An Update from The Homecoming Team

[Myrmidon]

1 hour ago, jubakumbi said:

At this point I can honestly say ... you lost me.

Seemed like we were having a fine discussion.

🖖

 

[TonyV]

13 hours ago, jubakumbi said:

The 'reality' is that we have no idea what is actually being discussed, who is running the actual discussion, what it entails in the business considerations, who will own the code, will other servers be allowed to run, nothing.

GM Jimmy, Cipher and I are running the actual discussions on this side. I'm not going to name individuals' names from NCSoft, but I'll say that the people involved have the authority and the ability to make a deal happen.

 

As for details, that's still being discussed. And while it has largely been agreed upon, we don't want to go blasting out what all it entails because until there's some ink dry, it's still under consideration.

 

Let me put it this way: If we told everyone that we were working on getting A, B, C, and D, and when everything is said and done we were able to get A, B, and C, but not D, there would be a sizeable contingent of people who were upset that we didn't get D. That's all they'd hear, and they'd never be able to enjoy A, B, and C because they'd be too miserable ruing how not having D just ruins everything. There would even a smaller group who insisted that we were lying about D the whole time as some nefarious plot to get everyone behind us, only to break their hearts in the end because as everyone knows, D is really the only important thing all along.

 

I'm not being coy here, and I'm not trying to string people along. I've maintained all along that the best attitude to have through all of this is cautious optimism. We're doing our best to nail all this down as quickly as possible and I promise that we're not going to leave everyone hanging indefinitely. I know there are a lot of people out there who think that if they were on our shoes, this would be going a lot differently. All I can say in response is that we're doing the best we can, and I personally think it's going really well. You don't have to live in a dream land of rainbows and unicorns, but all I ask is to not go all Doom and Gloom™. Give us a chance and see what we come up with. I think that it's going to be a really good deal.

 

I will reiterate one thing that's already been said: This is a not-for-profit endeavor. I've seen speculation that we're going to start charging to play, putting microtransactions out there, yadda yadda yadda. That's simply not true. This has been and will continue to be a community supported effort, not a business.

 

Last but not least, I know everyone wants a time frame. I can't give one. I wish I could, but all of this is pretty new. NCSoft doesn't have any kind of boilerplate template to use for this agreement; it's all having to be custom created, and that takes time and resources. We do have an idea of how long this should take, and it is finite, but again, I don't want to mention some time frame only to have everyone getting out the pitchforks if it goes a bit longer than that. As I said above, we're working to get this done as quickly as possible.

[TonyV]

As a side note, I see this question sometimes too: "Why did you bother telling anyone you were talking to NCSoft to begin with? Why not just wait until a deal is worked out and then tell everyone?" The answer is that there are a few reasons, some of them better than others. They include:

 

• Everyone playing on Homecoming right now has a sword of Damocles hanging over their head. It could be shut down at any given moment with a C&D from NCSoft. Part of the reason we announced that we were in talks is to let everyone know that we're aware of that painful reality, and to let them know that we are working on removing it from being a possibility in the future.
• We genuinely didn't want to spring this on everyone all of a sudden. That would have drawn in a bunch of detractors complaining that we've been operating "in secret," ostensibly to avoid having the community involved in any decisions that are made. In reality, the community is the reason we're doing what we're doing, and will continue to be involved even after any deal that goes through is done.
• I personally wanted to let folks know because it's exciting. It's been almost seven years since the game was shut down, and I feel like we're closer than ever to having it back up again as an actual authorized project with folks actually maintaining and improving it in an aboveboard manner. I can't overstate how huge that is, and keeping that kind of news under wraps would be less than ideal for me.

I guess in the end, I always think, if I were a player and I had my choice of knowing the big stuff now and finding out the minutiae later, would I want that, or to be kept completely in the dark until it was all over and done with? Having been a player who has faced both of those eventualities from various people and entities, I'd choose the former over the latter, so that's what I've pushed for.

 

Thanks a ton for all of your continued support, even those of you who are skeptical but still hopeful.

Edited August 21, 2019 by TonyV

[Abraxus]

Godspeed man!

[dangeraaron10]

Very excited, and anxious, to see what kind of deal the HC team and NCSoft reaches.  I'm quite shocked that these talks are being held at all.  I can only guess NCSoft sees CoX as generally not worth their time but could find some use in these servers that costs them nothing to obtain user data from.  If that's correct, one of two things will happen:

 

A: The servers become very successful and NCSoft can use data and metrics gathered from HC to inform a new game in the IP or a new IP altogether

 

B: The server populations dwindle below the 10k mark and validates NCSoft's previous stance of the IP not being worth the trouble

 

I guess whatever deal is being made is somehow better than just shutting down the private servers and reviving the game themselves.  I don't think anyone benefits from the servers being shut down and the game staying dead, nobody can enjoy or profit off that.  

[Xeres]

Of course I can only speak for myself but one thing I feel works for all of this is the appearance of transparency with Homecoming and the monthly expenses, etc.  It's a good idea to be as transparent as you can be otherwise this can all become a big mess.

 

Keeping with that disclosing what you can when you can furthers that feeling of transparency which, IMO, is a good thing.  I'd rather know what's happening as you can disclose that rather than a summary of events after the fact.  But that's just my opinion.

 

My other take is people seem to want D.

Edited August 21, 2019 by Xeres

[jubakumbi]

8 hours ago, TonyV said:

I guess in the end, I always think, if I were a player and I had my choice of knowing the big stuff now and finding out the minutiae later, would I want that, or to be kept completely in the dark until it was all over and done with? Having been a player who has faced both of those eventualities from various people and entities, I'd choose the former over the latter, so that's what I've pushed for.

 

Thanks a ton for all of your continued support, even those of you who are skeptical but still hopeful.

You are responding to my comments.

I totally understand your PoV, I simply have a different one, as stated.

TBH, you have given us no more information with this, only the emotional reasons for announcing at this stage.

 

Honesty, I don't get, at all, why some of the people involved do not understand my PoV.

All the community has heard for years and years is 'we are in talks, it feels good', that's all we have been given now, nothing more, just the vague feelings about the deal.

 

Like it or not, the optics also have parts of the HC overall group involved in the 'long lie' and that does not instill confidence in words.

The information we do have tells us good business people have tried the previously and failed, all we have TMK are some anon chat handles and no resumes.

 

IMO, this 'announcement' just strings along the community, it makes that sword just seem a whole lot larger and more imposing.

In fact, it does exacty what happened in Retail live, just a bone thrown out to the community out of a fear of losing interest, like a hand grenade.

 

Does anyone understand where I am coming from?

All we have gotten is flowery words in the past, that's all we have now, yet we are somehow supposed to think 'this time is different' with absolutely no data...

 

I run on data, not hope and dreams and promises and there is no data.

 

*shrug*

I could care less when, what the exact terms are, etc.

 

What HC has not provided is any reason this round of talks is, in any way, different from previous rounds, that makes this one 'better'.

Plan, people, nothing...just 'trust us' because we can prop up some servers...

 

I know you all want me to just shut up, so I will.

 

Good Luck.

[Skyhawke]

TonyVs response is well stated, honest and informative. Is the internet ready for such a thing? 😁 

 

On a serious note, I'll echo the "Godspeed man!" and say a big thanks for the update. 

[Perma-Newbie]

9 hours ago, TonyV said:

GM Jimmy, Cipher and I are running the actual discussions on this side. I'm not going to name individuals' names from NCSoft, but I'll say that the people involved have the authority and the ability to make a deal happen.

 

As for details, that's still being discussed. And while it has largely been agreed upon, we don't want to go blasting out what all it entails because until there's some ink dry, it's still under consideration.

 

Let me put it this way: If we told everyone that we were working on getting A, B, C, and D, and when everything is said and done we were able to get A, B, and C, but not D, there would be a sizeable contingent of people who were upset that we didn't get D. That's all they'd hear, and they'd never be able to enjoy A, B, and C because they'd be too miserable ruing how not having D just ruins everything. There would even a smaller group who insisted that we were lying about D the whole time as some nefarious plot to get everyone behind us, only to break their hearts in the end because as everyone knows, D is really the only important thing all along.

 

I'm not being coy here, and I'm not trying to string people along. I've maintained all along that the best attitude to have through all of this is cautious optimism. We're doing our best to nail all this down as quickly as possible and I promise that we're not going to leave everyone hanging indefinitely. I know there are a lot of people out there who think that if they were on our shoes, this would be going a lot differently. All I can say in response is that we're doing the best we can, and I personally think it's going really well. You don't have to live in a dream land of rainbows and unicorns, but all I ask is to not go all Doom and Gloom™. Give us a chance and see what we come up with. I think that it's going to be a really good deal.

 

I will reiterate one thing that's already been said: This is a not-for-profit endeavor. I've seen speculation that we're going to start charging to play, putting microtransactions out there, yadda yadda yadda. That's simply not true. This has been and will continue to be a community supported effort, not a business.

 

Last but not least, I know everyone wants a time frame. I can't give one. I wish I could, but all of this is pretty new. NCSoft doesn't have any kind of boilerplate template to use for this agreement; it's all having to be custom created, and that takes time and resources. We do have an idea of how long this should take, and it is finite, but again, I don't want to mention some time frame only to have everyone getting out the pitchforks if it goes a bit longer than that. As I said above, we're working to get this done as quickly as possible.

And now I need a new vanity supergroup:  Champions of Negotiated D.  We'll be a vigilante group that kills everyone on sight and reminds them that even though YOU MIGHT THINK EVERYTHING IS AWESOME, D WAS NEGOTIATED AWAY.  And when the deads' families come to ask us, "What was D?" we will stare deeply into their eyes and say, "It was everything.  EVERYTHING."

[Chuckers]

9 hours ago, TonyV said:

I guess in the end, I always think, if I were a player and I had my choice of knowing the big stuff now and finding out the minutiae later, would I want that, or to be kept completely in the dark until it was all over and done with? Having been a player who has faced both of those eventualities from various people and entities, I'd choose the former over the latter, so that's what I've pushed for.

 

Thanks a ton for all of your continued support, even those of you who are skeptical but still hopeful.

 

There are pros and cons to being in the dark and not being in the dark. In this case, I am happy to know something is happening. I will continue to play daily because I love the city I am saving/harassing like it was my own. I feel this situation lets me prepare for either outcome.

 

I was devastated the day we got the email from Cryptic saying they were shutting down. I remember where I was when the email flashed on my phone.  Before reading it, I had one of the few "psychic" moments in my life and I knew it was a sunset email.  If I wasn't in public, I probably would have cried. 

Thank you, Tony, for all the work you, Jimmy, Cipher, and all those behind the scenes are doing to keep our city alive and prospering.  The fact that I've had the ability to go home again is something I never believed would happen and I am going to enjoy the hell out of it while I can. 

 

[GM Tempest]

18 minutes ago, MadCow99 said:

And now I need a new vanity supergroup:  Champions of Negotiated D.  We'll be a vigilante group that kills everyone on sight and reminds them that even though YOU MIGHT THINK EVERYTHING IS AWESOME, D WAS NEGOTIATED AWAY.  And when the deads' families come to ask us, "What was D?" we will stare deeply into their eyes and say, "It was everything.  EVERYTHING."

Something something people want the D. 

 

In other news, I would say that we, the Homecoming team, do love this game. We sincerely do. None of us would have volunteered to do what we do if we didn't. While I know that more details would be liked, we wanted to give people a chance to know what we were doing, that talks were ongoing, and we do want to keep you as informed as possible. 

 

It can be frustrating, I know, but thank you all for the patience you've had so far. We'll keep working on it, and you keep killing Skuls! More to come Soon™. 

[Abraxus]

I think the takeaway here is that there will be fans, critics, and pessimists, on anything said or done with regards to this operation, and this deal.  This is nothing new here, or on any other debatable topic.  It will always run the gamut, and folks will think, and say what they will on the subject at hand, based on their own perspective. 

 

I am in the group that sees the positive in what is happening, bears no ill, and holds no grudges for the past.  I am fully aware of what was in the past, and I am convinced that it is a different situation now, than it has been in the past.  Obviously, there are those who don't see it that way, and that's fine.  In the end, whether it's successful, or not, we'll be on the same page at that point, and likely not a second sooner.

[justicebeliever]

20 hours ago, Abraxus said:

It was in reference to a previous post, where I talked about the transformative changes that were forced on the music, and movie industries due to the realities of the digital landscape.  People didn't like paying $20 for a single CD album of music, and so they resorted to torrents, and sharing of the ripped files.  Same went for movies on disk, though I forget exactly what the pricing structure was before they relented.  Essentially, they tried to fend of the tide of this new reality by employing legal means.  Law suites against individuals, then later on torrent hosts.  They managed to take a few down, and preserve the status quo for a time.  But, ultimately even they had to admit that things had changed, and these things were going to continue to happen, and there was precious little they could do to stop all of it.  So, they reduced the price of music, and made individual tracks available, also at a more reasonable price.  What the folks were doing was technically illegal.  However, it underscored the concept of infinite resource, and the power of the web to distribute it pretty much at will, so eventually they were hauled kicking and screaming into the new age. 

I don't know if that is what will happen here.  But, the same basic concept applies.  The code is out there.  They can choose to fight that, or capitalize on it.  It didn't work out so well in the long run for those other, larger industries, so there is a historical lesson to be learned there if they choose to fight it.

I think the distinction here, and where NCSoft still really has all the leverage, is that while the "code" is out there, this isn't a single player game...3/4 to 99/100th's of the fun comes from the personal interactions that stem from the MMO-part of the game.  

 

All it takes is a few C&D to the main servers, and my gaming experience becomes:

 

LFG Channel:

[Justicebeliever] - Citadel needs your help...(Citadel's TF, LF7M, lvl 25+)

[Justicebeliever] - Citadel needs your help...(Citadel's TF, LF7M, lvl 25+)

 

HELP Channel

[Justicebeliever] - Anyone know why no one can hear my tells?

[Justicebeliever] - Oh, that's right, I am the only one playing...

 

The code doesn't do me any good...If this doesn't pan out, then really it's over, and NCSoft is well aware of this dynamic...I'm sure there are pockets of players with the acumen, hardware, and like minded friends who might make a good go at this, keep awareness of their secret server to a few hundred, but for most...not so much...

 

Again, I made do just fine when the game sunset last time, and I'll be just fine if it happens again.  Since I have no risk exposure, and no control, I am still rooting for Homecoming...but I don't think they have any "leverage" of any kind...but they bring know-how and an enterprising spirit that NCSoft might value...

 

[Abraxus]

We all know the easiest thing to do for them, if they really wanted to come for us, is kill the biggest servers.  Sure, that would take an important element out of play, but the game would still be out there, and there is no way they can ever fully remedy that.  It would certainly reduce enthusiasm for play, but it wouldn't kill it outright.  It would just be driven further underground, as it was for the last 7 years.  The game will never be fully taken away from us again, but they could have a profound effect on how we play it, for better, or worse.  That is a fact they can't change with a C&D.  The indomitable, and enduring spirit of this community have kept this game alive FAR longer than was logical, given the circumstances.  It finally burst forth like a new-born star a few months ago, and it was a revelation.  I think they are smart enough to appreciate the dynamics of what's going on, or they wouldn't even have shown up in the first place, and certainly would not have provided a positive enough atmosphere for the Devs to say what they have about it.  Does anyone really think they would have said anything if it was the same old routine, and it looked like there was NO way this was going to work?  That makes no sense to me, so I choose to believe that we have a good chance (not a certain one by any means), to see things change in very positive ways over the coming months.

Edited August 21, 2019 by Abraxus

[Myrmidon]

21 minutes ago, justicebeliever said:

I think the distinction here, and where NCSoft still really has all the leverage, is that while the "code" is out there, this isn't a single player game...3/4 to 99/100th's of the fun comes from the personal interactions that stem from the MMO-part of the game.  

 

All it takes is a few C&D to the main servers, and my gaming experience becomes:

 

LFG Channel:

[Justicebeliever] - Citadel needs your help...(Citadel's TF, LF7M, lvl 25+)

[Justicebeliever] - Citadel needs your help...(Citadel's TF, LF7M, lvl 25+)

 

HELP Channel

[Justicebeliever] - Anyone know why no one can hear my tells?

[Justicebeliever] - Oh, that's right, I am the only one playing...

 

The code doesn't do me any good...If this doesn't pan out, then really it's over, and NCSoft is well aware of this dynamic...I'm sure there are pockets of players with the acumen, hardware, and like minded friends who might make a good go at this, keep awareness of their secret server to a few hundred, but for most...not so much...

True, and they could also spend from then until Kingdom Come trying to shut down more operations like the ones that have pulled off the larger scale rebirth.

 

HAIL HYDRA!

[MunkiLord]

2 hours ago, Abraxus said:

I think the takeaway here is that there will be fans, critics, and pessimists, on anything said or done with regards to this operation, and this deal.  This is nothing new here, or on any other debatable topic.  It will always run the gamut, and folks will think, and say what they will on the subject at hand, based on their own perspective. 

 

I am in the group that sees the positive in what is happening, bears no ill, and holds no grudges for the past.  I am fully aware of what was in the past, and I am convinced that it is a different situation now, than it has been in the past.  Obviously, there are those who don't see it that way, and that's fine.  In the end, whether it's successful, or not, we'll be on the same page at that point, and likely not a second sooner.

I agree with this completely.

 

I also agree with @justicebeliever that if the talks fail and the big servers get shut down, that would kill the game for me too. Even though I don't team all the time, and I am quite often quiet when I do(like I was on that Synapse TF we were on together), without a large-ish community, I know I just wouldn't bother.

[Tony Amore]

12 hours ago, TonyV said:

GM Jimmy, Cipher and I are running the actual discussions on this side. I'm not going to name individuals' names from NCSoft, but I'll say that the people involved have the authority and the ability to make a deal happen.

 

Give us a chance and see what we come up with. I think that it's going to be a really good deal.

Tony, thank you and Jimmy and Cipher and the rest of the Homecoming team for taking the time and resources to do this. You guys have gone above and beyond for our community. There will always be naysayers and skeptics, but the sky is always darkest right before the Arch-Villain gets their butt handed to them. Keep up the good fight!

[Abraxus]

1 hour ago, MunkiLord said:

I agree with this completely.

 

I also agree with @justicebeliever that if the talks fail and the big servers get shut down, that would kill the game for me too. Even though I don't team all the time, and I am quite often quiet when I do(like I was on that Synapse TF we were on together), without a large-ish community, I know I just wouldn't bother.

I wouldn't play like I do now, but by god, I'd play! 

 

It might be almost as quiet as Icon was, before Paragon Chat came along, but I'd still play!  I have enough friends that play, and two of them already have servers of their own, that I could make it work.  It obviously would not be the same experience, but...I'D PLAY! 😎

Edited August 21, 2019 by Abraxus

[Calamity Cain]

4 hours ago, jubakumbi said:

You are responding to my comments.

I totally understand your PoV, I simply have a different one, as stated.

TBH, you have given us no more information with this, only the emotional reasons for announcing at this stage.

 

Honesty, I don't get, at all, why some of the people involved do not understand my PoV.

All the community has heard for years and years is 'we are in talks, it feels good', that's all we have been given now, nothing more, just the vague feelings about the deal.

 

Like it or not, the optics also have parts of the HC overall group involved in the 'long lie' and that does not instill confidence in words.

The information we do have tells us good business people have tried the previously and failed, all we have TMK are some anon chat handles and no resumes.

 

IMO, this 'announcement' just strings along the community, it makes that sword just seem a whole lot larger and more imposing.

In fact, it does exacty what happened in Retail live, just a bone thrown out to the community out of a fear of losing interest, like a hand grenade.

 

Does anyone understand where I am coming from?

All we have gotten is flowery words in the past, that's all we have now, yet we are somehow supposed to think 'this time is different' with absolutely no data...

 

I run on data, not hope and dreams and promises and there is no data.

 

*shrug*

I could care less when, what the exact terms are, etc.

 

What HC has not provided is any reason this round of talks is, in any way, different from previous rounds, that makes this one 'better'.

Plan, people, nothing...just 'trust us' because we can prop up some servers...

 

I know you all want me to just shut up, so I will.

 

Good Luck.

Does not the fact that Homecoming exists count as data? Somewhere in the equation?

 

Let me explain: it's perhaps not as material as you'd like, but the fact that the same team who not only managed a major part of this game's revival and continued to build on it - in ways we couldn't have even imagined just a year ago - that team is now arguing on our behalf in legitimate negotiations with NCSoft. This attempt doesn't strike me as "more of the same". None of the previous efforts strike me as approaching this one's level of clout. Who else but the Homecoming team has produced something like what we're playing right now? Who else has managed the return of thousands of players to the game? This game's servers are more stable than Champions Online, a "legit" superhero MMO. All that without a dime of profit. I can't imagine all that wouldn't get NCSoft's attention in a way previous attempts to negotiate did not.

I understand your point of view, and I don't want you to shut up, personally. Maybe you still need more details to abate your anxiety about that hanging sword, and fair enough. But I hope you'll at least take the above into account. While not fully concrete, this isn't just flowery words. If Homecoming were just a message board with a kickstarter or GoFundMe? Then I'd be more inclined to agree with you. But this team didn't just sit around and wish for things to happen, stringing their community along. They've made things happen. This team has follow through. That's worth a little faith, in my estimation, no matter that it may be slim odds.

 

Lastly if TonyV's last post didn't sway you, perhaps this is where this part of the conversation ends. It seems a perfectly reasonable reply to points like yours, and if you're still not convinced, that's just how it will have to be.

Edited August 21, 2019 by Calamity Cain
Bad phrasing

[justicebeliever]

4 hours ago, Myrmidon said:

True, and they could also spend from then until Kingdom Come trying to shut down more operations like the ones that have pulled off the larger scale rebirth.

 

HAIL HYDRA!

They don’t have to go after everyone, just the ones that are brazen enough to be public about it.  That’ll stop 99% of the volume.  And that’s about 4-5 servers...not too many for NCSoft to go after.

[Abraxus]

They could.  It would just be the least productive, and least profitable move they could make.  They wouldn't be at the negotiating table if they weren't interested in something, some potential thing of interest here.  Nobody forced them to do that.  Granted, they could have ulterior motives to gather specific information only to turn-around and use it to destroy everything.  But, there are other ways to do that, that don't require the facade of talking to Homecoming/Titan team at all.  Obviously, I don't know how all this will turn out, any more than anyone else here.  But, I feel like, unless there is some huge secret they are harboring about why they are there in the first place, the indicators are more positive, than negative. 

Edited August 21, 2019 by Abraxus

[Troo]

On 8/7/2019 at 6:20 PM, Jimmy said:

Hey folks,

 

We know things have been really quiet from us lately, and we wanted to provide an update on what we've been up to.

 

Homecoming and The Titan Network are working together and are in active negotiations with NCSoft in order to turn Homecoming into a legitimate operation, and we've been making significant strides in recent weeks. It's our intention to involve the entire community in this process when the time comes - which is not quite yet, but we'll certainly be shouting from the rooftops when it is - hopefully Soon™.

 

Please hang tight for the time being, and keep killing those Skuls.

EDIT: To be clear, Homecoming will remain completely free to play.

 

- The Homecoming Team

Nothing like someone late, yelling from the audience an idea that was already bounced around. But here goes anyway:

 

The current non-profit game has a lot of potentially unused in game billboards that NCSoft could 'leverage'.

 

Love / Hate? I get it. However, I like playing on a public version more than I'd hate that idea.  

[William Valence]

Pulling out the tarot cards and crystal ball my guess is this, NCsoft is willing to negotiate. I don't know who, specifically, they are talking to but I know all CoX related comments and questions were at one point filtered through *name removed*. He was quite considerate when I bugged him in the past, so hopefully if it's him that continues. However it doesn't make sense to go through a fake negotiation if you have no intention of possibly reaching a deal. It's a waste of time and resources that doesn't get you anything a legal department couldn't, faster, and cheaper.

 

There's almost certainly going to be a monetary cost. I don't mean in the form of subscription or the game becoming for profit, but NCsoft is likely to say something like $240,000 to get the IP (Number pulled from ass) which would then require a fundraising phase.

 

There is going to be an ownership issue. A non-profit and board can be set up, but that's still centralized, and we've seen with the reddit how that can be manipulated. If given the rights, this non-profit could C&D other servers as easily as NCsoft could now. A deal would have to give someone the rights, but hopefully it can be decentralized from there.

 

I doubt the character database is a part of the negotiations, but that would be a nice surprise.

 

My guess right now is one of the biggest sticking points is the right to continue development. There's a big difference between just setting up a private server, and taking over further development of the game. And right now, between the different servers and branches, there's a lot of groups involved that aren't actually part of the negotiations.

Edited August 21, 2019 by GM Widower

[Abraxus]

IF this all works out, and Homecoming is recognized as the recognized legitimate home of CoH, it's only going to be the start of issues that surround the other servers.  Since I don't play on any of them (and in some cases, don't care to try), whatever is proposed won't affect me.  But, I'm certain there will be some thought given to that aspect of the community.  The only thing I am certain of there, is that we know less about what that would mean, than we do about the deal currently being talked about.  However, that comes after a deal is finalized, so I'm good with waiting on the first being completed, before starting, or participating in a thread about what happens afterward.  I get my fill of speculation, and conjecture on a daily basis right here in this thread, thank you! 😉

[MunkiLord]

1 hour ago, Abraxus said:

IF this all works out, and Homecoming is recognized as the recognized legitimate home of CoH, it's only going to be the start of issues that surround the other servers.  Since I don't play on any of them (and in some cases, don't care to try), whatever is proposed won't affect me.  But, I'm certain there will be some thought given to that aspect of the community.  The only thing I am certain of there, is that we know less about what that would mean, than we do about the deal currently being talked about.  However, that comes after a deal is finalized, so I'm good with waiting on the first being completed, before starting, or participating in a thread about what happens afterward.  I get my fill of speculation, and conjecture on a daily basis right here in this thread, thank you! 😉

I disagree here. The most likely outcome based on how we've seen other rights holders act in the past is the other public servers are going to eventually be hit with C&D, regardless of how the negotiations with the HC team play out. It'll just be easier for NCSoft to watch and manage if there is only one authorized group, and any backlash will be far outweighed by the positive PR from the game coming back.

 

But I could very well be wrong here, and NCSoft may not care as much as the typical corporate rights holder.