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The Phoenix Project

Started by catwhowalksbyhimself, December 18, 2012, 03:52:59 AM

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catwhowalksbyhimself

Don't know how many of you already know about this, but the Titan Network folks are now working on their own successor to CoH, and the plans look pretty good so far.  There's a Google doc of their plans and a video with concept art that looks pretty darn impressive.  I like some of their ideas so far, which include a character system based on CoH but more freeform.  Basically, you would pick one primary powerset category, one less effective secondary, and three inherent abilities to more or less create whatever archetype you want.  Mercedes Lackey is part of this effort, being the many story person.

Golden Girl's also making a different one, but it looks highly derivitive and not really worth talking about.
I am the cat that walks by himself, all ways are alike to me.

BlueBard

I was initially interested, and I'm still interested by the more open source approach to this project.  It's got some potential, if they can manage to fund it and if they can develop their own tech without running afoul of Cryptic's or NCSoft's IP.

But the Writer's Guide leaves me wholly uninterested in the Plan Z storyline.  One of the things I really didn't like about CoH toward the end was the strong focus on the supernatural, and this seems to take that even a step further.  I can accept the presence of the supernatural in a superhero IP, but I dislike it being a major focus.  The involvement of Mercedes Lackey explains a lot about why that is, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to play in a game world designed around her influence. 

It's a matter of personal predilections for me -- I tend to like SciFi and Epic Fantasy (think Tolkien) and shy away from Supernatural and Urban Fantasy.  Stuff with a more SciFi feel will appeal to me, whereas a tone of Supernatural Fantasy will drive me away.
STO/CO: @bluegeek

life_matrix

#2
Well, I never did try City of Heroes. But now that it's gone and I read about the game, I really feel like I missed out on something.  :unsure:

Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on December 18, 2012, 03:52:59 AM
Don't know how many of you already know about this, but...

Cool! Thanks for the heads up.

I've tried a few searches to see of there was anything like CoH out there. The most I found was this article:

Potential new homes after City of Heroes

While Fantasy-themed MMOs are a dime a dozen, there really are not many superhero MMOs available. Only four are listed in this article. And one of these, The Secret World, is not a superhero game at all. (It's really just a paranormal investigator thing with guns and melee fighting occult influences.)

It sounds like the closest right now would be Champions Online. But it's clearly not CoH and has some cons. And while it might technically be free now, I'm still afraid to give it a try: "...this game clearly loves its cash shop in a way that CoH never did."

And, from what I'm reading, DC Universe Online would not appeal to me:
Quote...you can't begin the game by going nuts in your costume creator. Costumes are unlocked through a combination of in-game equipment and previously worn equipment...

QuoteIt's also been criticized as being a relatively shallow game, with little to do at the top but grind for relatively minor enhancements. There's also the sense that you're always going to be overshadowed by the big names...

Also: Where are the free superhero MMORPGs?

I've tried searches on mmorpg.com but, amazingly, it's pretty empty. There are a few other superhero MMOs targeted at young children and some browser-based MMOs, but that's it. :rolleyes:

Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on December 18, 2012, 03:52:59 AM
Golden Girl's also making a different one, but it looks highly derivitive and not really worth talking about.

FYI: Here's a link to Golden Girl's deviantart page. And here's a link to her Heroes and Villains project.

I'm curious: What about this project do you find "not really worth talking about"? Is it because it sounds derivative? Or is it because it's a very ambitious "player-made and run superhero MMO" project that hasn't really gotten off the ground yet and may take 5 or 10 years to get something playable? Personally, the idea of it being derivative of CoH doesn't put me off. Quite the contrary.

The wait for something playable is a big deal, though. But then, I tend to have more patience than most.

To give an idea, the Vega Strike open-source space sim and the DungeonHack open-source fantasy RPG are fan-made games and have been in the works for years... and still are no where near finished. (Though, they are starting to reach a playable state.)

In contrast, software companies have full-time programmers, game designers, artists, etc. and so can turn out a game comparatively quickly.

Quote from: BlueBard on December 18, 2012, 03:36:56 PM
...But the Writer's Guide leaves me wholly uninterested in the Plan Z storyline.  One of the things I really didn't like about CoH toward the end was the strong focus on the supernatural, and this seems to take that even a step further.  I can accept the presence of the supernatural in a superhero IP, but I dislike it being a major focus.

It probably wouldn't bother me. My concerns would be whether it sticks to being a superhero game first and foremost, whether it's highly customizable and the power system is fun, whether it's affordable, etc.

As for supernatural elements: They don't necessarily turn me off a game. It depends. I enjoyed some of the Shin Megami Tensei games, for example, and they're all about the supernatural. Personally, the manner in which supernatural and paranormal elements are handled is a big factor for me. It's the horror genre and outright gore that I have a big problem with. And too many folks lump together the paranormal and supernatural genres with the horror genre as if they were all the same thing, when that's not always accurate. :( One can easily have a paranormal or supernatural theme with little, if any, horror - let alone blood 'n gore.

That said, I can see how a supernatural and/or paranormal theme can be unappealing to many.
"I'm going to hang up this phone, and then I'm going to show these people what you don't want them to see. I'm going to show them a world without you. A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible." - Neo, The Matrix

Reepicheep

I knew Golden Girl quite well. She popped on to Defiant a good few times to join in some of our bigger events. I may not know her well enough to judge if she has the conviction to see it through, but she was a very charming player and I wish her all the best on the project.

The Titan Network, on the other hand, has an enormous following and knowledge/skill base to actually see this through. If I had to put my money on either, it would be the Phoenix Project.

catwhowalksbyhimself

I had the pleasure of playing with GG a few times myself on Freedom and found her to be a great and competent player.  She tends to rub people the wrong way, though, and the material she has posted seems way too derivative for my tastes.  I still wish her the best though.
I am the cat that walks by himself, all ways are alike to me.

BlueBard

Quote from: life_matrix on December 30, 2012, 11:59:14 AM
It sounds like the closest right now would be Champions Online. But it's clearly not CoH and has some cons. And while it might technically be free now, I'm still afraid to give it a try: "...this game clearly loves its cash shop in a way that CoH never did."

If you're willing to play within the F2P restrictions of Champions, it's not so bad from a gameplay perspective.  I haven't played it enough to know the storylines or to experience the higher level content.

That said, unless you're a subscriber or want to pay for a la carte add-ons, you won't get access to a lot of archetypes and costume options and you can't roll a freeform custom hero without a sub.  Also, I've never much cared for some of the faces available.

I really want to like Champs -- it's the only superhero game left that gives you complete freedom to customize.  DCUO's costume options and power selections ultimately turned me off on that game and recent updates have made it unplayable on my laptop in any case.

I welcome the idea of creating an open source game engine, and this is certainly ambitious.  It's just the writing that leaves me cold.  For their sakes, I hope they opt for a game premise that appeals to a lot of people.
STO/CO: @bluegeek