Farewell :)
That was put very well BM.
Your love for this game is evident in your post, and I'm glad you've enjoyed the run - as I have.
I've made preparations to move on to a new MMO (The Secret World) but this was my first MMO and it will always have a place in my heart.
I'll join you and raise a glass (of beer) in honour of the game :thu:
Proud member of FOXBASE ALPHA and coalition associates.
Hero 50's - 25
Villain 50's - 1
I don't post a lot on the forums but just thought I would leave my respects for a great game and great community and reminisce about the good times!
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Well I first found out about City of Heroes when I was around 13/14 years old. A friend of mine had a gaming magazine and an article about City of Heroes caught his eye so he told me about it. I couldn't stop reading it, it looked amazing! I could be a hero, something I had never been in a game before and what's more is that I can play with other people?! Superspeed, flight?! My eyes lit up and my imagination began to soar. I immediately began thinking of concepts for my super heroes and I told my friend that I was going to get the game for sure.
That was until he told me it costs a fee per month, immediately my heart sank and I thought wow my mum will never let me spend money on a game I've already bought every month. I was right, she didn't. Though one day in PC world, walking down an aisle I saw it.
There it was in a big blue box with a masked man and some other heroes looking as though they where bursting out of the box. I had to get it! I managed to persuade my mum to buy it for me without telling her about the recurring cost. As soon as the guy on the till handed me the bag I held it close to my chest so no one could steal it :P As I got in the car I immediately unwrapped the box and began reading the manual/user guide and the comic strips that came with it. I saw that "City of Villains" was coming soon! I learnt all about archetypes, a hero's origin and much more. I still have the original box and comic strip that came with it to this day thought a little bruised from when I first purchased it
I installed the game on my computer knowing that I couldn't even play it but the fact I had it for when I could was good enough for me. Eventually I got my own bank card and had a little but of money in there from my birthday. I had some initial problems with the plaync website (as it was known back then) which caused me having to setup two accounts. But looking at my account page this account was:
Created On: 14 May 2006
Wow! 6 years ago, feels like only yesterday! I remember logging in for the first time and hearing the music, it made me so excited you wouldn't even imagine.
I wasn't paying much attention and picked a server without really knowing what a server was. I got in to the character creation and I then sat down for a few hours playing with all sorts of costumes and ideas that came up in my head. Eventually I made a tanker who had super strength and invulnerability, his costume was dire, though at the time I thought it looked awesome and I was really happy with it and that's all that mattered.
So anyway I begin playing and I'm having the time of my life beating up bad guys around the street (at this point in time I had never played an MMO like this) I'm left handed myself and I was used to games were I had to use the arrow keys to move. So naturally I began to use the arrow keys... with my left hand... and then used my right hand to press space bar :P Which meant my arms were constantly crossed until I shifted my right hand back to my mouse to target something (those were the days!!)
I was approached by a man in the game, he was wearing a brown suit, brown trousers, a brown jacket and a brown fedora. He asked me whether I would like to team and I said yes without hesitation. So I went on my first mission with another player, it was so exciting! He had earth powers, when he clapped his hands everyone around him would be trapped in place. Obviously this was so freakin' awesome I later logged out and made myself an earth guy. (Embarrassingly I made it look just like the other guy in a brown suit because I just thought he was so cool! haha)
After a few hours of playing and not really paying attention to the chat bar I suddenly realised no one was talking English apart from my other team mate.
I suddenly thought "oh no I've bought the german version of the game, what a disaster! I panicked but luckily someone who spoke english explained to me about servers and that I should pick an english one. I felt so stupid but happy at the same time that I wasn't going to have to go out and buy the english version of the game.
Anyway time progressed, I was on an English server this time and that's where I made my martial arts/regen character Bold Eagle. Who would later become my first level 50 ever! (Took me over two years though what with alt-aholicsm) I remember going in to Bloody Bay to level as back then the missions there gave quite a lot of experience. I used to hate going through the hollows as well, I remember the enemies in the middle were deadly and If I fell in I was doomed! There was always a mission that had you run across the entire map as well.
My first choice of travel power was flight (who didn't take it their first time!?) Though I remember getting hover at level 6 and using it all the time, even hovering over the entirety of the hollows to avoid getting killed haha.
During my time in the City of Heroes I made a few friends but never got to know anyone properly, that was until I met Motty, Deadly Rose and Jay. Three awesome people who made my game time all the more fun. We would sit around Atlas Park and just talk with one another for ages, good times! Constantly taking the mick out of one another and joking about all sorts of rubbish. Quality banter at its best. The best part Is I'm still in contact with 2 of these people today (jay add me on steam if you ever read this!).
So time further progressed, 2006 soon became 2012 and here we are today. Looking back at all the good times as they are what matter the most. I love this game, the people in it and the people who are responsible for making it all happen.
And despite the route the game is going, I'm glad I was a part of it. So I raise my glass of milk (yeah I love milk :P) in honour of everyone who has made my memories so precious.
Cheers!
~@Bold Eagle