Champions Online

[electro]

Lifetime Subscriptions come with:

   * Access to the Star Trek Online Closed Beta, beginning later this year!
   * Exclusive Art Deco costume set
   * Exclusive Retro Future costume set, available only to lifetime subscribers
   * Unique Mirror Universe outfit for Star Trek Online, available at the game?s release
   * Exclusive in-game Foxbat action figure, available only to lifetime subscribers
   * Eight additional character slots!

6-Month Discounted Subscriptions come with:

   * Saves $29.95 USD (33% off!) over regular monthly subscription!
   * Exclusive Art Deco costume set
   * Access to the Star Trek Online Closed Beta, beginning later this year!

These are decent bonuses - I'll time card the first month to see if the game has potential to keep me interested

[BlueBard]

I'd be interested in playing a beta of Star Trek Online, but not $200 interested.

[Lionheart]

<---- Been in it since early alpha. 

This.

I'll be staying where I'm at (CoH and LOTRO).

[MJB]

I'd be interested in playing a beta of Star Trek Online, but not $200 interested.

So far there is a couple of different ways to get Star Trek beta keys. I foresee that they will keep this up right until open beta. You'll have plenty of chances to get in.

[Valandar]

So... did anybody else notice that when Defender charges up his attack in the final mish of the Tutorial Zone, the box above his head occasionally says "Freeem"?

[Xenolith]

yeah, that part is kind of funny.  TSoaLR, right?
Also, in the desert there is a public quest where you can fight Hangin' Judge Shane Hensley (Pinnacle Games founder), and one of my favorite mission names is "Are you there Grond, it's me, Viper."  Oh, oh, also, there is a Foxbat mission where he takes over a television studio.  The cast of Anchorman are the hostages.  There is even a jazz flute reference.

This game has a lot of humor in it, but its not a comedy.  It is entertaining.

[Midnite]

A little reminder, open Beta starts on Monday, Aug 17th. Closed Beta ended today.

[Xenolith]

I'll be on tonight.  Maybe I'll make Xenolith. 

[UnkoMan]

I tried to get in on this closed Beta thing, after I won this key... but I couldn't do it. I heard it works in BootCamp but something must be wrong with mine because the updater barely connects to the internet. I could never download patches. Got to 60% after a day once, and the connection timed out.

My internet can be slow sometimes, but not that slow. I wonder if there's a problem somewhere else... except I wouldn't know where to look.

But tell me, folks, is this a fun game? Does it play like CoX or different? I'm curious.

[Tomato]

Unko, I'd love to tell you how I feel about this game after the 12 hour gaming session I had planned for today... but I can't. Because the downloader is being silly.

I'm going to bed. I'm gonna leave it on so that it might get one or two more files, but I'm not that hopeful. Maybe tomorrow, when things have cooled down...

[Midnite]

I tried to get in on this closed Beta thing, after I won this key... but I couldn't do it. I heard it works in BootCamp but something must be wrong with mine because the updater barely connects to the internet. I could never download patches. Got to 60% after a day once, and the connection timed out.

My internet can be slow sometimes, but not that slow. I wonder if there's a problem somewhere else... except I wouldn't know where to look.

But tell me, folks, is this a fun game? Does it play like CoX or different? I'm curious.

In my opinion, its not that great. I prefer CoX.

[Tomato]

Having now played it... I gotta say, while certain things bug me (like har not staying put on the head  ) the play system is fun in a way I felt was lacking in CoX... the gameplay feels more like a cross between MUA and one player comic games like Spiderman and Wolverine Origins, while keeping the diversity of CoX (and moreso)

[Xenolith]

I think it's fun.  Unfortunately the intro scenario isn't, and neither are the crisis missions right after tht intro.  Once thoese are done, the game lives up to its potential. 

[JKCarrier]

Meh, it's all right, but I'm not seeing anything so far that I would consider an improvement over CoX. Do they have an equivalent to CoX's inspirations? I'm getting killed a lot, and it would be nice if I could carry around some healing.

[Xenolith]

Sometimes enemies will drop items that give you health, energy, or defensive bonsuses for a short time.  You can't save them like you can in CoX.  Later in the game, when you begin crafting, you can make things that will heal you.

[JKCarrier]

I'm in the desert section now, and it's kind of irritating how most of the missions take place out in the open -- everyone is competing for the same enemies and items. Is the whole game like this, or do you get more of your own "instanced" missions later on?

[Xenolith]

There are more out in the open missions that not.  If the mission is along the lines of "go kill x" then really all you have to do is one point of damage to x and you will still get credit.  So, if somebody is fighting x, just jump right in.

The big problem is that there are a ton of people all at the same level, so respawns are fairly slow.  Some missions I've had to come back to, while others have been ready when I got to them.

[Tortuga]

That tutorial/intro mission is looooooong.  Some fun parts to it, but some moments of "What the heck do I do now?"  If anyone wants to hook up, I'm on as The Silver Standard@Tortuga (I think that's how the message system works).

[BentonGrey]

I'm tempted to preorder this.  As someone who was never grabbed by the standard MMO formula, and who always hated the play style that seemed synonymous with "MMO," the idea of the game having something in common with MUA is a big incentive.  If I can get some hard drive space sorted out, I may very well preorder it.  What do y'all say.  Is it worth it?

[Tomato]

Ok, I'll go over the play system really quickly so most guys here can understand it... and then once I've finished a convo with Vertex I'll get back on >P.

You have 3 Basic attack types in terms of energy usage:

-Charge attacks: Basically these are your basic attacks for Champions. They do a puny amount of damage, but will charge up your MP(or whatever they're calling it...) with every use. I probably fire off 5-10 of these between each of my other techniques.
-"Basic" attacks: These are probably the most common, they fire off decent damage but use MP with every use.
-"Hold" attacks: From what I've seen, these do more damage in general then "Basic" attacks, but also have a wait period between each use.

A typical battle will have me run up, hit an enemy with a few charge attacks, then use my "Hold" attack (if I'm not still waiting on it) then charge some more, then alternate between my charge and my basic until my hold is back (most enemies at my current level go down with the Hold one though.) During the match you can also defend, dodge, run around in circles, etc... though I'll usually just back away and make them chase me since all my attacks are ranged anyway.

Note: I quoted Basic and Hold because I just made up the names for them.

[Xenolith]

I'll be on tonight...executioner at whlukash

I'm in Millenium City right now.  Feel free to shout out if you need some orientation or help with a mission. 

[BentonGrey]

So, most missions happen out in the open, where you're forced to mix with people, right?  I don't care for that at all.  I like playing these games with my friends or on my own, so I don't like the idea of being lost in a conveyor belt of heroes waiting for a quest to respond.  Do y'all think that the numbers will thin out a bit once they get more servers?

[Xenolith]

I don't think it's a server issue as much as everyone is now level 1-20.  It is annoying to play right now.  Maybe waiting a few days will alleviate the conveyor belt syndrome?

[JKCarrier]

I don't understand the logic behind having most missions out in the open, other than they were just trying to come up with something to differentiate themselves from CoH. That, and the overly-complicated powers system are my biggest gripes. I'm sure the min-maxers love having so many options to fiddle with, but for me it's just more detail than I want to mess with.

[Xenolith]

Well, it's Champions after all, and what else is Champsions but a min/max-ers delight?    I personally like the open mission because I can knock out 3 or 4 in the time it takes me to do one or two in CoX.  I understand the frustration that the game isn't more personal though.

I do like how powers work, except I do think some are way better than others.  That being said, there seems to be many tactics within power sest players can choose.  For example, I created a character with ballistics skills.  I didn't really think the guns powers were that fun, though they were powerful, so on a lark I chose mini-mines, which allows the character to throw out a ring of mines that explode around the enemies.  It is great for taking out henchmen.  The only trouble was that I was getting pretty beat up by the time I got close to the enemies unless I surprised them.  Well, a few levels later I gained access to gas bombs, which allow me to reach the enemies before they can shoot at me.  Voila, insta-henchmen-knockout.  The only problem I have now is that the mines don't do enough damage to take out villain level opponents, so I have to rely on my underpowered guns (because I haven't been upgrading those powers) to finish the fights. 

Honestly, I think the game is set up so you can have any kind of power you want within a framework, you just need to find ones you like, max them out, and have fun.

[BlueBard]

Well, it's Champions after all, and what else is Champsions but a min/max-ers delight?   

True.  That element of Champions (paper) I had forgotten about.  I'm not really into that kind of play style.  If the online game is structured to make things challenging for min/maxers, plus require any level of manual dexterity, I'm afraid it won't be for me.  I think I'll sit out for awhile and see what develops.

I just want to have powers that fit my concept instead of the other way around and feel just a little bit "super" when I play.  Is that too much for a dexterously-challenged nerd like me to ask?

[Xenolith]

I don't think it requires any more or less manual dexterity than CoX.  I consider myself to be quick trigger challenged as well.  Those that are good at it will probably do better, like most MMORPGs.

I'm certainly not trying to sway anyone to Champions, but I will say this.  A lot of the comments I hear are "well, they are about the same thing" and that's true.  However, I think Champions feels more like a comic book world than CoX.  CoX feels like a sci-fi world.  I think that's the only reason why I prefer Champions over CoX.  I was very disppointed that Champions starts players out during an alien invasion, but it gets resovled quickly enough.  I just hate that opening mission. 

[BentonGrey]

You know, I still haven't made up my mind (probably won't for a while), but if the game didn't have an auto-hit system with powers, I'd be a lot more inclined to get it.  If it were more like MUA, where you could dodge attacks by movement, I would DEFINITELY get it.  As it is...I like the idea of having arcade style controls, but they just may not have gone far enough for me.  I REALLY hate the standard MMO power, power, power, wash, rinse, repeat thing.

[Tomato]

You know, I still haven't made up my mind (probably won't for a while), but if the game didn't have an auto-hit system with powers, I'd be a lot more inclined to get it.  If it were more like MUA, where you could dodge attacks by movement, I would DEFINITELY get it.  As it is...I like the idea of having arcade style controls, but they just may not have gone far enough for me.  I REALLY hate the standard MMO power, power, power, wash, rinse, repeat thing.

Well, I guess my thing is it really doesn't feel like that type of system in practice, at least not to me. To me, the Charge attacks feel much less like "power power power" and more like MUA's generic attacks did, where it feels more like "run up, hit enemies a few time, use a superpower for more damage."

As far as auto hit though... I don't see where you get that. I waged a whole "boss" fight (for those playing along, it's the one in Canada where you investigate tainted fish) keeping a rock between me and my opponent while I waited for my attacks to take their toll (Tomato=fire blaster, so several of his attacks do damage over time as opposed to immediately). I also fly up above enemies frequently, run around them, and all that.

[BentonGrey]

So terrain can intervene?  That's something.  Still, I thought that, punch for punch, you always hit (unless you have specific defenses).  Say you're super fast, and you punch a bad guy, and then run around to his back as he's trying to punch you.  Does he hit?