U_S_C_I

You just can't believe it. No matter how hard you try, you just can't believe it.

Tyrant needs your help.

Yeah.

Tyrant is the type of leader that demands the sharpest edge from his lieutenants. As a result, he encourages tests of intelligence, wit, and even armed combat among themselves to determine who is the strongest to have at his side. This has served him well...until now.

He never thought that perhaps one day his lieutenants would form an alliance to oppose him. That day has come. And now he needs your help.

Why help him, you ask? The lieutenant who has decided to oppose Tyrant is none other than AntiMatter, who possesses portal technology. While Tyrant only seeks to dominate our world, AntiMatter wishes to destroy it.

Civil war on Praetoria is breaking out...and you need to stop it.

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Arc Name: Praetorian Earth: Civil War
Arc ID #: 167510
Length: Very Long
Morality: Heroic
Enemy groups: Praetorians

This was the arc that I've been wanting to make since I very first heard about the Mission Architect. I've always been a big proponent of trying to get the Praetorian storyline expanded and with this morning's announcement, it seems they have decided to revisit Praetoria.

This mission is loaded with twists and turns so you don't know who to trust once you step inside the mission except for your own teammates. Even during the final mission, you'll find a pleasant surprise.

This is also perhaps one of the toughest (if not the toughest) mission arc ever designed. If you feel that you're hero (or villain) can take it on solo, then by all means, go for it. I played it on my lvl 50 fire/fire blaster on challenge lvl 1 and came away with more debt than I ever did running on a J-Force Hard Core Day. I'd highly recommend a team of 4 or more if you're fragile.

So, if you feel that you're up to it, head on over and try the mission arc out. I sure would appreciate feedback.

Thanks!

Name: Positron Task Force Part II
Arc ID: 132447
Length: Long (4 missions)
Morality: Heroic
Enemy Groups: Malta Operatives, Circle of Thorns, Custom Group

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While lounging around your super group base one day, an encoded message is received from Freedom Phalanx headquarters specifically requesting your assistance. The message doesn't list any specifics, but it does ask that you meet Positron in person over at the Architect Entertainment Corporation. Gathering up your fellow heroes, you head on over to see why Positron is so mysterious all of a sudden.

Remember awhile back where you helped Positron out of a jam when the Clockwork, Vahzilok, and the Circle of Thorns all tried to destroy the Faultline Dam? It turns out there was a much more sinister plot behind their actions. They were being manipulated by a fourth, shadowy group that has never before been encountered. This time, they have employed the services of the Malta Operatives to accomplish the destruction of the Faultline Dam. To make matters even worse, the Circle of Thorns have decided that they want to get involved, too!

Head on over to stop the Malta Operatives and hopefully be able to track down this shadow group!

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I originally wanted to redesign the Positron Task Force but upon investigation, there were already at least four other arcs that attempted the same thing. Not one to give up, I read through the Positron Task Force to see if there was a way that I could expand upon it or write a continuation story. Even as Mr. Miller has been quoted as saying, it felt a little too "scattered" so I tasked myself with the challenge on how I can bring all of those back together into a close-knit story.

Presto! Part II was born out of creating a fourth group of villains that manipulated the Clockwork, Vahzilok, and the Circle of Thorns into destroying the Faultline Dam. Their hope was that by getting three groups stirred up, it would send the heroes scrambling all over Paragon City and just maybe one of them would succeed. What they didn't count on was the heroes winning in the end.

This time, they decided to employ a little higher caliber of bad guys by contracting with the Malta Operatives. The Circle of Thorns, upon learning they had been manipulated, discover exactly what this shadow group is after and decide that they must have it for themselves.

The arc is only four missions long due to the amount of size the custom critters took. I would highly recommend that you not solo this arc as you're going up against some pretty tough bad guys. On challenge level 1 with my fire/fire blaster, I did acquire some pretty staggering defeats. On challenge level 1 with my level 50 invul/em tank, I was able to get through it without any defeats, but it does take a lot longer.

Please check it out if you're looking for something new and different. One thing I highly value is feedback, both good and bad. If you're response is going to be "my arch/emp defender can't solo this..it sucks!", then don't even bother trying to play it. I like to design missions to be as extremely hard as they can be (which is why my next one is going to be a real doozy!). If you want to let me know that I screwed up on some text or need to tweak the storyline, I'm all for that.

Thanks!

Arc Name: Positron Task Force Part II
Arc ID: 132447
Faction: Heroic
Your global/forum name: @US Customs Inspector
Difficulty Level: Hard
Recommended Team Size: +4 (intended for lvl 50s)
Typical duration: 90 minutes
Arc Synopsis: It appears that the Vahzilok, Clockwork, and the Circle of Thorns were all being manipulated by a fourth, unknown party. This "shadow group", if you will, has recently contracted Malta Operatives to obtain an ancient artifact. During this time, the Circle of Thorns have also stumbled onto what this shadow group is looking for. Now, it's a race to see who can get it first.
Link to a more info/comments thread: I wanted to originally "re-write" the Positron Task Force; however, there are already four other versions done. Instead, I thought to tidy-up the story line by evolving it into something more sinister. I wanted five missions, but in the end, I had to cut one because custom critters take up quite a bit of room in the arc file. Please send me some constructive feedback. Thanks.

Arc Name: The Freaks come out at night...
Arc ID: 52728
Faction: Freakshow
Your global/forum name: @US Customs Inspector
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Recommended Team Size: 4
Typical duration: ~30 minutes
Arc Synopsis:
Link to a more info/comments thread:

Note from Dreck: Hey, you's cowards (dats' you)! Dis is Dreck. Rememba me? You's used ta mess wit meh crew but you's didn' have da courage ta face meh. I'm back n' tellin anybody who'll listen that your a coward. Come n' face meh if'n yah think you's can take meh!

NOTE: This mission is a follow-up from the infamous Dreck farm. It appears that Dreck is calling out all of the heroes that used to fight his minions but would always exit the mission without taking him down. He's formed his own Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Loudmouth, Low Jack, Sparky, and Slappy), a new breed of Freakshow designed by Doctor Love. Oh, and he's invited the mayor to the party, too!

So grab your friends and enjoy a party with the Freakshow. Think you're up to it?

Hi Synapse,

Didn't read the rest of the thread...I've got a busy life.

Anyway, why not have a 1 merit reward for each mission that's not in a story arc? This would also allow folks to enjoy playing solo instead of having to search out a PuG all the time.

Without that, you're going to see some people play less because they'll need to carve a block of time out of their schedule just so they can sit down and play because everyone is going to be wanting to start a TF for the merits. Out of frustration, some of these folks will join just so they can play and when their time is up, they'll quit the TF leaving the rest of the people on the team out in the cold.

I don't think that there are any "repeatable" missions out there that could exploit something like this other than the Oz missions; however, the Oz portal is on a five minute timer anyway. I can see some folks maybe getting 10 to 12 merits per hour out of this, but I don't see that as a problem.

Thoughts?

Just wondering if the application process includes an e-mail stating that our application was received or not...

I didn't get that e-mail.

Probably a stupid question here, but if I were to sign up for the Mac beta, would I be able to access the account that I created on my PC on the Mac? Or would this have to be a whole new account?

I can't seem to find it anywhere, but it would be nice for a red name to clarify the issue about the temporary jet pack.

Is the temp jet pack purchase going to be for 30-days only or will it be a permanent power?

Positron said "temporary jet pack" but he could merely be describing the power itself and not the length of use when you purchase it.

Could a red name clarify? $4.99 for 30-days or for permanently?

Thanks.

*Sigh*

Still disappointed that access to the permanent costume temp power won't be available to the player base except for a few select few who live out on the west coast. Probably one of the most un-fun things that the Devs could have done.

Well, my offer still stands. The most I can offer is $50 for one of the costume codes so if anyone can get a spare one, I'll buy it off of you.

[ QUOTE ]
Anyone else notice in the DA rtf that was posted the story keeps contradicting itself about why it looks the way it does?

for instance

It says theres an illusion cast on the area to keep people from seeing the devastation, but heroes over level 20 are strong enough to see through it. But when you go there, its a modern city, and the text says no one has lived there since 1890.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, if you go back and read through it again, only a select few of the Magi guild are able to see through the fog and describe the devastation. Heroes over the security level of 20 are able to enter, see the illusion, and not become confused by it to the point they are lost forever. It was just about the only way that I could explain the contradiction you implied.

Quote:

Only a select few of the MAGI guild are able to see through this illusion and accurately describe the wasteland of the former village. However, experts agree that this illusion is not substantial enough to cause any apprehension within superheroes of a security level 20 or higher.

Well, I've worked pretty long and hard on this one and it's finally done. I researched some scientific articles, mixed it with some far-fetched fiction, and came up with the end result. Hopefully, you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

It is the back story to my main hero, US Customs Inspector. Now, I realize that they don't exist anymore as they are now Customs and Border Protection Officers but hey, this is fantasy land and I'm in charge, o.k.? I've put a lot of love and hard work into this hero, both with writing fiction and with badge collecting, and have plans to play my hero for many years to come.

So, without further adieu...

A History of US Customs Inspector (Word Format)

A History of US Customs Inspector (RTF Format)


A History of US Customs Inspector (PDF Format)

Thanks for reading!

I wrote this a few years ago when my good friend was still playing. Since then, I imagine that the names have been released (except for Salem Black...I've still got him). Some of the minor details may have changed due to additional content being added to the game but I'm not going to go back through it again.

So, this is the story of my lvl 50 scrapper teaming up with my good friend, Khalim Hari.

An Unlikely Duo (Word format)

An Unlikely Duo (RTF format)

[ QUOTE ]
The whole of the game has this humongous tapestry of story threads and events and whatnot, but a large majority of them have only been hinted at. I'm curious to know what some folks would like to see actually fleshed out, explained, developed, whatever...

For myself, that list includes:

The destruction of Astoria
The Kheldian War
The history between the Midnight Squad and Ouroboros
The discovery of Praetorian Earth
The 'creation' of Crey's Folly
Recluse's rise to power within Arachnos (beyond what's in "Web of Arachnos")
What happened to the Dark Watcher
Who Lady Grey is

You get the idea. What are some of the story elements that the rest of you would want to see in more detail?

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

[/ QUOTE ]

A few years ago, I decided to write a back story for Dark Astoria. I hunted for all the information that was available on DA, including some of the story arcs. This is what I was able to come up with.
A History of Dark Astoria

Thanks for reading.

EDIT:

For those without Word, here is an RTF version...

A History of Dark Astoria (RTF)

[ QUOTE ]
Please use this thread to discuss the below announcement.

Unfortunately, you may be sent an unwanted in-game e-mail advertisements. Should you receive one there are several things you can do that will alert us to the problem and allow us to address it:

First, make use of the /ignore_spammer command on the sender of the unwanted e-mail. This will fast track the process of identifying the account doing the sending as a spammer and also add the user to your ignore list to prevent you from receiving further tells from them.

Second, make use of the /petition command to let us know what happened. This can be as simple as “/petition I received a spam e-mail from <name> that was advertising buying influence.” You can also enter or manage your support tickets via the web at http://www.plaync.com/us/support/ask.html.

Third, don’t visit their website! Even if you want to see how stupid their selling practices are or are curious, often times these sites will attempt to infect your PC with viruses or keyloggers so that they can gain access to your account.

Lastly, get back to playing and enjoying City of Heroes!

We have a number of changes coming to the game in the next free expansion, Issue 12: Midnight Hour, to address this problem in a number of ways. Thanks as always for your support!

[/ QUOTE ]

Here's an idea...

Since you're unwilling to disable the e-mail system, why not incorporate a "Spam" button right next to my delete button in the e-mail window?

Personally, it seems like the players are the ones having to jump through hoops just to get an account reported that, frankly, is probably a trial account that isn't going to be used by the influence/infamy peddlers anyway.

I just think that there are one or two powers that you could change the color of and a lot of people would be happy.

For example...the Prestige Power Slide.

PINK?

Why in the world did you guys go with pink? Why not just use something that would go with every concept toon, such as bright white or silver?

[ QUOTE ]
Billing note: as of Monday, January 7, 2008 we no longer accept JCB (Japan Credit Bureau) cards for payment. If you have any questions on this matter please be sure to contact our Account Support team by going to http://support.plaync.com. Then click the on the "Ask A Question" link at the bottom of the page.

[/ QUOTE ]

Lighthouse FTEW!!!

What a coincidence....I haven't gotten any spam e-mails or /tells asking to "fill for a min".....

[ QUOTE ]
I think I said that very recently.

[/ QUOTE ]

...and I've been saying it since Issue #7 when I decided to attempt for the badge but gave up out of utter frustration and a desire to lower my power bill.

EDIT: Well, it's been sacrificed in the great purge, but here's my last post on that subject... LINK

Empath.

Heal for 100,000 points per day, 365 days per year non-stop...and after 27+ years, you'll be awarded the Empath badge.

I highly doubt that Empath could be earned in two to five years.

Looking for a post-I10 guide for a Dark/Dark and an Emp/Archery Defender.

Anyone?

Unbelievable.

These forums just went from bad to worse. Now we must cater to the emotional police because some posters (who apparently are very thin-skinned) couldn't handle criticism. It's become a case of "be polite and agree" or just don't respond at all...even if their post is a classic example a person opening their mouths to confirm that they really are an idiot.

Guess I might as well bookmark the Dev Digest since that's the only interest I've got in reading these boards anymore.

Dont' really care to read through the entire thread to see what the concensus is, but while I'm stoked at the new powerset of Dual Blades, I'm pretty disappointed in the swords themselves. They look like a cross between a cutlass and a saber (and can't make up it's mind) whereas I envisioned something a little more "ninja-like". Straight swords is really awesome...these just look like an excuse to finally use the Pirate costume options.

Either way, I'm happy to see the new powersets.

Uh, the City Scoop is still going?

I wish to apologize in advance if I offend anyone, but I am now a 'smitten kitten' to the extremely beautiful woman in one of the photos (far right in photo link below).

LINK



That wouldn't happen to be you, would it Ex?

...and yet again, for the second year in a row, fate has toyed with my desires to meet some of the folks from the forums.

Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend this year as I am moving into my recently purchased home that weekend. I've already sent Ex an e-mail so yet again, I am denied.

Perhaps next year...

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
But the PlayNC site does not have registration/sign-ups for Indy.

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Looks like we have hit capacity for the Indy event, I am working on this or we can discuss an alternate "unofficial" greeting place where I can meet all of you.

Stay tuned for further updates. We are currently looking at Alcatraz but there are still some details to be arranged, I am mentioning this so that we (COH) community can start scouting other locations to meet up.

Ex

[/ QUOTE ]

Youre kidding, right? Already? That was pretty quick.