Changing Talon's Passive "Mercy" to "Coup De Grace"

Ironclad Dragon·Jan 9, 2016·51 votes·2,937 views

I mean, Talon serves General Du Couteau. "Couteau" means "knife" in French. "Coup de grâce" is French for "blow of mercy". I think that'd be a nice connection.

37 Comments

SolerianJan 9, 20166 votes

I always liked that it was called "Mercy" because it gives Talon more of a benevolent side to an otherwise malevolent character. It's fitting since you're putting people who are disabled/greatly disadvantaged out of their misery.

Coup de Grace is equally fitting, however.

Ironclad DragonJan 9, 20161 votes

That's exactly what coup de Grace is. It's meant to put someone out of their misery.

SolerianJan 9, 20161 votes

Fair enough, I had always just thought of it as a "finishing blow", but you learn something new everyday.

That's the issue here, then. A Coup de Grace is an actual strike. It would be fitting for an ability, specifically an execute, but not for a passive, unless it were reworked into something that occurred every so often like Zed's passive.

Ironclad DragonJan 9, 20164 votes

Ah, I see, I see. Your reasoning is sound.

LordGeovanniJan 10, 20161 votes

and thats how assassins have mercy

HighH1Jan 10, 20161 votes

'Mercy' does more damage when they're CC'ed......

My Waifu VanillaJan 10, 20161 votes

Yes, you hit me harder, you are so merciful! /s

Dominick DestineJan 10, 20162 votes

[{quoted}](name=My Waifu Chocola,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=oWxAMsZq,comment-id=000100010000,timestamp=2016-01-10T15:36:25.036+0000)

hit me harder

Evelynn

Mael broJan 10, 20164 votes

Valve could sue for copyright violations. Because DOTA already has an ability called 'Coup de Grace'

Ironclad DragonJan 10, 201637 votes

... I don't think you can copyright a word from the Dictionary.

Mael broJan 10, 20162 votes

{quoted}

... I don't think you can copyright a word from the Dictionary.

Well Blizzard asked to change one to change the name of their heroes. So i think anything is possible. And btw i don't know how intellectual property legislation works here in NA.

KyrrionJan 10, 201611 votes

{quoted}

Well Blizzard asked to change one to change the name of their heroes. So i think anything is possible. And btw i don't know how intellectual property legislation works here in NA.

A common established phrase that predates video games for who knows how long is largely different from using the name and likeness of an original character (being Sylvanas Windrunner). Valve certainly couldn't overhaul the hero entirely, the name change was the best way. And let's face it, if anyone with no outside knowledge were to look at it right now they would know without a doubt that it was pretty much ripped off (and with DotA's origins laying within Warcraft III, it's hard to truly fault Valve for this).

KaisadiIIaJan 10, 20161 votes

But I expect more from Valve than I do from Blizzard.

Ariel the CruelJan 10, 20162 votes

Face book has a registered copyright on the word "face". They have an unregistered Copyright on the word "book", which you acknowledge and agree to abide by when creating an account.

It's in the ToS. "Face" has been legally enforced. "Book" hasn't made it through the court system yet (as far as I'm aware), since they keep settling out of court.

BârdJan 10, 20164 votes

Apple has a patent on rectangles with rounded corners.

Hyrum GraffJan 10, 20161 votes

[{quoted}](name=The True Bard,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=oWxAMsZq,comment-id=000200000002,timestamp=2016-01-10T05:31:08.106+0000)

Apple has a patent on rectangles with rounded corners.

And the page turn.

MrWasjigJan 10, 20161 votes

That's a patent though, not a copyright.

B1naryB0tJan 10, 20161 votes

Candy Crush owns copyright to the word "Candy".

KaisadiIIaJan 10, 20161 votes

Then I hope they don't use the word "mercy" anywhere on their game.

YorukinJan 10, 20162 votes

If not this, then it should at least have its name expanded to Mercy Kill or something. Mercy on its own just sounds awkwardly ironic for a damage-amplifying ability.

Besides that, Cutthroat hasn't made much sense since they removed the silence.

sp441Jan 10, 20162 votes

That's because Talon's idea of mercy towards the crippled is to just kill them.

It's like Lucian saying "Death is a Mercy, and I got plenty of Mercy"

RossendaleJan 10, 20162 votes

I always thought that "Mercy" was supposed to be a bit of a sarcastic name, since Talon doesn't exactly show mercy.

Dominick DestineJan 9, 20161 votes

But that's not what "Coup de Grace" means... it means "Golpe de Gracia"/"Tiro de Gracia" which means "Strike of grace" , in literal terms you might be able to get "Blow of mercy" (WTF?) but what it actually means is "Finishing blow" which is more of Zed's passive than Talon's passive.

Ironclad DragonJan 9, 20161 votes

Solerian helped me understand what you mean. You think Coup de Grace belongs to a single hit, not just a passive kind of thing, correct?

Dominick DestineJan 9, 20161 votes

Sort of, it's more of a final strike on a wounded opponent. Again, it fits Zed a lot more since Zed's is a powerful strike (Bonus damage) on an already wounded opponent that only occurs every once in awhile.

It doesn't fit Talon because Talon's is more of a multiplier for damage at any moment as long as the target is hindered. It simply does not fit.

i am sparttaJan 10, 20161 votes

true

sp441Jan 10, 20161 votes

But Talon's not really a member of the family, he doesn't follow General DuCouteau because of status, he does so out of respect for the man, as soon as he's out of the picture, he's probably going to go back to being a regular cutthroat.

VulcanIsHereJan 10, 20164 votes

except in lore General Du Couteau did go missing, yet he went looking for him

Shield VillainJan 10, 20161 votes

Read over his lore again. Back when the Rift still existed, Talon joined the League for the chance to find General DuCouteau. It's in his judgement too.