Positron Speaks!

Interview with Mark Miller, a/k/a Positron, on upcoming CoX stuff. Some highlights …

Q) Are there any plans to ‘upgrade’ some of the older CoH zones to include things that can be seen in some of the newer CoH zones and CoV, like mob patrols or mobs damaging each other? If so, which zones are going to see the facelifts first?
Yeah, we are starting with the lower end zones first. Atlas Park, Galaxy City, and Kings Row are getting the old “wave and walk” cops removed from them, and we are adding in patrolling Paragon Police officers.
War Witch has also gone in and created a lot of environmental dialog to liven up those zones. In addition the textures and graphics in the CoH zones will be brought up to the quality seen in CoV over the next couple issues.

Which all sounds very spiffy, except for the CoV graphics coming to CoH, to the degree that they impact performance.

Q) Another big talking point are trenchcoats. What are the current state of trenchcoats in CoH/V? When can players expect to see them implemented?
NPCs are getting them in issue 7. The Thugs in the Thug Mastermind powerset will have them, as will some of the new Paragon Police. Players will get them this year, but they will be a “prestige” piece that you have to earn in some way.

So looking forward to a trenchcoat. I think Mr. Azure would look stunning in one.

Q) There are some differences between the powersets available to heroes and villains in the CoH/V world. What are the plans to allow this difference in available powersets to be reduced? Are there any powersets that are seen to be hero- or villain-exclusive? Will Plant Control remain a villains-only power because plants are naturally evil?
I wouldn’t say that plants are naturally evil, but weeds on the other hand… What’s the difference between a plant and a weed? A plant dies when you try to keep it alive, and a weed lives when you try to kill it.
That being said, Geko and I discussed just the other day how we are going to get some of the CoV powersets over to the CoH Archetypes. Stay tuned.

It’s a tough one. I think it’s good that there are differences between CoV and CoH — but, by the same token, it would be great to have power X over in game Y …

Q) On a personal note, I just have to ask: is a Dual Pistols powerset anywhere in terms of new powers that will be introduced to CoH/V or is it something that doesn’t even appear on the dev whiteboard?
I own the Criterion Collection versions of both The Killer and Hard Boiled… you can safely assume it’s on MY whiteboard.

I see a flurry of trenchcoated pistol-wielders coming on. And there’s nothing wrong with that.