Champions Online

[Morreion]

Champions Online official site

Champions Online (Wikipedia)

Champions Online is a subscription-based, superhero-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game by former City of Heroes/Villains developer Cryptic Studios based on the Champions license. The game's rules and setting are loosely based on the HERO System ruleset. The game has been released for Microsoft Windows. An Xbox 360 version of the game was in development, but was confirmed as canceled in March 2010. As of October 2010,free to play Champions online is set for a 2011 release.

Champions Online: First Impressions (MMORPG.com)
Soon after a game's launch, we like to have the game's reviewer offer his first impressions to give players an idea of what they can expect early on. Today, Michael Bitton files his report on Champions Online.

Champions Online Review (MMORPG.com)

Final Score 7.5 Average

Pros
Accessible Crafting
Entertaining combat
Nemesis System adds depth

Cons
Easy to disadvantage characters
PvP afterthought

Champions Online: Progress Since Launch Interview
Champions Online has withstood a fair amount of criticism since its launch. Recently, MMORPG.com's Jon Wood spoke with Cryptic's Bill Roper about the game, its future, and the criticisms that it has weathered.

Champions Online News - State of the Game: Roper Out, Poz In (MMORPG.com)

And another P2P goes F2P!

Champions Online going F2P (Massively)

My Name’s Jack Emmert, And I’m With The Subscription Is Too Damn High Party (Broken Toys) Haha, Lum is a nut!

Champions Online: The Story of the Week
In his latest column for MMORPG.com, Managing Editor Jon Wood picks what he believes is The Story of the Week. It was a tough choice to pick only one out of all of the interesting news this week. Both Vindictus and LEGO Universe opened for business and Tribes Universe was announced. But what trumps them all is the revelation that Cryptic Studios and Atari will be taking Champions Online into the free to play realm. Check out Jon's thoughts and then add some of your own on the forum.

[Morreion]

Cryptic unmasks the Champions F2P trailer (Massively)

Includes a 2:11 video trailer.

Champions Online: Free for All Launch Interview
Yesterday was a banner day for Cryptic Studios, Atari and the Champions Online development team with the debut of the game's Free For All version. To celebrate the event, MMORPG.com Community Manager Michael Bitton sat down with Champions Online Executive Producer Shannon Posniewski. They chatted up the Free For All Champions within hours of its official release. Check it out and then weigh in on the conversation in the comments below.

Champions Online: Free for All Launch Day Q&A with Shannon Posniewski (Ten Ton Hammer)

At the same time, we know that freeform leveling can be daunting, and this works out well because we know all these archetypes are balanced pretty well and are going to be fun to play. Another reason is that, on the microtransaction side, we didn’t want to hold up any kind of content for silver members, but we needed to hold back something. That’s why we decided to monetize these, basically, so we’re going to be selling new archetypes as time goes on. A bunch of these reasons work together, so it felt like the right way to go.

Behind the Mask: The exploiter's dilemma (Massively)

It's tough being an exploiter, especially in a game like Champions Online. It carries a certain social stigma, somewhere above catgirls but below most other castes of players. I feel like the exploiters have a bad rep, because other players misunderstand and misrepresent us. Exploiters are the players who find bugs and ultimately discover FOTMs or gimmick builds and strategies. Because most people consider bugs and "flavors of the month" to be bad, the people who work to discover these things tend to be treated badly.

Champions Online previews the new Archetype system (Massively)

As it turns out, archetypes will end up with slightly fewer overall powers than freeform heroes but with the same general power level. The preview explains the split as being one of versatility -- freeform heroes will be able to take many roles, but archetype heroes will perform one role well and that's it.

Behind the Mask: Those good old (PvP) days (Massively)

Melee got its day of reckoning, and the Super Power Pack and the immediate aftermath launched a huge number of changes to melee powers. It was at this time that the block advantage Laser Knight was discovered, and melee became the archetype to beat. Might became heralded as the best due to "upper spam" abuse. Because of the way knockback resist worked, the bonus damage from many KB powers was multiplying. Uppercut became the power of choice, and Hero Games was full of knock-spam abuse.

Behind the Mask: The art of costume contests (Massively)

The idea behind kingmaking in a costume contest is that the person you want to win has no chance, and someone whose costume you don't like is winning the contest. If you choose to vote last, you can sabotage someone else's win to give someone you like more a guaranteed spot. This is preferable to throwing away your votes on someone you like, but who otherwise won't get any votes.

Behind the Mask: What Archetypes really need (Massively)

Archetypes follow the Final Fantasy method. They have a slow creep of power towards an eventual peak, generally in the very late levels. Unfortunately, CO's power system doesn't agree well with this method. Top-level builds generally have a minimum of attacks, filling the middle levels with useful utility powers and a mainstay attack or two until the critical mega-attack unlocks. Some builds even get these critical "fun attacks" at ridiculously low levels. Ice and Infernal builds can get their power AoEs as soon as they exit the tutorial, for instance.