CALLING ALL HEROES AND VILLAINS

[MrAxe]

1. February 2005, around a couple of weeks after the EU release. I want to say the 15th. Saw it on the shelf and the art caught my eye. Thought making your own hero sounded great. Didn't know what an MMO was back then.
2. Yes. It felt extremely saddening. I had friends on live and COH was as much about interacting with them as it was playing a game. I was on Defiant server's last Hami raid and failed to get a spot on a team. Felt like such a sad, unfulfilled end to have future content teased and to not have a team on my final battle.
3. Its an apt name since a homecoming was exactly how it felt. COH is unique. To have something like that back was exciting and filled the MMO gap no other could in those years.
4. I quickly grabbed my new mains's name and all the names of my live toons that I wanted to keep.
5. Happy its back, worried it might leave. Its very nostalgic but at the same time I look forward to trying new powersets. Its really just names and costumes I've retained from live.
6. My Shield/Psi Tank is my main. I love tanks for the punishment they can take and psi finally gives me telekinesis (my favourite super power) on a tank. Shield is a rare armour in that it not only does not hide your costume but adds to it.

[UltraAlt]

On 10/2/2021 at 7:52 PM, SETR4KIAN - Kayenne said:

Have you played the game before the shut down in 2012? If the answer is yes, tell me about how you feel about the game’s “Death”. What was that experience like?

 

I found this old save. It is relevant to your topic.

 

[Seldom]

On 10/2/2021 at 6:52 PM, SETR4KIAN - Kayenne said:

 

1. When did you started playing CoX? Was it before or after the game shut down? Tell me a little about how you met the game.
2. Have you played the game before the shut down in 2012? If the answer is yes, tell me about how you feel about the game’s “Death”. What was that experience like?
3. And when the game returned in 2019? What did you felt? Was it like a “Homecoming”?
4. What was the first thing you did after playing the game for the first time in years?
5. What are your thoughts on the return of the servers? Did you brought something with you from the original server? (Avatars, builds, things like that)
6. Do you like to play with a specific character? (can be more than one) If yes, what makes it so special to you?

 

1: I played since week one, back in 2004. I had been excitedly following the game's progress for a year or two after finding it on a gaming site as a preview, back when superheroes weren't mainstream  and CoH was a rare Comic-themed property, and the fact that it was a unique property made me want to get into it right away. I upgraded my computer and got faster dial-up just to play the game. My brother and I shared an account, until we got seperate machines/accounts to play together.

 

2. Yes, I played a while back. (See above) I was deeply disappointed, and a little more bitter than I'd thought I would be. I knew games shut down, but the Devs of the time were making a lot of progress, were responsive & involved in the community. I thought the game was on the right track, and some of the customization being tested was what I had wanted from Issue 1...then it was all shut down. I was disappointed because I had formed friendships with certain players. I was disappointed because the devs seemed like nice people, and they were losing their jobs. I was disappointed because I was losing what became one of the only games I played. I was...oddly relieved because I was becoming somewhat addicted to playing it?

 

3. It was at first disbelief. A lot of players had tried to petition for the game to be re-opened, but nothing came of it. A lot of others had tried to make their own version of the game, only to fizzle. When I did load in, and make/play my 'main' character again, it was very much a feeling of coming home again. I texted my brother/CoH friends the news. It was a good day.

 

4. Make all of my previous characters again, firstly my 'main' character. Then all the others heroes/villains I had made/played. Then explore all the changes, new power sets, then play with the friends who did come back.

 

5. It's a little slower in development, but I appreciate the careful approach those running the game are taking. I appreciate the fact that much of it is around making things easier to play, and more balanced so that more folks can try new powers, create new power combinations, and play in new ways. The heart of the game (in my mind) is the customizability that the powers systems provide that mean your character and the next person's characters can play in unique ways. I had saved my old builds and characters, and costume files, so I loaded a lot of those (as mentioned earlier) but also created a lot of them in new ways, thanks to how many powers were either introduced or now allowed on different archetypes. 

 

6. Yes, I make/play many characters but have one favorite. It was one of my first villains after CoV came out, a dominator, back when they were uncommon, and generally not strong. I still loved the costume, concept, and playstyle. It was the first character I ever played all the way until level 50. I met many of my CoH friends playing this character, and its name became how I was called when we talked over voice chat, just like many of them went by their main characters' names. It was the character I wrote a longer backstory for, an AE arc going through that story, and was the first I invested a lot into when Inventions went live. It was the character I tried to get most game badges with. I still have over 50 characters, and many I've remade and fully upgraded/leveled to 50, but if there isn't a particular role/powerset needed by my friends when teaming, I still most often return to the same character. 

 

[GastlyGibus]

I do enjoy these kinds of threads. I hope my answers prove helpful to your project.

 

When did you started playing CoX? Was it before or after the game shut down? Tell me a little about how you met the game.

 

I started playing sometime around the release of City of Villains. I was only in high-school then, and a friend of mine told me about this "really cool" superhero game where you could make your own super hero and beat up bad guys. I was only around 16 at the time, I didn't have a job or my own money, so I had to beg my parents to buy me a subscription, which they did. I fell in love instantly. Even though I wasn't yet familiar with the "holy trinity" style of MMO gameplay, I loved the freedom in choices I could make and the flexibility in character creation.

 

Have you played the game before the shut down in 2012? If the answer is yes, tell me about how you feel about the game’s “Death”. What was that experience like?

 

I played for quite a while during high-school, but sometime afterwards, around the time the game became free to play, I suddenly lost interest. I had a short hiatus for about a year, and when I finally decided to come back, I pulled up the forums and saw the shutdown announcement. I was, understandably, upset by that greatly. Even though I had taken a long break, there was still a fondness for the game, and hearing about it going away forever was just incredibly sad. You never know what you have until it's gone, and ever since that time, I would long for the creative freedom that City of Heroes gave me that, as far as I searched, no other game offered. I still talked about CoH to my friends, pining for the game to come back, wishing more developers would have the same "player first" mentality that Paragon Studios did. I didn't log on for the final "sunset" goodbye, but I did watch from the sidelines, watching the game I grew up with die right in front of me.

 

And when the game returned in 2019? What did you felt? Was it like a “Homecoming”?

 

Truthfully, I tried to forget about the game since it shutdown. I never followed the Titan forums or any other groups, as I just wanted to move on and not miss something I knew was never coming back. I didn't hear about Homecoming or anything about private servers until just recently. One day, just out of pure nostalgia, I decided on a whim to search "City of Heroes" and see if people were still talking about it. That's when I saw an article about "private servers" and Homecoming. I was reading this on my phone, in my bed, at around 6 in the morning, and I immediately jumped out of bed and ran to my computer. Was this true? Could it possibly be true?! I downloaded the program, got it installed, and I immediately went to work making a character. I logged on and, still in a state of disbelief, went to the global chat and asked "Is this real? Is my favorite game really back?" Within seconds, someone replied "Yes, this is real. Welcome home!"

 

What was the first thing you did after playing the game for the first time in years?

 

Rolled up a villain (as villainside was always my favorite) and began to terrorize Mercy Isle just like the good old days. I rolled up an AR/Kin Corruptor and blasted away merrily, cackling like a madman the whole while, partially because I was happy my favorite MMO was back, and also because it felt like the appropriate "villain" thing to do.

 

What are your thoughts on the return of the servers? Did you brought something with you from the original server? (Avatars, builds, things like that)

 

Considering I played the game when I was a teen, and it just now comes back as I'm an adult, I decided to make it a fresh new start. In my mind (and in my "lore" if you want to call it that) all of my old characters are old and retired, and the ones I make now are the new guard here to take up the mantle in their place. Admittedly, there are some things Homecoming did that I do not approve of, but all in all, the game is still as I remember it, and I'm just happy to be back and enjoy the same game I did years ago.

 

Do you like to play with a specific character? (can be more than one) If yes, what makes it so special to you?

 

I do have one "main" character that has the most badges/accomplishments out of the rest of my roster, but in general, I like to switch it up and play something new every now and again. I tend to go in phases, where I'll roll up a new character, and play that character almost-exclusively for a good while, before deciding I want to try something different, and then a new phase begins. I don't abandon those character permanently (unless the concept/powers just aren't working for me) and eventually I'll return to finish them, but this does mean I have a lot of sub-50 characters and crippling altitis. 

Edited October 9, 2021 by GastlyGibus

[TalynDerre]

When did you started playing CoX? Was it before or after the game shut down? Tell me a little about how you met the game.

I was in the Coast Guard when City of Heroes came out.  I read about it in PC Gamer magazine, and the costume creator REALLY got my attention.  I just didn't have time to play EQ, and a more casual-friendly game was really what got me into it.  I started playing City of Heroes and World of Warcraft more-or-less simultaneously.

 

Have you played the game before the shut down in 2012? If the answer is yes, tell me about how you feel about the game’s “Death”. What was that experience like?

Interestingly, if you look at 'hours played,' I played a lot more WoW than I did City of Heroes, but I got burned out on WoW after Wrath of the Lich King and quit, while I kept on playing City of Heroes.  I was in law school when the game shut down, so my play time was limited, but I was still at least semi-active and was an officer in a RP Supergroup on Justice.  (I'm sad that I haven't encountered any of them in the wild here in Homecoming - hey, if anyone knows Samuraiko or Torroes Prime, have them drop me a line!)

 

I was heartbroken, and more than a little outraged, when I found out the game was going to be canceled for what appeared to be no good god damn reason.  Clearly the game devs were caught as off-guard as the rest of us, because they had JUST started teasing the Battalion and were clearly excited.  Also, the game had FINALLY found it's feet, writing-wise.  Who Will Die and the Praetorian arcs were so much better-written and more engaging than the early game stuff.

 

I was in the Atlas Park protest on Justice when the game shut down.  I stayed up for a good portion of the night, with my main character Leading Lady holding a torch under the Atlas statue with the other protesters until they shut the servers off.

 

And when the game returned in 2019? What did you felt? Was it like a “Homecoming”?

I happened to be doing a little reading about Ashes of Creation of MMORPG.com when I saw a throwaway line about a City of Heroes private server controversy.  I was about to blow it off (I figured it was about City of Titans or Ship of Heroes, neither of which I was honestly excited about) when I re-read it and saw it was the original, actual game.  I was so excited I actually ran off to grab my wife to read the article to her, who did not care.  (We had just started dating when the game shut down, and she is not a gamer by any stretch of the imagination.)

 

I avidly followed news about it on MMORPG.com and Massively.com, and as soon as it was publicly available, I signed up.  I was in that long, long queue on the first day when the servers absolutely could not handle the number of people who were in it.  And yes, it ABSOLUTELY felt like a homecoming.  I knew I had missed the game, in the sort of distant way you miss a relative who has passed but whom you only saw a few times a year - it was sad, but not a presence in my life, if that makes sense.  But when I showed up in Atlas Park that first time, and saw all those different, awesome costumes clustering around Miss Liberty, and people cheering each other under the giant statue of Atlas - it all came back to me, and I loved the game even more for having lost it once.

 

What was the first thing you did after playing the game for the first time in years?

The first thing I did was remake the first character I made who got to 50 (not the first character I made, but the first one I loved) - Leading Lady, an Invul/Energy tanker, a former Hollywood B-lister who survived a villain kidnapping, said 'never again' and bought herself a suit of Powered Armor.

 

What are your thoughts on the return of the servers? Did you brought something with you from the original server? (Avatars, builds, things like that)

I'm actually WAY more into the game now than I was back on live - I've 'resurrected' my favorite hero (Leading Lady) and favorite villain (Colonel Checkmate, a Mercs/Poison MM).  They are much more optimized than they were back on Live, I've actually taken the time to learn a little bit about how IOs work instead of just picking powers and enhancements more or less at random.

 

I've also resurrected a Super Group I ran as a spin-off of the Longbow-themed RP Supergroup on live, the Malta Group-themed RP Supergroup, Task Force: UNITY.  Right now, it's mostly just me and my eight zillion alts, but one day I'll turn it into a proper SG.

 

I am still anxious that NCSoft is going to stop turning a blind eye to the server, and shut it all down.  I'm not worried about the game being gone for good - the source code is out there, and there are enough people willing to give NCSoft the finger that there will always be SOME CoH, but I've fallen back in love with this community, and have friends in my new SGs I don't want to lose.

 

Do you like to play with a specific character? (can be more than one) If yes, what makes it so special to you

I have crippling alt-itis, and literally dozens of characters I consider 'active.'  My favorite, however, is my rebuilt-from-the-ground-up Malta Gunslinger, Unity Black Tango.  On Live, he was a Dual Pistol/Devices Blaster, and he never really 'clicked' with me.  Here, I've rebuilt him as a Dual Pistols/Willpower Sentinel, and he's just a blast to play.  I've also gotten a good handle on his RP 'voice,' so I'm always happy to group with him.

[A Cat]

On 10/2/2021 at 4:52 PM, SETR4KIAN - Kayenne said:

• When did you started playing CoX? Was it before or after the game shut down? Tell me a little about how you met the game.

not 100% sure, but I think I started in 2007, pre shut down. My brother heard of it and wanted to play. It was our first MMO. Kinda weird but neither of us were really into super heroes or comic books. My brother didn't like the fantasy genre though so here we were. 

• Have you played the game before the shut down in 2012? If the answer is yes, tell me about how you feel about the game’s “Death”. What was that experience like?

Yes but I quit long before the shut down due to waning interest and no money (was an unemployed college student). I only heard of the shut down in passing but I was 3 years past the point I stopped playing at that point so I didn't think much of it. 

• And when the game returned in 2019? What did you felt? Was it like a “Homecoming”?

Strangely, yes. Lots changed, since I quit so long ago but it was extremely nostalgic, especially getting to Atlas Park after the tutorial (even did outbreak, lol). 

• What was the first thing you did after playing the game for the first time in years?

Went to Azuria in MAGI for missions, lol. Didn't know that was kinda obsolete. 

• What are your thoughts on the return of the servers? Did you brought something with you from the original server? (Avatars, builds, things like that)

I thought it was kinda weird, what with the ambiguous legality and all. I didn't bring anything really from the original except sorta inspiration for new characters from old characters. 

• Do you like to play with a specific character? (can be more than one) If yes, what makes it so special to you?

I have a couple I play most often, but I am still constantly making new alts at the same time. I think what makes them special is that I have a firm idea in my head of their characterization. I don't necessarily RP all of them even if I do have a good image of them, but I think it helps me to get into the game. Of course, how the mechanics and feel of how the character plays is still important. I have a hard time playing my Rad melee character much since the single target attacks feel so slow. I think I cringe every time I use Devastating Blow, even though it is phenomenal damage. 

Sorry for the crappy formatting. On my phone. I'll fix it up when I get home. I really hate writing in the phone, lol. 

Edited October 11, 2021 by A Cat