5th column event?

[Mesozoic]

I was carousing Indy Port last night calling contacts.  One contact gave me a "Kill 20 5th Column in Independence Post" mission - three times in a row.  I thought it was a bug or just weirdness.  I ended up taking all three missions because hey, they're nazis.  Several other people, some five or so levels higher than me, were on the same mission.  

This morning I look on the CoH site and see that there's an article there about a gameworld-wide increase in 5th Col. activity.  

Has anyone else seen any of this?  Mayhaps this will have some massive Rikti-like ending.

[Xilren's Twin]

I didn't notice last night or this morning, but I was more interested in pursuing missions related to a new souviener arc I just got so I didn't accept any that were 5th column related.  Plenty of 5th on the streets of Indy but i couldn't tell if more than usual.  I'll take a look again tonight; always up for some nazi ass woopin.

Btw, if anyone on victory would be around after 10pm ish tonight, I have my first two person required mission against the CoT.  I think that means there must be door in areas seperated from the controls to open them or something but since starting my level 25 set of missions, the neat things seen in CoT caves and areas are growing.  For example, my first mission at 25 had wardstones, which are glowing altars that heal over time CoT near to them (they explode nicely when you take them out).  Plus the always neat get temp power from finding magical artifacts.

At any rate, I'll see if any of the few remaining BC'er are on;maybe we could hit it.

New missions = love.

Xilren
PS Check out the newspaper story here

[Sky]

I'm not BC, but I've been somewhat active the past couple weeks with my (now inactive) SG, the morlocks. I don't think the Stargate shows are airing new episodes yet, so I could help you out if needed, though I loath the caves tilesets...

Cosmic Anomaly is a lvl 23 energy/energy blastola.

[UnSub]

http://vnboards.ign.com/City_of_Heroes_General_Board/b22054/77040020/?55

A troll on the above link indicates that the story line will remove the 5th Column from CoH so that Cryptic won't have problems with the Europe release.

Unconfirmed, but it makes sense.

[SurfD]

somehow i find the idea that they would remove the 5th column from the game to be utterly rediculous.

I mean, the 5th and the Rikti are practically 70 or 80 percent of the back story of the ENTIRE game world.  I mean, Requiem is Statesman's arch nemesis.  And not to mention that i am pretty sure that the entire archvillian arc with the evil-twin heroes comes from that world where the 5th won the war.  Removing the 5th from the world and trying to keep the flavour of the series would be like suddenly removing ALL the Sith permanently from Starwars at the end of RotJ and trying to balance shit out.

5th column missions streach through every level from like 5 right up to early 40's (not sure if there is a lot of 5th content in the 45+ range, but I still get missions involving them at 41.)

Hell, removing the 5th would require reworking a SHITLOAD of content (the Bastion TF is entirely 5th, not to mention that there are a bunch of story arcs and an entire tileset devoted to that particular villian group.

I just cant see it happening.

[UnSub]

They have to remove Nazis for the game to be legally saleable in Germany (at least - there may be other Euro countries that won't sell things with Nazis in them).

I'd expect for the 5th Column to be replaced by some other paramilitary group that serves a similar purpose, so the change would be more cosmetic than anything else. If it happens that it is.

[Figleaf]

They have to remove Nazis for the game to be legally saleable in Germany (at least - there may be other Euro countries that won't sell things with Nazis in them).

I'd expect for the 5th Column to be replaced by some other paramilitary group that serves a similar purpose, so the change would be more cosmetic than anything else. If it happens that it is.

There is a lot of grumbling, but no official word, going on in this thread:

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=1556237&page=4&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1

It's worth mentioning the large number of people posting who claim to be from Germany, who are adamant that German laws relate directly to National Socialism symbols and idealogy and NOT to ficitonal characters that resemble Nazis (but are led by an Italian).

Personally, I think this claim is beyond premature and reactionary in the extreme.  I find it hard to believe that Cryptic or NCSoft wouldn't, y'know, have thought about the possible legal ramifications of a European release quite a bit before they ever went live in America.  Especially considering how ubiquitous 5th Column are in the game all the way from level 1 (dependent on Origin).

The fact that Statesman hasn't even bothered to acknowledge the rumor exists makes me think it is just that: rumor.  Having watched the tizzy fests that went on leading up to the last non-event "event" I can't imagine any developer wouldn't learn the lesson that "bored fanbois on message boards make up the stupidest shit imaginable under the guise of speculation."

Heh, or maybe I'm wrong.  That'd be funny.

[eldaec]

The selling-in-germany law thing is nonsense.

I strongly suspect the reason for the 5th column event is related to Big Patch 3.

People who have done enough 5th column arcs (and paid attention) will know there is a connection between some of the things in the latest 'Paragon Times article' and the 5th column.

The article is currently on www.coh.com and is mostly about backstory for the new epic AT promised in Big Patch 3.