Pattern Ghost

Re: So what concepts are you tempted to play on the MMORPG anyway? Hmm... I'm kicking about ten around at the moment. =P Here's to hoping we get ten character slots.

Re: New Trailers! I'm pretty sure that there will be knockback and knockdown. For one, I've seen screens and other movies featuring some. For 2, these are the same guys who made CoX, and they had knockdown and knockback. I's probably just that those powers didn't end up on the video. Not all powers are going to have knockdown or knockback. And those that do, are not going to have it on the scale possible in the PnP game, because it makes combat a PITA for everyone. Even the knockback in CoX, which is what I'm guessing we'll get here as far as intensity, was a real pain for melee to deal with.

Ok, these have been up for a little while now, but I just found them. Posting for the equally unobservant: http://ve3d.ign.com/videos/game/844881/PC/Champions-Online/category/10/Trailer

Re: June 2nd MMOs just aren't conducive to a RP environment.

Re: Competition from Marvel ? Unfortunately, the DC MMO in progress looks like it'll be even more console-ish and that the player characters will be marginalized by the big guns of the universe. Of course, that's based on very early info, so things could change. It may be a fun game, anyway, even if it fails to interest MMO players much.

Re: Competition from Marvel ? The first game is aimed at the Superhero Squad property, which looks something like: Seems like a VERY young demographic to go after for an MMO. Will be interesting to see if they can tap into a market that young, considering the average age of MMO players.

Re: Champions Online Pre-Orders Just to make sure you know: The MMO will not be using Hero System game mechanics. It will be based on the Champions setting. Though the game is supposed to be in the spirit of the flexibility of the system. (As CoH was supposed to be, but they didn't hit the mark on that at the time.)

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished Captain's Fury, by Jim Butcher. Fourth book in the Furies of Calderon series. Great read, as usual. Every book I read by Butcher only raises my level of respect for his writing. There were some moments of epic and woot here, as Tavi gets himself deeper into trouble. One thing about Butcher, his characters (especially Dresden) know how to get themselves into whole heaps of trouble fast. =)

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it...

Re: Help with child 'soft martial artist' build I wouldn't link the defense to mechanics, but to special effects, as the OP already described. I'd also call wearing rigid armor a fairly common defense, so take the NND at +1/2 instead of +1. I'd also say it was fair (b/c of the +1/2 level on the NND) to rule a reduced affect against partially armored targets. For example, suppose the character is facing a SWAT type with a solid helmet, a vest with trauma plates, and solid knee, elbow and back of hand padding. Some pressure points are covered, others aren't, and yet others are just harder to hit due to armor being in the way (hitting the neck of someone with a helmet and heavy ballistic vest is pretty tough, for instance). So, rather than wasting table time on figuring out if these types of targets are vulnerable to the attack, or figure out OCV penalties on the fly, it's easier to say that if the attack roll succeeds, at least some pressure points were hit, some hit but the attack was either partially absorbed or partially deflected, and that the net result is a reduced effect. So, net result is pretty simple to run and adjudicate. This may not be as satisfying for those who prefer a high granularity approach, but it'd work for me.

Re: Idea/Suggestion: Offline Character Generator Actually, EQ2 has one, that's where I ripped the idea off from. =)

http://www.champions-online.com/node/4980

Re: What Have You Watched Recently? I've been trying to watch a movie or two a day lately. Here are some of the things I've watched on Netflix via X-box 360 lately: The Professional: Great performance from a young Natalie Portman, as well as the rest of the cast. (Jean Reno, Danny Aeillo, Gary Oldman). Great film. Sukiyaki Western Django: Unfortunately, I couldn't understand enough of the dialog to understand this one. Liked the visuals, the craziness of it, and the fight at the end though. Domino: I'd heard this was good. It wasn't. I think it was shot and edited by ferrets on crack. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Better than the original movie, IMO. Watching Season 1, which I've seen most of on TV, to fill in the gaps and watch them in order before watching the rest of them. Revolver: The ferrets who made Domino got their crack from these guys. Good performance from Jason Statham in a non-action hero role, though.

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Devil Doll, The Return of Eve.

Re: How do mutants work out? I think number 2 there is really one of the best ways to rationalize why Mutants are singled out instead of other types of supers in a world where there are many origins. That said, it really does work better in a single origin setting.

Re: How do mutants work out? Blob just comes by his svelte physique naturally. Besides, he won't fit through the Danger Room door.

...that's got enhanced stats outside the armor? A couple of example concepts: A pilot who has been genetically engineered to withstand the strain of pulling heavy G turns, and to have the reflexes to pilot a personal sized suit of powered armor. Think about the requirements just to fly a jet. Add in the reaction times necessary to compensate for the much greater subjective speed of flying super fast outside of a plane. (Like going 30 on a bike feels faster than going 40 in a car.) Toss out concepts like "the computer will fly it for you anyway," for this situation, because it's much cooler to grow your pilots in a vat of genetic goop than to program a combat computer! (Add in the quick mental reactions necessary to negate the need for a computer.) Or another example: A brick who just uses a suit of powered armor to fly and for resistant defenses, along with senses, ranged attacks, etc. When the bad guys catch him out of the suit, they're in for a big surprise... Anyone done anything like this? It's not as point efficient as a Defender type NCM build, but it has to lend itself to at least one amusing villain double take over the life of the character.

Re: How do mutants work out? Most mutants start out with some light cardio work before a trip to the Danger Room. =P

Re: Invisible character IMO, kill that character -- or at least have a "radiation accident" -- and have the player remake it into something playable.

Re: Grond is up with podcast I'm going back on the green. It probably looks OK in game. May even have a radioactive glow effect? Horns need to go. At least, that style. Some spiky stuff around the head is fine, but those say "fantasy demon" more than "weird science accident" to me.

Re: Grond is up with podcast The main thing I don't like about the head is the horns. The whole demonic look was way overdone in CoH IMO. Something more reptilian with spikes around the face, like my little avatar here, would have been better.

Re: Grond is up with podcast I think this is the case. Grond's ear-fins from the original Zircher version were probably too close to the Abomination's look for Cryptic's comfort, so I can't really blame them for changing the head. It's really not any worse than the 5th Edition version. I hope the in game version isn't such a freaking neon green though. And those fifth edition hands have to go. I like Zircher's the best, but we aren't going to see him in a video game.

Re: closed beta applications

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I had Chronicles from the Science Fiction Book Club. I need to get another one and read it again before getting Book of the South. Though, I'm not sure if those two combined have all the stories or not. Definitely good stuff.

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... The Black Company books are good. And a royal PAIN to track down. I'm not even sure if they're all still in print.