Memphis_Bill

Well, for any budding MMO developer who wants to do something similar, here's a few suggestions:

1. Pick a way to tell a story, and stick with it. I don't mean ONLY from, say, Ajax or Manticore's POV - but is it mostly going to be from the Big Cheese POV or that of a character a player can relate to? While switching from one to another on occasion can be very fun and interesting, part of the reason I really liked Blue King was that it wasn't from the Statesview.

2. Edit. Make sure it's sticking to what's going on in game, at least backstory wise. What was up with the Khelds? Nova's not a normal form, and where'd that spaceship come from?

3. Stick with artists. Blue King did this, somewhat... the Top Cow run? You never knew from one issue to another what it'd look like. It went from "Wow, that looks good" to "Did they forget to add noses, or did they just shift those down to add to the chest?"

4. Make a schedule and *Stick to it.* This BS with the last two issues being *months* after the paper comic was ridiculous. And if you look at the FTP site, barring the first "block" that was all uploaded at once - it's all over the place, from faster-than-montly to nearly quarterly. That goes *doubly* true for a paper version.

5. Decide what you want out of it and *stick with it.* Is it marketing? Is it another way of getting news out? Is it paper or PDF?

6. RIDE HERD on the people making it... see the point about the schedules. I don't care if you're a new company or Blizzard of Warcraft - it's a business, treat it like part of one, don't get walked on like seemed to happen with the comic. That's what lawyers and contracts (and penalties) are for.

The comic went from something fun - and honestly something that could be (somewhat) depended on - to a joke. I don't mean in terms of artwork or story, I mean in delivery and quality. The comic went from potential - something to keep people into the game, to drive the story, to show little-seen bits of lore - to "poof."

... as can be said about the RPG, binder and CCG. If you're going to do something, dont' do it half-[censored]. Stick with it, let those you contract to work with know you're sticking with it and will be on their [censored] if they don't. Show some actual *drive* behind your product's spinoffs if you're going to do them!

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The comic has had a great run. It has always served as an ambassador for the game; showing comic readers the potential that can be found in City of Heroes or City of Villains to set their imagination free! However, when we evaluate the production and distribution of the Comic, our current feeling is that the needed time and energy can be more wisely spent and net a more direct impact to the game. This includes things such as organizing more player meet and greets, additional in-game events, focusing on great in-game content like the recently released 9th free expansion, Issue 9: Breakthrough, more contests and promotions such as the Comic Book Creator Contest and more support of quality player initiatives like the PvPEC and City Scoop.

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In other words; "we are giving up essentially the only marketing tool for reaching new audiences we have in favor of turning inward".

This isn't a positive development.

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What I find (well, one of the things I find) alternately amusing or insulting about the announcement is that they're listing the *issues* as one of the things they're doing instead of the comic.

And as far as their other initiatives that, frankly, they've wasted money on, or that they've given an ADHD, "OK, we're bored with it now" attitude with -
Remember the COH RPG? No, I don't remember seeing it in stores either. I did see a PDF of it once, but I never remember seeing it in stores despite their hype of it. Wait, the PDF was a quickstart pack which typically isnt' the full book... which was, as far as I can tell, never finished. (Last update 6/5/06, and it's not listed in their store.)

How about that trading card game! Wait, I think I saw three packs on clearance a year and a half ago.

Yay for the Prima binder... that they dropped after the issue 7 update. After it was released for issue 6.

To this we can now add the end of the second publisher's comic run!

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QR

I believe Sean "Manticore" Fish was writing several of the issues. Other than that, I don't know that the comic had many of the game development people involved. However, I'm pretty darn sure that there was SOMEONE involved with the comic who's time was being monetarily compensated at least partially by Cryptic. Given that most of the players (at least most that I've talked to) were not buying the comic when it went to a paid subscription, I'm guessing that the comic was not very economically viable to continue indefinitely. So when they say that the time and energy can be more wisely spent, they most likely mean the money can be put to better use making the game better.


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Well, (a) it started out free - which, while perhaps not economically "viable," did draw people in, and (b) it played through War_Witch, Ajax, and Horus's eyes, not those of the Freedom Phalanx or other "major" groups.... two reasons why switching to paid didn't go over very well.

Well, that and some of the storylines. And art.

When I came into the game, late in issue 3, there was:
- involvement in the website
- apparent dev interest in the community
- the Paragon Times drawing people into the "world" of the game
- the comic being delivered doing the same thing.

All this actual interest in the community, in keeping a world live and vibrant outside the game, is *gone.* Yes, there are "initiatives" for player created content such as the City Scoop - but it is not the same thing. (Not, again, to belittle them or what they're doing.)

Fan initiatives? I can write a long storyline about how Manticore's father and Statesman had a long, forbidden love and Positron is actually his cloned, never-acknowledged lab-grown child... doesn't make it official, my characterizations could (and would) be way off, etc etc etc no matter how much people loved it. it doesn't actually give us a glimpse into the game world through the developers eyes.

Honestly, to me, they're slowly killing off the "community" so they can make this a "business." Yes, I know it is one as well - but that shouldn't be the be-all, end-all of it.

So, "Sexy Jay" of the costume thread was working on the comic?

No?

Matt Miller and the dev team were writing between working on code, planning future issues and such?

Also no?

Wait, that's where Cuppa really went... also a no?

This was taking too much of *WHOSE* time? There's a G-D story bible already with how much material to flesh out for players. The Blue King run played with the game from a "players" perspective - and, yes, was a treat to read and receive. I understand them going to PDF (but not the "Maybe if we don't get the PDF on the site they'll forget it" delay of the last two issues - by the way, when do we see issue 20? May of 2008?)

Let's see...
- Kill off the Paragon Times.
- Don't bother working on the website, instead sending info over to Warcry, MMORPG.com, anywhere BUT CityOfHeroes.com (other than a link.)
- Kill off the novels, even though the third was being looked forward to.
- Kill off the comic completely.

I call shena... no, that's not strong enough. I call [censored].

*engages in Necromantidcy*

<.<

*and steals some popcorn.*

>.>

*replaces it with styrofoam peanuts. Caramel coated.*

I went down fighting...

but that's a lot of purple fuzz.

Had to remake her to have a cape (server move,) so ... call it preplanning. (Can't see her tail in this either.)

Mica Gniessohn.

The *official* download, unsurprisingly, is still *issue 16.*

Yeah. Where's that sarcastic thumbs up emote...

I only get the downloads, I haven't seen an issue in months.

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Rowr must have that hat...

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Rowr must have the whole outfit. Love it.

... need to pop in more. Happy sometime-after-your-birthday!

Happy birthday TA!

*takes TA's nem staff, sticks it in the middle of a cake, tries lighting the top*

As i said elsewhere... very nice.

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I too am impressed with the guide in general. I have only one question:

Is there a point to PVP? What I mean is, is there an in-game reward? Or is it just about the bragging rights?

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Looks like a great guide for someone getting started in PvP. However, I don't really see any reason to do PvP either. If it doesn't advance my character then why bother? Just to trash talk about who killed who?

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Why do people collect badges? (Other than accolades, none give you any real benefit.)

Why do they spend time (and INF) in Icon - I know some people change their costume many, many times?

Answer - "It's fun." Maybe not for you, but for them it is.

Chloropsychosis is nuts about surprises...

Of course, Feliney Mischief tends to *be* a surprise.

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<Quick Reply>
If the 5th Column rises again, then it has to be restructured...


...so wouldn't that make them the 6th Column?

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No.

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source
fifth column
n. A clandestine subversive organization working within a country to further an invading enemy's military and political aims.


[First applied in 1936 to rebel sympathizers inside Madrid when four columns of rebel troops were attacking that city.]

fifth col'um·nism (kŏl'əm-nĭz'əm) n., fifth columnist n.

fifth column
–noun
1. a group of people who act traitorously and subversively out of a secret sympathy with an enemy of their country.

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Isn't this Positron's job?

It being a State of the Game address and all... It would be helpful if we got it from someone actually involved with the development of the game.

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It was on behalf of the development team - check the last line

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... which is why I didn't bring that up. Still like to hear from them once the dust is settled, though, with something a touch more in depth.

All that aside (and they're all things mentioned back when there was to be a box set, and all things I'm looking forward to,) I'm going to disagree with one bit:

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What’s old is new again, and that’s exactly what the team wanted the Invention System to do. Defeating your foes never felt as satisfying as when you get a great Recipe off them, something you need for your character or something that you can sell for big Influence on the Consignment Market.


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Honestly? Satisfying moments for me were things like the storyarc telling you about the Malta titans, the Revenant Hero arc, the Freakylimpics, beating the end of the Citadel TF when it was down to my Emp and a Fire/* troller. Completing the Kheldian 1-50 arc the first time. FINALLY beating Nosferatu.

Want a satisfying reaction, take someone through the Eden task force the first time. The stream of "Wow" and "oooh, cool" still makes me grin - because I still feel the same way.

I9 is bringing some changes, yes, but getting scrap to sell isn't really high on my "wow" list. No, you can't please everyone - I'm mostly saying that, for me, this is marking time 'til the *story* kicks into high gear again.

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This stuff seems awfuly complicated. How is a casual gamer going to be able to understand this stuff? Also, With all these choices we have to make, could we please get in-game stats of our powers so we can make decisions based on more than just our Enhancement bonuses. Not everyone knows what the base stats are and it would be so nice to have it all totalled up in game to see where we are wasting slots.

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I have to echo this.

I have friends who love "the numbers," plan around it and the like. I... don't. That was true in PNP gaming, and it's true here. I'd burn "useful" picks for something fun - for instance, I have a Dark/Thermal Corr who's dipping into Presence for the Fears - because it fits who she is, not because they're particularly effective.

I'm looking at this, looking at my Fire/SS and Fire/EM tanks, and going... "Uh... sure." I've got decent SGs, so teaming isn't an issue - but how are you going to explain to PUGs that the reason you're more squishy is that you don't have Positrons Poultice or Manticores Mantle of Manliness slotted, so you have half the HP or whatever of the last Fire/* tank they saw and not the same defenses?

I keep going back and forth on inventions. There are some things I like - yay, KB protection. Then there's stuff like this.

I'm not criticizing the work done - it's an excellent guide to an ideal, and an example of what can be done. With that, the OP has done an admirable job. It's everything it points to in the inventions system as far as complexity - "and remember to slot them at the appropriate levels when you respec," too.

Well, happy Rowrsday.

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Ah, you just reminded me.

Are all controllers having issues in the first mission with their pets not attacking inanimate objects? My controller felt pretty damn worthless in the first mission since she is built for control and support. Rocky is her only damage and he was just standing around.

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Both of ours, actually, to be complete. They had no problems attacking mobs though.

It half reminded me of mayhems at first, where pets couldn't attack large objects (large dumpster, cargo crate, SWAT van.) They'd run around them, but not attack (and it affected snipes and AS, as well, as I recall.) Since we don't have MM style controls for pets (no, not pushing for those) we can't say how they'd react if told to attack the cables.

But I have a few mains... really...

Namesake, though, huh.... ok.
1. Mutation/Tank
2. Hop in to the first group, say hi with a KO blow.
3. Knockout blow. Rear back, getting a fist ready, swing into a nice uppercut that throws the mob a few feet (ok, many feet, over my head) into the air. First impressions are important, and I try to make a big one.
4. Normally council, but Devouring Earth break easily. Least favourite... hmm. Haven't had him against Malta yet, but he'll definitely not like those...

Yes. Might not be in there all the time, might not like some aspects, but yes.

1. Registration and uploading issues. See the other thread. I don't really have things to *upload* right now, just pointing otu what was said.

2. Everything seems to just go into "Ye Olde Pile of Fanart." Categorization beyond "Screenshots" "Renders" "Fanart" and "Wallapper" would be one place to start, namely having sections by game. (I have no interest in WoW.)

3. I don't *see* a space for any sort of commenting, by the artist at least, or most have not chosen to take advantage of it. Keywords are not comments.

4. Don't take this as snark, but... "Curse Gaming?" What's with the name? Is the founder's name Curse? Are they mostly involved with a game with curses? (As in "Magic with a negative effect," not "Swearing.") Are they calling gaming a curse, or cursing gaming? Admittedly the same could, to a point, be said for "Deviant Art," but given how many people would call anything the slightest bit non-mainstream "deviant," there's reasoning there. The CG name *does* throw me a bit, but if there's reason for it - even if it's just "We're being smartalecs," say it somewhere.

Touched on this in the "Gettign community involvement" thread up in suggestions.

How this could be handled, if for whatever reason they don't want to host fanart here:

1. Define what NCSoft and/or Cryptic want or need to do.

2. Come here and *ASK* the people who would be using it what they'd look for, and what #1 revealed.

3. Come up with a variety of sites, and ask for suggestions from the community for others. I can understand not having DA in there, unless they can work some deal to have a "City of" site, with "City of" branding and - well, people do have their kids look at this stuff, some way for them not to "stumble" on some of the more mature items there would probably be desired.

4. Have NCSoft/Cryptic pick, say, five, that work with their legal framework and whatnot - they *do* have to be worried about that.

5. Have the art community, who would be *using* the site, vote and give feedback.

6. Unveil their new "Official art partner."

More of a process than just saying "Go here," it gets the people using the site involved, and gets a reasonable compromise if not makes "everyone happy."

It's something you want the community to use - get the community's input.