Techbot Alpha

Get your filthy common sense out of my Interwebs, fleshling

Nice pic, but...

There is no Optimus Prime.
Son, I am disappoint.

Another bump, especially because funds are in dire need at the moment for art materials and travel for the artist for further education. Another wonderful example of the British state failing bloody awfully.

So, please, help out! And get shiny art from it too!

I think a good study is Wrath from Fullmetal Alchemist. The guy is basically a fusion of human and an incredibly powerful alchemical object. He was designed for the on purpose of control of a country and aiding the overall big-bads in their schemes. And, in combat, he is a one-man army with no mercy, no compassion and horrendous power.

And yet, despite being undeniably bad, he is STILL a relatable character. Everything in his life is basically a façade for the end goal...expect for his wife. She's human, and knows nothing about who he really is, and yet he picked her and no other for their first encounter (Which was effectively her slapping him across the face for being rude)

He lives up to his name, and holds humans in contempt, and yet there are enough 'human' elements to him, such as him embracing final combat with another 'nameless man' as his final, fitting swan-song; his actual care for his wife; and the fact he is an aspect of such quintessential human-ness...that make him a relatable character.

I have to say, Wrath along with Greed are two of my favourites from FMA. Envy is another good one.

This is the Interwebs, Bill! Take your filthy common sense elsewhere!

I'd say the answer, for me, comes down to the same spectrum we have in-game; Vigilante, Rogue and Villain.

Rogue's certainly strike me as 'Glamorous' villains. They get the girls, the gold, the guns and ammo. They have the small but dedicated cadre of goons that work with the inverse law of Ninjitsu; there's less of them, but they do a much better job.

Greed from Fullmetal Alchemist is a good example. Although he does kinda-sorta fit into the 'bad Good guy' camp, certainly later on. A 'Sympathetic Villain' if you will.



I think....hmn. In a way I think a healthy(?) mix of the two is actually most preferable. If a Villain is *only* disgusting, you lose all investment in the story, in the character. Even in reality, which has it's fair share, 'the bad guys' (such an Americanism >_>) always do what they do for a reason.

I think real Disgusting Villains fall into the mentally ill/disturbed/broken bracket, people who simply don't get society or people and want to tear it apart. People like Zsasz from Batman, and possibly Scarecrow. Even then, that 'broken' side of them makes for a kind of connection, because there is an inherent understanding that part of them is wrong, not working how it should.

Glamorous is perhaps the wrong word for it; Stylish? Or maybe 'Purposeful Villains'. Out for greed, out for vengeance, out because of fear; all human reasons that make a character more understandable, more interesting. Villains like Doc Doom and Mangneto are great examples; they've often ceased fighting to turn on a common enemy, or have the limits that even they won't cross (If I remember right I think Doom helped deliver Sue's child didn't he?)

So, rambling aside;
Villains with a purpose are interesting. 'Glamour' if you want to call it that, a goal, a personality and their own dreams, hopes and fears, however 'against the law' they may be. They are the characters I like to see. Sure, some of them can be pretty nasty. Some of them can be just as nasty, if not more so, than Disgusting characters.

'Disgusting' characters, as you mentioned, tend to just be dull, boring and depressing. They are almost a purpose-built...hm...not Mary Sue, but something that only exists to make people feel good 'Because I beat up the big bad villain yay!'

A real villain should be one that, even after you beat them, you are left wondering if you really, really did the right thing. Were they, just maybe...kind of right?

I'm passively hoping the repeated 'No comment's about PvP and Bases at various cons means that stuff is now on at least the mid-burner when it comes to work. Maybe not Soon™ but Soonish.

/Signed, as someone who actually likes to read the text in missions.

What Quinch said, really. 'Freeloader' isn't exactly the friendliest way of putting it.

Actually, who the hell, am I buttering up? It's a damn ****** way of putting it, and everyone knows it. I still think the utter lack of useability for Free accounts, which is basically the uber-gutted trial accounts up to level 50, is a really damn stupid move. Yes, I know that they want to entice people to go Premium or VIP.
But doing that by locking away basic functionality is NOT a good idea. I wasn't even aware you couldn't even TRADE as a Freebie. Does that mean you can't get insps? Enhancements? If so, BANG goes a major part of PuGs and teaming in general; "Anyone got a waky/two oranges?" etc.

Which is a BAD thing for a game as team friendly as this.

Both. Just like reality, frankly.

/Signed

Oh, and;

All of the old ones.

I don't see why we should be content to aim small.
Oh, and that's for zones.

For MAPS? Layer Cake room/Donut Cave room/OhGODnotTHISARRRRGH! room. You all know the one I mean.

Hell to the VERY YES /Signed

Why this hasn't been done already over a maintenance period is beyond me. I mean, come on; how hard can this honestly be? Yes, I know 'Don't say that unless you know!!' but, really? This isn't asking for a complete reskin of Archery into Crossbows. I refuse to believe that adding Untouchable to the other rezzes can be that hard.


*makes a few bets with himself about responses*

I just wish the 'Show last objective/last enemies' feature which SHOULD be working WAS working; currently, it isn't. And hasn't been working as it should for a while now. Which is very annoying.

I also have no objection to it, really. I mean, barring Stalkers (who have an easy time of objectives most of the time anyhow) you still have to fight mobs to get to the objectives. Since they tend to be evenly spaced anyway, it's not too much an issue to me. I still have to GET there, right?

Also, the only actual 'puzzle' in the game I know of is the Midnighters stuff in the...oh, Ex-Legacy Chain guy, added recently. Where you DO actually have to stop and think about which is the right portal...which was actually fun and cool, because it was genuinely different. Not 'Hunt X glowy that we've stuffed in some far flung corner for the lulz'.

Clockwork chest detail
PPD and Valkyrie boots
I have a limited selection of faces that I think look decent (aka not the godawful messes the others are)

Probably more if I checked

Hell. Freaking. NO.

Sorry, but I also hate the Invul tech in the tutorial.
Why? Well, it makes an important part of the tutorial, i.e. learning things null and void. And what part of an MMO is more important, besides XP, then getting your face kicked in and finding out how hospitals work?

Getting beaten up happens. It sometimes happens a lot. I'm not one of the 'I love Debt!' brigade, but I do think there is a place you have to draw the line, and this is getting to it. I know already people seem to be totally ignorant of 'aggro range' and the like.

Just...yeah, no. No thanks.

First Ward is awesome. It also feels a lot more balanced than the rest of Praetoria. Either that or Beam Rifle is just that good

Loved it. Love the design, love the flavour, love how much character it has as a zone.

Now if only all the zones were this good