City of Heroes 2 Coming Soon

Coh2 . . . . . . . . . the global handle wars have begun . . . . . . .

Ok, my own theories on CoH2 "why not just a CoH revamp?"

Well,
1) The game has parts that are going on a decade old. A lot has matured in game programming, in MMO client-server technology, and in general product development. Developing a true "next gen" game experience that is built on that increasingly-rickety foundation seems... unsound.

If you were going to invest all the resources to redo character models to a 'next-gen' standard... including equivalents to all existing costume pieces, redo environments to reflect emerging-market expectations, and enhance the engine to better harness new tech, how confident would you be to deliver it on decade-old tech and game mechanics? if you were going to be THAT ambitions, why not raise the bar and take the whole franchise to the next-gen level?

2) Many of the limits on the current game experience (like BAF/MSR) appears tied more to the messaging mechanic than client-side. That means that a fix would require both client and server side revamps... not just making a new optional "client engine" like some MMO's have done in the past. Having servers communicate differently to two different engines just seems like a bit of overhead.

3) Many of the game mechanics that we've grown to accept, but not necessarily like (like mezz mechanics) would require a fundamental change to the core game-- something that isn't often appealing to existing players (NGE). A thoroughly new game lets mechanics be redesigned more thoroughly and more adequately meet the changing PC(?) gamer market.


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So, assuming that there IS a CoH2 in the works, what is it like.

- It is still VERY early in development. If they're looking for the senior positions that they mention, then they're still assembling the team. I'd expect to be celebrating CoH's 10th anniversary before this launches. They're doing planning, concepts, and early prototypes. They may be a bit further ahead, but not by much.

- If NCSoft coordinates some of its internally-owned studios' resources (like Paragon's sister Carbine and ArenaNet) then I might expect full-scale production to be timed to take advantage of the resources freed when those studios launch their current projects. Initial development takes a lot more personnel than sustained development (and often a different set of skills and interests). Drawing some of that talent over helps cross-pollinate groups, exchange ideas, and draw off each others' experiences. The current CoH team would be the core, but there's an awful lot of talent out there to take advantage of.

- The comic book genre is well-known for its 'reboot' of franchises. You can't move this world into the future (Marvel 2099) very effectively, but you can do something akin to an "Ultimate Marvel" or "Infinite Earths" style retelling. I'd expect something along that line- new twists on familiar elements... echos of similarity... but in a way, a modernization of the core CoH universe.

- I don't see this splitting the community. I don't see them doing an everquest/everquest2 setup. I see the incarnate story arc gradully becoming a battle to stop the multiverse collapsing in on itself- a product of the barriers between worlds weakening via the Rikti/magic plot point, the Rularuu invasion, and Cole's own invasion. The incarnate fight becomes a battle between factions hoping to shape this new world to their own needs, and we all fight through to that final moment when the merged universe rights itself... all goes white...

... and our heroes and villainsvemerge in this new world-- perhaps not even heroes-- but they're ready to meet the new challenges of the new world. Some may have some memory of what came before... even if just faint echos that come in dreams. Some events will turn out differently this time- some heroes or villains may take very different paths in this new city, and some new heroes will emerge to fill the void.

I think the Coming Storm is a universe collapse that retcons all existence into one singular reality (ala Infinite Crisis - best graphic novel ever, IMHO.)

cannot type today...

Don't really care for a COH2. Keep on, keeping on with bug-fixes, more issues, and a engine overhaul/update for COH 1.

As a long time player of City of Heroes, there is one precious few demand I have if City of Heroes 2 is being made:

Let us keep our City of Heroes characters and their badges and transfer them to the new game.

I don't care if it requires a cosmic reboot where my characters awaken in a new world without any of his powers or experience points and has to level up from 1 again, but I don't like the idea of having to rebuild and replay two characters I've spent nearly 2000 hours on each.

Give us a menu in-game for "Legacy" badges or "Previous Issue" badges that shows what we've earned in CoH 1. Let us carry over some of the veteran rewards and accolades.

Then I'll be happy. If not, I'll just stick with CoH 1 until the servers go down.

As for replacing the existing game's engine...
That really means replacing the current game with a new one.
As much as any artist might try to replicate, duplicate, copy everything over... if you're doing it differently, it's going to be different.
I wouldn't ever want to see the game swapped for a new one... and, in reality, an engine replacement would be just that.
There's no chassis that can be opened up and the parts swapped out for new, improved ones that can handle all the wear and tear and new super-awesome ideas that the old ones couldn't.

It's not like swapping the same brain into a new and better body.
It's a bit more like swapping the old brain out for a new one.
It'd take an awful lot of work to get that new brain to contain and understand all the cool stuff of the first brain... and it still wouldn't ever be the same person.

Bilik'kala'zunkar.


I don't know if it really will be a CoH sequel, related to it or something completely different (oh, speaking of which, I've had some ideas for a Monty Python mmorpg...), but it's been obvious they've been working on something for a while now... I am indeed curious, but it has little-to-no bearing in reality for me right now.

And I agree with Golden Girl... IF they make a sequel, I expect something a bit innovative in the whole tying it in with the original that would hopefully alleviate a lot of the problems some people have with mmorpg sequels.
No, not direct ports or carrying things over... but there definitely are some innovative ways to make things work well for both games.


Iklachomtralg!!