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Leaderboard: Superhero costume creators
Every cape worth his, her, or its salt knows that without a snappy fashion statement, all of the powers in the universe won't be able to make you a cool superhero. That's why our current trifecta of superhero MMOs place such a premium on giving players tools to create a unique, memorable, and suitable outfit for their comic book star. But this being Leaderboard and all, we can't just allow the three costume creators to co-exist peacefully. Nay, we must throw them into the DoomSphere™ and spin that puppy around until only one good-looking candidate remains. Will it be the grand-daddy of them all, City of Heroes? Or Cryptic's follow-up with Champions Online? Or perhaps the upstart, DC Universe Online? Vote for the best costume creator after the jump and help to pulverize the competition!
Champions Online has a new Executive Producer and a new State of the Game
Changes in administration for any game can leave players a bit rattled -- and with a game like Champions Online that's already seen several management changes, it's even more disconcerting. That's only one of the big takeaways from the game's newest State of the Game address, which opens up with Rob Overmeyer outlining the game's recent updates and announcing that he's stepping down from his current role as executive producer (although he's remaining with the game's development staff). Brad Stokan, the new executive producer, has enough in his portion of the letter that you might forget about the first half. He explains that the team is working on building new content updates around overall themes, with June's major theme -- in both story content and mechanical inclusions -- being powered armor. This is going to continue with new Alerts and special events based around themes. He also teases that we may very well see superheroic vehicles in the game in the near future, giving players of Champions Online plenty to look forward to under new administration.
Champions Online features a new grab bag with a potential freeform prize
The big draw behind Champions Online has always been making a freeform character, selecting powers and abilities to your taste instead of along a pre-determined path. Cryptic Studios knows this quite well, hence why freeform characters are normally restricted to subscribers. But the newest grab bag unveiled by the game offers everyone, paid and free, a chance to win a new slot for freeform character creation. And you don't even need to pay money for the chance. Freeform Grab Bags are awarded from the new daily quests from the Drifter, giving players a chance at earning a new Free Form Slot. Subscribers still get a new character slot out of the deal, but free players get a new slot that will unlock every available power for use on that character. You can also pick it up in the C-Store, but it won't be available there after June 22nd. So if you want a chance to play with a freeform character without a subscription, now's your chance... at a chance.
Champions Online dev diary details Power Armor review process
After seeing a certain summer superhero film, some people may have been overwhelmed by the urge to fly around in an awesome high-tech armor suit that makes things go boom. Unfortunately, we can't all be Tony Stark, but Cryptic is here to help with a detailed post on the recent additions to Champions Online's Power Armor powerset. The post outlines the entire process behind designing and implementing the myriad improvements while highlighting some of the new abilities being brought to the table. The process begins with the gathering of community feedback, after which the developers sit down and hash out ideas based on power designer Matt Danuser's "vision for the set, including any new power or mechanic fixes... it needs." Then the designers, artists, and programmers kick into high gear by implementing the powers in the game, creating graphics for them, and making sure that there are no glaring imbalances in the mechanics. Then it's off to the public test shard for more community feedback. For Danuser's full blog on the subject, head on over to the Champions Online official site.
Choose My Adventure: Take it back
Film trilogies rarely work out well. Either they're a case of a successful film spawning a successful sequel that leads into a try at a third film or they're a story stretched and hyped into unrecognizable shapes after several years. As a result, most third installments vary between "depends on personal taste" and "just plain bad." But here we are on my third run through Choose My Adventure, which means that for better or worse I'm looking at a trilogy. Let's hope this turns out slightly better than history might indicate. Beneath the cut are our nine candidates for the next game on the block, complete with explanations about why I've chosen those titles instead of other possibilities. Go ahead and read through the possibilities, then vote for your choice by Saturday if you want to be counted! Next week, tune in for a much more opinionated column as we kick off part three. And yes, the bonus polls are back.
Winners announced in Champions Online Design a Villain contest
Who could resist the opportunity to see one's very own custom super-villain face off against the heroes in Champions Online? One glance at the contest's forum thread shows that many couldn't; a wide variety of nefarious villains were proposed in page after page of contest entries. After much deliberation, Cryptic has finally announced the winners of its Design A Villain contest. However, with so many entries, Cryptic upped the number of winners from five to seven and promised that another round of winners will be announced at a later date. The grand prize winner who will see both of his creations featured in an upcoming 10-man Alert is Fryguy8544. Runner ups are Ubusunagami, Akwartz, Rianba, chezpizza, Azathoth-Sothoth, and CCat76; their villains will also be featured in the game. Congratulations to the winners! To check out the winning submissions with their corresponding costumes, visit the official announcement linked below (you'll need to log in to the forums to see the pictures). And for those whose submissions weren't chosen this time, keep watch for the next waves of winners.
Champions Online gives you the chance to design an in-game villain
Let's face it: Supervillains are almost always more interesting than heroes. Give us The Joker, Lex Luthor, or Deadpool any day of the week, and we're happy geeks. So to design a supervillain in Champions Online that will actually go into the game seems like a dream come true. Cryptic is hosting a Design-a-Villain contest in which players can whip up some fearsome foes of their very own. The top five submissions will make it into the game in the form of Alerts villains whom everyone will fight. The top villain will be used in a 10-man Alert, while the others will be relegated to other roles in the future. Any players, including free ones, may participate. To do so, you'll need to make an outfit for the villain in the Champions' costume creator, then come up with a name, backstory, power set, and minion type. Bring your best game, for you may only enter twice. [Thanks to The Grand Nagus for the tip!]
Cryptic Studios issues security warning in response to database breach
Cryptic Studios, purveyor of Champions Online, Star Trek Online, and the upcoming Neverwinter, has just posted an ominous security warning on its official site. Its new security procedures have recently detected that hackers gained unauthorized access to a user database back in December of 2010. According to the studio, The unauthorized access included user account names, handles, and encrypted passwords for those accounts. Even though the passwords were encrypted, it is apparent that the intruder has been able to crack some portion of the passwords in this database. All accounts that we believe were present in the database have had the passwords reset, and customers registered to these accounts have been notified via e-mail of this incident. While Cryptic does not believe additional information (like player names and credit card numbers) was taken, it advises vigilance all the same and warns against phishing scams. We'll keep you posted as we learn more. (Thanks to Geoff for the tip!)
Choose My Adventure: Ultimate road trip edition
Let's go for another spin! Just like Mikey of Life cereal fame, I ventured into the realm of Choose My Adventure once before, and I liked it! Grand adventures, camaraderie with readers, exploring the unknown... what more could I ask for? More time, obviously! It ended all too soon. I was totally revved up and ready to jump right back in, but unfortunately neither pleading nor bribery worked to continue my stint as your plucky puppet (and locking the other staff members in a dark closet didn't pan out either -- they escaped), so I had to park it and wait my turn. It took much too long, but finally my time has come again. *happy dance* Now the boss may have handed me the keys, but you will be the ones driving. The top is down, and I've got snacks and shades; all that is left to begin our adventure for the next six weeks is to pick which direction to head and floor it. Although a lot of good places have already been visited, there are plenty more to choose from. In the mood for fantasy? Capes? Nebulas? Heavy artillery? Cast your votes by Sunday, April 22nd, 2012, at 11:59 p.m. EDT for your chance to steer me to the world of your choice. Our possible destinations (in no particular order) are...
Champions Online alerts players to a new trailer
If you haven't played the content in the latest Champions Online update, you haven't been playing the game. After all, the update launched last Friday. But maybe you're a free player and you're still on the fence about whether or not the game is worth playing with all of the system overhauls and new mechanics. In the hopes of targeting that critical but indecisive user base, the development team has put together a new trailer for the On Alert update. All right, so perhaps a trailer isn't the best place to show off detailed mechanical shifts in depth unless you really enjoy watching math. But it still shows off a bit of the new group challenges and the new Alert system, and the update's information hub can fill you in on the more numerical shifts. Check out the trailer just past the break, and if it sparks your interest, you can log into the game and start playing with the new systems now.
Champions Online's On Alert launches, we interview Rob Overmeyer
There's been a big buzz for the latest update to Champions Online. The entire game is undergoing a significant overhaul for the newest expansion, On Alert, which has just gone live today. The developers are adding in talent trees for player heroes as well as a dramatic overhaul of the way equipment works. We sat down with Rob Overmeyer, executive producer for Champions, and asked him a few questions about the update and what it will mean for Millennium City's superhero population. Naturally, he had a lot to say!
Cryptic answers Champions Online Questionite questions in latest dev blog
Unobtainium? Forget it. Vibranium? Old hat. Eludium? So passé. Champions Online's next update, Champions On Alert, will introduce a new element that will put the absurd naming convention of all these fictional substances to shame. The element in question is known as Questionite, and it will be the latest in-game currency available to CO players. The new currency will be used to procure "high level gear, Top Tier Costume Pieces and other special items like Travel Power Skins." The newest Champions Online dev blog addresses some common question(ite)s pertaining to the new currency. Questionite can be acquired through a variety of in-game methods, all of which are listed on the blog. The substance can also be bought from other players in exchange for Cryptic points (and of course, this also means that players can sell their Questionite to other players for Cryptic Points), which provides players who don't want to part with their hard-earned real-world cash an avenue through which to acquire C-Store exclusive items. It's certainly an interesting system, to say the least, so Champions players would do well to head on over to the official blog post and check out the full details.
Champions Online cuts the craft in favor of the mod scene
Whether or not you're fond of Champions Online, you probably don't like the game's crafting system. Almost no one does, and apparently not even the developers have been terribly pleased with it. That's why the game is putting that system aside and replacing it with a new system. The Mod and Fusion system will work more along the lines of gear slotting as found in other MMOs. Certain gear comes with slots for Mods, and by combining Mods via Fusion, you can produce more powerful enhancements. The old crafting skills, meanwhile, tie into the new method of fusing Mods by helping you create stronger Mods and harvest new ones. Extant crafters will also be integrated into the new system; all existing crafted benefits will stay in place (although new ones won't be available), and the crafting-specific travel powers and bags will be moved to other vendors. It's a pretty radical reinvention of the game's current dynamic, but it will hopefully make the game a bit more fun for crafters and non-crafters alike.
Grab, smash, and burst: Champions Online summarizes Alerts
Champions Online's upcoming Alert system seems to be the perfect solution to Captain Immediate Gratification's urges. In the push of a few buttons, a primed and ready superhero can dive right into team vs. villain action. Executive Producer Rob Overmeyer writes an after-report of the Alert system from its recent stay on the public test server. His post provides a great overview and how-to guide of the system, starting with its three basic variations: GRAB Alerts (stopping villains from doing crime), SMASH Alerts (all-out brawls), and BURST Alerts (unstable environments necessitating instant action). Within the three versions of Alerts, all sorts of crazy events can occur. Players' nemeses may appear, and classic villains may team up to fight you. There are also specific rewards based on the Alert tackled; for example, Champions will give resources for GRAB Alerts and modifications for BURST Alerts. "Alerts are a great platform to offer a ton of gameplay with loads of variety," Overmeyer writes. "We're really excited to launch Alerts, and to see the feature grow with Champs over time."
Champions Online previews the new Specialization system
Whether or not you're a fan of Champions Online, you have to admit that the game gives players a lot of options in customizing a character. But apparently the designers felt a need to add another layer of customization, hence the upcoming Specialization System. A preview of the system has been posted, giving players a chance to look at the various combinations that will shape your improved abilities, whether you're playing with an Archetype or a freeform character. Each character will gain access to three different trees to spend Specialization points; the first tree at level 10 based off of your primary Super Stat. The two subsequent trees are unlocked at level 20 and 30; these trees are predetermined for Archetypes and can be freely selected for freeform characters. Each tree offers a number of benefits for given roles, allowing a great deal of flexibility in creating a character build that suits what you like to do best.
Champions Online puts out Alerts for heroes
Executive Producer Rob Overmeyer is beating the drums about the "big goals" for Champions Online's next update. Possibly one of the biggest of these goals is the addition of the Grab Alerts system, and in a new dev diary, Overmeyer outlines how these will work. Grab Alerts are small team instances designed to allow players to get into exciting scenarios without a lot of waiting. Each Alert centers around a super-villain who's up to no good -- such as a heist or kidnapping -- and challenges players to thwart the evil-doer's efforts. Overmeyer promises that it will take just "two clicks" to get into an Alert, as the system will team up like-minded heroes automatically and then toss them into the instance. Alerts will be shuffled around on a regular basis as to keep things fresh, so players will need to check the Alert Rotator to see which ones are available. If a player is looking for a specific reward that's tied to a certain Alert, the Rotator will help him or her find it. Overmeyer promises a wide range of rewards including costumes, gear, and bonuses.
Party tonight, for tomorrow we fly: Champions celebrates its F2P anniversary
A year after making the switch to decaf, er, free-to-play, Champions Online is livelier than ever. To celebrate the super-powered boost that F2P gave, Cryptic Studios is hosting special events both in and out of the game. From today through the end of the month, players can enjoy a hefty 20% discount on anything in the C-Store (excluding grab bags). So if you've been eying that special outfit or archetype, now might be the time to nab it. If you're not looking to spend any money but don't mind partying with the stars, there's plenty of fun to go around. For the rest of the anniversary event, characters can fly through the levels due to a double XP boost at their backs, courtesy of Witchcraft. Another hero, The Mountain, will be selling Halloween and Winter Gift Bags with in-game currency. Mr. The Mountain also has a special mission for those who want to earn his trademarked Mountain Costume pieces.
Champions Online looks back to look forward in January State of the Game
It's a new year, and many game studios are stating their revolutions for the coming months. Cryptic Studios is joining that club with Champions Online's first State of the Game post for 2012. Rob Overmeyer, the game's Executive Producer, takes some time to reminisce on CO's progress throughout 2011, which included the title's jump to a F2P business model as well as a number of content updates. After that little stroll down memory lane, Overmeyer gives players a glimpse of the future as he addresses the features of the game's next major update. These include an entirely overhauled itemization system, a new enhancement system, alerts, and more. For the complete details, click through the link below to Champions Online's January 2012 State of the Game.
Champions Online reveals new Mountain archetype
Champions Online has a new protector in town, and he's about as subtle as Gregor Clegane (though quite a bit nicer). The game's newest archetype is called The Mountain, and Cryptic has revealed all the vitals on Champions' official website. The Mountain is "an embodiment of the rocks and earth that surround us, standing firm in the face of [his] foes," and Cryptic says that the archetype boasts knock-downs and considerable damage-soaking abilities. The devs have also provided a handy power listing that details everything from 1 to 40, as well as a few concept phrases -- like rock golem, earth elemental, and primordial entity -- to give you an idea what you're in for if you make a Mountain.
This Week in MMO: Fable edition
What new this week in MMOs? You'll have to watch This Week in MMO to find out. Funny how that works, huh? Host Gary Gannon is joined by Mike Schaffnit and Jasmine Hruschak for the traditional news roundtable, and boy is there a lot to talk about. Topics include Star Wars: The Old Republic's launch and post-launch reactions, Cryptic's SWTOR ripoffs homages, and TERA's endgame political system. The heretofore single-player Fable franchise gets a mention as well, due to Microsoft's curious job posting that seeks an experienced MMO programmer. Join the trio for all this and more at the Gamebreaker website.
