The Future (i20 predictions etc.)

I'm sure topics like this have been mentioned elsewhere, but with what has been called "the strictest NDA ever" having been put on i20 testing and development, ya gotta wonder what's coming. I have a theory...

In the words of the Joker, "Let's wind the clocks back one year." (Okay, maybe a bit more than that). CoX was about to get its first competitor in the superhero-based MMO world. Said competitor promised to bring a few features that CoX players had been requesting for a long time, including a nemesis engine (though we could, at that point, create our own via AE), more fluid and intricate travel options, and (the big one) power customization. That was around the end of summer '09.

About one month after that game was released, lo and behold, we received an issue that brought us power customization and the promise of more for the future (some of which has already been slated for i19). Then less than two months after that, we received a booster pack with Ninja Run, a power that enables quick movement combined with flashy animation, and what many consider to be the most useful non-issue-based addition to the game thus far.

Hopefully, you see where I'm going with this.

It just so happens that, within the first trimester of 2011, another competitor to the superhero-MMO fan base will make its debut, again, offering some things that we do not yet have access to in CoX. For example, travel powers incorporated into combat (speed based brawling, flying attacks from the air, etc.). There looks to also be vertical running up a wall (something anyone with Super Speed has been aching for, but unable to attain due to, I believe, the tech not being able to handle it), animalistic movement options and stances for characters, and alternate travel options (such as flying/jumping with a permanent jet pack).

{Now, before I go further, let me quickly say that I still think CoX has more to offer (i.e. complete customization of body type, mass, and size, and the ability to change all of that via costume changes). So I am not saying that this new competitor has CoX beat, not by a long shot.}

Given what happened about a year ago, the very secretive future of CoX, and the fact that the Issue 20 marks a particular milestone with it being such a round number, what do you think we'll see come next year? This is all PURELY speculation and hope.

"Difficult to see, the future is." Yoda.

With the obligatory quote outta the way, I begin. I know what I would like to see, (some love for bases, revamps of the various hazard zones, more content, ect) but looking at what's been done so far here's what I think we'll be seeing soon tm.

A DA revamp - the clues that something big is happening there have been very obvious though out the morality missions. and it appears that both the Tsoo, and the Legacy Chain are actually gearing up for what ever is going to happen. (Maybe something to do with Lughebu perhaps) Anyways I smell a TF/SF

Or;

The Moon Base revealed - Over a year ago they were getting ready to take us to the Moon, and it hasn't happened yet. You can still see the workers building the road to the launch site in PO, and other workers tearing down a portion of the War Wall in Steel.

Or maybe;

The War walls are going down! - Okay I personally give this a low probability, but I can see it happening. At the same time they were talking about the Moon Base, one of the Devs (I think it was Positron, but I could be mistaken) announced the War Walls were going to be torn down. Still, I think it's on the table somewhere. But as I said, I don't think it's going to happen.

Or Perhaps;

20-40 (or higher) content for Praetoria - To tell the truth, I felt that what we got from i18 was only a taste of things to come. I didn't want my characters to leave, I wanted them to work IN Praetoria to accomplish their gaols. And with the sheer awesomeness they did there I'd love to see the story reaching from 1-50.

Or we could see something completely different. In any case well see when it arrives.

If you are right, and I am not saying whether I believe so or not, here are a few things in that upcoming game that I have seen and would really like to see in our game;

1) customizable stances, including animalistic options. These should not be endurance intensive like Ninja-run, they should be like the "fly-pose" settings and allow you to further customize how your character animates.

2) Pole-arm/Staff. I have seen so many games using this flashy kind of combat and I WANTS IT !

3) More back slot options, like a gun, bow, quiver, or sheathed weapon. Make it so that your weapon handle only shows on your back when you are not wielding it.

4) Travel revamp would be Sooooo awesome. Let us take a travel power at level one, then revamp the power pools around this change. I really like the idea of your choice of movement having some kind of in-combat benefit. Combat Jumping is what we have, but not sure how that will stack up against the other game as far as a "cool" factor.

5) Interactive environments. Some of the groundwork has been laid on this one, but I suspect that our game engine will simply not be able to provide as much control as a newly built game that is doing this as part of it's initial presentation. However... We have been surprised before with what the coders can make this old engine do. So, I would not be opposed at all with more car-throwing, dumpster-kicking, shooting out the lights, or throwing a bad guy through a wall or off a building for extra damage in the future.

This may just be me reading too much into things, but based on some of the hints I've seen about i19 content? I think several Zones are getting face lifts... in the "the Praetorians came through and completely trashed the area!" way.

I'm sure there would be more to it, than just this. But a massive revamp of only a few 'normal' zones would have a huge impact on the game. And such a huge change might warrant this kind of NDA.

A "cataclysm" type of thing? Old zones getting trashed due to an ongoing Praetorian War (maybe uses the Rikti method?). I'm all for that, but I think what they should do MORE is unlock the archetypes. I'm talking picking individual powers from any set. Both competitors do it, we need it too.

One of the selling points of CoX is customization. You need that feeling of Uniqueness. I'm hoping I20+ will continue the lead CoX has by giving many MANY new customization options. Asymmetrical costumes, scalable body, stances, expressions, more power pools, etc...

I'm loving all of these ideas.

The moon base sounds very intriguing, and space-themed characters/missions is something I've hoped for in the past, but I wonder how soon they would do that after opening the whole new "world" of Praetoria, especially since they have yet to open it up to characters over level 20+, much less Primal Earth based characters. Is that in the works? Hard to tell, but unfortunately I think they will do more with Praetoria before we set foot on the moon. All that being said, I have to check out those sites in Port Oakes and Steel Canyon. I did not even know such things were going on...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biospark If you are right, and I am not saying whether I believe so or not, here are a few things in that upcoming game that I have seen and would really like to see in our game

Haha! No worries dude, I don't even know if I'm right, it was just a pattern I noticed. I gotta think some kind of staff melee is coming. Now that Shields and Dual Pistols have been incorporated in-game, that is currently the most requested non-existent set out there. I'm totall behind back pieces for characters, as it still bugs me when my natural Archery blaster reaches back manifests an arrow out of thin air. And I've already siad how much I'd like to see some attention paid to travel powers, so, /signed.

OneWhoBinds, interesting idea. You're right, it would have a HUGE impact on the game, especially for long-time players who have known an area like, say, Skyway City for so long, and to have it suddenly turn into a zone like Boomtown would be a very new experience. Though, that being said, I would assume said zone(s) would turn into hazard zones, and we already have a number of "something/someone blew up and nearly destroyed everything" zones, i.e. Boomtown, Faultline, Rikti War Zone, 'Eden', The Hollows, etc. That isn't to say it won't happen, hell, that seems to be the direction that they are heading! But if they did that, I would want to see either another zone "fixed up" or see some new regular zone. Hell, maybe take a zone like Boomtown where there isn't a ton going on anyway, and have it turn into the place where Tyrant has set up his Primal Earth base of operations? Overall, I'm liking tossing this idea around.

SolUnitus, more customization is always something they are looking into, but in terms of unlocking the archetypes and giving people the ability to choose any combination of power sets... I'm not sure if this will ever happen. For starters, as the game stands, just imagine someone choosing a blaster archetype, but choosing Fire Control. The amount of damage they would be putting out would be off the charts. Now, obviously, that's not what you meant, but in order to facilitate such a change (as allowing a character to choose a blaster primary, and an armor secondary), there would need to be a re-design of nearly the entire character system, which is why I doubt we'll see it. After all, that's the reason we have Ancillary Power Pools, in order to supplement what archetypes lack, and to give someone a chance to create a character that attacks once or twice from range, and then runs in and pummels everyone. Regarding your other hopes: stances and expressions is something that we've been told they are working on (along with individual finger movements), but it's not high on the priority list. And we already have an intricate body scale creator, unless that's not what you meant...

So far I'm /signed for nearly everything here.

I20 must have Nemesis PWNies, A Nemesis Solder VEAT (like Wolf Spiders, except you decide if you want to be a fusilier or a warhulk), a Fake Nemesis VEAT, and the "Lord Nemesis Task Force" in which all other TFs are exposed to be Nemesis Plots.

NCSoft will go under if they don't do this!

It's 106 miles to Grandville, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing faceless helmets

... Hit it ...

Neat thread
My quote out of the way too; "Where ever you go.... there you are!" (Mr. Brady of the Brady Bunch Movie)
Any who.....
I think from time to time about the future stuff in the game and for me personally I have gotten more and more excited about it every year in the 4 years on it now.

I would love to see the Bo/Staff options in the future as a cool power option
Something like a Moonbase would rock of course.
I have to admit like I saw in some of the interviews with the Devs online and such..... "..... competition is a healthy thing"
The coolest thing of all is in agreeing with the original poster of the thread is that CoX has the competition beat hands down

Seeing more Praetoria stuff in the future is always a good thing.
Heck.... my lev 50 Willpower/Mace Tank is itching to stick his War Mace up Tyrant's pooper sooo badly!

Also early flying options are gonna always be nice, LOL

In order of actually happening
5. War Walls down (I know they want em down but why bother at this point)
4. 2 new classes
3. Moon Base!!!!!
2. 2 new power pools
1. New TF/SFs and new IOs

All I can speculate on is that if I20 is larger than I19... I MAY need some more duct tape to avoid Spontaneous Head Explosion!

My biggest guess is that a new range of recipes filling out some sets and adding purples to defence and resistance and diversifying the set bonuses currently available from purples anyway.

That combined with the further incarnate stuff would justify a signed NDA, since nobody would want the market to take a massive nosedive if people suddenly got wind of some stuff that was coming.

Quote:

Originally Posted by VoodooGirl [*]Watching out for the Spinning Disco Portal of D00M!*

Guessing:

I20: Coming Storm: A Shadow Shard revamp. lvl 50's only. Some areas are incarnates only! (or are too hard to do if your not an incarnate). 2 New taskforces and now with 70% less Dr. Quarterfield! Did I say Rularuu? I ment Nemesis plot Ritki!

I21: No more Warwall!: After Rikti get the crap beat out of them, the Warwalls are now obsolete! (Yay!) Dark Astoria gets invaded by Praetorians! (oh no!) and did I mention Sunlight in the Villain zones? Yeah, I did.

I22: More customization: More powers get alternate animations. Finishing up Power Proliferation! More, unique color options! (Like rainbow energy blast! White AND Black color combinations and even shiny new weapon models. Obligatory new powerset(s) here.

I23: No more villain/hero Archetypes: All non EAT archetypes can be made in Paragon, Mercy or Praetoria! No more getting to 20 then side switching. Hazard zones become special event zones! Any level can enter these areas as the enemies work like the zombie events and rikti events. Cool stuff is to be had.

A new AT or two and a bunch of powers customizations, which will come out around when DC Online comes out.

I believe they will use some of the runner up animations ( animations they tried but just didn't like that much ) for DP to incorporate into some customization adding new weapons and effects.

Example adding some flash gordon type of gun to Dual Pistols with some energy effect using alternate animations. Adding Elements to weapons.. Fire, Ice, Energy, etc.

Basically having what they have in house already and can do quickly enough and then tweak it up some time after DC Online is out a bit. Basically a teaser to keep you here and hint of to things to come.

Yes, we added flames to all weapons but we will be coming out with elemental weapons.