We have the good fortune of having two of the fae here -- one from the Rogue Isles, and one from Paragon City -- to share with us their views of appropriate gifts for those of you who are playing in NCsoft's realms this holiday season. Their selections range from cost-free, in-game offerings up to something you can tuck under the tree ... or the computer desk, as the case may be.
Greetings, I am Frost Faerie of Virtue. Remember, please, that it is the essence of the gift that is important. My ever-green nemesis would agree, I'm sure, that 'tis better to give a gift that warms the soul than to give a gift that clutters the shelves. Give them their gifts in-game, and they'll thank you for it.Virtual financial aid
It never hurts to give the gift of virtual money. Do you have an alt with more influence or infamy than it how to use? Is your Defender nicknamed Trump, or is your Scrapper referred to as Daddy Warbucks? Why not share the wealth, and give a friend who's just starting out the opportunity to purchase a few much-needed enhancements, or provide them with some seed funding for the future.
Give the gift of yourself
And 'tis the season to hang out, so perhaps you could arrange a team, task force, or event with them, and make the time to do it. So often, we complain about not having the time to share our enjoyment of the game with our friends: now it's time to make the time. Whether you're slaloming down the slopes for the Winter Event, or simply collecting Holiday Cheer and sharing it with them, spend some time with your Supergroup or with your friends, and let them know you're thinking about them.
Assist in acquiring haute couture
Speaking of sharing the wealth, are you a well-known designer, while your friend struggles to decide which tank top goes with which pair of jeans? Help them design an outfit. Utilize the delights Sexy Jay has given us, and either sketch out your designs or give your friends a walkthrough of the costume creator. You can always send them a screen shot of exactly what you meant to create along with the exact options you used to get the costume set up "just right." Remember, though, that you're doing this because you like them: don't make them look like a ho-ho-ho.Transfer your affections
Perhaps you remember the old, "You're here, and she's there" commercials from American Express. Well, no longer need that be the case for you. One inexpensive in-game gift you can provide is a Character Rename or Server Transfer. Remind them that they will lose their server-specific friends list if they transfer servers, but this allows all of you to be on the same server, even if the names must be changed to protect the no longer innocent.
Remember, there's no present like the time
And this holiday season is the perfect time to gift your friends with a PlayNC Game Card: allow them to add some time to their account without paying for it themselves. PlayNC Game Cards come in increments up to 60 days, and they're available both online and locally at retailers such as Best Buy and CompUSA. And fear not, my friends: I offer these suggestions not because we have a reciprocal agreement, but because it's where I usually purchase mine when providing gifts.
Bramblethorn here, and I'm from Guardian, if you have to know. Don't listen to slush-for-brains: playing in his winter wonderland has made him forget that mortals want swag. They prefer things they can use outside of the game, so here are a few of my suggestions for non-explosive items to stuff in their spandex.Software, etcetera
Even though you're used to traipsing around the Rogue Isles ... oh, okay, and Paragon City, if you're really into that kind of thing ... some of your friends may not be. If that's the case, why not pick them up a copy of the City of Heroes Good Versus Evil Edition? Best of both worlds: you can play on the powerful, magnificent, handsome side of industry and enlightenment, or you can be a hero. And hey, if they already had both City of Heroes and City of Villains installed, why not get them the Good Versus Evil Edition In-Game Item Pack? It'll give them the Jump Pack, Pocket D card, and a few new costume pieces.
Navel gazing
While there's not much readily available other than electronic media and add-ons from the CoX store in the US, if you visit the UK's side of things, you'll have the option for them to cover themselves with City of Heroes and City of Villains T-Shirts, grab a poster for their wall, and you can pick up a Lord Recluse statuette to set on your mantle for your daily devotionals. And hey, quit griping: the prices are in both British Pounds and the EU's Euros, but once you get to the checkout, you'll see how much the cost is in US Dollars for both the item, and for shipping.
It's worth 1,000 words
If your friends didn't have the opportunity to attend the CoX Meet & Greet last month, they likely didn't have the opportunity to win any of David Nakayama's artwork. Yeah, I know: cry me a river, why don't you. Well, don't worry, you can still help them geek out by either purchasing his work directly from his site, or by visiting auction sites like eBay and looking for original CoX artwork by other artists like Ronan Cliquet. Lord Recluse, I choose you!
And do you know someone who plays the City of Heroes Collectible Card Game? If so, you have two choices for them: either get them some booster packs to increase the damage they can do to their enemies, or get them some protective card sleeves so their grubby little fingerprints'll wipe right off. Of course, you could always battle them to a humiliating standstill with your deck, and capture their cards for yourself, but I suppose that doesn't mesh with the joy of the season, now, does it?