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DC Universe Online: Weekly #3: Episodes and Cosmetic Items
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
In the third installment of MMORPG.com columnist Bill Murphy's DC Universe Online column, Bill takes gives fans something to think about with regard to the game's episodes and cosmetic items. Episodes are a way for players to interact with well-known characters from the comics. Cosmetic items, while nothing new, have a new twist on them by the sheer virtue that they can be dropped rather than simply purchased. Check out Bill's DCOU #3.
Think of Episodes like personalized instanced content for you and/or your team. While there will be wider story arcs throughout the game and in the shared world, the Episodes are chance for the developers to really showcase stories and give you some epic staged content on a more personal level. One such Episode we know about involves some craziness with the Green Lantern Corps in which you’ve got big bosses like Kilowog roaming around to be fought depending on which side you’re fighting for.
Read Episodes and Cosmetic Items.
Comments
As for the loot, they also mentioned that the game keeps track of every item you've ever had so you can use the stats of items even after you destroy the item. Using the jester cap for show and having the stats of a high level hat? Crazy talk!
I want a mmorpg where people have gone through misery, have gone through school stuff and actually have had sex even. -sagil
I think you are only allowed to use the look of the loot not the stats after there sold or deleted.
I find inaccurate(if not false) the statement about the lack of cosmetic drops in CO and CoH.
In the case of CO there are 3 different posibilities in drops with cosmetic related results:
1) Power replacers: They change the nature of the power(adding electricity to psi powers, ice to archery, etc), and in the case of weapons especial weapons replace the ones set by the costume, for instance voltaic axes.
2) Gear with costume unlocks. Once it is worn a piece of costume(usually related to the drop piece itself).
3) Costume unlocks, just cosmetic item that unlock a piece of costume
By costume unlocks is refer the ability to use that piece in the tailor when creating/editing a costume. Most are account-wide(available for all characters and their nemesis), and others are restricted to the character who did the unlock.
I can understand that the new feature is in DCUO that a hero/villain can use the drop immediatly. Personally, I don't find that immediatness that important.
While I can't say it for sure, I suspect that CoX should have something similar to CO(CoX players, pls confirm).
There are unlocks for items with different appearences in CoX, yes.
After reading the article, it is completely wrong. Both CO and CoX have cosmetic items that can be acquired or unlocked and then equipped on your character.
Similar/Same idea LOTRO had,and I loved it. . Im glad to see that other MMOs are doing this sort of customization so players can actually look different even though Gear set Z at Level A is the best for class Y and you all look the same. I had more sense of self (call me silly) when i was able to tailor MY look to my prefrence and liking than what gear I mite need to where. Looking forward to release
Glad to hear this. I loved the way in LOTRO you could have your 'stats' outfit and then 2 cosmetic outfits to actually wear for their appearence. In a superhero MMO you could have your 'action' suit and a 'secret idenity' suit. I tried doing this in CO but could never quite manage it.
I do this on most of my CO and CoH characters. Except the ones that are reluctant super heroes that just wear regular street clothes normally.
"Never met a pack of humans that were any different. Look at the idiots that get elected every couple of years. You really consider those guys more mature than us? The only difference between us and them is, when they gank some noobs and take their stuff, the noobs actually die." - Madimorga
Sounds ok. At least you can just use the stats. I'd hate to see all the supers running/ flying /teleporting about with the same jester hat (to use the example given). ...enhancements like those found in CO and COH seem to work the same. In CO you can keep them and switch them out when needed. I don't understand the whole cosmetic drop thing for this game unless it lacks customiztion from the start. Seems like there would be no need for cosmetic drops (except of the silly variety for goofs) when you can make your character look like just about anything you think up..as you can in the other Superhero MMOs we have already.
I think its the fact that they are making it gear based (Equipment wise,not skill/pvp/combat wise),and not just Power Slot based. That is one appeal of MMOs/Games with loot,the obtaining or earning of it. I liked CoH (did not play CO much to know the mechanics), but to me and a couple of my buddies the Power Slot mechanic was just not cutting it for our taste. I do hope they incorperate some sort of Super Hero/Villian HQ mechanic/option.
The items in CO and CoX are not really cosmetic items in the truest sense. Yes they will change the apperance of your gun or sword, but only IF you use a gun or a sword. If you don't then the item does nothing.
Unlocking costume pieces like buying the Vanguard armor pieces are close to what they are talking about, but still far different.
Why so angry Batboy, supman & wonder chick? Did a villain pissed in your Cherioos? lol
I just find their look to be funny for being the good guys.
/random thoughts off
Actually gandales CoX had NO loot. You had no items that dropped to equip to your character with stats, in CoH your costume doesnt change unless you change it.
Instead CoX has enhancements which you attache to powers to make them stronger, like strength and accuracy enhancements would go in an offensive attack, while damage resistance and endurence enhancements would go in shields.
So the City of games arent even in competition in this department.
Mystery Bounty
Its a relief to see mmo's are finally allowing you to use stats independently of the items cosmetic effects.
There seems a lot of animosity in regard to instances in mmo's on these boards but imo, particularly in the case of a superhero, instances are essential to offer tasks that can be completed and personalised. Dreary repetitive spawns and spawn camping are really the antithesis of what a comicbook world offers (those conversrely perfect for pvp)...so these episodes are very welcome for me.
After playing CoH for so long I dont like the idea of having to grind to find items with stats and stuff. in CoH, if you know what you want you just try to get it instead of trying to hope for a random armor drop. You just get enhancements.
I just hope the costume options from the start aren't watered down
CoX drops are the enhancement, in most ocassions normal ones but the invention system brought a variety and even the chance of getting sets(the only thing I think they did wrong was to make it overly complicated). When the inventions where released in CoX, Devs. stated that every design of content would be done without considering the invention advantages, making it pretty much optional for casual gaming. I think this was one of the best decisions CoX team have taken.
This article feels like a paid endorsement.
In CO, basically the same thing happens. Loot drops, equip it and the costume piece is unlocked, You can then visit a tailor and use the costume piece irregardless of what gear you are slotting.
Basically, DCUO is different and I'd agrue worse not better.
Here's problems that CO overcame/needs to work on with this model:
- Are the drop rates abusrdly low?
- Are they account wide or just for that character (my quess is character only)
- Can they be traded? Are they BoE or BoP?
I mean basically I can sum up this entire article in one sentence:
DCUO will have instances where bosses drop costume unlocks.
That's not different from either CoH or CO at all.
In CO all of the dropped costume loot will be account wide after the summer patch goes live. it was a bug apparently.
There is NO miracle patch.
95% of what you see in beta won't change by launch.
Hope is not a stategy.
______________________________
"This kind of topic is like one of those little cartoon boxes held up by a stick on a string, with a piece of meat under it. In other words, bait."
This is my concern (in red above). I was hoping for a DC hero game that rocked but I am not too impressed with anything yet except the last trailer. I think it will be entertaining and I will give it a try but the loot drop thing does not bode well with me. It sounds like every other mmo out there..a few of which I am already playing and doubt I would leave just because the game's the same and only the pictures have changed. I also don't like the idea that the latter levels will consist of shitloads of heroes/criminals in a "raid" against criminal/hero bosses. This isn't a "Crisis on Infinite Earths" or "Invasion" MMO. It should be about the occasional group or team-up imo. That's the problem imo...with Supers MMOs. The comic world is mostly a solo or small team experience with the occasional big event or multi cross-over. I'll just wait and see..could be the best game ever. Who knows.
irrespective
regardless
irrespective
regardless
The idea of wearing parts of an opponents costume is pure gameplay, virtually no super or villain would do it. Fine as a trophy in your secret HQ, but the Joker is never going to wear Batman’s cloak is he?
What happens when you are up against a giant opponent? Do you get a tent sized pair of pants to walk around in? And when you and half of your group are wearing that jester’s hat how silly is that?
The way this article presents Champions seems inaccurate. CO has both cosmetic items and stat-enhancing items that occur as random drops / quest rewards / boss drops. The cosmetic and stat-enhancing items are separate, the cosmetic ones are part of your costume and the stat-enhancing items are part of your equipment.
I do know one thing from CO that DCUO will have to learn the hard way, which is that players will complain about having to grind / play to unlock certain costume options. I think it's smart of DCUO to try out the WoW formula of cosmetic upgrades as the game goes on, but based on what I have seen from CO players there will be folks that complain about not having all the costume options freely available.
Also, I am surprised that folks expressed more concern over the microtransactions in the CO Cryptic Store than they are expressing over Sony's RMTs. Champions promised before launch that there would be no gameplay effecting items in the C store, and 1 year later they have held to that promise for CO. I noticed that Sony has been a lot more vague about it, and I bet they will sell both cosmetic and gamplay enhancing items in their store.
I would agree that the CO store was really overblown. It turned out (maybe due to the concerns raised) to be a small part of the game. It is very similar to what CoH has done and even less than WoW did with the horse pet.
@Leethe: All costume drops are already account wide in CO. However, it took some time and noise to make it that way. Also, not all costume drops are account wide. The ones for PvP perks or power replacers are only on that character. Minor detail but it was something that needed to be worked out.
@Scot: I dont think that will really be an issue. From my experience it was more that way in WoW than in CO or CoH where the players could choose a different appearance with their loot.
I think a little clarification is in order about the "cosmetic drops" and stat-enhancing drops in the City of games.
There ARE cosmetic drops (after you earn them), but they are not IMMEDIATELY equippable. You have to go to the tailor, and either pay in-game "money" or use a tailor token to change one (or more) of your character's costumes to show the new item. These items can be received from a "defeat certain number of enemies" (you get to unlock THEIR weapon), or you receive salvage and recipes from defeated enemies, and use the invention system to create the items...then you still have to visit the tailor, and so on.
Stat-enhancing drops MAY be immediately equippable, if you choose to drop them into your enhancement slots (when the slots are empty). Of course, you can also use the invention system and dropped salvage and recipes to CREATE stat-enhancers, and then slot them.
The City of games also have a market system where you can buy and sell salvage and recipes (all well as the enhancements themselves) to create different enhancements also. That way, if you have the extra in-game "money," you can just BUY what you want, instead of camping or waiting for rare drops.
come on now... no accuracy in this article pertaining to CoX or CO. In the City Of games you can wear any costume you like when ever you like, with just a visit to the tailor. Yes there are costume pieces as rewards for completing group task forces or eith enemies defeated, but that be been covered above. I also agree with the other replies, that the article write is comparing apples n oranges. Costume pieces dont give buffs in CoX. The crafting system does that.