Midnight Sky
Angel of the North
- 516
- 2007
- 0
- Credits
- 2,800
The Champions IP
If you have a soft spot in your heart for the original Champions IP, you are in good company – so do the folks over at Cryptic studios. In fact, they were such big fans of the original game that they did not simply license the Champions name – they bought it.
If you are unfamiliar with Champions, here is your chance to play a quick game of catch-up. Champions was first published in 1981 and was one of the first role-playing titles to forfeit the traditional dice method of character creation for a point-purchasing system. After receiving a set number of points, players would allot those points to characteristics of their choosing in order to create their own unique heroes. By selecting advantages and disadvantages, skills and superpowers, the system lent itself to crafting a very balanced array of characters. As a result, the Hero System method of character creation became popular and was used in other pen-and-paper RPGs such as Dark Champions, Fantasy Hero, Star Hero and Pulp Hero.
Five editions of Champions have been released since 1981, with a sixth edition planned for release in 2009. Each Champions installment has proven to be drastically different than the last, as the Champions universe is ever-evolving. Heroes die, villains are locked away, cities crumble and still others are rebuilt. The Cryptic team thinks this quality in particular lends itself well to online interaction.
Champions Online
Picked up by publisher 2K Games, Champions Online is currently in development for the Xbox 360 and PC, with hopes of allow gamers to play together simultaneously on either platform. Champions Online is not yet rated but has a tentative released window of spring 2009.
Following suit of its predecessor, Champions Online boasts total character customization as one of its premiere features. Players will not only be able to choose their characters name, back story, body type, costume, powers and abilities, they will also be able to mold a archenemy in their likeness to challenge them throughout their career. Costume creation allows users to choose from hundreds of unique pieces, alter size and color of each element, and even change the color of powers and abilities. There are literally billions of character customization options, allowing each player to be the true superhero they have always envisioned in real life. As your character grows, they will be rewarded with extra costume pieces and livery, enhanced powers, abilities and additional assets.
The Champions Online combat system is a hybrid between traditional MMO combat and the nonstop action usually only found in fighting games. Cryptic is especially proud of this feature, which keeps players from suffering through extensive downtime without sacrificing strategy. Because of this real-time action combat, the team goes as far as to brand Champions Online as the first Action/MMO. With the implementation of this new system, players will be pitted against thousands of threats during their career. They can choose to take on foes with the aid of heroes, create superteams to fight the forces of evil, and eventually take on the biggest baddies of all time.
As far as gameplay is concerned, players will be able to use weaker abilities to build up power and then use that gained power to unleash stronger attacks in a non-complex combo system. The team explained that you should be able to go from zero to hero in only five minutes – implying the system is easy to pick up on. PvP and PvE play will be available at launch, although Cryptic explained that one of the principle gameplay features is that you should be able to solo through nearly the entire game. However, there will be a few missions that will require groups. Once you have joined a group you will be able to create and share your own missions and strongholds with others, something Cryptic encourages. Cryptic also briefly touched on the fact that crafting will be involved in gameplay to some degree, and you will be able to make and invent things.
When developing the visuals, the Cryptic team opted for a cell-shaded style that is supposed to evoke the feeling of being in a real comic book. Cryptic developers explained that while realism works in MMOs they wanted the entire experience to feel like a living graphic novel. The result is vivid, clean, vibrant and features lots of contrasts and color.
The Story
Much of the characters, locations and themes have been pulled from the original Champions IP, so some of this may sound pleasantly familiar to fans of the series. In the world of Champions Online, Earth’s safety depends on its heroes. Villains from this word and others constantly threaten the future and security of humanity. On our planet alone baddies come from multiple agencies – including VIPER, ARGENT and PSI. These groups utilize super powers, super intelligence or technology to try and mold the world in a fashion they see fit. Aliens, mechanical foes and beings from different dimensions have no more noble intentions.
However, the greatest threat comes from Doctor Destroyer – a villain who demolished the city of Detroit in 1992 while attempting to bring the world to its knees. The Champions – sole protectors of our freedom – fight Doctor Destroyer and these foes in an attempt to bring peace, security and justice back to the world. This is where the player comes in. Even the most cunning, intelligent and powerful of super beings need allies, and they are looking for you.
The Locations
As opposed to gameplay in City of Heroes, Champions Online will allow users to explore monster infested islands, underground ruins, outer space and even other dimensions. Millennium City – built over the ruins of Detroit – is expected to be one of the most important locations on the globe and acts as a center for hope and technology. Two other locations were recently revealed, both of which showcase the vast environments found in Champions Online.
Stronghold
Stronghold acts as an instance dungeon, and if you are a supervillain it is not a place you want to be. According to Champions Universe lore, in the mid 1970s, supervillain crime was taking a toll on the American economy. Not only were supervillans causing billions of dollars in damage, they were impossible to keep incarcerated due to their abilities. Stronghold was a direct response to this problem. Proposed by Dr. Charles Wildman, the prison was crafted with the sole purpose of holding villains with super powers. Buried deep below the New Mexican desert, Stronghold was built strong enough to withstand superpowers and to block superhuman abilities. With the creation of Stronghold and its power inhibitor technology, prison breaks were virtually eliminated. However, after a freak storm, which completely whipped out Stronghold’s power grid, over 40 supervillans were on the loose. A tougher prison warden was brought to Stronghold to keep the disaster from happening again. Still, Stronghold was riddled with strife, and a disgruntled employee released a giant irradiated supervillian for unknown reasons – killing several guards in the process. As a result, employees are now required to undergo periodic psychological evaluations in the hopes of keeping Stronghold secure. In addition to these new security measures, the most powerful supervillans are now kept in a form of coma called a “hot sleep†for the duration of their sentences.
Snake Gulch
Not too far from the desert prison is Snake Gulch – an example of a more open world environment. A man by the name of Tyrell Donaldson created Snake Gulch in order to give tourists a chance to relive the Wild West. However, for some reason he decided to incorporate modern technology into the attraction, populating Snake Gulch entirely with robots instead of real cowboys. The tourist trap thrived for quite some time, but recently things have gone sour. Normal citizens don’t like being too close to Stronghold prison – especially with the freak outbreaks – and several groups of baddies have been moving into town as civilians vacate. Somehow they even managed to turn the robot tour guides evil. The end result is a large expanse of desert too close to the real Wild West for comfort.
While Cryptic has kept more explicit details about Champions Online on the down-low, you now know enough about the history and universe of the property to whet your appetite. If one thing can be said for the game it is that the Champions IP appears to lend itself well to the MMO Genre. Now all we need to do is get our hands on the game.
Original Article:
http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200...6150.htm?Page=1
If you have a soft spot in your heart for the original Champions IP, you are in good company – so do the folks over at Cryptic studios. In fact, they were such big fans of the original game that they did not simply license the Champions name – they bought it.
If you are unfamiliar with Champions, here is your chance to play a quick game of catch-up. Champions was first published in 1981 and was one of the first role-playing titles to forfeit the traditional dice method of character creation for a point-purchasing system. After receiving a set number of points, players would allot those points to characteristics of their choosing in order to create their own unique heroes. By selecting advantages and disadvantages, skills and superpowers, the system lent itself to crafting a very balanced array of characters. As a result, the Hero System method of character creation became popular and was used in other pen-and-paper RPGs such as Dark Champions, Fantasy Hero, Star Hero and Pulp Hero.
Five editions of Champions have been released since 1981, with a sixth edition planned for release in 2009. Each Champions installment has proven to be drastically different than the last, as the Champions universe is ever-evolving. Heroes die, villains are locked away, cities crumble and still others are rebuilt. The Cryptic team thinks this quality in particular lends itself well to online interaction.
Champions Online
Picked up by publisher 2K Games, Champions Online is currently in development for the Xbox 360 and PC, with hopes of allow gamers to play together simultaneously on either platform. Champions Online is not yet rated but has a tentative released window of spring 2009.
Following suit of its predecessor, Champions Online boasts total character customization as one of its premiere features. Players will not only be able to choose their characters name, back story, body type, costume, powers and abilities, they will also be able to mold a archenemy in their likeness to challenge them throughout their career. Costume creation allows users to choose from hundreds of unique pieces, alter size and color of each element, and even change the color of powers and abilities. There are literally billions of character customization options, allowing each player to be the true superhero they have always envisioned in real life. As your character grows, they will be rewarded with extra costume pieces and livery, enhanced powers, abilities and additional assets.
The Champions Online combat system is a hybrid between traditional MMO combat and the nonstop action usually only found in fighting games. Cryptic is especially proud of this feature, which keeps players from suffering through extensive downtime without sacrificing strategy. Because of this real-time action combat, the team goes as far as to brand Champions Online as the first Action/MMO. With the implementation of this new system, players will be pitted against thousands of threats during their career. They can choose to take on foes with the aid of heroes, create superteams to fight the forces of evil, and eventually take on the biggest baddies of all time.
As far as gameplay is concerned, players will be able to use weaker abilities to build up power and then use that gained power to unleash stronger attacks in a non-complex combo system. The team explained that you should be able to go from zero to hero in only five minutes – implying the system is easy to pick up on. PvP and PvE play will be available at launch, although Cryptic explained that one of the principle gameplay features is that you should be able to solo through nearly the entire game. However, there will be a few missions that will require groups. Once you have joined a group you will be able to create and share your own missions and strongholds with others, something Cryptic encourages. Cryptic also briefly touched on the fact that crafting will be involved in gameplay to some degree, and you will be able to make and invent things.
When developing the visuals, the Cryptic team opted for a cell-shaded style that is supposed to evoke the feeling of being in a real comic book. Cryptic developers explained that while realism works in MMOs they wanted the entire experience to feel like a living graphic novel. The result is vivid, clean, vibrant and features lots of contrasts and color.
The Story
Much of the characters, locations and themes have been pulled from the original Champions IP, so some of this may sound pleasantly familiar to fans of the series. In the world of Champions Online, Earth’s safety depends on its heroes. Villains from this word and others constantly threaten the future and security of humanity. On our planet alone baddies come from multiple agencies – including VIPER, ARGENT and PSI. These groups utilize super powers, super intelligence or technology to try and mold the world in a fashion they see fit. Aliens, mechanical foes and beings from different dimensions have no more noble intentions.
However, the greatest threat comes from Doctor Destroyer – a villain who demolished the city of Detroit in 1992 while attempting to bring the world to its knees. The Champions – sole protectors of our freedom – fight Doctor Destroyer and these foes in an attempt to bring peace, security and justice back to the world. This is where the player comes in. Even the most cunning, intelligent and powerful of super beings need allies, and they are looking for you.
The Locations
As opposed to gameplay in City of Heroes, Champions Online will allow users to explore monster infested islands, underground ruins, outer space and even other dimensions. Millennium City – built over the ruins of Detroit – is expected to be one of the most important locations on the globe and acts as a center for hope and technology. Two other locations were recently revealed, both of which showcase the vast environments found in Champions Online.
Stronghold
Stronghold acts as an instance dungeon, and if you are a supervillain it is not a place you want to be. According to Champions Universe lore, in the mid 1970s, supervillain crime was taking a toll on the American economy. Not only were supervillans causing billions of dollars in damage, they were impossible to keep incarcerated due to their abilities. Stronghold was a direct response to this problem. Proposed by Dr. Charles Wildman, the prison was crafted with the sole purpose of holding villains with super powers. Buried deep below the New Mexican desert, Stronghold was built strong enough to withstand superpowers and to block superhuman abilities. With the creation of Stronghold and its power inhibitor technology, prison breaks were virtually eliminated. However, after a freak storm, which completely whipped out Stronghold’s power grid, over 40 supervillans were on the loose. A tougher prison warden was brought to Stronghold to keep the disaster from happening again. Still, Stronghold was riddled with strife, and a disgruntled employee released a giant irradiated supervillian for unknown reasons – killing several guards in the process. As a result, employees are now required to undergo periodic psychological evaluations in the hopes of keeping Stronghold secure. In addition to these new security measures, the most powerful supervillans are now kept in a form of coma called a “hot sleep†for the duration of their sentences.
Snake Gulch
Not too far from the desert prison is Snake Gulch – an example of a more open world environment. A man by the name of Tyrell Donaldson created Snake Gulch in order to give tourists a chance to relive the Wild West. However, for some reason he decided to incorporate modern technology into the attraction, populating Snake Gulch entirely with robots instead of real cowboys. The tourist trap thrived for quite some time, but recently things have gone sour. Normal citizens don’t like being too close to Stronghold prison – especially with the freak outbreaks – and several groups of baddies have been moving into town as civilians vacate. Somehow they even managed to turn the robot tour guides evil. The end result is a large expanse of desert too close to the real Wild West for comfort.
While Cryptic has kept more explicit details about Champions Online on the down-low, you now know enough about the history and universe of the property to whet your appetite. If one thing can be said for the game it is that the Champions IP appears to lend itself well to the MMO Genre. Now all we need to do is get our hands on the game.
Original Article:
http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200...6150.htm?Page=1