The writers first eh? Hmm, that's interesting... typically game companies go in reverse of the three you wrote (artists, programmers, then writers).
True, but I grew up playing games with terrible graphics and simplistic code, I may be navie for believing this, but I think more focus on the latter would result in better sells. *EDIT* More focus on story I mean.
It's almost always easier said than done, exception being something blatant that unquestionably is grounds for getting fired. Also, as I pointed out in my incentive/disincentive theory stuff above, a work atmosphere based around fear of losing the job is a rather ineffective motivator compared to passion.
We'll see, I'm pretty good at my choosen game, 7 card stud, high/low :cool:
Ah you're an ol' school veteran if you're into that. :cool: I mostly do Texas Hold'em, which kind of overtook 7-Card-Stud in popularity a number of years ago.
There's a lot of Poker players, professional ones even, on a gaming community I play with (they play all sorts of video games, but started out 8-9 years ago as a Poker-only Ventrilo channel): www.sector-thirteen.com
If you do happen get on the Ventrilo channel (it's free), ask to play XMTSX (aka. Travis). He's online in evenings, US timezones. If he sends me a text on my cellphone letting me know you're on I'll try to get on too and say hello. Sounds like fun actually! :biggrin:
True, but I grew up playing games with terrible graphics and simplistic code, I may be navie for believing this, but I think more focus on the latter would result in better sells. *EDIT* More focus on story I mean.
Side-scrollers, eh? Actually those are a little before my time. But in general good story telling seems to be a lost art in most game companies these days.
In truth though it's kind of a whole package. From the music & ambient noises, to the animation fluidity, to the gameplay mechanics balance, to the map/environmental designs, to even yes, the lore & story.
For example, even a blase story can be made compelling with the power of music.
Pixar is an example of an entertainment studio which absolutely excels with the power of animation, sound effects, and music to tell a story; no words needed: http://videosift.com/video/Presto-Pixar-Short
You can technically recreate a kheldians abilities with several of the powers in game. Celestial might be an obvious choise for personal buffs.
Yes, individual specific abilities could be re-created, I'm sure. However, I'll always miss the TriFormer gameplay I can get with Kheldians. That is specifically what I'll always miss. :redface:
____________________________________________
The poster formerly known as LordOfPit, and his blog.
* Dec 2007 (CO)
* Oct 2008 (STO)
You can technically recreate a kheldians abilities with several of the powers in game. Celestial might be an obvious choise for personal buffs.
You might be able to duplicate certain specific abilities. But the whole package? With the tri-form human/squid/lobster?
No. Not possible.
My Kheldians will never make the move to Millenium City. They are specific to to City of Heroes. They are too tied to the lore. If/when CoH goes away, so do they.
Well, CoX players are coming - they're coming in droves. Many (like myself) are already here.
Mind you, some CoX players find various elements of CO, particularly the graphical style, to be repulsive, and I agree that they are different, and they are entitled to their opinions. Personally, I preferred the CoX graphical style myself, but I merely find it a mild annoyance than a showstopper. So we won't get all of those left in the cold by CoX's closing.
I agree that Cryptic and PWE should hire as many of the CoX developers as they can. I'd expect they're going to. Think about it: CoX was stunningly successful, not as successful as WoW, maybe, but superhero RPGs are more of a niche market than traditional sword-and-sorcery, and the one thing that the CoX community at Titan has done is gotten the attention of the media, and at least lower-level people in the gaming industry (the ones that actually enjoy the games, as opposed to executives who merely run a business). Now, what are the Paragon employees going to do now that they've lost their jobs? They're going to look at other games with similar portfolios, and I'll bet a lot of them are going to look back here. Now, what are employers going to do when they see that you have CoX on your resume - you know, the game whose fans have captured the media spotlight and was raking in over a million dollars each year? You hire the dude(ete), if you possibly can!
I keep telling people: the battle for CoH is not over, and we stand a much better chance of winning than people beholden to NCSoft think. CoH itself may well die - probably will - but we can almost count on a spiritual successor. My hope is that CO will take up that mantle.
Think about it, ladies and gentlemen: we're heroes. What do you do when another hero bravely falls? You take his mask and cape and put them on yourself and fight crime in his stead. Now get your costumes on - we've got a city to save!
Mind you, some CoX players find various elements of CO, particularly the graphical style, to be repulsive, and I agree that they are different, and they are entitled to their opinions. Personally, I preferred the CoX graphical style myself, but I merely find it a mild annoyance than a showstopper. So we won't get all of those left in the cold by CoX's closing.
I agree that Cryptic and PWE should hire as many of the CoX developers as they can. I'd expect they're going to. Think about it: CoX was stunningly successful, not as successful as WoW, maybe, but superhero RPGs are more of a niche market than traditional sword-and-sorcery, and the one thing that the CoX community at Titan has done is gotten the attention of the media, and at least lower-level people in the gaming industry (the ones that actually enjoy the games, as opposed to executives who merely run a business). Now, what are the Paragon employees going to do now that they've lost their jobs? They're going to look at other games with similar portfolios, and I'll bet a lot of them are going to look back here. Now, what are employers going to do when they see that you have CoX on your resume - you know, the game whose fans have captured the media spotlight and was raking in over a million dollars each year? You hire the dude(ete), if you possibly can!
I keep telling people: the battle for CoH is not over, and we stand a much better chance of winning than people beholden to NCSoft think. CoH itself may well die - probably will - but we can almost count on a spiritual successor. My hope is that CO will take up that mantle.
I agree, but I must caution one thing here, and I need CoH (CoX) people coming over to listen to me on this point.
Champions Online is not, nor can it be, nor, should it be, City of Heroes.
There are elements to be inspired from, valuable take-aways, and even people which should be encouraged to jump over from CoH to CO.
But...
It would be both problematic & foolish to reshape CO in CoH's nearly-exact image.
This is a change that make take some time to get used to for the displaced refugees, and it won't all be roses and sunshine.
That said, there's strength in numbers, value in experience, and much to be gained in encouraging and inviting the strengths of CoH's design and community over to Champions. Does this make sense? I'm having trouble putting this concept and what I'm being precautionary about into words...
Think about it, ladies and gentlemen: we're heroes. What do you do when another hero bravely falls? You take his mask and cape and put them on yourself and fight crime in his stead. Now get your costumes on - we've got a city to save!
....my first thought would be to poach the writers, perhaps it's just the fondness of old memories on my part, but the CoH baddies just seemed "more interesting" then many of CO's.
This. Absolutely. Even after 4 years, I still get a thrill from beating up on Council fascists, Crey agents, 5th Column supersoldiers...the list goes on. None of the villain groups in CO have the sense of backstory that you'll find in CoH, partly because the mission arcs in the latter are written in a way that grab you and draw you in.
When I think back on the missions/arcs that delve into the Council and their history - World War 2, the origins of the Vampyri, Warwolves...and the Nictus! - it feels like I'm remembering a series of novels I once read! That's the mark of great story-telling, I'd say.
It's sad because, with Champions, Cryptic has everything in place to tell great, EPIC stories...they just don't.
So yes, please, if anyone at Cryptic is listening: grab any of the CoH writers/mission authors you can get your hands on!
This. Absolutely. Even after 4 years, I still get a thrill from beating up on Council fascists, Crey agents, 5th Column supersoldiers...the list goes on. None of the villain groups in CO have the sense of backstory that you'll find in CoH, partly because the mission arcs in the latter are written in a way that grab you and draw you in.
When I think back on the missions/arcs that delve into the Council and their history - World War 2, the origins of the Vampyri, Warwolves...and the Nictus! - it feels like I'm remembering a series of novels I once read! That's the mark of great story-telling, I'd say.
It's sad because, with Champions, Cryptic has everything in place to tell great, EPIC stories...they just don't.
So yes, please, if anyone at Cryptic is listening: grab any of the CoH writers/mission authors you can get your hands on!
Absolutely agreed!
And may I make a personal recommendation to hire Melissa Bianco AKA War Witch? She's not only an amazing writer, but she designed and revamped ENTIRE ZONES In City of Heroes! The new Faultline? Almost all hers. She revamped the Hollows and made them actually FUN to play rather than a nightmare! (Although in the process she put the old Taxibot supergroup out of a job! LOL!) She contributed heavily to the writing, look and feel of the Praetorian zones with Matt Miller and David Nakayama.
Just don't headhunt her TOO soon. I'm still hoping for a reprieve for City of Heroes. But if worst comes to worst, I'd definitely want her HERE.
And you should want her here too!
Imagine if you gave her the reins to design a new zone for you! Or spruce up your existing ones! She's certainly had the experience!
And may I make a personal recommendation to hire Melissa Bianco AKA War Witch? She's not only an amazing writer, but she designed and revamped ENTIRE ZONES In City of Heroes! The new Faultline? Almost all hers. She revamped the Hollows and made them actually FUN! *snip*
Just don't headhunt her TOO soon. I'm still hoping for a reprieve for City of Heroes. But if worst comes to worst, I'd definitely want her HERE.
And you should want her here too!
Imagine if you gave her the reins to design a new zone for you! Or spruce up your existing ones! She's certainly had the experience!
WarWitch is the best. I'd love to see her do stuff for Champions, hell, we may even be able to get her to actual write things that actually draw from the lore and are actual sincere stories.!
*reposted here dues to the new IE being bawls and causing me to post in the wrong bit...that and rum *
Apart from the fact I had just bought stuff the day before the news came out I wasnt that shocked about the news . All games shutter even WoW and Second life will someday close. 8 years was a good run.
Its what they did to the devs >_> apparently some got fired via email. Well out of order that -.-
It would be wonderful if Cryptic could hire these people but we need to remember Cryptic is owned by PWE not PW. Perfect World Entertainment is a lot smaller than its parent company Perfect World and will have to stick to budgets *
A lot of game companies would be wise to hire the Paragon crew. They have talent coming outta every orifice.
* and yes I did do a thread asking PW to buy CoH and hire Paragon buts thats PERFECT WORLD not PERFECT WORLD ENTERTAINMENT....stupid thing is PWE has most likely region blocked PW from seeing their forums
Nepht and Dr Deflecto on primus
They all thought I was out of the game....But I'm holding all the lockboxes now..
I'll......FOAM FINGER YOUR BACK!
And may I make a personal recommendation to hire Melissa Bianco AKA War Witch? She's not only an amazing writer, but she designed and revamped ENTIRE ZONES In City of Heroes!
Oh yea, now that you mention it, i do remember being impressed with her zone work. I didn't know she was writing too. That's a double whammy.
That must be why the zone and the story behind the zone were so cohesive.
Considering that the 2 things people want is a new zone and a better story she seems like a good choice and a natural fit.
PVP is starving without rewards
1. Please give us Daily PVP missions that reward Questionite.
2. Please give us an exchange rate between Acclaim and Recognition so that PVP has access to all "On Alert" PVE rewards.
This. Absolutely. Even after 4 years, I still get a thrill from beating up on Council fascists, Crey agents, 5th Column supersoldiers...the list goes on. None of the villain groups in CO have the sense of backstory that you'll find in CoH, partly because the mission arcs in the latter are written in a way that grab you and draw you in.
When I think back on the missions/arcs that delve into the Council and their history - World War 2, the origins of the Vampyri, Warwolves...and the Nictus! - it feels like I'm remembering a series of novels I once read! That's the mark of great story-telling, I'd say.
It's sad because, with Champions, Cryptic has everything in place to tell great, EPIC stories...they just don't.
So yes, please, if anyone at Cryptic is listening: grab any of the CoH writers/mission authors you can get your hands on!
It sounds like CoH's best developer asset is creative and effective storytelling?
Any recommendations for artists?
I don't honestly know the CoH team, I'm just listening to what's being said. So if some more CoH people could please give input on the pro's an con's of the dev team's people, then please give a shout out here. I welcome opinions, as there's no "right" answer on something so subjective as this.
Keep in mind any candidates need to be very strong, or Perfect World's CFO might be too stingy to hire them.
And may I make a personal recommendation to hire Melissa Bianco AKA War Witch? She's not only an amazing writer, but she designed and revamped ENTIRE ZONES In City of Heroes! The new Faultline? Almost all hers. She revamped the Hollows and made them actually FUN to play rather than a nightmare! (Although in the process she put the old Taxibot supergroup out of a job! LOL!) She contributed heavily to the writing, look and feel of the Praetorian zones with Matt Miller and David Nakayama.
Just don't headhunt her TOO soon. I'm still hoping for a reprieve for City of Heroes. But if worst comes to worst, I'd definitely want her HERE.
And you should want her here too!
Imagine if you gave her the reins to design a new zone for you! Or spruce up your existing ones! She's certainly had the experience!
Sounds like what I had in mind when I said I wanted the best & brightest.
Hmm, any outstanding reasons not to hire her? Pro's & Con's?
Also, very important, what do you think we can do as a community to make this happen? I'm open to suggestions that get results (although anything I can think of is going to take a ton of people all saying it).
PS: Seems odd to me no Cryptic developer has replied to this yet, especially considering it could have a direct impact if new faces show up in their office and that these are industry colleagues (possibly even people they personally know or are friends with).
Pros: She helped make City of Heroes, which is still on Cryptic's website as one of their games that they are proud of. She's a writer, and we're all chiming in about how we like the way that CoH missions are written.
Cons: if we grab her, then even if NCSoft reverses their decision, they won't be able to keep going as they were (or will have to hire the team back). Hiring her would also require money, which Cryptic/PWE may not have at the moment, and depending on logistics, she might have to move and she has a family.
That's why I say "if you possibly can", you hire these people. But I definitely hope they can.
*reposted here dues to the new IE being bawls and causing me to post in the wrong bit...that and rum *
Apart from the fact I had just bought stuff the day before the news came out I wasnt that shocked about the news . All games shutter even WoW and Second life will someday close. 8 years was a good run.
It was the abruptness of it that was such a shock. If there had been a gradual wind-down, it wouldn't have been so surprising and there might not have been so much outrage over it. However, development was going faster and stronger than ever. Just the previous afternoon they'd been making forum, Twitter, and Facebook posts showing off progress on new costume sets and other content. They had big plans for the next issue that was in development. The news came out of the blue. Yeah, the game wasn't going to last forever, but a gentler let-down would have gone a long way toward preventing bitter customer sentiment.
Hmm, any outstanding reasons not to hire her? Pro's & Con's?
Pros: You get a good environmental artist AND a good story teller in one hire.
She has the intangible skill (which is more of an art than a science) of taking old ghost town zones and making them appealing and populated by players. This is something that the CO team has only had moderate (if any) success at.
Fault-line,the Hollows were basically going unused before she got her hands on them. Her "revamps" are player approved and effectively expand alternate leveling curve possibilitys.
Zones like Lumeria and VB could really benefit from her work.
? New Millennium City ?Expansion? Zone (2-3 Neighborhoods)
Cryptic has plans to expand MC and players are clamoring for excellent story telling and interesting maps. War Witch has a long proven record of excelling at exactly this kind of project.
? New ?Island of Dr. Destroyer? Mini-Zone, Lair and Story Content
See above.
Also, the full blown return of Dr Destroyer is a lore center piece and something that needs to be handled with care and skill. It would be nice if his new content was handled with some like War Witch. And this is also an opportunity for Cryptic/Stokeman to establish its new stated focus on theme/lore with a proven vet.
If Cryptic adds a new zone or expands one, and no one plays it, its a waste of money. War Witch can make sure that money invested in zones and zone revamps wont be wasted.
EDIT:
Also, she works FAST. I remember her making sweeping changes to the appearance and story of a zone in a relatively short period of time. Cons:
none.
PVP is starving without rewards
1. Please give us Daily PVP missions that reward Questionite.
2. Please give us an exchange rate between Acclaim and Recognition so that PVP has access to all "On Alert" PVE rewards.
It was the abruptness of it that was such a shock. If there had been a gradual wind-down, it wouldn't have been so surprising and there might not have been so much outrage over it. However, development was going faster and stronger than ever. Just the previous afternoon they'd been making forum, Twitter, and Facebook posts showing off progress on new costume sets and other content. They had big plans for the next issue that was in development. The news came out of the blue. Yeah, the game wasn't going to last forever, but a gentler let-down would have gone a long way toward preventing bitter customer sentiment.
They were even posting that morning about what they were working on, then if the rumours are true they were escorted out that afternoon.
Thank you for sharing you Pro's & Con's about that developer, I'm sure they'd be interested in reading it themselves if I knew their email address to send them a link to this topic lol!
Seriously though, I welcome any recommendations for hires and pro's & con's about each individual in your opinions. This is a good thread to start making such recommendations, especially if I start emailing it to senior development staff somewhere (so make sure you're being professional in your opinions please ^_^ )
We have been hearing rumors on the pts as of late from time to time of dropped hints that some devs from that other superhero game are indeed in talks of transitioning into cryptic once the doors close in a few short months. Course this is only rumor and speculation but I still believe there is some truths to it, but that's all closed doors stuff in the mean time.
Also side note I think it's rather appaling how ncsoft is treating its loyal player base after so many years of operation. As a former Cox player from a few years back, I don't blame the players at all for wanting to fight to keep their favorite game to play out as they please. Thy indeed have that right. Alas all good things must eventually end too. But I am behind the players on this one but for those who are or already have transferred over to CO I just wanna let you know we've got your back either way.
Also, very important, what do you think we can do as a community to make this happen? I'm open to suggestions that get results (although anything I can think of is going to take a ton of people all saying it).
I would start by taking the findings from this thread and condensing it down. Id be very surprised if the devs read through this entire thread. Then i would post the results somewhere visible.
Maybe make an off sight survey/petition type thing and post a link here?
Saying we want a specific paragon dev working on next specific project. ex: We want war witch on working on the next zone.... here's why.
Overall, if you want to make a big deal out of this, i would just do what the COX community is already doing IE use social media (face book, Twitter, ect). Isnt Cryptic already active in social media?
I wouldn't try any of this stuff until COX is officially closed.
I would also investigate if some of the social media momentum from the "Save COX" campaign can be transfered into a "Save Team Paragon Jobs" campaign.
NOTE: I'm too lazy to do any of this.
PVP is starving without rewards
1. Please give us Daily PVP missions that reward Questionite.
2. Please give us an exchange rate between Acclaim and Recognition so that PVP has access to all "On Alert" PVE rewards.
This is actually pretty damn good.
I wouldn't mind having this guy over here as well.
The artist that we have is good. but a lot of the stuff we get is derivative of things from other games/media. This guys stuff seems more original and stylish. Also, COX devs provide more hair options which CO is sorely needing.
PVP is starving without rewards
1. Please give us Daily PVP missions that reward Questionite.
2. Please give us an exchange rate between Acclaim and Recognition so that PVP has access to all "On Alert" PVE rewards.
I don't know how much good your efforts will do, but there's no sense in waiting until CoH closes in November.
Nearly all of the Paragon folks are looking for new jobs now. They have bills to pay, and many have kids to feed, so no one has the luxury of time. If you really think you can help, don't wait for another 2 months. By then it will probably be too late.
long time coher here (and lifer here from beta) dave is a very good hire. Not only does he do some extrememly good work with the art, but he was an engaged member of the community that often posted late at night on his own time. Cheryl Austin (dink), was another talented character artist and interacted well with the fans. famously converted the male only long coats in the magic, steampunk and gunslinger costume sets to women, fixing a rather controversial complaint by some players about women only getting "sexy" outfits and guys getting heroic ones.
also good choices are Sean"dr Aeon" McCann. Coh player hired for his high quality mission archetecht work. knows how to make a story work, pretty funny as well on the forums. and Keetsie braz de cuniah "tunnel rat" our power effects person. could get a twofer as her husband "honey badger" also worked on coh..though im forgetting as what.
Also, "arbiter Hawk" Jeff Hamilton was a powers guy that had some really good ideas going into issue 24, and could be a major asset to getting some of the desired powers over here. like plants he does some interesting work with stacking power attributes(fits in here) and chaining powers. (sorry for the incomplete post earlier, if you ever get a jack russel terrier, get a wireless keyboard. its like taz with a higher pain tolerance and energy level)
Oh, one more john hegner "protean" was the writer who wrote the praetorian stuff from going rogue till present, good for darker themed mission stuff.
and melissa would be a great grab, She has filled multiple roles in the studio from zone designer to lead dev and producer. She is highly recommended. LOVED by the coh community she would bring people if cryptic got her and publicized it.
I don't know how much good your efforts will do, but there's no sense in waiting until CoH closes in November.
Nearly all of the Paragon folks are looking for new jobs now. They have bills to pay, and many have kids to feed, so no one has the luxury of time. If you really think you can help, don't wait for another 2 months. By then it will probably be too late.
That's why we need to get this stuff started early. The average turn around time for a job of this type is 5 to 6 months, mostly due to bureaucracy BS. Trust me, you don't even see a tenth of the ugly bureaucracy that goes on behind the scenes as a player/customer, they try to hide that crap from the public.
We have been hearing rumors on the pts as of late from time to time of dropped hints that some devs from that other
superhero game are indeed in talks of transitioning into cryptic once the doors close in a few short months. Course this is only rumor and speculation but I still believe there is some truths to it, but that's all closed doors stuff in the mean time.
Also side note I think it's rather appalling how ncsoft is treating its loyal player base after so many years of operation. As a former Cox player from a few years back, I don't blame the players at all for wanting to fight to keep their favorite game to play out as they please. Thy indeed have that right. Alas all good things must eventually end too. But I am behind the players on this one but for those who are or already have transferred over to CO I just wanna let you know we've got your back either way.
Fixed your spelling error, that's a positive rumor if true (also there's another positive rumor that the devs are implementing the suggestion started by Silverspar as seen in my forum-signature links below), and I agree it's appalling how NCSoft is treating their players.
Speaking of which, NCSoft's recent behavior is why I couldn't give a crap about all the hype about Guild Wars 2, in fact I've told friends of mine who were hyped up about it just how ugly the company they are buying from is by linking it. In my opinion, NCSoft is at the same level of low respect that I have for Electronic Arts. *shrug*
I support companies like Bioware, Unknown Worlds Entertainment, and Valve a lot because they DO care about their customers a lot. I've probably given Valve the largest portion of my gaming money over my lifetime in fact.
I'm a player who started playing a superhero here then went to CoH. I've come back here now and I'm doing what I can to help many of my fellow CoH players make the adjustment to this game. Regarding numbers and budget for more staff I had an idea that I've posted on www.cohtitan.com that may provide a good solution to this.
If Crypted were given a commitment to purchase and maintain gold membership over a given time by enough members of the CoH community to cover the salery of a dev, expenses for their work and some profit besides per each member of the Paragon staff they hire and Cryptic in turn agrees to hire 1 paragon dev for every X amount of commited CoH players purchasing gold membership with no less then 1/3 to 1/2 of these devs assigned to work on Champions Online.
I believe that if this arrangement were possible would benefit everyone and given the fact that the CoH community numbers in the thousands it could be do-able.
Comments
We'll see, I'm pretty good at my choosen game, 7 card stud, high/low :cool:
.
True, but I grew up playing games with terrible graphics and simplistic code, I may be navie for believing this, but I think more focus on the latter would result in better sells. *EDIT* More focus on story I mean.
Completely agree, letting someone go has always left a sour taste in my mouth, but not letting them go would have been worse in my opinion.
Ah you're an ol' school veteran if you're into that. :cool: I mostly do Texas Hold'em, which kind of overtook 7-Card-Stud in popularity a number of years ago.
There's a lot of Poker players, professional ones even, on a gaming community I play with (they play all sorts of video games, but started out 8-9 years ago as a Poker-only Ventrilo channel):
www.sector-thirteen.com
If you do happen get on the Ventrilo channel (it's free), ask to play XMTSX (aka. Travis). He's online in evenings, US timezones. If he sends me a text on my cellphone letting me know you're on I'll try to get on too and say hello. Sounds like fun actually! :biggrin:
I'm so busy this fall I hardly have time to play.
Side-scrollers, eh? Actually those are a little before my time. But in general good story telling seems to be a lost art in most game companies these days.
In truth though it's kind of a whole package. From the music & ambient noises, to the animation fluidity, to the gameplay mechanics balance, to the map/environmental designs, to even yes, the lore & story.
For example, even a blase story can be made compelling with the power of music.
Pixar is an example of an entertainment studio which absolutely excels with the power of animation, sound effects, and music to tell a story; no words needed:
http://videosift.com/video/Presto-Pixar-Short
Fair enough.
Consolidate the currencies! (Please!)
Does your Champion have a theme song? (share it!)
Got a funny in-game screenshot? (share it!)
Please fix the Overdrive energy unlock! (Should help promote thematic build diversity!)
The poster formerly known as LordOfPit, and his blog.
* Dec 2007 (CO)
* Oct 2008 (STO)
Consolidate the currencies! (Please!)
Does your Champion have a theme song? (share it!)
Got a funny in-game screenshot? (share it!)
Please fix the Overdrive energy unlock! (Should help promote thematic build diversity!)
You might be able to duplicate certain specific abilities. But the whole package? With the tri-form human/squid/lobster?
No. Not possible.
My Kheldians will never make the move to Millenium City. They are specific to to City of Heroes. They are too tied to the lore. If/when CoH goes away, so do they.
Mind you, some CoX players find various elements of CO, particularly the graphical style, to be repulsive, and I agree that they are different, and they are entitled to their opinions. Personally, I preferred the CoX graphical style myself, but I merely find it a mild annoyance than a showstopper. So we won't get all of those left in the cold by CoX's closing.
I agree that Cryptic and PWE should hire as many of the CoX developers as they can. I'd expect they're going to. Think about it: CoX was stunningly successful, not as successful as WoW, maybe, but superhero RPGs are more of a niche market than traditional sword-and-sorcery, and the one thing that the CoX community at Titan has done is gotten the attention of the media, and at least lower-level people in the gaming industry (the ones that actually enjoy the games, as opposed to executives who merely run a business). Now, what are the Paragon employees going to do now that they've lost their jobs? They're going to look at other games with similar portfolios, and I'll bet a lot of them are going to look back here. Now, what are employers going to do when they see that you have CoX on your resume - you know, the game whose fans have captured the media spotlight and was raking in over a million dollars each year? You hire the dude(ete), if you possibly can!
I keep telling people: the battle for CoH is not over, and we stand a much better chance of winning than people beholden to NCSoft think. CoH itself may well die - probably will - but we can almost count on a spiritual successor. My hope is that CO will take up that mantle.
Think about it, ladies and gentlemen: we're heroes. What do you do when another hero bravely falls? You take his mask and cape and put them on yourself and fight crime in his stead. Now get your costumes on - we've got a city to save!
That's actually great news, for Champions Online I mean. I hope that trend continues and that many can find a new home here.
I agree, but I must caution one thing here, and I need CoH (CoX) people coming over to listen to me on this point.
Champions Online is not, nor can it be, nor, should it be, City of Heroes.
There are elements to be inspired from, valuable take-aways, and even people which should be encouraged to jump over from CoH to CO.
But...
It would be both problematic & foolish to reshape CO in CoH's nearly-exact image.
This is a change that make take some time to get used to for the displaced refugees, and it won't all be roses and sunshine.
That said, there's strength in numbers, value in experience, and much to be gained in encouraging and inviting the strengths of CoH's design and community over to Champions. Does this make sense? I'm having trouble putting this concept and what I'm being precautionary about into words...
That's the spirit! The more the merrier, yes?
Consolidate the currencies! (Please!)
Does your Champion have a theme song? (share it!)
Got a funny in-game screenshot? (share it!)
Please fix the Overdrive energy unlock! (Should help promote thematic build diversity!)
This. Absolutely. Even after 4 years, I still get a thrill from beating up on Council fascists, Crey agents, 5th Column supersoldiers...the list goes on. None of the villain groups in CO have the sense of backstory that you'll find in CoH, partly because the mission arcs in the latter are written in a way that grab you and draw you in.
When I think back on the missions/arcs that delve into the Council and their history - World War 2, the origins of the Vampyri, Warwolves...and the Nictus! - it feels like I'm remembering a series of novels I once read! That's the mark of great story-telling, I'd say.
It's sad because, with Champions, Cryptic has everything in place to tell great, EPIC stories...they just don't.
So yes, please, if anyone at Cryptic is listening: grab any of the CoH writers/mission authors you can get your hands on!
Absolutely agreed!
And may I make a personal recommendation to hire Melissa Bianco AKA War Witch? She's not only an amazing writer, but she designed and revamped ENTIRE ZONES In City of Heroes! The new Faultline? Almost all hers. She revamped the Hollows and made them actually FUN to play rather than a nightmare! (Although in the process she put the old Taxibot supergroup out of a job! LOL!) She contributed heavily to the writing, look and feel of the Praetorian zones with Matt Miller and David Nakayama.
Just don't headhunt her TOO soon. I'm still hoping for a reprieve for City of Heroes. But if worst comes to worst, I'd definitely want her HERE.
And you should want her here too!
Imagine if you gave her the reins to design a new zone for you! Or spruce up your existing ones! She's certainly had the experience!
WarWitch is the best. I'd love to see her do stuff for Champions, hell, we may even be able to get her to actual write things that actually draw from the lore and are actual sincere stories.!
Apart from the fact I had just bought stuff the day before the news came out I wasnt that shocked about the news . All games shutter even WoW and Second life will someday close. 8 years was a good run.
Its what they did to the devs >_> apparently some got fired via email. Well out of order that -.-
It would be wonderful if Cryptic could hire these people but we need to remember Cryptic is owned by PWE not PW. Perfect World Entertainment is a lot smaller than its parent company Perfect World and will have to stick to budgets
A lot of game companies would be wise to hire the Paragon crew. They have talent coming outta every orifice.
* and yes I did do a thread asking PW to buy CoH and hire Paragon buts thats PERFECT WORLD not PERFECT WORLD ENTERTAINMENT....stupid thing is PWE has most likely region blocked PW from seeing their forums
Nepht and Dr Deflecto on primus
They all thought I was out of the game....But I'm holding all the lockboxes now..
I'll......FOAM FINGER YOUR BACK!
That must be why the zone and the story behind the zone were so cohesive.
Considering that the 2 things people want is a new zone and a better story she seems like a good choice and a natural fit.
PVP is starving without rewards
1. Please give us Daily PVP missions that reward Questionite.
2. Please give us an exchange rate between Acclaim and Recognition so that PVP has access to all "On Alert" PVE rewards.
It sounds like CoH's best developer asset is creative and effective storytelling?
Any recommendations for artists?
I don't honestly know the CoH team, I'm just listening to what's being said. So if some more CoH people could please give input on the pro's an con's of the dev team's people, then please give a shout out here. I welcome opinions, as there's no "right" answer on something so subjective as this.
Keep in mind any candidates need to be very strong, or Perfect World's CFO might be too stingy to hire them.
Sounds like what I had in mind when I said I wanted the best & brightest.
Hmm, any outstanding reasons not to hire her? Pro's & Con's?
Also, very important, what do you think we can do as a community to make this happen? I'm open to suggestions that get results (although anything I can think of is going to take a ton of people all saying it).
PS: Seems odd to me no Cryptic developer has replied to this yet, especially considering it could have a direct impact if new faces show up in their office and that these are industry colleagues (possibly even people they personally know or are friends with).
Consolidate the currencies! (Please!)
Does your Champion have a theme song? (share it!)
Got a funny in-game screenshot? (share it!)
Please fix the Overdrive energy unlock! (Should help promote thematic build diversity!)
Cons: if we grab her, then even if NCSoft reverses their decision, they won't be able to keep going as they were (or will have to hire the team back). Hiring her would also require money, which Cryptic/PWE may not have at the moment, and depending on logistics, she might have to move and she has a family.
That's why I say "if you possibly can", you hire these people. But I definitely hope they can.
It was the abruptness of it that was such a shock. If there had been a gradual wind-down, it wouldn't have been so surprising and there might not have been so much outrage over it. However, development was going faster and stronger than ever. Just the previous afternoon they'd been making forum, Twitter, and Facebook posts showing off progress on new costume sets and other content. They had big plans for the next issue that was in development. The news came out of the blue. Yeah, the game wasn't going to last forever, but a gentler let-down would have gone a long way toward preventing bitter customer sentiment.
You get a good environmental artist AND a good story teller in one hire.
She has the intangible skill (which is more of an art than a science) of taking old ghost town zones and making them appealing and populated by players. This is something that the CO team has only had moderate (if any) success at.
Fault-line,the Hollows were basically going unused before she got her hands on them. Her "revamps" are player approved and effectively expand alternate leveling curve possibilitys.
Zones like Lumeria and VB could really benefit from her work. Cryptic has plans to expand MC and players are clamoring for excellent story telling and interesting maps. War Witch has a long proven record of excelling at exactly this kind of project. See above.
Also, the full blown return of Dr Destroyer is a lore center piece and something that needs to be handled with care and skill. It would be nice if his new content was handled with some like War Witch. And this is also an opportunity for Cryptic/Stokeman to establish its new stated focus on theme/lore with a proven vet.
If Cryptic adds a new zone or expands one, and no one plays it, its a waste of money. War Witch can make sure that money invested in zones and zone revamps wont be wasted.
EDIT:
Also, she works FAST. I remember her making sweeping changes to the appearance and story of a zone in a relatively short period of time.
Cons:
none.
PVP is starving without rewards
1. Please give us Daily PVP missions that reward Questionite.
2. Please give us an exchange rate between Acclaim and Recognition so that PVP has access to all "On Alert" PVE rewards.
They were even posting that morning about what they were working on, then if the rumours are true they were escorted out that afternoon.
Seriously though, I welcome any recommendations for hires and pro's & con's about each individual in your opinions. This is a good thread to start making such recommendations, especially if I start emailing it to senior development staff somewhere (so make sure you're being professional in your opinions please ^_^ )
Consolidate the currencies! (Please!)
Does your Champion have a theme song? (share it!)
Got a funny in-game screenshot? (share it!)
Please fix the Overdrive energy unlock! (Should help promote thematic build diversity!)
Also side note I think it's rather appaling how ncsoft is treating its loyal player base after so many years of operation. As a former Cox player from a few years back, I don't blame the players at all for wanting to fight to keep their favorite game to play out as they please. Thy indeed have that right. Alas all good things must eventually end too. But I am behind the players on this one but for those who are or already have transferred over to CO I just wanna let you know we've got your back either way.
On Call FAQ found here:On Call FAQ
David Nakayama - the lead artist (and I think visual designer? Not sure) of Paragon Studios.
Here's David's Deviant Art Page. Go there and BE ASTOUNDED!!!!!!
EDIT: Here's his design for Penelope Yin. A recent addition to the Freedom Phalanx. YOWZA!!!
I would start by taking the findings from this thread and condensing it down. Id be very surprised if the devs read through this entire thread. Then i would post the results somewhere visible.
Maybe make an off sight survey/petition type thing and post a link here?
Saying we want a specific paragon dev working on next specific project. ex: We want war witch on working on the next zone.... here's why.
Overall, if you want to make a big deal out of this, i would just do what the COX community is already doing IE use social media (face book, Twitter, ect). Isnt Cryptic already active in social media?
I wouldn't try any of this stuff until COX is officially closed.
I would also investigate if some of the social media momentum from the "Save COX" campaign can be transfered into a "Save Team Paragon Jobs" campaign.
NOTE: I'm too lazy to do any of this.
PVP is starving without rewards
1. Please give us Daily PVP missions that reward Questionite.
2. Please give us an exchange rate between Acclaim and Recognition so that PVP has access to all "On Alert" PVE rewards.
This is actually pretty damn good.
I wouldn't mind having this guy over here as well.
The artist that we have is good. but a lot of the stuff we get is derivative of things from other games/media. This guys stuff seems more original and stylish. Also, COX devs provide more hair options which CO is sorely needing.
PVP is starving without rewards
1. Please give us Daily PVP missions that reward Questionite.
2. Please give us an exchange rate between Acclaim and Recognition so that PVP has access to all "On Alert" PVE rewards.
Nearly all of the Paragon folks are looking for new jobs now. They have bills to pay, and many have kids to feed, so no one has the luxury of time. If you really think you can help, don't wait for another 2 months. By then it will probably be too late.
also good choices are Sean"dr Aeon" McCann. Coh player hired for his high quality mission archetecht work. knows how to make a story work, pretty funny as well on the forums. and Keetsie braz de cuniah "tunnel rat" our power effects person. could get a twofer as her husband "honey badger" also worked on coh..though im forgetting as what.
Also, "arbiter Hawk" Jeff Hamilton was a powers guy that had some really good ideas going into issue 24, and could be a major asset to getting some of the desired powers over here. like plants he does some interesting work with stacking power attributes(fits in here) and chaining powers. (sorry for the incomplete post earlier, if you ever get a jack russel terrier, get a wireless keyboard. its like taz with a higher pain tolerance and energy level)
Oh, one more john hegner "protean" was the writer who wrote the praetorian stuff from going rogue till present, good for darker themed mission stuff.
and melissa would be a great grab, She has filled multiple roles in the studio from zone designer to lead dev and producer. She is highly recommended. LOVED by the coh community she would bring people if cryptic got her and publicized it.
That's why we need to get this stuff started early. The average turn around time for a job of this type is 5 to 6 months, mostly due to bureaucracy BS. Trust me, you don't even see a tenth of the ugly bureaucracy that goes on behind the scenes as a player/customer, they try to hide that crap from the public.
Impressive! "When can you start?" :biggrin: (it depends on money, I know, I know)
Fixed your spelling error, that's a positive rumor if true (also there's another positive rumor that the devs are implementing the suggestion started by Silverspar as seen in my forum-signature links below), and I agree it's appalling how NCSoft is treating their players.
Speaking of which, NCSoft's recent behavior is why I couldn't give a crap about all the hype about Guild Wars 2, in fact I've told friends of mine who were hyped up about it just how ugly the company they are buying from is by linking it. In my opinion, NCSoft is at the same level of low respect that I have for Electronic Arts. *shrug*
I support companies like Bioware, Unknown Worlds Entertainment, and Valve a lot because they DO care about their customers a lot. I've probably given Valve the largest portion of my gaming money over my lifetime in fact.
Consolidate the currencies! (Please!)
Does your Champion have a theme song? (share it!)
Got a funny in-game screenshot? (share it!)
Please fix the Overdrive energy unlock! (Should help promote thematic build diversity!)
If Crypted were given a commitment to purchase and maintain gold membership over a given time by enough members of the CoH community to cover the salery of a dev, expenses for their work and some profit besides per each member of the Paragon staff they hire and Cryptic in turn agrees to hire 1 paragon dev for every X amount of commited CoH players purchasing gold membership with no less then 1/3 to 1/2 of these devs assigned to work on Champions Online.
I believe that if this arrangement were possible would benefit everyone and given the fact that the CoH community numbers in the thousands it could be do-able.