Announcing Our European Community Coordinator

English_Rose_NA · 11-12-2004 05:34 PM

Come on please tell us that Customer supprt got it wrong and that we DON'T have to buy the game again PLUS lose our characters we have been playing since launch I really want to transfer my account to a UK account for a few reasons, one of which is that I want my comic and another is that I want to pay in sterling.

I paid for 2 games to be imported, got hit for import duties on both and will not be paying again to start from scratch. I know the problem is that probably don't want all us post level 40s running around Paragon City on day one, but think about another way, we will be great advertising too. We will bring in friends and some people will also see how the higherr game looks.

Also and a BIG also, if you let us switch, you get a lot of people who can answer in game questions from new players which will cut your call and email questions HUGELY.

Also we were invited to beta, so it must've been expected to have international players who would want, no DEMAND, equal treatment regarding competitions, comics and other CoH stuff.

Another question, will the DVD edition be available at UK launch?

Oh and BTW, welcome

Nice to meet ya

Infamy, infamy, they've all got it infamy!!!

Freelancer · 11-12-2004 05:48 PM

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one of which is that I want my comic and another is that I want to pay in sterling.

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Damnit, I want the backissues that I should have got too...

As for paying in Sterling, they may not offer that at all. They could easily just have the price set in Euros since much of Europe has already adopted the single currency, but they may still include Sterling as an option.

And along with the performace and new community benefits, yes, it would be nice to be eligible for competitions.

Icebeam_NA · 11-12-2004 05:53 PM

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When the European version of City of Heroes is released in 2005, players who wish to use the European servers will need to purchase a European version of the game. Those with North American versions of City of Heroes will not be able to access the European servers, but will be able to continue playing on the North American servers as usual

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not even SOE tried to pull this stunt................i can't believe it. what's the technical reasoning behind this? languages?? lol!

lemme give you 2 scenarios

1) character transfer? i have to pay to transfer AND pay for a dupe copy of CoH?

2) what happens if i bought the cd-key online via Ncsoft..do i still need to buy the euro version to play on euro servers?

i realise this is purely a business decision but c'mon now....you guys ain't SOE

English_Rose_NA · 11-12-2004 05:57 PM

I know I didn't "have to" but I have imported my comics by buying them myself. But the cost for delivery was so steep I waited till two new issues were out before I ordered.

At least theres one comic now I can still read considering I'm boycotting "Marvel (tm)"

Also another question (sorry Bridger) will we get teh same chances to appear in the comic as our North American friends?

Any details of launch competitions?

Infamy, infamy, they've all got it infamy!!!

GuapoMendez · 11-12-2004 06:52 PM

Bridger, eh? Any relation to the master british criminal from the movie "The Italian Job", the one with Michael Caine?

Anyway, welcome aboard!

NationOfJoe · 11-12-2004 07:21 PM

when is the australian release?

Energizing_Ion · 11-12-2004 07:49 PM

Welcome aboard!

Leader of The LEGION/Fallen LEGION on the Liberty server!
SSBB FC: 2062-8881-3944
MKW FC: 4167-4891-5991

LaserJesus · 11-12-2004 08:54 PM

Wait, so there's going to be North America boards and then European boards?

Why the need to segregate us? I mean, c'mon, we can get along, right people?

Pacur · 11-12-2004 09:11 PM

Welcome aboard.

ok..is there going to be a 5th column change due to the game going to Europe? I would just like the rumor put to rest at this ppoint, cause Iv met sever all ppl on Pinacle that r almost convincedthat the 5th are gona be chanced somehow and/or removed altogether (I dont believe they r gona be removed, cause, cmon, they span many lvls and have many missions associated with them). So, Is 5th being changed for the european release?

English_Rose_NA · 11-12-2004 10:21 PM

I can't see why 5th would be changed, the Nazi has been shown in MANY different films, games, comics and books which aren't factual in Europe. Plus it is going to be different servers so they could possibly just remove them for the german servers,but can't see why, they were a fact of history which have been used in a lot of entertainment media.

Also they are not being shown as good guys are they? I don't see them going and if they did it would be a mistake.

Although I did hear that when "The Sound of Music" was released in Germany, all scenes with the Nazis in were cut, so it must have looked like a large family just running around Austria and singing for no reason, lol.

Infamy, infamy, they've all got it infamy!!!

Amazing_NA · 11-13-2004 01:42 AM

This does not bode well, as a founder and now member of possibly the oldest European Supergroup in COH (Zero Meridian - we started in Beta on Pinnacle) we have often discussed the possibility of european servers and pretty much expected some sort of cost attributed with moving servers (wed hoped it wouldnt cost but accepted it might), to discover that we would have to purchase an entirely new copy of the game is pretty disheartening especially as the majority of Zero Meridian's 40+ members have supported COH since the game first came out.

perhaps some dialogue with regards to this particular issue would go some way to blunting the effects of this very unpopular move.

oh btw...welcome Bridger.

morbix_NA · 11-13-2004 01:54 AM

Having to buy the UK version is a pain I agree as I shipped 4 copies of the game over from the US. I couldn't download it as I'm on AOL and Cryptics download screen thinks I live in the US. Total cost to buy and ship 4 copies? About $240. I don't think I'll be coming to the UK servers....

But the BIG question! Will the UK servers be running the same version as the US? Anyone who plays Dark Age of Camelot in the UK will know the agony of being nearly 6 months behind the US version. (The reason is that they need to translate into french, german etc before releasing each patch in Europe). Now imagine this in CoH! the UK version would not even have Issue 1 yet. Blasters and Fire tanks would be FOTM and any exploits that have been fixed will be back in.

Morbix

Tarambagil · 11-13-2004 04:40 AM

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When the European version of City of Heroes is released in 2005, players who wish to use the European servers will need to purchase a European version of the game. Those with North American versions of City of Heroes will not be able to access the European servers, but will be able to continue playing on the North American servers as usual.

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SO basically, no we can't, unless we want to buy the game again.

I would like to comment on this policy.

It is bad. Bad bad BAD.

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Agree completely. In fact I'd go so far as to say that it's complete BS and totally unworkable.

OK, I knew there were some risks involved with importing the US version, such as not getting the comic book, but this is too much.

And I'm not even talking about the cost here... It's what it implies about the server structure that bothers me, namely that there will be no connection between the US and UK so we can't transfer our toons, and also the possibility that updates might lag behind in the UK. Paying for another copy of the game is a minor issue compared to these.

Dance · 11-13-2004 04:41 AM

howdy

Kirini · 11-13-2004 04:48 AM

This totally sucks. European players who currently play the USA account should NOT have to buy the EU version of the game. We should be offered a chance to get a different patch or something free of charge as an option.

I already have the game. I already play it. I have already paid for it. Why they hell should I have to pay again?

That is an insult.

Jagged · 11-13-2004 04:54 AM

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Will those of us in Europe who are playing on US servers ever be able to switch our characters over to a European server? Will we have to buy the European version of the game to do this?

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NCSoft have answered this one already in the FAQ. They say:

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When the European version of City of Heroes is released in 2005, players who wish to use the European servers will need to purchase a European version of the game. Those with North American versions of City of Heroes will not be able to access the European servers, but will be able to continue playing on the North American servers as usual.

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SO basically, no we can't, unless we want to buy the game again.

I would like to comment on this policy.

It is bad. Bad bad BAD.

When all my real-life friends in the UK start playing on the European servers, I will be tempted to switch, but there's no way I'm paying the upfront purchase price again to do so. I'm currently in a European based SG, but even if many of them switch to the European version, I won't. I will simply cancel my subscription altogether due to losing my favourite teammates.

I strongly encourage NCSoft to come up with an alternative option. I suggest at the very least being able to make a 1-time switch of our subscription to the European servers, but with NO extra cost*. We've paid for the game already. The European release won't give us anything new, it just gives us a different community to play with. I don't see the logic in making us pay that upfront fee again; it's just like saying that I would have to buy the game again if I wanted to play on Protector instead of Victory!

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I agree that this is an extremely BAD idea. I am responsible for 4 accounts being bought here in the UK (including my own) and I am not going to be buying another version of the game just to gain access to European servers and European higher prices (you know its going to happen).

I also have a number of US friends I now team with on a regular basis.

So Bad, bad and bad.

PS: Welcome to the forum.

This is a song about a super hero named Tony. Its called Tony's theme.
Jagged Reged: 23/01/04

Arson_NA · 11-13-2004 05:27 AM

Showing the Nazi Swastika is meant to be illegal in Germany, so if there are any on the 5th Coloumn the German players will need to have a simple texture change to make it a different symbol or something. happens with WW1/2 games too. Although something as simple as that is hardly going to give reason for seperating the two communities.

Frankie says it best.

Andromalius_VdO · 11-13-2004 06:59 AM

Congratulations

Magpie_NA · 11-13-2004 07:22 AM

Weeee! After all this time I have a community rep to call my own

*edit*

I just read the post above and is that right? We won't be able to access the European servers? Can I just say *SHAFT* to me. It's gonna be fun if other people I know here buy copies and I'm stuck utterly unable to play with them.

Damn I hope that's some kind of crazy mis-quote...

Go community rep! Save our server access!

Bridger_NA · 11-13-2004 08:23 AM

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Which magazines did you work for? The ones based in London, Bath or Macclesfield? (Please do not say the latter)

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London and Bath

B

RogueDemonhunter · 11-13-2004 09:07 AM

Welcome to Paragon

But it is also kinda sad... It means theyre getting close to tempting away all my UK and european friends... why not just add extra servers to the server list?... Or announce servers already popular with the other side of the world like Victory?

Oh well... I guess not. But i'll miss them. My character is here on Victory and though a switch is possible (and probably a one time character transfer...) if one buys the Euro version... please keep in mind I also have Americans and fellow Canadains who are SG buddies and on my friends list too... It's like your making us choose between friends.

(School Comparison) Do we send the kids to fancy overseas boarding school or keep them here in public? They can't intermingle anymore. Global community hurtin' here... (Not a lot I know... but a little.)

DeathWalking · 11-13-2004 10:51 AM

This does seem like madness to charge people who were early adopters and wanted to play on the us servers beacuse they couldnt wait for the world wide launch.

Are us UK and Europe peeps being ripped off again - looks like it those in the UK will be familiar with the term RIP OFF BRITAIN guess what we got screwed again.

I would ask statesman to champion the cause for us early euro buyers give us a discount if we buy the euro version or something because i will buy the uk version.

BUT I DONT THINK I SHOULD HAVE 2

I payed for the software once give one good reason why my licencess ive paid for is now no longer valid world wide.

this does seem like a double charge where its not warrented and where the only people that loose is those of us in euro land that love the game and at the end of the day have been helping to pay for Cryptic and NCsoft to open the euro servers.

This is not a rant by the way im just pointing out it seems like madness to me

COH ROCKS. - just not in euro land LOL

LaserJesus · 11-13-2004 12:08 PM

In my opinion, this is really sad. Not only are they going to be playing a different game, they're going to have different boards.

Well, there go all those cool European people that I like.

I'm going to miss the whole global community we had. Now there will only be like 3 other people on when I usually play.

*sigh* Such is life...

CaptainScrogs · 11-13-2004 12:25 PM

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Which magazines did you work for? The ones based in London, Bath or Macclesfield? (Please do not say the latter)

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London and Bath

B

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Phew! More than likely we never crossed paths then I used to work for Europress (aka IDG UK when it became that) up in Macclesfield.

Remember the magazines they produced? (Mostly forgettable) PC home, PC today, etc.. What a fond (the people I worked with) and bad (depressing, no management support) place it was to work.

And yes, my writing is still bad

/me is centering in on PC Format/Plus and possibly a big Dennis/VNU publication (or two).

Cuppa_Lux · 11-13-2004 01:26 PM

I like the 'international' flavor that having everyone on one set of servers brings, and will be a little sad to see that go. However, it's good that German and French and Italian etc etc speakers will soon be able to experience the game in their native languages if that's what they want.

I crossed paths with the problems internationalization brings to software at points in my past. Now, it's possible to create software that is internationalized from the get-go, but a large chunk of the time it doesn't happen like that. Then, later on, you have to rework the software to make it work better internationally.

This seems to be what's happening with City of Heroes. It is easy to say, "oh they should have written it the other way from the start". It is much easier said than done. The price you pay is additional time and complexity in development when your main focus is getting the software to work at all.

There may be other issues as well which made it advisable for COH to develop a seperate version for Europe. EU privacy restrictions, which are very different than US ones, come to mind as a possibility. There may be some truth to the rumors about the 5th Column causing a problem in Germany. Probably others I am unaware of. At any rate, it's their decision to make.