Desperation? Or Good Marketing?

[Baseload]

http://www.champions-online.com/exclusive_specials

$200 is alot to place down on a game little have seen anything of other than screenshots

[Bob Schroeck]

Considering I've spent more than $200 on access fees to COH in the last four years, I'd probably take them up on the offer -- but basically only if I
had a chance to see the game first.

My group here at work has a couple online gamers in it (other than me, that is), and by purest coincidence we were discussing Champions Online in the staff
room this morning -- the first time it's even been on my mind in months. They were acting like they'd seen something more than screenshots, and
mentioned that there's something that acts like a class system in it, which just blew my mind, since Champions was one of the first point-based,
no-class-and-level systems to hit the tabletop market. Can anyone confirm or deny?
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Ankhani]

I've got no clue what they're aiming at with this. $200 will get you 13 months worth of fees at the standard $15/month, with $5 left over.

Bob: On a cursory exploration of the site, they have a some game play videos up. In the Character Creation one, the class gist is basically this: You can choose a "package" for a "thematic set" of powers (roughly analogous to the CoH Archtype, I believe?) or you can "go into a custom framework" and choose from any of the powersets available.

It looks interesting, that's for sure. However $200 is a bit steep of a investment for something I'd likely never play when the lot of you people are on CoH. I wonder if they're going to pull the deal after the game launches next month...

The page for the videos is here http://www.champions-online.com/videos
---

The Master said: "It is all in vain! I have never yet seen a man who can perceive his own faults and bring the charge home against himself."

>Analects: Book V, Chaper XXVI

[jpub]

It's not that unusual these days - LotRO, Hellgate, and I'm pretty sure Conan did this too.

It's a bit of gamble/scam for a new game - which is why they usually only allow you to do that at LAUNCH, and not 3mo to a year in. The idea is, the
company gets a massive cash influx from you right at the start - basically, a year's worth. You, in turn, are betting on them being around for a few years
*and* on them not sucking.

I'd be interested, but unless I manage to get a beta invite so I can be assured it doesn't suck, it's not happening.

[Bob Schroeck]

The videos do look spectacular, and in particular seem to show one thing I've always been disappointed in COH over: The inability to pick up environmental
objects and smack the enemy with them.

But I agree with Chris -- I'd want to play it (or hear about it from someone I trust who has) before dropping that kind of money on it.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[jpub]

If people do start this game, let us know. I might pick it up for the gimme month at minimum if I have some friends to talk to on there.

[Ankhani]

One MMO is my limit. I'll be staying with CoH unless there's a good reason to switch (And not just the 'New Shiny').
---

The Master said: "It is all in vain! I have never yet seen a man who can perceive his own faults and bring the charge home against himself."

>Analects: Book V, Chaper XXVI

[Matrix Dragon]

Bob Schroeck wrote:

---

They were acting like they'd seen something more than screenshots, and mentioned that there's something that acts like a class system in it, which
just blew my mind, since Champions was one of the first point-based, no-class-and-level systems to hit the tabletop market.

As I recall, Cryptic originally wanted to try something similar with CoH during the original development, and dropped it as unworkable.