Dear Readers,

Progress is the activity of today and the assurance of tomorrow


-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Everything in life starts as an idea. Maybe it's something that
isn't dwelled upon, and some ideas never get that jump start to become
something bigger, better, stronger. Marcian Tobay had a brain child and refused
to let it dwindle away. The City Scoop was born onto these forums with a lot of
help, a lot of love, and a lot of effort.

When I joined the Scoop, I was doing it because I had an excess of
time on my hands during the 8 hour shift I was working at a real estate office.
I wanted something to make the day progress quicker, and there was a post made
that mentioned Thor's Assassin needing an assistant posted in the art section.
I leaped on the opportunity with great vigor (and some duct tape).

Now, here I am. I'm not just getting my fingers covered in the
e-paint of the art section, I've got a weekly one panel comic (sorry about /em
Smack's absence last week. It had to get its appendix removed, I swear!), got
to look official at an NCsoft Meet and Greet where I sat next to David
Nakayama, and now I receive the most prestigeous title I could receive in the
Staff (short of turning my name red), Editor in Chief.

I'm not going to question what motivated our staff the choose me. I'm not going
to be arrogant nor take advantage of it. I just want the staff to know that I
don't ever want to let them down, and I want you, most importantly, to know
that I am going to try to make the City Scoop all it can be.

Thank you all for your support and I appreciate everyone who takes time out
each week to read what we, the staff, has put out for all of you to enjoy.

Sincerely, the new Editor in Chief,

Dirtwolf (Cassandra Reyhani)

Which side do you prefer to play and why?

Oh, definately the Blue side all the way. I guess that's because I'm a "good
guy" at heart. Even the few Villains I have are sort of "anti-heroes" or "dark
heroes." If I wanted to run around doing bad things, I'd play Grand Theft or
something. Even at level 50, I find that as I fly around a zone, I will take
the time to "stop" a mugging or a purse snatching. It's kinda funny.

What is your favorite archetype?

You know, the first time I played, I didn't do any research or anything-just
picked based on the descriptions provided, and now as somewhat of a vet of the
game, I still prefer the Blaster. Although, I've play Dual Blades on Test and
WOW! Blasters are very flashy, and very "hero-like" for me, and you can really
swing a fight, if you are good.

Which zone is your favorite?

Tough question, I really like the variety you find in Talos, but in terms of
just plain impressive environment, you can't beat Firebase Zulu. Really takes
you someplace else, you know?

What is your general play style in the game?

I die ...a lot. I'm very much a Tank at heart, I like to jump right in and get
into the mix. But, over the levels, I have gotten better. I definitely avoid
any Leroy Jenkins moves, but nothing I like better than picking a fight with
the bad guy.

How do you generally go about creating costumes for your
characters?

Oy vey, that is my weak spot. I will literally spend hours at Icon. For me,
costumes are a MAJOR part of the game...and costumes have to match the hero. I
usually have a picture in mind and try to bring it to life. I can't draw, so
it's the next best thing.

What advice do you have for new players to the game?

Get out there and team. Too many times, you have newbies spending all their
time complaining about how long it takes to level, when if they were actually
teaming, they would be getting XP. That, and remember if you want to be bad, go
to the Red side.

Any closing comments?

Just that I've really enjoyed playing this game, and I look forward to its
continued development. Plant control for us Blues and Water Control powers
would be great! Also, I would love to see them incorporate underwater
environments ala WoW and DDO. Thanks for what you and your associates do at the
City Scoop, I always enjoy it!

What advice do you have for
any new players to the game?

Make friends and get involved in your server’s global community as soon as
possible...like their badge channels or general chat channels. The game can be
played solo, but it’s much more enjoyable when you can play with others. Most
importantly, stay away from the forums at all costs!

Any closing comments?

I’m looking forward to the next year for this game. I expect Issue 13 and 14 to
be quite a bit better than anything we’ve had up until this point. Issue 12 is
probably just a bit too soon with the recent changing of the guard and all of
the ramping up that NCSoft will have to do for the new studio. But hopefully
they’ll be rolling along at full steam by 13 and on.

Emerald Isle Fury

Protector Server

Where do you live?

I live in Sunny California. L.A. to be exact.

And what do you do for a living?

I am a Director of Customer Service for a major members only retail chain. A
bit stressful, but it pays the bills.

Do you mind giving your age and gender?

Sure, I'm old though...I'm 33 and male and yes, I still play video games.

Do you have any pets?

I have a dog, and her name is Lakota. She is a Rottie that has her own couch.
Great dog, really sweet, but she thinks she is a lap dog.

What would be your top three movies of all time?

Ah, again with the tough choices. I love the Back to the Future series. I found
them very entertaining. Holy Grail/Office Space (tie), and of all
choices...Evolution. It's funny, and has a special meaning for me-though 300
comes in VERY close. Loved that flick!

What was the best book you
last read?

“Starship Troopers” was the best of the last. That was right before “Cat’s
Cradle” (so-so), but after re-reading most of the “Dragonriders of Pern” books
again. So technically, “Starship Troopers” (which was completely and utterly
unlike the movie other than they did use some of the character’s names, and
they fought some alien “bugs”).

What is your favorite pop culture quote?

“DOH!”

Who is your namesake character, and what are they?

No name, but my main is a level 50 Invulnerable/SS tank with thousands of hours
of playtime and a ton of badges.

What other hobbies do you have?

CoH is my hobby.

Who is your real life hero?

Tough one. Anyone who puts other people’s lives before their own. Highly
spiritual people. Wise people. Generous people. Mothers. People who are
comfortable singing or dancing in front of others. Teachers, police officers,
fire fighters. People like that.

Pants?

A chinchilla in each pocket!

What is your home server, and why did you end up picking it as your
home server?

Well, not listing the actual server name, but I picked it because a friend of
mine was going to play there, and then I ended up never actually playing with
them. I stay for the pie and cookies and because so many of the people there
are just so awesome.

How were you drawn to this game?

Super-hero MMORPG...does more need to be said?

Food & Recipes

By
MistressNoire

Having chips, pretzels, and popcorn on hand just to toss out there when the
food gets all eaten is a great idea, too. That way, no one will go hungry.

I hope everyone has an awesome holiday and a great New Years. I will be around
over the holidays when not at work, of course.

See you next year!

Mistress Noire

Other then that, go at it and if you love art, never stop doing
it. It's like ridding a bike, you never forget how... but you can sure as hell
forget how to do it well.

If you're also crazy, masochistic, and really want to hate what
you love then, maybe, just maybe, you have what it takes to try to make a
living off of art. If that's the case, be prepared to make it your entire life
at the exclusion of a LOT of other things... it demands a lot and doesn't give
much back. You're really, really obsessed with making it, then what it does
give back should be enough (probably not for the bills... but nothings
perfect.)

The wisest route would be to find something you don't mind doing
that's close enough to your chosen form of art that actually has a market and
decent pay structure, go for that, and save what you love doing for those warm
fuzzy times when your off the clock.

Are you currently accepting commissions? And what's the best way
for people to get a hold of you for information on commissions?

Hell yes. My door is always open though it should be mentioned
that those looking to commission me are looking at about a 6 month wait
currently.

The best way to get in touch with me is via email at
graver_13x@yahoo.com and any information relating to commissions are
posted to my DA site at [link] just look for a ink somewhere that says
something like Commission Information or some other obscure verbiage.

Thors Assassin by Graver

Who has been your biggest influence, artistically speaking?

That's another tough one. So many people have influenced me in so
many small and subtle ways but, as far as direct meddling in my artistic type
development, I think I would have to say that honor belongs to my former
illustration instructor, a very talented artist and possibly the nicest guy in
the world, an artist by the name of Roger Bowman. It's because of him that I'm
a painter now and not a graphic designer.

Prior to the above mentioned event I was sitting in illustration
class doodling away in my sketchbook and idly listing to conversations around
the room. He was talking with another student about a series of drawings he had
once did with burnt umber oil paint. That one statement stuck with me and got
me thinking... drawing with paint as opposed to painting. That night I went
into the painting studio to experiment in ways to "draw with paint" and came
out 13 hours latter elated, tired, and with the full intent of changing my
major and direction.

Beyond that innocent mentioning on his part though, he stayed the
one faculty member that, aesthetically, I saw eye to eye with. He introduced me
to a lot of artists that remain some of my favorites to this day and was
responsible for my obsession with the still life that came later.

Who are some of your favorite artists and what is it about them
that captures your eye?

Good god, there's a LOT! My tastes run all over the place changing
and shifting based on my mood. I don't know if I could really be said to have a
favorite artist or set of artists. What thrills the hell out of me one day will
pale in comparison to something I find the next. I think it's mostly due to the
fact that I tend to be drawn to anything I'm having trouble with or find
difficult to do my self. When I see it, I become enamored by it and usually
remain so until either I figure out how to do it my self or my attentions shift
and I become obsessed with some other aesthetic problem.

When you're drawing, do you have music/television/movies on in the
background? Anything in particular you prefer for ambiance?

Always. I need something going on in the background or else my
mind will wander way too far off course. While I will sometimes watch
television when in the final stages of a painting, the conceiving of it and
hammering down it's mood, layout, etc is always done exclusively to music. T.V.
is just to distracting to allow any kind of real thought.

I usually make rough soundtracks for the paintings I do based on
the feel I'm going for or just something in the content that seems to sync up
to x band. I never really put much thought into it and my decision is usually
heavily influenced by what ever sound I'm currently into or in the mood for,
but once I start listing to a certain playlist while working on a piece, I
stick to it... it helps get my mind in the frame I set up for it and keep me on
track. The music tells me it's time to work.

Art

Granted, through practice, I reckon I got half way decant. When I
got older, it just got hammered into me that art was what I was supposed to do.
I didn't have the coordination or body mass to pull off any kind of sports, my
social skills were abysmal, and my attention span for things of a scholastic
nature was less then stellar. That and art got me out of a lot of bullies
beating lists (a drawing of a naked lady straddling an f-14 will get a kid out
of a lot!). Due to an inability to really do much else, it simply became that
thing I did. It slowly evolved from that thing I did into the only thing I
wasn't a total screw up at, and from then on, I was pretty much stuck with it.

Which mediums do you use for your art? Which are your favorites?

I've used a lot of different mediums from oils to pen and inks.
However, recently and for my CoH work, I've primarily stuck with a mix of pen
and in and watercolor, though there have been some experimentation's with
mediums from piece to piece. In the end though, I've come to find that the best
results (or at least what I like using best) is a mix of watercolor and
Prismacolor Fineline Markers (mostly black and sepia with the occasional other
color worked in) on 300 lbs. hotpressed watercolor paper.

Recently, though, I've started branching out into the digital
realm. I started with some simple drawings that were then colored digitally to,
most recently several full blown digital paintings (which haven't been added to
my site as of yet due to a slight non-disclosure agreement... soon though,
soon). I'm now very excited about the possibilities of the digital medium and
what can be accomplished with it.

I used to do a lot of oil paintings but eventually stopped due to
a mixture of reasons. Paramount among them was the simple time consuming nature
of the process and the shear amount of commitment a single piece demanded.
However, I've finally been able to achieve the same look, same quality (well,
even better in my opinion) then in my oils and you can bet that there will be a
lot more digital painting coming out of me in times to come.

What is your favorite thing about base editing? Least favorite?

I like details, as anyone that visits my base could tell you. I like making the
base look like someone would actually live and work there. Least enjoy? I hate
the finicky nature of the raid pathing issues, as well as the lack of an “undo”
or means of hanging onto crafted items when you need them removed temporarily.


Least: Raid rules, of course. Nothing hampers a designer's style quite like
raid rules.

If you could give just one piece of advice to a new base-editor, what would
it be?


Get to know the folks that frequent the Base Construction forum and take
advantage of their experience. There are a lot of cool things you can do in the
editor, but the process can be confusing. The people that enjoy the base
editing system tend to be very helpful.

Anything else you'd like to add about your SG, your base or
the base system in general?


Don’t be afraid to start a small SG and build your own base. Take the time to
learn what can and cannot be done with the editor and get creative.

Who is your base designer and who are your supergroup leaders?

Leader and designer Dark Tower. Global @Nevermore

Which server is your base on?

Blue side Infinity server

When was your supergroup established?

January 2006

How many players are in your supergroup?

It changes from month to month, but anywhere from fifty to seventy-five right
now. We’re looking at expanding now that i11 is out

What is the approximate value of your base?

Somewhere in the 36 million prestige range.

How much time do you spend working on your base? How much time
have you invested so far?

When I get the base editing bug and decide to redo the base, I could spend two
or three hours a day working on it for several weeks. From then on, I’m always
looking for little ways to tweak it to make it look better, adding some more
detail or what not.

What is your favorite base item? Least favorite?

It’s hard to say if I have a favorite or least favorite item as rooms go; my
favorite would be the Night club called Club Dark Revelation.

What is your favorite thing about base editing? Least
favorite?

Mostly, I like the building and coming up with new ideas or using other
designer’s ideas in my own way. I like trying to make it look as good as I can
within the limits of the game. What I like least is just that the limits that
game places on you to make raiding possible even when there is no real raiding.

If you could give just one piece of advice to a new
base-editor, what would it be?


Take your time, plan out your design and keep the functional area close
together, like med bay leading to the teleporters and the storage areas so
people can make a quick run to get to and from where they need to go.

Anything else you'd like to add about your SG, your base or
the base system in general?

Just that if anyone is interested in seeing more of the base or would like to
join us or know more about us, please visit our
website.

By Popular Request

By
Bowfling

This is the eleventh in a series of By Popular Request articles,
which reviews commonly requested player suggestions that have strong positive
support, and reviews the implications and considerations that would need to be
considered if these suggestions were to be implemented.

This week’s subject – New Defiance:

Ever since the archetype inherents were added to all heroes, the
blaster inherent has been the source for substantial discussion. The merits of
the old Defiance inherent were matched against numerous alternative ways to
provide blasters with a benefit. One of the most common suggestions for
changing Defiance was to make it more like the Brute inherent, a damage bonus
that increased as you did damage, rather than took damage. This new form of
Defiance is ultimately the one the Devs decided to use when changing Defiance
into its new form.

New Defiance provides blasters with two new buffs. One is short
duration damage increases after attacks, allowing blasters to increase the
damage they deal as they deal more damage. The other advantage is that several
low tier attacks in their primaries and secondaries can be used even when under
the effects of some form of status effect. These two changes replaced the old
form, in which a Blaster would have a to-hit and damage bonus when the Blaster
was below full health, with a larger buff the closer they got to defeat.

Although some people may prefer the old form of Defiance, or
believe that the buff is actually too strong, most players can agree that the
new Defiance is a better inherent than the old Defiance, as it encourages
blasters to make smart decisions about their own safety, while also encouraging
the use of their powers in the most natural way.

While there are a number of different threads in several different
sub forums, probably the best place to look for what players think of new
Defiance is to check out
the Blaster sub forum.

Hell O Ween, question 5

Special Halloween Strike Force: The Candyman Can?

Strike Force: Bellicose

Mission one: Lumpa Dumpa Dobbledy-Dee

Description: "Okay, Hell O Ween...I understand you want to steal a
lollipop from “The Baby.” Well Halloween night is right around the corner, so I
have just the plan. As you know, the Goldbrickers supply all of the Rogue Isles
with chocolate for Halloween, so our first step is to poison that chocolate so
that everyone is forced to distribute lollipops. The chocolate factory is
heavily guarded by those frakish little blue-faced shriekers, the Lumpa Dumpas,
and to top it all off, you will most likely face the factory's foreman Vinny
Vonka. Good Luck...you're gonna need it."

Objective: Poison the Chocolate/Defeat Vinny Vonka

Completion: "Man, I heard what went down in there. Those little
Lumpa Dumpas just seemed to crawl out from the walls at ya. Well, at least you
managed to poison the chocolate. Now on All Hallows Eve, the only candy anyone
will get is lollipops."

Mission 2: Halloween the 13th

Description: "Bad news Hell O Ween. It seems that the shipment of
lollipops has been delayed. The city had a deal with a Camp Sparkle Lake to
supply the lollipops, but some crazed monster has taken the camp hostage. You
need to free those camp goers so they can ship the candy."

Objective: Defeat Michael Voorhees 10 times/Rescue 5 Camp goers

Completion: "Wow that guy just would not quit. He just kept coming
and coming. Well, at least that shipment of lollipops is on its way."

Mission 3: Candy from “The Baby”

Description: Okay, here it is...time to get that lollipop. Better
watch out, “The Baby” is always surrounded by his entourage of doting
followers, “The Adults” led by the dread “Nanny.” Once you grab that lollipop,
you better high tail it out of there ‘cause “The Baby” is gonna be so mad."

Objective: Defeat “Nanny” and guards/Steal Lollipop from “The
Baby”/ Defeat “The Baby”