If I Were an Uber-Programmer/Hacker...

[Steelclaw]

I would make the game possible to be stand alone.

* Put everything into one program with no server involvement and no need for internet availability.

* Find Team would access your own character list so you could import them.

* Each character imported you could assign one of the available A.I.'s so they either behave like Mastermind Pets or as the Custom Critter AI from the Architect Entertainment system.

* While run by the computer your characters will be sidekicked/exemplared to the same level as the one you are running.  In your options menu you can select whether they earn XP or not during the missions they are so used.

* Characters run by the computer earn loot drops as normal.  While you do not have access to that loot while they are in NPC status, any such drops other than influence will be announced in the chat window.  "Wild Bill Hiccup just received an Inanimate Carbon Rod!"    "Bulbous Bob just received a Damage Enhancement!" and so on.

* The more time you spend playing the more Phantom Players are playing as well.  While you never actually see these people, they are active in WW and the Black Market.  Basically I'd create an algorithm by which items are randomly put up for bid in the Auction House.  The greater the number of any given item exist the lower the asking price, while rarer items have much higher costs.  This is basically a big crap shoot however, since it's all randomly generated.  But, be that as it may, it beats having to farm endlessly for a specific recipe/salvage/etc for what you want.

* The Sign In screen would be replaced with a series of toggles allowing you to turn on/off various game events such as the Winter Event, Halloween Event, Rikti Invasion, etc.  All said events would be under the same rules as they are currently.  I don't think I'd put in a Double XP Weekend toggle... just seems a bit too much like overkill.

* Finally, I would eliminate the League system and change all existing Trials to Task Forces.  That way you don't have to create 24 Incarnate characters to run one and your computer won't have to handle the AI of all of them.  Enemy difficulty, etc would be changed accordingly.

[indiramourning]

Make it so... I wish  ;D

I still get an achy heart when I think about CoH.  *sigh*

[JaguarX]

I would make the game possible to be stand alone.

* Put everything into one program with no server involvement and no need for internet availability.

* Find Team would access your own character list so you could import them.

* Each character imported you could assign one of the available A.I.'s so they either behave like Mastermind Pets or as the Custom Critter AI from the Architect Entertainment system.

* While run by the computer your characters will be sidekicked/exemplared to the same level as the one you are running.  In your options menu you can select whether they earn XP or not during the missions they are so used.

* Characters run by the computer earn loot drops as normal.  While you do not have access to that loot while they are in NPC status, any such drops other than influence will be announced in the chat window.  "Wild Bill Hiccup just received an Inanimate Carbon Rod!"    "Bulbous Bob just received a Damage Enhancement!" and so on.

* The more time you spend playing the more Phantom Players are playing as well.  While you never actually see these people, they are active in WW and the Black Market.  Basically I'd create an algorithm by which items are randomly put up for bid in the Auction House.  The greater the number of any given item exist the lower the asking price, while rarer items have much higher costs.  This is basically a big crap shoot however, since it's all randomly generated.  But, be that as it may, it beats having to farm endlessly for a specific recipe/salvage/etc for what you want.

* The Sign In screen would be replaced with a series of toggles allowing you to turn on/off various game events such as the Winter Event, Halloween Event, Rikti Invasion, etc.  All said events would be under the same rules as they are currently.  I don't think I'd put in a Double XP Weekend toggle... just seems a bit too much like overkill.

* Finally, I would eliminate the League system and change all existing Trials to Task Forces.  That way you don't have to create 24 Incarnate characters to run one and your computer won't have to handle the AI of all of them.  Enemy difficulty, etc would be changed accordingly.

I would go for this in a heartbeat.

[Arachnion]

Very interesting post you have there, Steelclaw.

I like it!

:D

[Ironwolf]

I seriously would like to see an attempt to do something like this even if the game is restored.

[Aleksandros]

I would jump on this in half a second  :-\  Wallpaper of my lead toon, and browsing my library of screenshots is just twisting the knife lately.

[Kaiser Tarantula]

If this were done, I would be all over it so fast you'd swear I had Super Speed six-slotted.

[Victoria Victrix]

Find said programmer.  Hope he is unemployed.  Raise about 40k to fund him for one year.  Give him one year to complete the project.  Pay him by the month so that if it is clear he is getting no results you can fire him and try again with someone else.

[Triplash]

There's only one thing wrong with your post, Steelclaw.

...I can't find the Buy It Now button.

[therain93]

* The more time you spend playing the more Phantom Players are playing as well.  While you never actually see these people, they are active in WW and the Black Market.  Basically I'd create an algorithm by which items are randomly put up for bid in the Auction House.  The greater the number of any given item exist the lower the asking price, while rarer items have much higher costs.  This is basically a big crap shoot however, since it's all randomly generated.  But, be that as it may, it beats having to farm endlessly for a specific recipe/salvage/etc for what you want.

Unlimited superpacks might be a simpler way to go about this.

[Lucretia MacEvil]

Once again, Steelclaw, you have brought tears to my eyes.

WAAAAANT!!!!! WANT NAO!!!!  :'( >:(

[Nightwatch]

Have no idea if this is possible but I would KILL to be able to play CoH stand alone.

[Arachnion]

Have no idea if this is possible but I would KILL to be able to play CoH stand alone.

Most likely possible, but would require A LOT of work.

Like VV (Victoria Victrix) said, a year for a programmer, at the least.

Your computer would need to be set up as *all the servers*.

Database, login, etc.

:)

[Globetrotter]

I am afraid it's not going to happen, but I do like the concept.  ;D

[LadyShin]

If I were an uber-programmer...I  would create a city of heroes 2 sequel...from the ground up.

Forget game engines, VB or the like..

I'd do it 100% in binary.

Because Synapse would want it that way.  8)

[Ironwolf]

You know all you have to do is point the address back to yourself.

I believe it is 128.0.0.1 then it looks back at yourself, so ideally you would have 2 start up icons - stand alone or Internet and the stand alone points to you and runs the server tweak to run the second game instructions.

[Arnabas]

I would be all over this in a second. I especially like the "team-with-self" idea. I always thought it would be cool to have another player's characters appear in missions as enemy NPCs.

[Optimus Dex]

I would make the game possible to be stand alone.

* Put everything into one program with no server involvement and no need for internet availability.

* Find Team would access your own character list so you could import them.

* Each character imported you could assign one of the available A.I.'s so they either behave like Mastermind Pets or as the Custom Critter AI from the Architect Entertainment system.

* While run by the computer your characters will be sidekicked/exemplared to the same level as the one you are running.  In your options menu you can select whether they earn XP or not during the missions they are so used.

* Characters run by the computer earn loot drops as normal.  While you do not have access to that loot while they are in NPC status, any such drops other than influence will be announced in the chat window.  "Wild Bill Hiccup just received an Inanimate Carbon Rod!"    "Bulbous Bob just received a Damage Enhancement!" and so on.

* The more time you spend playing the more Phantom Players are playing as well.  While you never actually see these people, they are active in WW and the Black Market.  Basically I'd create an algorithm by which items are randomly put up for bid in the Auction House.  The greater the number of any given item exist the lower the asking price, while rarer items have much higher costs.  This is basically a big crap shoot however, since it's all randomly generated.  But, be that as it may, it beats having to farm endlessly for a specific recipe/salvage/etc for what you want.

* The Sign In screen would be replaced with a series of toggles allowing you to turn on/off various game events such as the Winter Event, Halloween Event, Rikti Invasion, etc.  All said events would be under the same rules as they are currently.  I don't think I'd put in a Double XP Weekend toggle... just seems a bit too much like overkill.

* Finally, I would eliminate the League system and change all existing Trials to Task Forces.  That way you don't have to create 24 Incarnate characters to run one and your computer won't have to handle the AI of all of them.  Enemy difficulty, etc would be changed accordingly.

I am intrigued - sign me up for your newsletter and please do not make the same mistake as last ime when you signed me up for bedwetter.

[redgiant]

You just run a server in loopback (same host) or LAN (same subnet) mode. Controlling only your character or 100 others is no different. Of course getting the server is your first job ...

The real work beyond obviously having a server is to add a permanent mercenaries feature like EQ now has, to have a constant group fill-out at your character's disposal. CoH has all the "basic" infrastructure for this, as from time to time they pretty much script companions in certain places and mission settings. But it would still take a lot of effort to script up permanent companions whose AI doesn't seem retarded, are full-fledged group members, and fullfill different roles (tanker, dps ranged, etc) and such like most MMOs that offer this sort of thing do.


As Steve Martin once said:

"You.. can be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes! You can be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes!

You say.. "Steve.. how can I be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes?"

"First.. get a million dollars."

[srmalloy]

You know all you have to do is point the address back to yourself.

I believe it is 128.0.0.1 then it looks back at yourself, so ideally you would have 2 start up icons - stand alone or Internet and the stand alone points to you and runs the server tweak to run the second game instructions.

It's actually 127.0.0.1; the first quad is 0x7F. And you wouldn't necessarily need two icons; just have the launcher let you pick the server to use, with 'localhost' (127.0.0.1) automatically in the server list and the capability to manage the server list on your own, so that you would be able to connect to different Net servers.