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Hi all, since this event was up again, I formed up a team and finally completed it, and it was exciting.

I'm responding now many other players were stuck at the same point: the Duratok and Ironclad tag team.

And after beating it, then replaying a few times, it's pretty much a guaranteed win with just 2 steps:

1.) Go into the Alert with the DPSest team of level 40s. 3 or 4 good DPS can carry the 1 or 2 PUGs.

2.) When facing Duratok and Ironclad, don't be afraid, I found they don't hit that hard after tanking it as an Unleashed.

Basically, Duratok and Ironclad really aren't your enemies. They're holding back. The enemy is the timer.

Then after that completion, we repeated it with a rotation of members, with 3 staple DPS (myself included).

(Firewing is actually easier because although he can 1-hit KO you, you have more time to take him down.)

It's really fun, being able to face the famous Ironclad himself...and finding out you can probably take him on in a duel.

Hi guys, just a quick note to thank everyone who participated.

We had 55 entries (versus 20 to 30 normally). And we had to judge Costumes AND Bios.

Here's the challenging part. Of those, 10 had perfect scores in our judging system.

Sadly, we could only pick out 2. I've been looking over my notes again and again, it was a hard choice:

Best Female Heroine: Machine Girl@CaptainCooltastic

Best Male Hero: Entropy@Sunturion

An exciting update in addition to the above information!

 

 

 

Not only are we announcing the Quizmistress of the Trivia, but also some FAQs from you:

How about homages?

Homages are acceptable, as are historical and mythological figures, but not recommended.

I've never been in a CC before, is there anything I should know beforehand?

Observe 2 or more, if you have time. For more insight, please visit Flare's Guide.

I'm a Silver player/my character is low-level. Do I have a chance?

Don't worry. I'm a Silver player and I've won plenty of CCs. Ideas...ideas are bulletproof.

 

 

The Annual Iris Awards

Time & Date: 8pm Server Time, July 30th

Location: Millennium City Powerhouse Theatre

Prizes: 2 Limited Edition Iris Irregular Action Figures

Category: Best Male or Female Character Design, based on Costume AND Biography

Judge: Bloodbath@not1stepbackwards, a.k.a. tigerofcachtice

Host/Quizmaster of the Trivia: ?

Hi, I'm the player behind Bloodbath and co-comics.webs.com, but on the Costume Contest circuit you may know me as Soviet Winter, a Very Lost Kobold, Clever Girl (who is neither Clever nor a Girl, but a Raptor), and many, many others.

Unlike traditional Costume Contests, here we shall look at your character's Biographies as well, to fully appreciate your overall Character Design. The prizes will be 2 Iris Irregular Action Figures from the Community Manager, Trailturtle.

Since such contests are rarely held with even rarer prizes (not found in loot drops or even the Zen store), thus in the spirit of good sportsmanship and fair game, I want to disclose more on the judging criteria.

Here's how I shall weigh the Character Design: 30% on the Costume, 30% on the Biography, 40% on how well both fit together. No "clones" from other media allowed, no pets, but powers, emotes, and devices are fine unless disruptive to others.

I've been reading and watching comics and animation from the U.S., the U.K., Europe, Japan, and China, so I neither favor nor disapprove of any style. More than anything, I'm looking forward to seeing your personal style.

Why is this called the Iris Awards?

Because we're giving away Iris dolls, what else would I call it?

How did you get these Iris dolls?

From the Dress-a-Dev contest, I received extras, so I'm giving them to you.

My character is a robot/alien/demon/sexless, so is that Male or Female?

As per the game's character creator, where you choose the Male or Female framework.

English is not my first language. Will that be a problem?

English is not my first language, either. I'm Chinese. It will not be a problem.

Do I need to write a long novel-length Biography to improve my chances of winning?

No. Short is good.

Who will be this mysterious Host slash Quizmaster of the Trivia? I'm scared!

Please stay tuned. And yes...you should be scared.

Re: Blood Moon Comic - daily updates 'til Halloween!

Final "bonus" page up. Happy Halloween, everyone.

Re: Blood Moon Comic - daily updates 'til Halloween!

The main story ends with only the final (bonus) page to be posted tomorrow!

Re: Blood Moon Comic - daily updates 'til Halloween!

2 new pages up! These 2, with the very visual, visceral interaction (Ironclad grabbing the scientist, dangling him) are my favourite. It's stuff you can't even do in-game.

Re: Blood Moon Comic - daily updates 'til Halloween!

New pages up and the reveal on the "Thank you, hero" page may cause the most debate. Some of you may have seen this plot twist coming from miles away, while some of you may think "aw man, you did NOT just go there!" Both very valid, I actually argued with myself whether to go this route.

Re: Blood Moon Comic - daily updates 'til Halloween!

The Blood Moon event is up, along with 2 new pages of the comic here!

Re: Blood Moon Comic - daily updates 'til Halloween!

2 new pages up, where you'll see 2 familiar faces. Moreover, perhaps even the idea of a zombie plague looks familiar...it's what we talked about in a recent thread, which actually inspired this story. It's not that I'm playing with an interpretation, it's that I want to understand how Takofanes works, his modus operandi. Is it magic that causes the zombies to rise, or a mystical portal to Takofanes realm, or a plague, or a magical plague? Interesting stuff, but for the purposes of this story, the process isn't the main point. What I learned, from you guys, was at the core of Takofanes's character concept is one thing: Corruption. Previously, he tried to spread his corruption over a city, with zombie hordes. Now...it's a little more like he decided to corrupt on a smaller scale, cellular scale, inside individual bodies. Takofanes's strategy remains exactly the same, he's just working on a slightly different scope.

Re: Blood Moon Comic - daily updates 'til Halloween!

"...your half-demon, half-vampire, & half-dragon host tonight."

 

Sounds like many of the PCs in Champions Online.

Yessir, absolutely. Also, the breasts. Purely coincidental, of course!

Re: Blood Moon Comic - daily updates 'til Halloween!

Re: How are Takofanes's zombies created please?

Does the Blood Moon event still use Vanguard's name for that zombie archer' date=' or have they modified that?[/quote']

I believe they still have Vanguard using the bow and yes, I hear what you guys are saying. Yeah, it's a little weird even for someone like me, who never played the Champions PnP and know a little about it based on its excellent reputation (my understanding back then was that it had the most freeform character creation process at the time, unlike most PnP, which restricted players to classes/races.) I remember Vanguard was the best shining example of heroes from the previous generation. It would have been cool if Vanguard was the big boss fight of the Thrash of the Lich King, like his Chosen One, instead of the comparatively generic Turakian Deathlord, but I believe the devs had their reasons.

Re: How are Takofanes's zombies created please?

During the Blood Moon' date=' a variety of zombie-like undead creatures from the Turakian Age spill out of magical fissures in the ground. These do not appear to be the reanimated dead of contemporary times at all but that isn't 100% clear.[/quote']

 

I think you're right that it isn't 100% clear, that in fact the Champions Online developers deliberately left it open to interpretation. The zombies names are "Reanimated Turakian," (i.e. from the Turakian Age,) but they just happen to rise at the same spot as dying civilians. To PnP veterans like you, that could be seen as coincidence or somehow the death of a civilian magically triggered a portal. To those unfamiliar with the PnP continuity, they'll probably see them as infectious zombies because that's what they're more familiar with from film. IMHO, it's a clever compromise, letting each player choose based on his knowledge of Champions lore.

Re: How are Takofanes's zombies created please?

Hi guys, yeah, your points here are exactly why I asked the question in the 1st place. Takofanes, immortal and patient as he may be, should be trying something different now. I'm reading up on the Draugr now...I had thought the concept of the way zombies spread was just George Romero's interpretation that become a trope, so I really like how the concept has roots in traditional folklore. My favourite thing right now was the cited example on dealing with them: kill 'em, burn 'em, then kill and burn the guys what done that. So grimdark.

Re: How are Takofanes's zombies created please?

Thanks for the fast and helpful reply. The way it's shown is a little ambiguous. As a PnP player myself, I just wanted to know how it was in the source material, and now I see.

Hi all, I've a lore-related question: how are Takofanes's zombies created please? Is it: A.) raising a corpse from the dead or B.) like in modern films via an infectious zombie bite? The context is I'm curious in relation to the Blood Moon event. Thanks in advance.

Re: Your opinions on the Become Vampire device?

I think you guys really pinpointed the limitation of the Vampire device. RP-wise, it's very much the leather trenchcoat cliche. To make it fit with your character, you have to build around that stereotype look & feel.

Gameplay-wise, I believe it is the most useful Become Device (except for maybe the Black Talon, which I've yet to get). Reason is, it is so FOCUSSED on defense and healing that it really does complement, say, Archetypes.

Basically, it combines a build that has CON as a Superstat with 4 healing abilities: Regeneration, Lifedrain, Ebon Void, then Resurgence. It is so specialised that it actually has a place on my characters.

Currently using it on an Inferno, a fragile damage dealer. Despite its simplicity, or perhaps precisely because of it, it's an excellent combination. I built a RP based on day/night or sun/darkness as a result.

Re: Bloodbath Comic

Thanks for taking time to read this and to leave a comment.

Sorry about the break in the action, there is a post image limit in these forums.

I actually created a space to post these comics, for easier reading as a result: http://co-comics.webs.com/

Re: Question on non-American superteams

Absolutely brilliant, thanks very much for the reply. It's a perfect overview and exactly what I needed.

I just wanted to check what existing national teams exist in the Champions universe. I am aware of only the following, please advise:

Russia - Red Winter, a Soviet era team, with members like Hammer & Sickle

China - The Tiger Squad, not much information aside from the name

Are there any others in the existing canon please? Thanks in advance.

Re: Bloodbath Comic