Make the game look more modern

[The Mighty Paladin]

I've been looking around Paragon City and I've noticed a few things that could be changed to update the look of the game.

I don't know if this is actually possible but, if it is, I'd like to see it. please.

1. Replace all computer monitors in the game with flat screens, and make the keyboards black.

If you prefer you could avoid having to update again in a few years by replacing these things with some sci-fi looking computers.

2. Remove all phone booths.

3. Delete all missions where your only objective is to go meet someone who you could easily call.

 

that is all for now

[Rudra]

11 minutes ago, The Mighty Paladin said:

Delete all missions where your only objective is to go meet someone who you could easily call.

As much as I hate these, they do make sense. Whether because you have an item you need to hand over or because the contact doesn't want information leaked over the airwaves.

[twozerofoxtrot]

The game takes place in a fictional version of our world with different geography set in a time circa 2004.

 

 

It's fine.

[SwitchFade]

I don't want to play a different game, I want to play CoH.

 

All the things you list are part of the charm. These suggestions are like saying Dick Tracy needs an I watch.

 

Hard no vote. The game is set in the time and place it is, and it's perfect as is.

[biostem]

1 hour ago, The Mighty Paladin said:

3. Delete all missions where your only objective is to go meet someone who you could easily call.

The reason for these missions, (besides the aforementioned "needing to drop something off" that @Rudra mentioned), is that the contact wants to actually meet your character in person and evaluate you/get to know you.  They'll give you their cell # once they trust you a bit more.

 

As for the other points you brought up, I agree with @twozerofoxtrot's take; CoH clearly has flat screen technology - but not as a cost-effective option for generic office environments.  I'd wager that there is a larger gulf between cutting edge/military technology and it making it to the general consumer market, in CoH than in the real world...

[Parabola]

As far as I'm concerned coh never was set in a real time period. It is a comic book version of recent past modernity and isn't meant to be viewed as an accurate representation of any given real world moment. Hence the anachronistic vehicles that grace the city and any number of other details that don't quite fit together. As said above: it's all part of the charm.

[Tombie1020]

Why is it hard to accept that the game takes place 20 years ago in a world infused with alien technology and super-powered geniuses? The anachronisms are part of the charm. Not to mention the massive undertaking this would be for basically zero gain whatsoever.

[Saiyajinzoningen]

6 hours ago, The Mighty Paladin said:

I've been looking around Paragon City and I've noticed a few things that could be changed to update the look of the game.

I don't know if this is actually possible but, if it is, I'd like to see it. please.

1. Replace all computer monitors in the game with flat screens, and make the keyboards black.

If you prefer you could avoid having to update again in a few years by replacing these things with some sci-fi looking computers.

2. Remove all phone booths.

3. Delete all missions where your only objective is to go meet someone who you could easily call.

 

that is all for now

 

1. Think of city of heroes as taking place in a time loop created by Ouroboros.

2. Phone booths are an iconic part of lore for heroes and Doctors alike 😉

3. You can use an Oro crystal to instantly teleport to NPC's instead of taking the scenic route. (personally i think its weird that all NPC have cell phones *shrug*)

 

If you try your hand at base construction, you will find you can make it as sci-fi or retro or arcane as you like. One of the best parts of this game is you are not locked into 1 look/theme.

 

[Player2]

Make things more modern?  Are you not still living in 2012?

[The Mighty Paladin]

Even before City of Heroes officially closed down, I read online comments about how the game was showing it's age. Whenever I talk about superheroes online people tell me I'm living in the past, and that my views about how superheroes should look and act are just outdated. Here, I suggest that a cosmetic change would make the game look better, and I'm told that it's retro and I just don't get it. How was I supposed to get it. It was never hinted at. I had no idea it was a style choice, I just thought updating it was something the devs had never bothered to do. 

I still think it would be better if they updated it. And I hope they do. But if this really is something they want that's fine too.

 

Edited June 21, 2023 by The Mighty Paladin

[biostem]

4 minutes ago, The Mighty Paladin said:

Even before City of Heroes officially closed down, I read online comments about how the game was showing it's age. Whenever I talk about superheroes online people tell me I'm living in the past, and that my views about how superheroes should look and act are just outdated. Here, I suggest that a cosmetic change would make the game look better, and I'm told that it's retro and I just don't get it. How was I supposed to get it. It was never hinted at. I had no idea it was a style choice, I just thought updating it was something the devs had never bothered to do. 

I still think it would be better if they updated it. And I hope they do. But if this really is something they want that's fine too.

The game went live in 2004.  Even then, flat screen monitors were becoming more common.  There are other places in-game that do have them, and it's not like rendering a flat screen monitor is any more difficult than a CRT.  I'm not sure how you would get the notion that such depictions were anything other than intentional.  I mean, look at the cars and how many villains still use revolvers.  The entire game is basically a love letter to 80s superheroes, with some 90s "hard-edge" stuff mixed in...

[The Mighty Paladin]

19 minutes ago, biostem said:

I'm not sure how you would get the notion that such depictions were anything other than intentional. 

Simple: I the game looked as modern as it could back when it was made. 

It doesn't any more.

[biostem]

1 minute ago, The Mighty Paladin said:

Simple: I the game looked as modern as it could back when it was made. 

It doesn't any more.

You're missing the point - there are areas of the game with flat screen monitors and even holographic/wall displays.  If they didn't specifically want PC desktop/towers and CRTs, it would have been a simple matter to not include them.

[honoroit]

in the real world, you occasionally see a phone booth. theyre never active, and are eaither destroyed with exposed wiring connect to dead terminal, or are in some state of ruin, graffiti, and animal urine or conquering plant growth.

 

pagagon city is only place you can see them anymore.

 

 

Edited June 21, 2023 by honoroit
some people have never seen a phonebooth

[Parabola]

26 minutes ago, The Mighty Paladin said:

Even before City of Heroes officially closed down, I read online comments about how the game was showing it's age. Whenever I talk about superheroes online people tell me I'm living in the past, and that my views about how superheroes should look and act are just outdated. Here, I suggest that a cosmetic change would make the game look better, and I'm told that it's retro and I just don't get it. How was I supposed to get it. It was never hinted at. I had no idea it was a style choice, I just thought updating it was something the devs had never bothered to do. 

I still think it would be better if they updated it. And I hope they do. But if this really is something they want that's fine too.

 

When people talk about the game showing its age they are usually referring to the graphical fidelity not content like types of computer screen. A game set in the 80's could have bleeding edge representations of crt monitors and be completely up to date graphically.

 

Personally I still think the graphics (as in fidelity) are fine, I don't find it important to have all the hdr, 4k stuff. It doesn't improve games as far as I'm concerned (actually far from it because time and money spent developing all that stuff seems to always come at the expense of the basics like gameplay ... But that's another argument).

 

What I really love is the tone and feel of the game. The funny retro futuristic cars, the nonsense office layouts with old computers, all of it. If the Devs wanted to spruce it up with higher res versions of the existing assets then I wouldn't complain. Replacing those assets entirely with more modern versions? No. It wouldn't be coh anymore.

[honoroit]

however, kupo, we dont have fancy energy shields to keep the undesirables outside the city.

[Mr. Apocalypse]

17 hours ago, The Mighty Paladin said:

I've been looking around Paragon City and I've noticed a few things that could be changed to update the look of the game.

I don't know if this is actually possible but, if it is, I'd like to see it. please.

1. Replace all computer monitors in the game with flat screens, and make the keyboards black.

If you prefer you could avoid having to update again in a few years by replacing these things with some sci-fi looking computers.

2. Remove all phone booths.

3. Delete all missions where your only objective is to go meet someone who you could easily call.

 

that is all for now

I would rather the developers continue to add more content and options, rather than waste their time "modernizing" the appearance of in-game assets.  Don't get me wrong I would like to see improvements to some of the original artwork,  mainly higher resolution textures for costumes etc. But, It isn't like there is a pool of high paid programmers slaving away on this game for a corporate giant.  This game is a passion project for a handful of devoted people that just could not let this game slip away into history. Be thankful, like many of us are that the game is even playable (7 years we waited). Enjoy it for both its quality game-play and its nostalgic look and feel.  If they were to modernize the game, I would hope they focused on the type of things that improve game-play without really being seen., such as overall Performance improvements, added chat features, etc. basically things that help everyone, not just a few that think the game should be re-imagined to take place in 2023.

 

 

[Mr. Apocalypse]

1 hour ago, The Mighty Paladin said:

Even before City of Heroes officially closed down, I read online comments about how the game was showing it's age. Whenever I talk about superheroes online people tell me I'm living in the past, and that my views about how superheroes should look and act are just outdated. Here, I suggest that a cosmetic change would make the game look better, and I'm told that it's retro and I just don't get it. How was I supposed to get it. It was never hinted at. I had no idea it was a style choice, I just thought updating it was something the devs had never bothered to do. 

I still think it would be better if they updated it. And I hope they do. But if this really is something they want that's fine too.

 

Yes the game was showing its age, when compared to the flashiest, latest, greatest, MMO's that were coming out at that time. But, most of those games were trading out good game-play for graphical flashiness.. Where are they now? They (most of them) went away just like COH, but they did not have communities of die hard fans willing to resurrect them.  If you want to play a "modern" Super Hero MMO there is always Ship of heroes, or city of Titans, or champions online.

 

I personally think it would be disastrous to make a modernizing pass on this game..

Edited June 21, 2023 by Mr. Apocalypse

[Oubliette_Red]

"All your flat screens are belong to us." ~Praetoria

 

[Glacier Peak]

The art style is fine in my eyes. Throw on cell shading for even harder comic book vibes.

 

As for historically accurate - there's time travel in this game so I'm happy to assume all the points you made were the result of 'timey-wimey' hiccups.

[Etched]

How about a little QoL instead of NPC Bob gettin a new iphone. 

 

There are a lot of little buggy issues that most everyone would like to see fixed instead of a flat screen for Sue or coffee mugs.

 

Devs are workin on this game as they pull 40+ hrs at a regular job, plus families too.

 

So with that in mind are you askin them to spend less time with family to make the game set 10+ years ago more modern?

 

I wouldn't but that is just me. I'm just happy I can kick in the teeth of Skuls.

 

@Etched

[Rudra]

1 hour ago, Glacier Peak said:

Throw on cell shading for even harder comic book vibes.

Please no cell shading. When CO launched, it was all cell shading and I damn near couldn't see anything in the game unless I went to the edge of the map where everything went grey scale. They either toned down the cell shading or removed it after a while, making the game much more visible as something other than brightly colored garish blobs. but regardless, I would really not have that ever happen in CoX.

[Akisan]

20 hours ago, The Mighty Paladin said:

I've been looking around Paragon City and I've noticed a few things that could be changed to update the look of the game.

I don't know if this is actually possible but, if it is, I'd like to see it. please.

1. Replace all computer monitors in the game with flat screens, and make the keyboards black.

If you prefer you could avoid having to update again in a few years by replacing these things with some sci-fi looking computers.

2. Remove all phone booths.

3. Delete all missions where your only objective is to go meet someone who you could easily call.

 

1) I haven't personally checked the 2004 pricelist, but I'm pretty sure that CRTs were cheaper than flatscreens then, and probably more durable too! (Haven't checked, I don't have a CRT handy for testing).  Given that, and how common office invasions/general supervillainy is, I'd bet most companies aren't willing to upgrade to newer flatscreens. I would, however, be in favor of having more room tiles added to the pool for offices, to mix up the mission layouts a bit. Maybe one of the new dead-end or final room tiles could be an IT den/small lab with those newer computers (flat-screens, not alien/sci-fi ones).

2) Can we instead get the glass ones replaced with opaque ones, so we can change costumes without revealing our secret identities?

3) Already been hashed out (yay, FedEx missions!).  I'd be ok with something being done with those silly "Patrol for activity" missions, though (the ones where you have to go tag 5 police callboxes in a zone).  My level 24 scrapper is getting tired of running laps around IP...

[Ruin Mage]

No.

[Glacier Peak]

53 minutes ago, Rudra said:

Please no cell shading. When CO launched, it was all cell shading and I damn near couldn't see anything in the game unless I went to the edge of the map where everything went grey scale. They either toned down the cell shading or removed it after a while, making the game much more visible as something other than brightly colored garish blobs. but regardless, I would really not have that ever happen in CoX.

It's been in the game for years, still is on Homecoming. It's a setting in advanced graphics. I hear ya though, it's pretty drastic even at it's lowest level.