I was contemplating my altitis the other day, and another idea hit me. Remember I mentioned that it might be interesting to create identical-looking characters with different powers? Well, what if we took it a step further...
If we make use of the fact that in the font used for names a lower-case "L" and an upper-case "i" look identical, we could even make characters with the same name as well as the same look.
For example, off the top of my head, we could all be named "Final Iteration". One person replaces the "L" with an "i" (FinaI Iteration), one replaces the "i" with an "L" (Final lteration), and one person replaces both (FinaI lteration). Add in the person with the correct spelling, and we've got four characters with the same name. Make them all look identical, but then make them four different archetypes with vastly different powers.
Just a thought. And just so you know, the name is not something I'm attached to. :-)
Saturday, September 29, 2007
ECHO
I'd like to point all my readers to the Dauntless Reverie's web-page. It's listed in my links.
Every fall, the Dauntless have a party called "ECHO". It's a big Virtue RP party. We have a DJ from "The Cape" and lots of chances to meet'n'greet. The theme was originally to come as your "echo" which could be your character's opposite or someone similar to your character. It's branched out further, though, so that people come dressed as just about anything. Think of it as a costume party for people who wear costumes. :-)
The party this year is Sunday, October 14th, 6PM Eastern.
Every fall, the Dauntless have a party called "ECHO". It's a big Virtue RP party. We have a DJ from "The Cape" and lots of chances to meet'n'greet. The theme was originally to come as your "echo" which could be your character's opposite or someone similar to your character. It's branched out further, though, so that people come dressed as just about anything. Think of it as a costume party for people who wear costumes. :-)
The party this year is Sunday, October 14th, 6PM Eastern.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
It's Been a While...
A lot's happened both in-game and out. I'll likely confine myself to the in-game stuff, though. Bear with me as I try to summarize... and probably go off on tangents.
Will
Will is now walking the line. Mostly because of the example set by Fyre (granted, kinda in reverse), Will went back to Paragon. He found a PPD desperate for more men, especially experienced ones who, at least from a legal standpoint, had only been on a leave of absence. They shoved his badge back at him, got him a Hero ID so he could make full use of his talents and equipment, and threw him out on the streets. For all intents and purposes, William Piett and Bill Peterson are two entirely different people. And so far, Will's keeping it that way. He's slowly finding the "protect and serve" that he lost when the Rikti wiped out Baumton, but so far, that's not actually making his time spent with Fyre in the Isles any harder. At the level we're at, the foes on both sides of the fence are pretty much the same: Thorns, Carnies, Devouring Earth, Nemesis... heck, Fyre & Will are even getting "rescue the citizens of St. Martial" missions.
Mechanically, Mo is turning HeroWill into a killing machine. With her buffs and healing, he's not squishy at all and his snipe is Fortitude + Build-Up (+ red insp) + Sniper Shot = instant death for yellow-cons and below. He's even one-shotted a few orange-cons. As a companion, Mo is a lot different from Fyre. She's more open and more into magic. Will's family is Welsh, so he grew up hearing stories of the Fae. He didn't believe them until recently (yes, even with all the weirdness of Paragon and the Isles), but he's slowly remembering things he'd heard and trying to find the books his grandmother gave him. He teases Mo some and expects her to tease him back. To him, they're team-mates. Partners. And so he acts toward her much the same as he would toward a fellow officer.
Things with Fyre are a lot different. Will sees her as a friend, although he worries often that she doesn't view their relationship the same way. He finds her easy to talk to under almost any circumstances, and he feels like they have a lot in common, especially after the most recent revelations. But things have gotten a little awkward, and Will himself has been having his share of issues. Rikti, Boomtown, and a recent problem with Nemesis messing with him has kept Will less focused than normal. Maybe he just needs a vacation. :)
Team Cold
I'd write out the SG name, but frankly, I can't remember it. :-P
I have fun creating alts and trying out new power-set combinations. I also have a blast coming up with and playing new character concepts or working with old ones to come up with something new. The recent attack of Altitis Sundays replacing Task/Strike Force Sundays has been a blast. This ice-based team is so far my absolute favorite. The characters all have stuff in common but all have a lot of differences, too. There's a fairly good-sized pool of ice powers to choose from, so even the thematic overlap hasn't left anyone feeling redundant (I don't think). I gotta say, I'm glad Mason decided to create the tank, though. I would've done it if we didn't have one, but I stink at tanking. That and a brute have been the only archetypes I just can't seem to get my brain around properly.
In any case, it's tough waiting for nights where we can get the whole team together 'cause I want to play the ice guys (and girls)! I'm looking forward to a bit more development character-wise, but since I've already seen glimpses of it, I'm not worried. It'll happen.
Miscellany
It feels like a lot more than that's been going on. Maybe it's the depth of the plots Will is involved in. Maybe it's the RL issues that I don't feel like talking about right now. I've had some trouble focusing on the game sometimes. I find myself getting a bit distracted mentally and realizing I've gone through entire missions without saying a word. There's been a lot on my mind lately, and one of the things I do to deal with it is play games and hang out with friends. Yeah, even if it's hanging out in a virtual world.
Mason, if you're reading this, when we say we understand about you being distracted, pre-occupied, needing to tend to RL, etc., I want you to know I'm not just saying that. Been there, been through that, and heck, it still happens. Don't feel bad. It's a game. We're supposed to have fun, not feel obligated to play it. :)
Will
Will is now walking the line. Mostly because of the example set by Fyre (granted, kinda in reverse), Will went back to Paragon. He found a PPD desperate for more men, especially experienced ones who, at least from a legal standpoint, had only been on a leave of absence. They shoved his badge back at him, got him a Hero ID so he could make full use of his talents and equipment, and threw him out on the streets. For all intents and purposes, William Piett and Bill Peterson are two entirely different people. And so far, Will's keeping it that way. He's slowly finding the "protect and serve" that he lost when the Rikti wiped out Baumton, but so far, that's not actually making his time spent with Fyre in the Isles any harder. At the level we're at, the foes on both sides of the fence are pretty much the same: Thorns, Carnies, Devouring Earth, Nemesis... heck, Fyre & Will are even getting "rescue the citizens of St. Martial" missions.
Mechanically, Mo is turning HeroWill into a killing machine. With her buffs and healing, he's not squishy at all and his snipe is Fortitude + Build-Up (+ red insp) + Sniper Shot = instant death for yellow-cons and below. He's even one-shotted a few orange-cons. As a companion, Mo is a lot different from Fyre. She's more open and more into magic. Will's family is Welsh, so he grew up hearing stories of the Fae. He didn't believe them until recently (yes, even with all the weirdness of Paragon and the Isles), but he's slowly remembering things he'd heard and trying to find the books his grandmother gave him. He teases Mo some and expects her to tease him back. To him, they're team-mates. Partners. And so he acts toward her much the same as he would toward a fellow officer.
Things with Fyre are a lot different. Will sees her as a friend, although he worries often that she doesn't view their relationship the same way. He finds her easy to talk to under almost any circumstances, and he feels like they have a lot in common, especially after the most recent revelations. But things have gotten a little awkward, and Will himself has been having his share of issues. Rikti, Boomtown, and a recent problem with Nemesis messing with him has kept Will less focused than normal. Maybe he just needs a vacation. :)
Team Cold
I'd write out the SG name, but frankly, I can't remember it. :-P
I have fun creating alts and trying out new power-set combinations. I also have a blast coming up with and playing new character concepts or working with old ones to come up with something new. The recent attack of Altitis Sundays replacing Task/Strike Force Sundays has been a blast. This ice-based team is so far my absolute favorite. The characters all have stuff in common but all have a lot of differences, too. There's a fairly good-sized pool of ice powers to choose from, so even the thematic overlap hasn't left anyone feeling redundant (I don't think). I gotta say, I'm glad Mason decided to create the tank, though. I would've done it if we didn't have one, but I stink at tanking. That and a brute have been the only archetypes I just can't seem to get my brain around properly.
In any case, it's tough waiting for nights where we can get the whole team together 'cause I want to play the ice guys (and girls)! I'm looking forward to a bit more development character-wise, but since I've already seen glimpses of it, I'm not worried. It'll happen.
Miscellany
It feels like a lot more than that's been going on. Maybe it's the depth of the plots Will is involved in. Maybe it's the RL issues that I don't feel like talking about right now. I've had some trouble focusing on the game sometimes. I find myself getting a bit distracted mentally and realizing I've gone through entire missions without saying a word. There's been a lot on my mind lately, and one of the things I do to deal with it is play games and hang out with friends. Yeah, even if it's hanging out in a virtual world.
Mason, if you're reading this, when we say we understand about you being distracted, pre-occupied, needing to tend to RL, etc., I want you to know I'm not just saying that. Been there, been through that, and heck, it still happens. Don't feel bad. It's a game. We're supposed to have fun, not feel obligated to play it. :)
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
The Roster (be afraid)
Freedom
Railroad Spike (lvl 17 spines/regen scrapper)
Forest's Chill (lvl 9 arch/ice blaster)
Guardian
Ryu Tatsu (lvl 27 ninja/poison MM)
Eryx the Hunter (lvl 20 AR/traps corruptor)
REDS-27 (lvl 13 elec/elec brute)
Adrien Sanies (lvl 12 dark/rad corruptor)
Daren Skye (lvl 12 WS)
Sthiss Tor (lvl 8 plant/fire dom)
Forge Thief (lvl 7 rad/therm corruptor)
Unkindest (lvl 7 ninja/ninja stalker)
Frost Guardian (lvl 6 ice/ice tank)
Loki Felinus (lvl 6 claws/SR stalker)
Final Frontiersman (lvl 5 dark/invuln scrapper)
Johnny Slam (lvl 5 invuln/SS tank)
Polaricer (lvl 3 ice/ice blaster)
Pinnacle (one additional on this server created by a friend)
Immortal Torak (lvl 8 BS/invuln scrapper)
Dying Wail (lvl 7 sonic/dark corruptor)
Cool Vibe (lvl 4 ice/sonic controller)
Sunset Samurai (lvl 4 katana/SR scrapper)
Scorching Scot (lvl 3 fire/EA brute)
Triumph
Narhari (lvl 9 claws/regen scrapper)
Corvus Venator (lvl 8 TA/arch defender)
Victory (a few others on this server not intended for play)
Shu G'ar Fiend (lvl 9 kin/elec defender)
E.VAC (lvl 5 rad/therm corruptor) [JenE]
Sunshine Daisy [DON'T ASK] (lvl 5 ill/sonic controller)
Todd Skye (lvl 5 PB)
Peek at You (lvl 3 elec/elec blaster)
Capt. William Piett (lvl 2 merc/FF MM) [BetaWill]
Virtue
E-VAC (lvl 50 emp/psy/psi defender) [E1]
Vagabond Mage (lvl 50 fire/elec/force blaster) [BigVagz]
E.VAC (lvl 49 ill/rad/primal controller) [E2]
Vagabond Blade (lvl 47 BS/regen/body scrapper) [ScrapperVagz]
'Ware Wolf (lvl 36 MA/EA stalker)
Cpt. William Piett (lvl 34 merc/FF MM)
Jack Royale (lvl 29 grav/storm controller)
Speed Trial (lvl 28 kin/rad defender)
Vagabond Magus (lvl 25 fire/FF controller) [ControllerVagz]
Captain Peterson (lvl 11 AR/energy blaster) [HeroWill]
Gray Wizard (lvl 8 fire/cold corruptor) [VillainVagz]
Lost Phantom (lvl 8 dark/dark stalker) [E3]
Railroad Spike (lvl 17 spines/regen scrapper)
Forest's Chill (lvl 9 arch/ice blaster)
Guardian
Ryu Tatsu (lvl 27 ninja/poison MM)
Eryx the Hunter (lvl 20 AR/traps corruptor)
REDS-27 (lvl 13 elec/elec brute)
Adrien Sanies (lvl 12 dark/rad corruptor)
Daren Skye (lvl 12 WS)
Sthiss Tor (lvl 8 plant/fire dom)
Forge Thief (lvl 7 rad/therm corruptor)
Unkindest (lvl 7 ninja/ninja stalker)
Frost Guardian (lvl 6 ice/ice tank)
Loki Felinus (lvl 6 claws/SR stalker)
Final Frontiersman (lvl 5 dark/invuln scrapper)
Johnny Slam (lvl 5 invuln/SS tank)
Polaricer (lvl 3 ice/ice blaster)
Pinnacle (one additional on this server created by a friend)
Immortal Torak (lvl 8 BS/invuln scrapper)
Dying Wail (lvl 7 sonic/dark corruptor)
Cool Vibe (lvl 4 ice/sonic controller)
Sunset Samurai (lvl 4 katana/SR scrapper)
Scorching Scot (lvl 3 fire/EA brute)
Triumph
Narhari (lvl 9 claws/regen scrapper)
Corvus Venator (lvl 8 TA/arch defender)
Victory (a few others on this server not intended for play)
Shu G'ar Fiend (lvl 9 kin/elec defender)
E.VAC (lvl 5 rad/therm corruptor) [JenE]
Sunshine Daisy [DON'T ASK] (lvl 5 ill/sonic controller)
Todd Skye (lvl 5 PB)
Peek at You (lvl 3 elec/elec blaster)
Capt. William Piett (lvl 2 merc/FF MM) [BetaWill]
Virtue
E-VAC (lvl 50 emp/psy/psi defender) [E1]
Vagabond Mage (lvl 50 fire/elec/force blaster) [BigVagz]
E.VAC (lvl 49 ill/rad/primal controller) [E2]
Vagabond Blade (lvl 47 BS/regen/body scrapper) [ScrapperVagz]
'Ware Wolf (lvl 36 MA/EA stalker)
Cpt. William Piett (lvl 34 merc/FF MM)
Jack Royale (lvl 29 grav/storm controller)
Speed Trial (lvl 28 kin/rad defender)
Vagabond Magus (lvl 25 fire/FF controller) [ControllerVagz]
Captain Peterson (lvl 11 AR/energy blaster) [HeroWill]
Gray Wizard (lvl 8 fire/cold corruptor) [VillainVagz]
Lost Phantom (lvl 8 dark/dark stalker) [E3]
Sunday, September 2, 2007
So... Now What?
With the exception of Will, whose story is progressing very nicely, I am stuck. I've got the RP version of writer's block with every other character I've got. There's stuff I want to do. Stuff I should do. Characters that deserve some attention. And yet...
E-VAC / E.VAC / Lost Phantom
E's in a coma. His greatest foe has been vanquished. But the story has continued without him, important things happening to Fyre, Masonry, and the Keens. I had a couple ideas for E's astrally-projected self... but his one visit seemed to have all the effect I could've wanted. Bringing him out more just feels redundant, and at level 8, he's hopelessly behind everyone else level-wise.
Does E come out of his coma, then? Do I try and get E2 from 49 to 50? And then what? I just don't see where to take this. Or even whether.
Vagabond Mage / Vagabond Blade / Vagabond Magus / Gray Wizard
Vagz is known pretty widely. He's meddled in almost every ongoing plot, usually in a minor way. I love playing the character just in general, but it feels like his only reason for existing is to act as an element in other people's stories. While that's not entirely bad, unwanted meddling is going to get him in trouble rather than making him any friends. I had an idea a while back for something bad to happen to him, but... well, I'm not sure how many people would be interested or how many characters would care. I think Vagz has become too distant. I don't know what I can do to bring him back down. Something to think about, though.
Jack Royale
I originally created this character to join an SG made by an old friend of mine. The concept was a family who had all acquired powers through various means and battled evil together. Kind of the hero version of the Royal Flush Gang. When that concept group broke up and the other people in the SG disappeared, Jack languished. Other than BigVagz and ScrapperVagz, he's the only character who's been around since before the first anniversary of the game. He had some life brought back to him teaming with Fyre's PB... but now I haven't played him in a very long time. I love his powers and his attitude, but... well, he can't really solo. I have no idea what to do with him.
Speed Trial
I love his powersets. I love his attitude. I have a blast playing this character... but I have no one to play him with. He doesn't really have a story. He's my character that I just have fun with. No drama, no angst... just a punk kid who thinks super-powers are awesome. But unfortunately, there's no story in that. And no real connections. And so he's a character with no friends, no team-mates, and powersets that make soloing with him a long, slow, tedious process.
So... Now What?
Just like the title says, I'm left staring at my list of characters wondering what to do next. It feels like Will's is the only story I'm telling right now. I need alternatives. Something else to play alongside it so when those nights come where I'm thinking "you know, Will needs a break" or I just want a break from playing "pet-wrangler", I've got something else to play.
Hopefully, inspiration will come.
E-VAC / E.VAC / Lost Phantom
E's in a coma. His greatest foe has been vanquished. But the story has continued without him, important things happening to Fyre, Masonry, and the Keens. I had a couple ideas for E's astrally-projected self... but his one visit seemed to have all the effect I could've wanted. Bringing him out more just feels redundant, and at level 8, he's hopelessly behind everyone else level-wise.
Does E come out of his coma, then? Do I try and get E2 from 49 to 50? And then what? I just don't see where to take this. Or even whether.
Vagabond Mage / Vagabond Blade / Vagabond Magus / Gray Wizard
Vagz is known pretty widely. He's meddled in almost every ongoing plot, usually in a minor way. I love playing the character just in general, but it feels like his only reason for existing is to act as an element in other people's stories. While that's not entirely bad, unwanted meddling is going to get him in trouble rather than making him any friends. I had an idea a while back for something bad to happen to him, but... well, I'm not sure how many people would be interested or how many characters would care. I think Vagz has become too distant. I don't know what I can do to bring him back down. Something to think about, though.
Jack Royale
I originally created this character to join an SG made by an old friend of mine. The concept was a family who had all acquired powers through various means and battled evil together. Kind of the hero version of the Royal Flush Gang. When that concept group broke up and the other people in the SG disappeared, Jack languished. Other than BigVagz and ScrapperVagz, he's the only character who's been around since before the first anniversary of the game. He had some life brought back to him teaming with Fyre's PB... but now I haven't played him in a very long time. I love his powers and his attitude, but... well, he can't really solo. I have no idea what to do with him.
Speed Trial
I love his powersets. I love his attitude. I have a blast playing this character... but I have no one to play him with. He doesn't really have a story. He's my character that I just have fun with. No drama, no angst... just a punk kid who thinks super-powers are awesome. But unfortunately, there's no story in that. And no real connections. And so he's a character with no friends, no team-mates, and powersets that make soloing with him a long, slow, tedious process.
So... Now What?
Just like the title says, I'm left staring at my list of characters wondering what to do next. It feels like Will's is the only story I'm telling right now. I need alternatives. Something else to play alongside it so when those nights come where I'm thinking "you know, Will needs a break" or I just want a break from playing "pet-wrangler", I've got something else to play.
Hopefully, inspiration will come.
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