_Max_

(Switch to an untidy office, with an NCSoft mug in the foreground, and a large bearded man searching through a manual entitled 'How To Deal With Spammers')

Bridger: I would like, if I may, to moderate your journey through this feature.

(He picks out another manual, entitled 'The Crossover Incident')

Bridger: It seemed a fairly ordinary night when FG and Stasis, two young, ordinary players, left for Peregrine Island, to visit Alec, the administrator of the Off-Topic forums, and friend of the both of them. It's true there was server maintenance due, critical, time-consuming maintenance, toward which the server was heading at the allotted time of 8am.

It's true also that they were using many toggles, and had forgotten to slot Stamina, or indeed, for endurance. But they, being normal players, on a night run to gain some prestige, were not going to let pending server maintenance spoil the events of their evening.

It was an RV run, they were going to remember, for a very, very long time.

(Switch to FG and Stasis, running around RV. A super-speeding, non-stealthed Stalker runs past.)

Stasis: Gosh, that's the third one who's run past us tonight. They certainly take their lives in their hands, what with Golden Girl around and all.

FG: Yes Stasis, debt's pretty cheap to that sort of player.

(Arrive at an outpost, already taken by heroes.)

FG: We must have looked at the map wrong.

Stasis: But the Stalker came from here, surely he should have tried to take the outpost?

FG: Hmm..we'll just have to head to another one. Let's teleport there.

(Fizzle)

FG: Dammit, I knew I should have slotted for endurance before we left through Portal Corp! Come on, let's sprint over to Atlas Hall, I think it was still Hero-controlled when we passed it.

Stasis: /em newspaper

(Stasis sings, to the tune of 'Over At The Frankenstein Place')

In the highest level,
zone for PVP,
you can farm,
with all your heaaaaart,
no matter what,
bad build yooooou aaaa-a-a-are.

(Broadcast chorus joins in, camera zooms in to show a Recluse-controlled city hall.)

There's a fight,
-over at the marker-point A,
There's a fight,
-don't let them get away,
There's a fight, a fight,
get the outposts, and everybody dies

(Switch to FloatingFatMan in a window in Atlas Hall looking out)

The heroes must go,
we must see them flee-ing,
a trap we'll sow,
free outpost, they must be dreaming,
there'll be a fight,
there'll be a fi-i-i-ight

(switch back to FG, Stasis and Broadcast chorus)

There's a fight,
-over at the marker-point A,
There's a fight,
-don't let them get away,
There's a fight, a fight,
get the outposts, and everybody dies

(Fade to Atlas Park, where MaX has a new Level 50, and is giving out influence to newbies.)

Stasis: Oh FG, isn't it wonderful. Doesn't MaX look wonderful with that aura on, even if it is chewing up my frame rate? Just an hour ago, he was a plain old Level 1 Blaster riding defiance, and now he's a Level 50, with more influence than he can handle.

FG:Oh...yes. He's a really lucky guy, he caught a Power-levelling guide on the net before it got taken down.

Stasis Yes.

FG: Everyone knows he'll have a new one by this time next week.

Stasis: Yes, but how does he do it?

FG: Stasis, I've got something to say

(Music starts, to the tune of 'Dammit Janet')

FG: It's really amazing, how MaX...can throw all that influence away.

(FG sings.)
The river was deep and I swam it
-Plan it
He then just jumped over it, dammit
-Plan it
If it's not an Ice Tank then can it
-Plan it
He's got good builds, and Stasis,
I'll build one,
For you too

The road was long and I ran it
-Plan it
He slotted for speed, and overtook me, dammit
-Plan it
If there's a percentage involved then he'll slot it
-Plan it
He's got good builds, and Stasis,
I'll build one,
For you too

Here's a plan to prove,
that I'm kosher,
There's three ways that this build can go,
That's ST, AoE or use Nova

Oh P-L-A-N-I-T,
the way to go.

(Switch to Stasis)

Oh it's nicer than even MaX had
-Go /rad
Now I can PL and I'm so glad
-Go /rad
That it's a Defender and not an Ice Tank
-Go /rad
I've one thing to say,
and that's,
I'll build one,
For you too

Oh FG,
Oh...dammit,
I'm plaaaaaned,
Oh Stasis,
Thanks to yooooou
There's one thing left to do-o-o-o

That's go see the man who began it,
-Plan it
When we went on his boards and then spammed it
-Plan it
You sent me a saucy PM and I panicked
-Plan it
I've got a build to create and that's it,
Stasis,
I planned it for you

Stasis, Plan it
FG, I'm glad
(Both) I, planned, for, yoooooooooou.

Inspired by the mad thought of the upcoming movie being a musical, I have started work on a 'script' for the CoH movie, based on the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It stars some of the community that I know personally, as it's obviously a lot easier to write for them than someone everyone else thinks should fill a spot, but I have no idea what they're like.

And thus, the opening sequence. (To the tune of 'Science Fiction Double Feature')

( A pair of lips appear in blackness, wearing a trenchcoat and wings somehow.)

Hero 1 left town,
the day the fighting went down,
but he showed us where we stand.

Statesman was there,
with outside underwear,
Synapse was a very fast man.

But something was wrong,
the attack chain took too long,
and they got caught in Hamidon's jam.

Then at a laggy pace,
it came from the unreleased outer space,
and then the game proper began.

Rikti spaceship,
in Atlas Park,
roll defenders,
make them /dark,
see robots fighting,
level thirties,
don't follow orders,
leader gets shirty,
Hami-o-o-o-o-o,
at the late night, nothing on TV, hero show.

MaX came up with a build,
that gave his tank a chill,
and started off in Galaxy City.

And it really got hot,
when he got shot,
by a Fire Blaster played by Quilty.

Z's build was faulty,
so she got alty,
and built an undead girl that was pretty.

Then FG logged in,
said "For The Win",
and everyone thought that was witty,
Like a,

Rikti spaceship,
in Atlas Park,
roll defenders,
make them /dark,
see robots fighting,
level thirties,
don't follow orders,
leader gets shirty,
Hami-o-o-o-o-o,
at the late night, nothing on TV, hero show.

Snack break, I gotta go,
from the late night, nothing on TV, hero show,
by Cryptic Studio-o-o-os
the late night, nothing on TV, hero show,
hey, where'd he go?,
from the late night, nothing on TV, hero show.

I'm nominating Rock Eagle/Howlin_Mad Murdock's 'Bad Panda' series, as it's pretty good for a first attempt, and I got reminded when browsing the PR forums just now.
LINK

EDIT: Plus, who doesn't like evil pandas?

I've been in game, and it seemed liked I had that notion too, as I don't have a Pet summon at all now. (My memory was foggy, haven't played him since November. )

I've had a Thugs/Dark Blastermind on the go since Issue 7 came out, who's about Level 12 now I think. It's certainly a case of either succeeding spectacularly, or failing horribly, as a few missed shots can mean a quick death. Hopefully, once I hit Stamina level, I can start to get more shots in, especially when I get to add IO's in as well.

EDIT: Here's my build, ignore the empty slots, Hero Builder decided to remove the enhancements, and it's too late at night to remember what went where.

DOUBLE EDIT: The pets are for meat-shield purposes, they're stuck on 'Defensive' mode, so that they spread the HP-loss.

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder - (http://sherksilver.coldfront.net/index.php)
---------------------------------------------
Name: Diable Blanc
Level: 50
Archetype: Mastermind
Primary: Thugs
Secondary: Dark Miasma
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Pistols==> Acc(1) EndRdx(3) Dmg(5) Acc(11) Dmg(15) Dmg(19)
01) --> Twilight Grasp==> Empty(1) Empty(7) Empty(34) Empty(37) Empty(40) Empty(46)
02) --> Dual Wield==> Acc(2) EndRdx(3) Dmg(5) Acc(11) Dmg(15) Dmg(21)
04) --> Call Thugs==> EndRdx(4)
06) --> Hasten==> Rechg(6) Rechg(7) Rechg(13)
08) --> Empty Clips==> Acc(8) EndRdx(9) Dmg(9) Acc(13) Dmg(17) Dmg(25)
10) --> Hurdle==> Jump(10)
12) --> Call Enforcer==> EndRdx(12)
14) --> Super Speed==> Run(14)
16) --> Tar Patch==> Empty(16) Empty(17) Empty(19) Empty(34) Empty(40)
18) --> Health==> Heal(18)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20) EndMod(21) EndMod(23)
22) --> Darkest Night==> Empty(23) Empty(27) Empty(34) Empty(43) Empty(46)
24) --> Shadow Fall==> Empty(24) Empty(25) Empty(27) Empty(37) Empty(43) Empty(50)
26) --> Call Bruiser==> EndRdx(26)
28) --> Petrifying Gaze==> Hold(28) EndRdx(29) Hold(29) Hold(31) Rechg(43)
30) --> Howling Twilight==> Empty(30) Empty(31) Empty(31) Empty(37) Empty(40) Empty(46)
32) --> Stealth==> EndRdx(32) EndRdx(33) Rechg(33) DefBuf(33)
35) --> Invisibility==> EndRdx(35) EndRdx(36) Rechg(36) DefBuf(36)
38) --> Phase Shift==> EndRdx(38) EndRdx(39) Rechg(39) Rechg(39)
41) --> Night Fall==> Dmg(42) Dmg(42) EndRdx(42)
44) --> Dark Embrace==> DmgRes(44) DmgRes(45) DmgRes(45) EndRdx(45)
47) --> Soul Storm==> Hold(47) Hold(48) Hold(48) Rechg(48)
49) --> Black Hole==> EndRdx(49) EndRdx(50) Acc(50)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Supremacy==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
---------------------------------------------

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I wanted the munition epic for the Cryo Freeze Ray so I have a power to hold an enermy like an Achvillian in safeguard missions in place.

[/ QUOTE ]But fire and elec epics offer a ST hold without a weapon animation.

[/ QUOTE ]

But some people just don't like those powersets.

AR/Kin, for the win. It must be good, it rhymes. I'ts also great because of one simple equation:

Fulcrum Shift + Full Auto = Carnage

May not have actually seen you in the game, but you were always a delight on the forums. Hope you have fun wherever you go next.

My PC is now actually running CoH without causing BSOD's now, so I should be free for filming tomorrow evening.

Mind Sweeper is still about from the first time, at about Level 15.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I got my guns mixed around, I meant a gauss-gun rather than a railgun. *slaps forehead*

[/ QUOTE ]

Same thing, IIRC. Railguns are just huge versions of gauss guns.

Both work by inducing currents in the projectile using an EM field, and then driving a sort of 'wave' of magnetism down the 'barrel' which either repels or attracts the induced magnetic field in the projectile.

[/ QUOTE ]

The thing is, Magneto doesn't actually need the electricity in the first place. The magnetic-field part of the guns are produced by the electricity in whichever way they're used.

Magneto already *has* the magnetic field due to his powers, and therefore, does not need an electric generator to provide the magnetic force for the projectile.

I got my guns mixed around, I meant a gauss-gun rather than a railgun. *slaps forehead*

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Assuming it works like magnetos, because he is repelling himself from the earths iron magnetic core?

[/ QUOTE ]

Perhaps you mean attracting to? If he repelled himself from it, he'd be flying off into space real fast.

[/ QUOTE ]

In the second or third issue of the Magneto series in 96/97, Magneto uses a low-level repulsion against ferrous materials in the ground to propel himself forward, similar to how a gauss-gun is 'supposed' to work.

With Max, I used a mini-poem someone had written on a board I read a few years previously (obviously recall isn't brilliant, but the spirit of it is there):

Red tape,
it's great,
solves your god-modding problems,
on a plate,
after you fill in all the necessary acquisiton directorates, and counter-sign form 11-B and acquire approval from your regional director.

Basically, I think the best way to avoid god-modding in CoH, is to take your basic powersets, and look at every single power, thinking 'How could that p*ss off other players, and what could be a restriction on that?'

The important thing to realise, is that if you take your powers too far, you *are* going to thoroughly annoy people on an OOC level, or get wrapped in a never-ending schoolyard fight with someone who also hasn't curtailed their powers in an "I'm better than you" contest, which is just profoundly boring for anyone in the area.

Of course, I learnt some things things the hard way.

Hopefully, next week, I'll be able to sit down.

We're still looking for a guest for Week 2, and Week 4, so if you've got something to say, get in contact with mself or Pious.

I'm hoping my show will be less...inflammatory. I'm also aiming for around the 5-10 minute mark, so that it fits nicely on YouTube, though if it's good enough to overrun, then so be it.

Now, I'm off to finish my questions.

[ QUOTE ]
so, when's air time? depending on the time, I may suggest the ever emotionless Acenra as a guest before his plot hits climax point, as his sister Alice would most likley sign him up before asking.

[/ QUOTE ]

Air-time is about 10.30pm, so if you want to be tonight's guest, send me a PM with as much publicly-available information about your character as possible. (So, nothing that I wouldn't know as a host).

If I get a PM before 8.30/9.00pm regarding a short-notice guest, then sure. Otherwise it's not really going to be enough time for me to come up with proper questions.

[ QUOTE ]
Okay... Guest List! Who's to be interviewed first? I imaging Max'll want info so he can prepare questions.

[/ QUOTE ]

Indeed, even I'm not that good at making up questions on the spot. Maybe we could have a Guest Sign-Up thread, where people can submit characters they want interviewed?

Sounds fair enough. Are we starting tonight, or next Friday? It's just that we don't have the first guest lined up yet, so writing enough questions by tonight could be difficult.

The Tiki Lounge does have the benfit of having a stage, but from what I can remember, no chairs on said stage. It does seem like a good choice though, as truth be told, it's not really used that much from what I've seen, apart from as a shortcut by using the teleporter.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
the idea of playing it in-game and the logs being posted here sounds like a riot

[/ QUOTE ]

'Friday night with Maximillian' good? Somewhere in a Pocket D corner, one of those rooms looks studio-like.

[/ QUOTE ]

Possibly. Unless there's an SG base going spare that nobody's really using, we could then use it as a properly designed set. (Though I'm unsure if the base-kicking bug is still around)

EDIT: I forgot to add, for my 4,000th post:

Cyclops Is A Jerk!

[ QUOTE ]
I kinda intended this to be a forum-roleplay project, but if in-game sounds more interesting then thats good. But I'm hardly ever in-game these days... mostly Thursdays or Fridays with my SG's

[/ QUOTE ]

The only days I'm not free are Monday and Thursday evenings. Other than that, so long as I have at least a day's notice, I'm fine. ( Just to avoid double-booking with anything)

[ QUOTE ]
Cool. Okay, how about if Maximillian hosts a show like Jerry Springer's and Plasmarch can do a Donny Hunt show? The main diference being the latter interviews special guests as opposed to mediating an argument.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maximillian...mediating an argument instead of causing it. Could be interesting.

So, do we have a where and when to rehearse and talk over the format of the shows?