If we start with no user data

[Remidi]

I don't think the free 50 is an attractive idea, at least for me.  I only had one 50 after seven years of play (Hi, I'm Remidi and I'm an altoholic), and I have more time now than I did then.

The one thing I feel strongly about is that I don't like the assorted bundle ideas I've seen floating around.  While I completely understand that the new studio is not responsible for what I bought from the old game, people are still going to see it as buying something twice.    Let's break it down.

Costumes - All costume parts that existed at shutdown should be standard when the revamp opens.  We're dealing with creative people.  I'm sure they can design new things for us to ooh and ah over, and pay for if that's what we want.

Veteran Rewards - Not counting the badges, these fell into four groups.  Costume parts I've mentioned.  The others were consumables, additions to characteristics like costume or character slots, and minor powers.  Once you pull out the costume parts, there is not a lot worth getting worked up about.  The new devs could finagle with the number of costume slots or free respecs to give us a higher starting point and make most people happy.  Some low level things, like joining SGs, could be made standard.

Paragon Market - This gets stickier.  My opinion is that power sets, like costume parts, should be standard at the re-opening.  I have to be frank in that I never liked the idea of buying power sets.  Restricting some to subscribers is one thing, but I felt that if I was paying the full whack for my account each month, power sets should come with my sub.  For some other things, I really don't see how they can avoid telling players that their purchases are gone.  I was a big crafter, and bought a number of boosts to carry more salvage and recipes.  I have accepted that I won't have them.

TL;DR - Make the things people want most like costumes and power sets standard, boost some things here and there, and live with what's gone.

[psquared007]

Giving away level 50 chars doesn't make sense to me.  An experienced player will level much faster than a nube anyway.

If there was a way to determine prior players with their paid playing time, I could see providing some Vet rewards.  Maybe even a partial amount of time credited versus the entire amount.  I'm someone who played for over six years, but I think it might hurt the game if there are immediately two classes of players.

I'm also not a big fan of pay $$$ for rewards or in game bonuses.  I hope they go with a single subscription amount of $9.95 a month.  That would amount would get you any of the in game rewards that anyone at your level or earned status through TFs etc. would get.

A free to play option is OK too but it should be very limited in some major way.  i.e.  a level cap or 30 or 40 or a limited number of char. slots.  Personally the ability to create a large number of alts is what kept me and suspect a large number or people coming back to the game.

In the end, I'm just totally jazzed at the possibility of logging in once again.  : )

[Mistress Urd]

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.

IMHO that gives away too much for free, I wouldn't bother to sub then. They do need some way to generate income.

[hejtmane]

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!

Some good will opening all AT's at creation
A starter pack is smart on vet rewards
Open all powersets or give 2 power sets not provided in the basic (not sure what the plan is here)
I would also maybe provide maybe 2 costume packs

Then you can micro transaction other items like inspiration
IO's
etc etc

Have a monthly sub with points to buy stuff

Anyways just some ideas

[Nyx Nought Nothing]

I can't agree with this statement enough, especially the last aspect. Character data is irrelevant to me one way or the other: What made City the game I enjoyed were having the tools to mess with and the people I hung out with. Anything else is just gravy.

Pretty much this. Already making plans with some previous players to run TFs and the like if the game comes back.

[ukaserex]

Since this is where I'm supposed to express my opinion on the matter, I'm more than pleased and feel privileged to do so.

I do not think an auto-gimme of a level 50 character is a good idea. Remember all the complaints about being on tfs with people who clearly had never played much before? (Ex: A level 8 blaster with Tankbuster badge. Odds are they got some pl help - not saying they couldn't have been teaming with an SG, but coupled with lack of basic knowledge, I think it's fair to say what conclusion most would jump to.)

I also don't think vet rewards, at least, not labeled as such, are a good idea. This company, whoever they are, will likely have no idea who was a vet and who wasn't. (based on the premise "if we start with no user data".)

Assuming the game gets ported over, or copied, or however that transfer happens, I'd be just fine with zoning into Atlas, Galaxy or Outbreak, whereever. Even Praetoria. I would definitely miss my badges on my main. I worked countless hours for those. I will likely never forget how much fun getting The Really Hard Way badge was! And I sometimes regret working so hard to get the empath badge on my blaster.
For a small segment of the community, the "shiny" and the pursuit thereof was what bound us together.

I know on Liberty server, folks like Energizing Ion and many others bent over backwards to help EVERYONE that wanted a badge to get one, no matter what it was. To have to start that whole process of getting 1400+ badges over again on a different character....my word, I honestly don't think I could or would do it. I just don't have the time anymore. It was rough enough to just keep up with the new content and new badges. To play catch-up - well, for me, that would be brutal. It would definitely give me some goals right away, lol.

So, if there's no user data and all of us have to start over from scratch, with level 1 heroes and villains...oh me, oh my. That's just...scary to contemplate. I'm more than willing to try, if that's all we have. But, I can honestly say I'd pay $100 bucks to have my main and all his badges just so I wouldn't have to do it again.

He could even be level 1 again, as long as I had my badges (and accolades, lol). I can always level up, that's too easy.

[MWRuger]

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.

Then the obvious answer is wrong. The people who wrote the extractor have said on more than one occasion that these files are not useful for a relaunch. they were meant to be used on private servers.

[Harpospoke]

I think this was addressed earlier by a forum member, but I can't remember which thread or which person, sorry.  Their suggestion was that NCSoft send a mass e-mail to previous CoX customers (they still have our info; I've gotten several "Hey, come play ____!" emails from them) asking our permission to release our information to the new company.  There was more, with authentication protocols and everything, but it's late, and I don't want to tell you wrong.   

I just got an email from them when I tried to log onto one of my accounts as a test....so they still have my info.

[Harpospoke]

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.

Same here.

I'm so attached to my characters that I put each of them on "sentry duty" at various locations around the city.   In my mind they were not going to cease to exist...they are still there.  Something about that thought bothers me.  It's silly...I know it's silly...but my characters were kinda real to me.

It might not be possible for me to forget my login stuff since I did it so much over the years....barring a head injury.

[Harpospoke]

I couldn't be more further away from this viewpoint. For me it was the game, the players and friends I made, the people I knew, the people standing under atlas, the look and feel of my character, the ability to fly over Atlas and feel at home..all of that was City to me. I could care less about being level 50, about my numerous high-end IOs, stringing every last bit of performance out of my Inv/SS tank, while fun, wasn't the essence of who she was, she was the people she knew and interacted with. No, character data does *not* have to happen. I'd go so far as to say it probably *should not* happen. That's pretty much my take on it, and it won't change.

I think my view is changing a little.  I now think we should just be glad we got Icon and stop asking for things like playing with other players and using powers.   I might even say getting those things "should not" happen.   After all, Icon is better than nothing and that's all I want.

 

[Harpospoke]

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.

Yep...same here.  I've changed cards since the closure as well.

[HEATSTROKE]

Yep...same here.  I've changed cards since the closure as well.

If the character data is available.. I am confident there is a way to determine what account/login name/email  it was attached to..

[Harpospoke]

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

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...

That's a good way to put it.

It's called "City of Heroes/Villains"...not "City".

I'll also pony up some cash to get my characters back.  Not a problem.

[saipaman]

I'd be happy to pay a reasonable fee to re-import my characters from the Sentinel+ files.

I have money.  Take it and give me what I want in return.

[Myrmydon]

Access to I24 without old characters, a store, or vet rewards would still draw money out of my pocket to be able to fly again.

Starting over with all of those years of active experience on the game at its height at close would open up new avenues to explore that I might not have considered the first time around.

[PSI-on]

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 agree. If they can get it, then an effort should be made to restore them to their owners. While it's not a requirement, for some of us (even those too proud or afraid to actually admit it) we're just as attached to those characters and the hardwork/money we put into the game over the years as we are to the game itself and the friends we made. True we've lost them, WE have, but if NCSoft still has them they were never really "lost" just temporarily out of reach and I think it's frankly weird to want to give that up, especially the people complaining about not wanting to lose their names.

Frankly if you didn't want to use your old character data then don't claim it, or if you came to terms with the loss then reclaim it and delete them, if you really came to terms then you should have no issue deleting them when you get them back, otherwise this should be a happy scenario. I also agree with others that starting with a "clean slate" isn't a realistic situation for more than maybe a couple of days and then what would be the point, and new players filtering in won't be on the same page and if they have a beta period then if they don't wipe that then those lucky people would have a head start so what's the point in worrying, that's MMO's for you. I say if they can't get it, fine I will be there with you all returning, if they can then they must and then it should be up to the players to choose to use them or not. Just because you would choose to start over, given the option, doesn't mean everyone else has to. Of course, this is if it's actually and option and they can get it, and if so they should.

[Odimodus]

Maybe instead of a free lvl 50, they should give us 50 free level ups. Then, you could spread it around your characters or use them all on one. You could even sell packs of them (say in 5's, 25's, and 50's) for cash so the purchasers can cover acquirement expenses.

 I cant see people not being happy with it when they are a level away from a power they want, or are falling behind, or want to move past content they don't care for.

[Relitner]

[Fridgy Daiere]

[Dinah Might]

Access to I24 without old characters, a store, or vet rewards would still draw money out of my pocket to be able to fly again.

Starting over with all of those years of active experience on the game at its height at close would open up new avenues to explore that I might not have considered the first time around.

I am ready to get from 0 - 50 with you again Myr.  I'd pay big money just to have our old great times back.  I look forward to seeing you back in our "home".