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Community => City of Heroes => Topic started by: Risha on December 27, 2012, 05:15:07 PM

Title: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Risha on December 27, 2012, 05:15:07 PM
My absolute hugest surprise near the beginning of the game was falling down in the hollows and either hosp.ing due to the fall or unfriendly lava guys.  Who else did this happen to?  Well, the projectile vomiting by the V. was also an eye-opener...but COH was my first mmog.

I thought about a poll for this, so if that tickles your fancy, Go for it!
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: corvus1970 on December 27, 2012, 06:05:57 PM
My first big surprise? Finding out the hard way that I should change auto-run to something other than the "R" key, after a couple of whoopsies. Predictably enough, in the Hollows to boot :)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Lucretia MacEvil on December 27, 2012, 06:40:58 PM
I started shortly after the CoV release, so I'm not sure I remember what my first surprise was.

However, one of the most memorable surprises I had was when I first tried a Hero. 
It was the classic blunder at the train station.

In my defense, with the villains' ferries you CAN just turn around and get back on.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Ironwolf on December 27, 2012, 07:26:02 PM
I started on the first day the game went live and my surprise? Six slotting Rest is a bad idea. Who knew?
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: cohRock on December 27, 2012, 07:45:48 PM
Mine was being in Steel or King Row with a friend. We noticed a bunch of plant and rock guys running down the street, and we'd never seen villains so unhuman before. Fortunately we were smart enough to stay out of their way.

Nowadays I realize it was someone's Devouring Earth ambush.  When you are new to the game, though, and maybe level 10, things like that were a neat surprise.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Minotaur on December 27, 2012, 07:46:02 PM
"The tram isn't working"
"Try the other door".

Also

"You mean there are shops, you don't have to rely on drops" (I1 before they were marked on the map)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Tenzhi on December 27, 2012, 08:00:01 PM
The first time I saw Lusca's tentacles waving at me on the horizon...
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Zekiran on December 27, 2012, 08:41:04 PM
When the Rularuu invasion was going and I was new, seeing gigantic floating eyeballs *using the fire escapes* in Kings Row to follow someone up to the rooftops...

And then being eaten by one of them.


Of course, the LAST surprise I got was when I was doing my final run around Atlas Park on the last day, and discovered ONLY THEN that the buildings they'd revamped in the Downside area had elevators that moved on their exteriors. T___T
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Sparky on December 28, 2012, 12:01:54 AM
The first time a 5th Column went werewolf on me.  :o
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: pyber on December 28, 2012, 01:24:11 AM
The first time my Brute ran into a Malta Sapper.  *ZAP* "OMG, where'd all my End go?!?"

The first time I hit Siphon Speed on a Kin.  *Run > Wall*  "Where the heck did that wall come from?"

The first time I happened across Hami, while exploring the Abyss on my first toon.  "Oh look, its kinda like Jell-O"  *Dies* O.o
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: cohRock on December 28, 2012, 01:44:38 AM
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: BobMc on December 28, 2012, 01:50:34 AM
The first time a Freakshow rezzed on me... think it was a tank to boot... I had just barely won, and took a knee to rest... REZZZZ

Hokey Smokes Batman!
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: MaidMercury on December 28, 2012, 03:10:02 AM
I guess the sewers. As with anyone else, I started my char at level 1 to earn xp 6 yrs ago. After a few runs, I never expected to find a lev 50 Villain in there.Think it was a Minotuar...I skee-daddled out off there in a hurry. :o
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: darkgob on December 28, 2012, 03:18:30 AM
The first time a 5th Column went werewolf on me.  :o
This only with the Council.  That event was followed by another first -- discovering enemies that could chase me through elevators.  :gonk:
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: FatherXmas on December 28, 2012, 04:24:19 AM
This only with the Council.  That event was followed by another first -- discovering enemies that could chase me through elevators.  :gonk:
A yes, the damn gears following me down the elevator.  That was a nasty surprise.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Risha on December 28, 2012, 04:33:47 AM
Oh, I am so pleased I started this thread.  You all made me laugh, since, of course I was surprised by that stuff too -- the Freakshow rezzing, the enemy following on the vator, pressing R instead of 5 and running straight into a mob, aggroing it and killing the whole damn team (of strangers)... ;D
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Kuriositys Kat on December 28, 2012, 06:04:07 AM
The first time I saw Lusca's tentacles waving at me on the horizon...

Flying "feet wet" in IP and  "WHAT JUST HAPPENED" as I am faceplanted in the  water and there are tentacles?!?
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Kuriositys Kat on December 28, 2012, 06:11:17 AM
Exiting the Tram in AP at level 10 and seeing TWO Khelds   "Squid up" and fly off one Purple-y and the other Shimmery White. Being new  by the time I thought to target them and get  info they were out of range. I asked my friend and was told "Oh those are the ATs you get when you are 50, they are aliens." (this was in Nov 2006).
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Tivomaniac on December 28, 2012, 03:44:22 PM
For me I was in Perez and suddenly there was a group of level 40 (the cap at the time) Malta running down the street. I was level 8 at the time and had not seen Malta yet they just looked scary to little ol me.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Triplash on December 28, 2012, 06:33:19 PM
...and took a knee to rest...

And then you took a Rest to the knee! Hey-o!

(https://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz55/KansasCrawford/Funny%20Pics/SkyrimBadumTishSm.jpg)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: JaguarX on December 28, 2012, 06:36:38 PM
mobs getting stuck in walls or dissappearing in kill alls. The first time it happened, I was like "Everyone is dead, no is moving, the mission should have ended. Well after about 30 min double checking rechecking and doing it all over again, put in a ticket for GM help. After 1.5 hours counting, GM shows up, as police drone, drags the stuck mob out of the wall I shoot it mission ends. Wow! one person can really stop a party!.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Arachnion on December 28, 2012, 07:45:21 PM
mobs getting stuck in walls or dissappearing in kill alls. The first time it happened, I was like "Everyone is dead, no is moving, the mission should have ended. Well after about 30 min double checking rechecking and doing it all over again, put in a ticket for GM help. After 1.5 hours counting, GM shows up, as police drone, drags the stuck mob out of the wall I shoot it mission ends. Wow! one person can really stop a party!.

This.

This actually happened to me only twice, in my playing career.

It was resolved swiftly both times, by GM police drones.

Good times :(
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Risha on December 28, 2012, 07:54:51 PM
Ah, the mobs in walls.  I think that was fixed in later issues, but what was really frustrating was when you couldn't hit them, but they could shoot you dead!  I think I got it from one in a cave wall, once...only hands and feet extruding...  I think this happened to me too many times to keep track of...but sometimes they DID get out of the walls/shelves/between the floors by themselves.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Felderburg on December 28, 2012, 09:59:00 PM
My first time in IP, I was surprised by the Freakshow yelling for help near a fallen tank - I'd never seen such a thing in game. I hesitated for a while, thinking it was probably a trap, then thought: 'Hey, I'm a hero, he might actually need help.' Nope! Luckily it was just the first image that surprised me, not the rez, but it was cool nonetheless.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Atlantea on December 28, 2012, 11:25:56 PM
I'll never forget the first time a Fifth Column Boss went Warwolf on me in Independence Port.

Not least of which because I'd never even SEEN a Warwolf before. I'd been solo-ing or running missions with my friend Glenn who'd gotten me in the game. So I was a newbie level 20-ish sometime in mid-late November 2004 who had done some 5th Column missions. But somehow I'd never had one "Wolf-Out" on me. And neither had Glenn! So he didn't know to warn me either!

So here I am, on my first toon, a scrapper named Lora Doubet - street sweeping on an early mission in IP not too far from the Tram and Hospital. Have to take down 20 of these guys IIRC and I'm getting near the end...

"Okay... 17... not too long now, here's another group, this ought to finish it up.

Take the grenade thrower down... done. Boom! Foot to the face of the machine gunner. Big tall dude here with some extra flash on his chest, oh right... conning orange boss. No problem, no problem... Thunder Kick to Storm Kick to Crane Kick, sliver of health, almost there... "

RRRRAAAAAAAAAGHHH!!

*Boss wolfs out and goes back to full health*

"JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH WHAT?!?!?"

Ironically it wasn't the Warwolf that sent me to the hospital...

It was me backpedaling all the way into a second group of 5th Column that did it...   :roll:
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Zekiran on December 29, 2012, 12:27:40 AM
^^ oh my that sounds so very, very familiar :D

I did manage to survive one of the major Wolf-out ambushes I got hit with, when the ambushes were still buggy as crap and sent *all lts* at me...
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Risha on December 29, 2012, 12:36:35 AM
Wonderful story, Atlantea.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: AlphaFerret on December 29, 2012, 02:02:23 AM
I remember not knowing what an so was, much less where to get them.  I also discovered the fitness pool at level 24 for the first time.  I stayed up until 6 am running failed respect mish after failed respec mish.  Geez that grind was a good time:)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Night-Hawk07 on December 29, 2012, 08:00:40 AM
This only with the Council.  That event was followed by another first -- discovering enemies that could chase me through elevators.  :gonk:

I'd have to say that was probably my first surprise too.

"Ah, safe, now I can...." DING "O_O $#*!"

Did they do away with the transforming 5th Column/Council? Cause I can't recall ever seeing one, and I started in mid-2007 (right after I9 I think).
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Dollmistress on December 29, 2012, 08:21:57 AM
"Guys, if you can see the Thorn Tree, you're already dead".  8)

"Thorn Tree? Ohhh, I s..."   :o

"Warned ya."   :roll:

Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Reiraku on December 29, 2012, 08:37:43 AM
I'd have to say that was probably my first surprise too.

"Ah, safe, now I can...." DING "O_O $#*!"

Did they do away with the transforming 5th Column/Council? Cause I can't recall ever seeing one, and I started in mid-2007 (right after I9 I think).

They still would transform, just not quite as often. I got it all the time on my x8 council maps.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Kaiser Tarantula on December 29, 2012, 09:22:05 AM
Ah, the mobs in walls.  I think that was fixed in later issues, but what was really frustrating was when you couldn't hit them, but they could shoot you dead!  I think I got it from one in a cave wall, once...only hands and feet extruding...  I think this happened to me too many times to keep track of...but sometimes they DID get out of the walls/shelves/between the floors by themselves.
This still happened as of I24.  I had this happen a couple times to me.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: blackjak on December 29, 2012, 02:09:17 PM
So many in this game...
1. Actually feeling it in my gut when I jumped off a building.
2. I totally agree with war wolves.
3. I joined around halloween, so...
4. Running into good ol' giant frosty solo in AP as a lowbie.
5. Lusca
6. The first body type costume change. (So good for RP)
7. From the first day to the last...the creative costumes and bios.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: SKEWLINES on December 29, 2012, 02:52:02 PM
Taking my first lvl 20 tank to my buddies lvl 35ish mission in Founders Falls. This was in issue 3 or 4, when you had to be in close proximity of the mission holder to be side kicked. He had a better computer than I, and was waiting at the mission door already when I zoned in at the Talos/FF gate. SJ on, start traveling to the mission door much further to the south. Bam, died in mid jump. I had just been one shotted by a Nemesis sniper. "Noooooooo!!!" My friend yelled. I'll hit the hospital.  :roll: I don't even know what killed me. "It was probably a rooftop sniper. Stoopid Nemesissies!"
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Cinnder on December 29, 2012, 03:11:41 PM
Of course, the LAST surprise I got was when I was doing my final run around Atlas Park on the last day, and discovered ONLY THEN that the buildings they'd revamped in the Downside area had elevators that moved on their exteriors. T___T

What?!?  There were exterior elevators in new AP?  Could you ride in them?
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: corvus1970 on December 29, 2012, 03:59:46 PM
Nope, but they were still neat :)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Kaos Arcanna on December 29, 2012, 04:01:11 PM
One of the very first surprises for me....

Some friends and I had just gotten the game and were playing without really knowing what we were doing.

In a Vahz Cake Room Map .... (Vahz Cake. Sounds like a good Halloween Project!) and one of the Vahz says, "And will Gungnir save you? I think not."

(Now I know that it was my friend's mission but he must have logged out sometime in it because he wasn't around when the Vahz said that and I thought,
"This game knows who I team with?! Whoa!"

Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Blitzwing on December 29, 2012, 09:17:05 PM
Very early on in my CoH career, while on my Blaster and preparing to venture out of AP for the 1st time via railway, I turned back to City Hall while on my way to the station, only to see a group of lv -40- mobs running around...of course, it was a triggered ambush, but at THAT point, I thought something big was going down...this was probably no later than late-September 2004....  :)

...and I think we've all had this one happen...:

During a winter holiday event....

Me: Ooh, another present, I wonder what's in this one-WINTERLORDOHCRA-==splat==

:D
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Victoria Victrix on December 30, 2012, 03:01:23 AM
On one of my fenders or trollers, and had finally learned to hover ABOVE everyone else so I wouldn't get splatted by the bad guys.  Happily hovering above a bunch in Steel while everyone else whales on them.

Then the damn electric blaster flies up to one-shot me.  Bastich.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Tenzhi on December 30, 2012, 05:21:02 AM
Of course, the LAST surprise I got was when I was doing my final run around Atlas Park on the last day, and discovered ONLY THEN that the buildings they'd revamped in the Downside area had elevators that moved on their exteriors. T___T

I was surprised in the revamped Atlas as I was flying around and saw an enclosed rooftop-garden-dome, which I found I could enter via the street level doors!  There didn't seem to be any real point to doing so, but I thought it was neat.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Aggelakis on December 30, 2012, 05:36:08 AM
I was surprised in the revamped Atlas as I was flying around and saw an enclosed rooftop-garden-dome, which I found I could enter via the street level doors!  There didn't seem to be any real point to doing so, but I thought it was neat.
Made specifically for the RPers who were losing Galaxy City's park.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Electric-Knight on December 30, 2012, 09:59:52 AM
I was sitting here, somewhat saddened by my lack of response to this question...
But I just realized what really pleasantly surprised me from within the game!

NPC Citizens exclaiming things about our characters!!
"Hey, Electric-Knight, we love you!"
"I can't wait to tell all my friends that I saw Electric-Knight!"
"Way to go, Electric-Knight!"
And the inclusion of specific mission accomplishments in such exclamations was brilliant and really made me do a double take! :D

Later on... within the Tip Mission system, during the level 50 Hero Morality Mission where you go to Grandeville of the Rogue Isle to save a traitorous Bane Spider from execution...
As you approach the place of execution, the crowd of people gathered round all start cheering and chanting your name!!
Great googly moogly, that was honestly one of my favorite gaming experiences ever!! :D


1. Actually feeling it in my gut when I jumped off a building.
...
YES!! Such an amazing thing! Not just the feeling, but how often this game would induce it! :)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Lily Barclay on December 30, 2012, 04:49:35 PM
I started playing during the Halloween event, so mine was Eochai in Kings Row. I had a big "OMGWTF is that?!" moment.

And to add to the Halloween event surprises, I had another when it ended and I realized the game actually had daytime. Our family just assumed it was always night because that's when the crime happened. XD
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Lily Barclay on December 30, 2012, 04:54:26 PM
The first time I saw Lusca's tentacles waving at me on the horizon...

Oh that's another one, though I knew about Lusca when it happened the first time... I have had her spawn on my head while casually swimming through IP at least 4 times. Even on the last day, I was still having anxiety attacks swimming through IP. Ninja Lusca death scars you for life.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Lily Barclay on December 30, 2012, 04:57:29 PM
The first time a 5th Column went werewolf on me.  :o

Oh yeah, that's another good one. One of my first surprises, too.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Timelord Tom on December 30, 2012, 05:11:01 PM
I'm going to throw the first Firefrost encounter in the Hollows into this mix (haven't noticed that anyone else has, anyway.)

Up until facing him the game was pretty much a hit the bad guys until they went down thing. Sure, I'd lost a few fights, but that was usually do to facing large numbers, or street sweeping and going up against baddies 2-3 levels over my toon's.

First time I went up against Firefrost was when I learned that it pays to think tactically.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Lily Barclay on December 30, 2012, 05:16:15 PM
I'm going to throw the first Firefrost encounter in the Hollows into this mix (haven't noticed that anyone else has, anyway.)

Up until facing him the game was pretty much a hit the bad guys until they went down thing. Sure, I'd lost a few fights, but that was usually do to facing large numbers, or street sweeping and going up against baddies 2-3 levels over my toon's.

First time I went up against Firefrost was when I learned that it pays to think tactically.

You mean Frostfire.  ;D
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Cryfire on December 30, 2012, 06:40:22 PM
Jumping off the tram in Kings Row, running around the corner towards a mission and running right into a Clockwork Paladin with his minions, ouch.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: johnrobey on December 30, 2012, 09:25:00 PM
Exiting a mission on my first character (who was still low level) only to have zombies emerge from the ground.  Happily, I'd been warned about this event, but it was extra fun for me since my first "main" was a dark/dark defender.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: samfivedot on December 31, 2012, 12:15:28 AM
Seeing the Arachnoids for the first time. "Sigh, just another routine sewer mission OH GOD WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS, WHY AM I IN SILENT HILL :gonk:"

The insanely high enemy respawn rates in Atlas Park. After defeating a group of Hellions, I turned my attention to a nearby group... and then the first one respawned and all six ganged up on me. Being a blaster, I did not survive long.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Zekiran on December 31, 2012, 05:13:52 AM
They didn't used to to that, actually. With the new low-level arcs, the specific spawn rates seemed to have been changed radically from their normal. It used to be that things *did not spawn* while you were there, there was a radius or a timer or basically "while you weren't looking" effect. So yeah those new ones which required you to save x number of people in parts of AP that really changed how the zone looked and felt. Constant stream of crime!

Oooh.


First time you learn to hate Tsoo Sorcerers. Not just because they freaking teleport, but because if you got a spawn with 2 of them in it *they circle-healed* each other...
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Hyperstrike on December 31, 2012, 02:14:16 PM
First time you learn to hate Tsoo Sorcerers. Not just because they freaking teleport, but because if you got a spawn with 2 of them in it *they circle-healed* each other...

Or the one hero Morality mission...Where you get 2-3 very closely spaced mobs with 2+ in each of them.  It's like the bridge in Cimerora loaded down with Surgeons.

Running through it at +4 on a tank? 

*Sobs piteously*
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: dwturducken on December 31, 2012, 06:26:16 PM
Pretty much everything covered, so far, was a fun surprise. My first exposure to a giant monster was the Winter Lord. One had just popped up in Atlas, on the way to the Hollows, so the team I was on (my Friday Night Regulars) jumped in with the already assembled heroes. My computer was pretty mediocre, back then, so i wasn't fully aware of everything going on, due to the amount of lag with such a large group of heroes and their power effects. It was a bit of a slog, but the twenty or so of us took him down without too many hairs out of place.

Next day, I'm soloing and come across one in Steel. "Hehe!" I think. "This'll be fun!" Turns out that, in the prior engagement, I had completely missed A) any snow minions and B) all the healing that had been going on. Took me being swatted down like a cockroach three times before i realized I wasn't going to get anywhere by myself.

Also, the first time using the costume creator.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Hyperstrike on December 31, 2012, 08:12:06 PM
I remember the devs spawning Hami in Atlas Park...

OW!
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: srmalloy on January 01, 2013, 07:41:41 AM
I remember one of the really early patches that jerked a friend of mine and I over; we'd gotten missions to defeat some number of 5th Column vampires (IIRC), and trooped off to Brickstown... to discover that the devs had applied a patch that fixed an earlier bug that caused the 5th Column spawns in Brickstown to be only vampires and wolves, and the 5th Column spawns in Brickstown no longer had any vampires or wolves...
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: FatherXmas on January 01, 2013, 10:57:34 AM
I remembering leveling up in Steel soon after I started playing and saw the plant based Devouring Earth critters for the first time standing around a nearby corner, someones forgotten ambush.

"Hey look, tree-ents ... and they're conning ... purple."
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Shadowe on January 01, 2013, 04:53:26 PM
I have a massive fear of hitting the ground - it seems to stem from an accident when I was very young and cut my head open - any prospect of tripping over and hitting the ground without being able to catch myself sets my stomach on edge (even stepping through a door with a raised lip at my feet triggers this response).

The first time I found my self falling a significant distance on my main triggered a panic response, until...

Panic. Panic. Alt+9. I CAN FLYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Aggelakis on January 01, 2013, 04:54:43 PM
This was probably two or three days after I started, after finally learning how the tram worked and getting to Kings Row. Doing missions solo there in KR, I ran toward my door. Standing outside my door is a group of dudes I had seen before but their costumes were a little more fancy (low level Council vs high level Council - more doodads on the higher levels) - nbd, right? I shrug, bomb in, and faceplant with one hit. I can totally remember the giant question mark forming in my brain as I run back from the hospital. I inspected the dudes from across the street this time instead of just running in. Level 50! Wow! That's got to be near the level cap! I had to broadcast for about 5 minutes for someone to come by and clean up the mess so that I could go into my mission.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: srmalloy on January 02, 2013, 04:31:06 AM
This was probably two or three days after I started, after finally learning how the tram worked and getting to Kings Row. Doing missions solo there in KR, I ran toward my door. Standing outside my door is a group of dudes I had seen before but their costumes were a little more fancy (low level Council vs high level Council - more doodads on the higher levels) - nbd, right? I shrug, bomb in, and faceplant with one hit. I can totally remember the giant question mark forming in my brain as I run back from the hospital. I inspected the dudes from across the street this time instead of just running in. Level 50! Wow! That's got to be near the level cap! I had to broadcast for about 5 minutes for someone to come by and clean up the mess so that I could go into my mission.

That reminds me of my early days in the game with Pakfront, my AR/EM Blaster, in early May 2004; I'd run up the stairs over in the SW corner of KR, and was headed north when I backpedaled frantically to get out of the way of the level-30 Banished Pantheon ambush stumbling up the road from behind me; I didn't have a clue what these were -- Pakfront was, at the time, my only character, and I'd only gotten her to level 6; all I knew was that these things were so purple they were deep ultraviolet to me...
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: General Idiot on January 02, 2013, 11:51:58 AM
I still remember mine because it was the reason I bought the game. I'd gotten a trial code and make myself a spines/regen scrapper with the obligatory terrible first costume, and started in Galaxy City - this was back just before Issue 8. I'd run through the first few missions from the starting contact, and he'd introduced me to someone in Kings Row. Well, thought I. There's a gate to Kings Row right down there so I won't even need to use the train. So off I went, down to the south end of Galaxy and through the gate to Kings Row.

On the other side, I made it maybe a hundred yards and was promptly stomped flat. Not by the level 10 mobs in the area as you might expect, I saw purple and having actually read the text in the tutorial knew that meant I was no match for them. Instead, I was stomped flat by a giant robot. The Clockwork Paladin, to be precise.

As I respawned in the hospital I saw someone calling for a team to take down this mechanical menace, and though I figured he wouldn't want my level 6 self to take down what would be a raid boss in any other game I asked anyway and was surprised to get an invite. They sidekicked me up, and we went forth and made murder. That was my introduction to giant monsters, sidekicking, and the CoH community.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Tubbius on January 03, 2013, 12:37:15 AM
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Septipheran on January 03, 2013, 01:17:44 AM
The first time my Warshade went Nova form. I read about Kheldian forms on the forums a bit. I read the power description. But my Warshade was my third ever character, and I was still very green. Turning into a Dark Nova for the first time was probably the minute that I officially fell in love with COH. So much awesome.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: ukaserex on January 03, 2013, 01:20:42 AM
My first and largest surprise was that CoH was an MMO and had other players in the game.

My second surprise was that when I went to manage my enhancements, I thought that I was required to slot one enhancement of each type listed. I was slotting for ED well before ED, lol.
I was level 23 on my very first character, Ukase Rex as an electric/electric blaster. And then, finally, I started to slot a power that took 7 different types of enhancements. Then I figured it out.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Perfidus on January 03, 2013, 01:53:09 AM
My very first surprise was ragdoll physics. I didn't play at launch, obviously.

One of the most memorable 'whoa!' moments was the first time I saw two Hercules combine into a Zeus. Some people say they saw it coming, but I never did. I'd never even seen a Zeus before that moment, and it'd be many levels before I ever saw it again, as I was lackeyed up at the time.

More surprises that come to mind were the parts in Ice Mistral and Eden Trial when you seamlessly go through those big open floor holes and end up down below in a brand new environment. This was used more in later content, but wow, things like that told me as a player, what I could hope to expect in the coming months and years.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: DJMoose on January 03, 2013, 01:58:51 AM
Too many first surprises to name! :roll:

Probably my favorite first surprise was the first time I used the Super Jump power. 

Me -->  :o "I can jump over buildings!"
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Mysterious J on January 03, 2013, 02:43:48 PM
My very first surprise was running up to a fellow hero in Gemini Park in Galaxy, a chap in a black outfit with a bunch of straps, going by the name of Murk Eidolon....  I think that was my first hospital trip, too.

Another huge surprise was villains doing knockback.  I remember literally laughing out loud the first time I got swept off my feet and tossed over a balcony railing.  I seem to recall that they either added it in Issue 2, or just made it much more prevalent when they ramped up the Outcasts with Hurricane and Hurl Boulder.  (Iirc, that lasted about a week before they nerfed them.)

First time doing Synapse, and coming out of the warehouse straight into the arms of Babbage.  That was awesome!  I didn't even know there were mobs like that in the game.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Heroette on January 03, 2013, 04:35:42 PM
Doing my first Positron TF with a PUG.  In those days, no one thought of doing shortcuts (it was very early on in the games beginning).  The suprise was how long the stinking TF took and how many didn't stick around to the end.  So we started with 8 people and 7 hours later, only two of us left.  And we killed the boss, but it took us running back to the arena and buying inspirations while the other kept going.  I will never forget that and that Century was the other person who stuck it out to the end with me.  We remained friends since that time.  ;D.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Risha on January 03, 2013, 04:54:49 PM
Those BP Death Mages who could summon zombies who would kill you and whom you didn't get any xp for.

NO OTHER GAME HAS PEOPLE THANKING YOU ON A REGULAR BASIS, OR NEWS SHEETS SAYING HOW WONDERFUL YOU ARE.  I REALLY MISS THAT.  "You are my new favorite hero."  "I hope my son grows up to be like you."  Even "Maybe capes aren't such a bad thing."

And something else fun and wonderful that slipped my mind so I'll come back and post...
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Agta on January 03, 2013, 05:41:49 PM
My first suprises in coh was making an sg. I made sg called Agta sg was 3rd spot on 100 top sg list during 2005, was like 40 mill prestige and base was worth 40 mill prestige i was shock the base upkeep was 500k prestige!  Then the biggest suprize was the shocking of them all my account gt hack and deleted all my characters and deleted all my sg members and deleted the base which i work so hard for months.  I petition and told them of what happen i got my characters back but my sg members and my base design, they couldnt get it back and worst of all they cant gt the prestige back it went back to 0 prestige. I was devasteded it was my 1st worst feeling bad about CoH i actually quit playing for 1 month but its hard life without CoH. i came back with vengence and created 5 more Agta sgs and all went to 100 top sg list for years. I had learn i wasnt the only victim, the hacker was name shoe and his follower name the mexos they created an sg and they had made CoH corrupted with hacking and lies. they targeted top 10 sg list and if they dont like any players they would tells lies about them and petition and they get the players account banned for life. This group creating havoc to COH actually made alot of people quit the game. i remember when i started playing, server was always full every server was red and i actually waited to gt into Freedom server. I think the reason CoH going down back then was thers alot of hackers and bad players, they like to destroy people who is better than them and the biggest of why soo many people quit the game was the Nerfing, it started from nerfing fire tanks tht was the biggest drop of CoH players in History and Nerfing keep on coming and CoH keep on losing people. CoH was no 1 MMO game of the year 2004, you wonder why didnt keep up and hold the no.1 because was the most nerfing game of all MMO game! People like me who built supergroups and help alot of people we are the 1 keep CoH alive we work so hard keep sg member happy, younger people was the hardest to keep them stay active CoH they had many things happen on ther life they play other games. For thus leader in supergroup we are united we made CoH community we help hundreds and thousands of people over the years. I salute you fellow leaders sg we are the true elite of CoH players and i share your pain we work so hard over the years we are the forgeten Heroes no1 is talking about us. People dont relize how hard is to power lvl some 1 for free all we gt was thanks. We did it becouse we luv CoH and we wanna make people happy for playing CoH. I miss CoH i miss my 8 Agta sgs if your from Agta sgs you can watch vid in youtube i post 5 Agta sgs vid, 3 more to come just look up City of Heroes - Agta sg base tour....
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Risha on January 03, 2013, 05:52:24 PM
Wow, Agta.  I was mostly solitary, with two tiny sg's.  I DID belong to one large sg that had lies told about the leader.  I'm not sure what happened because I went away on a retreat and when I came back the sg was spiralling down into nothing and finally disappeared.

Thank your for all the help you gave to new players -- and it's sad that surprises can be bad in a more-than-be-stomped-and-defeated way.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: TonyV on January 04, 2013, 02:41:12 AM
UniqueDragon, is that you?
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Knightslayer on January 04, 2013, 09:32:38 AM
My first ones were "OMG! Those NPCS are talking about ME!" and "Sweet! I can do hero stuff like chasing a cutpurse/Dyne dealer across half the zone!" (with no travel powers whatsoever those early levels back then, except my Swiftness and/or Hurdle and Combat Jumping on a later alt :P)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Electric-Knight on January 04, 2013, 11:13:27 PM
My first ones were "OMG! Those NPCS are talking about ME!" and "Sweet! I can do hero stuff like chasing a cutpurse/Dyne dealer across half the zone!" (with no travel powers whatsoever those early levels back then, except my Swiftness and/or Hurdle and Combat Jumping on a later alt :P )
Yep, about the NPCs talking about me! And, YES, one of my favorite early memories was chasing some Hellion up flights of stairs on the fire escape, off the building, up another... Hahaha, I loved that.

Also... You slay me!  :roll: :P
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Atlantea on January 05, 2013, 01:00:27 AM
"The Technology Store in IP is WHERE??? Wow... good thing I have superspeed!"

Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: healix on January 05, 2013, 01:06:42 AM
Some of my first surprizes from the game were:

1. The realistic actual sound of running on grass, wood, sand etc.
2. Running in ss back and forth in front of the atm/mailboxes and watching money and letters fly out.
3. The sound of ball hitting pins while standing at the Atlas bowling alley door.
4. The first time I stood in front of the tram's bathroom door and heard 'gassy noises then flushing'.
5. Flying for the first time.
6. Seeing Statesman ingame for the first time. (I have always thought of him as the 'heroic' symbol/role model for the game.)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: eabrace on January 05, 2013, 03:24:10 AM
These qualify less as surprises and more "I was new, give me a break."

* I used to try to dodge traffic like I was playing a game of Frogger, not realizing that being hit by a car while crossing the street wouldn't harm me
* The first few times I entered a warehouse mission, I thought I had to sneak past the security camera mounted on the wall as I came in.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Aggelakis on January 05, 2013, 03:33:29 AM
* The first few times I entered a warehouse mission, I thought I had to sneak past the security camera mounted on the wall as I came in.
This is adorable and my mental image of you has shifted a touch more toward whimsy. ;)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: eabrace on January 05, 2013, 03:43:10 AM
This is adorable and my mental image of you has shifted a touch more toward whimsy. ;)
I don't remember the exact conversation, but I do recall being a little embarrassed the first time I entered a warehouse on a team and the team asked me what I was doing.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: corvus1970 on January 05, 2013, 03:49:04 PM
1. The realistic actual sound of running on grass, wood, sand etc.
This. And I think at some point some of the sounds were enhanced or upgraded. I seem to recall that early on, when you jumped on top of a sheet-metal roof, it just sounded like you landed on pavement. But later they changed it, and it sounded like real sheet-metal, and I just said "wow!" and proceeded to just jump around on the roof for a few moments.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: dwturducken on January 05, 2013, 05:38:09 PM
I have to confess the traffic befuddled me, at first, too. Once I found out it wouldn't hurt me, I was irritated that I couldn't jump on top of one of the trucks and ride it. :)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Night-Hawk07 on January 06, 2013, 09:22:19 AM
I have to confess the traffic befuddled me, at first, too. Once I found out it wouldn't hurt me, I was irritated that I couldn't jump on top of one of the trucks and ride it. :)

Or the blimp in AP.

Another one I just remembered; first time I got Speed Boosted: "K on the next groWHERE THE FREEM DID THAT WALL COME FROM?!"
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: dwturducken on January 06, 2013, 06:29:41 PM
Another one I just remembered; first time I got Speed Boosted: "K on the next groWHERE THE FREEM DID THAT WALL COME FROM?!"

This! Only, for me, it was a rather healthy-sized mob. There were 6 of us on the team, and I already had established that I was not above running headlong around a corner with my squishy. There was a lot of "What the #$%@, man!" as the team ended up wiped...
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: InnerWill on January 06, 2013, 11:54:01 PM
Don't really remember what my first surprise was (probably the costume creator), but one thing that has stuck with me was running through King's Row to my mission and seeing what looked like a marching band lined up on the sidewalk.  Thought to myself, "What the heck is that!?" and proceeded to get closer for a better look.  That's when I found out about both ambushes and the Nemesis army. :)  I lasted about 1/4 second after they noticed me, then and only then did I think to click on one to con it and see that it was only ~40 levels higher than me.

On the one hand I was glad when they changed the way ambushes worked, but on the other, I kinda missed that thrill...
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Triplash on January 07, 2013, 12:23:28 AM
seeing what looked like a marching band

HA! I love it! ;D

Uggggh, but now I'm picturing a Warhulk trying to play a glockenspiel... :o
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Menrva Channel on January 07, 2013, 03:52:22 AM
My first surprise was walking out of Outbreak with my hero, my very first toon, and meeting some friends on the front steps of AP (right in front of the statue) just in time to see the sky go green and sirens go off. My friend who was the most experienced in the game just said "RUN! GET INTO CITY HALL NOW" and I did. That was the first time I learned about Rikti, lol.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Risha on January 15, 2013, 05:24:14 PM
I recall the first time I saw Nemesis in Crey's Folly...I was sk'd and it was my first time there..."Wow," I said.  "Someone really hated band."
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Megajoule on February 04, 2013, 08:14:53 AM
Bosses going Warwolf have been mentioned, but I still remember my first encounter with Clockwork Gears.
I was solo on my first defender and had just managed to put down a Prince by myself.  My health bar was in the low yellow and my end bar wasn't doing too good either (pre-Stamina + Clock shocks), but he was down... and then...  I distinctly remember thinking "OMG it had kittens"  :-[

Then there was the time I was flying over Skyway, saw something odd, and went down for a closer look.
The "something odd" turned out to be a very purple (in attire as well as level) Freakshow, who sent me to the hospital the quick way.

Honorable mention:  not realizing for at least a couple of weeks that I could combine enhancements without both of them needing to be already slotted on the character.  That led to some... interesting slotting choices and juggling, though I was too low level and short of slots for it to matter much before I found out otherwise.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Atlantea on February 07, 2013, 07:30:18 AM
Bosses going Warwolf have been mentioned, but I still remember my first encounter with Clockwork Gears.
I was solo on my first defender and had just managed to put down a Prince by myself.  My health bar was in the low yellow and my end bar wasn't doing too good either (pre-Stamina + Clock shocks), but he was down... and then...  I distinctly remember thinking "OMG it had kittens"  :-[ 

*FALLS OVER LAUGHING*

help... can't... breathe...

*collapses in laughter again... *

Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Rotten Luck on February 07, 2013, 01:41:38 PM
For me I have to say. 

First time in Independence Port heading to my mission and... what's that over there?  A giant octopus cool... got to close and splat I was fish food.  Lusca you were my first GM and I miss you!
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: blackjak on February 07, 2013, 04:15:29 PM
*Chris Farley interviewer voice*
Remember when you were on that bridge in IP....and you were kicking he Council's butt...and you got that Council shield unlock? Remember that?

That was awesome!

(Seriously, I  had no idea there were weapon unlocks in the game...
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Risha on February 07, 2013, 08:20:04 PM
Well, as you can see, I went away until my late manuscript was finished but I'm back now.

And what about when you first log on to the Character Creator and they're BREATHING?
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Perfidus on February 07, 2013, 10:27:35 PM
And what about when you first log on to the Character Creator and they're BREATHING?

Prophetic, wasn't it? From the start they were telling us we'd be creating something that was alive, and would live within us for eternity.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: LadyShin on February 07, 2013, 11:56:02 PM
First surprise? The city-sized caverns where you defeat the AV bosses of the Devouring Earth.

Second Surprise? Seeing the Seed of Hamidon for the first time in First Ward.

My first real shocker?

...well...


That would have to be....I think...The Dark Astoria story arc where you defeat Mot. Creepy!  :o

...always thought I had voices in my head or something...

Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Kaiser Tarantula on February 08, 2013, 01:02:51 AM
My first surprise in CoH came when I'd finally learned how to tank properly, and was no longer squishy.  I was a Super Strength/Invul classic flying brick, and I and my team were up against Freakshow.  We'd made short work of a crowd of Freaks, whose ball-lightning attacks had left us kinda drained on endurance.

We were congratulating ourselves and resting up for the next fight, when a tank slasher, two juicers and a stunner woke back up.  I think our defender's reaction went along the lines of "ZOMBIE CYBER-PUNKS!  RUN FOR THE HILLS!"  My reaction was a reflexive Haymaker to the tank freak (what can I say?  I react to surprise with violence.  Sneaking up on me is not a good idea.)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Triplash on February 08, 2013, 01:11:11 AM
Mot. Creepy!  :o

...always thought I had voices in my head or something...

Nicely done 8)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: LadyShin on February 08, 2013, 01:59:13 AM
My first surprise in CoH came when I'd finally learned how to tank properly, and was no longer squishy.  I was a Super Strength/Invul classic flying brick, and I and my team were up against Freakshow.  We'd made short work of a crowd of Freaks, whose ball-lightning attacks had left us kinda drained on endurance.

We were congratulating ourselves and resting up for the next fight, when a tank slasher, two juicers and a stunner woke back up.  I think our defender's reaction went along the lines of "ZOMBIE CYBER-PUNKS!  RUN FOR THE HILLS!"  My reaction was a reflexive Haymaker to the tank freak (what can I say?  I react to surprise with violence.  Sneaking up on me is not a good idea.)

 :-\ I loved playing a stalker... but one thing I learned real quickly, is that no matter how much damage I can dish out as one, I'm as squishy as a bug when it comes to AV's. And Freakshow..ugh. I hated it when they resurrected behind you..
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Nos482 on February 10, 2013, 11:47:03 AM
The first time I saw Lusca's tentacles waving at me on the horizon...
Could've been worse.
When my first toon got Super Jump I was having fun in IP. Right as I was in the air:
"A wild Lusca has appeared."
And I landed amidst a bunch of tentacles...instakill :o
Another one I just remembered; first time I got Speed Boosted: "K on the next groWHERE THE FREEM DID THAT WALL COME FROM?!"
Heh, reminds me of flying in old Dark Astoria.
"Dark,dark,dark...is this zone somehow brokSPLAT!...The Hell?!


But my first surprise were those damn suicide bombing CoT mages.
Funny, why aren't those running away, but towards m...BOOM!
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: LadyShin on February 10, 2013, 09:03:39 PM
mmkay, i'm gonna have to confess another surprise.

You know you've seen it, you know you love it.


Teaming up with Statesman to crack some bad guy skulls on the later missions. You wonder just for a moment what it is that Statesman will do to assist...you're about to power up your stealth kill power..when suddenly this ten ton chunk of rock comes flying out of left field, pulverizing said foe. They go flying, a blue and red blur follows, which proceeds to uppercut the poor sap into the frakking roof.

K.O.  :o

I just let old States have his day.

Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: srmalloy on February 11, 2013, 05:02:47 PM
Heh, reminds me of flying in old Dark Astoria.
"Dark,dark,dark...is this zone somehow brokSPLAT!...The Hell?!
You should have tried it with an Ice tanker -- the SFX from the different ice armors created this horrid glow against the background haze that pretty much wiped out your ability to see anything in front of you. It got to the point where getting all the exploration badges and popping Reveal on DA was a must, because then I could use the minimap to navigate with and avoid flying into a building. Which was something that I'd gotten used to in the various online WWII air-combat sims I've played, since there's not much to use as landmarks looking out the cockpit window when you're flying a bomber.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Nos482 on February 12, 2013, 09:49:49 AM
Which was something that I'd gotten used to in the various online WWII air-combat sims I've played, since there's not much to use as landmarks looking out the cockpit window when you're flying a bomber.
I can imagine that. Must've been hell to find your way back without any landmarks left to navigate by :roll:...
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: McNum on February 12, 2013, 06:42:03 PM
The first major surprise I can remember was when my first character reached level 29 and I was doing a Lost mission. The boss was level 30. Never seen a Rikti before. I remember my line of thought as "Is that a RIKTI?! What is THAT doing here? It's a Lost mission!"

Then I played the arc where you get Omega Clearance and all made sense again. I do like how that was kept semi-secret by the community early on. Having that particular information made easily available through the RWZ kind of ruined the mystique.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Thunder Glove on February 12, 2013, 07:46:14 PM
It wasn't a major surprise, but I was extremely pleased to be able to start interacting with the upper echelon of Arachnos and the Freedom Phalanx as early as my 20s.  I'd thought I wouldn't see any of them at all until the endgame, and there they were, handing out Task/Strike Force as early as Steel Canyon and Sharkhead.

I really felt like my character had started to "make it" then.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: dwturducken on February 12, 2013, 08:40:28 PM
The first major surprise I can remember was when my first character reached level 29 and I was doing a Lost mission. The boss was level 30. Never seen a Rikti before. I remember my line of thought as "Is that a RIKTI?! What is THAT doing here? It's a Lost mission!"

Had you not done the Midnighter arc in the low teens? That pretty much spoiled the whole "Rikti are really human" twist, for me. Granted, it was because one of my group-mates explained it after the mission, but most of the rest of the group had played the game since beta, and I came in at Issue 11 or 12.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: LadyShin on February 12, 2013, 09:46:48 PM
Had you not done the Midnighter arc in the low teens? That pretty much spoiled the whole "Rikti are really human" twist, for me. Granted, it was because one of my group-mates explained it after the mission, but most of the rest of the group had played the game since beta, and I came in at Issue 11 or 12.

 :o

what?

(https://images.weserv.nl/?url=lpix.org%2F820503%2FRikti4.jpg)

There's no way I'll believe that these Rikti are human!  :gonk:
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Megajoule on February 12, 2013, 09:53:10 PM
It was a lot more obvious back in the day when the common Rikti footsoldiers were naked (and you could see/guess pretty easily that was what the Lost, especially the bosses, were evolving into).
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: srmalloy on February 12, 2013, 10:28:53 PM
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: McNum on February 14, 2013, 12:39:14 PM
Had you not done the Midnighter arc in the low teens? That pretty much spoiled the whole "Rikti are really human" twist, for me. Granted, it was because one of my group-mates explained it after the mission, but most of the rest of the group had played the game since beta, and I came in at Issue 11 or 12.
Midnighters? This was Issue 1. No Midnighters, no Rikti War zone, no invasions. Only those with Omega Clearance and those without. And those with Omega Clearance made it a little game to keep that particular spoiler secret even on the official boards. The Rikti being humans from another dimensions used to be THE spoiler of the game.

So, no, I hadn't done the Midnighter arc. And I was looking forward to getting to try the all new respec trial coming really soon.

The Midnighter arc really should have been 30+. It's a shame that spoiler became common knowledge like that. It was fun while it lasted. The game lost a little mystique when the mystics were added.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: dwturducken on February 15, 2013, 03:07:12 AM
Something those of us who weren't in on the ground floor missed out on. :)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Risha on February 16, 2013, 04:36:50 AM
Hmmm.  I came in long before the Midnighter arc, too.  (Though I always played through that one...I knew that darn cavern, very, very well...keep LEFT), but I was after the RWZ, so I fell in between and found out during one of the first mishes in RWZ.  I soloed a lot.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: DarkCurrent on February 18, 2013, 04:25:01 AM
Being tp griefed into a mob by a pug leader before confirmation was added.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Aggelakis on February 18, 2013, 05:20:52 AM
Being tp griefed into a mob by a pug leader before confirmation was added.
Being tp griefed off the edge of a very tall building by one of my best friends >:( >:( before confirmation was added.

TP griefing her back a few days later - into a wandering GM! - probably gave her an awesome surprise!
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: ukaserex on February 21, 2013, 02:41:26 AM
My biggest/first surprise was that CoH was an MMO. It said it on the box, but I could never find on the box what MMO meant. I had no idea I'd see other players operated by real life people.

My second biggest surprise was that the list of acceptable enhancements a power could accept ... I thought you had to put one of each type in the slot - and I would add slots until I could fit one of each. Then, on my snipe for my electric blaster, I noticed there were 7 categories, but I only had 6 slots! I thought I broke the game or something! I finally found some guy I'd just teamed with and asked him how I could add the seventh slot and he gently laughed at me and told me to respec, and use 2 accs and 4 damages in each of my blasts. Made quite a difference, lol.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Quanta on February 28, 2013, 04:25:17 AM
Exiting a mission into my first Rikti invasion.  "Well that was fun...  Does the sky look different to you?...  What's tha...GAHHH!!! Hit it!  No Run!!  Run!!!"   :o

And seeing radioactive eyebeams for the first time!  "SWEET!!  Dream = Reality!"

 
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: General Idiot on February 28, 2013, 02:13:31 PM
I still remember the first year we had the zombie invasions at Halloween, they weren't supposed to go live until later that night but Posi decided to flip the switch during some thing at Herocon. (This was back when they still had those.) And suddenly the chat window lit up as every city zone in the game got a zombie invasion at the exact same time to hilarious reaction over global channels. I was on a respec trial at the time just coming out of the first mission and about to head for the reactor when suddenly we were neck deep in zombies. It was the only time I can remember that a respec team paused to fight an invasion.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Servantes on February 28, 2013, 03:04:55 PM
My first surprise was when I loged into Galaxy City for the first time and found 2 large grey pillars and read a plaque, seeing it say Galaxy Girl I looked up, needless to say I felt embarrassed.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: JaguarX on February 28, 2013, 04:47:52 PM
My biggest/first surprise was that CoH was an MMO. It said it on the box, but I could never find on the box what MMO meant. I had no idea I'd see other players operated by real life people.


Oh yeah, I had a friend who also bought it the  game in (Dec. 2004) thinking it was a stand alone game. When I told her what MMO was, she kind of made this face like she just sucked on a lemon or something. At first I just kind of shrugged and said ok and left it at that for the moment. and she shelved the game. Months (Sept 2005)  later, I was walking though a wal-mart and seen COH on the shelf and remembered the box from when my friend showed me I picked it up and started playing. Then I started to tell her that the game was actually a cool game and she should get that box, now collecting dust on her shelf with other games she bought and never played, and give it a try. I thought she would enjoy it. Oct 26th 2005, she finially tried it out. Oct 31 2005 she picked up COV too and that is when I also  installed COV to my computer. Man, we had good times together with a few others that joined us on a regular basis, althoug hshe kicked my butt in PvP everytime. Still to this day, we still get together and talk about those times we had there although she said she probably will never ever try another MMO again as she found she just didnt enjoy playing with people much. That I can relate to. Sometimes dealing with other people is a hassle, to me just a minor hassle to play a good game. To her, a major hassle but she said COX was worth it and she havent come across any other game where that hassle is worth it to her. Told her crazy butt to stay away from the forum but I guess, it was her attempt to try to understand people and be more social.Talk about uber fail. Now it seems that she hates people in games and it seemed to have carried over to real life a bit. She just dont understand that although people tend to act like idiots and seem to decrease their IQ by half when they get annon. and hide behind a screen, people are in general good and rational/ To her mind, people online was people in real life and thus that is how people are. She was always a bit distant, now it seems at times she is straight sadistic towards people she dont know. I kind of feel bad because I feel as if I had a hand in creating that feeling in her. One of the greatest red flags I noticed in the change was her attitude towards charity. Originally she just politely declined or gave money, which she have plenty of anyways. But then one day this charity group was collecting money for cancer children who's families had no money for treatment. This wasnt the first time and in the past, she used to either gave a decent portion of change, or pocket change for her, to them. Near the end of 2012, she said something I would never forget. She asked, "These kids have cancer that is terminal?" The charity person replied "Yes but we are also collecting for children with treatable cancer." She replied, "Well, I hope they die because we dont need anymore humans on this rock. We have enough idiots already. Why would I give a single penny to save their lives when all they going to do is grow up, become a basement dweller and torment people on the internet? The world would be better off with out them." I didnt know what to say. Kind of caught me off guard. This coming from the same person that helped me through my toughest times in life, the same person that trained me to be the expert in my job field, the same person that bailed me out of alot of stupid stuff, and the same person that introduced me to investing wisely.

Oh god went a bit off on a tangent but that reminded me of that person so much when I explained what MMO meant to her and convinced her to give the online game a try.

Funny thing is that I see here from time to time in CO but she keeps to herself and hell, she refuses to speak to me at all in game. Last time I tried she didnt even bother to reply but instead called my phone to talk, ending with she is enjoying the game but have no wish to interact with anyone even if Jesus himself sent her a team invite she will swiftly put him on the ignore list.I couldnt help but ask why continue to play an mmo, you changed for the worse, you dont like people anymore, so why put ya self in that situation. She simply said that it's for the same reason she wont kill herself in the real world. She like the world like her life but that doesnt mean she have to interact with anyone and no one, not even humans will stop her from enjoying her life or game for that matter. She will put the entire population of CO on ignore if need be if that means enjoying the game in peace. "Dont speak to me in game ever again. If you value our friendship, speak to me directly not through some game."

I guess the meaning of MMO left a mark on all of us for better or worse.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: srmalloy on February 28, 2013, 06:50:54 PM
My first surprise was when I loged into Galaxy City for the first time and found 2 large grey pillars and read a plaque, seeing it say Galaxy Girl I looked up, needless to say I felt embarrassed.

So the first thing you did in Galaxy City was try to look up Galaxy Girl's skirt? Pervert.   ;D
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: MindBlender on February 28, 2013, 07:36:36 PM
I remember early on that ambushes were not zone specific.  Fun times as a level 5 in KR to see level 50 Malta running at you  :o
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: JaguarX on February 28, 2013, 08:14:21 PM
I remember early on that ambushes were not zone specific.  Fun times as a level 5 in KR to see level 50 Malta running at you  :o
that happened to me a few times. The first time I was like "What the flying pancake!" The second time I was like "Dang, not again." "third time it was like "Geesh, wish people would clean up their ambushes." 4th time, "Welcome to COH!"
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Minotaur on February 28, 2013, 09:40:48 PM
I remember early on that ambushes were not zone specific.  Fun times as a level 5 in KR to see level 50 Malta running at you  :o

I normally got taken out by the devouring earth in Steel left behind from the "run around the zones delivering the vaccine" missions.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Golden Ace on February 28, 2013, 11:25:52 PM
I don't remember the first one. 

I do remember this though

I was helping a friend level in the Hollows.  my level 50 sk'd down to her level (12 maybe?).  I came out of her mission only to be attacked by 2 Malta sapper, a Zeus Titan, and a few others. I  dropped the sk when I had a fraction of health left no end at all.  ate every green and blue I had along with the breakfree's.  no shields, hit fly and zoomed to the top of the map thinking I would be safe long enough to get my shields on and get some end back.

Did you know malta sappers could fly?

I didn't...

Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Reiraku on March 01, 2013, 06:40:19 AM
I don't remember the first one. 

I do remember this though

I was helping a friend level in the Hollows.  my level 50 sk'd down to her level (12 maybe?).  I came out of her mission only to be attacked by 2 Malta sapper, a Zeus Titan, and a few others. I  dropped the sk when I had a fraction of health left no end at all.  ate every green and blue I had along with the breakfree's.  no shields, hit fly and zoomed to the top of the map thinking I would be safe long enough to get my shields on and get some end back.

Did you know malta sappers could fly?

I didn't...

I will be perfectly honest. I've played this game from the moment the headstart began to the day it closed, and I never they could.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Kaiser Tarantula on March 01, 2013, 09:47:27 AM
Did you know malta sappers could fly?
Malta Sappers!  Look up "rat bastage" in the dictionary, and you see a picture of one of these guys.

I actually didn't know they could fly either until right now, but in hindsight, it kinda makes sense.  They usually don't fly because they're typically encountered indoors and are pretty much purely ranged attackers.  I'm not even sure they can Brawl.  They do, however, have those large backpacks that are suspiciously similar to certain kinds of jetpack you can get.  I mean, sure, it looks like it would be a Ghostbusters-style energy pack for their sapper rifle.  Ask yourself this, though - is there any other mob in the game with a high-tech backpack, with the sole exception of crab spiders, that can't fly or teleport?
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: silvers1 on March 01, 2013, 12:31:33 PM
My first surprise was the Frostfire mission.  Nothing like playing skateboard in the ice room. :)

Oh, and entering the final room and sliding out of control towards the enemy group .... yikes.

Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: General Idiot on March 01, 2013, 02:06:41 PM
Malta Sappers!  Look up "rat bastage" in the dictionary, and you see a picture of one of these guys.

I actually didn't know they could fly either until right now, but in hindsight, it kinda makes sense.  They usually don't fly because they're typically encountered indoors and are pretty much purely ranged attackers.  I'm not even sure they can Brawl.  They do, however, have those large backpacks that are suspiciously similar to certain kinds of jetpack you can get.  I mean, sure, it looks like it would be a Ghostbusters-style energy pack for their sapper rifle.  Ask yourself this, though - is there any other mob in the game with a high-tech backpack, with the sole exception of crab spiders, that can't fly or teleport?

Always amused me that sappers used that pack to fly, but when we got it we could only use it to super jump. (Was the second mayhem/safeguard mission power, the temporary super jump one.)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Senkan on March 01, 2013, 02:16:51 PM
I started playing about a week after launch.  My buddy was playing and we were in Galaxy.  We were talking on our mobile phones.  I asked him what does it mean when they are purple. He said they were tough.  I was like...no problem.  So I got my first taste of purple power and my first faceplant.  The good ol days.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Achimrst on March 01, 2013, 06:15:14 PM
My first surprise was actually pretty funny, I was new to any MMO I had no idea what it was really so I was playing a Grav/Psi dom. My first character ever and had no idea what I was doing the sparklies would go off and I was like "What is happening? and what is that green arrow am I doing good?" Took me several hours to figure out I was lvling up and had to train new powers and slots! I was like wow this is awesome! Crush and dart for the win!
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Golden Ace on March 02, 2013, 01:19:45 AM
Malta Sappers!  Look up "rat bastage" in the dictionary, and you see a picture of one of these guys.

I actually didn't know they could fly either until right now, but in hindsight, it kinda makes sense.  They usually don't fly because they're typically encountered indoors and are pretty much purely ranged attackers.  I'm not even sure they can Brawl.  They do, however, have those large backpacks that are suspiciously similar to certain kinds of jetpack you can get.  I mean, sure, it looks like it would be a Ghostbusters-style energy pack for their sapper rifle.  Ask yourself this, though - is there any other mob in the game with a high-tech backpack, with the sole exception of crab spiders, that can't fly or teleport?

They were the one group I hated more than any other.

I made it a point to find every Sapper I could.  i even had a special bind that would automatically select the closest sapper within range for me to target.   Then rather than go in there and attack them with my most powerful attacks killing them with a blow or two, I would only attack them with my holds. I kept them there, held and helpless, as their hit-points slowly ebbed away. I must have killed thousands that way.  I couldn't make it to the portal corp without being diverted half a dozen times when flying through Peregrine Island.  I always diverted and got the sapper.

On hindsight its probably a good thing I did too. if I hadn't been so diligent about killing them they would have been all over the place. 

this brings back memories.   

I was a god.  Nothing could stop me. I tanked things 9 levels higher than I was.  Must have been in my mid 30's on my main back then (Golden Ace Inv/Ice Tank). Issue 3 I believe.

Then I got this tell to come to a mission by a couple of higher level blasters saying that they needed a tank.  I said sure. they told me it was a Malta mission.  Malta? I thought.  Cool I've never seen them before.

I come into the mission and charge toward the first group.  no sk no nothing.  I didn't even get close.  I was held, drained and killed in nothing flat. I think I asked something like "what was that?"

and was told "That my dear Tank was a sapper." died more times in that mission than my entire career to that point.

Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Risha on March 02, 2013, 03:57:54 AM
Malta Sappers!  Look up "rat bastage" in the dictionary, and you see a picture of one of these guys.

Oh, yeah, I've been killed by a few flying ones...outside in PI, I think.  LOATHED them.  REALLY hated when they, like, hid behind a titan...and I didn't see them first to freeze them.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Perfidus on March 02, 2013, 11:33:31 PM
I remember I used to use Malta Sappers to farm damage badges. Since they don't do much damage, mostly just take endurance, I'd just put my click heal on auto and go to bed. Wake up hours later to see that Sapper still doing his darndest to bring me down.

It made me feel a lot better about them. Whenever they annoyed me after that I'd just think back to that day and smile.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: DarkCurrent on March 03, 2013, 05:12:21 AM
Another huge surprise for me was my first trip to Perez Park with a level 8 dark/dark defender.  I'm talking back in the good ole days. The days when you started in either AP and GC and you thought the best way to get from one to the other was through PP because the trains to steel and skyway dumped you off in a death row sentence.

And so you finally got high enough level to go into PP.  And the place was packed with all sorts of newbs all blabbering away in broadcast because there were no global chat channels.  And it was night time.  And you and your one buddy joined some pug team to enter the forest because someone in bc was shouting something about a hydra hunt in the middle of the zone.

And you ran down the hill toward the woods as fast as sprint would take you because you didn't get travel powers until lvl 14.  Dodging hellions/skulls as you went.  And finally you got to the woods and the path you followed disappeared around a bend.  And you went sprinting after the team leader and ran smack into the middle of a pack of green eyed CoT.

Bam!  Wham!  Zap!

Dead.

Rez in Galaxy City ftw!
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: srmalloy on March 04, 2013, 08:43:24 PM
I made it a point to find every Sapper I could.  i even had a special bind that would automatically select the closest sapper within range for me to target.   Then rather than go in there and attack them with my most powerful attacks killing them with a blow or two, I would only attack them with my holds. I kept them there, held and helpless, as their hit-points slowly ebbed away. I must have killed thousands that way.  I couldn't make it to the portal corp without being diverted half a dozen times when flying through Peregrine Island.  I always diverted and got the sapper.

I used to enjoy Confusing the sappers in spawns, and then snicker as I watched them sap their fellow Malta; it didn't stop the mobs from attacking, as every mob seemed to have at least one zero-End attack they could use even while sapped to zero, but the "See how you like it for a change" factor was too much fun to resist.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: General Idiot on March 04, 2013, 09:23:02 PM
I always got a kick out of fighting Sappers on an electric armor character, because immunity to end drain is awesome and the ability to drain them right back was equally awesome even if Sappers were almost immune to it themselves.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Risha on March 05, 2013, 12:55:58 AM
Oh, Perez Park!  Yes, run, run, run -- what hit me?!  What defeated me?  Who's standing over me body and laughing at me.  Who ARE those dudes..COT...  Yes, I remember that.  Was there, did that.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: srmalloy on March 05, 2013, 06:15:31 PM
Oh, Perez Park!  Yes, run, run, run -- what hit me?!  What defeated me?  Who's standing over me body and laughing at me.  Who ARE those dudes..COT...  Yes, I remember that.  Was there, did that.

That was the guaranteed first use of mission autocomplete for any character I created. I would get the 'Go see the Security Chief for Perez Park' mission you got at level 6, go to Atlas to pick up the 'Defeat CoT' mission he gives you, and then autocomplete it. There were already enough ways to find yourself face-down at the feet of a group of NPCs; there was no point in going out and pissing off large groups of +4 mobs to get there faster.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: LadyShin on March 06, 2013, 06:58:13 PM
Show of hands for how many people here got the 'Top Dog' badge among their first 3 exploration badges?  8)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: DarkCurrent on March 06, 2013, 07:02:37 PM
Another one I can think of was when CoV launched and the PvP zones opened.  I took my empathy/energy defender into Sirens Call and was pleased to see the bounty system with the map showing me where some dastardly villain was.  So I jumped around the map after the moving dot until I was finally on it.  Looked around but saw nothing.  Hmm... must be a bug or lag.

BAM!

Assassin strike.  Dead.

WTF???
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Golden Ace on March 07, 2013, 02:02:49 AM
Show of hands for how many people here got the 'Top Dog' badge among their first 3 exploration badges?  8)

*Raises Hand*

My very first badge on my very first character.

took hover at level 6 because I wanted to fly so bad I could taste it.

wanted to see what was up there.  didn't even know about the badge.

6 slotted hover with flight speed and didn't take fly till much later on that character.


Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: srmalloy on March 07, 2013, 04:37:46 PM
Show of hands for how many people here got the 'Top Dog' badge among their first 3 exploration badges?  8)

It wasn't even in the first ten exploration badges for my characters until the GvE edition's Jump Pack inherent power; before that, getting that badge had to wait until a character got either Fly or Super Jump or, later, the Flight Pack from the first Safeguard mission. Once my characters started getting the Jump Pack at character creation, though, it was almost always the second exploration badge in Atlas Park -- light off Jump Pack, jump on top of City Hall to get the 'Freedom' badge, then from there to the top of the globe to get 'Top Dog', and I'd have enough time left on the Jump Pack's 30-second duration to brake before impact jumpng off the globe so I didn't hurt myself landing.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: hockey21man on March 07, 2013, 08:27:07 PM
Mine was the first time I got hit with ID and them jumped what seemed like forever up and was like this is crazy outta control!   The other was the first time my  friends and I  were dong missions in Bloody Bay and I got one shotted ant the mission door by a stalker.  Was just laying there going what the hell hit me... and my friends laughing. 

One last early on surprise was running into PP and seeing a Tank aggro the entire map pretty much.  Just hundreds of mobs chasing him.  Then the Tank saying "get em!"  my friends and I could attack these mobs with no worries.  This was of course issue 3-or 4.   
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: dwturducken on March 07, 2013, 09:14:11 PM
Show of hands for how many people here got the 'Top Dog' badge among their first 3 exploration badges?  8)

I know it was in my top five, but I think I actually stumbled on the three ground-level ones in and around City Hall, first.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: LadyShin on March 08, 2013, 12:31:51 PM
I know it was in my top five, but I think I actually stumbled on the three ground-level ones in and around City Hall, first.

 I never set foot in city hall till my mid-20's  :o Every character I made, was the exploration one on the way to miss liberty, then the one on the dome, finally the top of the atlas globe. It's interesting to note that I didn't have the flight ability then, only jump. lol  ;D
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: tomborocks1 on March 08, 2013, 01:06:29 PM
My first encounter with Clockwork in Galaxy City completely threw me off. I'm not even sure which toon I was on, but all of a sudden, I was being attacked by electricity and had no idea what was doing it or where it was coming from. Needless to say, I was defeated and went to the hospital.

Pissed off, I went back to the spot where I was defeated and discovered those tiny little robots were the culprits. Never had a problem with them since ... unless I sicked a level 20 scrapper on a Babbage all by his/her lonesome. At times, I was sick that way.

Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Triplash on March 08, 2013, 02:42:39 PM
unless I sicked a level 20 scrapper on a Babbage all by his/her lonesome. At times, I was sick that way.

If Scrapperlock is wrong, I don't want to be right. 8)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: JaguarX on March 08, 2013, 03:39:07 PM
If Scrapperlock is wrong, I don't want to be right. 8)

Seen that scrapperlock term a bit lately but have no idea what it means.

Is that, judging by context of the uses I seen and behavior of most scrappers I seen, the behavior of engaging an enmy and pounding away relentlessly in disregard to health, healing, other people until either the enemy is dead or the scrapper falls?
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Triplash on March 08, 2013, 04:08:56 PM
Seen that scrapperlock term a bit lately but have no idea what it means.

Is that, judging by context of the uses I seen and behavior of most scrappers I seen, the behavior of engaging an enmy and pounding away relentlessly in disregard to health, healing, other people until either the enemy is dead or the scrapper falls?

That's a big part of it, yes. The other part is, when the current enemy falls you must rush on to the next spawn as if you were a Brute, still remaining all but blind to everything around you. The difference is, while Brutes are focused on keeping their Fury bar as full as possible, Scrappers have no mechanics-based reason to act this way. They do it simply because they are having so much fun smashing stuff that it becomes difficult to think of boring things like safety and tactics. Usually the "Don't stop, don't think" part is an unintentional side effect of the "Yay! Smash stuff!" part, but I've seen people do it deliberately too.

Cause it's crazy fun 8)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: JaguarX on March 08, 2013, 04:23:22 PM
That's a big part of it, yes. The other part is, when the current enemy falls you must rush on to the next spawn as if you were a Brute, still remaining all but blind to everything around you. The difference is, while Brutes are focused on keeping their Fury bar as full as possible, Scrappers have no mechanics-based reason to act this way. They do it simply because they are having so much fun smashing stuff that it becomes difficult to think of boring things like safety and tactics. Usually the "Don't stop, don't think" part is an unintentional side effect of the "Yay! Smash stuff!" part, but I've seen people do it deliberately too.

Cause it's crazy fun 8)

I see.

Sounds like my solo playstyle regardless if I'm on th countless tanks, numerous brutes, the two scraps, the four dominators, the 5 MMs, or  the Peacebringer and carried over to CO playstle which seems to encourage that type of behavior solo. I like to be up close and personal to look them deep into their eyes and watch the terror in them rise to the surface as their  life force is taken from them.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Nyx Nought Nothing on March 08, 2013, 05:47:32 PM
One of my favorite surprises in CoH was the time that all the lakes were covered in ice for the winter event. i went to Perez Park and started laughing uncontrollably when i saw all the Hydra sliding everywhere. i spent hours on my FF/Rad playing Hydra Hockey with Force Bolt.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: dwturducken on March 08, 2013, 06:25:43 PM
I see.

Sounds like my solo playstyle regardless if I'm on th countless tanks, numerous brutes, the two scraps, the four dominators, the 5 MMs, or  the Peacebringer and carried over to CO playstle which seems to encourage that type of behavior solo. I like to be up close and personal to look them deep into their eyes and watch the terror in them rise to the surface as their  life force is taken from them.

This! :)

I don't think I had very many scrappers, but I did tend to favor this playstyle when solo, too. Sometimes even when on a team...
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Triplash on March 08, 2013, 07:27:57 PM
Sounds like my solo playstyle regardless if I'm on th countless tanks, numerous brutes, the two scraps, the four dominators, the 5 MMs, or  the Peacebringer and carried over to CO playstle which seems to encourage that type of behavior solo. I like to be up close and personal to look them deep into their eyes and watch the terror in them rise to the surface as their  life force is taken from them.

Hehe, yep me too :D

I had about one third scrappers, one third blasters, and one third other ATs. My control and buff types hover blasted, but the rest were all up close and personal. Especially the blappers. My Assault Rifle had Devices, but all the rest took Energy Manipulation; it was the only secondary I liked. That set is all about getting up in your grill. (Oh wait, except for Fire/Fire. There are just certain combos I had to have, regardless of how they played. Fire/Fire was one of those.)

Apart from the AR/Dev, I think the only time my blasters weren't in melee range was for the opening round of shots. Snipe, tier 1 & 2 blasts, close in a bit and snap off the heavier "medium range" blast, then bounce up in their face and go "Bonesnap - Energy Punch" on 'em. I'm a street sweeper by choice, so it worked like a charm for my needs. I could pick and choose my enemy groups and there were no EBs to throw off the rhythm. I loved every minute of it. ;D
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Ashen Fury on March 08, 2013, 07:37:23 PM
That's a big part of it, yes. The other part is, when the current enemy falls you must rush on to the next spawn as if you were a Brute, still remaining all but blind to everything around you. The difference is, while Brutes are focused on keeping their Fury bar as full as possible, Scrappers have no mechanics-based reason to act this way. They do it simply because they are having so much fun smashing stuff that it becomes difficult to think of boring things like safety and tactics. Usually the "Don't stop, don't think" part is an unintentional side effect of the "Yay! Smash stuff!" part, but I've seen people do it deliberately too.

Cause it's crazy fun 8)

Best description of scrapperlock, ever. <3
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Megajoule on March 08, 2013, 08:23:46 PM
One player in my playgroup was/is notorious for this.  I'm not sure if "brb, soloing" was coined by or to describe him.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Triplash on March 09, 2013, 12:39:33 AM
Best description of scrapperlock, ever. <3

Scrapperlock was my favorite toggle of them all :D


"brb, soloing"

That quote is awesome. Seriously. XD
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: General Idiot on March 10, 2013, 02:58:37 AM
Regarding scrapperlock, I believe the official definition is 'the point at which you stop aggroing mobs and instead they begin aggroing you.'
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: srmalloy on March 11, 2013, 06:30:40 PM
Apart from the AR/Dev, I think the only time my blasters weren't in melee range was for the opening round of shots.

That reminds me of one of the wierdest moments I had with my AR/EM Blaster. It was over on the west side of Independence Port, on the docks north of the Tech store, and I was in combat with a couple of Tsoo Red Ink Men. The last survivor of the Ink Men, badly injured, drained my speed and started to run off as the grenade at him reached its peak and started down... and I watched the grenade turn in midair and start climbing again as it chased the now-superspeeding Ink Man. Almost ten seconds later, I finally saw a defeat message come up in my chat window; it was the most surreal thing I'd seen to be on the other side of the 'you can run, but you can't hide' mechanic of being unable to outrun an attack once it was fired, no matter how slow it moved.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Triplash on March 11, 2013, 09:44:18 PM
The last survivor of the Ink Men, badly injured, drained my speed and started to run off as the grenade at him reached its peak and started down... and I watched the grenade turn in midair and start climbing again as it chased the now-superspeeding Ink Man.

*gasp* Homing grenades :o

DO WANT!
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: doc7924 on March 20, 2013, 09:06:46 PM
The first thing that made me go 'huh?' was my first time killing Freakshow, and then watching some get up as I was basking in my awesomeness.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Achimrst on March 21, 2013, 03:44:16 AM
I was reading this thread for nostalgia and then I remembered!!! Team Bruteruptor! I was on a brute one time and all we had on the teams were brutes and corruptors it was awesome we thrashed everything, we called it team bruteruptor for a while then we got us a token Dom it was some of the most fun I ever had. If anyone from bruteruptor is here HI!!!!
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Bubba Crush on March 22, 2013, 06:24:23 PM
Fondest surprise happened in the early days of the Rikti Invasions. A large population of the Guardian server were fiercely defending the hill on Talos Island. Rikti were porting in...heroes standing united :)...flashes of light...total chaos...more rikti porting in...zaps...pow..whammo...rikti's falling ;D. Then...BAZINGA :o!!...the server crashed. >:( Hurry up...log back on...Oh no!...try again...Oh no!...try again...I'M ON!!  :o The horror! The invasion was over...and the bodies of around 100 dead heroes littered the hill :'(. We lost :gonk:!
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: doc7924 on March 24, 2013, 01:07:14 PM
My other big surprise was when they first opened PI.

I happily navigated my level 15 defender thru Talos, flying over all the mobs, to get to the ferry. Stepped off, started flying a bit to see the zone and BAM, killed by a sniper! I was like 'WTF!' because I had NO IDEA what just happened lol.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: General Idiot on March 25, 2013, 12:30:24 AM
I always got a kick out of knocking those guys off their perches with power thrust. Not killing them, just tossing them off the side so they'd have to climb all the way back up.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Aggelakis on March 25, 2013, 12:37:05 AM
I always got a kick out of knocking those guys off their perches with power thrust. Not killing them, just tossing them off the side so they'd have to climb all the way back up.
I loved doing it on REALLY TALL buildings. By the time they climbed back up to their spawn point (down a few hit points), they had deaggroed. Repeat for maximum giggles until they finally die.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: blackjak on March 25, 2013, 01:04:19 AM
Even better with an archer.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: healix on March 26, 2013, 11:04:24 PM
I squeeeeeeeeed outloud the first time I saw Confuse. Seeing the baddies turn on each other or help me fight against their own was awesome! (I didn't even care about no xp.)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Minotaur on March 26, 2013, 11:36:12 PM
I squeeeeeeeeed outloud the first time I saw Confuse. Seeing the baddies turn on each other or help me fight against their own was awesome! (I didn't even care about no xp.)
Taking my mind controller into RV and finding I could confuse a turret to shoot one of the other turrets was humorous.

Having a toon killed by his confused heavy was even funnier.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Perfidus on March 27, 2013, 09:04:08 PM
I squeeeeeeeeed outloud the first time I saw Confuse. Seeing the baddies turn on each other or help me fight against their own was awesome! (I didn't even care about no xp.)

I used to Spore Burst mobs, run into the thick of them and /e sleep, before exclaiming into teamchat how I was 'sleeping with the enemy'.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: General Idiot on March 28, 2013, 01:41:27 PM
Five and a bit years playing the game, and I still giggled like an idiot when I saw a Vahzilok bomb zombie blow up most of his spawn after I confused him. So many little things you wouldn't consider that significant, until you have to play games that don't have them. :(
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Ironwolf on March 28, 2013, 02:16:12 PM
Doing the long form Positron TF with a character with confuse is.........amazing :)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: r00tb0ySlim on March 28, 2013, 02:35:31 PM
My first pvp trip to Bloody Bay (Freedom) was interesting....this was back when BB was packed and I thought it was going to be chaotic pvp'n.  It was chaotic, but it was also a trip seeing peeps just hanging out on the roof top socializing and hardly anyone bothering them.  So in a way it was laid-back too.  Then BB pvp'n fell off hard.  I gotta say that BB pvp'n was fun.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: glimmershade on March 29, 2013, 03:21:10 PM
My first pvp trip to Bloody Bay (Freedom) was interesting....this was back when BB was packed and I thought it was going to be chaotic pvp'n.  It was chaotic, but it was also a trip seeing peeps just hanging out on the roof top socializing and hardly anyone bothering them.  So in a way it was laid-back too.  Then BB pvp'n fell off hard.  I gotta say that BB pvp'n was fun.

BB pvp represent! I was there in those days, either on my spines scrapper Rumble Grrl, or my rad/psy Simone Says or Mercury Jones my fire/rad 'troller. Back in the days when zone pvp was king and SO's were the best enhancements you could buy. There was a good fun crowd there and we all used to laugh at the people that came in that 'weren't there for pvp'. To this day I still think that's a ludicrous thing to say. You're in a pvp zone!

Some of the early surprises I remember were logging into AP for the first time and seeing other people running around on their characters, doing the same things I was doing nd realizing that these were other people from all over the world also playing the game together with me. (This was my first foray into MMOs) It was a mind blowing experience. Also seeing freakshow get up after being defeated was a real surprise. And back in the pre-ED days, seeing my first tank aggro just about every Outcast in the Hollows and having about a million of them mobbing around him and chasing him through the zone. I recall sending him a tell saying 'You're my hero'. :D
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: dwturducken on March 29, 2013, 03:49:10 PM
A la PVP, learning the hard way that "everyone is set to level 38" in Warburg did NOT mean equal footing. Level 50 SO's still made a huge difference...
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Perfidus on March 29, 2013, 08:44:45 PM
To this day I still think that's a ludicrous thing to say. You're in a pvp zone!

I never went for pvp, only badges and shivans and nukes and such, but I always accepted that, hey, yeah. I'm in a pvp zone. People are probably gonna be trying to kill me. I never complained about it, that I can remember. But, I probably did at one point at least. >.>
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Triplash on March 29, 2013, 09:18:56 PM
I never complained about it, that I can remember. But, I probably did at one point at least. >.>

I complained about it once. And then later I realized, "Oh yeah. Right. *I* chose to go there. Durr."

Doh. >.<
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: emperorsteele on March 31, 2013, 03:54:15 AM
I suppose the first thing that really impressed me was the first time I saw an enemy get Levitated. I was a mere scrapper, just kicking things, and here's some hero just FLINGING dudes into the air without touching them! I stopped what I was doing and was all "WTF was that?!"

"Levitate, from the Mind Control set!"

My next toon, which remained my main character for the rest of the time I played, was a Mind/Kin.

Also, count me as one of those "One enhancement type per power" folks. =)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: ahmpizzedoff on March 31, 2013, 04:30:32 PM
BB pvp represent! I was there in those days, either on my spines scrapper Rumble Grrl, or my rad/psy Simone Says or Mercury Jones my fire/rad 'troller. Back in the days when zone pvp was king and SO's were the best enhancements you could buy. There was a good fun crowd there and we all used to laugh at the people that came in that 'weren't there for pvp'. To this day I still think that's a ludicrous thing to say. You're in a pvp zone!

Not so ludicrous. People, myself included, came into those PvP zones not to fight but to collect the badges that were in there. If someone did attack, well, like you said it IS a PvP zone so I would fight back and usually loose! :) It was all just good fun and I didn't see any reason to complain. Trip to the hospital, get a little debt, get cured and back out to the next badge to see if I could make it or end up in the hospital, with more debt, again! To me Debt was just another badge. My best badge collector in PvP zones was my stalker. HURRY get that badge, wait to be hidden again, did someone see me!!  ;D
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: eabrace on March 31, 2013, 05:15:45 PM
I didn't have a problem with being attacked in a PvP zone when I was after badges, Shivans, nukes for a Hami raid, etc.  What annoyed me was being attacked by the same player over and over and over again because they knew I wasn't there for the PvP, made an easy target, and would be back in a few minutes to try for the badge again, so all they had to do was camp out and wait for me.  There's "OK, I'm in a PvP zone, so I was fair game for that one," and then there's "OK, now you're just being a jerk."
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: r00tb0ySlim on March 31, 2013, 06:44:58 PM
I didn't have a problem with being attacked in a PvP zone when I was after badges, Shivans, nukes for a Hami raid, etc.  What annoyed me was being attacked by the same player over and over and over again because they knew I wasn't there for the PvP, made an easy target, and would be back in a few minutes to try for the badge again, so all they had to do was camp out and wait for me.  There's "OK, I'm in a PvP zone, so I was fair game for that one," and then there's "OK, now you're just being a jerk."

Yea...I usually got a "first" kill from the badge hounds, shivs, etc...and then figured what's the sense for the next 5 minutes and knowing those peeps were not there to pvp, I left them alone from that point.  Didn't want to be "that guy" who was camp killing, although I did see that a lot.  Heck, I was a badge hound too, but hide made it pretty easy in pvp zones most of the time.  In WB I usually helped the peeps get the nukes after I ran thru them to see if I could get a recipe drop.  For some reason I always thought the SC was the hardest pvp zone, especially the last year or so....I do miss it all though :-[
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Aggelakis on March 31, 2013, 06:52:36 PM
A la PVP, learning the hard way that "everyone is set to level 38" in Warburg did NOT mean equal footing. Level 50 SO's still made a huge difference...
Level 50 SOs were the same effectiveness as level 25 SOs (33%) - I think you meant "being level 50 and having way more slots" made a huge difference, because THAT certainly is true.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Triplash on March 31, 2013, 07:12:45 PM
"Levitate, from the Mind Control set!"

Okay, for a second I thought you were talking about Lift from Gravity Control. That made me think of Propel. First time I saw that little beauty I was like whaaaaaaat the fuuuuuuudge... did someone just throw a phone pole?!?!?

I didn't even like controllers but I rolled one just so I could use Propel. I'd fly around Atlas and Kings throwing stuff at random mobs, yelling out "I have become Gravity, litterbug of worlds!!!" Oh, you're stealing an old lady's purse? I'll arrest you by throwing a forklift at you. Of course the punishment fits the crime, what are you talking about?

Oooh and then there was the time I filled up that little pool in front of the Steel Wentworths with Propel junk. No reason; I just like doing unusual things for giggles. Took a while too, first you had to fly around a bit to respawn the mobs closest to the Wents. Then you had to kick each separate piece of junk over to the building, up the little ramp, and into the pool.

*sigh* Good times :)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: ukaserex on March 31, 2013, 10:41:11 PM
My first surprise was realizing CoH was an MMO...
My second surprise was realizing that just because Zapp (and my other blasts) could accept an Accuracy, Range, Damage, end redux, end mod, recharge redux and interrupt redux(Zapp only) - did not mean I was SUPPOSED to use one of each. When I finally got to Zapp and realized I couldn't get 7 slots to fit the interrupt SO....
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: dwturducken on March 31, 2013, 11:47:54 PM
Level 50 SOs were the same effectiveness as level 25 SOs (33%) - I think you meant "being level 50 and having way more slots" made a huge difference, because THAT certainly is true.

I could also have the type of enhancements mixed up in my head. I didn't do a lot of crafting except in the first few months I was playing. (I was also one of those who didn't know Lusca's name until after the end. :) ) One of the "Lifers" in my group related it to enhancements, and, yeah, the number of slots made a bigger difference, sometimes, than what was slotted in them.

The point, though, was the issue of parity not really being much of an equalizer. It was a real turn off for me from PVP. We did the Arena a couple of times, but that was really only cool for a few minutes, sort of the "Batman v. Wolverine" kind of stuff.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Senkan on April 01, 2013, 01:10:16 AM
First surprise was joining a team and having some asshole TPing me from hundreds of feet up into a group purples.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Golden Ace on April 01, 2013, 02:31:15 AM
Inv / Ice Tank.  used to use Frozen Aura on the low level mobs in Atlas and Freeze them solid back when it did no damage.  I would then teleport them to the top of the globe, I figured everyone needed the top dog badge, even the mobs.   I think my record was 13 mobs on top of the globe at once. I would have kept going but someone would always come around and knock them off or kill them.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Nyx Nought Nothing on April 01, 2013, 04:10:48 AM
Inv / Ice Tank.  used to use Frozen Aura on the low level mobs in Atlas and Freeze them solid back when it did no damage.  I would then teleport them to the top of the globe, I figured everyone needed the top dog badge, even the mobs.   I think my record was 13 mobs on top of the globe at once. I would have kept going but someone would always come around and knock them off or kill them.
Wormhole was one of my favorites for mob relocation programs. Finding amusing bits of geometry to lodge mobs into (the AE building windows were especially good at adhering mobs), firing large spawns of Warriors into the air over the Talos tram station and shouting, "It's raining men!"

There were also a few police station and store interiors that were within Wormhole range of spawn points. i would occasionally Wormhole some in so they could get some shopping or community service done and keep an eye on them so they didn't cause trouble with any heroes who were also visiting. As soon as they started to act up i'd either Wormhole them again or arrest them. Random hero: "Why the hell are there Freaks in the electronics store?!" Me: "i think they needed some batteries. Don't worry, i'm keeping an eye on them."
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: eabrace on April 01, 2013, 01:22:09 PM
Wormhole was one of my favorites for mob relocation programs.
"Lay me out a field of Trip Mines.  I'm going to go find a spawn."
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Intone on April 02, 2013, 11:38:02 PM
Oh wait, you mean I can sell those enhancement thingies that have been cluttering up my tray?  ;)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: DarkCurrent on April 03, 2013, 12:35:44 AM
Discovering there were DO/SO stores.  Before they were labeled on the maps.  Being able to click on a door of some shop in a zone and entering and seeing NPCs ready to sell me enhancers.  Remember hoping to get drops for your enhancers?  Fighting specific foes that would drop your origin?  And regretting picking something like mutant or magic origin because those foes were super hard to fight?
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: doc7924 on April 03, 2013, 11:40:16 PM
First surprise was joining a team and having some asshole TPing me from hundreds of feet up into a group purples.


I had something like that happen to me. Was the first month or so COH was out. I had a level 10 or 11 blaster. My travel power was not hover. Some lvl 20 invited me to a team, tp'd me to the top of the tallest building in Steel (where I was) then quit team and flew off and left me there. LOL.

Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: FourSpeed on April 04, 2013, 12:43:16 AM
Some fun stuff in this thread.  :)

I don't know that I recall my *first* surprise, but there were many.  Among them:

* My first ambush (5th Column in KR). Just finished the mission, I'm standing at that door, talking to my contact, and WHAMMO!  A 5th Column goon squad shows up to avenge their fallen comrades.  :)

* Later on, running into somebody else's high-level ambush ("Hmmm who are *those* weird-looking guys?  Let's have a look" -- Ruh Roh...)

* My first encounter with a clockwork Tesla Knight ... and getting Tesla Caged.  "Crap, I can't do anything!!!".  That ended poorly  :) 

* First time I was Tp'd (not griefed, thankfully). I was never much of a teamer, but I did that time, and I'm running towards the mission and Pop! there I am -- following immediately by "Smack - Ow, I just ran into a wall")  :)

* On my first PB - Being 1-shot by the first Void Boss in my 3rd or 4th mission on that toon.  Ouchies.

* On same PB - around level 16 or so in Talos.  Hey, there's an Ancestor Spirit flying by and he's only got a sliver of health - I think my nova can pot-shot him ... sure he's conning purple, but heck he's 1 hit away from dead...    MISS!  WHAMMO!  (Ahhh, crap -- anyone got a wakey?)  :D

* Also in Talos (on my original E3 main).   Leaving the mission door -- zip around the building corner -- Smack! Right into somebody's  Kronos Titan... Ewpsie...

 
Cheers,
4
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: SeaLily on April 04, 2013, 01:14:46 AM
I remember two big awe-inspiring moments while playing City of Heroes, both being only a matter of weeks post-launch.

The first was in the beta, when I first got to Steel Canyon.  I'd experienced Atlas Park and Kings Row, which had plenty of buildings, sure, but... Steel Canyon was different.  The buildings were huge, imposing things, towering overhead.  I felt absolutely tiny on the streets there, with only Combat Jumping to help me get around at all.  The people that had invited me onto a team had to snap me back to reality as I kind of stood around staring up at the buildings for a while.  It felt like a REAL city, a HUGE place, so dense and impressive.  Even games like GTA3 hadn't given me that sensation.  That's when I was hooked on the game, that moment.

The second was my first task force.  We were doing Synapse, and it was pretty exciting overall, going from mission to mission and seeing the story unfold as we fought through all these clockwork.  When we fought Babbage, I was excited.  But when we reached the Clockwork King's lair?  The first time I got to see the leader of the groups of Clockwork I'd been fighting for weeks through the beta and live on any number of characters?  That was the first time I was intimidated by the game.  That guy was BIG and SCARY and, man, I don't wanna mess with him.  And then we stomped him into the ground.  And I felt like a superhero.

I wish I could experience those moments again for the first time.  Nothing else in any game, CoH or not, ever gave me the same kind of feeling as those two moments.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: ahmpizzedoff on April 06, 2013, 02:37:10 AM
My first and most memorable surprise was the very first time I saw , 8 years ago, CoH. My daughter and son in law were playing when I walked into the room. I took one look at their screen, said "WOW! What's that?" watched the game play about 10 minutes and listened to them explain the way the game was played and the community that was built around it. I was hooked and hooked good. That same day it was on my PC. I used to call it, "My On Line Crack Habit!" I'd sit for hours in front of that PC playing and making friends. Good thing I have an understanding wife and I was retired! One of my favorite things on CoH was when I played my toon Older'n Dirt I'd get tells from other players saying, " I'll bet I'm older than you are." Most would ask my real age and I'd usually be 20 - 30 years older than they were until one day I got the question again. I answered, "I'm probably old enough to be your grandfather." The reply came back, "Well if you are you'd be pretty darned old, I'm 75." She had me by 13 years and my only reply was, "Well I finally found someone to look up to!" We both had a good LMAO minute before we went our ways!

Since that very first time I saw CoH, my bumbling around as a "noob" and up to the very last second CoH was on, I've had so many surprises, good times and made so many friends it's impossible for me to remember all of them. Now all I have are the memories of some of the wonderful things that were CoH and I truly miss the game and all good things that came along with it.

My forum name was the last toon I built the day they announced CoH would be shutting down. It was my little way of letting them know just how I felt.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Risha on April 07, 2013, 02:37:26 AM
I always like to check in here and see what will make me smile and nod and think, "Me, too.  Me, too."  Thanks.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: MaidMercury on April 07, 2013, 11:34:00 PM
yes...My first lesson...never. NEVER ever join  a  low level Team while flying . :o
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Ultrarocket on April 15, 2013, 03:37:02 AM
When I started playing and a lvl 50 invited me to be their sidekick.

Me not knowing that it actually meant to team, I thought, "Psh! YOUR SIDEKICK? YEAH RIGHT BUDDY! I'M A HERO, I AIN'T NO SIDEKICK!
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Rust on April 15, 2013, 10:31:31 AM
The first time I activated Telekinesis in a full group mission and ended up throwing the entire room full of Mobs against the wall.

I just found that so entertaining and fun.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Golden Ace on April 15, 2013, 09:27:11 PM
yes...My first lesson...never. NEVER ever join  a  low level Team while flying . :o

hahahaha.

had that happen to me once.


Good times
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: goodtime on April 15, 2013, 10:41:13 PM
Bugs!
(https://images.weserv.nl/?url=www.speakeasy.org%2F%7Egoodtime%2Fcoh5%2FfatronVahsilokSeeTheBug.jpg)

More bugs!
(https://images.weserv.nl/?url=www.speakeasy.org%2F%7Egoodtime%2Fcoh3%2FfatronBugsAroundTheLights.jpg)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Rust on April 15, 2013, 11:34:38 PM
Heh, I like that second picture. It's like someone off screen is going to shoot the bugs.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Night-Hawk07 on May 08, 2013, 08:23:27 PM
Malta Sappers!  Look up "rat bastage" in the dictionary, and you see a picture of one of these guys.

No kidding. Upon seeing Malta:

(https://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z297/MetalRacer78/BatGlare1_zps9e28286a.jpg)

Upon seeing Malta Sappers:

(https://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z297/MetalRacer78/BatGlare2_zps1b7b6deb.jpg)

That's a big part of it, yes. The other part is, when the current enemy falls you must rush on to the next spawn as if you were a Brute, still remaining all but blind to everything around you. The difference is, while Brutes are focused on keeping their Fury bar as full as possible, Scrappers have no mechanics-based reason to act this way. They do it simply because they are having so much fun smashing stuff that it becomes difficult to think of boring things like safety and tactics. Usually the "Don't stop, don't think" part is an unintentional side effect of the "Yay! Smash stuff!" part, but I've seen people do it deliberately too.

Cause it's crazy fun 8)

Having played a Scrapper as my main toon for the whole 5 and a half years I played, I'm now dying with laughter knowing there's a name for that condition. ;D
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Cinnder on May 08, 2013, 09:16:43 PM
Don't know if this really counts as a surprise, but it was a revelation of sorts... In a Brer Rabbit Tar Baby kind of way.

CoH was my first MMO, so I was unfamiliar with most of the common terms.  On my first day back in 2005 I was wandering around Atlas, fascinated simply at the fact that there were other people in the same game with me.  Then I spotted a hero who seemed different from the others, standing next to a pillar outside City Hall.  He had a special label, so I figured maybe he was a developer or at least some sort of admin.

I walked up and said, "Sorry to bother you, but can you tell me what that label above your head means?"

Silence.

"I don't want to intrude, but I was just wondering whether it meant you were one of the people who brought us this interesting game."

Still nothing.

Waited.

Still nothing.

"Oh well," I said.  "Hope you have a nice day anyway," and I walked away.

The label I was asking him about?  You've probably guessed: "AFK"
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Triplash on May 08, 2013, 09:24:06 PM
Having played a Scrapper as my main toon for the whole 5 and a half years I played, I'm now dying with laughter knowing there's a name for that condition. ;D

I found this picture a while back and it always cracks me up  ;D

(https://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz55/KansasCrawford/Funny%20Pics/ScrapperLock_zps9d2a61c2.png)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: silvers1 on May 08, 2013, 09:33:53 PM
Scrapper Lock = Leeeroooy Jenkins!!!!!!!!!! :)

Man, I miss my scrappers.

Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Night-Hawk07 on May 08, 2013, 10:46:06 PM
Although I will say I made sure to hold back when I did group play as I didn't want to be that Scrapper that ran into a room, then ran back out just as quickly with a mob 50 goons strong in hot pursuit. :D  Solo play, however, was different; until I discovered Crane Kick (because knockback) and started encountering Sappers. Then tactics came into play.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Perfidus on May 09, 2013, 03:23:35 AM
Technically, shouldn't the Tab button be the scrapper lock key? :P
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: FatherXmas on May 09, 2013, 04:22:23 AM
Technically, shouldn't the Tab button be the scrapper lock key? :P

Why?  If you keep spamming your attack chain it automatically jumped to the next victim in range.  Of course camera angle needed to be set not look into the distance (more top down than behind PoV) and pulled back slightly.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Twylite1 on May 09, 2013, 07:46:12 AM
I remember standing in Atlas Park and seeing my first flying hero.

I was completely blown away.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Numerology on May 09, 2013, 12:29:09 PM
Having to learn the quirks of teleport by trial and error the first time I picked it for a travel power was a memorable experience.

Frustrating but certainly memorable.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Golden Ace on May 09, 2013, 11:53:05 PM
I remember standing in Atlas Park and seeing my first flying hero.

I was completely blown away.

Level 6, on my first hero I got hover.  I thought it was so cool just flying everywhere, even though it was slow I didn't care.   I loved the view with fly and got it with almost every character.   Superjump would sometimes make my stomach go flip flop when I was landing.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: dwturducken on May 09, 2013, 11:57:49 PM
I used to love jumping off the top of the tower in Mercy Island, just for that feeling. It's one of the things we made sure we did on the Last Night.

I was also probably one of the few people who hated that you could take a travel power at level 4. Unless it was part of the character concept, I usually stuck with the "old" schedule. (Yes, I was a CoH old fart! :) )
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Crazyleo on May 09, 2013, 11:59:10 PM
How about standing on top of the Globe in AP. That was way cool (for about a minute)

Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: JaguarX on May 10, 2013, 02:21:48 PM
I used to love jumping off the top of the tower in Mercy Island, just for that feeling. It's one of the things we made sure we did on the Last Night.

I was also probably one of the few people who hated that you could take a travel power at level 4. Unless it was part of the character concept, I usually stuck with the "old" schedule. (Yes, I was a CoH old fart! :) )

Yeah?


When they came out with those ninja runs and various other travel things, I most toons after stopped taking travel pool powers. Yeah it was a little slower but hey, I liked the scenery. But ironically due to my usual quick loading times I never got to the mission first (couldnt match the SS-SJ combo) but usually 3rd or 4th so there was really no holding the team up on account of me being slow. The ones that did though stuck to the old travel schedule and for pure nostalgia, three toons I created used power combinations that was around in i5 and no ninja run or the likes and followed old schedule of travel powers  ;D. Actually that was pretty fun. Of course with fitness being inherient was a little different but hey even when restoring a 1958 Cadilllac Eldorado, sometimes people add a CD player and seat belts even though they didnt exist originally. Man, I miss that game.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: dwturducken on May 10, 2013, 05:02:14 PM
I do admit that I liked Ninja Run. I stuck to the "does it really fit the character concept" philosophy for a while, but, when my powered armor tank could use it because his armor "had super-fast hydraulic legs," I had to admit defeat. Besides, my character's Ninja Run was usually as fast as a teammate's Flight, unless it was someplace like Sharkshead or Faultline, where there was a lot of steep terrain variation. Eventually, in more than a few cases, Ninja Run was the character's travel power. :)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Super Firebug on June 28, 2013, 06:02:32 PM
I was sitting here, somewhat saddened by my lack of response to this question...
But I just realized what really pleasantly surprised me from within the game!

NPC Citizens exclaiming things about our characters!!
"Hey, Electric-Knight, we love you!"
"I can't wait to tell all my friends that I saw Electric-Knight!"
"Way to go, Electric-Knight!"

That surprised me, too. I was running to another mission door, and someone says, "My first day here, and I see someone like Super Firebug. What a town!" I loved it!
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Atlantea on June 28, 2013, 11:29:51 PM
Speaking of Malta. Remember the Titans?

Two of the smaller Hercules Titans were capable of combining to form a Zeus. I was never certain of what triggered it - obviously it was due to a certain level of damage, but precisely where that trigger was... it seemed to vary based on circumstances. (Plus it might've been tweaked by the Devs over time.)

Still - I recall that - like the Warwolves, I'd never seen it HAPPEN or even heard about it until I was on a solo mission. I'd dealt with enough Malta by that point that I knew - despite appearance to the contrary - the biggest threat in any group is NOT the giant robots, it's that GODDAMN SAPPER.

This is a pretty sharp memory - I was in one of the tech labs in one of the large rooms. And there's a group there with 2 Hercules, a Sapper, and a couple of those guys who drop turrets. So I drop the sapper with an Eagle's Claw kick and a couple of stacked red inspirations, then take out the two turrets and their handlers, all while the Titans are blanketing everything with corkscrewing missile trails and blue energy beams. I was on my MA/INV scrapper (Same one as in that previous story with the 5th Column early in this thread) and this was before the INV nerf for scrappers, so she was pretty darn tough enough to weather the damage from the Titans until she could get to them.

And I start bashing on the first one pretty hard. The other is standing about 3-5 meters away. I think it was down to about 1/4 health, and it turns away from me and - I thought it was going to be a "runner"  - but no -

He turns only to run directly at the other Herc. And then the first Herc JUMPS and... FOLDS... in mid-air around the other Herc, until they form the Zeus. (A boss at full health of course).

You know... You can tell when you are obviously a truly hard-core geek when you get taken out because you're too busy gawking at something and having a "nerd-gasm"...

"Oh my GOD THAT IS SO COOL!! Look at the way that folded! I never knew! It makes so much SENSE!

One torso stacked on the other and it's PERFECT. I can see exactly where the arms fold up around the chest!

And there's the feet! So that's why a Zeus has those up there!

...and... and...

...and damn. I'm dead...

...

... Screw it. It was worth it."


 ;D


Of course, if you've never had any warning ahead of time, encountering the KRONOS Titan for the first time isn't just a surprise, it's a full-on OH CRAP IT'S GODZILLA moment... God help you if you were solo-ing that run... 

Fortunately, I didn't have THAT happen to me. But even so - even knowing it was coming. Even having been warned... To see that thing stomping over the hills toward you in Founders Falls for the first time...

...

"mommy!..." :o

Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: dwturducken on June 29, 2013, 12:24:43 AM
Ya know, I think they must have changed something, towards the end, like I22 or something. I know I was encountering different Titans, and you could tell that there were two or more combined to make one big gestalt, but I don't remember the last time I saw the actual act of combining. I think they were making them just spawn already combined, or something.

I do remember that being one of the cooler "Oh, pancake" moments, though, seeing it happen that first time. :)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Super Firebug on June 29, 2013, 01:33:47 AM
I remember a Kings Row incident, on Protector, that felt exactly like I was watching a superhero. Remember that rooftop across the street to the north of Wentworth's in KR - the one that always had Clockwork on it? Well, I was running a new lowbie in there, and saw VERY purple Crey standing on that roof. In retrospect, it must have been some high-level's ambush that he had outrun. (This was before I had any toons near Crey level.) I stood by Wenty's, watching the Crey Cryo severely one-shot every sub-10 toon that innocently flew by. We were all talking about it in Broadcast for several minutes, wondering what to do. Someone must have either gone to another zone and asked for help, or logged to get a better toon. Suddenly, a player toon showed up, a couple of levels higher than the Crey, and took them down in about half a minute, to the cheers and admiration of all of us lowbies. I wish I had a video of it; it was totally thrilling to watch.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Cinnder on June 30, 2013, 10:08:02 AM
Ya know, I think they must have changed something, towards the end, like I22 or something. I know I was encountering different Titans, and you could tell that there were two or more combined to make one big gestalt, but I don't remember the last time I saw the actual act of combining. I think they were making them just spawn already combined, or something.

I do remember that being one of the cooler "Oh, pancake" moments, though, seeing it happen that first time. :)

I can vouch for the fact that they were still combining as described up to the end, because my last 50 went through a bunch of Malta missions just before shutdown, and he had to ensure that he kept the mechs separate and held/KDed or else get both of them to about half hp and then hit em together with every AoE he had to keep 'em from joining up.

There were some missions that had the big 'bots as the placed bosses -- could those have been the combined ones you were seeing?
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: dwturducken on July 01, 2013, 12:08:51 AM
Maybe it was just a combination of the placed bosses and the others showing up in places where so much was going on that I didn't notice them combining. Honestly, the only time I ran into them was on a team of four or more, mostly because we didn't go after Malta with less, if we could help it. With a larger team, the mobs would be so big, I would be "scapper-locked" and not really noticing a lot of nuance in the behavior of the baddies.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: adarict on July 01, 2013, 03:29:59 PM
I had forgotten about the Malta Titans.  Although things like the Freak rezzing tend to stick in my mind more in the early days because I was still new to the game, I think the combining of the titans was one of the greatest moments of surprise I ever had in the game.  One, because I had no idea it was going to happen, and two, because it was just so damn COOL.  After the first time I saw it happen, I did everything I could to try and get it to happen more.  As much as I HATED dealing with those freaking Sappers, I would continue to take Malta missions every chance I got, just so I could watch them combine.

And yes, the Kronos Titan was beyond cool the first time I saw it.  Not part of my own mission, I just stumbled upon it one day.  I had heard about it, but I was not prepared for just how impressive it was.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: srmalloy on July 01, 2013, 05:23:35 PM
And yes, the Kronos Titan was beyond cool the first time I saw it.  Not part of my own mission, I just stumbled upon it one day.  I had heard about it, but I was not prepared for just how impressive it was.

I'm still kicking myself for spacing on that question for the last Loregasm -- the Kronos Titans looked like scaled-up versions of the Zeus Titans, complete with the second set of feet; I wanted to ask whether there was a smaller 'monster' Titan, perhaps called an Ouranos Titan, that could combine to make a Kronos Titan the same way that the Hercules Titans could combine to make a Zeus Titan.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Super Firebug on July 01, 2013, 06:18:30 PM
I do admit that I liked Ninja Run. I stuck to the "does it really fit the character concept" philosophy for a while, but, when my powered armor tank could use it because his armor "had super-fast hydraulic legs," I had to admit defeat. Besides, my character's Ninja Run was usually as fast as a teammate's Flight, unless it was someplace like Sharkshead or Faultline, where there was a lot of steep terrain variation. Eventually, in more than a few cases, Ninja Run was the character's travel power. :)

I, too, eventually gave up picking travel powers based on concept, and started giving every toon Flight, because it was the most versatile (vertical travel as well as horizontal), and because, if I was interrupted, I could just park the toon in mid-air and be confident that he'd be safe while I was AFK.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: thunderforce on July 01, 2013, 08:50:59 PM
I, too, eventually gave up picking travel powers based on concept, and started giving every toon Flight, because it was the most versatile (vertical travel as well as horizontal), and because, if I was interrupted, I could just park the toon in mid-air and be confident that he'd be safe while I was AFK.

I think Flight was the one I never took. My default was Super Jump (Boing!) - taken at level 14 as God intended. Teleport on bubblers for Recall Friend; Super Speed for Hasten on the empath (especially before inherent Stamina, power selections are very tight on an empath, with no squeezing in Hasten and the prerequisite for another travel power; and even with SO builds, Hasten and slotting for recharge means one of Recovery Aura or Regeneration Aura is up, so you either have lots of blue to heal with or don't need to do so much healing). Even then when dual builds came in, they all took Super Jump for soloing.

Much later when Arena jets were readily available, I really felt no need for Flight, but even on Super Speeders, limited vertical mobility came in quite early. I got a year's use out of the jingle jet by being disciplined about using it, for example.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Razy on July 01, 2013, 10:00:22 PM
 I think i was in the Hollows, when i saw this bunch of colorful characters. Lvl 50 carnies in the Hollows??? OMG! . I was... what the  :o :o :o ?. There i was tiny low level amazed, and scared of them. I sent a shout, and a coupld of high level players came to my rescue  ;D.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Super Firebug on July 01, 2013, 11:04:22 PM
I think i was in the Hollows, when i saw this bunch of colorful characters. Lvl 50 carnies in the Hollows??? OMG! . I was... what the  :o :o :o ?. There i was tiny low level amazed, and scared of them. I sent a shout, and a coupld of high level players came to my rescue  ;D.

I always liked helping out when someone was in a fix like that. All part of playing a hero. Pre-Freedom, I even liked to help lowbies without travel powers to get from Steel's Yellow-Line station to Icon and back.

LOL! That just reminded me that, at one point, I even considered making a Taxi Toon, outfitted with the necessary powers to get someone from Point A to Point B, and provide heals if needed - whether it was to Steel's Icon, or to safety by David Wincott at the Hollows entrance after the player's mission was over. Yes, I get that dedicated to helping fellow players out of a jam.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: srmalloy on July 02, 2013, 04:15:22 PM
I, too, eventually gave up picking travel powers based on concept, and started giving every toon Flight, because it was the most versatile (vertical travel as well as horizontal), and because, if I was interrupted, I could just park the toon in mid-air and be confident that he'd be safe while I was AFK.

...at least, with some minimal care for where you park yourself. The Hive used to have Swarms at the tops of the (rock?) spires, and the flying Cabal in Croatoa, and the occasional ambush from Sky Raiders, 5th Column, Council, and Clockwork if you weren't paying attention -- but those are all special cases.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: primeknight on July 02, 2013, 07:59:26 PM
I suppose the first thing that really impressed me was the first time I saw an enemy get Levitated. I was a mere scrapper, just kicking things, and here's some hero just FLINGING dudes into the air without touching them! I stopped what I was doing and was all "WTF was that?!"

"Levitate, from the Mind Control set!"

My next toon, which remained my main character for the rest of the time I played, was a Mind/Kin.

Also, count me as one of those "One enhancement type per power" folks. =)


<------------

Fellow Mind/Kin

:)
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Felderburg on July 03, 2013, 04:43:45 PM
I remember a first surprise being the Circle of Thorns demon portals. I was on a team, and we were trying to find a glowie or something. They found it, but I was enthralled by these portals that just kept spawning demons non-stop. Someone who lived in my dorm happened to come in, and called me a "terrible teammate" because the rest of the team was off fighting objective bad guys, while I was over by the portal spawning endless masses of demons. Oops?

Regarding scrapper lock: Dual Blades scrappers actually have a reason to move from group to group - if the finished one group on the first or second step of a combo, there's a limited time to get to the next group and finish it off.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: thunderforce on July 03, 2013, 04:50:27 PM
Regarding scrapper lock: Dual Blades scrappers actually have a reason to move from group to group - if the finished one group on the first or second step of a combo, there's a limited time to get to the next group and finish it off.

Other scrappers have a reason to move from group to group - everyone in this group is dead! Or at any rate all the ones in your field of view are. Banzai!

Remember, controllers don't get pets at 32. They get them at 2. They are called "scrappers".
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: Triplash on July 03, 2013, 05:59:31 PM
Regarding scrapper lock: Dual Blades scrappers actually have a reason to move from group to group - if the finished one group on the first or second step of a combo, there's a limited time to get to the next group and finish it off.

That's just an excuse and they know it. ;)

Real scrappers don't need reasons. They just need targets.
Title: Re: First Surprises in COH
Post by: srmalloy on July 03, 2013, 07:43:12 PM
Remember, controllers don't get pets at 32. They get them at 2. They are called "scrappers".

And suddenly I'm snickering with the mental image of a scrapper-loaded version of this:

(https://images.weserv.nl/?url=www.liquidice.co.uk%2Fjoke%2Fimages%2Fpic2.gif)