My Champions Online Review

Czzarre

Hey all, its been several days now and some players are still having a tough time getting into the game. As such, I thought the game has been released long enough to put down a comprehensive review of Champions Online.

Although I write this champions is technically ‘in beta’ ..the real fact is the game is out and available to the public to purchase and play. As such, players are trying to make a decision as to whether or not this game is right for them (and spending ~$50). It is my hope that this review will help you with this decision. I will update and revise the review constantly through open beta as I expect many things will change.

 

Champions Online: The Review

"Super Fun PVE … Super Bland PvP..and a Lot of Spandex in Between"

I worked hard to make it unbiased, fairly comprehensive and fun to read.  Focusing on being straightforward  as possible …addressing why the highs aren’t so high, nor the lows so disastrous.

However I would really like your input. Aspects I overlooked, things you liked or didn't like, spelling mistakes, or any errors Ive made (I may be superhuman in this game, but I remain a mere mortal in life) .

I don't mind if you post how much you hate the review, just be constructive as to how I can improve. I actually encourage people to point out what they didnt like or dont agree with and why. Sometimes the harshest of critiques are the most useful.

Thanks all!

Beachcomber

A good read and the first place i have read that actually tells how many zones there are within the game.

Czzarre

Thanks , I tried to make it enjoyable to read and actually give information on the game as opposed to just likes and dislikes.

Beachcomber

What do you think about end game longevity? I know theres daily quests but do you see enough content to keep people busy when they are max level?

 

 

Czzarre

I will be honest. I don't know.

If someone asked me that question when WoW was first released I would tell you that the End game consisted of going into an epic dungeon called Molten Core (Ahh, pleading for a spot in an MC raid...Those days seem so far away...so innocent and naive we were back then). Obviously no one can see what the future will bring.

I do feel that how Champions performs in the first month or two will really drive how much end game content there will be. There is always a race when a game is released. The race is between the bulk of the playerbase as they level up, and the developers to ensure there is adequate end game content. If there are major issues at release (Server instability, balance issues, client bugs, or massive exploitation) devs must devote resources to tackle those issues...all the while the playerbase gets closer to end game content. The devs can quickly find themselves trying to play catchup. If Launch goes smoothly with little problems, then a lot more people can work on developing the game and make more end game content sooner. We can only hope for the latter ..we've certainly had our fair share of bad launches of late.

 

tyanya

I really find CO an awful game BUT I think your review is spot on, you obviously just have different priorities and expectations coming to it which is all cool.

Amarsir

Thank you for the well-written review.

Can you speak a bit more on grouping? I get that it reverts to traditional roles (which makes sense, there are jobs to be done). But how much does it happen? Could you go your whole life teaming if you wanted to? Solo or team based on the day's mood? Find pickup groups easily, or form your own team? Group only for certain conent or have the instances scale up? How many players per team are allowed?

I'm sure you are right on eventual nerfs. It's just inevitable with an open-ended power system like this. Champions on paper had power problems, and early days of City of Heroes were wildly imbalancd as well. So hopefully they'll have the skill to find their way through that - and will manage expectations appropriately.

Manchine

A decent review. 

tyanya

Teaming/grouping has been a consistent complaint made against the game throughout beta, the server uses shards to manage the population which presents problems of its own (potentially throwing people onto different shards each time they log in etc) but on a more general basis the style of play promoted is for some reason more insular and selfish (farming and loot much to blame methinks, oh my how original), open world design and the open powers selection also removes the real need for team roles so that grouping is overall less of a natural process. Imagine lots of solo games with overlaps and intrusions wnated or not and you get the feel of the world.

Cryptics solution seems to be toward more enforced team challenges/quests which is a case of treating the effect not the cause.

Aganazer

Originally posted by tyanya


Teaming/grouping has been a consistent complaint made against the game throughout beta, the server uses shards to manage the population which presents problems of its own (potentially throwing people onto different shards each time they log in etc) but on a more general basis the style of play promoted is for some reason more insular and selfish (farming and loot much to blame methinks, oh my how original), open world design and the open powers selection also removes the real need for team roles so that grouping is overall less of a natural process. Imagine lots of solo games with overlaps and intrusions wnated or not and you get the feel of the world.
Cryptics solution seems to be toward more enforced team challenges/quests which is a case of treating the effect not the cause.

 

Interesting topic. I agree that there is a teaming problem in CO, but I don't think it has anything to do with the shard system.

The shard system will always show you exactly how many friends, teamates, and SG members are in each zone. The auto-selection (the one at the top) always favors the ones with your friends in it. I always log into the game in the same zone as my friends. In my case it has worked in favor of easy grouping because it clusters the friend groups.

The real problem is the content. My wife and I destroyed Ferd. I soloed him all the time in closed beta. After that you don't get another group mission until Fight Club at level 15 (which I soloed on a Might character). The group content isn't tweaked right and there isn't enough of it.

If there were some real challenges then we might start to see people building their characters around a group synergy. I plan to do exactly this, but just out of fun because I play with my wife and don't need to worry about being able to solo content. That means I can take all those CC and group oriented powers without worrying about gimping my character.

Czzarre

Originally posted by Amarsir


Thank you for the well-written review.
Can you speak a bit more on grouping? I get that it reverts to traditional roles (which makes sense, there are jobs to be done). But how much does it happen? Could you go your whole life teaming if you wanted to? Solo or team based on the day's mood? Find pickup groups easily, or form your own team? Group only for certain conent or have the instances scale up? How many players per team are allowed?
I'm sure you are right on eventual nerfs. It's just inevitable with an open-ended power system like this. Champions on paper had power problems, and early days of City of Heroes were wildly imbalancd as well. So hopefully they'll have the skill to find their way through that - and will manage expectations appropriately.

 

I agree with the above posters. Teaming up doesnt happen as often as in other MMOs (WoW for example). The content is solo friendly and you do not need a lot of grouping for quests. HOwever, when I encountered another hero and asked for a group..I was never turned down. When I asked a question over zone channel..it was always answered. This may be 'beta' mentality ..we are there to test. However I found the community thus far helpful ...just not 'barrens chat' social.

Amarsir

Thanks for answering that. I'm a little surprised and disappointed that they seem to have dropped the ball on teaming.

When CoH first came around, it was innovative in a couple different ways. Teaming was a big part of that. Since that game is instance-based, every instance can scale - and spawned mobs in non-instanced groups can also scale up if the player spawning them is teamed. The "find a teammate" interface was I believe the best in existence at the time. And they invented Sidekicking, which has caused similar systems to be created elsewhere.

For what's been called "CoH 2", I'd have expected further movement in those directions. To hear from many people that it's "fine but nothing new", and that they lost some of their strengths, that's not a good sign. Only Archenemies is innovative and that seems solo-focused. I'm glad they didn't go the opposite direction of requiring teams for everything (I think the industry grew out of that 7-8 years ago) but an MMO with too much soloing isn't much of an MMO.

maskedweasel

 Mm, playing through the game (even now) I find it hard to believe that grouping has to be done at all except for very few missions, where you would fight a legendary or sometimes cosmic enemy.  Part of me feels thats the way it should be.. and they should just up the amount of legendary enemies.

 

Currently in thie OB I haven't *had* to group a single time. I have grouped multiple times to help those that ask for it.  I've outleveled a great deal of content (as I'm trying to see if I can level without ever going to MC, and so far, I'm level 20 and haven't visited MC yet -- huzzah!)  

I think on a game like this where a great deal of missions are out in the open and tough to scale, teaming will never really need to be a necessity.. .and i wouldn't want it to be.  I'd love to have to group for certain missions.... then again, I also love trying to solo missions created for 5 players.. I just think they should scale missions better like they did in CoX which overall would make peopl want to group more.  

 

Maybe have certain missions that when you have a full team, you get a random legendary spawn or something... y'know, make it worth doing for once.

Yamota

Excellent review! You could remove the too many attempts of humor though.

Czzarre

Also in regards to teaming moving as a group can be downright cumbersome. The various Travel powers really dont synch well when your trying to cross a large distance with your pals. Those with flight, some teleporting (and stopping every 5 seconds), others superspeeding but have to go around objects, its hard to follow someone with superjump, etc. I think a group travel mode would be a solid addition.

Yamota, You're probably right that I attempted humor too much in the review...rest assured I was crying on the inside.

banthis

Originally posted by Aganazer

Originally posted by tyanya


Teaming/grouping has been a consistent complaint made against the game throughout beta, the server uses shards to manage the population which presents problems of its own (potentially throwing people onto different shards each time they log in etc) but on a more general basis the style of play promoted is for some reason more insular and selfish (farming and loot much to blame methinks, oh my how original), open world design and the open powers selection also removes the real need for team roles so that grouping is overall less of a natural process. Imagine lots of solo games with overlaps and intrusions wnated or not and you get the feel of the world.
Cryptics solution seems to be toward more enforced team challenges/quests which is a case of treating the effect not the cause.

 

Interesting topic. I agree that there is a teaming problem in CO, but I don't think it has anything to do with the shard system.

The shard system will always show you exactly how many friends, teamates, and SG members are in each zone. The auto-selection (the one at the top) always favors the ones with your friends in it. I always log into the game in the same zone as my friends. In my case it has worked in favor of easy grouping because it clusters the friend groups.

The real problem is the content. My wife and I destroyed Ferd. I soloed him all the time in closed beta. After that you don't get another group mission until Fight Club at level 15 (which I soloed on a Might character). The group content isn't tweaked right and there isn't enough of it.

If there were some real challenges then we might start to see people building their characters around a group synergy. I plan to do exactly this, but just out of fun because I play with my wife and don't need to worry about being able to solo content. That means I can take all those CC and group oriented powers without worrying about gimping my character.

 

actually if you group with 3 or more people the counters & bosses increase indifficulty (as in run for help or fight harder / smarter )& rewards its a dynamic system ..but you have to actually group with people to get the benefits.

SavageSage

Just a couple points on crafting.

There are currently 500 skill points max in crafting, at this point in open beta. You start out with a Max cap of 100 and have to "purchase" higher level access from your trainer in their store tab. You have to have a specific level in order to qualify to purchase the next level, 10th to be able to buy the 101-200 level, 20th for the 201-300, 30th for the 301-400 and 40th for the 401-500 (I believe. May be a little off on the higher level requirements, doing it from memory).

You can skill up your crafting in 3 different ways. The afore mentioned "Research" method of tearing items apart. Gathering materials also levels up the crafting skill, as does actually making items.

Last patch appears to have revved up the skill leveling that the gathering aspect actually does. Was in last night with a new alt, focusing on crafting, and he gained 25 points in the very first gather run at Project Greenskin, without really even trying hard.

 

xover33

 Very good read and in depth review and touches on pretty much everything.  I will disagree about the graphics being good (I have a high end computer with a high end card and nothing I did made the game feel polished).  But other than that good stuff.

Czzarre

Thanks Savage, I noticed the change to gathering last night. I will update the info on the article. thanks again!

Shreddi

I must say I was somewhat dissapointed at first but like all mmo's they dont come alive till at least lvl 10 and this one even a little sooner.  At first I was regreting doing the lifetime script,  Now after creating a couple chars im hooked.  The idea of trying before buying new powers is awsome.  Theire are so many powers and buffs to choose from its mind boggling, not to mention the so so many travel powers (gotta try swinging just for the hell of it,  its like spiderman with a steal cable instead of web)  Havnt done PVP yet other than to test powers before buying, there are always willing players in the powerhouse (the place you buy powers after leveling) to help out in that department.  For other powers there are test rooms,  obsticacle course for travel powers, crash test dummies to pound, stuff to test strenth on like a weight room only different size crates to lift and throw around (picking up a mailbox, bench, lightpost, etc and hurling at an enemy is the best) and a lazer beam room to test blocking and buffs.  Would have been nice if there were a room with dummies that fought back to test live combat but thats where the players helping ya out comes in (havent run into a dummy in that departement either),  the population has been very cool so far.   Some parts of map look cool, like a paint ball camp, so I decide to fly on over and get blown out of the sky with a AA detonator missile of some sort which droped me like a bug.  But then again Im only lvl 11 way out of my zone so deserved it.   Its Beta, there are bugs but very playable.   First day was a beyioth of a clusterfrick until they provided the entire updated client to be downloaded and installed ouside the downloader/installer (I hate those things).   I live in an area where dsl sucks and for people like us they never work.   Anyway, this is way too long.    I like the game (can ya tell ,  Im sure a lot wont but then again thats why so many different mmo's are out and doing well.  I have probably tried most every one since the 80's.  Yea Im old but you will be too some day.  My next big looking forward to play is APB.  Already played Aion beta (nice of ncsoft to give out beta and game free for shutting down Tabula Rasa on us.    Sorry, I said I was hanging up long ago.  Have fun.  Im gonna play co.

Czzarre

Originally posted by Shreddi


I must say I was somewhat dissapointed at first but like all mmo's they dont come alive till at least lvl 10 and this one even a little sooner.  At first I was regreting doing the lifetime script,  Now after creating a couple chars im hooked.  The idea of trying before buying new powers is awsome.  Theire are so many powers and buffs to choose from its mind boggling, not to mention the so so many travel powers (gotta try swinging just for the hell of it,  its like spiderman with a steal cable instead of web)  Havnt done PVP yet other than to test powers before buying, there are always willing players in the powerhouse (the place you buy powers after leveling) to help out in that department.  For other powers there are test rooms,  obsticacle course for travel powers, crash test dummies to pound, stuff to test strenth on like a weight room only different size crates to lift and throw around (picking up a mailbox, bench, lightpost, etc and hurling at an enemy is the best) and a lazer beam room to test blocking and buffs.  Would have been nice if there were a room with dummies that fought back to test live combat but thats where the players helping ya out comes in (havent run into a dummy in that departement either),  the population has been very cool so far.   Some parts of map look cool, like a paint ball camp, so I decide to fly on over and get blown out of the sky with a AA detonator missile of some sort which droped me like a bug.  But then again Im only lvl 11 way out of my zone so deserved it.   Its Beta, there are bugs but very playable.   First day was a beyioth of a clusterfrick until they provided the entire updated client to be downloaded and installed ouside the downloader/installer (I hate those things).   I live in an area where dsl sucks and for people like us they never work.   Anyway, this is way too long.    I like the game (can ya tell ,  Im sure a lot wont but then again thats why so many different mmo's are out and doing well.  I have probably tried most every one since the 80's.  Yea Im old but you will be too some day.  My next big looking forward to play is APB.  Already played Aion beta (nice of ncsoft to give out beta and game free for shutting down Tabula Rasa on us.    Sorry, I said I was hanging up long ago.  Have fun.  Im gonna play co.

I think this game comes out strong very early on. The tutorial levels are a lot of fun...however they do grow a bit stale after your 4th or 5th hero. I hope Cryptic  will eventually offer a a bypss over these zones for veteran players.

 

...Heh, I ran into that painball camp (In canada) and got blasted out of the sky too

Czzarre

Review is now set in the final version.

Thanks for all the comments

SavageSage

You forgot Archery in the Tech category.

Czzarre

Originally posted by SavageSage


You forgot Archery in the Tech category.

Gah!!