GreyGuardian

Re: City of Heroes - Online Hero Game

I9 is live - inventions and auction house and all that sort of thing is Live. They also added some much needed connections on the green line to skyway and founders falls.

I am am enjoying the auction house far too much.

Thanks to Gojira for the invite to Hero Boards global channel. FYI, If I don't respond to a tell it's because I'm in a tricky fight or due to lack of typing time while teleporting somewhere.

Re: City of Heroes - Online Hero Game

That's definitely it. Let us know when you're going to be on and someone will invite you. I'm "@Hero Gojira" so if you get a message from him' date=' it's me. [/quote']

 

Schedule? dunno... I'll global friend you next time I am on so I can see if you are on and go with it from there :-)

Re: City of Heroes - Online Hero Game

I tried to join "hero boards" over the weekend and was refused because it's a private channel. Is that the right global channel for the hero boards (i.e. this thread and it's responders)? If so can I get an invite sometime my global is @greyguardian

Thanks.

Re: Traveller Hero Launches!

actually, if you check the following page

http://www.comstar-games.com/csg-store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=24

 

just above the product list it does state

"Please note: In following Traveller protocol and for consistency, the deck plans are using Traveller's 1.5 meters per square"

I'm 90% sure that the above disclaimer was not visible when I bought the ship info. I'm 100% sure I did not see it. Without easily useable maps (i.e. hero scale with hex grid (or no grid so I can drop a grid on it) I doubt I will buy any more of these products.

Re: City of Heroes - Online Hero Game

Inventions are up on test. Not live yet.

Re: City of Heroes - Online Hero Game

When you start City of Heroes' date=' before you click NEXT, you can click on the screen with the contest picture. Or you can go here: http://www.cityofheroes.com/community/contest_12.html[/quote']

 

Of course down in the little legal text you agree to give up ALL rights to whatever you submit. So, I wouldn't use any characters etc that you ever might seriously think about doing other things with (print, film, etc.).

Re: FH Gripes

Solution to insane increases in character strength over too short a period of time - Don't give out so much experience! This is almost always good advice for hero system. If your players can make characters that they are pretty happy with at starting point totals it won't hurt as much to give out only 1 exp for most sessions and maybe 2 if they were especially clever, brave, entertaining etc.

Or rigourously control what they can spend exp on - player character has no source to learn the elvish language from then he can't learn it. Let stat maximums be stat maximums - it doesn't matter if joe the barbarian is willing to spend 5 points per point of strength if the character is standard human then in most settings I wouldn't let him go above 20 strength without some sort of external boost (magic, herbs, etc.) which in turn are tightly controlled.

Re: City of Heroes - Online Hero Game

In the Hero vs. Villains game I got, all the characters start off with jet packs...

 

I also got a special teleport ability, but I'm not sure if it is part of the standard game or not. Whenever a character dies they get sent directly to the hospital.

 

The game definitely holds my interest and the interest of the rest of my family for that matter. My son already has a Mastermind up to 6th level I believe and my wife has a brawler at about that level I think. I've been too busy during the week to play, and the fact only one of us can play at a time has an effect on that as well.

The G vs E edition includes a teleport to the Pocket D night club which can be a handy way of getting from one zone to another ... Pocket D has entrances / exits in about 4 different zones. It is also handy when holiday events are there. The loyalty rewards eventually give you a teleport to base power which is on occassion useful.

The jump pack in the G vs E is a quick vertical boost once in awhile - not nearly as handy (or fun) as the reward super leap or flight gadgets or the real powers. It may, however, be sufficient to take the annoyance out of superspeed not having a vertical component.

One word of caution - any characters on your account are going to stay on your account. so as you distribute new loggins your family is going to have to recreate / start new characters on their individual accounts. You can not transfer off of the one account (you can delete but that's kinda a permanent transfer).

On the upside - once you get the hang of early levels you can get to 6th level very quickly. 10th shortly there after - and then the level progression slows.

Re: Traveller Hero Launches!

I bought the first two products. I can't complain about the price. There is definetly enough there that I can make use of for my star hero game... However, the deckplans are not only not on a hex grid, they are also on a scale of 1 square to 1.5 meters. When buying a product for a hero system that advertises maps (deckplans) I expect that the map will be on a hex grid and the grid will be something easy to scale to the standard 2 meter hex.

Any chance you will be issuing a more immediately useable (on a 1 hex = 2m hex grid) set of deck plans? If not I recommend putting in a qualifier in the description about the deck plans included stating they are on a square grid of 1 sq = 1.5 m

Re: Astounding Arrival!

My first copies of Astounding Hero Tales were awaiting me when I arrived this morning. Woot and Hoot! Looks gorgeous' date=' so congrats to all around. The bulk of them are on a truck even now making its way from the wilds of Quebec to the even wilder wilds of Nevada... dw[/quote']

 

So, not in the online store until they get to the warehouse, right?

Re: City of Heroes - Online Hero Game

You make some good points there GG... I suppose if I spread out the purchases to one a month it won't be nearly as painful.

 

We didn't have any trial codes. It may be because we got the Heroes Vs. Villains box, but I'm not sure. I'll have to look again just to be sure.

It may be they only included the codes in the first print of the Good vs. Evil etc. Of course if the game isn't holding your interest then it's all kinda moot.

One of the things I liked least about the game when I started was the requirement to get to lvl 14 to get a real travel power (flight, super speed, teleport, or superleap). With the introduction of the safeguard missions and the bank robberies on the villain side you can get a temporary jet pack as early as lvl 6 or 7. Flying around makes the early game go MUCH faster and is pretty darn cool on its own. To get the flight pack you need to do 3 policeband or newspaper missions and then successfully complete the safeguard or bank heist - the side plots availble in those missions while potentially amusing don't affect whether you get the the flight pack. This also means you can take more offensive / defensive powers early on and wait until later to get a travel power pre-requisite and travel power. The lvl 10+ missions give a super leap pack as the reward. If you are careful those temporary powers can last through many levels.

Anyhoo, I hope this was helpful.

Re: City of Heroes - Online Hero Game

Well, my wife bought the game a couple weeks ago much to my chagrin. I had stayed away from it knowing full well that it would suck my life away. Much to my surprise I actually have been able to resist it for the most part. I made a single hero and villain and took them up to about 3rd or 4th level and haven't played in days. My wife has made several characters and my son made a couple as well.

 

We were hoping to be able to play together as a family, but discovered that we have to buy 4 copies for everyone to play! That's $120 plus the yearly fee. Does anyone know if they have any sort of family deal available?

There should be free trial codes in the software box to allow your wife and kids to create temporary accounts (10 to 14 days) so you can try it out as a team. Playing in a good group is where the game shines. Justification by economic analysis - if you play more than 4 hours a month and enjoy it you are getting at least as much for your money as you would by going by to a theater to see a movie.

Also you get the advantage of the character costume designer - combine that with some screen shots and you can make some pretty nifty cardboard minatures.

City is designed to be playable in smaller time increments than other MMORPG which is almost certainly a good thing and seems to work for me. Log in, play a few missions and log out vs WoW (log in, check auctions, find a group and or travel finally get to adventure whoops why is it 3 hours later).

I play on Triumph mostly:

Grey-Guardian (29 MA/ Invulnerable scrapper)

Astromancer (11 Grav/Kinetics controller)

Fatal Exposure (12 Rad/Rad Corrupter)

global: @GreyGuardian

and a bunch of other alts that don't get much play.

Re: Buckaroo Banzai vs. The World Crime League!

There is a new buckaroo banzai comic book series out right now. As I understand it, the comic is based on a proposed television pilot.

Re: CHAMPIONS REVISED -- If We Do It, What Would You Like To See?

Tutorial: How do I explain this to my gaming group and teach them the system.

Or just a tutorial walk through of setting up a simple adventure or rather than a combat example a tutorial style combat thing to step a newby through the process of running a few phases of combat.

Maps are always good - especially if availble pdf so they can be printed to an appropriate scale. Discussion on the use of minatures and other props (handouts, newspaper articles, cardstock terrain and vehicles)? A discussion on how to make a game more immersive and draw the players into the setting.

A starter scenario would be good.

A discussion of conspiracy based opponents (actually that may be in the villainy section already) or opponent organizations in general and how to use them.

Maybe a discussion of how to break the mold on a superhero game the way books like astro city break away from the traditional superhero comic.

It's a shame you can't add a tie in to the NBC Heroes series somehow. - off topic but if you can talk NBC into posting a Heroes scenario written using hero system rules (provided by hero games) into a web freeby that would have to bring in more customers.

Found this at http://www.warrenellis.com/?p=3707

The Pulp Magazine Holdings Directory

Re: Reading FRED for the First Time

When you get to looking at the optional combat rules etc. once you are familiar with the basics you probably should read the combat guide instead of the 5th revised version as the contents of 5th are in there along with other good stuff from other books like ultimate martial artist. Having all those bits and pieces is a good thing.

Another way to get a feel for the system is pick up a few of the digital hero issues...somewhere on the boards is a listing of which issues have adventures and what genra those adventures are in.

If you intend to run a game or at least have the urge to prepare to run one it might be wise to post a general concept and ask folks which books they recommend.

One very key concept to HERO system is always start with the special effect of what you are trying to do and then figure out which powers / skills / etc. are needed to do that.

Re: Solidification

instead of always on for the desol make the limitation always when not in containment suit. The amount of the limitation would depend on how often the containment suit is denied to the critter. If it is rarely able to use the suit then it would probably be the same as always on. If it was forced to stay in the containment suit then it might be 1/4 more and if it had free choice as to the use of the suit then 1/4 less than normal always on.

Re: EC and MP?

I often build characters with multiple power frameworks. Sometimes same special effect sometimes not.

Re: New Champions vs. The Big Blue Book

Unlike 4th edition Champions 5th edition is a genre book not a rules book - it covers how to apply the 5th edition rules to superheroes (and is quite good at that) but all you need is 5th edition (preferably revised). The Until superpower database books, gadgets and gear, and even the grimoires have lots and lots of examples of how to build powers in 5th edition. For examples of brick tricks the ultimate brick is the book to get. 5th edition did introduce the "powers skill" which can be used for one shot powers based on your current powers.. if you want to use that "trick" repeatedly the actual power should be bought, etc.

Re: Balanced Opposition

If the players are new to hero and / or superheroes in hero system then you might want to go with a couple of squads of agents. Agents go down nice and fast and as long as you don't arm them too well they probably will threaten / hurt, but not knock out, the heroes.

Re: The Thane and Magic in Star Hero

In the setting books etc. magic during terran empires has completely faded... but the Thane have had a LONG time to find a way to rediscover their former abilities using technology... or... magic has started coming back but it is very very weak... but enough to rouse the Thane and Elder Worm from hibernation... or the Thane discover a way to tap into a current of magic in a nearby dimension, much like hyperspace and begin preparing for a reign of terror, or the Thane never had magic, it was all psionics and advanced technology that appeared to be magic... lot's of options on how you want to spin things and want to stay close to the setting as written.

Re: Commonality of Energy Types?

There's a chart in Champions? what page?

I had to tell a player to choose what type of radiation he meant since sonic, laser, UV, x-ray, magnetic, etc. are all "radiation" i.e. energy transmitted through space. He went with Ionizing radiation which covers what most people mean when they say radiation (x, gamma, beta, neutron, and alpha).

Re: How would you (why the heck would you) build this power?

That is frightingly similar to a concept one of my new players brought to my champions game - Duct Tape Knight, who has a vpp which he can use for "anything that looks like it might be made from stuff that comes from a hardware store" The gadgets produced only work because they are an expression of his "mutant power" and his belief that they should work (he doesn't know that he has a "mutant power" - the stuff works fine for him but no one else) - like the fire extinguisher / leaf blower jet pack (flight) that works on normal gasoline or the laser level that had a handle and extra batteries stuck onto it so it becoms a laser armor piercing eblast. The VPP is, of course, only changeable in a hardware store.

Re: Balancing Threats

Damage reduction is a darn fine thing for keeping the master villain going for more than a few phases. Having a high CON and lots of stun doesn't hurt either. Make sure the villain has enough movement to get into position to attack after being knocked back, or have ways to deal with knock back like breakfall. Being able to close effectively after being knocked back dramatically increases the effectiveness of a character.

Another thing you might do to beef up a villain either after the heroes trounced him or after the heroes have been in the news for awhile is to allow the villain to plan for their powers based on the information he has managed to gather - Joe Bob Victory has a Flash - get some dark goggles for flash defense, etc.

The viper and until sourcebooks have good advice for making agents (aka mooks) effective in combat.

Re: dietary quirks / religious rules for a character

just because it would be a limit on the powers doesn't mean it should necessarily be worth any points. It depends on how often it might come into play... for example - the characters travel a lot and somewhere diet limit fellow chows down on his fresh vegetables (ie the only thing you can be pretty darn sure are what they are when eating in a restraunt) but oops, there was a little schmear of pork fat in the bottom of the bowl... bye bye powers. It might also be a psych lim where he doesn't Believe his powers work after deviating from his dietary restriction. again, how much that is worth is very much dependent on how often it is likely to come up.