Say a thanks? Share a memory!

[Elvenheart]

My story is like so many others that have been posted here, how this was my favorite MMO, the shock and loss I felt when I first saw the news we were losing our game, the tears, being online right up until the moment the servers were taken offline, the hope that it would somehow come back all those years ago, the attempts to find other games to fill the void left behind.  I used to check online regularly on the different forums dedicated to either bringing it back or creating a "spiritual successor", but as the years went by my hope began dwindling and I began checking less and less.  Finally, about a month ago I was cleaning out a closet and found some old detailed notes I had made about my CoX characters - specs, builds, choices made during leveling, etc.  I sadly got rid of them because I thought if a similar game ever came along it would be different enough that I would be starting over anyway.  It was like the final acceptance that the "REAL" CoX was never going to be coming back.

 

Yesterday, I don't know what made me Google "City of Heroes".  I think I just felt it was time to check in again after a long while to see if any more progress was being made on the successors.  When "City of Heroes 2019" popped up in my search bar, I thought, "That's odd."  When Google listed YouTube videos talking about how to "download and install the game in 2019" I thought "What?!?"  One article popped up about how there's allegedly been servers up and running for a long time that are just being made public, and there were videos of people describing what the game is like to play now in 2019, and...and...well, you all know the rest.

 

Everyone else has already said what CoX being back means to them.  It means all of that to me too.  It's like a part of me had never gotten over the loss of everything that CoX was to me all those many years ago.  It was like coming home when you didn't ever think you could again.  I was even able to load up saved costume files from my original characters!  I'm so mad at myself that I didn't save all of them back then, but so grateful for the ones I did save.  I have a folder of screenshots that can help me with the ones I don't have.  I don't think I have it in me now to invest the time it would take to bring all of them back, but we'll see!  I was a completionist when I played before - I had to have all the badges, I hated outleveling contacts, and just always wanted to do everything.  Now, I just want to play and enjoy the game and not care if I miss something because I've missed it all for so very long.  I want to just enjoy what I'm doing in the moment, without worrying if my characters have every accolade or have the best builds.

 

There is no way to ever say "Thank you!" enough to the people that have made this happen.  I pray that the future holds many, many more days of adventures in Paragon City, but no matter what happens I will be always and forever grateful what is happening right now and those that made it possible by never giving up hope. 

[Dezpul]

I cannot wordly express how happy i'm now. I'm back in the isles...i can back in the vaultline, in the fuze...in praetoria...

I cannot thank enough. I just hope, i can play, i´ll become a part of this community and keep at skulls killing.

From deep from my heart, thank you all.

[undercoverdude]

HI, I just wanted to say thank you for the server. I only had  just found this, and was never so happy to play this again.

I immediately reconstructed my alter ego and the old feelings came flowing back.

 

Thank you so much for the chance to relive great virtual memories I thought would be gone forever.

[Breeze]

A huge thank you to everyone that has put their effort into this. Like the post a few spots above mine, I just randomly searched City of Heroes this morning and found out about this.

 

I am extremely excited to put my spandex back on and get back into one of my favorite game of all time. I cannot thank you all enough. Hope to see you inside! 

[rewcubed]

In the highlight reel of my life - along with wedding and kid stuff, blah blah - will be the moment I hit 50 for the first time, on Deadshooter, my DP/Dark defender, soloing the finale of Dark Watcher's mission arc, in a mission where the objective is literally "Save the World!" Like all of us, I was devastated when the servers shut down, not because I'd lost a game, but because I'd lost a space in which my imagination could soar and I could truly be... a hero.

The last couple of months have been a miracle. Literally, a miracle. Thank you for working miracles for us.

[redhawk78]

There’s not much I can add that hasn’t been said already, so just a huge thank you to all involved and the community as a whole for making this possible once again.

I only found out about it yesterday morning and by the evening I was standing in Atlas Park as if no time has passed. I found an old photo of my blaster that I used as a Facebook profile photo in 2007, so was able to an exact replica. It’s hard not being able to fly! I could waffle on for hours, so I’ll stop. Once again many thanks, and see you all in Paragon

[Marine X]

I played on Virtue from about a month after launch ( had to wait for broadband install ) and had a Paid Account till shutdown and never considered a penny of it wasted.

I had a Good Job, had been married about 5 Years, and had just had to retire from Playing Music after 25 Years due to shoulder issues from a car accident I was in way back in 1990. ( It is not good to play Drums in a Rock band for 12 years with no Rotator  Cuff ). 

I needed something to do, and City of Heroes became my "Golf". I played a lot. I was a member and contributor to Game Amp and a member of the Game Amp Super Group on Triumph. I had 8 Level 50s, 2 Fully Incarnate, and a ton of Alts everywhere in the leveling tree. Then the news came in August of 2012.......didn't even know what to say. I took all the prestige that our Supergroup had and remodeled the base, and it was big, into a Giant Maze, except the TP and Crafting rooms. and we invited people to visit and try it out. I was on the ledge of the AE Building in Atlas Park when the Server Shut down, watching the crowds under Atlas and on the City Hall steps. It was a profound feeling of loss.

 

You have given me back my "Golf". I am now 56, have my original Main back to Incarnate and appreciate everything you have and may do to keep this going. This is really a lot more than a game. It is my Home away from Home, and I don't want to lose it again if there is a way to avoid it.

 

Cheers to Homecoming.

 

[Engineseer01]

Hi everyone!

I just found out about this and can say without any hesitation that I have missed COH since the day it was shut down.

No other super hero game has come even close to drawing me in to the same degree that COH did.

 

Everything from the quests, to the characters, the powers, the community, everything made this game an absolute blast to play and I have missed it every day that I played another game.

 

I had friendships that ended when the game was shut down, and I now have the chance to see them again after 7 years.

 

From the very bottom of my soul, THANK YOU FOR BEING AWESOME!

[Mydian]

My daughter sent me a screenshot of the forum and I rushed here to sign up! Man, I miss CoH. It was my first MMO and I was gutted when it went down.

 

Sadly, I don't remember the names of friends I had in the game, but maybe I'll run into them again. Taskforces with them were such a blast.

[Healix]

[Alleykat]

I know this sounds a little dramatic, but I got emotional when I was finally able to fly around Paragon city again. I just wanted to say thank you. I honestly never thought I'd get to play CoH again.

 

I'll be donating to contribute where I can.

Thank you so much x

[Sonoskay]

Wow, When i heard there was a Fan Server I didnt think it would be as active as it is.

Anyway My main back in the day was  called the "bionic rabbit"  I was  probably  13 when i made him. Anyway he was a Pink Bunny robot man that  was i think a blaster classification. its been  years, Anyway Eastatic to be a little nostalgic for the best Hero MMO to date. Thank you so much.

[Oubliette_Red]

This is from more recent gameplay, not Legacy CoH.

 

So I like to modify my sounds. I was doing a Mortimer Kal run and we were in the warehouse where we fight Mercedes Sheldon and Montague Castanella and I could faintly hear a sound, thought it was coming from someone else's mic, like a puppies in the background. Then I started laughing after realizing that I had changed the sound of glowies to yapping hyenas, and there were about 8 crates in the room.

 

[Spellcaster Hana]

Hello, City of Heroes is the first MMO that I played that got me addicted to MMOs (It's also my stress reliever lol). I was originally on the Justice server but me and my bro migrated to Freedom then finally to Virtue. I know Virtue is the RP server back then, I'm not really an RP'er myself but the people playing on that server were nice and friendly that's why we stuck on that server on live.

 

My main character is Spellcaster Hana, an ice/ice blaster. I'm not super active as a player as I do solo mostly for the lore (I love the lore in this game!) but I remember running a lot of TFs...I really enjoyed teaming and helping people level their characters. This is the only game I always go back to and have a subscription. I'm so happy the game is back 😁

[The_Warpact]

Thank you. Tonight I flew again, I haven't been this happy since 8 years ago.

Expect my full support, monetary and otherwise for this gift.

[Ry]

Thank you! 

 

Everyone on the HC team, because of you I reunited with old friends and met new ones along the way!

 

You're awesome, if you ever need a cup of tea poke me, you'll get TWO!

Edited September 20, 2019 by Ry

[Crimson_Blade]

Hello My fellow COH addicts,

 

I am Crimson Blade and was on Triumph server. I was so addicted to COH that I played non stop for several days at a time only pausing for bathroom breaks and eating (maybe) and of course calling in sick to work. I think I missed a full week of work to play COH and got in trouble when I went back to work (well worth it). I was bound and determined to be the first lvl 40 (cap back then) BS/SR scrapper on the server. I made it and then they raised the cap to 50 so back to the grind and once again I made it. I was in a tight race to 50 with a few other scrappers. My wife (Skypainter) and I became famous on the server and even got a tell from a stranger once asking for help. They said they were stuck and could they team up with us and my wife TP them. We teamed them and then TP'd them. They then said thanks but they weren't really stuck but just wanted to be able to say they had run with us and then they left. Another time I was standing around and someone ran up to me and said "Grats on being you!".  We made quite a few friends and a few enemies and enemies that became friends. Our rivalry was with Tactical Initiative (We were The Vanguard) but Viewtiful Allen and Doc Mindstorm from TI became friends.  I became a PL'er for quite a few people using the sewers at first and then later opened up my own academy by stacking a mission with tons of mobs and almost finishing the mission only to leave it and rinse and repeat. I hope to run into some of my old COH friends but if I don't I will always cherish them and look forward to making new friends or enemies.

Until then I will patrol the cities with my warning "Run! Hide! Flee in Terror Criminal Element for I, Crimson Blade, am on the Prowl!" Hehe...aren't binds wonderful?

[C/Calliope]

What a feeling, just hearing that intro music again and being able to reinstall... I'm sure its the same emotions a lot of CoH vets shared (and still do share). First and foremost, thanks to those that made this possible and those that continue to help make this a successful reality. Like others here, this was my first ever MMO. I didn't even have a console at the time I started playing this game and I was in college as an undergrad. I remember calling sick into work on Double XP Weekends and just filling my room with junk food and soda, playing until 3 and 4 in the morning. I remember getting into teams with friends and making new ones alike when doing task forces and raids. I remember the creativity and kindness of so many players when teaming up and roleplaying. Its been so good just to come back in and explore and play this game again, and as I look back and then think to where I am now, its amazing. Here I am married to the man I was dating when I was playing this game, now with 2 toddlers and another baby on the way. On that note, I can't think of a better game to play when I've got those late night feedings and times I can't get back to sleep. This game is the same joy now as it was for me then, and I'm excited to take my time to explore it again and make some new friends in the process. The population of CoH players continue to be among the friendliest gamers that I've ever worked with in general. Its funny coming back to the game and having that option of "Help Me!" or "Helper" because I remember my basics, but there's other things where I'm like, "Uh, how do I do that again?" In the end, I chose neither because I'm so happy just to rediscover it all again (even if it is soloing on mind/emp controller, who cares?! Its fun, darn it!) Anyone out there sharing the same experience as me, reliving old memories and/or looking to make fun new ones, new player or veteran, you can call me a friend. Add me to your global friends list as you'd like and send me a tell. 

Peace, blessings and gaming,

@Pavlovian

 

[Yomo Kimyata]

I’m long overdue for this, but thank you.  I am grateful for being able to play this game again, especially with a critical mass of other players. 

 

[loseup99]

with so much addiction cant really judge it very easily ...

[Valegor]

This game has meant so much to me over the years.  When it shut down I thought it was gone for good and I have never stopped missing it and wanting back into the world.  When I logged back in with my first new character about 5 months ago I felt a real chill come over me when I heard the sounds and music again.  I had an involuntary smile cross my face.  As my new character walked into Outbreak I had this overwhelming feeling of being home.  My wife and I have so few things we do together, but this was a return to something we had bonded over so many years ago.  As I recreated my characters one at a time bringing them back from oblivion all the memories of friendships and bonds came back.  

 

I truly cannot express with words how greatful I am for this.  What it means to me.  Thank you all.  

[EyeLuvBooks]

The original CoH literally saved my life. While playing the game Live I was stricken with a viral infection that left me with nerve damage and chronic pain. I medicated myself out of a marriage and into depression so deep I thought my life was over.

 

Yet every day I got out of bed, I went to my computer and logged into CoH. I chatted with friends. I defeated villains. I robbed banks (okay...THAT was fun!). I was a different person. I was literally anyone I wanted to be.

 

After  quite a while I dug myself out of the hole I was in, got off the meds, got back to work and made something of myself. Now I'm engaged to be married, have a new career and write books on the side.

 

...and I still lof in almost every day and chat with friends and turn into someone else...just because...

 

Thank you for helping me to save myself.

[Abraxus]

I am neck-deep in nostalgia right now with the Halloween Event going on.  7 years since I last did that, legitimately anyway.  I say that because when this time of year would roll around on Paragon Chat, I would do their best impression of this event, which was fun.  But, only to the extent that it was all I had to get through the depression of not having the game anymore, and fanning the minuscule embers of hope that someday, it might return.  Well, wish granted, and I'm not gonna miss a thing!  If the past 7 years has taught me anything, it's that you can't take what you love for granted, because it could end without a moments notice.  I am gonna do all the events, I'm gonna badge hunt, I'm gonna get all the accolades, all the Incarnate powers, and make as many L50s as I can with whatever time we have.  If it goes on for years, that's gonna be a lot, just as it was during the days of live (had 25+ at L50 at the end).  If it ends tomorrow, I will have gotten my fondest wish.  To get the chance to play, and be a part of this community again.  If it were to all end, this time I would know that I appreciated it every day, and played as much as I could.  I will end in a good place....but, I hope that won't be for a very long time! 

[Galaxitus]

Seriously, thank you! Every years since CoH server were closed, I was looking around for something that could fill my need of deep customization & powers.

Champions Online and DC Online were okay, but they are limited and too much "balanced" to be fun.

CoH was THE game that allowed someone to play a weaker character not out of sheer stupidity, but out of logical choice and still have fun with it.

CoH was THE game that allowed someone to feel unique and not just a copy cat of the next one with a different hat.

 

Even if there are 2000 Saitamas, All-Mights and Dekus spawning in town, I'll still play because CoH makes it feel not even bad.

(As a matter of fact, I would welcome RP/Guild based on those. I mean, everyone can be part of the Heroes or the League of Villains or whatever, right?)

 

You just filled a void in my soul, guys. Thanks a thousand... no a BILLION times!

[Frostbiter]

Ran across this screenshot in one of my old folders. Shortly before the game shutdown on Live the dev Castle came into one of the instances of Atlas Park and turned a bunch of us into cars. We had our own little demolition derby.