City of Heroes/Villains Lead Designer Matt "Positron" Miller has written a letter to the community detailing the ideas behind the recently announced content update, Issue 13: Architect.

I wanted to be the first to let you all know that the primary Feature list for Issue 13: Architect is now live! That said, I'd like to take this opportunity to talk to you about some of the new features, more in depth.

First off is the issue name, Architect. I liked the correlation that the name has between some of the improvements we are making to bases (in the way new things are purchased for them) and to our Mission Architect feature. Players can now be architects of their own story arcs that other players can play. When I first mentioned this system in the 4th Anniversary post, I had no idea how wildly popular that single concept would be. The thread that followed that post had a plethora of ideas of how such a system could, and should work from a player's perspective.

With virtually no information to go on, some people very much underestimated what would be possible with the Mission Architect. Some got it spot on, and some people wanted features that were simply impossible to get into the system at launch. Even so, we are very proud of the system as it stands. Players can make their own story arcs using a customized version of the tool used by our mission writers, in some cases rivaling our own internal tools in ease-of-use. I am really looking forward to playing the stories you all create with this amazing tool!

Read more here.

Wow. More costume options that you can pay extra for. Gee, I thought that that sort of thing was covered in the subscription-based pricing thing. As I see it, only the diehard fans are going to pony up for the extras, while NCSoft further alienates former players who no longer play and find nothing worth jumping back into the pool for. Just release a blasted Expansion pack and be done with it!

And with the playerbase creating content for them, just what are the City of Heroes developers doing with the 15 bucks a month they're collecting from players? Looks a hell of a lot like milking the remaining playerbase for all they can get. NCSoft is hastening the demise of what could have been a very profitable franchise by charging more and delivering less.

Originally posted by LordDraekon

Wow. More costume options that you can pay extra for. Gee, I thought that that sort of thing was covered in the subscription-based pricing thing. As I see it, only the diehard fans are going to pony up for the extras, while NCSoft further alienates former players who no longer play and find nothing worth jumping back into the pool for. Just release a blasted Expansion pack and be done with it!

And with the playerbase creating content for them, just what are the City of Heroes developers doing with the 15 bucks a month they're collecting from players? Looks a hell of a lot like milking the remaining playerbase for all they can get. NCSoft is hastening the demise of what could have been a very profitable franchise by charging more and delivering less.

If you didn't know yet. The NA Office of NCSoft (the same office that delivered us Tabula "what a waste of opportunity" Rasa) isn't doing that well.

They should have improved the mission system years ago! The foremost reason so many people ditched the game, was because the mission system was dull, repetitive and utter boring. Way too few interior locations. No freedom to enter buildings anywhere.

The only thing left for them is milking the few players that are left. As new players won't buy CoX anymore, especially with Champions Online and DC Universe Online on the horizon.

It is a true shame, as CoX has one of the best character customisation of any MMO, but severely lacks in fun, engaging and non-repetitive content that keeps players entertained. And foremost. It lacks any true endgame to keep max-level players busy for a long period of time.

I don't understand the negativity of the other posters.

I read this and it seems great.  I dunno if I will resub again...or not...but it seems great in itself.

Guess I am really waiting for the next City of games.  Each new feature is likely to be in it...

Originally posted by Guillermo197

Originally posted by LordDraekon

Wow. More costume options that you can pay extra for. Gee, I thought that that sort of thing was covered in the subscription-based pricing thing. As I see it, only the diehard fans are going to pony up for the extras, while NCSoft further alienates former players who no longer play and find nothing worth jumping back into the pool for. Just release a blasted Expansion pack and be done with it!

And with the playerbase creating content for them, just what are the City of Heroes developers doing with the 15 bucks a month they're collecting from players? Looks a hell of a lot like milking the remaining playerbase for all they can get. NCSoft is hastening the demise of what could have been a very profitable franchise by charging more and delivering less.

 

If you didn't know yet. The NA Office of NCSoft (the same office that delivered us Tabula "what a waste of opportunity" Rasa) isn't doing that well.

They should have improved the mission system years ago! The foremost reason so many people ditched the game, was because the mission system was dull, repetitive and utter boring. Way too few interior locations. No freedom to enter buildings anywhere.

The only thing left for them is milking the few players that are left. As new players won't buy CoX anymore, especially with Champions Online and DC Universe Online on the horizon.

It is a true shame, as CoX has one of the best character customisation of any MMO, but severely lacks in fun, engaging and non-repetitive content that keeps players entertained. And foremost. It lacks any true endgame to keep max-level players busy for a long period of time.

Having been there I can tell you that you are wrong.  TR was the Austin office. CoX has their own office and NCSoft has their own office (both in SF, CA area).
 

I don't have a problem with this as what is in the package isn't game breaking and there are a ton of additional things they are offering (that I care about) in their updates.

Most likely I will spring for the package though.

Originally posted by jmgamer02

Having been there I can tell you that you are wrong.  TR was the Austin office. CoX has their own office and NCSoft has their own office (both in SF, CA area).
 

I don't have a problem with this as what is in the package isn't game breaking and there are a ton of additional things they are offering (that I care about) in their updates.

Most likely I will spring for the package though.

I didn't mean as office in form of one building. More as NC Soft North America in general.

Fact is, at least here in Europe, that CoX is basically dead. So few players left on the 2 remaining servers.

The number 1 complaint people always had was the boring, repetitive mission system. You can handle the same interior again and again and again and again just as many times, before you just get sick of it.

I don't flame the game as I loved it back then. I still has the best character customisation compaired to any other MMO to date.

But what good does this all do, if you get bored so fast? There aren't that many people left anymore that love mindless grindfests on the same few available tiles over and over.

Not with so much competition out there that succesfully managed to mask the grind, made questing /missioning more diverse and fun.

I would insta sub back if they start adding a jitload more interiors and different type of missions. Add more freedom to be able to enter buildings. Buildings that have their own unique interior look.

Next to that, a lot more different factions and different looking mobs and bosses.

If they do that, then I am 100% confident that a lot of people would sub back. As I already know Champions Online will be no CoX replacement. Not many like the cartoon graphics.

DC Universe Online will not be my thing either. Mainly because SOE focus it to be a mainly console game. And I hate MMO's that port and thus dumb down to Console.

There are many that think the same and would sub back to CoX.

I would resub if there were pvp servers.

I played COH for years. The powers are alot of fun. The PVP is a blast, although it's restricted to controlled few zones.

I want to invade Atlas with a team of villians, or go take a tactical team of heros and raise hell on Grandville.

The grind is livable. Just make there more of a life AFTER the grind. There was never much to do once you hit max level. I got to the point I been there, done that. The pve just got old. The few pvp zones bored me as they have no effect on the game.

Still COH is a solid well done game in it's own right that kept me for years.

The reason there aren't pvp servers is because the players don't want one.  When asked what they want  more coop zones is what most players wanted.  Shield powersets were also asked for and took them a while but they are finally adding them as well.  The released Issue 4 to give people pvp, but hardly anyone used it.  The coop zones are frequently more populated than the pvp zones, pvp isn't dead just not as popular.  I would take a guess that the nature of the game has something to do with this.  CoX is a team oriented game, while pvp is typically 1 vs 1.

As for the above negative posters, I would take a guess they haven't actually played the game in a while.  Subs are actually up this year due to the many very good Issues released.  Can't speak for EU specific servers, it may be just euro players are leaving but as a whole CoX is doing better this year than it was last year.

They smoothed out the leveling curve, added crafting, more coop zones, time travel, etc.   Not sure how you think all that is "repetative".  /shrug

PVP zones are dead because it gets boring sitting in one zone running back to the same place over and over with no conciquence to anything. The PVP zones feel more like a call of duty style deathmatch where you just keep running back. It don't feel like a persistant world MMO

There is NO real world PVP.

As for people not wanting it, well I just stated it would bring me back, so I must not be a person

Cimerora was a great move... they need to expend it like crazy.
They need more places like that...

But ultimately... I'm a one toon guy. Starting over and over is just not for me.
I want levels 50-60, more cool powers, space, epic fights I can fight on my own.

And frankly I really don't understand what is so complicated about bringing Electricity to tankers and scrappers.

Well instead of upping the cap, they gave each side epic archtypes.  Yes, I know, some don't like starting out at level one.  However, with the xp smoothing they did earlier this year leveling up isn't the grind it used to be.

With powerset proliferation, they did add hero powersets to villain side and vice versa.  Didn't do every set of course, but already I've seen a lot of plant controllers running around (as one example).  Tankers did get Dual Blades with Issue 11 and Dark Melee with Issue 12, so they did get some lovin'.

Now I'm not saying that people who want pvp aren't "people" just that the majority of CoX players don't get into pvp much.  Most servers do host scheduled pvp events, if you really want to dive into a day of mass pwnage.  NCSoft added more coop zones since that is what most players asked for.  If players started demanding more pvp options I have no doubt that NCSoft would add something for that.

I think everyone can pretty much make the same point...

CoX has the player base it decided to cater to and lost the clientele it did not care for... (or did too little for)

Although I feel it leaves me out... they are probably right to stick to the player base they have. At this point going after things like PvP end game content or crafting stuff will only serve to entertain their current subscribers so they should give them exactly what they want... they will not attract new markets not anymore ...not with Champions and DCUO around the corner.

I can still come back to check out the new content when it comes out, reconnect with old faces... but in all likeliness I will not find anything in these "issues" to make me return to being a full time subscriber.

HOWEVER

This latest thing about "careers" is just stupid. I use to say that what CoX does it does it well... but this logging off crap is just dumb. Don't tell me the player base had this in mind... they're just being played when they are handed crap like this... it's not even half baked... the dough is frozen solid.

The day career thing fits with the comic book theme.  After all Spider-man had a day job to pay for all his ramen noodles.

Could be they took inspiration from WoW's rested bonus feature.  This is something that the roleplaying people will eat up and the regular players will find nice to have but not miss it if they don't use it.