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My experiences with the game after the free trial.
Ragana
Member Posts: 458
Alright, well, I was interested in trying out City of Heroes/Villains for a long time, so I was pleasantly surprised when I heard about the free trial. After the painless download and the quick patching process I was underway to making my hero/villain.
First thing I do when I log on is I see a list of servers. I was not sure whether they are pvp/rp/pve so I just picked the first one of the list, which was freedom I believe.
Next thing is the character creation. This had to be my favorite part of the game. I have never seen customization with so much depth and variety of options. I decided to make a villain/mastermind/mutant and quickly afterwards I spend an upwards to an hour making my character.
After I was finished, I clicked play and waited for the server to load up. As soon as the game started, I had to familiarize myself with the one thing that in my opinion killed the game for me- the controllers. The camera was horrid and it honestly ruined my gaming experience. After playing WoW, Guild Wars, etc... I guess I was used to something better/easier.
Putting that behind me, I was impressed with the initial setting. The developers portrayed the chaos in the prison very well and I was quickly overwhelmed to the amount of action that was going on. After doing the initial quests and finding out about my powers, I was ultimately flown out of the prison to the one evil lady( her name escapes me) and thats where I chose to end my adventure for a few reason.
I was kind of put of at the fact that there was no loot or inventory, so I was stuck with how my character looks for the rest of the game. The people are not helpful at all. All the veterans are either AFK or they don't even talk to you. And even tough the game explains the basics to you fairly well, you are left on your own after the initial prison setting. Don't get me wrong, I think this game is amazing and I honestly wish that I would like, but, after having played different style MMO's, I guess this game is just not for me.
~Chaz
Veni, Vidi, Vici
Comments
you arent stuck with one look
at lvl 20 you can add capes to the mix, invent and create things, lvl 20 you get another costume slot and again at 30, 40.
you have inventory for your enhancements. inspirations, salvage, and invent items
there are always people in the community that dont talk to noobs. they're in every game, but my brother and both have 50s on freedom and we help noobs all the time. im on the hero side though not the villain side.
if you want sent me an email or something, hopefully i can meet up with and try to lay out the way of the game
my chars name is Satan's Embrace
Favourite Game
SWG - Sabanak, Retired Jedi, Bria
Playing: Nothing
Waiting for: SWG Pre-CU
Retired: SWG, CoX, Vanguard, MxO, Guildwars, Archlord, Auto Assault, EQ2, Final Fantasy XI,
Lineage 2, Saga of Ryzom, DAOC, WoW, AOC, WAR
About the cameras, I find them to be better then in WoW or EQ2 where I was kinda off. They allow more freedom and better angles of movements in CoV, where in WoW, I found myself limited...I especially use the middle wheel a lot! :P
About the look evolution...you can have 5 costumes eventually and switch between them freely (1 switch per 30 seconds hehe to avoid spamming changes). You can also change your costume anytime you want. Finally, powers have look in themselves.
I wish you good luck wherever you go.
Personnally, I will stick to CoV for now! Best MMO on the market!
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
There is loot in a sense, they are called enhancements. With the introduction of Issue 10, Invention Origin Enhancements can be made along with Sets you can add to your powers
Enhancements empower your existing abilities.
PargaonWiki has an excellent break down of what they do.
Basically there are 4 enhancements. Training Origin, Duel Origin, Single Origin, Invention Origin
Single Origin >Duel Origin>Training Origin
Invention Origin do not wear out and are always better than the equal level TO, DO or SO. A level 35 IO is equal to an SO of any level. So at level 32 it's best to start to outfit your character with level 35 IO.
IO can either be made from a recipe using salvage you find or bought off the Blackmarket if your a villian or the Consignment House if your a hero.
There are also temp powers you can get. These are usually found in missions or when completing a mayhem mission for the first time.
I recommend doing newspaper missions as soon as you can as those lead to your first mayhem mission which usually gets you a jump pack or rocket wings. A must for any character below level 14. I've gone so far as level 32 before actually getting a travel power, relying only on these temp travel powers.
As for the camera, you have 2 modes, hold the right click and turn the direction you want or use the mouse wheel to freelook. I've found this a lot more easier to use then WoW's freelook. Something to get use to.
You can change the way you look at the tailor, on the villian side this is at Cap Au Diable and St. Martial for villians and Steel Canyon, Independence Port, and Founders' Falls for heroes
You also ended your trial period after the training zone. If you had talked to Kalda, she would have offered some info on some FAQ and also given you your first mission.
your arguement is so persuasive, so filled with knowledge and insight. You back up your argument very articulately, with suggestions of improvements and raising examples to glorify your position....oh wait, you didn't
Just to cover the statements you've made:
All servers in CoX are the same in respect to PvP and PvE. There are PvP zones for general combat with different styles of zone-wide entertainment, from doing missions to affect players' defence or damage in the zone to a capture-the-stations to win the zone-style zone event in Recluse's Victory. There is also the Arena for more structured, arranged PvP. The PvP community is currently thriving with events and people constantly trying to get more players involved - although I feel it is a bit elitist, I guess any PvP-side to an MMO is.
I'm surprised the camera gave you so much difficulty, since I found it pretty much identical to WoW and many other MMOs. The height of your character can make a difference sometimes, but I would suggest using the Options page to customise how you like it and use the mouse wheel to zoom to the best settings you feel comfortable with.
Where it comes to 'loot' and inventory you are mistaken, I'm afraid. Although I'll admit the game doesn't tell you much about Inventions from the outset there is a whole Inventions recipes and salvage (ingredients, essentially) which you can use to create better enhancements for your character, and even costume pieces from fairy and insect wings to winged boots! Many of the enhancements you can make have 'set bonuses' which give extra effects to your powers when more than one is slotted into any power. The list of the various invention enhancements and their effects is HUGE. The City of Heroes forums have whole sections dedicated to the Inventions system if you wish to learn everything there, including guides and very helpful people, and the in-game information on every enhancement and recipe is detailed and descriptive - there is ALOT to learn.
It is true that enhancements don't change the look of your character, although costume pieces obviously do. The game steadily gives you access to five separate costume slots, which are unlockable as you gain levels. Each costume slot is changeable at any time by going to a tailor and changing parts of your costume. Although this costs the in-game currency, influence/infamy the developers are also generous enough to hand out free costume tokens from issue to issue, and as veteran rewards, which are earned every 3 months.
There are alot of veterans out there in the game, and alot of us are VERY willing to help new players. The important thing, like any MMO, is that you don't assume that a level 50 is a veteran, since there are players, again like any other MMO, who either get powerlevelled or even pay for powerlevelling services. If you need assistance look for global chat channels (you can join them by right-clicking on the chat window and clicking Join Channel) like @Champion BMT.
Try the game again, join the Champion server - it prides itself on being 'The Community Server' - and if you're looking for all the info fromt he beginning rather than discovering the game as you go along then join the forums - they're excellent!
I'm not sure that Freedom was the best server to start with. Try Virtue.
Also, you aren't stuck with how you look for the rest of the game. There are tailors that allow you to change any aspect of your appearance at any time, as well as extra costume lots that get unlocked. Ultimately, you can have as many as five costume slots.
You didn't really give the game a chance if you logged out right when you got to Kalinda. The Camera is very much like the camera in WoW. It can be adjusted and tweaked using the options as well.
You are never stuck with the same look. You can earn up to 5 costume slots currently. The second, third and fourth slots are all earned by doing missions at level 20, 30 and 40. The last costume slot is a reward from a Holiday event mission that requires some specific event salvage items. My 46 Stalker has all 5 costume slots. You can also earn the right to wear capes at level 20 and the right to pick auras at level 30.
There is no loot in the traditional sense, no. I see this as a benefit over a drawback though. You don't have people fighting over drops from mobs, you don't get into ninjalooting and numerous other problems in loot-centric games. There is however loot. Inspirations are quick buffs or instant heals/rezzes/resists. Enhancements are how you taper your powers to become more powerful. Someone above had a good description of the progression, however one thing was slightly off. A level 35 IO has a larger bonus than a level 50 SO. It's the level 30 version that is the equivalent of a level 50 SO. This is huge in that IOs don't degrade like standard enhancements do. You need to keep your enhancements within 3 levels of you to keep the effect. If it turns red, you lose the effectiveness. With IOs, this is no longer accurate. As early as possible, my friends started building IOs to slot in their powers as the recipes and salvage became available.
If you felt lost after getting to Kalinda, then you didn't really read the information presented to you. When you pick out your first contact in Mercy Island, the tutorial tells you to speak to that person. They set you up with your first mission and get you on your way to a life of heroics or villainy.
CoX is the only game I've really come back to time after time. It's an enjoyable experience and it just keeps getting more enjoyable. I enjoyed getting to test the new content in both I9 and I10 when they went to open beta. I10 has some really enjoyable things coming down the pipe. The invasions are an awesome world event that have badges tied to them. The Rikti War Zone being redone and opened up for Villains is exciting. The new look of the Rikti is amazing. I'm still trying to convince Cryptic they need to implement parts of the Rikti costume for us.
CoX isn't for everyone. But giving up after you just got to Kalinda because you felt lost implies you didn't really try.
Alright, thanks a lot guys. Im going to log on and give this game another shot. Thanks for the help everyone.
~Chaz
Veni, Vidi, Vici
this is a great game, believe me, tons of fun.
Your first mistake was choosing to play on the Villian side. The layout, environment, and atmosphere of the Rogue Isles are just awful. Things are a LOT more fun on the Hero side, and the players are far more helpful. Plus there are more players in general in Paragon City because more people agree that the red side is not fun.
Your second mistake was in not reading the manual or the instructional windows in-game. From your complaints, it's pretty obvious you did not. If you're one of those people who clicks OK without reading the box, you have only yourself to blame.
I have to ask, how is it any easier to read a response from another character in chat than to read the rules when they are presented to you by the game?
(I realize my tone here does not seem helpful, but I really am helpful in the game. Honest.)
As for the camera controls, what on earth are you talking about? First, the controls are VERY similar to most MMOGs. Second, if there is anything you don't like, you can easily adjust it in options. The controls for the entire game are EXTREMELY customizable. If you are going to be that picky about your controls, you really do owe it to any game you play to at least see if they have options to accommodate your desires.
Hmm. sorry about your experince, but I have to say i don't under stand your veiw. The POV and interface is very similar to WOW (to the point that for all intensive purposes they are the same). There are no pvp/rp/pve servers they are all the same in that reguard (at least as assigned by MCsoft). You might try COH first, unsuprisingly people are more helpful on the hero side then the villian. There are drops and inventory to a degree, but COX isn't a loot game. COX is about action and story it's not focused on finding ubber items.
I see a couple of things wrong with your initial post:
1) villains are usually not quite as helpful as heroes, in general. As a noobie, a hero is probably going to get more help. Villains are a surly, greedy lot
2) you can change almost everything about how you look,. except for your sex. You can buy simple costume changes at tailors, and more advanced costume changes after running some missions for a tailor to get a good connection with him. There are also "respecs" that allow to rebuild your character and re-choose powers (you have to stay with the primary/secondary that you chose initially).
3) there used to be no "loot" as such, just drops of inspirations(like potions) and enhancements(like traits). Recently, they have added "invention" items, and recipe drops and ingredient drops for these, along with a consignment system for buying/selling these. Some of these inventions are more costume changes, temporary powers, and better enhancements for powers.
4) not sure about the camera issue, it seems fine to me.
I would recommend starting a Hero, and getting into some teams. Play until about level 16 or so, and then you will know enough to like or dislike the game.
Olepi
------------
2025: 48 years on the Net.
I just decided to re-up my account today. Still DLing the client (I am moving and my disks are packed away already). When I get in I will be happy to help you. My global handle is @fraktal.
C
Im about to wrap up my 14 day trial, and let me tell you guys, im hooked, count me in permanently. And to the OP, let me know what your toon's names are and I will help you out. The CoX community is the best ive seen. Super helpful on the heroes side of things, but still somewhat helpful on the villans side. People are always wanting to team with you. Look for ComGuardsman and Presidente Doom on the Freedom server. Those are the two toons im rolling right now. I hope to see all you guys if you are on Freedom.
The camera does take a bit of getting used to. In most games, to freely rotate the camera, you just hold the left mouse button and move the mouse. In CoH/CoV, you hold the middle mouse button. If I've been playing WoW or EQ2, it takes me a little while to re-adjust to CoH, and vice-versa. Everything else can be changed in the control options - the default settings are hardly what I'd call ideal. Set Mouse Movement to "Inverted," disable Click-to-Move (since you'll be hitting the left mouse button on accident for a while), and turn on Free Camera Movement. Now, all you have to do is remember the middle mouse button does what what the left mouse button used to do.
Like the others said, your costume can be changed. You won't find a Tailor in the low-level zones, but they're not hard to erach after a bit of levelling up (hopefully you're satisfied enough with your costume that you won't want to change it very soon). There's more detail at paragonwiki.com/wiki/index.php/Tailor
CoX is one of the best MMO's out there, i think i know what you mean about the cam, after leaving CoX for WoW for a bit when i came back i was used to WoW but after a few weeks i got used to it again, as for look and all that stuff, well...i spend hours and hours shopping for a new outfit, you can only have 4 outfits, the 5th is from the chirstmas event each year (well fun)
And I10 Soon.....WAR has come early
Doc
I love CoX. I do prefer the villain side as it's just more enjoyable for me personally. And yes, I10 is coming very soon. It's not a massive issue, but it is an absolute blast. Lots of new content added and a sort of new type of zone added in a war zone. Pocket D is a neutral area that Heroes and Villains can team and do seasonal missions. The Rikti War Zone is a full on coop zone where you can team with the opposing side and greatly increases the volume of coop content in comparison to Pocket D. It has content from level 35-50, so the hole that a large number of people experience from 35-40 has now also just been filled.
The contact in Croatoa is still there, and the salvage can now be picked up on the consignment house relatively cheaply. I've nabbed the extra costume slot for a few of my characters already.
my advice to you is to start on a less populated server and on the hero side, people are more willing to team and help each other on the hero side than villain, and look for some info about the archtypes and powers http://cityofheroes.gameamp.com is an excellant site to use for the hero side, and http://cityofvillains.gameamp.com is good for the villain.