Blue Christmas

[antarcticaa]

Tonight I have the blues, bad.  I want to be joyful, to lift up my heart and sing but my CoH friends have been silenced and we cannot share our triumphs and sorrows anymore in game.  Our community was so much more than the shared love of a game.  We were there for one another, and when times were bad all we had to do was slip on our virtual spandex and we could 'make the world a better place' or tear things up if we felt villainous.  What an amazing stress reliever and support system this game provided us.

Maybe it's financial stress (fighting foreclosure is so much fun,) having a terminally ill mother and the pressures of teaching (which I love with all my heart) combined with being sick this month that's brought me so low, but tonight I miss my buds and my characters in game.  Normally I'd never be one to whine.  This will pass.  It just sure would be good to go back in game about now and forget about my troubles for a bit.  Oh well.  At least the world didn't end yesterday, lol!

Thank y'all for everything you've done and continue to do for our game and community.  Keep up the good fight.  Oh, and from the bottom of my heart, "Merry Christmas." 

[dwturducken]

I feel ya. It's just not Christmas without glowy presents on the sidewalks and tops of buildings. I need a good Snow Beast fight or a creepy midget Baby New Year mission!

[Sajaana]

This week before Christmas is especially hard for me too.  I can't say I have much to do now, and this was the one thing I could do when I didn't have much to do.

[Kaiser Tarantula]

We all feel the pain.

*gives antarcticaa a big spidery hug*

[Victoria Victrix]

*hugs*

[Triplash]

*hugs*

Merry Christmas to you too!

[Illusionss]

OP, many feel your pain. I really feel that as time passes, its even MORE depressing as the reality sets in that our beloved home-away-from-home has really been burned to the ground. Its not a hiatus, not a vacation.... its GONE. This is incredibly distressing.

here's hoping things improve for you soon, you have a lot of stressful issues facing you. Be well.

[houtex]

Yes.  Very yes.  Missing the game and all that entails here too, that is.
Sincerest hope things turn around for you.  *Manly hug*

Merry Christmas to all!

/Tomorrow night?  Ralphie!
//It's a major award!!

[ukaserex]

The holidays can be particularly tough, especially when we see all the so-called happy families with their perfect lives. (for me, anyway)

When I get those blues, I just think about Joseph and Mary, having to travel 85 miles for a census, with Mary being very pregnant. I can't imagine how un-fun that journey must have been.

"Joseph, pull over, I have to go! Again!"
"Oy vey, Mary. That child in you will be sacrificed by the time we get there at this rate!"

(and then, of course, the rest of the Christmas story, I hash over in my mind with the characters using that same yiddish sounding speech. )

[dwturducken]

"Joseph, pull over, I have to go! Again!"
"Oy vey, Mary. That child in you will be sacrificed by the time we get there at this rate!"

<snicker> Mel Brooks does The Greatest Story Ever Told!

[emu265]

*sigh* The Winter Event has some serious nostalgia, and just plain fun.  I'd log in to collect presents even when I didn't want to play the game at all.  I am feeling extra homesick as well.

[Blue Pulsar]

When I get those blues, I just think about Joseph and Mary, having to travel 85 miles for a census, with Mary being very pregnant. I can't imagine how un-fun that journey must have been.

Leave it to Ukase to properly shift prospective.

[zoser]

Antarcticaa, I am sorry to hear about all these bad things happening to you on top of this and I truly wish I could help directly somehow. All the very best for you and your family, hopefully you will manage to get through this al right! My very best wishes to you!

But we have not really been silenced, we are here and in the CoH Refugee channels in other MMOs staying in touch! They have taken our city, but we are still here and the fight is far from over.

If there is any time for miracles, it is now, so I am trying to remain hopeful that our home will be returned to us in some way. I think as well that there are reasons to be as NCSOFT is learning the hard way right now that they messed with the wrong community - we are not quietly going away as they clearly had hoped and the good people of Task Force Hail Mary are reaching out to people with the power to save our City.

You guys are the best community I have ever seen and maybe the only one truly deserving this term!
I wish each and every one of you a very Happy Christmas and all the best in the new year!

[Iron-Emerald]

I wouldn't say it's been getting me down since I've had a very busy holiday season so far, but I certainly do miss City at this time of year. The friend's who introduced me to the game are in a very different timezone from me, so big holidays like this were always a great chance to play more than we normally got to.

Merry Christmas to everyone, hope to see you all in Paragon before the next one rolls around!

[Colette]

I'd like to remind everyone that this is also Hannukah. Though kinda Catholic myself (it's complicated,) I think we can all now more fully appreciate the Jewish tradition of saying, "next year, we shall celebrate together in Zion."

Have a merry Christmas. See you all in Atlas Park next year.

[Atlantea]

Have a merry Christmas. See you all in Atlas Park next year.

Mazel tov! To Atlas Park next year!

[Globetrotter]

Mazel tov! To Atlas Park next year!

I'll drink to that: L'Chaim

[johnrobey]

I'd usually be logged in and playing today and tomorrow since the holidays often meant many of us had more time to play after activities with family and friends.  Christmas isn't going to be the same this year, so I'm right with you in missing City of Heroes.  Best wishes to you for all the other things you have going on in your life.  *hugs*

[antarcticaa]

Now this is the community I know!  Picking up one another when times are tough and offering hugs and moral support.  Thanks y'all.  It made a difference.  Tonight I played my hammered dulcimer with my band for Christmas Eve service and it struck me once again how this is a time for giving, not monetarily, but simply offering the gift of ourselves, out time and talent.  I took care of my mother after the service and just got in, but instead of feeling tired, blue and quite overwhelmed I feel at peace and hopeful.  We may be separated here by dark servers and silent TeamSpeak but we are still here and working towards a common goal of restoring CoX.  It might never happen, but it won't be because this community silently took what was dealt to us.  We remain heroes and we will find a home in a game somewhere, sometime.  I count myself blessed to have been part of this wonderful online community.  Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Winter Solstice, Happy Kwanzaa and Peace, y'all. 

[MaidMercury]

Merry Christmas....May NCsoft find coal in their stockings 

[healix]

[srmalloy]

Merry Christmas....May NCsoft find coal in their stockings 

Coal, hell -- I would be overjoyed to have everyone involved with the decision to shutter the game to find a "You're fired. To spare you the shame of having to come in to clean out your office, we're doing it for you" notice.

[johnrobey]

Angelus Aminim made this wonderful video that's been posted to other threads, but I thought I'd include it here also:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSkUAqCR6aA

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!   

[Surelle]

Merry Christmas....May NCsoft find coal in their stockings 

Haha, yeah, this exactly.

And I hope everybody has had a merry holiday, at least the family and friends part anyway.

[TimtheEnchanter]

Angelus Aminim made this wonderful video that's been posted to other threads, but I thought I'd include it here also:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSkUAqCR6aA

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!   

I think Angelus and I were feeling more or less the same thing. At least when it comes to the final scene in that video. Can't imagine how long it took to make. Blue Christmas indeed... It's not quite Christmas without the CoH holiday stuff. 

Christmas Wish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3S-3LObdyM

[Illusionss]

Coal in their stockings? I'd settle for NCSoft waking up to a few actual indictments, but we villains are mean like that anyways. 

[TimtheEnchanter]

Coal in their stockings? I'd settle for NCSoft waking up to a few actual indictments, but we villains are mean like that anyways. 

To heck with coal.

Give this guy a call, he used to take care of the naughty ones before coal took over. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus He doesn't get around much anymore and I'm sure he'd love the exercise.

[Blue Pulsar]

Angelus Aminim made this wonderful video that's been posted to other threads, but I thought I'd include it here also:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSkUAqCR6aA

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!   

I think Angelus and I were feeling more or less the same thing. At least when it comes to the final scene in that video. Can't imagine how long it took to make. Blue Christmas indeed... It's not quite Christmas without the CoH holiday stuff. 

Christmas Wish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3S-3LObdyM

These videos made me cry... Damn it! I hate crying! I'm just glad there are people out there that miss CoX as much as I do. Now, if you all will excuse me, I'm going to go cry at those videos some more.

[Thunder Glove]

I'd like to remind everyone that this is also Hannukah.

Hannukah started on the 8th.

(Er, not that the sentiment isn't appreciated)

Here's to spending next Christmas (and Hannukah) in the Twin Cities of Paragon and the Rogue Islands.

[Quinch]

Merry Christmas....May NCsoft find coal in their stockings 

Hopefully of the green glowing kind.

[Teege]

Happy celebration of your choosing. Be safe.

[Victoria Victrix]

Right this moment we would have been teaming with my father in law, and either roping in my Pinn or Virtue friends, or plowing our way through missions as a threesome like a John Deere going through wheat.  90% of the reason I was a good fender-player was my father-in-law, who, because of his tendency to play his blaster as if he was supremely confident I would be able to keep him standing no matter what insane thing he did, forced me to learn how to keep him standing, no matter what insane thing he did.

So here we are tonight, me alone in my office, Larry alone in his studio...IMing once in a while.  Knowing Poppa is all alone in his office, maybe poking at Civ and wishing so hard we could all be "together."

[houtex]

I think Angelus and I were feeling more or less the same thing. At least when it comes to the final scene in that video. Can't imagine how long it took to make. Blue Christmas indeed... It's not quite Christmas without the CoH holiday stuff. 
Christmas Wish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3S-3LObdyM

Beautiful.  Man.  I actually gasped when the torch bearers on City Hall disappeared in a "Oh no!" moment...

*claps loudly, and wipes his eyes, 'cause, y'know, freakin' dust, man.*

[ahmpizzedoff]

Merry Christmas everyone.
It is sad to not be "in game" with those friends I've made over the past 7 years of play, but maybe by this time next year we"ll all be very lucky and seeing each other again as Heroes when CoH returns. BE POSITIVE and it'll happen.

[tymothymichel]

Ditto. You guys said it all.

[Colette]

"90% of the reason I was a good fender-player was my father-in-law, because of his tendency to play his blaster as if he was supremely confident I would be able to keep him standing no matter what insane thing he did."

Lunatic players like that are what made the game fun. I spent my blueside days as a sword-swinging scrapper, desperately throwing herself between certain death, and a reckless blaster and his timid ice\emp. When redside came in, a hair-raising dom/stalk combo had us just on the verge of death every second.

Good times.

[Lily Barclay]

"90% of the reason I was a good fender-player was my father-in-law, because of his tendency to play his blaster as if he was supremely confident I would be able to keep him standing no matter what insane thing he did."

Lunatic players like that are what made the game fun. I spent my blueside days as a sword-swinging scrapper, desperately throwing herself between certain death, and a reckless blaster and his timid ice\emp. When redside came in, a hair-raising dom/stalk combo had us just on the verge of death every second.

Good times.

That was the thing about CoH, there was lots of exciting almost death moments, but most of the time you were going to survive by the skin of your teeth. I find in CO if I play like that on a squishy, most of the time I die and it isn't as fun. I like the game a lot, but I miss my CoH.

[Little Green Frog]

Right this moment we would have been teaming with my father in law, and either roping in my Pinn or Virtue friends, or plowing our way through missions as a threesome like a John Deere going through wheat.  90% of the reason I was a good fender-player was my father-in-law, who, because of his tendency to play his blaster as if he was supremely confident I would be able to keep him standing no matter what insane thing he did, forced me to learn how to keep him standing, no matter what insane thing he did.

So here we are tonight, me alone in my office, Larry alone in his studio...IMing once in a while.  Knowing Poppa is all alone in his office, maybe poking at Civ and wishing so hard we could all be "together."

I wish someone working at a well known magazine would collect a few stories like this and compiled it into an essay about the hidden value these games hold and the true emotional impact a closure of a long running online title has on its players.

[OzonePrime]

Here's to spending next Christmas (and Hannukah) in the Twin Cities of Paragon and the Rogue Islands.
Amen! Looking forward to next years winter event!





Never Give Up! Never Surrender!
Heroes of Infinity

[Lydiastar]

I feel ya. It's just not Christmas without glowy presents on the sidewalks and tops of buildings. I need a good Snow Beast fight or a creepy midget Baby New Year mission!

This. is 100,000% the way I feel.

[dwturducken]

Hopefully of the green glowing kind.

Seriously? Did you not watch Smallville?

[Blue Pulsar]

Seriously? Did you not watch Smallville?

Where do you think he got his powers?   

[Victoria Victrix]

I wish someone working at a well known magazine would collect a few stories like this and compiled it into an essay about the hidden value these games hold and the true emotional impact a closure of a long running online title has on its players.

Terwyn's "Voices" blog is built around that concept. 

Sadly, I am nowhere near a big enough gun to get notice over at some place like New Yorker or Harpers or even Playboy.  Any submission I made or recommended would go in the slush pile, to eventually be sent the dreaded "This does not suit our purposes at this time" rejection notice.

The best thing we could do would be to start voting "Voices" up at sites like Reddit.

[antarcticaa]

I think Angelus and I were feeling more or less the same thing. At least when it comes to the final scene in that video. Can't imagine how long it took to make. Blue Christmas indeed... It's not quite Christmas without the CoH holiday stuff. 

Christmas Wish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3S-3LObdyM

Both of those videos are brilliant!  What a wonderful labor of love you gave us.  They both have such piercing sweetness, overlaid with that bittersweet sense of loss we share from such a wonderful community.  I felt nostalgia, warmth, cheer and grief, all in such short order watching these.  It was like watching old home movies of a place you can never go back to again.  Thanks for preserving that moment and feeling.  These works touched my heart.  Gentle blessings from Carolina Moon of Freedom, and all those other Moon toons I had.

[antarcticaa]

Sadly, I am nowhere near a big enough gun to get notice over at some place like New Yorker or Harpers or even Playboy.  Any submission I made or recommended would go in the slush pile, to eventually be sent the dreaded "This does not suit our purposes at this time" rejection notice.

Oh, we disagree, as do thousands of your readers.  You are such a marvelous word smith.  You conjure up magic with what you write.  If anyone on earth could capture what it felt like to be part of such a unique community it would be you.  I've been at a loss trying to explain to my husband how bad this pain is and how real the grief I feel from the loss of what most people consider just a game.  Somewhere there is a major publication with room for a human interest article that shows how deeply affecting a game can be and all the good that came with CoH.  It could be written from a positive point of view, showing how this game transcended the mechanics of an online game and literally became a thriving community.  We all know so many stories of how real life relationships were formed, how the community supported one another and how physically challenged individuals were released from physical restraints in-game.   There's such a wealth of material.  Shoot, as a teacher I swear sometimes this was the only thing that kept me going when I'd get so stressed out.

Anyone who could combine such disparate elements as elves and race cars in a work of fiction could craft our poignant story in a work of non-fiction. 

[LT. Couper]

Made me happy on Christmas when I received the CoH Going Rogue Soundtrack. Just sharin'. 

[Terwyn]

Terwyn's "Voices" blog is built around that concept. 

Sadly, I am nowhere near a big enough gun to get notice over at some place like New Yorker or Harpers or even Playboy.  Any submission I made or recommended would go in the slush pile, to eventually be sent the dreaded "This does not suit our purposes at this time" rejection notice.

The best thing we could do would be to start voting "Voices" up at sites like Reddit.

Well, considering someone posted part IV on such a site, and I ended up dealing with 2000+ visits over the span of four hours, that would help greatly. I'll have the next part live tomorrow.

[Little Green Frog]

Terwyn, I think your site needs more exposure, because while I know of it, I can't easily find it. Not even in your signature. Discoverability is an important part of the equation.

[Terwyn]

Thanks for pointing that out.

[houtex]

Wait, I thought this was about Superman... what happened?!

/no, no, I keed, carry on, y'all.

[antarcticaa]

Well, considering someone posted part IV on such a site, and I ended up dealing with 2000+ visits over the span of four hours, that would help greatly. I'll have the next part live tomorrow.

I just subscribed to your blog.  Love it!  So moving and well expressed.  How to we get the attention now of a major publisher who needs your your writing as a human interest story.  Wouldn't it also be interesting if somehow the Korean journalist Victoria spoke to as Mercedes got linked up with both of y'all and furthered the story over there?  Hmmmmmmm.

[Terwyn]

I just subscribed to your blog.  Love it!  So moving and well expressed.  How to we get the attention now of a major publisher who needs your your writing as a human interest story.  Wouldn't it also be interesting if somehow the Korean journalist Victoria spoke to as Mercedes got linked up with both of y'all and furthered the story over there?  Hmmmmmmm.

If that happens, I do not know what I would end up doing.

[pikabko1000]

I wish to point out on that night 10/30/2012 is far more worst night in my life. also the worst year in my life. I felt like City of Heroes was a home to me. when I get off from work
it game me something to do. that realy ment something special to me. the years of doing privet SG bases for a friend and my self. buidling them.
doing all those speical missions. and be a video game programmer at the A.E.Building I wish I had more time for that. I realy loved the idea to publish my own missions.
No MMORPG done anything like that. on that night. I cryed my eyes out. The emotions on the chat line on the freedom server got to me.
well why crying also extream pissed off at NC Soft.
I hate loosing a fight. I done everyhing in my power to stop NC SOFT. I emailed I called. I file report at the BBU andwhat dose BBU dose F**K wth me. close the case
 so stinking lazy. every time I got to deal with a corperation law breaking Bull SH%T that I had to deal with. there respond is hire a atterney. it was never like this when
Ronald Reagon was the President.  I file my papers then I get my refund simple case closed.. Now its war with the big corperation and the federal goverment.
all democrated. I have to spend billions of dollars to hire atterney to fight my battles for me. I am not Forbs This is why I do not vote. people vote these black market broken down
atterney to run for office and for the presdent.all the federal Goverment and the state goverment well 50 of them tend to protect black market for campain money.
this is why I was uanble to do anything at this point. however I am researching ideas and see what can be done. what NC Soft is is a broken down land lords. we all paid rent to NC Soft. dam it sh%T what VIP account is not cheap.when I got a $650.00 rent on my little room to live in.
I beleave in the constitution.I paid for something. and I want to use it. I have the right to use it. not have NC Soft kill the products I paid for.
if I want to play off line I am researhing that, passing the word out. I just gave the word on to some game designers. I think formly empoyed by paragon Studios
I gave them my phone number. I aksed to talk. I even got a off line mod to make custumes off line. so the rest of it well I am resarching it
will that be a better plan then crying over NC Soft. at least I am doing something. I am not going to rest untill I get the new year right on some action to be done.
I ma not going to sit around wasting my time wishing. I am all over the web. sending messages. sending emails. making phone calls.
get the off line mod idea out. No way I am going to allow NC soft to fu%k with me. I write dispute against NC soft.
I am trying to fight my own battles.