Kyzock

*Munches on Dee's ... ermm cookie, yeah...*

*Gives Dee a VERY inappropriate welcome-back hug!*

If you want to keep the psychic powers on the Praetorian version of V, sadly, as Hazmatter has already mentioned and from a slight RP point of view, the options are a bit limited, what with Mother's Psychic program in play. To overcome this obstacle, Praetorian V might have escaped a ride in the BAF by escaping, somehow, from the Seer Net's long arm. Her powers could've manifested at an earlier age to avoid such a stint. Of course, some fleshing out of the Praetorian counterpart's background might be in order.

Now, in-game-wise, you have several options as far as the psychic powers are concerned. You'll need to answer the following:

Archetype? Blaster, defender, controller, dominator? You COULD go with tank/scrapper/brute/mastermind/corruptor/stalker, as well, but these AT's might be too combat oriented for the overall character concept, as Primal V steers away from fighting/violence when possible. Then again, having the Praetorian V be a scrapper might be a hoot - it would be an "opposing personality" type of thing, as seen throughout Praetoria.

Powerset combos: Now, considering Praetorian V will be psychically gifted, this limits your choices to the above ATs first mentioned (defender, blaster, controller, dominator)...still, numerous combos are available to you. Perhaps Praetorian V is a good archer? (Trick Arrow/Psi Blast), or maybe she's a full blown psychic? (Psi Blast/MM blaster or Mind Control/Psi Assault dom.) You could also try a variant - perhaps she's a mental trickster with an empathic mind? (Illusion/Empath controller) Of course there's still several more options open...you also have to consider - what AT/powersets do YOU want to PLAY?

Few other details: Obviously with Primal V being an Arachnos Fateweaver, you wouldn't want the Praetorian version of her being an outright Loyalist/Seer (although you COULD go this route, sometimes extra-dimensional personalities don't vary very far from their primal counterpart kind of concept...) Remember, on Praetoria, we're dealing with "clouded mirror-images" characters of their Primal counterparts, so perhaps Praetorian V could be a Responsible Loyalist with a soft side for the Resistance? She could be a Resistance Warden, and only concerned with saving as many lives as possible (or at least, the more important lives that might matter to the Resistance cause.) She could also be out just for herself, killing whomever she pleases, when, where and how she sees fit.

Finally, Praetorian V could be the polar opposite of Primal V, in that Praetorian V is a full-blow, Resistance Crusader that has it out for ANYONE within the Praetorian government and will go to ANY lengths to see this government fall, by ANY means necessary.

Well, good luck with your project! Hope all our suggestions will help you greatly!

I'd have to disagree with the "dev canon is final" concept ... the "dev canon", although the basis behind CoH/CoV, is the story of the developers, told in-game, of course. There's far too numerous ways to go beyond the "dev canon" ... alien worlds (as previously mentioned with Kheldians, which are part of canon...), other dimensions (as shown in dev canon!), and of course players introducing their own plotlines (whether using AE or not.) There's plenty of story within canon, there's infinitely more stories beyond that canon.

However, there is absolutely NOTHING WRONG with roleplaying within the confines of dev canon.

It's just that RPers don't have to limit themselves to those confines. (Well ok, maybe sometimes certain people should play within those confines before experimenting with going beyond them. /e shrug.) Also: Of course when playing within the confines of canon, canon is the final word.

No, you don't have any sort of game in Dee's thread.

It's ALL ABOUT Dee's Cookies!

Many of your "RP Don'ts" have been discussed, at length, right here in these very forums. Now, while I can agree with a few of those don'ts, there's a couple of them that I have to say are "gray areas" of RP, which this very game of CoH allows us to explore.

1) The "Mary-Sueism" topic: Granted, noone wants to deal with any sort of over-powered character when RPing...however, this game REVOLVES around beings of all sorts possessing multitudes of varying levels of power. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Players can, and constantly will, make their characters as powerful as they can. Knowing how to build the character up and slotting it correctly will prevent MANY trips to the hopital, and provide the player with a character that can accumulate the in-game wealth of XP and inf at a faster rate. It will allow them to survive in the PvP environment longer if not outright win against their opponents. Not to mention the various ways any single character can be made given the powersets available...
Now, in regards to roleplaying such a character...be it a heroic, villainous, vigilant or roguish character...is a different matter, yet the option to do so is still there, still available to anyone that can make a toon in this game. Frown upon the fact if you must, but people are going to do it anyway, so might as well let them roleplay their character. It could provide any sort of plot with varying paths to take that could far exceed anyone's expectations.

2) Lore-breaking. I'll have to say that Lore-Breaking is also a gray subject. This very game borrows so much from mythology and ancient lore it's not even funny. Hell the devs could plot out the family trees of every single character in this game yet someone would still make a character "related to so-and-so NPC". Players are constantly creating toons based upon something else, as well...they've been inspired to make SuperMegaAwesome Guy! because obviously, Superman is taken but they want to experience what it's like to play a character similar to the legendary comic character. Where can anyone truly place such a limit on something like this in such a game as we play? Of course it will be difficult, challenging, hell even downright dumb sometimes, but it will happen. Also: beginners might shy away from getting into any sort of roleplay if they have it in their head they're gonna play whatever sort of character they want to, consequences be damned. In this regard, I suggest such beginners enter a trial roleplay with one of their pre-existing characters, located oh let's say Pocket D, which is perhaps one small (or major!) reason the devs put that in this game.

Now, I did say a couple of those topics I'd call "gray area" topics. This last topic, well, there's bound to be any numerous items not included in this last topic that should remain OOC-only. I'm just using an example of my own experience to point out there are ways around it.
3) I think this might be the final thing I'll come around to. The IC ≠ OOC subject. I bring this up due to some recent "trial-type" roleplaying I've been performing with one of my toons, and I'm mostly going to talk about using my personal knowledge of the in-game world with regards to the toon I played having the same knowledge. I was using a level 12 brute from the Isles; yet I played that toon has having knowledge of dimensional portals, various enemy groups, and certain NPCs without actually having the character read any of the history plaques available, fight those certain enemy groups AND even have an encounter with those certain NPCs. Now, my reasoning behind this? The media. Television, radio, propaganda and other outlets, as well as the character's unwritten background, to give the character that knowledge. This isn't saying the character knows EVERYTHING there is to know; far be it. I believe that there's bound to be certain things that should be common knowledge to most toons created for roleplay as to help accelerate things, give a story a bit of push when needed (sometimes they do, not always a bad thing now!) or to just give a character some sort of goal in their career.

I could also go on with the other topics mentioned here and how they can effectively be used in roleplay, and how they can also be annoyingly used. I'm not going to, though, because 1) I feel LoLspeak has very little room in actual roleplay. Unless the player is RPing some sort of clockwork, robot, or ex-Freakshowesque toon, well then ... no. Besides, there's enough acronyms in this game as it is. 2) I know for a fact that I'm guilty of metagaming in roleplays, because for the past 3 years I've kept my RP mostly to the forums for this game (yes I'm also guilty of 'lore-breaking' here too!) However, now that there IS the Architect system, every single active player of this game can tell whatever sort of story they want in their own words. We've all seen how 'meta-gaming' as been abused in AE, though, and I personally have found that doing such things can over-complicate matters. So, I adjusted my own roleplay style, in order to continue to participate without being that type of roleplayer. I also had to remind myself that even though we the players can make over-powered characters, these very creations of ours still have limits. 3) IC ≠ OOC is a major point in ANY sort of roleplay. The example you provided is an excellent one, and while not every single character can be made that has pre-existing knowledge to "search defeated foes for hidden weapons", just also happens to be an example that can mean life or death for any given hero that calls Paragon City home, and vice-versa for villains of the Isles!

One good thing about roleplaying in this game is that there are pre-established limits for all in-game characters (some AT/powerset combos can easily be defeated by others type of thing), so when establishing any form of in-game roleplay storyline, it's always good to establish a sort of common ground for all involved.

A female demons/traps mastermind...that goes from innocent looking schoolgirl to demonic, techno vixen... origin can be magic/tech/science/mutation.

Name? Well, those are a dime a dozen...so you might have to play with some variations on names I'm about to suggest: (also take advantage of the check name button; some names can be available on other servers that you might not play on...)

• Demonic Vixen
  Naughty Vixen
  Bratty Bomber
  Mostly Sunny
  No Chance in Hell
  Sunny Exposure
  Sunny Disposition
  Bombingly Delicious
  Sultry Miss Sunny

Costume choices depends on what boosters you have (or will get...)

At

The invisible energy pulses came flying into the chambers, battering Vetdjat to the floor. Several pulses slammed into the floor around Negative Rise, causing him to focus for a moment, as he embraced the darkness that seemed to blot out the light around him. A murky cloud shot upwards from his feet as a blackened shield of obsidian erupted from nowhere, encircling his carnal body.

He shifted his feet, crouching a bit as he placed himself into a combat stance, and unleashed his claws. He frantically scanned the chamber, trying to see if the only other Khelari he knew in this place was here. "TAMRAT! Vetdjat is fallen!" he shouted out as he continued to scan the room, taking note of the attackers' equipment and weapons.

The continued blasts from their pulse rifles seemed to continue to slam into the floor - the result of near-hits instead of near-misses. -'Whoever the HELLS these guys are - their aim isn't half bad...'- the demon let the thought pass as he moved over to the fallen Khelari, but not bothering to check the creature's vitals. If Vetdjat had died, he might possibly be able to detect the being's spirit leaving the body...so long as some of his hellish powers still remained. Keeping his eyes locked on one of the mysterious attackers, Nev'oroxis shoved his fist forward at the armored clad warrior, turning it over as he opened his palm towards himself. Then, he waved his fingers, motioning for the gunman to come in closer ... "Your trinkets have no chance of hitting me!" he shouted at the one he had been staring at. As he called out, a glimmer of light reflected off his pure, black eyes. His claws were about to get bloodied yet again...

__________________________________________________ ___________________________

Ag'xis Time-Loop

Jerval's chanting had picked up speed, yet his pronunciation and recital was perfect. Dashing a few more components into an already chaotic mixture of other ingredients, the time was nearing that his spell would be complete.

'All in due time...' the chronomage jokingly reflected as his chants continued. Mystic energies had been gathering for a while now ... coalescing at the center of a now hidden, woven web of time at the center of the circle of protection Jerval stood in.

__________________________________________________ ___________________________

Back on Patches...

Graxitica kept speeding forward, noticing several falling objects moments before...

His path was leading him straight for the Khelaris patch of this planet.

BlueBattler has already stated that he suffers from altitis. There's various reasons why he would want to do such a thing. Two of the more obvious reasons are A) He wants to create a toon as a sort of homage to the game, and thus integrate that character into a piece of lore beyond what is actually in-game B) he's bored and/or run out of ideas.

Now as you've clearly stated you've seen it done before, and done well, why should any sort of restriction be placed upon Blue, or anyone else, for that matter? Ridicule and jokes aside, it's their $15/month, so let em do what they want.

At

Nev'oroxis lowered his face and shook his head from side-to-side.
"Actually, I've lost track of time, especially after recounting the lands of my world," he replied to Vetdjat's query. "So I guess you have the time then ... what else can you tell me of other worlds you've visited?"

Good thing I play on the US servers, and rarely RP any of my toons.

Back to the main subject: I believe if Blue can write the stories he does, he can pull off RP'ing any toon with any sort of familial history to canonical NPCs. It's highly doubtful many other players would be able to perform such a feat.

Where'd my particle accelerator-powered pump go?

Hami raids can't be done in the new zones. Which is odd because Hami rules almost all the outside areas in Praetoria.

Also - the enhancements given out on Hami raids can now be obtained (although synthetically) via a Statesman TF or LRSF.

Also one of the new shiny things that has been introduced is PvP IOs...which if you accumulate enough Merits, Hero/Villain Merits, and INF, you can buy those. As well as purple recipes. Most other IO recipes can be bought with just regular merits.

Good thing I don't RP in the Unionverse then. Also a good thing I don't RP a bunch of my toons in-game with - because that's just ugh.

Hey - Primal Earth and Praetoria Earth, while not excessivley HUGE planets, are still pretty big places. So while Cole has his Praetors in Praetoria City, and there are definitely other cities on Praetorian Earth; Praetor positions are bound to be open to anyone who are strong enough and willing enough to take them.

Of course, that is, if the other cities don't use a ranking structure like Praetoria City does. /e shrug. Perhaps the devs could've put the word "Praetor" on the bad words list for when people make toons. Also yes it's quite obvious toons that haven't reached 50 yet shouldn't even be called Praetors - but the devs should've made it a 1-50 expansion from the get-go.

Welcome back! I guess you've missed out on tons of stuff, but all in all it's for the better.

The changes have made the game better btw.

Pinnacle hasn't changed much!

Oh, Fea, you missed my earlier posting in this thread - I don't make toons related to canon NPCs. Also - these two particular toons are the ONLY ones I use any sort of anything from CoH canon in the backgrounds.

Anyone else that uses family history with canonical NPCs has to be a damn good writer like BlueBattler is. Otherwise - yeah what you were getting at lol.

The closest I've come to using any sort of canon in my toons backgrounds have been with my first level 50 toon: Officer Reno, and his Praetorian counterpart: Praetor Reno.

Officer Reno (son/nrg blaster) is a former NYPD officer who transferred to Paragon City around the time of the first Rikti invasion (although my badges don't reflect this - dammit! I would've had it though if I got the game 2 years earlier!) He joined the PPD, and during his time in the PPD he gained his powers from being injected by a crazed scientist that was working with the Skulls to produce insane amounts of Superadyne. That scientist actually got a particular needle filled with nanobots from another scientist/doctor, my main mastermind Doctor Mechan. Neither of these villains are in any piece of canon, just the whole Skulls/Superadyne/PPD thing. I can use my late arrival to CoH for this part: Officer Reno retired from the PPD, not doing much of anything after being injected. He laid low, until he discovered the nanobots weren't going to kill him. Now he fights crime as - of course, Officer Reno!

Praetor Reno (elec/psi and elec/nrg dom[2 versions on different servers]), on the other hand, is a hardcore Loyalist. He isn't a Praetor in Praetoria City, and with the lack of background on Praetoria Earth I can't narrow down where he actually came from. I could say New Vegas or New Orlando since those cities are mentioned in story arcs in Praetoria, but I'd rather him be closer to NYC than anywhere else. If NYC still exists in Praetoria, then that's where he's from, that's where he helped fight back against Hamidon and other threats to Praetoria (and Cole's administration as President and Emperor), and where he obtained his cybernetic arms. By no means is Praetor Reno THE city leader, however. He was just able to obtain a Praetorship from his loyalty, service and sacrifice. Now, he must do it all over again, as he's been on of the few Loyalists called up to be one of the first to crossover to Primal Earth.

See, toons don't have to be related to canon characters to have canon-esque backgrounds. Although I do see Blue's reasoning in wanting to do so - as I share in the insanity of altitis as well.

I suspect, in BlueBattler's case, is that he has altitis, been there done that, you know?

Besides, Blue's fanfics are FANTABULOUS. So I don't see why Blue can't do that. Now, any other tom, dick and harry? Yeah - I don't think so.

Personally, none of my toons (and I have over 160 of them!) are in no way remotely related to any of the canon NPCs, kinda due to facts mentioned in FFM's post.

So, if you're one hellatious writer, as in BlueBattler's case, go right ahead fine by me. Also, using lesser known and/or lesser seen NPCs from in-game seems to be the way to go as far as making your toon a leaf on the family tree of canon NPCs.

According to the Good Vs Evil edition map that was provided, on the Paragon City side of the map there's a dotted line from Siren's Call that leads north, which proceeds to Sharkhead Isle. On the Rogue Isles flipside, that same dotted line leads to the west. So, I'd say the Isles are northeast of Paragon.

That would put the Isles somewhere in the north, to the east of Canada. However, the Isles don't HAVE to be that far north, either. They're somewhere out in the Atlantic according to the map.

Hey I can't include every single thing in one post. CoH involves numerous subjects beyond just good vs. evil, but in the end it all boils down to good vs. evil. It all is a journey, with no set destination point.

That's what all stories and RP plots are SUPPOSED to be anyway: Journeys. Currently the Unionverse RP'ers are on a journey to RP their characters within the confines of the established canon of CoH lore, which is fine and dandy to do. I imagine it's quite a difficult struggle, and a balance HAS to be maintained.

Also: Yes, CoH is a grand story delivered to us all by the game's developers, yet it's also one where we the players can transcend the story given to us, by introducing our own unique characters.

To answer Omega Chief's question as to why I'm RPing in CoH: I don't RP in-game very much. As a matter of fact, I limit my own in-game RP activities to Pocket D, mostly watching others, reading the local chat as it scrolls by. I have too many alts to bring in, because I have altitis.

So, I keep my RP activities to the forums mostly, which is a good exercise for me. It keeps my typing skills up, allows me to deliver some massive backgrounds for certain characters while keeping other backgrounds limited. I feel it provides me more flexibility with certain characters as well. It's also teaching me, because like so many people tend to do, I'm very guilty of god-modding characters, going over the top, so on and so forth. It's already helping me to become a better member of RP society.

Well, good luck with the future endeavors of the Unionverse.

-----------------------------------Nothing Follows-----------------------------------

Hell I'm not even on the Union server. I'm mainly a forum-RP type of person, and my forum RP style is FINALLY starting to develop into some form of actual RP. I just happened to drop into this thread and read up on it, and felt like I should voice what could have been taken as reasonable solutions to such a massive, wide-scale event.

Granted there's been a few that have rebutted my suggestions. Of course there's always going to be someone that's going to argue against such compromises. Also, just about EVERYONE has made a valid point on the subject of wide-scale player events.

There's a few things I'd like to point out to the Unionverse, however: A) Players can and constantly will continue to make toons that can easily overpower Statesman as a level 53 AV 1v1. The devs have clearly stated States is the most powerful NPC in CoH lore? OK, well, now we're talking about player-characters. Just because States or LR are the stated 'most-powerful' NPCs in CoH/CoV doesn't mean they're always going to be the hands down most powerful CHARACTERS in the game. Especially with the Incarnate system on the horizon. B) In any RP environment, players, and most notably the GMs running an RP plot, should honestly be allowed to introduce a wide-scale event. If the players aren't allowed to do so in an RP environment, then what's the point? I certainly don't see the point of having a bunch of level 50 characters running around saving kittens out of trees. C) The GMs of any RP event should be able to place limits upon players participating in their events. This is only to make it fair for ALL involved in an RP event. D) In a shared-world RP environment such as the Unionverse one, perhaps the more emotive or outrageous of any wide-scale events should be handled ... by more experienced GMs, or put up for a majority vote for all players involved in the shared-world RP to decide.

For those that want to introduce their own wide-scale RP events? Make it a closed RP type of thing or use the AE system if you can. Plus, these people can always collaborate
with others to present a well thought out plotline. Even if the plotline presents players with an atrocious, wide-scale event such as CB's. In which case the author/authors of such a plot should put it up to a vote of all involved in the shared-world experience.

((To Ravenswing: Yeah I know I kept blabbering in that previous post. /e shrug. Gimme a break, I literally don't get out much. Plus I felt like I kept going around in a circle, which I was.))

Definitely within the confines of artistic license.