3+ Year Veterans: Why do you stay?

It's the community for me as well. and I hit 66 Next month

57 month vet here. Well, because I have nothing else better to do...it's either this or deal with a nagging spouse.

about to hit 72.

I like the basic gameplay, obviously. They keep adding new systems, some of which I like (the market, AE) some of which I dislike (merits). And I enjoy the forums.


I dunno, none of that really explains why I'm still here. I ran a CS server and community a decade ago with a bunch of people I still count as friends, but I tired of the game fairly quickly. This one, I still enjoy playing all these years later.

I don't like sword and sorcery, not even a little bit. And I love super-heroes..so this game is a perfect match for me. And the community is awesome. Just got my "City Traveler" reward!!!

I'm here for the friends I've made and the ones I haven't made yet.

And it's either fifteen a month here, or fifty every other month on a new game.

I love the game, I love the story, I love my characters, I love the friends I've made on here, I love filming stuff...

I'm here til they turn the servers off.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

45+ months vet here too.
Basically for me it is my only "vice".

In the first year or so my wife used to actually get a little jealous OF the game.... and I gave her this little bit of info to ponder and it helped.
Which was;
A) I could be drinking
B) I could be doing drugs and such
C) I could be violent towards her
D) I exercise my God-given freedom to have something else in my daily life (CoX) to "escape the reality" that is the world that which we see each day.
As long as I do not neglect what is expected of me in my daily duties and responsibilities.....
once she understood that it made my decision(s) concerning the game so much easier.

That being said I truly enjoy the escapism is the whole environment/game.
The lore of the charachters, the powers, the people that I play with and or meet.... the whole thing.
Plus... and this is just an observation because I have never played another MMO.....
I respect the fact that THIS GAME is truly loved by the developing staff AND the players alike.
It shows in the product..... which in turn shows daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly with the Forums and Player-base.

Long live CoX!

I don't see things like many present-day MMO players do. I don't value $15 (or, in this case, $143.40 x2) as much as many people might. I haven't logged in to CoX since late August (shortly before Labor Day weekend) but I'd still maintain my account simply because I like the game itself. I play several MMOs, depending on my mood, and feel no need to restrict myself to any one (or two or four). I don't pay month to month on any game that I truly enjoy playing (or, obviously, any game I've purchased a lifetime sub to) and CoX is the only one I relegate to annual billing (on two accounts).

With 72 months on one account and a month from 60 on the other, I keep playing (and paying, with all packs released thus far and Going Rogue on both accounts) because I like the game. I got over the continuing to play because of "the community" thing with EQ (aka "EverCrack" at one time, for that very reason). If the game sucks, the community won't keep me playing (right Horizons...errr, Istaria?). I can talk to my ingame friends out of game (phone, text, TS/Vent/Mumble, visits and cons, etc) so paying for a glorified chatroom when I'm already paying for the same things, seems daft to me. I "waste" money "all the time" (most of my colleagues: "You pay every month....to play A GAME? REALLY?") but this isn't one of those examples. So while I may go off to play another game for a minute, I'm always coming back to the characters Poison has (and will) immortalized, here.

Vet badges, new stuff and the community. Not necessarily in that order.

I don't know. I just dropped $100 on steam to get Fallout 3 GotY edition and New Vegas.

The away from game CoH projects I've been working on are now collecting virtual dust.

I'm on what is essentially my 4th gaming rig since I started playing over 6 years ago.

I think I'm here out of habit. Like smoking, I see no reason to stop.

In what other game can I don the mantle of a superhero and defend the city with my friends?

In what other game can I pull a mask over my eyes, summon the powers of evil and smite hundreds of foes at once?

In what other game can I make any costume I can think of and enjoy playing it after entering the game?

I'm here until the streets of Paragon whistle with emptiness. I'm here until the Isles sink into the ocean. I'm here until Praetoria is consumed by war and falls. I'm here until the servers are shut down.

Why? Because I love it. I truly do love this game. It's given me more entertainment than any game I've ever played. The developers actually care (unlike some OTHER gaming companies with wildly popular MMO's), the community is understanding and knowledgeable (trolls are also few and far between), and I just feel powerful when I play.

Because I was a comic book junkie in my youth, and I really like the game. I have met some really great people that I consider friends. Most importantly, these forums are a source of amusement on those slow days at work.

"Sorry bucko, but CoH and CoV are the same game." -BackAlleyBrawler
"Silly villain, CoX is for Heroes!" -Saicho

Its easy...

The cookies...

No other game has cookies...

*noms 42 veteran cookie badge*

Two things for me.

First is the community. I usually don't involve myself too much with video game communities, despite playing a lot because most of them are... not nice. But this one is special, at least to me. I mean, I wouldn't be at this many posts if it wasn't. (Note to self, stop delaying picking out an avatar already!) And the best part is that it extends to ingame as well. I don't know what it is, but I find the vast majority of people playing CoH to be pretty nice, even when trying to play the "endgame" raid-like content.

Secondly... Whee! I can fly! Yeah, it's silly fun, but I like flying in CoH. If I ever feel like the game is getting a little dull, I'll log on one of my fliers and do some trick flying. Then I'm happy again. City Traveler is the best Vet Reward, since I can get Fly sooner, or on characters that otherwise wouldn't.

I do sometimes take a few weeks away from the game, especially around Halloween since I hate the eternal night part of it, but I've never let my subscription lapse since I got the game. I do like a few of my characters a lot, but none of them are precious enough that I wouldn't leave them all behind. But so far, I haven't had to.

75 month vet here.

I play because of the people I play with, some of whom I knew in RL before CoH, some who I've met in RL since I met them on CoH.

Also as a mature student studying a maths degree at home, I need some cheap entertainment for when I'm not doing that, and CoH has saved me a fortune in other computer games, beer etc. I don't want to know how many hours I've put into this game, but my account has 180+ toons on it, 54 50s and counting (and no I don't PL).

This has been the only game I have payed for since it CoV has dropped I wish I wasnt spoiled by community and devs. Oh yeah side note free Issues rocks!!!! Imagine having to pay for updates WoW stlye.

51 mo vet here and I stay cause I love the game. Pure and simple. Before I had a computer, I wanted to play this. After I started, there was no turning back. Hell, I don't even watch regular TV anymore. The only problem I have with it is in Issue 19 and turning my 29 lvl 50s into Incarnates.

I am so hoping it's just a long story arc and not a TF for them as those tend to be cherry picked. (We don't need X archtype but we won't take anything less cause it's easier with X archtype)

69 Month Vet on the 22nd of this month.

Why I'm here?

Community, Roleplayers, Enjoying the game.

It's the Roleplaying part especially. 5 years of Roleplaying in this game, from the tail end of EU beta, a few breaks in between. Through the roleplaying in this game, I've made some of the best friends in my life.

Doctor Temporis and Hikari-Hime, who now don't play? I was the maid of honour at their wedding. Became friends through roleplaying and gaming in this MMO.
Gideon? Honourary brother. He's just that damn awesome, with a great taste in hats.
Raveswing? So many great RP stories, he's driven me to become a better writer, and I'm always glad when he's back playing.
FloatingFatMan? Big kind of uncle figure, always there for a chat about important things.
ShadowGhost? Very kind, generous man, had lots of chats about pretty much nothing over the years, and he comes over from the Netherlands to meet up with peeps in the UK, which shows dedication! (also he got me a chocolate Z once. Yeah, easy to win over.)
Poptart_Fairy? Very kind, very funny, very English.
Cass_? Top person, always good for a laugh.

These are just a few of the people I've spent money on to meet up with. On the 25th of this month, It'll have been 5 years since I met some of them for the first time in meatspace. There's more, so many more that if I went on talking about them, well, I'd be here for a long time. In 5 years of playing, I've made more friends than I've ever had. Entertaining both in game and out of game, whether playing, roleplaying or just chatting or having a drink in a London pub.

It's why I always come back, for the people and the roleplaying.