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Is DC Universe going to kill off City of Heroes?
RudyRaccoon
Member UncommonPosts: 475
Considering we are getting closer and closer to the launch date of DC Universe, what will this mean for City of Heroes? I've never played CoX but I don't want to waste my time if a better game is coming to replace it. Will it mean this game will become a ghost town? Or is it for the best to leave this old game to die for the new game?
Comments
How will you know if DC is better if you never try CoX? It's easy enough to pick up a free-trial.
Ultimately, when DC releases, I expect CO will be more at risk than CoX -- Both games will definitely experience a hit just because DC will be the new shiny but DC's replayability will be key to retention. For CoX and CO, it will come down to both of those games uping the frequency and quality of their content.
I've played CoH to death and cannot return but it still offers heaps more variety and fun than CO, even today cryptic are happy to sit back and reskin the same few mission types and call it content while the older game actually does something new with its gametime - despite my burnout all respect to the team at Paragon.
In fact I cannot fathom any unique appeal CO can fall back on over either of the other superhero games, its not as deep as CoH (and lets face it CoH isnt deep) and its not as well known or imaginitive as the DC universe. Unless DCUO is even blander and more superficial than CO (and I have to wonder if that would be possible) its going to be CO that will have to work the hardest to stay afloat.
However who knows, who would have predicted the Spice Girls as a success in the 90's ^^
I was in your shoes 3 weeks ago. I actually tried CoH for the first time to get me in the mood for DC Universe. I'm glad I did and I have more fun soloing and grouping then I've had in any other MMO (WoW, Lotro, AoC, etc). Now as to what will happen.... who knows? I do know that DCU better be good because I like CoH a lot!
SOE + IP = train wreck
DCUO and CO= Arcade style action
CoX= Planning and abit longer fights
Not the same market I would believe.
All statements I make is from my point of view unless stated otherwise.
Thanks for bringing that up. I have been actually wondering if DCU will have the depth of CoX (missions, player created content, large open cities, auction house) vs the more arcade action oriented CO. I don't want to create a super hero in DCU and have it be a glorified Unreal Tournament session.
/agree
Which means, unless SoE fumbles(possible), CO is hosed.
CoX has polish, and both player and dev written content on its side. it also plays significantly different than how DCO has been described.
DCO has the advantage of seeing what did and didn't work in CO's action based mechanics, and has the opportunity to make something better. Whether they do or not, we'll see.
i cant help but feel that DCU is geared toward very young players. I mean why is everyone picking up and tossing cars and busses? seems strange to me. and they insinuated right from the start its a button masher designed for the console controller. Even the demos i see are all on the hand held controller.
anyway, i think CoX will be able to stand up and retain its playerbase over the long run. I know many will keep their subscriptions while trying DCU, just like ive always done when trying other MMOs. If you understand what COX is about, you will see that its one of the best combat systems for an MMO.
EDIT: I think the better question is, will CoX be able to survive after Star Wars: ToR
I know others likely wouldn't want it but I've always wanted CoH/CoV to go free to play, hehe.
Not much info to go on for DC yet but if history is any indicator it would seem that the very well entrenched and long running CoH/CoV will survive just fine.
It's also worth mentioning that CoX is also getting an expansion very,very soon which will probably help it retain more people.Wouldn't suprise me if Paragon pulls a Blizzard and is holding the expansion's release to DCUO launch or just before.
DCUO is getting close to launch? I've heard pretty much nothing about it. That can't be a good sign, can it?
You know it's possible the opposite is true. DCUO will attract players who haven't tried the Hero MMORPG yet, then once they get in DCUO they'll hear people saying "CoH is better..." and then try it. That definitely happened with Champions. A lot of people playing now just got their start last year with Champions, then found City of Heroes afterwards.
Currently playing:
DC Universe
Planetside 2
Magic Online
Simunomics, the Massive Multiplayer Economic Simulation Game. Play for free.
I don't think Going Rogue will have much impact on retention by the time DCUO comes out only because 3 months will have elapsed -- more than enough time for a once-through the content and a decision of whether to re-roll again, as is typical of us altaholics. For Paragon Studios, it will be Issue 19, the Incarnate system, that will make or break them. It has to come out or be in beta with positive chatter by mid/late december just as the free month of DCUO is running out if they want to pull people back in who left (as well as pick up those people looking for end-game content).
I tried CoH/CoV during the week because I was bored and not playing any MMOs at the moment. Oh my, what an utter garbage this game is. The only thing I liked was the special effects of the powers I selected and the option to change the colors. But geez, I tried different cities and the game is boring. For example, I picked up a quest to kill hellions, then when I go back the same NPC gives me another quest to kill more hellions, and again, and again. And I could pick up only one quest at a time. So it was frustrating for me. Maybe the game gets better at higher levels? But sorry, not going to force myself to go through low level boring quests.
Also tried CO, which I didn't even bother to go past the tutorial. I am glad I didnt waste money on them.
The reason why I want to try DC (and I say try because I dont follow hype anymore) is that I like events on MMOs. I loved the public quests in Warhammer. I like to group with players for events. Also I hope DC provide the option to access PvP from the get go. I can do a couple of quests but having the option to jump into some mini PvP games at low level would be great. And open world PvP is a given.
I think that DC will be a hero MMO with better entertaintmemnt value than CoH and CO.
I'm sorry, but you were playing wrong. Who were your other contacts? They had missions for you too. And you couldn't have done these same missions from one NPC more than, oh 5 times or so, because the contact bar is generally complete; it should have switched to either story missions or to another contact.
The only thing I can think of is that you were in the Hollows with Meg Mason
I think we've seen a lot of the action and gameplay movies for DCU (mostly console vids) but I haven't heard much about the actual depth of the RPG parts. Obviously they are pushing their PVP but I'm more of a PVE junkie. I hope they at least borrow some of the good points from CoX such as the character customization, story, fun grouping, user created content and such.
The only thing I can think of is that you were in the Hollows with Meg Mason
This is why they're making over the 1-20 game in Going Rogue! If you don't know to go to King's Row and run newspapers and get different contacts, it's not really in your face. The new system starts branching right in the tutorial, when you have to decide which group to help. After that you start meeting more and different enemies. It prevents the self-burnout that he's describing.
Still, that's better than the Architect crazy days when people didn't even realize you could leave Atlas Park at all...
Currently playing:
DC Universe
Planetside 2
Magic Online
Simunomics, the Massive Multiplayer Economic Simulation Game. Play for free.
Actually bostondreams, many of the intro missions in AP and GC are like this -- you may not see/realize/remember this if you've become accustomed to just running a sewer team every time you re-roll. I actually only noticed this after recently re-rolling with the intention of running straight mission arces and nothings else. The first 10 levels in those zones (haven't moved on to KR and the hollows yet) could still use some clean up.
Well judging by the new 1-20 area in Praetoria and some of the cool new features added to the game, DCU is going to have to be real good to deliver the knockout blow. Praetoria looks awesome. You can now make any achetype in the game and worry about being a hero or villian later. The missions are more in depth with more scripted events. For instance, when escorting a rescued hostage out waves of enemies spawn continuosly if you don't start leading them out. Now you can even link two characters into a levelling pact. All the servers are jammed right now.
If the past is any indication, sub numbers will probably go up for the next two months. To somewhere between 12k and 40k more subscribers. I would not bet on DCUO to do much of anything to sub numbers but like a previous poster mentioned, TOR probably will. Though it'll likely just make sub numbers return to pre-GR levels. So the answer is no, it wont kill CoH.
What a silly question, of course not, it's a SOE product, there is no way it will hold up well as a launch product. People will try it and CoH will empty out for a few months, then people will head back to CoH.
I imagine City of Heroes 2 will be announced as in development within the next year.
At release you would run out of mission and had kill mobs until the next missions opened up. 6+ years ago.
"...not going to force myself through low level boring quests." Ya know, there are two complaints I see over and over about pretty much ALL the MMORPGs, that are really getting old:
1.) "The low level quests aren't exciting. They're too easy, and they get boring too fast." Yeah, game designers pretty much HAVE to assume that any character rolled up is the VERY FIRST character the person has ever played. Therefore, the first couple missions need to be easier to give the player a "learning curve." I agree that grinding away, killing the SAME enemies over and over gets old fast. But just about EVERY MMORPG I've ever played has done the same thing! (And for the record, with Going Rogue, the City of games are actually altering the "learning curve" in the new zones. You can CHOOSE whether you want a FULL tutorial, or if you're a veteran player, you can SKIP the basic "how to control your character" stuff, and get right into the action!) But I can remember free trials of WoW and SWG, making 4 new characters each, levelling them up to around 7 or so, and being SO BORED that I *KNEW* I wasn't about to pay a dime for either game!
2.) The other complaint I see too often is the "The mission objectives are always the same 4 or 5 types: Kill a certain number of enemies, kill a boss, rescue a NPC, find some object." But none of the people complaining about the lack of diversity *EVER* offers any other good ideas! Well, if you're gonna take the time to complain, offer some CONSTRUCTIVE options. I'm sure if the game developers saw any new INTERESTING ideas, they would be quite excited about adding them to your favorite games.
In short, NO. Now that Going Rogue has been released and subscription numbers have spiked, I don't think it's possible. Having been bored out of my skull after one day of a free weekend on CO I have to say that that game is more likely to be doomed. Going Rogue is teh hawtness and has totally revitalized the game. With i19 "incarnate" announced and supposedly containing nothing but end game content, I see the game lasting a good long time. Or at least until SW: TOR is released next year.