Champions Online – free weekend

Recently Champions online had a free weekend and the missus asked me to join her for a few hours of heroic gaming and create a little story. I thought it was a good idea and a welcome break from EvE. The plan was simple, make a hero each and make that hero some sort of mechanical awesomegineer and take the powers available to keep the hero powerfull, not boring, definetly nothing to do with existing comic heros, while keeping with the chosen theme. Our theme was tiny small Goblins of mischief and mayhem (I’m having Bloodbowl flashbacks allready). Here is my hero, Patches Tinkerton and here is what happened on that weekend.

A camera shy Patches.

When creating a hero you get the option to give a backstory, some form of biography so other players can read about who your hero is and where they came from etc. It’s a good oportunity to turn your idea into a story.  Patches worked tirelessly for Mr.Teddy “Terror” Pemprose III until one day when a Teddy-bot malfunctioned and started destroying the dungeon-toy workshop, Patches saw his chance and not before taking his favourite hat fled the evil lair vowing that from that moment on he would only ever make toys for good.

I pretty much had my hero decided when the idea for this goblin weekend came about. A gadgeteering goblin is awesome, you can get into trouble and it’s not your fault..you are just being a Goblin. I thought about how he would look, he needed rocket boots because the power is quite unweildy propelling you up as you make your jumps with such an incredible speed. And so to complement the rocket boots he needed a rocket pack, but none so sofisticated so the plain ole’ rocket on the back was perfect.  The rest was easy, flight goggles and a crash helmet for practical purposes, a patchwork set of shorts because he worked as a poor slave toymaker and probably made them himself.

After another successful test flight comes another technically precise "done on purpose" landing.

Sisqi Screwdriver was to be my missus’s goblin Gadgeteer, a rather more professional goblin awesomegineer but still completly mental. Here they are getting ready before taking off on their first assignment…they assure me that the behaviour in the next few shots is completly normal and nothing at all to be concerned about.

How to spot if you have a neurological disorder. 1) you operate imaginary computer machinery. 2) Imaginary science experiments are a success. 3) Whilst foraging in the open on hard packed snow you see people behind you. 4) This might NOT be mental, it is clearly the plan of action being formed.

The powers available give gadgeteers numerous “pets” to help in their heroic deeds. It was fully my intention to abuse this and give my goblin an extended theme of toy creation in which he is able to make them so rapidly it defys all known theories of mechanics. Basically, not even god could create something as fast as he. Robots from thin air, teddy bears produced in a mere nano-moment and flying saucers beamed in quicker than thought. I wanted lot’s of pets, I wanted more pets than was resonable for a single hero to have. He had 6, Sisqi had 4 making our army a mighty fearsome total of 12!

The fight was taken to a bunker in the heart of the frozen mountain ranges of Canada, the infiltration was quick and entirely well organised chaos, the forces of VIPER didn’t stand a chance. The bunker’s entrance was cleaned of all gaurd by teddy bear pirates and laser weilding robots. Sisqi hacked into the doors control panel and we gained rapid access wasting none of our suprise attack advantage.

Our 'Heal'o'droids' work their magic at the Bunker entrance on those requiring cuts and bruises removed, mechanical repairs, bones resetting, skin grafts etc

Once inside the toy army was rearmed while Teddy stood watch at the doorway, nobody or nothing was going to get past Teddy!

Teddy...he might be just a teddy, but you don't want to mess with that teddy.

The Goblin awesomegineers and their force of toys moved swiftly through the bunker before VIPER reinforcements could arrive and organise some resistance to this unstopable toy team. Patches and Sisqi were just to good at their jobs as the command centre was the last room to be dealt with. A few brave (but foolish!) VIPER guards tried to gain back some ground by attacking from both sides in a last desperate effort, but were treated just like the rest…sent straight to the reject bin!

The futile efforts of these VIPER guards stood no chance against this force of toy power.

With the objective in sight the Goblins had one last obsticle to face. A super soldier development programme by VIPER created fish soldiers capable of vast psychic powers that enables them complete control of above and below the water surface. If this project was allowed to continue then VIPER would be unstopable across 100% of the worlds surface.

The mass of toys and goblins prepare to make short work of the so called "super soldier" and the base commander. Leaving only the tanks of bio fluid to be trashed before a swift exit.

Patches and Sisqi were a wildcard option for a successfull mission and as the last battle raged on between the base commander and a super soldier it looked pretty safe in their hands. Everything was taken care of, the base was ruined and so were VIPERs super soldier plans…at least for now. Patches and Sisqi retreated to base to repair toys and robots just incase their services were required again. Perhaps VIPER’s plans were only the beginning of something bigger, they had best be more careful however, the Goblin awesomegineers are always prepared!

Take a bow Patches, your work here is done.