As compared to CoX's slow-paced waiting-for-that-power-to-finish-recharging-followed-by-another type of combat, DCUO's clunky combo system, or a couple of other similar examples of MMO combat systems, I highly disagree with the bolded part.
Pace isn't CO's problem. I think it hits a sweet spot for me. (And really, CoH's only problem for me was Paragon's stubborn insistence on slow out-of-combat HP regen.)
The problem is that, with the exception of level 40 bosses (Therakiel, Shadow Destroyer, and Gravitar) and the Cybermind alert, boss fights are just Spank & Tank and Don't Stand In The Fire. (Literally, in Warlord's case.) They're starting to break out of that mold, as we saw with Cybermind's color coded safe zones and the "What if Frostfire was two separate people?" alert that ought to be coming back to PTS soon. Maybe if we get the oft-delayed lair review, we'll see better fights outside of special alerts and the 40s.
Choose your enemies carefully, because they will define you / Make them interesting, because in some ways they will mind you
They're not there in the beginning, but when your story ends / Gonna last with you longer than your friends
This genre in particular seems to have a big divide in the attitudes of "gamers" and "genre fans" (aka super-hero geeks).
I keep seeing people refer to Gamers.
I am assuming you mean computer gamers (people who play a lot of computer games)
because the people I know as Gamers are ones who play RPG's(PnP), Wargames,CCG's, Boardgames AND computer games.(Ib fact pretty much anything they can lay their hands on. Damn you Cheap **** Games)
Well, I now have 9 characters, 7 of which are level 35+ (to open all of the potential Alerts), but only 1 is level 40. That's changing since I'm doing a VB-BonusXP push with the other 6 (35-plusers). I'm not sure where that puts me on the Altaholic chart. It's just a FWIW.
With that said, something I noticed after my 2nd character; theme and powers/builds are easily separable.
For me it seems to come down to two types/examples:
1) A theme so visually related, the power type didn't matter.
With Second Hand, her powers are nuke-based. So, just slap on a neon-green theme, and bam! a Disciple AT is now nuke-based. Was I happy she could choke things with neon-green radioactive tendrils? Yes. Was I giddy that I could choose an explosive AoE power for a neon-green nuke-ish blast? Absolutely, but I didn't choose that specific AT for that. That color would have made that theme, no matter the power type.
2) The theme/background had nothing to do with what is shown in game.
Blueprint, a character I've had for a long time, is actually a brilliant engineer who can manipulate free-flowing energy and convert it into matter. What did that mean in story? He basically wore a battery on his back and created weapons, armor and vehicles on the fly. In story, he was more of a problem-solver than a fighter, though he could whip up an 'Iron-Man' suit when it was Boss-time. What does that mean in game? He's a PA and got first dib on a lock-box vehicle. I know some might have agonized over a way of getting his energy manipulation in game, but seriously guys and gals, the energy manipulation is just something in my head, and if I was so inclined, could role-play, but it's completely separable from the power/build system in game.
What Sterga means is that while the combat mechanics in CO are freakin' awesone... the actual combat you get into with them is lame and boring.
+1 for close enough. I wouldn't say combat mechanics are awesome, but they are so much better than hot bar combat. (When you spend more time fighting the Hot Bar. Problem in games that crap powers all over you, forcing you to figure out which ones you need, macros, how many more bars you need, and rotations. Wastes time you could be using to fight actual enemies.)
The problem is that, with the exception of level 40 bosses (Therakiel, Shadow Destroyer, and Gravitar) and the Cybermind alert, boss fights are just Spank & Tank and Don't Stand In The Fire. (Literally, in Warlord's case.) They're starting to break out of that mold, as we saw with Cybermind's color coded safe zones and the "What if Frostfire was two separate people?" alert that ought to be coming back to PTS soon. Maybe if we get the oft-delayed lair review, we'll see better fights outside of special alerts and the 40s.
Even those are mostly about standing there button mashing your main attack. Therakiel the far more engaging while the rest only require a tiny bit of attention. Frosty and Flamer looked like a snooze fest on the twitch stream. Not looking forward to it.
Wouldn't Cybermind's color coded zones be "Don't Stand In The Fire"? (Still haven't played it.)
Wouldn't Cybermind's color coded zones be "Don't Stand In The Fire"? (Still haven't played it.)
They're basically "Don't Stand In The Fire", except that it's inverted; instead of a small portion of the floor being the fire, it's the majority of the floor that's fire and you're standing in the portion that's not fire.
Also you have to match colors and listen to verbal directions... which is apparently where true challenge comes from n_n
Comments
Pace isn't CO's problem. I think it hits a sweet spot for me. (And really, CoH's only problem for me was Paragon's stubborn insistence on slow out-of-combat HP regen.)
The problem is that, with the exception of level 40 bosses (Therakiel, Shadow Destroyer, and Gravitar) and the Cybermind alert, boss fights are just Spank & Tank and Don't Stand In The Fire. (Literally, in Warlord's case.) They're starting to break out of that mold, as we saw with Cybermind's color coded safe zones and the "What if Frostfire was two separate people?" alert that ought to be coming back to PTS soon. Maybe if we get the oft-delayed lair review, we'll see better fights outside of special alerts and the 40s.
They're not there in the beginning, but when your story ends / Gonna last with you longer than your friends
I am assuming you mean computer gamers (people who play a lot of computer games)
because the people I know as Gamers are ones who play RPG's(PnP), Wargames,CCG's, Boardgames AND computer games.(Ib fact pretty much anything they can lay their hands on. Damn you Cheap **** Games)
example
http://www.gamersguild.org.au/
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With that said, something I noticed after my 2nd character; theme and powers/builds are easily separable.
For me it seems to come down to two types/examples:
1) A theme so visually related, the power type didn't matter.
With Second Hand, her powers are nuke-based. So, just slap on a neon-green theme, and bam! a Disciple AT is now nuke-based. Was I happy she could choke things with neon-green radioactive tendrils? Yes. Was I giddy that I could choose an explosive AoE power for a neon-green nuke-ish blast? Absolutely, but I didn't choose that specific AT for that. That color would have made that theme, no matter the power type.
2) The theme/background had nothing to do with what is shown in game.
Blueprint, a character I've had for a long time, is actually a brilliant engineer who can manipulate free-flowing energy and convert it into matter. What did that mean in story? He basically wore a battery on his back and created weapons, armor and vehicles on the fly. In story, he was more of a problem-solver than a fighter, though he could whip up an 'Iron-Man' suit when it was Boss-time. What does that mean in game? He's a PA and got first dib on a lock-box vehicle. I know some might have agonized over a way of getting his energy manipulation in game, but seriously guys and gals, the energy manipulation is just something in my head, and if I was so inclined, could role-play, but it's completely separable from the power/build system in game.
Just something I noticed.
+1 for close enough. I wouldn't say combat mechanics are awesome, but they are so much better than hot bar combat. (When you spend more time fighting the Hot Bar. Problem in games that crap powers all over you, forcing you to figure out which ones you need, macros, how many more bars you need, and rotations. Wastes time you could be using to fight actual enemies.)
-1 for the pony.
Even those are mostly about standing there button mashing your main attack. Therakiel the far more engaging while the rest only require a tiny bit of attention. Frosty and Flamer looked like a snooze fest on the twitch stream. Not looking forward to it.
Wouldn't Cybermind's color coded zones be "Don't Stand In The Fire"? (Still haven't played it.)
[at]riviania Member since Aug 2009
They're basically "Don't Stand In The Fire", except that it's inverted; instead of a small portion of the floor being the fire, it's the majority of the floor that's fire and you're standing in the portion that's not fire.
Also you have to match colors and listen to verbal directions... which is apparently where true challenge comes from n_n
My super cool CC build and how to use it.