Cleveland vs. Indianapolis: Rogue Isles vs. Paragon

"Go on get Tarzan,
Go on get Jane,
Go get Superman,
' get Lois Lane.
Hail Virgin Mary,
She's got a gun.
This thing goes on all the time,
She thinks it's fun..."
"Heroes and Villains" the Psychedelic Furs, President Gas.

About a year after Peryton moved to Cleveland, and we started traveling to Indianapolis around twice a year, her brother talked her into playing City of Heroes, CoH. This on-line game was a way to do some interaction between the siblings as well as just another way to waste colossal amounts of time. Of course it did not take me to long get into the hobby seeing her have so much fun.

Looking at Paragon City, we both commented on how much the city's overall design looked very similar to Indianapolis. At least in the buildings, and the map for the first year was rather "blockish," similar to the square "loop" that surrounds the "Circle City." Well the statues are a lot smaller in the Hosier capital than in Statesman's haunts. And then when City of Villains, CoV, came out the red brick buildings and disjointed geometry of a lot of the structures, as well as the litter throughout the place, really reminded us of our beloved hometown, Cleveland. Now maybe we read way too much into things, but needless to say, Peryton and I are hooked. While we aren't the most disciplined of on-line role-players, sometimes we don't play for a month or two, but when we do get there we really get into it.

I have entire backgrounds and sub-plots for most of my characters. Cthulhu Boy, Beasty Boy, Brocholi Mangod, Hanoi Jane, Plague Dog, and Captain Scrappy have seriously developed story-arcs as they have wandered through the environs of the MORRPH, err whatever it is abbreviated as. Peryton has joined into my delusional dramas, you have to do something when you're looking for that 100th Skull gangster to pummel for that special badge, by playing my partners or love-interest. As interest wanes in character or another, Peryton and make side comments about the personal lives of him, or sometimes her, that would be worthy of a Marvel Avengers story-line at the very least.

Well, here is our Super-Group blog spot where we hope to blab about all the weird sub-plots, and sub-text, that we come up with to keep us addicted to the game. You know dressing up in spandex and beating up masked, stereotypical thugs does get boring, except maybe for TV wrestling fans, so you do have to work at it sometimes. That said, welcome and feel free to contribute your own input as well as your characters' stories.