Not to mention I'm starting to worry whether or not their system will become very repetitive. I mean, it was mostly the little Spider-Man web-flinging clone of an attack, with the occasional divergence here and there.
So basically, it looks like playing a lvl 6 in CoX.
I can tolerate a clunky interface/action pace in something like CoX, because the rest of the game moves at that same clunky pace. However, if everything else is running real time and you just gotta spam the shit out of everything over and over again, then you might as well be playing TF2.
Not to mention I'm starting to worry whether or not their system will become very repetitive. I mean, it was mostly the little Spider-Man web-flinging clone of an attack, with the occasional divergence here and there.
So basically, it looks like playing a lvl 6 in CoX.
Maybe he was playing a lev 6 CO character? Hell, it might have even been a lev 1 pre-made character.
Is release date still sometime in 2009? Is it in Alpha currently or have they even reached that stage? Could showing that footage have done more harm then good?
edit: It could just be that they were trying to show a sample of the game long before they were actually ready to do so.
Jack Emmert said that Cryptic is planning to launch CO in April of 2009, so they've got plenty of time to iron out the kinks.
And, eh, people? If you're not interested in a game based on ametuer camera footage of a person who sucks at playing a demo build of said game that isn't even in alpha testing yet, I think we can agree that if you're going to start judging this game that would not be what you should judge it off of.
Maybe he was playing a lev 6 CO character? Hell, it might have even been a lev 1 pre-made character.
If they were playing a pre-made, why in blazes would they let them only play a lowbie? Wouldn't it make more sense to fit them with at least a mid-range? After all, you want them to be interested in it right off the bat, considering that in a convention, whoever's playing doesn't have future levels to look forward to.
Hopefully you're right though, and this was just a lvl 1 pre-made or whatever.
And, eh, people? If you're not interested in a game based on ametuer camera footage of a person who sucks at playing a demo build of said game that isn't even in alpha testing yet, I think we can agree that if you're going to start judging this game that would not be what you should judge it off of.
First of all let me say that the amateur camera footage is not the problem here. It's shaky, and it's blurry. But I'm not discussing the interface or the textures here.
The gameplay looks clunky. The way the character moves for instance, or how a defeated enemy stands there for a while before the death animation plays.
However, what REALLY bugged me were the attacks. Because let's be honest here, even a clueless newbie will mash buttons randomly to see what's in their arsenal... and yet, it was basically just the energy flinging animation over and over again, with the occasional trapping an enemy inside a forcefield. The character also set a huge forcefield down at one point.
The repetitive attacks were in plain sight even in the latest official trailer, so I'm REALLY hoping this isn't a case of you getting a "light" attack you spam until your "medium" is usable, then once you have spammed that one enough, you get to use your "heavy", repeated ad nauseam.
So basically that guy is playing a game that is currently unplayable, and he is doing it poorly.
Hopefully Cryptic is willing to push the date back further if it is necessary. Asheron's Call 2 proved that releasing an MMO before it is in a playable state is not a good idea.
Jack Emmert said that Cryptic is planning to launch CO in April of 2009, so they've got plenty of time to iron out the kinks.
And, eh, people? If you're not interested in a game based on ametuer camera footage of a person who sucks at playing a demo build of said game that isn't even in alpha testing yet, I think we can agree that if you're going to start judging this game that would not be what you should judge it off of.
I'd like to chime in here.
I've been watching both Champions Online (CO) and DC Universe Online (DCUO) like a hawk. I love super heroes and comic books, and so having two forthcoming super hero MMOs is like a dream come true for me. I am completely open to buying and playing both games if they both turn out to be well made and fun. Also, I agree that it's way, way too early to make a serious, final judgment on either game.
That said, having read every article and watched every video that I could find to date, DCUO is pulling far ahead of CO in terms of my interest at the moment. DCUO is looking like a much more interesting and better put together product. I'm hoping that the failure on CO's part is their marketing/PR team, and not a reflection on the game itself.
In regards to the above CO video from ComicCon, at the very least I view it as an almost hilarious marketing/PR snafu. They're featuring a boring area, and boring gameplay. Any MMO is going to have a dull area and some dull gameplay, but you don't display that at a convention when you're trying to get people's attention. Look at DCUO's E3 and ComicCon gameplay videos. Compared to CO's they're worlds apart.
To summarize, it's certainly too early to make any final judgments, but so far DCUO is looking much better than CO.
The Joker model looks like shit; and so did the atrocious bump-mapping in that screenshot. But you know what? When I decided to go look at the rest of the screenshots and gameplay videos, it's plain to see that DC Universe Online looks just fine for the visual style they chose to go with. The animation flow is less impressive, but the character models, game world and particle effects all look superb.
Now in Champions Online, those GI Joe and Halo hybrids bug the fuck out of me... way more than that Joker, in fact.
You can't tell methis color mixlooks pleasantto the eye,can you?
I don't like the direction they took with the Joker's model either, but that one character model does not take away from the rest of the game for me.
There is a rest of the game? The only video I've seen of DCUO so far has featured more designers talking than gameplay footage. And the gameplay footage it did feature showed a grand total about about 4 frames of animation per character, and kept showing the same handful of scenes over and over again. And this was only a week or two ago...
Maybe I'm just missing out on something. Or maybe I'm giving Champions too much credit merely because it's going to be on the 360.
I don't like the direction they took with the Joker's model either, but that one character model does not take away from the rest of the game for me.
There is a rest of the game? The only video I've seen of DCUO so far has featured more designers talking than gameplay footage. And the gameplay footage it did feature showed a grand total about about 4 frames of animation per character, and kept showing the same handful of scenes over and over again. And this was only a week or two ago...
Maybe I'm just missing out on something. Or maybe I'm giving Champions too much credit merely because it's going to be on the 360.
What I have here is a compilation of DCUO videos from ComicCon and such, with little blurbs to help me remember which video contains what information. This is just copied and pasted from my online journal.
Interview with Jim Lee. He mentions the difficulty of balancing "normal" characters swinging from ropes versus speedsters. He mentions swinging from webs. Also features a player character with sci-fi armor and two guns. http://www.gametrailers.com/player/38303.html
Plays like an action game.
Graphics look great - not cell-shaded, more of a "realistic cartoon."
All famous DC locations represented.
Jim Lee and staff doing all concept art.
Can't play as iconic characters, but you will be "their equals, not their sidekicks."
Cities are "alive" and populated with people going about their daily lives - not just a bunch of mobs hanging around.
You can swap powers in and out - tank one night, and play support the next.
Choose hero or villain when you create your character, but you can be an anti-hero, etc.
Mix of open world and story-driven gameplay. Heros work on Cases, while villains pull off Capers.
Endgame: Save the world.
Raid Arkham Asylum, etc.
Can't name your character "Batmano."
Voice chat will be integrated.
DCUO's graphics still look like plastic crap next to the stylish sexyness that is CO characters. Of course this is all in my opinoin. Some people think EQ2 looks better than WoW. To each their own.
Anyway this isn't a DCUO thread...even though one post is better than the OP for the actual DC thread. So stop pimping your DC in here.
The only thing that I like the looks of from the DC game so far are the domino missions they've talked about in the overworld and the physical interaction, such as using cars as weapons. Everything else looks bland but those are two pretty big things. :^: Seriously, though, breathtaking?
The wall running is cool, but I wouldn't call it breathtaking by and means. The fact that you stick to every little surface it actually pretty jarring to me. I would say it looks wonky at best.
So basically that guy is playing a game that is currently unplayable, and he is doing it poorly.
And they said, "sure, go ahead and take some crappy video shots of this bad player with our screwed up game and post it on the internets for someone to find with the google"
As I said, DCUO's animations need work. They're somewhat choppy and don't link together well. But the world, character models and particle effects are all top notch. Yes, breathtaking. I was impressed. I don't even care for the majority of the DC characters; I'm more of a Marvel person myself.
EQ2 is about as plastic as it can get; or at least it was, last time I checked. Shitty textures, Poser-like models and uninspired monster designs:
Despite the bump-mapping, which as usual, could be toned down, DCUO does NOT look like the bastard child of Poser:
And come now. I love cel-shading. Good examples of cel-shading or similar techniques are all around:
CO's implementation on the other hand, is pretty much hit or miss. There are times where they nail just the right amount of style, and then there are times when it looks terrible; managing to look incredibly plastic and flat out uninspired... because despite being cel-shaded, they insist on using some atrocious bump-mapping and texture filters:
I still have high hopes for CO. They just need to get some decent videos and screenshots out ASAP.
We'll just have to agree to disagree on the point of graphical tastes because I think CO looks a great deal better than DCUO. That purple and green robot? Looks like a painted plastic model, not metal. The detail is really good, and maybe if light refracts differently off of it in motion it looks like metal, but in the screenshot it looks a lot like a 40k painted model.
What plans does Champions Online have for allowing players to utilize objects in the environment as weapons? (Ex_Machina)
Arkayne (Lead Designer): We've got awesome weapon-izing and throwing of environmental objects throughout our game, Ex_Machina! Check out our excellent hands-on demo at GenCon 2008 and you'll see first-hand what your heroes can do! If you can't make the convention, be sure to watch our web site for follow-up articles.
How will missions be handed out in game? Will we get them from contacts scattered all over Millennium City or will we discovered them as we patrol the city? (Creoleman)
Arkayne: There are a variety of ways to acquire missions, Creoleman! There are all manner of legal authorities, fellow heroes, etc. that are around "hotspot" areas around the Champions Universe looking for a hero to help them out with their problems. There are "crime computers" and holographic terminals found in certain areas of the game. Sometimes players will encounter victims desperately in need of rescue out in hostile environments. Heroes can find "clue items" on defeated foes that open up new missions. There are also "exploration missions" that are automatically added based on the hero's presence in an area. In short – there's plenty of ways for a hero to get involved!
The last three ways of finding missions sounds great.
He seems pretty bad at the game too, at least at the start.
I really don't like that 'pick up stuff' generic animation, coupled with the thing disappearing for a moment, then reappearing (in a different colour, no less!) when he has hold of it.
Also, the powers looked a little generic - I guess it's a case of 'Mental Blades level 5' which do more damage than previous levels, but the combo is fairly short and basic, or something?
Also, Darkness Armor, and the power that I always, always wanted in CoX - something that pulled enemies into a clump, like a reverse Repel effect. Though it didn't seem very effective there.
The AI for the cowboy robots was pretty atrocious though. Several of them just ignored the hero even after he started attacking. The "special event" boss he talked about was just as bad in terms of responding to a threat.
Their version of object weaponization seems to be less fleshed out so far. But I'm sure they'll improve it.
I still want to see more powers used in attack chains. Other than that, this one video looks cooler, even if it's still quite clunky.
Posts
So basically, it looks like playing a lvl 6 in CoX.
Is release date still sometime in 2009? Is it in Alpha currently or have they even reached that stage? Could showing that footage have done more harm then good?
edit: It could just be that they were trying to show a sample of the game long before they were actually ready to do so.
And, eh, people? If you're not interested in a game based on ametuer camera footage of a person who sucks at playing a demo build of said game that isn't even in alpha testing yet, I think we can agree that if you're going to start judging this game that would not be what you should judge it off of.
If they were playing a pre-made, why in blazes would they let them only play a lowbie? Wouldn't it make more sense to fit them with at least a mid-range? After all, you want them to be interested in it right off the bat, considering that in a convention, whoever's playing doesn't have future levels to look forward to.
Hopefully you're right though, and this was just a lvl 1 pre-made or whatever.
First of all let me say that the amateur camera footage is not the problem here. It's shaky, and it's blurry. But I'm not discussing the interface or the textures here.
The gameplay looks clunky. The way the character moves for instance, or how a defeated enemy stands there for a while before the death animation plays.
However, what REALLY bugged me were the attacks. Because let's be honest here, even a clueless newbie will mash buttons randomly to see what's in their arsenal... and yet, it was basically just the energy flinging animation over and over again, with the occasional trapping an enemy inside a forcefield. The character also set a huge forcefield down at one point.
The repetitive attacks were in plain sight even in the latest official trailer, so I'm REALLY hoping this isn't a case of you getting a "light" attack you spam until your "medium" is usable, then once you have spammed that one enough, you get to use your "heavy", repeated ad nauseam.
I'm scared. Someone hold me.
Hopefully Cryptic is willing to push the date back further if it is necessary. Asheron's Call 2 proved that releasing an MMO before it is in a playable state is not a good idea.
I've been watching both Champions Online (CO) and DC Universe Online (DCUO) like a hawk. I love super heroes and comic books, and so having two forthcoming super hero MMOs is like a dream come true for me. I am completely open to buying and playing both games if they both turn out to be well made and fun. Also, I agree that it's way, way too early to make a serious, final judgment on either game.
That said, having read every article and watched every video that I could find to date, DCUO is pulling far ahead of CO in terms of my interest at the moment. DCUO is looking like a much more interesting and better put together product. I'm hoping that the failure on CO's part is their marketing/PR team, and not a reflection on the game itself.
In regards to the above CO video from ComicCon, at the very least I view it as an almost hilarious marketing/PR snafu. They're featuring a boring area, and boring gameplay. Any MMO is going to have a dull area and some dull gameplay, but you don't display that at a convention when you're trying to get people's attention. Look at DCUO's E3 and ComicCon gameplay videos. Compared to CO's they're worlds apart.
To summarize, it's certainly too early to make any final judgments, but so far DCUO is looking much better than CO.
Now in Champions Online, those GI Joe and Halo hybrids bug the fuck out of me... way more than that Joker, in fact.
You can't tell me this color mix looks pleasant to the eye, can you?
Now add bump-mapping and a plastic wrap shader.
Sony to buy Cryptic in 5 years.
Maybe I'm just missing out on something. Or maybe I'm giving Champions too much credit merely because it's going to be on the 360.
Wow.
That is not the awful video I was thinking of. That was downright impressive.
Interview with Jim Lee. He mentions the difficulty of balancing "normal" characters swinging from ropes versus speedsters. He mentions swinging from webs. Also features a player character with sci-fi armor and two guns.
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/38303.html
"Making of DCUO" from DCUO's MySpace page
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/37680.html
ComicCon gameplay "World Encounter" with Brainiac:
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/37626.html
Continued (travel powers: flight, speed, teleportation). Apparently you can pick up objects based on your weaponization skill:
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/37624.html
Speedster gameplay:
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/37573.html
Interview. Guilds are called Leagues for good guys, and Legions for bad guys:
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/37135.html
Also, supposedly this month's issue of Qore:
DC Universe Online bullet points -
Plays like an action game.
Graphics look great - not cell-shaded, more of a "realistic cartoon."
All famous DC locations represented.
Jim Lee and staff doing all concept art.
Can't play as iconic characters, but you will be "their equals, not their sidekicks."
Cities are "alive" and populated with people going about their daily lives - not just a bunch of mobs hanging around.
You can swap powers in and out - tank one night, and play support the next.
Choose hero or villain when you create your character, but you can be an anti-hero, etc.
Mix of open world and story-driven gameplay. Heros work on Cases, while villains pull off Capers.
Endgame: Save the world.
Raid Arkham Asylum, etc.
Can't name your character "Batmano."
Voice chat will be integrated.
Anyway this isn't a DCUO thread...even though one post is better than the OP for the actual DC thread. So stop pimping your DC in here.
The only thing that I like the looks of from the DC game so far are the domino missions they've talked about in the overworld and the physical interaction, such as using cars as weapons. Everything else looks bland but those are two pretty big things. :^: Seriously, though, breathtaking?
What DCUO needs are slightly more polished animations.
What CO needs is an in-game demonstration that -doesn't- look like that one above, because that was laughably bad.
EQ2 is about as plastic as it can get; or at least it was, last time I checked. Shitty textures, Poser-like models and uninspired monster designs:
Despite the bump-mapping, which as usual, could be toned down, DCUO does NOT look like the bastard child of Poser:
And come now. I love cel-shading. Good examples of cel-shading or similar techniques are all around:
CO's implementation on the other hand, is pretty much hit or miss. There are times where they nail just the right amount of style, and then there are times when it looks terrible; managing to look incredibly plastic and flat out uninspired... because despite being cel-shaded, they insist on using some atrocious bump-mapping and texture filters:
I still have high hopes for CO. They just need to get some decent videos and screenshots out ASAP.
The last three ways of finding missions sounds great.
I hadn't really seen any of that footage for DC before though, it looks good too.
This time with a developer "driving".
I really don't like that 'pick up stuff' generic animation, coupled with the thing disappearing for a moment, then reappearing (in a different colour, no less!) when he has hold of it.
Also, the powers looked a little generic - I guess it's a case of 'Mental Blades level 5' which do more damage than previous levels, but the combo is fairly short and basic, or something?
Also, Darkness Armor, and the power that I always, always wanted in CoX - something that pulled enemies into a clump, like a reverse Repel effect. Though it didn't seem very effective there.
The AI for the cowboy robots was pretty atrocious though. Several of them just ignored the hero even after he started attacking. The "special event" boss he talked about was just as bad in terms of responding to a threat.
Their version of object weaponization seems to be less fleshed out so far. But I'm sure they'll improve it.
I still want to see more powers used in attack chains. Other than that, this one video looks cooler, even if it's still quite clunky.