Steelclaw

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my kids are still too young to play the game, but they love to create the costumes. I have 2 servers dedicated to just my kids toons. They make the costumes and I will lvl them to 2. Then that toon is pretty much done heh.
I do have a friend that lets her kids play tho. She only lets them team with people from her friends list. That way she can control who her kids interact with. I think that is a pretty good idea. When my kids are old enough to play as well I will probably use that as one of my rules as well.
It is more restrictive, but it allows for teams and more peace of mind.

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My daughter is the costume designer of our family. She will literally stay in the character creator for hours on end until everything is absolutely perfect. Her characters rarely get any higher than 8th level before she deletes it to make room for another toon.

Having a restricted number of friends with whom they can play is a great idea. Another good one is to create an SG yourself and make sure every person who joins is either someone you know or approve. If everyone in the SG understands they are playing with a kid, then you have neatly defeated the concern of strangers having access to your child.

Now you just have to worry about the SG-mates charging you baby sitting fees and cleaning out your refridgerator.

This Guide is intended for those of us who have children that play the City of Heroes games. Whether they only play with you in a team environment or they play the game on line alone, here are some helpful hints to keep them safe while still having a blast on this game we all love. These thoughts are primarily directed towards City of Heroes/Villains but can be applied to the internet in general as well.

FIRST OF ALL

On every box of City of ever sold, on the splash screen every time you start the game, there is a small white square with a big black “T” in the middle of it. One thing we need to keep in mind as parents is that this game is recommended for teens and above. This is not to say that younger kids can’t enjoy it, just that we, as parents, need to keep in mind that content is directed at an older audience.

Another thing you have to be mindful of is that this is a MMORPG. Strangers will have access to your kids through chat channels. Most of these people are in the game to have a good time and will treat the younger heroes and villains with respect and good humor. However, there are predators in every ecosystem, and giving your kids the tools to keep safe is an expression of love and good parenting.

So, keeping these two things foremost in our minds, how do we go about educating our rookie super-beings in protecting themselves?

IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE

The first thing we need to talk about are the predators. In the wild, lions, tigers and bears (oh my!) don’t just lay around their dens waiting for their prey to come to them. They find a nice watering hole where all the tidbits are likely to gather. I have sat down and explained this to my kids. I have told them that just because someone they meet on line says that they are 12 years old and from the same town as them; it does not mean they are telling the truth.

A lot of people get nervous about this; they say they don’t want to scare their kids. Well, I Do. I want my kids to be very nervous about who they talk to and what information they share. Fear is nature’s self-defense technique and it’s a heck of a lot more effective than karate.

When I first set my kids down to let them play, I laid out a few basic ground rules. The first and foremost of these rules was: “Don’t tell anyone anything.” I explained that if I ever caught them giving out their real names, real age or real address/phone number while on line their computer time would be revoked. Period. No discussion or argument allowed; automatically waived their right to Counsel.

This is a big one. Admittedly the way they talk to others on line with grammar, spelling and so on, are pretty good indicators of a younger age, but not conclusive. The way I explained it to them was that the best defensive power for any kid on the internet is that of invisibility. The bad guys can’t get you if they can’t see you.

Which brings me to the next point.

PRIVILEGE VERSUS RIGHT

No one wants to be the bad guy. Well, except for those City of Villains enthusiasts out there. You really don’t want to lower the hammer on your own kid, but sometimes it is necessary. One of the things I made clear to my kids when I let them play is that their computer time was not a right.

That’s important, so let’s say that again. Even if the computer is in the kid’s room and they are the only one who uses it; playing City of Heroes is a privilege that can be taken away. They may cry, rant and rave about it and likely will. My daughter, in particular, loves to use the argument “but my super group is running a task force tomorrow! They’ll be mad at me!”

Then I guess you shouldn’t have told that hero under Atlas your real name.

Rules and Consequences for breaking those rules should be agreed to before they play. I don’t care for arbitrary punishment. We don’t want to breed resentment here, especially over a game that is supposed to be fun. Let them know what you expect of them and what will happen if they miss those expectations. I personally have them written down on a list next to the computer, but you don’t have to be that obsessive. I tell them that if they break the rules, they lose CoH/V time. The number of weeks lost depends on the nature of the transgression.

WARNING: CONTENT UNDER PRESSURE

Next we need to worry about the game’s content. We already covered that this is geared towards a teen-age player. Now, if your child is younger than that, then you have to consider whether or not you want them reading/experiencing some of the mission matter. There are two ways to accomplish this.

First and by far the better option: Play The Game. Heck, you’re introducing them to the game because you love it, this should be easy! Missions and contacts are generally organized in 5 or 10 level lumps. I strongly suggest your character be at least 15 or 20 levels ahead of your kid’s, giving you a chance to at least get an idea of the stories available before they get there. This is a game about heroes and villains; so evil sneaks in there frequently as evil is wont to do.

On the other hand, we are adults and we have responsibilities that keep us from playing 24/7. For those of you who simply can’t dedicate the time to keep ahead of your budding comic book characters, there are on line sources that can give you a pretty good plot summary for each arc or task-force. Paragon Wiki is my favorite. Also, use the forums as a tool! Since I have started playing and posting, I have always found the people here in the forums to be extremely helpful and willing to answer my questions. If you are unsure of whether or not you want your kids to play through 40th level villain content, post your concern in the Player Questions forum.

EVEN FF DEFENDERS DON’T LIVE IN A BUBBLE

Your kids will not be playing alone, even if they solo all the time. There are other players in the game and spammers lurk like cockroaches. This one was a big concern for me, because my daughter, much to my eternal discomfort, is one of the ones who hang around under Atlas and chat with others.

Now, I could lower the hammer and demand she run solo missions, never talk to anyone and avoid super groups like the plague, but that’s one of those arbitrary rules I don’t like. She loves talking to people; telling them she likes their costume or name, doing dance emotes with them and generally being social. Instead of playing the dictator, I said she could do all that, but she had to do it “in character.”

Kids use their imagination a whole lot more than we do as adults. Role playing for them is practically second nature. I tell mine that they can converse with anyone they want, team some missions, compare fashion notes, but they have to do it as their hero when it comes to personal information. It actually has led to some interesting and amusing conversations.

Capt Random Man: “Hey, we should totally hook up some time. I live in New Yucks, where are you from?”

Daughter Girl: “I was born on Pluto, but now I live at the North Pole with Santa, protecting the elves.”

Capt Random Man: “I meant in real life.”

Daughter Girl: “I can’t tell you. Santa doesn’t like visitors.”

If your kids are always responding like the hero or villain they are playing, it not only protects them, it makes it more fun for them. There are problems with this however. Any game where people are role playing together will have those players who want to play a scene of a more risqué nature. It is a bit more difficult to protect them from this since some of these players feel the need to “play” on local or broadcast.

The first thing I do is make sure all the naughtiness filters are On. This is easy, since they are on by default and need to be manually switched to off. It does lead to awkward questions though. “Hey Dad… they just said they think Barbie the Barbarian is pretty and they want to <Bleep!> her. What does that mean?”

They want to honk her nose, dear.

Basically I tell my kids that they do not have to play with someone if they don’t want. If the other person is saying things that either confuse or make them angry, I tell them to leave. I have made sure that my kids know exactly how to use the /ignore feature.

Another thing to teach your kids is how to use the delete button on the email tab. There are two ways to handle emails; deletion and accumulation. With deletion you should tell your kids that if they do not recognize the name, they should not read it, just click on delete. You will also need to be very firm about telling them to never, never, neh-vah follow a link provided in an email. If they absolutely MUST know what is on the web site their SG mate sent to them then you can take a look at it first and give it the okay before they do.

The accumulation method is a bit more authoritarian but also works. It simply states: Do not access email ever. I don’t care if the word is red and the E is jumping up and down screaming “You have effing mail” at the top of its lungs. Do Not Click It. This works better for protecting your kids, but can cause some friction and resentment down the road. I use and recommend the first option.

YOUR KID’S TRUST FUND

I do not recommend hovering. No, I am not talking about the Flight power pool ability. What I mean is I don’t recommend you standing behind your kids as they play, every time they play. First of all, your older kids will immediately interpret this as you not trusting them. You, in turn, will respond that if they weren’t doing something wrong then they shouldn’t mind you watching. And before you know it, you’re turning into an after-school special.

The first few times they play you will have to hover. They will have a million questions and will need your input. I don’t know about your kids, but mine seem to be allergic to actually reading instructions. They will run through the tutorial, get the whole laundry list of how to attack a bad guy from the police contact, then… inevitably… “Dad.. it keeps telling me that it’s out of range. What does that mean?”

“It means you’re trying to punch that guy 100 yards away instead of the one standing right in front of you, son.”

“That would be a COOL power! How come they don’t have stretchy arms?”

“Welcome to the forum, son.”

After the initial confusion fades though, they will be off and running and you should quietly bow out. You need to trust them to make the right decisions. There are two methods I use to give me an “in” as they venture out on their own.

First, I take full advantage of that learning process. While I am teaching them how to run, jump and blast, I slip in the lessons on how to keep safe from people other than the computer run ones. I strongly suggest doing this in a clear, straight-forward dialogue. Trying to teach your kids subliminally rarely works, in my opinion. I find the “if you do this then you will lose that” works much better than “drugs are bad, m’kay.”

At this time I also give my kids the reasons for the rules. I don’t just lay down the punishment. I tell them, in general terms, that there are bad people out there who would take advantage of them if they could. I say the rules are armor and shield against these people. My son, at this point, says a sword would be much cooler than dull old armor. I suggested a scrapper.

The second method I use to keep me in the loop is enthusiasm. You love this game. Hopefully your kids will love it too. As any parent knows, if your kid loves something, they will talk your ear off about it. Both ears. Then go for the gray matter once the ears are gone. Use this to your advantage!

I know you will reach times when you want to scream “enough is enough already!” Especially when they yell for you across the house to come see their newest discovery only to find out they are amazed at how easily their 10th level scrapper can mow down 1st level Hellions. (That’s my son’s thing.) Or to see how pretty the new costume they’ve been slaving over for 3 hours in the character creator is. (daughter) No matter how much you want to roll your eyes and explain how you were doing something important at the top of your lungs; don’t.

They are communicating with you. They are keeping you in the information loop. A kid who feels comfortable showing you how high they can get their hero to jump from a stand still while swimming in water will also ask for help when someone says something to them in-game they don’t understand. If you sever those lines of communication with your kid because you have “better things to do” then you are not doing your best as a parent to protect them.

THE END-MISSION REWARD

I have found playing CoH/V with my kids to be rewarding and a whole lot of fun. A great side benefit of it is the dialogue it starts. Talks about City of have branched off into discussions about real life heroes and villains and real-world history. We have discussed the possibility of alien cultures, the workings of the legal system and a multitude of other topics.

It’s a great game. And with just a little effort, our kids can enjoy it too. Just remember:

1) Clearly state the rules and punishments for violating them.
2) Always answer personal questions as the character they are playing.
3) If they don’t like or understand what someone is saying; they can walk away.
4) /Ignore is their friend.
5) Never follow a link from an email. Delete emails from those they don’t know.
6) Maintain your and their enthusiasm for sharing the game with each other.

It’s all part of parenting. We do the best we can to give them the tools they need to survive, then step back and secretly get the cushions ready in case they fall. As a parent it terrifies me to see them walking towards what I perceive to be a roof ledge. But sometimes they surprise you. And it’s such a wonder to see them step off the ledge, spread their wings and Fly.

Okay.. for someone who is brand new to the scene and doesn't have the first year vet reward yet.. hmm..

36 max slots per server - 12 standard slots = 24 slots x 11 servers = 264 slots needed to max - 2 free slots = 262 bought slots...

That's 260/5 = 52 x 5 slot sets at $19.99 and 1 x 2 slot set at $9.99 for a grand total of $1049.47...

Hmmmm... if I sell my car....

To think that 15 people have not only maintained but advanced such a stellar game is an accomplishment deserving of praise and recognition. I, for one, gladly bow to our old game masters. Or, to sum it up, your efforts have been...

Abso-smurfly Fan-Freemin'-Tastic

Welcome both to the forums...

Now that you are official red names, please note the applicable dress code requirements when going to the office. You have precisely 10 days during which to attain spandex costumes closely resembling that of your in-game personas. After the 10 day grace period your daily pay will be docked approximately 30% for not meeting this dress-code requirement.

Also note subsection D in paragraph 2 on page 23 of the emplyee handbook:

Pictures or it didn't happen.

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I agree, damage types by origin, so someone could have a weakness versus Magic and anyone of magic origin could actually do more damage / hit easier etc. But that isn't how it was designed. So Be It.

I'm finding that last statement a surprise, I haven't done anything with an SO other than sell it since IO's came out.

Prior to IO's, I still never used TO's or DO's (except early on in my first couple of months before I came to understand the system.)

SO's as a reward isn't a reward. Just give me the 10K and send me on my way.

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Oh, I agree with you on that, I would likely only sell it myself. However, take into consideration that the story arch is appearing for a relatively low level group and the SO becomes a bit more valuable.

Also this is not a long series of missions like a TF, just a few, so giving out rare recipes or the like would open it up to foaming at the mouth farmers. A solid mission completion xp and inf bonus and a small shiny would be much more appropriate.

I have always hoped that origins could have a little more impact on the game than they currently do. The Midnight Squad arc gives me an idea in this direction.

It would make sense that any Magic Origin hero or villain would be trusted by an all-arcane organization than would a Tech or Mutation. I am not suggesting that the main story be ONLY accessible to Magic Origin, but there should be 2 to 3 sub-plots that they could get.

This would also open up the opportunity to have similar groups/story archs in later issues. One for science, technology, natural and mutation; each one with a main story playable by everyone and a series of smaller ones open only to the correct Origin.

I also think these sub-stories should have single origin enhancement rewards for playing through them.

I know you've all been breathless with anticipation.. so here is the Steelclaw Report:

Blood Priestess (drk/drk corrupter) Start: 12th, Finished: 17th
Passive Aggression (emp/psy defender) Start: 14th, Finished: 19th
Draconic Rage (ss/fire brute) Start: 16th, Finished: 19th
D'Shan Steelclaw (claws/reg scrapper) Start: 26th, Finished: 29th
Emcee Boombox (sonic/sonic defender) Start: 1st, End: 11th

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Excellent news!

The only problem is I have a bunch of alts that I play in a very specific order. Now I have to endure two weeks of listening to the heroes arguing with each other about who is more deserving of the double xp and the villains alternately trying to bribe me or threatening my family members.

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Go with the Villain that agrees to get rid of the aunt that always wants to kiss you and only gives you socks on your birthday.

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Actually, come to think of it, NONE of my relatives get me anything on my birthdays. Hmmmm....

I wonder if I can get a package deal....?

Excellent news!

The only problem is I have a bunch of alts that I play in a very specific order. Now I have to endure two weeks of listening to the heroes arguing with each other about who is more deserving of the double xp and the villains alternately trying to bribe me or threatening my family members.

I am not an animooool.... I am a human being....

As far as the Valentine's Day event having new content.... I am thinking that we follow up on the Winter Event happenings. Baby New Year allegedly grows from infant to old man in the space of one year's time. So maybe by February 14th he is approaching his early teen years... soooooo...

For the Valentine's Day Event we have to help Early Teen New Year get a date for his School Dance! Considering what an ugly little gnome he was as a baby.. this will likely be a task harder than all the TFs and trials combined.

For doing this... you gain the Mission Impossible badge and rental tuxedo/prom dress costume sets.

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Anyone else have a sinking feeling that this game is goin' down?

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No, not really, at least not me

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I think what makes this a non sinking thing is that the entire dev crew has followed the game, they are sticking to their three expansions a year plan and are planning to hire more developers too... not really what happens to a sinking game imo.

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LOL... are you saying that the developers are rats who decided the ship's not sinking yet so why abandon it?

Does this mean that huge Cryptic banner is coming down from the side of the building in Galaxy City? If so, one wonders what they'll put up in its place.

::Braces self for the in-game advertising debate again::

This is my first ever CoX Halloween event; only been around for three months or so. I had a blast doing it! Taking all my alts through and trying to get them the badges and collecting all the loot was a lot of fun.

However, new-car-smell aside, I can understand how some people would get bored with the grind-oriented nature of it. The badges are a good reward for some of us, but I was wondering if perhaps another reward system couldn't be initiated?

Since the event lasts 2 weeks, why not have a Golden Ticket as a reward item? You either earn the Golden Ticket as a random drop item or you get it for achieving a certain number or combination of badges, like an Accolade. The GT is a click item that activates a portal to take you to a Haunted House task force or trial. You are in a completely new part of the game where you sneak around what looks like the set from a classic B-Horror movie. You have to defeat The Monster/Psycho Killer and save as many of the usual B-Movie twits who always seem to go wandering off by themselves in those films.

Since not everyone is a badger I think a choice of rewards for this Haunted House would be a good idea. You get the badge and either a temp power, recipe drop or some other good item. And to make sure this has value; only one romp through the Haunted House per alt and each alt has to earn the golden ticket on their own. No trading/giving GTs and no one but a ticket holder can pass through the portal. Oh, and in order to qualify for the GT, you have to re-earn the badges during this event; no getting in on past laurels.

It just seems to me like that would make all the grinding that much more worth the time.

I don't know if this counts as a story or a role play or what exactly. I made a web site the chronicles my characters adventures off the mean streets. It also includes much more in depth descriptions of their origin stories. So, in case this fits here...

Link: www.ProjectAnthem.pbwiki.com

This is less an active Roleplaying concept and more a request for feedback. I am an unforunate victim of alto-holicism and have a multitude of toons I run. Since I am also a part time writer and obsessive RPer, I have created a structure and web site by which all my characters I play can interact with each other in a shifting, wide-spread story format.

So I play them on the game and then write about what happens to them when they go back to their base of operations.

I would very much like some feedback about the web site and the characters individual stories. I apologize that it doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles, but, to reveal my nerd roots... "I'm a writer not a web designer!"

The link: www.ProjectAnthem.pbwiki.com