New efforts!

[Serpine]

The colours chosen were purely arbitrary and had nothing to do with them as a race.

Unfortunately an arbitrary choice in fiction tends to become a fixed point in canon once deployed, barring retcon. The length of Lord Recluse's nose may have been arbitrary but once we had seen it, any significant change to it would have required some justification. Likewise the colors for our alien buddies, since unfortunately they were supposed to be specific aliens.

[FloatingFatMan]

Unfortunately an arbitrary choice in fiction tends to become a fixed point in canon once deployed, barring retcon. The length of Lord Recluse's nose may have been arbitrary but once we had seen it, any significant change to it would have required some justification. Likewise the colors for our alien buddies, since unfortunately they were supposed to be specific aliens.

Ah, but I -had- sufficient justification for it.  I'm a roleplayer... I can justify anything! :p

In fact, when asking my question of the devs, I mentioned my reasoning and they said there was nothing in the lore to contradict it.  It was quite important to me that everything I did with my char didn't directly contradict specific lore.

Anyway, I wasn't what you'd call -angry- at the lack of power customisation... It was just a constant niggle that meant I couldn't fully express my chars abilities quite as I wanted them. 

[Tubbius]

Wow.  Why am I up at 4 a.m.?

Oh, yeah.  I was playing Marvel Heroes since I cannot play City of Heroes.

Here's hoping for gorgeous, beautiful, wonderful progress on getting City back!

And I'm jealous.  I want a fun title, too.  :(

[Serpine]

Ah, but I -had- sufficient justification for it.  I'm a roleplayer... I can justify anything! :p

Sort of related tangent, but one area I always appreciated in CoX compared to many other games was that to a lot of people your RP justification *did* trump most everything. Say that your Crab Spider actually is just a rogue plastic surgeon with machinery on his back? People would pretend the Arachnos logo wasn't clearly their on the back. Say that the sound of wailing banshees always accompanies you? People would complain about the noise. Zeus? Sure why not, though you might want to discuss it with the The Real Zeus and Zeus on a Bender over there on the other side room. From an extradimensional space not mentioned in the lore? That's just wild, tell us about it. Before power customization you could say "actually my fire beams are silver swarms of nanites" and many people would roll with it and not bat an eye.

I'm not saying that everybody was this open minded about your concept. But many were, and in a lot of other games I've played people will slam you even if you are part of the setting lore they don't particular like, sometimes even if its an available character option. If you say you were something not in the lore or slightly cross with it then heaven help you.

[Thirty-Seven]

The colours chosen were purely arbitrary and had nothing to do with them as a race.

As Serpine said above me, that doesn't make them any less a part of the canon AFTER they were chosen, arbitrarily or not.

But, honestly, I never really had a dog in this fight.  Yes, I liked that all of the Khelds were internally consistent with their otherworldly energy powers, but I wouldn't have put up a fight had the Devs chosen to add PC to Khelds.  Hell, I might have even used it myself, but, like you, I really wanted all of my characters to go along with the lore of the game as much as possible.  I never really RPed much, but every single character I made was a character.  He had a backstory and a rationale for his powers, and everything.

I still disagree with your position though.  But, it's the height of moot point at this juncture.

Ah, but I -had- sufficient justification for it.  I'm a roleplayer... I can justify anything! :p

Out of curiousity, what was your IC justification?  Did this character have a Unionverse page or anything?

And I'm jealous.  I want a fun title, too.  :(

Ask and ye shall recieve.  Or something.

[Super Firebug]

And I'm jealous.  I want a fun title, too.  :(

Congratulations, bud. You made the big time. :)

[Thirty-Seven]

Congratulations, bud. You made the big time. :)

I dunno if I'd go thaaaaat far.

Sort of related tangent, but one area I always appreciated in CoX compared to many other games was that to a lot of people your RP justification *did* trump most everything. Say that your Crab Spider actually is just a rogue plastic surgeon with machinery on his back? People would pretend the Arachnos logo wasn't clearly their on the back. Say that the sound of wailing banshees always accompanies you? People would complain about the noise. Zeus? Sure why not, though you might want to discuss it with the The Real Zeus and Zeus on a Bender over there on the other side room. From an extradimensional space not mentioned in the lore? That's just wild, tell us about it. Before power customization you could say "actually my fire beams are silver swarms of nanites" and many people would roll with it and not bat an eye.

I'm not saying that everybody was this open minded about your concept. But many were, and in a lot of other games I've played people will slam you even if you are part of the setting lore they don't particular like, sometimes even if its an available character option. If you say you were something not in the lore or slightly cross with it then heaven help you.

I think I'd have issues with that were I to RP with some of the folks you described.  I would see the Arachnos logo for sure.  Of course, I'm kinda glad I didn't RP with one of my characters, because he'da pissed everyone else.  He knew he was a videogame character, much as Deadpool enjoys the ability of knowing he's in a comic.

Twostripe would have been like, "Ummm, so not only do I see your Arachnos logo, but I wonder about those numbers that float over your head, the chat bubbles, and the AT symbols.  Is all of that part of your super power.... or.... am I just seeing things?"

[Gamerchamp]

Congratulations on becoming a mod in the TFHM section of the forums Ironwolf ^.^.

[Serpine]

I think I'd have issues with that were I to RP with some of the folks you described.  I would see the Arachnos logo for sure.

Hey, I've dealt with people who argue in tabletop games that you can't use a miniature with an axe if your character is armed with a sword. Everybody has their personal line for suspension of disbelief.

[FloatingFatMan]

Out of curiousity, what was your IC justification?  Did this character have a Unionverse page or anything?

She did, but it's woefully out of date and I think the Unionverse is still offline (has been for a while).

The reasons are long and complex (and took a couple of years of RP to reach full fruition), but to summarise, early in her career she was persuaded by a Warshade scientist that something was wrong with her and he needed to run some tests.  He was a lying git and was actually a Nictus pretending to be a good guy.  He experimented on her and, just to see what would happen, replicated the Galaxy Trooper process and implanted a Nictus shard inside her core energy matrix (among other things).

At first it wasn't visible and everything seemed OK, but as it grew she started to have blackouts, and on a few occasions, found blood on her hands with no explanation for it.  Eventually, the combination of light and dark drove her completely nuts and it took a LOT of heroes (most all of them her friends), to take her down. They were forced to kill her to stop her, and the now almost mature Nictus shard fled her body.  Luckily for her, they were able to revive her afterwards.

However, the contamination forever lefts it's mark on her, and over time it has changed her markedly from a regular PB.  She can do a few things regular PB's can't and she's prone to being rather short tempered at times. When pushed too far, the remnant of the contamination becomes visible as a "taint" in her powers, which becomes tinged with a purplish hue and she'd shapeshift into a large and savage form.

If we'd had PC, I'd have better been able to show that with the costume change, but as it was, it was something I could never fully show in the game itself, which made me a sad panda. :(

[Hyperstrike]

Hey, I've dealt with people who argue in tabletop games that you can't use a miniature with an axe if your character is armed with a sword. Everybody has their personal line for suspension of disbelief.

That's why I love BattleTech.

What's that?
It's an Atlas.
It looks like a quarter.
I know, but it's an Atlas.
Didn't you have an Atlas mini?
Nope.  So I used the quarter.
You used a quarter to rep an Atlas?
Yup!
Okay!  Let's get to it!


After seeing all the BS with WH40K, I was INCREDIBLY glad that BT was more laid back...

[Thirty-Seven]

She did, but it's woefully out of date and I think the Unionverse is still offline (has been for a while).

The reasons are long and complex (and took a couple of years of RP to reach full fruition), but to summarise, early in her career she was persuaded by a Warshade scientist that something was wrong with her and he needed to run some tests.  He was a lying git and was actually a Nictus pretending to be a good guy.  He experimented on her and, just to see what would happen, replicated the Galaxy Trooper process and implanted a Nictus shard inside her core energy matrix (among other things).

At first it wasn't visible and everything seemed OK, but as it grew she started to have blackouts, and on a few occasions, found blood on her hands with no explanation for it.  Eventually, the combination of light and dark drove her completely nuts and it took a LOT of heroes (most all of them her friends), to take her down. They were forced to kill her to stop her, and the now almost mature Nictus shard fled her body.  Luckily for her, they were able to revive her afterwards.

However, the contamination forever lefts it's mark on her, and over time it has changed her markedly from a regular PB.  She can do a few things regular PB's can't and she's prone to being rather short tempered at times. When pushed too far, the remnant of the contamination becomes visible as a "taint" in her powers, which becomes tinged with a purplish hue and she'd shapeshift into a large and savage form.

If we'd had PC, I'd have better been able to show that with the costume change, but as it was, it was something I could never fully show in the game itself, which made me a sad panda. :(

Okay, I was wrong.

That's a freaking awesome RP justification, and in my mind, the perfect rationale for wanting what you wanted.  I mean, you actually wrapped the existing Lore around it superbly, IMO, to make something new, and that's yours, but at the same time, do it in a way that makes sense.

Man, why do I always underestimate this community?

Usually, I have used the argument that if the game doesn't allow it, then you should be using that constraint as a springboard for ingenuity and coming up with something unique within those confines.  Here is a perfect example of when that does actually stifle creativity.

[FloatingFatMan]

Okay, I was wrong.

That's a freaking awesome RP justification, and in my mind, the perfect rationale for wanting what you wanted.

:D  Thank you!  The dev I chatted to quite liked it too. ;)

Ah well.. If CoH2 ever does come to fruition, I really really -really- hope they include PC for ALL archetypes, and give people more freedom to express their concepts!  More is -always- good, after all!

[Thirty-Seven]

More is -always- good, after all!

Not if it's more Liver Ingots.

[FloatingFatMan]

Not if it's more Liver Ingots.

I'm afraid you're talking to the wrong man there.  I -love- liver.. Either fried or braised, it's YUM! :p

[Thirty-Seven]

I'm afraid you're talking to the wrong man there.  I -love- liver.. Either fried or braised, it's YUM! :p

You just -had- to disagree again, didn't ya?

[FloatingFatMan]

You just -had- to disagree again, didn't ya?

Well, I guess.... But not just to disagree! I really -do- like liver! And kidneys! And heart!  It's all offally good for you as well (though I do draw the line at brains and tripe). ;)

At least I don't eat chicken nuggets made out of pink slime... :p

[Thirty-Seven]

At least I don't eat chicken nuggets made out of pink slime... :p

Which is likely made from the aforementioned organ meat of said chickens.

offally good

That's a horrible pun.

Congratulations on becoming a mod in the TFHM section of the forums Ironwolf ^.^.

Your title doesn't make as much sense now that you're not an Underling.  :(

[FloatingFatMan]

That's a horrible pun.

I know!

[FloatingFatMan]

Okay, I was wrong.

That's a freaking awesome RP justification, and in my mind, the perfect rationale for wanting what you wanted.  I mean, you actually wrapped the existing Lore around it superbly, IMO, to make something new, and that's yours, but at the same time, do it in a way that makes sense.

Man, why do I always underestimate this community?

Usually, I have used the argument that if the game doesn't allow it, then you should be using that constraint as a springboard for ingenuity and coming up with something unique within those confines.  Here is a perfect example of when that does actually stifle creativity.

To add to your modded post (almost missed it), I also used a combination of costume changes (and the emotes), IO's, temp powers, and Incarnate powers to give her abilities the extra effects that fit within her expanded scope.  All that was missing was the colour shift.

As it happens, after the devs added in those various Kheldian fixes in the latter months, she became as devastating a character in game as she was in RP, and was probably the most fun I've -ever- had in a video game. :)  Losing CoH was a massive blow to me personally and it was only softened by the ability to continue to RP her with friends on my IRC server.