Tyger

Devices could do with some minor improvements on the top trio of powers. Gun Drone overcame its immobility by becoming airborne but then everyone else started doing it (curse you Malta!) and the mines are often situational; great fun solo or in a tactical team but no fun in a zerg-rush powerteam given the long activation time and interruptability. Often improvements make for an either-or case but I ask:

Why can't we have both?

These days we have powers which grant other powers within sets; starting with Dual Pistols 'Change Ammo' power and contuining with Staff Mastery so why not change Trip Mine, Time Bomb and Gun Drone to grant two versions of each power? Each power can be slotted (although if each one gets a deault slot it would give Devices up to 3 extra than other sets); those that prefer the classic version can keep their classic version slotted, those who like a more fast-paced lite-version can slot that instead and those who like to have a full arsenal can carefully slot both to adapt to situations as they come.

For the powers:
Trip Mine grants High Yield and Low Yield:
High Yield - classic, interruptable Trip Mine
Low Yield - uninterruptable version that deals one-eigth of the power but only takes a quarter of the time to place giving it half the damage-dealing but making it easier to drop down.

Time Bomb grants Long Timer and Short Fuse
Long Timer - classic Time Bomb
Short Fuse - Similar to Low Yield, uninterruptable but on a much shorter 3 second timer and lower yield.

Gun Drone grants Mobile and Immobile
Immobile - Legacy placeable Gun Drone, fixed to its location
Mobile - current Gun Drone that follows you around.

We get the best of both worlds if we want and no-one loses out because they can just keep their preferred powers instead.

I'd like to think that with Cole vanquished, Hamidon might not be aware of any survivors given how Cole goes down, taking life with him. Maybe he'd chillax for a bit till he realises his attacks aren't being stopped and then be the epilogue for the Praetorian storyline.

No.

If it's too low a ticket cost; people will farm the crud out of it.
If it's too high a ticket cost; people will farm the crud out of it.

And by that; they will create a map of their perfect enemy, something weak to element-type-X and beat them to death. Then it'll either be to gain the number of tickets needed to create however much iSalvage they want.

And a timer won't help. Just gives them more time to farm on other alts.


You can already get Incarnate Shards doing Dev's Choice under Normal Reward conditions as long as you have the Alpha Unlocked badge. Anything else will only lead to further abuse of the system.

Another one: The Detailed Info tab has a nifty feature that I only found out about in beta.

Bringing up the Info window for a power and then going into Detail Info which gives you all the stats on said power on your current AT. Clicking on the AT brings up a little pop-menu that allows you to change the AT and it will give you the info for that power on the AT that you want.

e.g. if you want to see if there's any difference between Flares on a fire/ blaster and Flares on a /fire defender simply bring up the info, click the AT and change it to defender and voila: defender stats for Flares.

No to a new starting zone. BUT I would like it to be a 5-20 range of content. Why? It has a connecting door with Independence Port. Makes sense for a logical progression of levelling

A reshuffle of certain contacts, cleaning up their arcs if they have them as well as incorporating the old badge missions into the chains and maybe using the phase tech in a limited fashion to show progress cleaning up one of the dirtiest streets.

There's an ample opportunity for story progression. The Family runs I.P. and IIRC supplies the tools for at least one of the factions; either Hellions or Skulls. We could deal with the gang and work our way up to the source, discovering that the crime gangs of Kings Row are being supplied by the bigger crime in other parts. This could lead to us reclaiming the Row and then moving on to crime in the bigger city. With Galaxy City's door blocked off by PPD; there's ample space in the north of the zone for a set of arc-chains (and it's also the site of the bank, wink-wink).

This would mean revamping at least part of Independence Port with entrees from Kings having arcs starting in the mid-south of the zone and leading down to crime related to Brickstown after dealing with the Family. It could even become a reunion zone for those who head off to Steel and come through the north gate connecting Steel and I.P. with the Steelites taking out the Tsoo and Council encroaching on the northern part of the zone. Of course; more stations would be in order to help get around I.P. like a ship/boat connection or an extension of the (nearly typed Green) tram line. They could even be exposed to the Sky Raiders at 25 and decide if they want to pass through the Smuggler's Ship to Striga; returning to a finish in I.P. or directed to Founders to tackle the Council fighting there.

Brickstown hits into the 30-39 territory so another Vanguard station to direct people to the RWZ should be a given (side-note:same with Nerva which strides up into the mid 30s at least). Connections should be the key.

I could get behind a long-term gameplan like that where each issue was a serious progression of content, utilising older assests with a hint of newer ones for special bosses or contacts, that ultimately returned to giving us a solid path from 1-50 instead of the disjointed ones we have now where we hit 35 and get contacted by Borea(?) to go to the RWZ (And Daedaelus/Sister Airlia if we have Midnighter access and Arbiter Whatshisname if you're a villain). I've recently been redoing legacy content and there's a lot of rich story there that's just waiting to be tapped into with new story mechanics and it should be done.

NPC Conversions - The old Noble Savage thread from October 2010

I made a shortlist in this post.

First part: tight details. Longbow, Paragon Protectors. Tights have no clipping issues to speak of but people still make Longbow, Paragon Protectors using what patterns we do get anyway (one of the Longbow officers in new Mercy's starting arcs uses a PC pattern).

Second part: My only true 'request' is to finally get the Vanguard Backplate and thigh guards:

Back during the i10 beta when server transfers were first being tested; there was a glitch which allowed players to access certain NPC parts including the Vanguard belt with the thigh guards and the backplate. The thighguards were a second belt option and the backplate was a back detail although it ended up in capes at the time. These two are the only pieces left I really want.

I would eat a raw onion if this happened soon™

Fire and Ice is staying for now alongside Mecha in i23.

Celestial will be available 'via other means' once it's rotated out so the Fire and Ice pieces will no doubt follow the same model.

I actually hope it's not yet released till after States has been the WTF for one last time as a sendoff.

"His was the last WTF in May as it was the last time it was his"

.o>

Thinking about it; I did recently purchase the global unlock for capes and auras so if the City Rep doesn't show up at 30 for me, I'll know why. For now: Striga part 1. Yes, part 1.

So I head to Talos and on to the Smuggler's Ship, nicely marked with an inverted colour S icon these days and also a linked transit so I could jump to Independence Port that way as well. Enter Striga Isle.

The old design philosophy peers through as Stephanie Peebles isn't auto-dropped into my contact list. I forgo using the Find Contact function as I know where she hangs out. Hello Mrs. Peebles. I pick her first mission and the lack of the blue title text is very apparent. No idea of progress in the arc. She gives me a Hunt 10 Council mission which is apt as I passed several mobs on the way to her, littering the streets. A nice conservative number too. Quickly on to the next mission: Rescue Dr. Francois. I really lucked out here. Although the map was one of the largest ship maps there is; he ended up being placed just inside the door (like an old 50s cinema serial or a humourous sketch show "How will we ever find... oh there he is"). Possibly his quickest rescue to date

Next mission: Family vs. Council DEFEAT ALL. Urgh, wasn't looking forward to this but my Staffie Brute ploughs through them with ease and done in no time. On to the next mission: ANOTHER DEFEAT ALL! But wait; Zenith Mech Men have apparently been activated and are clearing a warehouse. Sure enough on entering the mobs consist of nothing but Mech Men except for the boss who is the only Council man on the map. Nice use of NPC-specific groupings to add flavour to the mission directive.

Next up is a Family mission: bust Tommy One Eye and his crew. This is where I learn that the Family is supplying Paragon's superadine which is turning people into Trolls. A lore connection, one level of NPCs connecting with others, just like with the new DA arcs, by referencing past lore events. It's also just a boss-kill as when Tommy and his close allies go down the mission ends. I stick around to clear out the remainder.

Another DEFEAT ALL (are we there yet?), another ship of mobs to beat but this time to find some marine research specimen that was appropriated by the Council. Given the hints; it could be a Coralax, perhaps an old hint for CoV given it's described as man-sized with claws capable of ripping a boat to shreds. Some optional NPCs to rescue but they let themselves out thankfully. Next I get to talk to Long Jack who tells me I might want to bring a few friends along in plaintext. It leads-in to the next mission: Defeat Heracles and his men, another E-B fight. No orangetext with this one either but I know what I'm in for since this is the Wedding Band mission. The fight is fairly short, went through almost my entire tray of insps but Heracles fell. After returning to Peebles she gives me the original version of the Wedding Ring temp power prompting the joke in one of my global channels "She's got a lot of husbands"

Before she introduces me to Long Jack I check out the store and she only sells Natural-Magic DOs. They're in a better range of 20-25 but now limited by origin. No matter to me since I'm slotting out with common IOs and utilising Form of the Body (the end-reduction one) to keep my endurance in check. And on to Jack I go.

Long Jack starts off on a bit of a downer as I get two hunts in a row; defeat 20 Family and then 10 Council but the Council one leads-in to a rescue missions for 'unwilling recruits'. Bit of luck here again as both ambushes holding keys literally walk into my path and are quickly wasted allowing me free access to the rest of the warehouse. Rescued without too much trouble. Then comes the next one: Another hunt mission: Defeat 20 Sky Raiders in the Maw.

The where? At this point I haven't really explored much of Striga so The Maw is still blacked out and there's no directional marker to indicate where. After a bit of an explore I see the Sky Raiders around a checkpoint to the east. Sure enough; beating them starts counting for the mission. Now deeper into enemy territory the mission door for the next one comes up nice and close; DEFEAT ALL in a warehouse. So uneventful I actually forgot to write who I was fighting. On checking: the Council were going to raise the bridge. Bit pointless given Striga is an ISLAND but apparently those in the Morass would suffer so a cleaning I will go. After that; clear out the Bog of Pantheon and Council.

Again: where? I haven't explored much of Striga and it seems accepted that I should know this already. Not even a passing mention. I'm also forgoing usage of Reveal for zone maps to see how well I get sent to places. So I explore some more and find Pantheon... all two levels higher and above. Chomping down some purples and all my AoEs manage to take the minions and then the lieutenants in short order. Council though seem to come in groups of +2 lts and bosses or have at least two +3 bosses inside each mob. After a couple of trips to the hospital and stalking round the various mobs looking for easy game; I still have to take down some +2s. I get lucky with insp drops and use Inner Inspiration to bulk up out in the field. Job is eventually done and on to the next.

Long Jack then gives me a mission which is kinda sprung on me; capture the guy who tortured him. A standard bossroom fight that's over quite quickly and apparently gives him peace now. This could've been an arc in itself, searching out clues and eventually finding the toturer but it's all done in one mission.

Anyway; last mission from Jack: Maestro (slight snigger from me as it's the name of a classic British car). Jack decides that in order to fight him I might want to 'bring a crackerjack team' along which is the most interesting way I've heard it said for an E-B lead-up. Oh yeah, he's an E-B of course. I'm loaded with insps and get to him in the old lab map type and.... wow, he's pretty.

No really, he's the most colourful E-B I've seen, like a Destro from GIJoe in style, and it's a real shame because I kick his donkey in about 30 seconds flat. I stand over his body and watch it fade out. It's all over.

Back to Long Jack and he introduces me to Tobias and after traversing the hordes of Warwolves and Pantheon to get to him: "Sorry, your princess is in another castle". No, not really but he has level-blocked me and won't speak to me until I reach level 25 which leaves me a long way to go since I only hit 22 from the two arcs so far. Obviously a relic of the old design philosophy where it was expected to team through the zone, curse my solo-ability

Anyway I spent the next couple of days making use of the tips that had dropped in my tips tab to start the shift to Vigilante in preparation for my character's concept and hit 23 getting close to 24 as I start: Andrea Mitchell. I remember her arc being one of the first grey-cons I ever cleared out and it's even more relevant today: the Wheel of Destruction.


So far; the quality of the Striga story is sound but the mechanics are basic. The headings are uncoloured and so far the first two contacts only have one 'spare' mission each which could easily be incorporated into the actual arcs they give. The reference to the fish specimen seems to hint at the appearance of Coralax which if the arcs were updated; they could make use of this reference given they show up in the Hollows now. It was also surprising to re-learn that Sky Raiders are Rikti War veterans turned mercenaries which makes their porter tech and FFGs seems less out of place. Also has development potential given their recent activities with Malta in Talos. It's also not something that's common knowledge and has potential extension to anything Vanguard-related. Striga has held up pretty well overall.

And Maestro really is very pretty for an evil guy

Remembered one which may be since the login update for Freedom: if you double-click a character on your server's character listing it will launch them into the game just as if you hit 'Enter Paragon/Rogue/Praetoria'.

Thundercats felt a bit plot-light this week. Pumy-ra's hatred vanished just a little too quickly amongst Panthro and Dobo's past and the Thunderkittens interacting with the Racoon. Lot of little stories happening at once apparently as a setup for the next episode.

However; good that there's animosity from other cats against Lion-O showing a clear difference between the sweetness-and-light of the old series where he was just accepted as leader. I hope that Lynx-O will be one of the prisoners in the next episode.

For years I had no idea X was also the descend key while flying. I'd got really good at controlled descents too by toggling fly off and on again just before hitting the ground.

More recently - there's a tooltip for the level icon in the middle of the xp circle which shows you your security, sidekick/exemplar and/or combat level if you hover the cursor over it for a second or two.