Champions Online

[Shawn]

I know we've had one or two threads, but I think they have been place in threads other than the gaming thread and lost for all time.
What? Me Search? Never!


Anyway, I'm enjoying the game. So far I've made close to 9 characters that I enjoy playing. I've made a Munitions/Gadget hero named Killjoy who currently is my favorite of the bunch. Two Gun Mojo is such an insane ability, and you can even start with it. I love a close fight with Killjoy. Most of my power bonuses give me additional damage to attacks that are done at close range. Plus when I get them down to 30% I pull out my chainsaw gauntlet and it's all over, son.

I recreated my old villain, Puss 'n Boots and turned her into a hero this time around. I originally went single sword the first time I made her, but recently switched her to dual swords and am enjoying it much better. Nothing like a cyborg-catgirl tearing you apart with a pair of longswords.

I went Power Armor with an Astroboy rip-off I call Top Secret. Basically just shrunk the character model and enlarged his head til he resembled a pre-adolescent. Looks normal enough... til he blasts into the air and launches dozens of missiles.

I haven't leveled up much with any of them. No more than level 10 on my highest. Character Creation is the best part of the game, though plummeting into the middle of a group of villains (making a crater in the ground as you do so) then killing everyone 360degrees around you is a close second. When I first started playing I thought the comic lines were a necessary part of the game, but never really minded them. Then someone showed me you could turn them off and I like it even better now.

 

[Draxo]

I left the game after they bait and switched us on release day.

To those thinking about playing: go take a look at the forum. Its a bombshell, or at least was a few days ago before they started pruning 'problem' threads.

(Ah, dang: seems they've been deleting a lot of the threads, especially those giving details on how to get a refund on the purchase, the entire first page was filled with those a few days ago)

I'll post a quick copy paste from another forum about it: not my post, but a quick sum up, as I've posted about this way too much elsewhere:

\"This game company is lacking in common sense. The game they showed us in BETA (closed and open) is not the game on retail release on Sept 1. They pulled a bait and switch after they got their lifetime subs. This company does not know how to balance powers at all. BUT thay do know how to get a regular mob to kill a super hero fast and quite often at about level 14. Once you hit that level the game feels UN SUPER. There are a few builds where you can deal with this but good luck playing your character concept, you'll mostly stick to cookie cutter builds despite the advertisement\"

 

[AshburnerX]

EDIT: Ah. Guess I'll go take a look later, but that was pretty much was my Beta Experience. Once you hit 14, you have to have a defensive passive like Invulnerability, Force field, Regeneration, or Defiant. The other passive abilities just aren't worth it unless you can do massive damage (like Fire can). They really just need to give out more than one passive slot and suddenly you'd be able to do a lot more.

 

[Shawn]

I haven't had a character above 12th yet, so I don't know first hand what it's like after that. I've heard from friends that it can get pretty challenging. But I like challening games so I'm looking forward to it. They say that it's a good idea to run with a buddy. But you can also change your "role" in the game which will alter your stats around accordingly. For instance you can choose to up your HP in exchange for lower damage. This makes any character survivable.

 

[Tinwhistler]

I was in the beta and I got to about level 17 on a power-suit character. It didn't seem too much more challenging, really, once you learn how your new powers work as you pick them. The leveling up slowed down, but it wasn't really that hard to continue completing missions.

 

[DarkAudit]

I left the game after they bait and switched us on release day.

To those thinking about playing: go take a look at the forum. Its a bombshell, or at least was a few days ago before they started pruning 'problem' threads.

(Ah, dang: seems they've been deleting a lot of the threads, especially those giving details on how to get a refund on the purchase, the entire first page was filled with those a few days ago)

I'll post a quick copy paste from another forum about it: not my post, but a quick sum up, as I've posted about this way too much elsewhere:

\"This game company is lacking in common sense. The game they showed us in BETA (closed and open) is not the game on retail release on Sept 1. They pulled a bait and switch after they got their lifetime subs. This company does not know how to balance powers at all. BUT thay do know how to get a regular mob to kill a super hero fast and quite often at about level 14. Once you hit that level the game feels UN SUPER. There are a few builds where you can deal with this but good luck playing your character concept, you'll mostly stick to cookie cutter builds despite the advertisement\"

Sounds like Jack Emmert didn't learn a damn thing from his time as CoX lead. You'd think the playerbase dancing on Statesman's grave when he left should have told him something.

 

[Tinwhistler]

yeah, that sounds a lot like why I left CoH

 

[AshburnerX]

yeah, that sounds a lot like why I left CoH

To be fair, CoH got a LOT better once Jack left. It's a top quality game... the only reason I'm complaining about it lately is because I've DONE EVERYTHING and it's going to be awhile before we get new content (at least until Going Rogue, for actual stuff to do, as opposed to the new Power Customization.)

 

[ZenMonkey]

To be fair, CoH got a LOT better once Jack left.

This is very true.

Also, what exactly was this bait-and-switch? The last time I played was the last day of closed beta and I have no intention of playing any more, but I'm curious what the uproar is all about. (A link is fine.)

 

[AshburnerX]

Apparently they upped the difficulty or something (AGAIN) making some power sets absolutely worthless and some must haves. I know my experience with Single Blade was less than stellar in Beta, when I was able to out damage any move in the set (including the final power) using a mid-range AOE power from the fire set. They need to rebalance the powers and make some of them worth using... and make it worth taking one of the non-defense aligned passives by making their effects worth not having the ability to take more than 5 hits in combat.

 

[Shawn]

Having leveled my guy to 14 I can see that it's getting tougher. But in all honesty it just means you need to get smarter. I avoid mobs that are higher level than me when I can help it. And usually I'll line the suckers up and use my mini gun as a combat opener. Whittles them down enough that the shotgun makes short work of them. Then I'll two gun mojo any survivors in the face.

I also guarantee that pairing up will make everything super easier. Sure people like their solo games, and this game is capable of that. But there is nothing wrong with encouraging people to actually be social and play together. Otherwise why the @#$% are we playing MMOs in the first place?

 

[AshburnerX]

It's one thing to encourage team play by making some challenges designed for teams. It's completely another to FORCE teaming by making even the most basic of challenges require a team. This is especially bad when they still have a drop system like WoW's, meaning doing some quests take much longer the more people you bring along.

Honestly, this is the same mistake Jack made in CoH. He made the game impossible to solo past a certain point in the early days and it wasn't until months later that it got better. These days, CoX is fairly unique in that it's one of the only MMOs where you can go from level 1 to Max level simply by soloing.

 

[SpecialKO]

Hopefully they'll deal with this soon.

The thing that turned me off from CoH originally wasn't just how it was impossible to solo past a certain point, but also how that completely broke the illusion, tone, and concept of the game; I'm a super-hero with incredible powers, how are random nameless mooks able to pants me?

In EVE or WoW, this makes sense. There's nothing necessarily super about you, and there's always a bigger fish.

In CoX (and now Champions, apparently), it's frustrating as hell, because that's just not genre. Even when mooks are able to put you down, they should be supermooks of a rare badass quality, not just random mobs with higher levels.

Besides, there are lots of superheroes who don't team up, except for sales reasons.

 

[Shawn]

So far I've run into radiation mutants, armed bounty hunters, cowboy ghosts, and zombies. I don't really feel too bad losing to things like this.

 

[Shegokigo]

So far I've run into radiation mutants, armed bounty hunters, cowboy ghosts, and zombies. I don't really feel too bad losing to things like this.

That works vs some kinds of character concepts, but what if you're playing a huge brute of a Superman style? Armed Bount Hunters? Kraven vs The Hulk?

 

[AshburnerX]

Superman and the Hulk are always a bad example, no matter what context your using. They are so over powered that it should be clear to anyone trying to replicate them it's not going to happen. It would be the equivalent of playing a game on God Mode. If the world was full of those kinds of heroes, there wouldn't be any crime because the villains wouldn't be able to compete.

 

[Shegokigo]

Hm ok, it'd be like Kraven vs Gladiator/Ms.Marvel/Dr.Strange/Longshot/Cable/Rogue/ etc etc etc

Common thugs are not meant to 1v1 any hero, they're fodder for a reason.

 

[AshburnerX]

True... but your also playing a rookie hero. Your not a member of the original 7 in the Justice League, you'd barely qualify for the League of Superheroes. THOSE types fall to normal thugs all the time for being stupid.

 

[Shegokigo]

Experience wise? Sure.

Power wise? I just don't see it.

 

[ScytheRexx]

From what I understand, it's not that normal thugs take you down, but that a normal THUG (lack of plural) takes you down. Being taken down by like 10 thugs is one thing, to have a single one beat you defeats the point of being a superhero. It would be like Batman losing to a single thug working for the Joker.

When I was in Beta I never tested past the 14 range, so I don't know from personal experience. Just going off what others have told me. I decided I didn't really like the game all that much a month or so ago.

 

[AshburnerX]

In the Beta I could take on literally 10-20 guys using power armor... and maybe 3 after they nerfed it, and that was using Fire powers, which have the best damage in the game.

 

[Shegokigo]

In the Beta I could take on literally 10-20 guys using power armor... and maybe 3 after they nerfed it, and that was using Fire powers, which have the best damage in the game.

Yeah, but if you got to level 20-30 and a single "elite" human thug was able to kill your "Iron Man" wouldn't you agree that it's a bit "against the point/feel"?

 

[GasBandit]

The only way I was able to mentally reconcile this in CoH was to stop thinking Justice League and start thinking "The Tick." Or possibly "Mystery Men."

You're not super, you just have bad fashion sense.

 

[Shegokigo]

That can fly and fire laser beams?

Gotcha.

 

[AshburnerX]

In the Beta I could take on literally 10-20 guys using power armor... and maybe 3 after they nerfed it, and that was using Fire powers, which have the best damage in the game.

Yeah, but if you got to level 20-30 and a single "elite" human thug was able to kill your "Iron Man" wouldn't you agree that it's a bit "against the point/feel"?[/QUOTE]

This is true... but you do have to make some concessions for the sake of game play. I'm not arguing they haven't fucked up, because they have. I'm just saying that if your expecting to take on dozens of people at once, you need to go play CoX instead.

 

[GasBandit]

In the Beta I could take on literally 10-20 guys using power armor... and maybe 3 after they nerfed it, and that was using Fire powers, which have the best damage in the game.

Yeah, but if you got to level 20-30 and a single "elite" human thug was able to kill your "Iron Man" wouldn't you agree that it's a bit "against the point/feel"?[/quote]

This is true... but you do have to make some concessions for the sake of game play. I'm not arguing they haven't fucked up, because they have. I'm just saying that if your expecting to take on dozens of people at once, you need to go play CoX instead.[/QUOTE]

CoX must have changed since I played it, because solo I was in serious trouble if I got more than 3 blue enemies at once on my fire/fire brute. Of course, with the little woman on corruptor healing me as backup, I could take upwards of 6 or 7.

 

[AshburnerX]

That's because you were a fire/fire brute, which is generally considered one of the worst sets for Brutes. I used a Dark/Inv and never had trouble with anything, as I had enough healing to make it through any fight. I would routinely take on 8-12 without breaking a sweat.

 

[GasBandit]

That's because you were a fire/fire brute, which is generally considered one of the worst sets for Brutes. I used a Dark/Inv and never had trouble with anything, as I had enough healing to make it through any fight. I would routinely take on 8-12 without breaking a sweat.

That's odd. When I was playing, Inv was considered underpowered and broken.

 

[AshburnerX]

Inv got buffed awhile back, but even before that it was hardly the "worst" defensive set.

 

[Shawn]

So level 14 is when it starts to go to hell is it?
Well here is my latest experience. I went against groups of 3+ (level 18) robo-cowboys in SnakeGulch. I'm a level 15 munitions/gadget. I feel like I should be getting my ass handed to me yet I've been blowing them away with my mini gun no problem. I guess I actually went the smart road and made constitution my third highest stat. I mean if you're going to solo stuff, you might as well be alive to do it right?

 

[Shegokigo]

Yes Shawn, that's the point. Cookie-cutter specs seem to be the only kind that work.

 

[AshburnerX]

Also, Gadgeteering is hands down the best set right now, because it got a massive buff in Beta after it had been nigh useless for weeks. Munitions is also one of the those sets that's over performing right now, because it's meant to be a splash set (I.E. one you take to compliment your powers, not as the defining powers).

Conversely, Power Armor got nerfed to hell after it had been the best set hands down for a long time. It's looking like Fire will get nerfed soon as well, with Ice getting a buff.

 

[Gusto]

I just started this game and took the Power Armor specs to replicate my old CoH character, Goldtech.

I'll post pics when I get to my home computer.

 

[Shawn]

My latest hero. A Kinetic manipulator called AZTECH.

 

[Shegokigo]

My latest hero. A Kinetic manipulator called AZTECH.