So it has been a little over a week since Champions Online launched. It has been a relatively smooth launch week. Sure the game had some issues with login server errors but what game doesn’t have those issues at launch. CO devs and customer service reps have done a very good job with bug fixes and account problems. Numerous bugged missions got fixed before launch which really makes the opening levels much smoother.
The overall play in CO is still up in the air for me. This is mainly because I don’t play MMOs to solo. I generally play these types of games to team up with other players and complete instances/missions. Almost all the missions in CO (at least up to lvl20) are solo open world missions. These can be annoying at times as people are constantly competing over spawns so they can finish their missions. Many fans of CoX were expecting CO to bring in a radio/door mission style that is extremely popular in CoX. To me personally this would be a great move by CO as it would bring the community together and force players to learn group play.
Missions-
Since most the missions are open world missions that are meant for a person to solo the balance of these missions can be a headache. At times you will run into a problem when you run out of missions that are in your characters ability to finish. I ran into this problem at around level 17 as all the missions in my log where 19s and 20s. It is during these times that the ability for a person to join some groups and do instanced missions to level would be greatly appreciated and needed.
One shining point of questing in CO is the already present “Quest Helper addon” in the game. As soon as you get a new quest a green circle is placed on your map to help guide you to the correct area.
Powers-
Like in any game that is still in its fledgling state there are bound to be balance issues. My favorite thing to see is people complaining about teleport in PvP. All I can think and say, sarcastically, is, “Wow balance issues in a game this old”. Although I do understand that some powersets are extremely strong and need Ye old nerf hammer, while others desperately need a boost. I have completely avoided PvP for this reason, that and I am mainly a PvE player.
To anyone that feels their class is lacking power or survivability there is a strong chance your powerset will be getting a boost. Then again if you are breezing through mobs 3-4 levels higher then you should expect the nerf hammer. The best thing I can tell potential new players is that you need to pick up defensive skills early. These skills are improved block (if your set has one) and a defensive ability that benefits your class. For classes that have a lot of Dex go lighting reflexes as the benefits directly impact the skill. These defensive skills generally are the difference between life and death.
CO is a tough game to learn as it has what can be at times a very steep learning curve. Figuring the ins-and-outs of your powerset can be confusing at times. Luckily CO offers a way to respect your toon completely, for a cost. They also offer the ability to test out your powers before they are set in stone. This is quite nice as it gives you time to test out a skill and get a feel of how it should be used in the field, or if you even want that power at all.
All and all CO is a fairly solid game with a lot of potential. If CO brings together its community and gives the people, like me, a chance to group up with other players I feel the game will get a larger following. Still the chance to create your own superhero with whatever powers you want is CO biggest selling point. For those of you sitting on the fence about this one make sure to pick up a trial version when ever cryptic releases one.
MMORPG.com writes:
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