tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45739368093844539022024-02-19T00:07:10.662-08:00The Battlerock X ChroniclesThe stories of the heroes of Paragon City, the villains of the Rogue Isles, and the people of Praetoria. This is where legends are born, and where you can be tomorrow's legend!David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.comBlogger216125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-68402277571442671432012-12-31T09:39:00.000-08:002012-12-31T09:39:35.496-08:00Tales From Paragon City #4<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Dark Scandal Surrounding Wyvern Is Exposed!</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.deviantart.com/download/345854201/tales_from_paragon_city_04_by_djmatt2-d5pwut5.pdf" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://cohcomicindex.com/home/cohcomicindex/images/0/02/TFPC-04c.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.deviantart.com/download/345854201/tales_from_paragon_city_04_by_djmatt2-d5pwut5.pdf" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Please click on the image or this link to download the PDF file.)</span></i></a></div>
<br />For years, the privately-funded army called Wyvern has protected millionaires and billionaires and their family members from threats around the world. But they have also been waging a private war against the criminal empire known as Arachnos and their vice-grip hold of the Rogue Isles.<br /><br />In 2005, this private war becomes public as Wyvern enacts a private blockade around the Isles in response to Arachnos trying to take over Paragon City earlier that year. What happens next has implications not only for Wyvern but also to a certain family whose name would become synonymous with disaster.<br /><br />Special guest appearance by Sin Stalker of the <a href="http://jkcomics.com/" target="_blank"><b>"Justice Knights" series</b></a> and also includes a follow-up story featuring a certain YouTube character.<br /><br />For more about the <b>"Tales from Paragon City"</b> series, please visit it's NEW home at <b><a href="http://battlerockcomics.wordpress.com/comic-series/tales-from-paragon-city/" target="_blank">Battlerock Comics</a></b>! David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-34327496760379831142012-12-24T19:25:00.000-08:002012-12-25T04:02:32.835-08:00A Special Holiday PresentAs this is the Holiday Season, a season of giving... there is one last gift that I can give on Christmas Eve, and that is the news of one more City of Heroes comic release...<br />
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<b>"Tales From Paragon City" #4</b> will have one last issue published on New Year's Eve that will feature a certain YouTube personality.<br />
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If the cover and start of the story should look a little familiar, it's because the first half of the story was originally published in the "City of Comic Creators Compendium". But with the closing of City of Heroes MMO, the second half was never able to be told... until now. <br />
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The story will also include a special appearance by Sin Stalker of JKComics.com, as well as one more character that was promised but never could be seen in this series until now. Better late than never, right?<br />
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<b>"Tales From Paragon City" #4</b> will be online on 12/31.David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-28590862973613427452012-12-24T19:10:00.000-08:002012-12-24T19:10:27.606-08:00Battlerock Comics AnnouncedGet Brutal Productions<br />
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />Get Brutal Productions Announces Creation of Battlerock Comics</b></span><br />
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<i>Georgia - December 24, 2012</i> - Get Brutal Productions, a one-man production company designed to highlight various multimedia services, has announced the creation of a subsidiary production group specifically designed for fan-made comic books.<br />
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<b>Battlerock Comics</b> will service as an online center for all comics published by Get Brutal Productions. This will encompass both the comics previously published by writer/creator David 2 and the new comics that will be released in 2013.<br />
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Writer/Creator David 2 began work with online comics in 2009 with “Guardians of the Dawn Spotlight”, a regular fan-made not-for-profit series that used characters created in the “City of Heroes” Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game owned by NCSoft. Eventually three regular series were created using characters in the “City of Heroes” game, including “Spotlight”, “Tales from Paragon City”, and “The Guardian Powers”. David 2 also worked with other fan-made comic artists on several projects, including creating stories and cover designs to the “City of Comic Creators Compendium” series, and a comical “video-comic” series on YouTube called “Ask Captain Catastrophe”.<br />
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The first series under the Battlerock Comics title will be “Future’s Guardian”, another regular fan-made not-for-profit series that uses characters in the “Champions Online” MMORPG as provided by Perfect World Entertainment. The series follows from an earlier series published online in 2011 called “The Lost Adventures of Galatea Future”, which will end with its fourth issue to transition the characters over to the new series.<br />
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David 2 points out that online comic series provide a way for fans of comic books to appreciate the world of online multiplayer gaming and even encourages readers to participate.<br />
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“Fan-made comics give the MMO providers something they otherwise would never have,” he said, “and that is free advertising for their game. Traditionally they would have to work with established comic book publishers like Dark Horse or Image Comics, and their representations would barely match the detail in the MMO itself. With fan-made comics, readers see the issue, they see the images from the game, the detail of the characters in that game, they realize that this is an environment that they can interact in themselves, and they see all of the references to the game itself, namely where they can find it.”<br />
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Battlerock Comics can be found at <a href="http://battlerockcomics.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://battlerockcomics.wordpress.com </a>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-42677282694822389862012-12-01T00:40:00.001-08:002012-12-01T00:40:18.826-08:00Good Night Paragon City!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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December 1st marks the end of City of Heroes MMO.<br />
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For Colonel John Battlerock, aka Battlerock X, the character for whom this blog site was created, his final battle on this day was against the Rikti, the very monsters that nearly deprived him of his life ten years ago. A fitting way to end his story, overcoming his greatest threat and still standing.<br />
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Thank you to those of you who have enjoyed the entries, articles, images, videos, and reviews. This will not be the last entry, there will be more to come, but for now it is time for this old soldier to stand down and go home.David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-5972015236332716882012-09-27T21:15:00.002-07:002012-09-27T21:15:45.547-07:00We Are Heroes This Is What We Do!<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pC3tseY-ic0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<b>Info site:</b> <a href="http://www.savecoh.com/">http://www.savecoh.com</a><br />
<b>Petition:</b> <a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/ncsoft-keep-ncsoft-from-shutting-down-city-of-heroe">http://www.change.org/petitions/ncsoft-keep-ncsoft-from-shutting-down-city-of-heroe</a>s <br />
<b>Titan Network:</b> <a href="http://www.cohtitan.com/forum/index.php/topic,4882.0.html">http://www.cohtitan.com/forum/index.php/topic,4882.0.html</a>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-17181729721755584482012-08-01T20:33:00.000-07:002012-08-01T20:35:40.376-07:00Tactical File: Rikti Incursions<table id="table1" border="1" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center" valign="top" width="150"> <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Rikti"> <img src="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/w/images//f/f8/Rikti_Conscript.jpg" /></a><p> <span style="font-size:85%;"><b><a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Rikti">Rikti Conscript</a></b><br /><b>Rank:</b> </span><span style="font-size:85%;"> Minion<br /><b>Weapons:</b> </span><span style="font-size:85%;"> Rikti Sword, Rikti Energy Rifle</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Found In:</b><br /><a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Rikti_War_Zone">Rikti War Zone</a> </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Founders_Falls">Founders Falls</a> </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Peregrine_Island">Peregrine Island</a> </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Crey%27s_Folly">Crey's Folly</a> </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Monster_Island">Monster Island</a> </span><br /> </p></td> <td> <p>In 2002, we were shocked to discover multiple discs appearing everywhere. These discs, we soon discovered, were actually dimensional portals, and what came through them devastated the world.</p> <p>The <a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single; font-weight:700" href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Rikti"> Rikti</a>: mysterious race from another world in another dimension with knowledge and technology that clearly surpassed our own</p> <p>Millions were killed in the first day. Whole cities ravaged. Paragon City itself was fragmented and divided by huge War Walls that remain even to this day.</p> <p>But for the first time in our history, the whole world joined forces to confront this threat. The sacrifices made were both shocking and heroic. The world was saved, but the price was high, especially for our champions.</p> <p>Five years later, the skies darkened again. The Rikti <a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single" href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Rikti_World_Invasion"> were back</a>.</p> <p>This time, though, we were prepared. The United Nations defense force known as <a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single" href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Vanguard"> Vanguard</a> had been preparing for the Rikti’s return and they made sure that they would not be allowed to put down any stakes on Earth ever again.</p> <p>But just because we fought off the second invasion doesn’t mean that the threat is over with.</p> <p>There is still <a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single" href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Rikti_War_Zone"> a mothership on Earth</a>. Even though it was crashed in 2002 and is surrounded by Vanguard forces, it is still active and providing support and intelligence for the Rikti forces still on the ground.</p> <p>Plus there is a second Rikti mothership. It is <a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single" href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Lady_Grey_Task_Force"> connected somehow</a> to the downed mothership inside the Rikti War Zone. Every so often it makes its approach to try to catch us off-guard.</p> <p>This threat, by the way, is not just limited to Paragon City. The Rogue Isles are also a Rikti target, although the reasons why still remain unanswered.</p> <p>Although you cannot see this second mothership, its presence is certainly felt when it approaches Earth’s atmosphere. In places where the mothership hovers over, the skies turn a sickly brown-and-green color. The presence of the mothership is also powerful enough to de-power the War Walls in Paragon City <i>(not a surprise since they were built using Rikti technology)</i>, which allows for smaller ships to come in.</p> <p>Fortunately the size of the arriving mothership is massive enough for Vanguard to give people up to five minutes warning to prepare and to head for shelter. Vanguard actually has anywhere up to twenty minutes warning time; however, the specific destination cannot be determined until about five minutes before arrival, so they will hold off on issuing specific alerts until that time.</p> <p>The mothership cannot come as close to Earth as they did in 2002. Vanguard defense forces make sure of that. But that mothership can still send down ships and troops while they are overhead.</p> <p>Your typical Rikti incursion has two stages to it.</p> <p>The first stage is an air assault. This is where Rikti Drop Ships will bomb the area. They will fly in a straight pattern, one after another, and drop bombs on the area. It’s best to stay out of their way, though. The Drop Ships are more powerful than any single hero. In fact it usually takes a lot of heroes to bring down a single ship. Plus they fire energy bursts if you get too close to them. And, yes, it also means they will fire on you even if you are just standing still, so be very careful where you stand in certain city quadrants.</p> <p>Be on the lookout for unexploded bombs or UEBs. UEBs are not duds! They are strategically dropped to cause serious morale damage when people come out to either look at the bomb or else try to diffuse it. The Paragon News Network <a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=544b6QcGv3M"> lost a reporter and cameraman</a> in the middle of a live broadcast when they assumed that a nearby UEB was a dud. Look for a warning light in the center of an UEB to determine its status. If it is green or yellow then you may have a chance to disable it before it explodes. But if it is red, then get as far away from it as you can, and keep others away from it as well.</p> <p>The second stage is the ground assault. The Drop Ships will still continue to bomb the area, only now the mothership will start teleporting in troops to take on any life forces that they detect. These ground forces will consist of Rikti troopers, Rikti monkeys, and the occasional automated Rikti Probes.</p> <p>The secret behind the deployment is that the longer you are in exposed areas, and the more people that are in that area, the more troops that will be teleported in. Eventually they will start deploying heavier weapons to try to overwhelm that resistance.</p> <p>The trick to dealing with the Rikti is three-fold.</p> <p>First, if you don’t want to fight, then stay out of sight! Head to a nearby store or police station or even an overpass and then wait it out. If the Rikti mothership cannot spot you from low orbit, then it will not consider you a threat and it will not send out troops to get you.</p> <p>Second, avoid the Drop Ships entirely. You need extremely large numbers to hurt them and it doesn’t help you when you do take them down. You don’t even get a badge for your efforts, so don’t waste your time on those ships. Once you know what their bombing patterns are, then stay away from them when possible. Even if you’re on the ground and are not attacking the Drop Ships, they will attack you if you are within range of their weapons.</p> <p>Third, the magic word to dealing with the Rikti is <b><u>TEAMWORK</u></b>! If you’re not already in a team, then get on one as soon as you can. And once you are in a team, then you need to stay together. Make sure everyone is together, even if you’re working in a League. Healers need to heal, and focus on nothing but healing. Everyone else just needs to stick around and do what they do best. The best part of working with a team is that every victory in that team is shared, so you get credit for every Rikti killed in your team, but that only applies when you are in the same vicinity as your team.</p> <p>There are key areas where heroes <i>(and I’m told villains as well)</i> assemble to deal with Rikti incursions as groups. For instance, in Atlas Park, the key area is around Ms. Liberty. In Kings Row, it’s at the bottom of the stairs to the police headquarters. On Talos Island, it’s atop the giant rock in front of the train station. Once the skies start to turn, these are the places that you need to head to in order to find teams and take on the Rikti in overwhelming numbers.</p> <p>There are two more helpful tips for dealing with incursions.</p> <p>First, in Paragon City, the War Walls are a great indication as to when the Rikti are about to retreat. When the Rikti are ready to attack, their approach de-powers the War Walls. Likewise, when they are in the process of retreating, the first thing that happens is that the War Walls power back up. When you see the energy field of the War Walls come back on, then you know that the Rikti are in retreat.</p> <p>Second, thanks to an arrangement made with Vanguard, you are immune from any kind of medical debt should you be killed during a Rikti incursion. This is important for higher-level operatives because medical debt can be very expensive if you are killed repeatedly and need to be recovered through the medical teleporters. So don’t hold back when you’re battling the Rikti. Give them everything you have, and both your team and the support services of Vanguard will do the same.</p> <p>The Rikti can appear to be an overwhelming force, but they are not invincible, and they do not have infinite resources. Every incursion that we beat back costs them far more than they will ever admit to. Their failures cost them those vital resources, which is why their incursions are for a limited period of time.</p> <p>But, unlike the Rikti, we have far more to lose if we fail. </p> <p>Remember, this is our home world, not theirs.</p></td> </tr> </tbody></table>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-18146766528316240642012-07-27T10:41:00.003-07:002012-07-27T10:48:55.836-07:00Vanguard Warning: Rikti Incursion Soon!The <a href="http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?p=4318942#post4318942">following transmission</a> was intercepted from the Rikti:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style="font-family:courier new;">Humanity: doomed.<br />We: conquer.<br /><br />Heroes: demoralized.<br />Villains: eliminated.<br /><br />Preparations: commencing.<br /><br />Invasion: imminent. </span></b></span></blockquote><br /><br />Vanguard agents estimate that the incursion will occur starting around <b>9am EDT</b> on <b>Friday, August 3rd</b> and lasting until <b>9am EDT</b> on <b>Monday, August 6th</b>.<br /><br />Tactical files on dealing with Rikti Incursions will be forthcoming.David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-34623584471493652012012-07-21T11:20:00.005-07:002012-08-01T20:36:11.895-07:00Tactical File: Midnight Squad Induction<table id="table1" border="1" width="100%"><tbody><tr> <td align="left" valign="top" width="125"><p align="center"><a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Montague_Castanella"><img src="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/w/images/8/8b/Montague_Castanella.jpg" border="0" height="199" width="86" /></a><br /><b> <span style="font-size:85%;">Montague Castanella </span> </b></p><p align="left"><b><span style="font-size:85%;">Group:</span></b><span style="font-size:85%;"> Midnight Squad<br /><b>Rank:</b> Leader</span></p><p align="left"><b> <span style="font-size:85%;">Power:</span></b><span style="font-size:85%;"> Ability to sense changes in time.</span></p><p align="left"><b> <span style="font-size:85%;">Can be seen in:</span></b><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Steel_Canyon"> <span style="font-size:85%;">Steel Canyon</span></a></p></td><td width="879">The <b><a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Midnight_Squad">Midnight Squad</a></b>: the super-secret organization that has been around since the Golden Era of Heroes.<p>While most hero groups are concerned about making sure the newspaper gets their names right or which group is “top ranked”, the Midnight Squad is concerned about the threats that aren’t made public. They deal with the enemies that are quite literally the things that nightmares come from!</p><p>Most of the time, members of the Midnight Squad observe. They take notes. They collect information and then they covertly pass that information on to certain groups. They’re superb intelligence-collectors, especially when it comes to the arcane arts.</p><p>In the early days of the First Rikti Invasion of 2002, the Midnight Squad found out that the Rikti were vulnerable to magic. That knowledge cost them dearly as their headquarters became ground zero for a fusion bomb that obliterated much of Baumton. The Midnight Squad headquarters itself was completely destroyed, killing almost every member of that organization.</p><p>In 2008, Professor Montague Castanella began to quietly recruit certain heroes with a security level of 10 or higher. Simultaneously, Ashley McKnight would reach out to villains in the Rogue Isles with a threat level of 14 or higher. Both groups would begin recruiting for the Midnight Squad again.</p><p>The induction process is different between heroes and villains, so this file will only focus on the hero-side of joining the Midnight Squad. There are several reasons why you would want to ally yourself with the Midnighters, with the best reason being it gives you access to ancient Rome.</p><p>Bear in mind that this tactical file is designed for a single-person completion. You can also involve a team in the operation, but understand that some of what you do involves single-player activity. On the plus side, completion as a team will mean that the whole team will become Midnighters. So make sure that the team members stay through to the very end.</p><p>For heroes, you get an automatic summons from Professor Castanella when you reach security level 10. <i>(Don’t ask how he knows these things. That just shows you how good the Midnight Squad is!)</i> You will meet him in the library of the Steel Canyon University and will give you several challenges.</p><p>First up, you have to rescue Percy Winkley. Percy is a curious young man who always manages to find himself in trouble. At least, though, he helps. That’s an improvement over the stereotypical cub reporter with bright red hair. You’ll end up taking a trip down to a portion of Oranbega, and you will have to deal with both the Lost and the Circle of Thorns. The Lost are there for the same reason that Percy is, and they’re looking for the same thing that the Circle have in their possession. Your results will vary, but be thorough in your search. He could be right around the corner, or he could be all the way at the other end of Oranbega. Once you find him and rescue him from the Circle, he’ll give you something important.</p><p>Returning to the university, Castanella will give you your second mission. Don’t worry; once you complete this mission you won’t have to go back to the campus every time.</p><p>The next mission will be a little reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering. I’m sure you’ve noticed that the Lost somehow manage to get their hands on Rikti weapons, and some of the more “mutated” members don’t look that human. You’ll find out more about their connection by visiting an abandoned office that somehow has an underground passage to a Rikti stronghold. There you’ll encounter Ci’dion, the Rikti Chief that bombed Baumton. Feel free to go all-Praetorain on him. If you’re working alone, concentrate on hitting Ci’dion, then work on his Lost buddies. Not far from his location you’ll find four Rikti consoles. Get the storage crystals from those four consoles and your mission will be complete. If you’re working as a team, concentrate on clearing the area of Lost and Ci’dion before you go for the consoles. Those data streams are good places for the Lost to hide behind and attack.</p><p>The information you collect next will be helpful. Now that you’ve kicked some Rikti butt, it’s time to rescue a Rikti defector. I know the concept is strange, but there are some Rikti that don’t subscribe to the war-mindset and want to defect. The Rikti’s name is Argot’BurWot, and the folks at Vanguard consider him to be a valuable asset in the war. “Ours is not to wonder why…” etcetera, etcetera, and so on.<br /></p><p>It means another trip down into another abandoned office building atop another Rikti stronghold guarded by the Lost. They really keep the same design, so the path you took previously to find the stronghold will take you there this time as well. You’ll also get a rematch with Ci’dion, only this time it’s one-on-one. Remind him who kicked his butt the first time around. Argot will be guarded by a few Lost minions, but once you rescue him he’ll be pretty grateful for you being there.</p><p>Once that’s done, it’s time to worry about the Circle again. This time you’ll be sent in to help out Lady Jane, the leader of Europe’s premiere supergroup, the Dawn Patrol. She’s been on a quest for something so secretive and so important that she can’t trust anyone in her own group to do it, and it has something to do with Hero 1.</p><p>Yes, this is a cave mission, but don’t panic too much. This will be one of those “good” cave missions. And before you go in there, make sure you’re stocked up with plenty of health and stamina inspirations.</p><p>You’ll find that Lady Jane has been captured by a Madness Mage and some of his Circle cronies. If you’re doing this by yourself, then concentrate on the Madness Mage and hit him with everything you have to keep him disoriented and knocked down, or else he will disable you quickly. Once you rescue Lady Jane, she’ll follow your lead. She’s got two guns and plenty of bullets so she won’t be a wallflower, but she’s also not expendable. You have to protect her or else this mission is a bust. She’ll point you to where you need to go, but don’t take your time getting there, because once you rescue her, the Circle will send in waves of reinforcements to stop you. You have to let her reach the target. Once she’s there, she’ll give you an important item for the rest of your quest.</p><p>This next part is geared more towards a single operative than for a team. The Vanguard are calling you and it seems Argot’BurWot has something vital to share with you. He’s at the Atlas Park branch of Vanguard, directly south of Atlas Plaza and City Hall. From where Ms. Liberty faces, it’s the building to the immediate left. You won’t miss it when you see the Vanguard sentry by the door. Walking inside, stay along the left and go through the two double-doors and you’ll see the Rikti ally to your right.</p><p>Your next stop will be City Hall to relay your information to Azuria. If you’re new to Paragon City then you probably haven’t visited the FBSA offices yet, so go inside City Hall and take a right. Down the stairs will be the FBSA offices. Azuria will be in the one marked MAGI or “Mystical Arcane Guild of Investigation”. She’ll know what to do with Argot’s information and she’ll give you another important item.</p><p>Normally at this point you should go back to the University, check-in with the Professor, and then use the invention tables to come up with the next vital item. However, you can check-in with him remotely and he’ll send you the final pieces for your invention, so all you need to do is get an invention table. If you’re in a supergroup and you have one in your base, you can use that. But if you don’t have access to a supergroup base, you can use the tables at Vanguard Headquarters. Go back to the Vanguard office in Atlas Park and take the portal to the Rikti War Zone. There you’ll be in the Vanguard HQ. Down the stairs and turn right and you’ll find your invention tables.</p><p>I won’t leave you in suspense here; the item you’re crafting is a prototype cure for the Lost. Once you have it, give Castanella a call. He’ll have you try it out next.</p><p>There are several places in Paragon City to try out the cure on the Lost. I’m sure Kings Row will quickly come to mind, as will Skyway City, Faultline, and Perez Park. But the best place to try it out has to be the Hollows. Exit out to Atlas Park, then from the Vanguard building, head east to the Hollows zone. Once in the Hollows, head to the far left hill past the police barricade. You’ll find that hilltop teaming with Lost minions. Hit them with the Cure and watch them turn back to humans. You’ll have to cure at least twenty of them for the mission to be a success. Fair warning: DO NOT try to use the cure on anyone other than the Lost! You have a limited number of charges and you do not want to waste them on stupid things.</p><p>Once that’s done, you’re almost finished. The final step requires you to head back to the university in Steel Canyon. There’s a college student that you’ll be asked to speak with and give him the right Latin phrase. Castinella will give you the right phrase, so you just have to relay it to the student. Do it right and you’ll be granted access to the Midnight Club! Once in, talk to the guy at the front desk, and then call up the professor so he can formally welcome you to the Midnight Squad!</p><p>Be sure to take a look around the Midnight Club while you’re there. You’ll find a special shop, a few hidden secrets, short-cuts to Croatoa and Founders Falls, and a very special Pillar of Ice and Flame. Where that Pillar takes you, though, is the subject of another tactical file.</p></td></tr></tbody></table>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-32926054019128888032012-04-28T12:00:00.000-07:002012-04-29T10:30:31.570-07:00Battlerock X: Journal Entry 20120428<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8146/7124546757_4cbbde4f61_b.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 501px; height: 379px;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8146/7124546757_4cbbde4f61_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><p class="MsoNormal">An <a href="http://battlerockx.blogspot.com/2012/04/old-enemy-returns.html">intelligence report</a> that was intercepted confirmed my fears of something bad coming soon.</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">Nemesis!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Bad enough that we are still recovering from the destruction of Galaxy City.<span style=""> </span>Bad enough that we are still mourning the deaths of Statesman, Miss Liberty, and Sister Psyche.<span style=""> </span>Bad enough that we are still facing threats from the Praetorian Universe.<span style=""> </span>Now Nemesis has to stick his ancient rusted armor back up.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">My memory is still a bit foggy of those pre-Rikti days, but I seem to recall that Nemesis has always been more talk than threat.<span style=""> </span>He relies on automation, creating tin soldiers instead of recruiting people to carry out his delusional fantasy of world domination.<span style=""> </span>He lives on manipulation and misdirection.<span style=""> </span>Just when you think you have him, you discover it’s just another one of his replicas.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Still, after all that has happened, we should take even his threats seriously.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I pulled out my old outfit from my so-called “hero” days.<span style=""> </span>It’s time to stop hiding.<span style=""> </span>The tights still fit, but it took a bit to remember working with the metal skulls on my shoulder.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Tenth-Generation Battlerock Warrior is no longer hiding.<span style=""> </span>Battlerock X and the rest of Paragon City are ready for whatever Nemesis can come up with.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">(A special 8th Anniversary tribute to NCSoft, Paragon Studios, and City of Heroes Freedom.)</span><br /></p>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-27734028331196711852012-04-27T13:14:00.002-07:002012-04-27T13:30:22.201-07:00An Old Enemy Returns...<h3 class="headline"><a href="http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/news/news_archive/fallen_thunder.php">Fallen Thunder</a></h3> <div><b>April 28th, 2012</b></div><div><b>Atlantic Ocean</b></div><div><b>Approx. 39.76 Latitude, -70.70 Longitude, 700 feet below the surface</b></div><div><b><br />Aboard the Prussian Prince submarine</b></div><div><br /></div><div>The steady <i>ping</i> of the brass plating of the <i>Prussian Prince</i> expanding as it gradually ascended from the depths 5 miles from the brightly glowing lights of Talos Island was like a metronome.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Ping...</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Each sound signified another 33 feet...he calculated the depth of the submersible vehicle by marking the passing of the metallic report. Where other's would have synapses firing, silently relaying commands to his body to properly adjust the dials and valves controlling the ballast levels, there was instead the steady whirring and clicking of gears and the steady hiss of steam powering his every move.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Ping...</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>660 feet</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Small crystals of ice delicately broke away from his body, blanketing his chair with a thin layer of frost. The chill of the air would have made his breath visible...that is, if he still drew breath. It had been many years since Gerhardt Eisenstadt had last drawn air, having made such human concerns unnecessary well over a century ago. Whatever remained of his flesh had long since decayed, replaced by the more reliable and stronger Clockwork bodies of his own design and construction. These bodies were the purest incarnation of his genius...his brilliance...the same genius that struck fear in the hearts of all who heard his name. No longer Gerhardt Eisenstadt; He was now <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lord Nemesis</span>, and his infamy spanned generations!</div><div><br /></div><div>The story of his conquest to bring the whole of the United States of America under heel was still told in hushed tones by those who survived the national nightmare. Washington D.C., and most of the U.S., had been his, held in the palm of his enormous brass hand. The populace had been no match for his clockwork army and with their vaunted superheroes spread across the globe fighting the Second World War in Europe and Asia, they were powerless to stop him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Until Marcus Cole.</div><div><br /></div><div>Always Marcus Cole.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Ping</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>396 feet</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Every time Lord Nemesis was on the cusp of global domination, on the verge of his final victory, ready to take his rightful place, Marcus Cole... no...<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Statesman</span></span> would foil his grand design.<br /><br />There were others over the years, so many others, but it always came back to Statesman. The man was un-killable, not for a lack of trying.<br /><br />Of course, this made the notion that one as simple as Darrin Wade could succeed where he had failed...inconceivable. The theft of Rularuu's powers was simply adding insult to injury. </div><div><br /></div><div>It had been tempting to join the Heroes and "Villains" <span style="font-style: italic;">(there was, after all, only <u>one</u> true villain)</span> in their fight against "Rula-Wade". The very presumption that a fool such as Wade had the right to rob Lord Nemesis of his victory...well... This <b>was</b> his victory. <span style="font-weight: bold;">He</span> was to be the one to extract the life essence from the broken and battered body of Statesman. Victory was to be his, the plot was written, it was put in motion, it was all to happen...exactly...as...he...planned. </div><div><br /></div><div>Wade was lucky. This was the only plausible explanation. He had obviously used his obscurity and lack of being an actual threat to accomplish the improbable. </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course this occurrence was not entirely unforeseen by Nemesis. Even something as unpredictable as Wade dispatching Statesman could not fully escape his genius plans. His robotic feet clanged across the iron floor of the <i>Prince</i> as he walked over to the antique filing cabinet. He delicately slid the door open, flipping through the manila folders until he came across the one he was looking for: <i style="font-weight: bold;">Operation Fallen Thunder</i></div><div><br /></div><div>The outer folder was dusty, the paper starting to soften and fray from the passing of time. Hand typed on a Smith-Corona typewriter decades before, the plan was simple when compared to his recent, more elaborate plots. He thumbed through the pages...yes...there it was. He would capitalize on Cole's death <span style="font-style: italic;">(any fool would)</span>, but on a far more massive, and final, scale: He would attack all of Paragon City, spreading their defenses so thin that even the combined might of the city's Heroes would be unable to stop his automaton army. Finally, he would avenge the humiliation he suffered in Washington D.C. so many years ago. <br /><br />Yes, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Fallen Thunder</i> would be the lynch-pin, a catalyst for other similar plots in the unlikely event it didn't succeed.</div><div> </div><div><br />Gears whirred and steam hissed as his mind calculated the probabilities of success, taking into account a single possible outlying factor: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tyrant</span> was not a consideration when the plan was originally conceived. While still a threat, calculations showed that he would soon be irrelevant. The erstwhile ruler of Praetorian Earth was quickly losing his grasp on power due to the multiple incursions of immensely powerful Incarnates <span style="font-style: italic;">(<span style="font-weight: bold;">Note:</span> Investigate probability of conquering an alternate dimension.)</span> <br /><br />What was not immediately clear was the alternate Cole's end game. His notes observed a 5.7% chance of complete surrender and a 6.33% chance of simply detonating a weapon of mass destruction over his own city. There was a significantly higher likelihood of him fighting to the death, less so the chance he would abandon his seat of power. No matter. All of these possible outcomes meshed well with his simple, yet masterful plot. </div><div><br /></div><div>Lord Nemesis reached over to the brass intercom bell. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Ping</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>132 feet</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Surface"</span> he said. <span style="font-weight: bold;">"</span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Operation Fallen Thunder</i><span style="font-weight: bold;"> will commence immediately...under my </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">direct</i><span style="font-weight: bold;"> supervision."</span><br /></div>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-48864109258955945022012-04-20T09:20:00.003-07:002012-04-20T09:27:32.969-07:00NEW: Tales From Paragon City #3<span style="font-size:130%;"><b>Here Comes "Trouble"!</b></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.deviantart.com/download/297418213/tales_from_paragon_city_03_by_djmatt2-d4x2pd1.pdf"><b><b></b></b></a><b><b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 232px; height: 300px;" src="http://cohcomicindex.com/home/cohcomicindex/images/c/cc/TFPC-03c.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></b></b><a href="http://www.deviantart.com/download/297418213/tales_from_paragon_city_03_by_djmatt2-d4x2pd1.pdf"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(Please click on the image or this link to download the PDF file.)</span></span></a><b><b><br /></b></b></div><b><b><br /></b></b>A strange visitor arrives on Earth at the same time as it is hit with Shivan meteors. Coincidence? Someone doesn't think so. Too bad the strange visitor finds herself in the middle of it all. Find out her story here!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />NEW:</span> You can also view this issue online via <a href="http://issuu.com/battlerockx/docs/tales_from_paragon_city_03">Issuu</a>.<b><b><br /></b></b>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-9521583582924339662012-03-05T18:25:00.004-08:002012-03-05T18:32:28.095-08:00Getting Ready for Death Incarnate!On March 6th, Paragon Studios will be releasing <a href="http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/news/game_updates/issue_22/overview.php"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Issue 22: Death Incarnate</span></a>. Another part of Paragon City closes up and new powers are unlocked.<br /><br />Here is a preview of what to expect courtesy of <a href="http://samuraiko.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Samuraiko</span></a>:<br /><br /><object height="360" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Py4RFU5X68g?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Py4RFU5X68g?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="360" width="640"></embed></object>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-91788023332033102152012-02-08T03:42:00.000-08:002012-02-08T03:44:50.894-08:00Time to Fling into Spring!<p>Love is in the air once again, and you know what that means, don't you?</p><p>Yes, it's time for the <b><a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Spring_Fling">Spring Fling</a></b>! A time for heroes, villains, rogues, and vigilantes come together to share the love and dish out some pain.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/global/includes/images/news/Cupid1_logo.jpg" border="0" height="223" width="350" /></p><p>This year, along with the returning <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Eros">Eros</a>, <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Ganymede">Ganymede</a>, <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Scratch">Scratch</a>, <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Chilly">Chilly</a>, <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Dram">Dram</a>, and, of course, <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Snaptooth">Snaptooth</a> <i>(who loves to get beat-up)</i>, there are some new missions to partake in.</p><p>Participants with a security level 30 or higher have a new mission involving the <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Red_Widow">Red Widow</a>, the long-deceased love of <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Lord_Recluse">Lord Recluse</a>! Plus <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/DJ_Zero">DJ Zero</a>, the owner of the Pocket D Nightclub, has a brand new mission for certain eligible people. Are you willing to deliver some lost Valentine letters? Or maybe break a few hearts and send them elsewhere?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/global/includes/images/news/Cupid2_logo.jpg" border="0" height="220" width="350" /></p><p>Why do it? Well you can get some really neat items. You can boost your abilities or hinder your enemies with new mystical arrows, or you can unlock some great Greek-inspired items such as togas and sandals that you can use any day of the year.</p><p>If you want to partake in the fun, you better be quick about it. The Spring Fling only lasts from <b>February 8th</b> to <b>February 27th</b>.</p><p>Speaking of Pocket D... now is also the perfect time to get some new party clothes!</p><p>The Paragon Market is now offering a special <b><a href="http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=283777">Pocket D Valentine's Pack</a></b>, giving you access not only to the latest fashion designs for the socially conscious, but also gives you the coveted <b>Pocket D VIP Pass</b>!</p><p>This pass will give you a special Pocket D teleporter that will take you to the <b><a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Tiki_Room">Tiki Lounge</a></b>, an exclusive area of the club that has its own bartenders and its own tailor, <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Trina_the_Body_Sculptress">Trina the Body Sculptress</a> <i>(as seen in <b><a href="http://cohcomicindex.com/home/cohcomicindex/index.php?title=Guardians_of_the_Dawn_Spotlight#Issue_.2317_.22Facades.22">"Guardians of the Dawn Spotlight"</a></b>).</i> Good, evil, even Praetorians can use this special teleport device. This is not something you want to pass up on!</p><p>Hurry, though. This offer will only last until <b>March 6th</b>.</p>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-28209754024672705622012-02-03T09:39:00.000-08:002012-02-03T09:40:53.046-08:00Paragon Pundit Hero Movie Review #26<table id="table3" border="1" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td><b><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHb4efTcMcmMEQGBLMHV-LllsSb8ojbM465FlEPrNfl_nR3LypMSeTPaYKc9yQsjNBee28xgLLfVzjRrTW8lLQn1GojFS3Gyv8K_H3qaIHAZVvbUCLOpiABAc6rCbMXTxlYEErTAHDPJHu/s150/ParagonPundit_80x80.jpg" border="0" height="80" width="80" /><span style=""><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">Paragon Pundit Hero Movie Review </span></span></b></td></tr><tr><td><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>#26: Iron Man</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Very rarely do you have a movie role that is custom-made for an actor. This is especially true when it comes to moves based on well-known comic book characters. Quite often the actor has to make the character their own, such as Michael Keaton with “Batman” or Hugh Jackman with the character Wolverine in “X-Men”.</p><p>But the 2008 movie “Iron Man” stands out as one of those films where the title character was custom-made for its star, Robert Downey Jr. From start-to-finish, you actually believe that he’s the millionaire inventor Tony Stark.</p><p>The movie was released by Marvel Studios, the first movie financed by the Comic Book company, and stars Downey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrance Howard, Jeff Bridges, Faran Tahir, Paul Bettany, Clark Gregg, and Shawn Toub. It was directed by Jon Favreau, who is probably better known for his acting ability than as either a writer or director, but he certainly earned his stripes here.</p><p>We start with weapons-maker Tony Stark <i>(Downey)</i> in a military caravan going through the hills of Afghanistan when his convoy is under attack by terrorists. He tries to flee but ends up being wounded by a bomb explosion.</p><p>We learn from flashbacks that Stark was the prodigal son of super-genius Howard Stark, the founder of Stark Industries until his tragic death. Since then the company was under the control of Obadiah Stane <i>(Bridges)</i>, allowing Tony to live the life of an out-of-control playboy. He skips out on cushy award ceremonies, leaving the uncomfortable acceptance speeches to his friend, Lt. Colonel Jim “Rhodey” Rhodes <i>(Howard)</i>, while he brushes off snarky titles of his war-making empire being hurled by cute liberal reporters by sleeping with them. The aftermath of his latest conquest allows us to see the role of Tony’s assistant, Pepper Potts <i>(Paltrow)</i>, which is to basically handle the dry cleaning and show the one-night-stands out the door after being scared by the “smart house” named JARVIS <i>(voiced by Bettany)</i>.</p><p>While Rhodes tries to get Tony to be more serious about what he is doing, Tony is getting lap dances on his private jet and hauling around chilled drinks in his portable bar on their way to Afghanistan. There Tony shows off his latest creation, the “Jericho” missile, which leads us to the ambush by the terrorists.</p><p>Tony discovers that he has been taken hostage by a terrorist group called “The Ten Rings”, led by a man named Raza (Tahir). Tony is only alive because of an invention from fellow hostage Dr. Yinsen <i>(Toub)</i> that keeps a piece of shrapnel from entering his heart. Raza wants Tony to build his own “Jericho” missile, and gives him all the parts from Stark Industries to do it. Tony is disgusted at seeing his own weapons in the hands of terrorists but “agrees” to Raza’s demands as long as he has the help of Yinsen.</p><p>Rather than build a new missile, though, Tony uses the weapons to create a prototype miniature arc reactor so he could keep the shrapnel away from his heart and still have mobility. He also begins construction of a special suit of armor that would allow him to power through the steel doors, survive the hail of bullets from the terrorists, and escape by rocketing away. The suit works, although Yinsen would be killed in the cross-fire, and while the rockets allow him to fly away from the cave, it’s only short-lived as he ends up crashing in the desert. Thankfully he is rescued by Rhodes and is returned home.</p><p>After stopping at a <i>(fast food product placement)</i> to get a couple of hamburgers, he shows up at Stark Industries, brushes off Stane’s welcome, and announces to the world that he is no longer in the weapons-making business, and would instead be doing something else entirely. This does not sit well with the people around him, though, especially Stane.</p><p>Tony’s first new invention is to replace his prototype arc reactor with a new one. He then uses that extra power to construct a new energy-based repulse device that would allow him to fly. These lead to some new comedic scenes with his robot aids, one of which he refers to constantly as “Dummy”, and JARVIS. Pretty soon he’s developing a new suit of armor around the repulse devices. After the first field test of the new armor results in him almost crashing because of the high altitude temperatures, he attends a Stark Industries function <i>(complete with a cameo by Stan Lee as “Hef”)</i>. There he meets Agent Coulson <i>(Gregg)</i> of the special top-secret Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division. <i>(Yes, they shorten it at the end of the movie to something that people will recognize.)</i> Coulson has been pestering Stark for a debriefing, but Tony has been ducking him like he’s ducked everything else. But to appease Coulson, Stark says he’ll arrange things with his secretary, whom he quickly spots wearing a beautiful evening gown. Stark and Pepper have a semi-romantic exchange, and then when he’s getting more drinks, he finds out through the reporter he earlier slept with that his company is arming the Ten Rings after all, and that Stane has been leading the stockholders in locking Stark out of the company.</p><p>Tony takes his new armor <i>(now with the familiar gold-and-red finish)</i> back to the Middle East, where takes out the Stark Industry weapons and many of the Ten Rings terrorists. On the way back, he has to reveal to Rhodes that he’s inside the armor to get the Air Force to stop attacking him for violating the “no-fly zone”. Meanwhile, Stane has taken out Raza and the rest of the Ten Rings that have retrieved what was left of Tony’s original armor. Stane has the armor pieces sent over to his own people, only to find they can’t replicate the most important component because… they’re not Tony Stark! <i>(Of course!)</i></p><p>It’s at this point that I’m going to have to pause things, because I don’t want to spoil how the movie ends if you haven’t seen it yet. I will say, however, that you do not want to miss what happens after the credits. In fact, this movie is the one that starts a long string of “teaser” clips getting people hooked to Marvel’s “ultimate production”.</p><p>In terms of casting, there are some great and some okay choices. Downey as Tony Stark has to be spot-on the best casting, period. Tony Stark as a character is far from perfect, and given some of Downey’s real-world history, he seems to be a natural. One has to wonder if there would even be a script needed, or if Downey was just told “Okay, be yourself and have fun.” Casting Bridges as Obadiah Stane was a bit of a surprise, since I didn’t really know the character, and having Bridges end up being the villain in this was a shocker, never mind making him BALD!</p><p>On the other hand, casting Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts seemed to be one of those moments where you have to ask “WHY?” when you see what the character really does, and I don’t mean the “dry cleaning and floozy-removal” role in the beginning of the movie. Pepper seems to be too flaky at times, especially at the end.</p><p>The story may seem simplistic, but it worked in that it brought an updated look to Iron Man’s origins. The original Iron Man story had Tony injured in Asia. Here, it’s Afghanistan. Using a modern-day battleground to showcase new weapons is nothing new either. Why do you think the Hummer and the Patriot missile defense system became so popular in the 90’s?</p><p>The one change that took me by surprise, though, was replacing “Jarvis” the human butler into JARVIS, the artificial intelligence “smart house” which ends up being Iron Man’s “sidekick” as well. Okay, as part of the “smart house”, I can see that happening. But using that same AI to also run the Iron Man armor? That’s a big stretch.</p><p>In all, this is a really good hero movie in terms of casting and story. So now the real challenge is… how does it handle sequels? We’ll find out in a future review of <b>“Iron Man 2”</b>.</p><p> </p><table id="table4" border="1" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td><b>Capes: </b></td><td>This movie easily earned four capes out of five.</td></tr><tr><td><b>Cheese: </b></td><td>Despite the “playboy” tone of Tony Stark, the overall cheese level is kept pleasantly low and tolerable to Mild Cheddar (1 out of 5).</td></tr><tr><td><b>Books: </b></td><td>While simplistic at times, the overall story works and easily earns four books out of five.</td></tr></tbody></table>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-43331395522986673572012-01-17T14:23:00.000-08:002012-01-17T14:25:36.544-08:00RIP Statesman (1896-2012)News reports are still coming in, but it appears that Paragon City's iconic hero, Stateman, has been killed.<br /><br /><object width="640" height="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JDKt3iFOCX4?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JDKt3iFOCX4?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-89609563094412461812011-12-21T07:29:00.000-08:002011-12-21T07:36:42.442-08:00Happy Holidays!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/355/b/1/gbp___holiday_wishes_2011_by_djmatt2-d4jr6hf.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 601px; height: 463px;" src="http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/355/b/1/gbp___holiday_wishes_2011_by_djmatt2-d4jr6hf.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />A little cross-comic holiday message from both <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://guardiansofthedawn.wordpress.com">"The Guardian Powers"</a> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Tales from Paragon City"</span>.<br /><br />By the way, you'll notice some of the characters with the TfPG banner are ones you haven't seen before. Those will be featured in future issues. Plus, of course, John Battlerock's own story will be appearing. It's just a matter of when. Meantime, enjoy the Holidays!<br /><br />Click on the image to see the full-sized version.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(And, yes, that Santa beard itches!)</span>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-44436047161555461792011-12-13T19:58:00.000-08:002011-12-13T19:59:43.547-08:00Happy Holidays 2011!<p><b><span style="font-size:130%;color:#008000;">Happy Holidays from the City of Heroes!</span></b></p><p>It's been on everyone's minds since the <a href="http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/news/events/halloween_event.php">Halloween Event</a> finished. WHEN will the Winter Event be here?</p><p><b><a href="http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/news/events/winter_event.php">Well wait no more. It's here!</a></b></p><p>From <b>today (December 13th, 2011) until January 3rd, 2012</b>, Paragon City, the Rogue Isles, and even Praetoria will be visited by the Winter Spirit, scattering various gifts throughout the lands. You won't know what's in them until you open them up. It could be a mystery present. It could be a lump of coal. It could be a snowball. It could be a candy cane. Or it could be snow monsters ready to kick your butt. <i>(Or at least they'd give it a good try.)</i></p><p>For those that are new to the City of Heroes, this is the time when you can collect some serious seasonal goodies, including some nice holiday-themed costume pieces. </p><p>You start out with some earmuffs...</p><p> <img src="http://na.cityofheroes.com/global/includes/images/mt4/winter-event-2010/shaolin.jpg" border="0" height="204" width="239" /> </p><p>Aren't those cool? You get those for free, just for showing up during that time!</p><p>You also get two gifts... one for yourself, and one to give to someone else. The gift for yourself gives you some XP debt protection. I would suggest you not open that one until you get to security level 10 or higher. The gift you give to others is a mystery. It could be anything. It could be a winter hat, some inf, or a temporary power. You won't know until it's opened.</p><p>Then what you do is go around the area opening up those presents, and even if you get the Winter Horde, they still have goodies.</p><p>But that's only skimming the tip of the Seasonal Iceberg.</p><p>For more serious gifts, you need to get to the Pocket D nightclub. There you'll find a special <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Ski_Chalet">Ski Chalet</a> has materialized nearby.</p><p><img src="http://na.cityofheroes.com/global/includes/images/mt4/we_page_31.jpg" border="0" height="299" width="500" /><br />Yes, it's a beautiful place where you can ski down the slopes, enjoy some refreshments, and... take part in a few dangerous missions. Don't worry, it's a whole lot easier when you have friends with you. Or, maybe if you're a mastermind with a small army to call on. Speaking of which, you can bring in all sorts of people in on this. Heroes, Villains, Rogues, Vigilantes, and, yes, even Praetorians! Have fun, and the rewards are infinitely bigger and better here.</p><p>What sort of rewards? Santa-themed hats, gloves, and boots. Snowflake casting power. A special holiday flight-pack <i>(fueled by Holiday Cheer no less)</i>. Five special reincarnation "golden rings" <b><i>(<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=6&ved=0CFQQtwIwBQ&url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDBMzGq1vhs&ctbm=vid&ei=-hnoTsHcMNDAtgeRkfnOCg&usg=AFQjCNHplGXRqNyaYwrsSsVCGolnusbo5Q">BUH-duh-duh-duh...</a>)</i></b>. Hey, how about that halo? You like? You can get one just like it. Or one that is burning if you're less-than-angelic. </p><p>Some of these goodies you get just for taking part in the missions, others you get by acquiring candy canes. Look for an elf in the Chalet that will exchange your candy canes for goodies. OR... or you can SELL the candy canes at Wentworth's. During the holiday season, that's big money!</p><p>Oh, one more thing... at some point you may have to deal with a HUGE snow monster. I suggest finding a <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/League">league</a>. The more the merrier.</p><p>Enjoy, and just remember that <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Enriche">Enriche</a> and <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Crey_Industries#Products_produced">Crey Cola</a> do not mix well.</p>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-37011464969517214662011-11-24T10:29:00.000-08:002011-11-24T10:44:53.495-08:00Much has changed...Much has changed in Paragon City, and not all of it can be covered here in the Chronicles.<br /><br />To see some of the biggest changes, here is a video of the run-through of the reconstructed Atlas Park, a peek at the Street Justice powerset in use, and a fly-by of First Ward, the first attempt to create Praetoria, and Emperor Cole's biggest failure. You'll also see that the Hamidon is far more powerful here than in the Primal Universe, with a hovering "Seed" creature on patrol.<br /><br /><object height="360" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ggl6m7p98vk?version=3&hl=en_US&hd=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ggl6m7p98vk?version=3&hl=en_US&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="360" width="640"></embed></object><br /><br />There have been plenty of other changes, including the introduction of the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Paragon_Market">Paragon Market</a></span>, which gives characters access to features that previously they had to purchase in bulk, plus new stand-alone features such as exclusive pets and special costume pieces.<br /><br />So the question remains... what happened to Battlerock X during this time? Well you'll hear from him soon.David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-60198126790435923482011-10-13T13:19:00.000-07:002011-10-13T13:26:22.493-07:00Get Ready For Super-Powered Chills!<p>With the launch of City of Heroes Freedom, you have to wonder just what all of the new and returning heroes, villains, and Praetorians would find themselves into come Halloween. Seasoned veterans have come to enjoy several features of this mystically-bewitched time, including two Apocalypse events, trick-or-treating, and temporary costumes.</p><p>So the question is... how can you top that and make things exciting for both new and old operatives?</p><p><a href="http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/news/events/halloween_event.php">Five words</a>:</p><h2 align="center"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:180%;" >Doctor Kane's House Of Horror!</span></h2><p align="center"><img src="http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/global/includes/images/news/Halloween2011_Marketing_Logo_001.jpg" border="0" height="264" width="438" /></p><p>Yes, we're talking a haunted house with zombies, giant monsters, Jack-O-Lanterns, and a challenge so dire that pulling it off will get you a new aura and costume change emote! Think you're up for the challenge? You better make sure you're up to at least level 15 and then get a team together, because you can't visit his house alone!</p><p>But if you can't get your friends together quite yet, there are still all of the other fun events, including the <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Halloween_Event/Zombie_Apocalypse">Zombie Apocalypse</a>, the <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Halloween_Event_2009#New_in_2009">Deadly Apocalypse</a>, <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Halloween_Event/Trick_or_Treat">Trick-or-Treating</a>, and of course <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Halloween_Event/Giant_Monsters_and_Eternal_Night">the eternal night and the giant monsters</a> to keep the festivities going. You can load up with <a href="http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Halloween_Event/Trick_or_Treat#Classic_Costumes">temporary costumes</a> and get hold of those cheap cereal-box costumes that you can then trade-in with a certain witch to get an extra costume slot! <i>(Note: you can only do this once, so if you've already done it, it won't work for you again. But these things can be worth a pretty penny on the market.)</i></p><p>So start practicing <a href="http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=236768&highlight=Party+Pack">your best "Thriller" moves</a>, and get in as much sunlight as you can, because once the sun sets on October 20th, it won't come back up again until November 2nd. And be careful, because some of the things that go "bump" in the night don't just "bump".</p>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-54660943367215678322011-10-02T05:31:00.000-07:002011-10-02T05:38:21.037-07:00What's been going on in Paragon City?It has been a long few months... and for those that wondered what happened... well, a picture says a thousand words.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.deviantart.com/download/261306029/galaxy_city_decimated_by_djmatt2-d4bkp0t.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 775px;" src="http://www.deviantart.com/download/261306029/galaxy_city_decimated_by_djmatt2-d4bkp0t.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Now more than ever, Paragon City needs more heroes! <a href="http://www.cityofheroes.com">Visit their website </a>to see how you can join in the fight!David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-80425382392290472172011-09-11T08:49:00.000-07:002011-09-11T08:50:27.673-07:00Paragon Pundit Hero Movie Review #25<table id="table3" border="1" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td><b><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHb4efTcMcmMEQGBLMHV-LllsSb8ojbM465FlEPrNfl_nR3LypMSeTPaYKc9yQsjNBee28xgLLfVzjRrTW8lLQn1GojFS3Gyv8K_H3qaIHAZVvbUCLOpiABAc6rCbMXTxlYEErTAHDPJHu/s150/ParagonPundit_80x80.jpg" border="0" height="80" width="80" /><span style=""><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">Paragon Pundit Hero Movie Review </span></span></b></td></tr><tr><td><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>#25: Megamind</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>When it comes to superhero movies, it’s rare to find one that takes the superhero ideal and turns it in on itself without coming off as being incredibly cheesy. And yet, this movie manages to pull it off.</p><p><b>“Megamind”</b> is a computer-animated superhero comedy movie released in 2010 by DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Tom McGrath and featured the voices of Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross, and Brad Pitt. It was released in both traditional and 3D formats in the theatres but only in 2D format in the DVD release.</p><p>The story begins with a rip-off of the Superman legend, namely a blue alien baby from a dying world is sent into space by his loving parents. He is given some last-minute messages and his “minion” in the form of a sentient fish before being launched into space. Unfortunately as his ship travels to Earth, it runs in conflict with another orphaned baby ship containing the “perfect baby”, and the two orphan ships race to find the “suitable family” for their babies. The “perfect” baby ends up appearing in the living room of a wealthy couple on Christmas Day while the blue alien baby ends up in a prison yard. From there, the two grow up to be in constant conflict with each other. The “perfect” child would do everything right, while the blue child would end up getting tormented and blamed for everything.</p><p>Eventually the two grow up to be rivals in Metro City, with the “perfect” child becoming the superhero Metro Man (Pitt) and the blue child becoming the evil villain Megamind (Ferrell). And for years, the two of them have the same routine, consisting of Megamind kidnapping nosy reporter Roxanne Ritchi (Fey), putting her well-being in peril, and Metro Man would foil the “master plan” and send Megamind back to prison, where he would later escape and do the same thing over again. Lather, rinse, repeat.</p><p>So when Metro City honors Metro Man with his own museum and gigantic statue, Megamind cannot help but device the “ultimate” plan to humiliate Metro Man. With the help of Minion (Cross), Megamind kidnaps Roxanne and holds her hostage, knowing Metro Man would rush to her rescue, and accidentally fall into his deathtrap. But then, much to the surprise of everyone, Metro Man announces that the deathtrap is made of copper; his one weakness. When the trap is blown up by Megamind’s death ray, a skeleton wearing Metro Man’s cape is thrown from the blast area. At long last, Megamind has won and Metro Man is dead.</p><p>For a while Megamind uses Metro City as his own playground, but he quickly discovers he is bored by it all. There is no joy in being evil when there is no hero to save the day. While he prepares to blow up the Metro Man Museum, he accidentally comes across Roxanne, who also wished that Metro Man was still around. Killing the museum curator and taking his place, Megamind begins to befriend Roxanne and decides to follow her idea of creating a new hero. He takes a sample of Metro Man’s DNA to create a serum that would give someone superpowers. But Megamind accidentally sends the serum into Hal Stewart (Hill), Roxanne’s simple-minded cameraman who is head-over-heels in unrequited love with her.</p><p>Determined to turn Hal into the superhero worthy of replacing Metro Man, Megamind and Minion launch a scheme to trick Hal into thinking he’s really a “space baby” just like Metro Man. Megamind pulls this off by using the same holographic watch he uses to trick Roxanne into thinking he’s the museum curator, and turns himself into “space dad” (which is a knock-off of Marlon Brando’s Jor-El from the “Superman” movie).</p><p>Thus we have a montage of scenes of Megamind getting to know Roxanne and of him training Hal into becoming a superhero known as Titan (or “Tighten”, since it was the only name he could trademark). He also begins to clean up Metro City from his earlier celebrations, much to the pleasure of Roxanne, who begins to think that Megamind isn’t as “evil” as he used to be.</p><p>On the evening before the “Big Battle”, Hal, as Titan, shows up outside Roxanne’s apartment to woo her, only to have her utterly reject him. Meanwhile, Minion finds out that Megamind has been sneaking away to see Roxanne in disguise and that he is actually falling in love with Roxanne. Minion reminds Megamind that “the bad guy does not get the girl”, causing Megamind to blurt out that maybe he doesn’t want to be “the bad guy” anymore. With Minion leaving him in disgust, Megamind’s date with Roxanne becomes a disaster, with her finding out that he has been impersonating the curator, and proclaiming that she could never see herself with someone like him.</p><p>Dejected, Megamind orders his numerous robot drones to prepare his “Black Mamba” outfit so he can kick off his “big battle” with Titan in style. Sauntering into Metro City in his giant robot with AC/DC’s “Black in Black” playing in the background, Megamind calls out Titan, only to spend the whole day doing nothing but waiting in front of City Hall. Much to his horror, Titan has been spending his time stealing whatever he wanted. </p><p>Revealing that he’s really both “Space Dad” and the guy dating Roxanne, Megamind goads Titan into the promised battle, until Titan announces that he’s going to actually kill Megamind for not working with him. This forces Megamind to use his “contingency plan” and contain Titan in a ball made of copper. Unfortunately Titan breaks through the ball, much to the surprise of Megamind since Titan should have the same weakness as Metro Man. Megamind leaves, and Titan announces that the city wasn’t really “saved” as it was placed under “new management”.</p><p>And we’ll leave it here, because the rest will spoil the ending.</p><p>The movie is a great play on the classic superhero story, showing how the “eternal battle” gets to the point that it becomes boring to the participants. And of course there is the <a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJJW7EF5aVk">“Wiley E. Coyote” dilemma</a> of what do you do when you get what you’ve been chasing for so long. The good guy always wins, the bad guy always loses, so what happens when the bad guy finally wins? This movie plays up on it quite well.</p><p>The vocal casting is done quite well. If you didn’t know it was Will Ferrell doing the voice of Megamind, you wouldn’t have guessed. On the other hand, you can see the facial mannerisms of Roxanne and see Tina Fey doing her voice, and the same holds true to Brad Pitt doing Metro Man’s voice. The characters are done over-the-top, but only just enough to avoid being cheesy. </p><p>The use of well-recognized pop songs to mark the arrival of Megamind help sell the character, although a few songs delved more into the “music video” category than helping to sell the story. This was the mistake that the people behind <a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://battlerockx.blogspot.com/2009/02/paragon-pundit-hero-movie-review-1.html">“Zoom”</a> made as well, although DreamWorks didn’t go as far as Sony Pictures did.</p><p>In all this is a good hero comedy movie, and one that even villains should be able to enjoy.</p><table id="table4" border="1" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td><b>Capes: </b></td><td>I’m hesitant to give this movie five capes. The hero level certainly gives it four capes.</td></tr><tr><td><b>Cheese: </b></td><td>While this is a comedy, and a great play on the classic hero story, there is still some cheese to it. I won’t say where because it will ruin the ending, but you’ll know when you see it. Don’t worry; it’s just Mild Cheddar (2).</td></tr><tr><td><b>Books: </b></td><td>Megamind is a good story, although not great, and with the few songs used more for “music video” than to convey a story, I have to give it three books out of five.</td></tr></tbody></table>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-72244967575436188762011-08-24T07:12:00.000-07:002011-08-24T07:19:07.101-07:00Everything Will Go!The folks at NCSoft/Paragon Studios have announced that with the coming Free-2-Play model <span style="font-style: italic;">(aka </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/news/freedom/freedom_overview.php">City of Heroes: Freedom</a><span style="font-style: italic;">)</span>, all of their booster and expansion packs are going to be taken off the market on August 30th.
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<br />That means that if you haven't gotten the booster packs or expansion packs that you want, you better do so now before the 30th, or else wait until after FREEDOM goes online.
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<br />On the plus side, from now until the 29th, you can get <a href="http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/news/news_archive/announcing_the_declaration_of_freedom_sale.php">the original City of Heroes program for $1.99</a> and the <a href="https://secure.ncsoft.com/cgi-bin/Store.pl?dnv=3853724878&action=toggleCategory&category=2">physical retail box (with all of the added goodies that go with it) for $9.99</a>.
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<br />Good deals, so get them now or forever hold your peace until FREEDOM.
<br />David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-10629276063446872582011-07-27T14:02:00.000-07:002011-07-27T14:09:14.955-07:00NEW: Tales from Paragon City #2Hold on to your capes, heroes... the Praetorians have taken over!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.deviantart.com/download/244968820/tales_from_paragon_city_02_by_djmatt2-d41uj5g.pdf"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 232px; height: 300px;" src="http://cohcomicindex.com/home/cohcomicindex/images/1/1c/TFPC02c.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.deviantart.com/download/244968820/tales_from_paragon_city_02_by_djmatt2-d41uj5g.pdf">(Click on the image or this link to download the PDF file.)</a></span><br /></span></div><br />Who is this mysterious gunslinger in Praetoria? And why is he trying to bring back something unheard of in years?<br /><br />Find out here!David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-41808436270435459592011-06-01T17:58:00.000-07:002011-06-01T18:00:12.436-07:00Go Retro with Steam!<p>Feeling a little overwhelmed by all of the tech stuff in Paragon City? </p><p>Cross-dimensional devices just blowing your mind?</p><p>Want a life a little more simplistic?</p><p>Well now you can go RETRO with the new <b><a href="https://secure.ncsoft.com/cgi-bin/Store.pl?action=viewItem;item_id=413">Steampunk Booster Pack</a></b>!</p><p align="center"><object height="349" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FRO1dh4JaHo?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FRO1dh4JaHo?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="349" width="560"></embed></object></p><p>Now you can go "Old School" with over 60 costume pieces designed to bring out the best of the 19th Century. These include old-style faces, hair styles, hats, beards, cameos, jackets, boots, gloves, pants, belts, and skirts.</p><p align="center"><img src="https://a248.e.akamai.net/static.ncwest.origin.ncsoft.com/billing/images/screen/coh_steampunk_fc808cb3ce54f7e7885a91543ac318d7/2.jpg" border="0" height="351" width="552" /></p><p>How about wings? We have the best in wind-up wings. Need something a little more potent? We have a special Steam-Powered jump pack that will give you super-leaping abilities for a limited period of time.</p><p>How about hardware? We have the best weapons the 19th Century can give you! Remarkable pistols and rifles! And how about a rucksack? You've never had a rucksack before, have you? NEVER!</p><p align="center"><img src="https://a248.e.akamai.net/static.ncwest.origin.ncsoft.com/billing/images/screen/coh_steampunk_fc808cb3ce54f7e7885a91543ac318d7/6.jpg" border="0" height="347" width="551" /></p><p>And because the 19th Century really wasn't that CLEAN, we have some new auras that show just how messy tinkering with oils and screws and springs can be. You can even change your outfits with either steam or oil. Or you can have some Victorian-style glyphs to show off your classic features to show how "prim and proper" you can be, even while you're thrashing your opponents thusly!</p><p>Oh, and as with other booster packs, these are all available from the start, so either new or seasoned characters.</p><p>Got you interested? Good, because it's only an affordable $9.95 (in 21st Century coin) over at the NCSoft Store. So get on over there and partake!</p>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573936809384453902.post-63512118993195184472011-05-27T10:00:00.000-07:002011-05-27T10:01:41.054-07:00Paragon Pundit Hero Movie Review - Special Comment (Superman)<table id="table3" border="1" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td><b><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHb4efTcMcmMEQGBLMHV-LllsSb8ojbM465FlEPrNfl_nR3LypMSeTPaYKc9yQsjNBee28xgLLfVzjRrTW8lLQn1GojFS3Gyv8K_H3qaIHAZVvbUCLOpiABAc6rCbMXTxlYEErTAHDPJHu/s150/ParagonPundit_80x80.jpg" border="0" height="80" width="80" /><span style=""><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">Paragon Pundit Hero Movie Review </span></span></b></td></tr><tr><td><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>Special Comment on the Superman Movie Series</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I have a confession to make: Superman is my all-time favorite superhero. </p><p>Hands-down, no doubt about it, he is the icon that I wish I could be. I wished I could do the things that he could. He could fly, he travels super-fast, he’s super-strong, and nothing except kryptonite could hurt him! Okay there’s also the whole X-ray vision thing too, but that was when I got a little older and I also wanted to see what color Lois Lane’s underwear really was.</p><p>That’s why, when I give my reviews of Superman movies, I have this tendency to give him higher marks in the “capes” category, because he will always be the iconic model.</p><p>Unfortunately when the Superman movies came out from the late-1970’s through to the late-1980’s, Superman was relegated to being a cartoon joke along with all of the other TV superheroes. Sure he was super-serious in ABC’s Saturday Morning series “Super-Friends”, but he really wasn’t the star of the show. It was about “Wendy, Marvin, and WONDER DOG!” Or it was about “The Wonder Twins AND GLEEK!” Anything to stick in lame-ass bumbling kids and goofy cartoony animals pretending to be heroes. Superheroes of the time followed the lead of the campy 1966 “<a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_%281966_film%29">Batman</a>” movie and TV series. Everything was campy and cheesy and about as serious as a Marx Brothers marathon.</p><p>That is why “<a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://battlerockx.blogspot.com/2009/03/paragon-pundit-hero-movie-review-11.html">Superman: The Movie</a>” stood out. It stood out because Warner Brothers and Alexander and Ilya Salikind DID NOT play around with this film. They kept one word in mind through the whole process: EPIC. They wanted this to be one of THE BEST films of all time, and they spared no expense to make it so. They brought in the best actors, some of the biggest names of the time, including Glen Ford and Marlon Brando. They had celebrities like Rex Reed come in as cameos appearances, but they weren’t done for the sake of having them. They cast their lead character appropriately, especially using a relative unknown for the title character. They had a superb original and POWERFUL score by one of the BEST in the business. And they spared no expense for the special effects! They utilized green-screen and wireworks, which at that time were state-of-the-art. Bear in mind this was decades before computer-generated digital effects would be possible, never mind affordable, and certainly not realistic. Their Academy Award for special effects in 1979 was well-earned.</p><p>But most importantly, they kept the cheese factor contained. Sure, some of the scenes were done for laughs, but that didn’t mean that the whole film was.</p><p>The film’s running line was “You will believe a man can fly” and they made us into believers!</p><p>Unfortunately, as with all other things Hollywood, too many people in charge lost track of the little things that made a movie like that into a hit. “<a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://battlerockx.blogspot.com/2009/03/paragon-pundit-hero-movie-review-12.html">Superman II</a>” was marred by a change in directors. “<a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://battlerockx.blogspot.com/2009/03/paragon-pundit-hero-movie-review-13.html">Superman III</a>” was shoved into being a Richard Pryor comedy vehicle. “<a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://battlerockx.blogspot.com/2009/07/paragon-pundit-hero-movie-review-16.html">Supergirl</a>” had a non-existent story. “<a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://battlerockx.blogspot.com/2009/07/paragon-pundit-hero-movie-review-17.html">Superman IV</a>” had bargain-basement executives giving bargain-basement budgets and story. By the time “<a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://battlerockx.blogspot.com/2009/07/paragon-pundit-hero-movie-review-17.html">Superman IV</a>” came out, everyone just wanted the whole thing done and over with, and, yes, that included the actors AND the audience.</p><p>And don’t tell me that the magic couldn’t happen again after that first movie; because the Salikinds proved that premise wrong with their “Superboy” TV series. If the suits don’t give a care, then it should be no surprise that their finished product is going to be shoddy.</p><p>When talking about the whole Superman series, there are two key questions that need to be asked.</p><p>(1) Does “Supergirl” count as part of the series?</p><p>(2) Where does “<a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://battlerockx.blogspot.com/2010/07/paragon-pundit-hero-movie-review-19.html">Superman Returns</a>” fit in?</p><p>The answer to the first question is simple and to-the-point. YES, “Supergirl” DOES and SHOULD ALWAYS be considered part of the whole “Superman” movie series, no matter how bad it really was and how far it strayed even from film canon. Ilya Salikind had every intention of including “Supergirl” as part of the whole movie cannon, including bringing in Christopher Reeve for a quick cameo as Superman. Since Reeve passed on the idea <i>(remember this came right after “Superman III” flopped)</i>, Salikind use a poster of Reeve as Superman and had Marc McClure come in as Jimmy Olson. So that pretty much cements the movie as being part of the whole cannon.</p><p>“Superman Returns”, on the other hand, is tricky. This movie operates under the premise that everything after “Superman II” didn’t happen. It takes the best of the first two movies, strips away ALL <i>(or almost all)</i> of the cheese, re-casts EVERYONE, and then makes us forget that we ever heard of Gus Gorman (Superman III), Selene the Witch (Supergirl), or Nuclear Man (Superman IV).</p><p>Is it part of the movie canon? No, but it should have been.</p><p>“Superman Returns” is how the series SHOULD have progressed if it didn’t take twenty years and a complete cast change. Lex Luthor is out of prison and still fixated on land grabs and on killing Superman by any means possible. He remembers the Fortress, and he knows how to get there. Lois Lane bears the fruit of her little journey from the second movie, even if she doesn’t “remember” how it came about. There is no “god-gaze” superpower where Superman could just stare at something and it gets better. You even get to see bullets bounce off him. He has great powers without the producers relying on that stupid “god-gaze” cheat. All of the things that would have been a great tie-in to the whole story were there.</p><p>So now the new challenge for Warner Brothers is to come up with a whole new Superman movie series. And here they are running into the same problems as the last film. Shifting directors, shifting directions, and now the executives want to do a complete “reboot” of the whole film canon. </p><p>Further complicating things is the fact that Warner Brothers had the “Smallville” TV series running for ten years before FINALLY putting it - and the continual teasing on the audience - to an end. That in and of itself warrants a special comment, but reconciling the Superman lore of the series with any future movie will be a challenge. </p><p>However this new “rebooted” series progresses, if at all, credit still needs to be given to the Salikinds for proving over thirty years ago that you could do a big-budget superhero film and have it pay off. They were the ones that set the standard that other superhero series, and indeed other superhero series from other publishers, have tried to keep even to this day. Just remember that when you promise the audience that they will BELIEVE a man can fly… then you better make sure that by the time the end credits roll, that you make believers out of them all.</p>David 2http://www.blogger.com/profile/12138208895799312312noreply@blogger.com0