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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Glorious roundup of community motherland
I am still deeply disappointed that we do not have more Russia-themed content... well, anywhere, but especially in City of Heroes. Having grown up during the end of the Cold War, I want more fur coats and red stars and winter wastelands with nuclear missiles. Yes, it's stereotypical, but so are steampunk Prussians, holdovers from the Third Reich, and robed sword-wielding cultists. Wouldn't it be lovely? Now, much as I might like to, my love of the odd post-Cold War Russian image that's now been inserted unceremoniously into pop culture is not the point of today's article. No, today we're focusing on a straight roundup of all the community discussions that have been taking place of late, and, as always, there's plenty to talk about. While the news about Going Rogue has slowed slightly, Issue 17 is just around the corner, and the City of Heroes community hasn't stopped finding things to talk about over the past six years anyhow. Jump on past the cut for highlights of the glorious motherland of community.
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Architectural concerns
The big news for City of Heroes over the past week (at least at the time of writing) was the rather borked Mission Architect fix that went live. Well-intentioned, sure, but still borked beyond all comprehension. There's nothing like losing out on experience gained because of rescuing hostages to make players feel like they're welcomed to try out player-created content. But let's not kid ourselves: this is not exactly a unique occurrence. We've been having problems involving some combination of Mission Architect and farming more or less since it launched, and that was back on Issue 14. A year out, you would kind of expect that they'd fix the basic problem of people trying to get something for nothing... but here we are, and the team is still rocking back and forth on the feature. If you're one of the players who prefer the farming style, nowadays it likely feels like more trouble than it's worth. So naturally, I decided to take a look at Mission Architect and what it means for City of Heroes today. Specifically, both why it's important that the team does their best to keep it balanced, and why said balancing is pointless and a waste of time. (I love arguing self-defeating premises.)
Mission Architect fix goes haywire in City of Heroes
With any player-generated content system, a game becomes a struggle between two equal and opposing forces: the designers who want to cram in every possible exploit to get the best possible rewards with the least possible effort, and those who just want to make really neat story arcs. City of Heroes recently dropped a small patch in the hopes of fighting something that had been a target for exploits, and unfortunately the latter group got caught in the crossfire. In short, the patch was designed to target allied NPCs in missions who didn't attack, but buffed the player characters to the gills in order to make missions easier. Unfortunately, caught in the crossfire were almost any missions that involved things other than enemies, up to and including missions where players would rescue hostages. Needless to say, player response has not been kind. Sean "Dr. Aeon" McCann was quick to give an official statement on the matter, explaining that the idea was to implement a temporary fix that would prevent current farming, with a more permanent one coming around Issue 17's launch. (Although we don't have a specific date on that, it's been generally pegged for early this month.) Until then, City of Heroes players might find themselves advised to take a break from Mission Architect for a little while. [ Thanks to Steve for the tip! ]
PAX East 2010: City of Heroes panel reveals many things
Unpacking the City of Heroes panel at PAX East is a big deal: there were huge amounts of information being thrown around, and a lot of new pieces of information to process. For that matter, there was far more than anyone expected, with information about the full spread of new issues up to Issue 19 and the reveal of Matt "Positron" Miller's heretofore unrevealed new endgame system. The panel as a whole featured a huge breadth of information about the game from concept into the future, and was filled with people long before the official start time, with fans vocally professing their adoration for the team the whole way through. We had the good fortune to be front and center at the theatre, and once we started taking notes we didn't really stop until the event was over. At the panel were lead designer Melissa Bianco, former lead designer and current lead system designer Matt Miller, art lead David Nakayama, and development producer Jesse Caceres. They opened off with a discussion of the game's history from launch back in 2004 to the present. The changeover from Cryptic to Paragon Studios was discussed in brief, mentioning that four of the major launch employees (Miller, Bianco, CW Bennet, and Brian Clayton) were still with Paragon even after the change.
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Return of community news
There's quite a bit to crow about in the City of Heroes community of late. Since the last time we've taken a look at the community, we've had a huge amount of new information about the next expansion, a double XP weekend, and the usual regimen of alien invasions and parallel universes. (July's release of Going Rogue will greatly increase the parallel universe portion.) And if you live on the east coast, you also have the opportunity to meet the Paragon Studios crew without traveling to the other side of the country! Have I mentioned that I live on the east coast? So next week, expect a very weary me to be dishing out a whole bunch of news from PAX East, as I'm going to be following the crew around like a forlorn puppy. But that's then and this is now. Today, we're going to be looking at some of the interesting community threads that have popped up over the last month, from the serious to the amusing.
The Road to Mordor: How skirmishes have changed LotRO
Every Friday, The Road to Mordor brings you the latest in Lord of the Rings Online news, guides and analysis. In the last couple years, MMO developers have been addressing the problem of stagnant mid- and end-game play by giving gamers various forms of repeatable content. Warhammer Online proposed PvP scenarios, World of Warcraft launched their Dungeon Finder, City of Heroes added in Mission Architect, and with the advent of the Siege of Mirkwood expansion, LotRO invented skirmishes. While not identical in form or function, each of these systems is similar in a few ways: they are instantly accessible, they promote easy grouping, they encourage ad nauseum replay, and they offer an alternative way to gain XP and levels. Not to mention that while each of these features has seen criticism, they are greatly embraced by the playerbase and enjoyed by millions daily. One could argue -- and I guess I am that one -- that skirmishes were LotRO's hole card for Mirkwood, the big "hook" that grabbed players' attention and imaginations. While not a complete game-changer, skirmishes have undeniably altered the face of the game and impacted many players' experiences, for better or worse. So let's face this change head-on and see how skirmishes have fared since last December's debut. Pick up a lute and play me a merry song, for we'll need all the courage to hit the jump and come out on top!
New Issue 17 details for City of Heroes
If you play City of Heroes, you're looking forward to the upcoming Issue 17. We've heard some of what can be expected from the big pre-expansion drop, but much of it was cloaked in vague terms -- improvements that didn't have any hard data attached to them, like the promise of new missions and UI revisions. But the official site has put up a page on the coming features for the update, and it helps clarify some things we didn't know about, as well as offering some excellent news besides. And it promises the end of Positron's dreaded unending task force! (It'll still be there, but it will be split into two parts and improved all around.)
Ultra Mode, new powersets, and new issue coming to City of Heroes
Dr. Aeon is as good as his word and better yet. We're not just getting Ultra Mode prior to the launch of City of Heroes: Going Rogue, we're getting a whole cavalcade of new things. City of Heroes players who have been holding off on pre-ordering the expansion are being given good reason not to dawdle, as pre-order customers will get access to the powersets in March and April. While an exact date of release has not been given, we are now being told that Going Rogue is expected to release in July, meaning we have a pretty clear idea of when we can start switching sides. But hold on to your hats, because there's still a lot more. Issue 17 is also going to bring the biggest change to Epic Archetypes since they were introduced: they will now unlock at level 20. That's a thirty-level drop and makes playing one as your main more fesable than ever. Oh, and we're promised new UI improvements, Mission Architect improvements, and more missions and badges. And that's not even touching on the promise of Going Rogue's collector's edition... suffice it to say that there's a lot to look forward to for City of Heroes players, and there looks to be quite a bit to talk about in the near future. %Gallery-85069%
New City of Heroes Mission Architect contest leaves everyone powerless
If there's one storyline that comic book writers love coming back to, and there certainly is, it's the idea of the main characters losing their abilities. Seeing whether or not heroes can overcome challenges without their gifts, or if villains are as dangerous when merely mortal, gives a lot of definition to normally superhuman antics. It's time for creators in City of Heroes to take on that trope, because the latest Mission Architect contest is all about taking the power away from the best-known champions of the city or the isles. The contest, running until February 24th, requires an arc centered around a known figure losing their powers, be they hero or villain. If that's not enough to capture the feel, though, the arc is meant for the lowest possible level band of 5-10. There's also a brief reminder that part of the goal is to stretch one's legs, and that the best arcs will likely incorporate features not generally found in low-level content. As with the prior contest, the prize is a permanent title and a potential Developer's Choice pick for the arc, so City of Heroes players should start thinking about what would be a fun way to be unempowered.
Interview sheds more light on latest City of Heroes guest authors
With the recent introduction of three new arcs in the guest author series, City of Heroes gets to enjoy a bit more time in the limelight thanks to the Mission Architect system. The arcs are currently available on the live servers, and while they won't provide weeks of enjoyment, they'll certainly pass a fair bit of time and be a fun ride in the process. Gamepro recently had the opportunity to talk to the newest guest authors about their experience working on the arcs and playing the game. If there's one unifying strand to all of the author comments, it's that working on Mission Architect doesn't just help create content, it forces creators to train themselves to write better. With limitations on how much speech can appear and when, all three authors mention that it forces the story down to its essentials. But it's not a limiting factor in making things weaker -- rather, it forces you to craft something that's entertaining even without a lot of flowery dialogue. The full interview also covers each author's experiences in balancing the arcs, as well as Ms. Lackey's discussion of her history as a player. Whether you've already experienced the new City of Heroes arcs or have yet to take them for a spin, it's clear that a great deal of thought and effort went into them.
City of Heroes announces next guest authors
Back in October, City of Heroes players got a treat in the form of three arcs created by high-profile creative minds. The Guest Author program used the Mission Architect system and gave players the enjoyment of working through missions scripted by authors known outside of the realm of Paragon City. We haven't heard much about the program since then, and so it might have seemed as if the feature had been forgotten, but it turns out it was simply in brief hibernation, as the official site has announced the next group of writers. Mercedes Lackey (known for her series of fantasy novels set in Valdemar), Troy Hickman (known for the meta-superhero series Common Grounds), and Austin Grossman (longtime writer of video games and author of Soon I Will Be Invincible) make up the next batch of guest writers crafting their own arcs in City of Heroes. Two of the arcs should be live today (assuming you're reading this on January 26th), according to a small supplementary piece which includes a few words from Sean McCann. It's good to see the game continuing to emphasize and enhance the experience of user-created content, and players should look forward to some high-profile names continuing to take their swing at it.
The community of architects in City of Heroes
If there's one thing that City of Heroes has become known for, it's the Mission Architect system. The player-generated content spans a huge number of adventures, ranging from the silly to the sublime. It's also robust enough in its search function that it's essentially added another venue of content into the game. The official site recently highlighted a feature in The Escapist, interviewing a number of community members and acclaimed users of the system about its ups, downs, and the overall experience. The system has faced a few problems -- abuse of it early on led to bans and some content removal, since it's easy when creating content to be too generous with the rewards and too light with the difficulty. There's also the issue of inappropriate content, and of course the possibility that a large portion of what's available just isn't all that good. The full piece highlights some of the better arcs available (including more than a few Developer's Choice missions, which were selected as being good enough to qualify as official content), as well as the efforts and reasoning behind the more popular creators and what they've built. Matt Miller was quoted as saying that players did in one day with the system what it took the developers five years to accomplish. Quite an argument in favor of player-created content, that.
Why You Should Be Playing City of Heroes: Content on demand
With all the talk about the Skirmish system in Lord of the Rings Online and the World of Warcraft dungeon finder, it's hard to argue that people don't really like having the option to simply pick up and start playing something. Both of these systems thrive on the strength of their pick-up-and-play nature -- you don't have to wait to find a group, you just jump right into content without any slowdown. The obvious question, then, becomes "why didn't someone notice that people like to just jumping in and playing the darn game?" Of course,the full answer is a bit less obvious but no less true: someone did. Several someones, in fact. Paragon Studios and Cryptic before them both realized how much people like to just pick up and go. That's why City of Heroes currently sports three different systems to allow you or a full team access to content quickly, ranging from reliving your character's greatest triumphs to fighting Nazi vampires on the moon.
Mission Architect contest launched in City of Heroes
If you like creating content, the Mission Architect system in City of Heroes offers a lot of venues for your creativity, and it's certainly one of the most-touted features of the game. Now, you might be able to get more than just the joy of having other people play through your creation as a prize. There's a new contest on the official site that promises to be the first in a series, allowing a lucky designer to receive a special title and possibly even the coveted Designer's Choice award for their mission. Sound like your sort of contest? There's a single catch -- you have to work within a given theme. In this case, the mission arc has to involve a hero doing evil for the greater good. That's a theme so ripe for exploration that we're all but certain several people came up with mission arcs just reading the line, so if you're firing on all cylinders take a look at the official rules and then get cracking. The contest ends on December 7th, plenty of time for crafting whatever story you think is best -- and considering City of Heroes: Going Rogue will be out before we know it, the submissions may wind up being more appropriate than you think. Considering that... well, who knows what winning might do for your future? Best to get to work.
Massively interviews City of Heroes' newest architect
Sean "Dr. Aeon" McCann is the newest member of the City of Heroes team, having wowed Paragon with his recent outstanding work on Mission Architect. We got a chance to congratulate Dr. Aeon directly, and took the opportunity to talk with him about his new position. He gives us a look at how he made the leap from player to team member, how he's settling in to his new role, and all about the fun of working on Mission Architect. Follow along after the jump for a look into the "greatest mind the world has ever known."
City of Heroes announces Guest Author Program for Mission Architect
No doubt it's Champions Online that seems to be getting the superhero MMO headlines of late in the gaming press, both for the new title's release and for some of the issues they've had in relation to that launch. But competition is generally a good thing from a gamer's perspective, and City of Heroes is also stepping up their game, particularly in regards to the Mission Architect. When the devs introduced the Mission Architect to City of Heroes, it was their first step towards embracing player-generated content and adding new dimensions to the game experience. They've announced that the next step with Mission Architect is to have a Guest Author Program where "comic book notables try their hand at mission design." NCsoft says the program will "invite influential writers and aspiring game or story designers" to collaborate with the City of Heroes devs and bring these missions into the game.
SDCC 09: City of Heroes devs on the future of player-created content
This week marked the annual pilgrimage to Comic-Con International in San Diego for the comics and gaming faithful, and a number of superhero MMO developers were there as well to whip the fanboys (and girls) into a frenzy. When you think about it, comic conventions are as big for superhero games as other events like E3 and PAX. Massively was on the ground at SDCC this year and among the games we took a look at was, not surprisingly, City of Heroes. We caught up with City of Heroes game designers Joe Morrissey and Matt "Positron" Miller who shared with us a bit about how things have changed in the game in recent months, and gave us some info about the content and features on the way in Issue 16: Power Spectrum.%Gallery-68649%
Redefining MMOs: Player developers!
A few weeks ago, we at Massively started the weekly "Redefining MMOs" series, a collection of articles examining how the MMO genre has been redefined during the current generation of games and where it's headed in the next. So far, we've looked at the terminology we use to refer to MMOs, how the art of storytelling has changed over the years, and the rise of the "massively singleplayer" online game. In this week's article, I examine what happens when players are given the reigns of an MMO or have a hand in part of its development. If you have something important to say on the topic, feel free to post a comment on page 3 or even write your own "Redefining MMOs" blog post and leave a comment with the URL. Traditionally, all content for an MMO is designed by the game's development studio and players have no direct influence on its creation. The idea of handing the reigns of an MMO to its players is considered heresy and we shudder to think of what horrible quests and areas players would construct if given a chance. But is our aversion justified or is it something developers should strive to overcome? Certainly Second Life has successfully capitalised on letting players develop almost every aspect of its virtual world but could successful mainstream MMOs make use of it too? City of Heroes, EVE Online and even World of Warcraft are prime examples which suggest they can. All three of these games have handed at least some part of the game's development over to players, with incredibly promising results. In this article, I look at these three successful examples of players being allowed to develop aspects of an MMO. I then go on to explain why this works and how the next generation of MMOs could learn from these pioneering feats.
Additional Mission Architect slots for City of Heroes now available
Hey there, look, we need to talk. We've seen you deleting and restarting your custom created missions in City of Heroes for a while now. At this point, we think you've probably recreated the entire 52 storylines a couple times over. It's too hard for us to watch you slave away for hours before getting another idea and starting all over again. That's why we're here to tell you that Paragon Studios has announced the sale of additional Mission Architect slots. You can now add one, two or five extra slots for $5.99, $9.99, and $19.99 respectively.So please, stop giving us that puppy dog look every time your creative juices begin to percolate. Especially when, for the price of a DVD, you can max out your available mission slots at eight -- eight! In another few months, we suspect you'll be asking for 16, though.
Rampant farming forces Paragon Studios to remove City of Heroes badges
When City of Heroes brought us Issue 14, they also brought something rather unique to the MMO space with the Mission Architect -- the ability for players to create their own mission scenarios and share them with other players. Unfortunately, when many games offer achievements of some sort, there are people who figure out ways to cheat the system and farm them out... which, sadly, has proven to be the case with City of Heroes. Synapse (aka Phil Zeleski) from the City of Heroes development team addresses this in a recent blog post. He writes: "We really didn't want the Mission Architect to be an environment that encourages farming for XP, Rewards or Badges, and we thought long and hard about the current Architect badge situation. Ultimately we'd like it to be a place where you go to play great player created content." To keep the Mission Architect system in keeping with their initial goals, Paragon Studios is removing the badges commonly farmed from the game, 90 of them in all, which he lists in his post.
