More trying to contact NCSoft and other stuff

[TimtheEnchanter]

I dunno, it still hasn't hit their low from mid-July (so just 3 months ago)... but they are still higher than they were at the start of 2011 (which btw, was not all that long AFTER the Q4 NCsoft financials, which included Going Rogues release... was the lack of overall impact from CoX responsible their share drop?)

Still, the small short-term trends and their relation (if any) to CoH-related news is interesting to look at, particularly AP33's birthday.

https://images.weserv.nl/?url=www.fragglerockforever.com%2FCoX%2Fncstocks.jpg

[Dr Shadow]

The little hop at the end.. They dropped a new release on October 10th for Aion, new gear on Market Place and new content. I'm sure the stockholders loved that.

[therain93]

Actually, TR93, one of the strongest messages City offers is positive empowerment and equality for women.

Think about it for a moment. If we leave the players aside for a moment, every female character we see in the game is strong (some physically like Doc Delilah), confident (except Flambeaux), competant (some, like Lady Grey, very much so), rarely need rescuing (with one notable exception), and are more than capable of competing with the male characters in the game.

Women in City are not objectified. Yes, they may be somewhat lacking in fashion sense (Silver Mantis) but they are not there solely to be eye candy. They are there because they have goals and ambitions and plots all of their own. And some of those storylines have become absolute favorites (how many times have you replayed 'O Wretched Man'?)

Now lets add the players back into this arguement. Some of the most respected members of our community are women. We do not respect them because of their sex, we respect them because they are skilled players and active members of our community. They post regularly on the forums (quite often more intelligently than the men) offering reasonable advice and holding their own in debates. They are some of our greatest artists, bringing us pictures and videos, stuffed dolls and t-shirts, and stories of their adventures (not to mention rumors of a certain famous author who might be a player ...)

In short, we love the women of our game. Not because of their looks, but because of their character. And if that isn't a positive message for women, I don't know what is.

Oh I know and agree.  My concern is that an inarticulate appeal to the feminist movement might look like "look at this blade and soul picture, now grab a pitchfork", which could backfire if you simply look at many of the City of Heroes icons, including Ghost Widow, Sister Psyche, and Desdemona (as well as Silver Mantis and Praetorian Bobcat).  But, sending that exact message, i.e., mourning the loss of a game that held female characters, both npc and pc, in such high regard can go a long way, especially when you then consider the replacement being offered up.

[Von Krieger]

Larry loves Borderlands 1 and 2, looked at me and said, sadly, "It will only make you insanely frustrated."

No, I am no good at first person shooters either.

The Mechromancer DLC class would be good for you, then. I'm currently running with a skill that if you miss, each bullet has a 50% chance to head right towards and enemy, and another one that every time you kill or empty a clip, your accuracy goes down, but your damage goes up. Until you manually reload.

I'm about halfway through the game and even though my weapon of choice (a shotgun) has it's potential spread being about 3/4th of the screen, the ricochet effect plus the huge damage means that if I miss, half my pellets are still going to hit something.

Frequently I will aim and fire at a cluster of two or three guys, exactly one of which I'd hit under normal circumstances, and end up with two of them dead and the third one at half health.

And you get to summon a big, enemy-destroying robot every so often.

[The White Rager]

I say again, at least for social networking, Mabinogi can genuinely step in CoH's shoes. It's a very different game of course, but it has that unique touch, excellent socializing options, it's really a great game. Suddenly I'm remembering all the reasons I played it, and why I hadn't been leaving it for good when I tried CoH...yeah. Really worth looking at. Don't let the graphics stop you. Especially you VV - you want story telling? Frankly, Mabinogi kicks CoH's butt at it, and I acknowledge that CoH did it well. But Mabinogi tops every attempt I have ever seen elsewhere by so much, it's mind boggling.

Examples of the social thing: some mounts can carry TWO players - the one who bought it, and a hitchhiker. You can give other players rides, whether flying or riding. And there's this new (well it was when I left) newbie thing, where they could put in a request for help, and a senior player somewhere - picked at random - will get a scroll saying someone wants your help, and it will teleport you to the player if you want/can do it. When you're done helping him/her, you can get teleported back to where you were. Sounds more like it? Unfortunately they don't have an equivalent for that wonderful side-kicking system, but still, it does encourage players to look kindly on each other. There are PvP settings designed so you can compete without actually dying - you set the damage percentage way down and see who does better. And lots of great outside of combat stuff. It's a great place.

[Victoria Victrix]

Well we have Borderlands 1 and 2 already, I suppose I can try Mechromancer.  I'll put Larry on to Mabinogi and see what he says.  Poppa is looking for a game too, and so far as I know hasn't found one.

CO is ugly, and I could put up with that although it would just bring back painful memories of how pretty our game is...but I just cannot take the "kill 10 rats" mishes ad infinitum.  And no "cell phone..." ugh.

[angelo.pampalone]

I say again, at least for social networking, Mabinogi can genuinely step in CoH's shoes. I... -ultracut!-

going at the page: http://mabinogi.nexoneu.com/
say that the game was closed :-(

[Victoria Victrix]

going at the page: http://mabinogi.nexoneu.com/
say that the game was closed :-(

:-\

Figures.

[downix]

going at the page: http://mabinogi.nexoneu.com/
say that the game was closed :-(

Only the European version:
http://mabinogi.nexon.net/

[angelo.pampalone]

Only the European version:
http://mabinogi.nexon.net/

Ty I'll try to download it tomorrow :-)

[Victoria Victrix]

Only the European version:
http://mabinogi.nexon.net/

Passed it on to Larry.  Doesn't look like the sort of thing that would appeal to Poppa, but you never know.

[pandora114]

About the whole stripper dance thing, yup I used to be a stripper and yup that was pretty much how I used to dance. (BTW now they'd pay me to GTFO the stage!  so don't go there)  when watching that I was fully expecting a male toon to lay under her while she removed a looney (Our dollar coin) from his mouth with her breasts.   :o

[Knightward]

Ok, I clicked the links and, much like a video someone linked a while back, I think these are going to give me nightmares.  And this coming from a guy whose hormones have been exceedingly slow to calm down since his teenage years (hooray self control and the wisdom of age!).  Seriously, just... just... so much anatomy fail...

[Samuraiko]

I also used to be a stripper, and I can tell you - for every one guy who wants the whole babydoll Lolita look, there were TWENTY who wanted a more mature girl with confidence, style, and grace. If I'd done the routine that chick in the dance video did, I'd have made a lot less.

What *THAT* game is doing is utterly revolting on so many levels.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

[dwturducken]

Yeah, as someone who has donated hundreds to the Exotic Entertainers' College Fund, I can say that this looks more like a Hollywood executive's idea of a stripper dance. :)

[TimtheEnchanter]

Now this has me wondering if this is another cultural issue. Though to be fair (if NC is reading into the same thing I've been) the stereotype I've always seen is guys all fantasizing about ditzy cheerleaders who are 1 day over 18. For the stereotype's explanation for "mature girl with confidence, style, and grace", it shifts into dominatrix territory.

But... that's probably not it. Pedophilia art seems to be a non-issue in the East (or there's some kind of clever loophole that the entertainment industry there keeps using), that they're assuming that it's equally popular here.

[Hyperstrike]

Well we have Borderlands 1 and 2 already, I suppose I can try Mechromancer.  I'll put Larry on to Mabinogi and see what he says.  Poppa is looking for a game too, and so far as I know hasn't found one.

CO is ugly, and I could put up with that although it would just bring back painful memories of how pretty our game is...but I just cannot take the "kill 10 rats" mishes ad infinitum.  And no "cell phone..." ugh.

Yeah.  The SOCRATES interface is a lousy excuse for a cell phone.

It's like Cryptic went out of their way to obfuscate every helpful thing in the game...

[Mistress Urd]

Heh, I recently went back and played Diablo 2. My goodness a game with 800x600 graphics. However, now I recall why I liked that game, you just go out and blow stuff away and generally feel pretty powerful doing so. Teamwise, get a few paladins and a curse necromancer and watch mobs die. Feels like I was on an all buff/debuff (Defender, Controller, Corruptor and Mastermind team)  :o

The good news is, this game is already bought and costs me nothing to switch to and friends with ancient computers can't complain about the game requiring the latest and greatest hardware.

VV you should go play this classic. Take a Barbarian and just hit stuff.

[Knightslayer]

Heh, I recently went back and played Diablo 2. My goodness a game with 800x600 graphics. However, now I recall why I liked that game, you just go out and blow stuff away and generally feel pretty powerful doing so. Teamwise, get a few paladins and a curse necromancer and watch mobs die. Feels like I was on an all buff/debuff (Defender, Controller, Corruptor and Mastermind team)  :o

The good news is, this game is already bought and costs me nothing to switch to and friends with ancient computers can't complain about the game requiring the latest and greatest hardware.

VV you should go play this classic. Take a Barbarian and just hit stuff.

Diablo 3 isn't bad either.  ;D

[BobMc]

Oh some feminists (and I do consider myself a feminist) scare me too.  But the depiction of women in Boobs and Shame sent my blood pressure up about fifty points, and I am perfectly willing to unleash the Kindly Ones on the perpetrators of that sad excuse for soft core porn.

I've had the same lack of luck finding a substitute MMO, or even a substitute solo game.

I cannot use twitch (console) controls.  I've been stuck in the early levels of Portal for that reason ("Here!" said a friend, "Try this, it's relaxing and fun!"  Uh, no.  Spending three hours trying and failing to get the timing right on a move is neither relaxing nor fun.  I do NOT have the hand/eye coordination for it and at 62 said hand/eye coordination is probably no longer possible to acquire.)

I loath grinds.  I don't care how pretty they are.  When in order to have a decently equipped character that doesn't faceplant on the first Lt or group of 3 minions you have to kill ten million rats (or pay a gold farmer), that is by definition, a grind.  I'm looking at you, LotR and WoW.

I require good story.  Without good story, it's just another grind.

I am not an accountant, and a game that requires me to spend half or more of my gaming time sorting through equipment, crafting equipment, farming for equipment, and trading equipment is not a game, it's a glorified accounting program.  I'm looking at you, LotR and WoW.

I refuse to play a game where you can't be good.  Sorry, I got over "edgy anti-hero" a long time ago.  I'm looking at you, Secret World (and you also fail on twitch controls).

So far, every single game I have looked at fails on one or more of those.

My wife is 71, loves playing CoH, and these issues are pretty much exactly hers.

If you find a good game please post it. I'm looking, but at 47 there are games I can play that she can't (or won't) like.... and my eyes and twitch settings aren't as high as they used to be either... and my computer can't keep up with hers.

I play Lotro with my old gaming buddies, and it's pretty and there's good story telling, but there's so many annoying... go get me 10 moose steaks... kill a named boss in the area because he's keeping me away from the mooses... then get sent back to kill the (edit: "same") named boss... sigh.... and no super leap... and no auto turn to attack... sigh.

CoH was my first. I'm hoping it hasn't ruined me and my wife for all the rest. There's always Civ5 I suppose, but its not the same as arresting bad guys.