Do you think City of Heroes helps make you a better person in real life?

[Enchantica]

After leaving Snorecraft  and returning home to the greatest game ever made. I noticed my general happiness and wellbeing increased. I joined a great super group. I like the people in it they seem nice. I also noticed my general outlook seemed to get better. Snorecraft like a psychic vampire drained my soul, not because of the game itself but because of the people who play it.  I was just wondering if any of you feel ( even in a small way) that City of Hero's theme in general affects your outlook in life in a positive way.

[MoonSheep]

i find the community of CoH is on the side of “lets all get along”, it’s certainly different to L4D2 which is a real roll of the dice depending on who you play with. tends to be quite civilised and friendly - most people are up for a chat

 

my only criticism of the CoH community is the occasional “i have an extremely fringe niche use case, why doesn’t this change cater for me!?!?1”

[Tobogon]

The CoH community has always been overwhelmingly positive and perhaps because of interacting with that it puts me in a better mood and i pass that forward out in the world.

Dont get me wrong, humanity is still doomed because we are dumb paniky greedy self centered animals seemingly intent on our own destruction... but with the CoH community I suppose there is a little bit of hope and that makes me feel warm 🙂  

[Snarky]

There are many things better about CoH over Snorecraft (i have an account).

 

My best “season” in any online game was when I found Cosmic Council in CoH and they were running hot and heavy.  Great Leadership.  Nearly nightly with Discord.  Hard badging. Then….crickets.  Great year for me.  
 

I have not found anyone as organized, creative, and welcoming in Snorecraft.  Or another such group in CoH.  Although I tend not to look.  I joined CC almost by accident setting up Discord for RHW Magisterium.  Then stayed.  They were (are?) the best.  I will not name names. Out if fear if not mentioning one of the dozens of great gamers that were hyperactive in that time.  But props to the nightly organizers especially. Lot of work.  
 

 

[Force Redux]

I've been with MMOs starting about 2000 with EverQuest live, then played about 90% of most MMO titles through today. Some for years (CoH, EQ2, ESO...) and some for a short time (New World, Tabula Rasa, etc). All of them mostly (exception for Korean grinders like Lineage or Grenado Espada or some true flops like Matrix Online) had some sort of good community, large or small, if you  looked, even Snorecraft. 

 

City of Heroes was a real gem in live, and even moreso now after 'the snap'. Multiple factors, but the essence of the game is generally (despite the modern deconstruction) about achieving something better. On a cathartic level, CoH combat is really truly glorious, colorful, beautiful chaos, and zapping hords of Malta and shaking your fist in the face of various nefarious AVs is very satisfying when managing my stress. So is just walking through my base and having head-cannon tie-ins to storylines (like Dark Astoria). On the social level, this is a very helpful and generous community overall, and I've witnessed/experienced many acts of genuine kindness. That just rubs off. 

 

Good second runner ups for community in my own experience have been Everquest 2, The Secret World, and Warhammer Online (faction-based community). 

Anyway, you are great, I like zapping Hellions with you all. I guess that's why I'm here 19 years later. 

Edited November 12, 2023 by Force Redux

[arcane]

Personal CoH drama makes my life worse these days but I’m addicted to CoH.

 

Also Idk what Snorecraft is but I’m a pretty bad person all around.

Edited November 12, 2023 by arcane

[Force Redux]

1 hour ago, arcane said:

Personal CoH drama makes my life worse these days but I’m addicted to CoH.

 

Also Idk what Snorecraft is but I’m a pretty bad person all around.

Warcraft, I'm assuming. 

[Enchantica]

Yes Snorecraft = Warcraft it feels good just to mock the name . SnoreCraft is because it's boring and the community sucks (IMO). I could have called it Bore craft but I think Snorecraft is a great name for a game that stinks so bad the U.N should call it a crime against humanity.

[Enchantica]

2 hours ago, arcane said:

Personal CoH drama makes my life worse these days but I’m addicted to CoH.

 

Also Idk what Snorecraft is but I’m a pretty bad person all around.

2 hours ago, arcane said:

Personal CoH drama makes my life worse these days but I’m addicted to CoH.

 

Also Idk what Snorecraft is but I’m a pretty bad person all around.

Yes Snorecraft = Warcraft it feels good just to mock the name . SnoreCraft is because it's boring and the community sucks (IMO). I could have called it Bore craft but I think Snorecraft is a great name for a game that stinks so bad the U.N should call it a crime against humanity.

 

[PeregrineFalcon]

9 minutes ago, Enchantica said:

Yes Snorecraft = Warcraft it feels good just to mock the name . SnoreCraft is because it's boring and the community sucks (IMO). I could have called it Bore craft but I think Snorecraft is a great name for a game that stinks so bad the U.N should call it a crime against humanity.

I understand that you don't like WoW, and that's fine. I haven't played it in years.

 

But is it really necessary to insult the millions of people who do play it by calling it a crime against humanity? You talk about what a great community we have here, and then demonstrate that you're not really part of it by being so mean and insulting toward millions of people that you don't even know.

 

How does this blatant hypocrisy increase your general happiness and wellbeing?

[FFFF]

The game feels like it’s from a different era. Where a character wearing patriotic color represents the best of American values not the sometimes very different view that it evokes today.

 

I like the lack of cynicism. That despite wielding a huge axe, I’m merely arresting the bad guys for proper rehabilitation. That a character can be committed to self-sacrifice without the modern day lens that wonders how such activities can be monetized for views. 
 

Like the phone booths you see in game, City of Heroes epitomizes a very, arguably a more optimistic outlook that has few sources anywhere else. I treasure such sources. The world today can definitely use a few heroes. 

[Glacier Peak]

This thread feels dramatic.

[Shenanigunner]

I know that I carried a bitter little pill around with me during the dark years... "They took my world away from me." Not something I wore on a t-shirt or thought about a lot, but it sure wandered by during a few 3 am sessions. I am pretty sure not having to carry that little ache helps, somehow.

 

And as others have noted, knowing that there's a community this good out there, amid all the ones that make you want to jump off a cliff... yeah, that helps, too.

[Enchantica]

4 hours ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

I understand that you don't like WoW, and that's fine. I haven't played it in years.

 

But is it really necessary to insult the millions of people who do play it by calling it a crime against humanity? You talk about what a great community we have here, and then demonstrate that you're not really part of it by being so mean and insulting toward millions of people that you don't even know.

 

How does this blatant hypocrisy increase your general happiness and wellbeing?

I stand by what I said. I did say  in my opinion.   I respect your opinion.  I will however never agree with it. 

[Enchantica]

6 hours ago, arcane said:

Personal CoH drama makes my life worse these days but I’m addicted to CoH.

 

Also Idk what Snorecraft is but I’m a pretty bad person all around.

I hope it gets better for you.  I am excited everyday to log on. played from issue one live till the last second. glad to be back.

[Enchantica]

Nah, it's not meant to be but there is always someone who will take stuff far too literally (not referring to anyone or to you, just in general) In those cases I will apologize once but only once.  Btw way cool picture for your toon.

Edited November 13, 2023 by Enchantica
put it in the wrong spot lol

[Snarky]

4 hours ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

I understand that you don't like WoW, and that's fine. I haven't played it in years.

 

But is it really necessary to insult the millions of people who do play it by calling it a crime against humanity? You talk about what a great community we have here, and then demonstrate that you're not really part of it by being so mean and insulting toward millions of people that you don't even know.

 

How does this blatant hypocrisy increase your general happiness and wellbeing?

I am a blatant hypocrite who drains the life energies from everyone around me

 

Honestly pretty happy.  Thank you for your concern!

[SeraphimKensai]

I'll be honest...no videogame, no matter which one, has really made be a better person. That said I've absolutely been sucked in by several of them over the course of the past 40 or so years that I'd argue have had a negative detriment to my life.

 

I think in my older age I've found a reasonable balance though with gaming so it's not my soul encompassing raison d'etre. The life experiences I've had along the way have made me be a better person.

 

At it's height though during the live run of the game, CoH did make me some extra income, which helped me take an international vacation, and buy a vehicle. So maybe in that regard despite the activity I was engaged in at the time, might of helped me on my path to be a better person in real life by enabling me to get to work and actually have a vacation.

[Warlawk]

Quote

1. 1. Do you think City of Heroes helps make you a better person in real life?

   • Yes
   • I love Snorecraft and am a horrible person

 

This is a video game forum, please keep your false dichotomy polls, polarizing commentary and general condescending attitude in the cesspool that is social media.

[Enchantica]

At least you said please.  That poll is modeled after the spirit of most polls on the news lol.  

[Clave Dark 5]

2 hours ago, SeraphimKensai said:

At it's height though during the live run of the game, CoH did make me some extra income

Whoa, may I ask about this?  If you'd prefer not to, feel free to not even reply.

[Neiska]

 

A few thoughts.

1. Being "happy" doesn't inherently make you a better person. Some very bad people have also been very happy people.

2. How does liking "snorecraft" or any video game in particular, automatically make someone a "better" person?

3. Similar to 2, how does disliking any particular video game, make someone inherently a "bad" person?

4. Far from an expert, but if you get feelings of extreme euphoria from a video game, as in more than actual real things in your life, you might want to look into that as it could be signs of other things going on.

5. I half suspect this is clickbait. But if it isn't, I worry for humanity. Well, moreso than 10 minutes ago.

[Snarky]

22 minutes ago, Neiska said:

 

5. I half suspect this is clickbait. But if it isn't, I worry for humanity. Well, moreso than 10 minutes ago.

Worry about humanity.  There are some truly beautiful minds amongst humanity.  But most of humanity struggles to wipe their own butt effectively.

[MrAxe]

Not in the slightest. I'm a nice enough person out in the real world but in games I'm a complete nutjob.

[Shred Monkey]

I think this thread is just being a playful banter, and not deserving of the ire I'm about to display.... so my apologies in advance.

 

But the OP makes for a good object leason of how so many real world issues get messed up by bad actors in online media.  They make a post that is genuinely click worthy, but it's a bait and switch post where they goad you into picking between two options; thier prefered opinion, or something framed to be completely evil or at least grotesquely uncool.  Even though there's a thousand other options, most of them better then the two presented.  Today's talking head media socialites are not looking for real answers or real discussion with purposeful outcomes.  They don't want solutions to the problems we face.  They're just trying to suck us into their little rabbit hole of vitriol and hatred to further their own self-serving agendas.  

 

So, to answer the OP's question... Yeah.... CoH has made my life better.  It's been a happy place for me during some pretty dark stuff in my life.  But the internet users who use methods demonstrated by this post, not so much.

 

 

Edited November 13, 2023 by Shred Monkey