1. Champions Goes Gold - And Silver

    NOTE: Sorry about the timing between posts. I am lately experiencing wifi issues, which will hopefully be sorted out by the end of the month.

    Today, I’d like to talk about one of my favourite MMORPGs, Champions Online. If you’re not familiar with the game, it’s a superhero MMO from Cryptic Studios, the original developers of City of Heroes and the upcoming Neverwinter title.

    As of January 25th of this year, Champions has gone “freemium.” That is, they have added a free-to-play account level in place of the old trial account system. This new model, called Free For All, introduces new “Silver”-level accounts that are limited in some respects, but still have access to the full basic content & level range.
    Some features such as power-tinting & custom power selection are limited to the subscribed “Gold” accounts; however, most Silver players won’t notice amidst all the content at their disposal.

    Also, quite a bit of the content that is unavailable to basic Silver accounts can be purchased a la carte through the Champions online store. So if you really want that Halloween costume set, or one of the optional (and so-so) Adventure Packs, it can be yours for a couple of dollars.This makes the amount of “subscription-exclusive” content much smaller, as well as providing income for the game’s development.

    My favourite part of the new free-to-play model, however, is the introduction of Archetypes, or “ATs.” In Champions, Silver players choose from one of several pre-defined classes for their characters. (Gold accounts may use archetypes, or custom powersets.) While this does limit powerset customization somewhat, it provides for quick character creation & an easy way to determine your character’s role in the game. Want to be a melee damage-dealer? Pick the Behemoth AT. Want to provide combat control? Try the Glacier. Do you want a mix of ranged damage & support? The Mind class might be what you’re looking for.

    It’s not perfect, of course. There’s always something for people to complain about - in gaming, it’s inevitable. All in all, though, I’d say the introduction of Free For All is one of the best things to happen to Champions Online.

    1 year ago  /  Notes

  2. I’m here… now what?

    My name’s Harper. Welcome to my blog.
    This will be updated whenever I get around to it, and will generally include subjects such as:

    • Video Games
    • MMORPGs
    • Roleplaying
    • Geek Culture

    If any of these catch your interest, stick around… and feel free to share your questions, comments, and gaming-related ideas.

    1 year ago  /  Notes