While I know trailers are deceptive(not going to tvtropes for the link, otherwise I won't be able to get away from my computer for the rest of the day 
) I just can't not be happy that something like this is announced. I'll worry about what the expansion will contain later.
Whether or not this announcement came out now and for what reason I don't really care, it keeps me interested in the game for now.
The trailer shows to little to really speculate and the announcement does not give much information really except that it will contain a feature many people asked for. I don't really see the reason to be negative because we don't know what other things will be in it.
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@Lyrik
I really don't think it was announced now purpose i think it was genially a error some one was probably preparing it all for a big launch towards the end of the month and hit the wrong button and sent the e-mails so they had to make there move early. I recon we'll see more details emerge next week in a series of "exclusives" to the different gaming sites.
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First there are some telling questions, the most important one is: "Why have they announced this now?"
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THINK i read on the US forums that it was released a bit early which does explain the lack of redname comments on it so far. Though i suspect that will change in the next few days, we know they cant keep away from a "we love you devs!!!" thread.
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I'm betting they wanted to keep their powder dry a bit longer otherwise why let this out of the bag for a nothing occasion when it would have been fantastic breaking news for the anniversary. Strike One.
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Im a bit 50/50 on this if im honest (announcement wise). Sure it would have been awesome to have heard this last week but im looking at it from a different perspective now. The 5th was to look at the past, see our greatest events ingame in one big bang. Now we get to look to the future! Paragon/isles will never be the same again, that much is a fact.
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What have we actually seen and what do we know? Not a huge lot. Suddenly there's talk of new graphics. Horse Manure! There's not one single thing in that video to indicate that other than the video itself which is very similar to the original publicity trailer. That's FMV, not game graphics. Yes we can get all excited by it but we have no indication it's happening and in fact Positron's mentioned several times in the past that he doesn't want to leave older PCs behind so graphics tweak? Minor at best. Strike 2
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Positron has stated a graphics update is coming in a couple of interviews, they've even hired a few more staff to handle it over the past year so we know it was coming and this would seem the perfect chance to implement it. We could all be wrong but all signs [even if just speculation] does point to a graphics update to.
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New Zones? Well if it's a box and it's going to be in the shops, a whole new game, then there'll be plenty of zones. The game's been crying out for a reason to get into the shops for 2 years now. This is a good thing - if it happens pretty quickly after CO goes live. Timing is critical but with a whole new game to play in: Score!!!
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Agree with you 100% , they just need to make sure us EU players get a boxed version too! I need more for my collection of CoX!
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There's other stuff that I wouldn't expect to be addressed here: PVP, Story completion of other arcs, etc. That's not what the box set needs. It needs vibrancy and excitement - new power sets (surely not just 2?) and something else to set it apart from City of Heroes and City of Villains. It needs to be able to stand alone and my instinct tells me that's what will happen - but if it's a box with one new zone and two power sets and access to Atlas Park or Port Oakes at level 5 a few people might be disappointed.
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Personally im hoping you get to start off as a member of the praetorians in the boxed set. Though if you did, what heading would you come under? They arent exactly good or evil are they? Just our world flipped over. A new "world" is expected from me now though too, would also explain why we've been so light on content these last few issues. Ahhhhhhhh im excited!
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What we've seen is just a teaser to get the juices flowing and so far that's worked
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Its been a while since we had a good teaser like this hasnt it Love these kind of things! And then we all turn out to be completely wrong! *remembers the ouroboros hints*
@Damz Find me on the global channel Union Chat. One of the best "chat channels" ingame!
Let's see here... Issue 15 = Wet Fart, people complained about how the devs weren't doing anything...
New Expansion Pack released, could it possibly be in a Million Years, that they're pooling all their resources into this new project?
It takes Chaos to move the world to Action.
I agree with most of the OP.
Still, it's nice to be a bit excited about things instead of "Meh". I'm happy to be happy for a bit (don't worry, i'm sure it's just a passing phase and Grumpy Carni will return).
Well you know us, as players we wanted to make sure that there was SOMETHING to look forward too. Now we have we'll all be happy for the next few days 
@Damz Find me on the global channel Union Chat. One of the best "chat channels" ingame!
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Well you know us, as players we wanted to make sure that there was SOMETHING to look forward too. Now we have we'll all be happy for the next few days
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Now see, that's where you and I are different. As a cynical old git, this doesn't make me happy. It's only got me on the edge of my seat praying that they bloody well get it right!!!!
(edited to add that if they do get it right they get to keep my subscription fee.)
Thelonious Monk
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Well you know us, as players we wanted to make sure that there was SOMETHING to look forward too. Now we have we'll all be happy for the next few days
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Now see, that's where you and I are different. As a cynical old git, this doesn't make me happy. It's only got me on the edge of my seat praying that they bloody well get it right!!!!
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Oh you and me both. But if we talk gameplay wise and not marketing at the moment then i hope its at least as good as city of villains but only more shiny. That was the main drawback of going over there for the majority of players wasnt it?
They now have years of experience/feedback (both positive and a lot of negative) of both their games of what we liked/didnt like so at the moment my faith in this product is very high. It would have to take something major to mess this update up though if we're honest.
Thoguh i agree it is defo one of those things that could either cement this game as THE superhero game or just keep it afloat.
@Damz Find me on the global channel Union Chat. One of the best "chat channels" ingame!
Do you realise that this is the point where the new hires start delivering benefits after c.18 months of office moves/reorganisation/hiring/training?
So whilst not getting your hopes too high, this could easily be the release where it's apparent that more work is going into CoX. Of course the delivered product is bound to please some and upset others, but that's personal taste/horses for courses for you.
Whether you like it or not, I'm guessing it'll be apparent that a lot of work's been done. I don't know if the work will be on zones/ATs/powers/arcs/story/TFs or on dancing ponies that sing - but I'm pretty sure there'll be a fair bit of it...
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Yes we can get all excited by it but we have no indication it's happening and in fact Positron's mentioned several times in the past that he doesn't want to leave older PCs behind so graphics tweak? Minor at best.
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Pretty sure that I'd seen a recent comment from one of the devs pointing out that they'd try to introduce improved graphics keeping the current settings as available. It wouldn't be impossible to do this and keep backwards compatibility for older machines whilst giving more shininess for newer silicon beasts.
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New Zones? Well if it's a box and it's going to be in the shops, a whole new game, then there'll be plenty of zones.
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Whilst not expecting your 1 zone that allows you to hop to PC/RI at level 5, it isn't neccesarily a whole new game. It's an expansion.
It might be standalone, but it might not.
It looks likely that it'll be a boxed set and bigger in scope than CoV (again partly due to this being where the new team delivers) but the e-mail doesn't even state that (just that it's the first major expansion since CoV).
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What we've seen is just a teaser to get the juices flowing and so far that's worked. But I'm sceptical because although the Devs are great at developing, Paragon Studios have proven a few times they are below par when it comes to managing expectations and don't have too many clues about good marketing - they've missed opportunities to grow the subscription base in the past. Let's just hope they manage to make this one work.
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So isn't your outlook on this somewhat contradictory?
You seem to criticise the trailer/assumptions for maybe only having 1 new zone, and 2 new powersets whilst at the same time criticising the devs for not managing expectations...
We've had Posi mention dual pistols and demon summoning, and we've been expecting one or more new zones soon - so I'd say that the devs are certainly not overhyping the additions this will bring. I'd say that they're managing expectations fine and should easily deliver more than they've given away in the trailer/email.
BTW - Posi mentioning dual pistols/demon summoning also makes me think that the mail has only gone out early by a day or two at the most. And I'd like to think that this was a purposeful 'leak'.
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So isn't your outlook on this somewhat contradictory?
You seem to criticise the trailer/assumptions for maybe only having 1 new zone, and 2 new powersets whilst at the same time criticising the devs for not managing expectations...
We've had Posi mention dual pistols and demon summoning, and we've been expecting one or more new zones soon - so I'd say that the devs are certainly not overhyping the additions this will bring. I'd say that they're managing expectations fine and should easily deliver more than they've given away in the trailer/email.
BTW - Posi mentioning dual pistols/demon summoning also makes me think that the mail has only gone out early by a day or two at the most. And I'd like to think that this was a purposeful 'leak'.
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I don't think you can say it's contradictory. I'm saying that if they expect to be taking on CO, it needs to be more than just a zone or two and a few bits of fluff. It needs to be something that will compete head to head with CO. If it comes in well below par it could end up doing CoH more harm than good.
Imagine this scenario: 2 or 3 zones, introductory arc that then gets you from those zones into either the worlds in City of Heroes or City of Villains, depending on your choices with most content taking place in the existing world, with a price tag of £14.99
After 5 years of free issues, many of which have had only similar levels of content, the exisitng playes will feel gypped - arguably rightly so at an expansion that costs more than a months sub - especially when CO will probably come in with an entirely new game at similar cost levels to CoH.
My point is that this absolutley has to work for CoH. I also sincerely hope it does because I love the game and want to see it prosper but my faith in the people running the game is not strong. It's a leader in its field in a field of 1. But can it pass muster in a field of 3 or 4? This is their only opportunity to reinvigorate the game and show that it's the class leader.
Thelonious Monk
Most triple-A p2p MMOs release a boxed paid-for expansion every 6-18 months (from the prolific SOE end of the spectrum, to the slower Blizzard end), on top of free content additions. I don't think we can criticise NCSoft for asking us to pay for an optional huge new addition to the game (which I expect this will be) just because they've been so generous at releasing free content in the past. Nobody has any right to feel gypped if you compare CoH/V to other major western MMOs.
Honestly I don't think you can start raining on NCSoft's parade until we have more details. It just looks like cynicism for the sake of being overly pessimistic. And hey, I'm usually pessimistic and cynical, but you can't attack a company for something they might fail to deliver just based on gut feelings and no proof/facts - that way lies the path of the troll. Lets wait and see.
I wouldn't read too much into the timing. NCsoft as a whole had a huge month in April, with anniversaries and announcements and new product releases. In some ways it made sense to wait to announce Going Rogue in order to separate it out and not have it be fighting for attention with other things.
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I wouldn't read too much into the timing. NCsoft as a whole had a huge month in April, with anniversaries and announcements and new product releases. In some ways it made sense to wait to announce Going Rogue in order to separate it out and not have it be fighting for attention with other things.
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Yeah, you know better than us what it's like, having been on the inside. There were probably lots of factors that we, as players, just couldn't even begin to imagine.
Though having worked for large multinational companies myself I know how difficult it can be to coordinate things sometimes, especially when you have customers and offices in several regions (with different legal jurisdictions) and a head office in a completely different country again. Even to get the simplest of tasks accomplished can take ages, as you need approvals from so many departments in so many different offices.
Heck, just getting a minor PC issue fixed at work, that I could probably fix myself if I was allowed, means a phone call to our helpline in Bangalore, which then escalates your problem (if it is deemed to not be user error) to our global tech support in Chicago (who need to track all IT problems globally in our company), which then escalates to our regional head office in London, which then notifies our IT department in our own building here that they can come and assist us.
I was already waiting for the doom posts.
Anyway, for this, to sum it up:
A selective few on this board screaming with quiting, leaving, devs suxors and posi is an idiot only focus on 1 thing, CO. NC gotta fix their mess, CO is comming, NC gotta do something, CO is comming.
Now, what if, really what if.. people here dont care about CO? Review your question then:
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First there are some telling questions, the most important one is: "Why have they announced this now?"
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That would basicly be:
"Do i care why they announced it now?"
Expectations gone already crazy, actualy already since CO was announced and MA was released. Assumptions, expectations, doom scenario's, based on what? 'history'? Your so called 'facts'? (aka hand full of people you know ingame or this board).
Again, This _aint_ the US. We've already been put in save mode (removal of NC office) incase they choose to shut it down, its merely a button and a merge.
Serious, but who are you to say what this game 'needs'? A bored veteran that got fed up with the current content and needs more bones to chew on? 2 sets are not enough, new zones are not enough, new TF is not enough, comeback of a faction is not enough, possible some graphics loving is not enough.. then serious, what would be enough for u then?
Face it, with a community on this size, you cant please em all. And that it happen to be a majority of these people are on the forums (kinda like AoC), so be it. Maybe this game was never 'meant' to be large scale or sortlike, maybe it is better to keep it on a 100-150k sub and stay steady going for yet another 3-4 years.
Even if they add animated hair, 1 person here will go totaly crazy and happy, but even then there are people calling of doom fail and lousy. Hunderds of posts about it, the eventual patch arives and topics bleed to death, waiting for yet another big announcement to be flamed at.
50)Sinergy X/(50)Mika.
(50)MaceX/(50)Encore
Sign the petition, dont let CoH go down! SIGN!
Your first post is completely invalidated by the fact they didn't want it to be released at this stage, in fact I think it's practically the preliminary stages since Castle had to keep his mouth well and truly shut. The problem with this is it's probably brought their deadline further up now since it's been exposed, and tonnes of people will be guess-estimating an arrival time. We at least know it's after I-15.
The other problem is the hype and speculation we've brung on these forums now it's exposed. If we had had a press-release without our discovery we would know everything about it and would not be able to speculate. So right now we could easily build ourselves our own anti-climax as usual. I honestly don't think we can criticise them without them releasing the information first. Because after all, right now all we have is a confirmation it's happening, nothing content-wise.
I completely agree with JD's post, well said.
Personally, all those who cried-wolf and finally left just got slapped for 100000000 points of embarrassing damage.
Fury
So you think it was an accident? This leak? Interesting
"Well, they found my diary today.
They were appropriately appalled
at the discovery of the eight victims
They're now putting it all together.
Women wrapped in silk
with one leg missing
Eight legs, one body, silk,
spider, brilliant!"
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So you think it was an accident? This leak? Interesting
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Nemesis would like us to think so, yes 
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
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So you think it was an accident? This leak? Interesting
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Nemesis would like us to think so, yes
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Nemesis is no longer the cool bad guy. That pistol dude is the new "plot".
@Damz Find me on the global channel Union Chat. One of the best "chat channels" ingame!
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So you think it was an accident? This leak? Interesting
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Nemesis would like us to think so, yes
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Nemesis is no longer the cool bad guy. That pistol dude is the new "plot".
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Pity he's just an Automaton
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
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So you think it was an accident? This leak? Interesting
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Well it puts posi's speach in a slight different position. He hints a few things, such the powersets, goes to some common stuff and now WHAM, there ya go.
Negative publicity is publicity, the huge ammount of posts around the MA and posi's speech got things sturred up alot, while they could continue the FMV and the website.
He said on that other interview they already working on issue 17 or such, so i'm pretty sure this rogue thing was known all along (also GR hinted towards 'big' things in the future, be it MA or be it this he was refering to).
50)Sinergy X/(50)Mika.
(50)MaceX/(50)Encore
Sign the petition, dont let CoH go down! SIGN!
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Negative publicity is publicity, the huge ammount of posts around the MA and posi's speech got things sturred up alot, while they could continue the FMV and the website.
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Yeah I did wonder if there was an element of that. Stirring up the community with so many reversals has happened in the past here too (new powersets in I5, but also global def nerfs, then CoV announcement, then ED and CoV launch), and I always wonder if it's intentional controversy to get people talking about the game. CoH/V has certainly had a lot of presence on MMO sites like Massively and MMORPG.com lately and even in more mainstream videogame sites too.
Paragon Studios might be teasing Cryptic as well - I wonder how they reacted to the announcement, so soon on the heels of MA
We've known they were going to do something big to coincide with the launch of CO, and a new Box expansion's the best way of doing it. A new issue with just one zone wouldn't cut it frankly - and the Devs know that if they don't pull something out of the hat CoH is dead in the water.
But let's not get too excited just yet.
First there are some telling questions, the most important one is: "Why have they announced this now?"
I have a theory about that. They should have announced it on the 5th anniversary but what we got was meaningless fluff. That was so poorly managed as to be laughable and it rightly ticked a few off. But that doesn't explain why now. There's no logical reason to announce this now, and personally I think if they'd managed to make the Birthday go with a bigger bang they should have announced it then. Posi's address would have been the perfect time but they kept it quiet. This tells me that they've announced this now simply as a palliative. It's a knee-jerk "throw them a bone" tactic because they've got a lot of p'd-off-puppies on their hands because they mishandled previous announcements.
I'm betting they wanted to keep their powder dry a bit longer otherwise why let this out of the bag for a nothing occasion when it would have been fantastic breaking news for the anniversary. Strike One.
What have we actually seen and what do we know? Not a huge lot. Suddenly there's talk of new graphics. Horse Manure! There's not one single thing in that video to indicate that other than the video itself which is very similar to the original publicity trailer. That's FMV, not game graphics. Yes we can get all excited by it but we have no indication it's happening and in fact Positron's mentioned several times in the past that he doesn't want to leave older PCs behind so graphics tweak? Minor at best. Strike 2
New Zones? Well if it's a box and it's going to be in the shops, a whole new game, then there'll be plenty of zones. The game's been crying out for a reason to get into the shops for 2 years now. This is a good thing - if it happens pretty quickly after CO goes live. Timing is critical but with a whole new game to play in: Score!!!
There's other stuff that I wouldn't expect to be addressed here: PVP, Story completion of other arcs, etc. That's not what the box set needs. It needs vibrancy and excitement - new power sets (surely not just 2?) and something else to set it apart from City of Heroes and City of Villains. It needs to be able to stand alone and my instinct tells me that's what will happen - but if it's a box with one new zone and two power sets and access to Atlas Park or Port Oakes at level 5 a few people might be disappointed.
What we've seen is just a teaser to get the juices flowing and so far that's worked. But I'm sceptical because although the Devs are great at developing, Paragon Studios have proven a few times they are below par when it comes to managing expectations and don't have too many clues about good marketing - they've missed opportunities to grow the subscription base in the past. Let's just hope they manage to make this one work.
Thelonious Monk