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themightyzenith
Posts: 4,612 Arc User
Dunno if you guys saw this, dates from 26th of April this year......
http://mmo-play.com/mmo-blog/hopeful-champions-online-future
"I've been a lifelong lover of superheroes and comic books. Whether it was the Uncanny X-Men, Batman, the Question, Magnus: Robot Fighter, the New Mutants, or the Justice League, there was always something that was incredibly appealing about fighting crime while wearing an colorful costume. Sadly, the options for gaming online as a superhero were pretty slim until City of Heroes came along. I spent countless hours in that game, before moving on to Champions Online for a number of reasons, and I greatly enjoyed playing the online rpg. It is true that the game has been in a lull for quite a time, but some recent news has gotten me feeling better about the fate of the superhero-themed mmo. Allow me to explain why we're hopeful for the future of Champions Online.
I was an enthusiastic player of Champions Online when it was initially released and for quite some time after. The development of the mmorpg was very interesting as it was originally (as it was told to me) supposed to be a Marvel mmo, but the deal fell apart after a lot of resources had already been poured into the game. That's why Cryptic went out and bought the rights to the Champions pen-and-paper roleplaying game in order to have a coherent universe that was already complete with heroes, villains, history, and powers. Another benefit of snapping up the Champions IP was that Cryptic owned it outright and would never have to satisfy the holders of the copyright, like they have to do for a game like Star Trek Online.
To be honest, Champions Online has been in dire straights for some time. There was a concerted lack of new content created over the last few years, with the Steel Crusade update back in September of 2014 being the standout over that period. The development for the game suffered as Cryptic moved resources to other projects, notably Star Trek Online and Neverwinter. Yet the recent news that development for the game is returning back to its original development studio in Los Gatos, California, is giving me some hope for the future of Champions Online. To be honest, Cryptic North (most likely with very limited resources) had put out new content for the game, such as Steel Crusade and a lot of costumes, but a regular slew of playable new missions had not been achieved.
There are two factors in the news announcement that have me raising my hopes for Champion Online's future. The first is that the person heading up the game design team is Randy Mosiondz. He was a mission designer on City of Heroes and the original lead designer of Champions Online. The second factor is that he says that the development team is working on new content updates as well as the standard new costumes that seem to be popular. I love hearing the words of "new content updates" as the most important features for me in an online game are content, content, and content. A regular release of new themed content should help lure players back to the game, especially as there is very little competition in the world of superhero mmo games.
The other main reason why I have hope for the future of Champions Online is that the basic structure of the game is solid. I love the combat system where you use a power builder ability to generate energy to use your other superhero powers. The Nemesis system where the player creates an archenemy still has a lot of potential. I'm also a fan of alerts, which are quick five-person missions such as stopping a bank robbery. Not to mention that the character creation system is probably the best in online gaming. The point is that there are a lot of great systems found in the game that can be expanded upon. I would love to see a Foundry system introduced where players could create their own content, but I think that such a feature is probably too resource-intensive for the current time and would require a great deal of changing the basic code of the game.
However, there are some clouds that can obscure the possible bright future of Champions Online. One would be that the mmo work on fixing the most pressing bugs that players have been complaining about for years is not done. A gamer can only be frustrated for so long before they leave entirely. Another issue is that there have been no timetables laid out nor has a vision of what the developers have for Champions Online been released. Players need to know that good things are coming in concrete terms and not just vague promises. Communication needs to be improved so that players aren't left in the dark over the game's development.
Overall, I do think that it'll be an uphill climb for Champions Online, but I do have hope for its future. There are a lot of factors ranged against it, such as declining player numbers and a pitiful neglect by Cryptic. It's this neglect that confounds me as every dime they make from the game goes to them as they own the intellectual property outright. Even just a new series of missions that are linked together, like their old comic series releases, that are released every few months would have a tremendous impact upon the game. The tools are there to be used. Still, the fact that the original lead designer is back in charge and the news that new content is being planned does make me optimistic. I just hope that such optimism isn't misplaced."
http://mmo-play.com/mmo-blog/hopeful-champions-online-future
"I've been a lifelong lover of superheroes and comic books. Whether it was the Uncanny X-Men, Batman, the Question, Magnus: Robot Fighter, the New Mutants, or the Justice League, there was always something that was incredibly appealing about fighting crime while wearing an colorful costume. Sadly, the options for gaming online as a superhero were pretty slim until City of Heroes came along. I spent countless hours in that game, before moving on to Champions Online for a number of reasons, and I greatly enjoyed playing the online rpg. It is true that the game has been in a lull for quite a time, but some recent news has gotten me feeling better about the fate of the superhero-themed mmo. Allow me to explain why we're hopeful for the future of Champions Online.
I was an enthusiastic player of Champions Online when it was initially released and for quite some time after. The development of the mmorpg was very interesting as it was originally (as it was told to me) supposed to be a Marvel mmo, but the deal fell apart after a lot of resources had already been poured into the game. That's why Cryptic went out and bought the rights to the Champions pen-and-paper roleplaying game in order to have a coherent universe that was already complete with heroes, villains, history, and powers. Another benefit of snapping up the Champions IP was that Cryptic owned it outright and would never have to satisfy the holders of the copyright, like they have to do for a game like Star Trek Online.
To be honest, Champions Online has been in dire straights for some time. There was a concerted lack of new content created over the last few years, with the Steel Crusade update back in September of 2014 being the standout over that period. The development for the game suffered as Cryptic moved resources to other projects, notably Star Trek Online and Neverwinter. Yet the recent news that development for the game is returning back to its original development studio in Los Gatos, California, is giving me some hope for the future of Champions Online. To be honest, Cryptic North (most likely with very limited resources) had put out new content for the game, such as Steel Crusade and a lot of costumes, but a regular slew of playable new missions had not been achieved.
There are two factors in the news announcement that have me raising my hopes for Champion Online's future. The first is that the person heading up the game design team is Randy Mosiondz. He was a mission designer on City of Heroes and the original lead designer of Champions Online. The second factor is that he says that the development team is working on new content updates as well as the standard new costumes that seem to be popular. I love hearing the words of "new content updates" as the most important features for me in an online game are content, content, and content. A regular release of new themed content should help lure players back to the game, especially as there is very little competition in the world of superhero mmo games.
The other main reason why I have hope for the future of Champions Online is that the basic structure of the game is solid. I love the combat system where you use a power builder ability to generate energy to use your other superhero powers. The Nemesis system where the player creates an archenemy still has a lot of potential. I'm also a fan of alerts, which are quick five-person missions such as stopping a bank robbery. Not to mention that the character creation system is probably the best in online gaming. The point is that there are a lot of great systems found in the game that can be expanded upon. I would love to see a Foundry system introduced where players could create their own content, but I think that such a feature is probably too resource-intensive for the current time and would require a great deal of changing the basic code of the game.
However, there are some clouds that can obscure the possible bright future of Champions Online. One would be that the mmo work on fixing the most pressing bugs that players have been complaining about for years is not done. A gamer can only be frustrated for so long before they leave entirely. Another issue is that there have been no timetables laid out nor has a vision of what the developers have for Champions Online been released. Players need to know that good things are coming in concrete terms and not just vague promises. Communication needs to be improved so that players aren't left in the dark over the game's development.
Overall, I do think that it'll be an uphill climb for Champions Online, but I do have hope for its future. There are a lot of factors ranged against it, such as declining player numbers and a pitiful neglect by Cryptic. It's this neglect that confounds me as every dime they make from the game goes to them as they own the intellectual property outright. Even just a new series of missions that are linked together, like their old comic series releases, that are released every few months would have a tremendous impact upon the game. The tools are there to be used. Still, the fact that the original lead designer is back in charge and the news that new content is being planned does make me optimistic. I just hope that such optimism isn't misplaced."
Click here to check out my costumes/milleniumguardian (MG) in-game/We need more tights, stances and moods
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Oh, and if any of you over at Cryptic/North are reading this; I'm on my summer break and would love to spend my time helping out with CO's development where I can. It might not be much, but I would love nothing more than to put my experience to good use even if it comes from an entirely different engine.
And I will always be @DZPlayer122.
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nope, just who is in charge.
another person who just read the PR messages.
Cryptic North is working on NW console now
early morning.ack
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@dr490nbr347hi / Playing since January 25, '11
Display normal Internet behavior. Come and make fun (yes, make fun) of my PRIMUS page.
There are at least two ways to look at news like this. We can continue to be bitter and cynical, which accomplishes nothing, or we can express hopefulness and positivity, which at least will let Cryptic know there is still interest in the game.
It costs nothing to pursue the latter, with a better potential payout than the former.
Dire straits, not dire straights.
That said, Dire Straights would be an awesome name for a Poker-themed Nemesis.
More action at Champions Online Comics @ http://co-comics.webs.com
My super cool CC build and how to use it.
He has an electric personality? :biggrin:
Is his electric personality made of urine?
My super cool CC build and how to use it.
*Bitter CoXer: A previous player of City of Heroes/Villians who feels that not only was it a shame that their game was suddenly canceled(it was a shame honestly) but feel personally offended that such an "inferior game" as CO did not shut down out of pure respect for the passing of the "superior game." Bitter CoXers tend to spend most of their time on this forum, other forums, in this actual game, and pretty much anywhere on the internet where they feel they can find a pulpit to spread their rage and hatred for CO. In the most extreme cases there is little a Bitter CoXer would not do nor depth they would not sink to in order to further the demise of CO(and in some cases DCUO/MUO) This phrase, however is not to be confused with "CoX Refugees" or simple "X-CoXers" which are just normal players(usually very nice in my experiences) who happened to play City of Heroes/Villians before the shutdown and either played CO before, during, or presently. Bitter CoXers are just a loud obsessive minority that should not cloud the CO Player's opinion of everyone who at one time enjoyed the CoH/V Series.
Join Date: Aug 2009 | Title: Devslayer
Powerset: Infernal Supernatural. Costuming would be anything evocative of industrial labor. Villain name: Industrial Disease.
- David Brin, "Those Eyes"
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If so, he really needs to see a urologist about those 4 extra streams.
Summon a mercenary: "Brothers in Arms".
Flamethrower/napalm attack: "Heavy Fuel".
Globals drop buff: "Money For Nothing".
Iron Lariat/Vile Lariat: "Where Do You Think You're Going?"
*grabs both heads, smacks together until I feel better*
whirlwind with vortex- also works for where do you think you're going
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Silverspar on PRIMUS
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Caliga's PRIMUS Database! --XXX--The Caliga Build: Threatening Haymakers! --XXX-- Caliga and Conquer fanart!
so do I. I was tempted to make comments about the article but it would feel like telling kids about Santa's secret identity.:rolleyes:
It really doesn't matter what the article says, someone wrote it and put it in a place that other people might read it.
Well ok..the fact they didn't write something overwhelmingly negative does help quite a bit...
that is all.
You're a lunatic with a mad man's dream of a milk proof robot!
___________________________________________________
Meanwhile, I'm with kharma on this point. I'm having fun in the game, creating new characters pretty frequently (I recently picked up Sparkle Aura; applying the skin sparkle to a black costume makes a fair dynamic starfield, as seen on my new hero Starfall), and I'll keep it up until the day the plug gets pulled.
- David Brin, "Those Eyes"
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tl;dr-
Nobody ever said this article was going to change anything, they just posted it to let people know it exists. Stop assuming so much, not everything needs to be a big battle. It's almost like in your opinion, "If it doesn't completely save the game [and turn it into what I think it should be] then it's not worth doing". Not every journey can be completed with a single mighty Hulk jump.
My super cool CC build and how to use it.
I hear yah on this. I got the New Millennium Tights and of course first thing I always do is hit the tailor and tweak a previous costume and then buy another costume slot for my main xD.
Ah, your vane attempt at wisdom again. One hulk leap, eh? I would be impressed if we even took one toe step at this point.
Silverspar on PRIMUS
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That may be the wisest thing I've ever read from you, and one of the few I can wholly agree with, Helb.
+1 as the kids say nowadays.
No, that's just you assuming again :biggrin: remember when we discussed how you do that way too often? You always take simple little things and convince yourself that they're these big huge things... that they're not.
My super cool CC build and how to use it.
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!
Yes. Even if certain somebodies will always show up to try to turn it into a doom thread.
Some people can turn lemonade into lemons. C:
My super cool CC build and how to use it.
[at]riviania Member since Aug 2009
No idea, I don't use twitter. Just saw it and hadn't seen it linked on these forums so I thought I would do so.
Click here to check out my costumes/milleniumguardian (MG) in-game/We need more tights, stances and moods
Ooooh. Well said!
People turn up with half facts to back up their own point of view but the real facts are people have been shouting DOOOOOOOOM all the time at this game and the game just gives zero *&^%s just like 60's Spiderman .
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!
A thing doesn't have to wholly die to be dead. Sometimes they just sink below the waves of relevance and dream restlessly.
(Cryptic this is your Que to license Call of Cthulhu and Crush the Competition!)
Dead zones with no players and nothing new to do and no new rewards is like a body whose limbs are being starved for oxygen and movement.
Dopamine signals to 'unexpected rewards'.
Repeat tasks without getting that dopamine feedback and your body will signal stress hormones.
The one sign of these stress hormones is loss of interest in things previously enjoyed.
Loss of interest kills the game as a larger element than the functions and features of Game Client.exe and it's content.
When people uninstall the game it's dead to them, dead for their friends who might have played it with them.
When the forums are mostly the same ten or fifteen people for three or four years, the forums are pretty dead.
When the most involved forum members are not longer involved, they become vague memories, ghosts, not dead, but here.
When the Steam forums get a post only about once a month, those forums are dead too.
When Alerts don't pop in a timely manner and they cycle to a new alert before popping, Alerts are dead.
When zone chat is dead , zone chat is dead.
Sure there is enough pulse here and there for some people to get fiddle with it a bit, but other people have another sense:
What they see, hear and/or feel sends them the other way.
Perhaps it's a mutation of a gene, an X-player factor, that tells a brain:
"I could be playing play a game with more players, content, novelty and updates."
A basic survival instinct, like smelling or tasting moldy bread and choosing to eat it or not
A good sense of smell is a sign of good health.
It's funny Lemons were mentioned because a 'lemon' is also a product that does not work as expected.
I find this lemon comment uniquely interesting because the lemons mentioner is also under the influence of fungus ingestion and lemon juice metabolizes a compound found in over two hundred species of fungus into a molecule that stimulates serotonin receptors with profound results. These compounds have been found active after being stored in a box for 117 years. Not dead indeed.
This is particularly interesting to me because I'm growing five different types of (other) mushrooms, one of which contains serotonin and 5-HTP, and I have three gallons of lemonade.
Time for lunch.
Hmm, moldy eggplant, should I take it for a spin?
*shrug*
It's not even a real article.
It isn't coming from PWE or Cryptic, its' as relevant as any player's personal opinion about the state of the game on this forum or FB.
Tells nothing new, changes nothing. Does nothing negative or positive.
Why it's of any importance?
My super cool CC build and how to use it.
Should we also have an advertisement on any CO related Facebook posts?
Because it makes as much sense.
Sure, why not? Would there be some harm to it? Are we suddenly operating under some sort of "don't post anything that doesn't immediately save the game [and turn it into what I think it should be]" rule?
What's the sense in criticizing someone for the act of posting a CO-related article in the CO forums?
My super cool CC build and how to use it.
So in this age of internet "smartness" nobody will take it for an official article, or an article written by someone with inside informations.
Better point at this part where article is just rubbish, so nobody will later will cry "BUT! BUT THEY SAID IN AN ARTICLE THAT CO WILL GROW!!!" just because CO population has its share of people fuelled entirely by wishful thinking.
...so you're scared that somebody will complain at some point? That's meta.
My super cool CC build and how to use it.
You're the one crybaby in this topic who's complaining about people complaining.
Or accusing of doomsaying anyone who's not in an unconditional love with a game or an article.
Why so scared?
Here I always though you never care?
The whole thing was funny, but this part especially made me laugh.
My super cool CC build and how to use it.
Don't you just hate inconsistency?
Says the man that takes screenies of zone population at 4am and then screams doom.
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!
Where's the DOOM? There's supposed to be an earth-shattering DOOM!
WAY off-topic: Oooo, any pics? I know they won't show the dynamic part, but I've wanted a starfield for the longest time.
...no matter how jaded you may have become, surely you realize that.
The more people talk about CO the more likely people who haven't played CO will play CO, the more people who play CO the more Cryptic will pay attention to CO... c'mon do I really have to be explaining this?
Indeed. He's a Doom merchant but we love him because he is our Doom merchant and CO would be less awesome if he ever cheered up.
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!
Nah, I'm cool with it. Opinions are like... elbows. Everyone has at least one. :biggrin: