CO one of the best games?

natestone1 · March 2014

Ok, so I had a thought a moment ago. Now stay with me here...CO is one of the best MMO's I've ever played.

There is only one other MMO that kept me playing longer than I have played CO. Is length of time spent playing a game the sole reason to judge 'best'. No. Absolutely not.

But that other game and CO both share something that has kept me around. Customization.

Every MMO I've played is fundamentally the same. And that's not a bad thing. It's a genre I fell in love with a long time ago. I don't need great deviations from these fundamentals.

But how I judge (I hope it goes without saying that this is my point of view and opinion only) if a game is any good, are the extras like customization.

Are there games out there where I have preferred combat, or the questing, or some other standard aspect of MMO's over CO? Absolutely. But all that stuff means nothing to me apparently without more to do.

I was surprised by this myself. But thanks to the character customization in this game tied in with the usual suspects, I have been playing CO longer than any other MMO, save one.

The End.

deadman20 · March 2014

CO's immense customization has kept me here whereas other MMOs I've played only hold my attention for a short time. CO might not be all that great for actual gameplay content, but now that Cryptic North is working with us CO is hopefully going to get better. Maybe even add a little advertising here and there so more players can come.

vitalityprime · March 2014

natestone1 wrote: »

Ok, so I had a thought a moment ago. Now stay with me here...CO is one of the best MMO's I've ever played.

There is only one other MMO that kept me playing longer than I have played CO. Is length of time spent playing a game the sole reason to judge 'best'. No. Absolutely not.

But that other game and CO both share something that has kept me around. Customization.

Every MMO I've played is fundamentally the same. And that's not a bad thing. It's a genre I fell in love with a long time ago. I don't need great deviations from these fundamentals.

But how I judge (I hope it goes without saying that this is my point of view and opinion only) if a game is any good, are the extras like customization.

Are there games out there where I have preferred combat, or the questing, or some other standard aspect of MMO's over CO? Absolutely. But all that stuff means nothing to me apparently without more to do.

I was surprised by this myself. But thanks to the character customization in this game tied in with the usual suspects, I have been playing CO longer than any other MMO, save one.

The End.

I agree.

The only reason CO is the "best" MMO to me...and the only reason I've played it for this long...is that it's currently the only game where I can truly create Vitality.

However, that is literally the only reason it is the "best" to me. If the character of Vitality didn't mean as much to me, I wouldn't be here at all.

agentnx5 · March 2014

Yes, it still is an awesome game, even if I may strongly disagree with some of the decisions and half-baked-effort the developers (which btw have changed over more than once) have taken (or more often not taken) it in. From Day 1 it was never really marketed and advertised correctly, and failure to do so has meant existing franchises like Star Trek get all the attention.

Ironically in other media such as TV series (i.e.: Agents of SHIELD by Joss Whedon) and films (how many Marvel and DC Comic films do we have now?), super heroes haven't been this popular since the golden days of paper comics. Yet PWE is too stupid and archaic to realize this, Cryptic keeps changing leadership directions and appears to lack consistent quality standards, and the bulk of the money continues to be invested heavily in NWO, STO, and of course everyone's favorites (being sarcastic here): lockbox gambling, overpowered weapons, and ALERTS!

So if you can move past the failings of this game, it's actually a very cool game.

Especially if you're new to the game, with all the content wide open and new to experience. The highlight of this is that you can customize your hero's appearance and even powers (if you get Freeform in one of 3 ways: 5000 Zen slot, Gold subscription, or Lifetime subscription) to be truly creative. Not all players are good at the creative part and making it work, it's like art -- it requires talent and practice. But we have a plethora of talent in the community and it shows!

The combat isn't bad either, it just takes some learning of the mechanics, my favorite of which are knocks (because nothing says awesome like knocking your opponent across the room into a wall or ceiling). It's certainly an improvement over the ol' school turn-based stuff you use to see with Final Fantasy, IMHO.

To conclude, let me put it this way. I don't normally play MMOs, never held my interest for long. But being able to customize my characters' superpowers in the Powerhouse and being able to customize their appearance and then being able to share that? Well that has been continually fun for 3 years now!

Yes, this game is fun. (and more so with teamplay and being able to show off your creations to others, IMHO)

baroness1980 · March 2014

The customization aspect is one of the best features of the game, certainly what keeps me playing here along with a good RP group of friends.

Creating my own heroes, with their distinctive looks, and the powers that fit their concept (even if not the best ones)

Yes, I will always point at the failings of the games, but not because i want the game to fail, but because I want those failings to disappear and make the game better all around.

Sadly some people seems to think that the only way to be a good player/customer is to back the developer's decisions 100% of the time. That is not true, however.

zahinder · March 2014

Well, there are many other games I no longer enjoy playing, and I don't post on their forums or stay attentive to developments.

Whatever problems I have with CO, what it does well, it does astronomically better than every other MMO on the market.
(Namely, customization)

reiwulf · March 2014

The customization is what makes it interesting for me too (although being a silver, it's just customization in terms of costume design, not in FF power design, but still).
My main problem with the game is the lack of new content. I think a game that doesn't have regular new content can't get much more new players, and that means less revenue, which completes the cirle of lack of updates.
I agree that with all the hype that superhero movie and series are generating, CO has not used it at all, and I feel that's a horrible mistake.
I remember in DCUO when the movie Captain America came out, they released a new weapon, the shield. That was a smart move, of course they were lots of people who wanted to play a Captain America styled hero. (some of them clones, some of them only based on it) But in CO, there was nothing.
I don't think this is one of the best MMO's though, but I DO think it's one of the most original ones, and that gives it lots of points.

mrhinkypunk · March 2014

Did someone say customization?

they_said_i_could_be_anything_by_kitkattictac-d6im205.png

But yeah the fact I don't need a mount and can move faster than any mount in any game constantly with a large verity of types of travel. As well as being able to pick certain powers to create the build I feel like making. Not to mention being able to make almost anything with the right level of imagination.

CO YEAH!

rianfrost · March 2014

Its the best mmo currently on the market, it has been for little over a year and it looks like, looking at the current announced mmos for the future, its going to stay that way until possibly if city of titans hits. But yeah, customization is key. I'm not dwarf paladin 342 with appropriate gear for level 40. and customization is the reason i'm not playing dcou, which seems to have a more robust release schedule, but the customization is drastically limited. Add in the freeform situation of pick the power you want, and i think its going to remain unique simply because of how much "fun" it causes for balance. if i want to kick someone, pull a pistol and then throw an aoe ice control, I am simply not going anywhere else.

Now some of the reason for that is it hits a specific niche and lost its most robust competition, but on the same token, because the niche is s specific , its unlikely that it will be unseated. reading the everquest next forums(which looks interesting but is launching free to play, so no real hope), a loud subsection of gamers wants games to be the exact opposite of co, forcing you into a limited role in the name of "community". So the funny thing is apparently WE are the weirdos,as the gaming public goes, but i'm ok with that. If forced conformity is right, Wrong works for me.

Which is why i complain so much, this is the only option, i want to see it live up to its potential, not be ignored in favor of games with big licenses.

natestone1 · March 2014

Yes, if only we got content like Neverwinter seems to get content. Alerts and rampages are nice, but I want the game to expand. New zones, even just smaller ones for certain level brackets would be sweet.

But all that has been discussed before.

stjobe · March 2014

CO certainly has something.

I've been here since release pretty much - a bit off, a bit on, but I'm still here. I still make costumes and go into Westside to beat up Hi Pan for the gazillionth time, running the missions more or less on auto-pilot - but looking damn good while doing so!

Then I get to Canada around 20-25 and realize it's the same old slog I've done a hundred times before, and once I get to Monster Island I'm bored and I've had a new idea for a costume...

And around it goes.

...

But yesterday I found myself with a new problem: Power selection.

I had a great costume, but what powers should this new hero have? I've done Fire, Ice, Force, Wind, and Electric. I've done Archery, Gadgeteering thrice, Power Armour, and Munitions. I've done Claws, Single and Dual Blades, Unarmed, Might, Heavy Weapons, Earth, Telepathy, Telekinesis, and all of the Magical powers too.

I've done weird combinations like Heavy Weapons and Munitions, Archery and Telekinesis, Gadgeteering and Telepathy; I've done Earth, Wind, and Fire on a dare. It didn't work all that well

I think I may be running out of powers...

...

The hero ended up with Ego Darts, Telekinesis, Thundering Kicks, and Earth Form - and it was fun

I retconned out Earth Form for the old standby Quarry a few levels later and I still don't really know how to take it from there. Chains from Might perhaps? We'll see.

...

No, as I said, CO has something all right, but even so it's getting a bit long in the tooth and the new stuff they're putting out isn't really to my taste - I don't care about lockboxes or alerts or even rampages.

How about we get a new zone instead? The moon, perhaps?

Well, one can dream...

Now back to the costume creator I go, I have this really sweet idea about a hero that's... You'll see

r9xchaos · March 2014

I just wish we had Melee elemetal attacks , munition elemental attack.. munitions with darkness infused (( like in devil may cry)) ... melee with magic support.. like VOID SHIFT but with kicks and punches...

a few melee kicks with shadow effects and dimensional dmg...

or force or fire.. or even wind?!

Vine / tendril powers ...wrestling powers (( like in the pen and paper game ))...

kemmicals · March 2014

Personally, it's the customization and community that makes me keep coming back to this game. It's a fun creative tool to me.

... It's also the one MMO that I can actually start off with pants rather than have to hunt around for money or materials to change out of my tiny starting outfit.

selphea · March 2014

It really is one of the hidden gems of the MMO genre. In terms of hours played it ranks in my top 5 up there with Phantasy Star Online/Universe, and Secret World.

I only wish it was more accessible for the average player to get into. Retconning is prohibitively expensive for a new player and concepts like passive, form, energy unlock and their respective superstat synergies are not made very clear. Not to mention the steep paywall blocking off the best aspect of the game - freeform slots at 5000z.

But i've come to accept most players don't like doing homework for a game, so a game where players have to make over 20 more or less permanent decisions that will greatly affect their gameplay is going to be a niche title.

zahinder · March 2014

It's not really homework, though -- a lot of stuff, you only really get a feel for when you actually try it.

Another on the long list of 'penny wise, pound foolish' elements of this game.

Unknown · March 2014

This content has been removed.

draogn · March 2014

The game is fun and the customization is great, however there are many issues, even in the tailor which holds the games best feature, keep me from praising it as the best MMO. Many of the newer sets that were released have some really bad and very obvious clipping errors, with other pieces from the same set, and there is a serious lack of substance.

The overall story, if there ever was one, in game hasn't moved forward, we still have the exact same linear mission path we've had for 2 years, they've moved things around and thrown some new paint on the ground, but that is as far as they've gone. Since then it's been nothing but short and cheap alerts that for the most part use existing assets.

natestone1 · March 2014

Oh there are issues aplenty to be sure. But my hands down favourite MMORPG had no shortage of those either. In fact no MMO I've played has been without issues. But it's what they do well that keeps me around.

Though I really wish some more prevalent issues would get a fix. As we all do. And that includes the vast customization, it's not perfect. But it helps, at least me personally create my own little corner in the world. And I love seeing what others come up with too.

cybersoldier1981 · March 2014

CO's the only MMORPG I kinda stick with, mainly for RP.

That being said, CO has two things that would be -dangerous- in the hands of another ambitious game developer...

The Freeform system and the Character Customization.

I'd give my left eye for a science fiction game with this degree of customization. Besides, I think the market out there could benefit from a sci-fi game with complete freedom of character design and abilities...

And THAT would be the game to put vehicles into.

JUST SAYING CRYPTIC.

flyingfinn · March 2014

What you think the Secret Project is? Thats what CO has been the testing ground for.

And yes, CO is only mmo i play.

natestone1 · March 2014

flyingfinn wrote: »

What you think the Secret Project is? Thats what CO has been the testing ground for.

And yes, CO is only mmo i play.

There is a secret project?

zahinder · March 2014

There is.

My fervent hope is that A) it has a very flexible genre,

it has very flexible character appearance, and C) it has Foundry, and maybe this time they'll learn from the last 3 years of Foundry feedback.

pleasepleasepleaseplease

imaginaerum1 · March 2014

Customization? Absolutely. But there's an aspect of customization that's already in other PWE games, that still as far as I know (correct me if I'm wrong here) they have not done in Champions.

Foundry. Player generated content.

I'm a lifetime subscriber, and right after vehicles came out, I saw a decided tonal shift in the game. We hadn't had any real new content in ages (since Vibora Bay), just some added things here and there that are more of "side quests". Then, a massive - and I mean massive - push on vehicles. Honestly, how many heroes in the comics actually use vehicles? Much less heavily armed battle vehicles in the middle of a city? Not many. But suddenly, they were everywhere, and it seemed to be all PWE was focusing on.
Skip a year or so, and nothing much seems to have changed, except that now certain things seem to be easier to do, because there aren't as many people competing to do them.

Something definitely needs to be done to attract new players, and to draw back old players like me who have drifted away because of what we perceive as a departure from the superhero genre, and a disinterest by PWE in providing anything substantial in new content that doesn't involve the zen shop.

Foundry would do that. I would LOVE to be able to build missions for other people to play. They've done it on some of their other games; they need to do it here.

bravehoptoad · March 2014

Yeah, my favorite MMO, and I've been playing MMOs since Everquest in '99. The key, as other people have pointed out, is in the customization: 1) in the FF character design, 2) in costume design.

I do wish the character creater were more like the original Champions, in that form and function were entirely divested from each other. You bought an energy blast, then dressed it up with advantages and disadvantages, then made it look however you wanted it to look.

They seem to be going more this direction, what with divorcing auras from their powers. But I wish they'd gone farther. Why is Trauma, for instance, attached to so few powers? It should be able to be attached to anything if you want to pay the price for it.

mrhinkypunk · March 2014

flyingfinn wrote: »

What you think the Secret Project is? Thats what CO has been the testing ground for.

And yes, CO is only mmo i play.

Cryptic have always said they have had a secret project. ;D

Also on that basis their next project is become vehicles online. It'll be sort of like world of tanks but the tanks can fly and all use some AOE light thing that I have no idea how it damages anything.

ealford1985 · March 2014

I played WoW for less than a month

I played CoV for a little over a month

I played SWtOR for about a month

I played DCUO for a day (noted my computer didn't run it well at the time)

I've been playing Champions Online for over 3+ years almost every day for hours at a time. I have spent more time in this game than I have any other single game.

itsbrou · March 2014

Agreed.

For some strange reason, I can find something to do when I log in every day, but in other MMOs I can't seem to stay interested in their activities.

chaelk · March 2014

ealford1985 wrote: »

I played WoW for less than a month

I played CoV for a little over a month

I played SWtOR for about a month

I played DCUO for a day (noted my computer didn't run it well at the time)

I've been playing Champions Online for over 3+ years almost every day for hours at a time. I have spent more time in this game than I have any other single game.

Played WOW for about 6 mths,
********* can't remember how long but it was more fun than WOW
Evony - too long, any time spent playing that game was too long

Rift for about 8 mths

Startrek online 10 minutes, yes I didn't even bother to finish the tutorial
Nevermind 3 mths

CHampions over 2 1/2 years so far (100 weirdos and counting)

jonsills · March 2014

They always say they have a secret project. Sometimes this is accurate - the last secret project turned out to be Nevergonnaplayagain. Hopefully the next one turns out better...

sistersilicon · March 2014

In general, Cryptic keeps the "Secret Project" placeholder around as a catch-all term for "we're always looking for new ideas". In this case, however, the Secret Project has advanced from the "bull$#!^ting in a conference room" stage to the "Pull Dan Stahl off STO to be the executive producer" stage, which sounds pretty serious to me.

rianfrost · March 2014

cybersoldier1981 wrote: »

I'd give my left eye for a science fiction game with this degree of customization. Besides, I think the market out there could benefit from a sci-fi game with complete freedom of character design and abilities...

you know, I'm still watching for phanasy star online 2 to hit, it has a fairly robust character creator and the skills, such as they are seem to be interchangeable.
that said, I'm not liking stuff im hearing from people who play the Japanese version. And sega has a long and venerable tradition of messing up good things.

spinnytop · March 2014

Yeah, co is pretty much the best MMO, in regards to the core things that I look for in games:

1. Customization
2. Action

Unfortunately, it's not really taking full advantage of those two strengths, and it's questionable if it even can. Sometimes it seems like this game is like a car with a Formula-1 engine in it.. unfortunately, that engine is sitting in the back seat, so you can play around with it, but never actually use it in any way that makes actually driving the car more fun.

angelphoenix12 · March 2014

natestone1 wrote: »

Yes, if only we got content like Neverwinter seems to get content. Alerts and rampages are nice, but I want the game to expand. New zones, even just smaller ones for certain level brackets would be sweet.

But all that has been discussed before.

I agree with this statement, however for me, I have to truly say no this is not a good game, it is just a stepping stone from city of to star trek, and as soon as star trek was faltering they throw money at it. for champions online they have not done this; instead pwe/cryptic let this game rot on the vine.

nepht · March 2014

Its far from one of the best games..so very far.

But I like it because it plays like Spiderman 2 on the ps2

meedacthunist · March 2014

CO is not.

Too many problems overall. Many flaws.

It has nice customisation, however. Your character IS your, not a generic something.

CO one of the best games?

Comments