We're in a perfect storm. We need an advertising campaign now, this week, today.

[Tanklet]

I love the reform one. What if, instead of "there's always another way" .. something along the lines of "heroes never die #SaveCoH"

[VyoletRose]

Just because I like to tinker... here is a welcome page design idea for the banner link.

May be a bit much to start, but wanted to show where we could go with it, over time. The page acts as a main hub for information and links, outside of a forum setting. Personally, I would love to feature player-submitted content with screenshots, stories, character bios... I'm a visual person, so my pull with the game was the graphics and customization options (costumes and bases).

As already pointed out, we could just link t o SaveCoH.com that is already built and running, and pretty much accomplishes the same goal as this design, just without the fan art/screenies/story angle.

[OzonePrime]

Love these!
 

[healix]

Those were wonderful!!!

[Surelle]

Um, Jack Emmert already negated any hopes of Cryptic/PWI buying CoH on one of Cryptic's gaming forums.  Sorry kids, we need to drop this part of the plan.

No Jack.  No purchase.  No Cryptic.  No PWI.  Not now.  Not ever.  One of these threads if not two, somewhere or other, has direct links.  Trust me, forget this angle please.

[MaidMercury]

I REALLY like that one. I tweeked your ad to conclude the message, but I'm not a great graphics person. Perhaps this could be refined better than I can do.
Might get support from people who never played CoH to join the effort.

[Quinch]

Um, Jack Emmert already negated any hopes of Cryptic/PWI buying CoH on one of Cryptic's gaming forums.  Sorry kids, we need to drop this part of the plan.

No Jack.  No purchase.  No Cryptic.  No PWI.  Not now.  Not ever.  One of these threads if not two, somewhere or other, has direct links.  Trust me, forget this angle please.

Can you link me? We might be talking about different posts.

[dwturducken]

I think he/she is referring to the post I made in the "Tell NCSoft to Call Me" thread. It's about two thirds of the way down on page 14. He's reading Jack's statement as a flat denial. "There's no plans" is not "no hope," just "we're not actively pursuing," as I read it.

[johnrobey]

Cool. I miss the game too and am very happy to help.

Here are the revised banner designs. Sans the "...could be Next" series, for now...

Should we also have a "NCSoft, Call Jack Emmert" one? Don't want to speak for him, although Jack did say it in passing. Still fuzzy if we should promote it.

Also, I'm dipping my toes into the waters of web development and web design. If we wanted to have a starter page for these links, I could make some page mockups. My coding is still basic, but I could try to get something drafted up. If anything, I could work up a design and someone more speedy and code-savvy could build it.

Just let me know! Thanks gang!


         

These are AWESOME!!!!!  They are positive, brief messages with very poignant artwork.   Just my two cents, but I truly think these may be exactly what we're looking for.

In case we don't get one I think you might find this sufficient. A long comment by Tony under the Gamasutra article.
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/189896/behind_the_scenes_of_the_paragon_.php#comment196227

Thank you, Captain Electric, for posting this since otherwise I would not have seen the gamasutra.com article, or Tony's excellent comment and even the other comments seemed mostly positive with only a lone dissenting comment or two.

[Mindscythe]

Sorry for the late entry into this... I've been at conferences and sort of "out of the loop."

When I read through TonyV's comments, in answer to his first question, my brain handed me the phrase "Free City of Heroes!" Something that suggests the game is being held hostage (which it kind of is) and needs to be released. One could even take the stance that of Paragon City/Rogue Isles/Praetoria citizens being held against their will, separated from their families and protectors, and not being treated well. (My brain also came up with "Radio Free Paragon" too).

"We call on NC$oft to do the right thing, free City of Heroes, and let it return to its loved ones!"

[Ironwolf]

I will get the website up and the banners  as well and then take out some ads - sorry folks real life is eating me!

[Lucretia MacEvil]

Sorry for the late entry into this... I've been at conferences and sort of "out of the loop."

When I read through TonyV's comments, in answer to his first question, my brain handed me the phrase "Free City of Heroes!" Something that suggests the game is being held hostage (which it kind of is) and needs to be released. One could even take the stance that of Paragon City/Rogue Isles/Praetoria citizens being held against their will, separated from their families and protectors, and not being treated well. (My brain also came up with "Radio Free Paragon" too).

"We call on NC$oft to do the right thing, free City of Heroes, and let it return to its loved ones!"

I've had some ideas along those lines myself (possible banner phrases):

Let our Heroes fly free!
Save our City
Who rescues the Heroes?
There's a world that needs saving.
Time for the people to save the Heroes.

Short and sweet generally seems the way to go, at least to me.  (If anyone wants to use these, feel free to)

The banner with "there's always another way" made me think of a possible variant:  "there's always another option" (Didn't NCsoft say something about "exhausting all options" in their odious mound closure excuses?)

[VyoletRose]

I like the new suggestions for banners. I'll try to draw something up for these within the next day or two.

[TonyV]

These are brilliant!  You know what I love about the first one (on the left)?  The fact that it makes it clear that this isn't a CoH-specific issue.  I really like the one on the right also, but I might change it so that it uses NCsoft's words against it.  Instead of "There is always another way", maybe going with something like, "All options are not exhausted," or, "There are always other options."

At any rate, now what we'd need is a web site to link to from the banner.  One option is to use the CoHTube site, or possibly the SaveCoH landing page, though if we use the latter, it sorely needs updating.  If we use CoHTube, we should put together a video to sticky at the top explaining what is going on and what we want.  Or, of course, if folks think we need something else entirely, we need to decide what precisely we want these banners to link to.

[TimtheEnchanter]

When I have more free time over the Summer, I would LOVE to help work on some kind of motivational speech out of this. A hero sitting at a desk or standing at a press conference, someone doing VO's for it, some inspirational patriotic music in the background.

Half in-character, talking about the destruction of Paragon and how the disaster has been handled, references to other shutdowns, and looking for ways to prevent similar ones in the future.

[Ironwolf]

These are brilliant!  You know what I love about the first one (on the left)?  The fact that it makes it clear that this isn't a CoH-specific issue.  I really like the one on the right also, but I might change it so that it uses NCsoft's words against it.  Instead of "There is always another way", maybe going with something like, "All options are not exhausted," or, "There are always other options."

At any rate, now what we'd need is a web site to link to from the banner.  One option is to use the CoHTube site, or possibly the SaveCoH landing page, though if we use the latter, it sorely needs updating.  If we use CoHTube, we should put together a video to sticky at the top explaining what is going on and what we want.  Or, of course, if folks think we need something else entirely, we need to decide what precisely we want these banners to link to.

How about all of the above!

More sites more coverage. In fact we could start a movement perhaps that other MMO players could respond to - I mean over the years how many have had their games ripped away?

[TonyV]

And arguably most importantly, what is it exactly that we want people to do?  If we have an opportunity to convey a message out there, what should that message be?  I kind of doubt that NCsoft will be following those links, or even if they do, I kind of doubt it will make much impact.  I suppose we could put one of those cheesy little web site counters on there to show how many people the message has reached, or have a link to the change.org petition, or ask people to not buy NCsoft games.  The latter, to be honest, I'm a little wishy-washy about--I don't feel that punishing ArenaNet or Carbine is really an appropriate thing to do.  I certainly don't mind asking people to not play Blade & Soul, but then you have the problem that probably a lot of people either weren't anyway or never even heard of Blade & Soul, and it would effectively be giving NCsoft free advertising.

So, what exactly is it that we need people to see when they click on one of those banners?

[Tanklet]

And arguably most importantly, what is it exactly that we want people to do?  If we have an opportunity to convey a message out there, what should that message be?  I kind of doubt that NCsoft will be following those links, or even if they do, I kind of doubt it will make much impact.  I suppose we could put one of those cheesy little web site counters on there to show how many people the message has reached, or have a link to the change.org petition, or ask people to not buy NCsoft games.  The latter, to be honest, I'm a little wishy-washy about--I don't feel that punishing ArenaNet or Carbine is really an appropriate thing to do.  I certainly don't mind asking people to not play Blade & Soul, but then you have the problem that probably a lot of people either weren't anyway or never even heard of Blade & Soul, and it would effectively be giving NCsoft free advertising.

So, what exactly is it that we need people to see when they click on one of those banners?

I agree with the questions being asked here. My thoughts on our message are such:

1. Boycott NCSoft until they respond to the community & return to the negotiating table. - While I hold no personal ill will to ArenaNet or Carbine Studios ... my thoughts are this: They know what they've gotten themselves into by aligning with NC$oft. In fact, they, themselves, have already been on the receiving end of NC corporate shake ups & layoffs. Yet they still remain aligned. They KNOW NC's track record. 5 games closed in 5 years ... I don't have ill will against them .. I really don't. But NC made this bed. And they're the ones dragging Carbine & Arena into it with them.

[Segev]

You act like you think they can just up and leave. That's...generally not an option. Contractual agreements are usually pretty binding.

[Tanklet]

You act like you think they can just up and leave. That's...generally not an option. Contractual agreements are usually pretty binding.

Point well made. It's just not a good situation all around. I just don't think we should refrain from #BoycottNCSoft.


Just a note of curiosity ... I thought there was something going around that one of the studios did have an out, if they wanted.


Doesn't change my position though. Boycotting NC$oft really is the biggest way to make a statement.