| What's In A Name? A CoX Editorial
What's In A Name?
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For more than three years now, I have played this game, City of Heroes, and I have seen a great many things come and go. I have seen changes to the way it is run, the way it is played, and they way it is seen. I was there from First to Last Wave Beta. I witnessed the carnage in the Hive as the Devs sent an army of level 40 Heroes after Hamidon. I took part in the Rikti Invasion, watched the ships blot out the sky and was one shotted by a level 25 Rikti "Commander's" sword. Then, as the game took shape as it was launched, I remember the times I had re-learning my character, re-learning the game through and through. I took each "nerf", each name with patience. Hasten & Enervating Field were the first heavy hits on that chopping block, and rightly so. Much like every other modification done to power sets in the game since then. I defeated my fair share of high level villains before the long forgotten "Purple Patch". I also attempted all of the Task Forces over and over in the hopes that this time it would not bug and crash. I have truly seen it all.
"Then what is the purpse of this, Impadivus?" I can hear you ponder, "Filling your need for an ego boost, or more?"
Well, perhaps that is, in a sense, what I am doing. Reminding myself of the things I have seen and participated in. But that hardly brings it to an "ego boost". In a certain essence, it helps humble my thoughts and feelings. Nevertheless, this Editorial will offend people, will bring notice to things that are either forgotten or not seen. I am not here to toot my own preverbial horn, as they say.
After three years I look at where I am now, still here on my home server of Pinnacle. And I witness, still, the way people interact with one another in this virtual world. And the majority of the time it makes me smile in a way that other things cannot. I am still proud to call this server my City of Heroes home, and, without a doubt, will always be proud to call it that. And far more than the changes I have seen come and go in the game as a whole, I see the changes that take place here in my home. The Pinnacle of all the servers.
It is no secret that I am affiliated with the "Supergroup" known as Jagged Legion. I have been since Issue #1 hit the servers, a month after the game went live. Before that I was one of the first five people to have reached the level cap on Pinnacle, and I was the first Energy Blaster to 40 in the game. I took part, with my good friends Tilnak, Arc Justice, Putride Man, Shinobe and others in defeating the pre-issue #1 Hamidon. With a simple team of eight, no less. And that was a great achievement for us. Then, with the buff to Hamidon in Issue #1, the players of the game deemed him "impossible". It became a great horror that he could not be stopped with just eight people. However, this was the Developer's intention. I believe the original quote from the Beta Boards revolved around "200 Heroes would be necessary to defeat the monster Archvillian known as The Hamidon". And now, it seemed this would be the case.
If it were not for a few Heroes who thought different.
I won't bore you, or regail you the the tales of Jagged Legion defeating the "impossible" Hamidon with a mere 26 people. It has been done to death over and over, and quite frankly, I sometimes bore myself with retelling the story. The purpose of this is to bring up, again, how and why it was done the way we did it.
When another group, on another server, defeated Hamidon later on in Issue #2, they did so with nothing but Radiation Defenders grouped together. An easy, cut and dry way to destroy an objective. They worked hard to level those Heroes, they deserved the reward of the defeat. How does this differ to us? Jagged Legion worked hard to find a way to defeat The Hamidon with every Archetype in the game. No "cookie cutter" builds, no "raid specific" characters. Just to learn how to do with what we had, so that everyone in our Supergroup could participate in it with our most favoured and main heroes. So, contrary to the stories and hilarious rumors that circulated about how we defeated Hamidon, we defeated him simply with a strategy that involved everyone; Blasters, Tankers, Scrappers, Controllers and Defenders. And this became the foundation on how the group operated. All for one, one for all, no one left behind.
I can hear the grumbling of old members, those that might have left on no so wonderful terms repeating that last phrase in their heads "no one left behind". Granted, we have lost some members in not the most ideal situations, and I still regret those things. Everyone that has joined Jagged Legion did it because they were fit, skilled, and a great enough player and person to wear the Original Trident. To wear the Blue, Grey and Gold. Sometimes things are forgotten, and I apologise to those people that were, in the end, left behind. I am truly sorry.
So, it comes to the point where Jagged Legion becomes "the best" Supergroup on Pinnacle, and for a time, the game. Pretty high and mighty of me? You're damned right. When after your greatest accomplishments you help the Dev team work on end-game content, at their request, you can feel good about yourself. When you get to attend E3 and spend an hour meeting and talking to Statesman himself, trying to help him improve the game for players like us, you can feel good about yourself.
And this is where I get your attention: After that, and more, Jagged Legion set the standard for what a "Number One Supergroup" should be. Organised, dedicated, team oriented, decisive and hard working. We were Pinnacle's "first Supergroup". And now? Now we have changed, much like the times. But, in the end, we are still here.
Moving along to more of the points of this Editorial I find myself looking at the new "best" of Pinnacle and wondering. Granted, you are the best at your things, I will not disagree with that. But it comes down to what is in the name of it?
There is a group that is "the best" at attaining Prestige. Something Jagged Legion used to be "the best" at with no more than 28-30 members in their ranks. Now, following the developers design plan, "the best at prestige gain" does it with a full, 75 player supergroup that is always active. Stories of "prestige quota per player" are inconsequential. It's a group of 75 playing people. That, there, should keep them on top. And they earned it in their own way. And I bow to them for it. Just like the Rad Defenders that defeated Hamidon, they earned their victory. All 75 of them.
Then we see yet more groups that are claiming "the best" at Player versus Player combat. Of course, only one of them deserves such a title, and they know who they are. The rest merely talk, while one is fighting on the Test Server where the greatest PvP groups in the game fight. It is my opinion that this is not necessarily "real" PvP combat due to the fact that all builds there are broken to the hilt with Hamidon Enhancements and not built the way they would be at all on a live server, but that is what these groups do for fun, that is their opinion, and I respect that. Once again, however, it is done in their own ways. Things are built specifically for a task, and then those things are only used. Someone might get left behind. There was a time that Jagged Legion was "the best" at PvP as well. Just the 30 of them. And when they PvPed on Pinnacle, and on the Test Server, they could switch in and out of any player and any character and still not lose a battle. Nothing was completely created for a specific task, unless the member wanted it to be. We cleared out PvP zones, we dominated the arenas, all in a time before these groups were around. And then it makes me wonder, would these groups be here now, if Jagged Legion had not bowed off of the stage of being "the best"?
I hear the voices of people out there crying and getting angry at this. And no longer do I care. I have stood where I am for far too long, seen "the best" complain and fight and bicker with each other. All doing it like 25 Radiation Defenders did.
If you find yourself in a group that is compared to Jagged Legion, do not take offense, take pride. For you are being compared to, truly, what used to be "the best" supergroup on the Pinnacle Server. It was the accomplishments made by Jagged Legion that forced other groups into action. Forced them to try and attain that kind of attention, or level of success. We are all "the best" at something. Someone is "the best" at this, and that. At one point there was a group who truly was "the best" at everything this game had to offer. They did it all, as humble as they could, and when there was nothing left to do, no more monsters to slay, all other groups refused to fight, no more trials to complete... The giant took two steps back and fell asleep.
My name is Impadivus. I am a Leader of Jagged Legion, once the best Supergroup this server, and game, had ever seen. I have endured hardships with the game, and the group. And, in turn, the game and group have endured hardships with me. Despite all of this, I am still here. And so is Jagged Legion. This small Editorial has been written for old members, current members, and future members to remind them of what is carried with them when they wear that name above their head. It was written for those groups that are now "the best" at what they do, and to remind them that while they tread in foot steps already laid out in front of them from times long past, they are doing it and they deserve that credit, and that respect.
Most of us here are adults, some of us have families, and children and husbands and wives and full time jobs. Yet when I read, and see what happens around here sometimes I can't imagine that any of that is true. The insults, the rage, the jealousy, the hate. Even I can easily be put into this category. For some of us this game, on this server, is our hobby, our passion. Some people carve ducks, some people play guitar, some people draw or write to pass the time. We like to play City of Heroes. And sometimes, though, it seems to take us back to a time when we had no notion of sanity or respect. I am sorry for the times I acted in such a way. It isn't very becoming. The internet is a powerful thing, the anonymity it gives you can make you feel safe, feel strong. But sometimes, we take it far too far. Someone will always be the best at something here, and someone else will always disagree with it. My only advice in that case is to remember that, yes, it is only a game for most of us. And for a few of us it can be more. So, grow up a little bit before you make that post, before you reply to that thread or before you say something to another player in the game. It will go a long way to show what else is in your name.
I know what is in my name, and the name of the group I still represent and fight to keep going; Dedication, hard work, team work, family, friends, love, history, setting a standard, doing the impossible, longevity, inspiration, ingenuity and more, much more.
"I hope you guys continue setting an example for your server and our community at large." - One of many quotes from players on other servers. While the voices of those that hated "the best" were the loudest, it was these voices that understood, and were truly heard.
I look forward to seeing the rest of Pinnacle History unfold before my eyes. I look forward to perhaps taking part in some of it as well, should the opportunity surface.
They have said that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". While some of you may, or may not know it, Jagged Legion continues to be flattered.
So what is in your name? When you work with your own supergroup members, when you work with the community in any capacity, when you set goals or examples, or boast about your accomplishments. What is in your name?
Maybe there’s still some “Elitist Bastard” in ours, I won’t disagree to that, nevertheless, we are still here.
And we’ll see you in Paragon City, Heroes and Villains.
__________________ Impadivus - Level 50 Energy Blaster
Globally known as @Impadivus  
Last edited by Impadivus; 12-30-2006 at 08:57 AM.
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