Red Valkyrja

Originally Posted by War Witch

Hey everyone,

Now that I have got some more “official” information from our publishing/marketing teams in Europe, I figured I’d give you a quick update. I'll paraphrase as best I can.

This isn’t just from me (because you guys already know that I love you), but the EU community is very important to both Paragon Studios and NCsoft as a whole, and have always been passionate about making sure you have a great time in the game. Everyone involved is committed to making sure that you feel loved and appreciated, and I hope that starts to come across, especially as we ramp up marketing and PR for Going Rogue. In fact, I’ve been told that NCsoft is about to announce a number of distribution partners that will sell and promote Going Rogue in Europe, including offering the prepurchase program that kicked off earlier this month. You’re also about to start seeing a lot more coverage of Going Rogue on your favourite gaming websites, blogs, press outlets, and advertising as the expansion nears its launch date. (Ok, that sounded kind of marketing-ish, but it's pretty much verbatim what they said.)

Next up: the box. This is a big issue and I know some of you are pretty cheesed about it. So here is the information I got (which shouldn’t come as a surprise, really): because the game is online, and our consumers are predominantly online, it makes business sense to distribute online. Most MMO gamers in the EU are very net savvy and comfortable purchasing/downloading online. So NCsoft sells online because that is how more and more people are buying games, and we do get most of our new players from online distribution. There are boxes on the shelves in the U.S. because, from a distribution perspective, there is more demand here—a much lower percentage of people in the US have broadband compared to the EU. (I didn't know that part.) Plus online distribution and production is much less complicated in the US, with only a single language version and a handful of major retailers and distributors, versus three languages and dozens of distributors in Europe. So there are no plans for a box on shelves in EU, but you will see Going Rogue available soon in a variety of digital stores across Europe.

Before you scream at me, remember, this isn’t something I have any say in. I’m just the messenger, so don’t shoot me! (If it were up to me, however, I’d have a box. That’s just me. No I don’t have the pull to get one. No, I don’t understand all the financial/technical issues behind it. Yes I’m shooting my mouth off. But I did ask, and point out - several times - that it sure would be nice.) As someone who prefers a box, I get your frustration; although now that I think of it, I did just buy software digital-only, so I’m kind of a hypocrite.

Last topic: servers. Yes, the EU servers feel underpopulated at times, and that makes it harder to group. Last year we merged the forums to bring the EU and US communities together. There are, however, no plans to merge the servers, but we are looking at designing an in-game system that will help solve the problem. One of my big personal goals is bringing people together, and this will help with that agenda. (How's that for vague? What can I tell you, it's "in development.")

Anyway, I'm sure they're not all the answers you wanted to hear, but at least you have "an official word" now, which was the goal of the exercise. So that is progress.

War Witch

Originally Posted by Tahquitz

City of Henchmen?! I SO want to be Henchmen #24!

(What costume options are available for a postmortem skull?)

Originally Posted by Carnifax_NA

So happy they didn't go with that, given the usual approach at creating "remote Irish towns" (ie cloth caps, fiddles, bizarre accents and red headed cailins everywhere).

There's little connecting Croatoa to Irish mythology either really, there's no bearing between the two other than the names. Tuatha De Danann are more akin to fey folk in most Irish myths (like most myths and legends they aren't consistently portrayed in them either, but I've never seen them referred to as pumpkin headed fire monsters)

Originally Posted by KW STRYKER

It's not a thing, per se. I want to have an open call for reelance superheroes at level 28 to 23. To start my own SG.

If this can't be done, I'll hit the streets loooking for heroes.

Although gaming for over 40 years, i am a computer **** dum. Is there a way to find out the CURRENT list of superheroes on a specific server?
Thanks,

Originally Posted by Bayani

Inks on this are mostly done, though I'm not quite happy with the way Bayani's face looks in the image. Not quite sure how to remedy that though.

Originally Posted by Rubberlad

They already got my preorder money.... thanks.

Originally Posted by Rubberlad

You're spinning the facts a bit, my dear.

Before Issue 17 was announced, Ultra mode was promised as a major feature of the retail expansion pack, Going Rogue. When Issue 17 was announced, that was no longer the case. So off the retail pack came Ultra Mode and in its place comes the first level of the Incarnate system (with the other 9 levels to come at a late date).

Keep in mind this announcement comes in Spring 2010 when GR was provisionally scheduled for release (and is now pushed back to July). So this "swap out" of upcoming features is seemingly a last minute decision (and this is after 2+ years of development mind you) - but for what reason?

Originally Posted by Dr_Impossible

I can't believe noone has said a peep about the Kinetic Melee and Electric Control powersets.....

Originally Posted by Eiko-chan

I wish you could cancel Self-Destruct. I've accidentally activated it on new characters more times than I care to admit.

Originally Posted by War Witch

Last topic: servers. Yes, the EU servers feel underpopulated at times, and that makes it harder to group. Last year we merged the forums to bring the EU and US communities together. There are, however, no plans to merge the servers, but we are looking at designing an in-game system that will help solve the problem. One of my big personal goals is bringing people together, and this will help with that agenda. (How's that for vague? What can I tell you, it's "in development.")

Originally Posted by bamaWolfie

THAT was a great exchange!

Originally Posted by Texas Justice

That's where it is on my computer. I just pinned it to the Start menu so I can access it easier.

Originally Posted by Miss_Cataclysm

Only problem I've had with Windows 7 was the "fullscreen CoH won't take focus and hide the taskbar" issue. Works for me if I make sure I have no maximised windows on other programs before running CoH (though I don't know how many others have this problem).

Then again, I never really had any issues with CoH on my other computers, whether my Vista laptop or either OS on my previous XP/OpenSUSE desktop.