In his tenth installment of the MMORPG.com DC Universe Online column, writer Bill Murphy offers up some thoughts about recently-revealed information about character creation. Bill highlights the 'best of' the information he heard during last weekend's NY Comic Con panel. Check out Bill's thoughts and then tell us what you think!

Well folks, we may have to wait until next year to play the release version of DCUO, but we’re certainly not going to have to wait much longer to get info from SOE Austin. This past weekend saw the revelation of the studio’s own spin on the character creation process, and also the fact that it looks like the Light Power set won’t be making launch and will instead be reserved for a big Green Lantern update a little into the game’s lifespan. Plus we know that the beta will be started before November 15th and that all who pre-order will be in and participating by then. Shall we digest the info and give my thoughts on the character creation for this week’s DCUO Weekly? Why yes… I think we shall.

Read more DCUO #10: Thoughts on Character Create.

"Only in DCUO, if you want them to affect your stats but not your appearance, then you can."

Can't you do this in LOTRO as well with the "outfit" tabs and what not?

My thoughts:

1. The body types are fine, for no other reason than what you mentioned: no freaks. Sorry, but no.

2. The mentor choices are lacking but are probably fine. Won't know until I have more info on what exactly the choice affects in-game.

3. The inspired-by feature is cool, but I'd like to see more options. Deathstroke but no Green Arrow? I actually think the list will be expanded slightly before launch. I can't think of a reason to hold back on the inpired-by sets for an expansion.

4. Weapon choices are quite nice. I'll probably roll an archer and a fist-blast character.

5. Power types. /sigh.....guess I'll be content to wait for the GL movie. In the meantime, mental or ice should suffice. Not sure how mental will work with the weapon choices though.

6. The costume creator seems to me to be freaking awesome. I don't have any experience with CoX or CO so I can't compare, but the options seem to be quite extensive. It'll probably take me the better part of my first couple of hours in game to make my costume just right.

7. Style tab: it's about freaking time. The ability to keep the costume that I spent hours obsessing over and still gain equipment stats is just too cool for words. And I can still choose to update my costume in the future with any piece of gear that I've ever had while keeping my best gear-stats: NICE!

After watching the Chris Cao walkthrough, I think I'll be in-game before I had previously thought.

Originally posted by mykpfsu

"Only in DCUO, if you want them to affect your stats but not your appearance, then you can."

 

Can't you do this in LOTRO as well with the "outfit" tabs and what not?

 

Believe he's referring to the Superhero MMOs in that comment. Ie, CO cosmetic items generally need to be equipped, CoH doesn't even have them, etc.

Meh SOE, it will be poop regardless of what features they develop. Seriously how many games have they got running on life support at the moment? EQ, EQ2, SWG, VG MO is dead... 

Anyone who gives them a cent is really just burning money.

Costumes, mentors...all sound ok, but I'm worried about the powers. It seems very limiting. In CO, you can mix and match powers and weapons to give many more options for type of character. I have a character that uses powers from 5 diff sets to create the combat set that was the most fun. My fav character I've made had single sword/bow mix with acrobatics as travel power, but also had characters that mixed might/infernal supernatural, telekenisis/force, , even ice/munitions, etc. But if you can only choose one power type, and one of two branches, doesn't seem to be condusive to creating unique power sets. You can't make a fire and ice hero/vilian? So there might be all these heros/villians that look different but have the exact same powers (with a different power source possibly-weapin, item, etc.) The gameplay better be incredibly fun. Also 3 travel powers? Where's superleap, teleport, acrobatics, swinging, etc. CO has 10 travel powers. And I'm not trying to say CO is so great, it has plenty of issues, and I'm just waiting for something new to come out and try, but I have 9 toons and still haven't tried 4 or 5 power sets. Just hope it's not as limiting as it seems.

Originally posted by karmath

Meh SOE, it will be poop regardless of what features they develop. Seriously how many games have they got running on life support at the moment? EQ, EQ2, SWG, VG MO is dead... 

 

Anyone who gives them a cent is really just burning money.

How is EQ2 even remotely on life support?  I have a sub to it now and enjoy it.  Population is fine too.  The fact that EQ is still around is pretty amazing too.  If you want to make an example, go to VG/MO/SWG if you want but leave the Everquest title out of this.

Originally posted by ropenice

Costumes, mentors...all sound ok, but I'm worried about the powers. It seems very limiting. In CO, you can mix and match powers and weapons to give many more options for type of character. I have a character that uses powers from 5 diff sets to create the combat set that was the most fun. My fav character I've made had single sword/bow mix with acrobatics as travel power, but also had characters that mixed might/infernal supernatural, telekenisis/force, , even ice/munitions, etc. But if you can only choose one power type, and one of two branches, doesn't seem to be condusive to creating unique power sets. You can't make a fire and ice hero/vilian? So there might be all these heros/villians that look different but have the exact same powers (with a different power source possibly-weapin, item, etc.) The gameplay better be incredibly fun. Also 3 travel powers? Where's superleap, teleport, acrobatics, swinging, etc. CO has 10 travel powers. And I'm not trying to say CO is so great, it has plenty of issues, and I'm just waiting for something new to come out and try, but I have 9 toons and still haven't tried 4 or 5 power sets. Just hope it's not as limiting as it seems.

Well,  there is no telling how locked in you will be to the sets,  but each set supposedly had a bunch of different abilities inside each set you can choose.    It may be very possible that you will not be able to deviate and choose fire and ice powers.  That doesn't necessarily mean all fire characters will have the same powers.  This is a good question to go into with the developers.

The travel powers "seem" limited,  but really the only real travel power you are missing is teleportation and maybe the tunneling power.  Acrobatics allows you to run and climb and double jump and also use grappling hooks etc.  Flight is fairly robust in that you will have different ways to fly as far as jetpacks, or wings that flap, etc.  Super Speed in DCUO is something that CO only wishes they could accomplish with their system. Run up walls, run on water, run upside down, lots of great things there.

Plus each travel power adds to the combat with more attack powers based on your travel powers.  In that sense CoX got it right to allow special abilities that you can add for your travel powers,  but CO was absent from adding these.  I think DCUO takes it one step further with more involved animations that coincide with these powers.

Theres plenty we're still waiting to have revealed though.

Originally posted by karmath

Meh SOE, it will be poop regardless of what features they develop. Seriously how many games have they got running on life support at the moment? EQ, EQ2, SWG, VG MO is dead... 

 

Anyone who gives them a cent is really just burning money.

 

considering both MxO and VG weren't originally theres, MxO to a higher degree, and SWG had to be 'co-developed' with the lucas companies, you really can't give them all the credit for those games, good or bad.

Both EQ1 and EQ2 are making enough money to have decent sized development teams, new expansions and turn a profit. Hardly call that 'life support.' These days though narrow minded people think if you don't have a half million or more 'subs' the MMO is a failure.

Originally posted by WhiteLantern

My thoughts:

6. The costume creator seems to me to be freaking awesome. I don't have any experience with CoX or CO so I can't compare, but the options seem to be quite extensive. It'll probably take me the better part of my first couple of hours in game to make my costume just right.

7. Style tab: it's about freaking time. The ability to keep the costume that I spent hours obsessing over and still gain equipment stats is just too cool for words. And I can still choose to update my costume in the future with any piece of gear that I've ever had while keeping my best gear-stats: NICE!

After watching the Chris Cao walkthrough, I think I'll be in-game before I had previously thought.

The costume creator works differently in CoX and CO, but the capabilities appear to be on par (hard to tell since I can't play with it myself, but possibly the CoX and CO costume creators are a bit more extensive).  Similarly, in CoX and CO, the costumes are preserved, and you gain the capability to store multiple costumes you can switch between.

Overall, I still have a wait and see attitude with this game.  Both CoX and CO (but much more so CO) have taught me that having a great customization tool is fun with initial creation, but if the content / combat is subpar, the game gets boring very quickly.  I'm definitely curious about power sets and combat and am waiting for that video to be coming out (hopefully soon).

No Green Lantern. BOOOOOOO!!! well not yet anyway.

I must admit having read the article that they are actually taking a step back with the superhero genre. one of the brilliant things that both CO and CoX offer is huge amounts of changes and variations. to me only three travel powers and a few power sets doesnt sound all that exciting, One of the few things that CO got right was the ability to make your characters body look however your want. which imo is good, but it would seem that it wont be possible in DCUO. however, i wait patiently as always for more info.

Originally posted by Shamorau

No Green Lantern. BOOOOOOO!!! well not yet anyway.

 

I must admit having read the article that they are actually taking a step back with the superhero genre. one of the brilliant things that both CO and CoX offer is huge amounts of changes and variations. to me only three travel powers and a few power sets doesnt sound all that exciting, One of the few things that CO got right was the ability to make your characters body look however your want. which imo is good, but it would seem that it wont be possible in DCUO. however, i wait patiently as always for more info.

where are you getting that from?  It appears you can customize your look just as extensively as in CO and CoH, and one thing CO proved was that the ability to mix and match powersets is a horrible idea.  

I imagine the lack of more travel powers (coh only has 4 and CO 5 anyways), is likely a development constraint.  It wouldn't surprise me if they add more of those later.

People don't seem to grasp how power selection is going to work in this game, which is too bad, because it's actually quite brilliant.

I was going off the body shape. he says in the article that you can only choose from certain body shapes. by the way CO has 9 travel sets and i hope that DCUO do add more later. i just want more options i guess. If you can only choose fire ranged for example, well what if i want to add strength or martial arts to it. it doesnt seem from what i have seen anyway that you can do that. i guess i just want to create super hero's my way instead of being forced down a certain path. i understand that they cant create a million powers just for that, but it would be nice.

Co really only has 7 travel powers

Teleport

Jump - normal and Rocket Boots

Fly - Ice, earth, fire, Jet boots, Hover disc and normal

Swing

Tunneling

Super Speed

Acrobatics - of course this is a mixture between Super Speed and Super Jump

for powers i seen from the videos that if you do pick a fire power set you still can pick a melee weapon

heard somewhere that you can charge your weapon with powers like Fire. Could be cool.

DCUO Travel powers are sounding to be alot better then CO or CoX. Like you can put talents or something of that order and use them as a attack.

Super speed can go on walls and Ceilings. Acrobatics can swing and cling on walls.

My concern is the limited powers.  Going back 20 years I used to play a lot of Champions PnP.  I have a number of favorite heroes that I can easily make in either CO or CoX.  But, I can't from the list provided figure out how to make in DCUO. 

Suyre I realize that the game will expand, and that at launch it may have limited options... but really it just sounds a bit short on options.  I will wait and see.

Originally posted by draugadan

My concern is the limited powers.  Going back 20 years I used to play a lot of Champions PnP.  I have a number of favorite heroes that I can easily make in either CO or CoX.  But, I can't from the list provided figure out how to make in DCUO. 

Suyre I realize that the game will expand, and that at launch it may have limited options... but really it just sounds a bit short on options.  I will wait and see.

 does seem limit poers to me but have to see how game works first ,

I am concerned at how SOE was going to release this game in Nov 2 with little content. Hopefully they raise the lvl past 30.

Originally posted by stine96

I am concerned at how SOE was going to release this game in Nov 2 with little content. Hopefully they raise the lvl past 30.

 You realise the game has been pushed back to a Q1 2011 release, right?

The best thing about the other 2 superhero MMOs is the character gen. It's a shame DCUO has put limits on it. I haven't seen a single character made toon in the screenshots that I've actually liked. (Especially that primary coloured helmet dude I keep seeing.).

Hopefully the rest of the game makes up for this.

Originally posted by Trinitarian

Originally posted by stine96

I am concerned at how SOE was going to release this game in Nov 2 with little content. Hopefully they raise the lvl past 30.

 You realise the game has been pushed back to a Q1 2011 release, right?

 

 I guessing you don't realise that attention span has dropped to about a-oooh, shiny-sorry, a minute (that shiny part was a joke to empasize a point)