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I've been playing CoH since the beginning, and still like to log in for some action now and again. From what I have read so far, CO looks like a CoH "2" or something. How is CO dramatically different than CoH?
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2025: 48 years on the Net.
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Well the major difference are the following:
1) there are no power sets. Yes powers fit into a set, but there is no enforcement of saying in that set. The only thing is some buff apply on to the Munitions sets powers or whatever and you potentially could get some earlier if you stay in a set. But once you have 8 powers you can get anything (you may suck at that power but you can get it).
So in other words you can make Blaster who has Regeneration style defense if you like
2) The combat really is quite different. I don't really want to go into depth on that. They are both decently action-ish. But Energy concerns and management are vastly different. Things like Charge attacks, maintain attack, toggle attacks etc make the combat a good bit different.
3) The persistent world content is far more emphasized. Its not necesarrily larger in square feet but more packed with things to do. And instanced content is used more sparingly and more to customize your character (ie. the nemesis stuff is instanced). There are things like WAR style PQs in the open world
In some ways they are very similar they both have minion/LT/boss type of mobs. A scrapper or a Champ Melee can take 50% health off a LT in a good hit, but the way you do that can be somewhat different and being maximally damaing is maybe more complex from the standpoint of mixing powers. Things like Hold stacking and magnitude are still in and bosses need to be stacked but LT do not. Travel powers are similar but more extensive. But stuff like acrobatics(CoH version) is not a power rather its an extra ability (called an advantage) that you can add onto super jump, ie. travel powers are their own thing rather than a power pool for each one. Also travel powers are their own points you do not choose between a travel power and a normal power. You get two travel powers and there is no reason to not take two. However for the most part the travel powers are similar enough to draw a decent parallel, well except teleport that is completely different.
Everyone in CoH gets Endurance and the super powergamers go for energy usage neutrality by slotting end red in attacks and getting lotsa of Energy regen. This concept is basically completely foreign to the CO combat system. You must find a way to regen energy actively you cannot set it up to be passively coming to you like in CoH (and most other MMOs). You use yoru base energy builder attack, you use the Momentum of Martial arts attaks, or the golem energy siphon. You use whatever tools you want but they are all active and important. Its not drag ass until 20 then get endurance and its easy street never think about it. Even if you have a setup that has great power regen you have to actively do it, and exactly how you use energy can change radically, Sorcery for example tends to use a lot more energy, but Martial Arts has the means to generate energy and uses less on many attacks.
And going low on energy in some cases is not even bad. Munitions has an attack that give you full energy bar if you use it at <5% energy. My Dual sword toon can go from 0 to full energy with his energy builder and two thing in the cone in about 5 seconds. But if I do not manage it right doing whirling swords drain my energy immediately. I baiscally have to do a momentum attak to do whirling swords PBAOE and i must prepare for that with a full energy bar. I need enough energy to do the momentum attack and then enough to initially sustain Whirl so that the energy regen from momentum can kick in. If I have momentum I end whirl with full energy, if I don't have momentum I crash having done only a faction of the whirl. If I do momentum with half energy then I probably don't have enough energy to start whirl.
These sorts of dynamics make the combat quite different. The pace can be similar, its a hard to say because the builds in CO will differ radically. And how you play will also matter ALOT. For example the Might power line is basically like a CoH tank but there is an entire Enrage mechanic that you can utilize and if you play like you are perpetually Enraged you will do a lot of damage but die really fast. Even if you are in the Protector "tank" role. So two different people could wind up having entirely different paces with the same Might build. Or if you throw in a few munitions/supernatural powers that also take advantage of enrage your build might be a bit better at killing or whatever, or just play different because you get a nice ranged attack that is an AOE when you are enraged and the other guy has to be in melee range or othe rbuilds don't get enraged much.
If you liked City of Heroes, you will like CO. They are different enough to feel like a separate game, but similar enough to make CoH players feel at home.
I have CoH as well but I don't play it like my girl does, she is nearly level 40 now and I am still with level five starters. she complains about how slow the combat is all the time and it make her bored as hell to the point she can not play for more than 30mins. CO combat is far better and fast flowing and she has her eyes on CO. I want her to stay on CoH and let me play CO in peace. CO is fun as hell, you will enjoy it.