Alpha and Omega – A Brief Look at the Champions Universe

A brief overview of the Champions setting and the Omega-class supervillains who would see it destroyed

Even in an era when the use of original IPs is seemingly on an upswing in the MMOG industry, there’s still a few heavy hitters on the horizon that intend to fully immerse players in a pre-existing setting. While perhaps not as instantly recognizable to the world at large as Cryptic Studios’ other upcoming title Star Trek Online, the history and lore behind Champions Online harkens back to a time now decades past when tabletop gaming was king of the multiplayer hill, super hero comics were still on the upswing, and the idea of a fully rendered 3D game world was just a twinkle in game developer’s eyes.

For anyone already familiar with the Champions universe, I’ll say this much up front; you certainly won’t be disappointed with Cryptic’s handling of the IP. Many of the names and locations you’ll come across are pulled directly out of Champions lore, with plenty of nutty plot twists and surprises thrown into the mix to keep even the most diehard fans of the tabletop game guessing. What’s more, Cryptic has cleverly selected specific heroes, villains and locales from the known Champions universe while still leaving plenty of room for growth with future content updates and expansions without ever really needing to deviate into unknown territory anytime soon.

While I would never count myself as an expert in Champions lore, for those of you unfamiliar with the impressive depth of the setting I decided to put together a sort of ‘crash course’ on some of the major aspects from the universe that Cryptic Studios has selected as focal points in the upcoming MMOG. Mind you the following information is far from comprehensive, but will give you a taste of things to come once CO goes live on September 1st. So strap on a pair of +10 Squinty Goggles of Squinting, sit back and enjoy!

Millennium City – The City of the Future

Millennium City is featured prominently in Champions Online. Rather than simply being a main city hub in the traditional MMOG sense, this sprawling metropolis is home to Champions HQ among other notable superbeings and, likewise, countless villainous organizations, many of whom you’ll encounter as you venture out from the relative safety of Renaissance Center.

Among other notable features, aspiring heroes and vigilante crime fighters will no doubt find Renaissance Center itself the perfect place to form teams, improve their crafting professions or even unwind at the end of the day in Club Caprice. The Hero Games organizers have also set up shop in the area, handily located next to the landing platform for aircraft that can whisk you away to destinations outside the city limits should you so desire.

But don’t let the serene setting and towering skyline of Renaissance Center fool you – the city itself is a hotbed of criminal activity, in spite of the increased presence of superheroes and the monumental rebuilding efforts still underway. Numerous gangs now vie for control over the chaotic west side and Chinatown districts, while in the north not all is as it seems at the local headquarters of Mind Inc. Perhaps the biggest threat the city currently faces though, is the unsettling appearance of countless Destroids, the robotic minions of…

 

Source: www.tentonhammer.com/node/71538