Report from the Hero Announcement #2

[Steve Long]

Honestly, I don't. Cryptic just wants to wait for Wednesday, apparently the highest day for foot traffic at GDC, and that's certainly their prerogative. After that there'll be all sorts of fun stuff to talk about.

[incrdbil]

# Fully customizable characters AND powers AND movement types(floating,running on four legs).

# Secret identities.

# Customizable arch-nemesis. If you ever decide to kill off or incarcerate your AN, you get to create a new one.

Ok, I'm ready to shred my CoH disks now.

[KA.]

As Darren said the worst that could happen is they start over with a superhero genre book named "Super Hero" and create a new universe.

KA.

[Bazza]

KA.

That's "Plan Z" but we all hope for "Plan A".

besides, if HG can't use Dark Champions any longer "Action HERO" or "Modern HERO" become apt titles.

[Doughboy]

It's exciting!

I've seen some of the Game Informer pics and I can't wait for Wednesday to get here.

[gojira]

Yeah I'm sure it'll be fine. DOJ has a license in perpetuity. That sounds pretty good. Plan A: make lots of money from MMO fans. Plan B: make regular amounts of money from Hero fans. Way way down the list is Start Over.

[Rage]

I have two concerns about this announcement.

According to the news as given, Cryptic is actually buying Champions and Dark Champions, apparenlty including the Champions Universe.

Concern one: What should happen if (God forbid) Cryptic suddenly goes out of business? Do the rights revert back to DOJ?

Concern two: Does this include other aspects of the Hero Universe? I've been writing Space Wizards as taking place in the Hero Universe, including elements featured in the Champions Universe; what kind of licensing nightmare will this entail if I actually get around to publishing it?

Bob, you've just written fanfic. Gaming fanfic.

[archermoo]

KA.

Possibly so, but it is WAY down the list on alternatives. My understanding is that some pretty odd and unexpected things would have to happen for that to come about.

[Twilight]

Ok, I'm ready to shred my CoH disks now.

I need a drooling smiley, seriously. If the game has all that, I might seriously give up WoW for it.

[ajackson]

Hmm. While having a pre-made universe saves Cryptic a good bit of work, I wonder if the CU will have enough appeal.

While Cryptic may find the universe useful, it's possible that wasn't what they were really after. They may have been after the trademarks (Champions is a nice trademark for a superhero game), the terminology (OCV, energy blast, etc) or they may have been seeking ammunition in case Marvel or DC got litigious.

[kridenow]

# Fully customizable characters AND powers AND movement types(floating,running on four legs).

# Secret identities.

# Customizable arch-nemesis. If you ever decide to kill off or incarcerate your AN, you get to create a new one.

Ok, I'm ready to shred my CoH disks now.

Well, they are recycling the ideas they had for CoH and weren't able to implement for various reasons.
I remember the topics about generating your own arch-nemesis in CoH by playing various missions and getting more and more clues about his/her identity.
CoH powers relying on weapons are now somewhat visually customizable and I'm certain Cryptic wished to allow more on visual effects chosen by players (even if they had a point at saying visual representation of powers should be recognizable to every players, to allow other players to understand what you're doing).


Back on topic...
The City of Heroes universe is decent. You get a bit of everything (ghosts, aliens, thugs, high tech villains).
A Champions Online isn't going to interest me because of the Champions universe (even if, like many, it's through Champions I was first exposed to HERO system).
The Champions universe is certainly more interesting than any developped for only a computer game but, considering the nature of Champions Online, I vastly prefer an interesting game with a barely ok background than a very nice background supporting a crappy system.

What I do mean is my interest was triggered by the idea of seeing Champions Online being using a sort of light version of the rules (I can't imagine a full version, it's too unfriendly for the computer games market, where most games aim at the "start the game, you will be in the action in less than a minute").

Still, I do like Cryptic work on CoH, a game I'm playing since almost three years now.
City of Heroes game system can be improved. If Cryptic builds on the CoH experience and improves the game engine (I always wanted more visual battles in CoH), allows more freedom in character creation/management... and now adds a Champions background...
Then yes, I'll be easily convinced to buy and play it.

Pierre

[archermoo]

While Cryptic may find the universe useful, it's possible that wasn't what they were really after. They may have been after the trademarks (Champions is a nice trademark for a superhero game), the terminology (OCV, energy blast, etc) or they may have been seeking ammunition in case Marvel or DC got litigious.

Well, keep in mind that the Champions and Dark Champions IP is what Cryptic has purchased. Not the HERO System IP. So they don't own the HERO System terminology, though they have licensed it. Basically the Champions Universe is what they purchased, so I'm guessing that that is what they were after.

[The Prismist]

I think the main reason they wanted to use the Champions IP is because it makes their life very easy. They don't need to come up with all of the backstory themselves. Also if anyone wants to look into the background of the game there are plenty of books that they can buy and look into.

[StGrimblefig]

Well, keep in mind that the Champions and Dark Champions IP is what Cryptic has purchased. Not the HERO System IP. So they don't own the HERO System terminology, though they have licensed it. Basically the Champions Universe is what they purchased, so I'm guessing that that is what they were after.

If I read the earlier postings correctly, it sounded like the reason they licensed the HERO System IP was to be able to use the terminology, not to actually use the mechanics. That disturbs me, because it sounds like they are going to pretend to be using the HERO System, when they have no part of the actual mechanics in use. Seeing things like OCV/DCV scroll by in the combat log, when they do not represent the things that I think they do, is misleading.

On the other hand, they would have to license the HERO IP to be able to use the power names (Energy Blast, etc.), so it may not be as nefarious as my paranoid side thinks it is. (down boy!)

[Super Squirrel]

There was some stuff and some nice looking screenshots from the Game Informer article:

# The game has classes, but every class has access to every power. Class defines how many points each power costs for your character.

# Graphics are a 3D/cell shading hybrid that Cryptic calls "comic shading".

# The underground arena circuit allows PvP.

# Only heroes at launch. Dark Champions as an expansion later.

# Fully customizable characters AND powers AND movement types(floating,running on four legs).

# Secret identities.

# Customizable arch-nemesis. If you ever decide to kill off or incarcerate your AN, you get to create a new one.

# The game will take place world wide, not in just one city.

# Planned zones: underground cities, dinosaur-infested island, secret desert military base.

# The game has been created with Cryptic's proprietary game engine called "Game Tech".

# The game will also include voice dialogue and cutscenes.

# Scheduled for a 2009 release.

As the Leader of Clown Guild, I look forward to this game.