*shakes his head*
Greetings all. Today I am going to air my feelings about the products of NCSoft and Cryptic Studios, particularly the "City of ______s" line of MMORPG, as well as what seems like the entire player base thereof. (Of course, I know there are exceptions to every rule.) For those of you who don't wish to read it, I am placing it behind an LJ Cut.
City of Heroes was, and for the most part still is, a wonderful game. You get to take on the role of a hero, using your skills and special abilities for the betterment of society. While a bit contrived in some spots, it captures the right feel.
I bought CoV mainly for three reasons:
1. I had heard that CoV had costume options for hair in places other than just the head, allowing for furry characters. I had hoped that this would cross the barrier into CoH, to allow for Heroes with body hair. Sadly this is not the case.
2. Extra slots for characters. CoH comes with a base of 8 heroes per server. Adding CoV to it allows for 12 per server.
3. Super Group Bases. A cool thought at first, but now I see options for "Base Raids," yet another form of PvP in my opinion, and less interesting because of it.
I dislike the changes that came to CoH because of CoV. Mainly the addition of PvP. Some will say that PvP was already in the game in the form of arenas. While this is true, you were under no circumstances required to go any where near the arenas. Now there are 3 PvP (Player vs. Player) zones, and the contacts that give missions to level 20-24 characters have a required trip to one of them to continue getting missions. Some will say that this is no different than the 2nd contact you get, designed for level 5-9 heroes, sending you to "The Hollows" (a non-PvP zone) to continue getting missions. Others will say, "anyone over level 30 going into a PvP zone will be reduced to an effective level of 30 while inside." This does not help the poor level 20 who just got blown into bits by some powergamer an effective 10 levels higher than themselves. This opinion may just be the bad experiences I've had with PvP in other games, but I REFUSE PvP in any form.
Personally, from playing CoV for a couple days, I would suggest renaming it City of Enforcers. You are doing nothing "villianous". You are not facing off against heroes or harming the public in general. (The average citizen of these games is completely immune to any kind of harm. Only acting on the side of good or side of evil makes you susceptable to attack of any form.) Instead you are sent out by higher-ups in this massive organization to "deal with" lesser evil groups when they do something the mega-group frowns on. The only crimes you commit are not even for your own benefit, but for someone else's. Also, this mega-group (Arachnos, a spider theme....remember spiders can be quite cannibalistic) lends you no protections. Even NPC's of this group will attack you on sight.
I understand that some of a somewhat neutral moral code like the escapist potental of playing a villian, and some even revel in the ability to cause damage. I am not one of these. I don't like villians. Villians are out there to harm others for no reason other than their own greed or sadistic pleasure. There is a reason I come out on "What is your alignment" memes as Good and "What epic fantasy character type are you" as paladin.
But I also don't like feeling that everyone view me as stupid for not loving evil. Whenever I mention my dislike for CoV and PvP in general forums, on CoH chat, or even on here in comment to someone else, I get large numbers of people telling me that I should shut up, that I don't know what I'm talking about, or that I am stupid. Even those who do not intend their comments that way cause the impression now. Well excuse me for having the opinion that good is good, and evil is bad.
There. It's out.
City of Heroes was, and for the most part still is, a wonderful game. You get to take on the role of a hero, using your skills and special abilities for the betterment of society. While a bit contrived in some spots, it captures the right feel.
I bought CoV mainly for three reasons:
1. I had heard that CoV had costume options for hair in places other than just the head, allowing for furry characters. I had hoped that this would cross the barrier into CoH, to allow for Heroes with body hair. Sadly this is not the case.
2. Extra slots for characters. CoH comes with a base of 8 heroes per server. Adding CoV to it allows for 12 per server.
3. Super Group Bases. A cool thought at first, but now I see options for "Base Raids," yet another form of PvP in my opinion, and less interesting because of it.
I dislike the changes that came to CoH because of CoV. Mainly the addition of PvP. Some will say that PvP was already in the game in the form of arenas. While this is true, you were under no circumstances required to go any where near the arenas. Now there are 3 PvP (Player vs. Player) zones, and the contacts that give missions to level 20-24 characters have a required trip to one of them to continue getting missions. Some will say that this is no different than the 2nd contact you get, designed for level 5-9 heroes, sending you to "The Hollows" (a non-PvP zone) to continue getting missions. Others will say, "anyone over level 30 going into a PvP zone will be reduced to an effective level of 30 while inside." This does not help the poor level 20 who just got blown into bits by some powergamer an effective 10 levels higher than themselves. This opinion may just be the bad experiences I've had with PvP in other games, but I REFUSE PvP in any form.
Personally, from playing CoV for a couple days, I would suggest renaming it City of Enforcers. You are doing nothing "villianous". You are not facing off against heroes or harming the public in general. (The average citizen of these games is completely immune to any kind of harm. Only acting on the side of good or side of evil makes you susceptable to attack of any form.) Instead you are sent out by higher-ups in this massive organization to "deal with" lesser evil groups when they do something the mega-group frowns on. The only crimes you commit are not even for your own benefit, but for someone else's. Also, this mega-group (Arachnos, a spider theme....remember spiders can be quite cannibalistic) lends you no protections. Even NPC's of this group will attack you on sight.
I understand that some of a somewhat neutral moral code like the escapist potental of playing a villian, and some even revel in the ability to cause damage. I am not one of these. I don't like villians. Villians are out there to harm others for no reason other than their own greed or sadistic pleasure. There is a reason I come out on "What is your alignment" memes as Good and "What epic fantasy character type are you" as paladin.
But I also don't like feeling that everyone view me as stupid for not loving evil. Whenever I mention my dislike for CoV and PvP in general forums, on CoH chat, or even on here in comment to someone else, I get large numbers of people telling me that I should shut up, that I don't know what I'm talking about, or that I am stupid. Even those who do not intend their comments that way cause the impression now. Well excuse me for having the opinion that good is good, and evil is bad.
There. It's out.