I'm Rightfully Pissed off!

[Joshex]

it still pisses me off why ncsoft would kill a game that was making money for them. i know it aint wow money up there, but still it was making them money. but instead they just kick their customers to the curb and that's it.
well i know one good thing is that we are getting 3 successors out of it and i hope all 3 games and the community succeed very well.

no offense to the plan Z teams but I think 3 successors will divide the gaming populace.

they might consider merging them all into one entity somehow.

[JaguarX]

no offense to the plan Z teams but I think 3 successors will divide the gaming populace.

they might consider merging them all into one entity somehow.

Hmmm. yes. But I think the population was already "divided" on what constitute a successor and what should be added, if anything should be added and what should be taken away  and etc.


With one, in theory, could work if it could fit all three aim and goal in way a successor is supposed to be, but seems like eac hhave their own definition of that and so do the players. Leave one, still will only mostly have people would have played that game whether or not the other three existed. I wouldnt want it to end up beign a purposely thing of "This is my vision of the successor and the only one allowed so play or walk." With three there are choices. There are thousands of fantasy games out there yet for the most part, many are of them have millions of players, as there is a little somethign for most. Super hero MMO, it's limited, I think there are more super hero MMO potential players out there but wit hthe limited choices they dont have one that have what they are looking for yet so they stick with the fantasy games as there are many choices and some that may not be super hero but fits closer to what they are looking for instead of a selection that can be done on one hand.

[dwturducken]

Division (creative differences?) is what cause the original to split. The third option came about on its own. There was a team with members who are fans/players of CoH who were already working on a fantasy-based game that they are redirecting resources to adapt a spandex version. It shows more promise, at the moment, because it had a bit of a head start.

Honestly, I think each shows quite a lot of promise, and I don't feel that supporting all three is a weakness inherent in the split. What form that support takes, though, depends largely on what I'm capable of at the time, though. I can probably give something to all three crowd funding efforts, since they appear to be coming up at different times. I know that I won't have the financial ability to pay a subscription to all three, but I doubt that any of us do. That said, I feel very strongly that having a choice is good, as it allows each of us to support the one that gives us what we're looking for. Also, a little healthy competition can be beneficial to all three projects. If not all survive, that's free enterprise. I will be saddened, but that is how competition works.

[JaguarX]

Division (creative differences?) is what cause the original to split. The third option came about on its own. There was a team with members who are fans/players of CoH who were already working on a fantasy-based game that they are redirecting resources to adapt a spandex version. It shows more promise, at the moment, because it had a bit of a head start.

yay, I remember it was looked upon with great suspision too. Which is good but in hindsight glad they didnt take it as "Aw screw this, lets go back to fantasy game. Dont need this crap."

[blackjak]

just look at it this way. You will (hopefully) have options that we don't right now.

1. Pick your flavor and go with it.
2. You find you like all 3 and get to play 3 good comics based games.
3. You can stick with the...other... choices in the genre.

P.S. If you are Linux or Mac based (like me) it may be possible that one or more choices may not be available to you. I know TPP is building with cross platform in mind, but I am not sure about the others. This may be a factor in the long run as well.

[Lycantropus]

I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!

THIS MOP IS DIRTY AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE!
:o

Anyway...

There's a part of me that thinks more than one project is divisive, and said as much back when it started leaning that way.

Then I realized something...

There may be 3 (or more) NEW non-fantasy based MMO's out there that get created from what happened to us...

Better yet, powered hero based games... (ya'know, because of copyright stuff between the 'big two' that don't seem to get what we're looking for so far in the ones they've made or are making)

If any, or all of those three games got a following...

...and they never shut down; no matter how few were playing because of the lessons learned from this, and the mission they try to follow as a studio because of it...

There would be three groups of followers to games that never will have to go through what we have (or go through again, for us repeaters).

So regardless of my gut, my heart says... The more the merrier.

Lyc~ there's really nothing else left to add werewolf

[Twi]

Least we have icon now. ^.^

[Lycantropus]

True story.  I'd rather just have 'my city' back. :-[

[blackjak]

... also, i can't speak for any of the projects officially, but i know that all 3 want to see COH back as well.

[Captain Electric]

True story.  I'd rather just have 'my city' back. :-[

You're not alone. And I think it's pretty amazing that after all this time since August 31, when the sunset announcement was made, and then sunset on November 30, there's still a community here.

For months, I've morosely looked on as the shrinking active membership here dwindled. But when news broke of Ascendant's passing, I realized that maybe I've been looking at it the wrong way. Not only did throngs of visitors show up to post their respects, and share their stories; but out there in other games all over the mmosphere, and forums and other places, you could feel the waves rippling outward from this loss. And it also made me remember, every time some new bit of gossip came out regarding the game's closure, such as Matt Miller's interview with Gamasutra or all the lead designers and producers at that PAX East panel sticking up for the game--including Statesman, Chris Roberts and those Wildstar devs--people have come out of the woodwork, out of the blue, from all the places where they've settled like refugees, to express their opinions, their aches, their wishes. Whenever this happens, I always get the strong impression that most of these people haven't found places to call home yet. That's sad, but it's powerful. It means something.

It means this community isn't dying.

We all have something that binds us together. Not all of us will come here to say something about it every day. Heck, many of us aren't even registered on these forums. But we're all still us. Come to think of it, almost every single one of my best pals from Virtue during the whole time I played, never posted on the official forums. So what the heck am I doing using these forums--or any forums--as a measuring stick for the size and interest of our love for this game?

And while part of our bond is a tragic loss (more than one tragic loss now, unfortunately), it's also hope and anticipation that something can and will happen. Hope that Task Force Hail Mary will find someone to save Paragon City. Hope that all of our letter writing will make a difference. Hope that SEGs or the community server will rise up out of the ashes. Hope that we can at least find some way to wrest the IP out of NCSoft's hands. Hope that our heroic, valiant, phoenix-like Plan Z dev teams will rise out of the ashes of Paragon City like, uh, well phoenixes.

But I want you to remember something. Nobody who is working to give us back a piece of our homeland is getting paid to do it. So what keeps them motivated and dedicated to our cause for months and months on end? Indeed, years on end?

You.

Your thank-yous. Your excitement. Your hope. Heck, even your venting and arguing. This is what powers them, fuels their spirits, and keeps them plugging along.

So if you want to go back home, keep talking about it, keeping thinking about it, keep wishing and hoping and screaming and arguing and posting lame memes with ponies, whatever floats your boat. Because every time you do, you are investing in the return of your homeland.

[beveri8469]

You're not alone. And I think it's pretty amazing that after all this time since August 31, when the sunset announcement was made, and then sunset on November 30, there's still a community here.

For months, I've morosely looked on as the shrinking active membership here dwindled. But when news broke of Ascendant's passing, I realized that maybe I've been looking at it the wrong way. Not only did throngs of visitors show up to post their respects, and share their stories; but out there in other games all over the mmosphere, and forums and other places, you could feel the waves rippling outward from this loss. And it also made me remember, every time some new bit of gossip came out regarding the game's closure, such as Matt Miller's interview with Gamasutra or all the lead designers and producers at that PAX East panel sticking up for the game--including Statesman, Chris Roberts and those Wildstar devs--people have come out of the woodwork, out of the blue, from all the places where they've settled like refugees, to express their opinions, their aches, their wishes. Whenever this happens, I always get the strong impression that most of these people haven't found places to call home yet. That's sad, but it's powerful. It means something.

It means this community isn't dying.

We all have something that binds us together. Not all of us will come here to say something about it every day. Heck, many of us aren't even registered on these forums. But we're all still us. Come to think of it, almost every single one of my best pals from Virtue during the whole time I played, never posted on the official forums. So what the heck am I doing using these forums--or any forums--as a measuring stick for the size and interest of our love for this game?

And while part of our bond is a tragic loss (more than one tragic loss now, unfortunately), it's also hope and anticipation that something can and will happen. Hope that Task Force Hail Mary will find someone to save Paragon City. Hope that all of our letter writing will make a difference. Hope that SEGs or the community server will rise up out of the ashes. Hope that we can at least find some way to wrest the IP out of NCSoft's hands. Hope that our heroic, valiant, phoenix-like Plan Z dev teams will rise out of the ashes of Paragon City like, uh, well phoenixes.

But I want you to remember something. Nobody who is working to give us back a piece of our homeland is getting paid to do it. So what keeps them motivated and dedicated to our cause for months and months on end? Indeed, years on end?

You.

Your thank-yous. Your excitement. Your hope. Heck, even your venting and arguing. This is what powers them, fuels their spirits, and keeps them plugging along.

So if you want to go back home, keep talking about it, keeping thinking about it, keep wishing and hoping and screaming and arguing and posting lame memes with ponies, whatever floats your boat. Because every time you do, you are investing in the return of your homeland.

i agree with Captain Electric. this community will never die. it will live on and on in each of the 3 plan z projects and in our hearts.

[Angel Phoenix77]

it still pisses me off why ncsoft would kill a game that was making money for them. i know it aint wow money up there, but still it was making them money. but instead they just kick their customers to the curb and that's it.
well i know one good thing is that we are getting 3 successors out of it and i hope all 3 games and the community succeed very well.

I feel this way.

I think closing down city of was about closing the last American made still out.
I miss this game, it was something if I got bored with my other games I knew I could comeback and start back up. made a lot of good friends. however 2 years before city of closed all of them left :(

[thunderforce]

Posting more in sorrow than in anger, but... actually, wait, I'm still angry. I stick my nose into the forums very rarely, but every time I do, I find I'm still surprisingly cut up over City of X. (Surprisingly? I was never entirely satisfied with the game, and spent only about half the years between EU launch and the black dawn actually playing it regularly - I honestly didn't realise how much I cared about it until it was gone). I still find the mention of NCSoft brings forth the words "I'm damned if they'll ever see another penny of mine" almost as a spinal reflex.

Sorrow as well, though. All respect to Hail Mary, and so forth, but my feeling is that bringing back the game as-was has become a forlorn hope at best; and while I wish every success to the fan projects, they have taken on a truly heroic quantity of work.

I don't have a point here, I just felt the need to vent again. Well, I suppose; I hope that if we have one positive legacy, it'll be that other MMO developers will see a shutdown as unwise, always preferring to keep games ticking over - after all, if you stop active development, staff/server/bandwidth costs are fundamentally proportional to the number of subscribers.

[Atlantea]

You're not alone. And I think it's pretty amazing that after all this time since August 31, when the sunset announcement was made, and then sunset on November 30, there's still a community here.

For months, I've morosely looked on as the shrinking active membership here dwindled. But when news broke of Ascendant's passing, I realized that maybe I've been looking at it the wrong way. Not only did throngs of visitors show up to post their respects, and share their stories; but out there in other games all over the mmosphere, and forums and other places, you could feel the waves rippling outward from this loss. And it also made me remember, every time some new bit of gossip came out regarding the game's closure, such as Matt Miller's interview with Gamasutra or all the lead designers and producers at that PAX East panel sticking up for the game--including Statesman, Chris Roberts and those Wildstar devs--people have come out of the woodwork, out of the blue, from all the places where they've settled like refugees, to express their opinions, their aches, their wishes. Whenever this happens, I always get the strong impression that most of these people haven't found places to call home yet. That's sad, but it's powerful. It means something.

It means this community isn't dying.

We all have something that binds us together. Not all of us will come here to say something about it every day. Heck, many of us aren't even registered on these forums. But we're all still us. Come to think of it, almost every single one of my best pals from Virtue during the whole time I played, never posted on the official forums. So what the heck am I doing using these forums--or any forums--as a measuring stick for the size and interest of our love for this game?

And while part of our bond is a tragic loss (more than one tragic loss now, unfortunately), it's also hope and anticipation that something can and will happen. Hope that Task Force Hail Mary will find someone to save Paragon City. Hope that all of our letter writing will make a difference. Hope that SEGs or the community server will rise up out of the ashes. Hope that we can at least find some way to wrest the IP out of NCSoft's hands. Hope that our heroic, valiant, phoenix-like Plan Z dev teams will rise out of the ashes of Paragon City like, uh, well phoenixes.

But I want you to remember something. Nobody who is working to give us back a piece of our homeland is getting paid to do it. So what keeps them motivated and dedicated to our cause for months and months on end? Indeed, years on end?

You.

Your thank-yous. Your excitement. Your hope. Heck, even your venting and arguing. This is what powers them, fuels their spirits, and keeps them plugging along.

So if you want to go back home, keep talking about it, keeping thinking about it, keep wishing and hoping and screaming and arguing and posting lame memes with ponies, whatever floats your boat. Because every time you do, you are investing in the return of your homeland.

Couldn't have said it better myself, Captain!

/em salute

[Alpha Series]

Well said, Everyone! I feel the same way as the OP. I miss the game and the community something fierce. Not a day goes by I don't think about the community and our city. Really can't wait to fly with you all again.

[Thunder Glove]

I think it's very telling that at least 90% (and that's a very lowball estimate - 99% may be more accurate) of the posts on NCSoft's Korean Facebook page for the last ten months are not from Korean players talking about their games, but from English speakers demanding CoH's return or sale (often with a Korean translation to make sure they get the message).

Even if all the community isn't constantly posting right here on the Titan forums, the game is still missed.  (And I suspect that a lot of that old community is right here, but lurking, waiting, hoping)

[JaguarX]

I think it's very telling that at least 90% (and that's a very lowball estimate - 99% may be more accurate) of the posts on NCSoft's Korean Facebook page for the last ten months are not from Korean players talking about their games, but from English speakers demanding CoH's return or sale (often with a Korean translation to make sure they get the message).

Even if all the community isn't constantly posting right here on the Titan forums, the game is still missed.  (And I suspect that a lot of that old community is right here, but lurking, waiting, hoping)

Yeah I noticed that too.

On the flip side, people tend to voice opinion when things go sour in their view then when things go well. For example before the shutdown there wasnt too many posts praising COX on their page or much talks of COX at all for that matter, but same with talks of Korean players speakign about their games. But given thier games were not affected it relatively remained the same while closing of COX affected the players of said game, there is more chatter about it the past ten months. 

I'm learning too that sometimes it dont hurt to put posts praising a product when things go well as well when things go south. I think it also adds credibility and not easily dismissed as "oh they posting now only because they are now angry about a certain action. When it was up, and if they were true supporters, where was the posts and comments when they were content with the way things were going?" But now we cant change that so keep at it, keep posting, keep the spirit of the game alive.

[Segev]

I wonder if it's possible to create a mechanism that encourages comments when things are positive without making it into a straight-up "bribe for up-votes" campaign.

Maybe borrowing a page from Gaia Online (that's the message board with the massive avatar-bits shopping thing, right?) would help: have a daily reward handed out for posting comments - good or bad - or answering a survey (with positive or negative feedback) that is tangible in-game.

The key would be to make sure the reward is given for participation, not for giving a specific "tone" of feedback.

For more substantive replies than an obligatory checking of boxes in a survey or a "posting for my reward" minimal post, there could be a secondary set of prizes. Perhaps there's a part of QA or community management or other customer feedback department that reads these responses and specifically selects the "best" positive and "best" negative feedback comment each week for an additional reward. Again, important to have it be an award for each of them, so that the natural bias of hoping for a good review doesn't taint the results one way or the other.

Finally, part of the rewards for participation could go to getting the players themselves to read each others' reviews of the game and up- or down-vote them based on how much they agree, and the most up-voted ones each week get a prize. We'd need to do some careful work to make it as double-blind as we could so it wouldn't turn into a popularity contest, but I'm sure we could find a way.

In all the goal would be to have rewards for feedback that draw out the people who don't have unusual experiences, helping to get a feel for "typical" responses against which to measure the quantity and quality of the "impassioned" responses that normally are all one gets from one's audience, since people only go out of their way to leave comments if they're upset or REALLY thrilled.

[Sailboat]

But I want you to remember something. Nobody who is working to give us back a piece of our homeland is getting paid to do it. So what keeps them motivated and dedicated to our cause for months and months on end? Indeed, years on end?

You.

Your thank-yous. Your excitement. Your hope. Heck, even your venting and arguing. This is what powers them, fuels their spirits, and keeps them plugging along.

So if you want to go back home, keep talking about it, keeping thinking about it, keep wishing and hoping and screaming and arguing and posting lame memes with ponies, whatever floats your boat. Because every time you do, you are investing in the return of your homeland.

Nod.

I'll add something -- I'm afraid to admit, to others, and most of all to myself, how much I want the city to rise again.