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Cryptic's Bill Roper on balancing powers in Champions Online
When news came in of the Champions Online launch being delayed to September, a few of the writers at Massively were despondent. It's always better for a game to launch once it's solid rather than release in a buggy state, though. While we wait for the re-scheduled September 1st launch, we're keeping up with the news and interviews surrounding the upcoming superhero title. In fact, we've just come across an MMOCrunch interview with Bill Roper, executive producer of Champions Online you might be interested in. Roper gets into how some of the game mechanics in Champions Online will play out, and explains a bit about how travel powers like flight and teleportation can be countered by those without such capabilities. (For example, how does a ground-based melee character engage a kiting opponent in flight?) He also touches upon the game's sidekick system, which will allow newer players to temporarily boost their powers to keep up with higher level friends. Alternately, the sidekick system will give advanced characters the ability to tone their powers down to the level of their appallingly weak lower level buddies.
E3 2009: Massively's day 4 roundup
Wait a minute, day 4 of E3 2009? Remedial math skills? E3 was only a three-day event, but our own coverage of Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009 is going to last a bit longer. We've still got a number of interviews and previews lined up for you in the coming days, today included, so we hope you'll keep reading this weekend. In the meantime, here are a few highlights of Massively's coverage of E3 2009 from yesterday: Champions Online interview with Bill Roper on character customization Torchlight, from creators of Mythos, to morph from single player to MMO Rohan: Blood Feud to get crafting system in June Massively's Dragonica Online Impressions If you'd like to see more, we've got some eye candy after the jump, with galleries for Champions Online, Torchlight, Rohan: Blood Feud, and Dragonica Online.
E3 2009: Bill Roper on character themes and customization in Champions Online
The superhero MMO genre has been ruled by one game and one game alone for the past five years: City of Heroes. NCsoft's title being quite literally the only game in town for superhero fans is about to change, with competitors like DC Universe Online and Champions Online on the way. We have a good idea of what to expect with DCUO given the recognizable characters the game incorporates, but what of Champions Online which is based upon the Champions pen and paper RPG?We've wondered what Cryptic Studios will do to differentiate Champions Online from the competition; Massively had a chance to sit down with Bill Roper, the game's executive producer, to discuss that question at E3 2009.%Gallery-17946%
Flagship lost Bill Roper friends and loved ones
Every day we ponder if now is the time to stuff our credibility into a rocket, shoot it into the sun and become the world's most irreverent and depressingly unqualified development studio. But we have to admit, interviews like Gamasutra's new one with Bill Roper, in which he details how the downfall of Flagship turned games into a business for him, give us pause. At one point, he says, "It was a really dark time. It cost me a lot more than just the money we'd put into the company and things like that. It cost me a lot on a personal level with friends and loved ones that I wasn't able to keep in the process." ... So, wait, it's not just drawing pictures of gigantic guns and space babes while you tighten up the graphics on level three? Looks like we'll be keeping our day jobs.
Bill Roper shares his industry experiences
There's a lengthy interview with Bill Roper over at Gamasutra, and it's well worth spending a few minutes reading it if you're at all interested in the games industry. From his time at Blizzard, to helming Flagship Studios, and now his relatively new position at Cryptic, Roper has seen and heard a lot, and the interview is all about him having a chance to share his "hard-won wisdom".When Flagship Studios and Hellgate: London came up, Roper was quick to point out that the venture as a whole was not an entirely bad experience, or one that he'd prefer to forget; rather, there was a lot of learning to be had from going through it: "I can say, 'These are the things that were amazingly successful at Blizzard and how they worked. And these were the things that were amazingly unsuccessful at Flagship.' And so, I think I learned as much from the failure, if not more, than the successes." The full interview covers a lot more than just Flagship, and even if you aren't familiar with Roper, it's interesting to hear the industry insights of a veteran.
Cryptic's Bill Roper: Microsoft MMO reveal for Xbox 360 unlikely at E3
Much has been said and written of the coming marriage of gaming consoles and MMOs, but like all lengthy engagements, if it drags on too long people begin to doubt it'll ever happen. When we do hear industry rumblings of a massively multiplayer online game coming to a console, it's generally about Playstation 3 rather than Xbox 360. But would it be fair to assume that Microsoft has less interest in bringing MMOs to the 360, much less delivering on a first-party MMO title? Bill Roper from Cryptic Studios seems to think so, and they're developing Champions Online for the 360 as well as PC. When speaking of the possibility that Microsoft would announce an MMO for the 360 at this year's E3, Roper told Patrick Garratt at VG247, "I don't think that's something they've been really pushing towards. From any discussions I've ever had, or heard with Don Mattrick [Microsoft's Senior VP of Interactive Entertainment Business], Don's not necessarily a huge MMO fan." Although he says he'd be pleasantly surprised if Microsoft did shift more focus to console MMOs, he cites the difficulties inherent in both dealing with technical issues and the complexities on the business side of working with third parties. You can have a look at what else Roper has to say on the prospects of Xbox 360 MMOs in the article at VG247. Do you feel that bringing your MMO of choice to the Xbox 360 would be viable, or are you starting to think that the 360/MMO marriage is doomed?
Champions Online dated for release on July 14th
During an event in the UK today, Cryptic's Bill Roper revealed that Champions Online will officially launch on July 14th 2009 in both the United State and Europe. The launch date, while a tiny bit further than expected, is probably for the better since Jumgpate Evolution is releasing in the middle of June anyhow. If both of these games hit in the same month, we'd probably lose our minds.Finally having a definitive release date is incredibly exciting and means we can now commence the tailoring of our superhero costume that we'll wear on launch day in order to celebrate. Of course, you won't be seeing that because well let's face it, we're going to be staying home waiting for Champions Online in the mail, dressed like the No Pants Man.Keep your eyes sharp, as we're sure there'll be additional information from this event sometime soon.
Official Champions DevBlog: Randy Mosiondz, lead designer on roleplay and gameplay
It's been on a short hiatus, but Massively's official bi-weekly Champions Online DevBlog has returned with a column from lead designer Randy Mosiondz concerning the balance between roleplay and gameplay. If you happened to have missed the previous entries, simply follow our Champions Developer posts and easy access to even more thoughts and commentary from the likes of Randy Mosiondz, Bill Roper and Jack Emmert.
Champions Online to incorporate Warhammer's public quests
One of the biggest innovations Warhammer Online brought to the MMO industry was easily its Public Quest system. The ability to share a big heroic encounter with a group of friends or even strangers is tons of fun, although without other people PQs suffer from an acute case of boringmentia. But that hasn't stopped Cryptic from applying their own version of the concept in Champions Online, according to an interview between Cryptic's Bill Roper and MMORPG.com from GDC 2009.And who could blame them? The basic idea behind Public Quests is very solid, it's primarily the implementation that seemed to be off in Warhammer Online. A key point is the amount of PQs in the game. If Champions Online doesn't go overkill with them, then the lack of people conundrum may not arise. Beyond that, many other problems such as scalability and equipment progression could cease to be issues -- less is more, basically.For Mythic, making the earlier PQs more solo friendly seems to have helped alleviate the problem. But considering that these quests are supposed to be public, that approach really does feel like a band-aid rather than a solution. It really could simply be that too many of the admittedly fun encounters in too close a proximity is just a bad idea.
Diablo II's producer weighs in on sequel's art style
Former VP of the now-defunct Blizzard North and producer of Diablo II, Bill Roper, agrees with fans who feel Diablo III ... well, doesn't quite look "Diablo" enough. Roper discussed the game's brighter, more cartoon-like art style with VideoGamer.com as part of a broader interview."I can't say that I dislike it. I didn't look at it and go, oh my God that's horrible," Roper said of his initial reaction to Diablo III. "But I looked at it and went, it's not really... to me as a player it just didn't really ring with Diablo."With Blizzard "really pleased" with the look and feel of the game as-is, the only option for those seeking a darker Diablo III experience will be labeled "reduce gamma" under "visual settings."[Via Shacknews]
Nemesis system for Champions detailed, but not via dramatic monologue
Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad, and in this case we get news of Champions Online's console release being delayed along with tasty new information on the game's nemesis system. It turns out the creation of a player's arch nemesis happen around mid-level and according to Bill Roper, the same tools used to build a hero are employed.Players'll get to design a villainous costume, choose their dastardly powers, select some conniving minions, peruse for minion weaponry and also decide upon nemesis' motivations. After all that's completed minions will begin to harass the player via ambushes, but eventually one will talk and reveal a clue or two about his boss. This opens up a series of side missions that are designed as the biggest solo challenge in the game, although Bill pointed out that a nemesis showdown battle can be completed with a group of friends as well.The nemesis system stands out as one of Champions Online's most unique features, and it seems like the tip of the iceberg of features designed to allow players to create custom in-game content for others to experience. A good start for the second superhero game to hit the MMO market.
Champions Online console launch will be delayed
It would appear that Bill Roper has confirmed what many suspected might happen in terms of the release of Champions Online. According to an interview on Eurogamer, Champions Online will release to PC first, with the console release following at some time after initial launch. With other MMOs having the same apparent problems with regard to launching on consoles, it's no real surprise that this has happened with Champions Online. Most of the developers we've spoken to have discussed the difficulty of patching to consoles with the same speed that you can patch PC games; a crucial issue if you intend to allow all platforms the ability to play together.In the interview Roper discusses the changes to the game's UI from the original console-friendly model to a more PC-specific variant. Apparently the plan now is to release both games with completely different UI models to take advantage of the different platform types. What this overall delay and reoptimization will mean for the eventual release date for Champions Online's console version - and the ability for console players to play with their PC friends - is anyone's guess. We're just hoping that it doesn't wind up in the (seeming) vaporware category like many of the other promised-and-not-delivered console MMOs to date.
Champions Online video delves deep into the waters of Lemuria
We've been waiting for the first video featuring Lemuria to -- pardon the pun -- surface, and now we're happy to report that it's here! On top of the visually stunning fly through of Champions Online's mid-level underwater zone, IGN also has an interview with Bill Roper that covers a good amount of ground concerning the first questions that popped into our head when Lemuria was originally revealed.Namely, Roper answers our burning questions on fire-based powers underwater and breathing mechanics. A pill developed by the in-game faction called UNTIL will allow heroes to breath with ease and for the sake of fun. Who wants to resurface every five or ten minutes, anyhow?And as for the water-unfriendly powers, Cryptic is simply taking the "this is a comic book-based world" approach and not messing with anything. However, travel powers apparently aren't going to work underwater, which makes sense. We only hope there's some way to compensate people who spend some time underwater. Giving out a water propeller backpack after completing the first few quest chains couldn't hurt.
Cryptic's Bill Roper: Don't count Warhammer Online out just yet
MTV Multiplayer's ever-interviewing Tracey John managed to speak with Bill Roper at length concerning his thoughts on Warhammer Online and the trials it and other like-minded online games are facing. "I know many games out there that would love to have 300,000 subscribers." said Roper in regards to the recently revealed subscriber count. And we'd have to agree with him there, it certainly is a number that several smaller-budget titles would love to have.When questioned on the recent Mythic layoffs and future prospects of the game, Roper said, "I think Warhammer's got a lot of awesome stuff about it, obviously the Mythic guys are great." However, there was much more he had to say on the topic of Warhammer Online, including Cryptic's own take on dealing with the tough economy that all developers and publishers are currently facing -- which is to make sure their games come with financially reasonable system requirements.
Official Champions DevBlog: Randy Mosiondz on laying a foundation
Hello and welcome to the third issue of the Massively.com hosted official Champions Online developer blog! If you happened to miss the last one featuring Bill Roper on storytelling, you can find it right here. Remember, we should be seeing a developer post about twice a month between now and launch day. So if you're interested in following developer insights directly from their own fingertips make sure to follow our very own Champions Developer blogger, who will be doing the honors of posting your bi-weekly dose of DevBlog goodness.
Vehicles, 200 weapons and hospitalized writers in Champions Online
All right, so maybe the 200 mundane weapons available in Champions Online won't fit into a vehicle -- but it makes for some startling imagery. Unfortunately, according to the panel which took place last weekend at the New York Comic-con, Champions Online is unlikely to launch with drivable wheels of steel or any other form of bodacious transportation. But don't feel like all is lost, because Cryptic was quick mention that situation would be remedied soon after CO-day.(Everyone calls launch day CO-day, right?)
Reactive worlds, knowledge perks and storyline in Champions Online
Been wondering what the bigger picture was for storytelling in Champions Online? Well, today we got it. Bill Roper recently laid out the different tools for allowing players to do more than just pounding down punks as they progress through the game. Knowledge perks and a visible impact of the game world being the two biggies for us -- although we do still hold a soft spot for that Nemesis system, too.With knowledge perks, as players discover, unlock and attain perks, they'll receive in-game rewards. We're very happy to see Cryptic focusing on story rewards, and with the eventual addition of the Investigation system there could be a ton of non-combat to experience in the future.Reactive worlds has a ton of potential. The example given is when players work to reduce gang activity in Westside, it will cause the streets to become cleaner places. Our hope is that these reactive environments are littered throughout the game world in creative and interesting ways, as it reminds us a bit of Wrath of the Lich King's phasing feature -- which is something we think all MMOs need to include in the future.
Official Champions DevBlog: Design Director Bill Roper on Storytelling
Hello and welcome to issue number two of the Massively.com hosted official Champions Online developer blog! If you happened to miss the first one featuring Jack Emmert, you can find it right here. Remember, we should be seeing a developer post about twice a month between now and launch day. So if you're interested in following the insights straight from the team make sure to follow our very own Champions Developer blogger, who will be doing the honors of posting your bi-weekly dose of DevBlog goodness.Today Bill Roper lays down some details on how Cryptic Studios is enabling a deeper sense of story in Champions Online. It's all pretty interesting stuff, and you can check it out after the cut!%Gallery-17946%
Bill Roper of Cryptic Studios discusses Champions Online
MMO-centric website Allakhazam is running an interesting piece on Champions Online. Tamat, the site's Editor-in-Chief, caught up with Bill Roper, the Design Director for Champions Online at Cryptic Studios. The interview ranges from what Roper does at Cryptic to some of mistakes learned along the way -- particularly in the wake of what happened with Flagship Studios and Hellgate: London.The interview covers a good range of topics, discussing Roper's transition from the business side of an MMO developer to focusing on creating a game, and how trying to compete with WoW isn't a concern for Cryptic with Champions Online. Roper also discusses the idea of bringing some of the original pen and paper Champions Online system to the MMO. He says, "We're including the core concepts of talents, perks, and even exposing the stats system to a degree. We've streamlined some of the concepts of the game to make it more accessible to a broader range of players, but without losing the beauty of what makes Champions the great game and IP it is." Have a look at the full interview with Cryptic's Bill Roper over at Allakhazam for more on the directions Champions Online will be taking.
Take a video tour of Cryptic Studios
In what is said to be only the first installment of a new video-podcast series, Cryptic Studios have invited all of us to peak over their shoulders and see some of the members of their team at work. The video, titled "Day as a Dev", introduces us to the Production Team. Chief Creative Officer Jack Emmert recaps the three titles that the studio is working on: Champions Online, Star Trek Online, and one unannounced super-secret game. Most of the developers we meet in the video are part of the large Champions team, but all three games are represented.It's always nice to get this sort of behind-the-scenes look at the development process for an anticipated game, and to see how the different aspects come together to make up the whole picture. We also get to see how Bill Roper is doing in his new role at Cryptic as Design Director for Champions Online. However, we're going to have to award the "best quote" to Randy Mosiondz: "It's a challenging job, but at the end of the day, I make video games, and what's more, a super-hero video game, so there's nothing wrong with that."
