Lighthouse_NA
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Posts
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Joined
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Is vBulletin the same thing that the XBox forums uses? If so, count me as a "no". That thing is hella slow.
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Just FYI on this, vBulletin is not the same thing - those guys use something called Community Server. -
Please use this thread to discuss the below announcement:
In Mid September we announced the addition of 2 new optional boosters: Cyborg and Jetpack. At the time, there was some understandable complaints from customers connecting to the game from Latin America, as the online PlayNC Store didn't allow purchases from that region.
I've been informed that our Sales Team, in response to these concerns, is working on making these, and other, optional purchases available via our partner in the region Level Up! Games. While they are not yet available from their store, we wanted to update those concerned with this issue that progress is being made. We anticipate more announcements to follow in October with details of how these optional addons can be obtained for that region. -
In Mid September we announced the addition of 2 new optional boosters: Cyborg and Jetpack. At the time, there was some understandable complaints from customers connecting to the game from Latin America, as the online PlayNC Store didn't allow purchases from that region.
I've been informed that our Sales Team, in response to these concerns, is working on making these, and other, optional purchases available via our partner in the region Level Up! Games. While they are not yet available from their store, we wanted to update those concerned with this issue that progress is being made. We anticipate more announcements to follow in October with details of how these optional addons can be obtained for that region.
Click here to discuss this announcement -
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So, will the new forums allow us to post pictures and stuff like the guy did here? You'll have to scroll down a bit!
Hmpf, link wont go to the actual post, you will have to scroll down to see the photos.
And will we be able to put pictures in our Signatures too? You know.. big hulking sig pics that take up more space then the average post?
[/ QUOTE ]
We'll get to talk over all that stuff once the beta vBulletin forums are up for people to poke at. -
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While I'm glad that the forums are (finally!) getting an upgrade, I'm not glad that it's to vBulliten. They should have gone with Invision Power Board instead.
[/ QUOTE ]
They did test IPB and phpBB as well, but they didn't have the features that NCNC felt they needed.
[/ QUOTE ]
We looked at a lot of stuff. The driving factor (among many) was the integration with vBulletin to our auth system and security. There was a lot more (and IPB is a great piece of software as well) but that was a pretty big deciding factor for us. -
[ QUOTE ]
And Lighthouse...? Can we NOT get the HUGE, GIGANTIC, ENORMOUS flash header that we have now? Can't we change it to something more in line with a forum? Something that's only maybe 200 px tall at most?
Something that's NOT FLASH?
[/ QUOTE ]
The flash header is not planned to be re-used on the new vBulletin platform. We'll have more details on the "new" look as we get closer to deployment. The initial beta forums will be pretty plain-jane to start. -
Please use this thread to discuss the below announcement.
Hello Posters and Readers of the Official City of Heroes Message Forums!
We have some exciting news for the Official CoH Forums Were Upgrading! Were planning on migrating the current forums to a spiffy new vBulletin platform in the near future.
History
The current forums are a version of Ultimate Bulletin Board (UBB) software that we have been using since City of Heroes launched back in 2004. Recently, we had some issues come up with the UBB forums that required a significant amount of back end work (stuff on the server side). When we considered doing that work, we also realized that it would be a similar amount of work to make a change to a new forum software platform. When we evaluated some of the many great forum platforms out there on the market, we decided to make a change and settled on vBulletin.
The New Platform
I wont extol the virtues of vBulletin, but suffice to say they should be a nice change for us and give us new features as well as improve overall forum performance. NCsoft recently migrated the Dungeon Runners game forums to vBulletin (they were our guinea pig oink!) If you want to check out their implementation, take a look here.
Migration Process and Beta
Were still doing the back end server work to prepare for this migration. This includes<ul type="square">[*] Importing all data to the new platform yes, all your posts, private messages and everything should carry over to the new forums.[*] Optimizations to our database[*] Purging old, unnecessary threads[*] Purging old names or accounts who havent posted in over 3 years (this also frees up names that may be desirable as forum handles)[/list]We want to apologize for the recent poor performance of the current UBB forums. Part of the reason for that has been things we've been doing on the server to prepare for this migration. So, please pardon the dust while were under construction!
Our plan also includes a beta time frame. This will have the vBulletin boards (and their current import of data from the UBB forums) available to the public. This will allow everyone to check out the vBulletin version of the forums and give feedback on their implementation and get comfortable with them. While both version of the forums are available (the current UBB forums and the new beta version on vBulletin) none of your posts on vBulletin will be saved, so posting there will just be to check it out. If everything goes smoothly, we should be announcing the beta vBulletin forums for you all to look at in the near future.
When we do the transition the UBB forums will disappear and be replaced with the new vBulletin forums with all the posts and data carried right over like we were on a vBulletin platform the whole time. -
Hello Posters and Readers of the Official City of Heroes Message Forums!
We have some exciting news for the Official CoH Forums Were Upgrading! Were planning on migrating the current forums to a spiffy new vBulletin platform in the near future.
History
The current forums are a version of Ultimate Bulletin Board (UBB) software that we have been using since City of Heroes launched back in 2004. Recently, we had some issues come up with the UBB forums that required a significant amount of back end work (stuff on the server side). When we considered doing that work, we also realized that it would be a similar amount of work to make a change to a new forum software platform. When we evaluated some of the many great forum platforms out there on the market, we decided to make a change and settled on vBulletin.
The New Platform
I wont extol the virtues of vBulletin, but suffice to say they should be a nice change for us and give us new features as well as improve overall forum performance. NCsoft recently migrated the Dungeon Runners game forums to vBulletin (they were our guinea pig oink!) If you want to check out their implementation, take a look here.
Migration Process and Beta
Were still doing the back end server work to prepare for this migration. This includes- [*] Importing all data to the new platform yes, all your posts, private messages and everything should carry over to the new forums.[*] Optimizations to our database[*] Purging old, unnecessary threads[*] Purging old names or accounts who havent posted in over 3 years (this also frees up names that may be desirable as forum handles)[/list]We want to apologize for the recent poor performance of the current UBB forums. Part of the reason for that has been things we've been doing on the server to prepare for this migration. So, please pardon the dust while were under construction!
Our plan also includes a beta time frame. This will have the vBulletin boards (and their current import of data from the UBB forums) available to the public. This will allow everyone to check out the vBulletin version of the forums and give feedback on their implementation and get comfortable with them. While both version of the forums are available (the current UBB forums and the new beta version on vBulletin) none of your posts on vBulletin will be saved, so posting there will just be to check it out. If everything goes smoothly, we should be announcing the beta vBulletin forums for you all to look at in the near future.
When we do the transition the UBB forums will disappear and be replaced with the new vBulletin forums with all the posts and data carried right over like we were on a vBulletin platform the whole time.
To discuss this announcement, please join us here. -
We wanted to update everyone on the Auras that are included in Superbooster 1: Cyborg.
Currently the Cyborg Auras included in Superbooster 1 are only available to characters who have completed the Aura mission at level 30 or higher. However, development is in process that will enable all characters to use these Cyborg Auras from level 1, and will be implemented as soon as possible.
Thanks to everyone who's taken advantage of this new optional Superbooster and for your feedback about it.
To discuss this announcement please join us here. -
Vol. 2, Issue 16
September 26, 2008
The City Scoop a publication for Supers by Supers!
Read the latest player made publication and then join in on the community discussion!- [*] If you have concerns regarding the content of the Scoop please direct your comments via PM to Lighthouse or Ex Libris.
[*] If you would like to do a feature article, have an event covered, or join "The City Scoop" team please PM Snow_Globe.
[*] If you need some Advice contact Lady_Athyna or would like to Ask The X contact LiquidX
[*] Finally if you have a Classified Ad or Recipe you would like included please contact: LadyK or MistressNoire[/list]Join The Discussion! -
Vol. 2, Issue 16
September 26, 2008
The City Scoop a publication for Supers by Supers!
Read the latest player made publication and then join in on the community discussion!<ul type="square">[*] If you have concerns regarding the content of the Scoop please direct your comments via PM to Lighthouse or Ex Libris.
[*] If you would like to do a feature article, have an event covered, or join "The City Scoop" team please PM Snow_Globe.
[*] If you need some Advice contact Lady_Athyna or would like to Ask The X contact LiquidX
[*] Finally if you have a Classified Ad or Recipe you would like included please contact: LadyK or MistressNoire[/list] -
The City Scoop Staff
-
Classifieds
ARTIST WANTED
Published author seeks superhero artist for politically
progressive comic book project. Speculative: no money up front, any profits to
be split 50/50. Character designs to start; full script pages will follow.
Interested parties should PM DoctorJ through the forums or @DoctorJ on the
game.
Better Base and Fortress
Otto is seeking volunteers for upcoming episodes of Better Base and Fortress. Do you think your base has what it takes to get 5 out of 5 Otto's from Otto Plair? Contact Mindscythe in game @Mindscythe to arrange a base tour and discuss the details of becoming an upcoming episode
NOW HIRING
Paragon Underground Radio is now hiring bouncers and bartenders. Please send an in-game e-mail to DJ Durango on the Virtue server for more information or an application.
WANTED
Fan Artist to draw my character. I cannot offer much
compensation other than any of the wares I would otherwise sell on the Auction
House. If you are interested, please contact Hakuro de Killer on the Virtue
Server.
Want your character to be interviewed by Scoop Man? Send
a PM to HumanMiracle!
Want your character to be interviewed by Patty-Sue
Ivanova? Send a PM to Emperorsteele!
Want to be part of the VEAT Army? Yes we are an offshoot
branch of the FUSION empire in the Protector dimension loyal only to Ghost
Widow. We are destined for greatness.
Ghost Widow has ordered my organization to form a new
sect in support of special operations. I will recruit within our ranks as well
as go outside of our known coalition. These chosen members will go to an
academy for training as various Arachnos soldiers. While I do not like to be
told how to run FUSION, Widow assures me that I will be rewarded for forming
this group.
My first order of business is to choose villains among
my organization that display some of the following qualities: Mind control,
knowledge of poisons, stealth, acrobatics, weapons fighting, and most
importantly do not display fear and that would die if I ordered them to do
such. I have at least 20 in mind from my 150 Villain organization that fit this
criteria. Over the next few weeks I will begin listing them in preparation for
training.
This training will consist of a series of trials and
strike forces ordered by Ghost Widow. More to follow soon.
Want to know more?
Please come to the Veat Army Project.
Need to sell something? Post it in The City Scoop
Classifieds. Send a PM to SpaceNut.
DO YOU LOVE MUSIC?
Well, so do we! KJSR.net, the Voice of Jello Shooters, is a relatively new internet radio station, and we're looking for new DJs! So if you love all kinds of music, and want to "share the love" so to speak, contact either @Kyo-chan or @Steampunk Charlie right away!
And for our devoted listeners, we've got MORE shows, and MORE prizes coming up, so tune in!
Introducing Two-for-Tuesday at El Super Mexicano! All
regular quesadillas just 2 for $5 all day Tuesday!
Attention readers
This is not a clue. Or a hint. To anything, what so ever.
Lost
Paradigm Shift Device. Contact Demented Cynic at Portal Corp. by Friday. Remember to bring Hawaiian shirt.
HELP WANTED
Writers for The City Scoop. Please contact Snow_Globe or Marcian_Tobay for
submission details.
Do you have an event coming up? Are you going to attend
an upcoming event? Do you want to see or even write an article for The City
Scoop? Drop a line to an Editor-in-Chief a week in advance, and you too could
be a guest writer for The City Scoop.
-
HERO DEPOT
Triumph Server
Leader and Base architect: Hellguard
Who is your base designer and who are your supergroup leaders?
**I'm the base designer and primary leader of the supergroup. Other leaders are
Lirit LeFey and Radiac.
What server is your base on?
**Triumph, the "first server I clicked on." It's been a really nice place to
hang out and play the game, despite its small size.
When was your supergroup established?
**June 2004, shortly after I started playing the game. It started out as just
something for me and my wife and a real-life co-worker. Along the way, we've
picked up a few friends that we've met in game, but we're still a really small
supergroup.
How many players are in your supergroup?
**Around fifteen individual players. Most of them are inactive at the moment
(I'm not even playing the game that much lately). We have about five or six
people that log in at least a couple times a week, so we're pretty small.
What is the approximate value of your base?
**Almost 10 million prestige. We've really taken advantage of the very generous
prestige gifts given out by NCSoft. If not for them, I wouldn't have been able
to go crazy with the teleporter room and "Club Lirit."
How much time do you spend working on your base? How much time have you
invested so far?
**I have no idea how much time I've invested so far. Every few months I get the
idea to completely scrap everything and start over. Lately I haven't really
done much, though. I tend to try to keep things as functional as possible, so
there's not a lot of extra stuff in the base. Club Lirit was a special
bar/dance floor I made for my wife (My friend Radiac has his own corner of the
bar -- Rad's Pad, completely with stripper pole for his viewing pleasure), so
that's an example of where I let myself get a little crazy with the design.
What is your favorite base item? Least favorite?
**My favorite functional item is the telepad. Even though we have some more ways
to get around the City now (Ouroboros, Pocket D teleporter, Consignment House
teleporter), it still feels nice to know that we can get to just about anywhere
by just popping into the base. My favorite non-functional items are the big
round sg meeting table (even though we rarely have enough members online to use
it!) and the flyers (both Arachnos and Longbow).
**I'm not sure I have a "least favorite," to be honest.
What is your favorite thing about base editing? Least favorite?
**Favorite thing would be expressing creativity. Least favorite would be the
strange pathing rules and limitations of the current base system.
What is the highest thing on your wish-list for new base items?
**Personal storage. Either that, or making current storage more secure. If I
could change an existing base item, it'd be nice if the Supergroup Mission
Computer actually did something hero-side.
If you could give just one piece of advice to a new base editor, what would
it be?
**Don't be afraid to try out new things. You can't lose prestige by
experimenting. Also, check the Base forum on the boards for lots of invaluable
advice.
-
Base Showcase
Crew of the lost starship
Peregrine Falcon
(Click a room for a larger view)
I started this SG on December 16th, 2006 with a few real life friends of mine.
We wanted to have a starship themed SG for those science-fiction themed
characters that many of us have always wanted to make. The background is that
High Command sent the scout ship ISS Far Traveler to investigate rumors that
the Rikti had invaded Earth. They got into a fight with Rikti ships in Earth
orbit. The crew is stranded here in the Earth system until they can take enough
hardware from the Rikti to repair the ships Hyperdrive.
Who is your base designer and who are your supergroup leaders?
I am the base designer and the SG leader, in the form of my Willpower/Super
Strength Tanker: Captain Pelle Viktor. A RL friend of mine is the Executive
Officer. So far the group consists almost entirely of people I know and am
friends with in real life.
What server is your base on?
Protector, hero side.
When was your supergroup established?
December 16th, 2006. So about 8 months before Issue 10 and the second Rikti
invasion. I personally had a lot of fun with the Rikti invasion as it fit right
in to our SGs background.
How many players are in your supergroup?
9 players, with 62 various characters. So it's not a big SG, but that's ok.
We're a small scout ship with a tight-knit crew.
What is the approximate value of your base?
Just a little over 7.8 million prestige.
How much time do you spend working on your base? How much time have you
invested so far?
Oh geez. I've spent at least 50 hours working on just this base alone. I've
reworked it several times. Most recently after the December 2007 prestige
grant. Thank you for that by the way NCSoft. The ISS Far Traveler wouldn't be
the great ship she is without that prestige grant.
What is your favorite base item? Least favorite?
I'd say the answer to both questions has to be the Mission Computer. It looks
great. I have one in almost every one of my SG bases. It's also my least
favorite because it takes control and energy but gives nothing in return. I'll
restrain myself from adding a joke there.
What is your favorite thing about base editing? Least favorite?
My favorite thing about base editing is trying to use the limited selection of
base objects to create what I really want. During base tours I've seen cabinets
retasked to make large beds. I myself have used wall cabinets to create large
icons on base walls. In the starship I used a wall battery as a missile tube,
air tanks as missiles and X-Ray machines as automatic loaders. It's fun to see
just how close I can get my base to looking the way it should look or would
look if I had unlimited options.
Least favorite has got to be the clumsy base user interface. Can't copy and
paste, can't apply options from one room to another without resetting the whole
base, etc. I often end up spending hours just moving back and forth between two
rooms just checking to make sure that I have all of the options on them the
same. Trim, walls, ceilings, lighting, etc.
What is the highest thing on your wish-list for new base items?
I know that you only want one item, but I'm torn between two and I can't decide
which I want more. An advanced teleporter or aux teleporter object that allows
a teleporter to have more that 2 destinations. The second being NPCs that you
can place in your base so that the bases won't always seem so lifeless and
abandoned.
If you could give just one piece of advice to a new base editor, what would
it be?
Join the in game channel Base Builders Inc. If you can't find the answer,
there's almost always someone on that channel that will come over to your
server and show you or help you to figure out how to do whatever you're trying
to do. If it can be done that is.
-
Behind the PvP Mask
JimmayDean
Can you tell us a little about yourself? Age, occupation and your natural
habitat?
*I am 29 and I work in the Information Technology field. I live on the shores of
Lake Erie. Go Browns!
Have a favorite movie?
*I can watch the Kill Bill vol 1 and 2 fight scenes over and over.
How about musical tastes?
*My tastes vary a lot, right now I am listening to a Canadian band called
Dragonette.
Any PvP experience outside this game and when did you discover PvP in the City
of Heroes?
*I played Quake III Arena till my fingers bled, this is my first MMO.
Which Test PvP groups have you been a member of, could you tell us about them?
*I started off in JAL. That was my first time in a SG, doing Test PVP, being on
Vent and emping in an 8v8 on Test. A little before the ladder started things
changed in JAL and it got kind of big. I was talking to Unbalanced on test who
was in Old School at the time and asked if they were looking. Next thing you
know they said I was in if I wanted in. It took about 1 minute being on Vent
with them and I knew I wanted to stay.
Your favorite role in the Arena and most challenging?
*I play Emp and so far it's been the most fun to play. I have a ton of other
toons but I enjoy playing Emp. I cannot find a target to save my life (how
Blasters and Sonics do it I will never know) so the most challenging is any
role where I have to tab through targets LOL.
What is your most memorable Arena moment, team or otherwise?
*My most memorable would be the initial ladder tournament. I had just joined OS
and didn't expect to play but Shocker and Strike put me in half of the matches.
If not for a technicality OS would have been #1 ranked.
*Outside of the ladder it would be the Test PVP League. I am in the PVPEC and
was looking for an event to sponsor. I knew Kitten of Chaos was running a
league on Infinity so I suggested one on Freedom. Moe was the one who suggested
I do it on Test and it grew from there. We were ambitious for the first season
wanting to do 8v8's and had two divisions. We lost a lot of people between sign
ups and start dates and a lot of late comers forced us to do fillers, which did
not sit well with some captians. The goal was to get new people to test and we
accomplished that with Paragon Elite joining the ladder soon after and some
sg's picking up members. This time we paired it down to 5v5, 9 captains and no
fillers. I think it went much smoother this time and people got new test sg
members out of it so we are achieving our goal.
We know you love Aquaman. If Aquaman were to fight a mighty kraken, who would
come out on top?
*Aquaman pwns All!!
PvPEC Events
Tonight on Pinnacle, check out the Duck Hunt in the Bloody Bay PvP zone! Some
players will be labelled 'Ducks' while others chase them for their feathers.
The Pinnacle forums have more info.
Also, make sure to check out any Level 4 Arena events going on around you,
they're great fun!
-
City Fiction
The Redeemers
"Now, just so we have this straight," the wizard, Mortiganen, whispered hoarsely
as he looked over the report, "You engaged in a high-speed chase on a busy
freeway, caused a small pile-up, and then proceeded to run the leader of the
criminals over with your van... The witnesses were not pleased."
"Hey, it's not my fault he reverted back to human form right before I hit
him..." Garm chuckled back, "But it was funny watching him scream obscenities
right before I did..."
The two leaders of the Redeemers stared at each other for a few minutes. Garm
could swear the room had gotten darker and colder.
Mortiganen used to be a bona fide super villain, with such a magnitude of power
that no crew was necessary. However, the market for freelance dark wizards
dried up in recent years. Also, with the Mu and the Circle of Thorns
aggressively expanding (he noted this, it looked like they might be gearing up
for another war) and groups like the Legacy Chain and Midnight Squad becoming
more prominent and with such elements working against him, Mort figured it was
a good idea to look into more legitimate employment, and there were few markets
open for one of his skills.
Fortunately, the dark wizard took his job very seriously. He was employed to
uphold the law, so he was going to uphold the law. Since most of the world
didn't really know him (a fact that irked him something fierce; he used to do
battle with and work alongside the Midnight Squad before the Rikti War for
goodness' sake!), he didn't have to worry about angry reprisals from old
compatriots that were afraid he'd sell their secrets or old foes looking to
settle a grudge. His knowledge of the world and his capabilities as a natural
leader was what led to the former criminals electing him leader of this unusual
experiment.
Now if only the loser of that competition would be more compliant. Of course, he
knew Garm only thought he should learn to lighten up. He wondered why the
Trolls held so strongly to their ambivalent view of the world, even when they
were supposedly cured of their Superadine addictions.
"Well, Agent Wild wasn't pleased," the wizard finally intoned, "As our liaison,
he caught a lot of heat for your little stunt. As it stands, you and your crew
are suspended for a week. Barring emergencies, of course."
Garm smiled and nodded. He was expecting something, anything, and in fact had
prepared for worse. The fact that Mort was being lenient showed that he was
probably rubbing off on the guy.
Mortiganen twirled his mustache and narrowed his eyes at his second-in-command.
Arachnophobia by MCG_Warface
"Suffice it to say, Garm, it is not alright to run criminals over with your
van."
"Got it," the Caliban chortled, "So, what did D.A.T.A. have to say about that
gear we recovered?"
"Just interdimensional monitoring equipment..." the wizard shrugged, "Nothing
incredible. Well, incredible in our point of view..."
The Redeemers were not a premier super group. They werent the Freedom Phalanx,
they werent the Vindicators, heck, they were barely affiliated with Freedom
Corps. However, with the influx of heroes in the city, there were a fair number
of criminals that were looking for an easy way to avoid getting their heads
punched clean through their butt cheeks.
Most of them went solo, joined up with the various disparate hero groups, or
just tried to go back to normal lives. Along with information on their former
compatriots, they brought equal parts hope and contempt to the groups. Many
civilians recognized former Trolls or Outcasts for what they were, and the
crisp demeanor of former Council or Fifth Column troops often revealed the
former allegiances of some heroes much too quickly. Many civilians simply
didnt trust that villains could be rehabilitated. However, somebody in the
ranks of the F.C. decided it was time to pull off the same concept as a public
relations stunt, and some freelance reformed criminals were brought into
Freedom Corps Redeemers super group, or Vindicators Lite as the media
called the project.
After his debriefing, Garm mulled over the days events and some of the brief
history hed had with the group. More often than not, his compatriots had dealt
with angry mobs hurling produce at them (rotten and not) after successful
missions against bank robbers or terrorists. He knew that it was going to be a
long road, but sometimes he really wished more people would just live with the
moment and realize theyd just been saved by a slightly unorthodox group of
heroes.
For now, however, he wanted to relax with his partners and friends. It was
surprising how easily his old crew, Briggs McBain and Doug the Ogre, had
settled into working with the former Tsoo sorcerer, Genji Lucas, and the
Outcasts, Ashen Roast and Blizzard Front. He thought it was funny that Briggs,
of all people, had helped settle the fire tankers issues with his best
friends homosexuality.
Is he trying to date you? he murmured to himself in a half chuckle as he
walked into the impromptu cafeteria of their converted warehouse base, No.
Then whats the problem?
Whatre you muttering?
Garm looked up and took note of the red and white uniform of a man who worked as
their liaison to Freedom Corps. They had a few, for accountability purposes,
but this was their in-house man, Martin Sanders. Martin normally wore street
clothes, so his being in uniform probably meant he was about to go out on
patrol. The capes-and-spandex look really didnt suit him, though.
Just musing about my crew, the Troll Caliban answered, Whats up?
A couple crews got pinned down in Brickstown, the former bum grunted, Im
about to grab my team and attempt a rescue. Want in?
Sure. Were still amped from our tumble this morning Garm stopped, and then
bit his lower lip.
What?
Well, we just got suspended by your partner, Wild, and Mort was all too happy
to comply.
Sanders chuckled.
You think Im gonna let that stop you? Weve got friends in trouble! Come on!
-
Community
Fan Fiction Spotlight
The
Justice Knights
By
Sin_Stalker
Once again I present Sin Stalker's Justice Knights. Here, the story takes a bit
of a side track as the main character, Sin Stalker, converses with his
sidekick. Here, the two debate their lives as heroes and what it costs to those
closest to them.
It's a concept that you see often in comics, but what you normally see is when
the villain captures or torments
"The
Girlfriend" after the hero has spent most of the arc keeping his/her
significant other in the dark about their heroism. Here, the characters' "Lois
Lanes" know of their super-powered lives, and the heroes discuss what it's been
like for them. One has had a bad time of it, the other hasn't come that
close... yet.
And that becomes the central question for the heroes. Are you willing to give
your all for the cape, and sacrifice your human identity, or will you attempt
the increasingly difficult road of keeping your family and loved ones a part of
your life while your super powers prompt your responsibility to engage in
world-shaking events? The answer is usually answered with the former option,
and the character runs the serious risk of becoming a brooding psychotic. Very
rarely do the heroes choose to maintain their relationships, and the worlds
they live in do not make that choice an easy one to live with.
At the end of the story, we're also presented with what looks to be a preview
for Sin_Stalker's next comic. It's a bit of a shock, to be honest, as it seems
he's starting to push into the realm of the game world's "Big Players," in this
case, Sister Psyche and Manticore (seriously who doesn't want to play with
writing for these two? It's so rare to have costumed marriages that look like
they'll work). However, it looks to be shaping up as something of a standalone
adventure, so it has room to move around without stepping on any toes. It
should prove to be interesting.
Hey Folks!
Just a quick note I have returned!
Do you have a favorite recipe you want to share?
If so send it my way!
Or do you have a favorate food that you don't know what to do with it?
Example... I like chicken but I am tired of the same dishes over and over again
with it...
Send me a PM and Ill see what I can do to help you!
How I will work it is, you send me what you want, Ill dig around and experiment
in my kitchen, see what I can come up with off the top of my head Ill write
down the recipe and send it to you, then Ill post it in the scoop, Ill pick 2
each week and the ones that don't get published that week will get published
the following week, hope to hear from you soon! Feedback is always welcome!
Mistress Noire's kitchen is now open!!
ps... that goes for any food, if you need help with desserts, dinners, quick
lunches, breakfasts, let me know
Az'rial in the Shadow Shard by Hero Portraits
-
The City Scoop
The People On
Port Oakes
Hello again my wonderful readers. I have ventured into unknown and dangerous
territory this week just for you. I have gone to the Rogue Isles. I know I
know, why would Scoop Man risk his own valuable personal safety? I will tell
you why, for a scoop. If you didnt see that coming you probably havent gotten
half of the witty things I have said over the past weeks and I thank you for
reading anyway and giving me the circulation. Now, there are really only a few
things in this world that I hate: desserts that are only comprised of fruits,
soy milk, purse-pooches, midget wrestlers, and the mob. An eclectic list I
know, but I have my reasons. Sadly, I had to interview someone who happens to
fall in one of the groups I mentioned. No, I did not go to Mauries Midget
Wrestling Bungalow, although I did pass it on my way to my destination in Port
Oakes; I stopped at the infamous Caged Bird. If you havent heard of the Caged
Bird, then you dont know the Rogue Isles as well as you ought to. It is quite
possibly one of the seediest, most mob infested bars I have ever been into, and
Ive been in a lot of them. This particular dive was owned by one, Raphiel
Gambino, the Don of the Gambino Family Mafia in Port Oakes
Scoop Man: *coughs* Uh Don Gambino?
Raphiel Gambino: Wha? Who are you?
SM: Uh, Im Scoop Man. I work for the paper back in Paragon.
RG: Ooh yeah, I know you. Read your stuff on Dr. Crom. Nice
job.
SM: Oh! Thank you Don.
RG: Fuggetaboutit. What can I do for you?
SM: I was wondering if I could ask you some questions regarding
Port Oakes. You seem like the ideal man to ask since I have heard you have been
called The King of Port Oakes.
RG: Right you are sir. Ask away.
SM: First off, since we are in the Rogue Isles it is clear that
the crime rate here is substantial. That being the case, do you think that
R.I.P., the Rogue Isles Police, isnt doing its job when it comes to stopping
crime.
RG: Well thats a matter for debate really. When you get to
places like this, like Port Oakes, the justice really comes in to the hands of
the well I guess your readers would call them criminals huh? We really start to
police ourselves. Honor among thieves and all that. Thats been disappearing
though these days. Plus Arachnos really beats out the cops as a universal
police agency itself anyways.
SM: Why do you think that is?
RG: A bunch of guys trained like the military wielding
automatic weapons with body armor versus guys in slacks and button-up shirts
with pistols and pepper spray. You do the math.
SM: Im sorry, let me rephrase the question. Why do you think
Arachnos polices the criminals here in Port Oakes?
RG: Oh. Well many of these kids are trying to get in Arachnos
arent they? Theyre not going to piss of their future employers are they? The
stay in the lines just enough but the crime here is still worse than Kings Row.
The mobs, Arachnos, Coraxians, you name it we got it.
SM: So all in all you believe that Port Oakes is worse off than
Kings Row?
RG: Definitely. You have all those punks coming here thinking
they can take it by storm and start purse snatching and bank robbing. Its like
the bank should keep the vault open just to save money from buying a new vault
door each time it gets busted. Just spend a night here and all you will hear is
police sirens and gun fire from gangs. Arachnos is in constant battle with
those fish things down by Oil Spill and you have that freaky Radio thing giving
out jobs to anybody tuned in. I cant think of any reason why people who dont
commit crimes live here.
SM: So you are for the idea of cleaning up the streets? Isnt
that counterproductive for you?
RG: Well, at least get the trash off you know? Get the petty
thieves and the small time gangs with no regard for civilians. Those are the
ones doing the most harm. Take the Vendetti for example. You never see them
vandalizing a car or tagging a wall cause they think it will boost their rep or
something.
SM: Youre right, they just commit white collar crimes and
murder and black mail.
RG: Alright touché. But who do they murder? Other mobsters, not
civilians like those wackos out there with the super strength who bust heads on
a regular basis.
SM: So youre saying your crime is better than OTHER crime? Am
I getting that right?
RG: I know its confusing but when you live out here and not in
Paragon it does make sense. Believe me.
SM: How would you get rid of this petty crime?
RG: At least give R.I.P. some new recruits you know? Its like
its the same people arresting the same criminals out there. Ive seen the same
cop stand on the corner across from this bar for the last year and he says hes
been standing there for a lot longer than that. Some decent weapons for them
wouldnt hurt since theyre fighting people with super powers.
SM: Do you think that other more prominent villains should
help clean the streets of lowly crime?
RG: Heck Ive been trying to do that for a while now. Youll
never see people like Dr. Crom or Strawberry Poundcake walking around Port
Oakes teaching a lesson to the newbies though do you? I guess that means that
people who are here already, should start doing that because the big guys never
will. What I mean is, the people who are willing to play ball and recognize the
petty crimes from the actually decent crime. If those people would just get rid
of the trash as they go about their business it would make my job easier and we
may see this place evolve into something resembling Skyway you know?
SM: So you advocate villain civil war in Port Oakes?
RG: Sure why not. I wouldnt call it war so much as a civil
service, you know what I mean?
SM: I see, thank you for your time Don.
RG: No no thank you. Always a pleasure to meet a member of the
press.
I know this isnt as in depth as most of my stuff but come on, the man is a mob
boss. Hes a smart cookie and isnt about to give up much to the press that we
dont already know right? However I found the idea of criminals cleaning up the
streets to make way for more sophisticated crime interesting. I suppose the
saying The enemy of my enemy is my friend may apply there but then again the
friend is committing crimes as well. So who is to say that Mr. Gambino has the
right idea, or the wrong one? Im certainly not one to judge. This was an
interesting look at Pork Oakes though if you think about it. I would never have
been able to interview a Skull or a witch in Croatoa to ask their opinion of
the place, but I was able to approach a known criminal and find he had some of
the ideals that many of the citizens have in the Rogue Isles. Perhaps there is
more humanity to these villains than we can see in comparison to Doctor Crom.
Well fans this is goodbye for now. Join me next time when I GET THE SCOOP!
Vol. 2, Issue 16
Spetember 26th, 2008
This Issue:
The Redeemers
Justice Knights
Hey Folks!
Crew of the Lost Starship
Hero Depot
Upcoming Events:
September 26th
Freedom
Liberty
Pinnacle
Protector
Triumph
Test Server
Virtue
September 27th
Virtue
September 30th
Liberty
October Weekends
Champion
Shardtober
'08
October 4th
Vitue
Return
of the Giant Giant-Monster Hunt!
Hericane by Russ Platt
-
For owners, operators and interested fans of CoH fansites, we wanted to pass along this press release from MMOFury
MMOFury Kicks Off Its Latest Top MMORPG Fansite Awards
The Highly Successful MMOFury Top Fansite Awards To Include New
Category: Top New Fansite.
Palm Coast, FL (September 25, 2008) - MMOFury, Inc. is pleased to announce today that its popular MMORPG downloading site MMOFury.com has kicked off the latest round of its Top Fansite Awards. Members of the gaming community are encouraged to nominate their favorite MMORPG related fansite by sending an email that includes the URL of fansite, and why they believe it deserves to be a Top Fansite Award winner to topsite@mmofury.com. Nominations will be accepted until October 31st, with the winners being announced the first week of November.
Twice a year, MMOFury.com hosts the awards event to recognize fansites that show a devotion to the gaming community and give value to online gamers. MMOFury.com?s Top Fansite Awards event held at the beginning of the year was a huge success, and with the addition of its newest category (Top New Fansite) it will only get better.
"This is just our way of giving back to the gaming community and recognizing those that put so much effort into building a fansite."
Says Larissa Tucey, Community Manager for MMOFury.com.
It is not easy running a fansite, so MMOFury wants to reward all the hard work that webmasters and their loyal users put in to the sites that make a stronger gaming community. Being selected as a top site is not just about bragging rights, winning sites will receive listing on its Top Fansite list, exclusive blogs, free banners on its site, and other great promotional tools. For more details on this exciting event, visit http://mmofury.com/gamingnews/news.php?extend.194.
About MMOFury, Inc.
MMOFury, Inc. is an Internet media and digital distribution company servicing the on-line gaming community which operates MMOFury.com. Its goal is to provide an independent source to deliver quality mmorpg gaming content that enhances the on-line gaming experience for users.
Content includes mmorpg game client downloads, previews, screenshots, reviews, news, and highlights of today's on-line games. For more information, please go to http://mmofury.com. -
Please use this thread to discuss the below announcement.
Ten Ton Hammer Managing Editor Cody Bye sat talked with Executive Producer Brian Clayton and Lead Designer Matt Miller to discuss the specifics of the recently announced changes to Issue 13 and Issue 14. Here's an excerpt from the article:
[ QUOTE ]
Ten Ton Hammer: Is the character customization in the Architect as robust as what players have in their own character creation? Or are players going to be limited?
Matt: We are making it as robust as possible, but there are some powers that players have access to that the AI won't be able to handle, like the Mastermind summoning powers. We would have to program a specific AI just for that. It's just something we haven't done before.
Brian: The most important thing that most of the players are requesting is the ability to change the costumes and customize the look of the bosses and things like that in the mission creator. Both of these features were going to be a part of the next phase of the mission creator, but because of the overwhelming response to the mission creator and the need for that feature in particular, we really just wanted to listen to our customers and give them what they really want. And it's not just the ability to make great content but to be able to specialize and personalize it as well.
[/ QUOTE ]
Click here to read the full article -
Ten Ton Hammer Managing Editor Cody Bye sat talked with Executive Producer Brian Clayton and Lead Designer Matt Miller to discuss the specifics of the recently announced changes to Issue 13 and Issue 14. Here's an excerpt from the article:
[ QUOTE ]
Ten Ton Hammer: Is the character customization in the Architect as robust as what players have in their own character creation? Or are players going to be limited?
Matt: We are making it as robust as possible, but there are some powers that players have access to that the AI won't be able to handle, like the Mastermind summoning powers. We would have to program a specific AI just for that. It's just something we haven't done before.
Brian: The most important thing that most of the players are requesting is the ability to change the costumes and customize the look of the bosses and things like that in the mission creator. Both of these features were going to be a part of the next phase of the mission creator, but because of the overwhelming response to the mission creator and the need for that feature in particular, we really just wanted to listen to our customers and give them what they really want. And it's not just the ability to make great content but to be able to specialize and personalize it as well.
[/ QUOTE ]
Click here to read the full article
To discuss this announcement, please join us here -
The looming threat of the Rikti Invasion Force still hangs like a dark pall over Earth. Despite the best efforts of humanity, aggressive Rikti incursions still plague the planet. Advance warning systems indicate the Rikti are massing for attacks on the following dates throughout the year:
Sept 26th through Oct 2nd
November 14th through November 20th
Prepare for a desperate battle to save Earth from the Rikti Invasion Force! Aggressive Rikti forces will attack Paragon City and Rogue Isle with increased frequency at any time during the above dates! Some important items to remember about Rikti Invasions:- [*] When Zones within the cities are under attack, a world-wide alert will be issued by Vanguard. This alert will show up in your Chat window on the Event channel, warning you in which zone attack is imminent. If you haven't already, be sure to add the Event channel to one of your chat tabs.
[*] While the invasion is occurring, players do not receive debt while outdoors in an invaded zone.
[*] Those in that zone that do not wish to be at risk of Rikti attack are asked to take shelter immediately. They can do so by leaving the zone, or moving inside buildings or under cover (overpasses, parking garages, etc.).
[*] The combative inhabitants in a zone will move off the streets and to safer locations when a Rikti Invasion takes place.
[*] Rikti bombs appear to be unstable and not 100% reliable. Some do not explode on impact and only embed themselves in the ground. These bombs have been noted to detonate after a time, so take caution when you see these. They can be disarmed or delayed by inflicting damage upon them.[/list]Click here to discuss this announcement. -
In the wake of the latest latest news about Issue 13 and Issue 14 MMO gaming website Massively.com release three different interviews covering recent developments with City of Heroes. Here are the links:
Interview: Brian Clayton and Matt Miller on Power and Responsibility in City of Heroes
Interview: A new era for PvP in City of Heroes
Super Boosters and beyond in City of Heroes
To react to these join us in the News and Announcements Discussion Forum. -
Please use this thread to discuss the below Interviews.
In the wake of the latest latest news about Issue 13 and Issue 14 MMO gaming website Massively.com release three different interviews covering recent developments with City of Heroes. Here are the links:
Interview: Brian Clayton and Matt Miller on Power and Responsibility in City of Heroes
Interview: A new era for PvP in City of Heroes
Super Boosters and beyond in City of Heroes
