If we start with no user data

[Biz]

Character data needs to happen. Even if account purchase data is lost, character data could be tied back to login names and authentication hashes if you remember the password.

Otherwise, it's not really COH. Paragon City is not just the buildings and the Hellions, it's the combined total of what everyone who has ever played created and added to the common story. I've always said that my characters are still there, doing what they did before, and will continue doing so whether I have contact with them or not.

If a buyout is successful and everything is put back just so to pick up where we left off, then that will be the 'official' server. If it is not and NCsoft manages to put the final nail in the coffin of COH by selling pieces of an incomplete game, then when a community server pops up capable of continuing the story, whether by manually authenticated imports, or activation of project ultra sentinel, that will be the official server.

Sure, I might still subscribe and say hi to people from time to time. But it would never be home.

I hope that whoever the group talking to NCsoft is, they understand this. The characters were the heart of the city. The players (and potentially money) will follow wherever the characters return.

[Biz]

Since this is not a new game - well it is in the sense that it is new management. I was thinking of ways to give players back some of their stuff quickly. I do know that people feel that I paid for it once why pay again and I don't dismiss that. However the new management has never collected anything yet. Sp how do you fairly administer this?

Ideas for the games return:

1. Allow every player to get 1 level 50 at the start.
2. Allow either a starter pack with all the Vet rewards or have a same starting setup as the 50 where you get to pick say any 10 rewards.
3. Open all AT including VT's at creation.

Try posting some ways that would be fair to both the new owners and players!

Since I played almost exclusively end-content with my characters for the last few years of the game, I would be extremely relieved to start out with a character already at 50 without having to grind it up. I would wonder how the enhancement portion of this process would go. I had most of my 50s with incarnate powers, and several had multi-billion influence worth of IOs. Would this auto 50 also come with unlimited IOs to slot? I would like to be able to have just 1 character back to the point where I used to have several. 

[Goddangit]

Just for the record...

I'l start from scratch if I have to.  I did it once, I can do it again.  But if I can get my characters back I would be in heaven.  I am willing to pay a "restoration fee" to de-mangle-ify the data as necessary.  I have my old account name and PW.  And a valid credit card.   

And thank you for making this effort - no matter how it turns out.  (but PLEASE let it work out!)

[Nightmarer]

Since this is not a new game - well it is in the sense that it is new management. I was thinking of ways to give players back some of their stuff quickly. I do know that people feel that I paid for it once why pay again and I don't dismiss that. However the new management has never collected anything yet. Sp how do you fairly administer this?

Ideas for the games return:

1. Allow every player to get 1 level 50 at the start.
2. Allow either a starter pack with all the Vet rewards or have a same starting setup as the 50 where you get to pick say any 10 rewards.
3. Open all AT including VT's at creation.

Try posting some ways that would be fair to both the new owners and players!

Hmm, to be honest, you said that "they are us" and I believe you so I am sure that if we have to start from scratch, they'll find a way to make it as fair as possible for everyone. I'd be really annoyed though if I couldn't use my old char names... because my old chars are still existing somewhere but there's no way I can prove they belong to accounts of mine or. Also, I wouldn't like to start from scratch and in a year or so to read "hey guys, we found a way to give your old characters back" or something like that.

If at the beginning, having our characters back can't be ensured, best thing wuld be a wipe of all existing characters ingame so, if we start from scratch we start from scratch.

As for ways to make that starting from scratch more attractive, as I said, I'm sure they'll come up with something fair and appropriate.-

[Illusionss]

3. I'll need to buy a lot more! Like 30 or so per account.

At game closure I think I had a combined total of about 35 active alts on Virtue server.

I say ten at first, because I am eventually going to want almost every one of those 35 back.... plus, who knows if I might want to roll something new? I might. But when/if CoX relaunches, I am going to start out with my hero main, my villain main, my Stalker and my Bane Spider, if we have access to the EAT/VEAT system. Once I get them rolling pretty well, I will slowly start adding others.

I cant work on seriously leveling 35 alts at once, is what I am saying. I doubt many can. So I wont need all those slots the instant the game goes Live; I doubt many will. [But hey, if they want ot give us 30 open slots on release, I am not complaining!]

I would like for everyone, veteran or not, to log in and get a badge titled "Resurgent" or maybe "Resurrexit" or "Reversus" or something like that. We have toured The Gaming Underworld of Despair, and now we are back, brimming with new life!

[pulse.]

  I played and subbed the entire run of cox, and I'll happily do so again. I'll start from scratch in a heartbeat, because the stuff I had I earned, and enjoyed the earning. In my opinion, charge a nominal fee per vet reward, say a dollar or to each, paid for individually. Another dollar or two per character slot should be equitable, I think, if we start out with say ten or twelve.
   This is my first post here, and without being a kiss ass I'd like to say with utmost sincerity thank you for not giving up.

[Illusionss]

Just for the record...

I'l start from scratch if I have to.  I did it once, I can do it again.  But if I can get my characters back I would be in heaven.  I am willing to pay a "restoration fee" to de-mangle-ify the data as necessary.  I have my old account name and PW.  And a valid credit card.   

And thank you for making this effort - no matter how it turns out.  (but PLEASE let it work out!)

I would be fine with this. I have all my old account data. The thing that worries me is, I don't have the same debit card that I had back then, because I lost my old one[!] and had to have a reissue. I'd like to be able to use my old account and pay with my new debit card.

The important thing to me is, who has the account info? That's most likely the owner. I bet there's quite a few folks who are using new debit/CCs, since game closure. These people should not be locked out of their accounts, but be able to change their payment status.

[Mr.Bleek]

Here are my thoughts and suggestions.

1) If there is an intact database of user Email addresses with a record
of subscription time then offer the means to allow veterans of the game to
purchase a subscription that gives them their veteran rewards concurrent
with what they had earned before shutdown.

I am confident that deticated veterans of the game would purchase into the relaunch at a premium price if they can show their veteran status right off
the bat. After all, it seems the majority of us that are enthusiastic about
a relaunch are infact tenured veterans and from a profit stand point wouldn't
this make sense?

The premium launch purchase can also include other perks, emotes and other unlocks, possibly include extra character slots to reflect your accrued months of loyalty (e.g. 1 extra character slot for every 3 months and 1 extra slot for every year accrued) These slots, hypothetically, will only be accessible with an active VIP membership, post launch.

2)Offer a VIP subscription going forward for all subscribers. The VIP subscription
will allow all players, not just the premium launch purchasers, to begin acualing
veteran rewards and extra character slots (e.g. 1 extra character slot for every 3 months and 1 extra slot for every year accrued) These slots, hypothetically, will only be accessible with an active VIP membership.

I think this will be a good way to keep a healthy subscriber interest in paying for a monthly subscription.

3)Use AE system as a means to add game content. For example; offer a VIP membership for $9.99 per month (that offers the said perks in lines 1 and 2 ), yet also offer a VIP PREMIUM for $12.99 or $14.99 that offers monthly Developer story arcs VIA the AE system, by playing these "Premium" AE missions, a VIP premium subscriber will earn Double XP and Double influence and (i know it my be pushing it but...) maybe higher chances of getting Set IO recipes while running these VIP premium missions. If we could have guest AE story arcs every now and then, e.g. Matt "Positron" Miller, maybe other big namesin the CoH history, Comic book writers/illustrators, etc.
This would be a big downgrade from the frequent issue updates we were accustomed to, but wouldnt this make sense in a relaunch scenario where further game updates are not possible? At least we will have SOME extra content with the inate means to monetize it.

4)If later on down the line, character data is somehow recoverable and CoH new owners manage to strike a good deal with NCsoft in regards to Character retrieval, then i would even be open to purchasing those characters at a reasonable price and ,hypothetically, at that point i might have rebuilt a character to a desirable state and wouldnt have the need to purchase ALL pre-shutdown characters, just the toons i have yet to replace.

5)At the ripe stages of the CoH relaunch,it would then be wise to disclose whatever plans might exist for a CoH2, offer us a pre-purchase of the sequel and perhaps once CoH2 goes live transition CoH1 into a Free to play as the players will surely transition their monthly subscriptions to the all new and shiny predecessor to our favorite MMO of all time!


Other Thoughts:

1) The perfect scenario would be a re-launch with access to all my existing CoX characters, obviously. I cannot imagine that NCsoft has lost this data, it just doesnt make sense. It could entail allot of leg work, but i know there is a way to retrieve user data.

If we were to get a relaunch with previous characters then you have all my money, i will sell my left arm if i have to,... wait i need my left are, oh well ill just have to play on my robotics/DM mastermind!

2)How much time does NCsoft have before they could profit from CoH? I mean, how long do they have until a relaunch of CoH is no longer desirable?

In other words, NCsoft, cut us a freaking break already would ya!! Fahgedaboutit!!

3)To all my Infinity, virtue, Dark Supremacy and most of all my Sassmouth friends, i miss you all dearly, till next time.

@Mr.Bleek

[MWRuger]

At game closure I think I had a combined total of about 35 active alts on Virtue server.

I say ten at first, because I am eventually going to want almost every one of those 35 back.... plus, who knows if I might want to roll something new? I might. But when/if CoX relaunches, I am going to start out with my hero main, my villain main, my Stalker and my Bane Spider, if we have access to the EAT/VEAT system. Once I get them rolling pretty well, I will slowly start adding others.

I cant work on seriously leveling 35 alts at once, is what I am saying. I doubt many can. So I wont need all those slots the instant the game goes Live; I doubt many will. [But hey, if they want ot give us 30 open slots on release, I am not complaining!]

I would like for everyone, veteran or not, to log in and get a badge titled "Resurgent" or maybe "Resurrexit" or "Reversus" or something like that. We have toured The Gaming Underworld of Despair, and now we are back, brimming with new life!

i really just want to get the names I already had locked down. I play 'em a few at a time as well. I know it's not likely that someone would grab one of mine, but I'd still like to do it.

If I can afford it, I'll buy 'em on day one!

[steveharp]

OK, I don't mind loosing all my stuff, Would be happy to pay for boosters and perks, no free 50's and have all AT's available to subs or unlock-able via shop, XP boosts etc

[K26dp]

1. No retroactive vet rewards (exceptions below).
2. No Sentinal+ data.
3. Unlimited characters slots (or whatever the max can be for the server) for subs. 5 slots for free players.
4. No AT or powerset locks for anything released prior to I24. Subs get access to the I24 powersets.
5. All pre-I24 non-content locked costume pieces available to all (incl. vet reward pieces). Subs get access to the I24 pieces.
6. For the first 3 months of the game coming back online, 2X everything (except Incarnate awards)... XP, Inf, drops, salvage, etc. Six months in, do a 3-month Incarnate award 2X.

This would start everyone off on the same foot, but give the dedicated a chance to move quickly. It also allows folks with subs the chance to re-create their character's appearance exactly like they would have last looked on live.

[Odimodus]

 I think a lack of database makes it harder to get the message out to previous players that the game is back, if it comes back. I mean, the prior subscription list and contact information should certainly be included. It also would make a restart more attractive to many players if they can get something back, anything.

 It might be a nice gesture on NCsoft's part to offer something to the prior players for the grief caused, intentional or unintentional. A little good will goes a long way.

[Illusionss]

i really just want to get the names I already had locked down. I play 'em a few at a time as well. I know it's not likely that someone would grab one of mine, but I'd still like to do it.

If I can afford it, I'll buy 'em on day one!

That name thing is a really good point. Drat. I didn't even consider that part of it.

[MWRuger]

If I was on the team buying the game I would make sure that NCSoft was willing to send out a EBlast to not only all the previous COH subscribers, but their entire list. After all their name will still be on it.

[Skull Thuggery]

I'd been meaning to respec most of my characters anyway.

[Taliseian]

My thoughts so far...

If/When we get the game back, from what I've read there is a chance that it will be possibly in i23 or i24 Maintenance Mode - cheapest and easiest way to get us back in the City.  As the subject of this thread, more than likely that would mean no previous character information or accounts.

First off - I am OK with this.  I had an account since Beta and even though there were times I wasn't active, I always went back to the City and enjoyed the game. 

As always --->  Step 1 - Get the game!

Secondly, I think the investors will want to start making their money back as soon as possible (with a profit) while figuring out the best ways to move forward.  So in that light as well as the lack of user data, here are my ideas/recommendations.

1) CoX Classic -- CoX in i23 or i24 permanent mode - occasional new events and store items by a small team of developers in order to keep things interesting and maintain a profit stream, but the majority of the game stays as it is.

Steam sounds like a great place to start at since the installed user base is huge and better advertising.

**IF** the tools are available and the designers can do it, consider i25 and beyond - this is optional IMO.

     a) Monetization

          1) Resell the client at a low price (ie $10 CoH or CoV -- $15 for CoX -- $20 for GR)
          2) F2P as before with a few changes to encourage income such as Daily/Weekly TF passes, unlock Incarnate, or other QoL improvements
          3) VIP at a reasonable price (my idea is $9.99/mo + some store currency) to remove all limitations
          4) All store items are for sale at a reduced price for the first 60-90 days after launch or whenever the store can finally reopen (store should try to open at launch or a few weeks later), then prices return to normal with weekly sales and new costume sets and/or powers/emotes/designer pets/etc as they can be created.

2) City of Heroes 2 begins development once the game is stable and a steady stream of profit is achieved

Again, these are my ideas after about five minutes of thinking -- I'm more than sure that the developers/purchasers have already consider some or all of these and have more/better ideas in store.


T

[saipaman]

The obvious answer is those with sentinel plus files should be allowed to re-import them back into the game.

The people that made that effort are probably the core of the player base.

[FourSpeed]

This is a tough question, and obviously there are a LOT of opinions with many valid points.

First and foremost, I would *love* to have the game back.  Top Priority.

That said, I'm in the same camp as most of the other vets (Alien, CW, Heatstroke).

There are simply some realities that I *will* take into consideration when it does come back.

1> It closed ~1.5 years ago -- I miss it ... but I've moved on to other things that I also like.
Now, I'd be displacing those to play this: in some cases, fine, in others, not so much.  Oh, and
while I'm on that, I *don't* recall my password - I can dredge up all my box keys, mid's builds,
Sentinel data and whatnot, but that's about it.

2> If we all start from scratch, I'll play, but at that point, it IS a new game to me and I will
evaluate it on that basis. As others have said - the game itself is a big part, sure, but the
TIME we invested on the L50's we made (I started in original closed beta) *matter* to us...
Price Point will be a factor too - that's not being elitest, it's looking at *value* being offered.

Other folks are right: The New owners don't owe us and aren't responsible for what NCsoft did.
The other side of that coin: A New game also meets the above criteria - I assure you I'd look
at price point there too in light of the gameplay and options offered...  Same analysis.

3> I'm in my mid 50's - I will *not* be rebuilding everything I had - hell, I might not even
live that long...

So, we'll get whatever the new owners decide to give us...   But, what I personally would like:

a> Options to get our full vet powers back along with the other various "unlocks" we earned.

b> Options to get all the character slots we had access to.

c> Options to Retrieve / Restore some/all of my key characters.

- I like the use of Sentinel data if they can import from it.  I'd be fine with a gate on characters
you can import (time limit?, number/timeframe?, total imports?) perhaps a fee for each import.
I'm not worried about the hackers. For the most part it's not that big of a problem imho.


For me personally, those factors will be in my mind and will have at least some effect on how
much I'd be willing to pay, and how much I'd be willing to play.

I truly would like the game to come back - but after all this time, and particularly if there were
no appealing, reasonably priced options other than "fresh-start" - I'd evaluate it on that basis.


Regards,
4

[Scott Jackson]

To keep it simple, I will:

> pay the most money if the new team can restore I23/24 gameplay in maintenance mode AND full character data.  (I had 50+ level 50 incarnates, and loved every one of them, so that probably explains why.) 
> pay moderately for restored gameplay and as many restored characters as possible.  I will be greatly disappointed if their IOs and incarnate progress are wiped out, since those aspects took the most effort to build into my characters.  Merely bumping a character to level 50 doesn't count as "restored" to me, so I would only pay extra for recovery of characters if their IOs are included, though hopefully it won't be on a purely per-character basis...please show mercy for those with alt-itits and charge by account (I had two) or offer bulk discounts.
> pay little (but still something) for CoH gameplay with no character data or very limited (XP only) restoration.
> pay nothing or the minimum permitted, if the game is poorly operated / unstable.   However I trust the new team to take care of us, so this is not a likely scenario.

It is worth noting that unless I (we?) feel strongly reassured that the game will not be closed again without a fair chance to operate private servers, then any noticeable amount of money paid to restore characters may be seen as something unpleasant.  I am willing to have some of my cash grabbed, but not be punched in the throat at the same time.

[HEATSTROKE]

I am posting this here from another thread because its probably my feelings exactly and I cant say it any better

 
Now, to the real issue at hand.  Yes, I want my characters back.  I really, really want them back.  Logging into the game and not seeing them waiting for me would be heart-breaking.  So on the question of "should the buyers fight to get our characters?", my answer is a resounding YES.

But I'm also a mature adult who knows that you don't always get what you want.  So New Guys, fight like hell, but I won't be mad if it just isn't feasible.

And as I have stated earlier. I would be more than willing of paying a reasonable processing fee (which IMO is in the neighborhood of $50-$75) to be able to access all my characters with their IO's should that data become available. The new owners obviously are not responsible for the shutdown of the game. Yet I do believe that to restore City of Heroes is not just the City.. but the Heroes themselves...