."
    "I got it! Look out! He's..GAH!"
    "He's out Stormy. Hope that teleporter kicks in. That way SOMEONE here will know what happened."
    "It's not that bad yet! We can still salvage this."
    "No. We can't! Get ready to..what the hell?"
    "That was the cop? What happened?"
    "Dunno, but he spattered that guy's head and then disappeared. Guess that means that teleporter worked."
    "With his fist?"
    "Dunno."
    "Well, that's it. I've only got one trick left up my sleeve. Sorry Jim. I wish it didn't go down this way. You ready?"
    "No. But when did that ever stop me."
    "Goodbye."

    "Get him into a containment room! He's hot!"
    "What the hell happened to him?"
    "Don't know but get him contained before we irradiate everyone in this area!"
    "Okay! This is our last containment room. Jeeze! What's going on out there! It's like every one of the test subjects has come through here at least once today!"
    "They're saying some sort of alien invasion. Their ships are all over the place. Heck, they even blew up something in Vegas from what I understand."
    "Did we give a mediporter to the police department?"
    "No. We stayed almost exclusively with metas. Why?"
    "He's got a PPD badge. And he's got ID on him. Plus, no super-tights."
    "Lemme check the teleporter's ID tag. Coronal Mass Ejection. Some kind of shape shifter and energy manipulator."
    "No, this ain't him. How'd he get a hold of that guy's mediporter?"
    "No clue."
    "But aren't they supposed to be calibrated to the wearer's bio signature? What's that going to do to someone else?"
    "Again, not a clue."
    "But..."
    "Look! He needs medical attention, not chitchat, and he needs it now. Prep him for surgery!"

    "Hi there! Welcome back to the land of the living."
    "Rrrgh.."
    "No no! Please don't try to get up. You've been through major surgery and it really wouldn't be good for you right now."
    "..."
    "Here. Let me give you some water. There! Now please. We had to temporarily restrain you. You kept trying to get up and we couldn't let you hurt yourself."
    "Ugh. Okay."
    "Officer. What's the last thing you remember."
    "Gah! Did anyone get the number of the aircraft carrier that ran me over?"
    "Heh! Good. Good! But really, what's the last thing you remember."
    "I was down at the power company and...man this sounds so stupid...there was some kind of alien invasion there. A group of the tights-brigade came through and tried to put these guys down. I hooked up with them and we fought our way in. It went south really fast on us. The last thing I remember is this huge fricking blade coming into my peripheral vision and hitting a wall. Not much after that."
    "Do you remember how you got the mediporter?"
    "Huh?"
    "You had a device that teleported you to a critical care center."
    "Oh that. One of the guys...Cor...Cor...forgetting his name right now. My head's killing. Anyhow he gave it to me."
    "..."
    "What's with the goofy look? What happened to me? Am I crippled?"
    "We don't think so."
    "Then what? What happened to me?"
    "Please. Calm down. As far as we can tell, you're going to be okay...eventually."
    "What? EVENTUALLY? What's that supposed to mean?"
    "Please. Just try to remain calm. I'll try to outline what's happened to you."
    "Okay. Lemme guess. Radiation. Made my hair fall out."
    "Well, yes, and no. That's just one thing."
    "Why do people always want to dole out bad news to me in monosyllables?"
    "Okay. We have a couple things going on with you. First off, you were already a very low-class metahuman."
    "Why THANK YOU!"
    "I mean that you weren't some crime-busting energy-thrower, or something like that."
    "Ah."
    "Anyhow, you got a HUGE dose of radiation. We've been doing our best to give you therapy designed to absorb all that radiation, but it's still going to be a while before you're "safe" to be around. On top of that, you were dealt a MASSIVE injury. Something that, by all rights, should have killed you. And it probably would have had you not gotten assistance when you did."
    "So that's why I feel like I got hit by a fleet of steamrollers."
    "And we've got you doped up pretty hard too. By all rights, you should be unconscious right now."
    "Hooray for me."
    "On top of that, you took a ride on a VERY experimental new teleportation device. It's so new that units have to be individually calibrated to their user's basic biometric parameters."
    "So...what?"
    "So using the mediporter, like several other things, should have killed you. Literally, if it weren't for your basic healing ability, you'd probably be dead right now. As it is, there have been major alterations to your body."
    "Please tell me I don't have a head growing out of my stomach or anything..."
    "No. But you've had a fairly significant growth spurt."
    "Huh!?!?!?"
    "How tall are you?"
    "About six feet tall."
    "Actually, you were five eleven when you came in. Two days after you came in, we measured you at six foot two as you literally outgrew a couple of the splints we'd put you into. Today, nearly a week and a half after, you're almost six foot six and, as far as we can tell, you're not done."
    "Okay, you're joking right? I'm in my late twenties! My bone plates, or whatever are closed. I saw that in my last physical!"
    "Not anymore. The areas you're talking about have decalcified and there's active growth going on again. In fact, you're not just getting taller. You're putting on extra mass as well. Broadening across the shoulders, chest circumference, etc."
    "Okay, so it's like the growth pains I hade when I was a teenager?"
    "But worse. You're not putting on inches in months of time. You're putting on inches in days here. Hence the heavy medication. It's also why we have you restrained. We're not sure what else happened, but you're immensely strong right now."
    "Well I could use a bath.."
    "Sorry, but this isn't something funny. You've already seriously hurt two people and you've destroyed quite a bit of equipment. Purely by accident, but there it is."
    "So what? You're just going to keep me doped up until I stop growing?"
    "Well, we're going to try and pull back from knocking you out if you'll try to keep yourself under control. Just relax and let us help you. Right now you're like an oversized puppy, but with even worse fine motor control. The other thing we've got going with you is a high-nutrient IV solution to keep your body supplied with the things it needs to build new muscle, bone, and the like."
    "Breakfast of Champi..."
    "Yeah. Not funny."
    "Sorry."
  24. "This looks like a job for SuperSon!"
    "Ma! Come on! It was old about thirty seconds after I got home. Please just stop it!"
    "Yes oh mighty SuperSon!"
    "Gah! Dad! Can you just shoot me now!"
    "C'mon hon. I'm joking with you. Seriously. How long are you going to stay mad about this?"
    "I don't think they've invented a number quite that big yet..."
    "Okay. Okay. I'll drop it. But we do need to talk to you about what comes next."
    "Well, since my career choices have dwindled to "gas station" or "burger hut", I'm not too worried. There's always work."
    "No hon. It isn't. Your dad wanted to talk to you about maybe going to the police academy. Your uncle also asked about you possibly joining the fire department. But your father told him he'd shoot you in the head himself before he let you "join the dark side"."
    "But I don't want to ride in on someone's coattails! That was the whole reason for me going to college. To do my own thing."
    "Well, who's to say your own thing isn't as a police officer? Your grades in school were good, and your aptitude tests were enough that you'd probably already start with a leg up."
    "I dunno ma. Really. Can you give me a couple days to think about it? I mean really think about it?"
    "Okay. I'll leave it alone for now. But not forever."
    "Says the woman whose foot was firmly lodged in my backside throughout high school..."
    "Yup. Just wiggle my toes and it's almost like you're talking..."
    "Gross ma!"
    "Glad you appreciated it!"
    "Okay. What task does Mighty Mom need SuperSon's help for?"
    "The villainous "Garbage" is making a nuisance of itself and needs to be taken out and disposed of.
    "Yes oh MightyMom!"

    "Paragon City? With all the tights-wearing yoohoos?"
    "Dad! I'm not going out there to put a costume on. I've got a job offer from the Paragon Police Department."
    "What's wrong with Chicago?"
    "Nothing! Well, everything! The whole stupid situation with the department trying to purge itself of "super cops" and all that."
    "Bah! It'll blow over."
    "Yeah dad. Maybe! But am I going to still have a job when it does? It ain't the most friendly place in my precinct right now. And I don't fly or shoot laser beams or anything."
    "But..."
    "In the mean time, I've got a solid job offer in another city that's got no issues with me not being a "normal". Not to mention the pay is better than anything "Da Mare" has given us lately."
    "But cops out there get killed by those super-crazies!"
    "And cops out here get killed by coked up crazies with guns. What's the difference?"
    "The coke fiends don't normally explode and take you with them."
    "No, but you haven't seen the kit they give even basic troopers out there. Makes the stuff we issue to SWAT and the bomb squad look like a steel drum with shoulder straps."
    "Yeah but stun guns?"
    "Yeah, not tasers. Actual stunner weapons. Straight outta Star Trek."
    "I dunno..."
    "Dad. I know. You're a thirty year veteran of the CPD. You're set. You wanted me to have that same kind of security. I understand. I do! But I gotta do this. I gotta do it now before those bastards drive me nuts and give them a reason to dismiss me for real cause."
    "But cops don't do tha.."
    "They do dad. Not all of them. Most of the guys are fine. The problem childen are a minority. But a very VOCAL and well connected minority. And I'm not one for peeing into the breeze here."
    "Well, if you're dead-set on this..."
    "Bah. It's New Hampshire. What's New Hampshire going to do to a Chicago boy? Bleed blue blood on me?"

    "God I miss Chicago."
    "Tell me about it."
    "But you were born here Spitz."
    "But, like you, I was dumb enough to take a job here."
    "Touche!"
    "So we had another one of these "Superadine" junkies come through yesterday. Took six of us and one of the guys in those new exo suits to get him into a cell. That's what? Five this month?"
    "Seven. We had two of them today too. Didn't need to find them, they actually tried storming the precinct. Thought my hair would never stop standing up after all the stunner discharge. They put McMasters and Volmer in the hospital before we got them subdued. Then one of them actually ripped out of his cell and we had to tackle him again. I swear, if this keeps up, I'm going to go back to a standard sidearm again."
    "Captain won't like that."
    "Captain can't chew my butt any more than he already is. All he gets now is scar tissue. No regulations against it yet. And that prattling twit isn't the one having to deal with some blockhead hopped up on some sort of super 'roids. His nose is buried so far up the Comissioner's... Bah, forget it. Been over this before."
    "So. Who's your hot date tonight?"
    "No date. Just a cousin who just moved into town."
    "Ooh. She pretty?"
    "Wouldn't know, since it's a "he"."
    "So what's he do?"
    "He's got a job up at the power plant."
    "The reactor? Isn't one mutie in your family enough?"
    "Remind me to rap you upside the head with a baseball bat a couple times later."
    "Yes SIR!"
    "Haven't seen him since he joined the Navy a few years back. He worked on a nuclear sub for his entire time in service. Now he's out and apparently got a HUGE payday out of the guys at the power company for his services here."
    "So he can pay for brews when we go out right?"
    "Well, for ME maybe. You'd bankrupt him."
    "I don't drink THAT much."
    "Dude! It's like ten AM and you have a brew in your hand? What? Is that like your third?"
    "Fifth, I cleaned the other bottles up a ittle while ago..."
    "I rest my case. See ya later Spitzy. If Marylin calls, tell her I'll call her back when I get home."
    "Vaya con ding dongs!"

    "Officer. You're not trained for this sort of thing!"
    "You wanna go back over your previous statement for the logical inconsistencies?"
    "Look. We don't know what the heck we're dealing with in there. Some sort of super-powered aliens. They're popping up all over the globe and attacking anything that even remotely resembles a resistance. And now they here in the reactor."
    "All the more reason for me to come with you. You're what? Eight guys? Against how many?"
    "You can't come with us! And that's final!"
    "Like hell! See the badge? The one that says Paragon POLICE Department? We have a bunch of murders here. One of whom was my cousin! Now with you or without you, I'm heading in there and I'm going to do my damndest to bring these criminals to justice. I don't care if they're bug-eyed monsters, greys, or red lectroids from the eigth dimension. Got that?"
    "I don't have time for this. Roman, grab hi.."
    "Yeah. It's a real gun. Not a stunner. Sure, you MAY be bulletproof. But, resting on the bridge of your nose that way, it's STILL going to hurt like hell and leave you blind for a while. Now I'm not arguing with you any more. Let's get going."
    "Yes...sir..."