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Why a Champions MMORPG Could Be Awesome
Recently it was revealed that the Marvel MMO canceled and that Cryptic Studios was instead working on a Champions MMO named Champions Online. Champions is one of the longest-running and best superhero RPGs and as the resident RPG guru, Steve asked me to take a minute and explain to folks why this is an awesome move.
First, I don’t really have any specifics about the upcoming MMO, so a lot of my feelings will change depending on whether the new game simply uses Champions characters and settings, or whether it uses the actual Champions game mechanics in any form.
I’m hoping it’s the latter myself.
One of the greatest things about Champions was the ability of the game system to model any superhero you wanted to create. It’s a point-based effects system, which means the game describes how it works, and you describe how it looks.
This gives you more variability and a greater ability to model characters. Here’s an example of what I mean. In Champions, the Flight power determines how fast you can fly, based on how many points you spend on it. Whether that Flight is you being carried along by a gust of wind (like Storm) or generating a jet of fire (like the Human Torch) is meaningless.
With a huge amount of effects to choose from, this allows Champions to model characters that are very difficult to model under any other supers system. This would be a great system for a MMO, since you’d almost never see characters that were similar.
Of course, Champions has some great IP as well, some excellent villain teams and some great super-agencies such as U.N.T.I.L. and their villainous counterpart Viper.
But it was always the game mechanics of the Champions system that drove me, and countless other players wild, so here’s hoping this game uses a system derived from Champions and not just the City of Heroes rules with a coat of Champions paint on it.
I can't wait for the official announcement from Cryptic and Hero Games Monday, which will tell us some of those details. I'd prefer the Hero system rules (even really slimmed down) for the game, but it is just the setting, as a long time Champs/Hero player, it would be fun to face VIPER, Dr Destroyer, Dark Seraph, Eurostar or Foxbat in a video game.
Posted by Lord Mhoram at February 15, 2008 3:40 PM"With a huge amount of effects to choose from, this allows Champions to model characters that are very difficult to model under any other supers system. This would be a great system for a MMO, since you’d almost never see characters that were similar."
They should only focus on character creation after they are sure their gameplay doesn't suck, like City of Heroes's/Villians's combat.
I totally agree with you on this. I loved Champions back in the day, precisely because the game mechanics were SO cool and open-ended. If they can replicate that degree of flexibility and still make a playable game, I'm SO in.
Posted by Pfellah at February 16, 2008 11:27 AMApparently Cryptic bought the Champions and Dark Champions IP from Hero Games (and licenses it back to makes Pen and Paper RPG with those names and IP), but did not license the system. So the Champions Online will use the Champions IP, but not the rules.
Posted by Lord Mhoram at February 18, 2008 10:17 AMHaving a Hero rules system converted into a MMO would be the best MMO ever created. Here you have a character creation system and mechanics that if streamlined with the software managing, would offer flexibility and BALANCE that you never get from any of the MMO systems that are out there. Let's hope the developers stick to the following: 1) Stick to the character rules & combat mechanics. 2) Stick to the champions IP 3) Have different server 'worlds' with different point limits, this way everyone is relatively on a level playing field to start. Hero's should be able to kick butt out of the starting gate, against normals and agents. Having the super weenies like city of heroes started off was a joke. So you could have your 'pulp' adventurer who is 75 points, and everything is in that scale, another server could be classic heros with 100 or 150 points base, and a more epic server could be higher, or allow for a higher point max from experience.
This would be a money maker if done right.
Posted by Joel Lovell at February 19, 2008 8:12 PMI'd love to see this, but only if they strictly adhere to the HERO system rules.
1-2 experience points awarded for every mission?
Sign me up for that. No more pointless grinding for cash
and rep as I must do in WoW.
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