Memphis_Bill

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Veluta..........................5-10...........Privateer (Trap 50 Ghosts)......-2509, 108, -823. Port Oakes

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I have no idea how you're supposed to get this before level 10. The minimum level of the ghost mobs is 9.

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True, even at 12 (at least with my MM) it's suicidal. I took my 22 Brute in and did it - got a small story arc out of it too... with all the mobs at 9-11. :P

Heh, from just now, actually:
NPC: "You are SO going to get your butt handed to you here."
NPC Lenard: "I want my two dollars!"
Hellion girlfriend: "Those Skulls think they're so hot, but they're not."

Yay, War_Witch posted, and we have a new Miss Kitty avatar. This is a good thread.

Some I've run across...
Mission opening: (something) puts you in a bad mood. People don't like you when you're in a bad mood. Of course, they don't like you when you're in a GOOD mood either.

Then there's the Hellion ... meh, I forget his name, you get a book from him for Mr. Bocor. When you beat him, all he can say is... "Oh."

"Quit complaining, back in my day we had to uase a hammer to break into things."

Rocketman: Midas promised me a pound of chocolate for every 'rachnos helmet I turn in.

[NPC]Joshua: Please don't do this. I've got kids. Well, not really, but I'd like to some day.

[NPC]Rocketman: Score! That's eleventy billion you owe me now!
[NPC]Ruin Mage: By Batz'Ul's beard, will no one rid me of this meddlesome villain?!
[NPC]Reaper: Business is brisk in the extreme makeover business.
(Yep, Log Chat: Enabled helps )

And personally - yeah, it's not NPC, but I'm happy I finally got my first "You're sick" for my sociopathic stalker's nursery rhymes as she does her job...

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Personally, I'm a fan of shadows.

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I really hope he doesn't mean Babylon 5 style.

"What do you want?"

I use a couple others, too - I don't use the numpad the way you do, by any means but these may also be useful:

/bind up "target_friend_far"
/bind down "target_friend_near"
/bind left "target_friend_prev"
/bind right "target_friend_next"

And yes, I'm somewhat bind-happy on stuff, but I use a similar message/whistle to get attention on shift+7, with 7 firing off the aura itself. I've been considering swapping that, actually... but I like having them handy to solo with just a press.

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or even the newly fixed Paragon Protector Lab

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You said that, I rushed in, found my demo of the "detailless" lab.

YEAH! That looks so friggin COOL now... Woohoo!

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I got mine from Gamestop pre-orders and I have all 7.

States, Posi, Manti
Scorpi, Widow, Recluse, Mako.

YAY! My sample card pack looks like a list of Positron powers cause I got a bunch of Rad stuff.

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Well, preordering from Gamestop doesnt' guarantee anything - I only have six (also missing Ghost Widow.)

OMG! Ghost Widow got nerfed!

Edit: If it helps, preorders picked up from a physical store.

Manti *always* has a good sense of humor.

Even when face down on the ground...

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Will there be a level bump? I mean your level 54 and most are no way near 40 ...

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I hope this was a joke about the repetetive requests for a level bump, despite there already being a presented solution for this without a level bump.

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For us of very low level auto-SK does little to help us. A level 10 SK'd to 40 is not a levl 40. Assuming this is what you were talking about.

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Think they meant the "Will be coded as monsters" bit, actually.

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And also, what is AS? I've seen it in other thread when talking about PvP. From what I read, its bad to get ASed.

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From context, Assassin's Strike, a Stalker power. It basically does something like 7x to 10x normal damage, assuming the Stalker is hidden. It's meant to one-shot (or close enough) just about anything.

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Have to argue with that, but I'm far from the "uber" stalker. White and some yellow con MOBs, yes. (Ignoring build up and such, being a pre-order invite, my highest stalker is lvl 10.)

Hitting yellows, reds, etc. I think the best I got on *anyone* was about 2/3 HP down. Given the crowds tonight, if there wasn't another villain around to help out, I had to leave THEN or get killed.

On my 10, just so you can see the difference Assassination (the Stalker inherent) makes - out in the open, AS is ... er, useless. 3 seconds of build up (and funky animation) for about 12-15 damage. Hidden, about 110 points.

Want to not get ASd? Keep moving... or play a friggin Stormie. Geez... talk about not being able to get close... had an easier time going toe-to-toe with Scrappers.

Great fun though.

Well, I'm sure what I'm going to say has been echoed already, Posi.

First, thanks for throwing that little bone to us. Not meant insultingly, but every tiny bit of good news (after how many thousand posts) helps. And my SR scrapper, if she's still viable after this, can use it.

But please, tell us - are *other* values being adjusted? How about my damage? Or, conversely, the mobs' damage and accuracy - are they being revised again? You can't honestly lower *those* again without making mobs essentially a joke, turning the game into "City of who needs heroes, these guys couldn't hit the broad side of a barn."

Or the one honestly more near and dear to my heart - how are my teams going to live, literally, with the reduction in healing and buffs from my emps? I've managed many times to just "maintain" someone - five slotted (1 end, 5 heal) - who's taking massive amounts of incoming damage from a bad pull long enough for the rest of the team to take down a couple of mobs and allow us to pull ahead. Why? 5 heal. Hasten (not permad, as my EMP set and other team support gets priority.)

Yes, I know I can three slot with "little" penalty, or four slot with "a bit more" of a penalty, and drop a recharge redux in there. But for my emps, ANY reduction is a great penalty - the penalty not being in your spreadsheet.

That penalty is the death of teammates. Knowing I won't be able to heal like I could, buff like I could. Yes, as an emp, I take that personally, because keeping them up and fighting is *my* job. I know many tanks that are... let's just say obsessed with "ANY damage the team takes is MY (the tank's) fault." My emps have the same attitude, frankly - unless a player suffers from "Hey y'all, watch this!" syndrome, I take deaths personally.

You're giving everyone an END discount. Great, thank you. Honestly. It'll make part of my job easier. And i'm sure I'm going to see more use out of Vigilance now. Which I don't consider a good thing, since it means my emps are *failing* in their job.

It also means they're going to full six-slotted heal, since *every* tenth of a percent of health, of regen or recovery, is now more precious than gold to them. Sort of the opposite of the way we're 'supposed' to be slotting with ED now, isn't it?

The broadsword/SR scrapper I also love playing thanks you, as I think I mentioned. My kin/dark, not yet 20, thanks you. They were having end problems, and I was going to try to avoid stamina. The scrapper just hopes she lives long enough to enjoy another attack or two before her end runs out, since her defenses are being gutted again.

I don't know about my forum name's namesake, my first toon, still only lvl 17. I don't play him much. He's a fire tank. Nice guy, if you ever meet him. Really takes the team seriously. Their lives are more important to him than his own... but he'd like to know what's happening to his defenses. Can't really fight, mind you. Has an attack or two, but he's there to take hits, to keep the bad guys focused on him as that delicate blaster knocks down their life, as the scrapper takes them down, as the defender does their part to make the bad guys jobs a bit more difficult...

The end discount is nice. Thanks. That flame shield, plasma shield, whatever he needs to run for this group of bad guys can stay up a bit longer... now what about helping him do the rest of his job?

Tell us there's more *good* news. Please.

Since her father's death, Therra had changed. She was still a rambunctious girl, but she kept a bit more to herself. She didn't have a lot of friends, but wasn't hurting for them. She was reasonably popular with the boys as well if the almost-daily stack of notes left in her locker was any indication. Still, she buried herself in books. She started learning about electronics, wondering why her father had to die for his work, and found she had a knack for understanding it.

Her father's death had changed her in other ways. As many - young and old - do, she started wondering about "what happens after." And she'd found herself reading much more esoteric books - this being Paragon, esoteric wasn't hard to find. Forgotten gods and goddesses. Magic and ritual. Myths and legends. At sixteen, she was more likely to be found at the Paragon City Library on a Friday night instead of on a date (much to the disappointment of the boys in the school.) In fact, most nights you could find her there.

Nights like tonight...

"Oh, it came in? Thanks!" The young redhead almost bounced as the librarian handed over the book - "Magic behind the Myths." She'd found references to it everywhere as a definitive source, and felt it could answer several questions - including questions about the city. Besides, she had a book report due in a week.

The woman behind the counter gave a bemused smile as Therra hungrily dove into the pages. "I'm sorry it took so long, we just couldn't find a copy anywhere. Do you have everything you wanted?"

"Yes, thank you," Therra said, closing the book and handing it over with the rest of her small stack.

The librarian chuckled as she saw the pile. "I never know what to expect from you next, dear. What have you got this time... more electronic design, natural magic, metaphysical studies... Most girls your age getting out of Nancy Drew and hitting the romance novels."

Therra rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, most girls my age are airheads from what I've seen." She waited for the librarian to finish signing the books out, then picked them up and started out the door.

"Therra?" the librarian called out, a touch of worry in her voice. "It's getting dark out, are you sure you don't want to call for a ride or something? The gangs have been moving into the area -"

"It's OK, Mrs. Soto, I know my way and can take care of myself." She stopped. Mrs. Soto was only worried about her. "Could you call my mom and let her know I'm on my way back?" Not that she was all that concerned, but if it would help the lady who had been so nice to her for years not worry...

Mrs. Soto smiled as she picked up the phone. "OK, dear. I'll call your mother. Tell her to give you ten minutes or so?" She started dialing without waiting for an answer. She wouldn't want anything to happen to the sweet girl.

"Yep. Thanks," Therra said, heading out the door with a wave.

Once outside, she looked around, startled. It was already twilight. She hadn't expected to be here quite so long. "Oh well - maybe twelve minutes," she thought. She wondered if kids in schools outside of Paragon kept up on what gangs were where, in addition to the usual high school gossip. "Hmm. Skulls are more south, Hellions were moving west... 21st should be good."

Five minutes later, she decided she really needed to change her route.

"Look, I don't have more than five dollars. I don't have anything you want. Just leave me alone!" As the words left her mouth, she thought how stupid it was for her to stand up to the two gang members. Black jackets, dorky red face paint... Hellions. As two muscular arms grabbed her from behind, she was sure of it.

Therra started squirming and kicking. "Let me go, I said I don't have anything!"

"We'll decide if you have anything we want, little girl," one of them said, laughing. "Over here."

Therra dropped her books as she struggled against the arms holding her. One of the thugs grabbed a book. "What's this? Aww, she wants to know about magic. We can show ya some real magic, right guys? Make it a real magical night for ya," he said with a sneer. He threw the book - the one she had been waiting for - off to the side, where it landed with a splash.

I'll have to pay for water damage now, Therra thought - then wondered why she was so concerned with that at the moment. She was getting angry - at herself, at the situation...and she was more than a little afraid. "I said, let me GO!"

She landed on her back with a thud.

"What the hell, man? Why'd you drop her?"

The Hellion that had tossed the book elbowed his buddy. "Guess one little girl's too much for him."

Therra wasn't waiting around. She started running as they argued, jumping over the dazed Hellion that had been holding her before he could get up.

"Shut up, the little tramp shocked me with something." He got up and started chasing her. "Let's teach her a lesson she ain't getting from no book!"

Therra ran blindly, watching her pursuers. Finally she turned to see where she was going.

Dead end. This could be bad.

She faced her attackers. If she was going to get killed, she was going down fighting - though she was pretty sure they had something else in mind first. Terrified, her mind raced. Think, girl...

She remembered the one's comments about her book. Well, if they thought she knew magic, maybe a little show would slow them down...

A light sparked as she started gesturing at the oncoming, and very annoyed, Hellions. One pulled out a knife. "Good, she's gonna fi-"

More streetlights burst as a ball of electricity burst from Therra and hit the thug square in the chest, sending him flying and leaving his companions stunned.

What was that?

A smile slowly spread across Therra's face as all she'd read coalesced in her mind. "I think I get it."

Focusing her anger, she imagined a lightning bolt arcing from her hand. She aimed for the big one on the right.

Down he went.

The last thug suddenly didn't like the odds very much. Dropping his switchblade, he ran for the street, away from what apparently was a hero.

Therra chased him. "Oh, no you don't! You made me drop MY books."

The thug stopped cold as rings of electricity encircled him.

"If I've gotta pay, so do you."

"Wait... I..." he started. Therra didn't want to hear it. Another bolt, and the last of the Hellions was out.

Therra looked around, breathing hard. As she looked at the three unconcious gang members, she started to shake, feeling sick to her stomach. Then she looked again.

Wow, did I do that?

She looked down at her hands.

"How?"

Therra suddenly realized how dark it was. She had no idea how much time had passed. Mom's gonna be worried sick. She quickly gathered her scattered books, smoothed her skirt, and started for the street.

She stopped and looked back down the alley. "I guess I should call the cops to get these guys."

"Impressive," said a voice from above her. Whirling, she faced...

A woman in a white and blue costume, floating several feet above the ground. One of the city's heroes. Miss Defy, if she remembered right.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner," the heroine said, alighting gently on the ground. "Then again, it looks like you didn't need the help." She placed devices on each of the Hellions, who were then teleported away.

Therra backed up. Was she in trouble? "I didn't... I mean, I don't..." she stammered.

"Know how it happened? First time, I take it?" Miss Defy walked up to Therra and smoothed down the girl's hair (which had been standing on end since the first shot,) then put a comforting arm around her. "Come with me. I think we can help you understand what has happened to you."

"What happened to them?" Therra asked, waving her arm at the now empty alley.

"They'll be waking up in the Zig's med center. Plenty of guards to keep them company. Now then, what's your name?"

One hour later

Julia Arcson sat staring at the clock, not knowing if she should be angry or worried. Therra was rarely late. The times she was, there was good reason. Still, the library had called so long ago -

When the knock came at the door, her heart sank.

Therra doesn't knock, she has a key.

She steeled herself for the worst and answered the door.

There stood Therra. Along with Miss Defy and two other heroes.

"Therra! You had me worried. Are you all right? What happened? Who are-"

Therra ran in and held her mom for a moment. Julia just held her daughter, then looked at the trio of brightly dressed strangers on her doorstep. "Please, come in. I take it she's OK because of you? Is she all right?"

Miss Defy smiled as she came in. "Mrs. Arcson, she's better than all right. Can we sit down? We have a lot to talk about...."

She was born in Wisconsin. She didn't remember Wisconsin though. She only had her mother's word she was born there. That and her birth certificate, and social security number. All her life, all she'd really known was Paragon City.

They'd moved there shortly after her birth, her father lured there with the promise of higher pay and better benefits with a new tech company. Not to mention, of course, the protection the city gained as the City of Heroes. Sure, odd things happened here and there - the city's hero population being seen as a chance for the more ambitious criminals to test themselves - but things were typically brought to a swift end. It was nothing more than something for her father to talk about over dinner, something he'd heard on the radio coming home from his job as an electrical engineer.

There's always a "But" in stories like this, though.

She had just turned ten a few days before. A milestone in her short life. Double digit age! She was growing! She skipped home from school, FEELING every bit of her fifty five inch height. Oh, sure, some counters still loomed over her, and upper shelves were still "Therra Incognita," but she'd get there eventually. Soon, she was sure. She stopped to feel a spring breeze, turning to watch a butterfly flit out of the park, continuing the turn in a spin for the heck of it. Ten. A wonderful age. She didn't even notice the smoky haze over part of the city.

She ran home, racing her friend Sue part of the way, anticipating snacking on one of the last pieces of cake left from her party. "Mom!" she called as she came in the door. "Mom, can I have some..."

Something was wrong. Her mother sat, gazing at the television but not really watching. The phone sat next to her, beeping its frantic off-hook beep.

"Mom?"

Therra hung up the phone, just noticing the tear-tracks running down her mother's face. Concerned, she sat down and leaned against her, finally getting a reaction as her mother put her arm around her. She looked at the TV - something had happened downtown. Something bad...

The TV clicked off as Therra's mother turned to face her daughter.

"Therra... your father's gone." Julia Arcson looked at her daughter, not quite able to accept the reality of it yet. Her husband of twelve years, taken from her by a rampaging gang. Where were the heroes?

She settled in to try to explain to her daughter what she couldn't believe herself.

Just a bit of expansion on a toon I played... oh, quite a bit. Given she's my only 50, well...

I'm throwing more of these out onto a blog. I just don't like having them posted in reverse order. That, and - well, comments, suggestions... oh, and any names and all names and books were pretty much spur-of-the-moment. Any resemblance to people, books, potted plants, or Greek cuisine, living or dead, is purely unintentional.

In any case, enjoy.

Nice guide. I've hit most of this (since I'm a story hound) but having ti all together is very nice.

Take the following for what it's worth...

Aside from the *other* bind suggestions, I also have the arrow keys set - up, target_friend_far, down, target_friend_near, left and right for prev and next. Just for those times someone needs a hand and isn't teamed. (Hollows patrols...)

Also, for good or bad, I get fixated. (I was going to say "target locked," essentially the same thing.) I've gone through entire missions just occasionally looking at something OTHER than the team window and icons. "Wha, we were in a battle? What do you mean, I was surrounded...."

Try to avoid that. Dead emp = no good. (And yes, I'll try clicking myself and Healing Other or Absorbing Pain and wonder why it doesn't work...)

Well, we know how he keeps up on his archery now...

"Argh, demo deck... PULL!" *twang*

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you can find out more about the blood of the black stream and how it realtes to CCGs in the upcoming novel, the Web of Arachnos!

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And they'll tie the two together in an issue called "Hit the Deck!"

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As for my background, I worked as a Creative Director for Guardians of Order, a pen & paper RPG publisher for a handful of years. I was Line Developer on the Silver Age Sentinels RPG, where I was the primary author of the world setting,

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I believe someone else said it best when they said... "Gil-who?"

Having just played SAS with my group (and getting two new vict-er, heroes - involved in the adventure) last weekend... well, my need for a "fix" of that game (we've got a great GM) got me to buy COH... so somehow this is appropriate. Fated even.

You could even say "We have you now."

Spitball and the rest of S.P.A.M. will send your stuff over from SAS... welcome aboard. I have full faith in said shoes being filled.

Don't think I ever directed much at you, but...

Thank you.

/em salute

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You answered most of your questions yourself. The writing is on the wall, all their eggs in one basket as you put it. I5 was the beginning of the transition of turning CoH from a PvE based experience into one focused on the PvP aspects to be introduced with CoV.

A majority of future content, I would wager especially end game content, is meant to be player generated...ie:PvP.

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Erm. No. PvP will be an optional part of gameplay. Always.

The changes in I5 had very little to do with PvP and a lot to do with boring PvE. It's that simple. No conspiracy there - I think I've stated this several times.

As for the supposed "emphasis" on PvP - I think you'll see that it's just ONE part of City of Villains. It has PvE content levels 1 to 50.

We'll continue to add new PvE content (which I5 did exclusively, I might add) in the future.

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States, no offense man, but "boring" by who's definition? I would venture to say that the majority of us were having a great time before the "fun" of all the nerfing came.

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Have to say people are definitely reading this differently than I am... some are reading it thinking Statesman says PVE is boring - I'm reading it as ... i don't think sarcastic is the word. Facetious, perhaps. Sort of like someone coming up and saying "Yeah, I know, birthdays are so overrated, *sigh* it's the only time people come up and give you stuff for no good reason" while handing you a wad of money, or a set of car keys or some such. (No, never got a car, or a "Wad" of money, but you get what I mean...)

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Someone I know and trust in game, described how he maniupulated a set of people, such that 3 evenyl balananced teams went after a GM (was about 18 people in total).

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Hey, the GMs give badges?

Cool... get team, send /petition..

Oh, giant monster. nevermind...

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When did they change this? Is there an official post on the matter?

I don't disagree that you should have a team to do these, but what if more than 8 people want to help with a giant monster? Do the extras get screwed if they don't do the most damage?

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Happened with my PB on Adamastor. Came by, team was forming/assembling, asked if they had a spot... "No, but you're welcome to help."

Did so.

No badge. Only the team members got it.

It all depends on what you do with them...

Why play someone of an opposite gender? Different age, race, background?

To "get away."

How much more "away" can you get than an animal, alien, or robot? You can be as non-you as you can dream.

don't like it, don't be one. But let those that are have their fun.

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and a new techno defense set for CoV Stalkers.

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Um... Can I choose, say, a Country or Hip-hop defense set instead? Not much Techno played around here...

What?