From City of Heroes/City of Villains Stratics

<Brannoc> Welcome to the another great Stratics house of commons with the developers of City of Heroes and City of Villains!
Tonight the topic will be the fiction, zones, and how to get in the bidness...along the same lines powers, ED, nerfs, etc will be offlimits so please do not ask.

<Brannoc> Please send those questions to [QT]Bot - to do so type /msg [QT]Bot My question here. Please only send questions to our QT's as those sent to myself or the developers will not make it into the lineup.

<Brannoc> The full logs will be posted on http://coh.stratics.com after the chat. We'll begin with a quick intro from our guests...now would be a good time to send in those questions!

<CuppaJo> Hey guys - welcome to the chat - I'm CuppaJo the CoH Community rep!

<Alexa> Howdy! I'm Alexa Archer - the community coordinator for CoV!

<Manticore> Hey there! I'm Manticore the Story Director and IP Manager for CoH and CoV.

<Manticore> AKA Sean FIsh

<CptMako> Hi! I'm Shane Hensley, Lead Writer on City of Villains.

<Awry> Hola, I'm Awry, the silent but deadly CoV web content writer/editor.

<Brannoc> *Arctice* Coming up with a story for an MMORPG is one of the hardest things to write (I've tried it myself). How did you manage to conceive a story while still keeping the open-endedness of an MMORPG without dragging down the gameplay or altering the depth of the story?

<Manticore> I always thought of the story for our game as a tapestry. I even wrote a piece for Gamasutra called Weaving the Threads on this topic.

<Manticore> I think that each players story is one thread and by the end hopefully they have all been woven together to tell a massive tale.

<CptMako> Specifically in CoV, the main "backstory" for City of Villains has to do with why Lord Recluse believes your villain is one of the "Chosen ones."

<CptMako> It's perhaps even more of a "theme" than a story that develops as you play, allowing you to create your *own* story about your villain and his interaciton with Recluse and Arachnos.

<CptMako> This has a large part to play in the "end game", as you'll see when the 40th+ level content is released.

<Brannoc> *Demota* Where is Monica Richter now?

<Manticore> Monica Richter, aka Maiden Justice is dead as far as Statesman knows. Her origin can be found...say it with me now...in the Web of Arachnos, no in stores!

<Manticore> One interesting tidbit is that Lord Recluse mentioned his dead sister in a recent issue of the comic. That cannot be good.

<Brannoc> *Demota* Does Lord Recluse still not believe in magic?

<Manticore> With the Circle of Thorns being such a clear threat Lord Recluse has been forced to revise his opinions on magic. In his typical fashion he has chosen to fight fire with fire. The Arachnos Mystics are incredibly powerful and almost shut Paragon City down permanently.

<Manticore> Scirocco currently supervises their day to day activities.

<Brannoc> *Starbinder* What would you say is the best way for players to follow the backstory and ongoing story of CoH and CoV?

<CptMako> Hi Starbinder. :) The best way to follow the story is really to follow the novels, the comics, and the game itself. The novels give you all the background and what has gone before while the comic gives you what's going on currently. The game itself allows you to follow particular stories, such as with the Clockwork King or the Trolls, etc.

<Brannoc> Bountytaker* In comics, when a villain is victorious, the world around him/her is usually affected. Are there any plans to allow CoV villains a greater ability to affect the game world.

<CptMako> Hi Bountytaker. :) We have many plans to make the world react more to your actions. Story-wise we already do certain things just by concluding story-arcs. Gameplay-wise, I'm personally working on several new features that will roll out as we continue that do just what you're looking for. I can't go into specifics of course (because no plan survives contact with the enemy), but our crew here is really brilliant and things are progressing

<Brannoc> ClockworkDusk* first off, I want to say as an aspiring novelist. Both of your work in this game has been nothing short of astounding. My question is this, will we be seeing more of the "rogue's gallery" for the other members of Freedom Phalanx. Statesman/Recluse (or reichsman) but does say... Numina have an archvillain we may encounter ((outside of the Red Threat returning))

<Manticore> This should make you all smirk. More information about the Freedom Phalanx's Rogues Gallery will be found in our second novel, "The Freedom Phalanx". I can give you some names at least...Protean, Dr. Null, Revenant and the Shadow Queen.

<Manticore> I am nothing if not sonsistent. ;)

<Manticore> err...consistent

<Brannoc> *Bountytaker* Will we ever see one of the big CoV SG's written into the story of CoH?

<Manticore> Definitely. The Rogue Isles are not far from Paragon City and Lord Recluse's fondest wish is to humiliate Statesman and all his sycophants. Arachnos and other groups from CoV will make their way to Paragon in the future.

<Brannoc> *RikMach* Who is M.s Liberty's father?

<Manticore> I have had a number of PM's about this particular question. Just to clarify for everyone to make sure we are starting on the same page, Miss Liberty is the daughter of Statesman and Maiden Justice. Miss Liberty's daughter is Ms. Liberty. Now to the actual question...I am not ready to reveal the identity of Ms. Liberty's father just yet but I can assure you it will be shocking!

<Manticore> You love me now don't you?

<Brannoc> *Bountytaker* It seems like a lot of the early missions in CoV focus on fighting other evild doers. Some say this causes less of a "villainy" feeling. Comments?

<CptMako> I think you do fight the good guys quite a bit in the early levels--Longbow is one of your first Kalinda missions. The Snakes were actually *supposed* to be "good", but I agree that they came out as something else. Fortunately, much like Schemes, you'll soon have the ability to "choose" missions against hero groups such as Wyvern, Longbow, and the Legacy Chain.

<Brannoc> *Explosivo* So how do I let all these other fools know that I'M the "chosen one" and the rest are wannabes? ;o)

<CptMako> Kill them. Kill them all. --Cpt Mako.

<Brannoc> *GeneralEulogy* Is there a plan for events, task forces, or story arcs that will lead to a visible effect on the game world? Something where you can finish it with your peers, then chuckle and say "Yep, we lit Atlas Park on fire." Basically more tangible results than badges, souvineers, etc.

<CptMako> Some of the endgame content you'll find in the 40th+ level content does that very thing.

<CptMako> We're also working on other "systems" and mission types that better reflect your efforts, but those are a little further out.

<Brannoc> *RikMach* Why'd you drop Grendel for Atta? Ever since I heard his name back in Beta, I've been wanting to fight what I'd assume a huge green drug-mutated monster- and when the Hollows come out, I found out he's been replaced by some no-name dink named Atta. What's up with that?

<Manticore> Hey RikMach, you lookin for an Enema Arrow?

<Manticore> Seriously though...the Hollows was the first attempt at a zone that told a story from beginning to end. That vision was fully realized with Striga Isle. I really like the way those zones spur the players on.

<Manticore> As far as Atta goes...it is his den, baby!

<Brannoc> *Arctice* Has anything ever inspired you to create one of your characters before?

<CptMako> Absolutely. Just like you, we're inspired by books, movies, and other games. I have MANY characters in the game and group with strangers to play all the time. One of my characters was inspired by "The Day the Earth Stood Still." Another was inspired by my own Deadlands RPG.

<Manticore> A number of the characters in CoH are from my old RPG campaigns as well! ;)

<Brannoc> *Bountytaker* Occassionally, a villain will move up from minor plots to grand plans of world domination. Will we ever get to try that, ala Nemesis?

<CptMako> The story of City of Villains is that very thing--moving up from being a (super powered) thug on the streets to eventual world...mabye even "reality"... domination.

<Brannoc> *Degnared* Is there anything in the works for planed for Praetorian versions of the signature villains? Or were they decisively defeated early on by Tyrant and his ilk?

<Manticore> The Praetorians are my favorite villain group. I love their concept and how downright nasty some of them are. As far as Arachnos of Praetorian Earth...they have had a tough row to hoe. A world where Statesman went down a darker road has made life very hard for Recluse and the gang. I hope that you might see them in the game someday but there are no short term plans for that at the moment.

<Brannoc> *Demota* What did Lord Recluse mean in the trailer for CoV when he told Statesman about "who is truly cursed"?

<Manticore> In the now FAMOUS novel the Web of Arachnos, the origin of Statesman and Lord Recluse is told. Although they are both imbued with power it manifests very differently. Outwardly it would seem that Recluse got the short end of the stick, however from his perspective things look a bit different.

<Brannoc> *Degnared* With City of Villains groups eventually making their way into City of Heroes' storylines, will Longbow perhaps be along for the ride?

<CptMako> If you mean "will Longbow show up in CoH", the answer is "almost certainly." Of course you won't be fighting them, but I'm sure you'll see them around from time to time. Most of the time of course they're focusing their efforts on Recluse's evil in the Rogue Isles.

<Brannoc> *GeneralEulogy* Are there any plans to do something like a TF so an SG can 'ally' with a villain group, for something like maybe having their base populated with a couple of their NPCs, etc?

<CptMako> Not at this time. We've discussed it and think it's cool, but want to keep heroes and villains focused for a while before we start mixing them up.

<Brannoc> *Cantatus* Why doesn't Scirocco get any love? He's the only one to not get a HeroClix of Arachnos, he's not on the website, he wasn't even on the CD case. Surely, if Cpt. Mako can make it onto these things, it's not an issue of looks, so why is he always left out?

<CptMako> Only so much room, and Cpt Mako is WAY cooler. ;)

<CptMako> Duh DUMP! Duh DUMP!

<Brannoc> *Arctice* What games do YOU play in your free time?

<CptMako> Besides CoH/CoV, I'm a huge Battlefield2 player (PEGShane), and I'm also really enjoying GUN and the Movies right now. Combat Mission (www.battlefront.com) is perhaps my favorite game of all time. :)

<CptMako> RPG wise, it's all Savage Worlds, baby! (And Deadlands in particular.)

<Manticore> I am playing Shadow of the Colossus, The Suffering and the Warriors.

<Manticore> DEADLANDS! WOO HOO!

<Manticore> I also play a lot of Warmachine.

<Brannoc> *Bountytaker* Are you guys writing any of the material for the CCG or Heroclix?

<Manticore> I designed the characters and the signature powers for the CCG. I also wrote all the flavor text and helped the brilliant Dave Williams with the mechanics design. I designed the dials on the Heroclix and made sure the teams were both 300 points.

<Brannoc> *GeneralEulogy* Do you get a lot of fanfiction that crosses your inboxes? And if so, have you ever thought of using some of it?

<Manticore> Our game generates a lot of fanfic. We put a lot of it in the community section of our comic book. We even had Mercedes Lackey write a piece for us.

<Brannoc> *Medorus* In an earlier release, Manticore mentioned the eventual return of Reichsman, as well as the 5th Column. Any updates on that? Will it ever see the light of day?

<Manticore> Yes. The 5th Column will be back, led by the butt kicking Reichsman. It will not be a kinder gentler Column, in fact it will be the harshest most brutal version of the group you have ever seen.

<Manticore> How do you like them apples?

<Brannoc> *Bountytaker* how much work do you do on the missions in CoV/CoH? Do you have to go through each one and make sure the story jives with the story bible?

<CptMako> The way missions come about--for CoV anyway--is that I created the zone and its backstory. There are a fair number of "Tell a story about Dr. Aeon and the HUGE secret of the PTS here..." kind of nuggets. The Mission Design team (managed by Sean), then comes up with the specific stories, we plot them out ahead of time and figure out what kind of resources we can get for them, and then stamp them "official."

<Manticore> When I started here at Cryptic I was the only mission writer on CoH. It only took me a few weeks to realize that I needed help. We brought a couple more writers on to the team in order to make enough content for you rabid mission hunters. These days I try to make certain I read everything that affects the story of the game. Zones, missions, events, comic, novels, etc. and keep the continuity as smooth as possible.

<Brannoc> *Skya* will we be given more variety in the low lvl CoV missions? I'm tired of running the same two contacts for teh first 10 lvls. Variety early was one of the things I rather liked about CoH

<CptMako> Yes. We're working on it and it will be rereleased *no later* than the 40-50th level content.

<Brannoc> *Degnared* What can you tell us about the Arbiters? What exactly keeps the uninvolved in the squabling and off the factions' radars? Recluse's sayso?

<CptMako> Lord Recluse sends the Arbiters back in time to kill your ancestors. Case closed. ;)

<Brannoc> *ClockworkDusk* In the E3 trailer, Manticore and Captain Mako go pretty brutal on each other. Was this intentional as a joke between you two?

<Manticore> Are you kidding? Shane and I LARP that scene every day!

<Brannoc> *Bountytaker* We've had fascists, robots, evil coporations, aliens, mystics, etc...Are there any MAJOR villain types you think the game is still missing?

<CptMako> Monkeys. Everything is better with monkeys.

<Brannoc> (Remember to send your questions to [QT]Bot to get em answered!)

<Brannoc> *Cantatus* Way back, it was mentioned by Lord Recluse that villains in CoV would have a choice of two villain groups to join. Obviously that was scrapped. What was the other villain group we were going to be able to join, and is there any possibility of that being revived in the future?

<CptMako> The original design was for you to be able to join Arachons, the Rikti, and the Circle of Thorns. It really just hadn't been well thought out, and we eventually decided to let you work alongside (and eventually perhaps dominate) Lord Recluse's personal retinue.

<Brannoc> *Torell* Speaking of Monkeys.. any plushies coming out? :)

<CuppaJo> I have seen concept art ;) But "soon" would be pushing it for an ETA - I'd say hopefully later.

<Brannoc> *Bountytaker* I've always found "time-travel" to be a very tough subject to write about. The original Ubelmann arc did it very, very well. Other than Recluse's victory, will we see any more time-travel?

<CptMako> I agree that Ubelmann was VERY well done (that was Brian Gilmore). It was actually the inspiration for Recluse's Victory and the entire backstory of CoV. And yes, there will be more time travel in the future.

<Brannoc> *Medorus* Speaking of new villain groups, Statesman mentioned in an old post that an egyptian mummy-style villain group was in the works. Has that been dropped, put on hold, or still coming down the pipeline?

<Manticore> The Blood of the Black Stream is still in the pipeline but it might be awhile until the see the light of day. I did link the background of the winner of our first CCG contest to this group however.

<Brannoc> That's it for this one folks! Huge thanks to the developers for joining us, the logs will be up shortly at http://coh.stratics.com - join us next time right here on Stratics IRC!

<Alexa> Thanks Brannoc, thanks everyone

<CptMako> Thanks all! It was great talking to you. Of course we're on the forums frequently as well and always happy to answer what questions you can. The people who play CoH/CoV are by and large a GREAT group of folks and we're thrilled to be working for you. :)

<Manticore> Thanks for all the great questions guys and thanks for playing!

<CuppaJo> Thanks to both Mako and Manticore - you can read more about this chat in the web... um, on Stratics site. :)