Originally posted by MikeTheSaint

What makes DCU better than CoH/CoV?

Why would I want to fight alongside a bunch of spandexed superhero's who don't have their own comic books? That has always been my reason for not touching the 'City Of' games. I'm sure they're great games, but without any relevance to the books I've been reading for over 20 years, I just don't see the point. That said Bats is the only superhero DC has had thats ever grabbed my attention, I'd rather have had Marvel. How about an MMO based on the creations of Alan Moore? :P

I just thought about it, DC is offering us a "Universe" of potential as opposed to City Of's, city.

Ah well its all hype and Public Enemy told me many years ago not to believe it.

You could be right with this statement here. Something DCU can offer that CoH/V doesn't have is the universe effect; we could have vigilantes, bountyhunters, plus our heroes and villians and they could add the story part to the game by creating more cities in the universe. They could add loads and loads more factions instead of being stuck with heroes and villians. I also never realized that in the tittle I just thought the game placed you in the DC universe but they could play off of this and litterally make it a never ending universe. They may do this stuff but this is just my thoughts on what they could offer that CoH/V doesn't.( besides the fact that you can fight along the side of GL or Bats)

I must admit I'd rather have Marvel Universe Online. It could have some awesome expansions. Age of Apocalypse; House of M; Civil War even. But then destroying the Teen Titans would be fun too. If this does well then who knows it might get resurrected.

Originally posted by Greek_Matt

As I said in an earlier post. But as I recall the Champions tabletop RPG didn't come with much in the way of a background storyline, just a core rule set, hence the lack of (or at least fairly open) IP for the setting.

Time will tell

but it sounds like Champions RPG lore will be used

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champions_Online

Champions NPCs

Classic heroes and villains from the Champions universe will serve as major NPCs.

 I would really like to see an MMO based on Moore's Top Ten. That comic just sort of lent itself to an MMO. Everyone's got powers, gates to alternate worlds like an inter-dimensional airport, social centers for different themes of heroes (the Gods bar and speedster raves come to mind), they even had racism against robots.

I wouldn't mind seeing sort of BPRD themed MMO either, but it would be much harder to get a game like that right IMO.

Top 10 was good, but I only own the first graphic novel. I'm interested in seeing where it's going but not enough to buy the rest of the books.

I'm going to don some brightly coloured spandex and check out the free trial of CoV for a laugh.

I think i would leave CoH/V, not because it's a bad game or that something is wrong with it but because it's time to move on. As a 51 vet i have done as much as i can with this game and i think i need a new environment to play on. CoX games were a great fill when no other superhero MMO was around but now with Champions Online and DCU online i can get my fill with these.

As a huge Superhero fan i will enjoy these two new MMO's for whatever they offer but i can honestly say when it comes to why one over the other. . .

Now i get to play with the heroes i am growing up with and that can't compare to anything

It will really depend on the whole control scheme and how it plays. After getting some hands-on play with Champions.. I don't know if DCU will be a MMO or a game like Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, since it's "SUPPOSED" to come out on the PS3 as well as on PC. If I want to play MUA, I'll play MUA2 when it comes out.

That being said, I don't see it as being "Better" then CoH/V but different. Yes, you'll get to fight along side the "notables" in the DC Universe, but it won't be in EVERY mission I'm sure..

I love CoH/V and no matter what other MMO I play.. I always come back to it.. I'll give DCU a try.. it'll either catch and hold my interest.. or it won't..

One thing DCU could have over CoX is the ability to enter a building. Maybe its just me but its a little dissapointing being told I cant open a door when an avatar has the potential to reduce it to ash. Most of my favourite rpg's have had the abitlity to wander around rifling through peoples drawers and cupboards.

My 2 cents

The Pros of DCU:

• It's an action RPG.  I love the idea that I actually have to aim and use some skill.  CoX gets a little dull in that respect.  I would frequently play for hours without ever touching the mouse.  Just Target Next, Attack Attack Attack, Target Next.  Or buff or whatever.  I knew it was time to quite Cox when I started wondering if I could write a script to play the game for me.  DCU sounds more like a MMORPG combined with a FPS or platformer. 
• More interactive environments.  I can pick up cars and use then as projectiles?  Yes please!
• So far the graphic look pretty good.

The Cons of DCU

• It's the DC Universe.  Not that I'm trying to uncork a whole DC vs Marvel fan-rage thread.   However, there are A LOT of cooks in this kitchen.  There are going to be many many eyes evaluating what can and can't be done, what things can and can't look like, what events can and can't happen.  DC Publishing.  Warner Bros Studios.  AOL/Time Warner.  Yeesh.  Design by committee sucks.  Designs by really large committees REALLY sucks.
• CoX really is a Universe, not just a city.  Alternate dimensions, parallel realities, and so much variety just within one city.  Plus it has had a several year head start to fill the came with content, interesting scenarios, characters, new classes, locations, events, etc etc etc.  No matter how much development DCU has before/during beta, they will most definitely not have the depth and bredth of CoX.
• Licensed games, historically, tend to, well, suck more than their original IP counterparts, and that is no secret in the gaming community.  Developers tend to rely too much on the cache of the property to move it and sell it.  That really helps get the game moving off the shelf, but if they get lazy and cheep out, who would want to come back and subscirbe to it?  I'm not saying DCU is necessarily guilty of this, but DC has made some real garbage video games in teh past, just as Marvel, Disney, Dark Horse, Cartoon Network etc  etc have.  In my mind, they have got A LOT to prove.  Even more so that an orginal property.
• The damn fanboys.  CoX breeds alot of originalty and creativity in its players, and it is always refreshing and fun to see what people come up with.  DCU seems like its going to attract more than its share of BatManuel's and Stupormanz, not to mention the ubergeeks eager to show off the disturbing range of their obsession. 

one thing that it has over COH/COV right off the bat is that it's new.  COH/V is fun for a while (I played for over 2 yrs.) but it has no reall emmersion.  you go to an NPC, he gives u a mission and tells you a bit of backstory for it, then u go into an instance which is usually a cave or a building beat up some bad guys  or click on some boxes, whatever.  then the NPC tells you how those actions relate to the quest.  another thing in COH/V most of the NPC heroes and villians are fixtures that hang out and wait for u to interact w/ them.  rarely do they actually participate in the quests in any way. The vids I've seen from DCU, the heroes and villians are fighting right beside u.  thats a big difference.  theres room for both games in the market.  better this than another fantasy MMO

DCU will be able to do things CoH/CoV can not.

They will have a more up to date engine. With that they will be able to make more believable powers. In CoH you can not lift a car and hurl it at people - when you hit a wall it does not break. Super speed can not run upside a building - yet in DCU you will be able to.

Batman alone will make it better than City of Heroes.

" If it wasn't for us, and the NGE came without much of an uproar, that would have opened the door to every other gaming company out there to change the core mechanics of their game after release without a care in the world for their player base. "

I am so glad you are there to protect us and tell us what is right and wrong...even after all these many years...

My hero...

Things I know are different (and more appealing):

* No Death. Choice is given: (a) You wait till you "awaken" on the spot - and carry on the fight; OR (b) You "spawn" at your bind/safe spot and have some debuff as penalty.

* Your powers can be "equipped" (slotted) before any battle. You have a PRIMARY (eg fire/ ice/ melee/ blaster/ etc) powerset which will be your MAIN focus - but can slot in any secondary powers (albiet they will be slightly weaker since they dont belong to primary set.)

* SOE = Station Access (hopefully). So technically it will be another FREE game for me.

* Voice overs missions from animated DC Heroes (so I hear (pun intended )).

* No "locked" targets - you point and shoot. Manual action based. SKILL based.

Plenty of videos on google video and youtube you can see nowadays.

Originally posted by ssnautilus

 is given: (a) You wait till you "awaken" on the spot - and carry on the fight; OR (b) You "spawn" at your bind/safe spot and have some debuff as penalty.

* Your powers can be "equipped" (slotted) before any battle. You have a PRIMARY (eg fire/ ice/ melee/ blaster/ etc) powerset which will be your MAIN focus - but can slot in any secondary powers (albiet they will be slightly weaker since they dont belong to primary set.)

Good points.  I always despised CoX's death teleports so you get to waste even more time in addition to getting hit by XP debt.

DC Online has made a great game design choice that FITS with comic books.  There are countless time where a hero is knocked out leaving others to keep fighting until he wakes up again at a dramatic moment.

CoX's problem was that they tried to mash MMORPG conventions into a superhero game.   DC Online sounds like they are more prepared to ignore traditional mechanics and use ones that fit better with superheroes.