Nothing. The cat is already out of the bag. WoW set the example how to tap the MMO market. Every big gaming company yearns for it and will use the WoW as the standard. If WoW never launched, then everyone would love SoE.

 I would list AI that I liked and why. This would give the MMORPG members an idea where you are coming from. Generally speaking, MMO designers have to appeal to thousands of people at a time. They also depend on a sustained interest (subscription). Single player games can be more intense and focus on your personal experience. You play your God of War for about a month or two. Wait for the next one. 

MMOS need you to play month to month. Check that. They need thousands of you to play month to month at once. If you die too much in God of War, because the AI is too hard, you put the game down. You paid for your box, the company doesn't need you anymore. In MMOs, you put the game down, cancel your subscription. The MMO game loses the financial support to keep it running. So, minions or henchmen are hardwired to behave certain ways and once you learn their habits, you know how to handle them easily.

 If they want to succeed they will have to stand out. Some features are nice, but not ready to give the super hero MMO title to them - not by a long shot.

A bitter review, but some insightful points worthy of note. Compare with this site and its preview.

Cryptic was clever in offering the lifetime sub option, because I cannot see the game holding interest without an expansion in 3 months.  There are only so many alts you can pump out and you can level them up easily if you sidekick with a lvl 40. Why? because the experience is mission based. Grinding mobs will get you very little except a Perk (Read: COH Badge). Notice no comments on the microtransactions? I am glad to see that issue has dissolved.

Personally, the game is a good casual mostly solo game.  Little need for group except a few group based missions, also little need for support roles too. I initially made a healer build, but the grouping was so scant, my usefulness was not needed. So my survivability was gimped while soloing. Even if you die in group missions, you suffer no debt, respawn relatively close and zerg back into the fray. Made a dps toon and things became much more "heroic". Spaming AOE and buzzing around was nice.

Instances on my vista computer were very laggy. Sometimes slideshow quality. My XP handled things better, but still a big concern for me.

Unless Blood Moon changes things drastically, I see costume contests , resource seller spams, powerlevel spam, etc. in a few months. 

Anyway, there is nothing else out there for me, so I will dabble in my caped crusader for now.

 I am not sure what to think at this point.  I can understand trying to grab the console market. It is relatively untapped pool of players. Good for action based games. Not so good for real MMO style. 

Little concern in regards to the costume parts design direction. Earning gear is standard for the MMO. Keeping costume parts even if you trade them away or sell them.. Well question is is gear bindable and therefore not tradeable? Is there going to be a game economy? Player run economies are a staple of MMO communities. Even CoH/CoV went into inventions and such to create an economy. Whats to prevent players from trade each other costume parts so everyone has access to costume parts?

Another thing others have mentioned. You better figure how to get other superhero gamers attracted to this one. Travel powers should not all be the same like COV/COH/ CO - Only one I see with a variation is super speed that travels on all surfaces. The rest is the same.  Ideas like vehicular travel at launch will really turn heads - motorcycles, batmobiles, invisible aircrafts are in the DC Universe lore already. Take the time to stand out. 

Another is powers - CO set the bar by allowing players the freedom to choose powers (for the most part), up the ante by offering epic/ rare powers to be discovered.  Not juse devices which have 20 hour cooldowns or 3 charges. Real powers which can be chosen or even traded.  The lore can be massaged much like : Green Lantern - the Ring Chose YOU , Plastic Man, Blue Beetle,  The Atom discovered a meteor, Firestorm - oops ran into a atomic blast, Dip into an achelmical pit, etc.

In other words, powers can be discovered and kept instead of generated at creation and pigeon holed in a set of powers forever.

 While he says the chances of running for Kennedy's seat is slim to none, it is interesting that he has not discounted the idea. Will 38 Studios fold?

Originally posted by Saerain

Since the overwhelming theory seemed to be that they had 'sold out' of the deals because of the STO beta access, how are they doing this? Expanding their tester cap in the STO beta by whatever amount they have to? Kind of scary.

But I'm still in.

Like all great 'ideas' the devil is in the details. Just because you are granted Beta access, doesn't mean you get to play the minute the game goes into Beta. Beta can mean Open Beta (1 month before launch). Until then they could call the development phase Alpha Phase 3 or something like that. This way you don't have to honor the thousands of people at once. When you are ready for the stress test, then you declared Closed Beta and invite the people in waves. Again, slowly increasing your numbers..

 How does DCUO stand apart now?

Customization meaning something - sure you can load that rocket launcher on your back at character creation. In fact, now your character can use the rocket for a burst of fuel. Want wings instead. Sure you can fly as well, but slower than a rocket. Want a gun holster? You gain a gun attack. What is to prevent from players becoming walking war devices? Encumberance. Put a base value a character can carry effectively. Large items have large encumberances.

- Customize your weapon. Want to pick sword slashing powers? Give us the option to change the weapon. I want a hammer, a flail, a whip. No need to chang stats or recalculate initial numbers. the change is cosmetic, but it moves the customization bar up.

- Customize your ability to move physical objects. Maybe I don't want to pick up something over my head. Maybe I want to kick it like a foot ball, Slam my shoulder into it, or use a gadget to hurl it towards my target. I also want to grab and throw enemies (not already frozen).

- Beat CO to the punch with drivable vehicles as a mode of transportation

- New powers: Elasticity (range punch - DPS,  Coil (CC a mob), Hurl (grab opponent and throw), Goo (toss a gob of goo - debuff movement, attack values, Puddle of Goo (AOE Root), Suffocate (DOT), Goo Form (hard to damage), etc.

What else can they do to make DCUO a game to look foward to playing instead of something to try because we are bored.

 What if...

They are testing experience gains to determine things like :

Experience pots for microtransactions - how will wuch things impact the game.

Just a thought. Anyone know if these types of things will be sold/ Sorry if this derails thread

 Like many of you said already. I am leaning towards the Guild Wars Design for this game just so they can call it MMO.

Now - will they make the pay model the same as Guild Wars? if so, You won me over.

 Solid review. I take it the Lifetime Subscription offer is not for you?

Would you consider it if they increase content / make expansion quickly?

Edit: I loved COH until about 1-2 months later, then I found myself grinding for badges. I cancelled when I realized, " I am running around for mini titles?"

 stuck at 22% 2 hours,

Do I give up?

 It is in the works. THQ is making it i think

Originally posted by Reklaw

Wel since developers even have a hard time getting the single player game climb up the ladder of succes, I doubt it could become a succesfull MMORPG.

 

Im with Reklaw on this one. How did the single player game fare? If it didnt go well, then I suspect investing millions and years into an MMO wil lbe rough indeed.

 Isn't AoC thinking of going F2P?  WoW was thinking about it too.

I will believe the trend if:

 -NC Soft offers F2P for their games like : COH/ COV, (they have things you cna buy out of game),  Aion, Lineage, 

Guild Wars is already F2P. 

 -EA makes DAOC F2P, WAR may go that route too if the Asian market doesn't help em

I don't think SW: TOR will, too much fanfare and hype for it now.

SoE- IF they continue the trend by offer DCUO as F2P, then I would say yes, Lobotomist, you nailed it

 Honorable mentions?

 I am going to give them slack.  If they are truly making a fully voiced over game, I can see why they have their hands full. Have you lurked at Darkfall forums before it launched? Promises and backpedaling by developers hurt the credibility so much. Sure you can throw out "filler" to people - developer profiles, community manager profiles, productive asssitant blogs, etc. but wouldn't you rather have them working diligently on the game instead of that blather?

 If you are confused now, wait until they offer some kind of collectors edition. hehe

 My mistake. It looks like you can puchase these options now.

http://www.champions-online.com/exclusive_specials  <--- options are at bottom of page

I guess you do not need to buy a pre order? 

 How can I farm gold in this game?