Champions Online

[Chriz]

So Kat and I preordered Champions Online, which got us into the pre-launch beta. It's not bad, basically a supercharged, updated version of City of Heroes. The biggest difference is the complexity of the characters, which are much more sophisticated in CO.

She recreated her CoX villain Virus. I made a new guy called Techno-Skeleton.

[Vendetta]

As understand it you can really customize your animations and effects. Any truth to this?

[Chriz]

As understand it you can really customize your animations and effects. Any truth to this?

For most powers, especially ranged attacks, you can control the color and pick from a selection of emanation points. So you can have your fireball be green and shoot from your eyes or have purple electricity from your chest. Some weapons have their emanation points hardcoded (such as Eye Beams), but you can still control the color.

[Necro Mortis]

How about the customised movement? I thought I heard that you could, say, have a character that moves on all fours?
Also, is that cell shading in your screen shot?

[Chriz]

How about the customised movement? I thought I heard that you could, say, have a character that moves on all fours?

Yes, you can run on all fours.

Also, is that cell shading in your screen shot?

It is, which is optional if you don't like it.

[Necro Mortis]

Brilliant, and in your opinion is it worth it? The videos on the site look pretty slick but is it that different from heroes?

[Vendetta]

Capes? Because every once in a while I'll see one in one of their videos, but they seem to be uncommon, and it's not shown in the Character Creation vid at all.

Also, to echo Necro, what's gameplay like, and can you contrast it with CoX?

Oh, and I hear the open beta is now full.

[GhostBat]

Capes? Because every once in a while I'll see one in one of their videos, but they seem to be uncommon, and it's not shown in the Character Creation vid at all.

There are definitely capes, and they're available from the start.

Oh, and I hear the open beta is now full.

I wouldn't be surprised. They only released 50,000 open beta slots to people who pre-ordered the game. Chriz and I snagged the last one our local GameStop had. Pre-orders are still available, they just don't come with an open beta code.

[Chriz]

Also, to echo Necro, what's gameplay like, and can you contrast it with CoX?

Very CoX-like. I've only played about 9 levels of my character (a Blaster-like guy), but so far I see fairly fast-paced action. Attacks usually fire instantly or nearly so, with virtually no "casting time." You can attack on the move, in a much smoother way than you could in CoX.

Some attacks, like Eye Beams, fire and then keep firing while you pop off other attacks, so there can be this multi-layered combat thing going on. For example, I have the aforementioned Eye Beams, a very anime-like multi-missile attack (where 3 waves of 4 missiles launch out of my backpack and snake toward my target), and gauntlet blasters. I can have the Eye Beams and the missiles kinda going simultaneously, while also manually tapping my blasters, all while flying around my target on rocket boots. It's very cool.

You have a mana like stat that builds during downtime, but doesn't go to 100%. Certain attacks can bring you up over 100% (think Brute Rage, in a sense). With most powers, you can also hold down the attack key and "charge" it with as much energy as you currently have, for a single heavy attack.

Your character stats are also a lot more complex than in CoX, much more like you'd see in WoW.

[Vendetta]

I know they changed the XP progression, but any thoughts on how easy it is to solo?

[Chriz]

I know they changed the XP progression, but any thoughts on how easy it is to solo?

They changed it but before Kat and I got into the open beta, so we couldn't tell you how it's different.

I guess I'd say soloing is similar to CoX -- single mobs around your own level are easy to take down, and I usually take on 2-3 at a time, but you can get swarmed, too.

[Chriz]

Well, the open beta is done and launch day has come. Kat and I are in. She has a Fighting Claws character called Razor and I have an Electricity character named Cathode Ray. For CoH vets, think Claws Scrapper and Electricity Blaster, respectively.

Overall, we're having a lot of fun. It's very much like a souped-up version of City of Heroes, but with a lot of WoW-isms thrown in, too.

[Vendetta]

Well, the open beta is done and launch day has come. Kat and I are in. She has a Fighting Claws character called Razor and I have an Electricity character named Cathode Ray. For CoH vets, think Claws Scrapper and Electricity Blaster, respectively.

Overall, we're having a lot of fun. It's very much like a souped-up version of City of Heroes, but with a lot of WoW-isms thrown in, too.
I'm on as well. We'll see if I make it past the 30-day trial though. I found the "manual" and explanation of a lot of things to be severely lacking though. I mean other than CoX I'm not much of an MMO vet.

All-in-all, still pretty fun though. I have an Ice character, named HoarFrost (because she's dressed slutty, you see.) :D

[Chriz]

I'm on as well. We'll see if I make it past the 30-day trial though. I found the "manual" and explanation of a lot of things to be severely lacking though. I mean other than CoX I'm not much of an MMO vet.

The print manual is pathetic, and I don't see much official stuff online. This wiki (http://championsonline.wikia.com/wiki/Champions_Online_Wiki) is pretty good, and it's growing in content pretty quickly.

Feel free to ask game mechanics questions in this thread. If Kat or I can answer or explain something, we will.

Oh, and I just recently came across this:
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