New efforts!

[mrultimate]

LOL....good stuff!!  I had a fairy winged big brute on Liberty wearing nothing but tighty whities named "Brief Exposure" and peeps asked me the "which direction are you going" thing a few times.  I had no " RP direction" in that regard...I just thought my brute fit the name and looked funny fly'n around :D

Thanks for the early morning laugh. :)

[Relitner]

2 things... the group talking to NC is unlikely to hand the game over without absolute assurances that it will be relaunched.  Especially after what they have gone through to get it!

2- The store is EESSENTIAL to relaunching/further developing the game.  Stores are the MMO model now, it's what makes a game money, not subs.  Subs may keep the lights on but the microtransactions of a store are what pays everything else.  And CoH's store actually nailed it right fairly out of the gate- every single thing on there was cool but in no way required for game play at any level.  I can't stand stores that are nothing but lockboxes and keys.... that is a true moneysink.

Agreed on both counts. The Paragon store was actually done in good taste. I actually enjoyed buying those card packs that you'd get to flip over and see what you won. If the game hadn't shut down, I'm sure I would have sunk an embarassing amount of money into those stoopid things.  :roll:

[Relitner]

Guess im just concerned that it would resemble a CO (Champions Online) model.

I remember being part of Champions Online during its beta, and it was great, and then that Zen Store came in, and I cannot actually stand CO now.

City of Heroes had alot to offer, and I think it terms of content is superior to CO.

- I may hate microtransactions, but thats not to say I havent used them - tbh, they are addictive and before you know it, your spending your life savings getting +50% xp for 2 hours x 1000.

My problem with CO is that store items are the ONLY new content. CoX had a deep and compelling storyline... CO does not.

[HEATSTROKE]

I would like to suggest that the Paragon Store stuff is removed from the game - as those micro transactions were just introduced when paragon studios was circling the drain, and were looking for extra dosh.

This is not correct. This is the way MMO's work. A pure subscription model will not be sustainable long term. A completely free model where you are nickled and dimed to death is hated by most people. The hybrid model that CoH had was excellent. Subscribe if you choose.. you will be given points every month to spend in store and have access to everything.. Premium.. more Ala Carte.... get some of everything.. pay a small fee to have a few extra things..  F2P You get some things...

I prefer the Paragon Store.. One the developers need to make money.. Its a FACT that CoH made more money with the hybrid model than they did with pure subscription...

Here is the reality of the store.. You dont have to buy a thing if you dont chose to. The only thing I think people would hate to see is gated stuff and real lockboxes..

However since I believe that CoH will see very little development once it returns ( maybe a few of the powers and costumes pieces ) they will need to Paragon Store to create cash flow..

[Baaleos]

I will conceed on that point.

CO do pump new content in - the only problem is that it goes straight into the store.
Its become stagnant.
Every few weeks/months its Takofany attacking the city / blood moon.


City of Heroes was great, from Rikti invasions to story lines involving time travel and then the incarnate system.
I really wana know what was planned for the incarnate slots we never got to see.

[Benchpresser]

Agreed on both counts. The Paragon store was actually done in good taste. I actually enjoyed buying those card packs that you'd get to flip over and see what you won. If the game hadn't shut down, I'm sure I would have sunk an embarassing amount of money into those stoopid things.  :roll:

Seconded.  I admit I was very leery when cards were announced, but they really put thought into them and they made sure they were cool "bonus" stuff... not "the game will suck without these so BUY BUY BUY"  (cough- CO, STO, SWTOR- cough).

I was never huge into the cards but I got my fair share.  I seriously liked the ATIOs and the Enhancement Catalysyts so I got quite a few.  The Costume peices were very well done and I used them when I got them but I didn't miss them.  The black wolf... meh :)

[HEATSTROKE]

Is the game going to be kept closed access - eg: a Studio maintaining/buying it?
or is it community driven?
Was a kickstarter considered?

Until the game is purchases I doubt you will see definitive answers to some of those questions. Kickstarter would make no sense. First off Kickstarter is usually for new businesses or developments. Secondly why have a Kickstarter for something you dont even own yet..

[HEATSTROKE]

Seconded.  I admit I was very leery when cards were announced, but they really put thought into them and they made sure they were cool "bonus" stuff... not "the game will suck without these so BUY BUY BUY"  (cough- CO, STO, SWTOR- cough).

I was never huge into the cards but I got my fair share.  I seriously liked the ATIOs and the Enhancement Catalysyts so I got quite a few.  The Costume peices were very well done and I used them when I got them but I didn't miss them.  The black wolf... meh :)

Oh yeah.. I bought SuperPacks... Loved them.. Love the ATIO's and the Cataysts !!!!!

Loved getting Merits too.. oh yeah.. Loved getting me some merits !!!!!!!!!!

[Baaleos]

However since I believe that CoH will see very little development once it returns ( maybe a few of the powers and costumes pieces ) they will need to Paragon Store to create cash flow..

I actually wish they made it possible for more player contributions: Eg - Models, Power Sets etc

I'd even pay a subscription per year to be part of a Developer programme for them.
Eg: Apple Developer Programme - 100 dollars a year to have access to an API and tools to make content.

It would be cool if you could create your own content using their tools, test it locally, and then upload and have it accessible in a similar way to Architect

Because they introduced that streaming capability (where content packs were downloaded as you play) - it may actually be a feasible model to work to.

Eg: Architect allowed instant joining of missions, because you had the content already - it was basically just data driven.
Since COH is now able to stream content packs to players in the background, it probably wouldnt require restarting of the client to have per mission content packs being downloaded in the background - just requires a reloading of the map?

Eg: New Monster models / Power Sets / graphics and assets per mission basis or beyond.

It would be awesome - every player could invent the powers they dreamed of!

Until the game is purchases I doubt you will see definitive answers to some of those questions. Kickstarter would make no sense. First off Kickstarter is usually for new businesses or developments. Secondly why have a Kickstarter for something you dont even own yet..

As far as kickstarters that dont make sense
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/324283889/potato-salad

If this guy is getting $50,000 for making a potato salad, how much do you think could be raised to purchase the rights to City of Heroes?

[Benchpresser]

Oh yeah.. I bought SuperPacks... Loved them.. Love the ATIO's and the Cataysts !!!!!

Loved getting Merits too.. oh yeah.. Loved getting me some merits !!!!!!!!!!

Ah yes... Merits.  My crack were Hero/Villain Merits.  After they came out, I almost totally forgot about TF/arc Merits.  95% of my toons were Vigillante/Rogue, but I kept a few pure guys around to run the alignment missions to get my IOs.  Funnily enough I never bothered to get Purples with them... just the "neccessary" procs like Steadfast, Performance Shifter, Numia, etc.

[HEATSTROKE]

 They dont need Kickstarter to raise money to purchase the game. They have money to purchase the game. They have already received a price.. and the price was called "doable". Therefore they have what they need.
A Kickstarter is not needed at this venture.

[Baaleos]

It occurs to me that Server Technology has come along so much since COH.
We have Amazon EC2 and Azure etc

Amazon specifically has load balancing and auto scaling features.

Eg: If player counts are getting high on one server, spin up another server, and load balance across the two.

I know the old model for COH was that your characters belonged to a single server.
But in favor of a less laggy server model, I would propose that Characters are global, and able to move between servers.

[HEATSTROKE]

Ah yes... Merits.  My crack were Hero/Villain Merits.  After they came out, I almost totally forgot about TF/arc Merits.  95% of my toons were Vigillante/Rogue, but I kept a few pure guys around to run the alignment missions to get my IOs.  Funnily enough I never bothered to get Purples with them... just the "neccessary" procs like Steadfast, Performance Shifter, Numia, etc.

This is why I laugh when people are like..  You have to spend BILLIONS to get that...

Im like.. um no.. Hero Merits.. Regular Merits.. Merit rolls.. Trading enhancements with friends.. Enhancement converters... selling recipes.. There are plenty of ways to get what you need..

[AlienOne]

As far as kickstarters that dont make sense
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/324283889/potato-salad

If this guy is getting $50,000 for making a potato salad, how much do you think could be raised to purchase the rights to City of Heroes?

Ok, that made me literally laugh out loud.

[okami]

Seconded.  I admit I was very leery when cards were announced, but they really put thought into them and they made sure they were cool "bonus" stuff... not "the game will suck without these so BUY BUY BUY"  (cough- CO, STO, SWTOR- cough).

I was never huge into the cards but I got my fair share.  I seriously liked the ATIOs and the Enhancement Catalysyts so I got quite a few.  The Costume peices were very well done and I used them when I got them but I didn't miss them.  The black wolf... meh :)

If I hadn't spent my stipend it'd go to buying some card packs so then I could spend real money on the costumes and powersets. That's how I rationalized it.

The Hero Merits will help with getting the necessary IOs going without counting on a huge WW backlog. As long as those are still in I really won't mind starting from scratch. I'll miss my stack of on-sale SBIO P-Shifters to be sure, but I'd rather have the game to play.

[Mouse-Man]

I actually wish they made it possible for more player contributions: Eg - Models, Power Sets etc

Yes, please! I have a few patterns I had tinkered with and like too much to delete... really don't wanna look dorky to those who can't see my edits.

https://images.weserv.nl/?url=img841.imageshack.us%2Fimg841%2F2452%2Fmetallicpattern001.jpg   https://images.weserv.nl/?url=img839.imageshack.us%2Fimg839%2F685%2Fsimplestripes001.jpg

[Benchpresser]

This is why I laugh when people are like..  You have to spend BILLIONS to get that... Your probably one of those

Im like.. um no.. Hero Merits.. Regular Merits.. Merit rolls.. Trading enhancements with friends.. Enhancement converters... selling recipes.. There are plenty of ways to get what you need..

Exactly!!  All my builds would be worth billions.. if I sold them all.  But the only time I ever spent millions in the Market was when I didn't feel like working towards another IO.  That was rare... between 50s cash runs in AE and just solo paper/radio missions on -1/X8... I was rolling in funds.  I almost NEVER used purples, sold every drop.  My best was 1 paper mission on my brute that had 2 Armaggedons drop within 90 seconds of each other.. I felt like I hit the lottery!

[Goddangit]

As far as kickstarters that dont make sense
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/324283889/potato-salad

If this guy is getting $50,000 for making a potato salad, how much do you think could be raised to purchase the rights to City of Heroes?

Gee.  I should make some potato salad.  I could pay off my mortgage.

[Ironwolf]

What needs to be guarded against at this point is what do the studios/investors want with CoH?

I know this team wants to get the original game back up and running at i24 if possible and to continue on with CoH2. Until these other folks are spoken with - we don't know what their plan is. The most recent one looks like a good fit - but we won't know until they talk!

[HEATSTROKE]

  My best was 1 paper mission on my brute that had 2 Armaggedons drop within 90 seconds of each other.. I felt like I hit the lottery!

You should have flown straight to Vegas LOL