Honey, I'm home!

Warning: This post is a little long...

Some of you may have seen me around on Union since the EU launch, but as of last November I haven’t been playing. I didn’t deliberately hate-rage-quit or anything like that. I just let the payment slip and then just let it keep slipping. I had burnt out and needed a break for a good few months prior to actually letting it happen.

I’ve been keeping up with the boards and the latest news and I’m getting very excited about the new buzz word at the moment: Content. I’m very excited to hear that the devs have been listening to us that we need more content and end game material. I’m also excited to see how my new rig (well… updated) handles Ultra Mode and even more to see that more and more details of Going Rogue are being released if perhaps a little too slowly and in a bit too confined a place that I would like (i.e. outside of the forums and a few carefully chosen locations you never hear anything about the game outside of the official site!)

I’m ready to get stuck back into my favourite game and to help anyone out with any signatures or posters (normally only for their arcs) that they need as per usual.

But during my time away I would like to think its given me a little time mull over my opinions of City of Heroes and Villains and where it has been/is going. I’ve been wondering what exactly it is that keeps me coming back and I think its the players themselves that you can team with and the fact that this is such a wonderfully casual game that doesn’t require you to spend hours to prepare to do something fun... you can just go and have fun straight away!

(If you’re not curious about my opinions I’d guess you’d want to stop reading around about now)

Well the first thing I want to say is how much of a brilliant move I think updating the game’s graphics is. One of the best things about our devs is that they seem to read and take in what we want for the game. Keeping the game current by updating the game and also keeping the same minimum graphics requirements for those that can’t afford to upgrade is a move that is bound to pay off. Please don’t hold back with this one, I’d LOVE to see a DX10 equivalent version of CoX. Or at least something really really shiny. P.s. please give us fingers!

The next thing I think the game would really get a boost out of is a revised AI. We all know the quirks of the current way the enemies behave and it would refresh a very large part of the game experience to have this updated. I think it would also do the same thing to revise the same old tired mission structure. I don’t mean the actual story here, but the format of the missions. Add more different types of missions that stop everything from getting repetitive. Oh and more colours in the Costume creator would be great!

I think the NCSoft (if that’s who it is) Marketing and Advertising team deserves to be shot. Several times in the groinal area. With a shotgun. Seriously guys in all my time playing the game other than a little bit of subliminal advertising in ‘The Big Bang Theory’, I have never once seen a magazine or internet advert let alone a TV advert for this game. What could be more perfect than a TV Advert just after the phenomenal US Hit TV Show ‘Heroes’ has just aired. Sure it would cost a lot of money but it would also bring in more subscribers and let people know that it still exists. This is a specially sore point for me because I don’t think any reviews or press articles that I have seen are negative to the game really.

Another area that seems to tie in quite well here is the Going Rogue Advertising... I know that more and more information is coming out now, but we’ve had a good few months with literally nothing and I know that a lot of people were just sitting around waiting for something to be said... anything would have done! Seeing that kind of level of impatience and ignoring it is bordering on ignorance in my opinion. Especially when a screenshot or a haiku or something would have kept the rumour mill churning.

I’ve also recently been keen to find out more information about the Rikti Invasions Mk II. There was no official announcement about these or anything. Anyone that doesn’t frequent these boards wouldn’t have even known anything new was happening... and I know a good few people that have no idea what if anything happened. I know everyone is busy with GR but communication is the key here people!

As such, I’ve taken the liberty of designing a poster that is aimed at old players that already know about the Rikti and why they’re invading that is targeted at tempting them back into the game to kick some good ol’ Rikti ***!

Note: Click the thumb to see the full-size poster.



All in all this is just really a thread to say “Hey, I’m back” but those can often be pointless so I thought I’d try to spice it up a bit. So.. do you agree with me? No? Discuss!

Welcome back soul train! Just wanted to say that first mate Will reply to rest of your post now inamin when i get time

Very cool poster, SS. And welcome back!

P.S. Don't call me honey.

Welcome hoime




But there has been a GR screenshot posted very recently

http://www.londonstimes.us/toons/car...nett_gnome.jpg

Welcome back!

Welcome back and great poster!

And yes, marketing are miserly with the information...but one can surmise that they are waiting for a strategic point to release information.

Welcome back mate.

Welcome back bro.

Even though you're on the wrong EU server (kidding) I think I remember you: didn't your avatar used to be a cuddly bear holding a ribbon?

Welcome back.

Good to see you're back!

Okay read your post properly now.

aaaaand here are some comments about the comments you made

• Updated graphics:- not too bothered about them at the moment, my aging system can just about handle the 'recommended' settings as long as I stay out of Grandville. Rather more interested in the fact that the old graphics will be available after GR launches. Still bound to upgrade sooner or later and will b e looking forward to how good the game can really look.

• Updated AI? Sure would be nice but in truth I can't see it happening beyond a bit of tweaking here and there.

• Marketing, ahh the favourite whipping boy of the forumites . Just to play Devil's Advocate here I think it's worth pointing out that Marketing probably utilize their budget as effectively as they can. A limited budget means limited advertizing. The problem with a big tv campaign is that it is extremely expensive and would it automatically be effective? I'm no business bod but a bit of arithmatic tells me that a $1,000,000 ad campaign would need to bring in around 5,250 subscribers at $15.99 a month for a year in order recoup the investment. In real terms the subs would be reduced by administration charges, corporation tax etc. So NCSoft if they control the purse strings would have to be pretty convinced of the effectiveness of an ad campaign, whatever form it took, before they invested in it.

• Going Rogue info? Agreed probably not enough but then I'd have to say that even if there was 5 times the amount it wouldn't be enough .

• MkII invasions as far as Union server was concerned consisted (iirc) of Niviene, Avatea and TheOcho spawning Mothership mobs in the region of the Founders Falls vanguard DPO including a few Master-at-Arms. There was also something similar redside. Participants got the yellow title 'Paragon Defender'

Frija here, welcome back Soul.

Thanks for the welcomes...

Just wanted some feedback on the poster, and to see if there was interest in a villain version...

Saw that poster pop up in my #CityofHeroes watch, didn't know it was you. Looks really nice, would love to see a villain-i-fied version of it. (though would be just as happy to see the poster for my arc (also not upset over the long delay, *totally* understand about taking a break from the game))

Welcome back!

Welcome back, Soul. Great poster!

Yeah there's plenty to be excited about - Going Rogue in particular.

I've been out of the game for six months myself due to an arm injury (taught myself to use my mouse left-handed, but it doesn't really work for me in combat in CoH) - but I've still been logging in occasionally to move characters for day-jobs (which takes a while with only 1 hand - with Super-Jumpers I cheat and use their Raptor Packs), to check the markets, chat a little on global channels, play with the costume creator, and make minor changes to the decor in our SG bases.

This isn't an easy game to give up, even when you can't play it properly