[PC/360] Champions Online Hands-On PvP Preview

[Sazime]

Champions Online - Hands-On Player v. Player

Title: Champions Online
Platform: PC\XBox 360
Developer: Cryptic Studios
Publisher: Atari
Reporter: Sam 'Sazime' Sorensen


The life of a hero. Protecting the innocent, saving the world on occasion and of course the occasional team-up to take down a particularly dangerous foe with a like minded ally. Champions is aiming to cater to all of these, as well as the occasional need for even the most honorable of heroes to test themselves against their brethren from time to time.

For those who are not familiar, Champions Online is a super hero MMO based on the Champions Universe and Hero System PnP RPG rule set. It boasts a VERY deep character creation system as well as the ability for players to create their own nemeses that they will run across as they complete missions and fight through criminal organizations.

PVP

During the latest event for the game, Cryptic took us through a first look at their PvP modes for Champions Online. In this latest MMO, the developer of City of Heroes has taken a step forward in not only putting together a robust and flexible co-operative experience, but also an action packed and satisfying PvP setting as well.

What is important here, though, is the PvP aspect which attempts to put some new twists in the genre. Champions is a very fast paced and action oriented game, so you're not relegated so much to the *click* -wait- *click* -wait- game from most MMOs. Instead, you'll find yourself running, jumping, and flying around to out-maneuver enemy attacks in a manner that reminded me more of an action RPG than an MMO.

Of course, different modes and areas of play will be available for players. PvP will consist of team play, death-match and of course the outdoor zones where everyone just gets to beat the crap out of each other mercilessly, aka free for all. Whether you do that in sanctioned or unsanctioned matches is up to you.

In the course of the more "heroic" battles you can sign up for an in-game tournament that consists of different matches that are "sanctioned" by the Ultimate Tournament of Champions (UTC). If you want to get involved in other matches, you can go to PvP areas for BASH. Modes in each are slightly different, the UTC being an organized event while BASH is geared more towards all out brawling where up to 20 players can duke it out simultaneously.

While the PvP allowed at this point seems a bit slim compared to some of the larger battles in other MMOs, the action really doesn't allow for too many people to be hurling fireballs, firing laser beams and hurling chunks of rock at each other in a fast and furious fashion. Trust me, once you get more than a few people on screen, your attention span hits its limit and it's all you can do to keep going.

What are the benefits of this particular PvP perspicacity? Well, the biggest thing for Cryptic as it stands now is to not leave players out in the cold. While in PvP, you'll still have a chance for things like item drops, XP and rewards for managing skills. This way, if you jump back out into the regular world, you won't feel left behind or "gimped" for having stayed in PvP for so long. To me, it's a welcome change from the "one or the other" build of other MMOs.

While the breadth and build of the regular experience has not been fully disclosed, Cryptic has obviously been putting a lot of work into making sure the PvP aspect is as action packed as possible.

We know that the nemeses and character generation will probably be those most modifiable in an MMO to date. Changing the look of your character, your powers and even adjusting power sets will devour hours of time. And then showing them off to your friends as you beat their heroic hind-side into the pavement? These are the things that make my life worthwhile. And for those of you who missed it, how about that character creation trailer Cryptic was kind enough to supply us with?

Additional video can be found at Colony of Gamer's YouTube channel!

[SilentScreams]

The character creator was actually very limited when I played around with it a few months ago.
I wanted to recreate Power Trip, my Electricity Blaster from CoH, and I couldn't make anyone that looked even remotely like him.
My brother wanted to recreate his Mastermind and couldn't do that either.
To me, it's not an evolution if you can't even do the stuff you could do in the first place.

[crazyD]

They should just sell their character creator for $5 or something. I'm not interested in MMOs in the slightest, but I've always heard good things about Cryptic's character creators and want to try it out.

[Sazime]

Originally Posted by SilentScreams

The character creator was actually very limited when I played around with it a few months ago.
I wanted to recreate Power Trip, my Electricity Blaster from CoH, and I couldn't make anyone that looked even remotely like him.
My brother wanted to recreate his Mastermind and couldn't do that either.
To me, it's not an evolution if you can't even do the stuff you could do in the first place.

I have yet to play around with it myself, but from what I saw during the event, it looked even more flexible than before. There are even items that become available through play.

They might not have the same options at the outset as before, but man o man, power color and emanation modification looks cool. I skipped over a lot of it because it wasn't pvp-centric.

[Sazime]

Originally Posted by crazyD

They should just sell their character creator for $5 or something. I'm not interested in MMOs in the slightest, but I've always heard good things about Cryptic's character creators and want to try it out.

Hell, it worked for EA and Spore, right?

[crazyD]

Originally Posted by Sazime

Hell, it worked for EA and Spore, right?

Hell, it would be awesome if they could make something like Gary's Mod using their creator.

[digitalErich]

So...they are doing WoW arenas, with some BG-lite thrown in as an afterthought huh?

I hate to be down on the game, but nothing there interests me in the slightest with respect to PvP.

[Ghostbear]

I've been having fun in the beta. I am looking forward to the full game.

[Hawkzombie]

I'd kill for beta

[Ghostbear]

Originally Posted by Hawkzombie

I'd kill for beta

Kill what?

[Hawkzombie]

Originally Posted by Ghostbear

Kill what?

ANYTHING.*

That will not land me in some form of incarceration.

[SilentScreams]

Incidentally, playing the beta killed my interest in this game.

Okay...so maybe not killed completely, but it's gone from a day one purchase to a "wait and see" because from what I've seen in the beta, they're not going to have enough time before the supposed September release date to make this game anything like finished. Hell, at the moment it's not even as good as CoH.