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midnight guard

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Champions Online - A challenger approaches!

A few of you might already know of this game, which Cryptic Studios is producing right now. As far as I can tell, it's pretty much a copy of our beloved 'City of' games. Two sides, Heroes and Villains, too.
I won't say I don't like the look of it, it's actually pretty cool. Guess this is what some would call "City of Heroes/Villains 2".

Aliens seem to play a large role in this game, much like Rikti in CoX. There're these evil organizations called VIPER, ARGENT and PSI which want to take over the world and stuff, as well as some other supervillains, a magician called Takofanes, a scientist called Teleios, and a robot called Mechanon.
Most of the game seem to take place in Millennium City, Champions Online's Paragon City. Yes, Heroes and Villains share the same 'home-zone'. I wonder how that'll work.

They have some pretty epic features that CoX has yet to get. These include POWER CUSTOMIZATION;

QUOTE

Your powers, on your terms: There are a multitude of astonishing powers to choose from in Champions Online, and its flexible character creation system gives you total control over your hero's abilities. You can even pick the appearance of your powers. Do you want purple force fields? Green fire blasts? Jet black claws? In Champions Online, you decide!

ARCHNEMESIS SYSTEM:

QUOTE

Keep your enemies close: Every hero must have an archenemy. In Champions Online, you design your character's supreme adversary, choosing a name, powers and costume for a superpowered foe to bedevil your hero throughout his or her career.

And a MOONBASE (As well as zones in Canada, woo.);

QUOTE

Endless exploration: The battle against evil in Champions Online rages across the world into outer space and alternate dimensions. No other MMOG offers players the chance to explore such diverse realms — from the shining skyscrapers of Millennium City and the frozen wastes of Canada to the interstellar gladiatorial arena on the moon, the hidden underwater city of Lemuria and the foul mystical dimension known as Qliphotic.

Here's the official website's frontpage, this is their Statesman, Defender's profile, and this is their Lord Recluse, Doctor Destroyer.

That Doctor Destroyer guy looks like a Predator or something. But he has a more smooth look than Recluse, imo.
Here's a few screenshots I picked up from the site.

Doctor Destroyer using his 'Darkness Blast' powers, something called a Tangeweb Hold and.. are those zombie henchmen?

Defender, leader of the Champions (Their Freedom Phalanx I guess.), with his blue Energy Blade.

Red Dual-Energy Blades. Kewl.

Flaming killer robots in what looks like the familiar tight caves.

Concept art of Millennium City.

Depending on the release of the game, I think I'll start playing. Not sure how my situation will be with CoX at that time, but we'll see.

What about you guys?

02/21/08 05:29

Phedre_D

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RE: Champions Online - A challenger approaches!

It definitely looks like fun. Nice find on those screenshots!

But any MMO takes years to develop. So although they have some screenshots, this game will at least a year, and more likely two years, away. But I will be following it closely. Here are some more links (thanks to the all-seeing eyes of Lani)

Cryptic Studios develops new superhero MMO Champions Online
More info on Champions Online revealed
GameAmp's own RPG ~~gurus~~ junkies talk

***FEELS KINDA NAKED WITHOUT A SIGGIE***

02/21/08 05:46

Hellmeister

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RE: Champions Online - A challenger approaches!

Good find... maybe ill fair more luck on that then this?

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02/21/08 14:36

Mzzkc

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RE: Champions Online - A challenger approaches!

The specs are probably going to be intense.

  It might be time for an upgrade soon.

   Or, at the very least, a good cleaning.

    ^.^

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02/21/08 16:08

Hellmeister

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RE: Champions Online - A challenger approaches!

At least its made by cryptic, but im not going to swing my alligence unless i think its worthy

02/22/08 09:32

RonJ73

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RE: Champions Online - A challenger approaches!

I REALLY liked the Paper and Dice version of Champions. It was a lot of fun. I'm hoping the MMO will be as good.

I'd drop WoW for it more than likely.

City of Heroes/Villains
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02/22/08 11:13

Dystrophy

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RE: Champions Online - A challenger approaches!

as much as i love CoV, i think this new game will at the very least be worth a couple months of "testing".

02/22/08 15:55

RonJ73

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RE: Champions Online - A challenger approaches!

http://www.champions-online.com/

They're talking a Spring '09 release. That's one of those "if all goes well" bits.

02/22/08 16:28

lani

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RE: Champions Online - A challenger approaches!

The Champions Online site hides it a bit, and I'd have liked to see a bit more in-game animation but overall it's a nice trailer:

Most of these things tend to be carefully staged / pimped vids.
Will have to wait a while before we can see realistic in-game footage. I.e. the crappy home made stuff in Beta :-)

In other news: Emmert on what they did right and wrong with CoX.

***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***

02/23/08 04:19

Cr3ss3nt

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RE: Champions Online - A challenger approaches!

This game looks O-K. The graphics look nice and the character builds are impressive. But in the video the zones looked pretty barren, and they weren't city-themed. Thats what I play CoX for, the feeling of being in an alley and whoopin' some tail. Like godfather. I might look at it a little bit, but I don't think it will pull me away from CoX/WoW.

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02/24/08 02:26

lani

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RE: Champions Online - A challenger approaches!

Don't read too much into what is and isn't in that video at this time. I know first-hand how much massaging such videos often get, as well as how adamant art departments can be about not showing anything picture-perfect. Go look at some videos from COH's early development cycles. You'll find they look pretty different from the finished product at launch. And it's really still early in the development process. personally I'm treating everything I see now as concept art or proof of concept test results.
Besides, isn't CoX often jocularly called City of Caves and Sewers? :-)

Some additional links:

GDC Panel including Jack Emmert (Cryptic) on the Future of MMORPGs. Jack looses some credibility, but he's a bit of a hot air type to start with imo.
Kill Ten Rats chewing over Champions Online and the decisions behind it.

***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***

02/24/08 03:34

Falcon15

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RE: Champions Online - A challenger approaches!

QUOTE

I REALLY liked the Paper and Dice version of Champions. It was a lot of fun. I'm hoping the MMO will be as good.

I'd drop WoW for it more than likely.

MECHANON WILL RULE THE BIOLOGICALS....ahem. Pen and Paper Champions heh I still own the entire second edition game, including the supplementals. To give an idea of villain groups, just from memory:

Viper = Council (High tech weaponry, soldiers, world domination)

PSI = no equivalent in CoX. All psionic enemies, very powerful.

Mechanon = No CoX equivalent, IMO. Mechanon is a fully sentient, highly intelligent, robot (technically an android) who cannot be "killed" in the conventional sense. It can be defeated, but it's body self destructs after its consciousness is transferred to a hidden base and uploaded to a new body which is modified. It learns and adapts. It is tough as nails and hard to keep down.

Further, perusing the Champions Online site, I see that they have included classic Champions Arch-Villains like Doctor Destroyer. I may try this game just for the love of the original PnP game, then again, I might be completely destroyed if Cryptic does not do the game justice.

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02/24/08 10:27

Dragon Fang

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RE: Champions Online - A challenger approaches!

This games pretty cool. I'll definitely try it out. Just hope they don't get too caught up in this game and forget about City of Heroes/Villains...

Just so you all know, other than Dragon Fang I'm also known as King of Robotics. Or Fluffy.
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02/24/08 20:42

lani

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RE: Champions Online - A challenger approaches!

QUOTE

This games pretty cool. I'll definitely try it out. Just hope they don't get too caught up in this game and forget about City of Heroes/Villains...

Ehm, short update on recent events. Cryptic, the studio making CHampions Online, recently sold CoX to NCsoft. They won't forget the lessons learned from CoX (Check the links with stuff by Jack Emmert for details), but they will not be working on CoX anymore. That's up to NCsoft now

02/25/08 01:25

govtmorgue

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RE: Champions Online - A challenger approaches!

QUOTE

I REALLY liked the Paper and Dice version of Champions. It was a lot of fun. I'm hoping the MMO will be as good.

I'd drop WoW for it more than likely.

Same, since I am still playing a vigilante from the Pen and Dice version...once a month I drive 2 hours to spend a weekend playing a spacer dude named Bobby "The Bomber" Atkins (friend made that char) and Kiwano "Govtmorgue" Blackshear (a dual assault rifle wielding speedster with infrared telescopic nightvision....guess who made him lol)

02/25/08 12:10

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