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Pretty much why, yeah. Design gospel from the impact of Smashing and Lethal being separate damage types over a uniform 'Physical Damage' and early copy-pasted power animations being locked to unchanging weapon FX due to the limits of the 2004 costume creator/engine. Heck, even Katana didn't even have unique animations at first - it used the same ones as Broadsword/Battle Axe/War Mace back in the day. Adding in secondary effects (-Def, Knockdown/Knockback, DoT, etc.) to differentiate the weapon sets mechanically and conceptually beyond 'the model looks different' was much more necessary at the time, but also locked concept design even deeper into the 'weapon model equates to mechanical function' thing. Power animations got much more unique and weapon customization allowed for easy model changes, but the mechanic stipulation remained. The rules of the game said a bladed weapon was not the same thing as a blunt weapon, so regardless of how relatively easy it might have became to let players swap out the models, since they did not do the same damage or cause the same effects they weren't the same thing and could not be interchanged. IMO keeping that bit of strict separation feels pretty arbitrary at this point, especially given how customizable the game got in every other respect, but I kind of get wanting to respect it. Working within the established guidelines but going in new directions is kind of HC's whole thing after all. So while I doubt the devs would let Dual Blades use non-blade weapon models, a Dual Mace echo set could absolutely be a thing. Use the same animations, swap Lethal for Smashing damage, exchange the DoT effects for Disorient, allow the War Mace models instead of Blades and it's pretty much there. Sure it's a bit copy-and-paste/find-and-replace and would need tweaking, but that's how CoX did powersets from the start. If we're going to keep to precedent, lean into it and give folks more options.

Talking about it as an avenue for future content doesn't mean the ATs, powersets, and gameplay loop was primarily designed for it. Every AT was made first and foremost around its function in PvE content and powersets structured for how they interact teamed together against NPCs. That's why they all have defined roles as archetypes; not as a style of combat against other players but for what they contribute to one another in a group. Unless we want to assert that Defenders were given 'your powers support teammates, function at the fullest on a team, solo at your own risk!' primary sets - with some powers that literally can't be used at all without a friendly teammate or NPC target - to somehow evenly face off against Scrappers and Blasters in PvP modes that the game didn't have. Heck, that's also why mezzes were re-structured so hard in PvP. Back in the day it was either 'you have enough inspirations to basically negate your opponent's control powers and murder them' or 'you're gonna get mezzed, possibly stunlocked, and then killed, so you might as well take your hands off the keyboard.' That drastic imbalance was a direct result of mezzes and the math behind them being intended to be used on NPCs, because there was no 'one player in this match up won't be having any fun' considerations against enemy mobs. The solution being inspirations of all things is its own tell, too. 'Purchase a ton of temporary, outside mini-buffs and do your own inspiration mini-game if you want to actually fight in the match up, because there's literally no other way to counter this' is not the result of 'we designed these ATs, sets, and gameplay functions with balanced PvP in-mind.'

The sheer amount of divergence between PvE and PvP mechanics means they can't ever really be equated again, at least not in any game-wide fashion. Between the alternate functions in IO sets and all the powerset modifications and additions, PvE numbers get way too bonkers to be any fun for PvP and PvP numbers are not nearly super enough for PvE. Depending on the ATs and sets involved, every PvP match with PvE mechanics would either an instant curbstomp or an unending stalemate only broken by select incarnate/temp powers or ridiculous inspiration usage. Conversely, PvP numbers are way too cranked down to be any fun against NPCs (as anyone who has gone into a PvP zone with a PvE build can attest), much less the keyboard snapping frustration of trying iTrials or Hard Mode with PvP mechanics. The idea that 'PvP would be more accepted/utilized if it was just a bit different/broader in scope' is odd to me, especially when considering what PvP already provides. The content in PvP zones is accessible to every player as is, obtainable temp powers are usually buffed to a point of being 'worth the risk' of having to use PvP mechanics/dealing with the potential danger of other players, the badges are plenty easy enough to sweep through (aside from the AVs in Recluse's Victory and even those aren't too bad), and most importantly the primary mechanics and balance of the majority of the game aren't being dictated by an alternate set of rules that are almost entirely less fun for 90% of its content. PvP has worthwhile incentives, allowances for the different mechanics, constraints on how far those different mechanics reach, and is engaged in purely at player discretion. With the consideration that PvP effectively has to be a separate subsystem for the majority of the game to continue functioning the way players expect it to - and for PvP itself to maintain any kind of enjoyable balance - that's really the best arrangement it can have. The only major addition I could see being worthwhile is base raids, but with the level of creative, mind-bending nonsense folks can create with a jailbroken base editor now I doubt even that would work in any reasonable fashion. At least not without some kind of 'this base doesn't meet raid specifications' auto-check system (if something like that is even possible in-engine). The unfortunate reality is that CoX wasn't made with PvP in-mind, both game design-wise and community-wise in the type of player the game attracted, and that's why it exists as it does. That's also why PvP can't really be 'fixed' - at least not mechanically in the ways these discussions hypothesize - without also potentially changing how baseline CoX plays at the same time and possibly alienating more players than any PvP numbers revamp brings to the table. Not to say that interest couldn't be enhanced at all, I just don't think it'll come from mechanics. IMO, the way to improve PvP interest is to lean into community engagement. The most fun I ever had with it were the big Arena contests folks would do back on Live. Last Man Standing, team fights, and just for funsies bouts. Sometimes my supergroups would do sparring matches, either to test out new builds or for roleplay moments. Which character won didn't actually matter - we rolled with whatever the outcome and made it a good training moment or story beat. CoX as a game is built around collaboration and storytelling, which is why the intense 'gank the opposing faction' leaderboards stuff never took off here, but more stuff that aligns with the heart of the community could absolutely work. For fun contests would go over a lot better than any 'cutting edge superbuild player killer' stuff.

I'll echo the sympathy for the players who lost the aspect of the game they enjoyed most and felt forced to moved on or move out - that totally sucks - but 'pre-Issue 13 PvP' only lasted for about two and a half years. Which means that for said PvPers, CoX hasn't been their game for the majority of its playable lifespan and chronologically hasn't been their game for most of 20 years. It's like those 'the game was better pre-ED' comments versus how long IOs have been around. That initial iteration of PvP has been dead for far longer than it ever lived, to the point that the current arrangement of has been the default setting for three times as long (which is basically what @srmalloy said regarding interest being nil, the community being minimal, and the zones only used for badges/buffs/battlestar galactica). Also, remembering the vocal cohort of PvPers who stuck around on the PvP and PWNZ forums after the exodus... they aren't emblematic of every PvPer, but the ones who decided to make their grievances everyone else's problem gave PvP a rep for a reason (and likely as not killed any lingering dev interest in PvP on Live). Which circles back around to OP's initial post, specifically requesting investment from both devs and other players then chiming in with the 'PVE players won't cry and complain about it' bit. That attitude was tiresome back on the Live and it's even more stale now. Enticing folks to support open world PvP probably shouldn't include an approach that makes them glad it's cordoned off.

New is relative for this topic as it's been brought up on and off for years now. Even more if you count the forums back on Live. @TheMoneyMaker already hit on a hefty chunk of the issue with making this work, but the other half is the game engine itself. CoX doesn't do stretching models or rubbery/rope physics. That's why the whip abilities in Demon Summoning are fire FX and only move via a preset animation. On the other elastic hand, webbing already has a solid amount of powers and FX made (mostly courtesy of Arachnos). A web-based set (Control, Blast, or Epic/Ancillary) seems like it'd be the much easier option, though I wouldn't hold my breath for any web swinging travel powers. The closest we might get to those are faked variants of preexisting powers, like an alternate Teleport animation that has the character launch a grapple shot.

The cost alone is ludicrous but it gets even better with the 'What is included' section. The $60 download fee and a full price monthly subscription provides 10 character slots. Not 10 per server, 10 per account. Minimum $75 for the same amount of slots as a single page on a single server on Homecoming.

What about making Ignore itself modular, akin to how SG permissions work? When ignoring another player you select how ignored you want them to be across chat, tells, e-mails, invites (or all of the above). Expands on existing ignore functionality without compromising it, directly addresses situations like this one where players want to keep chat available, and retains bind/macro usability.

Not only is it antagonistic toward the community they ought to be enticing, it's showcasing a pretty big lack of faith in the product they've spent so long working on. If they know their game is solid and will put various doubts folks are expressing to bed, they wouldn't need to moderate so hard much less go scorched Earth. Invite the doubters to play and have the game prove them wrong. Not that every remark I've seen is entirely fair (they've definitely had to wrangle some trolling) but there's been a lot of reasonable concerns from folks whom they've outright banned already. 'Hey, I was wrong about their game - it's good!' is much better rep than 'They banned me for voicing basic concerns/legit criticisms.'

It's certainly possible that those threads were all going to weave together for whatever the Battalion was going to be for the next phase of CoH incarnate endgame, especially with so many Live dev AMA comments about using prior contacts and content as 'secret Battalion agents.' Though as with anything writing-wise back then it was all nebulous until the issue actually went live, and certainly isn't any kind of requirement now. IMO I'm glad that avenue never got enshrined as canon. It'd be far too convenient if every space plot tied into the Battalion. The Shivans as undead jello attack dogs, sure, but leaving the Nictus as their own thing makes them so much more compelling. Reading the Lore AMAs about the loose plans for the Battalion and the Dimensionless and Ascension and the never-ending string of yet more powerful cosmic-religious bad guys just makes me think of Destiny 2, and not in a good way (insert 'but how would it ever be for Destiny 2?' joke here). The best of CoH's arcs and content is the stuff that isn't colossal in scope and trying to make every player character the singular super-ultra-mega hero of the omniverse.

He is, played by Jason Momoa. More of a cameo apparently rather than a major role in the film, so no telling if he'll remain in it until the movie's actually showing. Considering the tone of the Guardians films, Lobo does seem like the kind of character James Gunn would do his best to keep around, though. Apparently one of the original pitches for the Supergirl movie even had him in as a full-on secondary protagonist in a team up between Lobo and Supergirl framed as 'True Grit In Space.'

See, these two points are at odds, because Superman 'rising above us and being better' is exactly what Jor and Lara's message was about. The whole surprise Kryptonian ethos of 'become the undisputed leader of their lesser world through your innate superiority' is something movie immediately establishes that Supes himself hates. He doesn't want to be an otherwordly, godlike ruler, just a good person. Superman's core isn't his alien blood but his human spirit. Even with all the fantastic Kyrptonian powers and space technology he has access to, things that could or arguably should make him the ubermensch, Supes chooses instead to just help people. He doesn't control their lives, only does what he can to let everyone live them safely. Hence the rant to Lex, because the movie presents Lex as the actual the embodiment of the El's message. Someone who has elevated himself 'above' the rest of humanity, who sees himself as beyond the greatest humans who ever lived, who has fantastic resources that no one else does and rather than use them to help anyone, uses them at his sole, selfish discretion to enact his vision of the future. Lex is the 'better than us' super leader who will inspire Earth, the exact thing El's wanted Superman to be, deliberately because Lex eschews living his humanity in-favor of treating the elevation of human-kind as an objective. One that only he, in his greatness, can achieve. Hell, given the pocket dimension scene with his exes trapped there, Lex technically even has his own harem. I'm starting to think Jor and Lara just sent the tape to the wrong kid.

We could also just inform players that the UI is modular and can be moved at-will. That way, if someone finds themselves not paying attention to the health bar in its default spot, they can move it to a place on the screen where they're more likely to notice it. Dead center, directly under the character model is a place I've seen a fair amount of folks use, so I assume it's got pretty solid success rate. UI elements can also be resized and expanded for even greater visibility, too. Which I'd suggest most everyone utilize at this point, with monitors getting broader and broader. The standard scale of CoH's UI is spaced out and relatively tiny on 2025 screens. As for the screen-wide low health FX, it really wouldn't incentivize improved awareness. Or encourage players to better understand game-specific mechanics, for that matter. It'd just make the 'jumpscare' of getting hurt even more reactionary. If players are already being 'caught unaware' and not learning the signs the game gives, the screenwide pain FX becomes what they rely on instead of learning the actual indicators, and 'the screens red so my health is low' does not remotely cover the massive gamut of status effects and debuffs that characters experience in-game.

The main hang up to making anything like this via a new system is that it makes a new system. It has to be designed, implemented, and then after that continually monitored and maintained. There's also no guarantee it'd even be used in the intended fashion. There's no requirement for veteran players to donate so there's no assurance of funds for new players to access in the first place, at least not without seeding the repository when first implemented like Wentworths was. There would also need to be monitoring for it, because if anyone could access the depository via any character, there's nothing stopping someone from continually raiding it on tons of alts and just hording the influence in their email. Or continually remaking the same level 1 alt to get another 'daily 1 million' every two/three minutes. There's also no guarantee the same amount of funds would be available on each server without direct dev maintenance, as some servers with lower populations might have far fewer donations. On the other end, the funds on larger servers might be depleted faster than they can be renewed. There's a lot easier and more direct ways to solve the 'new players often have very little' issue. Have every new account get five dev global emails of 1 million influence to use at their leisure. Have the SCORE vendor offer a 'Claim 1 million inf' button with certain character amount/account restrictions. Have the game actively encourage new players to reach out and ask questions. Hell, do all of those. As other posts have said, CoH already has a ton of vets who happily drop millions onto newbies. This offers routes for new players to figure the game out on their own and encourages more interaction with the existing community without sacrificing one option for the other or leaving the available resources up to chance.

The Fly poses thing seems pretty doable, given that Sprint, Walk, and the default Stance all got alternate options that work the same way. The Beam Rifle request... could possibly work, though probably not the way you're asking. I could see the FX being proliferated - I.E. Energy Blast gets an alternate option that's the Beam Rifle's beams and Beam Rifle gets an alternate option that's the rifle shooting Energy Blast pew pews - but as for a Beam Rifle alt. animation not using the Beam Rifle, that doesn't sound like something the devs would do. Effectively the same conclusion as the game would still offer 'Beam Rifle FX as hand/eye blasts' just maintaining 'Hey, you want to shoot it without a gun, use the set that doesn't have the gun' powerset fidelity requirements. Granted, that's if HC is determined to maintain the Live standards of fidelity versus alternating those. It's not impossible that every ranged set without Rifle animations could get them as an alt. option (allowing for fancy flamethrowers, cold guns, psychic cannons, etc.) and the Rifle sets get hand-based alt. animations (bullet gauntlets, heavy munitions robot arms, mecha suits, etc.), just that I don't expect it to shake out that way. Would be really cool if it did, though.

It helps that Corenswet plays both earnestly with neither of them being 'one pretending to be the other.' He's always Clark Kent and Superman, which is how it ought to be. Plus actually being allowed to emote. That helps too. <.<

I think the second bit is more of a sticking point to introducing any additional Incarnate powers. How 'OP' something is is just reflective of numbers and mechanics, and the devs can add and/or modify those as freely as they wish to engineer greater challenges. The real problem is the sheer amount of stockpiled threads, shards, and components that players have built up over the years entirely negates the 'run content to earn this!' aspect of the system. As is, any new Incarnate powers could be immediately unlocked and maxed out just by logging in. Not on every character or by every player account but by more than enough that it's an instant blitz on the staying power of any expanded options. It also means there's no point to developing additional trial or task force content to earn new powers from as is, because there's no incentive for many of the players with characters able to run it to actually do so. Which just leaves playing the same existing content with even more gonzo abilities, and without a baseline of expanded difficulty there there's no reason for further player powercreep just to give them something to spend horded resources on. None of which to say I'm opposed to new Incarnate stuff. I just think it'll only come after expanded difficulty options (makes existing content more fitting and provides more room for new stuff) and with some kind of requirement on how players can earn it. Possibly 'run X in order to unlock New Shiny' if a new trial or task force is made, though some kind of currency trade in could also be possible. The higher tier the power, the more steep the exchange rate. The only solution I have doubts for is another alternate currency. It'd put everyone on the same playing field starting over again, sure, but that's also the one option basically guaranteed to anger a lot more folks. The exchange rate would at least make all those stockpiled Incarnate components feel like they have some use again.

It was almost like a pet snake more than a critter that evolves into a violent murder machine. Also, immediately being able to establish that kind of connection has some extremely disturbing implications (in-particular as a synth and not something a xenomorph might view as a host/prey). Doubly so when combined with the 'I'm going to be a mother' scene and the constant through-line of familial bonds... though, it's not like motherhood is an unexplored concept in this series. Hell, that's practically the strongest constant theme from the initial run of films. There's also growing parallels between the xenomorphs as 'evolved new life adapted from the original host' and the 'new synths given better forms adapted from the dying' along with the whole creation process for both, which I certainly hope they explore further. This fourth episode really crystalized a lot of the dynamics and weaved the plot points together in ways that thoroughly vanquished my prior skepticism.

It's not 'people on the forums' suggesting it, it's the overall story of the game stating 'this is what happened.' That a player can choose to ignore that doesn't mean the game's progression won't keep running with it, or that the players who continue to ignore a choice the game requires be made consequently remain locked out of content they can't reach without making it. Someone can choose to never run Who Will Die but that won't change Statesman having canonically been dead since 2012. Though to touch on the idea of 'adding Praetorian level 50 content' - Homecoming actually has. Recently, in fact. It's in Kallisti Wharf, where every instance of Praetorian mobs are all post-iTrial and post-refugee status. Hell, they have the UPA in there. That group doesn't even exist properly without the timeline and progression being exactly what everyone else has been saying it is. For direct credence, here's Calvin Scott's bio. That Homecoming allows a minor avenue to grind to 50 Goldside doesn't mean it's actually the course the game and storyline are going with. It's not a sign that there's some secret, alternate story path or hint at dev approval for future content. The fact that doing so locks that character out of participating in many other aspects of the game should be enough to make 'this is not the intended path' clear. If someone found a way to hit level 50 without leaving Outbreak, the devs wouldn't entertain requests of 'make co-op zones accessible from the tutorial' either, though they'd probably want to know what exploit the player used.

Already replied earlier in this thread, but to bring up more points. CoH 2 won't happen for three main reasons. NCSoft will never invest in it or divest themselves of the IP, MMOs as a genre have died down and aged out in-favor of live service FPS games, and the general perception of 'superhero fatigue.' CoH existed at a time when MMOs were booming and superhero franchises were ramping up massively, but rather than advertise the game - say in theaters playing Marvel and DC films - NCSoft pulled the plug in 2012. Immediately after, the MCU proceeded to explode even further in popularity leading up to Infinity War/Endgame along with hefty amount of very popular superhero games entering the scene (like the bulk of Batman Arkham series). The exact time-frame when popular culture was dominated by well-received superhero media and MMOs were still going strong was the prime opportunity to go 'And we have a game where you can Be Your Own Superhero!' except CoH spent that entire period dead. Years later Homecoming performs a resurrection, except now superhero media is on a downturn and having to rebuild, there's issues of perceived quality, a lot more vocal (and disingenuous) critics, and also broader types of superhero games. 2-D fighting games, retro arcade style games, Marvel Rivals, even more big budget single-player franchise games like the Spider-Man series. There's less room, less money, and less positive reception. Though honestly, that initial business decision is probably the biggest constraint to it. NCSoft 'cutting their costs' right before what could have very easily turned CoH from 'self-sustaining with enough profit to keep running and pay the devs' into 'this prints money' is a colossal missed opportunity. Any reinvestment at this much shakier point is basically pinning that failure to the chest of CoH 2 and kicking them out into a far less friendly market. Homecoming's license doesn't require any overhead or investment from NCSoft so it's basically a freebie bit of goodwill at no expense, which is why it's the closest thing we'll get at this point unless a number of things change pretty drastically.

I know @Steampunkette has mentioned this multiple times so far, but it is a very fair point - especially given the context of 'first time going full mask off' with the dialogue. A lot of the NPC writing in CoH can be threatening or provocative, but overall has never been a direct one-to-one for real harassment players might actually have had thrown at them (at least hopefully not, given what some other NPCs have to say...). Back in the day if you wanted that kind of dialogue, you had to go into PvP zones or the PWNZ forum. Not meant a knock on the writer - if anything that's a sign of how real it is - just emphasizes the point made. A content warning in those cases would be a fair QoL feature for players, I think. The writer gets to write what they intend and any prospective player has enough of an inkling to make an informed choice knowing 'X is Directly Addressed Here.' If someone prefers to avoid the arc for triggering reasons then they can and if someone wants to play the arc for cathartic reasons, they can do that too. Also avoid it if they think the writing might be bad, I suppose, but that's entirely subjective. For example, I still think the dialogue works given the nature of the 5th Column. Specifically in how they'd recruit the rank and file. The dude is exactly the kind of blowhard who'd join the literal nazis out of insecurity. Despite being mad science'd into becoming an 'idealized' overly muscled man-mountain with the skills of Bruce Lee combined with The Terminator, he's still an insecure loser. That didn't change because that's the core of who the guy is, what drove him to that in the first place. A supersoldier who looks like Broly in leather pants talking about 'biological essentialism' nonsense, much less as if he's actually any kind of example, and still getting beat down anyway is directly highlighting how lame the guys who'd do that stuff are. Even in a space where these jerks actually can embody their warped, hypocritical ideals, they're still pathetic.

Yes, the timeless CoH stories like the politics of World Wide Red - perfectly reflective of 2025 just as it was in 2004. Same with the timeless nature of 'secret American agency super spies you can totally trust' like Crimson and Indigo. There's also the timeless 'literal former Soviet agents' like Boris the Russian and Dimitri Krylov with dialogue stolen straight from the bad guys in Rocky and Bullwinkle. Or the amaranthine, eternally relevant l33tsp34k for the Freakshow. I really want to understand where this fascination with 'Yeah, we can depict militant fascists - but only if they all sound cool and persuasive!' comes from. Especially when the game already has a canon arc where the other major fascist organization talks about their super soldier serum being strawberry flavored. Also it's not like the game doesn't have plenty of 5th Column and Council villains that it already takes seriously. Requiem and the Center aren't forum-posting modern recruits who talk like alt-right film critic videos, but for an arc directly dealing with someone that, shouldn't we expect the character involved to be depicted that way? Heck, that's not even new to the game. The Warriors had that 'He-Man Women Hater's Club' stuff as part their gimmick since they showed up. The Freakshow too, with the whole 'disaffected, rage-filled young men' thing. It's only odd because this is the first time it's actually been depicted directly in-game, rather than just motioned at in bio sections and then ignored outside of the villain groups coincidentally being entirely male.

This prompted me to poke around the community hub and the interactions from their dev team - at least the only dev I see active - are not promising. Making a 'temper your expectations, our promotions don't actually mean the level of creativity or content we're implying' post the day before your 'make the superhero of your dreams! IN SPAAAAAACE!' game is supposed to release is not the best omen. On a certain creative level I kind of respect them for actually sticking to their guns design-wise (if that's what this is rather than 'we took years and years to make what limited content we have, we won't get non-human items functional in under a decade' thing), but dang if my glimpses here don't give me early CoH forums Statesman flashbacks. Complete with apparently removing and ignoring criticism. At least Jack actually had his games go live when they were supposed to, which imo earns more 'you don't see the creative vision' points to spend versus this nonsense.

By assessing the amount of interest for per route and going where the largest interest is. A lot of posters want Synapse either improved or re-done (especially given the history of this topic) and it's not a controversial statement that the majority of players on Homecoming overall prefer quicker content. The game's pace has sped up a lot since 2004, and some players preferring older content doesn't change the fact that design-wise much of said older content is bloated and repetitive and made for a game that - mechanically - CoH hasn't been for over a decade. That said, it's just why a revamp would be the favored choice, not a argument that older content to be shelved or removed for it. If the Synapse TF does get a full re-work, have the original Ouro version also count for the WST when it crops up. The amount of merits earned is already going to be adjusted to fit the difficulty/time investment needed, so I see no quality of life reason not to keep both options.

The creative choices in this series feel very much like a double-edged sword. Some of them cleave very close to the tones and concepts of the original films in very interesting new ways that still feel like they make sense, while others are... let's say bold expansions in much less expected directions. The inclusions and references to Disney and Fox's library of IPs, along with the needle drops, feel almost like it's trying too hard to say 'This is our Earth, just in a weird alternate future!' but at least they're trying to work them in diegetically which I appreciate. The tone jumps are a bit jarring at times too, with some scenes coming across more like the Fifth Element than a standard Alien entry. It's almost like the show saw how close to the chest(burster) Alien: Romulus played things and opted to make much bigger swings. TL;DR - When it's on-beat it's very on-beat and when it's off-beat it's very off-beat. Which, to be fair, so were the comics and video games at times, so maybe it'll tie together better in the rest of the episodes.

The way Gun Interactive handled the Friday the 13th & Texas Chainsaw Massacre games does not bode well here, but perhaps they'll shape up. Beyond having the rights to Mikey, I mean.