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Jukebox Heroes: Whimsy and oddity
I have two big announcements today. The first is that Jukebox Heroes is switching from a bi-weekly to a weekly schedule, which should delight my 30 readers and cause an epidemic of indifference elsewhere. The second is that we're going to take a week off examining specific soundtracks to have a little fun with how silly MMO studios can get. If you haven't figured it out already, this column is kind of a not-so-subtle outlet for sharing my MMO music collection with you. I don't have any firm method of collection other than I just acquire tracks that my ear tells me I'd like to hear again. So along the way, I've acquired a few oddball pieces that you probably won't find on any OST but that are notable enough to share. In some cases, these tracks represent studios' attempts (successful or otherwise) to let down their hair and be humorous. In others, these songs are parodies or one-time special events. So let's take a sidebar to look at the whimsical and odd songs of gaming.
Champions Online Exclusive: Rock out with Sapphire!
With Champions Online reaching its third anniversary this month, the team at Cryptic Studios is pulling out all the stops to make it one for the scrapbooks (because superheroes totally scrapbook and don't let anyone tell you differently). Starting next week, players can enjoy rewards such as legacy gear and vanity pets as well as an upcoming concert starring Sapphire. Don't get too complacent with the festivities, however, as rampaging robots will be trying to crash the party. These machines are part of Dr. Destroyer's army from 1992 and are building up to a full-on invasion of Millennium City later this month. Get a jump on the party with an exclusive listen to Sapphire's anniversary song and a sneak peek at a trio of new comic book-style loading screens that are coming soon to the title! %Gallery-164837%
Champions Online celebrates its third anniversary
Has it already been three years since Cryptic Studios launched its second superhero MMO? It must be because Champions Online is riding high on the smell of birthday cake and fun events. Cryptic has several anniversary activities planned for the next couple of weeks, including a leveling contest that's running from now until September 6th. Every character that you level up to 40 during this period will give you a shot at several prizes, including a $250 Amazon gift card and custom art. The studio's also collecting Champions fan art in exchange for special unlocks and Facebook publicity. Further anniversary events in September will be announced at a later date, but Cryptic did hint that there will be giveaways, community hang-outs, and big sales.
Massively Exclusive: A preview of Champions Online's newest hero and new vehicles
You're kind of a big deal in Champions Online. No, don't be modest. You've beaten up tons of criminals, arrested countless villains, and schooled a variety of ne'er-do-wells. So why are you still stuck walking from one mission to the next like some kind of animal? You need the very latest in personal transportation, a symbol of your power, prestige, and love of engineering. In short, you need a totally sweet ride. It's no secret that the game is adding vehicles, but we have a first look at some of this hardware as well as the new hero Nighthawk. Vehicles are kind of Nighthawk's bag because he's also kind of a big deal, so the two previews go together like peanut butter and a spoon to hold your peanut butter. Check out the trailer just past the break, and keep your eyes peeled for more information about how you can get your own lowrider of justice in the game. [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release] %Gallery-17946%
The Daily Grind: How should MMOs handle character names?
Names are a big deal in MMOs. I've struggled through many a horrible launch to score a good name and camp names for friends until they can log in because only rarely does a game allow unlimited copies of a name. Ultima Online is one such game, as is Champions Online, though your global handle there is yours alone. The Secret World requires a unique nickname; your "real" name can be a duplicate. But most games just code for one use of a name per realm. (After all, one Malcolm Reynolds per server is plenty.) City of Heroes took a stand on the issue. Years before CoH's F2P conversion, Paragon Studios boldly adopted name-recycling. If your account was inactive for three months, your characters' names were put back into the pool for other players to use. You didn't lose your character, but you were forced to rename her the next time you logged in. It was wonderful for active players who could make more immediate use of names no one was actively using but not so great for encouraging former players to return. So how do you think MMOs should handle character names? [Thanks to Joel for inspiring this topic!] Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Champions Online provides players with vital news reports
Villainy is afoot in Champions Online. That alone isn't noteworthy; the game is sort of based on the premise of villainy always being afoot somewhere. But there are new faces organizing the villainy, and these individuals are the subject of a new post dedicated to the news of the world. The Cult of the Red Banner has been stealing seemingly valueless heirlooms, Gravitar has been apparently promoting herself via local property damage, and CEO Franklin Stone appears to be murdering his enemies quietly... all issues that heroes will no doubt be called upon to resolve. Do you want your previews with more substance and less fluff? Then you may want to jump on over to the latest UNTIL Field Report, which lists several of the features the development team is currently testing or designing. That includes vehicles, repurposing instanced crafting areas, and the option to "gift" XP to other characters on your account. So even if you don't want to read the news, you've got something to catch up on.
Champions Online, Star Trek Online converting to Perfect World Entertainment's currency
When Perfect World Entertainment first acquired Cryptic Studios, it was a rather unusual situation. Both Champions Online and Star Trek Online already had functional microtransaction system, complete with a unified currency for both. That currency is going away as of Thursday, when both games convert to using PWE's ZEN currency instead of unique systems. It's another step toward integrating both games into the same framework as Perfect World's other games, something that's been a steady process throughout this year. A small FAQ details the process of converting Cryptic Points to ZEN, which is fairly straightforward. The dollar value of Cryptic Points will be converted to the same dollar value in ZEN, both for pricing in stores and for player funding. This also means that players may see a slight increase in their wallets; existing Cryptic Points will be multiplied by 1.25 and converted to ZEN, and any fractional results will be rounded up. If you're playing CO or STO, it's probably a good idea to take a careful look at the whole guide to ensure that you know all there is to know about the game's new currency.
Cryptic ups security with Account Guard
Account Guard is not the name of a two-bit villain in Champions Online or a featured episode in Star Trek Online but instead a new security system that Cryptic Studios is installing for its games and websites. The system promises to track which computers you've logged in from and block unauthorized access to your accounts. If your account is compromised, the system will slam the doors closed on your games and send you an email with all of the details. The email also contains a one-time unlock code. This code allows players to open their accounts in the event of a mistaken intrusion. This system sounds very similar to Trion Worlds' coin lock mechanism. Players have a choice whether or not to participate in Account Guard, as they can opt out of the service through the account page. The studio has posted a FAQ with more answers to particular scenarios.
Champions and STO lifetimers to receive Neverwinter beta invites
Lifetime subscriptions get a lot of flak in MMO comment threads (likely including this one), but they do occasionally feature fringe benefits. In Cryptic's case, one of those fringe benefits is a beta invite for its upcoming Neverwinter title. If you're a lifer for either Champions Online or Star Trek Online (or both!), look for an invite via the email address associated with your account, as Cryptic will be doling them out "over the course of the test." Neverwinter is a new MMORPG set in the Forgotten Realms. It features traditional fantasy combat as well as Cryptic's Foundry player-generated content tool suite.
Champions Online introduces new alert type
If you're looking for a new way to prove your Champions Online prowess, this week's addition of Rampage Alerts is just the thing for you! This new alert type features encounters made for teams of 10 characters of levels 35-40, with heavy emphasis on teamwork and dynamic battle strategy. Players who answer the call of the new alerts will be rewarded with Questionite Ore and costume pieces from their defeated foes. The blog post introducing this addition highlighted the as-deadly-as-she-is-beautiful Gravitar and her fearsome skills. She's wreaking havoc on Millennium City, and heroes who try to put a stop to her frolics will have to survive her gravitational manipulations -- like causing force eruptions, sending gravity pulses barreling after her targets, and suspending enemies in deadly gravity bubbles. Heroes attempting to face her are also warned to "beware her biting wit," as she "suffers no fashion faux pas," but you might take a look at her costume before you let her make you feel badly about your own.
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.
