Anti-Aliased: Champions Online one month checkup pt. 2

Seraphina is level 17, but she's doing level 20 quests because she has nothing lower to do. Her crime computer is reporting that she's done everything her level, and three levels higher than her. That's, honestly, a pretty big problem.

What was making matters worse was her inventory was cluttered up with items she couldn't use until 2 or 3 levels from her current level. Cryptic has been dropping level requirements from mission items (they are, of course, no trade) with the new patch, however, so hopefully I can begin to wear things now.

So will I continue to play Champions?

Short answer: Yes I will.

Long answer: I'm sticking with this game because through all of its flaws, it's still fun. I can't say I feel as if I'm grinding (for the most part) in Champions. I can log in and get many different play experiences all rolled up into one neat package.

When I log into Lace, for example, I'm not playing the game's DPS class. I'm playing my DPS class. And the way I deal out DPS might be very, very different from the way another hero deals DPS. Yet, I feel right at home because I know how this DPS class works. I built her. Even someone with the same powers might not even operate the same way I do, just because of differences in talents and stats. The same with my tank, and my crowd control, and my other DPS character.

When I want to play with my friends, any of my friends, I can just log in and do it. No worries on server, no worrying about standing in line in a queue. No worries about level, even, because I have sidekicking that works both ways. My friends can help me with my quests. I can help them with their quests. I don't have to wait for fun, I just jump in and have fun.

And, even at the lower levels, I got to be involved in scenarios that I felt were epic. One of my favorites is still the public mission, "A Bullet Bound for Biselle," where heroes have to protect the mayor as he gives a speech. The public mission ends with Viper-X, a leader of the VIPER units, appearing in a helicopter with a whole unit of troops, shooting up the heroes as the Mayor runs for cover. It was a really, really neat public mission, and it was available at level 17.

So I am certainly giving this game another month's worth of my time, and I'm looking very much forward to the war that will begin with the opening of Blood Moon.

Seraphina Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who can fly without a flight timer. When she's not writing here for Massively, she's rambling on her personal blog, The Experience Curve. If you want to message her, send her an e-mail at colin.brennan AT weblogsinc DOT com. You can also follow her on Twitter through Massively, or through her personal feed, @sera_brennan.