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A little technical help?

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A little technical help?
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TealSwann
Bystander


Joined: 19 Mar 2007
Posts: 24
Location: Michigan

PostPosted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 2:49 pm    Post subject: A little technical help? Reply with quote
 
Hello all! Hopefully this will be a quick question. I'm currently working on another Indigo Eve story. As Volt seems to have taken an interest in her, I sent the story to T.W. to check out. It's not that I don't trust his opinion(T.W., I hope this post doesn't offend you!), but I'm looking for second (and knowing this forum, a third, fourth, and fifth) opinion. The story begins with Eve registering as a hero and the registrar making a comment about her outfit(jeans and sweatshirt). After wondering where to get a costume she is handed a card for Icon by another hero. So my problem is this...is it standard belief/knowledge that you receive information for Icon when you register(ala gameplay)? And how do you all feel if the creative license is taken to change it. I've only been playing the game for a couple of months and I've not well-versed on the game history and generally understood 'facts'. Thanks in advance!!


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Myths n' Wraiths
Freedom Phalanx Founding Member


Joined: 26 Apr 2006
Posts: 880
Location: I give a crap too ;) .

PostPosted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 5:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
 
I will start by saying that first off it is entirely up to you and what you think will make your story a more enjoyable/believeble/entertaining/... well you get the idea.

Having said that, based off of what you say is in your story, I personaly wouldn't reccomend changing a thing anyway. Might I recommend "Birth of a Hero".
http://www.cohwritersguild.com/cohwritersguild_571.htm
I did virtualy the exact same thing you're saying. The protaganist had been a hero for quite some time but had sort of been living on the dark side... well, at least really deep into the grey. When he desides to reform his ways he gets a Icon buisness card from his former mentor and is told to make himslef look like a hero becuase up until that point he had been running around with jeans and a T-shirt. Sound familiar? Wink .

If you are ever in question about wanting to write something that you think is good for your story and sticking to CoH lore, go with what is good for your story. That is my recomendation at least.


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PhoenixHawk
Man of Steel


Joined: 26 Apr 2006
Posts: 442
Location: as if anyone really gives a crap

PostPosted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
 
It's pretty much a necessity to take creative liberties with how things work in Paragon as far as writing goes. We can't all interact with everything on the simplistic terms that things occur in the game.

That said, there has been created here, to paraphrase Ock, a secondary CoH bible. We try to stick with CoH cannon as much as we can...we don't change Statesman's history, or the background for a villain group or geographic zone. However, how you manifest and use powers, interact with contacts and other heroes in your stories is all up to you.

One of the coolest realizations I had while reading and writing, is when I came across a scene in Tropic's Project: Heroine where Trop wreaths his hand in superheated flame and presses it through the door of a safe to extract the contents. In game, we are somehow always able to access computers, pick safes, etc. I thought the liberties he took with that were very cool and didn't change anything at the basis of the world...it just enhanced what we could do with it.

I've personally taken all kinds of liberties throughout my course of CoH fan fic. I regularly made mediporters a non-automatic thing that had to be activated, enhanced how the powers could be used, and went so far as to include characters from Greek mythology that were both included in the comics and first CoH novel, and some that weren't.

I guess I'm long winded, but I can sum up by saying if it fits into the CoH world without chaning anything that makes the world what it is, then go for it. The more varied our imaginations are with it, the more expansive the world becomes.

D

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Tropic
Site Admin


Joined: 25 Apr 2006
Posts: 312
Location: Florida

PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 12:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
 
I've discovered that pretty much everything I write goes from A to B and in the middle of it I get a 'Wouldn't it be cool if...' moment and point B becomes C or D or ....

Go where the story takes you. The only thing to really remember is that main CoH heroes and villains like Statesman and Lord Recluse are pretty much canon. For instance, there was a story here where the hero popped a few arrows into Countess Crey! I thought she was dead! Next part she recovered. You cant kill Countess Crey! Freaked me out!

As far as the costume, when you train up at level 20 the trainer tells u you're costume stinks and sends you to Icon. Well, theres no accounting for taste!

Do what you think you're character would do. Thats the best advice I can think of!

Trop

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RoboZon
Man of Steel


Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 276
Location: cloud 10 (forget cloud 9 it sucks)

PostPosted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
 
Tropic wrote:


Go where the story takes you. The only thing to really remember is that main CoH heroes and villains like Statesman and Lord Recluse are pretty much canon. For instance, there was a story here where the hero popped a few arrows into Countess Crey! I thought she was dead! Next part she recovered. You cant kill Countess Crey! Freaked me out!



dont worry... i didnt kill her.... i wanted to Twisted Evil .... but i didnt Mad


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fixit
God-like Powers


Joined: 01 May 2006
Posts: 605
Location: Utah

PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2007 7:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
 
I have only read the question Teal, not the answers that followed. Her eis my response.

I once had a citizen who was saved comment on the lack of costume by her savior. I like the idea that there are two groups of heroes. The "insiders" who wear tight spandex and leather, and the "other guys" who go out there and kick butt, and don't give a rats ass about costumes.

Now it seems to me that a city full of heroes would probably have hot spots where everyone knows you can get a good costume. However, having a good connection with a particular tailor (I'm sure Willow Wind has one) is another matter all together. I guess what I'm saying is taht there is a lot of room for interpretation on the subject. My advice to you is to do what feels right. ...
and to start drinking heavily. .... unless you're under age, then drink milk.


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Voyager
Class 100 Hero


Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 130

PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2007 9:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
 
Been a while since I posted any sorts of comments...here goes!

I would say all of us use City of Heroes as a starting point, but not as a limit to our writing styles.

For exemple, I personally go out of my way to make sure mediporters are broken/out of reach instead of using them whenever I...

*takes a deep breath*

maim/massacre/mutilate/decapitate/eviscerate/beat up/gang bang/shoot/set fire to/have body parts explode/trash/burn/freeze/mentally reduce to a pulp/bitch slap/spoon feed mass murder...

*eeeeeep!*

in my story.

This game, like any other situation in your life, provides the markers, the guidelines for your inspiration to flourish. Don't let it be a limit, use it as a beginning and see where it takes you.

Another exemple is the damage taken in a story vs. the damage taken in game. In the game, unless you look at your health bar, you wouldn't physically see any difference between 100% HP and 0% HP, no blood, no ripped suits, nothing. And yet your character always ends up trying to get a hot date with Nurse Betty at the local hospital (except in The Hive, it sucks big balls). In the stories, we allow, describe and permit damage to be more that just a health bar, we describe it as best as we can.

Do game mechanics really need to be respected?

Nah!

They need to be ackowledged and wondered upon, imho. Most of the mechanics were meant for one purpose only, the game. Now, your stories are not. They do not make or break the game, they enhance the experience you and others have of the game. If I were given a choice between playing CoH and playing "150 meters to the ground", guess what, I would give myself a monthly fee! Wink

See them for what they are, mechanics to help newcomers and even experienced players get around the game world. I'll give a blunt exemple of this statement:

3 years ago, when I first started playing CoH, I made a blaster, collected debt and what not, and managed to make my way to lvl 31 with him, teaming was new to everyone, and like most people, the game manual provided with the CDs, I had left exactly where it should be (still there btw, just checked) in the retail box. Shocked

Imagine my surprise when someone told me there were travel powers! Embarassed

Word of mouth gets around, we get wiser and blah blah blah. Laughing

This game is a wonderful pool for imagination, outside of the well travelled roads of Marvel and DC combined. Suddenly, our heroes, our avatars, are the center of our attention. Use them as it should be, don't let it be a boundary, let it flow, imagination is a wild thing!

V

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fixit
God-like Powers


Joined: 01 May 2006
Posts: 605
Location: Utah

PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2007 10:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
 
Gang bang?


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Voyager
Class 100 Hero


Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 130

PostPosted: Tue May 08, 2007 10:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
 
fixit wrote:

Gang bang?



AAhhh, hmmm...I guess my mind wondered as I wrote my reply... Laughing

But then again, I guess your mind focused as you read it! Shocked

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