Titan Network

Community => City of Heroes => Topic started by: Felderburg on March 28, 2016, 05:05:30 PM

Title: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Bonus reddit BABs AMA!)
Post by: Felderburg on March 28, 2016, 05:05:30 PM
Positron / Dr. Aeon AMA: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YjnwmdqnU-W5neQ-JGrfPtX9pysGZuetyvmHtdSbjs0/edit

Back Alley Brawler AMA: This should be the permalink to all his stuff: https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/4gv8xl/final_moments_before_city_of_heroes_shut_down_for/d2lkkqd#d2lp2bv The full thread where his answers are (you'll need to click "load more comments" probably): https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/4gv8xl/final_moments_before_city_of_heroes_shut_down_for/ You can also click his username to see all of his posts, but as he answers fewer CoH questions, they will get harder and harder to find amongst his general reddit comments, so I'm not linking it directly.



Hello! You may recall that in years past, Positron (a.k.a. Matt Miller, Lead Designer on City of Heroes) has answered Ask Me Anything posts about City of Heroes. In 2012, he said he might do yearly versions, as long as people had questions. And I think it's safe to assume that at least some people still have questions, so I'm starting this thread to get some brain juices flowing on the topic.

A few notes and resources:


I think that's it.
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (UNOFFICIAL)
Post by: Surelle on March 28, 2016, 08:11:46 PM
Hello! You may recall that in years past, Positron (a.k.a. Matt Miller, Lead Designer on City of Heroes) has answered Ask Me Anything posts about City of Heroes. In 2012, he said he might do yearly versions, as long as people had questions. And I think it's safe to assume that at least some people still have questions, so I'm starting this thread to get some brain juices flowing on the topic.

A few notes and resources:

  • There's no guarantee that this will actually happen. Positron (and everyone else he involves) have done this out of generosity in years past, and the numbers of people that can be contacted about the subject, let alone remember any of it, have dwindled. Plus, everyone who might have been involved has moved on to other jobs / projects / life events, and may not have the ability to set aside extra time for a volunteer Q&A.
  • This is NOT an official AMA thread from Positron, and it is NOT the place that you will submit your questions. In years past, Positron has put up a Google doc for a limited period of time to accept submissions on that specific document only. This is just a place to gather interest, and start brainstorming about questions.
  • You can find previous Lore AMA responses here: http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Lore_AMA . For an incomplete sorted version, you can look here: http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Lore_AMA/Sorted
  • Don't ask repeat questions. There is likely to be a limited amount of questions allowed, so let's try not to retread stuff that's already been covered. Use the two links above to have a look at what's already been asked, and the "ctrl+f" function to search for terms you want to ask about (you'll need to click "show" on the AMA sections in the first link for that to work).
  • Try to think of ONE important question. I say this because the amount of questions per person has been limited in the past, and in fact was limited to one question per person last year. So post your thoughts here, but make sure you have a single question lined up - if you really need to ask more than one, find a friend here who isn't all that curious about anything to ask it for you.

I think that's it. I'll edit this post with anything else I feel is pertinent. I tweeted Positron already, so there's no need to try to contact him further for a little while.

I'd be surprised if he wants to bother this year, after the fiasco last year.  People just can't take a chill pill and be pleasant and thankful for anything.   :-\   I wouldn't hold your breath.
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (UNOFFICIAL)
Post by: Felderburg on March 28, 2016, 08:45:28 PM
I'd be surprised if he wants to bother this year, after the fiasco last year.  People just can't take a chill pill and be pleasant and thankful for anything.   :-\   I wouldn't hold your breath.

Yeah, I don't really know what happened, since a bunch of posts were deleted. I was under the impression it was resolved. I know I'm grateful!
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (UNOFFICIAL)
Post by: MMODesigner on March 28, 2016, 09:10:39 PM
http://goo.gl/forms/PrD6STRXIA

^ use this form.

Don't be a dick.
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (UNOFFICIAL)
Post by: Noyjitat on March 28, 2016, 10:09:35 PM

Don't be a dick.

no promises ;)
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! GOOGLE DOC IS UP UNTIL MORNING TOMORROW 3.29
Post by: Felderburg on March 29, 2016, 12:55:30 AM
Edited OP with link.

Note: it's only open until tomorrow morning!

https://mobile.twitter.com/ManyThingsDeck/status/714559418528956416
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Google Doc is closed, wait for the answers!)
Post by: Felderburg on March 29, 2016, 04:58:34 PM
Aaaaand it's closed. Hope you got your question in! I guess next year we should start the brainstorming earlier.
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Google Doc is closed, wait for the answers!)
Post by: nicoliy on March 29, 2016, 06:14:55 PM
I'm glad Positron still does these, but honestly I'm surprised there are still questions to be asked (let alone still knowing an answer). I can't remember what workout routine I did last night, so I don't know how I'd remember the lore to answer the questions.

All in all it just goes to show how much the team loved CoX and the community. Great people, that bunch is.
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Google Doc is closed, wait for the answers!)
Post by: Felderburg on March 29, 2016, 10:34:13 PM
I'm glad Positron still does these, but honestly I'm surprised there are still questions to be asked (let alone still knowing an answer). I can't remember what workout routine I did last night, so I don't know how I'd remember the lore to answer the questions.

All in all it just goes to show how much the team loved CoX and the community. Great people, that bunch is.

Well, it helps that for some people, it was probably their job for several years. They were steeped in the lore every day, for a very long time. When I put together the Lore AMA articles on Paragon Wiki, I got pretty well versed in the game's lore... but I do also forget it pretty swiftly, if I'm not actively reading the wiki.
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (UNOFFICIAL)
Post by: Captain Electric on April 02, 2016, 08:52:49 AM
I was under the impression it was resolved. I know I'm grateful!

Since it's a quiet thread, here's what I think about it a year later: Surelle's right, and had I taken that chill pill, there'd be no lingering drama from last year.

- Be grateful for those talented people whom you admire, for their talent and the worlds they create. Despite any niggling complaint any player ever had about the game (I actually never had very many), Paragon City was a gleaming city, thanks in no small part to Matt "Positron" Miller and his cohorts.

- When meeting those you admire, never mingle a sense of familiarity with expectations of any kind, as it is almost assured to have no bearing on reality. I'm sure that at any given moment, two well-meaning people on Earth are offending each other's legitimate sensibilities in just this fashion. In fact, those times when I've made friends with people I'm also a fan of, I don't remember offering them anything in particular at the time, or asking them for anything. Coincidence? I think not.

- Be understanding. It was graceful of Matt to eventually apologize--and I hope he accepted my apology for troubling him--but it would have been more understanding of me to just let it go before anyone felt the need to apologize, considering the stresses of Posi's job search last year, and the comparative triviality of the perceived offense, at least in retrospect. (For anyone scratching their head, it was a tweet, something like "lol wut," after I misunderstood a conversation via Steam Chat and offered to spread the news and tipped Massively about last year's impending Loregasm.)

- It's the Internet, there isn't a hill worth dying on. You'll die, everyone will be watching, all your cooler-heads-prevail points get reset to zero, happy now? (No.)

I wasn't sure about posting this, but you know what they say, if you can't serve as a good example, at least you can serve as a horrible warning?

Anyway; sooo, how many of you diligently read all of the previous Loregasms before submitting your question? :)
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (UNOFFICIAL)
Post by: Felderburg on April 02, 2016, 05:56:07 PM
Anyway; sooo, how many of you diligently read all of the previous Loregasms before submitting your question? :)

I did. Well, sort of: I've diligently read them multiple times, but given the small window of time, I just searched the page before submitting my question.

I asked what plans there were for other Signature Story Arcs (if any). I didn't see much about future SSAs, just existing ones, and lots of stuff about future general plans.
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Google Doc is closed, wait for the answers!)
Post by: Crater Labs on April 08, 2016, 08:48:53 PM
Aww... I missed it this year.  I wasn't checking Twitter regularly last month and it totally slipped my mind. :(
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Google Doc is closed, wait for the answers!)
Post by: Brightfires on April 09, 2016, 02:24:49 AM
I honestly couldn't think of a single thing to ask... 0_o
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Google Doc is closed, wait for the answers!)
Post by: eabrace on April 28, 2016, 01:44:09 AM
Your questions have been answered! (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YjnwmdqnU-W5neQ-JGrfPtX9pysGZuetyvmHtdSbjs0)
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Answers have been posted!)
Post by: Felderburg on April 28, 2016, 03:21:33 AM
Neat!

Although I guess I should have been more clear that I meant Signature Story Arc like the Who Will Die and Pandora's Box, rather than the "play as a signature character" arcs.
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Answers have been posted!)
Post by: slickriptide on April 28, 2016, 07:53:18 PM
Was the AMA really just four or five questions this year?
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Answers have been posted!)
Post by: Golden Girl on April 28, 2016, 08:40:05 PM
Neat!

Although I guess I should have been more clear that I meant Signature Story Arc like the Who Will Die and Pandora's Box, rather than the "play as a signature character" arcs.

As far as I know, that Sirocco arc was actually the next Signature Story Arc.
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Answers have been posted!)
Post by: Felderburg on April 28, 2016, 09:12:38 PM
Was the AMA really just four or five questions this year?

Yes - the doc was only open for half a day.

As far as I know, that Sirocco arc was actually the next Signature Story Arc.

Huh. I don't recall that being mentioned in previous AMAs - I thought it was a personal story arc.

http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Lore_AMA/Sorted#27

It's called a "sig" story there - that's why I didn't pick it up when I searched for "signature" and "SSA" to make sure my question hadn't been asked. Wah wah waaaaaaah.
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Answers have been posted!)
Post by: MMODesigner on April 29, 2016, 12:47:06 AM
Yes - the doc was only open for half a day.

Doc was open for a full 24 hours.
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Answers have been posted!)
Post by: TonyV on April 29, 2016, 01:38:41 AM
Doc was open for a full 24 hours.

To be fair, we didn't publicize it as much as we should have, things have been a bit crazy.  I'll have to buy a new tire iron and go visit Eabrace...

Thanks a ton for doing this.  Between things like this and the turnout at the Paragon Chat party tonight, it never ceases to amaze me how strong the community still is even after all this time!
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Answers have been posted!)
Post by: eabrace on April 29, 2016, 08:21:15 AM
To be fair, we didn't publicize it as much as we should have, things have been a bit crazy.  I'll have to buy a new tire iron and go visit Eabrace...
Yeah, sadly, Titan is blocked at work and I didn't notice it was up until late that night.  My bad.
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Answers have been posted!)
Post by: Felderburg on April 29, 2016, 04:19:13 PM
Doc was open for a full 24 hours.

Oh, I assumed it was only open from when your tweet was sent in the afternoon, until 7 the next morning. Either way, thanks for doing it, and getting Dr. Aeon on board too!



I'm not sure that there will be another one, given the turnout. And the amount of questions has dropped every year. I almost wonder if someone should just find old developers and interview them separately, but that presents a certain amount of problems on its own.

What sort of publicity would Titan Network have done?
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Answers have been posted!)
Post by: Blondeshell on April 29, 2016, 08:48:13 PM
Yes - the doc was only open for half a day.

Huh. I don't recall that being mentioned in previous AMAs - I thought it was a personal story arc.

http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Lore_AMA/Sorted#27

It's called a "sig" story there - that's why I didn't pick it up when I searched for "signature" and "SSA" to make sure my question hadn't been asked. Wah wah waaaaaaah.

Either way, you can see bits of the cutscenes that would have been used for it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9dVlNA1SMM
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Answers have been posted!)
Post by: Felderburg on April 29, 2016, 09:04:01 PM
Either way, you can see bits of the cutscenes that would have been used for it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9dVlNA1SMM

 :o :o :o :o :o
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Answers have been posted!)
Post by: eabrace on April 29, 2016, 11:03:47 PM
What sort of publicity would Titan Network have done?
For starters, I would have started getting word on Facebook and Twitter out much earlier in the day.  :)
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Answers have been posted!)
Post by: Captain Electric on April 30, 2016, 12:10:42 AM
I'm not sure that there will be another one, given the turnout. And the amount of questions has dropped every year. I almost wonder if someone should just find old developers and interview them separately, but that presents a certain amount of problems on its own.


Far be it from me to want to make any shenanigans about it, but Posi did say in the doc, "While I'd like to keep doing these, I will tell you that if Sean's not here to save my bacon next year, these are going to get a lot more boring." It sounds like his heart's still in it, but there's not much left to do without his colleagues' and fans' help.

I think it'd be great if fans hit up some of the other developers; but, trust me on this one:
It certainly was a short doc this year, but you know what? I found the questions and answers a lot more interesting than I expected them to be. There were a few BIG plot points cleared up and revealed this time, all of which I had questions about when the game closed. I'm glad Posi came back for another round, despite any inconvenience this thing causes him.
Title: Re: Lore AMA: 2016 Edition! (Answers have been posted!)
Post by: Felderburg on May 01, 2016, 01:27:22 AM
Back Alley Brawler is doing an AMA on reddit. I'm on my phone, so it's inconvenient to post the link, but I'll get to it. Titan's Facebook has it.The replies about CoH from his username are days apart, so it seems like you could ask at leisure.

Edit: Links in OP.