City of Heroes Forum » Paragon City Hall (General) » Didnt like champions, would i enjoy?

So i played champions and loved everything but I couldn't get myself to buy it for some reasons and now I just wanna make sure this game dosent have em either.

--First one was that the combat after awhile got too repetitive, it was the same spam energy builder till i can use the bigger skills but here it seems like you spam the main one skill and then wait on cooldown for others, does this change at higher lvl or is combat in that sense just same?

--Second was the fact that missions were usually the same old thing, kill this kill that but i did love the instanced quests so is this game the same there?

--Third and the most important one, content. Besides questing and killing stuff there wasnt really much you could do and it felt alot like a casual game where you log in kill some stuff and go your way, what kind of things are there here besides questing and stuff?

--Whats the end game here?

--Grind, does it take really long to get to cap and is there enough content to do while getting there? i thought champions had a great lvling system where you could get to cap fairly fast.

I've heard this game is really repetitive so can anyone tell me what that usually refers to and just in general do you think if im gonna play a game like this i would be better off with champions?

Thanks alot for answers in advance.

Don't bother.

CO is better than CoH.  Maybe not now, as in out of the box, but in a few months it will surely offer better gameplay than CoH ever will.

I've seen a lot of people (in game) who played CoH for years up to CO release, and they all seemed to say that CO is better.  Well, at least no one was going back to play CoH.

the ratings all over the web explains it all about this game....from what ive seen it has been given great reviews...im just not the superhero type of roleplayer...its why i never got this one

Originally posted by peenk

Don't bother.

CO is better than CoH.  Maybe not now, as in out of the box, but in a few months it will surely offer better gameplay than CoH ever will.

I've seen a lot of people (in game) who played CoH for years up to CO release, and they all seemed to say that CO is better.  Well, at least no one was going back to play CoH.

I have to disagree with this post, I played Beta on CO - even bought it and less than a month in I went back to CoH. I'm going to guess and say this poster either never played CoH or only played it during the AE phase (which by the way removed all content for a single room - and has since been stopped).

When Going Rogue comes out CoH will have a huge revival again I'm sure. The Graphics updates, the content additions and updates, the full integration of CoH and CoV together.

Each Issue (16 now) has added tons of updates, content, and customization. Right now, you have to look at CoH/CoV for what it is, an MMO that has been live longer than WoW (7 months older) and has maintained a decent player base throughout that time period. It, like WoW, is going to get a major face lift when this expansion goes live. And I'm sure fans of both, as well as new players, will be there when it happens.

Ooops, I almost forgot to address your questions.

1) your characters powers are based off your archtype you select at creation - with the addition selectable pool powers as you progress and higher level epic pool powers as well. You will after time learn what attacks from your skill sets to use when, and I suppose to some extent you may form repetitive patterns if you constantly stick to the same type of opponents. I personally in the 5+ years I've been playing it have yet to do so, too many things going on from one group of mobs to the next to stay with the same repetitive pattern.

2) There are many different types of missions you can do in CoH. The most prominent is what we call door missions. These are either given by your contact, police radio, newspaper, and are instance missions with the difficulty based on you, your difficulty settings, and your teams size and number of teammates (it scales on all of those). So the same quest (mission) can be done solo, solo (and like your 4 guys all by yourself +2 levels over your own - if you think your bad-ass enough), or on a full team of 8. There is also the available street sweeping, if your so inclined to take the fight to the public.

3) CoH/CoV has a multitude of TF/SF (Task Force/Strike Force) through the level range, some easy to find, others not so. These TF/SF are larger, longer story arc driven content - similar to what you may call instances or dungeons in other games. They typically involve a series of door/world missions intertwined with at least one if not several AV/H (archvillians/heros) which must be taken down to complete the story arc.  Along with these, there is also the giant monsters around the world which can add a bit of fun if your so inclined to get a team up to try and take them out as well.

4) The End game, several aspects to it - there are in one aspect the top end level 50 TFs/SFs which again are similar in nature to the instance/dungeon theory. The second aspect is the end-game PvP content (there are PvP zones along the leveling path - all of which you can revist once you make it to the top - it automatically levels you back down when you enter a specific one). You also have, the option with the Oroboros time travel, the ability to go back in level and time to revisit any and all content up to level 50 you missed or wish to replay. It's not like say WoW is where once you outlevel a zone, going back is nothign but grey quests and useless rewards. In CoH/CoV you actually go back in time AND LEVEL to do the content as if you were there the first time around.

5) Leveling can be as long or as short as you wish it to be honestly. There are bonuses for teaming, and teams can be a great source of fast xp. Doing the SF/TF are also a great source of XP. You also have the option of hiking your difficulty level up and hitting a few solo door missions to go up faster, or hitting a few AE missions solo or with a team. Not to mention you have the Mayhem/Safeguard missions as well - these can be a ton of fun, good xp - or if your not ready for it, a really good source of debt to slow you down.

As far as if the game is repetitive - thats a personal opinion and in my view a choice. All games can be repetitive IF you decide to play them that way. CoH/CoV has been around for 5 and a half years now. I have I think 8 level 50s and at least 15 alts besides those. I don't think its repetitive, but then again, maybe its just that I play whatever character I'm in the mood for each day and play it.

Hope this helps some.

Thanks for the input guys, so far im enjoying the game although ive just made it out of the tutorial and been just walking around and keep more opinions coming!

Overall the differences are not stark but rather subtle and I cannot be sure that not liking one would automatically make the other appeal or not, it really depends on what you seek in your game experience.

If your overiding appreciation of a title is the avatar you create then both games are good but CO is the newer and more versatile title, you can make your character anything you want it to be and have hours of fun just checking out the options....sadly all variety ends up redundant in a world that makes it very clear it doesn't care what you are or what you can do, once outside the customisation you just have to sit tight and get driven on the rails, through a wholly unconvicing and uninvolving world that take you to level cap. CO is an awesome avatar creator tacked onto a sterile, generic, timesump of a world with no evidence to date of any potential to ever be anything more.

If you are more interested in a broader and deeper game experience then CoH is far more satisfying, there are more choices for the player, more routes to pursue, more variety in missions, more consistency of theme and style, more care in what is presented to you and how you are able to deal with it, a more immersive world and a more invested community..... CoH is far from perfect and its future potential is almost certainly now restriced by the age of the game engine but imo it has a level of atmosphere and conviction in what it does that CO can only dream of.

Originally posted by tyanya

Overall the differences are not stark but rather subtle and I cannot be sure that not liking one would automatically make the other appeal or not, it really depends on what you seek in your game experience.

If your overiding appreciation of a title is the avatar you create then both games are good but CO is the newer and more versatile title, you can make your character anything you want it to be and have hours of fun just checking out the options....sadly all variety ends up redundant in a world that makes it very clear it doesn't care what you are or what you can do, once outside the customisation you just have to sit tight and get driven on the rails, through a wholly unconvicing and uninvolving world that take you to level cap. CO is an awesome avatar creator tacked onto a sterile, generic, timesump of a world with no evidence to date of any potential to ever be anything more.

If you are more interested in a broader and deeper game experience then CoH is far more satisfying, there are more choices for the player, more routes to pursue, more variety in missions, more consistency of theme and style, more care in what is presented to you and how you are able to deal with it, a more immersive world and a more invested community..... CoH is far from perfect and its future potential is almost certainly now restriced by the age of the game engine but imo it has a level of atmosphere and conviction in what it does that CO can only dream of.

Just to clearify that statement in red - that is only in its current 5+ year old engine. That will be completely redone 2Q of 2010 when Going Rogue comes out. If you would like to see what to expect with the graphics changes here is a link to part of the Hero Con 2009 that shows it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SItM3OLqb5w

Originally posted by Kaocan

Originally posted by tyanya

Overall the differences are not stark but rather subtle and I cannot be sure that not liking one would automatically make the other appeal or not, it really depends on what you seek in your game experience.

If your overiding appreciation of a title is the avatar you create then both games are good but CO is the newer and more versatile title, you can make your character anything you want it to be and have hours of fun just checking out the options....sadly all variety ends up redundant in a world that makes it very clear it doesn't care what you are or what you can do, once outside the customisation you just have to sit tight and get driven on the rails, through a wholly unconvicing and uninvolving world that take you to level cap. CO is an awesome avatar creator tacked onto a sterile, generic, timesump of a world with no evidence to date of any potential to ever be anything more.

If you are more interested in a broader and deeper game experience then CoH is far more satisfying, there are more choices for the player, more routes to pursue, more variety in missions, more consistency of theme and style, more care in what is presented to you and how you are able to deal with it, a more immersive world and a more invested community..... CoH is far from perfect and its future potential is almost certainly now restriced by the age of the game engine but imo it has a level of atmosphere and conviction in what it does that CO can only dream of.

 

Just to clearify that statement in red - that is only in its current 5+ year old engine. That will be completely redone 2Q of 2010 when Going Rogue comes out. If you would like to see what to expect with the graphics changes here is a link to part of the Hero Con 2009 that shows it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SItM3OLqb5w

 

 

Thanks for that link it was very interesting...tbh I was not really referring to graphical limitiation of the older engine but to additonal game mechanics that offer a greater diversity in what players can do and experience. (although Cryptic have now proven that new game engines can be just as, if not more, restrictive and limited.)

However what is revealed in this talk is a good example of why I believe CoH remains the better 'all round' experience, ie the design team have an ongoing conviction and commitment to the comicbook theme, they actually tackle those elements that make you care about what you are doing, that involve and immerse the player in the gameworld.... here the Paragon team are describing a story that offers the player with choices and consequences that matter both personally and in the larger scheme of things, this is what makes comicbook character more than just a pretty cypher, its what makes a comicbook world engaging. 

Good stuff!

Originally posted by peenk

Don't bother.

CO is better than CoH.  Maybe not now, as in out of the box, but in a few months it will surely offer better gameplay than CoH ever will.

I've seen a lot of people (in game) who played CoH for years up to CO release, and they all seemed to say that CO is better.  Well, at least no one was going back to play CoH.

hmm i must be no one.

played cox for years. tried co. bugy ,had 5 days i could not play because of problems on their end. blood moon was meh to omg bugy.hope that co turns it around but as it stands no counting bug, log in problems server problems etc.co lacks content ,an what is thier is best described as made for tv cartoons based off comic books.has a plastic feel.

odd as well those who play cox an co now seem to be only playing cox that i know.some said they would go back if it improved ,most said they would dual sub in tath case but atm theirs not enuff their to justify their sub.

Originally posted by Gabby-air 

On repetitive combat - I found CoH to be worse than CO in this regard. CoH is much less interactive (line of sight matters more in Champions than in CoH...so it is easier to use terrain to your advantage). For example, in CoH missiles (even lasers) will follow you around corners as if they are homing. Champions is far more flexible in many ways...for example, I can throw a car at a mob, or uproot a lamp post. CoH will let you destroy some objects, but only in certain missions...not the same at all. Champions wins by far when it comes to game environment.

On Mission variety - I found CoH to be almost as repetitive as Champions when it comes to missions. Yeah there are way more villain groups, but it is mostly the same missions with different window dressing.

On Grind - CoH is waaaay more grindy IMO. Champions is aimed at the casual player...CoH is not. You will find soloing much harder, and levelling much slower. I played the game almost since launch, and I never got a single character to 50. I played alts instead. In the late 30s the going starts to get very slow if you solo. On the other hand, CoH is far superior than Champions when it comes to grouping (there is much more incentive to group in CoH and it is easier to share missions).

On content - CoH shines here...mostly because it has been around a lot longer. It definitely has a lot more content. Though it really has nothing like the Nemesis system of Champions. The content is mostly in the form of game lore and dialogue.

On End game - Both games suck pretty much. The race to 50 in CoH is mostly to unlock new power sets, but CoH does have a raid monster. Champions has nothing at the moment.

One of the things I really like about Champions is that it is much MUCH easier to make the character you want without having to rely on costume unlocks. Want glowy eyes? In CoH you will need to wait till you are level 30. Want a cape? In CoH you will need to wait until you are 20. In Champions you get both immediately (and the glowy eyes in Champions look much more like they do in comics).

Also, the graphics engine in Champions is far superior. Millenium City is larger than Galaxy City, Atlas Park, Steel Canyon, Skyway city and Kings row combined. And no stupid force fields or fade outs...you can see across the entire city in real time, just as if it were a real city. Having experienced that in Champions I dont think I could ever go back to CoH.

If repitition is what you want to avoid, I dont think you will like CoH very much. It really isnt better or worse than Champions in that regard...just different.

Champions , like alot of current mmo's, is mostly a single player game with no reason to ever team.  City of heroes is very balanced between solo and grouping.  Coh is the best teaming  mmo i've ever played, very easy to team from tutorial to level cap.

Alright guys thanks alot for the help, but i'm obsessed with EVE right now just started playing a week ago. Main reason i didn't bother trying the trial out was because i think it would be alot better after the going rogue expansion comes out, so yeh ill be checking up here when that kicks in!

Yeah, Eve is probably the best MMO I have ever played. I was playing that before Champions, and I expect I will be back to playing it again in the future. Theres really nothing else out there like it.