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Eric: CoH Comic Rant: The Sequel.
The world endures. The cycle turns. A new issue of the City of Heroes comic book has appeared in my mailbox.
Before I discuss this issue, I should mention that there's only this and the next issue still coming to my mailbox. Cryptic Studios/PlayNC have announced that as of issue 7, the comic will be available electronically for City of Heroes subscribers, and people who want to continue receiving physical comic books can order it at "a reduced rate" through their PlayNC account.
I'm entirely behind this decision. Granted, I'm a webcomics sort of person anyway. But given the economics of producing, printing and shipping out comics to all those subscribers who haven't opted out, it only makes sense to me.
Anyhow, the second Troy Hickman penned issue has arrived. And as you'll recall from my (harsh) comments on the last Hickman issue, I promised to give this one a full chance -- to try not to let my admitted disgust at the post-modernist/unheroic "heroes" we've been given in the person of Statesman and Sister Psyche color everything I read. To have faith that the man who wrote Common Grounds -- a comic book that unremittingly gets it -- could bring a sense of the heroic ideal out of Paragon City... and lift it back up to the city that I like to imagine my own heroes and heroines fight for justice in, over at the video game (which I remain a staunch fan of).
Okay. I've got the next issue. I've given it a chance. I honestly have. Mr. Hickman, you can't claim I didn't keep my word.
I really liked it.
Made you look.
Maybe it was the near exclusion of Statesman and Sister Psyche. Those two wet blankets clearly shouldn't be put out front, because the rest of the Freedom Phalanx, without them, becomes pretty cool. The story picks up where the last issue left off. Our heroes failed to stop the Circle of Thorns from kidnapping the first of three scions of mystical macguffiness to prevent the whole thingy from doing the whatsis. Mystic plot three-fourteen in your Big Book of Comic Book Plots. Don't worry about it. The point of the plot is to give us character development punctuated by head-punching guys in green robes. The difference this time is we're given some solid Troy Hickman development in the story. Two other teams of two -- in this case Manticore and Citadel on one team and Synapse and Positron on the other -- go to save the other two scions etc. And on their way in, we get insight into the characters, which really is something Hickman is good at when the characters he's developing aren't jerks.
Manticore is, as we've seen before, the real star here. He and Citadel (a character who's had less screen time away from the game, which isn't a bad thing) are in a ghetto -- their target is a young boy of a heroin addict, who lets her little girl be the primary caregiver for her little brother and a baby. Manticore's "super power" is extreme wealth coupled with athletic skills (all right, he's also gotten some teleportation tricks, but he still counts as a Natural hero in game terms. We all make compromises). On his way in, he talks about the guilt he feels any time he shoots one of his arrows and misses -- the arrows cost a lot of money to develop and then produce. When he wastes one, he can't help but think of how much good the money that went into it could have done in poor neighborhoods like the one they're in. At the same time, he acknowledges (when Citadel asks) that simply handing out wads of cash won't make societal changes in places like this. It's a hard issue and problem.
All right, it's a touch unfortunate that we have a high-attitude, loud-mouthed, ultra-rich, ultra-liberal philanthropist who also happens to be an archer. I mean, you can't help but think "Green Arrow" every time he opens his mouth, especially in the post-Justice League Unlimited understanding of the character, where Ollie Queen's full billions have been restored to the character. Hickman didn't get to choose that. (Or the costume colors that strongly -- strongly -- evoke Hawkeye from the Avengers.) C'est bien. You take what you've been given, and this time the character of Manticore and Citadel feel heroic. Further, although we don't have a tenement tile set in the game (and I really wish we did), you could otherwise see this mission as actually happening in the game. There's nothing in it to prevent it. So, that too was helpful. This one felt like City of Heroes to me. And as our heroes fail this time, there is less a sense that they find failure to be a nuisance (and the victim an imposition) the way Statesman and Sister Psyche did, and more a sense that they failed to help people, which cuts them up inside.
The third mission -- with Synapse and Positron -- was also some solid characterization and another sense that these guys are heroes because it's a good thing to be a hero. It wasn't quite as solid, but again Hickman was somewhat saddled by constraints on the material. Synapse, for example, is set up to be so much the JLU version of the Flash it hurts -- right down to his juvenile reactions to half naked women. At least this time we have some echo of the brilliance Hickman invested in Speeding Bullet, over in Common Grounds, but it's just that. An echo. Still, I had no problem with these two heroes this time, and the idea that Positron doesn't like mirrors is appealing.
There is a return of the "people who resent super heroes for no good reason" trope in this mission, however, and that's unfortunate. Given that in-game Serge is specifically a Super Hero's costume designer, and he's putting on a Super Hero Fashion Show (with designs taken from actual in-game characters, though these girls aren't super heroes, they're just models) it feels a bit ridiculous that two members of the Freedom Phalanx showing up and saying that one of the models is in tremendous danger gets the degree of attitude it does. Serge of all people should know the score. And of course, they fail too, because otherwise... well, we wouldn't have a third arc issue, too, now would we? The dynamics and the fight scenes show a good, solid understanding of City of Heroes, and that's all I can ask.
Well, almost.
See, Synapse is a speedster, and so he does a number of superspeed tricks to avoid being hit, before blasting (he's a blaster) with electrical bolts. Only with the recent nerfs, you can't use Superspeed to dodge and avoid enemies, even in PvE. So, Synapse is specifically doing stuff players can't use speedsters to do, these days. (These days, Superspeed is pretty much only a power for travel, which Synapse as a comic book character doesn't help the in-game case for. Speedsters should have a solid set of tropes they just don't have in the game. I'd rather see Synapse acting like a full on Blaster -- using his speed to get to the fight, then standing at the periphery shooting electricity at his enemies, rather than wading through trusting his speed can get him out. However, I recognize that even as the game has some trouble modeling comic books, sometimes the comic will have trouble modeling the game. It's likely a good idea not to point out all the tricks that in-game characters have had taken away from them in your official tie in comic, though.)
Anyway, we have set up the climactic confrontation for the last issue. And Statesman and Sister Psyche will be back for it, so it's entirely possible I'll be back to hating the Freedom Phalanx by the end of it. (If only Statesman weren't in the clear Superman/Captain America role for this world, it wouldn't be so bad. As it is, when he shows up and acts so standoffishly, I'm never sure why the younger heroes don't say "screw this" and go join Arachnos.)
There remains one core problem with the comic, which is underscored and alleviated, all at once, with the backup feature. It's actually a problem Champions suffered from for a while. My friend and fellow RPG designer, David 'Doc Blue' Wendt, put it this way in a recent LJ post:
It's a shame really - CoH is almost everything I want in a Supers Computer Game - but in the end, I don't feel like I am a major hero and so it just can't compete with my new-ish shineys for now.
Doc Blue's right, of course. One of the core problems with City of Heroes the game is there's no real way to impact the game world. What's more, your heroes, no matter how powerful they become, are never the stars. Everyone instead talks about the Freedom Phalanx.
When the comic was about random teaming heroes, then the sense that the signature heroes were part of the landscape but the point of City of Heroes were the players' heroes wasn't lost. Now that City of Heroes the comic is about the signature heroes, the underlying message is "the player character heroes don't matter. You're just also-rans in the signature heroes' comic book. And Statesman kind of resents you, too."
The backup feature, which has nothing to do with the signature heroes or the Freedom Phalanx, is an incredibly positive step. It features a heroine named Morgan Le Fey (a descendent of the original) who has two costumes in the piece, both of which look like they could have come from the costume creator, remembering her backstory and doing some fighting. It's a nice piece, and more to the point it's about a heroine that a player could (and probably does) play. I can identify with Morgan le Fey, because it could as easily be about Transit, or Vibrex, or Lady Vermilion.
I hope that becomes a regular feature, even after they jump to all digital for subscribers.
As of today, I have some hope for the comic, in the meantime. Keep up the good work.
Posted by Eric Burns-White at October 8, 2005 2:19 PM
Comments
Comment from: Christopher B. Wright posted at October 8, 2005 3:32 PM
I quit City of Heroes. Ended my subscription and all that. I couldn't get past what Statesman did to tankers in the name of 'fun.' I'm not going to have any time to play it come November anyway -- NaNoWriMo and all that -- so I suppose it's just as well that Statesman killed my bliss...
Which means I guess this latest issue was my last, which is also OK with me. I guess you were trying to see the bright side of things, but it just seemed absolutely TERRIBLE to me. Are there no well-adjusted hereos in Paragon City AT ALL? Must they all brood? What ever happened to the wise-cracking, roguish hero who's more smart aleck than dark avenger? Or the blue-collar hero -- a working-class stiff who busts heads to protect his neighborhood?
Anyway. Bleah.
Comment from: sun tzu posted at October 8, 2005 5:37 PM
How can you say that "our" heroes don't matter? My tanker prevented a second Rikti invasion! He foiled a deicide plot! He saved the city's nuclear reactor - twice! He exposed Countess Crey for the villainess she was! He saved the world from the Malta Group's plots! He rescued Statesman himself! Heck, he saved a thousand worlds during events that vaguely echoed "Crisis on Infinte Earths"! People on the street keep teeling tale of his exploits, and many new contacts are impressed just at meeting him!
...
But, yeah, due to format, we can't actually change the world around us. We gotta role-play it (whih is why I stopped attacking Clockwork on the streets after the Synapse Task Force. I figured, with the Clockwork King out of comission, it was impossible for Clockwork to be threatening the city, so I act like they're gone).
Comment from: Phil Kahn posted at October 8, 2005 6:22 PM
I think the general CoH communities united hatred of The Stateman is synonymous to the overall hatred of our own Administration.
Comment from: PatMan posted at October 8, 2005 9:28 PM
I figured, with the Clockwork King out of comission, it was impossible for Clockwork to be threatening the city, so I act like they're gone
uh...yeah... that's a real healthy way of viewing the world. ;) Are you playing one of those philosophical heroes?
I wonder if that works in the real comics? "Lex Luthor was still a mad scientist and still in jail at the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths, so that guy calling himself Lex Luthor for the past 20 years couldn't possibly exist. So stop complaining Lois, you aren't really in danger."
Comment from: sun tzu posted at October 9, 2005 4:15 AM
Lol...Well, it didn't affect my hero's carreer too much, since the Synapse Task Force is what allowed me to out-level the Clockwork and move on to bigger, badder things...
Comment from: Meagen Image posted at October 10, 2005 7:20 AM
On the gripping hand, when you're a late-comer to the game and your first or second character is getting help from your higher-level friends, it's really difficult to feel like you're changing anything, even in RP.
"It takes an average of 2.5 Edilons to bust him out of the Zig", an Expemplared mentor observed after my first defeat of Dr. Vahlzilok. "He'll be back."
Comment from: ebullientsoul posted at October 10, 2005 9:21 AM
Perhaps the younger heroes don't join Arachnos because they joined to do good and not to get pats on the head from older heroes.
Comment from: Daerv posted at October 10, 2005 9:31 AM
Given the latest enhancement related announcement it will be interesting to see if anyone is still playing the game (other than controllers) in the coming weeks...
Personally I'm totally in favour of the changes, but they should have been in there... you know... from the very start. I don't think there's a MMO company in existence that actually has a satisfactory level of communication with its player base.
But hey, no more perma-hasten and stamina being genuinely relegated to a "nice to have" has just made my week. I'm genuinely looking forward to City of Villains now.
Comment from: Eric Burns posted at October 10, 2005 9:39 AM
But hey, no more perma-hasten and stamina being genuinely relegated to a "nice to have" has just made my week. I'm genuinely looking forward to City of Villains now.
Permahasten I've never actually done on any of my characters, so it makes as no never mind to me. Stamina, however, isn't "nice to have" in the new necessary. It's just as necessary -- it's just not as effective.
I've gone on the record about this over on the boards, but I'll reiterate here. This might be a better system. It really might.
But I'm exhausted with the whole affair. Honestly. I just want them to stop screwing with the game. I don't want to respec my characters again. I just don't.
I say, shelve this thing. Shelve all balance things. Entirely. Until I10 or I11. Then haul them out. But for the next five or six content issues? Accept that your players like your game and leave it alone.
Seriously -- how are they dumb enough to get their base this mad just before the City of Villains launch. Do they just have no PR person at all on staff?
Comment from: Daerv posted at October 10, 2005 9:59 AM
It's funny. Sony just did the exact same thing right before the first Everquest II expansion. They went a little bit further though, and changed what pretty much every single skill in the game did and completely redefined several classes in the process.
I agree they should stop messing but if they get the balance thing right now then they really can leave it alone forever more. I'm personally in favour of getting the painful parts out of the way now rather than them having to take the next five LUs into account when they finally did balance things.
I only thought of Stamina as being nice to have since your average blaster (or whatever) is now going to have two free slots to add either recharge or endurance reduction.
I don't think MMOs actually have PR or CS departments... let alone staff in them.
Comment from: Merus posted at October 10, 2005 10:14 AM
"I don't think there's a MMO company in existence that actually has a satisfactory level of communication with its player base."
Refutation: Puzzle Pirates. Partly due to the design, partly due to the developers just not being able to afford community managers, and partly because they're versed in the MMO classics (and by that I mean Bartle and MUDs) there's been few complaints, and most of those have been addressed with a slightly hurt reply from the lead designer. I understand most players are also satisfied with Pharoah's communication habits in A Tale In The Desert.
It's the companies that copy Everquest, and by extension the DIKU MUDs, that run into trouble with player expectations. Standard MMO design is broken, broken, broken. Advancing is based almost entirely off play time (because you can only get a certain amount of XP per hour, and skill doesn't play a whole amount into that number) so there is absolutely no way you can make a casual play experience that is as rich as the hardcore player existance; very few MMOs have a good solution for dealing with adventuring parties that aren't close in level, forcing players to keep up with their friends and peer groups if they want to play with them; very few MMOs seem to understand the Bartle player types which was demonstrated during the age of MUDs - WoW at least throws explorers a bone with XP rewards for exploring, but they haven't taken any steps to control killers, for instance.
You need to address balance issues, however, in order to keep things interesting. You lose development time and limit the game by letting balance issues lie fallow, and there aren't many companies who are good at balance. (Reason: if there's imbalance in the game and players work it out, then they'll gravitate towards the unbalancing builds. And then they'll complain that you're giving that character nerf balls when you fix it so that the abilities you spent time programming in are viable.)
Balance is really hard. Ideally, you build a self-balancing game - as an imbalance is exploited by the player base, the unbalancing factors slowly nerf themselves. The other option is to actually make the different abilities and classes radically different, crossing genres even, so that differentiation becomes less a matter of maths or whim and more a matter of what sort of gameplay you want or can manage.
Sorry for the rant, though.
Comment from: larksilver posted at October 10, 2005 1:59 PM
There will always be players grouching about how "that class is too strong", or "my class is too weak," blah blah blah. That's just..well, people. You have to look at the actual GAME, and maybe, I dunno, play it, live, to see if it works.
Merus: Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates is my other time-waster... er.. MMOarrrPG to play, and they are much better versed in many things. Their economy is much more balanced, as nearly all shops are player-run, and player labor makes the stuff in the shops. And their customer service staff actually (gasp!) play the game, and seem to love it. If you like puzzles, this one's it.. you can even play for free, and can be as casual or as intense as you want to be with it.... after all, it's hard to stress about being an "uber" puzzler (although some manage it, I hear). Three Rings has done it right.
Comment from: Merus posted at October 11, 2005 7:58 AM
Daniel James, the lead designer of Puzzle Pirates, was a wizard on one of the early British MUDs, Essex MUD. He was one of the core staff on Avalon, another MUD, and did business plan development for Skotos. The man clearly knows what he's doing.
The one thing that Yohoho has a problem with is content development. They have, I think, 8 staff members, not including sound, which is outsourced, so they do have some difficulty in getting enough content into the game quickly enough. On the other hand, most of their content has legs to it, as much of the game is player-run, including town building, the economy, and the combat.
The one MMO I was really looking forward to was UXO. Shame it got cancelled.
Comment from: larksilver posted at October 11, 2005 9:16 AM
Yohoho is not likely to attract a lot of the "usual" MMO crowd, as it's not about killin' monsters. I know that people are always hungry for something new (I'm not, really, but I get that some are)... but how much different can a new island kingdom be?
The focus of playing Y!PP, to me, always seems to be about improving your puzzling power and standing, having fun, and buying cool stuff, like your own ship, etc. I think most of the Pirates would gladly live with the delay in new content addition if it means we get the awesome customer service we get now. I know I would, matey.
Comment from: TroyHickman posted at October 11, 2005 2:32 PM
OK, Eric, first of all, thank you so much for the comments. I thrive on this stuff, good or bad, so having someone as thoughtful as you giving it some discussion is like manna. Now, a few comments from me.
* First, thanks loads for understanding that I can only work with what I'm given here. When the Cryptic folks tell me "Sister Psyche has only one of her two personas now, and that persona is a @#$%," then it's pretty tough to keep my cool when readers get upset that I've effectively portrayed Psyche as a @#$%. If you read Common Grounds, you get Troy Hickman's take on his characters. If you read something I was contracted to write, you get Troy Hickman doing his best to portray someone else's characters the way they want them, while still telling a decent story. So thanks, amigo. (And by the way, you may have a point about putting Psyche and Statesman "out front" in #4, but if I hadn't, then people would have said "I didn't like the way they acted in #4...OR #5"). Remind me to talk to you about this sometime, btw, E-man.
*OK, on the matter of Serge, I can only assume that I failed to get this scene across to you (my fault), if you thought Serge was resentful toward the heroes. I tried very hard in a minimal amount of space (three panels) to characterize Serge as someone who, while being high-strung (especially right before a big show), was understanding about the whole superhero thing. Here's the exact dialogue:
SERGE: What are you doing here? The shop isn't open yet!
SYNAPSE: Cool your jets, pal. We're not here to crash this Babe-apalooza festival.
POSITRON: I'm Positron, and this is Synapse. And you're...Serge, aren't you? The costume designer?
SERGE: I am Serge, yes. And you are interrupting the dress rehearsal for my upcoming show!
POSITRON: We apologize for that, Serge, But this is an emergency. You've dealt with enough superheroes to understand that, I take it?
SERGE: Yes, yes I do. What can I do to help you?
The whole conversation, in real time, would take maybe twenty seconds, and the instant that Serge realizes there's an emergency, he's willing to do whatever it takes (he does NOT take any degree of attitude after being told a model is in danger, which is what you commented on; after his lines of dialogue shown above, he basically has no more lines). If there's one guy in Paragon City who DOES get it, it should be Serge, and I thought I made that clear. But if I didn't, again, my apologies.
*Regarding the back-up story, while it might not deal directly with the Phalanx, it very definitely does tie into the "Smoke and Mirrors" arc. There's actually an interesting story behind that (and I should cut and paste my comments here into a thread about it on the CoH boards, as a lot of folks have asked about it). That story was originally plotted out by Top Cow CEO Matt Hawkins as a way of showing the Cryptic Studios people what artist David Nakayama can do. It was basically just a quick "practice" story with Matt's personal CoH character, Morgan Le Fey, showing up to debut her new costume and being attacked by a bunch of bad guys. It was drawn up by David, and shown to Cryptic, who OKed him as regular artist for the book.
HOWEVER, as I was about to start writing the script for CoH #5, Jim McLauchlin called me and told me that for some arcane legal reason that I still don't understand, that six page story had to appear as a back-up in #5. That was all well and good, except it meant I now had 16 pages for the main story, rather than the 22 I thought I had (and this right in the middle of the story arc). Yikes! Jim told me that I could script the already-drawn story, though, so I decided rather than totally lose six pages of the overall arc, I would tie the back-up story into the main one through a little creative scripting. I have to say, too, that I'm pretty proud of the way I integrated it into the tale of Breakneck and company (though I do wonder how many people caught the connection).
Anyway, thanks again for all your very insightful and gracious comments. Really jazzes me up.
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