Well if that's the way you feel, that's the way you feel. Not all of us feel that way. Some of us are actually looking forward to the new games coming out.  We're all entitled.

So now that Open Beta is in progress, how do you all feel about the changes?

There are a couple minor things that caused me to raise an eyebrow, but for the most part I am pleased!

Try getting a dog.

I hear this over and over again. The problem is that the honeymoon phase ocurrs when we are most easily impressed. Like a first kiss. Our expectations rise with our experieinces, but technology cannot possibly keep up. Actually the concepts of technology can keep up but the manufacturing of technology slows the process way down.

I do think some of  the developers with the highly hyped games are now some of the kids who cut their teeth on MMORPGs and "get it" that we need a new generation of content.

Take Aion (due for release next Spring)  for example, with the promise of intense one-on-one Aerial combat and the introdcution of what they call PvPvE. I think we gamers are about to be served some heady stuff in the next year or two, and I for one can hardly wait!  

So now that CCP has broken through the gate, we will eventually have in all our games the haves and the have nots, the players who can afford to spend real money to enrich their fantasy and those that can't --- or won't. If the servers can discriminate, Guilds will be next. It's a sad era dawning for MMORPG's.

You can speculate 'til Paragon City Hospitals install maternity wards. But to what end? And just think, all the time you're here stirring the pot, everyone else is enjoying the game.

Whoa. I'm not confused at all, just flat out wrong!  =D

Like I said in my earlier post, I had not checked it out yet. My statement was based merely on sound bytes and screenshots. ( I've been concentrating all my beta explorations heroside.)

But I am always the first to admit I was wrong. Thanks for pointing it out so I don't continue to embarrass myself.  

Originally posted by ebonfire

If I said to you..  "hey lets make a game with no loot, no pvp, and no endgame," well I image that you'd tell me it would never work.  If I told you that I was rebalance the game a couple months after release and piss everyone off.. you'd probably tell me that its doomed.

I've played CoX on and off for close to 3 years now, and I love the feel of combat in the game.  I think its fun, but it loses my interest after a month or so, and leaves me feeling like there should be more to it.

I think that if the game that you see now had been the game that launched.. it would have done a lot better.  A lot of things were too little too late when they were finally added into the game.  I think that the game still lacks meaningful pvp and endgame.

If Cryptic had held CoH in the barn until it was the game we see now, would you be willing to pay a subscription fee equal to the 4 yrs of missed revenue when it was perfectly playable and capable of earning income for the company? Or maybe now that it is a better game, are you willing to pay more?

All MMORPGs are a work in progress. If you find one that  seems to come out of the gate better than others of equal caliber, it is most likely because those devs share the same priorities that happen to meet your specific style of play. That doesn't mean all the other games suck, only that they aren't a good match for you.

Acting as a rep and spokesperson doesnt make you a sitting duck for every loose cannon that comes along. Most peeps would consider such a signature right in keeping with Brawler's personnae. =)

ArcAngel3, given that your first paragraph (regarding Issue 12's sync bug), is 95% exageration,  the credibility for your analysis is blown out of the water.

The sync bug was cleared before 12 went live, but a patch reintroduced it into the game. For most people, it only interfered with UI screens where they displayed real-time changes in influence, salvage counts, prestige amounts, xp totals and so on. These defecits were especially noticeable at the Auction Houses, the Tailor Shops, and while in Base Edit mode in your SuperGroup or VillainGroup Bases. Other people reported visual discrepancies on their screens, particularly those with less acute video cards. A toon might have been teleported away, for instance, but still visable standing in place on your monitor.  And all of this occurred for THREE WHOLE DAYS. As soon as the bug was detected, a system message was issued by the devs in all channels, and repeated at log-ins, with a command code to correct the problem on a case by case basis until they could wipe it from the game.

I agree with several of the first respondants. City of Heroes/City of Villains is not as huge in popularity as some of the other games out there because it is a sub-genere, a secialized niche, and it was never heavily markeeted. I think many adults see the comcic-book look and perceive it as a kids toy. And while it is true that Cryptic cum NCSoft struggles with strength of content, that area of the game gets better by leaps and bounds with every new release. To say that the game is not what it could be because of WoW however is not entirely accurate. They are very different games and seem to attract a different caliber of player.

Assault Rifle Defense! Dual Archery! BaHahahaHa!

Okay, lols aside, I've heard others state disappointment in the shield power set as well but really Trenchgun, I think the spectacular looks and animations of the shields raised the bar for all our expectations. We forgot that they were being introduced as a DEFENSE. And yes, I agree with some of the other responses in that equiping a mace or axe would certainly make up for the lack of shield attacks.

I did notice --- at first glance only (so don't crucify me if I'm wrong), that the new Pain Domination power set in Villains might arguably compare to an offensive Shield set sans the Shield. I have to get into Villains on Beta and create a Pain Dominator to explore this more, but basically the Dom is forcing a wall of pain against his opponent. Sounds like a Shield attack to me.  =)

City of Heroes/City of Villains offers customizable adventures and very soon (with the imminent release of Issue 13) Dual Builds available at Level 10. This means that not only can you set the difficulty of your adventures for the day but you can choose a power build for the day as well, depending on whether you feel like teaming or going solo, PvPing or sticking with PvE, etc.There is only as much grind as you invent for yourself. 

The busiest server out there is Freedom, with  arguably the largest contingent of PvP'ers as well. Virtue is also highly populated. I've heard however that, while Pinnacle is not so populated, they boast a strong and serious PvP population.

As for guilds --- and the term is Super Groups or Villain Groups, there are many. Voice enabled teaming is often the communication method of choice for PvP SGs and VGs. To find a compatible Group, visit the recruiting sites here on MMORPG.com and at the official CoH/CoV forums.

If Aion is Anime, then it is what Anime wanted to be all along, what it grew up to be, and what shall provide inspiration for Anime in the decade to come.

I feel your pain, but in my opinion the quality of gaming and community you are looking for is to be found only in subscription gaming.