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The only two people I know other than those mentioned so far are Muad_Dib and Blue Sigma (not sure of that was Blue Sigma's literal forum name, or if it had underscores or whatever). I didn't know Muad_Dib, but he used to haunt the forums pretty regularly. I actually met Blue Sigma in person one time a loooong time ago; he coordinated a meet-and-greet north of Atlanta that I went to. Super nice guy. When I heard he had passed away, it really shocked me. I don't think I have any pictures of him, but I'll dig around and see if I can find any.
Edit: Here we go, this is Blue Sigma. It's a tiny picture, but it's all we have. -
Quote:I've been pondering these possibilities. If there is a dependency on third-party components such as the game engine, there are several possibilities to get around this, such as:So lets say for arguments sake somehow the IP could be secured. You dont have the rights to the engine.. so a new one would have to be developed correct ??
1) We could work to acquire the engine from Cryptic. Probably unlikely, but hey, we can dream big, right?
2) We can work with Cryptic to license the engine just like NCsoft did.
3) We can use crowd funding to hire developers to develop a drop-in replacement for the engine--possibly some of the very same developers who have been working on the game for years already.
4) We can use crowd funding to hire developers to develop a new, better, shinier engine. More expensive and it would totally depend on the amount of crowd funding revenue available, but still a tantalizing possibility.
5) Probably more options I haven't even considered since it's been less than 24 hours since I've been mulling all of this--and a whole lot more--over. My Skype name (tonyv.paragonwiki) and e-mail address (tonyv@cohtitan.com), Facebook page (http://facebook.com/tony.vazquez.3192), and CoH forums (http://www.cohtitan.com/forum/index.php) are all public if you feel I'm leaving out some other brilliant option.
And I'm not being facetious when I say that; if we're successful, I want this game to be the Green Bay Packers of the MMORPG genre, community owned and supported so that we would never have to worry about the team being sold, moved, or shuttered again. -
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Quote:If we're successful, I will do my damnedest to include an unrestricted and indefinite indemnity clause allowing Matt Miller to use the Positron name, likeness, description, and related identifying characteristics. Even if he's not associated in the game in any way afterwards, he's earned that.Apparently, going by what he said on Twitter, Positron wont even be able to use his name anymore, as even though he came up with it way before CoH, it now counts as part of the IP.
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Quote:That's hopefully not the only option on the table. My current working plan is to propose two possible alternatives, in this order of preference:Personally I don't think Tony or anyone will be able to pull this off. I wish him the best of luck but corporations rarely sell IP that they own.
1) Allow us to buy the IP and code base outright. We buy new servers, install the software, crank it all back up.
2) Allow us to license the IP and the server software, and give us the rights to distribute the client. They would still own the IP and software, we'd just be "renting" it from them. This is how most software "purchases" work when you, for example, buy Microsoft Word or similar software.
There are a few other options I've thought of, but those are by far the best two outcomes. But no matter what, if all else fails, I plan on throwing the ball back in their court and basically asking, "Okay, what's it going to take?" If the answer is, "There's nothing you can offer," or if they ask for something ridiculous, then at least we tried. If they're willing to work with us, then hopefully we can come to some sort of agreement that will allow us to keep the servers on. -
Quote:Very few things like this are ever "simple."NCsoft will not make any arrangement to keep any form of City of Heroes running. It's that stark and that simple.
To the detractors, I hear you. I'm not saying that this effort is guaranteed, or even likely. But with all due respect, I'm not going to trust the future of City of Heroes to cynicism and hearsay. If NCsoft tells me, "No, period, end of story," than I can honestly say to the community that I tried and it didn't happen.
As for the project to recreate the server, I suppose I can mention now that we at the Titan Network have been thoroughly dissecting the client and communications with the server for years, including decrypting the communication with the various game servers and even Playspan's servers. For what it's worth, the developers have done a great job in securing your data. Trust me. I checked. And we have some of the best hackers I've ever run across on our team.For what it's worth, all of this effort has been for benevolent purposes, developing client-side tools to improve your experience. We haven't done anything scummy or dangerous in our code, we have all insisted since day one that none of us would ever develop any tools to enable cheating or exploits, and we have always respected our users' privacy, never doing anything like pulling usernames, passwords, or anything like that out of the client.
These efforts are what's allowed us to develop tools such as Sentinel, which exports character data from the game into Mids format. Trust me when I say that I am not detracting from efforts to reverse engineer the server, and we are not unaware or unfamiliar with reverse engineering efforts. One of our holy grails has been to produce a working server that the client would accept as valid. Again, not for malevolent purposes, but because that's the final proof that we thoroughly understand all of the ins and outs of what's going on in the game.
But let's not kid ourselves. Reverse engineering the server in three months is going to be extremely difficult. If we haven't been able to do it in the years we've been pouring into it--not that we haven't made any progress--but we're still a long way away, then I find the prospect of being able to do it to the point of actually having something the client can run against unlikely at best.
This isn't an either/or scenario. I'm not asking anyone to support me in working to acquire the IP and software to run the game and stop wasting your time on reverse engineering efforts. Please, if you have the skill to do the latter, by all means do. But I want to explore all options, because we're on a very tight deadline. If we can work something out, that really is the path of least resistance.
Supporting my efforts with NCsoft in no way should discourage you or anyone else from supporting other alternatives to keeping the game going. They are two different kinds of support that are in no way mutually exclusive: financial and moral versus work product and elbow grease. -
This is the one on my mind right now I'm hoping that I can get into contact with someone at NCsoft and we can work it out.
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True. Once we start soliciting funds in earnest and have a workable plan, I'll be shouting it from every rooftop, including Twitter and Facebook, as well as in-game and asking people to spread the word to all of their friends, SG mates, cousin's roomates, dogs, cats, gerbils, ant farms,...
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A few quick updates:
I've edited the OP with a link at the top to a cross-post to the Titan Network forums.
I'm looking at the Kickstarter web site. It's really important to me to have some kind of plan before jumping in. I absolutely, positively do not want to start taking donations until I can honestly look you in the eye and say, "This is what the money will be used for." In short, I need something more solid than, "It will have something to do with City of Heroes." It's really important to me to have a working plan.
Over this weekend, I'm going to talk to the Titan Network crew and discuss our options. Buy the IP and code outright? License it to run on our own server and obtain the rights to distribute the client? Maybe look into some options around releasing source code, if possible? What to offer people as rewards and incentives to invest in the crowd fund? If we're successful, do we want to carry the game forward as free-to-play, use a similar hybrid model that Paragon Studios has set up now, or charge some nominal subscription fee to cover hosting costs?
Next week, I'm going to start rattling cages at Paragon Studios. I have exactly zero contacts with NCsoft (unless you count Katie, the PR person we met at the Player Summits). I plan on contacting the folks I know and trying to get some kind of meeting set up where I can talk to the powers-that-be who can actually make a deal with us to run the game. I'd also like to start putting feelers out to the devs to gauge interest in continuing to work on the game in some capacity, either on a contract or volunteer basis, whatever we can afford and they're willing to contribute.
Anyway, my head is still swirling, and now I'm going to be up all night. I really appreciate all of your support in this, and I will do my damnedest to make sure I don't let you down.
As I told someone earlier, we've been saving Paragon City for eight and a half years. It's time to do it one more time. (In fact, I'm thinking that might be our catch phrase.) -
Bookmark this. It's a cross-post on the Titan Network forums in case these forums are shut down. I'll post any news and information there in addition to here.
Hey all,
So I'm still in the initial stages of trying to process all of this. Obviously, this comes as a tremendous personal blow considering all of the time, effort, money, and energy we at the Titan Network have poured into making the best fan sites as we can, not just for City of Heroes, but for any gaming community.
And then I can't help but feel selfish about indulging in a little bit of wallowing, because while I feel like a hobby is being yanked away from me, I also feel incredibly sympathetic for the people at Paragon Studios who are being laid off, the people who are going to be out of work and seeking jobs in a tough economy. If City of Heroes dies, I save a bunch of money on hosting costs and get bored at night instead of saving the virtual world. But if you're an employee at Paragon Studios, you now have to worry about making sure your spouse and kid have food on their table in the coming months and years. And while I'm not under any pretense that the folks at Paragon Studios and I are BFFs, I really do respect and admire the crazy sick skills they have, and every time I've interacted with them, they have been mind-blowingly kind and supportive. To all of you at Paragon Studios, past and present, from the uncredited paeans to the senior designers and developers, please know that I'm not just a fan of the game, but a fan of you professionally and yes, even a fan of you personally.
Now, all of that having been said, here's what I'm going to do.
First thing, I'm going to convene with the crew at the Titan Network. We still have a lot of projects in the works, and it's kind of funny, but only for a few minutes did we ponder, "Well, I guess we won't need to finish that..." I haven't talked to all of them, and some of them may actually be reading what I'm about to say for the first time. If so, then please hit me up on Skype (tonyv.paragonwiki) or log into our Big Shindig development channel, 'cause I want to talk to you!
Anyway, what I'm pondering is contacting the powers-that-be at Paragon Studios and NCsoft and find out if there's any way possible that something can be worked out for us to keep the servers on. Whether that be through acquiring the IP and codebase, licensing technologies, releasing their tech specs to us so that we can reverse engineer the server and client, whatever. I just find it really hard to think that NCsoft is going to sit on IP and code and completely shutter a project if there are people willing to pony up cash for it.
Unfortunately, I'm not made of money. I wish I had enough to just buy everything outright, move to Mountain View, hire the entire development and community team, and keep things running just as they are now. I don't, not even close. So what I'm considering is that if I can get a dollar figure from NCsoft for whatever option they're willing to go with, to set up a crowd funding effort to raise the cash. Obviously I'd be willing to throw in whatever I can. If both of those things come through--NCsoft willing to work with us on keeping the game going in some form and funding coming through somehow--I can't promise the kind of breakneck development that the current devs engage in, but I'm hoping that this doesn't have to be The End™.
My goals would start simple, with task #1 being to keep a game server running and having the rights to distribute the client. After that, depending on how things work out, maybe keeping the existing servers intact. Maybe seeing if some of the existing developers want to continue working on the game in some capacity either as a volunteer while they look for another job or, if the funding comes through, even on a contract basis. Perhaps even trying to continue the game on a commercial basis if enough people are interested.
I don't want to get hopes up. Like I said, I'm still processing this, I still have to talk to our crew at the Titan Network, and there are a lot of ifs involved in keeping the game going. Four months from now I might be looking back on this and thinking, "Well, it was a nice try and we made a good run of it." But I just want everyone to know that I for one don't intend to just mope around and let the game die. Although we take donations, I've never begged for money to run the Titan Network. If a deal can be worked out with NCsoft, that might change and I might start actively soliciting pledges for enough money to acquire any purchases and/or licenses required to keep the servers on. (And, oh yeah, some servers to keep on...) If that time comes, I hope that today doesn't mark the end of City of Heroes, but the beginning of a new era of the game we all know and love.
No matter what happens, though, I want you all to know that this game has been the most incredibly fun experience I've had, and this community always has, and always will, rock. Running the Paragon Wiki and then the Titan Network, I have learned so much about web hosting, development, database administration, server administration, and other such skills, it boggles my mind that I knew anything before 2004. And I refuse to say good-bye. No matter what happens, I will figure out some way to stay in touch with the City of Heroes community and the numerous friends, allies, and colleagues I've made over the years.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get to work, talk to some people, and start some planning... -
That's harsh, dude.
But I admit, my curiosity is piqued, and as I sit here, I can't help but idly speculate what happened. Health problem? Jail? Wife found out he was ERPing? There's just so much potential here that the imagination runs wild. Did Mr. NoPants get the message through? Did she get it in time? Did they meet up? They just drove off and left it all behind them, but where were they going without ever knowing the way?
Anyway, whatever's happening, hope it all works out okay. -
They also lasted four times longer than the updated inspirations; that was the trade-off for having to use them before being mezzed. Even the tiny one lasted for a couple of minutes. I remember when you could pop one of these and it would last through several battles; the larger ones would last you through most of an entire mission.
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Quote:Wow, that's all they did? You got off easy. A few years back, I tried another MMORPG for a couple of months. I got a little e-mail nastygram saying that I had been doing X, Y, and Z, and the next day, this guy shows up AT MY HOUSE. He rang the doorbell, and when I opened the door to find out who it was, he kicked me in the nads, yelled, "DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!", and ran away.I petitioned saying why I haven't been doing X,Y,and Z and the next day the Devs in this game told me there findings were final. Final as in my appeal was for nothing and their findings were valid...I would have to purchase another, "License" if I wanted to play this game again.
Holy crap, I'm still sore just thinking about it. Needless to say, I won't be going back to that game again. Still, just to be safe, I wore a cup to the Player Summit last April to ask any controversial questions. Our devs are the best, though; I didn't even need it once. (Well, except to have a little fun with the TSA, but I digress...) -
Quote:I think that was definitely part of it, but I read it more as using .NET pages with black backgrounds and 20 fonts each holds as much water (ooh, pun!) in winning an argument as going down a waterslide.the argument is futile, the one part of the discussion (bald guy) has simply realized that no logic or facts could persuade the second guy who was deep in conspiracy theory mode, so he just quit and did something fun instead...
I know people like this. They latch onto a really bizarre, unfeasible, highly unlikely, and sometimes even repeatedly proven wrong explanation for something that supports their belief(s) although every known proven fact dictates otherwise. It's an argument that defies all logic or reason.
The guy with hair commenting, "So? What does that prove? You didn't win the argument!" is ironic humor in that this is the exact sentiment that most people have towards him, but he just doesn't realize it. The only way the bald guy can win the argument is by presenting an even less rational non sequitur than the one(s) that are being presented to him. -
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Quote:I wouldn't worry too much about it. If I have to, I'll personally make sure you get Ironblade.If I lose the name Ironblade on there, I'd probably just ditch the whole thing.
Quote:But if someone ends up completely losing their user name...dude, that means you've failed.
But yeah, I'm getting from this that there will definitely have to be a reservation system at least for a little while. I'm thinking a month or two right now, but we might adjust that. It will be a while before any of this happens, so it's not like we have to make a decision right now, I just mainly wanted to take a pulse to see what people though--especially if anyone had qualms about using their e-mail address as their login name--so that I could continue planning stuff without being ambushed down the road by unexpected backlash. -
I had a weird real-life CoH experience that was, a bit coincidentally, when I went to the Player Summit back in April. The week before the Summit, I decided to take some vacation and stay in San Francisco to do a bunch of touristy stuff. I kept finding these badge markers...
Presidio, Coit Tower, Angel Island, Fort Point, Bay Bridge, Nob Hill, Berkeley, Alcatraz, a lot of the famous landmarks were accounted for, eight of them in all...
Of course, I had to touch each and every single one of them...
When all was said and done, I managed to get an exploration accolade...
I even managed to pick up a couple of history plaques. Who knows? If I visit a bunch more cities, maybe I'll manage to snag a history badge!
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I have this mental image of him pulling one out of a Kleenex box next to the door as he leaves the mansion each morning. What was that movie where some rich guy did that? He had a Kleenex box full of monogrammed something or another, handkerchiefs or underwear or something, and every day he just pulled a new one out of the box.
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Quote:I can do that today if you want.I'm fine either way. I'll probably take advantage of the switch to change my Titan Network username to match my CoH Forum Username.
Or more specifically, I can do it tonight, when I get home from work. PM me your current username or send me an e-mail at tonyv@cohtitan.com and I'll take care of it.
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Honestly, the main reason is because a lot of those accounts are years old and owned by folks who are never coming back. There are probably some other settings that we're going to need to collect as well under the new system (not personal information, just stuff like your timezone, possibly a language option, that kind of thing), so I'd like to take the opportunity to clean things up.
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Yeah, that's what I meant. Thinking out loud*, for the first month, it would do something like let you import your existing Titan username as your display name when you register. After that, it would still let you use that username if it's available, but it wouldn't stop someone else from using it, which means that you'd have to pick a new one. In any event, we would try to yell from the mountaintops what's going on so that people wouldn't miss out on getting their preferred usernames.
*Metaphorically. I'm not literally saying this as I type. -
Quote:You would have to create new ones and hope your isn't taken. It's a good point, I'm going to add that to my list o' things to consider, possibly setting up some kind of reserved name system where for a month or so, you can't use any existing Titan usernames, and then they'd be released for anyone.1 question though, would our current usernames be usable for posting or would we have to create new ones and hope ours isn't taken before we switch to using our email address for log in?
One thing I would do is have an appeal system where if you think that someone registered a name to impersonate you, we'd look into it and if we determine that they did, we would take it away from them. Of course, if they're using it legitimately and just happened to get it first, we probably wouldn't. Details to be worked out... -
Hey all, just a quick informal poll to help us with some stuff we're working on at the Titan Network. As some of you know, we're working on revamping a lot of stuff over there, and we're thinking of changing the login mechanism to use your e-mail address instead of a user name, kind of like how sites like Facebook, Hulu, Safari Books Online, and other sites are using these days. The rationale is so that users don't have to remember yet another username for yet another site, as remembering the e-mail address is generally a lot easier.
If we do it, the e-mail address would not be displayed publicly--every user would also pick a unique display name that identifies you to other players, but the display name wouldn't be your login name. The motivation here isn't to spam you (which we won't) or harvest e-mail addresses (which we really won't); we'll still have your e-mail address on file either way from when you register*, and I really don't care if you use a fake address for privacy reasons, unless you're doing it for some malevolent purpose.
So what do you think? Would it be easier and more convenient for you to use your e-mail address to log in? Would it be harder? Do you object to it, and if so, why?
*We have two primary reasons for this. First, to keep people from casually spamming creating accounts for no good reason. Second, we plan on implementing more opt-in social-networky features to the sites. We've also used it on occasions to help validate user's identity when they request something like an account deletion. The point, though, is that having you log in by e-mail address is not some sneaky back-door way to try to get your e-mail address, it's not like we're going to make you validate the address every time you log in. It's purely a convenience feature we're considering.