Cryo, your sentiments echo so many others who have loved this game. I have heard 'it's just a game...get over it...get a life' from those who will never understand. The friends I made while playing have shared laughs, sorrows comfort and fun during so many phases in my life. I am hoping against hope that somehow the game can be saved, but if not, this feels like a death in my family. I too, loved the fun and the people behind the pixels.
�Many things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done.�
Cryo from another 45-year-old "kid" who is weepy-eyed, I have your back. I share your loss.
I didn't start out in beta, admittedly. I believe I started with Issue 3.
I still remember being told I needed to get to Kings Row to talk to a contact. Running through the tunnels got tiring so I broadcasted my displeasure when some kind soul broadcasted back: "Have you tried the train?"
Train? There's a train! I rushed over to look at my map that was included with the game. (Yes, I'm a guy... we rarely look at instructions). Oh sweet nectar! A train station! Perhaps, just perhaps... it will take me to Kings Row.
And it did! And I was on cloud nine.
Until my contact happened to be in an orange zone...and then zap. I was dead. But happy. Dead but happy because I had found a train!
And since then there have been so many more wonderful memories. But now I don't even want to log on. I guess I feel "What's the point?" Why try to build up my newest staff-wielding brute if only to see him "BLIP!" out in approximately 90 days?
I guess I can look for other online MMORPGs that have a superhero theme. But it won't be the same.
Not ever.
Satan trembles when he sees...
the weakest saint on his knees.
<----- Click there to learn how you can help!
Considering that, as a 7-year vet, I've been playing this game for nearly 1/4 of my life...yeah, there's no way I can call CoH "just a game".
I still recall logging into the game for the first time, after a friend from SWG recommended it. Arriving in Atlas Park with that great theme music (I need to download that somewhere and use for a ringtone or something).
I remember meeting my friend under the Atlas statue. We chatted for a bit, and then when she had to go, she said "watch this...."
...and proceeded launch skyward with Super Jump, I watched her character disappear into the sky. Coming from SWG, I never saw anything like that, or even imagined it. It was awesome.
"There's villainy ... and then there's supervillainy. The difference is performance."
-Doc_Reverend
I still remember the *very first* time I ever teamed in CoH, back in issue 0. It was just a PUG; the team was already in the mission and was in the process of being wiped when my Ice / Ice blaster ran in. Now, a low-level Ice blaster with TO's is not the strongest Hero in the world, but my arrival was *just* enough to slowly turn the tide and stop the whole team from being wiped out. OMG I felt like a super hero and I've been feeling that way ever since in this game.
I remember not liking the game much the first night when I learned the basics back in 2005. Then, something snapped in my brain when I tried the game the next morning. And here we are 7 years later.
I remember taking almost an hour trying to guide new people into the Hollows during a FrostFire mish. I remember encouraging them when they fell down the old ravines and a circle of thorns thug, quite purple, killed my teammate. You're in the Atlas hospital, don't worry, it takes less than 10 minutes to walk back if you're careful.
Then they had temporary travel powers, then fitness was included... I remember us basically mugging the old Hami on Freedom each night as Rose and others lead us, and the rest of us chatted about Chuck Norris (when those jokes were in style).
It was a lot of fun people. Farewell.
-BurnSucka.
"Melt 'em like butters!"
I remember taking Father Xmas, when not up to run a mission, and hang around the Hollows fighting Darwin by healing/rezing (Medicine Pool Aid Other and Resuscitate) low level characters who got over their head again and again doing the Arrest 10 X missions for Wincott. With the occasional escort of someone who fell in the hole (nobody messes with a high level tank).
Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components
Tempus unum hominem manet
My friend told of this game that he saw his brother playing when he was over in London in 04 where you can 'be a superhero and run around the streets and team up and stuff'. It didn't interest me at all. Then in 2005 I saw 'City of Villains' in the shop and I thought to myself 'What you can be a Villain!? Now you're talking'
Thugs rool (I've got the helmet to prove it).
I remember getting here in the 2006 after years of Ultima Online.
A friend of mine tried it and told me to get on the trial too and so I did.
I liked it from the first time, tho obviously I would understand half of the things I was doing hehe.
I remember that at the very beginning we didn't care about missions (especially since travel powers were unlocked only at 14), so after hitting 5 we would go to Kings Row in our special spot to farm mobs lol.
Then came the time we would all go to the hollows instead and the typical broad was "anyone up for FF?". One of the first EB for a lot of people on here that still gives you nightmares! 
And if there's one thing that I absolutely have to agree with all of you is the community.
In no other games, trials or what, it's so easy to get along with people and get the answer you need, especially in game. On here you can just shoot your question in the help chat and surely someone will answer you, at least to tell you that no one knows about it hehe! 
With breaks here and there I think that CoX has been the MMO I've played more than others.
Well good luck all, players and guys at paragon studio! ^_^
Hi Guys,
memories of CoX...Mmmmmm let me see...
Oh yes, firstly getting more lvl 50's than my son who introduced me to it just after it started. Boy was he pissed off at Dad getting on faster than him in "His" game Even sweeter given that he was the QA guy at Cryptic on the game at the time. Made I laugh (actually still does!)
Secondly getting an invite to the Pre Pre Beta of the AE edition as"Family & Friend". Think there was about 18 of us at the start. Memorable because we all got an e-mail with the new AE stuff manual (City of Heroes : Mission Architect Walkthru Guide) and at the back was the Dev code for us to use to generate power tray buttons for :
Recharge my Powers
Invincible
Complete Task (The fabled "I Win" power)
Kill selected Enemy
and a few more.
That was a jawdropping moment!
In all fairness I did immediately PM the Dev who was leading the project and pointed out that was perhaps not such a good idea to let us mad dog players loose with all that power and after about half a nanosecond it was agreed and pulled. Still got the code though and no you can not have it (and that means you)
And last but most certainly not least the memories of all the players ingame, good and bad and really bad and astonishingly adept who made it a pure joy to log in and be part of. Thanks guys, Go Hunt Kill Skulls
So many cats - So few recipes!
Age is of no importance,
unless you are a cheese!
I feel you, brother
I was playing Everquest in the early 90's when I Stumbled across a website for new game that was in development. It was a super hero mmo called City of Heroes. It wasn't even close to release yet, but I checked back on that page every few days for a long time in anticipation. I applied for the beta (but didn't get in) and waited patiently. I learned to read reading comic books. I was a public school English teacher back then and I bought the game after school the day it was released. I logged on for the first time at 4:15 PM.
My first character was an energy/energy blaster that was a Green Lantern clone. Remeber those first few days? When everyone was cloning their favorite hero? Miss Liberty was surrounded by 18 Hulks, 15 Supermen, and a smattering of Wolverines. Then the devs, perhaps expecting the inevitable lawsuit, perhaps it was already in the works, admonished us all and we got creative.
I created Cryosteel after deleting "Emerald Dawn." I wrote his backstory, fleshed him out and determined that i would dress him in jeans and a T-shirt for the first 20 lvls. After all, a hero needs to grow into his costume.
I remember King's Row in the days when you couldn't get fly until 14. "Go take down the Circle of thorns" my contact said. Yeah, they were all on the rooftops. I spent hours climbing fire escapes. Then there was the Vazhilok. How many times can you die from getting puked on in a single mission? I played, and learned. It was year before I noticed the "exit" button in the mission text window. I had been running back to the door.
I remember the deep laughter that caused my wife to ask me what was going on the first time I trick or treated and got a rock, the first winter event, skating across the pond in Prometheus Park, and the first Rikti Invasion when high lvl Rikti slaughtered unsuspecting noobs in Atlas Park. Then there was that sense of anticipation when each new issue was announced, Icon, Capes, Archery, Inventions! But the greatest anticipation of all was that even numbered level and that brand new power to try.
Remember how angry we all got when ED was announced?
Then altitis struck. I created Heartlander, American Athena, Retro Rocket, Bengali, Cybercop, Green Ghost, The Capcitress, Boris the Bear, Knight Court, and many others that have long since been scrapped. I played religiously for many years, but my highest toon, Cryosteel, was only 46 when I left the game for a while.
Two months ago, after two years of misfortune in my personal life (slashed education budget in Pennsylvania caused me to lose my job, both parents died, that sort of thing), I was looking for a way to ease the tension in my life when I stumbled across my old friends in tights. I have played every waking, free moment since.
Then this happens....
I don't know what to do. I can't take another loss like this. I am 45 years old with a wife and three children (two over 18) and I'm sitting here crying at my keyboard. I can't even play anymore because it hurts too much.
God, I loved this game!
I guess I'll just keep getting up in the morning. Keep going on. and maybe someday, I'll stumble across another website advertising another game that's in development. It won't be the same, but what else is there?
At least I got Cryosteel to 50 last week.
Goodbye my friends, I loved you all even if you were just data on a rented server.
Cryosteel 46 ice/ice Blaster
Bonfire Blaze 25 Fire/Fire Blaster
Dream of Shadows 25 Staff/Willpower Scrapper
+ 17 alts